Sasori made it back to his house even before the sun had completely risen though it was peeking over the clouds quite a fair bit by then. Wasting no time, he headed to the bathroom to wash up before throwing on a simple white buttoned up shirt and jeans. His actions were hurried but that didn't impede his ability to feel or think.

He felt alive. It had been so long since he touched art that it had seemed almost a fiction that he had read in the past but now he realised anew that art was indeed his life and nothing was going to change that. Except this time this revelation let him reach another conclusion. Art was indeed his life but he had never felt so inexplicably thrilled with it before. Yes, he knew that it could be attributed to the fact that absence makes the heart grow fonder or whatever fallacious saying people had nowadays, but no; he was sure that it was due to the presence of Deidara.

Being able to work with art itself was no doubt the finest and most exquisite feeling in the world but having someone who actually felt as passionately about art as he did and who even truthfully appreciated his art - that transcended all levels of mortal pleasure. And it wasn't just about him. In all the months he had known Deidara, he could confidently say that the blonde had never been as happy as he had been the previous night when he was finally allowed to experience his art again.

Allowed.

Sasori snorted lightly at his choice of word as he seated himself in his car. It was almost sardonic that they had to be "allowed" to do what they so desire when they were more than capable of making their own decisions logically, yet no other word was more befitting. They were restricted and that was all there was to it.

But Sasori chose not to dwell on such dismaying thoughts; Deidara was happy and to him that was really more than enough. He didn't know when he started valuing the hyperactive and boisterous artist so much to the point that he genuinely wanted him to be happy but now that he realised it, it seemed natural, as if he had always wanted it.

This also reaffirmed something that he had once contemplated but immediately dismissed as improbably after taking into account both their personalities and unfortunate situation in life. And it certainly would compromise their relationship, but nonetheless he now knew that once life presented it to him, there was no way skirting around it. He was practical after all and knew that suppressing his feelings was never a good idea if his relationship with Chiyo was any indication.

Still, that didn't mean that he was actually going to say anything. There was nothing to be said. Things were fine as they were and Sasori didn't want to be the one to send his own, and that of Deidara's, life crashing to the ground, especially right after they found their wings again.

Deidara passed the entrance of the hospital just as the clock hit 6.30. He was still fairly amazed at being able to make it before seven and in his haze almost knocked into a patient who was taking a stroll. Cursing his bad luck, he apologised profusely and accompanied the man back to his room; it would not do if he made a complaint. Alas, Deidara was not too difficult to identify what with his messy blonde hair and all. Actually he was still surprised that no one had called him on it yet. He still had a fair fifteen minutes left when he neared the changing rooms so he wasn't particularly worried though he was shocked and kind of annoyed when he spotted Sasori in the changing rooms and dressed already. It even looked as if he had been sitting there for a while already.

"What the hell, un?" he muttered in annoyance and was about to approach Sasori when someone he really did not want to see stepped up beside Sasori.

Chiyo.

He thanked God for seeing her before entering the room. He was sure that him running in and acting all friendly with Sasori would severely displeased the other man. Besides, he didn't feel like exposing their relationship to Chiyo either. He liked to think of it as their little secret from her and his mother. It made him feel like a child trying to get back at his parents but it was strangely exhilarating. He didn't exactly have an exciting childhood anywhere.

"Deidara, you're early," she said in surprise and for a moment Deidara remembered that kind old lady who taught him all he knew and almost faltered.

"Come on, I'm sure you haven't received a single complaint about me being late during the period of this internship, un," he said with a slight smirk, trying to pretend that everything was alright, before walking over to his allocated locker. He suppressed the urge to bang his head against it.

"True. I must say I'm impressed," she said, chuckling lightly like a good old grandmother and Deidara thought that he would really falter then but he didn't; he knew where his loyalties lie now. She sounded and acted like the Chiyo he had always known except now that he also knew that she was a cruel woman, that she was cruel to Sasori and that was more than enough to keep him from wavering. He wasn't a nice person by any means and while he might be grateful for her guidance and all, he did not feel anything above that.

