Alright, so here's another chapter! I quite appreciate the feedback you all sent and I just about love you for it..which is why you now have Chapter 2!

Enjoy!

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When Sasuke returned to the land of the living, the first thing he noticed was that the covers on the bed had been draped over him, his body encased like a cocoon. They were just as warm as he had imagined them to be, and his immediate question was who had put them there.

Sasuke, lying on his stomach as he always did, always had to, pushed his elbows underneath him and bemusedly looked around the room.

Itachi was watching him from his own bed, his body positioned nearly exactly the same as yesterday. Or, was it still today? How long had he slept?

The older man opened his mouth, looking as though about to speak until there was an impatient knock on the door.

Seemingly reluctant, Itachi removed himself from the bed and opened the door, Deidara appearing in the hall with a smile.

Sasuke didn't miss the fiery glint in Itachi's eyes, the way his gaze never left Deidara, but thought nothing of it. With the two drastically different personalities, Sasuke could understand how the two wouldn't get along. And, personally, Sasuke wasn't too fond to see the other man either, fighting a shiver.

Deidara smiled wider, waving enthusiastically. "Hello Sasuke-chan," he said, walking into the room, admiring how the boy was cuddled in the bed, the sheets framing his curves perfectly. He smirked. "As much as I would love to join you under there, I cannot. So, enough rest, time to go."

Itachi shadowed Deidara's footsteps, standing partially in front of his brother. "Why do you wish for his presence?"

"Hidan sent me to get him. He's impatient to begin the interrogation."

Itachi's eyes squinted. "Leader has yet to return and stated that he will be overseeing it."

Deidara shrugged. "Chance of plans, I guess. I'm only following orders, seeing as how I'm the noobie around here," he added with an annoyed sneer, probably called that numerous times in the past.

Itachi seemed hesitant but, after a moment, nodded, discreetly stepping aside. "Do as you will."

Deidara smirked gleefully and without reservation, nearly skipping as he came to fully stand before Sasuke. "Come on, pretty boy, let's get you outta here," he said as he yanked the covers off his frame. Sasuke's shirt had ridden up, an expanse of unblemished skin exposed. Deidara whistled approvingly.

"You're disgusting." Sasuke stood, Deidara pushing him in front with a hand low on the boy's waistline.

Deidara listened as faint footsteps echoed behind him, and he turned to see Itachi innocently trailing behind them. "Oh, I forgot, Kisame requested your presence. He's in the Study chamber."

Itachi inwardly cursed as he nodded. That was on the far side of the hideout.

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When Itachi's footsteps had at last receded Deidara tightened his grip on Sasuke's loose shirt before violently shoving him into the wall, grinning at the sound of the boy's head cracking against the cement.

Before Sasuke could recover and defend himself, Deidara pressed his body roughly against the smaller boy's, relishing in the squeak of surprise he heard from beneath him.

"I know you want this, pretty boy, I know it," he whispered in his ear. "That's why I'm going to give it to you." One of his hands latched firmly onto the boy's thigh, knowing he would have finger-shaped bruises there later, while the other slid between both the wall and Sasuke's body, squeezing one cheek in the palm of his hand.

Deidara had to admit, with Sasuke chakraless and hands completely bound, the kid put up a helluva fight. Sasuke had bucked against Deidara, his feet and knees trying to find a suitable position of attack. Hell, he even tried to use his hands, one of the bloody holes in his hands getting crushes by Deidara's elbow. In the end, there was no choice but to succumb to Deidara's wishes, the older man larger and with obvious circumstantial advantages.

"God, you're so fucking hot," Deidara breathed out before pressing his lips to Sasuke's, exploring the boy's mouth with a curious, invasive tongue. Deidara moaned into the boy's mouth, the cavern hot and enticing and holy fucking shit amazing.

He could get used to this again.

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Itachi finally made it to the Study chamber and opened the door abruptly and without prelude. He was slightly taken aback as he looked around the empty room, having expected Kisame to be at the large desk he usually utilized. If the blue-fleshed man had been here previously, he wasn't anymore.

Itachi walked down the hall to make the long trek back to the other side of the hideout. After long moments drowning in thoughts of his brother, Itachi found Kisame just leaving the dojo.

"Kisame," Itachi said, walking to stand before him. "You needed me?"

