His ears were ringing with the silence in his mind, the voices around him a muffled chaos. A few distinguished themselves enough to be recognizable. A woman screaming in distress. People shouting. Someone yelling Itachi's name. His whole life he had difficulty focusing on one thing at a time and now he couldn't look away from the body on the floor. The blood pool spreading. In the silence, his mind screamed, growing more and more desperate as nothing answered him. He hated silence. Hated Alone. He couldn't be Alone again. Never again. He needed to get to Itachi – just a few inches away from him, but he couldn't reach him. And the smell. Itachi's precious blood spilling on the floor, wasted. It filled his nose and made him shake with desire. Every muscle in his body was frozen. He couldn't even tear through the thread on his lips to scream for his unmoving human.
The dead Hunter stood up, drawing every eye and silencing the crowd.
Slowly, the head was slid along the shaft of the spear that had been thrown from nowhere until it was removed, the spear wobbling grotesquely where it still remained stuck in the ground. As the Hunter planted his feet on the ground, his gun and dagger were removed from their holster and sheath. Blood was still pouring out of the hole in his head from the spear. His partner fell to her knees and crawled backwards, her terror as pungent as Itachi's precious blood.
"What blood magic is this?" someone murmured nearby.
"Has the discipline of the Hunters dropped so low that a foot soldier attacks an accused in the middle of a trial?"
The sound of weapons being unsheathed echoed against the stone as all the Hunters turned to face the newcomer, but he did not seem to mind. The vampire walked calmly down the stairs with a tall human trailing nervously behind him. Deidara could smell them coming closer, but the smell of wood and sand did not comfort him as it once did.
"Sasori-danna," he gasped out desperately.
"Akasuna Sasori, how dare you enter this place?" one of the older Elders whispered angrily.
"You have stolen something of mine," Sasori said calmly. He had finally reached the bottom of the stairs and walked to the middle, his footsteps never wavering in their pace. Rarely did Sasori hurry anywhere that someone was waiting for him. The child vampire stopped next to the blond and the scent of him mixed with the ambrosial scent of Itachi filled his nose. "You have injured it."
"You threw the spear?" the dead Hunter's partner gasped hoarsely, but Sasori ignored her.
Sudden realization made Deidara begin to struggle again. It wasn't magic holding him down. It was Sasori keeping him from moving. "Sasori-danna," he preened through the thread. "Itachi! Let me go! Itachi!"
"Stop fighting me, Deidara," Sasori stated blandly.
BUT ITACHI, he screamed against the door that separated him from his Maker. The force of it made Sasori's eyes dart back to him and he almost broke free, but the redhead held out his hand and crushed all hopes of escaping as his invisible strings became vice like. He had never even come closer to breaking out of Sasori's hold. If he had been in any other situation, he would have been pleased.
The dead Hunter took a step closer and held his dagger out to Sasori, who took it and began gently cutting the stitches in Deidara's mouth while the dead Hunter slid the blades carefully from his legs. The watching Hunters around them seemed to realize that their dead comrade was being controlled by Sasori at the same time, but his Maker ignored the woman's demands to release her partner. "I am here to act as witness," Sasori continued to the Elder Council though he didn't look at them. "Since you have so willingly come to Japan to hear this accusation, I thought it would be interesting to watch. Especially since Shadow Hunter councils are so famous for their fair judgement. As evident by the way you've entirely silenced one of the accused." His fingers touched Deidara's chin to lift it up higher and examine the work. Sasori's face was blank and impassive as ever, but his eyes were blazed with anger as he began to remove the severed threads.
"You called us here?" one of the Mage Elders demanded angrily.
"I did," the human with Sasori said, stepping up. Deidara turned his eyes to Tal whose face appeared calm, but kept glancing down at Itachi on the ground as if he wanted to go to him.
"Itachi—"
"Be quiet," Sasori said, his voice low and dangerous. "If you weren't such an idiot, you'd be able to tell he's still alive."
