Pairings: Implied KakuHida, Josh/Kazu, Mel/Chiaki, implied Kisa/Ita others still being considered
Story: Hidan and the gang have grown up, their own kids in high school now. But whats this? Hidan is in jail on a false charge, leaving his young son to be put through the torture of the foster care system. He's been put with an abusive foster father, who only cares about the money he gets for keeping the young boy. But now Kazu is in Akatsuki High, the school his own father went to. And all his father's old friends send their kids to. Things are about to get interesting for young Kazu...
Disclaimer: Fathers (c) Kishimoto
Kids and Extras (c) Me
"My mum wasn't just a "fling" for my dad, they loved each other. They got married because they loved each other; they had me because they loved each other. She died in child birth, and now every time my dad talks about her, he nearly cries!" Josh watched his father seem to cover before the small teen before him, the 16-year-olds voice dripping with tangible venom.
But Josh wasn't really paying attention… he was watching Kazu, sure, but he was watching the way Kazu's silver hair swayed and bounced with every slight motion of Kazu's slim body. His hair was beautiful, it looked so soft and smooth and it shined like the moon… Why would Kazu hide something so beautiful?
Josh glanced up at his father, watching his eyes narrow slightly, and Josh knew at that moment… Kazu was going to get it.
"Look, you little brat, you father left his entire life behind because of some woman who he barely knew! Two months, he had been with her two months! When he left his best friend, his parents, and his home behind and moved to another state. He didn't even bother to say goodbye…" Kakuzu sighed, reaching up to gently massage his temple, feeling his nose twitch as tears threatened to become a reality at the memory.
"…my father lives in North California…" Kazu murmured. "And the only reason he hasn't moved back down here is because my life was up there. He's in jail now, while I'm stuck down here away from him and the life I knew and you are a dick if you think my father didn't fucking miss you! Hell, my mother made sure I was named after you! My name is Kazu San, my father is in jail on a false charge, my mother is dead, and so don't you dare criticize him! You know, if you say you care as much as you do, you could have fucking called him, ya bastard."
Josh slowly walked up and gently pulled Kazu away, reaching up to put the hood back on Kazu's head before his friends could see anything. Josh turned to glare at his father, leading Kazu and his friends on a journey through the rest of the house. When he felt Kazu's shoulders begin to shake, he stopped, wrapping his arms around the boy.
"Don't listen to him, Kazu, ja," Aiden muttered, gently rubbing Kazu's arm. "Kakuzu doesn't know what he's talking about!"
"He's such a dick… Sorry, Josh, but I'm gunna go beat up your dad now!" Jain was held back by her brother, who rolled his eyes as he watched his sister struggle to get loose.
"No matter how much I agree with you for once, Jain, Josh's dad would turn you in a stain on the wall," Rain murmured as Zayn helped keep the girl away from the stairs. "He's a bitter old man, but that doesn't mean he can't hurt you."
"Tch," Jain turned away, pacing in the large hallway. "It was completely uncalled for!"
"Kakuzu is a meanie…" Lee muttered tugging on Zayn's t-shit. "We should get back at him!"
"…wow… Never thought I'd hear you pissed off, Lee," Zayn gently patted Lee's head, not even trying to calm his fellow junior. "Honestly, I'd like to hurt him, too…"
"We should probably think it through before we get back at him, though…" Junior glanced at Aiden, who in turn nodded slightly.
"I know a thing or two about getting away with it…" All eyes turned to a smirking Chiaki. "Hey, I get to rebel and make Kakuzu hurt for hurting Kazu. It's a win-win."
Mel rolled his eyes. "Like we'll ever actually do it, though…" he muttered, kissing Chiaki's cheek gently. "I do think we should teach him a thing or two. I mean, he was so rude!"
Josh smiled slightly when he felt Kazu shake against him, at least before the boy turned and buried his face in Josh's chest. Josh sighed, frowning as he picked up the young boy bridal style. The other went silent as they once again began following Josh, the teen leading them to a large room outfitted with a few beds, sleeping bags, and an attached bathroom. Josh had set it up for the teens to sleep over that night.
"Kazu?" Aiden whispered, walking next to Josh. He gently reached out, only to stop when his eyes met Josh's. He quivered slightly as Josh walked into the bathroom, reaching out for Junior instead. "I… I was just…"
"I know, Aiden," Junior murmured, taking Aiden's hand. "I think Josh is just… well, he's pissed."
"I've never seen Josh pissed before," Jain glanced at her brother, eyes worried. "Especially at his dad. I mean… I've seen him get pissed at Mina, but never…" She sighed, shaking her head. "This is bad… really, really bad."
"What's bad?" Lee asked quietly, turning towards a frowning Jain. She sighed once again, shaking her head.
"He's really going to hurt Kazu… he won't mean to, and he probably won't realize it, but he's going to hurt him."
"Another one of your "girl intuitions"?" Rain muttered, rolling his eyes.
Jain turned to glare at her brother. "For once, it's only because I seem to be the least-oblivious of you all. Kazu is obviously in love with Josh, I don't think I need to tell you why. Josh… doesn't know. But he feels something for Kazu, or else he wouldn't be so pissed off at his father for hurting the kid. Kazu will pick up on that, he'll confess to Josh…"
"Oh, poor Kazu, ja…" Aiden whispered, leaning against Junior as he covered his mouth in shock. "He doesn't deserve that…"
Jain nodded slightly. "And neither have a clue…"
"Josh-"
The sound of a slap echoed through the large bathroom. Josh had set Kazu down on the sink counter, making sure the younger was comfortable before letting him go. The slap had been… heat of the moment, something Josh hadn't even thought about, something he had just… done. And he instantly regretted it.
