(Read and review, please.)

"Nn~" Nitrine's face snuggled into his brother's clothes in a good bye hug, and suddenly Lucent could take it no longer. He moved swiftly; taking hold of Nitrine's shoulders, he pulled him back a bit and pressed his lips to the other's, pulling his brother into a kiss. For a moment, it was beautiful. It was everything he had dreamed it would be. Soft, delicious—but then there were hands on his chest and the kiss violently broke as he stumbled back, shoved away. Slowly, anxiously, he raised his vulnerable face to meet Nitrine's stunned gaze.

"What was THAT?"

"Ah... eh..." Lucent choked out a few syllables before looking down again, trying to get a grip on himself. Anxiously, his hands raised to his chest, and his fingerknives clicked together in a nervous tick during the moments of silence that ensued. Finally, without looking up, he began to speak. "N-N-N... Nitrine... I-I... I l-love you..." His gaze flicked up as he specified, "M-more than a brother. I have f-for a l-long time..." His focus dropped back down to the ground and his hands shifted to clutch his upper arms, as if to hold himself together. He was terrified. Those few phrases were incredibly difficult to get out. But at the same time, he could feel a weight lift from his heart. They had been sitting there, unspoken, for far too long.

Silence. Cautiously, slowly, Lucent looked up, only to see that Nitrine's expression had changed from one of shock to one of disgust. His heart sank.

"You're serious. You LOVE me. You really want me like that? That is just... Ugh." Turning, Nitrine paced back and forth a few steps.

"I... I'm not asking for that though. All I wanted was a kiss," he answered weakly, and shuddered, his gaze dropping back down at Nitrine's cold glare.

"But you do want that. You're one sick fuck, Lucent. This is sick. That love you have for me is sick." His voice quivered, taking on a slightly more horrified tone. Lucent took a small amount of comfort in the fact Nitrine wasn't quite as insensitive as his first words made it appear. "How did this happen? When we were kids, it was fine... How long has it been?" The command was sharp, sudden. It demanded an immediate answer. "When did this all start?"

"I... I don't know." Lucent shrugged. "This wasn't an easy thing for me to come to terms with. I was in denial about it for some time."

Nitrine shook his head, pacing some more, then suddenly stopped, stomping his foot down and looking his brother in the eye, even if his gaze refused to be met. "No. I'm sorry Lucent, but I want no part of this. It's just too fucked up. Something happened to you. You were once my brother, but now..." He shook his head. "You're little better than Dad. Go." Walking over, he corralled Lucent towards the door. "Come on, go!" He pulled the door to a mere crack, then dealt the final blow. "I never want to see or speak to you ever again, got it?" The door slammed shut.

…

Lucent gasped, waking suddenly, looking around him wildly. He lay atop a pillar in his sanctum; he had fallen asleep... Scenes from the dream flashed painfully through his head, and he let out a strangled cry of pain, curling up on himself, clenching his teeth, and allowing a few tears to flow freely down his face. He had to keep reminding himself: It was only a nightmare, it was only a nightmare... What cruel irony.