Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto

Title: Landing Amongst the Stars

Genre: Romance/Drama/Angst


LANDING AMONGST THE STARS

Chapter Four: Meeting the Band

A collaboration by Winter Psyche and tornupleather


~Sakura's POV~

After many awkward introductions, things settled down a bit. Well, not really.

"For the last time Naruto," Kiba growled, "I only met Sakura today!"

"That's a suspicious story!" Naruto exclaimed.

"No, it's true, Naru. I probably would've been run over if it weren't for Kiba." I quickly cut in, trying to soothe the annoyed blonde. Honestly, Naruto could be so protective.

"You put her in danger? I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!"

"Drop it, Naruto. We have more important things to worry about." Shikamaru—as I just recently met—drawled, tapping a pen against his lap. In front of him were a bunch of papers stapled together clumsily. I mentally wince at the lazy handiwork.

"Shikamaru is right." Sasuke remarked, "Tsunade's coming over soon to discuss…the situation."

Oh so subtle, Sasuke.

Naruto groaned, "That means we'll probably have to clean up a bit."

"Well, if you weren't such a pig in the first place…" Kiba mumbled.

"WHAT'DYOUCALLME?"

"Kiba, Naruto. Shut the fuck up, I can't think." Shikamaru growled, rubbing his temples.

"How's the song going, anyway?" Naruto leaned over, all his previous anger gone.

"Chicken shit because somebody won't shut up."

"Well it would have been finished by now if we didn't have a sloth as a songwriter!"

"Okay guys…" I began.

"You're all embarrassing yourselves in front of the girls." Kiba laughed, stealing a quick glance at me.

"You're one to talk." Sasuke smirked at Kiba then shifted his gaze at me.

I didn't know why I felt like blushing just then. Instead, I glued my eyes to my wedges.

"Maybe we should leave. You guys seem like you need some time alone." Ino suggested, amusement laced in her voice.

"NO! Don't leave!" Naruto blurted out, startling Ino.

I don't wanna leave either…

"It's not like we'll never see you again," Ino snorted, "We'll come visit again soon."

"That won't be necessary. You both can stay here." Shikamaru voiced, surprising everyone in the room.

When no one said anything, Shikamaru spoke, his eyes still focused on the piece of paper on the table.

"It's obvious that Naruto just spoke for everyone and there's a spare room down the hall. If you guys don't mind sharing."

"YEAH! They won't mind! You guys are practically joined at the hip anyway!" Naruto pumped him fist in the air.

"I think that's a good idea." Kiba replied quickly, scratching his head.

"What's Tsunade going to think when she hears about this?" Sasuke asked slowly, contemplating Shikamaru's suggestion.

"Oh shut up Sasuke. You're such a phony. You want them to stay just as much as I do!" Naruto laughed, smacking him on the back.

"While I don't appreciate being called a phony, it would be easier to keep an eye on you two if you stayed with us." Sasuke relented.

"Then it's done!" Naruto grinned.

"Wait a second!" Ino said.

Everyone turned to stare at her.

"Don't we have some input in this?" She looked incredulous.

"..."

"Nope."

"NADA."

"...Whatever."

There was a slight pause and Ino and I exchanged glances.

"What do you think Sakura?" She asked, shrugging. Five pairs of eyes were on me in an instant.

Great…make me decide.

"Uhm…I mean. We don't want to impose…"

"Great! So you guys are staying!"

I turned to Ino, helpless, "Uhm. Okay, I guess."

Naruto yelled for about the tenth time, Kiba smiled, his skin tone suspiciously rosier than usual, Sasuke 'hnned' and Shikmaru didn't even look up.


"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Ino demanded, climbing into the bed we were supposedly sharing as of now. Or since five minutes ago.

I sighed, slouching further into the couch just across the mattress. Honestly, I didn't know what to think at the moment. I didn't know if this was a good thing or not. Part of the reason why Ino and I had left was to start fresh, pursue our passions—start a new chapter in our lives… And as much as I loved Naruto and Sasuke, I couldn't help feeling we were heading backwards instead of forwards.

