"Jesus, look at that sucker." Hanna mumbled at the television. They watched the tropical storm and the possible projections.
"Where are we on the map, yeah?" Deidara asked.
"Right here, babe." Jo mumbled as she pointed to where they were as she passed, gently tapping on the screen. Deidara's eyes widened.
"It's gonna hit us, yeah!" He announced. "Should we do anything?" He looked between Jo and Hanna. Hanna waited for Jo's decision but Jo just shrugged.
"You're the weatherman." She told her as she walked over and sat down. "It's your call, babe."
"Why the fuck do you keep calling everyone babe?" Hidan asked, irritation lacing his voice. She looked at him with a smirk.
"Jealous, babe?" She teased and Hidan grit his teeth as Pein cleared his throat, pulling Jo's attention away from the immortal asshole.
"It's fuckin' annoying." Hidan mumbled and Pein spoke over him.
"What measures can we take?" Pein asked. "How long do we have?"
"It's not even definatly going to hit us yet." Hanna pointed out. "Tomorrow, maybe a few of us can go to the hardware store and get some stuff to start boarding up the house with. Jo?" She asked and turned to her friend. Jo hummed, acknowledging her. "I kinda want some of them to know how to drive." Jo choked on her drink and coughed a bit, catching her breath.
"We are not teaching them how to drive." Jo told her firmly. Hanna put her hands up in defense.
"Not all of them, just like two or three." Hanna suggested. "In case something happens to us. Better safe than sorry, ya know?" Jo eyed her friend warily and she hated to admit it wasn't the worst idea. The men in the room, Pein, Kakuzu, Sasori, Kisame, even Hidan, looked on in curiosity. What would they drive? Who would teach them? After a few minutes of thinking, Jo shrugged. "It's your car." She gave in and Hanna jumped up from the couch, cheering in celebration.
"Yes!" She pumped her fist in the air. "Y'all are gonna learn how to drive!"
"I swear you have a death wish." Jo mumbled, settling in and trying to ignore the knot of anxiety growing in her stomach as she turned her attention to the TV.
"Can I help?" Lily asked. A few people turned and watched her enter the room on Itachi's back, her feet bandaged.
"What the hell happened to your feet?" Jo asked her.
"Dropped a dish." Lily explained quietly as she climbed off the man's back, landing on the couch. She thanked him quietly as Hanna continued celebrating and organizing driving school.
"Hell, yeah!" Hanna grinned. "I was thinking of teaching Pein and Itachi at least."
"Ok, who's the third?" Hanna asked. Hanna hummed and looked around. Who would be responsible? Who would not run them into a ditch or tree if they got angry?
"What about Konan?" Jo suggested. Konan blinked, almost surprised. Hanna nodded her head aggressively, resembling a bobblehead. Jo shrugged and turned to the blue haired woman. "I can teach you in my car." She offered, bringing a small smile of gratitude to Konan's face.
"If you think it's best." Konan said.
"Now that that's settled." Lily mumbled and made grabby hands at Itachi, indicating she wanted to be picked up again and he had to fight down a smile at her antics. "To the Kitchen, Uchia!" She ordered and pointed. "We have food cooking and I forgot to set a timer!"
"Hn." He hummed and crouched down, letting her climb on before walking out of the room. For a moment, he couldn't help but think back on how he would carry his brother the same way. A twist of pain in his chest sent a jolt through his body.
Lily felt Itachi tense and furrowed her eyebrows. For a moment she worried she was too heavy, but Itachi was a ninja, he should be strong enough.
"Is something wrong?" Lily asked quietly as he stepped into the kitchen. "You don't have to carry me, you know."
"It's fine." Itachi told her as he crouched, letting her sit on one of the chairs. "I don't mind." Lily looked up at him as he stood once more and turned to face her. As she gave him a small, grateful smile, Itachi couldn't help but notice the slight pink in her cheeks. Lily opened her mouth to say something but Jo calling from the other room interrupted them.
