#does he look at Kung Lao and wonder how long he will stay laughing at Raiden’s side

[tiptapricot]

Thinking ab Liu Kang… thinking about a god who thinks he has lived this new life well, has learned the rises and falls of divine existence and knows what to expect, only to remember he is just a boy given too much power when he reaches a present he cannot control. Faces he used to laugh with, people he has seen grown old, different and changed, but so much the same. Events he thought he had avoided repeating themselves, his timeline slipping from underneath him for the first time possibly in millennia. What is a god meant to do when he cannot escape his own mortality, cannot escape the ghosts yet to come, the blood he must prepare to have spilled at his feet? What is a god meant to do when he cannot fathom his own power? When he is still just a boy so scared to be champion, but must now hold the weight of the universe on his shoulders?

[whatifxwereyou]

The Oncoming Storm Part 21: Huangshan

Liu Kang x Reader and Kung Lao x Reader (gonna do both, two paths!)

Listen, I am giving myself whiplash with how much I keep wildly swinging between whether I prefer Liu or Lao LOL. Hope you guys are having just as much fun! I missed Liu. Lawd, did I miss him. Also I did not intend for it to take this long to get to the CHOICE. It's coming after the part with Liu and some plot stuff that has to happen to trigger it! Also, I miss Chen, so she'll be back after Huangshan. ALSO have you looked at pictures of this place?? SO PRETTY!! Much love, hope you are all well. <3 Thank you for the love as always. I appreciate you so much.

Next Update on Saturday. New story on Sunday!!

Part 20 Part 22 Chapter Index

Kung Lao was a bruised, bloodied, and pale mess the next morning and much of your spare moments were spent tending to wounds and trying to get him to sit for a damn minute. He fought you at every second, as if taking care of himself would somehow make it worse.

The morning dragged on, and you were grateful to check out and make your way to the roof. Kung Lao closed his eyes, praying, and lightning struck the roof for you to travel through. It was still weird and a little beyond belief, but you’d fought a monster last night, so you had to suspend your inner skeptic and go with the flow. You handed over the carefully wrapped bell which Raiden set behind him on a pedestal that had been added since you left.

He thanked you for your duty and you offered Kung Lao a hug and tried to convince him, again, to take care of himself. He insisted he was fine, of course, but also wished you good luck. You wasted no time. Raiden summoned his magic lightning again, offered you a neatly written note from Liu, and then you were alone.

The weather in Huangshan was gloomy, just the way you liked it. The sky was gray and rumbling with thunder, the slightest hint of sun peeking through to offer warmth between the gaps in the clouds. You unfolded the note as you walked along the tourist filled streets. He’d even started the note with niceties. Oh, Liu. He hoped you were well, he found you a place to stay and took some liberties that he hoped you were okay with. He also left you a time and place to meet him. It was the lobby of the hotel that he had booked for the occasion.

You were early and it felt nice to be alone. Your nerves were shot from the lack of sleep the night before and from Kung Lao’s… everything. A walk alone would do you some good. The small town halfway up the mountain was geared toward tourists. Hotels, boutiques, restaurants, and the like.

You’d missed China. Japan had been beautiful but this was home.

You stopped a man who looked confident in his way around town and asked him for directions to the hotel that Liu had written about. You bowed politely as he pointed you in the right direction. As you turned the corner, you heard a choir of angels in your head. Clothing stores. Real clothing stores. This was how you were going to blow the rest of your money.

You spent the rest of your alone time shopping and afterward you were proud to say you’d had enough clothing for an actual wardrobe. Different kinds of shoes, cute and practical, underthings, things to wear to bed, casual things, dressy things. Things you never would have allowed yourself to spend money on before. Money didn’t seem to matter as much as it had before all this. Then you’d bought a little bag to pack it all in and shoved it away. You’d got some other necessities too, things that had seemed everyday basics had become luxuries.

You’d changed after purchasing your clothing and jeans and a t-shirt had never felt so good. Even though you’d bought a bunch of new things you decided to keep the hanfu and gi that you had been gifted. You liked them well enough. It was the lack of choice that had bothered you.

