Itachi had long since gotten use to the sight of dark clouds and stars and scattered lights of unrecognizable cities below. Yet he couldn't bring himself to focus on the book he had in his hands and stared out the window instead. Where were they going? What language would he have to learn phrases for? Would Deidara revert back to how he had been in Japan and Greece? He had lived in Deidara's castle for three months and had learned to speak enough 'caveman' German to get by with the help of his housemates. He had even begun to learn English, though he found the language complicated to pair with German because of several similar sounding words. So long as no one said anything relatively complicated, he could carry on a conversation with the other humans and Rose. With Deidara's bemused permission, he had packed an English phrasebook, a few dictionaries, and some of the books he was studying with from the library with his clothing in the sturdy suitcase Deidara had gotten him. Rose had laid on his bed with her bare feet swinging above her as he had packed, commenting on what he should take. She never got to travel, she explained morosely, due to the laws among werewolves unless she was forfeiting her place in the Pack. Not, at least, until she was grown. Both were disappointed to learn that the other had no idea where he was going, only that Deidara had told him that the two of them would be going on a trip together.

The flight was only a few hours, but Deidara had been so absorbed in the movie he was watching since they sat down and had yet to offer any explanation to the purpose of this expedition. Rome had been posted on his itinerary; one question answered at least. What was in Rome? He wanted to talk to the blond, but didn't want to bother him after Deidara had gotten irritated at the announcements interrupting his movies. What were they doing in Italy, he wondered, and why was it just Deidara and him traveling. The others had made him feel as though this was a rare thing to be taken on a trip.

When they landed, he wondered if he'd be allowed to sightsee in Rome, since he had heard of the city before, but didn't get much time to think about it because Deidara had him chase down their bags – the blond's psychedelic colored luggage much more noticeable than his own black one. Who chased his bags down when he was traveling alone, he grumbled to himself as he dragged them over to the waiting blond. A taxi drove them through the artificially lit city, but Itachi had his nose buried in his English phrase book. They spoke Italian in Italy, but perhaps English was more likely to be understood than German here.

The hotel had only one bed, of course. Itachi cringed slightly at the blond as he watched him mess around on his tablet, ignoring the brunette as he sat awkwardly down on the sofa.

"Why are we here?" Itachi finally asked, as the silence grew uncomfortable even for him.

"Work," was Deidara's short reply.

Eyes dropping to the floor, Itachi only nodded and settled back against the stiff hotel sofa. He didn't want to be just a bag carrier or a food bank. The others had jobs, why couldn't he have one too? Maybe he was too new. Jack had been there the shortest before him, just seven years, but with Deidara's blood came a slower aging process and so Jack didn't seem to appear any different in age from himself. Jack was in school for Film and also regulated communication with other German City Masters. Grey was a teacher, Wes was the head gardener, Samantha did research. Kit handled the money, all accounting and income from tributes – apparently, Deidara's great wealth came from payments like taxes for living in his realm or passing through and Kit was extremely good at investing and multiplying that money over such a long period of time. The revenue came to her in different forms and currencies. For Rose and the werewolves, they were buying good faith and mutual protection. Deidara, Grey had explained to him when he had asked, was crazy, but smart. He liked to travel, something that was looked down on in a City Master, but got things done quite efficiently and had the respect of the vampires who lived there. Itachi wanted to be useful too.

"I have a meeting with the City Masters," Deidara finally explained, flipping the soft rubber protection over the screen of his tablet and set it down on the nightstand. "Well, they're not City Masters. They're the Vampire Council that overseas all the vampires around the world, un. I'd like you to stay here. I don't know how this meeting will go and I'll be outnumbered. You'll be safe here. Order some delivery, it'll be good practice for your English. Tell the front desk to put it on the hotel tab." He gave him a bright smile as if that would make him happy and wrote down the hotel name and address for him.

