After putting up the 'help wanted' sign, he got to work on setting up the materials needed for his morning class. There were only seven people signed up for the drawing class, to Sasori's delight. A small class meant less noise and chatter, and more time for him to help each student out individually. He liked helping his students to become better artists, and with a big class, that always became a difficult task.

He placed a small canvas in front of seven of the stools and then put an array of pencils on the table. He turned the 'closed' sign to 'open' and unlocked the door, surprised to see the first few customers waiting. He recognized a few of them, they were the usual early birds who liked to come for his morning classes.

He greeted them with his best smile and welcomed in his class. His students listened intently and watched closely as he demonstrated the steps for drawing a person. He had placed one of his puppets on a stool to use as a reference. He walked around and watched his students as they concentrated on their papers, pencils carefully marking out each curve and line. He gave each student individual help, showing them new techniques or suggesting how to shade their drawing.

An hour and a half later, the class ended and each student thanked him and tipped him before heading out the door with their artwork tucked precariously under their arms. Sasori smiled softly to himself, it had been a perfect, easy class to handle. Everything ran smoothly and he had been able to cater to each student's needs and question. Maybe if he kept a limit to the number of people allowed per class, he could handle his work better. Then, he wouldn't need an apprentice after all.

Pondering this thought, he was just about to grab the sign from the window, rethinking the need for a co-worker. However, his thought process was hindered when he heard the ring of the bell, indicating that someone had just stepped into his shop. He looked up and smiled at his customer, ready to be of assistance.

Sasori held back a gasp of surprise as he stared at the strange looking customer before him. The customer was tall and skinny, with a smug smile upon his face. Half of his long blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail, the rest cascaded around his shoulders, with long bangs covering his left eye. His eyes were a lovely shade of sapphire blue, and he had dark black eyeliner on the crease of his slanted eyes, causing his blue irises to stand out magnificently. He was wearing navy blue pants and black sandals. His v-neck shirt was sleeveless, and he wore a mesh shirt underneath. On his belt, there were two bags resting on either hip. Black nail polish gleamed from his fingernails and toenails. On his right index finger, he wore a teal ring. Both palms were covered in a white bandage, Sasori wondered what had happened to his hands. Upon his forehead, under the thick blonde bangs, was a weird looking headband. There was a metallic rectangle in the front of the headband, with a symbol engraved upon it. Sasori had never seen anything like it.

The thing that struck Sasori silent though, was the man's attractiveness. This man's face was truly handsome, with soft pink lips and those daring, bold blue eyes. Sasori could see part of this man's chest beneath the v-neck and mesh shirt. His chest was toned, that much was apparent. Sasori longed to see what was beneath those layers.

"Hello," the man crooned in a heavily seductive tone. He walked over towards the counter and leaned against it. He then eyed Sasori up and down, smirking.

"H-how can I help you?" Sasori stammered.

The man tapped his finger on the counter top, and swept his blue eyes around the small art shop. "I've come here to help you," he replied boldly.

Sasori swallowed, and felt his temple bulging. Although this man was attractive, his overly confident tone did not sit well with Sasori. Who did he think he was, coming in to his shop and leaning over the counter like he owned the place?

Sasori glared at him and said, "would you mind?" indicating the man's body which was halfway across the countertop, leaning over in a provocative manner.

The man stood up from his bent over position slowly. He still looked confident and cool. Sasori noted that he was also quite young, probably not even 20 years old. Who was this young man with such aggressive and irritating self-confidence?

The man placed a hand on his hip and continued, "My name is Deidara. I saw the 'help wanted' sign, so I've come to help."

"You want to be my apprentice?" Sasori asked him, raising an eyebrow. He seriously doubted this man's work ethic. From his haughty appearance, Sasori wondered if Deidara had ever worked a hard job like this before.

"Well, apprentice isn't really the word I would use. I was thinking more along the lines of co-owner," Deidara said. He was resting his hand against the countertop again, and his leg was leaning ever so slightly against the frame.

Sasori couldn't believe his ears, "what?! Are you joking? You can't just walk in here and become a co-owner! I've been the owner of this art shop for several years."

"Oh, is that so?" Deidara said indifferently, "then maybe just a teacher. Yeah, you do have art classes here right?"

Sasori was fed up with Deidara's carefree and arrogant tone. "I am perfectly capable of teaching all my classes. What I need is someone to help with cleaning around the store and putting art supplies away and maybe helping out a few of the students when I have a big class. I don't need another art teacher."

"Hmm," Deidara said. He was reading the schedule for art classes on the wall behind the counter. "Doesn't look like you have any pottery classes, although I see some clay in the back. Why is that?"

"There hasn't been an interest in a pottery class," Sasori replied briskly.

"I find that hard to believe," Deidara said. "I'll tell you what old man, if I can prove to you my worth as an artist, will you let me teach a pottery class? I'm just asking for one class." He had his upper body leaned across the countertop again. He had his head rested in his hands, and he was now giving a genuine smile to Sasori. His face was a few inches away from Sasori's, allowing Sasori to see those azure eyes up close.

Sasori quickly turned his attention to a spot on the countertop, looking into those eyes made his chest flutter. "Old man? I'll have you know that I am 26 years old. Far from old."

"Cool," Deidara said, "and I'm 19. Anyways, will you please let me show you my art? I am excellent with my hands." As he said this, he reached out a hand and grabbed Sasori's wrist.

The touch sent pleasant tingles through Sasori's body, but he chose to ignore this. He pulled his wrist out of Deidara's grasp and grumbled, "fine. Show me what you can do and then I'll consider it."

