A/N: Ahem. ANNOUNCEMENT: I SUPPORT ZetTobi or TobiZet. Hell, I also support KisaDei. But calling them partners or lovers or what have you just because they chanced to have a conversation doesn't mean they have anything to do with each other. Ok, so Xetsu (XD Read: How We Find Love) is around Tobi a little more than Kisame is around Deidara, but are you seeing what I'm saying? All sources indicate Tobi and Zetsu are NOT partners. I was only pointing that out. Tobi's partner is DEIDARA.
On the other hand, my sister wanted to sleep in my bed with me last night! It was soooooooooooo cute!!! XD SQUEEE! On with the story!
-WP
Deidara left Tobi and the car with Hidan. The silver-haired man could not be dragged from Kakuzu's side, and Deidara wasn't about to. So now he was on a mission to pick up some takeout and take care of Kakuzu and Hidan's apartment. He grabbed a taxi and headed to the nearest takeout place, where he got some chicken and rice, with chow mein. After purchasing it, Deidara went back to the hospital and dropped it off. "Make sure he eats, all right, un? I know he doesn't want to, but tell him I said so, yeah. I have a few things to take care of, hmm." Deidara pecked Tobi on the lips and headed off again. Hidan was unmoving, chair pulled up next to the bed, collapsed next to Kakuzu.
Deidara got to his friend's apartment and looked around. He recognized the radio, that used to be his Dana's. Shaking his head, Deidara walked into the kitchen and, after cleaning up the remnants of an ominous half-finished salad, found the phone. He pressed the button. "You have ONE new message. BEEP: Hidan, darling, just Mommy here. Your father… isn't doing so well. He was in a car accident a few days ago, and he's doing very poorly. Please call me back." Something in the woman's voice made Deidara think of his own mother. A murderer, yes, coldhearted, yes, but still, a woman with a child. Deidara quickly jotted down her number and punched it into the phone.
"Hello? Hidan?"
"No, actually, a friend of is, un."
"Oh. Just a friend, right?"
"Yeah, un. He's sort of busy with a friend at the hospital, so I was checking his answering machine and got your message, yeah."
"I see."
"How… how is he doing, un?"
"Not too good."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Listen, I don't think Hidan's going to be able to get back to you for a long, long time, un. There's a lot going on, so I just wanted to let you know that, hmm."
"Oh, I wasn't expecting him to call me. I don't really want him to, anyway. He's never been that great of a son." Deidara didn't say anything. "You know, you sound pretty young. How about I take you instead of him?" Deidara ignored this.
"Anyway, just wanted to say he might not call you back for a while, un. Bye." Deidara hung up, placing the phone back on its hook. He rubbed his forehead, taking deep breaths. He had to stay strong for Hidan.
Days passed. Hidan took time off work and lived at the hospital, depending on Deidara or his bitch (as Hidan called him) to bring him food. Neither complained. He drifted in and out of sleep, and only awoke when some pink haired nurse kicked him out. Then Deidara would always be there, dragging him to the car and helping him to bed.
This went on. Hidan couldn't sleep at night at home, and usually fell asleep next to his Kakuzu. He didn't know if Kakuzu woke up, but he never saw him. But they felt each other, in their brief touches, in their shared breaths, and in the miraculous beating of Kakuzu's heart.
Hidan sat next to Kakuzu and fell asleep again. When he woke, he saw Kakuzu's green eyes staring at him. Hidan smiled, licking his lips. "Hey," he said shakily.
"Hi," Kakuzu replied, voice hoarse and unstable. "I saw… Deidara… just now…" Kakuzu coughed. Hidan got up and leaned over Kakuzu, holding his hand. "He said you… had been spending… all your time…. here…" It pained Hidan how much trouble Kakuzu was having.
"Oh yeah? What else would you expect from me?"
"Nothing more… than you driving yourself insane… and nearly dead." Kakuzu took a deep breath. "Deidara seems… happy…"
"He's not. This whole thing has him torn up. We all love you, Kuzu, don't-"
"That's not… what I meant…" Hidan stayed silent. "I meant aside… from keeping you alive…" Kakuzu coughed. "I meant… in general…"
"Oh. But that's just Deidara." Hidan was afraid he knew what was coming.
"But he's… happy." Their eyes met, Kakuzu and Hidan's, Kakuzu's pained and Hidan's scared. "Hidan, there's a chance… I may die. Can you… make a… promise?" Hidan licked his lips, nodding, slowly. "If I… die… promise me… you'll find another." Hidan's eyes widened, his mouth falling open. A few tears slipped from his eyes. "I couldn't die happy… if I knew… you would become a martyr… for me."
"I- I-" Hidan tried. He had to say something. But what would a little lie matter to a dying man? Shaking, Hidan gave a nod. Kakuzu relaxed, sighing slightly. He could lie, if it would help Kakuzu be at peace.
"I'm sorry ma'am, it seems your husband has passed on," the doctor said. The woman sighed.
