Okay, chapter two. Once again, credit to Kishimoto and Tsuki50. (Yes, I'm making up for the incredibly long opening last chapter.)
Ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito-ohmygodaburrito!!
The next morning, Tsuki was wearing what she had been wearing the day before. Even though no one but Deidara, Konan, Zetsu and Tobi noticed.
Chances were, sooner or later she'd need to visit home and pack a few things. Her toothbrush, for instance. Konan has offered to just get her a new one, but she didn't feel she could accept it.
"Alright," Konan said, addressing the topic of the paragraph above. "If you won't take Akatsuki's charity"- Deidara rolled his eyes – "Then someone's gotta escort you home to pack."
"Why can't I just go by myself?" Tsuki asked.
"What, are you nuts?" Deidara butted in. "We can't have you blabbing Akatsuki's secret location or anything to pretty much anybody, so we're making sure you don't."
"...That makes sense..."
"Of course it does!"
There was a silence.
"Well, the problem remains, who?" Konan said finally. "Fraid I can't, I was bullied into a game of ping pong."
Deidara shook his head in pity. "Kisame?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I can't either."
"What? Why?"
Deidara mumbled something.
"Sorry, didn't catch that." Konan said sweetly, holding a hand behind her ear.
"I promised mom I'd visit, okay?" Deidara whispered furiously.
Konan laughed, of course. "Deidara, you should just kill her or something."
Deidara snorted. "Yeah. And have dad come roaring after me."
Konan shook her head, still giggling. "Well, deal, then. Who else can we make go?"
They looked around. Hidan was bleeding profusely, which generally didn't look good out on the street. Kakuzu was counting his money, and he never responded to anything when he was counting his money. Itachi was...busy...
Luna was busy as well.
"Let's ask them." Deidara said, with a slightly bitter tone.
"Now, now, Deidara let sleeping dogs lie."
"He's not sleeping, he's sucking face! Can't we just drag him or something?"
"Well, he's calm. Let's leave him be."
Deidara muttered something under his breath that Konan didn't ask to hear.
"We could ask Kisame."
"If you can get him to leave with the prospect of ping-pong."
"We could ask Tobi."
"He'd get lost."
"We could ask Zetsu."
"He's busy staring at that wall again."
"He does that too often." Deidara said stubbornly. "That's it, we're making him go."
Zets1 looked up. "Making who go where?"
"You. Get up."
Zetsu glared at them.
Konan kicked him.
"Oww..." Grumbled Zetsu, but he got up.
And so it was that the two (um... three...?) found themselves meandering through the trees, the forest that sported the long and winding road that led to Tsuki's door.
For the first five minutes, there was no conversation. Just the crunching of the autumn leaves beneath their feet, and the occasional rustle of the branches above being shifted by the wind, or a passing squirrel.
Zetsu cleared his throat nervously. Tsuki looked up at him from where she had been watching the patterns of the crumbling leaves of the forest floor.
"So, uhm...You like ping-pong." Zets2 said lamely, having been slightly unnerved by the silence.
"It's ok." Tsuki said, rather intimidated by the silence as well. "I guess I like playing."
"I don't like ping-pong." Zets1 said abruptly.
"You don't like anything." Zets2 said.
"I like it when you're quiet." Zets1 said, but he stopped there as it didn't seem the moment to strike up an argument.
All three (or two. I really don't know.) searched in the silence for something to say. A pair of squirrels raced each other up a nearly bare tree. A bird cawed singularly, unseen.
"Where do you live, anyway?" Zets1 said, having realized he had no idea where he was escorting her.
"Oh, it's in the village up ahead of these woods. I used to come here when I was younger, you know? In spring. I used to visit a creek that runs through from the town through the forest."
"There's a creek?"
"Well, I suppose it's more like a small river, but it gets really shallow at points. You can wade right through it."
"I didn't know." Zets2 said, more to himself than to Tsuki. (Not to zets1 either. To make that clear.)
"I could...show you sometime."
Zets2 looked over at her. Forcing Zets1 to look to, as he'd turned his head. "Really?"
"Sure. It's not to far from here, actually."
"Couldn't we just go now, then?" Zets1 asked.
Tsuki considered this. "I suppose so. It doesn't matter if we take a bit longer than we would have."
Zetsu shrugged. "Lead the way."
And she did. Soon enough, you could hear the babble of water running over stones, and then you could see the brook itself. The water was shallow here, and clear enough to see every stone on the bottom. They were smoothed, having been run over and over by the rush of the river. The trees leaned over the water, one's branch nearly breeching the surface. There were a few larger boulders around the banks, upon which Tsuki and Zetsu took their seat.
"So," Tsuki said, gazing into the water. "What do you think?"
