Riayu: Well, the votes are in, and the majority is…indecisive…
Riayu: Well, the votes are in, and the majority is…indecisive…
Arbela: You pretty much balanced each other out. Or said you didn't give a rat's–
Riayu: No cursing, Arbela. But, since you guys can't decide I'm going to–
We're sorry, the program you are reading has been disrupted. Please standby
Riayu: –That way it will all fit together.
Arbela: Staring That, my dear Riayu, is absolutely diabolical. I think you've been spending too much time with me.
Riayu: Bull dinky. I've always been like this; you just never paid attention to me. Sorry this chapter is sooo late, guys. I was on vacation and couldn't write because my parents and brother don't know I write this stuff, and this week has been all sorts of hectic. Then it was my brother's birthday! Hope you likey the chappie of doom… Wow, I'm being a total spaz!
Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto!
Note: I will not attempt lyrics, I can't write songs to save my life! (you'll know what I'm talking about soon)
When the phone rang later that day and Hinata handed it to him, Naruto wasn't in the least bit surprised. He wasn't surprised when Sasuke said hello, wasn't surprised to hear he had formed his own band with a few of Itachi's band members. He was, however, surprised when the brunette requested Naruto's presence at the Uchiha manor.
"I'll have to get dressed, I'm still walking around in my pajama pants," the blonde said, standing up and crossing to his closet, pulling out a shirt and a pair of cargo pants and throwing them on the bed.
"What have you been doing all day?" Sasuke asked, sitting on his bed as he talked.
"Writing, of course. I've had a lot of ideas recently," the blonde walked to his dresser, grabbed a pair of socks and clean boxers then threw them on the bed as well.
"Why do you have so few books published?" Sasuke asked, leaning his back against the wall.
"I'm saving them for when Hinata becomes my agent in the Hyuga Productions business, then I'm going to get them all published. To get both of our names out there, you know?" the blonde cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder and started changing his clothes.
"That's…pretty genius actually."
"It must be the end of the world; the teme just gave me a compliment," Naruto laughed, pulling on his boxers and cargo pants. "Hang on a sec," he put the phone on the bed then pulled his shirt over his head, taking the phone back and cradling it again as he pulled on socks.
"Are you getting dressed?" Sasuke asked, both intrigued and appalled.
"Yeah, you missed it. I was completely naked and the sun was coming in through my window like a glamour shot." The blonde laughed, oblivious to the fact that the brunette on the other end was imagining such a scene and trying his best to remedy his quickly tightening pants.
"Usuratonkachi," the brunette muttered, the picture still in his head.
"What do you want me over for, anyways?" the blonde asked, discarding the insult.
"I want you to hear us play," Sasuke said, shifting slightly.
"You want my opinion or something? You know that I'll probably say it sucks, even if it doesn't, right?"
"Yeah, but I don't mind," there was a knock on the brunette's door and he quickly said goodbye to the blonde. "Who's there?" he asked.
"It's Deidara," the door swung open and the blonde boy walked into the room, sitting on Sasuke's desk. "Your brother is pretty pissed with us for ditching him. I'm not sure bringing Naruto over is such a good idea."
"I need to," Sasuke said, tossing his phone down. "Hinata said to take the thing that Itachi treasures the most and rub it in his face. There's nothing my ass of a brother likes more than fucking that blonde idiot."
"Just be careful, using someone like that could end badly," Deidara said, looking around the room. "I was looking over the music you gave me, it's good, but the notes are faster than what I'm used to, so I might mess up. Kisame, Sai, and Konan will be here soon. We're setting up in the basement?"
"Yeah, let me know when they get here," Sasuke said, reading over the lyrics to his song again. The notes were difficult, most people would probably find them impossible, but he had faith in himself. Not so much in the people he had recruited, though. That was why he needed that blonde; he had a good ear and would be able to pick out every error. Or so he hoped. He had read the lyrics through about five times when someone knocked on his door.
"Come in," he called, looking up from the lyrics as the door opened. The blonde stepped in, his blind eyes staring at him as if he could see. "Hello, Naruto," the brunette said, putting the sheets of paper down and standing up.
"I know what your plan is, teme," the blonde said flatly. The brunette shifted, his heart picking up slightly.
"Plan?" he asked, his voice sounding as indifferent as ever.
"You already said you wanted me to evaluate the band incase you had any duds that needed to get rid of. But you're also planning on making me fall for you so you can rub it Itachi's face." The blonde said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No I'm–"
"I think it's a brilliant idea." Sasuke stared at Naruto for a moment, completely confused.
"You do?" Sasuke asked, arching a skeptical eyebrow.
"Like you don't. I'm all for crushing that bastard."
"Okay then, Naruto, you've got a deal." The blonde nodded, turning his back on the brunette.
"Hope you're a good actor," he said just as someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Sasuke asked, walking up beside Naruto.
"Everyone is waiting for you downstairs, Sasuke-sama," an elderly voice said.
"Let's go, Naruto. Time to start the show," they walked out of the room and down two sets of stairs into a cool basement. Naruto could hear instruments being tuned as Sasuke guided him to a couch, pushing him into a seat.
