Soul-bound

14. The taste of blood from his hands

My heart had broken into three pieces over the years. One piece belonged to my little brother. One piece belonged to Tobirama.

And the final, biggest piece belonged to the man lying on his back in front of me in the desert sand.

We were quiet for a while. Hashirama was still smiling. I believe my face was blank.

"You still have your hair short", I remarked.

"I kind of liked it", he said. "So I kept it."

And he stood up, his armour rustling, making me incredibly aware of the fact that I was completely unprotected, dressed only in a black robe showing off my collarbones.

We started walking next to one another, destination-less, neither of us saying anything. The hot desert sand making a soft sound beneath our feet that was incredibly pleasant. I knew I could just turn around and start fighting him. He was also incredibly aware of that. Yet, he made no move to distance himself from me; his arm brushed against mine over and over.

"Madara..."

"Mmm."

He had stopped and turned to me.

"Come back. Come back home with me."

I gaped. I had not expected this. Not even hoped for it. I had stopped hoping long ago.

"No", I said.

"Please", he begged.

"Why should I?!" I burst out, suddenly angry. "You ignored me for years! Then, after we had talked things out, instead of approaching me, you shunned me even further! We could only have a working cooperation because I made sure we could! Did you really believe I was so fragile so that I was going to beg you to love me back?! I just wanted us to be able to function normally and even that, you couldn't provide!"

Hashirama was frowning.

Then...

"Can you help me take my armour off?"

I didn't understand.

"Sorry, what?"

"It's hot. And it doesn't seem like we'll be in a battle. And even if we were, the armour would do nothing for me, judging by how you fought the army of an entire country aa if they were nothing. Please. I can't take it off myself."

I sighed. Then, I stepped towards him and, without looking him in the eye, I began the daunting process of taking off his red armour.

And he began speaking to me. In a low voice, he began speaking to me.

"Remember when you were leaving? And I said I wanted to tell you something?"

"Yes", I said as I unfastened a clasp.

"And you said you didn't want to hear? And I said, what if it was important? And you said that that made you desire to hear it even less?"

"I remember", I said, still not looking at him but enjoying his closeness, hating myself for it.

"I'm going to tell you now."

I stopped what I was doing, but still didn't look up at him, waiting.

"I'm in love with you, too", he finally said.

The entire world was pulled away from underneath my feet. It felt like I was in space, alone, with no sound or light or smell or sensation or taste. Nothing to anchor me. I fell, deeper and deeper down into something far too big for me to comprehend.

So I went back to his armour, taking it off slowly, piece by piece.

"I don't think it was a realisation", he explained, and I let him. "I didn't realise that I had loved you all along. There was truth behind the fact that that first time... In the forest... It..." He sighed. "It was for fun."

I felt rage bubble up within me.

Let it go, I told myself. Madara, let it go. It was a long time ago. Let the man explain.

And the fumes within me died as easily as when Tobirama used water against my fire.

Oh, Tobirama, what I wouldn't have given to get to speak to you now.

"But I fell in love with you. Over the years. Deeper and deeper until there was no doubt. I have tried to find you to tell you."

I tried to feel any joy behind it, any happiness, but I couldn't. I was still madly in love with the man, yes, but there was no happiness connected to that love. It was all so infected now. So old. I wanted to look to the future instead of looking back.

"You found me", I said, taking off the back piece of the armour. "You told me. Now, be done with it."

"Madara..."

I went to face him to lift off the final piece. Then, finally, I looked up at him.

"I'm happy you told me", I said. "In all of this, I'm happy you told me. So now I know."

"Please, Madara." His voice was dark. "Come back. Come back home with me. I miss you. There's still a place for you at my table. There's still a place for you in my home. I can even make it so you get your old home back. Please..."

He grabbed my chin softly with able fingers.

"Hashirama..."

My lips parted.

I wetted them with my tongue.

He leaned in and kissed me.

I immediately felt that he loved me by the way he kissed me. His lips were soft, his movements slow. I moaned; I couldn't help myself. I leaned in and grabbed his shirt softly. His hands went to my waist, pulling me in. I opened my mouth, and he played at my tongue with his. It was wonderful. Truly magical.

Yet nothing had ever hurt so much.

He took off his glove and put his hand to my cheek. It was still bleeding from when he had held the blade of the enemy sword to prevent it from killing him. I turned my head, took his fingers into my mouth, kissed them. The taste of blood on his hands was a welcome treat. I heard his breathing become heavier and heavier the more I sucked, and I blushed.

When he detached his fingers from my mouth to kiss me again, I put my fingers to his lips.

"Sorry, Hashirama", I said.

"What-"

"I love you."

And I activated my bloodline eyes and forced him into hallucination so that I could escape him.