Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ From Here to Eternity ❯ Pool House ( Chapter 39 )

I have but one thing to say. -ahem- SPORK AI MUST DIE! DIIIIIIIIIIE!

 

That is all.

 

Actually, no it isn't. Ho'shit. I got more reviews for this chapter than ANY OTHERS! HOLY. SHIT. HOMEGOD. I GOT TWENTY-SEVEN REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER. OH. MY. GOD.

 

See, it WAS thirty, but SOMEONE -coughcoriandercough- somehow submitted four reviews. -blink- The crap?

 

I love you all. I really do. And to show my appreciation… well, I'm just gonna upload this chapter a little earlier than I planned! -shiny smile-

 

Okay… There are so many reviews… WHERE DO I BEGIN?

 

Okay. There is no way I can reply to all these and upload this chapter today, sooo… I hope you'll all forgive me.

 

In the matter of SasuGaa, or lack thereof… OKAY! OKAY! I GET IT! NOT ENOUGH SASUGAA!! I'LL WORK ON IT! Jeez… next thing I know, you people'll be chasing after me with pitchforks and torches… XD

 

Oh! There are a few reviews I would like to reply too, though.

 

Fantastical Queen Ebony Black: Yay! A good chapter! Huzzah! It's very tricky keeping everyone IC at times like this. -sighs- Oh, woe is me! Woe! Angst!

 

Yit-ha: Well, I'm sorry you've come to feel that way. But let's clear a few things up. First of all, SasuGaa is definitely NOT the main pairing of this story. It's ONE of the main, yes, but not THE main. And true, they haven't had much interaction yet, but there's a reason for that, which, if you keep reading, maybe you'll understand. Second of all, I DO sit down and think about where this story is going. I'm sorry if you're not used to seeing fics go on for so long without everything coming to a neat conclusion, but that isn't going to happen. I know how this fic is going to go, and I'll continue to write the way I do now. Things will be solved, but probably not the things that you're think of. I hope you don't stop reading, but this is how I feel.

 

Ashy: Yay! I have a stalker! As to the lack of `Tayuya-problem-fixing', the next few chapters should clear that up for you. -nod-

 

clown eyes: HECK YES! A NEW READER! -is on Cloud 9- Wow! You read it all at once? Power! Hey, maybe I'll go check out your fic…

 

Catgirl Rahen: OMG! ANOTHER NEW READER! Thank you for reading! I'm so glad you READ! XD

 

Wrapper: Dude… wtf with the new name? XD Lovely. Yeah! See? I freaked you out with the happy-sad-happy-sad thing, huh? HUH? Itachi and Haku fought unexpectedly, yes. See, I needed Haku to get mad at someone. I don't know why, but it seemed to fit well. And I didn't want him mad at Kankuro, because that wouldn't work. And Kankuro should be mad at Zabuza, which he is, but… crap. Ah… Hey! Someone's at the door! -runs away-

 

Everyone Else: I LOVE YOU ALL!! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! I LOOOOVE YOU! A LOT! LOOOVE!

 

Those were the ones that really needed to be replied to. BHS, Junsui, please don't kill me for not replying, but… I LOVE YOU! I'M JUST LAZY! LOOOVE!

 

Oh… Oh! I bet you all want to know who the winner of the poll is, right?

 

Well…

 

Looks like it's `From Here to Eternity'. By a lot. I FEEL SO LOVED!

 

Then I'll update `Today'.

 

Then `Camp Winthrop'.

 

Then… WHO KNOWS? -eerie music-

 

I really want to update `Today' now.

 

I know. I'm being weird. T_T Scapegoat is sorry. Please read on, and ignore me.

 

WARNINGS: Yaoi, OOCness, SAP. UTTER SAP. SAAAAAP. And Haku in a bathing suit. -catcalls-

 

Hey, anyone know where I can find Zabuza x Haku doujinshi scans? Need… ZABUHAKU! -collapses- Your information is most helpful!

 

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“TEN! TEN! TEN!”

 

“Comin' to you, Ten-Ten!” Ino cried, raising both arms above her head, and pushing her fingertips to the underside of the ball, as it careened toward her, care-of Veronica's pass.

 

“MINE!”

 

Ten-Ten watched carefully as the round, white ball spiraling down from Ino's set. She stepped up to the ten-foot line, and raised her arms, pulling her right hand back, and blinking the sweat from her eyes.

 

Watch…

 

Wait…

 

Then…

 

Ten-Ten brought her hand forward.

 

SMACK!

 

The ball flew perfectly over the net, well out of reach of Temari, who leapt up to block. It slammed down on the inside corner, and bounced out. Sakura, who had made a fruitless, and in Ten-Ten's opinion, WIMPY dive for it, slid on her knees, and collapsed onto her stomach.

 

“YES!” Ten-Ten cried exuberantly, punching the air, completely breathless. “HOO-HAH!”

 

“Nice hit, Ten-Ten!” Ino said, dropping her hands onto her kneepads, and grinning. Her blonde hair was falling out of its high ponytail, and was hanging in clumps around her face.

