Disclaimer: The censors judged me unfit for ownership of the Sorcerer Hunters, guess they didn't like my bribe...damn, who knew naked Gateau was a bad thing?

Notes: It was snowing, class got canceled, I was stuck at school and...um, yeah.

Warnings: severely edited, for full (read: decent) version, go to www.mediaminer.org and search under Sorcerer Hunter...and throw fanfic.net into the dark abyss of hell...don't ask question, just do it!




Snow Angel Imperfect



The snow fell in large soft flakes against the gray and cloudy sky. Winter was just beginning in Spooner but already the air held a biting cold that drove most indoors. Marron, however, was not about to be deterred from his practice. Having come across a new spell merely days before he was certainly not going to let a little snow distract him from perfecting it.

Carrot had forbidden him to go 'wandering about in the cold' which Marron thought was absurd. Just because the Hunters were yet to purchase suitable winter gear was no reason for him to be locked away in the house. He honestly had no wish to displease his brother, found the idea of it terrible to say the least, but Carrot really had no say over what the mage could or couldn't do. He was a grown man after all, nearly seventeen and in no need of a babysitter.

With such thoughts floating about his head Marron had waited for Carrot to leave for town with the girls. As soon as the crunching footfalls had faded from his hearing, he dawned his light cloak and gathered his things. Gateau watched in dry amusement.

"Going out Marron-chan?" he asked, using his body to block the door.

"Yes," Marron stated, shifting his spell book to his left hand to use the right to push ineffectually at Gateau's shoulder.

"Come on now, why don't you stay with me? Surely we can find something to do to keep warm," he lifted an eyebrow and watched the other blush. Reaching up, he brushed back a few strands that had fallen from Marron's ribbon to frame his face. "You know how good it can be. I can make you happy."

He looked away, "It doesn't make me happy and I always regret it. That isn't love Gateau."

Gateau chuckled. "It doesn't have to be love Marron. As long as I get to touch you and hold you, I don't care whether you have feelings for me or not. You still scream my name."

"And I regret it," he took a step back. "Please, let me pass."

Reluctantly the blond stepped out of the way. Grabbing a sweater off a nearby chair he pulled it over his head and followed Marron out the door. The other pretended not to notice him as he made his way through the unfamiliar woods, deftly avoiding branches and roots that more than once slowed Gateau's progress.

The self-made trail soon led them to a wide clearing. The ground was buried beneath several inches of snow, but it looked level. Tall trees grew up all around it, their branches bending under the new winter weight. Off to the side sat several large rocks, their tops covered in white. It was there that Gateau decided to take a seat, hoisting himself up and allowing his legs to dangle off the side.

Marron didn't spare him a look as he settled his book on another of the rocks. Reading once more over the lines that he had already committed to memory, he stepped lightly to the center of the clearing. Lifting the ofuda close to his lips he whispered the spell. A blue light began to glow from the card, tingling his finger tips and getting colder. It was an ice spell, and such was its nature. When he could bare the cold no more, he cast the ward forward with perfect aim. It stuck to the trunk of a nearby birch, stayed still for a moment, them shattered into hundreds of shimmering pieces, falling to the ground. Marron glared at it.

"I take it that wasn't what you were going for," Gateau smiled at him.

Resisting the sudden urge to make a quite inappropriate gesture, Marron drew out another ofuda. Throwing back the sides of his cloak, he freed his arms to form the triangle he used for more complex spells, holding the paper between his fingers. Once again he spoke the spell, careful to pronounce each word correctly. The blue light appeared again, brighter this time. It froze quickly, making his hand ache to hold it. Again he aimed at the birch, clearly seeing the brown bands that wound around its peeling trunk. The paper hit, grew bright, then fell away, ineffective.

Marron sighed, feeling disappointment rise along with slight anger at his own inability. True, it was a difficult cast, but he was used to succeeding at such things. And his audience was not helping.

"Try again Marron-chan! Or you could just come here and snuggle up with me, we'll play a better game," Gateau leered.

Not quite being able to ignore the man completely, Marron gifted him with a dirty. He wouldn't be able to continue this much longer. Failing or not, the spell took too much energy to be repeated many times.

Reaching into his sleeve, he took up another ofuda. Clasping it tightly, he stood still, concentrating in the silence of the afternoon. The snow continued to fall, landing in his dark hair and standing out in sparkling contrast to the inky waves. With a sudden movement, he brought his hands into perfect position, one crossed over the other, ward at his lips. He spoke the spell with ease, eyes closed, words coming in perfect rhythm. The paper lit up with blue fire, it danced around his hand, burning with cold but still he refused to let it go. Suddenly the fire condensed, descending into the ofuda to form a single bright star. Golden eyes shot open, immediately seeing his target.

The tree was struck at dead center. A fire made of ice swept through it, taking everything in its path and sending it to dark oblivion. Only frigid empty space was left in its wake.

A tiny smile appeared on Marron's face even as his knees gave out and he collapsed to the ground. Using his hands to balance, Marron looked up to see Gateau knelt beside him. Large hands came up to brush back his disheveled hair before coming to rest on his cheeks.

Before he could think, Gateau was kissing him, pushing his tongue into Marron's mouth to taste the sweetness there. The blond struggled with the clasp of the cloak, reluctant to leave the kiss but in the end having to. With motions quick and frantic, he slipped the blue cloth from Marron's shoulders, spreading it out hastily on the snow. Pressing forward, he forced the mage to lay back upon its wrinkled cloth not quite shielding him from the ground beneath. Soon it would be wet and cold, but Gateau did not think of such things.

Lifting Marron at the waist, he pushed the white robes up over the other's stomach to reveal the loose white pants beneath.

