Summary: Gilbert's been poisoned and Vincent has the antidote. Could Vincent be helping his brother for his own selfish desires? Fluffy, creepy, sad, introspective. Chapter 61 spoilers.

Rating: T

Words: 1725

Writer's Note: Thanks to total_alias for beta reading! You are teh emosewA. [Spoiler]: Vincent admitted in chapter 61 that he'd poisoned Gilbert a couple of years ago so that no one would accuse Gilbert of killing Nightrays in order to secure the dukedom for himself. This story looks back at what might have happened during that event.

What's happening to me?

Through blurring vision, Gilbert Nightray saw a white stuffed rabbit on the floor in front of him, its head flopping to the side, stuffing pouring from its neck. He shivered as a slight breeze from an open window wafted across his sweaty face.

I'm in Vincent's room.

Gilbert's own neck felt as floppy as the rabbit's; his head lolled forward and back, then side to side, as sweat dripped down to his collarbone. The word 'poison' kept cycling around in his head and he vaguely recalled some earlier conversation that had taken place in the room.

He remembered Duke Nightray's voice.

"Who would have poisoned Gilbert?"

"It's hard to know for certain." Vincent's voice had seeped into his brain fog like an unwelcome spirit.

Who poisoned me?

The dark-haired man's brow knotted in dismay as his thoughts returned to the present moment. He was breathless and felt sick to his stomach. He heard footsteps and became aware that he was not alone in the room. A dark shape appeared in the periphery of his field of vision, and then he felt the sofa shift a little as someone sat beside him.

"Nii-san…" cooed Vincent. "I have something that will make you feel better." He gently steadied his older brother's head, and then tilted his head back slightly. Gilbert's lips were already parted from panting, his face flushed. His half-closed eyes flew open when he felt Vincent's lips on his own, and coughed a little as he choked on the liquid that was pouring from the younger man's open mouth into his own.

Vincent pulled back and smiled kindly at the brother he adored.

Gilbert turned to look at Vincent's grin and shuddered. Why is his smile so creepy?

"You should get into bed and rest, Nii-san," murmured the blond man, putting his arm around Gilbert's shoulders.

Vincent's bed.

"Uh, I'm okay here," Gilbert insisted, his voice raspy. "I'll just lie on the sofa."

"Whatever you want to do is fine with me." That grin again.

Gilbert tried to lean forward to get away from his brother's arm and nearly fell onto the floor. Vincent caught him, lay him down on the sofa and draped his arm across his forehead.

"I need water," the dark-haired man choked out.

"I'll go get some." Vincent stood up. "But you'll need to give the antidote a few minutes to work before you drink it." He slowly left the room, leaving Gilbert to his thoughts.

How does Vincent know what antidote will work on this poison? Unless…

The thoughts were scaring him, and he pushed them away.

Vincent returned with a glass of water, which he put on the side table. He sat on the sofa, the side of his hip pressed closely against his brother's, and pressed a damp towel to Gilbert's cheek. He carefully drew it around the back of the other man's neck, and then lay it over his forehead and unbuttoned the top buttons on his shirt for him.

"Thanks Vince," Gilbert whispered. He took a deep breath and exhaled tremulously as the blond man blew gently on his chest to cool him. Vincent took the glass of water from the side table, helped the other man sit up a little, and held the glass to his brother's lips. Gilbert took a halting sip, and then lay back down, his tongue flickering over his upper lip. Vince would never harm me, Gilbert reminded himself. He cares about me, and I…care about…him. A moment later his eyes blinked shut and he fell into feverish slumber.

Vincent gazed at his brother's eyelashes, and resisted the urge to trace the contour of Gilbert's cheek with the back of his curved fingers. A few minutes passed, and he sat just staring, watching the slight twitches his brother's body made when he fell deeper into sleep. A slight smile tugged at the corners of Vincent's lips, but his eyebrows were arched with sadness. Slowly, he rose from the sofa, went over to the bed, and turned down the covers. It was the bed they'd shared for many years as children, but now belonged to Vincent alone, since Gilbert had moved to his own room. *

I'd like you in my bed again, Nii-san. It's selfish of me, I know.

Vincent looked over at Gilbert, then slipped off his boots and strode noiselessly over to where his brother lay. He leaned over and listened closely to the shifting sounds of the sleeping man's breath, and when he was sure he was in a deeper state of sleep, he made his move. First, he folded Gilbert's arms in front of him, to make him more compact. He slipped one arm under his brother's thighs, the other around his shoulders, and then looked closely at his face for any sign of stirring. There was none. Carefully, he lifted the slender man up from the sofa and into his arms. His legs dangled awkwardly, and his head flopped onto Vincent's shoulder, but he stayed asleep.

