Time passed by and yet, the sharingan didn't discern anything.
This could look different, the dream could vanish in a blink of an eye, in a matter of few seconds. All he needed to do was to give you the look he gives to everyone else, to see you through, to discover your hidden fears and veiled lies. For his sharingan, there was no problem in determining your anxieties.
He was a careful man, full of reserve, always taking precautions. He wished others to know the strength stored beneath the irises sparkling in ebony. That he was in a possession of a fatal threat he will use with no hesitation under appropriate conditions. As a head of the Uchiha clan itself - Madara demanded to be respected and feared.
And yet, he didn't do anything. All he did was making an exception from these rules for you.
Only now you started to realize the truth hidden behind his onyx eyes (you've never seen the crimson, but you knew it was there - lurking, waiting), why they never tried to judge you or proclaim facts without previously uncovering them by themselves. He never was reckless nor impatient. He waits for your words to be spoken out and only then he responds, answers to your concerns and addresses to your laughs or tales you liked to tell him about, what he still thinks and is certain of, worlds and stories you've come up all by yourself (little did he know that you've built your, no, his reality on lies).
Madara genuinely wanted to get you to know better with no use of many of his tricks. He never dared to show you the famous redness of the Uchiha as he claimed it to be an unfair move. Instead, he used the game of words and leaded dialogues with you, what indeed was the best way to familiarize himself with you.
At first, he was distant - putting away all the sensitive topics he would never talk about to strangers, keeping his emotions at bay, trying to hide his unusual interest directed on you. But before you could notice, Madara started to open up to you, something you would never expect from his side. Things have changed and you perceived a little spark of joy in his eyes whenever he gets to see you.
How many times did you catch him on landing these dark irises on you during negotiations with the Senju? How many times did he stand by your side, while you previously alone tried to calm another of the heated arguments between the clans? How many times did you hear the words of encouragement, words saying that you're doing great? And why all of this made you feel what you're feeling right now?
Then, you realized how wrong all of it was.
But, where was the wrongness buried here? Was it him, being so careless, almost too trustful, his hopes being too high when it comes to you? Was it you with your obscure secrets and a fake mask always on? Or maybe the world itself, looking so real and yet feeling so inconstant, as it was going to crash anytime, like a falling comet tasked to destroy one of your most desired dreams?
You've given up on reality a long time ago, and here - you felt at peace.
(but how incorrect this feeling was)
"This is all wrong," you kept muttering as it was a mantra, waiting for the coming of Madara who advised you to wait for him to finish his regular duties and complete the routine of the day.
This one, however, was special. It wasn't common for the clan leader to meet you that far from the Uchiha compound, where the wildness takes over the place, where the trees hum above your head and where the only existing state is is peace. Birds ruling the sky, falling leaves passing by, the song of the autumn forest filling your ears - why despite all you weren't able to unwind?
Because you understood you went too far with your feelings and you suspected Madara did too.
"(Y/n)," he calls your from the other side, coming out from nowhere.
Or perhaps you were too lost in your thoughts to notice.
"Madara," you greet the man back as he approaches, feeling no shame in taking both of your hands once he's close. His heavy armour was gone, weapon probably stored in the arsenal and you guessed he was feeling bare with only long-sleeved kimono on.
"I'm glad you came."
"As I always do whenever you ask, Madara." sounded your voice of answer and you let him hold your slim hands.
His onyx eyes stared directly into yours - and yet again, he trapped you in non-existential genjutsu, making you unable to take your gaze away. Not because he was holding you still by force, but because you were truly intrigued by what was hidden down the eyesockets of blackness, what kind of power it held and what yet you had left to discover. During these moments of such an odd intimacy between both of you, you forget about all the wrongness, about all the words you still have to somehow form into sentences to speak.
You were so fascinated by him (despite it was a dream).
"I have an important matter to tell you," the voice filled with a unique softness and a gentle squeeze on your hands ripped you out from the illusion you didn't even know you were trapped in.
"I need to tell you something too," you tried to fight back his overwhelming power of voice, but it had no use as Madara came as a triumphant once again.
(compared to his confident form, you still had a lot to learn about self-esteem)
"Not now, however. I was first to claim my need," he spoke, his fingers brushing against your palm "I hope you do not mind the circumstances, but there's a reason I craved for privacy for both of us. Uchiha's compound is busy nowadays, I sense war stalking around," he stated, pulling you closer with all the gentleness he had "Now, there's something far more important I need to do."