"You're leaving me alone?" Itachi asked, slightly surprised by this. He hadn't been alone since that man had fired a bullet at Deidara. Someone had been there. Always. The only moments of peace he had had were in the bathroom or shower.

"Yeah, but you'll be safe here," Deidara insisted. "You have your cellphone and you can call me any time, I will answer, un." Itachi gave a small smile and nodded slightly. Deidara thought he was concerned about being left alone, where in reality it was the opposite. "I will call you if I'll not be back by sunrise." Jacket on, Deidara gave him another bright smile and left with a smart snap of the hotel door.

Itachi listened for a few moments, but didn't hear a single sound and no one came back.

Exhaling, he leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes, feeling every ounce of tension seeping from his body. Alone at last. The silence of the room wasn't the empty horror the castle had sometimes, but the relaxing quiet of his classrooms at school after everyone had gone home for the day. Getting up, he moved to his suitcase and began putting his clothes away in the closet provided for guests. On the small table by the door was landline and several menus which he took with him back to the sofa and examined them. He was pleased that he could read most of the printed material which was in English and a language that looked a little like English – he assumed was Italian. With the help of his dictionary, which he preferred over the online dictionary Deidara kept suggesting he use, he began to scrutinize which place to order from. Calling the restaurant was an experience. He had to first ask if anyone spoke German, which no one did, so he asked if anyone spoke English, which they did, before slowly ordering his food and telling them where to deliver it, reading the address off of the paper Deidara had given him. When he finally hung up, agitated and stressed, he tried not to feel proud of himself just yet. He'd know for certain if he was successful when his food arrived.

Opening the laptop Deidara had given him, he turned it on and waited patiently for it to start up. He was grateful for all the things Deidara gave him, but sometimes it was just too much. He suspected that Deidara was sorely disappointed in him. Maybe the blond had expected him to be just like the humans back in Germany when he decided to keep him. He wasn't at all. So why had he been chosen to go on this trip? Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he looked at the programs that had been left open since he had last closed the screen. His flashcards of new German vocabulary and an email window. Rose had sent him an email, as did Sam and Grey. It made him smile to see that they had taken the time to contact him. Rose's email contained a video she had recorded on her webcam, begging him to take lots of pictures and to bring her a present. Sam's email was from both her and Hans, wishing him a good trip and a warning against the other vampires in Rome. 'They're not very nice, but Deidara won't let anyone hurt you!' Sam had written. 'Do whatever he tells you!' Grey's email contained a wish for a good trip and suggested joining a tour group if he had time to practice listening.

He emailed them all back telling them they had landed and promising to let them know if something interesting happened; Rose's email contained a picture he went to the window to take of the dark city below, apologizing that there wasn't much to see at night. Afterwards, he opened a new window and began researching the city. Wondering about paranormal creatures now, he included that in his search and was beginning to read about the gods and goddesses and monsters when the phone in the hotel rang. The front desk informed him that his food had arrived. Itachi told them, as instructed, to put it on the room's tab and they assured him someone would bring his food up immediately.

It didn't take long for the food to come up, but it was enough time to wonder if he was really as safe in the room as Deidara thought he was. What if the person bringing up the food wasn't safe? What if it was a vampire and he was going to be kidnapped to make Deidara do something for him? Did vampires hold hostages of other vampires' humans? What if it was a normal human with a gun?

Sighing with self-irritation, he pushed the thoughts away. His outside perspective of the world was skewed by the news, which was generally bad, outside of Japan. People lived in the world every day. Deidara wouldn't have left him here if he didn't think he'd be safe and why would the hotel let someone bring his food up with a gun. Pathetic. He opened the door when a smart knock sounded. There was a young woman dressed in a white button-down shirt and a black skirt that ended just above her knees. Her green eyes were filled with curiosity and in her hands she was carrying a crisp white bag with what he assumed was his order. The curious look lasted only a brief second before she smiled politely at him. "Hello," she greeted in English. "I've brought your delivery."

