A/N: This is my eighth fan fiction. There are some headcanons in here. See if you can find them. This story takes place before Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to anything involving Mortal Kombat. The franchise belongs to Ed Boon.
Outside was calm, and nothing was stirring. It deeply contrasted with Bi-Han's current state.
Contrary to what everyone thought, Sub-Zero was not emotionless. It is true that he is an assassin for the Lin Kuei, and a very effective one at that. However, that did not mean that he enjoys what he does. In fact, he hated what he does. The life of a thief and assassin is a difficult one, and one he had to adapt to very quickly. If he didn't, he would have died a long time ago, and ended up leaving Kuai Liang on his own. That thought caused everything to come close to the surface.
His younger brother—younger fraternal twin brother, specifically—dealt with things worse than he did. He was always asking questions and showing compassion and mercy, and emotions in general. These things were not encouraged, and even looked down on. Bi-Han had to constantly tell him to stop doing that openly, lest he get punished by the grandmaster. As they got older, Bi-Han decided to lead by example. To that end, he trained as hard as humanly possible and excelled at all of his duties, missions, and responsibilities, along with showing little to no emotion as possible when not in his and Kuai's room. His efforts started to take effect, as Kuai started to improve his skills and rein in his emotions. In a matter of time, Bi-Han would only have to worry about him in the standard sibling manner.
That's not to say that he wasn't there for him, however. Bi-Han always made sure Kuai could come to him and vent to him when things became too much for him to handle. He always looked out for him, giving him love and support, shielding him from the worst the Lin Kuei and the world had to offer, and taking the worst of the missions so he wouldn't have to. He knew Kuai appreciated what he did for him, and it made him proud and relieved that he could help him, even if it was behind closed doors. As long as Kuai was alright and safe, he could slightly relax.
It could only ever be slightly, as every action has a consequence. Bi-Han's training and success at his missions caused the grandmaster to place huge expectations on him. Said expectations resulted in Bi-Han being assigned missions that he was not proud of accomplishing. However, he had no choice. Failing to live up to expectations, failing missions, and failing in general, meant punishment. He knew it would definitely fall on him, but there was a chance Kuai would pay the price as well. If not punishment, Kuai would be assigned such missions in his place. Bi-Han absolutely refused to take that chance.
Expectations and punishment aside, Bi-Han setting the "strong warrior" example ended up being a double-edged sword. If he showed how he really felt about what he has to do, he would be considered weak, which was frowned upon by the Lin Kuei. Weakness was a punishable offense, which both brothers could not escape, no matter how successful Bi-Han was otherwise. Again, Bi-Han would not risk it. He could take any punishment thrown his way, but he did not want Kuai to ever experience it if it could be helped. If that meant he had to keep everything bottled up inside, so be it.
He knew it was a vicious cycle, one that seemed to have no way of ending, and one that he felt develop something dark. Showing emotion was a weakness, and he had to keep everything inside to avoid punishment as a result. However, doing so would eventually take a toll on him, which could lead to him not doing his best, which could also lead to punishment. If he was punished, he would have to keep everything pent up, and the whole process would start all over again. Bi-Han couldn't let anything out, however. Not when there was so much on the line.
Shaking his head and taking a deep breath, Bi-Han suppressed all that he was feeling yet again. He was Sub-Zero once more, cold and unfeeling to everyone. He left the room he shared with Kuai ever since they were brought to the Lin Kuei Temple and made his way to one of the training rooms. If he couldn't express anything verbally, pummeling inanimate objects into oblivion was as good as it would get.
Tomas Vrbada may be a bit of a joker, but he was rather perceptive.
Not too many fellow Lin Kuei warriors saw how perceptive Smoke was, and usually ended up underestimating him during sparring matches. Tomas enjoyed the looks on their faces whenever he saw their weak points and used them to his advantage, almost always winning as a result. They would usually keep their guard up around him for a while, but with a few jokes, they would go right back to not taking him entirely seriously, starting the cycle anew. On one hand, he wished he could both be taken seriously and tell jokes. On the other hand, it meant more victories for him, which he definitely wasn't complaining about.
His perceptiveness didn't stop at fighting, though. As time went on, he was able to read most people's emotions and personalities. This came in handy when on missions, as it let him know when targets were panicking, which made for an easy kill. When he was at the Lin Kuei Temple, he could tell when people were not in the mood for jokes or pranks, so he avoided them. The only person who he couldn't get a read on was the grandmaster. He was forever an enigmatic figure to the Lin Kuei, even to Sektor, his own son. As far as Tomas was concerned, it was just as well that he couldn't understand him. He was certain there were some things that he didn't want to know, considering who the grandmaster was.
