𝚄𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 || ᴺᵃʳᵘᵗᵒ ᴼⁿᵉˢʰᵒᵗˢ ⁽ᵗᵉᵐᵖᵒʳᵃʳⁱˡʸ ᶜˡᵒˢᵉᵈ⁾

035 | 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚊~𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚈𝚘𝚞

     You knew this was it for your relationship. It had been for months. You saw the way he looked at her. He used to look at you like that. You know he did. He looked at her like she was his world. You used to be his world. You couldn't exactly pinpoint where it had all went wrong. You didn't know when this had become your reality.

     Madara was (overall) a good man. He was a good man, and you couldn't keep him anymore. He wasn't yours. He was hers. You had grown to understand this. It took months for you to come to terms with the fact that you weren't going to grow old with him. You weren't the one he was going to start a family with. You couldn't even think about it without your lungs burning, but now.. now was better. It didn't hurt as much.

     He knew things were different. Your smile wasn't the same. The bright one that lit up his world was dimmer. He knew that you knew. Nothing had ever happened. He couldn't bring himself to hurt you in that way. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He knew this was it for your relationship. He knew that this was it, but God... why was this so hard?

     As you packed the last of your things from his house you couldn't help the tears. This had been your home. He was your home. You smiled at the picture on the nightstand. It was of the two of you on the day you had moved in. Your smile was so bright. Where did that smile go? You missed being that happy. You missed being you.

     You hadn't told Madara that you were leaving. You couldn't do it. This felt like the easy way out, and you knew it was. You couldn't help it. This was the easy way out, and maybe even in a few months, you could be friends again. You didn't want the sloppy break-up. The ugly crying, the yelling, you wanted to avoid that at all costs. Now that you think about it, maybe you should have written a note. It was too late for that now.

     You were finally settled. It was a long, treacherous day of moving. Hell, you didn't even have a bed or any food in your cabinets yet. Either way, you were proud. This was yours. You had paid for it with your own money, granted, it took months to figure out where you would go. You had actually done it! This was fantastic. Your smile dropped when you opened your last box. There was that picture. The one that made your heart jump. The one that hurt.

     You smiled softly, finger brushing along with the glass. You wish he still loved you like that. A rapping of knuckles on your door broke you out of your memories. You placed the picture back into the box and moved to the door. You wondered if it was a neighbor, curious as to who had moved in next door. You opened the door with a soft, "Can I help you?"

     Madara's dark gaze pinned your feet to the floor, and the smile dropped from your face. His hair grew to waist-length with shoulder-length bangs framing the sides of his face, covering most of his right eye. He has several scars throughout his body. His outfit was no different, he wore crimson armor with numerous metal plates, forming protective guards along his chest, waist, shoulders, and thighs. Most of the time, he continued wearing the same basic Uchiha outfit: a blue high-collared, long sleeve mantle that splits down the lower half and a simple, light-brown obi and a belt.

     "Hi... I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon." he didn't answer, and you took a moment to observe him. He looked the same. You noted the dark under his eyes. He must have just gotten back. For a second you swore his hands were shaking, but you played it off to your nerves.

     "You're leaving." it wasn't a question. Just a statement. You felt your lip quiver as you answered,

     "Yes. I thought it would be better this way." he scoffed out a laugh.

     "You didn't ask me what I wanted." you hummed, the burning in your lungs came back with a vengeance,

     "I didn't need to." you thought about inviting him in, but decided that it wasn't smart. You sighed, "We can talk... If you want to."

     Madara couldn't look at you, but he answered and you could hear your heartbreak, "I love you." you choked on the sob in your throat,

     "Madara... Please look at me. Please." he did as you asked, "You don't... Not anymore." you could practically see the protest rising in his throat, and you managed to speak quicker, "Not like you love her." you knew it wasn't you. His hands now were definitely shaking, this was the first time you've ever seen him like this. You wanted to reach up, hold him, let him know that this is what you wanted. That you were going to be okay and he never needed to worry.

     You didn't though. You took a deep breath, "I want you to be happy, and I don't do that for you. Not anymore. Y-you, deserve to be happy." you knew your voice broke, but it didn't matter. It was the truth. The Uchiha ran a hand down the side of his face,

     "I'm so sorry, (Y/n). I don't know what happened." you pursed your lips, trying to fight the tear,

     "Life, Madara. Life happened."

     "Can you say it?" it was almost a whisper, and you could hear the pain in his words. Madara was the type who never wanted to back down, the type who never wanted to give up so easily, well, ever since Izuna's death. "Can you say it? Just one more time?" you looked down at your quivering hands, and then back to him, 

     "I love you, Madara."

     He looked away again, "Thank you."

1010 words

>.<