A/N: Written for the Uchihafest challenge. Now that the "mystery" is gone, I can post it of I wrote for kyouten. I hope you enjoy it as much as she did.

Warnings: Incest, OOC, TWT

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

If there was one thing that Sasuke hated above all others (excluding Itachi, Naruto, and Orochimaru, seeing as those were givens), it was getting sick.

Unfortunately for the Uchiha, that was precisely the state he could be found in on that fateful day.

The symptoms had begun a week ago, beginning with coughing fits that lasted up to ten minutes. He wasn't the only one who had noticed the coughing, sneezing, and fever; he was simply the only one who didn't care.

Because of his choices to ignore his body's pleas for rest, Sasuke was now huddled on his bed in his lonely apartment, suffering greatly, but not suffering enough to acknowledge his friends, many who had offered to take care of him in his time of need. His cheeks were red and snot of various colors was dripping out of his nose, yet because of his insistence that he was "fine", Sasuke was completely alone.

For the time being, at least.

Sasuke had been dozing, somewhat asleep but too discomforted to go all the way, when he noticed a slight movement in the corner of the room. The black-haired boy immediately began to formulate some reasoning in his mind. If it's an animal, he thought. then there's my explanation as for why I can see it, but that also raises the question of just how the hell it got in here. If it's a person, then that explains how they got in here, but any respectable ninja would be completely unnoticeable, especially in the dark like this.

Does that mean that they're trying to let me see them?

"Who's there?" he croaked out. Not that he was actually expecting an answer, but if his intruder was trying to let him know that they were here, then perhaps they might respond.

A response he did receive. A low chuckle met the boy's ears, which quickly erupted into a full-fledged cackle. "So," the voice murmured. "You finally noticed my presence. It certainly took you long enough…not that I would expect any different. Not enough hatred, brother."

Sasuke felt a slow sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Of course today would be the day Itachi would show up. Murphy's Law, and all that.

Soft steps headed Sasuke's way. "You're not even trying to mask it, aren't you?" the sick boy hissed.

"Why would I?" Itachi replied, coming into the light with a few more steps. "I honestly didn't expect you to be able to detect it. Perhaps you have improved more than I thought, brother."

"I hate you." A typical comeback, one that was overused and often used incorrectly, but Sasuke rarely failed to give the retort the fire that it needed in order to be effective.

"So I've heard," Itachi said amusedly, not the least bit fazed. Apparently Sasuke hadn't done so well this time. "Enough with the chitchat, brother. I have little enough time as it is to be wasting it on idle chatter. Why don't we cut to the point so I can be on my way?"

"That would be excellent, if you had in fact stated a point in the first place."

"Ah, that would be an issue wouldn't it?" Itachi's eyes glittered with malice. "Well, if you really wish to know, I simply came here to see you. You're weak enough as it is, but witnessing you sickened is an amusing prospect."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and growled even as his breath hitched in another heaving cough. "How did you know I was sick?" Was Itachi tailing him all the time?

"Don't feel so important, brother. You're not nearly significant enough to waste time keeping and eye on. No, I merely noticed as I watched the fox-boy that you were not exactly feeling your best, and decided to stop by as you rested. Family should watch out for family, right?"

"I hate you."

"I see we're feeling creative today, hm?"

Without giving Sasuke time to grind out a counterattack, Itachi strode over to the bed and threw himself onto the smaller boy without warning.

The man laid a hand on Sasuke's cheek, rough but horrifyingly gentle at the exact same time. He leaned down sleekly and put his mouth next to his brother's ear. "I could kill you, you know," Itachi breathed, his hand tightening on Sasuke's face. "It wouldn't be hard. You're sick, and can't defend yourself. It would be so simple to drive the kunai into your stomach, like so many others before you."

Sasuke struggled to get himself out from beneath Itachi, but the man was sufficiently heavy to keep Sasuke pinned. Itachi continued, "I could kill you, yes, but I could also take you. Force you beneath me and fuck you like you've never felt before. Avenging certainly wouldn't be on your mind then." He nibbled on the boy's earlobe and stroked his cheek gently. Pulling away, he whispered, "And the best part is that halfway through, you'd stop. Resisting, that is. Because I know you, brother, and I know that you want it a whole lot more than you'd like to let on." He smirked, and pulled away completely, removing himself from the bed.

"However, that wouldn't be much fun. You're too sick right now to be very entertaining." Itachi began to walk away, and as he reached the doorway, he stopped and said without turning:

"After all, I want to hear you scream."

Sasuke blinked, and Itachi was gone.

FIN