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When Obito was younger he would read stories upon stories about happy families that would take any chance they could to gather around their cozy fireplace. When he was very young, he thought, in the logic of a lonely child, that maybe he didn’t have a happy family because he didn’t have a warm, comforting fireplace to gather around with cups of hot chocolate and cookies on Christmas.
Obito's parents died before he was ever old enough to say his first words, before he could choose whether to say mommy or daddy first. Although, he probably would’ve been the type of child to choose a curse word as his first, he thinks to himself as he sips his warm milk.
Instead Obito spent his formative years hopping between the spare rooms of distant relatives, with kids of their own to focus on and not enough love for any strays in their carefully crafted miniature doll houses with light blue walls and couches that weren’t for relaxing on. That was okay though, because as a child with only so many belongings and no obligatory adoption papers, he was as permanent as a Halloween decoration.
Now, as an adult, Obito stares into the crackling flames of a fireplace, and wonders how many minutes of watching the flames lick the air would be enough to solder his body into something that resembles the whole it once was.
The warmth soothes the scar tissue marring the right side of his body, slips into the dips on his face and cradles the ache in his bones that he never quite realized was there.
He always knew Tobirama ran cold. He was a man who could shock you with the cold press of his hands even after they’ve just come from a sauna, a man who starts wearing coats and jackets as soon as September air starts to shift the colors of the leaves. Yet, in the months of quiet embraces in alleyways and breathless kisses against Obitos door it took for him to finally end up in Tobirama’s home for the first time, he didn’t expect the grand stone fireplace, gray and decorated with photos, framed with two deep, royal blue wing chairs to greet him.
He didn't get a good chance to look at it in Tobirama's haste to sweep him off his feet and lead him to the bedroom, but now, when he’s tossed and turned in Tobirama's arms all night and finally managed to slip away from a bed more comfortable than he’s used to, he can admire. He can sit on the floor with the flames the only light and trace the curved waves in the carefully carved stone with his eyes, the mermaid carefully adorning the center atop what Obito can now recognize as the senju family crest.
That’s how Tobirama finds him, huddled in one of the shirts he stole from the bedroom, socks back on his feets, and some wrinkled underwear.
Obito doesn’t flinch anymore when Tobirama touches him, and can only sigh when strong arms wrap around his waist and a pointy chin settles but doesn’t fully rest on his right shoulder. A huff against his ear, and a gentle kiss are enough to wash away any momentary woes and Obito suddenly can’t rationalize why he left the bed.
“The bed got cold”
Obito snorts softly, taking another sip of milk and looking at Tobirama from the side of his eye. “You missed your personal heater?”
“No, I missed you, and this”
Before Obito can choke on the bluntness of Tobirama’s care, he’s pulled back into Tobirama's lap. It’s only once it feels like his back is going to melt into Tobirama's chest does he seem satisfied and locks his hands in front of Obito's waist.
“Is this floor more comfortable than the bed?”
Obito glances up, and only catches a glimpse of Tobirama's messy silver hair. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen an actual fireplace” Obito whispers instead, private, in an empty room.
Tobirama seems to understand, at least generally, and Obito is grateful for it.
They sit in silence for a little while, soaking up the heat and finally allow themselves to breathe from the adrenaline of the day. It was two years ago that Obito had tentatively approached him, with only the knowledge that Tobirama was a detective of some sorts. That was all he really needed, it was a step in the right direction.
Two slow, agonizing years of attempting to catch the man that made sure Obito would never have a stable well-being in his life and a year of careful touches and whispered words that became too real if they were expressed too openly. They both knew Obito had been playing with death and well, Obito just wanted to avoid giving Tobirama any heartache.
“You’re thinking too much” broke him of his thoughts, he relaxed against Tobirama's chest again.
“I think you can forgive me, there’s a lot to think about” his hand traces down tobirama's arm, fingertips grazing through silvery white arm hair. “We talked about this day a lot”
Tobirama made a noncommittal hum as he grabbed obitos hand and squeezed it tight. Obito closed his eyes to maybe ignore the way his heart thumped in his chest. “Yes, but thinking should stay with the reasonable hours of the day”
“I didn’t know you liked to rhyme-“
“Shhh” Obito felt firm kisses on the side of his head and decided he wasn't satisfied not looking at Tobirama. He put aside his cup and bullied the arms loose enough for him to turn around and wrap his arms around Tobirama's neck.
He looks ethereal in this light, like some sort of angel. The light flickers off his face and makes his white eyelashes sparkle, his red eyes don’t look so jarring anymore, just warm, and gentle. Tobirama kisses him before he can look anymore.
When they pull away, Tobirama rests his forehead against Obitos “I like you better when you’re only thinking of me”
He huffs out a laugh at that and gently tugs on Tobirama's ear “I was thinking of you”
“I like you best when the only thing you can think of is my name” and with that Tobirama was suddenly pushing Obito down to the floor, his back gently resting on the warm carpet and Tobirama looking down at him with a lazy, soft smirk.
“Pervert” he laughed, tracing his hands up Tobirama's arms and down his sides.
Tobirama leans down to pepper his cheek down to his jaw and neck with kisses, mumbling words that Obito is too lazy to make out before he pushes against tobirama to flip them, straddling Tobirama for a moment before he leans down to rest his head on the man’s chest.
They lay like that for a while, obito gripping onto tobirama's shirt and starting to feel the sleepiness of the hour grab him again.
“Now that… we don’t have to see each other anymore, do you think you’ll keep me?”
Obito shifts his head to look up at Tobirama's face, who looks quite relaxed himself
White eyelashes flutter open to look at him with warmth and the steady hand caressing his back wash away the ability to think about anything else.
“You’ll have to get rid of me first…”
Obito smiles softly, and from above Tobirama's head he gives the fireplace one last glance before he settles in the fall asleep cuddled up to Tobirama.
He should have plenty more time in the future to appreciate it.