The Huangshan Yeechoi hotel was more modern than the one in Japan had been and much tidier. You felt out of place, but no one gave you a second glance, so you were grateful. It wasn’t that it was fancy, just that it was different than you had expected. There had been no room number in the note Liu had left you, just instructions to meet him in the lobby.

Thankfully, Liu Kang came from the stairwell moments after you arrived. You’d been just about to ask the clerk behind the desk for his room number and so instead you dismissed the clerk and walked to join Liu. He’d gotten new clothes too! How nice. Not much different from what he usually wore but it was novel to see him in something other than the three gi that he rotated daily. It was mostly black, except for the red sash around the middle, a different shade of red than usual, and the sleeves looked like they had been torn off- as if he had been terribly angry that they existed. There was a subtle pattern stitched in white on the side of the gi. It looked to you like an abstract dragon, but you didn’t linger long on it. As always, his prayer beads were wrapped around his wrist.

He greeted you with a smile and stopped just before you with a respectful bow. “It’s good to see you, Y/N.” His smile faded quickly as he stood upright, and you averted your eyes immediately. Bruises. There were bruises and you knew he was going to hate it. You’d briefly forgotten about them with all the other craziness.

“Good to see you too, Liu!” You tried to save face, but it was too late.

“Japan must have been something.” He furrowed his brow with concern and tilted your chin up to get a better look at your neck. Your face was instantly red. “Are you okay?” That had been the worst of it, but you’d barely had time to think of it that morning because Kung Lao had been so much worse off than you were. You should have worn a scarf. Damnit. It looked bad when you thought about it. Like you were either being abused or had a very specific kink.

“It was an adventure but I’m fine. I promise. It’s obviously sore and bruised but I feel great otherwise.” You were tired, so that was an exaggeration, but it felt good to have accomplished something and to be out of the temple. He continued to examine the bruise as if he didn’t believe you, so you swiped his hand from your chin, gave it a squeeze and then set it down. His disbelief faded and his smile returned. Your nerves about your connection, your friendship, returned screaming into your brain.

“You brought a bag?” He gestured behind you. You realized that probably seemed funny since you had no intention of staying for too long.

“…yes.”

“Well, the woman at the front desk will make sure it gets to our room. We have plenty to do.” Liu rested his hand on the middle of your back and guided you to the front desk. You spoke to the clerk there. She was incredibly accommodating. Liu offered her your room information and you handed over the bag. Then you went on your way. He led you from the lobby of the hotel and walked slowly through the streets of the tourist town. “Tell me about Japan.”

Boy, there was a lot to say about Japan, but you figured he probably meant the artifact and how you’d fared.

“There was a monster which I didn’t think existed so, processing that.” You were surprised to hear Liu Kang laugh. You’d had a lot to process that had been otherwise beyond belief. “It was protecting a dotaku which I now know is a decorative bell used in rituals during ancient times. The monster was very grabby.” You gestured to your neck. At least it hadn’t left a bruise when it had backhanded you across the room. The last thing you needed was people looking at you like you were in an abusive relationship. At least the neck thing could be explained away for the most part.

“Tell me about the monster.”

“Monster is maybe not the right word for it uh… okay, never mind, it’s the only word for it. It was made from tar and stunk to high heaven, and it was huge.” You jumped so you could reach the height of the monster, which was higher than your jump, but Liu would get the point. He was an excellent listener.

“How did Kung Lao handle that?”

“Oh, you know, like Kung Lao does.”

“Chaotically?” Liu chuckled.

“I’ve never seen one man thrown through so many doors.” You drifted off and he laughed again. The sound of his laughter was sweet, not as hearty as Lao’s but more under his breath and twisting his face into the cutest smile. You’d made Kung Lao out of ink to protect you. That seemed important but you hadn’t processed it yet, really. Your brain was buffering.

“Really though, is he okay?”

“Much worse off than I was because of all the doors and walls but I took care of him the best he would allow. I’m hoping he’ll actually keep his promise to go to the infirmary.”

