Jongin and Yixing were walking back from a medical supply run one evening. It has been their tradition since their childhood when they used to accompany their father and it still continued despite the brothers having different lives as they grew up. After Yixing’s mating, Jongin had tried to pass on the responsibility of escorting Yixing to Chen, but the alpha had refused this one particular responsibility. While Jongin had been annoyed then, Yixing suspected that Chen had other motives and was secretly grateful that he still had the chance to spend time with his brother. It provided an opportunity for the brothers to talk freely. Despite being an alpha, Jongin still looked up to his elder brother and mostly listened to him. Hence, their current conversation was something that Jongin couldn’t avoid.

“Jongin-ah, Kyungsoo mentioned that you are not letting Suho teach you to close the bond. Don’t you want to break the bond with Suho?”

“It’s not that hyung, I just don’t trust him enough to open my mind to him.”

“What do you have against him? He is the gentlest and most kind hearted person I have ever met.”

“But that’s what he is to you. To me, he has something so important to hide that his mind is locked tighter than a dragon’s vault.”

Before Yixing could say anything Jongin cut in, “I know dragons don’t have vaults, but you do understand right? Even when he was so close to death, all I could see of his mind was a blank whiteness, while he could read my every thought the minute we bonded. Also, if I can’t sense his mind at all, how did he even recover using that bond? There is something about him that I am very uneasy about. I mean which dying person would ask a stranger to say such a strange thing.”

Yixing pondered what his brother had said. It is strange that Suho did not ask to be saved, did not ask for mercy but merely as Jongin to say those strange words. Yixing felt that since Suho had not brought that up at all after that, Jongin in his rightful mind should just try to forget it.

“But there is something else isn’t it? I can’t even say if you are nice or mean to him.”

“I don’t, I don’t hate him but sometimes he gets on my nerves. I don’t know why? He just does.”

Yixing patted his brother on the back and gave him a hug. At times like these, Yixing always felt that his brother was still the young pup who brought him crudely picked flowers.

As they moved closer to the lake on the outskirts of their settlement, the brothers saw a figure crouched over the placid lake.

The setting sun was casting long shadows and a gentle breeze was wafting across rustling the long grass. Suho sat cross legged on the banks of the lake nearby. He was staring at his reflection in the lake. Yixing took a step further but Jongin stopped him. As they watched him from a distance, Suho took out a crudely made mask. He cocked his head to the side that was torn and jagged from his throat to his cheek and awkwardly tried to fit the mask. The eye didn’t fit correctly and Suho turned the mask to somehow make it fit. Like a child trying to fit his newest play thing, Suho was absorbed in his work while the setting sun bathed him in ethereal flaming orange.

Yixing heard an indrawn breath from his brother. Jongin had a strange expression on his face. Before Yixing processed what it meant however, Jongin had stalked off towards Suho. Without a word, Jongin plucked the mask from Suho and flung it on the ground. Suho looked startled as he stared up at Jongin who towered over his crouched form.

Yixing stalked up to his brother and pulled him away by the arm. 

“What are you doing Jongin?”

Suho crawled up to the mask and picked it up again but with a roar, Jongin pulled out of his brother’s hold. He snatched the mask out of Suho’s hands and this time flung it on a nearby rock so that the clay mask smashed into a thousand pieces.

Jongin then stalked off into the woods leaving a confused Suho and an apprehensive Yixing behind.

That night Yixing had been so restless that Chen had to make him sit and talk. Pulling the omega into a firm and tight hold, the alpha had demanded an explanation.

“It’s Jongin, I am not sure but something is up with him. Jongin is insensitive sometimes but never cruel. The way he treated Suho today is so unlike him.”

“My dear Xinge, you are looking at it all wrong. Think of it this way. What does your brother do when he cares about someone?”

Yixing looked puzzled and then slowly answered, “He gets all possessive and bossy about them.”

“Exactly, and what does he do when someone he loves gets into trouble or doesn’t take care of themselves.”

“He… he gets angry and aggressive and um… rude?…”

“I still remember how he beat me up right after I almost fell off the cliff in that one hunt almost 6 moons ago. He then proceeded to drag me all the way home scowling at everyone and everything.”

“Yeah, he confessed that he was terrified when he saw you stumble on those loose rocks…”

“I am not sure but I think Suho is unknowingly evoking the innate alpha tendency to protect in Jongin. Tell me Xinge, what did you feel when you saw Suho by the lake.”

“I, I truly felt sorry. I wanted to run to him, pat his head and hold him firm to my chest, which is weird given that Suho is actually older than I am.”

Chen laughed at his mate while Yixing pouted cutely with a blush.

“Ah, my mate, the perfect mother.”

“Chen Chen…” 

“Anyway, you feel the same way about Suho as Jongin does. It's just that you are reacting as an omega and Jongin and sometimes the other alphas react as alphas.”

“You feel it too?” Yixing asked surprised.

Chen pulled his omega into his lap and sat comfortably on his futon before he proceeded.

“Remember that day when I came late after delivering fur at the village? I was returning as usual in the afternoon when I saw Suho wandering around the outskirts of our settlement. One minute he was examining the shrubs and trees as if he was doing research on them but the next when a small squirrel ran past, he giggled and sat down trying to entice it to come closer. Despite his face, there was an openness about his smile that day. I had never seen anything like that. I felt the urge to run up to him and envelop him in a warm hug. The thought disturbed me so much that I went back into the woods for a run to clear my head.”

Yixing turned with surprise to look at his mate. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was planning to, but I wanted to clear my own thoughts first.”

“Are you clear now?”

“Yes, I realized that what I felt for Suho was the pure alpha instinct to protect. Not the way I would protect you, not in the fiery all-encompassing way, but like how I would protect a child. Only then I realized why Suho elicits that kind of response with in us. In some ways, he is a child. He is so emotionally stunted that he doesn’t even know how to trust people or get offended when someone hurts him. He is accepting of everything handed out to him with a strange gratefulness that is painful to watch. He has no sense of self-worth, doesn’t expect anyone to care for him and blames himself for everything. It makes you want to hug him and protect him from the world.”

The pair of them sat in silence pondering for a while.

“I am sorry Xinge, please don’t be angry with me, if it makes you uncomfortable, I will not go anywhere near Suho.”

Yixing looked at his mate with a smile and kissed him gently on his lips.

“You know I am not angry. In fact I am surprised with myself. How come I am not jealous? Now that you mention it, I feel the same way about him.”

“Now imagine your brother feeling the same things that we are feeling towards Suho.”

Yixing inhaled sharply, “so, today afternoon… when Jongin saw him with the mask…”

“Exactly, Jongin didn’t like the fact that Suho was willing to hide his face with a mask.”

“I am worried where it is all going Chen Chen.”

“What happens happens. Don’t worry my heart, things have a way of working themselves out. Now forget about your hot headed brother and think of the hot lord alpha holding you in his arms.”