Title: mind the gap
Prompt: best bros Izana and Zen
Characters/Pairings: Izana, Zen
A/N: Ahhhh, I hate this fic so much. :( Written for the ANS Valentine Exchange, for raediation. I hope you marginally like this one.
Summary: Honesty had always been Zen's methods more so than Izana's.
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"Why are we here, brother?" Zen asked as they trotted leisurely down a forest path. He scanned their surroundings—something about this place felt familiar, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"For a ride." Izana looped the reins loosely around his hand. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, giving his cape a dappled pattern and a breeze played lightly with the tips of his ponytail. "It has been a while since we last had one alone."
"Alone," Zen repeated dryly, jabbing over his shoulder at the guards trotting a short distance away. "That really isn't the word to use here."
"Mmm…perhaps not." Izana smiled, cocking his head. There were only two moods to his brother, serious or teasing, and Zen shivered as he realized just which mood was the dominating one today. "Though if you really want us to be alone, I can arrange for that."
Zen grimaced, shaking his head quickly. "No, no, this is fine." Whatever his brother was about to do, it would be a thousand times worse if they were alone. At least like this, there'd be some restraint.
"If you change your mind…" Izana trailed off, still smiling. His expression masked his emotions and whatever lay behind his smile, Zen couldn't decipher.
"No, I'm good." He fixed his gaze ahead at the long, dirt path that stretched out through for the forest. There wasn't another soul in sight and he still had no idea what his brother was doing. Despite Izana's words, nothing ever was 'just' something with his brother. There was always a second, a third, a fourth layer with every sentence, a long-term game that Zen could only ever guess at.
"It really is just a ride," Izana added, as though he were reading Zen's thoughts.
Maybe he could. Zen could believe it. For now though, he reluctantly nodded his head. "It has been a year."
"A year?" Izana's brow raised and Zen swallowed.
He hadn't meant to say that aloud. Rubbing the back of his neck, he nodded. "Since we last were alone together."
"Didn't know you were keeping track." Izana chuckled before a more serious expression crossed his face. "That is a very long time."
"It's fine." Zen shrugged. If he were honest, this had always been the case—the free time his brother had was sparing and as the years went on, Zen had wanted to use it less and less. "It's nothing new."
"True." Izana bowed his head slightly, his expression hidden in the shadows of his hair. "Though, that in itself is regrettable."
That made Zen pause, uncertain of just how much of this was honesty, how much of it was just another game. His brother was hard to read—no, impossible to read. Panicking slightly, he waved a hand in front of him. "It's okay, I'm used to it."
"Also regrettable." Izana flashed a brief smile before looking ahead.
When he didn't add anything else, Zen breathed out. Regrettable. He glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye, at his proud profile that had changed little from when they were children. Even if this view remained the same, his feelings toward his brother had changed a lot. Wanting to help his brother, wanting to avoid his brother, it ran the gauntlet from love to resentment.
Even the distance between them had changed. There was a gap between their horses, between their sides even when they walked, and Zen wasn't sure when it started. How it started. Maybe when he first started to speak formally with his brother, his spine stiffening involuntarily in his presence.
Either way, his brother was right. It was regrettable.
"We are here," Izana announced, drawing his horse to stop.
Breaking out his thoughts, Zen looked ahead of him. A small cottage sat at the end of the path and his brow knitted in confusion. "Are we meeting someone here?"
"No." Izana raised a brow, amused. "Do you not remember it?"
"Remember what?" Zen studied the cottage in front of him. It was surrounded by a stone wall, not too high he couldn't leap over it and— "Wait, is this where I—" He promptly snapped his jaw shut, staring at his brother. It was not possible.
"It is," Izana answered with a smile, as though there was nothing strange at all about this situation.
Even though Zen and his aides had not told a soul about the cottage where he'd first met Shirayuki and she herself didn't know where it was. And yet, somehow, Izana knew. His brother had to be a magician of some sorts, this was just not possible. "How?"
Izana slipped off his horse nimbly. "A king should always be aware of his country."
That explained literally nothing and Zen stared at his brother, not sure if it was worth the teasing to prod any further. Maybe later he could ask one of his brother's aides. Dismounting himself, he looked at Izana. "What are we doing here?"
"Well, I wanted to give you a gift for your wedding." Izana chuckled as Zen stared at him in disbelief. Patting Zen's shoulders, he shook his head. "Do not think too hard about it. Sometimes a gift is just a gift."
"Right." Zen stared at his brother, at the hand that lay heavy on his shoulder. "That's surprisingly…honest of you."
"Honesty?" Izana murmured, letting go. "That's true, that is really more your method than mine."
Immediately, he missed the warmth. Curling his hands, he bowed to his brother. "Thank you."
"I am glad you like it." Izana gestured toward the cottage. "Do you want to look inside?"
"Yeah." Zen stood next to his brother, a little closer than he normally walked. When Izana stared at him, his eyes widening imperceptibly, Zen's face flushed and he stammered. "W-what?"
"Nothing." For once, nothing about Izana's expression looked questionable. "Shall we?"