I know I'm late and I'm sorry! But I outdid myself! This is by far the longest and the last time I wrote something so long was 2/3 years ago! Enjoy! It took me more than 3 hours straight to write this and now my brain and body are aching but it is all worth it because I'm so proud of this chapter. I'll apologise for any grammar mistakes first though. Hahaha. Okay moving on.
Before Sasori had the chance to say anything they were alerted to the sound of footsteps and sure enough Kakuzu came into view. Noticing Sasori's slight confusion and Deidara being unusually (and unnervingly) quiet, he shot the former a questioning look. Sasori merely shook his head; he didn't really know what was going on either (though he wished he did).
"Chiyo wants to see both of you," Kakuzu gave the news, not missing the twin sour looks on both medical students' faces. Sasori he knew didn't like medicine but Deidara disliking it was a total surprise to him, but he figured that that must be why the two were so close. Having a hatred for the same things did bond people after all.
"What does she want now, un?" Deidara all but spat, shocking even Sasori because no matter how annoyed the blonde was at the elder lady he never did openly express his frustration before. Kakuzu looked as shocked as Sasori felt (the redhead never showed his emotions openly) and was at a loss for words for a moment before speaking up.
"I don't know; she didn't say," Kakuzu informed them.
Sasori nodded, giving Kakuzu a pointed look and the other man nodded back before turning away. He had done his job of passing the message and whatever Sasori and Deidara's issues were he wasn't going to be of any help anyway. Besides he did have his own exam to study for.
"What's wrong?" Sasori asked the moment Kakuzu was out of earshot but Deidara stubbornly shook his head instead, making the redhead feel a sudden and surprising urge to strangle him. Sasori was never one for violence but some things, namely the blonde, made him feel that the entire concept of violence was actually wholly relevant. However, the spell seemed to have lifted from Deidara because he had his usual grin on his face again, though this time Sasori could see how fake and artificial it was.
"Let's go! Can't keep Chiyo-sensei waiting can we?" Deidara said happily as he turned and walked in the direction of the staff room, without even waiting for Sasori's reply.
Though wanting to press the blonde for more information, his stupid nature of never prying prevented him from actually doing so and he figured that Deidara would tell him when he wanted to tell him. If he wanted to tell him. It seemed to Sasori that Deidara wasn't exactly sure of what he had been trying to convey though of course he could be wrong. It was just unnerving for Deidara to be behaving in a manner that was utterly foreign to him because he thought that he understood the blonde. What was this feeling that he was experiencing? Betrayal? No; it was similar but different. Whatever the feeling was Sasori could not exactly pinpoint it and he felt, for the first time in a long while for reasons unrelated to art, completely and utterly vexed.
"Chiyo-sensei you called for us?" Deidara asked cheerily as he glided into the professor's office, a wide grin on his face. Chiyo looked up from where she was staring at the many papers scattered across her desk though arranged in an orderly manner and greeted the two with a smile of her own.
"Yes, dear," Chiyo replied happily though her smile seemed to slip for a fraction of a second before it reappeared. Despite the fleetingness of that tiny slip, Sasori saw it clearly enough. She was obviously displeased that he and Deidara arrived together and were thus probably together prior to this. Sasori felt a vivid sense of pleasure knowing the annoyance of his grandmother.
"What do you want?" Sasori asked curtly nonetheless, unwilling to spend more time than was necessary with Chiyo. He had not even intended on seeing her that day, or the next day, or the day after, or for many days after that; yes he never wanted to see her again. Besides, this particular day had been bad enough as for him as it was what with Deidara behaving so weirdly (and he meant more so than normal) and spurting all sorts of strange remarks which he would like to make sense of any time now. The point is he really didn't need any more of her good news brightening this day for him.
After his tiny outburst (if it could even be called that) Chiyo looked at him in unmasked shock, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't for the life of her formulate any comprehensive sentence. He didn't blame her; he played the role of the perfect medical student and grandson so well that he might as well have received an Oscar award. Sometimes even he fell for this flawless façade of his if not for the fact that his heart was not as useless as his mind and decisions and acutely reminded him of who he was and what he loved all the time. The professor didn't exactly recover from her shock since Sasori never did offer an apology for his rude behaviour but she managed to compose herself nonetheless.
"I have great news for the both of you!" she managed to exclaim delightedly as she looked down at the papers on her table, despite the fact that it was quite obvious that Sasori wasn't very interested in whatever she had to say, good news or not. On the other hand, Deidara was doing a really good job of pretending that he was really interested. "You would both be so happy!"
Cue eye rolls. Both Sasori and Deidara already knew that her purpose in requesting to see them out of the blue meant nothing more than trouble, trouble and more trouble; how the hell that would make them happy was beyond them. In Chiyo's case though, she sincerely thought she was doing them a great (dis)service each and every time. Sasori and Deidara didn't quite know how they managed to tolerate it thus far but at least they had each other now and though it was still a small matter and perhaps even insignificant they now had that sweet and perfect memory of that night to fall back on.