"Oh Sak, talk to me."

I shook my head quickly, "It's not that, Ino. It's just…"

"Yeah?" she encouraged.

"This whole trip, I guess…I just wanted to…" I trailed off, not sure how to put it.

"I know this is uncomfortable. Even though Sasuke and Naruto are staying with us. Maybe we should go talk to them, I'm sure they'll understand."

I bit my lip and fiddled with my shirt, "But that's just exactly it. Naruto and Sasuke…they're from our childhood. Whenever I'm with them, I feel like that small incompetent little girl all over again." I blurted, running a hand through my hair.

I let my words settle but hurried to finish them when Ino opened her mouth.

"Don't misunderstand Ino, you know I love Naruto and Sasuke. They're basically my family. It's just…why do I feel so helpless when I'm around them? That helpless little girl I used to be. I don't want to be her anymore."

A wave of silenced passed through us. It took awhile before I could gather enough courage to glance up at my best friend.

Finally she spoke, "Is this about…what happened with Itachi?" Her words weren't accusing, but genuinely concerned.

I sucked in a breath. "I don't know. All I know is I never want to feel like that again."

Ino ran a hand through her hair, her sapphire blue eyes scrunched around the corners, "I understand."

"Maybe I'm being silly," I continued.

"No, I think that's legit." She replied, yawning involuntarily.

"You should get some sleep. It's been a long day."

"I'm not sleepy." She lied.

"Mmhm…we may be in a fight, but I think I still know how much sleep you require to function." I joked awkwardly, still aware that we were fighting.

Ino eyes widened a little, as if she had forgotten, "Look I just wanted to say that—"

"I'm sorry about—" we said in unison.

"Go ahead." Ino smiled.

"I was thinking…I'm sorry about our fight. It was completely immature of me and I think we should go." I said, "Plus, if Akatsuki is one of Japan's hottest bands…we should get the whole Japanese experience."

Ino snorted expectedly and I cocked my head in confusion.

Well, that's not the reaction I was expecting.

"I was just about to say the exact opposite." She grinned, "I was going to say that we should leave the Akatsuki out of our experience here."

I laughed, "Well, I disagree. We're going tonight. So rest up!"

"Ugh."

"G'nite sleeping beauty."

"You suck."


After quickly changing into more casual wear—jeans shorts and a white tank top—I slipped out our room, not surprised that Ino had already fallen asleep.

I swear that girl would sleep all day if she could. I'm sure her and that guy, Shikamaru, could bond over that.

"…just saying that you did not follow up on your word. The interview was promised to us!"

"Naruto! Watch your tongue, you idiot."

"Look, we tried. But the fact is, Akatsuki is on top—"

"NOT FOR LONG THEY WON'T!"

"INTERRUPT ME ONE MORE TIME, UZUMAKI, I DARE YOU."

"S-sorry…"

"Hah, loser."

That sounds like Kiba and Naruto. What the hell is going on in there?

Creeping down the hall, but making sure not to be spotted, I pressed myself against the cream colored wall.

"…is what they want. Fans demanded it."

I screwed my eyes at the unfamiliar female voice.

"We understand the predicament. But you must understand how we may feel about the situation. It was presented to us in the first place and then it was given over to the Akatsuki, yet no one even thought to inform us."

That sounds like Shikamaru.

"Where the hell is Gaara anyway? He should have some say in this!"

Definitely Naruto.

"You know exactly where he is. And I've already spoken to him."

"Damn Gaara! He's rolling with the ENEMY!"

"…I'm just going to ignore that. I came over here to apologize formerly to each and everyone of you. There's nothing we can do at the moment."

"Thank you for taking the time to come meet us."

"You're welcome…look, I am truly sorry. But it is what it is. And you have all got to remember that Shinobi and Akatsuki are part of the same company. You are not enemies."

"Hnn…others may disagree. And I'm not just talking about my band mates."

I smiled at the familiar sarcastic voice.

Something must've happened between their band and the Akatsuki…I wonder what it is.

