The evening was just turning out so much nicer that he could have imagined, Hidan thought, as he slid back into the plushy red seat opposite Kakuzu after a quick trip to the gents. He looked across at him with a satisfied half smile. Kakuzu half-smiled back, obviously not feeling any need to pretend he hadn't been watching him all the way across the room. He's going to fuck me tonight, thought Hidan. It's one of those inevitable things. I really, really fancy him. It seemed like the whole evening, no, maybe the whole day had been leading up to it. But, no hurry. Hidan took a sip of his cocktail, keeping his eyes trained on Kakuzu. It was going to happen, so Hidan was going to enjoy every minute up to it as well.

I might as well know a bit more about him, he thought. "So, Kakuzu," he said, leaning forward, playing the old undivided attention trick, though he knew he was way past the stage of having to use tricks - this man was his. "How'd you end up with the Akatsuki crowd?"

Kakuzu smiled. What a thrill it was - once you were past forty - to have a hot young guy look at you like that, like you're the only thing registering on their radar. "I've known Madara from way back," he began, then thought, oops, let the cat out of the bag there. Oh well. "You probably know Madara as Tobi," he continued with a rueful smile. "Did you know Tobi owns the whole Akatsuki magazine franchise?"

Hidan's mouth curved slowly into an incredulous smile. "No way!" he said, breaking into unrestrained giggles. "Fuck! Who'd've fucking guessed that? And all those pretentious fuckers are so fucking patronising to him!" He laughed into his Sidecar, his shoulders shaking with mirth, then reached across the table and took Kakuzu's hand. The gesture was impulsive and unexpected. It took Kakuzu's breath away.

"I like you, Kakuzu," he said.

Kakuzu smiled, and squeezed his fingertips just as they slipped away again. "I like you too," he said. Nearly under his breath, but as close as they were, Hidan would've heard anyway. It didn't take more courage than he had to voice the words, low and intense. He sipped his Martini, and Hidan ate the last piece of sushi. Kakuzu caught the attention of a waiter and ordered more. He looked back at Hidan, expecting and steeling himself for the intimate mood to be somewhat diminished, but it was there in full force.

"So what happened next?" Hidan asked.

"Well, I'd just got a job in the city, for the first time I had capital and I wanted to invest." Kakuzu shot a glance at Hidan to check if his eyes were glazing over - he really didn't want to bore him, not just yet - "And Madara said, why not take a share in the magazine he'd just bought. And it seemed like a going concern, so I did. And I still have it," he added, modestly not explaining quite what that meant in financial terms, but smirking slightly - he couldn't help himself.

It was over Hidan's head though, so Kakuzu went on. He's pure, in financial terms, he thought, wonderingly, he really, genuinely, doesn't care. The sin of avarice is absent from him. "And I'd already started my own collection, at that point, but business I got into on behalf of Akatsuki Publishing brought me into contact with the emissaries of Nagato Pein. I've still never met the man in person." Kakuzu paused. It always irritated him slightly that he had not, and to admit it, still more. But Hidan didn't seem to think it mattered. "So I backed Akatsuki Gallery, because I was the one with the capital, and --"

"So, you actually own Akatsuki Gallery?"

"No, not precisely. Pein bought me out of the majority of it when he'd made enough - we had an agreement. But I'm still a major shareholder."

"Dude." Hidan knocked back the rest of his cocktail and twiddled that glass around by its stem. He laughed. "I bet if you hadn't made that agreement you'd still be holding on to all those shares."

"Absolutely," Kakuzu agreed. "That was why Pein insisted on it in the first place. But it was still an advantageous deal..."

"Like a pre-nup..."

"Something like that."

Kakuzu took Hidan's glass away from him, just like before - sure he was going to end up breaking it and impaling himself on the pieces - and ordered him another drink.

