Chapter 2: Suckered In
:::
/ Present Day /
Warm sheets cover the underlying tangled arms and legs. He awakes to the soft snores resounding from the woman laid next to him.
He subconsciously pulls her naked waist closer to his front and baths in the skin to skin contact. His nose scrunches up at the unfamiliar scent covering his bed sheets. It smelt floral and sweet, inducing his arousal and reeling him in closer. His lips nip at the crevice in between her shoulder and neck and he smiles when soft moans reach his ears. He goes back in to inhale the scent further and sighs blissfully. Willow must have gotten rid of her ridiculously expensive perfume that she would always insist on wearing, no matter the occasion.
His fingers glide up from her stomach and grip harder on her love-handle. Strange, since when did Willow have those? She's stick skinny and barely has any meat on her body. Not that he cared, really. She always whined about how it was for her job and that gaining weight would ruin her career, and Sasori just went along with it because he was never in the mood to have yet another argument with her.
His mind reels back to what Willow had sent him last night. Seems that they somehow made up, seeing as they're both currently in bed naked together. But isn't she supposed to be in France?
Sasori wills his eyelids open and he is forced to make a double take.
Pink. Willow would never dye her hair such an outrageous colour.
Her right shoulder and back peeking over the covers are pale white. Willow couldn't go a week without self-tanning.
This isn't his girlfriend. This wasn't Willow.
Suddenly, the hangover and nights festivities start to hit him at full force.
:::
/ Last Night /
"Babe, where you at?"
The hand that held his phone turned sluggish. Not this again.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Answer the question!"
Sasori rubbed his temple in slight agitation. "Kisame's place."
"That's complete bullshit."
"Willow…" He sighed. "Why does it matter?"
He heard her scoff over the receiver. Well, this was a good start to a conversation after weeks of no communication.
"It matters because I've seen countless tabloids release photos of you walking out of bars and clubs throughout the week nonstop! What's gotten into you? Are you cheating on me?"
"How do you somehow get the impression that I'm cheating? Don't act ridiculous, Willow. I would never–"
"Then why have you been ignoring all my calls and texts?! There's great connection here in France and you're definitely not outside America, so there shouldn't be any problems!"
"Nice observation babe." Sasori laughed and pulled the device away from his ear when he heard her scream. She was probably stomping and pacing around her villa suite, readying to pull her blonde extensions out of her head. Cute.
Thing is, if she were whining and interrogating him in person, the teasing in his voice wouldn't be visible. Since she's on the other side of the world and far away from his dick she so kindly has offered to chop off on several occasions, she can't do anything about it. Yet. He would have fun while it lasted.
As he began planning in his head all the club venues he could rent out for the coming weekend, a moan over the receiver caught his attention. "Sasori…" He held his phone back to his ear and frowned. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. His eyes glistened at her next words. "I'm horny."
Well, she got over that quickly.
"Are you–"
More moans.
"Willow, you're killing me." He sighed frustratingly, pushing back his red locks and moving his hand down to cover his private. There was no time for that right now. Although, he was in a bathroom stall and there seemed to be no one else in here at the moment...
"Am I turning you on?" He hummed in response. "So it's working. I'm guessing you're not at Kisame's place because I know you're probably stroking your dick right now."
Sasori cleared his mind of what position his girlfriend was probably in at that moment. "I have more self-restraint than that."
"Why are you holding yourself back? Phone sex is fun, let's–"
Sasori nearly jumped at the sound of the public washroom doors being opened and cut her off, "I'm not feeling up for that right now."
She began to protest but he had hung up before she could finish her sentence.
In order not to arise any questioning stares from those just now walking in, he flushed the empty toilet and walked out of the stall. He stood in front of the large mirrors and pulled his hoodie over his head. Actually, did it really matter anymore? He had forgotten to conceal his face when walking into the night club earlier in the first place. He wouldn't be surprised if news got out and photos were taken and spread all over social media by now. Damn, now there would most likely be people waiting outside to catch a glimpse of him leaving drunk or latched onto some lucky girl. Thankfully for him he was taken, and getting drunk in public wasn't his style, no matter how many times his girlfriend suspected him of doing so.
