Author Notes: Hello everyone and thank you again for your wonderful reviews for Itachi & Kisame in the previous chapter! Here is the second chapter featuring a different pair. Bromance if you squint really hard. Enjoy :)

General Warnings: Nothing major that I can think of.

Rating: 'T'

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

- Chapter Start -

The weather in the Land of Water was dismal, Deidara thought sourly to himself. It rained all day and night, everyday, making it virtually impossible to go anywhere without getting wet.

"Why does the Akatsuki headquarters have to be here?" he grumbled as he stomped up to the bungalow one afternoon, wet through to the skin and shivering. "Why didn't Pein choose somewhere warm and sunny, hn? I can't even fly my clay birds without them turning to mush!"

Huffing to himself, he slammed the front door shut and stood in the hall, squeezing rainwater from his long blond hair and ignoring the growing puddle at his feet. Tobi poked his head from the living room.

"Deidara-senpai, you're back! Ooh, you're soaking wet, you're going to catch a cold!"

Deidara sniffed and swept his wet bangs off of his forehead.

"Please, someone like me doesn't catch a cold because of a little rain," he scoffed. Giving his hair a final squeeze, he headed for the stairs. "I'm off to take a hot sho - a - a - ahh choo!"

He blinked. Where had that come from?

In the next moment, his vision was filled with orange swirls.

"Tobi was right, Deidara-senpai! You've caught a cold!"

Deidara glared at the single eye socket as he rubbed his nose with the side of his index finger.

"I do not catch colds," he insisted.

"But-"

"No buts. I'm fine. I just need a hot sho - a - a - ahh choo! Ahh choo!"

Deidara blinked his watering eyes and sniffled, caught by surprise yet again. He glared at Tobi who was almost dancing with glee at being proven right.

"I knew it! Deidara-senpai has caught a cold!"

- o -

Thirty minutes later...

Deidara sat in bed with a new box of tissues on his nightstand, his mood as gloomy as the weather outside. He had sneezed a total of twenty times in that short period of time - three downstairs, two on the way upstairs, eight while having a hot shower and seven after being tucked up in bed.

Being ill sucked.

"Ahh choo!"

Make that twenty one. Deidara blew his nose on a tissue and scowled. He also felt feverish and his entire body ached.

Being ill really sucked.

To make matters worse, he couldn't even sulk in peace. After dragging him up to his room, Tobi had pointed a finger at the adjoining bathroom and waited outside the door for him. When Deidara had emerged dressed in his pyjamas (printed with small clay birds), Tobi had chivvied him into bed and used the hairdryer so enthusiastically Deidara was sure every strand of his blond hair was now standing on end.

"Deidara-senpai, it's time to take a nap."

"I'm fine," Deidara repeated wearily.

"No, you're not," Tobi countered, "I've told Pein not to give me any new missions until you are well."

"Huh? Why you?"

"Because getting Deidara-senpai well again is my new mission!"

Deidara would have face palmed himself if he weren't busy blowing his nose again. As it was, he finished honking and glared at Tobi.

"I don't need your help," he snapped. "Just go away and leave me alone!"

Tobi froze. Then his shoulders drooped and he half turned away, head dipping.

"Why does Deidara-senpai not like Tobi?" he asked in a small voice.

Deidara blinked and stared at him, feeling an unwelcome stab of guilt in his chest. He swallowed and lay down.

"I, uhm... I just don't want you catching my cold," he mumbled. "That's all."

A few seconds of awkward silence passed.

"Oh!" Tobi sprang upright again. "So Deidara-senpai is worried about Tobi!"

He started fussing with the blankets while Deidara frowned.

"Hey, I never said-"

"But it's OK because Tobi won't get sick! Tobi never gets sick, Deidara-senpai! So don't worry!"

"I'm not worried! Whoever said I was... a - ahh choo!"

A fresh tissue was pressed into Deidara's hand and he blew his nose again. Tobi busied himself by placing a basin of water on the nightstand and wringing out a face towel (black with a red cloud motif on it) in the water. He then folded it and placed it on Deidara's forehead.

A second later, he shook his head, removed the towel, took off Deidara's headband (which Deidara had forgotten to take off) and replaced the towel.

Two seconds later, he shook his head again, removed the towel, took off the long range scope from Deidara's left eye and replaced the towel.

"Will you stop fussing already!" Deidara managed a near shout through gritted teeth. His hands were clenched into such tight fists, the mouths were trying to bite his fingertips in annoyance.

Tobi just tsk-tsked at him.

"There there, Deidara-senpai. You're cranky because you need a nap. In the meantime, Tobi will make you some chicken soup."

Deidara groaned.

"Soup is for the elderly! How about some bakudan* instead?"

Tobi shook his head and went to the door.

"Soup is also for the invalid," he chided. "Surely Deidara-senpai wants to get well as fast as possible?"

Well, that was true. Deidara fidgeted with the blankets and sighed.

"Wait."

Tobi turned around and tipped his head to one side in enquiry.

"Come here."

Tobi took a step closer and then another, tipping his head the other way as he approached the bed.

Before he could change his mind, Deidara reached out and grabbed Tobi's hand. He gave it a quick squeeze and let go before the surprised mouth on his palm could do anything.

"Thank you," he mumbled.

Another few seconds of awkward silence passed. Then,

"Ooh, Deidara-senpai does care for Tobi! That makes Tobi very happy!"

Deidara could hear the big smile in those words. He shrugged and snuggled deeper under the blankets, closing his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Tobi."

"Sleep tight then, don't let the Leaf Ninja bite."

Deidara heard Tobi going to the door and opening it.

"A-a ahh choo! What the -!"

"Hah," Deidara said softly, opening one blue eye to peek at Tobi who hastily left the room and closed the door behind him.

When a couple more sneezes sounded outside his room, Deidara closed his eye and grinned. It looked like someone else would have to cook chicken soup for the two of them.

Perhaps he could persuade them to make bakudan instead.

- Chapter End -

A/N: *bakudan - boiled eggs in surimi, Deidara's favourite food. Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed it :)