 

“Thanks!” Ten-Ten said with a grin, caught completely off guard by the complement. It was not at all like Ino to take someone else's work into consideration like that.

 

“Okay everyone, that's enough for today,” the coach, none other than the PE teacher herself, Ms. Anko said, glancing up at the clock above the gym doors. It read `5:30', but it felt much later. “Tear the nets down, and remember, we've got a game tomorrow, so be ready by four thirty!”

 

“Bring it in, ladies!” Ten-Ten called, sticking her hand up at an angle. The girls lifted their arms, the smell of sweat and deodorant lingering in the air. “'FOXES ON THREE!”

 

“ONE, TWO, THREE, FOXES!” everyone screamed at once, throwing their arms down in a raucous display of sportsmanship.

 

Of course, now that it was time to clean up, Sakura and Ino had disappeared.

 

As Junior Varsity Captain, Ten-Ten felt obligated to inform Ms. Anko of the situation. But later. When she wasn't so damn tired.

 

“Aaahhh… That was a good practice!” Ten-Ten said, once they were out of the locker room. Temari grinned, and nodded.

 

“And I finally have enough practices in to play! This is gonna rock!” Temari said, her grin turning into a smirk. An evil smirk. Ten-Ten found that she was just a little creeped out by it. “Oh, crap,” Temari muttered, catching sight of the clock. “I need to get going. Kankuro's going to burn the house down with the stove if he gets too hungry.” She smiled brightly. “See you tomorrow, hm?”

 

“Hell yes!” Ten-Ten said, waving as Temari disappeared out of the gym. Then she yawned, and jammed her hands into the pocket of her sweatshirt. “I need a shower…” she mumbled to no one in particular, glancing around. Everyone had gone already, leaving her all by her lonesome. “Oh, why is Mom's apartment so far away?” she moaned. She pushed open the double doors, and stepped out into the evening air. The sun had all but set, leaving a pinkish-purple glow hanging over the sky. Ten-Ten paused a moment to admire it. Then she heard the honking of a car horn.

 

“Come on, Honey, let's go!” It was… Mom?

 

“Mom?” Ten-Ten said in disbelief. “What the crap are you DOING here?”

 

“What, don't you WANT a ride home, Tenessa?” Tracy Somiko said, leaning over the side of the window as she drove up to her daughter. Ten-Ten flinched visibly at the name.

 

“NEVER. Call me that. AGAIN,” she commanded, scooting around the car, and hopping into the shotgun seat. Tracy laughed amiably, before spinning out of the parking lot. “Calm down, Honey. I only do it to show I care.” She flicked a lock of short, dark brown hair over her shoulder.

 

“Sure. You do it to show you hate me.”

 

“Oh, don't be like that.”

 

Ten-Ten smiled, and sank down in her seat. “I'm tired. What's for dinner?”

 

“Whatever you're making!” Tracy said, stopping for a red light.

 

“Oh, no! YOU'RE the mom! YOU make the food!” Ten-Ten said, putting her hands up defensively. Tracy laughed again.

 

“Calm down you worry-wort. I figured we'd just warm up the leftovers I got from Dave.” She glanced down at the teenager beside her. “What do you think of Dave, anyway?”

 

“Mom, you know I'm gonna hate every single one of the guys you date,” Ten-Ten said, rolling her eyes. “But… I guess Dave's okay. He's smells good, and he has all his original teeth.” She nodded, tapping her cheek thoughtfully. “And he lets us have the leftovers. Yup. Good guy, Dave.”

 

Tracy couldn't help but laugh again.

 

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Haku was completely out of air when he surfaced again.

 

The pool room was empty, thank GOD, and the sounds his splashes made echoed off of the walls, making it sound very… well, creepy. He had gone three laps under water before he finally had to come up for air, the numbing fatigue pulling at his limbs.

 

Haku hadn't even known that there was a pool at the school until last June, when he had seen the poster for the swim team. He had always loved the water, but Haku was not a competitive person by nature. Not like Kankuro, or Naruto, or, hell, even Itachi had his moments. No, Haku was more of a roll-with-the-punches, go-with-the-flow kind of person.

 

But recently, all of that seemed to be changing. He had felt so incredibly angry and sad and unable to formulate emotions since his last conversation with Zabuza that he felt like he had to do

 

(dad I just don't like basketball)

 

something to take his mind off of everything. Zabuza… his parents… and now Itachi…

 

And what better way than to swim?

 

He didn't think he'd ever been at the school this late before. The clock showed `6:45', and he was feeling lethargy pull at the corner of his eyelids. Sighing with submission, he pulled himself out of the water, and stepped into his sandals. He picked up his towel, and wrapped it around his shoulders. The locker rooms were up on the first floor, next to the gym. That was a long walk.

 

The first floor was freezing, and Haku started shivering the moment he stepped off of the stairs.

 

He changed quickly, even though he knew no one would come in this late. He hung his dark blue swimming trunks in his locker, hoping that they wouldn't drip too much, and unpinned his hair.

