Okay, so here is my newest story! I hope you'll enjoy, and do review, please! It makes me so happy! :D
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto in any way whatsoever. These charecters belong to their right owners.
Claimer: I DO however own Mai.
DeiMai – A Pocahontas Way
"MAI! GET DOWN FROM THERE!" Temari screamed to her best friend, who was standing on the top of a cliff, about to dive into the rough water, but too late. Her friend had just taken a good step back and broke the surface with her fingertips, then the rest.
Underneath the water, Mai was swimming. The gold cross around her neck sunk down, and she felt it getting heavier. She smiled and looked up to the downside of the boat and had an impulse of pushing it around, and being an impulsive girl, she did just as she wanted to and pushed the boat around. She heard a weak scream, and as she broke the surface, she gasped for air while laughing.
"YOU … GAH!" Temari yelled annoyed. But then she started laughing as well. They heard another laugh and turned to find Mai's father, Nagato, standing beside the riverbench. "What are you doing here, father?" Mai asked him. "I want you to come with me, Mai. This is very important," Nagato said, and Mai and Temari exchanged a look. "Probably your husband," Temari joked silently. Mai shot her a glare, and then followed after her father.
"Mai, you have become a great daughter. I can easily see you grow up to become the chief of this tribe. But to do so, you need to marry," Nagato began. Mai looked shocked at him. Temari was not that great a guesser. "Do I really?" Mai whined. Nagato laughed. "Yes, you do," he said. "Well, who do you have in mind?" she asked. "Sasori Akasuna," Nagato said, and Mai looked up. "Nande?" she asked. "He is an exceptionally strong man, and he has always stayed loyal to me. He has earned my trust," he said.
Mai closed her eyes. "Nande?" she asked, and Nagato smiled. "Because you are the only one I would ever leave this tribe to. You're the only one who could take care of it," he said. Mai just had to smile. Her father could be such a suck-up. "You know what? I'll seriously consider it, but only for you. And Sasori is a beautiful man," she said. "I knew I could count on you," Nagato said, looked at her necklace and turned to go back to the camp.
Mai looked over at the oceans, and then she saw something. Some white clouds who moved extremely fast. She looked curiously at it as Gaara, the raccoon, climbed up to her shoulders. Naruto, the bird, flew around Mai's head, making her slightly annoyed. "What is that?" she asked them. They only looked at her. "I think I have to go see Tsunade no Baa-Chan," Mai said and left with her two friends on foot to get to the fifty years old willow tree.
"Baa-Chan!" Mai asked the tree. "HEY!" a voice roared, "I told you not to call me Baa-Chan. I'm not old enough!" Mai smiled to herself, and her grandmothers' face showed itself on the tree. "Sorry, Tsunade," Mai said and smiled. "But what are those white things showing themselves?" Tsunade smiled. "Climb up my child, and you will see," she said. "For not being old enough to be a Grandmother, you sure do speak like one," Mai said, earning a death glare.
"Do you want to see it or what?!" Tsunade exploded and Mai laughed and grabbed some branches. She climbed up to the top of the willow tree, and now saw the white clouds in contact with a big boat floating on the sea. "What is that?" Mai asked. Tsunade snickered from below her. "It is something I have never seen before," she said. Mai jumped down. "Something you have never seen before? Well that's just weird," Mai said and snickered as Tsunade tried to pinch her with a branch. "Thanks, Tsunade. I'll go now," Mai said.
"Are you sure there isn't anything else you want to tell me?" Tsunade asked, and Mai stopped. "Father wants me to marry," she said. Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Who?" she asked. "Sasori Akasuna," Mai answered. "No way," Tsunade said, "he is so good-looking!" "I know, but he is too serious!" Mai pouted. Tsunade laughed. "Now, now. You can't have a good-looking and a humoristic guy," Tsunade said. "I don't know. I smell adventures," Mai said and ran off with her raccoon and bird after her. "Heh, that girl don't know when to say 'arigatou'," Tsunade said, before her face disappeared into the tree.
