Title: Us
Chapter: 3
Main Pairing: KakuHidaKaku
Side Pairing(s): DeiSasoDei, KisaIta, SasuSaku, ZetsuKarin, PainKona
Warnings: Sexual Themes, Swearing, Minor Violence

Kakuzu walked up to the porch, knocking on the door, and it opened almost instantly, showing a sickly-pale man with dark, almost black, hair pulled back into a low pony tail and dark eyes. "Hello, Kakuzu," the man said, nodding gently.

"Itachi," Kakuzu said with a courteous nod, "Is Kisame here?"

"No, not currently. He'll be back any minute, though. Come in, but be quiet, I have just put the children to bed, and I do not feel like getting up to care for them again." Itachi side-stepped the door, welcoming him inside.

"Right," Kakuzu walked in the door, slipping off his shoes while frowing. Itachi and Kisame often babysat for Sasuke and Sakura's two children, Habatchi and Sen, when they were out for dates to get away, or on business trips, being part of the Konoha & Co. business, they traveled... a lot. He wished he could take the brats off of Itachi's hands every once in a while so he could go back to doing what he loved: Cooking with Kisame at their restaurant Hoshi-Uchi Cuisine. "You know, if you want, you can just sit and relax and I'll watch the kids."

"No, no, that'd be asking too much," Itachi's eyes grew a little sadder, as if he wished that had been what his brother and sister-in-law had said to him when he offered to babysit for them.

Kakuzu nodded, "I understand. How have you been doing?

"Tired," Itachi's lip twitched into an easy-going smirk, "Kind of wish that brother will get back soon so I don't have to stay here any more. Staying here is getting me..." he gestured lightly to his body, "This way."

"You look like you could use a vacation," Kakuzu said, reaching out and putting his hand gently on his shoulder, "How's the..."

"It's getting worse," Itachi said shortly. "I'd rather not talk about it."

The miser frowned again, "Itachi, have you told Kisame yet?"

Itachi moved across the room toward the couch, turning and sitting down on the comfortable couch. "No, not yet."

"You have to tell him, Itachi," Kakuzu said with a stern voice, "What if you wake up one day, and you can't see?" the miser's voice kept getting louder and louder, "How are you going to explain that you can't look him in the eye because you don't know where they are anymore?"

Itachi opened his mouth, but was cut off by a crying sound that came from upstairs. Both eyes went toward the stairs, and the male on the couch sighed. "I know, Kakuzu," he said quietly, "But I cannot just rush into telling him such serious things." He got up from his perch on the couch and walked toward the stairs, "If you wouldn't mind, I would prefer if you would leave the premises so you don't wake the children again."

Kakuzu pressed his lips together in a tight line, then nodded. "Goodnight, Itachi."

"Goodnight, Kakuzu."

Hidan walked into the house that night, cigarette in his mouth. He looked up, seeing Deidara, sleeping. Deidara was holding a pillow to his chest with one arm, his head being propped up by his hand and elbow. He took off his shoes, and pulling off his jacket. He opened the door again, leaning down and putting out his cigarette on the concrete steps. Slamming the door once he came back inside, he saw Deidara jump awake.

"S-sasori?" he said, wide-eyed. "Oh, hmm. Hidan," he sounded disappointed.

"Don't sound so fucking sour," Hidan said, walking past him toward the kitchen.

"How was work, hmm?" Deidara sat up, eyes following him as he traveled around the couch.

"Eh," he said, "It was fine, I guess. Found out that Zetsu wants to marry his girlfriend," Hidan rolled his eyes, "Work was fucking nasty, some person spit on me and a kid barfed on the floor, and I had to clean it up."

Deidara frowned, "Sorry, hmm," he said. "Kid puke is pretty gross. I remember when I had to clean that stuff up when I was a kid working a low-class restaurant." Deidara almost sighed wistfully, "Then I became a great artist and sell my creations for money."

"Shut up," Hidan growled, pulling his work shirt off his sleek body, "I can't particularly do the same."

"You could do blood-letting, hmm?" Deidara said.

"I don't even know what the fuck that is," Hdian growled, "As much as I fucking love blood and stuff, I think cooking is a more logical career."

Deidara sighed, "As much as I love your food, Hidan, you really don't do all that much with your talent for art, hmm..."

Hidan just sneered, then moved to throw the shirt into the bathroom. "I'm going for a run to fucking get all the grease that soaked into my system today. Want to come?"

"... Not much of a running person, hmm," Deidara lay back down on the couch and grabbed the remote from the floor in front of him.

"You could have just said 'no,'" Hidan frowned, "See ya'," he said, going to the rear entrance of the house and slipping into his tennis shoes.

