Archive of Our Own ^beta

Get up, administer medication, feed and water, check on the status of Chiaki’s beloved pet, Tomoe – repeat

It was like clockwork with Chiaki being a nervous wreck, from sun up to sun down, as all of the varying and dismal thoughts consumed her mind and diminished her spirits. Her rabbit had been feeling under-the-weather as of late, and without a proper diagnosis she couldn’t determine what was exactly ailing her furry companion.

”Come on, buddy, just one more syringe of water and I’ll leave you be –“ Chiaki’s tone was homely as she tried to get the creature to open its jaws by prodding the tip of her medical device she’d been using to distribute water at the very back of its mouth.

Usually it was a struggle with the poor thing getting him to oblige, but today he was outright refusing her treatment with his muzzle taking a grand effort to coax apart, and a prompt clamp-down on the syringe loaded with his dosage of water instantly alerted the noirette to something not quite right.

”At it again? Has the little thing improved any?” Madara’s timbre register startled Chiaki a hair as he announced himself with an inquiry over Tomoe’s wellbeing.

Hugging the fluffball in close, her head swiftly pivoted up towards him to reveal the panic evident in her features, “Something’s off, he’s not taking it like normal..”

Chiaki’s distress didn’t do the Uchiha’s heart any favors, and he kneeled down beside her to take a better inspection of the bunny being coddled by his partner.

The natural ruby’s of Tomoe’s were sunken in, and a faint ‘clicking’ emitting from him that Madara recognized as an animal grinding its teeth in pain left him a tad puzzled as to what could be causing him such torment.

”It’s hard to say how to treat him without knowing what’s causing the problem. You’re doing wonderful, I’m sure the creature knows you mean well..” Madara tried to remedy Chiaki’s troubles, obviously not doing well at it with tears welling up and threatening to spill over with the aqueous look she gave him.

”Am I doing something wrong? Why isn’t anything working?!” Chiaki’s exterior was rapidly crumbling with her voice cracking, and her pets against Tomoe’s soft, ebon, tufts became more frantic as she attempted to stimulate some life back into him.

Madara’s face twisted into a grimace, helpless with the sensation of feeling utterly lost on how to console the Fusae as she looked to him for some form of support. Izuna was naturally more sympathetic when it came to matters such as these, and it disheartened the Uchiha that someone he cared for so dearly was so upset over something entirely out of her control.

”Sometimes these things just happen, Chiaki. You’ve put a lot of yourself into your beloved pet lately, he knows he was loved by you. Now it’s time to take care of you, you don’t look so hot – either.” Madara’s tone was gentle as he brushed back a few of her thick coils behind her ear, his hand grazing across the febrile flesh of Chiaki’s.

A dark-rim was prominent around her optics, causing her rich brown’s to come across a bit more like inky pits with signs of exhaustion weighing her down and making her movements sluggish from the neglect she’d subjected her own body to over being wracked with grief over Tomoe's abrupt decline.

”It’s not fair, I had so many things I wanted to do with him..!” Chiaki wailed as a breakdown of her previously checked emotions crumpled and she started weeping uncontrollably.

Madara’s arms were swift to embrace the Fusae, bringing her in close and allowing her to dampen his shoulder as she burrowed her face there and squalled harshly with the Uchiha knowing there was nothing he could say to smooth over the situation. With Tomoe’s altered breathing making him appear as if he were springing a marathon, Madara figured it was only a matter of time before Chiaki would no longer have him..

After another excruciating hour, Tomoe’s final breath came out like the most contented sigh Chiaki had heard from him in such a long time. Her grief had come and gone like tsunami waves the duration of Tomoe’s last stretch of life (and in the following days to come), and after he’d been assured it was safe to leave Chiaki’s side – Madara dug Tomoe’s grave.

Dirt has just been snugly packed down, securing Tomoe’s coffin in place beneath their feet with the peace of mind that nothing would be disturbing him after they were long gone. Chiaki’s face still had remnants of streaks down her cheek from having been bawling the entirety of the morning, and the space between her eyes and nose was a bright cherry as it stung and burned from being exposed to the chilly breeze.

”I’ll give you as much time as you need.” Madara informed Chiaki, acknowledging that he wasn’t nearly as attached to the silly furball as she was, yet still wanting her to know he was nearby should she need him.

”You were an excellent mother to him, I’m certain he’ll be waiting for you when it’s your time.” The Uchiha’s statement was comforting as it warmed Chiaki’s heart.

”Thank you, I appreciate your efforts.” Chiaki’s smile was fleeting, and Madara didn’t get to behold it with their backs to each other.. although he surely felt the sincerity behind her thanks as he ambled back towards the house.

Alone with Tomoe, Chiaki couldn’t help staring vacantly down as the patch of tampered earth and feeling her heart pang from the acknowledgment that she’d never be holding him again, or sing goofy songs to him or let him know he was so beloved.

”It’s not goodbye forever, it’s just goodnight. One day we’ll play together again..”