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“So, what do you say?” Rin smiles at him and shoves a festival flyer into his face.
Obito skipped the history lessons to hang out on the rooftop terrace. He was lying on a bench, savouring the rare pleasant silence surrounding him, until Rin came barging in with an excited swing in her steps.
“You wanna go to a festival?” Obito asks.
Rin rolls her eyes. “No, I mean yes, but it’s not about the festival.”
“Ah”, his eyes widened, “You mean…?”
“Exactly that!” Rin looks at him with a full-blown grin, and excitement sparkles in her eyes.
Obito sits up, and the enthusiasm also grabs him. It wasn’t long ago that Kakashi’s dad… well. Since then, Kakashi has been even more withdrawn and a jerk than usual. If that’s even possible. So one day, Rin, like the literal angel she was, called for an operation, the so-called Kakashi-Socialising-Operation.
The plan involved two steps: First, getting Kakashi to get out into the sun more and second, to get him to meet new people who can also pull Kakashi out of his shell alongside Rin. Not Obito, he is not fit for such a role and doesn’t have the time since his activities for the family have increased.
However, after some lengthy and heavy thinking sessions, they decided on the perfect candidate for this role. Introducing optimism personalised: Maito Gai! He’s still in the last year of elementary, two years under them, but the same age as the freaking genius called Kakashi. They hope a same-aged peer will introduce some rainbows or shit. Whatever.
And it looks like Rin just found the perfect location for the Get-Kakashi-a-new-friend-Plan to commence.
“Okay, so here’s the rough plan.” Rin sits down. “You get Kakashi to agree to come, and I’ll organise to bring Gai.” The smile Rin shoots him reveals barely concealed hope. “We’ll hang out at the festival, play games and such. Later for the fireworks, we’ll look for an isolated spot, and we two will excuse ourselves so these two can bond in peace.” She finishes off her speech with a grin and a peace sign thrown at him.
“Wait…” Obito’s mind stutters. That would mean… he would have an evening all alone with Rin! Under fireworks! Blood rushes to his cheeks. That almost sounds like… No, Obito wouldn’t dare to think that. He has to physically shake his head to get rid of the thoughts. But maybe… He takes a peek at Rin, still smiling brightly at him. Maybe it is meant to be a romantic evening between these two!
“Obito?” Rin cocks her head, while Obito’s still trying to gather his wits once more.
Now that the idea of a romantic night under fireworks with Rin has taken root in his mind, it is hard to think about anything else.
“Yes, of course. What?” Obito stammers out.
“Great!” Rin claps her hand in the gentle and lovely way she often does. “Then that’s settled. I’ll start with the preparations.”
With even more excitement than before, if that’s even possible, she sets off and leaves Obito behind in a cloud of dust.
Ahh, like a hurricane she came, like a hurricane she left.
What an odd turn of events. Normally, Rin would be all over the moon going to a festival with that jerk and trying to stick with Kakashi every minute she can. Perhaps the recent events also left her more sombre than usual. Even if Rin did all this just for Kakashi, Obito will take the chance!
His mission was clear before him. He will enjoy the festival, ignore Kakashi and Gai, and most importantly, he will kiss Rin during the fireworks and get himself a fairy-tale-like first kiss!
With newfound determination, Obito hops off the roof.
For the plan, he has to drag Kakashi out of his house. Like the last few days, Kakashi didn’t come to school, so the first part of the mission: Find Kakashi and convince him to come along.
Obito couldn’t care less about the rest of the school day. He has a more important job to do.
Finding his way from the school grounds to Kakashi’s house was child’s play at this point. Kakashi, Rin, and he went this way so often after school to hang out at Kakashi’s big house and grand yard that the route was already engraved inside his mind.
He rings the doorbell. No answer. He rings again, but still no answer. He presses the doorbell again and again until an annoyed voice shouts, “What?!” through the thin door.
“It’s me, Kakashi. Open the damn door!” Obito yells back.
The door opens a little, and a dark eye peers back at him. As always, Kakashi’s face was obscured by a medical mask. But the fierce stare was enough to tell Obito to fuck off. Normally, Obito would take this invitation to flee from him as far as he could. But today, he was determined not to let it faze him.
Obito shoves the flyer through the small gap. Kakashi made no move to take it, and Obito ended up awkwardly pressing the festival leaflet against Kakashi’s front arm.
“You– I mean–“ Obito tries to phrase this request right and fails miserably at it. Heat rises to his cheeks. Kakashi looks concerned.
“Go to this damn festival, I’ll be waiting!” Obito presses out before turning on his heel and running the fuck away from this. He doesn’t spare a glance back to see Kakashi’s reaction or if he picked up the flyer. This was embarrassing. He never had to ask Kakashi something like this. They only ever fought. Why did Rin task him with such a thing? She would have been much better than he was at talking calmly to Kakashi.
Never mind, he did his task. He thinks.
