Chapter 38: Lighten Up
The next morning
The model house was quiet as the clock struck five. Everyone that could fall asleep remained asleep, the only exception being Lee as he strolled out of the building to get started on his morning workout. After completing 10 laps around the building for a warmup, he went through a series of upper and lower body exercises before working through a series of martial arts katas, working his body to the bone until he was completely drenched in sweat.
When he walked back inside two hours later, he immediately headed for the bathroom with a satisfied smile on his face. After taking a good 30 minutes to get fresh and clean - Lee tended to be very thorough with his hygiene - he stepped into the kitchen to see that he wasn't the only one in the room.
Suigetsu was busy chowing down on a bowl of cereal, already dressed for the day as he sat at the kitchen island beside Sasuke, who was taking a sip of his coffee. Naruto was busy at the stove cooking up some pancakes, while TenTen was a few feet away working the waffle iron.
"Pancakes and waffles guys?" Lee asked as he walked over to the stove. "Couldn't decide on just one thing to make huh?"
"We didn't know which one the rest of the group would prefer, so we decided to just cook both," TenTen mused as she took out some fresh waffles from the iron. "We had enough batter mix in the cabinets, and I'm sure everyone will appreciate the variety."
"Plus, we never got a full consensus from everyone when we were talking about breakfast last night, so we figured, ah fuck it, let's cook both!" Naruto mumbled as he flipped a flapjack. "Suigetsu, you plan to take some on the go?"
"Loved to, but can't. I still have to brush my teeth and then wait out front for my ride to the dentist," The white haired man mumbled after guzzling down the last of his milk. ". . . The last meal I'll ever have with these sharp teeth of mine, and it's cereal."
"It doesn't have to be you idiot," Sasuke grumbled as he looked up from his coffee cup. "You can take a waffle or pancake with you."
"I could, but nah. . . I'll stick with just the cereal," He concluded as he quickly washed his bowl, set it on the dish rack, and left the room.
"Well, I guess Suigetsu has made his choice," TenTen mused as she coated the iron with a new coat of non-stick spray. "When do you think Gaara and your sister should be back from the sleep center?"
"Who knows?" Naruto mumbled as he flipped the pancakes onto a nearby plate. "They could be on their way right now, or they may come in around lunchtime. It's anyone's guess at this point."
"I think we should leave them some food, just in case," TenTen mused as she poured some batter into the iron. "I'm sure they'd appreciate it, regardless of when they show up."
"Well that's a few less pancakes and waffles that the rest of us can enjoy," Sasuke dryly mumbled as he took his coffee and walked out the room, much to the two cooks' chagrin.
"I never realized that Sasuke had a sense of humor. It's a little. . . grating."
"Eh. . ." Naruto mused as he poured out some more batter onto the griddle. "It's an acquired taste."
Y ~ W ~ B ~ O ~ T
"Gaara, are you okay?" I couldn't help but ask as we walked out the sleep center, both of us now the proud owners of the establishment's business cards. "You've been pretty quiet so far. Something on your mind?"
"I'm fine Izuka," He mumbles, looking off to the side in a vain attempt to hide his face. "I just had a pretty shocking dream that's all."
". . . Okay then," I mumble as we stopped at the elevators, hiding the suspicion in my tone with unsure grace.
Both of us had managed to fall asleep over the course of the night, and while I walked out of my lab room feeling pretty refreshed despite taking, probably, a good two hours to fall asleep, Gaara walked out of his room with a face that looked a little spooked.
When I asked him about, he looked at me before quickly looking off to the side, his face turning quite a surprising shade of pink in the process. I was confused, but at least Shunsui and Jushiro didn't make a fuss about it, despite looking quite amused with the interaction.
"You at least remembered what the guys told us before we left right?" I asked as the doors slid open.
"Don't worry. I heard everything," He tells me as we enter the elevator. "Yes, I'll admit that I may have looked a little out of it as Shunsui and Jushiro explained the next steps, but trust me, I was paying attention."
"Just making sure. . ." I say as I press the button for the ground floor. "Sheesh, the dream you had really made an impact on you huh?"
"You have no idea. . ."
