AN: I apologise in advance for the long chapter - I have absolutely no consistency, no matter how hard I try! I own nothing, as usual. Read on!

OOO

He snuck into the lab when an hour had passed and nobody had come to find him. Zetsu gave him a glance, Kakuzu offered a warning and the 'friend' silently watched as Sasori tried to notice a difference in his boyfriend.

"We can only wait" Zetsu explained, and it was then that Sasori realised they were putting things away. Whatever that had done, they'd done. It would either work, or it wouldn't.

"When will you know?" Sasori asked, touching Deidara's bare arm and seeing no hairs rise to his touch, no reaction from his nerves, his body freezing. Too cold.

"We aren't sure. We administered the drug five minutes ago, and so far…" Nothing. "They were on a whole different level" Zetsu muttered, lightly touching the papers that Gaara had given to him. "The combinations, the research…" Sasori's stomach flopped; if Zetsu was impressed, awed, or even amazed by whatever the UCF had been doing - then maybe it was a good thing Kisame had kept that Uchiha on hand.

"We're going to have to be careful" Kakuzu told them. "If these drugs are still out there, it's going to be dangerous for our hunts. We shouldn't presume it's over just because the facility has been shut down. But I'm more than happy to dig into their research, it's quite…thorough"

"I don't want to hear about that place" Sasori felt his skin crawl at the mere mention of it. "I don't want to hear how brilliant they all are, and how it was all down to luck that Deidara even has a hope of waking up"

"Maybe we should be thankful that luck was on our side" Zetsu replied. "There was no guarantee this was going to work …" Zetsu rightly shut up, but whether or not it was because he saw Sasori's fists tightening at his sides…

"We've kept the heating off down here, we're hoping it'll keep his temperature neutral" Kakuzu offered. "It will get cold" Zetsu agreed by nodding and Sasori took the hint. He took another look at Deidara, ran a hand through the matted, dull locks out of familiarity, and then went back to his room.

He checked on him every day - just once so he didn't annoy Zetsu - in the evening before he went to bed. He didn't check in the morning because he knew it'd ruin his day and he'd be able to think of nothing else.

He didn't check in the afternoon because once he'd spend the morning convincing himself not to think about Dei, so he did his best to keep occupied.

The evening was a logical choice, and he felt better knowing that if he hadn't gotten worse during the day, then he'd be okay at night. The only problem was that Sasori's body had decided to rebel, as if staying awake at night would help bring Deidara back quicker.

Before he knew it, he was sleeping the morning away, occupying his afternoons with making his puppets and seeing if Deidara was still alive before he went to bed again.

When the second week approached and there had been no change, Sasori seriously considered packing his things. He was tired of the waiting game.

OOO

"Hey," Kakuzu stuck his head around the door and waved a hand. Sasori groggily woke up, unaware if it was day or night or somewhere in between. "Sasori," Kakuzu said a little louder, and Sasori could only think of one reason that Kakuzu would be waking him up. He scrambled out of the nest he'd made in his bed and followed him down to the lab with eager footsteps.

Zetsu gave him a reassuring smile, his 'friend' hovering behind him in the shadows. Kakuzu led him to the surface that Deidara was lying on and the red head felt himself panic. The blood was back, pouring from his nose and ears and leaking from the corners of his mouth. Kakuzu prompted him close and Sasori shuffled nearer, his heartbeat racing.

"His temperature should be evening out" Zetsu said, and Sasori instantly touched Deidara to find out. He felt warmer than freezing, almost at his usual coolness.

"He's not dying?" Sasori asked.

"It looks worse than it is" Kakuzu said.

"But he's not dying?"

"…not quite just yet" Relief flooded him. "There's still a chance - there will always be a chance until he makes a full recovery, and we don't know how long that'll take"

"But for now," Zetsu came closer and quickly drew a blood sample. "We're confident it's working in our favour"

"He's bleeding out the bad blood" Kakuzu explained.

"We've tested it" Zetsu held up a blood-dried swab and then waved him over quickly. He ushered Sasori towards the scope and explained what he was seeing.

"This is our sample from before" Sasori recognised the sample that didn't have the silver blob, that was a black oozing mess. "The blood was decaying, when the body was trying to fix itself and the contamination continued to interfere" The slide switched.

