A/N: Sorry for the wait, everyone. Personal things, plus some procrastination, prevented me from getting it done in a timely manner. Not a good excuse, I know. Regardless...here's the newest chapter. I hope you enjoy, and I'd greatly appreciate your thoughts on it.
Disclaimer: I do not, and never will, own Naruto...how depressing...
Pitter-patter…pitter-patter…pitter-patter…
The first thing Konan saw when she awoke, was that the rain still hadn't let up. If anything, it was coming down faster than before. A single ray of sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the small drops of water that merged and danced upon the glass pane. A smile tugged at her lips upon sight of it, but that died at once, as a heavy cloud covered up the last bit of light, throwing the room into darkness once more. A low rumble of thunder shook the ground, and tears continued to fall from the blackened heavens.
Konan rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She thought back to last night, and the confessions that had been made. Why had she admitted all that to Deidara? She hardly knew the guy. She hadn't even been able to confess some of it to herself before talking with him. But she'd felt so desperate to confide in someone, and Deidara had been all ears. Pein had never been there for her to talk to, and now…well, now he wasn't there at all. Tears threatened to escape as her thoughts turned to that painful subject, but she quickly blinked them away. It was a new day, and she wasn't about to spend all day moping around in bed. Especially when the bed wasn't even hers.
The smell of fresh pancakes wafted in, pleasuring Konan's nose in spite of herself. The hot, fresh aroma of the breakfast dish, combined with the sweet scent of maple syrup was enough to make her mouth water. There was even a teasing hint of powdered sugar in it. The scent was enough to make Konan get out of bed, despite the depression that was draining her.
Her clothes from the day previous were rumpled from being slept in. She'd been too grieved to even think of changing. One sleeve hung down her shoulder, and wrinkles were visible on her jeans. She adjusted them half-heartedly, before walking over to the vanity and mirror the blonde kept in his room.
Her own reflection shocked her. There was no color in the frail teen's face, save for dark circles under her eyes. She'd barely gotten any sleep last night, even after her talk with Deidara ended. The exhaustion caused her eyes to redden, she noticed. Her hair was a tangled mess, and she decided not to even bother with putting the uncombed blue locks up in a bun. In fact, she had no desire to fix up her appearance whatsoever. It just all seemed so pointless.
However, she did feel the desire to eat. From the enticing aroma coming from the other room, she deduced that Deidara must be quite the cook. She personally wasn't all too skilled with baking. Neither was Pein, for that matter.
She wondered how he was going to eat, now that they were apart…
All her hunger disappeared with that single thought. It sickened her, the way she could relate anything and everything back to her beloved former roommate. Like an addict going through withdrawal, the separation ate away at her. Every second added to the pain, and every moment without his presence just increased her desire for him. No matter how cold he'd been, no matter how many secrets he'd hidden away, Pein had been the single most important thing in her life. Without the center, supporting pillar, would the whole building come crashing down?
Konan looked deep into her own bleak, blue eyes and tried desperately to find some sign of strength in them. Was she truly this weak? Was her entire life truly built around one man? She'd been with him most of her life. It felt almost as if a part of her had been ripped away, and she didn't know how to repair the hole left behind. Her eyes once again watered, for she failed to find the sign of independence she'd so hoped for. But she fought them, and somehow she succeeded. She'd build that strength herself, if need be. It was a pathetic notion, but she clung to it regardless.
Sick of making herself more miserable, Konan turned away from her broken reflection and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. It was over. The new day was beginning.
"Konan, you awake, un?" Deidara's voice helped bring her back to reality. The hallway between the bedroom and the kitchen was short, and Konan soon came to the other room.
The kitchen was shockingly bright, with whites and chromes in every direction. The ground was alternating black and white linoleum and, while it looked recently done, covered with various food stains. It looked as if a decent polishing job hadn't been done in a while. In fact, none of the kitchen was very well kept. Even the various plants around the room were fake and plastic, and in no need of maintenance. Deidara seemed to know his way around the kitchen well, though, and was certainly no stranger to the appliances.
