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moor
Prompt: Fake Dating
Rating: T, maybe M later
Squicks: Misunderstandings, loss of family, misunderstood intimacy
A/N: The prompt comes into play later; this is just the intro. :)
Part One || Part Two
Squicks: Misunderstandings, loss of family, misunderstood intimacy
A/N: The prompt comes into play later; this is just the intro. :)
Part One || Part Two
#
They turned the formidable mansion upside down.
Closets, toy boxes, the garage, the guest rooms.
When Izuna arrived, he immediately double-checked them all himself, desperate to find her.
Madara, Tobirama, Izuna, Itachi—with Sasuke on his heels—even Hashirama who appeared when Tobirama didn’t arrive home when he was expected, they all searched the place top to bottom. The only rooms they ignored were the locked ones, as Sakura would not have been able to get in…
… unless she had a key.
Dashing back up the stairs, Madara raked his eyes over his desk.
The conservatory key was gone.
#
#
Madara flew down the stairs and shoved his way past the others who quickly fell in behind him, but he ignored them.
As expected, the conservatory doors were cracked open, just an inch. He yanked open the French doors and slowed, his shoulders sagging.
Locks of pink hair spilled over the cushion on the piano bench, and an old blanket was wrapped over the little bundle sleeping there.
“Sakura-chan!” gasped Sasuke, running over and shaking her. “You’re here!”
The little girl would have startled, but Madara was already beside her, a hand on her back.
“I’m home,” he murmured.
#
With the missing found, Hashirama drove home with Tobirama.
“You couldn’t have known,” assured Hashirama as the van rode along. “Madara didn’t even know.”
Tobirama, cheeks still burning from Izuna’s verbal lashes about not paying attention to his charges, ignored his brother’s comments.
“Did you want to know how the Battle went?” asked Hashirama, watching Tobirama out of the corner of his eye.
Tobirama shrugged.
Hashirama’s smile stretched. “First place. We’re getting a record deal!”
Tobirama gaped and he turned to stare at Hashirama. “Congratulations.”
“I want you to join us,” insisted Hashirama. “Madara’s asking Izuna, and—”
“No,” grit Tobirama.
#
#
That night, Sakura slept in Madara’s arms in the conservatory. Izuna covered them in a blanket and left them there when Sakura refused to let Madara go.
“Don’t let it become a habit,” warned Izuna.
“I know,” yawned Madara, exhausted. He’d been up since before the sun that day. He rubbed Sakura’s back as she clutched his t-shirt in her sleep.
“Maybe we should get her a pet, or a hobby,” mused Izuna.
“Good idea,” mumbled Madara, yawning. His jaw cracked and he slumped down on his back across a sofa.
“I’ll cover breakfast tomorrow morning,” offered Izuna.
“Ah…”
#
#
Tinkling notes chimed in Madara’s ears early the next morning and he yawned, turning onto his side. He was dreaming about his music in his sleep, now, it seemed…
There was a pause, a sour note, then the melody restarted, and Madara grinned. He often missed that note, it was a stretch… Even Sakura tapped his hand when he—
Madara’s eyes flickered open and he stared.
There, standing on the piano bench so she could reach the keys, was Sakura, still in her green nighty, playing his song, a few notes at a time.
His breath caught in his throat.
#
#
Seated beside Sakura on the piano bench as the sun streamed through the drapes, Madara appraised his young charge as her legs swung under her and she stared at her clasped hands.
“How long have you known how to do that?” he asked, amused.
She shrugged.
“Can you sing, too?”
She shrugged.
He tilted his head to the side. “You can sing with me. You can read the words on the page, can’t you?”
She shrugged… then nodded.
He smirked.
“Let’s start at the beginning.”
At that, she glanced up at him shyly, and lifted her hands to the keys.
#
#
At first he thought she had memorized the notes, the movement of his hands.
Then he changed the sheet music to a different song, and she scrunched up her eyes before playing—slowly, then with more confidence as the verse repeated itself.
And when she sang, her cute voice was soft, but grew in confidence as he joined her. She smiled at him as she sang along, even wiggling a little dance when he shifted in his own seat with the rhythm.
She could sing, and play. She enjoyed it, too.
But what blew his mind: she had perfect pitch.
#
#
When Itachi took Sasuke with him to his own music lessons, and Izuna was out at another practice, Madara looked down at Sakura and said, “Let’s get your homework and pencils. You can come to work with me, today.”
She cocked her head to the side, but went to gather up her bag with her homework, climbing up on a chair and getting snacks from the cupboard.
“You don’t need that many,” laughed Madara. “We’ll be back for supper.”
Sakura froze, her neck burning.
“I got some for you, too.”
His heart…
“Then add twice as many,” he commanded kindly.
#
#
Sakura thereafter became a regular shadow at Madara’s side, everywhere. Whether it was dance choreography, band practice, recording sessions, she was present, watching with curious forest eyes as she sat on the ground, or on a chair, or a speaker while wearing industrial-strength ear defenders (Madara was adamant about her protection), listening and studying and learning, absorbing it all like a little sponge.
When there was extra time at the end of a recording session—miraculously—the band debated what to do, and Madara handed a pair of recording headphones to Sakura, which she donned and grinned at him.
#
#
Madara picked up a guitar and sat atop the speaker in front of Sakura, wearing another pair of recording headphones.
“Which one?” he asked, smiling at her.
“The sad one,” she said, excited.
“The sad one?” he asked, but she nodded. “Okay.”
He played a short intro before they began to sing together; around them the band noise dropped to nothing as his mates paused to listen and stare at them in wonder. Hashirama waved to the booth tech, who waved back with a thumbs up, indicating he was already recording.
—Outside the booth, a silver-haired recording exec paused.
#
#
TBC
no subject
Date: 2023-07-12 12:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-08-01 02:55 am (UTC)Found family, real family, duty-vs-desire, and wholesome-vs-naughty (that comes later). <3