Obito sends a quick message to Rin, confirming Kakashi will come. Or so he hopes.
----------I----------
Hot air slowly cools with the sunset. A gentle breeze tousles his hair, and he has to suppress a sneeze. Wind chimes tingle softly and clearly above his head. They are strung on threads reaching from booth to booth. Obito follows the chimes with his eyes until they disappear into the festival bustle.
In quick steps, he walks up to the little group waiting for him. Rin talks animatedly to Gai while Kakashi looks like he’d rather be everywhere else. As always, Rin notices him first.
“Hey, there you are, Obito.” She waves him over.
“And only twenty minutes late,” Kakashi notes.
“There was an old grandpa who needed help painting his fence.“ Obito explains. He knows how ridiculous his reasons sometimes sound, but he never lied. Somehow, he was always caught with a task for an older lady or gentleman.
“Give it a rest, Kakashi. He’s here now.” Rin defends him.
“Thanks”, Obito beams at her before turning to the new boy in their trio, now turned quartet. “Hey, nice you had the time to join us today.”
“No problem, I always help if I can.” The smile he’s greeted with practically sparkles.
“Help?” Kakashi sounds sceptical.
“Ahaha,” Rin forces a laugh. “You know, we need four people for some of the games, right?” She turns to Gai, looking for help.
“Yes!” Gai’s voice booms too loudly, “I’m here for the games and nothing else.”
For a moment too long, Kakashi musters them as sweat pours down their backs before he sighs. “If you say so.”
Taking the chance to lead the conversation back to the important bits, Obito chimes in. “So, where do we start?”
“I thought we could start there.” Rin points to the nearest stall.
“You want to get masks?”
“Yes, I thought they would be a fun addition for tonight.”
“Alright, let’s go!” Gai interjects and, with enthusiasm, steps to the masks strung up on a bamboo grid.
They follow. With interest, Obito’s gaze wanders over the warped faces of characters, animals and demons on display.
One after another is tested out as they hold them in front of their faces and joke around. Gradually, they each decide on one and pay for it.
“Trouble deciding?” Kakashi gestures at the two Oni masks in Obito’s hands. One is a deep dark blue, the other a traditional red Oni with a snarling face.
“Yeah…” Obito hums deep in thought. The blue one looks absolutely badass, but the traditional one reminds him of the ceramic masks at the Uchiha estate.
“It can’t be that hard to choose one.” Kakashi rushes him, and Obito looks up to see him with a cheap-looking Kitsune mask already strapped to the side of his head.
“Yeah, yeah…” He dismisses Kakashi in favour of continuing his search for the perfect mask.
He catches a glimpse of warm orange, unexpected between the white, black, red, and blue of the masks. He puts the masks back on the rack. On his tiptoes, he reaches for the unique mask and pulls it from its hook. Unlike the others, this one is made out of light wood. Smooth to the touch and much sturdier than the cheap paper-mâché ones. It’s painted in a bright orange. Lines pull from the edge to a cut-out for an eye, the only cut-out. The other eye stays covered behind this mask. Obito twists it in his hand. Except for the eye-catching colour and the high-quality material, it’s quite plain. But something about it stirs his chest.
Kakashi sees him fiddling with it and comments, “What’s that mask supposed to represent?”
“I don’t care, I like it.” He smiles down at the orange-painted wood.
“Well, it looks childish.”
“Don’t call me a child!” The sudden burst of rage startles Kakashi and surprises even Obito. “And your Kitsune mask doesn’t look any better. In fact, it looks like a dog.” Obito’s attempt to stir the conversation away is half-hearted at best. His mind lingers on the accusation. He can’t allow himself to be childish. A child holds no value inside the Uchiha after all.
“Right…” And Kakashi doesn’t even deign him the dignity of playing along.
An awkward moment, neither of them speaks.
Then– A creature staggers between them, wriggling their arms like dancing snakes. It possessed a face as if someone tried to mold it, but had never seen a human face, only ever had it described to them and then failed with the correct placement of the individual facial features. One eye was pressed close, the other ripped wide open, and the cheeks were puffed out like overfilled dumplings. The lips were unnaturally stretched, like someone had tugged them out with tweezers and forgot to let go.
“Hello friends!” The voice bellows loudly despite being stifled behind this hideous mask.
Obito stumbles backwards and nearly drops the orange mask in his hand. Kakashi barely flinches, but his hand twitches towards his belt, where Obito knows Kakashi stores one of his many knives, that freak.
A second nobody moves.
Kakashi sighs, “Gai, where did you find this?”
Gai takes this sad excuse of a mask from his face and grins at them. “I found it at the back, apparently it’s a traditional Hyottoko mask.”
Obito is still clutching his chest. “You almost made me kill you.” His face quickly reddens in embarrassment. “Don’t do that again!” If Madara saw Obito’s pathetic excuse of a reaction, he would be in a world full of trouble. The extra training hours would be the least of his concerns!
