Reincarnated: A Bunny to A Lion

Deidara's ending

Hinata has known heartbreak since the moment she died in her first life. She thought that because she has been through so much at a mere 21, nothing but the death of her closest people could break her. She thought the knowledge of each of her people being alive was enough. It's not.

"I'm sorry." Dediara cups Hinata's cheek, a tongue poking out to lap up a tear.

"I know."

"You know I can't stay, yeah." Staying in Konoha was fun while it lasted but Deidara can feel himself, who he is, slipping away the longer he allows himself to be trapped by the very system that made him go rogue. He's itching to blow things up on his terms, not the Hokages.

"Take me with you." Hinata's voice breaks as she whimpers a "please." She grips tightly to the fabric of his top like she could hold him to her forever.

"You love this village and the people in it, hmm. I can't take you away from everyone who loves you."

"That doesn't matter. I'll have Naruto put a seal on me so I can visit whenever I want. I'll be happy anywhere if I'm with you.

"We both know your heart is too good to be with someone like me, hmm."

"That's not true Dei. I love you; I always will."

"Our love will forever be my most beautiful work of art: fleeting, an explosion of passion before it inevitably has to fade, yeah."

"I just wish this could last longer but I understand. I want you to be happy and if this is what will do that, I'll let you go." Hinata knew Diedara's need for freedom and constant change would be a problem, but for a moment she truly let herself believe her love would conquer all. She let herself believe he would take her with him. But that's not who he is, it's one of the things she loves about him. How could she say she loves him if she is making him stray from his truth.

"You've always understood me, my muse. The world will know our passion."

" Wreak havoc, Dei." Maybe he's right. True love, true passion, is nothing but a wildfire: warm and all consuming until there is nothing left but ash. There is no way she can love another the way she loves him; the way he loves her.

"Always." Deidara presses his lips against hers. It was perfectly him, hot and passionate but over too soon. "Goodbye my love." With that, Deidara hops onto one of his clay birds, leaving a colorful array of reds and pinks in his wake. He can't bear to look back at the woman he's leaving behind. The sight of her tearful face might be enough to sway him to return. He never planned on falling in love, but how could he not.

Hinata is bright and all consuming. She is a supernova, a storm at sea that threatens to capsize him over and over. The longer he lets himself burn in her presence the harder it gets to leave. True art is fleeting and true love has to be as well.

Something being able to sway him from his desire to live loud and die young scares him. The fact that he can imagine living a long life with Hinata directly contradicts everything he has ever believed and wanted since the time he gained consciousness. However, the idea of leaving his life path, his art, behind even due to love scares him even more.

He loves Hinata. He was completely and utterly wrecked by Hinata the moment he wanted to see his explosions through the reflection in her eyes. She never sneered at his art. In fact she only encouraged him to develop, to expand the gravitas of his life's work. How was he not to love her when she fully loved and accepted him and everything that accompanied that.

To be fully understood is something he never believed could happen for him. That makes leaving that much harder. But his muse, his Hinata is too good. She can love and accept every aspect of him but he still is choosing to leave. She deserves someone who can stay. Someone who can provide her with stability and comfort and a family. Someone like Itachi.