Follow your Arrow

by Wierdowithagun

'When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight, just follow your arrow wherever it points.' -Kacey Musgraves - Modern Realistic AU Featuring KakuHi, & KisaIta. Slow plot progression and character development. Graphic(ish) MxM action in later chapters.

14. Chapter 14

FOLLOW YOUR ARROW

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He blinked at the room, filled with familiar and unfamiliar faces alike, all of them absoloutly beaming at him. Thoughts wouldn't seem to process completley in his head as he scanned the faces, then the room, his face utterly expressionless of the confusion and utter shock of the moment.

This place looked like some sort of illegal, underground nightclub. That was the only thing he could think, looking around at the large, open room. This must have cost a fucking fortune, was the other thought that flit briefly through him before he did finally feel his emotions leak into his features.

He realized for a second that his mouth was hanging open, and moved to shut it, only for it to fall open again at he attempted to say something without thinking of anything to actually say. What was there to say to this? He still could only partially understand. He'd gathered that his friend had thrown him some kind of surprise party, but this had certianly not been what he was expecting. Maybe a few close friends, even though he didn't really have any... Maybe a few bottles of hard liquor. But this... There were so many people, there was a sound system, all kinds of spotlights and other fixtures, even a neat line of tape in front of a slightly raised area that he assumed was some sort of stage that marked the dancefloor.

His gawking drifted around the room, seeing the expansive bar-esque area, complete with barstools and everything, the large array of junk food scattered on another table to the side of that. This was... this was just too much.

"YOU ALBINO FUCKER!" A familiar voice shouted, and he jerked in the direction of it before a pink blur slammed into him and suddenly he was on the floor, being squeezed to death in a vice-grip disguised as a woman.

"Happy fucking birthday, cocksucker!" Tayuya said loudly, sitting up with her hands on his shoulders, straddleing him.

He blinked in confusion a couple times, still unable to process logical thoughts. Tayuya's face twisted in anger, and she smacked him on the side of the head.

"HEY! Are you dead!? Wake up and tell me you're happy to see me! I went through a lot of bullshit to get here!"

"What...what is all this?" He finally forced out as the pinkette removed herself from him and helped him back up to his feet.

So many people... This was what struck him the most. The immense crowd. It sent his heart-racing in a slight anxiety fit. All these people stareing at him, expectantly, dissapointed, uncaring, bored, hundreds of different expressions for each different face.

He caught the eyes of his therapist, who nooded to him with a slight smile. The redheaded man Itachi occasionally had lunch with, his lawyer, he recalled. A few strangers he'd seen briefly around town, knowing him only through Itachi. Here and there he recognized some of the younger patients of his boss...

"It's a birthday party, dumbshit. Your roommate set everything up. Speaking of which, " She promptly retracted her hand, slamming her fist into his shoulder with all her might. Hidan stumbled from it, his brain finally whirring back to life.

"Ow! What the fuck you dumb whore!?" He snarled, not unaware of all the eyes on him, but calming significantly despite it.

"That's for not telling me you have a fucking goddess for a roommate!"

Hidan twisted to look at Itachi after giving the pinkette a disbelieving look, who fidgeted and blushed before clearing his throat, stepping forward from the Shark-dick, who'd mysteriously appeared behind him, and was giving Tayuya a look that contained some mixture of amusement and wariness.

"I thought you deserved it." The Uchiha stated simply, ignoring the girls comment.

Confusion flicked through his head as to why and how Tayuya could possibley be here, unless Itachi had somehow contacted her. But his train of thought was send rocketing far off track at the voice that spoke next.

"Holy shit, look at that." Someone said behind him, and he whirled again, going slack-jawed once more at the two men who were now in front of him. He'd miraculously not picked them out in the crowd, they must have been hiding, as he would have recognized that ungodly head of flames anywhere.

"Hasn't changed a bit."

"No kidding! Exactly the same! Every last detail!"

"Hello Hidan, You've no idea how good it is to see you."

No way... It looked like his old highschool friends, or older versions of them at least, sounded like them... But.. no way.

"Holy fucking Jesus..." He mumbled, before he was suddenly locked in a double embrace by the two.

"Sounds exactly the same too!" Yahiko laughed happily, eyes shimmering.

"You could still give a nun a heart-attack." Nagato agreed, a content smile on his features.

"Not before you steal her soul..." He muttered back, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Oh my god. Oh my GOD!" He said, breaking into a hysterical laugh and bringing his hands up to clutch at either side of his head.

It was sinking in now, feeling as if it had taken hours though really it couldn't have been more than a mere minute. This was a party, an early birthday party, a party for him. All these people were here for him. But fuck all the rest of the people, right here in front of him were two near and dear friends he'd never thought he'd see again. And Tayuya too! They'd been inseperable at the mental sinstitution they'd been locked away in, but after that, even during their 'cam dates' - As she liked to call them- he'd never really felt the full-on sense of friendship. Even if he could see her face, it wasn't the same as hanging out in person. But here she was, here they were, here everyone was, gathered around and still stareing at him, waiting for him to do something.

"Holy shit! Fuck! This is-! Damn! 'Tachi!" He said, whirling and darting to his roommate, something inside him exploding with uncontainable excitement and happiness. He wrapped his arms around his best friend, swinging him in a circle as laughter rang throughout the group. "You fucking bastard! Holy shit! I can't believe you fucking did this!" He finally set the struggling Uchiha down, turning to regard the group again in wonder.

"Now that's the reaction we were waiting for." Tayuya laughed. "Crazy son of a bitch."

"Holy Fuck Tayuya! And you two! Are you fucking serious right now!? " He said, turning again to the Uchiha. "Did you hit me over the fucking head? Am I dead?"

"Tch, if this is your heaven then I feel fucking sorry for you." The pinkette said, cocking her hip and crossing her arms, smiling despite.

"Happy birthday Kid." Kisame said, starting a rippleing echo. Hidan turned to look at Kisame, who he didn't know all that well in actuality, but couldn't help the beaming smile he gave him.

.

Hidan was lost in a crowd of people soon after, though only half the population of the building came forward to say anything to him. Tayuya stood beside him for a short time, but eventually gave him another playful punch, mentioning something about his birthday again and getting drunk before disappearing. He couldn't pay too aweful much attention to her, as it was divided in so many interesting and still disbelieving directions.

At Itachi's signal, the lights flipped back off, and the music started up again, drowning out all the voices and congradulations coming at him from every angle. The ginger boys approached him, Yahiko put him in a headlock while Nagato mussed up his hair, to which he flailed terribley to. They said something, speaking in their creepy way back and forth while Hidan held his hands to his ears in a desperate attempt to hear them. Finally giving up the fight over trying to out-scream the music, Yahiko motions over to the bar, Hidan assumed, before they too were swallowed by the crowd. The rest of the people who bothered trying to personally wish him a happy birthday just settled for giving him a quick pat on the shoulder before heading out to the dance floor or going to the small bar area to get a drink.

He was dazed, still too bewildered by all of this to thoroughly process much of it aside from the basic facts that he'd figured out.

A party for him... This big huge party... All these people. He didn't even know most of them, but they apparently knew him, or were pretending like they did. He didn't mind so much, even though it irked him a little. No one in this town gives him the light of day for all the months he'd been here, now they're suddenly his friend, as if he wasn't aware of all the nasty rumors and gossip that had been going around about he and his roommate. He pushed the small spark of anger aside though, fearing he might freak out and have a fit of unreasonable rage due to the extreme emotions he was being flung through.

He couldn't... he couldn't even think. He could only realize that his chest hurt terribley, but in a good sort of way, a way that kept him grinning even when his cheeks begged for him to stop, even when partygoers smiled cheerfully at him even though he vaugley recognized a few of them as people who had given him only dirty looks in the past.

He wandered somewhat aimlessly trying to comprehend even though he only grew more and more confused as the minutes passed. He pushed his way through the crowd, starting to be affected by the small bit of resentment blooming within him at all the people he didn't know trying to communicate with him. He didn't care about them, he didn't care that they came, he didn't feel as if he owed them any sort of kindness, and he didn't want to waste his time associating with them, not when his real friends were lurking somewhere in this mass of bodies.

At one point he managed to spot the alchohol, and instictivley moved toward it, with patrons shouting unintelligible things at him, giving him pats on the shoulders, high-fives, and even the occasional slap on the ass. He swiped at them and growled, but it didn't do any good, most of them reeked of alchohol already, and he could only imagine how long some of them had been here, already having consumed enough alchohol to poison them. One dumb blondish/brunette bitch he passed was even being supported on her feet, unable to stand on her own, by a few men with dark intentions in their eyes. He could only scoff, reminding himself that he fucking hated humanity.

By the time he reached the bar he had to actually lean over the table to steady himself, and he realized he was shaking terribley, but again, not so much in a bad way. He was irritated, somehow, but it was distant, resulting only from his continued lack of understanding of this situation. This all couldn't possibley be just for him. Who would go to so much trouble for some worthless nobody like him? Itachi was surely out of his fucking mind...

"Holy shit..." He re-iterated, unable to even hear himself over the music as he scanned the room. He thought for a second he briefly saw a flash of pink, but in the timespan it took for him to blink the crowd shifted and it was lost. He revelled again in the fact that his insane friend was here. He'd made plenty of friends at those places, had gotten plenty of swooning fangirls, mere prepubescent teenagers taht had tried to kill themselves for being bullied at school, or for their boyfriends breaking up with them. Those places were always fucking filled with those dumbasses. Tayuya at first had even struck him as one of those very types that he fucking hated, what with her short stature, bright pink hair, and crazy wool-knit hat sporting the Batman symbol on it. But he'd soon learned she was actually only a year younger than him, having been more or less tricked into marrying some mentally, emotionally, and physically abusive husband. Unlike all the teenagers at the facility who had been admitted after attempting suicide, Tayuya had been put in here by the police after she nearly killed her husband on her front lawn with a weed-whacker.

She was a damn good friend, though he'd all but forgotten about her until he'd decided to re-kindle their relationship. She understood and sympathized with him all of the crazy thoughts and situations he'd been in that Itachi never could. Made him feel a little less crazy.

A flash of orange caught his attention, and his eyes darted over, thinking maybe Yahiko would be among the crowd, but as he squinted, he saw that it was just some other random flame-headed guy.

He couldn't believe the twins were here, it was even more outlandish to him than Tayuya's presence. When he'd looked them up all those months ago, his heart had fell heavily to find that they were situated in New York with their unbelievable business. He couldn't even understand how the hell they'd managed to get where they were in the very few years that had passed since highschool. They were a grade above him, and thusly a year older than him, which meant that in only 6 years they'd somehow become multimillionaires. He didn't bother to question it, not even within his own mind, though he was obviously curious. The Ame brothers,... Now they may very well be Irish or Welsh or some fucking kind of leprechaun bullshit, as Tayuya would say.