“Raiden will make sure he does.” Liu reassured you. “Trust me, this won’t be the first time he has to be dragged there. Or likely the last.” He stopped, looked you over and then continued, purposely avoiding eye contact. “Was he on his best behavior?”

“Is he so often in trouble that I should have been that worried?”

“Kung Lao doesn’t like to listen to directions, and he was with you and I know how he is so…” He glanced at you curiously again and you laughed in disbelief. Liu Kang was fishing for information! Interesting. Now that you knew they gossiped about you, you wondered what exactly the gossip consisted of. They were up to something, and you were going to get to the bottom of it. Maybe you had spent too much time with Kung Lao. Liu Kang had always been honest with you, you thought, and now you were suspicious of every word. “He has a track record for trouble, that’s all. I just wanted to make sure he didn’t give you a hard time.”

“If you have something to ask me, Liu, then you should just ask me instead of this little word dance you’re doing. Are you feeling me out for information and what about?”

“I say what I mean, Y/N.” Liu knit his brow in confusion but still smiled at you. You sighed because that didn’t seem right. Something was off. He could be frustrating too sometimes, you supposed. He had a way of saying things without saying what he meant to say and leaving you guessing at what he had meant. You’d had so many close calls between you now romantically. At least four that you could think of offhand that had nearly killed you. But then it was like nothing had happened. You didn’t talk about it. There was no follow through. If he said what he meant to say, then what did saying nothing mean?

That hurt.

And they’d gossiped about you. Kung Lao and Liu Kang had in some way gossiped about you. You clenched your jaw in frustration. You didn’t have time for this. You had work to do.

“We can talk about it later.” You decided. “Have you figured out anything about where we should go?” That had been the reason he’d gone early you’d been told but you had no idea what was true and what wasn’t anymore. Your head was mixed up and your brain was buzzing.

“Yes. One of the areas from your vision is called the Seas of Cloud. Raiden mentioned that you saw images of deceased emperors, so I was looking into that too.”

“It was in quick flashes. I didn’t understand what they were at first.”

“There are tales about this place and the yellow emperor after which it is named. He used the waters of the springs here to gain eternal life in these stories.”

“Is that your way of saying that you think the springs might be related?”

“Anything is possible, but I figured it was worth looking into. There were springs in your vision too if I recall.”

“Yeah. I saw a bunch of dead emperors and a spring, but it wasn’t… it was different than I expect the ones here to be? It was in a cavern. It felt secret.” You admired the gray sky but still felt tense all over. You had to breathe and let it go but the more you tried the more frustrated you became. “So, we’re narrowing it down to the springs and the Cloud Sea?”

“Yes. We aren’t too far from either of them but it’s still an endeavor to explore. Yet, it is less than the whole of Huangshan.”

“Probably somewhere between if I had to guess. I followed him in my vision through the mountains up to the clouds and into this cavern that had a spring inside it. Oh! Do they have maps of the mountain? Sometimes with places like this they will list caves on the little brochure to explore.”

“I thought of that. Regrettably, the caves are not mapped out and most are off limits without a tour guide.”

“What if we told them that we lived in a cave. Do you think that would help or cast aspersions?” You considered. There you were, trying to defer your frustration and inner struggle with sarcasm again. Liu chuckled.

“Probably the latter. We know what we’re looking for at least and it shouldn’t take terribly long to hike the area. If we don’t find it then we can start to worry.”

“I have a feeling that it’s secret. I don’t think it’s going to be easy to find. Maybe we should try to feel around for information instead of wandering blind?” You stopped walking, trying to take things more seriously. That was hard.

“I suppose that we can play tourist. We’ll stop at the springs and ask an attendant if they know anything about a secret or hidden spring in the caves.” Liu suggested. At least it was a better lie than fake date.

“Fine.” You said flatly and were annoyed with yourself almost immediately. This would be so much easier if your visions weren’t all over the place and fuzzy.

“You seem irritated.”

“Oh?” You bounced on your heels and shook it off. You were sulking. You had to cut it out. “No. I’m sorry, Liu. I didn’t mean to come off that way.”

“Are you sure, Y/N? Because you seem… annoyed and that’s not like you. If I’ve done something to offend you then we should discuss it.”