Kisame cocked an eyebrow in surprise, grinning in response. "What, you think I'm the sort of needy, pitiful creature that can't walk by himself?"

Itachi stood still, his eyes blank. What?

"Deidara notified me you needed my assistance," Itachi said. "Is that so?"

Kisame's expression looked bewildered. "I asked for no such thing." He pointed a thumb at the door he'd exited. "Was just practicing a new jutsu, is all."

Itachi's eyes decreased to small slits, gleaming with ill-concealed rage.

Deidara.

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Deidara heard quick, heavy footsteps, and some part of his brain told him he should probably move, should do something. Something other than dry humping this gorgeous, struggling boy into the wall. But Deidara couldn't bring himself to part with the boy, his boy.

But suddenly he didn't have much of a choice as the blond-haired man was physically thrown from Sasuke's body, flying to the opposite wall then hitting it with a pained grunt. His mouth felt empty and cold without Sasuke's heat, and he looked with dazed eyes to find the culprit. He paled as he saw Itachi, the man's eyes burning with hatred so fierce Deidara impulsively cowered.

"I..Itachi, l-listen, it was Sasuke t-that wanted it, man. He was comin' on to me."

Itachi looked far from convinced as he gripped the front of Deidara's Akatsuki cloak and slammed his head into the wall, Deidara seeing stars.

"You disgusting son of a bitch, do you really expect me to believe that?"

Deidara cringed. Never in his time with the Akatsuki had he heard Itachi curse and it was unnerving to see the man this livid. Gods help him.

Deidara grit his teeth. "You're not supposed to care, man; you killed his fucking family, remember?"

Itachi seemed slightly taken aback, but intentionally ignored the man's comment. "You will not touch him again." His grip on Deidara's collar stayed for another moment longer, like he craved to do more lasting damage. He overcame the urge, finally releasing him, and the tension Deidara had felt now absent, relief swelling through him. He nodded to Itachi, took one final glance at Sasuke, before rushing down the hall to his own chamber.

Itachi took two long strides and ended up by Sasuke's side, concern mixed with remaining anger swirling in his dark eyes.

"I'm fine," Sasuke said before his brother could speak, tenderly pushing off the wall. His knees were shaking and his lips were bleeding because fuck, it'd been a damn long time since he'd been thrust into that hard.

He abruptly made his way down the hall, childishly thinking he could outrun his own past. But even so, Deidara had been right about Itachi, nothing in their relationship changed. Itachi had killed his family and, no matter how much the older man seemed to want to help him now, his clan was still in the ground and he was still all alone.

Itachi quickly caught up with him, a perplexed, still intense expression on his features. "You are sure you are alright?"

For some reason, Sasuke had the feeling this predicament would trouble his brother more than him. Sure, he felt violated as hell, and the level of degradation he felt was no lower, but he'd dealt with people like Deidara before. This wasn't something he was unused to; hell, it was like a recurring nightmare, the same theme but different offenders.

Sasuke swallowed loudly. Maybe it was him that was making people want to touch him like that. Maybe he was doing something to make them…

No. It was not Sasuke's fault and he would not blame himself for others' misdeeds. He would not.

But didn't he already?

He shook his head, continuing the march down the hall. "Nothing happened, it wasn't an issue."

Itachi seemed disbelieving but said nothing, his gaze now turned to the front. Sasuke sent a glance from his peripheral and the man's gaze was once again murderous, his mind already replaying on Deidara.

Sasuke suppressed a sigh. "I just, I just want to go back to the room."

Itachi nodded, his voice still strained. "Okay, little brother."

They walked a ways before Sasuke had thought to look down and realize his shirt had gotten untucked, the scar dark and angry-looking. With unsteady hands, he tucked his shirt back into his pants.

They reached the room in silence, Itachi opening the door and Sasuke closing it, blocking them off from the rest of the hideout.

Reaching their respective positions on the beds, the brothers sat in silence, each wrapped in the memories of the assault, both from different perspectives.

After long moments of silence, Sasuke looked up, his eyes lingering on Itachi when the older man licked his lips, preparing to speak.

"Why?" came the man, his voice barely audible as he stared at the wall. Sasuke watched him for a long moment, trying to understand. "Why didn't you scream for help?"

Sasuke looked down at his hands, one of the holes scabbed over while the other was lightly dripping blood down his wrist. "I guess…I guess I just wasn't expecting it."