He honestly didn't want to know how it had actually happened, because likeley it probably did have a lot to do with luck, and if he did't then it had to do with slippery business deal and shit like that, and he didn't care about such things, He was the last person who needed to learn some ultimate secret of how to get rich extremley quick. But ,for all that to have happenedto the boys, along with somehow squeezing marraige and the birth of 4 children, (Two each, as he'd read online. Practically the same ages, even, the creeps. They were way to synched to each other.) they had to be incredibley busy, running a fucking world-wide corporation the way they did. And yet here they were, in this dumb little town where they'd grown up, all for the sake of seeing Hidan...

There weren't all that many people in this world that mattered to him, but Itachi had made sure that every single one of them was here.

Except... Except...

He shook his head, forcing the thought away before it even came. He managed to slip behind the table and swipe an entire bottle of Honey-whiskey, before losing himself in the crowd again.

Itachi, he had to find Itachi.

He opened the bottle mostly on autopilot as he moved, bringing the drink to his lips and taking a huge swallow, hissing in a breath at the burn but revelling in it at the same time. Oh fuck yea, he'd missed that. His stomache warmed immediatly as the alchohol settled in, and though he knew it couldn't possibley working so fast, he instantly felt himself begin to relax.

His thoughts smoothed themselves out, centering on his goal to find his dearest friend and roommate, as he pushed through gyrating, pulstating bodies all currently dancing wildly to some electronic-alternative song he didn't recognize. He looked from each face, anyone who caught his eyes smiled back at him but didn't acknowledge him any futher, something he was grateful for, seeing as he had no fucking idea who the majority of these goddamn people were. Thanks to the alchohol in his hand, even if he wasn't drunk yet, he wasn't as bothered by them as he had been before.

They probably just came for the booze... He reasoned to himself, pushing past another person only to run into the wall. He put his free hand against it, sliding it along as he moved away from the flashing lights that he assumed was the DJ system. Hell, he'd crashed plenty of random strangers parties back in the day, pretending to be their friend all to obtain free liquor.

God, he still couldn't believe it. All of this, all for him...

He'd always known Itachi was one hell of a good friend. He'd always said that he loved the guy like a brother, but this was... this was just... There weren't even words! All he knew is he had to find him, and hug the fucker to death.

Hidan wasn't any sort of touchey-feeley type of person, but this kind of hit him hard. He wasn't exactly sure why, usually any kind of gestures didn't mean much to him. He was always grateful, kind of, but most normally he just accepted kindness for the fact that he felt he was owed it. It was beyond obvious that he hadn't expected this, part of him was embarrassed and ashamed that the Uchiha would go to so much trouble for him, especially after he'd been ignoring him for the past few months. Itachi had done him so many favors already, silently accepting the fact that Hidan would likley never be able to pay him back, despite the albino's many promises to do so. Letting him into his house, practically saving his life, well that should have affected him far greater than some dumb party... but this.. it almost pissed him off at how good it made him feel.

A pang of pain shot through him at the thought, the same kind of good pain that make his eyes burn a little bit.

That's what he'd been doing all day long, putting all this together. Had Itachi been planning it for awhile? Had he been planning to throw Hidan this party as one of his wierd gestures with a double-meaning? Meant to make him feel like shit for treating his roommate so badley for the last few months?

He wasn't sure. The Uchiah could be demonically spiteful, but never toward those he cared about, he didn't think. No, the bastard couldn't have been planning anything, he always liked to give out little hints to Hidan when he did stuff like that, laughing to himself when the pale man didn't catch on, boosting his own ego through Hidan's stupidity. Itachi hadn't done anything like that, so that could only lead him to assume he'd somehow managed to pull all of this out of his ass at the last moment, just yesterday when he'd mentioned that he wanted to go drinking.

"Uchiha, you crazy fucker..." He said again, and again not even able to hear himself. Finally, he came to a corner, and could see what looked like a doorway up ahead after he turned with the wall. He took another victorious gulp of the liquor in his hands just before someone grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, making him let out a yelp that thankfully went unheard with the thundering bass shaking the building to its very foundation.

His eyes focused on those of Tayuya's, and again he was wrapped in another hug, which she secretly used to slip the whiskey bottle from his hands. He shouted out in protest, but it was muffled down just as much as any other sort of vocal communication, and she raised it to her lips, swallowing three times before wiping her mouth and handing it back to him, giving him a toothy grin.

He snatched it, giving her a half-hearted glare, and took an equally big swallow. When he lowered the bottle she had leaned in so close that his heart gave a small jolt of panic before she grabbed the side of his head to keep him from pulling away.

"We always said we were gonna party together when we got out!" She shouted into his ear, though it might as well have been a whisper. "I didn't think it'd ever actually happen! Happy fucking birthday you psycho!" She yelled, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "It's good to get to see you for real instead of on some shitty little screen!"

"Bitch, quit climbing up on my dick!" He shouted back, not having understood most of what she'd said, wiping the assaulted cheek with the back of his hand. She only rolled her eyes and grabbed him by his free wrist, yanking him along behind her.

She led him through the door he'd come in, out into the hallway and then through the front door. When they could actually hear themselves think, she turned around and punched him. "I've told you happy fucking birthday like three fucking times now you assmunch! Say thank you!"

Hidan rubbed where he'd been hit, smiling despite himself. "Thanks, cunt."

"You're fucking welcome. You got one fucking hell of a roomie you know. I swear to God you gotta be Irish. Waaaay too fucking lucky, you are." She said, shaking her finger at him before she pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, popping one into her mouth and then extending the pack to him.

Hidan held back a laugh, getting the impression that the poor woman was already drunk. She obviously wasn't off her ass, but he could smell the liquor on her breath. He accepted her offer, grimacing slightly at the brand she smoked, but saying nothing more. Tobacco was tobacco, after all. "I'm not goddamn Irish, shitstain. I pretty much just fucking write it off as karma. I mean, the universe can never really fucking replay me for the shit cards I've been dealt, but at least life is tolerable now."

"Hah! Karma. You're a fucking devil, how the fuck do you figure life owes you anything?"

"Hey I was a good person once! S'not my fault I kept getting involved in shitty situations that drove me to do the shit I did!"

"Uh huh. Blame society. You're such a bitch."

"Tch. Like you have room to talk."

"Motherfucker, I own up to the shit I did. Like I said to that dumbfuck the day I almost slit his usless fucking prick off. I'd go through hell a thousand times over if it meant getting to see him get what he fucking deserves. It's the same thing with everything else, I have no fucking regrets, nothing to repent to you're shit God for."

"Don't get fucking started on religion. It ain't his fault humanity fucked itself."

"Oh so you can blame karma but not God? You realize how fucking stupid that is, right? They're both fucking fake anyway. Life is just shit, pure and simple."

"Tch, whatever. Like I give a shit about your fucking opinion."

"You should, I'm a woman. I'm smarter."

"Hah! What fucking statistics are you getting that from?"

"Uh, rock, paper, scizzors. Obviously, Paper covers rock right? Well vagina covers dick."

Hidan laughed, letting out a flow of cigarette smoke. "You're fucking retarded."

"Fuck you, albino fuck."

"Pink pile of shit. Nice pigtails by the way, what are you, five?" He said, grabbing one and yanking it roughly, receiving another punch to the shoulder before she wrenched the alchohol from hs hand again and took a few more swallows.

"God, I'm not nearly drunk enough to deal with your ass."

"It's my party, I'll be a dick if I want to." He replied smartly, swiping the glass back and outdoing the woman by one extra mouthful. He dropped it back to his side, took a long drag of the cigarette and sighed, closing his eyes and enjoying the simultaneous burn of his throat, lungs, and stomache. Sparks popped behind his eyes briefly as he was taken in the masochistic bliss of the moment. "Oh God that feels so fucking good. Better than sex, seriously."

"I don't know how the fuck you managed to drop everything. I would have fucking killed someone." Tatyuya stated almost casually, taking a long drag off her own cigarette.

"I still smoke. I tried giving it up, but you know nicotene is the most addicted substance in the world, next to fucking caffiene. But no one says shit about that, naturally. 'Tachi wouldn't care if I drank if I was off those goddamn pills they keep pushing on me, so long as I don't do it every fucking day, I guess. Weed was fucking hard to give up though, I mean, not really hard, but just, stressful. Everything else I dropped before they released me from Pence*. Getting over the fucking withdrawal was so fucking hard, I would rather die than get addited to that shit again, though I still want it every now and then."

"Meh. I never did the hardcore drugs. Weed was the worst I ever fucking had."

"'Cause you're a pansy."

"'Cause I'm fucking intelligent. That shit fucks with your body too much anyway. I dunno, maybe I have more fucking self-respect as a fucking woman than you did. I knew one day I was going to snap and one way or another get away from him, I ddn't want to be all fucking nasty and diseased looking when I finally got single again ya know? Why do drug-users think they don't need to eat anyway? I mean, you were never that bad, but look at you now." She said, swatting at his stomache with the back of her hand. "Fucking fatass."

"Hey bitch! I garuntee I still weigh less than you!"

"Bullshit, I've lost 30 lbs, and you're still like a fucking foot taller than me."

"Wanna make a bet?"

"No.."

"Hah, s'what I fucking thought. You goddamn women and your insecurities..." He trailed off, receiving only an eyeroll and an 'I'm not even going to dignify that with a response' look. "It ain't my fault, Itachi and my shithole boss fucking teamed up against me, they don't make me eat much, but they always make me eat something, even when I'm not hungry. And you know they won't just give me a bag of fuckin' Cheeto's* and be done with it. Dumb bastards."

"Sounds to me like they, you know, care about you?"

"Hah. Itachi yeah, that's a no-fucking-brainer. But my boss coudln't give less of a shit about me. He's just a doctor, can't have a guy who looks like a crack-head being his recptionist, you know."

"You work at a fucking Doctor's office!?"

Hidan shrugged, his grimace returning to his face. "Meh, it's just a dumb little privatley owned clinic. He doesn't really do real doctor stuff usually, the lazy piece of shit. It's mostly just for like checkups and that type of shit, so people don't have to drive thirty-eight miles to the next town over just to have a ten-miute examination."

She gave him a mischevious grin and nudged him with an elbow. "Ahhh so he gets all the perks of being a doctor with none of the bullshit eh? Is he hot? Is he single? I bet he has money, you gonna get yourself a sugar-daddy Hida-baby?"

The pale man shoved her off rougher than neccesary. "Fuck off. He's like... forty-six or some shit. And besides he's... not my type..."

Tayuya stared at him for a few more seconds in a speculative manner, an interested smirk on her features, but she said nothing more, eventually turning to mimic his stance.

There was a brief pause, Hidan finished his cigarette, and flicked it off into the parking lot, Tayuya was right behind him, and did the same after taking one more drag. She sighed, wobbling slightly, but smiling and staring out into the night.

"So... your roommate. I still can't fucking believe him. No one with a cock is that pretty."

"He has one, trust me."

