[Log] A short visit.
Having zoned out into a world of her own, the door buzzer startled Temari, and she nearly jumped several feet out of her chair, instead startling and nearly falling off it. The thing she loved about Ceno was that she didn’t have to stop and wonder who could be at the door. Her rent was on time, so she knew it wasn’t the landlord, so other than that, there was really nothing to worry about. No one here to stab her, take all her money, do other unmentionable things. She did wonder, for a brief second, if anyone else in the apartment had heard, but really didn’t matter too much either way. It was her apartment, too, and she was more than welcome to have guests, although she had no idea who this could be. Pushing her chair back, she adjusted her shirt and waistband, lamenting the fact that she looked ready to go to the gym in a white spandex top and three-quarter cut off workout pants. A trip to the gym might be nice, actually, after her last one had bombed. Well, if they wanted her to be dressed up, they would have called first.
Pulling open the door, however, she was only somewhat surprised to encounter the familiar face. She blinked a few times, wondering if he’d actually come. She hadn’t really expected him to take up the offer, but that was definitely her brother, standing there on her doorstep. A part of her hadn’t wanted to see him again after their last encounter, but a more integral part of her couldn’t bear to completely push her brother from her life on purpose. When it finally processed after a second or two that he was really here, her surprise was replaced with a somewhat forced smile.
“I never expected you to actually come,” she said softly, vocalizing her thoughts while trying to keep her voice down. She had no clue who might be sleeping. Still, she stood aside and gestured him in. “But come on in I guess. I wasn’t expecting company but I haven’t got much to do.”
Even though invited in, Kankurou strayed around the door frame, eyes examining Temari's face. She didn't change much from the last time he had saw her in Cena, but the meeting over there was brief. Surprise clouded his vision that time, only letting raw emotions spill out upon seeing her. But now when seen in a better environment and in more ordinary clothing, Kankurou's lips couldn't help but quirk into a small smile, his chest filling with a rare emotion that could only be called happiness. It was really Temari. With her blonde hair and eyes that were the spitting image of their mother's, there was no doubt.
The brief smile dissapated as Kankurou forced a mild look on his face out of habit. Emotions had no place in his line of business, but the fact of it kept proving itself wrong. Especially when the last few days were filled with its puzzling episodes with another troublesome woman. "Sorry t'intrude," Kankurou mumbled, tentatively stepping through the door frame, allowing the door to close behind him with a soft click. "Is this a bad time fer you?"
“Not at all, I was literally sitting around doing nothing, take a seat,” she replied, gesturing to the kitchen table as she bustled off into the pantry, rustling around on the shelves. She had invited him over, and she was almost happy to see him. Besides, she did owe him an explanation. It was only fair, when she knew that she had seen him in Cena a little over a month ago, and now here she was, right in Ceno.
She was relieved to see him here, though. There was no way he could have been hopping borders, so that either meant he lived here or was stuck here, and either way she was silently thankful. Finding what she wanted, she reemerged into the kitchen area, with a small red bag, and set about putting on a pot of coffee. She’d promised that too. When everything was in place, she turned her back on the counter leaning against it. Only within the past week had she taken up the habit of letting her hands come to rest on her tummy. If people were allowed to start touching her, then she had every right to do it herself, although she didn’t even do it consciously. She did it just as she might have folded her arms before.
“So I know I owe you a pretty detailed explanation, but humor me with some small talk, and tell me how you’ve been.”
Normally Kankurou didn't do small talk, having the habit to get to the point (if he wasn't drunk, that is). He sat down in one of the seats indicated, hands awkwardly placed palms down on the table surface. He didn't have any furniture of his own in the sad excuse of the apartment he owned. Although Anko's visit had made him thinking about getting at least a futon. But to see Temari busying herself in the kitchen and acting rather...motherly, made her brother feel slightly uncomfortable in this clean environment.
"Can't complain. Jus' th' rain bein' a pain in th' ass an' the floodin' as well. But tha's stopped somewhat." Kankurou answered, eyes falling towards the slightly swollen area of Temari's belly. It wasn't prominent, but there was a small swell that showed somewhat.
It was hard for Temari not to follow Kankurou’s eyes, and she couldn’t help but smile. Not because she was happy, but more because she was just a little amused at the situation altogether, only because she could imagine that neither of them had seen themselves in these places. There wasn’t much anyone could do about it now. While she waited for the machine to go off, she’d have to continue the small talk anyway and it gave her something to go on. And something needed him to know, even the most basic details. Whether or not he wanted to play the part of an uncle was up to him, but it would seem wrong not to give him the option.
“The little bugger’s doing fine,” she reassured him, even though she was sure he knew it already. “And April 29th, if you can remember that…but hopefully we can stay in touch. It’s…”
The coffee pot took that moment to go off, and she quickly flipped the switch off, turning back towards the counter. Pulling two mugs from the cabinets, she mostly filled them, retrieved the cream from the fridge, and managed to bring it all over to the table without dropping anything, going back quickly for the sugar.
“It’s scary,” she continued on the thought she’d had, before the interruption, and she gave a small, somewhat indifferent shrug that didn’t match her emotions at all. “I don’t know the first thing about being a mother. You think it really comes naturally?”
