He meant everything to her. Three years later and she'd still do anything to keep him safe, sacrifice everything to protect him- even if that meant keeping him at an arm's length.
She was the one person who truly knew him. The one person he'd choos...
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Water poured out of the showerhead, raining down onto Kai's face. Steam rose to the top of the bathroom ceiling, the surrounding air thick from the temperature of the water. He lifted both hands up, wiping his palms over his eyes.
He'd already been in the shower for fifteen minutes, just letting the water hit his skin. He hadn't had a real shower in years, the sensation almost heavenly. But that wasn't the only reason he'd stayed in so long; he didn't want to have to face his dad.
Getting out meant he would have to talk to him and Kai honestly didn't know if he was ready for that yet. He loved his dad and was glad to finally be back with his family, but they didn't get it.
No one did.
Kai let out a sigh, squeezing his eyes shut. He let the hot water burn his skin, thoughts of his brother flashing through his mind. He brought his hands up, beginning to wash his body. He scrubbed and scrubbed until his skin was red and raw. He still felt dirty, like his hands had never been more tarnished.
Rhett was going to be a dad.
It wasn't fair. None of it was fair.
His hand came down on the faucet a moment later, reluctantly shutting the shower off. Water was still dripping from the ends of his dark hair as he wrapped his towel around his waist. His eyes flicked past the mirror, landing on the door handle.
His dad was just on the other side. He'd pulled a few strings, making it possible for his son to not have to rot away in yet another hospital bed. As long as he went daily to receive medication and have various tests done, Kai was allowed to stay with him. Coin had agreed to his request and he was thankful, but that also meant he couldn't hide everything as well.
And the main thing was his scars. He knew the second they were seen, his dad would go completely ballistic. But he was fine. He was fine.
Kai exhaled, calming his heart as he lifted his hand up, twisting on the handle. He stepped through the doorway, eyes darting to the gray jumpsuit draped over the bed for him. Everyone wore the same thing in District 13, no matter their ranking.
Sawyer lifted his head from the desk in the corner of the room, gaze landing on his son. He'd been sitting there a while now, mind wandering over the past few days. He'd lost one son for the price of getting his daughter back. But he'd also gotten Kai back. After four years of mourning and thinking he was dead, his baby boy was back.
All the color drained from his face, though, as he took in the dozens of scars imprinted in his son's skin. There were ones on his backside, and on his chest and arms— all varying in length and size. They were prominent on his skin, too many for him to count before Kai disappeared back inside the bathroom.
Sawyer let out a shaky breath, wanting nothing more than to protect his family. It's all he'd ever wanted and he'd failed. They were the reason he woke up, the reason he breathed; and what was left of them was what Snow had stripped them down to— defective pawns in his convoluted game.
