For ReadySetRockR5 I hope you like it! I tried my best, but I had a bit of difficulty with this one. Love you penguins! ~Blackbird

Ross ran through the woods, looking behind him every so often. He couldn't be caught not again. He couldn't go back.

"You can't hide from me." he heard her cruel voice in his head. He kept running, until he broke into the clearing. A little cabin sat in the clearing, Ross felt flooded with relief. Ross quietly crept to it, and tried the door. It opened easily, and Ross tiptoed inside. There was a fire in the hearth, and he moved closer to it for warmth. He thought he'd never see this place again.

"Who's there?" a voice asked from behind him. Ross turned and saw him. He looked the same as he had five years ago. "Ross?" he asked.

Ross smiled, shyly at him, and the man ran to him and hugged him. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Five years ago, Ross had lived in this cabin with his brother Riker. He had developed, a crush on Riker over time, and decided it would be best if he left. He left in the middle of the night, leaving only a note for Riker to find in the morning. Ross had tried to make it on his own, but things hadn't worked out, at all.

Riker pulled away from their hug, "Why did you come back now?"

"I...I need your help Rike." Ross said, finding his voice. Time had only helped Ross' crush grow, and he now found himself in love with his brother. "I made a mistake while I was away...got mixed up with the wrong people." Riker gave him a look. "Not drugs or anything. Just a really bad relationship. It ended really badly, and the girl I was dating um, kind of went off the deep end."

Riker's eyes widened, but a smile cracked his face. "You always had a way of getting yourself into impossible situations, Ross."

"I know." Ross said, hanging his head. Riker hugged him again.

"I missed you."

"Missed you too." Ross mumbled.

"Come on let's get to bed. We'll figure something out in the morning." Riker said. Riker headed back toward his room, and Ross followed.

"Where do you want me to sleep?" Ross asked.

"You can sleep here." Riker said, gesturing to the bed. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"There's no way I'm letting you sleep on the floor." Ross said crossing his arms.

"Well, there's no way I'm letting you sleep on the floor." Riker said, crossing his arms. The two stared at each other for a moment, both daring the other to give in. Ross sighed, "Why don't we just both sleep on the bed?"

"Fine." Riker agreed. Ross climbed in the bed and Riker followed. Ross hadn't really thought this idea through. The bed, though not as small as a twin, wasn't all that big, so Riker was rather close to him. Close enough that Ross could smell his shampoo and feel his breath tickling the back of his neck.

"Love you, Rossy. Glad your home." Riker said, already half-asleep. He wrapped his arms around Ross and kissed the back of his neck. Ross felt a shiver run down his spine. "He's half-asleep Ross, he didn't mean it." he thought to himself. Ross settled down and went to sleep after a few minutes.

Ross was running through the woods again. He could hear her behind him. His heart was racing.

"Rossy." she called. "Come out, come out wherever you are." Ross hid behind a tree, so she couldn't see him. "I have something that you want."

"Ross! Help!" he heard Riker call. Ross' eyes went wide. Ross ran back toward her, his fear long forgotten. He had to save Riker. Suddenly, he was face to face with her, Maia Mitchel.

"Hey, Rossy." she said. She was standing about ten feet away, a gun pointed at Riker's head.

"No! Please, let him go!" he said, tears in his eyes.

"Why Rossy? Do you care about him?" she asked.

"He's my brother of course I care about him." Ross said.

"You know what I mean Ross." she said.

"No, I don't." Ross lied. He knew she meant as more than a brother. That was one of the reasons they broke up.

"Well, then, since you can't tell the truth I guess I'll just..." the gun went off, and Ross sat bolt upright in the bed, screaming "No!"

Riker woke up with a start. He looked and saw Ross sitting up.

"Ross, what happened?" he asked, sitting up next to his brother.

"Bad dream." Ross said hoarsly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Riker asked. Ross shook his head no. "Come here, Rossy." Riker held his arms open, and Ross snuggled into his chest. "Everything will be okay. I'll protect you. Forever. I love you."