Oh no. He was good at confrontation. Damnit. “No, you didn’t do anything like that, Liu.” He had but not on purpose, you were sure. You were just touchy after the day before and overthinking. You had to stomp out that inner voice, but it was so loud. Your anxiety hadn’t been this bad since you were a kid. “I’m annoyed with myself. I’m sorry it’s coming out at you. It’s not intentional.”

“Y/N, you…”

“Don’t tell me not to be annoyed with myself, please. If I could navigate these visions in a way that made sense, then we wouldn’t be so lost on where to look and having to spin ridiculous tales and theories of where to go and what we might find. I could just lead us there and that would be that. And if my brain would just calm down, I wouldn’t be so annoyed. It’s a perpetual cycle.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself. Besides, I don’t mind spending a day or two in Huangshan with you, Y/N. It’s a nice change of pace from Raiden’s Temple.” He smiled sympathetically.

“It’s just like you to put a positive spin on everything.” You scoffed.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing!”

“No!” You huffed defensively and then pouted. “I’m coming off grumpy, aren’t I?”

“You are.” He smiled, but amusement danced in his eyes. He thought that your frustration was either funny or cute. You supposed you were grateful for that.

“I don’t mean to. I’ve got a lot on my mind. I’m surprisingly sore from the whole monster thing too so there’s that.” You rubbed nervously at your neck.

“That is a pretty bad bruise, Y/N.” He tilted your chin up again and you grabbed his hand and pushed it away.

“I really should have worn a scarf so you wouldn’t keep pointing it out.”

He laughed and led you through town and along the path that went to the springs. Liu had picked the perfect location for you to begin your search. It was a short walk from your hotel. There were buses that offered transport, but it seemed such a short walk that it was likely for those who were elderly or drunk.

“This is a popular tourist spot. It was difficult to get a room. I don’t usually stay in places like that, but it was the only vacancy that would accommodate us both and be close enough to where we needed to look. I figured that we didn’t know how long it would take us so the luxury would be a nice break.”

“Makes sense.” Why was he trying to justify his selection to you? You liked the hotel. It was nice.

“Grumpy,” he whispered, leaning close on one foot with his hands clasped behind his back.

“I’m trying so hard, Liu.”

You reached the gate to the springs. You couldn’t see the water beyond it, but you could hear people within, and you could feel the steam and heat even from outside. There was a large building with two doors separated by male and female for changing. In front of that was a booth where a young man sat reading a magazine and looking extremely bored.

“Should I meet you inside? We can see if anyone knows anything?”

“Or we could try the attendant first.”

“Him? He’s a distracted kid who has no interest in our questions, Liu. Look at him.” You nodded discreetly toward the young man. He was likely in his early twenties and doing this just for a paycheck by the look of him.

“Yes, but you’re well… you.” He gestured to you, and you looked down at yourself, brow furrowed in confusion.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You laughed in disbelief.

“You know what it means.” He turned his gaze away from you, hiding his smile but you saw his cheeks turn pink just enough. As quickly as you had noticed it, it had passed. “Now, go be charming and ask that kid about a private spring in a cavern closer to the Seas of Cloud.” He grasped your shoulders gently and turned you toward the booth then gave you a gentle nudge forward. You stuttered on your words and stared forward in complete awe. What the fuck?

Fine. You’d try but he was biased, at the very least. You weren’t built for this kind of thing. You’d always been awkward and terrible at flirting. Gah, you were blushing now too. This was the worst. Okay, deep breaths. You could do this. You didn’t have to be flirty or cute. You could just ask the question. Liu waited behind you, but you didn’t think he was far enough away to be as subtle as he thought he was being.

“Excuse me,” you began politely.

“Just you? Or your friend too?” The attendant didn’t bother looking up at you from the magazine that he was reading.

“I have a question for you, actually.”

“I’ll try to help if I can. Go ahead.” He closed his magazine and finally looked up at you, looked you over, and then was still clearly disinterested. He was working. You knew he would be!

