Here's chapter 2! Thank you all for your interest!
I hope things are going at a good pace~ Let me know what you think!
It had been two days since then.
There had been no change in his routine. He checked in, he did his work, and he checked out, thinking about the next day before it even began. Like the gear of a clock, he just kept making the same rounds to complete the same task. And he was content with that. There was no need for change. No need for anything different in his schedule.
In and out.
Those were the words he told himself as he stood before the establishment, the glow of the neon lights reflecting off the puddle's surface and washing over his figure. He looked to the building with distaste. Even with his lower face obscured, passer-bys could easily understand that he was scowling - a man scorned. In his hand was his phone, the screen unlocked and opened to his messages.
'If you want your money back, then come fucking get it!' Just the smiley face alone was enough to give him a migraine.
Steeling himself, he made his way inside.
Music boomed all around him, almost deafening in the way it drummed against the walls and made the very floor quake beneath his feet. He weaved through the crowd; shoving himself pass dancing lovebirds, avoiding the stumbles of drunks, all without his hands leaving his pockets. Soon enough, he found himself towards the edges of the club, where the bar was tucked away from the dance floor. Even before he walked up, there was already two men waiting for him, waving in his direction.
"Took ya long enough, fucker!"
"Trust me, I couldn't wait to be here."
Hidan scoffed, leaning back against the bar. The man was good looking, by bad boy standards, with silver hair slicked back and wearing leather pants with a matching coat. Vaguely, Kakuzu wondered if the guy had enough funds to supply himself a shirt to wear under his coats. Considering how many times Hidan asked him for money, he doubted it.
"Come on, Kakuzu! You gotta get out sometime." His eyes shifted to the blond that sat in the next seat. Long hair, a sweep of it covering one side of his face. Adorning a simple, white shirt with demin jeans – splotches of paint forever staining the fabric here and there.
Deidara was young, but he had a reputation on his belt. That reputation consisted of being the neighborhood Pyrotechnician. No one knew what triggered his love for Fireworks and the explosion of colors they created, and no one questioned anything. It was his art. For all they were concerned, he simply made a business off his Fireworks and didn't mind blowing off some fingers if they tried to pry.
"What I got to do is sit on my damn couch." Kakuzu grumbled, rubbing his forehead. This earned a roll of blue eyes.
"Don't be like that, hm. When was the last time you had a drink?"
"Rum."
"Oh?"
"At home."
"Ah."
"On my couch."
"Why are you like this, hm?"
"Sleep deprivation."
The pyro let out an exasperated sigh, leaning his chin upon an open palm with his other hand held onto a shot glass. He accepted Kakuzu as a close acquaintance, maybe even a friend, but the man was so damn hard to talk with. Deidara may as well be talking to a Magic 8 Ball, if all he was going to get were these curt answers. While the blond may have accepted this, the slam of another's hand against the bar proved otherwise. Both company side-glared at Hidan for the unnecessary action.
"Man, how far is that stick up your ass?" Hidan blurted, eyes narrowed.
Hidan was a special case. Despite how he looked, he was an avid Preacher of religion. Who knew, right? Until one found out the religion consisted of annual sacrifices in order to please some sort of Elder God and obtain immortality. Thus far, no one has seen proof of that invincibility or any signs of sacrificial ceremonies. Still; missing cars by a hair, being one step ahead of a falling piano, dodging a literal bullet by bending over to pick up a dime – it seemed that the Jashinist was just bestowed the gift of dumb luck. And a big mouth, Kakuzu observed as he continued speaking.
"You've been this hardass guy since the day I known ya! Going around with this 'no nonsense' attitude, barely giving anyone any of your fucking time. And you wanna know what I noticed in all these precious goddamn years together?"
"…What."
"I never seen you with a woman! Not even once!"
It was now that Kakuzu began to wonder if it were possible to get away with in the moment murder. He noted how the music drowned out most voices. The dim lighting that made shadows out of everyone. Oh yes, if he wanted to, he could-
"You need to get laid!"
-kill him.
The surgeon pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming back with a vengeance. Slowly, he counted to ten, taking deep breaths. Kakuzu was never a short tempered one. The cold, calmness he kept was what made him his own individual. But, when it came to Hidan and his nonsensical behavior, he found himself reacting violently. Thus, these exercises were needed to keep him from strangling the man to death. See if his dumb luck saved him then.
"Think about it," Great, he had more to say. "All you do all the fucking time is go to work and then sit your ass at home. Fuck, I had to dangle the money I owe you in your face to get you out here! Don't you have some hot nurses at your workplace?"
"Not interested." Kakuzu growled, teeth grinding behind his lips.
"I can't believe I'm agreeing," The blond began, startling when he found hard, green eyes now focused on him. Swallowing, he shook off the shivers and continued. "But you do need to get laid, hm."
"You, shut up."
"Come on, man! You gotta fuck at least once before your dick rots with your personality!"
"And you, just get the hell out."
"The fuck – this is a public club, stitches."
"Don't care. Out."
Hidan threw his arms up in frustration, as though he was the one forced into a noisy, crowded building with the promise of money. Before he could open his mouth, Deidara had cut in. Which was all and well. No doubt the next thing the Jashinist said, no matter what it was, would earn him a punch in the face. Honestly, that was not something he wanted to deal with after Kakuzu stormed off.
