If you see a mistake, please correct me :)

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Asami looked at her two Uchiha that were standing in the doorway from the corner of her eyes as she was making lunch for the youngest one. A smile tugged at her lips when Kouta was lifted into Madara's arms, squealing and laughing in delight. He was absolutely thrilled when he saw his father standing in the living room after he finally came downstairs.

Asami wasn't very thrilled to find out that Kouta went down the stairs on his own while he still hadn't fully recovered. She already got sweaty hands when she saw him near stairs, even if he was totally healthy. He did look better than yesterday, but she was going to try to keep him in bed or on the couch as much as possible.

Amusement glistened in Madara's eyes when Kouta buried his face into his chest and hugged him as tight as he could. Madara placed his hand Kouta's head and ran his fingers through his messy and short hair. He turned his gaze to meet Asami's, who only took once quick glance at him for a few seconds before looking away. She knew he noticed the slight fakeness in her smile this morning and she felt guilty for even trying to fool him. Of course, she was trying! She really wanted to but the memories of what he did to her kept holding her back. 

Heaving a sigh, Asami looked up to the cabinet above her that hung against the wall and her eyes fell on the ground cinnamon in the small jar on the highest shelf. She hated it that she put the spices she rarely used where she could barely reach them but the kitchen was small and space was limited. 

Just when Asami climbed onto the counter, knowing that she won't be able to grab it while standing on the ground, an arm around her waist pulled her off of it and a hand easily took the jar from the shelf. Asami flinched at the touch, not expecting him to do what he did, and looked over her shoulder. Madara looked down at her with a frown on his face. ''You could have just asked.'' He said as he put the cinnamon down next to the plate with the french toast.

''I've always done it like this.''

Madara looked down at her but he only got to see the back of her head. She had turned back her face to what was in front of her and didn't even turn around to face him when talking to him now. He knew very well that she didn't mean to be rude, even though she sounded that way, she simply was embarrassed. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he moved his hand from her gaunt waist up to her shoulder and leaned down. ''You don't have to force yourself.'' He spoke, feeling Asami tense under the palm of his hand. She turned her head to the side, but refused to make eye contact and kept her gaze steady on Madara's fingers as they gripped her shoulder tighter. ''You're trying, and that's already good enough for me.''

Asami pursed her lips for a moment before taking his hand off of her and turning around. ''It's not good enough for me though.'' She mumbled, leaning against the counter. Her clammy hands grasped the edge firmly as she lifted her head. She still didn't have the confidence to look him straight in the eyes while talking about this subject though, so the decided to focus on the wall behind him. ''I really want to believe in you, and I do. I just need some more time for this feeling to grow.'' 

The few seconds of silence that followed made her feel uneasy. Why wasn't he saying anything? Maybe he was just thinking, or waiting for her to continue. Slowly and hesitantly, she moved her eyes to meet his gaze, but before she could do that herself, a hand took her face and turned it toward its owner.

Madara didn't let go after his calm orbs locked with her widened eyes. He understood her feelings very well, but there was no need for her to feel bad for something that he caused. It was his fault that she still doubted him, not hers. ''Stop looking like that.'' He grunted, only making Asami furrow her brows even more than she already was. He couldn't stand the face she was making. Her guilt was only making him feel guiltier and he hated it. ''There is no need for you to be sorry, so stop looking and talking so apologetically.''

Asami's face relaxed a bit at his words, but the frown didn't leave her face. Madara sighed and let go of her jaw, pressing his finger to the space between her eyebrows instead. ''You were always complaining about me getting wrinkles but now you're the one who has them.'' He grunted, provoking her on purpose, and it worked. Asami's frown turned into a soft glare and she playfully slapped his hand away before rubbing her fingertips against her forehead. ''I'm not old and I don't have wrinkles.'' She muttered, but she secretly liked it that he brought up something from their time in Konoha. It definitely lifted the mood.

''Mommy?''

Kouta's voice reminded her of the lunch she was supposed to bring him and she quickly turned around the take the plate from the counter but Madara interrupted once again by grabbing it before her. With a sigh, Asami turned around and made sure to let him know she wasn't as amused by his actions as he was. 

''I'll bring it to him.'' He offered, even though Asami knew very well that he was going to do it whether she wanted him to or not. She was glad that they had become closer, but she had always been the one that fed Kouta. Letting him do it for once wasn't a problem, but she still felt a bit conflicted. After a few seconds, Asami grumbled and took a knife and fork out of the drawer with the all the cutlery. ''Cut the toast into pieces and give him the fork.''