On the boat:
Deidara sat under the deck, annoying the crap out of one of the team-mates. His name was something on H, but he couldn't quite remember. "Shut the fuck up, will you?!" the dude yelled. "Give me one reason, yeah?" Deidara said. "Because it's fucking annoying!" "Stop cursing, yeah? It sounds stupid," Deidara said. "Like I give a fuck about what you say!" H said.
"Oh, you don't?" Deidara snickered. The white-haired man walked up to him and said: "Go fuck yourself." Then he left and Deidara snickered. "With pleasure," he said and walked towards the door into the captain's lounge.
"Madara?" Deidara asked into the room. "Is that you, Deidara?" a soft, but dark voice said. "Yes," he answered, and walked in. "We're here, but I want you to go and find out if someone lives on the earth," Madara said, and Deidara nodded and left to get some of his things.
He jumped into the water and swam to the left, where he knew the others wouldn't come. He smiled to himself as he saw a squirrel. He'd have to tell Madara about that as well. "Maybe I'll keep it quiet so he won't start a hunting team," Deidara said to himself as he reached the shore.
Back on the island:
Mai smiled to Gaara as he tried to get some blueberries that were stuck in the rock side. She reached up and picked some out and gave them to him. He ate it in a rush, then licked Mai's fingers. She picked him up and gave him a big hug.
Gaara had had a rough past. He was left behind by his family when he was small, because he was a bit different. Mai thought he was cuter than any raccoon she had ever seen, and she'd seen a lot of them. He was very attached to her, and always followed her everywhere. She found it extremely cute.
But Naruto was another story. Birds usually don't fly in packs, but this one loved to annoy the crap out of Mai. She loved him too, of course, and he always seemed to stop when it got out of line. Naruto and Gaara were pretty attached to each other as well. They were like brothers. Mai smiled to them and held Gaara in her arms and stroked Naruto carefully over his head as he sat down on her shoulder.
Then Gaara reacted to something. He ran up and into some bushes. He seemed sort of scared. Mai walked over to him. "What is it, boy?" she asked softly. Gaara ran away, and Mai turned and started running after him as well. He never acted this way.
"GAARA!" she shrieked after him. She didn't see him anywhere. She was getting somewhat scared. "Where are you?" she whispered, and Naruto sat down on her shoulder with as much depression as her.
"Is this the one you're looking for?" a voice Mai had never heard before said from behind her. She turned and saw Gaara lying in the arms of a tall blonde guy. He smiled to her, and she looked insecurely back. Who was this man? He walked towards Mai, and she walked further away. "Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you, yeah," he said. Mai still didn't know what to do. "My name is Deidara, nice to meet you," he said.
Mai turned and started running. She heard Gaara come after her and together they ran really fast. "Hey! Stop!" the man called Deidara said from behind her. She ran as fast as she could, and reached the big oak tree. The water appeared and along with it came the canoe.
Then a hand grabbed her wrist. "Please don't run," Deidara said. Mai turned towards him. He was so sincere. "Can I ask you who you are?" he questioned. "Yes," Mai said. "Who are you?" he asked. Mai didn't say anything. Deidara looked expectantly at her. "What?" she asked. "Aren't you gonna answer?" he said. "I told you that you could ask me the question. However, I never said I'd answer," Mai said.
Deidara smiled amused. "You're funny, yeah," he said and smirked at her. Mai narrowed her eyes. Of course she was funny. Everyone knew she was funny. Then she smiled. "My name is Mai," she said. Deidara's smile turned even wider. "Nice to meet you, Mai," he said.
"Where are you from? That boat with the clouds?" Mai asked. "Clouds? Oh! You mean the sails, yeah?" he asked. "Sails? Is that what it's called?" she asked. Deidara chuckled. "Yeah," he said. Mai smiled. "I like it. Sails," she said. Deidara smirked and walked slowly towards her. She didn't notice before he had taken three steps.
