Long Time No See?...[P, NK]

Well, he had gotten himself into the Hidden Sand village, and it looked very different to what he expected  - a lot of years had passed since mud huts were popular, and while the same aesthetic remained it seemed brick houses seemed to populate quite a few of the residential areas around this village. 

He had a relative here apparently, he didn't know who but he had the sneaking suspicion it was someone he hadn't seen in a while. Besides it was Christmas! And that was a time for family!...Right? Well in truth he was here looking for an ancient weapon - a hammer to be exact but surely that could wait until after the festivities. 

A lot was going on, people looked happy and cheerful and while no snow fell people amused themselves by buying mince pies and the other kinds of traditional food on offer in these locations - even snow cones! 

Snow cones...He'd better stop for those, and pick up one for his relative on the way. "Two strawberry cones please." He ordered, rapidly pulling out some ryo from the expanse of his riches. Within seconds, ice cold refreshment was in his grasp. 

He just had to get to wherever he needed to be before they melted! That said, he was told that his relative was a Jounin and they didn't have terrible salaries at all. So whoever it was it was probably in the more affluent parts of the village, with multi-story houses. 

Now it was just a case of house-hopping until the name "Shinkou" appeared on the letterbox and eventually it didn't disappoint. Only this time another name preceded it. Wei. 

Everything seemed to flash before him. He knew that name all too well, the name which fitted someone who he sincerely regretted leaving. 

Was he ready for this? He felt his body tremble slightly as his finger extended to the doorbell, hesitant to press it. No. Now it was time to be a man - a real man - and confront his fears. 

With a wince and gritted teeth he pushed the bell, awaiting the chime and for the door to open.

Say hello to Mama


Coco was happily sipping away at a cup of hot... coco. The babies were off in their cribs napping away with rara, the cutest of all salamanders, who she really needed to train one of these days. She'd just been so busy with the kids that she hardly had any time to go training. She was reading some very fine erotic holiday themed literature. Every once in a while she'd raise a handkerchief up to her nose, to take care of the nosebleed the book was giving her. When suddenly! 

Hark, a ringing at her door. She wasn't expecting anyone. Well she'd invited some salamanders over later, but she had to summon them in. Who. Who oh who. Could that be?

She stood to her feet and approached her door. She was dressed in a pair of short green shorts, and a black tank top with a golden heart in the middle. Her hair of course was cut in her new style, nice short and spiky. 

One of her emerald eyes peered through the eye hole of her door.

What in the world.

The door flew off the hinges and straight into Akira sending him flying into the opposing wall of the apartment across from her's. Coco threw the door off of akira who was plastered against the door. "Akira!" She chirped wrapping her arms around him, and embracing his warm body. It was probably covered in strawberry syrup from that impact. She snuggled her head into his chest and just breath him in. She couldn't believe this was happening. On christmas! This was the best gift she could have hoped for. Now her life was complete. It'd been so long. So long.... Soooooooo long. She had children, and survived a holocaust, defeated a hokage, defected, joined a new village, got promoted, became a sage, wrote letters. So long...

She spun him around and sent him flying through her own apartment wall. He burst through and landed on the couch in the living room. "where have you been?" She demanded walking through the hole in the wall she'd created. From the other room the sound of babies being woken up fill the house. "Oh great now you've woken the babies. You stay right there. I can't wait to hear all about your 'training'. If you arn't the most magnificent senpai after all of that I don't even know what I'll do." She stormed off to go retrieve Akira's son and daughter, she'd never been happier!

He waited awkwardly against the door, he could hear footsteps, light ones. His ninja instincts determined that it was a girl's. Now, there were only one of two possibilities here. Either it was a distant relative he hadn't met or...*gulp*. 

Letting out a sigh as the snowcone dribbled down his hands before the door flew open faster than he could even react - and boy did it hit him hard. Even his new physique couldn't protect him from that level of Coco-inflicted damage. The snowcones had splattered against his shirt and dripped down his torso as he was squished beneath the door like a clove of garlic under a knife - with the opposite wall of the building cracking a bit as he crashed into it. Wow, whoever this was she was strong. 

"Uuuuurgh..." He grumbled in pain, she was way too excited - she had almost knocked him out! He felt his head spin - but one thing he recognized was that voice as soon as the white noise of near-unconsciousness faded. Along with that embrace. It had been so long. "C-Coco?" He stuttered almost drunkenly from the door's impact.

"I brought you a snowcon--" He was about to speak, oblivious to it being ruined - but he didn't have the time. He was thrown through yet another wall. "Oof!" He wheezed, bouncing off the couch and onto the rug, face first of course. "O-Ow..." He whimpered, obviously not used to how strong she had become. He used to do things like this to her! He obviously wasn't too fond of her newfound strength. 

Everything she said was a blur, but one word managed to grip his semi-conscious mind and rattle it. "B-Babies?" He questioned, his expression turning into a defeated one - obviously assuming that she was either running a babysitting service or she was seeing other men. Well it had been only so long. 