Before things could escalate, Rin chimes in. For real, it’s as if she has a sixth sense for when he needs saving. “Hey, what do you think about this one?” She holds a mask of a round-faced woman with small and curved eyes up to her face. The mask was sheer white except for the lips and cheeks, which were painted in a stark red.
Grateful for the distraction, Obito turns his attention to Rin. “It looks cute.”
Of course, Kakashi cannot keep his quiet and the budding peace Rin brought with her. “Do you even know the background of this particular mask?”
Rin, bless her, just tilts her head curiously. “No, should I?” Gai and Obito also look questioningly at Kakashi.
Kakashi looks defeated at the obvious lack of common knowledge in his friend group. “Listen, Okame, the one depicted in this mask, was a real woman living even before the era of the Warring States.” Kakashi holds up his index finger as if he were teaching a class instead of his dumbass friends while moving towards the vendor. “She was married to a carpenter and–”
And this was the point where Obito’s attention switches from Kakashi’s need to flaunt his knowledge to the still-pending decision before him. He glances at the Oni masks and then back to the orange mask in his hand. In his heart, he already made the decision, but his mind still lingered on Kakashi’s description, ‘childish’.
He can’t afford to be ‘childish’.
But wouldn’t it be okay for just this evening?
He can get rid of it before he returns home.
Madara won’t even know about it.
Steeling his heart, he also turns to the vendor to pay for the orange mask. He hands over the money to the merchant and straps the orange mask to his face. With his new possession, he turns to Rin and Gai, who were talking animatedly between themselves. Obito thinks he even saw some truly ridiculous gestures and body twists from Gai out of the corner of his eyes.
Rin notices him first, “Oh my gosh, your mask is so cool!”
Obito can feel his cheeks warming up and thanks the mask on his face for shielding him away. “You really think so?” A grin made itself home on his face without his notice, and he awkwardly rubs his neck.
“Yes, it’s so unique.” Rin takes a step closer to inspect the mask. “What does it even represent?”
“Dude, can you even see through it?” Gai chimes in.
“I can see fine.” That was true enough. Even with only half his vision field, his aim was accurate enough. It took a lot of time to train without the ability of depth perception, and now it was time to reap the rewards, though not as expected. During training, he thought more about cooler scenarios where an injury might hinder his sight, and he still had to continue his kickass mission or something like that. Nevertheless, this was also a good use of this skill.
“So you bought it in the end.” Kakashi joins in, and Obito feels a latent tension rise again in his stomach. “Well, it at least has a flair for dramatics.”
“Hmph…” That’s probably the closest he can get to a real apology, that jerk. He looks at Kakashi, who strangely has his eyes already on Obito. Before he can retort, Kakashi’s eyes seem to soften for a moment before he looks away.
“Never mind”, Kakashi says to Rin and Gai. “Now that everyone is equipped, shall we continue?”
“Alright”, Rin’s voice is bright, and Obito’s sure behind the mask is one of her typical smiles. “What do you want to do?” She turns to Obito, always making sure he is included.
Obito thinks for a moment. It’s still too early for food, they already bought their masks, so the next activity has to be a game!
“How about this one?” He points to a nearby booth.
“Really, goldfish scooping? Are we kids?” Of course, the protest comes from Kakashi. And again with this accusation of him being childish, even after he apologised, at least in Kakashi’s way of apologising. Does Kakashi want a fight, or why is he such a bitch tonight?
Gai, unaware of the rising tension, just says, “We are eleven, and they are only two years older than us.” He points to Rin and Obito. “Of course, we are kids.” He grins and walks towards the vendor. “I, for one, am going to scoop so many more goldfish than you!”
“Oh, and what’s the prize?” Kakashi hums while they follow Gai.
“The loser pays for food.” Gai settles the bet.
“Alright, you’re on!” Obito is now getting invested.
Together they each buy a poi and get bowls handed. They huddle around a small goldfish tank, all ready to win this.
Obito rolls up his sleeves, turns his mask to the side and grins. In the tank before him had to be at least a hundred little goldfish whizzing around in agitation. His brows furrow, and he concentrates on one particular fish which seemed slower and almost exhausted. So an easy target for him. With a sharp twist of his wrist, the poi swings through the water. On the paper net, the fish twitches in vain. Obito quickly tosses the fish into his bowl, where it can enjoy the space until it gets cramped with all the fish Obito’s going to catch tonight.
Fish three and four wander into his bowl in a similar fashion. After the fourth, he allows himself a little pause in his concentration and looks at the others. Everyone’s poi is still intact. Rin is fighting what seems to be her second fish. Gai is busier commenting on Kakashi’s catch than fishing himself by the look of his empty bowl. And Kakashi was already on his sixth fish. Of course, he had also had to excel at fucking goldfish scooping. Obito rolls his eyes, and a small smile escapes him.
