Listening to Flowers for a Ghost by Thriving Ivory

(Same ages)

-One month later-

"And I want those floors washed, again. Those curtains need to be washed better and the furniture needs dusting."

"Y-yes, your majesty." the royal servant snapped his fingers and slaves were already getting to work.

"I want everything to be perfect when the prince comes back! I bet battle after battle can get very tiring and spending a little time with his fiancé could help him with the stress," Sakura suggested, a large grin on her face.

Deidara just sat in his room as he heard the pinkette screaming orders at servants.

Was his Danna really coming back home? It had only been two and a half months, not four. His hand wandered down to where his wound was. Hachiro had removed the stitches a week ago and they were starting to get infected.

It was swelling and red and he wondered why the disinfectant wasn't working. Hachiro was beginning to panic since now the blond was starting to get a fever which was why he was in his room, or more specifically in his bed.

The raven had left him to get another bucket of water, one to give the servant a drink and to wet his rag. His current one on his forehead was beginning to get a little warm and it was almost uncomfortable.

He hadn't seen Matsuri for a long while, maybe a month and a half. Was she tortured by the guards? Was she banished? Who knew?

Deidara could feel the warm water running down his forehead and he coughed. He was parched and he needed water soon.

The door opened and Deidara was glad that he was going to get some water. He turned his head and paled.

"Why are you lying around? You have to be working! I knew Sasori always cut some slack with you, but not anymore. You're going to work!" Sakura yelled and she quickly pulled Deidara's blanket off of him and threw the rag on his head across the room. "Get to work."

Deidara frowned when she left, but got up, his hand over his wound to somewhat ease the pain. He pulled on his shirt and walked out of the room to see every slave he knew cleaning like there was no tomorrow.

"You! Go clean the floors on the second floor," the royal servant said and he passed a bucket and rag to the blond, who just nodded and went to fill it up. He went to the well in the back and pumped some water and headed upstairs.

He was panting and sweating by the time he got to the top. Absolutely exhausted. He dipped his rag in the cold water and he dabbed it on his forehead to cool himself down before he began scrubbing.

The day got hotter, or maybe he did, but it was soon beginning to get unbearable. His vision was blurring and his breathing was becoming hoarse as he took in every breath. It hurt so much and his lungs were screaming for mercy.

He touched his wound and found his shirt was slick. Blood. Hachiro did tell him not to move too much. Deidara groaned in pain and his knees ached. He fell to his side and curled up in a ball, trying to cool down. He kept a hand on his wound, trying to ease the bleeding.

He passed out on the floor, leaving someone else to find him.

"Get up!"

Deidara cried out as he was kicked in the stomach, right where his wound was. Then the chest and the wind was knocked out of him.

"I swear! Always sleeping! I'd like to make you sleep forever, you worthless piece of garbage," the princess said, mustering up all of her hatred. Deidara prevented any tears from spilling over and he got to his knees to work again. "Ugh! You are not cleaning with those hands!"

Deidara looked down at his hands which were covered in blood. "I'll have another salve clean this floor, your majesty," the servant suggested and Sakura just nodded.

Deidara got to his legs which wobbled and he began to walk away only to get pushed down again. "You're supposed to bow before you leave."

Deidara tried not to groan in pain, but he did so, his wound stretching. Again, he felt a foot being pressed against his back and he was on the ground again. "Good, now leave."

Deidara tried to get up, but the foot stayed on his back, the heel digging into it. A few tears escaped his eyes and he bit his lip. "Get. Up," she ordered once more and he tried, only to have her push down harder. She giggled at his pain and suffering.

The wound was hurting so much that by now Deidara was crying, wishing for the pain to stop. Again another giggle.

This went on for about five minutes till the princess got bored and left the bleeding blond there. He rolled over onto his back to ease the pain and he took deep breaths. Where was Hachiro? Shouldn't he be worried and look everywhere for him since that was what he had done all the other times when Deidara left?

