Enigma
Chapter Two
-Boredom-
Sanosuke walked down the streets of Konoha, his hands shoved in his pockets and a bored look on his face. It was day two of his punishment, and he was pretty sure he was going to die. And it wasn't even like he could leave the Uchiha District and train elsewhere, because his mother would ask him every time she saw him if he had disobeyed, and there was no way he could lie to her. Not to mention that the last thing he would ever dream of doing is go against her orders. That was just crazy.
So, in an attempt to quell the need to train, he had decided to wander around the village. His parents always complained that he never got out anyways, so he might as well give it a try. He paused in his step when he came upon the local playground, and watched as the other kids ran around and laughed with one another. Part of him wished that he was able to do that, but he didn't like people enough, nor did he like to be touched by anyone who wasn't his family. It wasn't that he thought he was better than them, it just made him uncomfortable. The only one who seemed to understand was his grandfather, because he never bothered him about it. His grandpa wasn't too bad about it either, but the redhead would mention every once in a while that he needed to make at least one friend.
As he resumed his walk, he crossed to go by the playground in order to take a shortcut to the park. Hearing a loud, happy laugh, he glanced over and saw Talia chasing another girl around, and she was holding something in her hands. He guessed that whatever it was was what was causing the kid to run away in fright. Probably a bug or something. He quickly looked away and continued walking. He knew he should probably call out to her, stop and talk to her in order to further their friendship, but he didn't know what to say. What if he sounded like a complete idiot?
Suddenly he heard his name being called out, and he stopped, his brow furrowing. Who would be calling out his name? He turned around, his eyes lighting with surprise as he saw Talia running towards him. He didn't think she would notice him. He also noticed that she was still holding whatever she'd been chasing that girl around with.
"Hey Sanosuke!" Talia beamed, panting slightly from her run. "What are you doing out and about? I've never like seen you so close, and now twice in one week?" she snickered.
Sanosuke obviously didn't find anything funny in her statement. "I'm being punished." He stated, slumping his shoulders only slightly, since Uchihas were supposed to have perfect posture.
She blinked, appearing confused. "Punished?" she asked, then went wide eyed. "You got in trouble for taking the blame?"
"Mostly just for sneaking out of school." He explained. "I'm pretty sure my parents knew I was taking the blame, so they weren't too harsh on that one." He blinked. That was the longest sentence he'd ever said to anyone outside his family before. If he were one for smiling, he would have in that moment. His mother would be so proud of him when he told her.
Talia nodded, but only looked confused once more. "Wait, if you're grounded then how come you're out?"
"Because it's better than being stuck with my siblings all day." He said simply, lifting his shoulder in a small shrug. "So I went with the lesser of two evils and decided to go on a walk."
She couldn't help but laugh, smiling brightly. "That's not what I meant, I mean, if you're grounded, aren't you not allowed out?"
He shook his head. "I'm grounded from training and spending time with my grandfather for four days, since my mother knows we'll just train anyways if we hang out."
The blonde girl tried to hold in her laugh this time. "You get grounded…from training?" then she burst out, holding her sides. "That's hilarious!"
"It is not!" he exclaimed, bristling as his feathers were ruffled. He didn't know why he expected her to understand though. After all, she was just a civilian. "Training is good for you, and its fun." He crossed his arms in a silent pout.
Finally her giggles died down, and she met his green gaze with her amber one. "Sorry, it's just kinda funny. It would be like me getting grounded from homework."
He decided to change the subject then, since like any other boy he didn't appreciate being laughed at, however friendly it was. His eyes moved to her hands. "What were chasing that girl with?" he asked as he looked back up at her, since that question had been pricking at his mind.
Talia blinked and gasped, moving her hands and looking at the squashed insect on her palms. "Ah crap!" she shivered, running over to the water fountain and cleaning the guts from her hands. "Gross, gross, gross." She grumbled, scrubbing rigorously till they were all clean.
Sanosuke walked over to where she was, watching her rinse off her hands in slight curiosity. "So what kind of bug was it?" he asked.
"Some creepy caterpillar I found on a tree. Girls are so afraid of them it's just hilarious." She smirked, resting her hands on her hips. "I just like to mess with people, after all I'm not afraid of anything!" she boasted, puffing her chest out in pride.
