Disclaimer: I do not own any character except my OCs.
Come here now, baby, make me love you
Come, baby, make me love you down
It was a calm, Friday evening that found Sakuno in a familiar predicament.
"Here we go again."
The issue of finding something to wear.
However, this situation was different. Sakuno was attempting to figure out what to wear to Sasori's art exhibition, where he would be showcasing his pieces to the city of Konoha. Sasori had been planning this event along with his best friend and fellow artist, Deidara, for months.
Of course, Sakuno had been one of the first few people to receive an invitation (both official and unofficial). She had even marked her calendar for the occasion. She had known about this event and had a consistent reminder through the invitation that sat on her desk every day since she received it. Still, Sakuno neglected to plan ahead and put together an ensemble. Thus. she was in the predicament she was in now.
It wasn't that she didn't have anything to wear. Actually, she had plenty to wear. The dilemma was finding the right thing to wear. She understood that, in attending this exhibition, she would be representing, not only, herself but Sasori as well. She didn't want to wear something that would reflect poorly on Sasori and ruin his reputation as an artist. Therefore, it would be best for her to find something that would be appropriate for this classy event.
She knew that she was probably overthinking as Sasori likes to tell her, but she couldn't help the concern. After all, she understood how important this was for him. As an artist, he wanted his art to be appreciated by everyone who sees it and wanted to continue creating art. This exhibition was the best way to continue to put his name out there.
Not to mention, all of his planning that he put into the exhibition had taken up most of his time including quality time with his girlfriend. Granted, Sakuno understood he was busy and didn't complain. She checked on him and encouraged him when she knew things were beginning to get stressful.
Nevertheless, she truly missed spending time with him and wished to see him. He missed her too as he would always tell her whenever he got a chance. It had been almost two months since they had seen each other and had their trip to the beach. Two months since she had lost…
Sakuno shivered as she recalled the last night they spent together. It was full of touching, sweat, pain, and pleasure, especially pleasure. She remembered every moment of making love to Sasori for the first time and how gentle he was taking her virginity. She couldn't help but clench her thighs together at the memory of his mouth and hands being everywhere and how he felt when he slid inside of her for the first time while whispering sweet things in her ear. Sakuno had to admit to herself that, as much as she wanted to see her darling, she wanted to feel him just as much. Though that last part wasn't something she could admit to him so easily.
Breaking out of her flashback, Sakuno glanced at the clock. It was already 7:15 and the exhibition started at 8:30. She had to shower, do her hair, put on make-up before the car Sasori was sending arrived to pick her up. She couldn't help but smile a little. Being chauffeured was not something she was used to, so she was a little excited.
Exhaling sharply, she rummaged through her closet hoping to find something that could pass for elegant.
"No. No. Absolutely not. Nope. Hell no," she muttered to herself in frustration as she looked at each outfit that was presented to her eyes. She was about to go to the next dress when something caught her eyes. She pulled the dress out and looked at it up and down with a grin.
"Now this will work just fine!" she laid it on the bed and looked in the closet again to find shoes and accessories that matched. She paused for a moment to think of what she should wear underneath the dress.
Her baby blue eyes sparkled as a clever idea popped into her head. She blushed despite herself, but she knew that this would pay off later. Once everything was laid out on the bed, she stripped off her t-shirt and leggings and went to let the shower warm-up.
It was time for her to get ready for tonight.
The city of Konoha was buzzing with life.
Night had fallen but that did not slow the hustle and bustle of the city down one bit.
People and cars were moving quickly through the city attempting to get to their respective destinations. Office workers were headed either home to their families or to the bar. Teenagers were meeting up with friends excited to be out of school and looking forward to the weekend. The citizens were all too delighted to enjoy this beautiful Friday evening The city was illuminated against the darkness of the night, giving it the energy that the city is known for.
Sasori gazed calmly at the city and its people. The lights reflected in his calm, brown eyes as he stood in front of the Konoha Art Museum.
