Angel had been standing on the roof for a while now, just debating with herself over everything and anything. She knew that if Deidara knew where she was right now, he'd be mad at her. Worried, yeah, but angry because of that. She at least knew he didn't want her to get hurt. But she had to. It was the only way he'd be proud of her. Otherwise she'd just be utterly useless, and everyone would agree with it. Why bother with someone who couldn't even use wings she'd had since birth? It wasn't as if it was a major part of Bokun's orders over her.

He had just seen her flying around the mansion—mostly up stairs—to make it quicker to get around, and told her—firmly—that she wasn't allowed to use them or open up in any area where she could be seen by other people. Which basically meant outside, considering there was a town nearby and several others after that. The only place she could was in the thick trees surrounding the mansion, but that was barely enough to fly for a couple of minutes. So Angel was pretty much stuck with flying down corridors, floating for a few minutes to stretch them, considering they were practically another set of limbs, and that was it. But now...it wasn't the fact she had scarcely used them that was stopping her from flying. It was the idea that she was slowly freeing herself from Bokun while he was still alive.

And that he could still come back.

If she was doing all this stuff with him still out there, if he came back—and Angel knew it was only an if—everything would be worse. He'd get to Deidara and the other Akatsuki in a way that might not have been so bad if she didn't break all the rules he'd set for her. She didn't want to be this way; she just didn't want Deidara to get hurt—or worse, die—from something that had been her fault all along. She'd rather have him be annoyed at her constantly than have him dead. So she'd just gone on, holding back the idea of flying, the only thing stopping her being her mind, and nothing else.

But Angel wanted to fly. They were all S-level ninjas, they could hold up against him. Not to mention Deidara's expression when he saw what she could do...but maybe it would be best if she kept it secret. She'd begun training with the others, learning control of her abilities, bringing out new ones...her wings weren't crucial to this process...but the moment this little bit of hope popped up in her head she sighed and deflated. In a sense, they were crucial. By learning how to fly again she'd finally be admitting that she was free. Not to the people around her, but to herself. And with the idea she was properly, fully free firmly planted in her mind, everything would then fall into place. Her abilities, her relationships with other people...

And Deidara.

The word 'relationship' always brought him to mind, and in so many different ways. But when it came down to it, the more he tried to become closer to Angel, to help her see she deserved better than Bokun's tyranny, the more she pulled away, and she was hating it. It was just like a reflex. A protective instinct. It wasn't anything to do with self-survival. She knew Deidara. Knew he would never do anything like that to her, and understanding that not everyone was like Bokun. It was what had kept her going, knowing that somewhere out there was someone who could actually treat her with kindness. And Angel had found him in the form of Deidara.

This is why it was affecting her so much; everything coming back to her as she blinked and looked around once more over the rooftop. She could see over the entire town, the place where she had lived for the majority of her life but never actually explored. It had started off as Bokun forcing her to stay around the mansion, and if she wanted to go outside she had to stay hidden in the forest. But soon it just became staying hidden in the forest when she went outside because no one would come near her anymore with what Bokun was doing to her. The mansion; the ominous feeling it gave her every time she thought about it...that was what was stopping her.

So if she came back to it, thought everything over...maybe, just maybe, she would find something inside of herself that would allow her to accept her own rules, her own freedom. Not Bokun's. A breeze blew up around her and she closed her eyes with it, unable to stop the thought of 'it would help with flying' fluttering into her head. But Angel couldn't; she'd been kidding herself when she came to the mansion. She'd been under Bokun's thumb for so long, and he was still alive out there, probably biding his time. As if she could ever accept freedom knowing he was still around.

"Angel-kun, you don't need to be afraid, un. I know you can fly. It's not a question of believing or anything, it's a fact: you can fly. But...I can't do much more, Angel-kun, but encourage you, un. They're like another set of limbs, it's not natural to keep them hidden constantly. What's the point to them if they're not used? If you didn't use your arms, you wouldn't bother having them, but it's no different with your wings! They're that important, un!"

Deidara sighed once again and turned to walk away, stating over his shoulder,

"But it's not up to me. I just...I just want you to feel free from Bokun, un."

Jolting out of her flashback, Angel shook her head to get rid of the memory, her shoulders sagging as she let out a huge sigh. She'd been so selfish. All this time. And never realised what Deidara had been doing for her. He'd tried to protect her from Bokun, come back for her when she had purposefully told them to leave, even though his mission said not to, and then taken her back to the hideout even with Leader there, risking his own job. He'd always made an effort to talk; to get to know her, and now he was training her and helping her become friends with the others. And yet she still didn't pay any attention to him, instead just brushing him off. She hadn't meant to; there was a lot changing in her life, but Angel was only beginning to realise the one thing that had kept constant;

The fact she loved Deidara.

