I hate chatspeak, by the way. But it's so much easier to type like that when texting, isn't it? I tend to use the same grammar and spelling I use when writing normally, though when I want to send something fast, I'll use 2 for two and skip out on the punctuation…
By the way–the chapter titles are much like Is There a Ghost–based off of a song. But it's not by Band of Horses. It's by The Blakes. Pretty cool song, actually. Not as cool as Stars and Boulevards, by Augustana. Or I Wish It Would Rain, by Wreckless Eric. Or Our Swords, by Band of Horses. But still, it's pretty cool.
So anytime you see a regular non-exclamation titled chapter, it's a song title. And it'll most like have a pt1 or pt2 with it.
This chapter was actually going to be the last chapter, but I decided I'd like to show Shino off a little in the chapter after one that centered around Kiba. We'll just sandwich some hetero-love between two chapters of gay. (Plus it matches the last two-parter.)
Can you believe I started to write this chapter before the other one? That's why I had to scramble to figure out how Kiba could've missed Shino's calls. I decided on giving Akamaru something to jam to, though. I'm not really into bands like The Chemical Brothers, but I will admit some of their stuff is pretty neat. I could see Kiba listening to stuff like trip hop and club-music. I mean, he's a club-hopper, right? Ha ha. Actually, Neji's more of the club-fiend in this universe. Kiba just frequents Ice. And couldn't you all see Neji being a total badass at raving? What with his Palm Technique? He'd blow people's minds!
Oh, and as for the last chapter and TenTen's past: I'm sorry if I made Rock Lee sound like a son of a bitch and made Sakura sound like a total bitch-face. I didn't mean to. I mean, we all know she's far more bearable than Ino, right? I can really only ever stand her for humor purposes, though. So this is one of my first one where she's got more of a serious role… It's tough writing about her instead of Hinata. Ugh. I like writing Hinata more than Sakura. And Ino, for that matter. TenTen will always be my favorite, though. :D Oh, and Rock Lee is probably–besides Chouji–one of the nicest guys in the show, so I apologize for making him sound like a shithead, too. But trust me, they both get nicer in the chapter after this. (Yes. That means Sakura will be making an appearance.)
There's some slight spoilers for Kankurou and his puppets, so if you don't know about where he got them, deal with it. I can't really take it out, since it's imperative to understanding how Sasori's views on art differ with Deidara's and is necessary on his views in general.
Um…and I'm not quite sure what the purpose of sanding metal would be… Perhaps trying to make it look aged? Whatever. Just roll with Sasori. He's an artist, and artists are always…weird.
Oh…and about Sasori's past. I don't want to say what's different with my version of his past because it might spoil Shippuden for too many people. I'm trying to remember if the old lady was his grandmother or Gaara's grandmother. Ah, well. It doesn't really matter does it? Sasori looks like he could be Gaara's long-lost father anyway…
Must Love Dogs
Scene 11
He woke up at noon the next day, feeling like shit. His head was throbbing, pulsating, pounding. He put a hand to it and Akamaru barked happily as he trotted over. The sharp jolt of a knife rending his skull in twain shot through the middle of his head, and he groaned.
Akamaru whimpered, sidling up closer and putting his face in Kiba's chest. Kiba patted the dog lightly, standing up slowly. Where was he last night? How'd he wind up back home? Akamaru bounded into the kitchen and came back with his favorite jacket in his large jaws.
He remembered he'd talked with Deidara for a while, and he'd agreed to… His face paled, and the dog bumped his head into his chest until Kiba finally turned to him.
"Akamaru…" He whispered. "This isn't time for a walk… I think I might have herpes…"
The dog bumped into his chest again, and Kiba grabbed the jacket from the mutt's hands, thoroughly aggravated–his head was hurting, and he couldn't even remember what he'd done with Deidara or how he got home. "Enough with that, boy!"
The sounds reverberating off the windows caused another shockwave of pain, and he doubled over. A small object clattered against the floor and his head throbbed again. He turned in pain, seeing his cell phone lying on the ground. He picked it up, looking at it: He'd received a message.
He looked over at Akamaru, who nudged his neck affectionately. He smiled. "Sorry I yelled at you, boy. I thought you wanted a walky." He looked at the message, his jaw dropping. How had Deidara gotten his number??
'Nuthin hapnd btwen us, yea. Talk to sasori. Hell help w/ ur strayt problem. And i ttly dont have hrpes"
He stared at the message. Sasori…Sasori… The blond had mentioned something about a man named Sasori earlier… He lived in the uppermost studio in that building Deidara lived in, didn't he? He gulped. How could he possibly help with his 'straight' problem, anyway? The man didn't know anything about Shino…
Either way, the prospect that he could be of any help sure did give him the incentive to down a few pills of Aspirin and leave the house. He made sure to play with Akamaru a little bit before he left–as much as his head would allow–and soon he was walking out of the building.
Up on the topmost level, at the penthouse suite, Akamaru started to bark as the home phone started to ring. It rang three times and stopped. And then…from the coffee table where he accidentally left it, Kiba's cell phone started to vibrate.
The Chemical Brothers started playing, and Akamaru relaxed, bobbing his head to the music. The second the song cut off, he went right back to barking.
–––––––––––––––
He gulped, staring up at the building before him. He'd gotten lost on the way, but an old lady was kind enough to point out the right way, and after it started to look familiar, he knew he was in the right place. There it was–Deidara's studio was on one of those floors. As he walked to the front door, the sight of blond hair made him freeze.