"He's bleeding to death! Let me help him, un!"
"No."
"Why?!"
"You will kill him," Sasori said with calm certainty, pulling the last string out of his mouth with his bare hands. His eyes, murky from the day time death both of them were fighting, were deadly as they looked at the marks the silver thread left on his face. They would heal, but Sasori never liked when his things were damaged. If he, himself, felt the burn of the silver on his fingers, it didn't show in his face.
"My name is Tal," the Indian man was saying. "I am the Human Servant of Kali, Diplomatic Liaison between the Elder Council and Vampire Court."
The oldest of the Elders exchanged glances with one another and slowly settled back into their seats and looked him over with the same attentiveness they had given Itachi. A few followed in suit, but others remained standing in the presence of the threat Sasori posed. Movement caught Deidara's attention as someone knelt down by Itachi and he growled angrily until Sasori kicked him. Kisame didn't flinch at the vampire's anger as he checked on the brunette, gently turning him so he could press a piece of cloth over the wound. Deidara watch the blood bubble and spill over the man's fingers until Sasori forced his head away. He was stopping him from paying too much attention to his blood, but Deidara was not grateful.
"For what purpose have you called us here, Tal of Kali?" an Elder Warrior questioned.
"It is relevant to the events of the past several minutes," Tal informed her, glancing down at Itachi again, but forcing his expression upwards. "I come to bring the Elder Council's attention to a breech in treaty and demand reconciliation on behalf of my lady. Kali currently suffers from Bloodlust, but it is not the result of her own weakness. As you know, she was working to bring a peace treaty and ceasefire between the Shadow Hunters and vampires. Yet, before an agreement could be made, she was stabbed with a poisoned blade and it forced the Bloodstarved state on her making the possibility of peace null. Before the Vampire Court could put her to death for it, she closed off her connection with me and fled to fight off the poison on her own."
"You are claiming an attempted assassination on our part?" another Warrior Elder asked.
Tal nodded, "a failed one. I don't know if it was the action of an individual or the Elder Council, but it was an attempt."
"Why didn't you come forward sooner?" a younger Scholar questioned with a frown. "Kali hasn't met with us since before I was born."
"Kali entrusted my protection to her friend, Deidara," he gestured back to the blond. "Challenging a bias Council without acceptable proof would have been suicide for me and he advised me against it. Shadow Hunters have not been quiet about their dislike of our union. I know it to be true, because I felt the blade embed her side as if it were my own. I felt the poison spread before she closed me off. I am her Human Servant. I felt what she felt, just like Itachi feels the pain Deidara feels. I could not challenge this without help. One of your own Shadow Hunters has seen Kali, she is of sound mind. I demand to be presented by the antidote for this poison as compensation for this crime."
"Who of us as seen Kali?" the elderly female Scholar asked, leaning forward.
In the silence that followed, Kisame looked up when he realized that Tal was talking about himself and shifted to look back at the Elders, keeping his hand firmly pressed down on Itachi. "When I was on the train to Beijing with Itachi, it made an emergency stop because of the snow. She boarded and I met her," he said after a moment. A few Hunters in the seats behind them muttered darkly and he turned to give them a nasty smirk. "Should I lie about that?" he questioned them. "Lie to the Elder Council?"
"Why did she board the train, Kisame?" the Scholar's partner asked.
"She was hungry," the Hunter asked. "She saw Itachi alone and wanted to try to feed on him without killing him. She stopped when she saw Itachi's necklace and—"
"Necklace?"
When Kisame glanced back at the vampires, Sasori gave Deidara a small kick to get his attention and loosen his control of the blond's mouth. "My humans wear them, un," he croaked. "No one can feed from them. They are mine."
"She stopped? Even though she was Bloodstarved she didn't hurt any of the passengers?"
"She spoke to Itachi," Kisame continued. "She asked a lot about him," he nodded to Tal, "and then left. She didn't attack anyone. She said she was trying regain control."
