Mortal Kombat: Sub-Zero's Student

Chapter Thirty-Two: Calming The Storm

-Bi-Han's POV- "Something is troubling you, my dear brother." I notice, averting my gaze away from the campfire and towards his sitting form.
"Ah," Kuai looks up, his blue eyes wide.
"Forgive me. I am just..thinking."
Both Kuai and I had decided to take a small walk and camp out in the snowy woods near the temple before we leave at dawn.
"About what? You can tell me."
He sniffs, taking his mask off and placing his dark blue hood up to shield his face.
"I can't say. I don't want to worry you any longer."
"You are causing me to worry by not saying anything." I counter back gently, walking over to him and kneeling down.

"Okay, I give." He huffs, looking up at me over the rim of his hood. "I saw my corrupted form in the bathroom mirror."
"What? And you're just relaying this to me now?!" I scoff. Kuai flinches at my tone of voice, letting out a small whimper.

I suddenly realize that I sound a lot like father....
"No, no..." I reach my hand out to comfort Kuai, but he swats it away. "Just stop," his voice trembles.
From the part of his face that isn't obscured by the hood, I see his lips tremble as tears run down his cheeks.
"Okay," I whisper, sitting a few meters beside him but not close enough to make contact. I force myself to listen to every sob and gasp that escapes his lips.

With each sound, my heart breaks more. A few minutes pass as I listen to the fire crackle. Eventually, his cries quiet down to soft whimpers and mewling.

"Bi-Han," his voice cracks, refusing to look at me.
"Yes?" I respond.
He tightens the cape around himself. I yell in surprise when Kuai grips my good hand in his. The upper part of his face is still blocked by the hood, but I can tell that he is looking at me.
"I just want the tension to stop. All of it. I want all of us to be at peace..."
"You are not the only one that wants that." I sigh as he lets go.

I yawn, laying on the ground. "Goodnight, Kuai."
I close my eyes, hearing his footsteps crunch in the snow and feel his body lay next to mine.
"Goodnight," He whispers in my ear before quickly kissing my cheek. I hear him sniffle, trying to calm himself down.
****
I wake up to Kuai asleep with his head resting on my chest, his arm draped over my stomach.
I move slightly, causing him to groan in his sleep.
"Kuai," I shake his shoulder gently.
"'S too early," he grumbles, brows knit in irritation as he tries to shove my hand away in his half-asleep state.

"You need to get up," I command.
"But you're so warm," Kuai argues, snuggling his face into my chest. "And listening to your heartbeat helped calm me down."
I blink in surprise at his compliment.
"But you're right," He lifts his head up and I notice his eyes are puffy and bloodshot from crying last night. "We need to see Hanzo and Kana anyway."

"I know," I croon, getting up as Kuai brushes snow off his outfit. We continue walking, with Kuai trying his best to talk his anxiety down over encountering Hanzo.
"What if Hanzo tries to attack me again?" He paces, kicking up snow as it sparkles in the sunlight.
"I'm sure he won't," I comment, not fully believing it myself.

"How would you know?!" Kuai suddenly snaps with aggression. He turns to face me, anger hardening his eyes. "Both you and I saw how Scorpion can be! How do we know Hanzo won't snap and try to kill me?"
Much to my surprise, Kuai shoves me, his fingers jabbing hard into my ribs.

I stumble back a few steps, too shocked to react.
Kuai's own face flashes in surprise, then a mixture of anger and regret. His hands curl into fists at his sides.
"Kuai...what happened to you? You're not the little brother I remember," I choke out.
"What?" Kuai nearly screams, throwing his hands in the air. "The little boy that cried in his room when you punched me so hard that a tooth broke off? The one that sobbed as he bandaged his own cuts? Is that the one that you miss, Bi-Han?! The one you could bully? I'm not like that anymore."

His eyes flash purple for a moment. Kuai grits his teeth, clutching the side of his head.
"Enough of this, I'm going back to the temple."
He storms past me. Without thinking, I grab his shoulder.

I immediately let go and grip his fist as it comes to hit me in the face. My hand trembles at the amount of pressure I need to clutch his fist.
"If you're so mad, then leave. I cannot let you see Kana while acting like this."
Kuai releases the tension on his hand and lets go.
Without another word, he turns his back to me and walks off, his cape swirling around in the wind.