The Akatsuki and the Great Oroki Redux
Chapter 6
Hey guys! Don't forget to check out zahira stark! She does the other half of this story. Enjoy guys!
Tasha yawned, and stirred her rice with her chopsticks. She had an idle day, since she had been on a mission with Deidara not too long ago. Three weeks had passed since she had recruited Desert, and Deidara and her were rather close. She never realized how much fun you could have with someone who was compatible. He felt like a long lost brother to her. He was currently in his workshop, making a batch of clay sculptures. She had nothing to do at all. So she was having breakfast by herself. The base was as eerily quiet as usual, and she kind of understood what Itachi meant when he said he would rather be out on missions.
"Why did I get up so early on my day off?" She muttered to herself. Probably because she was finally able to take the time to decorate her room and workshop. If she ever got around to ordering the things she needed from the Leader. She didn't trust herself out in that weird village that surrounded the base. It was much too wet and gloomy.
"You're up awfully early on a day off." A voice spoke. Tasha looked up as Itachi sat down and started eating his rice. She arched a brow at him.
"So are you." She replied, and went back to quietly eating her food. She had gotten used to seeing him, even if it wasn't that often. Not that she was complaining. She piled a few of the side dishes she had made onto her rice, and quickly finished eating. Raising an eyebrow he looked at her and shrugged.
"I'm always up early, even on days off. It helps with keeping on a schedule." He stated as he finished off his rice. "So, what are you up to today?" She stacked her bowls up, set them aside, and took a bite of her rolled omelet.
"You make me sound lazy." She commented as she chewed. She picked up another piece, and stuffed it in her mouth, casting him a glance. "I'm going to talk to the Leader about some things. After that, I'll find something to do." Itachi laughed and shook his head.
"Never said you were lazy." He stated before shrugging. "I'm just so used to getting up early that even on days off, I get up early just to stay on that schedule. A lot of times Leader likes to hand out missions early in the morning so that they get done as soon as possible." Smiling, he finishing off his rice and set his bowl aside. "So, have you decided on what you're going to do with that workshop next to your room?" She finished her food, and stacked the rest of her dishes. She turned to him with a small sigh. He seemed pleasant, but it felt creepy somehow.
"I have, but I don't see why you should know." She commented, picking up her dishes and taking them into the kitchen to wash. The fact that he was talking to her at all was starting to make her unsettled. It probably didn't help that it felt like he was prying.
"Ouch, thanks for the stab there, pup." Tasha blinked, and turned to scowl at him as he came into the kitchen. He rinsed out his bowl.
"I was just curious. You know, it would be nice to get to know each other since we're all living together." Shrugging, he got himself a glass of orange juice and leaned against the sink. Frowning, she made a shooing motion at him.
"How am I supposed to wash these with you blocking the path?" She complained, plopping her dishes in the second half of the sink. She didn't like standing so close to him, but she also hated leaving dirty dishes. He laughed softly before he moved out of her way and leaning against the island watching her. She grabbed the soap, and his bowl, then started washing.
"Do you know everyone here well, or do you just want to know about me?" She asked giving him a sour look.
"I do actually. Well aside from you and Lia, since you two are the newest members here." He stated before shrugging. "And yes, I would like to get to know about you." She frowned at the dishes in front of her as he spoke. She was pretty sure she didn't really want to get to know this man. She gave him a wary look and started rinsing the dishes. He walked over, grabbed the dishes and started drying them off.
"Well, that is quite the accomplishment." She muttered, stacking dishes on a towel. She grabbed a second towel to dry her hands.
"I've been here for quite sometime, its not that hard. You really get to know someone when they are drunk. At least men, anyway." He stated before he shrugged. Finally, she turned to face him.
"Why exactly do you want to know things about me?"
"Because, I do think you're rather beautiful and considering your bedroom is right next to mine, I don't see why not. As well as the fact that it seems we have all the same days off." She paused, and arched a brow, shifting so she leaned against a counter that was away from him.
"What people do when they are drunk doesn't necessarily reflect who the person is." She commented, feeling more uncomfortable the more they talked. "Are you... trying to hit on me?" She questioned, a puzzled look crossing her face. Why else would he be trying so blatantly to get information out of her? Raising an eyebrow he stared at her.
"Why, do you want me to be hitting on you?" He questioned before shaking his head. "No, I'm not hitting on you. And as far as what people do when they are drunk shows a lot more than you think. Not that you stripping really showed much other than you can't hold alcohol very well. Drinking isn't for everyone." Tasha grimaced, and turned with an annoyed sound.
"Dear god no. Being hit on by you would be terrifying." At least he wasn't hitting on her. He claimed. Either way, she didn't really want to continue talking to him. Itachi smirked and raised a brow.
"Is that so? I think you do want me to hit on you." He commented. He was bringing up uncomfortable memories that she had thought she had forgotten.
"Anyway, if you are going to bring up what happened while I was drunk, I'm going this way." She made a gesture in a circle, to indicate she would rather be anywhere really. With that, she fled from the kitchen and down the hallway that led to Deidara and the Leaders rooms.
-o.0.o.0.o.0.o-
Tasha sighed, as she leaned against the wall in the Leaders room. He was stroking the head on a white kitten that lay sprawled across his desk. She had been relieved when he hadn't asked her why she had blatantly run into the room without any kind of warning. His room was comforting at least, and she had gotten used to talking to him, even if he sometimes made a lewd comment. At least he meant well.
