Chapter 12
"You're… engaged?"
Hashirama nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "My father dropped that on me this morning. Apparently I have to unify the Uzamaki and Senju clans by marrying a princess…" He said in disdain, obviously not happy about the arrangement.
"Pft," Madara held his stomach, trying to hold his laughter in.
"You? Married to a princess?" Madara cackled, finding the entire situation to be hilarious. Hashirama let out a groan, covering his face with his hands. "It's not funny! I have no idea what to do… I've never met her. What if she's awful? What if she hates me or I hate her?"
"Well you'll never find out with that attitude."
"You're not helping, Madabaka. You got any advice, Shi-chan?" Hashirama asked.
Shiori was in her own thoughts, staring at the ground. Hashirama was engaged? To a princess? Well.. Of course he was. He was the Senju heir. He had to marry someone of the same social class. But so soon?
Shiori didn't even think about the possibility that Hashirama would be married anytime soon. They were just eighteen, barely adults. What would this mean? What does this mean for… for Shiori's feelings. A sinking emotion filled her gut as she realized her feelings would never be reciprocated. It made her sad, but she chose not to show it.
She smiled towards the brunette. "Just be kind to her. I'm sure you both will live happy lives together." She said, but on the inside, she didn't mean it.
She hoped his fiancee was ugly and mean. She hoped that the girl hated Hashirama or that Hashirama hated her so much that the wedding would be cancelled.
But she would never say that.
"I'm meeting her tomorrow… I don't even know what to say. "Hey, how's it going? How's… princess life?" I'm going to make a complete fool of myself." Hashirama groaned.
"You'll be fine." Madara reassured, patting his back. "...Probably."
"You really aren't helping, bastard."
"Ugh! Shi-chan, please give me something to go by! I have no idea how to act around a princess, let alone a girl."
"Baka!" Shiori scowled. "I'm a girl. Just act the same way you do around me."
"Yeah, but it's different. You're not really a girl you're more of… one of the boys. It's easy to be around you."
Shiori's heart clenched in her chest. He.. didn't even see her as a girl? Did he actually just say that to her. So… even if he wasn't engaged, he would have never seen her that way? After all the time they spent together alone, talking about their dreams and aspirations? It meant nothing?
Shiori took a sharp breath in. It took all of her willpower to not cry in front of the boys. She turned her heel. "I'm heading back early." She said in a monotone voice before leaving without saying another word.
Once she was out of sight, Madara hit his friend on the back of his head.
"ITAI! What was that for, Madabaka?!"
Madara shook his head. "You're an idiot, Hashirama." He said before jogging after the girl, leaving the confused brunette alone near the river.
oOo
"Stupid Hashirama. Stupid engagement. Stupid fiancee." Shiori grumbled to herself. As she was walking, she kicked a small rock on the ground in front of her. It tumbled a few feet in front of her before landing. She narrowed her eyes and kicked it again. It went a little farther, but still tumbled on the ground.
Out of a complete blind rage, Shiori pumped chakra into her right foot, running up to the rock and kicking it as hard as she could. It soared into the air, flying far away out of her view of sight.
"Wow. What did that rock do to deserve that?" Madara whistled behind her. Shiori turned, still burning with rage inside of her. She was about to shout at Madara, but he stopped her by taking the girl in his arms.
"W...What are you doing? Let me go!" She pushed against his hold, but he wouldn't let go.
"It's okay to be hurt, idiot. He's not with me." He muttered, still holding her.
"I'm not mad! I don't care about Hashirama or his stupid marriage…" She denied, hiding her face in Madara's solid chest. "I'm not upset! I'm not… I'm not sad…" Her voice cracked as she began to stop fighting his embrace.
Madara held her closer, letting her cry into his chest. He knew she needed this. Her feelings for Hashirama ran deep, and to hear that he never even saw her as a girl? That must have hurt. Shiori was still a fragile girl, and Madara could still read her like a book as he did when he first met her.
No matter how many lives she's saved or how many times she claimed to be strong, only Madara knew it was a facade. Only he had seen the girl's true colors after that fateful day.
She had changed. She knew to accept help when she direly needed it now, but old habits die hard.
She was still that girl claiming to be stronger than she really was. Even though she was physically much stronger, it didn't change her stupid habit.
"I-I… I don't need your… Why…?" She cried, still hiding her face in his chest.
"Haven't we been over this before? You don't have to force yourself around me, Shiori." He whispered, petting her hair soothingly.
"...I know." She breathed, before wrapping her arms around Madara's waist.
When she pulled back, she was smiling again. Her eyes were still puffy and red, though. "At least I know now that I never stood a chance. He didn't even see me as a girl."
"Hashirama is an idiot-" "No, he's right. I'm far too immature and boyish to match up to a princess." She sighed, wiping her tears off her cheek. "I feel like such a- What are you doing?"
Madara didn't even try to stop himself from putting his palm on her cheek and wiping the rest of her tears away. She was warm, her cheeks flushed from crying, but her skin was soft. Her almond, slanted blueish grey eyes stared up at him in confusion, but that spark he had seen when he first met her was still there.
