Wow, this story's over 20 chapters already… o-o;;
Anyways, I'm not thrilled on how I did this chapter. I feel like I rushed through it…
Mm, well, it takes place the day after.

Deidara was thinking in art class. About Sasori. And how, oddly, Sasori was much like a cat. Yes, a cat.

When he was happy, it was a pleasure being with him, having fun. He was very easy to get along with and play with, tease and not get a fist to the face.

But when he was sad, you just wanted to cuddle up with him and make him feel better. Well, maybe not like that, but…anyways, when he was sad, he always knew how to make you feel bad as well, staring with big eyes and a hurt expression.

And when he just wanted to be alone, you could never find him. He'd just disappear off the face of the earth until he came back whenever the hell he felt like it.

When he was cranky, he'd stalk around and just try and make everything else around him cranky as well. He'd attack just about anything because he felt like it.

And when he was scared, he'd get all hard to get and you'd literally have to run after him and catch him so you could calm him down.

And, of course, when he was angry…it was hell. Pure hell. There was no reasoning; he'd insult you, attack you, stick up his nose at you, act all high and mighty – although, both cats and Sasori did this all the time anyways – like some stuck up prick of a king, ignore you, avoid you, basically make some screwed up chunk of hell especially for you so you could live in it.

Then…there was love. Deidara didn't know how Sasori acted when he was in "love-mode," but if he acted anything like a cat, he'd be all touchy and needy, snuggly and all that kind of stuff. He wouldn't want to do anything but be near you and snuggle. And perhaps sleep.

That was why Deidara found it oddly coincidental that, when given the assignment to draw any four-legged animal to work on "different styles," Sasori had chosen a cat. And that was why he had kept glancing over at Sasori – Sasori himself, not his cat drawing – for the past ten minutes or so.

"What? Why have you been staring at me for the past minute or so?"

That snapped Deidara out of his thoughts. He blinked, seeing the uncomfortable expression and the slight blush.

"…You're making me feel awkward."

"S-Sorry, Sasori-san! I just…" Deidara quickly sought to defend himself. But what could he say? Definitely not that he was thinking on how Sasori was like a cat. The reaction would be…not the greatest. Then…that he was beautiful? No, no and no! He did not think Sasori was beautiful! Maybe…pretty for a guy, but…

Sasori watched as the other's face heated up in either humiliation or embarrassment–Probably both. He felt his own flush start to deepen, as he turned back to his work. "I see…"

He's very pretty 'for a guy.' Deidara choked, causing Sasori to turn back. He quickly shook his head, managing out a, "N-No, not like that!"

Sasori gave him a puzzled look.

Deidara was almost distracted by this; the tilted head, wide eyes filled with nothing but confusion… "I was just thinking…when I try and think really hard on something, I just sorta…blank out. So, I mean, I wasn't trying to stare at you, I just couldn't control it…"

"…" The redhead blinked before smiling slightly. "I see. That's interesting."

"…Un?"

"I mean interesting." Silver eyes reopened quickly. "Not that you're weird or anything."

"I know I'm weird, Sasori-san." Deidara shrugged.

"You're not weird, honestly."

Deidara looked at the other in surprise.

"Everyone in this school is weird." Sasori brought up his hand and pressed a knuckle to his lips, covering a smile. "So the only way you can actually be weird is to be normal. Does that make sense?"

Blue eyes blinked. "I…guess…"

"…Yeah, you're definitely not weird." Sasori smirked. "You're just dumb."

The blue-eyed male's face scrunched up in annoyance. "At least I can measure a cat's legs out right, un!"

A red eyebrow rose.

"Look, you made it look like its legs got chopped off halfway, and then, for whatever stupid reason, the person glued the paws back on them!"

"H-Hey…!" Sasori started to protest as the blond reached over and stole the picture. He glared slightly before countering, "Well, your…dog-fox thing looks like it's sliding on the ground like some mentally ill eel instead of leaping over something!" In a flash, he had the other student's paper in front of him, erasing here and there and redrawing lines, Deidara doing exactly the same to his.

Towards the end of class, Asuma walked around with his clipboard, checking out what the students were drawing and how much effort they were putting into it.

"So, you two…" he said as he came over to Sasori and Deidara's table. "Deidara…a cat…And Sasori…a…" He squinted slightly. "…Dog."

Deidara blinked, prying himself away from the drawing. "Ah, no, Asuma-sensei, this is Sasori-san's drawing. I was just helping him on a few things."

An amused look spread over the dark-haired man's face. "So no giant fight this time resulting in someone going to the nurse's and the other going to the principal's?"