A shrug mirrored that of his sister's as Kankurou silently replied, but not without a hint of uncertainty. "I should be th' last person t'be asked tha' question. I'm jus' as clueless as you are." His sister might have some memories of their mother, but all Kankurou remembered was one night filled with a soft lullaby and the next, a black coffin within the earth. The only real evidence that he had of his mother's existence were those memories and a picture he still kept with him. But other than that, he had no idea what a real mother was. And here was his sister with her belly swollen and soon to become one.
"You were th' most mature one outta th' three of us, so th' kid's not really in mortal danger in havin' you as a mom." Gloved hands reached out for a mug of coffee after a murmured "thanks".
Temari was silent for a moment as she creamed and sugared her coffee, making as if she were concentrating on that, but really, she was trying to remember their mother as well. She didn’t even have a picture anymore, the photo she’d had lost in the move from Celo to Cena, and she hadn’t even noticed until she’d gone looking for it. But even then, the face in the photo seemed strange, unfamiliar, bearing a vague resemblance to her own but nothing more than that. It didn’t conjure any thought of “mother”. And as much as she was worried about being a mother, she was sure that she’d be okay. Didn’t most women worry about what sort of mother they’d be? It was more of a mild worry than anything, and something she knew full well that she could overcome. But then, she was only a part of it.
“I’m sure thing’s will work out, and there’s always parenting classes,” Temari finally said with a nod, taking a contemplative sip from her mug, before looking back up to try and catch Kankurou’s eyes. “It’s not the mother I’m worried about. I know I’ll try my hardest, at the very least. It’s daddy that worries me…”
She would, she knew, be there are much as she could. And effort had to count for something, even if she wasn’t the perfect parents. But having grown up with a terrible father…she didn’t want that for her own child. She would leave if it proved necessary, but that was the last thing she wanted. A normal family seemed out of the question, all things considered, but she could hope for some semblance of it.
Sakon had settled onto the bed earlier that morning with a newspaper after arguing, rather loudly and violently in his opinion, with Temari. A part of him liked the fact that when he shut the door he occasionally didn't have to lock it. Today he had, and after reading the news to his satisfaction---there was nothing of interest in said paper---the door knob clicked and unlocked. At roughly the third to final page of the newsprint he heard a voice that was not Ukon's and clearly not his. It was another mans, but the way Temari and he spoke he got the impression he shouldn't worry as much as his heart wanted to.
Leaving the bedroom in his midnight blue pajama pants and a loose white tank-top, his eyes cast upon Temari and Kankurou as he walked throughout the house. He didn't know this strange man, he just knew he had to meet him. Sakon hadn't met someone in a long while without tearing them apart verbally or physically in quite a while. Mentally sighing, he poured himself a cup of coffee and then sauntered over quietly with only his feet slapping softly across the floor as background.
"Who's your friend?" He asked over the rim of his coffee mug, taking a long sip afterward as his cold eyes stared down Kankurou and imprinted the face in his mind. Sakon would be sure not to forget him.
Hearing the door open, Temari’s eyes darted from her brother’s face over to the bedroom door, unsure of why she was so shocked or suddenly rather startled. She knew who it was, and her eyes followed Sakon tentatively. She let out the breath she’d be unconsciously holding, as she realized that he wasn’t about to bitch at her for waking him up. She’d hoped he would just sleep through the whole visit, or do whatever it was he did when he locked himself in. She never cared to ask, and he probably wouldn’t answer her if she did.
“His majesty has decided to grace us with his presence, I see?” As she answered the question, looking up at him, her tone wasn’t nearly as playful as she’d intended, instead coming out rather spiteful, mirroring her inner annoyance. She gave a sigh and shook her head. “I’m sorry, about earlier. This is…this is my brother, Kankurou. The other one.”
She turned again to her brother, forcing out another smile. She was getting rather used to doing so.
“And this is my…” Her what? Sakon wasn’t really her anything. Friend? Not in a million years. Boyfriend? Only in her eyes, but she couldn’t exactly say that out loud. Fiancée and husband were nowhere near it. Lover was a bit too much information, and still inaccurate, but she needed to say something. Anything. “Kankurou, this is the other half of this little equation.”
Biting her lip, she tried to keep up her smile as one hand once again went to her tummy reflexively, hoping that her brother would be able to put two and two together and not ask any more questions. The last thing she need was for the two to start fighting. That hadn’t gone so well the last time, and she didn’t want a repeat of Gaara’s visit to the studio.
The surprise of Temari being pregnant had always been somewhat mild, even though it hadn't failed to pass his mind as something that would be way too early to happen. But aside from the surprise, there had always been that little question in the back of his mind: who's the goddamn bastard who impregnated her? From their last meeting, Temari was alone and gave no hint as to who the father was, the conversation being mildy brief and more about catching up between the siblings. And the question worked itself out from Temari's rather dodgy introduction to the man currently staring him down.
Kankurou didn't like the look of the man, and the fact that Temari's little greeting had hinted little things within it. But he wasn't about to jump the gun, only disliking the fact that he was being scrutinized at the moment from the low point. He had seen Temari bite her lip, the worried edges around her eyes but the growing scowl on his face came on by instinct, then faded as soon as he caught sight of his sister again. It was for her sake that he just merely nodded a greeting at the man, and stood up slowly, looking back at the man at an eye-to-eye level.
