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Indra frowned even as he stepped forwards. The younger Senju looked . . . tired. Worn, perhaps, more than tired. He turned the little necessary to face Indra fully and offered a polite smile, though his beautiful eyes looked flat.
“Good afternoon.”
“Hello.” Indra returned the smile, extending a hand. “Uchiha Indra. You. . . Are you all right?” he asked as they clasped hands lightly. “You seem tired. We don’t have to do this now.”
“Senju Tobirama, but I suppose you knew that.” Tobirama said, his smile tightening just a little, for a flicker of a moment. “I am well enough. I have been up and down,” he gestured to the sky above them with his free hand, “with Uchiha all day.”
“Ah. My apologies.” Indra said softly. He had been supposed to be here this morning, he was vaguely aware, along with his brothers.
“No need.” Tobirama said, waving it off. He squeezed Indra’s hand lightly, then released it. “Shall we, then, Indra-san?”
“As you are ready.” Indra agreed, inclining his head, and a few beats later saw them in the air, working to gain altitude from the rather awkward starting point. No wonder, Indra thought fleetingly, Tobirama seemed worn - this was far from a favourable location to begin a flight.
When they reached a comfortable height they moved to circle each other, and while Tobirama flew with grace . . . what they performed together was a mechanical, joyless flight that saddened Indra a little. He fluttered his wings and fell into a shallow, bobbing dip, watching Tobirama. He responded immediately, perhaps instinctively, and Indra beat his wings harder in that moment, rising higher and looping comfortably.
Tobirama’s lips twitched as he followed suit, the flight feeling more natural and easier-
Indra’s wings twitched, breath catching, and Tobirama’s expression shifted. “Indra-san?” he called, angling his flight to come closer. It let Indra have a beautifully unobstructed view of the crimson streaks now pouring across his snowy white wings.
Indra’s throat locked and he wobbled in his flight. Tobirama’s eyes went wide, no longer focused on his face but sliding further out. Indra wanted to look, to see what his own patterns looked like, but he couldn’t tear his gaze from Tobirama’s.
“I- Down?” Indra managed to choke out, and Tobirama nodded stiffly.
They dropped together, not nearly so gracefully as Indra knew he was capable of in usual circumstances and would assume Tobirama surely was as well. Straightening up again but not folding his wings away, Indra swallowed, still unable to stop staring at Tobirama’s own wings.
Tobirama twisted, curving his wings forwards and inspecting them, reaching out with tentative fingers to touch his own feathers. It spurred Indra to do the same, looking around and finding. . .
Indra’s breath caught, and then he laughed a little, startled. There were speckles of the same purple as the markings on his face now colouring his feathers, with larger splotches like eye-spots on the larger ones towards the bottom of his wings.
“We’re . . . matched.” Tobirama said softly, and Indra raised his head, looking around again quickly. He held out a hand, and Indra clasped it again, but. . .
“We are.” Indra couldn’t keep the delight from his voice - wasn’t trying, but thought giddily that he was supremely unlikely to have been able to suppress it anyway. “I. . .” He paused, licking his lips. “Tobirama,” he hesitated, but left off the honorific, even if it was a little presumptuous, “I am overjoyed to have found you . . . but we don’t know each other.” he said gently, tightening his grip on Tobirama’s hand, then . . . letting him go. It ached to do it, just a little, but he didn’t let that show.
Tobirama blinked rapidly, looking at him. Indra smiled tentatively, and Tobirama returned it, though it was a little shaky.
“I would very much like to get to know you, though. As slowly as you would - as we would - find comfortable. If you. . .” Indra gestured, spreading his wings a little further as he did and then folding them away.
“The end result, if this exercise revealed any matched pairs, was to produce an alliance-cementing engagement.” Tobirama pointed out, slow and careful. Indra frowned. “I would- I appreciate your putting it that way,” he said, smiling weakly, “but the plan doesn’t really allow for such time.”
Indra’s frown deepened. “That is not what was agreed to.” he said, and Tobirama hummed non-committally. “Leave it to my brother,” he said, and resisted the urge to reach out and test the feel of Tobirama’s crimson-streaked cheek, “Madara would never agree to force anything of the kind, and,” Indra laughed a little, “he will definitely outmatch anyone who would and shout them down.”
“Truly?” Tobirama said, and immediately looked as though he wished he could call his own voice back.
“Whoever it was who discovered their patterns today, he would do so.” Indra confirmed gently. “Not only because it is me.”
Tobirama looked at Indra carefully, beautiful eyes mostly hidden behind his fringe. “We should go tell both of our brothers about our match.” he said, and Indra didn’t push. He nodded agreement, and they turned towards the other end of the compound together.
Indra was pleased when Tobirama didn’t walk too quickly, however, and they spoke as they walked. The beginnings of learning about one another, truly, and he welcomed it; he was even more pleased when Tobirama slid a light touch over his wrist and invited another handclasp. He was smiling when they heard his brother - before either Madara or the target of his shouting came in sight.
“Obviously!” Hashirama yelled in return, though his voice was light and happy, where Madara’s had been thick with frustration. “If any of our people find their matches here. . . Oh, Madara! It would be wonderful!” he cried, and Indra frowned, slowing.
Tobirama kept walking, however, and as Indra didn’t wish to pull free of their clasped hands. . .
