Escapism Ch.V. part two

Where it was indeed...

The woman knew he was stubborn as a mule when he wanted something and would pester her with his whining until she gave in. From experience, she knew the best alternative was to humor him until he grew bored of the activity and then she`ll be free to do as she wished.

Growling softly at her cruel fate, she spared him a look…the silver haired man looked as if he was trying hard to refrain from doing a victory dance.  Once again, she wondered silently if she was turning mad for agreeing to take part of this charade.

Turning around, her amber eyes regarded the bicycle as if it was a demon straight from hell, bent to devour her soul. Might as well be, since she was positive that after this episode her body won`t be the same ever again.

“It doesn`t eat people, just so you know.” came the annoying drawl by the side when all she did was stare blankly at the metallic vehicle.

His snarky remark was only met with a piercing glare which silenced him instantly.

Feeling like this was the perfect time to make a silent prayer, Konan took a hesitating step and positioned herself on the bicycle. She was quite glad that she choose to wear a pair of shorts that day, it wouldn`t have been a pleasant experience trying to ride a bike in a skirt.

“Is the height alright?” he inquired, to which he received a nod. “I already checked the brakes. Kick the stand back and we`ll get started.” he continued, clapping his hands.

Konan almost raised an eyebrow at the professional way he was handling this situation. In a bizarre way, he reminded her of a certain spandex wearing trainer from the gym she used to train at.  She had the unfortunate luck to have him as her personal trainer for one week since her real instructor was bedridden from the flu. The same manic sparkle was visible in Hidan`s violet eyes right now and for a second she felt her stomach knot, feeling oddly nervous.

Spotting the little support by her right foot, she pushed it up, wincing a little when it skinned her calf. Next, she mounted the bike and adjusted her feet to meet the pedals and started off wobbly.  Konan could feel her hands treble slightly on the hand bars as she concentrated on keeping herself vertical, feeling extremely awkward at the unfamiliar sensation.  When it appeared that she`ll start to gain control over the bike, she lost her balance and plummeted on the hard ground seconds later like a sack of potatoes.

Her mind blanked for a second and the impact with the hard concrete made her see stars. Vaguely, she heard Hidan calling out her name and muttering alarmed curses, shoes slapping on the pavement as he approached her inert form.

“Fuck...” he muttered as he assessed the situation, gripping her arms and hauling her up to her feet. Her body almost collided with his in her disorientation, her legs feeling like overcooked noodles. She shook her head a bit to chase the dizziness away.

“Are you hurt or something?” her silver haired companion asked, his eyes roving over her form for any injuries she may have gotten in her fall. As if awaken from a deep dream, she wrenched her arms from his strong grip and glared fiercely at him.

“No.” she snapped, patting off the dust from her clothes. “And this lesson is ending now.” she said with finality, folding her arms across her chest and took to leave the scenery.

The man only scoffed back at the departing female. “You can`t be serious.” he snarled, and without preamble, lunged forward to grab at her arm again, thus, stopping any further movement.

“Hey! We haven`t fucking finished yet.” He barked angrily, steering her in the direction of the abandoned bike despite her protests. He promptly ignored the incredulous stare pointed at his face.

“You can`t just force me to do something I don`t want to take part of! Let me go you brute! I`ve had it with you!” she cried indignantly, struggling violently in his hold and barely resisting the urge to slap him senseless. Konan really wondered at her self-control nowadays.

Hidan only tightened his hold on her, smirking at the visibly frustrated woman squirming in his arms.“Watch me.”

Her body turned rigid when the smug affirmation reached her ears and she turned icy amber eyes to pin him with the coldest glare she could muster. She was hot, tired out of her mind and didn`t have the patience to deal with his antics.

“If you won`t let go of me this instant I`ll make sure you`ll urinate through a plastic tube for the rest of your life.” she threatened venomously, a vein visibly twitching at her temple.

The silver haired man rolled his eyes skywards and muttered something entirely unflattering under his breath upon realizing that she had no intention on letting him continue with his teachings. Women could be so damn troublesome sometimes...

“Just grow a fucking bone already! It`s not like I`ve told you to jump of a fucking building.” he growled, startling the woman in the process. His infamous temper was getting the best of him. It lay dormant most of the time, but she was being way too pigheaded for his tastes to keep it in check at the moment.