What was with her anyway? Quick to assume he was cheating all because he liked to go partying on his downtime with friends. He couldn't remember the last time he had a decent conversation with a female because he had feared that Willow would catch drift of rumors taken out of context and screech at him–like she had done just now. She always found ways to be mad at him and accuse him of something, if anything. She was just like those crazy fangirls online, stalking his every move trying to pick at every detail she found about him in the tabloids, then begging him to reassure her that none of it be true. Countless times he's had to dispel of rumours that Willow let taint her image of him. The media would always make him out to be something he wasn't, and at this point in his career he just didn't care anymore. Sure, public image was still important, but walking out of bars at five in the morning and getting papped?
Yeah, he didn't give a fuck.
He would deal with Willow's constant whining as long as she forgave him in the end, which she always seemed to do. She could never stay mad at him for long, and they both knew it. Sasori sometimes took advantage of that weakness she had for him, which she admitted to being his 'natural charm' and 'face that made you want to kiss and make-up.' For now, he would defy his girlfriend and do as he liked, for as long as he could before she returned from her month long trip to France.
As he exited the washrooms he began to think about what he would order once returning to the bar, but his phone buzzing in his pocket reeled his mind back to an issue he thought he already had dealt with. He groaned in annoyance. Would she ever leave him alone?
He reluctantly pulled out his cell and glanced over the text he received. He stifled a laugh.
I'm going to find some French hunk to fuck because my own boyfriend doesn't want to satisfy my needs.
Sasori shook his head in amusement. She'd never.
Her next reply had a loading image attached. It would probably be something dirty, considering the types of photos she's shamelessly sent his way countless times before. He literally had a photo album dedicated to images of her naked breasts.
The picture fully loaded. Sasori gripped his phone tightly.
There she stood in front of the Eiffel tower, arms latched around the midsection of a tall blonde Frenchman. She stood to his left with her right leg being held up by his hand. Her bare leg. Her mini skirt rode up way shorter than normal and if you were at the right angle, you'd definitely see her panties.
Sasori turned down the hallway away from the booming music of the nightclub. He needed to calm down.
He began angrily typing out his response: What the fuck? Who the hell is that Wil–
The screen went dim before fully submerging in black. Sasori cursed his luck. He knew he should have charged his phone before heading out. Now she would once again get pissed at him for leaving her hanging.
Then again, she was trying to provoke him, wasn't she? Taking such an indecent photo with another man. She knew it would piss him off.
Fuck trying to text her back. He'd ignore her for another week and see how she likes that.
He knew he was being immature, but right now, all he wanted was some alcohol in his system. No use trying to hit up his friends as well, they would definitely ignore calls from the payphone's unknown numbers.
He would play it out as a lone wolf for tonight, and try to make the best of it.
:::
Hours passed and Sasori began feeling dreary. He couldn't remember the amount of shots he had downed. The way the bartender would repeatedly refill his drinks without question wasn't helping, either.
Sasori told himself countless times that he was doing this for himself, but at the back of his mind the picture Willow had sent him would send him into overdrive and he would force more alcohol into his system to numb the feelings. He felt he had degraded himself down to the level of most other men who get fed up with their girlfriends; the ones so insecure of their relationships that they would turn to substance abuse in order to numb the pain.
But Sasori didn't feel pain. He didn't necessarily feel hurt, either. Willow doesn't have it in her to cheat, let alone the will to ever leave him. Sasori was sure in how they felt for each other despite her taunting. So what was it? Why did he feel so... unsettled?
Maybe he needed something new; someone else who could liven up his life–without the baggage Willow brings. She would always cause him nothing but stress and left him with mild headaches after every encounter. Everyday he would routinely swallow painkillers to rid of the pain in his temple. He could almost feel himself aging at a faster pace than the average 26 year old man. To add onto all of that, he just so turns out to be part of Akatsuki Management, a worldwide entertainment company. He overworks himself to fulfill his part, but sometimes the stress could become quite overwhelming.
Willow doesn't understand what he does, and that's fine with him; he doesn't need her to. But sometimes, Sasori would wish for someone who could appreciate his artwork and craft, without any judgement. He never saw eye to eye with his family regarding his pursuit either, which is why he found home within Akatsuki. Total nobodies who started from the bottom and built a multimillionaire conglomerate corporation together, all the while carrying out the things they found love and passion in.