Obito’s stare catches the focus of Gai. “Wow, you already got a lot of fish,” Gai says. “Almost as many as Kakashi has.” The accompanying white grin turns Obito’s stomach sour.
He doesn’t know what in that sentence in particular ticks him off. He only knows that he wishes Gai would shut up and lose his tongue, as it won’t be needed anymore.
Without realising, Obito’s hand snaps forward, not unlike it did while catching goldfish. But now it had a different target. Something as slippery and annoying as the winding little fish in the tank below him.
Before his hand reaches Gai’s mouth to rip that affronted muscle out and finally quieten his stupidity, his name rings clear and firmly.
“Obito,” it was Kakashi’s voice, crystal clear and sharp enough to cut Obito.
His hand stops right in front of Gai’s face.
With wide eyes, he turns to Kakashi.
“Stop.” Kakashi’s are dark and empty. Obito can’t find even a smidgen of judgment or pity in them. His stomach twists further.
“What!” Obito barks back.
For a moment, they glare at each other. Before the sparks fly, Rin taps Kakashi on the shoulder and whispers something into his ear.
Why did Rin always have to be so close to Kakashi? Obito now fumes for a totally different reason.
“As the one with the least amount of caught fish, it’s your turn now to open your wallet,” Kakashi says to Gai, who gives his slim money pouch a sad look.
“Alright, Gai never backs down on his words.” His smile twinkles, as does the metaphorical tear running down his cheek.
“I want taiyaki!” Rin shouts in excitement. Her hand shoots up, and she fidgets impatiently.
“That's an excellent idea!” Guy shouts in response. “I saw a vendor over there!”
And the loadmouths are gone…
“Come on, lazybag,” says Kakashi and strolls after them.
“Hey, what was that?!” Obito yells, a grin resting on his face, and he speeds after him.
The food warms his belly, and the atmosphere warms his cheeks.
Right now, he can let go. All the problems, all the complicated stuff, all the heavy expectations of his family. Guy is incredibly fun to play games with; he even broke the local high striker record. Kakashi annoys him surprisingly little, and as much as he wants to deny it, his dry comments repeatedly make him giggle. Of course, only manly giggles. And seeing Rin having so much fun has become a real rarity after the whole thing with Kakashi's father.
For a moment, he feels as if he found a place he can finally call his home.
----------I----------
“Here, this looks like a cool spot”, Rin shouts down. It looks like she found a little clearing with a good view of the town downhill. There are only a few people now, so they settle for a space at the edge. There are some larger rocks where they put their bags and their stall winnings down. Rin spreads out a blanket over the stones.
Obito stretches his arm above him. “This is what I call a good watcher spot.” He turns around to give Rin a thumbs-up. “Nice find.”
Rin smiles at him, and he has to turn away again quickly to hide his reddening face. That would be embarrassing for Rin to see.
Sadly, he’s just in line for Kakashi’s sight. The judgment is almost tangible from his eyes.
“What!” Obito snaps at him.
“Nothing,” Kakashi raises his hands placatory, avoiding his gaze.
“Huh,” Obito snarls, “You got something to say?"
“Nothing I want to say anyway.” Kakashi pointedly looks to the side, which only serves to provoke Obito more.
Rin, already used to such petty fights, goes between them. “Look, there is no reason to fight, okay? Let’s just all watch the fireworks together?” She smiles placatingly. “Please?”
Reluctantly, Kakashi and Obito turn away from each other. They really can’t say no to her.
“I’ll try if he tries.” Obito shoots Kakashi a dirty look.
“Alright.” Kakashi tries to look nonchalant about it, but Obito doesn’t believe that attitude from this motherfucker for one second. He’s probably waiting for Rin to turn around and ridicule Obito some more.
Rin links her arm with Kakashi’s and her other with Obito’s. “I’m so glad.” Her eyes turn downward. “It’s not often we get the chance for something like this.”
Guilt travels through Obito’s chest. Kakashi buried himself at home, and Obito got more and more entangled with family business. He rarely finds time to hang out with them outside of school. If he’d thought about it, it might be one of the reasons Kakashi withdrew so much from everything. That was one of the reasons he actively tried to realise their Plan and involve Gai.
Kakashi would do well with a friend.
Speaking of Gai, he takes this as a cue to chime in. Light-hearted banter fills the air as Gai and Kakashi exchange quips back and forth. In the back, Obito and Rin trade looks. A tentative smile finds its way on Rin’s face. She leans towards him and whispers in a quiet voice, “Thank you, Obito.”
Obito’s face flushes to the tips of his ears. But before he can answer, not that his brain was capable of stringing together a proper sentence after Rin put her face this close to his own, Kakashi turns back.
“Hey, Obito,” he calls, “Why don’t you and Gai get some taiyaki for us?”
“And leave you and Rin alone? No way!” Obito shouts back.
Kakashi rolls his eyes. “Don’t be a hassle. If you’re unwilling to go with Gai, you can go alone.”
