Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Sakura changed out of her "uniform", tossing the dress into the open locker haphazardly to join the wig and shimmying into her carefully laid out red dress. She had a date tonight, and she wanted it to go well. Being a workaholic was evidently good for work, but not so much for relationships. She briefly entertained the thought of going in the short dress that made up her uniform, but immediately realized that that would be incredibly stupid seeing as she was trying to make a good impression, not make him think she charged twenty an hour. Sweeping her hair (which she had loosely curled especially for the occasion) into a ponytail, she dusted her eyelashes with shimmering gold powder that matched the embroidery on her dress, then gave herself a once-over. Pleased, she turned, stepped into her strappy red heels, and left the women's locker room that only she occupied.

She had hoped that all of the men had left, but, when she swung open the door, she saw that that was not the case. The Akatsuki men lounged in various places around the café. Hidan suddenly looked up, right at her, and took in her appearance. A slow grin spread over his face and he nodded.

Sakura swore at her stupidity. She should've known better than to let it slip earlier that she had a date. Of course they would be there.

The rest looked up as they all seemed to sense the change in Hidan's atmosphere. Kisame let loose a low, appreciative whistle, and there were some nods of agreement. Sakura fidgeted under their close scrutiny.

"Turn."

Sakura looked at Itachi, shocked. He rarely said more words than necessary, and never initiated. Usually, he just stayed behind in the kitchen, cooking the pastries and cakes that the costumer ordered, intently focused, while the female customers crowded by the counter in front, trying to catch a glimpse of him through the gaping window (Kakuzu added it. "Good for business" he said. Sakura didn't think that women were that shallow, until she saw the crowd of girls, young and old, swooning and sighing in front of it and crying out when he left for necessities such as bathroom breaks and food).

"W-wha-?"

She swore she saw him roll his pitch black eyes. "Turn," he repeated.

Dumbfounded, she spun around in a quick circle, feeling the dress lift slightly and twirl around her legs.

"Do you like it?" Kisame asked.

"Hn."

Kisame grinned widely, giving her a two-thumbs up sign. "He likes it!"

"What do you do for a living?" Sakura smiled politely, taking a sip of her white champagne. Appetizers hadn't even been served and already she could tell this was going to be a bust…

"Huh? What?"

considering he did nothing but gawk at hers.

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She kept the fake smile plastered to her face and repeated, "What do you do for a living, Ichirou?"

"Oh, well, I'm sort of taking a break from work…"

"Ah…" The conversation died right there. Beneath the table, Sakura deftly texted Ino. In seconds, her phone rang, and she picked it up, holding up a polite, but unnecessary finger to signal that she needed a minute and smiling apologetically. She nodded her head to an invisible conversation, gasped, and furrowed her brow. Clicking her cell phone shut, she stood up, grabbing her coat, and said regretfully, "I'm sorry. Something important's come up. I'll need to cut our dinner short."

"Oh, no, that's, uh, perfectly all right." Ichirou stuttered hastily.

"Maybe you can call me sometime…? I really need to go. Good bye." Sakura sped out of there, not giving him time to point out that she didn't leave him a number to call.

BREAK

Sakura called a cab, getting in and slamming the door shut.

"Where to?"

Sakura, whose eyes had fluttered shut, sighed. She didn't want to go home. It always so alone and empty; an unavoidable reminder of her of her alone- and empty-ness. She couldn't go to Ino's. She was out on a date with Hidan. Without thinking about it, she muttered, "Akatsuki Café."

"You know they're going to be closed, right…?"

"Yes. Akatsuki Café." She opened her eyes, daring him to object. The cab driver shrugged, pulling away from the curb, figuring that it was okay if she was a little wacko, so long as she paid him.

Deidara unlocked the door, stumbling in. Tossing his coat onto a nearby stool, he made his way over to his room, a small space in the back of the café, beside the woman's locker room. His eyes drifted shut and he swayed from exhaustion. All he wanted to do was sleep. He grabbed the door handle, twisting it and pushing against it with his body.

