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Chapter 10: Removing Layers
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Obito knew what was waiting for him as he flicked on the light. He dropped his gear to the floor, eyeing his bed, its sheets still mangled from the last time he slept in it. He was tired but he knew what was going to happen when he closed his eyes. His ghosts would emerge from that wardrobe, his abandoned feelings like a creature lurking underneath the bed.
He didn't feel like going outside. Winter has settled in Ame and that meant frozen rains. A humid winter that makes your bones ache. An uncompromising chill that set deeply into the already cold Akatsuki headquarters.
It's supposed to be better than the forest floor, which is how he had slept the past several nights while traveling with Zetsu, too alert to allow room for anything else. But loneliness was Obito's long-time frenemy and he didn't want to spend time with it tonight.
Loathing the idea of going to sleep, Obito showered the mission off of him. Perhaps that will calm him enough. Though as he stepped out afterward, he felt even more restless.
Obito dressed and decided to try his luck in another part of the tower, two floors above him in the eastern wing. There was one place in this forsaken country that he slept well in.
Konan's quarters.
He wondered if she would be there. Most likely, she was a creature of habit, and she liked to keep herself in her room, bask in its afforded privacy. He wondered if Nagato knew he was making trips to the kunoichi's room. He had too, his eyes were everywhere. But Obito doubted he would ever bring it up to him. He had to admit, he was pleased with the idea of Pein seeing him sneak into his beloved friend's room.
As he arrived at her door, it occurred to him that perhaps it was a terrible idea. A beat of fear skipped in his heart as his pact with Madara Uchiha blared like a siren in his mind. Doing this would erode their pact, their code of honor. Another bond that could distract him from his end goal.
What would Rin do if I showed up at her door?
She would let me in, surely.
His knuckles gently gazed her door, the pressure of indecision weighing down on him. He then extinguished those thoughts. It was one night, he reminded himself. He was just going to sleep on her couch. The old man was dead knowing his lackey was still the utmost loyal to him. There was no contest in that. And, as far as Obito was concerned, the ancient geezer used to have plenty of girlfriends. So he understood the need for human connection to some capacity. Fucking hypocrite.
Obito bit the bullet and gently knocked at her door. Anxiety wracked him as he waited, what if she wouldn't let him in? It was probably for the best, he decided. After some shuffling the door opened a crack, revealing Konan's partial silhouette. "Yes?" She asked.
"Can I come in?" He asked pointedly.
To his secret delight, she opened the door and he entered her familiar expansive loft.
"Since you were polite enough to ask, you may, My Lord." She said lightly.
It was like he crossed a threshold into his secret place. He inhaled her familiar floral scent, keenly observing and remembering all of her plants and artful curiosities that lined minimal shelves. For winter, she had set up buzzing electric heaters that sat near her seating area and bed on the far side. He felt equally pleased and envious of the luxury. By her couch she had clusters of candles alit, with scrolls and books laid out with an accompanying cup of tea. How quaint. She had been reading. He squinted at the text. It looked old, he could make out illustrations of plants.
"What can I do for you?" She asked. He couldn't help but notice Konan was wearing a tight, high necked sweater and leggings, hair pulled into a loose braid, looking comfortable in the warmth of her space. And hot.
"Does your offer still hold?" He asked.
"What offer?" She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, looking confused.
"That I can come here when sleep troubles me." He replied.
She looked surprised. "Oh, uh, of course."
They stood in awkward silence. Obito admonished himself for his foolish decision to show up. Finally, "I…ah…was doing some reading before bed, is that alright?"
"Please continue." He sat down, trying to look as relaxed as possible.
She went over to a cabinet along the wall, retrieving another teacup. Konan gracefully took her seat on the couch and poured some tea from the pot. She slid it over to him. "Have some, I find a tea before bed can ease a troubled mind."
Wordlessly, he took the tea, nodding in thanks. He shifted his mask just so. She leaned back, ignoring him as she returned to her book, sipping her tea. He watched from the corner of his eye. Konan set her book in her lap to stretch with one arm behind her head, her back arching. His sight zoomed in on where her sweater rode up revealing a delicious sliver of her midriff.
