A/N:
Yay! I made it to chapter 10! Celebrate with me! C'mon! Get your lazy butt off of the computer and go eat ramen! I like the beef flavor, myself. Then come back and read Chapter 10.
10
Locked Up Feelings Set Free
Suki opened her eyes in the dim indoor light. She looked to the left and saw Hidan sitting up in a bed with a bandage wrapped all the way around his waist. He had a very bored look on his face and he was twiddling his thumbs. Suki tried to sit up, but it hurt.
"H-Hidan-danna? Where are we?"
"Hmmm?"
Hidan looked up.
"Oh, Suki-chan. You're awake." Hidan looked back down at his thumbs. "You know this shit doesn't really entertain me."
Suki chuckled. "No, it doesn't. Parents just tell their kids to do that so they'll shut up."
Hidan leaned back in his bed. "Well screw them. And by the way, we're in the base's hospital room. That fuckin' copycat got you too, huh?"
"Yea. He's pretty good I guess-" Suki stopped in mid sentence. A thought had struck her.
"Hey, Hidan…"
"What?"
"Did… Tobi-sensei get hurt, too?"
"Yea, but he's in the next room over."
Suki smiled and hopped out of bed. She immediately grimaced in pain. "Damn!" Regardless, she still limped over to the door.
Hidan sat straight up. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Suki looked at him like he was stupid. "Like I would miss the chance to see Tobi-sensei's face!"
She reached for the door but it swung open. Tobi stood in the doorway, fully masked. Suki frowned in disappointment. Tobi, however, was surprised to see her in the doorway.
"Suki-chan! Kakuzu-sempai said that you shouldn't leave your bed!"
Suki rolled her eyes.
"I'm fine, Tobi-sensei."
To prove her point Suki did a black flip and landed back into her bed.
"But if you insist, I'll stay in bed."
"Thank you. I just stopped by to let you know that the Kyuubi is securely locked up."
Suki smiled. "That's great news! Right, Hidan-danna?"
Hidan smiled, too. "So you managed to catch that bastard, Tobi?"
Tobi nodded his head excitedly. "Yes sir, Hidan-sempai!"
Hidan laughed and patted Tobi on the head.
"Tobi's a good boy."
Under his mask Tobi smiled ear-to-ear. Then he walked back over to the door.
"Wait a sec, Tobi-sensei!"
"What is it, Suki-chan?"
"How long do we have to stay in here?"
Tobi shrugged. "Until Kakuzu-sempai or Leader-sama says so, I guess."
And with that Tobi shut the door, leaving Suki and Hidan alone.
There was a moment of silence.
"Um, Suki?"
"Hmmm?"
"Are you really ok? You looked pretty bad when Deidara brought you in."
Suki smiled a sarcastic smile. "I'm fine. Really. I just got beaten to shreds, Chidori in my stomach, and Kakashi's version of Mangekyou Sharingan-ed. But I'm totally fine. Perfectly fine."
Hidan rolled his eyes. There was an awkward silence.
"So, uh, how are you?"
If it were anyone else Hidan would've listed all off his many complaints. He would've droned on and on about how Hatake Kakashi had violated him and how he wouldn't be able to pee right, ect, ect. But Hidan didn't want to annoy and/or bore Suki. So he simply just said:
"I'm fine."
Suki smiled. "Well, that's good!"
Hidan just grunted in response.
His gaze shifted from the floor and he looked at Suki. His and her eyes locked. Black looked into blue.
Suki cocked her head.
"Hidan-danna? Why do you care if I'm ok?"
Hidan's eyes grew big, and then he looked down again.
Suki continued, oblivious to his reaction. "I thought I was just an annoying fangirl. You didn't even want to teach me."
"Well, um, I-"
"Yes, Hidan. Why don't you tell Suki why you care? Kukuku."
Hidan quickly turned around and came face to face with Pein. Pein laughed again.
"Well, Suki, since he can't seem to say it-"
Hidan attempted to jam his elbow into Pein's ribs.
"Shut. The. Fuck. Up." He said through clenched teeth in a hushed tone.
Pein just laughed again.
"Why do you think that Hidan doesn't really curse at you or around you, Suki?"
Suki stayed silently, thinking. "But then… Why did he in the beginning?"
Pein just laughed.
Hidan attempted another jab at Pein.
Pein looked down at Hidan.
"That reminds me…" With a motion of his hand Hidan's bed disappeared into thin air and Hidan fell to the dirty floor.
"What the hell?!"
"It's about time for you to check out."
Hidan slowly got to his feet and scowled.
"Hurry up."
Hidan grabbed his scythe and exited while muttering curses under his breath.
Suki immediately forgot what Pein had said about Hidan. "Hey! What about me?"
Pein avoided eye contact with Suki. This was the first time he had spoken with his daughter since she had joined Akatsuki.
