Reality Check: A Deidara Love Story

Chapter 25: Cliche

I just wanted to say that I was listening to music as I wrote this, and as I was writing, #thatPOWER by Justin Bieber came on, singing "I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive..." and I'm sure I have nevER LAUGHED SO HARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE

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"You..." Deidara cried as he grabbed Rai's hand, slowly winding his fingers together with her's. "You're..." His lips slowly pressed together as he fought to keep in tears and the urge to instantly envelope her in his arms. Instead, what he did was press his forehead to their intertwined hands and let the hot tears roll down his cheeks, thankful for being able to see her smile again.

"Don't cry," Rai croaked, bubbling out a small, raspy giggle. "Deidara, I want you to smile, not cry. Please." He raised his head and she could see that his eyes were now breathtakingly beautiful, the tears making them actually look like crystals, like glittering sapphires that'd just been polished to its finest. Lips pulling back into the brightest smile she'd ever seen, he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, making sure to do it gently as to not hurt her.

Warmth filled Rai's body as she soaked in the feeling of their lips touching again, something she felt she hadn't experienced in so long. It seemed like an antidote to her fatigue, her sleepiness and the cloudiness in her head instantly being wiped away as fireworks exploded in their place.

"I need to get out of this bed," she chuckled as he withdrew, mustering all of her strengths to her limbs as she struggled to sit up. Deidara aided in her task, but he shook his head.

"You need to get something to eat, yeah," he insisted.

"More like you do!" Rai noticed the impeccable dark bags that ringed under his eyes, standing out against his pale skin. She could also tell he'd gotten much skinner, more gaunt, his cheekbones more prominent than the last time she'd seen his face. "When's the last time you've eaten? Or slept?"

"I - I don't really remember." Rai sighed and shook her head, her hands reaching out to push his long blonde bangs out of his face.

"Since I've met you, Dei, your hair's gotten really long." He shrugged in response and brought his long strands to his shoulder, staring at the ends of the perfectly golden locks. "I mean, it's almost as long as mine. Do you want to cut it?"

"Nah," he shrugged. "It's my trademark, un." She laughed at his response, the sound so long forgotten, it felt foreign to Deidara's ears, but to him, it was a beautiful melody he'd been longing to hear for a long, long time.

At that moment, the door swung open, Pein and Konan standing in the doorway, soft smiles on their faces as they looked at the couple.

"Deidara, you should go and wash up, Kisame helped cook some dinner for tonight," she said, nodding at Rai. Rai casted her a small grin and nudged Deidara's hand, urging him to go. A loud rumble echoed from his stomach as if on cue and he reddened, hastily standing and exiting into the hallway to find the bathroom. After he'd gone, Konan entered slowly with Pein, both of them standing beside the bed where Deidara had been sitting.

"It's nice to see you back," Pein said, staring at her with his intriguing eyes. Rai nodded sheepishly and answered, "I think I should wash up too."

"No," Konan protested, putting a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "You shouldn't be up and moving; it's much too soon. Rest some more, I'll have Sasori bring up dinner for you. At the moment, your body is still working in Hidan's blood, and you're very drained of nutritions and strength."

"Hidan's blood?

"Yes."

Panicked, her hand darted to her chest to rest over her heart, where she could feel her heart beating regularly, the pulse a normal beat, but the blood not her normal blood. Intermixed in it was Hidan's, and she could tell why; he was immortal, losing blood was nothing to damage his lifeline. Even though, a bitter taste came to her throat and she had to swallow back bile that began to grow in her esophagus.