PART 2

Sasori's engine was acting funny. It rattled around and scared him half to death, so naturally he pulled it over and took a look at it and found nothing wrong. Everything was perfect, just the way he liked it, but when he pulled out again the rattling was back. His anxiety mounted when his second inspection turned up no result, so he took it into the shop where the blond boy looked it over once more.

Sasori waited patiently outside, watching the sky turn dim as the day turned into night. The dance would soon be starting. It would be the lamest thing ever if he showed up without a car like an absolute square. Worse yet, Sakura would be there without him.

"I found the rattle," Naruto said.

Sasori turned quickly, hating how impatient he seemed. "What was it?"

"A rattle."

"Don't play with me, boy."

Naruto looked like he wanted to say something mean, but he swallowed his anger and held up something for Sasori to take. "No, it was really a rattle, like a baby's rattle stuck in your car. Someone must have put it there to drive you crazy, or you had a kid in there recently and lost it."

Sasori snatched up the rattle and cursed. It had Deidara's name written all over it (not literally) as it was something the blond would do. Of course it had to be tonight that his friend decided to go rouge and play the sabotage card. Deidara was probably already dancing with Sakura if the dance had truly started.

"Hey, aren't you going to that dance? If you don't leave soon you'll miss most of it," Naruto needled, not caring if Sasori left in a frustrated huff. Naruto was working, so it wasn't like he could go. Shrugging, Naruto added, "You'd better agitate that gravel."

"I'm going," Sasori growled, storming past.

By the time he got his car off the lift and onto the road the sun was far below the horizon and the stars were peaking out. It would be late when he got there, but not too late. He wouldn't miss it, not with the way he drove.

The radio didn't play much he could pay attention to, but before too many songs had passed he was pulling onto the old road, following the sound of jive and sight of twinkle lights.

He got out, slammed his car door shut a paused. What did he look like. He turned on his heel to look himself over in the mirror of his car before switching the the figure of his reflection in the glass. His hair was a mess. He had meant to style it, but maybe Sakura liked his hair wild and messy. His shirt was a little wrinkled, but with his leather jacket, it wasn't even obvious. Did Sakura care? Did she have a preference? Did she have a type?

Still, without an idea of style preference, he had to admit there was no way she could see Pein as being more handsome or attractive than he. Deidara was too feminine, Hidan too obnoxious to stare at too long, and the Uchiha boys were too cold to feel good around even if they were both classically handsome. No, he didn't have a need to worry.

"You heading in?" a sultry voice moved from the hood of a nearby car.

Sasori saw a high school girl in a poodle skirt with her legs wrapped around a letterman jock that was shooting daggers at Sasori. The boy in the letterman jacket growled low, yanking his girl closer. She laughed and reached back down to kiss him on the mouth and that shut him up long enough for Sasori to slip by without drawing any more attention.

As if he wanted any attention from a girl that wasn't Sakura. The thought might have made him laugh if it wasn't so repulsive. If he was handsome, it was only for one girl.

The dance hall is nothing more than the blackened bones of what used to be a multi purpose recreational hall, but no one knows it as anything other than the dance hall. When Sasori steps in, Sakura is already there, spinning in the arms of another man.

Pein.

He holds her close to his chest, her back to him with her arms crossed over her chest. She's still for less than a moment before he pulls on her arms and she's spinning out, a blur of pastel colors and in heels and bare ankles. She's smiling, and it's all Sasori can do to keep his heart from bleeding at the sight of her. She pivots on a dime, hips shifting, and they're back together, dancing at a rapid pace that keeps them live like lightning.

She's too beautiful.

It looks like she took his advice and went for something more feminine and soft as opposed to the ripped up jeans and plain white tees she famously fought in alongside any of them. Her dress flared generously, enough that her thighs peaked through on the most wild of spins, and her legs were dynamite for it. He couldn't see how she styled her hair, but it was up at least, and something in it sparkled in the fairy lights.