"This is the swab from the blood he's leaking out" It was similar, black and oozy. "We would worry, but…ah, here" Another slide, and Sasori had never been so glad to see red blood. "There's no Supernatural Gene" Zetsu said cautiously. "So far, it's just rather ordinary. It's possible that…the virus may have stripped him of his err…affliction"

"So he's human?"

"Right now, yes" Zetsu said factually. So maybe his cool temperature wasn't much of a good sign.

"Normally it'd be impossible for him to grow that gene. It's either there, or it isn't" Kakuzu said.

"Do you think that's what it was supposed to do? Strip away the supernatural and make them vulnerable enough to hunt?"

"It's possible - it'd be a phenominal asset in gaining the upper hand" Kakuzu nodded. "But we won't feed him too much. A human won't gain nutrients from blood, and a vampire won't appreciate being plied with food. We'll keep an eye on him" Sasori hugged Kakuzu quickly and then Zetsu, stopping in front of the 'friend' cautiously.

"I should thank you, too" He said, with a tinge of regret that he hadn't said a word to the person, or even knew their name. "For helping, and being here…" He stuck out his hand and was surprised when a leather-gloved hand met it.

"Obito" He said quietly, and Sasori hoped he'd remember it.

"Thank you Obito"

He checked on Deidara more often, but he was making slow progress. He'd put away the bag he'd planned to shove his clothes into and instead focussed on making his room more vampire friendly. Deidara would be with him for as long as he could throughout his recovery. He'd debated going somewhere where the two of them could just be alone, but Kisame's words rang in his head each time he considered it.

"The favours we've all done, the sacrifices we've made…"

No. If his family were willing to help, then Sasori would make sure he didn't isolate himself with his boyfriend. He'd accept their help and their efforts and then they'd see that Deidara wasn't a threat. How could he be, now he was as harmless as a baby with a possible diagnosis of Human. The thought didn't even bother Sasori that much, but he knew it'd bother Deidara. He was used to his vampire lifestyle, the hunting games, the power. Sasori would love him regardless. The only thing he was even remotely concerned about was the fact that Deidara would never bite him.

A few days later Kisame came Home without the Uchiha, shadow-portalling into Sasori's room despite the red head still lying half-asleep in his bed.

"It's almost midday" Kisame chided, sitting on the edge and nudging Sasori's head.

"Is your degenerate in tow?" He murmured, earning his arm a whack.

"Itachi and I have moved into my place in the Demon Realm, but I'd like to come back here with him for a while. I've been away for longer than I'd like, and clearly things can't run without me"

"Konan's been fine; we don't need a father" Kisame laughed at that and Sasori knew they were okay. "So will the Uchiha be coming back here with you? Is that what you're saying?"

"I'd like him to, but I'm asking you first" There was a quiet moment where Kisame hoped and Sasori wondered if he could cope seeing the red-eyed man around their Home.

"Konan will let him in?"

"I'm asking you first" Kisame repeated.

"She refused to let Dei move in and I tried more than ten times" Sasori yawned and sat up. "And given our recent wrong-doings, I wouldn't be surprised if she put us all on house arrest"

"I'm prepared for her over-protectiveness, if you're okay with it"

"…He can't shift into pet-mode" Kisame blinked, confused. "He doesn't get to eat dinner with us every night like one of us and he can't have a ring. He can't shift into a wolf and have play time in the garden"

"You'll allow it?"

"Pfft," Sasori scoffed. "If Konan will agree with it…then I won't stop you from being happy. You did everything you could for Dei, I get that now" Kisame was quiet, as if unsure that Sasori was being serious. "Clearly your brothers aren't enough for you anymore" Kisame grinned and nudged Sasori's shoulder.

"You keep me on my toes, that's for sure"

Konan came in then, not at all surprised to see Kisame sat on Sasori's bed. Of course she'd known.

"Kisame wants to keep his pet in the House" Sasori said instantly, and he grinned as Kisame gaped in horror.

"I was going to approach it a little better than that" He hissed. Konan stopped, silent and still in the doorway. "See, now you've spooked her"

"You haven't got a hope anyway" Sasori argued. "She'll never let him in"

"Look, it was just a thought" Kisame turned to Konan and tried to fix her. "It's not a decision and you don't have to say yes. I'll still be around either way" She nodded slowly but the damage was done. Sasori immediately felt guilty once more. Konan was more fragile than glass, and seemed to be closing in on fracturing.