She gasped and twisted, clinging onto his arm. "You've seen it!? Oh fuck, did you two fool around in Highschool!? Tell me the story!"

He shoved her off, laughing despite his attempt to appear disgusted and the lingering thought of Kakuzu. "For the billionth fucking time, he's not my goddamn type! Shit never happened between us. I thought you were a fucking dyke anyway, why are you so obsessed with him."

She looked at him like he was the dumbest person on earth. "Why aren't you!? You're psycho. 'Not your type.' No one's your type huh? You're insane." She repeated.

"What gave you that fucking idea, dumbass." He said, suddenly remembering what he'd been doing before he'd come out here. "Anyway, I need to find him, you know where he is?"

"No idea!" She said all too enthusiastically. "But that ginger and his brother are back in the kitchen area. Maybe he's back there chatting with them?"

"Where the fuck is the kitchen?"

"Back behind the bar, Uchiha had it closed off so all the fuckin' drunkies dont wreck more shit than they have too, but the little slidey window thingy was halfway open. I seen that fire-crotch guy's hair."

Hidan recalled Yahiko motioning to the bar, inwardly rolling his eyes at himself. "Well fucking show me you dumb bitch! I don't wanna get lost again!"

"No shit, I didn't know you had so many friends."

"I don't, you and Yaki and Nagi are pretty much the only people I really actually know, aside from 'Tachi and Shark-dick. I think I saw my therapist in here, and 'Tachi's lawyer. I've seen a few others around town but aside from that I have no fucking clue who most of them are."

She snorted out a laugh as they started back into the building."Yaki and Nagi, that's cute. you guys must've had the cutest bromance." She laughing, shoving him lightly. "But Shark-dick? Who's that?"

"Itachi's fuck-buddy."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh fuck, is he that huge fucking black guy that was following him around? Damn, That's sexy, I'm gonna stalk those fuckers until I see them make out."

Hidan's face contorted. "What the fuck you crazy bitch? I'm gonna have to warn him that you might kidnap him and fucking rape his shit."

Tayuya punched him again with all her slightly-drunken might. "You fucking stupid slut-fucker! I. don't. do. guys. What's so hard for people to understand about that? Doesn't mean I can't watch, though."

"You're kind of freaking me out, Pinkie. Seriously. And stop goddamn hitting me, feels like someone throwing a piece of paper."

"Psh, fuck you."

"You wish."

"You wish I wished."

Hidan pushed back through the door, immediatly assaulted again by the thundering music, feeling as if his pulse were beating along with it by the vibrations rattling thorugh him. he took another big swig of alchohol, starting to feel warm and fuzzy, and sighed in content. Tayuya moved ahead of him, motioning for him to follow and he did, pushing their way through the crow, past the bar, and over to a closed door on the side.

"That reminds me!" She shouted, leaning in close so he could hear. "When you're plastered I'm gonna make you get up on that stage and sing with me. I already checked, he's got a fucking karaoke machine sitting back behind his equipment."

"Over my dead fucking body bitch!" He yelled back.

"You say that now, wait until you're so drunk you don't even know who you are anymore. I'll get'cha."

Their conversation ended then as they entered the kitchen to find the only other four souls Hidan knew talking amongst themselves, just as the pinkette had said. She pushed him in, shutting the door behind her. He was slightly thrown off by how well the music was canceled out in this new room, for a second, before dismissing it. There were more important things to deal with at the moment, namley his roommate.

"I found him!" She said in a sing-song voice, attracting the four men's attention and she grabbed his wrist again and yanked him over to join the group.

"Hey fucker!" He said, wrenching his hand free and going over to give Itachi an apparently unexpected hug. He understood, really, he wasn't usually the type of person to do such a thing, in fact he generally hated being touched in any way that wasn't violent, but he was starting to buzz from the alchohol and frankly he was too fucking happy to give a shit about acting out of character. "I almost got lost looking for you. Who the fuck are all those people? Did you just randomly invite the whole town or what?"

Itachi laughed, pulling himself free. "Basically. I had to have some help setting everything up, the rest just saw my advertisements. I personally e-mailed Yahiko and Nagato, and I snuck into your room last night and hack your laptop to get ahold of Tayuya."

"Tch, don't say that too loud, 'Tachi. " He said, leaning close and putting a hand to the side of his mouth, sending a devious smirk in his friends direction. "She wants to molest you." He whispered, torning to look at Kisame. "And you too. Be careful. She's a crazy bitch."

"But I fuck so good they're on top of it~!" She sang, shaking her hips, and elicting nervous glances from the two men.

Hidan laughed. Yeah, she was wasted already.

"Anyway..." Hidan said much lighter now, his chest hurting so good again. "Thanks... bitch." He reached out to pinch the slightly shorter mans cheek. It was slapped away, of course, but there were no ill feelings. Itachi knew him well enough to be able to tell when he did weird things because he was uncomfortable.

"You're very welcome Hidan. You deserved it, for as far as you've come."

"Yeah," Yahiko said having watched the previous exchanged in amusement, arms crossed across his chest. "'Tachi's been filling us in. What the hell were you thinking getting involved in all that kinda shit?"

"Brother. Knock it off." Nagato snapped, turning to Hidan with that innocent yet still mischevious smile on his face. "All that matters is that it's over with. You really do look good Hidan. You're glowing, even."

"Well fuck yeah I am, I have my holy water back for the night!" Hidan laughed, holding up the bottle and swirling it.

"Alright, you fuckers can all chat after I see his dumb face when he gets his present!" Tayuya interjected, coming up next to Itachi. "C'mon! Hurry and give it to him!"

Again the thought returned to his head at how strange it was for Itachi to have known to invite Tayuya. He'd never told him anything about her, which meant that the only way he could have known was if he overheard their conversations.

His smile dissapeared then as he mentally kicked himself. Goddammit, of course he heard, it's not like his room was somewhow soundproof, and the two of them both had a habit of shouting back and forth. Why the fuck he'd thought the Uchiha didn't know was beyond him. Goddamn he was such a fucking idiot some times, especially when he thought he was being smart.

He internally sighed, before visibley stiffening as another thought occurred to him. If Itachi knew about Tayuya, then he probably knew about his new hobby... And had probably known for awhile. Which meant he knew Hidan had been keeping secrets from him this whole time... which explained why he hadn't been all that mad at him after he'd stopped ignoring him. He felt his cheeks burn, refusing to acknowledge it in case by some miracle no one noticed. He really was the dumbest person he knew...

But if Itachi knew about Tayuya and the lessons she was giving him, he probably knew he didn't have a guitar. And he wasn't going to give himself the hope that he didn't hear him refusing to get one for the fact that Itachi would find out. Tayuya was excited for him to get his present, which meant it was probably...

"Oh no... 'Tachi..." He groaned again, heart plummeting into his stomache and then back up again like a bungee jumper.

Itachi only smiled silently, reaching his hand out to Kisame, who produced a guitar from behind his back, handing it to his boyfriend, who in turn held it out to Hidan.

The pale man only stared emotionlessly at it for awhile, trying to process his thoughts once again as he admired the instrument, unable to force his body into movement to reach out and take it. It was... it was beautiful. So perfect, so glossy and simple and beautiful and... and perfect. Itachi knew him far too well, he thought. He didn't even mind that it had the AA symbol on it, in fact he thought it was hilarious. Itachi, you devious motherfucker.

"That symbol on there is Jashin's circle." Itachi explained in his soft voice. "He's the false God of slaughter and death and destruction, all those sorts of unpleasantries, created by a death metal band. I thought you'd like the irony of it."

Pigmentless eyes flicked back and forth between the gift and Itachi's face, words failing him for the second time this evening. Okay, so it wasn't the AA symbol. It was even better. The god of bloodshed, basically. It was a clever play on Itachi's part, mixing the two things about Hidan that had always clashed, his strange belief in God and his absurd love of gore and dark, macabe things centered around blood and death. He absently set the bottle of alchohol down on the counter beside him and reached out for it, wonderment still controlling his features.

"It's tuned and ready to go, kid." Shark-dick said. "I made sure they didn't try to screw you."

Hidan looked up at him in question, recieving an amused chuckle. "Yep, you went to all that trouble finding her when I played all along." He nodded to the girl beside him, even shorter than Itachi, coming barely to Kisame's mid-chest. She turned to fawn over him, as if playing a guitar escalated him to a godly status.

"I'm glad you didn't though, I'd be a terrible teacher..." He continued, scratching the back of his head.

"You better fucking try it out then. I wanna see how badass of a teacher I am." Tayuya added, making Hidan somewhat roll his eyes. Fucking chicks, jumping back and forth between sexualities all over a pretty face.

"This can't be real. Seriously..." He whispered then, running his hands over it, making sure it was real. He moved it into position, running his fingers along the strings in awe, strumming them all once, twice, then a third time, closing his eyes to listen to the sound hum, to feel the vibrations in his hands, before he looked up again to meet Itachi's smiling eyes.

It felt so good in his hands, so right, reassuring him that he hadn't gone through all this trouble just to turn out to be absoloutly fucking terrible at it. he ws glad, because he really wanted to do this, he liked having all the musical knowledge he had now, he liked being able to hear a song and map it out in his mind, he liked being able to find a random sheet of music and sing the song without ever hearing it. He liked being able to finally give a concrete tune to the many pages of his journals.

He liked everything about it. Everything.

"You goddamn Uchiha. This isn't fair. I'm gonna owe you for the rest of my fucking life for this. You ass."

"Oh shut the hell up and play it, you girl." Tayuya snapped, making itachi raise a brow. "Do the song I taught you, Spiders*. You remember it or do I have to show your dumb ass?"

"Yeah Hida, show us what you got!" Yahiko piped, giving him an amused smile.

He looked around at all the faces, briefly wondering why the hell he'd wanted to keep it a secret. Well, he knew why, because he hadn't wanted to hear any critisism for it. Yet everyone in this room gave him nothing but encouraging grins. It made him nervous, and strangley shy, which in turn made him a little irritated. Since when had he ever given a shit before? Then again, since when had everyone who mattered to him been gathered into one group, watching him do something he'd kept a secret out of embarassment and for the fact that he didn't want to have to be in this situation until he could actually play masterfully.

He blinked. Okay Hidan, get a hold of yourself here. Stop acting like a little bitch.

Kisame flicked him a guitar pick, which he somehow managed to catch without dropping the precious instrument, and he positioned his fingers, looking around one final time before returning his eyes to the guitar. Well, so much for no one ever calling him an idiot again. He supposed he'd never be able to shut everyone up for good, since he was even calling himself stupid now.

"I've never actually played before, fuckers." He grumbled. "So don't fucking make fun of me."

With that, and a very deep and slow breath in and then out, he started strumming, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he tried to remember what Tayuya had done in their lessons, pressing the strings in all the places she had.

Please don't embarass me, brain. Just do what I tell you to for once...

.

