Hello, everyone! I think the chapter title speaks for itself, but I hope you enjoy the next one! Rate and Review, please! ^_^
Sasori ended the call and laid back against the pillows on his bed, amber eyes pointed at the ceiling, his critical gaze noting the random cracks and nail pops here and there. His room wasn't particularly big; it had the necessities, like a queen-sized bed, a desk, a dresser, and a nightstand, but that was pretty much it.
The rest of the space was filled with his puppets.
He wasn't sure when his obsession with puppets began; he just knew it had started around the time when he was 8.
Shortly after his parents had died in a car accident and his grandmother had to take care of him.
His grandmother had never really been home when he was growing up.
Maybe that's where his obsession had begun.
To bring an air of company to his childhood loneliness.
And shortly thereafter, his obsession sprung into a chaotic nightmare, taking over his life whenever he had free time from work.
He would spend hours upon days working on a single puppet, perfecting the joints, the limbs, making sure that no cracks or scratches ever surfaced on the perfectly polished wood. He had started out with small puppets, the ones they use to entertain children at young ages. But then, he grew impatient and tired of making such easy ones, that he quickly began making life-sized puppets, ones that required more care, more work.
For him, perfecting a life-sized puppet meant more to him than completing a new program for his company.
Thinking on that, he wasn't too sure why he had become a computer programmer.
Sure, he found the tedious work appealing; challenges had always thrilled him, even as a kid.
However, sitting at a desk for hours on end, staring at a bright screen while barely glancing in any other direction, slowly grew boring and the time would rapidly draw out to a melancholy rhythm that would cause any sane person to become crazy.
Yet, that was how his life had been for the past four years and wasn't likely to change any time soon.
Besides, he had a new issue to worry about.
The penthouse that he had just signed out for over the phone with Itachi.
That damn bastard, Sasori thought, gritting his teeth, he needs to cut the crap on those sexual innuendos. They piss me off.
The redhead will admit this: he was gay.
Knew he was when he had reached junior high.
And he was open about it, too. He didn't have a problem telling women that he was gay, especially any that tried to hit on him.
Something about women annoyed the living shit out of him.
Men were easier to read and understand and they told things like how they were; if they were angry at you, they would say something, if they wanted to go do something, they would tell it.
They didn't do what women do and give the silent treatment, hoping the guy would be able to read her mind, though everyone knows men are not mind-readers, and fix the situation.
They were straightforward and easy.
And Sasori found that very attractive.
He's had a few relationships over the years, but none that had meant anything to him.
Though he was gay, he was picky about the men he dated.
And guys like Itachi, who were openly gay, also, but very flamboyant about it, were not his favorite cup of tea.
Most of his friends weren't gay, but they sure as hell made fun of him for it.
He would often play-flirt with them because he knew they would never take the bait.
But when it came to actually poking fun at his gayness, he closed down rather quickly.
In this society, though it was acknowledged, being openly gay was still not very accepted.
And for Sasori, it made him very angry when people found entertainment in his predicament.
Maybe that was another reason he loved his puppets so much.
They didn't say or need anything.
Didn't judge him for how he acted or how he was.
Just sat there and looked perfect.
A new thought finally surfaced in his head.
He wondered who his roommate was going to be. Itachi hadn't said anything over the phone, just told him that he was "in for a hell of a treat".
Whatever the hell that meant, Sasori hadn't a clue.
All he knew was that they would be meeting in five days, so he hoped they would be able to get along.
If Itachi does everything right, he shouldn't have a problem at all.
A knock on the door aroused him from his thoughts and he stood up and walked over to the door, throwing it open. Pein stood on the other side.
"Who were you on the phone with just now?" he asked.
"Itachi," the redhead said bluntly. "If you must know, I just found a place so I'll be out of your hair soon.
"That's not what I was saying, Sasori," Pein exclaimed, eyes slightly widening. "We're both grown men with jobs. And as grown men do, we need places of our own. Believe me, I've enjoyed having you here, but I know, deep down, you wish for a space of your own, too."
Sasori knew he was right.
Pein was completely right.