Itachi said nothing, gazing with an oxymoronic blank yet intense, powerful stare. Sasuke couldn't imagine what was going through his head right now. Maybe he didn't want to.

The conversation seemed to end there so they continued the same occurrence as before, sitting on the bed and saying nothing.

But the silence didn't last nearly as endlessly as Sasuke lightly cleared his throat, asking a question that had been nagging him ever since his capture. "Why am I here?" his voice hoarse from disuse.

Itachi sat still on his bed, mulling over his response. He didn't look fully recuperated, his face still haunted and leaden. "We have reason to believe Orochimaru is after the Jinchuurikis." Itachi paused before continuing, "You will be interrogated and, if necessary, tortured to validate this information."

Sasuke's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. The Akatsuki didn't know of his death?

Sasuke said nothing, but Itachi had noticed the boy's reaction and his eyes squinted, not in anger, but in something like attentive curiosity. "You do not believe this?"

Sasuke attempted a careless, apathetic shrug. "Hell if I know."

Itachi straightened in his seat on the bed, his eyebrows lowered. "I know you well, brother, do not think you can deceive me."

Sasuke almost choked on an astonished laugh, would have if he weren't simultaneously so goddamn angry. Itachi, knew him? He was the one that had destroyed the clan then left him there to drown in tears and blood, never to see his only kin until years later. There were so many horrors Sasuke could name that his elder brother had know clue about.

Itachi saving him from getting fucked was real sweet, but it didn't mean jack shit.

"You know nothing," Sasuke said menacingly, his genuine anger almost foreign on his tongue. At least something was still able to provoke emotions from him.

Itachi grew silent, an expressive frown on his features. Did he regret the truth in Sasuke's words?

"Was it Orochimaru that gave you that burn mark?" Itachi asked, his voice sounding excessively calm, as though trying to restrict the overwhelming emotions beneath his façade.

Sasuke wasn't sure what that meant, but tried his best to ignore it. "Yes."

"You're lying," Itachi suddenly spat, unexpectedly harsh. "Who did it?"

Sasuke's eyebrows sank and his upper lip twitched violently. "When the hell did you become your brother's keeper, Itachi?"

Itachi sat up straighter in his seat on the bed but remained inflexible, his piercing gaze never leaving Sasuke's. "I demand that you answer me."

Sasuke scoffed, reaching the edge of the bed and standing. He walked toward the door, his nerves tingling spastically in anger. He had been wrong about the confrontation with his brother. If his hands hadn't been bound, he would've tried to kill him.

He felt a tight grip on the back of his shirt as he was yanked forcefully onto the bed, his back hitting the mattress with a soft thump.

"What the fuck?" Sasuke hissed sharply. He felt Itachi's knee lean into his stomach, pressing firmly enough only to keep him immobile.

"Speak, little brother. Who?" The knee pushed harder, not enough to hurt but certainly enough to feel uncomfortable. Sasuke tested the man's hold over him, and then lashed out with his bound hands, managing a penetrating thrust into Itachi's chest before escape was, at last, utterly impossible. With one hand, Itachi held both of Sasuke's, taking them and bringing them high above the boy's head.

With his hand came the rest of him as Itachi climbed onto the bed, both knees now pushing into him, almost constricting airflow. Itachi's other hand went to reinforce his other, the man's entire body now effectively overcoming Sasuke's own. Sasuke cringed, lying vulnerably beneath Itachi's looming presence on the bed.

And then Sasuke was trapped. Trapped in his mind, trapped in his past. A small, nearly inaudible whimper escaped his lips as unwanted, degrading images were thrown at him, bursting like fireworks into the forefront of his mind. He couldn't move, he couldn't defend himself, he couldn't fight back. Sasuke wheezed, breaking into a sweat as he trembled violently under the larger body.

And abruptly the threatening presence was gone, the raven-haired boy's breaths still coming in short gasps, trying so hard to gather oxygen into his lungs. He looked for the culprit and saw Itachi across the room, stricken and wide-eyed.

Sasuke immediately got to his feet, panting as he regained equilibrium with the room. "Fuck," he whispered nearly inaudibly as he caught his breath, his bound hands carefully holding his chest.

"I'm deeply sorry, Sasuke, I did not wish to harm or frighten you." Emotion leaked through Itachi's words.

