// a small psa, for those who might still be around after all these years
thank you. some of my best moments as a writer were here with you all and with yahiko, and while i have regrets about all the stories i missed out on telling or the folks i didn't get to know as well as i'd have liked to... i've never once regretted being here with you all. yahiko remains near and dear to me as a muse, and i know that's thanks in no small part to you all and to the joy that writing with y'all brought to me.
i hope whatever you do, whether you're still writing here or have likewise moved on, that you're blessed in doing them. i'll be rooting for your continued wellbeings and your successes from afar ^^
A stone skips over the surface of the lake, managing only a few tap-tap-taps before sinking with a quiet splash that's all but lost in the ceaseless rain. Another joins it, then another, time whittling away minute by minute as Yahiko watches them each disappear beneath the water.
It's rare to be alone like this these days. What they're building here, what they're doing with the Akatsuki still hasn't taken a definitive shape yet. There hasn't been much time for contemplation beyond their next step, their next battle; not when strife and conflict are as common in Amegakure as rain puddles. They've been needed more and more as the weeks wear on, and the tenuous armistice they’ve arranged between themselves and the Salamander has only spurred them into further action.
Amidst it all what time they do have to themselves is often shared. Willingly and welcomingly, of course; he'd never scorn the moments stolen with quiet but insightful Nagato, his brother in all but blood. And what could be said about Konan? About the patrols that've ended in soft words exchanged in the shadows of the gnarled architecture, of the hands cold and pale but welcome as they held his face?
His next stone sinks promptly at the turning of his thoughts, and Yahiko huffs at himself even as he grins. Not a moment passes where they're not on his mind, truthfully. Even when he so rarely strikes out on his own, it ever feels as though he could turn around and find them there all the same. Quiet as ghosts when they wanted to be, but never so cold. It makes his heart ache, truthfully, their faith in him despite their own prowess and the power they bring to bear with their kekkai genkai.
It's that feeling that brought him out here today. Those swirling, doubtful thoughts urged his feet out onto a patrol that ended half an hour ago here. Here, where Yahiko can still see himself and the other two running about as children for once; gathering stones with eager hands only to sink half of them with their terrible aim and heavy-handedness. Soaked to the bone but barely feeling the cold, they'd made a time of it all the same despite the horrors of the war surrounding them from every angle as they'd splashed and laughed the day away.
Moments of joy, moments of happiness, stolen from the jaws of calamity. Yahiko grins as another stone makes it further than the younger him ever would've managed before grabbing another.
This was certainy quite the predicament to be in. Despite shaking those aggressive missing nin of their tails, the rain had demanded they stay put. The rainfall was thick and heavy, and even though they were used to the rain, it was probably best to wait this one out.
Konan doesnt think much of their position other than its rather awkward and uncomfortable. More so for the latter. Luckily she had grown accustomed to sharing such closness with him, and didnt seem too fazed by it. Yahiko on the other hand…
A smile stretched joyfully across her lips at the sudden pull towards him. Normally Konan would have read him by now, but being so close makes it hard to observe and read body language. So its surprises her when such a chaste kiss turns into one of passion. Yahiko making things abundantly clear when he pulls her in closer, closing any distance btween them.
Excitement begins to swell within her, demonstrated by returning the kiss with an equal amount of passion. Flush against him, it was possible to feel his hardening length press against her thigh, only driving her own arousal farther. It had been too long. Her body couldnt fight against such a strong hint that Yahiko yearned for the same intimacy, initiating a dampness between her thighs.
“We need to get home” she says out of breath. Please take her home. Take her to heaven. Though she might not even be against the idea of taking the risk here.
Feeling her stiffen from surprise at his touches only to melt into them and respond in all too eager kind, Yahiko smiles against her lips. Teeth pulling at her lip, he turns his attention to her pale neck, peppering open-mouthed kisses from her chin down past the hollow of her throat. His hands are just as busy as his mouth, letting go of her cloak to slip inside, rain-cooled fingers soaking in the warmth of her skin and leaving chilly trails in their wake as they slip down, down, down...
