shesnotdeadyet (shesnotdeadyet) wrote in notquitenaids, @ 2012-07-06 11:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | [university], recycledweasel, shesnotdeadyet |
[University] Dragged from the Stage
Shisui managed to feel a little better over the next few days--of course, the radiation therapy would drag her back down fast enough, but she still felt better. Enough to easily participate in her theatre class; they were doing a musical, a joined project with the smaller class of dance majors. They hadn’t decided if it would be a huge thing that they would broadcast to the school, or just a class project--now it was just the script and dance moves and all that jazz.
Itachi was one of them in that class. Shisui was glad their classes were both small, though it made talking to Itachi difficult. She got the chance, though, when the teachers called break after one of his classmates threw the script down in a hissy fit. Oops.
“Having fun?” Shisui asked Itachi from a few steps away, offering her a hat he’d ended up with and had no idea what it was for.
Itachi, who had been trying to explain hip motions to someone, sighed. She avoided Shisui as much as she could, really. Whenever he came near, her heart and stomach did odd things. She didn’t like it. She didn’t like the calm urge--not even and urge, something like an old habit--came up to just walk over and touch Shisui.
“I’m having a blast. Do you need help with anything, Shisui?” Itachi cocked her head. She was in an overly large shirt and tights, the neon pink and black strap of her exercise bra showing.
“No, just bugging you,” Shisui put the fedora on her head and tweaked the feather. He hadn’t brought up his crying fit and her in his room for a while, and he didn’t want to. He just wanted to try to maybe reconcile with her. So he felt bad for shoving her and freaking out like that, a little. Giving a thumbs-up to the other student, Shisui sauntered away to let Itachi finish speaking to her.
Itachi frowned. That wasn’t what she wanted to happen. Shisui had just left. Itachi felt annoyed and...slighted. Yes. Slighted somehow for some reason.
“You like him?” The girl she was working with asked. Itachi blinked. “I don’t think he’s seeing anyone.” The girl added.
“No, I just don’t like being interrupted,” Itachi almost snapped. “Now, watch and maybe you’ll get this right.”
This teacher was fairly eclectic, with a few off-the-wall scripts that were fairly unused, but Shisui got a kick out of them. He really did. And because he was a music major, he had absolutely no shame in going over one, picking out a few props to use, and then waiting for the right moment in between Itachi showing people how to move their hips.
So far, Shisui hadn’t gotten a character. This class was being scheduled for explaining how the plot would go, where the dancers would fit in, and then there were a few scripts for people who wanted to try (the reason for the hissy fit). But Shisui hadn’t been very busy, so...
Catching Itachi’s elbow, he stepped in her line of sight and grinned. “I knew this professor in highschool, a physicist, and he said there are these things called “wormholes in time.” Holes that can theoretically transport people to their other realities. Ya see, somewhere in another reality we have made the other decisions… the choices we didn’t make! In another reality this man is a billionaire… you are not married to your husband… and I’m living in the Grass country!” Shisui was grinning like a cat with a mouse. He’d started with a conversational tone, and had raised the level slowly, so a few people were giving him odd looks.
“The other possibility lives on with every decision we make. In other realities we are on those paths not taken in our lives. When you think about what you could be doing, you are doing it! Right now! Right now, we can continue in this reality or start a new one based on this decision!” He spread his hands in a ‘why not’ sort of way, and he heard a snort from someone close by.
“And if we start a new reality, don’t feel bad because you will always be married to your husband in another one. It’s so easy to change-- just change your mind. Somewhere I’m a bum and this man is giving me a quarter. Somewhere right now you are at home in bed with your husband and I’m drinking myself to sleep in front of the TV.
“We have created a whole new reality here, Ita! We decided… just to talk to each other, but in the process we have created for ourselves a whole new life-- possibly,” Shisui held up a coupon for pizza. “We’re at a wormhole Itachi. Would you like to jump in with me?” No he was not blushing, he was just grinning like an idiot who knew how idiotic he was.
Itachi gave Shisui a flat look. “And in some universe, you’re a woman.
And in one I drowned you in a river at your request.” Those words came out softly, in a low voice. Itachi turned on her heel and went to get some water from her bag, ears burning and body shaking as she fumbled the cap off of her bottle.
