Patience Is No Virtue
A/N: Here you guys are. ^_^; It's not that long, I'm afraid, sorry. ~.~;
Enjoy!
Reviews are responded at the end of the chapter. Thank you all so much. *hugs*
~*~*~*~
The battlefield is dangerous.
Every turn can result to death.
The enemy is well hidden and hunting you down.
The silent atmosphere becomes disturbingly too still.
Closer the enemy approaches.
The heart begins to beat rapidly with each step toward destruction.
Closer.
Breathing becomes forgotten.
Survival.
Closer…
Nearly there…
"Kiiiyaaaaaaa!!!!!"
"Aahh!!"
"Aaaahh!"
Mika giggled insanely and leaped over Hisoka and Tsuzuki's head, causing a piercing shriek of terror to emerge from the two. Gracefully, she landed on the carpet and bolted down the stairs.
Gasping, Hisoka clutched at his chest and licked his lips. "Oh dear," he croaked. "I...I can't do this."
"Hisoka," Tsuzuki panted, equally as frightened. "We have to get her to take a nap."
"Are you serious? She's done this over twelve times and I still get terrified when she latches onto me with a scream! I'm not doing this! It was your idea, you fix it!"
Tsuzuki groaned and glared at Hisoka. "I thought we got over this argument!"
"Apparently not."
Huffing in frustration, Tsuzuki crossed his arms. This was not going as he planned. He was anticipating a lovely scene with Hisoka carrying Nujitsu in his arms gently while he held Mika in his lap…You know, the whole happy family idea. But instead he got a hunt started.
"Look," Hisoka whispered after he caught his breath and relaxed his tensed muscles. "Let's just go down and find her."
Tsuzuki slightly smiled to himself and nodded in agreement. Leading the way, he was cautious as to notice anything out of place. He truly did not want to be startled again.
"…Well, Nujitsu is asleep," he commented when he noticed the child curled around a plushie, drooling yet in a blissful sleep.
Hisoka bit his lip and braced himself as Tsuzuki reached the last step of the flight of stairs. Watching, he let out a breath when nothing leaped out at them. This is a home not some…battlefield!
"Hey," Tsuzuki said in a hushed voice, taking Hisoka's wrist gently into his hand. "Look."
Carefully not to make much movement that would cause noise, Hisoka peered over at the couch and found a curled up Mika, surprisingly, sleeping.
Hisoka blinked a couple of times to confirm that it was no mere illusion. Yep, she was in a deep sleep. No faking.
The two let out sighs at the same moment and collapsed against the back of the couch, leaning their heads on it for comfort. Tsuzuki had set his head gently on Hisoka's shoulder, smiling slightly as he watched Nujitsu sleep.
"Ne, Hisoka?"
"Yeah?"
"…Love you."
"…Yeah."
Tsuzuki shifted slightly and yawned. "How long do they sleep for?"
"Hopefully, forever."
"Hisoka!"
"What?"
"That was cruel."
"Yeah?"
"…Hisoka."
"WHAT?"
"Relax! I was thinking…"
"Oh no…"
"What? You make me sound like an idiot."
"You are an idiot, Tsuzuki."
"…Aren't you even going to listen to what I want to say?"
"Yeah, yeah. What is it?"
"We should take them out. Kids need to get out you know."
"NO. WAY."
"Why not?"
Hisoka shoved Tsuzuki's head away from him to stare into his partner's eyes. "Do you realize," he began with a serious yet nervous tone, "that people would mistake us for them being our kids?"
Strong shoulders lifted in a shrug. "So?" he asked with no concern over that being an issue. It would be kind of cute…
"I'm not going out like that."
"Hisoka…please?"
"No."
"Come on!"
"No."
"Well, I'm older so I'm in charge!"
"Mentally or physically?"
"….Both!"
"Oh yeah. And I'm a whore at the town's whore house."
"…We have a whore house here?"
"Ugh."
"…"
"What?"
"Hisoka, that image is very disturbing."
"Oh, shut up!"
"Make me!"
"Oh yeah? Only one way to settle this!"
~*~3 minutes later~*~
"Ha! I win!"
Hisoka growled and stared at Tsuzuki's hands. "You cheated! You added two fingers when I touched you with ONE finger when we started this!"
"Oh, don't be a sore loser," Tsuzuki demanded, dodging a small punch from his partner. "I didn't cheat!"
"Fine."
Tsuzuki smiled sweetly and stood up. "Where should we take them?"
"…I don't know. I don't care," Hisoka mumbled.
