He'd seen Kazu's fire before. Not too many times, but each and every second had always been amazing.
So he'd forgotten of the horrors fire could cause. The jet wasn't a cruel person, he'd never be, so his flames were softer, more controlled, but still just as passionate and hot.
The fire that night, it hadn't been.
The flames were too hot now, too strong. Get too close and you'd get burned. Not that Kazu's fire couldn't burn before, it just hurt more now. No pity. Well, almost. No matter how badly someone would get burned, the Flame King wouldn't kill them. Or rather, he couldn't. As much as that idiot would try to get rid of his emotions, he couldn't really change.
Which is why his flames had.
His flames represented him as the King of the Flame road, they spoke for him. And now, they spoke of horror. All the pain, all the sadness he'd felt at the death of his family, had been taken out on his run, and had become his run.
People didn't notice though. Blind fucking idiots, it was so obvious!
Then again, Ikki was still sharing a room with the jet.
The jet who had nightmares every night about his loved ones' death.
It was strange though, how he'd calm down when Ikki was close to him, and the closer the better.
So the crow had taken to sleeping lightly. When the whimpers became audible, he'd get up and lay next to his friend. He couldn't very well give up his few precious hours of sleep looking after the blonde if his physical proximity was all that was needed, so he'd spend the night holding the other.
At dawn, he'd get up and go back to his own bed. If Kazu caught him, it'd be over. The distance between them that he'd closed since the crash, all the progress they'd made, though not much, gone.
Gone, why? Because the trust would be lost. Things would be awkward. Of course they'd be fucking awkward. When was waking up next to your best friend who hadn't been anywhere near you the night before not awkward? Kazu had enough to deal with, he knew. Oh god did he know. Though it could be a welcome distraction, it was too much of a hassle for everyone. It could even make things worse.
No, there were too many variables for it to work. It would stay a secret.
Making his decision, Ikki got up and made his way over to his bed, covering his head with his blanket to block out the morning light.
AN/ Short filler chapter because I'm still clueless as far as the plot is concerned.