In contrast, there were two people he could read really well, for which he was very grateful. One of them was his best friend, Kuai Liang. Said friend would come to him if Bi-Han was away on a mission and let him know if anything was bothering him. Tomas was glad to help Kuai out, and as time passed, their bond strengthened to the point that they considered each other brothers. The other person was Bi-Han.
Bi-Han maintained his stoicism extremely well, which Tomas gave him credit for. But since he has spent a lot of time around him, Tomas could tell when something was bothering him. However, he rarely asked him if something was wrong. He knew exactly what was going on, as no one truly liked what being a Lin Kuei warrior entailed, even if nobody admitted it outside of the privacy of their rooms. Along with that, it was obvious that Bi-Han cared about Kuai, even if he didn't vocalize it anywhere but in either their room or Tomas's room.
Truth be told, he admired how far Bi-Han was willing to go to ensure Kuai's wellbeing, though he wished it wasn't at Bi-Han's expense. While Tomas did not consider Bi-Han to be like a brother, he still thought of him as a friend. As such, he worried about how Bi-Han was taking everything, though whenever he told him this, Bi-Han would either pretend not to know what Tomas was talking about, or would tell him that everything was fine in a way that left no room for further discussion.
Tomas knew that Bi-Han would never let it out. At least, he wouldn't do that and let them know about it. It was only a matter of time before Bi-Han couldn't hold it in anymore, and everything that's been held in would be let out. As he never vented to anyone before, it would be at least ten years' worth of bottled up negativity coming out in waves of anger and sadness if it were to happen relatively soon. Tomas hoped he would be there when it happened, so Bi-Han would have someone to talk to once everything was finally out in the open. The only other uncertainty would be exactly when it would happen. It could be a matter of days or weeks, or even months and years. Tomas thought about the probability of it happening when he was on a mission, and hoped that wouldn't be the case. He sighed, wishing for the best case scenario.
Three weeks later, Sub-Zero was assigned a mission that wasn't in China. It was a typical assassination, which was not difficult to carry out. This mission deviated from others in one regard, however. When Sub-Zero executed his plan, his target wasn't alone. There was another man with him, a few years younger than him, who resembled him rather well. The target tried to shield him from the assassin, fear and concern for him written all over his face. The Lin Kuei warrior realized that this was the target's younger brother. Sub-Zero couldn't let him live, as doing so would compromise the mission, himself, and the Lin Kuei as a whole.
Forming an ice sword, he promptly drove it through both of their hearts in one motion. Pulling it out so the weapon wouldn't act as a stopper, he watched emotionlessly as they fell to the floor, bleeding out. He held the blade above them, their own blood dripping down on them. Knowing there was nothing they could do, the siblings embraced each other, the target comforting his brother. In a matter of minutes, their last breaths left them, their eyes closed, and they were still. Sub-Zero observed them for a few moments, the sword dissipating in that time, leaving no trace of itself. He started to leave, considering that this would be another perfect mission on his record.
Before the ice wielder was out of the room, the thought to turn around entered his mind. Confused by this sudden impulse, he stopped walking. After mentally debating it for a moment, he decided to look back. When he did, his eyes widened.
Instead of seeing the target and his brother, Bi-Han saw himself and Kuai Liang. The wounds were still there, and Bi-Han's corpse was hugging Kuai's corpse close to it.
Bi-Han stared for a few minutes, a blizzard of emotions storming throughout his very being. He faintly remembered that he needed to get out of there to avoid being seen. Tearing his gaze away from the sight, he quickly and silently left, the image still running through his mind, all previous thoughts forgotten for now.
Tomas took one look at Bi-Han after he returned from his mission, and immediately knew that he would lose it soon.
The stoic mask that the warrior had on was starting to slip. It wasn't in front of anyone other than Kuai and Tomas, and it was subtle to the untrained eye. Their eyes weren't untrained, however. In spite of this, they knew better than to ask him about it. Not only would the older twin not tell them anything, he would also berate himself for his weakened stoicism. That didn't stop them from worrying, though. Tomas knew it was killing Kuai to see Bi-Han hurting and being unable to help him or do anything about it.
The smoke user realized he had to take matters into his own hands. All he had to do now was wait for that day to come.
One week later, that day came.
