Fugaku threw Hinata a folder as he stocked down the hall. "I want the person responsible in my office by noon tomorrow," Fugaku growled. Employees ducked their heads as he passed to avoid catching the waves of anger coming off him.
Hinata's heels clicked in rhythm as she kept up with his pace. "Yes, sir." She would absolutely not be doing that. That was a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Fugaku smacked the elevator button before she could do it for him. Hinata bowed her head. There wasn't much she could do but be obedient when he was in this mood. They stepped into the elevator. Fugaku looked at his reflection as the door closed, and he sighed, lowering his shoulders. "Pills."
"You need to lower your stress levels." Hinata opened her purse and handed him a pill.
"Don't lecture me right now." Fugaku popped it into his mouth. "This is a nightmare."
"If you have a heart attack or a stroke, Itachi-san is in no health to take your position, and Sasuke-san isn't qualified." It wasn't wise to be prodding him, but they would have a bigger problem if he ended up in the hospital. "You need to keep your health."
Fugaku set his jaw, taking a deep breath. "I know."
Hinata let him storm out of the elevator before her. "I'll have Lee-san meet you." Hinata trailed after him, opening the car door for him. "I'll give you an update by this evening."
Fugaku gave her a single nod as she closed the door, giving the camera a flat face as they flashed from the line that was being held by security. The television appearance had gone well, or so they thought.
The next day, instead of any mention of Fugaku's interview or the company's innovation, Itachi's face was splattered across every newspaper. His condition had been leaked to the media, and the gossip of why it was hidden and how long he was suffering with it was on everyone's minds and social media.
Would any of these reporters like it if their family to have an article speculating on their family's illness?
Hinata let herself out of a black car outside the Uchiha manor. Another crowd of reporters waiting outside flashed cameras in her face and started asking questions, all of which she ignored. "This is private property. You are all trespassing." She told them, walking up to the house. "If you do not move outside property limits, you will be removed." With that, she opened the door, and a few personal security guards came out to do well on her threat.
The door closed behind her. She took off her shoes and coat, heading down the hall. She checked the living room and kitchen before finding Itachi in his room with the door open, sitting at a desk against the wall. Hinata rested her hip on the door.
Itachi looked up at her. He looked tired in a way that almost looked worse than when he was in a hospital bed. He set his phone down flat, hiding what article he was reading, like she didn't know he would torture himself with them. "What's the damage?"
Hinata tossed the magazine in her hand onto his desk. "It's still on the front page this morning, but most of it should stop running tomorrow now that we're suing who leaked the information. Legal is getting overtime."
Itachi rubbed his temple. "Well, it can only get worse." That wasn't the saying. He dragged his hands down his face before pausing and groaning. "It just got worse."
"Hmm?" Hinata stepped in to sit on the edge of his bed, leaning forward to listen.
Itachi turned in his hair, closing his eyes like he was waiting for a bomb. "When does Sasuke get back?"
"This evening. I'm supposed to be a good fiancée and pick him up from the airport." Hinata waved her hand. "I'll explain it all when he lands."
Itachi shook his head. "He's not going to know what you're talking about."
"It's possible he's already seen it. I know he's not much for social media, but it may already be in international news." Hinata put her hands out to assure him. "I promise I won't talk about your health too much."
"Wait." Itachi pressed. "I need you to listen to me." Hinata raised her eyebrows. "Hear me out for a moment… Sasuke doesn't know."
What was she not understanding? "I know. He'll find out when he lands."
"No," Itachi told her firmly. "Hinata, he doesn't know that I'm sick."
Hinata's eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you mean…?" What was he talking about? "Of course, he knows that."
"We never told him. I lied. It's not that he can't stand hearing about it. I just didn't want you mentioning it to him because we never told him." Itachi explained, closing his eyes in shame.
Hinata shook her head. That couldn't be right. "But he was tested for…"
"I lied," Itachi repeated.
Hinata stuttered. "He…"
"I lied to you to keep the secret going," Itachi admitted. "I'm sorry."
Hinata's heart stopped as the realization set in. "You and the director never told Sasuke-san that you're horribly, debilitatingly sick?" Itachi nodded. "Why would you do that?"
Itachi's eyebrows twitched together at her tone. "Because he IS a match."
Hinata stood up, putting her arms out in confusion. "What does that have to do…?"
Itachi shook his head. "If Sasuke knew, both of us would be in the hospital constantly. He would want to give me his blood, kidney, or whatever I needed. I needed him to finish university and start his career."
Hinata's arms dropped as the devastation leaked the will out of her body. "You didn't give him a choice."
"He didn't get a choice in having a brother that ill." Itachi countered. "I wasn't going to condemn him with me."
Hinata was so tired of this. Everything with this family was lies.
Itachi sat back. "I didn't care if the world knew. I just didn't want him to know." Itachi wore remorse on his face. "There's no way you could send him away until this blows over, is there?"
