So, after a month of doing practically nothing, my hand is finally healed! Yay. And I felt a little more up to typing. So my fellow Brits may think that this is a little early for a Bonfire Night fic, however, I started writing this as a birthday present to myself a few weeks ago. For anyone who doesn't know what Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night is, feel free to ask, and I'll explain it!
You can view this as either friendship, or the beginnings of a romance, I've left it open. (Personally I like to think it's the latter, but I know it's not the most romantic fic ever)
Title, as usual, is from a song. This time it is by the ever fabulous Jimmy Eat World. Also, as I am wont to do every so often, I've done a little illustration to go along with this story. It's on my DA profile.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Akatsuki, "just watch the fireworks" nor the band Jimmy Eat World
Deidara was sulking. It was his favourite night of the year and they'd all let him down. Konan had given some stale excuse that she had an essay due. Kakuzu was just plain rude about the situation, saying it would be a waste of his time and money. Deidara snorted, like he'd have had to pay for anything. Hidan, being strictly Catholic, was claiming to stay away on principle. Deidara knew he just didn't want to be there if Kakuzu wasn't going to be around. He wouldn't have invited Itachi if he were the last guy on the planet. This was mainly because just five days previously, the black haired teen hadn't invited the blonde to his Halloween party.
Not that Deidara had cared about that. He'd teamed up with his friend Tobi, the only other person not invited, and crashed it anyway. Thank god for Sasori being on his side and letting him through the back door. Tobi was sick of course, hence the reason he was absent from the evening's festivities. There had been a nasty flu going around, he must've caught it from someone at the party. Deidara pushed his gloved hands further into his pockets. Now that he thought about it, why had Sasori let him down?
The redhead promised that he would be there. It just wasn't like the older teen to be late, Sasori had the best time-keeping of anybody that he knew. Maybe the promise was a lie. Sasori, despite claiming to be his best friend, didn't exactly seem like he enjoyed Deidara's company most of the time. The blonde sighed, his breath forming a light mist in the cold air.
The last vestiges of the sunset played vermillion lights across the treetops. He took out his camera and attempted to snap a few pictures, fully aware the low lighting would make them blurred and unclear. Deidara guessed he was lucky to have such a garden as this. His parents were pretty well off, and had abandoned their son this evening to go to a friend's party. As such their garden was huge; there was more than enough room for Deidara to have erected a decent sized bonfire at its centre. He'd also been careful enough to lay down a solid board to light the fireworks on.
It wouldn't be the same now he was alone though. Deidara sighed sadly again as he watched the flames of the bonfire dance across the wood. It had been so fun to build earlier that evening, and of course he'd done the extra special search for hedgehogs. Within the fire two small objects were glinting in the light of the flames. Deidara had taken the liberty of preparing baked potatoes the traditional way for himself and Sasori, but now the other was absent it hardly seemed worth it.
Deciding he'd waited enough the blonde headed back inside to retrieve his entertainment for the evening. He left the back door open as he snatched a box of matches from the counter, and stuffed them into a pocket. Just as he reached out for the tin containing his fireworks there came the sound of aggravated knocking from the front door. Deidara frowned, just slightly puzzled at the noise, and picked up his miniature explosives. When the knocking didn't stop he wandered through his house and swung the door open.
"Sasori, you came, un!" he grinned with childish delight at his friend. He hadn't been let down after all! The redhead looked at him, annoyance written clearly on his features.
"I've been waiting for eight and a half minutes, Deidara," Sasori spoke, his tone had a vicious edge to it. "It's absolutely freezing out here, what the hell were you playing at?"
Deidara all but ignored the redhead's rant about time, honestly Sasori was obsessed! Instead he grabbed hold of his friend's wrist and pulled him through the house to the back garden.
"Why were you waiting Sasori? I told you to come straight on through to the back garden when you arrived. The side gate was open" he beamed cheerfully. Sasori halted, wrenching his arm back from the others grip.
"The gate was open?" he asked gruffly.
"Yep!" Deidara nodded.
"I forgot," Sasori looked away, making an extra effort not to look embarrassed. Deidara let his grin spread wider as Sasori's cheeks turned a similar colour to his hair.
"Let's just agree we both made a mistake, un?" the blonde attempted to fix the situation. The shorter teen didn't answer him and stared into the depths of the bonfire. Deidara regarded Sasori for a few moments, realising the other boy was shivering. He really was cold. The blonde wasn't too surprised; the redhead was only wearing a pair of jeans and a thin green hoodie by the looks of things.
He held up a finger, signalling for the shorter teen to wait a minute, but shook his head when he realised it was lost in his mittens. He darted back inside the house, and jogged up to his bedroom. Finding the objects he was looking for he dashed back outside again, and panting slightly, presented the items to his best friend.
Sasori frowned at them and looked Deidara in the eye, a slim brow raised to question the blonde.
