Madara put the small chest up on the high shelf where it belonged and tossed his hair out of his eyes, glancing down at- He stiffened.
"Kagami?" he said, wavering slightly. How. How had the toddler disappeared so quickly? He could barely even stay on his feet on his own! "Kagami!"
. . .Madara was not going to panic, and he was not going to have to explain to anyone that he had lost his ward. He moved away from the shelves, looking around for Kagami, surely he had not gotten far, he couldn't have- He paused, cocking his head, then turned on his heel and strode for the door into the front room.
Kagami grinned, toddling towards him with growing speed. "Marrrara!" he said happily, then began to waver. Madara took a couple of quick steps and scooped him up before he could hit the ground, brushing off a bit of dirt his pants had picked up.
Laughing happily and waving his newest little paper bird in one hand, Kagami reached up and-
Madara sighed as Kagami's fingers - perpetually sticky, how were small children always sticky? - tangled into his hair. Madara brought him up a little higher, easing the tension of Kagami's pulling, and began to unwind the boy's clutching fingers. "Now, now, is that any way to treat your Clan Head?" he asked softly, wrinkling his nose playfully and tickling under Kagami's chin.
Kagami kicked his feet and waved his bird again. "Mmmara!"
Madara shook his head slightly with a wry laugh. "Kagami!" he said cheerfully in return. Eventually Kagami was going to get his name right. Eventually. Madara clasped Kagami around the ribs and lifted him up high and he squirmed happily, yet undeveloped chakra coils fizzing with excitement. He would be a powerful shinobi one day - but he wouldn't have to be if he didn't wish to, not any more. Not in Konoha. Madara smiled warmly at him.
Kagami made his attempt at a bird call, flapping the bird. Madara grinned, then cleared his throat and chirruped, imitating a mother hawk. Kagami watched him, fascinated, bringing the bird forward in a clumsy imitation of a swoop as Madara repeated the sound.
Madara hummed, lowering Kagami and holding the toddler close against his chest again. He'd released Madara's hair in his excitement with the bird, but he promptly caught hold of it again - only higher this time, gripping one of the locks that fell around Madara's face. He sighed and began untwining tiny fingers from the thick strands yet again.
It seemed he was forever doing so; as though Madara's hair wasn't unruly enough before clumsy toddler fingers got themselves tangled up in it.
He glanced up, hearing a soft sound that turned out to be Tobirama's hand sliding over the doorframe as he walked through it. He smiled.
"Hello darling." Tobirama said, smiling as he bowed his head and brushing a nuzzling kiss to Kagami's brow. He giggled and squirmed, leaning towards Tobirama. "And hello, pet." he added, glancing up to meet Madara's eyes before he straightened.
Madara freed one hand, shifting Kagami to rest more securely against his chest, and let it slide over Tobirama's bicep and shoulder to rest at the base of his neck. He straightened, letting Madara draw him in, and leaned over Kagami to meet Madara with a soft, warm kiss. Madara sighed, lips tugging into a smile.
Tobirama rubbed their noses together gently, brushing a kiss to the corner of Madara's mouth. Kagami kicked him, flailing and voicing his protest with being ignored, and Tobirama chuckled as he pulled away, looking down at the toddler.
"Mama, Rama, Rama!" Kagami chanted, and Tobirama gave him a fond look, despite the way his name came out.
"Ah, little one." Tobirama said softly, stroking Kagami's cheek. He took half a step back and took the little bird from Kagami's grasp - he fussed, but let Tobirama have it, focusing on it in Tobirama's hands with all the sharpness his little mind was capable of.
Tobirama dug his thumbnail into the thick paper, scribing a quick design, then brushed his thumb over it with a tiny spark of chakra Madara barely felt even from so close, even watching for it. Tobirama opened his hands and let the bird go with a puff of air, and it spread its wings and flew.
Kagami clapped his hands - some of Madara's hair was still tangled around his fingers, but he wasn't pulling it, so Madara didn't yet try to fight him over it any more - and laughed gleefully. Tobirama smiled, his eyes gone soft and vulnerable in the familiar way that was one of Madara's favourite expressions on him.
He came closer with a low laugh, nimble fingers deftly untangling Kagami from Madara's hair and smoothing it back. He stroked Kagami's messy hair, then plucked him from Madara's arms and put him back on the floor, the bird flying lower to circle him, chirping encouragingly.
Madara grinned, watching him toddle after it. Tobirama's paper birds had been Kagami's favourite encouragement as he learned how to toddle along on his own feet.
Madara wrapped an arm around Tobirama's waist and tugged him in. He raised his eyebrows, giving Madara an arch look, but he was still smiling, and he let himself be caught. He met Madara's eyes with another kind of soft look, and Madara slid his free hand up Tobirama's neck to cup his head, bringing him in for a more involved kiss.
Tobirama purred, fingertips dancing up Madara's forearm where it wrapped around his hip, and buried his free hand in Madara's hair as he pressed close.
