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The age of his brother’s marriage was five years and going strong. Hashirama was the goofiest person he ever met, while Mito was the calmest person he knew. If the sky collapsed over their head, Hashirama will be very loud while Mito will be very quiet. His brother was passionate in everything he did, while Mito was a curious person but collected. They were of different personalities, races, and mindsets. Yet they made it work. Five years and still counting.
The age of his marriage stopped at three years and one day. Madara proposed to him four years ago; drunk and messy. Then the man tried again one week after; it was proper and touching. They got married under the sun, with only families and close friends as witnesses. That day, they laughed and smiled at each other. It easily became one of his best days.
And then at two years and seven months, Madara asked for a divorce. Obviously, he disagreed. He loved Madara and he knew the man loved him back. This led to arguments and fights, but never physical. They couldn’t hurt each other physically, they loved each other. But the fighting and arguments hurt them. At three years of marriage, he finally relented. Madara was needed, while he wasn’t. So, he agreed to his husband’s request with a heavy heart.
The age of his marriage was three years and one day.
The cause of termination: Death.
They lived in the Senju family’s guest house in the heart of the city. It consisted of a small mansion and an open garden. The garden was originally spacious, but he cut the size to half by building a greenhouse on it. When Madara was still a professor, they lived in the mansion every day. They slept and rose on the same bed, next to each other. The first and last thing they saw would be each other.
But ever since Madara joined his family’s company, their time was cut to half. Then, after his husband asked for a divorce, he rarely saw the man. Madara wasn’t avoiding him—not when the man needed him to sign the paper—they just couldn’t see eye to eye for a while. After a while, he just couldn’t feel his husband’s presence and warmth in the house anymore. It felt like he was surrounded by ice.
“Did you forget that your body is prone to cold?” Madara’s voice was as always, grumpy and angry. His husband sounded rough but was actually a softie inside. He missed his voice.
“Tea?” he asked in return. His husband let out a grunt but accepted the offer. He poured the tea into another cup he prepared beforehand, then put it in front of his husband. Madara frowned at the cup, then looked away and around the garden. He observed his husband and noticed his lingering gaze at the greenhouse.
“Yesterday—”
“Where are the flowerpots?” his husband quickly cut him. That told him that Madara was either with his other family or that woman. Maybe it was with all of them. On their anniversary. But it seemed that his husband wanted to avoid an argument today.
He decided to play along and nodded, “gave those to anija. I’m too busy to care for them.” His eyes followed Madara’s little nod and then lowered to his husband’s cup. “How is the tea?” he asked innocently.
His husband took a quick sip before he frowned angrily and put the cup down with more force than necessary. “Why are you drinking cold tea when it’s already cold outside? Are you stupid or are you trying to get sick on purpose?” Madara pushed back his chair and stood angrily like an exploded porcupine. “I’m not going to care if you fall sick. I’m too busy, Tobirama! Why are you like this everytime—!”
“Madara,” he called softly. He didn’t want to listen to the rest of his words. He didn’t have that much time nor energy anymore. He’s tired and finished.
“What?!”
Let’s—, “I will sign the paper,” —end this.
His heart was a little satisfied when he saw Madara froze and paled a little. But his husband recovered fast.
“Right, okay. Yeah, that’s—that’s good,” his husband slowly took out a small, folded paper from his chest pocket. Madara put the paper on the table and stared blankly at it.
He took the paper and slowly unfolded it in front of his husband. The paper was empty, Madara didn’t fill and sign it yet. He must have thought that it will be another fruitless effort.
He took out a pen from his pocket and didn’t pause to look at Madara’s expression as he signed his name on it. He pushed the paper back to his husband along with the pen. Madara barely blink as he stared at his sign. “You…” his husband stopped himself, took the pen, and signed his own name.
He waited until Madara finished, then he smiled softly. “You really are determined, Madara,” he poured tea into his husband’s cup again before he took hold of the divorce paper.
“Tobirama?”
“After you finish this cup, I will give you my blessing,” he smirked and waved the paper. Madara clicked his tongue but gulped down the tea in a second. Once he was sure that the cup was empty, he nodded to Madara, then quickly shredded the paper into pieces.
“Tobirama! You!!” Madara stood angrily again, too many emotions ran through his eyes. Regret, anger, disappointment, relief, sadness, exhaustion. Perhaps. “Hah! That’s right! There’s no way that you will kindly sign the paper. What fucking blessing? You shithead!” his husband continued to curse him loudly. He simply waited patiently until the tea work.
“Sen—” after a few seconds, Madara finally collapsed. He fell to the ground as his body failed to support him. His husband was so shocked, his face paled and his shoulders vibrated with anger and more. He walked around the table to help his husband onto the chair. Madara eyed him accusingly. His husband wanted to scream at him, but he couldn’t let out another sound at this condition.
