Chapter Fifteen

Nakiro opened her eyes slowly, yawning silently and blinked a few times to clear her vision. She was surprised to find herself underneath the warm sheets of the bed, she didn't remember leaving the balcony last night, had Deidara carried her inside? She blinked curiously at the thought and looked around the room, wondering where he could be; he usually woke her up every morning. She moved out from under the warm covers, her bare feet touching the cold glass floor, sending a shiver up her spine. She could smell the scent of the seawater wafting through the room, her head moved in the direction of the balcony. Both doors were pulled open, allowing in the soft breeze, light filling the room. She could've smiled, if she knew where her partner was.

The former Konoha shinobi took light steps across the floor until she'd made it to the doors, peaking her head out. She felt her heart do a flip inside her chest when she saw the breakfast spread around the balcony table, sakura petals and flowers decorating the tablecloth. Her red orbs flicked from the table, finding Deidara's back to her. He was facing the ocean, seeming to be deep in thought. His long hair was moving with the breeze, softly caressing his back. The teenage girl smiled softly, moving out onto the balcony. She stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder; she prayed today would be different than the last few. She could feel her smile drop off her face when Deidara turned towards her, her book in his hand.

'Kami, he read it.'

Her heart was racing as they stared at each other, blue and red locked in the most intense gaze. It felt as if he were staring into her soul, picking it apart piece by piece. What would he find? What was she to expect? She couldn't believe she'd been so stupid, how could he actually love her? What had happened back in Taki had been a mistake, the high-strung emotions and intensity of the situation was the only reason their intimacy had happened. The greenette could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, trying to escape down her lashes as she stared at the man before her. What had she done?

"Kiro." Her name came out as a whisper between his lips. She blinked, the tears begging to roll down her cheeks.

'Gomen nasai. Gomen nasai Dei. You don't know how much I regret it.'

"I...gomen nasai." he apologized, his free hand moved to his head. "I hate that I made you think this way hm."

'So it's true then.'

That was enough, the warm tears slipped down her cheeks.

"If I had known...I would've said something sooner hm." he continued; her book was put to the side.

'I know, it's all my fault. Just...please don't leave me alone. I can't be alone anymore.'

Deidara moved his free hand to her face, cupping her cheek. The material of his glove felt warm against her clammy skin, slightly calming her. His thumb brushed against her skin, wiping at her tears. She could feel the pain growing in her chest, watching him move his hand from his head and place it on her hip.

"Please, don't cry anymore." he asked of her. "I can't stand to see you cry hm."

'Just say you don't love me and get it over with Deidara. Please, I can't take this.'

"I'm sorry about everything that happened back in Taki hm." the blonde apologized. "I was sure we'd be safe there from Iwa hm. I just...I hate how everything turned out." She nodded into his hand, feeling the same way. "Demo, it doesn't change anything." She blinked curiously when a small smile came to his lips and looked up into his visible blue eye, his hand tightened around her hip.

'Does this mean I was wrong?'

Her heart lightened at the thought, she had to of been. The way he was looking at her was practically screaming how wrong she had been about everything. He had the warmest look on his face as he stared at her, those sky blue orbs begging to meet her red ones, how could she have been so blind? The greenette felt a small smile come to her lips, looking up through her lashes into Deidara's eyes. There it was, his eyes were shining with devotion for her. She could feel her cheeks heating up, the blonde never moving his gaze from hers as he caressed her cheek.

"I wanted everything to be perfect." he admitted. "It was hard keeping all my plans secret from you hm. I hoped if everything went according to plan, I'd be able to show you exactly how I felt hm. Then the Anbu showed up and I-I just panicked." Deidara bowed his head at the words, looking ashamed with himself. "I never thought I would surrender in my life...until I met you Kiro."

His confession was almost enough to break her, he'd been more than willing to throw his whole life away because of her; he almost had. She was afraid to even imagine what would have happened to him had she not stepped in, he could've been imprisoned back in Iwagakure or worse. The teenage girl felt something akin to fear rise in her chest, she was afraid for Deidara. His devotion to her could've caused him to lose his life a few days prior and who was to say they wouldn't be in a situation like that again, would he attempt to sacrifice himself like before? She didn't want to begin to consider the odds, after everything they'd been through together, she knew that she couldn't live without him.

"I don't want to ever lose you hm." His words brought her back to reality, a small smile graced her lips as she held his gaze.

'I feel the same way, you mean so much to me Deidara.'

He'd changed so much since they'd met months before, he'd opened up to her in ways she thought would never happen when they'd first crossed paths. He'd let his wall down as time dragged on, showed her some of the deepest parts of himself, both the beautiful and the ugly. His devotion and unwavering loyalty to her showed in every action he made, all his commitment and dedication as clear as day. Why had she blinded herself for so long, why had she tried to convince herself that she wasn't in love with him?

"Nakiro."

