I know. It has been eternity, hasn't it? I apologize, but I didn't have the inspiration and enough mental turmoil to inspire me to write this chapter. But now that I am a mess (I just dyed my blonde hair spontaneously to black and cut about three inches off by myself with no hair cutting experience), I believe it is the perfect time for me to do some work. This chapter is not so long though, but it has some good developments :D

Mannequin

Chapter 20

"It will be fine," he said, walking casually by my side towards the living area of his residence.

It's going to be almost a week that I am staying in his mansion in Sunagakure.

It also has been a day since Sasori and I decided to officially be together. That day, we kind of mutually confessed and he took me gladly with both arms. I've informed Tsunade that I had an unexpected out of town trip and that I couldn't show up for work and that I am really, really sorry. She was infuriated by my irresponsibility but after finding out that I was accompanied by Sasori, she calmed down, told me to have fun then hung up.

And now, Sasori's grandmother finally came back and we are about to meet her.

"My back is itchy," I pouted and grabbed onto Sasori's black suit. In his home, everybody is required to dress formal, even on regular days. That is the reason why I am wearing an itchy, over-expensive dress that Kentaro, the butler, retrieved for me for this evening. I can't blame him, though, because he hasn't picked a dress for anyone whose my age in his whole life. All of the clothes of Konan's that I have been using were too casual. To top it all off, my ankle is still very swollen and from time to time I need some sort of support just to walk.

Sasori paused and shot me a glance. He turned me around to face my back and scratched it gently. I smiled.

Such a great boyfriend.

Oh gosh. I can't be thinking of these things right now.

But I was already blushing. Before I could say anything else his arms wrapped around my torso and he whispered into my ear. "Let's just get this over with, then we can finally go back home."

I nodded, then with joined hands we stepped inside the living area where his grandmother was supposed to be.

"There you are." I saw a lady about her sixties sitting at the loveseat with a cup of tea in her hands. Her eyes were squinty and had many wrinkles around them. Her hair was gray and hung loosely on her shoulders. She wore a long brown dress that covered her all the way down to her feet. There was a maid standing right behind her.

"Sasori," she muttered. "I'm more than delighted, you are actually here."

He proceeded to the sofa across from hers and offered me to sit before he did. "I was just fetching Hiruko and then I'm home bound tomorrow."

"This is your home, Sasori." the lady sighed then flickered her eyes over to me. "And who is this lass accompanying you?"

I looked at the ground. I was intimidated by the big words being used in this conversation, but I tried to speak. The moment I opened my mouth Sasori quickly replied, in my behalf.

"Her name is Sakura," he declared. I looked up to Sasori and slanted my eyebrows upwards, a little embarrassed. He took my hand and continued, "She is my girlfriend."

Her small, obsidian eyes lit up at her grandson's words. "Girlfriend?", she repeated.

Sasori nodded. She smiled.

"Um," I fiddled my thumb, "My name is Sakura, nice to finally meet you, madam." I wonder how stupid I sounded just now.

"I am Chiyo, Sasori's grandmother," she smiled. "But you seem to be a nice girl, so you can call me Baa-chan," her voice sounded raspy, but sweet.

I bowed my head. "Hai, baa-chan."

"Sasori," she then turned her attention back towards him. "Why don't you stay for a little longer? I would like to know Sakura more."

Sasori shrugged and shut his eyes. "And why would you want that?"

Tension started building up in the air. I can sense that Sasori was getting more and more impatient and just wanted this to end. He shot open his eyes and looked straight at her. "I don't want you to be involved with her in any way possible, Baa-chan."

Chiyo looked cast down. The glint of joy in her eyes from earlier was now gone. She sat quiet, staring down at her teacup.

"I have told you already, I don't care what happens to our company. If you give it away, or sell it," he stood and dragged me up as well. "I've returned all of the checks you have mailed to me."

We started walking away from the crestfallen old lady. She reached out a hand and nearly cried. "This is not about the company, I just-"

We reached the exit but Sasori stopped to say one last thing.

"If I marry someone, it wouldn't be because you told me so, but because I want to."

He dragged me along the corridors and we stopped in front of his room. He ordered a maid to fetch him a bottle of the strongest vodka and cranberry juice.

Hesitating if I should mention anything, I bit my lip. I lowered my eyes, unsure if this is a good time to ask. "Sasori-kun, I don't understand what is going on..."

He let himself in his room and left the door open, implying that I can go in. I sat on his king size bed while he stood by his desk.

"Just don't worry about it right now, alright?"

Sasori kept his gaze at his open window that was like a beautiful portrait of the moon shining down on the darkened garden. His face had a blank expression but agitation was showing in his eyes. I slowly crept behind him and snaked arms around his waist. He looked down for a split second then averted his gaze back at the gorgeous scenery.

The parlour maid knocked twice before asking if she may enter. After gaining permission from Sasori she slowly stepped inside with a tray containing four crystal glasses, a bottle of vodka and a pitcher of cranberry juice. She laid the glasses on the desk and slowly poured a little vodka on two of the glasses and left. Sasori tore away from my embrace and headed to the alcoholic drinks. I followed closely and quietly behind. Still with no words spoken he offered me the other glass of vodka and I took it in my hands. He downed the liquor without the help of cranberry juice even before or after it was consumed. He took a deep breathe and let out a forced smile. The drink must have loosened him up a bit.

I took the pitcher of cranberry juice and poured some on my glass of vodka then picked up the swizzle to stir it. Sasori has already downed a couple while I was just about to take my first sip.

He headed to his bed and called me over. I sat next to him then moments later I found myself pinned down, with both of my hands at my side. He kissed me slowly though, not wanting to hurt me. He then raised his lips from my mouth and started kissing me at the side of my mouth, on my neck, under my chin, and nibbled my earlobe.

