"It fucking stinks in there, Kakuzu! No wonder why you smell like shit all the time, if that's where you go to turn in those dead people. You're in there for not even five minutes and it hangs on your clothes!"

"Just shut up, Hidan..." I groan, wishing the theophiliac would shove it.

"Why should I? You're always dragging me onto these stupid missions and having to meet people up in these stinky places... first a deserted alley, then that warehouse that smelled of shit and corpses... and now a bathroom?"

"Hidan... how do you feel when your head is attached to your body?"

"...I'll shut up."

"Good idea."

We head back to the hotel, the need to relax on both of our minds. I'm tired, he's tired, we're all tired. He bitches, I bitch, we all hate each other.

Well, I think he hates me, anyway…

"Hidan, why do you always stir up fights?" I question him after I close the hotel room's door behind us. "It's annoying – your crap at the rendezvous point is completely unacceptable."

"Fuck off… I still stink of piss. Ugh. I'm taking a shower."

The hotel I'd selected for us to stay in was a nice one – we had our own bathroom to use as we pleased. We could shower as long as we wanted, too. This place was a great deal.

"Suit yourself, Hidan, I don't care." I sigh and pull off my black-and-red jacket, hanging it up on a hook on the wall by the door. Hidan tore his own off, leaving it on the floor. A horrible habit of his. He seemed to think that clothes looked better on the floor… I think I like his line of thinking when it comes to that.

Hidan heads to the bathroom, now shirtless. Dammit – every time he walks around shirtless, I have to mind my own business. Watching him could result in my downfall one of these days. After he closes the door behind himself, I sigh in relief, able to pull off my own shirt for a little while.

My body is completely covered in stitches. It was exactly like a patchwork design, and it always made me so self-conscious about it when Hidan wandered around in all his sexiness. Logically, it was one of the reasons why I always got so irritated at him. I'd never tell him, though…

His shower seems to be exceptionally long this time around. He liked the feeling of cleanliness, despite the fact that he's always making himself bleed in one way or another.

I take this time to overlook my little black book of faces with prices.

I hear the water turn off, and I put my shirt back on, wishing I could keep it off. Hidan comes out of the bathroom a couple minutes later. I could feel the heat and humidity from the bathroom radiating in that direction.

"Enjoy yourself?" I ask quietly.

"Fuck yes I did." He smirks and collapses onto the bed next to me, since I was lying down on the left side. I liked the left side of things for some reason.

"Is that stupid book the only thing you fucking care about aside from money?"

"No." I said a little too quickly. He cocks a brow at me, and I don't make eye contact. That would be a huge mistake.

"So you care about something else. Holy fuck, it's a miracle. Jashin save us all." I note heavy sarcasm, so I fire a glare at him. He rolls his eyes.

Tell me again why I liked this asshole.

"Shut up, Hidan, I don't need the dry humor." He chuckles, knowing he was right.

"Tell me what it is, Kakuzu. I'm dying to know."

"Pah. No, I'll keep it to myself."

"Aww, come on, you're so fucking boring."

"I am not."

"Popular vote says you are."

"Popular vote says you're an arrogant asshole who needs his mouth sewn shut." Hidan scowls at this, knowing I could full well carry out my threat. He quiets for a few minutes, thoughts eating away at him. His face is so damned expressive; you could tell what he was thinking just by analyzing his face. Obviously he wanted to know what I was talking about.

"Try as you might, Hidan, I'm not going to tell you." I smirked under my mask. Every time I said what was on my mind, he got so irritated because he thinks I can read his mind.

"How the fuck'd you know?!"

"Magic."

"…bastard."

"True enough." I glance at the clock. Maybe I should take a shower, too. Slowly, I start to get up, my back and knees aching just a little from the cold outside. I say nothing, because if I complain, Hidan will never let it go. He'd make fun of my age. I mutter something about taking a shower, too, and Hidan scoffs.

Twenty minutes later I come out, now just as clean as Hidan. I felt a little better, but I still hurt a bit. Hidan, obviously having been eating away at his curiosity the whole time, immediately threw questions at me.

"Come on, Kakuzu, what is it? I promise I won't laugh." He blinks at me as I groan in frustration. I sit down on the bed next to him, rubbing my temple.

"Hidan, it's not that I won't tell you, it's more that I can't."

"Aww, you can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone else. Who else have I to talk to, anyway?" I grunt at him, not saying anything.

