TITLE: Broken Bonds

AUTHOR: Will J (aka Lemony Chocolate)

WEB SITE: N/A

FANDOM: ANIME---SORCERER HUNTERS

RATING: NC-17

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Sorcerer Hunters what so ever

FEEDBACK: Feedback makes the author go round (and write a whole bunch more)

DISTRIBUTION: List Archives

SPOILERS: NONE

SUMMARY: After a horrible argument with his brother Marron, Carrot Glace leaves the team of Sorcerer Hunters, a year later Marron becomes deathly ill and the remaining members are forced to call on the one person that can possibly save his life....Carrot Glace.

This story will contain themes of incest, sex and/or male/male relationships.

Note: Niisan, loose translation in Japanese meaning older brother; Otouto, loose translation in Japanese meaning younger brother; baka, loose translation idiot.

Note: Comments and criticisms are very much welcome

Broken Bonds
by Will J aka Lemony Chocolate

Gateau paced back and forth before the magical energy barrier that separated him from Marron. Each time he got to close it would spit out painful arches of lightening, targeting him or anyone that stood too close. The first time he tried to cross the barrier, to reach Marron, it took over two hours for him to come around. It had almost killed him.

They hadn't had to worry about that little annoying brother of his for over a year since he left the team. Finally, after all this time, after everything he did to make Marron his lover, he had to go and get sick.

The two Misu sisters, Tira and Chocolate, stood worriedly by the door. Watching as Marron writhed in grips of a fever. A fever that if ran unchecked, would kill him. They hoped they had made the right decision in calling for help.

Doctor Apple packed his medical bag, knowing that there was little that he could do. Dammit, he was a doctor, not a mage, he thought irritably to himself.

How in the hell that boy was generating that magical field was beyond him. By all rights the boy shouldn't have any energy, much less enough to create that deadly barrier. He shook his head sorrowfully, the boy was using the energy still in his body to keep them out, when all they were trying to do was save his life. They had five short days to reduce his fever before the virus spread unchecked throughout his body, eventually killing him. The virus was simple to cure, it was the fever that oftentimes killed the victim. The fever somehow nullified any medicines that was given to the patient.

Marron twisted restlessly, caught in a feverish nightmare. He had been looking and calling for his snuggle-bunny everywhere. If he could just find his snuggle-bunny and hold him close, everything would be all right. He traveled the jagged dreamscape, calling desperately as lightening flared in the distance and it grew darker. His hands and feet were cut from the jagged stones and rocks that he fell against each time the ground rumbled angrily. He knew that if he didn't find his talisman, his snuggle-bunny, he would never be able to leave this place.

Tira lifted her head sharply, her head cocking slightly, she had heard a noise downstairs. Catching Chocolate's attention, she tilted her head to the door, and with a nod Chocolate went downstairs to see who had arrived.

Tira quietly whispered to the doctor and they left the room, ignored by a worried pacing Gateau.

Chocolate stood gazing at the cold dark figure leaning against the wall, shivering at the coldness coming from him.

"You said this was an emergency," he said in a cold husky voice. Wintery eyes gazed steadily at her before flickering up at a noise on the stairs.

Tira stopped abruptly, "Carrot," she breathe in shock at his appearance. Where had the goofy, sex-crazy boy they grew up with gone?

Carrot arched his eyebrow, nodded his head coolly acknowledging her presence. He shifted his emotionless gaze at the man behind her before turning his attention back to Chocolate.

Doctor Apple shivered as that lethal gaze rested on him. Feeling it flicker over him, mentally calculating how long it would take him to die. He feared this man and wondered about the intelligence of the two girls that thought he could save the sick boy upstairs. He decided to keep quiet, hoping to learn more, and incidentally making sure that he didn't attract the man's baneful attention, was his panicky thought.

Carrot waited with icy patience for the girls to speak. He had been tempted to ignore their request but, after all the time and silence between him and his former team, he was....curious.

Chocolate closed her eyes in despair, this chilly creature wasn't the Carrot they grew up with. 'And whose fault is that,' a snide voice whispered in her mind. He wouldn't care about them, about Marron anymore, the four of them made sure of that.

But she had to try for Marron's sake, hoping that deep down Carrot still loved his little brother.

She opened her eyes to find him gazing at her with cold curiosity. "It's Marron", she stammered out, "He has Swampgrass fever and he's dying."

"Swampgrass fever is easily curable, so why did you call me and why is he dying," Carrot said calmly, his face was remote as if discussing the weather. But underneath, where none could see he fought a savage battle to keep his emotions in check as fear clutched at his heart, the heart that he had thought was dead.

"Normally, it is. Unfortunately, Marron created a magical barrier that attacks anyone that gets to close....and he's calling for his snuggle-bunny," Tira spoke up, adding the last sentence significantly.

The doctor was puzzled, what was the significance of the boy crying out for a stuffed animal.

"Ah," Carrot nodded his head. "So you want me to break through the barrier and let the good doctor in," gesturing at the doctor still hiding behind Tira, "To administer the cure. You remember what happen last time Marron did this, it took days for the barrier to come down."

"And the great love of his life, Gateau, can't get through," he asked dryly, and finally they saw a smile on his face. All three shivered from the bitter chill of that smile.

Tira and Chocolate exchanged uncomfortable looks before silently shaking their heads.

"Besides, Marron knows you and wouldn't hurt you," Tira said as if trying to convince herself.

"Have you forgotten that we haven't exchange a word in almost a year," Carrot asked with harsh disbelief.

He looked at them, at the desperation in their eyes as they mutely pleaded for his help. He glanced away, he already knew what he would do, "You remember what happened last time," he quietly asked turning an impassive gaze on the two sisters.

"We remembered. We have everything prepared. We have enough non-perishable food in the kitchen to last you for at least a week. The doctor will give you the antidote for the virus and we'll keep you supplied with ice to help bring down Marron's fever," Chocolate responded eagerly, her words running over each other in her desire to help Marron.

"And where will the beautiful Gateau be in all of this? What does he think about me being here and being the one to save his lover," Carrot asked, a cold-blooded sneer on his lips.

The doctor thought he finally understood the tension in the group, Marron and Carrot had been lovers before Marron turned to Gateau, he thought happily to himself. He shook his head as he imagined the courage it took the beautiful boy upstairs to leave the glacial dark man and turn towards the warm blond man upstairs. Perhaps Marron had gotten tired of the coldness and decided to be warm for a change, poor thing, he thought sympathetically.

Tira and Chocolate exchanged glances and looked away unhappily.

"You didn't tell him, did you," he asked remotely. "You both know he's not going to react well with me here."

He thought and sighed, it didn't matter what Gateau thought. If Marron got better, then the hell with Gateau.

"Is there food prepared that I can eat, now," Carrot asked, not relaxing his distant carriage.

"Yes, we had something prepared in the kitchen," Chocolate replied gesturing to the back of the house.

"Fine, lead the way," Carrot said as he strode across the room. Chocolate turned, leaving with Carrot following behind her.

"Oh, thank God," Tira whispered, sagging in relief. Her muscles barely able to support her as the tension left her. She staggered back against the doctor.

"You can say that again," the doctor muttered supporting her briefly. "I don't mean to pry into your business, but I gotta say I think that it's a good thing that that boy upstairs is with Gateau. Being the lover to that man," he gestured towards the kitchen, " Would have slowly kill him."

Tira turned around slowly as anger grew in her at the man's presumption to talk about their friends.

"First," she gritted out, "Carrot hasn't always been like that. He was all about laughing and having fun. We let him down, we weren't there for him, we constantly belittled him and hurt him....Chocolate, Gateau and I made him what you see now."

Chocolate and Carrot exchanged puzzled glances at the sound of Tira's raised voice and quickly went to see what was wrong catching the tail end of her blazing defense of Carrot. Carrot leaned against the wall out of view and listened.

Chocolate silently gazed at her friend and agree wholeheartedly with her sister. They, not Carrot, caused the break in their bond.

"Second," she leaned down, hissing at the doctor as he cowered before her, "Carrot and Marron are NOT lovers, they never were. What they are, are brothers. Ones that had a terrible fight that they couldn't resolve."

"Go, Tira, go," Chocolate chanted silently, mouthing the words. She didn't notice the amused look Carrot threw towards her

"How dare you, " and she was on a roll now, "Presume to know what goes on in this house, you stupid little man. I'll tell you right now, if anything happens to Marron, if he should die, I'll see that your death will be a long torturous one." She finished coldly, still enrage at how he dared to
criticize Carrot. The nerve of some people, she snorted to herself in. disgust.

Doctor Apple thought wildly, I thought Carrot was bad. At least with him, it'll be quick. If this crazy girl gets her hands on me, she make long and painfully slow."

Tira flung her head back and caught sight of Carrot watching her. She blushed furiously, she still harbored a lot of feelings for him. She didn't know if she was still in love with him or not but he had been her friend.

