Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto

Deidara was a lot of things. Sweet wasn't one of them. He never did things to be nice. He never did anything for anyone without an ulterior motive. So why did he do that off all things? Deidara gripped the bathroom sink, his knuckles turning white as he stared into the mirror. He took in his wide sapphire eyes, thin pink lips and blonde hair that tumbled over his shoulders and sighed. He was getting soft. That must've been it. To anyone on the outside doing such a thing would have seemed perfectly normal being simply viewed as helping a friend. But Deidara didn't help friends – especially said friend being his redheaded partner – unless not helping them would interfere with a mission. The bathroom light flickered overhead and Deidara cursed the shabby inn and turned on the faucet to splash water on his flushed face. The club they were supposed to meet their point of contact at had been hot, dirty and reeked of alcohol and sex. Both of them had been uncomfortable at such a filthy place and both were eager to retrieve the scroll and get out of there. They waited there for hours but eventually the man they were waiting for, Tajima, came and exchanged the scroll for a small briefcase of money. Everything had went smoothly until they were on their way out and some guy drunkenly stumbled into his partner. Deidara turned off the faucet and dried his face off with a towel, his face contorted into a scowl at the memory. It wasn't that the man stumbled into him. No. It was the fact that after the dumbass practically barreled into him, Deidara had noticed the way the man was studying Sasori's small frame and how he bit his lower lip in excitement. He shouldn't have cared but he did. He shouldn't have grabbed the guy by his collar and threw him into the bar but he did. After all, Sasori was in fact a man and obviously perfectly capable of holding his own. Besides, since when did he care what happened to his partner? He wasn't supposed to care. Hell, until recently he didn't even care if the redhead died or not. Deidara shook his head and padded out to their small bedroom making it a point to avoid the object of his thoughts who was currently tweaking the joints of a puppet, the puppet's scroll opened and hanging off the bed. God, even as a human Sasori worked his ass off. Ever since they got back Sasori had been quiet. Not rude necessarily, just not saying anything. Deidara couldn't tell what he was thinking and maybe he didn't want to know. An awkward silence had found its way between them after Deidara had flung the guy into the bar.

"I'm not going to sleep with a puppet in the bed, hm." Deidara said, speaking for the first time in hours.

Sasori stopped fiddling with the joints and looked up at the blonde. "Then stay awake." He sneered and went back to work.

Deidara glared, growling as he spoke and put a hand up to the light switch. "It's three o' clock in the morning, hm."

He was so annoying sometimes, Deidara thought to himself and studied the redhead's face as he worked on his favorite puppet. Deidara had always admired how Sasori worked. How his slender eyebrows drew together in concentration, the way his pouty pink lips pressed themselves together and how those warm grey eyes never left their current project, his form slightly leaning over a puppet that needed tinkering. A fellow artist. Deidara let his hand fall away from the switch and chewed on his lip in thought. Perhaps he fought for Sasori because …well maybe it was because … Deidara frowned, twisting a lock of hair around his finger. He didn't know why he defended Sasori tonight. Something inside of him just snapped.

"Deidara …" Sasori called softly and placed his puppet back in its scroll. "I'm going to bed, brat." The puppeteer said somewhat awkwardly, taking off his shirt and tossing back the blankets, slipping inside.

Deidara nodded, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he tried to will away the thoughts plaguing his mind. Worrying about it wouldn't solve anything he supposed and decided not to think about it for the rest of that night. Maybe the whole incident would disappear from both their memories by the morning, he thought to himself and flicked off the lights before walking over to the bed and sliding underneath the covers. Deidara laid there on his back, an uncomfortable silence wedging its way in between the two of them. He spared a glance at the other male on his side facing away from him and knew that Sasori wasn't yet asleep. God, this was awkward. He wondered what exactly the man beside him was thinking. Was he angry at him? Was that why he'd been so quiet after they got back from the club? As the thoughts consumed his mind, Deidara found himself feeling the need to explain his actions even more. He couldn't just go to bed without explaining his self. Then again, how could he explain himself if he didn't even know why he did it to begin with?

"Deidara."

Deidara stopped himself mid thought and felt the beginnings of irritation begin to slowly seep through his nerves. He didn't feel like talking. Especially not to his partner. "What, Sasori no danna?" He answered anyway and crossed his arms over his chest. From beside him, Sasori shifted until he was facing the blonde and immediately Deidara wished for the redhead to turn back around. It was quiet for a moment and Deidara could practically feel those hooded eyes boring into his face.

"What you did back there …"

Deidara visibly tensed, body becoming rigid and he grabbed a handful of blanket, twisting it in his hand.

"I don't need you fighting for me, brat."

"I wasn't fighting for you, Sasori no danna, hm." The blonde shot back and sat up in bed. He couldn't possibly go to sleep now. "I could've cared less what that guy did, hm." Deidara paused, smirking as he looked at the redhead. "It was just annoying me, hm." Yeah that should do it.

"Lies."

Or not. Why of all nights did Sasori chose this one to be talkative? Deidara groaned and rubbed at his eyes in agitation. He didn't have the energy for this. He felt like saying 'none of your damn business' but that would only create an argument that he didn't feel like having. Besides, it wasn't like he was lying anyway. It really did annoy him the way that man was carrying on … staring at him like a piece of meat and Sasori just standing there looking as impassive as ever. He could have at least pretended to look offended! "As if I'd let some jackass look at you like that." Deidara blurted out and immediately clamped a hand over his mouth. Oh God, where had that come from? Deidara's shoulders tensed and his fingers tightly gripped at his jaw as if that would keep anymore nonsense from spilling out of his mouth.

For a moment they were quiet. Neither of them saying anything to the other. Deidara could only glance out of the corner of his eye as Sasori stared at him with surprised eyes, the redhead's mouth slightly open as he lay there still as ever. "It's just that you're my partner so it comes natural to help you out during a mission, hm." Deidara tried to amend.

Sasori nodded, eyelids drooping once again to their relaxed state as if the answer given to him was acceptable and idly began to play with the thin silver bracelet on his wrist. The puppeteer seemed to be thinking, wondering what to say next and it put Deidara on edge. He hated not knowing what his partner's next words were going to be.

"Why?" Sasori asked, genuinely curious and craned his neck to look at the blonde male beside him. "I don't need help from you."

Deidara frowned. "Why?" He asked and when he got a nod in return, he continued, shifting uncomfortably. He wasn't used to these kinds of conversations. "Well…" Deidara started, clearing his throat and taking in a deep breath at Sasori's expectant face. "Well you …" This would probably be easier if he was a girl. Maybe. For some reason. "You just … I don't know, hm." Deidara finally admitted and flopped back down on the bed. "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep now, hm. Goodnight Sasori danna."

After a few minutes, a somewhat more comfortable silence settled in between the two and Deidara felt his body begin to relax and his mind start to wander off into tonight's events yet again. Maybe he did what he did because a small part of him actually cared for Sasori as more than just a partner. Sasori was the only person he could talk about art to. He couldn't sleep like this.

Deidara reached over and shook Sasori's shoulder, watching as the redhead stirred and looked over his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Tonight when I did what I did …" Deidara began and cleared his throat. "I did it because you're my partner, hm. And maybe you're … my best friend too, hm."

Sasori stared, cheeks tinting a light pink as he licked his lips and looked over to the wall behind Deidara. "Go to sleep, brat." He said quietly after a few moments and turned back around.

Deidara blinked and put an arm over his forehead as exhaustion began to take over his body. Maybe now he could get some sleep.

OWARI