Title: No Strings Attached
Summary: The streets of Peckham are littered with crime and poverty while the borough of Mayfair lives in style. What happens when those from different sides meet by chance? SasoriItachi, GaaraSasuke
Disclaimer: This chapter was supposed to be good but in my view it's a load of bollocks
Business
Itachi had not slept well that night; it was first night since he had been living on the streets that he had not had his brother near him. Even though there would often be times where Sasuke and him would not go into any kind of conversation before going to sleep, there was still the usual familiarity that the other was there. Itachi felt strange to be alone.
The slender young man walked along the dawn lit street looking out for familiar faces and hopefully a chance to get some breakfast. He had been unable to sleep any longer so had chosen to rise early. A car pulled up on the side of the road, the door opened, and a blonde woman got out. She was bedraggled; her hair slightly out of place, her black mini skirt seemed hitched up on one side. Her lipstick was a little smudged and she stumbled onto the pavement in her black stilettos, gripping her handbag for dear life as the car door was pulled closed and the vehicle drove away very quickly.
"You were out long weren't you?" Itachi said, reaching out and holding the woman by the arm, "Ino"
"''Eya luv" She grinned revealing, lipstick on her teeth. Her blue eyes were tired; the black mascara smudged around them "What you up to?"
"Takin' you back to your 'ouse, that's what" Itachi smirked "You're in a righ' state"
"Nah luv, I'm alright…big job last night. Got meself plenty of extra cash"
"Yeah Ino, and you're drunk, don't talk about what you got in this area…come on" he said steering her towards her block of flats.
The blonde woman sat in her white fluffy dressing gown with her feet up, her hair wrapped in a towel. All the thick clay like make up had been washed off to reveal a pretty, angelic, yet tired face on the woman.
Itachi placed a cup of tea down next to her.
She opened her big blue eyes and looked at him
"Aww, 'Tachi you're being well good to me"
"Jus' making sure you don't have no accidents Ino" Itachi blushed slightly
She smiled, and reached a hand forward, stroking his cheek.
There was a moment of silence…she leaned forward, her lips parted, hovering millimetres apart from his for a second before he sprang back.
"No Ino." Itachi said firmly "I don't want that"
Ino dropped her hand and sighed
"Yeah…I know…you lot are all the same…none of you wanna get involved with a woman like me" a tear came to her eye, it fluttered along her eyelashes but she blinked it back.
"No…Ino…It's ain't 'cause of that" Itachi said shaking his head, "Really…it ain't"
"Yeah…'course." She rolled her eyes. There was a pause "It ain't your fault Itachi. I wouldn't wanna be wiv' a girl like me neither. It's dirty innit. But…you know…I'd like to come home one day…and have a boyfriend to cuddle up on the couch with. To tell me he loves me…and he ain't payin' neither…" this time the tear did flicker down over her lashes this time, rolling along her cheek.
Itachi sighed sitting closer to her and pulling her into a hug.
"Ino…it really ain't got nothing to do wiv' it. I don't care what job you do… your decision was your decision, not no one else's."
She sniffed as they parted from the hug
"So what is it then?"
"Ino…" Itachi sighed his eyes closing and reopening "I'm just not…not into that"
"Into what?" she asked nonplussed "Kissin'? Sex and stuff? Or what? Cuddles on couches?"
"No…." he bit his lip "…Girls" he finished "I'm not into girls"
"What you mean?" she frowned, clearly confused. Itachi looked away, waiting for the penny to drop. Her expression changed, and her cheeks turned bright red "…Oh…Oh 'Tachi, I 'ad no idea"
"Yeah…'s'not the kind'a thing I go round spoutin' to people"
"I feel stupid"
"Don't"
"Look…sorry 'bout all that shit I just said, about havin' a boyfriend on a couch and all…I guess I'm lucky to have a couch at all"
Itachi gave a small smile
"I think this'll change one day. It won't always be like this."
"What you on about? You know the world is one big vicious cycle, we're caugh' up in it"
"Yeah…but once you open a door and enter it…you can always leave through the same one"
"Not true" she shook her head
"You migh' even end up somewhere new"
"I doubt"
Itachi shrugged
"I best be off"
"You can stay if you want. I'll make you some breakfast"
"S'alright Ino I don't-"
"Shut yer gob Itachi! I'm gonna make you bloody breakfast!" she said pushing him over and standing up going to the kitchen.
Somewhere else
The family had been very kind to him, there was no denying that. They had taken him out to some big shopping centre and bought him a range of clothes. They let him pick some tried to persuade him to choose some for smart casual. (eg. Not just hoodies and fitted caps)
They had taken him then to a Starbucks café and let him order whatever drink he wanted and cake too.