"Chiyo-sensei, you're so annoying," he said but the good natured humour in his voice made it clear that he was joking and she laughed heartily. In all actual fact, he really wasn't joking but he would be an idiot to let that up.

"How's your relationship with Sasori?" she asked suddenly and though it was a fair and normal question (the woman was Sasori's grandmother after all and they were the only two people taking part in this internship), Deidara still sensed a slight threat behind those words as if she was somewhat afraid of them being friends. If she was anything like Deidara's mother, which Deidara was convinced that she was, Chiyo was probably scared that they would "corrupt" each other with their love for art. It was no secret to the two women that they were practically obsessed with it anyway.

"I'm sure you know how stoic your grandson is, un," Deidara replied offhandedly instead, trying not to laugh when he thought of Sasori's reaction later. "We say 'hi' and 'bye' and that's as far as our relationship goes. Besides, I'm into cardio and he's a neuro geek, un."

"Oh I see," Chiyo said with a small smile but something in her voice seemed to hint that she knew about the true nature of their relationship. They both feigned ignorance; there was nothing she could do anyway. "That's a pity. You two should try to get to know each other better. Well I have to go off now; things to do at the university."

"See you Chiyo-sensei! Take care, un!" Deidara greeted cheerily and that happiness had more to do with her leaving than anything. The bemused look Sasori gave him revealed that Sasori knew exactly what he was thinking of course and he winked back in response to which Sasori rolled his eyes to. Chiyo had her back turned towards them already and saw nothing of the exchange. It was all strangely amusing.

"Goodbye, Chiyo-bassan," Sasori said and she inclined her head before stepping out of the room.

They waited a full minute in case she came back suddenly (one can never be too cautious) before turning to each other simultaneously, wearing matching looks of frustration; the only time they seem to feel the same about something other than the joy of art. Well, there was the fact that Sasori did look emotionless more often than not after all in Deidara's opinion.

"She had to come today, un!" Deidara exclaimed, though still in a softer voice as if Chiyo might still come sweeping in any moment. He flopped down on the bench beside Sasori, dressed in his scrubs.

"As if she knew what we were doing last night," Sasori agreed, rolling his eyes. There were too many coincidences in his life as of late and he would very much like it to stop any time soon.

"I think she already knows about us though, un," Deidara said with a long suffering sigh. Sasori glared at him, a mask of annoyance covering his face.

"You say it like we're in an illicit relationship," Sasori stated disdainfully, watching impassively as Deidara started laughing loudly before he stopped and turned to Sasori, fluttering his eyelids lasciviously and breathed out in a sultry tone, "well, aren't we, Danna, un?"

"You're so infuriating, Brat," Sasori deadpanned as he stood up and walked out, all the while with Deidara's laughter ringing in his ears and it must have been because he was in a really good mood (because of last night, not because of the Brat) but he caught himself smiling in a reflection. He stopped immediately then because smiling didn't become him and he almost couldn't recognise himself.

He was about to enter a ward when Deidara's voice, or rather words, stopped him abruptly.

"You wear happiness nicely, Sasori, un."

And he sounded so sincere and wistful that Sasori could do little more than stare at him. But Deidara didn't look at him; he just entered the ward briskly as if he didn't say anything. There was also the fact that he actually used his name. Sasori couldn't remember the last time Deidara used his name (had he even used it before?) but he decided not to be too caught up with it. Deidara was always saying unpredictable and strange things like that and Sasori supposed he was rather used to it.

He just didn't expect it to come up again so soon.

"Your internship will be ending soon, this week in fact, and I must say it was wonderful that you two were able to be with us for the past three months," Hyuuga-sensei said, sounding more satisfied than his otherwise blank face seemed to suggest. Other than that though, the words that he said sounded horribly rehearsed and both Sasori and Deidara suspected that he said the very same line to all interns.

"Thank you," they replied as was the custom and it was quite funny how bored Hyuuga-sensei seemed to be; he must be sick of doing this for so many years. Deidara knew that he definitely would be.

