Beta'd by Chillybean

"Merry Christmas!" Deidara sang.

Kisame, with his head poking out from the entrance of his home, gave the overly cheerful butterfly a long stare before his eyes slowly drifted to Sasori, who was standing behind the blond. If not for his taller height, the butterfly's wing would have definitely hid him from the wasp's view.

"Well, Christmas Eve anyways, un." The butterfly chuckled. He stared down at Kisame, waiting to be invited in, but the bulkier predator continued to stare at them.

When Sasori noticed how the wasp didn't plan to move, he flicked his tongue in annoyance. "Come on." He said, his warm breath coming out in visible puffs because of the chilly air. Grabbing the butterfly roughly by the arm, he walked around the entrance before jumping down.

"Kisame no Danna! Close the door or the cold air will come in!" Deidara chirped as he spread his wings. With a few flaps, he slowed his fall, and his feet gently touched the solid ground while Sasori simply flipped around within the air and landed just as elegantly.

"Yo! Blondie! Red! Where the hell were you two?" Hidan snapped as he rose a glowing cup filled with crimson liquid. "The party's already started!"

"The brat forgot the presents." Sasori replied in a bored tone.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Deidara glared at the back of the Orchid Mantis as the other took a seat around the table. "If you had said something of how I'd forgotten them, I wouldn't have had to run all the way back, un."

"You're not a caterpillar. You should be old enough to take care of yourself." Sasori said plainly, ignoring the pointed glare at his back as Kakuzu handed over the same cup of crimson liquid Hidan was drinking.

"It's Christmas Eve." The Assassin Bug, sitting at the end of the table, chuckled. "Get along, you two."

"That's right!" The spider shouted. He was sipping the same drink the predators were all having through a straw rolled up from dried grass. Deidara frowned at the sight as he stared at the straw stretched under the orange mask. From the look of it, it would seem that Deidara won't get to see the true face of Tobi…again. "It's Christmas! We should all get along!"

"Tell that to him, un." Deidara huffed as he tugged his scarf off, discarding it on a bark-bench where the others clothes were.

"Speaking of which, where do I put the presents?"

"Ah!" Tobi quickly set his drink aside. He hopped off his seat and bounded over to a large pile of freshly picked and broken down pine needles lying in the corner. "Of course presents should be put under the Christmas tree!" He gestured to where the other gifts were scattered on the floor.

"…Christmas tree." Deidara stared at the pines. "You mean…this pile?"

"I'm glad you asked, senpai!" Tobi said as he leapt onto the pile of pines. "Now that everyone's here–"

"Everyone?" Deidara raised an eyebrow. "What about Yahiko no Danna and Konan? I don't see them around. I thought you said they were coming, Danna." He said, turning to his mate for answers.

"What!" Kisame shouted in the distance, but he was ignored when Tobi screamed for everyone's attention.

"Like I was saying, the long awaited show has come! Former members of the Akatsuki," the spider waved his hand dramatically at Sasori, Itachi, Kakuzu and Nagato. "and their mates," He gestured to Deidara, Hidan and Kisame, who was apparently sulking in a corner.

"Sit back and enjoy!" Tobi announced before he suddenly turned to the butterfly.

"Senpai can you stand back? It might be a little dangerous."

"Huh?" Deidara blinked, unable to understand what the spider was planning, but he did as he was told. After he got back a safe distance, he watched as Tobi flicked his wrists and dozens of blue threads shot out from his fingers, latching onto the pines at his feet.

"Now watch! Futon: Matsu Rasengan*!" He shouted and began to spin at such a velocity that he was nothing but a blur. The pieces of pines flew up, pulled by the spider's web as they clouded around Tobi and formed into a greenish globe.

"What the fucking Jashin is a Matsu Rasengan?" Hidan asked as all eyes turned to Nagato who was taking a light sip of his drink.

"Lately Tobi has been playing with those Konoha children. Some type of ninja game I believe." Nagato replied.

"Let me guess…Naruto?" Deidara asked, and he received a slight nod from the Assassin Bug. Just as Deidara's eyes were about to trail back to Tobi, he caught a quick movement from Sasori's hand. He didn't know what had happened, but a familiar force suddenly tugged on his arm, pulling him aside just as a stray pine shot by his face; it grazed his cheek and left a burning sensation.

A loud crack brought everyone's attention away from the spinning Tobi. When Deidara turned his eyes away from Sasori's thread, which was attached to his shoulder, he paled at the sight.

Standing behind him was the Scarlet Tiger Moth, holding a wooden tray in his hand with two mugs, that were carved out of sunstone, resting on in. Within each mug was some clear liquid, nectar, and on the outside of the left mug, a pine was embedded within the stone.

"I-Ita-Itachi…" Deidata stuttered, but Itachi didn't react. The moth stood with an apathetic expression, his onyx eyes locked onto the pine embedded in the mug. The room was silent, or it would have been without Tobi's war cry and the noise from all the pines shuffling against him as he continued to spin, oblivious to the world around him.

"Oh! Umm…is that for me?" Deidara guessed before realizing how he just asked a stupid question. Of course the cup was for him. Kakuzu ate shrubs and all the others were predators, therefore they fed on only blood or water. Why else would Itachi have only two mugs on the tray?

"Thank…" Deidara swallowed nervously as he reached out for the stabbed mug. "Thank you–"

The minute his finger grazed over the smooth surface of the warm, glowing cup, a large, visible crack suddenly ran down the mug. The nectar suddenly burst out right before Deidara's eyes; the cup was split into two clean halves.

