Deidara slammed the door to the kitchen behind him. He yawned, rubbing his eyes, extremely pissed. It had been another sleepless night, tossing and turning.

Damn mission…

He had a mission today. Great. He was yet to be briefed on what it was for however. This made him apprehensive. Thus, the sleepless night.

He sat down at the table next to Sasori. Tobi put a plate of scrambled eggs in front of him. Hungrily, he grabbed his fork and started shoving the mush into his mouth. Mmm, pepper.

Kisame was across the table from him, shoving down an omelet. Itachi wasn't next to him.

The scrambled eggs churned as his stomach flipped.

Deidara had to act cool. Nonchalant. Edge of sarcasm.

"Where's your bitch, Kisame?"

Kisame stopped eating, glaring at Deidara. Deidara and Kisame always abused each other, almost like brothers. This was nothing new.

"Sleeping in her dog crate. By the way, Itachi isn't feeling the best so he's spending some quiet time in bed."

"Butt sex can do that to ya, un."

"Right."

Deidara was happy. He had figured out where Itachi was AND beat Kisame. He automatically won if Kisame couldn't come up with a comeback. But at the same time…

Itachi was sick? With what?

He struggled to think of a reason to visit him before the mission, but could see no way of doing it without either Kisame or Sasori being near. He let out a silent sigh, defeated.

Deidara got up, his chair squeaking unpleasantly across the floor. He winced at the sound and stalked off. Sasori had followed him.

Once they were in the hall, Deidara whipped around to Sasori.

"Don't follow me. I'm just going to get dressed. Finish your fucking eggs, un."

Sasori just glared for a moment. Before he could say anything, Deidara turned back and started down the hall of bedrooms. He went straight to his room and slammed the door. He waited to hear the kitchen door close with a click down the hall.

Click.

Deidara rushed, pulling a fishnet shirt over his head and some dark blue pants. Swinging his cloak onto his first arm, he peeked out the door. No one here, he thought, pulling his second arm through the sleeve of the cloak. Fastening it closed, he walked briskly down the hall, into Itachi and Kisame's room.

Itachi lay in his bed, covering his waist down. His chest was bare. Deidara stopped a shuddering sigh as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him. Itachi looked up at him and nodded. Deidara sat awkwardly on the bed, feeling Itachi's forehead with the back of his hand. Itachi nearly smiled.

"You believed it?"

Realization struck.

"You FAKED it?"

Itachi just smirked.

Deidara stood, his face flushing.

"I come down here, risking both of our asses because I think your sick and I find out your FAKING it!!"

"Well," Itachi said, " I didn't want Tobi's cooking, personally. I'll say it was a false alarm."

Deidara grunted, something between a laugh and a moan.

"You really are risking our asses."

Deidara flushed again. "You think I don't know that?!"

Itachi shrugged.

"Listen, I just want you out of here so that we can save both our asses."

Deidara just slumped.

Itachi went rigid. Deidara looked at him, eyes growing in worry.

Shit, something's happened.

"Out. Quickly. Kisame's going to come out of the kitchen in two seconds."
Deidara stiffened, gave one last glance at Itachi, and then ran out, leaving the door opened. Deidara whispered into the room, just as Kisame started opening the door, "I'll be back tomorrow, I swear."

Itachi gave him a look that said, "You had better be."

And with that, Deidara started walking down the hall, making it two full steps before Kisame actually got his head out the door.

"Well, aren't we looking preppy today?"

"That blue lip gloss looks absolutely darling on you."

"Did you do something new with your hair?"

"Nope, just the normal top-knot. Much more rad than, say, a shag job."

Kisame just glared. Deidara had won the game again.

And this time, he felt good about it.

Itachi waited silently, throwing on a shirt. Kisame walked in and Itachi felt a knot in his stomach. Kisame looked him over quickly, Itachi grabbing his cloak off the coat hanger. He looked like he wanted to say something so Itachi just stared at him, unblinking.

"I see you're feeling better?"

Itachi nodded.
"Uh, Deidara was making fun of us again during breakfast."

Itachi shrugged and muttered, "And I care why?"

"Just thought you should know. You're always saying how you need to kick his ass. Just thought that it would give you a good reason."
"I thought that was just a game you two played."

Kisame just stood there shocked. Itachi knew that had been a stupid move.

"How did you know that?"

Itachi fumbled for an answer but it turned out more confident sounding than he expected. "I've seen you two doing it. I know it's just a game. And Deidara always seems to win. So you come and complain to me. It's really annoying."

Kisame just stood in shocked silence.

That was close. If I hadn't been there that one time, I would have blown our cover.

He could imagine Deidara next to him, smirking while saying, "And you get pissed at ME for almost blowing our cover."

Itachi forcibly moved that thought from his mind. Kisame was talking.

"…least we won't see him for a while, he has a mission today. I heard that it's totally dangerous. We'll see if we need to kick his ass after that. Might be dead. That would be revenge enough, right?"

Itachi stiffened.

Deidara might die…?

"Itachi?"

Kisame's voice was miles away.

"I'll be back tomorrow, I swear."

"You had better be."

"Itachi?"

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…

"Itachi!!"

Itachi snapped back into focus. He glared menacingly at Kisame. "What?"