His hand slid from her hip and around her back, gently pulling her closer to him. His fingertips brushed across her cheek, tucking a lock of dark turquoise behind her ear before coming to rest on the side of her head. Her cheeks were flushing as they stood chest to chest, she could feel her heart beating frantically in her rib cage. She was overwhelmed with the love she felt as she held he gaze, so why was it so hard to just give into it?

"I need to ask you something."

Onyx met azure blue, Nakiro could clearly see her words had Shisui curious. She had met up with Shisui to do some independent training, he was one of the most skilled shinobi in Konohagakure and she was honored that he'd taken time out of his busy schedule to train with her. Between all of his missions and her own, they rarely saw each other these days. She was happy to have some well deserved time with her friend, she always learned something new each time they worked together. Itachi had agreed to join the pair as soon as he'd finished speaking with Fugaku, it would be like old times before they'd all joined Anbu, almost. Things had been unnecessarily tense as of late, as much as she hated to admit it. Whatever was going on within the Uchiha clan, had to of been escalating. Although Itachi continued to act normal around her, she could see the distant sadness in his gaze and it greatly concerned her. If there was anyone she could go to about this in confidence, it was Shisui.

"Of course, what's on your mind?" the raven haired boy questioned, a soft sigh passed through her lips.

"I feel dumb just bringing it up." she admitted, leaning her back against a tree. Shisui chuckled lightly, twirling a kunai in between his fingers.

"If it were dumb, it wouldn't be bothering you as much as it appears to be." he observed, she could've bashed her head against the tree at his words; she felt so frustrated with her own thoughts.

"I know." she agreed, trying to keep a level head. "My thoughts are contradicting themselves, I feel so helpless." A small smile came to her lips when a hand was placed on her shoulder, the raven haired boy was smiling gently.

"You don't need to feel that way." he said warmly. "Let me help, what's this about?"

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment but she knew Shisui was the only person she could come to with these thoughts, hopefully he'd be able to clear things up for her and ease her worries. She pressed her index fingers together, trying to gather her courage.

"It's Itachi." Nakiro murmured, feeling all the more self conscious.

"What about Itachi?" he pressed, a serious expression in his gaze. "He didn't upset you, did he?"

"No." she said quickly, shaking her head. "It's just..." She trailed off, not knowing how to say it without sounding pathetic and bowed her head, a curtain of orange hair obscuring both sides of her face.

"Nakiro."

"He's been distant." she mumbled, playing with the ends of her hair. "I can see it in his eyes, something's hurting him and he won't open up to me. I don't want to press him but I'm worried."

She paused, looking up at Shisui through her lashes. His onyx orbs were cast downward, seeming as though he were deeply considering her words. Was it possible the elder knew something she didn't? Was he also keeping something from her? Could it have been about the Uchiha and whatever the clan was planning in the shadows? She knew she didn't need to be sticking her nose into the Uchiha's affairs, she hoped her friend would see that she was merely concerned for her lover.

"I understand if you can't tell me what's going on." she continued, pressing her fingers together again. "The Uchiha's business is theirs, I just hope Itachi is alright."

"Don't worry Nakiro, it's nothing like that." he said easily, she eyed him curiously.

"It's not?"

"You're reading too much into things." he responded, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. "Itachi tends to keep things to himself and sometimes, I think it comes off as sadness when it's the exact opposite. You know how he can be." She nodded slightly, still not understanding what could be going on.

"Then why i-"

"Okay okay." he laughed, raising his hands in a form of surrender. "I can't tell you everything but if it'll put your mind at ease, I'll give a little."

A smile graced her lips and she nodded enthusiastically, happy to have him here with her in this moment. Whatever information he was willing to give her would be more than enough, even if it wasn't the root of Itachi's distance, it was still a start. A wide grin stretched it's way across his face and he folded his arms across his chest, looking directly into her eyes.

"You didn't hear this from me." he teased, still chuckling. "Demo, he did tell me something that concerns you." She pouted at his words, wishing he wasn't being as vague as he was; wasn't he supposed to be putting her mind at ease?

"What about me?" she pried, secretly worrying she'd done something to upset her beloved.

"Well...kami he'll kill me if he finds out I told you this."

"Shisui!" the orange hair girl groaned.

"Gomen gomen." The Uchiha smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Itachi told me he thinks it may be time, to let his parents know about the two of you and your parents about him." Nakiro felt her stomach flip at his words, her pulse quickening; so this was what he'd been keeping from her? "He's still deeply considering it, he doesn't want a big uproar about it ya know?" he continued, she nodded hesitantly.

She wasn't sure how to feel in the moment, she had so many emotions whirling inside her. Obviously she was over the moon, coming out to their parents as a couple was a big step and one that could unite their clans in the future. She loved Itachi and wanted to spend her life by his side, they were young and had so many more years ahead of them to spend together. She didn't want to flaunt their relationship in the least but she did want everyone to know how much she loved him, that he was her soulmate. However, she worried that this could jeopardize already precarious situations. She was still at odds with her elder sister and this could be the thing to strain their relationship further, if not completely annihilate it. She was beginning to understand the position Itachi had seen them in and he was doing everything in his power to consider all possible outcomes, before making a life changing decision.