If possible, Deidara paled even more before he hesitantly looked up at Itachi. The moth was as still as a tree. His eyes locked onto the broken cup, seeming not to even feel the nectar running down his stained hand.

"Ita–" The butterfly was about to say, but he was cut off when he was suddenly jerked to the side again by Sasori's thread. The blond watched with horror filled eyes as another pine missed him by a hair and slammed, with full force, against Itachi's forehead, knocking the moth off his feet.

"Itachi!" Deidara gasped. He reached out in attempt to catch the other, but Kisame beat him to it with his superior speed. He appeared behind Itachi in an instant, his strong arms wrapping tightly around the smaller insect's frame.

The wooden tray slipped from the moth's limp hands. Along with the mug, it clattered noisily against the solid ground, but no one paid any attention.

By now, pine needles were shooting in randomly directions, attacking both the guests and owners of the house.

"You fucking moron– Gah!" Hidan yelped as he got slapped by one of the pines. "Sto– AH!"

"I can't!" Came Tobi's desperate cry from within the whirlwind of pine. "Senpai! Help meeee!"

"I'm going to kill him." Kakuzu hissed as he dashed across the room while dodging the deadly weapons being launched at him.

"Idiot." Sasori growled as he leapt over the table and kicked it onto its side. With a hard tug on his hand, the butterfly was pulled into his arm with a startled yelp. The mantis grabbed the butterfly's wings, bending them down as the two hid behind the table that was now pierced by dozens of pines.

"Itachi! Hey, Itachi!" Kisame continued to call out to his mate lying limply in his arm. Samehada was stabbed into the ground behind him, deflecting anything that flew their way.

"Itachi!"

"OW! Fuck! I swear I will sacrifice you to Jashin!"

"Tobi! Stop it, un!"

"Senpai! Help me!"

"Is that something you should ask when you're attacking others?"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"Kakuzu! Stop that moron already!"

"Don't you think I would do that if I could?"

"Waah!"

"Come on, wake up, Itachi!"

"Nagato-senpai! HELP!"

Nagato sipped on his drink, the sunstone mug radiating warmth into his fingers as he observed the scene with a sigh.

~0~

"…So?"

Kisame sat at the end of the long desk which was decorated by countless pines sticking out from the piece of furniture. One of the many pines that was stabbed into the ceiling came loose. It fell through the silent air and clattered loudly onto the table. The wasp waited for a long time, but he quickly became fed up with the silence. He slammed his palm against the table on one of the few areas where there were no pines sticking out. "Why are all of you here? Don't you all have your own homes to go to?"

"It's Christmas." Nagato pointed out. "It's a time when insects gather to celebrate."

"To the birth of Jashin!" Hidan cheered, raising his mug high in the air.

"Umm…I don't think that's right." The blond mumbled.

"Idiot." Kakuzu snorted. "It's to celebrate the beginning of the Silent Cycle."

"Oh! I know! I know!" A voice shouted from above. The butterfly looked up, eyes dulling at the sight of Tobi hanging upside-down from the ceiling, courtesy of a certain mantis. From the way his body was swinging around, the butterfly was sure that if the spider's limbs weren't bound to his sides, he'd be waving them wildly in excitement.

"Christmas indicates the first snowfall which is a signal for the beginning of the Silent Cycle. It's a time of truce where animals go into hibernation and insects stop their wars with each other! The predators aren't allowed to prey until the snow melts, meaning killing of any sort will not be permitted. It's a time where everyone stays home to celebrate the coming of peace!"

"Shut up. We all know. It's common sense." Sasori growled. With a wave of his hand, the threads around Tobi's head tightened, pushing his orange mask painfully against the spider's face, and the raven cried out.

"Gah! S-senpai! My nose! My nose is being crushed!"

"I don't care about Christmas tradition! That doesn't give any of you the right to barge into my home, destroy my living room, and give my mate brain damage!" Kisame shouted before his eyes darted to Itachi who was quietly nursing his head with a cool, wet cloth.

"I, erm…thought you had agreed on it since everyone seemed to be coming, un." Deidara replied hesitantly before sending Sasori an accusing glare.

"There's no way they will be celebrating at my home." Was all the Orchid Mantis said.

"Oh come on, Bluey. We didn't have a choice! Your home is the only place with enough guest rooms for us." Hidan said cheerfully, and Kisame froze. Itachi looked up as well, seeming just as surprise, but he hid his expression better than his mate.

"Guest rooms?"

"To stay until Christmas of course." Kakuzu replied in a matter-of-fact voice.

"The pressure in the air is growing heavy, and judging by the brightness of the night, it won't be long until the first flake of snow touches the ground." Nagato stated. "We need a place to stay of course. We won't be able to make it here on time for Christmas if we all get snowbound."

"Don't go making selfish decision about someone else's home!" Kisame shouted, looking as though he was ready to burst a vein. It wasn't supposed to be like this. When he had first sensed the coming of snow, he had made plans to spend it in his cozy home, alone, with no one but his beautiful mate. Not like…like this!

"So…this is the Christmas tree." Deidara said as he stared at the tiny tree that was only half his height. The pines were sticking out like a real Evergreen, glued together by the spider's web. The others had gathered around him as well, all of them ignoring the rambling wasp who had blended into the background.

