Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Shippuuden or any characters in it.
A/n: Thanks to Kyra213 for beta-ing the fic! hugs You are the best!
Italics are thoughts or flashbacks.
Chapter 5
Sasori could only conclude that WAY TOO MANY things happened on the same day. First, his chauffeur had decided to get sick, causing the redhead to have to hitch a ride from a motorbike, which belonged to a certain blond magician. Then, Sasori actually ZONED OUT during a meeting! That was so unlike him. The usual Sasori was a serious man with a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to his job. Next, the redhead found out that he actually liked guys…well, ONE guy anyway! Though, it was enough to make Sasori question his sexual preference.
The lunch with said object-of-affection further proved that Sasori was indeed gay. Well, gay for aforesaid blond anyway. Then, Sasori's ex-fiancée decided to show up at that very same day and was declared as the largest shareholder in FanTocHe.
Sasori sighed inwardly as he got out of the taxi and headed towards his hotel room. It was indeed a busy day, thought the redhead as he opened the door of his room. He was glad that he could actually relax for now and forget all of his troubles. Little did he know that his already-piled-up-troubles were going to get worse.
The door opened slowly, revealing the lit room, the furniture, and an old woman sitting on the couch, across the room... Well, everything was normal. NOW, WAIT A MINUTE! An old woman?!
"Grandma Chiyo…" Sasori couldn't help but frown. Well, he had every reason to do so. There must be something serious going on if the redhead's grandmother were to visit him during a business trip. And the 'serious thing' would always involve an arranged marriage involving the redhead and some woman that Chiyo had chosen for him. Sasori found his headache began to grow, and he rubbed his temples gingerly. "What brings you here, Grandma Chiyo?" He hid the annoyance in his voice.
"Well, well. I have a sudden desire to see my grandson's face," Chiyo's face suddenly became gloomy. "The doctor said that I had only one month's time to live."
At that, Sasori's eyes widened as he froze immediately. Shock was written all over his face. What?! One month? No, it couldn't be true! Chiyo was the only relative that Sasori had left. He couldn't imagine seeing her gone.
Suddenly, Chiyo gave a laugh, "Haha, I gotcha, didn't I?" She continued laughing, "Oh my, Sasori, that shocked expression of yours is really priceless!"
The redhead's expression immediately changed from shock to annoyance. "Quit playing around, Grandma Chiyo," he stated, moving towards the old woman and sitting down on the couch, next to her. "So now, tell me the real reason why you are here," he continued, "And don't beat around the bush, get straight to the point as usual." His eyes narrowed, "You know your grandson doesn't like to wait."
The old woman gave a chuckle, her voice gruff due to her old age. "As impatient as always," she shook her head slightly, "Alright, I'll get straight to the point. I want you to marry Haruno Sakura."
Ouch. Sasori should have guessed. The sudden appearance of his ex-fiancée and Grandmother Chiyo could only mean something BAD. It certainly wasn't a pure coincidence for both of the women to appear on the same day and during Sasori's business trip.
"Grandma Chiyo…" The redhead gave a frustrated groan. "I thought we had this conversation a long time ago. I. AM. NOT. GOING. TO. MARRY. HARUNO-SAN. And that's final!"
"Think of it as some business," was Chiyo's reply. "You do know that Sakura-san has recently inherited her father's company and that her investment company has raked in the most profit in Suna. She's one of the richest people in Suna."
"Argh! I'm already one of the richest businessmen in Suna, grandma Chiyo," snapped Sasori. "Besides, I'm not going to think about marriage at a time like this."
"You are thirty-years-old already, Sasori," his grandmother reminded him.
"I know," the redhead sighed, "But I have a company to take care of and all of that…"
Chiyo merely cut in, "The business can wait, Sasori." Then, she actually pouted, "But my cute great-grandchildren cannot wait." She made a pleading look, "Do you want to see your poor old grandmother die without having to see her beloved great-grandchildren?"
"Oh, please no." Sasori rubbed his temples. "You know that I hate children, Grandma Chiyo," he stated. "Even if I by any chance, got married. I. WOULD. NOT. HAVE. CHILDREN." He shook his head, "Now, if you would please excuse me, I really need a long nice rest from a whole day of work."
The old woman sighed, as she walked towards the exit of the room. "But I won't give up, you know!" She sulked, "I want to see my great-grandchildren. Preferably a great-grandson, before I kick the bucket!"
"Good night, grandma Chiyo," the redhead quickly cut in as he ignored the old woman. Chiyo then exited the room and closed the door behind her, leaving him alone. Sasori slumped into the king sized bed after his grandmother had left.
It was really annoying that his grandmother always managed to get the key for his hotel room, as she invited herself in without Sasori's permission. Well, Chiyo was one of the most influential people in Suna, so it wasn't like it was impossible for her to do so.