"Do tell," Deidara encouraged her with his sugary and excited tone though the look of utmost suffering he shot Sasori told the other exactly what he thought about her special surprise. Sasori empathised completely though he did have to resist the urge to openly smirk at the blonde's somewhat atrocious antics. Maybe the blonde being so weird was not as bad as he had initially thought (if only he knew what was going on).
"You, Deidara, are going to go on to the final year after this year and you, Sasori, are going to take the exams for the final year this time round," Chiyo announced gleefully without missing a beat and the two swore that there was malice and evil in her tone even though her face revealed nothing but the utmost pride of a successful parent. Sasori, in a sudden vicious mood, wondered if she would still look so blissfully contented and proud if he ever told her of his true feelings.
"We'll think about it, un," Deidara replied surprisingly quickly in a clear tone which did not mask his exasperation, shocking both Akasunas, before he intuitively grabbed Sasori's hand, not caring that that act was as good as declaring his close friendship with Sasori to her, and all but hurriedly fled the scene without even sparing Chiyo another look. Before they left the office, Sasori saw Chiyo staring after them in unconcealed astonishment with her mouth slightly agape. All his life Sasori had never seen his grandmother less than calmly composed and this abrupt change in her usual collected demeanour just made his day.
Deidara never once let go of Sasori's hand despite the many curious glances and shocked faces shot their way as he dragged the redhead through the campus. Sasori, on his part, though having gotten over his shock already (just one of the perks of hanging around Deidara long enough) didn't wrench his hand away which was something that he would have undoubtedly minded just a mere few weeks or maybe ever just a mere few days ago. Right now he couldn't care less, as in he didn't mind. Actually he even felt an odd and strange sense of happiness.
"Sorry about that, Danna, un," Deidara apologised immediately when he brought them to their destination: his house on the hill. As if noticing their entwined hands for the first time, he stared down at them in confusion mixed with a little shock which also showed in his face before he immediately dropped them. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Sasori replied casually, earning a curious glance from Deidara. Sasori didn't bother to explain his abnormal behaviour; let the blonde suffer the same confusion he did just earlier that day. Yes, he was feeling unreasonably vindictive and no he really didn't care.
Seeing as there was no soul in sight; everybody was probably at school or at work on this fine weekday, Sasori lazily settled himself down on the green grass under a giant oak tree which provided a comfy shade which kept the treacherous sunlight at bay. It was going to be winter soon so the weather was already starting to turn chillier but Sasori did not like the sun anyway. He heard some rustling and Deidara plopped down beside him in a less than graceful manner and leaned back against the sturdy trunk of the tree, completely relaxed and wearing a look of sated comfort on his face as if he were in his own apartment though in Sasori's opinion Deidara's incredibly messy apartment with books and clothes strewn all over the floor which couldn't even be seen anymore hardly met the requirement of 'comfortable'.
"You don't seem like the type who would dirty your precious designer jeans by sitting down on the grass, un," Deidara commented casually, eyes closed and looking as though he was about to fall asleep right then though it wasn't a problem since as aforementioned it was completely deserted except for the two of them.
"Assumptions," Sasori answered with a slight wave of his hand, closing his own eyes and simply basking in the comfortable and light atmosphere in the pleasing breeze of late autumn air.
Blowing Chiyo off was probably not the smartest thing to do in retrospect but he would concern himself with the problem (read: Chiyo) when it presented itself on his doorstep. Literally. In fact he was already expecting an unwanted visitor that night. Actually she might already be on her way (impatient as she is) to his apartment if she was that desperate and anxious that she would delegate all her lectures to another professor. It was unlikely though. If there was one thing about Chiyo that Sasori somehow found it in himself to respect despite her ruining his childhood and by extension his life it was her strong sense of responsibility which he was really glad that he inherited instead of say her uncanny ability to drive anyone mad though Deidara once mentioned that that particular gene was actually quite potent in spite of all his persistent claims. His heated glare did the talking for him and Deidara immediately caught on to it because he conceded that it was a joke though he did so in a manner that told Sasori exactly how truthful that "joke" was.
"And these aren't designer jeans."
"Just saying, un."
Sasori didn't bother replying; there was no need to. Maybe he should question the blonde as to why he was so impulsive as to, well, offend (and this was putting it lightly) Chiyo but he couldn't find it in himself to do so especially since he was actually kind of glad that Deidara did do it. Of course he would never have done that in a million years since it was simply not in his nature to do so but that was exactly why he was so thankful for Deidara. As unexpected as that might have been and the fact that it might just be more trouble than it worth (Chiyo was going to confront him, remember?) Sasori really didn't mind; he was grateful.
"Thanks," Sasori said but didn't bother to elaborate; Deidara understood his intention perfectly.
It was not clear how long they stayed there and they must have dozed off, lulled by the sweet silence of the early afternoon wind and the protective embrace of nature all around them as well as the lack of troublesome people disturbing the tranquil air of content. Whatever the case by the time Sasori pried his eyes open it was already well into the evening and the sun was halfway through its daily descent. He glanced to his side and realised that his companion was still peacefully asleep, still blissfully loitering in his wonderland where everything exploded into an array of colours. Yes, Deidara had already proven to him that not all things fleeting come in the form of explosions but Sasori still thought that explosions -bombastically loud and so openly expressive and seemingly emblematic of the freedom that they so sought - fitted the blonde the best.