The Lin Kuei Temple was a huge place with many different areas. Some were constantly occupied, while others were very isolated. Bi-Han went to one of the isolated parts of the temple, one where he knew no one ever bothered to go. There, he could let everything out without worrying about being seen or heard. When he got there, he inhaled and exhaled slowly, and let his stoic mask fall. Immediately, his posture shifted from rigid to slumped, and everything he kept hidden appeared on his face. His features became a mix of anger, fear, and sadness, and his breathing went from regulated to ragged. For once, the man's guard was completely down. He was so out of it, he didn't sense someone approaching.
A pair of arms wrapped around his chest from behind, and a forehead rested on the back of his head. Bi-Han was being hugged, and judging from the arms, it wasn't by Kuai Liang. Bi-Han became tense, getting ready to fight off whoever it was.
"It's alright, Bi-Han," Tomas said softly. "Let it all out."
It was as if a dam had burst. More than a decade's worth of anger, fear, frustration, pain, and sadness fought its way to the forefront, and expressed itself through shed tears and hard sobbing. This went on for a while, Tomas doing the best he can to comfort the other man while he told him about the times that affected him the most. Bi-Han's legs felt weak, but before he fell, Tomas gently sat them both on the ground, still hugging him. Eventually, Bi-Han turned around so he could face Tomas, and told him about what he saw on his most recent mission.
"I saw Kuai Liang and myself, dead," he whispered, voice hoarse from crying. "Is that what's going to happen to us? Is this life going to kill us?"
"No," Tomas answered, shaking his head. "The both of you are too strong for that."
"I don't feel strong at all," Bi-Han replied. "I showed nothing but weakness just now."
"That's not true," the silver-haired man responded. "That wasn't weakness. It's amazing how you were able to keep all of that in for so long. But doing that isn't good for anyone. You feel much better, now that it's not bottled up inside anymore, right?"
"… Yes," the black-haired man admitted, looking at the ground.
"Good," the gray-eyed man reassured. "I'm glad it's finally out in the open."
"What do you mean?" the blue-eyed man asked, looking up.
"I knew this was going to happen," the Czechoslovakian man said. "I knew for a while. I also knew that you would never admit it if I asked, so I had to pretend to not notice."
"… Was it really that obvious?" the Chinese man asked, feeling even more embarrassed.
"Only to those who really know you," the smoke user answered. "So, just Kuai and I."
"I see," the ice wielder said.
There were a few moments of silence after that. Bi-Han took that time to pull himself together, but did not regain his stoicism. Tomas thought about what to say next.
"Bi-Han, if you ever need to vent in the future, come find me," he finally said. "I'll always lend an ear and a shoulder for you. We'll meet here, since no one else comes here."
The elder Cryomancer considered it for a while. Eventually, he nodded.
"Alright," he relented. "I'll return the favor as well. If I need to do this, you definitely need to."
"It's a deal," the gray-tinged man grinned. "Before you say it, I know not to tell anyone about this. So save your threats, since I know you're thinking of one."
Bi-Han chuckled at that, nodding again.
"Thank you, Tomas," he said, a small smile on his face. "I really needed that."
"You're welcome, Bi-Han," Tomas said, a smile on his face as well. "That's what friends are for."
"Yes, friends."
Bi-Han kept smiling, glad that for once, he didn't have to bear something alone.
After the agreement was made, Bi-Han started to actively seek out Tomas's company. Sometimes, it was just to spar with him, to see if their skills and tactics have improved. Other times, it was to vent to him, and to be the one Tomas vented to. Usually, it was to let some steam off from missions, as being thieves and assassins was difficult at times for them. Both men found themselves looking forward to such meetings, as it meant that they would have a better state of mind than before, if only for a little while.
The effects of their meetings were almost immediately noticeable. Bi-Han wasn't as tense as he used to be, and smiled more often, albeit only around Kuai and Tomas. Tomas, now not needing to pretend that he didn't know what was going on, wasn't guarded anymore, and was now his usual cheerful self. Kuai was extremely happy with these changes, though he didn't know what brought them about. He told them that a few months after these meetings started, when the three of them were on their way to their rooms after dinner.
"I'm so glad you two aren't… I don't want to say 'distant,' since the both of you are always there for me," the younger Cryomancer began. "I like that you're more relaxed. It means I don't need to worry about you two as much."
"You're the younger twin," the elder Cryomancer responded, smiling. "You shouldn't be worrying about me. It's the other way around."
