~Art's Most Valuable Form~
~Act No. 8~
Surrealism
Sasori relived the past minutes over and over again, and despite his exhaustion, sleep seemed like the last thing that was possible for him now. Guilt and an overpowering sense of dread filled him. What he had done, he felt more at fault than anything he had ever done before. It felt like a dagger had been thrust into his stomach, forever being taken in and out. A never ending knife. It was, in a word, torture.
His eyes remained trained on the same spot for the last hour, at least. Staring down at the notorious Coliseum that lay in the distance. For the average observer it would seem like nothing was there, but for someone like Sasori who had the perception of an angel, he could see the outlines and shades that roamed the large expanse. Seeing something that seemed to last forever was the only that kept him from tearing almost completely apart.
There was something that he didn't understand though. Why? Why did he even care that she would be hurt by his actions? He'd hurt people before by his rudeness and arrogant nature, but perhaps nothing quite like this. But even so, why would he care for a pink haired girl that he had only met a little more than a mere month ago? The question puzzled him to the point of stress.
She was different, he had to admit. He enjoyed having her around, everyone could apparently see that as clearly as glass. He liked her rather peppy personality, strangely enough. He was now fine that she would be with them in Akatsuki Productions for the time being. He just couldn't bring himself to call her a friend though. The mere thought of her being a friend in his mind called for alarm bells that demanded an automatic rejection. But, if she wasn't a friend, than just what was she?
His thoughts once again went over the last lines he stated to her, albeit arrogantly and cruelly, however he had finally cracked a small shell in his exterior after she had spoken so desperately to him.
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After they arrived back at the Fang Complex, where his penthouse was located at, Kankuro followed Sasori inside, carrying the lightweight luggage behind him. Sasori had owned the place for at least seven years, after his fashion company was sold.
The place was the same as always, and the colors of platinum, black, and white seemed to fit the place in perfect conformity. The place, as always, was as extravagant as he had left it months prior in Kankuro's care. His orbs traveled around the room for imperfections, but his eyes came up with no such marring of any sort. He nodded in consent to the smirking brunette that stood at his side. Then such brunette, strode over to Sasori's bedroom to place his belongings for him to unpack.
"So Master Sasori, all your things are ready, and your studio is pretty much in the same condition as you had before," Kankuro informed, gesturing to silver spiraling stairwell to the loft twenty or so feet up.
"Well done," Sasori commended calmly, with a curt nod. "You may retire for the night."
"Night Sasori-Sama!" Kankuro smirked, as he ran to the other end of the penthouse to his living space. Obviously he had been learning Japanese culture since he had left, he would have to inquire more on that later.
Sasori remained his calculating gaze until Kankuro had left the common vicinity, the receding footsteps telling him that he was alone. The silence that enraptured the dark spaciousness most certainly had a calming effect, and he enjoyed in thoroughly. He breathed in the smell of cinnamon sugar that seemed to be forever confined to the penthouse, no matter how much paint, clay, or other media that was used by either artists' hands. That as well, was something he had been appealing to him since his earliest of childhood days.
His incoherent footsteps trailed to the balcony that overlooked the night. Unlike usual, the surrounding area was dark and mystical. The most common of days beheld the annoyingly boisterous noises of cars and bright lights that tainted the sky, but this night was like no other. It was as if the world he had left hours before had followed him here, and devoted it's darkness into coming after him, either to comfort or to tell him of something tragic based on it's colors. The latter was partially true while the first was entirely correct.
The wisps grasped at his bloody locks, pulling them due west, where his life in Vegas was. He almost wanted to chuckle at the world's strange sense of ironic knowledge. It was almost as if the world itself wanted him to return to Los Vegas. It was rather foolish to believe such a thing when no such thing exists. Fate-to him-didn't exist. He laid his hands over the railing, the chilling cold in them rather reassuring, yet morbid. He gripped them tighter, letting the cold captivate him until that was all he felt.
Then a thought occurred to him. Deidara had probably called him by this point seeing if he had done what he had predicted, and had indeed left. It would be three in the afternoon in Vegas. She would have probably been wondering about him as well about whether or not he would meet up with her. She had probably called him as well about that. He could imagine the bewildered and confused expression she would have by not finding him there in the lobby in the morning. At first, the thought made him want to smirk, but after an instant, guilt plagued him deeply.