"Don't be so moody. The weather will do you good. Let's go to the pool," Tsuzuki suggested as he began creating some snacks for the two children.
Hisoka cringed. "The pool?"
Tsuzuki nodded as he began grabbing materials for cheese and crackers. "Sure!"
The thought of even getting near a pool always caused an uneasy feeling to settle in Hisoka's stomach. Well, he supposed he could wear a shirt over some trunks but…still…that other problem…
"Tsuzuki…."
"Hey, Hisoka, do you think they'd like apple juice or orange juice?" Tsuzuki broke in, head sticking into the fridge.
Hisoka sighed, not really caring much but responded, "Apple."
"Why?" Tsuzuki inquired, but pulled out a case of apple juice they had bought.
With a grunt, Hisoka stood up and strolled over to the kitchen and leaned his weight onto the counter. "Because it's like apple."
"Hm…I think they like orange juice."
"Then get out the orange juice."
"But you said apple."
"Tsuzuki, I don't really care what they like."
"But you have to! There's a BIG difference between apple and orange juice."
"They're both fruit. I don't like either. There."
"…I don't know…"
"Tsuzuki who cares! Just give them orange juice!"
"But you said apple juice!"
"Whatever! Orange juice!"
"Oh no, Hisoka. You can't change your mind. You said apple juice."
Hisoka groaned and buried his face in his hand. "Tsuzuki, it doesn't matter!"
"Yes, it does!" Tsuzuki insisted.
"No it doesn't! Just give them apple!"
"You just said orange!"
"Tsuzuki, you told me not to change my mind!"
"But I think they'd like orange juice."
"Arrg! Tsuzuki, just give them orange juice!"
"Why do you say apple, then?!"
"Because I just said any random juice to make you shut up!"
"Hisoka, this is important!"
"Tsuzuki, for the love of God, it's JUICE."
"But what if they're allergic?"
"I can't believe I'm having this conversation."
Tsuzuki frowned. "Why not? It's a serious argument."
"Just give them orange juice."
"But…"
Hisoka angrily snatched the apple juice container from his partner.
In shock, Tsuzuki gasped and watched with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"
With a scowl, Hisoka tore it open and began drinking its contents. In about a minute, he managed to consume the entire carton, which, of course, wasn't that big but still a good amount.
"W…what…?"
Hisoka gasped and cringed at the strong taste travelling down his throat as tossed the carton away. "Now you have to give them orange juice. There!"
"…I thought you didn't like it and then you go and drink it!"
"I don't like it. I just wanted to end the conversation."
"Hisoka…"
"What?"
"…We have another container of apple juice in the fridge."
"…"
"Hisoka? Where are you going?"
"To the room to take a good long look at my pathetic life as a Shinigami."
"…I take it you won't be drinking the other container, Hisoka? Hisoka? Hisokaaa! I didn't mean to upset you….Hello? Hisoka? Hisoka, don't ignore me! Oh, come on!"
~*~*~*~
"Thank you for the snacks, 'Suki," Mika happily expressed as she held Tsuzuki's hand and skipped.
Tsuzuki nodded in return and watched his pace as to not exceed the girl's speed. He was pleased that they enjoyed the apple juice he offered them and that they were heading toward the nearby pool. She didn't have a swimsuit, but Tsuzuki had given her a shirt tucked into a pair of tiny shorts he found to fit her. Hey, so what if he accidentally put them in the dryer when they were not originally supposed to go there? It came to use, didn't it?
Hisoka, still rather frustrated and wearing his trunks and shirt with a pair of simple shoes, was currently carrying a fidgeting Nujitsu. The child appeared to have a fascination with poking at his eyes.
"Nujitsu, could you please stop-ow! Stop that!" Hisoka cried when a finger socked him directly in his right eye.
"Shwap fwat!" Nujitsu repeated with very broken baby talk and giggled, dripping drool on Hisoka's shoulder.
Groaning, Hisoka took the small blanket and placed it over the wetness and set Nujitsu down comfortably down again. Bad idea…
"Ow! My ear! Ah! Tsuzuki! My ear! My ear!" Hisoka screeched as Nujitsu tugged merciless on his ear, hoping it would pop off and he could stick it in his mouth to nibble on.
Tsuzuki paused and turned, instantly bursting out into a grin and then laughing. He shifted the two bags he held and shook his head.
"Tsuzuki! Help! Ah! It's coming off! It's coming off!"