"Thank you," he replied, relieved she hadn't spoken Italian because he was growing tired of making confused faces whenever he didn't understand a language. He took the bag from her and set it on the small table where the phone was. She was still standing there when he turned back to her, peering nonchalantly into the room. They stared at each other a few seconds longer than was socially comfortable. The girl coughed awkwardly. "Am I supposed to give you something?" Itachi asked uncertainly.

She gave a little giggle, the awkwardness evaporating as she seemed to understand his lack of understanding social conduct here. "Usually, if you're pleased with my service," she replied. "Do they not tip where you're from?"

"Tip?" Itachi asked, frowning at the unknown word.

"Give money," she explained, making a gesture of handing something over. "As thank you."

"Oh, no… no tipping," Itachi said, fishing for English vocabulary. "I thought …only restaurants?" Deidara hadn't said anything about this.

"Well, in nice hotels you give tips, too," she explained. "But don't worry about it. I'll let you slide, this time." She gave him a friendly wink and he found himself smiling back at her. "Enjoy your dinner; please call the front desk if you need anything."

Itachi watched her close the door with a thoughtful look on his face. Interesting. The thought of tipping someone for doing their job was strange to him. In japan, there was no tipping at restaurants or hotels or anywhere really, but apparently it was a normality in other parts of the world. He would have to ask Deidara to leave him some paper money so he could give it to the service workers; so far he had only been given a credit card from Kit with his name on it and the assurance to use it as much as he wanted. He had yet to use it at all. Turning his back to his dinner, he was pleased to see that everything in the bag was what he had ordered. Bringing the bag to the desk, he laid out his meal and began eating the array of strange, foreign food. He enjoyed it all.

After he ate, he wondered if he should go to sleep or wait for Deidara. It was two in the morning and he was starting to feel sleepy, but shivered nervously at the thought of the blond's methods of rousing him. Instead, he picked up his English phrase book and a dictionary and began to practice the phrases, translating words he didn't know. This was like a vacation, but he was still going to study. Casual, useful studying. He wondered if he could learn many languages and be useful to Deidara; though the blond seemed to already know a number of languages already. He wanted to be useful, to put the things he was learning to use. If Deidara had his way, the answer was probably: never.

Around 4AM, his phone began to with a song he didn't know. He didn't remember setting a song as his ringtone, but realized, when he picked it up and saw it was a call from 'The Coolest Vamp' and Deidara's picture that the blond must have done it when he was sleeping. "Not going to be back tonight?" he said into the phone, propping his book upside down on his knee.

"Hello. How's your night been? I'm glad. I'm fine. Thanks for asking. Mine's been productive, but I'm still working," Deidara's irritated sarcastic voice came from the other end before he hung up.

Sighing quietly, he held the phone away from his ear and waited until the song began to ring again a minute or so later. Itachi didn't say anything, but waited for Deidara to speak. "Did you eat?" the blond asked, less sarcastic this time.

"Yes," Itachi said. "I ordered delivery."

"Good," Deidara said, Itachi could almost see him giving a smart nod. "Get some rest tonight, you should go exploring tomorrow. But it's supposed to be warm, so drink a lot of water, un."

"I will," Itachi promised. It felt awkward talking to him. He found himself feeling uncomfortable and tense without the other humans around. He'd made friends with them; Deidara still seemed like the principle of the school.

The blond seemed to sense this because he didn't answer for several breaths. "Don't forget to take that card with you so you can buy things, un. There's no cap on it, so buy as much as you want. And next to my tablet is a necklace. Wear it from now on. Have fun."

"Okay," he nodded, though Deidara couldn't see. "Don't forget to eat, too." He swallowed a little, looking out the window. He hoped Deidara didn't bring someone to the hotel to eat when he came back. Itachi didn't think he could handle something like that.

"Good night, Itachi," Deidara said in a quiet voice before hanging up.