Sasori felt his chest contract and his heart pinch when he saw Pein hold her close again. Their faces were so close and he didn't doubt the older male was just drinking her in. Pein hadn't looked away from her for a second for all the time Sasori had been watching him-not that he blamed him. If he was that close to Sakura, or even if he wasn't, there really wasn't anything he would rather be looking at.

The set ends and the the song fades as partners changing. A few slip off the dance floor to catch their breath, but Sakura still stands, a testament to her endurance. Sasori seizes his chance and heads in her direction, but he's a salmon swimming upstream as the couples brush past the time he gets close enough to call out to her with his voice, Deidara is alreayd there, saying something sassy to Pein as he holds Sakura from behind, on hand on her shoulder, the other on her wrist.

Deidara was touching her.

THe blond caught sight of Sasori approaching and tittered a laugh, pulling Sakura away. "Ah, watch out, bird. It looks like the scorpion is out and looking to sting. I don't want you getting pinched." He held her close as the band came back together, preparing their next set.

"You owe me an explanation about what was left in my car," Sasori bit, hating how lucky the blond was to share his space with her while she didn't seem to care. In face, she watched their exchange with only subtle interest. Behind them, the band began to play.

"Ah, would love to chat, friend, but the music is playing our song. Gotta skat."

Deidara laughed and pulled Sakura along, tugging on her wrist and waist, turning her around just as the first words came out for them to dance to. Sakura fell into it quickly, and Sasori felt himself being tugged off the dance floor towards the sidelines where boys and girls waiting for their chance lingered.

"You might want to tone it down, kid. You look ready to murder someone."

Sasori looked left to see Pein leaning against a table with home backed goods donated by the kids attending. He didn't look interested in the deserts. Pein actually looked bored, now that he wasn't dancing with Sakura. Sasori didn't doubt their dance was his main (if not sole) reason for coming to the dance in the first place.

"You look like you want a fist in the face, but does that mean I have to punch you? No." Sasori bit out his words and slouched aggressively against the table, looking ready to spring in an instant if the need arose.

"Testy, are we?"

"Suck a rock, metal face," Sasori barked.

Pein merely hummed in reply, picking up a piece of se salt toffy to hold between his fingers. It was blue, unlike the others, and curious looking. "Oh, I'm sure if I had remembered to ask her, she would have said she missed you, but to tell you the truth, what little we talked about led me to believe she couldn't care a dime whether you showed up or not. I don't think she thinks about you at all."

Sasori snorted. "What, and you're any different? Between the two of us, I'm not worried. Sakura does have a level of taste, and she's found you lacking, or else she wouldn't look so pleased to run to the brat's arms for her next dance."

"You're in quite the mood, tonight, aren't you?" Pein said, dropping the blue colored salt water taffy into the bowl again. "But who wouldn't be in a mood when they come up short, yet again?" Pein shook his head when Sasori raised a dismissive eyebrow that taunted with a 'she still hasn't chosen you' type of message. "Don't think you could be what I'm not to Sakura. I'm no worse for her than you."

"You're no better, either."

Behind the two boys, the song jumped and Sakura is a spin of colors held at the ends of Deidara's hands. She laughs once before falling into his steps.

Pein shrugged. "Maybe, but I had two dances with her and I held her close for two songs worth and the warmth of her still lingers on inside of me. What can we say of you?"

Sasori wanted to swing and he wanted to hit and he wanted to see Pein go down. If not for the taunting, than for the fact that he already had two close dances with Sakura while Sasori was left with empty hands. It killed him to think of her with another guy, but what made it worse was the way his brain took that thought and transformed it into something else, something that whispered, 'she wanted to be with Pein' over and over again. He hated how insecure he was, and the confidence of his gang leader was a trait he gladly wished to see destroyed.

"One of these days I will deck you."

