Collide: Chapter Two
Naruto doesn't belong to me, but Mirai and any other OCs do.
Naruto slammed the door of the taxi shut, and glanced around at the crowded sidewalk. He was now in front of the club 'Succubus', an exclusive nightclub where the popular band SIN was scheduled to play tonight. And it just so happened that he had a backstage card, so the blonde was able to cheerfully and easily bypass all of the poor fools who did not have the benefit of a backstage VIP card. He snickered, and stuck out his tongue tauntingly at the livid fan girls who were staring at him enviously. They growled, but were unable to retaliate due to the multiple bouncers standing around the club's perimeter.
Once inside the club, a waitress came to escort Naruto to his own small table in center-view of the diminutive stage. Not that you could tell that she was a waitress, dressed as she was in a shredded and formerly voluminous black dress. (Think Princess Ai if you've ever read it.) However, this sort of garb seemed to be the norm, and Naruto glanced down at his own outfit with just a little bit of self-consciousness. His bright orange pants clashed harmoniously with his navy blue shirt emblazoned with a dark red spiral, which stood out terribly in the dim black room. The blonde noticed the furtive glances that were being sent his way, and returned each and every one of them with a confident-if not slightly defensive- glare. Turning to the waitress, he ordered a drink and sat down on one of the squishy mushroom stools situated around his table and glanced around, reviewing the evening's plan in his head. He would sit through the concert until he became favorably tipsy. Then, after t3he concert he would go backstage, hook up with the band. He would ride home with them, and then, after that, there was no plan. Not that it was going to be a problem for Naruto, for he was the master of spontaneity! Yes, he was, no on could deny that. (A/N: I think he's had a few before he came. But that's my personal opinion.)
His drink arrived, and Naruto took a hearty gulp as to affirm his unofficial title. The now half-empty (or half-full?) glass slammed down onto the table, eliciting a small giggle. Naruto quickly glanced up, surprised to find someone other than himself at the table. It was a girl whose skin looked eerily pale in the black strobe lights, and her black hair, streaked with silvery-white locks, harshly framed her narrow face. She grinned and waved at the still-stunned Naruto.
"Hi there, blondie! How's it going?"
Naruto only gaped momentarily before recovering his equilibrium. "Who the hell are you?" he spluttered.
She grinned again, and it was disturbing to Naruto the way that her eyes scrunched up into thin slivers when she smiled, so that he could no longer read what her soul was thinking. It was highly unnerving to be smiled at in that way.
"I'm Nema! Nema Shiro, at your service!"
Naruto stared at 'Nema' blankly, who smiled back cheerfully. "And that tells me what exactly?" he questioned.
"That tells you that she's a stalker who hired herself to work for SIN," a third voice interrupted coolly. Naruto stared at the newcomer, who looked extraordinarily like a girl, but sounded like a boy.
"And that Tachi-kun sent me to help you in any way I could, so ask away!" she finished, as if the interruption had never occurred.
Naruto nodded, unsure of exactly what to say in the face of both slightly hyper individual and girlish boy, or was it boyish girl?
Nema rattled on. "Now, the show will start in a couple of minutes…and, by the way, it won't be easy to gain their trust…Sasuke's especially."
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Why?"
She shrugged. "The world turns and times change, I guess."
The boy (Naruto had confirmed this now using his 'intuition'; which basically means he guessed.) stoically said nothing. Her answer made sense in some weird, distantly logical way, and Naruto accepted it for the time being. Later, he would ponder and speculate in the sleepy confines of his room, but for now, he told himself to enjoy the music and not to trouble his poor mind about crazy stalkers who hired themselves.
The lights were dimming, and a few soft chords could be heard. It slowly rose into a rhythm, and the drums slowly tapped out a beat. A lone voice began to sing.
'One more kiss could be the best thing
But one more lie could be the worst
And all these thoughts are never resting
And you're not something I deserve'
Several spotlights focused on the stage, where Sasuke was singing into the microphone, clutching it possessively. Naruto noticed that Mirai had taken Sasuke's place at the bass guitar, and wondered if all of them could interchange instruments like that. Gaara laid down the rhythm, while Itachi and Mirai layered the melodies together in harmony.
'In my head there's only you now
This world falls on me
In this world there's real and make-believe
And this seems real to me'
Unbeknownst to most people, Sasuke has some rather cute quirks:
1. Every night, he goes to sleep with an Uchiha teddy bear given by his parents
2. He actually wears what Itachi knits, much to Itachi's eternal joy
3. Sasuke fervently wishes for the day that he finds a girl who likes him for who he is
4. When, and if he sings, it must be focused on a single person at the concert
So that's what he was trying to do now, find his temporary 'special person' and sing to them. His onyx eyes swept across the room, and several fan girls fainted from being at the receiving end of the 'Great, Beautiful, Godly Sasuke-sama's' line of vision. His eyes caught a familiar head of black and silver-streaked hair, but there was an unfamiliar shock of blonde next to Nema. The blonde man glanced around, and locked eyes with Sasuke, immediately submersing him in the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen…
'You love me but you don't know who I am
I'm torn between this world and where I stand
And you love me but you don't know who I am
So let me go
Let me go'
The music played on, and Naruto found himself unable to look anywhere other than into Sasuke's ink-black eyes, captured utterly and completely. And the strange part was that he didn't mind his captivity all that much. Not if were to be at the hands of those mesmerizing black eyes… and whoever might be shining through them.
