Brotherhood.

A look of shock passed through a pair of onyx eyes, followed by a choked gasp. The smaller of the two males stumbled back, his mouth slightly agape. The older male coughed slightly, a trickle of blood dribbling down his chin. "S-stay away…" Sasuke's voice wobbled slightly as he continued to stumble backwards, cursing when he fell. Despite the weak words from the younger male, A broken Itachi shuffled forwards towards his retreating brother, his strength slowly fading.

Letting out a slight gasping noise, Sasuke bumped into a broken wall, revealing no way to escape the male moving towards him. "G-get away…From me…" If the older of the two male's heard Sasuke's words, he didn't show it, instead continuing towards the raven-haired male. His eyes widening, Sasuke tried his best to press himself into the wall, his mouth opening but no words forming. Itachi, his breathing now becoming laboured, continued walking until he was only a few feet away from Sasuke, one of his blood caked arms lifting shakily from his side. Two fingers pointed out, he leaned forward and gently pressed his blood-stained fingers against the younger male's forehead.

~Flashback~

"Ani!"** Sasuke ran happily into his brothers' arms, glomping him with all the force he could muster, nearly sending Itachi off his feet. Closing his sparkling onyx eyes, Sasuke breathed in the familiar, calming smell of his older brother, laughing gently as Itachi muttered something along the lines of, "Going to knock me out one of these days…". Despite his words, Itachi couldn't help but chuckle, wrapping his arms around the younger male.

~End Flashback~

Sasuke let out a sharp breath at the contact, His body frozen with shock. It was only when Sasuke felt the fingers pressed against his forehead slowly start to slip, that he noticed the faint smile that graced the older male's pale, blood drenched lips. Sasuke's anger, sadness and hunger for revenge was suddenly replaced by horror, disgust, and grief as he finally realized the truth. He had made a mistake…He…Only realized it too late…

~Flashback~

"A-Ani…? What are you doing…?" Innocent Onyx orbs looked up at the raven haired male, confusion filled within them. Itachi, whose hand was resting on the younger male's pale, heated cheek, simply smiled and leaned down hesitantly, watching the younger male's reaction. When all Sasuke did was blink, he closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together gently.

~End Flashback~

The two fingers slowly slipped down from his forehead and limply traced to his chin, a small trail of blood left behind. Tears welling up in his dark eyes, Sasuke turned his head and watched as his brother and secret lover, fell to his feet without a sound. Letting out a choked breath, Sasuke finally regained control of his body, collapsing to the ground beside his brother's limp body. "A-Ani…"

Itachi's red tinted eyes fluttered open, a weak look of surprise flashing through his fading eyes at the name. Not long after, a light, sad smiles touched Itachi's lips, his red eyes meeting a pair of watery, confused onyx orbs.

~Flashback~

Flesh pressed against flesh…Hands roaming to once forbidden areas…Breaths mixing together…They both knew how wrong this was…How disgusting it was, but neither of the two male's could stop…and they really didn't want to. Despite feeling the need to fulfil his revenge, the hatred in his heart was temporarily put aside, Desire, need and passion replacing it. It was times like these where all Sasuke wanted, no, Needed was Itachi. It was the same for the other, despite his ability of concealing true emotions.

Passion building, heat rising, voices escalating…Maybe, just maybe…If only just for tonight…Sasuke's revenge could be placed aside.

~End Flashback~

Itachi, his life slowly fading, weakly lifted his blood coated hand, pressing it gently against his younger brothers' cheek, a caring gesture that Sasuke hadn't felt for such a long time. The tears that had been welling slowly in Sasuke's eyes finally spilled, the crystal tears falling one after the other. One of then landed on Itachi's forehead, causing a look of hurt to flash through the raven-haired male's dulling eyes.

Sasuke let out a sob that was full of all the pain, sadness and anger that he had held inside of him for so long, causing Itachi to cringe, his thumb gently brushing away a few of the other male's heartbroken tears. "Sasuke…" The younger male let out a shaky breath when his name was heard, placing his own violently shaking hand over the blood drenched one pressed to his heated cheek. "I-I'm…Sorry." Sasuke furrowed his brows, the tears never once ceasing. "Ani…Please…Hold on…You can't leave…Not now…" Sasuke's voice was choked with unshed sobs, the volume being barely above a frantic whisper.

Itachi, whose eyes had never left the younger male's face, smiled sadly, his eyes half lidded. Sasuke's onyx orbs widened, a sharp stab of dread hitting his gut as Itachi's hand slowly started slipping from his grasp.

~Flashback~

"Itachi!" Sasuke's surprised eyes narrowed, turning into a determined glare. The cloaked male in front of him smirked slightly under the cloak, mocking silently. "Hello, Little brother…" Sasuke's heart clenched as his onyx eyes met those red tinted orbs piercing into his so deeply. Despite that, the young ninja growled deep within his throat and charged, his intentions to kill.

