Sorry for the delay! Hopefully the next updates will be coming out faster but enjoy!
I watched as drops of water dripped seductively from his red locks, the shoulders of his t-shirt slightly damp. There was a small towel in his right hand he was using to dry his hair, and the left was holding about forty dollars worth in bills. The surprise in his eyes quickly faded and a small smile took its place. It was a polite smile though. Kind and gentle, but not one shared between friends. Seeing him around Deidara made it clear that there were sides to Sasori I wasn't yet privy too. I was familiar with the polite smiles, but it was the reckless laughter I'd only caught glimpses of from listening through my window that I wanted access to. I wanted those parts of Sasori, and I knew that my years of cowering wouldn't take me there. If I wanted reckless laughter, I'd need to be a little reckless in my own pursuit.
"Himawari… thank you." He paused, and I noted a slight redness to his cheeks. Was he blushing… or just embarrassed?
"Hey, was that the pizza?" Deidara turned the corner, wrapped from the bottom down in a fluffy white towel, hair still dry. "Will you ask if he has dipping sauce?" He seemed to glance over Sasori, catching a glimpse of me, his eyes seeming to light up. "Oh, just couldn't stay away, huh?" I barely processed what he was saying as I observed an unobstructed view of the shirtless blond. His muscles were rather defined, and his abs were quite… well, they were nice. He was most definitely male. "Like what you see?"
Oh shit. I felt my cheeks tinge red. He was right, I had been looking, and worse I'd been caught before the love of my life. What kind of women was I? How could I be so fickle with my affections? The eyes might like, but the heart does not.
"Just double checking that you're not secretly a woman," I felt my heart skip at my amazing comeback. Yep, it was smart and witty… and also not very pleasant. "In umm… in a nice way though. You're male, yay!" Oh no Himawari. Really? You had a great retort and then you throw it away with a silly comeback like that. Deidara seemed to be more confused than offended, and as I was ready to bow out and take my embarrassing leave I heard music.
It wasn't real music, but it was music to my ears. Glancing at the red head before me, I watched as his mouth moved and laughter poured out. Not polite laughter, but actual laughter. Like the laughing that one does between friends. He was laughing at something I had said, and laughing like we were friends. Sasori was. Sorry, it's repetitive. I'm just trying to process it all and it's taking me a bit. I'm not sure what this warm fuzzy feeling is…. But it feels nice.
"I didn't know you were so funny Himawari." My blush deepened, as he laughed in-between words. Clearly in hysterics. I wasn't sure I had said something particularly funny, but either way I was glad he was amused.
"Whatever, I'm going to shower." I nodded, and waved bye, which apparently also was strange because Deidara gave me another weird look. Sasori chuckled at that as well so I figured I was at least doing something right.
"Well um… there's the lasagna. I should be getting back now." He nodded but then paused, seeming to think of something.
"Are you doing anything this weekend?" Today was currently thursday, and considering the fact that my only friends were a bunch of antisocial siblings, I rarely had plans ever. I couldn't let him know that.
"Hmm… I don't think I have anything planned." Yes, Himawari, be coy. If years of studying films and reading magazines and those romance novels, all of which are accurate references to real world love, playing hard to get is always the best, and really the only tactic. You may've been watching the boy through his bedroom window for years, but he doesn't need to know that. Also… make sure he doesn't know that. He'll think it's creepy.
"Itachi's having a party at his house. It's nothing big and invite only, but do you want to come?" A party…I was being invited to a party? Sasori was inviting me to a party?
Look, I know that I'm really cool and likeable and smart and amazing and stuff… but truth be told… I'd never been to a party. I'd never even been invited to one. Everyone was too afraid of Gaara in middle school to ask me to hangout with them, and the sand siblings weren't the 'poppin bottles' type of crowd.
Oh no, he's looking at you. Quick Himawari… come up with a witty response!
"Umm… yeah. That sounds fun. Maybe. It maybe sounds fun. I mean it sounds fun, but I'm not sure if I can go. Who else is going?" He seemed surprised at that, and I didn't blame him. Really Himawari, who else is going? Why did it matter who else was going? Sasori was going to be there, what more did you possibly need?
"Umm… I'm not sure if you'd know any of the others. Most of them are in my year. I think you know Hidan and umm… Itachi? He'll be there." For a second I almost wanted to laugh. Of course Itachi would be there, it was his house. Or was that sarcasm? Was he telling a joke? Was he making fun of me? I'd been brave for this amount of time, but this had certainly not gone how I expected. "You can bring some friends if you'd like." I saw his eyes glance to the house next door, and something in his tone made it sound like he regretted his words. As though he was saying 'bring other friends.' I wasn't really sure how I felt about that.
I mean, the sand siblings kind of were my only friends and for him to reject them… it felt like he was rejecting a part of me. Was I overthinking it? Was I overreacting?