He glanced at the entrance of the building watching people being dropped off in their cars. Men and women dressed in semi-formal attire were walking into the building conversing in anticipation of the exhibition.
Checking his watch, he realized it was about 15 minutes until the show began. He took a minute to breathe in and out to calm his nerves.
Sasori was not usually one to get nervous, but showcasing his art was the one thing that never failed to set his nerves on edge. Once he made sure everything was set up properly, he had stepped outside to get some fresh air before the event started. This art exhibition was such an important event because this would be the first big show since he had moved to Konoha.
Sasori had already established his reputation as an artist in Suna and rose to fame as a revered, yet often misunderstood, artist. Though he had some clients in Konoha, his clientele wasn't on the same magnitude as the one he had in Suna. Even before he moved here, he knew he would have to plan an art exhibition to showcase his art and develop his clientele. He had contacted his former college roommate and best friend, Deidara to help with the exhibition. Deidara agreed to work with him only if Sasori let him showcase his own sculptures. Sasori, begrudgingly, accepted the deal.
Both of the artists had to pool their money and resources to make sure the exhibition went smoothly. From the venue to the guests to even how their art pieces would be set up, the two put their blood, sweat, and tears into this event. At the same time, they had to make sure they completed most of their projects that were left unfinished before the exhibition.
Finally, tonight was the big night.
They had titled it the Eternal vs. Ephemeral Collection Showcase. They had made this a public premiere but made sure Konoha's wealthy and elite were sure to receive their invites. Hopefully, most of the 30 pieces of their work (15 pieces of his own work and 15 pieces of Deidara's work combined) would be purchased, and, possibly, someone would be willing to commission a work of art for themselves. More commissions meant more work, but more work meant more money, which was always a good thing. The more money he saves, then the more money he can use to fund the art studio he plans on opening here in Konoha.
Sasori was thankful that he was smart enough to build up his savings. Not having some new commissions for the first two months he lived in Konoha did not hurt him as bad as it could have. He did have to be terribly frugal though. He still managed to complete some commissions later on for an old client in Suna and even two new ones in Konoha. However, the move and having to adapt to a new city was all worth it because he got to be with Sakuno.
His eyes softened and a slight smile grew on his face.
God, he missed her.
Sasori hadn't seen Sakuno since their beach trip and was eager to see her tonight. He made sure he sent a car so she wouldn't have to worry about driving to the venue. Only the best for one of his greatest supporters after all.
Sasori wanted nothing more than to spend a day or two with her. He wanted to hear about all of the new recipes she was planning to cook in her bakery and taste them as well. He wanted that…among other things. He recalled the last night he spent with her and couldn't help but replay it in his head. Hearing her cry out his name and feeling her skin on his was something he could never forget. It was almost embarrassing how often he had to relieve his urges to the flashback of them making love, which seemed to be occurring more often.
Though Sasori was happy that they had finally taken the next step in the relationship, he refused to push Sakuno to do it again. Boyfriend or not, he was not entitled to her or her body. He could only hope she would allow him the pleasure of making love to her once again. Hopefully, she would come home with him tonight to make it happen but that would depend on how the night goes.
"Sasori!"
Someone calling his name brought him out of his thoughts. He turned and saw Deidara waving at him.
"Come on. It's almost time for the show to start!"
Sasori glanced at his watch again.
It was indeed 10 minutes until 8:30.
Taking another breath, he walked towards Deidara before taking his phone to see if he had any new messages, particularly from Sakuno.
He did. She had sent the message approximately 5 minutes ago.
From: Sakuno
I'm sorry! I'm running a bit late, but I'm on my way! I hope everything goes well. See you soon. I love you.
Sasori smiled in spite of himself. Leave it to her to be able to calm his nerves with just a few words.
"Text from the lovely Sakuno-chan, un? I must say seeing you act similar to that of a lovesick puppy is quite enjoyable, Sasori."
Sasori's gaze shifted to Deidara with an irritated look before he locked his phone and shoved it in his pocket.