"It was supposed to be much taller." Nagato explained as his ring-patterned violet eyes ran over the pines sticking out from all around the room.

"It wouldn't have happened if the wimp didn't start spinning." Hidan snickered as he gave the miniature tree a light kick.

"Sasori, let Tobi down. I believe he has learned his lesson." The Assassin bug suggested. The mantis shot the other a short glare, but then, with a quick flick of his wrist, the threads detached from his finger and the spider fell down with a yelp.

"Senpai!" Tobi whined as he flailed around on the ground, trying to untangle himself from the mantis' webs. Deidara watched with curious gaze as Nagato went over to help the spider. The butterfly edged closer to the Orchid Mantis and leaned into the taller insect's ear.

"Hey Danna, I've always been wondering…" He whispered, keeping his eyes set on the two predators. "Are Nagato and Tobi…a couple?"

Sasori looked over to Nagato and Tobi.

"I mean, they always seem to be together and everything so I thought that maybe…you know…"

"How would I know?" The red haired mantis huffed and tore his eyes away, uninterested in what the two were doing.

"I was just wondering." Deidara frowned at his mate's cold attitude. "What's with you? You're acting like a jerk. Well, more than usual, un." He added the last part as an afterthought.

"If you don't like it then leave." Sasori said coldly before he turned and walked off.

The butterfly stared with his jaw slightly dropped. It was only after his mate had vanished down into the deeper layers of the wasp's home did he finally react to what had just happened. "What did he just—what was that about?" The blond gasped as he turned to look at the others, wanting to confirm if he just had heard his mate right.

"Don't look at me. I didn't do anything!" Tobi cried as he furiously shook his head.

"The hell? You guys got into a fight in Christmas Eve?" Hidan asked as he walked over to Deidara and casually threw an arm around the butterfly's shoulder.

"Of course not." Deidara quickly defended, and he sent a small glare to his best friend.

"Well, he's obviously angry, though he's hiding it." Kakuzu noted calmly as he took a sip of his drink. "Do you remember doing anything that might have upset him recently?"

"No…" Deidara squirmed uncomfortably before he pushed Hidan's arm off his shoulder. He gave an annoyed look to the dragonfly, but he smiled smugly in response. "At least, I don't think I did, un."

"Think ain't a good enough answer." Hidan said, and Deidara furrowed his eyebrows. He thought long and hard, but he had no recollection of doing anything that would upset the mantis.

"I think it's time we move out." Nagato spoke, cutting into their conversation. "The air pressure outside is growing. It will start soon."

"Ah…you're right!" Deidara gasped in realization, and his wings fluttered. He was so distracted by Sasori's behaviour that he didn't even realize the change in the air.

"Fuck! That fast?" Hidan cursed as he hurriedly grabbed his scarf. "Come on. We're gonna miss the first snowflake if we don't hurry!"

"Umm, you guys go first. I'll go get Danna–"

"No, Deidara." Nagato quickly said. "I will get Sasori. You go outside with the others."

"But–"

"Come on, senpai!" Tobi cheered as he grabbed the butterfly. Before Deidara could protest, Tobi shot a string of web at the ceiling and pulled them into the air. The butterfly yelped in surprise, and the next thing he know, they had burst out of the door and into the chilly night.

"Wow! Look at all those grey clouds, senpai!" Tobi said excitedly as Deidara pulled himself to his feet. He rubbed at his sore rear where he had fallen.

"Yeah, that's nice, un." Deidara sighed before glancing back to the doorway to see Hidan and Kakuzu coming out, followed by Itachi and Kisame. "Look, I need to get Sasori no Danna–"

"No! You can't! If you do, you'll get in Nagato-senpai's way!" Tobi gasped as he quickly hopped over to the butterfly.

"What?" The blond blinked. "I'm not going to get in anyone's way. I'm just going to–"

"Just leave Sasori alone, Deidara." Kakuzu spoke, and the stick bug sat on a rock beside his dragonfly mate. "Nagato will deal with him."

"Yeah." Hidan nodded in agreement. "Times like these calls for a male-to-male talk."

"Are you calling me girly?" Deidara glared offensively at the silver haired dragonfly.

"I meant seme talk." The dragonfly replied with a roll of his eyes.

The butterfly's tan cheeks darkened at the word. "O-oh." That was all he could mutter as he ducked his head in slight embarrassment. He didn't understand how Hidan could say such shameful things out loud.

"The reason Sasori left means that there is something on his mind, and he doesn't want you to see the state he was in. It's better to leave things to Nagato." Deidara turned to find Itachi standing behind him.

"What's that supposed to mean, un?" The blond asked.

The moth didn't reply right away. He smiled faintly and gestured over to a nice, flat rock. Deidara followed the raven, and the two sat down on the cold surface, making the butterfly shiver involuntarily. He snuck a look over to at Itachi, who seemed completely unaffected.

"Socializing has never been a strong point for Sasori. That's why there are many things he's struggling to learn. Give him some time, he'll come around."

"…Do you know what Danna's problem is?" Deidara asked quietly.

"It's not hard to guess." Itachi replied in a hush voice. "But it's not my place to tell you anything."

Deidara didn't press on. He just nodded in understanding before allowing a bitter smile to spread over his lips. "You sure know a lot about Sasori no Danna, Itachi. Even now, there are still times when I just can't read what's going through his head, un."

