Chapter Text
Deidara was reckless.
He was wild. An explosive personality that was truly unique.
“Jesus, Deidara, you almost killed us!”
“So what?”
Deidara swerved around the car that was going a ridiculously slow 58 when the speed limit was only 50. He slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and him and Hidan slammed back into their seats when the car picked up speed. Hidan immediately grasped the ‘oh shit’ handle, and prayed to Jashin that he wouldn’t fly out the damn window when they end up tumbling down a ditch.
Deidara lazily flipped down the mirror to check and see if his eyeliner wasn’t fucked. He leaned up closer, and made sure the line wasn’t winged out too far.
‘Perfect, hm.’
“Deidara, watch the fucking road!”
“Chill out, Hidan, you’re just paranoid!” Deidara yelled as he slammed the mirror back up, “My driving is perfectly fine. You’re just too much of a pussy when I go a little too fast.”
“Twenty over the speed limit is not ‘a little too fast’! I think I just about had a heart attack. Jashin help me. Your driving sucks, Deidara. Your seatbelt sucks as well! It feels like it’s cutting through my jugular.” Hidan said as he clutched his necklace.
“Whatever happens happens, Hidan. Once you think that, you won’t have to worry about a thing, yeah. Oh, I just ran a stop sign. Ha, whoops.”
Hidan hated driving with him. Every time he climbed into the car, he wondered if he would make it to their destination alive. Deidara just didn’t care. From what he has said in previous conversations, Hidan began to think that Deidara may be just the tiniest bit suicidal.
He can recall many other occasions besides the damn drives.
...
“Hidan can you come over and help me? I tried to explode my clay and I may have blown a hole through my fence. Gotta repair it before the neighbors call the cops on me, hm. They can’t accuse me of anything when there’s no damage evident.”
...
“Oh my Jashin. Deidara, you’re gonna fucking make us drop! Cut it out, asshole!”
Deidara laughed manically, and rocked their cart furiously from hundreds of feet in the air, “Ha! Now this is exciting! The danger is what’s fun, hm!”
“I’m never going to an amusement park with you again!”
...
“Deidara, if you don’t get your goddamn head back in here, then I swear to Jashin that I will make you fly out!”
Deidara laughed as his hair whipped wildly around his head. He threw his arms back, and let the car rush him through the air. That was the best part about Hidan driving. Deidara got to go through the sun roof.
“Not a chance, hm!”
...
Hidan wondered why he was even friends with the lunatic.
Deidara pulled into the driveway, slammed onto his brake, and managed to park while the vehicle was still moving. Hidan felt nausea when his body jerked forward, so he threw open the car door and puked in the grass.
“Hey, I think I’m getting better, Hidan. I only ran one stop sign today.”
Hidan groaned as he wiped his mouth, and gave the blonde a nasty glare from over his shoulder. “Wow, Deidara, I’m glad you only performed one illegal action today. My head fucking hurts! Your ass better have some damn ibuprofen.”
“Why don’t you just drive? And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to get you some medicine, princess. I know you can’t handle anything anyway.”
“I don’t have a damn car yet. Fucking Kakuzu is a cheap bastard, and will only let me walk, take the bus, or bike like a loser. I can only use his car when he’s home. I hate him.”
“At least you have a roommate. I’m just by myself all the damn time. Glad that idiot Tobi is out, but I kinda miss messing with him. It’s quiet now, yeah.”
The two then went inside Deidara’s home, and they settled down on the couch.
“You know, I really can’t believe you’re still alive with how reckless you are. I’m serious. It’s kinda...fuck, it’s a bit concerning,” Hidan said as he crossed his arms.
Deidara leaned back on the sofa, and gave the man a dismissive wave. “Nothing to worry about, man. I just like to live carefree without dumb shit holding me back from having fun, hm. I’m not suicidal, but I’m not scared of death, either. It’s like art! I’ll go out with a bang that’s memorable instead of dying old and crippled way too far in the future. That’s not fun, that’s lame.”
Oh boy.
Hidan looked at him weirdly, observing the way Deidara mindlessly flipped through the channels on the T.V. after admitting that he wouldn’t mind having a short life.
