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darquedeath4444 · 4 years

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The Pain We Share

Chapter FIFTEEN

"Hey, Sakura-chan, wanna spar?"

Ever since Sakura's chakra collar happening, the limitation on her movements had unofficially been loosened. She still did not venture out, though Sasori wasn't sure if that was due to restrictions or if she simply did not want to, and she often visited the training grounds to mess around with Deidara.

Sasori followed to make sure nothing went wrong. Of course that was the only reason.

He and Deidara also began receiving more missions and patrols, and it was only then that Sasori realized just how much is workload had been lessened as Sakura adjusted to the hideout. Most of the members were willing to keep an eye on her while he was gone, and Sakura herself was more comfortable in the presence of those not him.

A large part of him was glad about that, and he ignored the tiny voice within him telling him that he might be a little jealous.

Because he wasn't.

The next step of Orochimaru's capture was slowly but surely planned. The intel gained from the Northern hideout had been fully analyzed and catalogued and there had been no retaliation from Orochimaru. here had been several raids on smaller bases and hideout they had managed to track down by other divisions within the nation.

However, after one massive operation, Orochimaru was sure to be cautious, and the wait was making everyone, not only Sasori, begin to feel impatient. He wasn't about to mess up their chance of capturing the snake, though, and he carried out his daily tasks and missions as diligently as he could.

Sasori sighed at the thought of his former partner. Up above the clouds, on the back of a flying bird and with the wind gently caressing his face, his thoughts often wandered to things he usually tried to not waste his time thinking of. The border he and Deidara had been assigned to was just as usual, and there was nothing to report.

They should be returning to the base soon.

Deidara was standing a little to his right, humming, arms crossed and looking straight as though he had conquered the world. Sasori had to admit, standing way above and looking down on the world did give one that feeling, but he was never going to tell Deidara that, especially because if he got too into the mood his blond partner started monologuing.

Sasori himself often just laid down. He never let his guard down enough to nap, but at least the wind felt nice enough for him to relax.

A while later, Sasori realized Deidara had stopped humming. He cracked an eye open, wondering if he had simply finished his tune.

"Hey Danna, do you see that?"

Sasori sighed and took a deep breath before he dragged himself up. "What?" He moved to stand beside his partner and scowled at the clouds obscuring their way.

"That...thing." Deidara pointed and Sasori squinted. He frowned.

"Why is there a house in the middle of a desert?"

"No idea, un. Is it even a house? It wasn't there the last time we flew over here."

"When was the last time again? Three weeks ago?" Sasori tried to remember if anyone had mentioned something like this, but nothing came to mind.

"Should we check it out?"

Sasori sighed. "Yeah."

Deidara changed the direction of his bird and they flew downwards. Sasori hopped off the moment it was safe to and he peered at the large structure standing a little away from them. "Is it made of sand?"

"Looks like it, un." Deidara landed behind him. He was tossing and catching a small ball of clay. "Should we explode it?"

Sasori fixed his partner with a blank look. "What if there's someone inside?"

Deidara shrugged. "Right."

The two of them did a quick circle around the structure and quickly realized that there was no entrance.

"This is so weird," Deidara muttered. "What is this thing?"

Sasori carefully placed a hand on one of the walls and channeled chakra through it. "It's solid," he said.

"Wow." Deidara held up his clay. "Should we explode it?"

Sasori frowned. "We should repo-" Suddenly, the ground beneath him seemed to shake. He quickly channeled chakra to his feet in order to keep his balance and grabbed Deidara, who didn't have such a skill, to keep him grounded as well.

"What's happening?" Deidara asked. The blond reached into his pouch and pulled out what Sasori recognized to be one of his birds. "Let's get out of here?"

Sasori nodded, but before his partner could transform his clay piece into a carrier the earth beneath them exploded. Both of them instinctively launched themselves into the air and Sasori raised his arms to his face to shield himself from the dust. Suddenly he felt a surge of killing intent and he saw something shoot out towards him. Before he could even react, the something grabbed him by the middle section and yanked him up into the air.

"Danna!"

Sasori could hear Deidara frantically calling his name, but it suddenly sounded far away. The thing around him squeezed, and he found himself struggling to breathe. He was tugged forward rather harshly, and he soon found himself danging before a young redhead. A redhead with green eyes and sand floating around him.

Sasori opened his mouth, but the hold around his middle tightened even more. He could not concentrate enough to call upon his chakra. He knew the sand should be manipulated through chakra, and he knew his control was good enough to disrupt the commanding flow. His lungs were screaming for air, and he struggled to even look up at his attacker.

Green eyes glared up at him and if Sasori hadn't been slowly dying, he would have been impressed with the thick eyeliner surrounding the boy's eyes. Now that he was closer, though, perhaps they were eye bags?

Finally, just as he thought he would lose consciousness, the hold loosened. Sasori took in a greedy gulp of air before he began to cough. He was roughly shaken, and he looked up with a glare. "I don't appreciate being manhandled," he wheezed out.

The boy's eyes flashed in rage, and Sasori wondered if he had met him before.

"Shut up," the boy snapped. "You have her! You took her! He told me all about it!"

Sasori blinked, thrown off. "What? Who?" He glanced down nervously noting that he was hanging a good distance from the ground and that his attacker was perched on a platform of sand.

His reply seemed to displease the male before him, for the grip of the sand tightened once more. "Do not play dumb," he seethed. "Give. Her. Back."

Sasori could see flashes of white before his eyes. "No idea what you're talking about," he managed to get out.

The grip loosened once more and he hung limply from its hold. "Give her back," came the one-sided reply, but it was the sudden softness in his tone that made him lookup. He didn't get to fully look, though, because there was a loud noise just to his right and the sand holding him up exploded. Sasori felt himself falling, and he landed unceremoniously on a familiar white surface.