"Nakiro." The teenage girl looked up to find Shisui's smiling at her, he placed his hand on her head reassuringly. "Everything will be alright."

"I hope so." she murmured, his smile widened.

"Trust me, he's in love with you."

In her heart, she knew she was still deeply in love with Itachi. Did her subconscious feel as though she were betraying that feeling, was that why she'd had such a hard time accepting what was right infront of her? She secretly hated herself for giving in to the feelings she'd developed for her blonde partner, but she knew she couldn't hate herself forever. She'd been drowning in turmoil for years, blaming herself and loathing her existence for what had happened that night. Even in their final moments together, she knew Itachi's truth, what he felt for her. She knew what her beloved would want for her, he'd want her to move forward and be happy in life, even if it meant leaving him behind. Although she knew without a doubt what Itachi would want for her, she'd held on to their love for years after his disappearance in hopes of reuniting with him. Perhaps it was finally time to let go and move forward, she could still cherish her memories and the time she'd spent with Itachi. Moving forward didn't mean she'd forget him or what he meant to her, right?

As she stared at the bomber before her, it was all too easy to accept her feelings. As hard as she'd tried to deny them, they'd only gotten stronger in the months they'd spent together. The more she'd tried to repress those emotions, the harder they'd hit her each day until it was impossible to ignore them. She'd always believed Itachi would be her past, present and future. Now though, it was Deidara. It had been Deidara that saved her from herself, kept her loneliness at bay and spent every waking moment helping her pick up the pieces. How could she continue to deny the truth? She wasn't so sure she could. He was here, bearing his soul to her, so at the very least, she could be honest for the both of them.

"I didn't imagine having this conversation under these circumstances hm." Deidara all but whispered. "Demo, I don't want to go another day without you knowing the truth hm."

His once nervous tone had dissipated, although he didn't sound cocky, he sounded confident. It was as if he didn't care what her response would be, as long as he could speak his truth then that would be enough. A labored breath passed through her lips but she continued to hold his gaze, the pink staining her cheeks darkening a shade; this was it. The blonde leaned his forehead against Nakiro's, their noses touching.

"Hontaru Nakiro, I'm in love with you."

Time seemed to all but stand still. He'd finally said it, the words that had hung in the air between them for months. She felt her face flushing hotter at his confession, her heart hammering in her chest. She wished with all her heart she could repeat the words back to him, tell him that she felt the same way but until that day came, she'd just have to show him. With one hand placed on his shoulder, she moved the other to his cheek and brushed his bangs away from his eye, almost becoming lost in his blue eyes. Nakiro held her breath when he moved slightly closer, his lips brushing against hers teasingly before fully pressing against hers in a soft kiss.

The teenage girl felt her heart leap at the contact, her eyes immediately slipping shut and moved her lips against his. It was nothing like the first kiss they'd shared, that had been filled with desperation, it was loving and gentle. It almost reminded her of her first kiss with-

She pulled out of the kiss abruptly at the thought and put some distance between herself and Deidara, shaking her head to herself. She was so ashamed with herself, she couldn't be thinking of him during something like this.

'No, I can't do this. I-'

"Kiro I...gomen."

Her red eyes found her partner's face, her heart sinking. She'd hurt him, that had been the last thing she'd wanted to do. Not only that but he looked as though he were blaming himself, angry with himself for kissing her. Did he think that she didn't share his feelings? No. He wasn't the one that was supposed to feel ashamed, she was ashamed with herself for thinking of Itachi. Especially when Deidara had just let down his wall, she wanted him to know how she truly felt and within a matter of seconds, she'd hurt him.

"I-I shouldn't have-"

Nakiro quickly closed the space between them and pressed her lips to his, stopping his words mid sentence. Once again, her heart jumped at the contact and the familiar warm feeling filled her chest; she truly did love him. With closed eyes, she moved her lips against his desperately, praying with all her heart that he knew just how much he meant to her. It took less than a second before his hands went to her waist and he was kissing her back with just as much enthusiasm, her fingers subconsciously moved into his blonde hair to pull him closer. Her stomach was flipping with each kiss, her need for him almost overwhelming. His lips were moving against hers just as desperately, one of his hands sliding up her back to pull her as close to him as she could get. She almost moaned when his tongue slipped inside her mouth and rubbed against hers, tightening her fingers in his blonde locks. There wasn't an inch of space between them and her lips felt as though they were bruising from how roughly they were kissing each other. She could hardly breathe but that didn't matter, all that mattered was that he was kissing her and that she loved him. She almost pouted when he broke the kiss, his breath tickling her ear.

"I love you so much hm."

A smile came to her lips at his words, she loved him too and she couldn't wait for the day that she could say it to him.

Author's Note: IT HAS BEEN CONFESSED! AND LOVE BLOOMS