But even with all that, added on with the fame and money, the appreciation was still never there. He had people who admired his work and told him he deserved the success, but it never moved him. He wanted to elicit meaningful responses through his work, and thus far every letter sent to him was thrown into the trash because they never contained the sort of acknowledgment he so desperately seeked.
Work was stress relief, but a stress causer all in itself. Willow had been the girl to bring him out of his shell for a while and help liven up his existence, but she was now becoming nothing but a nuisance these days.
He downed another shot passed down the bar towards himself within an instant.
He wiped the remnant away from his lips and scoffed. Weak. His vision began to blur but despite that, he raised a hand towards the bartender, signaling for another drink. The rurly man shot him an uneasy look before turning around and preparing it. He knew not to defy a celebrity of his stature.
He took a sip of the next one, and the sudden sting in his throat made his eyes water. Sasori pushed the drink away from his form and buried his face in his arms. He could hear the bartender sigh in relief.
"I don't like the taste. Get me water to wash it down," he mumbled into his arm. "And now." He pressed.
He gazed over his elbow as the bartender hurried to prepare another drink. Sasori sighed.
Someone help me from this mess.
"Hello?"
The voice reared Sasori back from his thoughts. It was an accent he was all too familiar with. Before he could say anything in response, his eyes caught sight of a woman placing herself in the seat next to him.
Great, another annoyance. Sasori chose to ignore the needy woman. "I'm busy. Get lost."
"Ah but…" Her words sounded broken, as if she had a hard speaking the language. Sasori sighed in impatience.
"What do you want?" He mumbled further into his sleeve. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing him shitfaced. If anything, she was probably another one of those women who took their fangirl fantasies into adulthood.
"My name is Suzanne. I just thought you looked a bit familiar from afar. Have we met before?"
Sasori knew not to be played, but the curiosity was itching at him. He allowed one hazel eye into view. She had extravagant pink hair tied up into a bun atop her head, and her skin reflected the shade of snowfall. Her lips were pursed as she examined his one eye, and Sasori felt scrutinized under her gaze. "I don't recall ever meeting you," he replied. "You've got me mistaken."
"Ah but you…" Her skin scrunched up in between her eyebrows as she processed her next words. "You look like someone I've seen before."
"You probably have."
"Ah so… um, we have met?"
"No," he growled impatiently. "We haven't."
"But you look so familiar…" Her words trailed off.
Sasori sighed, inching his face halfway up to full on stare at the woman intruding on him. She had her body facing him on the stool, and her hands clasped together in her lap.
"Are you after something? Because if so, I have a girlfriend."
"That's not it…" She bit her lip worriedly. "I'm sorry, I just… I…"
Sasori watched her lips as she struggled to form coherent sentences. Her eyes quickly switched from him to her lap in nerves. All he could do was sigh and move a hand over his pounding temple.
"I'm Sasori Akasuna."
Her eyes refocused back onto him. "Oh? Nice to meet you."
The calm expression on her face confused him for a moment. "I'm Sasori," he repeated. "That's who you thought I was, right?"
"Erm…" She began tapping her long nails against the countertop. "No?"
"But…" All the interest he had in the woman started to dissipate. He'd be lying if he said his ego hadn't just been knocked down an inch by her unawareness of who he was. "...Whatever." He lamely countered. Sasori caught the gaze of the wandering bartender from afar. "Hey, get me a shot of vodka!"
"Me as well!"
Sasori's eyes travelled back to the woman next to him.
She shyly smiled at him. "Can't have you be the only one drinking, now can we?"
Sasori merely shrugged, not as annoyed by her presence as earlier. Good, she didn't know who he was. Still, allowing her to stick beside him wasn't his style. Willow would be pissed.
Willow would be pissed.
Actually, let her be.
Sasori sat upright, taking the vodka shot in hand and downing it the minute it was placed before him. Suzanne did the same, surprising him. She slammed her glass down on the platform, sticking out her tongue to show she did it.
"Where are you from, by the way?" It was all but curiosity, especially seeing as she didn't seem to know English that well. Although, he'd be lying if he said that her good looks weren't a part of the reason that she initially regained his attention.
"France," she spoke slowly. "I'm here visiting… um, just to sight see. It's very nice here."