"Lily!" Jo called, "Can you bring me my chips? I'm hungry!" Lily and Itachi looked at each other for a moment and Lily giggled as Itachi shook his head.
"I'll take them to her." Itachi told her as he turned to the cabinets. "You should stay off your feet for a bit. Where are they?"
"Corner cabinet. They say salt and vinegar." Lily instructed and watched to make sure he grabbed the right bag. As he stepped out of the room Lily buried her face in her hands. Itachi had always been one of her favorite characters, but this was different, he was different! He was kind and patient, and in his own way, sweet. Lily's heart raced at the memory of him standing above her, his glossy black hair framing his pale face. He looked too good in real life.
"Here." Itachi dropped the bag into Jo's lap and she smirked up at him.
"Thanks." She said and opened them with a pop. Itachi just nodded and returned to the kitchen, wanting to help finish dinner since Lily wasn't supposed to be standing. "Hey, big boy," Jo said and elbowed Hidan's head, making him grunt in annoyance. "Want one?" She offered and put the bag near his shoulder. He looked at the bag and then to her before he huffed and took one, popping one in his mouth and grimacing as he swallowed. He started coughing.
"What the fuck kind of chip is that?" He choked through his coughing. Jo shrugged and looked at the bag.
"Salt and vinegar." She told him, chewing on her own chip. She raised her eyebrows and smirked at him. "Good, hu?" She asked. Hidan sat there for a minute, still feeling the tingling of the flavor and his mouth watered.
"Yeah, actually." He admitted and reached his hand back in to the bag. Jo swatted at him.
"Don't take the whole fucking bag." She chided.
"I'm not, calm the fuck down!" He argued back at her. Jo glared at him as he took a handful and started popping them in his mouth. Hanna, sitting between Kakuzu and Kisame, stared at the two before shaking her head.
"Any who…" She said and flipped the channel. "Now for murder!"
"What?" Kisame asked and she pointed at the screen. "It's a show. It's about murder, and it's funny."
"Why don't we watch Jaws?" Jo asked, sounding bored and not fond of the murder show idea. Hanna bounced off the couch and over the small table, almost knocking over Deidara and stepping on Sasori.
"Hey, watch it, un!" Deidara shouted. She just stuck her tongue out at him and started looking at the movies. She pulled it out and held the case close to her chest to hide what it was about. She popped it in and put the case back before jumping back on the couch.
"Jeeze, you're almost as bad as Tobi, yeah." Deidara told her.
"Where is he, by the way?" Jo asked, looking around, noticing it was rather peaceful in the room. "Where's my candyman?"
"If you say his name three times he'll appear." Hanna commented, absentmindedly.
"I prefer him over Betelgeuse." Jo shrugged, munching away at the chips.
"Watch this scene, it's so cool." Hanna announced but turned to Zetsu who stood in the corner. "Zetsu, can you turn off the lights?" He nodded and did as she asked. She smiled at him. "You can come sit you know, besides, I don't think you can see it well from your corner." Zetsu looked her straight in the eyes, glaring and began to shrink into the floor. He didn't speak until it was just his head above the floor.
"No." He said and with a pop, he was gone.
"What was that about?" Sasori asked, frowning. Usually, Zetsu isn't so….. what even was that?
"He's probably still mad I didn't let him eat Hidan." Jo slurred, shrugging.
"Excuse me-" Hanna said but Jo cut her off, looked her dead in the eyes and spoke.
"You are excused."
"Jo, I stopped him from eating Hidan. You tried to feed him to Zetsu." Hanna pointed out. Jo crossed her arms and pouted. Hidan was eating all the chips, but she wasn't paying attention.
"When was this?" Sasori asked, not remembering it, probably sleeping through it all.
"Are any of you watching this?" Kakuzu asked gruffly, his eyes never leaving the screen of the television as some drunk woman was dragged under the water, screaming and bleeding.
"Yeah, shut up, hm!" Deidara added. Hanna snapped her head to the tv and whined loudly.