"…Deidara's awake" She said quietly, and Sasori wasn't sure she'd heard it right. "He's asking for you" Sasori bolted from his bed, feeling guilty as he left Konan's pale self behind and probably an annoyed Kisame on his bed. But Deidara was awake.

He was half way down Zetsu's steps when he saw him, his back turned, his long blonde hair catching the harsh lights and shining with full vitality as he impatiently tried to get off the table Kakuzu had him cuffed to. Granted, his hair was a bit of a mess and probably tangled, but it wasn't dull and lifeless.

"Dei!" Sasori launched himself forwards and the blonde turned awkwardly to see.

"Wait un-"

Sasori had his arms around him before anybody could argue, never so thankful for Deidara's cool body temperature. He inhaled the Deidara-smell with abandon and didn't let his grip go until the room fell silent. He shuffled around so he could see his blonde better, stroking back the silky locks - ignoring the few tangles - and finding both of those gorgeous blue eyes.

He had so much he wanted to say - to show his relief that his boyfriend wasn't dead, that it didn't matter if he was a human now or still a vampire, that it was okay that Deidara had probably been in a coma for the better part of a month - but nothing could make it's way out. He found himself smirking instead, thinking of the many ways in which Deidara would forever be making up for Sasori's misery.

OOO

Deidara was on 'bed rest' for the rest of the week. They let him up for a shower and still chained him to anything they could until they were sure of his reactions. They'd temporarily moved one of the comfier chairs into the basement - Deidara's make-shift room. Zetsu wasn't there as often as he usually was, and Kakuzu seemed more lenient with letting the blonde alone with Sasori more than he should.

"Are you hungry yet?" Sasori brought down a tray of fruit and some animal blood that Hidan had procured. He settled both in front of his blonde and then waited for a reaction, some preference to one or the other. There had been a fair assumption that if Deidara went for the blood, his vampire tendancies and mechanics should still be intact - regardless of the now-show supernatural gene. If he went for the food - and it sustained him - he was entirely human once more. Their only hiccup had been that Deidara didn't seem to be hungry at all - for anything.

"No, un" Sasori picked at the fruit and nibbled at it. "Debate-causing question of the day?" Deidara asked, and Sasori nodded in agreement. It had been their routine that Deidara would ask a question which would inevitably get an argument - but needed to be asked for his own piece of mind. Previous ones had been wondering why Sasori hadn't just killed him sooner, or asking if he was forgiven for the attack in the woods. Today's was, "You were going to leave?" Sasori immediately lowered his head, would have flattened his ears and run away with his tail between his legs had he been colder - but he'd come prepared for the chilled basement and was cosily wrapped in numerous layers and his usual hat and gloves.

"I debated it" He murmured. "Twice" Deidara raised an eyebrow expectantly and Sasori sought out an inch of comfort. He shuffled his separate chair closer to Deidara and then gave up, shifting onto Deidara's lap with a whine.

"You're very docile considering all the free time you've had, un"

"Most of it was spent worrying about you" Sasori argued. "I told the others that if you died, I'd go back to the human world and pretend I'd never left"

"That you'd never met me?"

"Yeah" Sasori said. "I'd just forget about it"

"So everything I taught you would have gone to waste?"

"I didn't want to think about it" Sasori prodded at Deidara's arm. "You not being here…it's an entirely different world. I've never not had you, here"

"I'm disappointed, un" Deidara sighed. "I expected you to make something of yourself, not fall away to the equal level of my food"

"You didn't die, I didn't leave. We're good"

"Twice" Deidara reminded him. "When did you rethink it?"

"When you weren't reacting to the cure" Deidara stilled and Sasori continued. "I got my hopes up - I know it was stupid - and then you didn't do anything. You might never do anything and I didn't want to watch nothing happen. I had my bag out and everything, and then your temperature got better. You weren't sick for just a day, you're such a liar, Dei"

"Stop whining" Deidara murmured. "It's making me want to do things I can't while cuffed to this damn chair" Sasori shifted into Deidara's lap instead and the blonde groaned. "I'm sorry for worrying you - Ah" Deidara swiped his head to the side, gasping as Sasori nipped his ear. "If you don't stop that, I won't be responsible for my actions, un"

Sasori drew back, and with a brief flicker of inspiration, he popped a small piece of apple into his mouth and leant in to Deidara. Sasori hoped the intent was clear in his eyes, the apple piece now between his teeth, as Deidara sat back look at him. Sasori waited patiently until Deidara jerked his chin in the way that Sasori knew meant 'come here'. Mouth to mouth, Sasori slipped the apple over and pulled back, but Deidara clearly wasn't enjoying the fruit. He spat it out to the side and looked apologetic as he ducked in for a quick kiss. Sasori allowed it, but couldn't hide his disappointment.