"Danna?" Deidara asked.

"Look out," he breathed out, and they swerved suddenly to the side to dodge a huge sandy hand that swiped at them.

"What is that?" Deidara demanded as they sped away.

"A dangerous man looking for his ex," Sasori said, finally managing to catch his breath. "No idea, really."

From behind them, they heard a monstrous roar that slowly diminished in volume the further they flew, but the distance did nothing to take away from the pain within.

Sasori and Deidara remained in the air for a while longer, wary of being followed, but soon after the redhead vanished in a swirl of sand. With no way of tracking him, they flew back to base soon after and reported in with Nagato the moment they returned.

Whoever the redhead had been, he was dangerous and was most probably a threat.

"Is there anything in the archives?" Konan asked. She and Yahiko had been present when they had barged in.

"Nothing specific," Nagato said, flipping through a file. "Red hair is pretty common, though there isn't much about sand manipulation."

"He either looked like he could use a good nights sleep or needed to tone down on the eyeliner," Deidara said. "He looked insane."

"He was looking for a girl?" Yahiko asked. "Is there any chance he's related to Orochimaru?"

Sasori mulled over his thoughts for a while. "There is a possibility he was waiting to ambush us," he said slowly. "With his abilities, I doubt making a massive sand structure would be much of a problem."

Deidara frowned. "You think he set up where he knew we'd be flying over? Did he know we'd come down to investigate?"

"Maybe." Sasori took a deep breath. "You think he was after Sakura?"

"We could ask her if she knows any sleep-deprived redheads who have a thing for makeup," Konan suggested.

"You talking about Danna, un?" Deidara asked.

They found Sakura sitting on Sasori's bed with a leaf in her mouth.

Sasori watched Deidara pause before he shot forward in panic. "Sakura-chan!" He exclaimed. "You can't just put everything in your mouth! Most of Danna's plants are poisonous!"

Sasori scoffed when Sakura eyed the blond before she pointedly swallowed the green. "If you were hungry, you could have gone to the kitchen," he said.

Sakura turned to him before she hopped off the bed and hurried over to his side. "Welcome back," she said quietly. "How was your mission?"

Sasori ruffled her hair, before nudging her to sit back down. "It was interesting," he said. "There's something we need to ask you."

Sakura sat down and looked expectantly up at him.

"On our way back, we were ambushed," Sasori said, carefully observing the pinkette's expression. "Our attacker was a red-haired male who controlled sand."

Sakura blinked, then slowly looked away from him. She wrapped an arm around her stomach, and he saw the way her hand came up to rub at her wrist.

"You know him?" He asked.

The girl hesitated before she nodded. "Gaara," she said.

"What?" Deidara asked.

"His name," Sakura elaborated. "His name is Gaara."

"One of Orochimaru's?" Sasori guessed, though they all probably knew the answer.

Sakura nodded and hesitated again. Sasori saw the way her grip on her own wrist tightened to the point he worried she would bruise herself. He could feel the pressure through their bond, so she must have been hurting a little. "Gaara and I, we are very close," she said. "He was beside me from the very beginning. He was my," Sakura swallowed hard, "my first-ever friend."

Sasori watched her forcefully release herself, then run her hand over her wrist again. She was nervous.

"Orochimaru-sama knew this," she said. "When I disobeyed, he didn't hurt me."

"He hurt him," Sasori said slowly.

Sakura nodded, not looking up. "Yes."

"And when he disobeyed, he hurt you?"

Sakura nodded again. "At the beginning, Gaara and I were assigned partners. We were sent out on missions together. We were one of Orochimaru's best."

"You-both of you are so strong though," Deidara said in disbelief, and Sasori thought of the Gaara they had momentarily faced off against. "Why didn't you try to escape?"

"Because by the time we realized, Orochimaru long knew. We were each other's chain."

"He seemed to think we took you," Sasori said.

"I don't know why," Sakura replied. "He was probably told so to turn him against you."

"He was insane, un."

Sasori glared at his partner but Sakura did nothing more than wince. "Gaara cannot control himself," she told them. "There were quite a lot of people like that. The chakra they wield is so overwhelmingly powerful and no one helped them through the process of learning how to control it."

"More powerful than you?"

Sakura looked thoughtful. "I was one of Orochimaru's strongest, but Gaara...Gaara is an army by himself. "

Sasori nodded. "Will we have to worry about him coming after us?"

Sakura looked torn, and Sasori felt torn himself. Sakura had a companion when she was with Orochimaru. That thought itself put him at ease.

"If I can talk to him-" Sakura cut herself off. She took a deep breath, then tried again. "If I can just talk to him."

Deidara looked over the girl in worry, then turned to him. Sasori placed a hand on Sakura's head and gently ruffled her hair. "I'm going to report this, okay?"

He would have to regardless of Sakura's consent, but he felt himself relax when Sakura nodded without much hesitation.