“Whatever. You’ve gotta have some like, Guardian Angel or some shit watching you. You’ve done so much crazy shit, so something must be keeping you alive.”
Deidara shrugged, “Just my luck.”
The blonde settled for the show ‘Catfish’, and they quieted down to watch the dramatic show. Deidara rose a brow when the girl who pretended to be a guy said she did it to mess with her feelings.
Hidan went home at 4 in the evening with some nice medicine in his system when Kakuzu picked him up, so Deidara was then left to himself.
Sometimes, he missed that idiot Tobi.
Deidara isn’t someone who likes to be by himself all the time. He needed social interaction, whether it was good or bad. He used to have plenty of friends, but they got tired of Deidara’s recklessness, and admitted that it scared them. Hidan was the only one who put up with him. Tobi was a moron, but he accepted Deidara for who he was.
Deidara turned off the TV, and decided to mess with his clay. Inspiration hadn’t hit him yet today, so he decided to create another bird sculpture akin to what he created the day before.
However, something happened.
For some reason, Deidara felt the hair on his neck stand up, and he couldn’t help but look around his apartment with unease. His senses enhanced, and he could suddenly hear everything. His shoulders tensed once he felt like he was being watched.
“Who’s there?!”
His body moved on its own accord, and Deidara was checking every room of his apartment. He even opened the closets, but found nothing.
“Can this idiot sense me?”
That was some stranger’s voice. Deidara yelped, and frantically looked around his living room. That voice sounded like it was coming from somewhere in the house, but he saw nothing.
“Show yourself! I heard you speak!”
There was silence.
“Can you hear me, brat?”
The voice was almost echoing in his head now, and Deidara jumped at the sudden intrusion. He held his breath, and felt his body freeze.
“W-What the hell? Are you some ghost or something, hm?”
A chilling laugh sounded, and the voice said, “I’m not a stupid ghost, brat. I’m an angel. Your Guardian Angel. It’s quite odd that you can hear me. Usually you mindless humans have no clue.”
“Where are you?” Deidara questioned as his heart rate slowed.
“I’m actually right in front of you. You just can’t see me. You are by far the worst one I’ve had. Are you suicidal, brat? I’ve had to save you more times than I can count. You almost got in a wreck today, but I stopped your car from hitting them.”
That truth struck Deidara.
Of course he didn’t care if he crashed and got killed, but he still didn’t want Hidan to get hurt. Those words made a cold chill go down his spine, and he couldn’t respond as he looked down in remorse.
“Oh. I didn’t realize,” he trailed off quietly.
“What’s got you so quiet? I didn’t take you as someone who would even care about that. Whatever happens happens, right?”
The voice taunted him, and Deidara felt that familiar heat of anger bubble up inside of him.
His face twisted into a look of anger. “Shut up! I’m not some heartless asshole, hm! You know, you’re a dick for an angel. How the hell is your rude ass in heaven?”
“This isn’t about me, so quit changing the subject. No one has ever told you the truth. They’re scared of you, but you couldn’t see it. I could see everything. That’s why you’re alone-“
“Shut up! Get the fuck away from me!”
“This is simply my job. If I could, then trust me, I’d be as far away from you as possible. I’m stuck with you, whether you like it or not. I hate that you can talk to me now. Makes the job worse than it already was.”
“If you hate it,” Deidara seethed, “Then stop fucking talking.”
The sound of the air conditioner hummed softly throughout the apartment as the silence stretched.
The angel didn’t speak further.
Deidara huffed to himself, and went back to his room to do the one thing he loved: art.
—
The hair stood up again, and Deidara paused his show to pay closer attention.
“Oi.”
He focused on the sounds of his home as his body stilled. He nervously messed with the remote, and eyed his living room skeptically.
“Ugh. What, brat?”
“You’re so pissed off all the time.”
“Sounds like someone I know.”
“You don’t know me.”
The voice scoffed, “I’ve been watching you your whole life. I think I can say that I do, suicidal brat.”
Deidara growled through his teeth, “Where the hell are you so I can throw this damn remote at you?!”
“What a coincidence. I’m standing right in front of this very expensive vase your mother offered as a decoration. My head is right where the vase is. Would be a shame if you aimed for my head.”