“I heard some stories that there’s a spring in a cavern offsite. Further up the mountain and closer to the Seas of Cloud. I think that it’s considered private. Maybe even off-limits. I was curious if you knew anything about it.” You did your best to sound curious and charming, but you had no idea how it actually came off since you’d been so damn grumpy. The attendant looked from you and then peered around you to Liu. He closed his magazine, folded his hands, sighed heavily, and gave you a knowing look. Oh no, he’d immediately misinterpreted your intentions.

“Look, I’m going to be honest with you.”

That was a bad start.

“Oh, I think you maybe…”

“I’m just filling in for my sister today. I needed the extra cash, and she has a date this afternoon.”

You laughed nervously and looked back to Liu since that was where the attendant kept looking suspiciously. “I think that you misinterpreted my intentions. This doesn’t have anything to do with him. I just had heard a story and was curious. A private spring sounds really beautiful.” You were the world’s worst liar. You couldn’t even come up with an excuse other than you thought it might be pretty.

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Do you not know then?” You were grumpy again. Damn.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but I can’t help you.”

You were flustered beyond recovery now. He had misinterpreted your desire to see a secret spring and the only thing you could think to do was stutter that he had done so. Then Liu was standing behind you, one hand on your back, the other on the counter.

“Is there a problem?” Liu sounded curious and offered a smile, but the attendant rolled his head back and groaned.

“I am not making enough money today to deal with this.”

Liu straightened his posture in surprise and looked to you for further explanation. At least you weren’t the only one flustered. That made you feel a bit better. You turned toward him and he placed his hand on your arm gently. That was probably not helping your case, but it felt nice. “I asked him about an off-limits spring closer to the Seas of Cloud and now he seems to have confused my desire to see this beautiful spring with something…” You stuttered in a frustrated whisper and couldn’t seem to find the word, the obvious word. Instead, you smooshed your hands together in front of you.

“Oh?” Liu tried to interpret your hand motion and then laughed in realization. “Oh. Intimate.”

“That’s it.” You pointed at him. “That’s the word.”

Liu let go of your arm and leaned against the counter with a sigh. “How much would it take for you to give us an answer?” You snapped your head back to Liu so fast you nearly gave yourself whiplash.

“Look, dude, I don’t even work here usually and…”

Liu Kang placed some yuan on the counter and you stared at it in horror, mouth hanging open. Then you had to close your mouth tight to keep from bursting into hysterics. Your eyes were burning, trying not to cry with tears of laughter. Liu Kang was bribing a stranger to give you directions to a romantic hot spring instead of just explaining himself. Of all the possible outcomes you had expected this was the funniest one.

“Whoa, man… look I…” The attendant stared at the money on the counter and Liu tapped the bills before sliding them toward him. You were dying. This was where you died. RIP. Tears. You blinked them away. Your cheeks hurt from keeping it together. This was amazing. “If you take the main path up it branches about an hour in. Take the left fork and then walk for a bit. As you get close to the Seas of Cloud there’s a few caves. One of them has a spring in it but it’s hard to find with all the trees and not exactly safe. Gives me the creeps. That’s all I got.” He scooped up the bills. “Have fun man and if you get caught it wasn’t me who told you.”

“Thank you.” Liu bowed his head politely and then, hand on your back, led you away from the booth. You started up the hiking trail that had been pointed out to you and then you burst into hysterical laughter, practically hyperventilating from having held it in for so long. Liu pulled his hand back and stared at you with some concern as if he didn’t understand why this was hilarious.

“Y/N, are you okay?” He gently brushed his hand over your shoulder.

“What the hell was that?”

“Oh. I guess it was funny. He was going to think whatever he was going to think, Y/N. Sometimes we have to use other resources to get what we need.”

“Oh my god, does that mean you bribe people often? I didn’t expect this. I’m sorry. I wasn’t emotionally prepared for how funny that would be.”

“Only when they’re more convinced by money than words, Y/N.”

You took deep breaths to get yourself together and cleared your throat.

“How very Zen of you.”

“Come on, now.” He chuckled and placed his hand again at your back to lead you along the path that would start your hike. “We have private springs to find.”

“This day keeps getting weirder by the second.” You blinked away the remaining tears from your fit of laughter.

