I know, I know, I'm late. Sorry :(
It's just that...well...yeah, with the...emotion and the...flow I had to...fix it...so...
This is a "meh" kind of chapter. Feel free to point out everything that sucked, because I really want to get back on track for next chapter coughyaoiIhopecough.
Anyway, I got a lil' review from Guestyguest telling/ordering me to get the next chapter up, so I will. Anonymous reviewers rock.
But I preferred the "good job!" bit a little more, I gotta say XP
So here ya go, for the sake of Guestyguest's blood pressure.
Enjoy!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Like This - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"...and then all you would've had to do was dodge it, and then we would've been done by then! Honestly, we just needed information, not-"
"Shut it, Deidara. I won the fight, didn't I?"
"Well, you didn't have to get so into it that you actually had to use that puppet, and I've told you a million times not to your pride get into things like-"
Sasori silenced him with a glare. Deidara recoiled instinctively, and knew better than to try and strike up another conversation as they returned to the hideout.
He really missed the times when they could actually argue. Now it was either "shut up" or "you're too stupid to understand" or just "go away."
And this silence, too.
He sighed.
Maybe we could start over...
"You had your chance, give up," Sasori said from behind gritted teeth, not making eye contact.
It comforted Deidara, somehow, to know he could still read his mind.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sasori sighed as he undid the final clasp of his cloak and hung it on the hook in his doorway. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair, and wondered if maybe it would be better to shower before dinner. He'd forgotten how hot even the outskirts of Suna could get.
"Damn sand," he muttered, as the underside of his fingernails retreated from his hair caked with tiny golden grains. A shower before dinner it would be.
I hope Itachi's okay. Where was he again? Oh yeah, Kirigakure. Heh, the humidity must be giving him hell with his hair.
He pulled the shower curtain to feel the temperature of the water before going in. Next to freezing. It would do. He groaned as he stepped in and the soft jet sent hot sweat and sticky sand rushing into the drain. Heck, he might even be late for dinner.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Look, I'm not your child or something! I can go and see him if I damn well want to!" Itachi shouted, staring murderously into Kisame's eyes, wordlessly ordering him to stop wedging him into the corner with Samehada. Sometimes it really annoyed him that Kisame took for granted that Itachi would never hurt him intentionally.
One day, I swear, just to scare him I'm gonna...
"Forget it," Kisame said with a smirk. "But go ahead and see him, just remember he's just had a really hard mission, and he's leaving for a long one pretty soon, so you should go easy on him." And he replaced his sword back over his shoulder.
Itachi dismissed the condescending tone with sniff, and frustratedly tried for the billionth time today to replace his frizzing hair. Just a little drizzle in the morning, and soon it had a mind of its own.
He grabbed a comb from the bathroom counter and tried to untangle his ponytail (as if his bangs curling into weird shapes above his head wasn't enough, he had to have knots the size of the Konoha leaf symbol on his forehead protector.)
After half an hour, he sat back tiredly on his bed, his untangled hair (for the moment) circling his shoulders in still-frizzy chunks. He sighed inwardly. He'd have to wash it again. He wasn't hungry for dinner, anyway.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There was a knock at Sasori's door. Toweling his hair one last time, he turned the knob, to reveal.
"Itachi?" he said in surprise, slinging the towel over his shoulder.
The smaller man looked up at him. He suddenly felt very self-conscious, sweaty, and homely, still in his mesh shirt and capris, when he saw Sasori, showered and dressed in a white t-shirt and black shorts. And the attentative look he was giving him didn't help matters.
Uncomfortable, he ran a hand through his hair.
Crap. A tangle. And after so much effort...
"You okay?" Sasori asked, a small crease appearing on his forehead as he looked down at him.
Itachi looked him square in the eyes, and said,
"There's hairs clogging my bathtub drain again. Mind if I use yours?"
Sasori stared at him. He really didn't get this guy sometimes.
"...sure."
And without another word, Itachi brushed past him into his room. It was at that point that he realised what he was doing. He froze on the spot.
Sasori burst out laughing. "Well, you're certainly a little cocky today, aren't you? Poor Kisame, you must order him around alot."
Itachi tried to gather his thoughts enough to respond. He turned to look at Sasori.
"I...um...it's nice to see you," he whispered finally, feeling his ears burn a little. Sasori gave him an odd look. Itachi fidgeted. Was he supposed to be going ahead and taking a shower? Or maybe Sasori was annoyed that he'd barged in like that? Or maybe-
"You're so cute!"