He pulled out his Iphone from his trouser's pocket. He did have a missed call from Deidara, as well as the girl. Quickly he unlocked the phone, but he felt reluctance at calling her back, but the thoughts of his past reminded him that he let no one wait for anything if he knew of it. Briskly, and without much thought he pressed call. After a moment, anxiety hit him full force and he felt like pulling out, but before he could do more, an elated voice of a girl he knew and had left, called out his name.
"Sasori!" She called to him excitedly. "Where are you? I didn't get a chance to meet up with you this morning."
Sasori masked his voice in the most toneless of sounds he could create with the amount of emotion he held inside him at that moment, "Rome."
She sounded the most confused he had ever heard from her. This only caused him to feel a deep ache to knot up in his stomach. "Why?"
He forced himself to sound disinterested on her opinion, "There were no more artworks to complete while in Vegas."
"So you just left?" She spoke incredulously, clearly shocked that he had simply up and gone. "Without consulting with anyone?"
He tried to pretend that he was speaking to anyone other than her. "Indeed."
She sounded devastated, and he felt himself start to tear even more apart than before. "But wh-"
"The reason is simple," He interjected as cruelly as he could do. He just wanted to stop talking, and yet he knew that he couldn't.
"And why's that?" She mumbled faintly, sounding the most dour and sad he had ever heard her.
He took a moment to think of just why he had left, and he supposed that it was true, but he started to question it more after he said such aloud to her, "I have no reason to stay."
"B-but Sasori," She stammered, clearly appalled and confused. "You have friends here."
The sound of her voice and his name was something he had always strangely found quite pleasant, but spoken in such a way only caused him to feel terrible. That was the last barrier that was able to remain in him at that point, but soon it crumbled. He sighed resolutely, and depressedly, defeated emotionally.
He spoke with great resolution in his voice, the reluctance in his tone painted more truthfully than ever before, "Ciao, Fiore di Ciliegio."
Then he ended the call, and it was only as he stared at the darkness of the night that he realized that it was the first time he had said her name.
"Sakura," He whispered into the darkness that surrounded him, enveloping him in its solitude. Perhaps the darkness wasn't as kind as the light.
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Sakura could feel her heart breaking, and her tears fell slowly, cascading down her face in it's clear streaks. She closed her eyes as if trying to forget what had just occurred, but she knew that it was in vain. To forget something like that, to hear the tangible emotion that was never revealed before was far too hard of an achievement to ever forget, even if it was heart wrenching.
She quickly grabbed her things, and faced the ground as she walked away, letting her pink strands shade her face from onlookers. She didn't want anyone to see her crying. She simply found it extremely shameful and embarrassing. She refused to let anyone see her face.
She found her way to her hotel room as if she was a ghost, the soundless footsteps only increasing the state she was in. She quickly opened and locked her door, throwing it closed before she let herself completely fall apart. She dropped to her floor hard enough to bruise her knees.
Perhaps it was rather too much emotion she was feeling since she had only known Sasori for a month, but it felt so much more than just that. She loved having him around despite his cold and emotionless exterior. The thought that he would never be returning only made it all worse. She wanted to get to know him better, she wanted...To get closer to him. She really did. She wanted to understand him. She wanted...Him to like her. She...She...She liked him. She liked him. She really did. She liked him!
Sakura's eyes went wide on the thoughts that screamed so clearly in her mind. She liked him... She liked him as more than a friend. She breathed a ragged breath on that mere thought. She hadn't even realized it before, but it was true. That was why. That was why she wanted to understand him more. The reason why she felt that he needed more to his life. She wanted to reveal the real Sasori that laid behind a mask on untrue intentions and words.
She sat there on the floor, the clear and cerulean sky changing into grays that mixed with platinum. She sat there in the silence, stunned by her thoughts. She stared at the cloudy sky that only became more dark and grey every second. The sun was replaced by the sad colors that reflected her mood.
She took a few ragged breaths, before her back fell against her double doors. She watched as the sky changed, just barely the amount before a downpour would arrive. The salty tears fell more slowly now, and she began to feel the blank emptiness that came after so much emotion was used.
She felt broken. Was this what Sasori feels so regularly? She wondered depressedly. She wanted that warm touch that he seemed to wield. She had felt that warmth the previous night so vividly that it felt like a far too short of a timespan now. She hadn't really taken it into consideration, but now that she was here, alone, she felt cold. Was this how Sasori felt?
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Deidara watched from his penthouse, as the clouds covered the sky, smearing the perfectly blue color that had been previously occupying the sky's canvas. He let his hands grasp the rails as his eyes beheld the scene that hovered above him. Perhaps the world did really revolve around Sasori's appearances, he thought dryly, he always did have that arrogance in him.