"So, what have you ran here so enthusiastic about?" Tasha looked up as the leader spoke, and she gave him a weary smile.
"Yes, I wanted to talk about decorating my room."
Tasha walked out of the Leaders room feeling much better then when she went in. No matter how riled up she was before hand, he always seemed to know how to calm her down. For the moment, she had to find the storage room. The Leader had told her there was extra paint in there if she wanted it. Some of the other things she needed she would have to wait for them to come in. She didn't really like that she had to wait for some of her things, but she knew she couldn't have things instantly. She paused in the living room to try to get her bearings.
"Well, the fleeing pup returns." A voice caught her attention, and she visibly jumped. She turned her gaze to see Itachi, who was sitting in a window. She frowned at him. He smirked before sighing. "Sorry if I seemed to make you feel uncomfortable earlier in the kitchen." She crossed her arms, and shook her head.
"Don't call me weird names." She muttered. She wondered if asking him where the storeroom was located would be a good idea. Laughing, he shook his head and held his hands up.
"Fine, Tasha." He stated. "You look a little lost. Mind if I offer a little help to get you to where you're trying to go?" She grimaced.
"That is even weirder." She shook her head, trying to stop the confusing goosebumps that traveled up her skin. Raising an eyebrow he tilted his head.
"What's even weirder?" He questioned. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"You calling my name like that is weird."
"Do you know where the storeroom is?" She finally decided to ask him. What was the worse that could happen? She would have preferred to ask Deidara, but she knew he was not going to answer his door while he was in his workshop. "I need to find the paint." Smiling, he nodded and stretched a bit.
"How about we have something to snack on and then I can show you where the storage room is." She gave a sigh.
"I ate breakfast not that long ago. But if you really need to get a snack to go to the store room, then fine." She was quite reluctant, and it showed on her face, but she just wanted to get it over with.
Smiling, he went into the kitchen and opened a cupboard where a few of the cupcakes fell out. He sighed, catching them.
"Want one?" He asked, holding one out to her as he took a bite out of the second one and set the third one down on the counter. "So, what color paint are we going to be looking for?" Tasha frowned, and looked down at the cupcake. She had followed him into the kitchen even though she wasn't hungry. Why was he still offering her food?
"I'm good." She sighed, moving away from the offered pastry. "I'm not sure what color I want yet. I'll know when I see it." She gave a small shrug. He was definitely the nosy type. He shrugged and finished his cupcake, then washed his hands.
"All right, you ready to go searching for paint?" He asked before heading towards a rather decrepit looking hallway.
"No, I asked you for no reason." She grumbled quietly. She made a face, but followed him. She could relax when she was in the safety of her room. Rolling his eyes, he came up to a door that looked like it hadn't been opened in ages. Opening it, dust went flying and he coughed, waving the dust out of his face. Tasha coughed, and cringed at how dusty the inside of the room was.
"Well, here you are. Anything you wish to take, go for it." He said before turning towards the door. "Are you going to need help carrying anything back to your room?" He asked. She turned to watch him as he walked to the door, and she raised a brow.
"Well, it may take awhile to search this, but I should be okay." With a reluctant noise, she pulled out a cloth from her pocket and tied it around her face. She then dove into the piles of things stacked haphazardly throughout the room.
"Should you need me, I'll be in the living room." He stated before walking away. She rolled her eyes, trying not to stumble over boxes as she dove deeper into the room. It was well past noon by the time she finally found what she wanted. She made a triumphant noise, and took her time dragging the buckets of paint to the front of the room. She plopped down on one to take a breath. The paint was heavier then she had expected.
"Okay. Now to just look through it." She murmured through her mask.
-0.o.0.o.0.o.-
He had been taking a nap with Mittens when he heard her. He hadn't really expected anyone to come bother him while he was sleeping. When she began pulling on his blankets, he let out a small sigh.
"You do realize that its almost noon and everyone else that's here is already up, lazy." He opened one pale purple eye to look at her, as Mittens made an annoyed meowing noise.
"Kitten, I was up all night. I think I have the right to a nap. His voice was rough and heavily sleep laden, but quiet. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow before rolling her eyes.
"And your point being what? Everyone else around here usually stays up all night and doesn't sleep all day." She muttered, tugging on the blankets some more. "Now come on." He gave a small growl and sat up. His sheets pooled around his hips, showing that he liked to nap shirtless. He reached over to where she was tugging on his blanket so insistently, and dragged her onto his bed beside him. He leaned over her, a small frown tugging the corners of his mouth. She gave a small squeak, turning red.
"Why are you being so insistent so early in the morning?" Looking at him, she shook her head.
"B... because its not early and not technically morning anymore." She said, pointing at the clock that said it was just after noon. "And, I had a question for you about if we had any spare paint so that I could paint my room." She stated, sticking her tongue out. He arched a brow, and raised a hand to her face. He traced the outline of her cheek, before running a finger across her bottom lip.
"I have a different way of telling time." He grumbled. He gave her forehead a kiss. "And if you keep sticking your tongue out at me, I'm going to eat it." Grinning, she stuck her tongue out at him again.
"Aww, am I upsetting the Leader?" She asked, laughing softly before shaking her head. "I don't care if you have a different way of telling time. Apparently it's off and you need to get your lazy butt up out of bed. Its not often that I ask for help and I'm asking you for help on if we have paint or not." His mouth twitched as she spoke.
