A/N: UPDATE! Sorry it took so long...well I wrote the first half of this about 2 months ago. And then I shoved it in my book bag...and it was never seen again. Until today when I finally decided to dig around and find it. Yay~!

Haha. When I read over this, it really seems like a bad shoujo manga, huh? Oh well. It's more fun that way. This should be the end of the drama, at least for now. Anyway. It's a bit short. Sorry, but here it is! COMMENT! ^_^

Artist's Alley

Chapter 13

Deidara entered the silent, shadowed train station. It had been abandoned for many years, but according t his instructions, this was where he would find his target. The station was empty, dark and cold, the air stale and lifeless after so many years of not being without use. It didn't make sense. Would the government really go through all the troubles of using an abandoned train station to ensure the safe travels of one of their officials? Surely they had other, better ways to protect themselves? Or maybe they didn't, but what bothered him more than this was the purpose of making him do this mission.

Whatever excuses those damn Akatsuki made, Deidara was surprised they had let this man live so long. When he had assisted the police in foiling the Akatsuki's plans to kill that man two years ago, it had been for his own benefit, not from any naive heroic notion that his efforts would prevent the man's death in the end. And he really hadn't cared whether the man died or not. One thing he shared with the Akatsuki was his dislike for the corrupt government officials, although that certainly did not mean he wanted to work with them. But that aside, even if they had neglected to kill him up until now, Deidara seriously doubted he was the only one who could be used for this mission. No, as Deidara walked through the station, his footsteps echoing on the cold concrete floor, he felt certain that whatever the reason for making him do this, there was some ulterior motive behind it.

It was all that stupid girl's fault! Deidara still wasn't sure why he had agreed to this. It would have been much easier to just let her die, but for whatever reason he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had felt a small sense of affection toward her, but it had been no great attachment. But, after all, he had never particularly enjoyed seeing innocent girls get killed for no reason.

He had reached the platform now. It was almost time. Soon, the train would come. He reached into the small pouch at his side, and felt that part of his hand that he had not used for so long begin to work. Now he could hear the slight ringing as the train neared. But something was wrong. This sound wasn't quite right, and now he noticed something he had mistaken earlier for the foul smell of an abandoned train station. But that wasn't right. This was something different. Something was definitely wrong.

And then it happened.

I sat in the chair, staring at the boy who I had considered my friend. Keito doing something like this...I almost couldn't believe it. But I knew one thing for sure now. Deidara was not a bad person, or at least, not as bad as I had believed him to be. I had been stupid. Really, a royal idiot. There was nothing I could do now. Keito had tied me back to the chair, since I had gotten too unruly for him after what he had told me. What did he expect me to do? I wasn't going to just sit quietly and do nothing while Deidara was out there...I wouldn't do nothing. I couldn't. Even now, I was fumbling with the ropes binding my wrists, trying to wriggle them free. Of course, it wasn't working. But I wouldn't give up.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" Keito said. "The infamous Explosion Master, killed with his own technique."

My eyes narrowed, but I kept my head down so he wouldn't see. I didn't want him to know that his words affected me. For supposedly being in love with me, this guy sure had a funny way of showing it. What was wrong with me? I should have noticed that he liked me long ago, so I could set him right. Just one more thing to add to my list of stupidities. I really was an idiot. My wrists were starting to throb painfully now. I had probably rubbed the top layer of skin off during my ineffectual attempt at escaping. Even if I did manage to get free, I didn't know what I would do. But I had to do something. Deidara couldn't die. He just couldn't! Tears started to well up in my eyes, but I blinked them back. It was too soon to give up now. Besides, if Deidara really was an ex-gang member, he must be pretty strong, right?

But no matter how strong he was, could anyone survive something like that?