 

He was wrapping a rubber band around the end of a long braid when he heard someone enter the locker room. He froze, instantly alert, and quite nervous. Who would possibly be here this late?

 

He frowned, and stepped lightly across the tiled floor, attempting to make as little noise as possible. He knew he shouldn't be here alone. Haku had a tendency to be picked off by people like Shisui as often as possible, so he made a point to be surrounded by as many friends

 

(Zabuza)

 

as he could. Not that he wouldn't want to be around his friends anyway. Haku was a social butterfly as much as he wasn't competitive. But… safety in numbers.

 

He would leave quickly and quietly, no worries. But as he stepped around the lockers, he bumped into something tall and hard

 

(!SHISUI!)

 

and for a moment his mind froze.

 

But then he realized… the body was familiar, and the smell of cheap cologne he recognized.

 

It was even worse than Shisui.

 

“Z…Zabuza?” he squeaked, stepping backwards.

 

The taller teen stared down his nose at Haku for a moment, before saying gruffly, “What?”

 

Haku closed his eyes, then opened them again, trying to remain calm.

 

“What… are you doing here?” he asked in a tone that he hoped sounded casual. Zabuza surveyed him.

 

“My bag,” he said finally, gesturing to the gym bag slung over his shoulder. “Left it in here after PE. Has my homework in it.”

 

“Oh, well… you wouldn't want to be without that,” Haku said with a nod, and a shrug. Zabuza frowned.

 

“Well, I'm going now,” he said placidly. Then he turned, and started to leave.

 

“Zabuza, wait!” Haku said automatically, not sure if he meant to or not. Zabuza, to his shock, stopped immediately, but didn't turn around. “Uh… I…” He took a deep breath, and said, “I'm not going to apologize.”

 

“And why would you?” Zabuza asked, his voice cold and unfeeling. Haku wasn't used to hearing that tone directed at him.

 

“Be… Because I…” Haku fell silent, and looked down at the ground.

 

“Mm-hmm.” Zabuza still didn't turn around. “I'm outta here.”

 

Haku bit his tongue to keep from begging Zabuza to stop. He watched as the junior disappeared out the locker room door, his hands clenched into shaking fists.

 

(I'm not gonna run after him not this time no no no he has to come back for me will he he won't why would he oh god I can't let him I can't let him GO)

 

But he did. He let him go.

 

Haku slumped down on one of the benches placed in between the lockers, and dropped his head into his hands, closing his eyes tightly.

 

“Oh God… Oh God…” he whispered, feeling the sobs curling their way up through his throat. He tried to choke them down, but in a moment, he was crying

 

(like a baby)

 

harder than he had in a long time.

 

(you lost it you wimp you could have made him stop or said you were sorry but you didn't you didn't and now he's never coming back weak that's what you are crybaby crybaby ha ha ha )

 

Suddenly, an arm was laid across his shoulders. Haku froze in mid-sob, choking on his own saliva. He looked up in surprise.

 

“Za-bu-za,” he choked out, unable to hide his surprise. “Wha…What…”

 

“I couldn't leave you,” Zabuza breathed, his voice coming out almost like a sigh.

 

Haku sniffed, then turned, and stared down at the ground.

 

“Is that all?” he asked, shutting his eyes, his body still shaking with hiccups. Then, a callused hand was placed on his cheek, and Zabuza gently coaxed Haku's face in his direction.

 

“Haku,” he said, his voice low. “I'm… I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I was such an asshole. And a jerk. I shouldn't have left you, no matter what you said.”

 

Haku's eyes filled again. “It wuh-was my own f-fault,” he stuttered. “I sh-shouldn't have asked you th-that Question.”

 

“Haku… ask me the Question.”

 

Haku's eyes widened.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Ask me the Question again.”

 

Haku bit his lip, and shook his head.

 

“Haku…”

 

“Okay!” Haku said, Zabuza's hand sliding off of his cheek. “Zabuza…” he said quietly, looking into Zabuza's pale brown eyes as he spoke. “Do you love me?”

 

Zabuza smiled. Then he leaned down, and pressed his lips against Haku's.

 

Haku leaned into the kiss, realizing how much he had missed these lips, this face, this feeling of utter safety. Zabuza pulled away, and said,

 

“I love you.”

 

Haku felt his face split into a smile.

 

“Zabuza!” he cried, throwing his arms around Zabuza's neck, and pulling himself up. “You love me! You said it! You said you love me!”

 

“Ow… ah… Haku… I'm glad we cleared this up, but… choking…”

 

Haku turned pink, and loosened his `choke' hug.

 

“S-Sorry!” he laughed, rubbing his eyes. “M-My bad.”

 

“It's fine,” Zabuza said, smiling just the same. “Hey… come on, I'll give you a ride home.”

 

“Thanks, Zabi!” Haku said, grinning brilliantly, and hopping down off of the bench. Zabuza flinched.

 

“Haku…”

 

“Mmm?”

 

“…oh, never mind.”

 

He'd let it slide. This time.

 

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