This chapter has basically been completely rewritten.

I think it's kinda like...I don't even know. My writing skills are better, I guess? MAYBE?

Ah. But, nothing major was changed. I just tried to make it prettier, I suppose.

WARNINGS FOR THIS STORY.

RAPE, INCEST, PEDOPHILIA, DISTURBING CONTENT, FUTURE LEMONS, HOMOSEXUALITY, ETC.

IF THESE THINGS OFFEND YOU, TURN BACK NOW.

You have been warned.

Okay, on to the chapter~

Everything Itachi had ever done was for Sasuke. Every single decision that fragile, twelve-year-old boy ever made was with only his small, precious little brother's best interests in mind. He would do anything for Sasuke, anything at all.

He'd even offer up his body if it kept Sasuke safe.

"You're such a slut, Itachi," Fugaku chuckled, running his hands over the raven's exposed chest. "Giving up so easily tonight?"

Itachi stared at his father with dead, expressionless eyes. He didn't really see the man, nor did he see his disgusting, perverted grin. His mind was far away from his bedroom, a place he'd begun to associate with nothing but pain, nausea, and perversion.

"I've realized that it's pointless to fight when the outcome is always the same," Itachi said, his tone so emotionless it nearly frightened himself. But at least he didn't sound scared, not anymore. He wouldn't give his father that pleasure any longer.

Fugaku snickered, his grin never faltering. It seemed the boy had grown a backbone, or maybe he just gave up on fighting.

Or maybe he finally wants it.

"Just admit it, Itachi. You love this," Fugaku said, his hot breath ghosting over Itachi's lips. The boy winced as the smell of alcohol and cigarettes invaded his senses, serving as an all-too-real reminder of where he was, of what was happening to him. "You're such a little slut."

Itachi closed his eyes and tried again to pretend he was anywhere but there, pinned to his bed underneath the disgusting man he was forced to call his father. It took a few moments, but then a cheerful young boy with plump, rounded, rosy cheeks popped into his mind and he nearly smiled, if he could do such a thing at that moment.

Sasuke...

Itachi winced in pain and choked down a yelp as Fugaku jammed two dry fingers inside him without any warning. With a smirk, he forced Itachi's legs onto his shoulders so he could reach him deeper, never once stopping the violent thrusts of his fingers. He pumped them harshly, brutally, not giving Itachi a moment to adjust to something so bestial.

"So tight..." Fugaku groaned as he pumped the digits in and out of the boy's entrance. No matter how many times he did this, he knew he'd never tire of it. The tight heat clamping around his digits nearly drove him insane with lust. He pumped them harder, forcing Itachi's head to slam against the headboard a couple of times with the power of the movements.

Itachi grit his teeth, refusing to make any sounds of pain as he knew that would only spur his father on further, though it became increasingly difficult with every passing moment. He reminded himself that it would all be over soon, as he always did, and that he was only doing this to protect Sasuke. No matter how disgusting and filthy he always felt afterward, it was all for Sasuke.

After what felt like eternity to Itachi, the rough, unforgiving fingers were removed, only to be replaced with something much bigger and far more distasteful. Itachi took a deep breath; this was always the worst part.

Fugaku thrust to the hilt in one swift movement, causing Itachi to sink his teeth into his bottom lip to stay silent. Pain shot up his spine, nearly dizzying with its intensity. It only worsened as his father pulled out, and Itachi couldn't choke down a small, pained whimper as it fell past his lips when his father thrust back in. His head hit the headboard so hard it made him dizzy as his father thrust again and again, causing Itachi to grip onto the sheets for dear life.

"Fuck yeah, Itachi," Fugaku breathed. "You like that?"

Itachi just kept his eyes shut as he tried to block out the terrible pain and revulsion overtaking his mind. His entire body ached, though the pain stemmed from the disgusting intrusion in his ass. He shivered as he thought of it, which caused his father to chuckle with amusement.

"See? You do like it," he said, bending down and placing an almost chaste kiss on Itachi's temple. The raven whimpered but then cried out as Fugaku humped into him harder. The sound of skin slapping against skin was nearly deafening; it made Itachi's skin crawl.

"I-It hurts!" Itachi yelped, squeezing his eyes shut tight as tears built in his eyes. He gripped the sheets as hard as he could, desperately trying to think of anything but the pain.