"Uchiha, sibling rivalry has nothing to do with the fact that Shinobi and Akatsuki are working side by side."

"Oh I assure you, Tsunade. Petty rivalry has nothing to do with hostility between us."

"Anyway, we appreciate you coming to hear us out." Kiba said quickly.

There were shuffling noises and an awkward pause, "Well I should be on my way. Uzumaki, Uchiha; I need you two tonight. And I expect all of you tomorrow six am, sharp. We're on a tight schedule. Your grand debut is only a week away."

"We're very aware." Sasuke replied, "What do you need us for?"

Tsunade clucked her tongue, "Business dinner party. You know, the fun parts of being a band."

"Aw! I don't wanna go! Why can't Kiba go instead? Or Shikamaru?"

"Hey! There's no way I'm going. I went last time—boring as hell."

"We need the support." Tsunade replied simply.

"We'll do it." Sasuke answered.

"Good. I think you've gotten enough free time. Oh and one more thing."

"…"

"You should be careful who you have over. We had an extra pair of ears with us this evening."

What was she…?

Oh.

SHIT.

I felt my whole body seize in panic.

How did she know I was here?

Sheepishly I came out from my hiding spot, "I'm s-sorry."

I was face to face with a beautiful blonde lady who seemed to be in her early thirties. Her hair was arranged in a high bun and she wore a black business suit.

"Sakura?" Naruto inquired, "Did…you hear all that?"

"Uhm. Kind of?" I confessed, getting redder by the second.

"She's a family friend. We can trust her." Sasuke smirked.

"I assumed if you had let her stay with you, she could be." Tsunade said curtly, turning to the door, "Nice to meet you Sakura."

"Y-you too!" I called after her, wanting more than ever to crawl up in a hole and die.

When the door close behind her, Kiba spoke, "Well that was…fun."

"I can't believe this! I don't want to go to some stupid dinner!" Naruto seethed, apparently having forgotten I was in the room.

I debated what to do with myself. Maybe if I slowly back up towards my room I could disappear unnoticed…

"Suck it up. You don't have a choice. It's for the good of the band." Kiba yawned.

"THEN WHY DON'T YOU VOLUNTEER TO GO, SMARTASS?"

"So Sakura, what did you hear?" Shikamaru asked, his hard gaze set on me.

So much for that idea.

"Nothing, really. I didn't understand half the things you were talking about…" I mumbled, looking side to side nervously.

"We trust you won't speak of this to anyone."

"Shikmaru, you don't have to be so mean…" Kiba started.

"YEAH Shika! Sakura won't tell anyone!" Naruto said.

"Of course! I don't even have anyone to tell." I exclaimed quickly.

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru grumbled, "I need to sleep."

Everyone watched as Shikamaru exited the living room to his sleeping quarters.

"LAZY ASS." Naruto called after him. "Hey and where do you think you're going, Sasuke? You're the one who volunteered us!"

"Going to get ready, loser." Sasuke replied, as he made his way down the hall.

"JERK OFF!"

"You should get ready too." Kiba said, stifling a snort.

"But I wanted to hang out with Sakura and Ino!" Naruto whined.

I assuaged, "It's okay Naruto, we'll be seeing a lot of each other soon. We'll have plenty of time to chill together."

Naruto didn't seem convinced. I sighed, "It also sounds like a lot of important people are going to be there, you know, to help you guys become famous. I'm sure the Akatsuki had to do the exact same thing." I rambled.

I blushed when I realized I had just mentioned the worst possible example to convince him.

Naruto glared, "I hate them. They're all a bunch of posers."

I was surprised when Kiba's expression equally darkened, "Yah, for once I agree with you."

"Don't worry," I said quickly, "They're definitely not my favourite either."

It's not like you're going to their concert later tonight or anything. Such an idiot.

"So what are you guys planning to do?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Actually now that you mentioned it, I was about to take a shower and then get something to eat, wanna come Sakura?" Kiba asked.

"Sure, I'm kind of hungry. And I'm sure Ino will be too when she wakes up. I might pick something up for her."