"Me either." He smirked, knowing just how she felt.
Talia scoffed. "Well of course you aren't. You're an Uchiha, not to mention your mom is the descendent of the greatest Kazekage to ever live. Don't you guys have like three elements and two super strong bloodlines?"
"Yup." The corner of his mouth lifted even more. Oh how he did enjoy bragging, even if it was only slightly.
"So what are you best at?"
"I'm the best with weapons." He told her. "Cause' it's not good to become too reliant on jutsu, otherwise you could get in a sticky situation and die."
She nodded. "That's how your mom and dad are right? Isn't your mom like really, really fast? And your dad like an expert with weapons?" she wondered, appearing genuinely interested.
A small smile came to his face as he began to get wrapped up in their conversation. "Yeah. But when I grow up, I'm gonna be better than them, and faster. I'm already almost as fast as my older brothers." He boasted.
"Really?" she nearly bounced. "That's so cool! I'm pretty fast myself." Talia smirked, pointing to herself. "I won the class sprint last semester and got first place in the jump rope contest."
His deep eyes sparked with interest. "Do you train? I mean…exercise?" he asked, since civilians technically couldn't train the way ninja could.
Talia thought for a moment before shrugging. "I dunno I guess so. I mean, I like to jump rope and run really fast, but other than that not really."
He just nodded, having run out of things to say. It seemed as if the topic of training had come to a close, so what else could they talk about? He didn't know what civilians did on a daily basis, much less a girl. And his sister Izayoi wasn't a good example, because as an Uchiha she was held above the rest of the girls in the village. Anything she did was of a higher standard. Then it came to him. "Do you have any siblings?"
"Nope." The girl said simply. "Just me and my mom."
"What about your father?"
"He died when I was four. He was a ninja, not a very good one I guess. He was a chuunin." She shrugged, looking off as a sad look came to her face.
Sanosuke's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't meant to make her upset, he had just been curious. Should he apologize for asking? No, Uchihas never apologized, or felt sorry about anything they did concerning those outside the family. But, as her friend, it was his job to make her feel better. "Just because he died as a chuunin doesn't mean he wasn't a good ninja." He said. Then he reached out and pat her shoulder awkwardly, since he didn't really touch people if he could help it. His mother was an exception, as were the rest of his family, on occasion. "It just means he didn't get the chance to become a jounin."
"Naw." She sighed and looked back at him. "He wasn't a very confident guy. At least that was what my mom said. But she liked how awkward and nervous he was." Talia smiled then.
"Oh." He blinked, retracting his hand since it seemed she didn't really need to be comforted.
It was silent then, the air becoming heavy between them. But just before Sanosuke could open his mouth to dismiss himself, Talia spoke, "Hey do you want to come over for dinner tonight? Or are you even allowed to?"
"Really?" the young Uchiha asked, shocked. She wanted him to come over to her house? Then he realized that what he had said might be taken the wrong way, and so quickly spoke up. "Um…yeah I think I can. I just have to ask my mother."
"Okay cool! I'll ask my mom to set it for three today! Just wait right here, she works over at the restaurant right there." She pointed off, towards a few bistros and cafés. Then she ran off, disappearing inside one of the establishments.
Sanosuke blinked, and then his eyes widened. Crap. He was going to have to ask his mother if he could miss dinner. If she said yes, his siblings would become curious, and he'd be bothered and teased to no end by Noriaki. Especially because he didn't want to just leave Talia to go and ask. It would be best if she went with him, as proof that he in fact did have a friend. And that would only make it worse. What if his weird family scared her away?
He inhaled deeply, letting it out in a slow breath as he waited, repeating the action in order to calm his racing thoughts. If he thought the worst, he would become depressed, and his mother hated it when he acted like an emo, as she had deemed it. He clasped his hands behind his back and inhaled once more, seeing his blonde friend come bouncing towards him as he was exhaling. And based on her smile, he could only surmise that the news was good.
"She said yes!" Talia exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as she stopped in front of him.
"Okay, well I have to go home and ask my mother…" he trailed off, glancing back in the direction of the Uchiha Prefecture. "Do you want to come with me?" he asked her, somewhat hesitantly.