Konan only stared up at him outraged. “How dare you speak with me that way!”

He gave another inward groan.“Oh spare me the drama.” he grumbled, pitching the bridge of his nose. “Now who`s acting like a brat? I`m offering you a damned opportunity here!”

Wiggling free of his grip, she turned to face him, her expression stormy.

“I didn`t ask you to do that. God knows why, but you did it on your own volition!” -Who does he think he is? He acts as if I`m in dept to him...the insufferable man!

“For fuck`s shake woman! You really are impossible!” Hidan growled, flailing his arms around to emphasize his exasperation “Afraid of getting a boo-boo or what?!” he mocked her further with no regard of her increasing fury.

“I mean, C`mon...Do you always back away from a task like a frigging pansy?”

Konan gritted her teeth in anger. That comment stung...a lot. She already felt like a total failure, he didn`t have to rub salt in the wound regardless of being aware or not of her inner struggles. Delivering him one last icy look, she turned on her hells and stormed off from his infuriating presence.

The air itself buzzed static as the blue haired woman stalked away angrily, straightening the bike and pushing off again only to lose her balance and crash into a lamppost. Luckily, she managed to put her feet on the ground in time and the impact wasn`t so harsh for her side.

She bit her lip hard as she glared accusingly at the pillar. If looks could make things explode, the poor pillar would have been blasted into smithereens by now.

“Try again.” Hidan remarked offhandedly from the side, chuckling a bit at the incredulous expression on her face.

A few hours later, Hidan reflected that he`d have better luck training a fly circus. Konan on the other hand, sustained quite a number of scrapes and bruises...not to mention, a bruised ego.

His amethyst eyes watched the irked woman attempt to straighten the bike, a frown being visible on her pale complexion. He sighed exasperated, uncrossing his arms and proceeded to walk towards her struggling form.

Amber eyes stared dejected at the bike, the corners of her mouth turning downward in dourness. – Look at you, can`t even wheel a bike. the malign thought clouded her already daunted mind. She could have left long time ago, but it was as if an invisible force was keeping her there. Maybe she was a human magnet for failure…it seemed that it was the only thing she was good at nowadays.

Lost in morose thoughts, Konan jumped in surprise and nearly lost her balance as a pair of inked hands held the head bars steady.

“What are you doing?” she asked, staring at him perplexed.

“Helping you, what else? It wouldn`t do to see you dismembered all over the place.” he grumbled down at her, earning another glare in the process. “Just pedal.” he commanded

Surprisingly enough, she didn`t argue, fumbling for the pedals before getting into a steady rhythm of moving them up and down.

“You won`t let go?” she questioned after a while and winced inwardly at her frail voice. In that moment she sounded more like a frightened child than anything else.

He smirked down at her. “Don`t worry Grumpy, you`re on safe hands.”

The woman tried hard not to scowl at his pompous attitude. It was a miracle she didn`t bash his head in a lamppost by now. Really, she couldn`t understand his need to teach her the workings of riding a bike...it wasn`t as if she`d discard her car only to pedal away to her workplace.

After a while, a strange silence settled over them and she became vaguely aware of him, his presence, his breath even and steady as he concentrated to keep her balanced. Konan tried not to think about the odd tingling sensation in her gut and associated it with the fear of falling and the lack of control.

“Getting the hang of it?” he asked from above her head, his breath brushing against her hair. An electric current ran down her back, the vibrations of his voice tickling her skin from where his chest was touching her.

“I think so...” she mumbled, staring at where his large hands were covering her smaller ones.

“Think you can try on your own?”

“...I suppose.” she replied hesitantly, a lump forming in her throat at the thought of falling once again.

Reluctantly, she put her foot down and he released her hands, stepping off the path and crossing his arms to his chest.

“Try to concentrate on one spot and cycle towards it.” he offered helpfully then resumed on watching her closely.

Konan nodded, took a deep breath and staring with all her might at one spot, started to pedal.  Immersed in her task, she missed his amused smile at her determination.

To her complete surprise, the bicycle began to move forward without a single wobble and she almost let a joyful squeal at her accomplishment.

“Good job Bella!” he cheered from the side. The wheels bumped into a few pebbles and she felt a strange nervousness fill her entire being and started to struggle with the steering.

“Turn around.” the man called from a distance.