"Thank you!" Deidara cried, "Um, I don't know you're name."

"It's Sasori."

"Oh, Sasori. Very nice, hm." Deidara said before walking towards the back of the shop to inspect the clay. "Where are the pottery wheels, hm?"

Sasori didn't respond. He simply went to the back of the shop and pulled out a pottery wheel from the back closet. Deidara looked upon the wheel with awe. He had picked out some clay, and looked eager to show off his art. He quickly molded the clay onto the wheel and began spinning it with his foot.

"Why do you have bandages around your palms?" Sasori asked him.

"Oh, I work with my hands so much, sometimes I get calluses," Deidara stated simply. He was busy at work, molding the wet clay as it spun at full speed. Sasori had to admit that he himself had a difficult time on the wheel when it spun that fast. Deidara was working his hands up and down the phallic figure so quick, it made Sasori think of other, dirtier things. He had to focus hard to keep those dirty thoughts out of his mind as Deidara stroked his soft hand up and down the clay.

When the wheel stopped spinning, Sasori was a little confused by the shape of the clay. But Deidara continued creating his artwork, adding more clay to it. Soon, the clay figure began to take the shape of an owl. Sasori was stunned by the detail of the little brown clay owl. Deidara worked so fast, yet there were no signs of a mistake. The owl was perfectly symmetrical, a feat that Sasori had difficulty with whenever he used the wheel.

Deidara stepped back and announced that he was finished. Sasori could see that Deidara was very proud of his work. But Sasori had to admit that he was rightfully proud, the clay owl was truly a work of beauty.

"So Sasori, what do you think?"

"Honestly, it's amazing," Sasori admitted.

"Yes!" Deidara said, punching the air. He reached his hands forward to grab onto Sasori's, but Sasori pulled away.

"You have wet clay all over yourself, watch it," he warned.

"Oh, whoops," Deidara said playfully, "I just got so excited that I'm going to be working here. I wanted to hold your hand and do a victory dance."

Sasori felt a twinge of annoyance again. Did Deidara really think Sasori would dance around the store with him like some crazy lunatic? "I still haven't decided if I want to hire you as my apprentice."

Deidara rolled his eyes, which only added to Sasori's anger. "Oh c'mon! Who else do you know that can work that well with their hands hm?" Deidara groaned. Then, a devilish smirk ran across his lips, "My hands are skilled at more than one thing, you know." He had stepped in close to Sasori. Very close.

Sasori felt his cheeks heat up, and he quickly stepped away from Deidara, "if I hire you as a teacher, you'll just have the one class. The rest of the classes are mine. And if there's no interest in pottery, then you'll just have to deal with it. I'll hire you as an apprentice and teacher, I still need your help around the shop doing various tasks. There's no way you're a co-owner though, so get that thought out of your head."

Deidara flashed a genuine smile again, "okay then Danna, if that's how it is that's fine with me!" He skipped off excitedly towards the sink to wash the clay off his hands.

"Danna?" Sasori was confused.

Deidara dried his hands and then ambled over to Sasori, once again getting close to him. Deidara placed his hands inside the front pocket of Sasori's apron. "Danna is a term of respect from where I come from," he explained, "it means master. Since you're the owner of this place, I'm working under you. So therefore," he hitched his breath, pausing seductively and placing his face closer to Sasori's, so that his lips were merely an inch away from Sasori's cheek, "you're my master."

Sasori blinked several times before snapping himself out of it. He grabbed Deidara's wrists and pulled his hands out of his apron pocket. "Don't do that," Sasori said in as mean of a tone as he could muster. He tried to ignore the loud pounding of his pulse in his ears. His blood was pumping fast.

Deidara smiled playfully at him, "If you say so Danna." Then he turned and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Sasori asked him, bewildered.

"Oh, I guess I should explain. I just moved into town today, so I'll need to get myself situated before working here, hm. If that's alright, Danna?" Deidara pleaded the question, making it difficult for Sasori to tell him 'no.'

"Fine, go take care of your business. I'll expect you at work tomorrow morning. I open the store at 8am." Sasori said.

Deidara smiled again and said, "can't wait till then." He winked before heading out the door, leaving Sasori stunned on the spot.

….

The rest of the day went by fast, Sasori's afternoon classes were filled with inquisitive students again, and Sasori found himself exhausted once more as he closed the shop. He trudged as he walked outside, breathing in the fresh air. He didn't feel like cooking again, so he decided to get some food to go.

He bought some sushi from the small restaurant across the street. While waiting for his food, he noticed a man seated in the corner of the restaurant, reading the daily newspaper. A picture of large black flames was on the cover. Curious, Sasori went up to the man.

"Do you mind if I take a look at the paper?" he asked.

The man handed him the newspaper, "sure kid. I've read it all anyways, keep it." Sasori thanked him, tucking the newspaper under his arm and collecting his sushi before heading out of the restaurant.

Sasori felt happy, it always felt good to walk up the stairs to his place with delicious food and something to read. The picture of the fire on the front of the paper had caught his attention, he wondered if this fire was connected to all the others. He turned his key in the lock, eager to get in and sit on his couch to relax from his busy day.

The first thing he noticed when he opened the door was that Moshi was nowhere to be seen. This was strange, as his cat always came to greet him. He walked in cautiously, afraid that someone might have broken in. He placed his sushi and newspaper on the coffee table in front of his small loveseat couch. Then he tiptoed around the small place, looking for his cat.

He opened the door to his bedroom last, and screamed in shock. Sitting smugly and comfortably on his bed, with Moshi curled up in his lap, was Deidara.