Cinderella; Once In A Plot Twist

🍡 Chapter 27 🍡

"We're here." Mikoto gently announced that they had gotten to their destination. Sasuke didn't notice it as he had been so deep in his head. They got out of the car and into the hospital. Even the nurse receptionist that always said hello to Sasuke so cheerfully whenever he visited was somber. It was as if everyone knew that sometime soon Itachi would no longer be with them. It was depressing.

"Itachi dear." Mikoto announced as they came into Itachi's room. He was awake and staring into the nothingness when they arrived.

"Mother." Itachi replied her, turning his head towards the direction her voice came from. "Did he- is he?" Sasuke knew Itachi was asking after him and he made himself known to the elder.

"Nii-san."

Itachi brightened up visibly at his brother's voice. He smiled. "Sasuke you came."

"Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?" Sasuke asked indignantly.

"Well you haven't come by in a while so I assumed you were busy with schoolwork."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted as he took his seat next to Itachi's bed. "I admit that I was busy but I was wrong for neglecting you."

"You're making me sound like a puppy." Itachi deadpanned.

"You are a puppy." Sasuke shot back. It led to a banter that had Mikoto smiling and Hinata giggling a bit. That alerted Itachi to her presence.

"Oh is someone else in the room with us?" He asked curiously. "Is it Sakura-chan?"

"No I'm afraid not." Sasuke answered.

"Who is it then?"

Sasuke gestured for Hinata to step forward. Itachi could only see a very blurry and distorted image of the person that stepped in front of him and next to Sasuke but he could tell that it was a girl. "Hello Itachi-san. I don't know if you remember me but I am Hinata. Hinata Hyuga."

Itachi's forehead creased as he tried to recall the name. It didn't take too long. "Hinata?! You're the little girl that always hid behind Hikari-sensei's skirt whenever we came around? You're Hikari-sensei's daughter?"

Sasuke didn't know why he was surprised that Itachi knew Hinata and vice versa but he was.

"Yes I am. It's great to see you again Itachi-san." Hinata said pleasantly.

"Great to see you too! My have you grown! I never would've thought that you and Sasuke are friends. How did you know she was Hikari-sensei's daughter Sasuke? I never mentioned her last name to you." Itachi asked his brother curiously.

"It was thanks to Sakura. They are step sisters." Sasuke replied briskly but Itachi was amazed nevertheless.

"Whoa what a small world." He exclaimed softly. "And how are you faring Hinata? And little Hanabi? I bet she isn't so little anymore." Itachi redirected his attention to Hinata.

"Oh she isn't." Hinata chuckled. Hanabi didn't even remember who Itachi was but he didn't need to know that. "We're both doing great Itachi-san. I just wish we met on different circumstances. I'd have been a lot more happier." She said wistfully. It was painful meeting somebody after a long time only for them to leave so soon.

"I know right?" Itachi chuckled a bit. "I am very happy to have met you again though, even if for a brief while." He admitted honestly.

"Likewise I, Itachi-san."

After Itachi and Hinata shared a few more minutes talking to each other and catching up it was time for the girl to leave. Mikoto chose to see her home while Sasuke had some alone time with his brother. She had picked up on his need to be alone which was why she decided to hang around until visiting hours were about to end.

Meanwhile Sasuke was finally alone with Itachi, tupperware clutched in his hands. He never dropped it.

"It makes me glad to see that you're making friends other than Naruto, Sasuke. I'm relieved. You have a lot of people to take care of you in my stead." Itachi broke the silence that settled between them after Mikoto and Hinata left.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted the way he normally did when he had nothing to say. Itachi had never surer that he was leaving than he did now. How could he say it that calmly? Sasuke wasn't the one dying but it felt like it.

"Izumi came by you know?" Itachi suddenly announced.

"Huh?" Sasuke was surprised. "I thought she was overseas?"

"I thought so too. Seems to me that mum mentioned something to her." Ever since he and his childhood friend got back in touch after she left Itachi had kept some details about himself, including his illness, private because he knew that if Izumi ever got word about it she would abandon everything she had worked hard to build to come to his aid. He didn't want that.

"When was that?" Sasuke asked when Izumi came to visit.

"Yesterday." Itachi answered. "She'll be coming by today too according to her. It's been a while since you saw her, right?"

"Yeah..." The conversation died out with that. Sasuke glared at the tupperware in his hands as he wondered whether to actually give Itachi the dangos which had grown cold today or if he should make another and give him tomorrow.

Itachi noticed that Sasuke was troubled about something and called him out on it. "Sasuke is something the matter?" He asked in concern.

"Ah it's nothing." Sasuke initially dismissed him but then he decided to wing it. "Actually...there is a reason I was so busy that I couldn't come to visit."

"Oh?" Itachi was curious. "What is it?"

Sasuke grew redder as he admitted that he was learning how to make something for his brother. "I was learning how to make dangos. For you. Since they were your favorite." He said mechanically like the tsundere he was.

Itachi gasped in surprise. "But Sasuke you dislike cooking. Still you went out of your way to learn? For me?"

"I still dislike cooking." Sasuke deadpanned. "I just made an exception for this one time and it turns out that I have a knack for it." The younger Uchiha shoved the Tupperware into Itachi's hands. "H-here. It's cold and there's no drink and I had no time to make the sauce and it doesn't taste like anything like normal dango but-"

"Sasuke." Itachi interrupted his brother's self condemning rambling. "It looks great, you don't have to worry about those minor details."

"You can't even see them, idiot." Sasuke whispered softly. His words held no bite in them at all.

"I don't need to see to know it looks good and it will taste good." Itachi smiled at Sasuke as he opened the food container. Sasuke helped him with a dango stick and watched with a baited breath as Itachi took a dumpling into his mouth. "I knew it'll be delicious. I could perceive chamomile in the dango, did you add it in?"

"I did. You used to enjoy dango with chamomile tea so I thought of a way you could experience the best of both flavours with each bite. Did I..." Sasuke bit his lip. "Did I do well?"

"You certainly could have done better but I am so happy to be the first to taste your special dango." Itachi couldn't lie to Sasuke about how slightly off the dango tasted from adding in too much chamomile leaves and sugar but he was sincere about being incredibly happy that the boy went out of his way to make it for him. To Itachi it was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten.

Sasuke didn't reply him and Itachi was beginning to get worried. That was until he heard a sniff. It was small and intended to be hidden from him but Itachi, ever perceptive as he was, knew what it was. "Sasuke are you... crying?"

***
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