He knew he was eventually going to need a place to call his own.
He just wasn't expecting it to be so soon.
"Well, I'm moving out completely in five days, so that's how long you have left to put up with me," he leaned against the doorframe, annoyance evident on his face. "Now, if you would please excuse me, I have a few more lines of coding I need to finish before tomorrow or my boss will have my ass."
Pein just sighed, eyes focusing on his friend. "Okay, have a good night. Oh, but hey!"
Sasori was about to close the door when his friend's sudden increase in volume had him turning back around. "What is it?"
"I got a call from Kakuzu a while ago," the spiky, orange-haired guy explained, "a bunch of us are going out for drinks this Friday night. Interested in going?"
"I don't necessarily care for drinking."
"Then don't drink; just show up and be social for once."
"I am social, Pein."
"Grumpily saying hi to people is not being social, Sasori," Pein chuckled lightly. "Seriously, though, just go. You might actually have fun."
"Whatever," Sasori closed the door without giving his friend an answer.
It was the next morning and Sasori's alarm clock aroused him from his slumber. He reached over and slammed the snooze button, groaning into his pillow.
It had been a horribly late night.
What had started as him just getting about 100 more lines done turned into him actually finishing the second level of the program. Racking his brain, he couldn't remember specifically what time he finally went to sleep, he just knew he had passed out some time after 3.
His boss will be happy with him, knowing that he finished.
But he sure as hell was tired.
And in need of some caffeine.
But due to the fact that Pein had no idea how to make coffee, and due to that fact, there wasn't a coffee machine, or even a Kuerig, in the apartment, he would have to run to the nearest café and grab an expensive cup of brown liquid.
He groaned, again, at the thought.
He was not looking forward to pointlessly spending money on a drink.
Yet, despite his distaste for doing so, he yanked the covers off of him and got up and got dressed.
Walking into the main entrance of the apartment, he grabbed his coat and scarf, put them on, and exited, locking the door behind him.
Once outside, he turned left and began to stride down the already bustling sidewalks. The café was only a few blocks down, and he didn't need to be at work for another hour, so he figured he could kill some time inside.
Stopping to wait at an intersection, Sasori wondered why he moved into the city in the first place.
He absolutely hated the constant honking of horns, the endless chatter of conversations scurried about amongst the crowds of people continuously moving up and down the streets, seeming as if they'll continue to walk into infinity and never stop. He hated the steam that would rise up occasionally from the sewage system below, adding a foul odor to the already polluted air that he breathed daily. And he certainly hated the rudeness that embellished nearly every human he ran into. There wasn't a day that went by without at least one person cursing at him or giving him the finger.
So why, if he hated all these things, did he allow himself to become embedded in the system?
Maybe it was mostly due to work, but he had other reasons.
Reasons he often pushed into the back of his mind.
Just as those thoughts were about to surface, the light signaled to walk, and his mind blanked as he crossed the intersection, eyes focusing on the café on the other side of the block, right at the corner.
From the looks of it, there didn't seem to be a line.
Thank God, Sasori thought, the one thing I didn't want to deal with in the morning was people.
He picked up his stride, the smell of coffee beans already reaching his now tantalized nostrils.
One thing was for sure: he loved coffee.
Nearly inhaled the drink whenever he got one.
Something about it, though there were excessive amounts of caffeine, relaxed him and made him prepared for the day ahead.
Reaching the café, he rushed over to the door and threw it open, bolting into the warm space when he accidentally barreled into a person exiting.
As they slammed into each other, Sasori made out the sound of a lid popping open and the splashing of liquid onto a surface. He moved away quickly and saw that the person had spilt their drink on themselves, and the contents were slowly soaking into their beige scarf. Noting the long blonde hair, he cleared his throat, slight embarrassment instantly etching his face. "I'm terribly sorry about that, ma'am."
"Do I look like a fucking woman to you, un?" came an oddly deep-voiced response. Surprised, the redhead whipped his face up to stare at the person.
And was immediately attracted by the view laid out before him.
Luck just didn't seem to be on Deidara's side recently.