"It's quiet."
"Despite the creek and the wind."
"Naw, they're quiet too."
"Yeah, real silent. They give me a headache."
"I'd bash your head in if it weren't mine."
"So you say."
Zets2 opened his mouth to retaliate, but quieted himself as he remembered that Tsuki was there. He didn't feel like arguing with her there.
Zets1, surprised by the easy win, said nothing.
Tsuki, however, giggled. "Do you two always get along so well?"
Zets2 grinned in spite of himself. "That's one way to put it."
"Black and white, that's what you two are."
Zets1 rolled his eyes. "Oooh, a pun."
"I thought it was good." Zets2 told him.
"You like anything she says."
There was a sort of silence.
"...I don't..." Zets2 mumbled.
Zets1 didn't say anything.
Tsuki, blushing slightly, gave a nervous sort of laugh. "Half of what I say is nonsense," She protested anxiously. "It's..." She puttered out. "Yeah." She finished lamely, and looked down.
Zets1 rolled his eyes. Or his eye. (?) "If what you just said is any indicator, than a lot of what you say is nonsense. Snap out of it."
"Kay," Tsuki agreed timidly.
They spent another ten or fifteen minutes down by the riverbed, and got up to get Tsuki's stuff.
"This is it," Tsuki gestured towards an ordinary, suburban home. "I don't think anyone's home this time of day. I'll leave them a note, take my cell phone so they can reach me, and gather what I'll need. You can come in, if you like..." she had already reached the door, and held it open for Zetsu. He walked in.
"The kitchen, the sitting room, hall down to the bedrooms. Mine is here." Tsuki said, opening the door decorated with 'stay out' signs and a stain from once when she'd tripped carrying a mug of hot chocolate. (She wasn't aloud to drink it in her room any more.)
Zetsu looked around. The walls weren't completely covered, but there was the generally clutter of posters and pictures hung here and there. There were a few stuffed animals and several anime looking plushies lying innocently on the bed, but the majority of them- anime and animal- sat in the corner, atop a green beanbag that looks as though it were made of Jeans material. In a corner was a case that looked as though it held an instrument of sorts, and a music stand. Last, a chest of drawers, which Tsuki was now leafing through to pull out clothes, and a bookshelf. Half of it was manga.
Zets1 contented himself with looking around at the walls and the books while Tsuki packed, and Zets2 watched her pack. She brought a few books as well, including one that Zets1 had been looking at so he could read it.
"Alright, I think that's everything," Tsuki announced at last, carrying a backpack and a duffle. "I tried not to take too much, but I just had to have a few things, and some are necessities." She hesitated, looking back into the room. "Should I have brought my flute?"
"You play?" Zets2 asked, and Zets1 shrugged. Tsuki nodded.
"Yeah. I'm not a genius or anything, but I'm okay."
"Then bring it," Zets2 said. "And if you're horrible, I'm sure we could at least drive Kisame insane."
"Okay, um, I'll be right back." And Tsuki put her bags down and ran to get her instrument case. (And music stand/music.)
"And how is she going to carry it?" Zets1 asked, exasperation playing in his tone.
"Not a problem."
"Woah, wait, you're going to carry it for her, aren't you," Zets1 accused.
"Why not. It's not like I'm carrying anything, I might as well make myself useful."
"I'm not touching it."
"Like I'm not strong enough to carry it myself."
"You've got one arm, if I don't help."
"One very strong arm."
Zets1 snorted.
Zets2 muttered something about slugging him.
Tsuki came back out with her flute, packed into the case Zetsu had seen earlier. She also had two books of music, which she tucked into her duffle bag, and a music stand, which could be folded up and squeezed next to the music. But the flute was too large to fit, stuffed as the bag already was.
Zets2, as expected by a disapproving Zets1, held out a hand. "I'll take it." He said.
Tsuki blushed. "It's fine, I can carry it, it's not that heavy-"
But Zets2 had taken it from her hand, and as it was just the instrument, had no trouble carrying it without Zets1's help.
Later that evening, when all was said and done, except for Sasuke still hadn't killed Itachi, or even scratched him, and Hidan was still a freak, and a bunch of other stuff hadn't happened either, Zetsu was sitting in a chair in his room. His room was more of a jungle, though, because he kept the thing overgrown with all sorts of vines and leafy vegetation. It made him feel less bizarre.
He just stared at the ceiling a while, the radio playing. Linkin Park.
Zets1 wasn't saying anything, and didn't even seem to be listening to the music. Which was odd, because he really liked Linkin Park. Whether or not he told anyone. Finally, he spoke-
"You like her, don't you."
Zets2 shrugged (nervously). "She's okay."
"No, you like like her."
Zets2 didn't say anything.