The following afternoon, Itachi embraced his newly found freedom and began exploring the city of Rome in the sunlight. He had the credit card tucked deep in his jacket pocket and his wallet containing euros he had taken out of an ATM after calling Kit to ask her about his paper money problem and discovered he could withdrawal money as well. Both the euros and the credit card seemed to weigh on his attention as he walked because he was terrified of losing either. He didn't like spending other people's money before. Even though Kit had called it his, he certainly hadn't done anything to earn it. Either way, Deidara had said to use it so he intended to spend it on other people.

After stopping for a bite to eat in a small café where he sat outside and watched people walk by, Itachi wandered around a tourist area – at least, he assumed it was a tourist area, as there were people of all different ethnicities and they were dressed in awkward white shoes and held cameras. He slipped in with a group of Japanese tourists, trying to act inconspicuous. The leader didn't seem to be paying much attention anyway and everyone else was too busy taking pictures. It felt amazing to be around people chattering in Japanese again. Even in this unfamiliar city, their voices brought back a heartsick comfort to him and he felt his brain relax a bit from working in overdrive. He listened to the people around him and the group leader chatter away about pillars, mythology, jet lag, and food. When he grew bored, he slipped away and looked for a restaurant to get a snack.

When he was there, he ran into another group of tourists who spoke German together and he got a chance to practice speaking with them as they debated on what to get for lunch. They invited him for drinks, but he declined saying he was too young and sat at a table on the patio where he could continue people watching with his plate of cured meats and cheeses with warm bread and olive oil. All the varieties of language swirling around him soon became background noise as he just watched. All these different people. What were they doing? Were they here for a school event, or was it a vacation they saved up for with friends? Did they know there were werewolves aspiring to be fashion designers? Or that vampires lurked at night?

He was about to reach for the book he had brought with him when he noticed a familiar face in the crowd watching him. It wasn't one he had personally been introduced to, but someone he had noticed quite a few times that day, but had marked it off as one of the random tourists. Not so now. He sat up straighter and stared right back, something Rose had taught him werewolves do to tell others to back off, until the man looked away (as Rose said they usually would – 'But never, ever do it to a werewolf! Just normal people!') and seemed to decide to approach him.

"Why are you following me?" he asked before the stranger could say anything, placing his glass of water on the table.

The man smiled apologetically and ducked his head a little. "I'm sorry, it must seem quite suspicious," he said in German. "I saw you in the crowd of tourist and something about you… ah—" the man shook his head. "Do you belong to someone?"

The question made Itachi blink, forgetting his concern about the stranger for a moment. "Excuse me?" he asked, unsure if he had heard the words correctly or not.

"Do you belong to someone?" the man repeated. "Did you come here with someone?"

"Yes, I came with someone," Itachi said cautiously, frowning again. Thoughts of serial killers ran through his head.

"A … special kind of someone?" the man asked, obviously skirting around the word he wanted to use that would clear up the confusion. When Itachi, not liking this type of word game, remained silent, the stranger's dark eyes seemed to shift over him, finally resting on the necklace that Itachi had instructed him to wear. "You're here with Deidara, yes?"

Itachi looked down at the necklace he couldn't see well resting on his collar bone and touched it. His looked seemed to show that he didn't understand, so the man elaborated. "That necklace… it shows you belong to someone already. It is Deidara, yes? It looks like his design and I know he has come with a human."

"Who are you?" the brunette asked, dropping his hand away from the jewelry piece.

"May I sit?" the man questioned, gesturing towards the chair across from Itachi. Without waiting, he took the seat and folded his hands on the table top. "I am a friend of Deidara's. He asked me to–"

"Check up on me," Itachi finished, eyes darkening. Of course he wasn't going to be left completely on his own like he had thought. It had been too good to be true.

The man gave him a knowing smile and chuckled. "Vampires are like that, you know. You can't hold it against them. They think us humans are too fragile to take care of ourselves, and since they can't do it for us during the day, they do their best."

"Who are you?" Itachi asked again.