Long enough for his body to have changed quite a bit. In only a year he seemed to gain a few pounds - while he was far from lanky before, his biceps were now very defined through his sleeveless armored vest. His eyes remained the same however, a shimmering green. But the most important change was indeed his new body shape. He had mostly been doing a lot of lifting in the more mountainous areas of the Abyss, where the air was thinner.

The sound of rampant crying shattered his eardrums on top of the white noise from being thrown headfirst THROUGH the wall. "So you've been busy with other men?" He mumbled through the carpet, obviously too dazed to get up quite yet. 

Oh god the training. He had to have one hell of an excuse for this. So far Christmas wasn't all it was cracked up to be for poor ol' Akira Shinkou.

"Alrighty." Coco's voice came out as a sugary sweet tone, from the other room. After a few seconds she reentered the room with a baby in either room. She'd managed to get the two of them calmed down as they entered the room with their father for the first time. "Ooookay." Coco cooed as they entered. "There he is." Face first in the carpet, staining it with syrup no doubt. "Say hi to daddy. Hi. Hi." This moment was so surreal. She didn't even know how to begin to think about this. Akira was actually here. Man. She'd been wishing for the moment but she thought she'd have a little bit more time to think on it before it actually happened. Nope. It was all just sprung on her at once. Oh well. She was pretty good at playing things by ear.

"Okay." she flipped Akira over with the tip of her foot, and stood over him. She swayed gently back and forth as their babies babbled on either side of her head. "This little lady is Yinping." Coco laid a smooch down on her giggling girl's head. "aaaaand this guy is Akira! Yeaaaaa." She took her boy and set him down on his father's chest. She knew it wouldn't last. How could it? This was her, life that she was living and nice things could only stay around for so long. However for a brief and shining moment she was enjoying a family that was whole.

His head was spinning and he didn't feel too good, not only because of the introduction of two new faces in this household. Granted it had been months and months since he last saw Coco, surely those children weren't his... Right? Right???? "I've had better hospitality than this before I won't lie..." He spoke, understating broadly in an almost comedic fashion.



Letting out a soft grunt when she flipped him over he found his composure to at least lay up a bit, eyeing up these two infants in front of him, one thought buzzed through his mind like the busiest of bees "Huh. Wonder who fathered thes--"
-"Say hi to daddy!"



"Oh god. Oh god please no. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


That was only the start of Akira's internal screaming. "Y-You're kidding, right?" He stifled a laugh as he held the baby with outstretched arms, an inquisitive look of disbelief painted on his stupid face as he he had no idea what the thing he was holding was. Well. He knew she wasn't joking, he knew full bloody well after all she named the kid after him. Unless this was just some sick coincidence. 

Did he really fail to use the most basic of protection the one and only time they knocked boots? She had become a really pretty lady so he figured there'd be another chapter after him. It had of course been so many months. 

"Those children are indeed yours, I can feel it. They are powerful too - This is no mere jape."

This weight was heavy - but a different kind, one of responsibility - responsibility for the survival of a defenceless being. Not only did he fail to come back for his wife any earlier. But the fact that he wasn't there for her when she went through all the torture she must've been through to deliver twins. "Who am I kidding..." He muttered to himself, he felt defeated almost - he had no experience at all with children really. Sure he may have held a baby for the sake of a friend but not to take care of them full time, and not just one...Two! "Can't say I didn't expect this." 

The voice of his Yuumei echoed through his head.

He needed a moment to collect himself from this news. He had been away long enough for her to leave the village and deliver two children. They looked healthy however.

Sitting in silence he stared at this small human. A look of almost disbelief in his eyes, how could he do something like this? Be a dad?

No. 

Now wasn't the time for this. What had he learned in the months he was away, how to bench press a few times his own weight? No. He realized something. It was time he stopped running away - he wasn't there when she needed him most and yeah he was barely in his 20s but this was a responsibility he had to shoulder. This was one situation he couldn't flee from, not without his dignity. "This is merely fate, young man. Fleeing from this would do you no favours."

"There's something I have to get off my chest, Coco. And I think it's long overdue."

Boy he sure took to parenthood. Just about as well as you'd expect a tuna to take to the Gobi. She rolled her eyes when she saw him holding Akira with outstretched arms, and scooped the child out of his hands. She had to admit that a part of her was hopping that he'd accept this all swimmingly. Though she supposed she couldn't blame him. When they last saw each other she was just a kid, barely a Chuunin. Not to mention skinnier, shyer, and less mother of two...er. Still she could blame him because he banged her, left, and left her to have twins in the middle of a poison filled swamp. Then again the sex had been her idea, so it was hard to tell who to blame at this moment. Oooh well.

Akira seemed to be having some pretty heavy internal dialogue so coco just waited politely for him to finish that up. She knew that she hated it when people got in the middle of that. While she was waiting She balanced herself on one foot and took the other and used it to drop a pillow down on her trashy love novel. Jan had Eric tied down, and was about to ravish his helpless body.