Unknowingly he had reached out to gently touch Deidara's cheek, wishing more than anything that Deidara would always be so happy. Then it struck him so suddenly that he stilled his hand despite wanting and feeling that he should pull away. Was this what Deidara was talking about? The thing about him wearing happiness nicely?
"You idiot," he murmured softly even though there was no one around to overhear his next words. "If anyone deserves any form of happiness it's you."
And Sasori had never said more truthful. Sure Deidara had brought him more trouble in the one year (was it that long already?) that he had known him than in his whole life but more than anything the blonde also brought him comfort and the alien feeling of pure and simplistic joy. He had thought that pleasing his grandmother and being the perfect grandson for her was happiness without acknowledging that it was at his very own expense despite it consuming him wholly from the inside. But thanks to Deidara he now knew what he wanted and what would make him infinitely the happiest person on this earth.
Deidara stirred then and Sasori immediately retracted his hand. If Deidara asked what he was doing which was a given actually he wouldn't be able to reply because he didn't really know what he was doing either. Unlike Sasori, Deidara didn't instantly wake up; he blearily blinked for a while and let out a wide yawn, surprisingly having the courtesy to cover his mouth, and stretched widely before opening his eyes completely. Realising that he wasn't in the comforts in his own home he looked around in a mixture of disorientation and confusion before his eyes found Sasori looking back at him, unconcealed amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Wha…?" was the most intelligent response Deidara could come up with and it took all of Sasori's willpower not to laugh out loud right there and then. It would be too unbecoming. The blonde really did bring out the worst in him, he thought to himself faintly as a tired yet peaceful smile graced his lips.
"Are you always this ditzy when you just wake up?" Sasori asked in pure mirth, letting Deidara know how hilarious he found the entire situation. The blonde, as dumb and crazy as he might sometimes act, was actually really smart and always alert. This new side of him was simply adorable.
…
Sasori froze. Did he just thought that Deidara was adorable? Those two words in the same sentence was possibly the weirdest thing on this earth and he had sooner expected himself to enjoy medicine than think that.
Fine so he already came around and knew that he liked the blonde as more than a simple friend but he had also decided not to do anything silly or precarious which might endanger their surely strong yet brittle friendship. He had initially thought that these feelings would go away on its own (yes, he knows now that he was being naïve and even - he couldn't believe it - a tad bit stupid) but apparently not. All he could do was wait for them to erode then because he sure as hell was not going to confess and scare Deidara - possibly the best thing that had happened to him - away.
Okay this was now getting way too creepy and uncharacteristic of him. Akasuna Sasori did not ponder about affairs of the heart more than needed which was what he felt like he was doing right now. Shoving those thoughts aside and locking them up in the deepest depth of his heart where he then proceeded to dispose of the key Sasori concentrated on the blonde who was still looking totally confused and lost.
"What? Did you me kidnap to your house, un?" he asked, still sounding bewildered. "But isn't your house like indoors, Danna, un?"
"Brat, we are not at my house," Sasori replied easily, not bothering to tell Deidara exactly where they were. This was far too amusing and come to think of it, good blackmail material. And it kept his mind off other stuff which he really did not want to delve into anytime soon.
"Did a tornado hit and somehow my entire apartment complex disappeared, un?" Deidara asked so seriously that Sasori thought that he was actually just pulling his leg but then he realised that Deidara was really being serious.
This was too good to be true.
"Yeah," he humoured the blonde who nodded and accepted the answer despite its high improbability and lay back against the trunk before promptly falling back asleep as if nothing had happened.
What. Was. That. About.
Sasori stared at Deidara in shock which he managed to mask. What the hell? Had the blonde been asleep the entire time? Not entirely sure what that bizarre occurrence was about, Sasori shook Deidara with a bit of force and the latter's eyes fluttered open, immediately leveling Sasori, his disturber of the peace that was called sleep, with a perfect glare that would have sent most down onto their knees begging him not to kill them.
"What. Un."
Apparently Deidara didn't like to be awoken from his sleep.
"You… did you know what you just did?" Sasori asked, not at all affected by Deidara's scary glare, raising an eyebrow and attempting to play his curiosity off as disinterest. It really felt like Deidara was simply pulling his leg right then.
"No, un."
"Okay."
"…"
"…"
"If you're talking me doing weird things in my sleep then yeah I do that, un."
"…"
"Okay… pretend you didn't hear that, un," Deidara said, willing that Sasori would really heed his advice and pretend that he didn't say anything. Well, if he didn't actually do anything stupid in his sleep then there was no need to worry the redhead unnecessarily.
"You did…"
"Oh…"
Sasori couldn't help it. He let out a tiny chuckle which frankly shocked the younger man. Yes, people were getting shocked a lot today. Deidara wondered what the heck was wrong with the world before realising that he himself had a part to play in all this confusion as well. Maybe a meteor would strike the earth that night or something. Things could only get better after all.
"What did I do?" he all but demanded, ignoring that The Akasuna Sasori chuckled at something that he did not derive sadistic pleasure from. Actually he might have which was why he was laughing. Still Deidara would like to know what he did that was so funny.