To save him and themselves from any more unnecessary exchange, they made up an excuse about wanting to observe a surgery which was taking place in a minute and excused themselves. The slight twinkling in his eyes told them he knew exactly what they were doing but he let them go with a nod.

"I'm so glad we're finally getting out of this hellhole, un," Deidara told Sasori and the redhead nodded in agreement. He was already starting to tire of the white pristine walls of the hospital; so sterile, so artificial.

On Deidara's part, he had resolutely kept himself away from his mother's ward as much as he could ever since their last encounter with her and Sasori supposed it was because he didn't want to make his life worse by having to deal with her on top of being stuck in the hospital. Still, since he was mostly attached to the cardiology department, it meant that he still had to see her from time to time and the nurses and doctors all started talking to him about her after finding out they were mother and son. Life couldn't really become any worse afterwards.

He didn't want to look unfilial because of her and thus had no choice but to make a show of visiting her ward though he mostly flipped through the charts, not really processing anything, before fleeing before she could say anything vehement though recently she had taken to talking at him while he breezed through her files. Each time he left without saying anything but he didn't care.

And since it was the last week at the hospital, he lied to the head of the cardiology department and said that he wanted to explore other departments and stuck with Sasori at the neurology department. If Chiyo asked, he would said that he took her advice and tried to be closer to Sasori. She only had herself to blame for suggesting it. He felt quite vindictive. Besides, it was the last week and he was determined not to see his mother at all.

Currently they were watching a brain aneurysm surgery. It was a simple enough procedure and they both had observed enough of similar procedures to be infinitely bored within the first five minutes. Unable to take it anymore, Deidara turned to Sasori.

"Get out of here with me and I'll tell you all about Chiyo teaching me, un."

Sasori knew that he didn't have to take that bait no matter how interested he was in that matter because Deidara would eventually tell him, but he figured that Deidara knew that he would have to come up with a reason to get Sasori to leave the gallery. Sasori might be as easily bored as Deidara but he definitely had more discipline and wouldn't mind sitting through three hours of the same surgery. Deidara, on the other hand, could hardly sit still any longer. He toyed around with the idea of saying no just to watch Deidara suffer but forgo the idea when Deidara looked like he was about to set a bomb off.

"Let's go, Brat," he replied, feeling more than simple exasperation when Deidara lit up as if Christmas had come early, or more like Sasori had just agreed to his notion of art.

Without saying anything, they found themselves up on the rooftop again. Ironically, despite its open space, it was the most secluded spot in the hospital. More importantly, it made them feel as if they weren't in a hospital. All they had to do was avoid looking down at the car park where more than a few ambulances were.

"I will go crazy if I watch another same old boring surgery, un. They're all the same!" Deidara complained loudly, throwing his hand up in frustration and looking as if he might punch something soon. "How the hell do people survive doing the same damned thing over and over and over again?!"

"There's no creativity," Sasori agreed and that was precisely why he had been so against the idea of being a doctor in the first place. He could already feel his mind becoming duller by the second just by being in the hospital. The white walls were rather reflective of the state his mind would soon fall into if he really walked down this path chosen for him by Chiyo, though he couldn't really blame her. He had a part to play after all.

"So?" Sasori asked and Deidara sighed dramatically before launching into his tale.

His mother had been burdened with this heart disease ever since Deidara was eight and when he was ten his mother had to be admitted in the hospital after a doctor found a brain aneurysm in her brain. Chiyo was the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery on Iwa-san's brain and as was with all her surgeries it was a complete success. That was why they became such good friends afterwards, though her heart problem was a bother which Chiyo could do nothing about.

Because she had spent so much time visiting Iwa-san, being her attending doctor at the time and later as a friend, she eventually got to know Deidara as well. He had no grandparents to take care of him and his father was, for some reason, violently against the idea of putting him under the care of a nanny, so he spent most of his time at the hospital.