"Good," Fugaku smirked, panting with his efforts. It'd been a while since he fucked Itachi this hard.

Eventually, Fugaku's unforgiving hips stilled and he finally came. He moaned lowly and hunched over, burying his face in the crook of Itachi's neck as pleasure washed over him like a tidal wave. Itachi shivered, his stomach churning painfully as he felt his father cum inside him, filling him.

After taking a couple of moments to recover, Fugaku pulled out, causing Itachi to hiss in pain. Itachi felt his father's seed leaking out of his abused entrance, causing him to grimace and tripling the urge to vomit. He knew he was going to throw up, as he always did, but he desperately needed his father to leave before he did so. He didn't want him to see how badly his actions truly affected him.

"Clean yourself up. Your mom will be home soon," his father said, standing from the bed and gathering his hastily discarded clothes off the floor.

"Yes, father." Itachi's voice was barely above a whisper as he stared blindly at the ceiling, just trying to push down the nausea for a little while longer. Just a few more seconds…

Once his father finally redressed himself and left, ever-so-kindly closing the door behind him, Itachi made a mad dash to his trashcan. He leaned over it and instantly began to heave, his stomach clenching painfully with every forceful gag. He was glad he hadn't eaten much today as he didn't particularly enjoy throwing up, though it happened often enough.

Soon, all he was left doing was dry-heaving, and that offered little relief. Wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand, he shakily stood from the trashcan, and decided to clean himself off as his father had instructed for fear of angering him. His punishments were always horrible, and Itachi tried to avoid these as often as he could. He shivered as he remembered the last time he disobeyed; the pain he currently felt couldn't even compare.

He grabbed a clean pair of clothes and made his way out of his room. He didn't care that he was naked considering the only people home were his father and himself, and his father was likely sated for the night—or at least, Itachi hoped as much. He knew he wouldn't be able to take another round, not with how rough his father was this time.

Once in the bathroom, he wasted no time in stepping into the shower. He wanted his father's scent off him, that vulgar, disgusting, musky scent. He turned on the water until it was scalding hot, giving no mind to the pain he would likely feel under the hot spray.

In a way, he was hoping to burn the memories of his father away with the stream of boiling-hot water.

He scrubbed his skin until it was raw, trying to erase the feeling of his father's hands touching him, violating him, as they had done far too often. He reminded himself that everything, every single thing, was for Sasuke. His father couldn't taint Sasuke as he had himself. His father couldn't destroy that little boy's childish innocence as he had done to Itachi so many years ago.

It couldn't, wouldn't happen. Not as long as Itachi was alive.

Itachi shut off the water once the heat began to get to him, and stepped out of the shower. He toweled himself off carefully, being mindful of his throbbing backside and wincing as he accidentally brushed against it. He was used to the constant ache, but he didn't want to exacerbate it in any way. He already had a difficult enough time hiding things from his mother.

After he was dry, he dressed himself equally as carefully then took a moment to regard his reflection in the partially steamed-up mirror.

He looked dead; there was really no other way to describe it. His tire lines were more defined than ever, and his dark eyes were vacant and lifeless. He was far paler than a healthy boy should be, most likely a symptom of his poor eating habits and being prone to frequent anxiety-induced vomiting. One really couldn't blame him for not having much of an appetite, though; after all, he knew it was unlikely that any of his food would stay down for long.

It was all his father's fault.

Every. Single. Thing.

Itachi was interrupted from his internal brooding by a tiny, barely audible knock on the bathroom door. He smiled to himself; he knew exactly who it was. He opened the door without a second's pause, eager for a distraction, and peered down into two bright, wide, onyx-colored eyes and a thousand-watt grin.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke said, a huge smile stretched across his face. Itachi smiled warmly at the cute little boy, his troubles forgotten, if only for a moment.

"How was your day, Sasuke?" he asked, gently lacing his fingers through Sasuke's as they pattered down the hall towards his room. Sasuke's smile seemed to grow, if that was even possible.

"It was great, Nii-san! Except these weird, icky girls kept following me around." His smile faded and was replaced by an equally as adorable pout while he contemplated his dislike of the female gender. Itachi chuckled softly at his cute little brother, and soon the grin returned.

"How was your day, Aniki?" Sasuke asked. Itachi made sure to keep a straight face despite the familiar churning in his stomach. He didn't need Sasuke to worry about him.

