Chapter 13!
Forgot to mention before, but flashbacks are always going to be in first person. Just 'cause.
Chapter dedicated to Verdana, who gave me the extra boost to get this finished. :3
Weekend! Yeah, I skipped the whole week. Ah well. xP
"Deidara! Pay attention!"
Deidara blinked, staring at his mom. "S-Sorry, Mom!"
She sighed. "Are you okay? You've been zoning out all week now."
"I'm fine, Mom."
"Why don't you go out and get some fresh air? We can finish this lesson tomorrow."
"But…are you sure, un?"
"Yes, I'm sure. What's the point of teaching you math if you won't pay attention?"
"…Sorry."
"It's fine! I thought I told you that."
"No…"
"Well, it is. Now go get outside and clear your head, okay?"
"Okay, Mother…"
––––––»
The cool afternoon breeze fluttered by, and Deidara slowly walked towards a place he had found a few days earlier.
It was a calming place, a gently sloping hill that had a great view of the sunset. To reach it, however, you'd have to go through a maze of a forest, which could get tricky if you stayed too long, but Deidara always seemed to make it out after several minutes.
"I'm not in the mood for your petty lies, shit."
"Does it look like I want to talk to you?"
"It seems you're itching for a taste of what happens when you get me angry. I'll give you one last chance to leave me alone before I beat the hell out of your sorry ass."
"Heh, just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber."
"Are you finished? You just filled my brain with ten pounds of idiocy."
The redhead's voice cut throughout Deidara's mind like blades of ice. He hoped the hilltop would be able to soothe the wild animals running through his head, and give him an idea of what he should do.
Sasori was acting just like he had at the start: no smiles, no laughs, no concern, no kind words, and no…physical contact. There were insults: there were always insults, but there was no fighting, no hitting. If Deidara tried to touch the other, Sasori would quickly pull back, eyes narrowed like a viper's and retort with a mouth as sharp as knives. He would spew out a stinging line, such as, "Why are you trying to touch me? Idiot, you disgust me," or "What the hell, you shit! Watch where you try and put your dirty hands!" It was as if…the whole year had started over again. But even so, there was…something different. The newest student couldn't put his finger on it, but whenever he mentioned the word "like," or "don't like," Sasori's eyes would widen and he'd get away as fast as he could. It didn't matter if they were in the middle of class or in an argument or what, he'd find some way to run off. It was, at least to Deidara, quite unnatural.
«––––––
"What do you want, shit?"
"I…Sasori-san–"
"Out with it. You know I hate waiting."
"I-I want to be–"
"Close? Friends? Sorry, not appealing to me. So get lost."
"I know you're not being truthful…I don't like it…un, I mean…" I paused, blinking as I saw silver eyes widen. "Sasori-san?"
He shook his head, eyes still wide. Suddenly, he spun on his heels and sprinted off.
«––––––
The forest that led to the hill came into view, and Deidara began to run towards it. He wanted to make it there in time for the sunset, and before it got dark out.
––––––»
It was calm.
Deidara had made it in time, and he watched the sun start its slow descent down. He was sitting down on the grassy ground, enjoying the peaceful quiet: or trying to.
"Dammit…" He muttered to himself. The plan of sitting on a tranquil hill that normally soothed him to get rid of the troubling thoughts regarding a certain redhead obviously failed. "'He surely is an obstinate one, isn't he,' huh? Konan…'obstinate' doesn't even come close to describing that part of him, un…"
Sasori had been on Deidara's mind ever since that one incident in school with Temari. And the blond still didn't know how the hell that girl found out about Sasori laughing, which just added further onto his frustrations. Not only did he have to deal with an overly stubborn jackass of an ex-friend gnawing at his mind, but Temari, school prankster who somehow found out private information. But then again, there was still a lot Deidara didn't know about the silver-eyed teen, and it was plainly obvious he was hiding so much from everyone. The only way to find out more about Sasori was to gain his trust. But the only way to gain his trust was to learn more about him.
Heh, now isn't this a delightful little fix I'm in… Deidara spat bitterly in his head.
"…How the hell do you know about this place?"
Deidara turned almost immediately, wide eyes staring into indifferent silver ones. "Sasori-san…!"