The blond man carried him to his bed and gently lay him down. As if by protective instinct, Gilbert curled into the fetal position on his side. Vincent pulled the covers up to his shoulders, and stayed a moment to admire how his brother's sweaty ringlets curled against the pillowcase. Then he walked around to the other side of the bed and removed his jacket, dropping it to the floor. Eagerly, he climbed under the covers and lay in bed beside his beloved brother.

In an instant, he felt like a child again. He scooched up to Gilbert's back, put his arm around his middle and hugged him close, smiling contently, his face resting against the other man's back.

So glad you're here with me again, Nii-san.

A twinge of nostalgia throbbed in his chest, crept up to his throat and settled like a lump in his throat.

It's just like so many years ago when you came to live here with me…

He felt his brother's back expand and contract with breathing, and snaked his hand up to his chest to feel the comforting sensation of Gilbert's beating heart.

I'm so sorry I had to poison you, Nii-san. But it was all for your sake. I know you'd understand if you knew…

He yawned and closed his eyes, then breathed deeply the scent of his brother's drying sweat.

You always protected me, helped me…I just want to protect you and help you, too.

Vincent's thoughts turned circuitous as he drifted off to the land of dreams, where he found himself cradling a black raven in his arms. The raven began to argue with him.

"I never wanted to come home with you. I never wanted to be in your bed, or be hugged by you. Just who do you think you are?"

"Mr. Raven," Vincent replied in his dream. "You'd prefer I had nothing to do with you. I can understand that. I can't be what you want me to be. I was born this way…I can't help it…"

Vincent felt tears glistening in his eyes and choked them back. In his dream he could see his red eye in the mirror: the eye that had caused so much misfortune. He raised his scissors and tried to pierce the red eye in the looking glass.

Remove it! Erase it! Make it so I was never born!

His scissors aimed for his own face in the mirror, but fell on the raven instead. Once the scissor blades had punctured the unfortunate bird, it became a stuffed animal and the sound of tearing fur was ominously familiar. Vincent's rage and pain poured through his arm and he thrust again and again, until the stuffed bird was ripped and stuffing began to come out. When the raven's head was loose, he ripped it off with his bare hands, and then turned away from the mirror.

When he looked away from his reflection, he could see only blackness: lonely, dripping wet blackness. Abyss. A chain resembling a goat skeleton raised its head and spoke.

"We resonate, you and I," said the chain.

"How?" Vincent asked, unsure if he had spoken the words aloud or not.

"We both like to remove heads."

Vincent felt himself being pulled in by the power of the chain. In bed, his body thrashed from side to side as he retreated from the world of dreams. He opened his eyes suddenly and became aware of his surroundings. Gilbert was stirring. Vincent rolled over on his back and stared straight up at the canopy.

I have to make a contract with that chain.

Gilbert shifted position and rolled over to face Vincent. His eyes opened and then he gasped.

"What the hell, Vince?" Gilbert sat up and looked around, half-awake and dazed. "Why am I in your bed? And what…" He looked down at his hand and saw blood dripping from a small cut.

Vincent quickly grabbed a handkerchief from the side of the bed and pressed it against his brother's wound.

"My apologies, Nii-san," Vincent said, trying to smile. "I often keep a pair of scissors under my pillow."

Whatever horrible things happen to you by my hand, Nii-san, it will all be erased when I succeed in having my wish granted.

Gilbert looked around the room, and taking in the mess of stuffing, ripped fur, and torn limbs that cluttered the floor.

I never wanted to wake up to this…this carnage…ever again.

Thoughts of escape flooded his mind and he waited impatiently for Vincent to finish tying the handkerchief around his wound.

"I-I'm going back to my room, Vince."

Vincent cocked his head a little to the side as he held Gilbert's wrapped hand gently, yet firmly, in between his own hands. His eyes glistened when he smiled.

"Whatever you like, Nii-san." Vincent went to kiss Gilbert's injured hand, and then thought better of it. Instead, he pressed it against his own forehead, and then released it. "I'll always be here if you need me." He looked down toward the floor as Gilbert slipped out of bed.

"Always," Vincent repeated in a whisper, his eyes glazed with distance.

The dark-haired man walked toward the door, touching the back of the sofa once or twice for balance.

Always. Gilbert shuddered and closed the door behind him.

END

*I did some comparisons of the images of Vincent's room when Gilbert first came to Nightray house, vs. the bedroom Gilbert was in when Elliot came to ask him about Raven, and determined they are different enough to be a completely different room. We know that Gilbert didn't move to Reveille till after Leo moved into Nightray house, which was after Gilbert's poisoning. So from these details, I figured Gilbert was still at Nightray manor during the time of this story, but had a different bedroom from Vincent. Which seems reasonable considering they are adults.