When he said that, the blond caught the moth smiling again. He frowned at the sight. Itachi has been strangely smiling a lot. After all, who would smile like that after having his own home invaded by uninvited guest on Christmas Eve? Not to mention getting knocked out by a pine needle?

Before he could voice his a question, Kisame came over to them and gently wrapped a large crimson scarf around the moth's exposed pale neck.

"Tuck your wings, 'Tachi. You're going to catch a cold like that." The blue wasp smiled in approval when his mate did as told. Once the large polka-dot wings were folded flat against the moth's back, Kisame wrapped the raven up with a large silk blanket.

Deidara stared at the scene, unable to help but feel slight jealousy rising in his chest at the caring act of the wasp. He was tempted to imagine what it would be like if Sasori did that to him, but he quickly shook the thought away. Sasori and Kisame were different creatures with their own minds. There was no way he could compare them.

"Here kid. You're going to catch a cold like that." Kisame said. That was when Deidara noticed the spare blankets in the wasp's arms. He smiled and gratefully took one. After giving his thanks, Kisame left to hand out the rest of the blankets he had brought.

"Ah! Nagato-senpai!" Tobi's voice echoed loudly in his ear, and Deidara snapped his head back to see Nagato and Sasori emerging from the entrance of the wasp's home.

"Danna!" Deidara called, trying to act as though nothing was wrong as he waved his hand at his mate.

"I'm going to join Kisame." Itachi said softly before he stood up and walked towards the direction of the wasp, who was giving out the last blanket, leaving the space beside Deidara open for the mantis to take.

"About time you came, un. I was afraid you were going to miss the first snowfall."

Sasori didn't say anything. He stared at the sheet of grey-white cloud over their heads in silence. The blond butterfly shifted uncomfortably. He was trying to lighten the mood by hitting it off with a random conversation, but the mantis was obviously not playing along.

What's with this déjà vu? He wondered with a deep sigh. He hugged the blanket close, beginning to feel the chilly air of the winter night. Just as Deidara wondered when the snow would fall and end this awkwardness, an arm suddenly snaked around his narrow waist. With a hard pull, the gap between the mantis and the butterfly was erased as Deidara's body was pulled up against Sasori's. He looked up at the red head, shock by the predator's action, but the other's eyes were still transfixed on the sky.

A smile graced the blond's lips. He closed his eyes lazily and leaned against his dominant, humming a soft tune at the delicious warmth seeping from the strong body of the predator.

"Thanks…Danna." He mumbled softly, his voice slightly muffled because his face was buried into the mantis' shoulder. Deidara knew Sasori had heard, for the red head responded by tightening his arm around the butterfly.

Although none of them spoke a word, it wasn't completely silent.

From his spot, Deidara could hear the voices of his friends scattered around the area. He could hear Tobi's eager ramblings towards his left, and Nagato occasionally making comment. To his right was Hidan's prayers to Jashin and Kakuzu's irritated tone as the stick bug tried to get his mate to stop. A little bit in front was Kisame. The butterfly couldn't help but smile at the wasp's constant concern towards the injury on his mate's forehead.

When a loud, ear piercing scream came from Tobi, Deidara's eyes snapped open. He looked up to see a large flake of snow drifting down towards them.

"Snow! It's snow!" Tobi cried as he hopped up and down in excitement. "Christmas is here!"

"About time!" Hidan laughed as he turned and slapped Kakuzu's shoulder. "I told you praying to Jashin works!"

"Snow." Deidara whispered in awe as he watched more fluffy white flakes, in different shapes and sizes, rained over their heads. "Come on Danna!" He gasped, pushing the blanket off his body, completely forgetting the cold as he dragged the mantis up onto his feet. Running up to the nearest snowflake, Deidara caught it within his sleeves. It felt heavy and cold on his arm, but the butterfly didn't even notice as he admired the beautiful design of nature.

"Danna, look at this!" He ran back to Sasori and held the large flake up. "It looks like a flower, un!"

Sasori stared at the snowflake on his mate's arm before a smile graced his lips. "It does, doesn't it?"

Deidara blinked. Sasori was smiling, and he just agreed with him with no snarky or arrogant comeback. "Danna?" He asked hesitantly, wondering that perhaps something was wrong with the mantis after all.

"You're being awfully…" The butterfly shifted uncomfortably as he tried to chew out the word. "Kind?"

"Oh?" The smile on Sasori's face widened. This time the blond miserably failed to fight the blush on his face. The mantis reached out and took the snowflake, tossing it aside before he cupped the butterfly's heated face in his cooler hand. "You don't like it when I'm kind?"

"N-no!" Deidara quickly choked out. He could feel his face heating up more and more as Sasori leaned in until their noses touched. "It's j-just…you're being weird, un…"

"So you don't like it."

"T-that's not what I– GYAAH!" Deidara nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt something cold slam against his back; right between the joint of his wings. He quickly tore his chin out from his mate's grip. He shook his kimono and flapped his wings, trying to get whatever the freezing substance that was inside his clothes out.

"W-what was that!" He gasped, looking behind him, but he was unable to find anything aside from some white powder gathered at his feet. When he heard a low snicker, he turned. His eyes widened at his mate who had lost that innocent smile and was now smirking at him in his usual sly way.

"When are you going to stop falling for that, stupid brat?" Sasori said in that arrogant, mocking tone. It was then when Deidara had realized what had happened. He had fallen for that stupid mantis' seductive trick…again. He quickly looked around, searching for that beautiful snowflake he had shown his mate, but it was nowhere in sight. There were other snowflakes lying around, but they had different designs, none of them belonging to the one he had caught.

