When she was finished, she handed it for him to see, and he was impressed. With a glance to see if it was alright with her, he paged back at her other incomplete sketches. These were unfinished because the moment anyone else noticed her drawing them, they left the room with irritated gazes. Even her sketch of the usually still Sasori was a bit blurred at the edges, but it was still a fine piece of work. The sketchpad was missing a member.
"Konan-sama, you haven't drawn Leader yet, un." He paged all through the half full book, searching past the several sketches.
She frowned and looked to the side. "The others sit far longer than he ever will if he knew I was drawing him. Even Zetsu didn't mind holding still for two minutes."
He raised his eyebrows and paged to the sole sketch of Zetsu, admiring her speed. "You're pretty fast to catch him, un." One more page forward and there stood Tobi. "HAHAHA! Oh, you're good! You even caught Tobi!"
She smiled slightly. "Yeah, but he was asleep at the time and didn't notice."
"Oh, yeah, he looks like he sat a long time, un. Hard to know when he's asleep."
"I lucked out. But Pein wouldn't want me drawing him..."
He grinned slyly. "Nah, you just need to catch him at the right time. Whenever I want to draw Sasori, I always do it when he's fixing one of his puppets. He concentrates so hard he doesn't even notice anything else. But Leader... un..." He thinks about that for a moment, piling together the Leader's few known mannerisms. "Oh! Get him when he's staring out at the rain, that would be easy, un."
"Hey, that's a great idea! That's the only time he stares off into space and doesn't know what else is going on. It's my only shot."
--
Even though he was known to do this, it was hard to know when the next rain would come. And when it did rain, she had no guarantee that he wouldn't just shut himself in his room and stare from behind closed doors. He was always so aloof and distant, not even giving his partner any sort of fond attention. Fond? Bah, no, not him, never. He was the kind to work all day shut up in his room and spend the rest of his time asleep, never associating with anyone at all. She needed to get him out of his room.
That turned out to be a challenge in itself. He didn't even come out when she invited to cook his favorite meal! Most of the time she didn't cook at all, letting Itachi do it as usual, but sometimes she tried it out. She sighed with resignation and today watched Itachi cook again, wondering what she was going to do. Her head thudded on the table with frustration and Itachi set a plate next to her. For a minute he didn't say anything, just watching as she fumed. Then he sat across from her, and looked in her direction.
"Is Leader not eating again?"
She nodded as best as she could with her head stuffed on the table. "Yeah. I mean, I even said I'd make ramen! That didn't even get a response!"
Itachi looked shocked. "Not even ramen budged him? This is a serious matter."
"I know!" She looked up finally, frowning. "But what should I do? He's such a stiff, all I want is to get him outside for a few minutes so he doesn't suffocate himself."
Itachi took a bite of his food (sushi- Kisame would be pissed if he knew!) and sat back, thinking. Konan didn't take this as a rude gesture, she knew him to be slow to answer by habit. "Hmm... Use your female charm, I guess. Even Leader has to have that weakness."
"Maybe... But it seems like he doesn't even feel anything anymore. I wonder if charm would even get past his ears, much less work."
He pointed at her with his chopsticks directly. "Take off your cloak before you do it. Really Konan, under that cloak you have quite the figure. He'd budge if only for the reason that you aren't wearing it. He hates it when we don't wear them."
Kisame came into the kitchen, hearing something about the cloaks they always wore. "Oh, yeah, I don't like wearing these all the time either! Seriously, when it rains... it all goes down my neck! What's for lunch?" He looked down at the plates, expecting noodles or chicken, but his eyes glazed over at the sight. "SUSHI! Itachi-san, not you too!"
Itachi shrugged, scoffing. "I can eat whatever I want."
"WHY ITACHI?!"
"Oh shut up. I'm done, relax." Itachi pushed his clean plate away from him and stared back at the shark man, irritated. "Not my fault you came in here. I was just talking to Konan-sama."
Kisame grinned and looked over to Konan. "Afternoon, Konan-sama! You don't like the cloaks either?"
She blushed slightly. "Oh, they're fine, I just wanted to attract a little attention from Pein. He really needs to come out of his room once in a while."
He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, that weirdo really needs to smell some fresh air. He'd definitely notice you without the cloak, Konan-sama! You're a real babe!" He grinned and held his hand in a thumbs-up gesture, looking freakishly like someone both he and Itachi had met.
Itachi grimaced. "Where did you learn that disgusting look?"
"Dunno... guess it's a habit."
"Then... you should un-learn it. Fast." Itachi left the room, completely unwilling to sit here any longer if that nasty gesture was involved. Kisame took the chair he left behind and stared at Konan.
"You know, Konan, if you really want to get his attention, try using your chakra! There's nothing more attractive than having someone else's chakra brush up against your own. It's really something else!"
She stared up at him curiously. "You've... tried this??"
He blushed furiously before regaining composure. "W-well... having such a huge amount of chakra, I'm really sensitive to other chakra signatures, so stuff like that... well."
"It attracts you, right. Thanks, Kisame."
He nodded as she left the room. "No problem!"
She walked down the hall, certain that this, all combined, would definitely work. It had to! Something needed to! As she walked towards Pein's room, Zetsu passed by her, noticing her troubled expression. He couldn't help but ask.
"Konan-sama? What's the matter? YOU LOOK TERRIBLE."
Trust it to Zetsu's black half to be completely blunt. "Oh, I was just thinking of how I could get Pein to get out of his room for a bit. I was going to take off my cloak to irritate him into saying something. Do you have any ideas?"
She thought she spotted a grin there for just a second. "Sure Konan-sama, I'll help you. YOU REALLY DO NEED IT." He thought for a second and did a strange jutsu, summoning a set of small pink flowers, and he placed them in her hair next to her usual white paper rose. "That should get some attention. IF HE BOTHERS TO LOOK."
