KNOCK KNOCK

The vibrations of the knocking on your door snaps you out of your trance, causing you to stand up and open the door. To your surprise, you find a tall blonde with long hair using his arm to lean against your door frame. 

"Did ya miss me, hn?" asks the familiar, cocky blonde.

"D-D-Deidara!" you yell, hugging him without a thought.

He hugs you back, teasing you about how very little you have grown since the last time you two saw one another.

Ignoring his comments about how short you are compared to him, you ask, "What are you doing here? You didn't steal anything again, right? I really don't wanna see you kiss up to Onoki again!"

You laugh as he complains about how insensitive you are, finally retorting with, "No! I'm here because I'm taking the Chūnin exams!"

"Oh, is that so? How come I didn't see you for the written exam?" you ask.

"Well, I was in the bathroom because what I ate this morning wasn't sitting well with me, and when I came back, you were all over that jerk of a Hyuga. Basically, I just didn't have the time or could even find a way to butt in and say hi, hn," explain Deidara.

"Oh, well I'm glad you're here! Also, Neji and I are friends now, so he's not really a jerk anymore. He's actually really nice now!" you exclaim with excitement, continuing to go on about how great of a person Neji truly is. 

"Oh, is that so? Hn," mumbles Deidara.

"Anyway, do you have somewhere to stay tonight? If not, do you wanna have a sleepover and catch up some more?" you ask.

"Sure, beats the tree I was gonna use. Also, I see you (y/nnnnn), trying to sneak some alone time with me once I'm finally back, hn?" winks Deidara as you invite him inside.

"Whatever Deidara! I'm just trying to be nice, you dork," you laugh, having Deidara follow you to the kitchen as you prepare a meal for three. 

"You know, I'm your dork," mumbles Deidara under his breath quiet enough for you to not hear due to the steaming kettle on your stove.

. . . 

It was the next day and time for you and your team to meet up and head over to The Forest of Death for the next part of your exam. You and Deidara waited outside your house for Neji and Hinata so you all could walk there together. Once you all got together, you started heading toward The Forest of Death, hoping to find Tenten and Rock Lee along the way. Despite you not realizing it, Neji was displeased earlier to find the annoying Iwa ninja in town. Furthermore, Deidara was also not pleased with Neji's presence overall. Only Hinata was aware of the daggers being shot between her cousin and this Iwa ninja's eyes.

Eventually, you found Tenten and Rock Lee munching on some breakfast as they walked together to the destination, tagging along with them as you explain why Deidara's here and how you know him. There was a lot of chatter on the way to The Forest of Death, especially since Hinata's team decided to join in the fun too once spotting her. Eventually, you guys made it to the fields in front of the gates of The Forest of Death, meeting up with other familiar teams. 

"Hey (y/n)! Glad to see you!" exclaims Naruto as you both high-five one another.

"Of course, wouldn't miss the possibility of dying for anything!" you chuckle, hearing Sasuke grumble under his breath in agreement.

It was not before long until the female instructor came and started explaining everything about this exam. As she explains how the scrolls and gate numbers worked, you glanced up at Deidara, who happen to already be looking at you. As you two make eye contact, he makes a funny face, causing you to giggle slightly. 

He gives you a smile and whispers into your ear, "You know, I really missed you (y/n). So much in fact, that you were always on my mind back in Iwa."

You whisper back, "I know, I'm pretty awesome. After all, I am the shit."

You giggle, being dense as always to poor Deidara's hints. Before Deidara could retort, it was already time for teams to collect their scrolls. You bid farewell to Deidara and run off with your team to collect a scroll and gate number, eventually heading toward the gate number you guys obtained. As your team awaits for the gate to open, Neji exchanges a few words with you.

"You know (y/n), I know Deidara is your friend and all, but if he does give you any trouble, then please let me know. I'll take care of him for you," states Neji.

"Silly Neji, you sound as if you genuinely wanna beat him up," you chuckle, not realizing the tension between him and Deidara.

Before Neji could be honest about how much he wants to kick Deidara's face in, the gates open and your team proceeds to run through the forest without stopping. Everything was going great. However, when your team decided to split up, hell begin to break loose.

A/N: Lol, y'all probably weren't prepared for not only one, but two updates in one day. Hope y'all are having a good day/night and if not, then do note that you will have better days and nights. It might be a long wait, but you will and I think that it will definitely be worth it in the long run. And remember, even in your darkest hours and loneliest nights, someone cares greatly about you and absolutely adores you. You're a blessing.