When he pushed my snowflake away…that bastard attached his web to it! He thought in frustration as he snapped a dark glare at the mantis. "Danna!" He shouted. He tried aiming a punch at the mantis, but being the skilled fighter he was, Sasori evaded gracefully.

"I only did what you wanted me to, brat." Sasori said as he leaned back, dodging another fist. The mantis knew that even if he let his mate land a hit, he wouldn't even feel it judging from the lack of muscles the butterfly had. However he dodged anyways – for the sake of further irking the blond.

"Since when did I want you to hit me with a snowflake? You jerk!" The butterfly shouted, grabbing a snowflake that was fluttering by him and throwing it at Sasori. The mantis only smirked at the butterfly's desperate attempt to hit him. He stood there calmly, waiting until the snowflake was close enough before he simply sidestepped it. He flashed Deidara a devilish smirk, and the butterfly's eyes widened in horror when he saw who was standing behind the mantis.

The innocent snowflake slammed into the wings of an equally innocent dragonfly.

"That's freakin' COLD!" A certain Jashinist screamed. He whirled around with anger flashing across his red-violet eyes, and his transparent wings thrashed wildly as he tried to get the snow dust off.

"Who was the fucker who threw that?" He demanded as he snatched two snowflakes off of the ground.

"He did." Sasori pointed at Deidara who gaped at his mate.

"Danna you–!" Before the butterfly could insult the mantis, he ducked with a yelp as two snowflakes shot over his head at an astonishing speed. "Were you trying to kill me?" He cried out, having no doubt that he'd die if he got hit by one of those. Unfortunately, his so-called best friend simply smirked and snatched another snowflake from the air.

"Haven't ya heard, blondie? Payback's a bitch!"

The butterfly's eyes widened as Hidan hurled another snowflake towards him. Reacting quickly, Deidara quickly spread his wing and took flight into the sky to dodge the deadly weapon, only to hear a certain spider's cry echoing below him.

Both insects looked curiously behind the butterfly, and Deidara's jaw nearly fell when he saw Nagato standing there, his crimson hair covered in snow dust while Tobi jumped around the Assassin Bug screaming, "Senpai! Are you alright?"

"S-shit…!" Hidan turned and quickly tried to run, but he didn't get far when a snowflake sliced through the air in a speed almost invisible to the naked eye. It ruthlessly slammed into the back of the dragonfly's head, knocking him to the cold ground.

"Hn, know pain." Nagato said coldly as Tobi ran forward with dozens of snowflakes dangling from his webs.

"Snowflake fight!" He shouted before launching all the snowflakes out and landed clean hits on the unsuspecting insects (Kakuzu, Itachi and Kisame). Deidara had tried to dodge, but there were too many, and he ended up getting knocked out of the sky with a face full of snow.

"Tobi!" Kisame growled as Kakuzu turned with a sinister glare. Itachi had his usual apathetic expression over his face as he brushed some snow from his long raven hair. Soon snowflakes were flying across the sky, and the snowflake war began. Deidara quickly hid behind the stem of a withered flower. A snowflake in hand, he looked around, trying to catch a certain mantis, until he felt something cold hit against that same spot on his back. He squealed, feeling goosebumps crawl over his skin as chilling powder slipped into his kimono. When he whirled around, he glared at Sasori who was sitting on a rock with that trademark smirk which the butterfly wanted nothing more than to beat it off that flawless face.

He quickly raised the snowflake in his hand, about to fire it at the red head, when he caught a minimal movement of the predator's hand. Before he could react, another snowflake suddenly came at him and hit him on the side.

"Sasori no Danna! That's not fair, un!" Deidara cried out, glaring at the blue thread dangling from the mantis' index finger.

"I guess that's too bad then." Sasori tilted his head innocently. He uncrossed his arms and spread his fingers, allowing his mate to see the other nine threads stretching from the rest of his fingertips.

Deidara's eyes widened as he warily stepped back. "You're n-not serious are you…?"

Sasori said nothing, but his widening smirk was all the answer the blond needed. With a simple wave of his hands, the snowflakes attached to each end of the strings flew towards the target.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!"

~0~

"Deidara."

"…"

"Brat–"

"Don't call me a brat, un!" Deidara snapped as he stomped through the tall patches of grass with Sasori following close behind.

"It's just a game, Deidara."

"You try getting hit by nine snowflakes at once." The butterfly growled as he shot a nasty glare at the mantis. "My wings practically turned blue thanks to you."

"Your wings are always blue." The mantis stated plainly. However, that apparently was not the right thing to say because Deidara's glare darkened.

"We're going back. The snow is getting heavier. It's dangerous to stay outside any longer."

"Then go back yourself." The butterfly stubbornly sat down by a tall piece of grass. At the butterfly's childish behaviour, Sasori glared.

"Deidara–" He reached down towards the butterfly only to have his hand seized as the blond pulled the mantis down, letting the red head fall right into his arms.

"I got you~" Deidara sang, the stern expression of his anger fading into a bright smile as he cradled Sasori's head against him.

"Is that what you think?" Sasori smirked but otherwise didn't move. He would never voice it out loud, but being held by the butterfly like this wasn't bad.

The mantis' reply was obviously one that the butterfly didn't anticipate. He pulled away a little and looked down at the mop of crimson hair in confusion. "You don't seem surprise."

