"You meet Someone new."

Sasori was not happy, and why should he be? He was getting a new partner, who apparently thought himself an artist. Sasori was the Akatsuki's artist. He didn't want some new kid taking that title, most defiantly not a little boy by the age of 16.

He still had to wonder what his new partner was going to be like, would he be tall and fast? Dark skin or light? What colour eyes would he have? Yeah, no. Sasori didn't think about that type of stuff like appearance or even personality, he only wanted to know what the brat's view of art was, he hoped it wasn't any different than his.

The red-head remembered when the shark like man walking in front of him had, told him that they were going to get a new partner for him, and one of the first things that Kisame Hoshigaki had stated was, "I think you're going to like this partner, he's an artist! So just think about that before you try to kill the kid, kay? It's so much trouble getting you and Kakazu new partners all the time!"

And that, plus age, is all the information he had gotten from the swordsmen about his 'new partner.' He had wanted to ask questions, but decided he didn't want to take the chance of looking desperate. He hated that. (Along with humans and woman actually~~ But that's coming later;) Another thing he wanted to know was his partners name. Yes, out of all the time he had spent thinking about his new partner in crime, he had been desperately wanting to learn his name. Not that he would call him by it anyway, as Sasori thought it would probably be a stupid name. He would just call his new partner 'brat', and if the brat didn't like it, the red-head would just tell him to get over it.

The puppeteer stared ahead with half-lidded eyes at the two partners in front of him, Kisame Hoshigaki, as mentioned earlier, and none other than Itachi Uchiha, the reason he had to get a new partner in the first place. Sasori didn't mind that much; after all, he hated his old partner Orochimaru. The snake was a pedo, a molester and just a plain perv. In truth, Sasori was actually grateful to the Uchiha, if he hadn't been attacked by the snake man, then Sasori would have still had to put up with him, so in a way, he owed the weasel.

But, if Sasori's new partner turned out to be worse than Orochimaru, if that was even possible, then he would not be thankful to him. Never mind Itachi's brother, Sasori would have his own vendetta planned. The plan was already forming in his head, of how Kisame –oh, poor Kisame- was going to have to pay for his partners mistakes.

Caught up in his thoughts, Sasori nearly bumped into the two taller men in front him as they stopped outside a large building. So this is it, he guessed, the place he would meet his new partner, hopefully his last new partner. Kisame walked up to the door. Knocking, was never the tall man's forte, so you wanna know what he did to that poor door? He chopped it apart. Poor door, it never did anything to him.

They walked in, and Sasori sucked in a breath of air at the sight he saw. Standing there was a kid with blonde-golden hair and a slightly panicked look on his face, probably caused by the three intruders that had just walked in. Kisame and the boy started talking while Sasori just glared. Deidara was the only word he heard in their entire conversation, a stupid name, just like he had thought it would have been. Brat was a much better term for this soon-to-be Akatsuki member.

"You two get close."

Sometimes, when you meet someone you will instantly have a bond. Just by looking at them you'll feel it. Sasori didn't believe in love at first sight, or true love even, but he did believe in that bond. That bond, after all, was his exact feelings for the brat. For his brat.

Currently, his brat was sitting on his bed in their shared room, sulking. He had only been in the Akatsuki for a week, and was still pretty unhappy about his freedom restriction. Before he joined, he could go anywhere he wanted to; do anything he wanted; now he was confined to this small hideout until Pein said otherwise. He had also been annoyed by it at first, but he got used to it just as his brat would eventually learn to do.

The puppeteer thought back to the first day he met said brat and the battle he had with Itachi. He didn't think much of their battle as he was actually, even if he will never admit it, checking the blonde out, sort of. He watched every handsign, every movement and he wanted to swoop the stupid brat off his feet right there.

Sasori had promised to himself that he would look after the brat and the promise was almost regretted when he talked to him for the first time. The brat was rude, but Sasori forgave him instantly. He was, after all, being forced to join an organization that he did not want to join, and he soon forgot about all that with the talk of his favourite thing- Art.

Sasori didn't like his brat's views on it, at all. He wanted to strangle him for just saying what he said, "Art is not eternal! Art is an Explosion un!" Strangle, that truly did seem fit for what the blonde said. But Sasori figured it would give him a bad name –well, worse name- if he broke his promise straight after he had made it, even if it was just to himself.

Tinkering on his puppets, he couldn't get the thoughts of the depressed Akatsuki member across the room from him, head dug into a pillow on his lap, and arms wrapped around it, sulking. Sasori didn't really feel bad, he had no emotions after all, but he guessed he was pretty close to feeling bad, because he didn't even know what to call this feeling he had in him. And all the names he could think of for it, guilt and so on, where absolutely absurd in his mind. He would and could not feel guilt for the blonde's grief.

But despite all that, he wanted to make the blonde feel better, so he did what he was best at, making puppets. The puppeteer couldn't wrap his head around why he was doing this, but he did it, so that's all that mattered. Weaving fine blonde silk he made what he could proudly and happily name Deidara. It had that brat's hair, his eyes, his mouths – all of them – and a cute little Akatsuki cloak on to boot. It was like the real Deidara, except it didn't talk, which Sasori thought made it even better.

