A/N: New characters in this chapter! Are you guys as excited as me? I doubt it, tbh.
SWEET LIKE CINNAMON
Chapter 4: Six Inches Under
Sasori sat cross-legged on the couch in the corner of Yahiko's garage. Deidara's guitar was propped against his stomach, and the blonde's hands were loosely gripping his own as they guided his fingers along the metal strings.
"See, Sasori? It's not hard, is it? Hm."
Sasori's mind was a bit hazy as to how he'd agreed to let Deidara teach him the basics of playing the instrument, but now the man's arm was around him and his chin was nested on his shoulder, and the redhead was doing all he could not to seem like he was affected by the proximity. Because he so wasn't.
That silver-haired street urchin was to blame for this. They'd all been waiting for Hidan to arrive to band practice for twenty minutes now, and, having nothing to do, Deidara offered to teach Sasori guitar. He'd agreed, but certainly not because he subconsciously wanted the older man's torso and hands draped over his own. No, of course not. The jerk smelled strange, anyway. Like musty pinecones and an overbalance of something distinct and herbal that Sasori had definitely smelled somewhere else before.
"I never said it was." Sasori deadpanned after a second, refusing to meet Deidara's gaze. Unaffected, the man next to him continued on.
"This is D," He explained, pressing Sasori's finger to a single string, and then he plucked it for emphasis."D, like... for Doll Face." He grinned and very gently bumped the boy's cheek with his nose, which caused Sasori to scowl.
"Deidara, I swear to God." He turned his hand over and sunk blunt nails into the side of Deidara's finger. Kisame snorted from the other side of the room. Yahiko shook his head.
"Smooth one, Dei."
"Pfft, not everyone is a pussy-magnet like you, Shark Boy."
Sasori looked up at the voice. The door that led into the garage was pulled open and Hidan was now standing there, hands on the hips of his track pants. He was smirking haughtily at the pale man. Sasori was ready to indignantly point out that he was not a pussy, but then something else grabbed his attention.
A young woman stepped in after Hidan. But not just any woman, oh no. She was blond, curvy, and fair-skinned, and her lengthy hair was drawn back into one of those dramatic Kim Kardashian ponytails. Sasori recognized her immediately(albeit he was finding it hard to believe she was even standing there, and on the arm of Hidan, at that). Ino Yamanaka. That was her name. She was one-third of that really popular J-Pop girl group, the one with the catchy songs and the sultry, scarily in-sync dance moves. Sasori didn't care to place the name, but he was still pretty damn stunned by her presence.
"Oh, Ino!" Deidara's voice startled him. He felt his chest rumble when he spoke. "You came to visit your big cousin, hm? I'm flattered!"
He saw Ino roll her eyes, and Sasori suddenly became aware that they were the same, azure hue as Deidara's.
...Cousin? Wait, backtrack. These two are...?
His head turned to Deidara, a disbelieving look on his face. It was odd enough that there was a J-Pop artist standing in Yahiko's garage. But what was even more baffling was that no one even seemed fazed. They'd all just reacted like her being there was nothing out of the norm. Sasori squinted and moved the guitar off his lap.
"I come bearing gifts!" Ino spoke in her high voice and pointed a French tip to the bag she was holding.
"Food," Hidan enthused, an arm sliding around Ino's shoulders. "My girl knows what's up."
His girl? Mild surprise crossed Sasori's face as Ino reached into the bag and pulled out a packet of taiyaki treats. She held it out to the raven-haired man standing next to the foosball table.
"These are for you, Itachi! You'll probably need to heat them up, but I know how much you like them."
"They're fine like this, thank you." Itachi smiled appreciatively and swiped the sweets from her hand. "Ah..." He mused, "Brings me back to when Dei and me used to bake homemade taiyaki in junior high..." It seemed like the muttered statement was directed more to himself than anyone as he pulled off the plastic packaging. Sasori couldn't help but giggle inwardly at the thought.
"The rest are Subway sandwiches," Ino announced, "You guys can decide amongst yourselves which ones you're gonna eat. I got more than enough!"
"...Actually bae," Hidan cleared his throat, scratching the side of his cheek, "I ate a few of 'em on the way here, remember?"
The redhead cringed. What is with these people and calling their significant others such gross things? Ugh.
"No biggie, Pookiebear." Ino cooed. She looped her arm around his middle and smiled up at the man.
Oh my God. This is unreal. Sasori was still having difficulties wrapping his mind around the fact that Ino Yamanaka was standing there, but apparently she was dating that creep too? And she called him... Pookiebear? Perhaps for the first time in his life, Sasori didn't know how he was meant to react to a situation. But then, this wasn't exactly normal was it? He looked over his shoulder at Deidara and cursed himself for the comfort that seeped into his chest when the blonde smiled at him.
