Chapter 6. Away.

"Itachi." you said crossing the room and standing with your back towards the window, several steps away from me, your arms crossed on your chest. I was getting up and had my feet already on tatami, the palms of my hands were pressing against the black mattress of my low platform bed. When you entered my room I was just about to push myself up. You walked straight past me and stood there silently observing how I was persuading my body to follow my orders.

I felt the backs of my legs touch the cool smooth wood of the platform frame while I was forcing myself up. You said it again "Itachi."

"What is it, Sasuke?" I asked you, still wanting to get up without your assistance. You approached me and put your arms around me, helped me up and we both slowly moved towards the door. You were holding my arm over your shoulder, as always.

"I'm leaving for a few days, Itachi." You said then added

"There will be someone instead of me here".

"Who?" I asked.

"Nanako."

We stopped. I steadied myself with my hand against the wall and looked at you. The girl from urabon?

"Is this a good idea, Sasuke?"

You didn't answer at first and looked away. Your face was serious.

"Come on, let's move" you said, placing your shoulder under my arm again and opening the door. Several steps more I tried again.

"It is not safe for her".

"I know. But it's all I can do for now, Itachi." You cut off curtly.

"What about my medicine?"

"She will give it to you. She is studying to be a medic, so you don't need to worry."

We walked quietly up to the bathroom. You opened it for me and leaned against the wall.

"Where are you going to?"

But I knew you wouldn't answer. You just smirked and looked away. Again. Urabon? Or worse?

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"Ohayo gozaimasta, Itachi-san, Sasuke-san."

"Ohayo, Nanako".

"Ohayo gozaimasu".

Nanako-chan was dressed and looked differently from when we had met last time when you were shooting urabon in my room.

She wore an outfit suitable for usual office job, a light brown skirt that covered her knees and a white blouse with a high collar. Her hair was done up, neatly and strictly.

She had a brown leather briefcase in her right hand and a bigger bag that she left at the doors into my room.

"Itachi. Do you remember Nanako?" you asked me, looking at her, a peculiar smile playing on your lips. She bowed to you and to me, returning you the smile before doing that.

"Yes, of course. Hajimemashite, Nanako-chan."

She came up closer, greeted me with a short bow again and lightly squeezed my hand.

"How do you feel, Itachi-san?" she wondered.

You also raised from your seat and directly started giving her instructions.

"Nanako, here is his medication. Use it exactly as I said" she nodded.

Sasuke, had something happened that you had to leave so urgently? You wouldn't tell me of course. It was a rather irresponsible gesture, to rely with this complicated task on a woman, way we had met and got introduced to each other didn't make the current situation easier for any of us. I could tell she was embarrassed by the way she tried not to meet my gaze.

I watched you pulling the boxes from the draw showing and explaining about the injections and dosage and the scheduler. She was writing it down in her notebook, the one she had retrieved from her briefcase. She was attentively listening to everything you spoke of, making notes and not interrupting you a single time.

"if it starts you give him this..."

Sasuke, did you realize what risk you would be putting her through by leaving her here with me alone?

"you can try to tie up his arms, but heavy covers work just as fine. Put them over him as many as needed..."

Were you prepared to face the consequences if she was to commit one mistake? This one mistake could cost her life, Sasuke. You realized that, didn't you?

"careful with the glass..and sharp objects. He can hurt himself."

You turned to me.

"See?" you pointed at my lip. "Don't let him drink from the glass if he is too bad or this will happen."

She looked with a pity at me. Yes, Sasuke, you were right, this could happen but it never did. Not a single time.

I smiled at you, brother. I couldn't really expect you to confess to Nanako-chan about how this little insignificant incident had occurred the day before. Sasuke, I stopped seeing logic in your actions and the only thing that I was certain about now that you were about to leave and she would stay in your place for as long as it was required.

Nanako-chan. She was an interesting choice, Sasuke. Was there no one else to ask and the whole trip was so sudden that you didn't manage to prepare for it in advance? Or was it your intention from the beginning to confuse me and surprise me once again?

"and try to sleep too. He won't kill you. Just watch the time with the meds".

"Hey, Itachi," you addressed me in the end. "be kind and nice to Nanako."

"Yes, of course" I answered honestly and she smiled a forced smile. I could not blame her for that.

"Come on, Nanako. I'll show you to your room and then I'll be off " you turned to me in the doors. "I'll see you, Itachi. Behave."