Chapter SIXTEEN>

<Chapter FOURTEEN

Chapter List

#The Pain We Share #SasoSaku #Sakura #Sasori #Deidara is here too #and Gaara

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the-firebird69 · 3 years

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the war parteis are gone. evaporated. and dead. gone. and they are history. and you idiots act like it is good more for you. so we chasstise you. and tonight there are several shows, that leed to the new mexico assault and finall your blessed stoheships taken from you. forever. and cruise and his fast fleet taken from bill. who knew no and will who knew no. hidden tooand threatens to keep them hidden. are on antarctica took their plan too. only afew left and the atonium plan for them and they now fight all. nd ken was pissed nope knew it was hell and soon. and then this. your all dead.. and he said it they all sacrifice them. an dont care. and we saw it. hell. they thk they can all grab you dont and do think it and get hit here a lot. but its hell here folks need any available troops for duty here tonight this is not right he is exahusted and is short with me a bit well once. but needed the chair in a lot no but says tehy try for he hernia and ok. see now. and other. and see it too saw but ok. Hera i ask ok ok we hear and see you. he needs it. and is stubborn. bu tok orders it. bugs out dummies out and more and we try and it is hard. we work buthe is right need troops here and youa re. we order it now and tons more than last night needed and ye sinstall and man bases use those who arrive as some peromanent positioned here and of course on tours. and we get volunteeers now and for motorcycle duty lots do ride. and tons want them that way easy to catch them. no bu tfun and we sign them up and write this up good method. bikes. Thor Freya whoah and that is an accolade fun too. we needed it that was horrific my movie. and yeh sure was he said and we do this now, and the bugs dang it they are nasty we see where and hit. tons of them and swarms adn we saw ours stop and why. hit hit ad hit adn they are out and took them all down. for it. and tons say for bugs so we dont and try and hit them now fun they are so dumb. and odd accolade for motorcylces and his too ours he says and yes ours and Thor Freya and Zig Zag and tons of us..tons. Raphael and Goddess Wife and Posiden and Goddess Wife..and lots but fast too and all terrain. tons. huge nubmers and here built tons. and repo. and tons in. it is huge we hve huge numbers here. tons of them. we raid nad arrest now. huge parties now in. and hit too. Frank Castle Hardcastle we sold tons of bikes today and here too and rolled out new shops the one accross from harley does well we seem to get a long nope they hope we drop dead. we sold ten times them no two thousand yes. ten bikes times twho thouasadn yes. it is a shame they suck so badly. it is the average. and there is a show this weekend on the fairgrounds now. sow e line the bikes on the street near the entrance and on our place. they say they send a gang and we say we will meet you same number or less. they will be arme they say and we will keep you out and no you wont yes we shall and at the border depending. and oh. ok not armed big. i put ahit on the one idiot who said that our son says and we look trace work. he is a deadman we promise...and im Thor saying it. and the other one. and h e says it your a cock sucking loser a real fag...dont do a thing no you tried kidnapping me so we grab yoour biker gang. ok. we are not ghwb we are an Army and respond like one. and blab overr there we grab you. and you dont get it ever. so we say this drop dead...and stuff. we take your shop fggot. and push it through now Hera Zues and i issue the papers, and due to this toxic noise of gunfire on occasion in the woods and have you on film. and your the ones form the movie no. you die now ok we filed the papers the court saw you there today and did an investigation. and were there plainclothed buying bikes. saw your ring too. hesitated went in. sw you there smiling you made them and they said not nice and your dead to the cop and to him again...and we hit you now you are huge huge faggots. need to leave. we take your shop. now too. have a court order for you to vacate and from a judge and for a develpment. too. not to be used for motorcycles and fart oo many complaints of noise drugs to minors and kids missing and after school jaunts into the woods homo stuff and more and all charges on them are standing. and they threatened him with them all. and morlock were victams mostly and some macs. and a few ohters. some are dead bodies there, and they are witnessed crimes and ratted on eaach other. they are fags....and we hear that here are a lot of kids bodies..not just one. and i heard more than 12 and in shallow graves. and code uh huh. and he cops head out and not the sherrif here and yeh the sherrif here has tons of bodies out back and from the jail. and they ck it now. and we see who. are not that bad at it well are not slobs nor do they devallue him so we watch though Bitol and Goddess Wife

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fitzgerald+song&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dfitzgerald%2bsong%26cvid%3df066abcee85c48e5a675a284e365ce98%26aqs%3dedge.0.0l5.4485j0j4%26FORM%3dANAB01%26DAF1%3d1%26PC%3dACTS&view=detail&mid=E79BD0429E2E6178B981E79BD0429E2E6178B981&rvsmid=7DE3663E32C0DF7D76567DE3663E32C0DF7D7656&FORM=VDQVAP

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childoferebus · 7 years

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I got tagged by @rebluhg, who should probably know all this shit by now

1. Are you named after someone? Mom named me after some random journalist who she saw on TV once and liked the name. I have no idea who this person was other than profession and name. I don’t even know where they were from.

2. When was the last time you cried? idk man I’m not a crybaby I am THE crybaby

3. Do you like your handwriting? It’s alright. I’ve been told it’s very legible, which is impressive considering how loopy it is.

4. What is your favorite lunch meat? I honestly don’t eat a lot of lunch meat. Turkey maybe? From like, Subway.

5. Do you have kids? I have three cats

6. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? Yeah sure but only on Wednesdays and even then only when I need something

7. Do you use sarcasm? You must be new here.

8. Do you have your tonsils? Yea and tonsil rocks are the fuckin pits

haha puns

9. Would you bungee jump? As much as I hate myself I’m also not actively chasing death right now so probably not

10. What is your favorite kind of cereal? Cheerios, but not that honey nut bullshit what the fuck bluh

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? My shoes don’t have laces

12. Do you think you’re a strong person? Are you talking physically, constitution wise, or like, emotionally? I can leg press 520 pounds but I also cry whenever I see something that even hints at being existentially sad so I mean the distinction is kind of important here

13. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Coffee and/or licorice. At the same time? Yes!

14. What is the first thing you notice about people? I try really hard to pay attention to the particular bend in their soul. I’m also a real sucker for moral leaning on an astral plane. (Or you know I guess probably their face since it’s been beaten into me to make unflinching eye contact with anyone I meet)

15. Red or pink? This is such a weird question like, it depends on the shade. I like both :I

16. What is the least favorite physical thing you like about yourself? Everything, pretty much in general.

17. What colour pants and shoes are you wearing right now? black pants, grey shoes.

18. What was the last thing you ate? Doughnut B) And coffee. It was an American Cliche.

19. What are you listening to right now? Alt-J, Choice Kingdom. I’ve got a random mix on though so who knows what’ll pop up next?

20. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Idk, another weird question. But, I associate all people with a color, and I associate myself with an aqua leaning teal. It’s very unpleasant.

21. Favourite smell? Vanilla. Ozone. Pine trees. Fresh earth. Oranges and Mangos.

22. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Mom, in which I got the thrilling conclusion to whether or not my asshole workaholic brother was going to have to take time off to go see my nephew’s teacher, who was throwing a hissy fit about Robert putting a piece of tape on his back.

23. Favourite sport to watch? Do I honestly strike you as a sport person

25. Eye colour? Hazel. Fun fact: I have central heterochromia so there’s also a pronounced golden ring around my pupil.

26. Do you wear contacts? I’d rather not.

27. Favourite food for eat? Steak WITH KETCHUP, garlic bread, recently pork chops, nectarines, burritos.

28. Scary movies or comedy? I’m a comedy type but I love Repo! the Genetic Opera so I mean why not both

29. Last movie you watched? Uh... I don’t... remember? (Pacific Rim maybe?)

30. What colour of shirt are you wearing? Black with neon blue accents. There’s a vibrator on it, and no one ever notices

31. Summer or winter? SUMMER. I am SO GODDAMN SICK OF THE SNOW IT SNOWED ANOTHER FOOT HERE WHAT THE HELL

32. Hugs or kisses? I... Like both? I mean in general I guess hugs though

33. What book are you currently reading? Not currently reading a novel, though I have a stack of them piled up that I haven’t gotten around to yet. There’s a Patrick McManus book, some random historical smut novel, and idk Bluh’s really trying to convince me to read Warriors so I’ve got that on my theoretical back burner.

34. What do you miss right now? All the things I miss, in retrospect, are at least moderately self-destructive. Incidentally, I miss the freedom to BE moderately self-destructive without significant consequences.

35. What is on your mousepad? do I look like the kind of person who uses a mousepad

36. What is the last TV program you watched? Star Vs. The Forces of Evil. Dang, that finale!

37. What is the best sound? have you ever heard the sound of a rubber ball going through a window?

Jk sometimes my Tovarich sings when he doesn’t realize I’m listening and I love it

38. Rolling Stones or the Beatles? the Monkees :I

39. What is the furthest you have ever traveled? Technically, miles wise, I’m pretty sure Dubai was the farthest away from any place I’ve lived.

40. Do you have a special talent? I’m unnaturally good at board games

41. Where were you born? Northern Idaho.

42. People you except to participate in this survey?

idk man it’s one of those “do it if you feel like it” type deals but I always love tagging @queenofheartsonthesleeve idk man most people I tag tho don’t give a shit about these so like if you wanna do it and consider yourself tagged B)

#tag games

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rokurookajima · 7 years

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These ice cream asks are real nice do em all? 🌹

oh boy thats a lot!! thank u friend!! also i answered a couple already, so i just left those out and also i just took an ambient and if these answers are really weird that could be why

chocolate: when was your first kiss?

lmao really depends on what we wanna consider a first kiss. technically, it was when i was 15 with my friend when she was trying to learn how to stage kiss. my first intentional kiss was when i was 16 but it was uh…..theres a story there for another day. my first good kiss was at 19

french vanilla: how old are you?

im 20 fuckin help mecotton candy: three places you want to travel to?

hm i rlly rlly wanna go to vancouver & i guess the pacific northwest in general, scandinavia, and japanstrawberry: a language you wish you could speak?

french is so pretty and also very extra all the language rules are for the aesthetic so i can get behind that coffee: favorite cosmetic brands?

i really don’t stick to any particular brands?? just particular products by certain brands. honestly like limecrime a lot bc the venus palettes are everything to me. anastasia just for the dip brow. guess i also gravitate to too faced and benefit a lot mint chocolate chip: indoors or outdoors?definitely depends on the conditions of either bc wow its miserable to be outdoors in ohio right now bc its so fuckin cold. but if the weather is ideal, outdoors. if not, i love a nice indoor setting if it’s like….nicecookie dough: do you play any instruments?

yeah i’ve played the guitar for like ten years now and yet always forget that i do

rocky road: favorite songs at the moment?current faves are bizarre love triangle by new order and fake empire by the national. rlly all of the album boxer by the national?? i’ve been playing that a lot butter pecan: favorite songs for life?

sheesh spanish sahara by foals is literally the greatest song in existence its more than a song its an experience cheesecake: what’s your zodiac sign?virgo toasted coconut: the beach or the pool?the beachchocolate chip: what’s your most popular post?uh i’m pretty sure it’s either an art project from freshman year of college that was themed to evangelion or that picture of my removed wisdom teeth?? soft gore blogs still eat that shit up manbubblegum: books or movies?usually moviespistachio: manga or anime?really depends on the series?? bc most of the manga i’ve read, i’ve also seen the anime. and with like black lagoon, the anime by far. but fullmetal alchemist honestly the manga is complete perfectionsalted caramel: favorite movies?