“Was it really that funny?”

“Liu. My stomach hurts from laughing.”

He shook his head with a smile as you continued on your way.

[justnerdthings]

New Beginnings Ch. 8

Female reader x Liu Kang/Kung Lao

Liu Kang has spoken.

Liu had left you to rest in the infirmary. He was confident that you were going to be alright physically, mentally… But maybe not emotionally. Lao had gone too far last night. Stepping out of the infirmary, he sighed.

“How is she?” Lao asked, pushing himself off the wall. He’d been waiting outside.

“You went too far,” Liu told him, stepping out of the way of a passing monk. Liu watched Lao frown… really frown. Lao was genuinely feeling the guilt. “She’ll be fine… Physically,” Liu tried to reassure his brother.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

Lao swallowed the lump in his throat.

“She asked me to keep you away from her. I think you should keep your distance for a while,” Liu told him.

Lao opened his mouth to protest, but seeing Liu’s serious expression made him close his mouth without a word. Lao nodded, agreeing to grant your wish.

“Give her a few days,” Liu reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Lao’s shoulder. “The monks want her to rest anyway. She deserves that much.”

“I wouldn’t have let her fall,” Lao admitted, futilely rubbing the guilt from his face.

“I know.” Liu gave his shoulder a small pat before he began walking down the hall. Lao walked with him.

“I left my hat in the sand. I would have teleported back there if it went wrong.”

“I know.” Liu nodded.

“She was right.”

Liu cocked a brow and glanced to him.

“I’m a fucking idiot.”

Liu grinned and looked back down the hall. “And an asshole.”

Lao sighed heavily. He really had been. “I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”

Liu nodded. “Just give her a few days,” he repeated.

.

Lao had kept his word. He didn’t bother you all day. In fact, you didn’t see him at all after meditation. Liu had talked him out of it every time Lao said that he wanted to see how you were doing--to apologize to you. Liu knew you weren’t ready to see him again. He’d never seen Lao so beat up over himself.

You didn’t go to lunch, and you hadn’t been there now at dinner. Liu watched as his brother idly pushed his food around his plate.

“You need to eat, Lao,” Liu told him.

“I am…” Lao didn’t bother to look up.

“No, you’re not. You’re just pushing your food around to make it look like you are.”

“Do you think she hates me?”

Liu sighed. He’d been dealing with Lao’s guilt all day. “Well, she’s certainly not fond of you at the moment.” He didn’t mean to say that as harsh as it came out. But it was true.

Lao’s jaw hardened and he put his chopsticks down. There was no point in pretending anymore. “Do you think if I told her that I had had a plan, that she wouldn’t be so angry?”

“I think if you go anywhere near her right now, I’ll break your arm,” Liu said impatiently, then pointed to Lao’s plate, not giving his brother even a glance. “Eat.”

Lao stared at his plate. He should eat. But he wasn’t hungry. He wasn’t very hungry at lunch either… or breakfast.

“If you don’t eat, I’ll shove eggrolls down your throat,” Liu threatened.

Lao grabbed his chopsticks. He lifted an eggroll and took a bite. Liu was serious, maybe not literally, but he would make Lao eat before he left the table. Lao hadn’t eaten all day.

“Just think of this as a lesson,” Liu told him before taking a bite of his own food.

Lao just gave a defeated grunt in response.

“I know you don’t like them,” Liu answered. With how close they were, he could decipher Lao’s grunts. “But you can’t skip this one like when we were children.”

Lao sighed in his defeat. He had had a habit of ditching classes when they were kids. The monks were just so boring. He just wanted to train and fool around. Liu never missed his classes though. You had been right earlier: Liu was the smart one.

“Your actions have repercussions,” Liu told him.

“Yeah, yeah…” Lao ran his fingers through his hair. “I get it.”

Liu nodded and continued eating.

“I really am sorry, though,” Lao admitted for the seventeenth time that day.

Liu nodded again. “I know, Lao.”

.

After dinner, Liu had forgone his evening meditation in favor of checking on you again. The monks had told him that you had been free to go since his last visit after breakfast, but you had opted to stay in the infirmary. Liu wondered why as he searched the makeshift hospital… Until he finally found you.