Just around the corner, in Leonard Street, Konan was having dinner with Yahiko - more widely known as Mr. Pein's smooth blond PA. She raised her glass of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. "To another successful Opening!" she said. "I think we both deserve congratulations! It wasn't the easiest, was it, given the volatile nature of the works?" She laughed. "I think Kakuzu Taki's face when he saw how much had sold was my finest moment! He really almost looked surprised!" She mused a moment, thinking about the way he'd taken Hidan Yu in hand... She was relieved, and pleased for both of them. Although she hadn't seen it coming, it made a lot of sense. Kakuzu needed someone to liven him up, and also, she suspected, someone to look after. And Hidan badly needed guidance. Although a lot of people obviously wanted to watch a young firebrand crash and burn, Konan hated to see talent go to waste, and it was distressing to her to see someone evidently troubled and craving affection and understanding without anyone to depend on. It had worried her for a while, seeing how he ran with the wild crowd - Tobi, Zetsu, Deidara - without truly connecting to any of them. Now, perhaps she wouldn't have to worry any more.

Coming back to the present, she turned her attention back to her own problems. Yahiko's face was curiously blank. Konan knew how hard it was for him, having to watch Nagato become more and more successful, while his own ambitions had come to nothing. She wished now that she hadn't mentioned the Private View. If Nagato hadn't made Yahiko his PA, he'd really be nothing now. Konan was wrenched with pity and frustration for him. He'd repayed Nagato's favour by becoming the most perfect PA imaginable - smooth, polite, efficient, and expressionless. It had destroyed their friendship, though neither man would admit it. Only Konan saw glimmers of the old Yahiko now. He'd suppressed his his true character, his personality, along with the pain and disappointment that would have broken him otherwise. And that was what she had fallen in love with, years ago, the real Yahiko. But she was sure it must still be there, somewhere. He still loved her, after all, didn't he?

She swiftly led the subject away from Nagato's ventures, and the conversation fell naturally onto the other matter on her mind. "I was so glad to see how Kakuzu hit it off with Hidan," she said, smiling. "I think they'll be good for each other."

Yahiko smiled wryly. "You're too sweet for this business, Konan," he said, an definite edge of bitterness in his voice. "Hidan will milk Kakuzu for every penny he's worth, before he loses his pretty-boy looks and the old bastard gets rid of him."

"Yahiko! I don't think that's true at all!" pleaded Konan, distressed. "That sounds like something Nagato would say - this isn't like you!"

Yahiko looked at her with cold eyes in which she felt could see the desperate struggle going on. "I am Nagato, Konan," he said, despairingly. "That's all I am, now. A shell for Nagato to channel himself through. His opinions are my opinions. God, I hear the words 'Mr. Pein's PA' more often than my own name, these days!"

"Yahiko." Konan reached over and took his hand. "Hear me say it. Yahiko and Nagato are two very different people, to me."

Yahiko rubbed a hand over his face, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, babe," he said. "I'm sorry. This was meant to be a nice relaxing evening, wasn't it?" He smiled at her bravely, and it was a shadow of the cheeky grin he used to give her so easily back in their university days. "Let's see if we can get away for a few days, soon. I need a break."

Over in his Camden artists' squat, Deidara was trying to pack for his trip to Berlin, and talk to Sasori on the phone at the same time.

"Sasori, un," he said, panicking a little. "What've I forgotten? And do you think they'll let me take my new charcoal compound on the plane, un?"

"What does it contain?" asked Sasori, carefully packing away his carving tools, preparing to leave his Warren Street studio for the night.

"Sulphur and Potassium nitrate, un. And charcoal, obviously, un."

Potassium nitrate as in saltpetre?" Sasori paused expressively. "That's gunpowder, Deidara."

"I know, un, they're the ingredients of gunpowder, yeah, but you've got to get the proportions right before it'll explode, un."

Sasori sighed, not sure he really wanted to know any more about this - he could end up facing 'accessory to terrorism' charges. "And, ah, have you got the proportions right?" he asked delicately.

"Well, un, there was an explosion in the studio last night, yeah, but I don't know for sure if that's what caused it."