ok wow repo! the genetic opera bc i’m still 13, american mary, what we do in the shadows, daybreakers, mad max fury road, saw, atlantis the lost empire, howl’s moving castle…..those are the first that come to mind

birthday cake: favorite books?fight club by chuck palahniuk, choke by chuck palahniuk, literally fucking love chuck palahniuk ok. also extremely loud and incredibly close by jonathan safran foersmoose tracks: favorites for manga?fullmetal alchemist holy shit the manga is peak perfection. also theres this one volume novel-type manga called not simpleorange sherbet: favorites for anime?black lagoon, both fullmetal alchemists, space dandy, flcl, evangelionpeanut butter: favorite academic subject?idk man i love studio classes best bc art major, but if we’re talking like…the basic school subjects from high school, i guess it was englishblack raspberry: do you have any pets?yes!!! i have three cats and a bulldog mango: when and why did you start your blog?i started my blog in 2011, even tho i’d been lurking on tumblr since 2010. i started it bc i thought tumblr was hella cool…wow. this is like super lame to admit but i waited so long to start my own blog bc my parents used to be really uptight about my presence on the internet and i had to build the gall to do it in secret lmao i was 14 ok mocha: ideal weather conditions?oooh man chilly but not too cold, so probably like 50-60 degrees, rainy, gray sky but when the sky is gray all the other colors look so much more vibrant i love it black cherry: four words that describe you?sad, yikes…..uh…uncertain…..trying neapolitan: things that stress you out?literally what doesn’t stress me out right now am i right raspberry truffle: favorite kind of music?i rlly like girls with weird voices like joanna newsom, some good 80s synth action, things that evoke a very specific feeling and atmosphere the way bon iver sounds like hannibal season 1. this sounds really deep for someone who listens to 8th grade bangers half the timechocolate marshmallow: favorite brands of candy?i really don’t know i guess i don’t eat much candy?? am i an adulttoffee: a card game that you’re good at?uh i used to play a lot of solitaire i’m an only childlemon custard: do you eat breakfast?yeah most days. but its usually like….eating frosted mini wheats in the car or an uncrustable or left over chipotle bc i’m very lazy and usually commuting in the morningdark chocolate: turn ons?oh BOY literally anything to do with necks like touch my neck and im yours, its bad. also like….boys with good hands, collar bones…..uh wow basically i guess if i’m really into you, pretty much everything u do will turn me on i’m easy to please

fudge: turn offs?a weird mouth like you know how some people just have like….weird mouths?? facial hair on most guys it works sometimes but i’m not usually a big fan….if i just don’t feel ur vibe, thats a pretty big turn off. also fucking guys spitting on the ground WHY peach: how do you relax?i don’t. but if i was gonna try, i take a lot of baths praline: a popular book you haven’t read yet?wow i don’t even know what books are popular right now. i guess like a classic thats pretty popular, i’ve never read catcher in the ryesuperman: do you like sweaters?do i like sweaters????? who do u think i am of course i am a sweatercherry: do you drink tea or coffee?coffee i have two coffee related tattoos i love coffeedulce de leche: an instrument you wish you could play?i wish i played the mandolin!!! i wanna learn it so bad! i also rlly wish i’d been forced to take piano lessons as a small child bc it would be real cool to know piano

blackberry: have you ever laughed so hard you cried?all the time lmao my friends are really funnyginger: a new feature you wish tumblr could have?uh idk manblueberry lemon: favorite blogs?of course all my friends’ blogs, also qcknd

cappuccino crunch: do you take naps?

sometimes but not very often. usually i have to be like extremely tired, and then i still always feel like death when i wake up. over the summer when i was dating my ex bf, we took naps together all the time. that was my peak nap experience

mint: the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?my whole……gosh dang life. im really not that ashamed of it, but i once wiped out in the middle of a starbucks pretending to charge at my friend. the first time i met my friend sean i said something really dumb and he just stared at me and i was like ok its time to diebrownie batter: do you like sushi?yes

key lime: where do you want to be right now?

uh wow i wanna be on a different plain of existence bc i need a break from myself and my mental illness. in a good place in life? a good headspace. thats all i want please red velvet: do you wear prescription glasses?yes but i can see without them, so if you ever see me without glasses….thats whygreen tea: favorite flavors of ice cream?raspberry chocolate chip is the BEST, mint chocolate chip, coffee, moosetracks wow ice cream sounds good

#dat ask #this was fun thanks for asking for all of them!!#about me #one man harp band #personal

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anavoliselenu · 7 years

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Creighton chapter 2

He raises an eyebrow. “Never say never.”

I turn to Morty and Jim. “My contract doesn’t say anything about agreeing to something like that. Getting engaged is serious business, and you can’t make me.” I might sound like a petulant child, but I’m dead serious.

Jim, who puts off a fatherly air as opposed to Morty’s slimeball vibe, smiles at me.

“Sit down, Selena. I think we can all come to an agreement here. You want what’s best for your career, don’t you?”

I take a deep breath, shoving down the urge to scream again.

“Yes. That’s all I want. What’s best for my career, and this can’t be it.”

“We’ve been in this business a lot longer than you have, darlin’. You need to trust us. We’re not going to steer you wrong.”

Patronizing. There it is again.

Morty starts carrying on like this is a done deal. “It’s fucking perfect. JC, during your last song of the night, you’ll call Selena up onstage and drop to one knee. People will eat that shit up.”

“You can’t do this!”

All three men look at me, and their smiles send chills down my spine.

Holy. Shit.

“Deal with it, Wix,” Morty says with a smug smile. “This is happening, or you’re on the first bus back to the trailer park. Maybe we’ll even let you keep the diamond when it’s all over.”

Nothing I can say is going to change a thing right now, so instead, I swallow back the protests I want to scream and speak as calmly as I’m able. “This discussion isn’t over, but I have to get to practice.”

My head reeling and stomach churning, I pull my trucker hat lower and head for the door without waiting for a response.

“Let’s take that one from the top again,” I call out to my guys in the band.

I want to apologize for wasting their time today, but I don’t because then I’d have to explain why—and I can’t. But it’s impossible to concentrate on the music when I feel my dream slipping away. What won’t I do to save it? Can I go through with this farce? Everyone has a line, and I’m not sure where mine is.

But that’s not a question I’m going to be able to answer right now, so I’d better freaking focus. We have a new song that we want to add to the set list, and if we can’t get it together, we’re all going to look like idiots at the next show.

I study the guys, and am once again thankful that Homegrown didn’t screw me over on this front. My band is an amazing crew, and I’m lucky to have them. I could have ended up with a bunch of washed-up has-beens, but I got seasoned musicians with serious talent. Shocking, right?

