After indulging in some comfort food and trying desperately to avoid being anywhere near Hidan for the past couple of hours I lounge on the huge sofa curled up in Kisame's arms watching the Jeremy Kyle Show, surprising that it still runs over here but I suppose that ninja families have their problems too. The headline for this story is 'My Daughter Wanted To Be A Florist, You've Disgraced Our Ninja Name!', secretly I think it's a little lame but to be honest some of the stories are a little tenuous after the first couple of times you hear them, it's all about drugs, sex and violence…which is actually pretty boring after a while. What never gets old though are the DNA or lie detector results because the whole room, even people at home, all go 'OOOOHHHHHHH!' at exactly the same time and they always try to say that the lie detector was broken when it blatently wasn't, they were just lying.
Without me realising Kisame stealthily sneaks a bite from my pepperoni pizza which is suspended in mid air as I watch for the results of the latest lie detector to be released, as soon as they say that the florist is pregnant with an assasins baby I flip my head up in disgust. What I fail to realise is that Kisame's head is there too, a large bump appears on my head rubbing it gingerly I apologise profusely to Kisame who doesn't even realise that anythings happened. Stupid strong guy.
Wiggling myself out of his arms, much to his distain, I flounce my way past Tobi and Dei-Dei having a little mini argument about art as they sit with crepe paper and pritt sticks, wait, crepe paper and pritt sticks? Peering over Tobi's unsuspecting shoulder I manage to catch a quick glimpse of a card he's making, pink backround card with white lace trim and what looks like a very malformed heart in the middle. Only when Dei-Dei catches me sneaking a sly peek does Tobi cover his work claiming that 'Abi-kawaii is a bad girl! Abi-kawaii shouldn't be looking at Tobi's card', when I asked him why Dei-Dei signalled for him not to speak so he mimed zipping his lips and remained silent.
Now this has me wondering a lot, what surprise could they have in store for me today? I definitely know that Tobi's made a card whether it's for me or not is another thing, however I do recall from earlier today Kisame, Kakuzu and Zetzu planning something in my lesson so maybe they're doing something to cheer me up. Kisame wanders over to me and asks if everythings o.k. little did I know that I had been standing in the same place for about 5 minutes while I thought about the surprise. Maybe we're having a party? I think as I scrape the leftover pepperoni into the bin and hear the clink of china as I place my plate in the sink .
Swiftly I glance at the clock on the wall, even though the delicatly pained face is cracked the hands still move rythimically around, right now it's about 6 o clock so I think about getting ready to go swimming, it'll take about half an hour anyway and there's no harm in being a little late. We couldn't go swimming in the afternoon like we had planned because Kisame suddenly had plans that he forgot about. It's been a bit unusual today, I saw Leader sulking about in the shadows and I never normally see him, unless somethings gone terribly wrong and he needs to sort it out. Like that time when Kakuzu had made a poster advertising me, Siobhan and Michelle off to the paying public…that was both embarrassing and inappropriate.
"Hey Kisame, I'm gonna go and get changed now so I'll need you to show me where the pool actually is." I smile prodding him in the back so he cranes his head to see me, he grins back at me and tells me to come back here and wait for him and that he'd go and get changed too.
"Hey! Don't forget Abi-kawaii that you cannot swim after you've eaten you have to wait half an hour."
"Don't worry it'll take me that long just to get changed and make myself look semi-decent in my costume."
"Oh so you're finally wearing my masterpiece un?" Dei-Dei chirps from the corner where Tobi and he still sit only now he's surrounded by small white flakes of paper and a large rather angry red cross pulasting on his forehead
"Yeah, sorry it's taken so long to wear it, I hope it still fits after all the junk food I've been eating recently." I sigh pausing at the door incase Dei-Dei wants to continue this conversation and he does for several minutes telling me how I haven't put on any weight and not to think for one second that I wont fit into the costume.
"…so yeah, you'll look stunning in it. Trust me un."
"Abi-kawaii will look very cute." Tobi nods as he dances about the living room, out of happiness or excitement I'm just not sure…
"Do you guys-" I begin but after looking at Kisame for approval and instead being met with an angry face flushed with red making his cheeks look purple giving the unpleasant effect of suffocation, thinking of something desperately to replace my once was offer I say stupidly " like football? American or otherwise?"
"Um, I don't think Tobi has ever heard of football, what is it?"
