wedding dress

Callista Miralni

Disclaimer: Nope. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero.

I realized, after about two hours, that it wasn't entirely fair for me to upload only the first chapter. A year ago, the first chapter was posted on my LiveJournal and my readers over there have been waiting for the second installment ever since.

The tracklist for this chapter:

- Tired of Waiting, 2PM [GASP! IT'S NOT A BIGBANG SONG! :O]
- Stay, BIGBANG
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, Relient K

Chapter Two: Stay

He had been imprisoned here for four hours.

Sasuke couldn't bear to watch the happy couple kiss, feed each other cake, and dance to their wedding song. Around him, his precious few friends were enjoying the offered liquor.

At first, the secluded corner was a refuge from the curious giggles of Karin's younger cousins, excited that the Hitsuzen was at this wedding. As the night wore on, Sasuke and his four other bandmates became less of a novelty and they were left alone. Now the corner was like a cage, keeping him tied down to this nightmarish event.

Looking around the table, Sasuke noted no one was completely in their right state of mind. There was their manager, Hatake Kakashi, and his assistant, Nagasaki Tenten, on his left, cheerfully engaged in a conversation with the next table over, something that would only happen after a few glasses of whiskey. Across from him, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sai, his best friend and his twin brother respectively, were throwing back shots of vodka before two women approached their table and dragged them off to the dance floor. Then, there was Inuzuka Kiba and Nara Shikamaru seated beside their now-empty chairs. The former was flirting with some girl per usual while the later calmly sipped his glass of champagne with a pile of sheet music and pen in hand.

A pale hand invaded the edges of his vision as the stranger sitting on his right set a martini before him.

"Hey." The strange woman told him. "You look like you need it."

Grateful for the distraction, Sasuke took a sip. The vodka burned down his throat and he felt a little bit more at ease. It would have been a total lie if Sasuke claimed this was his first drink of the night. He had been going through glasses of wine during the cake cutting, during the first wedding dance, during every kiss...

Suddenly, the glass was empty.

"Another." Sasuke rasped.

The woman set down her own martini and signaled the waiter. Moments later, a new glass appeared.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke finally asked her.

Her pink lips quirked upwards in a wry smile. "Same reason why everyone else is."

"No." He shook his head. "Why are you at this table? People are usually grouped with people they know but no one here knows you."

Her eyes, whatever color they were (it was hard to tell in the dim lights of the darkened ballroom), lit up in understanding. "Ah." She swirled her glass. "That would be because the groom is an idiot and thinks that it's a peachy cool idea to seat his best friend with the bride's best friend. It's like-!" Her voice rose three octaves. "-the best idea evar!"

Sasuke chuckled, recognizing the falsetto as an imitation of Karin's voice whenever she got excited. "That sounds just like her."

"Yeah well," She drained her glass and waved for another. "Life's a bitch and then you die."

"Nas?"

"I didn't think someone as cloistered as you would have caught the reference."

"I'm a musician." Sasuke reminded her disdainfully. "I have to know shit like that."

She laughed. "What other random shit do you know, Uchiha Sasuke?"

Glancing down at his glass, Sasuke noted it was empty again. Waving to the waiter, he said, "Something stronger. For both me and the lady."

The waiter scurried off, slightly intimidated by the thought of associating with someone as famous as Uchiha Sasuke, the lead singer in the popular boy band Hitsuzen.

The woman gave him another wry smile. "Do you always have that effect on people?"

"What effect?"

"You know-" She waved her hand around. "The ability to dazzle them into a stuttering mess simply because you're Uchiha Sasuke?"

Leaning forward, Sasuke gave her one of his infamous smirks. "Hm..." He drawled. "It didn't work on you. It works on everybody."

"Your drinks, sir." The waiter placed two glasses on the table space between them.

She returned the smirk with a daring smile.

"I think you'll find I'm not everybody."

He could sense the challenge in the air.

"So what's it like to be famous?"

Sasuke snorted in disbelief. "It sucks."

"Why?"

Swallowing a bit of whiskey, Sasuke answered, "Did you see Karin's cousins earlier? They were all over us just because we sing some sappy love song that makes them cry."

