Thanks for the reviews. This time it is Zetsu and Tobi who is watching Deidara. Hear why Tobi never removes his mask.
"White Zetsu talking"
"Black Zetsu talking."
"Sempei… Deidara-sempei…sempei. Tobi is a good boy. Tobi is a good boy. Tobi is a good boy."
"Yes you are. But good boys shut up. So please be quiet. Or I will shut you up."
The orange-masked boy looked up from his place in the bed and though his face was hidden Zetsu knew Tobi was pouting. "But if sempei thinks sempei is dreaming Tobi has to wake sempei."
The cannibal shook his head and looked over at Deidara who had his back pressed against the headboard to get as far away as possible from them.
Since the day where Kakuzu and Hidan had been looking after him he had been acting like that. Scared and watching their every move with wide eyes.
It had been a shock for them when Kakuzu had told them what Deidara had said to them. For once none of them knew what to do. It was not something they had tried before. How could they prove to the blonde that it was not a dream?
"All those thoughts are giving me a headache. I know what will solve it. Please tell me about it before I go mad. It might be a little too late to stop that from happening. But we should get some food. You are not helping it. How come? Now we both have a headache and are hungry…You are right."
Meanwhile Tobi had taken it up on himself to prove that they were real. And what was better to do that than tell about all the good things that existed? "And there are cookies and when spring comes we get to see the butterflies. Oh, and do not forget about honey or chocolate cookies. Even better chocolate-cookies with honey such a thing is too good to be a dream. Is sempei okay?"
The blonde looking anything else than okay. He was pale, had dark shadows under his eyes and was shaking even though the temperature in the room was rather high.
Tears started rolling down the blonde's cheeks and he whimpered lowly. Zetsu stood from the chair he had been sitting in. "What is wrong with him? I do not know maybe he is hungry. Is that all you are thinking about? No it is everything we think about."
While Zetsu was arguing with himself and Tobi was watching Deidara got up from the bed. His legs were weak from weeks of being unused but by leaning heavily against the wall he made sure not to fall.
Slowly he made his way out of the bedroom without the two boys noticed anything. Already breathing heavily Deidara rested his forehead against the wall's cold surface. He felt dizzy and was already tired but did not want to stop. Not yet. There was something he had to do before he could go back to sleep.
Outside the door leading to the bathroom he paused suddenly unsure if this really was such a good idea. Since the first time where dream-Sasori had taken him there he had not sat a foot in that place no matter how many times they had tried to get him to it.
But now he was alone with no one to keep an eye on him.
The thought did not stop his hands from shaking when his fingers closed around the door handle and he opened the door. All the time he waited for something to happen though he was not sure what was supposed to be happening.
Letting out a breath he did not know he had been holding Deidara finally stepped inside. His eyes darted around the bathroom to make sure that no Orochimaru was hiding in the corners.
Finally sure that he was truly alone Deidara slowly got himself to relax a little. Slowly the trembling stopped and his breathing got back to normal.
With a tense body he stepped inside, leaving the door open behind him. That way he still had a way out should something happen,
The bathroom looked nothing like the one where Orochimaru had taken him with force time after time.
He remembered the bath with his danna. How gentle the red-head had been even when he had seen his extra mouths. So unlike Orochimaru who had used every opportunity to taunt him and make him feel worse than dirt.
His danna had been his friend until the puppeteer had found out it had al been a game. Deidara hated himself. It ws so unlike him to play with people's feelings like that. If he ever got the chance he would explain it all to his danna.
Deidara found it weird that he could nothing remember from when he was awake. He knew for sure it was not normal to dream for such a long time. It was just not right.
He had started wondering if this really was a dream. What if he really had been rescued? Then he was wasting time by ignoring the others and fearing waking to find himself back in Orochimaru's place.
Deidara sat down at the tile floor and hid his face in his hands. The many thoughts were starting to give him a headache. He could hear Zetsu and Tobi. They seemed to have noticed that he was no longer together with them and had started searching for him. It gave him less time then what he had hoped for.
Wincing he got on his feet. The short time he had sat at the floor had left his body cold and stiff. But at least he was not shaking anymore.
Two steps got him over to the bath stall where Deidara found out he could no longer make his legs move. The trembling returned this time worse than before and he felt so tired that he could fall asleep right where he was standing.
There was nothing in the bath stall that could be similar to Orochimaru's. It was clean, light and without any chains or ropes.
Deidara slowly knealed and felt tears running down his checks. He felt more confused than he had ever felt before. Why was there not something that could make it clear for him whether or not this was a dream? He wanted to know if he really was free instead of fearing that it all was just a dream. He did not want to wake up to find it all just had been a dream.
