My eyes fell to the rim of my tea cup. Mito decided to pay me a visit at the Hyuga household. It had just rained, it was still so gloomy and grey outside.

"So, have you gotten preparations ready?" Mito looked at me curiously.

I nodded, swirling the cup with my hand.

"I still need to do a couple of things like..." I grew reluctant to say. "Wax. And thread." I mumbled. The wedding ceremony had been planned to take place in three days. I had an elaborate kimono readily hanging in my room, and my belongings were packed and ready to be moved to Madara's house. In fact, he had planned to swing by the Hyuga compound later to help me move in with him.

"Aha hahah!" Mito's hand slapped her thigh. "That should be the least of your worries! How's he like?"

"Oh you know how Madara's like." I met her eyes nervously. "He can be really aggressive but he has these moments where he's just kind. Almost as if there's no in between." I rubbed my chin, perplexed by his personality.

"That's the leader of the Uchiha clan for you." Mito fanned herself, "I was lucky. Hashirama's basically a teddy bear around me."

I brought a hand to stifle my laugh. The God of Shinobi completely defenceless around his wife. "I can imagine that actually."

"But my advice?" Mito hopped off of the porch and looked at me. "Just be yourself and be comfortable. I understand it could be nerve wracking, life as a married couple, but I doubt the Uchiha wouldn't give you these if he really hadn't meant it." Mito dangled Madara's gloves in front of my face. "It's actually sweet of him."

I swallowed the lump that had been building in my throat. She was completely right. What was I nervous about!

"Mm, it is yeah." I took the gloves from her hand and held them close to me. I could feel heat rising to my cheeks just thinking of him.

-

The sun had been beating onto our backs, Madara promptly tied his hair.

"Are you sure about this?" Madara eyed the pile of containers I placed my belongings into. I had them readily set out in the front entrance of the Hyuga compound.

"Mm." I nodded, "Are you growing cold feet?"

But Madara snapped me a glare, and it put me in my place almost immediately.

"I know what I want. And I am serious about it too." Madara huffed as he managed to carry three boxes at a time.

"Me too." I followed right after him, carrying two.

I bit my lip, staring at his broad back ahead of me, staying quiet for a moment. All I could hear was the sound of our footsteps trudging along the ground.

"Even like this I can tell you're thinking of something. What's wrong?" Madara glanced over his shoulder.

"It's nothing." I started, "But it just hasn't hit me yet that we're actually moving in together. Like an actual couple."

"In due time." Madara coolly spoke. But he had understood where I was coming from, evident by the way he looked up into the sky. "I never imagined I'd have a spouse."

"Now you sound like the people who tease you about it all the time." I stuck my tongue out at him.

But Madara just sighed. "In any case," He closed his eyes, "You have no reason to be afraid. Our house will be our safe haven, a bounty to be protected by the both of us."

I stifled a chuckle, earning a disapproving glance from the Uchiha.

"What's the matter?"

"It's just ironic, because you're one of the most feared men on this planet. Yet..." I grinned, "You appreciate peace and quiet too."

"Well," Madara's dark eyes bore into mine, "That's not totally far off, granted I helped found this village."

"That's right." I smiled.

-

"Phew." I sighed, wiping sweat away from my forehead. My belongings had all been finally placed into Madara's house.

"I'm going to set up a futon to take a nap, I'm quite tired." I pat my arms. Madara glanced at me as he dusted the front entrance to his home. I slide the shoji door, "Care to... join?"

Madara froze, but he looked at me.

"Sure." He wiped a sheet of sweat away from his temples.

-

It hadn't been more than an hour so judging by the way the sun had been moving in the sky, but Ayumi slept peacefully by Madara's side. Madara couldn't, so he instead took the time to think about pending matters regarding the clan, his brother, and of course - the wedding.

The wedding. Madara just could not even dare to believe it. He turned to look at her, she had been restfully slumbering with no care in the world. How could someone be so defenceless even in their sleep? Especially as the leader of the Uchiha, and growing up in an era of war, he had been conditioned to sleep in such a way that would mean he would be able to fight if needed to. But that's why he was right beside her right now. Madara would protect her, he promised himself that long ago.

Madara snapped out of his labyrinth of contemplation though, as Ayumi suddenly jerked and turned around, immediately nuzzling her face into the Uchiha's chest. His eyes narrowed down at her, she was still knocked out asleep. But Madara kept eyeing her lips, she kept mumbling inaudible things - had she been sleeptalking?

"Still so unsightly." Madara mumbled. What was she actually doing right now? Mumbling nonsense, is she dreaming?

Madara shook his head and sighed, as his head fell back to the pillow.

Izuna was getting sick from the wounds he had received from Tobirama's clash back before the alliance had been finalized. His arm had never really healed properly despite Ayumi's divine jutsu, and the gaping wound he was left with resided as an abhorrent infection on his back. It was growing into his bones now, and nothing could be done about it. Ayumi had not known of his condition, since Izuna had insisted to keep it a secret. He was prepared for a lecture had the time ever came that Ayumi found out. Madara's parents were also beginning to grow quite old. And Madara was no fool, neither was he naive to believe good endings could happen, unlike Hashirama. Madara could tell with the insight that the sharingan granted him that it only spelled out one thing destined for the far future.

And it was death.

Madara's lips pressed, frowning at the thought. Instinctively, almost as if to salvage the only ray of hope left in his life, he brought a hand to Ayumi's head, and kept it there. Madara would again lose his only brother left because of the war.

Ayumi was beginning to stir awake.

"Madara?" He heard a hoarse voice muffle against his chest, and it was Ayumi's. She woke up, slowly rising her head to meet his dark eyes. "Did you sleep well?"

Madara hesitated for a moment, he wanted to embrace her and keep her safe beside him always.

Madara recalled Ayumi's words once Uehara had died.

The pain of losing a loved one... is too much to bear.

"Yes. I did." Madara lied, but it was worth it if he could see her grin one more time. And she did exactly that. "And I could tell that you did too." Madara pointed to a pool of drool on his chest.

She sighed, blushing. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to apologize about." Madara looked up to the ceiling, and he held her against him a bit firmly now. She was not reluctant, instead wrapping her arms around him. She felt safe in his arms.

But Madara fell awfully silent, his eyes would occasionally meet hers and then drift off to some corner of the room. Though he had not realized it, Ayumi could sense his increasing tension.

She reluctantly looked up at him. "Is there something on your mind?"

His furrowed eyebrows relaxed. "Hmm?" Madara hummed, and she could feel the vibrations from his chest. He hesitated for a moment. "It's nothing for you to worry about."

She sighed into his chest. "I knew you'd say that. Anyway..." Ayumi perked up, looking at him. "I was going to say I need to head back to the Hyuga compound but I almost forgot that I live here now."

A deep chuckle bellowed from Madara. "That's right." He perked himself on his elbows. But there was something different in his eyes, no longer neutral, but a warmth behind them.

He sat cross legged now, and he slipped his black yukata on too gracefully.

"We should go out to eat today." He suggested, as he heard her stomach rumble.

"Mm!" Ayumi chirped.