"Shut up, you brat. Let's go ahead get ready to start the show. Make sure you know what you're going to say and make it short and sweet. God forbid you start rambling about your art being 'an explosion' like you normally do."
Sasori raised his fingers in air quotes when referring to what Deidara called his art. Deidara's eyebrow twitched and he frowned before a smirk unfurled on his face.
"Well, at least Sakuno-chan appreciates my art, un."
Sasori glared at Deidara's smug look. Sometimes his really wanted to choke the shit out of his so-called best friend. Other times, he just questioned their friendship in general. Bonds and friendships are such a peculiar thing.
"Not at all. She just doesn't want to hurt your feelings by telling you how repulsive your art is. She's just being nice to you."
Deidara's smug look remained on his face.
"We shall see when she finally arrives then, won't we?"
Sasori rolled his eyes and walked inside the building with Deidara following suit.
"Whatever, Deidara. We just need to make sure all of our planning doesn't go down the drain and everything goes smoothly, got it? That means not rants about explosive art and absolutely no arguments," he gave Deidara a pointed look.
Deidara waved him off as they stopped in the front of the display room where they heard sounds of the crowd that awaited them.
"Fine Sasori. I'll try not to enlighten people on the amazing, yet fleeting existence that is my art, since that's what you command, oh master," he mocked.
Deidara then grabbed two glasses of champagne off of one of the tables and held one out for Sasori.
"Let's just have a good time and make some money shall we?"
He held his glass out to Sasori for a toast.
Sasori sighed but smirked at his closest friend.
As annoying as Deidara could be, especially with his taste in art, there wasn't any other artist that he would rather showcase his art with.
He clicked his champagne flute to Deidara's.
"Let the night begin."
Ready to start the show, they then walked into the room catching everyone's attention.
Sasori cleared his throat before speaking.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen."
Sakuno looked anxiously out the car window as she waited on the driver to deliver her to her destination.
By the time she curled her hair and put on her makeup, the car had already pulled into her driveway. She had to rush to put her dress and heels on. She gave herself a quick once over in the mirror, approving of her look before grabbing her phone and purse. She made sure all of the lights were turned off before walking out of her house and locking her door.
She apologized profusely to the driver – Kabuto was it? – for making him wait. He simply introduced himself as her driver for the evening while giving her a calm smile that eased her nerves slightly. He proceeded to open the car door for her to slide into the backseat and then pulled off from her house. Now they were headed to the museum.
Checking her watch, Sakuno mentally kicked herself at the time. It was already 8:35. She was late, and she knew how much Sasori hated waiting. Though she made sure to send him a quick text to let him know she was on the way, she couldn't help but hate being late and making him wait. She felt her shoulders slump slightly at the thought.
"We have arrived, Nakamura-san."
Sakuno's head shot up to look out the other backseat window. They were indeed in front of the museum. She prepared to get out of the car and waited on Kabuto to open her door.
"Thank you so much, Kabuto-san!" she allowed him to take her hand as he helped her out of the car.
"It's no problem at all Nakamura-san. I will be waiting for both of you after the exhibition is over."
Sakuno glanced at him questioningly at his use of both. Kabuto's eyes only twinkled mysteriously. Sakuno chose to continue walking – almost running – to the door. She didn't have time to dwell on it being as late as she was.
She managed to walk in just in time. Deidara was in the middle of a few opening remarks while Sasori stood next to him watching as he spoke. The attendees stood and listened to him patiently chuckling slightly whenever he made a joke.
Sakuno walked as quietly as she could to the back of the crowd so she wouldn't bring attention to herself. Her eyes watched the two gentlemen attentively.
Deidara's long blond hair was out of his normal half ponytail and tied up into a neat low ponytail draped over his shoulder. His bang, however, was in its normal place over his left eye. He wore a black suit with a navy-blue dress shirt underneath and a pair of white dress shoes. Unsurprisingly, Deidara chose to forgo a tie and had a few buttons at the top unbuttoned.
Her eyes drifted to Sasori, unable to keep them from scanning his form from head to toe.