"I hate you, Inuzuka."


Since I had a bit of time to spare while Kiba was showering, I decided to chill in the living room and see what was on TV. Turning on the screen, I flicked through the channels, trying to find something that looked remotely understandable and interesting. I paused when I saw a familiar face come up on screen modelling in a commercial of a clothing brand. I recognized him as the drummer of the Akatsuki band. I was more surprised to see that next to him was a boy who looked exactly like him. Only, he a bit shorter and his face looked younger. They had the same shade of vibrant red hair, and the same fair, pale skin. However, while their physical features looked alike, the older one seemed much for relaxed, as if he had been modelling all his life. His facial features were laid back, his brown seductive eyes framed by his long lashes in a way that was abated by his friendly smile. He looked much too friendly for a beautiful boy, I decided. He was definitely what Ino would describe as a pretty boy. The younger however, seemed more tense and there was a faint etch in between his green eyes, as if he were frowning with them. His presence strangely reminded me of another pair of brothers I knew.

He's got the whole 'broody' look going for him.

"That's Gaara and his cousin, Sasori." a voice spoke, startling me.

"Shit! Oh—sorry! You scared me." I giggled nervously.

"My apologies." Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah sure," I laughed, "Gaara...wait he's the band member we haven't met yet?"

"Correct." the younger Uchiha replied, sitting down next to me. His hair was wet—and I realized he had probably just gotten out of the shower.

There are five guys that live here...of course there are going to be more than one bathroom...idiot.

"Wait a sec. You said that's his older cousin? Is he the drummer for Akatsuki?" I double checked.

"Yes." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I—I've seen posters...and stuff." I covered up hastily.

My attention was brought back to the screen. The redhead cousins were now in very flattering jeans.

Then I remembered something, "By the way...does Gaara know Ino and I are staying here?"

Sasuke chuckled, "Yes. Naruto made sure to let him know."

I sighed in relief, keeping my gaze glued to the TV screen "Oh, that's good...and he's okay with us staying with you guys?"

When Sasuke didn't reply, I faced him.

I was met with his trademark smirk.

"W-What?"

"Sakura...I've known you for a little longer than that."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.

"You don't have to stay with us if that makes you uncomfortable." Sasuke said, amusement in his voice.

I blushed. "It's not what you think."

"I know. I just wanted to let you know."

I smiled, knowing that I didn't need to explain any further. Things had always been like this with Sasuke. Ever since I was little, he was able to read me like an open book. And not just me, he could read anybody he wanted. He always had a knack for things like that. It was one of the things I really appreciated about him.

"Thanks Sasuke." I beamed.

"Hn."

I rolled my eyes, leaning against him on the couch, "Have fun at your dinner thingy."

"Yeah. You're going out with Kiba later?" I could feel the vibrations of his voice against his chest.

"Yup, just grabbing food."

"I'm sure he'll be ecstatic either way." Maybe it was just me over thinking—like I always seemed to do—but I could've sworn there was a hint of jealousy somewhere in his tone.

Confused, I looked up at him, "You make no sense sometimes, you know that?"

I was taken aback at the sudden intensity of his smoky gaze. His eyes seemed to soften just a little, and I found myself staring endlessly. My subconscious dared me not to blink, as if I'd miss something if my eyes shut for even a mili-second.

"I know..." He breathed, keeping his inky eyes on mine.

What the hell? No... this is Sasuke we're talking about...NONONONONO.

I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't flutter at all, but there was just a line between us that I couldn't cross.

My eyes widened at the thought of anything even happening between me and him, yet I couldn't bring myself to look away.

Then slowly he leaned in...

My heart hammered against my chest.

...and smirked as he broke his gaze. His eyelashes fanning quite exquisitely across his cheekbones.

"Hey Sakura! Ready to go? Oh. Hey Sasuke." Kiba's voice shattered whatever moment I was having with Sasuke, and I was grateful for it.

I ripped my body away from Sasuke as if he were on fire, "Yeah, let's go! See you later Sasuke! Say bye to Naruto for me!"

