Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the fifteen years he had lived within the Lin Kuei walls, he hadn't exactly really been interested in another person before. The only person he really interacted with daily was his older brother, who... sometimes, seemed dead to the world. Like he was dead on his feet, and was just going through the motions. Only Hydro could bring out the softer side to his elder brother. 

He brought life into Bi-Han. 

As for the reason why that was, well, Bi-Han told him he shouldn't pry, and Hydro was unwilling to share without Bi-Han's permission. So the reason why Hydro was so caring with Bi-Han was a mystery to him, and it seemed like it would remain a mystery. 

Then he'd met Tomáš. It wasn't uncommon for the outsiders to be sent to Hydro to mentor. He was the one on par with Bi-Han, able to match him step by step, and so outsiders were genuinely sent to him because if they thought of deserting, they wouldn't make it far before Hydro got to them.

But... Tomáš was different. Kuai Liang could feel it. He was about his age, if not a little younger. Covered in burn scars, his face with freckles, and he seemed to have came willingly to the Lin Kuei. At least that's what it seemed like.

And although Kuai Liang really didn't know much about him, he'd found himself wanting to be in Tomáš' presence all the time, and as one month passed into two with Tomáš joining the Lin Kuei, Kuai Liang found himself learning as much as he could about Tomáš. He was from Czechoslovakia. His favorite food were dumplings. His favorite pastry were strudels. Every single thing Kuai Liang learned about him, sparked something in Kuai Liang, the desire to learn even more.

That began his curiosity on if Tomáš wanted for anything.

"If you could have anything... And I mean, anything, what would it be?" He asked him softly, once when Hydro and Bi-Han were on a mission together and so they were huddled together in Hydro's room. Kuai Liang's back is pressed against the wall, Tomáš beside him, their ankles touching just a bit. "Mhm..." Tomáš had shut his eyes softly, deep in thought. Then, he touched his chest, where his heart would be. 

"I... used to have this necklace." He says, as if a little embarrassed. When Kuai Liang looked back on it, he thinks it wasn't actually embarrassment but rather caution. "It represented my people, my ethnic group. Uhm, but I lost it shortly before I joined." He says, his shoulders slumping quietly. Kuai Liang's curiosity grew. "Your ethnic group?"

Tomáš glanced over at him, then nodded. "Yes, I'm Romani," he tells him. Kuai Liang's eyes light up with interest. "What did it look like?" He'd asked, and he watched his friend's shoulders sag with relief. He wouldn't know why for a long time, but it seemed like something clicked with Tomáš; realization that he could tell Kuai Liang anything and the cryomancer would listen.

Tomáš was thankfully happy to tell him about the necklace. It was a silver sort of necklace, with a light blue gemstone in the middle of it. Looking back on it, the blue was very similar to the light tundra blue that Kuai Liang wore. 

"I'd say it depends on the gender you're speaking to," Tomáš tells him one morning as the two patrol together. It's hitting November, and so Kuai Liang is inclined to ask him about Czech swear words to distract him from the fact that Hydro, Cyrax and Bi-Han are doing the birthday planning for the boy.

(Read: Hydro has dragged Bi-Han into planning for Tomáš' birthday. Bi-Han cannot even remember when his own birthday is, and the only birthdays he ever remembers are Hydro's and his little brother's. He cannot be trusted when it comes to birthdays, but he is a good bodyguard for when they sneak out to get the actual things for the birthday surprise.) 

"... You have different swears for different genders," Kuai Liang asks, incredulous. But the grin on Tomáš' face tells him that he's more than happy to teach him how to swear in his mother tongue. "Well, yeah," Tomáš shrugs. "It's like.. Okay! Repeat after me: Hajzl."

"... Hajzl," Kuai Liang spoke slowly, as to get the pronunciation right. Tomáš grinned at him, and Kuai Liang felt butterflies in his chest. "Okay. Now say hajzle." 

"Hajzle," Kuai Liang repeated. Curiosity in his eyes, he let his thoughts wander. Tomáš was pretty... especially when he was swearing in his native language. "What's the meaning of the two?" He asked. Tomáš eyes brightened, the way they did whenever anyone asked about vague things about his previous home. He never delved into his personal life, but that was fine. If he didn't want to talk about it, he didn't have to.

"Well... They basically mean the same thing. Bastard, but the difference is that hajzle is used when you're yelling." 

Tomáš shifted after a bit. "Would you teach me a few Chinese swears," he asked. Kuai Liang felt his face growing warm, and he cleared his throat. "Well.. I— I don't know very many swears, admittedly. Bi-Han doesn't ever curse, and he's always been adamant on I shouldn't have to curse to insult someone. He says it make me sound less intelligent."

"Hm." Tomáš laughed, then covered his mouth so he wasn't heard. "Who knew Sub-Zero cared about something like that? Surely there must be some kind of swear you know?"

