Lamp oil

11. The bottle of lamp oil

Tobirama

The ocean was but a whisper that night. 

I had taken him a bit away from the practice tent, to a part of the beach where few people would linger. In one hand, I held Izuna's tiny one, and in the other, I held a staff and a bottle of lamp oil. Izuna was still snivelling after his crying fit. I didn't really know why he'd started crying, but I had my suspicions... 

I stopped, put the bottle of lamp oil down in the sand. I released Izuna's hand to light the staff on fire, causing Izuna to back away a little.

"Are you afraid of fire?" I asked mildly, not looking at him.

"I'm afraid of you", he said.

I didn't know whether this saddened or thrilled me, so I just smiled.

I turned so I was facing the ocean, picked up my bottle of lamp oil and opened it with my teeth.

"When you blow fire, you need to blow the lamp oil on it with force. Like blowing a trumpet."

"Brave of you to assume I've ever blown a trumpet", Izuna said. 

I smiled again. I loved that part of him, that sarcastic humour. It seemed to come forth more and more the more relaxed he became in my company.

"Well, have you?"

Izuna was quiet for a while, hesitating.

"Actually, yes." I snorted. "Don't ask."

"Well, good, because it's the same technique. It will be noisy when you spit the oil out, but if you do it correctly, you won't hear it due to the roaring of the fire."

I took the lamp oil in my mouth and blew it out, not on the fire but straight out in the air so the sound of me spitting wouldn't be drowned out by the roaring fire, making it easier to Izuna to consider the technique.

I handed him the bottle.

"Your turn", I said.

He looked at me hesitantly. Then, he took the bottle and poured it into his mouth.

"It's disgusting", he said, voice muffled.

"I know. Now, does he spit or swallow? Wait, don't actually swallow, that would be dangerous and I have no idea how much insulin you will need."

He tried to stifle a laugh at what I had just said. God, I liked this man. I found I had never really had anyone to laugh with before. 

"Don't laugh! I have better things for you to choke on than lamp oil", I chastised. "Blow."

He did, and he was a natural because his technique was perfect.

"Good, very good", I murmured. 

I took the bottle back and did exactly the same thing, but this time, I spit on the fire, causing it to bloom over the setting sun. Izuna backed away, but I turned to him, reached the staff out. Hesitantly, he took it.

"Don't worry", I said, stood behind him with my hands on his shoulders. "I'm right here."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" 

I granted him a kiss on his cheek.

"Yes", I said.

Izuna, seemingly encouraged by my proximity, took some more of the oil into his mouth, and blew on the fire. It bloomed beautifully in front of him, better than I'd ever seen anyone do on their first try.

"Good..." I murmured.

Again and again, he blew. He was enjoying himself immensely, I could tell, and it filled me up with such a giddy excitement I could hardly contain myself.