"Carrot?"

Sasuke regarded the orange rectangular log pointing in his direction with a look of disdain and pushed it away. "No thanks."

"Are you sure?"

Sasuke nodded. "I'm not the one who's in the hospital and needs it. You eat it."

Itachi frowned and pushed the carrot slice into his mouth with soft crunch. "When was the last time you've eaten anything today?"

"I'm still full from breakfast." Sasuke answered.

"Which was?"

"At ten o'clock." He answered. "I ordered a sausage McMuffin with egg and a hash brown."

Itachi sighed. "I'm sure that there are better options out there than that…"

"I haven't done any grocery shopping in a while and money is tight." Sasuke explained.

"I understand. I just wanted to know if you had eaten anything before coming here, that's all." He said and quickly changed the subject. "You said that money is tight. Are you still working at the athletic store?"

Sasuke nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Itachi nodded too and bit the inside of his cheek. A part time job at selling athletic equipment wasn't nearly enough to pay off one's rent or utilities unless they had a roommate, which Itachi doubted Sasuke did. But as much as he wanted to voice his opinions, he held back for fear that Sasuke would blow up again about Itachi not trusting him and storm out of the room. And just when they were starting to rebuild their relationship again.

"I recently got a job at a sports bar as well." He added.

Itachi raised his eyebrows. "Really? Doing what?"

"Waiting tables."

"Any luck finding a hiring law firm?" Itachi asked. It was rare for Sasuke to bring up facts regarding his personal life without Itachi prompting him so he decided to ask the questions that had been on his mind as of late while Sasuke was feeling talkative.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, not yet."

"I see." Itachi nodded and silently debated if he wanted embark further into enemy territory. "You know, Sasuke, you don't have to visit me if you're busy. I'll understand."

"Don't worry Itachi, I can make time for my sick brother. It's no big deal."

Itachi drew his eyebrows together in concern, much like their mother always had when she sensed that there was more to a story that what her sons told her. "And I appreciate it, Sasuke, I really do," he started to say when Sasuke sent him a disinterested glare. "But you have two jobs now. You can't have much free time between your shifts and I don't want you to be taking less hours or rushing to get from place to place because you're spending all your time here with me."

"Don't worry; I'm not rushing from place to place and I already declined a third job offer."

"I'm sorry, you did what?" Itachi asked.

"Calm down. It was just another part time position working at a video game store. Nothing important."

Itachi breathed a sigh of relief but did not feel much better after doing so. "I'm not so sure. If you were searching for a third part-time job, then you must be struggling financially to make ends meet." He sighed. "Sasuke, I don't want to be the reason why you get kicked out of your apartment because you couldn't pay the rent on time."

"It's fine, Itachi." Sasuke reiterated. "I applied for that job when I was looking for a second job and they just now got back to me. I'm doing fine with the jobs that I have, but a third would've given me more money to spend every now and then."

"You should've taken it." Itachi said in a tone just above a whisper.

"I was going to until I found out that you were in the hospital. That's why I declined."

"Sasuke—"

"In case you've forgotten, I'm the only close family that you have left. If I had accepted a third part time job, I wouldn't have any time to visit you, period."

"You can always call, Sasuke, I don't mind, I just don't want you to feel obligated to visit me when you have more pressing priorities to tend to."

Sasuke shook his head while looking skyward. "First of all, your health is my number one priority right now. Second, I don't visit you because I feel 'obligated' to do so; I visit you because I want to." He said. "And I was thinking about moving back in with you."

"Sasuke, there isn't much you can do for me while I'm in here. Visiting and calling is more than enough to help me through this. You don't have to do something so drastic right now."

"I've given it a lot of thought already, Itachi. If I moved back in with you, I could still work at the athletic store and the sports bar and visit you without burning through as much gas as I already do."

"You don't have to do that for me, Sasuke." Itachi said. "You've wanted your own place for months and now you've finally got it. There's no need for you to move back home just to visit me in the hospital more often."

Sasuke turned in his chair so that he was facing Itachi directly and said "I'm not sure if you know this or not, but you have cancer. Anything could happen at any time and if something were to happen to you, I'd like to be at your side ASAP."

Itachi's eyes darted back and forth, examining Sasuke's facial features for any cracks in this new resolve, something that Itachi could say to dissuade his younger sibling, but he found none. With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes and rested his head back against his pillow. "Are you sure that this is what you want to do?"

Sasuke nodded. "I'm sure."

"What if I go into remission within the next month? What will you do then?"

"We won't know that."

Itachi lifted his head to directly look Sasuke in the eyes. "Let's pretend that I will. You will have forfeited the apartment you spent months searching for to move home for a month."

"I'm aware."

"You could always stay at the apartment for a month to see how my treatment goes before you decide. There's no rush."

"I don't want to miss a rent payment because I'm too busy worrying about your health."

Itachi regarded him quizzically. "I'm the one with cancer, not you. So you only need to be concerned with yourself."

"Yeah, not gonna happen. Sorry." He shrugged.

Itachi smiled slightly before regaining a serious tone of voice. "Cancer can come back you know. Remission doesn't always last."

"I know that, Itachi."

"What will you do then?

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "Honestly, I'd rather deal with the here and now. And besides, living at home won't be the end of the world."

Did you think that I was going to live with you forever, Itachi? Sasuke had snapped at him almost two months ago at the cemetery when they were visiting their mother for her birthday. And here he was now, admitting that living at home for a little while longer wouldn't be so bad.

Itachi couldn't help but smile. But a part of him couldn't believe what he was hearing and didn't want to push Sasuke into a decision that he would later regret without making sure that this was something that Sasuke wanted. "And you're absolutely certain—"

"For the millionth time Itachi, yes I'm certain! I've been thinking about this for a while now! Don't you think I've thought of every implication? I went to law school for God's sake! I know how to pick apart every little detail!"

"I just wanted to make sure." Itachi said in his defense. "If that's what you want, then I'm okay with it. However, I hope you understand that you'll be sleeping in my room as Kisame is currently occupying your old room."

"Oh, I'm aware." Sasuke muttered. When Itachi continued to stare at him, he added "And don't worry, I'll try to be civil towards the guy. Even though he's the one who punched me."

"Thank you." Itachi smiled and opened his arms wide for a hug.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but did not refuse the gesture, leaning into his brother to return the hug. When they parted, Sasuke glanced at his fingers, which had long black locks of hair tangled up in between them. "Itachi…?"

Ooh...what's going on now? Hm~ (the anticipation!)

I wasn't really planning on writing a chapter today but the inspiration I needed to do so came and I worked all day to be able to post this tonight! (Literally, I started it this morning, and revised it this afternoon, and finished it earlier this evening!) Whew! Such hard work!

*cheers*

Until next time~

Sasori33-001

PS: This chapter takes place on Friday, July 20th. Sasuke's birthday is on Monday, July 23rd. Any suggestions what Itachi should get him for a birthday present? (I may or may not include it or I may just come up with my own idea but suggestions are welcomed! Who knows? I might pick one of them!)

PSS: I doubt Sasuke's birthday will take place during the next chapter :(

PSSS: I THINK the next chapter is set to be a Kisame chapter with a dash of Sasuke~ *don't quote me on that*