"Gray is such a dull color," Sasori had said rather thoughtfully, yet disdainfully.
Deidara whirled toward the redhead, rather surprised to hear such an opinion. "I thought you liked all the colors, un."
Sasori had looked from the platinum sky to Deidara, his eyes lowered in that annoyed fashion that somehow worked quite well for him. "I may be one of the world's greatest artist brat, but perhaps you should think more fluidly."
"Uh, What?" Deidara asked, clearly dumbfounded at the indirect method of speech that went unaccustomed to him from Sasori.
"Your an idiot, is what I said," Sasori retorted sourly.
Deidara's expression went slack, rather annoyed now. "Just explain to me why, yeah."
Then Sasori had simply mumbled before leaving him, "It's not up for discussion, Deidara."
That small conversation months before had always puzzled him, but he didn't pry afterwards. He had let it drop, and he knew that Sasori would simply misdirect any question about it if he did indeed inquire. He wondered whether it had anything to do with the past, and somehow that's what he expected it to be apart of.
He pondered whether Sakura knew that Sasori was gone yet. She had probably called him about it, and he was dubious that the redhead would answer. She probably would want some answers. She was going to be hurt.
He knew that Sasori was in love with Sakura. Konan had explained everything that she had seen, maybe even too detailed that it was far too romantic for him. Now that Deidara realized it, it actually made more sense than he originally thought. The reason why Sasori refused to get closer to her was because he didn't want to be hurt again. Sasori hated ties and bonds with others, yet he created them so strongly with Sakura. Why would he hurt himself by leaving her? All it would do is worsen them both emotionally. Sakura clearly cared for Sasori as well, as a friend, and would be devastated to know that he was gone.
Then a loud pounding on his door woke him from his reverie, and he quickly had the door fly open with a clap of his hands. He turned to find a disheveled-looking Sakura standing at the doorway. He could see the poofiness in her cheeks, the redness indicating that she had been crying for some time. A sense of dread showed on his features, and he strode over to her. She knew. She knew that Sasori had gone.
She sniffled a few times, the tears starting to leak outward, staining her once, perfectly pale complexion. She ran to him, shaking her head to show her disbelief. He let himself wrap his arms around her in comforting manner. They were the only two of the four people that really knew Sasori well. She sobbed for a few minutes into his chest, and during that time he grimly wondered whether he should tell her of the feelings Sasori had for her.
"I like him!" She cried into his chest, the sobs only becoming more frequent. "I like him Dei! I like Sasori!" She shook her head, not wanting to believe it.
Deidara's eyes widened at the sudden revelation. She liked Sasori? She was also in love with him? The two were in love with each other? Oh, good God. This was certainly unexpected. Konan, Itachi, nor himself ever gave her feelings for Sasori any attention. Still, they were both in love with each other? Did Sasori know that he loved her? Did he? Did he know of Sakura's?
"Y-you like Sasori, un?" Deidara stammered, trying to grasp at something relatively realistic about it all.
She nodded her head, knotting her hands into his shirt. "I do; I-I never noticed b-before, b-but after everything that's ha-happened I real-realized."
"Oh, un," Deidara stressed, tightening his hold on her. They stood together like that for awhile until they could both hear the slight pitter patter of rain from the window. The room was lightless, and shadows covered the walls as the clouds had more depth.
Sakura felt as drained as she had earlier that day before she came here. She was empty, and once more she wondered whether if this was what Sasori felt constantly. Drained and empty. Her eyes were filmy and red, not really seeing anything, merely gazing. She slumped against Deidara lifelessly, nearly falling down had he not caught her.
Startled that Sakura was falling to the floor, he swiftly caught her. Slowly, as to not shake her gaze from the window he pulled her off her feet. He felt terrible for not telling her in advance what was to come, however he was also very angry at Sasori. He could see that her eyes were gazing at the falling rain, the filminess of her eyes ghastly.
Without a word, he laid her on one of the couches that faces the patio. There were no other sounds in the room, except the slight pitter patter. She stared and stared for so long that Deidara had halfheartedly started on extra paperwork that needed to be completed by the following day.
Every few minutes he would look up from his desk to see if she had moved more than simply making herself more comfortable. The longer the silence stretched on the more worried he became. Finally, after nearly a half hour of nothingness, Deidara looked up from his desk. His brows furrowed stressfully, and he rubbed his left temple.
