Work Text:
You want to keep him safe. He’s far too young to be out so bare and vulnerable to the world. His roots are still weak and impressionable, and a powerful wind will destroy him.
There is a way to prevent this from happening. You can be the shield in front of him, the one to take on the pain and hardships that eventually erode the kindness out of one’s heart. You will be spotted, but he will be clean.
The decision is far too easy—your answer was yes before the question was even asked. He is all that remains, and you will fight to protect him; to protect the last ray of sunshine in your otherwise murky and desolate life. He is your foundation, the single patch of earth that you can stand on in a world that wants to do nothing but drag you down into nothingness.
And so you will stand firm and protect him, use your destructive mastery of fire and cold personality to ward off those who would seek to harm him. No one can be trusted. Everyone’s a possible threat.
You must do this in secret though, without him knowing. His heart is too big, too pure to understand what needs to be done. It’s a burden you don’t want to place upon him, so you shoulder both his share and yours.
Some would say it isn’t worth it, that this type of sacrifice is too much. But you know they’re all wrong. They just don’t understand. You do this all because of one simple thing, a simple thing that makes all the difference. You do this because—
He is your brother.