Nougat.
The first time Deidara had found Tobi bundled up at the kitchen table eating some sort of nougat, he'd been dumbfounded. It had been the middle of the night, the dreary light of the false dawn throwing shadows over the white washed walls of the compound when Deidara had stomped into the kitchen, for all intent and purposes planning on filching the box of unmarked chocolates that had appeared the day before. It was unsurprising, then, that the sight of his partner – unmasked, no less – eating said box of chocolates caused him to pause mid-step, gaping with unveiled horror. The boy looked up at the sound of his indignant sputters, brown eye widening briefly before he followed Deidara's enraged gaze to the box in his hands. Understanding clearing his features, he'd shuffled his chair and cocoon of blankets over a little, before lifting the box towards him with a guilty smile.
"Would you like some, senpai?"
Wordlessly Deidara had stalked out, forcefully shoving the image of his partner wearing pink-heart pyjamas with fluffy, bunny slippers out of his mind as he headed back to his bedroom.
The next time found Deidara more prepared, surprise fading quickly as he watched his partner dig into a new box of chocolates, original thoughts of getting a drink forgotten as he incredulously watched Tobi's tongue stick out slightly as he dug a particularly sticky chocolate out the box. Examining his partner for a brief second, (now wearing a blue-pinstripe pyjama set) he frowned disaprovingly before retreating to his bedroom. A brown eye looked up at movement and watched him go with a sad smile.
The third time he waited up for him, lying in his bed in their shared bedroom pretending to be asleep, all the while keeping an ear out for any movement. As expected, around two in the morning his wayward partner slipped quietly out of bed, gathering his black blanket with the red cloud motif around him before shuffling out of the room. Impatiently waiting for Tobi to clear the hall, Deidara stole after him, footsteps light to keep his quarry from knowing he was being followed. He seemingly succeeded, the boy showing no sign of having heard him as he tottered into the kitchen. Deidara settled into the shadows of the doorway to wait.
He was not fond of mysteries.
Sure enough, Tobi went straight for the bread bin, removing the chocolates carefully before wandering over to the table. Deidara watched him curiously, trying to find a clue in his behaviour that would tell him why he did this every week. Was he remembering something? Afraid? Or simply had a serious sweet tooth? He smothered a chuckle at the last thought, chiding himself in his momentary lack of control before he spotted a flicker of movement from the table and refocused instantly. Tobi had set the box down but had not opened it yet, staring instead at his gloved hands. After a couple seconds of silence he spoke.
"Please join me."
Deidara started, shrinking further into the shadows. Had he been caught out? Or was he just ta-
"I know you're there, Deidara-senpai." Tobi raised his head, single visible eye staring directly at him. Deidara scowled. So much for that thought. "Please join me."
The boy shuffled over a little, making more room, before looking down at the chocolates once more. Deidara quickly considered his options. He could just up it and leave, but that would just look like he was running away, and if he was anything, he was not a coward. That only left one option, as despicable as it might be. Sighing, he stepped forward and slowly rounded the table, halting stiffly before the chair. Tobi looked up at him, a grateful smile stretched across his scarred face, happily ignoring the scowl that creased Deidara's as he patted the seat beside him. Resisting the urge to sigh again, Deidara dragged out the seat and slid into it as Tobi unwrapped the chocolates and pushed the box towards him.
"Thank you." The boy murmured, picking a chocolate for himself and munching on it in silence.
It became a sort of routine after a while, once every week meeting in the kitchen to share a stolen box of chocolates, whiling away the hours until dawn in a comfortable silence as they each mulled over their own thoughts and memories. Tobi had never provided a reason for his habit and Deidara had never asked, for to do that was to ask himself why he continued to join him, and that was a question he was not willing to answer. Don't know or won't accept? A pesky voice would whisper at the back of his mind, but he soon became accustomed to ignoring it, content just to sit in the half darkness. He used the time to reminisce about his past, the times when he wasn't bound to the Akatsuki, free to do whatever he willed. Not necessarily better times, he admitted, but enjoyable nonetheless.
What Tobi thought of, he had no clue. The masked ninja would mostly spend the time staring out the window, watching as the sun slowly quelled the darkness, staying until it crested the horizon before returning to his bedroom. Sometimes he'd stay longer, fingers idly tracing the whirl of his mask as the sun rode up the sky. At those times it was Deidara who'd break the silence, earning a cheerful smile from Tobi as he awoke from whatever trance he'd put himself in and followed him back to their room.
When Hidan's annoyed shout tore through the morning silence a month later when he returned from a long term mission to find the supply of Milkyways he'd hidden in the breadbin gone, Deidara just snorted and turned over, snuggling deeper into his blankets. If the suicidal priest thought that that was a hiding place, he deserved what he got.
End.
x3 This wasn't actually the one I'd planned to write, (I'll write it over the holidays) but it'll do. In another style again, but I'm fine with it. Sorry for the bizarre ending, I couldn't think of what to put. xD Still working on the itasaku, (it's going to be long, and I've been considering making it a chaptered fic - although with my record I probably would never finish it) but I got Harry Potter a while ago and have been reading that. :x
Meh, not really happy with this, (I'm not so fond of the style, but at least it is better than Smile) but it'll do. I'm afraid this is the time that I'm going to be gone, (I'm leaving on thursday) but I'll try and have something to update with when I return. :)