"You know that he'll be back right, yeah?" Deidara said tiredly.
As she turned her head to him, he could see the smokiness in her eyes start to evaporate at a snail's pace. There was a small, yet smile on her lips as she uttered just loud enough for him to hear, "I know." Somehow he knew that it was a lie. She thought that he wasn't coming back.
"Sakura, un," Deidara sighed. "Danna does this every few months, he comes back usually after a few weeks. Until then though you should just keep yourself occupied, yeah."
Her smile disappeared, as she turned back to the window. A tiny frown that spread across her lips; it worried him. A moment went by and Deidara began to write and sign papers again until he hear her say something so saddening that his eyes widened. "Today was the first day that I ever heard him say my name."
Deidara slowly closed his eyes upon hearing that. Then he asked uncertainly, "What happened?"
"He called me back earlier," Sakura answered, the emptiness in her voice rather haunting. "He told me that he had no reason to stay. I replied by saying that he had friends here. He sighed, but the resolution that was there was so tangible I almost couldn't believe it. Then he said 'Ciao, Fiore di Ciliegio'." There was a moment of silence then she asked him, "Do you know what that means Deidara?"
Rather speechless, he simply replied with a, "No, un."
There was a sadness there that tore at him. "Translated from Italian to English it means, 'Goodbye, Cherry Blossom'. My name."
He didn't speak. He knew that she just needed some time to think things over now. Sasori would be coming back. He would be. He would give that damn puppet master a major lesson if he didn't come back in less than three weeks time. Until then he would ask Konan and Itachi what to do with what was happening between the two. Sakura would probably have her friends come back for a week or so to get her mind off things that had transpired. Sakura was in love after all, and despite such small words that were used in that conversation it had a big impact on Sakura emotionally. Sasori could break someone's heart if he got close to anyone.
He would just have to bid time. Whether Sasori and Sakura could ever be together was the biggest question of them all, after all, and only three people knew of it.
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Deidara walked along the shadowed streets to the Dawning Theatre House. Just like the rest of the members of the Akatsuki, he could shadow walk. He knew that Sasori and Itachi were probably the best at it, but that didn't mean that he couldn't do it with at least a little covertly. The streets were hustle and bustle at this time of the night, and hearing laughter and chats were something to be expected. Lights flashed from the prestigious casino and museums, creating a scene of colors that traveled high into the night.
He was to meet with Itachi and Konan tonight, simply to speak over findings between the most recent of events. The fact that Sakura was loved probably more than anyone in the group was something that really mattered. They all cared for her immensely, even in the short timeframe thats been accumulated. Sasori was also very...er...needed in the group? A clash between two of the members would not result in something good, especially if they were in love with one another without knowing it.
When he arrived into the grand auditorium, he could see that Itachi and Konan were both leaning against the top of the stage. He quickly jogged over to them, and they noticed him immediately.
"Well, Dei," Konan started flatly, "You're a bit late."
"What are you? Sasori?" Deidara demanded. Getting here without ever being noticed was a feat in itself at this time of night!
"Enough," Itachi said authoritatively. This caused Deidara to scowl, but he listened.
"So what was so important that you had to tell us yourself?" Konan asked.
Deidara looked from one to the other, both staring at him, waiting for him to reply. He sighed defeatedly, "Sakura is also in love with Sasori, un."
Konan's brows raised in astonishment, while Itachi's mouth twitched into a frown, as a brow quirked in curiosity.
"You found this out, how?" Itachi inquired with an edge in his tone. The fact that he hadn't even noticed was a severe disappointment for himself. He had been far too immersed in figuring out Sasori the past few weeks that Sakura had been bypassed altogether. Now that the piece was created, it did fit, quite wondrously actually. It made sense now that he thought of it.
Deidara explained what had happened earlier that day. He had left Sakura heavily asleep on his couch. He had phoned the two after hours of simply watching as she seemed to stare lifelessly out the window, then she simply fell asleep, and here he was.
When Deidara finished Itachi announced, "I shall get Sasuke to preoccupy her for the next week or so."
Deidara was about to retort that he could take care of Sakura instead, but he deflated when he remembered that he was booked for the next week with business. No matter how much he would have wanted, he simply couldn't do anything. Konan had much to do, as did Itachi, perhaps even more than him.
Deidara could feel a migraine coming on. "Are you sure, yeah?"
After a curt nod, that meant much more than a simply gesture, he believed Itachi. He could only hope that Sakura would be okay with it, and that Sasori would get here soon.
