Unfinished Business

An ItaDei Ficidee

By: Circius

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Chapter Four:

Morning Conversations

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Deidara left his room relatively early the next morning. Haruko had stopped by for his cell=phone number and to tell him that his first commission would be in about a week, seeing as Fugaku and her Father were away on business together.

Itachi wasn't at breakfast, which was a relief--he was instead met with the sight of Sakura Haruno taking a seat, her plate filled with eggs and ketchup. He slid into the seat across from her, yawning as he stretched his arms.

"You know, I think the beds here are waaaay too comfy, un. I never wanna wake up, yah know?"

He told her, and sparkling green eyes glanced up at him, surprised.

"Oh, hello Deidara. How are you this morning?"

She asked politely, taking a dainty bite out of her bloody-looking eggs.

"Peachy. Just peachy."

He said, reaching to the toast-basket and grabbing a piece for himself. Taking a bite, he stared at the young woman with an artists critical eye, trying to see if she was the still the same person he knew back in high-school…

"So, do you still help out at the hospitals around here, un?"

He piqued, and Sakura instantly brightened.

"Actually, yeah. I'm getting my degree in medicine, but while I'm waiting, my Professor loves having me around volunteering. She even told me the other day that she thinks I'm going to be the best in my field!"

The blush made her face almost glow from excitement. Dei gave a grin.

"That's great, un! Your family must be proud."

The pink haired girl suddenly deflated, and sighed.

"Yeah, well, all they really want for me is to marry another rich boy. They're really pushing for Sasuke, but…well…"

"You don't like him like that, and neither does he, un."

The blonde supplied, and Sakura nodded.

"Exactly. Me, Sasuke, and Naruto have been really good friends ever since middle-school, in Kakashi-sensei's class. He forced us to overcome our petty differences and work together--and he made a great team. I wouldn't trade my boys for the world."

Her smile was warm and loving--sisterly. Dei's eyes glittered mischievously.

"That's funny, because I do remember you having a ridiculously horrible crush on him in high-school, though you never said a word."

Sakura's fork dropped from her mouth and clattered onto her plate.

"How did you--"

"Know that? It's all in the eyes, un. I can still remember the way your eyes would follow him, even though you would still be listening to Naruto saying something stupid in one ear. Itachi and I had a bet going on whether or not Sasuke would notice and address the issue, un. I won, of course."

He finished smugly. Sakura let out a laugh.

"Yeah well, he was my first big crush. And he is still cute…but I am fully aware that he is definitely not for me."

Dei cocked his head to the side and asked,

"You sound pretty sure about crushing your parents dreams like that. You sure?"

She looked at him oddly for a moment, but then leaned over and whispered conspiratorially--

"You're…gay, right?"

He laughed, falling back in the chair.

"What gave it away, my hair or my clothes?"

She giggled too, eyes sparkling.

"A little bit of both I suppose."

"But what does me being gay have to do with anything?"

He questioned, and Sakura seemed to pause before she motioned for him to get close again. He did so, giving her his ear.

"Well, Sasuke and Naruto are kinda--"

"--An item?"

He mouthed, and she nodded. Vigorously. Passing servants looked at the pair oddly, but moved on when Dei broke out in ringing chuckles.

"I KNEW IT, UN! ITACHI OWES ME FIVE BUCKS!"

"You only bet five bucks on Sasuke's sexual orientation?"

Konnan's voice questioned as she waltzed into the room, rubbing her belly.

Sakura paled, and Deidara sputtered.

"K-Koko? I thought you were supposed to be back at the city?!"

The purple haired woman shrugged, eyeing the pink-haired lady sitting before her.

"Yeah well, turns out I can run Dawn advertising from my computer, and I decided I needed the vacation. Hence, why I'm still here."

She plopped down next to him, helping herself to five servings of omelets before turning to Sakura and stating,

"Oh and don't worry about your secret, it's safe with me. The only reason I even heard is because my hearing has just been exceptionally fantastic lately, though I don't have the faintest idea why. And I think I'm gaining weight. What do you think Dei?"

She showed him the slight bulge in her outfit, and Dei took in a deep breath.

"Koko, please don't get mad at me for asking you this, but…are you…preg--"

"BREAKFAST-TIME! HELL YEAH!"

The artist was halted in mid-sentence as he was once again interrupted, this time by a hyper-active blonde leaping into the scene with a half-asleep Sasuke being pulled by his wrist.

The youngest Uchiha seemed to mutter something insulting under his breath, and a moment later, the other blonde whirled on him, still yelling.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU BASTARD?!"

Well…It was one way to wake up in the morning.

Deidara sighed at their cute love-hate relationship before taking another piece of toast to go, making his excuses to a fattening Koko and a giggling Sakura with a flourish. He passed by the two love-birds in question just as he heard Sasuke mumbling something about how Naruto was lucky he was the only person alive worth getting up this early for, and seeing the other man's heartfelt grin before he murmured,

"Aww, I love you too Sasuke--"

Just as he as cut off by a patented "Uchiha Glare of Death TM". (It really was copyright too.)