"Man, I can't believe you," Zets1 hissed at him. "She just moved in, what are you thinking?"
"That she has nice hair."
"What, that's it? You like her hair, so you wanna go snog her?"
"I didn't say that."
"I thought we liked Luna." Zets1 said quietly, with an air of a pouting child.
Zets2 sighed. "Look, she's married, for heaven's sake. And you know I gave up on her even before that."
Zets1 made frustrated noises.
"And Itachi still beat us up every time we came within five feet of her."
"True. But still..."
"Why can't I like her?" Zets2 asked.
"Wait, who are we talking about now?"
"Tsuki."
"Why can't you like her?"
"Yeah. Why not."
"Because... you just can't, okay?"
Zets2 didn't say anything.
"You just can't." Zets1 repeated.
"She has nice hair." Zets2 mumbled in defense.
A couple days passed, as days tend to do when nothing happens, and... um... yeah.
We join back up in the Akatsuki lounge, the only thing out of the ordinary is... well... everyone... (Can you honestly call the Akatsuki ordinary?)
But seriously.
"What time is it...?" Hidan groaned, having been sitting on the couch for about three hours with nothing to do.
"Who knows, who cares." Itachi said from the game table, a few feet away, playing cards with Luna.
"You don't have a watch, do you."
"Don't want one."
Hidan shook his head, mumbling about idiots. "Kakuzu, you like shiny things, do you have a watch?"
"...Yeah."
"And?"
"It's time you shut up."
"It's time your face shut up!"
Deidara groaned audibly from the corner. "Why don't you both shut up?"
"Just cuz your face isn't-"
Deidara gave him a look.
"Gawd, what crawled up your #&," Hidan muttered.
Deidara didn't dignify with a response.
Zetsu got up and walked out of the room. He didn't particularly feel like listening to the shallow twitterings of an ordinary evening. (For the Akatsuki, of course.) And, having nowhere else to go, he ended up in his room. He'd been retreating there more than usual these days, the quiet seemed like a blessing.
Zets1 hadn't brought up Luna or Tsuki over the past few days. In fact, he'd been giving Zets2 a sort of silent treatment, except it wasn't working because he kept forgetting he was supposed to be acting on the cold shoulder.
Zets2 hadn't forgotten. He remained stubborn to his resolution, and had decided he had to somehow make Zets1 fall in love with her too.
Because relationships don't work if you don't give your all. (That is, if you leave half out.)
But at this particular moment, Zets1 was determinedly ignoring Zets2, so there was nothing to be done.
Something sounded from a nearby cave, causing Zets1 to jump. Which shouldn't make sense, as Zets2 didn't jump, but it has to make sense because otherwise we can't move on with the story. So onward we move.
"Calm down," Zets2 muttered. "The scary sound won't get you."
Zets1 scowled, but remained suspicious.
The sound turned into less of a sound, and more of a melody. It was a pleasant melody, to be sure. Zets2 smiled. "See, look, it's only Tsuki on her flute."
Zets1 continued to glare. "How do you know it's Tsuki? It could be Hidan. Or Deidara. He always did like girly things."
(In the Akatsuki lounge, Deidara looks up confusedly. "For some reason, I feel like punching Zetsu.") (1)
"Come on, they're all in the lounge."
"You don't know that."
"I know that Tsuki's room is right there."
"How do you know that??"
"Oh, please. She was walking in the other night."
"She could have been...exploring or something."
"Yup. With her duffle bag and everything else she brought."
Zets1 didn't say anything. Which zets2 didn't mind, because it meant he got to listen to Tsuki's flute. It wasn't a song he knew, but he didn't think he'd mind getting to know it.
He half expected Zets1 to interrupt, do something loud and obnoxious so he didn't have to listen to Tsuki's flute, but he didn't.
The next morning, there were pancakes for breakfast. No one was quite sure how they had gotten there, but there they were. (Not because they are magic pancakes. Because I am too lazy to specify how the Akatsuki got their hands on pancakes. ...You know what? Sure. They're magical pancakes. Magical blueberry pancakes)
Leader-san had made them all eat together, with the assurance that if they came they wouldn't have to come to dinner that night. So they all came.
They were good pancakes, Tsuki thought, they weren't bland; even when there was no blueberry in the bite. There was orange juice, too. (It wasn't magical orange juice. Leader-san had went out and gotten some. Yes, of course it was stolen. Rolls eyes)
Zetsu wasn't eating. Not that he normally would have ignored blueberry pancakes, (let alone magical blueberry pancakes), because everyone loves pancakes. And that includes weird bipolar plant beings. But Zets2 was just watching Tsuki and wondering how he was supposed to get Zets1 to love her, and Zets1 was worrying that Zets2 would succeed. He didn't like the idea of loving someone else. But Zets2 knew him better than anyone else. Which is no surprise. If anyone could suede him, it was Zets2.
