NL- This is pretty much just random fluff... It's cute, but there's not much plot to it... So, if such a thing bothers you.. LEAVE! ...(happy kitty face) As for everyone else, enjoy.
Also.. The title's crap.. But I couldn't think of anything else to call it...
Lost Ring
"S-senpaiiii!!" Tobi screeched, crashing into Deidara after a twenty-yard run. He glomped the blond and shook him wildly.
"What is it, Tobi?" Deidara asked in a bored tone.
"It.. It's Tobi's.. Tobi's Akatsuki ring!" Tobi wailed. "T-Tobi was f-fiddling with it, l-like he usually d-does, and Tobi.. A-AND TOBI ACCIDENTALLY D-DROPPED IT OFF A CLIFF!" Even though Tobi's mask was on, Deidara could tell he was sobbing.
"You dropped it off a cliff?" Deidara asked angrily. "You know that if you don't get it back, you can't be in Akatsuki anymore, right, un?"
"Tobi kn-knows!" Tobi sobbed. "And Tobi al-al-already l-looked f-for it, b-but Tobi couldn't-t find it! Tobi d-doesn't w-w-want to l-leave, s-senpai! Will y-you help T-Tobi look for it? L-Leader-s-sama's gonna k-kill Tobiii!" he wailed. Deidara let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine, un..."
"Th-Thank you, senpai!" Tobi started to run off. "It's th-this way!" Tobi seemed to be cheerier now, though Deidara could still hear the chokes in his voice. Deidara followed Tobi, trying his hardest to stay calm. "Down there.." Tobi pointed down to the bottom of the cliff. Deidara stared down in disbelief.
"How the hell did you manage..." He let out a frustrated growl, unable to finish his sentence. Tobi flinched away.
"T-Tobi's s-sorry! Tobi d-didn't m-mean to! He was just p-playing with it, and it b-bounced away and ov-ver the c-cliff!"
Deidara glared daggers at his partner. "Tobi? You're an idiot, un."
"TOBI SAID HE WAS SORRY!" Tobi wailed, tears falling out of his mask's eye-hole. He approached the edge of the cliff and looked down the sheer edge on his hands and knees to the forest far below.
"Don't fall," Deidara warned. Tobi looked back at him.
"How are we gonna get it back?" he asked. "Tobi doesn't want to leave Akatsuki!"
"Calm down," Deidara said, pulling a clay spider from his pouch. He did a hand sign to bring it to life, and then made it crawl down the side of the cliff, further into the darkness than either Akatsuki member could see. Tobi watched in wonder, he didn't have a unique specialty like Deidara did, and wondered how the jutsu worked. He asked Deidara about it a moment later, and received a doubtful look from his senpai. "I really doubt I can explain it to you, un."
"Oh..." Then, "Did you find it yet?"
"Be patient, un," Deidara commanded, annoyance clear in his voice.
"Okay," Tobi said quickly, falling silent as he waited.
After a while, the spider came crawling back up, the ring perched on its back. Deidara took the rig, roughly shoving it into Tobi's hand. "Now don't lose it, un!" Tobi clutched the right tightly and hugged Deidara.
"Th-Thank you, senpai!" Tobi suddenly realized what he was doing and jumped off of Deidara with a gasp. "Ah! Tobi's sorry, senpai! D-Don't be angry with Tobi!"
Deidara sighed, turning around to head back to Akatsuki headquarters, hiding the tiny blush that colored his cheeks. He took a few steps before stopping to look over his shoulder at his partner. "Are you coming, un?" Tobi's posture straightened, and Deidara could practically see the invisible smile lighting up his partner's face. Tobi nodded.
"Yes, senpai!" he said brightly. Deidara smiled inwardly as his partner followed after him.
- - - OwO - - -
"Senpai?" Tobi called quietly later that night. "Why did you help Tobi today? ...Tobi knows senpai doesn't really like him; senpai would like to see Tobi's embarrassment when he got kicked out of Akatsuki, probably. Senpai doesn't like having Tobi around, Tobi can tell. So why did senpai help Tobi today?" he asked innocently.
"So you have a problem with me helping you, un?" Deidara asked stiffly. Tobi shook his head vehemently.
"N-No, senpai!!" he said hurriedly. "Tobi was just wondering why, since senpai doesn't like Tobi..." A smiling tone came into his voice. "Unless senpai really DOES like Tobi..!"
"Don't get your hopes up," was Deidara's sharp reply. Tobi's head slowly slumped and his shoulders drooped slightly.
"Ohh.. Okay, senpai."
"Alright," Deidara said in conclusion, spinning around, away from Tobi, to start working on his art.
"So.." Tobi said quietly. "Now Tobi's curious. Does senpai.. Really hate having Tobi around? Does.. Does senpai hate Tobi?" he whispered at the end.
Deidara sighed, dropping his clay. "I don't hate you, un."
Tobi immediately brightened. "Does that mean you do like Tobi, senpai?"
Deidara gave Tobi and irritated look. "You annoy me." Tobi gave a little sigh and looked down, beginning to play with his fingers. He paused, then asked sheepishly.
"All the time?"
"No."
"Really?! Does senpai like Tobi then?"
"Kind of."
Instead of bouncing around and being completely irritating like Deidara expected himt o do, Tobi just stayed still and spoke, the smile clear in his voice. "Tobi's glad."
"Deidara stared at him. "Are you feeling okay, un?"
Tobi cocked his head. "Yeah..? Why, senpai?"
"You're not as hyper as usual, un. It's weird."
"Tobi can be hyper if senpai wants...?"
"No, that's not what I meant."
"Tobi can be serious sometimes, senpai. And.. If senpai wants Tobi to be more serious, then Tobi can be.." He fiddles with his fingers.
"'Tobi can be' what, un?" Deidara asked, expecting Tobi to say something more.
"More serious, senpai! Duh!" Tobi giggled childishly.
Deidara rolled his eyes. "Yeah.. Right, un."
"Hey! Tobi wasn't lying!"
"Whatever you say.."
"That's not nice, senpai. Tobi likes you. Tobi tried to get along with you, but you're always so mean.."
Deidara shrugged, turning back to his clay. "So?"
"Well.. Tobi just wanted to be friends with you, senpai.. But you always seem so far away.." Deidara was silent as he molded his clay. "Just like this, senpai, Tobi said quietly and a little bit sad. Tobi jumped slightly, realizing what Deidara was doing. "Y-You're not going to blow Tobi up, are you, senpai?" he asked quickly.
Deidara sighed, aggravated. "No, Tobi."
"Well, that's good," Tobi said, a little more happily. He yawned behind his mask. "Tobi's gonna sleep now.. 'Night, senpai..."
"'Night, un..."Tobi hadn't heard him, he was already softly snoring. Deidara smiled slightly at his partner's sleeping form. "Sleep well, Tobi."
NL: Eck! So much fluff! It's like.. Sugar candy goodness! But they didn't even kiss! ...Eh, whatever. Please review, it makes us very happy authoresses!