"Damnit, we missed it." She said and rewound the movie. "Let's watch it all again. Everyone shut up."
"You were the one talking." Kakuzu pointed out and she elbowed him hard enough to make him grunt. They all sat in silence and watched as a young woman and young man were running along a beach at night, drunk. Hidan whistled when she started to take off her clothes. Hanna smirked when she notice Konan twitch slightly, startled, when the woman started to get attacked. They all watched in silence as blood filled the water. It was quiet until Hanna's stomach growled.
"I want cake." She mumbled and Kisame laughed. Hanna paused the movie. "Who wants some?"
"Hanna, dinner is almost ready and it's too late to bake." Jo said lazily, knowing nothing could stop her. Hanna unpaused the movie and stood.
"Did that scene really make you think of cake?" Sasori asked, not seeing how a bloody death scene could make someone want something sweet.
"Lily, I'm gonna bake a cake!" Hanna announced and even Pein seemed startled when Lily's scream of delight filled the house. "Hey, Tobi, wanna help?" Tobi turned his masked face to her for a moment before shoot off the floor and wrapping his arms around her. Hanna yelped in surprise as he lifted her off the ground. Her startled yelp was drowned out by his cheering and exclamations.
"Tobi is excited! Tobi's sucha good boy and can't wait to help! This is gonna be so much fun!" Tobi continued to hug her tighter and bounce around. Hanna scratched at his arm, slowly losing the ability to breathe. Tobi didn't notice but Kisame did. The blue shark man smirked and leaned forward. He set his beer down on the table and grabbed Tobi by his shirt, catching his attention.
"She can't breathe, man." Kisame said with a smirk. "Can't bake if she's dead." Tobi looked at the scrambling girl in his arms and dropped her with an apologetic gasp. Hanna dropped and staggered a bit as oxygen came rushing back to her head.
"You ok, yeah?" Deidara asked with a knowing smirk as Hanna blinked away the spots. They were going to have to teach Tobi how to hug safer.
"Jo," Lily said as she shook her friend's shoulder. "Jo, wake up," Jo grunted and Lily sighed. "Jo, you gotta teach Konan how to drive today and we're getting ready to go."
"Fuck." She mumbled and sat up, letting the blanket fall off her as she rubbed her face. "What time is it?" Jo slurred, trying to recover from waking up and Lily rolled her eyes.
"Just put your pants on." Lily told her, tossing her friend's sweatpants onto the bed next to her. Jo pulled them on and rolled onto the floor. She was glad she only had a mattress. She liked being close to the floor. "You really need to hem those." Jo just waved her off, dismissing the comment.
"Is coffee ready?" She asked, staring at Lily from her spot on the floor.
"Yeah. Hanna's making breakfast for everyone, too. Figured you'd want to eat before we left." Lily explained and reached out a hand to help her up. Jo smirked.
"Aw, you do care." She teased and took her friend's hand. Lily rolled her eyes again and helped her friend up before smiling.
"Consider it pity." Lily said as they walked out of the room. "I still can't believe you're gonna teach them how to drive."
"If anyone can learn how to drive it's those three." Jo explained as she started down the steps. She looked over her shoulder and smirked. "Besides, they can't be any worse than-" Lily's eyes widened in horror and she reached out, trying to grab Jo as she tripped over her long sweatpants, sending her flying down the steps.
"Jo!" Lily shouted as she watched her friend fall, her heart racing and pumping ice through her veins. Jo waited for the impact, squeezing her eyes shut tight. She felt herself hit something relatively solid, but it didn't hurt. She felt arms wrap around her and her eyes snapped open and she looked up into magenta eyes.
"Heh, morning dumbass," He smirked down at her, and Jo's brain emptied of all thought, "You miss me?" Jo smirked up at him and snaked her arms around his waist. So that's how he wants to play it?
