Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I'm only borrowing its beloved characters for a moment.
Good Hands
He could say it. Right now, he thinks amidst all the turmoil, right now, because there isn't any other time.
She's holding his hand, still holding onto it; he knows—can feel it—that she has no intent to let go of it. Her hand is warm, caring, and loyal to him. He barely hears himself hurrying them out, encouraging them to leave. Safety is what he wants for them.
"Obito," she utters, her voice choked, filled with tears that he knows won't be showing on her face. She's told him once that she doesn't like crying, that she could be doing other things with her time, like saving precious lives. He remembers admiring her from that moment on.
Say it, now, sears through his head. He has to force the words down like unwanted bile. He can't, not when he's going to die. Not when he'll never hear her say it back.
"It's alright," he lies. "Go on, Rin!"
She says nothing, doesn't move an inch, and—damn it—he doesn't want her to die with him. Kakashi's pleas grow desperate, and Obito can tell that they don't have a single second to waste.
"Rin! Hurry! Grab on!"
"Rin." He's never fathomed that it would be this hard to leave her, to make her leave him. Finally, she shifts. He feels a tear fall on the flat of his hand. He realizes what that must mean. There is heartbreak on her face.
Boulders and gravel grind nightmarishly together. But he hears her through the roar of the rock-slide.
"Obito!"
The suffocating weight threatens to end him. I couldn't say it. I really care about you, Rin. I wanted us to be together, even if it was just for a little while longer.
It's silent, lonely, and this is not how he wanted to die—but he's left her in good hands. That's enough.
fin.
A/N: I was listening to For Blue Skies by Strays Don't Sleep, and it reminded me of a scrap I had in my computer. It's heartbreaking song, but I think you have to be in the right mood to listen to it. I went back to read the Kakashi Gaiden Arc, and the above scene seriously had me dripping snot and whatnot. Obito loved that girl.
Thank you for reading. Comments/critique welcomed.