Reisha: Hey, look, it's a chapter! I'll be honest with y'all... This chapter and the one immediately after was probably one of the most fun to write. Kira and I had actually been planning out this particular scene for some time before writing it out. We're crazy, silly plotters, we are. Ah, and just in case anyone's curious... The chapter title and the song referenced in this chapter is Fever by Adam Lambert. Thought I'd clarify since Fever is, apparently, an extremely popular song title... Hell, even my ipod has three different songs by three different artists all with that title. It makes for good listening, actually, while you're reading. Just my two cents. Anyhow, please, enjoy. ^. .^
Finals came and went, and both passed without any great trouble. With all that they had been through, there was a sense of pride when they both crossed the podium at the graduation ceremony. The summer that followed was full of planning and change... Deidara was hired in the photography department for Sasori's modeling agency, at first as a set assistant before managing to work his way up. He didn't always get to work the redhead's shoots, but it was a better summer job than he'd ever been able to find before, and he was glad Sasori had been able to put in the good word for him.
There was a sense of excitement in the air as the days of freedom came at last to an end and they started seriously packing for college... They'd managed to get a room together in one of the dorms, had simply been a matter of requesting each other in their paperwork. The campus was a few hours drive from home… Deidara tried to contain his excitement, but still it simmered in his chest, kept him from sitting quite still in the drivers seat. When they arrived, the blond couldn't help but roll down his window and stick his head out to look around with an irrepressible grin. It was a new start, he thought as they found their dorm building and he pulled into the parking lot. A new start with Sasori at his side... It felt as though nothing could go wrong.
Sasori looked around as they came to a stop in the parking lot. It was strange to be away from everything he had become familiar with back home, at the same time a little exciting. With a quick glance over at Deidara and a small chuckle he pushed the door open and stepped out of the car, stretched for a moment, grabbed some of his stuff from the back seat. He took another moment to look around again. College... He could hardly believe that he was here already. It hardly felt as though enough time had passed since he had been a junior in high school... had met Deidara for the first time, had gone through everything he had.
They had both packed fairly light, but even then it would probably take several trips to get all moved in. Deidara checked the two of them in, got their room keys... They were assigned to the second floor. Navigating the stairs with the first of their bags and boxes was a little tricky, with other students and their parents hauling suitcases up to the second and third floors, and empty boxes and wrappers down to the dumpsters outside. Theirs was a corner room with only one neighbor, two tags with their names standing bright against the worn and scratched wood of the door. The blond stopped outside, leaned his suitcase against the wall and turned back toward Sasori, key in hand.
"Guess this is us, hn," he grinned, unlocking it, stepping inside. It wasn't by any means a large room, two single beds separated by a small refrigerator, a long desk with two chairs on the opposite wall, a couple of closets set into the wall. "Home sweet home," he said, looking around the bare-bones layout, already planning on how to cover the blank, whitewashed walls. The blond was suddenly glad that he'd brought so many photos and posters. Sasori followed Deidara, looking around the room with a small sigh, bringing his things in behind him, setting them aside for now, running a hand through his hair as he looked around alittle more.
"It's definitely smaller than what I'm used to…" It was nice in a way, though, he admitted to himself, to be away from home… to really be on his own with Deidara.
Sasori turned around to go grab more of his belongings, stopping quickly and stumbling back to avoid running into the much-taller raven haired male he'd nearly run right into. The other's expression was, for a long moment neutral before calm recognition narrowed his eyes a little. He spoke softly, voice like silk but no less intimidating for that fact.
"Sasori, isn't it?" The redhead blinked a little in surprise. How the hell did this strange guy know him?...
"Yes... and who are you?" The stranger didn't smile, didn't alter his facial expression one bit. He was as neutral as though he were carved from stone.
"Itachi Uchiha." He put an emphasis on his last name, and Sasori's brows rose, eyes widening. Oh god... Uchiha... He must have some relation to Sasuke, by the look of it an elder sibling. To be completely honest, Sasori wasn't sure how to react.
Deidara left off his planning, forgot for the moment about asking Sasori for his thoughts on bunking the beds (since it was unlikely they'd end up using both, most of the time, and it would free up more floor space) when he heard the exchange and turned. Uchiha... the last name definitely rang a bell. Perhaps the blond wasn't particularly great with names, but that one he remembered. He moved to stand beside and a little behind the redhead in the doorway, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder, reminding him that in this, like everything else, he wasn't alone. He almost dared this new arrival to try something... There was something about his eyes that put Deidara on edge. Perhaps it was that they seemed so flat, and in that he sensed something like judgment.
"Itachi, huh... Name's Deidara." He eyed the dark-haired one appraisingly. "You're... down the hall, then? Hn?" He wouldn't be outright aggressive, not unless Itachi tried something, but the way the blond held himself, the tone of his voice, made it clear that he wouldn't stand for anyone trying to hurt his Sasori, trying to ruin this experience. Itachi's dark eyes shifted to the blond and he shook his head.