When the door closed behind you I heard you say to her

"the guest room, you can also call me if something happens. I won't be able to answer, but leave a message..."

After that you left.

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Like a prison. No, like a cage. In my own room, in my bed, an unfamiliar person watching over my shoulder, studying my every move, my every breath.

She was sitting in the sofa, in your sofa, Sasuke, where you used to sit. She was reading a book and casting worried looks in my direction. My eyes were closed but I could picture her well as if I was watching her now closely, as if I was studying her. Her reactions, her thoughts, her fear.

There she was her legs crossed under her, her elbow resting on the cushion of the sofa. She was turning the pages a little bit too fast for being captured in reading.

I heard a quiet swish when the fabrics of her skirt brushed against the velvet of the furniture. I heard her dumped frequent steps on tatami in my direction. A moment later her cold hand touched my forehead, then my face. I waited with opening my eyes as she stroked my cheek.

"Itachi-san, wake up, please. Itachi-san" she called quietly.

I opened my eyes. She was standing above me, cupping my cheek, no fear, no hate, just pity.

"Itachi-san, time for your medication soon." she said smiling.

I tried to see the numbers on the clock on the wall behind her but I could not distinguish them clearly, my sight was fuzzy in the first minutes after waking up.

"Is it the time already?" I wondered. It felt too early.

"We have an hour, but I thought it might be good if you eat something before that" she said.

I frowned.

"Nanako-chan. I would really love to, but we'll leave it to later on."

She nodded and returned back to the sofa. There was no point trying to sleep now. I thought a little then asked her.

"You don't need to stay here all the time, you know that, Nanako-chan?"

She shook her head.

"Your brother asked me to look after you and not leave you for a minute."

Her eyes were glittering when she spoke about you, Sasuke.

"Do you like my brother, Nanako-chan?" I asked and she took her gaze away, smiled embarrassed.

"Yes," she said."I do, very much".

Sasuke, I wished you saw it and realized it. One more beautiful woman was in love with you.

"You would make a good couple" I said to her as she lifted her gaze and laughed.

"No-no, Itachi-san. I don't like him this way! I just like him. Like a brother" she came up, tucked the duvet under my side and walked towards the door, smiling.

"Hmm...like a brother.."

I repeated after her.

"Yes, Itachi-san. Same as I like you."

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"Did it hurt?" she asked me after making me an injection. She sat on the side if my bed, my hand in her hands. She was tissue touching my forehead to wipe off sweat of my face. She had put the kit away and only a glass of clear liquid was standing on the bedside table, awaiting for its time. If needed.

"No, it didn't hurt" I said, gritting my teeth, feeling the trembling resonating in my limbs. Now it would start. Now it would start. Now it would...

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I opened my eyes She was curled on the floor, sleeping. A thin towel covering her instead of the blanket. She had all her clothing on, exactly as yesterday when she came in.

This was a very uncomfortable way of sleeping. I tried to move, but the mass of blankets and heavy covers restrained me and my body was weak and powerless. I needed to drink.

I lifted myself on my elbows and eventually sat on the bed.

"Itachi-san" she said, waking up directly and getting up.

"Why are you not in your room?" I asked when she helped me to remove the blankets. This would be the time when had to get to the bathroom. You would usually help me, Sasuke. But you were not here now.

"I couldn't leave you, Itachi-san. I was afraid you would hurt yourself or something".

I frowned.

"Why would I do that?"

"This medicine," she said also frowning "it's not good for you, Itachi-san. You should consult the doctors about it. It's not normal to have reactions like that." she helped me on my feet, holding me around my waste.

"This is unimportant, Nanako-chan. But thank you anyway " I said as we were walking out of the room.

"I could talk to someone, some professional maybe..." I stopped.

"I am sorry. But it is better if we leave this conversation, Nanako-chan. My brother knows what is best for me."

"Yes, but there might be better ways..." she parred, looking in my eyes. We were standing now at the doors to the bathroom. I smiled.

"Thank you, I can manage myself now" I said and put my hand on the doorknob. She covered my hand with hers and said kindly but firmly.

"No, Itachi-san. I'm sorry, but your brother specially told me not to leave you unattended even for a minute."

I stared at her.

"I really could .."

she opened the door, walking me in.

"I'll turn around, don't worry. Itachi-san. I'm studying to become a doctor and also...it's not like I haven't seen..."

