Updated chapter from 2016. Fixing some continuity for the future chapters and some spelling issues. Sorry for the long wait, two years went by fast! Life ::shrugs:: what can ya do?
Don't own Naruto, just Ann.
Ch. 12: A Promise Sealed in a Kiss (updated)
Ann POV
"Whew! Another load of laundry done." I sigh contentedly at my work as I stretch my back out. I needed the distraction after what Kakuzu pulled. What was up with that look? And caressing my hand? I had to get out of there quick. In fact, I ran as fast as I could, mumbling a 'Thanks' and excuses to leave. I'm such a chicken! And he's too much man for me to handle! I lament at my own awkwardness. I pout deeply and gently rub my abdomen, which started to ache.
"Ann, un?"
GASP! Flailing wildly, I spin around to face the speaker, putting one hand over my heart from the surprise. "Oh, Atom! It's just you." I release a sigh, but immediately notice my mistake. "Oh shit! Deidara, I'm sorry. Gosh, I keep calling you the wrong name." I look at him apologetically.
He waives his hand dismissively. "Eh, it's no problem. This Atomic Bomb, you named me after, sounds like the epitome of art, un." He smirks with a flourish of his hand, and I can feel my blood rush a little faster. "I take it as a compliment. Your gift of naming is very apropos." AND he's back to calling himself a work of art. I smile at him with a giggle. Men and their egos. "Anyway, I was wondering if you needed any help." he asks, I raise my eyebrow at him, and he looks away sheepishly. "It's just boring, ya know. Un…" He sticks his hands in his pockets, but I notice his eyes drop down and observe my left hand, which is still tenderly rubbing my pelvic area. He noticed I'm aching, aw he's so sweet.
"Sorry you're bored. I was just taking care of some chores. If you want to help, could you bring this basket of laundry into my room for folding?" He nods and picks up the basket, looking up at me with that cheeky smirk of his. When suddenly it turns down to a look of confusion. What's that face for? What's wrong with him? Then with a puff of smoke and a popping sound straight out of a magic show, Deidara was gone.
The basket clatters to the floor, and out of the white smoke, flutters Deidara's shirt and pants down on top of the clothes in the basket.
"What the hell! Deidara? DEIDARA!" sheer panic fills my voice while I waft the smoke away. "Where did you go?!"
Meow!
"Huh?" I drop down next to the basket and see a mound under the black shirt wiggling back and forth.
And out pops a small golden yellow head with pointy ears, and a tuft of fur covering it's left eye. "Uh? A-Atom?" I ask completely surprised.
There's the sound of feet pounding and Tobi bursts open the garage door. Striking a funny pose with both arms, and one leg in the air. "You have nothing to fear, Tobi is here!"
Atom meows as I lift him out of the basket and hold him against my chest. "It's Deidara." I look up at Tobi with wide eyes. "He's changed back." I hold Atom up for Tobi's inspection.
"Aw, look at you, Sensei. You're so cute!" Tobi is bent over wiggling his finger in front of Atoms face, to which Atom immediately tries to bite him.
"Wait, does that mean..?" I begin to wonder as Sasori comes around the corner.
"What was the yelling ab-POOF!-meow?"
"Oh! Sasori! You two?" I walk over to the bundle of clothes; that was already to big for him at the start, and lift out the burgundy red cat, with a very drab and unimpressed look on his face. "Sorry, Puppet. I think you answered your own question." I place him on my left shoulder, and Atom on my right. Tobi following behind I walk out of the laundry room. "Hey guys! I think the alcohol has worn off!"
"Meow reow mreow!" comes the loud response from Grim standing on the living room table.
"Let me guess. You said something along the lines of 'No shit, bitch.' " I guess as I scoop him up into a hug and rub my nose against his neck. "I missed you yelling at me in cat talk." I patronized him as he flails around in my arms, unsuccessfully trying to escape.
Stitch walks out of the kitchen and seemingly yells at Grim, causing the cat to immediately stop his struggling.
"Huh, so it it's only temporary." Itachi says while looking at his own hands.
Poof! And there goes the snoring Kisame on the couch turning back into Jaws form, but somehow remaining asleep. He's so cute, dead to the world when he finally gets some shut eye.
Itachi looks at Jaws sleeping form with a sigh. "I suppose that means I'm next." He looks up at the clock. "So it only lasts about six hours." Poof! And now there is a black fuzzy form on the couch with red eyes.
"Heh heh, I guess that means I'm last." Tobi says next to me, pointing at his face. "I think I'll need your help with all this. Can we…?" he shyly gestures first to his makeshift mask, then thumbs in the direction of the room they first changed in. I gulp down my nerves as the memories of last time flood my mind causing a blush.
"I, uh, yeah sure. Wouldn't want you to suffocate in that as a cat. Hold on." I put Grim down first, then Atom and Puppet. Tobi leads the way into the room.
The door shuts gently behind me, and suddenly Tobi is kneeling on the floor in front of me, head tilted down. "Uh… you? You want me to take your mask off?" He nods in the affirmative.
