He could not believe he had stabbed his partner. Not only had he hurt Kakuzu, the one man in the world who could actually tolerate him, but he had caused Kakuzu to collapse, thus putting a burden on himself, as he had had to carry a 135 pound, 6 foot 1 Kakuzu all the way back to the nearest village, and all the way up into the hotel room.

On the way back, Kakuzu's condition had worsened, and his breathing became labored. He was in a cold sweat, and he just Wasn't. Waking. UP.

Hidan had set Kakuzu on the bed was they were in a hotel room, and had begun to assess the situation. He wasn't very skilled with medicine, not as much as Kakuzu of course, but he knew the basics, like how to stave off infection, how to stitch a wound, and yatta-yatta-yatta.

But that didn't mean that doing all that wasn't a pain in the fucking ass.

Hidan really wasn't looking forward to it.

He was NOT looking forward to touching Kakuzu's bear skin, and he was NOT looking forward to fixing the wound that Kakuzu had carelessly and sloppily closed up with his tentacles.

Haha. Tentacles. Hidan swore those tentacles would kill him someday.

They probably carry some kind of infection or something on them.

Do they?

Hidan continued to stand in the middle of the room, pondering about where he thought Kakuzu's tentacles came from.

Oh, yeah, forgot about Kakuzu, haha. Hidan walked over. Blood had soaked though his cloak and shirt, which means the wound re-opened.

Hidan stood there. What was he supposed to do now?

Take of his shirt?

Hidan absolutely hated the idea. Hidan tried to avoid getting within 3 feet of the man, let alone taking his clothes off and touching his bare skin. Had he ever seen Kakuzu with his shirt off?

Nooo.

Hidan stood there for a good two minutes, before curiosity and the urgency of the wound got the best of him.

"Okay, Kakuzu, I'm gonna need you to sit up for me, buddy." Hidan pulled him up into a sitting position, before grabbing for his mask.

He hesitated.

He'd never seen Kakuzu's face. What should he expect? An old man face? That's what Kakuzu was. An old man. Hidan chuckled to himself, obviously amused by his own comment. He pulled it off slowly, and dropped Kakuzu back on the pillow.

"Ka…kakuzu?"

Kakuzu didn't…he didn't look…91…He looked…wel 30…40 at most. Hidan was bewildered. Why did Kakuzu hid his face? He wasn't ugly. The stitches weren't ugly. So why wear the mask all the time? Now that Hidan thought about it, Kakuzu wasn't that ugly at all. If anything, the stitches were kind of a turn-on.

Hidan's eyes widened.

"WHAT?!" Hidan slapped himself. What the hell was he talking about? Kakuzu's stitches a turn-on? Like hell. What was he talking about? His stomach was sort of coiled…wait, no, no, he wasn't gay. Was he bi? No, he wasn't…at least he didn't think so…

He shook his head, and pulled Kakuzu's shirt of. He tended the wound, cleaning it up, wiping the damp rag across Kakuzu's tan skin, hands lingering a little longer than they should have.

The blackness of the stitches really did compliment the tanness of his skin…Hidan was beginning to disgust himself. He knew he wasn't gay, even Kakuzu knew he wasn't gay.

Hidan pulled the needle through Kakuzu's skin, finishing up the last of the stitch-work he was doing. Kakuzu had done it hastily, but he had taken his time, and closed it properly. And picked up the damp cloth again, just to remove the excess blood that had spilled when he'd closed the wound back up.

"Hidan, I don't think there's any more blood left."

"AH!" Hidan jumped out of his skin, sliding of the bed, and landing hard on the floor. "Owwww….What? Kakuzu? Oh, you're awake, haha," Hidan was fumbling, trying to get the right words, totally embarrassed that Kakuzu had caught him doing something so…ackward. "Oh, yeah, I was just, uh,"

"Rubbing me."

"No! I was just, making sure, I uh,"

"You were rubbing me."

"NO! I WASN'T! I was just making sure the blood was gone, then I started thinking, then I just forgot about what I was doing, and, and….wow….this is totally embarrassing, haha." Hidan rubbed the back of his head, blushing, obviously embarrassed about being caught to such a shameful thing.

"Whatever." Kakuzu went to stand.

"Wait! Don't stand up yet!"

"Why?"

"I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Kakuzu stared at him suspiciously for a few moments before relaxing and continuing to sit on the bed. He looked down at his stomach blankly. "I suppose this is your handiwork."

"Yeah, so? What's wrong with it, huh?"

"Nothing. It's good."

"Huh?" Hidan, taken completely off guard by one of Kakuzu's rare compliments, gave a bewildered look. Usually Kakuzu criticizes everything he does. Rarely does Kakuzu give compliments like that. He was actually quite proud of himself now. He smiled proudly.

"Yeah, I guess it is, I mean-"

"Shut up."

Hidan glared. "Fine!"