"I see." I said and lowered onto the toilet seat. Yes, brother, a very interesting challenge you have set up for me. A very interesting one, indeed.

"How long would Sasuke be gone for?" I asked, trying to concentrate on relaxing and getting rid of my bodily wastage in a presence of an unfamiliar person, who was doing her best to study the pattern on the sakura and bamboo branches on the bathroom tiles.

"Several days. I don't know the details."

"I see." I said again.

Sasuke. This was a very interesting situation. I wondered what was your purpose with this exactly?

"He is worried about you" Nanako said all of a sudden, turning around and coming very close to me.

She tore a section of toilet paper and put it into my hands.

"Here. I'll stand outside. But you will have to do better than that next time" she said and the door closed behind her. I heard her lean against it, waiting for me. I smiled.

"You have to keep talking to me all the time, while you are in there alone, Itachi-san" she said through the doors.

"Yes, of course" I answered.

It was a smart decision. Sasuke, maybe you were not wrong and she was the person who could do it better than you.

"What shall we talk about while you are busy, Itachi-san?" she asked me again.

"We could talk about you and my brother" I said.

I pictured her so well now. How she blushed and smiled when asking

"What about me?"

I felt relaxed. And it didn't take long until I was ready.

"What do you like?" I wondered, as I was washing my hands, my face, cleaning my teeth. I listened to her talking all the time. She told me that her parents lived in outskirts of Kawasaki and that she had a little brother and an older sister there. I had learnt that she aspired to become a doctor and that her family was too poor to pay for her education in Tokyo University and that urabon was how she supported herself. I also learnt that she lived in a student apartment in International Plaza in Akasaka, sharing it with 3 more girls from the same course where she went to.

"It's a very dear place to live, Nanako-chan", I told her.

Akasaka, neighboring to Roppongi, the nightclub area in Tokyo. An exclusively expensive place to reside.

"Yes, I know. "she replied.

When I came out I asked her

"How do you know my brother?" She gave me her shoulder to lean on and we made a few steps.

"Well, we ...do urabon together."

I frowned and looked at her.

"Do you want to sit here, in the living room for a change? I could make some tea and a breakfast while we are talking?"

I looked around.

"Yes, why not?"

I smiled to her and we walked into the living room both slowly moving our legs, burning mine against the tatami, her holding me around my waist, my arm resting on her shoulder. A little fragile woman, taking care of me, helping me to walk. For the first time in a month, Sasuke, somebody asked me if I wanted to be out of my room where I'd spend the nights and the days. And it wasn't you, Sasuke. It was her.

She helped me to lower myself in the sofa by the television.

"Will you be comfortable?" she asked

"Yes, of course. Please, don't rush. I'll be happy to hear more about you. The breakfast can wait"

she laughed and went towards the kitchen, just several meters away from me.

"No, Itachi-san. Breakfast can't wait. It's the most important meal of the day and if you are not eating it, I am!"

I closed my eyes. Sasuke, did you even know what you had done? You made me happy. Thank you.

I started drifting off listening to her voice as she was preparing our breakfast.

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"What profit does urabon give you, Nanako-chan?"

She reddened. This topic was unpleasant for either of us.

"Itachi-san, could we please not discuss it?" she asked taking her hand away.

It had been the end of the third day now Sasuke and she'd spend them all here, by my bed. She would also walk me around the apartment and sit with me by the windows in the living room. She insisted on me walking as much as my body could take it until my legs were incapable of holding me upright anymore.

Sasuke, she had been sleeping on the sofa in my room, and was always there when I opened my eyes.

She didn't complain a single time, though she must have been tired and exhausted after these days.

I wished to help her, to pay her back in some way.

"Nanako-chan" I addressed her firmly "When my brother gets back I shall talk to him. I am certain there are resources in my family that could help you without you needing to get involved in urabon any more than you already have".

She studied me seriously for a moment then frowned and answered.

"Itachi-san. This is not possible."

Pride? No, this was not pride. I looked at her face. I got a weird feeling, Sasuke. What was it? What didn't I know?

"What is the reason?" I wondered.

The answer she gave me came as a surprise. She took my hand in hers and stroked my cheek.

"Itachi-san. Sasuke-san hardly manages himself. It's not easy for him."

I did not understand.

"Nanako-chan", I said firmly, "We don't need to ask Sasuke, if you are uncomfortable with that. I own stocks that would solve this problem without any complications."

She lowered her gaze and was quiet for a while, the she returned back to sitting on the sofa, took a book in her hands.

