Notes: Nothing quite like Lang and Abalisk finishing Shell Game with Chapter 65 and the reviews/rambles I finished writing to start a train of inspiration that I wrote up to past midnight into New Year's Day with my toes freezing.

That's how it goes. And Lang encouraged it (specifically saying "Dooo eeeeet"), so I'm going with it. Takes place before Kannabi by the way, in-between S&S 23 and 24, so everyone's 12-13. Prequel to Lang's fic of The Callout too, now that I think on it.

…Somehow, I made this angsty. Belated New Year's Gift, here you go! If you wanted to know how Obito fell for Tomo in my head when it comes to the S&S verse.

I recommend going with the song Ocean of Memories from Ufotable's adaptation of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works. It fits the mood.

Sparkle 46: Waiting (Not Forever)

There was something about coming back from a long mission that made Obito glad to know that he was almost home. For once, there was a chance to take a shower, to sleep in without worrying about an attack, and to be with his precious people again.

It didn't stop Kei from being sarcastic with Kakashi on the way home, but he could handle it. Maybe.

"What was that jutsu back there? You could've made our enemies' ears bleed."

"Not your business and besides. At least they're dead."

"That doesn't help anything."

Then again, maybe not.

But nothing quite prepared him for the view he saw of the village gates. She wasn't supposed to be waiting there alone, wearing nothing but a white gown and a protective pink shawl to protect herself against the early morning cold.

His blood could've frozen in his veins.

"O-Obi?" Tomo-chan looked up from her apparent pacing, blue eyes wide as soon as she made eye contact with him. Obito could've felt his heart stop too, because there was no mistaking the dark pink of her cheeks and how her toes, even through her sandals, were barely colored from how long she was standing there. Hell, how long was she even there? Just standing there, waiting in the cold, all by herself with apparently no one around for company?

"Team Minato," she breathed, her eyes wide. "You…"

Almost immediately, Tomo-chan brushed her braid back behind her ear, her orange hair ribbons pale in the light of the graying blue sky as she ran forward and past the green gates of Konoha's entrance. She was coming towards them.

"Tomo—" Kei could barely get a word in before Tomo-chan barreled into her. Sure, that itself was normal considering how Tomo-chan hugged everybody, but there was something about how Kei was clearly baffled, speechless for the single second it took for Tomo-chan to tightly wrap her arms around Kei's waist. Kei exhaled, her backpack rustling with the motion. "Tomo-chan?"

"M-Muuuu…"

Then there was a small sniffle and that was all it took for Kei's shoulders to slacken, the exhaustion in her face melting away for genuine understanding. "…Hey there, you goofball," she said, patting Tomo-chan's head with her free hand. "You didn't have to wait by the gates again, Tomo. We were going to come back."

There was no initial response, only a fierce shake of her head against Kei's hoodie as Tomo-chan pulled back, her gaze pointed downwards. It took a moment. "J-Just give me this for a little bit," she finally mumbled, barely giving herself breathing space as she stepped away. "A-Anxiety goes places. But hey. Um. Welcome back, Kei."

There was no missing the unsaid, I missed you, even when Obito lacked his Sharingan to look further.

"Ah," Kei said softly, a wry smile on her face before she pushed at Tomo-chan's shoulder. "Thanks for seeing us back, Tomo. Now go do your magic, you goof."

"O-Oh, sure…"

And then Tomo-chan's gaze focused on Kakashi, and Obito could do nothing but watch as Tomo-chan proceeded to run over at the exact same speed as before to hug him too. Kakashi sighed, doing the bare minimum to support her weight via one arm while making sure his pack didn't fall from his shoulders. "We're alive, Tomoko," he said dryly. "There's no need to cry."

"Th-That doesn't make it any less easier," Tomo-chan muttered into Kakashi's shoulder, loud enough for even Obito to hear. She then pulled away as fast as she came by and started the hug, her hands clasping one another. "I-I try, so…" Tomo-chan trailed off as finally, finally, she turned and met Obito's eyes.

