Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto franchise, etc.
"Sasori, danna. You can't die here."
"I am going to die, Deidara. The medics cannot keep this body alive any longer."
"But no one ever won our argument about art! What about your argument that art is eternal? If you die, you lose the argument!"
"But that is where you are wrong. My body is not eternal. It was really nothing more than a doll that held my soul. So it is only my soul that needs to survive into eternity. The puppets that I created, and the techniques will live on forever. That is the immortality that I need. That is true art."
"No! Art is a single flash of light! Art is an explosion! Are you listening, Sasori? We still have to argue!"
"The soul of the creator lies within the artwork. As long as that continues to exist, I will never truly be gone. I entrust you with the mother and father puppets. When you die, pass them on to another."
Deidara's eyes widened at that. Sasori was giving him the parent puppets? The ones that he valued more than his life? The blonde still remembered how his best friend had created the puppets, the first ones he had made, back when they were still in the orphanage. Sasori used to hold the puppets close and work their strings to make them hug him, filling the void of being alone in the world. A tear dripped down the blonde's cheek. "I will look after them, but please don't die, danna."
"I have to, but my art will live on forever. Goodbye, Deidara."
And Deidara was left alone in the room with the lifeless body of his friend, howling his grief at the ceiling.
When the nurses finally managed to pry the teen free from his friend, he headed towards his home, only to stop and turn around, heading for Sasori's place instead. Using the key his friend had given him, he entered the apartment, feet taking him to the back room, Sasori's bedroom. He sat down hard on the floor, face to face with the father and mother puppets. At first he stared at them for a long time. Then, gingerly, he took up the controls, awkwardly fumbling with them until he managed to work them into forcing the puppets to hug him. Only then did he give way to the deluge of tears. "Sasori!"