Sasori hummed. "And you're here alone?"
"Yes. I don't know many people here. I came to the States with my older sister, but she doesn't like partying."
"You know, a woman like you coming to a place like this alone isn't safe." His body impulsively moved closer and his face hovered inches away from her own. She took in a deep intake of breath. "Especially as gorgeous as yourself. You know that, right?"
"I… well…"
Her cheeks were blushed. Sasori's eyes trained in on the way she kept her gaze lowered to the ground. Her lips began to move, but nothing came out, and thus his patience once again began to wear thin.
Sasori's face moved away within seconds. "So go home."
She sat with a frozen expression for a moment before rearing back and watched as he began ordering another drink.
She shout out again, "me as well!"
Sasori offered her a skeptical glance. He noticed the determination in her body language, and it further irked him. Was she trying to prove her worth or something?
Whatever. He'd just pretend she wasn't there.
The moment the next drink was placed in front of him, all thoughts of stopping himself slipped from his mind.
:::
"I doubt the men in France could outdrink you." She smirked, swishing around the clear liquid in her cup.
Sasori paused for a moment, drink in hand midair. Willow's new beau came to mind. "I doubt that as well."
She giggled, moving in closer. Sasori watched unaffected as she placed her plump lips over the edge of his cup, and he gladly poured the remnants into her mouth.
She started to cough, eliciting a chuckle from the redhead. "I think I'm done for…" she groaned, gripping onto Sasori's right shoulder to hold herself up.
"You knew you couldn't keep up with me, but you tried." Despite his confident speech, his words came out slurred to both their ears and the heavy beat of the music nearly drowned their voices.
"What?" She moved the side of her face closer to his, her ear nearly gracing his cheek. "Can you repeat that?"
Sasori turned his head and allowed his lips to brush over the shell of her ear. He huskily whispered, "doesn't matter."
They stayed frozen in their position for a few seconds before she made the first move. She moved her face towards him as well, and Sasori drank in the heavy lust behind the bright jade orbs she'd kept hidden from view for most of the night. The alcohol instilled confidence within her to keep her eyes trained on him.
She bit her lip again, and Sasori couldn't help but be mesmerized by them this time around. He didn't know if it was the alcohols doing, but he wanted to get closer to the attractive female.
"Suzanne," he whispered out her name, and she shuddered as his alcohol induced breath fanned over her face. "Your eyes… they're breathtaking."
Her lips pulled up into a smile. "Thank you…"
Their hot breath intermingled, and it was as if the vicinity around them was empty. His eyes could only focus on her.
His eyes travelled down the expanse of her low cut dress, and he bit the inside of his cheek as he imagined what he would find if he were to unravel the material.
Her cheeks flushed as she noticed where his eyes had led. "Sasori?"
His eyes trailed back up and locked onto her lips. He smirked, taking the extra step to place his own over hers.
She lightly gasped, but quickly gave in as Sasori pressed his soft lips against hers for the briefest moment. They moved slowly in sync, and nothing about it was rushed. They parted and caught their breaths, the girl leaning in to press her forehead against his own.
He quickly reclaimed her lips and kissed her with more force, snaking a hand behind the nape of her neck to bring her in closer. He feverously licked her bottom lip and requested entry, allowing the rest of the make out to consist of tongues clawing at every corner, and the sweet taste of her aroused him further.
He needed more.
They parted once again, and the face he showed her was implication enough.
Sasori raised himself from the bar stool, holding a hand out to the pink haired beauty. She accepted his hand and let him guide her to the back entrance of the club. They exited out into the cold air, and Sasori's grip on her never faltered as he immediately seated her in his limousine.
They departed the scene within a flash. To where, she had no idea. But rationality did not play a big part in what had overcome Sasori's senses for the time being.
All he knew, was that she was too good of a catch to ignore.
:::
A/N: Holy shit, it's been nearly 4 years since I posted that first chapter. This ones been on my computer unfinished for a good 3 years now, but inspiration suddenly struck and I decided to complete it for publication.
The reason I've been absent is because I grew out of love with fanfiction for a while... but now I'm back to continue this story. I doubt those who initially followed this story are still keeping up with it, but hopefully I'll be able to reel in some new readers with this update ^_^
