Note: Originally written in honor of Obito's birthday on February 10th, a small drabble. I'd like to think this takes place in the unmentioned time-skip between S&S 23 and 24. So right before Kannabi drama.
Inspired by some of the ASMR I've been listening to for studying/relaxing purposes. The song I recommend for this small thing is an ending from Mermaid Melody, my childhood anime. Specifically, the second ending: Sekai de Ichiban Hayaku Asa ga Kuru Basho. I'll just rec you the piano version done by SaphiraLynx on YouTube since otherwise, listening to the actual song is going to make the ace in me go into an embarrassed fit from how the composers decided to put kiss noises into an otherwise cute song. Aah.
But. BUT.
If you want to still hear the original song, then don't say I didn't warn you. It is from an early 2000s shoujo anime.
Still. Go on and enjoy.
Kei's here because Lang's been a grounding rock when bad bad midterms punched me in the face to the point of being incoherent to Leo. So there. She's a friend I can't stop being grateful for.
This takes place on the same couch shown in Sparkle 45.
Sparkle 48: Birthday Wish
Tap tap.
Obito slowly opened his eyes with a groan, the fuzzy feeling in his right ear having faded for cool air. What touched his shoulder?
"Obi," Tomo-chan's voice echoed softly above his head and he shifted, barely registering the gentle chiding in her words. If he didn't know any better, it sounded like she had just finished singing. Still, she tapped his shoulder again. Tap tap. "I can't work on your other ear if you just lie there half-asleep."
"Fiiiiine," he mumbled, rolling over to face the other way. It took a moment to realize that his nose was mere centimeters away from Tomo-chan's stomach and he felt his heart skip a beat. When did the air smell sweet? Was it the laundry detergent from her skirt? "I-Is this good?"
"Aye." There was a thoughtful hum above his head, signalling that Tomo-chan was smiling. "Actually, wait. Give me a moment." A hand was touching the back of his head now, rustling his hair and Obito stayed as still as possible as Tomo-chan proceeded to gently nudge him towards lying on her knees. It only took a second for Tomo-chan to let go. He then heard a small, "There we go," before the bamboo stick was gently poking around in his left ear. "Just tell me if it hurts, Obi."
"Sureeee…" Obito tried not to yawn, but he never thought he'd see the day ear cleaning could be relaxing. Then again, this was Tomo-chan. She somehow made things lighter, brighter, all of that sunshine stuff. It was really hard to refuse her when she came up to him with the sparkly eyes about trying something new for his 13th birthday.
Scritch, scritch, scritch, the stick went.
Huh. Now that he thought about it…
"Tomo-chan?"
"Muu?"
"Who taught you this stuff?" Obito held back the urge to shift, closing his eyes and exhaling in content as soon as the fluffy cotton puff started swabbing at the outer lobe of his left ear. "I don't think Rin did…" He peeked out from under his eyelids to look at his only other teammate in close vicinity and Kei glanced up from her book with a crooked smirk. "Kei?"
"Don't look at me," she said innocently, shrugging her shoulders. "This was all Tomo's idea."
"Yes and no, actually." A nervous giggle echoed above his ear and Obito blinked to see Tomo-chan's short hair bob in the air as she breathed, inclining her head to look down at him. "I had the idea, sure, but Mama taught me everything. I don't know where she learned how to do it, but she was really good at it. I think I'm alright, but if I mess up—"
"You're fine, Tomo," Kei interrupted, a snicker in her voice. "It looks like Obito's going to melt any second now."
"I-I'm not!"
The fuzzy ball of cotton prodded at the inside of his ear in a soft brushing gesture and Obito paused. Then again…
"Hee hee." Tomo-chan giggled, her other hand gently stroking the top of his hair as she continued cleaning whatever was in there. "As long as you're enjoying the ear cleaning, Obi, then my job's good."
Obito was tempted to roll his eyes, but opted to close them instead, choosing to ignore Kei's nearby snickering. Tomo-chan seemed happy too, so he wasn't going to complain. He could take a nap like this. Maybe.
Scritch, scritch, scritch, the ear cleaner added.