"But isn't that one of the reasons you became a singer? For fame and fortune?"

Running a finger along the edge of his glass, Sasuke murmured, "Maybe those other guys did it for the fame. But for me and the rest of Hitsuzen, we just want to make some noise. We live, breathe, eat, and die by music. Even if we were completely underground, we would be happy."

"Deep." The woman commented. "I think I just found new respect for you and your friends."

At the word "friends," Sasuke's head shot up to look at her. "What makes you think we're friends?"

"Aside from the countless of stalkerish documentaries and reality shows that air on MTV? You guys acted like friends." She shrugged. "Are you denying that Hitsuzen are your friends?"

"No." He answered quickly. "It's just..."

"Just?"

"Nevermind." Sasuke dismissed. "It's complicated."

She protested. "You can't leave me hanging like that!"

"I just did sweetheart."

She pouted for a few minutes before bombarding him with her next question. "What was it like before you debuted?"

Sasuke thought for a moment about the long years before Hitsuzen's debut. He was scouted by one of the biggest record labels in Japan, Konoha Entertainment, when he was twelve. Soon after he signed with Konoha, his parents moved the Uchiha family from Utsunomiya to Tokyo, where the main studio was located. Six years of grueling dance lessons, workout routines, voice training, language arts, and musical theory and composition shaped Sasuke into the musician he is today.

When he first started, he was paired with another young talent named Nara Shikamaru. Shikamaru was hailed as a musical prodigy, since he was already a famous rapper in the Tokyo underground music scene before Konoha snatched him up. Sasuke and Shikamaru always knew they were set to debut together and formed a close friendship as a result of a common circumstance.

Four years after he started, preparations for the duo's big entrance were underway. The "Suke-Maru" were joined by three childhood friends: Inuzuka Kiba was in the same elementary class as Shikamaru while Uchiha Sai was Sasuke's twin brother who won a contract during one of his infamous studio visits where he imitated his older twin for comedic purposes. Sasuke's childhood best friend from Utsunomiya, Uzumaki Naruto, marched up to the CEO's office one day and demanded for an audition, surprising the board with his voice.

The day Naruto signed his contract, Hitsuzen was born.

They've been together ever since.

"Well?" She demanded impatiently, as Sasuke was silent for some time.

"It was... difficult." He said slowly, trying to find the right words. "At one point, I thought I was never going to make it into the recording studio. At another time, I thought I would never be able to set foot in the studio again."

"Why?"

"The entertainment industry is harsh and unforgiving." He explained quietly. "The company looks for talent, yes, but they are also a business. No matter how good you are, they also need to make money to survive. If you don't give back what you owe, then you should start praying."

"What about now?" She pressed him. "Are you still scared you won't be able to make music?"

Sasuke smiled crookedly. "Now the fear is if I'm going to be mobbed going to the movies."

Her tinkling laugh echoed through his ears.

"Have you ever been in love?" The woman's voice slurred.

"Huh?" Sasuke drank another mouthful.

It was nearly two in the morning. They had moved from the ballroom to the hotel bar, the constant bass notes giving the already inebriated pair a bigger headache. Under the influence of alcohol, the close-lipped Uchiha babbled non-stop, spurred on by the endless amount of questions his drinking partner had for him.

He didn't know her name, he could barely see what she looked like, and his mind was too numb to really care. This was what he needed, the escape he craved from his heart.

Stupid organ that beats and is necessary to live. Stupid hunk of flesh that is the metaphorical source of all these unnecessary weaknesses. Stupid heart for being capable of love.

"Have you?"

The bartender refilled his glass.

"Yes."

"Really?" She giggled. "So all those tabloid reports about you never having a girlfriend are false?"

"No, those are true."

"No way!" She shrieked in excitement. "So who's the lucky girl?"

The liquid fire made his mouth move. "Fujiwara Karin."

"You're in love with a married woman? That's rich. Just like one of those cheesy Korean dramas my roommate likes to watch."

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke shot back heatedly. "What about you? Have you ever been in love?"

She threw back another shot. "Nope. Suigetsu says I'm incapable of loving someone. And my twin makes everything impossible."

