payback
Kai sat there paying reparations for the trail of pain he'd left behind. That meant smiling—it was so deeply wanted it was deserved—when they set a cake down in front of him and Tyson had these wide eyes, and he said to Kai, "You'll make a wish, right?"
And Kai had to sit there. And he had to strain that smile, and being there smiling at that moment was the hardest thing he'd ever done.
He looked down because it was too tiring, and the frosting formed this Suzaku, surrounded by candles melting down, fast, dripping wax, faster. Kai felt like melting too. Becoming a solid pool of wax with the wick of his soul and skeleton charred black, floating, half-encased. He felt like Tyson would have scratched a corner free. Set it alight. Melted what was left, again and again.
He felt like Tyson would dip his fingers in, coat each in a shell. He'd play that game. His friends were everywhere, and they were all looking with these wide eyes, and they wanted so deeply, and they deserved.
And Kai couldn't keep it up, he couldn't hold the smile. But he nodded. He had to nod.
a/n: Goes with the next.