"…Neh, Obi?"
Obito blinked the sleep away from his eyes for the second time, considering his options before slowly shifting from his place in Tomo-chan's lap to look up at her. It took some effort to deftly avoid the ear cleaner in her hand. "What is it, Tomo-chan?"
Tomo-chan blinked, a surprised pink covering her nose before she puffed her colored cheeks in protest. "You didn't have to move over to see my face, Obi. There's nothing here and I was still in the middle of getting something."
"Heh, sorry," Obito grinned anyways. She was close enough for him to hear her breathing. "Still, what's up?"
Obito did not miss how Kei slowly closed her book to pay attention.
Tomo-chan blinked slowly at him, the flush on her cheeks fading for a thoughtful look. "Mm, how to put this?" She closed her eyes and laughed softly. "I was just thinking, 'What would Obi want for his next birthday?' Since this is the best I can give right now, this year."
Obito glanced at Kei from his vantage point on Tomo-chan's lap. Kei gave him a single look back, shrugging this time in her usual "You handle this" way.
Well then.
Obito closed his eyes, put a hand to his heart, and went with his gut.
"I'd just like to be with everyone forever."
As small as it was, Tomo-chan flinched. "…Fweh?"
"It's because the war's still going on, y'know? And I know I like being in Konoha, with Sensei, with Kushina-san, with Rin-chan, with Kei, with Hayate, with Miyako-san and Wataru-san, with Hikari-bachan and Judai-jichan, with everyone here — hell!" Obito barked a laugh. "I can tolerate Kakashi!"
Tomo-chan had gone completely silent.
Obito had no clue if he had messed up or just scared her with his honesty, but he went on anyways, reaching over with his other arm to pat her head. At least, pat her head as much as he could considering he was still laying in her lap.
"But hey." A smile tugged at his lips. "I know that for my next birthday, I just want to be here with you again, Tomo-chan."
He was not expecting something wet to fall into his hair.
"Tomo?" Kei already sounded alert as soon as Obito blinked his eyes open and Tomo-chan was shaking her head.
"I-I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay," she squeaked, her free hand covering her eyes as her shoulders shook. "I-I just, I just," there was a little hitch in her voice that otherwise wasn't there before. "I wasn't expecting that." Tomo-chan then pulled her hand away, revealing warm blue eyes rimmed with a little red. "Y-You really mean that, Obi?"
Oh.
He immediately sat up on the couch, ignoring any urge to sleep to instead wrap an arm around her in a hug. There was no mistaking the shock, the unspoken hurt in those blue eyes. A friend needed comfort, now. "Of course I do!"
Kei had joined into the hug too with an arm around them both, book left back on the couch cushions. "We all know about Obito's Chronic Hero Syndrome, Tomo," she said soothingly, reaching up to pat Tomo-chan's hair. "But you don't have anything to worry about. I'll keep him in line."
"Oi. I'm not chopped liver, Kei!"
Kei stuck her tongue out at him over Tomo-chan's head.
Tomo-chan meanwhile glanced between the both of them before letting out a small, teary laugh. "I-I hope so. I really really hope so." Her arms wound around them both as she smiled. "I'd like to be with everyone forever too."
Kei didn't say anything after that, merely opting to gently bonk the crown of Tomo-chan's hair with her chin.
Obito hugged Tomo-chan harder after that instead, asking the question to drive off the small bit of desperation leaking into his voice. "Do you still want to finish the ear cleaning, Tomo-chan? Just to distract you?"
"I-I'd like that." There was a pause. "There's no luck in me asking if you two could forget that I was about to cry, huh?"
"Nope."
Kei bonked Tomo-chan's head with her chin again. "Nada. Deal with it."
Tomo-chan laughed, sounding a bit more like her happy sparkly self again. "Dorks."
Obito held back a sigh. "We're your dorks, Tomo-chan. We'll always be."
That was how it was going to be. That's how it's supposed to be. Obito wanted it to stay that way.
Nothing pained him more than to see one of his precious people close to crying on his birthday.
Never again.
The war had to end sooner or later. Else he'd throw hands.