"It's been days" He said, when Deidara slowed his kisses. "Aren't you starving?"

"Maybe I'm rebuilding my appetite, un"

"Try the blood" Deidara pulled a face as Sasori reached for it, unscrewing the cap and holding it in between them.

"It stinks, un"

"Hidan got it from somewhere"

"It could be anything!" Deidara scoffed. "I won't try that" Sasori's eyes flickered, the thought rushing into his head. He was expecting the blonde to say 'and I won't try you' - or something Deidara-ish like that. But the blonde suddenly looked rather shocked. "Get off" He nudged Sasori again, bucking his hips and wobbling his legs until Sasori all but fell off.

"Why? What's wrong?" Sasori frowned, watching as Deidara fiddled with his cuffs. "Do you want them off? Kakuzu said it should be okay if-"

"No" Deidara snapped. "Just checking…" He murmured, before turning to Sasori with that predatory look that he knew too well. "Kiss me, un" Sasori cautiously obeyed, not expecting the nip that Deidara gave his lip. When Sasori pulled back, Deidara was wriggling slightly, his eyes darkening with…something. It clicked.

"You look hungry" Sasori realised. "Like, ready-for-a-hunt hungry"

"Kiss me again," Deidara nudged himself forwards, straining his chains. Sasori's gut clenched, but he reassured himself with ease and stole another kiss. Deidara had his legs up and around Sasori's in an instant, pinning him in front of him. "Just stay still a second, un" Deidara's hair was tied back completely, revealing both his blue eyes and Sasori stared at them with butterflies in his stomach. It was odd, looking at them knowing only one could see him and feeling like both were watching. And so far? No headaches for Dei.

"Your birthday…when was it, un?" Deidara asked, frowning. Sasori counted in his head. "Did I miss it?"

"It's not for a few more days"

"You're still twenty?"

"Yes" Sasori frowned. "Why?" Deidara chewed his lip looking severely torn. "Why?" Sasori repeated, but understood completely when Deidara's gaze locked onto his neck with intent.

"I didn't realise there was a legal age to be bitten" Sasori said, more confidently than he felt.

"There isn't" Deidara licked his lip.

"Then why did you ask how old I was?"

"Didn't want to miss your twenty first, un - all sorts of celebrating to be done then" Hellfire, it was as if Deidara suddenly having two visible eyes meant that Sasori couldn't control his urges!

Sasori could feel his body burning with want, but he wasn't going to be bullied, tricked or forced into letting Deidara drink straight from him while the blonde was weak with recovery and Sasori was impatient and doped up on relief. No. Just because the blonde was looking better and feeling better and was most definitely getting his appetite back - no, he would eat the first thing he found appealing, say, his boyfriend.

He'd not spent years of Deidara declining and refusing to drink 'straight from the source' only for him to be perfectly okay with it in his current position. It wasn't as if it would even be satisfying. If Sasori had his way, his blood would be the equivalent of afternoon tea for Deidara, or a treat after (or during) their bedtime activities. Not like this. Not as a make-do because he didn't fancy drinking anything else.

Deidara released his leg-hold around Sasori and allowed him to move backwards.

"You should go, un"

Sasori took another quick kiss from Deidara's lips and hesitantly left him alone; when he reached the corridor, Zetsu was waiting with a small smile on his face.

"Well done" He said simply, and Sasori frowned with confusion. In the basement, Deidara was counting down the days with impatience and excitement.

OOO

Flashback.

Deidara hadn't been expecting visitors and was surprised to find all three of them in his living room when he returned to his apartment, two of them arguing quietly. He recognised Konan first.

She was a killer magic worker and he didn't have to live with her to know it. She was the new witchy-friend that Sasori had made a few years before, eventually deciding to move into her too-large house with her hodge-podge family; a witch, a warlock, something else, and a few demons made up the household altogether- and now, Sasori too. With that in mind, Deidara didn't want to piss her off any more than he had to - but she'd already enforced limits on the rules of Sasori's stay - no vampire sleepovers. Which, when you considered that Deidara was awake all night and therefore sleeping over, basically meant he wasn't allowed to enter at all.