Madara simply nodded even though he already knew that and turned around to bring the food to Kouta, who was growing more impatient by the second. Asami hesitated for a moment but took Madara's arm and pulled him back after all. After pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, she gave him a little push in the direction of their son. ''He's waiting for you.''

Madara raised his eyebrows at her, having the same look in his eyes as when he picked up Kouta earlier. Asami simply waved her hand at him, silently ushering him out of the kitchen. Even though she tried to look annoyed, she couldn't help but smile as she watched Madara approach Kouta. Their current issues weren't going to stop her from showing her love to him and she just wanted to let him know that. She pressed her lips together, wishing she could have kissed him longer, just a few seconds more would have been enough.

After a few more minutes of watching her boys, she went back into the kitchen to clean up.

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Madara looked up from the book he was reading when the one who recommended it to him sat down next to him after taking a novel from the shelf. A smile graced her face when she ran her slender fingers through Kouta's soft hair before she pushed her shoulder against Madara's, leaning against him.

Madara didn't complain and looked down, silently watching Kouta as he slept, his chubby cheek pressed against his thigh. Asami gave him some medicine after dinner and as soon as the little guy joined Madara on the couch, he dozed off.

''Is it good?"

Madara turned his head to the side and saw Asami nod at the book in his hands with some kind of hopeful and eager look in her eyes. ''Well?''

''It's okay I guess.'' He mumbled. The book was thick, and he just started reading today. A real opinion was something he didn't have yet. 

Asami simply hummed at his response, just feeling happy that he didn't think it was boring, and let her head fall back onto his shoulder and held the novel in the air as her eyes scanned over the words which she had read so many times before. She was surprised that it was still so entertaining to read the same story over and over again.

While Asami was busy with her novel, reading it with great concentration, Madara wasn't able to focus at all. His thoughts drifted off to the discolored spots on his body when he felt one of them tingle. He had been running a few tests, but he didn't get the results he wanted. After transplanting Hashirama's flesh into his wounds after their fight, he hoped to gain Wood Release and the Rinnegan. Madara simply assumed that the cells in the flesh he took from Hashirama needed more time to fuse with his own.

Asami would definitely freak out if she knew about it, that's why he was relieved when she said she wouldn't ask. She was right about her gut telling her she didn't want to know it. He was sure that she didn't want to have to do with any of this. She'd be upset knowing what he was doing though.

Madara frowned when he felt Asami go limp against his side and turned his face to see her fast asleep. Heaving a sigh, he closed the book and threw it on the coffee table before he carefully lay Asami against the armrest of the couch. He didn't expect her to stay asleep while he moved her, so she must have been quite tired to have slept through it. He believed that taking care of a sick Kouta all the time was the main reason she fell asleep as soon as she got the chance to rest.

Slowly, he wriggled his hands under Kouta's body and lifted him into his arms. He didn't even shift or whine, which meant he was completely out cold and not waking up anytime soon.

After he took him upstairs and tucked him in, Madara went back down to get Asami. He made it clear never to carry her up the stairs again, but he was partly to blame for her exhaustion. It was tiring to take care of a sick child that needed constant attention and affection from his mother. He wasn't there.

He grabbed the book off her legs and placed it next to his on the coffee table before he turned back to the sleeping Uzumaki. Bending down, he slipped one arm under her legs and the other one around her waist and slowly hauled her up off the couch. Her head fell against his shoulder and her arm fell off her lap, now hanging and swinging next to her body.

Huffing, we went up the stairs once again. She wasn't heavy at all, but that was what worried him. It seemed like she was even lighter than before, though it's impossible since last time he carried her was only a few days ago.  Keiji doesn't have enough money to provide us with the amount of food we need and Asami always made sure that Kouta ate well even if that meant that she had to starve for a day.

Madara clenched his jaw as he put her down on the bed. Did she not care that she'll be underweight if she kept this up?

After running a hand through his hair, which really needed to get cut soon, he put one knee on the bed and leaned over Asami. His hands skimmed to the waistband of her pants and he unbuttoned the pants before slowly sliding it down her legs. He decided to let her keep wearing her shirt and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and use the toilet, washing his hands after. He stripped himself of most of his clothing and lay down next to Asami with a sigh.

To think that there could be so many problems while they lived quite a peaceful life now. Even though they only had to worry about themselves, there was still a lot to worry about.

Will their problems, all of them, ever be solved, Madara wondered.

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Now I'm not sure what Madara was expecting when he transplanted Hashirama's flesh into his wounds so this is just a guess. If you know for sure, please tell/correct me!

As always, feedback is very appreciated!