Cordarone (Hashirama x Madara AND Tobirama x Izuna)

9. Cordarone, intravenously (Hashirama)

"Hashi? Is that you?"

"Are you awake, my love?"

Hashirama's chambers held the scent of sickness intermingled with the soft, flowery smell of Madara without it. The vast, cosy spaces were darkened with curtains having been pulled over the windows, probably by some kind doctor who desired for Madara, who was bed-ridden by now, to rest. The atmosphere in the room was so heavy, Hashirama felt as if it was trying to chase him away. 

Hashirama swallowed and steeled himself; he did not want Madara to see how worried and saddened he was.

Then, he walked over to his beloved.

Madara's face was shining with cold sweat. He was pale, but not in his usual, rosy way but rather in a bloodless, translucent manner. His eyes were hazed over, only able to remain half-open, and his brows were knitted. His heart was now so poorly, just laying down caused him great distress.

"I can't sleep without you by my side", Madara said as Hashirama kissed his forehead. It was wet and icy cold, he noted with fret. "Yet now you are here, I never want to sleep. I just want to be with you. Talk until morning just like we used to."

Hashirama took Madara's hand and kissed it. There was no strength in that limb whatsoever, not even the tiniest hint of muscle contraction to help Hashirama lift it to his lips. If he were to let that hand go, it would immediately fall to the bed with a thump.

"I know you well enough to not try to convince you otherwise", Hashirama said warmly. "You know I think you should listen to your doctors and rest."

"I know", Madara said without the hint of an agreement, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "Tell me... Did you give your little brother a stern talking-to?"

Hashirama smiled.

"I did."

A glimmer of hope flashed by Madara's eyes, making Hashirama wish he could replay the moment and do it again just to see it one more time, or two more times, or a thousand more times.

"And..?" Madara asked hopefully.

"If I say he's going to talk to him, will you become better just to experience the whole thing unfurl?" Hashirama joked, but the joke saddened him.

"Really?! They'll talk?!"

"They'll talk", Hashirama said and kissed Madara's hand again.

"Oh, thank God", Madara said and leaned back on his pillows, and Hashirama was suddenly frightened Madara would leave this world now he could rest in the fact that his little brother might get taken care of.

"Stay with me, Maddie", he said.

"I haven't seen my little brother in so long", he said.

"You have been too weak to go down there", Hashirama said.

"Oh, Hashi." Madara's hand flinched as if wanting to find his lover's face, but it couldn't move. "Both you and me know that is not true. Both you and me know you could just carry me. I know the king has forbidden me. But I do appreciate the effort."

It was true. Hashirama had begged the king, his father, on his bare knees to let Madara see Izuna, but had always been told no. Hashirama suspected that it was because the king was ashamed of the state of the little boy; the exorcism-like experimentation on him had stopped only a couple of years ago.

Suddenly, Madara had a coughing fit that sounded wet; due to his heart failure, he had collected water in his lungs.

"Stay with me, Maddie", Hashirama repeated, panic-stricken.