"Yeah, yeah, 'Sasori-san!' all you want, just answer my question," Sasori scoffed before sitting down a ways off from Deidara.
"I dunno," Deidara spat back, eyes quickly narrowing as he reverted his line of vision back to the sunset. "Did I corrupt your 'special place?'"
"As if. Just keep your Goddamn mouth shut and I won't try anything."
"Is that a threat?"
"Use your head."
"Asswipe…"
"Shit."
"Jackass."
"Brat."
"Bitch, un."
"Shut up."
"Tch." The blond's lip curled slightly.
Flames highlighted the area, the shimmering sphere of gold slowly making its way down the ocean of fire.
"Why is your hair so long?"
Deidara blinked, turning to the other in surprise, confused at hearing his voice after many minutes. "I like it long, un."
"Really…" Sasori trailed off towards the end. "I thought you were a girl when I first saw you. I kinda vaguely remember, since you mentioned it before, seeing you after I'd hit that stupid bitch. If I had known you were a boy…heh, let's just say you would've met me personally sooner."
"Is that a fact?"
"Naturally. Girls are so pointless; I rarely ever waste my time with them. They don't even put up a decent fight. They're stupid, weak and just idiotic."
"You're…sexist?"
"Tch. If you want to put it that way, yes."
"What's so wrong with them?"
"I just explained what was wrong. Weren't you listening, shit?"
"I mean…"
Sasori sighed. "They do pointless things so much. It makes them look stupid. They cry over the most pathetic things, and all they care about is their looks. Pointless."
"Sasori-san…are you…do you have a…boyfriend…?"
Sasori's features gained a disgusted mask. "And what right do you have to ask that? Are you trying for my affection, Deidara?"
"No, of course not…I was just curious, seeing as how you're so against females…"
"…You've got my attention already, brat…don't try and push your luck too far."
"I'm not! I was only wondering!"
"Then wonder about something that's not stupid."
Deidara discontinued the conversation, locking his gaze to the setting sun. Many more minutes passed by like the wind, the area still illuminated by reds and oranges. A soft scratching noise reached Deidara's ears, and he looked back again to the other boy to see him skimming a pencil over a page in a sketchbook. "You…draw as a hobby, un?"
"Sometimes."
"Can I see your drawing?"
"Knock yourself out."
Slowly, Deidara crawled over, eyes widening at the fine pencil lines on the sheet. "You're really good…!"
Sasori smirked lightly, the curve of his lips barely visible.
"But…" Deidara reached out and gently took the pencil from the redhead's hand, earning himself a dirty glare. "…You got this one part wrong." Softly, he retraced a few lines, then explaining, "Mountains aren't pointed. No matter how much they look it, they're always at least somewhat rounded at the top."
"Is that so…"
"Are you going to color it?"
"If I have time. Coloring really isn't on my priorities list."
"Un…did you draw anything else?"
"It's a sketchbook. Take a guess."
"M-May I see? I really like your style, so…"
Sasori's eyes widened, pausing his drawing of the scenery.
Deidara caught sight of the other male's body stiffening, immediately looking away. "Sorry…that was rude, I shouldn't have–" He stopped, eyes catching sight of the book being presented before his face. "Sasori-san…?"
"What? You said you wanted to see, shit," Sasori muttered, looking away. "Are you changing your mind?"
"…" Deidara slowly took the sketchbook from the other, reopening it from the beginning to gaze at a picture of a small pond.
"Bend it and you're dead."
"I won't!" the blue-eyed boy snapped before flipping to the next page to be greeted by a small forest. "…I didn't know you were quite the landscapist, un…"
"Tch. Grandma wouldn't leave me alone about learning how to draw," Sasori scoffed, still looking away. "And how to 'find the perfect angle and scenery.'"
"Grandma?" Deidara paused his line of vision on the drawing of a gently sloping field. "So…does that mean you don't live with your pa–?"
"Are you finished with that yet? It's about time I got home."
"Keep your head cool…I'm almost finished," Deidara muttered, shooting daggers at the redhead. "Impatient son of a–" As he turned the page, his eyes caught sight of the next picture easily, snapping towards it as if they were being pulled magnetically.
"Oh, that one?" The silver-eyed student glanced at the drawing.