"He was such a nice one, too. Not like my first husband, oh no, that fucker killed himself. Now this one died of… what was it again?"
"A brain tumor, ma'am."
"Oh yes."
"But there is something very serious I must ask you." The doctor knelt down before the woman. "Your husband is still able to help people. We can donate his organs for transplant, if only you give permission."
"Did he have a rare blood type?" the woman asked.
"No, he had one of the more common ones, O+. But give the word and he can save lives." The woman laughed.
"Of course. Sell all his organs, the bastard! What should I care?" The woman smiled insanely. The doctor shivered.
"Thank you, ma'am."
Deidara walked into the hospital room that afternoon, Tobi trailing affectionately behind him. "Hey, sweetie, un," he said softly, rousing Hidan from his sleep.
"Huh?"
"I brought takeout, yeah."
"I'm not hungry."
"Hidan, you need to eat, hmm."
"I can't."
"Hm?"
"Kakuzu hasn't woken up." Hidan gulped, and hugged his blond friend around the middle, pressing his face to Deidara's stomach. Deidara handed Tobi the takeout and hugged Hidan. Tobi bit down his jealousy looked through the food, and wrapped an arm around Deidara's waist. Suddenly, the door burst open and the nurse rushed in excitedly into the room, blushed at seeing three men hugging, and cleared her throat. All three turned to her.
"Kakuzu has just been approved for a transplant. A heart had come in from Alabama. He is scheduled for transplant immediately." Tobi gasped and smiled, but Deidara looked down and saw Hidan close to fainting. "We need to take him immediately to the surgery room." The nurse checker her watch as another doctor came in. "You can come back tomorrow morning-"
"No point in telling them if they're not relations," the doctor snapped, eyeing Hidan in disdain. Hidan didn't notice, but Deidara did.
"And you would be the surgeon in question, un?" he asked curtly.
"Yes." Deidara's nose twitched. Tobi recognized this sign of extreme emotion, and stepped between the surgeon and Deidara to prevent, in his mind, a cat-fight.
"Come on, we'll come back tomorrow," he said, grabbing Deidara, the takeout bag, and bowing to the doctor and nurse, dragged both out, and Deidara clung desperately to Hidan, who walked rather like a prisoner to his death.
They ate the lunch in relative silence, Deidara, not having vented his anger, eyed Hidan as he picked at his broccoli. Tobi, knowing from experience that, if Deidara were to pick a bone with Hidan he would either pick it or sulk, both of which were better left without interference, stayed quiet and ate his chow mien in silence. Finally Deidara set down his fork rather violently. "What's bothering you, un?" he asked. Hidan mumbled something and stabbed his broccoli spitefully.
"It's not a very good survival rate for these types of surgeries," Hidan muttered. "And there's still a chance he may die even once he get a knew heart."
"But at least there's a chance, hmm," Deidara argued.
"I'm done with small chances. The odds are against him." Deidara sighed, trying to calm himself.
"But he's in surgery right now getting a lifesaving transplant so you two can have more time together, no matter what happens, un."
"I've been naïve about all of this long enough. It's time I wake up from this little dream."
"What dream, un? He's being saved as we speak, yeah!" Hidan looked up angrily at his blond friend's words.
"Don't pretend you know what it's like," he spat before he realized what he was saying. "Don't pretend I'm consolable, and everything's going to be just peachy!"
"But it is, Hidan!" Deidara cried. Hidan leapt from the table, glaring at his wronged friend and, having not much better to say to said friend than to possibly either insult his lineage or appearance, ran from the room to fling himself down in the bedroom on the bed. And, of course, not without slamming as many doors as he possibly could. Deidara sighed, leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his hair.
"Deidara?" Tobi ventured softly.
"I'm certainly relieved, un," Deidara said. "He's thinking clearly, hmm."
"But things are going to be all right, right?" Tobi asked. "Everything's going to be OK, right?" Deidara smiled at him in a bitter sad manner.
"Perhaps," he said, humoring his childish lover. "I think I'll allow him to cry a bit before I go and console him."
A few hours later Deidara stole into the bedroom, sitting quietly next to Hidan. He didn't speak. He knew Hidan would when he was ready. At long length the silver-haired head raised itself from the pillows. "I suppose you'll want an apology," he mumbled." Deidara chuckled.
"I'm not that cruel, un." There was a long silence. "I do recall you once mentioned, in passing, that I only have two moods: cruel and seducing. So which am I to be now?"
"You're not making sense." Deidara sighed.
"I know what you want, and I'm not going to give it to you."
"Just do it. You know you want to." Deidara pursed his lips and shook his head.
"Nope. Not going to."
"Please?" Hidan looked up pleadingly. Deidara grinned.
"No, you're too much of a dear, un," he replied. Hidan wrinkled his nose.
"So that's a good friend for you!" he huffed.