Carrot pushed away from the wall and went back into the kitchen. He knew he would be needing all the energy he could get, to get through the barrier. What no one realized was that the barrier hurt him almost as much as it hurt everyone else. It didn't kill him because it was a part of Marron and he knew little otouto would never hurt him. The barrier would attack him....fire racing across his nerves burning him, almost consuming him before it recognized him. Sweet fire would be his reward, caressing his body as if in apology.

But now with this rift between them, he didn't know how Marron would react now. He would give everything he had to his otouto to make him well, except for his life.

That was something he couldn't give.

He pushed his chair back and strode into the living room.

"Let's get this started, okay," he spoke causing the silent trio to jump, a distant smile slipped across his face at their reaction. He grabbed his pack and gestured for them to grab whatever they needed. It would be a long couple of days.

Gateau paced restlessly back and forth, tentatively he kept testing the barrier. He heard the muffled yelling downstairs and turned to Chocolate to tell her to get rid of whoever is making that noise or tell them to shut the fuck up.

When did they leave, distracted from his ailing lover for a moment to wonder before again focusing on the writhing form on the bed. He winced in dismay at the effects the fever was having on Marron. He had lost weight so rapidly the past day combating the fever, that his eyes were sunken in with dark circles under them. Bruises and scratches had darken the white flesh when he flailed about in his delirium. He wanted Marron to get better fast, to once again be the beautiful creature he loved. He did not know about illness or how to cope. He hated being alone with this sick, skeletal creature.

He ran to the door in relief as he heard footsteps on the stairs. He opened his mouth to yell at them for leaving, when he noticed a peculiar look in Tira's eyes that had been absent for so long. Carrying a huge bag that she set down with a sigh of relief that turned into a squeak at the sight of
Gateau. She sidled to the wall and got ready for the upcoming battle.

Nervously she began to speak, "Gateau, I know you're not going to like this but we had to do it. We just couldn't let Marron die, you don't want him to die do you?" she asked softly, looking at him pleadingly.

The doctor, took one look at her looking at the obviously stressed out Gateau and sidled to the other wall, setting his pail of ice against the floor. He wanted to make sure he was out of the line of fire.

Chocolate heard her sister squeak and begin to babble. She sighed, she just knew what had to be waiting at the top of the stairs. She twisted around and looked down into Carrot's dark impassive eyes. She searched his eyes looking for some clue to his feeling and finally gave up. What have you done to yourself? she thought in despair. What have we done to you to make you hide yourself?

She turned away and continued up the stairs.

Gateau looked at her in some confusion. He had no idea what the hell Tira was babbling about. Of course he wanted his beautiful lover to get well, he thought indignantly.

"Gateau, we are doing this and you're not going to stop us," Chocolate said calmly and firmly. She set her bag down, setting her cap on her head showing that she meant business. She was NOT going to lose Marron because of Gateau even if she had to beat him and tie him up, she smirked to herself.

Gateau quickly took a step back when Chocolate put on her cap. He had never had that dark look turned on him before. He could see why their enemies feared her.

Suddenly a dark head came into view. He look at the man, opened his mouth to ask who he was and was enraged at the sudden knowledge of who the man was.

"God damn you, you get the hell out of here," he raged at Carrot, who stood there gazing at him with a smile of little humor.

Gateau took a furious step toward him, stopping abruptly---confronted by the Misu sisters in all their dark glory. The glittering eyes, the whip gently writhing on the floor, the caressing way Chocolate slid her thread against her lips. Fear quickly crossed his face and left. He was confident that they wouldn't hurt him, afterall he was the one that had stayed, he thought smugly to himself and took another step.

He cried out in pain as the whip kissed his body. He gazed unbelieving at the red mark on his upper arm.

"We already lost one friend because of your stupid pride and unwillingness to compromise," Tira said menacingly, the whip dancing restlessly on the floor as if alive. "And I'll be damned if I'll allow you take Marron from us," she hissed.

Gateau was in shock, sweet little Tira was threatening him. His face darken in rage as he took a step towards her and drew back again in shock at the red line across his other arm.

"And no one threatens my sister," Chocolate said coldly spinning her thread back into her grasp. "We allowed you to color our judgment about Carrot. The fault was our," she said with an agreeing look at her sister before facing Gateau, "We should have known better, we grew up with him. He was, he is our friend. We should have listened to him, understood him and stood by him but we didn't. And for that, there's nothing we can do to make it up to him. But if he's willing, we will try and never let him down or disappoint him again," she ended facing Carrot, tearing falling down her face.

He looked at her and opened his arms. She flew into his embrace with a sob, followed by Tira, both crying their eyes out. Carrot staggered back against the wall and buried his face in their hair. He stroked their heads in silent comfort, his walls tumbling down, he knew he would forgive them. They were his oldest friends.

They settled down and marched past Gateau, who glared at them. Clenching and unclenching his powerful fists.

The doctor picked up his pail of ice, thought on the confrontation and resolution. With a sidelong long at the enraged golden man he thought, Maybe I was wrong about them. Just because something is bright and shiny doesn't necessarily mean its good for you. He scurried after them wanting to put some distance between him and Gateau's rage.

They stepped inside the room as Marron writhed and cried despairingly for his snuggle-bunny.

Gateau stepped inside with a smirk, "You can't get though the barrier," he said.

Carrot gave him an unreadable look and stretched his hand towards the barrier. Lightening flashed as a tendril of the barrier seized Carrot's hand. Swiftly winding around him as Carrot convulsed, screaming in it's grip. He fell to his knees, his hand still entangled in the barrier, breathing harshly.

Gateau smirked, "I told you so." He crossed his arms, fiercely glad that he was proven right.

"Look," Tira cried softly, pointing to the bed.

On the bed, for the first time since he had contracted the Swampgrass virus, Marron had stopped writhing in pain. His head turned, blank eyes eerily focusing on Carrot.

In his fever dreamscape, Marron collapsed in despair, he was so tired and hurt so much. The darkness and lightening was closing about him rapidly as if sensing his complete exhaustion. Suddenly the sky was split by a flash of light, pushing back the darkness and a figure enfolded the despair boy in a comforting arms. Shielding him from the lightening.

The lightening, as if loath to release it's prey, continued striking about him. Each strike, deflected by a figure, shielding the exhausted boy in his embrace.

Slowly the barrier entrapping Carrot licked across his hand, tendrils of lightening reached out to him enveloping him, caressing over his face as if in apology for causing him pain. Carrot stood up slowly, carefully watching the barrier as it wound around his body like a playful kitten begging for attention. He took a step forward and the barrier parted for him. He took a step back and the tendrils, released him reluctantly, stretching towards him.

Gateau, stepped closer to the barrier in disbelief and the barrier lashed out at him viciously, yet still holding Carrot in a gentle embrace wrapping around him. Carrot pushed the screaming, writhing man out of harm's way.

Carrot said to them, "Push the bags and ice as close to me as you can and see to Gateau."

The doctor rushed over to Gateau, making sure to stay far away from the writhing tendrils of the barrier. "He's okay", he reported, "He'll just be unconscious for a few minutes."

They pushed everything closer, as the tendrils of the barrier seemed to pull up ready to strike at them, as if daring them to get any closer. Carrot reached out and pulled them in, closer to the bed. He then reached out for his pack and pulled that in also.

"Tira, Chocolate, " he snapped out, setting out his supplies. "How long has it been since he's eaten?"

They glanced at each other, "Uhm, two days ago?" Tira said worriedly.

"Then he'll need some substance, soup or some type of broth that'll be easy on his stomach." Carrot stated, still not looking at the boy on the bed who seemed to be tracking his every move.

The doctor quickly volunteered to go make the soup, knowing what the boy needed to eat to regain his health to help fight the virus.

Gateau sat up slowly, his eyes narrowing to see Carrot safe within the barrier that he tried so hard to go through. His thoughts were colored with jealousy. Why him and not me, Marron loves me, it should have let me through.

He stood up, joining Tira and Chocolate as they gazed on the pair. Carrot ignored their stares as he removed his jacket, shirt and boots.

Their mouths dropped open in shock. Carrot had made some serious changes in his anatomy. Gone was the skinny body with the ropy muscles. In the year he had been gone, he had managed to gain a lean body with deceptively, understated muscles hinted at speed and unnerving grace. All three drooled as they admired the play of muscles sliding gracefully under his skin.

He removed all the various weapons secreted about his body and placed them in his bag. He then removed from the bag a thin pair of pants and went to tug his leather pants off when he noticed six pairs of eyes about to fall out of their heads looking at him. What the hell is wrong with them, he thought to himself. They act as if they've never seen me before.

"Do you mind," he said gesturing them to turn around so he could change.

They did so with crestfallen faces, Tira squeaked when she saw the mirror reflecting Carrot's image. The other two fought for space to see Carrot disrobing, drooling at the sight. He ignored their antics.

