6.

Deidara woke up, sweating. He sat up, a hand on his chest. The dream had hurt. He had seen Sasori again, but-

His bedmate rolled over. He looked at their red hair and his hand tentatively reached out to stroke it. It wasn't right, though. Too long. The body too real.

He pulled his hand away and rubbed his face instead. He couldn't keep doing this. Sasori was gone. She was here. Why did he have to keep mistaking the two? It wasn't fair to her. It wasn't even fair to himself. He knew better and yet he kept putting himself through needless pain time and time again.

Sasori's face sprang to his mind. Or was it? Could he even really remember his face anymore? Or his voice? It was like an echo in his mind, there but incomplete. The only solid thing Deidara saw was that red hair and the lifeless stare.

Aiko's deep breathing clocked the seconds that passed. Deidara looked over at her and really looked. Yes she had red hair. In the end, that was the only thing that connected the two. Her blue eyes radiated life when she was awake. Her voice full of energy and emotion. Recently, her soft skin was what warmed him at night. The two were so different. Why did his mind insist on comparing the two?

He needed to set Sasori's memory to rest. Carefully sliding out of bed so as not to disturb Aiko, he slipped out of the room. Deidara ran down the halls and nearly fell over trying to get outside, his hand chewing clay the entire time. He created an owl and took flight over the forest, silently gliding in the cool night air.

He traveled for some time. His bare chest was numb with wind chill but it kept him awake. The stars above him seemed to dance in his watering eyes.

He spotted the site and landed. The area was nothing more than an outcropping of rocks now, a landmark to no one but himself. He stood on the tallest rock and looked at the ground. Sasori's image filled his vision.

"No," he said aloud to the imaginary visage, "You're dead. I will mourn you no longer. Rest now, you restless memory and leave me be, hm?"

The image faded but did not leave him. Deidara gave an annoyed smile, tears running down his cheeks now. He looked up at the surrounding rocks and screamed.

"Go!" he screamed, his voice cracking, "Leave me alone! You said your art was eternal but I never thought it would be like this! I don't want your face haunting me for an eternity! So just fucking go, you asshole!"

His voice echoed back at him in the silent night. Nothing but the wind answered him. He panted, looking around at the rocks. Finally, he gave a small chuckle.

"Look at me, what an asshole," he said, "Yelling at a dead guy."

He chuckled some more and the chuckles turned into laughter. The laughter turned into full blown, gasping for air cackling. Tears rolled down his cheeks and the hideous laughter continued. He felt insane.

Slowly he calmed. He panted, smiling and looking around at the rocks.

"That's that, hm?"

He climbed on his owl and took off without a second glance back at the site. When he arrived home he climbed into bed and stroked Aiko's hair softly. He was asleep within minutes.

Aiko pretended to be asleep when he came home. As soon as he touched her hair she knew something was different. As his breathing turned to snores she decided that whatever had changed had to have been good. She snuggled herself closer to him and smiled.