The bitterness I feel toward Homegrown is ridiculous. It’s so hard to reconcile the fact that I have them to thank for giving me a shot to live this dream, and now they’re demanding I fall in line or sacrifice it. How is that fair? I guess it’s lucky that I wasn’t raised to think life should be fair. And besides, I’ve had my share of good fortune—if I didn’t win Country Dreams, I’d still be serving up deep-fried pickles at the bowling alley.

And Gran might still be alive, the voice of guilt whispers in my brain.

“Selena, what the hell? You planning on singing anytime soon, darlin’?”

I jerk my head around, shaking the thought from my mind as the guys silence their instruments . . . several bars after my cue.

“Sorry. I was a million miles away.”

“You need to take a breather, hon?” Lonnie, my drummer, asks as he spins one stick.

“Nah, I’m good. I just need to get my head back in the game.”

The guys look at each other, and suddenly I wonder if there’s something I’m missing.

“What?”

Darius, my bass player, finally speaks. “You getting homesick thinking about being away on Christmas Eve? Because we’ve all decided we’re catching flights home on our own dime right after the show. You should do the same.”

He’s talking about our show in three days, the one that will finally get me onstage at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Talk about a completely different universe. Little old me from Gold Haven, Kentucky, opening for country’s bad boy on a stage only slightly less impressive to me than the Opry itself. I just hope I don’t develop stage fright.

I consider Darius’s question. I’m a little homesick, but not because I want to go home—because I don’t really have a home to go to anymore. The only family I had that mattered is six feet under. My first Christmas without Gran is going to be brutal. My first everything without her has been tough, so why should this be any less painful?

Maybe I deserve the pain. Maybe I earned that pain.

But wasting this opportunity isn’t going to bring her back or absolve me of the guilt I’m carrying. Nothing will.

“You ready, Selena?”

I shake it all off as best I can—JC, the record execs, my guilt—and straighten my spine, standing taller in my worn-out boots.

“I’m ready. Let’s take it from the top.”

The rest of practice goes well because I force myself to stay firmly in this moment, firmly in the music. Singing my songs, even on this practice stage, is enough to finally drag me out of the dark place I’ve been sliding into.

As we pack up the gear when practice is finished, I check my watch. I’m headed back to Mick and Tana’s for dinner, and then home to pack for the two shows we’ve got before our extended break. First stop Philly, and then the Big Apple.

I shrug my bag over my shoulder and feel it vibrate with a text. Fishing my phone out, I see one from Tana.

TANA: I thought you said you weren’t doing it!!

I quickly tap out a reply.

ME: ??? are you talking about?

Tana’s response doesn’t hit my phone until I’m climbing into my car and firing it up.

TANA: JC. The engagement.

I called Tana as soon as I walked out of Homegrown and drove to practice. The number of f-bombs she dropped during that conversation was impressive. She almost beat out Mrs. Finchly, Gran’s next-door neighbor, when the repo man came to take her shiny new convertible because her winnings at bingo weren’t covering the payments.

Before I can type out a reply, my phone rings. Tana.

“I’m not,” I answer.

“Um, honey, have you seen Perez Hilton? Because there’s a picture of JC at the very top, and he’s buying a fucking engagement ring. He’s nothin’ but smiles.”

What? No way. No. Way.

“That’s impossible. They just—”

“Hang up the phone and google it, Selena. It’s there. It’s happening. They’re going to corner you into it, and they’re not wasting any time. You need a plan.”

“A plan?”

My brain spins, attempting to latch on to any idea at all, but I’ve got nothing. Nothing but the vision of me standing onstage at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve celebration, the words “go screw yourself” popping out of my mouth when JC pops the question.

My career will be over. My dream will be dead.

Tana is right; I need a plan. Because boarding a bus home isn’t going to be part of my future. I might be a lot of things, but a failure isn’t one of them.

Christmas Eve, New York City

Bored.

It’s not a safe state of affairs for a man like me. Bad shit happens when I’m bored. I have a tendency to dabble in hostile takeovers when I need something to get my adrenaline pumping. Or I’ll go out and pick up three women, and introduce them to each other in the filthiest way possible.

Judge me all you want; I don’t give a fuck what you think about me. Because I own half this town, and the other half isn’t worth having.

You can check the crotch of my Gucci suit pants for yourself. Not even a hint of a bulge at the thought of a foursome. Threesomes are passé, but it’s a sad situation when even a foursome can’t get my dick interested.

Because I’m fucking bored.

I shove out of my chair and stalk to the window of my tower. You see that down there? Fifth Avenue and my city. We’re just south of the park, which means the holiday lights are everywhere.

I fucking hate Christmas. Just one more holiday that reminds me of things I’d rather forget. But enough of this shit. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I hover my thumb over the screen. I’ve got hundreds of numbers I can call and have a chick on my dick in less than fifteen minutes, even on Christmas Eve. Again, I wait for some sign of action in my pants, but I get nothing.

My dick must be broken. There’s no other explanation for it—except that I’m bored with my options. I know I’m getting repetitive, but bad things happen when I get bored. My past is littered with mistakes that arose from situations like this one.

But you know what? I’m in the mood to make another mistake. It’s time to grab my suit jacket and find out what kind of trouble I can get into tonight.

Christmas Eve, New York City

I’m giving myself a man for Christmas. Yes, a man.

I can do this. Really, I can. I think. Maybe.

From just inside the door, I scan the fancy hotel bar, looking for a likely prospect. The warmth of the whiskey I drank at the after party buzzes through me in a happy hum. I needed more than a little liquid courage to talk myself into this plan. I think it’s safe to say that this is my first rodeo.

And of course, I had to choose something way out of my league. But who knew the hotel bar would be so dang fancy? The Rose Club at the Plaza. Fifth Avenue, New York City.