"Stop," she said, "I still don't trust you." "You have little faith in me, yeah? Well, how do I show you that I can be trusted?" he snickered. Mai felt a small blush creep into her face. His smirk widened. "Will you tell me why you don't trust me?" he asked. "I've never seen someone like you before. Meaning someone with that kind of hair," she said.
Deidara raised an eyebrow. "You've never seen someone with my hair before?" he asked in a shocked manner. "No, and you're rather tall," Mai added thoughtfully. "Something you ain't, yeah?" he asked and received a death glare. "Sorry, no offence, yeah," he said. "And then there's the way you talk. You sound so different from us," Mai said.
"Us?" Deidara asked. "Yes, my father's tribe," Mai elaborated. "Really? You're the tribes daughter?" he asked and Mai nodded. Deidara smiled. "Well, my people want to know other here. They want to make sure that they are welcome," he said, and Mai smiled. "How many are you? I can talk to father, you know," she said. Deidara smiled. "We're around fifty people," he said, and Mai's eyes turned round. "Excuse me? Fifty?! We're like, fifteen," she said in an outraged tone.
He smiled. "Well, people from my place tend to be more idiotic, yeah," he said. "I don't understand what you mean," Mai said. "I mean sex," he said simply and Mai blushed furiously, and turned towards the canoe. Deidara smirked behind her, and looked at her petite figure. She was rather good-looking for being a native. Then she jumped into the canoe, with the raccoon and a bird following her. "I'll see you around," Deidara called after her and she lifted her hand in a mock salute.
"Father! You have no idea of what they are like! How can you judge people like that?!" Mai shrieked. Nagato looked down at his daughter. "We cannot trust anyone who passes these land-boards," he said. "Well, if we don't trust anyone then what will become of us?!" Mai screamed and stormed off. Nagato looked resigned after her. She was so much like Konan, her mother.
Mai ran towards the canoe again, but was stopped by Sasori. "You should listen to your father," he said, and Mai stopped abruptly. "He's only trying to protect you." Mai raised an eyebrow. "I know that, but he is so judgmental," she said and Sasori nodded. "Maybe so, but still, you should be a little careful. Don't meet up with them alone. That could be dangerous," he said. His voice was stoic, but Mai could hint a tiny bit of caring. She smiled to her husband-to-be. Then she jumped into the canoe with Gaara and Naruto after her.
There was something about that man, Deidara that was so intriguing. He just wouldn't get out of her head. It had now been thirty-six hours since she saw him last time, and something about her just missed him. She knew he was pretty, but she was engaged. Wait, pretty? No, he was beautiful. She had to go speak with Tsunade no Baa-Chan.
"TSUNADE!" Mai screamed at the tree. "Jeez, Mai! Don't ruin my sleep like that!" Tsunade shrieked back. "You just wouldn't wake!" Mai said frustrated. Tsunade would probably have shot something back, but she noticed her grand-daughters tone. "What's happened?" she asked worried. Mai looked up with red eyes. She had been crying.
"I don't know what to do!" Mai's frustrated voice said after she had told her grandmother everything. "Listen to your inner spirits, child," Tsunade said visely, only succeeding in frustrating Mai more. "Stop being such a vise know-it-all! Tell me something I actually can do," Mai said. "Maybe you cannot get some advice from me this time, my love. Maybe you have to figure this out on your own," Tsunade said, and Mai nodded slowly, then rose and left.
Mai was sitting in the canoe, not having any idea of what to do. She cared about her father's will, but Sasori wasn't the guy for her. She knew that, and she also knew that Sasori knew that he wasn't supposed to be with her either. They were just too different. They didn't add up.
And then there was this Deidara. Who was he? Why was he here? Would he show himself again? Did he care? And why on earth did Mai hope that he cared? That was the most annoying and stupid question.
"HEY!" a voice she knew all too well for only to have heard it one time before said. She turned towards the blond man standing by the shore on the other side, and felt her face split into a smile. She quickly composed herself and started rowing towards him. He smiled to her and she smiled back to him.