It was Deidara, and he was stretching a little. He noticed Kiba, his face going from tired to thoroughly pleased. "Oh, if it isn't my new boy toy…"
Kiba groaned. "Wh-what happened? You said nothing happened…" He rubbed his head, feeling like shit. Deidara place a gentle hand on his shoulder, pursing his lips together.
"The some six minutes were wonderful, Kiba. But I got as far as your belt buckle and you shouted out Shino's name faster than a poor art nerd having an orgasm to the head-footballer's photo, yeah? Sorry. We could have had something great, though…"
He went red, bringing his hands to his face to hide his inflamed cheeks. "Wh-What? I…I called out Shino's name!? You can't be serious!!"
"Only to get me to stop…which I totally regret now, yeah… But…it reminded me so much of myself, and I couldn't help myself! I had to get my Sasori to help you and your…plight. At least…I hope he helps, yeah?"
Kiba nodded, taking a deep breath. "Y-Yeah… …Yeah…" He looked down at the concrete beneath him. He'd gotten in real deep, hadn't he? Now he was thinking about Shino when he was with other men…and Shino was totally straight, so he may never get over him… He looked up at Deidara. "Things are going to be okay though, right?"
Deidara nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Sasori always helps when asked nicely. Just tell him your little…" He went pink, giggling. "…cruuush…is straight, and you might be pleased with his response…" He laughed. "Oh, this is so adorable… You're so young and in love!"
"I'm turning thirty in…like…two weeks or so."
Deidara's face fell. "What? Thirty– are you serious!? I totally thought you were twenty-two at most, yeah? That's so gross! I almost never go for guys that old!"
Kiba just gave him a drained look, putting a hand to his head and wincing as a truck drove by and blared its horn right in his ear. He looked back at the older man. "You have standards?"
"I stopped when you asked me to, didn't I?" He looked offended. "I'm not as big of a sleaze as Itachi, yeah. That bastard would rape you without a second thought. His only soft spot is his brother, though I think he'd do him to if he had the chance. That loony…" He tossed Kiba a wink. "But you will always be my favorite challenge, Kiba. Don't forget that, yeah? Now go up there and tell my Sasori about your problem!" He pranced off down the street, all decked out in a little smock and everything, looking like he was off to some art show of some sort.
Kiba just shook his head, going into the building and over to the elevator. He always hated elevators in places like this. They always felt like a prison. He closed the gate and pushed in the button for the top floor. The doors closed and he started going up.
He reached the top floor and got off, walking down the hall to a single door. He figured it was Sasori's because it was the only one with sounds coming from it–loud, sanding sounds. He knocked on the door, but it slammed open, a man wearing a strange cat hat and stage make-up slamming into him.
"Get the hell out of my way, kid!"
His head hit the wall behind him and he practically gasped, the pain was so intense. The man ignored it, storming down the hall. He watched the man go, staring at that…black…cat hat… Weird guy…
He stood and walked in, trying his hardest to not dash out of there as the pain bouncing around in his skull reached maximum from all of the noise inside. There was a man sanding a giant scorpion-looking puppet. A large metal tail curled up in the air, and he went over toward it. "Uh…are you…Sasori…?"
The man immediately stopped sanding and went over to the body of it, where there was some delicate-looking machinery. He messed with a few wires, and Kiba came closer, underneath the tail. "Um… Hello? You're S-Sasori, right?"
"Mind the tail."
Before he could finish his sentence, the tail came crashing down, nearly crushing Kiba. The younger man gasped, leaping over to the window and nearly hitting his head again. He looked over at the man–the redhead–, as if he was crazy. "What the hell!? I can't go anywhere in this place without nearly getting run over or squashed like a bug! Who the hell was that guy back there, anyway!?"
"A prick." The older man sighed, combing his fingers through his scraggly ruddy hair. "Just ignore him. He was interested in making puppets. All he'll ever be good at is handling them. He's got no talent. I told him that, so he got angry and stormed out." Finally, he turned to him. "Are you interested in puppets? Are you like him? Do you like my puppets so much and wish to make your own? It takes more than just creativity. It takes logic. You have to know how they move, how they act, you have to make them…just right. Just…tweak them so that they grow with the user… It's a delicate process… Too delicate for that sad sack back there…"
Kiba's interest piqued. "Who…Who was that guy back there?"
"…" He looked up at the ceiling, thoughtful. "Sadly, nowhere near as known as he should be. He's big with Broadway productions, but the ones he's a part of always wind up never selling out…no matter how well the puppetry is in them. He commissions me for puppets all the time. My puppets were what first got him into choreography and the like–puppet handling, stage prop design… He's probably the closest to my expectations when he handles the puppets I make. It's as if he understands each and every one of them… But he'll never be as good as the maker. And that's why he wanted to make his own…but his designs were shit. They were just showy, not functional at all… I once made a puppet that could actually spit water out of its mouth. He didn't understand the process it took for me to come up with that at all… He figured it would be easy…" A small smile made its way to his face. "I wonder if it's that black cat on his head… Poor guy is pretty unlucky…" He turned to Kiba, extending his hand slowly.
"Sasori."
Kiba smiled lightly, taking it. This guy was freaky as shit. He'd never met anyone this…well, it always looked like he had ulterior motives. He looked so evil. He laughed nervously, shaking Sasori's hand and immediately drawing it back, to the back of his head.