Finally changed he scooped ice into a deep bowl, grabbed a cloth and climb into the bed. Marron's restlessly stirring body he continue to ignore. He knew that it was important for him to get in the right position, since he would be occupying it for a long time. He piled the pillows behind him, against the wall and leaned back. He adjusted them again until he had the pillow support the way he needed it.

Gateau glanced at Tira and Chocolate with puzzled eyes. "What the hell is that idiot doing? I thought you brought him to help Marron, is he going to fix his hair next," he added sarcastically.

"Watch," Chocolate simply said.

Carrot reached out and pulled Marron into his arms. No one was more surprised than Carrot when Marron twisted out of his arms and landed back on the bed.

Tira and Chocolate exchanged worried looks, Gateau laughed.

"Well, it looks as if your grand idea just bit the dust," he smirked.

"May I remind you that this is Marron's life we're trying to save," Tira stated coldly without looking at him.

Gateau drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was right, I'm still fighting Carrot for Marron's affection. I know Marron loves me, he may not be IN love with me but he does love me and it would take something catastrophic to make him leave me, yet for some reason I feel as if I'm about to lose him.

Marron opened feverish eyes and yelled, "No! I want my snuggle-bunny. I don't want you!" he added childishly.

Gateau rolled his eyes, "What the hell is a snuggle-bunny and why does he keep crying for it?"

Tira and Chocolate ignored him as they watched the scene playing out in front of them.

"Marron, it's me, Carrot," Carrot said reaching towards his brother who scooted away further.

"No! Bad man, cold man! I want my snuggle-bunny!" Marron protested. His eyes got large and his lips quivered, "I just want my snuggle-bunny, please," he begged, tears spilling from his eyes down his cheeks.

Carrot sighed as he tried to avoid looking at Marron. His eyes searched desperately around the room. Anything to avoid looking into the beseeching eyes of his brother.

He felt a soft, gentle hand tentatively touch his arm and he made the mistake of looking down into Marron's eyes.

"Please, I need him," Marron begged turning huge tragic eyes on the Cold Man holding his snuggle-bunny from him.

The doctor quietly entered the room with a bowl of soup. He joined the others in watching the scene play out on the bed.

"Please," Marron softly begged, he wanted his snuggle-bunny.

At that soft gentle word, they watched as a remarkable change overtook Carrot. Still looking in Marron's eyes, his whole demeanor soften. His eyes lost their angry coldness, glowing with love and affection. His body gentled, softened and a smile played across his face.

The reaction was immediate.

"Snuggle-bunny!" Marron cried and threw himself into Carrot's arms. He cried with joy at having at last found his snuggle-bunny.

He rubbed his feverish face against his snuggle-bunny and said into his chest, "You left me all alone. I looked and I looked for you everywhere and I couldn't find you," he accused, turning his woebegone face up to his snuggle-bunny. "Promise me you won't go away again," he begged turning big tear filled eyes to his snuggle-bunny. His snuggle-bunny could never resist him when he cried, he thought smugly, snuggling into his chest. "His snuggle-bunny would do anything for him if he cried," a childish smirk crossed his face.

A smile twitched at Carrot's lips. Unfortunately, Marron didn't realize that he was still talking out loud and everyone heard.

Tira and Chocolate were cracking up with laughter. A sick Marron was so funny. They knew he was going to be alright. They were going to have blackmail material for years off of this incident.

Gateau looked on in disbelief. Carrot was Marron's snuggle-bunny? The one he had been crying about all this time?

Gateau suddenly remembered a nightmare that Marron had had just after Carrot left the group. He was twisting and turning in their bed crying for someone not to leave him, not to go. Gateau remembered feeling jealous and roughly shook Marron awake demanding to know who he was dreaming of. "Was it Carrot," he angrily demanded.

"No," was Marron quiet reply, "It was something from my childhood. It always kept me safe, warm and protected whenever I was sick or during thunderstorms. Laying beside my snuggle-bunny always gave me an intense feeling of love and comfort." He gracefully out of the bed and slid on his robe.

"Go back to sleep Gateau, I'm going downstairs to make myself a cup of tea," he said calmly as he opened the door.

Gateau was curious as he settled down in the bed, "Whatever happened to your snuggle-bunny." He watched as Marron's shoulder stiffen.

"I thought I wanted something shiny and new, and I threw it away," was the quiet reply. "Goodnight, Gateau."

Carrot settled Marron in his arms, dipped the cloth in the cold water and slid it over Marron feverish body.

"Cold, don't like it," Marron cried shivering, trying to arch away from the cold water into the warmth of his snuggle-bunny at his back.

"Shh, shhhh, it's okay, it's okay. We just need to do this to bring your fever down. You trust your snuggle-bunny, don't you," Carrot murmured gently restraining the squirming figure between his legs.

His childish faith in his snuggle-bunny was well established in childhood, "My snuggle-bunny," he agreed leaning his tired head against Carrot's shoulder. He suddenly caught sight of Tira, Chocolate, Gateau and the doctor.

"Bad girls, bad girls always trying to take my snuggle-bunny. MINE! My snuggle-bunny, not yours. You get your own," he yelled at them, clutching at Carrot as if to keep Tira and Chocolate away from Carrot. Tira and Chocolate clung together laughing, they loved to see Marron get sick. He was so clingy and funny with Carrot.

Carrot continued running the cold cloth over Marron's arms and chest, ignoring the commotion, it wasn't like it was something he hadn't heard before. Marron always thought someone was going to take away his snuggle-bunny from him when he was sick.

He narrowed his eyes at Gateau and softly accused, "You don't like my snuggle-bunny, do you. My snuggle-bunny takes care of me and loves me but you don't like that. Why?" he asked bewilderedly.

Tira, Chocolate and Carrot exchanged glances. This was new. They waited to hear Gateau's reply.

Gateau saw their waiting faces, swallowed thickly and abruptly left the room. He would like an answer to the question too.

"Don't know you," Marron narrowed his eyes at the doctor. "You gonna hurt me?" his eyes tearing up.

"No, no," the doctor said hastily, seeing the incipient tears in the boy's eyes. "I brought you something to eat," he holding up the tray.

"Oh," Marron yawned. "Don't wanna eat now, wanna sleep," he settled himself more firmly against his snuggle-bunny and sank into a restful healing sleep.

He whispered, "The soup is nourishing and is good hot or cold." He showed Carrot the bottle of pills on the tray and said, "Once his fever is down, he'll need to take three of these every day, how you give them to him is up to you. They'll combat the virus in his system. But I need to warn you that you will need to avoid stressing him out for the next several days. If he get stressed out, the fever may return and we'll be back to square one.

Tira said quietly, "Do you think that I might be able to bring his fever down using magic."

"It's worth a shot," the doctor frowned thoughtfully, "Never know anyone to try before."

"It might be dangerous," Chocolate interjected, "You know how territorial he gets with his "snuggle-bunny," she snickered.

Carrot cast a mock-glare at her and growled.

Chocolate shrieked softly and hid behind Tira, "Help the snuggle-bunny is attacking me!"

Both of them dissolved into fits of helpless giggles. Carrot hid a smile in Marron's hair. He missed them so much. They had all been through so much together, they grew up together, played and fought together. It had hurt so much when they had sided with Gateau against him. Saying him that he didn't love his brother, that he couldn't possibly love his brother enough since wouldn't die for him.

Chocolate and Tira's giggles finally died down as they noticed Carrot's averted face. The doctor glanced back and forth between the pair of sibling and wisely decided to take his leave.

Chocolate hesitantly called his name. He turned his head inquiring.

She said, "Carrot, we were wrong. We shouldn't have all jumped on you like that. You have shown in a thousand different ways how much you love and care about Marron. We should have never doubted your love for him and said that you didn't care. We were wrong and I, we are sorry."

Tira said softly, "I remember reading a book a couple of months ago. There was a passage in the book that made me think hard about your decision not to die for Marron. 'Dying is the easy part, it the living that's hard. To go on living long after the ones you loved are dead. Everyday a battle not to give in to despair, not to give up on life, but to keep going. Sure, it's easy to say that you'll die for someone, but would you live for that someone?' "

Carrot's eyes were fixed on her face, dawning hope in his eyes that maybe someone finally understood.

"I thought about those words a long time and I thought about me and Chocolate. About how close we are and I realized something." She turned to Chocolate and said painfully, "I love you more than anything, but would I die for you? No, because the only way I could honor your memory would be to live life to the fullest. To embrace life, take it by the throat and shake it. To grow, fall in love, having babies and tell them about their Aunt Chocolate so that you'll live on forever."

Chocolate smiled through her tears and said to Carrot, "My baby done grown up." She pulled Tira into a hug, squeezing her tightly. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered in her ear.

Tira blushed at the praise.

They released each other and regarded Carrot still slow wiping the sleeping Marron down. They left the room leaving the two brothers alone for the first time in over a year.