"I'm on the other side of the building." He said and looked over at Sasori for just a moment longer. Unknowingly Sasori had shifted himself alittle closer to Deidara, almost as though withdrawing toward the safety of his boyfriend. He didn't like what he had done in the past to Sasuke... and it wasn't like he was the same person anymore. The blond cleared his throat. He hated those eyes more and more the longer they were in his view, but would rather have them on himself than the redhead.
With a secretive, almost-amused smile Itachi finally turned to go down the stairs and left the two alone. Sasori hadn't even realized he had been holding so much tension in his body, didn't know he had been holding his breath, until he finally let it out all in a rush and let himself relax. Never in his life had anyone scared him nearly as badly as the Uchiha had. Something about the way he talked and the way his eyes seemed to look right through you... it put Sasori on edge. The blond was relieved to feel his boyfriend relax, rubbed the back of his neck soothingly for a moment. Itachi had unnerved him... But it seemed as though Sasori had been scared, actually scared.
"You okay?" he murmured, turning to meet the redhead's eyes, a little concern there as he pushed a few strands of hair from the other's eyes, not caring who saw and who cared, if anyone did. He had been about to suggest that Sasori go ahead and start unpacking while he made a few more trips to bring up the rest of their things, but... with Itachi knowing where they were, even if he hadn't been overtly threatening, he didn't want to leave the redhead potentially exposed to someone who affected him so.
"Yeah... I'm fine…" Sasori muttered, sighing and rubbing his forearms where they had suddenly gone cold, goose bumps forming over his skin. "Just... some things that I'd much rather forget," he added, taking a moment to step close against the blond's chest. "Th-thanks..." Sasori mumbled, slowly moving to step away, shivering alittle. Those eyes of Itachi's... he couldn't get them out of his head, the intimidating stare that he'd received. Sasori had never met someone who could intimidate him... not like that. He looked at the redhead for another long moment, pushing back Sasori's bangs before smiling at him.
"C'mon... let's go get the rest of our things and get settled in," he murmured, hoping the distraction and activity would help soothe his boyfriend's rattled nerves. It took two more trips and having to dodge a few people- a girl with vividly blue hair helped to the third floor by a heavily pierced and brightly orange-haired boy (who they later discovered was their only neighbor, and the girl's boyfriend,) and a foul-mouthed male with white hair slicked back carrying a box of... Deidara wasn't quite sure what, but noticed that the contents were covered with what appeared to be blood spatters before the other turned down the hall- before everything was piled on the desks and beds and floor of the dorm room. The blond was glad they'd come up a few days before classes were to start... It would take a while to get everything put away and get settled in.
Sasori allowed his mind to wander as the rest of their stuff was brought back up to their rooms. He couldn't help but notice as he carried their things up there was a strangely colored male at the end of the hallway, speaking with Itachi. He was huge... Sasori had never seen someone so tall and broad before... he forced himself to tear his eyes away from him and followed Deidara into their room. It would be interesting... getting used to being around so many different people constantly. College promised new experiences in ways he had never considered.
With the start of classes, things fell into a routine, and the hectic pace of people moving in settled into a fairly comfortable community. Itachi didn't drop by again to intimidate Sasori, and between the two of them they made a few new acquaintances and friends. Deidara grew busy with his classes, majoring in journalism, minoring in art... Now more than ever his camera never left his side. And even with their schedules conflicting in places, the blond was glad to have more time with Sasori.
That was why he thought it strange, a few weeks into the semester, that he'd not seen his boyfriend much... Only really when he woke for his early-morning classes. Perhaps, he thought as he lowered his camera from his face and adjusted the lens between shots, he'd ask after this event. He'd been asked to photograph an annual GSA event after someone had seen his pictures, and it was certainly interesting enough... But leave it to college students to come up with a fashion show where all the models had to cross-dress, Deidara thought with a grin, shifting to kneel in front of the catwalk.
He had to admit, as he snapped a picture of one girl sporting an impressive quantity of leather, some of them were incredibly convincing. If not for the fact that this one was wearing men's clothes and looked like a male, he wouldn't have known. She struck a pose, and the blond took another picture as she turned away, found a new angle for his next shot. He glanced up as he heard the music shift, grinned a little as he held up his camera. Everyone had been allowed to pick their song for their moment on the catwalk... Whoever was coming up next had made quite an interesting choice. Fever, indeed...
Sasori couldn't help but smile from the wings, shaking his head as the song reached his ears. That was his cue. He'd been planning for this since he'd found out that Deidara would be photographing the event. His eyes shifted over to where he saw the blond with his camera and chuckled. Taking a deep breath, he made his way out to the catwalk. His ash-red eyes never once left the blond's face, waiting expectantly for his reaction, even when he heard whistles from girls and guys alike. He knew just what reaction Deidara would have to the schoolgirl outfit he had on, and was anxious to see that familiar look come to his face.
