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The street lights are brighter than the moon. Well-dressed men and women fill the road, with long lines at every single stall on both sides while the restaurants are fully booked. It seems the drizzle doesn’t dampen people’s spirits, and the crowd makes it hard for Obito to walk without brushing against others. He dodges past a girl holding a huge bouquet of flowers and wonders if it could be because the weekend is near and people can’t wait to have some fun.
When he sees the girl almost get bumped by others, he is about to go help her when another man pushes through the crowd and grabs the girl’s hand, apparently her boyfriend. It takes Obito a few more minutes of walking through the street and seeing a few more couples, with the girls all holding bouquets of flowers, before he finally realizes that today is Valentine’s Day.
Suddenly, Obito feels a bit miserable being alone among all the couples on this lovely day. If he had someone to accompany him now, what would it be like? He quickly shakes off the stupid thought. He isn’t alone tonight. Pakkun told him that if everything goes well, Kakashi’s long-term mission will be over today, and because of how exhausted he is, he’ll crash at Obito’s place tonight.
“He said he’d be too tired to clean up his own place after a mission. Might as well just stay at your house since it’s already a mess.” After saying this emotionlessly, Pakkun muttered under his breath, “Got some nerve making me deliver a message like this.” Then he vanished with a pop.
What’s that all about? Obito is going to punch Kakashi’s perfect face when he gets here for saying his house is a mess, especially since half of Kakashi’s stuff is already there. The silver-haired man has found out that using Obito’s house is very convenient, so every time he goes on a longer mission, he comes over to stay, as if he owns the place. There have been many times when Obito has considered refusing him, but then again, Kakashi also cooks for him. Even though Kakashi says it’s because he doesn’t want to eat any more of the poison Obito makes, he has to admit that Kakashi is an excellent cook.
Since Kakashi already mentioned he’d be coming back late, Obito thought about grabbing some takeout for himself, maybe even some late-night snacks in case Kakashi wanted to eat. The problem is, he completely forgot about the date, and now the restaurants are packed, he can't even see the end of the lines at the food stalls... there might not be anything left to buy.
After squeezing through the crowds a few more times, Obito finally decides to just head home.
As he walks past a flower shop that looks pretty empty, he suddenly feels like going inside to take a look. It’s not a big shop, but it’s nothing like a messy greenhouse. Everything is neatly arranged inside, making the place feel classy and spacious. There is a sweet, gentle scent of flowers in the air.
The owner is a lady with a black bun and a pair of brown eyes. She looks like a very elegant person, but when she sees Obito walking in, she raises her voice.
“You’re too late. There isn’t a bouquet left for your girlfriend now!”
Obito stumbles. “I’m not here to buy a bouquet.”
“Oh.” The lady raises an eyebrow. “Then what are you looking for?”
“Er...” Obito quickly looks around, pretending he didn’t come here without any idea of what he wanted. He just thinks that it might be nice to have some flowers at home today. It looks like most of the flowers are sold out. The rest are mostly succulents and a few scattered flowers that are better suited for planting outdoors.
“Do you have any flowers that are suitable to put at home?”
“For a romantic dinner?” The lady glances at the clock on the wall, seeming more and more convinced that Obito is a shitty boyfriend. “The only roses left are blue, and there are only two flowers available.”
Before Obito can tell her that there is no date, the lady brings out the blue roses, and that elegant, deep blue color actually catches his eye. It’ll look nice in his living room, he thinks. Just as he is paying for one, he pauses and thinks that the other one left behind would be too sad. Alone. Since Kakashi also doesn’t have a date tonight, perhaps he can surprise him with one.
“Don’t come here so late next time. Treat your date better!” The lady just has to say it to him before he leaves the shop with two blue roses.
Obito goes back home in somewhat high spirits, only to realize that he doesn’t even own a vase.
His mug is too short for the roses, so the only option is the milk carton. He cleans it several times, then carefully puts some water and the roses in it with care. At least the roses still look nice on the small table, even with a few copies of Icha Icha Paradise nearby.
Now that he thinks about it, Kakashi has been bringing more and more of his personal things to Obito’s apartment. His own mug, his toothpaste, a few of his everyday clothes, and even his porn. (“You have a dirty mind, Obito. And you’re being very disrespectful to Lord Jiraiya,” Kakashi said once.)
A Japanese futon set is kept in the living room for Kakashi to sleep on whenever he comes over. Compared to Kakashi’s own house, the space here is much smaller, but he doesn’t seem to mind it at all. Obito doesn’t want to ask him why, in case Kakashi feels unwelcome, or worse, agrees that he would be more comfortable in his own place.
He opens the refrigerator, trying to decide what to make for dinner. The shelves are stocked with plenty of food, and some seasonings sit on the counter now, making it easier for Kakashi to cook whenever he comes by. Obito still hasn’t learned much about cooking, so after some internal struggle, he decides to just have instant noodles rather than waste time only to destroy more ingredients.
Pulling the hot water, he covers the noodles with the lid and sits at the small table, resting his chin in both hands as he stares at the two roses in the milk carton. If he leans in closer, he can smell their subtle scent. From the edge of the noodle cup, a faint trail of steam rises.
He can’t remember how many times he has sat here and eaten alone. He never met his parents, and his grandmother passed away when he was too young, so he hardly has any memories of her. For a long time, it was simply a place he lived in. Now, even though Kakashi doesn’t really spend much time here because of his ANBU missions, the apartment is filled with his existence, creating the illusion that they live together.