"We've never heard of it either!" Dei-Dei and Kisame yell in sync
I spend about 15 minutes attempting to explain the rules of football to them with little success because I don't really know all of the rules of english football never mind the american version! I know all the basics and stuff but beyond you aren't supposed to deflect the ball with your hand and some offside rules I'm pretty muc useless. Quickly I find a way to escape from this football nightmare as the boys try to find some playing on the T.V., I wander down the corridor and into my room where –to my distress- I find Zetzu sitting on my bed in rather a state, I actually think he's crying.
"OMG! Zetzu-kun!" I gasp as I swiftly run over to the bed and lift up his head gently to survey any possible damage done to him
"Oh, I was wondering when you would get here Abi-kawaii." Zetzu smiles sadly
"What's the matter dude?" I ask, perching next to him on the bed, stroking his hair gently with one hand while he wriggles his own hand into my open palm
"Nothing really just that I wanted to make sure that you knew something. It's hard for me to say. I don't want to say it and yet I do, if you understand."
"Um, a little bit, it would be handy if you told me what it was so I could understand completely." I smile into his large amber eyes stroking his skin with my thumb hoping to reassure him but all the does is pull himself away from me and storms off to the other side of the room. Trying to conceal the stab of hurt that coursed through me I follow him, "What the heck is it?"
"I would feel more comfortable to tell you if you weren't looking at me." He blushes
"Alright I'll go and get changed in the bathroom, the door will be open and I can hear everything that you say, will that be easier?"
"Yes much easier." Zetzu smiles
I grab my swimsuit and the matching sarong which Dei-Dei made for me a couple of days after which actually is really nice and covers me up which is a plus point. I hear a lot of commotion and shouting coming from the corridor but choosing to ingore this I merely ask Zetzu once again what's the matter, it's really weird to see a guy cry, you think it's going to be really moving and it is and everything but it's also really creepy and a little disturbing because as a girl you don't know what to do. Crying for a guy is like major, majorly major but girls we're all just like aww and we move on with life.
Attempting to avoid falling over I perch on the end of the bath and begin to re-dress myself in the suit, lucky that today is very warm otherwise it would be a total no-no to swimming I mean who wants to go swimming like a nOOb in freezing water! Not me. Suddenly Zetzu begins to talk so I push any other thoughts out of my mind and listen to him:
"So I was just thinking about the play, and I was just thinking that maybe I could not be in it…"
"Why? Zetzu-kun you'd be really good as my Dad! You're caring and kind and one of my best friends here, you're totally suited for this role! Don't stress about going up on stage either you'll be awesome with enough practice."
"It's not the fact I don't feel comfortable with being up on stage, in fact since you came here Abi-kawaii you have boosted my confidence no end, why else would I have taken off my bud? But I don't want to play you're dad because I, I don't feel it would be appropriate."
"Why ever not?" I ask creeping round the doorpost to see Zetzu sat with his back to the door and wrining his hands in his lap
"Well, uh, um…I think that I have feelings for you."
"Feelings?" Not wanting to be like every other annoying heroine and try to have everything spelt out to her but I feel the need for some clarification, the word 'feelings' has a broad span of meanings after all.
"I think, and please don't freak out and don't feel under pressure to say yes but I think that I may, possibly love you."
I stare at Zetzu bewildered, he whips around and as soon as he see's my face, his clouds over with self loathing and pity for himself. I try to regain control of the situation as I quickly walk over to him and sit on the bed, looking him in the eyes so he know's I'm being 100% genuine with him.
"Zetzu-kun, I am really flattered that you like me, I would love to be your girlfriend under any other circumstances and I'm not saying no. I want to make that clear. I just need some time to get my head sorted out, after the ordeal with Hidan and then I've got Dei-Dei, Kisame, Tobi and practically every guy in the Akatsuki coming at me with romantic intrests I just get so confused."
"Hey, don't get yourself worked up over it." Zetzu smiles "Now I've gotten it off my chest I feel a little better and I feel a little happy knowing we might have a shot some day."
"Yeah, most definitely."
"You look lovely."
"Thank you Zetzu-kun."
"I have one more thing to say, if the only thing that happens between you and me was that kiss then that would be enough to last me a lifetime. I love you Abi-kawaii, there will never be anyone but you."
With that Zetzu clambers up from the bed gazes at me for a long moment and then leaves me sitting stock still on the bed, totally bewildered and baffled and thinking about everything he's ever done for me. Thinking about how, I might love him too.