"…Kakuzu, why do you always hide your face?" He murmured softly after a little while, which caught me off guard.

"Why do you care?"

"No reason…"

My palm meets my face. "Because, Hidan, I don't like it."

"…why?"

I turn to look at him disbelievingly. "You honestly have no idea?" His face told me everything. He'd no clue.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Because, Hidan… I'm not like you." He throws me a quizzical look, making me sigh. I begin to explain. "You're… well… Hidan, you're flawless, and I'm not. I've got fucking stitches all over my body; you've seen it a time or two. It's embarrassing. Why do you think I get mad at you when you walk around shirtless?"

Hidan is silent for a moment. "…does that really matter to you?"

"It'd mattered for a very long time, Hidan."

"Fuck… I had no idea."

"Yeah, I know."

We sit in stillness for a small time before either of us decide to move. Hidan stirs uncomfortably, stretching. I glance at him and look away again. Hidan must have seen the look I gave him.

"What?"

"…nothing."

"Liar. You're always saying 'nothing.' It's fucking annoying as all hell."

"Whatever, Hidan. Whatever."

"No, I want to know what the hell is on your mind. It's getting on my nerves. I'm not going to leave you alone about it until you fucking tell me what that other fucking thing is… you…" His expression changed, like something dawned on him. Crap. "…is it… is it me?"

All five of my hearts seemed to stop. I replied far too quickly, "You're full of yourself." I looked at him, then looked away again. I could tell I was flushing.

"It is me, isn't it?" Hidan practically accused.

"No!"

"You're LYING. You're totally lying! Oh my Lord, Kakuzu, this… wow. Just… wow."

"Shut the fuck up, Hidan!!" I raise my voice, glaring at him. I'm glad I've got my mask on – I put it on while I was in the bathroom after my shower.

"Defensive. Sheesh… Why are you so fucking embarrassed about it?"

"Shut up, Hidan, why the hell would you fucking care anyway?" When I start swearing, that means I'm pissed… if Hidan didn't back off soon, then… well, I don't know what, but it won't be pretty.

"Because it involves me…" He spoke quietly, calmly. Quite the opposite of what I was expecting. "And… maybe I've got something I like more than Jashin… well, almost, anyway."

I look at him like he's crazy. "What are you talking about?"

"You heard me…"

"I heard, but I don't believe. The only thing you care about, Hidan, is stabbing yourself and that stupid religion of yours. Don't give me this shit."

"Kakuzu… calm down. I'm trying to talk to you rationally." He looks serious enough…

"…fine." I fall silent, my hands balled into large fists from irritation. I don't like being put in the limelight.

"How long have you had these feelings?"

"…long time." I mutter quietly, glaring at a spot on the wall.

"Mmm. Why haven't you said anything about this before now?" I notice he's not swearing…

"Because of your 'religion.' You wouldn't bother with someone like me anyway."

"Do you know that for sure…?"

I look at him again, wondering what kind of game he was trying to play with me. "What do you mean, Hidan?" I tense noticably, wishing this conversation would end. He inches closer to me, making me a little uncomfortable. Not because he was getting closer, but because I wanted him closer, if that makes any sense.

"You don't know for sure if I'd want someone like you or not. You have no idea what kind of people I prefer." So he's right. "So how would you know if I like you or not?"

"Uhm…" Shit. What do I say?

"See, I'm right." He's only a third of a meter away from me now. I shift around, clearing my throat. "Maybe… just maybe…" His palm presses against my chest, making me freeze up. "Maybe I do like you."

And he flashed that smile that got me every time.

Then he started to pull off my mask. I pull away as best as I can, but it's too late – my face is exposed to the air, making me hold my breath. His eyes meet mine, and I can feel my heartbeat in my fingertips, my ears… as well as other places…

"You need to get rid of this mask, Kakuzu. Seriously."

Then he does the impossible.

He crashes his lips against mine. I'm stunned, unable to push him away, unable to protest. So I settle for the next best thing.

I close my eyes and wrap my arms around him.

We hold it for a moment before Hidan pulls away, his eyes half-lidded. I flush red, making him chuckle. "If you wanted me, you should have fuckin' said something."

"How was I to know?"

"S'why you ask." And he kissed me again.

We held it a bit longer that time, starting to move our lips together, creating an open-mouthed kiss, I suppose. I was still in slight shock.

Maybe I should have asked a bit sooner…