The Elder Council sat in silence, glancing at one another as though discussing what they had learned with their eyes. "Perhaps I can offer a solution to the situation," Sasori said, reaching out to wipe the blood off Deidara's chin from the slow healing wounds. "You need time to discuss what has happened and come to your own conclusion. Release us. Investigate the accusations presented to you before you pass judgement on those who haven't breached any treaties. If you touch my things again, I will return."
"You are threatening us, vampire," a Warrior growled, brandishing his weapon from the stairs. "You would start a war."
"Your treaties mean little to me," Sasori said, the boredom apparent in his voice. "I have no ties to the Vampire Council, so it would do nothing but rid the world of a few self-righteous idiots."
"Your own strikes against us are many. We should just kill you now."
Deidara, still kneeling on the floor at Sasori's feet, was temporarily distracted from trying to look at Itachi again. He looked at his Maker's face and quivered suddenly in excitement. The bloodlust that washed over the redhead enticed his own that had been encouraged by Itachi's blood and his own hunger. Sasori very much wanted them to try. He very much wanted to spend this afternoon tearing skin from muscles and breaking bones in his fingers. He very much wanted to slide his hands through their torsos and tear out their hearts so that he could drink from their veins like a straw. Their numbers could overwhelm him, but Sasori would not know fear. Deidara wanted to join him. Not for revenge anymore, but for the absolute beauty of the massacre. It would be wonderful. The blood of the Hunters painting them in crimson wash that would stain their skin and they would spend countless Suntime deaths curled together in darkness licking in away. The intensity of the Child Vampires caused even Kisame and Tal to take a step away from him in fear. The terror in the room masked even the scent of Itachi's blood and the blond preened softly to play with that fear, nostrils flaring to take it in.
When Sasori spoke, it held the same monotone it always did, but somehow it held a terror that even the most seasoned Elders had not heard before. "You will give this human the antidote to the poison used to sabotage Kali. You will find and try the Hunter who poisoned Kali if they are still alive. You will punish the malicious Mage who took pleasure in mutilating my Made and you will not follow us as we take our leave. If you would like to make an appointment and discuss my strikes against your kind, feel free to send an official envoy to my home in the Middle East. I do enjoy company."
There was a moment of silence in the room as Sasori stared the Elder Council down before he seemed to decide that the silence was answer enough. Taking a step forward, he knelt down next to Itachi across from Kisame and looked down at his own fingers. They were coated with a thin film of Deidara's blood from the holes made by the threads. He froze just a moment, contemplating the blood then reached down and slid his fingers between he brunette's lips instead of his own. Satisfied, he lifted Itachi up as easily as though he had been made of paper and not flesh. Deidara's anxiety spiked again, but the Child Vampire appeared gentle with his human he half turned away. "I expect to hear from you in three days," Sasori said.
"And if we refuse your demands," a Mage questioned.
Sasori stopped and slowly turned to him, an eyebrow raised just slightly. "I will not repeat myself," he stated, then gave his back to the Council and began to walk up the stairs. Tal followed behind him and Deidara experienced the odd sensation of his body getting up and walking without him doing anything. The dead Hunter followed close behind.
"Stop them! This is outrageous!" another Mage Elder shouted, pounding his fist on the table in front of him. "This child is making a mockery of us! The union between this vampire and Shadow Hunter will not be permitted."
The redhead paused when several Hunters stepped in his path, brandishing their own weapons him. The dead Hunter lifted his weapons at the ready. Sasori turned and handed Itachi over to Tal, who was not nearly as strong as the vampire and staggered slightly, but held him up as Sasori faced the approaching danger. "You intend to fight me?" he asked, eyes dangerously excited.
"The vampire and boy stay," the closest Hunter stated. "They will be separated."
Sasori tilted his head to the side and gave a sniff of the air. "You have Deidara's blood on you," he whispered.