He leaned forward, pulling Kazu flush against him. He held in a sob himself when he felt Kazu melt against him, sobs ripping from the boys abused throat. "Kazu… Kazu, Kazu, Kazu," Josh chanted as he rocked them back and forth.
"I wanna go home!" Kazu sobbed. "I want my dad! Why me? Why me?"
Josh sighed, reaching over to get a small hand-towel. He gently detached Kazu from himself, bringing the towel forward to wipe at Kazu's tear-streaked cheeks. "Hey… Look at me," Josh muttered. When Kazu tilted his head up, still trying to hold his tears back. "I'm going to take you hood off. I promise I won't do it if you don't-"
But Kazu had beaten him to it. The pale boy reached up and pulled his hood down, revealing the clearest blue he had ever seen. Josh brought the towel up, wiping the tears under Kazu's one clear, silvery-blue eye. It was a clearer blue than the summer sky, and held more secrets than the deepest ocean. But his other eye… it was destroyed. It looked as if the skin was boiling, bubbling and moving over his right eye. The scar ended just under his eye, but receded into his hair-line, the silver hair absent from the scarred skin. His eye, though… it looked as if the lid had melted into the rest of the skin, leaving the eye stretched and squinting. The sightless blue color it had turned made it obvious the boy was now blind in that eye.
He smiled slightly, wiping the tears away. Leaning forward, Josh gently placed a kiss on Kazu's forward, kissing a line down to Kazu's scarred eye. As he tried to pull away, Kazu wound his arms around Josh's neck and buried his face in the tall boys shoulder.
"…you're the only one I trust with this," Kazu muttered. "But you didn't need to scare Aiden so damned badly. He was just worried."
"So was I! I still am!" Josh whined, pouting at being reprimanded for trying to be a good friend. He felt Kazu chuckle against him. "I want you to be safe; I want to keep you in a padded room where no one and nothing can hurt you! I just… I don't…"
"I get it, Josh, I do," the boy murmured, reaching up to run his slim, pale fingers through Josh's brunette hair. "It's your flaw. You care too much."
"No, it's that I care too much about you. I care so much it hurts, and when I saw what that bastard," Josh spit the word out, venom dripping from invisible fangs like a rattler. "Was going to do when I took you out of that house… I wanted to rip his arm off! I wanted to… I think I actually wanted to kill him…"
Josh sighed, placing his hands on either side of Kazu's legs as he leaned forward. Kazu smiled slightly, tilting his head up to place his cheek on the side of Josh's head. Josh, in turn, leaned forward to rest his forward on Kazu's collar-bone.
"You are an idiot, Josh," Kazu smiled through his words. "But I'm sure you've already realized that… we should go back out there… I'm sure we've been in here long enough…"
"…I don't really want to move." Kazu smiled wider at Josh's words, knowing exactly how the elder teen felt.
"Well, we could always take a bath. I kind of need one…" Josh chuckled. "Or I could bath and you could shower. You kind of smell like me…" Kazu giggled, feeling Josh laugh against him.
"Okay, okay, you can take a bath. I'll go find some clothes that'll fit you." As Josh pushed off the counter, he looked into Kazu's one good eye. "Do you think… you're okay with showing the others? I know they'll be fine with it, but…"
"If you think they'll be fine, that's good enough for me. Just… you know, I still need a long-sleeved shirt," Kazu glanced down at his right arm, the arm he knew a long bruise stretched along. "I can show them the scar, but the bruises… I think that's just for you, right now."
Josh smiled, leaning forward to place a kiss to Kazu's forehead. "I think that's something I can live with. As long as you're happy, it's fine. I'll go find clothes, you get that bath. And… I'll make sure the others know you're fine. Jain is probably having fantasies about us right now, need to go set her straight… Kinda."
Kazu chuckled. "Got it." The two boys separated the younger walking to the bath and shedding his dark hoodie along the way. Josh, in respect, did not turn to look. He may have been trusted with the knowledge of the bruises, but if he saw them… he might just kill Kazu's foster-father the next time he saw him.
Josh opened the door just enough to get out, closing it quickly behind him. He glanced up at his loitering friends, smiling at them as they looked on nervously.
"He's taking a bath, but other than that, he's fine. And… I know why he wears the hood," at that, he was swarmed by questions, like little stinging bees that decided he was attacking their hive. "Guys! Shut up!" he finally shouted.
"Did you smex him up nice and good?"
All eyes turned to Jain, who was giggling and blushing like a mad-man. "No. And I have a girlfriend."
"You should give you and him a chance! Two sexy guys together would be every fangirls wet dream!" Jain whined. "Like Mel and Chiaki! Only Kazu's scar makes it smexier!"
Josh turned to her sharply, glaring full-force at the orange-headed twin. "How do you know about his scar?" he hissed, taking a step towards Jain.
"It's sort of obvious…" Jain muttered, looking down not in fear but in shame, almost. "Like you're dad. He doesn't want people to see his face because he's afraid they'll call him a monster and run away. I just… I don't know anything about it, just that… I'll shut up now."
"That would be wise."
Aiden sighed, walking up and slapping Josh upside the head. "If he's taking a bath, go get him new clothes, ja. We forgive you for being an over-protective asshole, as I'm sure Kazu already told you. We won't react badly, but Jain might have a heart-attack if he walks out of there with no clothes on, ja."
Josh smiled slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'll, uh… get on that."
A/N:
Oh, will you look at that! I whole chapter up! And with Kazu's scar revealed! And more sexual tension! Ahahahahaha! ...Sorry, I'm sleep-deprived... Alright, so the next chapter will be pretty much from the parents perspective. I miss writing about Kuzu! And more about Kazu's mom is revealed. I happen to like her, but you guys probably wouldn't... she's so pretty and delicate! A lot like Kazu would normally be, actually... without the swear-words... Ah, well! Now time to get back to homework!