"Okay. That should work. I'll let you know tomorrow." They were a good choice of word, not too eager, slightly coy. I felt deflated though as I was ready to make my way back home.
"Pizza delivery?" I hadn't heard him come up, but I glanced up as the delivery man arrived, recognizing him vaguely.
"You're in one of my classes." There was this boyish smile on his face as he nodded, seeming to recognize me. He actually seemed oddly charming, dressed in a grey hoodie and wearing a "Inuzuka's pizzeria' baseball cap. I was almost a little caught off guard as the head of a small dog peeked through the hoodie. There had to be a health code violation in there somewhere.
"Yeah, you're Himawari right?" I nodded, a little embarrassed I didn't know his name.
"How'd you know that?" He shrugged his shoulders.
"You're kind of famous now. It's not everyday Deidara gets slapped in front of the whole school." It was at this precise moment Deidara exited the washroom, in pajama bottoms but still shamelessly shirtless and now dripping droplets of water. Down his blonde dreads to his well defined… oh no. Stop Himawari. You mustn't stare, not in front of your future betrothed. "I'm Kiba by the way. Kiba Inuzuka." He'd missed the blonde's entrance, but Deidara cleared his throat getting his attention.
"Is that the pizza? Hm, Himawari, you're still here?" Sasori who had been quietly observing the whole interaction (was that strange?) decided then to speak up.
"Thanks, here you go. Keep the change." Passing the cash he'd had in his hand when I'd arrived earlier, he took several boxes from Kiba. Who seemed to be shooting me and Deidara odd looks. Naturally confused about the situation.
"Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" Deidara looked around as though searching for something, albeit not sure what.
"Oh, dipping sauce!" I said remembering his earlier comment, and he turned to me giving me a bright smile, an almost attractive one, but nothing compared to Sasori's.
"Yeah, do you have dipping sauce? Glad to know you're not completely useless Himawari." I think it was the first time he'd said my name almost… well nicely. It was kinda nice. Kiba's confusion only seemed to escalate as he took in the interaction, but he didn't comment on it.
"I've got some in the car, I'll be right back." I knew that I should have left right then, but Deidara was being so… nice. He'd taken the time to come to my house and apologize, and really, I was almost just as at fault for the entire situation. So was Kankuro. I thought back to dealing with Gaara and talking to Sasori and if I could do those things I could apologize properly to Deidara.
"I really am sorry about what happened, and that we got off on the wrong foot. Do you…would you maybe like to…" I tried to sort out the best response, but I'd never had a conversation like this before. Sorting through all the social interactions reference material I had I decided on the most cliched words. "Do you think we could be friends?" I half expected Deidara to laugh, or throw something at me, or make some snide remark… but he just kind of stood there, seeming to be completely taken aback. Clearly I'd caught him off guard. Were my words weird? Did I screw up? Did Sasori now think I was crazy? Despite the delayed response, Deidara recovered in almost record time, giving me a small smile and scratching the back of his head rather shyly.
"Yeah. Lets be friends." He moved through the doorway, extending his hand for me to shake. We both seemed to grasp the awkwardness of the gesture after he'd stepped outside shirtless, but since he hadn't commented on my awkward apology, I simply took his hand and shook it. He had a firm grip, and his muscles seemed to tense nicely… stop! You have Sasori! Focus on his muscles and biceps and artistic talents. Sasori.
"Right, okay then. I better get going." I waved before I turned my back and began walking down Sasori's porch steps, almost giddy with how the night had turned out.
"Oh, Deidara. I invited Himawari to Itachi's. I figured since she lives right next door we could carpool. You don't mind driving her, do you?" The two of them seemed to share a look, Sasori's the oddly aggressive of the two.
"I don't think Himawari would want to go." Deidara's words seemed almost like a warning of sorts, and the two seemed to gaze at each other speaking without words.
"Well, I think that's up for her to decide." The two then turned to me, Sasori's eyes warm and welcoming, and Deidara's guarded and a little apprehensive. Yep, he definitely didn't want me to go and to be honest I was a little irked at the blonde. I'd been so nice to him and here he was trying to take away my party invite. "Well, Himawari?"
I didn't want to go. I know that sounds weird and ridiculous considering the man I'd spent years fawning over invited me, but it didn't change the simple fact that I wasn't really a people person. Parties had lots of people. Stuff went down at parties. There could be drugs, and hook ups and…could me and Sasori possibly… no, of course not. Maybe. Either way though, whether I wasn't fond of parties or not didn't matter. I wasn't about to let Deidara keep Sasori from me any longer.
"I'd love to go." What had I gotten myself into?
Thoughts? Kiba's a delivery boy? Sasori inviting her to a party? A maybe nice, maybe not so nice Deidara? Please review and let me know your thoughts! Also, what are your thoughts on Himawari?