You were helping a warrior monk who, by the look of it, had injured his foot. Standing back and out of the way, he watched silently as you treated the monk.

“Does it hurt when I put pressure here?” You asked as you pressed gently on either side of his ankle. He let out a pained gasp and jerked his foot back in your hand. Yeah. That hurt. And you did too with his sudden movement, irritating your shoulders and back. You fought back a flinch of your own pain, pushing it out of your head. You nodded to him. “I’m sorry,” you apologized. The monk had trouble moving his foot. He’d explained just earlier that he’d rolled it while practicing a new fighting style. He had to have help getting to the infirmary, but he could put weight on it as long as he did so slowly. He had wobbled though when you’d asked him to demonstrate just a few minutes ago. You were pretty sure it was just a sprained ankle by now.

Letting his foot down ever so gently, you turned and rifled through the various cabinets until you found what you were looking for: compression wraps. You pulled over a stool and sat at his foot.

“Broken?” The monk asked, obviously not knowing much english. You grinned and shook your head as you carefully began to wrap his foot.

“No. Just a sprain,” you told him, happy for him. By the sound of him earlier, you were sure whatever he had been doing could have had the potential to break his ankle. You saw him nod his head out the corner of your eye. He flinched and jerked as you wrapped his ankle tight. “I’m sorry. Just a bit more,” you told him gently as you made sure to wrap it tight enough to give him the support he’d need, but not too tight.

You had finished in no time and secured the end of the wrap with the metal clasp. You carefully let his foot dangle off the gurney and stood, offering him both hands to help him stand. Despite the surge of pain it gave your shoulders and back, you helped support him as he put weight back on his foot. You could win an oscar for how well you hid your own pain, but this monk wouldn’t be winning any awards for his efforts. You frowned to him but helped him over to another monk--the one who helped him get to the infirmary. Looking to the injured one again, you pointed to his ankle. “Rest,” you told him, hoping he would understand. Seeing him nod, then bow graciously, you knew he did. You returned his bow as best you could without hurting your back too much and watched as his friend helped him down the hall.

That’s when you noticed Liu standing out of the way, watching you with a smile. Had he been standing there the whole time? Watching you? Your jaw clenched as you turned away to clean up, expecting him to tell you to rest yourself.

Liu watched as you tidied up. You were a nurse. Of course you looked so natural in this setting. This was you. His smile grew as he realised just how in your element you were. “You look better,” he said.

You scoffed a laugh. “I don’t feel it.”

Liu shook his head as he joined you. “I mean here.” He gestured broadly to the infirmary. You looked to him with bewilderment. “The infirmary. You look better here,” he said. “More natural.”

Oh. Yeah. You nodded and sighed, tossing your gloves into a waste bin. “Feels more natural here.”

“I noticed.”

You glanced at him, then turned to walk down the hall. He followed you. You could feel his eyes on you. “I like it here. Feels…” You struggled for the word.

“Normal?” Liu offered.

You stopped and turned to look at him. He understood you, didn’t he? You let a heavy breath go, as if relaxing for the first time since you’d gotten here. “I miss it,” you admitted.

He nodded. “I’m glad you’ve found something here you like. It must have been a culture shock that day.”

You laughed and let yourself back against a wall carefully, leaning on it to rest your back. “Understatement of the year,” you said. He smiled and stepped closer. Liu debated with himself for a moment. His eyes shifted to the floor, then to his prayer beads. You noticed. “What?” you asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing. How is your back?” He’d changed the subject.

“Still sore, Liu,” You repeated playfully from the other day. He laughed, catching it immediately. “But really, what?” you asked.

He hesitated, but seeing your pressing face, he caved. “Lao’s said he’s sorry.”

You rolled your eyes and rubbed your forehead. Not this again. “Please, don’t…” you begged.

Liu frowned. “I know. You don’t want to hear it.”

“I really don’t.”

“Just one more?”

“Fine. One.”

“I’ve never seen him this upset,” he’d admitted.