"I've seen better acting from my meals." The mantis retorted.

"I wouldn't call that acting…" Deidara muttered. He sweat dropped when he tried to imagine Sasori's preys begging to be spared while tears flooding their faces. It was unsurprisingly easy to imagine. "Was I that bad?"

"Since when do you get angry over trivial matters?"

"Hey, it wasn't trivial! I really was freezing back there!" Deidara lightly scowled. He leaned back against the grass and sighed, relaxing the tense muscles in his face.

"Anyway, I'm glad." His smile returned to his face as he absentmindedly combed through the soft red locks of his love. "Sasori no Danna's finally acting like himself again, un."

Sasori's eyes widened at the butterfly's words. He looked up, his cold gaze meeting his mate's gentle eyes that were filled with concern. It was then that the Orchid Mantis realized how much he had worried his mate with his earlier actions.

Then that snowflake war back then…Could Deidara have purposely started it to loosen the mantis up?

"Danna?" Sasori snapped out of his thoughts when a warm hand was laid on his cheek. "You're spacing out, un. You feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." The mantis smiled lightly as he pulled himself out of the butterfly's warm arms. He reached into the sleeve of his robe and pulled out a flat package wrapped in dried leaves. He casually tossed it into the butterfly's lap as he pushed himself to his feet.

"That's for you." Sasori mumbled lowly, hoping the butterfly wouldn't hear, but the blond did.

"You mean like a Christmas present?" Deidara gasped. He stared at Sasori with gleaming eyes, but the mantis had turned around so that his back was all that the butterfly could see. The blond would have laughed at the rare display of the mantis' shyness, but he was too preoccupied with the present in his hand to even take notice of his mate.

He eagerly tore the wrapping off to find a kimono folded neatly. His eyes shined as he carefully ran his hand over the silky fabric. The kimono was unlike any he had seen before. It was rather thick, unlike the one he wore, as though something cottony has been sewn inside. It seemed to be specially made for this type of weather. The silk was dyed midnight black with golden snowflakes decorating the fabric.

When Sasori heard rustling behind him, he glanced back only to see his mate undressing in the snow.

"What are you doing now?" The mantis asked. He felt his throat get dry at the sight of the slender neck and delicate shoulders peeking out in the cool air.

"D-don't look!" Deidara snapped with a light flush of pink over his cheeks. The butterfly tried ducking behind grass, but it barely hide his frame. The mantis looked away, needing all his self-restraint just to stop himself from pouncing on the blond.

"Hurry up." He snapped, trying to sound as impatient as he could. "I don't like to be kept waiting."

"Just give me a second, un."

"It has already passed."

"You know what I mean!"

The mantis pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned against a nearby rock. He waited for minutes until he heard footsteps approaching him. He glanced back and saw Deidara standing there wearing the warm kimono the mantis had given him. "How do I look?" The butterfly asked eagerly.

For the second time that sun, the mantis avoided his gaze.

"We're going back." Was all the red head said as he began walking back towards the direction of Kisame's home.

"Hey! Wait up!" Deidara quickly called as he sprinted after the mantis. Once the red head was within arm's reach, he leapt forward. His arms wrapped around the mantis' waist and pulled himself up against the taller male's back. The butterfly smiled as he buried his face into the soft texture of Sasori's robe, taking in his exotic scent.

"Thank you Sasori no Danna. I love it, un." He mumbled softly. As he held onto Sasori, he thought back to this morning when the Orchid Mantis began acting weird.

Now it all made sense.

"Socializing has never been a strong point for Sasori. That's why there are many things he's struggling to learn. Give him some time, he'll come around." Itachi's voice echoed inside his mind.

The reason behind Sasori's strange behaviour was because of a present. The mantis never had a lot of interaction with others, meaning that giving out a gift was something completely new to him. That was why he seemed so angry when he stalked away. He was angry because of the frustration of not knowing how to give the present he had prepared. Now that Deidara knew, he couldn't help but find his usually cold mate adorable.

"Come on." Deidara pulled away from his mate and grasped his larger hand, lacing their fingers together. "Everyone must be waiting!" With that, he began dragging the mantis behind him as he ran, ignoring the slight protest from his mate.

If he doesn't know how to socialize, then I will take the first step. The butterfly thought with a bright smile lifting his lips. There was no way he's going to give the other time. After all, Sasori hates being kept waiting and making others wait.

Sasori stared at the back of his mate as he was dragged through the tall grass. His brown eyes slowly drifted down to their fingers that were laced together, and a faint, genuine smile made its way to his lips.

Christmas…might not be so bad after all.

~0~

"It's the worst!"

"Oh, don't say that Bluey!" Hidan laughed as he patted the large wasp's back. "You know that idiotic old saying: the more the merrier!"

"Don't invite insects into my home without my consult and go around attacking my mate!" Kisame snapped, trying to let his voice be heard over the loud music and noises of the newly-arrived guests.

"Quit your whining." A tall, brown haired Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle* snorted through the bandages wrapped over his nose and mouth like a mask.

"Zabuza-san." A short, feminine Woolly Aphid* lightly scolded the beetle before turning to the wasp, holding up two presents nicely wrapped in soft white cotton. "Please pardon our intrusion, Kisame-san. Here are some gifts we've brought for you and Itachi-san."