Deciding to ignore the prick, Deidara just unpaused his show, his mood now ruined.
“What’s your name, asshole?”
“Why do you care?” the voice asked somewhat curtly.
“‘Cause I’m curious. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Sasori.”
“You sound like a Sasori,” Deidara replied with a grin, “What do you look like?”
“Red hair and brown eyes. Much less ridiculous than you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Trust me, you aren’t the first to say it, hm. I’ll never change for someone else’s approval. Especially some ghost.”
“I’m not a ghost!” the voice boomed.
Deidara winced, then grinned at how offended he sounded. It seems now he had something on him.
Seemingly agitated by the smug grin on Deidara’s face, Sasori decided not to speak any further. The sudden quietness made him shift uncomfortably, and Deidara found himself wanting to talk to him more. Sasori was a complete mystery to him. He’s never believed in stuff like angels and god, but now this had him wondering.
—
His hands gripped his pants, about to pull them down so he can hop in the shower. He already had his music blasting through his speaker, and the hot steam had fogged the mirrors. Deidara’s breath hitched when he suddenly remembered that a whole being was watching him all the time.
“Oi, Sasori! You better not be watching me, hm!” Deidara yelled, glaring all around the room.
A muffled voice was heard, but it was drowned by the loud music. Deidara rolled his eyes dramatically before turning down the volume on his speaker.
“Speak up, yeah!”
A growl rumbled through the room, and it was amplified by the echoing.
“I said that I have to. Who cares? I’ve seen way worse. You could slip in the shower and hit your head, brat. My job is to watch you 24/7. Get used to it and grow a pair.”
Sasori was now on his last nerve.
Deidara already was hotheaded to begin with, but this new type of anger was indescribable. Deidara wanted to get in Sasori’s face and tell him that he’s an annoying dick, but right now, Sasori was literally just a voice. His voice was smooth and drawn out, which actually pissed him off more. It sounded arrogant, like he was better than him. No one could act like they were better than him and get away with it.
“You’re probably jealous, huh? You wish you could be alive right now. I get enjoy a nice, hot, and relaxing shower while you have to watch as some dead being with almost no purpose except to follow orders. Sucks for you,” Deidara spat out as he threw his boxers and pants off, turned up the volume of his music, and hopped into the shower. With force, he shoved his blue shower curtains closed.
A muffled voice shouted at him, but all Deidara could hear was the heavy instrumentals and vocals from the song. The scalding water rushed over his body, and all that tension was beginning to melt away. He grinned once that voice shouted again, but he ignored it. He hummed to the tune, and opened up a bottle of shampoo to wash his long hair.
While taking his time to wash his scalp, dead silence suddenly overwhelmed him.
The sound of the water hitting the tub was the only thing audible, and Deidara felt the tension come back as he stared at the curtains where his speaker would be on the sink.
How did it turn off?
His first thought was if the battery died, but he remembered letting it charge overnight. His phone was safely in the basket on the shelf where it wouldn’t get wet, so it couldn’t have fallen off.
“Sasori?”
No response.
Deidara washed out the rather large amount of soap and creeped closer to the side of the shower to peak through the curtains. His hand slowly grabbed the curtain, and he pulled it aside.
No one was there.
Where was Sasori?
Deidara’s one visible eye looked everywhere in the bathroom, but there was nothing.
Deciding to shake off that feeling of unease, the blonde decided to wring out his hair and resume his music. He gently placed his foot on the mat, and stepped out of the shower. Water droplets fell everywhere onto the floor and he was now chilly despite the steam, but he grabbed his speaker anyway to see what happened.
It had simply turned off. To turn it off, someone needs to push down the power button.
The question is, who pushed it?
Deidara felt his heart race, but he turned the speaker back on and resumed his music. He jumped at the loud burst that went through his eardrums, but he shook his head and went back into the warm comfort that was his shower.
This time he grabbed his body wash and loofa, and began to wash starting with his arms.
When he saw the knob twist on its own and the water shut off immediately, Deidara screamed.
In his desperate attempt to jump out of the shower, Deidara slipped and fell onto the ground as a useless heap. Pain exploded into his chest, and he groaned as he squinted his eyes. The water and soap made a pool below him on the tiled floor, and Deidara whipped his head around to stare fearfully at the shower.