I take a gulp and gently probe the folds of the scarf, finding one of the ends and slowly start to unwind the fabric. Soon it was just loosely draped around his neck, and when I move to lift up the beret he tilts his head back, allowing me a full look at his face again.
"You said I can trust you...Ann." His deep voice, so foreign sounding after being used to his alter egos I pitched one, sends a shiver up my spine. "I hope you understand what this means." His eye pierces mine, as he slowly rises to his full height, and I'm now needing to tip my head back to keep eye contact with his.
I nod at him, "I do." He smirks at that, the side with the scaring stretches slightly to accommodate the expression.
"Do you now? You seem to have the others warming up to you very quickly, and you to them. Are you sure you can handle this secret? Will you not tell them eventually?"
At first I'm offended, and my eyes harden at him. "No, I won't tell them." I have a feeling I won't need to. I snatch his hat off his head, and shove it into his chest. "If showing your face to me so freely is a sign that you trust me, you certainly don't sound like it."
He chuckles with that deep timber, deeper than even Kakuzu's voice, and I can feel my blood rush to my cheeks and pool in my stomach again as thoughts of the first time we were in this room together came flooding back. His body on top of mine. I gulp my nerves down as my eyes briefly flash over to the bed which the sheets are still a little messy from the altercation.
"I want you to prove my trust in you is valid, little Ann." Obito takes a step forward, and I match it by taking a step back until I'm flesh against the wall. My cheeks are burning red as his larger frame engulfs mine. "Show me." Those two words are like ice and fire all at once, and I'm trapped with my heart beat pounding in my ears. Show him? I thought I'd proven myself already, what can I do further?
He mentioned the others. That I was getting so close with them, and he's right. There has been a lot of flirting too. Is he jealous? I smirk mentally at my small breakthrough. He wants me to show him I put our promise above the feelings I have for the rest of the Akatsuki. In short… I allow my smirk to slide across my lips and Obito matches it while lifting his right eye brow slightly.
He knows… I lift my left hand and place it on his scarred cheek and slowly slide and comb my fingers through his hair to the back of his neck, tugging him down to my face level. I can't choose between them. I lean forward and stretch onto my tippy toes. But.. Our faces are a few millimeters apart. He wants to be the first to be shown the affection I feel. I close the distance and press my lips against his in a kiss.
He's stiff at first, but slowly, his lips soften, and in the next moment he has me pushed up against the wall with the force of his kiss. My fingers in his coarse hair tugging him closer, relishing in the feeling of losing control and getting lost in another person's warmth.
His lips are thick and slightly course. I can feel the left side is a bit harder from the scaring, but the sensation it creates drive my mind even deeper into the kiss. I grab the front of his shirt, trying to find something solid to keep me down to earth.
He grabs both my shoulders, his grip tight and unyielding. It almost hurts, but I love it and just as a moan starts to slip past my lips.
Poof!
Suddenly there is only fabric in my grasp, and the heat surrounding me is gone. "Uh?" I open my eyes, not sure when I had closed them in the first place. Nothing but wafting white smoke drifts in the air. "Obito?"
"Meow" I look down and clinging to my shirt with his tiny claws is Mask, dangling off my chest.
"Oh, Mask!" I support his small body and lift him up to a comfortable level. He mews cutely, his single eye flashing red briefly, and I got the sense there was pervy intent behind it. "Don't look at me like that." I blush and give his rough fur a little noogie.
I continue to carry mask as I leave the room and join the others in the living room.
"Alright boys. It's late, so there's no purpose and giving you any more alcohol now." There is an outcry of meows, to which I raised one hand to quiet them. "Sleeping arrangements are easier this way anyway. I'll give you more in the morning." I finish by covering a yawn. "For now, let's just get ready for sleep." I place Mask down, and go over to the table with all my medications and collect the pills for the evening. Again, more anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, and the typical birth control. A lady my age should be on one anyway. You can never be too careful.
Grim leaps onto the table and starts yell-meowing at me. "Oh stop it, Hidan." I use his real name for emphasis, while giving him a tired glare. "I'm not giving you any tonight. I'll do so in the morning." My eyes soften with a smirk, "Besides, if you were human I wouldn't let you sleep in my bed with me." That seemed to shut him up and remove the aggravated look he was giving me. I chuckle "That's what I thought."
I stand up and take my pills in one swallow. "Alright, time for bed. Someone already has the right idea." Jaws is still snoozing on the couch, so I pick him up and carry him with me.
Some furry bodies rush past me to the room, and others walk calmly beside me. Namely Stitch, Puppet, and Ash.
After placing Jaws in the bed above my pillow I change into sleepwear behind closed doors in the master bath, and when I'm finished everyone else has taken up their usual position. They move to allow me to climb in.
The darkness and the silence consumes me, and my mind races through the events that happened just in the past day and a half. It feels like much more time has passed. And at the end of my musings is the ghost of a kiss that still haunts my lips, drawing blood to my cheeks. So that's it then, I'm falling for all the Akatsuki…who are also my cats…This is going to get weird. I refuse to put more thought into it, and force my mind to shut down for the night, and before long I'm in a blissful dream.