"And you ought to know by now that I have always loved art, ever since I was a boy, un," Deidara said to which Sasori nodded. They never talked about it but Sasori just knew, much like how Deidara just knew that art was an intrinsic part of Sasori. "So I always had clay with me and I was always playing with them in my mother's room."

Iwa-san had, at that time, not been very against Deidara and his art though she was hopeful that it was just a phase. How Deidara wished he could have told her that, before she became so stubborn and adamant that he became a doctor, art was his life. Anyway, Chiyo saw the talented way in which he handled the chisel and started seeing the potential in him for precision and steady hands were the making of a good neurosurgeon. Also, it was easy for anybody to see that Deidara was a genius.

One day, out of a hit of sudden inspiration and mercurial temperament, she decided to provide Deidara with a spare surgical drill since the hospital was replacing all the equipment. She took to teaching him simple skills, such as drilling the skull open. At that time, he hadn't really linked it to being a surgical skill and just practised whatever he was taught. It had something to do with his clay after all. He did think that it was still definitely more fun to be sculpting more art works though. But his mother seemed happy with that and he just wanted to please her and see her smile. She was sick. She was his mother.

So practise he did. At first it was just drilling a perfect tiny hole into random works that he made but he soon grew bored of doing that since it was becoming second nature to him.

"And you know how being boring is the vilest sin in art, un!" Deidara all but shouted at Sasori who found it really amusing that Deidara was getting all riled up about art when the subject in question was in fact medicine. He really didn't get the blonde sometimes.

Anyway, Deidara then decided to be more creative. He made layers in his works and painted each layer a different colour and tried drilling a hole into his work one layer at a time. Chiyo caught him doing it and was of course more than impressed. It was also around that time that Iwa-san finally decided that art was worthless and that Deidara ought to be a doctor since he had the skill (for an artist he might have argued had he known better). And no, she wasn't going to compromise on that issue.

"So that was actually the initial inspiration for the artwork you showed me last night," Sasori concluded, expecting some sort of affirmation but none came. For a moment, Sasori had a sinking suspicion that he was actually wrong for once but Deidara was simply smiling. It was definitely one of the rare times where Deidara was wearing such a genuine smile, not like the ones he threw on when he was feeling goofy. Those were real but this was so much more genuine than that; he was smiling because, for some incomprehensible reason to Sasori as of yet, he was happy.

"Danna, you have no idea how happy I am, un."

"I do," Sasori replied simply and Deidara didn't doubt him a moment. "But I don't know why."

"Your concern was art, un," Deidara pointed out simply. Sasori was an intelligent man but he didn't particularly understand what Deidara was getting it. He stared at him blankly and Deidara rolled his eyes. No doubt, the blonde was going to make a dig at his intellectual level.

"And they call you a genius, un," he complained and he wasn't pouting but Sasori could hear it.

Figures.

"You're more concerned about art than Chiyo teaching me or whatever crap, un! Even though you said before that you were kinda jealous of that. I mean you were not jealous; we confirmed that, but… you know what I mean, un!" Deidara beamed brightly before his eyes widened comically and he slapped a hand over his mouth. "Oh damn. I didn't mean to bring it up, Danna, un. Sorry."

Sasori wondered for a split second why Deidara was reacting so violently to the matter when he then recalled that they had promised never to speak of it. But Deidara had also forgotten part of the agreement. So typical.

"We also said that we could talk about it if we wanted to," Sasori pointed out matter-of-factly, not exactly seeing the issue.

"But I don't know if you wanted to talk about, un!" Deidara insisted, sounding so utterly miserable that it was almost amusing since Sasori did not, like what Deidara apparently thought, feel offended or upset in the slightest bit. In fact, it made him see that he really was more concerned about the art aspect of things. Somehow, that made him feel infinitely better.

If this conversation had happened maybe just a few weeks earlier, Sasori was pretty certain that he would still be harbouring some deep-seated irrational hatred for Deidara but as things stood he felt no negative emotions. It seemed that after the previous night, Sasori had reaffirmed his purpose in life – art – and things that had nothing to do with art thus couldn't affect him anymore. He felt liberated. Of course, there was also the fact that it was Deidara and he didn't exactly get angry at the younger man anymore.