"It's…beautiful…" Deidara stared in awe at the cascading pencil lines that created a rampaging waterfall, the water slipping around and across many rocks and foliage. "You really caught the…shape…everything perfectly…"
"Really…"
"Un, it's amazing!" Deidara turned to the other male, pointing at the waterfall. "You even colored it beautifully! You should enter it into a contest or something; you'd win first place for sure!"
"Aren't you going a bit too far with that–?"
"No, I mean it!"
A look of bewilderment seared across Sasori's face, eyes widening slightly.
"I mean, everything about it is perfect! The way you caught the water flowing down and the sun hitting it so that it glitters is just…genius! You have the shading and highlights down flawless, and–!" Deidara halted, finally realizing his outbursts and turning away while handing back the book, blushing slightly. "…S…Sorry…I…kinda got carried away…"
"…" Sasori gently retrieved his sketchbook, looking away nervously. "I…I've got to go…"
"Un…" Deidara's eyes narrowed slightly, listening as he heard the soft footsteps signaling the redhead's departure.
"…D…Deidara…it's getting kind of…late, and…it's going to be dark soon…perhaps you'd…want to get back to your house now?"
Deidara perked up at the sound of the other's voice. I-Is he…inviting me to…? He turned, noticing Sasori was looking away. "S-Sure…" No…there's no way he would now…it's probably just a ruse…
"Then hurry up…you know I hate waiting."
"Coming, un!" Deidara hastily scrambled onto his feet, running over to the other.
The two walked in silence for a while through the forest, the last amber-red light of the sunset pressing at their backs until it finally sizzled away into darkness.
Sasori's eyes narrowed slightly, body stiffening.
"Un?" Deidara felt the other's body drift closer, tensed like taut strings. "Sasori-san?"
"Shut up, brat…!"
Deidara blinked. "Sasori-san…you're not…afraid of the dark, are you?"
"I said shut up!"
"…Do you want me to hold your hand?"
"…!" Ash-rose eyes widened as a soothingly warm hand enveloped his, fingers lacing together with a confirming squeeze. Sasori felt heat rise up to his face, looking away before tightly grasping the offered hand.
"So then, Sasori-san, where's the way out?" Deidara asked, head tilting.
"…Follow me." Sasori made a sharp right, weaving through the trees.
"H-Hey, un!" Deidara protested as he was dragged behind the redhead.
"Shut up and follow."
Deidara closed his mouth and shadowed the other boy.
The duo soon made another right, followed by a left. The next turn was a right, and then another right.
Something caught the newest student's eye. "Sasori-san! We passed this tree before!"
"No we didn't."
"Yes we did! Do you actually know the way out of here?"
"Of course I do."
Deidara sighed and followed once again.
Many more minutes passed, and the same tree trunk passed Deidara's line of vision.
"Sasori-san!"
"We did not pass the same tree. Shut up."
Skepticism crossed the blond's features. With his free hand, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a ¥100 coin and dropped it on the ground near the tree. When a few more minutes passed and the same sight greeted him, he dropped another until there was a total of ¥400 on the ground.
"Sasori-san…I really need to get home now…" he informed quietly.
"…Okay."
The all-too-familiar tree passed Deidara's eyes once again, but this time instead of going right, Sasori kept going straight. Soon, the light of the exit of the forest came into view, and the cool night air brushed against the duo's skin.
Sasori released the taller male's hand and began walking away. "…See you in school…Deidara…"
Deidara waited until Sasori was out of sight before sprinting back into the forest, looking around at the ground. Suddenly, a glint of silver caught his eye, and he ran over to it, recovering his ¥400, all near that same tree that was so close to the exit.
"Sasori-san…knew where the exit was all along…" he murmured, confused. "Then why did he…?"
De-i-da-ra. Are you serious? You don't know why? D:
Okay, okay, hand-holding, cheesy, I know. But what else could've Dei offered? "Want me to hold you?" Lol, I don't think...that'd end too well. xD;
Um, yeah, Sasori isn't really sexist, he was just hellbent on being...tough. And it's not that he's afraid of the dark, he's afraid of being alone...autophobia, right? And he can't see that well in the dark, which blacks out Deidara, giving him the simulation of being alone. Just to clear that up.
～Arrina