Due to the fact that he had had a nearly two hour long meeting with Itachi the night previous, and his parents lived in the suburbs, it had taken him nearly three hours to get home, only to realize that he had needed to go to the HQ building and pick up some paperwork he needed to fill out before he started his job. So, he immediately had to come back and retrieve them, and then finally stay at home.
And just this morning, he had woken up with a random severe headache and, though he hadn't wanted to, he got up and got dressed and made his way by train into the city, knowing a cup of coffee from his favorite café would help relieve the pressure against his brain.
However, just as he was leaving the cozy space, some asshole had decided to come barreling inside and run smack into him, causing the lid on his cup to pop off, spilling the contents all over his favorite scarf, the beige color now permanently stained light brown.
And now, the dick head had decided to call him "ma'am".
"Do I look like a fucking woman to you, un?" he growled, anger slowly rising in his body. The other person lifted their head to make eye contact.
Deidara wasn't sure what to make of the guy standing in front of him.
For starters, they were around the same height, though he knew he was just a bit taller. After that, his cerulean blue eyes moved over the face, passing the surprisingly almond-shaped, light amber orbs, noting what looked to be black gauges in both ears and an industrial piercing in the right one, gazing at the piercing in the right eyebrow, and finally landing on the spiked snake bites against his lower lip. The guy also had short hair nearly the color of blood, with the tips dyed bright green, and wore clothes very similar to what everyone called a 'hipster'.
How old was this kid?
He had yet to answer the blonde's question, so he asked again, "I said, "Do I looking like a fucking woman to you, un"?"
The guy blinked a few times, then smirked. "Well with that hairstyle of yours, I wouldn't assume otherwise."
Even though he was now seething, Deidara caught a glimpse of another piercing on the redhead's tongue.
Just how many did he have?
Internally shaking his head, he grabbed the grey scarf wrapped around the man's neck, yanking his face close to his, despite the stares they were both now receiving. His face turned into a snarl. "You're going to pay for another one, asshole, un. And you're going to apologize for acting like a smartass punk."
"Now, now, we don't want to start a fight," the redhead's smirk grew into a devious grin. "I don't want to have to hit a girl."
The blonde tightened his fist to a near choking grip, his molars grinding together in an attempt to keep him calm. "Say that one more time. I fucking dare you, un."
Just as the guy was about to say something, probably another smartass comeback, they were interrupted by one of the employees, the one who makes the drinks. She placed a comforting hand on Deidara's shoulder. "Calm down, both of you. Here," she held out a newly made cup out to him, smiling, "this one is free of charge."
Letting go off the scarf, he grabbed the cup and muttered a, "Thanks, un."
She made her way back over to the counter, the people in the café still giving the two guys stares. Deidara glared at the redhead. "Don't create problems for yourself, kid. Won't get you anywhere, un."
"Kid? I'll have you know, I'm 25," the guy crossed his arms over his chest, giving him that same, annoying smirk as before. The blonde's grip on his coffee tightened slightly. "Then maybe it's about time you started acting like you are, un."
With that, he moved past the kid and walked out, entering into the crisp morning air.
Just who was that punk ass kid?!
Well, in actuality, that kid wasn't even a kid; he was a 25-year-old man.
At least a year older than he was.
Yet, the way he looked, dressed, and acted gave off the impression that he was still only a teenager.
If that asshole has a job, he wondered how he's maintaining it looking that way.
His cell phone rang in his pocket and he extracted it, noticing it was Itachi. He brought the speaker to his ear. "What it is, un?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to see your apartment? The staff worked all night getting it cleaned and ready for your move-in," the raven-haired guy's voice rang. Deidara looked at his watch. "I don't have anything planned right now, so I guess that will be fine, un. Mind if I bring my friend along?"
"Not a problem. See you in an hour?"
"An hour, un," with that, he ended the call and dialed a new number.
His best friend just might want to witness the spectacle, too.
"What happened do that scarf of yours?" Hidan asked, eyeing the light brown stain. Deidara looked down at it, sighing slightly at the remembrance of the incident at the café. "Ah, some punk ass knocked into me and I spilled my coffee."
"Fuck, sorry, man."