Very slowly, he got back to his feet and began walking. He didn't know where his feet would carry him, but they seemed to know where they were going. The next thing Deidara knew, he was on the floor again face down. His hand was holding his wound to slow the bleeding and he was panting.

He was so tired; he wanted to close his eyes and forget about everything and do like the princess said. Sleep forever. That sounded so nice; to sleep and rest and not have to worry about staying alive every second.

Deidara smiled and slipped into the wonderful bliss of sleeping.

There was shouting and cheers, but he couldn't hear them properly. His ears weren't working right. He tried open his mouth to asked what was going on but all that came was blood. It was staring to get harder to breath, but soon all of the substance was gone. Opening his eyes, he realized it was night time.

Nobody seemed to notice him at all or at least they didn't care that he had been passed out on the floor. There were footsteps and Deidara hoped it was Hachiro to help him. His eyes closed again before the medic reached him.

Deidara felt him being picked up by the teen, but something was different. The arms held him better, more confident. He felt himself being cradled to the raven's chest and he sighed. A hand brushed away his hair and he could feel the hand brush his cheek.

He was being carried somewhere. Deidara must have passed out again, because in only seconds he heard a door open and he was set on a bed. His Danna's bed. A candle was lit, but he didn't want to open his dry eyes.

He could feel his shirt being taken off and his bandages were bring removed. Hachiro grabbed him carefully and had him sit up. The bandages were now fully off and Deidara hissed and whimpered in pain.

"Shh," he hushed and Deidara did so, bitting his bottom lip. Deidara knew the pattern well. Disinfectant, then some numbing ointment. New bandages were back on and he sighed in relief. It felt nice to not be drenched in blood.

He felt himself being tucked under the blankets and he felt the raven pull him to his chest. No. Hachiro was only a little larger than him, just barely. The arms that held him were warm and caring, but they were also bigger.

Before Deidara cold ponder it anymore he passed out once more.

-Morning-

Warm, comfortable, soothing. All of it was so nice. It filled Deidara with a warm feeling. He opened his eyes only to see semi tan skin. He frowned and his eyebrows furrowed. Hachiro didn't have tan skin.

Deidara looked up and his eyes went wide. Sasori was still sleeping, his face seemed to be still filled with stress. Deidara felt tears pooling in his eyes and he wrapped his arms around his Danna's neck, hugging him.

Sasori was startled awake and he heard his love's quiet sobs and he wrapped his arms around his waist, soothing him.

Deidara continued to cry into his neck and Sasori began rubbing his back, trying to calm him down. "I promised I would come back, didn't I?"

Deidara just nodded and pulled away to look at his Danna. He had a small smile and Deidara smiled back, just glad to have him back.

"Still... you left and that hurt so much," Deidara whispered, heart broken.

Sasori's smile dissolved and he pulled his love closer to him, as his eyes began to tear up again.

"I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to go, but it seemed inevitable."

Deidara just sniffled and kept his eyes closed. "You left without a goodbye, un," he sobbed.

"I know... I'm sorry that I left you alone; and when I did, you still got yourself into trouble," Sasori muttered, his hand going down to where his love was stabbed.

"I guess that was my fault. I went to the kitchen for some water and a young guard saw me... I should've been more careful, un." Deidara opened his eyes, but he wouldn't look up.

"No, all of them knew not to touch you," Sasori muttered, now angry.

"It's fine... It's healing slowly and I'm sure it'll be fine soon."

"Hachiro told me you had a high fever and he couldn't find you."

Deidara paled. He had forgotten about the raven. It seemed that once his Danna was back, that was all mattered. "I... I was cleaning," he lied.

"Yes, you were cleaning with a trail of blood behind you. Sakura had said that you were 'broken' and that I needed a new slave... When I heard that I ran to find you, but that was pretty easy... You scared me, you know."

Deidara frowned. "How many times have I told you to not worry about me?" he asked, irritated.