"It was fine," he muttered, pushing open his bedroom door. Sasuke's smile disappeared again and a look of childish worry replaced it.

"Only fine?" He worried about his big brother sometimes. He always seemed sad...

Itachi ruffled his hair with a soft, reassuring smile, and squeezed his hand tighter.

"No need to worry yourself, Otouto," he said, ignoring Sasuke's indignant pout at being denied a true answer. "How about I help you with your homework?"

The grin fell back in place and Sasuke hurried out of his Aniki's room to grab his backpack. Itachi allowed his smile to fade and sighed deeply, just trying to calm his nerves.

As long as he's happy, it's all worth it.

"So how was everyone's day?" Mikoto asked as she served rice and vegetables to her husband and sons. Sasuke beamed and squeaked out a slightly muffled, "It was good, Kaa-san!" along with a belated, "Itadakimasu!" while trying to shovel rice into his mouth. Mikoto smiled warmly at her youngest little ball of sunshine, though she shook her head slightly at his bad table manners.

"Well I'm glad to hear that, Sasuke," she said.

Mikoto turned to Itachi, a slightly worried look on her face. Itachi always seemed off, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

"And you, Itachi? You always seem like something's bothering you."

Itachi chanced a look at his father, only to be met with a steely glare over the rim of his father's glass of beer. Itachi swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling far too dry. He shifted slightly, repressing the terrible grimace that came along with it. He was so sore.

"My day was fine, Kaa-san, and I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I'm sorry for worrying you," he whispered, his eyes downcast on the blue tablecloth below him. Fugaku seemed appeased with his son's answer and returned to eating his dinner, much to Itachi's utter relief. His mother, however, was still worried.

"You know you can talk to us about anything, Itachi. Your father and I are always here for you," she said, her voice gentle as she tried to coax answers from her son.

If only you knew, he thought bitterly as he nodded and began to eat his rice. Mikoto's face fell at the lack of a verbal response, but she sighed and set about eating her own dinner, resigned to Itachi's silence.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke suddenly said with a mouthful of food. Itachi offered a small smile and quirk of an eyebrow to the hyper seven-year-old.

"Don't speak with your mouth full, Sasuke. It's impolite," he said, though he wasn't the least bit harsh. Sasuke blushed and swallowed his food before speaking again.

"Sorry," he mumbled, slightly embarrassed. "I was just wondering if maybe we could watch a movie or something together tonight..." Sasuke stared at the table and played with his fingers, slightly worried about rejection. His brother was always doing homework or reading up in his room, so Sasuke expected a 'no,' but it didn't hurt to ask.

Itachi's smile grew slightly at just how adorable his little brother was. He couldn't refuse Sasuke, not today, plus he really wanted to get his mind off things.

"Sure, why not. You and I have already finished our homework, so I don't see why it would be a problem as long as we're in bed a decent time." Sasuke's eyes shot up and he positively beamed at the thought of spending extra time with his Aniki. He bounced a little in his seat and opened his mouth to say thank you, but didn't have a chance to before their father cut in.

"Just make sure you clean up the kitchen," Fugaku said, eyeing both his boys though he smirked slightly at Sasuke's cute reaction.

"H-Hai, Tou-san," Sasuke said, his voice nothing short of respectful as his smile slowly faded and his bouncing stilled.

He was scared of their father, and for good reason, though he didn't know those exact reasons seeing as he was still young and naive. Perhaps it was just the fact that his father always seemed to look at him as though he was something to be devoured, dragging his eyes all over his body, that always left little Sasuke feeling on edge around him. He didn't know what his father's hungry stares really meant at such a young age, but all he knew was that it made him more than a little uncomfortable.

But he knew he had no real reason to worry because his Nii-san would always be there to protect him, no matter what.

Eager to move on to their after-dinner movie, Sasuke quickly finished the food on his plate, and smiled at his older brother.

"I'm all done!" he said, causing Itachi to chuckle slightly at the obvious statement. "Thank you for dinner, Kaa-san."

"Of course, Sasuke. I'm glad you liked it," Mikoto said. Memories of when Itachi used to be so carefree and happy flashed through her mind, causing her eyebrows to furrow and her worry to double. Where had that joyful child gone?

"I'm finished as well, mother. Thank you," Itachi said, though he hadn't even eaten half of his food. "May we please be excused?"

Mikoto nodded and Fugaku grunted something along the lines of, "Just clean up, you ungrateful brats," though neither boy was truly listening.