As she reached the end, he reached out his hand to help her out. Normally she would've been all girlpowerish, but she really wanted to take his hand. So she reached out and her hand grabbed his. When the skin made contact a sort of tingly feeling found its way deep into Mai's stomach. She smiled insecurely at him.
He smiled back to her, and pulled her up a little rougher than she expected, causing her to trip, and stumble into Deidara's chest. She blushed furiously as she composed herself again. Deidara snickered. "You guys are so lost," he said. She looked up; traces of her blush still resident. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Well, you don't seem to know what perverted things are, yeah," he said and the blush became even deeper.
"Relax, will yah? I'm not gonna make this more embarrassing for you unless you want me to, yeah," he said, and Mai narrowed her eyes. "I am plenty strong. I know what I'm doing. Don't look down on me like that," she said and Deidara looked confused at her. "We don't have the same humor either, I see," he said, and smiled to her. "It was a joke?" she asked and he nodded. "Oh, well then," she said, "I guess I forgive you." He snickered.
Gaara walked up to him and started sniffing. "Eh … Oh! Right, the cookies!" Deidara said and fished something out of his pocket. He noticed Mai looking curiously at it. "It's something you eat," he explained and gave it to Gaara who walked up to the cookie and ate it. Mai smiled as he walked back to her and crawled up her shoulders.
Deidara then walked towards a tree. "Can I ask you something?" "You just did," Mai joked. Deidara chuckled. "But do feel free to ask another one," Mai said. "Is there gold here?" he asked. Mai's eyes widened. "Gold? Here? You've got to be kidding!" she said. Deidara turned to her. "There isn't?" he asked. "No. It's never been gold here. Well, I've never seen it, but my people say that gold never existed here. Don't think I haven't asked," Mai explained and Deidara smiled. "Heh, then I guess we're here for nothing," he shrugged. "What do you mean?"
"Well, our captain, Madara, a bastard, came here on orders of our King to find gold on this island. He's not gonna be happy when I tell him," he said and Mai looked rather worried. "What do you mean? He's not violent, is he? He wouldn't hurt you?" she asked in a very worried tone. Deidara smiled to her. "Not me, but if it was someone else, it wouldn't surprise me, yeah," he said, "I think he kinda looks up to me."
Mai nodded, but she seriously didn't like whoever that guy was. Deidara's smile turned into a smirk. "Why did you want to know? Were you worried?" he asked with a sugar-sweet voice. Mai felt once again the blood flush to her face, but ignored it and narrowed her eyes. "No," she said plainly. Deidara snickered. "Thank you," he then said in a serious manner.
Mai didn't say anything, just looked at the man in front of her. He was very beautiful, and she thought he was somewhat funny, at least funnier than everyone she lived with. He leaned against a tree, and smiled to her. Then a thought got into Mai's head, something that made her feel very sad.
"But if there is no gold, does that mean you'll leave again?" she asked, and Deidara chuckled. "If there is no reason for me to stay behind, then I will leave with the others, yeah," he said, and Mai looked down. Why did she feel so sad by the fact that he was leaving, and why hadn't she told him that she was engaged?
"Hey, what's wrong? It's just normal for my people to leave. They don't really care about others. They just want to be rich," Deidara said, and Mai rolled her eyes. "There is more to this world than wealth," she said. "I know, but I'm on a team, and I'm not in charge. I have no reason to stay behind. Right?" he asked. Mai looked down again. She wanted him to stay behind. She wanted him to care.
"Do you want me to stay behind?" he asked her. She looked shocked up at the blond. They looked at each other for a while. Mai liked it. It felt good to be watched by him. Then he pushed himself away from the tree and walked towards her. He stopped right in front of her and lifted his hand to touch her short hair.
"Would it be very rude to ask you if I could kiss you?" he asked silently. Mai's heart stopped beating. She felt her blood rush to her face, and couldn't control her heaving chest. He smiled comforting down at her. "I'll take that as a 'no'," he said and slowly leaned towards her.