One was supposed to shake another's hand when greeting correct? Sakon had done this rarely, but he knew how to be professional and so he would do so. Walking up to Kankuro as he stood, Sakon held out his hand in a liquid motion. He hadn't meant for it to come off as a dare, but it had, and he tried to take it back by slacking his arm slightly to be more relaxed and "friendly". Oh, he failed at friendly.
"Sakon," announced the man as he awaited Kankuro's hand to shake it firmly but not overbearing. Since this was Temari's---supposedly---nicer brother, he would do his best to be civil. After their previous conversation, he would do this for himself and secretly Temari. He would not do this for Kankuro or Ukon or anyone else here in Celo, he would be selfish about who he was kind to, he held the rights to be an asshole.
The glare had faded away significantly at this point, melting into a mixture of caution and surprise. He looked dumbfoundedly at the hand offered, not sure of what to do before remembering the traditional greeting that he had seen once or twice on the Ceno streets. Like a lost tradition, Kankurou picked it up and followed it through carefully, hand reaching over and shaking Sakon's. Once. Twice. And then he let go, almost half expecting the man to do something rash, why, Kankurou didn't know. But they were from Cena and by experience, it was hard trying to think well of Cena's inhabitants.
But so far this guy seemed decent, if not for the slight starting in the beginning.
"Kankurou. Nice to meet you." The words rolled of of his tongue automatically, copying those numerous businessmen he had seen cluttering the streets during the noon rush in Ceno, near a government building.
Temari was glancing between the two the whole while, watching to make sure neither lunged for the other. She was just as surprised as her brother by Sakon's seeming formalities though. She hadn't expected him to put on such an act when they were at home, even if they had company. It was just her brother after all, and he wasn't about to sell her out. Still, when they exchanged their greetings, she gestured for them to sit--on either side of her, of course, as she still wanted to keep them separated if possible--turning to address Sakon. She had become more conscious about fiddling with the ring when he was around, but right now, she just couldn't help it.
"I didn't know he was coming, but last he knew, we were living in Cena, and then he found out about the move, so I thought it best to tell him about it in person," she explained, and her voice contained everything she couldn't say. The reassurance that this was okay, that she could tell Kankurou and it would be alright. She didn't wait for a reply, though, before her attentions turned to her brother.
"It's not an exciting story," she began, unsure of how much he needed to know. "I'd been planning on it for a while, and then when I found out that I...when I found out, I decided I had to do it. So...Hidan, remember him? He helped me. And to make a short story even shorter, we ended up here. I...know it's kind of pointless to have called you here, just to tell you that, but with the way things are these days...well, you never know who's watching the post or the web. Does that clear some things up?"
Kankurou suddenly felt very out of place, with his sister standing there, looking much older than he remembered her last and with her hu--partner next to her. He wasn't entirely sure where the man fit into all of this except for the most obvious physical reason, being the kid inside of Temari's womb. Suddenly it felt like he didn't belong.
He nodded slowly, nose slightly wrinkling at the mention of Hidan. "Yeah, I get it. Though it's not safe crossin' th'border like tha' with a kid in you." He remembered her telling him that it would be all better back in the bar, but he didn't know that she meant moving to another district. It was dangerous and he wasn't very happy that she didn't tell him. Just the idea of his sister being caught at the border gave him a very unsettling feeling in the gut.
"What, like it would be safer to stay in Cena, and lose the kid anyway? Yeah right."
Temari knew that Kankurou meant well with his comments, but it still hit a nerve. If anything, fleeing the Red District could be considered her first act as a mother. She never would have followed through if she wasn't concerned for the welfare of her future child. And while she still didn't know why she'd felt that way to begin with, why it had mattered so much to her, she didn't like being told that she had made a dangerous decision.
"Besides, what's the worse that could have happened? They would have sent us back? It was worth the try, and we're safe and happy now."
Sakon had propped his chin on the back of his hand, elbow in his other hand, and he was leaning back against the wall nearest Temari. "Oh yeah, they'll just send us back. Right." He muttered, not really in reply to anything anyone was saying but for himself. Also, I would not fucking call our situation a happy one. Safe is all relative to. Bitch should know that. The man shook his head softly and pushed blond hair from the way of his left eye to he could see, the flop of hair over his right eye hanging more than usual. It accented his upset and bitchy mood.
"So, Kankurou," began Sakon. "You're... visiting your darling sister all the way out here? I heard they put up stronger patrols, how did you get through?"
Kankurou made no comment to Temari's sarcasm, wondering if the snark was just a result of carrying another person within her stomach. From what she was saying, it didn't seem like she knew what really went on around the borders, the missing people, the eradication of whole family names. What's the worse that could happen? Possibly the best way to know was to witness it yourself.
"I'm in Ceno at th'moment, too. Only ten minutes walk from 'ere. But I go 'tween th'districts whenever I'm needed. Th'stronger patrols is jus' bullshit. You c'n still get through th' minor areas, jus' stay away from th'major entrances, tha's all." He disclosed the details of his trips for now, not even sure if Sakon was as trustworthy as how his sister treated him. Kankurou searched for another question that would draw the issue away.