He sat their glaring at Kakuzu. Kakuzu glared back. They sat there like that for a few minutes, before Hidan finally broke eye contact. Kakuzu had a thing where, if he stared at you with his green pupil things for a while, it was like he was looking into your soul, right through you. Hidan hated it.

Kakuzu stood. Hidan jumped up.

"Kakuzu! Careful!" Hidan rushed over, but didn't reach out to help. He didn't want to get swatted away. He usually only offered help when he was sure Kakuzu needed it.

Kakuzu punched Hidan.

"Ow! What the fuck you bastard! What the hell was that for?!"

"For stabbing me! Thank you for fixing me, too, by the way."

"Fuck you, you faggot!"

"I'm the faggot," Kakuzu replied calmly, a smirk on his face, "I wasn't the one rubbing me, Hidan."

Hidan turned pink. "I was not rubbing you! I already told you what happened!"

"You were rubbing me, I could feel it, stupid! You were rubbing me! On purpose."

"No! I wasn't!"

"You're a fag, Hidan."

"No I'm not! I wouldn't sleep with you even if I wanted too! :p"

"Why, what's wrong with me?"

Hidan went pink again. "Well, nothing, actually!"

"What, is it the stitches?"

"No! There's nothing wrong with them, I mean, uh," Hidan was becoming flustered, "if anything, they're kinda sexy."

"You just called my stitches sexy." Kakuzu had played him.

Hidan's eyes widened. "I, I, well I…"Hidan's face reddened slightly, and he began fuming, "Well so what!? I think they're sexy! There! I said it! I do!I think you're sexy!" Hidan stuck out his tongue, utterly angry at how Kakuzu could manipulate him so easily.

"You just called me sexy."

Hidan twitched, and his face reddened even more. "I…well…uh….oh fuck…." Hidan was at a loss.

"Embarrased?" Kakuzu asked, amused at his partner. Oh, how he loved to manipulate him.

Hidan nodded.

"That's okay, don't be," Kakuzu smirked, pulling up his mask so Hidan didn't take notice, "I think you're sexy too." And with that, he left for the bathroom, smirking in amusement the whole time.

"What?" The bathroom door shut and locked. Hidan sat there, bewildered. Kakuzu thought he was sexy, too? For a minute he was actually quite proud of himself, but it went away quickly.

Didn't Kakuzu just call him a fag?

And now he thinks he sexy? Hidan's stomach coiled slightly, half of him was sort of excited.

Aroused.

But another half was like, ewwwww…half of him knew it was wrong to do that with Kakuzu. But like he said, the other half was aroused. Excited by the idea of being dominated by his partner…

Wait, what? Him? Dominated? Ha! Like hell. Hidan wouldn't be dominated by a creepy-old-asshole like Kakuzu. The idea revolted him. Then why was he aroused?

Hidan felt the blood start to flow downward, so he slapped himself and stood up, to avoid a problem. He walked to the kitchen. What had gotten into him lately? The feelings he was having were not pleasant. He was happy that Kakuzu was finally warming up to him, and they had been socializing more.

But he hadn't had these feelings until today.

Maybe it was just basic human need. Everybody gets them sometimes, right? But for their partners? Or another male no less?

Hidan didn't think it was normal for him to want Kakuzu like this. He was close to needing him. Maybe he hit his head during the battle?

Hidan finished making his sandwich and sat down. Maybe food would make it better…

Kakuzu winced, the warm water stinging the wound. He knew it needed cleaned, but boy, did he hate the sensation it brought with it.

Kakuzu could hear Hidan in the kitchen. Eating, no less. Kakuzu smirked. He did have shitloads of fun manipulating Hidan. He did it all the time, starting arguments, making him embarrassed, and that idiot never even noticed he was being played. Well, he rarely noticed, anyway. Kakuzu usually only did it when the bastard was getting on his nerves, or, when he was just flat out bored.

The way he played Hidan today, was, mean. He admitted it. It had been a little cruel, but he like being cruel.

Sadistic.

It pleased him. He hadn't made all of that stuff up, either. Hidan had been rubbing him, tracing his abdominal muscles and the such, he was positive about that, which was strange, because Hidan, knowing better, usually avoided coming within three feet of him if possible. Not to mention he knew for a fact, after talking with Hidan, that he was not gay.

And when Hidan had called him sexy, Kakuzu had been take completely off guard. Although he didn't show it.

But did he really think Hidan was sexy. Or had that been a lie? Kakuzu briefly assumed that it had been a lie, but, the more he thought about it, the more true it was.

Kakuzu wasn't a fag, he knew that, but, he was a selective bi. Which means that, given the right circumstances, and the right male, it wouldn't completely revolt him to fuck another man, but Hidan?

Hidan was annoying, and stupid, and a million other things, that Kakuzu did not like. Kakuzu sighed. Hidan had been acting strangely. Maybe he just felt bad for what he had done. But that didn't explain why he was rubbing Kakuzu and why he had called him sexy.

Kakuzu shrugged, not wanting to pursue the subject further. Just trying to relax.

But it did eat at him. Okay, maybe he wanted to find out.