A/N: hello peeps! I promise the next actual ex-nemesis chap will be out soon, I'm busy these days (hardly have any free time) so have fun reading the rest of the earlier NOT RELEVANT chap till I finish the actual chapter.

Zander gave his brother the cold shoulder throughout the next morning. Zephyr had tried to break the ice with a stiff 'good morning' but Zander had shrugged him off rather pointedly. Their little brother looked back and forth at them, clearly feeling the tense air. Zane had scrambled to make conversation, desperately trying to include the two of them, it normally worked, because both of them held a mutual soft spot for the little prick.

But it didn't work this time.

Zephyr had only bid good bye to Zane, not even sparing a glance Zander's way when they split up at town. Zane and Zander heading towards school while Zephyr spurred his horse in the opposite direction, towards Edwind's to get his assignment for the day.

One would think after what happened last night, Zander would return home early today.

No way.

If anything, he was gonna stay out an extra hour or two.

So stay out he did, he drank to his heart's content. It was more because of the desire to taunt Zephyr than his desire to feel the mind numbing liquid slipping down his throat.

His brother despised alcohol for some unknown reason.

All the more reason for Zander to consume it.

He expected Zephyr to come searching for him once more, but he didn't.

Zander had no idea how long it was before he stumbled his way home. His brain was not cooperating, the lantern in his hand hung limply, not doing an exceptional job at lightning his way. Thankfully, he could put his muddled brain to rest because his legs seemed to know which way home was... and he didn't run face first into trees.

The woods loomed on either side of him, normally he would be hyper aware of his surroundings, cautious of any danger lurking in the shadows. Tonight however, his mind was clouded, his senses were numbed, his limbs barely worked.

He failed to notice the gleaming yellow eyes gazing intently at him through the treeline.

He failed to notice the rustling of bushing and the snapping of twigs.

He failed to notice the heavy footsteps.

He only realized that something was BEHIND him when the said thing exhaled loudly, sending a stream of burning hot air down his back.

Zander turned just in time to avoid the snapping, slavering fangs, his reflexes saving him at the last possible moment.

The beast advanced, growling hungrily, looming over him.

Now, Zander was a well built, big guy, but he felt impossibly small next to the gigantic beast.

He dodged the next few attacks, but failed to see the beast's long tail curling around.

He was sent flying. In his drunk state, he couldn't break the fall properly like he was taught. He hit his head rather hard. Dark sports dancing in his vision, and it was all he could do to remain awake.

The alcohol certainly wasn't helping.

The beast bore down on his fallen form, jaws inches away from Zander's face.

Huh, this was it, wasn't it?

He was about to die in the most undignified way imaginable, unable to defend himself because he was too DRUNK.

Pathetic.

He found himself unwittingly thinking along the lines of 'maybe I should've listened to him...'

"GET AWAY WAY FROM HIM!"

The impending shadow of the beast boring over him backtracked.

Zander knew that voice... but he couldn't place his finger on it, his concussed mind struggled to make sense of the situation.

He heard the shink of a sword being drawn and running footsteps. He felt the beast move away from him, growling at something else.

The scuffle went on for a while, before the beast roared in what sounded like pain, then a heavy thud echoed throughout the woods.

Zander didn't know how long he lay there, struggling not to give into the darkness, but in the end, it was futile.

The last thing he saw before darkness consumed him, was the vague silhouette dropping to their knees by his side, a gentle but frantic hand on the side of his face.

The person said something, maybe Zander's name.

But Zander, feeling an odd sense of security with the mysterious figure, let himself fade into the shadows of unconsciousness.

**********

When Zander came to, he found himself lying on soft sheets, his clothes clean and comfortable, a warm blanket pulled up to his chin. He was tucked in snugly.

He was in his room, he recognized that ceiling.

He knew something was wrong, something had happened? But what?

The throbbing in his head made it hard for him to recall anything.

Wait- throbbing?

Zander slowly brought a hand up to touch his forehead, sturdy fingers meeting with what Zander figured were bandages.

