status ongoing
prompt greatly inspired by Sanzo-Sinclaire's Naruto fanart on deviantart
background ten years after the Kannabi Bridge mission, AU from that
notice I had a huge stupid smile on my face while I was writing this chapter. Obito's bouts of panic are my absolute favorite thing to write. And I love writing Kakashi this way — not giving a fuck about anything. I figured that, if all those gruesome things hadn't happened to him, he would have grown up to an adult version of sassy baby Kakashi, only a bit better, considering the influence of Obito. Someone pointed that Anko and Kakashi are probably exaggerating their encounters in order to make Obito move out. Well, I'm not going to deny that. Stay tuned for more!

CHAPTER THREE

Obito strolled aimlessly around Konoha for two hours before finally ending up at the dango shop, to find Kakashi enjoying his morning coffee and reading Icha Icha sans Anko.

"I thought you were asleep," Kakashi said when Obito sat down across from him, looking even more disheveled than he had been a few hours earlier.

"I didn't sleep at all," Obito said, signaling for a coffee himself. "Not your fault, for the first time."

Kakashi shrugged and turned a page in his book. "Something on your mind?"

Obito stared at him. He had known Kakashi for the better part of his life, yet the way the other man's brain worked was still a mystery to him. Was he oblivious to the way his and his girlfriend's actions were affecting Obito? Or did he just not care? Obito could understand the latter, partially. Kakashi had always been an asshole, it was in his genes, but he was never completely inconsiderate. And in all those years of living and working together, Obito liked to think that they had formed a strong bond between them, one that neither would take lightly.

This thought brought him to another one that had been plaguing his mind ever since he had left the Hokage's office that morning. What if Kakashi didn't understand how suffocated Obito felt? What if he just thought it was normal for him and Anko to do all the things they did, disregarding his comfort? And if that was true, how could Obito tell him that he was moving out? Kakashi was an asshole, yes, but he was still his best friend, and if the past six years had been any indication, the Hatake prodigy had a heart. Which meant that it could break. And the last thing Obito wanted was to break his friend's heart.

On the other hand, he couldn't keep living there. He just couldn't. It was a matter of preserving his sanity. Which he had come terribly close to losing in the past couple of months, courtesy of Anko. And besides, it wasn't like he would be asking Kakashi to break up with her, thus ending their colorful romance, right? He wouldn't be taking Kakashi's happiness away. And, to be honest, if one of them had to go, it would be better if Obito did. Dealing with a broken-hearted Kakashi wasn't on his list of things he ever wanted to do. They would still be working together, after all, and it wasn't like he was abandoning Kakashi, right? He just had to consider his own wellbeing, which was currently taking a colossal beating.

"Obito?" Kakashi called out when three minutes had passed and he was still lost in thought.

Obito jumped slightly at the intrusion and noted that there was a steaming cup coffee in front of him. And Kakashi was looking at him over his book, eyes glazed over with boredom.

"I'm moving out," he blurted out. Like ripping a band-aid.

All he got was a raised eyebrow in response.

"I'm moving in with Rin," Obito added as neutrally as he could.

Kakashi watched him for a moment — which seemed like an eternity to Obito — before looking back to his book. "Any particular reason?"

"Nope."

"Alright," Kakashi said and Obito erupted.

"Alright?! I'm telling you that I'm moving out from our place and all you have to say is alright?! You don't care why?"

If it was possible, Kakashi looked even more bored than he had before. "What's the point in asking if you don't want to tell me?"

"I don't—ugh!" Obito huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I forgot that you don't have any!"

"Uh-huh," Kakashi hummed. "So what is it? Anko?"

"What? How did you—" Obito scowled. "Son of a bitch, you knew."

"I would have to be blind to not see that she is driving you to your limits, Obito."

"Then why don't you stop her?" he exclaimed furiously.

Kakashi gave him an incredulous look. "What makes you think I can?"

"Oh, God," Obito face palmed. "She has you so whipped, man."

Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly, which vexed Obito even more.

"So you don't care that she's making me move out."

"I figured it would happen sooner or later. It was simply a matter of who would break first. And it's not like I can move out of my family's house."

"Bastard, I paid for that house, too!"

"And I promise to foot your rent for as long as it takes for me to repay you," Kakashi said seriously, and Obito fell silent, staring numbly at his coffee.

Kakashi tilted his head to the side, an almost amused smile playing on his lips. "Don't tell me you were expecting us to grow old together?"

"Of course not!" Obito flushed and snatched his coffee, gulping almost half of it in one go and then coughing when it burned his mouth. Kakashi wordlessly signaled the waitress for some cold water.