I stifle the urge to check the carpet for any traces of mud that might have fallen off my cowboy boots, and wonder if it’s the first time a Kentucky girl in honest-to-God shit-kickers has stepped into this joint. Although, these boots are part of my stage costume, so the fringe and rhinestone-encrusted leather is a heck of a lot nicer than the worn-out ones I left in my cubby on the bus.

The bluish-purple glow coming from the ornate domed light fixtures makes it look like someone dunked the whole room in grape juice, giving the bar a kind of otherworldly feel. One look at the handful of folks in here tonight makes it clear that these people are from a completely different planet than me.

But I push aside the comparison and venture closer to the shiny wooden bar. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to need another shot of that liquid courage.

I slide onto one of the velvet bar stools, absolutely aware of the fact that my tiny jean skirt is riding up my thighs. A man in a suit one stool down is eyeing my legs while he swirls the liquor in his glass. I can’t tell what color it is, because everything takes on the unnatural shade of the lights.

I’m grateful for those lights. Something about the color is mellow and sexy, and it gives me the guts to follow through with my plan.

My Christmas list may be short, but it’s certainly specific. One man with enough cockiness and a smoking-hot body to take my mind off the grief stalking me tonight.

I snag the drink menu and flip it open. It lands on exactly the page I need. American Whiskey. The best damn kind there is. My jaw drops when I read the prices.

“Holy shit. Sixteen dollars for Jack Daniel’s? What the hell? Did Jack rise from the grave and make that mash himself? Holy . . . damn.” My voice carries, and everyone in the room, including the bartender in his snazzy suit, turns to look at me.

The guy one seat over must take that as some sort of invitation, and slides onto the velvet stool next to me. His smile is as smarmy as his words.

“I’ll buy a pretty girl a drink.” He jerks his head toward the bartender. “Put whatever she wants on my tab.”

Well, that didn’t take long.

I drop my gaze quickly, and the paunch straining the buttons of his dress shirt quickly disqualifies him as having the smoking-hot body on my Christmas wish list. But maybe this is a situation where beggars can’t be choosers?

I’ve never been much of a barfly, but the few times I’ve ventured out after shows with the guys, it seems like I always get these business types who spend a little too much time on the road, and none of it hitting the hotel gym.

Resignation filters through me. Maybe this is as good as it gets? One thing is clear, even through the warmth of the whiskey—this is the dumbest idea I’ve ever had.

“Thank you, but I think I’m a little lost tonight.” I flip the menu shut. “I should probably just get back to my room.”

The label put me up at the Plaza as a goodwill gesture for doing the show on Christmas Eve; otherwise, I would never drop that kind of money on a hotel, even if I had that kind of cash to spare—which I don’t.

He lays a hand on my arm. “How can you be lost, when I just found you?”

The line is cheesy, and I’m not even sure it counts as a line. But either way, I’ll be better off with some room-service dessert and a pity party for one.

I slide off the edge of the stool, but his grip tightens before his hand lands on my leg, sliding up my skirt almost instantly.

“You can’t go yet. We haven’t even gotten acquainted. Just let me buy you a drink. I promise I’ll make it worth your while, sweetheart.”

Chills of ick run through me at his touch, and I struggle to slide out of his grip, but he’s got me trapped. Apparently he thinks I’m a hooker, but my skirt isn’t that short.

Reaching down to pry his hand off my leg, I dig my nails in, but he just squeezes tighter.

Seriously, world? This is what I get when I try to have some harmless fun? Not. Fair.

I yank at his hand and open my mouth to tell him to let go when a rough, deep voice curls around me.

“I’ll thank you to take your hands off my wife.”

In one swift move, the unwelcome hands touching me are gone, and the man is stumbling off his stool. My gaze jerks from the handsy guy trying to catch his balance, and darts over my left shoulder.

Another guy in a suit. Except instead of being on the slippery side of fifty and overweight, this man might just be God’s gift to women. Or maybe just Saint Nick’s gift to me in the form of a rescue? Because, holy wow. Dark brown hair falls perfectly over his forehead, and his cheekbones could have been carved by one of those Italian master sculptor guys.

A hint of recognition tugs at the edges of my whiskey-soaked brain as his dark eyes burn into mine, as if daring me to play along. I don’t know what his game is, but for him . . . I might just be willing to try it.

The sexy man in the suit lifts a hand to my hair and smooths a lock between two fingers. His dark brown eyes never leave mine. “Darling, I told you that the picking-up-strangers game to make me jealous was for New Year’s Eve, not Christmas Eve.”

The other guy backs away another step, and the memory of his touch is fading just as quickly as it came. It’s like watching the laws of nature play: the beta male bows to the alpha, and the sexy man in the suit is one hundred percent the alpha dog in this situation.

Whatever pheromones he’s throwing off have me shifting on the velvet bar stool and leaning closer to him without thinking. It’s a million times better than the thought of getting up close and personal with Handsy. I reach down to rub my arm where the jerk touched me, and a red mark has already appeared.

Alpha Dog doesn’t miss my move. He lays a possessive hand on my shoulder and speaks to Handsy in a low, dangerous growl. “If you don’t want to be still picking up teeth next Christmas Eve, I’d suggest you pay your tab and get the fuck out of here before I lose my temper. You don’t ever put your hands on a woman who clearly isn’t interested.”

Handsy apparently doesn’t recognize the alpha yet. “She came in here looking like she was trolling for a man. She was fucking interested. Maybe you should keep a leash on your woman if you can’t control her.”

I open my mouth to tell him I was most definitely not interested, but Alpha speaks first.

“I suggest you walk away while you’re still able.”

Alpha’s expression must be even more dangerous than his words, because Handsy snaps his fingers at the bartender, who slides an embossed leather folder down the bar. Apparently he’s been listening to this whole exchange as well, because he’s grinning smugly.

