Chapter 14

I had to do it. There was no other way. I'm not just trying to convince myself either. She needed to cut any and all of the little strings she had tied to whatever fucked up misconception she had of me. It was all for her best.

Even if I didn't know it at the moment.

When Eyelash Boy gave us all the news of her invitation to the festival I knew at that second all I wanted to do was accept and be there with that damned woman. On my prior mission I had gone completely out of my to pick up a stupid protective pendent for her, even if I had told her that it was on my way. All of my commission from that mission I spent with out even a damn second thought. I worried about some stupid little shit going after her all because of me.

Taylor went off with Deidara and sashayed away into the crowd. From behind I could barely tell the difference between the two, because Taylor was finally wearing her hair down. The last time I had seen her with hair like that was the first time I encountered her. I really should've just told her to keep her hair down. It made her eyes look less tame. Being pissed off enough I left Itachi and his blue butt buddy to do whatever the hell they wanted.

For the next two hours I tried to stalk the two blondes down. Not saying that I didn't trust her with Deidara. For a couple reasons. One, Taylor didn't seem to be that kind of girl. Two, I was almost 80% sure that Deidara didn't 'swing' in her direction. Nevertheless I still didn't put on a damned kimono robe to just walk around alone.

I had seen Itachi pass through a certain street several times, so something was telling me that that was where I would find my little prize. Generally I am a rather tall guy, but I still was craning my neck around to see over the crowd. There were too many people too just pick her out. Then came along two rather obnoxious broads. They were old 'business' partners for lack of better words.

I tried my best to keep my words under control as to not make a scene. That way I would've never found Taylor. "Hi-kun!" The skinnier bitch whined. "You should still come see us more!"

The urge to elbow her in the face occurred to me, yet again I suppressed it. "I'm a little busy."

The other bitch pulled herself closer to me as she talked with a seductive undertone. "Oh you're never to busy for a good-" She got cut off by a drunken group of morons laughing over something stupid. I was glad that she hadn't finished herself because I'm not sure how much more I could've kept back from throttling her.

Instead I settled with giving her a dirty look. Didn't most women take the hint from a man blatantly ignoring them? Shaking them both off of my arms kept looking for Taylor. If they weren't going to do it the easy way, then I was through with subtle hints. "Listen, I am asking you nicely to leave me alone."

I could hear them still pursuing me. "So, what?" One of them caught up to my side again. She started throwing her hands around in a way some angry way. "You think you can just come around when ever you damn well feel like?"

"Well that's what I paid you for, wasn't it?" I felt like laughing at the both of them. They were pathetic. Being whores is one thing but to be clingy whores is just fucking useless. The whore that was a little farther behind starting coming at me. Well I had tried to be diplomatic with the situation.

Before I could properly take care of them I felt someone latch onto my arm. Reflexively I jumped slightly. "I'm sorry, can I help you?" She anchored herself closer to my body in the same fashion that one of the two broads had before. This felt different though, this felt more possessive. I liked this.

Finally, with heaving chest, they leveled a couple curses over to us and tramped off. They weren't what I was paying attention to though. I was focused on Taylor standing beside me, swelling with pride. She had successfully waved away two insistent pests and she knew it. Her grip on my air loosened slightly as she looked up at me. With out even speaking she stopped almost mid-sentence. We locked eyes and her face fell, obviously alarmed by my staring. Taking a step back away from me she subconsciously fiddled with a fold in her robe. Why does she do that? "What's wrong?" I didn't say anything though, I didn't want to.

All I wanted to do was look at her. She was so stubborn and I would've never doubted that she had the spunk to stand up to complete strangers for just about anybody. I just never thought that she would do it for me. It made me happy. The feeling smothered out my ever present desire to kill. It was slowly taking over my attention.

Taylor adverted her eyes like she was embarrassed that I was admiring her. Well that should've made her more fucking proud, I don't do that with just anyone. "Stop it, Hidan. You're freaking me out." My lips curved into a pleased smile. I didn't want to stop.

