SURPRISE! I am going to be uploading each new chapter every TWO days instead of every week, mostly because the story is actually DONE, so why make you all wait? Please enjoy the next chapter! Review, please!

As Deidara scanned the shelf of the limitless supply of clay, he thought about the apartment complex Hidan had mentioned earlier.

He definitely needed to find a place of his own; that fact was obvious.

He needed to find a place close to work; it offered that.

And he didn't want to have to pay an excessive amount on a place; that could happen.

However, the idea of having to fill out a survey as to who his roommate could be reminded him so much of his days of college, that it was seriously turning him off.

However, now that he's finally out of Grad school, yet he didn't have a place to call his own, he had to move back in with his parents, and that alone was more embarrassing than anything.

He was a 24 year old, with a job, and he was living with his parents.

How weirdly cliché could one person get?

Sighing, he turned his attention back to the clay. He needed a specific type in order to make his sculptures, clay that won't crack.

He grabbed the type he knew would work and headed to the register, cash in hand.

As he was paying, his phone began buzzing in his pocket. He extracted it and noticed it was Hidan. He took the call.

"What is it?"

"Wow, asshole, just left not too long ago and you're already sounding like a grouch," came the immediate, annoyed response. Deidara sighed, closing his eyes. "Sorry, but, seriously, what is it that you want?"

"Just wanted to give you a head's up on the meet-up, if you were still interested."

"Yeah, I guess, un."

"…Wow, well, you have four days to actually get a fucking good attitude, so you better fucking perk up before then," Hidan growled into the phone. "See you at 10:00 then."

Without giving a goodbye, Deidara ended the call and stuffed it back into his pocket and walked out of the store, bag in hand. He enjoyed Hidan's company and all, but sometimes, he wasn't so sure why he befriended the vulgar-mouthed guy.

They had met back in middle school and, even though he tried to search his memory, he couldn't remember how they had become friends.

They just did.

And even though he had said yes to the night at the bar, Deidara wasn't looking forward to it.

He wasn't much to drink and he had other priorities on his mind.

Like finding a place of his own.

Thinking that, he pulled out the piece of paper that had the address for the complex written on it and stared down at it.

Couldn't hurt to take a look.

No wonder Hidan had said Kakuzu about passed out when they had first ever seen the apartment complex.

The building itself was at least a good 20 stories high, with nothing but giant windows overlooking the skyline up above.

Staring up into what felt like infinity, Deidara gulped.

Why would Hidan ever suggest a place like this?

He knew he'd be able to afford it, but, damn…this was asking for a lot.

Sighing, he strode into the main entrance of the building, eyes instantly locking on to the three huge chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling above. The massive cylindrical lighting reflected off of the dark granite-tiled floors and lit up the buttery-leather seating area off to the right, which was equipped with a coffee maker and simple magazines littered across the coffee table.

There wasn't a front desk in sight, Deidara noted.

He continued walking, finally noticing a door labeled Sales Rep and gently knocked three times.

"Please, come in," came a soothing voice.

Grabbing the knob and twisting it, the blonde opened the door and his gaze landed on a man in a regular grey and white suit. His long, raven-black hair was pulled into a low-ponytail that draped delicately across the left shoulder, and his piercing, onyx eyes gave the man sitting in front of him a once over before smiling broadly. "What may I help you with today?"

As soon as Deidara was about to explain his reasons for even entering the building, the man laughed lightly. "My, how rude of me. I should introduce myself first," he cleared his throat and stood up, his height a good three to four inches taller than the blonde. "My name is Itachi Uchiha. I'm the sales representative of this apartment complex. This particular complex was just recently renovated to accompany the growing expansion of the city. As you may know, this location is desired by many people for its local dining and shopping, its up-to-date technology, and, most importantly, its short distance to the HQ building of Iwa Stratos. What building we are in right now is just the company's, where people come to make payments and sign the papers. Now, what is your name, sir?"

"Deidara Hayashi," they exchanged handshakes. "It's a pleasure to me you, Mr. Uchiha, un."

"Formalities aren't my thing when it comes to people that are around the same age as me," the raven-haired guy smiled as he sat back in his plush, dark leather swivel chair. "Just call me Itachi. And please, have a seat."

"Thanks, un," Deidara perched himself in one of the chairs facing the huge desk, noticing how clean and organized the stacks of paper were. There were a few seconds of awkward silence until Itachi finally broke it with another clearing of his throat. "So, as I asked before, what may I help you with today?"