Arguing across from her was her male warlock companion, who was frowning in clear disagreement - his brow furrowed. The other one was sat on the sofa, next to an unconscious Sasori, watching them both with those ever-spiralling eyes. Sasori had tried to explain theose oddities and failed.

It was strange; in power, the three of them could match Deidara easily, but at that moment he felt like he'd walked in on a teenage argument. How old were they? Sasori was just over sixteen now, and Konan and her friends had always seemed a few years older, but looking at them he might rethink his judgement. They were just kids too - late teens, probably.

"Why are you here?" He asked, slamming the door shut behind him and turning to Konan first. She was tall, alluring in the way that most witches were, but she was the one he knew most. The other two he'd seen and never talked to. "What's wrong with him?" He immediately pointed to Sasori, lying on the sofa with his head in spiral-eyes' lap.

"I put a sleep spell in his drink, he'll wake up in a few hours" She explained nervously.

"Why?" Deidara demanded.

"Careful," The orange haired warlock stepped closer in defence. "Don't want to piss us off right now, dude"

"Don't start, Yahiko" Konan protested.

"We're not done" He told her, taking her hand and drawing her aside where they continued their quietly heated debate.

"We're already pissed off" Spiral-eyes murmured, and Deidara turned to him for an explanation. "We're being hunted; It's our fault and it has nothing to do with Sasori so we need you to take him until it's safe. Can you do it, or do we need to ask Chiyo?" The woman had a hard enough time letting him permanently live in the Arcane Territories with Konan and her family - her original plan had been for Sasori to stay with his cousins in Suna. Bringing this up would only upset everybody involved, Sasori most of all.

"I can take him, un" Deidara replied, and spiral-eyes nodded in agreement, shifting Sasori off his lap and standing up. He was practically invisible to Konan and Yahiko, both facing eachother and trying to get some control of the situation. Spiral-eyes led him aside, into another room, and the two didn't even notice.

"What's going on, un?" He asked. "And no bullshit - I need to know what I'm keeping him safe from"

"We've been betrayed" He said quietly. "We don't have anything against you personally, Deidara, but none of us three have ever had a good experience with vampires; one that we thought was our friend…we suspect he's given false information to the Law"

"You don't know for sure, un?"

His eyes seemed to spin and Deidara found it hard to ignore their intensity - even with his one working eye.

"He's a snake - who knows what he's been telling who about us" He whispered. "We helped him regain his health after an almost fatal accident - he was poisoned with snake venom. We never thought he'd betray us like this"

"Your Akatsuki" He recalled - the nickname for her House. He knew that Konan and her two friends prided themselves on taking in 'strays' - giving them a safe home in return for…well, he wasn't quite sure on what for. She claimed it to be 'family' - said as long as they were back for food, she didn't mind what they did. He originally thought she was joking, but from the stories Sasori told of them, he was beginning to change his mind.

"I suspect he's told the Law that we're harbouring known criminals and letting them pass illegally through portals"

"Those rings?" Deidara had heard all about them once Sasori had come back with it. Konan had magicked them all as an easy transport device - and her 'authority' to travel through the realms came from Chiyo herself. It wasn't illegal if Chiyo had settled that agreement.

"Hm" He nodded once. "Either way, if the Law thinks we're harbouring criminals, they won't be long. They'll attack soon. We're making preparations but…Sasori can't know - he never even met Orochimaru. He has nothing to do with this - shouldn't get involved"

"I understand, un. He can stay here"

"There are conditions" He added. "But Konan can fill you in on those…" He trailed off as the door opened, Konan appearing pink cheeked and tempestuous. Spiral-eyes left, Konan calmed herself down and Deidara grew increasingly impatient.

"Look, I know we're not…close" She started cautiously. "But I think I'm right in knowing that we both care for Sasori, yes?" Deidara nodded - no need to state that out verbally. "Then our only condition is this; that you not bite him until he's twenty one"

"That's…a very strange request, un" He frowned.

"It's not a request - it's a deal breaker. If you don't make a blood pact to do exactly that, then I'm taking him straight back to Chiyo instead. Will you do it or not?" The girl was a hurricane, her magical energy surging around her with impatience and worry and fear. Something was wrong.

