After the fall of the king, based in the time of reckless…

Ilya was no longer the bustling place it used to be. No more sweet smiles between passing neighbours even in the slums, no more of kind greetings to servants who passed you. It was all focus. All work. All stress.

Pent up emotions slowly edged you to insanity, and you felt like you couldn’t breathe. Kitt was accepting small amounts of hep, tentative of exploding on you. He would take time.

Kai spent all the time he could with you. Training. Talking. Sitting in silence. Crying. Basically our own, eat sleep repeat slogan.

You were Kai’s rock. Same with Kitt’s. You always had been. You’d been their best friend.

One evening Kai and I needed a break. Something to brighten our spirits if only for the evening. So, discarding tomorrows’ worries we drunk until we laughed at anything and words flowed as naturally as a fountain.

“Race you to the pool.” Kai grinned, his eyes shining with happiness and deviousness.

*You both raced to the pool and he beat you. By quite some time. “Not.” I panted. “One.” Pant. “Word.” I said holding my hand on my chest.

He smirked and poked your cheek, where your dimples would be.

“Swim with me.”

“What?” You gasped incredulously.

“You heard me. Swim with me.” He repeated.