"Well, I'm looking for an apartment, un," the blonde began. "And one of my friends recommended this place, un, and I-"

"That tick you have," Itachi interrupted him, extending his index finger in his direction, "is it normal?"

Clueless, Deidara blinked his cerulean blue eyes. "Um…I beg your pardon, un?"

"There, you did it again."

"I don't know what you're talking about, un."

"You did it again."

"Um…what, un?"

"You say 'un' at the end of nearly every sentence," Itachi finally explained, sounding somewhat annoyed. "I was just wondering if that's normal or not."

"Oh…it is, un," Deidara exclaimed, feeling flustered from embarrassment. "I've had this ever since I was little. Most people just ignore it, un."

"It's fine, no need to get embarrassed, I was just wondering," the raven-haired boy reached down, opened a drawer, and extracted a folder filled with papers. He slapped it onto the desk and turned the beige cover over. "So, you said you're looking for an apartment and your friend recommended this place. Why is that?"

"Well, I recently just accepted a job at Iwa Stratos, and I also just got out of Graduate School and had to move back in with my parents, so I'm hurryingly trying to find a place of my own, un," Deidara explained, shifting slightly in his seat.

"Oh, that's terrific news! What job position did you get?" Itachi began to sift through the papers, onyx eyes scanning the different apartments that were for sale. Deidara cleared his throat, not sure if he should tell a complete stranger about what job he just got.

But something about this man gave him the impression that he could trust him.

However, he wasn't quite expecting the reaction he got when he said, "Co-CEO."

Itachi immediately froze in place, the paper he was just about to grab slipping from his fingertips. He slowly turned a wide gaze to the blonde. "How did you, a recent graduate of Grad School, manage to land the job of co-CEO at the worldly known Iwa Stratos? Not even those that work in the lower fields can even get a chance like that."

"You sound like my friend when I told him, un," Deidara leaned back in his seat. "I majored in Business and went to Grad School for it, as well."

"That doesn't mean you can get a high-ranked job like that so quickly," the other boy exclaimed. "If you landed a job like that, you must know someone in the company."

"You're one of the few who actually figured it out, un," the blonde smirked, quite surprised by how easily this man was reading him. Hidan had only freaked out at the pay, not necessarily at the job.

Because he knew why Deidara had received the job so easily.

"Okay, then tell me this," Itachi leaned on his forearms for effect. "Who do you know in the company that allowed you to get that job?"

"None other than the owner himself, Saburo Iwa."

"And may I ask what your relationship with Mr. Iwa is?"

The blonde smirked, crossed his arms over his chest, and calmly said, "He's my uncle, un."

Itachi nearly fell out of his seat, looking like he was trying to grasp the situation but was doing a horrible job doing so. His eyes grew to the size of disks. "Y-your uncle?!"

"My mother's maiden name is Iwa. She married a man whose last name is Hayashi, un," Deidara explained. "Due to my uncle and my high-ranked Business degree, I was immediately offered the job of co-CEO alongside my cousin, Ino. But I would love if that information was kept solely between us, un."

"O-of course, Mr. Hayashi," the raven-haired guy straightened his tie before continuing. "So…obviously with your pay, you can easily afford one of our apartments?"

"Yes, quite easily, actually, un. However, I was hoping if I could look at having someone live with me to split the costs."

"You mean you want a roommate?"

"Precisely, un."

"Surely someone with your pay wouldn't mind spending a few extra thousand here and there to live the life of luxury, right?"

"I grew up not living the life of luxury, Itachi," Deidara exclaimed, leaning forward in his seat. "My mother did not want the Iwa name to follow her after she married, un. It isn't that we lived paycheck to paycheck, but I was taught to use my money wisely, on experiences rather than materialistic things. Yes, I can afford one of your apartments on my own, but if having a roommate would make it cheaper, by all means, allow me to sign the papers, un."

It was at that exact moment that Deidara realized he wanted to live in one of the apartments, and he wouldn't mind having a roommate. If he picked the right place, he'd have enough space of his own inside without having to deal with the other person.

"Okay, well, if you want to do that, I am happy to help. Did you have anyone in mind you'd like as your roommate?" Itachi pulled out a pen from the breast pocket of his jacket and a piece of paper that said Roommate Application on top and set them both on the desk, clicking the pen open.