A light breath ghosted over his ear, and Deidara gasped at the feeling, his hair standing up.
“Just because I have to protect you doesn’t mean I can’t make your life a living hell. This is a warning.”
A huff of air meant to be a laugh hit his ear, and Deidara shielded his head in his arms to stop the ticklish sensation that made him shiver.
“Brat.”
The presence disappeared, and Deidara released a breath of relief. His teeth clenched at the aching pain all over his chest, and he realized then that the fall would leave a grueling bruise.
Fucking Sasori.
—
“H-He was so weird! We just argued for a while and then when I took a shower, he-“
“Don’t tell me he fucked you or something-“
“Hidan!”
“Sorry. Continue.”
Deidara rubbed a hand over his face as he watching 600 pound life in his bedroom.
“What I was saying, is that the bastard...”
Deidara looked around the room, and then lowered his voice. He didn’t want Sasori to hear this.
“...well, I said something and it pissed him off, even though he deserved it, hm. In the shower, my speaker suddenly turned off. Only a person can power it off. I turned it back on, and when I got back into the shower, that fucker turned the water off. I saw the knob turn, Hidan. It was the freakiest shit I’ve ever seen in my damn life! I fell while running out of the shower, and guess what he did? Guess!”
Hidan noisy hummed, thinking long and hard which was typically difficult for him to do.
“Stabbed you or some shit?”
Deidara glared at the TV, “No, you idiot! I literally felt him breath on me as he told me it was a warning.”
“Wait, I thought he couldn’t do shit like that,” Hidan said.
“That’s what I thought, too. Ghosts usually do that shit. Now that he can physically do things, I’m kinda fucking creeped out, man. He’s with me 24/7, and I can talk to him. Can you swing by here tomorrow? I feel better when I have someone with me here.”
Hidan sighed, “I guess I can see if Kakuzu is home tomorrow. Hold on, let me ask him.”
Hidan must not have known how to mute, because Deidara heard the entire conversation.
‘Hey old fuck, you home tomorrow? I gotta go to Deidara’s place. It’s kinda important.’
Deidara listened as Kakuzu growled.
‘I have an important meeting at noon. You have a bike. Why don’t you do that? It’ll save both of us the trouble. I want to save as much money as possible on gas.’
‘You’re so damn cheap, Kakuzu! A fucking bike?! Bikes hurt my ass and I hate riding them so far!”
‘Can’t he just pick you up?’
‘I mean he can, but he fucking sucks at driving. We almost wrecked yesterday and he didn’t even notice.’
There was a moment of silence. Deidara felt his eye twitch. He was a good driver, damnit!
‘Just-okay, just this once, I will take the bus and you can take my car. Happy? You better be, you asshole.’
‘I am fucking ecstatic. Thanks, bastard.’
‘Get out of here before I rip your head off.’
Deidara recoiled back as he stared at his phone worriedly. Did they always threat each other like that?
‘Yeah, yeah.’
There was shuffling before Hidan’s voice, which was much lighter than before, came through.
“Hey, he says I can drive over! I’ll give that Sashimi fucker a piece of my mind!”
“Hidan, it’s Sasori.”
“Same thing. Hey, you know what’s crazy?”
Deidara frowned slightly as he watched the 700 pound lady tell the doctor that she ‘wasn’t eating’ after she gained 20 pounds since their last visit.
“What?”
“When you ramble your verbal tic kinda goes away.”
Deidara huffed out a laugh, shaking his head, “You idiot, hm.”
They said goodbye, and then Deidara hung up the phone.
He pulled up his comforter and rested his head on his pillow, basking in the warmth. He took out his low ponytail, and let himself rest fully in comfort.
His eyes drooped as he watched the woman force herself to eat a salad instead of McDonalds. The camera zoomed up to her mouth which Deidara scrunched up his nose at.
“Boo.”
Deidara yelped and pulled his blanket over his head in fear. His breathing was labored, and he squeezed his eyes shut as the heat took over in the darkness.
“Get away from me! You-you’re fucking creeping me out, Sasori!” Deidara yelled as his voice cracked.