"Even if I could. I would tell him." Hinata kept her tone calm to hide the bubbling rage in her stomach, but she was sure she was wearing it on her face. She couldn't even bring herself to sympathize with Itachi right now. She was so angry with him. She could understand his reasoning if Sasuke was maybe five, but he was an adult, and if Itachi was that worried about not accepting Sasuke's help, Itachi could have just refused. The result was going to be the same. Sasuke was going to be destroyed.
Itachi gave her a pained smile. "I am glad you're on his side. No one has been since I was diagnosed."
The sad eyes Itachi gave her made her sick. She felt the tears coming, and she got up without saying goodbye, wiping her face and putting her coat and shoes back on, hesitating before she opened the door, forcing herself to compose her face for the vultures on the other side.
Calm for the cameras. Calm for the cameras. She repeated in her head until the car door clicked shut, and she broke behind the safety of the tinted glass.
She should have known! She should have picked up on those dumb excuses. How did she even think that was really what Sasuke had wanted?
Hinata knew how. Their early interactions were volatile and usually caused by another one of Fugaku's or Itachi's lies or simple misunderstandings. She just nestled what they told her into part of his personality and never questioned it.
How was she going to tell him? How was she going to tell him that his family was keeping something so important from him? What were they thinking? Did they think they were going to be able to hide it forever? When Itachi got too bad to be seen, would they tell Sasuke he was away on business? Were they going to tell him at his brother's funeral?
Or would they come up with a new lie?
Hinata's phone started buzzing. She let it ring twice before looking at the called ID. The director was calling her. Itachi told him already? Or was he oblivious to how absolutely outraged she was right now?
Hinata turned it off, put it in her purse, and looked out the window. Her chest filled with fear but also vindication, because if she answered the phone right now, she would quit. It wasn't a good choice to make emotionally. Maybe after talking to Sasuke, she would.
Hinata's throat was dry from trying to breathe evenly. Her eyes were sore from her wiping away the tears. Her fingers were raw from rubbing her hands together. She tried not to look insane, sitting here waiting at the airport for several hours, periodically wiping her nose and checking the time.
She thought about it in circles until she couldn't anymore. Her mind echoed. Was this the breaking point? What was even the best-case scenario?
The best case would have been telling Sasuke when Itachi got sick or Itachi never being sick in the first place.
Hinata eventually stopped looking at the clock and just listened to the terminal messages. Sooner or later, it would call the flight Sasuke was on, and if she had to listen intently for the right announcement, then she couldn't think anymore.
Despite her mission, she missed her cue and was surprised by a suitcase stopping in front of her. "Hinata?" Sasuke looked down at her, confused, seeing all the signs of her crying. "I know you didn't miss me that much." Sasuke joked in a concerned tone, and he only frowned further when she didn't smile. "What?"
"We need to talk." Hinata immediately regretted her wording and shook her head. "I… I need to tell you something."
"Cake?" Sasuke asked as he became pale.
Hinata stood up. "How about wine?"
Sasuke didn't like her answer, but followed her anyway.
Hinata closed her eyes to not watch Sasuke eye her as she downed the first glass of wine. "You're really worrying me."
Hinata nodded her head toward his drink.
Sasuke gave her a look and mimicked her downing it. "Do I get to know what this is about now?" Sasuke's eyes fell to her hands, checking if she was still wearing the ring. At this point, Hinata wished she was only breaking his heart.
"I want you to know that I wouldn't have kept it from you if I had known." Hinata felt sick defending herself before she even told him what was wrong, but she didn't know if she could stomach him thinking she was in on it. Sasuke listened intently. "Itachi-san's ill, very ill. His immune system is attacking itself, and most recently, his kidneys are failing. I've been monitoring his treatment for months. He needs a kidney transplant."
Sasuke nodded, pouring himself another glass, but he didn't drink it. He looked into the glass with a scowl. "I know."
Hinata choked as all the words she had planned caught in her throat. "What?"
Sasuke closed his eyes, and lines appeared on his face as he showed his suffering. "I've always known."
"How… I…." How had he known? Why hadn't he said anything?
Sasuke sat back. "Why did you decide to tell me?"
"It… It hit the news… I just found out that you didn't know." Hinata felt her chest fall. If he knew… should she be so upset?
"How did they keep you quiet for so long?" Sasuke sipped his drink.
"I was sworn to secrecy because I would 'upset you' if I discussed it." Hinata realized how stupid that sounded coming out of her mouth.
Sasuke let out a chuckle. "And I was being enough of a dickhead that it made sense." Hinata opened her mouth to defend him, but that was exactly why. "I made it easy for them, didn't I?"
Hinata sipped her glass and thumbed over the glass as she thought of her next concern. "So you know you're a match?"
Sasuke sighed, setting down his drink. "Itachi wouldn't take my kidney, even if I cut it out and handed it to him myself." He looked up at her with a quirk of a smile coming to his lips. "You were really worried about me."
Hinata was too tired to feel embarrassed. "I turned my phone off. Your father has probably been calling me for hours."
Sasuke eyebrows shot up. "You like me that much?" Hinata kicked him under the table, and he flinched back, chuckling. "What should we do to punish them?" Sasuke swirled his drink.