"Actually no, un. I was just gonna wing it and see what it would be like to live with a stranger."

"You don't mind filling out our survey for that?"

"My friend already explained to me what all I'd have to go through to get a roommate, un. I wouldn't mind."

"…Alright, here it is," he handed Deidara another piece of paper, the writing looking exactly like what he had to do back when he had been registering for college as a freshman. He extracted a pen from his bag and began answering the questions.

Would your place be a lively place?

Are you allergic to any animals? If yes, please list.

What are your hobbies?

Are you more introverted or extroverted?

Do you smoke?

The blonde sighed as he filled in the survey.

Why was he doing this to himself? He hated the process the first time, so why was he allowing himself to do it again?

Giving the finished paper to Itachi, he just prayed the guy would find someone he would actually be okay living with.

Glancing at the answers quickly, Itachi placed the paper on the desk, smiling at the man in front of him. "Okay, now that we have that taken of, why don't we start looking at which apartment you'd like."

Sighing, Itachi flipped the folder shut. The clock read 7:50 and, knowing traffic, it would take him a good hour to reach his house.

Perks of living in the suburbs.

He had just spent a grueling two hours discussing apartments with Deidara Hayashi, finally coming to the conclusion that the blonde wanted a penthouse.

For someone so modest with his money, he sure doesn't mind splitting the cost for luxury.

He closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair.

Deidara Hayashi was related to the infamous Saburo Iwa himself. Hell, the company name was called Iwa Stratos!

Not very many people would be able to hide that fact.

So how is a 24 year old punk doing it so well?

Lost in thought, it took Itachi a couple of seconds to realize his phone had been ringing. Surfacing from his haze, he pulled out his phone and smirked at the Caller ID.

He pressed the green icon and speaker and set it on his desk. "Why, Sasori, long time no talk. How long has it been? Three, four years?"

"Try only six months, asshole," came the annoyed response. "I've been busy with life."

"Same here, but at least I stay in contact with my friends," the raven-haired boy exclaimed. "But, any who, why is it that you're calling?"

"I heard you moved up to Sales Rep in your company and I happen to be looking for a place."

"Pein finally get tired of you?"

"…I don't need your snide remarks, Uchiha, I just need your help," Sasori's voice had grown more angry now. Itachi chuckled. "My, is this how friends speak to each other? Not from what I remember."

"Dammit, if you're not going to help, I'll take my business elsewhere and you can explain to your boss why you lost a sale!" the other guy screamed into the phone, causing the reception to static slightly. Nothing was said for a few seconds, and Itachi heard the redhead cough. "I'm sorry, I just…yes, Pein is getting tired of me. With everything I do, his place can't hold both of us down much longer. I need a space of my own that isn't too expensive but has the amount of space I'm looking for. So that's why I'm coming to you for help."

"What is it about my apartments that interest you?"

"Location and space; that's all I need."

"But with my apartments comes a pretty penny. You sure you can afford a place like these on your own?"

"What are you getting at, Itachi?" the raven-haired boy smirked. "I'm suggesting that maybe you could look at living with someone to help split the cost."

"Like hell am I getting a roommate!" Sasori screamed. "I've been out of college for four years now! And from past experiences, having a roommate never ends up good!"

"However, you want one of my apartments," Itachi explained. "Due to their prime locations and spacious floor plans. We both know that on your own, your paychecks would barely cover each month's costs. But with someone else's help, you could live in one of these. The choice is yours. No other place offers what I can and am offering you."

Silence filled the other end and he began to wonder if the other had hung up when a sigh echoed in the tiny room. "Fine…I'll settle for a roommate."

"Good. Shall we fill out the survey over the phone or would you like to come into my office and do it personally?" without realizing it, an air of huskiness had grown over the raven-haired boy's voice. He smirked again. "I wouldn't mind either way, but if you came into the office and entertained me, I'd give you an offer you couldn't refuse."

"Save the sexual innuendos for Kisame, Uchiha," Sasori barked, annoyance prominent. "I'll fill the survey out over the phone. I want to know something, though."

"And that is?"

"Who would I be rooming with?" Itachi extracted the form he had just filled out with Deidara, a smile quirking at the side of his mouth. "That's for me to know and you to find out in five days. Though the person I have in mind is interested in a penthouse."

"Wow, going big, huh? Just who is this guy, Itachi?"

"Oh, believe me," the raven-haired guy clicked his pen open. "You're in for a hell of a treat."