The car ride back to the house was a silent affair, with Gaara too deep into his own thoughts to carry a decent conversation, and I wasn't willing to push him into one. I just spent the entire drive looking out the window, taking in the sights as we were driven back home.
When we arrived at the house, Suigetsu was pacing along the front gate, relief palpable on his face as the car came to a stop.
"Huh, right on time," He tells us, showcasing his shark like grin as we got out of the car. "It's my turn now!"
"Go ahead! The car is all yours," Gaara mumbles as he joins us on the curb. "Huh, the next time we see you, you'll be down a whole lot of fangs."
"Tell me about it. I'm still trying to get used to the idea . . . Anyway, I'll be seeing you guys later," He announces before taking our place in the car. We ended up watching him go, never moving until the car disappeared behind the corner, just as the drizzle began to start.
"It's supposed to rain today?"
"Well, it's been cloudy all morning, and the clouds do seem a little darker than they were an hour ago," I muse as I walked past the gate and started the trek up the driveway. "C'mon, we better get inside before it starts pouring."
Gaara simply nods before following me up the driveway. When we entered the house, we were greeted by the smell of freshly made pancakes, a scent that was strong throughout the house, including the living room, where people were chowing down on pancakes and waffles, doused in whatever condiment the person preferred.
"I see you guys are eating well!" I say as Gaara moved further down the hallway.
"We are, all thanks to TenTen and your brother," says Choji as he happily munches on a waffle. "They're still cooking in the kitchen if you want any . . . Oh, you think there'll be seconds?"
"You're not even halfway finished with your plate and you're already thinking about seconds?" Kiba grumbled as he cut into his pancake. "Bruh, slow down!"
"With so many people still in the house, I'm not sure that there will be seconds, but you can always check." Shikamaru advised as he wiped his mouth. "Let's just make sure that everyone gets their fair share first before we think about seconds okay?"
"Okay, fair point. . ." Choji concedes, and I couldn't help but smirk at the pout that appeared on his face as I left them to their meal.
"Wow this place is busy," I say as I stepped into the kitchen. Not only was TenTen and Naruto still manning the waffle iron and griddle respectively, all the seats at the kitchen island were filled with housemates enjoying their food, a large plate of pancakes and waffles standing in the middle of the table. "Huh, at least Choji won't have to worry about seconds."
"Hey sis!" Naruto calls out as he flips his last flapjack off the griddle. "Long time no see! Grab a plate and help yourself!"
"Don't mind if I do!" I say as Neji hands me an empty plate. "How long have you planned this?"
"About a little after you and Gaara left for your appointment last night," TenTen answers as she starts cleaning out the waffle iron. "And speaking of your appointment, care to share some details?"
"Let me guess: You tried to ask Gaara first but he brushed you off?"
"Damn, that guess is right on the money," Naruto mumbles as he cleans up the griddle before moving to get his own plate. "Gaara simply walked in, put some food on his place, and went to sit out under the awning in the backyard."
"Yeah, don't mind him," I say as I started piling waffles on my plate. "I guess you can say he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."
"Well, at least he slept," Temari mused as she spared a look at the back door. "What about you Izuka? Did you manage to get some sleep last night?"
"I did, but it took a while to get there." I say as I grabbed the half filled bottle of maple syrup and drizzled it on my waffles. "The doctors did a sleep study on both of us and they're going to need some time to analyze the results. We'll be called back in about a couple of days."
"Well that's a start. . ." Kankuro mumbles as he finishes the last of his pancakes. "But still, I wonder why Gaara is so up in his thoughts this time? Was it something he dreamed about?"
"Most likely. . ." I say as I lean myself against the counter. "He seemed embarrassed to look at me when he woke up this morning, does that help?"
Kankuro and Temari's eyes widened immediately at my admission. Both looked at each other, then looked at me again, then looked at each other, then at me again, and then they simply returned their attention to their food, not bothering to say another word.
"Um, was it something I said?" I ask, looking at the siblings with narrowed eyes.
"You can say that," Kankuro conceded, smirking into his plate.
"Don't worry Izuka. What you just said just gave us a lot to think about, that's all." Temari adds, acting as if she hadn't been affected by what I said seconds prior.
