[do not] Lie to me - tobidei

CHAPTER 7 - Heartbeat city

Deidara's POV

"I said I am NOT getting in Tobi, hm!"

"Come on senpai it will be fun! Pretty please~"

Deidara fixes both of his feet on the ground with anger to reiterate his point. Sure, they have not found a good bathhouse or inn in days, and Deidara really wants to have a shower, but entering into a river is out of question. Lakes are ok in his book since the water stays still, but rivers, hell no. The Iwa nin is really afraid of fast running water of any kind ever since he fell into a river in his early childhood, not that Tobi needs to know that.

On the other hand, Deidara is curious as to why Tobi of all people is proposing this. Come on, this is the person that slept in his soaking wet cloak just to not have to be unclothed near the artist. So he entertains this idea just to see where this goes, but he is not getting any water past his ankles, that's his limit.

"Alright dumbass, but if you splash me I will murder you."

"Yay!"

Tobi removes his cloak, his chainmail armor, his gloves and then his shirt. Deidara guessed that Tobi would be strong, after that night where he held his arm in the inn, but not to this extent. The blonde nin immediately has to turn away to conceal the obvious blush in his cheeks and ears. He leans down and washes his face trying to make it go way.

Tobi quickly makes his way into the water only leaving his masked face out of it. Of course he still has it on. Deidara is still in the banks trying to wash himself without having to go any deeper.

"Senpai come on! The water is amazing, come here!"

"No way in hell I'm going that deep."

"Is it because senpai can't reach the bottom?"

"Shut up, hm! I just..."

"Tobi can give you a piggyback ride if you want"

Deidara hates physical contact and loud people. No one should touch an artist of his level of prestige without risking losing a limb or two, that is his philosophy. Therefore, when he finds himself walking into Tobi's direction and climbing into his scar ridden back, he finds himself surprised. Tobi lowers them into the water and Deidara holds onto his partner tighter.

The artist sees some fish passing by his side on the clear water and relaxes a little. He unconsciously nuzzles his face in Tobi's neck, feeling the current flow by his body. For someone who has always had this debilitating fear of bodies of water, he is doing well. His stomach feels weird, like little flips that feel good when he breathes. This is not fear, but something very new and unknown to Deidara. When he notices that his nose is buried in Tobi's hair, he can't help to panic a little. What the hell am I doing? He smells surprisingly good though...

Obito's POV

He has not felt this way in decades. He is not no one anymore, he is himself. He feels things, he can see things in their true colors, he feels... happy? When Deidara nuzzles himself in his neck Obito could swear his whole brain just turned on and off again. He could feel the faint smell of clay coming from his partner, something he has learned to enjoy, a lot.

Obito knows everything he is feeling is wrong and that it could possibly mean the end of his plan. For the first time in his life, he is trying to enjoy the present and not overreacting about the future. He knows he should not engage with these feelings and get as far away as possible from Deidara, but he just cannot. His façade gets weaker and weaker by the day and they are weirdly forming some sort of dynamic where Deidara just seems to know when he is being himself.

As they put the cloaks back on, something falls out of Tobi's pocket. The necklace. Obito stares at it with his heart beating fast, so fast that it could burst out of his chest. He approaches Deidara from the back and stops in his tracks mere centimeters away from the other one. Deidara turns around and is clearly surprised by the proximity.

Obito does not utter a single word. He just puts the necklace around his partner's neck and stays silent looking at those ocean blue eyes. The artist seems to be a little confused and stares back at Tobi's eyehole. The masked man expects the worse when he sees Deidara's mouth open, but he is met with a melting smile.

"Thanks, yeah?"

Obito nods in silence, a bright smile also forming behind the mask.

"Oi, lollypop face, hm."

"Yes Dei-dei senpai?"

"Nothing." Deidaraturns around quickly covering his face, trying to hide. Tobi is a littleconfused but they get back on their way to the mission.