A/N: I do not own these characters. This is a late b-day present to black55widow. Enjoy and review please!

Deidara walked down the path, his posture relaxed, hands in his pockets, a light smile set unconsciously upon his lips as he watched the cherry blossoms fall about him. A petal lands in his hair, and he carefully removes it. His right hand slips back into his pocket absently, delicately fingering the necklace. Had it been a year already? Time flies when borne on the wings of freedom. Shaking his head, Deidara continued his walk. It was really a year…

Itachi walked down the forest path, mind far from the forest. The trickle of the stream to his right had lulled his mind into a relaxed state. It was rare he let his guard down to enjoy the scenery, but now was a rare moment indeed, that he was allowed to be on his own. Maybe he should get Kisame wounded more often…

Itachi began watching the stream as he walked. The continual running of the water cleared his mind, his worries, everything. If he hadn't been watching the river, he might've missed the tuft of yellow hair protruding from the water. Itachi paused, staring as a pale hand was pushed to the surface of the water. Panic seizing him, Itachi dropped his pack and dove after the half-drowned person. He grabbed the person's arm, pulling him from the water and laying him on the grassy bank. He found he had pulled from the clutches of death, Deidara. The blonde wasn't moving, nor breathing. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Itachi leaned forward and began delivering mouth-to-mouth. After a few breaths, Deidara spluttered, coughed, choked, and was sick over the bank into the river. Itachi held him as he shook, coughing up the water he had ingested. Finally, Deidara looked up to see his rescuer. Time froze.

A single blue eye met two abhorred red ones, and in a moment of shock, the world stood still. But then Deidara snarled and backed away quickly from the Uchiha. "Stay the hell away, yeah," he growled venomously, arms raised as if to defend myself.

"Do you truly believe I wish to hurt you?" Itachi asked, endeavoring not to let his amusement bleed into his voice. Deidara, breathing hard, like a cornered animal, merely glared. "You would have made fine prey when you were drowned and unconscious, might I point out." Deidara blinked, brow furrowing, but never once lowering his hands. "I found you unconscious in the river, don't you remember?" Slowly, Deidara shook his head, finally lowering his hands. Itachi sighed, removing his sodden cloak and laying down in the warm grass. "I have no intention of hurting you, Deidara." Finally the blonde believed him and sat down next to the Uchiha, albeit warily.

"I was walking with Tobi, and then we found Sasuke was nearby, un. I wanted to go after him, but Tobi got mad, yeah. He's never been anything but an idiot, so I just told him to shut up, un. But that baka just insisted, so I slugged him, yeah." Deidara paused, thinking hard. "I think he hit me back, and we got in a fight, and then…" Deidara's mind grasped at the flashes of memory. "Then I knocked his mask off, and I saw he had… eyes like you… un." Deidara glared at Itachi.

"What happened then?" Itachi prodded.

"I don't know, un," Deidara said, shaking though the sun was warm. "I c-can't remember, yeah." Itachi hummed, mind working at supersonic speeds. Tobi had somehow managed to knock Deidara out cold and leave him in a river. How the hell had that happened? And a Sharingan? That could only mean one person. 'Tobi' obviously thought he had killed Deidara. That was the only reason he would have left. But what had he done to the blonde? Itachi coughed, mouth suddenly tasting coppery. He sighed. He knew the fear of death. Having 'Tobi' after him would give Deidara the same fate as he had. No one deserved that.

"Tobi thinks you're dead," Itachi said quietly. "Why else would he leave you?" Apprehension was silently coiling itself inside Itachi's gut. 'Tobi' wouldn't be that careless. Why would he leave Deidara almost dead? It didn't make sense, unless… Itachi sighed. "I have a theory. Would you mind removing your coat?" Deidara glared at him.

"Why?" he demanded. Itachi shook his head. Deidara's stubbornness would be the death of him, even if it was not today.

"I'd like to make sure Tobi was just careless," Itachi replied. Realisation finally dawned on Deidara, and he quietly slipped his Akatsuki cloak off his shoulders, pooling on the ground beside him. Itachi leaned closer, inspecting his tan, beautiful, skin. Deidara shifted awkwardly under his intense gaze, biting back a million and one things to shout at the Uchiha. If Tobi had done something, Itachi would be the one to fix it.

Everything was fine. Itachi furrowed his brow. If 'Tobi' had wanted to kill Deidara, he would have done so without giving Deidara a chance to escape, like he had. Unless, of course, Deidara was intended to escape, so that 'Tobi' could find him later… Itahci shivered. That didn't sound pleasant. "Are you sure you can't remember anything past seeing his eyes?" Itachi asked softly. Deidara sighed.

"I don't remember, yeah," he said, attempting to keep his temper in check. Itachi was trying to be helpful.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, un!" Deidara cried. "We've gone over that, yeah!"