How embarrassing was that? Avoid eye-contact, avoid eye contact...

"Hn."


-Ino's POV-

A tired groan escaped from my lips, "Sakura?"

Just as I was about to go look for her—I noticed my Blackberry flash red. Opening my BBM inbox I read a message from my missing friend.

Sakura Haruno / May 15th, 6:29 PM

HEY BABE. You're probably asleep right now...SIGH.
I'm just out with Kiba. NOT A DATE.
Getting food for your lazy ass! We'll be back soon.
Luh you!

I impatiently sighed, feeling my stomach turn with hunger—no way was I waiting for her to finish that non-date dinner. Since this was Sasuke's house along with the other boys...it would technically be mine as well. So, I would be allowed to ravish their fridge.

I swiped a finger under my eyes to erase any smudged eyeliner, then made my way to the (still very messy) kitchen. My blue irises scanned their moderately sized fridge...

...nothing.

Well, nothing that would satisfy my hunger. They had plenty of salsa, some expired milk, a couple boxes of left overs, and some beers. Great.

I heard the wooden floor creak behind me and assumed it was my step-brother.

"Sasuke, you have no food!"

A few moments passed and not even a 'hn'.

Confused, I turned.

This was definitley not my step-brother.

My eyes were immediately drawn towards the man's cold green orbs, his vivid red locks captured my interest as well. He had a small frame, but looked tough enough to beat up an army—which totally caused me to mentally swoon.

"Oh. I thought you were Sasuke, my bad." Was I blushing? I really hope not.

He stepped behind me slowly, as hot as he was...I felt scared.

"Sorry we don't have much to eat." He spoke, barely audible.

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't that hungry." A fake smile crossed my lips.

He looked at me for a second, then moved to lift the plastic bags he'd been carrying onto the counter, "I'm about to make stir fry. Would you like some?"

"Sure." I tried to seem nonchalant, yet grateful—though I'm pretty sure he could see through anything.

I moved to wash my hands, "So how can I help?"

"You can start by chopping up a red and yellow pepper." He instructed, then returned to putting away the groceries.

I did as told without any problems at all. To be honest, I never had too much experience in the kitchen...so cooking with a guy who really seemed to know his stuff was quite nerve wracking.

"Pass them over here." I handed him the bowl of neatly cut peppers. He tossed them into his mix of beef strips, celery, and onions.

I watched intently as he strategically mixed all the ingredients, along with some sauce he'd poured in. The stove was switched off a few minutes later and I decided to pull out two plates.

He nodded at me and took them, then proceeded to evenly divide his creation. Then, a small clump of white rice was added next to the stir fry.

"This looks amazing." I picked up one plate from the counter and sat down at the dining table, fork already in hand, "Thank you."

"Yeah." He replied shortly and sat across from me, "You're Sasuke's step-sister right?"

I nodded and swallowed, "Yup, I'm Ino."

"Gaara." He introduced himself finally.

The two of us ate in silence, and when my plate was half empty—something crossed my mind.

"You were at a photo shoot earlier, right?"

He looked up from his dish and nodded to confirm my statement.

"What was it for?"

The redhead shrugged carelessly, "Just for a clothing ad. My cousin and I do a lot of modeling together."

"Oh, lucky her." I joked.

"He's a guy." Gaara deadpanned.

So. STUPID.

I decided that moment that conversations with insanely hot and broody band members/models was not very fun. Though he was some amazing eye candy, I had to admit.

He finished his food first (obviously) and placed his plate in the sink.

"Want one?" I turned to see him holding out a bottle of beer.

I stood and placed my empty plate in the sink as well and took the dark bottle from him, "Thanks."

"So what are you guys doing in Tokyo?"

After taking a long swig of the bitter drink—I thought for a second, "Well. Sakura and I always talked about getting jobs in Tokyo together."

"I see." He nodded.

"So how did you meet Sasuke?"

"Through Naruto actually." He paused, probably remembering something, "Yeah, that's all there is to say."