Konan wondered if gaining speed will make her flow at a steadier rate. With renewed determination, her legs started to race the pedals, knuckles going white and hands cramping from gripping the handles so fiercely.

She pedaled a little more and feeling pleased with her little performance, she turned around to give him a proud look. Much to his horror, the bicycle swerved and started to head towards him and Hidan realized a little too late that he had forgotten to teach her how to brake. A colossal mistake on his part...and it was too late for him to mend that mistake.

Almost in slow motion, he stared wide eyed as the bicycle came closer and closer until it crashed violently into him, the sudden impact causing both of them to tumble over in a pile of hands and legs. For a moment they lay stunned on the ground before Hidan started to laugh.

“Damn! You suck so much at this.”

Meanwhile Konan was trying to shake herself from the small shock she suffered. Amber eyes stared absentmindedly at the spinning wheel of the upside down bicycle, trying to regain her bearings. She became vaguely aware of the low rumble of laugher coming from his chest, her head being lifted up and down with every breath he took.

“You ok there Grumps?” the man asked after a while, his voice sounding a little breathless from his laughing spree.

She felt a large hand thread itself through her thick tresses, effectively messing up the meticulously pinned bun perched at the side of her head. Tensing under the light pressure on her scalp, she slowly lifted herself up to give him an unimpressed stare.

“Still alive but sour as my past landlady.” the man snickered at his analogy, patting her head as if she was an obedient dog.  

Huffing in annoyance, she slapped the offending hand away and with difficulty managed to disentangle herself from his limbs and shakily stood up on wobbly legs.

“This was a foolish idea.” she grumbled under her breath, patting the dust away from her clothes and wincing when she accidently brushed her hand against the nasty bruise formed on her right knee. She made a mental note to disinfect it later, lest she wanted to die from gangrene or something.

Hidan propped himself up on his elbows, appearing to be pretty comfortable sprawled on the concrete ground. He didn`t mind the curious stares he received from the pedestrians nor did he care that he was practically blocking the circulation and people had no choice than to bypass his sprawled form. Some of them gave him a couple of dirty looks, but other than that, nobody dared to say something else...he looked quite intimidating to be messed with.

“You know the saying: no pain, no gain.” he drawled whilst his droopy eyes followed her every movement. “I think this applies to you too.”

“In this case I don`t want to gain anything.” she muttered, not even bothering to look in his direction.

The silver haired man groaned loudly at that, dropping his head to stare hopelessly at the clear blue sky. “Not this again...”

“Why are you so difficult?” he inquired exasperated, snapping his head up to stare into her eyes.

Konan`s lips turned into a grim line as she blindly tried to tie up her hair. She felt so, so tired...the last spark of energy was drained from her and she craved desperately for a nice, warm corner to crawl into and waste away for a couple of years.

“That is a question even a pea-head like you could answer.”

Hidan rolled his eyes skywards. “...For fucks shake..”

“Alright. You have a point here...I guess it`s enough for today..” he grumbled, stretching his lean frame a bit before getting up from the ground. Not even bothering to dust his pants off, he turned around to grab the fallen bicycle, straightening it up as he scrutinized the blue paint for any scratches it may have suffered.

Hearing him say that brought relief through her heart and she sighed softly, finally being able to relax her shoulders from their stiff position. The woman was sure that if he wouldn`t have dropped it off, she would have cracked under the pressure.

She shifted on the spot a bit, unsure on what to do now that she was no longer the center of his attention.  Turning her gaze back on the silver haired man, she watched him as he studied the bike for a few more moments before propelling it on the little metal support.  Ranking a hand through his silver hair, he turned around to catch her ogling him and she suddenly felt like a little child caught with his hand in the cookie jar just before dinner.

Konan sincerely expected a smart-ass comment coming from him but all he did was to raise a silver eyebrow at her blatant staring while wiping away at the trickle of sweat from his temple.

Looking away, she stared at the sidewalk while biting the inside of her cheek, feeling suddenly awkward and uncomfortable under his gaze. It was strange how her anger has melted away slowly, only leaving behind an odd feeling of abashment for her incapability of completing her task. Even thought she was practically forced into this matter, she still felt as if his eyes were judging her, placing her at the bottom of the looser pit. Crossing her arms in an attempt to protect herself from his scrutiny, she fought the painful knot beginning to form in her throat.

