A/N - Tch- fucking hell. Guys, how do you even read this? THIS IS SHIT! This story, this plot line, my writing––IT'S SHIT! How have you put up with me all this time? Dear god... For a heads up, the writing doesn't get better until next chapter (in my opinion).

R e c a p

Things had changed.

The only question is...

For the better or for the worse?

------------------------------

This was a casual morning. Sunlight streaming through an open window; birds chirping... it seemed like a story from a fantasy book. You were currently cuddled up in Sting's arms, going to gaze up at his still sleeping face, when...

'"Don't you just wish it could be like the good old days?" He sneered. "When you and your family were happy, and your father actually cared for you?"

Whimpering, you crawl back. Watching another, a certain familiar figure step towards you, you watched his dull movements, staring into his lifeless hazel-green eyes. Coming closer, you could see that he held a knife.

No one was here. No one, but you and him. You get up, only to fall back down from the loud, CRACK that came from your ankle.

Starting to cry, you wonder aloud, "What happened...

...big brother?"

-flashback-

"Nii-Chan!" Little you yelled, giggling. Those giggles soon stopped when (your new pet,) a dog came into view. Growling, it lunged at you.

You closed your eyes. After a moment or two you could hear, "Bad doggy!" In the voice of your brother. Opening your eyes, you could see your hero, your older brother, (pathetically) hitting the dog with a stick. "Don't do that to my little sister ever again!"

You started laughing again, plopping your butt onto the soft grass. "Ai-Nii-Chan!"

He rested his hands on his hips, claiming that, "I'll always protect you! Even if I hurt you myself!"

-different flashback-

You were back in another orphanage. Just before your time with Yuri, at about age six––approaching your seventh birthday. Your brother, at the time, ten years old, merely four (and a half!) years older than you.

Wolves. A pack of them, with dark, blood red eyes. One growled at you, and immediately Aiichiro was in front of you, his arms wide open.

"Run, (Y/N)!" He insisted, conjuring a sword with his magic. "Go!"

You just shook your head. Surrounding your clenched fist in magic, you exclaim, "I'll help you!"

"(Y/N), JUST GO! LEAVE ME HERE!"

"Aiichiro..." Scared that he had yelled at you in that never before heard tone, you did as he said. That was a grave mistake.

That evening, you returned to the orphanage... alone.'

"(Y/N)..." you could hear a voice calling out to you, and a gentle, calloused hand stroking your cheek.

Opening your tearful eyes, you watched as Sting smiled, placing a kiss on your forehead. "There's my princess."

Sniffling, you bury your head in his chest, silently crying.

There's a knock on the door. A voice calls out, "Sting-Kun! Rogue says you need to get up to-"

Soon enough, there's a fluffy presence, it's Lector, you're sure of it. "(Y/N-"

Sting hushes him. Soon, your sobbing stops and now you're down to sniffles. Finally meeting the daylight once you raise your head, you greet the maroon exeed with a smile. Sitting up, and pat his head and kiss his forehead. "You can go now, Lector. I'll get Sting up... somehow."

He grins back, and skips out of the room, saying, "Use protection!"

You puff out your cheeks. Looking back to Sting, you see him pouting.

"Why don't I get a kiss?" Sting asks childishly.

"Not until you get rid of that stupid morning breath." You walk out of the bed, adding, "by the way, you drool in your sleep!"

---

Letting your smile fade, you run off into the woods. This was a place you hadn't been in forever. Finding the small rock you'd engraved using magic, you placed a kiss on it.

Aiichiro (L/N),

It read.

Loving brother; courageous hero.

Dec. 17, X768 - May 28, X779[1]

Sitting on your knees, you murmur to it.

"Hey there, big brother." You say, a soft smile forming on your lips. "It's been a while."

-----

After Sting had attended to his duties[2], he tried to find (Y/N).

"Hey, Rogue," he said. "Do you know where (Y/N) is?"

"No." replied Rogue. "Why, is it that time of year[3] and you're having early symptoms?"

"N-No!" Sting exclaimed. "I wanted to see if she would finally decide if she wanted to join or not."

"Try east of here. I saw her running in that direction, so there's a pretty good chance that she's in the forest."

Without a word, Sting rushed out the door.

Rogue yelled back, "You're welcome!"

---

And there he was, the great Sting Eucliffe practically breaking at the sight of his lover, her eyes welled with tears, and her form shaking.

Nonetheless, she continued to smile gently. She talked on and on, about what had happened in her life. Getting up to the part where she had first kissed Sting, she paused.

"I think you would like him."

Her smile grew a bit, and she continued to talk. After a while, she perked up.

Sting, watching her from behind, saw her ears turn a furious shade of red.

Her figure cringed a bit, before she asked, "S-Sting...? I-if you're here, I can feel your presence."

Taking the chance to smirk, Sting ran up from behind and wrapped his arms around her.

He mumbled into (Y/N)'s hair as he stared at the engraved stone, "That portrait back at your place never mentioned a brother."

"They adopted him, since my mom was unable to have another kid." She replied softly. "My dad never really liked him, and he was more of a mommy's boy. Whenever there was a picture, he was never included..."

Sting laid his head on (Y/N)'s shoulder while she laid her head on his.

"He was the best brother a girl could ever ask for." She murmured. Sting felt a light drop on his head that he figured was a tear. "I think he'd approve of you."

Sting's eyes widened, and getting up, his lips crashed onto hers, both of them smiling through it.

A/N - Ohayo...

I'm so sleepy it's not even real. And that's totally the reason why the ending sucked.

[1] - My birthday, times two, plus two.

[2] - Hehe... doodie. I'm so mature~

[3] - cough cough–chapter 14–cough cough. Remember, it's been a year.

~Em