Hello, everybody! I'll try to keep this author's note short because I don't want to take away from the seriousness of the situation. Your reviews from last chapter were amazing and I honestly thank you all for continuing to stick by this story. So, I present to you Chapter 22. Rate and Review, onegai.

Four Days Later…

It'd been four days since Sasori had left the penthouse.

Four days since Deidara had last seen him.

Four days since he had heard from him.

And four days since he had taken his daily dosage of Remeron.

He could already feel the effects of not taking it.

The sun felt too bright; it hurt his eyes to look outside.

Noises were too loud; it hurt his ears.

The energy that he always seemed to have had was depleting day by day.

He didn't want to go to work anymore.

He didn't want to leave his room.

He was always so tired.

All he wanted was to see Sasori again. To hold him, kiss him, repeat over and over again that he was sorry. All he wanted was to see the redhead's smile again.

The last image Deidara had of his roommate was his amber eyes bloodshot, hurt ricocheting across them as tears fell down his dark pink-stained cheeks.

Why hadn't he told him?

Why had he kept it a secret?

Would there have been a different outcome if he hadn't?

So many different 'what if's' and not enough answers.

He wanted Sasori back.

The penthouse felt too big without him.

Too isolated.

Too lonely.

He was so goddamn tired.

Yet still, he always returned from work in the hopes that the older male would be there, cooking dinner and greeting him with a warm smile that made his eyes shine.

But no…he always returned to a dark abode, kitchen lights off, stove cold from lack of use throughout the day.

Had it really only been four days?

It'd felt longer.

Deidara closed his eyes.

He was so incredibly tired.

"Deidara, are you listening to me?" a voice broke through the thick haze covering his brain – it had been growing since the day Sasori left – and he opened his eyes slowly to gaze up at Ino with a near bored expression. "What, un?"

"You didn't hear what all I just said to you?" her face is full of annoyance.

He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, but no, I didn't, un. What did you say?"

She harrumphed once, throwing a folder down on the table. They were in a conference room, the long, stretched out, oval-shaped table filled with other people clad in their own business suits. The entire place was bustling with those running in and out of the room with stacks of paper, giving each person sitting down a folder and then moving on to the next.

All that noise was beginning to give Deidara a headache.

He needed Tylenol or Ibuprofen…

Or maybe Advil.

God was he tired.

"What I was telling you," Ino restarted, sighing, "was that the meeting will not only be held within this room, but an international business manager will be calling in shortly to join the conference."

"Okay, un."

"…Deidara what's wrong with you? Normally you're more cheery."

"It's the weather, un."

"…But it's sunny out."

(You should really just punch her right now)

The blonde felt his left eye twitch.

His inner voice had started growing louder, as well as started to become more persistent in what it wanted him to do. He also noticed that it wasn't as nice as it had been.

When it spoke, all it had to say were cruel words and intentions.

Sure Ino was annoying the hell out of him, but he didn't want to get violent.

But his inner voice sure wanted him to.

"Deidara, seriously…what's wrong?"
(God she never shuts up, does she?)

"I'm just tired, un."

"Well then get more sleep at night, then."

(Easy for you to say, bitch)

"What did you just say?"

Shit…had he said that out loud?

He sighed, muttering an apology.

Who knew he would be feeling so down from skipping four days of his medicine.

Why had he decided to stop taking it?

He didn't want to take it and feel happy.

If he wasn't seeing Sasori every day, he had no reason to be happy about anything.

But he had no clue how quickly his relapse would occur.

He was so tired.

Darkness…that's all he wanted, was to seclude himself in a thick black room for the rest of his life and sleep the days away.

Sleep…he just wanted to sleep.

As if on cue, his right foot nudged against his bag, and the tiny sound of pills in a bottle roused him from his thoughts.

There were so many people chattering and talking all at once that it was slowly beginning to drive him insane. His ears were too sensitive at the moment. They could pick up the sound of someone repeatedly clicking a pen open and closed, hear the conversation of the two women at the far end of the table, and Ino's persistent blabber in his left ear.

(If you don't tell her to shut up soon, I'm doing it for you)

He wasn't going to do anything.

(But she's so goddamn annoying)

He wasn't going to get violent over it, though.