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There were times when Sakura vaguely questioned if Sasuke cared about her as more than a friend. He ambled around next to her as she snapped a few pictures of random sights they passes. She smiled softly at the shots she had taken She looked up from her newly bought camera off and on as they walked the busy streets.
A week had passed since Sasori's departure, and ever since the day after, Sasuke had been around to accompany her wherever she went. She figured that Itachi sent for him being that he was extremely busy with his company-even more so than usual-recently.
The morning she had woken from Deidara's couch, she was met with the Uchiha standing at the window staring out at the azure sky. She was rather bewildered at first, but it became rather normal after the second day. He really only spoke when spoken to, but she was merely pleased with just the company.
"Sasuke," She spoke, placing her camera back in the bag at her side for future use. The Uchiha merely gazed at her for her to continue speaking, his expression devoid of emotion, just like two other people she knew all too well. "Was there something you wanted to do that we didn't the first time you were here?"
"Aa," He grunted. "Sand."
Sakura's eyes widened before she giggled, placing a hand over her mouth as the giggles became laughter. She could make out the rather annoyed expression that contorted his features, which only caused her to laugh harder. She could see that he rolled his eyes in an impatient manner, before placing his hands in his pocket, facing straight ahead.
Sakura knew exactly what he had meant though. Sand, was what her and her friends used to say, Beach Volleyball. It was something they had done numerous times back in high school, Sasuke and herself, versus Hinata and Naruto or Ino. They had won many tournaments back in high school, even a couple during their college spring breaks.
She hadn't really even thought much of volleyball since she had told Deidara that she use to play. There simply hasn't been a need, and she's been so busy most days that even when she wasn't, she was reading or resting up for the next hectic day ahead.
She smiled at him brightly after she had caught up to his fact pace. "Well then, let's go before the paparazzi get to us!" Then she began running down the streets, knowing that Sasuke would match up to her speed soon enough.
She knew exactly where to go. She's spent far too much time walking, driving, running, and jogging throughout the city that she practically knew every square inch of the place by heart. She's past the sand courts a few times in the past, so inevitably she got there in record time, Sasuke sprinting next to her easily the whole way there.
They were in the middle of a big park, where in the middle, next to a bike path and perfectly blue pond laid, was the sand courts. There were people playing everywhere, some very amazing, some not so amazing. She grinned at the expressionless Uchiha who stood, towering over her short form. Luckily, they were both wearing relatively good clothes for playing sand volleyball so spontaneously.
"Satisfied?" Sakura asked happily from the other side of the net. The sweat rolled down her form after the strenuous activity they had been playing quite for awhile. She held the battered volleyball on her left hip. The arrogant smirk that appeared on his lips was enough to tell her that he still thought he could beat her single handedly.
They had only been playing one on one since they arrived, mostly hitting the ball so that they could maintain a rally, while at the same time making it more difficult for the opponent every time the ball crossed the plain of the net. She knew that Sasuke was very good after all the times they were teammates, but she knew that she was better if she really wanted to win. And win, is what she wanted at that moment. She smiled at him like the sweet candy that he hated, and she knew that he knew her thoughts.
His eyes narrowed dangerously at the pinkette no more than twenty feet from him. "Not even close," He answered arrogantly.
Soon enough they were back at it, but that time it was much more difficult. They were both crashing into the sand to merely retrieve each other's hits, then get right back up to their feet and jump at their maximum to hit it over.
Neither had noticed the crowd that had started to form around them. They were far too immersed in the game. A game against the Akatsuki's own, Sakura Haruno, and the Uchiha Company's Heir, Sasuke Uchiha. They were both well known figures in the country, and something like this was obviously going to attract attention. Not that they noticed.
They were both nearing the end when Sasuke suddenly asked, "What happens when I win, Sakura?"
Sakura smiled at him sweetly. "I personally don't think that's going to happen, Sa-su-ke!"
Sakura had gotten the second to last point to end the match, and soon enough it was game point. She smiled at the rather frustrated Uchiha, that could barely contain the calmness that Uchiha's are required to possess. With great annoyance to Sakura though, soon after that she had served the ball out of bounds. The next few points though were probably the toughest she had ever done in Sand before. Sasuke had really brought out the power of his last few hits, and she hadn't been quick enough to get them. She huffed once, knowing that she had indeed lost.