"Like that'll stop me," Kuai retorted, a matching smile on his face.
"And I'm two years older than the both of you," Tomas interjected. "Neither of you should worry about me, going by that logic."
"We still will!" the youngest warrior's smile shifted into a grin.
"We're all friends, after all," the middle warrior added, still smiling.
Tomas grinned at that.
"So we're all gonna worry about each other, then," the oldest warrior surmised.
"That sounds about right," Bi-Han confirmed.
"As long as we're all on the same page," Tomas concluded.
With that, they wished each other goodnight once they made it to their rooms, all smiling.
A year after Bi-Han and Tomas started their venting sessions, Tomas found Bi-Han and Kuai in one of the training rooms. From how they looked, they just finished sparring. Bi-Han helped Kuai stand up, the latter thoroughly exhausted from the match.
"Please tell me it wasn't a one-sided match," the gray-eyed man joked, grinning.
"No, it wasn't," Kuai replied. "I gave Bi-Han a good workout."
"If that's what you want to call it," Bi-Han dryly remarked.
"Bi-Han!" Kuai protested.
"Alright, alright," Bi-Han said, turning to Tomas. "It wasn't one-sided. Kuai has improved significantly since the last time we sparred."
"Good job, Kuai," the long-haired man complimented. "Getting praise from Bi-Han isn't easy."
Bi-Han looked back at Kuai, smiling.
"I'm proud of you," he continued. "Both as a fellow Lin Kuei warrior, and as your brother."
"Do you really mean that?" the younger twin asked shyly.
"Yes," the older twin answered, nodding, smile still in place.
Stars were in Kuai's eyes as a mile-wide grin formed on his face. He hugged Bi-Han tightly.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me," the youngest warrior beamed. "I'm so happy I have you for a brother."
"As am I," the middle warrior still smiled, returning the hug just as tightly.
They stayed like that for a few moments. Tomas smiled and watched them, initially happy for them. A moment later, his smile dropped, his happiness replaced with something else entirely. A moment after that, the emotion was replaced with shame, which was reflected on his face. He silently turned around and left the training room.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bi-Han saw all of that. He had a hunch where Tomas was going.
"I knew I'd find you here," the younger man said, arriving at their usual spot half an hour later.
The smoke user was sitting on the ground, legs drawn to his chest, hands around his shins, chin resting on his knees. He looked straight ahead, saying nothing.
Bi-Han sat down next to him, cross-legged. He turned his head to look at him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
He was met with silence once more, before a sigh left the older man's lips.
"I'm a terrible friend," Tomas stated, looking at him, shame making its way across his face again.
"Both of us know that's not true," the blue-eyed man responded. "If Kuai was with us, he would wholeheartedly agree with me on that."
"I feel like I'm a terrible friend," the gray-eyed man amended, pose not changing.
"Why do you feel that way?" the ice wielder inquired.
Tomas took a deep breath.
"When you and Kuai were hugging and saying how you were glad to have each other for brothers, I was envious," the Czechoslovakian man confessed.
"You envy us?" the Chinese man asked, surprised. "And for that? Why?"
"Because you two have each other," the silver-haired man elaborated. "You've had each other since before you were brought here."
The black-haired man realized where this was going.
"We were three when we were brought here," he started. "We can't remember anything of our lives before the Lin Kuei, just like you."
"That's because the both of you were too young to remember anything back then," Tomas calmly retorted. "I was six when I was brought here. I should remember something—anything—of my life before then. But I don't. My name aside, I can't remember a single thing from before I was six. Was I an orphan? Did I have at least one parent? Both parents? Was I an only child? Did I have at least one sibling? More than one? Was I born with my powers? Did I get them through other means? I can't answer any of these questions!"
Tomas's voice became more impassioned with every question. He thought he felt something stir from deep within, but paid no mind to it.
"I hoped the Lin Kuei would help me learn about my past," he continued. "But I'm not any more knowledgeable about it now than when I was brought here! I'm twenty-six years old, and I haven't gotten past square one as yet! I know I shouldn't think about it or feel this way when the Lin Kuei is my home now, but I just can't help it!"
When Tomas was finished, his chest was heaving from breathing so heavily. The thing he felt was starting to make its way to the surface. He quashed it, as he felt it would make things worse. He turned his body so that he was facing Bi-Han completely, eyes alight with frustration at himself. Bi-Han stayed still for a moment, then pulled Tomas into a hug. The gray-tinged man stiffened for a moment, then relaxed into the hug, burying his face into Bi-Han's shoulder.