"It's not a big deal, un."
"Anyways, looks like you took my fucking advice, eh, Deidara?!" Hidan exclaimed, a near maniacal laugh escaping his throat. "Say, what was the deciding factor?"
"Location and space, un," the blonde said, eyes landing on the apartment complex, the top of the building grazing the sky. It was roughly 10:30 in the morning and the day, though it was mid-October, was surprisingly sunny. There were a few white, puffy clouds here and there, but other than that, the sun was shining down on the city, beating its warm rays against building windows, though the cold wind whipping through the streets did well in hiding the heat. Compared to yesterday, which had been grey and ominous-looking, it was a nice change.
"That's it? Those are pretty simple reasons," his friend remarked.
"Why can't they be the only reasons for you, un?"
"Because you decided to sign a lease on a penthouse, in a newly renovated, multi-million dollar apartment complex, owned by a very well-known housing company which specializes in selling houses and apartments that go for a million dollars or more," Hidan explained in one breath. "Location and space cannot be your only reasons."
"Unfortunately for you, they are, un," Deidara retorted. "I needed a place that was close to the HQ building and I needed space for all my stuff. This particular apartment complex was the only one that fit the bill, un."
"Okay fine; fuck the other reasons. But why did you sign for a fucking penthouse if we both knew you were looking to spend less money?" Hidan asked, running ahead to place himself in front of the blonde, his height towering over the latter's, who sighed. "I decided that if I was going to live in such an expensive apartment, I might as well go all out, un. Rarely do I have reasons for many of the decisions I make. I trust my instinct, un."
"That will get you into trouble, my friend."
"Since when did you become so philosophical, Hidan, un?"
"Oh shut the fuck up," came his friend's annoyed response. They reached the apartment and Itachi stood at the entrance, decked out in a now black and white suit, hair still in that low ponytail that now was draped over his right shoulder. He removed the black shades, revealing onyx eyes that glinted in the sunlight. He smiled widely when he saw the two other men appear. "Glad you could make it! Sorry for the sudden call."
"It's not a problem, un. I'm excited to see the place," they shared a firm handshake. Deidara raised a hand over to his friend. "This is Hidan, un. He was the one who advised me to come check the complex out. Hidan, this is Mister – "
"Itachi Uchiha," the silver-haired guy said, smirking.
Deidara blinked at him. "You know Itachi?"
"Hell yeah, I do!" Hidan walked over and clapped the raven-haired man on the shoulder. "He dates Kisame, Kakuzu's brother. I've known this bozo for about three years now."
"Your vulgar language hasn't changed a bit, Hidan," Itachi chuckled.
Deidara was still standing over by himself in shock.
The connections his friends had astounded him. Sure he was friends with Kakuzu and Hidan, but little did he know that both of them knew people that were only just recently introduced to him.
"Anyways," Itachi suddenly clapped his hands together, bringing the blonde out of his thoughts, "how about we go take a look at that penthouse?"
"Sounds good," Deidara was the first to enter the complex, walking down the long corridor until they reached the elevators. They slid open with ease at the push of the Up button and the three men walked in, quaint music filling the atmosphere as they moved up the levels.
"The penthouse, per your request," Itachi explained as they passed level 10, "has two stories with a 270 degree view of the city's skyline, given to you by floor to ceiling windows on every side. The two beds are on the second floor, with a conjoined balcony that overlooks the view. The kitchen comes equipped with an island able to sit up to eight people, if you and your roommate just so how happen to want to throw parties here and there."
"By the way, who is my roommate, un?" Deidara asked as the elevator passed the 15th floor.
"You'll find out on Sunday. Don't worry, I gave the same response to your roomie," Itachi smirked over his shoulder. "Now, continuing on; the living room is equipped with an electric fireplace that can heat the entire penthouse, so you don't have to waste heat during the winter. On top of that, your penthouse has been completely furnished, so it's move-in ready."
From beside Deidara, Hidan whistled lowly. "Damn, Deidara, when you said you'd go all out, you really fucking went all out."