Her body stiffed as she watched him come closer in her peripheral and she contemplated ignoring him despite how futile she knew it would be. He stopped short one foot away and before she could register his next movement, the man crouched down before her and grabbed her right leg.

“Wha..What do you think you`re doing?” she stammered in surprise, almost losing her footing from the sudden grab.

“Stay still for a sec.” he spoke, the same concentrated expression in place as he examined closely her bruised knee. Curiosity piqued, she glanced down only to be greeted by the small trail of blood coming from her injury. It was odd how she didn`t even took notice of it until Hidan pointed it out for her.

She inhaled a deep breath when one hand moved to touch her bare calf gently as he inspected her kneecap, being extra careful to avoid touching the scrapped area which looked quite painful.

“Tsk..we should clean this up right away before it gets infected.” he murmured thoughtfully before blowing a bit of air onto the wound to ease the aching a bit.

A small grin materialized on his lips as he looked up at her with mischievous violet eyes.

“Can you walk by yourself or do you need to be carried, your royal highness?” he inquired playfully

“I can walk by myself. Thank you.” she replied in a dull monotone voice, trying to ignore the way he was still grasping her calf. His large palm was unbearably warm on her skin and it took a lot of self-control not to squirm in his grasp. She wasn`t too fond of people invading her personal space.

“Well..”he began as he released her limb then stretched to his full height. “Off we go now.”he told her with a small grin before turning around to get a hold of the abandoned bike.

“Where?” she questioned as she watched him grab the handles then push the bike forward to walk beside it at a leisurely pace.

“To treat your wound.” He called over the shoulder then stopped for a second to wait for her to catch up with him before moving again.

After a while of silently walking side by side, Hidan looked down at her with a little hesitancy in his eyes. “The medical kit is at the bar. You don`t mind walking there, do you?”

Waiting a bit for a husky and its owner to bypass her, she resumed her pace, putting most of her weight on her uninjured leg as she walked. Biting her lower lip softly, she discretely scanned the patches of dirt on her clothes, her scrapped knees and dirtied toes. Konan figured she was quite an apparition.

“I don`t think it`s a good idea. I`m quite ruffled as you can see.” she responded finally, not taking her eyes from the moving boats. Her bare fingers trailed the smooth railing as they continued to walk further onto the cobblestone sidewalk.

The weather has cooled somewhat and the sky was already turned into an enchanting palette of pink, purple and red, the city being basked in a soft, enchanting glow that made everything seem so picturesque. Her eyes admired the magical scenery, breathing in the last of the long day. She felt as if she was taking part of a beautiful painting.

Hidan snorted beside her. “If you`re worried that you`ll scare away my clients, don`t fret.  We`ll just tell them that Halloween came early this year.”

Konan let out a frustrated exhale, feeling anger sweep back into her veins again.  Just when she was feeling peaceful, he had to go at it again.

Becoming aware of the ominous vibes coming from the silent woman, he craned his head to deliver her a flat stare. “You know I was just kidding right?”

Konan kept her silence, refusing to give him the opportunity to ridicule her further. She was feeling so drained already and his asinine jokes weren`t lightening her mood either. Perhaps she was overreacting a little since in his demented way, he did try to immerse her in various activities just to give her a reason to step out of the house. But the way he was handling things was ruining every notion of fun in her opinion.

“...sigh...You look just fine Grumps. We`ll get you patched up and then I`ll even treat you with supper. Whadda yah say?” she heard him drawl from the side, clearly trying to bribe her again. Konan almost rolled her eyes at the bag play.

But at the mention of food, her treacherous stomach gave a quick rumble.  Placing a hand over her abdomen in a silent attempt to calm her rowdy intestines, she briefly recalled that the only decent food she`d eaten so far was only a chocolate bagel from the day before. The craving for a good meal was growing up to her and suddenly Hidan`s offer was appearing to be more and more appealing by the second.

“And dessert.” She added curtly, not taking her eyes away from the road. She saw him shake his head from the corner of her eye and heard his low snigger, but she pretended not to notice.

“So demanding.” the silver haired man muttered light heartedly. “Alright. It`s a deal then.”

They continued their journey in a surprisingly amiable companionship filled with the silver haired man`s fruity stories and drolleries and appropriate answers coming from her part. By the time they reached the Red District, an orange light glowed through the ends of Hidan`s silver strands as the sunset was beginning to slowly dip behind the horizon.