I watched her wondering what she was thinking. When she hadn't spoken in a while, concentrating on her activity I asked her myself.

"Wouldn't you accept my help, Nanako-chan?"

she lifted her eyes and pronounced

"Of course I would. It's just so that you cannot help me, Itachi-san. You are broke. Sasuke is working to pay for the hospital and the rest. He is paying for me taking care of you now. So you don't need to worry about it."

She was talking long but I could not recognize her words. They all sounded the same. You worked to support me? We had nothing? How, Sasuke? Why?

Urabon. You were in urabon because of that? What more had happened in those months? What hadn't you told me?

"Nanako-chan. I wish to speak to my brother. Call him and inform him to return back. This cannot wait."

she came up to me.

"No, Itachi-san. Let him be. Please. Don't take away that little what he has left"

And we didn't talk about it more.

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"Itachi-san! Itachi-san!" she woke me up in the middle of the night. I felt surprisingly heavy in my body, I looked down, yes, restraints again. So it was not getting better from the previous time, the reaction to the medicine.

"What is it?" I asked feeling my tongue as if wrapped in cotton and it was extremely hard to speak.

She put a glass of water to my mouth, tilting my head to the side. I was not thirsty but I drunk it anyway. My head fell back on the pillow.

"Itachi-san. You were dreaming badly. You were talking in your sleep so loudly...and moaning "

I remembered now and lowered my gaze.

"You should not worry" I said.

She protested and wiped off the side of my mouth with cold oshibori.

Yes, I had that dream again. I was dreaming of you, Sasuke. Did I betray something while in a sleep?

She placed the glass on the bedside table and stroked my cheek affectionately.

"Is it him you are dreaming about?" she asked looking in my eyes.

So I had mentioned you, Sasuke.

"There is no need to worry" I repeated.

She lowered and kissed me in my cheek.

"You love him, don't you, Itachi-san?"

I turned my head away. This was a very uncomfortable situation. A very unpleasant one. If I hadn't just woken up I would have reacted most likely differently, but my thoughts were not gathered, Sasuke. My head was still heavy the only thing I thought of was to say the way it was.

"Yes, he is my brother. Of course I love him".

She smiled and shook her head.

"I mean not only like that. Itachi-san, I understand. I'll never tell him."

I looked at her.

"He is my little brother, Nanako-chan. That is exactly how I love him."

she took her hand away and stopped smiling.

"Of course" she said and went to sit on the sofa.

I felt like I had insulted her. But I didn't lie.

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"He is not here yet?" I asked her in the morning. She was sitting by the side of my bed, tired, black rings under her eyes. Sasuke, you spoke to her over the phone yesterday that you would be coming back. Several hours ago.

"He should return back soon" she said, stroking my hand.

Nanako. She had been a very caring nurse, a kind tender woman. She was worried about you too. I smiled to her reassuringly.

"Of course he will."

We both heard your approaching steps on the path. The door opened. I could picture you throw your footwear in the corridor and make a few steps. Sasuke, something was not right. You fell down and cussed loudly.

"Itachi-san," Nanako said to me quietly, looking more than simply concerned." I shall go and greet Sasuke-san home".

I squeezed her hand.

"No". I said.

"Fuck! To heck with all this fucking furniture!" we heard you yell from behind my doors. Sasuke, what was wrong with you?

"Help me up, please" I asked her, pushing my body on the elbows. She embraced me to help me to get up.

You kicked the door open at that exact moment.

"The fuck?!" you shrieked, charging to my bed, catching Nanako's arm and throwing her away from me.

"What is wrong with you, Sasuke? What are you doing?" I made an attempt to get up now.

She fell on her knees on the floor but raised up directly, brushed herself off and ran out of the room.

"Don't you fucking touch him with your dirty hands, Nanako! He is not yours." you screamed at her back and landed on my bed, pushing me back into my pillows.

You smelled of alcohol, Sasuke. And you looked like a total mess. What had happened to you?

You took my face in your hands and kissed me on my lips.

"Itachi. I fucking missed you." You whispered in my mouth. "I was fucking crazy without you".

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N/A: I'm late with the update again. I'm bringing my apologies. This was tricky for me to write in order to slow down the tempo of the story a little bit. I know the plot twists confuse you very much, so this chapter is meant to give some breathing space. And maybe give birth to new theories about how why and what the fuck...lol.

As always. Mainki.