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In all honesty, he didn’t expect anything to happen for his birthday this year.
After all, it has only been a few months since he was taken in by Madara and so far he felt like this distant relative tolerated him at best. It hasn’t been an easy adjustment for either of them since Obito lost his family in a terrible fire that was set while he was away at a friend’s house for the night.
Now here he was; miles from what used to be home and feeling lonelier than ever; the boy quietly walking up the driveway to the quiet house that his guardian owned. He isn’t surprised when he doesn’t see the lights on.
Maybe a small part of the now eight year old boy had hoped that maybe his guardian would at least put some effort in today. He knows the man works hard and wants to rest when he comes home from work. It had become routine that when Obito was dropped off from the bus he would try to be quiet so his guardian could rest.
Obito just wanted him to be ok..more than anything, he just wanted to not be a burden to the only person willing to take him in. Even if he could be a cranky man, he still did everything to make sure the boy was thriving, healthy and recovering from his loss.
He adjusted his backpack before he slowly opened the door and removed his shoes so as not to track dirt in the house; switching them out with his slippers that have little fire balls embroidered in them. He smiled a bit when he realized they were freshly washed.
With a quiet hum, the ravenette boy made his way through the foyer.
“I’m home…!” He called in quietly, not expecting an answer. However he did jump a little when he heard a pan crashing on the ground from the kitchen.
Obito blinked, his onyx eyes widening as he rushes towards said kitchen. He could he quiet cursing as he turned the corner—
“Obito, cover your eyes!” Madara hissed.
The boy stopped where he stood, not heeding the other’s words as he was just…too stunned to respond. He stared at the messy pots and pans in the sink, at the plates of his favorite foods put out on the table–pork katsu bowl, dango, gyoza, grilled eel–that smelled delicious, and the cake pans that were cooling on a rack. Looking past the food, he could make out the dark blue and orange balloons that were gathered to create an archway leading into the living room.
There were six candles on the table and two bowls; one with what he could see was whipped cream for icing and a bowl of chocolate morsels about to be melted down.
“...What’s..all this?” He was utterly stunned, so much that he didn’t process that this might all be for him for his sixth birthday.
Madara puts down his bowl with a sigh; his long black wild hair having a bandanna covering it while having some flowers on his cheek and wearing a dark red apron over a black shirt and pants. He looked around a moment before releasing a slow breath.
“I…wanted to surprise you with a small party…why are you home so early?”
Obito blinked at the question, “..Oji, it’s past three o clock, this is the time I usually come home.”
There’s a beat of silence before the man sighed and bowed his head. It worried the child for a split second before Madara looked back up with a small, tired smile.
“I lost track of time it seems…” he sighed, “I am sorry, Obito, I had hoped to surprise you…I invited some of your old friends to come over and celebrate from your old hometown. They should be arriving soon.”
His mouth drops open in shock when he hears this. Madara had planned a party? With his friends from his old home? For his birthday…?
The tears well in his eyes as his lip began wobbling a little; swallowing as he sniffed and tried to hold back his sniffles, “..You…you did all this…f-for me?”
Madara blinked before his eyes softened just a little in realization, “I did. You’ve been a good boy while living with me. I know I am not the most…warm of people to be around but I wanted to show you that while I may not always seem so, I do care about you very much. I just hope this party is to your liking.”
The poor kid couldn’t stop the tears that dripped down his face; hiccupping quietly as he looked at the man who had been raising him. Who, during the first two months living with him, got up almost every night when Obito’s nightmares were waking him constantly, who made sure to always keep their fridge stocked on dango since he found out it was the child’s favorite food, who has sat with him to watch the land before time movies even if they have seen them all already because it made Obito smile.
He rushes forwards and hugs him around the middle, his tears staining the apron as the man is frozen where he stands.
“...Thank you ... .thank you so much…Oji…” he sniffled and hiccupped more, “...I…I thought we’d just have…a quiet night or something…”
Obito hiccuped when a hand gently stroked his head and he heard the other hum, “Now why would I do that when you made it very clear you wanted to see your friends again? I even made sure to have everything decorated.”
He sniffled again before looking up at him. It may not be like how his past birthdays were when his parents and grandma were alive. Yet he was just happy that Madara put in the effort to make sure that after months of nightmares, readjusting and his life stabilizing to this new reality, he had a good birthday.
With another sniffle he wiped his eyes and smiled.
“Thank you so very very much, Oji.”