But they went unheeded, Sasuke stumbling on uneasy legs, his hands trembling in a frenzy he wasn't sure he could ever rid himself of. Itachi noticed this with dark eyes, allowing Sasuke passage as he rushed briskly passed him.

Sasuke lurched out the door, using the wall as a momentary support before aimlessly surging forward. Gods, he had to get a grip on himself. Nothing happened, damn it. He forced his breaths to calm the fuck down as he wandered down the long hall, looking through each door he passed. He could feel Itachi's presence tactfully tailing behind him. Of course, he was a captive in this fucking place, he wasn't allowed to be alone.

He turned to look through an open door and, through his peripheral, could see his brother standing several yards away, purposely leaving enough distance between the two. Suddenly, Sasuke was sneering, his lip quivering. Itachi didn't want to frightenhis poor, defenseless, weak, fucking emotionally challenged dumbass of a brother.

Sasuke just barely held back a sob, unexpectedly sad that that was probably what Itachi thought of him. Like how everyone else thought of him.

After all these years, why did he now wish for the older man's acceptance?

"Go away," Sasuke demanded drunkenly without looking back.

"You are unstable right now; I will not leave you," the older man replied unwaveringly.

Sasuke carelessly opened another door. "Where the fuck is the exit?" he asked, his voice dripping with ill-concealed desperation. He closed the door and turned his gaze expectantly to Itachi.

The older man's gaze, if Sasuke wasn't mistaken, which he very probably was, looked momentarily pained, his eyes squinting gloomily. "Brother," he said, licking his lips, "I cannot allow you to leave." But, for some reason, it damn sure looked like Itachi wanted to let him.

So he wouldn't have to deal with him.

Sasuke nodded hastily. "I know, I know. But can I not go outside? Just for a little while?"

Sasuke had never had a definite place to call home, where he felt warm and safe and just generally right with the world. Not even before the Uchiha clan's demolition had that ever existed in his life.

So instead he chose to use nature as that place of comfort. He wasn't comfortable there; hell, he wasn't even safe. But it was the one place he had always thought no one could take away from him.

Maybe now he'd realize how wrong he was.

But Itachi seemed contemplative about it and, after a moment, agreed with a nod.

Itachi turned around and Sasuke followed obediently.

They walked for what seemed like forever to Sasuke. He had finally grown a pair and calmed down to his usual composure, and he felt like Itachi had realized it as well. The man's body wasn't as tense, his stride lax.

After another few moments of walking, Sasuke spoke. "Damn, this is taking forever."

Itachi shook his head in amusement. "You'd been going the wrong way the entire time, little brother."

Sasuke blushed, not mortified, but certainly a little embarrassed by his drunken escapade. "My sense of direction is infallible. Bow down."

Sasuke shocked even himself by his words, and Itachi looked at him with a small smile and chuckle, seemingly just as astonished.

They traveled in silence for another moment or two before they came across a large, expansive door. Itachi, with his back to Sasuke, performed a set of seals before the door quavered, slowly glided open, then jerked to a halt when it reached the frame of the entrance.

Itachi waited by the door and watched as Sasuke stepped out of the hideout. He could hear Itachi following unobtrusively behind him but he didn't focus on it as his eyes wide with surprise to see it was sunset, the skies an orange and red hue. In an enclosed place like the Akatsuki, it felt like an eternal darkness. He wondered if it felt that way for the others.

Sasuke sat on the dewy grass and brought his knees to his chest, resting his head on his knees as he soaked in whatever short-term comfort he could achieve. The breeze felt nice against his sweltering body, and he closed his eyes. He listened to all the sounds he never listened to before, the birds chirping in accord with the cawing of a crow and the grasshopper rubbing his leg and forewing together. It was all sweet, harmonic.

Yet…why did he still not care?

He theorized there were probably dozens of reasons. Difficult childhood, Itachi's betrayal...everything else…Sasuke squinted his eyes shut tighter in remembrance. Itachi and Sasuke's relationship may not be as bad and blood-filled as it used to be, but that didn't mean it changed anything, not really. There were still some secrets Sasuke just had to keep to himself.

After a long while of sitting and watching the sun slowly sink into the horizon, Itachi finally sat beside Sasuke. He said nothing for a long moment, merely eyeing Sasuke's blank expression from the corner of his eye.

"Please," Itachi finally began, his voice barely tinged in desperation. "Please, tell me who."