"Yeah I stabbed the blood sucker with my blade," the Hunter replied, "through the shoulder and into the ground. Does that piss you off?"
"I often think about doing the same," the redhead said softly. "But only I can do that." Deidara doubted the Hunters around them could see what had happened, he barely followed the movements himself as Sasori grabbed the Hunter and opened his chest cavity with his fingers and watched the man's organs fall from their encasement. The blond was suddenly very aware of how long it had been since he fed. His senses were overwhelmed by the smell of blood, the yelling, the sudden movements. The sun was high in the sky and the only reason he was able to stand was because Sasori was still holding him fast.
The Hunters did not react well to their comrade's quick death. The yelling grew in such volume that Deidara's ears sting. The Hunters cursed his Maker, the commanders standing and shouted at their men to stop and Sasori's bloodlust leaked into Deidara's own as he tore at anyone who came into reach, using the dead Hunter to guard their backs and attached his strings to the Hunters that fell to make them rise again to push the horrified Shadow Hunters back.
"Enough!" boomed a command from behind him. Deidara's hair stood on end as a wave of power seemed to heat the air. The Elders were on their feet again, but none of them rushed to join the fight. A Mage held a staff forward to work the magic that had caught all their attentions. They seemed to understand the dangers of doing so and were trying to prevent a worse bloodbath than had already started. Obediently, though hesitant, the Hunters lowered their weapons and stared at them.
"Akasuna Sasori," one of the Scholar Elders spoke in a slightly shaken voice. "Please release our fallen comrades from your control."
"And leave myself vulnerable?" Sasori asked, tilting his head slightly to the side. "It is the middle of the afternoon and the sun is high in the sky." Several of the Hunters around them stiffened with that realization and Deidara felt a nasty grin spread over his own face. Here was a vampire they had only heard stories of. A vampire stronger than they had ever faced before. A vampire so old and so strong that he could still functioned during the day. Not fully, though. Even Sasori had limits and was hindered by his Suntime death, but the seven slaughters that happened in the last few seconds were caused by hindered movements. His Maker was truly a monster.
"We will meet you in three days' time – after consulting your demands," the man replied.
"And his?" Sasori questioned, nodding his head to Itachi.
"We will investigate his claims," his voice was quieter.
Deidara made a small noise, resisting the urge to lick his lips as Sasori took Itachi from the struggling Tal and looked at the blood on Sasori's hands. He was so hungry. Sasori was never going to let him live this down. I have no doubt you'll be able to find someone who can prove the Mage Council's innocence," Sasori sneered. "I will find another witness to give their own testimony. Three days."
Turning again, he continued up the stairs and ignored the Hunters that gave way reluctantly as their dead friends fell to the ground one by one, released from Sasori's hold. No one followed them. When they exited the temple, the sun blinded them, burning Deidara's skin, melting his muscles, but Sasori held him like a puppeteer and he followed him painfully. The smell of blood wafted off his Maker. Itachi was still silent.
"We need to get him to the hospital," Tal said as they approached the car waiting at the bottom of the temple stairs. It smelled like Sasori and Tal and must have been the vehicle they used to get here. The driver's expression was oddly blank and didn't react to his blood covered passengers.
"No, we're going to Deidara's apartment," Sasori stated, sitting in the back seat of the car as Tal placed Itachi on the seat next to him. Deidara was made to crawl middle seat, though he was unable to look at Itachi, and Tal got into the front. "Give the driver directions."
"Why not the hospital?" Deidara demanded, now that they were out of sight from the Hunters. He knew better than to question Sasori any more than he had in front of an enemy. "Why are you stalling now, un!? Itachi will die!"
"Maybe I want him to die," Sasori said coolly.
"I WON'T LET YOU KILL HIM, UN!" Deidara shouted, fighting his hold on him. He nearly broke free again, but Sasori threw him down on the floor at his feet.
"Tell him."
"Don't let him die," the blond begged. "I can't hear him. He's not answering me, un. Please, Sasori-danna, he's dying."