He failed miserabley, in the end, but he didn't even care at that point. Once he'd started playing, hearing the notes he created with his own fingers, revelling in his ability to produce music, however off-key it was, all his worries on the subject seemed to trickle away. No one said a single word, even as he laughed nervously everytime he hit the wrong note and started over. No one made faces at him, or scoffed, even Kisame had a brow raised in mild shock. He was doing a terrible job, but he supposed to a fellow guitar player, one who had no idea how much he'd learned, perhaps he was doing rather well, considering he'd never even held a guitar previous to this moment.

When the shameful display was over, his tutor clapped him on the back, told him he was fucking terrible while wearing a big smile, and then informed the group that she was heading back out to the party.

Shark-dick announced the same thing moments later after Itachi and him had a hushed conversation, ruffling Hidan's hair as he moved past, pulling out his phone just before he dissapeared through the doorway. The sudden burst of music made Hidan jump until the door was shut again, he laughed out loud when a fe minutes later, he heard the music cut off and Tayuya's loud voice boomed through the room, saying they were going to do Karaoke in a few more hours and that 'You pansy ass bitches better not be fucking party-poopers and fucking sign up.'

.

The next few hours were spent talking to his old friends and Itachi, recollecting all the old days, telling each other stories of new things that had happened to them. The Ame brothers both whipped out their fancy, expensive phones to show the two pictures of their family. There was teasing and laughter, all the old nicknames they'd had for each other were used with ease, as if all the years hadn't even passed.

Hidan's chest felt like a balloon about to burst the entire time, his heart and soul feeling lighter than air as he steadily consumed the whiskey. The other three shared it with him after pulling out glasses for each of them respectively.

"You remember when we skipped fourth period and played that prank of your girlfriend!" Yahiko laughed, gesturing to his brother.

"A terrible mess that turned into. I don't know what we were thinking..." Nagato admitted.

"Well I thought it was fucking genious, didn't think she'd actually call the cops."

"Well she thought I'd been kidnapped! What else would she have done?"

Hidan laughed harder than he had in years, tears stinging his eyes and running down his face as he gasped for air. Not once in all those hours did his boss cross his mind, a fact he didn't notice or have the chance to appreciate until later.

All those feelings of security were back within him. He felt so cherished, in a sense, so wanted. To think, of how incredibley successful the two had become, everything they'd made of their lives, when they'd been no more than misfits and troublemakers, just like him not so many years ago. It made him sad, in a way, a little ashamed. But he was able to push it aside. No, he was having far too good a time to let these damn demons ruin it.

Knowing how fond the twins had actually been of his friendship, knowing that they'd thought about him multiple times over the years, to think that he'd had such an impact on anyone's life, the fact that someone remembered him, hoped silently that he was doing okay, that someone actually cared, He almost felt the need to break down and cry.

He didn't, of course, and he was horrified at the realization that he would even consider doing so. Hidan San didn't cry. He wasn't some prissy girl, he was a hardened man who kept his emotions locked away whenever he could, seeing as his defective brain already did the job for him of bringing them out with magnified force on random occasions.

"Oh God 'Tachi. That time you got expelled for mouthing off the the principle! Remember that? And we skipped school for that whole week in protest! That was brilliant!"

Itachi twisted his face in disgust. "He had absoloutly no right to say those things about Hidan. If Father hadn't hated you so much we could have very well sue'd him."

Hidan laughed. "He was just fucking jealous because I wouldn't bend to his will like a fucking slave."

"Well, in his defense, they had to replace that projector. Those are rather expensive." Nagato said, one eyebrow raised as he teased.

"We would know, we worked for a place that produced them after graduation." Yahiko said.

"Tch. So what? Maybe his fucking faculty shouldn't have pissed me off, and I wouldn't have had to demonstrate my refusal to be controlled!"

He felt somewhat stupid for missing those days. He didn't want to be like all those people still trying to live as if they were highschoolers, unable to let go because it had been the peak of their miserable lives. He wouldn't let himself feel bad for it, because that really had been the high point of his childhood, and they were good times. Back before he'd started smoking and drinking and snorting his life away on those stupid goddamn drugs. Before he'd given up the notion that he'd ever be able to be someone worthwhile in his life, passed back and forth from place to place until he was old enough to leave the endless cycle of foster homes. Told time and time again that he'd never amount to anything by one abustve foster family after the other each time he rebelled against them without ever really knowing why.

But he realized now that he had come so very far. He'd always known he was improving, but the magnitude of his achievements hadn't actually struck him until just now. Now that he could look back at that long, miserable struggle he'd gone through to quit the drugs. To quit wandering aimlessly from place to place, earning just enough money off whatever work he could possibley get only to blow it all away on the very thing ruining him. Giving in to his addictions and destroying any little bit of progress he'd made, getting thrown into courtroom after courtroom, jailcell after jailcell, one mental institution after the next.

It astounded him, now, that he could have been so stupid, so weak, when all along he'd possesed more than enough determination to fix his mixtakes and make himself better. Being blinded to it by that damn head of his, those little bodiless voices whispering in his ears, telling him nothing mattered, that there was no reason to improve because he had no future anyway. No family to care if he lived or died, no one left in his life to give him motivation to care about his own well-being.

Not until after that last hospitalization, when he'd been too depressed by his trainwreck of an existance to even care enough to keep consuming those damn drugs. When he'd simply given up, going through the hell of withdrawal with the zeal he did only for the fact that he was determined to just let himself die as soon as they released him from that terrible place.

And then being too much of a coward to do even that. Praying desperatley to a God he didn't even know existed anymore. Asking for some kind of sign that he wasn't as worthless as he felt, as he made himself to be. Begging the omnipitent being not to turn a blind eye on him, because it was the only hope he had left, the only thing keeping him going, those tiny, weakening threads he clung to desperatley that some possibley imaginary person in the sky still had some sort of plan for him.

It was a godsend that he'd stepped off that bus that landed him here in town, useing every last penny of the money he'd earned through shadey business deal to return to the place where he'd had his happiest memories, hoping with diminishing strength that something here would help him.

And he'd landed miraculously at Itachi's doorstep.

"Oooh I've got a good one. Remember when we all went streaking across the field in the middle of that football game!?" Yahiko said, barely able to finish his sentence through his laughter.

"Oh my god!" Itachi said, blushing a deep crimson. "I absoloutly can not believe you convinced me to do that!"

"We had to use blackmail, remember?" Nagato said, chuckling himself.

"OH YEAH! We were gonna tell your dad that we caught you making out with the fucking Honor's english teacher after school!" Hidan crowed.

"Yes. I only went along with it because she would have lost her job, and all under false accusations. As if I'd ever even touch a woman..."

"Oh bullshit, He still tries to act like royalty, but you know you wanted to be a rebel just like the rest of us."

"I'm pretty sure there wasn't a single girl in those stands that had dry panties after seeing you do that though." Yahiko laughed. "We all got suspended, you just got a demerit."

"Fucking stupid corrupt school system, I could never understand why they all still wanted to fuck you, everyone knew you were hardcore homo."

"Such is the burdon of being an Uchiha." Itachi said, with a flambouyant roll of his eyes.

Unfortunatly, the reminiscing came to an end all too soon, when the clock struck midnight and the twins announced that they had to be getting back to their duties. Hidan teased them half-heartedly, genuinely sad to see them go. They responded with more teasing, and after a few moments everyone exchanged phone numbers, promising to visit each other in the near future, before the next High school reunion, which would not be for another few years.

They all hugged, giving each other flack for the feminine display, but each of them undouptedly enjoying the act. And in another moment, Itachi and Hidan were alone, sitting in melancholy silence.

Hidan took another drink from the bottle, nearly depleted. He swayed in his chair as he sat there, staring at Itachi, who smiled back at him. his drunken mind couuldn't process thoughts very well, only emotions magnified by the alchohol. All he could really determine was that he could seriously kiss the guy, he was so happy. He stifled a humiliated laugh as he realized how rediculous that thought was, as well as revolting. He did want to crush him in another bear hug, but he resisted, he'd already done enough utterly stupid things since arriving at this party, and would undoubtedly do many more.

The biggest factor keeping him from embracing the man was his inability to stand, though.

"I really can't thank you enough, 'Tachi. You... you're such a good friend." He slurred out. "No, Not good. You're the most kickass fucking awesome son of a bitch I know."

Itachi laughed in an unrestrained way that Hidan hadn't witnessed him do since the last time the Uchiha had gotten drunk with him, which had been in highschool. "Oh, Hida. You flatter me. But really, You deserve it. You've really got your life back in order, and in such a short amount of time. I don't think me or anyone else in this would would ever have been able to do what you did after going through all that."

Hidan felt his cheeks redden, damn alchohol.

"I mean it. Don't dismiss yourself. You're so incredibley strong. Give yourself some credit where it's due. If this doesn't prove how much worth your existance holds, nothing will. You've proved to anyone with enough gall to call you worthless that you're not."

Hidan snorted, looking for any escape from the moment. His heart beat so very hard in his tight chest, it almost physically pained him. "You're drunk, Uchiha."

"I believe so, yes. But that doesn't make it any less true."

"Tch. Damn, we're like a couple of chicks. Are you going to ask me to braid your hair?"

"I woudn't let you near my hair, no matter how much alchohol I've had."

Hidan laughed, and raised the bottle to his outh again, surprised when nothing more came out. He held the bottle to his eyes, looking into the neck to assure his drunken mind that it was, indeed, empty. And then dropped his hand, looking at Itachi with an expression that was unexplainable because he wasn't exactly sure how to control the muscles in his face to make a certian one.

"You fucker's drank all my whiskey..." He slurred terribley.

"Well then, how about we actually go out and enjoy the party so you can get some more? This was actually a pain in the ass to put together, and yet all we've done is sit back here the whole time."

"Sounds like the best fucking idea ever. Seriously."

-o-

-o-

-o-

Kakuzu sat in his car, staring silently at the building that was visibley shaking with the strength of the music inside. Kids these days...

He looked down at his phone, still showing the text he'd recieved hours ago from Kisame.

Hell of a party. You're missing out.

He pushed the down arrow key, showing the one he'd recieved just before he'd gotten in the car and driven out here.

The kid's wasted off his ass. Now or never, old man.

He snapped the phone shut, though not putting it away just yet.

Did he really want to go in there? He convinced himself earlier to at least go, after imaging a sweaty, shirtless Hidan dancing around in a drunken stupor. After hating himself and wallowing in meager silf-pity at how much the thought aroused him, at how very desperatley he wanted to see that scenario come to life. How the thought of Hidan, on that night months ago had invaded his mind. his tired eyes, disheveled hair, how strangley comfortable the boy had felt in that stance, how he didn't really mind when his pale little fingers had pressed against him... He did not know how the boy was when he was drunk, but because of that image that refused to leave his mind, he was curious enough to find out.