"So you two 'ave jobs or somethin'?"
"Yes, we do," Temari said, stepping into the conversation. As civil as they were being, she wasn't about to let those two just start getting into their own little discussion. Goodness knew what that might lead to. And of course he chose to talk about work, of all things. Because he couldn't have picked something worse, with how sore of a topic it had become. "At a photography studio down the road. Don't really like the boss much, but she's giving me a lot of concessions and time off and stuff, so I'll stick with it until I come off maternity leave."
Best to be honest, at least. There was no sense in lying to her brother, although she was sure he wouldn't be pleased that she didn't like her job. But what could she say? She'd probably get called out if she said she enjoyed it, especially after the little spat of drama that had gone on there, and that still wasn't entirely cleared up. She had yet to catch their boss, although she was partly suspicious that the boss was merely avoiding them. And in any case, it was their problem if they didn't like the jobs. Not Kankurou's.
Just like his sister just barge in whenever she wanted to. Kankurou raised an eyebrow at her, nodding at all the right spots but finding it interesting to have her talk for Sakon, who did seem like a man of little words, and more of vicious looks, but Kankurou would've thought otherwise. When she finished, Kankurou pretended to find the response mildly informative, even though in the first place he had just used the question as a distraction. It had been a while since he had a full conversation with her, the last one being rather short and surprising to have been classified as one, and he was already getting used to her ways of talking and directing her words. It made him feel a bit nostalgic, which in turn made him wrinkle his nose in self-disgust.
Although the visit had been short so far, Kankurou didn't feel up to it to talk to his sister anymore with this Sakon guy right next to him. Words failed him anyways, so he would've wasted a lot of his time trying to get to a point, whereas Temari had the talent of cutting to the chase. It reminded him of Anko, sometimes. Having decided, Kankurou stood up, pushing away the cold coffee in front of him.
"I've got a meetin' later, so I gotta get goin'," he lied, pushing the chair out from behind him, and then pushing it in under the table.
The blond man watched the scene, clearly unhappy that Kankurou had brought up the idea of work. As he hated his job, he didn't want to talk about it, but Temari cut him off before he could even lie about it. Really she had no faith in his lying abilities, which were not all that bad when the person he was lying to had no idea he sucked at it. He'd gone through about 15 years of his life lying, why could he suddenly not do it?
Temari, the Angel Princess of Do No Wrong.
"See ya," Sakon replied with a wave to the brother before turning on his heels. Good, he was leaving. Sakon didn't like strangers in his home anyway, nor did Ukon but at least he could get along with them. Leaving the bathroom, he strolled over to his room after glancing at the siblings in the dining area (it was quite a stretch for view, but he wanted to see what was unfolding) with his pink hair tied back into a ponytail. One twin left, another appeared... Awkward.
With all three moving around at once, Temari was a little torn as to where to go first, but decided to go to her brother, who she hardly saw. The twins she could see whenever she came home from work, whether she liked it or not. Kankurou, though...this was the second time she'd seen him in years, so she at least needed to give him a proper goodbye before he ran off to wherever it was he went. So pushing back her own chair, she caught him before he could get to the door.
"Listen...I'm sorry for whatever I said to get on your nerves, or whatever's wrong...just..." She debated asking him to stay, not to leave, but she knew her brother better than to try. "Just take care of yourself, okay? And keep in touch. I'll be sure you let you know how...things...are going."
Kankurou gave Temari a nod and a lopsided-grin, for both their benefits. "I'm jus' glad I saw you today. Nothin's wrong, jus' a lotta things goin' through my head. Sorry if its been a short visit, but I really jus' wanted to see if you're doin' okay. Y'know, not a lotta runaways from Cena's got it as nice as you, so I was worried." In that whole sentence, a lot of things that had not been said moments ago, spilled out, as Kankurou took advantage of the fact that Sakon had disappeared from his view. The man probably wasn't gone, but at least Kankurou felt better in telling Temari these things, one-on-one with no one else around.
Although they had their differences and their fights, Kankurou couldn't stay mad at anyone that had practically raised him since he was a child. And Temari was one of the two people he had left to tie him back to a time when they lived properly in a house, with found memories as family, even before the days of Gaara and their father's insanity. She was his sister, and no matter how many times he tried ignoring the guilt he had for not looking for either her or Gaara, the guilt came back every now and then, until it was finally overcome by finding her in Cena.
An arm awkwardly wrapped itself around her shoulders and another one joined it in an awkward hug. Just from that moment, it finally hit him on how long they both had been apart, his height towering over hers, not by much, but enough to show a difference. And just the awkwardness that accompanied the moment showed that it had been awhile since he embraced anyone in an affectionate way. But as soon as he did it, Kankurou let go and refused to look into Temari's eyes afterwards.
"Take care."
It was odd, to have Kankurou hugging her, but she wasn't about to push him away, because it said a whole lot. And it meant a whole lot to her, as well, because as a family, they'd never been like that. If there father were still around, and he'd not killed her yet for getting pregnant, they wouldn't have been quite so touchy-feely. She knew it would take a long time to get to the point of a normal brother and sister, if they could ever obtain that at all, so she wasn't going to force anything. She was glad, in a way, that he was worried, though, that he really seemed to be concerned for her, and just hugged him back until he seemed to get uncomfortable.