"I hate this wedding." Sasuke changed the subject.

"Me too."

Giving her a strange look, he asked, "Why?"

The woman shrugged. "It's like having my best friend stolen away from me. Now, we can't hang out anymore. I can't call him at three in the morning. I can't complain to him about how much Gaara is an ass. I can't twist his arm into buying me ice cream, I can't spend the night at his place whenever my twin drives me crazy. We won't be able to have that close bond anymore because his wife is in the picture. She'll think he's cheating on her with me, even though that will never be the case."

"Harsh."

"It's life." She answered. "Why do you hate this wedding?"

At this, Sasuke had to stop and think. Why did he hate being here again?

"Like you, Karin is my best friend. We've known each other since we were kids. Somewhere down the line, I found myself in love with her."

"And you had to watch her get married."

"Yeah."

She gave him a pointed glance. "So why didn't you tell her you loved her?"

"I was going to!" Sasuke pulled the ring out of his pocket. "The night I was about to ask her to marry me, Suigetsu beat me to it because I couldn't find the damn ring!"

She laughed, long and hard, at his expense. "Talk about luck!" She gasped for breath. "You know, even though Suigetsu proposed, that shouldn't have stopped you. You should have told her you loved her anyways. Maybe she would have reconsidered saying 'yes' to Suigetsu."

"Who are you to tell me how to live my life?" Sasuke snapped back.

"No one really." She waved for another shot. "Just a cynical bitch here to state the obvious."

She drank the liquor in one go. "You know what I think?"

"Enlighten me." Sasuke grumbled acidly.

"I think you're scared." The woman said smartly. "You're scared to tell Karin you love her because you value her too much as your best friend."

His onyx eyes widened.

"How did-"

She tapped the side of her head. "Cynical bitch here, remember?" Pursing her lips, the woman suddenly exclaimed, "You know what you need?"

"You like telling me what to do."

"Shut up." She shot back. "Anyways, you need a theme song."

"The fuck?" Sasuke stared at her like she was crazy. "Why would I need a theme song?"

"You're a musician; you tell me." She answered. "Everyone needs a theme song to match the moment. And in your case, your theme is Tired of Waiting by 2PM."

"Why would my theme be a song by a rival band?" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Because it's catchy! And it totally fits!" She proclaimed loudly.

"I'm going insane waiting here for you
Every day we're apart feels like a year
Oh I, I, I, I'm going crazy, crazy waiting for you
I thought if I waited long enough, you would come running back
I thought if I looked behind me enough, I'd see your face smiling
Oh I, I, I, I am going insane
You're driving me insane."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Your Korean is passable."

"Shut up!" She punched him in the arm, none too gently. "Not all of us can be half Korean like you and your twin. Besides, I totally kicked ass in my Korean language class at University. I know my Korean is more than passable. Fine then." She crossed her arms and frowned at him. "What would you pick to be your theme song?"

He considered it for a moment. "Stay."

"You're creative." She retorted. "Choosing one of your own songs."

"Hey." He surrendered his hands in the air. "It works."

"Oh?" She arched an eyebrow. "Which part?"

Softly, he sang for her.

"Before the door closes baby, please don't go away
I regret not expressing my feelings, I want you to stay
Although I want to tell you now, I know it's too late
There is no one who can take your place
I want you to stay, I want to stay."

She sat still before softly bringing her hands together.

"Maybe that is a better theme for you."

Smirking, he brought his abandoned drink to his lips.

"Told you so."

"We are the pirates! Who don't do anything! We just stay at home and lie around!" She sang as they stumbled down the hall together.

"And if you ask us to do anything! We'll just tell you!" Sasuke added, grinning.

"WE DON'T DO ANYTHING!" She chimed in, throwing her arm around his shoulders.

It was almost four in the morning and they were pretty drunk.

He still didn't know her name or what she looked like, but Sasuke didn't care. This stranger was fun and she understood in some sick twisted way.

"And I've never been to Boston in the fall!" She shrieked before tripping over her own feet in her heels.

Stopping, Sasuke swept her up into his arms, her shoes falling to the floor.

"Woah." The man swayed before bumping into a wall.

