"How can I feel love whenever all that's left in my chest is an aching emptiness?"

Sora didn't respond to Sen's question immediately. Instead, he cast a long look over the horizon as they walked back to Konohagakure. After a few silent moments, he answered, "Find your heart, Sen, and the rest will follow."

Find my heart? What does that even mean? She asked herself.

"Madara," Sen whispered in a light breath. "It sometimes feels as if I no longer know the difference in my heart and you. I'm so thankful to have met you. I love you, Madara Uchiha."

The aching in her chest gave way to an intense pounding as she came to realization. Her mouth was dry and her eyes began clouding with tears. She whispered softly, "It's him..."

Back in the village, Madara was missing his lover. Her disappearance after Mina's death had been unfortunate, and there were many times he wanted to kick her door down and barge in. To his own surprise, he hadn't done that. Alternatively, he had respected her wishes and checked on her through a third-party, her brother Sora.

Another day had begun to drag to a close as the moon lifted itself in the sky to grant the sun rest. He had spent the night at home, eaten dinner quietly, and was now getting ready for bed. He was showering whenever he heard repetitive knocking at his front door. He cut the water off and wrapped a towel around his waist before going towards the front of the house.

"Who the hell?" he grumbled under his breath. He didn't want to be bothered by anyone tonight. Why was someone coming by so late unannounced anyway?

The knocking continued as he reached the door. He shouted ahead of himself, "I'm coming! Damn!"

The knocking stopped. He rolled his eyes and swung open the door. Whenever he saw her, his eyes went wide. Hers did the same whenever she saw him standing half naked and glistening with water in front of her.

"Sen?"

She swallowed a lump in her throat and said, "I'm sorry."

The Uchiha man raised an eyebrow and asked why she was sorry. She replied that she had been unnecessarily cold to him and that she needed him, that she loved him. He returned the words to her and then pulled her inside before closing the door and wrapping her in his arms.

"Madara," she whined, "you're getting me wet."

He chuckled, "Wouldn't be the first time." A firm kiss was then planted onto the top of her head as he held her. With her here, his heart felt at peace once more.

They went to his bedroom and he dressed for bed as she crawled under the blankets. Her heart was still broken, but at least the pieces had been gathered back up. She lay quietly and watched as Madara pulled pajama pants on and then made his way onto the bed. He hovered over her and placed gentle kisses along her face, lips, and neck before laying beside her.

Neither was tired, so they lay awake talking. Discussion turned to how Sen was faring over Mina's death, and instead of running from the topic or becoming harsh, she allowed herself to feel the pain once more. It felt fresh still, even after the period she spent numbing it all. Tears streamed down her face and Madara simply held her against him. His touch felt thrillingly sad and sweet as she curled into him.

She had never felt such a powerful concoction of emotions. Her heart felt like it had been exsanguinated, while her ego was shattered like glass and embarrassment spread across her body like wildfire. In a thick voice, she croaked, "I want to be strong like you are, Madara."

He sighed and cradled her head. "Strength isn't necessarily measured by the lack of tears shed, but the ability of one to recover from those tears."

She shook her head, "But I haven't recovered..."

"Yes," his deep voice responded, "but you will, Sen. It takes time."

Madara never complained once throughout the night as he held her closely. She was embarrassed but thankful for his presence. She didn't realize how much despair had been in her heart until she felt it begin to chip. The layers of her suffering were deep, but at least now she felt as if they could be peeled away.

She asked him quietly, "Why do you do all of this for me? You've never been anything less than perfect to me... Why?"

He felt warmth grow in his chest as she asked him this. Any praise from her sent his heart into a mess of flutters, but he didn't mind. The sensation, although still new to him, was a welcome feeling.

"Apart from Izuna, I've never felt such a strong desire to protect someone," he spoke with a loving smile before pausing and adding softly, "to make them happy... to love them."

As she lay wrapped in Madara Uchiha's arms, she recalled what Sora had told her earlier about finding her heart. Her fingers traveled up the dark haired man's body until she rested her hand on his chest. She closed her eyes and let a smile spread across her face.

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