"What?" he asked.
"Fine, I thought you were cold, un, there's no need to be like that," the other replied. Sasori sighed and held his hands out for the items. Rather than hand them to the red haired one, the blonde had other ideas. He forcefully took hold of Sasori's hands and shoved a pair of pumpkin coloured mittens onto his small fingers. Before Sasori could protest, Deidara was wrapping the matching scarf tightly around his neck.
"Aww, you look so cute Sasori!" the taller of the two smiled cheekily, hugging the other. Sasori, somewhat used to Deidara's over enthusiastic displays of affection pushed the other away. If one looked closely, they'd have thought the shorter boy's cheeks may have been tinged a rose colour. Of course that is a detail easily forgiven by the coldness of the evening. Coming to his senses, the redhead gave a tug at one of the woollen pom-poms, dangling down from his friend's hat.
"Well, I thought you said there would be fireworks?" he crossed his arms against the cold. The blonde chuckled at his impatience and waved a hand at him.
"There are! Do you want anything to eat first?" he chirped happily. Sasori shook his head. Deidara's grin grew wider and he seemed to fly to his tin of fireworks. The redhead watched him with interest as he struggled over which explosive to detonate first. Eventually the teen selected something, and removed his own gloves in order to light the firework.
Deidara's hair glowed golden in the light of his bonfire as he leant close to the flames to light the taper. Once the stick was lit, he placed its tip gently to the top of the firework and ran back over to Sasori.
For reasons known only to himself he pretended to hide behind his shorter friend, peering over Sasori's shoulders anxiously. The redhead rolled his eyes as Deidara bounced up and down excitedly behind him. There was a fizzing sound, and suddenly the firework burst into life. The rest of the garden appeared even darker as the fountain erupted with a shower of pink and silver sparkles. Within seconds the small combustible died out with a small popping noise.
Of course, Deidara was already bouncing around the garden, whooping in joy at the spectacle. Sasori couldn't help but smile as the rest of the evening continued in such a manner. Eventually Deidara had almost exhausted his stock of fireworks, letting the final rocket into the sky with a whoosh. The smell of gunpowder hung thickly in the air, as Deidara began to pin the very last explosive onto his garden fence.
"These ones are my favourites, yeah" he beamed at Sasori. The redhead gave him a small, barely noticeable smile, which only served to widen his grin. Sasori rarely gave him looks like that. Deidara bounded back to Sasori, who was munching quietly on a large slice of parkin. The blonde cheekily leant towards the spiced cake and stole a bite. Sasori, without even looking at him cuffed the boy playfully around the ear.
Laughing, Deidara turned back to facing the final firework. The flames had almost reached the end of the long touch-tape, and the circular explosive began to turn slowly. A crackling sound signalled the contents of the Catherine Wheel had ignited, and the device began to whirl around. It spun faster and faster, the colours of the compounds within its shell giving off rainbow coloured sparkles.
Sasori gave a quick glace to Deidara. The budding pyromaniac's eyes were shining in rapture of the firework. The object was giving off a faint whistle now, it's swirling slowed, in the light of the bonfire the redhead could see the singe marks it had made in the grass.
"I guess I should get going then," Sasori spoke calmly once the flames of the wheel faded out.
"What? Why?" Deidara span to him, voice high and defensive.
"Well, the fireworks are over." The red haired one tried to retaliate. He was met with the blonde's distinctive pout.
"But Sasori!" The other boy began to whine, "I still have sparklers, yeah! Everyone knows they're the best part of bonfire night, and you know," Deidara blushed a little and looked away from him, "I like when just the two of us hang out."
"I'm really not into pyrotechnics as much as you," Sasori frowned at him. He was kind enough not to mention he thought sparklers were for children, not young adults like himself. Deidara continued to pout. Really Sasori couldn't help but give in to the request of his host. And, though he was loathe to admit it, he had enjoyed his evening with the long haired boy.
"Alright, I'll stay a while," he conceded. Deidara grinned happily snatching a packet of sparklers from the tin he'd kept the fireworks in. He handed one to Sasori and the pair held them to the bonfire to light. The sticks exploded into starbursts of light, and just like a child, Deidara began to write his name over and over in the air. Sasori declined to wave the metallic wand like his companion, content just to watch the object burn quickly.
"You aren't doing it right!" sand the blonde, taking a gloved hand into his own and pulling Sasori away from the bonfire. Their first sparklers had gone out, and Deidara had lit a second one. "We'll share this one, un?"
He seemed to be doing something else now as he pulled the redhead around his garden. One hand was waving his sparkler, the other Sasori's arm. Deidara was making all kinds of shapes, hearts, stars, and eventually Sasori realised Deidara was drawing something else. He was writing both of their names. Sasori had to give a true smile to this, he supposed he could learn to love explosives after all.