It was just then that Kisame choked on a magical blueberry.
Itachi, who was sitting next to him, just rolled his eyes and kept eating.
"Gwaawp..." Kisame said, falling off his chair. (Gwaawp gwaawp gwaawp...Yay) (2)
Luna pulled a thin wooden rod from her robes (Akatsuki colored robes- Yay) and flicked it in Kisame's direction, and he sat up.
"You could have just let him die," Itachi told her, but he was grinning. (Just a little, though. This is still Itachi; married or not.)
Despite the fact that Kisame had just nearly choked to death, breakfast went on.
Except Tsuki wasn't really hungry any more.
"I'll... just excuse myself," She said to no one in particular, not really knowing if she was supposed to have permission. No one objected, however, so she stood up, pushed in her chair, and left the table. (The dishes are left on the table for whoever's on dish duty.)
"I'm finished too," Zets2 said, and hurried to get up.
"What the- I'm not!" Zets1 grumbled, trying to sit back down, resulting in what looked like a seizure.
"You haven't touched anything." Zets2 told him, and in the end he managed to drag himself after Tsuki.
Okay, a quick apology to anyone else who was thoroughly confused by that.
Tsuki didn't have a set destination in mind, she had thought she might just retreat to her room and read a magazine of Deidara's she'd borrowed. So that's where she was, in her room, sitting on a comfy looking chair Deidara'd acquired cough- stolen- cough for her. She had a portable CD player as well, courtesy of Itachi, who was throwing out his old one anyway. (He didn't, however, give up a single CD.) Which was, incase of confusion, playing at the moment.
And that's where she was when Zetsu poked his head in. (Zets1 was still grumbling about breakfast.)
"Oh, Hi, Zetsu!" Tsuki greeted him, gesturing that he should come in and taking out one of her headphones. "What brings you here?"
Zets1 rolled his eyes (eye.), But Zets2 shrugged. "Dunno." He said.
"Well, I don't suppose you'd like to stay a while, then," Tsuki offered, gesturing towards a chair. Zetsu took it.
Zets1 looked up, down, anywhere but at Tsuki, and Zets2 stared right at her. (Do I even need to point at the bizarre effect?) "Thanks," Zets2 said. Zets1 remained silent and disgruntled.
"Are you okay?" Tsuki asked, looking pointedly at Zets1. Zets2 shrugged.
"Sort of. Let him be."
"Okay, then," Tsuki said, but she still looked a little worried. Then she seemed to realize something. "Oh!" she said, and unplugged her earphones from the CD player sitting nearby. "I have speakers, actually, courtesy of Deidara! He gave them to me yesterday. I can play this out loud." She took another cord from a drawer and a pair of miniature speakers, and plugged the two into the C player. Hitting a few buttons, chords began.
Zets2 grinned. This was too perfect.
Zets1 grimaced. This was too perfect...
Tsuki was playing Linkin Park.
"So, you like Linkin Park?" Zets2 asked casually, but he knew Zets1 was listening.
"Yeah, they're one of my favorites," Tsuki said happily. "I bought this CD yesterday, Itachi let me tag along to the record store." (He was looking for The Clash)
"What a coincidence," Zets2 smirked. "Zets1 likes Linkin Park as well."
"Zetswho?"
"Him." (Zets2 pointed)
"Oh."
(What would YOU call your other half person?)
"Zets...1," Tsuki said, rather confused by the use of numbers and rather relieved for a way to address them. "You like Linkin Park?"
Zets1 glared at her sarcastically. "No, Zets2 was lying."
"You were lying?" Tsuki turned her surprised gaze to Zets2.
"Of course he wasn't," Zets1 exclaimed in exasperation.
"Then you do like Linkin Park."
"...And what if I do."
"Well, that's great! It's always fun to find people who like the same things as you."
"I suppose," Zets1 said stiffly, but Zets2 was satisfied. He'd break... just you wait... (And at the very moment I type that, 'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs' by fall out boy comes on and sings 'I'm gonna make it bend and break'. Pheh.)
A couple more days passed, Hidan continued to be a freak, Itachi continued to be alive and well, Kisame continued to suck at ping-pong worse than Hidan, Deidara continued hanging around Tsuki whatever chance he was given, and Zets2 continued to drag a resisting Zets1 into the pit of despair known as 'love'. Oh, yes, and Tobi found a dragonfly, somehow put a leash on it, and had been tugging it along with him and calling it martin.