"Yes, you are upsetting me, but in a very different way." He commented, seeming not to have heard much of what she had said. He shifted, and he was soon leaning over her, an arm to either side. "You look pretty good down there." He nuzzled against her neck, enjoying the warmth her body gave. It was possible no one had ever told her what he was like when he was half asleep, but then again, most preferred not to mention it. She made a cute noise, blushing beneath him.
"Wh...what are you doing?" She stuttered, trying to get out from beneath him. He chuckled and continued to nuzzle her.
"Well, there are a lot of things that a man and a woman can do in a bed. Which do you think this is?" He commented, licking the skin that had heated from his breath. He shifted his weight so he straddled her, pulling the blanket along with him. He wasn't wearing much. "Now stop squirming." She had raised her hands to his chest, as though she were going to push him away.
"Y...you didn't answer my question." She stuttered.
"Of course I didn't. I'd rather touch you." He murmured, looking down at her body. His hand edged its way up the edge of her shirt.
"W...why?" He smirked and bent, pressing his mouth hotly against hers. His tongue found its way into her mouth, and roamed at its own will. She pushed against him again, as she went back to squirming. He pulled back, his body clearly heated as he looked down at the squirming girl beneath him.
"What do you mean why? You're my type." He sat back, taking one of her hands and lifting it up to his lips. "Do I really need another reason?" She blushed, looking at him for a moment before she closed her eyes. She took a shaky breath, before opening her eyes again, biting into her bottom lip.
"N...no, you don't need another reason." He smiled down at her response, and reached over to brush hair from her face.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" He questioned. His expression wasn't as sleepy as it had been before. Mittens meowed from the pillow beside Lia's head, as though echoing the question. She blinked and shook her head, her face crimson.
"N..no. Its just that... I've never been with someone before." She said, obviously embarrassed. She covered her face with her hands and took another shaky breath. He froze. He gave a soft sigh. Well that wasn't good. What did he think he was doing, with someone so inexperienced? He groaned, and rolled off her to sprawl on the bed beside her. He placed a hand across his eyes, and heaved a deep sigh.
"You really should have mentioned that at some point when I was more awake." He commented, peering at her through one half covered eye.
"We do have paint by the way. Was... that what you had asked me for? I vaguely remember it." Frowning, she looked away before nodding. Something about her demeanor didn't seem right.
"Ye...yes, that's what I was asking for." She said softly before shrugging and sitting up. "So, where is this paint that I can look at and choose from?" She didn't even bother looking at him as she straightened up her shirt and slid out of his bed. Yes, there was something wrong. He frowned, sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist. He lay his head against her hip. She made a startled noise.
"Oi, oi. I think I know where this is going. Stop that." He scolded. He didn't like that kind of thinking. "There is not a rejection going on." He was very reluctant to let her go. Misunderstandings were never something he liked. "Talk to me hun." She looked down at him with a frown, before she flopped back down on the bed.
"Oh? Well then, please tell me why it is you just suddenly stopped? I know I'm not the kind of person to have someone like you. Its not like I've never been rejected by someone before, so please, save the pity party for someone else." She said, looking towards the wall. "I know I'm not good enough, I don't know why I've even bothered." He frowned, grabbing hold of her chin and turned it towards him.
"I. . ." He said sternly. "The only one pitying you is yourself. I don't want to take something that isn't mine to take." He paused to make sure she got what he was trying to say, before he went on. " That is something you give to someone important to you. You hardly know me." He gave a soft sigh, and bumped his forehead against hers. "Why are you getting so upset about this? Were you wanting to give that to me?" He questioned, his voice tinged with confusion.
"Apparently neither of us are very good at expressing ourselves because it sure seemed like you were rejecting me after I told you that I've never been with someone, anyone in fact." She stated before shrugging. "Perhaps you are someone important to me. You've given me something no one has even bothered trying to give me. Perhaps I'm just confused after the mixed signals you've been giving me." She shrugged again. "I'm upset because I like you!" She said before bringing her hands up to her face and shaking her head. He looked at her for a few moments as she ranted, then wrapped his arms around her torso, resting his head against hers. She said he had mixed signals, she clearly wasn't all that aware of her own body. Now would be a terrible time for him to bring it up.
"You hardly know me at all. I can't say if I return those feelings, not yet anyway." He sighed heavily, closing his eyes as he let her warmth soak in. " Let's grind the wheels a bit slower for now. We seem to be going way too fast for either of us to cope with." She sighed and leaned back against him. "And this is why I said perhaps I'm just confused." She shivered slightly, almost unnoticeably. He tightened his grip, pulling her against the warmth of his body.
"We'll see. Don't stress out about it alright?" His voice held a comforting tone. At least she seemed to have eased, if only slightly. " So, need any help with that room of yours?" Raising an eyebrow she shrugged.
"Well I was hoping to find some paint. Then, maybe, figure out what I was going to do with my room because honestly right now, I don't know what I want to do with it. Its not like I've really had my own room for several years till recently." He smirked.
"Well, we have plenty of paint, assuming the wolfling hasn't used all of it." He looked thoughtful. " As for what to do with your room, just try to make it feel comfortable. You'll eventually fill it up with things you like." He motioned to his room with a swipe of one arm.
"I mean, look at my room. It took ages for it to get like this." She nodded, smiling.
