Pyromaniacs Anonymous: [Kai X Reader]

[THREE.]

I came to, head pounding and body on fire. Well, not literally, surprisingly. My hand combed through my patched and charred hair, then down to my arms, the burnt skin warped and ragged under my fingers. I managed to push myself into a sitting position, casting my gaze around.

I was in a small, low ceiling room with mildewed walls and a funky smell. A quick glance around and I figured I was in a shed of some sort, old and decrepit. A groan as I shifted from my place on the little mattress, burns screaming with protests. My gaze found my legs, charred beyond all recognition, but bandaged and with some ointment on them which quieted the pain they brought to me.

A quick pat down of my pockets revealed I had nothing: not my gun, not my phone, nothing. The door to my right swung open unexpectedly, and I pushed myself back against the wall. As my eyes adjusted to the light, a figure came close and kneeled beside me, favoring one leg. Kai.

I took a sharp breath in, raising my chin in defiance. "Are you holding me hostage? Because I tried to help you?" I questioned, voice thick and ragged.

The ninja shook his head. "No. I'm just going to keep you here until you heal. I'm sure you'll come after me again."

I frowned, watching as he unfolded a square of fabric from a small piece of bread. He gently sat down, propping his bad leg up on the cot and ripped the piece of bread, offering one half to me. I took it but held it until I knew what he wanted from me.

"Why didn't you just leave me there to die?" I kept my eyes on Kai, making sure he wouldn't pull anything.

"Believe it or not, I'm still a ninja. Besides, I'm repaying the favor. You're the one who brought me to the hospital after you shot me." He lifted his leg only to set it back on the mattress as if to prove his point.

"But you're going to keep me here?"

"Until those burns clear up. I made a special mixture Sensei once taught me for burns. You should be fine in a few days."

I ripped a corner off the piece of bread given to me and ate it without second thought. "Why are you doing this?"

"My team doesn't trust me and I need to get Nya back to prove to them that... that they can trust me." He shoved the rest of his piece of bread in his mouth. "We need her back."

"Kai, you can't bring her back, I know. This pain, the hurt that you're feeling is normal. How you are choosing to respond to it isn't. I'm sorry, but you cannot bring her back."

His eyes snapped to meet mine and sparks flew in them. "You keep saying that. 'I know' but how could you? You're just some cop who slacks and eats donuts all day." Kai's voice dropped low and frightening and I pressed my back further to the wall, away from him.

"All you're seeing right now is your pain. The people around you have pain too. Your team came to me the other day and they were crushed too, Kai. If you don't trust me, trust them."

"Why should I have any trust for the people who turned their backs on me!?" He stood to his feet, looming above me and yelled.

"They're your family. They need you as much as you need them." I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my heart to stop pounding in my chest. I forced myself to remain calm, and appear open to him. I leaned forward, meeting his gaze. "I know you don't trust me, and you have no reason to, but know that I am trying to help. I'm willing to help if no one else wants to."

"Why? Why would you want to help someone like me? After all I've done to you..." Kai's eyes lingered on the burns covering me. He slid down on the floor again, anger subsiding.

A sigh, and I stared at my hands, opening them wide then closing them into fists. "Because, if someone had been there for me when my family died, I might not have ended up..." I trailed off, not ready to talk about this yet.

His eyes found mine and for a second I saw no anger, only sorrow and remorse. A sharp inhale and my eyes found his bum leg. "Do you need me to redo your bandages?"

He started, taken aback by the sudden change in conversation. "No. I don't need anything from you."

I took a sharp breath in between my teeth and stood, fumbling towards an old sheet in the corner. Taking it with me, I fell back onto the cot, tearing the sheet with my teeth into strips. Without a word, I pulled Kai's leg towards me. In response, he grumbled and pulled it away before I fixed him with a look and he allowed me to touch him.

I peeled the bloody bandages off and worked to wipe away the excess blood before bandaging him back up.

Sitting back, I wrapped the remaining bandages into a ball. I sat straighter as Kai spoke, "I don't understand, but thank you."

"I just want to help, Kai. I really do. No ill will, no foul intent. I made a promise to bring you back to your team and I made a promise to help those who need help."

"Okay."