The bar was situated in a secluded alley, a little farther away from the canal. Propping the bike against the brick wall Hidan then moved to open the wooden door and gestured her with his hand to enter.

Stepping slowly onto the polished wooden floor, Konan raised her eyes to gaze at her surroundings. The twin stripping awnings and plain brick façade didn`t prepare her for the arnateness of what was inside.

The interior was  much more spacious than she`d thought, with wood paneled walls, shimmering old lamps made in old style, rounded mirrors and stained glass windows, huge wooden arches, beautiful carved wood details and nice private nooks.  There were subtle elements that made it feel one century old while at the same time it gave a contemporary appearance.

It was an eclectic amalgam of textures, colors- mostly red tones-, shapes and lights, very carefully put together to provide an uniquely warm ambiance.

From where she was standing she could glimpse the principal drinking area containing a large mahogany bar, polished and glided with mirrors attached, giving it an elegant feel. Further in the back, there was an entertainment space with few pool tables and a jukebox playing some rock ballad.

A few heads turned at the sound of the opening door and she felt a little ridiculous standing there in a pair of khaki shorts, wrinkled shirt, ruffled hair and skin littered with bruises. She tugged at a strand of hair self-consciously, silently cursing herself for letting Hidan convince her in coming here in this state.

“Well, this is my babe.” the man proclaimed without enthusiasm, closing the door and stepping up to stand beside her with hands on the hips. Before she could come up with a reply, a petite waitress approached their stationary forms, effectively shutting her off.

“Mister Hidan, you`re back!” she exclaimed excitedly as she addressed the silver haired man. She looked quite young, maybe seventeen-eighteen years old, with honey brown hair tied up in a curly ponytail, big azure eyes filled with innocent wonder and a sprinkle of adorable freckles dusting over her nose and cheeks. She was staring up at the tall male with a big smile etched on her pretty face, her hands fumbling nervously with her black apron. Konan smiled inwardly at the display. It was quite obvious the girl had a big crush on the silver haired menace, who apparently was completely oblivious to it. Konan already felt a surge of pity for the poor girl since it was apparent that her sentiments of adoration were unrequited.

Hidan ignored the coy looks pointed at him and grimaced at the honorific. “I thought I`ve told you not to call me that Mel`. It makes me feel like a frigging geezer.” he grumbled while scratching the side of his jaw.

Immediately, the brunette dunked her head shyly as a deep flush slowly coated her cheeks.

Konan watched amused as the girl laughed embarrassingly, shifting from one leg to other in nervousness while the man stared on with a bored expression etched on his face.

“Umm...I guess I f-forgot. Sorry..um...Hidan.” she stammered softly, blue pools gazing up at him through thick lashes.

“S`alright.” he replied nonchalantly, craning his head to scan the place with furrowed eyebrows.

“Where`s Cole?”

The girl`s entire being visibly lighted up at the sudden question, obviously happy to be of assistance for her object of affection.

“He`s in the backroom, sorting the ware.” she spoke happily while blushing prettily, bouncing slightly on the spot.

At this point, Konan didn`t even bother to hear Hidan`s answer, choosing instead to trail her eyes once more over the room. Under the shimmer of lamps, she could glimpse different objects hanging over the walls which seemed to be ordinary simple...like, glass holders, a huge number or vinyl records, bric-a-brac, inscriptions of Guinness...But these ordinary things imparted such unique atmosphere which made people return again and again. It really was an aesthetic delight.

It was quite remarkable. She was expecting something more roughish looking...but Hidan managed to surpass her expectations. The place was neat and tasteful and the traditional aspects went perfectly harmonious with his personal style...it was quite stylish, if she had any say.

Another high pitched laugh pierced her musings and she turned to stare in annoyance at the teen who was currently twirling a lock of hair on a pale finger. Really, didn`t this girl know it wasn`t appropriate to flirt with her superiors?

Apparently, Hidan said something amusing because she let out another ear pierching giggle. Konan was getting a little restless because her knee came out of its benumbed state and it started to ache, and despite of her standoffish and unflappable nature, she was getting quite irked with these childish antics.

“Say, were there any problems with the drunkard?” the man asked with a raised eyebrow.