"I love how you did your room though. It's so comforting." Shrugging she looked around and took a deep breath. "I still don't know how I'm going to make myself comfortable in my room though. I've gotten so used to being outside that its gotten hard to sleep inside." He titled his head at her, and used her as a chin rest.
"I'm glad you like it." He murmured, looking thoughtful.
"Why not bring the outside in? It would be messy, but you could do it." He commented.
"And how exactly would I do that?" She questioned. He paused and gave her a shake of his head.
"By... putting dirt and plants and things in your room?" He replied, seeming to find the question silly. Blinking, she looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I guess that could work." She said hesitantly before she smiled. "That's it!" She squealed and turned around, hugging him. "Thank you! You are officially my muse for my room." She blushed, giving him another smile. He gave her a briefly heated expression, before he closed his eyes, took a breath and gave her a pat.
"I'm glad to be of service. Now, off on your grand adventure." He chuckled, as Mittens seemed to deem it appropriate to wedge himself between the two of them, purring. Looking down at Mittens, she raised an eyebrow.
"So you want to play all lovey dovey now after you decided to make scrambled eggs out of my face?" She asked the cat before tentatively petting him. He arched his back under her fingers, before he turned his head and bumped it against her hand repeatedly. The Leader chuckled, and watched the cat as it moved circles in his lap, trying to get Lia to rub his head. Lia giggled, and obliged the cat.
"Well, he wasn't a vicious cat to begin with." He commented, leaning back into a more relaxed position, his elbows propping his body up. Looking at him, she raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, well tell that to my face." She said. There was still evidence of scratches scattered across her face. He brought a hand up, and traced the fading lines that crossed her cheek.
"He was scared and upset. He didn't mean it." Mittens mewed, flopping over onto his back, exposing his belly. The Leader obligated the cat with a belly rub.
"And you mister. This is my lap, not a cat haven." Laughing Lia shook her head.
"Scared and upset, I get, but not the whole being mean thing." She stated, rubbing Mittens belly as well. Mittens lifted his head, and gently nipped Lia's hand. The Leader chuckled, grabbing the cats head and giving it a gentle shake. The cat reached up and grabbed his hand and the two play fought. Lia watched the two fight in amusement.
"You silly animal." He was smiling now, when he looked up at Lia. " He really is a good cat."
"I'm sure he is. He was really good with Tobi when we finally caught him." She smiled, and diverted her gaze. "I really like your smile." She whispered.
"I like how much like a kitten you are." Leader commented, as he gave his head a tilt, lifting his arm with the cat attached to it. He sat up properly, and cradled the cat in his other arm. There were light red lines where the cat's claws had grazed his skin. "We really should go and grab that paint for you, eventually." Smiling, she nodded.
"Yes we should." She said softly before grinning. "By the way, I am nothing like a kitten." Her eyes sparkling mischievously. He arched a brow at that.
"You'll have to prove me otherwise kitten." He said with a chuckle. Mittens had dozed off quickly, his tail twitching every few seconds. She raised a brow before chuckling softly at Mittens.
"And how am I supposed to prove otherwise?" She asked before yawning and flopping onto her back on the bed.
"You'll have to figure that out yourself." He said simply, poking her in the side." Don't you go falling asleep in my bed. Come on, up we go." He made a small shooing motion at her. Rolling her eyes, she got up and stretched, yawning.
"Who said anything about falling asleep in your bed?" She stated as she stretched. "So, are we going to go looking for that paint?" He sighed, put Mittens down, and stood up. At least he was wearing undergarments.
"Let me get dressed first." He said as he went over to search through his dresser. He pulled out some clothing and got dressed, running his fingers through his hair to straighten it."Alright. Let's go." He noticed she was red, and he laughed in amusement. Nodding, she was still blushing as she followed him out of the room.
"Th...thank you for doing this for me." She said softly. He looked back at her as they walked.
"Not a problem." It wasn't long until they reached Tasha's room. There were cans piled up outside of it, her door closed. He raised a brow, but didn't bother worrying about it. He could ask later. He picked up a bunch of the cans, and carted them into the living room. It was a better place to check the colors anyway. He set them beside a coffee table.
"There. Let's see." Lia nodded and began to open some of the cans.
"So far it doesn't look like anything that I would use." She stated frowning. "Come to think of it, I'm not sure what color I should use." She sighed and looked thoughtful. "Actually, since I'm bringing the outside in, I could use some of the green towards the bottom to look like there's grass, the pink for the sky of the setting sun. Just need a little yellow and some blue and purple." She smiled to herself and sorted the cans she would use. Leader watched her as she sorted the paint.
"Alright. I think the wolfling has all of the blue, so you may have to wait for that. I can get in the other colors later, I'm not sure how long it will take. " He commented.
"That's quite all right." She commented back before looking thoughtful. "What about black? And some red?" She asked before looking through the paint again and giving a triumphant squeak when she found what she wanted. "Okay, so that leaves black." Frowning, she placed her hands on her hips and flopped down on the floor. The Leader laughed and picked up a can that had been labeled by what seemed to be Tasha's hand writing.
"This looks like the only black." He tilted his head as he noticed the rest of them were labeled as well. "That certainly makes things easier." He set it by her other cans, and crossed his arms. "Is that all?"
