"I'm sure you can figure it out from here," Tobi says.
At Rin's inn room, Tobi drops her heedlessly onto a chair before expanding his distance.
There is an escalating level of discomfort that penetrates the thick air.
Rin has never been alone with him before.
Her gaze averts to the window, where a distant half moon hangs dully against the blackness of a starless sky.
Although composed, her mind is running wild and obsessively into forbidden territory. There is only a split second between her perfect self-control and insanity - she desperately craves solitude.
"Thanks."
Her tone indicates dismissal, yet there is a lingering element of gratitude to her voice. She is uncertain of his ability to infer hidden emotions, but Tobi says nothing and within seconds he is gone.
x
It is incredibly rare for Akatsuki partners to share the same inn room, but when accommodation is scarce, it is inevitable.
During such occurrence, both are never in the same place at once. They take it in turns to utilise the accommodation without intruding the other's personal space.
Overlap of shared space is uncommon, however, it cannot always be avoided.
Three hours past midnight and Deidara hears the sound of an opening door.
Tche! Tobi must be here to use the bathroom facility. What a disruption to my sleep.
He senses a shuffling noise, followed by the soft illumination of light from under the cracks of the bathroom door.
For what seems like forever, the silence stretches on, until he hears the gush of running water, paired with the blunt sounds of a heavy object against paper thin walls.
What on earth?
Disturbed, Deidara crosses the space.
Be it fortunate or unfortunate, the bathroom door is slightly ajar. Inching forwards, he gives himself ample space to peer in between the gap.
And It takes awhile for his vision to adjust, but when it does, he has to do a double take of the eye for verification.
It is a strangely enticing view. The bare skin of his partner's back - smooth, rugged, is tantalisingly surreal.
Tobi inclines his head and submerges his face in a tidal wave of running water. His breathing, heavy and exhausted, carries an oddly arousing sound across the quietude. It is further fuelled by the low exasperated groans that occurs as he runs both hands frustratingly through his partially wet dark hair.
Every now and then, his forehead hits against the wall in apparent displeasure, his unmasked face concealed from Deidara's view.
Indefinitely the two men stand in their respective positions. Deidara, lost in the mesmerising trance of the wet droplets that drips from Tobi's hair and down to that perfect muscular back.
For reasons he cannot fathom, the apprehensive excitement overtakes - from the stomach wrenching sensation through to the parade of forbidden fantasies.
Shit!
"Senpai?"
At the comment, he noiselessly shrinks into the shadow.
"Senpai, I know you're there," Tobi says
His voice lands in a contradiction between his usual high-pitched squeak and a deep masculine tone.
Deidara does not speak, nor does he allow his mind to process the enigma of such situation.