A young boy ran through the streets, his blond hair flying behind him. Was he going to get away? "Come back here you street rat!" Yelled the man chasing him. He ran faster, the bread under his dirty clothes. His fingers clenched and unclenched as he ran. He felt horribly sick to his stomach as he finally rounded the corner. His follower had stopped running after him. The boy leaned over, his hands on his legs and hurled. He had been sick before but the running made it worse. "Are you alright?" Asked a soft voice. Slowly, he turned to see a girl. She looked at him concerned. He waited for her to leave, to run away like everyone else. She did the opposite and stepped toward him. The boy looked up at her with pleading eyes. "I wont hurt you, I promise. Whats your name?" She asked, reaching out to him. He shied away from her touch. "D-D-Deidara." The boy stuttered. "Im Rinrei, are you alright?" She asked and finally got a hand on his shoulder. "N-No Im s-sick I t-think un." Deidara stuttered out. Rinrei took his shoulder and turned him to face her gently. She felt his forehead and her gaze became more worried. "You have a fever; will you come home with me? I can take care of you and take you back to your home." She offered. Deidara looked astonished that she hadnt run away. Then his cheeks gained color for embarrassment. "I-I dont have a h-home un." He stuttered again. She only giggled and gave him her hand to take. The bandages around his hands couldnt keep out the amazing warmth of the girls hand. She pulled him up gently and helped him walk to the hospital. The doctor took him in first thing since he wasnt looking really good. "He has pneumonia, so it would be best for him to get plenty of rest and Ill prescribe some medicine to help cure him faster." The doctor told Rinrei. She nodded and took Deidara home, the medicine tucked away in her pocket. "W-where are y-your p-parents un?" Deidara asked Rinrei. "They died a long time ago, but they left me with a lot of money." She grinned sadly and pulled Deidara into her cozy home. He stood in the living room while she pulled out the couch for him to sleep on. She made the bed with nice clean sheets and then turned back to him. "Here, go take a shower so you can be nice and clean." She smiled and handed him a fresh towel. He smiled gratefully and followed her to the bathroom. She let him have his privacy and closed the door. The warm water felt good on his body as it cascaded over him. The dirt of his life seemed to flow down the drain with the water. He felt bad for making Rinrei take care of him, but he really didnt have a choice. When he was done, he wrapped the towel around his lower torso and walked out. On the bed she had set up was a nice clean pair of pajamas. He put them on happily and climbed into the bed. The sheets felt soft against his feverish body. Rinrei appeared again, smiling with a bowl of ramen. She set it next to Deidara. "Try to eat some and keep it down. Ill bring you some water so you can take your medicine." She smiled at him and touched his head. "Maybe I should find a comb to tame that hair too!" She giggled. "Thanks un for helping me un, but why are you helping me un?" He asked her. "I care about everyone, now rest and eat so you can get better soon." Again she smiled and left him. He smiled gratefully at her back and began to slurp up the ramen. Continue... "Hey Rinrei! I passed! I passed!" An older Deidara ran up to an older Rinrei. "Thats great Deidara! So did I." She smiled at him and hugged him. His cheeks tinged slightly pink, but he hugged back. "I cant believe were Jounin! Isnt it awesome un?!" Deidara grinned triumphantly. "It is awesome; I cant wait to see what awesome missions we get to go on now!" Rinrei smiled at Deidara as they began to walk down the road. "We have to have a feast un. You know, in celebration un." Deidara grimaced and Rinrei just smiled wider. "Of course Dei-kun. Lets go to the store then and find ingredients for this feast of yours!" Rinrei giggled at his expression. He just smiled and dragged her away, her giggling all the way. Continue... Rinrei sat across from Deidara, eating the food in front of her. Deidara was all starry eyed and started grabbing at the food, stuffing his face. "Relax Deidara, its not going anywhere." She giggled. He still stuffed his face with the food. She watched him as she slowly ate her food. "Dei-kun, why dont you take off those gloves?" She asked him. He suddenly stopped eating and looked at me. "What do you mean un?" He asked his eyes looked worried. "You never take those gloves off, even when you sleep. Are you hiding something?" She asked. He swallowed slightly and worriedly. "Why do you ask that un? Its nothing un!" He tried to shake it off and she just let it go. He was very thankful and continued eating. Yet all that night she kept him under her watch. He noticed but didnt want to show her the horror of his hands. She would run away just like all the others and he wouldnt have anyone anymore. She would hate him. When she fell asleep on his shoulder he took off one glove. The mouth that was on his hand was closed, but seemed to be frowning. He looked over at Rinrei and his eyes softened. What was this feeling that he got when he looked at her? Her beauty astonished him ever since he first met her. Rinrei had saved him from himself that day he was sick. He had never been able to express his gratitude for meeting her. Deidara looked down at her sleeping form. Her eyelids covered the beautiful green eyes he would get lost in. Her arms were loosely wrapped around his upper arm and her head rested on his shoulder. "I think Im in love." He mumbled aloud. Her breathing was steady as he said it, so he knew she was still asleep. He sighed and picked her up. He knew how he felt, just how to tell her. Continue... Deidara was all alone today. Rinrei had left for a mission a little earlier and he had the day off. The boredom after she had left was unbearable. He had to know if she felt the same. He wanted to tell her everything, but that might not work out. How could she love a boy like him? It seemed so impossible to him. She deserved so much better, but he was greedy. He wanted her for himself. If only she knew how much he wanted her in his arms. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. She would be home soon and he would tell her everything. Including the secret under his leather gloves. Continue... "Can you tell me you wont hate me un? No matter what un?" Deidara asked Rinrei sometime later. "I could never hate you Deidara. What is it?" She asked worriedly. Deidara sighed and began to take off his gloves. She put a hand on his knee to make him relax. He slipped off the gloves and showed her his palms, waiting for her to scream or run away. She gasped slightly and he pulled his hands back. She took one of his wrists and pulled his hand toward her. He looked up at her and she was smiling. "Is that all?" She asked. He gaped at her. Rinrei just waved it off like it was nothing and laced her fingers in his. Their palms touched. He winced as if it would hurt her to touch him. The mouth on his hand licked her palm. She giggled and laced her other hand with his. "I could never hurt you Dei-kun, nor could I hate you." She giggled again. "Hey Rinrei un?" He asked her hesitantly. "Yea, Dei-kun?" She smiled and leaned on his shoulder, their hands still intertwined. "I really like you un." He admitted. "I really like you too." Rinrei nuzzled his cheek with her nose. Deidara sighed and put his arm around her shoulders. Continue... It had been years now and Deidara had left Rinrei. She hated him now and he knew it. He remembered back to when she had told him she would never hate him, no matter what. It was his fault that she hated him, but he still loved her, more than anything. He never wanted this power without her. He still watched over her, like a guardian angel. She took no notice, trying to forget about him, to move him from her mind. She couldnt of course. The boy she had saved that day so many years ago, the boy she had grown up with, the boy she had learned to love. Now he was the man that she couldnt forget. His name never came up in conversation unless the talk of the Akatsuki was circulating. She would leave the room, still unable to talk about him. Betrayal ran deep and his broke her heart. This particular day, she decided to follow him. She didnt care anymore about loyalties and villages. All that was driving her was her love for Deidara. Rinrei was not one to give up so easily and she wanted Deidara to at least know he had her heart. She packed swiftly and left without a word to anyone. Her swift movements made it impossible for anyone to follow her. She wanted to hug him, tell him she forgave him, tell him she loved him. "I need to hurry." She panted and ran faster. Her speed brought her to the Akatsuki cave faster then she expected. Out front were a man with a venus flytrap for a head and a man with yellow eyes and an almost covered face. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Asked the man with the hidden face. "Now, Now, Kakuzu. Leave the girl alone. Im sure she has reason to be here." The black side of the other mans face spoke. "Fine, but if she doesnt then I get her and you can eat her afterwards." The man called Kakuzu shrugged. She wasnt afraid of them in the least. Her love fueled her.
"I need to talk to Deidara." She said seriously. The other two exchanged looks and laughed. "Oh come on! Who would want to talk to Deidara huh? And what makes you think wed let you?" Kakuzu seemed to smirk. "Cause Im his pregnant girlfriend." I lied. They gaped at me for a second and then some other people joined us. "Whats this about a pregnant girlfriend?" A red haired man asked. He wore the same cloak as the others, black with red clouds. "Oh, Sasori. You scared me for a moment. This girl wants to see your partner." Kakuzu told the red head. The red head, apparently called Sasori, looked over at me. "Are you by any chance Rinrei?" He asked. Rinrei nodded and looked at Sasori strangely. "Deidara has been whispering your name in his sleep for weeks. Let her in and maybe hell let me get some sleep tonight." Sasori acknowledged the other two on his last sentence. Sasori motioned for her to follow him. She did so and into the cave they went. They passed a few more men on the way, but she paid no attention to their curious eyes. Sasori pointed to a door with a large D etched into it. "This is his room, just make him hush please." Sasori rolled his eyes and left. She knocked on the door. "Come in un." She heard a familiar voice from inside. She opened the door to see Deidara sitting on the bed. "I told you Sasori-sama un, that I couldnt stop my night... " He turned around and almost gasped. "R-R-Rinrei?!" He asked, his voice hitting a higher octave. She ran into his arms and started to cry. He tensed up but then relaxed almost instantly, wrapping his arms around his fragile waist. "I missed you." She cried into his cloak. His grip became tighter. "I-I thought you hated me un." He stuttered. "I could never hate you, I love you Deidara. I want to stay with you." She explained to him. "I love you too Rinrei." He answered without his usual 'un' at the end of the sentence. She looked up. Before she knew what happened, his lips captured hers. It was a sweet and almost gentle kiss but full of such passion and love. "Ill never leave you again un." He whispered as they broke apart. She nuzzled her nose with his. "Even if youre an S class criminal, I wont stop loving you." She whispered. "I would hope so un." He grinned and kissed her again. Thats where she stayed. As an Akatsuki criminal for her love. Her love for Deidara.