Despite of himself, Zets1 had lately noticed the small things, little habits that Tsuki had. She would sing to herself when there wasn't any music playing. Once he even saw her dancing. She snorted a little when she laughed. It made her seem Human. But he didn't particularly feel like eating her. He had felt like eating Luna. But he hadn't wanted to eat her, too. Was that how this was? No. Tsuki didn't look particularly tasty. She looked more like something decorative that only looks like food.
Kind of like the stuffed deer above the mantle.
And he supposed she did have nice hair. ...A little bit.
"So," Zets2 asked him one evening, as they sat beside each other (duh) on the stained sofa near the dried paint splotch, "Can I like her yet?"
"What?" Zets1 had been half asleep, dreaming Tobi had turned his and Zets2's room into a petting zoo.
"Tsuki," Zets2 said. "Can I like her now?"
Zets1 stared a minute, before remembering. "No." He said stubbornly.
"Well, that's unfair." Zets2 paused a moment. "And I doubt you're only jealous."
"Wait, what?" Zets1 said incredulously.
"How come I can't like her, but you can?"
"Now you're just playing with me. I refuse to answer."
"You're avoiding the point."
"No, I'm avoiding you, freakazoid."
"Vice versa. Now out with it."
"That's not even a saying."
"Does it need to be?"
"Yes."
"No use crying over spilt milk, then, I suppose." Zets2 said through slightly gritted teeth.
Zets1 didn't answer.
"So, then, I can like her." Zets2 said, sounding as though he were positive.
"Certainly not!" Zets1 said loudly, attracting the attending of a rather befuddled Hidan, who was feeling slightly tipsy from losing blood faster than he could regenerate. (I assume he has no problem with blood loss, but if he got rid of it to quick it might make him lightheaded...)
"What?" Zets1 commanded, and Hidan turned back to where he'd been pricking himself out of nervous habit. (It's like twiddling your thumbs, only emo!)
"So I can't like her?"
"Yes."
"Yes, I can like her?"
"No, yes you can't like her!"
"So... no, yes. Yes I can like her?"
"No!"
"No what?"
"Stop that!"
"No."
"Gaah!"
Now, at this moment, but over on a different sofa, two more people sat contentedly, watching the flames from the roughly created fireplace entwine merrily with each other.
"You know," Luna said suddenly. "The smaller log, there," -she pointed into the fire- "Looks a bit like a lizard."
Itachi looked at the fire, where Luna's fingers seemed to lead.
He turned his head.
He squinted.
"It might." He said finally, giving up.
Luna smiled vaguely. "I don't know if I ever told you, there's a Salamander known to my world that lives in fire. They're so heat resistant that not only does it not bother them, they enjoy it."
Itachi couldn't help but smile as well. "I don't think you ever did tell me that one," He said. "Surprisingly enough." She was so... He didn't even know anymore. Had there ever been a time when words could describe Luna Lovegood? He reached out instinctively and pulled her towards him, so he was supporting her. She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder.
And of course Deidara chooses this moment to come and break the lovely Lunitachi fluff this fanficiton had been lacking.
"Hey."
Itachi looked up, keeping his arm rested around Luna's shoulders. "Hey." He returned the greeting. Luna looked up as well. Deidara looked over at her.
"Luna," He said. "I need a favor. Can you come with me?"
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly, out of reflex. Deidara noticed, and laughed, acidity coloring his amusement. "You flatter me. How could I have a chance, even?"
Itachi didn't answer, or show that he'd heard in any way other than to slide his arm from around Luna.
She pulled herself nimbly to her feet, and with a final stroke of Itachi's hand, followed Deidara from the room.
Once the two were a passage or two down from the lounge, where they could not be overheard, Deidara turned and stopped her. Luna looked up at him expectantly, and he recognized rather nostalgically the look of revived trust he thought he might not deserve. Oh well.
Deidara pulled from inside his cloak (Yay inside pockets!) a small, decorative envelope. He looked at it peculiarly, and then at Luna. "Can you give this to someone for me," He asked.
"It depends entirely on who you imply." Luna replied considerately.
"Tsuki, actually," Deidara explained, and held out the envelope for her to receive.
Luna took the envelope and flipped it over. Sure enough, written in an untidy script, was Tsuki's name. "Are you giving her a love letter?" Luna asked innocently, with the strange ability she had to see clearly.
Deidara opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. "Yes," he said finally. "I suppose that's what this is."
"You should give it to her yourself," Luna told him, holding it back out.
Slight frustrating perked. "Yes, but then I'd have to be there as she read it, and that's not on my list."
"But not being there seems insincere, to some people. Delivering it yourself is... more traditional, I suppose." Luna gestured again that he should take back the envelope.
"If you don't give it to her I'll throw it away."
Luna watched his face a minute, and shook her head. "You wouldn't throw it away. Why won't you give it to her, though?"