"It's not going to rip off, Hisoka," Tsuzuki insisted as he gently pried Nujitsu off and inspected the now red ear.
Hisoka moaned and clutched it, feeling it begin to heal but still throbbing. "God that kid is strong…You guys aren't human!"
"That's cruel, Hisoka. Stop acting childish. We're nearly there," Tsuzuki explained and took Mika's waiting hand once again.
Hisoka hissed in the back of his throat and made a face.
Nujitsu smiled, gurgled, and cuddled into Hisoka's arms, sucking on his thumb…er…hand.
Well, Hisoka supposed he couldn't do many harmful activities to him. After all, he was just a baby…
Suddenly, without warning, Nujitsu slapped Hisoka's face with a now saliva dripping hand and shoved a rattle he had been carrying down Hisoka's throat. Then he lifted himself up slightly and latched his mouth onto Hisoka's nose and sucked on it.
…a baby from Hell.
Tsuzuki swiftly turned at a muffled scream and cried out load in alarm. "Hisoka!"
"Aaaggh! It's not a baby! It's Satan's spawn! Nyag!" Hisoka managed to spit out the rattle. He then struggled to pry off the demon but Nujitsu's grip on his nose was disturbingly strong. To make matters worse, he had spitted the rattle on the ground and didn't notice it as his foot came in contact with it.
"Oh god! Hisoka, look out!"
"Aaahh!"
…Ouch.
Tsuzuki peered over Hisoka's body with concerned eyes. "Oh dear god! Hisoka, are you okay?"
Nujitsu giggled from his place on Hisoka's chest.
"Oooohh…I knew I should have spend the day at work…"
~*~*~*~
"Be careful, Mika. Are you sure you can swim?" Tsuzuki asked, watching Mika splash about in the kiddy pool.
Hisoka sighed and shifted Nujitsu on the towel they both sat on. He desperately attempted to ignore the stares that they continued to receive from other occupants of the public pool.
"Tsuzuki," he said, "it's only one foot deep. She's not drowning."
"What if another kid tried to drown her?" Tsuzuki cried out in fright.
Hisoka eyes him oddly and then returned to keeping Nujitsu occupied with baby toys. "Tsuzuki, shut up."
Tsuzuki, still watching Mika carefully as she began babbling with another little girl, moaned uncomfortably. "I'm serious! Like that book Lord of the Flies! Watari read it and told me all about it! Children murdering other children!"
"I've never heard of the book, Tsuzuki. Nor do I really care."
"Hisokaaa!"
Sighing, Hisoka thought for a moment. "Look," he began with an irritated voice, "if someone tries to drown her, she'd kill them first. Happy?"
"No."
"…"
Hisoka gave up on Tsuzuki and kept himself busy with Nujitsu. Personally, he would have preferred to read a good novel, but, of course, fate never appeared to be on his side much. Ah well, what can you do?
Approximately twenty minutes later, Tsuzuki was slightly satisfied with the thought that Mika was not in much danger.
"Hisoka?"
Hisoka lifted his eyes from the baby and watched Tsuzuki begin to pass him. "Do you mind watching them for a moment? I need to use the bathroom."
Shrugging, Hisoka agreed. It's not as if saying 'no' would help. As Tsuzuki left he kept his eyes on Mika. Upon hearing Nujitsu's squeals, he assumed the baby was fine. Gently, he placed his hand down on the baby's head and realized that there was no baby to touch.
"Eh?" Hisoka looked down and realized Nujitsu had vanished. He panicked and quickly scanned the area. Mika was still playing and Nujitsu…
"Oh god! A baby!" someone shrieked, a woman most likely by the high pitch of the voice.
A baby had just slipped into the deep end of the pool.
"Nujitsu!" Hisoka cried.
With unusual speed, Hisoka tore away from where he sat and bolted into the water where the tiny form had fell. Two others had gone in as well, but none were as nearby as Hisoka had currently been.
Gagging, Hisoka grabbed Nujitsu's body and panic struck him again. He didn't know how to swim. His mind became too focused on the small form in his arms that all he could manage to do was stick his arms up, to hold the body above the surface of the water.
Thankfully, someone took hold of the baby. Hisoka's mind instantly was then in panic by then to realize it much.
Luckily, he didn't need to breathe but the thought of not having the air to do so caused him to struggle violently underwater, gripping at the wall to jerk his body out to no success.
Pressure on his back informed him someone was beside him. Joined by another hand, the two hands gripped his hips and hauled him up.
