"Pein, we need to talk" he said in an unuasually flat, husky tone. The ginger facing him furrowed his brow.

"Madara", he replied, unimpressed. "It's been quite a while since you've revealed yourself..."

The Uchiha scoffed, taking his mask off.

"What change does it make whether or not I present myself as Tobi or Madara to you? Even though the rest of the organization pictures me as the new guy, our goals remain the same, don't they?"

Pein nodded in agreement. "Indeed. However, I figured out something was bounded to change by now. Have you talked to Deidara so far?" The pierced man fixed Madara, who was now shifting uncomfortably.

"I haven't told him what my place in Akatsuki's hierarchy was yet…" he answered in a low voice, adverting the concentric pattern of Pein's eyes.

"You and I both know it isn't worth risking it. Not for a crush" Pein affirmed coldly. Madara looked up, sharingan spinning angrily.

"Deidara's more than a crush to me!" he blurted out. The ginger shook his head in disdain.

"Get out of this fairy tale you've set, Madara. Even if you care for the boy, what proof do you have that he feels the same for you?" The raven-haired man was now glaring daggers at his assistant.

"He knows I'll always be there to comfort him and that I care, and that's enough for me" he retorted. Pein flapped his arms once in exasperation.

"And what about when he'll find somebody else?" he snapped. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Pein heaved a sigh before looking back up at Madara, his voice a little softer.

"Madara… I know you care for him, but both of us know that everlasting love is just a myth. What if he decides to leave Akatsuki one day? I know you won't take killing him as an option. What will happen the day you break up?"

Madara was now facing the floor, his hands curled into fists. He knew Pein was right, but that didn't mean he had to be okay with it.

"Pein, you know I'm not the kind of man that abandons himself this easily to his heart's desires. If I chose Deidara, that means he's up to my standards, and we both know how difficult I can be."

Pein stood still, incredulous.

"Do you mean you're capable of risking everything we've worked so hard to build for years just because of your said passion for a man?" he asked hoarsely.

Madara turned to leave, but stopped just as he reached for the door's handle.

"It was my passion that inspired me to create Akatsuki in the first place."

Pein stood dumbstruck in his now empty office, questions buzzing in his mind.

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Deidara sighed contently. He felt much more comfortable in his usual pants and fishnet shirt rather than a tight kimono. Now all he need was to have his voice back and everything would be perfect.



He sat on the edge of his bed, thoughtful. He had the vague impression that something was wrong with Tobi, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He didn't even understand why he felt this way: the masked man had been his usual cheerful self (in a puerile way) ever since they'd left Oak village.

But it seemed like he was trying too hard… Why?

Tobi, who usually avoided getting his sempai too annoyed (for he knew when he was toeing the line) was now using every pretext to tease him or to be overprotective. Even after they'd expressed their feelings to each other, both men had left their partner some space to breathe, but during their return Tobi had cling to Deidara like if they were Siamese twins.

Maybe he has some reason to be afraid… But if that's the case, why didn't he put me in the picture? Or maybe it's just me worrying for nothing…

The bomber was abruptly brought out of his musings by the sound of the door opening with a soft click. That was pretty unusual; Tobi had a knack for entering rooms with a lot of slamming and racket, thank you very much. But what if it wasn't him?

Deidara twisted himself to look back. Yes, it was Tobi all right. Deidara was appalled that his partner's face was bare and that he was wearing a very grim expression. This foretold nothing good.

"Deidara…" Tobi's tone was husky and weary, and all of a sudden he seemed like he had aged of a few decades in half an hour. Deidara knew about the Uchiha's double personality, by he was still uncomfortable while being confronted to this new facet. It was like speaking to a stranger, and he couldn't help wondering whether or not he really knew anything about Tobi anymore. His gaze lingered on Tobi's single sharingan, waiting for him to muster the courage to speak to him, or at least approach him.

Tobi sighed deeply and came to sit next to Deidara on the bed. He buried his nose into the soft blond hair and inhaled its soft musky perfume. He didn't want to talk, neither did Deidara force him. They enjoyed the moment, the young artist cradled in the other man's arms, breathing softly with half-lidded eyes.

Tobi gave a tiny cough, decided to make the first step if Deidara wasn't going to ask for answers.