"I'm alright, Brat," Sasori reassured the younger man in his usual bored tone when Deidara showed no signs of stopping his wailing.

"Really, un?" Deidara asked, suddenly switching to a gleeful demeanour. Sasori sighed and nodded.

"Yay!" Deidara exclaimed happily, sounding much like a child. "And to answer your question, yes I suppose it was! I mean I never thought of it that way but it definitely was a source of inspiration, un. I mean, what better way to eradicate the worth of medicine than through art? I must be a genius, Danna, un. Anyway, now that you mentioned I do think that my work last night was quite fine actually. In fact, I think-"

"Brat," Sasori interrupted irritably.

"Yes, Danna, un?" Deidara asked brightly, smiles and all.

"Shut up."

The smile slipped.

"So mean, un."

Still, with the comfortable air hanging between them and the memories of the previous night still fresh as daisies in his mind, Deidara was certain life never felt better.

But that was the problem with life, isn't it? Once it starts looking good, bad things happen. Good prospects in life were really nothing more than foreshadowing of the cruelties that life would throw at you. Deidara thought he would know that already.

Sasori never realised how much he missed his friends until he was actually in their company again. The internship had ended the previous week and he was now in the final stage of his junior year, meaning finals were coming soon. Sasori wasn't the least bit worried about maintaining his position but complacency wouldn't do either. Itachi and Kakuzu felt the same way hence the reason for them being in the library and pouring over their books.

They were very much focused on their studying when suddenly Deidara sprung over to their table, a bundle of excessive energy. He immediately turned to Sasori and stared at him intently.

"Was that night magical? Brilliant? Special? Simply breathtaking?" Deidara asked (more like demanded), a flurry of agitation and excitement mixed in his words.

"Yes," Sasori replied, dragging out his word and unsure of where this was heading. Judging by the ceasing of pen against paper neither did Itachi nor Kakuzu. They both looked at Sasori curiously. He ignored them.

"Exactly! Would it have been as fantastic and enchanted if you had done it every other day of your life, un?"

"No…"

"Exactly! Hence I can tell you that ephemerality is the single most beautiful thing on earth. Being the anti-thesis of your lovely concept of eternity, that would make eternity well you know the opposite of beautiful. Yes, I mean it's crap, and yes I know you are grateful and want to thank me for enlightening you so, but it's alright. I totally understand your feelings and you don't have to say 'thank you'. I know you're a proud guy. Bye Danna, un."

And he left.

Sasori slowly looked down at his half broken pencil. He made a mental note to kill the Brat. After clarifying the fact that what Deidara proposed was utter nonsense and thrashing his concept of transience being the perfect form of art. Yes, Sasori was going to have his head.

"Erm…"

Sasori gave Kakuzu a questioning stare.

"Do I want to know what just happened?"

"No."

"Did "that night" have any special, untoward meaning?"

Sasori gave Kakuzu a hard stare.

"I mean in a sex-" Kakuzu wisely shut up when Sasori's glare heatedly intensified. "Okay."

"I'm going to kill the Brat," Sasori announced and promptly left the table before either of his friends processed what he said. This was a natural occurrence in his opinion. He was an impatient man so of course he didn't want to have to wait to kill Deidara.

He found him easily enough. Deidara was not exactly elusive with his blonde hair and flamboyant attitude. He had a knack for attracting attention to himself more often than not. Sasori marched over to him and forcibly dragged him away from his conversation Iruka-sensei who just watched them go in amusement. Deidara wouldn't shut up all the way and Sasori contemplated strangling him right there instead. But that wouldn't do his reputation any good so he did his best to ignore the noisy blonde as well as the stares that were attracted.

"Danna, I'm sorry, un. I didn't mean it." Deidara pouted when they were a safe distance from the rest of the school population. He knew a murderous aura when he sensed one.

