Sasori felt a kick in his gut as the harsh reality hit him. Sasuke, his former quiet and sullen apprentice, was the rogue shinobi Deidara was after. Sasori's mind was flooded with the memory of Deidara's insistent questions about Sasuke several weeks ago. The questions had seemed arbitrary at the time, but now…

"You knew all along," Sasori sneered, unable to even look at Deidara. His attention was drawn to Sasuke, who held a smug and detached look upon his face. Sasuke smirked evilly, he seemed to be enjoying this turn of events.

"I didn't expect to see you here Sasori," Sasuke said, "but it all makes sense. Deidara must have taken up my old position in the art shop. After all, he knew I was working there before."

Sasori finally snapped his head towards Deidara in anger. Deidara was looking upon Sasuke with an icy stare. "Shut up Sasuke!" Deidara roared, "and give up this foolishness! I'm taking you back home."

Sasuke gave a barely audible snicker, muted by the sound of the crackling flames. "You can't defeat me," he said arrogantly, "besides, I've come to give you a warning. I'm not looking for a battle my old friend."

Deidara glowered, "What do you mean, warning? Hm?"

"Stay away from me. I know you've been trying to find me. Go back to the shinobi country, leave me be. What I do here is of no concern to you," Sasuke's words were rigid with resolve. His dark eyes were unbreakable stones staring daggers at Deidara.

Deidara yelled back, "It is my concern! I was sent here by the hokage, and besides, I need to clear my name hm!"

Sasuke shook his head defiantly, "I don't care about any of that. Leave."

"Or else what?" Deidara hissed back. He still hadn't moved forward, afraid to get near the wicked black flames licking up the air and surrounding Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked again, and then laid his dark irises upon Sasori. "Sasori," his voice was less angered, more subtle, "you don't know why Deidara is here, do you?"

"He's after a rogue ninja who framed him…I never realized he was after you," Sasori admitted with a cold stare at his boyfriend. Deidara looked close to crying in his outrage.

"Hah, so you finally know about the shinobi now…I bet he never told you he was looking for me. You realize now that the reason he's working at your art shop is because he knew I was there. The day I quit, I knew he would be coming. I saw one of his clay birds in the distance, and I know the bird saw me. Yes, Deidara knew where to find me. He used you to get to me," Sasuke explained. Sasori opened his mouth to reply, but Sasuke continued, "I hope you didn't allow yourself to get too close to him Sasori."

Sasori felt tears prick his eyes, but he held them back. He turned to Deidara with disbelief, "You were using me this whole time?" he asked, feeling his voice crack. He swallowed hard, trying to control his emotions.

"No Danna, it's not like that!" Deidara replied with a distressed look in his eyes. "Don't listen to him."

Sasuke laughed madly once more, "Oh this is rich," he said haughtily. "The two of you are in a relationship now? Is that is?" He shook his head in disapproval. "If only you had known Sasori."

"Known what?" Sasori demanded.

"That Deidara used to be my lover," Sasuke responded. Sasori felt a glass arrow pierce through his heart at those words.

"Stop it Sasuke!" Deidara cried. Tears were flowing forth from his blue eyes, dripping down his cheeks and soaking the hem of his shirt. He was angry and dismayed, but helpless to do anything as the black flames continued to dance before them.

"He didn't tell you anything…typical. He was using you Sasori. He doesn't care for you." The glass arrow dug deeper in Sasori's chest. Sasuke continued, "I dated him to gain information about the akatsuki's whereabouts, and to find out about my brother. I used him, and now he's using you. He loved me Sasori. I left him behind when he told me."

Sasori's body felt numb. The tears were finally running down his heated cheeks, stinging his eyes. He didn't dare look at Deidara, he couldn't bear to face him after what he just heard.

"Deidara," Sasuke's eyes were upon the blonde again, "leave now. I won't be coming back with you." His final warning was shrouded with malice directed towards Deidara. Then, his figure disappeared suddenly, puffing up into a cloud of smoke. The flames began to die down instantly, and left a black burnt ring on the ground. The smell of charred smoke lingered in the air prominently.

"Just a shadow clone…" Deidara whispered to himself. He turned to Sasori, his eyes brimming with fresh tears. "Danna…"

Sasori's body was shaking uncontrollably. His hands curled into fists and he locked eyes with Deidara's. A sharp pang stabbed his swollen heart once more as he fixed onto those sapphire orbs. "You lied," he said, voice still quaking.

"Sasori, I never meant for you to find out like this…" Deidara reached a hand out towards him, and Sasori pulled away in disgust.