Sasori walked over toward the kitchen sink. "You have a hang-over, I suspect… Must've been why you weren't listening to me when I told you to mind the tail. Or why you winced while I was sanding…"
Kiba smiled lightly. "No," He thought. "It's because you were trying to kill me, you freak…" He walked over, accepting the coffee after giving it a good sniff. He took a sip, tasting almonds, and nearly spit it out. He stared at Sasori wide-eyed, and Sasori finally put a hand over his lips, stifling a chuckle.
"Do I frighten you? You think I gave you something laced with arsenic, don't you? I'm not going to kill you… Maybe that shit that just left…or maybe that brat of a brother of his, but I only seem angry because I hate talent-less sops like that…" He poured himself a cup, downing nearly the entire thing. "There. Now if you die, I go with you."
Kiba took a few steps back, looking for something to sit on. The only thing around was the bed, and he'd rather die than sit down there. He laughed a little, thoroughly freaked out. "…I'm not here for puppets…"
Sasori gave a deep sigh of relief, his demeanor changing entirely. "That's a relief. I thought you were here about the deadline for that piece of crap over there." He pointed to the scorpion-looking thing. "I was hoping I'd scare you away and bide myself a few more months…" He set the mug down on the table, hoisting himself up next to it. He pointed to the table nearby, the one without chairs. "Well, take a seat…"
Kiba stared at him for a long moment before he jumped up on the table, swinging his legs a little. This guy was just as eccentric as Deidara. He supposed it had something to do with the whole…art…thing…
Sasori's face perked. "Do you like the coffee? It's my own special blend."
Kiba paled. "Uh…y-yeah? You…you made it yourself?" He sniffed the coffee mug again, suspicious. He'd heard somewhere that a slight amount of arsenic killed, but a whole bitch-load of it produced more of a medicinal effect… He downed the whole mug, his heart feeling like it was going to give out.
The man gave him a bright smile. "Yes. I took some Folger's coffee and mixed it with one of those special blends by Starbucks. One with almonds. It tastes nice, and has twice the amount of caffeine as both of them by themselves. Keeps me up all hours of the night so I can get my work done." He yawned a little, taking another big gulp. "Sometimes it doesn't work and I wake up a day later to find I've gotten nothing done. The studio's in shambles and I discover Deidara came in and stole some of my tools for his own use."
Kiba's jaw dropped. "A whole day??"
"Not really. But it feels like that, especially when the dead-line for that thing is coming up. Every hour counts…" He peered at him, looking him over. "You wouldn't happen to know Deidara, would you? You look like the type of guy he messes around with for kicks…"
Kiba smiled. "Actually…I do know him."
Sasori groaned. "That guy has no understanding of art. He thinks art is better short-lived. He spouts out garbage about the frailty of life and how it represents the strangle-hold of time! Ha! He doesn't know what real art is. Real art stands the test of time; it lives on even after the creator dies. Art like that… Art like that gives the creator immortality… Raphael! Ghiberti! Oh, and don't even get me started on Leonardo da Vinci! He was a genius; he could've given me a run for my money in this puppet business! What will Deidara have after he's dead? Snapshots? Those burn and dissolve and fade over time. But I…I will have metal, real girth. Stuff that takes decades to erode, millennia even! He just doesn't understand…" He sighed, looking at the coffee in his cup. "Sometimes I wonder what I see in that cunt."
Kiba nearly jumped off the table. "That's why I'm here!"
Sasori looked at him, realization suddenly dawning on him. It showed in his face, how his eyes flickered, how they widened, how his mouth slowly opened, how his finger slowly started to point at him. "You're Kiba, right? Dei was telling me about you. Said you had a predicament much like he used to have."
Kiba nodded his head. "I think I'm in love with some guy who's straight."
Sasori's face fell, and he went rigid, cold. "Useless…" He slid off the counter and went back to his puppet, preparing to start on it again.
Kiba dropped his mug and jumped off the table. "Wait! He said you could help me!" The mug shattered and in an instant, Sasori was looking at him like he's just murdered his family.
"What the hell was that? Did you shatter that mug?"
Kiba gasped, shaking his head. "It…It was an accident! I swear!"
The redhead stormed over, spying the mug and picking up what was left of the handle. He glared, shoving it in Kiba's face. "Do you know how important this mug is to me? I invited you into my home, let you drink from my favorite Van Gogh mug! The same mug that makes his ear appear when you fill it with coffee or hot tea! And then you had to go and break it!" Kiba took a step back. "Deidara gave me this mug, damn it! The only thing he's given me that he hasn't destroyed the second he came over because he couldn't stand looking at it!"
Kiba shouted. "See! You really like Deidara, and I really like Shino, so you have to help me, damn it! He said you'd help if I asked nicely! And I'll get on my knees and beg, for crying out loud!" He dropped to his knees. "Help me, please! I'll do anything! I'll buy you a new one! You can get those at the museum for like…fifteen bucks!"
Sasori's face fell, and he stared at the handle in his hand. "You're pulling my leg… You can buy these at the museum for fifteen bucks? He told me he made this! Is that how much I mean to that jerk?? Fifteen fucking bucks!?" His face collapsed and he started to laugh. "Well…no wonder he never destroyed the damn thing… Shit, I'm going to have to kick his ass the next time I see him…" He shook his head and picked up the pieces, dumping them in the trash. "It's okay. It wouldn't be the same if you bought me one. I'll just have to demand he make me one to make up for his little prank…"
Kiba just stared at him. "P-Prank? You mean, he pulls pranks on you and everything??"