Sasori shut his eyes a moment. How on Earth had he ended up feeling so responsible for this crazy kid. "No, Deidara, is my considered opinion," he said. "I don't think they will let you."

Back in Shoreditch, Kakuzu and Hidan once again reached the charged silence which heralds the point at which conversation ends and action begins. And this time, no unfortunate acquaintances appeared to distract them. A brief and artificial exchange about where they might want to go for dinner ended hastily in a "Shall we just go back to mine," from Kakuzu, and swift agreement from Hidan.

As Kakuzu successfully hailed a cab on Shoreditch High Street, Konan and Yahiko's main courses arrived. They both had their diaries spread out on the table. "If only I didn't have to go to Edinburgh next weekend..." Konan sighed. "That's your only free weekend for months..."

Yahiko paused, a forkful of seabass halfway to his mouth. "Could we send anyone else?" he asked, trying to sound hopeful. It didn't really seem hopeful. Nagato was expanding out of London, and the trip was involved with the setting up of 'Akatsuki Edinburgh'...

"Well, not any of Nagato's other secretaries." Konan frowned slightly, delicately eating a spear of asparagus. "He'd want to know why I wasn't going, wouldn't he?"

"I hate all this secrecy, Konan!"

"I know, but if Nagato found out about us, both our careers would be over. And he's so sick, Yahiko, I can't just turn my back on him!"

"I hate it that he thinks he owns you!"

"It can't really do any harm." It wasn't as if Nagato was up to a physical relationship, after all. Konan lowered her eyes - she really didn't want to discuss this with Yahiko. She cared about Nagato more than she could easily admit to him. Even though he was so unwell and reclusive, his mind at least was as passionate as it had ever been. She might not like the direction he'd decided to take with his life, but in a strange way she did still love him.

"Why don't we ask Kakuzu to go?" she said suddenly, looking up at Yahiko, her eyes brightening.

"Kakuzu?" Yahiko looked bewildered.

"Well, he's a major Akatsuki shareholder, he's efficient, he's discreet - and all I'm supposed to be there for is to be the face of Akatsuki really, to represent the gallery and deal with any issues that Sasori and Deidara can't handle. Kakuzu could absolutely manage it."

"Well, but why would he? He's a busy man, Konan, we can't ask him to give up his weekend..."

"He'll go." Konan leant forward, smiling. "He'll go - because Hidan's going. Remember - Deidara wanted him there so they could scope out the space for their new performance piece."

Yahiko slowly began to smile too. "I suppose if your womanly intuition isn't completely barking up the wrong tree," he said, "you might be onto something." He flipped backwards in his diary. "That would mean we could leave on Thursday night and make a long weekend of it! We could pop over to Paris. Or book into a country hotel. Or we could just stay at mine and not answer the door or the phone all weekend. What would you like best, darling?"

Konan leaned over the table to kiss him. "The last one!" she said. "Though it may be practical to get out of London, I suppose..."

"I'm not fucking happy about these casts, Sasori," growled Deidara through gritted teeth, on the phone to his unofficial mentor again. "I really need to make some alterations, un, but I can't get hold of Hidan! Where do you think he is, un?"

"It's Friday night, Deidara," Sasori reminded him patiently and pedantically. "I'm sure he's painting the town red somewhere. This is Hidan we're talking about!"

"I know, un, but he usually has his phone on. He's not with Zetsu or Tobi, either, un."

Sasori chuckled. Deidara could be so naive when he had his mind firmly on his art. He thought he had a good idea of where Hidan might be and why he might not have his phone switched on - an old friend of his had a way of getting what he wanted, and after seeing the way Kakuzu's eye had followed Hidan's every move last night, his desires could not be in doubt - but he had absolutely no intention of suggesting to Deidara that he call there.

"It's too late to change the casts, Deidara," he said firmly. "I thought they were already at the workshop? Look, I'll come over before I go home, and we can look at it together. They're only going to dissolve in a few weeks anyway," he added unwisely, then moved the phone away from his ear a little, bracing himself for Deidara's inevitable wounded indignation.