Their lips met, and Mai could never explain the feeling of his lips. Only the standard. They were soft, and moved softly against hers. But the feeling about to erupt in her stomach was unbelievable. She started moving her lips in the same motion as him. Then there came a scream. They broke apart, and to Mai's astonishment, she saw Sasori run towards Deidara in a mad way. Deidara pushed her back, and just had time to defend himself from the knife Sasori was holding, and trying to push at his throat.
"STOP IT!" Mai shrieked, but Sasori clearly wasn't paying attention. She tried to grab him, and drag him off, but he just shook her off. BAM! Sasori stopped and turned towards her. He was bleeding. Badly. He reached out his arm and grabbed her golden cross. The chain broke. Sasori fell onto the ground.
Mai immediately turned to the woman running towards them. "Deidara! Are you all right?!" she asked. Mai ran over to Sasori. Then she turned back to the woman. "You murdered him!" she said and Deidara grabbed her arm. The girl looked at Mai with narrowed eyes. "Sakura! Get out," Deidara said to the girl, "leave. And don't let them catch you." Mai looked confused at him along with the girl.
Then they heard the roars from the others in Mai's tribe. The pink-haired girl turned on her heels and ran away. Then Mai's friends came and took Deidara who didn't even protest. "NO! He didn't do anything! Stop!" she yelled, but no one would listen. Temari walked up to her and hugged her shoulders and held her back.
"Father! Let him go. He didn't do anything!" Mai begged Nagato as she came back to camp. "He didn't do anything? He killed Sasori! Your fiancée!" Nagato said and looked at his daughter in disbelief. "But he didn't!" Mai said, but then Temari came up and dragged her out of the tent.
"He is innocent," Mai said to her. "I believe you," Temari said. "But no one else does. GAH! I hate to be a girl sometimes," Mai snapped. Temari started laughing. "You're just weird," she said, but then stopped. She looked down at her walking feet. "What is it?" Mai asked. "I sent Sasori after you," Temari said silently. "What?" Mai whispered. "I'm sorry. I only did it to help you! I thought you were in danger," Temari apologized.
But Mai knew. There was no apologizing. They would kill Deidara. And no apology would be worth an innocent person's life. He would die. Just stop … existing. Temari looked at her friend and felt guilty for what had happened. "He is gonna get killed," Mai said, "for no reason." Temari felt it sting behind her eyes, but kept the tears away. This was her fault. No one should feel bad for her. It was her fault.
"Come with me," Temari then said, and led Mai to another tent. Mai looked curiously at her friend as she walked up to the guards, and Mai realized that this was where Deidara was being held. She felt happy, but she couldn't smile. "Mai is requesting to see the one who killed her fiancée," Temari said. The guards looked at each other and then at Mai. "Request accepted," they said and opened the tent for Mai to pass.
She walked in with no hesitation. She looked around in the big tent, and saw that in the furthest corner, Deidara was sitting tied up with his back towards her. She walked slowly towards him. As she got a good look at him, he saw her and smiled. "Hi," was all he said. "I'm so sorry," Mai said at once. He smiled. "It would've been better had you never come," she added.
"Don't say that, yeah?" he said, "I'm not the least bit sorry. I can handle this as long as I get to see you." Mai smiled, but felt the tears press her eyes more than ever. The man in front of her would die in not too long. She would lose her first love. She would most likely lose her only love. She could never imagine feeling something like this towards anyone else but him.
"You can't die," Mai said in a thick voice. Deidara smiled to her. "Not my decision," he said and smirked. How he could stay so happy in a time like that was something Mai would never understand. She raised her hands and let them rest on either side of his face. "Then make it your decision," she said and then kissed him.
Their lips moved in a tender way, but much more passionate than before that day. In their case there was no tomorrow. But then an 'ehm' chimed through the room, and Mai looked to find Temari standing in the opening. "That's as much time as you get," she said in a weak voice. Mai looked at Deidara again. "Don't die," she whispered and left.