"Not as much as you missed me." Jo wagered with a smirk. Hidan let her go and Lily pulled her friend down the hall, a look of mild amusement on her face as Jo pouted slightly.
"Hate fuck him later, Jo." Lily told her as she dragged her down the hall. "We got shit to do, another storm is rolling in."
"Oh, the hurricane already?" Jo asked as they walked.
"No, different storm. Just figured you wouldn't want to get caught in the rain." Hidan heard Lily explain as they left him standing there. As the two girls walked, Kakuzu passed by. They bid him good morning and he nodded at her in greeting. He had a mug of coffee he was enjoying. He watched Jo leave before turning to Hidan.
"She's got an ass." Kazuzu pointed out and sipped his coffee. Hidan snapped his head to Kakuzu. It was rare for him to talk like that. He looked at the eerie man suspiciously. "Don't even think about it, Hidan."
"You were the one fucking talking about her ass!" Hidan shouted and grabbed Kakuzu by the front of his tan shirt. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I know your type of women." Kakuzu pointed out and removed Hidan's hand from his shirt. "I'm warning you. It's not a good idea."
"Psh, the fuck do you care?" Hidan asked before smirking. "Kakuzu, you bastard, I didn't know you cared."
"I don't." He said. "I just don't want to deal with your bitching when we go back." Kakuzu explained with a shrug.
"Ha, since when have I ever bitched about fucking ditching someone?" Hidan bragged. "She'll be the one bitching when we leave."
"She doesn't strike me as the type to get attached to her lovers." Kakuzu pointed out. Hidan grinned like a wolf.
"Even fucking better." Hidan told him. Kakuzu looked him dead in the eye.
"Then why are you stalling?" He asked, throwing the immortal off. Hidan cocked and eyebrow and tilted his head. What? "You know what I'm talking about. The tension between you two is thicker than Tobi. Screw her and get it over with."
"She's so fucking weird, though." Hidan admitted. "I can't tell if she wants to fuck or if she's just fucking with me."
"She wants to fuck you." Kakuzu told him and sipped his coffee. "Trust me."
"Kakuzu, what the fuck are you doing?" Hidan asked, suspecting something.
"I'd rather have you chasing her than breaking things that cost money." Kakuzu explained with a glare.
"And what about Pein?" Hidan pointed out. He didn't feel like be buried in the backyard and dismembered if shit hit the fan. Kakuzu shrugged and sipped his coffee. Hidan waited patiently for his answer and started tapping his foot impatiently.
"He doesn't have room to say anything and he knows it." Kakuzu explained, breaking the tension. Hidan was confused by now and it showed clear as day on his face.
"What?"
"He's screwing Konan." Kakuzu told him. Hidan barked out a laugh.
"Fucking finally!" He roared. "Damn, it took them for fucking ever!"
"I know." Kakuzu told him with a smirk. "Saw a love bite on her neck this morning and Pein is still missing." Hidan laughed harder.
"Damn, Kakuzu, you fucking know everything that's going on in this fucking group!" Hidan laughed.
"I need to for blackmail." Kakuza said and Hidan stared at him. "Where do you think I get your allowance from?" Hidan blinked and looked almost appalled. His partner could be terrifying sometimes. Kakuzu shoulder checked Hidan and walked past him. Hidan watched him go and shrugged before wlaking towards the kitchen. Kakuzu made his way up the steps and to Hanna's room.
"It's done." He said quietly. No sooner had he spoken, Zetsu melted through the wall, carrying Hanna. He set her down and she smiled at Zetsu in thanks while digging out a twenty and handing it to Kakuzu.
"That's the other half." She said and grinned. "So are Konan and Pein really together?" Hanna asked, excitedly, clapping her hands together. Kakuzu looked at her for a moment before nodding. Hanna squealed and before he could stop her, she was hugging him around the middle and jumping around. Kakuzu was caught completely off guard. When was the last time someone hugged him? When was the last time he let someone get this close to him and not cut their head off *cough* HIdan *cough*. She released him and turned to Zetsu. "Alright, green man, let's go get you your steak!" She announced. Zetsu grinned and Hanna hugged him before he melted into the floor. Kakuzu looked at the twenty before putting it in his jean pocket.