But now that he was here, he was unsure again. He was far too old to go to parties, far too respectable. He would receive all kinds of strange looks if he just sauntered in there as if nothing at all were amiss. He didn't want that kind of attention, but damn it all if he wasn't tempted. The kid is wasted off his ass... Kisame said, who knows what the little idiot would agree to. How he would react. He hadn't pulled awar immediatly on that night, still being half-gripped by sleep. He'd looked up at him, almost affectionatley, greeting him in a soft voice, as if he were happy to see him...

It was Hidan's birthday party. Most of the town was fully aware that he worked for the Doctor by now. Surely he could just use the excuse that he wanted to wish his employee a happy birthday, and no one would question it. It made perfect sense, he had no intention of getting drunk, though half of him almost wanted to, at the very least to spare himself the humiliation of remembering this aweful decision in the morning. The other half wanted to get drunk enough to regain the confidence that insufferable little brat always seemed to somehow take from him.

He'd surprisingly not had too aweful much of a hangover when he woke up today, and even more stunning than that was the fact that he'd actually slept, and slept well. He felt rested, for the first time in months. His head wasn't foggy, his energy wasn't sapped after doing the most minor of tasks. He didn't honestly know if he should attribute it to the alchohol or to the conversation he'd had with Kisame about his little problem. He'd been pretty well completley inebriated by the time he the cab he called finally arrived, he remembered most of the night, he remembered laughing a lot, chatting with Kisame about things that they hadn't mentioned to each other in years.

The night Kisame had realized he had feelings for Itachi didn't really count as far as 'guy time' went, seeing as theyd had to leave when the idiot had started making a scene, and Kakuzu had gotten suddenly angry with him. This time, though, they talked about anything and everything, mainly Itachi and Hidan. Normally Kakuzu couldn't stand the man when he went on about that Uchiha boy, in fact it usually nauseated him. But he didn't mind so much last night, in fact he'd found himself rather intruiqued, perhaps it was the alchohol, or perhaps it was his situation with his employee, he honestly didn't know. But the way Kisame explained it, how unashamed he was of the happiness that the boy gave him, how glad he was that he'd ignored all his misgivings and acted on those light, fluttery feelings, Kakuzu couldn't help but think secretly to himself; he wanted to feel that.

It might have been the alchohol, or it might have been his drunken, brief acceptance of his feelings for Hidan that helped him to actually rest that night, but either way, if those were the ticket to getting some rest, both of those things were there just inside that building.

All he had to do was go inside.

He sighed heavily. No matter how much he thought about it, no matter how hard he tried to come to some sort of decision, he never could seem to reach one, never could seem to fully understand the circumstances.

What would he even do? What if he went in there and Hidan did respond? What if the idiot was so drunk that instead of rejecting the idea and teasing the man, like he mostly expected him to, what if... what if he tried something?

This was a bad idea, this was the worst idea.

He opened the door and got out anyway, after sending a very slow text to his only friend. He rarely, rarely ever resorted to texting. It was stupid, in his opinion, why wait for a reply when you could just call someone and get it immediatly? But he did so now only because, from the sound of how loud that music was, Kisame wouldn't be able to hear him anyway even if he did somehow hear his phone ring.

He trudged up to the entrance, halting before the door with his fists tightly clenched.

This was such a bad fucking idea.

So why the hell was he doing it? Why was he listening to Kisame's advice? When had anything that man ever said to him actually helped?

Because you have no other options. Because you really are a lonley old man. Because, even though you're sober now, you still want to experience what Kisame experiences with Itachi.

Well, even if that were true, nothing could happen until he got some answers.

Right. He couldn't fault the man's logic, it was pretty well the same thing he repeatedly told himself, but couldn't seem to listen to until now. The problem wasn't going away, it was getting progressivley worse, if anything, and something needed to be done about it. And this really was pretty well the only option. Not this specific situation, but the idea behind it; to simply confront the insufferable little brat. And yet again, his friend had another point. If the idiot was going to be drunk beyond reason, at the very least, he most likley wouldn't remember it in the morning.

Hidan could continue on as if nothing ever happened, and Kakuzu would have his closure on the matter, as well as piece of mind. Nothing lost from it.

Right, it made perfect sense, surely it would be easy enough, he could do this flawlessly. Hell, he didn't even have to go inside. He knew this building from the various blood drives he'd assisted that had been held here. He knew that there was a hallway and the restrooms just beyond the door that he had to go through before even stepping foot into the room where he assumed the party and all his inhabitants were.

He'd told Kisame to meet him out here. He could just have his friend go grab Hidan, bring him out to the hallway, say what he had to say... and that was that. No one except the his oceanic friend would even have to know he was here.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the building, wincing at the assault on his eardrums from the music.

Kisame walked through the doorway at that exact moment, laughing loudly when he set eyes on his stoic friend, standing still with his hands in the pockets of his knee-length duster. To Kakuzu's slight distress and great discomfort, his friend embraced him in an overly-friendly hug. He let it happen only for the fact that the man reeked of alchohol, and he knew that any injury he caused would most likley not even be registered.

"Kakuzu, my friend. We've been waiting for you!" He said loudly, just below a shout, when he stepped back.

"What do you mean 'we'?" He replied, unhappy about having to raise his voice to the volume he did.

"Well Itachi and I of course. He was really nervous you might not come. We gave the kid his present, you missed it, should have been here when he walked in. His face was priceless!"

Kakuzu death-glared the man. Why should he care about that? Why did he care about that? Dammit, stop that, stop being dissapointed. You don't care, you don't.

"Kisame, go fetch Hidan and bring him out here so I can get this over with." He sighed.

"Ahh, Well I guess I could, but he and that pink-haired chick are up at the front of the room getting ready to do karaoke or some shit. You really want me to make a scene like that?"

Kakuzu snarled out a swear.

"Why don't you come wait in the kitchen. Have a beer to loosen you up, I'll figure out some way to get him to go back there when he takes a break. He so fucking wasted, I mean, I'm wasted, and he's probably had more to drink than anyone at this party. Eventually he's going to pass out or throw up or something."

Kakuzu pinched the bridge of his nose. He's here for five seconds and he already has a raging headache. "Fine." He said roughly, "I'll meet you at the back entrance."

"Just come with me, maybe he'll see you and just follow us back there. You can do your thing and be on your way. Easy-peasey." He said, waving at his friend and swaying slightly in place.

Kakuzu glared at him, resisting the urge to unite the man's face with his fist. "No."

"Oh come on Kakuzu. Everyone knows he works for you, they'll just think you're stopping by. I'm not telling you to get out there and shake your crotchedy old ass or anything."

"Oh for the love of-FINE! Let's go!" He shouted slightly louder than neccesary. Kisame didn't seem to mind though, he only smiled and turned around to lead the way.

Kakuzu took deep breaths as they made the relitivley short trek across the room, trying to keep himself calm, to not be so uselessly furious. It wasn't as if he'd been forced to come here, Kisame didn't have him tied down, he wasn't dragging him though the area. He was here 100% of his own free will, so really, he had no right to be mad. Except at himself, maybe.

He ventured his gaze enough to look out at the crowd of drunken bodys making fools of themselves beneath the disco-esque lights flashing around the room. He couldn't seem to spot Hidan, despite Kisame saying he was at the front of the room, and gave up after meeting one too many peoples eyes, who looked back at him in interest, confusion, and various other emotions. Just before Kisame dissapeared into the doorway to the kitchen, however, he caught the eyes of none other than Itachi Uchiha, leaning against the wall a distance away with some sort of drink in his hand.

Probably keeping an eye on that idiotic roommate of his.

That was fine, he didn't care if the Uchiha boy saw him here. He could go tell Hidan and get the little moron to come back to where he could talk to him all the faster. But he didn't like the knowing smile he received from the man before he tipped his head in acknowledgement. He nodded back, so as not to seem as uncharacteristically anxious as he was, and followed Kisame finally into the kitchen.

The break from the throbbing volume of the music caught him off guard, and he paused for a moment, before growling and coming into the room further.

"Alright man, No one will come back here except me and Itachi, and maybe hidan and that wierd chick, but they're busy, so I guess you can chill for awhile. Can I get you anything to drink? Itachi went all out on that bar, we've got just about everything an alchoholic could ever wish for." He said, turning around and stumbling slightly before he caught himself. "Shit..." He mumbled, smiling sheepishly.

"Your liver is going to hate you in the morning..." Kakuzu said, rolling his eyes.

His friend only laughed. "I'll just go get you something, I'll keep you company until the kid turns up. He's pretty popular, you know. For being the way he is, he's actually pretty graceful on the dancefloor, the girls are all over him. It's hilarious, he's almost gotten in three fights now, I've had to escourt ten different people out."

The Doctor felt his eyes narrow, and he cursed and beat at himself inwardly, rage blooming within him for the fact that that bothered him so much. He almost asked how Hidan reacted to these girls, but managed to stop himself. He didn't care, he chided himself, he Did. Not. Care.

He was curious though, as for some reason that he found absoloutly rediculous, it had never occured to him to wonder if Hidan were even straight or not. He tributed his lack of thought on the matter to the man's roommate. No one without an open mind could possibley live with that Uchiha. Right? Or maybe he was just so comfortable with his heterosexuality that it didn't bother him...

And Kisame would know if the kid was straight or not, right? Surely Itachi would have mentioned something to him, if he were sure to be shot down right away, his friend would have told him. The fact that Kisame hadn't even stopped to consider the brats sexuality was enough of a pointer...

What the hell are you doing? Stop worrying. You don't care, remember?

He was only here to get his peace of mind. That's it, then he would leave.

Kisame shuffled through the door, and came back in after a good twenty minutes had passed, followed, of course, by Itachi. He didn't bother to hide his sigh of disaproval, rude as it was, as the boy came in and pulled out a chair across from him, still wearing that sly smile.

Kisame set a glass down with ice in it, and a bottle of Scotch next to it, winking at Kakuzu when he glanced up at him. The elder only glared back, pouring his anger out through his eyes as he friend retreated from the room, abandoning him.

His very skin burned with rage as he turned to look at the Uchiha, regarding him in silence.

Of course, of fucking course. He should have known that buffoon couldn't keep his mouth shut. He'd gone and told the boy everything. He must have, why else would the boy just sit there smiling at him like that. As if he were aware of some secret he wasn't supposed to know.

Grinding his teeth, he angrily snatched up the bottle, twisting the sealed cap off with ease in his wrath. He filled his glass to the brim, slamming the bottle back onto the table and not hesitating to down half of it before meeting Itachi's eyes, willing the man to burst into flames.

"I'm so very glad you came, Doctor." Itachi finally said, breaking the heavy silence. Kakuzu did not reply, more for the fact that he was overflowing with anger, and couldn't bring himself to speak.

Itachi continued. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but you mean a lot to Hidan. He has very few people in his life that hold that meaning for him. He'll be very happy to know that you dropped by... Unless you plan on staying...?"

"I don't." He ground out, evoking a look of concern from the younger man.

"Are you upset, Doctor?"

"That's an understatement."

Itachi looked at him in true confusion now. "May I ask why?"

