Got The Cosmos At Our Feet, Oh But You Are All I Need

But Kuai Liang was smart, and smart people tended to get noticed by The Outworld Academy. When he’d received the call, he’d been so excited. He would finally get out into the wider universe, explore and see the stars.

Things didn’t exactly work out how he’d hoped though, did they?

He shook his head, not wanting to think about that. Those were the worst years of his life, he wished he could erase all the things that happened to him from his mind. He couldn’t, but he could distract himself.

He was here now. On this spaceship. Exploring the stars.

He’d finally made it.

“Hello,” a voice called out behind him. He turned just in time to watch Hanzo sit down next to him.

Hanzo was a strange man, and Kuai didn’t know what exactly to think of him. Most of the time he seemed stern and angry. Yet when he looked at Kuai Liang, it was like all that melted away, and he became soft and gentle. It made Kuai’s heart race somehow. There was a small bitter part of him that told him Hanzo looked at him like that out of pity. The other told him he was clearly different to Hanzo somehow, and that made him special.

He both loved and hated that Hanzo looked at him so kindly.

“Here, I snuck this out of the kitchen,” Hanzo continued, passing over a chocolate filled pastry. Kuai’s eyes widened in excitement as he took it. He loved chocolate. “Just don’t tell Bi-Han I gave it to you. Last time I’m amazed he didn’t hit me.”

Kuai giggled as he said “It’s okay, I will destroy the evidence.” He took a rather large bite of the pastry, savouring how good it tasted. When Hanzo laughed, he knew his joke had been a success. “I am sorry about Bi-Han though. He’s always been protective of me, but it’s gotten worse since…”

Since he found out just what was happening at that academy.

“I do understand,” Hanzo sighed, placing his hands on his lap and looking out the window too. “I have a younger sister. If I were in Bi-Han’s position, and she were in yours…” Hanzo shook his head and bared his teeth slightly. “That whole place would’ve been burnt to the ground.”

It made him anxious, that everyone on the ship knew what he had been through. Well, sort of knew. They’d already suspected that the academy treated their students badly, but seeing the state Kuai Liang was in upon being smuggled aboard the ship confirmed it for them. Again, sort of. It did after a bit of convincing it wasn’t Bi-Han who’d hurt him. Kuai could understand their confusion though, he supposed. Finding Kuai Liang huddled in a box, looking like he was about to die, probably did not give them the best first impression of Bi-Han.

Everything calmed down a bit, once Kuai had explained himself, as humiliating as it was. They didn’t know the full truth. They didn’t know just how bad things got, but they could put some of it together from the scars.

“Sorry. I’m sure that’s the last thing you want to think about,” Hanzo muttered, regret in his eyes as he turned to look at Kuai Liang.

“Yes, but I think about it all the time anyway, even though I don’t want to, so don’t feel too bad.” As much as he wished he could just move on, it was hard to do so. Those scars were not just physical but mental as well. Waking him from his sleep in screaming fits so loud he frequently woke everyone on board. They always seemed sympathetic, but it didn’t stop him from feeling awful about it.

But even when he was awake, he often found he could hear Dr. Shang’s voice still ringing in his ears.

“Come now, Kuai Liang. You can work this out, can’t you?”

“I- I don’t know.”

“Yes you do. I know you do, darling. Just think.”

“I- I don’t- 52?”

A deep sigh. “Wrong, darling. You know what that means.”

“Wait- No- Please, I’ll try again- I- Uh- 56?”

“No. Kuai Liang.” A button pressed.

Kuai Liang’s screams echoed through the room.

“Kuai Liang?” Hanzo placed a hand on Kuai’s shoulder, bringing him back into the room. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Sorry. My mind just wanders sometimes.” He turned back to look through the window. There was a planet they were just passing by, it’s moons orbiting around them. He smiled, this was all he’d ever wanted really. “You know, back when I was a kid, I used to dream of seeing the stars like this.” He lent backwards, breathing out. “I really thought the academy would be the way to accomplish that.” He chuckled slightly, although there was no humour in it. “I guess, in a fucked up way, it was.”

”How so?” Hanzo questioned, raising an eyebrow.

”If they hadn’t chosen me, I would probably still be on my home planet. As would Bi-Han, because he’d have never left if he didn’t have a reason.” It was heartbreaking and bittersweet to realise something so terrible had led him to happiness. This life was definitely not perfect, they were basically on the run from Outworld’s armies and he doubted they could ever live in one place again. Yet, this path had led them to amazing people.

Raiden, the ship's captain who’d vowed to protect them for as long as he lived. Liu Kang, who’d been the first to listen to Kuai’s defence of Bi-han and truly understand the situation at hand. Kung Lao, who had helped to heal Kuai’s physical wounds. Fujin, who much like his elder brother, put himself in the line of danger to protect them when the guard almost caught up with them. Johnny, who had taken one look at Kuai Liang and took him under his wing, becoming something of a second brother to Kuai Liang. Sonya, Jax, Nightwolf, Kabal, Stryker, Bo’Rai’Cho. All of them had played a part in welcoming the brothers aboard and saving them.

And then there was Hanzo. Stern and angry Hanzo. Gentle and soft Hanzo. A man who had gone out of his way to show Kuai Liang the utmost of kindness. A man who sat with him and watched the stars go by. A man who snuck chocolate pastries from the kitchens simply because he knew Kuai Liang liked them.

A man who Kuai Liang suddenly realised he was falling in love with.

He told himself it was just a crush, that Hanzo’s kindness towards him was clouding his emotions. He’d have probably fallen for anyone who was kind enough towards him, after what he’d been through.

But then again, there was an entire spaceship of people who had been similarly kind towards him, and his feelings for them were nothing like what he was feeling for Hanzo.

“As much as I wish the academy was not part of my story, I am glad that my path somehow led me here.” He felt tears gather in his eyes. “To this ship. To the crew.” Despite himself, he lent to one side, resting his head on Hanzo’s shoulder. “To you.”

He heard Hanzo’s breath hitch, and then he reached his arm around, resting it over Kuai’s shoulder and holding him close.

“I am glad you are here too.”

Kuai smiled, misty eyed, gazing at the stars. Yes, despite everything, right here, right now? This place was home, these people were his family, and there was nowhere else that he would ever want to be.

The stars are so beautiful.

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