"I can only come up with one reasonable solution as to why Tobi would leave you alive," Itachi said slowly. "On second thought, I probably shouldn't tell you."

"Oh for fuck's sake, yeah!" Deidara cried, glaring at the Uchiha. He crossed his arms over his chest, merely succeeding in amusing Itachi.

"Tobi is likely to find you, and this is not something you will want."

"I can take him, un."

"Deidara, did anything happen between you two before this that might have angered him? Anything?" Deidara fidgeted nervously. "What happened?"

"He came on to me, un," Deidara mumbled. "He kissed me, and told me he wanted me, but I told him no, yeah."

"You couldn't oblige him?" Deidara looked livid.

"What do you take me for, yeah? I'd just do it with anyone, yeah?"

"You're not a virgin, are you?"

"No, I'm not, un."

"Then why withhold? You've been lonely, I know, so why not accept Tobi?" Itachi paused. "Unless, of course, you had your eye on someone else…"

"Shut up, yeah!" Deidara screamed. Itachi smirked, but on the inside he fought a battle between his mind and his heart. He wanted Deidara, and now it seemed, the blond was within reach. Slowly, he drew close to Deidara, and quick as lightning, pressed their lips together in a firm kiss. Yet Itachi was careful to keep his lips sealed, so that Deidara wouldn't taste his blood.

Deidara did not draw back, but once he attempted to deepen the kiss Itachi pulled back. "Do you want me?" he asked huskily, their foreheads pressed together. His hands carefully held the blond to him as they stared into each other's eyes. Deidara gulped.

"Would you, un?" he asked quietly. "Not just because you're lonely, yeah?" Itachi chuckled, kissing Deidara's cheek sweetly. They had a lot in common, in the end. Neither was innocent, and both had lost their innocence to an older partner, who now was either dead or would no longer have them. Both were lonely, but would only have the other.

"Of course, Deidara. I've only been waiting for you to say yes." Deidara said nothing, but Itachi began kissing his neck, and he knew he didn't have to say anything.

After a few minutes of lavishing his neck and exposed collar bone, Itachi pulled back and kissed Deidara sweetly on the lips. He stepped back, pulling off his cloak and laying it smoothly on the ground. He then picked Deidara up bridal style and lay him down on the cloak before climbing on top of him. "Are you comfortable?" he asked, licking Deidara's neck. Deidara arched into the touch.

"Un," he moaned in response. Itachi bit down on the tan skin, suckling hard enough to leave a blooming hickey. Deidara wrapped his arms around Itachi's shoulder, bucking his hips up so that their erections met. Itachi groaned, pressing down firmly with his own hips. Deidara squeaked at the friction before rolling against Itachi, his chest also pressing up.

Itachi kissed lower on Deidara, kissing then sucking his right nipple. Deidara entangled his fingers in Itachi's hair as said Uchiha bit and kissed him. They writhed together, Itachi kissing everywhere but Deidara's lips, their bodies growing tight and sweaty. Itachi's hands slipped to Deidara's hips as the blonde's went to the hem of his shirt. Soon Itachi's shirt had been discarded, and he was working on Deidara's pants. Before long the pants were off, and Itachi had the boxers discarded as well. Deidara blushed as he was ravished by Itachi's gaze. "You're beautiful," Itachi breathed. "Much more so than I could've guessed." Deidara averted his gaze, but Itachi grasped his chin and forced their eyes to meet. "I only hope I don't disappoint."

"Like you could, un," Deidara scoffed. Itachi said nothing, hands going to his own pants and pulling them off swiftly. Deidara bit his lip as Itachi's erection was exposed. Itachi saw his look and kissed his cheek.

"I'll be gentle, don't worry," he whispered. Deidara nodded, then cried out as Itachi grabbed him. Itachi licked his lips. Before Deidara could make another move, Itachi had lowered himself between the blonde's legs and was teasing the tip of his erection. He flicked his tongue out, toying with the slit, before, at Deidara's begging, he took the tip into his mouth and sucked strongly. Deidara writhed, but Itachi held his hips down to prevent bucking. Once Deidara began sounding desperate and pleading in his moans, Itachi took more of him into his mouth. The blonde's hands wormed into Itachi's hair, pleading and moaning, crying out in pleasure.

Deidara didn't last long after that. "I, hah, I'm-" he tried to force out before his climax washed over him. Itachi swallowed his fluid and then kissed Deidara heatedly, the semen covering the taste of his blood. Deidara feebly kissed back, recovering from his orgasm. Eventually the two pulled apart, Itachi looking seriously into Deidara's eyes. "Are you ready?" he asked. Deidara nodded slowly. "Are you sure this is what you want?" Deidara nodded resolutely. The Uchiha's heart fluttered, and he nodded as well, kissing his neck and caressing his hip. He then stood up and walked over to his discarded pack. Reaching in, he produced a bottle of ointment, the organic kind used on burns and cuts. He returned to Deidara and, while maintaining eye contact, bent between his legs and uncapped the bottle. "Tell me if it hurts too much," he said.

