I do apologise for getting this chapter out so very late. Believe you me, there were several good and relevant reasons for this, but I won't bore you with them.

Hanging by My Coat tails

Chapter Three: Lapsing Souchong - Part One

Deidara straightened his jabot nervously. His meeting with Lord Sasori was at three o'clock, and it was now a quarter to two….he should be ready soon if he was to make it to Grosvenor Square in time. He heard a knock at the door, and, cast one last look at his person in the large looking glass in his bedchamber before saying a very weary "Come in".

The housekeeper, Margaret Hill entered. "Sir, The Honourable Hatake Kakashi is downstairs."

"Thank you, Meg. How do I look?" He said, speaking affectionately to the housekeeper who was his image consultant, a most competent spy and most loyal servant.

She looked him up and down. He held his breath, as her eyes took in his attire from head to toe. He had been getting ready since half eleven, much to the household's amusement, who had never seen their free and easy, never-at-a-loss Master so nervous.

"Dear, why didn't you leave out your jabot so that I could iron it, look you?" She said finally her tone holding a touch of remorse.

He looked down, and his face creased into a worried expression.

"Its not that creased, is it?" He said, in such a forlorn voice that Meg could not help smiling. He continued to look down at the offending article of clothing. "I thought it only had to be very clean…How creased is it?" He said, casting her look of such bewildered helplessness that she laughed.

"Not creased at all, sir, forgive me, I was only teasing. Not, get you downstairs to Master Hatake lest he think you have met with some mischief."

He clasped her hand fondly. "Thank you, Meggie. Now!" He said, with a face like he was off to the hangman, letting her hand go and marching downstairs grimly.

"Hatake!" Deidara said, striding into the drawing room with the air of a martyr. "I leave, to my fate."

"And I to watch you do so", said Hatake, amusedly. "Did you look at your jabot this morning?"

Deidara whirled around and gave Mrs Hill a stricken glance.

"I mean no harm, Deidara, it is a small joke between your housekeeper and I" Kakashi said, sounding, as always pleased with something. Most likely himself, Deidara fumed, as he swept out of the room. "Well I see nothing funny about it", he angrily calling over his shoulder, as he stepped lightly down the steps of his fashionable house in Chelsea toward the open top barouche that was waiting outside the house. Kakashi, who being as tall as he was found no difficulty in coming straight out the house after him, whistling softly. Once they were both seated, the two bays pulling the carriage smartly cantered down the road as Deidara held the reins, in the direction of Lord Sasori's lodgings in London.

Unbidden, Deidara's mind drifted back to that fateful night at Almacks, two days ago, when the whole mess had begun…

Two nights back, Almacks. One of the Halls

"And so, I said, well, my Lord, if you have such an aversion to bagatelle, might I suggest that you stay away from London altogether?" A raucous laugh arose from the group from where Deidara and Kakashi stood, as Deidara related one of his many hilarious anecdotes.

He joined in the laugher, and sipped his punch. It was nearly 11 o clock, and he felt distinctly triumphant. Obito had asked them to come away a little earlier than usual, after leaving a few hours before to see a man about a horse (Deidara shook his head: At this hour? Indeed, the Uchiha's were odd fish, the lot of them.), making it altogether even easier to avoid Lord Sasori. He had managed to, the whole evening and leaving Almacks would make it that much easier.

""Oh Blast, he said, affecting surprise as he looked down at his watch. "I didn't see the time? Hatake, we must be off, I do hope-"

Deidara stopped, as he felt someone place their hand on his upper arm. "I do hope", came a smooth, low voice from behind him, "that I may speak to you before you leave."

Deidara felt his face colour up at the man touching him so familiarly, and a being caught out. Just when I was about to leave, he wailed inwardly, as he followed Lord Sasori into a small antechamber near the entrance to the Dance hall.

Lord Sasori immediately sat, appearing quite at his ease as he crossed his legs and placed an arm over the back of the chair languidly, his odd, pale eyes that were fringed with dark, thick lashes fixed on Deidara, who considered sitting down, but then realised that if he could think of an excuse fast enough, it was best to be on his feet. His mind seemed foggy with the amount of punch that he had drunk, he would be lucky to remember his date of birth.

Perhaps he will say something. Deidara though, struggling to throw off the effects of thee alcohol and desperately trying to think of an excuse to leave.

"I do not wonder about your distaste for offer of patronage from me, and that is merely because I do not care for it." Deidara fidgeted at this rather blatant dismissal of him "However, should you wish to continue your artistic career I suggest that you pay heed to the offer I wish to make."

"Yes?" said Deidara, wondering why it was so hard to get his words out. Really, but he was most uncomfortable. The unfathomable blush that had shown up on his face when Sasori touched him still had not faded and his palms were sweating, and he was conscious of Lord Sasori staring at him most audaciously as he addressed the sheepishly embarrassed Gentleman.

"Come to my seat in Grosvenor Square tomorrow and we shall talk of it, for I should not like to keep you from your business" retuned the other, staring at his pearly white gloves, in a manner that suggested that they held far more interest than anything else in the room.

"I do apologise, but I have plans tomorrow. Completely unavoidable." Deidara was quickly regaining confidence.

Sasori quirked a brow. "Oh? What plans might those be?" He said, managing to say the question without sounding at all concerned.