I shook my head. It was no good thinking thoughts like that! I couldn't give up. There was still time! He could come strutting in at any point, declaring that he'd changed his mind and he wasn't interested in saving some pathetic little girl after all. Just the thought of those words made my heart sink, but at least he would be alive. 'Please, Deidara. Just forget about me,' I pleaded in my mind.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Keito reach into his pocket and pull out a cell phone. The phone clock read '5:59'.

"Just one more minute," Keito said.

My heart must have stopped beating. No... I was frozen, my eyes glued to the cell phone as the red numbers changed.

Keito smirked and placed the phone back in his pocket. "And so a bloodstained dawn breaks forth." He walked over to me and knelt down. "Are you crying? Don't be sad. A man like that isn't worth your tears." He reached over and cut the ropes, then he stood up. "Let's go home, Kaya-chan."

Before I knew it, I was on my feet, and the palm of my hand had met his cheek. He stared at me with wide, shocked eyes as my glare burned into him. "How dare you?" I screamed. The tears poured unhindered down my face. "What were you thinking! I'll never forgive you! Never!" I could see his surprise at my words, but I didn't care. I hated him. I would never forgive him. How could he be so stupid as to think otherwise?

"Forgive me?" he repeated. "I saved you. There is nothing for me to be forgiven of. Now, let's go." He grabbed my wrist so tightly that it hurt and tried to drag me forward, but I resisted with all of my strength. I wouldn't go with him.

"You're nothing but a murderer!" I shouted. "A cold, heartless murderer! You're the one I need to be saved from!" He turned on me and raised his fist. I flinched as his knuckles rushed toward my face, but for some reason the impact never came.

"Hitting a defenseless girl? Pathetic."

I knew that voice. I knew the hand that had stopped Keito's fist. And I knew the face of the man who now glared down at Keito. His hair was disheveled, part of it plastered to his face by a dark liquid on the right side of his head. His right sleeve was also in tatters, and I could see several ugly looking cuts covering his arm and shoulder. But he was alive. And boy did he look pissed.

Keito looked like he had seen a ghost, which I guess in his mind, he had. He tried to wrench his fist away from Deidara, but of course Deidara's grip was too strong for him. "W-why are you here?" he stammered. His voice was small, like that of a frightened child.

"So you're the mastermind behind all of this, I take it, un," Deidara said.

Keito glared, seeming to regain his composure. "That's right. What of it?"

Deidara released his fist and Keito jerked away from him instantly, gritting his teeth. "You've been a pain in the ass, kid," Deidara said. "Did you really think you could kill me with a simple trick like that?"

Keito smirked. "It was pretty simple to pull off," he said. "It must hurt, knowing your genius 'art' was beat so easily by some kid."

Deidara raised an eyebrow and he stepped forward. "You think you can beat me?" he said. "Let me tell you something, boy."

He lifted his hand and held it with the palm in front of Keito's face. I couldn't help but gape at him just a little. Exactly what was he planning to accomplish by doing that? Then I saw something that made me feel certain I was either dreaming, or I had finally snapped. A crack opened, right in the middle of his palm, and as it did so, I could see what looked like small, razor sharp teeth and...a tongue?

Keito's thoughts must have been going along the same lines as mine were. "What the hell is that?" he cried.

"This?" Deidara stepped forward and Keito backed up, moving away from the swirling hand-tongue. "This is why you should give up your aspirations and run back home to Daddy while you still can." Then he clenched his hand into a fist and swung.

I heard the impact of bone on bone, and saw Keito fall to the floor. Blood dripped freely from his nose and he didn't move. He was unconscious. And I was frozen. So much had happened at once, my brain didn't seem to be working properly. I looked up at Deidara. He was shaking his hand in pain, a look of pure annoyance on his face. Then he looked up, and as his eyes met mine, they softened. He reached out his hand to me. The mouth was no longer in sight.

"Come on, Kaya. Let's go home, un."

I smiled and stepped forward, reaching out to take his outstretched hand.

A/N: You know, this almost seems like a good story-ending point. What do you guys think?