Ghastly and Grave

[kasarin]

TITLE: Ghastly and Grave
AUTHOR: kasarin (kasarin/kasarin)
FANDOM: Naruto
RATING: General
CHARACTERS: Hoshigaki Kisame, Uchiha Obito
RELATIONSHIPS: Hoshigaki Kisame/Uchiha Obito
TAGS: AU - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Domestic, Halloween, Bad Puns
SUMMARY:

Truth be told, Kisame has never understood the appeal of Halloween. But he loves how much Obito loves the holiday—and when the weather ruins Obito's plans, Kisame is determined to save the night.

Ghastly and Grave

On the first day of October, Obito begins decorating the house for Halloween.

At least, Obito calls it "decorating." In Kisame's opinion, it's more akin to a complete transformation, concealing their real house so entirely that—after a few days—Kisame starts to forget the original appearance. Like a magician substituting one thing for another, Kisame blinks and finds himself transported elsewhere: a parallel universe where they have always had a jack-o'-lantern bedspread and a 'witches brew'-themed kitchen.

First, Obito attacks their house's interior, maintaining that it helps him get in the Halloween mood. Bedroom, kitchen, living room, bathroom—nothing is spared from the ghoulish decor. Then, Obito starts on the exterior, transfiguring their neat and tidy front yard into a cemetery, a toxic swamp, an eerie playhouse, or whatever theme grabs him that year.

Once, early in their marriage, Kisame asked if he could help with the decorations. Two hours into his attempt to help, Obito shooed him into the kitchen to make them hot apple cider, then flawlessly positioned the giant spiderweb that Kisame had been struggling to untangle. Since then, Kisame has taken on the role of baking pumpkin-themed cookies while Obito decorates. It's more enjoyable for both of them, really. Obito gets to let his creativity run wild, and Kisame gets to watch his husband attack one area after another, delighted by the manic glee that shines in Obito's eyes.

Truth be told, Kisame has never understood the appeal of Halloween. But he loves how much Obito loves the holiday, and he's happy to spend a month draped in orange and black for his husband's sake.

But one year, the weather is uncommonly nasty. Wind and rain whip through their neighborhood, drenching and tossing around Obito's outdoor decorations. Three times, Obito redecorates their whole yard; three times, storms roll through and destroy all his hard work. If it were up to Kisame, they would scale down the decorations or perhaps change the theme to "windswept." However, Obito is determined to have the decorations of his dreams, and Kisame is nothing if not supportive.

The fourth storm rolls in on Halloween itself, dumping rain all day. As the sun goes down, the weather only worsens. Wind rattles the windowpanes and howls over their chimney—altogether fitting weather for what is supposed to be a spooky night. But Kisame can't enjoy the ambiance. Not when Obito sits in a chair by the front door, peering out at the mess that was once his masterful decorations, waiting for trick-or-treaters that don't arrive.

When the sky goes black, and the weather still shows no signs of letting up, Kisame steps in.

"Darling," he starts, nudging aside a bowl of candy so he can crouch down beside Obito's chair. "Why don't you join me on the sofa?"

Obito looks over at him, his ghoulish face paint making him appear lost and forlorn. (Who knew that his "drowned ghost" costume would be so appropriate?) But he says nothing, making the sort of petulant expression that Kisame knows precedes a well of stubbornness.

"Please, dear?" Kisame reaches out, toying with one of the chains wrapped around Obito's neck. "It's so cold over there by myself… We could light a fire or watch a scary movie?"

"Trick-or-treaters would see the light from the television," Obito says. "It would clash with the theme."

Kisame tactfully declines to point out what they both know: there won't be any trick-or-treaters this year. Instead, he tips his head to the side, casting his husband a smile. "Well then, we could curl up and watch on my tablet. Wouldn't that be nice? We can leave the rest of the house dark, so there's only blackness beyond the tablet…" He walks two fingers up Obito's arm, his smile turning to a grin. "Wouldn't that be scary?"

A small smile makes its way to Obito's scarred lips. Raising an eyebrow, he asks, "Are you gonna laugh whenever a character dies?"

Kisame giggles. "Well, I can't help enjoying a little over-the-top bloodshed, can I? But I can try to hold back…"

"Don't do that." Obito leans down, cupping Kisame's cheek in his hand. "I love hearing you laugh."

Grinning, Kisame raises himself enough to capture his husband's lips, their softness a sharp contrast to Obito's grim attire. Then, with a mischievous giggle, he snags a few candies from the bowl—and then he scoops Obito up from the chair, rising to his feet with his husband cradled in his arms.

Obito lets out a quiet, delighted gasp. Then he wraps his arms around Kisame's neck, happily settling in. "You know," he starts, a little breathless, "I didn't actually agree."

"Oh? But you wouldn't leave me all alone on the sofa, would you, darling?"

Obito hums, pressing his cheek against Kisame's shoulder. "I guess that would be pretty ghastly of me."

Snorting a laugh, Kisame carries Obito toward the sofa. "Oh, yes. I'd even dare to call it a grave mistake."

"Your night would be butchered."

"Indeed. I may even resort to howls of anguish."

Obito grins up at him. "That was terrible."

"Well, you did start it, dear." Kisame deposits Obito gently onto the sofa, then retrieves his tablet and settles in as well. Placing the stolen candies in his lap, he wraps one arm around Obito's shoulders, drawing his husband close.

"You thief," Obito playfully chides, promptly snagging one of the candies.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean…" One-handed, Kisame painstakingly unwraps a piece of candy, having it ready by the time Obito finishes his first. Then he holds it out for his husband to eat, giggling as Obito gives his fingers a "thank you" kiss.

"So," Obito says, cuddling in. "You wanna watch a slasher?"

"Oh, you know me so well." Kisame pulls up a list of movies, resting his cheek on Obito's head as his husband scrolls through the options, choosing one of Kisame's favorites.

Outside, the wind continues to howl, leaving behind a mess they'll need to clean up the next day. But inside, Kisame and Obito stay snuggled and warm, eating candy and giggling as they watch a scary movie.

Author's Notes:

crossposted to ao3 here.