Well, that was unexpected

Without Love

Madara didn't know what he should do. All his thoughts of even attempting to bed Tobirama (those thighs were so, so tempting) had gone out the window the moment he realized how truly afraid of contact the man was. When Madara had tearfully come to him that first day, Tobirama had returned his embrace stiffly, which Madara had stupidly dismissed as simple confusion. After all, the man had been comatose for several days and had woken in a foreign place. Not to mention that Madara had never even spoken to him before (it was a crime, really) and was suddenly wrapping himself in the man's arms. Who wouldn't have been confused? But that wasn't the end of it, unfortunately. He had frozen when Madara cupped his face, had pushed Madara away when he had laid his head on his shoulder, his hands shook when Madara held them. But for as much as he seemed to fear physical contact, he also searched it out. After all, he had come to Madara's room last night and had nearly sprinted towards the bed as soon as he was invited in. But when they awoke, he had cringed away from Madara, but looked heartbroken when he let him go. It was like Tobirama wanted to be held, but didn't know how to accept it. And Madara just didn't know how to go about fixing that. Did he hold the man close or did he give him space? And his contact-fear wasn't the only worrying thing about Tobirama; he had also looked so surprised to know that someone had noticed him. He had thought no one knew that he had been holding the Senju clan together from behind the scenes, and had not expected anyone to see his shadow from behind Hashirama's blinding light. He had tried to push Madara into marrying his brother instead, despite being in love with Madara himself! Madara's heart wept for his conflicted love.
Meanwhile, Tobirama was still seated on the bed, watching nearly every emotion on the spectrum play out across Madara's face. He had been looking at the brush and thinking about how he would finally get to use it on Madara, and when he glanced up Madara's face looked like he swallowed something sour. He was beyond confused as to what the Uchiha was thinking of, and amidst the confusion had decided that his asking to brush Madara's hair had been out of line. What had he been thinking, trying to do something so intimate? He had not even stopped to think he was crossing a line. Of course, Madara didn't want his filthy hands in his hair! Even his own brother had stopped him from helping with his hair, saying that he couldn't stand Tobirama being that close to him. If his own brother didn't want to touch him, why would Madara?
"I-" Tobirama coughed into his hand to cover the tears in his voice. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I'll return to my quarters." Even to his own ears, he sounded pathetic.
To Madara's horror, Tobirama had stood shakily from the bed and was attempting to scurry passed him out the door. He saw the tears in those red eyes and realized that he had caused this. Of course it was his fault! He had paused so abruptly and hadn't gone back to Tobirama. He was such an idiot! If it hadn't been clear before, it absolutely was now: Tobirama really hadn't ever had someone show him love. He had so quickly decided that his asking to be close to Madara had been an issue, and it broke Madara's heart to see how easily he had put the blame on himself. Madara knew if he let Tobirama escape to his room that he would not see him the rest of the day, and that when Tobirama saw him again there would be an unbreakable wall between them and Madara would lose him. If he wanted to fix this, it had to be now, and he only had one chance.
Before Tobirama had the chance to close the door between them (both the physical and metaphorical), Madara grabbed the Senju's wrist and flipped him to be pressed with his back against the wall. Only a single hand was planted in the middle of his chest as to not overwhelm and scare him away.
"Please, don't go!" Madara was near tears as he looked at the sadness on Tobirama's face. He looked like a broken man, and his eyes were just starting to turn cold. He had been right, Tobirama would have completely shut him out if he'd allowed him to escape the room.
"I want you here, can't you see that? I need you here!"
Being subtle wouldn't work with Tobirama, no, Madara had to put his feelings out there clear to see. When you aren't shown love your whole life, you don't know how to spot it when someone does come around that loves you.
With that confession, the tears stopped streaming down Tobirama's face. Shock had overridden all his other emotions, and he couldn't do anything but to stand there, open mouthed and staring. It had been so long since he was wanted. His brothers had been the only ones to care for him, and with two long since passed and one overflowing with hatred for him, he didn't know what it was like anymore to have someone want him. No, Madara had said he needed him. He had known once upon a time what it was like to be wanted, but being needed? That was something new altogether. He had grown up a backup child in his father's eyes- a substitute in case the heir were to fall in battle. Hashirama had been the one to protect Itama and Kawarama, so he wasn't needed back then. After the river incident, his own brother hadn't even wanted him anymore. Outside of missions or battles, he was avoided like the plague by the other Senju. He was ghostly looking, silent, and dangerous. Parents hid their children when he walked passed, and he had grown accustomed to solitude. But now, Madara was standing before him saying that he needed Tobirama and looking so vulnerable. It was a new feeling, and it was absolutely terrifying to realize that in his hands he held Madara's very heart. But it was also so wonderful.