Kakuzu rolled his eyes, raising the glass to his lips and finishing it off. "Don't play games with me. I'm no fool. Kisame told you of my visit last night, didn't he?"

Itachi sighed deeply, looking at Kakuzu with a sort of pity that only angered the man further. "He only told me that you were there. I've no idea why, and I don't want you to tell me. That's strictly your business." He stated calmly.

Kakuzu's anger repressed itself a little bit at this, and he felt a little bit foolish now as well.

"But, if you'd like me to lay everything out on the table, I will." He said, pausing to reach across the table and grab the glass bottle. "Allow me." he said softly, refilling the man's glass.

"You're aware of my occupation, Doctor. And doing what I do, I have very keen skill of observation. It's always been a talent of mine to be able to accurately read people. Kisame did not have to say a word to me, seeing as Hidan has been keeping me informed." He gently set the bottle back down, returning to his previous position, regarding the man without trying to hide the fact that he was trying to 'read' him. "He told me you've been acting normally, but you looked as if perhaps you were sick, for months on end now. He was concerned for you, but not exactly sure how to confront you about it, seeing as you two don't seem to get along that well."

This took the Doctor completley off guard, and his remaining anger trickled almost entirely away. Hidan had noticed something like that about him, and been concerned enough to consult his roommate about it? The boy hadn't made any sort of comment or actions that would have suggested anything of the sort. Why this affected him so much, he wasn't sure. Why it bothered him that it affected him, he also wasn't sure of.

"Ever since the night you came to my apartment, it seems." He continued, folding his hands together, watching carefully as Kakuzu absently grabbed his glass and took another few swallows. Succumbing completley to his small desire to be slightly drunk. He didn't want to be sober, he had a harder time understanding things when he was older. If he were drunk, then maybe he could understand, maybe it would be like last night, he could admit to himself that he wanted the boy, wanted him enough to just grow a pair and 'make a move', as Kisame had instructed him.

That, and he'd forgotten how good Scotch was...

"Neither of us like to be underestimated, or lied to, so I'm going to tell you now, I'm perfectly aware of your attraction to Hidan. Please don't make that face at me, Doctor. You and hidan both are so very transparent, despite your attempt to sheild yourself from feeling emotion." He paused for a moment, studying the older man, as if watching the words sink into his head. After he seemed satisfied that they had, he continued. "I'm aware that it infuriates you, and I've assumed that you've been so stressed about it that you've been losing sleep because of it. " He said, holding up his hand when the elder opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm not going to tell a soul, Dr. Hoku. Please trust me. I just want you to know that I have absoloutly no problems with the situation, except for the fact that you're suffering because of it. It worries me. I was not lying to you that night in the car. You are a good man, despite your desperate attempts to make the world believe otherwise. Which is why I'm so glad you came tonight. I shouldn't say this, as I have been drinking, and most likley it's impared my judgement. But to save you any further trouble, I'm going to tell you this right now..." He paused, seeming to let the sentence drag out forever.

The music throbbed, seeming more distant than before, and the seconds passed. They turned into minutes, and Kakuzu's brow narrowed in irritation, wondering just how inebriated the boy really was, and if he'd forgotten completley what he was going to say. He grit his teeth together, refusing to give into whatever game he was playing and ask him to hurry up and come out with it. It wasn't as if he had anywhere else to be, they were waiting on Hidan, after all.

Finally he took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so and re-opening them slowly, a smile spreading across his lips. "Hidan likes you too."

Except for the muffled music coming from the other room, there was nothing but dead silence between the two.

Kakuzu was utterly speechless now. Not from anger, this time, but from the absoloute shock of this statement. He was aware of his eyes widening in his disbelief, but could do nothing to stop them. His breath caught in his lungs, which refused to work properly all the sudden. His heart pounded so loudly inside his chest suddenly, he feared the Uchiha might be able to actually hear it there across the table from him.

Hidan liked him.

He wasn't going to do something so stupid as to further question that statement. He was well aware of the context Itachi was using it in. And it wasn't even so much that information that made his blood run cold.

What would he do now? That was the terrifying question that floated around his eerily thoughtless mind.

Half of him, despite all that he'd been through, had hoped that his feelings weren't returned. That all those blushes he'd seen from his employee had been to something else unrelated. But now that he knew, it was clear to him, as it really should have been at the time.

Every time he was caught staring at the boy, every time he came too close, Hidan had looked as if he were about to jump out of his skin. He always scrambled frantically to get away from him, rarely looked him in the eyes for more than a millisecond. How could he have been so blind? He'd dated before, many of his patients did the same with him, all of them female though. Perhaps it was just the fact that Hidan was a man that had made him less suspicious. Even with his sexual preferences as they were, men were still a whole different matter, he didn't really expect them to act that way.

"I really would like you to at the very least wish him a happy birthday. It would mean the world to him, despite how he might react, I can assure you of that. Whether you choose to talk to him about this predicament you find yourself in is up to you. He is heavily inebriated, which may be a good or bad thing, depending on what you decide to do. He may or may not remember the conversation in the morning. There's no way to tell." He explained with a wry smile at Kakuzu's silence.

Kakuzu tried to control his breathing, trying to remain rational and calm despite the infuriating panic leaking into him. With very little consideration, he reached out, downing the rest of the near-full glass of liquor. Itachi's smile only grew, and he reached across the table to refill his drink again. The Doctor let him, now absoloutly positive that he'd need to be not-sober to get through the rest of this evening.

"All that I ask of you is that you don't immediatly leave until he knows you came. Even if you decide not to even wish him happiness. His birthday isn't actually until Monday, anyway. So I suppose it's not pertinant at the moment. I really just want this party to be complete. You're the only person on my list of people who must be present that he hasn't met with."

Still silent, Kakuzu looked up to regard him, trying to sort through the flurry of emotions within him. He didn't like it, he didn't but he did. His stomache was warmed from the alchohol, but his entire body was warmed from the thought that Hidan had mutual affections for him.

It was hard to wrap his head around, at the same time, now that it had been confirmed. Why on earth would that idiot like him? If Hidan was so desireable, surely he could easily find someone else, someone that made more sense. Why Kakuzu, of all the people in this world? He'd only briefly stopped to consider this a few times before. More as a means to try and talk himself out of it. Surely Hidan, as young as he was, with so much oppurtunity ahead of him in his lifetime, would never feel anything for an old man like him, set in his ways, content to continue in his current lifestyle for the rest of his days.

And it worked both ways, Kakuzu was a successful doctor. It didn't make any sense at all for him to feel this way about someone so incredibley much younger than him, someone with the history and temperament Hidan has. The boy was his absoloute opposite, as he repeatedly pointed out to himself and everyone else. Kisame seemed to think they were more similar than it appeared, but really, he couldn't see it. The boy was undisciplined, disrespectful of everyone around him, he had no life-experience because he'd had yet to actually grow up and take care of himself. He'd been in and out of institutions his whole life, making it this far only because he'd always been told what to do. As soon as he'd been reduced to making his own choices, he did something that got him locked back up in a place where he could receive instruction again. He was still practically a child, for fuck's sake!

But he's just so...

He tried to finish the thought, surprised that he could find no words to describe it. Usually it wasn't hard at all. He was an idiot. A brat. An insolent little twerp. And annoying little gnat. A hyperactive, brainless man-child. But he didn't like any of those, at the moment. Nothing fit him in this moment. It irritated him, knowing that inexplicabley, just because he was aware of the mutual crush between them now, it almost felt irrationally rude for him to even think such things about the boy.

He closed his eyes tightly, massaging them with a free hand while the other wrapped around his drink again, bringing it to his lips when his other hand moved away from his face.

"I know you think me too young to have any sort of knowledge on the subject, doctor. But I like to think that Hidan finds comfort in conversing with me about it. Perhaps you'd like to share your thoughts?"

He glared at the boy, wanting to tell him off. Wanting to take his frustration out on him in the worst for of verbal abuse he could muster. But he was aware that the Uchiha would likley only get offended, and put him back in check, just as he had done the very first time they'd met, as well as at the apartment. Instead he told him; "I'm not nieve enough to admit that you're wise beyond your years, Mister Uchiha. But there are still many things in this world that you are ignorant of. I know plenty about where your ideals lie, and that despite how you act, you're still a slave to your emotions."

"Don't insult me so, doctor." itachi said back quickly. "I'm just as capable as logical thought as you aware. I'm aware of how delicate the situation is. But considering all the factors of it, it's obvious to both of us that you cannot simply continue to ignore it. Really, I think it's rather childish of you to even consider such a thing."

"Watch your mouth, boy." Kakuzu growled. "I wouldn't be here if I intended to let things continue this way."

"So you're going to have a chat with him then?"

"That was the intention..." he said, trailing off to take another long drink from the glass.

"You seem as if you're not so sure now."

"Of course I'm not." He snapped. "You said you're aware of what's going on, and what might happen. How am I supposed to simply approach him knowing he's not in control of his thoughts and actions at the moment? Since you've revealed that he has affections for me, what hope is there that what needs to happen will end up happening?"

Itachi tapped on his chin in thought. "So you want him to reject you, then."

"That would be the best course of action, yes. There is far too much at risk for anything else to come of it." He took another drink, draining the glass once more.

Itachi noticed this, and stared at him in that sympathetic way once more. "You were young once, doctor..." He said softly, making Kakuzu narrow his eyes. "I'd like to think at one point you craved this sort of thing. I don't think you ever achieved that, I don't think you would be this way if you had."

With that, he pushed himself up from the table, ending the conversation before it could be dragged on any farther. "I urge you to talk with him about it, and decide only after you've heard his opinion on the matter. You gave him the chance to prove himself once before, and I don't believe he's let you down. You think too little of him still, though. I hope you'll give him another oppurtunity to convince you otherwise."

The two stared at each other in silence, Kakuzu's glare fading slowly as they did. Itachi straightened himself up, brushed himself off as if dismissing the matter, and turned to head back out to the party. "I need to get back to supervising. Kisame is drunk, as I'm sure you realized, and he's easily distracted as it is. I'll send Hidan in whenever I can catch him."

Kakuzu grunted just as the Uchiha's hand placed itself on the knob, and at that very moment, the music suddenly died away, replaced by the metallic screeching of a microphone.

The Doctor looked up just as Itachi turned around, his brow creased, looking at Kakuzu as if he would have some idea at what was going on.

"Alright you bunch of drunk bitches!" A woman's voice boomed over the microphone.

Itachi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm starting to regret inviting her." He sighed, before the woman continued.

"Our party boy here has volunteered to do the first karaoke performance!"

"THE FUCK IF I DID!" Hidan's voice shouted, far quieter seeing as he didn't have the microphone. Kakuzu's brows rose at the sound, and more on impulse than anything else, he stood up and moved next to Itachi, who opened the door.

"You hear that? Now he's trying to back out! That's un-fucking-acceptable isn't it!?" The woman yelled, some girl with hot-pink hair and a rediculous hat on.