"I guess one can will have to do." She said contemplative before smiling. "Other than getting ALL of this paint that I'm wanting to use back to my room? Yes, unless that is, you want to help me paint." She grinned like a Cheshire. "If not, then I need to ask you if we have any plastic to put on the floor and trays as well as paint brushes and a roller." He arched a brow.
"I'll help you carry it, but I won't help you paint. I'll go get the other supplies."
"Fine, party pooper." He grabbed the paint that wasn't going to be used, and hauled it to the storeroom. He came back with some plastic, and other things she would need. He handed them too her, stacked the cans up, and lifted them.
"Alright. Off we go."She stuck her tongue out at him, and they continued until they came to her room.
"Hopefully after this I'll feel like being in my room more." She stated and sighed. "Thanks again, and thank you for helping me carry the paint here." She looked around her room and placed her hands on her hips, seeming as if she was contemplating something. He set the paint cans down on her floor, and nodded.
"Well, good luck. I'll be in my room, doing stuff." He was eager to go back and finish his nap. Lia blinked, seeming to not have noticed he had spoken.
"Oh, yeah, thanks." She said before smiling. "Hey, where's Kisame's room?" She asked. He raised a brow.
"He's just down the hall to the left of here. Blue door." He walked to the door, and pointed her in the general direction. She followed him to the door and looked in the direction that he was pointing before she nodded. "Not sure what he is doing, so don't just barge into his room. Unless you like seeing blue guys cloths less or something." He commented, before he gave her a small wave and left the room. Blinking, she stared at him in mortified horror.
"I did NOT need the mental image!" She yelled down the hall after him.
-0.o.0.o.0.o-
"Would you like some help with that?" Tasha looked up. When she had dragged the paint to the living room, she hadn't exactly thought she would see Itachi. Yes, she remembered he had said he would be there, but she figured the guy had better things to do. She looked down at the paint cans she had sat down on.
"Well, they are rather heavy." She mumbled.
"Well then, shall we get these paint cans to your room? Then we can get you some plastic to lay down on the floor so that you don't ruin it?" He questioned, standing from the window seat. She sighed and stood up from her perch.
"I suppose so." She grabbed a few cans, and with slightly strained noise, started to carry them to her room. Raising an eyebrow he shrugged and grabbed the remaining cans of paint and carried them to her room.
"You know, you could have always asked for help, not just wait for someone to offer." He stated. She turned to look at him over her shoulder as she propped open the door.
"I wasn't originally going to ask. I was taking a breather." Her voice had a slight hint of defensiveness to it, her lips pulled into a slight pout. She walked over to a can, and pried it open. It was blue. She made a content sound, and went to inspect the other cans. He raised an eyebrow before shrugging.
"Like I said, you could have asked for help. Probably should have, but that's neither here nor there anymore." He said, placing the paint into the middle of the room. "So, you like blue and that's what your looking for?"Tasha blinked. She had forgotten he was here. She turned pink, and gave him a nod.
"Yeah, I like blue. I would prefer it if I had more, but I'll make do." She replied, as she opened a nearby can. This one was green. She set it aside, and opened a few more. She managed to find a few more cans of blue paint with Itachi's help, and had shifted the other cans to the side of her front door. She stood up, dusting her pants off and glanced in Itachi's direction.
"Thanks. " She said this quietly, one hand resting on her hip. He wasn't that bad of a guy. Smiling, he stood up and bowed in her direction, laughing softly.
"My pleasure." He stated before grabbing a couple of the cans that weren't going to be used. "Want me to find that plastic for you?" He asked standing in the doorway. She gave him an amused look as he bowed. It was a weird gesture, but not the worse thing that could ever happen.
"That would be nice. " She started moving her things to the center of the room to make painting easier. At least a little. She didn't exactly know how to paint, but she was sure she could make a decent attempt. That or she could drag Deidara over and cover him in paint with her. She gave a small chuckle at the thought of Deidara covered in blue paint. When she had finished, a decent amount of time had passed. She hadn't seen Itachi in awhile, and she wasn't sure if she should be worried or pleased by this. A knock on he side of her door made her look back, to see Itachi holding plastic sheeting.
"Finally found it. Would you like some help painting?" She blinked, and gave him a blank look. She hadn't expected him to ask. Why was he being so helpful? He probably had some kind of motive for it. Her face twitched into a slight frown, before she walked over to take some of the plastic.
"Well... It couldn't hurt I suppose." She replied, her gaze trained on the floor. Shaking his head, he walked into the room and looked around.
"You know, if you don't want me helping, all you have to do is say no." He stated before placing the plastic down on the floor and made sure that there wasn't any space between it and the wall. Tasha rolled her eyes, and started putting plastic over her furniture.
"Why do you keep asking me if you are going to complain about my answers?" She commented, tucking the plastic tight and casting him a look through lowered lids. "Who said I was complaining?" He questioned. She just shook her head.
"I'm sure there is something else you could be doing." Itachi laughed softly and shook his head.
"No, actually there isn't at the moment. My partner is off doing whatever he does. So that leaves me to do nothing all day." He stated before he seemed to notice they were missing something. "Well looks like I forgot to grab something." He said before handing her the rest of the plastic. "I'll be right back with paint trays to make it easier." With that said, he left swiftly and returned just as fast. She looked down at the plastic for a moment, before she went about placing it on the floor beside her. When he came back with the trays, she arched a brow at him.
"What about brushes?" She asked, giving him a smirk. She was only teasing him, since she had brushes set up on a plastic covered card table. She just wanted to see what he would do. He raised a brow, and looked around the room.