She simply laughed. "Of course. How else are you going to find out where I live?"
"I just meant…nevermind." He shook his head, stuffing his hands back in his pockets as he turned, heading back towards his home wordlessly. He hoped she knew what she was getting herself into by coming with him. Because he knew from personal experience that his family could be a bit much sometimes, especially when they got excited about something.
Talia skipped after him, smiling brightly as her excitement bubbled over. They eventually entered the large district, and Sanosuke led her down a few streets until they came upon a big, traditional looking house. He slowly went up the steps to the front door, but paused before opening it. He turned to look at Talia, who was still smiling in her happiness, a mixture of curiosity on her face at the new things she was being shown. "Okay, be as quiet as you can. And if someone finds us, don't say anything. Just let me handle it." he moved to open the door but paused, looking back at her once more. "And don't take anything my brother Noriaki says seriously. Nobody does." He told her.
"Isn't he the one that flirts with all the girls?" She wondered as they came inside, though her question was never answered, because all of a sudden there was a small boy before them.
"Hi Sano!" he yelled out. "Mommy! Sano is home!" he beamed and then blinked. "And he brought home a pretty blonde girl!"
Sanosuke's eyes widened, and he quickly grabbed his younger brother, looping his arm around his neck to hold him still and pressing his free hand against his mouth. "Hayate, if you know what's good for you, you'll stay quiet and not struggle." He threatened, looking around the living room suspiciously. Not hearing anything yet, he turned, causing the little boy under his arms to do the same. "This is my little brother Hayate. Hayate, this is Talia." He said. Hayate waved excitedly, not even upset about the predicament he was in.
"Hello Hayate." Talia waved back. "You look just like your dad."
Hayate nodded happily, but the moment was short-lived as Sanosuke began to walk in the direction of the kitchen. He peeked his head around a corner, seeing that the coast was clear. If he could just get to his mom before his other siblings were alerted to his presence, he would be okay. Looking back at Talia, he motioned for her to quickly follow him through the shoji screen and to the kitchen. He glanced inside, relief filling him when he saw that his mother was alone, working on dinner like she usually did at this time.
He entered the kitchen, releasing Hayate when he was close to his mother, so that he wouldn't get in trouble for 'mistreating' his younger sibling. "Mother." He said sweetly, clasping his hands behind his back in order to gain her attention. "I brought-"
"Sano brought over a pretty girl!" Hayate announced loudly, smiling at the glare he received from his brother. That would show teach him to mistreat him while they had company.
The pink haired woman blinked, turning around from her task and looking at the three who had joined her in the kitchen. "Sanosuke brought someone home?" she asked and then smiled brightly at the startled blonde girl in the kitchen. "Oh hello!" Natsumi greeted, walking over to them. "Hi there. I'm Uchiha Natsumi, Sanosuke's mom."
Talia just stared at her. She was a lot prettier up close than she had ever imagined. "Hi, I'm Utagawa Talia."
"Oh you're so cute." The woman beamed, placing her hands over her cheeks. "She really is cute Sanosuke. Is this your friend?"
"Yes." Sanosuke nodded. An idea came to him then, and he reached out and grabbed Talia's hand, glad that he hadn't done so awkwardly. "Talia invited me to dinner with her and her mom tonight. Is it okay if I go? Please?" he asked, giving her a wide eyed, pleading look, completing the picture of an adorable child.
Natsumi looked between the two and smiled. "Of course you can sweetheart!"
Suddenly the door slammed open and three identical eyes peeked in, until one of the boys pushed through and landed in the kitchen. "Ha! So it's true! Sano brought a girl home!" he yelled out, making the other two snicker along with him.
"Sano has a girlfriend. Sano has a girlfriend." They teased.
He glared at his older siblings. He wouldn't give them a response, it would only make things worse. Plus he didn't want Talia to think he was a child. Instead, he tugged on her hand in an attempt to lead her from the kitchen. "Come on." He said, urging her to follow.
"Oh darling, don't forget to bring a jacket. It could get cold. And don't stay out too late. You know it's harder for me to sleep when you're out." Natsumi smiled, grabbing her triplets by the backs of their shirts and dragging them out of the way.