"Maybe he's as annoyed at you as I am," his Maker muttered, jabbing his finger at the driver again. He waited until Deidara finally shouted the instructions to the driver before began examining the wound on the brunette. "He's fine. Your blood is healing it." He gave a dissatisfied huff and sat back in his seat with his eyes closed.
"Forgive me," Tal said after several minutes of silence. "I have never seen a vampire walk in the sun as you can."
"Of course not," Sasori responded, not answering Tal's unasked question of how. His eyes cracked open again and he looked down at Deidara still sitting on the floor with his eyes staring over at Itachi in worry and hunger. When the blond finally looked at him, the redhead held his hand up and let Deidara move closer to him so he could lick the Shadow Hunter blood off of his fingers. Tal gave a soft smile and nod before turning back around to face the front window. Tal had plenty of experience speaking with egotistical vampires.
They rode in silence until the driver pulled into the underground garage of the building Deidara had brought Itachi so long ago. Sasori, hands now cleaned of blood, carried Itachi – and invisibly Deidara – into the building and rode the elevator up to the mansion. Everything was exactly how the two of them had left it, and Deidara remembered two things with a slightly twinge in his chest. He remembered Itachi's fear, but willingness to go with him even though he thought he would die, and he also remembered that there was no blood in the kitchen. Sasori left him standing alone in his misery as he put Itachi to bed in the master bedroom, instructing Tal to shut the door, though it was unnecessary because Deidara could hear him asking Tal his opinion on Itachi's wound and then told him to take care of Itachi before he returned to the main room. The expression on the redhead's face was equally agitated and tired, and Deidara returned it with a miserable face and complained in his most pitiful voice that he was hungry.
Sasori didn't need to tell Deidara that he thought he was an idiot. His expression said it for him, but neither of them could go hunting. They were both at their limits. Together, they went into the extra bedroom and welcomed the chilly darkness. The cracks in the door were stuffed up and they crawled under the psychedelically decorated blankets of Deidara's bed, tearing off their already ruined clothes. The blond still felt his Maker's strong hold on him. For all he put on the face that he didn't care, Sasori wasn't going to chance him accidentally feeding from Itachi or Tal. Instead, he let Deidara wrap himself against his own body, sinking his fangs into the pale skin of his Maker and desperately feast on the blood that gave him strength as though he were a newly Made. He was dizzy with it, confusing images swirly in the blond's mind and he temporarily forgot that Itachi was silent on his end. Pleasure and memories and thoughts replaced that fear because he and Sasori were alone in their minds and while the redhead still kept him out, he was closer and comforted by his presence. Sasori's angry, possessive grip on him told him how furious he was. At whom, the blond wasn't entirely certain, but if it was himself, he didn't care. After weeks and weeks, he could finally rest – even just a little in the embrace of Sasori's' cold, unmoving body.
"How did you know, un?" Deidara whispered in the late afternoon, both of them exhausted and leaning against the mental door that separated them to talk. His door was open just slightly, his fingers wriggled in as far into the entryway as Sasori would allow. It wasn't very far, but somewhere in the darkness beyond, the redhead was holding his hand.
"Know what?"
Deidara didn't answer.
"When you reopened your connection with Itachi again, some of your thoughts slipped to me," his Maker explained after a pause. "I knew where you were – your human told me. I felt Kali's thoughts on your mind and I went to Rome to get her human. He used his connections to contact the Elder Council who agreed to meet him in the rendezvous for the trial since their city is inaccessible to vampires. I wanted to pull the rug out from under them."
"What witnesses?" Deidara asked softly.
"You'll have to see."
"Itachi said that too, un," grumbled the blond, banging his head against the door frame and looked across the room at the Itachi puzzle waiting on his favorite pillow. "He wouldn't tell me what he was going to tell the Hunters."
"Probably for the same reason."
"Which is what?"
"You are an idiot."
