Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. I only own the plot of this particular oneshot.
"Don't tell me to fight for you, after this long I shouldn't have to."
~Marianas Trench~
Breakups and Misunderstandings
Why? The only thought going through the blonde's head. He couldn't understand why. Hadn't he been good to her? I mean sure, he had his psychotic episodes every now and then but they were never aimed at her and he had even been taking care to not mortally wound any of her friends. He was willing to be hunted down and killed by the Akatsuki – if they ever found out where his true allegiance lied – for her.
Don't get him wrong, he would never say that his allegiance was to Konoha itself. However, he would be lying to himself if he were to say that it didn't lay with the pink haired kunoichi that Konoha had brought up. She was so different, or so he had thought.
"Do you ever actually LISTEN?" she had screamed at him – she was so angry. He was almost worried about his health, almost.
"We've gone over this, un. Of course I listen. It doesn't change the fact that I cannot do that. I won't leave until I'm forced to, un. And it's not like your precious village would take me in." he had been thinking rationally, he had been calm – and that pissed her off even more because she absolutely hated to be the one out of control.
"Damn it Deidara! We can't keep doing this – I can't keep doing this." Her screams had died down and she was on the verge of tears – trying to stay strong, but failing miserably as the salty water flowed from her eyes.
And, unfortunately, he knew she was right. They couldn't keep doing this – although they had been for 3 years and nobody was the wiser. Of course it helped, on his end, that nobody really gave a damn what he did as long as he finished his missions.
She had left him that day, that fucking day a month ago and he was going crazy – more so than his usual brand of crazy. He was, dare he say it, heart broken. His heart was literally breaking. And she, she had tried to move on already. Deidara was so angry with her, but not. Angrier with himself he supposed. Give up Akatsuki or give up Sakura? That should have been an easy choice – but he was a coward. He could see that now. The choice he made was cowardice.
The blonde sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in agitation for the millionth time. His "companion" – really just the person who was sitting in the same room as him for that period of time – finally growled in frustration and said, "Just go fucking get her already! I'm tired of your moping."
Deidara was stunned, and he just stared at the bigger man in astonishment before choking out, "I don't know what you're talking about Kisame, un."
The taller man sighed in annoyance and said, "Did you really think that nobody knew about your relationship with that Konoha girl? She's the Hokage's apprentice. People are bound to notice. Especially after a few years."
And while the blonde wanted to listen to Kisame, wanted to with all his heart, he couldn't. She had moved on, was dating someone else. Deidara knew that his best option would be to move on as well; but he couldn't. He was in love with that girl. He had never told her before, three years and he had still not said those words. It was no wonder she left him.
For all his faults though, Deidara was persistant. And so, even though he knew it wouldn't be a good idea, he went after the woman that he loved. The woman who had replaced him – hopefully only temporarily – with that emotionless doll they call a teammate.
He found her – by herself – sitting just inside the forest surrounding the gate. She had been crying – he could see the tell tale signs of it. Her shoulders were shaking and her breathing erratic, like she was trying to hide her hysteria. And, immediately, the blonde's thoughts strayed from his goal to a new one; make sure that Sakura would be okay and kill the sorry bastards that made her fall apart.
As he walked up, she could hear the tell tale sound of his footsteps – as quiet as he was trying to be – and knew who it was.
"Dei-Deidara?" her voice was strangled – filled with surprise and, maybe, just a little bit of hope.
The blonde's voice was equally as strangled – tears had sprang to his eyes as well – as he responded, "Yeah, un. It's me."
He was hesitant to touch her, afraid that maybe if he did the illusion would break and she wouldn't be there. That she would be out with that pale bastard – what was his name again – Sai. But he gently brought his hand to rest on her forearm and she was still there. He could feel her warmth and her minute shivering – from the cold or from her tears he wasn't sure. Maybe both.
"Deidara," she took a deep breath to steady her voice, "you came tonight."
He was shocked, he had come tonight? Did that mean she had been – "Wait a minute, un, I thought you were with your teammate – Sai I believe his name was."
Emerald locked with Sapphire – both complexions stained with tears – and she did something that he wasn't expecting. She laughed.
"You're such a dope sometimes. He's my teammate. He was trying to make me feel better, so he's been spending more time with me. You – you thought," Sakura laughed even harder, tears dripping from her face again but this time they were tears of mirth.
In spite of himself, Deidara cracked a smile and whispered – just loud enough fpr her to hear it, "Sakura, I love you, un."
The pinkette's laughter stopped immediately as her gaze flew to him, not believing her ears – but when he didn't take it back, she smiled, got up, and brought the blonde down for a kiss.
"I love you too, Deidara."