Chapter Text
Your friends had been so happy for you, giddy smiles and awes and envy mixed with each other. It was an auspicious match after all. The daughter of the richest noble in the village, marrying one of the founding members. Even when it was matched, even if you didn’t know each other, there was nothing but fortune ahead of you.
“To your new future together,” your father rose a cup towards his new son-in-law, pride beaming off his face as you and your husband followed, answering his toast.
“Thank you, father. It is my fortune to have such a beautiful wife,” your husband responded. You glanced over, stealing an opportunity to take in his features.
Madara Uchiha had a fearsome reputation, but was by no means a bad-looking man. His fair skin, contrasted with his dark hair and eyes made him a handsome man to look at. And while his hair was wild and untamed his eyes stood happy today. The rumoured bloodlust that usually clung onto him nowhere to be seen.
“I’m only letting me [Name] go knowing that she will be in good hands with you, but if she ever comes to me crying I won’t forgive you!” your father warned with a booming laugh. To this Madara only chuckled, downing the sake that he had held in hands.
“A toast to the bride!” Hashirama stood up this time, as Madara’s best man, but also as the head of the village it was only natural that he lead the ceremony. A bright smile was set on his face as well as he raised his cup towards you.
Dark eyes looked into yours, reminding you of your own role as you quickly averted your gaze and picked up your cup.
“Madara is a handful, but don’t be afraid to tell him off,” the hokage good-naturedly teased, earning a scoff from his friend next to you. Ignoring the protests, Hashirama continued, his hand rising higher towards his good friend. “And he might not look like it, but he is a kind man.”
This brought a fond smile on the face of both men.
Nodding you bowed to the hokage, accepting his toast before downing the cup.
It was how the night would continue to grow, the hours seeping away into dawn.
This was how your married life with Madara Uchiha started. Without an intimate moment the two of you as you drank until late at night, barely a word exchanged between on the assumption that time would bring you closer as husband and wife.
It was a good thing that you had insisted on keeping your job. The emptiness of the house and the hollowness between the two of you would have long since driven you crazy otherwise. And though it wasn’t how things traditionally went Madara had appreciated you continuing your work as well.
Nothing between the two of you had been traditional anyway. The very start of your marriage had proven so much. Without a touch exchanged between the two of you started to live together, sleeping separately and living past each other. Sometimes it pained you, as you wondered what his kind smile had been for, or why he had assented to a marriage at all if he wasn’t willing to participate in it. The envy of your friends before suddenly sounded empty and far away as well.
Madara didn’t seem to carry a lot of interest in you. He maintained his distance as he regarded you as a stranger. Not that you minded, the two of you had been strangers before the wedding, but somewhere inside you had wished for some intimacy, or at least an effort to get to know the other.
The days of the Konoha founders were long, usually existing out of all sorts of small tasks that had the ability to drag on forever. It wasn’t uncommon that Madara spent nights in the office instead of home, or that he was gone for days on missions for reconnaissance or else. What bothered you more was the abruptness in which it happened, as the man communicated little with you.
Not one to be deterred, you made your way over to the hokage office, a bag with fresh clothes and some meals in hands. The building wasn’t an unfamiliar one to you, as you had your own office there as well, however, as you were part of another department it was rare that you found yourself at the top floor, surprising the weary hokage and his brother.
“Madara didn’t tell you?” the gruff voice of Tobirama sounded. You winced at his disapproving tone, feeling that he was rather scolding you for not keeping tabs on your husband. Hiding the hurt you smiled apologetically, shrugging as you set the bag on the table.
“I must have forgotten,” you covered for your husband, though you couldn’t help but feel disappointment and anxiety grow. “We’ve both been busy and it is still edible even when cold,” you grimaced before taking out another set of boxes.
“In the meantime, you haven’t had dinner either, right?”
You smoothly changed the subject as you put the boxes in front of the two brothers, your smile growing wider as Hashirama’s eyes brightened up at the sight of a warm meal.
“Careful, [Name]. I might start holding your husband hostage for your meals,” the hokage jovially announced as he started to dig in.
Scoffing at his antics you placed your arms on your hips, a teasing smirk on your face. “Or perhaps you should just get married,” you shot back, earning a choke from Hashirama who gave you an exasperated look.
“I’m too young to marry!” he exclaimed. A statement that earned a click of the tongue from Tobirama and a laugh from you.
“You don’t have the time to joke around, brother.”
Tobirama’s stern voice cut your small spark of joy short, cold eyes appraising you before they returned to the hokage. “There is still much to do,” he continued, this time gentler as he turned his back at you.
Blinking you quickly took a step back, a blush dusting your face as you felt guilt consuming you once more.
“Aha, look at the time. Tell Madara to leave his laundry in the bag, I will pick it up tomorrow after work,” you excused yourself, quickly turning out of the door.
You didn’t miss the question Tobirama asked as the door shut behind you.