underage (drinking)

Her vibrating phone nearly scares her out of her skin.

Xin chokes on a gasp, eyes snapping open as the phone loudly vibrates on her nightstand. Bleary-eyed and with dried drool coating her chin, she rolls over and snatches the phone up before it could wake her husband. "For fuck's sake…." she grumbles, squinting irritably at the bright screen.

Her son's name pops up on the screen, confusing her because it was damn there three in the morning. For a long moment, she considers ignoring the call but ultimately decides not to. Something could seriously be wrong if Shinki was calling so late. With an aggravated huff, she taps the green button. "Shinki?"

"Mom, I think I'm dying."

Xin sinks into her pillow, lazily holding the phone up to her face. "Where's your cousins?" she asks instead of acknowledging his statement.

"I think they're dead too."

"Shinki, honey…" she trails off, eyes closing. "Have you and your cousins been drinking, by any chance?"

"….."

"Light of my life."

"….."

"You're only fourteen."

"…."

Xin sighs heavily and sits up. "Text me the address of the party, I'm on my way now. Collect your dumbass cousins too, yeah?" She peeks over her shoulder as Shinki mumbles and slurs, checking to see if her voice was enough to rouse Gaara from his sleep. Surprisingly, he remains fast asleep even as she slips out of bed. Her phone pings with a text of the address as she stealthy tiptoes out of the bedroom.

When she pulls up to the house blaring with party music and jam packed to the brim with underaged teenagers, she snorts. Xin taps her hands against the steering wheel for several seconds but ultimately decides to get out to go find her wayward child.

Several drunken idiots whistle in appreciation at her by the time she makes it to the front door, most likely unaware that she's old enough to be their mother. Deciding to ignore it, she marches straight into the party, grimacing immediately at the muggy atmosphere that smacks her in the face. There's teenagers everywhere, smoking and drinking, and dancing terribly to some awful ass music.

She really wonders how her son ends up at a house party. It was safe to say Shinki was a little too…level-headed for this type of shit. Honestly, she was impressed that he was even there. She could expect something like this out of her older sons but certainly not Shinki.

There's a flash of familiar blonde and she reaches out, snatching the teenager up by her hoodie. "Yodo," she greets tonelessly, effortlessly dragging the young girl towards her.

"Sabaku-san," Yodo gapes up at her, clearly caught off guard by her sudden appearance. She glances around, probably searching for an escape route but Xin's grip on her hoodie is unrelenting. "Uh, I wasn't—"

"Save it for someone who cares, Yodo. Point me in the direction of my child."

"Your child? Oh, you mean Shinki. I don't think he's here, Sabaku-san—"

She tuts, unimpressed. "Yodo, I'm not here to get anyone in trouble. Shinki called me. Point me in his direction so I can get the fuck out of here. It smells like sweat and stupidity." The blonde laughs nervously but slowly points out into the backyard. "Thanks, kid," she finally lets go of her but squints at her. "Did you come here with friends?"

"No, I came alone."

"Have you been drinking?"

"A little…"

A little her ass, she can tell just by her flushed face that she wasn't entirely sober. "That's dangerous, you know. I'm taking you home too."

"I can find a ride home—"

"Not an offer."

Yodo pouts but gives in. She's known Shinki for some years and she knows his mother is a force to be reckoned with. She doesn't want to trouble the woman, completely fine with bumming a ride home from someone else but the bluenette shuts that idea down completely.

She follows Xin out onto the deck, cringing as several more boys wolf whistle and catcall Xin. One boy, sitting on the railing of the deck, makes a lewd comment, "Anyone call dibs on the MILF? Cause if not—" Xin watches him blankly before casually leaning over to grip him up by his shirt. With no warning, she shoves him backwards off of the railing. He goes back with a shrill yelp, breaking his fall in the conveniently placed bush. His friends roar with laughter.

"How did you know there was a bush to break his fall?" Yodo asks as she follows Xin down the steps.

"I didn't."

Xin remains generally unimpressed as she searches the backyard before finally locating Shinki, Boruto and Shikadai by the pool. They're sprawled out on the ground in various degrees of suffering.

"Shinki, are you sure you called Xin?" Boruto groans, arm thrown over his eyes.

"You heard me talking to her."

"You think she knows we were drinking?"

"Obviously since she asked me if we were."

"But you didn't say yes. Maybe she won't realize."

"Doubt it," Shikadai mutters.

Xin finally cracks a smile, thoroughly amused but still unimpressed with the entire situation. She stands over the three with her hands on her hips before leaning over Boruto. "She knows, Boruto."

He startles and flings his arm away from his eyes. "Oh, God. I thought you were my mom."

"No, no, I doubt Hinata would find this funny. Everyone up, let's go. It's three in the morning and I'm ready to assault someone's kid." She ushers them up, unimpressed as they struggle to their feet. They stumble behind after her, not even questioning it when Yodo climbs into the car as well.

They dogpile into the backseat, thankful as they leave the pounding music behind. Yodo rides in the front seat, eyeing the bluenette. "Are you going to tell my parents?" she asks after several long moments of blessed silence.

Xin spares her a fleeting glance before focusing back on the road. "No. Reach into the bag on the floor and drink some water."

Yodo does just that, reaching into the prepared bag for a water bottle. "Oi, morons, drink some water."

"Shut up, Yodo," Shinki scowls but takes the offered water bottle. He hands Boruto and Shikadai their own bottles of water, doing as Xin directed.

She drops Yodo off first, smiling as the blonde climbs out of the car. "Um. Thank you, for the ride and not telling on me.."

Xin only waves the sentiment off. "Word of advice, always come and leave with a friend. You shouldn't be drinking but I'd hate it if someone were to take advantage of you. Don't wake your parents up, yeah?"