Then everything came rushing back.

The bar.

The beast.

The mysterious stranger.

Zander tried to recall the face of his saviour, but couldn't. But the voice, the presence, the touch... it all felt so familiar.

Zander became aware of another presence in the room. He could hear deep, even breathing. He tilted his head to the side.

There, on a chair by his bedside, sat Zephyr.

His brother was slumped in the chair, dressed in a loose tunic and simple pants, his long inky bangs in his face. He was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling to an even, uniform rhythm.

Zander realized that the mysterious figure's profile matched that of his brother's.

So he had come looking, after all. Not knowing what to think or to feel, Zander looked his brother up and down, taking in his slender form.

Gazing at Zephyr, Zander noticed for the first time just how utterly exhausted he looked.

Zephyr's hair seemed slightly wet, maybe still drying after a bath? He was paler than normal, dark circles etched into the skin beneath his eyes, marring the perfection.

Zephyr was a light sleeper, so it was no surprise when his dark eyes snapped open. The dark orbs settled on Zander, and immediately cleared themselves of residue sleep. Zephyr straightened up. Zander studied his movements, he could tell by the slight twitch of his brother's lip and the tightness of his expression that he was in pain. Was he hurt somewhere? Sore maybe?

Zephyr weaved a hand through his hair, and Zander spotted a thin, fresh cut on his cheek. It wouldn't leave a scar, Zander was sure, but the sight of it made him unsettled.

"You're awake," Zephyr stated.

Zander didn't reply, his brain was finding it unable to move on from how tired his brother looked.

He looked spent. He looked so done, so exhausted, and not only physically. His eyes were tired. His face was not stoic and serene now, it was weary.

It was like some mask had fallen away. Zephyr looked vulnerable.

Seeing his brother like this, Zander wondered whether Zephyr was not as 'fine' and 'perfect' as he let on. Maybe he too had lost sleep, plagued by nightmares. Maybe he hurt too. Maybe he, like Zander, found holding on difficult.

Maybe...

But that didn't justify what he did.

"Don't ever do that again," Zephyr's voice urged him to surface from beneath his thoughts. A moment of silence passed between them before his big brother looked down at his lap, deft fingers balled into fists, and whispered, barely audible, "for one terrifying moment, I thought... I thought I lost you."

Zander found his eyes widening, hearing the absolute raw emotion in Zephyr's voice.

Zander realized that Zephyr had wanted him back home before the dark set in not because he enjoyed the control, but because he was worried.

He had never heard Zephyr sound so exposed, so broken.

It sent his mind reeling.

Zephyr took a deep breath to compose himself, then looked back up.

And he seemed fine again. His face, serene and stoic once more.

It was a mask.

Zephyr wore a mask.

Zander wondered how much emotion he had hidden behind that perfect mask. He wondered whether what he just witnessed was the entirety of it, or if it was merely a fraction.

"How are you feeling?" Zephyr questioned, but Zander was more intent on staring at his brother's face than answering. He wanted to see whether he could detect any more cracks in that mask. He wanted to see whether it would fall again.

It didn't.

Zephyr sighed tiredly, shoulders sagging, "I'll get you something to eat." He got up with a little effort, wincing slightly.

'Was he hurt?' Zander wondered again.

If he was, then he did a splendid job at concealing it.

Like many other things.

Zander pondered how much Zephyr hid from the outside world.

Zander realized that despite his calm composure, Zephyr was hurting too. He thought with some guilt, about how everything he had done to him, the snarky comments, the disobedience, the fights, was probably taking a toll on his brother. It was probably dragging him down, tiring him out.

He felt the pain too, apparently.

He deserved it, for what he did. But...

He was trying, wasn't he?

Zander thought of all Zephyr did for himself and Zane as he watched his big brother's retreating back.

Zander didn't know if things could ever be the same between them.

He would continue, with earnest being a thorn in Zephyr's side, but that night, he decided he would be a small one.

Word count: 1517