Deidara flicked his hair over his shoulder in a blasé manner and returned, haughtily "it does not concern you at all and I am afraid I am not at liberty to say."

"Very well. But what of the day after that?"

"Hard luck, my Lord. I have plans for that day also", Deidara said instantly, in a flurry of daring. It would not do good to refuse him thrice, he winced, looking quickly at the door behind him. I should leave before he can ask me again. Really, but this is most tiresome

"Actually, my Lord, I am indisposed," Deidara said, as he turned to leave "I have some business to see the Earl about, do excuse-" I

"Stay." came the quiet command from Sasori. "I am tired of requests. You will come to my house in Grosvenor Square and we will discuss this at length." He said, languidly, a hint of impatience in his smooth, cultured tone.

"I think not". Deidara was furious, his gloved hands were clenched into fists.

"On the contrary, I know you shall. Despite your rather" he eyed Deidara long blonde hair with cynically amused eyes, "feminine appearance you may or may not have all the physical strength of a man. However, I did not come for an argument; I came to give you a proposition; it would be in your interest to take heed, for Dancing Halls- enjoyable as such diversions are-" (here he gave a smile that did not reach his steely, pale eyes) "don't pay tailor bills, and I understand that you have rather a lot of those."

Deidara shook slightly, his fury quite apparent. Usually, he kept his temper very well, but this man was not only downright disrespectful he was-

"Maybe, just…" Sasori stood, looking Deidara straight in his eyes, his gaze unwavering. He took a step toward him, and then another, till their noses were barely half an inch from one another. Deidara's eyes were slanted in resentment, dark blue peeping out from between his blonde eyelashes as he met the eyes of Sasori. Audacious man! He thought -but the thought as not as alacritous as usual, it was almost as though the effect of the drink was returning.

"Maybe", Sasori whispered, his breath grazing Deidara's lips that were not quite two centimeters away. Deidara stood, caught. His heart was thumping and racketing away in his ribcage like a crazed animal as he stared into those light, almost white eyes…his breath stuck in his throat refusing to move, let him breathe…

"Maybe you will see sense…" a devious smile curled those perfect lips "…for once." Sasori swept straight past him and went out of the antechamber, leaving Deidara completely immobile, in the middle of the small room to wonder what on earth had just passed.

I don't even know his actual address, he thought numbly after a few minutes had passed. He forced his legs to work and made his way out of the room.

He glared at an unwitting Itachi who was conversing with a friend of Obito's. Itachi…

The thought ran through Deidara's head and he glared at his friend. Just you wait…

Itachi pulled out a handkerchief and sneezed. Damn dust gets everywhere, he thought, annoyed.

"This is it", muttered Kakashi, as he saw the turning that would lead them off Oxford Street and toward Grosvenor Square his previous high spirits gone. Deidara's mood had affected his driving somewhat and Kakashi was relieved that he had refused Mrs. Hill's offer of tea and scones while waiting for Deidara. He sneaked a look at the man, wondering at his grim expression, while trying to desperately hang on to the seat of the carriage in a most furtive manner. I wonder what it is that causes such resentment... He thought to himself. He himself was too easygoing to have such a grudge at present, and rather lazy. Hate took effort, and Kakashi did not like to involve himself with such an emotion unless there was something in it for himself, some sort of end in sight.

Sasuke stood at the window, watching the carriages roll past in the brief sunshine after days of drizzle in the capital, waiting for his Uncle and Itachi to come downstairs. He had refused their offer of meeting him at the station and had made his way to Cavendish Square by himself. He had not been in the mood for company, and had simply written a missive to his uncle saying that he would make his own way to his residence. He briefly remembered a conversation with a boy in his form, Naruto. Odd, he had never spoken to him before but the one conversation he had had with him just before he left had stuck in his mind.

He closed his eyes, remembering the blond boy's nervous smile, his sharp, blue eyes and his hesitant voice.

"Sasuke…"

"Sasuke? Is that you? My Dear boy, it's been years!" came Obito's booming voice behind him, and shook him out of his thoughts.

Sasuke took a deep breath and faced his uncle and Brother, his insides churning with a mixture of nerves and fatigue.

AC: Ah yes, in both Sasuke's POV and Deidara's, there was, or rather will be Lapsing Souchong, which I got the inspiration for in Marks and Spencer's yesterday… Genius…¬¬…

Margaret is a completely random character…I did not want to have all the Naruto characters, especially for the little parts like housemaids etc. I know that's a bit weird but I don't think that Margaret would suit the name Moegi more, I am trying to set all the characters to parts that would suit them the most.

By the by…. while I was writing this, my friend looked over my shoulder and asked me what the hell Lapsing Souchong was, so for anyone else who doesn't know, it's a type of tea. Yeah…I may not update tomorrow, it's my birthday (fifteen at long bloody last) and I will be pretty busy the whole day. So the day after that, I will nick the modem back from my mother (who took it, claiming that I spend too long on the computer. It is quite lucky that I have no aversion whatsoever to pilfering confiscated items from her, otherwise you would be looking at a story with updates very far between) I should be able to get back on here and write-I mean, post Chapter Four Lapsing Souchong – Part Two and Chapter Five: Paintings, Protégés and Cream. Sound interesting? Good! That was the intention.

Rate, Review, Criticise (if there is something that catches your eye) and all that jazz. And a couple of "Happy Birthdays!" would be lovely. Not necessary. But would be appreciated all the same.