Ike Broflovski had always looked up to his older brother.

Let's face it… Kyle was sensible, intelligent… had the coolest way of speaking; and the way his frizzy, reddish hair (which he had began to straighten a little, in attempts at styling it so he didn't look "stupid" as he grew older), fell around his ears attributed a slightly girlish cuteness to otherwise sharp features – given, his Jewish heritage (and he was pretty modest, to top it all off). Of course… if it wasn't for the fact the two of them were pretty much related, you could be mistaken for thinking Ike had something of a crush, but… no. That would just be weird, wouldn't it?

Kyle lay on his bed as Ike approached, unbeknownst to him; the youngster tentatively advancing until he stood at the side beside it.

"Kyle?"

"…yes, Ike?"

"Some kids at school. They were picking on me at school again. Because… I look different and… because I'm supposed to be more clever than them."

"Oh Ike, dude. Those kids are just jealous. You know that… right?"

"I guess…"

A momentary silence, tainted with awkwardness, cast over the two brothers. Kyle had picked up a science textbook and started reading.

"Kyle?"

The redhead sighed a little under his breath, trying not to show his exasperation.

"Yes?"

"Can you cuddle me for a while?"

"Okay – but only if you let me get on with my revision..."

Ike nodded, clambering onto Kyle's bed as he did. The older Broflovski wrapped his arms around the smaller, dark-haired boy, gently stroking his hair as he continued to read. Ike's hand clasped at Kyle's mitten-covered fingers, encouraging them to entwine them with his own. Ike's fingers played with the buttons on Kyle's shirt…

"Ike. Stop doing that." Kyle growled, though only mildly irritated, pushing away the apparently prying fingers of his younger brother (and continuing to read, with determination).

But Ike wasn't going to give up so easily.

"You're no fun," he told the easily-aggravated redhead, pushing him down against the pillows and trying to tickle the lower part of his stomach; where the sensitive skin lay exposed from his shirt having ridden up. Kyle gasped involuntarily, before batting him away with gloved hands and vigorously yanking his shirt down to cover the area. He was a little freaked out by how close Ike's hand had been to… certain areas… and the feelings that such a touch had aroused in him. Let's face it, being tickled there was just a little bit sensual, but coming from his younger brother… it was uncomfortably disconcerting. He strained away slightly, while all the same keeping a protective (and firm) arm around his brother. Maybe Ike just hadn't known what he was doing…

He kept that thought.

After a few more minutes of reading, Ike had laid his head against Kyle's stomach, apparently content to lie peacefully there, without causing him any intended interruption. Kyle was less that comfortable however – Ike's fluffy hair was continuing to tickle him in the most pleasantly-unpleasant way, and yet he didn't have the heart to move him. He looked so calm and, well, had obviously had a hard day at school - selfless sympathy was probably necessary given the situation…

Kyle scrunched his eyes up, giving up and resting the textbook on the covers beside him. Instead, he concentrated his efforts on trying not to flinch every time Ike's jet black hair brushed against his (thinly protected) lower belly.

Even so, every time it did… a swarm of butterflies seemed to stir inside him, near where his brother's head lay. The constant stimulation incurred it –an innate, uncontrollable biological reaction; he knew from his textbook.

The constant presence of his little brother was what stopped it from growing.

So absorbed in such self-analysis, he didn't notice Ike had moved his head, granting the small-statured Jew temporary relief – and only realised the change when he felt a pulsing, wet sensation against his lips - flickering inside, exploring his mouth. Kyle's eyes shot open in horror.

"IKE! What the fuck are you doing?"

He pulled away but Ike only drew closer, stroking Kyle's hair as the older, and yet clearly terrified redhead quivered under his touch.

"I'm sorry Kyle…" Ike whispered into his ear as Kyle struggled to lift himself up against the bedpost, deeply unnerved, and yet unwilling to do anything that would hurt the younger boy… physically, at least…

Kyle gazed at Ike; further unnerved by the hollow, empty indifference of his expression: one that said everything, and nothing at the same time…

"We're not related," he stated simply.

"Yes we are. You're my little brother, Ike. Family isn't about whose blood you have…"

"Sometimes it is".

Kyle paused for a moment, biting back confusion… "and anyway Ike, you're much too young. It would be wrong for me to respond to… this. At all."

"But I'm a genius". Ike stated. Again, his expression apparently impassive, "…I guess not when it comes to how to stop loving you, in the way I do. With that… I'm no genius at all."

"I-II…" Kyle gazed as him with exasperated sadness, for once unable to resolve the situation. He had learnt something today, and for once, it couldn't help him. Routine became an enviable thing when it wasn't there…

"I'm sorry, Kyle," Ike lamented again, cynical tears trembling from his long eyelashes, "but I can't put myself through this any longer."

After apparent reflection he continued, with far less adult confidence, "if I were do something bad… selfish… worse that I have already, you wouldn't hate me, would you? You could promise to forgive me?"

Kyle bit his lip…

"Yes, Ike," the ever-moral redhead finally conceded, "I know that there would always be a justified reason. Even if it wasn't one I understood."

Ike smiled sadly. A smile in which every emotion appeared equally false…

Then he pressed his body against Kyle's with a surge of impassioned strength, shoving a little hand over the redhead's mouth and raising a pair of scissors; bringing them down against his throat…