"You too..." she said softly, once he was on his way out the door, closing it slowly when he was finally out of sight and down the stairs, leaning against it with a sigh. At least she knew how to contact him. Certainly that would help a lot, and she'd try to see him again under more private circumstances. She didn't like Sakon's being there either, but she couldn't kick him out of his own home, really. So she was again left alone in the kitchen. This was coming a far too common recurrence.
Pulling open the door, however, she was only somewhat surprised to encounter the familiar face. She blinked a few times, wondering if he’d actually come. She hadn’t really expected him to take up the offer, but that was definitely her brother, standing there on her doorstep. A part of her hadn’t wanted to see him again after their last encounter, but a more integral part of her couldn’t bear to completely push her brother from her life on purpose. When it finally processed after a second or two that he was really here, her surprise was replaced with a somewhat forced smile.
“I never expected you to actually come,” she said softly, vocalizing her thoughts while trying to keep her voice down. She had no clue who might be sleeping. Still, she stood aside and gestured him in. “But come on in I guess. I wasn’t expecting company but I haven’t got much to do.”
Even though invited in, Kankurou strayed around the door frame, eyes examining Temari's face. She didn't change much from the last time he had saw her in Cena, but the meeting over there was brief. Surprise clouded his vision that time, only letting raw emotions spill out upon seeing her. But now when seen in a better environment and in more ordinary clothing, Kankurou's lips couldn't help but quirk into a small smile, his chest filling with a rare emotion that could only be called happiness. It was really Temari. With her blonde hair and eyes that were the spitting image of their mother's, there was no doubt.
The brief smile dissapated as Kankurou forced a mild look on his face out of habit. Emotions had no place in his line of business, but the fact of it kept proving itself wrong. Especially when the last few days were filled with its puzzling episodes with another troublesome woman. "Sorry t'intrude," Kankurou mumbled, tentatively stepping through the door frame, allowing the door to close behind him with a soft click. "Is this a bad time fer you?"
“Not at all, I was literally sitting around doing nothing, take a seat,” she replied, gesturing to the kitchen table as she bustled off into the pantry, rustling around on the shelves. She had invited him over, and she was almost happy to see him. Besides, she did owe him an explanation. It was only fair, when she knew that she had seen him in Cena a little over a month ago, and now here she was, right in Ceno.
She was relieved to see him here, though. There was no way he could have been hopping borders, so that either meant he lived here or was stuck here, and either way she was silently thankful. Finding what she wanted, she reemerged into the kitchen area, with a small red bag, and set about putting on a pot of coffee. She’d promised that too. When everything was in place, she turned her back on the counter leaning against it. Only within the past week had she taken up the habit of letting her hands come to rest on her tummy. If people were allowed to start touching her, then she had every right to do it herself, although she didn’t even do it consciously. She did it just as she might have folded her arms before.
“So I know I owe you a pretty detailed explanation, but humor me with some small talk, and tell me how you’ve been.”
Normally Kankurou didn't do small talk, having the habit to get to the point (if he wasn't drunk, that is). He sat down in one of the seats indicated, hands awkwardly placed palms down on the table surface. He didn't have any furniture of his own in the sad excuse of the apartment he owned. Although Anko's visit had made him thinking about getting at least a futon. But to see Temari busying herself in the kitchen and acting rather...motherly, made her brother feel slightly uncomfortable in this clean environment.
"Can't complain. Jus' th' rain bein' a pain in th' ass an' the floodin' as well. But tha's stopped somewhat." Kankurou answered, eyes falling towards the slightly swollen area of Temari's belly. It wasn't prominent, but there was a small swell that showed somewhat.
It was hard for Temari not to follow Kankurou’s eyes, and she couldn’t help but smile. Not because she was happy, but more because she was just a little amused at the situation altogether, only because she could imagine that neither of them had seen themselves in these places. There wasn’t much anyone could do about it now. While she waited for the machine to go off, she’d have to continue the small talk anyway and it gave her something to go on. And something needed him to know, even the most basic details. Whether or not he wanted to play the part of an uncle was up to him, but it would seem wrong not to give him the option.
“The little bugger’s doing fine,” she reassured him, even though she was sure he knew it already. “And April 29th, if you can remember that…but hopefully we can stay in touch. It’s…”
The coffee pot took that moment to go off, and she quickly flipped the switch off, turning back towards the counter. Pulling two mugs from the cabinets, she mostly filled them, retrieved the cream from the fridge, and managed to bring it all over to the table without dropping anything, going back quickly for the sugar.
“It’s scary,” she continued on the thought she’d had, before the interruption, and she gave a small, somewhat indifferent shrug that didn’t match her emotions at all. “I don’t know the first thing about being a mother. You think it really comes naturally?”
A shrug mirrored that of his sister's as Kankurou silently replied, but not without a hint of uncertainty. "I should be th' last person t'be asked tha' question. I'm jus' as clueless as you are." His sister might have some memories of their mother, but all Kankurou remembered was one night filled with a soft lullaby and the next, a black coffin within the earth. The only real evidence that he had of his mother's existence were those memories and a picture he still kept with him. But other than that, he had no idea what a real mother was. And here was his sister with her belly swollen and soon to become one.