Why was his inner voice so malicious now?

(Because Sasori is gone)

Shut up.

The sounds in the room were slowly getting louder and more chaotic.

They weren't making sense anymore.

(Sasori left you)

Shut up.

The noises…they were undulating and colliding with each other.

(He left you alone)

That wasn't true.

He was so tired.

Why were his ears hurting?

He closed his eyes.

(He left you alone after hitting you)

He had deserved to get slapped for what he had done.

(That's right; you don't deserve Sasori's love)

He knew that already.

(Do you? Do you really?)

Yes...he did.

Stop being so malicious.

His head felt heavy with muck.

God those noises were getting louder…why?

(Sasori doesn't love you anymore)

…Was that…was that true?

Did Sasori not love him anymore?

(Yes…it's true. He hates you)

Deidara's chest clenched painfully.

(Even said so himself)

He had just been angry and said whatever was on his mind.

(Doesn't matter. He said he hated you)

What was this pain in his chest?

It hurt to breath.

The noises had finally escalated to white noise…static.

Nothing was making sense.

All he knew was that he wanted it to stop.

(He hates you)

Stop.

(He will never touch you again)

Stop.

(You will never see him again)

Stop.

Stop.

(You want to know why?)

Stop.

He didn't want to hear it.

(He doesn't love you anymore)

Stop.

Stop!

Stop!

Stop!

STOP!

"WOULD EVERYONE KINDLY PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP, UN!" he suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs, silencing the room. Everyone stopped mid-talk to stare shockingly at the blonde who was now standing up, face etched into an angry snarl. Ino stood beside him, horror marring her normally calm visage.

It took him a couple of seconds to realize what he had just done.

He blinked rapidly. "I-I'm sorry about that, un. I-I don't know what came-"

"Mr. Hayashi?" a voice interrupted him and he gazed over at the screen, his confidence falling fast as he met the stare of the international business owner. The look of disappointment he gave the blonde was one that reminded him of the one his father had given him when he failed his first big test in high school.

"Anything you would like to explain, Mr. Hayashi?" the owner asked, voice thick with a British accent.

Deidara swallowed the cotton ball-sized lump in his throat.

(God why are you such a fuck up?)

"I-I'm terribly sorry for the outburst, un. I…I should go," before anyone could say anything else, he had all his belongings tucked away in his bag and was heading out the door, cursing that his already long strides weren't getting him away faster.

"Deidara, wait!" Ino shouted after him, following as fast as she could in her black stilettos.

(Why the fuck does she wear those goddamn shoes if she can't even walk properly?)

His inner voice needed to shut up.

(I don't have to shut up. This is all your fault, anyways)

The elevator dinged for the first floor and he strode out into the main foyer, the room bustling with interns. Sakura sat at her usual spot behind the front desk, her clicking on the keyboard momentarily halted as she caught sight of him aggressively walking towards the front doors.

"Mr. Hayashi, is everything-?"

"DEIDARA, STOP!" Ino screamed, eliciting stares from passersby. The onlookers followed her gaze over to the blonde male who was still striding to the doors as if his life depended on it.

He needed to get out of there.

He needed to.

It felt like his mind was about to explode.

Why was his entire body shaking?

Why was his heart pounding a mile a minute?

He was so tired.

All he wanted to do was sleep for the rest of the day.

"Deidara, stop!"

He paid no mind as his eyes trained on the glass ahead of him.

He was almost there.

Just about twenty more steps and he was home free –

"Mr. Hayashi, stop right there or you're fired!" a gravelly voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

Now even the state of his job was being questioned?

He didn't need this bullshit.

All he needed was Sasori.

Squaring his shoulders, he looked over his right one to gaze at Mr. Iwa, who was standing beside Ino with anger enveloping his expression. He glared his cerulean blue orbs at the older male. "Then fire me, un. I don't fucking care."

With that, he took the last steps needed and exited the building.

"Deidara, please wait-!" Ino started to move towards the exit.

"Let him go, Ino," Mr. Iwa interrupted, voice calm.

"But, sir, the contract and deadline-"

"Never mind about either of those. We have to make changes to the contract anyways."

"Why?"

"I'll explain on the way back up to the conference."