"Are you gonna say hi to our new Konan, Ino? Jeez." Sasori felt a hand resting on the top of his head.
Ino met his eyes and she straightened, stepping a little ways away from Hidan. She seemed to brighten considerably when she saw Sasori. "Omigod, I'm sorry! Sasori, that's your name, yeah?" She practically shoved Hidan aside as she pranced over, clapping her hands together. "I'm Ino, from GIRL3! Dei and Itachi both told me you were a cutie, but woah!"
...Itachi said I was cute?
Sasori squinted, brows furrowed, then after a pause he stuck out his hand. "Hello. S'nice to meet you, Ino." He managed, taking her expectedly warm hand in his own and shaking it. Ino smiled, and he noticed that it was the same smile Deidara wore on his own lips.
"How long have you been in the band?" She asked.
Deidara reached over and lifted the bag from her grasp. "One of these better have barbeque pork. Hm." He peeked inside, eyes gleaming curiously.
"Just be grateful that I bought you food, stupid." Ino hissed."You've been living with Itachi a little too long."
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean, hm?!"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Ino rolled her eyes, then turned back to Sasori. She perched herself on the other side of him on the couch and leaned her palms on her thighs. "So?"
"It's been... two weeks now." The redhead said slowly, turning his body so Deidara wasn't in his line of sight.
It was Yahiko who spoke next. "He's coming along quite nicely, Ino. His vocals are unparalleled."
A very subtle smile took Sasori's lips at the praise. That's right.
"Woah, really?" The blond girl gushed and latched herself onto Sasori's arm. "That's great! It actually brings me to the other reason I came. I kinda have a... proposition for you guys."
"Proposition?" Itachi propped his elbow on the bar and rested his cheek on his hand. "What is it?"
"Well," Ino tilted her head, "My birthday's coming up next Tuesday. The twenty-third."
"Yeah, you won't stop reminding us." Deidara grunted.
"And you know my party's the following Saturday." She mused, beaming, "And you guys are all invited."
Deidara grabbed a sub and began pulling it from the paper wrapping. "How's this a proposition, hm?"
Ino narrowed her eyes at her cousin. "Would you shut it and let me finish? Ugh - anyway, so, I was gonna get Ichigo Flavor to play but they're doing a show earlier that day. So... will you guys take their place?"
Sasori's eyebrows raised. Ichigo Flavor was gonna be there? He vaguely knew of them. They were another mainstream J-Pop group, and he was sure they were under the same label as GIRL3. The only two members Sasori could clearly identify in his mind were Sakura, the lead singer, and Shikamaru, the sexy bassist with the perpetually jaded look on his face. He knew Sai had an infatuation with one of the other members, but Sasori couldn't remember the guy's name. Not that he really cared, either. Curiously, he looked at Deidara and watched as he bit into the end of the sandwich.
"Like," The redhead blinked, "At a real celebrity party?"
"Yep!" Ino let go of his arm and turned on the couch so they faced each other. "Are you okay with that Sasori? Do you have any experience performing on stage?"
"It can't be that difficult, can it?" Sasori's head tilted some. No, he hadn't any experience but he was confident enough, and had never really suffered from stage fight.
"We should totally fuckin' do it." Said Hidan, a toothy grin on his face.
Kisame nodded in agreement with Hidan. "It'd be good exposure. What do you think, Leader?" He turned his head to Yahiko and arched his brow.
Yahiko hummed, touching a finger to one of the metal bars in lip. "We should consult Kabuto first. But that certainly sounds like a great idea to me."
Sasori felt a hand on his shoulder and he glanced up. Deidara was looking at him, concern etched onto his face. "This... isn't too much for you is it?"
"Why would it be?" Sasori gently shrugged his hand away and turned back to Ino."I think it's a splendid idea."
"Ichigo Flavor's gonna be there, right?" Itachi asked.
"Of course." Ino smiled and nodded. "They wouldn't dare miss my birthday. I'd kill them."
Sasori noticed Deidara stiffen. Itachi's gaze shifted to the blonde and he sat down his food, a flicker of worry in his eyes. "Deidara? Are you alright with that?"
Hidan snorted. "Oh no. We ain't giving up a great opportunity for some personal shit like that, Dei."
"...Personal?" Sasori blinked up at Deidara, watching his face change. The blonde scoffed and waved his hand in front of his face dismissively.
"You guys actually think I'm still dwelling on that? Pfft, no. Hm."
Itachi's expression didn't waver. Even Ino seemed a bit perturbed as she began picking at the denim fabric of her jeans.
"Deidara..."
"I'm over it, seriously." The blonde growled.
" If he says he's over it, he's over it. Fucking hell." Hidan sighed loudly.