He came to her room to feel better, but now he felt uneasy in more ways than one. Ever since the kiss, he had battled with his undeniable attraction to her. So far, the attraction was winning.
"Your mission went well?" She quietly interrupted his heated line of thought.
"If you read the report you'd know."
Her eyes flicked up from her text, amber darkening. "It's called small talk, Uchiha, you should try it sometime."
He frowned. He was answering her question, no?
"Try again, with more detail."
Oh, he had said that aloud and not even realized. He sat back, observing her. "It was cold. But we did what we needed to do."
"What was that exactly?" She asked.
"You know we went to secure artillery as I detailed."
"In Fire Country?" Her brow quirked. "I know the report filing was a cover-up for whatever it is you and Zetsu do."
He tilted his head. "You caught me. I do many things for Madara. But you know the pact I have with him."
"Right. Secrets and all." She smirked. She then leaned forward. He couldn't help admire the way her sweater outlined her feminine form. "Do you do anything on your own accord? Or has every step been planned by Madara?"
"Obviously he can't control everything," Obito said, growing uncomfortable with the probing questions. "He trusts me to make the best decisions."
"Did he choose the Akatsuki then or was that your decision?"
Now they were in dangerous territory. "Konan." He said in warning.
She looked at him innocently. "What? I just want to learn more about why you only seem to live for Madara Uchiha."
"I told you. He saved my life." Obito said seriously, wringing his hands. "I owe him everything."
She studied him. "But he controls everything you do."
He shrugged. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"What if something happens that threatens his plans? What if you don't want in anymore?"
"Our pact can't be broken." Obito said vaguely, wishing the subject was changed. "If something threatens it, I eliminate it."
Her eyebrows creased. She wasn't pleased with the answer.
"My needs don't matter when the world can become a place of peace for everybody." He said. "Why suffer in this life when we can strive for a new one?"
Her eyes swept downwards as if she was deep in thought. Then she said, "You are right, I suppose. I hope you don't waste your current life on all of Madara's whims."
"Of course I don't." He snorted. "I follow his plans. That's all. There isn't much more to talk about."
"I just want you to know, I see you for who you are." She whispered, focused on the oculus of his mask. "You can be Obito around me."
He looked away, knowing he couldn't answer her the way he wanted to. Little did she know that boy in orange was long locked away within him. He glanced up at her once more, at her smoldering gaze, making his core warm. He wasn't used to someone being so…attentive to him.
The tense moment held until Konan stood up. "Let me get you some pillows and blankets. I think we should both get some sleep now."
…..
He's still here. In my room.She did her best pretending he wasn't there for a bit. That it was like any other morning in her room, waking up….alone.
Though she wasn't. She had been hoping he'd vanish in the morning like last time, but this time he was still sleeping on her couch. She finally sat up, unable to pretend any longer, peeking across the room, seeing his form sprawled out, quietly sleeping. At least he didn't snore.
It occurred to her, perhaps, he was more exhausted than she thought. He did just go on a fourteen-day mission, no doubt traveling in cold conditions. She had a feeling the man did not get nearly enough sleep.
Carefully, she slid out of bed, going to her armoire to get her clothes for the day, turning to look over her shoulder to see if she awakened him. It was almost astounding that her leader let himself fall into a defenseless deep sleep. She supposed she should feel good that he grew comfortable enough around her to let his guard down. She had been anxious that he'd backtrack from the night of the rain festival and avoid her after awkwardly holding her hand.
The night before she had hoped she was able to reach him, at least a little bit. As she suspected, he quickly shut down any talk of Madara and his insane devotion to the dead man. But Konan knew better not to cross those forbidden lines, especially if she didn't want to scare him away.
When she emerged from the bathroom he was still sleeping. She scoffed. They had a meeting with Kakuzu in half an hour. She knew he'd be irritated if he missed it. Kakuzu would be even more irritated. Eager to wake him, she approached him gingerly.
Of course, the man kept his mask on. She couldn't even imagine how uncomfortable it was to always wear that thing. Then again, he had worn masks since she was a teen, he was probably used to the disguise. She kneeled next to the couch and prodded his shoulder.
"Obito." She whispered in his ear. "Obito, it's morning. We have a meeting soon."