Slowly, he reached a pale hand to his chest and wound his fingers around Madara's. He half expected to be rejected, but there was instead a light squeeze around his fingers. He released his held breath in relief. Madara offered him a small smile that made his heart stutter and he squeezed those warm fingers tightly. It felt as though his very soul was sighing in contentment.
Madara stilled, hand grasping Tobirama's and planted firmly against that thudding heart. He dared not move. If he reached out to touch that pale face, he was sure that he'd ruin their perfect little moment. Instead, he let Tobirama move at his own pace. He felt circles being traced on his hand by elegant fingers and was relieved that he was being accepted, that Tobirama hadn't pulled away from him and closed off what was left of his poor, tattered heart. When he felt a soft press of lips against his knuckles, his knees nearly gave out beneath him. Tobirama was such a pure heart, he wanted to hunt down every Senju that had ever harmed him. Starting with Hashirama. Briefly, he wondered if he could go back on his earlier promise for that peace treaty between their clans. But before he worried about how to deal with Hashirama, he had another (better) Senju in front of him to focus on. One that currently had their face pressed into the palm of Madara's hand and was the most precious thing he had ever seen.
Tentatively, he reached out for Tobirama's other hand, searching those scarlet eyes for any trace of fear. When that hand pressed itself into his palm on its own and squeezed, he could have thrown himself into Tobirama's arms in elation. He instead pulled those pale fingers to his lips to press a ghost of a kiss upon those knuckles, and then lead him back toward the bed. He pressed Tobirama to sit where he had abandoned the comb and brush in his sadness, and settled himself in the small space between Tobirama's chest and the edge of the bed. Between the feeling of that heat radiating off that beautiful body and the long leg that draped itself across the bed next to him, he could have gone insane with want. Only the memory of that sad face kept him from laying that body back and having his way with it.
With a small smile, Tobirama picked up the comb he was provided and busied his hands with Madara's wild hair. It was hard being this close to the man, almost pressed against that warm back and broad shoulders, but his fascination with that hair kept him from backing away. This he could do. Despite being so tangled, the hair was soft and slipped right through his fingers after the knots were removed. His fascination peaked when he realized that when the knots were no longer plaguing that beautiful mane, it was somehow even longer. And when it had been thoroughly combed through and brushed, he set to running his fingers through the dark strands. He had spent nearly ten years watching this hair grow longer and more beautiful, and getting to actually touch it was a privilege he never thought he would have. His hair was so soft, and smelled of cedar wood and slightly of ash- probably a side effect of practicing fire jutsu so religiously. Somehow, Tobirama was not surprised by the scent, and he buried his nose in the nape of Madara's neck as he realized that the smell wasn't just his hair, but a scent that wafted from his whole body and was so purely Madara he couldn't resist. His arms wrapped around those broad shoulders and he was surprised to realize that he was draped over that man without even moving of his own accord. His instincts had told him to move closer, and his body had moved without a second thought. But Madara wasn't yet making a move to push him away, so he would enjoy this while it lasted, and before his brain took over and his thoughts kept him from getting within a five-foot radius of Madara.
On the other hand, Madara was practicing a higher level of self control than he had ever needed in his life. He could feel every inch of those strong arms as they wrapped around him tightly, and those warm puffs of air brushing his neck were making him needy beyond belief. He was trying so hard to be kind and gentle, to let Tobirama move at his own pace, but this was more than he could take. Even he only had so much self control, and with Tobirama, that already low amount dipped even lower. However, when it seemed like Tobirama was going to pull away, he couldn't help it when his hand darted up and tangled itself within that soft hair to hold him in place. For as much as he was being tortured by being this close, he had also waited too long to have these kinds of moments with Tobirama to let him run away after getting this taste of what they could be. He turned to press his lips to that fair head before releasing his hair, only to have scarlet eyes quickly dart up and catch his gaze. He no longer looked afraid to be this close. Actually, Madara could feel those arms tightening around him and pulling him to press even harder against the firm chest behind him. Pushed up against firm muscles with those gorgeous eyes burning into his very soul, he couldn't stop himself from leaning in to capture those lips within his own.