I couldn't fight it.

I'm nearly melting.

Suddenly he pulled away then smirked. "Sakura," he whispered, "You might say that we are different, but I am quite like Sasuke."

I sat up, eyes widened at his statement.

"It's true, Sakura," He laid face up, staring at the ceiling. "However, I don't want to be."

"What do you mean?"

-In a Press Conference-

"There wasn't anything left of Dan's Fabrics after I refused Orochimaru's offer. I wouldn't risk the lives of millions of girls just for the sake of my selfishness. Yes, it hurts that it is now one of the abominable operations of that snake, but I'd rather have it this way then the other. I am not saying this to gain your sympathy, or to expand my fame, but to inform you that Orochimaru's products and schemes are not to be trusted, thank you very much."

A reporter raised a hand. Tsunade nodded, meaning to go ahead.

"Miss Tsunade, you are admired by millions of women around the world. Besides the fact that you are working very hard as a designer, what ideal could you share to us today about your loss of your ex husband?"

The blonde shut her eyes for a split second and took a breath. She then opened her eyes and looked straight into the reporter and said, "Put the past behind you, and find something better in your future. Life, inevitably goes on."

"I don't quite know what to do with him anymore," she said. Followed by a cluster of dry coughs. She seems like she is in bad shape.

It feels a tad bit awkward exchanging thoughts with Sasori's grandmother. She decided to have a private talk with me after making sure with the doctor that her grandsons will be okay. Doctor said that he should be okay in about four days if he took medication and gets proper rest. Chiyo baa-chan revealed to me something really important- that she was suffering from an ailment and might not have much time left to live.

"This is all my fault anyways," her tone was filled with remorse. "My fault that I have lied to him for such a long time."

Gee, I don't know what to say, but

I'm pretty sure that this couldn't be her fault at all.

"Anou, Baa-chan, don't think that way," I mumbled, and then cleared my throat. "What I mean is that, I probably wouldn't know how much it hurt Sasori-kun when he found out that his parents wouldn't come back anymore. I know that he still wants them, but instead of fighting or being separated, I think we should try to make it better, it might not be the same, or it might not what he wanted but, we should try to forget the past and make a better present, neh?"

She raised an eyebrow and smiled. "No wonder Sasori likes you," she said behind her cup of tea. "You're gorgeous and kind."

I shook my head slightly. "Thank you."

"You have a great idea, and I have actually been trying to do that, but Sasori is a stubborn boy."

She calls him like he is still a child, how cute.

"I send him help all the time, because I am worried about his living conditions there," she uttered sadly. "He can't survive forever by getting salary from his job at the cafe and his troublesome band. I want him to have everything that is rightfully his."

I listened intently to the weak voice of Chiyo. She really sounded concerned about him; which made me feel a little bad about their situation. If only Sasori can see how gulity she is for doing what she has done...

"He is doing quite fine as a matter of fact, but I understand where you are coming from," I assured.

"Sasori," I said in a stern voice. I was sitting on top of his stomach while he laid on his bed. He has barely woken up, his eyes were still puffy, and his hair was messier than usual. He uninterestedly looked at me, but looked nonetheless.

"Don't be stubborn, you have to listen to me," I crept closer to his face, almost bumping foreheads with him. I took a breath before speaking once again.

"Today, we are attending an event in behalf of your grandma, for your family's company."

Sasori smirked, and laid back, resting one arm on the pile of pillows on his side. Okay, not the reaction I was expecting, but this seems to be better.

"What makes you think I would do such a thing?," he teased. I tried to keep my composure and exhaled.

"It's just for today, and it's not anything hard, we just have to go visit the orphanage for the charity event. She can't attend because she needed to go to the emergency room-"

"-Yadayadayadayada. That's all that I'm hearing. Sounds boring. I'm not going," he burrowed into his fort of blankets and pillows. I started peeling off the sheets that were covering him one by one. I grabbed him by the arm and managed to pull him up to a sitting position.

"Seriously now, I promise you it will be okay," I nearly pleaded. It was really important that I get Sasori to come today for Chiyo-baa. If only Sasori could see how much she cared for him, besides, doing this is not even bad at all. "If you don't want to do it for your grandma, I can understand."

My grip on him loosened and his arm slowly fell on a pillow. "Not even for me, just do it for your parents. They built that orphanage with the intention of giving hope to orphans who has been abandoned. They probably didn't want them to feel alone.

That's probably also a reason why I want to go there today. I kind of feel like an orphan too."

Sasori's eyes narrowed into slits. He tilted his head to one side and sighed. Suddenly, he shuffled closer then I felt arms wrap around my waist. I took a whiff of his scent, mixed with the smell of his cotton shirt and bedsheets.

"Shikatanai," he groaned, then held me closer. "However," he whispered into my ear, "You got to make me."

Smiling at this, I sat on his lap facing him. "Fine with me."

"Overconfident," he whispered mischievously while eying me up and down, making me blush more and more. I took the back of his head gently in my palms.

"Just make sure nobody comes in here," I looked around his room and landed my eyes on the door.

He trailed his fingers up my thigh and chuckled. "The door's locked, isn't it?" Barely being able to control myself, I swallowed roughly and nodded.

Steady, steady.

I tried to calm myself before making the next move. Slowly, I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked him in the eye and slowly pressed my lips against his. He returned my kiss gently.

I promise you it will be really really better the next chapter . However, this story is about to end, and I have started another one, it is called Play ALong. It's also Sasori x Sakura :) and the first chapter is up. It's about Sakura being a bitter player until she meets someone that beat her at her own game. Kind of like that quote: "So I heard you're a player, Nice to meet you, I'm the coach." YEah. hahaha