"I asked you if you wanted to see them off on their mission. Taunt them."

Itachi's head reeled.

Say yes, idiot. Say yes. Stop thinking about Deidara. Say yes and you can see Deidara off.

"Yes."

Kisame nodded and turned to go out the door. Throwing a sideways glance at Itachi, Kisame said, "Coming?"

Itachi followed him without a word. Images kept entering his mind. He didn't want to see any of them. But they came, full force every time he tried to push them away.

Deidara smiled saying, "No one will ever know, I swear."

No. Go away.

Itachi looked at him doubtfully. "Are you sure?"

Deidara just smiled his eyes closed.

"Deidara, they all think we hate each other."

Deidara let out a chuckle and rested a hand on Itachi's shoulder.

"Itachi, no one will know. I promise."

Deidara slipped his hand from Itachi's shoulder and to his chest. Right over Itachi's heart.

"But Deidara…"

"Itachi, we can do it. We'll hide it. If they do find out, we'll say we were drunk."

"We WERE drunk, Deidara."

Deidara shrugged, "So? Love is love. Nothing can stop us now."

Nothing…

Itachi tried to repress those memories. Deidara smiling. Promising.

"Love is love. Nothing can stop us now."

"…Nothing?"

"Not even death. I swear."

Not even death…

Now images that might come true started flying through his head.

Deidara sprawled on the ground, soaking in a pool of his own blood. His eye blank and staring. His hair red with blood.

Itachi tried getting that image out of his head but it wasn't leaving. It took all his strength to not cry out. He had no idea what his expression was now. All he knew was that when Deidara came out of the briefing room, it might be the last time he would see him alive.

"Not even death."

Deidara stood next to Sasori, cool and collected. They had just received a mission to go to the Grass Village and kill as many ninjas as possible. Leader had to "send the message" to their kage. Apparently, the kage of the Grass Village had denied to work together with Leader. Now he just wanted to kill as many ninjas as possible, trying to make the Grass Village regret their choice.

Deidara couldn't see a way to get out of there alive.

Leader fizzed out of the Main Hall and all was silent.

Sasori started to shuffle out of the room.

"Danna! Wait!"

Sasori, in Hiroku, looked at him.

"How are we going to survive this?!"

Sasori just made Hiroku's shoulders shrug and continued to shuffle out. Deidara reluctantly followed behind him. As they went out into the hall, he saw Kisame and…

Itachi!

Deidara had to repress the urge to hug him, rest his head on his shoulder. Itachi looked at him, his face pained. Deidara felt like his face was completely down. Then Itachi did something that went against the rules.

"Deidara, come here for a moment."

Everyone looked at them in surprise. Except Kisame. Kisame actually looked pleased.

Did Kisame find out…?

Deidara just looked at Itachi in wonder. He hoped that everyone else thought it was surprise.

Itachi turned and lead Deidara back into the Main Hall. No one followed.

As soon as Itachi looked around and closed the door, he turned towards Deidara, his face full of unguarded emotion.

"Deidara…I heard it's a suicide mission."

Deidara hung his head and nodded. Itachi drew in a sharp intake of breath.

"Itachi…" Deidara said, looking up.

God, why is this so hard?

"Deidara, I'm going to punch you and you can't make a single noise. Understand? It's for cover. Kisame thinks that I'm going to beat the crap out of you."

Deidara just gave a mute nod.

Itachi's fist came quickly, no hesitance, contacting with a solid whump on Deidara's eye. A visible black eye. Itachi was smart.

Now, Itachi's mouth contacted with Deidara's muting all noises Deidara might have made involuntarily. Deidara's mouth felt like it was being sucked up into Itachi's. Their tongues were wrestling for space. Itachi's hands came up and held Deidara's face, the hands burning like fire on Deidara's cheek.

Itachi backed away, his hands still on Deidara's face. Deidara wanted to smile but he was licking his lips, gathering the last traces of Itachi. Itachi took his hands off of Deidara's face and moved to his back. He pulled him into a hug. Deidara's eye didn't sting anymore.

When Itachi released, he sighed heavily.

"Now you need to sound like you just got punched in the eye. Then try to punch me in the stomach. They'll hear the commotion and come break us up. Then you'll be off to your mission."

"Itachi…"

Itachi let out one of his rare smiles.

"Be careful, Deidara."

Deidara nodded. Then he thought of something.

"Itachi, if I do die, will you tell them?"

Itachi was silent. Then-

"Our love affair will obviously end, therefore no one will ever need to know. They will remain ignorant."

Deidara nodded. He didn't want Itachi to have to pay for what sake did to them those few weeks ago. Then, giving Itachi one last meaningful glance, he cried out.

Itachi was taken off guard when Deidara went to punch him in the stomach. Yet, he managed to grab Deidara's hand and fling him to the ground. Deidara let out another fake cry, but he did moan afterwards.

The door opened and Itachi looked at the hulking mass blocking the door.

"Stop Itachi. We have a mission. No time for grudge matches."

Itachi just glared at Sasori as he walked over to Deidara.

"Get up, idiot."

Deidara stood up, pretending to be unsteady. He glared at Itachi, nearly smiling. As Sasori lead him outside, he turned away from both Itachi and Kisame.

He tried not to whimper.