Deidara glared and pinched Sasori's hand, but was pinched back harder. "How did Itachi do it?"
"Move in front of the blade? He borrowed some of your strength," Sasori replied as if it was obvious. "I don't think he realized what he was doing and acted on instincts alone. Your human is a bit dense himself. Not as incompetent as you though."
"Hey."
"Without you, your human is helpless. That is incompetence on your part."
Deidara frowned into the depths of his own mind. It was a ruin in decay, the grim was spread over everything like crud oil and with Itachi silent on his end, it was growing thick again, coming closer as though it wanted to consume him. He crawled closer to the door. "Let me in, Sasori-danna," he whispered, trying to hide in his nervousness in his voice. He wanted to escape his own head. He was so tired.
"No," was the obvious reply. "You are like a child who doesn't take care of its own pet."
"Look who's talking, un," he muttered under his breath.
If Sasori heard him, which he was sure he did, the vampire ignored the comment. "If you expect him to live much longer, I suggest you make him less helpless," he was saying.
"I think he did okay, un."
"He had no fucking clue what he was doing. He went to China without any plan."
"But he tried," Deidara grinned affectionately, thinking of Itachi hopefully recuperating in the other room. "He is very adaptable. Like me, un!"
"You are not adaptable," Sasori informed him. "Destroying something and making it your own is not adapting."
"Did you kill Kit?" Deidara questioned, sticking his face against the crack of the door.
Sasori's fingers closed angrily around his own, thinking of her. "Yes."
"Were the others there?"
"What others?"
"My humans," Deidara grumbled impatiently. "Sam, Wes, Grey… The werewolves."
The redhead was quiet for a moment then heaved a slow, heavy sigh. "I don't know. I smelled humans, but I didn't see anyone," he replied. "I didn't stay to find out what happened to them all. None of the vampires challenged me when I entered. I do not know if that was because they still recognize you as the Master of the City or if they were scared of me."
Deidara laughed a little. "They have to. I left instructions and people in charge, technically I am still the Master, un. Even if they try to usurp me, I'll just kill them all again." Sasori didn't' say anything in response and they lapsed in silence again for a short time. "Hey, Danna…. I thought you couldn't control Hunters' bodies."
"I can't."
"You controlled the dead bodies though, un."
"Yes."
"How?"
"The same way I control anything else I want."
Deidara frowned, irritated that Sasori wasn't answering him directly. Maybe he didn't know why either, but it was still terrifying to watch dead bodies move around seemingly on their own. He had seen it many times before, but it never got any less creepy. "Why do you think you can control them dead, un?" he asked, trying to spark Sasori's curiosity.
Instead of indulging him, Sasori made a small grunting sound of indifference. "Be silent," he finally murmured. "Let me relax. I have to clean up too many of your messes today."
"I would have been okay, un."
"You would have made a much bigger mess."
"You like big messes," he crooned with a giggle. "War again… hehehe… think about it. We could go back and kill them all together… hehehe…."
"What did I just say?"
"To shut up."
"So do it."
Obeying, Deidara released his hands and closed the door between them, letting his thoughts wander aimlessly until the sun finally set and allowed their muscles to come alive again. Deidara unfurled himself from the sheets and Sasori's unmoving limbs. They had lain together in silence for several hours as the cursed sun hogged the majority of day time. His Maker's eyes were closed, lips parted as if he were sleeping, but it was a human habit that remained even after so many years. It was difficult to tell whether Sasori was aware of his surroundings or completely lost in his own thoughts. Maybe he was planning; plotting dangerous games and reactions of reactions. Deidara wished he would allow him into his mind. What a terrifying place that would be; he shivered in delight. Though he supposed it was a bit selfish to want to go into his mind when he absolutely wouldn't let Sasori into his own.
Stretching his legs out, he noticed he was completely free from Sasori's hold and briefly contemplated a run for freedom. Itachi was still absent in his mind and he wanted to go to him. Maybe he would wake up if he went to him. Sasori's blood had given him more strength, but he knew his Maker would want him to feed before seeing him.
