Like his name sake, it leaves as soon as it comes.
The cold fleeting element of smoke that mixes with the cold all around him.
He says it doesn't bother him, but he knows a lie when he sees one.
How long has it been?
He stopping counting.
Days turn to months, then they turn to years.
Years since he last saw him. Years since he was freed of Quan Chi's curse.
Tomas Vrbada...
The name rolls off his tongue as easily as it did nearly a decade ago.
His eyes, his body, his self, a vivid memory of all those years alone.
He had loved him. Yet the words never surfaced. They were so young then. So full of life.
Until he was turned into a cyber being.
Though he couldn't tell, he knew that Tomas had regretted the moment he lost him.
As he was being pulled away, the only sound he could hear were his cries.
"It should have been me."
No. Sub Zero wouldn't have that. Any of it. He had promised to protect Tomas, compensation for failing at saving Bi-Han.
Even then, he had failed his mission.
The sound of Tomas...his Tomas's neck cracking is as fresh as it was the moment it happened.
The last thing he spoke before death embraced him was an apology..
He closes his eyes.
Trying to shake the memories.
He wanted to remember only the good times; the wrestling on the beach, the innocent flirtations, the wise cracking jokes.
They swore to be together forever. Best friends, no, brothers.
But it was all a fleeing memory now.
He breathes, watching the cold smoke leave his lips.
A tragedy within a tragedy.
No one had to die.
A pawn in the Elder God's game.
Many had lost their lives that night. Many lives ruined at their hands. He can still remember the look of disbelief in the princess's eyes when her mother slugged her.
The crunch of a stiletto entering Jax's jugular.
The sounds of bone breaking when Stryker had his face punched in..
The grotesque squeeze of Jade's vital organs...
Kabal's choking..
He cringed thinking about it.
And yet, it was all he could think off, all he could see in his dreams..
He doesn't show it, but he cries every night in his chambers.
He had loved Tomas Vrbada. More than a friend, he had ached to be his lover. Judging by Smoke's actions, those adorable wide eyes, the blushing red on his cheeks, the feeling couldn't be anything less than mutual.
But fate was not on their side.
He remembers Liu Kang holding Kitana in his arms, she returning his reply that they should have met under different circumstances.
Kabal, with his last ounce of strength, dragged himself to Stryker's body and embraced him before death took them.
No, he and Tomas weren't the only love ruined that night.
Such memories..
The air was cold around him. Frigid, even, but he preferred it that way. At least the cold made him numb.
A sigh left his lips.
Another night alone in his bed.
Though he was used to being solitary, it didn't mean he had to like it.
The bed was big enough for two.
The spot on his left should have been occupied by Tomas.
"So much should have...not enough could have...Tomas..if you still feel something...do you miss me the way I miss you?"
His hand softly strokes the cotton bedsheets. He can only imagine the the soft body being there.
To his surprise, he feels something tonight.
He jumps, eyes wide in shock at the sight of the bed being occupied.
He blinks, wondering if he's hallucinating.
Yet it is as plain as day.
There is someone in his bed.
Outside, he hears gunshots.
He hears what sounds like feet running past his bedroom.
Flames rise, mixing with the sound of a hat breaking the sound waves.
The Lin Kuei temple is under attack.
He rises out of bed to assist his allies, but he is stopped by a hand on his throat.
"Get out of my way!" Kuai yelled.
Ice forms on his hands as if he's ready to attack, when the figure emerges, smoke surrounding them.
A figure of pale beauty, his greyish hair dances in the wind as the cold enters the room.
Lilac eyes look upon him, the ice melts in Kuai's hand.
"No..." Kuai says, blinking, to make sure he's not seeing things.
Yet when those eyes open, Tomas is still standing before him.
"Tomas..." he whispers.
"Sub Zero.."
His voice isn't his. As much as Tomas wishes it could be.
"No. Call me Kuai.."
It's the only way he can be sure it's real.
Tomas ignores his plea, instead, presses his lips to Kuai's.
"Forgive me. Forgive me for all these years..."
Kuai is afraid to kiss back, afraid to touch him, he doesn't want him to go away.
The gun shots have stopped. As did the footsteps, the fire and the hat flying.
It's only him and Tomas right now.
"Quan Chi has attacked...yet I am still here...save me...liberate me, Kuai...I need you."
It was all Tomas had to say, before Kuai returned his kiss.
"If I burn for this, I don't mind. Because no pain is worse than living without you."
"I love you." Tomas said, in between kisses.
"I love you." Kuai said, returning the kiss.
The two fell to the bed, the bed he had always wished to lay with him on.
This can't be real. This must be a dream.
Yet those fair lips, so delicate in their travel, kiss down Kuai's chest, Tomas breaths him in, embracing the cold.
It feels so real...
Yet...
The lips come up and press on his. His lips are warm, tender, loving.
Kuai reaches up, running his fingers through his love's silky mane.
Tomas moans into their kiss, pressing his body against his.
He takes out a knife as they kiss, dragging the sharp end against Kuai's throat.
"I must kill you..."
"Then do it..."
Kuai is undaunted. He knows he's in a dream. But the pleasure is so surreal.
"I have to..."
" ...do it."
"Forgive me."
"Always.."