"I belong to another vampire who is good friends with Deidara," the man explained casually. "My lady is having a difficult time, so Deidara has taken responsibility for me for the time being. They were close friends, though I choose to remain here in Rome to continue her work in her absence."

"Difficult time?" the question came out before Itachi could stop it.

"Yes… even vampires can sometimes obtain physical and mental struggles, just in different ways that we do." The smile on the man's face seemed sad. "You may call me 'Tal'. I am from India. You are Itachi? Deidara forgot to mention what you looked like, so I apologize for my staring. I was trying to sense Deidara on you, but you've suppressed it well. Deidara is a very strong Master vampire; you must be a powerful Human Servant."

Itachi had no idea what that was, or what it meant. He kept his face as blank as possible, pretending he knew because he was growing tired of feeling confused. He stared down at the remnants of his meal and changed the subject. "I appreciate you coming to check on me, but I don't need your help. I haven't had time to myself in a long time, and if it's the same to you, I'd like to make the best of it," he kept his eyes focused on the plate as intently as he could, forceful, but polite with his words.

There was a silence on the other side of the table before Tal finally shifted to rise. "I understand," he said as he placed something – a card – on the table. "Don't hesitate to call if you need anything, even if it's a question."

Itachi watched him go, waiting until he had disappeared around the corner of a building to look back at his food. He suddenly found himself less motivated and lacking in an appetite. It annoyed him greatly that Deidara was checking up on him. What dangers were there during the day with all these people around? Other than the everyday dangers that lacked supernatural horror. Maybe those were the things Deidara was worried for, but Itachi felt he could take care of himself. He had been doing so for quite some time before the blond showed up, after all. With a heavy sigh, he forced himself to eat the remainder of the delicious cheese and bread, not wanting to waste the food and wandered back in the direction of the hotel, stopping in a few stores to purchase things for his friends at home.

"You're unhappy with me, un."

Itachi looked up from the book he was reading on the sofa. The blond had returned that night, but hadn't mentioned anything to him about the stranger Tal, or anything other than a hello before throwing himself onto the bed and playing games on his tablet. Looking at him now, sitting on the bed with his legs crossed and his hands placed over his ankles, Itachi was startled by how young he looked at the moment, pouting unhappily. Despite his youthful appearance, the blond always seemed older and often times threatening; now he didn't look old or threatening at all. Sam's words returned to him about vampires changing too young, how their minds don't age from the time of their death. Fifteen was very young.

Setting his bookmark into the spine of his book, he closed to as a gesture to show the blond that he had his attention. What would he say? What was there to say? It wasn't that he was unhappy, but … he wasn't happy. Sure he was happy when he was exploring, but that was when he was alone. He took a deep breath and tried to collect his thoughts to explain. "You're … stopped," he finally replied, earning a confused look from the blond. "You're always the same age, have had years to do anything you want. It's the same with the others in Germany."

"I've offered you a place with us, un," Deidara replied, brows creased with a frown of confusion. "You won't age either."

"It's not just that," Itachi said quietly. "Everyone has a duty… a job or a purpose for you. I'm just here. And I'm never alone anymore."

"You're safe," Deidara said, sounding pleased with this.

"I'm bored," Itachi finally got out. That really was it. He'd been fishing for the right word and it slipped out on its own. If he dug down into the thick of it, that was the heart of his issues. "I have no purpose. Before you came, I had a goal and I was working hard to achieve that goal. To get back on my feet, to be able to live without help of the government. Now I don't have that … I don't know what to do with myself. I have no purpose except to be your food and you get mad when I say that," he added when Deidara opened his mouth to speak, "but I don't see why else I'm here. And on top of that, I never have any time to myself anymore. Someone is always there. I like … being alone."

Deidara closed his mouth and stared at him with slow blinking eyes. Itachi stubbornly held his gaze, not backing down. Finally, the blond's posture slumped and he looked away. "I enjoy your company sometimes, un," the blond said, unfolding his legs into the other direction, fingers picking at a loose threat on the comforter.