"You were th' most mature one outta th' three of us, so th' kid's not really in mortal danger in havin' you as a mom." Gloved hands reached out for a mug of coffee after a murmured "thanks".
Temari was silent for a moment as she creamed and sugared her coffee, making as if she were concentrating on that, but really, she was trying to remember their mother as well. She didn’t even have a picture anymore, the photo she’d had lost in the move from Celo to Cena, and she hadn’t even noticed until she’d gone looking for it. But even then, the face in the photo seemed strange, unfamiliar, bearing a vague resemblance to her own but nothing more than that. It didn’t conjure any thought of “mother”. And as much as she was worried about being a mother, she was sure that she’d be okay. Didn’t most women worry about what sort of mother they’d be? It was more of a mild worry than anything, and something she knew full well that she could overcome. But then, she was only a part of it.
“I’m sure thing’s will work out, and there’s always parenting classes,” Temari finally said with a nod, taking a contemplative sip from her mug, before looking back up to try and catch Kankurou’s eyes. “It’s not the mother I’m worried about. I know I’ll try my hardest, at the very least. It’s daddy that worries me…”
She would, she knew, be there are much as she could. And effort had to count for something, even if she wasn’t the perfect parents. But having grown up with a terrible father…she didn’t want that for her own child. She would leave if it proved necessary, but that was the last thing she wanted. A normal family seemed out of the question, all things considered, but she could hope for some semblance of it.
Sakon had settled onto the bed earlier that morning with a newspaper after arguing, rather loudly and violently in his opinion, with Temari. A part of him liked the fact that when he shut the door he occasionally didn't have to lock it. Today he had, and after reading the news to his satisfaction---there was nothing of interest in said paper---the door knob clicked and unlocked. At roughly the third to final page of the newsprint he heard a voice that was not Ukon's and clearly not his. It was another mans, but the way Temari and he spoke he got the impression he shouldn't worry as much as his heart wanted to.
Leaving the bedroom in his midnight blue pajama pants and a loose white tank-top, his eyes cast upon Temari and Kankurou as he walked throughout the house. He didn't know this strange man, he just knew he had to meet him. Sakon hadn't met someone in a long while without tearing them apart verbally or physically in quite a while. Mentally sighing, he poured himself a cup of coffee and then sauntered over quietly with only his feet slapping softly across the floor as background.
"Who's your friend?" He asked over the rim of his coffee mug, taking a long sip afterward as his cold eyes stared down Kankurou and imprinted the face in his mind. Sakon would be sure not to forget him.
Hearing the door open, Temari’s eyes darted from her brother’s face over to the bedroom door, unsure of why she was so shocked or suddenly rather startled. She knew who it was, and her eyes followed Sakon tentatively. She let out the breath she’d be unconsciously holding, as she realized that he wasn’t about to bitch at her for waking him up. She’d hoped he would just sleep through the whole visit, or do whatever it was he did when he locked himself in. She never cared to ask, and he probably wouldn’t answer her if she did.
“His majesty has decided to grace us with his presence, I see?” As she answered the question, looking up at him, her tone wasn’t nearly as playful as she’d intended, instead coming out rather spiteful, mirroring her inner annoyance. She gave a sigh and shook her head. “I’m sorry, about earlier. This is…this is my brother, Kankurou. The other one.”
She turned again to her brother, forcing out another smile. She was getting rather used to doing so.
“And this is my…” Her what? Sakon wasn’t really her anything. Friend? Not in a million years. Boyfriend? Only in her eyes, but she couldn’t exactly say that out loud. Fiancée and husband were nowhere near it. Lover was a bit too much information, and still inaccurate, but she needed to say something. Anything. “Kankurou, this is the other half of this little equation.”
Biting her lip, she tried to keep up her smile as one hand once again went to her tummy reflexively, hoping that her brother would be able to put two and two together and not ask any more questions. The last thing she need was for the two to start fighting. That hadn’t gone so well the last time, and she didn’t want a repeat of Gaara’s visit to the studio.
The surprise of Temari being pregnant had always been somewhat mild, even though it hadn't failed to pass his mind as something that would be way too early to happen. But aside from the surprise, there had always been that little question in the back of his mind: who's the goddamn bastard who impregnated her? From their last meeting, Temari was alone and gave no hint as to who the father was, the conversation being mildy brief and more about catching up between the siblings. And the question worked itself out from Temari's rather dodgy introduction to the man currently staring him down.
Kankurou didn't like the look of the man, and the fact that Temari's little greeting had hinted little things within it. But he wasn't about to jump the gun, only disliking the fact that he was being scrutinized at the moment from the low point. He had seen Temari bite her lip, the worried edges around her eyes but the growing scowl on his face came on by instinct, then faded as soon as he caught sight of his sister again. It was for her sake that he just merely nodded a greeting at the man, and stood up slowly, looking back at the man at an eye-to-eye level.
One was supposed to shake another's hand when greeting correct? Sakon had done this rarely, but he knew how to be professional and so he would do so. Walking up to Kankuro as he stood, Sakon held out his hand in a liquid motion. He hadn't meant for it to come off as a dare, but it had, and he tried to take it back by slacking his arm slightly to be more relaxed and "friendly". Oh, he failed at friendly.
