They don't talk about it until a week or more later.
On the hike back down the mountain to their base, they take a break at a nearby grove. It's not necessary, but once again, it is suggested — or more so commanded by — Deidara. Obito has no reason to refuse, even though his partner knows by now that Tobi is not a real person.
Well, maybe he doesn't know that much, but he definitely knows that Obito isn't just Tobi.
Obito feels an uncomfortable clench in his chest. He doesn't like lying to Deidara, now. Something has changed within him and he recalls vividly that this feeling had settled in his lungs just about ten days ago.
Something is very wrong with him. He feels as though he just caught a disease of some kind.
Obito leans against the rough bark of a tree, uncaring of the snacks that are laid out in front of him. His head knocks against the trunk as he stares up at the pale blue sky, watching the clouds gently float across the air and ride along the current of wind.
He almost forgets that Deidara is in front of him until the latter tosses a small rock at him. After creating a rather loud twak, it ricochets off of his mask and lands in with a muffled sound onto the grassy floor.
Obito sighs through his nose and turns his gaze back from the sky, staring straight ahead.
Deidara is glaring at him.
He blinks at the sight and clears his throat, unsure what to do. Surely, Deidara wouldn't catch his attention to just glare at him. He would definitely have something better to occupy his time with.
Obito tries to look away, but curiosity gets the better of him and he finds his gaze slowly fluttering back to his partner, his eye scanning for every single detail he could see.
Deidara crouched against another tree, holding a bamboo water container in one hand while his other rests on a knee. He isn't doing much else but glaring, but Obito could tell he's thinking up a storm.
Obito closes his eye, feebly hoping that this might make everything go away and have Deidara realize that now might not be a good time to do what he thinks he wants to do.
Unfortunately, luck isn't on his side.
He lets out a choked noise when he feels a foot plant itself firmly against his chest and he cracks open his left eye to see what Deidara is up to. Just like he assumed, Deidara is looming over him, left foot raised and resting harshly on his chest. His gaze is ever so stony, fuming with the anger that Obito had no part in enticing, other than the sole fact that he comes from the same family as Itachi.
Obito grunts, planting both of his hands on the ground beside him to get a better purchase. He watches Deidara carefully, already mentally too weak to put up much of a staring contest, and is surprised when he sees Deidara's resolve crack.
A little kink in his eye, a twitch of his lower lip, and then Deidara is letting him go. Much of the weight he puts on his left leg is shifted to his right until all Deidara is doing is merely lightly pinning Obito against the tree.
"So, you're an Uchiha, hm?" Deidara says, sounding much less angry than he looks. Obito opts that it's because Deidara has been practicing his 'cool guy' face for a long time.
"Yes," Obito replies. "I thought we already established that."
The look Deidara gives him and the sudden inability to take deep breaths suggest that sarcasm is not appreciated today. Obito gives him a small nod and both of them relents.
"Show me, then, yeah," Deidara says, finally letting his foot fall back onto the ground. Obito blinks and once more questions whether or not Deidara is doing this on purpose.
"Show me," Deidara repeats himself, crouching down to be at the same eye-level as Obito. He lifts up an arm and knocks on the hard material of his mask with his first knuckle. "Show me."
As much as he'd love to continue to listen to Deidara's voice, Obito doesn't think he would be able to stand him parroting 'show me' for the next two hours, so he relents.
Something in his chest releases.
Obito reaches up and grips the bottom of his mask, watching Deidara closely as he does so. His partner is still staring intently at him, following his every movement. He's probably staring at the way his hand tightens to get a firm grip on his mask, probably staring at the way he's clenching his arm to pull it upwards.
He's definitely staring at his now exposed face.
With bated breath, Obito gently puts the mask on the forest floor and waits for Deidara's reaction.
It doesn't come as explosive as he thought it would.
Deidara tilts his head and stares intently at his right side, even going as far as raising an arm to poke at his scars. Obito finds it all rather humiliating and dehumanizing like he is some sort of exotic animal at a petting zoo, but he sits through it all, accepting every curious touch without complaining,
He thinks he deserves at least this.
After a while, Deidara seems to be satisfied with his investigation. He even looks as though he is willing to let Obito go and they would put the past week behind them, but then Deidara pauses and his eyes narrow. Obito doesn't even have to ask to know what caught his attention.
He feels Deidara's fingertips touch his right eyebrow, probably assuming he's blind (he's partly right) in his left.
"Activate it, hm," Deidara says. "I want to see it."
"Are you sure?" Obito whispers, reaching up to gently wrap his fingers around Deidara's wrist, feeling his body heat seeping through the thin fabric of his glove. He does not pull Deidara's hand away.
Deidara seems to consider this, eyes softening for a moment as he regards Obito. Then his gaze hardens once more and he gives a nod. "Yes, I'm sure, hm," he says, twisting his wrist in Obito's relatively weak grasp and takes his hand.
Obito stares at their hands for a moment before interlacing their fingers together. So, this is how it is. Obito looks back up at Deidara and gives him a nod. He closes his eyes.
When he opens them again, he could hear Deidara let out a soft gasp and he could feel a hand resting on his shoulder.
He watches as Deidara leans forward and shuffle on his knees, clambering onto Obito's lap and straddling him. He doesn't pull his interlocked hand away, but he does grip his hand tighter as he examines his Sharingan.
"Do you have the Mangekyō, too, yeah?"
Their eyes meet and Obito nods.
"Show me it then, yeah," Deidara says and Obito recognizes his tone as some sort of impatience. He wonders why that is. Doesn't Deidara hate the Sharingan? Why is he so eager to see his?
Though he wishes to know more about Deidara's apparent fascination with him, he supposes he shouldn't keep him waiting, no matter his reason.