"I must disappoint you then," Itachi said, watching him tear the thread. When the blond didn't seem to know how to reply, Itachi sighed and picked up his book again.

"I think you'd have fun if you stopped thinking so negatively, un."

"You kidnapped me and dragged me around doing what you wanted to me until you got back to your other people."

"Why are you so hung up on that?" Deidara snapped, angrily standing up on the mattress. "You came willingly. I could have killed you and no one would have missed you, un!"

"So why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to!" Deidara yelled, throwing a pillow – the closest thing to him – angrily at the wall. Itachi watched him, silently amazed by the change. He didn't want to anger him too much, the warning on the last night in Greece was still fresh in his mind, but the blond seemed to be legitimately throwing a tantrum. "Why do you always act so melodramatic, un? You ask so many questions, un!" the blond snapped, foot stomping and everything.

"I thought you liked that about me," Itachi questioned.

"You don't ask the right ones, un! I don't treat you badly! I give you thinks! I take you places! I keep you safe! I don't take from you – like I could, un!" There went the end table.

"Calm down," Itachi said softly.

"Don't tell me to calm down! I am calm!"

"No, you're not."

"I can do what I want, un!"

"They'll throw us out if you break anything else," Itachi said, keeping his voice calm and steady. That seemed to be logical enough to Deidara because he threw himself onto the bed with his back to him. Itachi sighed. "Throwing a tantrum won't get you what you want." Deidara's reply was just an animalistic growl that held no danger in it and only made Itachi roll his eyes a little. "I just want a purpose, Deidara. That's all. I don't understand why you have me here; the only think I can think of is food, but you get pissed when I say that," he repeated.

"Of course, un!" the blond snapped.

"What do you want of me, then?"

"I want you to stop acting like a prisoner!" he turned to face him, sitting up with his fists clenched in the blankets. "Why can't you just enjoy yourself, un?!"

"I just told you, weren't you listening?"

"Course I was, un," the blond growled.

"No, you weren't," Itachi sighed. "Don't do that, you'll tear the blankets."

Deidara released his hold on the blankets he had been digging into and folded his arms haughtily. "Why won't you just be happy, un?"

"You can't just make someone be happy, Deidara."

"Everyone else is happy."

"I'm not like them."

"I've noticed!"

"So you are disappointed."

Deidara growled at him against and flopped down on the bed facing away from him again. A teenager's tantrum with a monster's claws. Itachi set his book down beside him on the sofa and watched his back, seeing his muscles shifting as he tensed with irritation. A few weeks ago, Deidara had returned to the castle from a meeting with another City Master in a different part of Germany in such a temper he had destroyed several things in the common area before Kit came home from work and calmed him down. She had talked quietly to him, and got him to sit down while she rubbed his back softly. Itachi didn't think he had the capacity to calm the blond down, but he moved to sit on the bed behind him, reaching out and awkwardly patting his back. "Deidara," he said, trying to speak evenly though he was annoyed that he had to justify how he felt to someone throwing a tantrum. "I've had someone shoot at me, water creatures try to drown me, vampires have bitten me. I've been uprooted from my home and everything I've ever known… I'm still … adjusting," he added softly. "It's not your fault, even though you … did most of it. I haven't been happy in a long time. It's just taking me longer to get used to the change. You're not easy to be around all the time. I don't know how you expect me to suddenly be happy and content after Greece." He removed his hand then and tucked it into his lap.

Deidara finally rolled over to look at him, eyes guarded, but still young and upset. His mind was that of a teenager, not an adult. He looked annoyed and upset at the same time, unsure of what to make of the situation. "I don't understand you, un," the blond muttered. "I gave you all this and let you travel. Anyone else would be happy."

"I told you, I'm not li—"

"I heard you!" Deidara snapped again.

"Were you happy?" Itachi asked when a few moments of silence passed. "When Sasori took you?"

