Title: Light in the Dark
Author: Merci
Pairing: Kazuya+Lee friendship
Source: Tekken
Summary: Lee's nightmares haunt him even as he begins his life in the Mishima compound. Kazuya understands his brother's grief more than he realizes…

Warnings: Completely gen. They're just brothers developing a friendship out of necessity.
Disclaimer: I am making no profit from this fanfiction. I do not own Lee, Kazuya, or Tekken.
Notes: This is a Christmas gift exchange with a friend. Her prompts were: sleeping, comfort, gifts, nightmares, cars. I took liberties with Lee's backstory, and I like to think that he had a somewhat normal childhood that created a foundation for all the crazy stuff he got up to with the Mishimas.

The snow was thick and heavy. Lee remembered it so vividly. He could see it behind closed eyelids, the car trip down the road, and peering through the car windows that fogged when he breathed on them. In the front seat he saw his mom and dad buckled in, and past them, the car windshield with the snowstorm blanketing the world white in front of them. It felt as if they were going fast. He could see the shapes of trees blurring outside his window, but everything felt so slow and foggy at the same time.

His mother turned around, her soft smile painted in red moved as she wordlessly said something.

"What?" Lee asked, his voice feeling heavy. It didn't make sense.

"We love you, Chaolan," his father said, clear and loud in Lee's ears as he turned in his seat.

"You…" Lee croaked. The windows were growing dark. The fog thickening.

"We love you, dear," his mother said. Her smile and red lipstick painted a cut across her pretty face. "Be good while we're gone, all right?"

"Wait…" Lee began, but things were slow. So fucking slow and he couldn't move. He looked to his parents. Their forms were highlighted against the backdrop of the windshield and the image of the oncoming truck. "Mom!"

"No! Mom!" Lee shouted, wrenching himself from the nightmare and plunging into the cold reality. "Mo…" he trailed off and sat up. His chest felt tight, the claws of grief were still buried in his heart and he couldn't stop the tears from pricking the corners of his eyes. "Dammit," he cursed and quickly wiped at his eyes. There was no way Heihachi could find out and punish him for crying, but he'd learned fast and habits were hard to break.

He breathed a sigh of relief and peered around his room, noticing immediately that something was off. He flicked on the bedside lamp, illuminating Kazuya's form in his doorway. Lee froze. Hopefully he hadn't seen…

"Lee, are you OK?" his adoptive brother's voice was a harsh whisper. He'd obviously come from bed, with his hair all dishevelled and wearing nothing more but simple black sleep pants. The mysterious scar burned across his chest in the dim lighting and Lee's eyes trailed over the harsh mark.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Kazuya!" he said a little too quickly. He winced inwardly, hoping it didn't sound forced.

"You were calling out for… well, ah…" Kazuya trailed off, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. "I was worried." He scuffed his foot over the floor, and rubbed the back of his head.

"Really?" Lee blurted out. "That's… cool." It had been a couple years since he'd arrived at the Mishima compound, and he'd never been able to figure Kazuya out. They were on the same side when it came to Heihachi, and there was a rivalry of sorts, but it always felt forced to Lee, as if it was a big show for their father. To know that he was actually worried about him…

"Yeah," Kazuya shrugged. "I… think I know how it is. You know, missing my mom…"

Lee nodded slowly and climbed out of bed. He'd wondered about Kazuya's mother… something about that knowledge loosened the grief that still clung to his heart. He looked at his brother and smiled. It was as good a time as any for his plan. "Hey, come in for a second. It's almost Christmas, you know."

Kazuya quickly looked down the hallway, perhaps listening for signs that Heihachi was awake, before he stepped into Lee's room and closed the door behind him. "I know it's coming soon, but father doesn't think—"

"Forget what he thinks," Lee waved his hand to brush off the concern. "He doesn't have to know if we don't tell him… Besides, I got you something!" Lee said, inwardly hoping that Kazuya wouldn't tell on him as he went to his closet. He dug around, moving boxes out of the way to find the package he'd hidden so carefully a few weeks before. "I know we're not supposed to do this, but my parents used to get a tree and presents and everything for Christmas… I hate that Heihachi won't let us except for social obligations." He briefly made a face to show what he thought, before becoming serious and offering the package with both hands and bowed slightly, showing as much respect as he could. "I saw this and thought of you. I hope you like it!"

"O… oh," Kazuya's voice became low and he moved closer to accept the gift. He tried to keep cool, but Lee could see his hands shaking as he accepted the gift.

The bedside lamp picked up the gold designs gleamed against the wrapping paper's green background. Lee watched and waited. He could feel his heart pounding in anticipation as Kazuya shifted the box in his grasp.

Kazuya handled the package carefully, unblinking, as if he couldn't believe it. His fingers dug into the paper, pulling, tearing – the sound echoing in Lee's ears. A spark of fear gripped him and he worried it was too loud. If they were caught…

But then the paper was falling to the ground and Kazuya was left holding the naked box. His face was tilted down and Lee couldn't see his expression. Lee's stomach flip-flopped in anticipation. He wanted Kazuya to like the gift, perhaps more than he'd thought he would.

"Thank you…" Kazuya's voice was soft and tender, as if he was unsure if it was the right thing to say.

Lee moved forward and opened the lid for him. "It's those Air Jordans you wanted. I saw you looking at them when we were at the mall…"

"I know, but how did you…?" Kazuya began to ask. "They're so expensive!"

"Heh, I have my ways," Lee said, smiling. It hadn't been entirely legal, but he'd picked up some tricks on the streets and Christmas at the mall was the prime time to pick a few pockets.

"You…" Kazuya smiled and nodded, seeming to read his thoughts and accepting the risk he'd taken. "Thank you. I-I'm sorry I don't have anything for you!" he stammered suddenly.

"Oh!" Lee exclaimed, feeling more at ease with Kazuya than he had since they met. "Hmm, well, you could make it up to me for next Christmas."

"Sure… we could do that," Kazuya said, his demeanour brightening. "B-but, can we set a gift limit? I can't afford to get you something so expensive."

Lee nodded, feeling butterflies in his stomach. "You know," he said, a little quieter than he'd intended. "I-I'm glad you're here… with me…"

Kazuya's grin fell. "I'm glad you're here too," he said, absently touching the scar on his chest

Lee's eyes followed Kazuya's hand as it grazed over the angry, dark mark. Lee's eyes had trailed over that scar countless times, making him wonder. He'd wondered, but never asked. Some things had to stay in the past if they were to survive the present, and Lee knew asking would drive a wedge into their budding friendship. It wasn't something he could afford to lose. He needed Kazuya.

And perhaps, he hoped, Kazuya needed him, too.