"Just put those gifts by the Christmas tree, Haku." Nagato, who was passing by, said to the younger insect.

"Christmas tree?" The pale insect said in confusion. When his soft brown eyes landed on the tiny tree being towered and surrounded by loads of presents, he chuckled in amusement. "Then I shall do that." He said, leaving his mate's side to relief the weight in his arms.

"Ah! Teme! That was mine!"

"Hn. I don't see your name written on it, usuratonkachi."

"I was saving that for last you bastard!"

Kisame groaned at the noises around him. He turned his eyes away from his further-damaged home, unable to look as the brats ran about. He thought about going back to his room to check on his mate, but he caught a quick glimpse of a certain white-haired Water Strider* edging towards his precious sword.

"Suigestu! Get your claws off of Samehada!"

"We're back!" A voice announced, and the entire place instantly grew quiet. All eyes turned towards the entrance of the wasp's home just as a Swallowtail butterfly flew in, followed closely by a red-haired Orchid Mantis.

"Merry Christmas!" The crowd shouted in union, causing the butterfly to jump in surprise as he looked at the new crowd of insects for the first time.

"Hey! When did you guys come?" Deidara laughed in delight at all the familiar faces.

"We just got here dattebayo!" Declared a blond haired Apis dorsata*. "I heard Gaara is going to be here so I came as well." He said, grabbing the unusually petite Dorylus helvolus* beside him who turned to Sasori and gave the mantis a polite nod as greeting.

"It's been awhile." He said, having a surprisingly deep voice despite his delicate feature. Sasori nodded back in a silent acknowledgement, taking note of the blush over his acquaintance's cheeks as the ant shifted against the honey-loving insect's hold.

"So why are you here, teme?" The bee asked, his cornflower blue eyes narrowing at the Garden Tiger Moth*.

"Is it so surprising that I would be here on Christmas, visiting my brother?"

"And?" Sasori asked coldly when he caught an unfamiliar face within the crowd. "You are?"

"Me?" The silver haired insect beside the bee and ant looked up from his book innocently. His only visible eye turned up in a smile.

When Deidara saw the silver haired stranger, he nearly jumped back from reflex when he saw the way the insect was dressed. He had a mask and a long black scarf identical to the one Tobi wore.

From the shape of the mask, he was a Wolf Spider*. Though what specific kind, the blond had no idea. There were crimson stripes over his white mask that held the answer, but Deidara was no expert in that field. He only remembered the patterns of the deadliest spiders the other insects always warn their young ones of, and the silver haired male was not in that group.

"My name is Kakashi." The spider introduced himself with a casual wave. "I came since Obito invited me here."

"Obito?" The butterfly blinked at the unfamiliar name. He looked around, wondering if there was another stranger he failed to notice.

"Kakashi! I told you not to call me that! It's Tobi now! T-O-B-I!" The hyperactive spider whined.

"That's Tobi's birth name before he changed it." Kakuzu explained when he saw the butterfly's confusion. "Those two are spiderling friends."

"Really?" Deidara said in surprise since the two seemed like they had nothing in common, aside from the fact that they were both Araneae. From the way Kakashi was dressed, he seemed to be the cool and quiet type while Tobi was obviously anything but. Unlike the Funnel-Web, who wore his mask in the traditional spider way, Kakashi's was worn diagonally over his head, covering only the left side of his face. His long, black scarf was wrapped around his lower face, leaving only his right eye visible as he read through the content of the book.

"Come on! It's just a little touch!" A voice came from the end of the room. Deidara leaned over, looking around Zabuza's large frame and smiled at the sight of Suigetsu trying to snatch Samehada from Kisame.

"I don't see Itachi anywhere, un." He said when he realized the moth was missing.

"Don't bother lookin'." Hidan snickered. "The moth's restin' in bed."

"Eh?"

"Usuratonkachi kicked the door into aniki's face." Sasuke replied with a growl. His dark black eyes glared at the guilty looking bee.

"How was I supposed to know he was standing behind it? I was knocking for ages and nobody answered dattebayo!"

"You only knocked for a few seconds." Kakashi corrected, flipping to the next page in his book.

"In short, Itachi fainted." Nagato finished. Deidara sweat dropped. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the moth, getting hit twice in a row: once on Christmas Eve and now on Christmas. If Itachi wasn't angry about the pine incident, then he'd definitely be angry now.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" A new voice came from the entrance. Kisame's groan of despair was drowned in the sea of greetings as the Large Milkweed Bug* and Actias artemis* flew in.

"Ah! Konan! Yahiko-senpai!" Tobi cheered as Deidara stepped back for the pair to land.

"You two are fucking late!" Hidan shouted from across the room.

"Merry Christmas, un." The butterfly greeted.

"Merry Christmas, Deidara." Konan smiled as she removed her straw hat and shook the snow off. "Sorry we're late. The snow held us back a bit."

"It's already storming outside." Yahiko added before the two began going around greeting the others. Now that the newly arrived pair was in the spotlight, Deidara slipped out of the crowd and went over to the corner of the room where Sasori was quietly leaning against the wall.

"Aren't you going to join the party, Danna?" He asked, despite knowing the answer already.

"I'm fine." At the mantis' classic reply, Deidara chuckled as he absentmindedly ran a hand over the indigo obi*, feeling the silky texture of the fabric.

"I got your present, un." He looked down at his new, comfortable kimono. "Will you accept mine?"