"Okay guys," Sasuke said, leaving the blonde and facing the assembled people. "Crashing, from the beginning; Dei, use page five instead." There was the sound of rustling paper, a few test notes being hit, then a song erupted. The guitar and drums were heavy, painting a dark mood as the bass and a second guitar joined in. Sasuke's voice was the second-to-last thing to join the song. His singing was flawless, the lyrics as dark as the music. A second voice came in for the bridge, repeating the phrases that Sasuke sang in rumbling screams, then screaming words for the chorus. Naruto listened carefully, catching errors and making note of them. When the song ended, Sasuke sat down next to the blonde.
"What did you think?" he asked, his stomach unusually tight with anticipation.
"The person on second guitar and the screamer were no good," he said, shaking his head.
"What do you mean no good?" Konan asked.
"You were the guitar player?" The blonde asked, turning his attention to the girl.
"Yeah, what was wrong with my playing?"
"It was stiff, you stumbled and struggled, and you played the wrong notes a lot. They were close, but they were still wrong. You're an amateur, and from the sounds of it, you wouldn't be able to perform Sasuke's music style no matter how much you practiced."
"Why you little!" Deidara had to restrain the woman to keep her from tackling Naruto, who just smiled.
"Who ever was screaming, you suck more than she does. It was high-pitched and sounded more like you got kicked in the testicles after thoroughly sandpapering your throat. It was terrible."
"And I suppose you know someone who could replace me?" Sai asked in monotone.
"I'm sure I can find someone. I think they should leave," the blonde added sternly. Within a moment the two failures were out of the room, leaving Naruto with Kisame, Deidara, and Sasuke.
"Do you know anyone who can play?" Sasuke asked, looking at Naruto doubtfully.
"Of course I do. It's the screamer I'm worried about. Maybe my brother will know someone." Naruto rummaged around in his pockets for a moment then pulled out his cell phone, handing it to Sasuke. "I can't really dial his number; can you dial Pein's number for me?" There were a few clicks then Sasuke handed the phone over to Naruto, who pressed it against his ear, waiting for Pein to answer his phone.
"Hello?" Pein asked when he answered the phone.
"Hey Pein, this is Naruto. I need your help."
"Where are you? I'm at the house with Hinata." Naruto blinked.
"Why are you at the house?"
"Some guy was looking for you. Jeji, or Meji, something like that."
"Neji Hyuga?" Naruto asked.
"That's the one! He wanted to talk about your books or something."
"We're getting off track. You have friends, right, Pein?"
"Last time I checked, yeah," Pein said.
"Are any of them good screamers?"
"Well if you're that desperate, Naruto, I'm sure–"
"Pein, I don't want to screw any of your friends. Most of them have STDs. I meant screaming music wise, anyone?"
"Uhh…I think a friend of a friend. I'll look into it. What do you want me to do with the Neji kid?"
"Tell him that I already have Hinata as an agent." Naruto hung up the phone then handed it back to Sasuke. "Gaara's house, please?" A few more clicks and the phone was ringing.
"Hello?" A female voice asked tersely.
"Temari, just who I wanted to talk to."
"Who is this?" the girl asked, sounding bored.
"It's Naruto. I need a fa–" the line went dead instantly. The blonde sighed and waited, the phone ringing a moment later.
"Naruto, did you just call the house?" Gaara asked when Naruto answered the phone.
"Yeah, I need to talk to your sister. She still hates me, huh?"
"Yup. What did you need her for?"
"There's a band in need of a guitarist, I thought she might like the position. Just tell her to come to the Uchiha manor, okay?"
"Right, I'll send her over." There was a click as Gaara hung up the phone and Naruto did the same, stashing it in his pocket.
"Well?" Sasuke asked when Naruto didn't say anything.
"Temari, Gaara's sister, will be over soon and Pein's looking for someone. Are you sure you want to do the whole screaming thing?" Naruto asked, putting his chin in his hands and resting his elbows on his knees.
"Yes," Sasuke replied, looking at the blonde. "It's nothing too heavy and it's not going to be in all the songs. It adds a little extra emotion."
"What ever you say, teme," Naruto said, smiling slightly. "Temari is great with a guitar, she's got a pretty good voice too, but that's not what you need her for. She can't scream for crap."
For a while no one spoke. Deidara strummed his guitar idly, eventually going back to look at the music and work on the faster notes, his fingers stumbling every now and then as he worked to get used to the pace. Naruto sat, mulling over the deal he had made with Sasuke when he first arrived. The more he thought about it the more he wished it wasn't just an attempt to prove to Itachi that Sasuke was capable of being just as strong. The blonde shook his head to clear it; there was no doubt in his mind that Sasuke was only interested in proving his brother wrong.
"You know, we are probably the most unconvincing couple in existence," Sasuke said after a moment. They were sitting as far away from each other as they could on the two-cushion couch, trying to avoid physical contact. "A normal couple would be all cuddly and want to touch as much as they could."
"Itachi isn't here right now, though," Naruto said, trying to act like he didn't want to touch Sasuke. Sasuke, who didn't want to seem too eager to touch Naruto, tried to formulate an excuse for touching the blonde.
