Fire & Light

Fire & Light Part 10

Part 10: After the Flames

The night air was thick with the smell of burnt wood and smoke. The embers of the fire pit still crackled faintly in the distance as the chaos in the clearing began to subside. Several campers were now holding Damien back, his chest heaving, his eyes blazing with fury. The air around him seemed to shimmer with heat as if the very flames that threatened to consume him were waiting just beneath the surface, ready to explode.

Kika stood frozen, her heart pounding in her ears. She'd never seen him like this—so completely lost to his anger, to the fire inside him. She had thought she could be the one to calm him, to keep the flames at bay. But right now, it felt like she was helpless, watching the person she cared about spiral out of control.

"Get off me!" Damien roared, his voice deep and guttural as he struggled against the campers holding him back.

Mattao, still on the ground with a bleeding lip, spat at Damien's feet. "See? He's a monster," he sneered, wiping the blood from his face. "This is exactly what I've been saying. He's dangerous!"

"Mattao, shut up!" Kika snapped, her voice trembling with frustration and fear. She turned to Damien, who was still shaking with fury, his eyes locked on Mattao as if he could burn him alive with just a look. "Damien, stop! You need to calm down."

For a split second, his eyes flicked to hers, and she saw the conflict there—the rage battling against the hurt, the fear, the guilt. His fists slowly unclenched, but the tension in his body didn't ease. He was holding on by a thread.

"Let him go," Kika ordered softly, her voice steady despite the knot in her throat. "He's done."

The campers holding him hesitated but eventually released their grip. Damien stood there, shoulders tense, breathing hard. Kika took a step toward him, cautiously closing the distance.

"Damien," she whispered, her hand reaching out to touch his arm, but he flinched away, pulling back as if her touch burned.

"Don't," he muttered, his voice rough. "I... I can't."

Kika's chest tightened, a lump forming in her throat. She didn't care about Mattao, about the others watching. All that mattered was him—Damien, the boy she had come to know and care for so deeply. The boy who was now looking at her like he was drowning in guilt.

"Please," she whispered, stepping closer again, her voice barely audible over the crackling embers. "Let me help you."

But Damien shook his head, backing away from her. "You can't fix this, Kika. You can't fix me."

Her heart shattered at the words, at the brokenness in his voice. "I don't want to fix you," she said, her voice trembling. "I just want to be here. I want to help you carry this, Damien. You don't have to do it alone."

He laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and full of pain. "You don't get it, do you? I'm not like you, Kika. I'm not someone who can just... be good. There's something wrong with me. Something broken."

Kika's eyes stung with unshed tears, her hands shaking as she reached for him again. This time, he didn't pull away. Her fingers gently rested on his cheek, the scar warm beneath her touch.

"I know," she whispered, her voice soft but firm. "I know you're not perfect, Damien. But I don't care. I'm not perfect either. None of us are."

He stared at her, his expression unreadable, his body still tense with the aftershocks of his anger. She could feel the heat radiating from him, but she didn't move away. She held his gaze, her thumb brushing gently across his scarred cheek.

"You're not broken," she continued, her voice cracking. "You're just... human. And I... I love you."

The words slipped out before she could stop them, and for a moment, everything stopped. The world went quiet. Even the distant sounds of the camp seemed to fade away as the weight of her confession hung between them.

Damien's eyes widened, shock flashing across his face. "What did you just say?"

Kika's breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest. "I said... I love you. From the moment I saw you 2 years ago, making a sword and coming up to me. The arguments we had, the fights, the close moments, the never ending stares. I love you. Thats never been a doubt for me, and I know you think your just an outsider but we all are. Some just grew up different, an trust me I am NOT perfect, I have problems. I mean I don't even have a family anymore but I have you now and you are all I need. "

It was the first time she'd said it out loud, the first time she'd let herself admit it. And now that the words were out there, she felt raw, exposed, vulnerable in a way she hadn't expected.

For a long moment, Damien didn't move, didn't speak. His eyes were locked on hers, searching her face as if trying to figure out if she meant it. Then, slowly, he took a step toward her, his hand reaching up to cover hers where it rested on his cheek.

"Kika..." he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. "I... I don't know if I deserve that."

Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she smiled through them, shaking her head. "You don't get to decide that. I do."

Damien's fingers tightened around hers, his other hand coming up to cradle her face, brushing away her tears with his thumb. For a moment, they just stood there, the world around them fading into the background, leaving only the two of them in the quiet glow of the firelight.

And then, before either of them could say another word, Damien leaned in and kissed her.

This kiss wasn't like the others. It wasn't born of anger or frustration or fear. It was soft, tender, filled with all the thing he wanted to say but couldn't, all the things he felt but didn't know how to express. His lips moved gently against hers, and Kika melted into him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she kissed him back.

The world felt right in that moment, like everything that had been broken between them was slowly mending, piece by piece. Kika could feel Damien's heart racing beneath her fingertips, could taste the salt of her own tears on his lips, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was this—being with him, holding him, letting him know that he wasn't alone.

But as perfect as the moment was, the world outside of it wasn't so kind. The sound of footsteps approaching snapped them both out of their bubble, and they pulled apart just as Lyle, Damien's best friend, came rushing toward them.

"Guys, we've got a problem," Lyle panted, his eyes wide with panic.

Damien stiffened, immediately on high alert. "What's going on?"

"It's Mattao," Lyle said, glancing over his shoulder. "He's stirring up trouble. He's telling everyone about what just happened. He's trying to get the other cabins to turn on you, Damien. They're saying you're too dangerous to stay at camp."

Kika's stomach dropped. She looked at Damien, whose face had hardened again, the soft vulnerability from moments before now replaced by the fierce protectiveness she knew all too well.

"I knew this would happen," Damien muttered, his jaw clenched. "I knew he'd try to twist things."

Kika's heart pounded in her chest. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Not after everything. "We'll figure it out," she said, grabbing his hand. "We'll talk to Chiron. He won't let Mattao kick you out."

Damien shook his head. "It's not that simple. You know how this place works, Kika. If enough people think I'm a threat..."

He didn't have to finish the sentence for her to understand. If the other campers believed Mattao, Damien wouldn't just be kicked out. He'd be hunted, considered a danger to everyone else at camp.

Kika squeezed his hand tighter, determination surging through her. "I'm not going to let that happen," she said fiercely. "We'll fight this. Together."

Damien looked at her, his eyes softening just a fraction. "I don't want you caught in the middle of this."

"I already am," Kika whispered, her voice trembling but firm. "I'm not leaving you."

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. Then, Damien nodded, his grip on her hand tightening. "Okay," he whispered. "We fight."

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