Series: Naruto
Setting: AU
Prompt: 011: Superstition
Rating: T
Word Count: 2, 924
Warnings: Language
Summary: Before going to apologize, one must always think on what the perfect gift will be. Sometimes they aren't always correct

Bonus Writer Notes: If you are confused, look up Japanese superstitions. We learnt about them in class and some of them are quite hilarious but then again aren't all superstitions?

Cookies 4 Death

Something just didn't seem right, something that he couldn't put his finger on. That kind of thing that ate at you persistently knowing that something was meant to be but yet you weren't too sure on what it was but you would wait for it to just appear out of nowhere to jog your memory causing you to go 'oh yeah that was it'. However no matter how much he thought about it, that could not be discovered. Did he forget to put the garbage out? Maybe as assignment that was due and he hadn't prepared to brace himself for the scolding of a lifetime being reminded how grades were everything in this important year? Hmm no it couldn't be anything so trivial like that since he wouldn't have cared so much it if was. Something was not right... but what was it?

Another stiff glance over to the window seat staring at the vacant chair in home room before turning back to his friends, talking up about the weekend he had and the mischief he had gotten up to but still wandering eyes carried back to the chair unconsciously that was not housing a body. Not any kind of random body but him. It had been over a week since he had returned to school; becoming nothing more than yesterday's news making way for the new scandal of superstars and their indiscretions with street trash inside a foggy windowed sports car. Life had returned to normal and no one cares about the now adult film star who once had a gang bang with 100 men or was it 150? He couldn't remember, however, Itachi still was missing from the classes he attended so diligently.

Maybe that was it? The loss of a rival and source of entertainment that he had so valiantly won over was not there to provide him the stimulation needed to keep on his toes, only left with the pseudo companions that he gave the title of friends but still he didn't believe that they truly were. Perhaps he was missing the Uchiha? Nah that was taking it one step too far for him to believe. Still he kept on watching over that chair just except him to be sitting there scribbling some notes down with his head down low against the table doing his little barrier bit to ignore everyone.

"You certainly fucked him over Deidara"

The blondes head snapped around looking back at the boys slapping across the back as the bell sounded, completely missing it coming back to reality realising that he was staring back at the chair once again. Giving them a light chuckled he turned away and rising to his feet slowly, turning to them with a huge grin splattered across his face. "Yeah I did, didn't I" he cheered to them, heading off for a quick smoke break before the next class.

One by one they walked ahead of him leaving the short blonde trailing behind, taking one last glimpse over his shoulder at the blank space. ...So why did he feel an immense amount of remorse from it?

Making a break from the final class just as the bell rang ending the day's activities, Deidara's picked up his bag and bolted towards the front of the school before the crowds passed out of the doors into the halls, ducking and weaving around the few stragglers that made it out early. He had to pick the prime position for the operation he was about to undertake, darting his head left and right finding the wall that he was once bailed up against for the perfect cover to get the clear angle of everyone coming out. Impatiently he waited, tapping his foot against the brickwork, lighting a cigarette while still keeping his eyes fixated on everyone walking past as his hands shielded the oncoming breeze. Everyone came by this place so there would be no way that he would miss him, it was ingenious.

More of the different years floated by moving towards parent's cars, bus stops and down to the pathways splitting off to their prospective directions to head home with the one he was after not in sight but then suddenly he shone bright like beacon that couldn't be missed. Short... well compared to him he wasn't, pale, looked like he stuck his finger in an electric socket. That was the one he was after, the Uchiha's younger brother. Flicking the smouldering butt onto the grass, he stomped and swivelled with his foot to stamp it out; setting off after him keeping his distance so he wouldn't be caught for stalking, following the young kid towards his next destination.

"Deidara-san!" Or so he thought.

Revolving on his heel throwing his hands down in extreme exasperation, he faced the high pitch ecstatic squeal with a look that could have torn her throat out like a rapid pit-bull foaming at the mouth. She had picked the wrong time to be all cute and innocent girl on him, his objective was getting away from him.

"Didn't I dump you, un?" he mused folding his arms across his chest sternly making his point that when he broke up with someone then he didn't like to be stalked afterwards.

Advancing close enough to him to be in arms length, she swiped out at him with a slap across his shoulder playfully giving a quick giggle at his joking. "No you didn't" the red head girl replied, taking that one step closer to nuzzle against him.