Feeding.
A deep imposing hunger rose in him and began eating at his thoughts. He hadn't gone so long without feeding in a very long time. The thought of the two helpless humans in the other room was extremely tempting to think about, but he turned back to focus on Sasori who had still not moved. He looked like a little boy. Deidara grinned and crawled back to lie on top of Sasori, reaching up to poke his nose gently. When he still didn't respond, he slid closer and began stroking his cheek softly.
"Sasori-danna," he called softly.
The body under him stirred and the dark lashes parted to reveal the honey colored eyes to focus on his face.
"Were you sleeping?" Deidara crooned at him.
"Don't be stupid," Sasori muttered, running his hand through his hair to ruffle the bedridden lazy locks. "Vampires do not sleep."
"Maybe you were," he teased.
"Vampires do not sleep," Sasori repeated.
"Can I go see Itachi now?"
Sasori rolled his eyes than turned to lie on his stomach. Deidara didn't think so.
"I'm still hungry, Sasori-danna," he whined as he wiggled closer against him, gnawing playfully on the back of his neck. "I want more," he whispered in his ear.
"How much blood do you think I am going to give you?" Sasori muttered into the pillow. "It is your own fault that you're in this situation."
"It's not my fault," Deidara retorted, pinching his sides, but the redhead didn't react. "I went strong and healthy. The castle's magic was broken and anyone could have wandered in. I didn't know what had happened there, un."
"You care too much."
"I don't—"
"If you didn't, you wouldn't have kept that human."
"Kit was—"
"I don't mean her," Sasori interrupted.
Deidara frowned, grinding his chin lightly against the meat of his shoulder. "Itachi?"
"He has weakened you."
"No, he hasn't," Deidara snapped bitterly.
Sasori shifted under him and Deidara lifted himself up so Sasori could half roll over again. "He has. You would have happily slaughtered those Shadow Hunters when they tried to restrain you, but you didn't. You let the Vampire Council torture you and you let the Shadow Hunters torture you to protect him."
"You're jealous of him, un."
"I am not."
"Yes, you are," the blond growled in his ear. "You're jealous of both of us, un. Of him cause I like him more than I like you and I want to be around him. You're jealous of me cause I get to have what you never can, un."
Sasori's fingers were around his neck before Deidara realized he had moved. They were half fallen from the bed, tangled in the blankets with Sasori's murderous eyes on him. "Do not assume things about me. I am still your Maker," the redhead whispered in a voice that sent chills down his spine.
"Would you have done it, Danna?" the blond choked out. He knew better than to fight Sasori when he was angry. It would only make it worse. "Share your soul with me… if you had known about it back then?"
Sasori's eyes narrowed as his hand squeezed harder. "It doesn't matter. It is impossible now, so why think about it? You know your place."
'Then why did you help us?' he asked against the door since he couldn't force any more air out to speak.
"The magic that would be used to separate you may have killed one of you. If it hadn't, they would have killed you anyway and you would have let them like a broken-hearted romantic. You could barely function yesterday because he was cut. Only I get to decide when your usefulness is over," Sasori reminded him, easing his grip on his throat. "That day has been looming closer since you met that human."
"He's got a name, un."
"I know his name," Sasori growled, standing up and walked towards the door. "Get up. We're going hunting."
"I want to stay with Itachi, un."
"No."
"Please? I'll stay here and protect him while you bring something back, un."
"No," the child vampire opened the door and walked naked through the silent living room to the master bedroom. Deidara tried to follow, but Sasori shut the door in his face and the blond had to resist the childish urge to bang on the door. What stopped him was that the brief moment it was open had shown Itachi's sleeping form on the bed and he didn't want to disturb him. He still could feel nothing form him, but the whole apartment smelled like his blood. He was so hungry. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he was grateful Sasori knew him well enough to keep a leash on him right now. Sasori had taught many new and starving vampires how to feed safely in his long life.