Sasori wore a steel gray suit with a black dress shit underneath. His usually tousled hair appeared slightly neater. His shoes were a pair of black dress shoes. Unlike his more relaxed companion, Sasori wore a tan-colored necktie, which looked suspiciously similar to the color of her dress. He stared at Deidara with a calm, almost bored, stare as Deidara started to conclude his small speech.
"But that's enough of me talking. Ladies and gentlemen we, once again, appreciate you taking the time to come here. Please relax and enjoy this lovely exhibition we have put together. There is plenty of champagne and hors d'oeuvres for you to partake in. Also, please make sure that you purchase any of the pieces that suit your fancy," Deidara grinned as the crowd gave a slight round applause before dispersing to look at the art pieces that caught their attention.
Sipping his champagne, Sasori watched as everyone walked away before his eyes clashed with a pair of smiling, baby blue ones. Sakuno raised her hand in greeting as she caught his gaze.
Sasori choked slightly on his drink before openly gaping as he gave Sakuno a once-over.
She wore a strapless tan dress that hugged her curves and had a slight frill at the hem that ended at her knees. He then realized that the dress was a similar shade to that of his tie (the thought slightly turned him on for some reason). Her eyes were outlined in black eyeliner, while her lips were painted a shade of pink that was a few shades lighter than her hair. A large pair of gold, diamond-shaped, door knocker earrings adorned her ears. This and her long magenta hair being pinned in a neat and curly ponytail brought attention to her neck – and, by extension, the hint of cleavage she showed. Her feet were clad in a pair of gold heels that wrapped around her ankles.
Sasori gulped.
His lovely woman looked positively delectable.
He started walking to her to greet her properly when a familiar called for his attention.
"Sasori! It's so wonderful to see you."
He turned and saw, to his surprise, his granduncle Ebizo walking towards him with a smile. He gave Sakuno an apologetic glance before smiling softly and wrapping Ebizo in a hug.
"Uncle, it's so wonderful to see you. I wasn't expecting your arrival. If I had known you were coming from Suna, I would have greeted you properly."
Breaking from the hug, Ebizo grabbed Sasori's shoulders, furry eyebrows raising.
"Yes, yes I know, dearest grandnephew, but it's enough work for you to have to set up for your exhibition. This old man didn't want to trouble you too much when you were so busy. Plus, I wanted to surprise you."
"Well, I'm grateful for your visit uncle. Where are you staying while you're here?"
Ebizo waved him off.
"Some fancy hotel downtown, but don't worry about that right now. I want you to show me all of your art pieces and tell me about them, especially your puppets," Sasori eyes narrowed before he sighed.
"Granny Chiyo sent you here didn't she?" Ebizo simply laughed. Sasori was as sharp as ever and never one to mince words. He takes after his grandmother more than he thinks.
"My dear sister sends her regards. She wanted to come with me, but she had a previous engagement."
Sasori felt what resembled relief course through his system. His granduncle is one thing, but his grandmother was another. Don't get him wrong. He loves his grandmother. With that being said, his grandmother had the habit of bringing more stress to his life. This is especially true when it comes to art and puppets.
His grandmother, Chiyo, was one of the most renowned puppet makers in the 5 great countries. After his parents died, Chiyo raised Sasori and taught him everything he knows about puppetry and the arts. It was no secret that, despite her support of him, Chiyo was very critical of Sasori's artwork. Recently, she was critical about his move to Konoha. He knew, deep down, that she was proud of him for his achievements, but she tended to show her affection in ways that were outside the norm. He supposed that affected how he expressed affection of his own.
"I will call her later on then, uncle. May I ask which artwork you would like to view first?"
Ebizo smiled again.
"It's your collection, Sasori. You decide which one would be best to show me first."
Sasori nodded, guiding his uncle to the area of the museum where his puppets were.
"I believe you will enjoy seeing this part of my collection first."
Sakuno sighed for what might have been the fifth time tonight.