His Guardian Angel was supposed to be caring and make sure nothing bad happened to him. Sasori made him feel unsafe in his own home. While he usually tried to act fearless, that incident in the bathroom truly scared him. Certain noises made him jump and freeze up, and pitch black rooms made him shift uneasily. Sasori was playing with him like an actual ghost.
No, no, those weren’t tears! No way a fucking angel scared him that much. Deidara wasn’t a bitch, so he shouldn’t be scared of something like this! Something that is seen as nothing but pure and innocent.
Deidara didn’t even know that he was biting his lip to distract from the heart pounding fear. He blinked, and he furiously wiped away the tears that rolled down his cheeks.
For a moment, Deidara only heard the sound of him breathing. Still, he refused to uncover himself. Cowering in the darkness away from the open made him feel better as horrible as it sounded.
“Deidara, I’m not going to hurt you. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I did.”
It was the first time he said his name.
His demeanor seemed to have changed. His voice wasn’t cocky or arrogant. It sounded soft, as if talking down to a child.
That was worse.
“Then why did you warn me?” he growled out through the darkness, “You sounded like you would. Do you have any idea how this feels? I’m powerless against you, bastard. You could do anything to me and I wouldn’t be able to stop you.”
“Let me tell you something, brat. I am an angel. A Guardian Angel. My job is to make sure your life doesn’t end before it’s supposed to. I’m not the nicest guy. I...will admit that I am an impatient man, and that my anger gets the best of me at times. What you said in the bathroom set me off, and I acted out of anger.”
He paused.
“What I’m trying to say, is that even though I’m an angel, that doesn’t mean that I’m all sunshine and rainbows. You piss me off, and I will retaliate. That doesn’t mean I’ll hurt you. There’s no reason to fear for your life because of me. Just understand that I’m not perfect.”
Deidara slowly came out of the covers, and looked blankly at the wall.
He swallowed the dryness in his throat, and asked, “You promise you won’t physically hurt me?”
“I won’t hurt you, but if you piss me off, then I won’t be able to stop myself from getting you back. Messing with the speaker was an example. Just go to sleep, brat. You need it.”
Deidara didn’t respond, and shoved his face against the fluffy pillow. He closed his eyes, and saw the lights from the TV in the blackness.
“How did you die, Sasori? Sorry if it’s a rough topic.” His voice was raspy from sleepiness as he asked the heavy question.
This time, it seems as if the voice was closer. “My life had ended quite shortly. I was 35 when I passed. It was a car accident that took me away, and it was incredibly painful. It wasn’t one that ended my life in a merciful flash. I suffered for long moments before and during the hospital, and my body had finally given up. I was driving to see my granny, and life had just gotten the best of me.”
Deidara listened with his eyes closed. “Sorry that happened.”
“Don’t be. I have gotten over it. I always wished for my life to be long lasting. I guess it technically is eternal, just not how I thought it would be in the afterlife. To have a voice in this world...it feels like before. Usually I just watch by as they carry on, but this time it’s not meaningless.”
Deidara felt the tiredness take over as Sasori’s voice lulled him to sleep. He nodded his head as a response, remembering every word he said.
“Sasori, my man...I think I understand what you’re trying to say, hm.”
“You do?”
“Yes. It goes for me, too. Now that you’re here, it doesn’t feel as lonely.”
Sasori quieted at that, probably thinking.
“Many years of just watching someone without speaking makes you feel not important anymore, brat. It makes you feel almost nonexistent. It’s a feeling of isolation I can’t even describe. Even I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”
That statement made Deidara feel sad for him. He was containing his emotions well, but he knew Sasori was basically saying that being a Guardian Angel made him alone. He had no communication for who knows how long. He could be itching to say something just for no one to listen.
Then, Deidara realized that this relationship could become very important for the both of them.
The light from the TV made his eyes twitch uncomfortably, and before he could reach for the remote and turn it off, the room went dark and was filled with silence.
Sasori was definitely not a nice person, but now Deidara saw him in a new light that he could feel for.
Sasori was his protector. He wasn’t something he should fear, and maybe he could try to understand him more in the future, and help him feel not so isolated.
Perhaps this was the beginning of something bright in Deidara’s life.
—