Unbeta'd.

Obito can't breathe.

It simultaneously has everything and nothing to do with Deidara attempting to strangle him.

Ever since his eighteenth birthday, Obito had been extremely vigilant about who tries to strangle him. Disappointingly, either people are no longer fond of suffocating people to death, or he's been way too protective about his neck.

Until Deidara leaped on him.

He didn't think much of it first, only that it's a little game that they'd always play whenever they're in proximity to each other. Tobi annoys Deidara and Deidara offers varying degrees of reactions that Obito can either settle on or entice more of.

He only realizes what a big mistake he's made when he's back in his private room, mask off and cloak cast aside.

The mark on his neck, having been dark for at least ten years, was flooded with color. Color that Obito has never seen before in his life.

He spends the next day and a half staying away from Deidara, even though Pain had announced them as new partners and ordered them to begin scouting out the Three-Tails as soon as Deidara is ready to head out again.

Zetsu pokes his head into his room, a silly expression on his face that Obito cannot decide whether or not is good or bad.

"Deidara's been looking for you," White Zetsu says, as politely and softly as he can.

"He's been rather annoying about it," Black Zetsu adds. "Won't stop demanding to talk to you. He really wants to talk to you."

Obito sighs. He buries his face in his hands and mumbles something.

"What was that, Tobi?" White Zetsu asks.

"Nothing," Obito replies. "Tell him I'll be by the training field."

"Okay."

Obito doesn't go out there until an hour later, finding Deidara already perched on top of a tree nearby.

"Took you long enough, hm," Deidara says.

"Sorry, senpai," Tobi replies, "I got lost on the way here."

"Sure, you did," Deidara says, face all scrunched up. "You came from the base."

"It's a very big base."

Deidara clicks his tongue. "I need to talk to you," he says.

"Senpai wants to talk to me?" Tobi asks with a gasp, feigning shock and surprise.

"Yeah," Deidara says. "We're supposed to be partners now, hm. I know Leader said that we aren't allowed to start looking for the Three-Tails until my arms feel better, but I need to know you're reliable in battle, yeah."

"Oh." Obito blinks, unsure why he feels so disappointed. He shrugs to himself and says, "I can be useful to you, senpai. I know all the moves and I won't let anyone get past us."

"That's not the point, you idiot," Deidara scolds him. "We need to work together, as a team. That's what being in the Akatsuki is also about: teamwork. If we don't work together, one of us is going to die and leave the other guy surrounded by enemies, hm."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Shut up," Deidara says. He gingerly takes some clay and creates hundreds of round bombs. "What can you do, Tobi, yeah?"

"Many things," Tobi replies. "What does senpai want me to do?"

"Bury these underground," Deidara says. "They're part of my favorite jutsu, but I can't make it right now. I'll show you a bit later if you behave, so we can coordinate this better."

"Oh-kay," Tobi sing-songs. He does as he's told, but Obito can't help but think about the mark on his neck the entire time, causing him to take longer than he should.

Does Deidara not know?

Well, without the proper use of his arms, he supposes that it's hard for him to get changed and notice anything different.

Obito makes a face.

He pops back up above ground and waves at Deidara, who nods.

"I need you to do that faster when we're in battle," Deidara tells him when he gets close. "I'll be in the air, hopefully, distracting our enemies, but it won't work for long."

"Got you," Tobi says, giving him two thumbs-up.

Deidara shakes his head. He mutters something about Tobi being childish but nevertheless continues with more of his battle strategies and techniques. Obito watches Deidara carefully the entire time, wanting to know more about him.

Deidara, in return, seems to go extra hard on Tobi. It feels like he wants Tobi to know everything about him.

Like he wants to impress him.

Five hours later, Tobi lies on the ground, cloak covered in soot and dirt. Deidara rests against a tree just a little ways away from him, wincing slightly.

"You okay there, senpai?" Tobi calls out.

"Fine," Deidara says through gritted teeth.

"I'm beat," Tobi announces. "I'm so tired."

"Alright," Deidara replies.

"Are you hungry? I'm hungry."

Deidara sighs. "Yeah," he says.

"Cool, let's get some food!"

Tobi stands quickly. He hurries over to Deidara and tries to get him to stand up. When Deidara doesn't take his hand, he leans down to grab him by his arm, but Deidara hisses and snatches it away.

"Oh," Tobi says. "Does it hurt?"

"No, dumbass, I just like to express pain for fun," Deidara says.

"So sarcastic," Tobi says. "Come on, I'll carry you, senpai. I want dango."

Deidara protests, but Obito wraps his arms around his torso and lifts him. He hoists Deidara up over his head, as if he weighs nothing at all, and rests him on his shoulders.

Deidara grips handfuls of Obito's hair, mouths biting down for extra grip, and Tobi complains about the pain.

"Stop, stop!" Tobi whines.

"Put me down!" Deidara shouts.

"I can't! I'm really hungry and I need to get food now!"

"Get food on your own, then, you dolt!"