Yahiko groans at her breathless request in his ear. “Not sure we’ll make it that far at this rate,” he chuckles against her neck, kissing a bit further down before pressing a playful bite against her collarbone. Hooking his thumbs into the waistline of her pants, he presses himself against her with another groan, the friction against his groin only further spurring him further on. Using his weight as leverage, Yahiko presses Konan’s back against the opposite wall and hoists her up against the concrete, newly freed hands squeezing her rear before sliding up to her waist.
Reluctantly abandoning her neck, he recaptures her lips roughly, breathing harshly through his nose. He’s never felt more stuffy in these robes of his, not with how hot his blood’s currently running, and the (admittedly tiny) part of him not completely focused on maybe-fucking the love of his life in public wonders how much of excitement has to do with the risk of being caught out here... only to be promptly ignored, because gods, that sounds like a Jirayia-sensei thing and could that be any more of a mood killer, thinking about the old man right now of all times?
He pulls away to catch his breath, sucking it in through his teeth. His forehead is pressed against hers, and he can’t help but grumble to himself something about bad influences before meeting her eyes. “I want you, Konan.” His throat’s dried up on him, far too many words to say stuck on a lump in his throat all of a sudden. “Right here, right now.”
Putting them in a position like this had to be one of Yahiko’s better accidents to date, if he’s going to be honest with himself.
What should’ve been a simple jaunt just outside the village proper for two of Akatsuki’s leaders had become a much less innocent affair courtesy of a few missing nin mistaking them for easy marks. The ensuing fight hadn’t been too much trouble, but drawing the overzealous attentions of Hanzo’s shinobi in the process was enough to send the two retreating to the safety of Ame’s concrete towers and watery alleyways to lay low.
Pressed and packed tightly together in a rather narrow alcove tucked away beneath the shadow of one such tower, Yahiko peeks out through the downpour, eyes narrowed in search for any overly diligent pursuers still on their trail. After a few moments he ducks back in with a sigh of relief. “Looks like we’re in the clear, Konan. No sign of them far as I can tell in this storm. Must’ve sent them running for cover.” As if in agreement a peal of thunder echoes mere moments later, the flash that proceeded it lost in the black clouds.
Yahiko merely shakes his head, blowing a wet lock out of his eye only for it to limply fall back. “Don’t think it’ll do us much good to leave quite yet though...” Settling back beside her, there’s little helping losing his train of thought once their current position finally settles in. Too narrow a space to stand shoulder to shoulder, they’d ended up all but bumping chests just to fit; merely turning his head had him rubbing noses with her, to say nothing of feeling her warmth even through the layers of soaked clothing or her breath ghosting against his neck when he’d stolen a look outside just now...
Yahiko swallowed thickly, hands suddenly itching for something to do and throat almost too dry for words at the sight of her so close. How long had it been since they’d last done more than slipped one another quick kisses and soft touches, stolen small seconds on patrol or whispered words to their sleeping other? Days, weeks, the time didn’t seem to shuffle itself in any other order but by the matters and concerns that kept them both awake and aware and away more often than they wanted but nonetheless knew they had to be.
Doubt gnaws at him, uncertainty giving way to frustration, then determination. His hands slowly reach out to her, find a hold on her waist as he gently leans into her, forehead pressed against hers. Not tonight though, Yahiko decides. Tonight there are no more missions, no reports or concerns, no worries that won’t still be waiting for them when they wake up tomorrow to fret over. Tonight the only company they’ll be keeping is in one another, and if Konan has any protests to this unspoken plan of his he hasn't heard them yet, doesn’t plan on entertaining them even until they’ve properly reunited.
“Konan...” His hands abandon their hold of her waist to make their way to her face, cupping her cheeks, and whatever else he’s planned on saying suddenly doesn’t seem all that important compared to kissing her. It’s a soft thing at first, a gentle pressing of lips and eyes fluttering closed, but deepens in tune with something that flares up hot in his gut. His hands slip back down to her cloak, fisting the soaked garment and pulling her flush against his chest, and he breaks away with panted breaths only to dive back in a moment later, the heat of his want making itself readily apparent in his fervor.
Gonna stick her hands in his pockets and not move because she says so.
And God forbid he ever try and stop her once she’s set her mind to doing something she wants to do- half because he knows good and damn well better than that, and half because he doesn’t know a better sight than that smug little smile of satisfaction she gets when she sees her way through.
