canonish

school starts on monday aaaaa

.

.

an inch apart, a lightyear away. madara didn't know what's a 'light-year'; the phrase merely popped up in his head as he beheld her face. clouded, solemn, secretive. her eyes moved to his direction, and madara looked away, adding another 'light-year' between them.

"you're the worst."

"that's not news."

"i heard you've been looking for me. here i am, right beside you, yet you don't even look at me."

she didn't know how badly he tried; how badly he wished to speak, but eloquent speech had departed from his consciousness, torturing them in eternal silence with its absence.

.

hashirama wasn't one to voice negative things to people she deemed close to her. lately he had been behaving like an unsolved riddle; he lingered around but avoided her the moment she approached him. her patience wasn't limitless.

the glow emanating from her hand dimmed. madara lifted his head, grunting, trying to see his damaged leg. she knew it's still hurt to move even the smallest muscle.

"did i hurt you in any way?"

"didn't you see these scars you made?"

but those are old, hashirama mused, she never warred against him anymore, not in the last five years. she reached for his hand, and he tensed under her touch.

"please talk to me, madara."

"what's to talk?"

"...our village?" they used to talk about village plans for days to no end...

madara scoffed. "you have others to talk about it."

"it's different. you're not them."

he finally looked into her face. confused.

"they're for work," she continued. "with you... doesn't feel like working."

another silence. hashirama finished healing his leg, already surrendered trying to make him talk.

as she prepared her spot to sleep, madara called, "why do you set it so far over there?"

she set hers across the small fire pit, like she always do during their long mission out of konoha.

"we should conserve heat." his spot was set upon a higher bed of stone, while hers was soil. it's damp from the downpour out of her makeshift mokuton cave.

wordlessly hashirama moved beside him, leaving a space beside them. madara yanked her closer once she lay down.

"mada-"

"i said we should conserve heat," he said, his breath warm on her neck.

"no-I need to turn..." her heart felt like jumping from her ribcage as she turned, now facing him.

hashirama touched his bare chest. madara's heart was pounding madly too.

.

listening to his heartbeat all night long was better than talking.