Eventually Akira woke up from his stooper and said something pretty ominous. Something long over due? Why that's just what Eric said when he confessed that he wanted Jan to be his mistress. Coco doubted that it'd be anything nearly so exciting. Still they were ninjas, and apparently everyone in this household had some sort of ghost chakra in them now so it wasn't like that didn't lend to interesting turn of events. Besides he had a whole year of adventures to share! Who knew what he had to say... Goodness. What if he was sterile and her children were divine. She looked Down at Yinping... that'd explain the blonde hair and blue eyes. 

"I think just about everything between us in long overdue by this point."

Being a father was a very tough pill to swallow. But not one he should be choking on - he was a man and this was his duty. This was time for him to suck up every little insecurity or fear. No more running away - but how would even start to explain what he was going to ask?
Akira huh? She obviously must have missed him if that was going to be his son's name, and that would definitely not confuse anyone in the household. 

But wow, they did look like healthy children - maybe she really was a supermom. A lot changes - and Akira's facial features didn't. Still the same smooth tanned skin he always had - only with added muscle, surely she wouldn't mind that right?

So many questions ran through his mind, did she still like him in that way? It'd been quite a while. Then again the excitement she had shown when he arrived pretty much answered that question immediately. 

Smashing and dashing was not the best move - he'd have to admit. But she did want it first.

When she answered he let out a long sigh. "Right...Coco, I've realized something when I was away. I've never had much in the way of presence in my life - y'know...Without parents and stuff. I've run away from Iwagakure and I've run away from you. Just because I thought I knew what was best for me."

He paused a bit and shook his head, obviously disappointed in himself. 
"I'm tired of running, Coco. I'm tired of being away from you and letting you be on the receiving end of all my mistakes. All the times we trained, and shared stories and went on missions. I realized that I don't want safety, security or luxuries. I want you. I want to wake up to your pretty face every morning - I want your terrible romance novels on my bookshelves (Here she thought he wouldn't pick that up). But most importantly I want to have you in my future. And honestly now that I do have children, I wouldn't wish for a better mother."

He spoke, almost winding himself out - his cheeks were bright red. 
"I-I'm an idiot and a jerk. But I love you - so much, and I think it's time I did what's right so..."
Reaching into his pocket he gripped a small box, slipping it out of his pockets while his body shifted to move to one knee. "I-I can't even think straight. But I've wanted to say this for so long. Coco - Would you marry me?" He uttered weakly, popping the box open to reveal a ring encrusted with five emeralds of the brightest shade of green. The ring looked like it was passed down through generations and was very thin - a woman's.

Well if that just wasn't classic Akira. Proposes to her and when she accepts he just looks at her with a blank experession on her face. She puffed out her cheek and gave him a look that was somewhere between angry, and exasperated. This guys thought he could just walk into her life and all over her life  didn't he? She smiled at him in a dangerous way, and took a look at her boy. "Akira." she said sweetly. "You have ten seconds to respond to me, before I do something.... temperamental."

Of course if Akira continued to ignore her Coco would just have to become irrational Woman. If he did come out of his stupor that coco would lose her anger and just let them continue with their moment. If he didn't >: ). Coco would say: "Well since we're getting married I think it might be time I met your family. Besides I've been meaning to have a talk with them about the shadow children that keep on trying to talk to me in my sleep." With that she'd stand up and sling Akira over her shoulder. She run around the apartment for a few minutes packing bag of food, clothes, and another of diapers, and baby stuff. Akira was going to learn how to take care of his children dad gum! Before the left the apartment she wrapped her babies up in a papoose, and left the apartment. It was time for a family Road trip!

(1644)
16 ap
Words towards Dark Convergence

Time seemed to slow down for the young man, what had he just done? Did he just go the longest - and I mean the longest possible yard with this woman? What did the future hold for him - it had been so long since he last saw her but yet somehow that didn't stop him from proposing to her - as if the distance they spent apart hadn't affected their relationship in any way at all. 

Once he heard a 'Yes', everything seemed to drift into daydream. Optimistic and even ambitious thoughts of the wealthy couple's future seemed to flurry through his conscience like a flipbook. Leaving him almost expressionless as if he didn't know what he had just gotten himself into.

Well - the relationship they shared was one affected by their separation for several months - well more than  a whole year now. But sometimes you just have to leap into the abyss - bite the bullet. And that was what he did, he had children now and he had to grow up. Marriage was one of the ways of doing so, or at least it was in his mind.

Once he heard her demand a response in her casual sweet yet almost murderous tone of passive aggressiveness. "O-Oh! Sorry sweetheart, I just couldn't get over how happy I am..." That was the truth however, despite it being a very quick and spontaneous decision. Something told him that everything was gonna be alright, and that it was the right decision to make. 

"I'm expecting you'll ask to see my family now...My parents are dead but I have a few distant relatives. And the Abyss village will teach you more about the bloodline than I could possibly explain. Not as if I have much experience fathering kids y'know." He stated. "But they talk to you at night? They're not even old enough to walk!" He asked dumbfounded by the Shinkou clan's weird ass traits, did he do that too as a kid? He couldn't remember. "You look beautiful by the way." He spoke, watching her throw a bunch of stuff together. "Talk about a yummy mummy." He chuckled to himself, admiring his two future bank-breakers.