"You need to stay a little longer. You have minor internal bleeding."
Suki arched her eyebrows in surprise.
"What are you talking about? I feel fi-" Suki coughed up blood on her blanket.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about."
Suki frowned, unhappy at her illness.
"You should rest some. Kakuzu will be in here later to perform medical ninjutsu."
Suki crossed her arms and lay back in her bed. "Humph!"
Pein gazed at his daughter, taking in all of her features. He hated to see her in such a weakened state. And yet, the fact that she had defeated an Uchiha and had managed to fight with Hatake Kakashi without getting completely killed made him kind of… sort of… proud.
He turned around so fast that his cloak went swish! He slammed the door close. Konan was just outside, waiting.
"How is she?"
Pein just mumbled under his breath, "She's just fine, minor internal bleeding."
Konan smiled. "You're worried about her, aren't you?"
He avoided eye contact. "No."
Konan looked at Pein for a long time. He finally looked up into her eyes.
"What?"
Konan looked through the one-way mirror/window. Pein followed her gaze. Suki was attempting to fall asleep in her hospital bed. Pein's eyes lost some of their edge.
"She kind of looks like you, you know."
Pein said nothing. He left the room just as Deidara was entering. Deidara nodded in Konan's direction as if to say Hi, un.
"He so loves his daughter."
And with those words, Konan left, too, leaving Deidara a little bit confused. Deidara just shrugged and walked into Suki's hospital room. When he saw that she was sleeping he turned back around and almost walked right out the door.
"Wait!"
"Hmmm?" Deidara turned around. "Suki-chan? I thought you were sleeping, un."
"Nah. But I was trying too."
"Well then, I'm sorry to interrupt you, un."
Suki laughed. "No, that's ok. Since you're already here…" Suki patted a spot on the bed for Deidara to come and sit.
Deidara walked over, but instead of sitting on the bed he pulled up a chair.
Suki smiled at him.
"W-What, un?"
"You're the one who came and saved me."
Deidara looked surprised. "How do you know, un?"
Suki laughed again. "I know from my shadow clones, silly!"
Deidara smiled. He loved to hear Suki laugh.
"So, are you alright, un?"
Suki nodded. "Pein-sama says I have internal bleeding, but it's only minor. Kakuzu-sensei should be here soon."
Deidara's grin grew wider. "Well, it could've been much worse, un. Like this one time I lost both of my arms, un."
"I know."
There was an awkward silence. Deidara didn't know what to say.
"Um, what do you think of P-Pein-sama, un?"
Deidara flinched at what he had just said. Saying Pein's name was strictly taboo. Whenever anyone of the Akatsuki said his name he would appear somewhere nearby and eavesdrop on their conversation. Except for Konan and Suki, everyone referred to him as Leader-sama. There was no doubt in Deidara's mind that Pein would appear on the other side of the wall and listen in on their conversation, but Deidara thought that Pein should hear what his own daughter thinks of him.
"Pein-sama?" Suki titled her head in thought.
Sure enough Deidara could see Pein's shadows in the corner of his eye, but when he turned his head they were gone.
"I don't really know. I mean, I've never really talked to him except for when I joined and a couple of minutes ago."
"Well, what's your impression of him, un?"
"He seems like a nice enough guy, I guess. He has an evil aurora, very scary. And, uh, I don't know."
"Hmmm."
Suki frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Huh? What do you mean, un?"
"Well, usually you're so focused and all, but you seem a little distant, like you're somewhere else."
"I'm just thinking about things, un."
Suki kept on pestering. "What kind of things?"
Deidara thought about whether or not he should tell her.
"I… I think he should be the one to tell you."
The shadows exited the room. Pein didn't want Deidara's advice on whether or not he should tell his daughter.
"Huh? Who? Tell me what? What, Deidara-kun?"
He smiled at the sound of his name on her lips.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it, un. After all, you should be worrying about what Kakuzu's going to do to you, un."
"Not really, Pein-sama said it was only minor so- "
Deidara tuned out. He was busy cherishing her every motion, her every sound.
His voice was a whisper, barely audible. "I… I almost lost you, un."
Suki stopped talking. "What?"
Deidara held her in a warm, protecting embrace. He was crying.
"I don't want you to ever be hurt like that again, un."
"Deidara-kun…" Suki was at a loss for words. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she just patted his back as comforting as she could.
Deidara pulled Suki into a loving kiss. Suki was surprised, but she wasn't the one who pulled away. Deidara stood up and turned the door handle.
"Kazami Suki-chan…"
He opened the door.
"I… I love you. I've loved you ever since that day in the garden."
He closed the door.
Kakuzu walked in shortly after.
"You ready, Suki-san?"
But Suki wasn't listening to him. She kept hearing those three words over and over in her mind.
I love you.
--
A/N:
Happy Friday the 13th!