"I promise to be home in time for bed." he told her as he led Talia back out to the living room so he could grab a jacket from the coat closet. Surprisingly, things hadn't been as bad as he'd thought they'd be with bringing her home. Though that didn't mean he would be bringing Talia over to his house often.
They left after that and started the walk to her house in silence. "Your mom's really pretty." She said eventually. "Like really, really pretty. Doesn't she have a twin sister?"
"Yes." He said, looking over at her. "My Aunt Satomi is just as pretty, but her hair is long and wavy."
"How is her hair that color?" Talia asked, beginning to run her fingers through her own blonde locks. "Does she dye it?"
He raised a brow, as if she were crazy for even asking such a question. "Of course not. She got it from my grandma."
"Well my mom says that's a crazy hair color and when I said I wanted mine that color she scolded me. But I think it would be super cool." Talia giggled.
Sanosuke tried to picture her with hair the same color as his mother's, but it was hard. He liked her hair the way it was, but there was no way he would tell her that. He would just have to persuade her not too. "Your mother is right. Dying your hair is bad for it anyways, and will make it all dry and give it split ends. And you wouldn't want that to happen to it."
"Oh…" she blinked, tapping her chin in thought. "Well I think maybe some streaks would be cool. Blue and pink." She laughed, running ahead once they reached an apartment complex. "Come on, it's the third floor!"
He ran to catch up with her, following her up the stairs in slight excitement. He'd actually never been this close to an apartment building before, since he'd never had a reason to be. And the thought of getting to see what an apartment actually looked like interested him to no end. Talia reached a door finally, with faded bronze numbers. She burst in and they both smelled the familiar scent of home cooking. "Mom!" the blonde girl yelled. "I'm home!"
"Oh thank goodness! I was wondering where you were sweetie." A kind voice came from the kitchen and soon a face was made known as she emerged. She was a willowy woman with pale blonde locks that fell around her face. She was wearing an apron, food smears covering the material. "So who's this friend you invited…" she froze, seeing the dark haired boy in her house. "Oh my God. You're an Uchiha."
If he had a dime for every time someone had ever said that about him or one of his siblings, Sanosuke'd be able to buy that practice katana he'd seen in the window of his favorite weapons store. Instead of acknowledging her obvious statement, he bowed respectfully. His mother would kill him if she found out he didn't use any manners, after all. "My name is Uchiha Sanosuke. Thank you for allowing me into your home to have dinner with you and your daughter." He said, straightening.
She shook her head to rid herself from the shock and walked forward, offering him her hand. "Of course. Of course. It's nice to meet you. You're the…second youngest right? The elder Uchiha's pupil? It's an honor, I had no idea my daughter had made friends with you. I hope she isn't getting you into trouble." She smiled, getting a huff from her daughter.
"Mom! Geez!"
"Not too much, no." he replied, shaking his head. He took a quick scan of the apartment, the most noticeable feature being its size. Their entire living room was smaller than his bedroom back at his house. Of course he would never say such a thing when he did mention the place that they lived. He had been told once that you always compliment a person's house in some way, to better ease into the conversation. "You have a very nice home."
"Aw he's so polite too." The elder woman giggled, straightening up. "It's nice to meet you Sanosuke. I hope you like pork chops." She smiled, walking back into the kitchen.
Sanosuke looked back to Talia. "So…what do we do while we wait for your mother to finish cooking?" he asked. He'd never actually been over to someone else's house before, for dinner or anything else, so he didn't really know how he was supposed to behave.
The blonde girl looked over at him and shrugged. "Well there's games and stuff. Or we could go to my room. Whatever you want." She said happily.
He blinked. He had to pick? He didn't even know what to pick. "Um…we can go to your room I guess-I mean…yeah. Let's go to your room." He fought to keep down the embarrassed blush off his face. He wasn't supposed to show uncertainty or second guess himself, especially in front of others. His father and grandfather would be thoroughly disappointed if they had seen him in that moment.
"Okay!" Talia exclaimed, grabbing his hand and dragging him down the short hall. She opened the door and led him into the small abode. It fit a bed and a dresser barely, with a small vanity filled with costume jewelry. "Well this is it." She gestured, sitting down on her twin bed that was adorned with a floral print.
