Reality Check: A Deidara Love Story

Chapter 9: I Found You

Rai sat up in her bed, panting heavily. Cold sweat ran down the sides of her face. She hunched over and grasped her chest as waves of pain began crashing against her racing heart. She had a coughing fit and tears sprang to her eyes.

'Wha... what is this pain?!' she wondered, squeezing her eyes shut once more. The blankets that were previously laying neatly on the bed were now haphazardly fallen on the floor. One of the pillows were on the floor next to the heap of sheets, and one laid at the foot of her bed. She ran a hand through her long bangs, smoothing out her brown locks.

She took several deep breaths and attempted to calm down her heart, but the pain stayed. She remembered the image of Deidara laying bleeding in her arms. Now the tears escaped her eyes, falling onto the white mattress. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders as sobs wracked her body. 'That was the worst nightmare I've ever had,' she thought. The thought of him made her miss him more than she already did.

His soft, blonde hair that she loved to run her fingers through.

His crystal eyes that matched the color of the sea.

His smirk that brought out her playful side.

His adorable speech impediment that made her squeal inside.

His cute reactions when he saw something that he didn't recognize from his own world.

His sense of humor that could make her laugh anytime.

His caring demeanor that comforted her.

She sighed and the pain spiked.

"Urgh..." she groaned. She threw herself off the bed and changed into a neon pink t-shirt and some dark-wash shorts that went just above midthigh. The ends were cuffed and bleached so they contrasted against the navy blue. Her breaths turned into wheezes and huffs, each taking huge labor to do. She constantly wiped away at the tears, drying her face. She brushed her hair but kept it down, falling to her waist. The Band-Aid was already soaked in blood, so she replaced it with a fresh new one.

"Please, nobody notice this..." she prayed as she wrapped the bandages onto her wound.

She began to walk to her front door but the pain spiked again, causing her to jerk to a stop and grasp the doorway of the living room. She crouched over and held her chest again, coughing. When the coughs subsided, her breathing was uneven and short. Beads of sweat began forming on her forehead. She fell against the wall next to the doorway and slid down onto her knees.

Rai crawled to the door and slipped on her pair of white Vans this time, for the Converse sneakers were still drying by her sink in the bathroom. The world started becoming fuzzy, but she blinked constantly and rubbed her eyes to make it go away. Using the knob of the front door for support, she stood up and twisted it open. Then she went outside and locked it behind her.

She took in a deep breath of the clear summer air, clearing her lungs a bit. The morning sunlight washed over her already tan skin, bathing her in the warmth. The pain lifted slightly, but still throbbed in time with her heartbeat. She stood straight and started walking to the park.

'I need to get my mind off of things,' she thought. 'I don't miss him.' She tried convincing herself that the

Akatsuki were just pervy scumbags who brought nothing but trouble. 'They're nothing to me. They're just losers who stole food and clothing. Deidara even got my head injured...' She reached up and touched the bandage. 'Yeah... they're nothing...'

Her hand went to her chest again and she grasped the front of her t-shirt. Gritting her teeth, she continued onwards toward the park.

When she arrived, yet again no one was present. She walked to the bench where she first met Itachi and slumped onto it, leaning an arm on one of the armrests and resting her head on her palm. The pain in her chest never ceased - it still only throbbed in time with her heartbeat. "Why do I keep hurting here?" she wondered aloud, her eyes shutting in hopes to ease the pain. She sat for a while, taking deep breaths attempting to make the strange pain go away, but it didn't. It felt exactly like a huge hole in her chest.