"Pleasure doing business."
The kitchen was a lively setting and Lily couldn't help but look around and smile. Sasori was pouring his second cup of coffee and still looked like death warmed over. Deidara was next to him, talking excitedly about a video of some stupid people blowing things up. Hanna was unwrapping a very large, fresh steak and Zetsu was practically hovering over her. Well, he was sticking out of the ceiling. Hanna smiled and tossed it up to him. The two toned man grinned and caught it. Jo scolded the two for getting blood on the floor and Hanna tossed the trash in the trash can, rolling her eyes. Jo went back to piling food on her plate and talking to Konan. They were talking quietly and Lily couldn't hear them, but she assumed it was about the small mark that was mostly hidden by Konan's shirt. Lily couldn't help but smile when Pein shuffled in, looking almost as bad as Sasori, and shuffled up behind Konan. He startled Konan and Jo as he wrapped his arms around her and dropped his pierced face on her shoulder. The rest of the Akatsuki didn't look impressed. Hidan was sitting at the table, in the middle of telling Kisame a joke and Tobi was jumping and trying to grab onto Zetsu. Zetsu let him jump, but kept moving slightly to stay just out of reach. Lily smiled and nodded at Kakuzu as he joined the little group.
Lily was startled out of her day dream when someone bumped her arm gently. She looked to her side and saw Itachi standing next to her. Lily was sitting on the counter and Itachi stood next to her with a plate of food. She would occasionally eat off of it, but Itachi was starting to block her attempts. Lily couldn't help but feel blessed this morning. Everything was ok, and this was where they all belonged.
"Ok, so first thing you gotta do is make sure everyone is buckled." Jo stated. Pien nodded and buckled up. "The keys go here. Now twist them and the car will start." He followed her instructions as she explained to him the speed limit, the speedometer, the gear that changes direction of the car, the steering wheel, the gas and the pedals. She had him shift into reverse and slowly back out of the driveway. "Keep going, keep going, turn the wheel a bit, no the other way. Ok, keep going, now turn the wheel some more. Now stop, step on the other pedal." Pien stopped the car and stepped on the brake to fast. The car Jerked and Jo was thankful for the seatbelts. "Ok. We'll work on that."
Jo instructed Pein down the street. She had him drive around the neighborhood until she felt he got the hang of it. Then she let him drive around without her telling him where to go, letting him decide, but commenting when she felt she needed to. They sat in silence for a while until Jo spoke.
"Is everyone settling in alright?" She asked. Pein glanced at her before nodding.
"Yes." He confirmed. "I would like to thank you for your hospitality." Jo smirked.
"I couldn't just kick you out on the street." She told him. "My mother taught me better than that." Pien was silent but nodded, grateful. They sat in silence for a bit before Jo spoke again. "Congrats on the sex, by the way." Pien choked on air, not expecting the sudden shift of the conversation. Jo smirked. "It's fine. No one cares. If anything, they're happy for you guys." She smiled at him and he glanced at her as he kept driving.
"I must ask-" Jo cut him off.
"You're asking me to keep quiet about it, I get it." She explained. "But only for the sake of your privacy. You don't have to hide anymore, Pein. You guys are safe here, no one is going to hurt who you love just to get to you. Does that make sense?" Pien looked at her and nodded and stopped the car at a stop sign. "It's going to take a while to get used to it, but don't be afraid to do things like hug her or hold her hand. You don't have to hide it here." He started the car moving forward again.
"Thank you." Pein told her stiffly. He wasn't sure how to process this information. She had been right on the nail about everything. She was able to articulate his concerns and put his worries to rest. How does one respond to this?
"Turn here." She instructed. "Follow this car but be careful not to hit it." Pein did as he was told. They were next to a building that was one story and appeared to be a restaurant. "Roll down your window. Are you hungry?" Pein shook his head and let her lean close to him to talk out the window.
