Disclaimer: I don'own Naruto, nor do I gain any profit as a result of writing this fanfiction
Day 1
He can feel the hardness of the floor beneath him and the drugs clouding his mind, and that is what first gives it away.
"What have you done Sasuke?"
His little brother, older than him now, taller, stronger, simply kneels and tucks his hair behind his ear. Then remains next to him and strokes his hair.
"It's okay otouto, I'll take care of you."
Itachi swallows.
"Sasuke I can't move, what have you done?"
"Hush, I'll take care of you."
Sasuke's hands roam gently, so gently, over his torso, before a thumb starts stroking the intimate curve of his hipbone. Itachi doesn't say anything, he barely knows anything of this Sasuke and certainly not enough to be sure of his reaction to having this delusion, for that is all this can be broken.
Itachi's eyes are ruined and he can barely make out blurs of colours, he can't even see where Sasuke's eyes are let alone what is in them. He doesn't expect the soft brush of a finger over his mouth, before Sasuke gently pushes it in.
"You're thirsty, otouto."
A baby's bottle is pressed against his lips, Itachi doesn't resist. The milk is warm but not hot. Itachi shifts slightly, as much as the drugs will let him, as Sasuke's left hand slides under his clothing onto his chest. His fingers just barely graze his nipples and Itachi wriggles away.
"Lower, otouto?"
Itachi can hardly think but does not protest when Sasuke's fingers slowly stroke their way downwards. Sasuke's fingers draw circles on his stomach, but they are high enough and low enough that after Sasuke seems content to leave his fingers there it is only soothing. Itachi is tired, Sasuke's body spooning his is warm, forgiving, loving.
Itachi drowses, close enough to sleep that Sasuke's hand dawdling its way lower feels nice, comforting, like Itachi is not alone.
Day 2
Itachi needs the toilet, the pressure in his abdomen is uncomfortably high, and he both longs for and dreads Sasuke's presence. His clouded mind can't even remember what happened yesterday clearly, but he knows he can't move enough to use the bathroom alone. For some reason he feels uncomfortable with the idea of asking Sasuke for help, but then Sasuke has resurrected him, drugged him and somehow created a new dynamic with Itachi placed firmly as the younger brother who needs protecting.
When Sasuke returns, it is too late, Itachi worries about his reaction, but Sasuke kneels and kisses him on the forehead. Sasuke's arms are gentle when they scoop him from the ground and carry him gently to what Itachi supposes is a bathroom. Sasuke carefully slides his clothes of piece by piece, Itachi hears rather than sees Sasuke's own clothes hit the ground in quick succession. Itachi is too weak to hold himself above the water so it is only natural that Sasuke wrap his bare arms around Itachi's bare body.
The water is at the hotter temperature that Itachi prefers rather than Sasuke's favoured barely lukewarm. It is nice to be loved and it has been so, so long. Sasuke's hands are more calloused than his own, but they feel so strong, more than capable of protecting Itachi as they cradle him and allow him to take his time. This isn't what Itachi wanted, but it is nice...to be able to trust someone, for all that Sasuke is acting oddly, he won't hurt him.
This role reversal he does not mind, because Sasuke did go somewhere, Sasuke has a life outside of here, and never not even in the year before the massacre, has Sasuke seemed so content.