Ever since Sasori was dragged off by the older gentleman, she hadn't seen him at all. She vaguely remembered Sasori showing her a picture of his family members and recognized that the older man was his granduncle, Ebizo. She noticed that even Sasori seemed to be taken surprise by his arrival and would more than likely be focused on showing him the exhibition for the majority of the night. Though Sakuno understood how important Sasori showing his uncle his art was, she couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated. She didn't even get to speak a few words to him or even hug him.
Sakuno blushed as she recalled how Sasori's eyes shifted from shock to something akin to hunger the moment he took in her appearance. She wondered exactly what thoughts were going through his head the moment he saw her. Hopefully, he would tell her about his thoughts later on when she was able to spend some much-needed alone time with him.
She sipped at her champagne absentmindedly looking over one of Sasori's older pieces. A painting of a young woman with blond hair and golden-brown eyes surrounded by red butterflies. The young woman was draped in royal robes of red, cream, and gold while standing in a field of spider lilies. Her eyes were glowing, and a smile lit up her face as she looked towards the sun. The painting was titled Eden, and it was one of her favorites works by Sasori.
Sakuno was so focused on the painting that she didn't notice another young woman stand next to her.
"I always did admire this painting."
Sakuno jumped and looked to her left. She rolled her eyes as a sigh of relief escaped her lips.
"You know it's terrible to sneak up on people, Sayuri."
The taller woman smirked.
"It's not my fault you weren't paying attention to your surroundings. That's dangerous, you know? What if I were to try and kidnap you?" Sakuno scoffed.
"Kidnap me? With all of these witnesses watching? And here I thought you knew how to plan better. At least wait until I'm waiting outside all alone with no one knowing where I am."
Sayuri chuckled.
"True, but that would be too easy and a bit boring, don't you think? I like a little more of a challenge. Rather than take you kicking and screaming, I would lull you into a false sense of security and you will go with me willingly. No one would think you were kidnapped at all."
Sakuno turned to her with a dry look before she started giggling with Sayuri joining her. Her face broke out into a smile. She hugged her old friend and they both placed light kisses on each other's cheeks.
"I'm so happy to see you, Sayuri. I didn't think you would be able to come."
Sayuri grimaced.
"To be completely honest with you, I didn't either. Somehow, I was able to find some time in my busy schedule and convince Rin to give me a night to myself."
"And by 'convince' you mean you were able to get Kakashi to take her out on a date right?"
"Pretty much, but it didn't take much convincing. He's been trying to find the right moment to take her out. I just provided the opportunity."
Sakuno shook her head slightly as she looked over her best friend She wore a burgundy dress with long sleeves that contoured to her hourglass figure and suited her darker-toned skin well. The dress ended right under her knees. Her long, black curly hair was slicked back into a high ponytail, and a pair of gold, chandelier earrings dangled from her ears. On her feet were a pair of nude red-bottom, platform heels. Her make up consisted of black-winged eyeliner with a smokey gold eyeshadow that made her green eyes pop and a burgundy shade of lipstick that matched her dress. It was a simple, enough ensemble but leave it to Sayuri to make something so simple look very stylish. Honestly, what else did she expect from a supermodel?
"How are our aspiring models doing?"
Sayuri smirked.
"They're doing fine. I know they were happy to finally have a break from me. I've been running them ragged trying to teach them everything they need to know."
Sakuno raised a brow.
"What about their progress? Everything going ok?"
"They're learning at a faster pace than I expected. Sakura is starting to truly realize her potential. Ino is finding her identity outside of her looks and what everyone assumes about her. Hinata is slowly but surely gaining more confidence. Overall, I think they're doing pretty well."
A soft smile grew on her face.
"I'm an awfully proud mentor, and I'm so excited to see how much more they will grow."
Sakuno couldn't help but share her friend's smile. As harsh as Sayuri could be, she had grown a soft spot for the three girls who she deemed her mentees ever since she decided to help spark their modeling careers. Sayuri was almost like a big sister to them. However, as prideful as she was, Sayuri would rather die than openly admit to this.