'You love me but you don't know who I am
I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand
How can this love be a good thing
When I know what I'm going through'
Itachi often wondered in his mind while his body did things automatically, without any thought or question. (This later became a much needed skill during the week preceding Christmas, when there were many presents to be knit, and so little time in which to do them.) At times, it seemed to Itachi that he was only a spirit inhabiting a beautiful mortal shell… but the soul needed a place to be, and this body achieved the demands quite admirably. While his body was rocking, fingers flying across the guitar, Itachi's mind was more inclined to observe rather than participate. It was this coolness and distance that somehow made him very popular with the fan girls. We will never understand how their minds work. But what does Itachi prefer to observe, you ask? Everything. Itachi is the kind of person who likes to know about everything that's going on around him… especially when it concerns his Sasuke. So, with some curiosity, (and a smidge of over-protectiveness) looked for the one his little brother had made a connection with. There were symptoms, as always. It was a little different for each band member, who they would connect with, and why. And then, there were the chosen. Itachi's victims often swayed in time with the music, entranced, with their mouths hanging open, and just a little bit of drool would be hanging out. Itachi had his own reasons for whom he picked; but honestly, it depended heavily on his mood. Did he want to be seduced today, or be understood?
The crowd seemed mostly unaffected by Sasuke's eyes, if you didn't count the multitudes of swooned fan girls. Dozens more swooned with the passing of Itachi's red orbs. Distantly, he wondered if any of the fan girls realized that this song had been written with them in mind? Oh yes, Mirai was a devious one, concealing a message from Sasuke's 'Inner Self'. (Back off bitches, you can not even begin to transcend and comprehend the person behind the pretty face.) Itachi just hoped that the fan girls wouldn't take the lyrics of the song too literally. Otherwise, the band might have to hide in Gaara's room again… his glare seemed to be the only effective weapon against he denizens from hell… There! There was a person exhibiting classic Sasuke-symptoms!
The blonde was a slightly dazed look in his eyes as he received the torrential outpouring of all of Sasuke's hidden intentions, emotions.
'You love me but you don't know who I amI'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand
You love me but you don't know who I am
So let me go
Just let me go
Let me go'
Gaara watched his band-mate carefully, taking in every movement, every refraction of light off gleaming tan skin. No smile, no careless glances slipped by the red-headed goth's attentive eyes. But Gaara took extreme care to not draw any unnecessary attention to his infatuation. No, as far as he knew, Mirai had no idea any of this was occurring. She was unaware of his growing obsession.
'And no matter how hard I tryI can't escape these things I know
I know
When all the pieces fall apart
You will be the only one who knows
Who knows'
Mirai continued strumming blithely, pretending as if she couldn't feel the lime-green eyes burning a hole in the back of her head. It was rather sweet, actually, how Gaara thought she didn't notice. But Mirai played for keeps, and she wasn't about to have her heart broken. Thus, she wouldn't make a move until she was absolutely sure. Mirai gave herself a few months, tops. Until then, she would just keep waiting and watching. She had time to kill.
'You love me but you don't know who I am I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand And you love me but you don't know who I am So let me go Just let me go'Nema watched Naruto curiously, observing his rather stupefied state with a detached curiosity. Vaguely, she wondered what was it about SIN that affected so many people- herself included- to such extents. Maybe it was their supernatural allure? Or maybe it was because of the raw emotion poured into every word and action that drew so many fans to the rock stars, like an irresistible magnet. Yes, maybe that was it. SIN was such a sensation because of the pure, unadulterated honesty that each member exuded unconsciously. Such irony, when you really get down to it.
'And you love me but you don't
You love me but you don't
You love me but you don't know who I am
And you love me but you don't
You love me but you don't
You love me but you don't know me'
Slamming one last riff, the guitar's voice trembled in the air, accentuated and drawn-out, accompanying Sasuke's tender finish. The club was silent, as it had been throughout the performance. Then, a clap sounded, and the whole club suddenly roared into life, reverberating with hoots, screams, whistles, and not just a few catcalls. Naruto sat amongst the rowdy clubbers, frozen stiff. Dumbly, he watched as Sasuke glanced at him one final time before disappearing backstage. His sky-blue eyes lingered on the spot where they had last glimpsed their already beloved, and hungered for more.
Nema saw the longing in Naruto's eyes and sighed woefully. The kid was a goner, trapped in Sasuke's clutches, which was really too bad. He'd been such a hottie. However, Nema noticed that the blonde had seemed to forgotten that he had a mission to complete, and the fact that he was in possession of a backstage pass, which gave him several privileges, such as unlimited access to the band members. Nema decided that it was time to tune him in.
Snatching the laminated card that hung from Naruto's neck, she dangled it in front of his face. His eyes focused on the offending object in front of his nose, and recognition slowly dawned. Nema let go, satisfied.
"Remember now, lover boy? You can go see them backstage."
She didn't need to mention Sasuke's name. He knew what she meant. Naruto began to rise from the table, but Nema placed a hand on his, making him pause. Her speckled eyes met his, and they gave no trace of levity.
"Remember, you came to do a job. So do it."
The blonde nodded and began moving away.
"And Naruto," she called to his retreating back, "if you hurt him- any of them- and I'll hunt you down personally."
Naruto smiled in understanding. "I wouldn't expect anything less, Nema."
She visibly relaxed and smiled in response. "Good luck, then."
Naruto waved one hand over his shoulder and sauntered away to where Sasuke was waiting for him.
A/N: Sorry it took so long…forgive me, and stay for more. Thank you for your kind and helpful reviews!