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Violet Systems was quiet and only his footsteps were Lars’s company. He had just arrived back from a mission in Manhattan and was excited to see Lee. Lars had been gone for a mere week but he felt like he hadn’t seen Lee for a year. Lars wants to see Lee again… wants to see his Violet again. Lars looked at each door, hoping the nameplate on the side will finally, finally say ‘infirmary’. It only took him a minute after that to find the said room. Smiling, he slid the doors open and Lars was greeted with nothing but white; white walls, white window sills, white bed…
White hair.
“Lars… you came…” Lee said with pain in his voice. Lars frowned and walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. His white coat swayed left and right as he stepped forward. It contradicts the silk blue pyjamas Lee was wearing. His lion insignia reflects light to the white ceiling, giving it a very bright dot in the middle. Lee smiled as Lars stood beside and looked at him. Lars’s electric blue eyes met Lee’s dark brown ones.
“How was—“ Lee’s cough interrupted him. Lars, worried, quickly moved forward only to be stopped by Lee’s hand, “The fight? Did you win…?” Lee tried to smile but was only greeted by a coughing fit and Lars’s worried expression.
Lars sighed and immediately sat beside Lee, patting and rubbing circles on his back. Lars had never seen the ever so confident Silver Haired Demon like this. A few weeks ago, for whatever reason, Lee became sick. The doctors say it’s because of stress but Lee says it's just the lack of vacation days. It came as a shock to Lars. If anything, Lee was fine most of the time.
Now, Lee was attached to too many wires and had a needle stuck on his pale smooth arm. Lee chuckled and called himself an android being made. Lee laughed at his little joke but Lars didn't. If anything, he teared up. For the first time in a while, Lars teared up that day.
“Yes, we did. We manage to extract some information from G corp soldiers about Kazuya’s whereabouts. I think were—“
“Stop. That's all I needed to hear… that’s good...” Lars immediately shut up as Lee’s index finger touched his lips. They were soft yet so thin, smooth yet aging. Lars then slowly took hold of it and kissed the underside of his finger, making Lee jolt. That was a reminder to Lee from Lars that he’s there, that he’ll always be beside him, that he loves him all the same.
I hope you can stand beside me again, my Violet… Lars wanted to say but refrained from doing so.
Lars looked at Lee, his eyes boring into the man’s soul. All Lee could muster was a giggle followed by a cough. Lars’s face instantly fell as he reached for his back and rubbed circles.
“Lars?” Lars looked up, meeting Lee’s pleading soft eyes.
“Yeah?” Lee then slowly wriggled out of Lars’s hold and set his hands on his lap. Lars groaned at the lost of contact but watched Lee’s fingers caress his blanket, a soft white that kept him warm from the coldness the air condition was giving him. Lars waited as Lee looked at his hands, thinking of what to say.
“I want to eat ice cream…”
“Lee, you know you can't.” Lars frowned as he tilted his head, looking at Lee with sadness in his eyes.
“Lars… please…” Lee pleaded before a cough reached his lips. Worried, Lars patted his back to ease his pain but Lee continued coughing. Lars then had Lee lie back down. He believes it will ease his pain better than patting. As he helped Lee lie down, Lee’s coughing stopped and Lars sighed in relief. Lee held Lars’s large hand, which was holding his arm a few moments ago, and squeezed.
“Ice cream… I want to eat some…”
“Lee…” Lars couldn't look at Lee. He looks miserable, in pain, sad. Lars’s heart ached in pain; pain of seeing Lee like this, pain of seeing Lee cough too many times, pain of seeing his Violet fighting for his life while he can’t do anything about it. He then felt tears forming in the corners of his eyes and his vision going blurry. Lee’s face fell as he saw Lars. He reached forward, cupping Lars’s cheek. Lars leaned to the touch and sighed a shaky breath as a tear finally made its way down his cheek.
He wants to help Lee but how? He was no doctor.
“Here's a deal, Lee,” Lars started, his eyes closed as he kissed Lee’s hand, “Focus on recovering and then I'll treat you to ice cream. How’s that?”
Lee smiled brightly. Lars had never seen Lee smile that brightly ever since he got sick. Lars smiled as he saw the look on Lee’s face. It was contagious. Lars stuck out his pinky finger and Lee tilted his head in confusion. It took him a while to realize; a pinky promise. Lee smiled and stuck out his pinky finger as well, locking it with Lars’s. They smiled at each other as Lee nodded and replied, with his sweet yet sharp voice.
“Alright…”
****
Lars had made it back to Violet Systems after another successful campaign. Lars was practically running through the hallways, trying to reach the infirmary in time. He couldn't wait to see Lee. When he was on the battlefield, he received news of Lee’s condition getting better. Lars’s mind was then filled with happiness. He wonders if Lee can get out of bed. He wonders if Lee can eat ice cream like he wanted a few weeks ago. He wonders if Lee can stand beside him again. Lars needed to see those results reported to him to believe it, so he was running, hurrying to the place where they had made their promise.
Lee, Lee, Lee…
“Lee!” Lars exclaimed as he slide the door to the side. All Lars saw was white; white walls, white window sills, white bed…
Where’s Lee?
Lars stepped inside and scanned the room. The ECG was shut off and the IV stand stood beside it. The white blanket that covered Lee was neatly folded to the side. Everything was spotless and Lee was nowhere in the bed. Even the bathroom was silent.
What's going on? Lars thought as he exited the room and walked the hallways, calling Lee’s name like a mantra and walking past the laboratories. Lars then went up against something, or rather someone.
“Ah!”
“Oh, Lars, I apologize.” said the voice. Lars scratched his nape and looked to see it was Jin. The young man had returned earlier than him and looked so refreshed. He was a wreck during the battle at Souq, where Lars had seen the man. Now, he looked like he ate properly, took a bath and did his homework, which was creating a battle plan. Lars waved his hands, accepting fault as well.