Sasori's eyes squinted together. He studied Deidara closely, teeth sinking into his bottom lip.
"What was that about?" He asked after a second, when the conversation topic shifted.
Deidara grunted his reply. "Nothing you need to worry about, baby doll." A slight smile took his lips as he looked down at him. "People just don't seem to understand me when I say something's not a big deal and I'm over it. Hm." He reclined back on the couch, his feet kicking up on the coffee table with a heavy sigh.
But Sasori wasn't convinced. There was obviously something he wasn't telling him, and although he felt an urge to press further, the glint in Deidara's eye said it wasn't a comfortable topic to discuss. The redhead grumbled in frustration and sneakily swiped the uneaten half of Deidara's sub.
"Fine then. If you won't tell me, I'll be taking this."
"Oi!" Deidara yelped and reached for the food, only to have it lifted out of reach. "I had plans to eat that!"
Sasori grinned to himself, completely ignoring the whimpering sounds the blonde made as he bit into it.
"Stop complaining." His voice took a playful tone and his gaze darkened. "You don't want to ruin those abs, do you? A six-inch is more than enough."
"Oh, Dei knows all about six-inches."
Sasori looked up and saw the grossly smug look on Hidan's face. Suddenly, the boy was intrigued.
"Pardon?" He quirked his eyebrow.
"Oh," Hidan snickered, "I'm talking about-"
"Hidan." Deidara straightened, his nails digging into the armrest as he sent him a threatening glare. "Do not."
Itachi smirked to himself and began absently picking at his fingernails.
"...It's not that big is it?" Kisame chuckled, "Wait- Hidan, why do you even know the exact size?"
"What can I say? I'm observant."
"More like a raging fucking pervert. Hm."
Sasori's wine-colored eyes shifted to Deidara. The blonde's face was a deep shade of red and he was gritting his teeth together.
"Wait," The boy held up his hand, "What's six inches..?" Honestly, if it was concerning Hidan Sasori had more than a few ideas, but he was rather enjoying this flustered look on Deidara's face and wanted to provoke him further.
Hidan grinned at him. "Tachi's dick."
Well. That certainly wasn't what he was expecting.
Both Deidara and Ino sunk their heads into their hands. Kisame and Yahiko sniggered. Hidan laughed, and Itachi's features seemed to soften slightly.
"Hidan please..." The Uchiha tucked his side-bangs behind his ears. "You're making me bashful."
Sasori was debating whether to feel disgusted or grateful for the information. He wanted to ask why Hidan even knew something that personal, but then, this was Hidan. And he was sort of afraid of the answer. Sasori glanced at Deidara again and saw the desperate look on his face.
"You unbelievable prick." The blonde groaned, "Don't you dare say any more."
"There's more?" The redhead's curiosity perked. He leaned forward on the couch and looked at Hidan expectedly. "I demand you elaborate."
"...Please, Sasori..." Deidara whimpered and leaned into Sasori's side, gripping onto his arm. "How can you even be interested in something like this?"
Itachi smiled slightly. "Relax, Deidara. Sasori's a member of the band now, it'd be wrong to keep it from him."
"Yeah, man," Hidan agreed, "Everyone already knows, so why're you getting so worked up? We're family."
"That makes it even worse." Deidara sighed ruefully.
Ino heaved sigh of her own and shook her head. "You guys." She placed a hand on Sasori's shoulder and looked at him, blue eyes unwavering.
"Deidara and Itachi fucked in high school. There, it's said."
Sasori's eyes widened. His jaw went slack as he let the words register in his mind. Deidara and Itachi. Fucked...? Oh my freaking- Somehow, this wasn't that hard to picture. He looked to Deidara, watched him glare down at his lap. Itachi was completely unaffected by the statement. He'd already resumed his game of Candy Crush Saga on his iPhone.
Sasori stunned everyone in the room and laughed.
He gripped his stomach, leaning forward as loud howls of mirth escaped his lips. "Oh.. oh, my God," The redhead cried, his breathing labored, "You... you're serious? HA. HAHA."
After a moment passed, he felt a hand squeeze his arm. Sasori took a second to allow himself to compose, drawing in deep, steadying breaths and he looked up. Deidara was staring at him with a downright pitiful look in his eyes.
"It's not funny, Sasori! Hm!"
"...It actually is. It really is." Sasori wiped his eye with his finger and straightened on the couch. "I'm assuming you bottomed, right?" He smirked to himself and took a small bite of the forgotten sub.
Deidara gasped, his cheeks darkening as he glanced to the side and folded his arms defensively.
"Why the fuck would you assume something like that? Hm!"
"Yep. That's all the answer I need."
Itachi licked over his lip piercing and smiled fondly at the blonde. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Deidara."
"...But wait..." Sasori looked between the two men, his smirk broadening as his hand lifted. "Dare I ask, but how did this even happen?"
