I groaned. Fine. I don't care about how they treat me anyway. I was tricked into this organization from the beginning and all along. Everybody here either bullies me or hates me. Fine. I don't care.

I entered my room, ignoring all the annoying voices complaining about my explosions in the sitting-room which occurred just now. They never understand how artsy explosions are. Come on! The sudden BOOM sounds, the fiery sparkles… What's so bad about turning the roof into a piece of art? Seeing the sky is a pretty nice thing to do. With my brain still full of these explosions, I decided to take a nap.

I woke up seeing myself kneeling on the floor. What the hell? I tried to stand up, but my supporting hands were tied behind me. I ended up landing on my face like a pathetic idiot. Pein opened the door of the room and entered, along with all the other Akatsuki members following behind. Hidan, smirking in his usual evil way, kicked me right on the face and said, "Deidara, you are in some fucking deep shit."

Sasori walked over and picked me up by back of my shirt. He didn't say anything. I was returned to my original position, kneeling on the floor. He tugged hard on my hair, forcing me to look up at the faces of the Akatsuki members who stood around me in a circle. Pein walked forward, his cold eyes staring right into my soul. I flinched. He kept walking forward. I received a knee to the chin, which sent me flying backwards.

Sasori grabbed my hair and I was once again returned to my position.

Blood trickled down the edge of my lip. Pein yelled and cursed at me. I didn't say anything. I knew they were punishing me for my bombings in the hideout.

I was beaten, untied and then left alone in the room. I lay there in silence. It was the middle of the night. 2am perhaps? I don't know. I was fed up. I don't want to be here anymore. I want to leave this place. This organization itself is consisted of a group of demons. I hate it here. This place is hell. Should I run away? They will get me and kill me. Maybe I should kill myself then. I don't have any meaning in life anymore.

The knife which was used to free me lay in the on the floor. I picked it up. Its blade shone in the moonlight. I smiled. I had a nice life. I was happy. At least, before entering the Akatsuki. I raised my hand and stabbed the knife into my heart.

I opened my eyes. I was not dead. I was still in the room. I looked at my wrists and saw thin, blue chakra strings tied to them. Sasori. Of course. I was forced to let go of the knife. I turned around and saw him staring at me.

"Pein told me to keep an eye on you."

"Stop speaking like you care!" I tried to get rid of those strings by moving my arms around, but I failed. Stupid persistent strings!

"Go to sleep." He said. Ignoring my wails, he dragged me into his room. I was placed onto his bed. "Keep quiet, brat. You'll wake the others. They'll beat the shit out of you again, and you won't survive that."

"It's better if I do! This place is hell, un! You monsters are always bullying me, or calling me names, or just beating me up out of no reason! You don't even know what art is! Why do you have to do that?! Before I entered this… this cage, I was free, I – I…" I couldn't speak anymore. There is a lump in my throat and I don't want Sasori to see me cry.

"In case you haven't noticed, I was never part of the people who did those to you."

I didn't say anything. I just turned around and faced the wall.

"It's true, Deidara. The times which I did so to you are all ordered my Pein. I don't want to be beaten up, you know, I'm sorry. Really." He looked around the room, trying not to look at me in the eyes.

I stared at Sasori, not knowing what to think. He sighed and sat down next to me. His arm brushed mine. I blushed. What is this I am feeling? I don't care. All I knew was this warm feeling unleashed my control over my tears. The warm fluid trickled down my eyes. I sobbed shamelessly. Why can this man do this to me? He was an emotionless puppet. He didn't have any feelings. Not physically, at least. He couldn't feel pain. Sasori wrapped his arm around my shoulders and held me close to his chest. But how about in the inside? Does he know how being alone feels? I've never heard of his past. I sat on his lap and cried like a child. I expected his wooden, emotionless body to be so hard that I would feel like leaning on a cold brick wall, but it turned out that it was rather… comfortable. I wrapped my arms around his waist. There I sat for almost an hour, crying. All these moments he was there with me, stroking my back and whispering comforting words.

My sobbing finally ended and only pathetic sniffles were left. I leaned on Sasori's shoulder. The crying drained the power out of me. We sat there in silence. Then, I heard it – Sasori's heartbeat.

It was unlike other human heartbeats. I pressed my ear onto the core. Sasori didn't take any acknowledgement or reactions, so I assumed he didn't mind. His heartbeat was slower than any other human. The unsteady rhythm brought me to listen carefully, attentively. Thump, thump – a pause – thump thump thump –three quicker beats- thump -one single beat. The pauses are strange and uneven. I was fascinated by this queer discovery. I held my head close to Sasori's artificial core once again. That's when my senpai decided to break the silence.

"Having fun listening to my heartbeat?" He wasn't smiling, but I could tell that he was amused.

"Un. It's…strange."

"Good strange or bad strange?"

I smiled at this question. "Good strange."

That's when I saw Sasori smile for the first time. He was beautiful. His eyes shone and he actually chuckled.

"I like you." He said to me.

I blushed. "I like you too, un." I replied with a little laugh.

With me wrapped in his wooden arm, he tilted my face up with the free hand. I felt his smooth fingers grasp on my chin. I felt him brushing away the hair covering me face. I felt his long fingers gently touching my face. I closed my eyes. He kissed me on the lips. A short, heartwarming kiss. I was about to request for more when he said, "Sleep."

I was undressed and changed into one of the puppet collection's trousers. Sasori took off his jacket and slept next to me, shirtless. I will never in my life forget the night spent with Sasori next to me. I held onto his hand all through the night. The pulse which sends warmth to my heart helped me withstand all the coldness, fear and loneliness in this organization. With Sasori no Danna here with me, I felt that this life I will spend in the Akatsuki may not be that bad at all.