“Why do you even want taiyaki out of the blue?”
“I don’t. I just want you out of the way for a moment.” Kakashi confesses.
Anger rises in Obito, “Are you asking for a beating?!”
“No, I’m asking you to get us some taiyaki.”
Before Obito can lunge to give Kakashi the beating he so clearly asked for, Rin places her hand on his shoulder.
“It’s okay, Obito.” She says, “It seems important to him, would you please be a dear and go get some food?” Her smile is gentle and a little strained at the edges.
“Are you sure about that?” Obito throws a punctuated look at Gai.
“Yes, I have everything under control here.” She reassures him.
“If you say so,” Obito is understatedly confused.
Rin steps back, “Do hurry, though. We would not want to miss you during the fireworks.”
Warmth blooms in his chest. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back before the fireworks start.” With one look back, he turns around to trek down once again.
If he’s quick enough, he can still get back in time to ask for a kiss while the sky lights up. Obito giggles to himself. It will be the most perfect first kiss for both of them. The thought brings a swing to his steps. He finds a taiyaki stand quickly enough and purchases some, three with anko and one extra with strawberry crème for Rin.
With his spoils, he turns around and starts heading in the direction he came from. He already wasted enough time. The fireworks are about to start, and he wants to get back to Rin as quickly as possible. Stupid Kakashi, he just wants to ruin Obito’s evening.
Looks like most people realise the festival is near the end because the streets are packed. Everyone wants to get a good view, and the masses flock towards the hill. Distracted Obito follows the flow of the people. Except the crowd is much too slow. Obito will never arrive on time in this matter. He has to hurry up if he wants to make his plans a reality. Damn, Kakashi, why the heck did he send him down here?
He hobbles over a small fence to escape the sluggish mass of people and steps behind one of the booths. It’s dark on the other side, and the stalls look different from behind. Obito looks around to orient himself. There is the street he just came from and the woods behind him. He somehow has to find the little clearing where he left the three. They are, with no doubt, already waiting for him. He dreads Kakashi’s incoming nag. Like, 'why are you so late?', and 'we had to wait for hours for you'. The nagging in his head is shrill, unlike Kakashi’s usually soothing timbre.
For now, he follows the path upwards again on the side. He’s pretty sure he’s right until he reaches the end of the festival without seeing the little side road Rin ushered them along before.
That’s not possible, he thinks. He probably was distracted by imagining their romantic fireworks scene and missed the side way. Determined, he turns to track the way down again. It doesn’t take long until he sees a small and soft light in the dark woods. Ah, there it is. Looks like he really missed it.
It looks like they already started lighting up sparklers before the big fireworks even started. Annoyance flares up.
With determined steps, he tracks down into the woods, leaving the bustling festival behind him.
What greets him is a small hut with a wide veranda. A paper lantern burns on the small bench facing the hill downwards. A figure sits there, hunched and smoking a long pipe.
The rustles of Obito’s clumsy steps cause the man to look up. Surprise colours his face.
Obito pauses, equally surprised. He did not expect Madara to be at something as lively and pretty as festival fireworks. Madara belongs more to the quiet corners of a lounge before a warm oven or at the overly decadent parties at a high-end casino, but not at a small, modest hut waiting for a firework to start.
“Old man, what are you doing here?”
Madara’s face is unreadable as always. His eyes trail over Obito’s head.
Madara chuckles. “Well, can’t an old man enjoy a good smoke and a lovely light show?” He still hasn’t moved his gaze towards Obito’s eyes.
Suspicious Obito steps closer to him, now standing before the veranda. The sudden willfulness throws him off.
“Never mind then, if you don’t want to answer.” Obito looks away, irked by Madara’s conduct.
The man in question eyes him up and down. They linger on his head. “And how come you grace me with your presence here on this fine evening?”
Obito shuffles with his feet. “I’m here with Kakashi and Rin. Oh, and Gai."
“Ah, your tag-alongs.”
“Hey!” That’s it, Obito is officially offended. “They’re my friends.”
“Hmm, is that so?” Madara replies mildly, not responding to his anger.
Obito is wavering back and forth between annoyance and awkwardness. “What’s up with you today?” Normally, he would at least hear one comment about how Madara doesn’t like them and that he should quit their friendship.
Madara’s eyes get sharp. “Zip it, brat.”
That’s more like it. Obito breathes in and feels relieved. With soft, cautious steps, he comes up on the veranda and sits beside Madara. He shuffles around and drops the bag to the side.
Madara only gets this wistful when it involves his late brother. Did Obito forget the date? No, Izuna died in spring, it was late autumn now.
He takes a breath before gathering the courage to speak up. “Well, you’re only this weird when it has something to do with– you know…” It feels wrong to say his name.
It’s always a risk to talk about him in Madara’s presence, but Obito is pretty confident that this is one of the rare moments where Madara allows his reverie.
