a/n: I'm about to cry! This is the last chapter!!!!!!!! Thank you everyone that has stuck with me here to the end, and everyone that has put in their constructive criticism, I'm really glad I had the support of you all. If it weren't for all the great people that became fans of the story I don't think I would have reached this point... heck, I don't think I COULD have reached this point without you all. Thank you!!
Disclaimer: no matter how much i wish it were, Naruto is not mine!
DEIDARA POV
Years have come and gone, many long years, since Sasori-danna and I first met. So many years seem to have held so much for us, and yet we endure. I do not want to think back at those first few years, especially not some of the turmoil those years put us through. Orochimaru. Sir Leader. Kabuto. Sir Leader again. So many years have passed though since those have been a problem. Sure we hear about Orochimaru, whether through Sir Leader's angry rants that never seem to end, or through those relays that I now accompany Sasori-danna on to meet with Kabuto. My, how that boy has grown. I remember when we first met him and he was a brat. That Orochimaru has at least done one thing right, raising Kabuto to be as strong as he can be. He's even a better healer than before.
And Sir Leader? It's been years since he touched either of us, a fact that I am thankful for.
Our arguments about art? Well…
"For the last time, Deidara, you blow up your 'art' in my face again and you'll be a dead man!"
"Aw, come on, danna, that's no fun, un!"
…Those fights still occur quite often.
I watch Sasori-danna sigh as he does the last hand sign to seal one of his puppets in its scroll again at the end of a long days worth of training. He looks over at me with a slightly annoyed face and I fear that he may be mad at me enough to storm back to our room without talking to me. Yeah, we haven't gotten over that either.
He watches me with sudden interest and comes over to me, pressing himself against me and kissing my lips, before asking, "You still with me Deidara?"
"Of course, un," I smile, "I'm right here."
"You're not off in your own little world?"
"Of course not, Sasori-danna."
"Good," he smiles, kissing me again before Tobi comes bounding into the training area.
"Hello Sasori-sempai, Deidara-sempai!" he waves all too enthusiastically.
Sasori-danna just waves but I jump up, waving, "Hey Tobi!"
"Am I interrupting?" he bows.
"No, we were just leaving, right danna, un?"
Sasori-danna nods. He respects Tobi, but the more Tobi has grown the more he seems to get on my danna's bad side.
Zetsu walks in then, his yellow eyes falling on the entire room at once. Tobi, still under Zetsu's instruction, has become a very valued member of the Akatsuki. I remember when he was just a brat to pick on.
Zetsu's white half smiles, "Good evening Sasori."
"Deidara," he other half adds, his form nodding.
I wave, this time very quiet as Sasori-danna answers, "Good evening Zetsu. Tobi too fast for you to keep up?"
"We just prefer…"
"… to let him go ahead."
Sasori-danna laughs then, genuinely, having always been friends with the venus flytrap man. That's something that has withstood the test of time very well. He leads me out the door back to the main Akatsuki halls without another word, simply waving to the two remaining members in goodbye. I wave at them the same way. There's a creepy air of finality though to the way that danna does it.
As we reach the cafeteria we're stopped before we can enter by Hidan. Kakuzu is not far off, but he's probably around a bend somewhere that we can't see.
"Hey, Sir Leader's lookin' for the two of you," he yells to us.
"Sir Leader?" Sasori-danna asks.
"Yeah, says that you two have to go after the one-tail jinchuriki. Says that it's finally the time."
Sasori-danna nods, "Thank you."
Hidan laughs as Kakuzu catches up, looking around for something, his cloak not on. Then I notice Hidan holding an extra cloak and I laugh.
"Tired of always having to ruin mine for Jashin, not that I'm complaining, but I'd rather wear his," Hidan laughs his goodbye and sprints off.
Sasori-danna rolls his eyes and leads me off to Sir Leader's office. Upon arriving we are ushered in quickly.
"Good," I see that shadow smiling from behind that looming desk I know all too well as Sir Leader begins addressing us, "the message got to you."
"Of course Sir Leader," Sasori-danna bows. I bow in suit.
"I'm trust you know why you're here."
"Yes, Sir Leader, un," I answer.
He smiles, maniacally as always, "I will expect you to be ready to depart to the village hidden in the sand very soon. I would like you preferably to leave tomorrow morning. Will that be possible?"
"Yes Sir Leader," we answer in unison, me with an 'un' at the end as always.
"Good, I shall brief you on the minor details at departure time. Good night."
We bow as he watches us leave, still smiling.
"We have to leave tomorrow morning, un!" I exclaim once we're out of Sir Leader's hearing range.
"Don't complain, we haven't had to do anything major in a long time."
"But Sasori-danna, that doesn't leave us much time alone, un," I pout.
He smiles, "Then let's go make the most of it." I laugh, pulling him to me with one arm and kissing him deeply after pushing his back to the wall. Through the kiss I think about the worries that we're going to have to face. Major battles, apprehending demons, everything dangerous. I'm worried about losing my danna already, but then I feel his arms around me and I remember one thing. He promised me. He promised me that we'd always be together, and as the kiss ends I know that going into the hidden sand village will not change that promise. I know that my danna and I will always be together.
THE END
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(I know that I'm mean...)