"Deidara", he repeated a little more straightforwardly, "we can consider ourselves a couple now, can't we?" Deidara turned to face him and gave him a small nod. Tobi smiled weakly.

"You know how much I care for you, don't you?" Another nod. "I was thinking… maybe I wasn't making enough of an effort to open myself up to you, and you've shared so much with me… I figured out now was the time to have a serious conversation about who I really am."

Deidara blinked. His doubts upon his acquaintance of Tobi had proved themselves true.

"I didn't want to tell you this much about my identity because I was aware of the risks of you knowing too much. It would've been dangerous at the time and still is now, but I can't carry on hiding stuff from you. I love you too much."

The bomber's attention was captivated by Tobi's every word. He was disturbed by the apparent gravity of the situation, but this feeling was impeded by his ever-present curiosity.

"Deidara… I'm not just yet another pawn of Akatsuki. I'm its true Leader."

Deidara froze. He had expected some important fact about Tobi's past or present life, but this was huge. If he hadn't been so touched by his lover's attitude, he would've been waiting to remind Tobi that he was four months late for April fool's day.



Unable to stand the pressuring silence, Tobi reached for Deidara's neck, making the blond recoil at first until he remembered the seal freezing his vocal cords was placed there. Tobi concentrated his chakra into his finger tips before pressing them expertly upon his partner's skin.

Deidara screamed. His throat was scalding around Tobi's fingers, and the effort of crying out loud after remaining mute until now was torturing him. Once he was done, the raven-haired man retrieved his hand hastily to support the close-to-blacking-out Deidara, whose body was already falling limply backwards. Tobi panicked a little, struggling to lie his lover down under the bed sheets.

"Deidara?" he asked quietly, a little worried. The blond only groaned faintly.

"Don't worry, Madara, it's normal for him to be a little worn-out." Tobi twirled in alert when his eyes fell on Pein, whose voice was surprisingly comforting. The brunet's eyebrows quirked questioningly when the pierced man failed to explain the reason of his unexpected visit. Pein, however, stepped calmly towards him, carrying on his little speech in a care-free way.

"I've asked Zetsu to bring a few herbal remedies to soothe the pain. This seal was pretty powerful, and I think you should've proceeded gradually instead of delivering Deidara from it all in once."

"Pein, not that I mind, but what the hell are you doing here?" Tobi asked curtly. Pein took in a deep breath and locked his eyes with the other man's.

"Madara, it's just… I realized that you've never really had anybody to count on after fleeing Konoha. After I lost my parents, I still had Konan and Yahiko out there for me, and then Jiraya-sensei. The way you care for Deidara, I understood you needed him for support. As long as it doesn't ruin our projects, I won't get in your way." Pein said in an even, monotonous voice, as if his fellow's years of insufferable loneliness were meager problems to him. Must be too proud to apologize, but I don't mind anyway, Tobi thought.

"I appreciate your change of hearts" Tobi muttered. Suspicious as it is…

Pein inclined his head in acknowledgement before leaving the room.

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As guarantied, Zetsu had brought Deidara a couple of vials of various potions and a few teabags containing tisanes of his own confection. He assured Tobi that all Deidara needed was a few days of rest and healthy nourishment before returning to his usual fitness. Tobi expressed all his gratitude to his former mentor as the latter wrote down all his instructions concerning Deidara's medication before going back to his greenhouse.

Finally alone with his lover, Tobi rested behind Deidara, holding the blonde's narrow waist firmly. Deidara stirred, moaning softly. He slowly turned around to face the brunet, his eyes barely opened.

"Tobi…" he managed to breathe out. Tobi delicately brushed a few strands of hair away from the blonde's cheek.

"Take it easy, sempai. Try to get some more sleep, and I'll wake you for dinner."

"Sempai… why would you call me that?... You're the real leader, after all…"

Tobi felt a little nervous as to the twist their conversation was having but relaxed at his lover's small smile.

"It's okay… I've hidden things from you too… I just wanted to know what else you've got tell me."



"Deidara, you really ought to rest, you're-" Tobi was cut short by Deidara's stern glare. With a sigh, he went on with what felt like a late presentation of himself.

"My real name is Uchiha Madara, from Konohagakure…"