"Though you can't remember your life before the Lin Kuei," Bi-Han began, "You have people here who care about you more than you think, and nothing is going to change that."
"Of course I'm cared about here," Tomas snarked, voice muffled. "I have powers that the Lin Kuei can use for a lot of things."
"I meant that there are people who care for you as a person, not just for what you can do," the elder Cryomancer clarified. "Me, Kuai, and maybe Cyrax."
"Cyrax?" Tomas looked up at that, confused.
"He hasn't tried to attack you for your terrible jokes and puns," Bi-Han explained. "So he must like you to some extent."
"Hey, my jokes and puns are the best!" Tomas defended. "It's not my fault Cyrax is cultured enough to appreciate them, while you're not."
Bi-Han raised an eyebrow at that.
"Are you calling me an uncultured swine?" the assassin asked, clearly not taking offense.
"You said it, not me," the older man grinned.
Bi-Han chuckled, glad that Tomas was returning to his old self. Tomas noticed it himself, as he finally relaxed, inhaling and exhaling slowly.
"Thank you, Bi-Han," he smiled, gratitude clear in his voice. "For letting me vent to you about this, and not taking what I said personally."
"That was our deal, remember?" Bi-Han said, smiling. "You won't let this affect you as much as it did before now, will you?"
"No," Tomas shook his head. "I'm feeling better about it."
"That's good," the warrior said. He noticed the Sun's position in the sky. "It's dinnertime. I don't doubt for one second that your venting worked up an appetite. Let's go back."
"You know me so well," Tomas chuckled, standing up.
Bi-Han also stood up. Together, they walked back to the main part of the temple, feeling better than they did when the venting began.
One month later, Bi-Han was assigned another mission that wasn't in China. He returned one week after he left, his mission completed successfully and flawlessly, as was expected. After he unpacked, and when he was alone in his and Kuai's room, he called Tomas over.
"I don't need to ask how the mission went, since you're the great and perfect Sub-Zero," the gray-eyed man said, no trace of mocking in his voice. "Still, you're alright?"
"I am," the blue-eyed man nodded. "I called you here because of it, however. Nothing's wrong, I assure you." He hastily added.
"What's up?" the silver-haired man asked.
"As you know, my mission wasn't in China," the black-haired man started. "Take a guess which country I went to."
"America?" the gray-tinged man asked.
"No," the assassin answered. "Remember what we talked about a month ago?"
"… Czechoslovakia?" the Czechoslovakian man tried again, eyes widening.
"Correct," the Chinese man confirmed. "When I first heard that, it took all of my self-control to not burst out laughing."
"What was it like?"
If Bi-Han didn't have Tomas's full, undivided attention before, he most certainly did now.
"It was a very beautiful country," the ice wielder began. "The sights were filled with tourists, and the food was very delicious."
"Sounds like nothing's changed," the smoke user smiled.
"After I finished my mission, and before I returned, I went to a store," the younger man continued, going to his chest of drawers, opening one of them. "I got something for you."
"A present? For me?" The older man was surprised, but he wasn't complaining.
"Yes," Bi-Han responded, taking the present out and closing the drawer behind him. He held it out for Tomas to take.
It was a snow globe. The word "PRAHA" was engraved on the base.
"I was told that's 'Prague' in the Czech language," he proceeded. "It's a miniature of-"
"St. Vitus Cathedral!" Tomas interrupted excitedly. "It looks just like it!"
"It does," Bi-Han went on, smiling. "I saw the actual cathedral in person. It's breathtaking."
Tomas nodded, shaking the snow globe to see the porcelain descend. When it finished, he looked back at Bi-Han, grinning widely.
"I know it's not much, but something to remind you of your homeland is better than nothing at all," Bi-Han said, smile becoming small. "Do you like it?"
Tomas threw his arms around Bi-Han in a tight hug, careful not to drop the snow globe.
"I love it!" Tomas exclaimed, grin still in place. "Thank you so much!"
Bi-Han, who was never hugged like that by anyone else other than Kuai before, was initially still, then returned the hug, although not as tightly. His smile grew.
"I'm glad you do," he said softly.
Tomas drew back from the hug, eyes swimming with tears of joy.
"Thank you, Bi-Han," he repeated. "I'll always cherish this gift. I really mean it."
"You're welcome, Tomas," Bi-Han replied, still smiling. "I know you will."