Deidara frowned. This wasn't the topic he wanted, nor the person he wanted to discuss this with.
"You don't have to say," Luna assured him, but she didn't turn to leave.
"I don't want..." Deidara began, and paused. "I don't want her to hand it back to me." He finalized delicately.
Luna somewhere realized that she might have been responsible for the hesitation, but let that go, as this was a conversation for support, instead of apologies. "You could go halfway," Luna suggested, "And leave it somewhere for her to find, and then there wouldn't be the medium of asking someone else to deliver."
Deidara was quiet a moment. "I suppose." He took back the envelope, hesitantly, as though he were signing his soul to the devil. Which I'm pretty sure he did years ago.
"Do you love her?" Luna asked, as he tucked away the envelope with resignation.
"That's a rather personal question."
"Is it?" Luna asked. "I didn't mean to pry, then." She turned at last to regain her place beside the fire, and as she walked away from him, Deidara smiled slightly to himself.
"Yeah, I love her!" He called, just loud enough.
Luna smiled.
Tsuki sighed. Today had been exhausting, the mission she had been sent to tag along on had been merely reconnaissance, but had included getting there. Which was about seven miles each way, and she'd had to go fast as she could manage to keep up. Which she couldn't anyway. So she'd slowed everyone else down, which had simply lowered the spirits of everyone and risen the tempers.
However, it was over now, and she was sprawled across an armchair watching the ceiling. Her legs were sore and tired, but she felt accomplished. At least she'd been doing something, whether or not it was helpful. She probably wouldn't be sent on any more missions.
She hoisted herself up at long last and walked...or limped, I suppose...towards her CD player, sitting on her bedstand table. She sat down on her bed and dug out her CD case, taking out the one she waned. She balanced that one CD on her knee, and opened her CD player.
Inside was a folded, decorated (slightly) envelope.
Tsuki pulled it out, and set her CD player back on the bedstand. She unfolded it, opened it, and smoothed out the note inside.
Dear Tsuki, It began.
As Tsuki's eyes scanned the relatively short message, a hysterical blush seemed to seep from somewhere around her ears and washed through her expression. The CD on her knee fell with a clatter to the floor, and Tsuki barely noticed. (Don't worry, it wasn't scratched)
Voices from the nearby hallway, Tsuki barely heard them.
"I could walk you to your room."
"That's okay, go on ahead. There's something I need to take care of anyway."
"Alright. Goodnight, then."
A brief pause.
"Goodnight."
Tsuki, back in her frantic stupor, only looked up when there was a knock on the side of her open doorway. Luna was in the doorway, relatively unsurprised by Tsuki's current expression. (Somewhere between choking and on fire.)
"Are you alright?" She asked, coming in without invitation.
Tsuki nodded helplessly. "Only I just got a letter."
"Deidara?"
Tsuki nodded again.
"Are you going to return his feelings?"
Tsuki didn't do anything. She seemed to be struggling with some internal foe. "Give me some time to think about it." she said at last.
Luna nodded. "Just thought you might like someone to talk to."
Tsuki smiled in appreciation, but the smile didn't reach her eyes, which were still pondering the message in her hands.
And by morning (Not Luna's fault.) the news had spread of Deidara's letter. The whole Akatsuki knew. Yup. Turns out Kisame had been messing in what business wasn't his once again.
"Hey Deidara."
"Hey..."
"-Snicker-"
Deidara narrowed his eyes. Hidan giggled some more. (Yes, giggled.) He opened his mouth as though to say something, and ended up just laughing. Deidara walked away, with a bad feeling about the day.
And walking into the lounge that morning turned out to be the worst decision he'd ever made. (Well...)
Everyone stared at him, excepting Zetsu, who was in his flytrap, Tsuki, who was gratefully somewhere else, and Luna, who was reading a book.
Then someone (Kakuzu) yelled, "Oh my god, you wrote her a freakin' love letter!" and most everyone was laughing. Except Luna, who didn't find it all that funny, and Itachi, who wanted to, but had a feeling he wasn't in a position to make fun. (Y'know, married and all. Woah.)
Hidan walked in after Deidara, still laughing, and whacked Deidara playfully on the back. "You think you're smooth, eh?" he choked out.
Deidara was stiffer than he could ever remember being, and wanted desperately to turn around and run as far away as he could, but had a bit too much pride for that. He moved his feet, stapled to the ground though they were, and sat in a deserted chair, and ignored the oncoming jabs by use of grabbing the nearest magazine.
