A/N: well, I'm glad that people like this. Here's the next chapter, Dei's got a bit of an issue coming up…please enjoy! Again, I don't own Naruto! Or there would be...oh hell; there'd be bushels of yaoi as the main story. (Not that I'd mind…uwah. Heh. Yaoi lovers, UNITE!)

Beautiful S p l i n t e r

O2

Morning broke and rustles of awake Akatsuki members filtered through Sasori's door from the kitchen. Deidara moaned groggily when his partner shook him. "What, Danna, un?"

"Up," a command. Well. Damn. Sasori's eyes were a bit more alive, but as Dei had expected, he'd fallen back again through the night.

"Ohh, look. It's those two.," Hidan remarked, drumming his fingers on the table. "You two made a hell of a racket giggling last night…do I wanna know?"

"Leave them alone, Hidan," Kakuzu muttered, reaching for a cereal box. "You should be more concerned about how high the price of simple Oaty-Oats is anymore…"

"Well, here's something to interest you, even…" came the Jashinist's counter, "the price of popcorn is fucking rising too, and the bag that was here yesterday has now mysteriously disappeared…you should FILLET the bastard who wasted it…!" A cough. "Not that it was my popcorn…"

Meanwhile, Deidara watched Sasori and pretended not to notice his little theft had been discovered. All that occupied him was the eyes of his Danna, those eyes which showed a heavy heart that no one was allowed to look at.

I want to steal your heart, un. I just want to rip it right out of your chest…container and all and just cradle it until it gets lighter for you to carry around, un. I want to steal your heart, Sasori…

But where was he supposed to get the perfect idea to save him? Wake him up so he'd realize that he wasn't lying cold in the ground somewhere good and dead…

Dei liked him alive.

Dei loved him alive.

When Itachi and Kisame at last wandered in for breakfast, the Uchiha glanced toward Sasori, pausing for a moment. What caught Deidara about it was how the moment felt like a scratch on a CD, stopping without sound for a second only. A scratch that did not belong on the shiny surface.

A slight glance, but a glance Sasori returned.

Lately, Sasori hadn't been returning and glances.

Oh.

The bomber could barely swallow his Oaty-Oats.

Okay, so don't over react. Itachi's probably just noticed Danna's state lately, un. He's probably worried too. Just concerned, un!

He had a right to be concerned, of course, of course! The more people who tried to help, the better. Sasori-sama would get better sooner, yeah? Wasn't that how it worked?

But Dei did want to be the one to rescue him…to be the one he glanced at for that help.

And he didn't quite like how this was coming along.

Damn weasel. That wasn't entirely just an 'I'm-here-for-you' look; it was a different look…!! (Unless Dei was mistaken. Which it didn't feel like.)

Unless I'm over reacting…un?"

"Deidara, could you give me the salt?" it was the cool voice of Itachi himself.

"Eh? Wha…what, un?"

Sasori reached across the table to pass the shaker. "Ignore him…he's spacing out again. Here."

The blonde blinked. "Oh. Sorry…"

And no, he wasn't a fan of this mysterious salt-passing either.

"Danna…?" he tried to make his voice eager, peppy. Uplifting the best he could be. "Do you want to see some of my latest art, un?"

This plan was simply to take the puppet away for a while to ask (nonchalantly, of course) about that possible very unwanted worry.

Over reacting.

Over reacting in a very bad way.

Please?

"Mm, you can't call that true art," Sasori's eyes did slither up some when he spoke.

Ha. Take that, Itachi, un! Oh, hey, don't get competitive, you stupid shit, un…! THERE IS NO REASON TO DO THAT… THERE IS NO REASON, un. Of course.

"…but I'll go look anyway. Of course, Deidara. Of course."

"Aha, un! OF COURSE!"

TAKE THAT, ITACHI.

Dei led the way back to his room, and swept up his latest sculpture, a finely molded eagle. The explosion would be beautiful, so colourful, so lovely, and so bright and red.

Bright and red like his Sasori's precious head…heh.

"Ahh, why do you have to blow it all up?" Sasori scolded as he scoured every line of the bird.

Oh, just look at how intense his gaze was there. Just look at it, wouldn't you…?

Opened.

Opened.

I can, un. I can open them, why won't they stay? Aren't I enough, un…? To make them always so open where I can see how pretty they are…?

"Um," Dei began, "Itachi can't make any kind of art. To explode or otherwise, un."

Sasori's head swiveled and cocked, "Itachi? What's this about Ita-kun?"

"Ahm…well, un…this morning you sort of, er…"



"Oh, my dear idiot. You aren't jealous?" he raised his hand and swept a strand of the blonde's hair away from his face. "You take good care of me…you worry far too much."

"Really, un?" he shivered as his partner's finger touched his skin tenderly. The sort of sweet moment he lived for.

"Yes…I'm allowed to have a friend, yes?" he dropped his hand, and the wisp of radiant blonde hair fell also. "Anyway. Just once, you should have one piece of artwork left in one piece… Maybe?"

A swallow. "Maybe."

Deidara knew what he'd leave solid…he'd chose themselves to be eternal. That's what he'd pick.

They were the one thing he wanted to last forever.

"Please stop worrying?"

Over reacting.

Over reacting.

"Okay, un."