"Sakon," announced the man as he awaited Kankuro's hand to shake it firmly but not overbearing. Since this was Temari's---supposedly---nicer brother, he would do his best to be civil. After their previous conversation, he would do this for himself and secretly Temari. He would not do this for Kankuro or Ukon or anyone else here in Celo, he would be selfish about who he was kind to, he held the rights to be an asshole.
The glare had faded away significantly at this point, melting into a mixture of caution and surprise. He looked dumbfoundedly at the hand offered, not sure of what to do before remembering the traditional greeting that he had seen once or twice on the Ceno streets. Like a lost tradition, Kankurou picked it up and followed it through carefully, hand reaching over and shaking Sakon's. Once. Twice. And then he let go, almost half expecting the man to do something rash, why, Kankurou didn't know. But they were from Cena and by experience, it was hard trying to think well of Cena's inhabitants.
But so far this guy seemed decent, if not for the slight starting in the beginning.
"Kankurou. Nice to meet you." The words rolled of of his tongue automatically, copying those numerous businessmen he had seen cluttering the streets during the noon rush in Ceno, near a government building.
Temari was glancing between the two the whole while, watching to make sure neither lunged for the other. She was just as surprised as her brother by Sakon's seeming formalities though. She hadn't expected him to put on such an act when they were at home, even if they had company. It was just her brother after all, and he wasn't about to sell her out. Still, when they exchanged their greetings, she gestured for them to sit--on either side of her, of course, as she still wanted to keep them separated if possible--turning to address Sakon. She had become more conscious about fiddling with the ring when he was around, but right now, she just couldn't help it.
"I didn't know he was coming, but last he knew, we were living in Cena, and then he found out about the move, so I thought it best to tell him about it in person," she explained, and her voice contained everything she couldn't say. The reassurance that this was okay, that she could tell Kankurou and it would be alright. She didn't wait for a reply, though, before her attentions turned to her brother.
"It's not an exciting story," she began, unsure of how much he needed to know. "I'd been planning on it for a while, and then when I found out that I...when I found out, I decided I had to do it. So...Hidan, remember him? He helped me. And to make a short story even shorter, we ended up here. I...know it's kind of pointless to have called you here, just to tell you that, but with the way things are these days...well, you never know who's watching the post or the web. Does that clear some things up?"
Kankurou suddenly felt very out of place, with his sister standing there, looking much older than he remembered her last and with her hu--partner next to her. He wasn't entirely sure where the man fit into all of this except for the most obvious physical reason, being the kid inside of Temari's womb. Suddenly it felt like he didn't belong.
He nodded slowly, nose slightly wrinkling at the mention of Hidan. "Yeah, I get it. Though it's not safe crossin' th'border like tha' with a kid in you." He remembered her telling him that it would be all better back in the bar, but he didn't know that she meant moving to another district. It was dangerous and he wasn't very happy that she didn't tell him. Just the idea of his sister being caught at the border gave him a very unsettling feeling in the gut.
"What, like it would be safer to stay in Cena, and lose the kid anyway? Yeah right."
Temari knew that Kankurou meant well with his comments, but it still hit a nerve. If anything, fleeing the Red District could be considered her first act as a mother. She never would have followed through if she wasn't concerned for the welfare of her future child. And while she still didn't know why she'd felt that way to begin with, why it had mattered so much to her, she didn't like being told that she had made a dangerous decision.
"Besides, what's the worse that could have happened? They would have sent us back? It was worth the try, and we're safe and happy now."
Sakon had propped his chin on the back of his hand, elbow in his other hand, and he was leaning back against the wall nearest Temari. "Oh yeah, they'll just send us back. Right." He muttered, not really in reply to anything anyone was saying but for himself. Also, I would not fucking call our situation a happy one. Safe is all relative to. Bitch should know that. The man shook his head softly and pushed blond hair from the way of his left eye to he could see, the flop of hair over his right eye hanging more than usual. It accented his upset and bitchy mood.
"So, Kankurou," began Sakon. "You're... visiting your darling sister all the way out here? I heard they put up stronger patrols, how did you get through?"
Kankurou made no comment to Temari's sarcasm, wondering if the snark was just a result of carrying another person within her stomach. From what she was saying, it didn't seem like she knew what really went on around the borders, the missing people, the eradication of whole family names. What's the worse that could happen? Possibly the best way to know was to witness it yourself.
"I'm in Ceno at th'moment, too. Only ten minutes walk from 'ere. But I go 'tween th'districts whenever I'm needed. Th'stronger patrols is jus' bullshit. You c'n still get through th' minor areas, jus' stay away from th'major entrances, tha's all." He disclosed the details of his trips for now, not even sure if Sakon was as trustworthy as how his sister treated him. Kankurou searched for another question that would draw the issue away.
"So you two 'ave jobs or somethin'?"
"Yes, we do," Temari said, stepping into the conversation. As civil as they were being, she wasn't about to let those two just start getting into their own little discussion. Goodness knew what that might lead to. And of course he chose to talk about work, of all things. Because he couldn't have picked something worse, with how sore of a topic it had become. "At a photography studio down the road. Don't really like the boss much, but she's giving me a lot of concessions and time off and stuff, so I'll stick with it until I come off maternity leave."