Deidara wore faded jeans and a tie-dye t-shirt beneath a white apron. His hands moved with skill over the ingredients, all the while keeping an eye on the skillet that lay on the stove. Every once in a while, he'd pour the thick batter into the pan, where it would sizzle and brown. Then, he'd scrape his spatula under the gooey creation and flip it. Lastly, he'd place the final product onto a plate. Konan watched him go through every step of this process, and eyed the result with desire.
In the center of the room was a white, circular table. And placed onto the center of that, was a small stack of pancakes. They were a through golden-brown, and appetizingly fluffy. Melted butter dripped down the side, creating a small pool between the cuisine and the interior of the serving plate. Topping the warm pancakes was a light sprinkle of white confectioner sugar. Beside the plate of food was a small bowl, filled with thick, sickeningly sweet syrup. Konan's stomach began to unknot just looking at it, and she walked over to the table and sat down in one of the two chairs placed out.
"Yeah." She said, her voice quiet and sickeningly frail. She hated the sound of it, and the way it betrayed her weakness. Deidara, thankfully, didn't comment.
"Good. I made us some breakfast, un." He said, glancing over to the table. "I hope you like pancakes."
"Yeah," Konan repeated. "Yeah…I do. They look good. Really good, in fact."
"Thanks, un. Since my parents are always out, I have to do a lot of my own cooking. Guess the experience pays off, huh?'
The other teen only nodded in response, and took one of the pancakes from the stack and placed it on her already set plate. She took her fork and dug into it, then took a slow bite and chewed it over. Her tastebuds were delighted with the food, which was a great change of pace from the microwaved meals they were usually treated to. She was halfway done her first pancake when Deidara joined her.
"So how're you holding up?" He asked, taking a few pancakes onto his own plate. His soft blue eyes stayed focused on her, even as he brought a few forkfuls of his delectable creation to his lips.
Konan took a few seconds to think over his question. She didn't think it really needed an answer. It was impossible for anyone to miss what was written all over her pale, miserable face.
"Fine." She said at last. A lie, obviously, but the truth didn't need to be spoken, and Deidara seemed to understand that. He nodded, accepting her reply. Konan breathed a silent sigh of relief, before returning to her meal.
A minute of silence passed between them before Konan spoke up again.
"Thank you for letting me stay here last night. I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you any." She said. Her eyes were downcast, and she'd placed down her eating utensils. Still, though, she could feel his bright eyes upon him. It was as if he just exuded positive energy. In that perspective, he was the exact opposite of Konan's frosty beloved.
"No problem, un. You're welcome here as long as you like. It's nice to have the company, actually." He said. His lips curved into a reassuring, slightly lop-sized smile, which Konan found oddly endearing.
"Thank you, but…" Konan said, with a bit of reluctance. "I don't think I'll be staying much longer. Actually, I think I'll be heading home after this."
"You sure, un?" Deidara asked with surprise. Konan couldn't blame him. The decision shocked even her. After all, the apartment held so many memories of the man who'd walked out on her, that it could hold nothing but pain. But she had to face it; she knew very well that she did. Besides, she refused to impose on her friend any more than she had to.
"Yeah. I'm…I'm sure." She said, pushing her plate away. "Thanks for the breakfast."
"No problem, un." Deidara said, getting up from his chair and grabbing her plate, as well as his own. He walked over to the sink, and dumped them both into it. By the time he turned around, Konan was already walking over to the door.
"Wait!" He exclaimed, stopping the exiting female in her tracks. Konan started, her skin blanching at the sudden yell. It only lasted a second though, and then she turned around to gaze questioningly at the approaching male.
"What is it?" She asked, wondering if she'd forgotten something. The blonde didn't answer right away, and instead began rummaging through the closet next to the door. Loud bangs and thuds resonated throughout the large foyer as Deidara searched through the small mess. A few coats were flung out of the closet and onto the floor, before he emerged with an old, faded umbrella.
"You're not going to just go out into the rain like that, are you, un?" He asked with a kind grin, handing the worn umbrella to her. Konan looked down at the offered gift, and then up to the man who'd been so generous.