He managed to uphold his dignity all day, despite the fact that the only thing that went right was that Tsuki managed to stay in her room all day. Things went wrong, though, including an issue of his favorite magazine not showing up when he had expected it, a 'care package' from his mother showed up then of ALL days, and happened to include a stuffed rabbit he'd had when he was about three, (with a note attached- 'thought you might want this') and tonight was an Akatsuki dinner, so he had to spend the evening in company as well. With every hour, his rage and general emotion became harder to suppress.
As I mentioned earlier, Zetsu was in his flytrap. Why? Well, Zets2 was depressed, because Deidara had gotten there first, and Zets1 claimed to have a headache. He'd been crabby all morning.
"Do you think she'll say yes?" Zets2 mumbled mournfully for the tenth time, and Zets1 bristled. Again.
"Of course not. Why the-" Zets1 swore "-would she say yes to the son of a-" more swearing.
"Well... He has nice hair. And is handsomer. And generally makes a better impression. And you're always rude to her. And-"
"Don't you dare pin this on me." Zets1 hissed with such force that Zets2 actually stopped.
The two sulked together in silence for a good half hour, before Zets2 spoke again.
"She'll say yes." He said, his tone portraying a great deal of held emotion. "She'll say yes, and every day he'll kiss her good morning and then again every night. They'll hold hands. And they'll hug each other." His voice was thick, hiding tears or whatever it is plants cry.
"You shouldn't." Zets1 whispered hoarsely. He didn't manage to say anything else.
"And you know what the worst part is?" Zets2 said haltingly.
Zets1 didn't say anything.
"She won't hug us." His voice broke, and, although Zets1 couldn't see them, he felt the tears (or whatever it is plants cry) slip past whatever border held them. He closed the flytraps slightly tighter, so no one would see. And just sat there while zets2 cried quietly. (so that's what only one of them crying looks like.)
Dinner came. Deidara looked down at his plate, ignoring the periodic glances in his direction. No one was saying anything; they could sense his tension and were suppressing grins, wondering when he would break.
Deidara was in turmoil. He was almost as bad as Zetsu, who sat at the table, but only barely opened his flytrap. (He would have closed it, but Pein insisted.) He wanted to cry, but he knew that he wasn't supposed to. Crying wasn't acceptable among men. Or murderers. Women could cry, if they wanted to, and no one thought less of them. But men had to hold their grief, because that was the strong thing to do. And so he held his frustration, his helplessness.
Tsuki would laugh as well, to go along with the crowd if nothing else. She would tell him no, and he would forever be a laughing stock.
He wished he'd never given her that letter.
Itachi sighed. This was way to quiet. "Pass the turkey." He said, turning to Luna.
Luna passed the turkey, and eventually babbly broke out among the wanted men.
Dinner was a slow process, and time slowed as much as it ever had before. And at the end of the dinner, Deidara needed to go. Anywhere. He stood up abruptly, the first of the men to rise, and made his way out into the hall.
To his horror, Tsuki excused herself and followed him. (Not knowing the whole Akatsuki had figured it out.)
A little ways down the hall, Tsuki stepped up to the fleeing Deidara, grabbed his sleeve to stop him. "D-deidara," she began.
"Shut up." Deidara whispered, in the voice a kicked puppy might use. "Go away."
Tsuki stopped, confused. "What?" she asked cautiously.
"Go away!" Deidara said, louder, and all the emotion he'd bottled up poured through his expression and left Tsuki stunned. She realized she'd dropped her hand from his cloak; she lifted it back to comfort him.
"Don't touch me!" He nearly yelled, in a strangled, hurt voice. He slapped her hand away, with more force than was necessary, and turned tail.
Tsuki stood in the hall, feeling very alone, and very sad. She lifted a hand to her face, she hadn't realized, but somewhere tears had started. She hadn't meant to hurt him like that. And she didn't even know how she'd done it.
Now, a quick lapse into what the Akatsuki was doing- eavesdropping, of course.
Zetsu was listening closest of all, buds of hope and resentment to his own desire to see Deidara pushed back and away blossoming. (Wouldn't that be funny if he actually had flowers growing on him?)
Luna listened as well. She didn't know quite what to do, but knew one thing. Someone had to stop the rest of the Akatsuki from making the situation worse. She pulled out her wand. Itachi raised an eyebrow, and she gestured towards the Akatsuki to show she was going to stop them.
Luna stepped out of the room, bringing Itachi with her, and raised her wand to seal off the room so the rest of them couldn't escape, but she saw Zetsu's face. (He had his flytrap opened a little wider)
She let him out as well.
And ignored everyone else.
Deidara fled as far as he could, gaining speed as he gained distance. (I hate science) He finally broke, stumbled, fell, and propped himself up against a rock. He looked at the blossoming stars in the barely dark sky, and cried.