Yodo blushes at the obvious concern and slowly nods before waving goodbye. She watches as Xin eventually pulls off and wonders if she's going to kick Shinki's ass when they get home.

"I think it's best if you two sleep at our house for the night. I doubt you can sneak in without waking Hinata and Temari up." She knows her sister and sister-in-law and she knows they wouldn't be even the tad bit amused, like she was.

Shikadai nearly groans at the thought of his mother finding out about this. She would most likely kill him and his dad would let her lest he wants to be killed too. "Thanks, Xin-oba."

"Yeah," Boruto grunts weakly. His mother could be forgiving but he worried more about her look of disappointment. If there was anything Boruto hated, it was upsetting his mother.

The rest of the car ride is spent silently, which is a surprise. While the three agreed that Xin would be the most easy-going about this, they expect her to sadistically tease them. But she remains quiet the entire drive, only ever speaking to remind them to drink enough water. Finally, she announces that they were home and watches in amusement as they tumble out of the car. "Keep quiet, don't want to wake Daddy," she holds her finger to her lips. "Ryuu and Riku are away for the night so you two can use their beds."

She ushers them into the dark house and up the stairs. They stagger and nearly fall over several different times but she always seems to catch them with ease. She makes sure they're all in bed, leaving buckets at the bedside just in case before she deems a goodnight.

She sighs in content when she slides back into bed and Gaara immediately reaches for her, arms coiling around her as if she never left.

"And don't forget, it's your father's birthday so we'll be going to see them when you come home."

Gaara only grunts at his wife's reminder. His relationship with his father is a little rocky but Xin has that stubbornness about her and insists on maintaining somewhat of a relationship with Rasa. Mostly for the sake of their kids. She hurries to the front door, holding out his lunch. "I'm not getting that man a present."

"Don't have to. I already did and I signed the card too."

"You treat him better than he deserves."

"Probably but lead by example, yeah? At least your mother is delightful."

"At least," Gaara grumbles. "Is Shinki still sleeping? That's unlike him," he glances up the stairs as if he would suddenly appear.

Xin's smile twitches. "He was up late, I think. Probably his homework, you know he's studious." She offers the packed lunch, hoping to distract him. It works and she leans in when he tugs at her shirt, kissing him goodbye. "Have a good day, make good choices!"

She remains in place until she hears him take off for work. Taking a deep breath, she sets about her morning, waiting patiently for the three to wake up. They do so about an hour after Gaara has left, springing up and using the conveniently placed buckets. Xin would have a fit if they threw up on her floors.

Shikadai was the first one to drag his sorry ass down into the kitchen. "Morning, oba," he grumbles while collapsing at the breakfast table. He's pale and clammy and rests his forehead against the mercifully cool tabletop.

"Morning, criminal," Xin quips with a grin, setting a plate in front of him. It's an American breakfast, he notes when he manages to sit up. She places a sports drink down next to his plate.

"Not funny."

"Neither is being woken up at three in the morning. Now eat your breakfast. You need the carbs."

"Thanks, oba. You're not going to…erm…tell mom about this, are you?"

Xin peers over her shoulder at her nephew. She knows as well as he does the absolute Hell Temari will raise if this stint is found out. Shikadai looks back at her, absolutely miserable. "I guess I can let you slide this time," she chuckles before fixing two more plates. Shinki and Boruto join them at the same time, slumping down much like Shikadai did. Xin simply hands over their breakfast and sports drink, still grinning. "Daddy was concerned you slept in. I told him you were up doing homework," she hums.

"My head hurts," Boruto whines.

"Shut up, Boruto. You're making it worse," Shinki scowls.

"It's called a hangover and that's what you morons get. I'm not going to tell your parents about this because frankly I'm not in the mood to attend your funerals," she folds her arms and leans against the counter. "But you three should know better. You snuck out and drank even though you're underage."

"Told ya she'd be mad," Boruto mutters petulantly.

She rolls her eyes, she often thought the blond was a little on the whiny side. "I was a kid and I did my fair share of dumb shit. Unfortunately, I was scared shitless of my father so I never asked him for help so I'm glad you three called me."

"You were scared of Oji-chan?" Boruto squints around a mouthful of toast. Hiashi was notorious among Hinata and Xin's children as being an overly affectionate and doting grandfather. It borders on overbearing at times.

"That man you call grandfather is not the same man who raised me and my sisters. That's an entirely different person who's trying to get right with the Lord and see Heaven's gates." That got them to laugh. "Anyway, you're fourteen and far too young for alcohol, yeah? Be a kid as long as you can and worry about that shit later."

"It doesn't even taste that great."

"No one really drinks alcohol for the taste, Boruto. We drink it to drown our problems for a couple of blissful house. That's why we add shit to hide how it tastes. You'll understand when you get older and life starts to really kick your ass."

"Mom," Shinki rolls his eyes, an action he promptly regrets.

"Bottom line, try not to do this shit again. I'm going to let you slide this time but pull this shit again, I'm breaking something on you. And I'm telling your mothers." Shikadai and Boruto simultaneously pale but Shinki doesn't bat an eyelash. "And I'll tell your father," she points at him, knowing he hates disappointing Gaara. It does the trick because he looks absolutely betrayed.

She laughs for his trouble, face breaking up in glee with their suffering. "Eat your food and then I'll give you something for your headaches. I'm going to go tidy up the twins' room." She leaves them to have their breakfast after that.

"I'm never listening to you again, Boruto," Shinki declares after several minutes of silence. He can still hear his mother laughing at them.

TeeBeMe: My mom would always tease me when I had hangovers lol. Even as a grown ass woman, she teases. I think Xin would be the type to tease instead of getting angry. Like "yeah that's what your dumbass gets, now suffer."