Never seeing the shadow outside the door listening to every word they said. He needed to think.

Marron's fever broke two days later. Carrot had stayed up, constantly wiping him down, trying to reduce his fever. His hand was cramped up from the ice into a claw, each movement sent agonizing pain up his arm, but he never stopped. He was rewarded when Chocolate stopped in to check on them and saw the barrier was down.

She felt Marron's brow and let out a whoop of joy at the absence of the fever, startling the sleeping Marron awake and making Carrot jump in his near dazed state. She gratefully hugged the two bewildered boys as Tira came running to see what the commotion was about. She stopped in the doorway to see Chocolate dancing about and a bewildered but lucid Marron gazing at her warily.

She shouted with joy and danced with Chocolate. Both of them jumping up and down shouting for joy.

Marron smiled at the wild antics of the Misu sisters, but still wondering what had them so excited. He felt curiously weak for some reason, the last thing he remembered was going to bed last night and feeling hot.

He went to move and froze as he felt familiar arms wrapped around him. He slowly twisted his head and gazed up into his niisan eyes, warily looking down at him.

"Niisan, what are you doing here," he rasped out, his voice hoarse after crying continuously for two days.

"You came down sick with SwampGrass virus, Tira and Chocolate called me because you had put up a magical barrier that attacked everyone that came near it," he explained quietly, searching Marron's eyes. What he saw there reassured him that Marron didn't mind him being here.

"So, they called you, knowing that you could pass through it," Marron guessed looking at his niisan for confirmation.

Carrot nodded.

"Where's Gateau," Marron inquired to avoid looking at his brother.

"Right here," Gateau replied quietly gazing at the picture of Marron laying against Carrot. He looked so secure and contented, he thought to himself.

"Hey," Gateau said coming closer to the bed and slowly sitting down. "Feeling better, " he said, gently touching a bare foot, "You had us pretty worried for a while. If it hadn't been for your brother, we could have lost you."

Everyone's mouth dropped open.

Chocolate quickly ran to check Gateau's forehead, "Nope, no fever," she reported.

Tira cried, "I'll run and get the doctor. Gateau, lay down and rest," she tried pushing him down on the bed.

Marron was trying to make room on the bed for his obviously ill friend.

Gateau waved everyone off, "Dammit, can't a man be nice to someone without you thinking he's sick," he angrily grumbled

They all exchanged glances and said "No."

Tira spoke first, "Especially, not if it's Carrot," she flushed at the look Carrot gave her.

Gateau angrily said, "Fine! It's just that, if Carrot hadn't come, we would have never gotten in to Marron and gotten him better."

He squared his shoulders and stood up straight, "Carrot, I want to apologize to you. I was wrong about how much you care about your brother. You care a great deal. I know that I can leave him in your capable hands while I'm gone."

Chocolate was silent as she gazed at her friend. She knew something was troubling him and worrying him.

Tira broke the silence, "How long will you be gone?"

"I just have to report to the church, so I shouldn't be gone for more than a couple of hours maybe 12 hours at the max.," Gateau replied gently rubbing Marron's foot, something he did to comfort the other, totally unaware how much Marron loathed having someone touch his foot like that but Marron endured gracefully.

"Oh," Marron said sinking back down in the comfort of his niisan.

"Meanwhile, I know I can safely leave you in the caring hands of," he paused pointedly, "Your snuggle-bunny." He watched in delight as Marron blushed. Tira and Chocolate burst into giggles, Carrot laughing as Marron slapped at his encircling arms with a cry of "Niisan".

He watched the slow smile cross Marron's face as he turned his face up to Carrot's laughing face. He watched the happiness deep within both brothers' eyes and he realized just what he had done to them both. He knew he had to let Marron go, but he needed answers first and he knew just where to get them.

"Okay, gang, I'll be back soon, so be good," he shook an admonishing finger at the two pairs of siblings and left for the Stellar Church.

"Alright, me and Tira'll go downstairs and make lunch, why don't you two get some rest. Carrot, I know you must be exhausted. You've been up for the past two days holding Marron and taking care of him, you need to rest," she said sternly.

Niisan, been here for two days taking care of me, Marron thought incredulously. I thought he didn't care about me anymore. We hadn't spoken for almost a year, and whose fault was that a voice whispered in his ear. All you had to do was tell him that you and Gateau were lovers, he would have accepted the both of you, but NO you had to get embarrassed and yell at him. You said hurtful, nasty things to him; things you can't even remember saying now. You were so close that knew all his weak spots, all the words you could say to hurt him with all because you were embarrassed that he found you naked in Gateau's bed. Marron felt tears trickle down his face
and he trembled in his niisan's arms in shame at his behavior.

Carrot felt him trembling and looked down in alarm to see him crying. He looked at the girls and they left the pair alone in the room.

He jiggled Marron in arms gently, "Hey, hey now," he said softly, "Why are you crying? Aren't you feeling okay?"

Marron twisted and buried his face in Carrot's shoulder. How ironic to be seeking comfort from the person that you hurt the most, he thought despairingly to himself. His body shuddered with the sobs coming from his throat.

"Shh, shhh, it' okay, Marron. Whatever it is, we'll fix it, alright," Carrot said stroking his back. "Shhh now, stop crying, you're going to make yourself sick again," he softly ordered.

Marron nodded his head, trying to suppress his sobs. Little hitching breaths shaking his body as he calmed down under the warm, stroking palm rubbing, soothing circles on his back.

"You want to tell me what's wrong or would you rather I guessed," Carrot asked quietly. He pulled the shivering body tighter into his arms, silently giving comfort. It had taken everything in him to stay away from the team, from his brother. Giving Marron the space his little brother screamed that he wanted.

Marron shook his head and spoke into Carrot's shoulder, "ImsorryabouteverythingIsaidtoyouImsorryaboutallthenames IcalledyouIdidtmeantpleaseforgivemeImsosorry.

"Okay, let's take that a little more slowly please," Carrot said totally confused by the babbling. He knew that this was only temporary with Marron. As soon as he was better he would be back to his usual controlled self.

Marron took a deep breath and lifted his head, still too ashamed to look his niisan in the eyes, "I said that I'm sorry about everything I said to you. I'm sorry about all the names I called you, I didn't mean it. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry."

A gently hand lifted his face, he closed his eyes tightly. He heard a chuckle about him and cautiously opened one eye. He opened the both in shock when he pulled into a tight hug. A hug that promised him everything, especially forgiveness.

Carrot whispered in his ear, "All is forgive, little bro. No worries, okay."

"Okay," he whispered back, a tiny smile curving his lips. He had the best niisan in the world.

"Come on, I think you need a bath and a change of clothing," Carrot said wrinkling his nose.

"I was hoping that it was you I was smelling," Marron remarked dryly.

Carrot smiled, Oh yeah, his brother was definitely getting better.

"Stay here while I go run a bath for you," Carrot ordered as he got off the bed.

Marron gave him a calm look, "I seriously doubt I have the strength to even sit up on my own, much less get out of this bed."

"Oh yeah," Carrot said, scratching his head. "I'll just have to carry you," he said brightening up and running out the room.

He came back shortly with clean sheets. He gently picked Marron up, laid him on the floor propping him up against the wall and changed the bed. Tossing the sheets on the floor, he rummaged through the bedroom drawers trying not to think about Marron's clothes so cozy with Gateau's in the drawers.

Marron watched him carefully, something was wrong with his niisan. Carrot looked up and Marron caught his breath. He had never seen Carrot's eyes so cold and grim. He quickly looked down and when he looked up again his niisan was squatting by him, lifting his face to his.

Carrot search Marron's face and sighed, "Marron, I will make no apologies about how I've lived my life the past year. I've been working with the Alpha Team," Marron caught his breath, the Alpha Team only went after the most deadliest of Sorcerers; they were always successful. The Alpha Team, it was whispered were Mama's assignation team. They were killers through and
through.

Marron's eyes narrowed as he grated out, "Did anybody hurt you?' his eyes glowing in protective fury.

Carrot blinked. His lips twitched.

He started laughing so hard that he fell on the floor, Marron look down at his hysterically laughing brother in irritation. He lifted a shaky arm and poked him in the side.

"Only you," Carrot gasped out, "Only you would go apeshit over me getting hurt after I tell you that I worked with the Alpha Team, knowing their reputation."

Marron smiled sheepishly, "I forgot about that, all the old protective instinct just kicked in."

Carrot laid on the floor gazing up at Marron and said thoughtfully, "You know, I kinda missed you going apeshit on anybody trying to hurt me."

Marron blushed at the compliment from his niisan.

Carrot briskly sat up and said, "Come on, let get you that bath already." He grabbed the sleep pants off the floor and picked up Marron. Marron loped his arm around Carrot's neck and looked at his niisan's profile. Carrot turned his head suddenly and they stared searchingly at each other. Carrot smiled and shifted Marron closer in his arms as Marron laid his tired head on his brother's shoulder as they left the bedroom.