That was actually why he never wanted a roommate or housemate. The fact that he was anti-social and prone to killing humans, er, things, which was too close in proximity to him and annoyed him endlessly was not the point this time. His condition was stupid and he didn't want to trouble anyone (yes he can be nice) nor did he want anyone to know about it. Who knows? He might even have sexsomnia. Okay, that was something he definitely did not want to think about.
"You just said some stupid things which isn't really different from how you usually behave," Sasori replied, sounding way too evil for Deidara's liking.
"My exact words, un."
"I can't remember."
Sasori sounded way too gleeful for Deidara's liking and he let out a long suffering sigh. The redhead was really deriving some sort of sadistic pleasure from his despondent predicament after all. He should have known.
"Don't tell Hidan, un," was all he said in the end. He was almost worried that Sasori would refuse and even call Hidan on the spot (what, the man was on some sadism streak) but became relaxed when Sasori nodded in agreement.
"Nor Itachi, un," Deidara said after a while because he really didn't want his nemesis to know about his weird condition even if (or so everyone tells him) their hatred was totally one sided on his part. He was convinced that Itachi hated him too; the black haired man was just a better actor.
That weasel… Deidara thought bitterly, grabbing a random fallen branch and stabbing at the soil, imagining it to be Itachi's flawless face.
"Nor Konan, un."
Konan must never find out. She would go all crazy and psychotic on him and demand he go through a full (unnecessary) body checkup which he had no time for. Anyway, while he had never been to a doctor's, he knew for a fact that most sleep disorders had no cure anyway so going to a doctor's was pretty much a waste of time and money. Besides, he knew that his problem wasn't really serious and that it only happened when he was really tired which was rare and few in between because he never did need much rest in the first and can survive on three hours a day for a week straight without even feeling the least bit fatigue. He must have been so tired recently because of all the unwanted stress from Chiyo and his mother.
"I won't tell anyone," Sasori assured him though the malicious glint in his eyes told Deidara that he wasn't about to forget it any time soon either.
The bastard's probably going to remember it for life, what with his crap about eternity and all…
So those two didn't exactly have a correlation. Deidara just liked relating the weirdest of things together. Actually it wasn't even that weird.
Before Deidara could continue that line of thought, Sasori stood up, dusted the soil off his pants and walked away. Deidara spluttered. What the heck? He scrambled off the ground and chased after Sasori who was walking away at a really fast speed. Because they were always in the hospital prior to this and Sasori was never particularly enthusiastic about heading anywhere within the hospital and running was not permitted anyway so he always took his time and walked slowly (as in normal human speed); the point is Deidara had forgotten how fast Sasori's normal walking speed was and he almost tripped over himself in an attempt to reach the older man.
"You are so mean, Danna, un," he managed to gasp out when he reached Sasori but the redhead just shot him an impassive unconcerned look.
At least he's back to normal, Deidara thought wryly as he fell into an easy albeit fast rhythm in keeping with Sasori's steps.
"Where are you going, un?" Deidara couldn't resist asking when it was obvious that they weren't returning to campus though it was obvious that that was never Sasori's destination because why the hell would anyone in their right mind do that after that major fiasco. Sasori's current mental state of health was debatable though in Deidara's humble opinion.
"Home."
"Why are you even going back home, un? It's still early; we can go somewhere else," Deidara suggested nonchalantly even though he was sincerely hoping that he would manage to sway Sasori's decision. Fine he was being selfish because he didn't want to go home and face the certain loneliness that would be dwelling in the dark waiting for him but there was also a part of him that wanted to spend time with the redhead. What? Spending every day with the same person for months makes you feel weird and uncomfortable all over when you suddenly don't see them for two days in a row or something like that. Right?
"No."
"Why, un?" Deidara persisted in asking despite the clear annoyance in Sasori's tone.
"Because."
One word answers.
Two can play this game.
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Right."
Sasori didn't reply.
The silent treatment.
Two can play this game too.
Deidara resolutely kept his silence, fully confident and sure that Sasori would eventually cave and tell him exactly why he was choosing to go home then. So going home wasn't exactly a foreign concept since everyone does that every day but Deidara just felt that something was up and he didn't like that. Furthermore, what kind of an answer was 'because'? Even if Sasori was really just going home for the sake of going home then he could have the basic courtesy to tell him so instead of 'because'. 'Because' was a conjunction. 'Because' was a word which in itself did not mean a damn thing. So 'because' was not a good answer, at least not one Deidara could accept.
Even if he did use it as an answer himself sometimes.
… he was starting to hate that word.
"Danna," he whined childishly and loudly on purpose so that his voice was audible enough to draw the attention of random passer-bys as they waited for the next train. And the platform was relatively crowded since it was nearing the peak hours so that meant that a lot more people turned by simple virtue of the fact that there was more people.
"What?" Sasori snapped, seemingly unfazed by the countless pair of eyes that stared at them, though his tone revealed his impatience.
Again with the one word response! Deidara thought in indignation.
"Danna," Deidara said, sounding so serious for the second time that day that Sasori could not help but actually look over though a frown appeared almost instantly when he saw Deidara's victorious smirk.