The question seemed to take Deidara by surprise. A strange shift of emotions swept his face. Shock, anger, concern, stunned. He stared at Itachi so long, the brunette began to think he had said something that shouldn't have been said and wondered if he had just succeeded in making the blond even more angry. Deidara didn't say anything as he finally got up and closed himself into the bathroom. Itachi watched the door for a few moments then sighed when he heard the shower running and got up to change into pajamas and put away his things. He wondered if he should clean up the broken end table, but decided not to since it had been the blond who had destroyed it. Knowing Deidara didn't need any light to see by, he turned them off and climbed into bed.

It had taken him a while to fall asleep, but he was only dozing for a few moments when he felt fingers scratching at his back. Making a questioning noise, he rolled over and Deidara turned the little reading light over the bed on so Itachi could see him sitting there looking uncomfortable. "Sasori is different from me," he began in a small voice. "His bite doesn't make your body react pleasantly. It hurts as much as it should to be bitten by him, sometimes more. That's why he's called 'Sasori', un. He thought the name suited him." He watched Itachi frown, translating the word in silence. "And…. Sasori didn't uproot me. Not at first. He had followers then, vampires who obeyed because he was their Maker, or because they were scared, un. Sasori likes studying science, anatomy, and how bodies work. Vampire venom gives pleasure while saliva closes up wounds. If his subjects didn't die from shock, they were useful," his voice was quiet and unlike him as he spoke, staring down at his knees as he explained this to Itachi. "He found me. I was useful. And, I smelled good to him. Better than anything, just like you do to me. I was his favorite toy," He gave an ironic looking smirk, that also had a hint of pride in it. "He took me from Germany when people began suspecting something and when I tried run away from him, he changed me to control me. I didn't want to be a vampire. Now he can't feed from me anymore and I won't ever end, un. Serves him right." There was a smugness in Deidara's expression, but behind it, Itachi thought he looked sad.

"You liked him," he said, tilting his head to the side to see him better.

"No, I understand him," Deidara corrected.

"It's more than that," Itachi whispered under his breath, unsure if this was uncharted waters. "I saw how you interacted with him in Greece. I'm not stupid."

Deidara finally looked up at him, blinking slowly out of habit to appear human. "No, you're not. You're not," he murmured, running his fingers through a lock of his damp blond hair. "I guess… he's chiin." Itachi blinked, surprised by the word Deidara had used. It wasn't one people used much except in classical poetry. A friend. Tender and intimate. So close you would recognize them simply by something they composed. "After he changed me, we lived together for a long time. It was easier to get along than fight all the time, un. He couldn't feed on me, but I was the only other child vampire alive then, the only one for him to play with." He was talking as if this was nothing, but Itachi could see it was more complicated than the blond was making it sound. When he had explained it before, he claimed their relationship was close because he had drunk Sasori's blood, this showed it was more than just that. What exactly did drinking blood do?

Instead of asking, he decided to change the subject to show he had, in part, forgiven the blond for kidnapping him from his home. "Did you send someone to spy on me today?" he asked, pushing himself up to lean against the pillows and headboard.

"Spy on you?" Deidara's eyes became wide and innocent, but Itachi gave him a frown and he pursed his lips into a pout. "Tal is nice. You didn't like him?"

"I don't like being spied on," Itachi said. "I was enjoying my alone time."

The blond's brows knit together. "It's dangerous out there," he insisted. "I thought you'd like him. You have very similar grown-up personalities, un."

"It's dangerous everywhere," Itachi said to his lap. "I know how to take care of myself and I made sure to be back before the sun went down. I didn't dislike him, I just don't like that you feel the need to babysit me everywhere I go."

"There's dangerous things out during the day, un."

"You leave the others on their own, don't you worry about them?"

"Sure, but they're older than you," Deidara said, folding his arms tightly. "They know this world a lot more than you do and they haven't been threatened by a damn Shadow Hunter, un."