"Hey, do you guys want soup or sandwiches," Chocolate yelled up.

"Soup for Marron and sandwiches for me," Carrot yelled back as he maneuvered Marron into the bathroom and set him on the toilet seat. He blushed as realized that he would have to take Marron's cloths off and bath him. Marron looked at him curiously as to why his niisan was turning red.

Carrot gestured to the water then to Marron's pants. Marron brows drew down as he tried to follow what his niisan was trying to tell him. Carrot looked at the lost expression on Marron face and sighed. He pulled Marron up, hooked his arms around his neck and pushed his pants down off his narrow hips.

Marron blushed as he finally realized what Carrot was trying to tell him. Carrot set Marron gently back down on the toilet seat carefully trying to avoid eye contact. He looked looked to the left and saw his wide eyed gaze in the mirror along the side of the tub. He look to the right, a look at his panic stricken gaze in the full length mirror behind the door. He quickly looked down and froze. He jerked his head up and met Marron amused look.

"Something wrong, Brother," Marron sweetly asked.

"Bastard," he quietly snarled.

"Oh, no, Brother. Our parents were definitely married when I was born," Marron replied earnestly, earning himself another glare from his obviously uncomfortable brother. He snickered.

Carrot picked him up and quickly lowered him in the water and gave Marron the quickest bath in history. He let the water out, briskly dried his brother. Slid the pants on and away they went back into the bedroom. Carefully he put Marron in the middle of the bed and propped him up with
pillows.

The girls strode into the room, chattering and laughing. Dinner was a fun filled event recalling days spent around the kitchen table when they were children.

Carrot noticed Marron's eyes drooping and said, "We need to let Marron get some rest. He already half asleep."

"No, I'm not," Marron protested sleepily, trying to force his tired eyes open, fearing that if he closed them then he would wake up with his niisan in his life again.

"Yes you are, little bro," Carrot said tenderly as he removed the pillows propping Marron up and made him comfortable. He yawned and turn to the girls, "Okay, where can I sleep?"

Marron's eyes flew open in alarm. Chocolate noticed his panicky expression and smiled reassuringly at him.

"Why don't you sleep with Marron just in case he has a nightmare. You know the doctor said to avoid stressing him and I think a nightmare would definitely stress him out."

Carrot looked at her narrowly, she looked back with a bland innocent expression. He turned and looked at Marron's downcast face. "You okay with me sleeping here," he asked hesitantly.

"If niisan doesn't mind," Marron whispered. Please say yes, please say yes, he silently chanted.

Carrot said, "Okay, I'll sleep here tonight, maybe Gateau will be back and you won't have to sleep alone."

Tira and Chocolate left the room, yawning tiredly.

Carrot went to his bag and changed into another pair of sleep pants and crawled into bed on the other side of Marron.

Marron laid stiffly beside him, his thoughts in whirl. Wanting to be close to him, rest in his niisan arms, yet not wanting to be rejected.

Carrot's arms came out of the darkness and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Sleep," he said tiredly.

Marron sighed happily as he settled onto Carrot's chest. His niisan made the best pillow, was his sleepy thought.

Carrot laid awake longer, staring at the ceiling and stroking Marron's hair. Every so often, Marron would stir restlessly, his arms tightening around Carrot as if to prevent him for leaving. All it took was a gentle glide of Carrot's finger down Marron's back to settle him down.

He fell deeply asleep, wondering what would happen when Marron finally recovered. Could he remain with the team?



Gateau arrived back at the house in the early hours of the morning still thinking about what Big Mama had said about Carrot. What she told him opened his eyes to a new set of problems. How could I have been so blind and stupid after all this time, he thought painfully to himself. Maybe I'm wrong, I pray that I'm wrong.

He wearily made his way up the stairs to his bed. I hope Marron is okay. He opened the door and froze at the sight of Marron cuddled against Carrot, his head resting on his chest, a hand resting on Carrot's bare stomach.

Carrot, sensing a presence in the room, quickly opened his eyes as his arms tighten protectively around Marron. He saw it was only Gateau standing in the doorway and said quietly, "Gateau, what's wrong? You okay, man," he asked growing worried at the older man's stillness.

Marron began stirring restlessly in the sheets. Carrot, without removing his attention from the man in the doorway, stroked his finger down Marron's writhing back, instantly calming him.

"How did you do that," Gateau painfully asked.

"Do what," Carrot asked puzzled.

"Calm him down that fast. Usually when he gets like that I try to soothe him back to sleep and it never works. Whenever I touch him, he always wakes up, goes downstairs and sits up for the rest of the night." Gateau said, hiding his pain. "So, how do you get him to respond like that?"

Carrot glanced at the sleeping boy in his arms and back at his lover, "I dunno, I've always been able to do it. Don't take it so hard, Gateau, I've had over 17 ½ years learning him. You've only had him for a year. Give yourself time," he ended quietly.

"After all I've done to you, took from you and hurt you, how can you be so kind to me," Gateau choked out. Unaware that Tira and Chocolate and woken up and were watching

"Because Marron loves you," Carrot said steadily, his heart was racing, he so didn't want to do this. "Marron, is my brother and I love him more than anything in the world. All I've ever wanted was for him to be happy and if you make him happy, well then, " Carrot shrugged his shoulder. Marron came awake slowly at the sound of the voices talking.

"And if he decides to stay with me, even if I never let you see him again, will that still make you happy?" Gateau said quietly trying to understand Carrot.

Marron thought, Why is he saying 'If I decide to stay.' I already am with him. What does he know?

Carrot's whole body stiffen in protest, "If he loves you and you continue to make him happy, then yes, I would still be happy knowing that he was with someone that cares for him." Carrot said steadily, willing Gateau to believe him.

Somehow, someway they had reached an understanding. No more fighting over Marron's affections. He was free to go or stay as he pleased.

The following days were a revelation to Gateau as his eyes finally opened. He decamped from his and Marron's room over Carrot's protests, firmly insistent that Marron needed to rest and get stronger. That the room was the best one with all the natural sunlight coming in. So Carrot stayed in Marron's room taking care of him in the early days of his recovery.

Gateau watched as Marron's eyes would filled with joy every time Carrot walked into the room and how desolate he would appear whenever Carrot left...how Marron would watch Carrot whenever he thought no one was looking...the subtle softening of Marron's body in the early days of his recovery whenever Carrot picked him up and carried him around.

He knew it was finally over the day he came into their room.

They were sitting in the window seat enjoying the sun. Carrot was sitting with his back to the wall and legs stretched out with Marron curled up in his lap, wearing thin pants and a thin shirt. He was slowly stroking his hand up and down Marron back, while gazing out of the window.

Marron slowly raised his head and looked straight in Gateau's impassive gaze. He stiffened, causing Carrot to shift Marron behind him protectively, until he realized it was Gateau. He glanced between the two noticing the cool demeanor Marron had assumed and the impassive look on Gateau's face. Tension was vibrating through the room, he didn't know what to do. On one hand they were lovers; on the other hand something was very wrong here and he didn't want to leave his brother.

"Marron, may I talk with you," Gateau asked quietly. "Maybe we could go for a walk around the house so you can stretch your legs," he added with a raised brow.

Marron narrowed his eyes and silently nodded his head. Carrot turned to him and stopped him from moving, "You don't have to go if you don't want to, you know," he advised him quietly, his eyes searching his otouto suddenly cool eyes.

"It's okay," Marron said and lean his forehead against his niisan. Carrot sighed, not noticing the shiver that raced through Marron as he felt his niisan breath caress his lips. (Gateau sharpened eyes caught the betraying reaction). He wrapped his arms around Marron in a protective hug and Marron wrapped his arms around Carrot's neck.

Carrot lifted his head and pressed a kiss on his nose. Marron lips curled up in a tiny smile.

"Be careful, okay," Carrot said as he lifted Marron down from the windowseat. Marron smiled down into his niisan face, watching as the sunlight made them glow incandescently. His niisan was so beautiful, he thought wonderingly.

"What's wrong,'' Carrot said. Marron was looking at him so strangely.

"Nothing," Marron said as he turned towards the watching Gateau.

"Here, put this on, you don't want a relapse," Carrot suddenly said as he grabbed his jacket from off the chair and put it on Marron. He button up the jacket and glanced up into Marron suddenly amused eyes.

"So, I'm a worrywort, you're my only brother and I don't want to lose you again." Carrot said and faltered slightly.

Marron smiled at him reassuringly as he and Gateau left the room.

Gateau adjusted his pace in order not to tire out his friend. He directed them to two stone benches in the garden and sat Marron on one and took the other.

"So, what did you want to talk about," Marron asked quietly when it seemed that Gateau wasn't going to start.

Gateau head jerked up from studying the grass, "How did you," he began and stopped at the amused glint in Marron's eyes.

"I know you too well, my friend," was the soft reply.