What a busy day…thought the redhead as he loosened his tie around his neck. With the help of the elasticity of the bed, Sasori forced his tired self up as he proceeded to the bathroom for a nice warm shower. Minutes later, he was finished and dressed in his pajamas. Finally! Sleep! He thought tiredly, plopping into bed.
Just as slumber was about to take over the redhead, Sasori's cell phone began to ring. Groaning, he reached out for the phone. He stared at the screen, as a series of numbers blinked across it. Sasori knew that it was some unknown caller. Well, at least someone whose number was not on his phone's list.
"Hello?" Sasori answered, his voice slightly groggy. "Who are you?"
"Hey, Sasori-danna!" A bubbly voice greeted the redhead. "It's me, Deidara, un!"
"…" The redhead gave a yawn, "What is it, brat?" he said, with a tired voice.
"Oh…am I disturbing you? I'm sorry, un," apologized the blond. "Well, the thing is, I've received some free movie tickets from some random contest, un! And I was wondering if you are free tomorrow night?"
"You are asking me out for a movie?" The redhead was quite surprised.
"Yea, un."
"Why?" Sasori stifled a yawn. His tone seemed dull.
"I thought we already had the conversation this afternoon?" The blond said. "I like you and I know you are somehow attracted to me, un. So, why not give ourselves a chance?"
"…" There was a moment of silence, before Sasori found his voice again. "What time is it? And where?"
"About 9p.m, un...at the Akatsuki Cinema on Seiryu Street." Sasori could hear excitement in the blond magician's voice. "Should I pick you up after work then, ?"
"No thanks. My chauffeur would be available tomorrow," replied the redheaded businessman.
"Oh…" Sasori swore he heard a slight disappointment in Deidara's voice. "Well, okay then. See you tomorrow night, un!" said the blond. "Good night."
"Good night…" mumbled the redhead as he hung up and immediately dozed off.
Meanwhile, Deidara lay on his bed as a smile graced his face. He was glad that the redhead had agreed to go out with him. Even though it was only a movie. He looked at the clock on his bedroom wall. It was getting pretty late, but the blond magician didn't seem to be able to sleep.
Suddenly, blue flames began to burst out of a weird-looking vase, which was placed next to Deidara's bed. The blond magician's gaze turned towards the vase. Then the flames began to subside and a piece paper seemed to pop out of the vase and then the paper slowly landed onto the floor.
'Ah…a letter from mum, un.' Thought the blond as he got out of bed and picked up the piece of paper.
How was your day? The message was short.
The moment Deidara had finished reading the message, the words faded until there was nothing left but a piece of white paper. The blond shrugged as he grabbed a pen and wrote down something.
Fine. I guess. By the way, I've met the person that you said I was going to meet. The blond magician smiled as he continued. How was your day anyway? He then folded the paper and tossed it back into the vase. Flames shot out of the container and soon subsided.
That was the only way Deidara could contact his mother. By writing letters or messages and 'sending' them through the vase, which acted as a portal to another world. Deidara's mother was a witch. Yes, a witch. A witch who married a mortal (Deidara's dad), a forbidden act. So, just like any tragic love story and all that, the couple was separated and not allowed to see each other again.
Deidara had been six when his mother was taken away from him, shortly after she gave birth to his little sister. He couldn't really comprehend what was happening at the moment, but deep inside, he knew that he was not going to see his mother ever again.
Luckily for them, the Witches' council (the one who enforces the law in the other world) decided to let Deidara's dad (and the rest of the family) contact Deidara's mother via letters, though they could never see her.
Deidara snapped out of his trance when flames began to emerge from the vase again. He picked up the letter and read it. Ah, I see. Good luck with your 'fated one'. By the way, how's Ino? Deidara frowned at the mention of his little sister.
'Damn, what should I tell mum, un?' He thought. 'Well, her grades have been slipping and she seems to have a crush on her new teacher?' No, that was definitely not something to tell mum about.
Sighing, Deidara wrote. Well, she's fine. Just that she needs to improve her grades a little. He sent the message.
His mother made a reply. I'm really concerned about that girl. Please take good care of her, in my place.
I will. Deidara sighed as he thought about his younger sister who didn't seem to listen to him at all. Well, she was a teenager and teenagers rebel. Deidara had been one before. Still…he was the older sibling and it was his duty to help and protect his younger sister.
Okay. I'm sure you will. Good night, Dei.
Good night. The blond replied to the message. He switched off the lights and went to bed.
Morning light shone into the hotel room where a certain Akasuna Sasori was currently staying. The redhead was already dressed up and ready for work. He had finished his breakfast, which was sent to his room that morning. Grabbing his briefcase, the redhead exited the room.
Sasori's chauffeur was already waiting for him at the entrance of the hotel and the redhead took no time in getting into the car. It took off along with its driver and passenger. Whenever they came to a halt when the traffic light turned red, the redhead found himself looking out of the window, seemingly hoping that he would spot the blond magician.
