Of Life and Love

Theme 48: Childhood

Time: After “Pesadilla”

Pairing: None

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Casserole

 

“But Mommy! I can’t find my Spongebob doll!”

Sha rolled her eyes at her daughter as she pulled her casserole for tonight’s dinner out of the oven. “Why is that stupid thing so important?”

“He’s supposed to be Polly’s date, and now he’s gone!”

“Then just pretend that he stood her up and Polly’s going stag. Would that work?”

“What’s ‘going stag’?”

“It means— oh go bother your brother, I’m almost done with this and Auntie Hyouga should be here any minute.” As if by magic a knock came from the front door. Sha cursed in Dracish, since her kids weren’t learning that right away, and put the hot bowl on the counter.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve got it,” Hiei said, getting to the door before her.

“Oh good, can you also entertain the shien-piets while the women take their place in the kitchen?”

He arched a brow. “What have they been doing to earn the name ‘Hell-spawn’ from you?”

“Never mind it. Please?”

“Fine.” He got the door to let the company in, and then ushered his two back into the living room to watch them. Salem joined him moments later with his own two kids, tossing a cold beer at him.

“Going insane yet?”

“Close to it. I don’t know what she’d be like if both the kids still had to stay home during the day. Good thing Yusuke helped get those schools built. “

Salem nodded. “Tell me about it. Though what are we both going to do when the oldest come home with math homework and ask for help?”

Hiei scoffed. “Hell if I know. Give him a good luck and keep doing what I’m doing.”

Out of nowhere Sha started yelling from the kitchen. “Who put Spongebob in the casserole!”

Kiete automatically got up to run to his room but Hiei grabbed him by the back of the shirt. “Oh c’mon Dad!”

“What the hell did you do that for?” He glared at his son, who instantly balked.

“I thought it would be funny.”

Tsunada came running from the kitchen, screaming and crying. “You killed Spongebob! Look at him!” Her plastic toy had contorted in the oven, still covered by a bit of green beans and pasta. “You killed him!”

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A half hour later they sat at the dining room table, Kiete sniffling from both the whap he had gotten upside the head, and the fact his wings had been restricted by his mother. Tsunada had instantly gotten over her toy being melted as soon as her brother had been reprimanded and sat happily at the table next to Yuki.

Sha rubbed at her forehead. “Why did we breed again?”

“Apparently some point down the line we thought they’d be a good idea,” Hiei answered.

Hyouga just laughed. “Well at least it was better than last week’s dinner.”

“Yeah, kids will be kids,” Salem added in, “so it’s best if they learn young.”

“You have to remember that we had slightly different childhoods,” Sha said. “This isn’t normal behavior to us.”

“Exactly,” Hyouga said. “What you have to realize is our generation, and the generations prior, we all had it damn rough. Kill or be killed. Learn to survive or you’re dead. This generation doesn’t know how lucky they are. They’ve got schools now, good jobs, warm homes, a bed to come home to.” She glanced over at the little table the kids sat at. “I don’t know about you, but I’m glad I had my pups.”

“I am glad. They just piss me off royally at times.”

Hyouga smiled. “I’m sure you pissed your father off more times than he can count. It’s in children’s nature to misbehave. They’ll grow out of it.”

Sha was about to say something more, when a glob of potatoes on fire whooshed past her onto the wall. “Tsunada! Start running!”