I had a feeling that he wasn't being completely honest with me, but didn't press the subject. He seemed very intimidating, so I wouldn't dare. My mouth opened to say something rather pointless (just to keep up some conversation), when Sakura popped through the front door.

"We're back!" She announced spiritedly, Kiba trailing behind her.

I shifted my gaze towards her, "How was your date?"

Kiba's cheeks started to tint red and her expression immeditely turned sour, "It wasn't a DATE. We just grabbed some food—and brought you some!"

"Sure, and I already ate." I subconsciously peeked at Gaara out of the corner of my eye. Sakura glanced at the red head next to me, as if noticing him for the first time, then darted her emerald orbs back at me.

The brunette next to Sakura cleared his throat and met my gaze, "So I see you've met Gaara."

"Oh! You're that guy I saw on TV! I'm Sak—"

"—I know." A smirk grazed his lips.

I giggled at her stunned appearance.

"Hey should we go soon?" I twirled the end of my high pony tail, facing Sakura.

Surprise, anxiousness, and embarrassment stretched across her features.

"Where you guys headed?" Kiba's puppy-dog brown eyes were glazed with curiosity.

The rosette next to him spoke before I could even inhale, "Just out...walking...and stuff."

Uh, I thought we were going to the Akatsuki concert, but okay...

Kiba frowned, "It's pretty dark out, Gaara and I can go with you."

"I have other matters to attend to." And with a polite nod, the (deliciously hot) red head retreated to, what I believed, his room.

"It's alright! We just wanted to do some girl talk! Y'know..." I noted the way my best friend forced out a fake laugh. Her eye contact with the chocolate haired boy lasted about one second, then her attention was averted back to her blue and white striped wedges.

Girl talk...? What the hell is she doing?

"If you say so...I'll see you ladies later." A suspicious but amused look crossed Kiba's perfectly rounded face. Then, he wordlessly sauntered upstairs.

"What the hell?" I turned to face Sakura, extremely confused by her behavior.

The girl sighed heavily—the way she always did before sharing important information, "Well I heard the guys talking with their manager about Akatsuki...and I just feel like this is something we should keep from them."

"Alright." I agreed, not wanting to question the matter further. It made sense that letting Sasuke and them know where we were about to go was a terrible idea. After all...Itachi would be there, and that's more than enough to anger my step-brother.

We stepped out of the house quietly after grabbing our jackets.

An uncomfortable silence fell between us.

My mind raced with theories of what she heard.

"What exactly did you hear, Saks?" My vision never faltered from the pavement.

She pursed her lips thoughtfully, giving me the sense that she didn't really want to talk about it.

"I don't remember, really. None of it made sense to me."

I nodded, "Okay."

"So what was Gaara like?" Hearing his name so abruptly made my heart clench, and suddenly the uncomfortable silence disappeared.

"He was quiet. Very Sasuke-esque...but darker, if that's at all possible." I rolled my eyes at the though of my broody step-brother.

"Yeah I saw him earlier on TV..." She trailed off, her green eyes flashing with something different.

"...with his cousin, right?" I finished for her.

"Do you know who his cousin is?" Sakura bit her lip anxiously—obviously knowing.

I craned my head to stare at her, giving her a look that demanded the answer.

"Sasori No Akasuna."

The name was familiar. Someone from back home...? No then I would've heard of Gaara a long time ago.

"He's the drummer in Akatsuki." Sakura bluntly stated, not being able to keep it to herself much longer.

"No...way." For once, I stopped in my tracks to stare at her, a dumbfounded expression on my face.

"S-Sasuke told me." Sakura mumbled, and the way she stumbled over my step-brother's name did not go unnoticed.

What's with her?

"What else did Sasuke tell you?" I inquired, trying to pry whatever it is she was keeping from me.

I watched her fair skin redden as she avoided my gaze, "N-Nothing else. We just talked about Sasori and Gaara. We didn't have lots of time to catch up...he, um, had to go to a business dinner party with Naruto."

"So that's where they are." I nodded, "So...he didn't say anything or do anything..."

I felt Sakura jump next to me and I narrowed my eyes in suspicion.