The anger that she had felt diminished quickly enough knowing that Sasuke had won fair and square, but she was a little disappointed with the result. He smirked that model-perfect smirk that made almost every girl swoon to him, but Sakura just smiled with an eye roll.
Then, the crowd started to cheer loudly, shocking the two companions greatly. She looked to the crowd to one another, before Sakura giggled to herself. The smirk that Sasuke beheld quickly changed to a scowl at the sight and sounds of the crowd that had formed around their court. There were a few flashes here and there, and Sakura figured that they would be on the front page of a magazine by tomorrow morning.
When everything was calmed down, they began to walk along the cobblestone paths that traveled around the small park. They were both still tired from their workout moments before, but were cool enough from the shade to care too much about the small discomfort.
It was as she saw a small boardwalk that she became moderately saddened, for it reminded her of the first time she really started to get to know Sasori. She thought of him longingly. She hadn't told Sasuke of her feelings of Sasori, but she had a feeling that he knew something was wrong between the puppet master and herself. She still wondered just why he had done that. Didn't have a reason to stay? He had friends, he had...Her. She would always be there. Always. Even if he didn't care for her in return.
"You still owe me," Sasuke announced out of the blue, looking down and into her eyes with hint of carefulness.
She stopped walking, so did he. She laughed slightly. "Well, okay, what do you want?"
He gazed into her eyes, and just like Sasori she could see the emotions held within them as if they were glass. She could see the longing that he had. The yearning. The yearning...for her.
This was one of those times when she really wondered if Sasuke cared for her as more than a friend.
"Sakura," He said. She stiffened. "You owe me."
Her cheeks flared at what he did next. He kissed her neck. Once, then twice, then a third before he lifted his head and stood at his full height. The smirk that appeared only created more embarrassment for her.
She stumbled on her words that all but spluttered out of her mouth, "I-I s-suppose th-that I didn't tell y-you that I-I actually..." She struggled on the words that dared to be announced, "I-I actually am..."The next came out in a burst,"In love with Sasori!"
The smirk was replaced with a frown, as a slight quirk in brow appeared.
There was apart of him that wanted to scream at her for her foolishness and simply kiss her senseless so that she would forget. The other part was the half that didn't dare let himself risk hurting her if she loved another man. He wasn't really torn though, for the latter was the only way they could continue on the way they always had. He had no reason to believe that everything would simply be fine that he had hurt her. That would only result in something uncalled for, along with the fact that Itachi would personally kill him. However much he cared for Sakura, he simply couldn't hurt her; she was far too pure for that, and yet that same redhead that she claimed to love had done just that. He could only hope for Sasori's sake that he doesn't make the same mistake twice.
"I see," Was all Sasuke replied, with a curt nod. His eyes remained trained on her's, waiting for her to see the understanding in them. Thankfully she did.
Through the tomato-faced color that was painted across her face quite vividly, she smiled at him understandingly. "Thank you, Sasuke."
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Sasori was going to go mad; completely and utter mad. He might as well be the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland at this point.
His paintbrush moved and tackled the canvas so quickly that for the average eye it would seem as if he was creating something abstract and expressive. The latter was correct, but at the same time it only made him worse ever second. Pinks splashed with white, red, green, and black.
He had been painting this piece for over four hours. Four damn hours! This was the longest damn painting he's ever created, and yet he still couldn't complete the thing! He wasn't satisfied, at all.
He was breathing erratically, and sweat poured from him, drenching him, but he never noticed. The only two things that he was paying attention to was the music that was on constant replay, and the painting that he didn't dare stop. Stroke after stroke, play after play. He was exhausted and infuriated. He hasn't slept in three days, for whenever he had the nights before he would only dream of pink, green, and white, and sometimes even a girl that matched those colors ideally. He couldn't stand it anymore!
He swore that he music only made him more mad, and yet he didn't dare replace or change it.
"I got lost out there in this world
Looking for a brand new way to fall down
It's no surprise that things gotten worse
And thank God you never let me drown."
Sasori felt like he was losing himself, for all that seemed to be in his mind was her. That blossom of the Akatsuki. That pink haired girl. That singer that had fallen on him the first time he ever met her. That girl that had somehow made her way into his cold and broken heart. That girl named, Sakura.
"I didn't have to lie to myself for so long
I didn't have to let myself get so far gone
I didn't have to make the ones I love feel so alone
I didn't have to go to heaven-I just had to go home."
His phone rang. The music didn't stop. The endless painting didn't stop. The annoying ringing wouldn't stop either. Infuriated enough, Sasori snatched his phone up from the desk closest to him.