"Haha, I see the rollers over there. So, shall we start? Maybe make this a bit more fun?" He asked as he poured some paint into one of the trays and dipped his hand into. He then placed the paint dripping hand onto the wall and smirked. "And now I so declare that the painting has begun!" Laughing, he shook his head and wiped off his hand before grabbing one of the rollers. She pouted.
"Spoil sport." She grabbed a roller for herself, snagged a tray and filled it with paint. She rolled some paint onto the roller, and immediately walked over to where he stood, rubbing it across his hand print. When she was satisfied, she walked back to the other wall.
"No hand prints." She said cheekily, her mouth curved in amusement. Itachi watched her before pouting himself.
"Now who's being the spoil sport? You just ruined my fun." He said before he began painting. After a few moments, he came over to where she was, hand dripping in paint, and smacked a hand print on her side of the wall. He grinned at her, sticking out his tongue. She frowned at him, and painted the hand print away. She then set the roller down, dipped her hand in her tray, and smacked him across the chest with it. He raised an eyebrow at the mark she made,seeming more amused then anything.
"If you are going to make hand prints on my things, I'll leave hand prints on yours." She gave him a mischievous grin before reaching up and splotching paint on his nose.
"Oh, now its on!" He ran paint down the front of her face, laughing. She growled, reached up and rubbed paint across his cheeks, and dipping both her hands into the tray for more.
"I declare war!" She said with a triumphant look, her expression quickly morphing to a malicious grin. She raised her hands up and aimed for the rest of his cloths. He dodged, and ran his roller along her cloths. "Well we shall see who wins this war!" He stated, flinging paint at her from the roller. She squealed, and ran away from him, over to the other side of the room. She put her hands in his tray, using her chakra to pull the paint into a ball. She turned to him and smiled.
"I have home advantage." She giggled, tossing the paint at him, making sure she could quickly pick up more. Laughing he dodged the paint ball just in time, causing it to hit the wall with a splatter.
"That may be so but that doesn't mean you'll win." He grinned, taking one of the trays and tossing the paint at her. She rolled her eyes, side stepping the paint as it splattered across the plastic and the lower wall. She looked over at it with a frown, and resorted to throwing Itachi's paint tray at him. Laughing, he shook his head and stepped out of the way of the flying paint as it splattered up the wall.
"True enough, but it doesn't mean you'll win either!" She snickered, picking up the nearby paint can.
"Oh, so its going to be like that?" He asked as he watched her picking up the can of paint. "You know, we keep this up and your not going to get your room painted." She pursed her lips, then sighed.
"You started it." She muttered, hauling the paint can over to where Itachi was so she could refill her paint tray. With that finished, she pointed a finger at him.
"Behave." With that she held the can up to him. Taking the paint can, he smiled and filled up the other tray.
"You didn't have to continue." He stated, teasing her before he took the roller and started painting the walls. She shook her head at him, and went back to painting. He was being silly.
"Yes I did. I had to defend my walls honor." She made an amused noise. "Who else will protect it from the marauding hand prints?"
"Oh please. They are the same walls that are attached to my walls. I'm pretty sure that they would survive." He stated before grinning and walking over to her placing the roller against her back, rolled it up her, laughing. "And what about your body?" He raised an eyebrow, grinning. She gave a shriek, moving away from him and casting him a red faced glower. She walked up to him, and rolled her paint across his chest.
"We are supposed to be painting, not violating each other with paint." She muttered, and inspected her shirt. She was going to have to take it off. The wet feeling of paint soaking through her shirt was unpleasant. With an annoyed groan, she pulled the top shirt off, and turned her gaze to Itachi.
"Don't you DARE put paint on this tank top." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Or I'll put paint in your bed." Laughing, Itachi shook his head.
"Aww, come now, I thought you were better than to make empty threats." He muttered before going back to painting the wall. She watched him with narrowed eyes.
"Empty threat? Oh no, you don't know what I'll do to that poor bed of yours." She chimed, before she went back to painting. It was going to take forever at this rate, but at least it was more productive then she would have been with Deidara. They always ended up doing something silly instead of working. Tasha gave a small squeak when paint was suddenly poured over her. She wiped paint from her face, before she looked over at Itachi with a murderous glower.
"We shall see about that now." She fumed at his words, and wiped more paint off her. She stomped over to her door, picked up a paint can she had labeled as pink paint, and marched over to Itachi's door. She could hear him laughing as she went. She kicked the door open, walked over to his bed, and poured the paint all over it. It was probably not the smartest move she had ever pulled, but she wasn't the brightest when she was upset.
"There! What an improvement!" She growled. Raising a brow, he shrugged.
"It can be replaced." He stated. She looked over at him, huffed, and left the room. She walked back into hers, looking at the total lack of progress they had. She took it back, Deidara would have been more progressive. She shook her head. She would be better off trying to paint in her underwear. Not that she trusted stripping down. With a sigh, she kicked her door closed, and went back to painting. She needed something to calm her down.
-0.o.0.o.0.o-
Kisame looked up at the knock on his door. Who would want to bother him on his day off. He gave a sigh, putting down the weights he had been holding and grabbing a towel. He wiped his face, and tossed the towel over his shoulder. He answered the door, dressed in shorts, and nothing more.
"Hello there Lia!" He chuckled when he noticed her standing there. "What do ya need?" Lia looked at him before grimacing. He raised a brow at this. She took a deep breath, and smiled.