"Uh huh. . ." I mumble. "Something tells me I just gave those two some ammo against their brother. . . Should I be worried?"
Y ~ W ~ B ~ O ~ T
Models,
It's time to come into the light!
Be ready by 5 P.M.
Love, Tsunade
The Tsunade Mail was short and sweet when it arrived in the foyer a little after lunch time, and for the rest of the afternoon we were left speculating over what the shoot could possibly be as we got ready to head out.
Within all the mayhem, Suigetsu returned with his now filed down teeth, the only pointy ones being his natural canines, which had been shaved down to look less sharp. Aside from grumbling about how numb his jaw still felt, Suigetsu was in high spirits as he relayed his experience to anyone that was willing to listen, which was surprisingly a lot of people.
When the clock struck five, we piled into our bus and were driven back to Suzumebachi Studios. When we entered the building and found Kakashi on the second floor, he was standing by a table filled with items known for giving off light, from candelabras to christmas lights.
This should be fun.
"Welcome back to Suzumebachi Studios everyone," He greets us with a wave of his hands. "Ready for your next photoshoot?"
"YES!" We chorus, ready to get things started.
"Now that's the enthusiasm I was looking for . . . Today, you all will be participating in a light themed photoshoot. We have created mini-sets for you all, and each one features a different fixture known for emitting light. I'm talking campfires, candelabras, flashlights, Christmas lights, even a disco ball," Kakashi explains as he gestures to the table beside him.
"You will each be dressed and made up in looks that emphasizes the fixture that you were assigned," He adds. "Take note of how you're dressed, the light you're assigned, and your assigned set. Let it inspire you, but don't let it overwhelm you. . . Now then, on to the assignments."
"Choji, you're getting the kerosene lamp." Kakashi announced, pointing to a tall, curvy lamp in the middle of the table.
"Something tells me I'm getting something cowboy themed for my set. . ."
"And you would be right my friend," Kakashi concedes, and all Choji could do was smirk as he, likely, started thinking about himself in a cowboy getup. "Gaara, you're getting the lantern. As for your set, how do you feel about mining?"
"I'm getting covered in some soot aren't I?" His question immediately got Kankuro chuckling.
"A little bit, but not too much . . . Hinata, I hope you don't mind science, because you've been assigned the Bunsen burner."
"That doesn't sound so bad . . . Dad always hoped I'd be a doctor or a biologist. This will be the closest I'll ever get to that."
This time, it was Neji that had started to chuckle, and some of our friends even looked amused, having been earlier notified about the Hyuga family's job preferences back in the semifinals.
"Ino, you got the nightlight, and Izuka, you got the chandelier."
"Sweet. . ." I say, though Ino looked a little nonplussed by her assigned light. To be honest, I think she got the better option between the two of us.
She'll likely get a bed.
"Kankuro, you got Christmas lights," Kakashi continues to prattle on, his words making the middle Sabakuno look so shocked that Temari had to hold back a laugh. "Kiba, you got the traffic light, and Lee, you get the spotlight."
Most of the girls, and even some of the guys, glared at Lee for being lucky enough to get that one.
"Matsuri, you get the candelabra. Naruto, you're getting the glow sticks . . ."
"That was an option?!" My brother says in shock, though there was nothing he could do to change things at this point, but Kakashi just chose to not answer the question.
"Neji, you get the neon lights, Sakura, the campfire, Sasuke, the lightbulb, Shikamaru, the lava lamp, and Shino, the flashlight," He adds, looking like he was nearing the end of his list. "And finally, Suigetsu, you get the candle, Temari, you get the disco ball, and TenTen, you get a torch. Any questions?"
"Yeah, I got one," Naruto announces. "Glow sticks was an actual option?!"
"Indeed they were. . . The fixtures were randomly assigned, and you got assigned the glow sticks. Trust me, I was shocked too when I saw that glow sticks were a legitimate option, but hey! You got to work with what you're dealt," Kakashi calmly explained before looking around at the rest of the group. "Does anyone else have a question?"
No one spoke up, though some looked a little unsure about the assignments they were given.
"Good! Let's get this shoot started!"
A/N: Please review!