[edited: Gateau gives Marron pleasure despite the cold]

[edited: Gateau gets himself ready]

"Ready?" he whispered. Marron didn't respond, it would never do any good anyway and at the moment his body was calling for release even as it was overtaken by the chill of the snow.

[edited: Gateau...um...enters. Great, I'm having a hard time keeping my editing notes PG]

Marron turned his head aside, feeling the snow flakes landing on his body, each a small prick of cold on his heated skin. He tried to suppress a moan that was forced to his lips as Gateau [edited: For this one, just read it as "Gateau did really good stuff"]

"Gateau!" he cried, mind not quite able to pretend it was truly someone else as he [edited: "made a mess"]

The sound of his name on the lips of his lover sent Gateau over the edge and into a world apart. Just for a moment he could pretend [edited: "Marron"] was his, all his.
But the mist cleared all too quickly.

[edited: Marron struggles with conditions]

Seeing the poor condition of his friend, Gateau sighed. With hands none too gentle, he pulled the pants low around Marron's pelvis. Sitting him up, not bothering [edited: Gateau gets Marron dressed]

Marron was shaking, his clothing soaked through with icy wetness. His cheeks were red as were his hands, they felt numb, but then again, a lot of him felt numb at that moment.

Seeing that the mage wasn't going to walk on his own, Gateau pulled him against his own body and started away.

"My book," Marron whispered, honestly surprised as the other actually went back to gather it up.

After that, they walked in silence.

As they neared the house, it became apparent that the other's had returned. Chocolate could be heard yelling at the top of her lungs, joined by screams from Carrot. The last words however were Tira's as the door opened and she booted both of them out into the snow. Jumping up as the cold attacked his bottom, Carrot was the first one to spot them. Worry clouded his eyes as he realized Marron was being drug home in not so perfect condition. He glared as the two approached.

"What happened?" he asked, simultaneously taking his brother into his own arms.

"He went out to practice," Gateau scoffed, looking unconcerned, "I had to drag him back in before he froze."

Looking down, Carrot shook his head. "Ototo no baka," he scolded. Marron simply sighed, content to let his head fall to rest on Carrot's shoulder. At the lack of argument or reply, a new emotion appeared in brown eyes. "Uh, thanks Gateau, for, uh, bringing him back and all."

"Sure thing," the other replied, opening the door so Carrot could pass through it with his near unconscious bundle. Leaving Gateau speaking to Tira in the living room, he carefully made his way up the stairs and into the large bathroom.

Sitting Marron on the closed lid of the toilet, and making sure he could balance himself there, Carrot fixed the plug and turned on the water to fill the large tub. Knowing very well that he couldn't trust Marron, not in this condition, to keep his head above water, Carrot stripped off his own clothes first before going to help his brother.

[edited: Carrot begins to undress Marron, discovering what Gateau left behind]

"He did it again, didn't he?" Carrot asked, tipping up Marron's chin to look into his eyes.

"It was my fault..."

"Ha! Yeah right," he spat. Lifting the mage from his seat, he pulled at the soiled tunic, letting it fall to the tile. The pants soon followed. Carrot was forced to stare at his younger sibling. Most of Marron's skin was bright red from exposure to the cold, he still shook, biting his lip in an obvious effort to keep his teeth from chattering. There were light tints where soon there would be bruises and the sight of them made Carrot angry.

"In the snow?!" he demanded. "That insensitive prick!"

"Niisan," he tried to explain, to take the blame for what he knew was his own fault.

"Never mind," Carrot waved a hand. First he would take care of Marron, then...then he would decided whether or not he was going to kill Gateau.

Carefully he helped Marron into the tub then got in himself. They sat facing each other, still for a moment while the warm water took away Marron's chill. Soon he stopped shaking, half-lidded eyes coming fully open for the first time since he had arrived home. Carrot had known all the other needed was a moment of reprieve, just to let the world be and get some of his strength back.

Wringing out a soft rag, Carrot swept it across Marron's face, much as a mother would do for a child. Marron grimaced at the gesture but went still as Carrot began to wipe of the traces of what he and Gateau had done.

"I'm sorry," Marron stated quietly.

"Yeah," Carrot rinsed the rag, "I know, but you're sorry for the wrong reasons Marron. He should--you two--why do you let him do that to you?!" His hand hit the water with a splash, making Marron jump.

"Because he's the only one who will," Marron whispered.

The elder of the two hadn't anticipated any answer, let alone that one, and what hurt him more were the tears slowing making their way down Marron's face.

"Oh damn," he sighed. "Don't cry Marron, come on ototo, I didn't mean to yell. Come on now, don't do that." He wiped at the tears, leaning close.

[edited: just a brief bit of incestual interactions]

Tenderly he brought a hand to Marron's cheek, "Beautiful Marron, my lovely brother. So long...its been so long since I first knew..."

"Niisan," he brought his own hand over Carrot's.

"Please Marron, please, let me love you."

And Marron's smile told him that he could.

~tbc?~

Original Notes: Hm, to continue or not? You do know what's coming don't you? Carrot/Marron lemony goodness, ne? I promise to leave the violence out this time, just a wonderful little scene of them getting sentimental, and physical, in the bathtub. Wanna see? Five reviews.

FF.net Notes: Okay, if you want to see this in its non-mangled version, go to www.mediaminer.org (I think I said dot com on the last fic, oops!). I really hate ff.net, so blame them for this not me, because I refuse to re-write fics around their close minded little ways...this is the best I will do. And my, didn't your mind supply the images even without the naughty words?


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Her Supreme Omni-potence,
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