A/N: and now, to go where no other authoress has dared go (at least not for this show...). Rated for incest, language, shounen, would-be yaoi and lime. No lemon, just lime.

If you're wondering, 'why did she go and use the word blood? That's... kinda weird..." then just wait. You'll see. /diabolical laughter/ All right, enough of that now. Really.

Oh, wait, I almost forgot to thank Lady-Ai 14 for putting Trusedale-cest in my head. Good going. No, seriously, no sarcasm intended. This is really thanks for having another Zane/Syrus fic to pave the way for any other demented YGO-GX writers that think this is a good pairing.

So without further ado, I bring to you...

"Blood Brothers"

Syrus sat up quickly in his bed, struggling to catch his breath. Nightmares. Again. He'd been waking up like this for a week, and the worst part was, he couldn't even remember what had, not one minute ago, terrified him and jolted him out of a sound sleep.

He sighed softly and lay back down, staring up at the bottom of Chumley's bunk.

"What's up, Sy?"

He rolled over and looked down at Jaden, who was sitting on the floor, looking through his cards.

"Oh, um... nothing."

Jaden furrowed his brow.

"Sy-rus," he said. "Something's wrong. I can tell. So why don't you just tell me what it is?"

Syrus just bit his lip and averted his gaze.

"Come on, maybe I can help you." Jaden smiled encouragingly. He knew how to make his friend talk. Syrus was kind of high-strung, and reluctant about doing nearly anything. Cajole, and he'd give you anything. Demand, and you lost it. He had to be dealt with gently.

Syrus muttered something, but spoke so softly that Jaden couldn't hear a word he said.

"Speak up. It's okay."

"I... I had... "

"Yeah?" Jaden smiled broadly. Now they were getting somewhere.

"I- um... Jaden, I can't tell you." The bluenette hung is head and buried his face in his arms.

Jaden stood up, and pulled himself up to Syrus' bed.

"Sy, whatever's wrong, you can tell me. I'm your best friend." Jaden pouted, then added, "Aren't I?"

That did it. He lifted his head, and guiltily, Syrus replied, "You are, Jaden. And that's why I can't tell you!" He groaned and put his head back down.

"Well... then how about you tell me why you can't tell me?"

"Because, you won't want to be friends with me anymore, that's why." The answer was muffled, but the words registered clearly to Jaden.

He put his hand on his friend's head, entangling his fingers in Syrus' soft hair. Perhaps unconsciously, the smaller boy leaned into the caress, sighing softly.

"Syrus..." Jaden started, "I don't care what it is. I'm not going to stop being friends with you. There's nothing bad enough that could break us apart."

Syrus sat up, propping himself up by his arms, and looked into Jaden's eyes.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"All right..." He inhaled shakily, then, shutting his eyes tightly, said, "I had a bad dream."

Jaden was quiet for a moment. Syrus whimpered softly and kept his eyes closed, almost as if he expected Jaden to hit him or something.

Finally, Jaden replied, "That's it?"

"What?" Syrus opened his eyes wide and stared at his friend as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What do you mean, that's it?"

"I said, that's it? That's what was supposed to make me hate you, and not want to be your friend anymore?"

Syrus nodded. "Yes," he answered, his voice quiet and almost defeated.

"Why?"

"Because Zane hated me for having nightmares, growing up," he explained. "He'd say I was being a baby, and that I was too weak. He'd say it was a wonder we were even related."

Jaden gritted his teeth. So that was what this was about. Like so many of Syrus' hang-ups, this was the result of his brother putting him down, telling him he wasn't good enough.

But for Syrus' sake, he put his anger aside. Pulling his hand free of Syrus' soft locks, he draped his arm over his friend's shoulders, and said softly, "So you thought that I wouldn't want you because you had a bad dream?"

"I don't know... "

"Syrus, you should know you can't get rid of me that easy." He grinned, hoping to cheer him up at least a little.

Instead, tears welled up in Syrus' grey eyes, and he began to cry.

"Jaden, you're right!" he wailed. "I shouldn't have thought you were that heartless! You probably don't even want a friend like me. I'm not good enough for y-- "

"Yes, you are," Jaden interrupted. "Even if Zane doesn't think so."

He wanted to say more. Call Zane every horrible thing he could think of. But that wouldn't help anything, and it would probably make Syrus feel even worse.

He shouldn't have felt bad in the first place, Jaden thought to himself.

He knew how much pressure his friend was under. His older brother wasn't just better than him--not better, just more accomplished--he also made Syrus feel bad about not living up to him. Told him in no uncertain terms that it was unfahtomable to be in the same family as such a weak, worthless--

"You're not."

Syrus sniffed. "But, Jaden... didn't you just say I was good enough?"

"Huh?" he said, snapping to attention. "Oh... yeah. I was thinking about something. You're not worthless, no matter what your brother says. It's not true, Sy."

What kind of guy treats his kid brother this way? Why would Zane want to make him feel so bad about himself?

If Zane had been trying to motivate his brother with those hurtful comment and his neglectful, indifferent attitude, he'd failed. Miserably. Now not only was Syrus an under-achiever, he felt even worse about it than was even necessary.

"It... it's not?" Syrus had a hopeful, and almost pleading, look in his eyes. As if he were hoping for some positive attention for once, the kind he never got from his own brother.

Jaden realized that even he had a hard time believing that the two were related. Syrus' eyes were beautiful. Soulful and expressive.

Zane's, on the other hand, were dark, with an uncaring and critical sharpness to them. Good enough to see Syrus' faults, but not enough so to see what a wonderful person his younger brother was.

Zane may not appreciate him, Jaden thought, "but I do."

"Do what?"

Jaden frowned. He'd have to learn to stop finishing his thoughts out loud.

"I appreciate you," he answered. Syrus had moved to sit cross-legged on the bed beside him. Jaden smiled and, wrapping his arms around him, pulled him closer to himself.

"Aw, Jay, why?" Syrus said mournfully. "I'm not a good duelist. I get lousy grades. I can't-- "

Jaden put his hand over Syrus' mouth, silencing him.

"Because you're you." He smiled and pushed his friend's head onto his shoulder. He wasn't sure what he was doing. Trying to give Syrus all the love his brother should have given him, but hadn't? Or did he just like the feeling of having Syrus so close to him?

Maybe it was both.

"Yeah, well, me isn't ever going to be good enough for Zane," the smaller boy stated sadly.

"So what?" Jaden replied. "It's good enough for me."

okay, that's aboutenough of that.

yeah, i know. i should have put a warning up for the extremely sappy content of this fic. but this is about as bad as it's going to get, so any fluff fans should enjoy it while it lasts.

it may be kind of sweet now, but after this... well, not so much. don't worry, the language and incest are coming. just be patient. (if that's even what you're waiting for, which, if you read my notes and are still reading this, you just might be. don't get discouraged just yet).

R&R me, but this is my first fic for this show, so try to be nice. please? much appreciated.

peace for now (at least until i update this...)