Day 2. Inspired by a song

Obito rarely wakes up before the sun rises. At least, he does not remember doing so in a long while. If he gets to sleep, he'd sleep as much as he could before having to head out and do whatever that he needs to do.

Sometimes, though, his instincts come back to him and he wakes just as the sun is a few minutes away from rising. Peering up at the flickering leaves of the tree they decided to rest under, he turns his head to watch Deidara snooze right beside him, draped with both Tobi's and his own cloak.

He had complained about being cold that night prior, even though it was a sunny October day that was a little toastier than the rest of the week had been. Thankfully, Obito did not feel the cold and could spare his cloak to cease Deidara's constant complaints.

Obito smiles at the sight of Deidara all snuggled up before he could stop himself, the air sweet with the shampoo Deidara uses to clean his hair. Shocked at his own display of clear affection, the masked man huffs and stands up, brushing the morning dew off of his outfit and begins to walk down the hill, sandals finding purchase in the slightly soaked soil.

He sits just a little further away from the tree, telling himself that it is because he does not want to bother Deidara's rest. They've been traveling around the county's edge for quite some time now, wandering with no specific purpose. Obito did not leave anything important left unattended back in the main base, so he felt quite content just wandering around and letting his mind go of certain nuisances.

Breathing in deeply the clear morning air, he watches as the sky begins to brighten up, the remains of the stars from last night beginning to fade due to the increase of sunlight in the sky. He lifts his head and admires the morning, the sunlight blossoming across the midnight blue and turning it into a gradient to a soft, baby blue.

Somehow, it reminded Obito of Deidara's eyes when he would stand in the sunlight. Frowning and rather upset with himself that he had come to his mind once again, Obito turned to admire the sun instead, eyes squinting at the blinding light.

With the explosion of light came the refraction of the morning fog. Light scattered everywhere and there were bits in the sky that turned pink and yellow, a soft pastel color that whispered gently against the wisps of his hair.

The cotton candy sky, he thinks this is called. He remembers Deidara talking about it once before, how that it was very much like his artwork. Seeing it for himself, he couldn't help but agree. Like Deidara's artwork, it is an explosion of spectacular color that didn't seem to want to linger for long, as each time he blinks, the colors would grow duller and the golden sunlight would dominate the scene.

Fleeting is beauty, isn't it? His mind supplies him with something Deidara would say as if to fill in the gap as the younger man rests. Obito would laugh if he didn't find it strange for him to do so, shaking his head lightly at the mere fact that the line had been in Deidara's voice.

It's strangely melodic, the way he speaks. Obito presses his lips into a thin line as he stares down at the grass, fiddling with the separate blades instead of admiring the quickly dying sunrise, the namesake of the organization. He doesn't look up until he hears rustling.

Tobi straightens up, thinking that Deidara had awoken, but when he turns to check he finds that he is wrong. It is merely the rustling of the trees and grass. Turning his gaze back to the field right below the shallow cliff they are resting on, he watches as the sunlight begins to stream into the wilderness, coating everything with a gentle layer of gold that seems almost too delicate to touch. Everything around him seems too fragile to touch, as though everything in this world is still sleeping — like the whole world is still sleeping.

Deidara is still sleeping.

Eyes narrowing slightly, he allows himself to feel as though he is twelve again in order to get that thought away, admiring the way nature moves. He remembers staring at the trees, so void of worries or concerns. Now, as he casts his gaze onto the bushy leaves of trees that are slowly but surely beginning to lose its mass, he does not find the same comfort.

Yet, if he focuses just right, he is seemingly able to hear whispered words in the rustling of the leaves and bark. He might not like what they have to say, but he accepts them nonetheless.

As his heart fills with memories and the sun begins to rouse the rest of the wildlife, he hears shuffling once again and this time, Deidara is awake. He feels a gentle hand on his back — the same hands that brought majestic creations to life, the same hands that brought buildings tumbling down in wonderful flashes, the same hands that took lives of many, many innocent or not so innocent lives.

Tobi swivels his head to face Deidara as he sits down next to him, in his hands clutched the cloak Tobi lent him. He continues to hold on to it even though it is now getting warmer, the sun giving life to those that slumbered for the evening.

"Morning, hm," Deidara says, a rather humorous tone in his voice, his golden hair glowing the sunlight.

Tobi smiles automatically, lifting an arm and waiting for Deidara to lean in. A silent question, a quiet request.

Deidara watches him for a moment but eventually allows himself to be pulled into a sort of embrace, the closeness no longer bothering him.

"Good morning," Obito says, turning his head and pressing the bottom part of his mask on top of Deidara's head. A warmth blooms in his heart in a fashion, not unlike Deidara's creations, and Obito does not find himself to mind one bit as for once in his life, he could feel another heart beating alongside his.

Hey guys, Red here!

There're two songs that inspired this fic. Originally, I wanted it to be named after the song the entire fic is inspired by, but then I stumbled across this old song that was perfect for this "counting" theme I have from the first one. I incorporated some elements of the title song inside the fic, but mostly, the scenery and scenario are all inspired by Bloom. I've been inspired by that song for quite some time now but haven't gotten around to writing it, so I'm glad this fic prompted me to sit down and start it.

Title: Two of Hearts by Stacey Q
Song: Bloom by The Paper Kites

Anyway, sorry for the rather late upload. I've been busy at night and during the day, I was rather unmotivated.