"You shouldn't be out here, Danna. It's going to rain soon, hm."
"I'm fine, brat. Just let me enjoy this rare moment of silence."
Deidara huffed, but nevertheless sat next to the other and watched the sunrise with him. He felt the other lean in closer and a small smile curled his lips. "You know, Sasori, this moment proves that my art is the only true art in existence," he said teasingly.
That earned him a sideways glare. "How many times have I told you? True art is everlasting. The only fleeting thing in existence is your intelligence."
"Ooh, that almost hurt, Danna. Does this mean you don't want your birthday present, hm?"
"My birthday?"
The blond laughed in disbelief. "Are you serious, hm? You actually forgot today is your birthday?"
Had the other been alive he would have blushed. As it was, he just turned back to face the sunrise with a blank expression. "It's just another day to me now. I have the rest of time to enjoy at my leisure . . . What's the point in celebrating one day of the year?"
"Well, it is the day you were born, hm," Deidara mused aloud, a smirk curling his lips as he also returned to watching the sun. "The reason I'm going to celebrate your birthday is because it's the day that gave me the opportunity to meet you."
"You're getting awfully sentimental, brat. It's disturbing."
"Hey! I'm not afraid to show my emotions, unlike a certain someone, Danna!"
"I'm a puppet. I do not feel emotions."
That made the blond-haired man growl. "Really? Then why are you holding my hand, hm?"
Indeed, the puppet's hand was locked tightly around his and Deidara couldn't help snickering as Sasori quickly let go. "Force of habit. You were always the one dragging me around against my will."
"You enjoyed it."
"I tolerated it. I really had no choice in the matter with an idiot like you involved."
Deidara pouted mockingly. "There you go again, insulting my intelligence, hm. Why are you so focused on that?"
Sasori looked at him blandly. "Because you really are an idiot."
"You're the one that followed this so-called idiot into eternity, Danna. So the real idiot here is you."
"What a pleasant thing to say on my birthday."
"I thought today was just another day to you, hm."
Sasori returned his attention to the sunrise, and in that moment, Deidara thought he saw a smile form on the redhead's lips. But a second later it was gone, and the puppet's expression was back to its usual blank, almost bored expression. That glimpse was just like the mirages in the desert. "It's just a day to me, yet to you it's apparently important. So I might as well go along with your delusions and let you be happy, if only so you'll finally shut up and let me enjoy the silence."
For a moment, Deidara wanted to yell at him some more. But then he sighed and smiled wryly. "You always were a stubborn one, hm. Fine." He handed over a familiar golden feather and placed it in the puppet's hands. "Happy birthday, Sasori no Danna. Make a wish, hm."
Those dull brown eyes continued to stare at the rising sun, and the silence stretched long enough that Deidara finally lost his smile. The warmth in his light blue eyes faded away, and he felt his heart breaking all over again as the first raindrop fell from the sky. It landed on the puppet's face and trailed down from that empty, lifeless gaze.
"I wish you would let go of me, Deidara," the blond whispered for the puppet. "Can't you see that I'm nothing more than true art now?"
He scoffed. "When will you ever learn, Sasori no Danna . . . True art is fleeting. Nothing lasts forever. Everything dies, even you." The rain fell heavily now and it mixed with the bitter saltiness of his tears. "Everything but me."
And the broken phoenix remained by the lifeless puppet's side, watching as the sun was swallowed by the dark rainclouds overhead.
AN: At the request of my best friend, I wrote a tragic ending to a possible SasoDei story I'm planning to write in the near future. I love it~! This story will take place in an alternate universe, so not everything will be canonically correct. Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading.
~amkay