Always Be Here
From: sarajnes@aol.commonsense (Sara Jaye)
X-Original-Date: 01 Oct 2003 02:04:58 GMT
Subject: [BH][FanFic] Always Be Here
Always Be Here
by Sara Jaye
Another little spur-of-the-moment piece. ^_^; Though I'd actually been thinking of writing something like this for a while. Just a bit of angsty Carrot&Marron-ness...not Glacecest, just really squishy emotional brotherlove. ^_^ But, it's really open to interpretation, you can see it whichever way ya want to. ^_^
[Sorcerer Hunters belongs to Satoru Akahori, I'm just borrowing the characters for a while.]
~
The evening was pretty quiet and uneventful. It was becoming late, and the Sorcerer Hunters were busy setting up camp for the night. Chocolat had just left to have a quick bath in the stream. Tira was setting up the tents, amusedly watching as Gateau reduced huge wooden logs to sticks with his bare hands. And Marron had gone for a walk, saying he needed to clear his head. Carrot, who had been setting up his 'bed' for the night, could've sworn there was something a bit...off about his brother.
"Tira, Gateau, I think I'll go for a walk too," he said.
"All right. Try not to be gone that long, though, we have to be on the road early tomorrow," Tira said.
"And tell Marron I hope he's feeling all right, he seemed a bit down," Gateau said. 'So it's not just me,' Carrot thought as he headed down the path he'd seen Marron walk down earlier. When he'd left, Tira turned to Gateau, looking concerned.
"What IS with Marron? He's barely said a word since the battle," she mused.
"It's probably something to do with Carrot," Gateau said. "And I can't say I blame him...after all, Carrot DID get his ass kicked pretty bad back there."
"I know..." Tira sighed. "Oneesama and I couldn't even bring ourselves to whip him back into his normal form. Thank God for Marron and his ofuda," she said.
~
Carrot found Marron in a quiet part of the woods, sitting quietly against a tree. His head was down, and his eyes were closed, almost as if he were asleep. Carrot slowly walked up to him.
"Hey, Marron."
Marron slowly lifted his head, barely looking at his brother.
"Niisan..."
"Mind if I sit down?" Carrot asked. Marron nodded; Carrot sat down beside his brother and sighed slightly.
"So...what's on your mind?" he asked.
"Hmm?"
"You seemed out of it. Something you wanna talk about?"
"Mmn...it's nothing," Marron mumbled, resting his chin on his arms.
"So...something is wrong?"
"No, really, niisan...it's nothing." Marron turned away slightly. Carrot frowned.
"Marron...you know that whatever it is, you can tell me about it. I AM your big brother, ya know," he said.
"Niisan..."
Carrot moved closer, slipping his arm around Marron's shoulders.
"What's wrong?"
Marron turned towards his brother, looking up slowly with tear-filled eyes.
"Niisan...I almost lost you," he said quietly, his voice filled with emotion.
"M-Marron?!"
"Y-you were badly injured, and then you were hit with the magic, and your beast form took such a beating, niisan," Marron said. "You were in such pain..."
"But you healed me, Marron. It doesn't even hurt anymore, it's just a scratch," Carrot said.
"But you were hurt, niisan! I...I should've tried harder to protect you, but I couldn't do anything! I..." Marron's shoulders shook violently. "I failed you, niisan!"
"Marron!" Carrot tightened his arm around his brother. "Please don't say that. You didn't fail...I wanted to fight this battle on my own," he whispered."
"And look what happened!" Marron's body trembled violently. "You...you almost died, niisan!" he cried, tears spilling down his cheeks. Carrot's eyes widened; he'd never seen Marron break down like this. Silently, he wrapped his arms tightly around him, rubbing his back. Marron grasped the fabric of Carrot's tanktop, crying bitterly.
"Niisan...I wanted to go in there and save you, but you wouldn't let me, and you were screaming so loudly..."
"Marron," Carrot whispered. "You were really scared, weren't you?"
"The very idea of you dying terrifies me...I-I never want you to die, niisan, if you died, what would become of me?!" Marron sobbed. "I'd be so alone..."
"No you wouldn't! You have Gateau, and Chocolat and Tira and Milphey and all the others," Carrot said.
"I-I know, and they all mean a lot to me as well...I'd be sad if any of them died, niisan, but you...you loved me and protected me all my life, you're my brother...I..." Marron sniffled, shifting closer to Carrot. "I love you more than anything, niisan."
"Oh, Marron..." Carrot nestled his head on top of Marron's, gently tucking him under his chin and tightening his arms. "I love you too, Marron...I'll always love you," he whispered.
"Niisan..." Marron held tighter to Carrot's tanktop, crying softly.
"I'm here, Marron." Carrot continued to hold his brother, stroking his hair and kissing the top of his head. "Niisan's here..." Marron nestled deeper into Carrot's embrace, tears being shed.
They sat there in silence for a bit longer. Marron's tears eventually stopped, and he just sat quietly against Carrot, breathing deeply.
"Are you all right now?" Carrot asked.
"Mmn...just stay with me, niisan..."
"I will."
"You promise? That you'll stay with me forever, and...never die, niisan?"
"I'll never leave you, Marron," Carrot said softly. "I love you, Marron. I always will." Marron looked up a little, his eyes red and puffy.
"I love you, niisan," he whispered.
"And you...you promise never to leave me either?" Carrot asked.
"Of course, niisan." Marron smiled a little.
"Thank you, Marron," Carrot said, gently playing with a few strands of Marron's hair. "And it's good to see you smiling."
"Niisan..." Marron rested his head against Carrot's shoulder, sighing a little. "I feel so tired now," he said, yawning.
"Want to go back to camp?" Carrot asked. Marron nodded, slipping from Carrot's embrace. Carrot got to his feet, helping Marron up and slipping an arm around his waist.
"Thank you, niisan," Marron said, smiling softly.
"Marron..." Carrot hugged Marron tightly for a moment. "I love you," he said.
"I love you too, niisan," Marron whispered, returning his brother's embrace. After a moment, he pulled back slightly.
"Come on, we'd better get back to camp before the others worry about us," he said."
"Yeah," Carrot said. Marron wrapped his arm around Carrot's shoulders, and they began to walk back to camp, just as the sun began to set over the horizon.
~End~
Mmm, more angst. ^_^;; I probably made Marron get a little too emotional, but...considering how much Carrot means to him, it's not THAT far off the mark, I hope. ^_^ And I'm worried it got a little over the top with the angst, then the sap...but, given the nature of the SH anime and manga, this'd probably make more sense than, say, if it were in a POKEMON fic. ^_^;;; I'm happy, though, this is the second story I've finished in a row after barely writing anything for awhile! :D
--
Sara Jaye