Deidara leaned his head back at the wooden stick he was attached to. Those sad eyes. He just couldn't shake them off. He had to do something, but he couldn't do anything. Sure he had been in trouble before, and he always got himself out of it, but this time, it was so much more different. Now he had to take care of someone else than just him, and he wasn't used to that. But one thing was certain: He loved Mai.
Mai walked with Temari to the river. "I am very sorry," she said. "I know," Mai answered, "And I know you meant good, but you should've listened to me when I said they were great." Temari nodded. "I know," she said. Mai waved to her heartlessly and walked down to her canoe to go se Tsunade.
"I don't know what to do," Mai said in a heartbreaking tone. Tsunade looked down at her only grandchild. "I'm gonna lose him. I don't wanna lose him. I can't lose him. I love him," Mai said. She was sitting on her knees, hiding the small tears forming in her eyes from her grandmother, who knew perfectly well that she was crying.
"Hon, you know he will not survive without your help," Tsunade said, and Mai looked up. "But what can I do?" "Whatever your heart tells you," Tsunade said in a knowing way. Mai looked annoyed at her. "But I don't know what my heart tells me. That's the problem!" she said, "So stop telling me that!" "I'm only telling you what I'm supposed to," Tsunade said. Mai looked questionably at her grandmother.
"Or it's because I don't know what you should do," she added thoughtfully and Mai anime-sweat-dropped. "Just go with your impulse or stomach-feeling or whatever it's called," Tsunade said and Mai nodded. "You're right," she said and rose and turned as she felt the night end. She started running. She kept running. She just ran.
"We have to kill these people. We have to get Deidara-San back before they kill him. Let's go!" Madara yelled to the rest of the camp. This was going better than planned. He didn't care much for the swine, Deidara, but he wanted to kill people who stopped them from digging for gold. This was his trip, and his win. No one would take it away from him. No one at all.
Two men dragged Deidara to his feet and walked towards the opening of the tent. This is it, I guess, he thought as the men walked in a troop of people. They had summoned others, that was obvious, since Mai told him that they were only fifteen grownups. Now they were up in seventy or something. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that they had so many friends when they were so quick to judge people to death. Oh the irony.
Mai let her tears roam freely down her cheeks while she was running. She didn't care about them. She only cared about reaching the place where Deidara would be executed. No! Was supposed to be executed. He would not be executed. She would stop it. She had no idea of how, but she knew she would stop it somehow. It couldn't end like this. She had to stop it. She couldn't let the people in this world kill innocent people without knowing anything.
The wind was in her back, pushing her forward. The flowers hanging in the wind was the type her mother always loved. Thank you, mom. At least one of you are on my side, Mai thought and just kept pushing herself forward along with the spirit. She had to convince her father in some way. But how? That was the question. But right now she focused on getting there. Then she could worry about her father.
The sun was rising. It was soon up, but now Mai could hear the roars from the crowd. She saw the big cliff with many people on it. Down on the ground, there were a lot of faces she had never seen before. Mai saw her father step closer to a shadow lying on the ground. She pushed herself harder. She ran as fast as she could possibly muster. Come on! Not in front of me! Come on! Not when it's so close! COME ON!
"STOP!" Mai screamed with her dry throat as she threw herself over Deidara, shielding him from her father's sword. His eyes widened in shock. "Mai, step away," he said coldly. "If you kill him, you have to kill me as well," she said. She felt Deidara move underneath her, trying to push her off, but he couldn't. He was too tied up. Nagato narrowed his eyes. "I will not kill you, but there is no stopping me from killing him," he spat.
"No father. It isn't. But there is no stopping me from shielding him until I'm drained of blood," Mai spat back. Now, that caused a stir in both Deidara and Nagato. "Don't be ridiculous Mai," Deidara whispered. "Don't be ridiculous Mai," Nagato said. "See, you have more in common than you know. You both think I'm ridiculous," Mai said. Deidara chuckled. Nagato kept his eyes in thin slits.