Sasuke twitched. He hadn't gotten over that? Sasuke cursed to himself. If he hadn't gotten so riled from that Deidara, if he hadn't have caused Kisame to use force to regain control, Sasuke's shirt would never have been pulled and his horrible truth would never have been revealed.

One of his horrible truths.

Sasuke swallowed almost inaudibly, his gaze focused on a small bird perched on a thin branch. It hovered over its nest, protectively standing watch over his offspring. Those damn birds had more of a family than he ever did.

"Answer me this," Sasuke spoke at last. "Why do you care so much? Why would it ever cross your mind to worry over what happened to me?"

Itachi did not speak for a long time, and Sasuke had almost given up on expecting a response when Itachi cleared his throat lightly, unsurely. "I…" The man stopped a moment, again composing himself. "Despite my actions, and despite what you might perceive of me…" Itachi looked unnerved, like he had never genuinely opened up to someone and, now that he was, it terrified him. What if he said the wrong thing? Itachi took a breath. "I have always cared."

Sasuke's eyes widened and, before Sasuke could argue Itachi raised a hand, sincerely grateful when his brother ceased and listened. "I, I know you question my words, question their authenticity, and I understand why…" His lips pursed. "But, just, just imagining someone intentionally burning you like that, claiming you as their own…" Itachi put a tight hand to his stomach, as if expecting to lose his lunch from all its visual horror. "It makes me want to absolutely slaughter someone."

Sasuke stayed silent, watching his brother with an indefinable expression, noticing Itachi's eyes glazed over in tears.

The raven-haired boy finally nodded, swallowing lightly. "I appreciate your concern, but, the man I think did this to me… you do not wish to know."

His brother knew something had happened to him but he didn't know that...that had happened to him. That he had been…

Itachi uncharacteristically hit his palm harshly into the grass. "But I do, I do."

Sasuke stood and shook his head. "Listen, Itachi, I don't even know for certain who did it, I really don't," he finished, holding his knotted hands up as if to emphasize his innocence.

Itachi went to stand beside him with surprised eyes, his imagination probably providing him with a myriad of reasons Sasuke wouldn't know the culprit.

Sasuke felt kind of bad; the visuals could not have been pretty.

But before Itachi could argue, Deidara was outside and waving to them with a suddenly huge grin, jogging to stand beside the brothers.

Sasuke instinctively took a step back as Deidara eyed the boy, something that did not go unnoticed by Itachi, and he quickly attracted the other man's attention.

"What do you want, Deidara?"

Reluctantly, Deidara broke his gave with the younger Uchiha and turned to Itachi. "Leader sent me to come get you two. Everyone's assembled and ready to continue our previous discussion about the little Uchiha." Deidara snickered at the last part, aiming a playful elbow at Sasuke's ribs, which he stealthily avoided.

Itachi attracted Deidara's attention away from his brother. "Leader is back? So soon?"

Deidara said, "Yeah, but I dunno all the details."

Itachi nodded, turning to Sasuke and putting a hand to his back, leading him toward the entrance. After all, the boy was their captive, and had to be kept a close eye on.

Sasuke did not begrudge him, understood Itachi was under orders, and was compliant as they began wounding their way back to the room with the long table.

Deidara slowed his speed to be in time with Sasuke's, eyeing him. "So, Sasuke-chan, how have you been lately?"

Sasuke snorted and, much to Deidara's chagrin, remained silent.

Deidara ran a slow finger along Sasuke's jaw, and before the man could prepare himself an elbow was jammed into his stomach. He gasped loudly, doubling over as he clutched at his abdomen.

"Don't touch me," Sasuke hissed, straightening and putting his arms back in their proper position in front of his torso.

Deidara's eyes trailed to Itachi's satisfied gaze and Sasuke's annoyed one. Deidara squinted his eyes, his own features filling with malice.

He huffed, recognizing when he was at a disadvantage, even if one of the Uchihas was tied up, they could still take him. He absently rubbed at his stomach, wincing. Fuck, it still hurt.

Oh, well. Guess he'd just have to bide his time.

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Alright, so there it is!

On the Uchihacest topic, I think I've decided to make it subtle enough to where it can be seen either way. My personal intentions were to make it mere brotherly love, but, if you want the Uchihacest, you should be able to find it somewhere in there, too.

Also, I love receiving requests, so keep those coming, as well! They're quite enjoyable. ;)

Until next time!