Lion's Den

A/N: Yes, it is the same day three chapters later. This chapter will be shorter and of lower quality than usual due to preparing for feast. Happy Late Thanksgiving!

1:06am, April 18

Deidara felt himself being carried. He couldn't open his eyes, but he heard a car door being opened. Someone put him inside the car and shut the door.

4:34am, April 18

"He had it coming." Deidara heard someone talking. He was lying down on a couch. His arms were in an uncomfortable position. After shifting he noticed the talking stopped. He then noticed a familiar pinch on his neck.

2:05pm, April 18

Deidara awoke shuffling around the house. The blonde only moved when he heard a door slam shut. That was when he noticed the bed he was sleeping in was not his. What happened? Deidara checks his surroundings frantically. Sunlight brightened the room through a window. It was apparent that this room was not used by the bareness and lack of any warmth. Not even the sheets were of good quality to keep warm. What time was it? Where was his phone? Deidara allowed himself to swing over to one side of the bed. He reached for his phone on a table and noticed a piece of paper neatly folded under it. After flipping open the paper, he read the scribbled letters:

Good morning Senpai!

I brought you to my apartment

Sorry I couldn't greet you. I had to go

I put your clothes on the shelf at the top

Please don't be mad at me

Well, If you're that unhappy feel free to stay at an Inn

Just joking

Tobi

Deidara reached for his phone to call Pein. Damn, his phone needed to recharge. He walked over to the shelf and pulled down the bag. That idiot barely packed any clothes! Deidara rummaged around the bag; he eventually gave up on finding a charger. Maybe Tobi has one? He decided to have a look around Tobi's apartment. It was surprisingly organized. Who would've thought Tobi could function without adult supervision?

It was pretty big. To the left of Deidara was a hallway with other doors. To the right, an entrance gave way to a sort of living room/dining room area. As he approached the space, he noticed a couch facing him and a table with all sorts of reading materials underneath. Behind the couch, a couple feet away, was a circular table with two chairs facing opposite directions. He walked over to the table and pulled open the blinds next to it. Bright light washed into the room. He spotted an additional entrance that led to what was supposed to be a kitchen. There was a fridge right upon entering, a stove right next to it, an oven underneath, a microwave directly over said stove, and a sink at the far end. Plates and utensils must be in the cupboards which Deidara was not inclined to look into. As he walked back out into the living room area he spotted the, most likely, front door. However there was no charger in sight. Maybe if he went into Tobi's room?

The blonde retreated to the hallway and opened the next door. It was a bathroom. This was much more messier than anything else he'd seen. Tobi was probably getting ready before he left to..wherever he had to go. It was at this time that the toilet, along with nature, seemed to call out for him. He promptly shut the bathroom door. It was a narrow bathroom. Back at their apartment, Sasori and Deidara could share the bathroom. He felt a pang in his chest. He tried really really hard to stop the flow of memories. They kept on going.

Sasori would've gotten up first. He would've gone straight into the bathroom and taken a nice heated shower. Deidara would've come in as Sasori was getting out of the shower. But by now, they were already used to each other. They shared the same mirror, same sink, and sometimes even-

Deidara was crying. He rocked back and forth in the middle of the floor. His phone and friend dead by his feet.

2:13, April 18

Tobi stared at the blade as people in line backed away. He just wanted food. Why did people have to ruin his day?

2:46pm, April 18

Kisame slowly lowered the barbell just below his chin before giving a short 'tch' and pushing it up above his head. Itachi was going to pick him up soon, but he had time to do one more set. After finishing, he headed over to the locker room. His phone vibrated and he knew it was Itachi. He exited the building and looked around for the familiar car that belonged to his said partner.

"Why did you go to the gym today? We have some errands to run." Itachi spoke once Kisame was inside. The voice was not angry which Kisame appreciated more than anything. It never sounded annoyed, angry, or frustrated. He sounded more disappointed if anything. As if he expected more from you and didn't underestimate you. Itachi was usually indifferent to everything. To hear anything besides a monotonous voice, pleased Kisame.

Itachi was irritated with Kisame. He stopped by his apartment only to realize it was empty. Kisame and Itachi both agreed to have keys to each other's places. Strictly for convenience! Both of them were usually out all day. And in the event that Itachi left the bag at his place, but Kisame was to deliver it alone, it would be too much of a hassle to call the other to get home to open a door. Itachi was the one to suggest the idea. He was strategic in that sense. It was only to make things easier. Itachi didn't want the key for any other reason.

They got to a stoplight and Itachi noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Kisame was staring intensely out the window. When Itachi casually glanced in that direction, he noticed it was a brunette. She was sitting at a bus stop bench staring down at her phone. She wore a floral dress and nice shoes. Itachi supposed her face was-

"Itachi." Itachi moved his head to the road and saw the light was green. He tapped the gas pedal just as a car beeped behind him. Kisame was probably the biggest jock Itachi knew. Of course he would be looking at a girl.

"Do you have the duffel at your place?" Itachi was already beginning to turn the corner and head over to Kisame's.

"No, I thought you had it." Those words were probably Itachi's least favorite to hear before a delivery.

3:00pm, April 18

"Senpaiiii!" Tobi called out into his apartment. "Senpai are you still here?" Deidara looked up. He was still on the bathroom floor. "I brought you some food." He heard Tobi's footsteps echo room to room looking for him. The blonde heard them getting closer and closer before they stopped at the very door Deidara was leaning against. What was he doing? He was locking himself in someone's bathroom and crying. He had to get a grip.

The door creaked open to reveal a wilted dandelion. Tobi hated weeds. "Here's your food! Wanna eat?"

"I think," The voice was heavy with sadness, "I'm just going to go-"

"Go where?" Deidara looked back up. A chuckle emitted from a masked face. "Back 'home'?" It was a mocking tone. "Senpai, you could barely walk in there last night. That was a little over 12 hours ago." Deidara could hear the worry. "And what did you do in the meantime?" The voice held concern and pity. "You cried." Deidara hated the feeling, "So, how about we chow down?" He was hungry. Tobi turned around to make his way toward the kitchen. Deidara made a retort about watching his mouth next time.

7:45pm, April 18

Pein rubbed his temples. Today was a complete mess. Itachi and Kisame lost their package, Deidara wasn't at his apartment nor was he answering the phone calls, Hidan and Kakuzu were creating more debt than collecting, and Kuro and Shiro were talking to Pein right now about why they should kill an old lady. "She wasn't just any old lady. She was Sasori's grandmother." Pein wanted to slam his head against a wall.

"Now why would we go and do a thing like that?"

"Because she knew him! He could've told her stuff about Akatsuki."

"We're not creating anymore trouble for ourselves. Let's just leave it alone. Even if we did kill her it would make it more apparent that there was something suspicious. This was all just gang related violence. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Now where's Deidara?"