After he stood, Itachi picked up both of their plates and took them to the kitchen to wash them. Little Sasuke trailed behind him the entire time, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Can I help, Aniki?" Sasuke asked, bouncing slightly on his feet. Itachi patted him on the head and handed him a plate to be loaded into the dishwasher.

"Can you put that away for me?"

Sasuke nodded his head vigorously and took the plate from Itachi's pale hands. No sooner had the plate made it to his chubby little fingers was it dropped onto the ground, shattering into a million tiny pieces with a loud 'crash.'

Sasuke gasped, hoping with all his might that their father didn't hear it. Whenever he got mad he seemed to take it out on Itachi, and Sasuke's little heart couldn't take the guilt of being responsible for Itachi getting punished.

"Sorry, Aniki," he said. He couldn't believe his own stupidity. He'd just wanted to help, but now he went and made such a mess. He was so embarrassed...

Itachi offered Sasuke a small, reassuring smile, and it was enough to calm the small boy's terrible fear. Their father hadn't come in yet, which was surprising to Itachi, but he was mostly just grateful. But he could never be too careful...

"It's fine. Just go grab a broom for me, please."

Sasuke nodded his head and bounded out of the kitchen in search of what his brother asked for. He ran past their mother who stood at the entrance of the kitchen—she came in to investigate the noise—and towards the hallway closet. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice when he collided with his father who stood in the hallway, shuffling through the closet's contents.

Sasuke fell onto his bum with a small 'oof' and rubbed the side of his head sheepishly. He really couldn't seem to do anything right today.

"S-Sorry, Tou-san," he mumbled.

His father merely eyed him. To Sasuke, it almost seemed as though he was looking right through his clothes, and it made the little boy pull his legs to his chest. He felt the urge to cover himself from his father's hungry gaze.

"What were you running for?" Fugaku asked.

"T-To get a broom," Sasuke said, his voice quiet. "I accidentally broke a plate...and Itachi-Nii asked me to get a broom for him to clean up."

Now, instead of his father getting angry and chastising him as he expected, his father started to smile. Well, perhaps smile wasn't the best word. It was more like a grin—a creepy, sadistic grin that made little Sasuke shiver.

"Well, well, well...what a naughty little boy," Fugaku sneered. "And what do naughty boys deserve, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shivered again, but this time it was more pronounced. He wracked his brain for a moment, though he couldn't do much else but tremble as his father watched him expectantly.

"I-I don't know, Tou-san," he finally said.

Fugaku's grin faded a bit and a look of irritation clouded his features as he slammed the door shut. Sasuke flinched, hugging his knees tighter to his chest.

"Punishment, Sasuke. They deserve punishment."

And with that, the grin was back in full force, and Fugaku knelt down to the boy's level. Sasuke cringed at the heavy smell of alcohol on his father's breath, resisting the urge to gag with all his might.

"I think I've waited long enough, and punishment is long overdue, my dearest Sasuke."

Sasuke shivered; he really hated the way his father said his name. It sounded so...weird. His voice was so low and scratchy. Sasuke felt fear creep up from the base of his spine and had the sudden urge to cry out as though he'd been burned when his father caressed his cheek with a rough, calloused thumb.

"You're so pretty, Sasuke. I'd just love to see all of you," his father breathed, causing Sasuke to hold his breath at the terrible stench of alcohol.

"What do you think you're doing?"

His father's attention was successfully diverted to Itachi who stood at the entrance to the hallway, their mother trailing behind him. She scrunched up her eyebrows as she noticed Fugaku and Sasuke's odd closeness. She heard the plate break in the kitchen and asked Fugaku to grab a broom, but it seemed Itachi had asked the same thing of Sasuke, though that still didn't explain why he was practically in the boy's face.

Itachi swiftly walked up to his baby brother's side and scooped the shaking boy into his arms, shooting a triumphant smirk at their father as he rubbed Sasuke's back.

"Am I not enough for you?" Itachi whispered, speaking quietly to make sure their mother couldn't hear. Sasuke snuggled into Itachi's neck, his trembling slowly lessening as he inhaled Itachi's comforting scent.

Fugaku scowled as he stood, his eyes darting from Itachi to Mikoto and his fists clenching at his sides.