“No, I’m sorry, Jin. I didn't see you.”
“Yeah… because you're walking backwards.”
“Let this slide, will you?” Jin laughed a low laugh and nodded his head. Lars looked side to side and saw that Jin wore the new jacket that Lee had tailored for him. It had red flames covering the blank gray and white canvas that was the jacket. The hood folded neatly in the back and his V-neck gray shirt underneath to cover his olive skin. He had the hair of a Mishima but his aura is that of a Kazama. Lars looked back to Jin and asked:
“How's Alisa?”
“She's ok. She's currently in the lab having roboticists look over her injuries.” Alisa has injuries? Lars didn't get that in the report.
“Why?”
“G Corp…” Jin clenched his fists and looked down. Lars sighed a heavy breath, raised his hand to pat Jin’s slumped shoulder. As he did so, Jin looked at him, lost like a puppy. Lars smiled and gave him a nod. He understood; Jin must've been exhausted. Lars patted a couple more times and remembered something: Lee.
“Oh, right. Where’s Lee?” Jin jolted up like he had been shocked. Lars didn’t understand. Jin also became silent and stared at the clean white tiles that made the floor. Jin’s fists also started to loosen up, showing his palm.
Lars doesn’t like this one bit.
“Jin?”
“Huh? Oh… Lee… Lee…” Jin was stuttering? That’s odd… Lars stepped an inch closer, watching Jin like a hawk. Jin made this face… it was like he saw something and made his stomach twist, not in a disgusting way but… like guilt; guilt of telling him something, guilt of revealing bad news.
Lars didn't like where this was going.
“Jin-”
“Lee was the first to see G Corp attacking,” Jin started, his eyes still glued on the ground. Lars stood and listened intently, “Despite knowing he might make his sickness worse, Lee ran and informed me and Alisa. Lee knew that things had to be ok here so you wouldn't have to worry.”
“Well, when can I see him?” Lars retorted back, His hand finally sliding off Jin’s shoulder, “’cause I for sure am worrying now and I need to talk to him.” Jin looked up, sadness in his eyes. That’s new, Lars thought. Whatever happened here that made Jin look like that? He had never seen Jin like this before. As a sigh fell from his lips, Jin looked up to Lars, his eyes shining from tears.
Why is he tearing up? Lars thought.
“Lee’s body was sent back to his home villa in the Bahamas. He said whatever happened to him, he must return to his palace,” Jin continued, “Lee said he needed to get his glasses…!” Jin hiccupped and his straight face now turned into a faucet, tears running down from his brown eyes. Lars couldn’t believe it. He can't. Jin is lying, he knows he is. The reports say that Lee was getting better, Lee said he was ok, Lee said—
“He said that he'll get better… I promised to treat him and eat ice cream with him…” Lars muttered, his once upright position turned into a slump with his shoulders down. His eyes had no life in them, his lips slightly hanging open and his hands felt like dead weights. Jin sniffled and looked at Lars.
“Lee didn't want you to see this and worry. He didn't want you to abandon your mission to come back here when you're doing so much already. So, he took initiative and led me, Alisa and some of your soldiers to fight them off. But- but… he got—“
“No… you’re lying…!” Lars couldn't take it anymore. He backed away slowly from Jin, his back meeting the wall not too far from him. The sun outside started to set and the light it gave was pastel orange. Jin slowly walked close to Lars, who now realizes that tears were dripping down. Lars gnawed at his bottom lip, his front teeth threatening to cut it open.
“Lars, I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect him. I couldn't protect the person you wanted to come back to…!” Lars’s emotional dam broke and he slid down the wall, his right leg folded and the other flat on the ground. His head was tilted to his left slightly and his right hand rested on top of his folded leg. Jin wiped his eyes dry, only for tears to run down again. Jin sniffled and looked at Lars, who was looking down at his boots.
“Lars… there was something Lee wanted to ask before he left…” Lars looked up, his bangs covering his left eye and scar. Jin sniffled and waited for the Swede’s response.
“Say it…”
“Lars Alexandersson, I think I'm done playing house with you. I did everything I could and became like this. I'm sorry but I don’t think I'll be eating that ice cream with you. I'm tired… If there's a next time we meet again, will you treat me to ice cream?”
“… kuh…!” Lars groaned as he hid his face behind his hands, hoping it’ll stop his tears from running. It didn’t as his tears ran down, making his gloves and cheeks wet. Jin stood there, his eyes red but tears still running. Lars then folded his body and left leg to hide. Jin watched as his uncle quivered in sadness. He couldn’t do anything but to stand there and keep him company.
“Jin… I want to be alone right now…”
“O-Ok… I’ll be at the training grounds i-if you need me…” Jin replied softly as he sniffled and wiped his eyes dry. He then turned his heels and walked the opposite way, his footsteps being Lars’s only company beside his heart beat. Lars felt his stomach dropped. Lars felt his eyes sting from crying.
For the first time, Lars felt pain.
Yes, he might’ve been shot by a gun or stabbed by a knife but none of that compared to what his heart felt. It was much more intense, much more powerful, much more…
Painful…
Lars then looked up the white ceiling, which was now painted orange thanks to the sun and smiled a sad smile. Lars tried to make the question Jin had asked sound like Lee had said it himself in his mind.
Lars clenched his left hand and softly smiled as he closed his eyes, accepting the fact that Lee will no longer be by his side.
“Ok… I promise you…”
After he said that, Lars swore that when he closed his eyes, he saw Lee behind his eyes, with his blue and silver coat, white crispy suit and that smile that brightens his day, smiling at him slowly.
Throwing his head against the concrete white wall, a single tear dropped falling from his eye.