Sasori nodded, jumping back onto the counter, pointing to the table. Kiba took his spot back on the table and Sasori looked back up at the ceiling, smiling. "Yes. We both pull pranks on each other. He'll come in and sleep with me just so he can mess with the circuitry in some of my kitchen supplies. He got really mad at me for skipping sleep for almost a week, so he disconnected the wire from the back of my coffeemaker. It took me two days to realize that the cord was still in the wall, but it wasn't even connected to the coffeemaker anymore. I missed a dead-line and wound up having to ask for an extension. Kankurou was so pissed off at me. I in turn got pissed off at Deidara and stuck a metal rod into one of the vases waiting to be fired. I put the metal wire on there and covered the entire thing with a thin layer of clay. He wound up trying to break it and nearly broke the hammer he was using. Sometimes I'll go in and fill his pottery with black ink, so when he goes to destroy them, they shatter and his shoes get ruined… Once, he showed up glaring at me because he hadn't been wearing shoes and the ink dyed his feet black.
"That's actually why I started to like him. He made me laugh. He was the first person to make me laugh. I had a pretty unhappy childhood. I lived with my grandmother and she told me my parents died. It turns out they just up and left after I was born. I found that out later. Well, regardless, my childhood was unhappy so I never really talked to people or got close to anyone.
"I was paired up with Deidara for a project in sculpture class one semester in college. Well, after a few days of working on the project, he made a quick sculpture of a clay bird, and threw it at me during class. Said that even after all my classes in engineering, he made something actually fly before I did. And it was true. I hadn't even been able to get my mechanical creatures to lift a leg. The wiring was always faulty, and for some odd reason, it struck me as hilarious. I started laughing. He was absolutely right. After that, he was always trying to make me laugh. At one point, before the next-to-the-final step of the project was done–the firing–he relayed this big story to me on how he'd turned in his part of the project with a bubble in it, in the very center. He said he was excited to see if it actually exploded like the teacher said it would. I got so pissed off at him. I yelled at him the rest of the class. Then, when our projects came out of the kiln and were passed back to us, I noticed that my part was the one with the giant crack down the middle. I'd been the one to mistakenly forget to get an air bubble out and the entire half of mine was ruined. He'd put one in there on purpose and his was perfectly fine. I'll never forget what he said to me…" He snickered, and Kiba leaned on the edge of his seat at the table.
"What did he say?"
Sasori looked at him, a big smile on his face. "'That's funny; I lied about the whole thing.' He said that." Kiba laughed and Sasori burst out laughing as well. "He made the whole thing up just to piss me off!"
Kiba sighed, looking down at the tile. "…When did you first realize you liked him?"
Sasori shrugged. "I didn't notice for the longest time, actually. I actually slept with women all the time because I'd get lonely. They never lasted long, and after they were over, I always wondered what I saw in them in the first place. It wasn't until I started liking Deidara that I realized I never liked them in the first place. I was just lonely. I never really understood it, but because I was so quiet, girls found me attractive. They would ask me out all the time and without really thinking I'd say yes. The first day in, I'd suddenly realize there was nothing between us. I'd sleep with them, hoping we'd start to connect, but we never did. They'd usually be the ones to break up with me, because I was always so distant. But Deidara was my first best friend."
Kiba stared at him. "Yeah…but when did you become more than just friends?"
"When I realized he was more than a friend to me. Our relationship was so comfortable it was bizarre. I'd seen enough guys hanging out at school to realize ours was different than theirs. He'd come over after a really bad break-up and fall asleep in my arms. And instead of putting him down and giving him a blanket or something and going back to my own bed to sleep, I'd hold onto him until he woke up. Sometimes I'd even fall asleep. You know, I never even held my girlfriends that long. I'd just set them down on the couch or put them in my bed and leave them alone. I found myself actually stroking Deidara's hair while he was asleep sometimes. Friends just don't do that. That's way beyond friendship. The bond is just…deeper than that. You're a pretty social guy, right? You've had friends before, even friends who were guys, right? You never did that with them, did you?"
Kiba shook his head, gulping, as a sliver of hope started rising in him. "N-No… Bu-But I have with Shino… Um…" His face flushed. "On Monday, I fell asleep in his arms while watching a movie and when I woke up he was still there, sleeping. Then…he went off to bed and when I couldn't sleep he let me sleep next to him…"
Sasori looked up at the ceiling. "That seems like it could be promising…"
"S-Seems!? Wh-What were you just telling me!? It's the exact same thing!"
Sasori shrugged. "Girls do that all the time."
"Wh-What!? No they don't!"
"They fall asleep on each other all the time. It doesn't ever mean anything. Now, when Shino starts stroking your hair and babying you, even getting all worked up when you even mention another man, then you know it's turned into something." He shrugged his shoulders. "That's when I first realized I liked Deidara more than I did all the girls I'd been with. I never got jealous of them when I saw them talking to guys. I even saw one of my girlfriends kissing another man and I didn't care. Finally, Deidara came up to me one day and said he was seeing someone. Usually it was pretty normal for me. I just accepted it. But that time I got really angry and yelled at him. It wasn't until Deidara shouted that I was just jealous that I realized I really was… Even after I realized I was jealous, I just chalked it up to him taking my time from Deidara away. I thought I was just jealous like a friend would be when they couldn't spend as much time with them as they used to. That is, until I saw him kissing the guy and I went over and slugged him in the face…"
Kiba's eyes went wide. "You punched him in the face!? How did Deidara react!? Did he tell you you shouldn't've done that??"