The brunette shook her head “I threatened him with a broom like you`ve told me.” she said with pride in her voice.

At that, Hidan snorted faintly then brought up one inked hand to ruffle through her brown locks, effectively messing up her ponytail “That`s my girl.” he exclaimed with a smirk.

Konan sweat dropped... trust Hidan to pass his juvenile tendencies on teenage girls.

Extracting his hand from the brown mane, he settled his gaze fully on her petite frame.

“Well, now that`s settled, my lady friend and I will just go on to our business. Tell Cole that I`ll be down in a few minutes.”

Coming out of her daze, the girl only then became aware of the second presence and her azure eyes immediately settled on the blue haired woman who was standing silently to the side. Took her long enough to notice..

“Hello.” Konan muttered in a dead-panned voice.

The Mel` girl`s eye widened a bit then became wary as she scanned her from head to toe.

“Hi. I`m Melody.” she replied sweetly, the smile never reaching her eyes.

Great. Now the girl thought she was a threat. Konan sighed softly to herself, already getting tired of unnecessary drama. As if she`d want to involve herself with the likes of Hidan.

Not even giving her a chance to open her mouth and introduce herself like a civilized woman, the silver haired menace dropped an arm across her shoulders then squeezed her tightly in the crook of his arm.

“This is Konan aka Grumpy. We used to go to the same school back in America and it`s been what?...eight, ten?...years since we`ve seen each other. Had the luck to stumble upon her one week ago. How freaking cool is that?” he bulldozed in, ignoring the disapproving stare coming from the captive woman.

With difficulty, she managed to crane her head in the boa like hold and muttered a chocked “...Pleased to meet you.”

Poor Melody looked a little crestfallen at the pure exultation on the man`s handsome face. Her eyes stared in sorrow at the image of her crush holding another woman by his own volition, never mind the fact that he was practically crushing her wind pipe.

Swallowing painfully, she spoke out in a stuttering voice.” Um..I h-hope you h-have a nice stay here..um..I have to go.” then promptly scurried off like a little frightened mouse.

Blank eyes followed the distressed girl till she was out of sight before giving a painful pinch to the arm which was still holding her.

Hidan yelped in pain and jumped away from her. He glared at her accusingly while rubbing the sore spot. “The fuck was that for?” he spat in outrage

Konan stared at him in annoyance. “For being a pinhead.”

For a moment he appeared as if he wanted to retort but decided against it. “Women...” he muttered dejected, turning around to reach a set of wooden stairs placed in the right corner of the bar.

“Let`s see that leg of yours before we have to cut it off.” he grumbled under his breath, not turning to see if she was following.

Taking a hold of the metallic railing, the blue haired woman started to climb at a more leisurely pace, the wooden stairs creaking under her weight.

Lifting her head, she smirked slightly at his back. “And where are you taking me Mister Hidan?”

Hidan`s form stilled then turned his head to gaze at her over the shoulder. His violet eyes widened a fraction before they resume their droopy look.

“Tease..” he drawled amused, a little smirk being visible on his lips. Turning back around, he climbed up the last stairs till he reached a single metallic door. He paused and fumbled in his jean`s pockets for a bit before bringing out a set of keys.

By the time she reached his side, the door was already unlocked and he was keeping it open for her to step through it.  Rolling his eyes at her snail pace, he grasped her shoulder with one large hand and tugged her into the room then nudged her down onto a dark brown leather couch.

“Stay here.” he said, once again ignoring her icy stares, as he made his way to the mahogany desk placed on the opposite side of the room. He plopped himself on the rolling black leather chair and started opening a few drawers to rummage for what she presumed to be the medical kit.

Taking opportunity of his brief distraction, Konan glanced around, taking in the surroundings.

Unlike the rest of the bar, his office didn`t have wooden paneling, instead they were painted a deep red wine color, complemented by oak coffered ceiling with small spotlights which gave a warm amber glow that engulfed the entire room.  It had two more leather chairs, besides the couch with a round coffee table made of wood placed in the middle. Behind his desk was a dark wood built-in shelving filled with various knick-knacks.