The two boys blinked.

Asuma chuckled. "Well, I'm happy to see you two are still getting along…unlike Kimimaro-kun and Tayuya-san, who got along for one day before getting at each other's throats again." He turned to go off to the next table. "Nice work, you two."

Sasori blinked, redirecting his attention to Deidara as he heard him let out a noise of disbelief.

"You're kidding me, un." The blond stared incredulously at his original paper of the canine. "You did not do that all in the short amount of time we had!"

"It's finished, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm not blind!" Deidara snapped. "It's just…holy hell, how did you do that?"

"With my hand."

Deidara glared as Sasori covered his laugh. "Goddammit, you piss me off when you decide to act like a smartass…" He huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "Seriously, though…that's amazing…"

"…You really think so? I haven't studied the anatomy of canines as much as I have felines and humans, so…"

"Of course! I mean…look at it! There's so much detail and everything…I wouldn't recognize it unless it was in the same pose!"

"Well…I like your style better."

The blond looked down at what he had drawn.

"You use so few lines, yet the whole image comes out like it used many…in short, you use the fewest strokes for the greatest result."

"It's not that good. I just tried to fix the legs and…it kinda got out of hand…"

"It happened with me, too, Deidara."

"E-Even so…"

"Look. Yours is better. End of story."

"Yours is."

"Yours. I could never do that style…it's so unique, and you did it as if it was like flicking dust off your shoulder."

"No, yours is better. You made that in one class. It's amazing…you…you're amazing…"

Their eyes met.

"I-I mean, not in–!" Deidara stammered, redness masking his face. "I just meant that, y'know, y-you can draw, and…"

"Y-Yeah…" Sasori nudged the paper in front of him towards Deidara. "Here's your picture…"

"Un…" Deidara nodded, doing the same. When he had received the drawing, he could do nothing but stare at it.

"You know…Sasori-san…"

Ash-rose irises shot to gaze at the newest student's face. "Mm?"

"Usually…I'd burn my drawings…" A smile curved at Deidara's lips. "But…this one…I think I'm going to ask Mom to frame it,…"

"…!" Sasori cocked his head in confusion. A small smile appeared on his lips as he turned to his own picture. "…Yeah. Me too."

"…You know…your style of drawing might be better, but true art is still fleeting, un."

"Eternal, you idiot. Fine art is eternal."

"Don't get me started on this, un. It's fleeting."

"Eternal."

"Fleeting."

"Idiot boy!"

"Stupid asswipe!"

x––––––»

Deidara looked around. School had let out, and Sakura had said she was staying after to just relax from her house, where, supposedly, her mother nagged her all the time. Deidara could relate to that. His mother bugged him almost all the time at his old school about getting a good girl – or boy…she didn't really mind as long as he wasn't single – to be with. Fortunately, now that he was at a new school, she stopped, knowing he wouldn't want to form a relationship with people he had just gotten to know. And she didn't know about his 'relationship' with Sakura. Which…he was ending.

It wasn't that he didn't like Sakura; it was just…she didn't give him the right feeling. That feeling of being all warm and the "butterflies in your stomach" kind of feeling, like he got when he saw Sa…a playful kitten tumbling with another. The feeling wasn't love, or so his mom had said, rather the feeling leading to love. But Deidara knew she was wrong. Because that would mean that he would be infatuated with Sa–The playful kitten! And he wasn't attracted to animals.

"Alright, bye!"

He saw her bid farewell to Ino and start to walk over his way.

Sakura turned her head and saw Deidara, her face lighting up. "Oh, Deidara-kun! Hi!" Then, she saw the grim expression on his face. The smile dripped off her face like melting ice as he ran over. "Deidara…kun…?"

"Sakura…" Deidara took in a deep breath, eyes narrowing. "I…"

She knew what was coming; just by the way he was looking, and not looking at her.

"Sakura…I…I'm going to have to break up with you, un…"

"Oh…okay…" She looked away, swallowing. "S-So…there's someone else…huh…?"

"N-No…!" Deidara looked taken aback, blushing slightly. "It's not that at all! I-It's just…"

"You don't like me…?"

"I-It's not that either! I…it just didn't…seem to be working…"

"…Is it because of Sasori?"

"N-No! Goddammit, no!" Deidara could feel the heat rise up to his face even more. "What is it with you and Sasori-san?!"

"Because you're so fond of him!"

"No, I'm–!"