The young Uchiha looked around her room in slight awe. It was the size of his closet. He just didn't understand how she could live in such a tiny space. It made him wonder if by regular standards Talia and her mother were considered wealthy or poor, since he couldn't judge. His family was in possession of all of the money left behind by the many Uchiha that were killed in the massacre, not to mention what his parents and grandfather brought in when they went on missions. "What does your mother do?" he asked, standing a bit awkwardly in her doorway, since he didn't know what else to do.
Talia pat the spot next to her, signaling for him to sit. "She's a waitress at the restaurant by the park. And she does some other jobs sometimes."
"Oh." Was all he said as he took the necessary step to reach her bed. He slowly sat down on the edge, sitting with his back straight and his hands on his knees. "What do you want to do when you grow up?"
She blinked, before looking up. "Hmm…I dunno, I never really thought about it. What about you? I mean I know you wanna be a ninja. But what do you want to do with it?"
"I want to make it into the Black Ops." He said without hesitation. "And one day become better than my grandfather."
"But isn't your mom the head of the Black Ops?" Talia wondered, swinging her legs.
He nodded. "Yes. My other siblings want to join too, so it'll be a bit of a competition as to who gets to succeed her when she decides to retire. So I'm going to work hard to set myself apart from them."
"What about being Hokage? Don't any of them want to take your dad's place?"
"Kanamé will probably take my dad's place, so that leaves Noriaki and Izayoi. My little brother is way too nice to ever survive in the Black Ops, so he'll most likely become a medic nin like my grandma and head the hospital when he's old enough." He explained.
"Your sister is so pretty." Talia giggled. "I saw her once with your dad. Her hair is so long and gorgeous and dark. Kinda like the night sky."
Sanosuke smiled slightly. "She's growing it out, the way the more traditional Uchiha women used to do."
"She's going to make some guy a very lucky man." She laughed, placing her hands on her knees.
His smile fell and his face became very serious. "No she's not. Izayoi will remain a pure angel forever and ever. My grandfather and father say so. There's no way they're going to let any man come near her. And if they manage to get by them, Kanamé and Noriaki will kill them." He said.
Her eyes widened slightly. "But…why? That's not very fair!"
His dark green locked with her vibrant amber. "Life isn't fair Talia. That's just the way things are." He said with a shrug.
"But that's like saying that every boy doesn't get a shot at a girl just because she has crazies for family." She explained, but was cut off when her mother called for them. Talia sighed and hopped up from her bed. "Come on, dinner's ready!" she said, before she took off towards the kitchen.
Sanosuke rose as well, following her back through the living room and into the small dining room. The aroma that reached his nose smelled like pork chops, though he could already tell that they wouldn't be as good as his mother's. But he wouldn't let that keep him from enjoying the food. He stopped next to the table and took in the appearance of the meal. As well as pork chops, Talia's mother had also made a mixture of vegetables. But whatever recipe she had used for the main dish must be something from a different village, because they just looked funny. And a little gross.
Keeping the look of disgust off his face, he took a seat across from Talia, scooting his chair in so that he was close to the table. Talia's mother sat down and smiled at the two. "Alright. Let's dig in." she said, piling their plates for them and then her own. She took a bite and made an appreciative noise. Talia did the same and smiled, making the same sound. Sanosuke cut himself a small bite and examined it a bit, before putting it into his mouth. His eyes widened, and he had to force himself not to gag at the flavor.
It was disgusting. Talia's mother's cooking was the worst thing he had ever tasted. He didn't even know how Talia could stomach this…this…crap. And that's what it was. Crap. He chewed it and swallowed it quickly, taking a huge gulp of water after that to wash down the horrible taste. "Wow…um…I've never tasted cooking like this before." He said, since he felt he should give her some kind of compliment to be polite. But he also didn't want to lie.
"Why thank you Sanosuke." The elder woman laughed, her bright smile returning. "I know it's not up to par with your mother or grandmother. Those pink haired girls are culinary geniuses. But thank you, I'm glad you like it. You're welcome to come by any time you want for dinner." She said and nodded to her daughter.
"Yeah Sano! Any time you want!" Talia reiterated.
