30

He woke up before the sun came out. Eyes closed his arms reached for something… but there was nothing to be found. Alarmed he opened his eyes, and they adjusted to the lack of light. She wasn't there, she was nowhere to be found.

Aline was far away from the Akatsuki's headquarters, running as fast as her legs would allow, she let herself fall in the grass, completely spent. She could recall every touch, every kiss, his scent, the way their bodies moved as one… she got up and started running again, to keep the tears from streaming down.

Deidara knelt down by her bed, wondering what he had done wrong. He replayed their final hours over and over in his head. Nothing felt wrong, it all had come naturally, as if it was the way things were meant to be. He replayed their last kiss, he couldn't keep his hands off her, his mouth off her lips, she had rested her head on his chest, listening to the frantic beating of his heart, and hers pounded so loud he could hear and feel both off them in unison. He had closed his eyes, and breathed in time with her, waiting for their hearts to rest, but they didn't. He had held her closer to his body, so close he even wondered if he had been hurting her, but she never complained instead snuggled herself closer to him, if possible. He couldn't hold her tight enough, and neither could she.

He stood up, and started searching her room restlessly, several pictures where on the floor by the time he had finished, a couple of the Akatsuki, but mostly him. He was in every single shot, if not as background scenery right as the main focus, this made his heart sank. He searched frantically for anything that might let him know where she was right now, on the left drawer of the bed he found something she had hoped no one would ever come across to.

A diary, he opened it right in the middle, and found her handwriting spread all over, he could tell she was a mess when she wrote it, letting the ink bleed out. His name was written across the page, as if it had been burnt in there.

It was the words he knew she'd never say, everything was written there, how much she cared, how bad she hurt and he knew then that he was right. He didn't deserve her.

April 13th.

I'm not aware he doesn't care.

April 14th.

For the time being he's here. I wonder how long until he runs back to her.

Those were the last words she had scribbled on and the words wounded him deeply as if the edges were knives, she had it all wrong, and now she was gone.

He knew she cared about him, but never imagine she could hurt so much, she had taken nothing with her, it was as if she hadn't left. But he could feel she was far away, the window was open as wide as it would go, sun hadn't yet appeared, how long had he been asleep? How far could she go in the night? She was fast, but was she fast enough?

He got through the window gracefully, and wondered which direction running to. His birds would surely find her in no time, but she'd see them coming, and so she'd hide, her cloak laid there forgotten, just as he was.

What was she running away if not him? Would she go back on every word? Every touch? Every kiss… Because he didn't.

She stopped in order to catch her breath, wondering whether he'd realized by now she was gone, maybe it was the right thing to do, but it didn't feel right. Long forgotten memories burnt through her skull.

"Why'd you leave, un?"

"Problems with a male."
"Boyfriend?"
"Kindof."
"And you left him, just like that, h'mm?"
"It's the only way to leave. I don't love you anymore. Goodbye."
"Supposing you do still love them?"
"You don't leave."
"You've never left someone you still love, un?"
"Nope."

That was the first time they spoke.

Never leave someone you still love. It went against everything she believed, she hesitated, trees clouded her vision, and the sun hadn't yet come out. Everything was green, all around, the grass, the tall pines, not a ray of sun, not a hint of moon. For all she knew she'd been running around in circles.

Clouds of purple smoke started exploding not too far away from her, and adrenaline started pumping in. Poison, no doubt, someone fighting nearby maybe? She climbed on a tree to try and get a better view on her surroundings, ANBU ninjas were setting traps not too far away from her.

She decided not to push her luck any further and tried to remember where the nearest village was. Fearing she might look suspicious if found like this, in the middle of nowhere, she didn't know if someone might be looking for her, but news travelled fast, and word most be known, if found, she'd be recognized as the newest member of the Akatsuki.

There were a few things she had brought along, a small purple leather bag with some money, a few soldier pills, and her flask of absinth. In her urgency of leaving she hadn't properly packed anything, the things she carried she had brought because they were already stuffed in the bags of her pants… no weapons. Voices started growing louder, and she stepped off the tree, something didn't feel right, panic made her limbs grow weak. She could hear a river not too far away, maybe she could get there, hide somewhere nearby…

She started running towards it, south from the sound of it and the voices stopped.

It was dark again when she woke up. Her wrists and ankles burnt, she tried to move and found herself unable. It was then when she realized she had been blindfolded.