It hurt…So much. They had been so close together, and now…Now Sasuke had to kill him. They used to be brothers, and above that, despite how wrong it was, Lovers. Letting out a pained cry, Sasuke brought back his fist and launched himself at his brother, getting ready for the battle.

~End Flashback~

Sasuke watched as the only person he had truly loved slowly passed, his life fading away before his eyes. His body frozen, his heart slowly shattering into millions of pieces. "Ani…" His voice couldn't rise anything above a whisper, but Itachi heard him none the less. The small smile that graced the fading male's cracked lips grew slightly, his half-lidded eyes twinkling dully with slight amusement. These actions only lasted for a second, before Itachi's eyes closed all the way, and his hand fell from Sasuke's tear tracked cheek.

~Flashback~

Panting, Sasuke collapsed on his older brother's glistening body, his eyes closed and face flushed a dark scarlet shade. Itachi let out an exhausted sigh, reaching over and pulling a blanket over their bodies, wrapping his arm over the out-of-breath male resting on his chest in the process. "Itachi-nii-san…" Cracking an eye open, Itachi's gaze fell on a pair of onyx orbs that were currently fixated on his face. He made a light grunting noise to signal his attention was on the younger of the two males'.

"…Do you love me…?" Slightly caught off guard by the question, Itachi's eyes both opened and his eyebrows lifted in a questioning manner. "Why do you ask, Sasuke?" The smaller male's eyes drifted to the wall, clearly embarrassed by the question now. "I …. Don't know…" Amused, Itachi lifted both of his arms, moving the younger male off his chest and beside him. Before the younger male could react, Itachi rolled over, pulling the younger male closer to him, gently caressing his cheek with one hand and gently placing the other arm securely around his small waist. "Sasuke, You should know the answer by now."

A look of confusion passed momentarily through Sasuke's eyes, then was replaced by realization, then happiness. A small smile started to spread across Sasuke's face as he snuggled closer to Itachi's body. A light smirk touching his lips, Itachi leaned down and placed a light kiss on his younger brother's forehead before closing his eyes and drifting off to a peaceful sleep.

~End Flashback~

Letting out a heartbroken scream, Sasuke's tears streamed down his face and he collapsed on his brother's blood stained chest, eyes shut tight and his body vibrating with unshed, powerful sobs. He couldn't believe he had just killed him…No, he can't be dead... "ANI!" His blood stained fingers clutched helplessly at the torn fabric that clothed Itachi's body. The raven-haired male let out another heart-broken wail, the sobs growing in volume, the force of the growing sobs shaking his entire body. Opening his eyes, he looked at the face of his once brother, and grimaced, a stab of overwhelming pain hitting his already destroyed heart. Though Itachi's face was pale and lifeless, the ghost of one last, peaceful smile graced his cracked lips.

Reaching a shaking hand out, Sasuke's gently rested his hand on Itachi's cheek, his thumb rubbing his cheek bone gently, almost as Itachi had done to him, so long ago…Bowing his head, Sasuke stared down at the limp hand that only moments ago had been caressing his cheek.

~Flashback~

Grumbling slightly, Sasuke crawled into bed, his head spinning slightly. Yawning forcefully, he turned off his light and snuggled up under the warm blankets, closing his eyes tightly. Exhaustion happily washed over every inch of his body, causing him to drift off not even a minute after. He was just drifting off, when something caused him to stir. He felt a pressure against his cheek. Fatigue turning quickly into instinct, Sasuke's eyes snapped open, immediately meeting a pair of red tinted eyes fixated on his face. The pressure on his cheek was instantly identified as a hand, the gesture all to familiar to the younger male. Gasping, Sasuke shot up in bed, his breath coming out in sharp pants, and his eyes scanning the room for any sign of Itachi. Once confirming that he was completely alone, he slowly calmed his racing heart, and came to the conclusion that he had just been dreaming.

Bringing his hand up to his cheek tentatively, he narrowed his eyes. If it truly HAD been just a dream, then why did his cheek tingle so lightly like it currently was?

~End Flashback~

As memory after memory flooded his brain, Sasuke unconsciously slipped his shaking hand into Itachi's cold, lifeless one, grasping it tightly. Looking up, a pair of onyx eyes swept around the debris that the previous fight had caused. Gazing around once more, his eyes fell to his brother's broken and bloodied body. "Oh god…What have I done…?" His free hand clenched into a fist, his eyes shutting closed tightly, his tears slowing.

It was almost as if he could still hear Itachi's voice calling to him faintly off somewhere in the distance. Almost…as if this was all…a bad dream. Maybe he was simply dreaming…Yeah, that's it. He'll wake up soon and will be safe and sound in his brother's warm, protective embrace. Yeah…safe and…sound…

A sad, heartbroken smile formed on the raven-haired male's lips as the world around him wavered, then slowly faded to black, his body slowly collapsing on his brother's body.

HEY! One more chapter is coming! Its the Epilouge :3 anyways, Hope you enjoyed it! It almost had me crying while writing it. xD

~~ Ani means Older Brother in Japanese! ~~