A/N: While I was finishing up the last 'chapter' of 'an enemy bigger than my apathy,' I thought about the exchange that would go on the next morning, and in doing so ended up writing much more than what you got there. Originally this was posted on its own, but then I was cleaning up my stories on here and thought that I might well just stick it onto the tail-end of the story and be totally done with it. That said, I hope you enjoyed 'apathy' and now we can all go on our merry ways and cr0wn some Witches.

All the same, my apologies for having this story crop up again! Like I said, I was re-organizing some things, but at least now it's fully over. Enjoy the 'epilogue' and bonus points to whomever can tell me what five song lyrics were used throughout this story, haha. (I've also just recalled that 'Separation Anxiety' is actually meant to be set a few days after this, ahaha.)
-and now back to Iron Man and Avengers.

I wanna let my brother know he saved my life
a thousand times throughout the years
he's been the friend who's always there...

'epilogue:' brothers in arms.

Nick didn't even look mildly ashamed when Rochelle came whirling around the corner in her flustered state during her erratic search for the young Savannah native, having recently awoken only to find her couch-mate inexplicably absent, he simply nodded and left their exchange at that. It was a wonder Coach hadn't woken with all of her tromping around, but there was something the con-man appreciated about that: less people to explain his current situation to.

As it now stood, Ellis was slumped against Nick, leaning his head on the latter's shoulder and sleeping peacefully for the first time in nearly a week. His nose twitched as he began to turn his face into the taller man's shoulder who, indifferent to the movement, reached up a hand to scratch at the stubble prickling along the jawline opposite his comrade. Nonplussed, Rochelle watched the interaction—or lack thereof—, biting back unvoiced inquiries and folding her arms across her stomach to lean against the graffiti.

"He hasn't slept in days," The older man muttered, finally meeting her eyes head-on. She nodded for a moment, reluctantly tearing her gaze away to rest it on Ellis' immobile form.

"How'd you finally get him to?" She spoke softly, fearful of disturbing the formerly restless boy whose face was a mask of tranquility, or rather as tranquil as one could be sleeping through the zombie apocalypse with an initially loose hold on reality. At least for his sake Nick had chosen to reorganize his priorities to sit beside the youngest member of the group to let him get a shitload of problems off of his chest. Truth be told, Ellis was afraid of what very well may have happened had Nick not plopped down beside him shaking that pack of smokes.

The con-man was about to shrug, but then clearly thought better of when the movement elicited something close to a perturbed grunt. "Nothing, just let him talk."

Rochelle quirked an eyebrow at him, but other than that didn't question him as to why the younger man was wrapped in his jacket. A little breeze quickly served as her answer, however, as goosebumps rose along her arms. Briefly, she wondered why they hadn't chosen to relocate to somewhere without a draft throughout the night, but the iron lining what ought to have been a window served as a reminder of the only place to properly stand watch.

"We might have to head out a bit later than usual; I'm not about to screw up the only good thing going for the kid." Nick said, interlocking his fingers to crack his knuckles. With a grin, Rochelle followed suit, somehow enjoying the feeling as each of her joints popped during her stretching session, much to the bemusement of the only man on the floor that was awake.

"Huh. I never knew you cared about him so much, Nicolas." She winked, earning a frown and instinctive clenching of a jaw.

"I don't. I just prefer not getting shot in the ass by a sleep deprived hick." It was a ruse and they both knew it. All the same, the reporter was running a hand through her disheveled hair, about to say something else somewhere along the lines of a reprimand, but the two of them were interrupted by slow and hesitant movement from the previously sleeping form slumped beside them.

Ellis blinked through heavy eyelids, clearing his dry throat as his eyes adjusted to take in the scene before him. When his spoke, his voice was thick with sleep. "'Ey, Ro...y'need me ta take watch?"

She smiled softly at him and shook her head, denying his sleepy offer. He nodded and closed his eyes again, about to return to his previous position when the bone from a joint dug into his temple. With a frown, he sat back up to stare it down.

"Wha...Nick!" His eyes widened as he fully awoke, pulling back to stare at the man with an amused smirk as his face flushed and he was stuttering, trying to figure out why the hell he was wearing the elder's jacket. His gaze shot between looking down at himself, the giggling woman against the wall, and the man sitting beside him with one of his hands held out. It was with embarrassed haste that Ellis tore the formerly white jacket off of himself to quickly shove what he could of it into the waiting palm. "Sorry, I don't...What the hell..."

"Ellis," Nick cut in to his flustered tirade, leveling him with his unsettling look that was called upon when demanding silence. "Calm down and shut up."

Utterly confused as he tried to process his current circumstances, the mechanic bobbed his head carefully before closing his mouth and cutting off all other apologies and comments. Running a hand through his slick, dark hair, the lanky man stood, shaking out one of his legs that was currently suffering from a round of pins and needles. Ellis watched both the man and woman mutely as Nick shrugged his thin yet warm jacket back on and Rochelle gave them a small nod before turning to enter the other room to wake the dormant bear that was Coach.

It wasn't until a throat was cleared again somewhere above him that the young mechanic glanced up, halting as his legs unfolded to their full length with his back arching in his own form of stretching.

Nick stood silently above him, one hand held out before him, and the Southerner was about to ask what he was waiting for before he realized that it was an offering. Taking it cautiously, the younger let the standing man help haul him to his feet, giving him a swift pat on the back when he swayed on his uneasy legs. Unsure of what to say, Ellis gave a curt nod as thanks. He hadn't noticed one hand was still balled into the fist it had formed sometime during his sleep.

Unfurling his hand in confusion, the young man stared down into his palm, finding it housing the unused cigarette given to him the night previous.

One of Nick's eyebrows rose. "Are you going to smoke that, or what?"

Ellis shook his head slowly, looking away from the roll in his hand in time to watch the mysterious man shrug at him. He was about to voice a question and a sentiment in regards to their exchange during his state of unrest when the clatter of cans and a feminine voice called out to them.

"Boys, breakfast! Cans of pasta or asparagus, take your pick."

Nick watched the younger man for an instant before hesitantly beginning to turn away, his hunger pangs getting the best of him and no longer comfortable with the silence between them as his compatriot clearly mentally warred with himself. He was just about to round the corner when a gentle, drawled voice recaptured his attention, leaving one foot firmly on the ground and the other poised for action.

"And Nick...thanks, man." He took an unsteady breath to steel his nerves. "You really...you really didn't have to do that. But...I 'ppreciate it, I really do. If you hadn't just, y'know, let me get all that shit off my chest, I don't...I don't know what I would have done. I felt like I was going to burst, but I was afraid to. Actually, I'm kinda surprised it was you—not that I gotta problem with you, 'cause I don't, but I didn't think you would...y'know." He sighed, running a hand down his face behind Nick's back. "But thank you. I mean it."

The con-man offered no further response than a nod and light smirk, turning to look over his shoulder at the man that was clearly more at ease with his situation than he had been in days.

"You coming or what, bro?"

The duo chuckled at that, leaving Nick to continue on his trek to the next room in search of the promise of food.

Ellis smiled—a real smile, the first in a while—and glanced down at his palm again before pocketing the cigarette, letting it serve as the reminder of the night his brother saved him from himself.