Shisui had given a crooked smile at that, but the next words had him ashen. He stared after her for a few long seconds, before flinging the damn coupon after her and turning on his heel. He didn’t know why he was SO insulted, or why those words were so devastating. Why did they mean anything, why? The students who’d paid attention seemed confused, but he really didn’t care.
Itachi grabbed her bag and decided that she’d had enough. She was shaking and suddenly sick. She felt like he was going to fall down. Her vision swam as she stood, and suddenly, her body was too small. Her hips too wide. Her balance was off.
And she fell, cracking her head on the hardwood floor.
What did you do when a near-stranger whom you’d cried on passed out right behind you? When you had had a fight with them? If going so fast that Shisui couldn’t remember all of the footsteps he’d taken (flickered across the floor faster than sound and light) to get to them was the wrong reaction, he would have failed that test. But he didn’t care about that, so he just fell on his knees to her side, and called her name. Was already grabbing her wrist to check her pulse.
Itachi hadn’t hit her head hard enough to pass out. Her bun had cushioned her a little, but she was dazed. She was confused, and when someone grabbed her wrist, he grabbed back, jerking a little to look and see who it was.
At the sight of Shisui, all tension ran out of his body. Itachi sighed and closed his eyes, grimacing. “I’m all right.” Itachi slowly crawled up a little, propping on an elbow and giving Shisui a truly pathetic look. Itachi gripped Shisui’s wrist tighter.
“Help me up?” Please? Itachi gave his cousin half a smile.
The sudden change in Itachi’s countenance was odd, but Shisui didn’t think much on it. Itachi was being... nicer. Why not? “Sure, man,” It was a complicated process that involved Shisui having to brace his legs and use both hands, but he could do it. “...Is your head okay?”
“Yes. I’m not concussed, so I’m all right.” Itachi rocked up and took a moment to stop the spinning. He swallowed the dizziness and closed his eyes. People were asking if he was all right, if he needed to go to the nurse.
“I think I should go to my room and lay down a little bit,” Itachi suggested, mostly to Shisui. He found it hard to look away. It was Shisui. He wasn’t completely sure what kind of tragedy cancer was and how he was going to fix it, but he would figure it out.
“Ookay...” Shisui hesitated, then spoke before anyone else could. “Here, I’ll take her,” Not that he knew where it was, but hopefully Itachi wouldn’t be too far gone to tell him. Also, it was a bad idea for the underweight guy to do it, but hey. He could run for help! Shisui tugged Itachi’s sleeve gently, mostly to get him to follow. A glance at their teachers gave them both a nod and freedom--class would have been over in fifteen minutes, so they were good to go.
Itachi leaned over and grabbed Shisui’s hand, leaning on him because his head really did hurt. It spun. Itachi breathed out slowly and evenly. He propped his forehead on Shisui's shoulder and was happy to let his cousin lead him wherever they needed to go.
“Are you feeling okay?” Itachi asked.
Shisui blinked, but didn’t move away. It was okay. Nice. Itachi was talking in a deep voice. “Er, I’m okay... You don’t seem so hot yourself...” He rubbed Itachi’s hand with his thumb. Glanced at Itachi again. “Where’s your room?”
“First room. It’s a double,” Itachi remembered. Itachi glanced up at Shisui. “You’re the one who’s sick, aren’t you?” Maybe Shisui had stopped being so sick.
“O-okay,” It wasn’t that long a walk, then. Shisui glanced sharply at Itachi, eyebrows furrowing. “...Yes? I’m not sick all the time. Itachi, I really think you should see the nurse...”
“I’m not concussed. I just need to lay down and rest for a little while. I’m fine, Shi, really.” Itachi glanced up at Shisui. “I know my limits.” Itachi added with a small smile before he pressed his face into the warm shoulder beside him. He trusted Shisui to guide his feet.
A shift, and then Shisui put a hand on his back to guide him. Didn’t talk the rest of the way, nudging Itachi along until they got to the room. “Got your key, Itachi?”
“Mm, yeah.” Itachi dug in a pocket and pulled it out. He slid it through the lock and waited for the green light to flash. Itachi then opened the door, letting it swing open. “My bed is on the left.” The room was fairly clean. Hayate’s swords were on one wall, near his desk. Itachi’s side of the room was neatly stacked with books, shelves, and paper. They had a bulletin board with their schedules and special reminders on it, some written on sticky notes, others just off assortments of items stuck to the board.