He went to the door and opened it. He stuck his head out, looking left and right for a few seconds. He looked back at Tomas.
"All clear," Bi-Han said. "Go to your room and hide it well. Don't tell anyone but Kuai about it if I end up not telling him myself. The grandmaster will confiscate it if he even hears about it, let alone see it. Kuai knows not to breathe a word about it, and you know I won't say anything."
"Right," Tomas nodded. He walked up to Bi-Han, smiling at him.
"Thank you, again," he said once more.
"You're welcome, again," Bi-Han chuckled.
With one last grin, Tomas left, walking to his room quickly. Bi-Han watched him until he went into his room and shut the door. Bi-Han repeated the last part, smiling as he did so.
Six months after receiving the snow globe, Tomas still looked at it with wonder. No matter how many times he watched the porcelain gently descend to the bottom of the globe, he still loved it. What he loved even more was the fact that the snow globe was a gift from Bi-Han, out of consideration for his feelings of his unknown past. Tomas looked at the snow globe happily one last time before putting it away in its hiding place and going to his and Bi-Han's usual spot.
Bi-Han told him that he needed to talk to him after dinner, but to wait half an hour after they finished eating, to avoid any suspicion. Tomas readily obliged, and when the half hour was up, made his way to their spot. There was a full moon out, and its light made it easy to see where he was going. When he got there, he saw that Bi-Han was already there, waiting for him.
"Right on time," the ice wielder declared.
"I wouldn't be late for something like this," the smoke user replied.
The younger man considered what to say next. He sighed when he figured it out.
"I'm sorry," he apologized.
"'Sorry?'" the older man repeated, surprised at the other man apologizing. The surprise quickly turned into confusion. "For what? You haven't hurt, insulted, or offended me."
"I haven't," the black-haired man acknowledged. "That's not what I'm apologizing for. It's for thinking poorly of you a long time ago."
The silver-haired man's surprise returned. He motioned for Bi-Han to go on.
"When we were growing up, I thought that you didn't deserve your powers," the blue-eyed man elaborated. "They were very useful, and had plenty of potential. But you wasted them on pranks, and never bothered to hone them for fighting or anything serious. I often wondered why we were friends, and why I didn't stop Kuai from being friends with you."
"… Is that so," the gray-eyed man responded, keeping his voice even. "How did you come to change your mind about me?"
"You earned your codename," the Chinese man answered. "That's never an easy feat, and only the best ever do so. You also matured as you grew out of adolescence, and started to train in earnest, becoming a formidable warrior in your own right. Not only that, you never let this place break you. Most people hang their heads after a while, but not you. You don't act out, but you haven't lost that bright spark in your eyes."
He paused before resuming. When he did, remorse and shame were on his face and in his voice.
"You're not a terrible friend. I am. I'm sorry for ever thinking about you like that, Tomas."
The Czechoslovakian man was stunned for a whole minute. When he was able to move again, he inhaled and exhaled slowly.
"To be fair, I did pull a lot of pranks when I was younger," he stated. "I also didn't take a lot of things seriously back then, so you're not wrong. You're right about everything else as well, though I will admit that I didn't know I have a bright spark in my eyes."
The gray-tinged man thought about something before speaking again.
"Actually, you're not right about everything," he proceeded. "You're not a terrible friend. A terrible friend wouldn't be honest about this, nor would they feel bad about it. But you are, and you do. Apology accepted, Bi-Han." He was smiling as he finished.
The elder Cryomancer let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding.
"Thank you, Tomas," he said, a small smile on his face.
"You feeling alright now?" Tomas asked.
"I am," Bi-Han confirmed. "That was all I wanted to talk about. Did you have anything you needed to vent about?"
"No," Tomas shook his head. "Shall we head back?"
"Yes," Bi-Han nodded, starting to walk back.
He stopped walking when he didn't hear Tomas following him. He turned back, looking at Tomas. Tomas remained where he was, face showing he was thinking about something. His reverie ended, and he came back to reality, looking at Bi-Han.
"I haven't told you something," he mused.
"What is it?" Bi-Han asked.
"Tvůj úsměv je úžasný," Tomas said.
"Is that Czech?" Bi-Han inquired. "If it is, I don't know what you said."
"Your smile is wonderful," Tomas translated, smiling.