"You're both…too kind." He strained, forcing himself to take another bite and eat some more. This would be the ultimate test of his ability to lie and play pretend, something he knew would be important when he was a ninja. So he would just have to eat everything on his plate and act like he liked it.
The rest of the meal was mostly spent with Talia and her mother talking to one another and every once and awhile asking Sanosuke a question or two. Which, he was grateful for, since the peace gave him all the concentration he needed to finish his meal. "So Sanosuke," Talia's mother began, directing her attention to him once again. "How do you like the ninja academy?"
"I hate it." he said, after finishing off his water.
"How come?"
"Because I know more than my teacher does, and the other kids take too long to learn the simplest of things." He explained.
Talia's mother waved off the statement. "But didn't your parents start teaching you abnormally early? After all, Hokage-sama is a wonderful ninja and Natsumi-sama is the daughter of the Kazekage. I'm sure you were at that level once."
The younger girl huffed. "Mom! Don't say that. He's an Uchiha. He was probably never at that level."
Sanosuke puffed his chest out slightly at Talia's praise of him. "My grandfather says that all Uchiha are born at least three years ahead of any normal ninja." He boasted.
"But what about your mother?" Talia's elder smiled, enjoying his defense. It was just so adorable.
He blinked. "What about her?"
"Well technically she's not an Uchiha." She pointed out, trying not to giggle. Talia's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh yeah…" she whispered, as if the thought had just occurred to her.
To this, he already had an argument. "But my mother has strived her entire life to become an Uchiha. Besides, she's also from a noble ninja family, so it wasn't too hard for her."
"I just think she's really cool." Talia said, giggling.
"Anyways do you two want dessert? I made mud pie." Talia's mother told the two, getting up as she grabbed their plates.
Sanosuke shook his head. He didn't think his stomach, or taste buds for that matter, could survive it if he ate anything more of hers his night. "No thank you. I ate too much of your pork chops to have any room for dessert."
"You sure?" she asked, glancing back at him. When he nodded she smiled and disappeared into the kitchen. Talia looked over at her friend and got up.
"I can walk you halfway home if you want. I have school tomorrow and it's getting kinda late."
He stood from his own chair and shook his head. "I cannot allow you to be outside by yourself on the walk back to your apartment. I can make it home on my own, and will travel much faster that way." He said.
Talia arched a curious brow. "I beg your pardon?" she huffed. "I've managed just fine up till this point in my life, so the only thing I gather from that is that you just don't want to walk with me."
His eyes widened as he realized his unknown blunder in his statement. "No! That's not it, I promise. It's just that you're a girl…I mean a lady, and as a gentleman I cannot just let you walk back home by yourself. You have to be escorted in order to be safe."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my whole life!" she yelled, throwing her hands in the air. "It's only halfway!" she glared, grabbing his hand and stomping out the door.
"But you could still get hurt!" he argued, though he let her drag him behind her.
She simply laughed and ran down the steps. "We're in the village. Much less likely!"
He scoffed. "It could still happen."
"But I'm not a flower!" she giggled. "I'm a diamond!"
He chose not to argue with her, instead just walking with her in the direction of his house. She was so strange, especially for a civilian. When they reached a spot that Talia deemed as halfway she slowed her pace until she stopped. "So, you want to hang out again sometime?" she asked, giving him a small smile as she clasped her hands behind her back.
"Yes." He said, maybe a little too quickly. She was his only friend, after all, and he knew it would make his mother happy that he was spending time with her, instead of training. "Um…you could come over to my house for dinner sometime. If you want."
Her smile grew and she nodded excitedly. "Okay! Sounds like fun! How about Saturday? I don't have school that day so we can hang out and maybe you can teach me some sneaky ninja stuff!"
He smirked slightly. "I dunno, you're a little noisy to be able to do sneaky stuff." He teased.
"Hence the training brainiac." She retorted, setting her hands on her hips in a cocky fashion.
"Yeah yeah." He said, waving her off. "I'll see you Saturday Talia. Thanks for inviting me over for dinner." He told her, turning and beginning to walk off, shoving his hands in his pockets as he did so.
She waved after him. "Bye Sanosuke! See you later!" she called before turning around and running off, back to her home.