You sensed a hint of impatience in his tone as he leaned close, so close that you felt his warm breath on your cheeks.
"I've been waiting for so long, (y/n). With the elders always watching, I would never be able to do what I'm going to do now," his grip became tighter as he whispered, onyx eyes still staring directly into yours, digging deep into your soul "I love you, (y/n). Stay with me."
You felt Madara's figure move against yours again, attempting to lean in, not even waiting to hear if you reciprocate his feelings. He was so stubborn, so idiotic to feel such confidence in himself. He was certain you felt the same way about him and who were you trying to deceive - he was right.
You didn't even try to deny it anymore.
His lips almost came in contact with yours, just a little more and you would feel them brush against the softness of your skin. You could let it go on, live in your perfect dream even if you had no idea it would have come to this. It felt so good, to be happy again, to live the way you always wanted and wished for, but…
That was when you pushed him away for the very first time, surprise and concern written on his face.
You hurt him for the very first time too.
"I can't," you mumbled, taking a few steps back from the man you craved for so much "This is all wrong, Madara. I-I feel wrong, this needs to stop."
"What are you talking about?"
"Everything," you confessed, the voice of your downfall hitting Madara's ears "This whole… thing. This world, these people, and I… I need to stop running…"
You finally faced the truth - despite this realm being so perfect, just like you've imagined, it wasn't something you could cling to forever. Madara remained silent and you couldn't blame him, you couldn't blame him for misinterpreting the words which slipped out from your lips.
You saw his confusion, the manner in which his face muscles tensed up. He was looking for an answer, still with no use of the sharingan hidden behind the irises of black, so you decided to explain.
Or to try, at least.
"You did nothing wrong. I am the guilty one here," you revealed, feeling your legs tremble under your weight just like the world around you, so you sat down in submission to what was going to come next "Nothing of this is real, Madara. I've been…" you bit your tongue before allowing these forbidden words escape your throat.
You couldn't just say you've been using him and this world as an escape from your problems. You can do better than that.
"I've come up with this world. I can control it, make certain things… happen if I wished for it," but you never did and never will "This is like… a genjutsu of my making. A recreated… reality."
You've never seen Madara in such turmoil before. You knew he was on his edge, in need of answers.
"Cut the chase," he almost growled and your body shivered "and get to the point."
"I'm a reality shifter, Madara. This world - I created it on my own," you whispered as the Uchiha knelt before your little form. He was doing all his best to stay calm and patient with you, but you knew in his true nature he was a total opposite.
What have you done to make him so soft on you? Why was he so gentle all the time, always holding himself back so you wouldn't experience his true character? Why was he so harsh for everyone around but not for you?
You didn't scribe anything, or at least you didn't intend to. You put this world in place, described some rules, settled the most important characters and events and that was it. You let the time pass by at its own pace, not interfering and not using your godlike powers. Despite you could stop the coming of the war between the Uchiha and the Senju and bring peace in the result - you were just an observer, watching how the chain of events progresses. The most you did was to attend to some of the clan meetings, trying to cool the heated atmosphere between members.
It was indeed your world, but you wanted to let it live its own life.
"And now, when everything evolved into… this, I started to see how wrong all of that is," Madara still kept his silence, allowing you to continue, so you did "I've been using this world as an escape from 'true'- my reality," you judged he deserved the plain truth at the end "I don't want it to sound sharp like I don't care because… I do care, god, I really do and if I could I would stay there for the whole eternity. And as much as I hate to say that… I am not who you think, Madara," you exposed yourself, lifting your gaze to meet the crimson of the sharingan "I tend to escape from problems I see no way of solving, I'm closing myself more with each day, I can't see sense in all of this and I… I am truly a coward."
A single flash of his glance and he knew.
"You're saying the truth."
"Of course I am, Madara," tears start to prick your eyes and your voice shakes.
"Have you predefined our meeting? How much of this was settled down before we even met?"
"I swear I didn't prescribe anything-"
"Did you make me feel all these feelings I am feeling right now?"
"Madara-"
"So this is all a lie, isn't it? Just a dream of yours?"