Her eyebrows furrowed at the strange paintings decorating the walls. Some of them she even recognized. One was a reproduction of The Flaying of Marsyas by Titian, the frightening picture showing the satyr Marsyas receiving his punishment for losing a musical contest with Apollo by being strung upside down, his skin flayed inch by inch, while a spaniel lapped the blood and another musician accompanied on the violin. The surface of the canvas itself appeared flayed, an incoherent mass, almost monochrome except for bloody streaks of crimson. Titian himself was placed  into the painting as well, pondering the torture with sadness.

Next was the picture of Saturn devouring his son. In this picture, Saturn was portrayed as a ruthless murderer intent on the programmatic consumption of his own baby, starting with the infant's tender chest as if it were the succulent flesh of a chicken. Frighteningly so, the picture evoked cannibalism inch by tiny inch. Konan shuttered slightly, wondering why Hidan would keep this form of art onto his walls.

Involuntary, her eyes spied another peculiar tableau. This one featured disembodied body parts, placed grotesquely in a large pile. From what she remembered from her art classes, this piece was painted by the French artist Théodore Géricault and the most disturbing part was that all his paintings were based on real model remains acquired from the Paris Morgue.

Slightly perturbed, she averted her eyes from the images and silently decided that it`ll be beneficial for her psychic to focus on the wooden floor for now. It was safer this way.

“Aha!” came the triumphant yell from the desk, effectively piercing the silence that settled over them.

Raising her amber eyes from the floor, she watched the silver haired man swagger around the desk and coming over to her with a small kit held proudly in his large hand.

Crouching down before her seated form, he pulled out a small bottle of peroxide and a piece of cotton wool from the rectangular box.  Soaking the wad of cotton in the clear liquid, his eyes trailed up to her face. “This`ll hurt a little bit.” he warned before dabbing it onto the wound.

Konan tried not to wince at the uncomfortable sensation as he cleaned the blood and dirt from her knee and focused on gripping the edge of the couch. Oblivious to her distress, he hummed a low tune as he wiped off all the dried blood from her fair skin for a few tormenting moments.

“Alright. Done with the torture.” he declared after a while, smirking lightly as he disposed of the dirtied wool on the coffee table. Konan narrowed her eyes at his silver head. He wasn`t so oblivious to her discomfort after all...the sneaky bastard.

Reaching out for a band-aid, he peeled the paper covering away before placing it on her wound gently. Crumbling the tiny paper in hand, he tossed it back into the kit to throw it away later.

Large hands grabbed her knee as he unnecessary inspected his handy work with a critical eye, not minding her bewildered stare aimed at his face. He purposely made small noises of approval and nodded exaggeratedly while eyeing her kneecap from different angles, clearly, his actions meant to annoy her. Visibly satisfied by the wrapping, he raised his amethyst eyes to meet her amber ones.

“Want me to kiss your boo-boo?” he asked in a baby voice, laughing as he dodged a coming smack from the irked woman.  Squeezing her leg once, he collected the kit and stretched up to his full height. Crossing the room, he dumped the box in a random desk drawer then turned around and perched his behind on its surface.

“Don`t know about you, but I`m so hungry I could eat a horse, seriously.” the man whined, stretching an arm behind him to support his weight as he stared at her with a look who could only be described as one of a gourmand`s on a strict diet.

Konan breathed a laugh through her nose, just barely letting a side of her lips tug up.

“I`m quite famished myself.” she confessed, already feeling the pain of hunger gnawing at her insides.

Hidan grinned whole heartedly, backing off from the desk. “Well, common then Grumps. Let`s scrap off the kitchen.” he said boisterously, already approaching the door in long strides.

The blue haired woman got off the leather couch and followed his lead. Gnawing at her lip, she pondered if she should act on impulse for once. Figuring that her conscience will admonish her later she sighed softly to herself before raising a pale hand to grip his bicep that made him pause in mid-step. Hidan turned with a look filled with surprise at her sudden action.

“...Thank you.” she uttered sincerely, trying her hardest to avoid his intense gaze, a sudden rush of abasment feeling her insides. Next thing she knew, a strong arm brought her in a headlock as an amused voice cooed into her ear.

“Awwww...the little brick wall is showing some emotion!!”

Konan winced visibly at the girlish squeal coming from the grown up man then attempted to swat him across the face only for her hand to be caught in his larger one.

“Yosh! This calls for a celebration!” he proclaimed loudly, dragging her struggling form out of the office, leaving only a muffled shriek in his wake.

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“Sometimes...it`s the unexpected that changes us.”