Fire
It was another night while they were out on a mission that had gone on far too long. What was supposed to take 2 weeks turned into 2 months. They had not been the happiest when they were originally assigned, both citing that they were two of the four people who founded this village and that would leave them at half strength. But they needed to be the ones to have the talks between the Trinity Clans and Konoha. Having them join them was crucial. They were three clans with very distinct staples and culture that have had a successful allyship that has lasted generations. If they got them to join? There would be nothing to disprove their peace as being everlasting. The Trinity Clans never got involved with any other clan’s disputes with another unless it threatened their clans. And it was their job to prove that the Senju and Uchiha had indeed made a peace that could outlast the people in charge.
And that is what led them there today. It was on their way out, an official agreement signed and the clans would be moving over in about 6 months once each of their clans’ spaces had been fully cleared out, and in about a month a few people would be coming to help oversee the construction for each along with specific things with the Nara Forrest. The Nara head had met them at the gates on their way out. She was a woman who had looked increasingly bored by their presence the entire time they were there but Madara had already been warned by Tobirama not to let that fool you into thinking they were lazy and uninvolved. No, they were extremely smart and would poke holes in any argument if you left them. The Yamanaka Head was close behind. Tobirama was finishing a conversation with the Akimichi head, something about a restaurant proposal.
“Shikayasu-sama, Inoru-sama, is everything alright?” He had been standing by himself waiting, Tobirama was more versed in the business district than he was.
“Ah this is nothing of importance really. We are here just to see you off without the pomp and circumstance of it all.” Madara raised an eyebrow to that. In the 2 months he has been here, he knew better.
“And?”
“Ah, you have us Madara-Sama. We wanted to thank you for your patience with how long your stay became and we wanted to thank you again for your help with the attacks that befell us while you were here.”
“As said before, the Kaguya clan is one that I would gladly like seen wiped from the earth. None have ever shown any mercy before.”
“But it was your fire and Tobirama-sama’s healing that prevented any deaths. You two worked together almost flawlessly, and I will admit now that I am a bit jealous of you two’s relationship.”
“Our what now?”
“Don't play coy with us Madara-sama. We know you have been trying to be subtle for the sake of the talks but we saw how you both gravitated to one another immediately after the fighting was over. Like one does a lover.”
“He is just a teammate on this mission. A colleague and friend.”
“Ah, you are still so modest. But, I can see how you to act around one another and how you both stare at the other when you know the other isn’t looking.” I what?
“But it is what won us over in the end. We had thought that maybe you were acting to try and sway us but we saw the truth even when you thought you were hiding it. Seeing the two of you, so in tune with one another and how you can easily trust the other with your back? Well it seems the Senju and Uchiha had really made their peace and we could easily agree that our clans could join you. We wanted to keep that out of the official documents in case you had been keeping it a secret. We understand why. Oh, here comes Tobirama-sama. Safe travels then!” The Yamanaka Man tugged the Nara away, who had looked bored for the entire conversation. Only nodding to emphasize the Yamanaka’s words here and there.
That was this morning. They still had another day’s travel before making it back to Konoha tomorrow evening. Currently camped out in a cave that Tobirama had put so many seal matrices on the entrance to protect them, it looked like a web.
The fire crackled between them, heating the teapot Tobirama had pulled from a scroll as Madara asked further about how he invented the seal for that one, something he had picked up doing. Just asking Tobirama random questions about his inventions and enjoying theory crafting with him in different ways that they could be improved upon or used in other ways. As Tobirama continued explaining the final part Madara looked at him again, the words from the annoying clan heads earlier in the back of his mind like a whisper.
Tobirama’s enthusiasm on the topic made his whole face light up as he used his hands to speak and describe what he was talking about. His eyes sparkled in the firelight and his smile had always been something that made Madara aimed for. It was like looking at him in a whole new light. At some point Tobirama must have noticed he wasn’t paying attention anymore because he had stopped explaining the anchoring of the seal and was staring back at Madara with a look that he couldn’t decipher at all, somehow though he had a feeling Tobirama may have been thinking the same as him.
“So, Chosho-sama had said something strange earlier after talking to me about his proposed barbecue restaurant.” Tobirama said, clearing his throat a little, putting some water into the pot now that the fire had cooled to a better point.
“Strange how?” Any more strange than what was said to me? Maybe I should say it too…
“Ah, uhm- well about he was glad to see that our clans’ old hatred hadn’t um poisoned us f-from finding true love with one another and that he was happy to see such things.” His gaze kept away from Madara and his hand had been clenching one another as he spoke now, cheeks red and the tip of his ear matching.
“That is indeed strange.” Tobirama looked at him then, a raw look in his eyes, betraying his usual one of indifference on things that didn't matter, because this one apparently did. “Shikayasu-sama and Inoru-sama said something very similar to me.”
“They did?” Tobirama’s hand had gone to the ground next to him, palm flat down on the ground to match how Madara had positioned himself to lean back slightly. He inched his hand closer and spoke to get Tobiramra to look back at him.
“Yeah, about how it was the final thing that convinced them. That we just gravitate to one another.” There is where his finger bumped Tobirama’s, who jumped slightly but didn’t pull away as a few of his fingers sat on top of Tobirama’s now. “And that they were jealous of us for it.” Tobirama’s face was completely flushed now and Madara probably looked the same. He was being very risky here but Tobirama hadn’t pulled away or said anything against him doing this.
“And how do you feel about it Madara-san?”
“Like I would like to explore this further if you would be interested. Would you?”
“Are you asking me out?”
“In fancier words, yes. I haven't been looking at you as a friend for a long time it seems.”
“And myself to you either. Seems like we both just figured that out.”
“Yeah… nothing has to change though if you want, not completely and I’d do it the proper way with the gifts if you’d like. I just-” He was cut off with a kiss, one that dragged him over into Tobirama’s lap, one that lit sparks all over his body.
“Less pretty words. And it’s a yes.”