I hate what I see in the mirror

Finally home, but no break. Pt.3

Itachi flinched at the sudden attention. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat before responding.
"May I eat?"
He asked as he did every day.

The man rolled his eyes, groaning, as if such a request had put a terrible inconvenience in his day.
"Just take it!"
He shoved the plate across the table and stood up, marching from the room.

"F-father, I can make myself a pl-"

"Meet me out in the car! Greedy whore!"
He mumbled the last part, but not quietly enough. Itachi stared down at the food, for a moment ago he was starving, but now it seemed his appetite had vanished. He couldn't waste the food however. So he forced it down. He choked many times and almost threw up once. This food teasted so good to him a week or two ago, so why was the teast putrid now? After he had finished with the food and washed the plate, he went out to meet Fugaku who was already waiting in the car. He was on his phone as the boy entered and without looking up he scoffed.
"Took you long enough!"
Buckling himself in Itachi mumbled an apology.
"Your a man talk like it!"

"I apologize father."
He reaped himself. Satisfied Fugaku nodded and pulled out of the driveway. There was silence, as always, yet this time Itachi felt his stomach twisting with nervousness. Everything was happening the way it always did. Was the night before just a dream? Was his mind playing tricks on him? No, he had the bruises on his neck! So what? That's it? Itachi was never sure what would happen when Fugaku went all the way with him, but in the nightmares he would envision, everything drastically changed. But it wasn't.

"Here!"
Fugaku tossed over Itachi's work phone.

"Thank you father, I will return it when I get home."

"Actually! You won't have to walk home anymore. I'll wait and drive you."

"Oh~"
Was all he could manage to say.
There it was. The change. Itachi's only alone time. The only time he got peace to himself, was when he walked home. Alone and relaxed. Yet now that was gone.

"You mean 'thank you father for not making me walk home alone anymore'!"
Fugaku snapped.

"O-oh, yes, t-thank you father."
Itachi quickly corrected himself.

"See this is whats wrong with your generation! You have no idea what it was like to live when I was younger! And trust me it was a hell of a lot worse then whatever you think 'your going through' you have it so~ easy yet all you kids do is groan and complain. Greedy, selfish, brats! All of you!"
He shook his head with an exasperated chuckle.
"Seriously! Stop pretending your a victim here! I'm the victim! I have broken myself backwards to provide for you! How do you think your alive? Hm?"

"I-I~"
Itachi mumbled.

"How?"

"I don't know!"
Itachi hugged the door next to his seat, wishing it would fly open and he would fall out.

"Because of me! That's how! Do you know what the doctors said when you were born!"
Itachi shook his head, he knew but he didn't want to fight with his father right know, not over this. It wasn't the hill he wanted to die on.
"They said you wouldn't live two days and suggested we just put you out of your misery! I had to fight to keep them from taking you!"
This wasn't true and Itachi knew it.
"You can't even begin to imagine how much you cost! How much you cost me! How much you cost your mother! Everyone."
He sighed shaking his head.
"You have no right to be ungrateful or unhappy!"

Both went silently and thankfully it didn't last long as they pulled into the police station. The two separated. Fugaku going to his private office where he got paid for sleeping and handing his work off to others. Itachi to his desk that sat directly in front of a camera for his father to watch his every move. They were the only ones there, they always arrived early. Itachi didn't know why since his father always complained about work, but he guessed it made him look good. After about an hour Shisui showed up with a few others. He nodded a hello to Itachi, yet he didn't receive one in return. He knit his brow together, confused, his brother always greeted him, even if not verbally. But there was nothing he could do. Fugaku would not let them speak here, or anywhere for that matter. All he could do was watch from his desk.