He growled into the phone, "What the hell do you want Deidara?"
"You shouldn't keep her waiting, un." He wasn't fazed in the least by Sasori's temper.
He slammed his paintbrush onto the desk, and paint splattered mildly across the area. "I don't keep people waiting, brat."
"Then your a hypocrite, yeah," Deidara replied flatly. "Not that I'm surprised though, un."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sasori demanded aggravatedly.
"You can be such an idiot, can't you, yeah?" Deidara said, instead of getting to the point.
"Get to the point," Sasori retorted icily.
"Your keeping Sakura waiting, un," Deidara told him. "The one that you seem to paint and draw constantly. The girl that you seem to be more attached to than you think. The same Sakura that you danced with and left the same night, yeah."
Sasori didn't reply. He listened to the next lines that played. Then the next, and Deidara didn't say anything.
"I didn't have to lie to myself for so long
I didn't have to let myself get so far gone
I didn't have to make the ones I love feel so alone
I didn't have to go to heaven-I just had to go home."
Sasori growled to himself, before he yelled into the phone, "God damn it Deidara! Meet me at the Vegas airport in twelve hours."
Then before he could hear a reply, he hung up. He listened to the last remaining measures to the song before he moved from his spot.
Quickly, he made his way down the stairs and packed. Kankuro was currently out of the complex to send a few works out to people that they had made over that long and tedious week. He set a note out to his protege for him to find, letting him know that he would be back in a few months and to send him anything that he couldn't complete in a certain timeframe.
Then, he set out into the daylight, for he had more important places to be. That was just the thing about Sasori; he never kept people waiting.
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It had been seven in the morning when Deidara had called, and he was rather shocked to hear the puppet master seem so aggravated and furious. He dismissed the thoughts soon enough though, for in less than twelve hours Sasori would be back in town. He would have to get Sakura to come with him when he was to pick Sasori up. He knows that the girl will be elated to have the redhead back.
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The moment that Sakura saw Sasuke's plane fly high into the sky was when she got a call from a certain blonde she knew all too well.
"Well good morning, Mr. Iwa!" Sakura greeted. "Does your company know your having a personal call instead of a business one this early in the morning?"
Deidara chuckled lightly. "Actually, un, I have the day off."
"Oh that's nice, we should do something then today. I haven't seen you all week Dei."
"We can later tonight. I have a surprise for you, yeah. I'll pick you up at seven."
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The hours passes far too long for Sakura. All she did was read a few novels that seemed far less interesting than her fantasies of what Deidara was going to do tonight. She wondered just what it was going to be. Thankfully it was seven by the time she was going to go crazy.
She stood on the stone stairway that led to the outside of the hotel, she couldn't make out the signature limo that Deidara always had, but instead she could see a cerulean Jeep with the root retracted downward. Her jaw dropped, and she laughed in disbelief. She could see the huge devilish grin on his face as he drove up next to her all too coolly.
He winked at her flirtatiously. She only rolled her eyes at his antics.
"Is this the surprise?" Sakura asked excitedly, getting into her seat. "To ride in a jeep in the middle of Las Vegas? It would be pretty awesome." She had to admit.
His grin widened. "Not quite, un. But, when we get close to where we're going you're going to have to put a blindfold on."
She gave him a strange look before answering with an unsure, "Okay..."
The drive was fast and furious, but all the same it felt great to have the wind in her face for moment. Before she knew it, she was forced to have a blindfold covering her eyes. She found that she didn't like it as much as when she didn't have the thing on. It was an annoyance, she decided.
She could feel that the car had stopped, and soon she found herself tapping the door to feel her way to exit the vehicle. When she did find it she could hear that Deidara was scraping across the ground. Little did she know that she would nearly fall over by trying to get out until she felt herself being forced towards the ground by the law of gravity.
"Oh, un!" Deidara exclaimed, obviously running to her side to catch her. She could hear the sounds of a plane in the distance. Where they at the airport?
Thankfully he had caught her before she could fall to the hard ground. "I guess that you can take your blindfold, yeah," Deidara said sheepishly.
As she striped on the cloth, she gave him a flat look, before unlatching herself from his grasp. "I guess that would be a better conclusion than me tripping over my own feet because of a blindfold, Dei."
He rubbed his head sheepishly in response.