"Well I was wondering if you wanted to come hang out in my room with me and maybe help me paint my room?" She asked. "I tried to get the Leader to help since he was the one that helped me get the paint and such but he said no."
"What weird images did the Leader put into your brain, to be giving me a look like that?" He commented, opening his door further and walking inside. "I can help you out, I guess. Give me a moment." He went through an archway, which must have led to his bedroom, since the current room was filled with training equipment.
"Oh, of you going around with no clothes on." She yelled into him. "Kind of something I didn't need to see to be honest, of anyone." He made a sad noise.
"Aww man. That means I should put pants back on huh?" He teased, before he came out, clad in pants and his v-neck top, no mesh underneath.
"I would hope that you would put pants on." She stated.
"Alright, all set. Lead the way little missy."The two traveled back to her room.
"I was thinking about painting the workshop black, for my training stuff, and then in here its going to be nature. I'm going to be having, dirt, trees and plants and such brought in, so I was going to paint the bottom green for grass and then the rest looking like the setting sun." She said motioning to the wall. Kisame put a hand to his chin, looking thoughtful.
"Hm, well that's doable. A little complex, but doable. Let's see what we can do, hm Mittens?" He gave her a toothy grin. She blinked, before she raised a brow at him.
"Since when am I Mittens? My name isn't Mittens." She stated before she nodded. "I'm sure its going to be a bit complex, but I think we could do it anyway." Kisame laughed in amusement.
"I know you don't understand what I just said, but I'm sure the Leader would have decked me for that." He ruffled her hair, cracked his knuckles, and walked over to the paint cans. She raised an eyebrow at him before shaking her head.
"And what do you mean by that?" He just chuckled.
"Alright. Let's do this." With a soft sigh, she nods and started opening cans of paint.
"All right." She said, pouring the paint into trays. "This is probably going to take awhile. And we're missing at least one of the colors so its going to have to wait, but we can do the rest."
"Yeah, most likely. Don't worry about what I said, I was just being silly. I hate when people are gloomy." Kisame commented as he started painting. It wasn't his strong suit, but he could get the job done.
"I wasn't being gloomy." She frowned. Time seemed to pass quickly as they painted, and they soon finished. Lia had flopped down on her floor, face covered in paint.
"Well, that took awhile. Thank you." She panted through the heat. Her room had gotten uncomfortably warm. Kisame opened a window, and gave her a nod as he leaned out it.
"No problem. Let me know if you ever need help again." Having cooled down a bit, he walked over and wiped some of the paint off of her face.
"Thank you." She says softly, a faint blush to her cheeks.
"Take it easy. Life is too short to be so gloomy about life."
"Who said I was gloomy about life?" She asked, rather confused. Kisame laughed.
"No one. You just look like the gloomy type." He gave his muscles a stretch, before he walked over to the door. "Anyway, I have some things to finish. If you need any heavy lifting done. Look me up." Smiling, she nodded and waved to him.
"Thanks again."
-0.o.0.o.0.o-
She had finished two walls by the time she had calmed down. She felt a little bad that she had covered Itachi's bed in paint, but then again, she didn't. She set her roller down, and took a shower. Now that she had gotten all of the paint out of her hair, and she was soaking her paint stained cloths in her sink, she felt better. She pulled on fresh cloths, and went out to find Deidara. He was in his workshop, messing with his clay as usual. She barged in, since his door was unlocked.
"Deidara, how's the progress?" He looked up at her, brushing stray hair from his eyes.
"Hey Tasha. It's going well." He held up the weirdly shaped creation in his hands. She gave him a skeptical nod.
"Right. Willing to help a girl out?" He gave her a curious tilt of the head, sighed, and put his clay down. He wiped his hands on a towel, and then leaned back in his chair.
"What do you need?" She gave him a smile.
"Help me finish painting?" He grumbled, but got up anyway.
"Why not." The two of them wandered back to her room, and Deidara made a distressed noise upon seeing her room. "God, you are a terrible painter, hm." She laughed at this, as he immediately set to work. She was surprised at how well he could paint. She had never painted before, so it was interesting to see how it was supposed to be done. A small, wet splatter made her blink, and she noticed Deidara looking at her. He had splashed her arm with some of the blue paint.
"What was that for?" She questioned, coming over as he motioned to her. He handed her a roller.
"I know you are a terrible painter, but help a little, un." She laughed, and tried to help. He scolded her a few times, before he decided he had to teach her how to paint properly. He stood behind her, much to her embarrassment, and used her hand to move the roller.
"See, you roll it like this." He moved her arm another way. "Not like this, un." She blushed, feeling uncomfortable that he was so physically close to her.
"O-okay Deidara, I get it." He rested his head on top of her's.
"You sure?" He chuckled. She rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I'm sure! Stop pushing me down so you can use me as a head rest!" He dodged as she tried to elbow him. He chuckled at her miffed expression, and wiggled his fingers at her. She gave him a small smile, and gave his arm a swat. He faked pain, and she shook her head. The two of them went back to painting. The door to her room had been left open, now that she was in a good mood. It was easier to get rid of the paint smell. The two of them finished surprisingly quickly. She smiled, placing her hands on her hips and looking the room over. Yeah it would do nicely. She just had to wait for her things to come in so she could fix up her workshop. She sighed. That would have to wait for another day off. There was a soft pat on her head, and she looked up at Deidara. He was rubbing her head, a smile across his lips. She closed her eyes, and relaxed.