Madara stays quiet for a while, staring into the sky, following the smoke of his pipe.
“It’s just that,” Obito bites his lips, hesitating, “you look lonely.”
Madara’s eyes get a faraway look. “Do I now?”
Obito stares at him. “Yes, you do.”
“But now you’re here to keep me company, right?” Madara looks at him, now again in the present. Even so, a part of him still remains in that distant place Obito cannot reach.
Captured and as if in a trance, Obito can only answer “Yes.” Madara’s face is so close that he can count the lashes and barely visible wrinkles. Obito’s unable to look away.
The corner of Madara’s mouth ticks up, and the spell is broken as he leans back again. He takes a deep puff of his pipe, breathing out the smoke lazily. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, child.”
“I am so not a child!” Obito puffs up, familiar anger flares up at the insinuation. Madara always belittles him and calls him a child, never letting him help or do anything for him. But this will change tonight. He’s on the verge of getting his first kiss and becoming an adult. (Maybe then Madara will finally acknowledge him.)
“Your choice in festival attire does speak against it.”
“What’s wrong with my yukata?” Obito looks down, suddenly conscious of his state of dress. It was like all his clothes sponsored and chosen by Madara or some unimportant servant. As one of Madara’s protegees, he always had to be impeccably dressed. His appearance directly represented the clan head, and Obito more than often got into trouble when he came back with mud on his knees or leaves in his hair.
Madara reaches out with the end of his long pipe and taps it against the side of his head. Instead of touching his hair, the pipe made contact with light wood.
Obito’s eyes widen.
He totally forgot about the wooden mask strapped to the side of his head. It was probably shining like an orange beacon on him. His breath quickens unwillingly.
He hastens his arms up to remove the mask. In his haste, it takes him even longer to untangle the straps. It feels like an eternity passed when he finally manages to pull at the offending tie.
A dull noise rings through the clearing as the mask falls down.
Madara watches him in complete tranquillity. Obito’s sure that if he weren’t such a pretentious asshole, Madara would roll with laughter at him now.
“Not a child,” Madara raises an eyebrow in question. “Really?”
Red bursts onto Obito’s cheeks. He blames the following few sentences on his embarrassment. “I’m planning to get my kiss tonight. So you can’t call me a child afterwards anymore!”
Madara looks at Obito, his amusement doubled. “Oh, and what did you plan?”
Obito has to prove it to Madara. He can create plans and follow them. He can be trusted.
“You know, Rin invited me today.” Obito gestures excitedly. “I will ask her, and during the fireworks we’ll kiss. And it will be the most romantic and perfect kiss ever!”
“Is that so?” The words paint a canvas of sharp edges, not at all like the playful banter from a few minutes ago. Madara almost looked disdainful.
Before he can get lost in his head trying to endlessly dissect the meaning of a few words or a clouded look, a sigh interrupts his circling thoughts.
“You think too much.” A hand lands on top of his head, ruffling his hair. A small smile escapes Obito.
Madara turns around to him and sets the pipe down. “So you dream of a romantic kiss under the fireworks.” His face again adopts this weird willfulness. “What else do you fantasise about? Tell me more.” He takes Obito’s wrists into his hands.
Obito feels his cheeks getting hot. “I’m not–” Whatever that pervert thought he figured out about Obito, he is wrong! He only ever had pure thoughts about Rin, like handholding on the way back from school or taking her to watch the cherry blossoms. The only times his thoughts wander to less innocent things are when hands wander too close to his hips or between his thighs. Not that he’ll ever let Madara know his hands have that effect on him. This is a secret he’ll take to his grave.
“Well, don’t leave me guessing,” Madara whispers, his lips close enough to his wrist to feel the breath over his pulse point. Madara’s eyes glimmer in the dim light of the lantern. They seem to disclose an intent to him. An intent that is almost lost in the intensity of his gaze.
Obito is speechless. Here he was, almost being worried about that bastard, and he had nothing better in his head than all the things he could do to Obito!
A loud bang tears him away from his anger. A look in the sky tells Obito the fireworks have started.
“Fuck,” Obito completely forgot the time. If he doesn’t hurry, he will miss the opportunity to watch the fireworks with his friends, and more importantly, with Rin. He sets up to stand up. But the grip around his wrists turns steel-hard, and with a jerk, he falls back on the bench. Bewildered, he looks at Madara, who only returns his gaze with a heated look.
Before he can register the movement, lips are already on his.
He is too surprised by the act to even close his eyes.
The touch is surprisingly soft, only an innocent press of lips against each other. Obito almost expects sparks to fly and electricity to course through his veins. None of it happens. The fireworks continue going off in the distance, lighting Madara’s skin in red and orange hues.
The heat from thin lips on his burns him and sets his body ablaze. The cool hand on his neck sends chills through him and collides with the heat.
All too soon, the gentle touch stops. Before he could register it, Madara already pulled away. His face is still too damn close, and Obito blushes furiously, mouth gaping open like a stupid fish.