"Oh" He was pretty sure that he did or was that the other one? Or maybe another. How many girls did he have hanging onto him? "Well you are now, un" Smirking widely, he stepped back with a shrug acting unaffected by the break up between the two but the girl however was deeply, not abusing like the last one, this one broken out into hysterical sobbing and begging for him not to leave. Pfft, totally pathetic. They wouldn't have lasted too long anyway so he was doing her a favour to end it now, the reason why he had so many partners trailing behind was because he got bored and he was certainly jaded with them all now.

A foot back in the right direction saw that his target had vanished without a trace, making Deidara curse loudly quickly storming over to the first person he could get his hands on, grabbing them by the collar. "Where did that kid go? Permanently looks like he suffered from electrocution" he demanded to know, forgetting the young teenager's name so his sketchy description was all he could offer.

"Oh you mean Sasuke-kun?" the teenage boy around the same age as the youngster replied, his voice shaking from the bully he who was asking bizarre questions at him. "He went that way"

Following the quaking finger over to where he was pointing, he was promptly let go with a couple of slaps on the head, running off to follow him. To get to him was to find out where Itachi was hiding.

Sasuke however didn't head straight home which lead him on a wild goose chase for a while, to the newsagency to get some school supplies, the department store picking himself up a new game to which Deidara took that opportunity to duck into the bakery for some freshly cooked Baker's dozen cookies before following him to the holy grail. The Uchiha household. Glancing down at his cell phone looking at the time, he had waited a good hour since the youngest had taken off inside to make it look like he wasn't trailing him around town, waiting for long enough as he walked up to the front door knocking loudly to grab someone's attention from the inside.

Silence for a moment followed by loud trudging steps, jiggling of the key inside unlocked the door to then be swung open in a hasty manner bringing azure eyes up to the petulant complexion staring back at him. He could completely see where his looks came from or at least the face, the same lines from constant frowning, the hard glare except his was littered with creases around the eyes from old age setting in and thankfully the colour of his eyes weren't at all creepy.

"I'm here to see Itachi, un" he stated so boldly only to be answered with the door slammed abruptly in his face. Attitude was the same it appeared.

But that was not going to deter the juvenile hooligan one bit, in fact it only made him want to see him more to know what demons lurk inside the house, what kind of monsters he would face but for now he scampered away awaiting for the next time to strike.

It felt like a lifetime he had been trapped up inside his room without the company of school to get him away, the minimal interaction with people was a blessing but the constant footsteps outside his door checking in on his location was not. He still hadn't moved unless it was to eat or use the bathroom, staying confined as it was expected of him for the punishment they could only think to subject him to. He had nowhere else to go, no friends, no hobbies, no life basically, always studying to receive the education he was drilled to get behaving like any well trained lab rat would. They were taking this too hard.

As they should have been. To just radically change and steal something was not what they were expecting for him to do at all. When he finally was released and brought back home he had seen the damage that was caused, reporters overthrowing the house wanting answer for his crimes of opportunity, his mother wouldn't even look him in the eye deeply upset with him after all she had done to ensure everything was provided for. His father, he hadn't even had the chance to open his mouth to retort, explain or anything, the chastisement brutal straight there on the spot of the fist lashing out against his face in an instant reaction to what was brewing inside. Only that caused nothing but more issues between his parents now constantly fighting with each other for Fugaku's rash actions, Mikoto not agreeing with the course of punishment as rough as violence but he didn't blame him. How else would he have reacted to someone that you couldn't take anything away from?

Rustling in the treetops outside his window caught Itachi's attention from the homework that had been allocated to him during his time away, pushing and crawling up on top of the bed to peer out of the window to investigate what it could have been. The wind most likely but the wind didn't groan and grunt in effort. Tilting his head curiously to the side he pushed back the curtains somehow not at all shocked by the devious smile staring back at him, perched up sitting against his window sill as if nothing was out of place. Well maybe a little stunned but mostly perplexed on why the person who hated him more than anyone else would just randomly show up at his house.

"If you came to leer at your actions then you are wasting your time" Itachi told the looming blonde, shifting off the bed with a sigh on why he was being tortured like this. "Go home" All he ever wanted to do was to be left alone.

