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“Do it once more Bryan!” came the harsh voice of Boris; he seemed to be pushing the team more than usual “that was sloppy and unprofessional”
“Yes sir” Bryan muttered, launching his blade once more, the boy was exhausted just like his teammates, Tala was dizzy from the training, Spencer bleeding from his fingers and Kai could barely stand, Ian had collapsed and lay there motionless on the cold stone floor.
“And Kai, honestly you call this blading?” he shouted, “I’ve seen a dog with more skill than you!” then he hit Kai across the face, making him fall and stumble down to the ground with a painful grunt.
He was about to strike Kai again when a blade went shooting past him, the older man looked over to the direction it came from, there stood Bryan, panting in anger, Boris only smirked “is this what you need to see to get you going?” then he grabbed Kai by the arm and dragged him up on his feet, throwing him over to Bryan who caught him as he fell into his arms.
“You ok?” he muttered to him, Kai looked up at him and nodded but didn’t move from his arms and he didn’t pull away, they stood there just looking at each other until Kai was pulled away from him, he let out a yell of surprise as Boris pulled him by the hair “isn’t this sweet, they have feelings for each other!” he mocked them but got dead serious “now Bryan, I want to see Blitz Bomb perfected or your little girlfriend will break something!”
Panic ran through the boy as he saw Boris grab Kai by the arms, he gave out a sound of pain but didn’t fight the man “I trust you Bryan” Kai said and gave him a small smile.
“Come on Bryan, you can do it” Tala encouraged, the boy gave him a nod and set his blade up, ready to launch he was about to let it rip when a painful moan escaped Kai’s lips, apparently Boris liked to play dirty and was twisting the boy’s arm, ready to crack the bones “launch the damn blade boy!” he bellowed and Bryan did as he was told.
The blade was spinning perfectly, almost cutting through the dish, Bryan released Falborg creating a perfect storm and shooting smoothly back in his palm.
Boris smirked “very good Bryan, that was very good” then a crack was heard and a loud, painful scream, he tossed Kai away like a rag doll, the boy clutching his hand and broken fingers.
“Kai!” Tala yelled and ran to his side “are you alright?” the boy nodded, tears sliding down his face and pain in his face giving away the injury.
“Why did you do that? You said it was good!” Bryan screamed at Boris who chuckled “and it was Bryan, but Kai on the other hand wasn’t doing to hot…let that be a lesson”
Two hours of painful training later the boys were finally sent to their room, Tala flopped down on the bed exhausted while Bryan took Kai’s hand carefully, the smaller boy wincing in pain “I’m so sorry Kai, I didn’t know he’d actually break your fingers” Kai shook his head “it was my own fault…I should have trained harder”
“Don’t say that, you were doing very good” came Tala’s voice “Boris is just a sadist!”
Spencer nodded in agreement “let me see that Kai” the small bluenette reached out his hand to Spencer who looked at it and started pinching the fingers, earning a small whimper from Kai, the blond then ripped out a piece of clothing from his shirt and wrapped the fingers tightly, making sure Kai couldn’t move them.
“This should help them heal…even though it’s horribly done” Kai smiled “thank you Spence, I was lucky he didn’t break the fingers on the hand I launch with”
“It’s good to know Boris hasn’t beaten the optimism out of you yet” Tala said and chuckled sitting up in the bed when Kai sat down next to him.
“This is bullshit!” Bryan suddenly cursed, Kai, Tala and Spencer all looked at him surprised, the silverhaired boy looked angry and riddled with guilt, he looked over at Kai who looked back at him “don’t feel bad Bryan” he muttered but before Kai could continue Bryan left the room running, Kai running after him.
They ran down the dark corridor, Kai picking up speed so he could catch the taller boy.
Finally, he caught up and grabbed his arm, stopping him and forcing him to look into his eyes “Bryan, what’s the matter?”
Tears were sliding down his face as he tried to avoid those big ruby eyes “I…I just, I’m so sorry Kai” he fell down to his knees and hugged Kai’s hips as he sobbed “I’m so sorry for all of this”
Kai stroked his hair “Bryan, it’s not your fault…Boris, he’s just…sick, you didn’t do anything wrong”
“But I did!” Bryan was sobbing even harder and Kai sat down on the ground next to him, still holding the teen as he clung to Kai for dear life.
“I don’t understand…” Kai muttered
Bryan looked up, his eyes red from the tears, he took Kai’s face in his hands “he uses you against me, it’s because of me that he beats you so much” Kai was about to protest when Bryan pressed his lips against his, Kai was shocked at first but leaned into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Bryan’s neck.
They broke apart after a moment, Bryan staring down at the floor in shame, muttering something about how sorry he was.
Kai only lifted his chin up “it’s not your fault Bryan” then he kissed his tears away “don’t you ever say that again”
“Kai?” Bryan whispered “I…I love you and Boris knows it, if he ever found out about this kiss, he’d use it against us”
Kai only nodded “then I guess we can never become something…in this life.”
They shared a one last kiss.
...
They hadn’t spoken about it since that night all those years ago, the feeling had never faded, at least not for Bryan.
He still loved Kai more than anything, but he stifled it knowing Kai didn’t want to be with him...even if Voltaire and Boris were no more. No, Bryan knew he’d always just be Kai’s older brother figure and teammate and nothing more, so he acted like that, to be close to him. It wasn’t until that punk Brooklyn nearly killed Kai that Bryan couldn’t stand by any longer, he was now sitting by the sleeping boy in the hospital.
The slow breath and once in a while beeps were heard, Bryan sat down next to the bed, Tala laying in the next bed, deep in a coma. “Kai, if you can hear me then please listen to what I have to say...” his voice was quiet, almost broken as it hurt to see the smaller teen all shattered.
Bryan licked his lips “I don’t care what people think of me” he sighed “I just want to be with you and you alone”
Nothing.
“I’m so sorry I let this happen to you” he raised his voice a little but not enough to be in full vocal “if you, by some miracle, decide to be mine I will always protect you, no matter what, I won’t let anything like this ever happen again…I promise, even if you reject me….I’d still protect you.”
No answer
“I love you Kai”
There was silence and Bryan started feeling his hopes of being with Kai fade, he felt like an idiot, sitting there in the dark with nothing but the sounds from medical machines around him confessing his ever dying love to someone who wasn’t even awake, he bowed his head, he couldn’t look at Kai’s fragile body any longer, lifeless on a hospital...he was too weak for that.
As he got up and made his way towards the door, he heard it “Bryan...?” it was small and weak, but it was there.
The boy looked up, hope filling his eyes as he saw Kai’s ruby red ones staring tiredly but kindly back at him.
He sat back down next to Kai’s bed and Kai weakly put his hand on Bryan’s “thank you” he whispered and Bryan only smiled kindly “for what?” he could feel tears welling up, an overwhelming feeling of gratitude that the younger boy was alright.
“For being here, for all those promises” the small teen was sitting up in his bed, a hiss of pain escaping his lips “for loving me, even after all these years, even after I betrayed you, countless times”
“But you always came back” Bryan whispered, tightening the hold on his hand.
He leaned in, waiting for Kai to finish what he had started, and he did, it was so sweet and gentle, Bryan using every inch in him to control himself, not wanting to hurt the already badly injured boy.
A second kiss.