Chapter 26: Deidara's Birthday
"Where are we going to celebrate Deidara's birthday?"
"Let's go to a restaurant!"
"Any other suggestions?"
"A bar!"
"Okay, we'll let him choose then. It's his birthday anyway."
"Let us ask him now so that we can make reservations and preparations."
"Regina, you go ask him. He's in his room."
"Okay…" Regina grumbled.
Regina went up to Deidara's room and knocked on the door before entering. Deidara was doing nothing much in his room just laying on the bed staring at the ceiling forgetting that it's his birthday.
"Hey Deidara, do you want to go and eat at a restaurant or do you want to celebrate at a bar?" Regina asked as told.
"Hmm..? What for?" Deidara was puzzled.
"Your birthday. Remember? It's today."
"Oh yeah! It's my birthday today!"
"Right… So where do you want to celebrate it at?"
"Hmm… Can't I choose both?"
"Unless you wanna give Kakuzu a heart attack, sure."
"But I feel like going to both places."
"Okay whatever; I think the rest would be cool with the decision since it's your birthday."
"That's great!"
"Well now we just need you to go get ready for later." Regina said her piece and went out of the room. "He has decided to go for both." Regina announced.
"Both…" The rest murmured and imagined Kakuzu making a big fuss over the bill.
"Well it's his birthday after all." Regina persuaded.
"Fine, fine…" The rest said.
"Then let's get ready to go."
"Remember not to tell Kakuzu about the place we're going." Pein reminded.
"Remembered." Everyone replied. They went to get to get ready and left.
At the restaurant
Deidara ordered for everyone a dish to eat, partly to avoid letting Kakuzu ordering for himself so that he will not look into the menu.
"Deidara actually forgot that today was his birthday." Regina shared it across the table.
"He must have worked so hard that he could not even remember his birthday." Jonathan pitied.
"I was just preoccupied with some stuff okay." Deidara explained.
"What stuff?" Jonathan probed.
"That's for me to know and for you to never find out."
"You're mean…"
"Ya, just deal with it."
"Okay, today let's go to Deidara's room and find out what he's doing." Rebecca whispered.
"Tomorrow." Regina answered back.
"Huh?!"
"Today is Deidara's birthday, so we do it tomorrow."
"Oh… Okay."
Everyone started their small talks over dinner and enjoyed themselves. Including Kakuzu though he felt something was amiss. It was time to pay the bill and to avoid letting Kakuzu know the total bill, Pein went to pay the bill with the money he collected from Kakuzu to 'safe keep'.
"Let's head to the bar now." Kisame said excitedly.
"No alcoholic drink for you three." Konan told Regina, Jonathan and Rebecca.
"Okay." They replied.
They headed down to the bar walking leisurely down to the bar. It was a night where everyone had enjoyed themselves genuinely after such a long period of time.
"Here drink some." Deidara offered.
"No thanks." Rebecca rejected.
"Why not?" Deidara inquired.
"Konan said we can't drink." Jonathan replied.
"What? Is she like, your mum or something? You don't need to listen to her." Deidara persuaded.
"Konan-kaa san!" Regina, Rebecca and Jonathan shouted.
"Yes sweetie darlings?" Konan replied.
"Deidara is trying to get us to drink that." Rebecca pointed to the alcoholic drink.
Konan glanced at the drink and immediately glared at Deidara.
"I'm being nice." Deidara defended himself, "At least Regina could drink right? We're of the same age."
"She has yet to reach the legal age to drink." Konan reminded.
"Oh, she will be in a few months time. Don't be so paranoid over her."
"It is your birthday, I will not talk more about it, just enjoy the night for now." Konan said and turned away.
"Konan's right. They're still too young to drink." Itachi added.
"Stop saying that 'we are young' okay?" Regina frowned at Itachi. She hates it whenever Itachi said it as it reminds her of her own age and his.
Regina stomps out of the bar to cool down but Itachi did not chase after her as they just had an argument a few days ago over the same issue. Deidara decided to run after Regina since it's not safe for her to venture out alone.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Deidara asked Regina after they exited from the bar.
"Nothing." Regina refuses to spill out any information.
"Itachi can be quite a blockhead at times."
"He wants to get married. In a few years time," Regina confided, "but I'm still not ready."
"Maybe he feels like everything is right when he's with you?"
"I think he's only purpose is to rebuild the clan."
"Have you told him how you feel about it?"
"Yea, I did. Told him I'm not comfortable with it."
"What was his reply?"
"Said that I'll get used to it… I mean, when he answers me like that, it seems like he doesn't even care for my feelings! I feel like we're drifting apart."
"Since when did you have such feelings?"
"I'm not sure either… Lately I've been entertaining thoughts of breaking up with him. But it just seems really odd. Like I'm the bad person, you know."
"Yeah, I know."
"No, you don't"
"Trust me, I do."
"So what's troubling you?"
"You really want to know?"
"You can share if you want to; I'm not going to force it out of you."
"I've been thinking lately… About you and me."
"What?"
"I know this may be a shock to you, I mean, it came to me as a shock as well. But I think I like you." Deidara confessed
"I'm sorry, could you come again?" Regina was too stunned.
"I said, I like you."
"But I'm going out with Itachi." Regina shook her head.
"You could break off with him and, I don't know, try dating with me?" Deidara shrugged his shoulders.
"Let me think about it." Regina replied.
"Sure. Let's go back in, they might be wondering why we're out for so long."
"I'll just stay for a little while more."
"Sure thing." Deidara nodded his head and went back in.
"Damn, what am I going to do now?" Regina murmured to stared into space and let the cool breeze calm her down before she goes back in.
The night ended before anyone knew and they were back at the headquarters just before dawn. They went back to their respective rooms to rest.