More Than This: A Deidara Fanfic

Part 8: The Element of Surprise Chapter 29

"It was always you Nioki." She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, biting her lip. "I know things got complicated but it was only you, the entire time..." her voice trails off.

I bite my lip, contemplating. "I just don't understand how things came to this.." I shake my head. "It just, it doesn't add up." She had already explained the situation but i couldn't come to terms with everything.

"I think he just got so wrapped up with our friendship he forgot about what he really wanted: you. You know how he is, he gets distracted so easily and forgets everything. I know it seemed like he abandoned you but you should've heard how he talked about you. You put the stars in the sky. And your schedules...they never aligned. I fell for him, but i never stood a chance, Nioki. Not even slightly. When we 'dated', it was just an attempt to make you jealous and have you crawl back to him." She laughs, almost to herself. "Didn't really work, did it?"

I laugh too, shaking my head. "No, i don't suppose it did."

She places a hand on mine, squeezing it comfortingly. "You love him, don't you?"

I look down, sighing and holding back tears. "I-i dont know. I feel like i'm torn between a choice i can never make." I mentally hold Deidara and Hidan side by side in my head. "What do i do Tukiko?"

She smiles sympathetically. "Im not the one to tell you. This is a decision only you can make. A conflicted heart, i understand."

Three days had passed. THREE DAYS since i had seen either of the boys. I think they felt obligated to give me space but it was KILLING ME. Being on bad terms with Hidan after the way our fight had gone and awkward terms with Dei after our almost-kiss and me having to blow off his very important thing for my disaster of a date. How was it possible for me to manage to fuck up every single thing? I throw my pencil across the room in frustration. So much for my attempt at drawing. All i had managed was squiggles that somehow formed an image and, oddly, reminded me of Dei. I smile before groaning and chucking a pillow, hitting something with a soft thud.

"Damn it Nioki. Watch it, will ya?" I hear the smile in his voice before i even have a chance to look up. Dei walks closer to me, taking my hand softly in his. "I wanted to give you space but its killing me. Have you had enough Nioki time?"

I laugh, lightly punching his shoulder. "I was wondering when you'd stop by, actually." I bite my lip as i look up at him, squinting.

In a fraction of a second, his face completely shifts. His hold on my hand gets just a little tighter and he looks into my eyes. "Nioki, there's something i need you to see..."

I gently plop down on his bed, nervously tapping my foot and rubbing my palms to calm the nerves tingling in my hands. I hear him shuffling through a drawer before it closes, a single box of gold wrapping and dark blue ribbon in one hand and an envelope consisting of my name, written in Dei's scratchy handwriting, in the other. Slowly making his way over to me, he clears his throat. "I- um- here..." he takes a seat next to me, placing the items into my hands. Our fingers brush, making my heart skip a beat. I look into his eyes, a thousand memories flooding my brain almost immediately.

"Dei...what is this?" I look at the little box, beckoning me to open it and reveal its secrets. I swallow the lump forming in my throat, trying to form words. I was nervous, i knew i was. But why? When he says nothing, i glance his way. He fiddles with his hands as he stares at the floor. Carefully, i unfold the ribbon and tear the flimsy gold paper off of the box. Deidara is watching me, holding his breath. I lift the lid and my heart stops. In the box lay a golden heart pendant with a beautifully carved N on the front. I look at Dei as he motions for me to open it. I gently pull the pendant out of the box before opening the pendant. I gasp; it was breathtaking. Inside, the pendant was sculpted to be a 3-D representation of half the earth surrounded by a whirling galaxy of black, pink, purple, silver stars, and a crescent moon. I place the box on the bed and pull him into a hug. "Not that i don't love it, but...why?"