"Madara!" this time your voice demanded to be listened, no approving any more of the comments slipping out from the Uchiha's mouth "I had no idea it would end like that! I didn't set any of this beforehand, I didn't make you feel anything against your will! It just… it just happened!" you cried out in frustration, leaving the man shocked to see you raise your tone against him for the first time in ages, "You think I'm playing with your feelings? That it's just a game for me? God, this is exactly what I was trying to flee from the whole time! The whole goddamn time! I hate it, I hate it when someone tries to treat me like a toy, why would I want someone else to feel the same way?!"
You were on your edge as well, not able to bottle up your feelings anymore. You hated yourself from using this world to your pleasure, to behave like this and only this mattered. You were escaping for the true reality for too long, wasting your time on building your position in the universe which didn't even exist outside your imagination.
It didn't matter. It never did. You wasted your time and Madara was going to hate you for the truth you've just spitted before him.
He was going to hate you for being a wimp.
"I've never lied to you, Madara…" your voice lessened in defeat as your head lowered again, breaking the eye contact you had while yelping your frustration out, "and I've never intended on hurting you in any way… I-I'm sorry, if you want to I can just… vanish and let the events go on without me around…"
You couldn't look into his red eyes anymore, you didn't dare to give him a single glance. And Madara was still there, knelt in front of you and watching as your head goes to hide between legs. The eyes painted by blood investigated you, searching for the truth laying somewhere between all these lies you fed them.
So this is it? Was he finally losing his faith in you, turning into someone he should be from the very beginning?
"You're still saying the truth," was the first response you heard.
Sharingan was long gone when Madara settled himself down beside you, listening to the quietness of your whimpers with anguish twitching his guts back and forth.
Was he so blind to not notice the suffering of his beloved one for the whole time?
"I do not see anything wrong in seeking your space of comfort. Actually, I think it's one of the best things you can do while being troubled," he admitted, raising his hand to rest it on your shoulder "I appreciate you for saying the truth even if it's difficult, (y/n)."
Then he suddenly pulled you closer, embracing your whole being in his arms. He was still gentle, like under the fear of breaking your fragile body. He allowed his head to rest atop of yours, inhaling the sweet scent of your hair while passing his fingers between the strands.
"You're not a failure by looking for a place to calm your mind down. This is not a weakness, (y/n). The true strength comes from your ability to endure the pain you've been through, and this is evidence you're doing your best."
Your heart skipped a beat as your hands took a grip on Madara's kimono, like your whole life dependent on not letting him go. What if your mind refuses to listen to you upon revealing the truth? What if you don't find the power to keep this world running? You didn't want to witness it crumble because of your downfall.
But Madara holds you steady, ready to catch you if you fall. He wasn't letting you go either, he was like an angel for your deprived from determination soul.
In the result, the world stayed as it has always been.
"I can't be mad at you for standing against your vulnerabilities. You're here because you seek peace, right? To be able to think straight again, correct? It's not an escape, but one of the many ways to deal with obstacles created by life. There's nothing wrong in finding your own method," his lips brushed against your silky soft hair, placing a kiss where they landed "I'm proud of you for still being here and not giving up. That's exactly what I expect from my most precious one."
Madara's hand moved as he reached for your chin to lift your head up. He dug into your watering eyes and saw a glimpse of hope, something he always loved to see.
"Does… does it mean…"
"This changes nothing between both of us, (y/n). I am still here for you, whenever you need me," his hands left your jaw to travel down, finding their way to take a hold on your wrists "And I still want to be with you too. I don't care if this is fiction or not - as long as you're happy, I can deal with anything," a gentle squeeze of his hands sent a shiver coming down your spine "You can come back whenever you need it. You can always talk to me. You can open up. There's no need to struggle alone anymore."
He pressed his forehead against yours, meeting your glance. He gifted you with a kind smile, the most compassionate you've ever seen on his lips. The tenderness painted on his face gave you a promise of everything being alright and you couldn't help and smile back with your irises still covered in tears.
He damn loved seeing you smile. It was one of the greatest things he could ever wish for. You were his whole world, the reason why he could sacrifice everything to reach the peace you both desired for. You wanted it for this universe to stay peaceful, and Madara - for the sake of keeping you content and good.
"Together, we'll sort everything out."
And from now you knew you could tell him about every struggle or obstacle you were about to face.