"For fuck's sake, Itachi, un! Just get to it, yeah!" Deidara cried, though he appreciated being asked for once. Itachi dipped three fingers into the bottle, coating them generously in the substance. He then inserted a finger and wiggled it around, coating the blonde's ring with the ointment. Deidara shuddered but handled it well, and soon Itachi had added a second finger. He spread them, and by the time he had added the third Deidara was bucking up to meet his fingers. Once Itachi had located Deidara's prostate, he decided the blonde was ready and pulled his fingers out. Leaning over Deidara, he kissed his neck sweetly. He then coated his own member in the ointment, and then positioned himself at Deidara's entrance, the blonde's legs pressed up against his chest, knees near his ears.

"Are you ready?" Itachi whispered softly into Deidara's ear.

"Yes, un," Deidara said, sounding a bit nervous.

"I'll be gentle, like I've promised," Itachi said, reassuring the blond. Deidara nodded, and Itachi slowly eased the head of his erection inside. The blonde cried out and pressed their lips together. Itachi froze, knowing the blond had tasted the blood. But Deidara didn't react, and Itachi slowly pushed in the rest of the way. They stayed like that, motionless, for a minute or two while Deidara caught his breath, eyes squinted shut. Itachi kissed his eyes, and soon he was wiggling.

"You can move, un," he said. Itachi slid slowly out and then back in, testing the blonde's parameter. Deidara moaned and arched up. Itachi repeated his movement a little harder, and Deidara keened wildly, writhing from side t side. "There, yeah!" he cried out. Itachi shoved roughly into the blonde, hitting his prostate. Deidara almost screamed, moaning loudly and wrapping himself around Itachi expertly. "Harder, un!" Itachi obliged, shoving forcibly into the precious bomber. This pounding satisfied Deidara for a while, but after a bit he was bucking up, desperate for more of the sweet friction.

Itachi pulled from Deidara, kissing the blonde's cheek sweetly as he flipped him over onto all fours. After getting to his knees, Itachi slammed into Deidara, the bomber screaming in pleasure at the force. Itachi smirked, the blonde had screamed his name. Without wasting a moment, he started up a fast, brutal force that left Deidara shivering and crying out in pleasure. He grabbed Deidara's hard cock and pumped, determined to send him over the edge. With a final cry, Deidara orgasmed into the Uchiha's hand, crying out as he did so. He fell forward onto his elbows breathing hard as Itachi continued to thrust, spilling his seed a minute later, deep inside Deidara's heat.

The two collapsed onto the cloak, breathing hard. After a few minutes of recovery, Deidara turned to Itachi, blushing lightly. "Thank you, yeah," he whispered. Itachi kissed his forehead.

"I should be saying the same to you," he replied.

"Run."

The word hit Deidara like a brick wall. They had made their way back to the base slowly, making love along the way under the cherry blossoms. Over that time, Itachi had managed to get out of Deidara a bit of the back story. Tobi had flirted a lot, but Deidara hadn't given any indication he noticed, cared, or was interested. But when Deidara described a bit of his fighting technique, Itachi had guessed who it was. And now, as they drew up to the base, they heard the voices that confirmed it. 'Tobi' and Pein were arguing.

"What do you mean, yeah?"

"I mean he's going to kill you."

"I can defend myself, un." Itachi sighed, turning to his precious, precious Deidara.

"You don't understand. Tobi hurt you before, he'll hurt you much worse this time. I can't stand that."

"So come with me, yeah," Deidara pleaded. "We can leave together, and-"

"No. I'd only slow you down." Deidara looked up at the Uchiha questioningly. "Deidara, I'm dying. It's my heart. I'd only slow you down while you escaped."

"But Itachi, I-"

"Don't fight me, Deidara. You've given me happiness, and I would not care if I died for you know." Deidara looked pleadingly up at him.

"One last kiss, un?" he asked. Itachi swept Deidara into his arms, holding him close as they kissed passionately. And then they parted, Itachi looking firmly down at the blonde.

"Leave. Now. I'll distract… 'Tobi'… while you escape."

"If he could kill me, he could kill you, un."

"Like I said, I'm dying. I might as well die for you." Deidara bit his lip. "Run!" Regretfully, he flitted off into the forest. Itachi sighed, watching him leave before turning towards base. He would face his death with a smile, as long as he would die for Deidara.

Deidara sighed, looking up at the cherry blossoms. A year. Suddenly, he pulled out a handkerchief, coughing into it. When he drew it away from his mouth, blood had collected on the crisp cloth. Smiling, he looked up at the sky. "One dying man to the next, Itachi-kun, un. I'll see you soon, yeah."