"Sit wherever you'd like. I'll be right back."
Sai looked around the dimly lit room and slowly perused the apartment. Like Sai, Deidara was also an Arts Major and it showed, though his medium centered on sculpting. There were busts and figurines everywhere, all varying in sizes. The biggest one stood as tall as his ceiling and was pushed into a corner.
He found an empty spot near the window and looked out to the scenery. A waning moon hung high, giving off as much of its florescent light as it could to the stretch of land below. It gave off a certain beauty that under different circumstances Sai would have brought his tools to capture it in painting.
But that thought just reminded him of the situation at hand. It wasn't normal. Not for him. The walk over to Deidara's house had calmed him just a little, but his mind kept replaying Naruto's words over and over like a broken record and he wasn't sure how long he could stand the mental harassment.
What had he been to Naruto all this time then? His words always seemed genuine, his attitude was never one of reproach, but could it be that all this time everything he had said, everything he had done to befriend him was a lie? Would he never be wanted? Not even as a friend?
Before he could dwell on his thoughts further, Deidara strode back in, a few things in hand.
"I'm going to ask you again, Sai," he said as he dragged a chair closer to the couch. The blue of his eyes were hidden beneath the darkness, but the intensity of his stare was, nevertheless, palpable. "Do you want to forget for a while?"
Sai followed Deidara as he stalked off again to switch the lights on, inundating the room with artificial brightness. He now had a better visual to the objects in the blond's hands.
He nodded almost mechanically. "Yes, I do."
Deidara grinned like a Cheshire Cat. "Give me your arm."
Sai extended the asked appendage, flinching slightly when it was caressed.
"You're fucking pale. I don't think I need this." He tossed the tourniquet to the side and slapped the inside of the elbow instead.
"The advantages of being pale, yeah?" Deidara raised his eyes and took a few seconds to study the man before him. Sai stopped looking at where his veins stood out like a bulls eye when he felt his gaze.
"Are you sure?"
"This will make the feelings go away," he simply stated. He knew what was about to be done. He wasn't naïve, but his bravado didn't stop the trembling.
"Yeah, for a short while, but sometimes that's all you need."
Sai pressed his arm forward and it made the blond chuckle. "I need you to stop shaking first. C'mon, babe. Relax."
"What is it?"
"Hmm?" Deidara was so absorbed in watching the flesh quiver, he didn't hear the question.
"What are you putting in me?"
"Ah. A small dose of heroin. Works wonders for a couple of hours."
"What about when it goes away and I still feel the same?" Sai watched the needle as it hovered millimeters from his skin, wondering if it was sterile.
"Well then, you're welcome to come back to me for another fix." Slapping the skin once more for good measure, Deidara got the sanitary wipe, disinfected the area and injected the substance into Sai's system.
He didn't even flinch at the slight pinch.
It wasn't long until every muscle in Sai's body began to relax. The look of euphoria slowly started to show on his face and his foggy eyes drooped to a close as he leaned his head to the side and sagged against the back of the couch.
Deidara just stared at him for a long while, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. After a few minutes, he raised a hand and ran it gently through the black locks of hair.
"Hey Sai?"
"Hmm?" Heavy lidded eyes turned to him in question.
"Will you model for me?"
There was a long moment before Deidara caught the glimpse of a smile and a brief nod.
"Come on, gorgeous." He lifted Sai up by a hand and led him to a closed door. He turned and stood chest to chest with the smaller man.
"But first…" He rested both hands on slim hips, running them up and beneath the thin shirt, lifting it along. Suavely, he pulled it over Sai's head and blue eyes roamed along the expanse of white, velvety skin presented to him.
The drugged man let the touches happen without a fuss or flinch. In fact, he was reveling at the contact.
The blond let his gaze linger on the perfection before him, hungry eyes darting back to Sai's face and smiled when black orbs finally met his. "You'll be my final masterpiece." Gently, he grabbed Sai's hand and tugged him inside the locked room.