He stirred a bit. But she couldn't tell if his eyes opened. She grinned, enjoying seeing him so….un-Tobi like… "Good morning Obito."
She heard him sharply intake breath and then his head turned. She could somewhat see the shadow of his eye.
She looked at him curiously, wondering if he was disoriented from being awakened, semi-fearful he would grow angry for being disturbed.
Her breath hitched as he lifted his hand to her face. He had taken off his gloves at some point, she realized. His calloused fingers of his hand lightly grazed her cheek, trailing downwards along her jawline. His hand was incredibly warm. She remained still, allowing him to touch her face, feeling her ears grow warm.
"Thank you for waking me Konan."
…..
It was three days later.
Konan couldn't believe it but Obito Uchiha had returned for the third night to sleep in her room. Three nights.
Three!
At first, when he showed up on the late wintery evening she thought he had wanted to discuss something in private; her room was one of the only places Nagato's all-seeing eyes looked away from. That or he had something to say about whatever was going on between them. But he didn't have anything to say. She then had an underlying suspicion of him, that he might be directly spying on her, but by the third night, she decided he was just there for a good night's rest.
When he'd join her in the evening, it was as if he enjoyed watching her too-wether she was folding or writing. She secretly enjoyed it, simmering in their quiet tension, indulging herself in her curiosities about her leader's sudden proximities.
So far, he still kept his distance. They spoke little before they retired for the night, usually Konan asking polite questions while they shared tea, his answers short. He kept his mask on the entire time and slept soundly on her couch. It must've been way better than his sparse room because he kept coming back. She wondered if he had slept that deeply in years. It was almost concerning.
And then came the fourth night, where she was convinced he wouldn't come. She didn't want to get her hopes up otherwise, nor did she want to admit she looked forward to seeing him. He had a mountain of paperwork to do with Pein-and it was far later than when he usually showed up. So she decided to face reality and retire for the night.
She had just snuffed her candles when he suddenly teleported inside her room.
"Obito!" She greeted him, trying to not look so elated that His Darkness decided to show up.
"I can leave." He said, noticing her nightly ritual.
She shook her head and smiled, relieved to not have put the linens away. "I'm sure you're tired, I left out your blanket and pillows."
He dipped his head in a silent thanks.
Perhaps it was all of her secret pining the past few nights that made Konan want to test her limits. Konan turned away from him and made a move to boldly shed her sweater, knowing he would watch. She knew taking off a sweater wasn't the sexiest move a woman could do in front of a man, if anything, it was something most people would not blink at. Consciously taking off her layers felt very intimate, especially when she tended to always wear her cloak around Akatsuki men. She felt impulsive- her nerves vibrating from excitement and a trace of fear.
She heard him clear his throat. She paused, looking over her shoulder to see a tall black shadow move against the window, the dim light catching his spiraled mask.
"Do you need something?" She asked, pausing from lifting the hem of her sweater.
"No." He said, stilling. "Continue."
Her eyes softened, heartbeat quickening as he just continued to look at her, his gaze not visible from the shadowy oculus of his disguise, keeping his safe distance. He wanted this again.
She was mystified that he was attracted to her… Why, when he claimed he would not be distracted by anything? Perhaps to feel something other than pain, she surmised. Then again, his reasons might not be all that different from hers.
She shed her layer, feeling his eyes boring through his mask.
Konan patiently folded her sweater, setting it on a chair. She took her time, feeling her body warm with her secret, loathing desire. She was glad it was not paper she was folding, it would give away to the tremor in her hands.
This followed by peeling off her shirt, conscious that she wanted to make her movements as graceful and calm as possible. The sensation of cold air pebbled her skin. She now just wore her bra, though it wasn't much to ogle at, it was more of a casual bralette that she slept in than some lacy undergarment. Still, she felt the simmering heat between them. She folded her shirt with care and heard a soft swoosh. Without moving she felt his presence behind her.
They stood still for a few moments, listened to their breaths, and the downfall of frozen rain pattering against the windows. She wondered if he could see her erratic heartbeat with his red eyes, the only clue that could give away her stony facade.
Then his knuckles grazed the small of her back ever so slightly, sending shivers up her spine.