Their clothes fly haphazardly in the room. Two bodies lay naked and entwined under the cool blue sheets.
Tomas' cries have turned to his native tongue as Kuai presses his body into his.
It turns him on more.
His cold lips press against his neck.
His skin is blue with yellow veins. No, it can't be him.
The body is ice cold to the touch.
But it melts all the same.
"I will kill you..."
Kuai is once again reminded of his mortality. But he doesn't faze. If this is his fate, then so be it.
His lips close on Tomas's again. They're cold, but delicious. As they share kisses, Kuai's hand touches the cold, that of his namesake.
Outside the Lin Kuei temple, Quan Chi is searching for his puppet.
But Kuai will not let him have him.
Words of love and endearment leave Tomas's mouth as Kuai's lips discover new ground.
He makes claim to Tomas's chest, pressing kisses down the flesh, as Tomas leans back and moans.
So a revenant still feels...
Tomas's fingers thread through hair, pushing Kuai down lower, thrusting his body in concert with Kuai's lips, once again reverting to his native tongue.
The beard tickles, Tomas will take note of that, moving his hand down to stroke it tenderly.
Then he lets out a deep cry when he feels Kuai between his legs.
Just as he had always dreamed of..
Indeed, a revenant retains his memories..
"K-Kuai..." he moans, as the Lin Kuei grandmaster takes him between his lips.
He spreads his legs and leans back with a spasm, Kuai's lips closing on his tender head.
Kuai had always dreamed of pleasuring Tomas like this.
He had only wished it were sooner.
Tomas begins to shout words in his native language, encouraging his lover to suck harder, as he thrust his hips in tangent.
"Kuai...oh god...Kuai..!" he yells, when that ice cold tongue moves down his shaft.
The things they weren't allowed to do while in the Lin Kuei, it still felt forbidden now.
Kuai took him back into his mouth, moving up and down until the whole of Tomas was inside him.
Pressure began to build up in Tomas's belly, his moans becoming more desperate when Kuai released him.
He reached up and kissed him, Tomas, able to taste himself on those lips.
It was delicious.
"Forever.." he moaned against those lips.
"I won't let you go.." Kuai said, readying himself.
"I need you..."
Such passion in those words. He thought he'd melt.
Yet he still believed this to be a dream.
He allowed Tomas to move from under him and push him down to the sheets, as he stood on top of him.
His lips closed on his, finger nails gripping his chest as he ran his opening over Kuai's now-wet head.
A moan left Kuai's lips, moaning through the kiss, when he began to go down on his prick.
"K-Kuai..!"
He watched as Tomas bent over in passion, thrusting down on Kuai's prick.
Slowly at first, ripping through nerve bundles, bouncing up and down on him.
"Yes...yes...oh Kuai.."
His moans were filthy.
So erotic.
Kuai felt delightfully sinful as he watched the silver haired beauty bounce on him.
He gripped his cock perfectly, bending backwards as the pleasure drove him insane.
Who knew Tomas was such a slut?
Kuai gripped his hips, thrusting upwards with the power to move mountains.
It made Tomas scream again.
"Look at me, Tomas Vrbada.."
Lilac eyes looked down at his lover's blue, taking them in.
"Velmi jsi mi chyběl.." Tomas whispered, stroking his cheek.
Kuai never grasped Czech, but it didn't matter when he said the words so beautifully.
Tomas leaned back and cried out more in Czech, crying the words passionately as he rode Kuai harder.
"I love you, I need you.."
Kuai stopped moving, catching Tomas's attention.
Fighting back to hold off his orgasm, he flipped Tomas on his back, and began to fuck him again.
Tomas spread his legs open, letting them fly haphazardly as he felt Kuai thrust into him deeply.
"Kuai!" he yelled, throwing his damp hair back.
He began to run his nails down Kuai's back, digging into the flesh as the pace quickened.
"Oh gods..Kuai! Kuai..!"
To hear Tomas shout his name like that...
Kuai couldn't believe it.
Here they were in bed, doing things they had only dreamed could ever happen.
And yet here they are, teetering on the thin line between dreaming and reality, making love, just as they always wished they could.
His heart could have exploded there.
Sweat dropping from their bodies, liquid oozing between Tomas's legs, Tomas gently brought Kuai's hand to his leaking cock, and thrust into that.
"Delicious.." Kuai moaned, leaning down closer to his lover.
They kept their eyes on one another the whole time, Kuai thrusting so hard he was afraid Tomas would break.
But he endured each and every powerful thrust, moaning and thrusting into it..
"Kuai..."
"Yes.."
His breath was labored, voice scratchy from shouting.
Kuai felt his heart race.
"Pojď se mnou.."
"Yes.."
"Miluju Tě.."
He gave him one more harsh thrust, and slowly, he felt his insides milking his lover.
Tomas shuddered, quivering as he felt the cool mix with the heat inside.
He followed soon after, shooting all over Kuai's hand and his stomach.
Kuai pulled out and embraced him, kissing him.
"I love you.."
"Forever, Kuai..I love you..f-forever.."
He reached forward to kiss him again, but only sadness met him when he watched the smoke dissipate and fly out the window.
Of course.. it was too good to be true.
A revenant..
Just a dream.
He opened his eyes, and he was alone again.