"Welcome to McDonald's how can I help you?" A woman's voice asked from the box.
Hanna flipped and kicked off the wall. She took a breath and held it, moving her arms and kicking until she hit the other end of the pool. She flipped and repeated the motions. She pumped her arms as fast as she could. Kisame sat at the edge with his feet hanging in. He watched with a smile. She was fast. Deidara sat with his feet in the pool as well but he was laying down.
Hanna resurfaced and hung onto the ledge. She caught her breathe before swimming over to Kisame and Deidara.
"You guys can come in if you want, you know." She told them. Kisame slid in and pushed of the wall. He started doing laps as well. As he passed her, he kicked and splashed Hanna and Deidara.
"Hey! What the hell, un!" He shouted and sat up. Hanna glared at him playfully and watched the shark man swim. She moved away from the wall and he started to circle her. She waited.
Kisame bolted at her without warning and grabbed her around the shoulder and middle and made to stand, but Hanna used her weight to pull him back under water, where she twisted and swam to the wall. She tried to jump out and let out a playful shriek when Kisame grabbed her and pulled her back in.
"Deidara, help me!" She shouted and reached out. Deidara smirked.
"Nah," He said and lay down again. She was pulled back into the pool. Deidara laughed to himself and closed his eyes, soaking up the sun. He lay there, relaxing, until a shadown appeared over him. He frowned and opened his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Sasori asked as he leaned over the blonde. Deidara grinned and sat up.
"Just soakin' up the sun, yeah." He said and patted the dry ground next to him, inviting Sasori to sit. Sasori sat next to the blonde and stuck his feet in after rolling up his jeans. It was hot out, and Sasori wasn't used to being this warm. He wasn't used to really having skin. "How's it feel, un?" Deidara asked, breaking the silence that fell between the two. Sasori looked at him and quirked and eyebrows. Deidara grinned before elaborating. "Bein' human again. How do you ya feel, Dana?"
Sasori frowned and looked away. Deidara laughed quietly to himself and rested his hands on the ledge, leaning forward. He didn't notice how close his hand was to Sasori's until their fingers touched. Sasori jerked his hand away like it was burning, startled by feeling another person's skin on his own. His heart was racing uncomfortably and he looked at Deidara. The blonde's surprise seemed to mirror his own.
"Sorry, yeah." Deidara offered quietly and went back to watching Kisame and Hanna, trying to ignore the warm feelings in his cheeks. He'd never admit it, not to Sasori, not ever.
Deidara was startled out of his racing thoughts and looked down to his hand to see Sasori had rested his hand next to Deidara's again, letting the fingers touch.
"It's fine."
"Everywhere I go, bitches always know, that Charlie Scene has got a weenie that he loves to show."
"What the fuck is that?" Hidan asked, looking at the small square thing that was buzzing and playing that music.
"Will it stop on its own?" Itachi asked.
"It stopped a few minutes ago but started up again." Kakuzu told him. "I think it's Lily's." Kakuzu said and tossed it to the Uchia. He caught it easily and got the message. They wanted him to give it to Lily. He turned and made his way up the steps. It was called a phone, that much he knew, but it felt weird having it loudly vibrating in his hand. He was halfway up the steps when it stopped ringing. He stopped walking and looked at it. He waited.
"Everywhere I go, bitches always know-" Itachi almost dropped it when it started buzzing again. He sighed as the loud music played in his hands and he made his way down the hall.
"I choose to feel blessed, I choose to feel grateful." Lily said to herself as she poured some water into the plants that hung above her desk. She had two Eucalyptus plants in their little baskets and the plants hung low. She smiled at them and turned around. She sat on her wooden desk and looked at her room, her sanctuary. She let the natural light fill up her room and she opened the window. There was a cool breeze that shifted the thin cream curtains.