Naruto seemed to pout momentarily, and Sasuke sighed once more, seemingly giving in to his best-friend/boyfriend's good cheer. Dei couldn't really tell who was the more dominant in the relationship--he had known both in high-school, and hadn't pegged either to be one that would be content never being in control. He presumed they probably switched it up--

Heavens. He was getting perverted. When was the last time he had sex anyway?

He started counting backwards on his fingers as he left the dining room and wandered over to the empty study.

"Five…six--oh my god, it's been like…three weeks, un!"

There was an awkward silence that surrounded him.

"Three weeks since what?"

He blinked up, and his heart fell to his stomach.

The study was not-so-empty after all.

"Umm…Sorry, didn't know you were here and…I'll just be going now…"

Itachi glared at him, rubbing his temples.

"Three weeks since what Deidara?"

The blonde colored, finding his mouth dry as he heard his name being said like that again--for chrissake, Itachi had no RIGHT to sound that damn hot when he was pissed! He continued jiggling with the door and wondered why the hell did it not…come…OPEN! Did the Uchiha control it with his mind somehow?!

"Ah…if I tell you…"

And idea dawned on him, and he grinned, turning around slowly, like a cat with the cream.

"You have to tell me about you."

A singular, perfectly manicured brow raised in question, but his lips didn't say a word, which Deidara took to mean an agreement.

"I was talking about how long it's been since I had sex."

He said bluntly, eyes trying to read his old friend for any sign of emotion, surprise--

And though he would only admit it to himself, he was watching for desire too. He dreamed of seeing lust in those eyes--dark and untamable--glassy and driven. Even thinking about it gave him the shivers.

Dreams were dreams though, and Itachi remained stoic and frozen; his face as it always was.

Which would be set at the function of Unreadable.

Dei sauntered up to his desk and nudge it with his toe--trying to see if maybe the Uchiha really was mentally merged with his study, saying,

"So? What about you?

Itachi looked back to his papers before his muttered something almost inaudible, and Dei shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you."

His face grew playful and he met the raven's glare head on with confidence, thinking that Uchiha was just embarrassed because he wasn't getting any recently. But Itachi then spoke, his words ringing clear across the room--echoing against the wood panel walls and reverberating into the blonde's very bones.

"Five years, seven months, two weeks, and four days."

His words left the artist stunned, and he stumbled back-wards, face having lost its mischievous demeanor and instead taking a turn for shock.

"You mean…not since we--"

"No."

Sapphire blue eyes sought garnet-black as Itachi fastidiously kept his face turned to his papers.

"I…I didn't know--I…me…I did it…only…because I wanted…"

He fumbled with his sentences as the Uchiha's pen froze mid-signature.

"You wanted what?"

The question was posed barely over a whisper, and Dei took a deep breath, slumping into the chair as his own gaze traced the grain of wood in the floor. He knew Itachi was watching him now--but he suddenly lost all will to face the righteous justification and guilt that would probably be reflected back at him if he looked up.

"I wanted to…forget you. I only slept with one other person, and it was because…I missed you so much--it was like…"

He searched for the right words in the silence of the study, hunting for language that was even a little adequate to describe his feelings.

"It was like my heart was gone and there was nothing left but a big hole in my chest--and it would never stop hurting, un. Some other friends pieced me back together, and they convinced me that seeing other people was healthy. And it was, un. I felt better with him…but not the same. The hole's still there, and the second I saw you again, I felt it tearing--wider and wider, un. And I know I'm not a big mushy poetic or shit like that…but…it's still…not healed. And though I've tried everything I could to fix it--I don't think it ever will be, un."

His small, emo and angst-filled monologue ended, he dared to glance up at the raven's face.

Itachi had not changed an inch from his cold, calculating stare.

"I'm sorry."

The words that were finally said met a tense silence, revealing nothing.

"I thought you were made of stronger stuff Deidara. I didn't know you had been hurt."

They both left the unsaid statements hanging in the air--the words of--

'You were the one that left, so how did it hurt you?'

'You know you could've come back, so why didn't you? Why did it take five and a half years and a fiancée?'

Dei sighed, moving towards the door, which now opened easily to his heavy-hearted touch.

"Yeah, well…you know how it is, un."

And he forced a smile, wanting nothing more then to jump off a bridge with his thickest clothes on.

"But I'm glad we're similar in some respects. Pain is something rather challenging to deal with."

The quiet, smooth words held the blonde's world at a stand-still and he froze, door half open before whirling around, eyes pleading and filled with hope.

Did Itachi mean that…he cared? That he…wanted…

He was met by the curtain of bangs that hid his old friend's face from view as the Uchiha resumed his writing once more, pausing only once to say,

"So get out of my office."

And Dei did. Happily. He was grinning so broadly he thought that anyone that might've seen him probably thought he had just come from a night of hot, steamy sex. Which was nice. He even made a cute maid faint with a sultry wink, and the Lee-security-green-guy pale.

And he thought that maybe mornings here wouldn't be so bad.

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