"Yep, bye."

Hidan slipped out of the back door and walked toward the fence to the road. He slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed out his iPod and ear buds. He plugged in, putting the buds in his ears and playing the first song that came to his iPod's screen, slipping it back in his pocket and starting to jog along the sidewalk.

This was Hidan's main time for thinking about life, or whatever happened to be on his mind. He started thinking about Kakuzu, and how he was doing. As angry as he was at the guy, he was quite charming, and made him feel... good. Good-good. And he kind of wanted it to happen again, but what person would give him that kind of attention?

"Well, obviously Kakuzu, but who else?" Hidan thought subtly. "Zet's straighter than a fucking ruler, Deidara and Sasori wouldn't touch me, because they only have eyes for each other..." he frowned a little, breathing a little heavy. "Fuck, is Kakuzu the only person in the fucking world who will touch me like that?"

Hidan turned the corner and saw a red-haired woman in the distance, walking a dog. He knew it wasn't Sakura from down the street, because she and her weird husband didn't own a dog, and she had much shorter hair. This woman had hair down her her mid-back. The woman looked up as he kept running toward her, and she smiled, "Oh, Hidan!"

It was Karin! Hidan raised a hand and held up one finger, coming toward her and pulling out his ear buds. "Karin," he said with a smile, "What the fuck is up, woman?" he wrapped his arms around her in a greeting-hug, the small corgi at his feet jumping up and barking. He bent down and pet the dog, "Well, hello again, mutt."

"Oh, not much, Hidan. Just walking Pudge to think about some stuff..." she said solemnly. Her hand wrapped around the dog's leash one more time.

"What are you thinking about?" Hidan asked gently.

Karin frowned, "Will you promise not to tell Zetsu?"When she got a hesitant nod in reply, she breathed in. "I'm pregnant, and I don't know how to tell him. I want to tell him, but I'm afraid that I'm going to scare him away, or he'll ask me to get an abortion – and you know very well my stance on that!" she said firmly. "We've been together so long, I really do love him, but I don't know if he loves me enough to have this kid..."

Hidan just smiled, "Karin... You just have to fucking tell him. I'm sure it'll turn out fine. Shit, Zet has always been very open to babies. I would know. The fucking schizo-kid babysat for a living until he was 19-years-old. He's damn good at what he does."

"Really?" Karin said disbelievingly.

"No fucking joke," Hidan said. Pudge jumped up and pressed her front paws to his leg, panting loudly. "Zet would be happy to have a baby of his own. And yours, of course."

Karin paused, still looking flustered. "Do... do you think he would marry me?"

Hidan just smiled at her. "Of fucking course he would."

Karin smiled, and giggled in reply. "Thanks Hidan. You've helped me a lot." She wrapped her arms around him and then turned around, walking back down the street. "See you 'round!"

"Fuck yeah, you too!" he smiled back at her, and turned around, deciding that his run for today had been cut short. He started back the other way after plugging-in again, and went down the sidewalk.

Sasori came through the front door in a fedora and slimming suit, smiling wide. "Oh, Dei-chan?" he purred, slipping off his shoes and looking around the living room, finding that his boyfriend wasn't there. Television, on, and what looked like to be a half-eaten sandwich on a plate on the coffee table.

"Deidara?" Sasori asked, half-heartedly.

Deidara came into the living room with the phone to his ear, looking solemn. "Yes. Yes, I understand..." he said quietly, "I – hmm-m... I really..." he leaned up against the door frame, "Ye-yes, I understand, ma'am, h-hmm." A tear fell from his eye, and he reached up and wiped it away. Sasori came forward and wrapped his arms around Deidara's waist. "Th.. thank y-y-you..." he sniffled, holding back a sob.

"Sir?" Sasori heard from the phone pressed to his lover's face, "Sir, there's no need to cry. I'm sorry your adoption papers were denied, but you and your partner don't have stable workplaces, and with your criminal record..." she sounded sad as Deidara finally started sobbing over the phone, a hand over his eyes.

"J-just take it, h-hmm, Sasori, I c-can't... I can't..." he shoved the phone into his hands and ran to the stairs, climbing up them two at a time as he bawled.

"... Sir?" the woman asked gently. Sasori looked down. "Sir?"

Sasori removed his hat and raised the phone to his ear, "Ma'am, may I ask for your name?"

"It's Bethany, Bethany Walker. May I ask whom is speaking?"

"This is Sasori Akasuna, Deidara's... partner," he disliked the word, but that's what they were known as. "I would like to know the reasons why we were denied for adoption."

Hidan walked through the back door, and an insane idea popped into his head, making his eyes glimmer. Hidan looked back and him and he just asked:

"What?"