Faith. (Sequel)

Chapter 12 | Bond

I'm not satisfied with this chapter but I'm just gonna leave it here because it's been way too long since I last updated

----------------------------------

Madara felt the bed dip in. The sheets were lifted for a few seconds before it covered him again and he heard Asami hum softly behind him.

Suddenly, he felt her take the fabric of his shirt between her fingers, giving it a weak pull. Madara looked over his shoulder and saw Asami looking at her hands, avoiding his gaze. ''Do you mind?'' She asked slowly, almost hesitantly. Her voice sounded hoarse and the softness made her almost inaudible.

Madara lay his head back on the pillow and stared at the wall in front of him. What a stupid question. Why was she still so uncertain while she had no reason to be?

''Go ahead.''

With his consent, Asami moved closer to him and snuggled against his back. She felt so much safer in his presence. With him here, the nightmare of earlier wouldn't repeat itself. She knew that, yet she was still afraid. It was as if those slender fingers were still pressed against her neck, ready to choke her. The awful stench that was still hanging around the room was only increasing her uneasiness. The terrible smell of blood wasn't really welcoming; it was the exact opposite.

It made Asami nauseous.

The body was gone, the room was cleaned, but the air was still incredibly foul. A truly rotten smell which didn't seem to bother Madara. This didn't surprise Asami. She knew he was used to it. After countless battles and innumerable kills, the smell of blood was probably pretty normal to him now.

Asami clenched her jaw and pressed her forehead against Madara's broad back. Even though it was presumably the truth, she still felt bad for thinking about him that way. It made him seem ruthless, while he was actually a good man.

Even though she knew that many would disagree, Asami really believed that.

~~~

When Asami had finally fallen asleep, which took quite a while, the door to the bedroom opened. The soft creaks awakened Madara, who had always been a light sleeper. Through half-closed eyes, he watched Kouta slowly walk toward them.

''Mommy?''

Knowing that Asami was finally sleeping, getting the rest she deserved, Madara decided to calm him down, even though Kouta was calling for his mother and not him. He waved his hand at him, signaling him to come over to him.

Kouta quickened his pace and Madara lifted him onto the bed when he was within his reach. The younger Uchiha crawled under the covers and used Madara's arm as a pillow. Madara noticed his red and slightly swollen eyes, which was all he needed to see to know he had been crying.

''I can't sleep.'' Kouta sniveled, looking at his father. ''Can I sleep here tonight?''

Madara hummed before letting out a sigh, giving his head a gentle stroke. ''You're already here now, aren't you?'' He said, brushing a few strands of hair out of his face. He wasn't sure about how to act around him, how to act like a father. So he did what he saw Asami do, even though her words and feelings were probably more sincere than his. He didn't know Kouta that well after all.

The bond he had with Kouta was still weak.

~~~

Madara was the first one to wake up. He had barely opened his eyes before he saw Kouta lying near the edge of the bed. He quickly pulled him toward him before Kouta could make a wrong move which would result in him falling on the ground. Kouta hummed softly but a tug wasn't enough to wake him.