His job wasn't done yet, not quite soon. He carried on crafting until he had another puppet, and another, and anther, until there were eventually ten of the small things lying on his desk. It hadn't taken that long, but he was still proud of the small figures. They were exact replicas of the real Akatsuki members, but of course better, just because Sasori had made it.

He grabbed a black cloak out his cupboard after getting up and put them in, wrapping the small figurines up in it. Walking over to the other side of the room, Sasori sat down on his brat's bed and poked him in the head.

"Hey!" Deidara yelled looking up, then his eyes grew calmer as he saw Sasori holding out the package to him, "What's that Sasori un?"

"How many times have I told you, brat? Danna. Call me Danna. Not Sasori, learn respect for your elders or you're going to regret it." Sasori said in a nonchalant voice while Deidara took the cloak from his hand and put it where the pillow had previously been.

Deidara grunted, not bothering to reply as he unwrapped the package. His royal eyes widened as he stared at its contents. He was silent as he picked up the small puppets and examined them all.

"What are these for?" Deidara asked with wander.

"To try and help get your head out of the toilet about what true Art is, brat. And also, you looked like you needed something to entertain you." Sasori connected chakra strings to two certain puppets, the one of his brat and him. They stood up on Dei's knee and started walking. Sasori made the one of his partner bow, and then made the one of him slap the blonde over the head playfully.

Deidara ignored the comment about the art, and wandered about the red-head. All this time he had thought that Sasori was an emotionless man, that he was boring. He loved that he was seeing a side of him that he had never known about, he would never doubt that the man had a sense of humour ever again after this little puppet show. Deidara was touched, as cliché as it was to say that, it was true.

Sometimes, Deidara was scared of letting people into his heart. Sometimes he hated it, he hated letting people get close to him as he was scared that eventually they would all just walk out of his life, no matter how close they were. It had happened millions of times before, but this time, sitting on this bed and watching the puppeteer in front of him, who had a small smile forming on his face, Deidara couldn't wish for anything more than letting this man in. He hoped he wouldn't be let down again.

"It's all great for a while."

Sasori held the Deidara puppet close; his stupid, wonderful, amazing brat had done this for him, hadn't he?

His brat had gotten him a ring, with 'Sasori x Deidara xoxo' melted onto it with rubies. Sasori would wear it forever.

Dear Danna~

Just a small thank you gift for the puppets and everything else you've done for me!

I know it might be a bit…um…girly, but you don't have to wear it, I just wanted to give you a token of my appreciation. You're the best Danna I could ask for and I adore the puppets you made me. I actually felt a bit shy about telling you that, but then I thought, 'Nah! It's just Danna, I don't have to be shy of him!', so yeah, I decided to send it to you cause I didn't want to give it to you in person~ Sorry~

But again, thanks for being there.

Sincerely, Deidara.

Your Brat.

"Then Someone stops trying."

Deidara blushed. Had he really done that? Had he and Sasori really done it? It all seemed like a dream, as if it happed a million lifetimes ago, not just the previous night. But the scratch marks on his back were proof enough, as well as the fact he had woken up naked. Sasori was nowhere to be seen, but when he went to her, no, his room, he had been there on the floor naked. Just like he was.

He wanted to die of embarrassment; he couldn't even look Sasori in the eye as they left the hideout they were in. Both partners had been on a mission, and a very large sand storm hit, as they were in a dessert. So they decided to take refuge in the nearest hideout, which was this one, and things got weird. Sasori did some things – that Deidara did enjoy, a lot – and he wanted it to happen again. But fate had other plans.

They eventually got to the real hideout and things seemed off for the next couple weeks, they could both feel it. Pein would not look them in the eye, Kisame smirked as they saw him in the hall, that wouldn't have been unusual, but the feelings radiating off of him, it wasn't like his normal self.

Zetsu, the dark side glared while the light side giggled as they saw them. Itachi always seemed to leave the room more frequently and Hidan, well he was the worst of all. He just randomly burst out laughing at the sight of them. Kakazu was the only one who seemed like he didn't care, but Konan was the problem.

She was too nice to them, always offering to do things for them, and worst of all, always insisting they do things together. At first Deidara didn't mind, after all, he did like Sasori, more than he could admit. He even let his thoughts wander off to the word 'love'. A word he never thought had any meaning to him at times, but this was not one of those times.

Deidara adored Sasori, he would always make it his top priority to talk to the puppeteer as often as he could, and most of the time, his affection was returned. Both partners often thought of that night when Sasori had taken matters into his own hands. Deidara wished he would do it again, Sasori wished differently. He wanted Deidara to do something himself this time; he didn't want to do it again.

"Talk less."

But Deidara didn't know that, Sasori wouldn't tell him, and well, what's a relationship without communication? Nothing, that's what it is.

One day, when both partners were returning from a mission together, Deidara was frustrated. In every way possible, he was steaming and even he wasn't exactly sure why. So when the albino Jashinist looked his way, and burst out laughing, Deidara didn't take that lightly.