The whole day had been like a party, or his birthday or something. What was the object of this? Where were the questions about his life? Or the in depth interviews? And the investigation into his living conditions?
He's a cold sort of person, Gaara thought to himself. Gaara noticed how the young man seemed unable to convey much opinion about anything, even down to what clothes he was bought. Things he liked were expressed by a quick sharp nod, things he disliked were expressed by a turn of the head or a sulky shrug.
He had experimentally given Sasuke a handful of pennies, so that if they were to go by someone homeless Sasuke could give out. However, he did not even after encountering several stray people who quite audibly asked for spare change. Gaara decided to use this as his starting question.
"Sasuke…why don't you give your change to the man on the side of the road?"
"Why don't you?" came the cold reply
"I only have notes I'm afraid
"Too much for him?"
"No…but I need the money"
"So does he, I think"
"Either way, two wrongs don't make a right, wouldn't you agree?"
"What's a couple a 10p pieces gonna do?" Sasuke asked "Can't change the world wiv' just that can you?"
"No…but we could have perhaps made a difference to his day"
"He'd only waste it"
"Why do you think that?" Gaara asked
"Looked like a druggie to me" the boy shrugged "An' I wanna give this to…" he stopped
"To who?"
"No one" Sasuke shrugged reclusely
"Your brother?" Gaara ventured.
Sasuke did not reply.
Gaara ended his questioning here for now.
Kankuro got into his car that night. Sasori had gone out for a bit to get one of his belongings out of storage (where they were being kept while his house was being refurbished) Kankuro used this space of time to get his plan going.
He drove far through the dark streets. The street lights glowing around him, highlighting the people's faces.
He drove further and further.
Where was the most unlikely place?
Where to find the most different of people?
The most unexpected?
Only one place came to mind.
--
Somewhere else
Itachi sighed leaning against the lamp post, bored. Nothing was happening, he had no brother to worry about. Nor any business coming through. Pulled down his hood and removed his cap, wishing for a moment to feel the wind on his face. He rarely allowed his hood down, because then everyone could see his long black hair. No he never liked to show that off. He hid it well from people at school when he was a teenager.
He liked his hair. And even though the general fashion in his youth and among the people he lived with was very short or shaven hair. He liked his hair the way it was, with all its impracticalities.
He was not in his usual area; he had gone slightly away from his usual turf. This was down to two reasons. 1. He no longer needed to keep in a close running distance to his brother in case of emergencies and 2. He was hoping for some quiet away from the usual band of people.
He felt easier about showing his hair in front of people who did not know him. He pulled the band out of the pony tail allowing his hair to fly loose in the winter breeze, it flickered around his face gracefully, fluttering long and free.
As Kankuro drove through the miserable streets he came across a two women. They were scantily dressed and obviously a certain type of woman. He pulled over and leaned out the window. They also leaned down to him
"Hello ladies" he said putting on a charm.
One was a blonde, the other had dyed blue hair and a flower clip in the top. Both heavily made up. Rather rough looking it seemed
"You lookin' for some fun?" The blue haired girl pouted
"Sadly no" he smirked "However, my friend is looking for someone of the uh…opposite sex to yours who might be doing business…could you recommend where I might find one"
The blue haired sucked her teeth and stood up straight.
"I know one, 'e's lookin for business" the blonde smiled "E's gone up to the next two streets though tonight. Not many people usually do business up there…so it won't be hard to find him, He's wearing a navy hoody. Anyway if you don't I'm sure there'll be others up there, jus' as willin'"
"Thank you very much" Kankuro nodded
"You sure your friend don't want no body else too?"
"Quite sure" Kankuro said firmly and drove off.
He saw him, the pale youth standing with long black hair. Why he was almost androgynous. How perfect. He had a nice looking face, for a vagrant, too.
Kankuro pulled the car over to him and rolled down the window
"Excuse me?" he said. The young man seemed to take a shock as if not seeing the car and then looked down.
"Yes?"
"Are you looking for business?" Kankuro ventured. The brunette smirked
"Maybe" he seemed to purr leaning into to peer through the window. Kankuro grimaced at the thought
"It's not for me"
"Never is" the brunette shook his head
"How much do you charge uh…for the whole night"
The boy seemed taken back and then shrugged
"Dunno, we can arrange somethin' though, I'm sure. Depends what you want doin' really"
"Well…never mind the price…" Kankuro said feeling very uncomfortable. "Will you get in the car?"
The young man shrugged and got in.
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