The redhead mentally slapped himself to have done such an act. Shaking his head slightly, he turned away from the window. 'What the hell are you doing, Sasori?!' His mind scolded. 'Stop that! You are acting like a love-sick fool!' Sasori let out a groan of frustration as he shut his eyes. Okay…so, what if he was looking for the blond somehow? There was just no way that the blond would suddenly appear. Yesterday's encounter was purely a…coincidence. Surely, coincidence wouldn't happen twice, now would it?
Opening his eyes slowly, the redhead turned towards the window. What surprised him was that the blond magician was suddenly there, on his bike. Deidara didn't seem to see the redhead because the car windows were tinted a dark black. Sasori caught himself staring at the blond who was oblivious of the red-haired businessman's presence.
A part of him wanted to wind down the window and say 'hi', but his pride seemed to hold him back. The redhead felt that it was not like him to automatically greet someone unless it was important, and greeting said blond was immediately tossed into Sasori's 'unimportant-list'.
'Now, now, Sasori, wouldn't it be better if you say 'hi' to him than to stare at him?' another part of him questioned. Just as the redhead had decided to greet the blond, the traffic light had already turned green. 'Well, you still have a date with him tonight…' Sasori reminded himself. He was really looking forward to the date, even though part of him denied the fact.
Hmm…since when did Akasuna Sasori look forward to something so trivial as a 'date'? Even he did not know that answer.
Sasori reached his company minutes later. And as the redhead had expected, a pink haired lady was already at the foyer. "Good morning, Sasori-kun!" Sakura greeted the red-haired man with a smile as she approached him.
"Good morning, Sakura-san," he greeted politely.
The rest of the day was just like any other day, with lots of meeting, signing important documents, getting bombarded with lots of questions by Sakura, and visiting the factory. Well, Sasori had already gotten used to the boring schedule anyway. It was his job (well, minus the 'getting-bombarded-with-lots-of-questions-by-Sakura' part).
Thank goodness Chiyo did not show up at his workplace and bug him about getting her some cute great-grandchildren. The thought made Sasori shiver as he imagined little brats running around and annoying the hell out of him. He swore to himself that he was so not having any children.
'I wonder if that brat likes children anyway…' Sasori froze all of a sudden at the thought, blushing furiously. 'What the hell were you thinking?!' his inner-mind screamed. The thoughts about having children just kinda made him think of the blond. It was not a perverted thought! It was just that…the redhead was slightly…err…curious. Yea, curious about how two guys were supposed to…
The redhead immediately stopped the thought. His face now as red as a tomato. Everyone in the conference room seemed to stare at him with odd looks. He ignored them as he flicked the pen in his hand, trying to distract himself.
"Stupid blond brat…" he muttered to himself, not knowing why. He considered calling off the date at that very moment, but decided against it. Deidara's voice was still ringing in his ears…
'I like you and I know you are somehow attracted to me, un. So, why not give ourselves a chance?'
A chance. Yea, Sasori guessed that he should give the relationship a chance. He could not lie to himself; he really was attracted to the blond magician and there was no point in denying it. There was nothing to lose right?
Night came. Sasori stared out of the office window as the lights from buildings decorated the night. He couldn't see the stars. Light pollution. It was to expect from a big city like Iwa. The red-haired man recalled seeing the clear night skies decorated with stars, back in Suna, his hometown.
Taking a look at his watch, Sasori decided it was time for him to leave. He pulled out his cell phone and was about to give his chauffeur, Kabuto, a call when a text message arrived. It was from Deidara.
The message read. 'Well, I just want to remind you that we have a date at 9p.m at the Akatsuki Cinema. Don't be late!'
Sasori rolled his eyes. 'As if I would be late?' He smirked and replied back, 'Same goes for you. Don't be late. I hate to wait.' Then, he proceeded in giving his chauffeur a call.
Sakura was just getting back to the building from dinner the moment Sasori walked out of the elevator. She seemed surprised when Sasori had a briefcase in his hand. "You are leaving so early, Sasori-kun..." stated the pink-haired-lady as she stared at him. "Where are you heading?"
Sasori pondered about what to say to the pink haired-lady. 'Well, I have a date.' No, no. That wasn't something he should tell Sakura. "I'm feeling a little tired, so I guess I'll head back to the hotel for a rest." The lie came out smoothly.
"Oh, I see. Do you want me to accompany you to a doctor?" Sakura asked, worried.
"No, I'm fine, Sakura-san," the redhead nodded slightly, saying a quick goodbye as he exited the building and got into the vehicle which had just arrived.
TBC…
A/n: I think this was the most boring chapter I've ever written. Gomen-ne, no inspiration at the moment and I wanted to make it longer but err…I can't seem to write something 'interesting' at the moment, so I think I'll make the story more interesting in the next chapter. XD Anyway, please R&R to tell me what you think. Thanks.