"You guys should probably practice, or else you might come off wrong, too fake," Deidara said, looking at the two of them. Naruto shrugged, accepting the excuse, then scooted closer to Sasuke. The brunette put an arm around the blonde's shoulders, resisting the urge to put it around the thin waist. Deidara sighed, shook his head, then took Sasuke's arm and put it around the Naruto's waist.
"If you want to fool Itachi you'll have to be a little more intimate," Deidara said, looking at the two awkward adults. "You're acting like you've never held a boy before, for God's sake!"
"I bet teme never has," Naruto said, smiling ruthlessly. Sasuke scowled at him.
"Usuratonkachi," the brunette muttered.
"I'm not hearing a no!" Naruto said, still smiling like an idiot. "Still a virgin, Sasuke?" The brunette didn't respond. For a moment Naruto thought maybe Sasuke was just ignoring him, then he realized that he was afraid to admit the fact. The blonde couldn't restrain his laughter; he doubled over, holding his gut, and laughed as hard as he could.
"I don't know why I thought this was a good idea. Maybe I had a conniption." Naruto finally quieted down, sitting up and wiping tears from his eyes.
"Sorry," he said, letting out a small chuckle. "I didn't mean to laugh that hard. Haven't you ever dated anyone?"
"The world is compiled of idiots and myself; I don't date idiots," Sasuke said sternly.
"Then why are you with Naruto?" Deidara asked, looking at the blonde.
"Yeah, why are you with…Hey!" Naruto yelled, frowning at Deidara. Sasuke let a laugh out of his nose, drawing both blondes' attention.
"Did he just–" Deidara began.
"You just laughed!" Naruto yelled, pointing at Sasuke.
"No I didn't, I sneezed," Sasuke retorted.
"Liar, you laughed! I heard it!" Naruto shouted, still pointed.
"I'm surrounded by idiots," Kisame said from his drum set, tapping one of the drums idly.
"At least we don't have a fish fetish," Deidara said without turning around.
"At least I don't like a guy who has a wood fetish," Kisame shot back. They kept on like that, Sasuke tuning them out and glancing at Naruto, who had finally stopped pointing and was picking at his fingernails. It was strange to watch the blonde's eyes follow his every movement knowing that he couldn't actually see them.
"Why are you looking at me?" Naruto asked without moving his eyes from his own hands.
"How'd you know?"
"There's more than one way to see. It's a proven fact that with the loss of one sense others are heightened."
"That doesn't explain how you knew I was looking at you."
"I could feel your breath on my neck," Naruto said with a wry smile. Deidara finally stopped arguing and saw that Sasuke and Naruto had become comfortable with sitting so close to each other, their thighs touching and Sasuke's arm around Naruto's waist.
"Kiss him," Deidara commanded. They both looked at him in horror, though Naruto was really looking over Deidara's head.
"Why should we?" Sasuke asked.
"Do you honestly think that Itachi won't ask for proof that the two of you are dating? A kiss is nothing."
"How does he even know about this act?" Naruto asked.
"I bugged Sasuke's room weeks ago," Deidara said.
"Why?" Sasuke asked, frowning.
"Your brother asked me to, but I never tell him anything. Now kiss each other or I'll be forced to do something drastic." Sasuke scowled and Naruto put a disgruntled look on his face.
"When was the last time you brushed your teeth?" Naruto asked warily.
"This morning after I ate breakfast, dobe. Now hold still," he leaned forward and brushed his lips against Naruto's. "Happy you sadistic freak?"
"That wasn't a kiss," Deidara said. "I want a kiss." Naruto swallowed hard. Sasuke leaned in again, put his lips against Naruto's, then froze. He had absolutely no clue what to do next. Naruto, in an effort to appease Deidara as well as satisfy his own curiosity, touched Sasuke's cheek and slid his tongue along the seam of the brunette's lips. Sasuke parted his lips slightly, allowing the blonde entrance. For a moment he sat stone still, allowing Naruto to explore his mouth with his tongue, but when he receive a sharp pinch on the cheek he reacted, engaging Naruto's tongue and fighting for dominance. Naruto gave up and pulled away, drawing in ragged breaths.
"Not bad," Deidara said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You need a little more practice, but it's not that bad."
"You just wanted to see some action, didn't you?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes at Deidara.
"Maybe," he winked then went to open the basement door, which was being knocked on.
"Pein sent me," a man's voice said.
Arbela: Why do you always do that?
Riayu: It's lots of fun! Thank you so much for your patience and sorry again for being late. It's a fairly long chapter, though!
Arbela: You apologize too much.
Riayu: Heheh, Wanted. Has anyone else seen that movie? It's in theaters now. I saw it (and Hancock) for my brother's birthday. They were both good.
Arbela: Are you promoting movies?
Riayu: Yeah, kinda. Just giving my opinion. Has anyone seen The Mist? Was it good? Would I be afraid? (The Messengers and Amityville Horror didn't scare me but The Grudge did) Thanks in advance to anyone and everyone who responds!