Sakuno then remembered something.
"Wait, weren't you supposed to come with Darui-san tonight? Where is he?"
Sayuri's smiled transitioned into a sneer.
"Who?" she sniffed before drinking more of her champagne.
"Uh-oh, what happened?"
Sayuri lip curled staring at her champagne glass.
"He was supposed to come with me tonight to finally go out somewhere with me in public, but no, he had 'something come up.'" Sakuno was silent, letting Sayuri continue with what she knew was going to be a rant.
"I know he said he's not ashamed of being seen with me. We had a whole conversation about this but canceling on something we had been planning to go to for months makes it feels like the opposite especially since he just came from this two-week trip from Kumo.
"I mean, yes, we both have busy schedules, but we've both tried to work around them to make time for each other. We have this understanding that the time we take out for each other isn't something to be interrupted."
Sakuno put a comforting hand on Sayuri's arm. Sayuri wasn't one to be so easily expressive with her frustrations. Sakuno understood that this was a reflection of how much she valued her relationship with Darui. Darui has a busy other life that always kept him preoccupied, so there were times where he would be unable to spend time with Sayuri when particular situations popped up. Sayuri wouldn't voice her displeasure to him because she was trying to be understanding. Though, it seemed as if Darui not coming with her tonight was the last straw.
"Don't think like that. I know you're frustrated. I'm very sure he wanted to be here with you, Sayuri."
Sayuri scoffed, stiletto nails tapping on the side of the glass in agitation.
"Sure, he did. That's why he's not here and out there somewhere handling his so-called business," she rolled her eyes before gulping down the rest of her champagne. She looked around, raising her glass to catch the attention of a passing server. Once he approached, she placed her empty glass on the tray and grabbed a full one.
Sakuno frowned as Sayuri took a gulp out of the new glass.
"Sayuri, don't tell me it's going to be one of those nights." The dark-haired woman shrugged.
"Might as well. I have nothing else better to do. Not to mention, Deidara and Sasori really splurged on the good shit. It would be rude of me not to indulge," she stated calmly looking at her glass.
"Sayuri…" Sakuno warned.
Sayuri sighed. Sakuno was always prepared to fuss when she was worried about her.
"Fine, I won't make tonight into one of those nights. I make no promises though."
Sakuno opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a chirp from what sounded like Sayuri's phone.
Sayuri reached into her clutch purse, pulling out her phone. She scoffed.
"Speak of the devil."
"Darui-san?"
"Yes. He texted me, but I refuse to respond to it or even read it." Sakuno gave her a pointed look.
"Don't you think you're being a bit dramatic?"
"Nope, at all." Sakuno shook her head before looking at the phone.
"Do you want me to read the message instead?" Sayuri paused and looked at Sakuno. She pondered the idea for a minute before handing Sakuno the phone.
"Go for it. It's not like I really care what the message says anyway."
Sakuno took the phone and opened the message. Her eyes widened.
"Um, I think you might want to read this message." Sayuri kept her face on the painting in front of her instead, sipping away on her champagne.
"I refuse." Sakuno pressed her lips together in a thin line.
"Being so stubborn will be your downfall, ma'am." Sayuri chuckled.
"So, I've been told. Well, that and my arrogance."
Sakuno just blinked at her.
It was a small silence before Sayuri broke it.
"So…what did the message say?" Sakuno resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. It could be terribly frustrating dealing with Sayuri when she's in one of her moods.
Sakuno was about to respond until she saw a familiar figure step into the room. At Sakuno's lack of response, Sayuri turned to her.
"Well? What does it say?" she tried to snatch the phone back from Sakuno but Sakuno pulled it back from her reach.
"I don't think you have to worry about what that anymore," Sakuno motioned to the front of the room. Sayuri huffed before turning towards in that direction.
She gasped slightly.