Obito waited, tilting his head and ignoring the urge to adjust his goggles, instead choosing to look at her face as soon as she trotted over to him. He took a breath, attempting to put on a smile in the hopes of reassuring her. Because if this is going where he was thinking it was going… "Hey, Tomo-chan! We're home!" he tried to boast.

"…"

Yep. It didn't work.

In fact, Tomo-chan simply stared up at him with those big blue eyes of hers. They were shining, almost glassy, before they closed and Tomo-chan nodded. "Aye," she said, very quiet. One of her hands slowly reached up towards him.

Obito was expecting a hug. Heck, anything, considering how she interacted with Kei and Kakashi before him. He just wasn't expecting her to cup his cheek, tenderly at that, a thumb gently rubbing at a new scar left by an enemy's kunai. "You're hurt," Tomo-chan continued, not even breaking her tone of voice as her blue eyes were still focused on him. "Obi…"

For some reason, her voice screamed disappointment, and Obito turned away. "I-It was just a scratch, Tomo-chan. Nothing a future Hokage can't handle." It still felt like a lie, but it was all Obito had. There was something about how Tomo-chan was looking at him that made him feel ashamed. Horrible. Naked, even. "I'm okay."

Tomo-chan shook her head. "Obi, I…" she paused, almost considering her answer since her thumb stopped moving too. Then Tomo-chan took a breath, gently moving his head back via the hand on his cheek so they could make eye contact again. "You know I love you, right?"

Obito's heart could've leapt out of his ribs. There was that urge again, that urge calling for him to hug her and do something, but his arms were frozen against his sides as he stared into those blue eyes. "T-Tomo-chan…"

Tomo-chan smiled sadly as a single tear slid down her pink cheek, barely missing the orange ribbon keeping her braid together. "I'm not disappointed," she continued, her voice one centimeter away from shaking as her thumb brushed at the corner of his eye not covered by his goggles. "I'm just anxious. About so many things, about not being able to see you again. About how you did come back alright, but how long is that going to last?" Her breath was misty in the cold morning air, barely coming out as tangible clouds as she exhaled, ducking her head. "I know this sounds so weird, more so because I need to calm the fuck down since everyone's okay, but…"

Obito felt his jaw slacken in silent disbelief. Tomo-chan said "fuck." She actually said "fuck"!

In response, a broken giggle left her lips as she came close, her other hand finally coming around his waist for that expected hug. It was tight, it was warm, it was all Tomo-chan. "I missed you. A lot."

Oh.

C-Cute…

Obito exhaled too, noting his breath coming out in cold puffs above Tomo-chan's head. She smelled sweet. She was being sweet again, even though it was only another mission, even though she cursed for the first time ever, even though—

Kei met his eyes past Tomo-chan's shoulder, and the look said everything else.

Hug her, dammit.

Obito didn't even have to hear Kakashi's faraway scoff. Instead, Obito immediately wound his arms around Tomo-chan's smaller frame, squeezing her to him in the hopes it was enough. He didn't even care that there was dirt and a bit of dried blood on his clothes. There was a friend he needed to be there for.

"I missed you too, Tomo-chan," he confessed, pretending that he didn't have dust in his eyes and merely hoping his goggles were enough to block it all out from prying eyes. His heart was screaming out want and need — sure, it was weird, but it was nice. Tomo-chan was here. "I missed you too. We're back."

A nose brushed the crook between his shoulder and neck as another sniff graced his ear. Then there was a whimper accompanying the growing wet spot on his jacket collar. "W-Welcome home, you dork." Oh no, Tomo-chan was crying. Shit. "Welcome home…!"

Oh.

Obito hugged her tighter, nodding into her hair to hide the shaky smile on his face.

This was what made the fighting worth it. For once, he had someone to come home to.