Wildfire And Rain

Chapter Twelve

"Hyuka-ya."

He jumps, someone pats on his back, rubbing soft circles. The air is sharp and cold, damp. It's dark and the floor is hard. Beomgyu's soft voice engulfs him before he even wakes up. The shadow of a loomed face in the dark looks back at him with down casted eyes and a tight smile.

"Let's go home, Kai. You can't be sleeping here." His tone is light but saddened at the same time. "Let's not sleep out here... "

He hears crickets chirp nearby; the moon is almost at its fullness. The air tastes damp and if the uncomfortable coolness under him is anything to testify he'd say it was condensed sweat. The sky is blackish blue in the way it's close to a sunrise and he blinks twice to rid himself of the ache in his heavy eyes.

Beomgyu runs his fingers over Kai's tangled hair. He watches as Kai flutters his eyes open, as if he doesn't recognize his environment yet. The belated realization of where he fell asleep dawns on him, and he looks at Beomgyu like a lost child.

It has been a while since Beomgyu saw that look on Kai's face. He's conflicted on how it makes him feel.

"You had me worried sick." Kai straightens up. Beomgyu offers him a hand to take, and he hopes that is the end of it, hopes that they can leave the grave soon because just the mere sight of it makes his hair stand and heart pick up.

He never liked Finn; in the same way he could never truly like Kai. In the way there is something sinister that connects the son and father duo.

Beomgyu loves Kai, because they grew up together. He loves Kai because he is the only one he has left that he can still call family. But he does not like him, in fact he hates Kai, because as long as he's in his life there will always be the presence of something sinister and dark looming in the corner.

Waiting to unravel.

Kai requests a few seconds alone before he has to walk with Beomgyu to the car. The older nods and leaves, turning the heat in the car in the meantime.

He places a kiss on the grave. "Goodbye, Father." He lingers a bit longer, crouching to the level on the gravestone, he whispers. "I'll clear our name, soon. I promise."

...................

The drive is filled with uncertain silence and unspoken words. This is always the hardest day of the year for the two brothers who lost the same thing but in such a different way. Beomgyu holds the wheel firmly, thinking of all the ways to scold Kai into understanding the severity of his father's actions.

His grave should be abandoned, should be ruined and smashed to pieces until his remnants no longer exist in the world.

But it's Kai's father, and as he reminds himself that each year, the anger dissipates and there is only pity in his heart for the boy sitting in the passenger's seat.

If Beomgyu is being honest, he liked not having Kai around the day of the year. So much so that he waited until the earliest hours of the night to finally look for his brother. He doesn't do so or purpose, more of a habit. Or a hidden want that he naturally follows.

It's hard because, he should thank Kai on this very day because if it weren't for him perhaps, He would die in the fire along with his mom and Finn Huening. If Finn never had Kai, perhaps there wouldn't be anyone to rush into the burning house and pull him from under the scorching ruins.

He can't help but wonder, even so. What if his life never got tangled with the Huenings, would he have his mother back? Perhaps there wouldn't have been a fire to save him from.

The truth is, Kai is right. Beomgyu knows he is. Because no matter how much he loves Kai as his brother he will always resent him as the son of Finn, he has the face of his father and there is no changing that.