Things to Keep Close

by Makkoska

After a tiring meeting with the leaders of the great shinobi countries, a hard working Hokage deserves some rest. Part of the Small Things universe.

Title: Things to Keep Close

Summary: After a tiring meeting with the leaders of the great shinobi countries, a hard working Hokage deserves some rest. Part of the Small Things universe.

Notes: This piece takes place before The Most Important Things. I'd recommend reading the previous parts of the series first, as this won't make much sense otherwise.

Dedicated to: Komo Pineconeseed, for her continued interest in this verse and to whom I promised this story so long ago.

*/*/*

"What an annoying bunch of fools."

"Well… they have their own games and secret drives, but that was to be expected. Considering everything, it didn't go bad at all."

"By your standards, maybe," Madara snorted. "But you are a fool as well. I dream of a time when all shinobi will cooperate with each other," he mimicked Hashirama's tone, echoing his words. "When everyone's heart will be together, regardless of their countries…! Honestly, will you ever grow up?"

"But why? Isn't that what we were always aiming for? Peace."

"With these arrogant blockheads? I'd sooner ally with… with…"

"The Senju?" Hashirama suggested and was rewarded with an angry glare.

"I don't like to repeat mistakes."

"The other Kage are thinking about their own people just as we think of ours. If none of us is willing to yield at all, we will never get out of this circle of war."

"Hmpf."

They continued to walk in silence. It was a nice, early autumn afternoon, with a sunshine that was still pleasantly warm. Hashirama was happy to be away from the village for a few days - a rare treat - especially as he could spend the time with his lover. It took long hours of talk with Tobirama to arrange this setup - his brother insisted that he should accompany him, but having both Madara and the younger Senju along would have been a guaranteed disaster. In the end he could convince his brother to stay at home with saying that he was the most suitable to entrust Konoha to while Hashirama was away.

The gathering went well, even if Madara wasn't a hundred percent satisfied with the outcome and it was hard to argue with his verdict about the other leaders being a really annoying bunch. But what mattered was that they could secure peace for at least the upcoming few years and that it was now finally just the two of them, alone, about three days distance from the village if they continued to walk in this leisurely tempo. Hashirama hoped to make best of this time, but Madara being angry was thwarting his plans.

"Do you think we will fail? In achieving peace among the nations, I mean?" he asked after a while. Madara shrugged, but at least he was contemplating the question.

"Ultimately, yes. But I guess even temporary peace is better than nothing. I won't mind if my children don't have to learn how a war is when they are still so young. But still - you should have been more firm."

"I wanted them to understand my aims…"

"With bowing your head and begging them?!"

"Is that why you're so angry with me?" he prompted softly and Madara crossed his arms, drawing his brows together.

"Maybe. Probably. You shouldn't show weakness like that."

"Hopefully they were properly intimidated by you glaring daggers at them."

"They should be," Madara's lips curled upwards into a cruel little smile that the taller man always found dangerously tempting. "If it comes to that, I won't be polite and humble with them."

Hashirama sent a silent prayer to any god willing to listen that it wouldn't come to that. Peace was a fragile, precious thing. He didn't mind bowing his head, as Madara put it, if that was the price of keeping it.

"I'm sure they know this and will behave."

"Are you trying to be sarcastic?"

"No, no," Hashirama quickly denied. "I think I'm just simply tired. Politics are exhausting."

"Why don't we hurry up then to be home as soon as we can?"

Hashirama put a gentle hand on his lover's arm. Madara eyes flickered to his face then narrowed in suspicion even before he could share his plan.

"I have a better idea. Why don't we take an early rest for the night? We're pretty close to Yugakure and what would be a better way to rest than submerging in hot water?"

"How very convenient that we'll just cross the road to the village in a few minutes," came the sarcastic reply.

"Must be fate."

"Do I really have to point out that you have a village to lead and protect? Now I feel this whole gathering was just a cover so you can go and soak your lazy arse afterwards."

"Of course it wasn't!" Hashirama denied, affronted. "But Konoha will be just fine if we arrive half a day later than planned."

"Konoha, your village, which you left in your brother's hands. I wouldn't be surprised, if…"

"Madara…" he interrupted. Honestly, this bickering between his lover and brother sometimes got very tiring.

"As your bodyguard for this gathering, I'm opposed to take unnecessary delays."

"As your Hokage, I can order you to follow my directions."