"I'll do it, un"

She'd already dropped to the floor, cut her finger and was drawing out the blood-pact seal; he watched her with admiration until she held out the knife towards him.

"Cut your finger. Dot the middle of the centre circle" He did as he was told; as soon as he pulled his finger back she muttered a few things. The blood fizzled and dried, dissipating into nothing as her eyes flashed amber and his blood felt…detatched. For a flicker of a moment it felt as if he had no blood at all - but then all was right again. Blood-pacts weren't breakable by anything other than death; if he broke it, Konan could do whatever she wished to his body without being anywhere near him.

"I know I had no right to ask it of you, but…things aren't going to be easy for a while. He's probably going to feel lost and I know he'll turn to you. His emotions will be everywhere and I know there's been a few…concerns from Chiyo about you and Sasori's progressing relationship. I also know that vampires have a way of using emotions to their advantage" She blinked, paused for a few seconds and then said, "How exactly does that work?"

"You're asking me this now?" Deidara asked, but she stared at him with those amber eyes and he couldn't altogether stop himself from speaking. "We pick up their strongest emotion and act on it; It's a hunting thing. If I sense fear, I know to use it against them. If I sense calm, I know it won't work. It works both ways - not just for hunting, un. If he's panicked, I calm him. If he's happy, I keep him happy"

"And if he loves you?" She asked carefully.

"I'm keeping my distance, un" He admitted. "I'm not planning on breaking his heart, if that's what you're wondering"

"Sasori's body is still changing and I'm worried his emotions and hormones will be all over the place; I don't want you to take advantage of that"

"I wouldn't anyway, un" Deidara frowned. "I've had every opportunity since he was eight years old, un. I've not bitten him once"

"But he's sixteen now-"

"Yes he's fuckable but we're taking it slow - we're not even past making out on the sofa yet, un. Don't worry about that. I'll keep him safe. I have no desire to bite him - I actually like knowing I haven't done it yet, un. I'll hold off until his emotions are stable and he can decide for himself. Should be around the age of twenty one? Yes?"

She nodded, catching his drift. "Then I'm glad we're on the same page" She rose to a stand and sucked her bloodied finger.

"Hey, are you done?" Yahiko poked his head in. "We should get back; Kisame's calling, something about Anbu. Nagato's gone ahead-"

"Why?" She spluttered, the most uncomposed Deidara had ever seen her.

"You know why" Yahiko said, and Konan was out of the room in a shot. She hugged the unconscious Sasori and had gone through the portal the next.

"We'll be in touch" Yahiko promised. "I'm sure you can think of a story to tell him when he wakes up, okay?"

"Of course, un" He promised. "Be careful" He then said, watching as he disappeared after his friends through the portal and into whatever dire situation called to them.

Four days later, news of the Anbu's apparently spectacular assault to assassinate all of the 'Akatsuki' members had spread like wildfire throughout all of the realms. The witch and the 'warlocks' had been burned, the demons had been decapitated and all were set as 'examples'. Nobody saw hard evidence of their bodies, but why would anybody suspect Anbu of not completing their missions? They were the ultimate force in correcting anything that 'slipped through the supernatural net'. If the report said they were dead, they were definitely dead.

Nobody came back for Sasori, at least not straight away; Deidara had never been so happy to see Kisame stagger into his apartment uninvited. He told him nothing as he checked on Sasori, his body weak and clearly tortured. He left Sasori with Deidara for a few more days until they were sure the House was safe. When Kisame came back again, Sasori all but ran through the portal to check on everyone - who, as it turned out, were definitely not dead and very much alive.

While it took a few months for Deidara to physically see Konan once again, he never saw either of her two male companions - not the warlock or the spiral-eyed one he'd rather liked. He admired a cool head in a chaotic situation - Nagato, he'd been called. It was a while after, when Sasori eventually had the energy to speak -and Kisame had finally revealed the truth about those few nights - that Deidara was told that Yahiko was dead, Nagato was missing, and Konan was nothing more than a blank shell.

End of flashback.

OOO

Dawn was a few hours away, so Sasori went to shower and hoped it'd help him sleep. He hadn't been sleeping very well in between seeing Deidara and the nightmares of him being gone - resulting in his sporadic visits to check the blonde was really still alive. A few days past and the same routine grew tedious. He wondered how long it would take for things to settle down and resume some sense of normality.