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Obito threads one lace over the other and pulls them tight. Then he makes a loop and a second knot before taking the deodorant can from his open sports bag and spraying his torso and armpits.
He coughs, his nose irritated after breathing in the cloud of particles floating around him.
Someone behind him laughs.
"Careful with that, hm."
Obito purses his lips as he puts his tank top on. So, a nosy one. Annoying. He glances back, but whoever the guy is, he's already disappeared behind the bathroom door. He glares at the closed door anyway at the same time his cell phone starts ringing. Surely it's Kakashi asking him if he was there yet.
Obito rummages through the mess in his bag, trying to find the phone before someone else judged him for having 'Haruka Kanata' as ringtone fifteen years after being relevant. Whatever, he likes the song and hasn't got plans to change it any time soon.
"What is it?" He says after pressing the green button and bringing the phone to his ear. "Why can't you send me a message like normal people?"
"I've sent you five and you haven't answered a single one. Are you here yet?"
Weary, Obito exhales.
"I'm here already, I just put my shoes on."
"Seriously? Because once you said that very same thing and you were still at home playing videogames."
"Well, this time it's true. Where are you right now?" Obito asks, the phone trapped between his ear and his shoulder as he pulls out the bottle of isotonic drink and closes the zipper.
"We were at the cable machines but we got hungry and went to have a quick snack. We'll be right back. Talk to you later or Gai is gonna think he actually has a chance to beat me."
Obito gets up and walks to his locker.
"Beat you? I thought you were having lunch,” he says and waits for an answer that never comes. "Hello?"
After checking the phone screen, he finds out Kakashi has hung up on him. He shakes his head as he places the bag inside the locker and closes it. Since they had gone out, Obito decides to take it easy. He pops an orange hard candy into his mouth and checks his social networks for five more minutes before going outside.
"Obito, over here!" Gai exclaims, his voice strained from physical exertion.
Obito sees them both on the squat machines, totally focused on the exercises.
"Weren't you eating?" He asks as he reaches their side.
"We were. We're done now, ” Kakashi replies.
"I won," Gai adds, full with pride.
"But just because I was phoning Obito, I won the race back here."
"And now your streak is over, my dear eternal rival!"
Gai increases the intensity of his training. His look determined, his face red, dripping sweat.
"Streak implies that I got lucky, and that is not the case."
Kakashi matches him in speed.
Obito is getting exhausted just by looking at them.
"I'll go to the treadmills."
The three of them always start with a cardio session. But as Obito usually arrives later than them, Kakashi and Gai are done with the cardio by the time he walks through the door.
As weird as it may sound, he kinda feels like a third wheel. He's more comfortable doing things on his own, even if that isn't the reason he's late.
A guy he's never seen before passes by. Obito's gaze follows his long blond hair, his neck turning against his will as the stranger walks away. His jaw drops and the candy falls from his mouth and shatters against the floor.
Obito comes back to reality. He closes his mouth and tries to kick the mess out of the way but he ends up with sticky candy shatters on his sneaker.
He tuts, but then he looks at the blond again and forgets about the problem. His eyes go from his hair to his back and from there to his perfect ass, marked under those tight sports trousers.
Obito takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. He feels suffocated again. The guy is now in front of the vending machine. He watches each one of his movements. Him putting the coin in the slot and pressing some buttons, him waiting as the protein shake falls and bending down to stick his hand into the flap. Obito is aware that if he keeps staring, the other would catch him red handed, but he brushes it off, convincing himself that the beautiful vision in front of him is worth the risk.
Or at least, that's what he thought before he turns his head and makes eye contact with him.
Obito's heart leaps in his chest. He spins around and walks away, bumping into someone behind him.
"Sorry!"
He walks quicker, not daring to look twice at the person he just crashed against. He better be as far away as possible.
"Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot. You're an idiot, Obito. The biggest idiot in the world," he stammers on his way to the cardio zone.
He leans against the treadmill panel, thinking about what is gonna be of him now. He'll have to keep seeing him every time he came to the gym, after he witnessed Obito making a fool of himself twice in a row.
Well, he could always change his schedule. He could convince Kakashi and Gai to come at a different time, that isn't a problem.
Although on the other hand... Something in the back of his mind itches to keep looking at the blond guy. He just has to be stealthier, problem solved. Feasting one's eyes on good-looking men isn't a crime.
Obito takes a quick look back but can't see him. He'll find him later, after warming up. Fanning himself with his hand to get rid of his blush, he turns the machine on and chooses a moderate setting. In front of the machines there's a large screen showing relaxing videos of forests, meadows and mountain trails with stunning views. Supposedly to give the impression that one was exercising there. Obito never managed to immerse himself in to that point, but at least the views are nice.
Right when he has finally managed to relax and take the blonde guy out of his thoughts, he sees him get on the treadmill next to his. Obito's breath stops again, he literally could touch him if he reached out. On one hand he wants to take a good look at him, memorize his features as much as he can, but if he gets caught staring again, he won't have any excuses left to avoid looking like he's too interested in him.
Obito focuses on the video in front of him. The camera is crossing an old stone bridge over a river. On the other side there's a valley, some green soft hills and a lonely little house on the top.
That's the house where he will run to lock himself in if one more embarrassing thing happens in front of the cute guy. He concentrates on staring at it to avoid the temptation to look at him.
But he fails. And discovers that the blond has been staring at him all this time.
And my god. That pair of piercing blue eyes are undressing his very soul.
