E x c e p t i o n
"What are you doing, brat?"
"Nothing, really, Sasori-danna. Just seeing if you really are as hollow as you make yourself out to be, un."
Sasori surprised him with his next question.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
The puppet master didn't meet his eyes. "Am I?"
"That's a harder question than it seems, you know, un." Deidara let his fingers float along Sasori's wooden arm, cautiously. Always cautiously with the puppeteer; anything less and he could be dead within the instant he let his guard up. "I don't know yet, un." Deidara's mechanical eye focused on Sasori's half-hidden face as he moved his hand closer to the container of Sasori's humanity. He was a hairsbreadth away from touching it when his hand was gripped by a cold, wooden hand.
"Deidara…"
The Iwa-nin looked up, raising an eyebrow. Sasori only ever used his name when he was scolding the boy, but the tone with which he had said it now was different… it was…
"Sasori-danna…are you…sad?" he asked boldly, willing himself to believe that it was curiosity and not concern that laced his voice.
"Don't be stupid, brat," Sasori snapped. "I don't feel. Can't feel."
Deidara's ears perked at the correction.
"Danna, you don't need nerves to feel, un." He said slowly.
"What the hell are you going on about, brat?"
"You say you don't feel, can't feel, right, un? But that's not the kind of feeling I was talking about, un."
"Deidara, I gave up those sorts of feelings when I turned myself into this," the puppet master motioned to himself expressionlessly. "Puppets cannot feel. Anything."
"But you're not a complete puppet, are you, Sasori-danna?" Deidara asked pointedly, "You still have a heart-"
"If that's what you want to call the place where I store my chakra, then sure Deidara, I have a heart." Sasori said in a tone that sounded sarcastic, save for that subtle quiver in his voice. Had it been anyone else but Deidara they wouldn't have picked up on it (he was like the exception to everything dealing with Sasori, the puppeteer thought dryly as he noticed his partner's eye widen just the slightest, to show yes, he had caught that).
"Danna, there's something I wanted to ask, un."
"What?"
"Do you… ever regret doing that to yourself?"
"Never." Sasori whispered firmly.
"I figured as much," Deidara said with a shrug, "but I also figure you might be lying to yourself, un."
"About my art? If there's one thing I'm certain of, it's my art. What, you think I'd be happier exploding myself?" Sasori asked mockingly, narrowing his rosy ashen eyes.
"I didn't say that, un," Deidara said grinning, "but don't you ever wonder what it would have been like to stay human?"
"I know what it would have been like. I lived through fifteen years of that hell. It's why I turned myself into art in the first place. Being a puppet is so much easier." Sasori explained with a delicate sigh.
"Un? I never thought of you as being one to run from a challenge, danna." Deidara said, amused. Sasori growled.
"You know nothing, brat." Sasori spat, "Stop acting like you know me."
"Never said I did, danna." Deidara said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Just seeing if you know yourself, un." He added with a grin.
"What the hell is that supposed to-"
"Ja na, Sasori-danna!" Deidara called, producing a white clay bird from his hands. With a quick hand seal the tiny thing had transformed into Deidara's trademark flying steed, which he hopped on before Sasori could do anything that might cause lasting harm for his insolence.
Back on the ground, Sasori's metal blades itched to be opened. How dare that brat, talk to him like that… make assumptions like that… try to make him think like that.
Sasori was confident, perhaps to the point of arrogance, and always had been. There was never a moment of doubt in his mind about anything, least of all himself. He analyzed everything without any bias or attachment (Deidara's calling him hollow came to mind), and he was strong because of it. Or so he thought.
No, no, so he knew.
Knew, until that idiot blonde had been paired up with him. Oh how Sasori hated Deidara, because Deidara was that one damn exception to everything. He was like the fine print at the bottom of a document; a big mistake when overlooked and annoying as hell even when paid attention to.
He was the only one, the only one who had ever made Sasori doubt himself. And there was nothing Sasori hated more.
Except maybe, his own weakness at putting up with Deidara, and even worse: allowing him to be the exception.
Authors Note; Greetings from the pitiful world of writers block. I've FINALLY written something to post, and it's this sad little drabble. Well, I am a bit fond of it, and look! It's my first Sasodei! No worries, it's not ... quite ... finished, so sorry for the abrupt ending. I really don't like the ending bit. But I do enjoy the dialogue. Gah, it's so hard to keep Sasori in character! Deidara's actually not that bad, but I guess that's because he's one of the characters I get pissed off to see written OOC... ;
Anyway, about the actual fic, sorry that it kind of...floats off the original topic. I know that I don't bring up the question of 'is Sasori as hollow as he seems' again, but that's why I say it's not finished... so look for chapter 2 sometime ... I don't know when. Sometime. xD I'll try and get it written as soon as possible.
Comments are always appreciated, constructive crit. too! If you liked it, or didn't, please comment so I can improve my writing! Thank you very much!
A r t e m i s P.