Hearing the strange nervousness in his mate's voice, Sasori looked up only to suddenly find his mate pressing against his body, his tan arms wrapping tightly around his neck. The butterfly leaned in until his rosy lips gently brushed by the mantis' pale ear

"Danna, I'm preg–"

"Suigetsu! Give that back!" Naruto screamed as he ran after the mug of nectar Suigetsu had snatched away.

"Heh, then you'll have to catch me first!" The Water Strider snickered, turning his head to stick out a tongue so he could further taunt the bee. The instant his attention was averted from his path, he failed to see the Woolly Aphid in his way and crashed right into the pale brunette.

The cup slipped as Suigetsu loosened his grip, and it soared through the air before slamming right into a certain moth who was wobbly making his way into the living room.

"Itachi!" Kisame cried when he saw his mate collapse for the third time that night.

"Aniki!"

"Itachi-san!"

"GAAH! Suigetsu killed Itachi!"

"I-it was an accident!"

"Someone get a cold cloth!"

"Ah-ah." Hidan sighed as he watched the crowd gathering around the fallen moth. "He's gonna be piss when he wakes up."

"Honestly, nymphs* and larvae* these days." Tobi joined in on the sigh only to be roughly whacked over the head by Kakuzu.

"You're responsible as well." The walking stick snapped. As everyone's attention was on Kisame trying to get his mate to wake up, Nagato was the only one who noticed a lone couple in the corner of the room, forgotten by the rest of the group.

The two were sharing a passionate kiss with the butterfly's golden wings quivering from the lack of air. Once they finally separated, Deidara buried his face into the hollow of the mantis' neck. The strong arms around his body tightened, pulling their bodies flush against each other as Sasori buried his face into the golden hair.

A loving smile was on each of their lips.

"Merry Christmas, Danna."

"Merry Christmas, brat."

"ITACHI!"

Futon: Matsu Rasengan – Wind Style: Pine Rasengan

Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle (Zabuza) – A species of rhinoceros beetle found in Asia. They are popular pets to Asian children, especially Japan and can be commonly found in pet or department stores. Due to the males' tendency to fight each other for the attention of female, these beetles are very popular subject in gambling.

Woolly Aphid (Haku) – This type of beautiful insect feeds by piercing the bark with their syringe-like mouthparts and sucks the sap out. They can be distinguished by the long, white, waxy filaments which resemble cotton or wool covering posteriors.

Water Strider (Suigetsu) – Aquatic insect that uses the high surface tension of water and long, hydrophobic legs to help stay above water. It feed on spiders and insects that fall onto the water surface. The water strider will grab onto the insect, puncture its body with its claws, and then suck out sustenance in a method called suction feeding.

Apis dorsata (Naruto) – Can be found in southern and south-eastern Asia. They are a defensive type of honeybee and have never been domesticated as it does not use enclosed cavities for nesting. Despite its aggressive nature, native people have traditionally used this species as a source of honey and beeswax, a practice known as honey hunting.

Dorylus helvolus (Gaara) – This type of ant is found primarily in central and east Africa. They are capable of stinging, but very rarely do so, relying instead on their powerful shearing jaws. They are so strong that you can tear the ant in two after it bit into your skin and its jaw will still be locked in position. The term killer ant usually applies to this species simply because of the magnitude of the colony sizes. When food supplies become scarce, they leave their home, marching columns of up to 50 million ants. Anything that gets in the way will be eaten to the bone.

Garden Tiger Moth (Sasuke) – Like the Scarlet Tiger Moth, the Garden Tiger Moth is also from the Arctiidae family. Unlike the Scarlet Tiger Moth though, this type of moth is nocturnal. It loves damp places, which is why it is particularly common in river valleys as well as gardens and parks. They can be found throughout Europe, Asia and North America.

Wolf Spider (ANBU style Kakashi) – They are robust and agile hunters that hunts in the night with their excellent eyesight and acute sense of touch. They live mostly solitary lives and hunt alone.

Large Milkweed Bug (Yahiko) – From the Hemiptera order of bugs and the Lygaeidae family. It feeds mainly on grains, particularly those of the milkweed. Because the Milkweed Bugs feed on milkweed, these insects are fairly safe from predators due to the fact that the chemicals in the milkweed sap are toxic. It's the same concept as the Monarch Butterfly.

Actias artemis (Konan) – Also known as oomizuao in Japanese. This moth is native to Japan as well as Korea, China, India and Malaysia. Actias artemis is a close relative and look-alike of American Luna Moth. They vary in color from yellowish green to pale bluish green.

Obi – A broad sash worn around the waist of a kimono.

Nymphs – is the immature form of some invertebrates with their form already resemble that of the adult. They undergo gradual metamorphosis and while a nymph moults it never enters a pupal stage.

Larvae – is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The larva's appearance is generally very different from the adult form. A larva often has unique structures and organs that do not occur in the adult form, while their diet might be considerably different.

Fin

Author's note: It has been years since the last update and I am extremely sorry for holding this story on hold for so long. I know this "last chapter" is an old Christmas special, but this was originally meant to be the ending anyways so I decided to post this up and finally end this story.

I am so sorry, but due to my lack of ideas, I just can't continue on this story any longer.

A thousand thanks to Chillybean who was the beta reader for this entire story, and a special thanks TheHiddenDreamer, who throughout the years continued to keep in contact with me with regards to this story. I am extremely thankful to them and all the people who had or still are supporting this story.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy 2020!