AN. I took a little bit of inspiration from a previous fic I'd written (What Is It?) which is another Tien & Chiaotzu friendshippy story I wrote maaaaany years ago! We've skipped forward roughly 1-1.5yrs, hope you enjoy :)

Chapter Four

Chiaotzu smiled as Tien clambered up onto the bed, staring out the window as the first snowflakes fell softly from the sky to melt on the glass. His three eyes were wide and he pressed his hands to the glass, tilting his head to try and see up into the sky. His breath fogged the window and he kept wiping it off with the side of one hand, not letting it distract him.

"Where's it coming from, nii-chan?"

Chiaotzu's smile widened as he crawled up onto the bed beside the toddler. He draped the blanket over the boy's narrow shoulders, making sure he was warm, before looking out the window at the swirling snow. He loved watching the snow: how it swirled and cascaded and layered white upon white. He was very sensitive the cold though, meaning he usually had to stay inside instead of being out in the swirling flakes of snow, but watching was still transporting. He could vaguely remember his first snowstorm, how speechless he'd been, how enthralled at the sheer wonder of it all.

"From the sky, Tien, it's like rain but…frozen."

Tien made a soft noise of awe, his eyes wide and flitting around quickly to follow the soft flakes of snow in their travels. His vision was excellent, able to follow the quickest of movements. They watched the snow together for a long moment, a companionable silence between them. Tien's nose was pushed flat against the glass as he continued to try to find a source other than the clouds, the telepath's arm draped gently over the triclops' shoulders.

The door behind them creaked as it opened and Chiaotzu withdrew his arm as though he was touching something very hot. Tien didn't pay any mind, his face still pressed against the cold glass. Chiaotzu swivelled on the bed, bowing his head in respect.

"Master," he murmured.

"Chiaotzu." Shen's voice was cold, his face inscrutable.

Chiaotzu quickly turned and nudged Tien, murmuring softly to him, "Turn around, bow, quick."

Tien looked at him, baffled, then looked over his shoulder at the man in the doorway. There was no fear in his eyes, something that made Chiaotzu's stomach twist.

"Whozzat, nii-chan?"

Chiaotzu's entire body froze, terror unfurling through him like sinister black wings. Shen's glasses shone in the dim light as he turned his head ever so fractionally towards the telepath. Shen had never been around Tien, had never introduced himself. Though Chiaotzu had tried to press upon him the importance of their invisible masters, a two year old couldn't grasp such things with the appropriate gravity.

"Nii-chan?"

Tien's voice was high and sweet and incredibly loud in the otherwise completely silent room.

"T-that's our master, Tienshinhan" Chiaotzu said through numb lips. His wide eyes were fixed on Shen's face, desperately searching for any hint of reaction. Shen didn't give him one, his face as set as a stone. "Bow, come on, he's waiting."

Tien swivelled and looked curiously at Shen. The old man was apparently intimidating on closer inspection and the boy tilted his head down in a bow, the first signs of fear tightening the corners of his mouth.

"This is Tienshinhan," Chiaotzu said, gesturing at the triclops. "He... He's two."

It was the truth but sounded like a poor excuse to his own ears. Shen wouldn't accept such disrespect.

To his surprise Shen nodded once, then said, "He's nearly old enough to begin our training. I want you to start shaving his head now. And begin teaching some basic techniques: meditation, ki-control, telepathy."

Chiaotzu jerked his head in a nod, feeling his joints loosen as the fear subsided to be replaced with relief. He tightened his muscles, not wanting to slump into a puddle on the bed.

"Y-yes, Master," he said.

He turned to Tien, a relieved smile fighting to show on his face, when Shen spoke again.

"And if I hear that sort of nonsense again you'll both be punished."

The bottom dropped from Chiaotzu's stomach and he nodded dumbly. Shen turned and left, the door swinging shut behind him. Chiaotzu released a held in breath in a whoosh, his heart fluttering in his chest. Tien was still looking at the bed, his face still, and his eyes wide. The telepath carefully put his arm back around the toddler's shoulders, his touch tentative.

"Why'd he say that?" Tien asked, his voice soft. "What nonsense?"

Chiaotzu sighed softly and closed his eyes.

"You can't call me your brother in front of Master Shen. When he's around we're fellow students and nothing more. Not brothers, not even friends. Okay?"

"But…but you are my brother, nii-chan," Tien said, confusion in his eyes. Chiaotzu hugged the smaller child closer to him, sadness in the slight smile on his face.

"I know, Tien. But Master Shen doesn't like it when his students are close." He jostled the toddler. "Come on, we have to shave your head."

Tien nodded, his face still. They both moved to the floor, Chiaotzu pulling out a shirt and a razor from his footlocker. He had been given another student's spare razor, the sharp edge gleaming in the dimmed light from the window. Tien watched as Chiaotzu flicked it open, his eyes wide. Chiaotzu saw and smiled encouragingly.

"It's okay, Tien. You trust me, don't you?" Tien nodded, his eyes wide. "It won't hurt. Your head might be a bit cold, but the Crane uniform includes a hat if you want to wear it. You have an okay shaped head so you'll look okay." He ruffled the thick mop of black hair that he had kept cropped short enough to not obscure the boy's third eye.

Tien nodded, then sat on the floor, allowing Chiaotzu to put the shirt over his head to catch the hair that fell. He slathered a thin layer of soap and water on the boy's scalp and carefully shaved off the black hair, inch by inch, mourning quietly as it disappeared leaving smooth pale skin behind.

Tien was very good, sitting completely still until all of his hair was gone, and when Chiaotzu gave the okay he started rubbing his scalp, marvelling at the feeling of bare skin beneath his fingers.

"Tomorrow I'll start training you in telepathy," Chiaotzu said quietly. "We'll go slow, okay? You've got another year or so to become really good at it."

"Okay." Tien paused, fiddling with a lock of hair that had fallen into his lap. "Can…can I call you my brother when it's just us?"

Chiaotzu's face relaxed into a smile, wrapping his arms around Tien and pulling him back against his chest.

"Of course you can, Tien," he said softly.

"I love you, nii-chan."

"I love you too, Tien," Chiaotzu said, and pressed a kiss to the top of Tien's bald head. His eyes clenched shut as he held the boy close to him. That had been a close call. They couldn't slip like that again.

AN. Next will be Tien learning telepathy and ki-control. We shall see how all that goes :) See you whenever the next chapter is written/very briefly edited :P Leave a review if you feel like it; it fans the writing flame in my belly :) Thank you!