Glomp.
Itachi winced at the weight, and only blushed once he realised how tightly Sasori was holding him.
"Um...Sasori?"
Sasori didn't respond, but Itachi shivered once he felt him sniff his neck.
"Oh my, I guess you really do need a shower," he said after a moment, getting up so that Itachi could do the same. "I'll show you the bathroom."
Itachi followed him, a little annoyed, and prayed that his dignity wouldn't suffer any more damage.
Sasori patted him on the shoulder, and promptly left him alone to take a shower.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Itachi flipped his hair under the hissing water, getting the last of the suds out of his hair. It was a calming ritual by normal standards, but this time he found himself unusually alert as he washed himself, keeping an ear out for any strange noises. It seemed odd, even to him, since he knew he was safe in Sasori's room.
It still felt weird, even after twenty minutes within the bathroom walls, to think that.
He dried himself off and carefully plucked his dirty clothes from the floor, scanning the bathroom to make absolutely sure he wasn't leaving anything behind. He didn't want Sasori to hate him for dirtying his bathroom his first time there. He congratulated himself for his tidiness, and after a moment, he decided to wipe the fog off the mirror. Kisame had learned too late that too much moisture in the bathroom didn't agree with the smell or the health of the wood. To learn from other's mistakes was an important skill, Itachi figured.
Finally wrapping the towel around his hips triumphantly, he stepped out into Sasori's room.
"I'm done!"
Sasori was back to him, apparently working at a desk of some sort. He looked up at Itachi's voice.
Itachi froze.
How could Sasori look so hot, even with a three-inch thick eyepiece sitting under his eyebrow? He repressed a pleasured sigh. Sasori had way too many assets.
"Good," was all Sasori said, and he turned back to his work.
Itachi's eyes narrowed. There was something bothering him about that reaction...
He waltzed over to lean over Sasori's shoulder and see what could possibly be more attention-worthy than him.
"Your...arm?" Itachi blinked, to make sure he wasn't seeing things. But sure enough, it turned out that Sasori was, in fact, operating on his own left arm. His disembodied left arm, at that.
"Yeah, I got hurt in a fight today."
There was a fissure from the wrist to the elbow, and Sasori was trying to put a thin layer of glue inside it, and then put a few of the smaller broken pieces back into place. A task proven difficult to do with only one arm left.
"Here, I'll help you," Itachi said quickly, as he sat beside him and took the arm from the desk and placed it accross his knees, holding either side of the crease close enough to be able to glue them together.
Sasori looked at his arm for a moment, and Itachi smiled to himself as he saw the expression of longing.
Heh, don't you wish you had feeling in this arm? Don't look so dissapointed, I'm sure you had-
It hit him, that something that hadn't seemed right. He only half-realised Sasori was finishing up with the glue and about to take it from his lap.
"Thanks, Ita-"
"You weren't peeking?"
Sasori blinked in surprise. "I...what?"
"I mean, when I was taking a shower..."
They were both astounded at the other's reaction, and slowly understanding creeped into their systems.
Sasori glared at him.
"Don't just assume things like that, Itachi. You're the pervert, anyway," he grumbled, and twisted his arm back on.
Itachi...well, he didn't know what to say just yet. He was just happy with shaking uncontrollably for the moment. Yeah, happy.
Sasori sighed and backed away from the desk, muttering under his breath.
"But..." Itachi started after a moment. Too late; Sasori was already pulling his shirt off and getting into bed. Itachi suddenly wondered whether he should leave. Now.
He took a nervous step in Sasori's direction. The redhead gave him an annoyed look. "What are you waiting for, come on!" and he sat up in the bed and tugged Itachi's wrist.
He gulped.
Itachi fell numbly on top him, and they both startled at the feeling of their bodies crashing together. On cue, Itachi's towel undid itself from his hips, although it still sheltered what needed to be sheltered from view.
But, if Sasori craned his neck just so...
"Oh, so I'm the pervert?" Itachi taunted, flicking him on the nose. Sasori payed it no mind, instead reaching up for his shoulders and pulling him closer, until he almost couldn't breathe.
"Stay like this, okay?" he asked beside his ear. Itachi could only nod uncertainly.
Stay like this...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Well, that's all for this week, see you later.
I'm gonna go to sleep now.
G'night!
Shun