Pein hummed, picking up a sand colored piece of sea salt taffy and clenching it in his fist. "If that's what helps you sleep at night, so be it." Then he walked away.

Sasori felt his arms shake and he didn't know if it was from fear or anger, so he made a quick bee line for the wall that was left mostly exposed. He stepped outside and breathed deep, hoping to calm his nerves. Moments later, a heavy hand jerked his shoulder down.

"You said you wanted to see me."

Sasori punched Deidara in the stomach and the blond rolled backwards, coughing and hacking in an effort to breath. It wasn't enough to do serious damage, and Deidara laughed it off as he climbed to his feet.

"Ah, I guess I deserved that. I really wanted my dance though and I knew if I was behind you-ah, well, I'm sated for the night. Sorry, not sorry about your car."

"You're on dangerous ground here. When you interfere with my things."

"Sakura's not your thing."

"I wasn't talking about her. You sabotaged my car."

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but you're not mad about that. You're only pissed about it keeping you from dancing."

Sasori shifted the weight of his body from one foot to the other, fingers itching for a smoke. "So?" He looked away and waited before saying anything more, least he look less composed then he wanted to.

"You gonna deck me again or are we good?"

"I'll hit you again sometime latter. For now I would much rather conserve my energy." He glared look over at the blond with narrowed eyes. "Who did you leave her with?"

"You mean who is she dancing with." Deidara looked like he wanted to laugh as he pointed back over his shoulder. "Take a look at the gorilla yourself."

Sasori stepped back into the burned out dance hall and saw Hidan standing a head above everyone else, turning and holding Sakura like she was a china doll. It was hilarious to see him so considerate when only days ago they were arm wrestling with their bloody hands after a knife fight. Seeing her so nice must have set him off.

Normally Sasori would feel anger at Sakura in the arms of another, but the look on Hidan's face almost made it worth it. He had no idea how to treat a lady.

"You going to go in next? She'll need a rest soon."

That was true. Sure, it seemed like Sakura could go on forever in a fight, she never seemed to tire in front of them, but she was only human. She would need to rest soon. Even some of the best of them could only go a few more turns before needing to stop and catch a breath. He wanted to dance with her before that.

The song wound down and slipped into something slower and softer. Sasori started to move, insisted on being her next partner, but then a dark horse came out of nowhere. Sasori froze where he stood as Itachi slipped in, disarming Hidan with a simple stare. The larger of the two males back up and laughed nervously while Itachi tugged Sakura into his arms for a slow dance.

Sasori wanted to interrupt, but not when it came ti Itachi. Aside from that, Sasori knew Itachi didn't hold any special attraction towards Sakura, but respected her enough to hold her at a distance.

"You're not going to go in there and try to break them up?" Deidara asked.

"I'll wait."

Sasori turned to leave but caught shoulders with someone walking by. He growled and the jock spun on his heel to bare his teeth. "You!" the jock in the letterman jacket bit out. "Watch where you're walking."

Behind him, Deidara stiffened. Lettermen were punks who liked to think they owned things and places that they had no claim to. Sasori recognized the jock in front of him. He was the same ass-wipe that was smooching up his girl outside. He looked like he wanted to pick a fight with Sasori.

"You have something you want to say to us?" Deidara asked, standing shoulder to shoulder with Sasori.

The letterman opened his mouth to say something but a shadow fell over them and he looked up at Hidan's towering figure. The jock swallowed and took a step back. "You don't own this place."

"And you do?" Deidara taunted, flipping a hand over his shoulder.

"Don't count us out. You're maybe a bit on the tough side, but you're slow as old dogs. Don't think this is over."

"Do we need to make this 'over' sweetie?" Hidan asked, cracking his neck.

"Don't try to two step me, gorilla."

Hida's grin was frightening. "Come on, shrimp. Let's take this outside, just you and me." Hidan reached for the jock and hooked him around the neck before dragging him towards the wall that was burned through.