"Maybe you should stay at mine tonight," he said quickly, in an attempt to distract Deidara before the explosion. "You'll be closer to the airport. I can give you a lift in the morning." In fact, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a necessary course to take. He was pretty sure it was the only way to get Deidara off on time, and to avoid last minute forgotten-passport dramas and the like. He'd probably end up packing for him... Sasori sighed, but really only out of habit. "I'll be with you in a quarter of an hour," he said, then added, "Or, perhaps more like twenty minutes, at this time on a Friday..."

By the time Sasori arrived in Camden, Konan and Yahiko were drinking coffee and thinking about getting the bill, and Kakuzu and Hidan were stumbling into Kakuzu's dark hall where Kakuzu was swiftly and efficiently disabling the alarm system with one hand, the other arm still being wrapped firmly around Hidan.

Hidan found it rather sexy, actually - Kakuzu was so assured, he knew exactly what buttons to press without even seeming to look. He could probably have done it with his eyes closed. Though it was likely that anything would've turned Hidan on in his current mood. He'd had rather a lot of brandy cocktails, and their uplifting affect combined with Kakuzu's penetrating green eyes on him all evening had been titillating in the extreme.

He was looking expectantly at Kakuzu's profile, his eyes just beginning to adjust to the dimness, when four big black shapes suddenly appeared from further down the hall. Hidan could see eyes shining in the gloom. He pressed closer against Kakuzu, and one shape approached him, a strange vibrating noise seeming to emanate from it. Heart suddenly thumping, and his mouth dry, he backed off, seriously alarmed, trying to put Kakuzu between them. He wondered why Kakuzu didn't seem to think anything of it. Fuck - he suddenly realised - it was a huge black dog. And the guttural vibrating noise was growling. Shit, it was probably going to spring at him and bite his throat out! "Shit," he whimpered. "Kakuzu, do something!"

"Down," said Kakuzu calmly, not even needing to raise his voice and not bothering to look round as he reset the alarm. He should've thought - Tsuchi didn't much like strangers, but he hadn't considered the possibility that Hidan might be afraid of dogs. He whistled softly, pointing to the kitchen, and all four dogs slunk away. Hidan stood pressed against the wall, heart thumping and butterflies in his stomach. He bit his lip, hating the way his voice had come out about an octave higher than usual and wondering anxiously if Kakuzu would despise him now - why wasn't he looking at him? Had he in fact brought him here to feed him to his resident pack of wolves?

Kakuzu finished locking the door, then slowly crossed over to Hidan and stood in front of him, putting one hand on his chest, one on his neck. He felt his pulse, smiling at how it was racing. "It's OK, Hidan," he said. "Just dogs." Taking his time, he leant in close to him, his own heart-rate increasing as he saw the uncertainty and confusion in Hidan's expression. So vulnerable, underneath the bad boy act. He ran his thumb over Hidan's lower lip, then kissed him; gentle and lingering at first, but soon hard and passionate, his tongue exploring and demanding, his hand on Hidan's jaw, making his mouth open wider, tipping his head back. Hidan - realising after a long appreciative moment that he was just standing there with his own hands limp at his sides, made pliable by shock - began to respond fiercely. He wasn't a passive type at all, in the general run of things. He shrugged off his leather jacket and Kakuzu peeled off his T-shirt, then undid the button on his jeans, easing the zip down a little so he could slide a hand in.

Hidan thrust his hips forward to make it easier for him, and moaned as Kakuzu pushed back against him. He felt Kakuzu's breath hot in his ear as he whispered, "Come on. Upstairs."

They only made it as far as the half-landing, where it crossed Hidan's mind that a house with a lot of stairs could be very convenient for creative sex... Moaning inarticulate words of incitement and encouragement he fumbled condoms and a neatly turned down tube of KY jelly from his pocket before taking Kakuzu's belt buckle in his hand, flipping it open and kneeling in front of him.