Sasori smiled. "No." He winced. "I slugged Deidara in the face. He was so mad at me for a whole week. I was miserable, too. I thought our friendship was over, and I wanted to talk to him so badly. But, every time I'd call, he'd hang up. Then the guy cornered me and told me I should've apologized. Turns out Deidara just said he was dating that guy to see how I'd react. He even asked the guy if he'd help make me jealous and the next time I was rounding the corner to my advanced engineering class, he made sure he was sucking face with the guy. He didn't think I'd punch him, though, so he was really peeved."
Kiba's jaw dropped. "You went through all of that?? What did Deidara think!? And if you get so jealous, why don't you mind when Deidara sleeps with people??"
"Deidara laughed. He liked seeing me get so worked up over it. He said he was glad I'd finally experienced something like that. He said he wanted to be the one that got me to do everything I'd never done before–laughing, crying, blushing, yelling, screaming, and, of course, sex. He knew I'd already had sex, but he kept going on about it actually meaning something the first time I slept with him."
He shrugged, his voice quieting next. "And…I can sort of see why he sleeps around. I'm always cooped up in here when I could be spending time with him. I go to his parties just to try and get people to leave so they won't fulfill his warped vision of art. I think that's why we prank each other so much. I think all that pranking is just us getting back at each other for the other not being who we want them to be… See, I want more of a commitment, but Deidara wants sex. I…I'm not really a sexual person. I never really have been. So most of the time when he asks to have sex with me, I turn him down. Those are the nights he goes out and sleeps with random people he picks up at Ice. But every single time after that happens, after the person goes to sleep or they leave, he always comes back up here and sleeps in my bed." He shrugged. "I guess that's how I know he still cares more about me than those schmucks he sleeps with." He glanced over at the trash can. "I used to think that mug symbolized it, since it was the one thing he gave me that he didn't destroy, but apparently he bought it at the museum…"
Kiba looked at him thoughtfully. "I think it still mattered… You like stuff that stands the test of time, right? Well, Deidara believes art should be short-lived. Maybe that's why he breaks even the stuff he gives you. He wants to make it art. That mug, though, it symbolizes your view of art… And that's why he'd never break it, because it symbolizes how he respects your view of art…"
Sasori looked at him, a smile gracing his face and his eyebrows raising. "You think that?" He chuckled. "That…could…be right…" He laughed. "But I doubt he respects my view of art. He's too stubborn for that…"
There was a knock on the door, and Sasori groaned. "Oh great. Deidara said he'd be back later. The last thing I want is for him to have heard all of this sappy nonsense…" He slid off the counter and went to the door. A man walked in, looking official.
"I see you haven't finished the prop, Sasori. I'm afraid you've used up all your extensions on that. We'll get someone else to finish it."
Sasori glared. "No. You want to cram it full of as much technology as it can take. The only animatronics I want in it are the tail and head and jaws. It's supposed to be handled by a human being. Someone's supposed to control the entire thing from inside. That's not art, that's just taking the easy way out."
The man looked over, looking at Kiba. "Oh, I didn't know you had a guest…"
Sasori's eyes darted to Kiba, and a smile made its way to his face. He walked over slowly, taking on that cold, calculating demeanor again. "Ah…my guest…" He went over and nudged Kiba off the table. "So about those…packages…I need dumped in the harbor…"
Kiba stared at him for a moment, before Sasori nudged him again and he suddenly realized he was supposed to start playing a part. He furrowed his brows. "Ah…those…packages… The ones that……didn't understand art… Those packages… The ones that got cross with you…Boss… I'll make sure those are dumped in the harbor properly… What about the…uh…the new…uh…gift? You want me to take care of it for you?"
Sasori smiled slowly, turning his head in the man's direction as slowly as possible. "No…I think I can wrap the new…gift…myself… Make it nice and neat. That way you can deliver it to the harbor with all the other wrapped gifts."
The man smiled, backing out the door. "Of course, if you need a month or so, we can postpone opening night!"
Sasori walked over to the door, glancing at the man coolly, staring him straight in the eyes. He waved good-bye. "Of course you can. I'd hate to see an entire audience get…wrapped." The door slammed shut, and he gave a sigh of relief. "Geez, I couldn't have held that guy off on my own. You're an art-saver…"
Kiba gave him a big smile. "Well, I had fun coming up with shit off the top of my head like that! It was sort of fun! We should hang out more often, yeah?"
Sasori turned to him, stared at the absolute certainty on his face, the fact that he hadn't even said that on purpose, and he found it utterly hilarious. "Sheesh, kid! He's starting to rub off on you…" He started to laugh, and Kiba blinked.
"Wh-What did I say?"
Sasori waved his hand, his laugh diminishing in a flash. "It…It doesn't really matter… Well, did any of my information help you at all?"
Kiba nodded. "Yeah… It helped a lot. I'm glad Deidara told me to talk to you…" As he walked out, Deidara strode up, waving at him pleasantly. Kiba whispered a quick thanks and ran off down the hall.
Deidara strode into the studio, holding a bag. Sasori stared at it, closing the door behind the blond. "What's that you got there? Food, I hope… I only told you ten times I didn't have any food in the house…"
Deidara handed him the bag. "Even better! I was actually listening on the other end of the door and heard how Kiba broke your mug! I didn't have enough time to make you a new one, so I went to the museum and bought you one. It should last until I make you a new one, yeah?"