Sasori watched them go, but didn't stare too long as the jock's friends came over and got the same kind of treatment from Hidan. It looked less than pleasant, but Sasori wouldn't worry as long as they were jocks. Jocks never carried knives and Hidan was too much meat on one body to take a hit worth taking from any of the shrimp in jackets.

"Dang, you missed it."

Sasori turned quickly when he heard Deidara's exclamation. "What?"

"Itachi just handed her off mid song to his cousin. That was his whole angle. You know Shishu might be sweet on her."

"Might is a relative term," Sasori ground out. Shishu was sweet on anything in a skirt with legs. Sakura was too good for him, and he wanted to fix that, but Itachi was still close, keeping an eye on his cousin.

The song was nearly over when Shisui leaned too close and Sasori decided that it was worth Itachi's ire to cut in. He was across the room before Sakura could push Shisui away herself and pulling her into his arms.

"The doll owes a dance to me," Sasori said, holding Sakura close. She was balancing on one heel, pulled tight against his chest with one hand on his shoulder and the other caught by the wrist. He could smell her, she was so close.

Shishu opened his mouth to say something else, but the song ended and people were laughing at something the lead singer said. Itachi was coming over as well and his hand was reaching for the back of Shishu's collar. Shishu held up his hands as his cousin pulled him back.

"Sakura," Itachi's calm voice pinned her in place. "I apologize for my cousin's lewd behavior."

"It wasn't lewd, I was just-ehk." A shake from Itachi cut off his words.

Itachi glared at Shishu before sighing. "It won't happen again." He nodded to Sasori, and then pulled his cousin away. The unspoken message was apparent. 'Take care of her.'

Sasori looked down and his breath caught. Her cheeks were a healthy flush of red and her eyes were shining in the fairy lights. Her hair had been bunned back but was starting to come undone and the whole look made her wild and ethereal in his arms.

He nearly dropped her when he lost feeling in his arms. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab you like that."

Sakura laughed. "Nah, you're fine." She rolled her shoulders and Sasori saw too much of her collarbone to be uninterested. She was finely sculpted in far too many ways, and by the way she was eyeing him, she knew it.

The band behind them began to warm up and he recognized the tune they were beginning to tune to. "You know this song?"

"It's fast paced," Sakura hummed, bouncing on the heels of her feet.

Sasori shivered. "If you need to rest-"

Sakura grabbed him and pulled him to the dance floor, swinging him around. 'He was a famous trumpet man from out Chicago way,' the ladies cooed from on stage. Sakura bent her knees and swiveled her hips along with her shoulders. Sasori moved in the accommodate her steps with his own before she pulled him close and held him as they jumped in time.

Sasori could taste her breath as the matched the rapid beat and twisted into it. Her hands reached for him and her eyes were green fire when he touched her hips.

He had a boogie style that no one else could play. He was the top man at his craft…but then his number came up and he was gone with the draft.

Sakura pulled him close, getting ready to jump and spin away again, but her voice was there in his ear. 'He's in the army now, a-blowing reveille, he's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B.'

Sasori's mind went blank when he felt her playful kiss, and somehow his body went through the rest of the motions until the song was over, but it was a beautiful blur in his mind after her lips made contact with the side of his face. He was floating off as the band re set and Sakura dragged him by the wrist. Someone was coming up, no doubt wanting to take her away again, but there was no way he was letting go of her now.

The music was paused as people laughed and clapped, but he was growling in her ear so close there was no way she wouldn't be able to hear him. "You shouldn't have done that. Now there's no way I'm letting anyone else dance with you tonight."

Sakura only laughed before poking the end of his nose. "You think that scares me, bugle boy?"

PAN:/ART III coming soon? Maybe. I like how it ended, but I had an idea for more.

(Yes, this is loosely tied to Kingdom of Man, but it makes sense even if you haven't read KOM, so anyone can enjoy the SasoSaku goodness.)

-vesper chan