"Dude!" Her eyes widened comically. "We are so totally wasted!"

"I don't care." Sasuke replied. "I like being numb."

"Why?"

He saw no end to her stream of questions.

"Because then I forget about the last twenty-four hours."

She shrugged in his arms. "Alcohol does that to people"—she babbled—"let's them forget. But if alcohol was the solution to forgetting the things we never want to remember, we'd all suffer from liver failure."

Arching an eyebrow, Sasuke asked, "Are you always this much of a cynic?"

"Yup!" She beamed at him. "Are you always this talkative?"

He had to think about it. "No." He said slowly. "Vodka is talking."

She giggled and made a move to release herself from his hold. The man understood her attempt and set her on her feet.

"Where are we?"

"Sixth floor." Sasuke immediately answered. He may have been drunk, but that didn't mean he didn't pay attention to where he was going.

"Oh cool!" The woman gaped in awe. "Do you have a room here? I do! It's 626!"

Her hand immediately dove down the front of her dress and she retrieved her room key from her bra. Brandishing it through the air, the woman's bright smile was childlike in her flushed state, oblivious to the stunned expression on Sasuke's face.

"Aa. 674" Sasuke answered, composing himself from his earlier shock.

She squinted at the plaque posted beside each door frame. "We're at 6..."

"634." Sasuke supplied dully.

She clapped her hands in delight. "We're by my room! Then you can meet my twin and realize just how much it sucks to have one!"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke steered her down the hall. The sober part of his mind—the little, sober part left—prompted the Uchiha to take this babbling (curious), bitchy (cynical), nosy (understanding) woman back to her room.

"I already know what it's like to have a twin. His name is Sai, remember?"

The door labeled '626' swung open just as they reached it. A man with violent red hair stood in the threshold, his eyes narrowed at the drunken pair.

"I wondered when you would come back from sulking, imotou."

"Shut up Gaara!" Her voice tripped over the syllables in her intoxicated, angry state. "You have no idea what it's like to lose your best friend seeing as how you're too anti-social to have one in the first place!"

Sighing, Gaara reached out and pulled his twin over to him by the arm. "You're drunk and upset. Go to bed."

"Like hell I will!"

He glared at her. "Go. To. Bed."

"Make me!"

Sighing, Sasuke rubbed his forehead. This woman and her controlling twin were really giving him an annoying headache with their argument.

"I'm leaving." He announced.

The pair paid no heed to him, still squabbling with each other as Sasuke turned around and left. Reaching his own room, he swiped his key through the reader and shut the door behind him.

"Where were you?" Sai's voice echoed from the other bed.

"At the bar." Sasuke grunted.

The younger Uchiha got out of bed and flicked on the lights. Sasuke winced at the sudden change.

"Holy shit man." Sai observed. "You are completely plastered. What were you thinking?"

Chuckling darkly, Sasuke discarded his jacket on the desk chair, throwing his vest after it.

"That's just it." He told his twin brother. "I wasn't."

Sai frowned as Sasuke dug through the duffle bag Sai packed for the both of them. "You were drinking by yourself from eleven PM to four in the morning?"

"No." His voice was muffled by the t-shit he was pulling over his head. "I was with someone."

The other man snorted in disbelief. "So you're telling me that Uchiha Sasuke, my icy bastard of a twin, was out drinking for five hours with a complete and total stranger. The world is ending."

"Fuck off Sai."

"So who's the lucky sap?"

Dressed in sleeping clothes, Sasuke sank down onto the other bed. "I have no idea. Some woman. The one at our table."

I must have been more drunk than I thought. Sai thought ruefully because he couldn't remember anything about the stranger at their table.

"Ah."

Sasuke gave him a funny look. "You have no idea who I'm talking about."

"Nope."

"Whatever." Sasuke settled under the sheets. "It's not like I'm ever going to see her again so it doesn't matter."

"I guess..." Sai conceded as he too slipped under the covers.

With that final thought of closure—after all, it wasn't everyday that THE Uchiha Sasuke spoke with a complete stranger—Sasuke fell asleep, only to slip into the nightmare that was Karin's wedding.

Again.