He maintains eye contact with him as he allows his Sharingan to shift to the Mangekyō, watching Deidara's expression change as it swirls into place.
Deidara looks apprehensive at first, eyes trained on the new pattern that has settled on his iris. He could see his eyes move, almost like he's studying it. His eyebrows pinch together ever so slightly and Obito wonders if that is fear that he saw flash behind his eyes for a brief second. But the expression is gone just as quick as it came, and then a look of awe washes over Deidara, with a hint of recognition just below the surface.
"Looks familiar, hm," he mutters underneath his breath, as though he doesn't expect Obito to hear it. He does, however, but doesn't act on it. He knows he has fought Kakashi before, back when Sasori was still alive. It surprises Obito that Deidara somehow managed to remember the pattern of the Mangekyō in the split second it was used in the battle.
Perhaps he shouldn't underestimate the depth Deidara is willing to go to in order to strengthen his ability to be immune or at least see through the prowess of the Uchiha's eyes.
Obito doesn't fight it when Deidara untangles their hands and brings his to cup the scarred part of his face, his thumb digging ever so gently into the artificial skin, just under his eye. Obito recognizes the look on his face as something akin to admiration.
"What can you do, yeah?" Deidara whispers after a while, leaning in just a little bit closer.
"Perhaps we should take this one step at a time," Obito mutters back, reaching up to scoop his hand through Deidara's hair, holding his head steady.
Deidara seems to consider this as he continues to stare. He seems to agree on it as the next time he speaks, it is a different topic.
"Can you teach me to defeat Itachi?"
Obito couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter. "Maybe," he says, gently massaging his fingers into the scalp of Deidara's head, trying to calm him down even though his partner no longer seems angry at all. What strange creatures teenagers are. "He hates my guts."
"Really?" Deidara quips in curiosity, no longer studying his eye but now expanded once more to studying his face.
"He doesn't trust me," Obito murmurs, sitting up just slightly and jostling the smaller man. Deidara grumbles at him and then suddenly remembers who he's sitting on, and his expression hardens.
"Neither do I," Deidara grunts, trying to pull away from Obito's grasp, but he doesn't relent his grip and keeps Deidara rooted in place. "Let me go, hm."
"Listen to me," Obito hisses through his teeth, leaning forward while simultaneously bringing Deidara's head closer, his fingers tightening in a threatening manner. "I am not your enemy."
"I don't know who you are," Deidara growls.
Obito scoffs. "I am Uchiha Obito," he says, finding Deidara beginning to relax in his grip, contrary to every logical reason. "You allowed me to find myself again."
Deidara is still trembling slightly in his embrace, but he does not seem to fight it when Obito brings their lips together, brushing them against each other ever so slightly. "Let's spend these last days of the new year without hostility, hm?" Obito whispers against his lips before pressing them into a kiss.
He more so feels the humming agreement than hears it and Deidara's arms reach around his head, wrapping themselves around his neck and hands finding purchase in his hair.
Ever since that night, they haven't really been physically intimate. The reason behind it is obvious enough, with Deidara scrawling at him at any given moment just because he admitted he's an Uchiha. It is like the whole three-tails situation again, except this time, Obito doesn't bother with trying to make amends.
There is a certain look in Deidara's eyes that tells him he doesn't need to do anything else but wait. Deidara could have blown him up after they fucked, but he didn't. He could have done so after they left the inn, but he didn't. He doesn't need to be sitting here now, on his lap, kissing him as though he is a starving man.
Deidara really likes him.
They break apart after a while and Obito trails his lips against Deidara's cheek, breathing hot air against his ear when he reaches it. Deidara shivers against him. "What do I call you, hm?" he asks, burying his face closer to his neck.
"You can call me whatever you want," Obito whispers into the shell of his ear before taking in an earlobe to nibble on.
"I'm serious, hm," Deidara grunts, struggling slightly.
"'Tobi' if we're around others," Obito replies earnestly, letting go of his ear and press a kiss against his cheek. "'Obito' for anything else, if you want."
Deidara pushes lightly against him and Obito obeys, leaning back against the tree as he watches Deidara's face. He's thinking. It's as clear as day. He waits for Deidara to be done patiently, reaching back up again to play with his ridiculously long hair.
"Obito," he hears him say, snapping him back to reality.
It's been so long…
Deidara seems to delight in his expression.
"Obito," Deidara says again, shifting forward so that he's fully flush against his body.
"Deidara," Obito responds, wrapping his other arm around his waist.
"I suppose this is alright, hm," Deidara mutters as he rests his head on Obito's chest. Obito only responds with a laugh, planting a gentle kiss on his golden head.
Hey guys, Red here!
And that is the end of that.
Doesn't really make sense, does it? I don't know. If you think it makes sense, then hurray, you've done my job for me! I tried to link this to the Year of the Dog by having a dog come up in one scene and having it be the reason they make up, but that is just some next level bullshit that I am unwilling to dabble with. That is coming a lot when I had to write a piece about Jerry Cornelius for a module this week.
Anyway, I keep rewriting it before I even got it down in words, so if anything feels off... yeah. That's why. I'm also way too tired for someone who doesn't really do anything during the day, so there's also that.
I'm not quite as frantic over my tardiness as I am about the previous chapters of this fic. Chinese New Year's celebrations go beyond than just one day. Usually, celebrations last up to an entire week.
I would have finished this chapter earlier, but I was rather depressed that I didn't have anyone to celebrate Chinese New Year with. I usually celebrate it with my family, so it's just weird that I don't get to now. Sorry about that.
Thanks for reading and if you liked (or hated) it, please leave me a comment to let me know!
-redskiez:)