“They should be together! All matches should, they belong together!” Hashirama said as they came into sight, which was pure foolishness, but not unexpected from what Indra knew of the man - much of it that had been shared by his brother, often with exasperated tones, if also generally accompanied by a fond smile. “It would be amazing not only for them but for our village, for our peace!” Hashirama said loudly as they approached the pair. “We should proceed right away, should any matches-”
“Hold it!” Madara snapped, his stark black wings arched behind him and now puffing up, feathers bristling. “If we find any matches in this ridiculous experiment of yours,” he snapped, “that is wonderful and how they proceed from here is up to them!” he emphasised the last few bellowed words with pointed jabs of his finger to the centre of Hashirama’s chest.
“Ah, Madara- I only mean-”
“Oh my.” Tobirama said softly.
“Mm, I did say, about my brother.” Indra said, unsurprised.
“Ah yes. Ah. So I see.” Tobirama agreed, nodding. “I . . . find myself suddenly so much more fond of your brother.” he said.
Indra laughed, then frowned, tugging at Tobirama’s hand. “You’re my match,” he pouted theatrically as Tobirama looked at him, “don’t get too much more fond of him. Besides,” he tilted his head and fluffed his feathers, “aren’t I much prettier?”
Tobirama only half managed to stifle his laughter, and Indra dropped the affectation and grinned, squeezing their clasped hands. It had nicely distracted him from the argument ahead of them - and also, Indra realised suddenly, attracted their brothers’ attention.
“Indra-! Your wings!” Madara said, reacting faster, bolting across the space between them. “Your soulmate! You- You’re matched!” He looked at them both, then down to their clasped hands.
“Tobi!” Hashirama cried, almost earsplittingly loud but clearly happy. “You’ve found your match! Amongst the Uchiha!” He paused, eyes widening, somehow contriving to look even more delighted. “Madara’s brother!”
Madara looked stoically pained by the cry almost in his ear. “I’m so happy for you.” he said with a slight smile, bowing his head, and Indra nodded back, unable to keep the grin off his face. Madara looked to Tobirama and bowed his head again, and Tobirama returned the gesture, murmuring thanks.
“Tobi!” Hashirama cried, and flung himself at his brother. Indra startled, jerking sideways, eyes wide. Tobirama didn’t flinch, meeting his brother’s onslaught with . . . a returned hug, patting his back. “Congratulations!”
Hashirama pulled back as they thanked him, bringing his hands together before him and clasping them tightly. “We should proceed immediately! The two of you have found each other, and now that you have we can make it official, and-”
“Hashirama!” Madara barked. “We just discussed this!” he snapped when Hashirama looked around at him, expression puzzled and wavery. “What happens next is up to them! Not you! No matter how excited you are! They will not be rushed off to an engagement or kami forbid a marriage for any purpose brought about by our politics!”
“Well . . . I mean.” Tobirama said, and Indra turned to look at him, surprised. “If it is an engagement by our own terms, allowing us to set the pace, or . . . or step back if we so choose, and without expectation that we marry when the village is begun. . .”
Indra stared at him, heart warm and fluttery, even as Tobirama’s feathers fluffed and he fidgeted, looking a bit nervous. Hashirama began to speak and Madara hit him, knocking the air from his lungs before he could interrupt. Indra loved his little brother.
“I would be very happy with a relaxed engagement.” Indra said softly, turning their hands upwards and lacing their fingers snugly together. Tobirama smiled and relaxed a little, though his wings were still fluffed.
Tobirama raised their clasped hands, smiling at Indra, and Madara squeezed their hands gently in both of his own, then pulled free the ribbon he had bound them with.
“Congratulations,” he said, his powerful voice warm, “now . . . fly.”
They were in the air almost before the word was spoken, spiralling around one another and brushing fingertips as they rose together. Indra fluttered his wings and dipped, then swooped higher as Tobirama came close, and he laughed, remembering their first flight - awkward and strange and . . . wonderful, Tobirama thought, eyes straying to the purple splotches on his soulmate’s wings. The pattern that had bloomed when they flew together.
Three years ago, that first stilted flight, they had landed immediately - Tobirama wasn’t certain they could have remained in the sky, then, both of them more than a little shocked at the patterns their flight had brought out on each other - this time, they flew until Hashirama called them down.
They exchanged a smile and dove, landing within a heartbeat of one another, folding their wings and seeking out each others’ hands again, fingers twining. Hashirama swept them both into his arms as he congratulated them with loud enthusiasm, wings folding around them both in a half-smothering gesture of affection; Tobirama leaned into his brother’s embrace with a smile, and Indra sighed, but didn’t pull away.
Hashirama released them eventually and they were pulled off to be congratulated by more of their friends and clanmates. Tobirama kept hold of Indra’s hand, their fingers woven together, until they finally had a moment to themselves again, in a corner of the garden under the broad crown of one of the large trees Hashirama had coaxed into growth for Madara when they settled here.
Indra leaned close, his wings cupping forwards, and Tobirama smiled and brought his own around until their feathers brushed and they were hidden away inside the wall of their wings. Indra grinned and reached up with his free hand, stroking right across one of the brilliant red streaks on Tobirama’s nearer wing. Tobirama caught his soulmate - now his husband as well - into a soft kiss, nuzzling him and pressing close into his body.
“I love you.” Indra breathed against his mouth as they parted, squeezing Tobirama’s hand, his thumb rubbing Tobirama’s wrist.
After three years of an engagement, much of which had been spent together - they would be returning, tonight, to the house they had shared for two of those years - little of this was new, certainly not their feelings for one another. Despite that, Tobirama found he was still beyond pleased to have officially sealed their partnership and to finally call his soulmate ‘husband’ - even more than he would have anticipated, his heart fluttering and achily warm in his chest.
Tobirama closed his eyes, nestling closer to Indra with a soft rustle of their feathers brushing. “I love you.” he returned, soft and content.