There stood Darui with his hands in his pockets and the usual mellow look on his face. He wore a deep red button-up shirt with a gray vest and a black necktie. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows with a few of his tattoos showing against his dark skin. He had on a pair of black slacks and gray, dress shoes on his feet. His blonde hair was in his usual style. His eyes looked over the scattering of people around the room. Sayuri knew he was looking for her.
Sayuri glanced at Sakuno nervously. "I'm guessing the message had something to do with this?"
The magenta-haired woman smiled as she handed back the phone.
"It was a simple 'I'm here.' So, yes."
Sayuri hesitated before taking the phone.
Sakuno reached for the glass in Sayuri's hand.
"Would you like me to take this?"
"Hold on for a second."
Sayuri proceeded to gulp down the rest of the champagne before handing the empty glass to Sakuno.
"Liquid courage?"
Sayuri wiped her lips clear of any champagne and smeared lipstick.
She cleared her throat. "Shut up."
She started walking towards Darui but stopped and turned to Sakuno with a smile.
"Thank you for listening, Sakuno. If I don't see you for the rest of tonight, I'll text you tomorrow, okay? Maybe we can get some brunch?"
Sakuno returned her smile. "Of course. Have a good night, Sayuri."
Darui looked over in their direction before walking towards them. His eyes locked on Sayuri looking her up and down before turning his gaze to Sakuno. He waved in her direction in greeted and she returned the gesture. He met Sayuri halfway and gently grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it. He mumbled a few words Sakuno couldn't pinpoint, but she knew it was probably akin to an apology. Sayuri responded with a few words of her own while she caressed the side of his face. She intertwined her hand with his as she led him to one of the paintings across the room.
Sakuno smiled as she watched them walk away. At least one of their issues was solved.
Her smile then transformed into a frown as she thought of her current situation with Sasori.
She eyed the flute of champagne in her hand.
Maybe she should take a page out of Sayuri's book.
Sasori tried his hardest to keep his attention on his uncle.
He was giving his opinion on Sasori's more abstract pieces. Sasori wanted to keep focus on what he was saying, but his thoughts kept drifting to his girlfriend who was walking around here somewhere looking drop-dead gorgeous. Alone. Increasing the chance of other men hitting on her.
His mind instantly went back to the incident that happened at the beach.
He held back a grimace.
He definitely needs to find her and check on her to make sure there isn't some random schmuck or even an arrogant, rival artist – he knew many of them RSVP'd for the event – trying to seduce her. A repeat of the last time something similar happened was the last thing he needed.
"…I do believe this is an excellent piece, but I am curious about your newer piece Sasori."
Sasori blinked himself out of his thoughts as he tuned back into the conversation.
"I'm sorry uncle. Could you repeat that?" Ebizo chuckled.
"I read that you were unveiling a newer piece. The name, however, escapes me. What was the name of it again?" Ebizo thought for a second. Sasori knew exactly what he was talking about.
"My Muse, My Love?" Ebizo snapped his fingers.
"Yes, that one. I would certainly like to see it," Sasori nodded as he guided his uncle in the direction of said piece.
As they got closer to the painting, a smile unconsciously grew on Sasori's face. Since he first showed Sakuno, Sasori had added more details and color. The painting looked as if it was merely a photo taken of Sakuno rather than a visual from Sasori's memory. He was unsure of including this painting in the exhibition because of how intimate it was. It wasn't until Sakuno asked him about the painting and encouraged him to use it that he brought it to the museum. They both came to an agreement, however, that the painting would only be for display and not for sale.
He looked down at the small descriptive, haiku he wrote for the painting:
Beauty incarnate
Opening herself to me
Blooming in the storm
Ebizo glanced at the redhead then looked over the painting.
"Quite a beautiful painting."
The smile stayed on Sasori's face as he replied.
"Yes, I think so as well."
Ebizo smiled slyly.
"So, would that young lady with the magenta hair I saw earlier be the inspiration for this painting?"
Sasori choked looking at his granduncle in surprise.
"Um…"
Ebizo chuckled heartily at his eloquent answer.
"I saw her earlier before I approached you. That's your muse I suppose?"