Alpha slides an arm around my middle and pulls me back against his solid chest. It’s everything I can do to stop myself from purring and rubbing up against him like a tabby cat in heat.

What is coming over me? I’ve never reacted like this to any man before. I should want to shower off the other guy, but instead I just want to get closer to the leader of the pack behind me.

Handsy flips the folder open and fumbles for his wallet.

Alpha Dog clips out, “Make sure you leave a good tip.”

The other man is counting out bills, and Alpha Dog’s thumb begins to rub a path back and forth across my stomach, just below my breasts. With every stroke, I press more weight back against him as all the nerve endings in my body seem to come to life at once.

His chest rumbles with his words. “Two hundred should be sufficient. It’s fucking Christmas. Don’t be a cheap fuck, you prick.”

I bite my lip to hold back the giggle welling up inside me.

Handsy shoves two hundreds inside and flips the leather folder shut before stumbling off his stool.

He takes three steps, and Alpha says, “I sure as hell hope you haven’t forgotten to apologize to my wife for being a dick before you go.”

Handsy pauses and stiffens. “Sorry, ma’am. I apologize sincerely.”

My belly shakes with silent laughter, and Alpha squeezes me tighter.

“Something funny, sweetheart?”

I’m debating whether I should disentangle myself from his hold to face him when he takes the decision out of my hands and drops his arm. He pulls out the bar stool next to me, unbuttons his suit jacket, and sits.

I expect him to turn and start explaining what just happened, and why the hell he rescued me and then pretended to be my husband, but he just holds up two fingers.

“Bushmills 21 for the lady.”

The bartender hops to it, nodding before he grabs a tall bottle from the top shelf.

“I’ll have a double shot of Jack,” I say, correcting him.

The bartender freezes and looks from me to Alpha Dog.

My sideways glance reveals him shaking his head. “She’ll have the Bushmills. We’re expanding her palate.”

I look at him and open my mouth to object, but get distracted by his profile. The man is beautiful, from his dark hair and equally dark eyes to his black tie tucked into a matching three-button vest. My eyes drop lower to the bulge in his suit pants. I swallow and remember exactly why I’m sitting in this bar tonight.

It hits me like a splash of slush from a cab on my boots. I know exactly who he is, because he doesn’t look all that different from the cover of Forbes that Tana had at her house a couple of months ago. I still remember the headline: KARAS CRUSHES COMPETITION.

Well, he certainly crushed the competition tonight. The rush of nervousness I was already feeling builds. The Selena gives herself a man for Christmas plan is suddenly alive and well again.

But how do I do this? I’ve never propositioned a stranger in a bar, let alone a billionaire. Or is this already a foregone conclusion, and he’s just waiting for me to catch up to his agenda for the evening?

“We’re expanding my palate?” My words come out breathier than I intended.

His full lips slide into a lazy, yet predatory smile. “In this respect, and I’m hoping a few others before the night is over.”

Oh. My. God.

I sure hope I know what I’m getting myself into.

Fuck me.

That’s what her glossy siren-red lips are saying, and I don’t think she has a goddamn clue how edible she looks sitting perched on that stool. She shifts, and the rhinestones at her neck, ears, and wrist flash purple in the trademark light of the Rose Club—light that’s more accustomed to reflecting off diamonds than costume jewelry.

She drew my eye when she stepped through the door because she looked so utterly out of place. But I haven’t been able to take my eyes off her because . . . Fuck. I have no idea. I’ve had my fair share of beautiful women, but this one’s a completely different breed. Not the trained purebred type of woman who crowds this place, tittering and looking for her next meal ticket.

No. One look at her, and I know she’s untrained and innocent. She’s not the kind of woman who is going to be angling for a handout, and the absolute lack of motive behind her actions is more alluring than I would have guessed. The way she instantly played along and never shied from my touch. Hell, she leaned into me, wanting more. She’s rare, and I’m the kind of man who appreciates that quality more than most when it comes to choosing a woman.

And then there’s the fact that she’s sitting in this bar on Christmas Eve with no ring on her finger—not sure how the dumb fuck missed the lack of that little accessory. It tells me she’s as alone in this city tonight as I am.

Boredom is now the last thing on my mind. This innocent girl has managed to eradicate every trace of it.

I make my decision instantly. She’s mine tonight.

The bartender, Aric, according to his nametag, sets our whiskey down in front of us.

“Please let me know if I can get you anything else, Mr. Karas.”

I wince as he says my name. I expect her demeanor to change immediately, for greedy claws to come out and spear into me.

Instead, she eyes the lowball glass in front of her. “How much is that drink gonna cost me? Ten dollars a swallow?”

I barely hold back a groan at the word swallow, because, fuck, I’m a guy, and I’ve already been picturing my dick in her mouth.

“Not a thing, sweetheart. I wouldn’t let a woman drink alone, and I sure as hell wouldn’t let her pay for her own drinks.”

I wait for an objection, but instead she lifts the glass and sniffs its contents.

“Kinda smells like . . . candy?”

“Caramelized toffee and dark chocolate.”

Her lips press against the rim, and she tips back a swig. Fuck. Her throat works as she swallows the liquor.

I want to taste it on her lips. Hell, I just want to taste her. I lean in, not even totally conscious of my movement, but urged on by the need to sample my favorite Irish whiskey from her, rather than from the glass.

But she freezes, and so do I.

Her brown eyes widen. “Holy horseshit, that’s some good stuff.”

My chest shakes as a chuckle breaks loose. “Damn straight.”

Her mouth curves into a grin as she lifts and sips again. This time she swallows more, and my dick pulses against the zipper of my suit pants. I want her on her knees, those wide brown eyes staring up at me as I cup her jaw and thrust my cock between those lush red lips.

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