He did not look up before he heard someone in the door. His head snapped up while he looked at an unclear bulb through the tears in his eyes. He saw a red spot and knew who was looking at him. "I-I am sorry, u-un."
This time Deidara did not flinch or move away when strong, warm arms encircled him in a gentle embrace. Instead he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "It's okay brat. You have nothing to fear. I will always be here to protect you."
Please. Make this real. Do not let this be a dream, un.
Chocolate-cookies with honey to all of you who review. Believe me it tastes better than it sounds.
Don't worry Deidara still has some way to go before he can be healed.
Anyway I suppose you also want to know how Tobi joined Akatsuki. And why he always wear that mask. After all I did promise to tell you.
Zetsu looked around in the mass of students. "This is so stupid we are never going to find him like this. Well keep looking. Leader-sama said we have to find him. Besides how hard can it be to find him? School day is almost over and I am hungry."
The two-coloured boy slowly moved through the corridors where the other students willing moved away. It seemed like they were ready to do anything so that they would not have to touch him more than they needed to. This did not bother Zetsu. He had long ago taught himself not to care about other humans.
As the crowd thinned out Zetsu started to become irritated. Honestly how hard could it be to find one boy? True he had only seen him at a picture but a Uchiha was not someone who was easy to overlook.
Turning around a corner he arrived to an empty corridor. Sighing Zetsu turned around to go the same way back. There was no hope that he would be able to find Tobi now. The boy was probably already home. It would be a waste of time to continue searching for him. They would come back tomorrow.
A sound from one of the classrooms made Zetsu stop dead in his tracks. "What was that? I do not know maybe it is something eatable? Let us go check it out."
True to their words Zetsu listed over to the door where the sounds were coming from. It seemed like a group of people was in there but from where he was standing he could not see who it was or what they were doing.
"Look at him he is scared."
"Wonder what happen if we take this from him."
"Give Tobi Tobi's mask back."
"He cannot even speak like a normal human."
Without hesitation Zetsu opened the door and glared at the boys inside. They were all a year over him but that did not matter. "Leave him alone. Before we decide that you will have to do for dinner tonight."
Between the boys (which were the same who had bullied Konan when Pein rescued her) was a young black-haired boy around his own age. His face was hidden behind one hand while the other was trying to grab for a orange lollipop looking mask.
Zetsu stopped and frowned. He himself had been bullied a lot when he was younger because of his colours and freakiness as others liked to call it. It was why they were forming the group. So that they no longer had to go through things like that.
"And why should why listen to you?" At that Zetsu smirked. "You may have heard about us. After all it was one of your class mates we got to jump out of a window from third floor. What a pity. He would have made a wonderful lunch."
At his words the assembled boys paled. It was clear that they had heard the rumours. Maybe they had even seen it when it had happened. Or heard the boy scream. He had made such a beautiful scream. If he ever saw the boy again maybe he should try and get him to scream again.
"Well, it is not like we do not have anything better to do. Come on we are going." One after one the boys left the classroom. Zetsu grabbed the mask and glared at the boy who hurried out of the door without further protests.
After he was sure that they were truly alone he turned his attention towards the boy at the floor. He looked nothing like the other Uchiha he had seen in the lunch-break. Itachi was his name if he remembered correctly.
"Are you okay if they did anything we are going to make them regret it." Slowly the boy removed the hand from his face and looked up at him. Zetsu could only gape. "Tobi thinks Tobi is okay. Nice boy saved Tobi from the nasty boys." Suddenly tears come up in the boys eyes. "Nasty boys took Tobi's mask. What is Tobi to do?"
As he started wailing Zetsu came to himself and handed him the mask. "Here take it. Before you destroy our eardrums."
As soon as it had started the tears had disappeared and Zetsu found his arm full of the boy. "Thanks nice boy. Tobi loves nice boy even though Tobi does not know what nice guy is named or why the nice guy has such funny colours but Tobi does not care 'cause nice guy is nice to Tobi."
Not knowing what else to do Zetsu patted the boy's back. "Thanks I think." It was the first time people touched him like that. Konan did and sometimes also Pein but they were his friends so they did not count. It felt…nice in a weird non-eatable way.
"Our name is Zetsu not nice guy. How about joining our group? It will make sure that those idiots cannot do you anything again."
"Will Zetsu-sempei also be in this group?"
"Yes. And do us a favour. Do not let anyone else than us see your face. Or else will shall eat them without killing them first."
"Tobi is a good boy so Tobi will do as Zetsu-sempei says."
Next: It is Sasori's turn to join the Akatsuki. Also hear the secret about why they are wearing nail polish.
Until then.