Exhaling in a disappointed manner, Itachi slid back down on the bed and rolled over on his stomach. This was going nowhere; he might as well get some sleep. Light fingers scratched gently at his back after the silence had gone on enough for him to become drowsy. Hoping he'd be left alone, he didn't acknowledge them, but the scratching turned to tugging and tugging turned into Deidara crawling under the covers to drape himself on top of him. Used to the blond being cold, he was a little surprised to find him quite warm and comfortable. The shower must have warmed him up.

"What'd you do today?" he asked, snuggling against his back.

"Went sightseeing, got food… bought presents for everyone," Itachi mumbled, willing himself to fall asleep.

Deidara's fingers slid up under his shirt and he tried not to react. He didn't want this to go too far, so he pulled something random out of his head as a distraction. "What is a Human Servant?" he asked.

"Hn," the blond mused disappointedly, knowing why Itachi had asked. "They're humans who have special connections to a vampire, un."

A special connection… Itachi's brows furrowed into his pillow. What type of connection? Why did that man think he was a Human Servant? It sounded more important than what Itachi was. "Am I your Human Servant?" he questioned.

"Tal is my friend's Human Servant," Deidara continued, pressing his nose against the space between his shoulder blades and inhaling slowly. "He's over a hundred years old, I think. My friend calls herself Kali, after the Hindu goddess, and lived here in Rome as a member of the Vampire Court and worked as a liaison between the Shadow Hunters for them. They lived together for a very long time, but Kali became Bloodstarved and it's safer for her to be alone until she recovers, un."

"What happens when someone is Bloodstarved?" Itachi asked, slightly annoyed that Deidara had answered him without really answering him.

"It means that a vampire can't control their thirst," the blond told him, continuing the slow inhales against his back; it was a little unnerving, but Itachi tried to ignore it. "You can kill people by accident because you're so hungry. Even a hungry vampire can control themselves, but when you're Bloodstarved it's impossible. Kali was scared she would hurt Tal, so she left him in my care, un. He stays here and does politics as much as he can, but he can't replace Kali's work because Shadow Hunters don't trust humans who work for vampires, un… I'm glad he does though, because I hate politics."

Making a small noise, Itachi drew the covers tighter around him. "I'm tired," he murmured, shifting to try to knock the blond off him.

Deidara didn't say anything, but sighed and pulled himself away from his skin, muttering quietly under his breath as he settled down on the bed next to him. The walking he had done was catching up at him, and despite the frustrations he had with Deidara, he did enjoy himself today. As he was drifting off, he heard Deidara whisper softly that he was sorry and he had to, but he was asleep before he could question what he was talking about.

"Itachi… Itachi…"

The sound of his name pulled him from the dreamland he was in. The room was dark as he opened his sleep blurred eyes, the only light coming from the tiny nightlight from the open bathroom door, casting eerie shadows where its weak orange light couldn't reach. The clock on his nightstand read 9:21AM. Rolling over, he blinked sleepily at Deidara who was still lying next to him, unmoving as the sun rose. The blond's eyes were closed, and even in the dim lighting, he could see the effects of the sun in the sickly shadows on his face. The blond must have woken him up, but before he could ask, he heard another, lighter, sound. Deidara's phone was buzzing on the other side of the bed.

"Please answer the phone," the vampire whispered hoarsely.

Nodding sleepily, Itachi twisted to reach over him and pick up the phone. As he lay back down on the bed, Deidara's head shifted slightly to rest on his shoulder, his body cold again. "Hello?" Itachi said into the phone.

"Hello. Is your master present?" the voice on the other end questioned smartly.

"Yes," Itachi said, after Deidara gave a slight nod.

"My apologies for the lateness of the hour," the voice said, addressing both of them. "Deidara's presence is … requested in the Court tomorrow as soon as the sun is down." Itachi glanced at the blond to make sure he had heard what was said, but then the voice continued, causing a chill to go down his spine. "So is yours, Itachi."