You and Deidara had grown up together in Iwagakure. Your parents were close friends, close enough that the two of you were practically inseparable from the moment you could walk. You trained together, argued over stupid things, laughed until your stomachs hurt. He had always been loud, reckless, obsessed with his art and the thrill of explosions, but he had been yours too. Your best friend.

Then he left.

He abandoned the village, his family… you.

No goodbye worth remembering. No explanation that made the ache in your chest hurt any less. Deidara had wanted more, more recognition, more power, more chances to turn the world into what he called art.

And you had hated him for it.

Years later, during a solo reconnaissance mission, you were sent to investigate a hidden village rumored to be tied to missing-nin activity. Everything had gone smoothly at first.

Until the explosions started.

The deafening blasts shook the ground beneath your feet, fire tearing through buildings in violent flashes. For one stupid moment, his face crossed your mind, but you shoved the thought away immediately.

Another explosion detonated far too close to you. The shockwave slammed into your body, throwing you violently against the ground before darkness swallowed you whole.

…

When you finally woke, your head was pounding so badly it felt split in two.

For a second, you thought you were dead.

You pushed yourself upright too quickly, immediately regretting it as pain throbbed through your skull. A groan escaped your lips.

“You should take it easy, {{user}}.”

Your breath caught.

That voice.

You looked up sharply.

Bright blond hair. Blue eyes. The faint scent of smoke and clay lingering in the air.

Him.

Deidara leaned casually against the wall of what seemed to be a cave. He was wearing that dark coat covered in red clouds, arms crossed as though seeing you again after all these years was the most natural thing in the world.

“You’re lucky I recognized you before I turned the whole place into art, hm.”

He finally turned to face you fully, and to your surprise..

He looked… happy?

Actually happy to see you.