"I'll have him eventually, Itachi," he hissed under his breath before making his way to Mikoto and grabbing her hand. She shot one last, confused look towards her two sons as she was lead away from the scene in the hallway.

Itachi let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and took a moment to regard the slightly calmer, but still obviously scared boy cradled to his chest. Sasuke whimpered a little as he clutched at Itachi's shirt, causing the elder's brow to furrow.

"Shhh," Itachi whispered. "It's alright. Father isn't going to hurt you."

He ran his fingers through Sasuke's raven spikes in an attempt to soothe the poor child. They stood for a moment before Itachi made his way towards the stairwell, never pausing the gentle movement of his hand through Sasuke's soft hair. The tiny raven smiled a little, nearly lulled to sleep by his brother's gentle, soothing actions.

Once Itachi made it to his room, shutting and locking the door behind him, he laid down. He kept Sasuke cuddled to his chest, smiling at the sight of him so sleepy.

"What did Tou-san mean…?" Sasuke said, his voice slurred a bit with tiredness as he stifled a yawn.

Itachi sighed deeply and resumed petting Sasuke, a small smile quirking the corner of his lips as the tiny raven sighed contently.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now, Sasuke," he said. "Let's just say that Tou-san is very sick."

Sasuke perked up at this, staring at Itachi with a mixture of curiosity and slight concern, though his eyes were still a little heavy.

"Sick? Like…a cold? Is he going to get better?" he asked. Itachi sighed again, wracking his brain for a believable explanation.

"Not that kind of sick, Otouto. And no, I don't think he's ever going to get better."

Sasuke looked understandably confused, but decided to just accept his brother's explanation; besides, he was perfectly comfortable just snuggling up on his Aniki's chest.

"Well, I hope he gets better," the tiny boy mumbled into the fabric of his big brother's shirt, stifling yet another yawn.

"Me too," Itachi whispered, holding Sasuke closer.

Itachi decided to let Sasuke nap for a little while before waking the boy up and asking if he'd still like to watch a movie. Sasuke yawned hugely and Itachi couldn't help but think that his brother was the incarnation of absolute adorable.

"No, Nii-san. I'm really sleepy," Sasuke mumbled. Itachi chuckled, running his fingers through Sasuke's hair.

"Well, I can tell that much, Otouto. How would you like to sleep in here tonight?"

Sasuke instantly seemed more awake and grinned at his big brother, all previous signs of sleepiness suddenly erased.

"Thanks, Itachi-Nii!"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Itachi smiled and kissed his brother's forehead. "Well, let's go get ready for bed."

With a small nod, Sasuke scampered away from his Aniki and crossed the room to the door. He fumbled with the lock for a moment, cursing quietly to himself when he couldn't get it open right. Itachi smirked and crept up behind Sasuke, quickly unlocking the door, much to Sasuke's relief. After throwing a quick, grateful smile at his Aniki, Sasuke swung the door open and pitter-pattered to the hallway bathroom.

Itachi allowed his smile to dissipate as he recalled earlier events. He was extremely glad that he and his mother decided to check to see what was taking so long, since their father was getting anxious, that much was obvious. He had hoped that by sacrificing himself he'd be able to save his baby brother from a similar fate, but apparently he wasn't enough to satiate his father's lust any longer.

Perhaps he was getting too old.

Itachi shook his head to dispel all of his negative thoughts and slipped out of his room to join Sasuke in the bathroom. By the time he made it there, Sasuke had a mess of toothpaste around his mouth. Itachi laughed quietly at the comical sight and began brushing his teeth too.

He just couldn't let his father ruin this bright-eyed, innocent, cheerful child as he himself had been ruined. He would gladly give up his own life if it would ensure Sasuke's happiness.

Once the boys were changed and ready for bed, they snuggled under Itachi's comforter, ready to succumb to the peacefulness of sleep.

"Nii-san?" a barely-conscious Sasuke mumbled as he cuddled closer to the warm body next to him.

"Hm?"

The boy paused for a moment, seeming to choose his words carefully.

"I love you," he said, smiling cutely and snuggling as close as he could to Itachi.

Itachi paused for a second as he was overcome with emotion. His heart swelled and he hugged the tiny raven closer to himself, smiling wider than he had in a good while. Words couldn't describe just how much he loved this little boy.

"I love you too, baby brother."

More than anything.

Hopefully the rewrite was better. Now, on to rewrite chapter 2! *hangs self*