"Sasori-danna," he whispered into the keyhole. On the other side, the murmuring conversation paused, indicating his Maker was listening. "The Master of Tokyo hates me, un. I can't hunt here."
The conversation within resumed and Deidara waited for Sasori to come back out again, fighting the urge to press his nose against the doors cracks to smell Itachi's blood that lingered in the air. Gritting his teeth, he began to pace in front of the door, holding his breath to stop himself. He was better than this. Just as his patience was beginning to run out, Sasori came out wearing a set of clothes Deidara kept in the room and threw a set at Deidara to put on.
"Is he okay?"
"Get dressed."
"Tell me, un!" Deidara demanded, throwing the clothes down on the ground.
Sasori gave him an imperious stare, then sighed and adjusted the sweater that was slightly too big for him. "Possibly," he said, then jabbed his finger at the clothes. He waited for Deidara to begin putting the clothes on before continuing, "he is still not awake. Tal believes this coma is from the magic of the blade the Shadow Hunter used. The magic shouldn't have hurt him, but just like his blood protects you from magic, your blood does the opposite. When you are back to your strongest, I'm sure he will be as well. In the meantime, I gave him more blood just in case. Again," he rolled his eyes dramatically, "incompetence." He walked to the door, muttering about how stupid the blond was.
"You what?" Deidara asked in a startled voice, tugging his head from his shirt and stared after him. Sasori ignored him as he sat down to pull his converses back on. He had given Itachi some of his own blood, too? Just to make sure he was safe? That they were safe? Sasori was lying when he claimed he didn't care; he had kept Deidara from hurting Itachi, he had given Itachi some of his blood to ensure his safety. Sasori used his strings to give him a yank towards the door and Deidara followed him. His mind was still tingling with Sasori's emotions swirling haphazardly together. It was hard to pinpoint anything passed the strongest: rage, exhaustion, and exasperation. He felt his frustration, and, now that they were doing something that would quell his hunger, he realized what he tasted earlier wasn't quite jealousy. Sasori was too old for such a simple word like jealousy. His Maker had stood before the Elder Council with Deidara's blood on his fingers. The only thing in this world he wanted. The only thing on the entire planet that would make him happy. All he had to do was put his fingers to his mouth, but instead he had given it to Itachi. The control he had exerted to not taste it himself was impressive, even though it would have caused very bad results. Makers couldn't feed off their Made. Sasori would have poisoned himself in front of enemies, reveal his weakness.
As they stood in the elevator, he noticed Sasori was staring at him with a look of annoyance and disgust. Deidara didn't have to ask to know it was because his expression had turned piteous – something Sasori had never appreciated – and quickly tried to cover it up. "The Master of the City hates me," he blurted out to distract him.
"Why?" Sasori asked, finally turning to stare at the door.
"Because I took Itachi without asking, un," he said, relieved Sasori wasn't going to beat him into a pulp. "But he never sent anyone to greet me. I wasn't even being sneaky, but he didn't send anyone to acknowledge me."
"Rude," Sasori grunted.
"Yeah, I thought so, too," the blond huffed. "So I went hunting without permission. But is it okay to hunt now?"
"I don't care," Sasori stated as the door opened. "You need to feed and I am not involved in the politics of your council."
Deidara grinned as he followed Itachi, wondering if he would get to see Sasori tear up the vampires here as he had the Hunters. If only they were in some remote area instead of the city where they could turn into monsters together and hunt without the danger of being discovered. Very little could hurt them here, but tipping the balance that the humans and non-humans had would not benefit them in the slightest. Especially not when the Hunters were as flustered as they left them. Hunting in a city was just another challenging game for them; one they embraced together fully and threw themselves out into the busy streets of Shibuya to hunt for a meal that would revive both of them, intent on returning as quickly as possible so the two humans were not left defenseless for long.