"What, Brat?" he asked again though exasperation was finely mixed into those two simple words.
"Why the heck are you going home, un? And don't tell me 'because' again because that word doesn't mean a fucking thing, un," and Deidara proceeded to angrily rant about the worthlessness of that particular word to Sasori who listened to him only because he couldn't get a word in. All the same it was also rather amusing.
"At least I know that word makes you furious," Sasori commented drily when Deidara summed up his argument, looking as if he just won the Nobel Award which was immediately replaced by an outraged look upon hearing Sasori's words.
"You are so mean, un," he complained childishly as they exited the train station. Yes, Deidara's little rant on 'because' took that long.
"Chiyo's probably going to want an explanation," Sasori said instead, figuring that he might as well give Deidara the answer he so desperately sought before he started on another weird rant about something random and completely unrelated to anything.
It was only after Sasori had taken a couple more steps that he realised that Deidara was no longer following him. He ignored it initially, thinking that the blonde decided to go home or something else but when he finally admitted to himself that that was highly unlikely and that Itachi willing playing strip poker was more likely he stopped and turned around. Deidara was giving him the most disbelieving look he had ever received in his life and frankly though it annoyed him to no small extent he was more uncomfortable with being shot such a look.
Despite it being obvious that Sasori wasn't going to simply continue on his journey home then, Deidara wasn't saying anything nor giving any indication about how he felt so the redhead decided that he would just have to walk over and find out what was in that eccentric brain of the blonde. He just hoped that nothing strange or weird was going to come from Deidara again. He already had more than enough on his plate for that day.
"I can't believe you," Deidara said flatly the moment he was within hearing range without Deidara having to shout.
"What?" he snapped again. "What is your problem?"
"We finally experienced that joy of art again after who knows how long and you're so ready to cast it all aside as if it didn't happen?" Deidara demanded, hands on hips and eyes ablaze with an anger that Sasori had never seen in the blonde before. Deidara didn't even look that angry back when they were exchanging insults and death threats before they cleared their misunderstanding up. This was really bad but he wasn't going to take that accusation lying down either.
"I am not casting it aside," Sasori stated blankly, daring Deidara to challenge his claim.
"Then why the fuck are you going to talk to Chiyo and fucking apologise to her?" Deidara shot back easily.
Sasori didn't say anything for a while because yes that was exactly what he had intended to do. What else can he do? Rebel? The thought was tempting but there was no way he could do it… right?
"Why?" Deidara demanded again before he took on a more taunting tone. "Or tell me I'm wrong. When you made the marionette the other night, was it really just symbolic of how you would never escape from your grandmother's grasp? Because you just can't?"
That did it. Without warning Sasori's fist connected with Deidara's face so fiercely that the blonde fell to the ground. The moment he realised what he had done Sasori immediately regretted it. He didn't like violence and he never expected to use it, on Deidara no less!
"Shit. Sorry," Sasori muttered as he rushed over to where the blonde was half lying on the ground, a hand over his cheek. Sasori gently pried his hand away and the guilt in his heart tripled when he saw a bruise already forming. What shocked him more though was the knowing smirk on Deidara's face. He couldn't resist.
"Did hit you so hard that I damaged your brain?" Sasori asked, raising a perfect eye.
The smirk immediately slipped from Deidara's face as he shook his head dramatically.
"Trust you to still be so mean, un," Deidara bemoaned in fake resignation. "You're really heartless, Danna, un."
"Why else would you be smirking?" Sasori threw back smoothly.
"Because you still love art that me insulting it made you kinda hate me for a bit, un," Deidara told him triumphantly. Sasori really didn't know where this was going. Deidara rolled his eyes. "In layman terms, I'm glad that you're still my art companion. Partner in crime. Whatever, un."
"… I get what you're saying…"
The victorious smirk was back on Deidara's face.
"… but I don't see why you had to do."
The victorious smirk slipped again as Deidara let out a frustrated groan as he buried his face in his hands.
"Danna," he mumbled into his hands, sounding so depressed that he might as well just have been informed that he had cancer or some other life threatening disease. That drama queen. "I needed to see that to know."
"You could have asked…"
"I wasn't expecting you to hit me…"
"That really isn't the point…"
"I realised…"
"And you should have expected it…"
"I realised that now too…"
All was silent for a while and when what happened in the past half hour or so finally sank in the two couldn't help but burst out laughing. Okay, Deidara burst out laughing while Sasori just chuckled softly to himself. It was lucky that there was no one around (thanks to Sasori living in a relatively secluded neighbourhood) because they would definitely have been deemed as mental cases.
"We are so retarded, un," Deidara breathed out, wiping away the tears that leaked out from his eyes from laughing so much.
Sasori nodded in agreement; truer words have never been spoken by Deidara. He let out a soft sigh and stood up before offering his hand to the blonde and helping him up. They continued on their way to Sasori's house, this time in the comfortable silence that was so familiar to them. When they finally reached Sasori's apartment building, they stopped, both unwilling to take another step.