Itachi’s bed was not made. It was rumpled red and black and white sheets and pillows, contrasting Hayate’s tones of blue and green across the room. Itachi pointed to his bed, which looked very nice.
“I think I need an icepack.”
Shisui glanced at both beds, noting the difference, before settling Itachi on her bed. A hesitant glance, and then he reached behind Itachi’s head and pulled out a pin so her hair would fall down. That out of the way, he nodded and glanced around. “You don’t have one here?”
Itachi winced as the little tug caused her head to pound again. Itachi grimaced and gently felt the back of his head. “No, I think there’s one in the communal kitchen with our last name on it.” Itachi paused as Uchiha tried to trip out of his mouth.
“Gekkou.” His new name in this new life.
“Right,” Shisui pointed at the bed. “Stay, try to be comfortable, and don’t pass out doing it, okay?” With that, he turned around, gave the swords a wary look, and then left the room. It took him a few minutes of wandering to find the communal kitchen that was the right one, but he managed. There were actually two ice packs; one a pink bunny, the other normal. Shisui grabbed the bunny and brought it back, glad he’d remembered the room key.
Itachi lay curled on his side, blinking slowly. He was trying to stay awake, but she was trying to wake up again. Itachi didn’t want to let her wake up, but he was pushing his bounds. He knew she didn’t appreciate or understand Shisui. She needed to take care of him. She had to. This time, Itachi was going to take care of those he loved.
This time.
The door opened. Itachi shifted enough to see, smiling unconsciously. “Hey.”
A hesitant look, and then Shisui smiled back. Held up the pink bunny, and sat on the bed. “Here. Back of your head?” Yes, but he had to make sure. Shisui moved to apply the ice pack without thinking, probably too many years of doing the same for her mom after she’d hit her head staggering around.
Itachi made a hand motion that could have been yes and curled his legs up around Shisui. Warmth. Presence. His body and mind had become wired for affection, it seemed. Affection through touching and caring. He had to admit, the female biochemistry was very different from that of a man.
“Thank you,” Itachi curled up a little more. “Will you stay?”
Shisui went still at being trapped by Itachi’s legs, and then decided that Itachi probably had rattled something. “...Okay. Do you know when your next class is?” His was later, so he would be okay, but...
“It doesn’t matter. I can catch up,” Itachi assured him. He really wanted to get his head in Shisui’s lap and feel like a child again. All safe and protected, even though this wasn’t the Shisui of old.
But it was Shisui.
“Let me drive you to your next treatment,” Itachi murmured, eyes half closed.
Shisui moved his hand so the cold bunny was in his palm, fingers spread on the back of her head to hold it more securely. “If you’re sure,” He told the other. Had the thought that they probably weren’t supposed to mix genders. Remembered that he was a girl, and scowled.
...Oh. Shisui’s expression faded, and he stared at Itachi. Looked away. “...No.” That was it. No. He was already freaked out when he went, having Itachi--no. God knew this would fade and she would scream at him for being in her room and everything, and she wouldn’t keep up her promise and he would be STUCK.
Itachi tipped his head a bit and looked at Shisui seriously. “Shi. Someone need to look after you.Bathroom floors are not a place you need to be.” Who better than Itachi?
“I was the one you chose for death. Why wouldn’t you choose me for life?” Itachi asked softly, eyes closing.
Shisui stared. Wanted to draw away, because he hated this, hated Itachi flipping on him. Hated that she was trying to control him--where had that come from?
With the next phrase, Shisui wanted to throw Itachi off of him. Because he knew it would hurt him more than Itachi, he snarled. “What the hell is up--” That was stupid. Itachi had passed out and hit her head. “Itachi. Shut up. I really want to go for the nurse.”
“Oh, you don’t remember...” So Shisui wasn’t awake, but this had to be Shisui. “Sorry.” So he would have to do this the hard way. That was upsetting. Shisui...for Shisui not to know him...
How could such a thing be possible?
Itachi did as told. He closed his eyes and his mouth and bit back the other words he wanted to use to summon his cousin.
Unsettled beyond imagination, Shisui didn’t reply. He kept quiet for a few minutes, only breaking the silence with the words go to sleep. Maybe Itachi couldn’t, but it wouldn’t hurt to try, right? Right?