Obito's body petrifies as a sudden heat takes him over. A second later he realizes he's about to fall off the running belt and starts moving again, unable to control his speed. He crashes against the treadmill panel and loses his balance. In a last attempt to save his pride, he tries to turn the treadmill off but instead, he presses the speed increase button.
Next, he feels an adrenaline rush as he stumbles forward, his forehead hits the panel with a loud thud and ends up on the floor.
"Ow!"
A sharp pain numbs his senses. Obito hears a laugh beside him. He rolls on himself and sits up, rubbing his forehead. He would have a nice bump in a while.
"Hey, are you alright?" The blond guy says, laughing, while he stops the machine.
His voice sounds familiar.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about me. This is nothing," Obito laughs with him. "My skull is harder than it looks."
"Seriously?"
The guy holds out his hand. Obito screams internally before taking it, hyper-aware of his touch and warmth. And of his own hand being sweaty. Damn. If his accident hasn't made him faint, that will. He pushes himself when he feels the guy's arm pulling. He stares at him, shameless, their hands still holding the other for a few seconds longer than necessary.
"Yeah. This isn't going to kill me, don't worry."
With a nervous laugh, Obito let go of his hand and moved it back to his forehead. A throbbing pain makes him wince.
"I'll be right back."
He leaves and Obito sits at a nearby wooden bench, thinking about the way he looked at him earlier. Is he making fun of him or is he really interested? He feels himself getting nervous again, while thinking of every possible reason. Then the guy comes back, theres a plastic bag with some ice cubes in his hand.
"Oh! You didn't have to do that. I'm fine, seriously."
"The first aider says you have to sit down for a while and use this on your forehead."
Obito takes the ice compress. The cold numbs the pain a bit. He should have kept playing the tough guy. He doesn't want the cute guy to think he's a softie.
"Meh, exaggerations. I've had it much worse," Obito says.
"That's good. Well, I'll carry on working out then. Be careful out there. If you react like this when someone looks at you, when they ask for your phone number you could pass out."
Obito has three heart attacks in a row as the guy walks away. He brings the ice bag to his face to lower the blush on his cheeks while he holds onto the bench with his free hand, because he feels as if he's really going to pass out despite the fact that no one has asked him for his phone number yet.
"W-wait! I think... I feel weird, maybe the first aider is right."
He turns around.
"That's a good idea. Sit for a while, hm.”
When he sees the cute blonde guy carrying on walking, Obito pouts. He can't just bugger off like that! This is his fault and he owes him at least a drink.
"Wait!" Obito insists, more anxious than before at the idea of missing his chance.
He stops again and looks back.
"What?"
"Aren't you gonna stay with me? I hit my head because of you, it's the least you can do."
"Ohh," the boy smiles, looking amused. "Like that, is it?"
"Yes," he deadpans.
"You didn't fall because of me," the guy says, sitting next to him again. "You fell because you're clumsy, just like when you bumped into someone before, or when you almost choked in your own cloud of deodorant, hm."
"It's you," Obito's eyes widen, understanding why his voice sounded familiar. "You're the one who made fun of me in the locker room!"
The boy looks at him with an expression of feigned innocence that doesn't go with him at all, but that doesn't make him less beautiful either.
"Yes I did. As an apology, I offer you my phone number."
As soon as he says it, Obito takes his phone from his back pocket.
"Apology accepted!" He exclaims. "I'll let you make fun of my ringtone too, if you want."
"Ready, hm?"
Obito types in number after number.
"And the name?"
"Deidara."
"Pleased to meet you, Deidara," he says, as he finishes writing his name and presses 'save'.
The new contact looks too good among the rest. Obito is excited, he still can't believe that a blow to the head has just helped him pick that sweetie pie up. He clicks on the contact to make a call. An old song starts sounding.
"That is..." Obito narrows his eyes, trying to remember. "That's 'Hero's come back'!"
"Correct, hm," Deidara moves to the rhythm of the song until he pressed the reject call button and the music stops. "So, what's your name then?"
"Obito."
"Pleased to meet you too, Obito."
His seductive glance leaves him breathless. Deidara called him and 'Haruka Kanata' sounds again.
"Mine is even older."
"It's a classic, stop feeling embarrassed, hm."
"I should change it but I got used to it."
"If you like it, you shouldn't change it. Wear it with pride!" He states before hanging up. "And? Do you feel better now?"
"I don't!" Obito forces himself to cough. "The truth is that I think I'm worse than before."
"Mh... And how are you feeling then?"
"A bit dizzy. And I feel something strange in my stomach. And I must have amnesia too because I forgot why I came here in the first place."
"Such strange symptoms," Deidara is playing along and that gives him the push of confidence he needed.
"Maybe it will go away to me if you come with me to have a drink."
Obito moves the cold ice compress to his mouth to hide his smile. And the urge to scream.
"If that's a good treatment, then of course, hm."
Deidara stands up a few seconds before him.
"Wait here, I need my wallet. I'll be back in a second."
Obito runs to the locker room and once in it he performs a brief and extravagant triumphant dance that luckily no one witnesses. His hands shake as he opens his locker and looks for the wallet in his sports bag. Then he leaves, looks for Deidara who was leaning on the reception desk and runs to meet him.
"I'll come back later!" He shouts towards Kakashi and Gai.
"Hey, where are you going?" Kakashi asks.
"And who are you with?" Gai adds.
But Obito is already crossing the door, too absorbed in his own happiness to think about answering.