The crowd responded with anger and boo's, followed by encouragement and whistles, or Kakuzu's surprise. Perhaps Kisame wasn't blowing smoke out his ass when he mentioned the albino idiots popularity.

"I'm putting you on the spot fucker!" She said, turning to the side and pointing to behind the DJ setup where the elder man assumed Hidan must be. "Get the fuck out here, don't be a little bitch!" She shouted, whirling back. "I promise ladies, he's got the voice of an angel. A pitiful, half-retarded angel."

A few more high-pitched screams emitted from the people gathered around, several drinks were held in the air as some rediculous show of support.

She laughed, moving over to the stage, and finally Kakuzu got to see his employee as she dragged him out into the limelight. he looked like he was at some sort of crossroads between pissed off and extremley flattered. But that wasn't what the Doctor noticed first.

He looked almost exactly as he'd imagined him. He was wearing torn-up jeans, his shirt was off, that shimmering crusific was still around his neck. His hair wasn't gelled as it always was when he came to work, thorougly mussed and glistening with what he could only assume was perspiration.

He gave a crooked smile to the crowd, making something in Kakuzu's stomache tighten as the females in the audience went temporarily insane.

"You have to get used to this anyways, right?" Tayuya said to him, though still speaking in the microphone. "What better practice than at your own party? They can't say shit if you suck, cause I'll beat the shit out of anyone who does!" She almost snarled the last part, giving a strangley frightening glare to the party-goers. Then she turned back to Hidan, "But I know you won't, Cause I've heard you. So, grow a pair and take this!" She said, the last part going almost unheard as she removed the microphone from in front of her own mouth to slap it in Hidan's hand.

Movement beside Kakuzu pulled his attention away from the boy on stage to the boy next to him, who was gesturing with a smile for him to go watch the event outside of the kitchen. At this point, the Doctor was starting to feel the effects of consuming so much alchohol so quickly, and despite the thought flitting through his head that he definitley should not do this, he stepped out, moving over to the wall beside Kisame, who gave him an ear-to-ear grin, giving him a playful smack on the shoulder before crossing his arms and returning his attention to the makeshift stage.

"Well fuck..." Hidan said into the microphone. "You fuckers better not record thsi shit and put it on fucking Youtube. Seriously. I'll hunt down each and every one of you..."

"He's being shy..." Itachi chuckled, probably more to himself, the Doctor thought. "How adorable..."

Adorable indeed... Kakuzu admitted down in the very deep, dark, recesses of his mind. He could admit, he was intruiqued. He'd heard hidan singing songs under his breath, and admitted to himself at that time that the boy wasn't bad. Now he was going to sing out-loud in his true voice, and the older man was annoyed to find a strange twinge of excitement in his being.

"It's Bastille's Pompeii*, Hida! " The woman's voice shouted from beside the DJ. "This song reminds me of you, so I'm making you sing it."

"Oh fuck." He laughed in return. "Start me out with a fucking hard one..."

"Just shut up and sing!" She shouted back, just before the music started.

Kakuzu listened to the opening, his face twisting in confusion as some sort of melodic chanting came out over the speakers. He wasn't aware if he'd ever heard this one or not, he didn't recognize the name, but he couldn't get himself to look away from his employee, fidgiting nervously on stage.

"He's so fucking drunk..." Kisame laughed beside him. "He's gonna be pissed in the morning that we let him do this..."

"Most likley." itachi said back, smiling deviously. "But Tayuya's right, he has to get used to it anyway. And I can't help but enjoy seeing him actually be embarrassed about something."

"I was leeft, to my oowwn devi-i-i-ices... Many daaays, fell awaay, with nothing to sho-ow..." Hidan's voice started, striking them all into abosloute silence. Kakuzu himself suddenly found that he couldn't breathe as he watched the man glance nervously around the awe-struck crowd.

"And the walls kept tumbling dooown on this city that we lo-o-o-o-ove. Great clouds rolled over the hills bringing darkness from abo-o-o-o-ove!"

Kakuzu felt his body go a little bit slack, and he leaned against the wall to hide it from anyone who might be paying attention. No one was, though, every single person in the room was ingrossed in Hidan's unique voice in their drunken stupor. Except for the music, there was only dead silence.

"But if you close your eyes..."

He had a sort of rough, scratchey sound, but the quake of the bravado, the slight hitch he added in every so often, jumping a note nighter and then back to the original, it was mesmerizing. He was no superstar, but Kakuzu was entranced all the same.

"Does it aaalmost feel like, noooothing changed at aaall? And if you clo-ose you're e-e-eyes, does it aaalmost feel like, youuu've been here befo-ooore? Oh how am I gonna be am optimist about this? How am I gonna be an optimist about thiiiss?"

It wasn't even just his voice either. The expression Hidan made, as if he were almost in pain while he poured emotion into the words. This song meant something to him, just like every single one he'd sang to himself while working at the clinic. Kakuzu was always, always surprised at the similarity between these words, written by strangers, people Hidan never knew and never would know. How they aligned so perfectly with the albino's thoughts and feelings. It really was a sort of escape, he rationalized now. Knowing that someone out there was feeling the same things he was, someone could direct their thoughts in such a way as to put them on paper, give them a tune, and spread them around the world for others to enjoy.

"We were caaaught up, and left in aaall our vi-i-i-ices. In your pooose, as the duuuust, settles... all around us... And the walls kept, tumbling dooown, on the city that we lo-o-o-o-ove!"

It was at this point that all the women in the crowd snapped out of their delerium and started screaming, jumping up and down as the music went back to the chorus, somehow happy and energizing though the lyrics were actually somewhat dark. Hidan responded immediatly, seeming to get over his anxiety in that moment, his voice coming out louder and somehow even better than before as he smiled and started moving around. On the side of the stage, the woman, Tayuya, Itachi had called her, was jumping up and down throwing her hands in the air and whistling madley.

"Great clouds rolled over THE hills, bringing darkness from abo-o-o-o-ove!" Hidan sang loudly, puring even more of himself into the song than before. Kakuzu had to force air into his lungs, saying a silent prayer that Itachi and Kisame would continue being distracted by the man on stage, as he had no idea what sort of expression he was making at the moment.

The chrowd started singing along with the chorus as Hidan repeated it with immense energy and a giant smile. And Kakuzu was disturbed to realize that he thought, maybe he was smiling too, seeing Hidan act that way. It was similar to the time he'd received his first paycheck, to the older man. he'd been so excited, unable to contain his energy, and even though this situation wasn't calm at all, the albino seemed to be much more peaceful.

Maybe it was the alchohol, as he was certianly feeling much less tense than earlier, much more open. Or maybe it was just the circumstance, but the attraction he'd felt for the man doubled in its intensity. The restraint he'd felt before dwindled, and in that moment, he made the decision to take Kisame's advice, to 'make a move'.

He would wait, obviously, until the song was over and Itachi or Kisame ould attract the man's attention long enough to bring him back where they would have privacy. But he was surprised at this tightness in his chest, and the realization that maybe this was what Kisame had been trying to describe to him. The way the ocean-loving man felt every time he set eyes upon the Uchiha.

And to his displeasure and pleasure alike, he realized that he liked it.

He liked it alot.

The music slowed down, bringing his attention back to the stage after the chorus had been repeated what seemed to him far more times than neccessary. Hidan stood calmly on the small stage, looking out around the crowd, his eyes flicking to each face, the smile he wore before gone as if he were about to say something serious.

"Oh... Where do we begiiin?"

He sang softly, his eyes alighting on Kakuzu at that exact moment. The older man made no outward reaction, but it felt as if someone had plunged their hand into his chest and was squeezing at his life-organ with all their might.

"The ruuubble or our sins? Oh~Oooh, Where do we begi-i-i-in? The rubble or our sins...?"

The gaze parted, and the smile returned to his face as there was a slight pause, he started bouncing around the stage again.

"And the walls kept tumbling down, in the city that we lo-o-o-o-ove!"

Kakuzu finally recovered from the strange feeling, anger bursting into him for a lack of any other emotion that he could properly process. He turned on heel and stalked back into the kitchen, ignoring the questioning stare of the younger Uchiha as he did.

"Great clouds roll over the hill, bringing darkness from abo-o-o-o-ove!"

He growled under his breath. He could still hear him. Damn that brat, damn him. He'd seen him standing there, he knew Hidan saw him. But he didn't even react, no happiness, no shock, no anything. Surely if he was drunk, if he really did like him that way he would have done something.

"But if you close your Eeeyyyeeess! Does it A~LMOST feel like, NOTHING changed at aaaaallll" And if you clo-ose you're ey-eyes, does it ALMOST fee-ee-heel like YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFOOORE!?"

He stopped just before sitting back down where he had been previously, hand outstretched to grab the bottle. That idiot was singing even harder now, if that was an appropriate expression, putting even more emotion into his singing, if that were even possible.

It didn't mean anything, did it? Was that because he'd seen the Doctor standing there? Was it because he noticed him missing now? Was he trying to get his attention?

Or was he just showing off, was it some sort of finale?

"How am I gonna be an optimist about this? How am I gonna be an optimist about this?"

He couldn't agree more with that question.

Gritting his teeth, he filled his glass one more time as the song finished up, with one more repeat of the chorus, ending yet again in the musical chanting that started at the beginning and pretty well continued through most of it. He didn't really like the song that much, not with all those dramatic intrustions. Personally he would have thought something more simple would be more impressive, if Hidan had played his guitar and sang it, maybe in a lower key and in a calmer way...

Bah, what the hell was he doing talking as if he knew anything at all about music? That idiot was even getting him interested in things that had never crossed his mind before!

When will it end!?

The entirety of the liquid dissapeared in one fell swoop as he raised it to his lips, slamming it back down when he was done.

Bloody hell, what was he doing? Why was he still here? Why didn't he leave right now? he could, there was no one to stop him from walking right out that door just across the room from him.

"FUCK YEAH!" The woman from before shreiked into the microphone, making him flinch and then snarl in anger.

"Holy shit Hida, YEAH! You even blew me away! I'd say he could make it in hollywood. Alright fuckers, who wants the humiliation of trying to live up to that fucking performance eh? Make a line." She said.

Kakuzu nearly collapsed into his seat, ignoring her, or trying to. She had a very annoying voice, and with that shouting. Good God, she was worse than Hidan, something he hadn't thought possible.

"I SAID MAKE A FUCKING LINE!" She screeched, enforcing his observation and making him halfway roll his eyes.

He stared at the EXIT sign above the door, thoughts flitting through his slightly drunken mind. This was his last chance to leave. His last chance to flee.

His eyes narrowed. Nonsense... Kakuzu Hoku did not run away, certianly not from the likes of Hidan San. Why was he even contemplating this? Because of some uncomfortable emotions? Bullshit. What the hell was wrong with him? He should be ashamed of himself, acting like such a spineless, childish, immature little... Well... He should be ashamed.

And he was.