"But senpai!" Tobi says, already beginning to walk to the closest road-side teahouse he knows. "You said you were hungry! I can't leave you here starving!"

Deidara sighs. He gives up trying to punish Tobi and lets go of his hair. The walk to the teahouse is relatively quiet.

Obito sets Deidara down gently when they arrive. Deidara struggles to stand. Obito reaches out to steady him while, at the same time, orders two plates of dango.

"You can't eat dango as a meal, Tobi," Deidara says as they sit down outside.

"Why not?" Tobi asks. "Is it against the rules of being in the Akatsuki?"

"No," Deidara says, clicking his tongue. "It's just not a healthy meal substitute. It's a snack."

"Well," Tobi says, speaking slowly, "if I eat enough snacks, I'll eventually get full. So, that's a meal."

"You're going to die," Deidara says.

Tobi gasps, mocking offense. "Are you threatening me, senpai?"

"No, dumbass," Deidara says. "I'm saying you're going to die because you're not going to get enough nutrients just eating dango as a meal."

Tobi scoffs. "I don't need nutrients."

"Yes, you do," Deidara says. "Eat a proper meal sometime."

Obito frowns. "It's not like you eat proper meals of your own."

Deidara scoffs, "It's not like I had a choice. Master Sasori never stops for food because he doesn't need it. Instant meals were the only way to keep the bastard from shutting up about wasting time, yeah."

"That's not very nice of him."

"Tell me about it."

Deidara sits away when the owner comes back with two servings of dango and green tea, placing them beside them and says, "Here is your food. Enjoy your meal."

Tobi takes a deep breath and hums. "It smells so good!"

When neither of them makes a move to pick up their dango, Tobi tilts his head. "Are you not going to eat, senpai?"

Deidara purses his lips. He looks down on his lap, where his arms are resting against, and decides to say, "My arms are tired. They're still healing, you know, hm."

"Oh!" Tobi exclaims. He reaches out, takes one of Deidara's stick of dango, and holds it up for him.

"What are you doing?" Deidara asks, glaring at Tobi.

"Say, 'ah!'" Tobi says. He nudges the stick closer to Deidara's mouth.

"Oh, no," Deidara says with a laugh. "You are not feeding me."

"Senpai's got to eat," Tobi says.

"I can eat on my own, thank you very much," Deidara says.

"I thought you said that your arms are tired."

"Doesn't mean I can't pick things up, hm."

"It's okay, though. I can help you hold your food and you can rest your arms. I know you've done a lot of work today."

"No," Deidara starts.

Tobi shoves the dango into Deidara's mouth before he finishes his sentence.

Deidara sputters but he bites down on one of the balls, pulling it off of the skewer. He glares at Tobi the entire time he eats.

"Bastard," he mutters once he's done. Strangely, he doesn't complain or insult him when Tobi continues to feed him.

"There you go," Tobi says once the dango is finished. He picks up Deidara's tea and holds it close to Deidara's mouth. Deidara rolls his eyes but accepts the help once again, drinking deeply from the cup.

Tobi puts the cup back down when Deidara finishes the drink. He doesn't move to eat his dango.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" He hears Deidara ask him.

"Uh," Tobi says.

"I'm not going to feed you, hm."

Tobi can't help but scoff. "Why?"

"Why should I?"

Tobi shrugs.

"Is it because that's what soulmates do?"

"What?" Tobi blinks.

"Helping each other, being cute," Deidara says. "That's what soulmates do for each other, right?"

"I don't think that's—"

"It's strange, isn't it?" Deidara asks. "I don't feel like helping you out but I guess you wanted to help me."

Obito frowns. So, Deidara knows, then.

"It's very hard to notice the marks on my legs get colored in, yes," Deidara says.

Obito rolls his eyes. "Sarcasm," he says. He takes a skewer of dango and pushes his mask aside to eat it.

"Are you disappointed?" Obito asks when he finishes his food.

"No," Deidara says with a frown. He is not looking at Obito. "I didn't have any expectations, hm."

"That's good to know," Obito says.

"Why, you don't like hearing that I didn't have any expectations for you?"

"No," Obito says, eyebrows furrowing. "It's kind of nice, actually. I've always been expected to be something."

"What are they expecting?"

"I think you know," Obito says. He picks up his tea and drinks. "I'm surprised that you buy into all of this soulmate shit."

"Whoa," Deidara says, though he doesn't sound surprised at all. "I didn't want to believe it, but you're such a nice guy, hm."

"Wow," Obito says, "I'm so honored."

"You were annoying but I liked being annoyed rather than ignored," Deidara says.

"Knew it," Obito says. "You're a masochist."

Deidara gives him a look.

Obito shrugs. "You have to be for liking me."

Deidara smirks. "I just you're just going to have to find out, Tobi."

Hey guys, Red here!

Happy Day 5 of TobiDei Week 2019! And also happy Taiwan day! 10/10!

If you can donate to my ko-fi it would be great! You can go to ko-fi dot com forward-slash redskiez to buy me a coffee!