"Brat," he spat and Deidara visibly flinched. Sasori hadn't been so furious even back when they were hating each other irrationally. "Art. Is. Eternal. I do not want to repeat myself more than necessary. Your concept of art is flawed and before you even try to deny it let me tell you that it will not work because it is simply not the truth."

Deidara shut his mouth reluctantly but only because Sasori was spewing venom and Deidara supposed that he did have a greater reason to be angry.

"Art is lasting and lives long into the future. That makes it beautiful for it does not erode with the harshness and cruelties of life; art eradicates that by being eternal. The fact that it withstands time, the equivalent of the devil, emphasises that and it is in no way transient because that would make it meaningless; it would have lost to time."

He hadn't actually said a lot but that was more than he usually says already so Sasori forced himself to stop. He would not have himself go into a long rant and risk sounding like a raging psychopathic man even though he certainly felt like one then.

Deidara didn't retort nor did he look like he even wanted to. The most bizarre thing was happening. Deidara was actually smiling and it was a smile that Sasori had never seen on his face before. It was so serene and Deidara seemed so at peace with himself that even Sasori felt his anger slowly ebbing away though that gave rise to the confusion bubbling within him.

Why was Deidara behaving so strangely? Logically, Deidara should be angry and fighting with Sasori about how his art was superior and how his notion of art was the right one. Given Deidara wasn't a very logical person to begin with that was still the most likely outcome.

Instead his eyes gave away no hint of outrage nor did it contain the spark which appeared whenever he talked about his art. Sasori was not fooled into thinking that he had won Deidara over to his side though. And it was not as if he had convinced Sasori that art was transient either, so why was he standing there looking as if he had everything in his life straightened out when, sorry to say, even Sasori knew that it was far from the truth?

"Deidara?" he asked firmly.

"I mean it, Sasori, I really do, un," he said calmly; a picture of tranquility and peace, and that was so uncharacteristic of him. Deidara did not usually possess so calm a demeanor. His eyes held a serious stare and those cerulean orbs bore straight through Sasori's hazel ones.

Sasori couldn't fathom him at all and it was easily the most unsettling feeling Sasori had felt in a long time. They were supposed to understand each other.

"You wear happiness nicely, Sasori, you really do, un. No, you wear it perfectly, un," Deidara said, sincerity weaved so intricately in his voice that no one could doubt that he didn't mean a single word he was saying. That perplexed Sasori all the more. He was used to Deidara's unpredictability and uncanny ability to say things which make no sense at all but this was definitely an unprecedented level of strangeness. Sasori couldn't understand at all.

"What are you saying?"

"Listen to me, Sasori. After that night, everything made sense to me. I don't know why but everything is now so clear and I just know it, un. You deserve happiness so much Sasori and it's killing me more than it's killing you to know that you don't have it."

"What the-"

"Sasori, you deserve happiness more than anyone I've ever met and even if I never make it out of this damned life being the artist I want to be even once, I want you to be able to do it, un."

Sasori prided himself on always having a comeback ready but this time even he was at a loss for words. It was as if his entire stash of vocabulary was wiped out and all that remained was a white blank. Deidara still looked that picture of serenity but there was also an armor of determination over it now.

"Why Deidara?"

"Quit med school Sasori."

Another chapter~! ^^ I know the wait was long and I'm extremely sorry for that. Actually I'm not supposed to be updating because I should be studying but I felt guilty because I didn't exactly mention it in the previous chapter. _ But this will be last update before 21st November. I won't be able to update before that. I'll really have to focus on studying now. OTL

Please continue supporting this story though. XD

Anyway! We're reaching the climax of the story! I honestly didn't expect it to take so long (I actually thought that I would finish this in about 20~ chapters) but things are going to get a bit more complicated from here on. XD

And I didn't realise that there was already over 100 reviews! Thanks so much for the constant support! ^^ Reviews really are a cause for celebrationand I would love to hear any thoughts/ comments/ feelings about the story, especially since I'm going to be away for quite a while. It'll certainly make me feel better too. Thanks so much! :D