Sasori held it up, studying it. Now that he looked at it, he could see the copyright information along the bottom. His old mug never had that. His old mug had also never been as shiny, nor as white. Plus, the picture on it was much more scribbly. He looked at Deidara, smiling. "Wow…You really did make that for me…"
Deidara smiled, walking over and planting a kiss on his lips. "Of course. I'm not just some cheap-o. I'm an artist, yeah? And you're an artist, so I wanted something that would last forever, like you seem to think art is all about…no matter how twisted that is, yeah…"
Sasori grabbed him and gave him the most passionate kiss the blond had received in months. After he pulled back, Deidara wiggled his brows at him, intent on starting something. "Before I get you into bed, I have another little quip that will hopefully remedy any anger you have towards me after I brought a stranger into your home to delve into your personal life, yeah. So, I saw some pompous art-criticky-type man running down the hall, and I figured he was another man coming to take your art away since it wasn't getting done as fast as their liking. So, I decided to give him a scare, yeah?"
He smiled, pointing to the mug. "I don't know why, but I told him I was bringing you a gift, but before I could tell him how it was a mug for you to drink infant blood out of, he ran off screaming something about bloody heads in bags. I think that is by far the best stunt you've pulled. You should definitely try that one out again, yeah? I don't think you'll see them back for a year."
Sasori chuckled. "Wh-What did you say to him?"
"That I got you a gift, yeah. Why? Is that significant in any–"
Before he could finish his statement, Sasori burst into hysterics. As his laughter dwindled off, he grabbed Deidara around the waist, giving him a kiss in the space behind his ear. "I don't tell you I love you nearly enough…"
–––––––––––––––––
Kiba got back to his sister's penthouse suite fairly late and slid into the couch, deep in thought. Akamaru came out of his sister's room, and it was then that he realized the radio was on. He frowned. "Akamaru, is that what you do when no one's around? You just sit around and listen to music? No wonder you're chewing on Hana's shoes! Her taste in radio stations is shit!" He smiled, going into his room and whipping out a few of CD's by The Chemical Brothers.
He popped them in the stereo shoved over by the wall–the one that never got used but was supposed to be for Hana's work-outs–and pressed play. Something like hip hop and techno started to play all at once and soon both he and Akamaru were moving to the rhythm.
He looked back at his dog, smiling. "Yeah, Akamaru! Now this is music! This isn't that weak Britney-crap Hana's always listening to! This is a beat!"
By the time the CD's were all used up, Kiba was panting and lying on Akamaru's side, staring up at the ceiling. Akamaru growled at him, and he frowned. "I can pant, too…"
The dog barked. He was so glad his hang-over had worn off by now.
"So what if I've got sweat glands all over my body?! I have every right to pant like you! I could have sweat glands in my mouth, too!"
The dog growled.
"And feet pads, whatever! Hana knows more about stuff like that anyway! I can't believe she never became a veterinarian like she wanted to… She's so good with animals! Why would she want to be a lawyer anyway? They're all a bunch of slimey, no-good–"
"No good what?"
He looked up to see Hana standing in the hall way leading to the living room. She had a pair of spectacles sliding down the bridge of her nose, and she looked sweaty and bent-out-of-shape from work. He smiled, starting to sweat more profusely.
"Shitheads. But you're not a shithead, Hana. All of your co-workers are, though, I'll bet… That's why you're dating someone who works at the post office, right?"
She sighed, her arms too full to place her hands on her hips. "I've heard of dramatic recoveries, but this is the weirdest I've seen yet. Last night you were drunk as hell and crying torrents, begging me to take you home to Mom. And now I come home and you're insulting my line of work? What the hell, Kiba?" She looked at the two of them lying there, seeing the stereo on. "And let me guess…you and Akamaru were having one of your jam sessions, I take it?"
She rolled her eyes, dumping her bags onto the couch and heading to her room. "I'll give you thirty minutes or more while I'm taking a hot bath and then you can come up with an excuse that'll let me know what exactly it was that set you off the other night. I was waiting for you to be sober before I asked, and it's obvious you're just fine now."
Kiba nodded and watched her go to the bathroom. He sighed, glancing over at Akamaru. "Usually I'd come up with some elaborate story so she wouldn't worry… What do you think I should do, boy?"
Akamaru whined, getting up and going into her bedroom, turning the radio off and retreating to his room. Kiba sighed. "Yeah… I wanna tell the truth, too. I just wish I could run off and hide from her wrath like you…"
An idea formed in his head, and he grabbed Akamaru. "Come on, boy! Let's take a walk and go get some food for Hana when she gets out of the shower!" Akamaru barked happily, and soon the two were prancing down the street, on the prowl for food.
––––––––––––––––
Hana got out of the shower, drying off her hair and pulling on the robe hanging by the door. She left the room, went and changed into a pair of decent clothes and walked into the kitchen for some food. To her surprise, Kiba was sitting there with a meat-lovers pizza, putting a flower in a vase in the center of the table.
He looked up at her, giving her a goofy smile. "Hey, Hana! I thought you'd like some food. I didn't know what you'd like, but I had a hankering for some pizza, and Akamaru agreed, so I decided to go get one!"