She smiled up at him, curious at how kind he could be. "Thank you, Zetsu-san." She walked past him, getting closer to her goal, and she noticed that Sasori's door was open. Well, not like Pein was going anywhere. She would talk to Sasori.
Sasori looked up from his work on a puppet, greeting her. "Konan-sama."
She nodded at him, a questioning look on her face. "Sasori-san... do you have any advice? I'm trying to get Pein out of his room to eat something. He'll starve if he keeps this up!"
He put down the half-built finger joint carefully, considering her answer. She had appealed to his sense of logic instead of emotion. True enough, Leader couldn't stay in there forever. "Well, tell him that. Tell him he'll starve. He should know better."
She shrugged. "You know how he is."
He nodded, thinking again. "Yeah, I do know how he is. Mm... I'm not sure. You could try physically dragging him out. You're a pretty strong woman."
This was quite true. Though she looked like a delicate flower, looks were deceiving. She could easily force Pein out of his room if necessary. "Thanks, Sasori-san." Down the hall yet again. She didn't even hesitate at Hidan or Kakuzu's rooms, she already knew what they would suggest. Kakuzu would recommend a bribe, and Hidan would go on a cussing tirade about what a cold prick the leader was. And she sure as heck wouldn't talk to Tobi, he would insist on going in and cheering up the leader himself. No no no! That would NEVER make anything go better. A mental checklist told her she had talked to everyone. Time to put her plan into action...
First of all, she chucked her cloak in her room, inspecting her appearance. Under her cloak she usually just wore a pair of short black clinging shorts, a well fitting blue bra and a fishnet shirt. Not exactly concealing, but maybe it WOULD add charm. Next step, she paused to check her hair, and tried extending her chakra. It was hard, but it would work, maybe... Final step... she cracked her knuckles noisily, prepared to beat him down if it came to that. She was ready.
--
Pein sure as heck wasn't ready for her to practically break down the door. He looked up, completely shocked. What got into her?? And why was she wearing...? His eyes drifted down her lithe, fit form, mind only slightly pausing at the thought of taking off the rest of her uniform. But he instantly shoved that thought aside. He was the cold, fearless leader! He couldn't be seduced by his comrade!
"Konan... where is your cloak?" He stared at her, his monotone voice echoing in the small, sonorous room.
She looked up at him impassively, no emotion on her face. Her look of complete serenity was far more of a shock to him than if she had glared at him defiantly. No, this was much different. What was she up to? He choked back a gasp as a thread of her chakra spun towards him inquisitively, her blue toned aura meeting his yellow in an odd greenish question, asking him without words how long he intended to shut himself up in his room. Maybe she hadn't posed the question in the right manner, but the response she got was a feeling of... fear? Was he actually afraid of her chakra?
No, he was afraid of HER. She smiled to herself and withdrew her chakra, looking up at him with all the female charm she could muster. "Well? Aren't you coming outside?"
It took everything he had to not blush. What the heck was she doing?? "I have a lot of work to do, Konan. You know that."
She didn't budge, or wince, or give any indication she had even heard him. She just stared up at him, those tranquil eyes trying to bend him to her will. "I don't want you to starve. Come on, I'll even let you make it rain outside."
That shocked him even more. She hated it when he made it rain on a nice day. Was she really only trying to get him outside? Well... it WOULD be a good idea... "Maybe later."
She walked right up to him, never blinking, never looking away. He WILL do what she wants, she was determined to get her way! Her vacant stare penetrated right into his, challenging him directly, seeing who would yield first. "Please? Do it for me?" Her lashes flitted just so lightly over her eyes, and he gulped nervously.
"Er-I-no-no, I c-can't..." He couldn't believe it - he was being reduced to a stuttering fool by this woman, it was humiliating!
But she smiled sweetly and grabbed the neck of his cloak. "You WILL be coming outside!"
No, not humiliating, it was humiliating AND scary! "But Konan--"
She interrupted him by dragging him out by force. "You're coming whether you like it or not!" Out the hallway. Past a stunned and intimidated Zetsu. The others were all gathered in the main lounge, and each pair of eyes turned to stare with trepidation and fear as Konan pranced by dragging a struggling Pein by the neck. The determined fire in her eyes as she glared at all of them, challenging them to say one more word, made each of the men shrink down in their seats with pure terror. Hell hath no fury like Konan's scorn.
The only sound in the room was Pein being dragged out the door, Konan only pausing to grab her sketch pad. She would make him sit out there and enjoy the sun, darnit! And he would stay there long enough for a sketch! Not one of them even budged, knowing that a woman's radar was based on movement, and she didn't stop to challenge them again. But as soon as the door shut behind her, they felt comfortable enough to smirk and snicker at the leader's expense.
Outside, Konan dragged him all the way to a nearby grassy hill under a tree, glaring at him until he sat sheepishly under the tree, avoiding her stare. She sat down suddenly, willing him still with her glance as she drew him watching the valley down below. Minutes ticked by silently as her pencil flew furiously, getting every last feature down right. The picture needed a title. "Hmm I wonder what I will call this... how about..." She was cut off by him looking at her from the corner of his eye, barely noticing as his chakra reached out towards hers. Suddenly she realized exactly why Kisame found chakra so alluring. Pein's chakra felt... warm. Was this what he had felt back in the office? That, combined with her sex appeal, seemed to take effect that moment, and she was startled from her title contemplation when he pinned her down underneath him suddenly.
"How about 'Untitled'?" With a smirk, he leaned down to silence her with his lips, the unfinished masterpiece never needing words to describe what she saw in him.