Work Text:
Kohaku’s fist rapped against the tough wood of Madara’s dorm’s door. Nobody should be home besides him at this time; Subaru, Wataru, and Sora are usually out doing whatever Subaru, Wataru, and Sora do. He didn’t bother to keep knocking once he heard a muffled shout of acknowledgement from behind the door, dropping his hand to his side as the door swung open to reveal a slightly shaken, but still as cheerful as always, Madara.
‘’Ah- Kohaku?’’ Madara hummed, beckoning him inside with a never-faltering smile, ‘’You’re one of the people I wouldn’t normally expect to show up on my doorstep. Do you need a snack? A drink? A place to stay?’’
‘’No, mom-’’ Kohaku stopped mid-sentence at his mistake, clearing his throat and tearing his eyes away from Madara, who’s smile had only grown wider, ‘' Madara. A snack would be nice, but I just need to ask you about something.’’
Madara gave a silent nod of recognition, following Kohaku to the center of his dorm, adorned with two stools and a small couch. Kohaku sat down and set his backpack beside him on the couch- he must’ve just returned from school- and Madara took a seat on a blue stool to Kohaku’s right.
‘’Alright, Kiddo. What can I help you with?’’ Madara sang, sentence breaking into a small, quiet chuckle when Kohaku’s face reddened at the nickname.
‘’My teacher assigned us a- uh- arts and crafts thing.’’ Kohaku explained sheepishly, reaching over to begin unzipping his backpack, ‘’A paper mache volcano, or whatever.’’ He pulled several supplies out from the front pocket of his bag, looking back up to Madara, ‘’I was wondering if you could help me out. I’ve never done this before.’’
Madara’s expression lit up. He shot up from his spot on the stool, approaching Kohaku to evaluate the materials he had brought with him.
‘’This seems like more than enough- Of course I can help you!’’ Madara grinned, taking a large piece of cardboard, a plastic bottle, and tape to the table in-front of the couch, ‘’Alright, listen closely…’’
-
At some point, Madara left Kohaku alone to get them both food while the paper mache dried. When he returned to his dorm, Kohaku was stretched out across the couch, snoring softly, with hair spread out around his face. The mess they had made with water and flour was still evident on the table despite Kohaku’s promise to clean it up, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Not when Kohaku looked so peaceful, so relaxed, sleeping like that.
Madara simply decided to finish the food on his own, as well as the project. By the time he was done molding and painting, everyone in his dorm had returned and fallen asleep, along with Kohaku. He made sure to wash his hands, wipe down the table, and set the volcano aside to dry safely overnight.
Most importantly of all, though, Madara quietly removed one of the blankets and pillows from his own bed, sneaking the pillow under Kohaku’s head and draping the blankets over his body.
-
It turns out his effort paid off. The next night Kohaku showed up to his dorm again, enthusiastic as ever as he told Madara all about how his teacher praised his volcano for being so ‘well made’ and ‘delicately crafted’. Madara took the compliments appreciatively.