Even if it’s a bit of a inconvenience. Hell, maybe even because she knows it’s an inconvenience.
“Anko.” Her hands are cold against his backside even clothed, palms flat against his rear and fingers slightly curled inside his pockets, and by the crook in her smile and the gleam in her eyes she knows exactly what she’s doing per the usual. “You know the sooner we get into the apartment the sooner we can warm up, right?”
All his attempt at bargaining earns him for his troubles is her stepping onto his feet, stopping him even more firmly in his tracks and bringing her that much closer to being eye level with him. Her nose is a cheery red at this point from the cold, no doubt a mirror to his own what with how chilly its gotten this late into the evening, and he almost laughs at the memory that comes up at the sight- him in that absurd cloak back on the set, all dolled and dressed up, and her shoving her ice block hands against his chest…
His own hands come up suddenly, fingers stiff from the chill snaking under her shirt to run up against her stomach, her ribs, before pulling her by her waist into him, mouth sealing against hers firmly… before he shifts and dumps her into the snow covered grass with a laugh.
So getting him naked was nice. Getting him naked was /really/ nice. Anko has the biggest, best grin on her face, definitely satisfied with herself and her spoils. He gets a kiss on the cheek before she slides down off the kitchen counter, both hands coming down to grab his ass before she sneaks around him and to the sink. "Well that was fun," she says, filling a glass with water for herself. "And look, you still have time to go on that date if you really want to."
So that happened.
No, wait, timeout. That happened. This wasn’t some drawn out fantasy he’d daydreamed about once in awhile in the middle of cooking something (third time was the charm, and burned ramen isn’t all that bad thankfully). Wasn’t some desperate, embarrassing dream he’d want to smother himself with a pillow waking up from either (no pinching himself required, her nails had done the trick just fine, thanks-), wasn’t some girl with a nice name and pretty smile that didn’t come close to comparing (because calling out the wrong name hadn’t been awkward enough right?).
Nope, none of that. Actually happened, real as real could be, and the kiss only reinforces the reality sinking in. He rubs at it absentmindedly, the ghost of it an entirely different feeling compared to the heat in his cheeks as he follows her with his eyes… which doesn’t really help so much as hurt his chances at forcing the color from his face, dammit.
Okay, okay, that happened. Great. Awesome, amazing even. Time to say something, figure out where we go from the here and now.
“Um, wow.” Good choice of words there, Romeo, way to make the moment. “I mean, wow.” Off to a great start already.
Tearing his eyes off her… well, everything might help some. He manages it somehow with some truly herculean effort and makes for something casual, elbows bent against the cool tile as he reclines against the counter they’d just… yeah. Definitely keeping his cool, absolutely happening right now rather than imagining her breath against his ear and her nails running down his back and through his hair…
The sudden reminder that he’d had a date breaks him out of his thoughts, and he almost laughs at how ludicrous it sounds, thankful as he is for her breaking the quiet. “That’s not even funny, you know that?” Because it really isn’t, not at all. He can almost picture how he must look right now, hair tousled even further than usual and angry red lines down his back and lips swollen from making out, and that date of his wouldn’t look at him twice before calling off the whole damn thing with an accusation of being some rotten cheat.
Because if he hadn’t before in the mind, he sure as hell looked like he belonged to someone now in the flesh.
“Think I’ll just have to make a rain check on that date.” Yahiko sighs with some playful sort of resignation, “Apparently I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
20. Name someone who’s failed you. What did they do wrong? How do you feel about them now?
Tragic Honest Ask Meme | Send in a number, my character MUST answer honestly
She looks at her reflection in the mirror with disgust. But why would such a beautiful woman feel such repulsion upon looking at herself? It isn’t her looks that makes her stomach turn, non. She will admit she is a beautiful woman and has used it to her advantage. It’s her entire being that upsets her.
When amber eyes stare upon such a sad visage, she reflects upon who she is and what she’s done. There are memories hidden in her eyes that plague her with such disgust.
Why is he dead?
Because of her.
Why can she hear the screams of children as they get slaughtered?
Because of her.
If there is anyone she has been disappointed in, let down by…It’s herself.
“Their name is Konan…” She’ll barely mutter. That’s all they’re going to get.