That was when she turned to look over her shoulder at him, flashing him a warning look.
"I've got no buttons there."
"I can see that."
"If you want to revel in my vulnerability then I will see you vulnerable as well." She said playfully, tapping his mask gently for emphasis.
With glee, she watched him hesitate. While pretending to be Madara, he had mastered cool composure but she was still not all that sure what Obito was like underneath it all. The silly, bashful nature of Tobi had to come from somewhere. She thought of the time when she was around 18 or 19 when he had given her wilted bouquet in front of Akatsuki members for comedic effect. She had been so mad at him. She always thought he was just mocking her for being the only lady nin in the Akatsuki, but now she was not so sure. She wished she could tell what he was faking and what he wasn't.
"I'd prefer to keep it on." He muttered, his voice low.
If only she could see his expression! She had only seen his face partially at different times, and she didn't have enough puzzle pieces to put it together.
"I don't like that mask." She said. "I'd prefer to look at what's under it."
"But what if I'm not handsome enough for you?" He asked, shifting his mask, meeting her toe-to-toe in flirtatious banter. She could feel his breath hot on her neck.
"I can easily warn the others that you like to show up in rooms announced. Especially mine."
"Cruel." She could hear the smile in his voice. Chills went through her like crashing ocean waves as his finger lightly slid up her spine. "I knock sometimes."
"Then perhaps I should be crueler and put my clothes back on."
She smirked as his hand went hastily to her waist, pausing her. She then gave him a steely glare.
"Very well." He muttered at last.
"What?" Had she heard him right?
"You can."
She gawked. Konan felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Perhaps her breathlessness was akin to a symphony's crescendo. Over ten years, she had worked with this man. Ten years she had never seen his face.
"Seriously?" This time she was too flustered and eager to hide her expression.
"Yes."
He stepped in front of her, his hands reaching towards the orange spiral offense.
She held her breath, her heartbeat pounding in her ears, a cold clammy feel taking hold of her palms. Her thoughts ran through her mind like arrows, unable to focus on anything except his face. This was too good to be true.
His hands rested on his mask and he continued to face her. Her eyes glued to his fingers, which remained still on the edge.
"Just kidding!" He suddenly sang in a Tobi-like way, vanishing before her eyes.
She was so shocked for a second she didn't realize he merely used substitution jutsu to reappear next to her couch.
Konan turned around to see his stupid orange face and let out an exasperated laugh.
"I can't stand you!" She exclaimed at him, although in good humor, stomping over to the couch. She shook her head to herself, smiling. She had been fully convinced he was going to do it like some idiot. More amusingly, he had easily deflected her with a silly Tobi-inspired move that she should have seen coming.
She sat down on the couch. "Forget we said anything." She said, wrapping a blanket around her bare shoulders. "Clearly, you aren't serious."
He chuckled nervously at that, which was even more surprising.
"Well, about that."
He kneeled on the ground to be at her eye level, looking at her expectedly.
Her gilded eyes widened. He was closer than ever. She could smell the fire on his jacket, feel the intensity burn from his body. She was so close she could see a faint outline of his eye through the hole of his mask. He wasn't laughing anymore.
Her whole body turned hot. The shadow leader of the Akatsuki got on his knees for her.
"You can do the honors." He said, motioning to his mask.
"You aren't joking?" She asked, raising a brow. "You aren't going to prank me again?
"Not this time, I promise."
She gently gripped the bottom of his guise. "Are you sure?" She whispered.
"You should be asking yourself that." He said huskily.
She didn't heed his warning. She had wondered for so long. Spent nights dreaming about what he could look like. At last, she will be able to read the hidden story across his face.
Feeling delirious, on the brink of being overwhelmed, she moved his mask off of his head in one fell swoop.
She tossed his so-called identity to the floor. And with it, years of their cold, impersonal relationship.
…..
Author's Note:Sorry for the juicy cliffhanger ;) Couldn't help myself, it felt right to end it right there.
Thanks again for all the kind reviews, I love reading all of them! This fic is a fun hobby and stress-relief for me as we navigate these unsettling times, so I'm glad y'all have been enjoying some obikonan escapism as much as me!
Until next time! -LL