She sat down, eying the extra plate at the edge of the table…and the dog downing the slice of pizza on it. "…Kiba… Thanks and all…but I'm still going to ask you what happened. You said someone who wanted to sleep with you finally got through… What…what did you mean by that?"
"Alright." Kiba took a bite of his pizza and nodded his head. "I went back to a guy's place and he gave me wine mixed with vodka so I'd sleep with him."
She didn't even sit down at the table–she simply gasped and felt a terrible anger well up in her. "You…you what!? Kiba, what were you thinking!? You have to be more careful! Jesus Christ! Did you think everything would be fine!? No wonder you were in tears! You kept spouting out how you were in deep and how– Oh my God! I told Mom you were fine! But you're not fine, Kiba! We have to go get you tested for all kinds of things now!"
Kiba growled. "Nothing happened with Deidara, alright!? Besides, you act like I've never had sex before! It's not like I haven't had sex, Hana! I'm almost thirty! I get tested when I feel it's needed, but nothing happened with Deidara! He didn't even make it past my belt buckle before I got him to stop by shouting Shino's name!"
She clenched her firsts, her voice low. "You think it's no big deal, Kiba, but it is! Jesus, he got you drunk! He could've told you anything and you would've believed him, damn it! You trust people too easily! You'd let a burglar into the house if he asked nice enough!"
Kiba stood, and Akamaru went running back to his room. "Listen, Hana, I trust Deidara because Deidara's already involved with someone, alright!? I'm not a baby! You're not Mom, alright! You don't have to watch over me like that!"
Her eyes narrowed. "I should, though! The way you carelessly go about acting like nothing's wrong! You're in love with a co-worker, Kiba! You never get involved with co-workers! That's why people quit their jobs for seemingly no reason! Kiba, you wanted me to take you back home to Mom last night you were so upset! What am I supposed to think!? That everything was fine and this…this…Deidara suddenly stopped and was nice to you!?"
He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're not Mom, Hana! Quit treating me like a baby! For your information he let me talk to his partner, Sasori! Sasori used to think he was straight until he met Deidara! And the way he was telling me about him, he acts just like Shino does! He was closed off and everything! Don't you see, Hana!? There's a chance! There's a chance I can get Shino to suddenly realize he likes me!"
Hana grabbed a piece of pizza, biting down bitterly. "You also said Shino was straight, Kiba. He doesn't think he's straight, he knows he's straight…That means there is no hope! I don't want you to go chasing after something that will never happen! It'll just make you hurt in the long run." She sighed, throwing the piece back onto the rest of the pizza. "Kiba, I don't…I don't like the idea of you trying to get Shino to like you… What if…What if the same thing that happened back at home happens here? What then? I don't want you to have to move away, but if I feel it's necessary, I will tell Mom you need to go back home…"
Kiba went over to the stove and stared at it for the longest time. Until, finally, he turned back around. "What happened at home was unavoidable, Hana… I was stupid, and I shouldn't have brought a guy home anyway. I just…I got drunk, alright? I forgot to just go rent a motel room for the night or go back to his place and Dad found us in the morning. It's not going to be like this, Hana. Because it's not like I'll wind up bringing a guy to the office and have sex on the boss's desk or anything. And the people here are nice; they're not like back at home. They don't care if someone's gay. Everyone back home did…"
She sighed. "Kiba…I just don't want you getting hurt…"
"I've been hurt before. It just makes me stronger, right? I'm turning thirty soon… I think it's about time I decided things for myself… I don't want to keep living here, relying on you. That's the way it was back home… I moved right back in with Mom and Dad after college was over. But I won't this time… Just…please don't tell Mom I need to go back and live back home. You know if she begs me, I'll go there in a heartbeat."
"Yeah…" She stared at the pizza, picking up the piece and taking a bite out of it again. "By the way, I told Mom we'd be there around the time of your birthday. You'll be able to take some time off work then, right? Your vacation days will be in effect by then, right?"
He smiled. "I think so. And if not, I can always visit her around Thanksgiving and celebrate it that way…"
Hana smiled. "She says she wants to see you as soon as possible. Not a single day past July 12th. You better hope you can take off… Now…go take a shower. You stink like a sewer…"
He laughed, going to the bathroom. "Don't blame me. Blame the bum that hit me up for change on the way back. He was eyeing Akamaru like he wanted dog for dinner."
He shut the door behind him, and she sighed, putting the pizza back down. There she went again…ruining dinner for the both of them because of her concern. She sighed, knowing Kiba was right. He was a big boy–he could take care of himself…
But she just…she didn't like the idea of him going after Shino. It was like…well, it made her feel uncomfortable. Like she was right back home with Mom and Dad arguing, and Kiba begging her not to tell them about the magazines she found underneath his bed. She never quite got over that; she'd been visiting home during winter break, and she went to go change his bed sheets and put the folded clothes of his away. He was away hanging out with friends, and she'd come across a few dirty magazines, but they weren't the same types most boys had. They had men all over them, and that's when she realized he just…didn't like women.
When he came home that night, he was bright red and she immediately asked him if he got lucky. The second those words left her mouth, he'd put a hand over his mouth, worried. And…of course…he found out she knew when she asked him about the magazines.
She still didn't know why it didn't bother her at first. She used to think that she actually felt something cold wriggle its way up her spine and she waited days before she asked him, but that simply wasn't the case. She just…didn't care. The only reason she had to be concerned was how Dad would react–he always favored Kiba, since he wanted him to carry on the family name.
How could he possibly do that when he wouldn't be marrying a woman?