"What are you—nothing! Are you implying something?" She stammered, her skin matching the shade of her hair.

"Nope. You just seem a little jumpy..."

"Oh! We're here! Look!"

A giant crowd of girls were gathered around a large stage.

This looks like the entire population of Japan over here...

Some crew members were setting up microphones and fixing lighting issues. Girls were screaming and chanting for Akatsuki to go onstage.

"I'm gonna grab us some drinks okay?" Sakura bee-lined for the concession stand while I was left to wander for a good spot. At this rate we were going to have to stand at the very back...

Twenty minutes passed and she still wasn't anywhere in sight. The fans were still screaming wildly, how they had the energy to do that was beyond me. I rolled my eyes and searched for a quiet spot to call her.

Wandering, blindly away from the crowd, I pulled out my phone.

Out of no where, my shoulder collided with something rock hard.

My eyes flicked up from the floor, only to be greeted with amused brown orbs, "My apologies."

"Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention..." He was beautiful, a little familiar, but just looking into his eyes sent waves of electricity down my spine. Though his crimson hair did remind me of Gaara.

"What brings you back here?" The man still had a smirk plastered on his entertained expression.

Something told me I wasn't allowed to be here.

"I was just trying to find somewhere quiet to call someone." I explained quickly, not wanting to get thrown out or anything.

"Don't worry, you aren't in trouble." He read the concern in my eyes perfectly, "Where are your seats?"

"Uh..." I fiddled with the hem of my top nervously.

Yeah I don't have seats, just popped by to see what all the hype is all about. Did I mention my asshole step-brother is in this band? Yeah.

We exchanged a long, long gaze. It almost seemed as if he were scrutinizing me, while I was admiring his stature. He was in a simple gray v-neck and dark denim, I was certain that he would still be able to pull off rags and turn them into a trend.

"Follow me." He pressed a hand against the small of my back. Warmth flooded the apples of my cheeks, and I twirled the ends of my hair—attempting to seem preoccupied.

Too caught up in my anxiety at how handsome this guy was, I never noticed where he was leading me to. There were two bouncers standing before us. They both nodded at the redhead and parted so we could enter a narrow, fenced off area.

Did he work backstage or something? Oh God, is he reporting me to security?

My worries were soon a memory when I stepped into a large, spacious glass room that resided basically in front of the stage.

"This..." I gaped at the luxurious booth presented to me. It included velvet black cushions and a modernly rounded table. Only a few people occupied the room, but they had their own seating further across where we stood.

"VIP." He shrugged casually, then whipped out his phone, "Gotta go. Enjoy the concert."

"W-Wait!" I stammered, unsure if I could trust the beautiful boy.

He turned around, and seemed to be interested at what I needed to ask him so badly.

"Why...did you...are you even allowed to let me in—"

"—let's just say you seem like a special fan."

Quite the opposite really.

And with a small smirk, he disappeared behind the two bouncers.

Sakura Haruno / May 15, 9:48 PM

WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU?
I LOOK LIKE A LOSER WANDERING AROUND HOLDING TWO DRINKS!

I snorted at the image of Sakura with that lost expression on her face.

Ino Yamanaka / May 15, 9:49 PM

Come to the front! The VIP section. Trust me and I'll explain later!

Right when she arrived to where our seats were the lights dimmed—and I could've sworn the fans screamed ten time louder.

"Ino!" I saw my bestfriend's eyes round like saucers, "How—What did you...—What the FUCK?"

What the fuck, indeed.


A/N: Hey everyone! It's Winter Psyche :) Thanks for all the lovely reviews/comments/suggestions. We know it's been way too long—our sincere apologies! Hopefully this chapter will somehowkindanotreally make up for the long, insufferable (or sufferable) wait. We hope you all are enjoying the sun!

tornupleather: We (or at least I) lost the inspiration to continue this story, but fortunately we are back on track and as obsessed as ever. :) We'll be trying to update more regularly, so hang with us.

PS. Our apologies for mistakes, we'll edit later when we're sober. (Haha jknotreally)