Akatsuki Rainbow: Red (Sasori x Deidara)

Chapter 8: Discovery

Deidara hobble-crawled out of the underbrush of the forest with an arm clutched in his mouth. He had used up the last of the explosive clay, so it wasn't as if he could just craft himself another arm. Plus, he would need a limb capable of reaching and opening the pouch on his side. Fortunately, he ran into Tobi and Zetzu. Kakuzu can probably sew his surviving arm back on, and Zetsu can probably cover enough limb material for him to salvage his other one. Or maybe Konan will do something about his missing elbow if he asked nicely enough. 

Once he got both his hand-mouths and his arms themselves reattached, he set about cleaning his clay pouch and making new clay. However, as he reached into his pouch, his hand touched something among the remaining crumbs that was not clay. It felt dry, flat, thin and when he pulled it out, it seemed to be a folded piece of paper. He dropped his empty clay pouch gently on the floor, and flopped on top of his bed. He unfolded it gently, smoothing out the creases. It wasn't some strange summoning paper, was it? 

As it turns out, it wasn't. The piece of paper was unusually thick, and seemed blank besides the writing on it. The handwriting seemed somewhat familiar, looking nearly like print from how clean the letters were. Deidara blinked once, twice, and read, 

Deidara,

You may not know this, but you are dear to me. Forgive me for all the times that I had rejected your art and your sense of self; it is stupid, but perhaps it is a base part of who you are. You are not only irreplaceable to the Akatsuki, but to me as a partner. Though your existence is a giant mess of an explosion, I hope you find your purpose someday, and I hope it is with me. Your speech impediment is slightly attractive.

Sasori.

"I do not have a speech implement, un!" Deidara exclaimed to himself, without even knowing what it meant. Deidara frowned. Was this some sort of bad joke that Hidan decided to play on him? The blonde shook his head at the thought, swishing his fluffy pony tail back and forth. Hidan couldn't even be considered literate. It seems his Danna signed it. Maybe Sasori was trying to send a message? Deidara turned the paper upside-down and sideways, but he couldn't see any pattern in which the text could possibly align. He sighed. The note was basically a bunch of mumbo jumbo that he was almost certain had another purpose. 

He read it again and again. Did it say he was dear to Sasori? Deidara frowned at the paper. Did his Danna just call his art stupid? ... and irreplaceable? Wait! It says that Sasori hoped Deidara found his purpose... with him? Deidara squinted as hard as he could and scrutinized the paper. Indeed, that was what it said. His Danna even said something about him was attractive. The sculptor immediately went red in the face after that realization. Steam billowed out of his ears with a whistling noise. 

It could not be real. It could not be a love letter! Deidara rolled over on his bed and hid his face in his reattached hands, but it was still a love letter. It was a confession from the man of his fantasies. Deidara read it over and over. 

"Aww!" He cried when he noticed that Sasori signed his name with a period at the end. Why was it so cute? Deidara squealed in excitement, but nearly screamed from surprise when loud banging came from one side of the wall. On the other side was Hidan, smacking the wall with his scythe. 

"Shut up! I can't concentrate on praying with you moaning right next door." Hidan yelled.

"I was not!" Deidara yelled back, as if it was a competition. 

"Then- " Hidan started but fell eerily silent. Deidara sat up straight, preparing for an attack, but Hidan's voice could be heard again, albeit much quieter than before. 

"I was just praying. I said I would clean it up. Ow!" There was a pause.

"Let me finish the ritual, dammit! No, I hate you! Ah! Mmph! What are you doing? Ngh!" Silence ensued for a minute before the squeaking of a bed frame could be heard. 

Deidara rolled his eyes, blushing at the same time. He started on infusing chakra into new clay. He had decided in that split moment to make flowers. He would paint them red, if he had enough time. Then, he would wait for his Danna to get home. Sasori would be surprised by the elegance of his art that night, and then they could also engage in activities that made bed frames creak.