"You can try to."

"Madara," Hashirama stopped to turn towards the other man. "Please." He put on his most honest, pleading expression - the kicked puppy face, as his lover called it. The Uchiha snorted, but it was more amused than annoyed this time.

"What about your children?"

"Aina is fifteen. She is more than capable of keeping the boys back from ruining the house."

"We will see that."

"So you agree?"

"Just for the night, Hashirama. We're back on the road by break of dawn tomorrow."

The Senju grinned in delight and kissed his lover despite his protests to let him go while standing on the middle of the road where anyone could happen on them.

*/*/*

"Hokage-sama, what an honour," the owner of the ryokan bowed low, his long, white beard almost sweeping the ground.

"Indeed, it is," his wife echoed. "We are the most honoured that you chose our humble establishment for the night, to rest your tired muscles. We will prepare our best two rooms for you and your guard."

"Thank you," Hashirama smiled. "We just require one room. A nice long bath and a full dinner of your famous dishes are the only things one needs to be rested in body and mind."

"Since when does Yugakure have famous cuisine?" Madara asked once they were left alone. "I won't be surprised if overcooked fish will be the most we got. They have nothing but hot water here."

"Oh, don't be like that. They were so nice and enthusiastic to have us as their guests."

"Why, of course. I'm sure they will raise their prices even higher, now that the world-famous Hokage-sama of Konohagakure graced their humble establishment with his presence. People will line up to soak in the same water that touched your noble backside."

Hashirama rolled his eyes. Rising to the bait would get them nowhere and he had much more enjoyable plans than silly bickering. Bath, sex, dinner - in that order. Analysing whether Madara's bad mood was due to letting himself be convinced to come here or getting irritated by the way people treated Hashirama could wait. Or if all went well, could be even forgotten.

Smiling in satisfaction at his own plans he quickly shed his clothes, rolling them up in a ball in a way that could maybe pass as folding under slack supervision. He put on the yukata the inn provided and fished out a string and a comb from his package. He hastily made his hair up into a bum, tying it at the top of his head, and he was ready.

He looked at Madara, who was still in his pants, folding his shirt precisely. His lover's eyes glided up to his hairstyle and his lips twitched up into a sly grin.

"What?"

"I used to have an aunt, she died when I was seven, maybe. I hadn't thought of her for so long, but now I remembered. She wore her hair exactly the same way."

Hashirama just tilted his head to the side, smiling.

"Are you implying you don't like my hair like this?"

"I'm saying that it fitted aunt Hoshiko somewhat better."

Madara took his time for getting ready, so Hashirama entertained himself with watching the other man. Old female relatives' hairstyles notwithstanding, he liked when Madara pulled his hair into a ponytail. It showed his slender yet muscular neck, a vulnerable spot - and a very sensitive zone, as Hashirama learned years ago - and his sharp shoulder-blades, with a valley between them that just begged for a kiss...

"Stop looking so giddy," the Uchiha murmured to him when they were finally heading towards the so awaited hot water.

"I'm just happy to be here with you."

Because it was nice to have some time for just the two of them, they really deserved a short break from politics, missions, fights, paperwork, village, Tobirama and the kids. It wasn't something they could often afford, making this occasion the more precious for it.

Not to mention that he could watch his lover in nothing but a towel around his waist or not even that to his heart's content, as he washed himself, then as he slid into the scalding hot water of the spring.

There were a handful of other guests other than them, but they hardly spared the two Konohagakure shinobi a glance. They were nothing more or less now than any other travellers, resting for the night.

The bath made Hashirama feel lazy and content. Time always seemed to slow down in onsens, the hot water dulling his senses and washing away all his worries. He smiled at Madara, but the other man had his eyes closed, his head leaned back against the brim of the pool. Feeling the Senju's gaze, he peered at him from below heavy lids and raised a questioning eyebrow, but otherwise didn't seem inclined to move.

As night started to fall, the other guests were leaving the hot spring. By the time it got dark, it was just the two of them. Hashirama willed his too relaxed limbs to move and turned towards Madara, gliding close to the other man until they were almost chest by chest.

The Uchiha didn't even move, just rewarded him with a dark, unfathomable look - the type which Hashirama never quite knew how to take, as a come-on or as a warning and which, maybe due to this uncertainty, always excited him.