Her bed was a mattress that was pushed against a wall. It had a thick, crisp off white comforter and pillows that were soft blue, pale green, and cream. Above it was a tapestry with the zodiacs and solar system on a dark blue fabric. There was a maroon woven throw blanket that rested on the bed and complimented the maroon rug on the wooden floor. She had hung up more tapestries of light soft colors mixed with rich deep colors. They were on her walls and her ceiling. At night, small lights would lighten up and some of them wavered like stars. On the same side as her bed, there was a book shelf that was stuffed with books and papers and little trinkets. Her closet was on the other side and next to that was a dresser with more trinkets and some jewelry but in the middle of it was incense burning. She had a small glass ornament with those little plants in it. On her desk was her homework, some books, and her laptop. She grabbed her incense from the dresser and set it on a small table that was next to the book case. It was actually a small crate with a maroon cloth over it. She put the incense there next to the small buddah statue she had for medicine and healing.
Lily sat on the small area of throw rugs and pillows and sat to mediate, resting her hands on her knees and breathing deep. She closed her eyes and focused on the smells around her. Her laptop sat on her desk, playing her mediation playlist.
It had songs from Metallica, Rob Zombie, Type O Negative, nice and relaxing. It contrasted sharply with the rest of her room, and it made it perfect. She sat and started to breathe. Breathe in, breathe out.
The last week had been hectic enough and to make it all worse, the Akatsuki had entered her life. Money was tight enough before them, but now they had so many more mouths to feed. She was struggling in school and the refund deadline was fast approaching. The storm was inching closer and the thought of having to leave made her sick to her stomach.
Red eyes flashed in her mind and her heart raced. The Uchia was on her mind a lot lately. She sympathized with the character, but having him here, as a real human, her heart hurt for him. She found she loved his small smiles and the gentleness in his voice. For a killer, he was surprisingly kind.
Lily turned her head to the door when someone knocked gently. She wondered who would be polite enough to knock.
"It's unlocked." She said. Itachi opened the door and found her sitting on the floor in the meditating position. Her teal hair was pulled into a French braid and her face was clear of makeup. She had a black piece of ribbon around her neck and wore a black shirt that had black eyes susans all over it. She wore denim shorts that were highwaisted and her shirt was a crop top. He could see part of a tattoo on her back and wondered what it was. He could see the one on her thigh clearly. It had vibrant colors. The thorns were a deep green that twisted around in a circle with a few deep red roses. He took in a deep breath and the smell of the incense and wet dirt filled his senses. It was calming and he could feel tension he didn't even know he had leave his body.
The thing in his hand buzzed again and brought him back to reality. Lily stood and moved to her laptop, silencing the music. She turned and let her hand rest open and he handed her the item. She pressed a button.
"You have reached Hanna Brien's phone. May I ask who is calling?" She asked calmly and turned around to face the window. She could see dark clouds moving slowly towards them. Jo should be back to drop off Konan and take Itachi. Hopefully she wouldn't stop for Mcdonald's with her. "I'll grab her, just one second." She said and put the man on hold, turning once more. She bounced the phone in her hand nervously as she looked at him, awkward silence settling over them. "I'll be right back." Lily said and walked past him, leaving him standing alone in her room. Why was it so awkward? Last night he was ripping glass from her feet. There wasn't much more she could do to embarrass herself.
"Hanna!" Lily called out from the back patio. Hanna looked at Lily and saw the phone in her hand. She fell backwards off Kisame's shoulder and swam to the edge. She grabbed the phone from Lily after wrapping a towel around her.
Lily left her to it and went back inside. She smiled at Konan who was making tea. Konan smiled back and Lily kept walking. Apparently, Jo was back.
"Lily, where's Itachi, I want to get done teaching them before the storm hits." Jo said, reading her mind as she walked into the kitchen.
"Up stairs, I'll grab him." She said. "Do you think it'll hit hard?" Lily asked, referring to the storm.
"Nah, I just don't want to make them drive in the rain." Jo waved her off. "How's Tobi been?"