"Did you ever mean for me to find out? You flat out lied to me! Did you even date a man named Akio?" Sasori bellowed into the thick forest.

"No, I made that up," Deidara confessed, "I didn't feel comfortable telling you the truth…that would mean revealing to you that I was weak, that I had been heartbroken before. I was with Sasuke when I was 17, shortly after I joined the akatsuki. I never thought his inquiries about what I did and where I went in the organization were out of place. He was merely manipulating me to gain intel on the akatsuki since his target, his brother Itachi, was in the organization. I-I never saw through his tricks…and I fell in love with him. I was naïve, and new to love…he never reciprocated those feelings for me, so he broke things off and then made his move on his brother a few weeks later. I still think that if I was able to just see through Sasuke's deception, I could have discovered his true intentions and thwarted his plan to kill Itachi." Deidara stepped closer to Sasori, but Sasori stepped back away from him again.

"So that's the truth?" Sasori asked distrustfully.

"Yes, it is. I was eager to find Sasuke again not only because he framed me for his arson charges back home, but also because I feel I owe it to Itachi. Itachi and I were never very close, but he was a member of the akatsuki with me…and now he's dead because of Sasuke."

"Do you still love him?" Sasori almost didn't want to know the answer.

"No, I don't," Deidara said, shaking his head vigorously, "I was over him the moment I heard what he did. Looking back on our relationship, I realize he was never good for me…I was a fool in love. He means nothing to me now!" Deidara said with force. The sunlight glinted off of his wet cheeks.

Sasori felt a small relief at his words, but the painful truth was too strong. Deidara had kept more than just a few secrets from him. He had lied about his mission, lied about his true reason for coming into town and asking for work. Sasori's chest clenched tightly as he realized that Deidara even lied about his feelings towards him. Sasori couldn't shake the fact that he had been taken advantage of. Sasuke's voice rang through his head ' I used him, and now he's using you.'

"You should do as he says, and leave." Sasori looked away from Deidara as he said this.

Deidara slumped forward, trying once more to grab onto Sasori's hand. His movements were futile, Sasori refused to touch him. "Danna, please. Try to understand, I didn't know what to do…I'm sorry!"

"Don't call me 'Danna' anymore. You used me. You never cared about me. The charade is over. Just go!" Sasori felt incensed as he stared at the saddened Deidara.

"That's not true!" Deidara's voice broke, "Yes it's true I came to the art shop because I knew Sasuke had worked there. I thought I could find out more about him from you…but then I got to know you! And things changed, I felt truly connected with you, and I meant everything that I've said and done these past few weeks. I do care for you Sasori, please, believe me." Deidara was pleading, fresh tears cascading down his cheeks.

Sasori narrowed his eyes, his broken heart was pulsing fast in his chest with resentment. "How am I supposed to believe anything you say? You're a liar Deidara," Sasori's words were laced with hardness. He tried as best as he could to keep his voice from wavering. He had ceased the tears again, and held them back for the time being.

Deidara let his hands fall to his sides. He looked completely defeated, "I'm sorry Sasori. I should've told you everything from the start. I-"

"Just stop," Sasori demanded, faltering Deidara's apology with an outstretched palm. "I don't want to see you anymore. Please just leave."

Deidara crumpled to the ground, his hands were wiping away the fast flowing tears as he wept. Sasori turned around and walked away, leaving the slumped Deidara alone in the woods.

…..

Sasori allowed himself to fully feel the effect of what happened when he entered his apartment. Once the door shut behind him, he fell to the floor, feeling weak. His muscles failed him, and all hope escaped him. He laid flat on the floor, crying silently to himself and staring up at the ceiling. His heart ached painfully, his chest felt tight. His breathing quickened as he sobbed uncontrollably, and he began heaving.

He turned his body and laid on the floor in fetal position. Moshi nudged her head up against Sasori's face, and he reached out a hand to pet her. She purred as he continued to bawl, sniffling and moaning loudly in the privacy of his place. He felt a hole in his heart, he was an open wound. He doubted if he would ever heal, the lesion in his heart was too deep. Sasori was broken.

Deidara did not come home that night. He must have realized how serious Sasori was about never wanting to see him again. Sasori felt like a monument to loneliness, wrapped up in a ball on the floor. The damp air of his apartment, void of sound and energy, left Sasori feeling tired and exposed. The absence of Deidara was nearly tangible, the very room felt sad and cold. The hint of new tears were sharp, and Sasori tried desperately to hold them back. It was useless.

He laid defeated and drowned in sorrow until sleep finally encased his body, providing a temporary departure from his tortuous thoughts. Perhaps tomorrow would be better. He doubted it.