Thanks to Deidara Sasori really didn't want to go up there and face Chiyo and be the nice and perfect little grandson that she wanted him to be. He wasn't meaning it sarcastically; he was actually thankful for it as he was grateful for so many things that Deidara did. If he did actually go up to Chiyo and apologise she would no doubt take it as a onetime mistake on Sasori's part due to him cracking under pressure and maybe even blame it all on Deidara because the latter was definitely the active antagonistic force here; Sasori's crime was letting the blonde do as he wanted. And Sasori could never do that to Deidara. He made up his mind.
"Well see you I guess, un," Deidara mumbled dejectedly, sounding as if he was trying to come up with excuses to make Sasori change his mind. He didn't have to; he already did.
A hand reached out to grab his shoulder and Deidara looked up at Sasori with a questioning gaze.
"I'm not going up anymore," Sasori informed the blonde and the latter stared at him suspiciously.
"Chiyo could already be there you know," Deidara told him in what sounded like a superior tone. Sasori rolled his eyes in response.
"And it's not obvious that you're a guy," Sasori retorted calmly and a tad bit smugly. He did deal the blonde a double insult after all which the younger obviously picked up on for he was now glaring daggers at the older man. Sharp, lethal daggers.
Instead of responding, Sasori strode over to his car and slid into the driver's seat. He didn't invite Deidara in but sure enough the blonde scrambled into the passenger seat just as he started the engine.
"You didn't tell me you have a car, un!" Deidara accused though the excitement and enthusiasm in his voice erased any anger that might have otherwise been present.
"Am I supposed to report to you my every belonging now?" Sasori questioned as he swiftly and skillfully drove out of the parallel parking lot and sped away, rolling his eyes (again) when the blonde let out a delighted squeal.
Little did they know that a figure was watching them from the entrance of the apartment building.
"Have you never been in car before?" Sasori asked in exasperation as he noted the bright grin on Deidara's face.
"Don't change the topic, un," Deidara commanded authoritatively. Sasori contemplated throwing him out of the car. "I never knew you had a car! You always took the public transport to the hospital, un."
"Just because doesn't mean I have to use it all the time," Sasori replied, wondering not for the first time why he put up with the blonde. Okay, he knew exactly why but still – Deidara could be a bit too much to handle sometimes.
"True," Deidara relented as he finally shut up and leant back in the seat.
The silence didn't last long however. Though, surprisingly, it wasn't broken by Deidara alone.
"Where are we going?"
"Do you have to go home tonight?"
The two questions were asked simultaneously, leading to smiles forming on both their faces. It felt good and comforting to be on the road like that as if they no longer had any worries and troubles bothering them, finals be damned. It was a mere mirage of course but as of now they were perfectly fine with basking and soaking in the nice and relaxing atmosphere.
"I don't have to go home tonight, un," Deidara replied first because he figured that this had something to do with where they were going anyway.
"Good, because we're going to a mountain and I don't think I'll be able to get us back in time before the night falls, nor in time for tomorrow's lecture come to think of it."
Deidara couldn't believe. This was Sasori finally taking control of his own life and doing something that he wanted to do for once all on his own accord. Maybe he helped a little but it was all indirect and there was no denying that Sasori was blatantly choosing to offend Chiyo further by not just knowingly not meeting her that night but also knowingly skipping lectures the next day. Maybe he was being unnecessarily dramatic but Deidara was so overwhelmed that he couldn't for the life of him say anything for a while.
"You really wear happiness nicely, Sasori," Deidara said when he finally managed find it in himself to say something.
Sasori wanted to ask about that but Deidara looked so contented that he just couldn't bring himself to do so. He kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead of him, feeling completely certain and clear of his direction for once in his life.
The drive remained in complete and comfortable silence for a while, the only interruptions being Deidara randomly pointing out random things that he saw from the window of the car. Sasori either nodded to acknowledge the blonde's words or give him a look that conveyed how retarded he thought that observation was. Deidara for the most part ignored the second reaction and babbled on until he didn't have anything more to say.
"Where are we going to sleep tonight?" Deidara suddenly asked when he realised that he didn't bring anything essential that would help him survive in the wilderness. Sasori's lack of response was unnerving him too. "Danna! What if we get attacked by wolves during the night, un? Or bears? Or owls?"
"Owls?" Sasori echoed in amusement.
"Yes, owls, un."
"Right."
"I'm being really serious here! What if it rains, un? What if there's a thunderstorm? What if we get struck by lightning? What if-"
"More than half the disaster scenarios you're so happily fantasising are improbable," Sasori interrupted plainly before Deidara's speculations became more and more senseless as they would no doubt degenerate into.
"Still, I am not sleeping in the wild unprotected and open to attacks, un."
"From owls?"
"Danna!" Deidara shouted in annoyance. Sasori could only smirk and he continued letting Deidara rant and complain for a while longer before informing the blonde casually that he had a tent in the boot and they could always sleep in the car. Duh.
"You could have said so earlier, un," Deidara grumbled bitterly, mostly to himself and he was actually looking a little sheepish for once.
Guess he knows how ridiculous he's being…
"You have too little faith in me, Brat," Sasori stated solemnly. "Would I, sensible as I am, being us to the mountains with nothing prepared?"
