☆HashiMada OneShots☆

Immune

It starts with a sneeze.

"You need to take it easy, Hashirama," Madara says, looking up from the scrolls on his desk to eye Hashirama. He's bent over, Hokage hat obscuring his face as he reads through the never-ending pile of documents on his own desk, absently wiping his nose.

"I'm fine, Madara. I just have to get through these..." Madara has lost track of what he's working on now, whether it's Tobirama's ideas of an academy for children, his own for some sort of centralized medical center, Madara's for concerns of political power structures in the village, or something else altogether.

The blustery winter outside makes him tired and sluggish and despite how much Hashirama hates to be stuck indoors on the best of days, he's worked non-stop since they broke ground for the village in spring. It's grown especially worse in the last three weeks since he was elected Hokage to the point Madara, a self-admitted workaholic, is even growing concerned.

"You're going to get sick at this rate," he mutters, still loud enough for Hashirama to hear.

"I don't get sick. Madara," Hashirama says.

"Hmph." Madara crosses his arms and leans back, staring at him. Hashirama doesn't look up.

Madara's words become a prediction.

Over the next week, Hashirama drags himself to the Tower looking more and more haggard with a little cough and sneeze every few hours, to every hour, to constantly as he sits at his desk, working. He turns away any show of concern from Madara-and one from Tobirama when Hashirama's coughing fit drew him from down the hall-with a wave and excuse that they only need to clean the office, it must be dust and grime in a newly built building for gods' sakes, because he doesn't get sick.

"You sound terrible. Go home," Madara tells him one day when the coughing and nose blowing distracts him from his own work.

"I can't Madara, I have to-" Hashirama's voice cracks and breaks into a hoarse whisper, "-finish my work. We've spent so much money buying food to get through the winter, we have to be prepared to start farming in spring or we'll have to overwork the shinobi to make more money for next winter." He shuffles several papers around on his desk, pulling up scroll after scroll with tiny headache inducing characters in an effort to prove to Madara overworking himself is the answer.

"I'm sure it'll go even more smoothly if the Hokage suddenly drops dead," Madara says flatly, jabbing Hashirama in the arm. He whines, finally raising his head to meet Madara's eyes. "Well your appearance certainly matches." Madara shoves down the worry that rises swiftly in his chest. Hashirama's eyes are bloodshot, deep purple smudges under his eyes, his brown skin is oddly sallow-washed out and sickly.

" Madara ," Hashirama complains and tries to lower his head. Madara's hand darts out and grabs his chin, keeping his face turned up. Hashirama pouts at him, but it's not the usual childish mischief, it's too serious and tired like the rest of him.

"You're going home, Hashirama. I'm going to drag you out of this office if I need to." Madara stares him down and after a long moment filled with only the sound of their breathing and the faint echoes of workers moving outside the doors, Hashirama sighs and breaks his gaze.

"Fine, but let me-"

"No." Madara reaches for the scroll in his hand and pulls it away, firmly but carefully. He'd hate to rip something important and set Hashirama back, or have him use that as an excuse to stay in the office any longer. He grumbles but gives it up without much of a fight. Hashirama watches as Madara tidies his desk, rolling the scrolls up and setting them neatly to the side, gathering the few loose papers into a neat stack, keeping Hashirama's scribbled notes together, cleaning and then putting up his brushes. When Madara packs the last brush away in its box with a definitive click, Hashirama pushes himself to his feet without further complaints. He sways a bit on his feet and Madara reaches out to grab his arm before he can stumble or worse, fall. "When was the last time you ate, Hashirama?"