Deidara sighed, mumbling under his breath, "It was storming, we were stoned. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers was playing. S'all you need to know, hm."
"Hah."
Sasori shut his eyes and let the imagery fill his mind. He wouldn't deny, it was pretty nice to imagine. He leaned back on the couch and his lids lifted again.
"That's actually... pretty hot." The redhead admitted quietly.
Deidara grunted, and Itachi's smile grew.
There was a distinct sound of a palm smacking onto something hard. Sasori looked over and saw that Yahiko was staring at them, an annoyed look plastered onto his pierced face.
"Alright, enough." He said, gruffly, "This is band practice. Not a damn sleepover full of a bunch of gossipy high schoolers. We need to prepare seriously if we're to do our best next weekend, right?"
Hidan rolled his eyes muttered under a breath. "Dude, don't try and act like you weren't in on this too."
"Quiet, Hidan."
Sasori felt the weight on the couch shift. He looked up and saw that Ino had stood, her hands dusting at the backs of her thighs.
"If you guys are gonna practice, I guess I should leave, yeah?" She tilted her head.
Hidan watched her stand with longing eyes. "So soon, babe?"
Kisame snorted. "You know if she's here you won't be able to focus."
"M'sorry, hon." Ino stepped over to Hidan he grabbed her, his hands resting just over the curve of her backside. Sasori looked away when they kissed, but he could still very clearly hear the sounds their mouths made when they moved together, and he scrunched his nose in disgust.
"Get a room." Deidara seemed to speak Sasori's thoughts as he watched them, his eyes narrowing.
Hidan pulled away from her and smirked. "This is a room, stupid."
"Fuckin' obnoxious."
Sasori rolled his eyes and returned his attention to his food. He bit into the sandwich, chewing slowly and turning a bit so was leaning against the armrest with his legs stretched out. His feet gently nudged the side of Deidara's thigh. Deidara turned to him, pierced brow raising.
"Seriously, Sasori? This isn't your house, hm."
Sasori shrugged, a wry smile taking his lips as his legs kicked out and rested over Deidara's lap.
"If you're gonna sit there, you might as well be useful." He shrugged.
Deidara looked like he was about to say something to that, but then he sighed in resignation and settled for sticking his tongue out at him instead. He picked up the other half of his sandwich and began to eat.
"You better be lucky you're cute. Hm."
"Yo, Deidara! We're about to spark up, you comin' or nah?"
Deidara leaned against his headboard, hands resting on his stomach as he looked down at the notebook balanced on his thighs.
"You guys go ahead," He called back, "I'm working on a new song."
"Songwriting is easier when stoned, yanno." He could practically hear the smirk in Hidan's muffled words. Deidara chuckled and shook his head, tracing the tip of his finger over the lines of the paper.
"The way your stare starts to tear me,
My mouth is too dry not to drink this poison."
Deidara bit his lip. Shit, that's good. He looked to his left, at the silver birdcage that sat atop his desk and smiled towards the parakeet that was perched on the artificial tree branch.
"So whaddya think, Cheepers? It's a good song, yeah?"
The bird 'eep'ed and bowed his head. Deidara laughed.
"...Is it about someone in particular? Tch, maybe. Hm." It definitely was.
Outside his room, Deidara could hear the muffled start of Gambino's "Crawl", and he caught a faint whiff of a joint.
"Open the window," He heard Itachi say, "Cheepers'll get sick."
Deidara turned on his side and grabbed his led pencil off of the bedside table. He was about to fill in the rest of the stanza, but then he thought of something and looked back at his bird.
"Cheepers, let me tell you about this kid." Deidara grinned when the bird tilted his head.
"His name is Sasori Akasuna, hm." He said, "He's got red hair - you know how I like 'em - and he's got the eyes of a chain smoker. But heck." The blonde paused, sitting up a little in his bed and wrinkling his nose in the direction of the bird. "No, listen. He's adorable, like the cutest kid I've ever seen, hm."
His eyes shifted down to what he'd written, and he reread the lines a few times. "These lyrics, I guess they're how I feel when he's around, y'know? He fucks me up, Cheepers, and my chest gets all jumbled. Feels like I'm underwater. Hm."
The bird began to chip loudly, and Deidara huffed.
"I know, it's insane. I haven't known him for that long, but you see what he does to me, hm?" Deidara rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling fan. "At first... it was just infatuation 'cos he was hot. But now.. I think I might like him. For real."
He folded his hand over his chest. "Feels like I'm six inches under. Actually, fuck, that's a great name for the song, isn't it? Yeah.." With a smile, Deidara turned over again and scribbled three words over the top of the page in hurried script.
Six Inches Under.
A/N: Kabuto is their manager btw!