“Calm down. It’s a mild paralyzer, it will wear off in twenty minutes,” he moved his husband around to make it easier to carry him. Madara squinted his eyes at him angrily. He nodded as he picked his husband up in princess carry. “Yes, I drugged the tea. No, I didn’t drink the tea. I made it and waited for you, that’s why it was cold,” he smiled down at Madara. His husband was so angry, his body was vibrating mildly.
Without glancing back, he took off toward the greenhouse. The place was warmer than outside but cold enough to keep the flowers inside alive. From top to bottom, the greenhouse was filled with white roses. In the middle of it, a spacious bed was placed as a relaxation spot. The bedsheet was red with a golden dragon embroidered into it. It was the sheet they used on their wedding night.
The greenhouse was their favorite cuddling place. Used to. Because Madara might not keep the place after this.
He slowly placed his husband on the bed and then stripped his outer layer. He left Madara with his shirt and pants on. Feeling betrayed and angry, his husband closed his eyes and refused to look at him. “Don’t worry your silly head, darling. I’m not going to hurt you,” he chuckled and sat next to his husband. From his pocket, he took out a syringe filled with clear liquid. He put it down and focused on his paralyzed husband.
“Madara, yesterday was our third anniversary. I told you to come home, did you forget?” he caressed his husband’s cheek and smiled softly. “Were you with her? Or were you with your other families?” he wanted this man to be the last thing in his life. “Look at me, Madara,” he wanted to see those brilliant eyes for the last time.
His husband snapped open his eyes and glared up at him. He chuckled, “do you hate me, darling?” hate me, love me, feel for me. Only me. “Don’t worry, I didn’t lie. I gave you my blessing to leave me and marry that woman. You need to protect the Uchiha family, I cannot stop you and I won’t ask you to choose anymore, Madara,” he rolled up Madara’s sleeves and squeezed his husband’s arm.
Do you remember when we met for the first time? You were such a cute angry porcupine.
“But darling, I cannot leave you. Don’t ask me to leave you, baby,”
You and anija were a combo for chaos, but I always anticipated what you will bring tomorrow.
“If I cannot live as your husband, then at least, allow me to die as one,”
Our first kiss was in Izuna’s room, it was as sweet as the peach tea you gave me.
“Tofi—”
“Ah, the drug is wearing off. But your limbs are still paralyzed, right?” he patted his husband’s arms and legs to make sure. They’re still as dead fish, but Madara has always been a strong man. It’s not surprising if he could overcome the drug with willpower.
“Tofi—”
He smiled down at his husband and nodded, “I’m here, dara.” Not for long, but for now. He put his hands on his husband’s shoulders and squeezed gently.
Madara frowned and concern filled his beautiful eyes, “tell me, what’s wrong, Tobi.”
He shook his head and chuckled, “I’m dying, dara. I drank poison and I’m dying very soon.”
His husband tried to shake his head, but it only resulted in a small tremor in his neck. “Where is, the antidote, sweetheart?” Madara’s fingers started to twitch. He put his palm over his husband’s and shushed him. “Where is the antidote?!” his husband roared louder; angry and scared.
He shook his head again, “it was in our cake, dara. I baked your favorite for our anniversary, and now it’s gone.” Like us, like my dream, like our marriage. If you had come, I would eat the cake along with the antidote. But you never came.
“Tobi, Tobirama!” Madara continued to struggle against the drug, but it was futile. A single tear fell from his husband’s eyes. “Tobi, please. I don’t want it like this, how can you do this to me?!”
He sighed at Madara and took off the cap of the syringe. “Don’t hate me, dara. I only want to stay as your husband. I love you so much, I’m sorry,” after he said that he pushed the needle into Madara’s arm. His husband screamed and tried to struggle, but the liquid quickly entered his system. He threw the syringe away and laid down next to his husband.
“What was that, Tobi?”
He moved Madara’s arms around so they’re holding each other. He put his palm over his husband’s heart and snuggled into his neck.
“It will make you sleep for a while because I don’t want you to feel as I die in your arms, darling,” he was getting tired and sleepy as well. The time limit was nearing the end. “I left a message for my brother so that no one can accuse you of anything. I’m so happy you came today,” I thought I couldn’t see you for the last time.
“Sweetheart, don’t leave me. Please, Tobirama. Don’t do this. How could you leave me like this?!” Madara sobbed and despaired. His husband tried to fight the drug but it was simply useless.
He patted his husband’s chest to calm him down while his eyes started to blurred.
“Tobirama, I’m sorry,” Madara’s words slurred as his consciousness left him. “I love you,” he managed to say that right before his eyes closed.
Tobirama tightened his arms around Madara and smiled happily as tears fell down his face.
“Good night, darling.”
Before you first confessed to me, your eyes already told me your feelings.
That you love me as I love you.