"Thanks." She said, attempting a smile of her own as she took the umbrella with one hand. Then, before she could register what was happening, Deidara's arms enveloped her in a tight embrace.
Konan's heart pounded hard against her chest, and it suddenly became hard to breath. Every breath she took, she inhaled a little more of the blonde's pleasantly sweet scent. Her body pressed against his, and she could feel that he definitely had more muscle than his girlish appearance let on. Without even thinking about it, she threw her arms around him in return, and held on as tight as she could. Her head was buried in his chest, which still bore the distinct aroma of pancake batter. She wondered if he could feel the way her heart was hammering, and hoped to god that he couldn't. Her pale face began to regain some color as well, and her cheeks grew pink with warmth.
It didn't last nearly long enough. Deidara pulled away before she did, and her grip on him slackened. Her blue eyes, which were showing again some signs of strength, stared deep into Deidara's vivid ones. There was such a force behind them; it was hard not to be sucked in. They were just so brilliant. Their faces were just inches apart, and the breathless girl felt every exhalation of the other male's hot breath. Then, Deidara began to lean in closer, and Konan's heart came to a frightened, screeching halt.
"Don't." She breathed, turning her head away from him at last. The eye contact was broken, and therefore, the spell should be too…right? But Konan still felt dizzy from the encounter, and her heart was regaining speed. Deep down, it felt so wrong to be with this guy. Especially with Pein gone not even a day. But something inside her wanted to defy that guilt so badly, and to prove that she didn't need Pein as much as she thought she did. He'd walked away from their relationship, so why should she suffer for it?
"I'm sorry, un…" Deidara began, but then stopped abruptly. He pulled away a little further and removed one hand from around her. Then, he placed that hand under Konan's chin and forced her to look into her eyes once more.
"No, I'm not. I'm not sorry at all, because I haven't done anything at all worth regretting. I like you, Konan, and I'm not going to lie about that. I know it may seem like I'm taking advantage of your situation, but I'm not. Not at all." He said, before leaning in close once again. "Are you really going to let that jerk control you this way?"
The already shaken girl began to tear up, and this time, the battle was not going in her favor. A few teardrops spilled down her cheeks, forming stains and reddening her eyes, before she managed to suppress the waterworks.
"I can't…" She said, her voice trembling. "I can't…betray him…" Every word hurt, and the shock of being thrown into the situation still hadn't subsided. She was petrified by the whole affair, and it tore at her already troubled mind. The terror only increased when Deidara brought his lips to her ear, sending small shivers down her spine.
"How can you betray a man," he whispered, "you're not even with?"
She broke away from him. One hand shot out and pushed Deidara away, and after she'd done so, she took a few steps back. With both hands, she clutched the umbrella, holding it close to her chest. Her breaths came quick and heavy, and her eyes were wide with a combination of fear and confusion. She felt like she was suffocating, and more than anything, she just wanted to run.
"Please…" She said, her voice almost inaudible. Deidara didn't comply, however, and walked over until he stood right in front of her.
"I'm sorry. Honestly, this time." He said. "I don't want to push you into anything you don't want."
Konan couldn't respond. She didn't know what there was left to say at that point. So all she did was turn away and head over to the door. Her fingers wrapped around the cold, metal doorknob, and she opened the door to the back way out of the ground-level apartment. With her other hand, she opened up the umbrella. Outside, the rain still fell, and the chilly air invaded the room with shocking speed. She took a step into the storm, before feeling a hand tightly grip around her arm. With a frightened gasp, she turned around, but had no time to prepare for what was coming.
Deidara's lips crashed onto hers, and even through the bewilderment, Konan knew to close her eyes. The electric sensation pulsed through her, and in spite of herself, she found a bit of enjoyment in their embrace. It overtook her, and blocked out all the guilt and sorrow. She kissed him back for one long, impassioned moment, before Deidara finally let go of her. Konan's eyes shot open, and she stared into his own once more.
"I'll see you around." He whispered, taking a few steps backwards.
"Goodbye." Konan managed to reply, before closing the door between them.
Then, she turned away, and walked into the raging storm.