The sharp light blinded him for a moment. His arm shot up to try and block the rays from assaulting his irises any further, and he heard a scream. Gradually, Deidara's eyes adjusted, and he peered around. "New girl, un?"

Sakura shot up from her place on the floor, leaning against the lockers, and her eyes widened. "D-Deidara?! What are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes. "I could ask you the same thing, un."

"Answer me first."

"Alright. I live here."

Her head tilted and she chewed on her lower lip, pursing her lips slightly. Deidara couldn't help notice that she looked positively adorable.

"What?"

"Yeah. I live here, un. Haven't you ever wondered what that door was? The one right next to the women's locker room? The one that's always locked? That's my room, un."

"Why don't you – "

"Get an apartment? Why should I? If I can live here, then why not, un? Now. What are you doing here, un?"

Sakura sighed. "Bad date."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you came here, un?"

She shrugged, pointing to her locker, the door of which hung ajar. "I left my jeans here."

For the first time, Deidara looked at her and what she was wearing. She had makeup on, her hair curled, and a nice, elegent dress. Of course she had been on a date. "How did you get in?"

She held up the spare key. "Hidan's too lazy to put it somewhere safe. It was in the crack under the flower pot by the front door."

Deidara nodded in understanding. "Get changed. I'm gonna go have a drink, un. You can join me if you want." And then he left.

Sakura stared at the door for a moment before shrugging off her dress, slipping on a t-shirt, and stepping into her jeans. Silently apologizing to the beautiful gown (a present from her father for her graduation and internship, it had never been worn out before tonight. For some reason, she thought she was failing it to take it out for such a meager excuse for a date) she hung it on the hook in the cramped and not-too-clean locker and walked out.

Sakura giggled, downing her sixth glass of whiskey since the bottle had been opened. She swayed a little on her bar stool. Deidara looked at her in amusement. "So, where were you?"

He sipped at his drink. "What do you mean, un?"

"I mean, I haven't seen you for the last few days. Where were you? Out on an extravagant vacation with a lover, perhaps?" Why did her heart jump when she said that?

He peered at her, glass half raised, before closing his eyes and taking a gulp of whiskey. "My mother's funeral."

She stopped giggling to herself, immediately sobering up to some extent. "Oh… I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "I don't understand why people say they're sorry for things like this, un. It's not like they did it, so what do they have to be sorry for?"

Sakura was taken aback. "How can you be so… so cold? Your mother died! Aren't you a little sad? I was heartbroken when my father – " she stopped.

Deidara put down his glass, turned, and stared at her intently. "My mother died because she was too stupid to leave a man like my dad, un. It wasn't your fault, it wasn't my fault, and it certainly wasn't my sister's fault, even though she thinks so. She wasn't much of a mother anyway, un. Do you know what she did when she found out I ran away?"

She didn't respond.

"She opened a glass of champagne and threw a party, un. That's the kind of person she is. The kind of person she was."

Sakura averted her eyes from his intense gaze. Softly, she said, "You said you had a sister…"

Deidara loosened up and turned away again, the corners of his lips turning up in a slight, almost nostalgic smile. "Nayomi… She's thirteen. The sweetest little girl you'll ever meet, un. She's the best thing that ever happened to our 'family'." He said the word with such disdain. Sakura wondered exactly what happened to Deidara to make him so bitter.

She took another gulp of whiskey absentmindedly, then began coughing forcefully when the burning liquid went down the wrong way. Deidara patted her on the back and she waved him off, choking out, "I'm fine…"

Recovering, she downed the rest of the whiskey. They sat, side by side, at the bar in an almost content silence. "So…" he started after a while, moving to face her.

"Mmm…" She fell over, her body thumping loudly onto the glossy wood floor. She moaned a little before laughing. He quickly bent over her and said, "Are you alright, un?"

She didn't reply. Lying there, staring into his eyes, she realized how amazingly unnerving they were. Gorgeous, gorgeous, clear, blue. Bright as the sea, and clear as ice. Staring at her. Staring through her. She leaned forward, and kissed him.

And then she passed out.

Next chapter up! Deidara returns, questions are answered, and people get drunk. How exciting. How cheesy. Review, please!

-Red