The thought somehow makes Obito’s face grow hot. He forces himself to imagine Kakashi’s annoying side to chase away the weird feelings. Stupid Kakashi, dragging Obito out of bed at an insanely early hour. Stupid Kakashi, throwing away Obito’s hard-worked-on black mess of a dinner. Evil Kakashi, who has been away for a month and is finally back tonight...
This time, Obito blames the steam from the noodles. He just can’t seem to get the heat out of his cheeks.
*
When Kakashi finally reaches Obito’s apartment, it’s already early morning. A normal person should go back to his own house to avoid disturbing his friend, but due to his exhaustion, he can’t think straight enough to be reasonable, so he still sneaks inside.
He quickly finds that the light in Obito’s room is still on, but he doesn’t hear any movement, only the soft and steady sound of his breathing. He walks quietly to Obito’s room, slowly turns the knob, and opens the door.
There Obito is. Asleep at his desk.
The position isn’t even comfortable, and as Kakashi gets closer, he can see that Obito is holding a pen, with his face pressed against a notebook. There will definitely be a visible mark on his face tomorrow. Kakashi glances briefly at the notebook and sees that it is filled with notes on how to lead a team. He gently takes the pen from Obito’s hand, grabs a thin blanket kept in the corner of the room, and covers him with it. Finally, he turns off the light and leaves the room.
A normal person should still go back home after invading his friend’s space and seeing how tired he is. But Kakashi is tired too, so he goes to the living room, where he usually stays when he comes over.
After sliding the door open quietly, the first thing he notices is a faint hint of flower scent in the air. Then he sees that the small table has already been tucked away into the corner, and the Japanese futon he always sleeps on is neatly laid out on the floor.
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, but can’t help the tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Instead of lying down immediately, he steps over to the kitchen counter to find the source of the scent and finds two roses in a milk carton. For a second, the possibility that someone gave them to Obito almost makes Kakashi destroy the flowers. Then he notices a small note beside them.
“One for Obito, one for Bakashi.”
He stares at the note and those two flowers for a few minutes. Finally, he reaches out, but before he can touch them, he changes his mind and gently flicks one of the petals.
As Kakashi is surrounded by that subtle fragrance and drifts into sleep, he decides to be extra generous by getting up early and making breakfast for Obito.
*
When Kakashi opens his eyes, feeling the warmth and brightness of the sunlight streaming through the window, listening to the chirping of birds and the voices of passersby outside... he knows it’s almost noon.
He lies there, staring at the ceiling. There is no one in the house. Obito must have gotten up and left without waking him. He can’t believe how deeply he slept. Had he been on a mission, or had Obito been an enemy, he would be dead by now. As for the fact that he also didn’t wake up Obito... well, that means they can kill each other.
What is he thinking? Being in ANBU too long really makes him a lot darker.
Soft footsteps sound outside the apartment, followed by the sound of the door opening. Then the footsteps suddenly become quiet, creeping closer in a sneaky way. They stop outside the room, and the sliding door slowly opens—
“Morning.”
“AHH!” Obito jumps back, the plastic bag he is holding nearly falling from his hand. “Don’t scare me like that!”
Kakashi is sitting cross-legged on the futon and lazily says, “If you’re still getting scared like that as a shinobi, you’ve got a lot more training to do.” He ignores Obito’s death glare and points at the bag. “What are you carrying?”
“Oh. It’s our lunch!” Obito’s mood immediately gets better. “I thought that if you were too tired to wake up in the morning, then I could be a better person and get you something to eat when you finally woke up.”
“What if I don’t wake up until night? Wouldn’t the food get cold?”
“Are you going to thank me for my mercy or not?”
Kakashi goes to wash up first. When he comes back, Obito has already packed away the futon and set up the table with two large plates of fried rice and a big roasted fish. He is sitting there with a big grin.
“I’m hungry! Hurry up and sit.”
Kakashi doesn’t sit down immediately. Instead, he walks over to the kitchen counter and takes the milk carton with the roses, placing it right on the table.
“Didn’t you buy that for decoration?”
“Ye-yes! I completely forgot about its existence.” Obito gives a few forced laughs. Kakashi doesn’t remark on Obito’s suspiciously reddened face.
During the meal, they bicker back and forth a few times, just like they always do. Then they talk about Kakashi’s mission.
“So even the great Kakashi can still get held up by something and have an ANBU mission delayed.”
“I didn’t delay any mission. I only delayed the time I got back.” Kakashi ignores Obito’s snickers and continues in a perfectly casual tone, “And that was my last ANBU mission. I officially left ANBU today.”
“What?!”
“I’m now transferring back to the regular shinobi forces, and I’m going to lead regular teams soon.”
Obito stares at him with a stupid, shocked expression. He adds, “Just like you.”
“What are you thinking?!”
Kakashi shrugs. “I just think being a teacher would be easier.”
“Don’t you dare insult my future job!”
“It’s also my future job.”
“Ahhh! I’m going to tell Minato-sensei you’ve gone crazy!”
“He’s Hokage. He already knows. He said he fully supports me.”
Far from here, inside the Hokage’s office, Minato thinks he hears someone shouting his name, but figures it’s probably just his imagination.