No one could hear him, or reach him here. So he cried. He holed himself up and cried, for everything that had happened, for everything he'd said, for everything he'd ever done. He cried because he had been ridiculed. He cried because he felt alone. He cried because he couldn't seem to hold on to anything. But most of all, he cried because he had acted to horribly to Tsuki. She hadn't deserved that. She hadn't deserved to have been brought into the Akatsuki at all, that was his fault too.
He cried until his tears dried, and his breathing evened. He cried until he couldn't anymore. He looked back into the sky, feeling empty, but on the whole, better.
Hasn't anyone told you? A good cry had healing powers.
Someone touched his back, he turned, startled, and Luna stood behind him. He looked away.
She sat down beside him. "I'm sorry," she murmured, and put her hand on his arm. They just sat there, and Deidara was reminded of his old babysitter. She had been...interesting. Taught him all he knew. (Hence Akatsuki. Get the gist?) But he'd respected her, even loved her. (Oh, can it, he was like eight.) When he got hurt, she never apologized or fussed, she'd just put her hand on his head and wait till he swallowed the pain and then move on.
And after a while, Luna spoke again. "Do you want to talk to Tsuki?" she asked, and he shook his head.
"I screwed up." He said. "I screwed the whole thing up."
"Yes," she said. "But we all do that, don't we."
"I blew it, though. That's it, isn't it. I don't get a second chance." He said this more to himself than to Luna, and smiled grimly. "I screwed up." He repeated resignedly.
Luna shook her head. "That's for you to decide." She held out her hand. "Let's go back to the caves. You can't live here."
Deidara sighed. He took her hand, and as she led him back to the cave entrance where Itachi stood waiting, and decidedly not mocking, she whispered to him.
"Tis better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all."
Tsuki, during this episode, was not quite as bad as Deidara; but had wound up a lot of courage to come talk to him and was surprised and sad that she had been treated so roughly, and very confused, which amplified the whole thing. She walked numbly down the hall, to go to her bedroom and mull thing over, but was stopped halfway there. It was Zetsu.
She hastily tried to cover her eyes to hide the tear stains she was sure were there, but Zetsu just held her arm down. And so, instead of hiding her tears, they started again even harder. She didn't know why. But suddenly she was crying, the way she hadn't done for years, she thought, and buried her head instinctively in Zetsu's cloak.
Zetsu put his arms around her, and tried to be comforting while having no clue if it was working.
When Tsuki had finished crying, (which didn't take that long, if you give Deidara's spiel a thought), She at first didn't move. Because it had occurred to her just then that she was very comfortable.
Peeking up, sure enough, it was Zetsu who was beside her.
She looked back down and stayed where she was.
Zetsu, whilst holding Tsuki, was having a silent conversation with himself. And by such I mean they were talking quietly enough that they were the only ones who could hear. Such close proximity helps.
"Please?"
Zets1 didn't say anything. He was looking down at Tsuki, who was shaking slightly.
"You can't stand to see her like that."
Zets1 continued to watch her.
"We could keep her..."
Zets1 looked frustratedly down at the girl in their arms. She seemed smaller, somehow, than she had been. Well, he supposed, someone needed to make sure she didn't get hurt.
"Please?" Zets2 repeated. "Please, Zets1..."
Zets1 mumbled something so quietly that not even Zets2 could hear.
"Mm?" Zets2 whispered with baited breath.
"Yes." Zets1 said finally. "Yes, please, let's keep her."
Zets2 broke into such a large smile that I don't want to explain about half a face vs. the whole face. He pulled Tsuki a little bit closer.
And Zets1 mirrored.
That night, there were a few things out of the ordinary. Zetsu stayed in Tsuki's room, to keep her company. (It was her request, but Zetsu was more than happy to comply.) Luna didn't want Deidara to have to be alone, and offered to stay with him. Deidara had agreed, because he didn't want to be alone either. Itachi came too, because there was no way in hell he was letting them spend the night together alone. Deidara didn't fuss, he knew he wouldn't get a word in anyway. Tobi, actually, ended up coming in, in the middle of the night complaining of nightmares, but no one bought it. Deidara was grateful, however.
Konan, who hasn't been mentioned for a while, ended up sleeping with the rest of the Akatsuki, forgotten in the dining room.
And that's the peaceful ending. Maybe not so happy, as once again poor Deidara had his heart broken. But, as consolation, Tsuki and Zetsu ended up officially dating a week or two later, and lived happily ever after.
Mischief managed.
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(1) Naruto abridged reference ahoy!
(2) Gwaawp... an acquaintance on Deviantart gave me license to use this idea. I just liked it. (It tickled mah fancy.)
...sniff
I'm sorry, Deidara.
I'll make up for it...somehow...
Alright, despite my horrible treatment of a certain ninja, what did you think?