"Man, this is hot."
"Yeah, it is," mumbled Pein, tugging at the collar of his shirt.
"No, that's not what I meant," chided Madara.
"Then- then-" Pein's face turned up to look at the Uchiha. He tried again. "You—"
"It's okay, Pein-chan," whispered Madara. "I'll keep you safe."
"I don't need protecting, Madara-sama," Pein replied, eyes hardening. "In fact, if you take one step closer to me you'll be the one in need of protecting."
The slightly shorter man's unchanged face smirked like every male in his family is well-known to do. "I think you do need it."
Pein avoided meeting his eyes. "Then who shall protect me from you?"
"Nobody," whispered Madara. "Nobody but me."
A shiver raked up Pein's back, making him shudder, and he clenched his fists resolutely to avoid saying anything in reply.
"What's wrong, dear?"
"Don't call me dear!" Pein could control himself no longer, and he lunged at Madara, making to stab him with a kunai he had had concealed on his person. His action having been obviously driven by anger, a most powerful and explosive emotion, Madara easily caught his wrists and held them. Despite the fact that his aggressor was larger than he, the Uchiha had no problem restraining Pein and quickly had him backed into the wall.
"That was stupid."
"I don't care anymore," Pein whispered, sounding depressed.
"If I could help you with that, I would, darling, (Pein grimaced) but that's your burden to bear. Ask someone who cares. Like Konan, that poor dear. Oh wait, she's dead," smirked Madara. Pein began to struggle again and the black-haired man had to use his whole body to pin the redhead to the wall. At the contact Pein was instantly still.
He stretched up on his tiptoes to whisper in the other's ear. "I'm going to miss you badly when you're dead," Madara lamented quietly.
"I'm not going to die. Gods don't die."
"Ah, but the last man to use the Rin'negan perished after some time, didn't he? Quite the little trickster, I imagine."
Pein spat to the side. "You couldn't have known him, he was long before your time."
"Yes, but I've heard stories. Stories, I imagine, that you've heard. And analyzed, I expect. You are such a thorough little brat."
The orange-haired man bared his teeth in a threat. "Don't call me that, either."
"What gives you the impression that I care what you want me to do, hmm? I didn't ask for your opinion."
"Tch."
"You're sure awfully chatty today," remarked Madara, letting Pein go. "Are you sick or something?"
"Of course I am not. I am simply bored."
"That or lonely," scoffed the Uchiha.
"I am not lonely. Especially not if being lonely means spending time with you."
Madara admired the venom he was able to force into the word 'you' for a moment before nodding. "I wouldn't want to be around me either."