He waited a few seconds and then stopped, looking over his shoulder to make sure that her back was facing him fully. Satisfied, he ran after her and off to the side, using his knowledge and skills in stealth and speed to catch up to her. He followed her the rest of the way back to her apartment, watching as she ran up the stairs and went back inside. He didn't care if she was a diamond. Diamonds could still be hurt by other diamonds, and therefore needed to be protected.
Assured that she was safe, he headed home as fast as he could, since he didn't want his mother to worry. He knew she would wait for him to come back safely, and he didn't want her to get mad at him for cutting into hers and his father's fun time. Because when she didn't get her fun time, she got cranky.
It didn't take him long to get home, and when he did it was with the relieving knowledge that his older siblings were still up, and so he was in the clear. Hayate had probably already been put to bed, but that was okay with him. He was one less annoyance to deal with before going to sleep. "Mother, I'm home!" he called, slipping off his shoes before walking into the living room in search for the pink haired woman.
"Hi sweetheart! How was dinner at your friend's house?" Natsumi smiled brightly, looking up from her task of helping Izayoi with something that looked feathery.
"Yeah." A dark haired boy smirked, his features fierce and wild. "How was dinner with you girlfriend!"
Sanosuke glared at his brother, and instead of replying verbally, picked up a pillow from the couch and chucked it at him, nailing him in the side of the face. Then he continued his walk over to his mother and hugged her tightly. "Mommy, the food was so terrible." He lamented, burying his face against her. "But I made myself eat it all because I didn't wish to offend Talia's mother. And I had to lie about having a full tummy so that I wouldn't have to eat dessert."
The elder woman blinked and placed her hand on top of his head before laughing. "Oh darling, that's okay. We have some leftovers if you want something to eat to feel better."
Noriaki, the second of the triplets, laughed, having recovered from the hit. "What a lamo! You pretended to like her food!"
Kanamé tried to control the small smile that broke across his face as he attempted to quail his laughter. "That is pretty lame."
"Now boys." Natsumi scolded.
"I have to say I'm with them." Akito said as he entered the room. "Sorry sport, but you should have just lied and said you ate a lot for lunch. Try that next time." He smiled, ruffling Sanosuke's hair.
Sanosuke groaned, pulling away from Natsumi and taking a seat on the couch. "Having friends is so much work." He complained. Then he perked up slightly. "Oh, Mommy, can Talia come over for dinner on Saturday? I extended an invitation to her, since she invited me to her place."
Natsumi tore her glare from her husband and looked back to her son, giving him an encouraging smile. "Of course sweetie! That would be wonderful. I'll make something special and the rest of the family can meet your new friend." She nodded and stood, giving Akito another threatening look. "And don't lie Sanosuke. It only leads to disaster later on. If you allow it to build it might blow up in your face like it did for a certain someone." The pink haired woman warned, snapping her fingers as she headed out of the room. "N.I.K. Let's go. Time for bed." She ordered, getting all three the triplets' attention.
They groaned in unison and followed after her, but not before Izayoi kissed her father goodnight. Sanosuke watched his siblings follow their mother down the hall. Then he looked to his father. "What did you lie about father?" he asked.
Akito sighed. "Lots of things." He said, getting up from the couch. "Now come on. You know it's your bedtime when the triplets go to sleep." He said, ushering his son into his room. After saying goodnight, Akito left, off to tuck his other children into bed. Sanosuke just lay there, waiting for his mother to come in, like she always did before he fell asleep.
He didn't have to wait long, because she was soon in the room and sat on the edge of his bed. "I'm so glad you found a friend Sanosuke. I really like her. She seems very nice."
He gave her a small smile. "She thinks you're very pretty, and she likes your hair a lot." He told her.
This made Natsumi smile. "Does she? How sweet. Well I can't wait to have her over." She said, leaning over and kissing his forehead. "Sleep well little love." She whispered, getting up and leaving the room as gracefully as she had come in.
His smile widened, and he snuggled into his sheets and rolled over, letting out a content sigh as he closed his eyes. Only to have them snap open as he realized what he'd done. Talia was coming over for dinner. That meant extended time with his family, including Noriaki. He groaned, burying his face in his pillow. If his other siblings didn't scare her off, his older brother most certainly would.