"We are friends, aren't we," Gateau asked quietly reaching out and taking Marron's hands in his.

Marron tilted his head to the side, "Yes," he said slowly.

"Friends always tell their friends the truth, don't they," Gateau asked.

"Yesssss," Marron said slowly wondering what was going on.

"Why didn't you tell me," Gateau asked slowly and quietly.

Marron blinked, "Tell you what?" he asked in confusion.

"That you are in love with Carrot," Gateau said gazing at Marron steadily.



Marron tried to jerk his hands away, but Gateau knew he would do that and kept a hold on his hands.

"Gateau, let me go," Marron pleaded, "I don't know what you're talking about," he protested, struggling to get away.

"I've spent the better part of the past five days, watching you," Gateau began quietly, softly. "You been in love with him for some time, haven't you. Is that why you turned to me, because you couldn't have him?" he demanded quietly with no recrimination in his voice.

"Gateau, if you let me go we'll just forget about this conversation," Marron said firmly. He was frantic to get away!

"Marron, please, I'm not condemning you. I think I deserve some truth. You said we were friends. Just be honest with me, with yourself. I promise this conversation won't go any further," Gateau begged.

Marron head drooped as tears fell down his face. "Oh god, I'm so ashamed." he softly cried out.

Gateau quickly released his hands and pulled Marron's head into his shoulder. "No shame, pretty Marron. There no shame in loving," he soothed.

"Yes there is. He's my brother," Marron raised his head up flashing Gateau an angry look.

"No there's not. If you two were brother and sister, maybe I might be a little more upset but you're not. The only shame would be if you weren't honest with yourself and maybe him," Gateau said quietly.

"Tell him," Marron was horrified, "Are you out of your mind?" unconsciously lowering his voice to a horrified whisper.

Suddenly his eyes widen in horror, "You don't think he suspects, do you?" he gasped.

Gateau smiled and said, "Your brother needs to be hit with a two by four to have figured this one out."

Marron sagged in relief, then narrowed his eyes at Gateau. "So how did you figure it out."

Gateau shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably, "I just start putting two and two together and kept coming up with you plus Carrot.

Marron narrowed his eyes and said warningly, "Gateau...."

Gateau sighed, hating this part of the conversation, "It was little things that started clueing me in."

"Like what," Marron asked curiously.

"When we were together, you never wanted to cuddle; yet you enjoy cuddling with Carrot."

Marron flushed he hadn't known Gateau watched as Marron constantly initiate every cuddling session with Carrot. Carrot could be sitting on the couch reading a book and Marron would gradually work himself into Carrot's embrace or into his lap.

Gateau continued, "Every time you looked at him, your eyes could light up the room. Standing next to him, you looked as if there was no other place for you to be but by his side. You looked complete next to him. You would sometimes follow him with your eyes when you thought no one was looking and there was such a look of longing in your eyes. There's more, but I just can't put it into words," Gateau ended frustrated.

"You are the type of person that once they give their hearts it's forever. I think you gave him your heart and soul a long time ago," Gateau softly added looking down.

Marron took a deep unsteady breath. "What should I do," he asked miserably. "I don't think I can continue this charade of being only his brother. I want more than his arm around my shoulders. I want more than the little pecks on my forehead and cheeks. I want to feel his arms wrapped around me after he's made love to me, I want to feel him kiss me on my lips and mean it. I want
him to possess my body and know that I belong to him, body and soul," he added in a desolate whisper.

"Anyway it doesn't matter, the girls would kill me if I ever tried to put the moves on him," Marron said with a painful laugh.

"Don't worry about them, neither of them are in love with him. I really don't think they ever was. I know Chocolate likse to tease him about marrying her, but I think she'll run a mile the other way if he had ever gotten serious about her. I think Tira was only in love with him because she thought Chocolate was in love with him. Hadn't you noticed how Tira always does something similar to Chocolate, almost copying her? She has always looked up to Chocolate and wanted to be like her. Besides, Chocolate has her eye on someone else," Gateau said.

"Tira and Chocolate aren't in love with my niisan?" Marron said clearly startled.

"Nope, hadn't you noticed that Tira had gotten over her crush some time ago," he said with a smile.

Marron drooped and sighed, "It doesn't really matter, he would never love me like that, anyway."

Gateau watched his friend, needing to comfort him, "Do you remember when I said that I loved you more that Carrot, that I would die for you. Do you remember that he said that he wouldn't die for you? You were so angry about that, because you knew you would gladly die for him. But did you ever wonder why he said he would never die for you?" he asked.

Marron looked at him startled out of his grief.

"I got to thinking about how he dropped everything to come save you and it didn't make any sense to me. It was obvious that he cared for you a lot and would do anything to protect you but to say that he would never die for you struck me as very strange. So I took myself to Big Mama," he nodded as Marron eyes widen in sudden realization.

"I asked Big Mama 'cause I knew she would lie to me like I suspect Carrot would if I asked him. She took me into this big hall with a lot of pictures on the walls. There were a lot of pictures of people getting killed from earthquakes, tidal waves, fire. Everything, you name it, people were getting killed by it. We finally stopped in front of a picture of five of the most beautiful people I've ever seen. Two were females and three were males. The two females on one side, the three males on the other side. The man in the center was the most beautiful man I had ever seen, he reminded me of you, " he said with a wink and a leer.

"She told me that those five people were the gods reincarnated as us and she named them. I quickly recognized that Tira and Chocolate were the two female goddesses. But she floored me when she named that beautiful man as Carrot, with you and me next to him. But what she really got me at was this, you remember me telling you about all the pictures of people dying every which way?" he waited until Marron nodded.

"Well, if Carrot was to die, that's what will happen to this world. He is the God of Chaos and Destruction." Gateau quietly said and Marron's eyes widen in horror.

Marron moaned low in his throat in pain.

"Does he know?" he asked in pain.

"Yeah, he does," Gateau said quietly. "That's why he said that he'll never die for you." Gateau gazed out into the distance avoiding Marron's eyes as he continued, "I had a long talk with Mama and she told me something else. We, meaning Tira, Chocolate, you and myself will be reincarnated when we die. But not Carrot. Mama told me that he came to her a few years ago and asked her to put him to sleep instantly before he died," each word dropping in to the silent garden.

Marron looked as if he was going to pass out. "Why?" he rasped out.

Gateau looked at him, "Cause he wants to protect all the beautiful things in this world, all the things that bring you joy and most importantly protect you. He wants Tira and Chocolate to have babies and grandbabies."

Gateau shook his head, "You know, I used to think that he was an idiot. Never taking anything seriously, always joking around, just acting like a fool. I think that I'm the biggest fool of all, all this time, here I thought I was the big man. Guess we know who has the biggest balls of all don't we," he laughed bitterly at himself.

"Gateau, don't," Marron protested, shifting to sit beside him and quickly putting an arm around his friend. "We've all made mistakes. Yours wasn't any worse that what I did, I turned my back on him." Marron said painfully. "He knows you are trying to reach out to him, be his friend and he's trying too. Just don't give up and stop blaming yourself," he shook Gateau gently.

Gateau said, "I deliberately came between you," he met Marron eyes painfully.

Marron looked at him steadily, "And all I had to do was not let you. I thought that if I stayed with you, that my feeling would go away, that maybe I could keep him at a distance," he said with quiet pain. "I screwed up, I lost him and hurt you," Marron continued.

"Marron, you silly baka, you couldn't lose me on your best day," Carrot said behind them.

Marron yelled and jumped up in surprise as did Gateau (except Gateau shrieked and almost fell on his ass).

"Niisan, you scared me," Marron said breathing heavily.

Carrot just looked at him steadily. He helped Gateau to his feet and said quietly, "Leave us."

Gateau sent his friend a worried look and open his mouth.

"It's okay, go talk to the girls, they'll explain everything," Carrot reassured him quietly.

Marron looked between them suspiciously, he couldn't quite hear what they were saying.

Gateau left quickly without a backward glance a Marron, who attempted to follow him. He was quickly blocked by a very determined Carrot.

"Niisan," Marron protested, uneasily wondering how much he had heard, desperately wanting to go into the house and hide.

"Marron," Carrot mocked gently. He took one of Marron's nervously twisting hands in his and gently pulled, prompting the other boy to walk beside him.

"Niisan," Marron said anxiously, "Where are we going?" He definitely didn't want to be alone with his niisan. Safety was in numbers after all. (He was unaware that Gateau and the girls were hastily vacating the house to stay in a hotel for the next several days).

"Just around the garden and back into the house," Carrot said easily. He turned his face away so Marron couldn't see he secretly amused at the look of relief on Marron face. Sometimes he could read his brother golden eyes like a book. He knew Marron didn't want to be alone with him after
confessing to Gateau that he was in love with him.

After Gateau and Marron left the room, he met up with Tira and Chocolate in the kitchen. They had talked about a lot of things. He had at last confirmed her suspicion about the direction his heart truly laid. They had been friends for too long for her not to want to help even thought he never actually came out and told her what the problem was.