"… Narcissist…"
"Whatever keeps you alive."
Deidara glared before he realised something else.
"Wait, why the heck do you have all those stuff in your boot in the first place, un? Were you planning this all along? Were you, God forbid, planning to have a getaway without me?"
If Deidara was going to keep up this drama queen act the whole way and through the night, Sasori was going to leave him in the mountains all alone for an hour or so before coming back to get him.
"No," he replied in a bored tone instead, refusing to elaborate.
"No to what, un?" Deidara demanded childishly, pouting reaching a maximum level and eyes narrowed into mere slits. Maybe Sasori was going to abandon him in the mountains after all…
"No," Sasori repeated to which Deidara let out a frustrated groan. Sasori finally took pity on him though he wondered whether Deidara was actually drunk though on what he didn't want to know. "No, I did not plan this and no I wasn't planning a getaway without you."
Actually the two things were about the same now that Sasori thought about it but he didn't want to point that out to Deidara who would definitely explain to him oh-so-clearly the difference between the two. He knew they were not exactly the same; he just thought that they were similar enough.
"Then why were all those things in your boot, un?"
"Even Chiyo doesn't question me this much," Sasori replied, watching in satisfaction as Deidara made a disgusted face.
"Please don't compare me to her, un," he said distastefully.
"Oh I don't know," Sasori continued leisurely, ignoring the megawatt glare thrown his way. "You both seem to have a hobby of tormenting me."
"I bet you have never punched her."
"Irrelevant."
"Why do you have those things in your boot, un?"
He was definitely leaving Deidara in the mountains.
"I just store them there in case I feel like going off somewhere like now." Sasori gave the answer to Deidara anyway because the younger man wouldn't stop harping on it otherwise. Talk about annoying.
Thankfully Deidara didn't find anything else he found interesting to say which needed a response from Sasori for the rest of the ride and was contented with just hearing his own voice. Sasori on the other hand was contented to just drive and ignore the noisy specimen that he had decided to bring alone. Actually, come to think of it, the blonde invited himself. He must really be getting too used to Deidara if he even let him do as he pleased. It was not that bad he supposed; he didn't mind.
In another two hours they reached their destination (yes Sasori sped for most of the journey) and Deidara immediately jumped out of the car and stretched widely, working out all the kinks in his joints and doing all sorts of stretches. Sasori by then had also gotten out of the car and was leaning against the passenger door and watching at the blonde in amusement.
"Don't you feel stiff all over?" Deidara demanded after his tiny work out and realised that Sasori was just leaning against the car all casual.
"Not really," Sasori said and it as true. Unfair but true.
"Unfair, un," Deidara grumbled again before brightening up. "Let's set up the tent!"
Without waiting for Sasori's agreement Deidara rushed over to the boot. Only then did he realised that he needed Sasori to open it. He was about to yell for help when the boot suddenly swung open, barely missing his face by an inch as his inbuilt reflexes enabled him to jump out of the way just in time.
"Danna!" he shouted out when Sasori came into view, a smirk on his face.
"I had faith that you would get out of the way in time," Sasori said airily, waving off Deidara's indignant comments before he even said anything. "If only the sentiment would be returned," he ended off as he pulled the tent out of the boot and carried it over to a comfortable spot.
Deidara glared for a few moments before going over to help Sasori set the tent up. He contemplated not helping out at all since he had never set up a tent before but there was a high possibility that Sasori might be offended (most likely he would be pretending to be offended) and simply seek shelter in the car when night falls while leaving Deidara out there in the open. In the end, though, he was forbidden from helping anyway because he was, as quoted, "destroying the tent".
"So much for being helpful," Deidara complained to a tiny pebble nearby as he sat on the ground and watched Sasori effortlessly putting the tent up without even breaking a sweat or running into any complications. Deidara thought that he must have been the guy that everyone wanted to be teamed with during camps. Only for his skills though because his interpersonal skills were debatable. Deidara couldn't help smiling. Sasori was Sasori. That was perfection.
When the tent was completed, Deidara let out a gleeful cheer and went over to the boot to get the sleeping bags. Luckily there were two and he proceeded to unceremoniously dump them inside the tent though he had the decency to unroll both of them instead of his only.
"At least you're a little helpful," Sasori commented and the smirk was so obvious in his voice that Deidara wanted to throw thrown the tiny pebble at him. See, what did he say about interpersonal skills. He took a seat on the other sleeping back which Deidara hadn't claim and stared out through the open flap.
"This is nice," Deidara confessed before adding, "aside from your meanness."
"Find another word to describe me already."
"Evil."
"Uh-huh."
Deidara whacked him playfully and was rewarded with a much more painful hit on the hit.
"Hey!"
"Tit for tat," Sasori replied casually as Deidara rubbed his sore head. Sasori was really strong. Really strong.
"This is the second time you hit me today, un," Deidara complained pitifully, rubbing at his bruised cheek which still hurt.
"You asked for them both," Sasori reminded and because it was true Deidara didn't have anything to say.
"Sorry."
Deidara started as he looked at Sasori in confusion.
"What for?"
"For your cheek."
"And my head?"
"… Don't push it."