"Look, we both agree that Hidan is being ass about this, as he is with everything, hm." An offended grunt. "But all we're saying is that you should try to relax more. Do something different, hm. You're gonna end up exploding if you keep up this routine – no pun intended."
Kakuzu snorted, unable to contain the short breath of laughter. Well, the kid had something good to say every now and again.
Silence had hung in the air, then. As silent as it could be inside a club, anyway. The pair watched Kakuzu, waiting in anticipation as his eyes focused on something in the distance. His expression unreadable. They held their own breaths as he exhaled his own and rubbed the back of his neck in exasperation.
"Fine. Whatever. I'll try… something." He agreed vaguely, making an odd gesture with his hand to emphasis his uncertainty. Judging how their faces broke out in silly grins, it was satisfactory.
"Good man! Let's get fucked!" Hidan cheered, slapping the counter to get the bartender's attention, promptly ordering a round for the three. Kakuzu rolled his eyes and took the empty seat between them.
"Just one glass," He grunted, fingers tugging at the surgical mask. "I have work tomorrow."
"Sure, buddy. No problem!"
No problem, my ass.
This is why he didn't go out drinking with those assholes. One of them didn't know when to stop, and the other didn't know how to take a hint when someone wanted to stop. The night ended with Kakuzu having to drag the fully-grown men out of the bar, shove them into an uber, and drag himself back home. With a hazy head and featherlight limbs, he easily fell onto his couch and slipped into unconsciousness.
"…Right?"
Kakuzu blinked back into reality, finding himself in his office. He was slumped in his chair, his temple resting heavily against his knuckles and papers held in his other hand. The contents of those papers, he didn't quite remember. His eyes flickered to them, questioning their existence, and back to the source of the voice.
"What."
"I asked if you were alright, Doctor."
The one who awoke him was none other than Haruno. She no longer donned the casual clothes she wore upon first meeting. Now she was in mint colored scrubs, her short hair pulled back into a small pony tail and a headband to keep her hair in place. Like this, she fell perfectly in line with the dress code. It took another second to register what she said, and he responded curtly.
"I'm fine. Just tired."
He slowly blinked as the women leaned forward, seeming to be peeking beneath his slightly lowered head. They stayed quiet, staring each other down. After ten seconds ticked back, he relented his stoic expression and rose a brow in silent question. She answered.
"Do you have a hangover, sir?"
The slight widening of his eyes seemed to be enough for her and she straightened, clicking her tongue at him. It made his fingers twitch just the slightest.
"You're lucky your appointments today go nothing past follow-ups and information dumps." She said, tapping the end of a pen against her lips in thought. He huffed quietly, directing a glare at her. The gaze didn't seem to have as much an effect like it used to, however, as she simply smiled and offered another folder. It had only been three days, and she was already acting cheeky with him.
"Aren't you showing your true colors too soon?" His voice was gruff as he took the file and began to gander through it.
Haruno then became sheepish, suddenly realizing how she had been acting and who exactly she was talking to. He snorted at this, his fingers flipping through page after page. At least she wasn't insufferable of it. Unlike some of the people he knew.
"My apologies, I spoke out of turn."
"You're fine."
Silence had come between them once again. She shifted uneasily, her body beginning to turn in favor of returning to her idle duties. A rough mutter broke through.
"How did you know?"
"Pardon?" She squeaked.
"How did you know that I had a hangover?"
The woman tilted her head in confusion before her eyes brightened once she realized he was making conversation. When she had first began, their association with one another consisted of silence. The only words exchanged were orders and answers. Supplementing information and taking note of reminders. They have yet to perform a surgery together, but that would come soon enough. As of now, it was just work.
Now he was curious, and she was delighted.
"Doctor Senju drank frequently," She stated, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. "There were times she would come into work with a hangover. At first, it was barely noticeable. But it started to become more and more obvious to me the more I was around her. It felt good to chastise her and have her let Shizune take over."
Kakuzu watched her. Observed how her expression had become soft and wistful as she reminisced of her previous mentor and coworker. How her voice became light and airy, the laughter at her own memory spilling out. That look suited her, he found himself thinking. As quickly as that thought came, he shoved it aside and gave a short, dry laugh.
"Are you going to chastise me as well? I don't recommend it." He warned, gaze narrowing.
"Only if you make a bad habit out of it." A sort of playfulness danced in her eyes, and he entertained it.
He rolled his eyes, sarcasm heavily coating his next words. "Oh, you have my word."
"I'll make you drink plenty of water."
"Terrifying, truly."
"In fact, I'll get us some water now!" The nurse chirped, heading towards the exit.
"I prefer coffee." He grunted.
"Water first, doctor's orders!" She was already halfway outside the door as she called back to him, a bright smile curving her lips. He gave her a look of exasperation, which she quickly closed the door on and went on her merry way. Kakuzu waited, listening as her footsteps became echoes and disappeared. Before he knew it, as he went back to his sorting, there was a smirk curling beneath his mask.
"Brat."
Unnecessary Preview:
"It's good to meet'cha, babe!"
"A pleasure to meet you, too—"
"Don't touch him, Haruno. His stupidity is contagious."
"You fucker."