He'd always believed in her; the flashback proved this. And flying—properly flying—was one thing he had never doubted for a second. Deidara had always believed she could be free from Bokun; and it had come true. With everything she felt for Deidara coming to the surface, she was starting to think that Deidara knew her—her mind, her body, everything—better than she did. The things he said that he believed she could do had happened, so maybe...

Flying was one of them.

She trusted him with everything she had; and he believed that she could fly utterly and completely with no room for hesitation. So why couldn't it be possible? When she had woken from her nightmare, he had been there; comforted her. And had promised nothing and no one would hurt her. Angel knew this was true, and understood that the others would protect her, in the same way she would protect them. They wanted her to stay with them, they were training her. And in that way they could work together to stop Bokun full stop. And she would always be free.

But she would have to take the first step.

Deidara knew that; Leader did, and now she was beginning to understand that. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as the breeze flew around her again, Angel felt her heart pump furiously in her chest, but knew she had to do it. So breathing out slowly, she took once last look around her, her wings unfolded...and then jumped. The feeling of falling overwhelmed her at first, and a slight fear built inside of her, but then, instinctively, her wings began to flap and soon her descent to the ground was halted, and Angel was flying over the ground, her wings fully outstretched as she soared.

As Angel did so a deep feeling awakened inside of her, like she done it a thousand times before, and she didn't know how she had managed to obey Bokun. The feeling of flying was better than she could ever have imagined. And remembering how Deidara had helped her do this, she turned and ascended a few metres, heading straight back to the hideout, excitement building in the pit of her stomach at the thought of them all seeing her flying. She needed to talk to Deidara; now she felt like she was her own person, being with him was all she could think about.

It was a good thing the journey would only take a few minutes thanks to her wings.

Deidara was slightly worried. He hadn't gone to see Angel all day because he wanted her to think about what he'd said. He hated pushing her this hard, but he didn't want her to feel trapped by Bokun anymore; not now they were working and living together. The smile he always saw her wear when they were talking in the mansion; he wanted to see it permanently; not just when she forgot about her situation. He loved her, and letting her go on without feeling herself wasn't something he was planning to do. Maybe if she felt free enough there was a chance she'd show some love in return...

"Hey, Deidara! Check it out, Angel's flying!"

Hidan's shout broke him out of his thoughts, and for a second he froze in shock, blinking to make sure he'd heard right, before he sprinted out of the door, along with the rest of them, to see if it was true. Coming outside, he jogged a few metres, before turning his eyes to the sky, searching for Angel. Spotting her almost immediately, he cried out her name and sprinted over to her as she flew, calling back, and began to land a little further on. Deidara didn't bother stopping where he was and catching up once she had landed, however, instead speeding up and standing, half-running beneath her. Grinning at his actions, Angel lowered herself gently, and then a couple of metres from the ground she fully re-sheathed her wings, causing her to drop gently into Deidara's arms.

Still grinning, she settled down into his arms as he held her as they stood there, watching as everyone filed up behind, raising eyebrows at her sudden change of mind to try and fly properly again. Deidara, on the other hand, wasn't bothered at all, and returned her smile in full, his expression never changing as they all spoke up,

"Angel, that...was unbelievable! You flew!" But all Angel did was smile sweetly back and shake her head, stating simply in return,

"No, it wasn't unbelievable. I had someone believe in me."

Looking over at Deidara, she smiled, more tenderly this time, before wrapping her arms around his neck in a gentle hug. Deidara held her closer in return, prompting Sasori to roll his eyes and turn to leave, stating an excuse as to why, and nodding at the others as they followed, Kisame mentioning the bet he'd now won as they ambled back into the hideout. Even as they left Angel didn't want to let go, but eventually realised she had to, and pulling away, she smiled once again at him as he softly placed her back down on the floor.

"Thank you, Dei-kun." She finally whispered, making Deidara frown in confusion and reply,

"What did I do, un? You're the one who was flying around!"

"But you made me realise that I could do it. That I could be free of Bokun and not have to worry whether or not he was around or if I was breaking any rules. I knew...that if you believed in me, it was possible. I trust you enough for that, Dei-kun."She simply breathed in return. Another smile alighting his face, Deidara abruptly pulled Angel close to him, slowly stroking her face as he did so. Shrugging off her compliments, he merely answered,

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't know you could do it, Angel-kun. You really did look like an angel, you know that, un?"

Grinning and blushing at the same time, Angel responded to his embrace by placing her own arms around his neck, and placing her forehead against his she whispered,

"I love you, Dei."

Laughing slightly, his happiness overflowing a little bit, he stared back into her eyes and replied,

"I love you too, un."

Before finally, after so long wanting to say something and wanting it to happen, Deidara leant forward and kissed her, both of them closing their eyes in happiness at how it had all turned out in the end. Angel was finally free of Bokun, and she was making a new life for herself in the Akatsuki. There was nothing more Bokun could do to her.

It had just taken Deidara's love to make her realise that.

And she wouldn't have had it any other way.