"Aww, Danna!" Deidara squealed happily as he all but enveloped Sasori in a tight hug before they both froze.
They were close yes and they shared practically everything (as in secrets, problems etc.) with each other but they have never actually been physically close before (the violence just now did not count) and as far as Sasori could remember he had no memory of being hugged. Still, as awkward as it was, Deidara didn't let go nor did Sasori push him away and they stayed that way for a while when the most amazing thing happened.
Sasori hugged Deidara back.
To say that Deidara was stunned would be the understatement of the century. This was Akasuna Sasori who was infamous for, amongst other thing, being the untouchable. Meaning touch him and die. It was common knowledge to anyone who knows him. Yet here he was: willing returning a hug from Deidara and the latter was not being maimed. Maybe he would have to sleep with one eye open later that night but whatever; this was totally worth it.
"Sorry, un," Deidara whispered softly but their close distance meant that Sasori heard it anyway.
"For?" Sasori asked when they both pulled away. Deidara had expected them to feel uncomfortable and maybe even embarrassed by such an open display of affection but he felt completely comfortable and Sasori looked as comfortable as he felt as if they had hugged for a million times already. Nothing felt different or awkward. Deidara barely concealed a smile; this felt nice.
"For being presumptuous and dragging you out of the office without your permission," he said. It had been gnawing at him for a while already but Sasori never blamed him so he didn't think it imperative to bring up but in the end he wanted the other to know that he did feel apologetic about it and that he did know that it was rude and maybe even crossing the line.
"If I didn't want to go do you think you could have made me?" Sasori questioned back and Deidara smiled; this was as good as Sasori forgiving him or the equivalent of it anyway since Sasori never actually blamed him at all. "But thanks because I would never have done it on my own," Sasori admitted in a rare show of honesty, not that he had anything more to hide from Deidara.
"Welcome I guess," Deidara said uncertainly because while Sasori didn't blame him he wasn't exactly sure that it was the wisest thing to do. But then Sasori smiled - a genuine albeit small and soft smile - and Deidara was all the more convinced that he had done the right thing and if given the chance to choose again he would do the same thing.
He may have unintentionally permanently driven an opaque wedge between Sasori and his grandmother but he was quite sure that Sasori would be happier when freed from his grandmother so he wasn't about to mope and be all depressed about breaking up a happy family. Heck, they weren't even happy and from his own experiences he knew that family was sometimes the antonym of happiness. It was a disturbing thought but it was true nonetheless and anyone who didn't have to face this was blessed.
"Danna, un," Deidara called out softly, afraid to disturb the soothing peace that had settled between them and the calm tranquility that the night brought.
"Yeah?"
"Aren't the stars beautiful?"
Lifting his head from staring into the endless rocks before him, Sasori stared up at the meteoric rocks instead, glimmering proudly like diamonds in the sky. His breath caught in his throat as he looked up at the palace of stars in amazement. He was certain that he had never seen such a bright night sky before.
"You're right, Brat, they're beautiful," he gave his acquiescence when he managed to compose himself. Deidara would have usually made a dig at him by now for being a sentimental old fool despite the fact that he was but a year older and the blonde was equally prone to being a romantic sap when in the mood but said blonde was too distracted by the captivating night sky and all he gave in response was a simple hum.
"If only we could be as free," Deidara murmured and Sasori turned to look at him.
Deidara was beautiful he decided as he allowed himself to be completely honest about his feelings. Staring at the starry heaven, Deidara wore a smile of absolute bliss and content and it seemed as if nothing could take away that smile and Sasori knew that he would fight to protect that smile. And the blonde's cerulean eyes which were usually sparkling anyway now held a brighter gleam in them as they reflected the stars in the sky.
And then the decision came to him so suddenly yet he felt as if he had known the answer all along.
"I'm going to quit med school, Deidara."
I have so many things to say about this chapter so bear with me. XD I have to say that this is by far my favourite chapter.
The first part where Sasori admits that he sees Deidara as more than just a friend is in relation to the part in the previous chapter where he was contemplating some feelings. I'm not sure if that was immediately clear so I thought that I should just point it out.
This mountain scene is something that I had in my mind for such a long time already and I'm so glad and thrilled to have finally written it. I am a very happy girl right now. It turned out differently from how it played out in my mind (which is always the case) but personally I definitely prefer this version.
And the Sasodei moments! I know they are all pretty much subtle but doesn't that make it all the more better? Okay, maybe not but I always liked the art of subtly. XD The hugging was quite blatant though, right?
I tried incorporating more dialogue between the two as well because I thought it would be nice to show them interacting more and also because it was fun to write. ^^
Ahhh and I almost forgot! Sasori basically admitting that he likes Deidara all throughout the chapter. I had issues with that part at first because I thought that it made Sasori seem a bit, well, uncharacteristic, but in the end I decided to go ahead with it because I thought that it would seem more genuine and human of him if he actually had moments where he isn't so sure about himself. Does that make sense? I don't know. What do you guys think?
Comments and reviews are all appreciated! I would really like to know what you guys think about this precious chapter. ^^
I hope I didn't leave anything I want to say out...
Till next time then! :D