This came way later than I wanted: sorry. xP
It skips around a lot, because it's a whole day (Yet the chapter is short...), so it might be a bit choppy.
"Let's see how well he fares. His emotional scale."
"What do you mean?"
"Treat him like you did in the beginning, if not harsher, for one day."
"What–?!"
"If he still wants to be friends with you after that, I'll…admit he's unique."
"Pain…!"
"Well?"
"…Fine…"
"Good."
«––––––
Deidara sighed, his blue eyes narrowed. Sasori hadn't been on the usual route to school.
"Deidara-kun? What's wrong?" Sakura tilted her head, worry apparent in her eyes.
"Nothing…really, Sakura…"
She frowned in sympathy. "Are you free after school today? Maybe we could…go on a–?"
"No! I…have plans…sorry…"
"Oh…well…" Sakura wrapped her arms around Deidara's arm, resting her face on his shoulder. "At least we can see each other in school…right now…"
"U-Un…" Deidara flinched slightly, swallowing.
––––––»
"Konan!"
The girl turned at the sound of her name. "Oh, Deidara-kun! Hey!"
Deidara smiled slightly. "How's it going, un?"
"Fine, thanks." Konan put a strand of her hair behind her ear. "So what's going on?"
"Have you seen Sasori-san?"
"Sasori?" Konan blinked, pausing. "Actually…yes, I did. This morning, in the hallways."
"Really?" Deidara's eyes widened. "I can't seem to find him anywhere…"
"Well, you know how he is…stubborn jackass, right?"
"Yes, but…"
"Maybe we can find him in the cafeteria," Konan suggested. "Come on, let's go see."
The boy nodded, tagging along after the other.
"Sorry, Deidara-kun…" Konan turned to Deidara after they entered the cafeteria. "Looks like he's not here after all…stupid son of a…"
"No, that's okay." Deidara strained a smile.
"How about you try outside? That's where he was yesterday, right?"
"Un, okay. I'll try it, Konan."
"Tell me if you find that bastard," Konan chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "I've got to get back at him for ignoring me this morning."
Deidara nodded, giving a small grin. "Sure, un."
––––––»
There was no sign of Sasori outside. Deidara was starting to get frustrated. He was in school; Konan had supported that. So where was he? He wasn't in lunch, and he wasn't outside…
"Shit…" Deidara swore as he continued to run around the school, passing Kimimaro and Jyuugo, who were sitting down next to each other.
"Wait."
He slid to a stop, turning with wide eyes to see the green-eyed male stand up and start his way over. "Un?"
"You…didn't tell anyone?"
Deidara shook his head. "Of course not."
Kimimaro lifted the hand that held a flower, slipping it behind the other's ear.
"…!" Deidara blinked, quickly looking at Jyuugo, to see him holding up his hands while mouthing, "He's not trying to be romantic!"
"It's a camellia. My mother specializes in growing them."
"Kaguya-san's really talented in cultivation," Jyuugo added in quickly as he walked over.
"Well, I…thank you for it." A small smile crawled onto the newest student's lips. "But I'm trying to find someone…"
"Can I be of assistance?" Kimimaro asked. "Who is it you're looking for?"
"Un, well…"
"Is it Akasuna?"
Blue eyes widened. "How…?"
"I figured that from what you said yesterday, that the only acceptable answers to that 'riddle' were the members of Akatsuki. Sakon and Ukon calling you 'Akatsuki's pet' also supported that theory. The people you sit with, your friends Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino, greatly dislike the members of Akatsuki…but also dislike us. But you don't like Orochimaru-sama, so it couldn't be anyone on his side. Narrowing down my options, the Akatsuki members your three friends hate most are Uchiha Itachi and Akasuna no Sasori. However, only Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura dislike Itachi, while Yamanaka Ino has no grudge against him. That left only Akasuna. You also called him 'Sasori-san,' if I remember correctly."
"W-Wow…" Deidara stared, stunned.
"Am I correct?"
"…Un…"
"I saw him in history, if that helps at all. I haven't seen him since, however."
"Th-Thank you…"
The white-haired male nodded.
"Un…may I…ask why you follow Orochimaru?"
"Orochimaru-sama…" Jade irises clouded over slightly, in small nostalgia. "Helped me so much…with schoolwork, fighting skills…"
"But if you join Akatsuki, you and Jyuugo can be together! I…already know of a relationship going on there!"
"That's pretty bold of you to be asking me to join a group in which you aren't even a part of."
Blue eyes widened.
"It's a really kind offer, don't get us wrong," the orange-haired teen stated out hastily. "It's just that…"
"Do you really think we'd fit in over there?" Kimimaro questioned. "Everyone in Akatsuki hates us like we're the plague. Furthermore, Pain wouldn't exactly just let us join just because we wanted. And…I still owe Orochimaru-sama so much to betray him."
"Even so, if you stay with him then…then you'd have to fight Sasori-san at some point, and…"
"Are you saying that I can't defeat Akasuna?"
Deidara stared at the ground for a second before looking back up. "That's…exactly what I'm saying. And I should know…I fought him."
"…!" Kimimaro's eyes widened.
"What?" Jyuugo asked, taken aback. "But you two…the way you act…!"
"I really have no idea how I defeated him…or if I really did…all I know…is that this is just one injury I got during our fight." Deidara held out his left arm. The scars still shone, albeit just barely visible. He averted the two shocked gazes, muttering out, "I don't want you two getting hurt this badly just because of some stupid quarrel between Orochimaru and Akatsuki, un."
"…If you're getting close to Akasuna…it's almost guaranteed you're going to be asked to join Akatsuki soon…" Kimimaro mumbled, prying his line of vision from the scars. "He doesn't make friends easy, so you must be special. But…I wish not for us to meet on the battlefield…" He turned to the taller boy. "Let's go, Jyuugo."