"Hidan knocked him out right after you left." Lily laughed softly. Jo looked up and waved her hand as if fanning herself.
"Good lord I love that man." She joked and Lily quirked an eyebrow, seeing Hidan had walked up right behind her. Jo yelped when Hidan smacked her ass playfully and Lily tried not to laugh at Jo's reddening face.
"That so?" He asked with a wolfish grin. Jo just smirked and leaned her head back, looking up at him. Lily shook her head and walked away, not interested in their flirting. She needed to hunt down Itachi.
"Jo!" Hanna called as she walked in but she paused at the sight of Jo and Hidan smirking at each other. Hanna couldn't tell if they were going to kiss or start swinging. "Am I interrupting?" Jo blinked and stepped away and to Hanna's amusement, the usually cocky woman had a bit of an embarrassed blush.
"What's up, Hanna?" Jo asked, crossing her arms and looking at a very interesting spot on the floor.
"I got an update on that hurricane. Apparently it got bumped up to a three. They expect it to be a four when it hits." Jo just nodded and Hanna continued. "They want me ready to go. I'm going to be on the traveling team."
"What?" Jo whined, snapping her head to her friend.
"The fuck does that mean?" Hidan asked. Jo sighed and smacked her forehead.
"She's ditching us for who knows how long." Jo sighed and bounced on her leg, chewing her lip. Hanna was smart, she could take care of herself. "Just…. Stay safe, ok?" Hanna gave a thumbs up and a smile.
"Will do." She said. "Gonna go pack so I'm ready when they call."
"You do you, babe." Jo waved her off before pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. Itachi stepped into the room and she saw him out of the corner of her eye. She dropped her hand and smiled at him, trying to stamp out her worry. "Ready to go?"
"Yes," He answered politely.
"Good, 'cause you and I need to have a little chat." She said with a smile before turning to Hidan. "See ya later, big boy." Jo teased before walking over to Itachi, linking her arm with his and leading him outside.
Jo instructed him and while the other two were fast learners, Itachi was the fastest. He got the hang of it after just a few blocks. It was odd, it was like they already knew how to drive. Just made her job easier. They had been driving or a while with just her instructing him. At one point, she did what she did with the other two, just let him drive.
"You wanted to speak to me?" He asked.
"Oh yeah." Jo mumbled. "I noticed you a Lily are getting kinda close." She pointed out.
"Hn."
"Just…if you have plans with her, be up front and clear." Jo stated. "That's all I ask. If you want just someone to bone, tell her. If you want a relationship, tell her. Don't…. just for the love of god, don't mess with her head."
"I don't understand." He said, furrowing his eyebrows and glancing to her in confusion.
"Never mind." Jo waved off. "Just be honest with her. If she asks you a question, tell her the truth. She can handle that." Itachi nodded, but was still confused.
"You worry about her using substances." Itachi slowly began to piece together. "That she will go back to it."
"When you are an addict, you never lose that. You have to go through every day fighting that craving." Itachi listened, intrigued and grateful for some more information on his friend's situation. "It's extremely difficult, especially at the beginning. But it gets easier eventually." Jo paused and looked out the window. "And then during times of extreme stress or an extreme emotion such as loss or grief, sometimes people can relapse." She looked at him and saw him confused. "It means start using again. They regress to using a drug as a coping mechanism. Then they have to start all over again."
"That is why you wish me to be clear with my intentions." Itachi put it together. "You are afraid I will cause her to relapse."
"It's always a possibility." Jo admitted. "I just want to help when I can."
"I am not interested in a romantic situation." He told her. Jo laughed loudly and kicked the dashboard. She slapped her knee and Itachi glanced at her, frowning.
"Oh, boy, you say that now." She said and wiped her eyes. "I see how you look at her." She chuckled and looked at him, a knowing grin stretching across her face. "You can lie to yourself but you can't lie to me."
Thank you so much for reading! Let me know how you like it!
