"No...no...S-sacher, get away from him! No...Marron! MARRON! No...Sacher, 
YOU SON OF A BITCH! Gateau...Chocolat...Tira...! M-Marron...otouto, 
please, answer me, open your eyes! Marron...M-Marron...MARRON!"

Carrot screamed in agony as he watched his brother, then his friends, die 
one by one at the hands of Sacher. Over and over the scene replayed in his 
mind...Marron's final words to him echoing in his head...

'Niisan...it's okay now, niisan!' 'Everybody...please, look after him for 
me...' 'There's nothing to be afraid of anymore...I will...' "Niisan...' 
"Carrot-niisan...' 'There's nothing to be afraid of anymore...' 'I love 
you, Carrot...niisan...'

"Marron...MARRON!"

'Niisan...niisan..."

Carrot suddenly bolted upright in bed, tears and sweat dripping down his 
face.

"Marron...!" he cried.

"Niisan!"

Carrot's eyes snapped open. He looked around-he wasn't on Mt. Saint 
Hordic, he was in a room at an inn. Sacher was dead. And...

"Marron..."

He looked over to see his younger brother, only wearing his nightshirt, 
sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Niisan, what's wrong?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"Marron..." Carrot slowly brought his hand to brush against Marron's 
cheek, as if not sure he was really there. He was...it had just been a 
dream...

"Niisan..." Marron slipped his robe on and put his hand on Carrot's 
shoulder.

"M-Marron..."

Unable to stop shaking, Carrot threw himself into Marron's arms, sobbing.

"Niisan!" Marron's arms wrapped tightly around his brother. "Shh...niisan, 
I'm here...it's all right..." he whispered. Comforted slightly by his 
brother's embrace, Carrot managed to steady his breathing after a few 
minutes.

"Otouto...I-I was so scared, it was all so vivid..." Carrot gasped. "Every 
word...everything you said, right before..." His voice dissolved into more 
sobs. Marron felt his own eyes filling with tears. He hated to see his 
niisan in so much pain. And this wasn't anything new-ever since the battle 
against Sacher Torte, Carrot always seemed to be having nightmares.

"Niisan, it's alright, it's alright..." Marron whispered, gently stroking 
Carrot's hair. "It's okay..."

"Don't leave me...don't ever leave me again, otouto," Carrot sobbed, 
clutching at the fabric of Marron's robe.

"Leave...you...niisan, I never want to leave you," Marron whispered as he 
held Carrot closer. "I'll never leave you if you don't want me to."

"Marron..." Carrot tried to stop his tears as he nestled further into 
Marron's arms. "I must seem so pathetic, crying and clinging to you like a 
stray cat...i-it was only a dream."

"Niisan isn't pathetic...if you ever need to cry, then cry. You can come 
to me any time you need to, I'm always here...niisan," Marron whispered. 
Carrot smiled a little. Marron's voice was so gentle, so comforting...

"Marron...I-I'm so lucky to have you as a brother," he mumbled.

"I've never stopped being glad to have you as my niisan...niisan."

"Otouto..."

"Shh...try to calm down, niisan. I'm here," Marron whispered, gently 
rubbing Carrot's back. Carrot's sobs died down a bit, but tears still ran 
down his cheeks as he mumbled his brother's name over and over. Marron 
simply held him and smoothed his hair back a little. Despite its spiked 
appearance, it felt so soft, Marron couldn't help noticing. "It's okay, 
niisan..." he whispered. Carrot pressed himself closer to Marron, but 
seemed to calm down a little. Still holding him, Marron slipped under the 
covers and pulled them tightly around himself and his brother.

"M...Marron..." Carrot looked up at him through swollen, blinking eyes.

"Niisan..."

"I'm scared Marron...I don't want to go back to sleep..."

"Oh, niisan..." Marron blinked back the tears threatening to spill from 
his eyes. "I hate to see you this way...I wish...there was some way I 
could take away all your pain," he whispered.

"Stay with me..." Carrot tightened his grip on Marron's robe.

"I always will, niisan." Marron tightened his embrace, resting his cheek 
against Carrot's hair. Carrot lifted his face and looked into Marron's 
eyes, his own still terrified.

"Marron..." he whispered. "Please...do something for me?"

"Anything, niisan."

"Will you kiss me?"

Marron blinked.

"N...niisan?"

"Please...just this one time," Carrot pleaded, a slight blush spanning 
his cheeks. "I-I know it sounds twisted of me...but..."

Marron didn't know what to say. He loved his brother, beyond the shadow of 
a doubt, and would do anything for him. But...this favor Carrot was asking 
of him...why was he asking this? Was he sure of what he was asking of 
Marron? Carrot was extremely vulnerable right now, and Marron didn't want 
to take advantage of him.

"Niisan...I...I'm not sure I can..."

"Why? Because I'm your brother? A guy?" Carrot asked quietly.

"No! I...I just..." Marron sighed. "Are you sure...you want this?"

"More than anything right now...otouto, I need to be close to you more 
than anything right now...please..."

Marron looked into his brother's eyes...the pain and fear mirrored in them 
was almost too much...he couldn't refuse him.

"Yes, niisan..." he whispered, bringing Carrot closer to him and cradling 
the side of his face in his hand and taking his brother into a gentle 
kiss. His lips brushed against Carrot's, lingering ever so slightly for a 
moment before pressing softly. Carrot responded eagerly, almost urgently; 
his arms wrapped tightly around Marron's back, pulling him closer.

'His lips are so soft...' Marron thought, deepening the kiss ever so 
slightly. Carrot's lips parted, allowing Marron's tongue to slip gently 
between them.