Sakura gazed around, and her hypothesis was indeed correct. They were at the airport, but in the private plane section, where she had seen Sasuke off to earlier that day. It had been rather sad to see one of her best friends leave again, but she knew that he probably shouldn't have come anyway. Like Itachi, he was going to be the president of his company in the future for the Uchiha Company. He was busy, all the time. She shouldn't have burdened him with having to stay with her for an entire week, she could only hope that he wouldn't be too behind when he got back. She would have to apologize later.
It wasn't until a new plane started to land that she was jolted out of her mind. She looked up to find a plane with the outside coated a dark scarlet, and it was at that moment when she just realized just why she was here. Her eyes widened at the oncoming machine knowing exactly what her surprise was. Sasori was coming back. She would see him in less than ten minutes.
Despite being with Sasuke the entire week, she almost never forgot Sasori from her thoughts. The moment she knew that she was actually in love with Sasori Akasuna of all people, she simply couldn't stop thinking about him. She thought of the dance they shared, the photo-shooting, the words, the phone call that made her realize what she felt. She was in love. There was no other way to put it, but as she thought over it all now, tears threatened to escape from her eyes.
She watched as the plane kept getting closer a closer, the daylight becoming more mixtures of red and orange than every before. Somehow she knew that Sasori's hair would turn into a light red, and his eyes would become a pale brown.
She saw that the plane was racing across the pavement, tearing down at a very fast pace, but it wasn't until the plane was at a complete stop that her heart became erratic and painful. She could feel the tears starting to escape, but she forced herself to remain standing in place.
When the door opened, she had a quick intake of breath. Her prediction..Had been correct. He seemed the same; that calm yet annoyed look crossed his face when he started to take his descent down the stairs, but the moment that he was on the pavement she could feel the push from Deidara. She could imagine the grin he would have on his face. As tears fell, she sprinted toward him.
She raced toward him, and he looked at her with the slightly widened eyes of bewilderment. She smiled at him desperately as she lunged for him. As he staggered back a few steps from shock, she jumped onto him, wrapping her legs around his torso, and her arms around his neck. She cried helplessly into his burgundy shirt. She could smell the scent of paint, and a wooden smell that she's always loved. She etched her hands into the back on his shirt, never wanting to let go of this man. This artist. This performer. This puppet master. Her love.
Sasori stood there, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides. He could smell the faint scent of her flowery perfume; it was intoxicating. He stood there, dumbstruck and eyes wide. He could see Deidara in the distance, gesturing for him to wrap his arms around the girl that had precariously jumped onto him. Slowly, he did just that. He breathed in her scent, calming his ever racing heart to steady beats once again. He relished in the feel of her, closing his eyes in the most tranquil he's been in years. He could feel her tighten her hold on him, he did the same.
"Sakura," He breathed slowly. For once in his life he really felt complete, he could feel the pieces starting to repair themselves slowly. His heart was warming at the same song.
Sakura laughed a little, the tears still falling down her face in streaks, an overjoyed smile lighting her features. Then she shook her head into his shoulder. "Your such an idiot, Sasori," She whispered.
He chuckled lightly, the sound shocking Sakura, then slowly he whispered into her ear. "Aren't we all, Sakura?"
She laughed, nestling her head onto his shoulder. His warmth was reassuring. "I suppose we are."
"Fiore di Ciliegio," He spoke. His hair was tickling her neck. "Fiore di Ciliegio."
She breathed in a happy sigh, "Welcome back, Sasori. Welcome back."
And as the sun kept setting father and father down the horizon, they stood there for a while longer, happy for the time being.
This was how he started to figure out that he was in love with Sakura Haruno.
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Art's Most Valuable Form
Author's Note:
Updated: September 22, 2013 (Sunday)
Oh my gosh guys! I am so very sorry that this took two weeks to finish. I am so sorry! There were parts that I might add in the future, because I thought this chapter was a bit short for being a week in the storyline. I really hoped you liked the ending though. I've been imagining this scene for at least a month now, and I am very happy to finally have it written down and complete.
I really hope that I didn't over do the part at Deidara's apartment. I think I did. It was a bit overdramatic I know... Sorry!
Oh how I love Sasori so! He's so fun to write, even when he's furious or murderously dark. Oh how I love this redhead to death.
I won't be updating this story for about two weeks, sorry guys! I have two other stories that need updating and creating. Please read my upcoming story though: The Renaissance of a Blossom, It's coming out in 1-2 weeks, so until then!
Also: the song that was used was Heaven by Three Doors Down. I do not own anything!
Please review! I really appreciate them! Review!
Ja-ne!
-Cassandra