“There you have your fairy-tale first kiss you can brag about.“ Madara smirks at him, obviously pleased with this situation.
“And now I’ll show you a real kiss.“ Madara’s eyes seem to want to consume him whole. He leans in again to claim Obito’s lips.
An undignified squawk escapes Obito. Teeth pry his mouth open, and a tongue invades.
The hand on his nape has him firmly in its hold. Fireworks start inside of him, too. Heat blooms as a wet appendage explores his mouth.
It’s too much.
On instinct, Obito shuts his eyes. He can only passively accept the heavy weight in his mouth.
Teeth bite his lips. A whine escapes him. His fingers cramp.
Huh, when did he start clutching Madara’s collar?
His thoughts scatter. He gets lightheaded. The hand on his neck wanders to his waist and pulls him towards a body. Obito can only follow.
The mouth retracts for a second, and he greedily gulps in air. Not a second too late, because Madara goes in once more.
Their breaths mingle. Obito is short on air, and no matter how hard he pants into the other’s open mouth, he can’t get enough oxygen into his lungs.
Madara’s tongue traces over his teeth and the roof of his mouth. Obito’s own tongue reacts automatically and pushes back against his.
A second arm snakes around him, pressing him inconceivably closer. Or did he pull himself closer with his death grip on Madara?
Thundering explosions go off in the distance, growing louder and more chaotic by the second. The highlight of the fireworks, the last big bang, approaches fast.
The heated kiss slows down. The battle now a lazy dance, before even this recedes.
Obito opens his eyes. Madara is incredibly close, pressing his lips against Obito’s jaw, following an invisible line. Light bites and soft kisses light an unknown fire inside Obito. On the other hand, Madara looks composed, peaceful even, in contrast to Obito, who is a panting mess.
Madara looks up, his lips quirk up in what’s surely supposed to be a gentle smile, but speaks of long-awaited triumph. This time, it’s Obito who leans in.
A slow kiss, a soft brush on his lips. He doesn’t dare to close his eyes, too hypnotised by Madara’s intense stare. Colours dance across Madara’s features, bathing him in light. Madara tilts back, and their lips disconnect. The fireworks stop, and darkness engulfs them once more.
And for a moment, he’s allowed to share the silent peace with Madara, before reality comes crashing back and drags him back into his body, which is still sitting on Madara’s lap with his legs spread, and oh my god, what is he doing right now?!
Before the next thought can even form, Madara’s face switches from the neutral peace to the shit-eating grin he so despises and which never sparked a warm and heavy feeling inside his stomach, for real now!
“So, a simple kiss and you’re already this affected?” A hand forcefully grabs Obito’s front, where he is painfully hard. “Really, and you wonder why I call you a child.”
Shame twists deep in his guts, the heated atmosphere no longer the reason for the redness on his face.
As fast as Obito can, he scrambles out of Madara’s loose hold and almost smacks his face on the ground. Madara snickers, and sick satisfaction spills from his every pore.
“Fuck you, old man!” Obito throws him the middle finger and hurries to stomp away. That fucking fucker! The nerve of him!
Madara’s laughter resonates in the small clearing and follows him through his stride back into the forest.
In a daze, Obito storms through the woods without paying attention to the path before him. Twigs scratch his ankles. They tear into his yukata and rip off strips of thin fabric. Obito barely takes notice of it. With harsh movements, he pushes branches out of his way.
Asshole, creep, idiot! Obito can’t believe the audacity of Madara. He completely ruined his chance of ever sharing this special moment with a person of his choosing. He grits his teeth so hard his jaw muscles start to hurt. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
One moment, he stomps with blind rage through the woods; the next moment, he falls with grandeur flat on his face. For real now? Obito can’t believe his luck today. For a moment, he just lies there, contemplating whether this is real or if this whole day was a flux of his messed-up brain.
Hot tears of frustration threaten to escape his clenched eyes.
“Shit!” His fist collides with the ground. Obito hasn’t felt this childish in a long time. It’s too late now to halt the tears flowing down his face. They mix with the soil and stain his face in dark smudges.
For a moment, he just lies there wallowing in his misery. The hurt and stress of the day accumulate and tumble into a grating mess under his skin. Hot shame and sharp guilt mix into his cocktail of self-pity, and again he feels like a little child. Not capable of anything and not worthy of love.
His outbursts and tears right now only prove Madara’s words right. Anger pours into his veins again, this time at himself and his weaknesses. With effort, he pushes himself up and roughly wipes his face with his sleeve to get rid of the dirt. This is not the time for this. He has to push everything down, go back and function through the rest of the evening.
While still in the middle of rubbing his face with his yukata, he hears voices in the distance. Obito grits his teeth and starts moving towards the noises in the hope of finding his way back to the festival. As he gets closer, he can make out his name in the jumble of sounds.
This sounds like Rin!