Hisoka gasped loudly when his head stuck out of the water. Rubbing at his eyes, he turned to his rescuer and found himself staring at Tsuzuki. The man had a good grip on his waist while the other hand clung to the edge of the pool, keeping them both above the watery depth.
Hisoka panted and looked around and found Mika holding a wet yet cheerful Nujitsu in her arms. Relief swam over him.
"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki admonished angrily. "Why didn't you tell me you couldn't swim?!"
"I…uh…"
"God, that scared the hell out of me!"
With a surprised choked cry, Hisoka was crushed against Tsuzuki as the man embraced him tightly.
It was then he noticed hands applauding. Jade eyes turned toward the crowd, where people stood around the pool with grins on their face, murmuring pleased expressions at him.
A man kneeled down and offered his hand to aid Hisoka out. Not having much of a choice since Tsuzuki was lifting him toward the man, Hisoka accepted it and was grateful to feel the hard surface against his feet again.
Tsuzuki soon joined him and he smiled politely to those that patted their backs in a congratulating gesture.
"Hey, look at that, Hisoka, you're a hero now," Tsuzuki pleasingly whispered to his younger, still shocked partner.
"…It was my fault Nujitsu fell in to begin with."
"But you had the courage to dive in after him even if you couldn't swim!" Tsuzuki cried in amazement, leading the three off to their area.
Hisoka shrugged, not enjoying all the attention and snatched a towel, wrapping it tightly around him. "I wasn't thinking. I just did it."
"Ah, don't be modest."
"Didn't you need to use the bathroom?"
"I did. I heard someone cry out about a baby so I came to see what was wrong and saw you jumping into the pool."
"Ugh."
"Hm? What's wrong, Hisoka?"
"I just don't like all this attention. I want to go back home."
"Well, I supposed we did have enough excitement for one day. Let's get dried and go out for dinner tonight."
"Whatever. Fine. Just take me back. I'm freezing."
Mika had already placed a towel around Nujitsu and was complaining about something.
Tsuzuki wrapped another towel around Hisoka's shivering body and rubbed his arms to provide some warmth. "What is it Mika?"
"Um…Nujitsu's diaper is missing and he looks like he's going to poop."
"What?"
"Nevermind."
"Oh, good."
"He already did."
~*~*~*~
A/N: Okay, I had decided to take out the last part, since I wanted to make the next chapter longer and placing it in the next chapter would work better. ^-^; Sorry for it being a bit short…I think it's a bit short, anyway. O_o;
^-^ Go read chapter two of Advocatus Diaboli now. Time to work on the next chapter of Beyond These Tears ^.^ *hugs you all*
Respond to reviews:
kurai: I'm happy you're laughing! ^_^ It's good to know people like my disturbing taste in humor. It's all right for not reviewing before. And yep, I've had these experiences. This is why it makes everything more interesting. ^-^ Thanks a lot for the review! I'm sorry to make you wait so long
Scarlets: Yes, Tsuzuki is acting weird purposely. D I just couldn't help making him a bit of a pervert ^-^ And the kids, I don't know what's up with them. Too much candy. XD ^_^ Thanks a lot for your review!
crazzzybanana: Yay! So wonderful you like this a lot! ^-^ *bows at the clapping* Thank you, thank you X3 ^-^ Comedy lives on! Er, yeah, I hate those minor errors I make. T_T I don't have a beta reader, and I'm horrible at pointing out my own mistakes. O.o; Thanks so much for reviewing. ^_____^
Vulpick: *nod* They ARE growing up extremely fast. O_o; It's a bit disturbing. It's a bit of reason why I made Mika act er…more intelligent…sort of. *hugs* Thanks for the review! Love them 3
Sakusha-san: Oh, I know! I don't want children. ^_^ I don't mind them I just can't handle it. Having a baby brother is as difficult as it is. I'M his mother basically o__O; Thank you for the comments XD My fic has affected you! ^____^
Literary Eagle: ^-^ Yes, I had to add the diapers in. My first experience with diapers with my brother was horrible. I completely destroyed the room, got piss all over me, you know. ^_~ Thanks a lot for the review! Always look forward to yours. ^_^
Ricca-chan: Oh my! Don't choke laughing! XD ^___^ I'm so pleased you like this so much! You're still laughing! ;__; I'm terribly sorry to have made you wait so long for this chapter. *bows* So sorry. But thank you for the review!! ^___^
broccoli: ^_^ You got to love it, ne? XDXD Ah, thanks for the time to review the fic. ^-^ *plushies for you*