In a split second, Hidan was up against the wall with Deidara pinning him up there, using his elbow to do so. "What the hell is your problem un!?" Deidara had growled out at him.

Hidan just laughed again, "You seriously haven't guessed? We all know! We all know about you and that puppet over there f*cking each other! It's just so funny thinking about it, that emotionless doll and your girly $$ getting it on. It's hilarious and sickening at the same time! " Hidan sneered.

Deidara's face heated up and he could feel all eyes on him. Since when where there so many people in the room? "How did you find out?" He said it calmly, trying not to show his embarrassment.

"Konan! Next time you do something like that; make sure the place is empty before you do! Especially if you don't want anyone to know about it~~" Deidara's face went as white as a sheet. Konan had been there? Out of sheer nerves, he dropped the albino to the floor and ran.

Deidara felt so shy, more so than he had felt in a very long time. So he ran, ran faster than he had ever done so. Out the hideout and out of sight. Sasori was all he really wanted. And Deidara made the fatal mistake of expecting Sasori to come after him. To come and comfort him. But that didn't happen and after hours of waiting he couldn't take it anymore.

He fell to his knees, under a tree, and started to cry. He shouldn't have, honestly, as he was sitting under a willow who was already weeping. A weeping willow, appropriately named, was the only thing Deidara had to take comfort in over the next few months.

"Awkward conversations."

Things never stopped with the 'Konan kept forcing them to be together' thing. Except this time, they both minded more than two lovers should have and it was starting to get awkward for both of them. Now that they knew that the whole Akatsuki knew about their little secret, Deidara was constantly leaving the hideout, and Pein, much too every one's surprise, didn't stop him. Not that he could have anyway. The blonde was determined.

Sasori would always wander where exactly the brat would go in his alone time, in his wandering off time. He thought that maybe Deidara wanted space, so that's what he gave him. Even if space was the last thing that Dei wanted. What he wanted was comfort, but didn't say anything about it so Sasori didn't know.

But Sasori still had hope. Both Deidara and he had a mission to collect the Kazekage, and maybe, just maybe, they could sort this out.

"The drifting."

They both knew that the Konoha Nin's were close. Deidara was ready for them of course, and he was just itching to release some tension while fighting them. Because, tension was something he had a lot of in himself lately, and he hated it. He wanted it gone.

But sitting here next to Sasori, his partner that he had fallen in love with, part of him never wanted to leave to fight those pesky ninja.

And that's because Deidara could tell that Sasori was smiling at him.

Oh, how he had missed that smile.

Part of both of them knew that they were drifting apart, and both of them hated it. Sasori loved Deidara. Deidara loved Sasori. Shouldn't that be enough? No, and it couldn't be. No matter how much you love someone, if you as a person in that relationship is unwilling to open up to the other, the relationship will go spiralling downwards into debris and fallout. That's exactly what was happening with the two lovers.

They misunderstood each other, a lot.

But just knowing that Sasori was smiling at him, Deidara wished more than anything to freeze time, right then, right there, just to stay in that moment and in that temporary feeling of bliss he was in. He never wanted the moment to fade. It was art, and art wasn't supposed to last forever, but this was a new type of art, one that was supposed to last forever but was fading fast, faster than it was supposed to.

The cave entrance crashed open, just like that art was about to. It was time for their goodbyes.

Deidara and Sasori looked at each other for the last time and nodded. Sometimes, just sometimes, the hardest goodbyes are the ones that are never said, nor ever explained.

"No communication whatsoever."

Danna, Deidara's Danna, was dead. Deidara couldn't get his head around those two words in the same sentence. Danna Dead. They just didn't fit with each other.

He couldn't believe that an old woman and a kid could beat his Danna, he didn't want to believe. He didn't want anything except his Danna back. He wanted his Danna to call him 'his brat' again, to get annoyed and argue over art, to just be there was enough. He just wanted his Danna and would have given anything to get him.

"Memories start to fade."

In a way, he was grateful to Tobi, Tobi's irritating presence annoyed Deidara so much sometimes he could even forget the pain. It wasn't often he could do that.

All he wanted to do was forget.

"Then that person you know-"

Deidara hugged the Sasori puppet tighter into his chest along with his ring. He was going into battle with Sasuke Uchiha. Suicide had been another thought, another option he wanted so badly, the pain was too much to bare.

"Becomes that person you knew."

But what would his Danna think of him if he did that? His Danna would not forgive him, would he?

"That's how it usually goes, right?"

Deidara had no choice. This was it. His last chance for freedom. Stitches were torn and an explosion brighter than a thousand suns could be seen from anywhere. "Here I come, Danna!"

"Sad, isn't it."

"Sometimes, there are things in our lives that aren't meant to stay. Sometimes, change may not be what we want. Sometimes, change is exactly what we need. And sometimes, saying goodbye is the hardest thing you think you'll ever have to do, but sometimes saying hello again is the thing that breaks you down and makes you more vulnerable than you ever thought possible. Sometimes change is too much to bear. But most of the time, change is the only thing saving your life."

A/N: There is a lemon for this story, I couldn't get the link so if you want it, just go and view my other stories.