The blond had the chance to take one photo of the male strutting down the catwalk in a Japanese schoolgirl outfit amid laughter and cheers and catcalls before it registered just who it was. Deidara's eyes opened wide, a sudden hot blush coloring his face when he met the pale-rose gaze locked on his own. His jaw dropped a little, the beginning of a crooked, almost disbelieving grin pulling one corner of his mouth. Needless to say, the blond was stunned, for a moment forgot what he had been asked to do as he stared at his boyfriend and, unbidden, felt his blood begin to heat at the sight. He'd have never thought that Sasori could look so damn sexy in an outfit like that... He was transfixed until a particularly sharp wolf-whistle just behind him snapped him from his trance. The blond tried to hide his confusion... and arousal... by lifting his camera again before his face, knowing well that Sasori had already seen his expression and probably read the thoughts that were going through his head as he snapped another picture, and a third, suddenly very anxious for the show to be over.
Sasori couldn't keep himself from chuckling, taking just a second to wink at the blond. He trailed his tongue over his own lips before turning around, walking the other way. He knew perfectly well just what he was doing, what he had already done. It amused him to think about just how quickly that familiar face had been taken over by contained lust. Sasori couldn't get that look of Deidara's out of his mind as he turned to disappear behind a curtain and the music switched. He was also glad, though, that he had gone near the end of the event too.
Deidara somehow managed to focus on the last three who came down the catwalk, though he found that his mind kept wandering back to Sasori, the look on his face, the way he strutted, the way he knew what he was doing to his boyfriend. He clenched his jaw against the tightness he felt growing in his pants at just the thought, tried to force it away unsuccessfully. The show ended, and he got a final shot of all the models onstage for their curtain call before the crowds started to dissipate, talking, laughing loudly, in some cases couples hanging all over each other and making their way out to find more private places... An idea that sounded quite appealing to Deidara. Putting his camera away, the blond leaned forward against the front of the catwalk on which Sasori stood, using it to camouflage his contained length as he threw a heated, meaningful look at his boyfriend. Sasori's eyes drifted down to Deidara, who still had that familiar look in simmering in his eyes.
"Hmm? Can I help you?" he asked, tilting his head alittle bit to the side and allowing a grin to form on his own lips. He smiled just a little, bending to run his deep green painted fingernails over the front of Deidara's chest, up along the blond's jaw and chin. Deidara grinned hungrily at Sasori's teasing, a shiver racing along his spine at the touch... This was not helping in the least. The redhead knew exactly what he was doing, of that he had no doubt. With a low growl, the blond gripped his boyfriend's wrist, eyes gleaming with lust as he nibbled along the edge of the other's thumb, bit slowly where it met his hand at the base.
"Yeah... I think you can help me, hn," he chuckled after a pause, gaze drifting over the schoolgirl outfit that Sasori still wore and then back up to his boyfriend's face, free hand tilting his face as he leaned a little closer. "You're such a damn tease," he purred with a thin smile.
"Hmm... you aren't much better yourself, you know. I can remember quite a few times when you decided to tease me, too. Besides… you're so damn easy to turn on. I can't help myself," Sasori muttered, moving to slide his body between Deidara's and the catwalk, hooking a leg behind the blond's knee, able to feel just how hard he was from seeing Sasori like this even through his boyfriend's jeans. He leaned just close enough so their lips brushed for a second before pushing the blond back, pulling away from his body. "Mm, but more importantly... what are you gonna do about it?" he murmured, one hand on Deidara's chest trying to keep the blond from closing the distance again.
Deidara was getting tired of talk, the ache in his confined groin growing more insistent. With a husky chuckle, the blond's hand tightened on Sasori's wrist and pulled the redhead toward him again as he was pushed back, lifting to spin his boyfriend around and press the other's back against his chest. An arm around the redhead's middle held him secure, held him close and still as the blond ground his hips forward against his rear, bowing his head forward to bite at the side of Sasori's neck where it curved into his shoulder, nuzzling aside the collar of his outfit to bite again, a little harder.
"I may just have to take you back to our room... Sasori-chan," he murmured huskily, laughing at the odd taste of the addition to his boyfriend's name... But then, considering his Japanese schoolgirl outfit, it wasn't too outlandish. Sasori's grin widened a little and he bent his head forward.
"Mm... Maybe... I'd like that," he murmured, closing his eyes for just a moment. "I'm actually a bit surprised that you haven't already, Deidara." He whispered, turning his head to look at the blond. Something about the way Deidara said his name like that... it wasn't helping to keep him from thinking about just how the other was in need of his body. The fact that Deidara called him '-chan' didn't make it easier either.
Chucking, Deidara took the hint, loosed his hold on his boyfriend's waist and led the way back to their dorm. He was glad of his camera bag on the way... It helped camouflage his need, though it was the first thing to go, set aside inside the door after it had closed, before the blond turned, using his own body to pin Sasori's against the side of a closet, pressing chest to chest with hands resting just to either side of the redhead's shoulders.
"Now then... what am I going to do to you, hn?..."
Reisha: What's this, a cliffhanger? No, not really. This chapter was just terribly, terribly long so I decided to break it up a little for easier reading... And Chapter 22 will be up in a matter of minutes, anywho. You might as well take the opportunity to go and make sure you have enough tissues to staunch the bloody noses that are sure to follow.