"Uhm... There's gǔnkāi," Kuai Liang listed off the top of his head. Really, it's the only swear he knows. Because Bi-Han truly did not want him to learn such vulgar language. Tomáš hummed softly, as if asking what it means. Kuai Liang's brows furrowed together as he tried to recall what it meant. "It basically means go to... You know," he spoke awkwardly. 

Tomáš laughed again, even harder this time compared to before. He pressed his shoulder against Kuai Liang's. Tundra's face reddened. "Anything else?" He asked. 

He thought about the early days— he didn't remember a lot from his childhood, but he did remember the times older Lin Kuei (men in their fifties) would shove Bi-Han, who'd been Tundra at time, and spit at him. Hun dàn, they called him. Bi-Han never told him what the word meant, but he always got angry when those Lin Kuei would call him that.

He had a feeling that Bi-Han would lecture him (or worse) if he taught Tomáš that word. So Kuai Liang only shakes his head a little bit. "Sorry," he says gently. Tomáš shakes his head, waving him off with his hand. "Don't worry about it, it's fine."

He paused for a moment. "Say, Kuai Liang, when is your birthday, mhm?" He asked softly. Kuai Liang had to think about it, really. He would turn sixteen in a few months, and so that made...

"The twenty-seventh of February, 1968." He says with a shrug. Tomáš was looking at him with a glow to his gray eyes. "We were born in the same year, that's crazy." He spoke. Kuai Liang hummed softly. He knew it was coming up, of course. Everyone did, but he still wanted Tomáš to tell him directly. "... Really? What about you?"

 "The twenty-fifth of October." Tomáš says, with a soft smile. Kuai Liang's chest tightens up a bit, heart fluttering. So there age difference wasn't much at all— only eight months. 

He smiled. The birthday celebration would be the best that Tomáš has ever had, Kuai Liang would ensure it.

Chapter Text

Kuai Liang had heard his brother's soft grumbling more often, later on in the days as Tomáš' special day came closer and closer— perhaps the very thing that gave it away that Bi-Han was looking forward to this birthday celebration. He didn't care for many people— but Tomáš was different in the way that Hydro had taken him in under his wing, so his brother was more open to tolerating Tomáš, despite his attitude towards most authority figures. 

"Besides, it's good you have a friend finally," Bi-Han scoffed softly, one morning after they sparred. The day before Tomáš' birthday. Kuai Liang's muscles ached as he picked himself off of the floor. His brother's training was not for the weak. "I have plenty of friends," he argued back. Bi-Han shook his head. "No. You have plenty of people being nice to you, and you look out for them. But they're not your friends."

"But you and Tomáš seem to have bonded quickly over the course of a few months," Bi-Han made a weird face, as if remembering something. Maybe it was like that when he met Hydro? Although his brother didn't really specify when he and Hydro met— maybe Hydro was born inside the Lin Kuei? Kuai Liang wasn't all that sure. "He's really nice, when you get to know him," Kuai Liang protested, feeling the need to defend him. "And you got all piss—... fussy, when he refused to make that promise to Hydro." 

Bi-Han's eyebrow raised as Kuai Liang saved himself from saying anything foul, shoulders relaxed. "Mingzhe is a worthy adversary, worthy of my respect. Outsiders shouldn't refuse his requests... Although, I suppose that typhokinetic has a good reason for making a promise he knows he can't keep." Bi-Han nodded once, although his expression really didn't change that much. "He has my respect for that."

Kuai Liang's eyes brightened up, and he smiled. "Oh, Bi-Han! Did you get the gift I asked you to get, so I can give it to Tomáš tomorrow?" 

He grumbled, and gave him a small rectangular box. He lifted it, and there it was. He was surprised that Bi-Han managed to find the exact one he described. He shut the box quickly, smiling at his brother. "Did you get anything?" He asked, softly. Bi-Han rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea how much of a hassel that necklace was to find? I didn't even buy a new one, I found this old thing on some abandoned street in Prague. I didn't have time to get him anything physical, but I did manage to clear some time with the Grandmaster, so we have the woods to ourselves for the celebration."

Eh. A win was a win. Leave it to Bi-Han to make Oniro listen to him, although... Kuai Liang made a guess that Bi-Han had to swear to do something horrible in return on the next assignment he's sent on. Kuai Liang knew there was a few things that Bi-Han wouldn't do (and was punished accordingly for), such as killing children. He didn't like to kill the mother of a child in front of her children either.

Kuai Liang knew that the only time Bi-Han would cross what little morals he had left— was if someone powerful enough threatened Bi-Han's little brother. He sighed at the thought– when would his brother stop tearing himself apart for his sake? 

Although, Bi-Han's words struck something inside. He opened the box again, and turned the necklace around. On the back of the necklace, words were engraved into it. He couldn't make out what it said though. His brows furrowed slightly, before the lightbulb went off in his head.