He was also suddenly determined, probably due to the alchohol, but who gives a damn. He'd had enough, far more than enough. It was bad enough that he'd let it drag on this long. He pushed him up from his chair again.

He was Kakuzu Hoku, Dammit. Where the hell did he get off acting self-concious? Being unconfident, unsure? It was disgusting, repulsive. Forget what the town thinks, forget what his clients think, he would not be changed. He'd always been a man who had no problem going to any means to get what he wanted. He didn't need sympathy or understand, he didn't need delicate conversations by a boy more than half his age, he didn't need that brainless idiot Kisame to consol him, he wasn't a child, he didn't need to act or be treated like one.

He smirked to himself. There we go, thank you alchohol. That was the clarity he'd wanted all along. That was the assurement he'd been craving, not itachi's not Kisame's not even Hidan's. He wanted his own.

The doorknob turned violently and the door flew open, releaseing the terrible sound of some party-goer doing a terrible job of singing an even more terrible song. It was hard to pay any mind though, seeing as there was the creator of this entire mess, standing there in the doorway, glaring at him as if the doctor were the one that had done something wrong.

"You." Hidan said, stepping in and shutting the door quickly behind him.

"Me." Kakuzu clarified, putting his hands in his pockets.

The pale man was unaffected by his sarcasm, stomping up to him, though running a hand along the counter to steady himself, which slightly weakened the threat he was trying to put off.

"What in the fucking fuck of all fucks are you doing here?" He said, coming unreasonabley close to kakuzu, and glaring up at him, as if he were about to challenge him to a fight.

"Your vocabulary is impressive." He said back, not moving away despite the smell of sweat and liquor stinging his nostrils.

"This is the best fucking night of my life." Hidan snapped, ignoring that comment as well and somewhat impressing the older man. He was incredibley upset about his presence, wasn't he?

"You can't fucking show up and ruin it! If you think I'll let you do that, you're a bigger dumbass than I thought." he continued, pointing a finger a mere inch from his face. "So tell me happy birthday like a good fucking boss should, and get the hell out."

"I don't recall signing anything that permits you to order me around."

"We're not on your time right now. I ain't your fucking employee."

"Then why do you want me to act like your boss?" he said, raising a brow, amused, despite himself.

It only increased when Hidan's face tinted and his own silver brows dropped in anger. "Shut the fuck up and say it!"

"But it's not your birthday."

"I don't care. Say it."

"Why do you want me me to wish you a happy birthday so badley?"

Hidan smiled then, leaning back and crossing his arms across his chest. "Hah, I'm counting that, seeing as it's probably the best I'll get."

Kakuzu was confused for only a second, damn alchohol, then realized what he'd just done. But instead of anger, he almost felt the need to laugh. He managed to smother it, and simply remained impassive.

"Well? Get the fuck out." The younger said, nodding toward the door before his eyes alighted on the alchohol bottle. Then his face twisted in another scowl. "What the fuck? You can't have that shit, that's only for fucking party guests."

"And who says I'm not a guest? Your roommate was the one who offered it to me. Even poured it."

"What? Liar."

"I do not lie."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"So then tell me why you came. You don't fucking like me. So what are you doing here?" He said, uncrossing his arms to lean against the counter, apparently unable to stand freely any longer.

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes, remaining silent. Well, this was it. This was the time. He needed to do something, or say something. Anything... anything at all.

"Well?"

What was there to say? What could he possibley do? He was determined to make something happen, but how the fuck was he supposed to go about it? It's not like he could just blurt it out. 'Hidan, I like you. I like, like you' Please, he'd rather jump off a cliff.

"Your little show was... decent." He said stupidley, wishing he had a knife so he could shove it through his skull.

"Of course it was. I'm fucking awesome. I bet you didn't know so many people fucking loved me huh?" He said, smirking, not seeming to notice the subject change. Thank you alchohol.

"I was not aware, no."

"Bet you feel like a prick for treating me like shit all the time huh?"

"Not really."

"Well you should. Look how loved I am! Everyone loves me... everyone." He said, gesturing to the door where he'd come in from, his voice falling soft at the last bit. "You should feel like shit."

"Why?" He asked simply.

Hidan scoffed, though it was with less anger than he'd had in the beginning. "What do you mean, why? Because... because you should!"

"Are you trying to make some sort of point here, Hidan?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid! Just 'cos I'm drunk doesn't mean I don't know what I'm saying."

"Well I certianly have no idea what you're saying."

"You fucking asshole!" He shouted then, making Kakuzu's brow raise in mock surprise. "What the fuck? How fucking stupid are you? Jesus fucking God in heaven, do I need to write it down in nice big words so you can understand?"

"Clearly. Because you're so much more intelligent than I."

"Sometimes, yes, I fucking am."

"WHY DON'T YOU LIKE ME!?" He shouted, eyes shimmering with tears that didn't fall, to Kakuzu's great satisfaction. If the boy started crying, he'd be forced to end this rediculous situation by punching him in his infuriating face and walking away.

This was interesting though. He hadn't had to do anything, Hidan, in all his drunken frenzy, had done it himself. You oblivious fool.

"You're the only goddamn person. The only fucking person I've ever met that's done this shit."

Kakuzu snorted sarcastically, his ego infalted and his confidence boosted by the turn of events. "The only person to not like you? I highly doubt that."

"No, you fucking ass. The only person that I wanted to like me. The only person who's opinion if gave a shit about."

"You don't care for your roommates opinion?"

"No... Well yes. But that's not what I mean. Don't be stupid." He said. Then, much softer. "Don't make me say it..."

Kakuzu studied him, his determined yet defeated eyes, that damned peony-magenta cross that settled in his iris'. How quickly this had progressed, how easy the moron had made it for him. He desperatley beat back the alarm bells in his head, that damn concious of his, always telling him what to do. He'd listen to it all his life, his gut feelings, his rational side. And where had it gotten him? He was a 46 year old man, with a business that was sucessful, but not sucessful enough to go anywhere. He would be doing what he was doing until he died of old age.

And alone, he would die alone, if he kept listening to that logical half of his mind. Because it told him relationships weren't worth the time, or the energy. All he needed was money. Money was happiness.

Right, then why was he such a miserable, grumpy old man?

He didn't want to listen. He was Kakuzu Hoku, he didn't take anyone's advice. He did what he wanted. He did not have regrets, he did not make mistakes. And when he did, he just forced them to not be mistakes, to be intentional. Because there was no time for regrets or mourning over mistakes.

Four years away from half your life being memories.

"Oh, where do we begin? The rubble, or our sins?"

Hidan likes you too.

"Oh where do we begin? The rubble or our sins?"

"Hidan." He finally said. The pale man looked wearily up at him, as if already knowing what he's going to say.

"You have one chance. I don't believe Mister Uchiha will be letting you drink again anywhere in the near future."

Hidan's face shifted to suspicion now, eyes glazed, the words not seeming to quite reach their destination in his liquor-drowned brain.

"If you wish to do something stupid and impulsive, do it now. Or else hold your tongue for the rest of your miserable little life."

It finally seemed to click on that one, as those pigment-less eyes widened to dangerous proportions. The silence between them dragged on as he looked back and forth between Kakuzu's eyes, as if unsure he'd actually heard what he did. He clenched and unclenched his fists, standing half-tense, lips parted as he fought desperatley to make a decision.

The Doctor watched all this, growing impatient. He scowled at the boy.

Fuck it. Fuck everything. Everything and everyone. He'd deal with any consequences later, if any poor soul had the misfortune of trying to give him one.

"You idiot..." He growled, stepping forward to close the distance between them. Hidan raised his hands as if about to defent himself, so instead of grabbing his upper arms, as he meant to, Kakuzu's hands gripped themselves around his ribcage. He lifted him slightly, Hidan's own hands coming down to wrap around Kakuzu's biceps, and finally, finally...

Their lips met.

-o-

A/N-

Oooh Wierdo. Yoouuuuuuuu bitch.

Hey! I heard that!

Haha, well, I told you shit would happened and lookee there, it happened. This chapters already long as fuck though. And I have the chance to post it now without rushing, so that's what I'm going to do. Oh yeah, and you silly, silly readers, already requesting lemons when they've just bareley kissed. What makes you think I'd be good at writing porn? You're crazy. Gtfo.

Just kidding, stay. *Handcuffs you to my bed* . What? Nuthin.

Haha, also, on a random note, When did this become a song-fic?

Tch, shut up, you know you loved it. ;3 And FF, if you fucked up the way I wrote those lyrics so they're all jumbled, I'm going to be very fucking upset. Stop doing that to me. They're like that for a damn reason.

EVERYBODY loves music, everyone. Even Kakuzu. And I thought to myself; How to make this story continueously get better and better and get people more and more drawn into it? BY ADDING GOOD MUSIC, OBVIOUSLY! And it is good music. Don't like it? Go listen to your shitty music while reading someone elses story then.

Bitch you don't know me.

HAHA sorry, I've had an insane amount of coffee and a really stressful day. I'm in a wierd mood, heh.

So, on a random sidetopic, I'm planning to draw Tayuya and the twins. Even though I originally planned on them being pretty minor characters, I've sort of tricked myself into loving the shit out of them. I've no idea how much of a role they'll play in the future because as I said in the very begining, I'm pretty much just going with the flow, writing whatever comes to me. But, regardless, they've earned a special place in my heart, and they deserve a face to be added to their altered FYA identities. - And to add to this, if any of you wonderful people wants to do me fanart, I would seriously be so happy... Like, I'll give you something in return. I'm thinking of taking one-shot requests, but I'm not sure if I want to burdon myself with that. I figure this is a good way to test the waters. So for anyone who wants to do fanart, that will be your reward, if you so wish. :3 SO BRING IT ON!

Pence* - A name I made up. In the context he was refferring to the last Mental health institution/drug rehab center he'd been locked away in.

Spiders*- A song by System of a Down, in case you didn't catch that in the other chapter where it was mentioned.

Pompeii; Bastille -The song Hidan performed. If you haven't listened to it yet, go listen right goddamn now. Fucking love that song.

Did I miss any this time?

Probably.

OKAY! I'll end this longass author's note and post this bitch so you guys can yell at me for ending it where it did. xD You know I love you, I just like to torture you more. You're so pretty when you're mad.

HAHA! WHAT? Wierdo quit flirting with the random strangers.

Yeah, I don't know. Don't judge me.

So, as usual, forgive all the typos. I tried to be really patient, I swear I seriously went over this goddamn chapter 3 entire fucking times, the whole thing. But I'm sure they're still in there. So, just correct them in your mind, and forgive me.

And, of course, don't forget to leave me my review. I really do love each and every one I get, I'm sorry I don't reply as well as I should. As I said though, I'm always goddamn busy. I promise I pay attention though, some of you seriously get me all excited just when I see your names.

Lol, I wasn't even trying to be sexual on that one. :P

OKAY! Yeah, so that's that. I'll see you next chapter. Live long and prosper... and leave many reviews.