Sasori cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Yes, uncle. She is."
"Would she, also, be the reason you decided to make your move to Konoha?" Ebizo asked with a raised brow.
Sasori hesitated. He turned to look in his uncle straight in his eyes.
"Yes. She may not be the main reason for me moving, but she is a major part of it. I made the decision to move, but she did not make or ask me to do so."
Ebizo looked back at Sasori with calculating eyes. His face shifted, smiling brightly. He clapped a hand on Sasori's shoulder.
"Well, I must say she's absolutely beautiful, Sasori. You have very good taste in women. Hopefully, you bring her to Suna to meet your grandmother and me. I'm sure she would love to meet her."
Sasori sighed then smirked.
"I'll be sure to introduce you both to her one day."
'But not anytime soon,' he thought to himself.
Sasori knew he wanted to introduce Sakuno to his family eventually, but it was still too soon. His family was completely ruthless and wouldn't be as welcoming to Sakuno, who they would consider an outsider. He didn't even want to think of how his grandmother would react to Sakuno.
Ebizo gave him a knowing smile.
"I hope so."
Ebizo reached into his pocket and checked his pocket watch.
"It's getting a bit late Sasori. I plan on taking an early trip back to Suna tomorrow."
Sasori raised a brow questioningly.
"You're not staying longer, uncle?" Ebizo waved a hand at him.
"I simply came to look at your exhibition. There's no other reason for me to stay otherwise."
Ebizo smirked.
"Unless you would like me to stay to meet your lovely muse-"
"Well, it was wonderful seeing you, uncle. Hate that you have to leave so soon," Sasori began guiding his uncle to the door. Ebizo couldn't help but laugh at his nephew's actions.
Once they were outside, he then stopped and turned to grasp Sasori firm hug. Sasori was taken aback.
"I'm so very proud of you. You've done a beautiful job and have grown so much with your artwork. I look forward to how much further you go. I'm sure your grandmother would be proud of your puppets."
Sasori broke out of his stupor and returned the hug. His granduncle was always more prone to kind words instead of his grandmother. Where his grandmother's sharp tongue would often break him down, his granduncle's words would help build him up (even with his critiques). It was a simple balance between the two siblings for their nephew.
"Thank you, uncle. That means quite a bit coming from you."
Ebizo broke the hug but placed both of his hands on Sasori's shoulders. A car pulled up behind them.
"I wish you the best, nephew. Make sure you treat that young lady the way she deserves to be treated."
Sasori huffed.
"Of course, grand uncle. You and grandmother raised me to be a gentleman if nothing else."
Ebizo nodded.
"Very true. Well then, this is my ride. I will contact you once I make it back to Suna. I'm interested in commissioning an art piece from you."
Sasori eyes widened slightly in shock. In all his years of being an artist, this was the first time he's had something commissioned from his family. He inclined his head forward in a nod.
"It would be an honor. I'll be looking forward to your call."
Sasori clasped his uncle's hand in a farewell. He watched his uncle slide into the backseat before the driver closed the door behind him.
Sasori gave a slight wave as the car pulled off. He checked his phone.
It was almost 10:00 pm. The exhibition will be ending soon, and he had to check if any offers had been made on some of his pieces.
He started to walk back.
After everything was said and done, he would definitely find Sakuno.
He smirked.
It was time they finally caught up with each other.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: This concludes the end of Part 1. I hope you all enjoyed it for now.
Part 2 will be coming soon, so stay tuned. I decided I'm going to make this an anthology series (if you haven't already realized by the title). I'm considering making another series focused on Sayuri and Darui. Hopefully, I'll be able to actually start that project and finish this one. Graduate school is a job, I swear.
The lyrics in the beginning is from the song Dangerous City by dvsn and Ty Dolla $ign ft. Buju Banton, an amazing song that I also do not own. The painting described in the exhibition is Kyoko Honda from the season 2 ending of Fruits Basket (An amazing series and ending song)! Please favorite, follow, and leave a review! Love y'all!
~BTAHB