The Beautiful and the Damned
Deidara felt a lot happier now that Sasori had agreed to go to the exhibition, he also felt very hungry. He thought for a minute, trying to remember the last time he had actually eaten something substantial. When he counted back over three days without success, he gave up and called Tobi.
"Tobi, I'm really hungry, yeah. Get Hidan and meet me in Hoko 10," Tobi started to say something, Deidara ignored him, "Bye, Tobi."
Hoko 10 was a very trendy bar with a very select clientele – if you were not rich or famous, you were not getting in – that had a no journalists or photographers policy. A place where people like Deidara could hang out without being bothered. He arrived first and made his way to their usual table in a back corner, stopping to chat briefly to various acquaintances. A waitress came over and took his drinks order, returning with a double black vodka for Deidara and the diet coke and bottle of red wine he had ordered for Tobi and Hidan. Deidara took a sip of his drink, thinking over his meeting with Sasori that night. He could not help but smile.
"Hey, fucker!" Ah, he knew that voice. Hidan sauntered over to the table, closely followed by a flustered looking Tobi. Hidan took a long swig from the wine bottle, not bothering with a glass.
"Last minute party tonight, Chinawhite," Tobi sighed, "I haven't even recovered from last night's party yet."
Deidara shrugged, "Just as well, 'cause I'm not going." Hidan was so shocked by this statement that he spat his mouthful of wine out over Tobi.
"What the fuck do you mean?! Everyone, and I mean everyone will be there – even my cousin is going!" Hidan proclaimed.
"I've got plans," Deidara replied. This sent Tobi into a panic, as he started flicking through his diary,
"What plans?! I don't have anything scheduled! Oh god, I fucked up again…" Tobi started hyperventilating.
Deidara took hold of him and shook him, "Tobi, listen; I just made plans now, you know I'm spontaneous, yeah." He let go of Tobi, who had calmed down considerably. Hidan slapped Tobi across the face,
"I'm not panicking anymore!"
"So, what are these plans that mean you have to miss out on the party of the…well, week? Or should I ask what's her name?" Hidan winked.
"His name is Sasori," Deidara answered, Hidan spat out another mouthful of wine,
"Not Akasuna Sasori?!" Deidara nodded in response, "How the hell did you meet him?! I heard he was some sort of recluse…"
"I went to his gallery, he insulted me, I invited him to see my exhibition tonight," Deidara explained. Hidan and Tobi both looked confused,
"So, he insulted you and you asked him out? I don't quite follow," Tobi said.
"Well first off, it's not a date. He has a real problem with my view on art, so I offered to take him to my exhibition. That's pretty much all there is to it, yeah."
"Not a date, eh? Sounds like a fucking date to me," Hidan said, slyly. Deidara downed the rest of his drink and shrugged,
"He's hot, but he has a major attitude problem."
"So you admit he's hot. It's a shag date then," Hidan decided.
Deidara sighed in exasperation, "Yes, he's hot. And no, it isn't a shag date." Now Hidan looked really confused,
"So, you're skipping out on the hottest party for a while, where sex with hot people is guaranteed – to go out with someone hot and not have sex?" Deidara nodded, "I still don't understand…" Hidan continued. Deidara just banged his head down on the table. The waitress came back over and took their food orders.
Sasori had closed his gallery for the afternoon after receiving a phone call from his friend Uchiha Itachi asking the redhead to meet him in the local coffee shop. Itachi had been away on business and was keen to catch up with his old friend. Sasori sat and sipped his coffee, waiting for Itachi to arrive, idly flicking through a copy of one of the tabloids that had been left on his table. He did not usually read such things, but he was bored. Then something caught his eye. A photo of Deidara in the showbiz gossip section showing the blond leaving a club in the early hours of the morning, a girl on each arm, looking absolutely smashed. Sasori shook his head, the photo doing nothing but reinforcing his opinion of the blond as a spoiled, rich, talentless brat. Someone set a cup of coffee down on the table and sat in the seat opposite.
"Reading the gossip pages, Sasori?" A soft, male voice. Sasori looked up to see a young man with long black hair, a pale complexion, and tired eyes.
"Reading about this idiot. I'm meeting him tonight so I might as well try to find out what I'm letting myself in for. Good trip, Itachi?"
"The usual. But this is much more interesting; you're meeting Deidara tonight?" Itachi smirked.
"Mm hm, he's taking me to see his exhibition. If he turns up. I'm not waiting around for him if he isn't on time," Sasori replied.
"So, it's a date then?"
Sasori froze, coffee mug half way to his mouth, "No!"
Itachi turned his head to look out of the window, "Really…" he muttered with a smile.