"It represented my people, my ethnic group. Uhm, but I lost it shortly before I joined." That's what Tomáš had told him, and he had the idea of gifting Tomáš one similar to the one the boy lost. But his brother had went out and found the exact one that he'd lost! 

"Bi-Han! You're an amazing big brother!" He says, as he puts the necklace back. Bi-Han crossed his arms. "Oh? Just earlier, I was a rotten older brother, and now I'm an amazing one? You sure do switch up a lot." 

The day had finally arrived, and to say Kuai Liang was excited was a bit of an understatement— he couldn't wait to see the look on the boy's face! He was in charge of helping Bi-Han and Cyrax set up, and thankfully, they managed to get everything set up. The presents were neatly set on the very edge of the table— small, sentimental things that Tomáš would be afforded the luxury of having as long as his loyalty remained with the clan. 

"What'd you get him?" He asked, his foot bouncing as he looks at Cyrax. The older boy rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "And ruin the surprise?" 

There was a cake in the middle of the ice table Bi-Han had created— Medovnik, if he's remembering what his brother had called it. Apparently he'd learnt how to make it for this occasion. Supposedly it's a cake where Tomáš is from for special occasions.

Just then, there are footsteps— and the soft sound of Hydro's voice and Tomáš' rougher voice, and Kuai Liang tosses Cyrax a big beam. Once Tomáš and Hydro get closer, both him and Cyrax shout, "Happy birthday!"

Tomáš startles a bit, his gray eyes going wide before they soften. And then they light up as his eyes land on the Medovnik in the center, and he runs forward, his eyes landing on the three small presents on the end of the table. "O můj Bože..." He muttered in Czech, then his gaze flicks to everyone around him as he sits at the table. "You all did this?"

"Thank them," Bi-Han spoke, then points with thumb at him, Cyrax, and Hydro. "They're the ones who decided to get you birthday presents. I didn't do that much— just picked out the venue."

"Oh really, A–Han?" Hydro teased. "And I wonder where did this cake come from?"

"Yeah. And how about the fact you helped me get my present for him?" Kuai Liang piped in. He watched his brother's face become a light red, and he cleared his throat. "Ahem. That's not... Ah." 

His poor big brother. 

"You got me a gift too?" Tomáš looked at him with big eyes. "Yes! I mean, yes. I did," he cleared his throat, feeling warm inside from the younger boy's gaze on him. "But I'd like you to open mine last, please." He says. Cyrax rolls his eyes, fond, as they sit around him. The Tswana boy pushes a small square box towards him— Tomáš eyes it carefully before he opens it.

He tilts his head at first, then pulls what was in the box out of it. It's an agate bracelet— with red agate beads. He puts it around his wrist, a perfect fit. "This is...? I've never seen something like this."

"Ahem. It's a typical birthday gift in my homeland," Cyrax explains, a bit awkward. Tomáš' dry lips form into a thin line, before he actually smiles towards Cyrax. "Thank you." 

"Oh! Me next!" Hydro is cheerful, pushing a deep blue and cerulean rectangular box towards Tomáš. For his record, Tomáš has to bite his lip to visibly not laugh at his mentor. He opens it slowly, pulling out a red knotted tassel. "Ah. What is this, exactly? Is this a Chinese thing?"

"It is." Hydro confirms. "It's a symbol for good luck here. You can tie it to your utility belt, or put it on your swords hilt should you decide to carry one in the future. Think of it as a good luck charm." 

"I'll need it, then." Tomáš paused, glancing at the the last box as Bi-Han began making ice plates, ice forks, and an ice knife to cut the cake. He took it, and opened the box slowly. Kuai Liang watched as the typhokinetic's eyes grew wide, and he quickly took it out, flipping it to the other side. The boy's breath hitched. 

Kuai Liang had been sitting right next to Tomáš, so he was quickly pulled into the tightest hug he'd ever had. Kuai Liang felt his cheeks and ears warm, and he glanced down at Tomáš. "My necklace, it's the same one, o můj Bože... Thank you! Thank you A–Liang."

The nickname caught him off guard, and his face reddens even more if that was even possible. He wondered if Hydro had taught Tomáš that too, since he was the one in charge of teaching Tomáš Chinese? He swallowed softly. "It's... really, no problem." He says. Inwardly, he told himself he'd learn how Czech nicknames worked, so he could call Tomáš something similar to A–Liang. 

"Anything for a friend. Happy birthday, Tomáš." 

There's a bittersweet look in his eyes, but it disappears within a moment. "Friends." He says, nodding his head slowly. "Would you put it around my neck?" He asked, and Kuai Liang smiled. "It'd be an honor." He says, carefully taking the necklace from Tomáš... carefully putting it around his neck, with a firm nod once he was done.

"Come on! Let's eat some cake," Hydro cheered as he pushed two pieces of cake towards the two. Tomáš finally let him go, and they dug into the cake.