They laughed in the kitchen about how she used to chased him and she confessed why she used to chase him. She always knew she couldn't have him and besides it threw everyone off the scent and it lulled the suspicion of the one she really had her eye on. She just never counted on Tira developing a crush on him. She was glad that Tira had grown up and come into her own.

Now all Tira needed to do was rope her own man (or woman as the case may be) and the Misu sisters and the Glace brothers would be happy at last.

After tugging on his hand, a gentle signal for Carrot to release it, which Carrot grandly ignored, he was content to continue holding hands with his niisan. They wandered through the garden slowly, occasionally stopping for Carrot to pluck a flower and hold in to Marron nose to inhale the fragrance. He held a daisy up against Marron's nose, softly spreading the pollen on the tip. He held Marron's eyes as he gently pulled him down and pushed himself up to rub his nose against Marron's. He inwardly smiled with delight when Marron closed his eyes and felt the shiver of need race through his brother.

"You shivered, are you cold?" he asked concern written all over his face, inside jumping up and down like a idiot.

Marron opened his eyes slowly, Carrot caught his breath at the look in his otouto's eyes. Why do people think he's cold and distant, was his dazed thought.

Marron knew he needed to get inside where it was safe, where he was around others and could better control himself. He quickly stammered out a 'Yes'.

Carrot continued to hold his hand, softly rubbing his thumb across the back of Marron's hand. As they entered the house, Carrot cast a sidelong glance at Marron, wondering if he would notice the silence.

Marron just wanted to get to his bedroom as fast as possible and hide in his bed. Carrot was making him nervous.

They walked up the stairs hand in hand. Carrot felt Marron tugging on his hand again trying to get him to let go. He ignored it. They entered the room and Carrot finally let go of Marron's hand. Watching in amusement as his brother quickly flew to the other side of the room.

All of a sudden Marron's eyes widen as something Carrot said just came to him, "What did you mean when you said, that I couldn't lose you if I tried," he asked in dread.

Carrot leaned against the door, making sure all exits were blocked. "I was wondering how long it would take you to ask me that question. I meant that the next time I decided to leave, I intend to make sure that you are firmly behind me."

"Oh," Marron said.

Marron narrowed his eyes noticing for the first time that Carrot hadn't moved from in front of the door and that his eyes hadn't left his face. Constantly watching him, leaving him with no place to hide. I'll go to the kitchen, he decided, Tira would be there and he could hide with her.

"I think I'll go get something to eat and talk to Tira," he said moving towards the door thinking that his niisan would moved from in front of it. He stopped about two feet from the door, Carrot didn't move.

Carrot shook his head in mock sorrow, "Poor little otouto, all alone with only his niisan to keep him company. What will they do for the next several days until everyone comes back home?" he said with a raised brow waiting for Marron's reaction.

"Gone?" Marron choked out in disbelief.

"Gone," Carrot nodded his head somberly, his lips twitching at Marron's reaction..

"Gateau, too," Marron asked in a near squeak.

"Yep," Carrot said trying to maintain his sober look, while inside he wanted to fall down laughing at the panic stricken look on Marron's face at the thought of being trapped here with him.

"Why?" Marron asked almost ready to cry.

"Cause I asked them to," Carrot said gently.

"But, why?" Marron asked nervously.

"Cause if they were here, then I wouldn't be able to do this," he said huskily as he took a step towards his suddenly frozen brother and wrapped him in his arms.

"Or this," he pulled his unresisting brother down to his lips, licking slowly at the bottom lip.

"Or this," as he opened his mouth and coaxed Marron's tongue out. Kissing him deeply.

"Or this," he huskily said as he backed Marron up to the bed and pushed him down. Covering his body as he seized Marron's lips in another deeply arousing kiss. He humped his body slowly against Marron feeling him harden and come alive beneath him.

He gave Marron one last deeply possessive kiss and sat up, straddling Marron's thighs. He slowly caressed the hardening bulge in Marron's pants. He couldn't resist leaning back down and seizing another kiss for his otouto's beautiful lips. He licked his way across to Marron's ear. Brushing the long hair away from his objective.

Marron was in a daze. His body writhing under the expert ministration of his niisan caressing hands and body. His niisan was kissing him, stroking him. Doing everything he had every wanted his niisan to do to him.

"Do you want to know what I heard in the gardens today," Carrot whispered in his ear before nipping at the soft flesh.

Marron froze in horror. This wasn't real, Carrot was just playing with him.

Carrot felt Marron's body freeze and knew what thoughts were going threw his silly head. He licked his way to Marron's other ear, still slowly humping against Marron. "I found out that my otouto wants me just as much as I want him."

"This isn't real," Marron choked out as tears ran down his face.

"Pretty baby, my beautiful Marron," Carrot purred in his ear. "This is real," he hissed as he seized Marron's hand and slid it down his groin. Shaping the hand to cup him as he slowly twisted his hips into the suddenly curious fingers.

"This is real," he breathe as he ripped open the jacket and shirt Marron was wearing and began sucking on his nipples.

"This is real," he said as he made love to Marron's mouth, mimicking what he would be soon doing within his body.

Slowly caressing the beautiful body of his brother, each touch bringing the eager body to life. He slithered down his body, laving at the hard muscles of Marron's stomach before gently taking a mouthful of the hard flesh and biting down. Marron's hard shaft bumping against his chin as he continued his seduction of his eager brother.

He surged up Marron's body, mouth twitching at the moan of protest as he ignored the hard organ between Marron's quivering thighs. "Soon, little otouto, soon," he chuckled at the eager wanton look on his Marron's face before taking his lips in another kiss this time a little harder and rougher. Feeling the body writhing against his, rubbing their still enclosed shafts together eliciting moans from both boys as they gradually became lost in their passion for each other.

Soft touches, gentle kisses gradually becoming harder as each strained against each other. Hands fumbled for buttons and clasps, eagerly needing to feel the other's naked flesh against their own.

Carrot quickly shucked his pants and slap Marron's hands away as he tried to unfasten his own. "No, besides," he said with a wicked smile, "You forgot my birthday. I'll take this as my present," he added resting a hand on the hard mound of flesh tenting Marron's thin pant.

Marron's eyes widened at the hard shaft in his view. He swallowed, not sure if he could take that much into his body but wanting his niisan too much to care about the pain. Carrot laughed softly at the look of fearful desire on Marron's face, he was confident that by the time he had finished with Marron, he would be begging to be filled by him and would take every inch of him without pain.

Kneeling between Marron spread thighs, he slowly began to removing the pants, kissing each exposed piece of flesh, anxious for a longer look at the hardness he had briefly glimpsed when he had bathe Marron. His mouth watered as his otouto drooling shaft came into view and with a coy smile, "For me," he said before dropping his mouth down on his 'present' causing Marron to arch up into that hot tight mouth, pulling on him. Carrot, without moving his mouth, fastened his hands on Marron's writhing hips, forcing them to be still. Marron whimpered at the desire to move, to shove more of his shaft into that hot wet mouth.

Carrot shifted until he was able to move one arm across Marron's hips, anchoring him to the bed, as his head continued to bob as his mouth licked and sucked at the succulent flesh filling his mouth. His enthusiastic moans of greed as he sucked at the hard shaft was sending Marron spiraling dangerously out of control. He tried to warm his niisan, not wanting to come to soon, but he came with a shout as Carrot, finger wet from his mouth, gently fingered his grasping hole, eased it in and crooked his finger. He plunged desperately between the hot, suctioning mouth and the embedded finger, sobbing at the twofold pleasures, until he rested gasping, for breath on the bed watching Carrot, with a smear of white trickling from his mouth, extended his tongue and lick it up with a look of bliss on his face.

"Oh, little bro, you taste so delicious, I think I'm going to enjoy my present this year," he said with a dark lascivious look on his face gazing at the very wanton picture Marron made, sprawled on the bed with his finger still buried his his tight ass. His smiled widen as he thought to remember Marron where his finger was and where he would soon be.

Marron eyes widen as the finger he had almost forgotten moved suddenly within him moving over his pleasure spot. He gasp and arched his body as it stroked over him again, vaguely aware that Carrot had plunged a couple of fingers in a open jar sitting on the nightstand and slicking up his hard cock. He pulled his finger from Marron's aching hole causing Marron to cried out in protest. He wanted that finger back and he wanted it right now, his whole face seem to sulk sexily for its return. Carrot merely smiled wickedly, causing shivers of dark ecstasy to travel up Marron's body as Carrot sat back on his heels and ripped Marron's pants off.

Spreading his legs wide, he quickly moved Marron's legs over his thighs to grip his hips before he slowly eased a slicken finger in the hot grasping channel. Marron eyes closed tight in ecstasy as the finger came back and began pumping into him.