"Then what?" he asked when Obito looked like he could use his tongue again.

"I just... I thought you valued the Bro Code a bit more than that," he said and Kakashi sighed at the dramatic tone in his voice. "I thought you would at least consider taming her before ditching me."

"I tried, trust me. But we both know how Anko is," Kakashi offered casually. "And, frankly, I don't really want to change her."

Obito sported an expression between a hurt puppy pout and a disapproving frown. "So that's it. Six years down the drain—just like that. For a girl."

"I love her," Kakashi said simply.

"Don't say that!"

"It's true."

Obito looked even more embarrassed, if that was possible. "I know it's true, you asshole! It's just... you're not supposed to use that against me!"

"We could still live together," Kakashi proposed with a shrug.

"No," Obito growled. "Absolutely not."

"Then I'll see you at work."

"Fucking shit—okay, alright! Just let me have my damn coffee in peace."

Rin was finishing making dinner when she heard a knock on her door. Taking the brewing pot off the stove, she wiped her hands in a towel and made for the door. She was greeted by a very disheveled Obito standing on the other side.

"Hey," Obito greeted sheepishly.

"Hey," Rin smiled and rested her cheek against the door. "What's up?"

"I…" He licked his lips and straightened his back. "I'm sorry for the radio silence."

Rin laughed. "Obito, I saw you last night."

"Really? Jeez, it seemed so much longer."

"Did it?" she teased.

"Yeah," he said with a blush.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked, gesturing to the interior of her apartment. "I just finished making dinner. There's plenty for you, too."

"I do, but I can't."

Rin looked at him in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because I want to tell you something."

"And this is the best place to do it?" she gestured at the hallway.

"Yes."

Rin shook her head. After all these years, she had gotten used to Obito's antics and knew better than to question them. "Be my guest, then."

Obito took a deep, deep breath.

"I want to move in with you."

"Well, that's good," she said with a smile but Obito held up a hand to silence her.

"Don't interrupt me, Rin, please," he said with a small voice, and she nodded dumbly in consent.

"I want to move in with you because you're my best friend and the greatest person I know. And I know that you're doing this because you would never leave a friend in need, but I need you to know that you don't have to. I'm…"

Obito huffed, his shoulders slumping a bit and Rin thought he looked more like his ten-year old genin self than the grown-up ANBU that he actually was.

"I'm not the easiest person to live with, I know that. And I don't want you to feel like I'm imposing on you. If you think this isn't going to work, even for the smallest reason, then you've got to tell me. You don't have to worry about me. Yes, Anko and Kakashi drive me crazy, but I can handle it — kinda. But I wouldn't stand knowing that I would be doing the same to you."

They regarded each other in silence for a moment, with Rin not being quite sure whether he had anything else to say on the matter and if it was alright to voice her own opinion just yet. However, Obito must have interpreted her silence otherwise, because soon enough he was rambling again.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Rin! I'm totally overstepping, aren't I? You were just being nice yesterday and of course I didn't realize that and took it seriously! I'm so, so sorry! Look, I'll just go, okay? Just forget I ever said anything, alright? I'll see you tomorrow or never or—"

"Obito," she cut him off, her hand grasping his sleeve to prevent him from bolting. "I was being serious."

"Oh," he said quietly, his dark eyes wide and shocked.

A genuine smile appeared on her lips. "And you don't need to give me a line of reasoning. You just have to say that you want to."

"I want to," Obito hurried to add.

Rin let go of his hand and pulled the door open all the way. "Then welcome home, roommate."

Obito stepped cautiously inside the apartment, hands stuffed in his pockets awkwardly as Rin led him to the kitchen. His eyes scanned the place curiously. The living room and kitchen were adjacent and it looked way homier than his and Kakashi's place. You could definitely tell that a woman was living there on a regular basis.

There was a sense of order in the place that didn't have anything to do with Kakashi's clinical order and years of being an ANBU operative. It was warm and cozy and everything he had ever associated Rin with. Obito wondered anxiously if there was any room for his chaotic disorganization here. It certainly used to drive Kakashi nuts, and he didn't want to do the same to Rin—ever.

"Sit down," Rin told him, pouring soup in two bowls. "It's tomato rice soup. I hope you like it."

He took a seat wordlessly and stared at the bowl she placed before him. He would have eaten shit if she had served it to him and he would have been thankful all the way.

"Rin, are you really sure—"

"Shut up and eat, Obito."

He didn't know if that was her own killing intent he was feeling or if she was somehow channeling Kushina's, but he figured he didn't want to find out anyway.