Best to be honest, at least. There was no sense in lying to her brother, although she was sure he wouldn't be pleased that she didn't like her job. But what could she say? She'd probably get called out if she said she enjoyed it, especially after the little spat of drama that had gone on there, and that still wasn't entirely cleared up. She had yet to catch their boss, although she was partly suspicious that the boss was merely avoiding them. And in any case, it was their problem if they didn't like the jobs. Not Kankurou's.
Just like his sister just barge in whenever she wanted to. Kankurou raised an eyebrow at her, nodding at all the right spots but finding it interesting to have her talk for Sakon, who did seem like a man of little words, and more of vicious looks, but Kankurou would've thought otherwise. When she finished, Kankurou pretended to find the response mildly informative, even though in the first place he had just used the question as a distraction. It had been a while since he had a full conversation with her, the last one being rather short and surprising to have been classified as one, and he was already getting used to her ways of talking and directing her words. It made him feel a bit nostalgic, which in turn made him wrinkle his nose in self-disgust.
Although the visit had been short so far, Kankurou didn't feel up to it to talk to his sister anymore with this Sakon guy right next to him. Words failed him anyways, so he would've wasted a lot of his time trying to get to a point, whereas Temari had the talent of cutting to the chase. It reminded him of Anko, sometimes. Having decided, Kankurou stood up, pushing away the cold coffee in front of him.
"I've got a meetin' later, so I gotta get goin'," he lied, pushing the chair out from behind him, and then pushing it in under the table.
The blond man watched the scene, clearly unhappy that Kankurou had brought up the idea of work. As he hated his job, he didn't want to talk about it, but Temari cut him off before he could even lie about it. Really she had no faith in his lying abilities, which were not all that bad when the person he was lying to had no idea he sucked at it. He'd gone through about 15 years of his life lying, why could he suddenly not do it?
Temari, the Angel Princess of Do No Wrong.
"See ya," Sakon replied with a wave to the brother before turning on his heels. Good, he was leaving. Sakon didn't like strangers in his home anyway, nor did Ukon but at least he could get along with them. Leaving the bathroom, he strolled over to his room after glancing at the siblings in the dining area (it was quite a stretch for view, but he wanted to see what was unfolding) with his pink hair tied back into a ponytail. One twin left, another appeared... Awkward.
With all three moving around at once, Temari was a little torn as to where to go first, but decided to go to her brother, who she hardly saw. The twins she could see whenever she came home from work, whether she liked it or not. Kankurou, though...this was the second time she'd seen him in years, so she at least needed to give him a proper goodbye before he ran off to wherever it was he went. So pushing back her own chair, she caught him before he could get to the door.
"Listen...I'm sorry for whatever I said to get on your nerves, or whatever's wrong...just..." She debated asking him to stay, not to leave, but she knew her brother better than to try. "Just take care of yourself, okay? And keep in touch. I'll be sure you let you know how...things...are going."
Kankurou gave Temari a nod and a lopsided-grin, for both their benefits. "I'm jus' glad I saw you today. Nothin's wrong, jus' a lotta things goin' through my head. Sorry if its been a short visit, but I really jus' wanted to see if you're doin' okay. Y'know, not a lotta runaways from Cena's got it as nice as you, so I was worried." In that whole sentence, a lot of things that had not been said moments ago, spilled out, as Kankurou took advantage of the fact that Sakon had disappeared from his view. The man probably wasn't gone, but at least Kankurou felt better in telling Temari these things, one-on-one with no one else around.
Although they had their differences and their fights, Kankurou couldn't stay mad at anyone that had practically raised him since he was a child. And Temari was one of the two people he had left to tie him back to a time when they lived properly in a house, with found memories as family, even before the days of Gaara and their father's insanity. She was his sister, and no matter how many times he tried ignoring the guilt he had for not looking for either her or Gaara, the guilt came back every now and then, until it was finally overcome by finding her in Cena.
An arm awkwardly wrapped itself around her shoulders and another one joined it in an awkward hug. Just from that moment, it finally hit him on how long they both had been apart, his height towering over hers, not by much, but enough to show a difference. And just the awkwardness that accompanied the moment showed that it had been awhile since he embraced anyone in an affectionate way. But as soon as he did it, Kankurou let go and refused to look into Temari's eyes afterwards.
"Take care."
It was odd, to have Kankurou hugging her, but she wasn't about to push him away, because it said a whole lot. And it meant a whole lot to her, as well, because as a family, they'd never been like that. If there father were still around, and he'd not killed her yet for getting pregnant, they wouldn't have been quite so touchy-feely. She knew it would take a long time to get to the point of a normal brother and sister, if they could ever obtain that at all, so she wasn't going to force anything. She was glad, in a way, that he was worried, though, that he really seemed to be concerned for her, and just hugged him back until he seemed to get uncomfortable.
"You too..." she said softly, once he was on his way out the door, closing it slowly when he was finally out of sight and down the stairs, leaning against it with a sigh. At least she knew how to contact him. Certainly that would help a lot, and she'd try to see him again under more private circumstances. She didn't like Sakon's being there either, but she couldn't kick him out of his own home, really. So she was again left alone in the kitchen. This was coming a far too common recurrence.