Someone was calling for me. I screamed and thrashed until I was sure my lungs would burst out of my chest. I had to get away. Have to.

Cal, please…please stop. Begging. The voice was begging. Come back. I'm right here. Right here. The voice was warm and safe. I couldn't reason why, I just…knew. I felt myself drifting towards it. The darkness swirling around me gradually cleared and suddenly I was staring into my brother's panicked grey eyes. I couldn't help it. I started sobbing uncontrollably.

"N-Nik? No, no, no…you're not here. You're gone. They killed you. Nik, they killed you…" I buried my face in my arms, refusing to believe. Refusing to look. I had never felt so confused or terrified. Why couldn't it all just be over?

I felt gentle hands encircle my wrists and flinched instinctively. Immediately they released their hold. I heard his voice again and the grief was going to kill me, I was sure of it. It wasn't him. He was dead. I'd seen it. Hadn't I? Torn to shreds.

"Cal, it's me. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Please…" His voice shook with emotion. "Please, little brother, come back? I promise…I'll…I promise Cal. You're safe."

It all felt so real. I wanted to believe so badly. So what if it was all a delusion conjured up by my undeniably insane melon. If being crazy meant I could have a few more minutes with my brother…

I felt myself reaching for him. First one hand, then the other followed instinctively. He caught both in his own. My fingers tangled in the fabric of his shirt and suddenly I was clutching desperately, hopefully to him.

"Nik?" I repeated his name, my tongue grated like sandpaper and my throat felt like it had been scorched by acid. I was surprised I could even form the word. I felt so childish, so insignificant…useless. I couldn't save him. He had spent his entire life looking after me, protecting me and I couldn't return the favor.

"Cal," The next instant I was wrapped in huge, familiar arms. And it was…warm. So warm. I shivered violently, until I thought my teeth would rattle out of my skull. The bone-gnawing cold was fading, gradually, but fading all the same. Suddenly, I didn't feel so hopeless or alone anymore. The despair feeding off my scorched soul only moments before was ebbing away with each strong beat of Nik's heart. He held on tight, and I held tighter still. Because I knew if I let him go, I wouldn't get him back. I couldn't remember why, I just knew I had to hang on.

As the horrible nightmares began to fade into obscurity, one last glimpse of why I was holding on so desperately flashed before my eyes. My father was there, not that I could actually see him, but I knew his presence. His sour breath hissed and sizzled against my prickling skin. A sharp gleam of metal teeth as he withdrew a quarter sized, bloody mass of flesh from behind his back. He wiggled the eye in front of his face and grinned before fading into the blackness.

And then I couldn't remember anything. I didn't know why the hell I was huddled on the floor instead of in bed. I couldn't remember why my throat was on fire. All that lingered was a sick feeling, rotting in the pit of my stomach. But still I clutched to my brother.

"Cal, it's alright now, everything is alright. It was just a bad dream. That's all, only a dream."

Only a dream, I repeated to myself. But I still couldn't shake the lingering feeling of dread. It tickled the back of my brain like a skittering insect.

"Nik…" I swallowed thickly. The sickness in my gut roiled viciously.

Niko put both hands on my face and thumbed away the tearstains. Suddenly, I was twelve different kinds of embarrassed and I hurriedly pushed myself away.

"I'm sorry…sorry…I'm sorry Nik." I felt thoroughly confused, I was close to hyperventilating and suddenly the room felt too small. I rolled my head towards the ceiling and concentrated on not passing out.

"Cal, you've got to calm down," Nik's voice was low and soothing and normally that would've done the trick but no matter how hard I tried, my body refused to cooperate. My fingers remained tangled in his shirt as I gasped erratically.

"Nik…"

"Right here little brother." I felt his hand scoop around the back of my neck.

"Nik," I slurred. "I'm…I don't feel good…" Niko didn't ask questions, just pulled me gently to my feet and shouldered my weight even before my legs gave out. He led me to the bathroom and guided me to my knees in front of the toilet before turning on the bathwater.

I coughed harshly into the bowl before feeling my shoulders hitch. My stomach constricted and I started retching. There wasn't much to bring up but damned if my body didn't try. I heaved unproductively for a good five minutes before I felt Nik leading me away from the toilet.

"Deep breaths, Cal. Just take it slow. Easy…" He rubbed circles into my back as I shakily swiped the back of my hand across my mouth and attempted to bring my gag-reflex under control.

"I…I'm ok," I was trying for reassurance but it sounded more like death warmed over.

I blinked up at my brother. "What happened?"

"Well," he said quietly. "You just tried to puke up your toe nails."

I didn't miss a beat. "No, before Nik. What happened before?"

He sighed wearily and scrubbed a hand over his mouth. A gesture I rarely saw and which usually indicated the Niko-version of "scared shitless".

"I'm not entirely sure, but lets not do it again, ok?" He took the hand away from his mouth and ran it through my tangled hair before breathing, "You scared the shit out of me little brother."

I almost snorted. At the very least I definitely smiled. It sounded foreign coming from his "holier than thou" lips. I sighed and then glanced back up at him. The worry lines etched into his face had faded slightly. That was good. That meant I must've done something right.

Niko stared off into space for all of five seconds before visibly shaking himself and leaning over me to shut off the steaming bathwater. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Now genuinely embarrassed, I flushed the toilet before pulling myself to my feet. Still shaky, but I could manage.

"Nik, really. I'm good now. I can take it from here," I said dismissively. My cheeks flushed crimson as I realized my sweatpants were damp. I was speckled and stained with various fluids and noticed that Niko's shirt was covered in drying puke. Not my proudest moment to say the least.

Niko didn't budge. I expected nothing less and I was grateful for his constancy. But even a blubbering, amnesiac, half monster needs a little privacy.

"Seriously, Cyrano, go change. You smell." I quirked my lips and managed half a smile.

Nik didn't smile, but he did raise his eyebrows ever so slightly in that way I knew signaled amusement.

"Speak for yourself," he reluctantly moved towards the doorway. "I'll be right outside." Then added, "Don't lock the door."

"Bossy," I pouted attempting a little levity as he cracked the door shut. I was emotionally wrung. I felt like a dishtowel squeezed dry of every last ounce of liquid. And the strangest part was I couldn't remember why. I might have been frustrated if I wasn't so damn tired. But Niko was always there…waiting to catch me. I'd never figure how I'd ever come to deserve him.

"Hey," his head poked back in immediately at the sound of my voice. My throat hurt so badly I could've sworn I'd never speak again. "Thanks," I croaked. "Thanks for being here, Nik."

His grey eyes gleamed softly as he answered, "Anytime little brother. I'll be here as long as you need me."

The end...Thoughts? In any case, thanks for reading!