Escape artistry

20. Consequences (now)

It was a prop failure.

During the transportation of the tank to the show, its lid had swelled, affecting its mechanics so that it was impossible to open from the inside. Tobirama had, the newspapers said, probably knocked on the glass, but that would have been inaudible.

I pulled the duvet up to my face and cried at the thought of him desperately knocking while I was sitting down only a short distance away in my best dress. The duvet still held his scent; I was in his apartment wanting to be as close to him as I physically could.

Tobirama had survived. He had couched up the water in his lungs backstage. I had heard the ambulances arrive and had stood up, ready to beg for them to take me with them. But right then, his agent had arrived.

"Mr Uchiha?"

I had thrown myself into his arms and cried. He had been the one to convince me to follow him back to Tobirama's apartment instead of trying to go with the ambulance.

"They won't let you. He's too famous. They won't let you in as a precaution."

It had made sense to me, despite being close to losing my mind.

I had been at the apartment for a week now, going to work on autopilot and then coming back to indulge in his absence. I phoned the hospital every day, but they said they couldn't give out any information.

Until one day, they did.

"He's awake now. He's been asking for you. He has a pneumonia after the water he breathed in, but neurologically, he seems okay."

I was so relieved I burst out crying, the first time I had cried since the night in the theatre. All of that built-up tension was released all at once, and I had to lay down on the floor as it drained me so much.

"Can I visit him?" I asked.

"You have permission from us. But ask him first."

I wanted to call him but didn't want to disturb him if he needed rest, so I texted.

Me: You fucking doofus magician

Tobirama <3: My gorgeous little princess

Me: You clumsy worthless excuse of an entertainer

Tobirama <3: My star. My heart. My everything.

Me: You bastard

Tobirama <3: The love of my life

Tobirama <3: Oh, Izuna, I'm so sorry.

Me: Don't you dare.

Me: Don't you dare apologise.

Me: I'm so glad you're all right. I love you. I love you. Please, let me visit!!

Tobirama <3: I think they're writing me out in two days or so. Izuna, I miss you, but please, I don't want you to see me in hospital. Can you wait?

Me: But I don't care! I don't care to see you in any state at all!

Tobirama <3: I know, but I do... I'm sorry.

It did hurt, but at the same time, I understood it. I knew he didn't mind me seeing him in a weakened state, but that he a hard time in hospitals seeing he spent so much time there when he was a child and got beaten and that he thus wouldn't be able to focus on me as much as he would desire. I didn't know if he realised this himself.

The two days passed endlessly slowly, but finally, he texted me to say he was going to be dismissed and wanted to meet me in a hotel bar.

Tobirama <3: To build up the tension xx

I laughed and cried at the same time as I read it. It was so good to have the old Tobirama back so quickly.

I showered and put on black trousers and a hoodie. I kept crying so I found eye makeup was no use, but I put on some gloss. It was a sunny day, so I put on a light coat and went out.

I had to do my everything not to run to the subway, but then I thought why not? And I ran anyway. When I got up on the street after the short ride, I found I was trembling, a sensation that was now deliciously familiar; it meant I was meeting him.

The hotel was a beautiful five-star one, as expected of Tie-me-up Tobias. As I walked in, a few people cast curious glances my way and no wonder; some idiot had taken a picture of me crying in the lobby in my black dress and sold it to the newspapers. I didn't care. I just wanted to get to him as fast as I could

The hotel had a beautiful indoor garden filled with greens and oranges and magenta flowers. The bar even had a little waterfall. I searched the table until...

Until I found him.

Something is wrong.

It wasn't anything in his demeanour that told me. It was the fact that he was wearing a beanie, hiding all of his hair, rendering him somewhat more unrecognisable. Apparently, he didn't want to be recognised. But why would he want to meet me out, then?

Then, I realised why. I realised by the way his body swayed, and by the way his eyes couldn't focus even if I stood right in front of him.

Tobirama didn't want to meet at home because didn't have any alcohol at home, and he didn't want to get it delivered to him because it was his home, and he didn't want to ruin that feeling of safety by bringing something that had damaged him so much in into it.

So he had to go out to drink. And he clearly felt the need to get comprehensively drunk.