With a sigh of relief, he steers towards that voice in hope of seeing her after this disastrous hour. As he steps out of the woods, an all too familiar face shoves itself in his personal space. Great, not the face he was hoping for…
“Obito, where were you?!” Kakashi’s unusual loud voice booms into his face and triggers a headache.
“What the heck, Bakashi. Move out of my space.” Obito’s face twists, and he shoves Kakashi back at the shoulder.
Kakashi doesn’t take notice of it and lets his eyes scan over Obito’s rumpled appearance.
“What happened? You look like you went through the wrangler.” If this comment came from anyone else, Obito would think they were worried. But as always, Kakashi’s straight tone betrays no emotions.
“Nothing”, Obito grumbles. “Where are the others?”
Kakashi eyes him for a moment before turning to point towards more light. “Over there. When you didn’t come back for the fireworks, we started looking for you.”
Obito starts to trek in the direction pointed, before turning around. “You’re not coming?”
Kakashi’s eyes are sharp as he looks at something just below Obito’s face.
“What?” Obito asks, annoyance rising in him.
“Nothing,” Kakashi pointedly looks away and follows him back to the others.
Rin is slumped on one of their camp chairs, her leg bounces up and down. As soon as they approach, her face lights up, and she stands up to wave at them excitedly. “Obito! There you are, we missed you!”
Obito’s heart does a little somersault at her joy of seeing Obito. Neither Madara nor Kakashi would ever be this happy simply because of his presence. And that’s why Rin is his favourite!
“Hey, Rin!” Obito awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, I got delayed.”
Gai also jumps up at the sight of him, ready to welcome his youthful return. He quickly turns confused and points at Obito. “Yo, didn’t you want to buy taiyaki buns for us?”
Obito’s head snaps to his free hand hanging at his side, confirming the lack of a bag. Like a fish, he opens and closes his mouth without a sound escaping.
With dread, he remembers having dropped the bag beside the bench. In the flurry of emotions, he forgot to pick it up again.
Fuck. Anxiety spikes up again in his veins. He closes his eyes and quickly tries to gather himself.
“Is everything alright?” Rin asks, worry laced in her voice. “Your mask is also gone. What happened?”
“No, I just…“ He opens his eyes again. His irate look sobers the atmosphere, and etch sharp worry creases between Rin’s eyebrows. Obito catches himself and quickly plasters on a smile. “Sorry about that, looks like I lost it somewhere.”
“Geez, Obito, you’re always such a scatterbrain.” Rin stems her hands to her hips as she scolds him.
Obito pulls the corners of his mouth upwards. “Never mind, what did I miss?”
----------I----------
The windows are already dark by the time Obito returns home.
He hoped Madara would be hauled up in his office, complaining about paperwork or some incompetent underling. Of course, luck is never on his side.
The moment he steps in, he already sees Madara sitting on a chair in the middle of the floor, blocking Obito’s path. The chair is backwards, and Madara leans his arms on the headrest. Everyone else would look as if they were slouching. Madara, however, made it look like a throne. Chin high, back straight, arrogance pouring from every vein.
"For real?” Obito mutters under his breath. Madara always had to be theatrical about everything.
“You’re late,” remarks Madara.
“I’m still within my curfew,” Obito grumbles.
Madara hums non-committally. “Come here.” He beckons Obito to him. He obeys and steps up to Madara after removing his shoes. It feels weird to look down on him. Madara lifts his hands and cups Obito’s face. Callouses scratch against his skin. “You are upset.”
Obito snorts. “No shit.”
“You would have regretted kissing that girl today.”
Obito’s brows furrow. "Why are you saying that?”
“I know you,” Madara’s stare is unforgiving and steel-hard as always. “You think you like her, but the moment you obtain her, you’ll realise she’ll never be able to love you for who you are.”
Obito recoils, and the hands on his face fall back down to Madara’s side.
“You are an Uchiha. Don’t forget what you are. No one but an Uchiha will understand and accept you.” The words cut. “Not that girl, and none of your other little friends will.”
It hurts.
Obito refuses to believe it, but it hurts.
Because he knows it’s the truth. No one will understand the violence and the stakes that come with carrying that family name. But Obito won't admit that. He still has to try, to cling to that hope that someday it will be different.
He just has to believe in himself and in his friends. In Rin and Kakashi.
He clenches his jaw and averts his eyes. With every intention to ignore Madara for the rest of the day, he steps around him deeper into the house.
“Obito”
The call of his name halts him, and he turns back.
Madara stood up but still faced away from him.
“They won’t accept you and love you, but I do.”
Obito knows Madara would say this to all the other children he trains if he deems it necessary. Obito knows it’s a lie Madara tells him, but still, a small warm ember sits in his chest at Madara’s words.
A quiet “I know” slips out of his mouth.
Satisfied with the answer, Madara steps away and out of the room, leaving only a chair in the middle of the floor and Obito behind. Both misplaced.