Sasori chuckled and kissed his servant's forehead. "That's never going to happen, love. I worry because I care."

Deidara blushed and nodded. His eyes slipped closed once more and he snuggled closer to his Danna, already falling asleep again.

Knock knock.

Deidara heard his master mummer something and he got up, getting a frown out of him.

"Yes?" Sasori asked, annoyed.

"O-oh. I was just ch-checking on D-deidara and... Um, how is he?"

Sasori rolled his eyes. "He's fine now. I now understand you really need to learn more about medicine and first-aid."

"Uh, y-yes, that's why I c-came here... To learn-"

"Well, I'm busy right now, so you can't learn now."

"Y-yes, your highness," Hachiro said, dejected.

Sasori closed the door right before the raven caught a glance at Deidara, who just frowned.

"That kid gets annoying very quickly," Sasori muttered, as he got back into his bed.

Deidara smiled and snuggled up to his Danna again. He was warm and Deidara was glad that he had some warmth again.

"I love you."

"I love you too, un."

-Next Day-

Deidara smiled as he and his Danna walked over to their tree. It was a nice sunny day and Deidara wanted to spend some time with the redhead desperately. It seemed that he couldn't get enough of him.

"Come on, Danna, you're walking so slow!" Deidara complained a smile on his face.

"I don't want you to exert yourself, Dei. I think you should slow down," the prince replied, frowning.

Deidara just sighed and slowed his pace down, now walking by his Danna. Sasori smiled and took his hand in his own, making Deidara blush.

"I still wonder when you'll stop blushing."

Deidara glared at his master, but he couldn't keep it up and he sighed, before smiling. "When you'll stop making me blush, un."

They soon reached the tree and Deidara sat in his Danna's lap, enjoying the warm weather.

Sasori stroked his love's hand with his thumb and he smiled, before placing a small kiss on his head.

Deidara giggled and turned his head so he looked at his Danna. He was smiling down at him sweetly and Deidara blushed again.

Chuckling, the prince leaned down to kiss him on the lips softly.

Very slowly their lips molded and Deidara was about to get more into it, but stopped when he heard a rustling and a thump.

"Oomph!" Deidara pulled away and he looked down at Hachiro who was blushing.

"What're you doing here?" Sasori asked, his mood going from loving to anger.

"I-I was trying to find, Deidara and I wanted to t-talk to him," the raven explained.

Sasori glared at the teen and got up, making Deidara stand too. "Why should I even bother to help you become a medic at all?"

"Be-becuase I really want it a-and-"

"You can't just want it-"

"Why not?" Hachiro asked, now also angry.

"Because you have to actually have the skill and-"

"Danna, it's fine. He was just-"

"Danna?"

Deidara paled and looked at the raven with sad eyes. He could see those hurt blue eyes and his heart clenched in pain.

"So, he's the one that caused you so much pain?"

Deidara shook his head, but the teen kept on going on.

"Leave before I have you exiled," Sasori threatened and Deidara paled even more.

"Do you have any idea how much pain you caused him? He cried himself to sleep over you!"

Deidara flinched and once he saw his Danna's angry daze he gulped. He had to do something. "Ah~" he moaned, faking pain and he fell to his knees.

"Love?" Sasori asked, now alarmed. He kneeled next to the blond, trying to find exactly what was wrong. "What hurts?" he asked.

Deidara gasped and put his hand over his wound and Sasori noticed that his bandages did need changing, but there was no blood. He didn't care. If his love was in pain then he would help.

Sasori picked him up carefully and began walking away, but not before stealing a glare at the raven who looked about as angry as him.

Once they were far away enough Deidara took a deep breath. "Don't be upset by him, Danna... Please, don't fight about me, it's not worth it, un."

Sasori looked down at him with a sad gaze and nodded. "If it makes you feel better, I won't."

Deidara also nodded and snuggled closer to his Danna, before closing his eyes.

Sozzy it took so long =.="

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