He let Hashirama lean in close and press a light kiss to his lips, but when it was about to get more heated, pushed him back with a palm against his chest.

"We're at a public place," he said simply.

"But nobody's around any longer."

"Have some self-restraint," he smirked and leaned back again, ignoring Hashirama's sigh of frustration as he flopped back next to him, back against the brim of the pool.

"How could I, when I have you naked in arm's reach?"

That smirk became a smile, before Madara quickly disguised it.

"I would assume that lost the appeal of novelty after all these years."

"Hmm. I don't know how much more years need to pass for that. You're too tempting."

"You're simply greedy."

"I'm only greedy when it's about you."

Under the cover of water he reached out, and caressed his lover's thigh. Madara kept a straight face, although his nostrils flared when the Senju's fingers slid to his sharp hipbone, to his firm stomach, then, following the patch of hair, down below…

"Why don't we go back inside?" he stood quickly, wrapping his towel around his waist, leaving Hashirama alone in the spring before he could argue next to staying a bit more. Although all things considered, he wasn't complaining.

Back in their room dinner was already waiting them, and Hashirama let himself be distracted for the moment, as he looked over the dishes – which were definitely more than cooked fish.

"You see? They have more than fish and hot water."

"That in itself doesn't make their cuisine famous," Madara made a point to maintain a sceptical expression. Yet he picked up the chopsticks and, after a moment of hesitation, chose the bowl of bamboo springs, lifting up a piece for Hashirama to taste.

"Maybe not famous," the Senju admitted, chewing slowly on the bite, "but tasty enough."

Hot bathes after tiring politics apparently made them both hungry. They were already seated and happily consuming their dinner, when Hashirama realized they mixed up his planned schedule, putting food before sex. Yet he didn't really mind - watching Madara eat with good appetite was a rare treat and they had the whole night before them.

"Isn't this nice?" he asked his partner, trying to cover with a vague wave of hand what he meant. To have their stomachs full, their muscles relaxed, resting without having a care in the world. To be together, to share simple joys of life. To be able to allow themselves this small luxury. To be waited home. To lead this life after the horrors and losses of wars. To have the belief that the future will be better than the bloody past they left behind.

The Uchiha took a good look at him, probably concluded that warm water and good food made him sentimental, and simply nodded.

"Not too bad," he replied quietly.

*/*/*

"Isn't this place supposed to be about recreation and healthiness?"

"Sure it is."

"Then how alcohol comes into the picture?"

"There's no harm in a bit of sake."

Madara snorted, but accepted the second cup Hashirama poured him. He very rarely indulged, and it showed. His face was becoming flushed as he closed his eyes, draining his booze. Hashirama quickly refilled his cup.

"Are you trying to make me drunk?"

"Maybe," he admitted, smiling.

"And what do you want to get out of it?"

"Why, I want to have my wicked way with you, of course."

"As if you'd need alcohol for that."

Hashirama just smiled, pulling the other man close, his palms sliding under his yukata, caressing his naked chest underneath. Madara grumbled something along the lines of told you so, but didn't object when the Senju kissed his jaw, his neck, his collarbone.

Another cup of sake followed, then he urged his lover to get even closer, until Madara gave in to what he wanted. He turned to face him, straddling his legs, so he was pretty much sitting in Hashirama's lap. Even dressed in nothing but the yukata the inn provided, the bath they had, the food, the sake and being so close to the other man was making him feel very hot.

"Coming here was the best idea from me. Finishing the day like this make politics worth it."

"A true mastermind, you are," Madara replied sarcastically, but he appeared content, so Hashirama didn't take offence.

"But really, getting all the Kages agree to peace was the most challenging thing since we founded Konoha."

"You could have gone along with the others' solution and went against that cheeky Kazekage. It would have been simpler and more effective that humiliating yourself and handing out the village's secret weapons on a plate."

"No, I've told you already… I don't mind if they take me a fool, if that's the price of peace."

"You are a fool," Madara sighed, but he didn't sound angry as he did after the gathering. He kissed his ear, sending a shiver down Hashirama's spine. "But then, you are my fool." He bit his lobe and the Senju moaned. He was also a genius for asking for this bottle of sake, he thought hazily as his lover continued his sensual attack on his ear.

He was feeling even hotter as he was becoming aroused rapidly. With Madara's tongue and teeth nibbling his ear and his neck, with his weight on his groin as he shifted his position, it was no wonder.