"Open your eyes," Carrot growled, "I need to see your eyes as you go wild for me. I want to see you lose all control. I want you screaming my name and begging me to go harder, deeper and faster in you. I want to watch your face when my cock is in your ass, little bro. I want it all," Carrot hissed, his cock hardening even more at the thought of his brother begging for more of his hard shaft to fill him again and again.

Wanting to be enclosed in Marron tight sheath, he quickly added another finger. Marron clenched his eyes shut, quickly opening them at the growl of displeasure from Carrot, at the pleasurable burn of the second finger, panting in desire, needing more as he plunged his hips down on the thrusting fingers. Churning his hips in wanton desire, trying to show his niisan how much he desired him, desired every thing he would give him.

Carrot caught his breath at the wanton display of eagerness Marron was showing, in his eyes, in his arched body and how his hips thrust eagerly for his fingers to go deeper. His eyes narrowed as he added a third finger and soon after that a fourth stretching him wider, he saw the brief tightening of Marron's features in pain, still obeying his order to keep his eyes open. Plunging his fingers in the still too tight ring of muscles, knowing that he had to loosen the tight muscles protecting the entrance to Marron's body. Feeling triumphant as he felt Marron's body started working against itself, loosing the tight muscles until fingers slid in without causing his love pain. He wanted him to feel only pleasure.

He removed his fingers slowly from the gaping hole and pushed at the entrance with his hard cock. Bracing himself on his arms, he looked down in the eager eyes of Marron and questioned, "Ready," and receiving the eager nod, pushed forward, feeling the grasping tightness enveloping his shaft, nearly crying out in delirious joy at the tight sensation gripping his cock. Watching how Marron began arching his body back until his resembled a taut bow as he pushed more of his shaft deeper in Marron's body until he rested balls deep.

"Okay," he asked breathlessly, "You okay," he asked anxiously, stilling the almost uncontrollable desire to pull out and slam back in. He forced his body to calmness, he didn't want to hurt his otouto, especially not their first time.

Marron was distantly aware that Carrot was asking him something important, asking him if he was okay but was too distracted by the hard shaft filling him, splitting him in two, for him to response. He had never had so much inside him, he couldn't speak for the sheer pleasure of being possessed like this so he answered the only way he could. He clenched around the invading
hardness deep in him.

Carrot gritted his teeth feeling the clenching muscles surrounding his cock. He began panting for breath as he slowly pulled back, ignoring the whine from Marron and the suddenly grasping muscles trying to pull him back in. He pulled until just the head was still imbedded and slammed back suddenly hearing Marron's scream of pleasure. Suddenly they both went wild, clawing at each other, slamming their hips together as sweat dripping off of their writhing bodies.

Marron kept tightening his legs around his niisan waist to keep his hardness within him, whimpering and squirming at the heat building in him.

Carrot smiled savagely down at the willing and wiggling body beneath him, squirming deliciously on his hard cock, buried deep within the graceful creature impaled on his hard shaft.

Faster and faster they moved, the room filling with screams of pleasure from Marron as his hips snapped downward on the thick cock filling him. Mutely begging for more, with every twitch of his hips.

And Carrot gave it to him.

Suddenly flipping their bodies over, pulling Marron over him, going deeper into the pliant body now above him. Marron froze as he felt the thick hard shaft working itself deeper into his ass, he flung his head back in pleasure and began riding his niisan. Working his body up and down, he sobbed in joy at being filled so completely. He never wanted to be empty again, he wanted his niisan to stay attached like this forever.

Carrot looked up, watching Marron almost glow in the carnal heat he was generating as he wantonly move his hips. "Gods, can anything be a beautiful as my otouto, riding me, needing what only I can give him," he thought in amazed wonder.

"So good," Marron cried out, slamming down on the hard hips beneath him, "Niisan, please, I need....Oh god, niiiiiisaaan," he begged, looking down from passion drugged eyes into his niisan's, wanting and needing something, he didn't know, he just knew his niisan had whatever he needed.

Carrot flipped them back over, with Marron on his back, still writhing on the thick cock filling him. Carrot grabbed Marron's legs, threw them over his shoulders and Marron's ass into the air, began slamming heavily into Marron.

Marron screamed, feeling Carrot go even deeper in this position. "Too much, too much," was his panicky thought as he felt his control disintegrating.

"Now," Carrot shouted, " Come for me now," he screamed as he felt the grasping sheath tighten almost viciously around his shaft, as Marron all control and came.

Marron screamed his pleasure to the ceiling as he slammed back again and again, each pass over his nubbin of flesh sending agonizing pleasure roaring through his body. As his orgasm washed over his body, his muscles kept clenching around the thick cock buried in his ass, and as Carrot felt the fluttering muscles clenching and unclenching around him, he came with a howl. Slamming his hips again and again and again in the tight channel clasping him like a hand.

Slowly they came down off of the sensual higher, with Carrot collapsing on top of Marron, both panting for breath. Carrot slowly began to pulled out, ignoring the distressed wail from Marron as he felt the thick shaft leaving him.

Marron clenched his muscles, desperate to keep him in; watched with glittering eyes as his niisan gritted his teeth and said, "Let go, Marron," watching and feeling the shaft begin to harden within him again.

"No," he purred, wiggling with delight feeling the shaft harden even more with each wiggle. "Mine," he growled out, eyes wide with erotic blandishments as he moved slowly on the hard shaft still filling him. Carrot gasped at the first movement of Marron's body, his face softened at the the low growl as he said tenderly, "Always yours, no other. I'll always belong to you, now let me go," he watched with quiet patience as Marron thought about it, feeling the answer in the softening, loosing muscles surrounding him. He pulled out slowly, both of them wincing at the stinging pain offset by the pleasure of still being connected in such a deep intimate way. As he pulled out, his seed slowly seeped out of Marron.

"Now was that real enough for you," he asked laying down and turning his head to face Marron, who moved in close to rest his head on Carrot's chest.

"Mmmm, I don't know, I still might need more convincing," Marron murmured mischievously as his hand trailed to the hard cock that had filled him so completely. Carrot murmured appreciatively at the touch, as he reach out his hand and grabbed a damp wash cloth and wiped Marron down. When he went to clean his own cock, Marron took the cloth from his and proceed to clean him. Making him even harder, feeling his otouto's hands touching him, lightly caressing him.

Finally, when Marron judged he was clean enough, he leaned forward and enveloped the hard shaft in his hot, wet mouth.

Carrot hissed softly, watching the dark head bob on thick shaft, feeling wet, luscious lips encasing suckling his cock, arousing him further. His hand trailed over Marron's hip and parted the ivory cheeks that he had been inside of earlier. Gently, inserting his fingers into the wiggling, shimmying ass, timing his finger strokes with the sucking of his cock, also being fisted in Marron's hands.

They continued expressing their love throughout the night and the next several days. Carrot striving mightily to convince his eager otouto that what they had was real. Each time, Marron said he wasn't convince enough yet and needed more convincing. With a laugh and a wink Carrot set about convincing his laughing otouto again and again and again and......



EPILOGUE

"Do you think they're okay," Tira asked worriedly as they stood outside the house several days later.

"I'm sure that everything is okay," Chocolate said comfortingly. She was holding hands with Gateau.

They walked in and quietly went up the stairs. As they got closer to the top of the stairs they could hear someone screaming. They exchanged worried glances and crept closer to the top of the stairs. They suddenly froze as they heard who was screaming and WHAT Marron was screaming. Tira and Chocolate both turned red and raced back down the stairs outside as far away from the house as they could get.

"I think we need to stay at the hotel a couple more night," Chocolate said with a red face avoiding everyone's eyes in total embarrassment. "Give the boys more, I mean some *additional* time alone."

"YES! No, I mean I *agree* with you," Tira said, her face a beet red as stared determinedly at her feet. "It's been kinda hard, I mean it's been *difficult* for them with us there. No, I mean *in the house*.

"Damn, Carrot must be good if he could make Marron and scream and beg like that," Gateau said with a wicked chuckle, "Who knew Marron could talk dirty like that"

They walked away from the house, leaving the two brothers locked in screaming ecstasy.

A short time later (okay, okay) a LONG time later, Carrot and Marron finally got out of bed of bed. Carrot carefully helping his brother down the hall to a long hot bath and trying not to laugh at the way he was hobbling, with Marron giving him dirty looks. He knew why his niisan was so amused.

As they walked past the stairs, Carrot noticed a bag sitting on the stairs. He carefully propped Marron against the wall. He retrieve the bag and looked inside.

He said, "Hey, this is Tira's bag. It wasn't here before....." he started snickering as he realized they must've came and left.

"Niisan, niisan what's wrong," Marron said worriedly. "What's wrong with it being Tira's ....." and he trailed off as his face turned red as he remembered every word he had yelled, every word he screamed in passion to his niisan earlier.

He turned horrified eyes to his laughing niisan, "You don't think...." he trailed off.

All Carrot could do was wave the bag, laughing his head off......


END