"Yes you are!" Anger sparked mercilessly in Sakura's green eyes. "I've seen you, Deidara-kun! I've seen you at their table, laughing with him! I've seen the looks you've given him, the ones he's given you! Don't think I'm blind to what you're doing over there just because I face the other way at my table!"

Deidara swallowed, eyes wide.

A hand suddenly came to rest on his shoulder in a firm grip.

He spun around, mouth opened slightly. "S…Sa…"

"Now…what the hell do you think you're doing…to Deidara this time…bitch?" The hold tightened.

Sakura tensed, teeth grinding together. "What's it to you?"

"'What's it to me…' you say?" A smirk.

"What?" The girl glared darkly. "Are you going deaf?"

"Funny, aren't we?" Sasori's face gentled down as he tilted his head at the other boy. "Come on, Deidara…we can let the bitch wallow in her own stupid issues alone."

There was something about him…there always had been. There was something about Sasori that made it so that he couldn't ever say 'no' to him when he used that tone, that face…Deidara stared blankly, transfixed as he nodded, managing out a quiet, "U…Un…"

Sasori lightly pushed the blue-eyed boy ahead of him, releasing his shoulder.

"I hope you die."

Silver eyes widened before narrowing down. The redhead whipped around, lip curled, pure hared blooming in his gaze, fists curling his fingers. "What…was that?"

Sakura glowered just as strongly back. She was overcome by hatred and anger; anger at this boy who had taken the one she cared for from her and warped his mind somehow, the one who had hit her countless times, insulted her. "I said…I hope…you die."

That was it: the last straw. He snapped.

"Sasori-san!" Deidara flipped around and hastily looped his arms around the shorter teen's chest, holding him back, fighting against the violent movements.

"Well you know what, bitch?!" Sasori hissed, struggling against his captor. "I hope you die as well! And I'll be gracious enough to be the one who does it! Yes, I'll dye your world crimson, your life, your body!"

The girl froze, stuck under the tremendous pressure of the silver stare.

"You want me to die? How about we see who dies first then? A fight: one-on-one, a fight to the death, right? That way, only one of us will live and the other will be sent to hell and–!"

"Sasori-san!"

Ash-rose eyes hazed over in shock.

Deidara loosened his hold as the other male slumped against him. He looked at Sakura over Sasori's shoulder, some sweat slowly dripping down his forehead. "Sakura…please…don't ever speak about death around him…un…"

The pink-haired female stared, wide-eyed, before looking away, her face practically screaming 'I know.'

"…!" Deidara looked back in confusion before feeling Sasori start to shift. "Sasori-san!"

"Shit…" Sasori's teeth ground together as he tried to stand up straight.

"Damn you, you stubborn bastard…" Deidara barely held back a groan of frustration. "Don't try and get up after all that…"

"I'm not going to let you carry me, if that's what you're thinking…"

"O-Of course not, un! You're so Goddamn annoying!"

"Heh." Sasori smirked, finally balancing himself. "See, that's the kind of complimenting I like, brat."

Deidara could've sworn his face flushed. Right there. In front of Sakura. "I've told you to stop telling me that bullshit!"

"Whatever." Sasori's voice still rang entertainment as he walked around the other boy. "…Are you coming?"

"…" Deidara looked back at Sakura one last time, only to have her nod at him. He nodded back, then followed the redhead. "Un, Sasori-san…"

"…Hey."

The newest student trotted up to Sasori as he was called, still feeling a bit bad about Sakura. "Yes?"

Sasori turned his head away. "I've been meaning to ask you this for a while…I've just never gotten around to it…but…you…you're not…too good with science, right?"

"Not…really, no…"

There was a pause. "…I…could help you, if you wanted…you know, like…lessons…"

"…!"

"…What do you say?"

Deidara looked at silver eyes as they met with his. "That…that would be really helpful…thanks…"

Sasori allowed a tiny smile onto his face. "Then…we can start tomorrow? After school?"

"Un! And…I could help you with math some more?"

The shorter of the two looked away in embarrassment. "S-Sure…"

"Okay…" Deidara looked back for a second to see if the girl was still watching them, relaxing when he saw she wasn't. He felt his lips curve upwards, and he moved over a bit closer to Sasori. "…I…appreciate the help, un…"

There was an exhale of amusement. "…You're welcome, brat."

So, yep, he's finally broken up with her. Unfortunately, Sasori and Deidara are not going to get together so fast. D:
But this is where more…SasoDei-ish stuff starts to happen. Deidara's still uncertain of his feelings, but he's more open to what he does, now that he doesn't have to worry about Sakura.
…Did I mention this is going to be a long story?

～Arrina