The Moon chose that moment to cast its light on Tomas. His silver hair gleamed, and his gray eyes shined softly. He looked ethereal, as if he was in his semi-smoke form. The sight was permanently burned into Bi-Han's mind. His breath was stolen from him, his cheeks warmed up, and his heart started to beat faster after it skipped a beat. He could only stare, wondering if he could touch Tomas—feel Tomas—if he reached out to him. The warrior snapped out of it, shaking his head to rid himself of such a thought.
"I never heard that one before," the black-haired man admitted.
"That's because you don't smile that often," Tomas replied, not noticing Bi-Han's reaction. "In any case, I'm glad I'm the first one to say it."
Bi-Han merely nodded, not trusting himself to say anything about that.
"The Moon's already so high in the sky," Tomas quickly observed. "We really should get going. Sorry for standing here and spacing out like an idiot."
"It's fine," Bi-Han replied softly, turning around and starting to walk again.
Tomas followed him this time. As they headed back, both men were lost in their thoughts. Tomas thought about how lucky he was that Bi-Han didn't smack him upside his head, freeze him, or a combination of the two for what he said to him just now.
Tomas, you idiot! He mentally scolded himself. Why did you have to say that?! At least Bi-Han wasn't offended. That would have been the worst.
Bi-Han thought about Tomas in the moonlight. Everything he felt during that moment came back, and he was thankful that Tomas couldn't see his face. He closed his eyes and chuckled softly.
"What's so funny?" Tomas asked.
"I was thinking about how stupid you are," Bi-Han lied, opening his eyes to look at Tomas.
"Thanks," Tomas frowned.
"You asked," Bi-Han shrugged.
"That I did," Tomas conceded.
They continued the walk in a friendly silence, relieved that it wasn't an awkward one.
Three months later, Tomas found Bi-Han after the latter finished training.
"Bi-Han, can we talk?" the gray-eyed man asked.
"You need to vent?" the blue-eyed man asked him back.
"No," the silver-haired man shook his head. "I just want to talk."
"Okay," the black-haired man nodded. "I'll go find Kuai Liang, and the three of us can spend some time together."
Bi-Han mentally kicked himself for suggesting Kuai be there. He was surprised at that.
What? He thought. Since when do I not want Kuai with us when we're not venting?
"Oh," the smoke user said. "Um, actually, I was wondering if it could just be the two of us. If that's alright with you, that is." He immediately assured him afterwards.
"Fine by me," was the ice wielder's quick response. "Same spot?"
"Same spot," the Czechoslovakian man echoed.
"Let's go," the Chinese man stated.
In a short amount of time, they found themselves where they normally meet, talking about typical things anyone in the Lin Kuei would talk about. To their surprise, they found that they liked talking to each other when it was just the two of them, aside from their usual venting. That didn't stop them from feeling bad about not wanting Kuai around, however.
"Has he asked you about just us meeting up?" Bi-Han asked Tomas. "He hasn't asked me anything, but I'm certain he's gone to you for answers."
"He has," Tomas answered. "I tell him we're sparring together. He stops asking after that, since he knows you take sparring and training very seriously."
"That goes without saying," Bi-Han smirked.
"Do you think he'll see through that eventually?" Tomas queried.
"It's possible," Bi-Han thought about it. "He's very smart, after all."
"I wonder where he gets that from," Tomas teased.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Vrbada," Bi-Han joked.
"It's not flattery if it's the truth," Tomas grinned.
"Fair enough," Bi-Han smiled. "As for Kuai, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
"That works," Tomas agreed.
Having decided on what to do, they started to talk about other things. As they did, they felt very happy and comfortable in each other's presence, more so than usual. They didn't think much of it, but welcomed those feelings, since they were a rarity in the Lin Kuei.
Two years after the venting sessions began, Bi-Han and Tomas were sitting next to each other in their usual spot. They weren't venting this time. Instead, they were reflecting on how their venting changed them both for the better.
"I feel lighter," the black-haired man commenced. "It's as if there isn't another burden on me."
"Both of us know you don't need any more of those," the silver-haired man half joked. "I don't feel as much longing for my past as I used to. Your gift has a lot to do with that, admittedly."
"At least you still like it," the ice wielder replied, smiling.
"I wasn't joking when I said that I'd always love it," the smoker user reaffirmed.
"Good," the Chinese man chuckled.
He thought about what to say next before speaking to the Czechoslovakian man again.
"I don't know why, but I feel like there's something inside me," he began, a contemplative look on his face. "Something dark that's latched on and won't let go. It's been there for some time now, well before we started venting. I don't know if it will ever leave. What I do know is that when I'm with you, its hold weakens. It's not gone, but its presence isn't the only thing I feel. I'm really grateful for that, and for all that you've done for me."