"Well, that's done. Anything else you want to drag me into doing while I'm here,un?" She opened an eye and looked at him, contemplating.
"Well... you could totally help me dust the workshop. It's so dusty that it's frightening." He gave a groan.
"You are trying to work me to death, un." He said mockingly, wrapping his arms around her head. She complained as he dragged her over to the next room, which was connected to her bedroom by an archway. The workshop was indeed very dirty. Deidara released her head, leaving her panting as he ran a finger along a shelf. He grimaced, and turned to her.
"Okay, where are the cleaning supplies, un?" She cheered and went out to grab what was needed. The two of them cleaned until they were exhausted, and had flopped down on the floor together. Deidara was leaning back on his arms, the glass door, which she was surprised existed, was opened to let out the dust. Tasha lay flat on her back, looking up at the ceiling.
"I.. am so tired right now." Deidara cast her a glance.
"Wimp, un." He chuckled deeply and she pouted.
"You're panting more then I am." He snickered, and reached over, flopping across her stomach. She let out a grunt, and sunk her fingers into his hair. He relaxed, and she made an amused noise.
"Whatever. I'm allowed to be tired, un." He muttered, nuzzling her stomach.
"That may be so, but I am not a bed." She complained, but didn't try to push him away. He wrapped his arms around her in response, and settled his head against her rib cage. She squirmed at the awkwardness of the position, then gave up with a sigh. She wouldn't be able to pry herself from his grip, she had tried that before.
"I disagree, un." He murmured quietly. She rolled her eyes, running her fingers through his hair.
"Fine, stay there." She huffed.
"I will, un." He said contently. There was a soft knock, and Tasha looked over to the arch that connected the two rooms.
"Well, looks like you finished quite well." Itachi said. She raised a brow at him, giving Deidara's head a tight squeeze. He grunted, and propped his chin up on her sternum. It was definitely an awkward position.
"Oh. Hi Itachi. Yeah, we finished the room and cleaned up in here." She motioned to the general cleanliness of the workshop. "Ah, and sorry about the bed. I was kinda upset." Deidara raised a brow at the mention of the word bed.
"What did you do, un?" She looked down at him.
"I dumped paint on it." Deidara laughed, burying his face to stifle the sound. She frowned at him.
"Will you get your face out of my boobs?" He raised his head, still laughing.
"Its fine, really. Everything has been replaced." Itachi smirked as he looked at her. "But remember I can always get you back when you least expect it." He commented. Tasha blinked, and gave Itachi a skeptic look.
"But if I expect it, it isn't unexpected." She pointed out, squeaking as Deidara nuzzled her. "Will you stop that Deidara?" He pouted, and repositioned to cuddle her stomach. She shook her head, turning her attention back to Itachi. "But then it still wouldn't be expected." Grinning, he flopped down on the floor.
"How did you replace it so fast?" Itachi laughed shaking his head.
"I'm used to people playing jokes on me, particularly your friend there so I've had extras just in case." Deidara rolled his eyes from where he lay.
"You two are rather chummy today." Deidara commented, eying where Itachi sat. Tasha pat his head soothingly. Itachi shrugged and leaned back on his elbows.
"Easy Deidara." Though he was right. The two of them were unusually friendly today. "So? Can two people not be friendly to each other?" He commented back. Deidara let out an annoyed huff, gripping Tasha tighter.
"Not you two." Itachi raised a brow sceptically.
"And why not us two? You and I got along the night of the party." Deidara growled.
"That was a temporary truce." Tasha rolled her eyes.
"I think it would still be expected, since I would be expecting you to do something unexpectedly expected." Tasha commented, trying to keep Deidara calm. Itachi shrugged again.
"Perhaps, but perhaps not." Her brows furrowed, and Tasha tried to get Deidara to loosen his grip while she thought.
"Right. This conversation is going in circles." She rolled onto her side, forcing Deidara to shift so he could use her side as a pillow. He was like a clingy puppy. It was a drastic difference to his usual violent self. Not that she complained. "So... Erm... " She seemed lost for conversational topics. Itachi laughed and shook his head.
"So, any more projects you've got in mind?" Tasha blinked. She wasn't sure why he was so curious.
"At some point. It will have to wait for my next day off. The things I need won't be here until then." She gave a small shrug. " So, what did you do to your workshop?" She asked curiously. "Kunai bulls-eyes. And as far as the other stuff coming in, if you need help just let me know." Tasha frowned. That was boring. She was expecting some weird and elaborate thing. She gave a small squeak as Deidara sat up abruptly, pulling her with him. She cast him a look of barely veiled annoyance.
"No, I'll help her, un. She is my partner." He narrowed his eyes at Itachi and Tasha let out a sigh. He was possessive it seemed.
"I'll ponder if I need help when it actually comes in. Both of you, stop it." She grumbled.
"Hey, I was being nice, not possessive. I was just offering." Itachi shrugged and waved to the two of them. "I'll leave you to your possessive partner. Come find me if you need help." He said as he walked out the door. Tasha raised a brow as he left, and turned to look at Deidara.
"I'm not possessive." He mumbled. Tasha raised a brow, and looked down at his hands, which were tightly grasped around her waist. "Well... not that possessive." She rolled her eyes. It was going to be an interesting week.