Lava | Ninjago

🜂 | everyone abhors you (at least they do)

And that could cost lives.

"Breathe with me, Firefly, or you're gonna get yourself a fever again."

As much as he didn't want to, Kai listened to him and took several deep breaths, mostly through his nose, until they both felt his temperature go down. Kai knew that the fire was still far from dying, it was just under control now but it could break free any moment. He knew it, and he had a feeling that the moment was getting closer and closer.

"None of you trust me," he muttered. "Why does everyone act like I'm this poor victim that can't even take care of themself? I was fine! I had them!"

"Yeah, I've seen that."

"Then why did you stop me?" He got out of his reach and began pacing back and forth, rubbing his knuckles, ignoring Cole's eyes with all his might. He was determined not to give him the satisfaction of acknowledgement just as his team – his family – did the same to him.

"Because I didn't want you to do something you'd regret," came Cole's simple response. Kai hated his cool approach to the situation. How dare he stay calm when he himself was on the verge of exploding!

"Bullshit!"

"Kai." Honestly, Kai couldn't tell if he was getting scolded for his language or the other thing.

"I haven't even done anything. And even if, would it matter? They deserve it! They used you to get to me and that's just a fraction of all they've done! Who would care?"

"You would," Cole said. Something in his voice, his words, made Kai stop and look at him. As if he hit a wall. "Your consciousness. Maybe not right away but eventually it would eat you alive."

"That's–"

"I know you, Kai, all right? God, I feel like I know you better than I know myself! I know you would never get over killing someone no matter what they would do to you! All of us have trouble accepting the fact that our missions come with victims but so far everything has been indirect. I can't even imagine how much messed up any of us could get if we pulled the trigger."

Shaking his head slightly, it was almost invisible, Kai stated, "I don't need protection."

"No, you don't. You need a brake and the one you had is out of service, so I'm stepping in." Cole stood firmly, never moving an inch. His eyes were boring into him and Kai felt the fire grow without anywhere to go. It could only burn there idly.

He wanted to punch him – but just that thought, however fleeting, made him hate himself. What was worse, he felt his hands warm up. If he could barely handle his own anger, how could he handle it when it's mixed with guilt?

"Why should you even care!"

Cole rolled his eyes. "Seriously? Come on, you're better than to ask that."

"Maybe I'm just not as perfect as you think." Kai made his inner self desperately search for any way of turning the situation in his favour. Pushing Cole away was one of those, yet he felt like being torn apart as his mind found itself in another dispute. It was the same thing over and over.

Push him away.

Don't let him go.

Push him away.