She sighed, folding the pizza box closed and stowing it away in the fridge. She may not mind Kiba trying to get Shino, but the second she feared his secret would slip to anyone outside of those choice few friends, she'd be there faster than ever.
And Shino already knew Kiba was gay, right? But…she wasn't sure if Kiba had even tried bringing it up to him yet. She could only hope Kiba didn't wind up blurting everything out when that happened. It was too soon for him to get hurt.
About twelve minutes later, she heard the phone ring. "Who could it possibly be this hour of the night?" She wondered. She'd only been home an hour at least… She went to the phone, picking it up. It was probably Juugo…
Her eyes caught sight of the Caller I.D. and for a moment she almost decided to just let it ring. She swallowed, a trembling finger pushing "Talk." She put it to her ear.
"Shino?"
"Hey, Hana. I'd like to speak to Kiba."
"Just a second…" She stuttered a little, wondering what to do. She passed the phone back and forth between her hands, contemplating whether she should tell Kiba. No…Kiba was in the shower… He wouldn't have to know Shino ever called… She hung up the phone, letting out a big sigh of relief.
He'd probably ask where Kiba was that day, and she couldn't give an answer. Kiba's showers were short. She had to keep Kiba from messing up big time and opening his mouth. At least for tonight. When he was at work, his stupid mouth was his own problem…
The phone rang again, and she just about died. Kiba would be out of the shower any minute! She had to get him off the phone before he came in!
–––––––––––––––––
Kiba walked out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist. He went to his room, lingering in the doorway. His sister was on the phone, he could hear her almost whispering. He always had a feeling she was relaying everything to Juugo, as if she had any right to tell it to people. Or maybe she was on the phone with Mom…
He walked out, spying her holding the phone and mumbling something. He just about shouted. "Hey, Hana! Talking to Juugo again?" His sister hung up the phone, her eyes trailing to him, looking guilty.
He narrowed his eyes. "…You were talking to someone and you didn't want me to know…" He walked over to her. "It was Shino, wasn't it?"
"N-No. Don't be silly, Kiba…" She looked guilty, she looked like she'd been caught lying. She gave him a false smile. "I was just…discussing something private with Juu–"
"Don't lie to me, Hana! That was Shino! Why don't you want me talking to him!?"
The Chemical Brothers started playing from the coffee table and he shot over to the couch, grabbing it. Hana lingered back, growing more worried each second. He pushed the button, placed it by his ear. "Hey, Shino, buddy! Sorry I wasn't at work today. I actually went to a club after we parted ways the other day. I wound up going back to this woman's house and she got me drunk and tried to sleep with me…"
Great. Now Shino thought he was with a woman. Why had he told him that in the first place? Why'd he tell him anything? What happened next froze his blood.
Shino's breathing hitched and he started to yell over the phone. "Wh-What!? You got drunk and nearly raped? What the hell, Kiba?? Be a little more cautious!"
He turned to his sister worriedly, his mind racing. Why the hell was Shino getting so angry? He thought it was a woman. It wasn't like… Oh wait, he thought he was straight. Right… Something powerful pounded in his chest, he winced at the word rape. He started to tremble, worrying that Shino hated him all of a sudden. "It wasn't rape or anything… N-Nothing happened, so everything was fine…"
It didn't work. "You got drunk, and somehow nothing happened?? How the hell did that happen!?"
He sat down on the couch, refusing to look over in his sister's direction and see the absolutely hateful look she was giving him. "…She just…stopped." He really didn't want Shino to know why Deidara stopped.
"Well, how does someone just stop?? Did you tell her to stop!?"
He chuckled, tempted to tell him it was because he called out his name, but he didn't. "M-More or less…"
"More or less!? What's that supposed to mean!?"
Why the hell was he getting so worked up for? He was acting like Hana! "Nothing. I'm fine, so there's nothing wrong, alright? Sheesh. You're acting just like Hana when she found out. I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself, alright? I mean, why the hell are you getting so worked up over this?" Deidara had standards, and accusing him of rape was just rude. Deidara was his friend, damn it! Why was everyone throwing that word around!? It was making him so angry!
"You were nearly raped!"
"I was not! I knew him!" The second those words left his mouth, he put a hand to his lips.
Shino was practically enraged by then. "Him!?"
He grew quiet, heart pounding, his forehead breaking out in a cold sweat. He'd…He'd just told Shino he'd been with a man instead. "Uh…I have to go now." He hung up, worry consuming him. As he looked up at Hana for help, she just threw her hands up in the air.
"That's why I didn't want you to talk to Shino, Kiba! I knew you'd blurt something out eventually! Why couldn't you have just said you were sick like I told your boss!?"
He stood, angry and scared and defensive all at once. "Sh-Shut up! J-Just shut the hell up! He probably won't believe it! He'll think he heard wrong! Everything's going to be fine, alright?? Everything…Everything's going to be fine in the morning…" His face fell, tears worked their way to his eyes, and he stormed over to his room, tossing the phone back on the couch and slamming the door behind him. He refused to leave his room all night, even after Akamaru started chewing on the door to get in.
"Oh shit… He's going to hate me in the morning…" He stared up at his ceiling, unable to sleep. He desperately wanted to go straight over to Shino's house and help him understand it wasn't like that, that he wasn't gay or anything, that the word rape shouldn't have been tossed out there like that…but the only way for him to make Shino understand was to tell him exactly what happened.
And that was the one thing he couldn't do.