"Nope" Deidara replied defiantly jumping down onto the bed, bouncing along to come to a sit still kicking his legs up to a swing on the edge of the bed. "I'm here for... a peace offering, un"

This was a really low stoop for him to do especially just to waltz into his house after all the troubles he had caused and just say that there was going to be an armistice so everything was wrapped up into a neat happy bundle was ludicrous. "You are..." His voice trailed from the original line of statement to see the brown paper bag out towards him that was proving what he was saying was true. He was offering him some kind of paraphernalia to make it up to him but gifts from the sneaky teen were something that wasn't looking for. But yet he snatched it from his hands, clutching it tightly as his arms crossed over still unsatisfied at all with it.

"How come you aren't coming to school?" Deidara asked, lying back on his bed kicking his shoes off making himself comfortable in the enemy's territory, disregarding the frown forming across his face.

"Suspended for two weeks" Normally a felony like this would have been unnoticed by the faculty but due to the fact that he was wearing the private uniform that was identified to the school then it was their own actions that were taken against him to provide a statement to the other students that theft or any other crime would not be tolerated.

Carefully peeling open the rolled up edging of the brown paper bag, Itachi cautiously examined the contents to make sure there was not something harmful that might explode or cover him with some kind of miscellaneous shit like a person that was tarred and feathered. A quiet gasp as the contents was revealed proving this was something more sinister than a practical joke and to think that he could even condescend that low. "You want me dead" he huffed tossing the container back at him, disgusted that his present was even more vulgar than what he had placed in his pockets in the first place.

Okay... the Uchiha had lost his mind from being locked up in the tower by the evil step mother for too long and he was starting to see things. This wasn't Snow White; he didn't bring him poisoned treats so he could be the prettiest of them all because well he was already dashing enough. "They are just cookies you paranoid freak" Deidara spat pulling out the now cold, now only four cookies out of the thirteen that he had. He got hungry with the wait.

And Deidara just failed to see the relevance in this? "You don't bring four of anything to a person you visit, let alone to do this ridiculous attempt to sooth your conscience"

"What the hell are you talking about, un. You're fucked in the head"

"Four... death...use your lack of brain for once"

"What!? You believe that superstition!? You have more issues than I thought"

The thudding of footsteps drew in closer at a rapid pace causing two sets of eyes to jump up towards the door knowing that if the uninvited guest was caught then it would be trouble for both. Scrambling furiously to his feet, Deidara looked around for the first place he could find to hide... under the bed... okay second place to hide, diving into the cupboard slamming the door behind him just as the knob started to turn. As quiet as a mouse he waited with the dead silence of the room, the two outside not talking to each other which made him curious enough to peek through the slates of the door to watch the action go down.

Neither of them moved which almost brought him to swear noticeably at his shoes still thrown out on the bed, not thinking fast enough to grab them on the way through but fortunately they went unnoticed. Instead the vocal battle between them started up leaving Deidara with the full imprint of what had happened, even still after an entire week it looked like his father wouldn't let sleeping dogs lie and brought back up the past again abusing Itachi verbally for what he has caused him to do. The repercussions of what he had caused now clear as day that brought that damn feeling of guilt back that he was trying to erase with this visit.

It has been a good fifteen minutes of constant screaming from one and dead silence from the other until the authority figure had left, creaking the door open slowly making sure that the coast was truly clear before stepping out into the room again. He looked like a statue that was set in stone with how rigid he was, staring straight at the closed door without even so much as a blink when he shifted into his line of sight, again nothing when his hand outstretch against his cheek stroking the fading marks of his father's wrath.

"I'm sorry your dad hit you" he whispered calmly, this time as truthful as possible apologizing for all the commotion he had caused.

Still he stood firm in an unblinking daze losing all hope for the Uchiha of responding to him. There was nothing left to be said so it was time to take his leave, collecting his shoes and the cookies of death, climbing up over the window sill taking his leave.

"...I accept"

Nodding back at him even though he still wasn't turning to his direction, it had been mutually decided to end the war, although it was not anything more than that, it was enough to stop the bickering for the time being. "See you in a week, un" And with that, Deidara left his room to head back to his own house wondering to himself on the darkened streets home if anything more would come of this or it would be the end of their saga.