He smiled before finishing.
"Thank you, Tomas."
The older man sat in silence, registering what was just said to him. When he finished processing it, he returned the smile.
"You're welcome, Bi-Han," he replied. "Now that I think about it, I feel the same way."
"You do?" the younger man asked.
"Yes," the gray-tinged man answered. "It's not an ever-present feeling, though. I only feel that way when I think about how I can't remember my past, and if I'm feeling angry, distressed, or sad about it. It's like something's trying to claw its way out of me, as if it wants to take over. I never let it, though, since my gut feeling is if it does, it wouldn't be a good thing at all. Like I said, the snow globe helps with that. So, once again, thank you, Bi-Han."
"You're welcome, Tomas," the elder Cryomancer returned the sentiment.
The image of Tomas in the moonlight ran through his mind again. He quickly looked away to hide his developing blush.
"Bi-Han, are you alright?" the gray-eyed man asked.
The blue-eyed man mentally debated whether to tell him about what he was feeling. After a moment, when the blush was gone, he decided to talk about the very basics in an offhand manner to avoid any awkwardness. He turned back to Tomas.
"I've never seen someone with silver hair and gray eyes before you," Bi-Han started. "It's an interesting combination."
"I've heard that a few times," Tomas shrugged.
So far, so good, Bi-Han thought.
"I once heard that gray eyes were considered the height of beauty a long time ago," he continued.
Tomas's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.
"Are you saying I'm beautiful?" he asked.
Bi-Han regretted ever opening his mouth.
"I… That's not… I don't know?" he struggled to say, feeling like a fool.
Tomas laughed.
"Relax, I'm just messing with you," he grinned. "But yes, you're right about gray eyes once being considered the most beautiful eye color. That honor now belongs to blue eyes, however. So if anything, you're the one with beautiful eyes."
Bi-Han felt himself blush. This time, he knew he couldn't hide it.
"… Th-Thank you," he stammered, wanting to freeze himself in a block of ice until Tomas left.
The other man sensed this. He put his hand on Bi-Han's shoulder.
"It's not just your eyes that are beautiful," he smiled. "Your hair is the night sky itself, and when you let yourself be happy, your face is a star in the sky."
Bi-Han didn't know what to say, so he smiled back, nodding slowly. Tomas hesitated for a moment, then took his hand off of Bi-Han's shoulder. It went to Bi-Han's chin, holding it with a finger and thumb. Bi-Han's eyes widened, and his heart started to race, but he did nothing else. Tomas slowly closed the distance between them, eyes closing along the way, lips tenderly pressing against Bi-Han's own. His hand traveled to the back of Bi-Han's head, burying itself in his hair, but not pushing him into the kiss. After recovering from the shock, Bi-Han kissed him back just as softly, his eyes fluttering shut as well. A moment later, they slowly pulled back, opening their eyes. They saw that their cheeks were a light pink.
"… What have you done to me?" Bi-Han whispered softly.
"I guess I finally broke the ice," Tomas whispered back quietly.
He fully expected Bi-Han to smack him upside his head for that pun. Instead, Bi-Han laughed. It was soft at first, then grew louder, until he was shaking from his laughter. Tomas laughed with him, relieved that Bi-Han wasn't disgusted or trying to leave. Eventually, their laughter subsided, and they looked at each other.
"What happens now?" Bi-Han asked.
"That depends," Tomas replied. "What do you want?"
"I want to think about it," Bi-Han responded. "I need the rest of today, and all of tomorrow. I'll give you an answer after that."
"Okay," Tomas nodded. "Two days from now."
"Thank you," Bi-Han said softly.
"Don't thank me," Tomas replied. "You need it." He paused before speaking again. "Did you like what happened just now?"
"Yes," Bi-Han nodded, smiling. "It was nice."
"At least it wasn't awful," Tomas chuckled, causing Bi-Han to chuckle in turn.
"Not awful at all," Bi-Han agreed.
They sat in an amiable, comfortable silence after that, until it was time to return. As they walked back, they decided to put some distance between them to avoid any weird looks from their fellow Lin Kuei warriors when they saw them, along with donning stoic expressions. Before that time came, they looked at each other, smiling warmly.
Bi-Han said he needed two days. From his smile, Tomas knew what the answer was going to be.
A/N: That fact about gray eyes is true. That was fanfic number eight. I hope you enjoyed it!