Deidara watched the two go, slowly reaching up and finally taking the flower from behind his ear. He stared at its red petals, noting how they were almost the same shade as a certain someone's hair.
––––––»
"Deidara-kun!" Sakura called as she saw the boy reenter the cafeteria. Her green eyes caught sight of the camellia, and she smiled. "Did you pick that for me, Deidara-kun? It's such a pretty flower…"
The blue-eyed student drew back his hand as she reached for the flower. "Sakura, it…it's not for you…"
"What?" Sakura looked confused.
"It…" Deidara looked away as he took his usual seat next to Ino. "It was a gift…"
"A gift?" Sakura blinked before an angry mist hazed over her features. "From another girl? Who was it?!"
"No, not from another girl. A boy…"
"A boy?!" Sparks ignited in jade eyes. "Who was it? Tell me!"
"He wasn't trying anything! It was just a gift in thanks!"
"For what?"
"…Helping him…"
"That's a camellia, right?" Ino broke in, looking at the blossom.
"Un…" Deidara nodded.
"Wow…I've never seen one so beautiful before…" Ino commented, eyes widening.
"Is that so…" Blue eyes blinked at the red flower.
"So…what are you going to do with it?" Sakura asked, eyeing the flower.
"Take it home."
"Really? So, maybe I could come over some time to see it?" A smile lit up Sakura's lips.
"Oh–Y-Yeah, sure." Deidara weakly smiled back, "Sometime, okay?"
––––––»
The halls were empty. Deidara slowly walked down the hall back to English from the bathroom. He still hadn't seen Sasori, even though the others said he was in school. Was he avoiding him on purpose? He hadn't done anything to anger the redhead, had he?
He sighed. It was boring without Sasori.
Red hair.
His eyes widened. Sasori was walking down the hallway, only a ways in front of him.
"Sasori…san…?" Deidara sprinted forward after his surprise had passed. "Sasori-san!"
The ash-rose-eyed boy stiffened, biting his bottom lip. Damn…I…really don't want to do this…
"Where were you? I was looking for you all day!" Deidara felt a smile come onto his face, until he saw the other spin around.
"You Goddamn shit!" Sasori snarled, eyes furious. "You are nothing to me!"
Deidara's face filled with shock, eyes widening.
"You hear me?! Nothing!"
"Y-You're an asshole!" The blond retorted. "What's wrong with you all of a sudden?!"
"I'm tired of you acting all close and equal to me, when you're not!"
"I thought we were–!"
"Friends?" Sasori sneered, scoffing. "I would never be friends with such a low-ranked brat such as yourself! Face it: I'm high, you're low. You can't do a thing about it, so just give up!"
"Don't forget, jackass," Deidara seethed, fists clenching painfully, "that I beat you in a fight!"
"That was a fluke, dumbass." Sasori scowled. "You even admitted yourself that you cheated in attacking my injured leg, and my leg only!"
Guilt once again covered Deidara's features. "I…! That–!"
"Point taken." Sasori smirked, spinning on his heels and starting to leave. "See you, shit. Although, I rather hope not."
"…You held my hand."
Sasori stopped, eyes widening and a slight flush tinting his face.
"You can't tell me you've forgotten everything we've done…"
"…" He paused, before continuing walking. "…Look. I'm high and you're low. You're not my level, and that's all there is to it."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You–!"
"You're starting to annoy me, shit."
"Well then that's good, now isn't it?"
Sasori spun around. "I…hate you!"
"What a coincidence: I hate you as well, asswipe!"
"…You're going to meet with me after school today, brat," Sasori growled, his gaze intense like fire. "And if you don't show up, I'll hunt you down. Got it?"
––––––»
"So what do you want?" Deidara asked warily, slowly approaching the other male. "I don't believe it's natural for such a popular guy such as yourself to invite a low-class student such as me to talk in private."
Sasori's eyes narrowed at the other's dripping sarcasm. "You actually showed up."
"Of course. You think I'd allow myself to be degraded by you even more?"
"You're so misguided, I actually didn't know what to think."
"Me? Misguided?" Deidara snorted, striding up closer to Sasori. "Who's the one being misguided by his group? Do you have any friends, Sasori-san?"
"Of course I have friends, idiot," the redhead spat, arms uncrossing from his chest.
"Oh really? Name three,."
Sasori faltered for a second before answering out, "Th-There's Kisame, Hidan, Konan…!"
"Did the great Sasori-san just stutter?" Deidara smirked. "Although, last time I checked, Kisame was somewhat afraid of you, and you even told him to shut up. And aren't Hidan and Konan just members of the same group, un?"
"Damn you!" Sasori advanced forward, causing the blond to retreat to against the lockers. "You're such a little shit, you know that?!"
"And why's that?" Deidara winced at the harsh gaze. "Because I'm outwitting you…?"
"Because you're the most annoying person on the face of this planet!" Sasori snarled, clenching his fist before slamming into the wall, just missing the other's neck. "You piss me off so bad…!"
Deidara inhaled sharply, eyes shutting instinctively. When they reopened, he found the other boy's head hanging slightly, his face towards the ground.
"How…dare you…" he mumbled, eyes narrowing.
"How dare I what?" Deidara spat, hostile glare fading from his face as Sasori's head rose.
"How dare you make me feel this way…" the redhead murmured, silver irises glinting with an unreadable emotion.
Deidara's eyes widened, still backed up against the lockers, his lips claimed by Sasori's.
Haha, Sasori, I don't think that's what Pain wanted... xD Though, I guess that's...one way to stick to orders while showing that you still care.
And it looks like Deidara's starting to become friends with Kimimaro and Juugo...that's bound to be some trouble.
～Arrina