"You're right, you don't match up to a princess." He said, watching her brows furrow and her mouth open to get angry at him. But he interrupted her.
"You're far more beautiful than any princess could be." He said before closing the distance between them.
Shiori's mind slowed down as Madara's chapped lips came onto hers. Her eyes widened, her cheeks burning even more than before.
Madara was kissing her.
Madara was kissing her.
It was a soft kiss, nothing forceful or at an uncomfortable angle. It was a straight forward action, and one that made her forget how to breathe. She felt him put a hand on her waist as if to help her lean into his touch. His body was solid against hers, but his lips felt like a gentle breeze against her lips.
It was only when he pulled away that she put together what happened.
Madara was smiling when he pulled away. His messy black hair brushed against her face as he leaned his forehead against hers. Shiori didn't even think Madara was capable of being this gentle with anyone, let alone her.
"Definitely a girl." He whispered.
Shiori's heart was beating the loudest she'd ever heard it. Of course she and Madara teased and flirted with each other, but she never thought… She didn't think that… that this would happen.
"How... " She finally found her voice, her eyes gazing into the dark orbs of his. "How long?"
"Since you saved my mother."
"But that was over two years ago!" She exclaimed, making the man in front of her scratch his head.
"W-Well… I've only realized it was that long ago recently… I couldn't tell if it was infatuation or me being grateful… But then you saved Kazuma, who was a total stranger and… I don't know. I began to truly care for you." He blushed, pulling away from the auburn hair girl.
"I knew you liked Hashirama, so I never really had the courage to say anything… I guess it was kind of selfish of me to just… do that when you're upset. But… I don't like seeing you cry or insult yourself." He admitted, making the girl's cheeks brighten more.
"I'm not good at this stuff," He sighed. "But… I want you to know you can trust me. You can cry around me. You can rely on me, Shiori. I know you're strong, you're one of the strongest women I know, but… I don't want you to feel like you have to hide your pain. So trust me, Shiori." He finished with his signature smile, making Shiori's heart leap into her throat.
"I…" She began, feeling herself lose all train of thought. "I need… I need time. I need space." She said, turning away and running off towards the Uchiha compound and leaving Madara alone on the trail.
oOo
Shiori shut herself in her room, sinking to the floor and hugging her knees to her chest. How did she get into this situation?
Her feelings for Hashirama were sure and stable, but now her view of Madara…
He had always been her best friend. Her brother. Someone she could laugh and joke with. Could she see him in the same position as Hashirama was to her?
No, this was wrong. This was the wrong way to think about things. Madara could never be what Hashirama was to her. Someone she blindly trusted without question. Someone she could blush over or try to look good for. Madara could never be that to her.
But the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was because she didn't blindly trust Madara. It had been him who taught her to trust in the first place. It was him she felt so comfortable around or accepted her for what she looked like or who she was. It was him who first let her cry in front of him before. It was Madara who had the courage to tell her her own weaknesses. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was him.
But the hurt from Hashirama's words never left her. She still had feelings for him, and it was wrong of her to lead Madara on while she had those.
So she made her decision.
oOo
"She was nice. Funny and she liked my jokes. You were right, I just needed to be comfortable around her." Hashirama grinned, rubbing Shiori's head in a familiar way.
Shiori smiled, a pang of hurt hit her but she pushed it away.
"Where's Madara?"
"He's… in a meeting, I think." Shiori said, blushing at the mention of Madara.
"Oh. Well, it's been a while since we hung out, just the two of us, what do you wanna do?"
"A-actually, Hashirama, I have something to tell you."
Hashirama tilted his head, sitting criss cross in front of the girl. She took a deep breath and let it out.
"I-I've… I like you! I've liked you for years and I just… I know you're engaged, but I couldn't stand not telling you! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… I know you don't see me as a girl, but I just wanted to tell you in order to help me get over you! So please reject me!" She shouted, bowing her head in shame so she wouldn't have to look at the Senju.
For a moment, Hashirama went quiet. Shiori held in her tears, bracing herself for him to reject her.
But instead, she was being hugged. Hashirama hugged the smaller girl, making her heart ache even more. She hiccuped, letting a couple tears fall down her cheek.
"Thank you for telling me, Shi-chan." Hashirama said softly, holding the girl close.
Shiori stifled a cry and then let it all pour out. She had no regrets in what she said. In fact, her chest felt twice as light now that she had confessed.
She didn't care if Hashirama liked her back anymore.
She just wanted to be friends like this forever.
oOo
When Shiori got back to the Uchiha compound, she went straight to Madara's room. She knocked and he opened the door.
"Shiori?" He said, groggily. It was obvious he had been sleeping. Which made sense, it was pretty late. She had stayed out talking to Hashirama for hours.
"I confessed to Hashirama." She said, noticing Madara's eyes widening in shock, but she wouldn't let him speak.
"I'm content with him and I being friends, so until I get over my feelings for him… Will you wait for me?" She asked, fidgeting with her hair like she always did.
Madara smiled at the girl, nodding his head and ruffling her hair.
"Don't keep me waiting too long, Stupid Shiori."