"I love him father," she said. That made Nagato's eyes widen again. "He killed-" he started but Mai stopped him. "No he didn't. He didn't kill him. I saw who killed him, and I am so not telling you if this is how you'll act," she said. "The one who killed Sasori killed him because Sasori almost killed Deidara." Nagato looked at his daughter.
"Besides, making killers get killed will only make you a killer, meaning you'll get killed. This is the circle of hatred, father. And I'm not gonna let you get drowned into that," Mai said, "You should know that neither me nor mom nor Tsunade Baa-Chan would want you to do this." "Your mom didn't want a lot of things to happen, but they did," he said. "Of course. But this is a choice. She couldn't choose. Now choose father. Choose it you want to end your life as a righteous type, or throw it all away on an innocent man," Mai said.
Nagato closed his eyes as the wind blew into his red, long hair. Mai was right. This was not the way to step forward. She was right, and Konan was right. And Tsunade, of course. He couldn't believe he had been so blinded by hate for such a long time. He opened his eyes again. "You're right," he whispered. Then he looked up at their allies.
"Put down your weapons. This is not an execution that will finish. I'm sorry for calling you all out here for nothing. I really am," Nagato said. Mai smiled down to Deidara as two guards came over and untied the ropes around his wrists. As they came loose, he hugged the small figure standing so close to him, who hugged him back with all might.
Down at the ground, however, someone was not so happy about all of this. "Now is our chance. Shoot him," Madara said. No one did anything. "Too weak," he mumbled, and then added: "Very well! I'll do it myself!" He snapped a gun from the one standing closest. Deidara looked down just in time to see Madara aiming at the chief. "NO!" Deidara screamed and jumped before the redhead, but the gun was never fired.
As Deidara looked down again, he saw no one else than Itachi holding Madara down, and Kisame holding the gun. "I don't think so, sir," Kisame mocked. Madara looked sourly at them both. Itachi looked up at Deidara and gave him a short nod, and the fifty people walked away. Nagato looked at Deidara. "You would've died for me?" he asked. Deidara snorted. "I'm just trying to look honorable in front of my girl after you accused me of being a killer," he said. Mai snickered. Nagato narrowed his eyes. "It's a joke, father," Mai explained, and Nagato's eyes softened. "Well then," he said and walked away followed by the rest of the people, leaving Mai, Deidara, Naruto and Gaara.
Naruto poked Gaara in the head, and the raccoon ran into a bush. Then it came back again with something sparkly. Mai's eyes filled themselves with tears as she saw the cross on the chain hanging in Gaara's paw. She accepted it, and held it into the air to see it in the sunlight. The sun which had risen. And no execution.
Deidara took the other end of the chain, and swung it over Mai's head. Then he closed it, and turned her around. They looked each other deep in the eyes. So deep that even Naruto and Gaara had to leave. They smiled after the retreating animals. Then Deidara turned back to Mai.
"So you love me?" he started and Mai blushed. "You're so STUPID! Of course I love you! Jeez, did you seriously think I would deny my father for someone I didn't love?" she said annoyed despite the blush. Deidara smiled. "Now now, I only asked because I wanted to make sure," he said. Mai rolled her eyes. "Because then I can say that I love you too," he added, and Mai looked up at him. "Of course. Otherwise you would be totally crept out by now," she said.
Deidara chuckled. "You really are one weird human," he said, and Mai smiled. "I know," she said. "But I love that about you as well," Deidara whispered and leaned in to kiss her. She smiled and met him halfway. They kissed for a long time, and then Mai felt Deidara's tongue slip onto her lip, making her smile and opened to let him pass.
His tongue travelled the length of hers, drawing a moan from her lips. They then parted for air, but was soon back again. They kissed for another moment, and this time it was no interruption. No Sasori trying to kill either one of them. No Temari interrupted them, telling that that was all the time they had. Because it wasn't. Now they had all the time they needed. They would live together forever. With no intrusion.