"No, that's a best friend for you, un," Deidara said. "A good friend would do anything you asked. A great friend knows what's good for you." Hidan, to hold back a chuckle, scowled forcefully at his best friend. Deidara twisted his mouth into a smile and leaned down, poking Hidan's nose. "You, sir, are the snobbiest little dear I have ever met, un." Hidan's glare worsened. Deidara merely laughed. "Scowl all you like, for all the good it'll do you. I still won't do it, un." Hidan sighed, flopping down on his back.
"You're being cruel."
"It's better than the alternative, hmm." Hidan sighed, closing his eyes.
"I can't stomach how attached I am," Hidan said after a long moment of silence. "If I couldn't have him, I would have no problem with dying. I feel like I'd have to. That scares me. It's like I'm not in control of my own life." Deidara sighed, stroking Hidan's hair soothingly.
"Nobody's going to make you do anything, Hidan. And if anything goes wrong, I'll do everything I possibly can for you, and more, un." Hidan closed his eyes, taking deep breaths.
"I'm sorry," he said. "It's just this whole thing has me in a state. It's really got my nerves shot. I don't-" Hidan gulped. "I don't want to fall prey to that delusion that everything is fine and going to continue on forever."
"Then why don't you give it a try, and I'll be here if it doesn't work out, hmm?" Hidan gulped thickly and clung to his friend. Deidara sighed and comforted him as the sobs wracked him. "And no, not every time you break down you can attempt to cajole me into fighting with you." Eventually Deidara pulled away from him, drying Hidan's eyes with his sleeve, and looking down at him. "Why don't we go and have a bit of dinner, un."
"Oh?" Hidan sat up, looking at his friend.
"Yeah, I made Tobi cook, un. I know you hate my cooking because I use too many onions, yeah." Deidara helped Hidan up and to the dining room, where Tobi was cooking spaghetti and meatballs, and acting cheery. Deidara only smacked Tobi upside the head three times, and he and Hidan only made about a dozen or so meatball jokes. On the whole, it was a very successful dinner.
"…the fuck?" Kakuzu stood up and looked around. Everything was white. 'Oh great, I've wandered into a random white void', he thought. Looking around, he found a man standing in a strange symbol of a triangle in a circle. He had pale skin and dark hair, and a large, toothy grin. In his hand, he held a still beating heart. Kakuzu couldn't help what he said next.
"Aren't you cold without a shirt?" he asked. The man looked slightly taken aback.
"Uh…"
"And if you're not using that heart it should be given up for transplant, since it's still in working condition." Kakuzu crossed his arms over his chest. The man looked outright startled.
"Now listen here. My name is Jashin." Kakuzu paused.
"You're a relative of Hidan's?"
"What? No. Well, in a sense, I-"
"You're not his step-father, are you?"
"No! Will you listen? I'm his god!" Kakuzu stared.
"I always knew he was a narcissist."
"Is that a religion?"
"Yes, for Hidan. Worshiping his own last name." Jsahin slapped a hand, one that wasn't holding the heart, to his face.
"Ok, forget who I am. Just know this: I'm in charge."
"You'll have to speak to Konan about this. As far as I know, she's in charge." Jashin glared at Kakuzu.
"I'm in charge of even her. And Pein. And Madara."
"I'm pretty sure Zetsu has that last role covered." Jashin growled.
"Why do you always do this?" he cried. "Whenever we end up like this, you're always like this! Can't you just shut up and let me explain something?"
"Explain what? I've only been being inquisitive."
"You always fucking say that!" Jashin threw the heart on the ground.
"Hey! That was a perfectly good heart!" Kakuzu cried. Jashin grinned.
"Got your attention now, huh? Good. I'm going to ask you a single question: do you love Hidan?" After asking this, Jashin bent and picked up the heart.
"Yes," replied Kakuzu without hesitation.
"Oh?" asked Jashin, giving the heart in his hand a squeeze. "Are you sure?"
"It's fading!"
"What if it cost you your life?" The heartbeat began to slow.
"Yes."
"Get him on the machine, now!"
"You would die rather than lie?" Jashin asked, the heart slowing down even more.
"We're losing him!"
"Yes." Jashin grinned, and the heart stopped. Kakuzu gasped, clutching at his chest and falling to his knees. Jashin smirked.
"I love bringing you to your knees," he said. "I love you groveling in pain before me." Jashin cupped Kakuzu's chin. "Do you think you're dead?"
"N-no," gasped Kakuzu.
"Do you think you're going to die?"
"Eventually."
"Not now?"
"N-no."
"Why?" asked Jashin.
"B-because H-Hidan w-would k-kill himself. I-I'll only d-die when h-he'll come w-willingly with me." Kakuzu gasped and groaned in pain between his words, but he would finish his sentence even if it killed him. Jashin merely chuckled. He bent and kissed Kakuzu's hair.
"You're exactly right. Your answer never changes. But you're absolutely right. When you two die, it'll be within the same hour of each other." The heart began to beat again and Kakuzu sighed, collapsing onto the ground. Jashin knelt next to him, and as the doctor placed a heart in Kakuzu's body, Jashin placed a heart in Kakuzu's soul.