"Furniture shopping is a waste of precious time, un," the blonde exclaimed, shrugging his shoulders as if it was a completely normal thing for people to buy move-in ready places.
Deidara hadn't planned on signing for a penthouse.
It had just happened.
Probably the biggest reason why he had signed for a penthouse was because he wanted to see as little of his roommate as possible. Therefore, a huge space was required to do so and no other apartment had been offering that kind of privacy he had been looking for.
A penthouse had seemed to be the only solution.
Suddenly, the elevator stopped moving, the glowing light illuminating the number 25. Itachi grinned as the metal doors quietly slid open. "We're here."
The three men were greeted by the sight of the only set of double doors on the entire floor. The raven-haired male swiveled around and grinned at Deidara as he handed him a set of keys. "Here's your ticket to paradise. Go and have a look see."
With that, the blonde moved forward and placed one of the keys into the lock, turning it until he heard a click. With a slight push, the doors opened widely, and he was instantly captured by the sight laid out before him.
The foyer was a spectacle in itself.
What started as a beige stucco hallway immediately opened into a circular room, the same beige-colored, vaulted ceiling equipped with a spherical-shaped chandelier, the walls made out of thin layers of brick. Under the chandelier sat a circular seating arrangement, the cushions made out of buttery brown leather. The white oak, hardwood flooring gleamed brilliantly under the bright LED lighting fixtures embedded in the ceiling around the chandelier. The walls were broken up by two hallways leading into different sections of the apartment.
"Holy fuck," Hidan breathed out behind the blonde.
"Told you you'd like it," Itachi moved to stand beside Deidara, a Cheshire Cat grin plastered on his face. "As you can see, there are two hallways you can choose to go into. Whichever one, you pick."
Without a word, Deidara stepped further into the foyer, eyeing the first hallway to the left. The hardwood flooring continued into what looked like a study, the back wall made entirely of built-in bookshelves, which were unsurprisingly empty, and a dark cherry wood desk sat off to the left, with two, comfortable-looking chairs sitting in front of it.
Not particularly interested in seeing the room further, the blonde hastily strode over and entered the only other hallway, the next room opening into the grand masterpiece.
The first thing Deidara felt was openness.
Just like what Itachi had said before, all the walls, save for the ones behind him, were made entirely of glass, the skyline of the city completely visible, the sun shining down onto the metal surfaces.
The living room was straight in front of him.
A giant, white leather, U-shaped couch perched in front of a 92" flat screen TV, which was mounted onto the white wall behind it, while underneath sat the electric fireplace, which was turned off at the moment. A glass coffee table was placed in front of the couch to allow easy access for drinks and books.
To the right was the kitchen.
The white oak hardwood continued from the foyer, into the living room, and embellished the kitchen area, gleaming under the four cylindrical lighting fixtures that hung delicately over the island, which had four bar stool-styled seats on both sides, the table and countertops made of tan granite.
"As you can see, the kitchen is made for those who can cook," Itachi explained, looking at the blonde. "You can cook, right?"
"Yeah, un," was all Deidara could muster up.
So far, nothing was disappointing him. The foyer was absolutely gorgeous, and the main part of the apartment was so open and big, he felt like he could shout to the sky and no one would give a damn.
Gazing around, his eyes found that the ceiling above the living room area had been cut out. Itachi must've followed his line of sight, for he chuckled lightly behind him. "The second floor has been built to have a view of the first, just to bring more openness to the layout. The windows continue up to the second floor, obviously, so your view won't be lost once you go to bed. However, the bathroom windows have been blacked out, so you can shower in peace, knowing that you can see outside, yet no one can see in."
"You fucking thought of everything, didn't you, Itachi?" Hidan was over by the couch, eyes glinting in awe at probably how soft the leather was.
"I'm not the interior designer. I just sell," Itachi shrugged his shoulders, but it seemed he took the compliment, anyways. He trained his onyx eyes on the blonde who was now over by the windows, his cerulean blue orbs scoping the life down below on the streets. "So Deidara…what do you think? This is your home now."
Thinking, if only for a second, Deidara turned around and gave the raven-haired male a huge grin. "It's perfect, un."