"I love you too." Ross sniffled, more than you'll ever know, he tacked on silently. Riker kissed Ross' cheek. Ross blushed in the darkness, he must've been half-asleep again. Then they both went back to sleep.

The next morning Ross woke up, to the smell of eggs cooking. He rubbed his eyes, and stumbled out to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Prince Charming." Riker said, a goofy grin already on his face.

"Morning, Cinderella." Ross said, grabbing the coffee pot off the stove, and pouring himself a cup.

"Did you just call me Cinderella?" Riker asked giving Ross a look. Ross realized what he'd said.

"Well, your making breakfast." he quickly said, trying to backtrack.

"Mhm." Riker said, giving Ross a weird look. "I have eggs." He set the plate in front of Ross.

"Thanks." Ross said.

"No, problem." Riker said. "It's just what lowly Cinderella does." he sighed. Ross giggled, and Riker smiled and winked at him. Ross blushed, and went back to eating his food. Riker joined him a minute later with his own plate of eggs.

"So are you going to tell me what happened now?" Riker asked.

Ross sighed. He'd really hoped that Riker would just forget about it for a while. "I left and got a job working at a cafe in a little town about three hours from here. It was nice, my boss was really nice let me stay with her family till I could afford an apartment. After about two years I met a girl, her name was Maia Mitchel. She lived two towns over. We started dating. After two years she asked me to move in with her. Then she found out a secret about me, and she was really mad. She vowed to get revenge on me. That night I moved back in with my boss, and Maia tried to burn the house down. I couldn't let anyone get hurt so I came back here." Ross looked at Riker when he was done with the story. Riker had a look of shock on his face.

"That's...some story Ross."Riker said, after a minute.

"I know." Ross said hanging his head. Riker was just about to ask what Ross' secret was when the window shattered.

"Get down!" Riker said. They climbed under the table.

"Rossy!" someone called from outside. Riker looked at Ross to see him as white as a sheet.

"Ross," he tried to get his attention, "Ross look at me." Ross did, "It's going to be okay. I want you to hide in the cellar." Ross nodded and moved down to the cellar. He heard the door crash open above him.

"Hello." Riker said, "How can I help you?"

"Where is he?" he heard Maia snarl.

"Who?" Ross heard Riker ask. He hoped Riker knew what he was doing.

"Where's Ross?" Maia asked.

"I have no idea." Riker said.

"Your lying." Maua said, footsteps sounded above Ross. Maia must've been movign further into the room.

"I don't know where he is." Riker repeated.

"Your still lying." Maia said, there was a crash and Ross heard Riker groan. Ross pulled his phone out of his pocket, and dialed nine-one-one. He prayed that there was a signal down her. "I don't see why he left me for you." Ross' heart started racing Maia was going to tell him.

"What are you talking about?" Riker asked.

"You mean he never told you?" Maia asked in shock. "He's in love with you. Has been for years."

"That's not true. He only loves me as a brother." Riker said. Ross frowned Riker sounded so sad when he said that, almost like he wished Ross would like him as more. Then there was a crack, and something hit the floor. Ross ran upstairs. Maia was standing over an unconcsious Riker.

"Riker!" Ross said, rushing to his side.

"Hello, Ross." Maia said. Ross looked up at Maia in tears.

"Just go Maia please. You've already ruined me." The sound of sirens, came and Maia looked around for some ay to escape. The cops burst in to the little cabin.

"Hands up!" they said. They handcuffed Maia, and the paramedics came in and took Riker.

"Please, let me go with him." Ross said.

"Are you related?" the paramedic asked.

"I'm his brother." Ross said.

"Come on." the paramedic said. They went to the hospital. They said that Riker must've hit his head. Everything else was normal though, and he should wake up at any time.

"Please, wake up." Ross said, sitting next to Riker's hospital bed. Riker's eyelids fluttered.

"Ross?" he asked groggily.

"I'm right here." Ross said.

"I love you." Riker said. "As more than a brother. I should've told you. Just never had the courage."

Ross was crying now. "How could you not know that I love you too, you dope. Always have, always will."

"And I you forever." Riker said. And they kissed sweetly.