Her hair fell across her face in some misguided way of confusion. It was hiding her cheek bones, thus annoying me. With a step I closed the gap that she had made between our bodies. My hand glided over her cheek, catching all the little stray strands that were laying in various spots. Her eye lids drooped where she looked barely there and I don't even think she realized but she started leaning into my touch.

I decided that I liked that she kept her hair up most of the time. When it was down it framed her face well at every imaginable angle. It was something like a treat to see, and things like those should be for rare occasions. "I didn't get to tell you that I like your hair tonight." By the time I had finally got around to telling her this small thought I had my hand already around her neck and was slowly closing in on her. She gave me silent consent to go on by clutching the front of my robe in a death grip.

This was the night that I was finally going to do it. Get my thoughts across to her without saying much of anything. Finally get past something a little more than fighting constantly.

Then the absolutely worst thing happened. Deidara's irritating he-she voice screamed through the crowd. My body stiffened on instinct and Taylor just about fainted. I went to let go of her but she seemed to be still stuck to me like glue. Eventually she let go and I forced myself to break I contact with her. My body ached from wanting to wrap the ever disappointed looking girl into a tight hug. That or just straight up jump her. Sometimes the line for me blurs.

It was apparent that Tobi had pissed Deidara off to some level. The so called 'artist' came up behind Taylor and started pushing her in the opposite direction of Tobi. Not too happy about the fact of his hand being rather low on her back I muttered to Deidara. "Deidara, where are we going?"

On an equal wave length of annoyance Deidara muttered back. "The bar."

I have to say I had seen that damn well coming. I also have to say that a part of my deeply hoped that Taylor was a drinker so that I'd have a reason to take her somewhere alone.

Can I just sum up the half of hour we spent sitting there downing drinks? Fucking irritating as hell. This damned bartender made a point in practically eye humping Taylor, and she just bats her eyes right back at him! The entire time I'm just sitting across from her on the verge of stabbing the man with a spoon to get my point straight.

At one point we were having a good time finally. We were pointing out the pathetic sacks of life that were roaming around the smoky room. Then Taylor just had to run out of alcohol. She goes to get some drinks for us all and guess who serves her? That little shit of a bartender! When she came back she had completely forgotten about our drinks and so Deidara and Tobi went to get us some more.

Which left it to just Taylor and I.

"I'm glad to see you're making friends." I said after slamming down the last bit of alcohol I had left.

"Me too." She growled back. Well at least I'm sure that was her attempt at a growl. It was more something along the lines of a hushed snap. Her eyes kept trailing back to me, waiting for me to give her the response she properly deserved. Or needed. Which ever came first.

Of course it wasn't stupid for her to feel confused about the way I was acting. After we had practically kissed in the street I just never gave her another look, so I wasn't upset with her about that. I wasn't upset with her at all. No. I was upset with the world.

Here we were. Two people who could've been great together with the type of relationship everyone loves. The fighting out of love kind. But here we were, an naïve girl and a malicious murderer. She deserved better than to be chained to me in some kind of relationshit. Being the lover of convicted criminal never does work out in the long run of course. Even though she had consented that she understood about the Akatsuki, I couldn't help but want to protect her from the harsh fact of the matter.

But with her it wasn't that simple, it truly was like she understood me. Like she knew me. Yet she still didn't care. "Hidan." My eyes flinched from Taylor's sudden voicing. "Hidan." My eyes looked over her quickly, was she about to cry?

Something balled up inside me. "What?" It came out more sharp than I would've liked. Her voice was softer now. I couldn't make out what she had said to me. "What?" I said louder, trying to get her to speak up.

"Look at me!" She finally yelled at me. I did as she asked, except I was a little taken back by her tone. Specifically how her voice had broken through her yelling. It was a little too much for me. Had, I upset her to the brink of tears? Unable to look at the product of my harshness I looked away once again.

"Just. Look at me. Please."

Damnit, now look what you've done!