It was such a disappointment when the Uchiha stopped his actions and laughed softly against his damp skin.

"What it is?"

"Nothing, I just remembered the face the Tsusikage made when your head hit the desk for the second time. You should have seen his expression…"

"Why don't you stop thinking about the other Kage, when you have your own one here?" Apparently combining alcohol and Madara had its downfalls too…

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he could feel his lover's smirk against his cheek, before strong, white teeth sank into his earlobe again.

"You could… say that more often," he gasped, his hand reaching out and trying to find his pack blindly, where he kept a phial of oilfor situations like this.

"You're really into this, aren't you?"

"Well..." Hashirama smiled triumphantly as he managed to find what he was looking for. One handed he uncapped the small bottle. Madara rose up on his knees to allow him better access as he hiked up his yukata and brought oily fingers to his backside.

"And what else do you want me to say?" he gasped softly as Hashirama circled his hole with the tip of his fingers, before penetrating him slowly. His arms were around the Senju's neck, his body warm against his. Even without the sake, the taller man would have found him intoxicating.

"Hmm…" it wasn't so easy to come up with something sensible, aroused and more than just tipsy. When his lover reached for the oil to stroke it over his cock, he blurted the first thing that came to his mind. "You can tell me how mighty you find your Hokage."

Madara leaned back a bit to look at him, raising a sceptical eyebrow.

"Oh, never mind," the Senju said quickly. Madara shifted on top of him, trying to find a more comfortable position as he pushed down on his erection, fingers digging into his arms, hissing in discomfort as Hashirama rocked his hips up, sliding down on his length inch by inch. They were still for a long moment after Hashirama was fully inside his lover.

"Or you could," he whispered into his ears "simply tell me you love me."

"You can never know that," Madara raised up on his knees a tiny bit, before pushing down on his cock. "Maybe I'm only having sex with you, living with you, raising children with you, as you're the mighty Hokage-sama, and I feel I can't say no to you."

"People don't appreciate how demanding this position is," he grabbed the Uchiha's hips, moving up against him. "I'm sure the other Kage suffer the same, that's why they were such a disagreeable lot."

"I thought you said they were like that as they wanted the best for their nations."

"Let's not talk about them right now."

Madara just hmm-ed his agreement. They were picking up tempo, and indeed, no other mentions of shinobi countries and politics were made that night.

He came while clinging to Hashirama's neck, breath hot and humid on his neck. The Senju rolled themselves over, leaning above his lover to kiss him deeply, pounding into him, until he found his release as well.

Dizzy with alcohol and very satisfied, he then cuddled the other man close. Probably he'd need to pay extra for cleaning as they made some mess, but that was more than worth it.

*/*/*

Although it was very late afternoon, the lights were still on in the Hokage's office. Madara just frowned up at it, before announcing he was going home. Hashirama sighed, steeling himself for a lecture to come, before entering the building.

In the end they delayed almost two days, but after the somewhat drunken and very passionate night they spent in the ryokan, neither of them was in a hurry to get going the next morning. So much so that Hashirama had a fairly easy time convincing his lover to stay a bit longer. But now there came the price to pay.

It wasn't only Tobirama in his office. He had Takumi with him as well, both leaning over a scrolled out map. Hashirama smiled at his son, who was listening with deep concentration to what his uncle was explaining to him. He rarely was so focused or serious, but he held Tobirama in high regard.

Both man and teenager looked up as he entered. Takumi greeted him with an enthusiastic "Dad!" but his brother just frowned.

"Took your time, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry," Hashirama smiled as his son come up to him to hug him. He was in the age where he seemed to grow day by day, getting taller, ganglier and more awkward with amazing speed. "We were… delayed a bit."

Tobirama narrowed his reddish at him, making it obvious that he wasn't fooling him.

"Did it go well, at least?"

"All according to plan."

"You need to tell me about the gathering in detail tomorrow. I was worried about…"

"My negotiating skills?" Hashirama helped him out, when he appeared to be fishing for words. "There was no need to. Madara was there to keep me on the line."

Tobirama didn't appear soothed by that, but probably for the sake of his nephew restrained from saying anything bad on the Uchiha. Hashirama smiled at him thankfully.

"Let's go home," he said to Takumi.

"Are you tired, dad?"

"Oh yes," he said, though he couldn't quite look at his brother. "Politics are damn tiring."

FIN