I wanted to. I really did. Something inside me told me to just apologize and screw the odds. I'm mother fuckin' Hidan of the Akatsuki, I could do whatever the hell I damn pleased. And if that meant having a legitimate lover, then Imma do what I want.

Then there was reality. The part that made me clench my jaw in protest and zero in on fingering the mug in my hand. It wouldn't be fair to her. So I let her finish her drink and sassily saunter off to the bar again. I watched her openly flirt with that shitless bartender for reasons I hoped weren't connected to me. Maybe it would've all been okay, and I wouldn't have done anything about the situation if he hadn't clearly tried to make actual attempts at her.

I had began shoving through the crowd towards the bar when Uchiha popped in out of fucking no where looking murderous. It was surprising, considering I had never seen him actually showing actual emotion for something other than boredom. He yanked Taylor by the arm and drug her out of the bar. Which actually helped me, it gave me a free range at the bartender.

Until they were fully gone I watched Eyelash Boy haul her drunken ass out, when a thought occurred to me. What the hell is he doing? It was most certainly not like that emotionless ass to actually care about anything or anyone, for that matter. Then I came to think about he had actually acted like that once before. It was at the bakery shop when Taylor was still a new face. I was getting her to get some cream off of my lip with her own 'resources' and Uchiha barged in and slammed me to the floor.

And that only left one option open for me to consider.

That cocky clan slaughtering narcissist actually cared about her. Hell, he might as well feel the same way about her as I did for all I knew. At my sides my hands gripped themselves and relaxed rhythmically, finding comfort in the feeling of my skin hugging my knuckles. Once again my eyes found that damned bartender.

As he poured the drink of a hefty man I grabbed him by the shirt and cuffed him right across his face. The hefty man jumped back from his bar stool. "You damn idiot! You spilt muh drink!"

A wicked smile haunted my mouth as he came at me with his meaty fist. Before I knew it I had three more men trying to get there hands on me. I loved it lately I had been neglecting my more violent side and this was just what the doctor had called for.

Through all the clambering and shouting around me I still made out a rather muffled yell coming from outside. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Someone had yelled-

Taylor.

Barely escaping a large knife that had appeared at some point or another I ducked below another man's fist. Propelling myself through the now hostile crowd I used my elbows to try and make some much needed momentum. When I reached the bar's exit I found Itachi kneeling over Taylor. Her eyelids weren't completely shut but then again Taylor didn't seem completely there.

"Holy shit! Taylor!" I raced around to her other side. "What the hell happened?" My attention snapped to Itachi, whose attention was centered on Taylor.

He obviously wasn't going to answer me. As gently as I could with my fretfulness of the situation I pulled Taylor's face towards me by her chin. Her eyes were unfocused and sliding into the back of her head. Cursing under my breath I looked back up at Itachi. What the hell were we still doing standing around.

Busting through the door came Deidara and Tobi. "Taylor?" Tobi and Deidara shouted at once. This seemed to finally snap Itachi out of his stupor. Without hesitation he scooped Taylor off of the dirty street floor and into his arms. Inside I raged with resentment towards the Uchiha and jealousy of his holding her. Outside though, I quickly and quietly ensued him. At that moment, he was probably the one thinking most clearly- as a Uchiha that's what was expected off him.

It alarmed me, seeing Taylor in that state. Her body just wobbled and swayed in beat with the Uchiha's movements. She looked different than being asleep, she looked discontent in a way- like she didn't want to be unconscious. What had happened with in the five minutes she was out of my sight?

Had Eyelash Boy lashed out at her and whacked her something hard. Or maybe used some kind of cruel genjutsu that was just to much for a normal girl? No, that seemed unlikely of him. He was always so under control- even if I hated to admit it.

Something else was wrong. This wasn't something that was someone's fault or on even on purpose. Something was genuinely wrong.

Yet with every single thought that was streaming through my head, the only thing that seemed coherent and understandable to me was one thing. One fact that made my body quiver with anxiety.

I never said 'Good-bye.'