You didn’t know what to say. You didn’t know what to think. Last night you were sure you had seen Lao become embarrassed when you called him out on hiding feelings for you. Then this morning Liu had told you Lao had just been testing you. So which was it? Did Lao have feelings? Or could Lao also win an oscar? You rubbed your head again before letting your hand drop to your side. “I don’t want to think about him right now,” you said.

“Fair enough.” Liu nodded. “Do you feel up for a walk?”

“It doesn’t involve unnecessary routes, does it?”

He grinned and shook his head. “Not if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t,” you said, but pushed yourself away from the wall and walked for the infirmary door. Once you two were outside, you were surprised to see Liu offer his arm to you. He really was a gentleman, wasn’t he? You took it. He led you through the halls.

.

You two had walked the halls and Liu had regaled you with the history of Mortal Kombat. You were sure he knew everything about it. He studied it. He lived it. He breathed it. Liu led you to every mural the temple had and told you the story each one depicted. Even The Great Kung Lao’s. It made you uncomfortable at first, because you ended up being reminded of Lao, but you realized it wasn’t fair to this Kung Lao. They were two different people who just happened to have the same name… and same blood. You now grasped the importance of why Lao was so picky when it came to his future wife. You got it. It was important to him and his family. He was practically Mortal Kombat royalty.

Liu then brought you to the arena he was fond of. The one with the statute of Raiden. He told you the identity of the other statue. It was Raiden’s brother: Fujin, a wind god who had decided long ago to spend his time among mortals, much to Raiden’s displeasure. Liu told you all about Fujin, all about Raiden, all about the elder gods. You didn’t know what to think with all this information, but you were glad to finally have it.

You two had walked in silence after that. You weren’t sure if it was because Liu had finally tired of talking, or because he didn’t know what else to talk about. It was awkward at first, but quickly grew--… relaxing. Almost meditative. Not once did he lead you by any extraordinary views of the ravine. You could trust him, you knew that.

“I need to confess again,” he broke the silence. You turned your head to look up at his face as you two kept walking. He hesitated, as if rethinking his decision, but forced it out, “I have thought of you…”

Your legs stopped. You stared at him. You knew exactly what he was saying. You remembered last night’s fight at dinner. Lao teased Liu for feelings you weren’t sure he really had at the time. But now… He was confessing them to you. Okay, maybe Lao wasn’t deflecting. Maybe Liu had really been a victim himself last night in Lao’s attempts to rile you up. You swallowed the growing lump in your throat.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same,” Liu said, avoiding your eyes.

You wouldn’t have lied if he’d asked if you had felt something, but you were grateful that he hadn’t asked. Did you? Yes. There was something there. But love? Lust? You weren’t sure. It was more just ‘trust’ right now. “I don’t know what to say,” you told him gently.

He shook his head and forced a smile to his face as he finally looked to you. “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know.”

You couldn’t help but frown. “Thanks…” That sounded stupid coming out of your mouth. You didn’t know what else to say. You tugged him along as you continued to walk, looking at the floor. Now the walk was awkward again.

“Are… are you sure it’s not just because I’m the only woman here?” You asked nervously. Maybe he was just confused. Honestly, how could anyone like you? You were a mess. And you weren’t even that pretty.

Liu’s brow wrinkled. That was such an odd question. But, he could understand what you were asking. The Order of Light was an order of monks. Just monks. There were no nuns here. And no other kombatants but you, him, and Lao. He got it. You must have felt vulnerable… maybe alone?

He frowned. “I admit, I don’t have much experience with women. Ever since I became a monk, I’ve been focused on training. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable.”

“No… It’s not that. I just…” You sucked in a deep breath as your nerves fired up. “Just, I’m the only girl here. You sure you’re actually thinking of me?”

He turned his head to look at her in confusion.

“Like, I could have been anyone. What if I was some other girl? What if she was better than me? What if there were plenty of women here? Would you even notice me?”

Oh. Now it was clicking for him. He shook his head as if to protest, but didn’t say anything. Liu actually thought about it. “Maybe…” he finally answered. “If you were the only one with the mark, of course I’d notice you.” Wait. That wasn’t what he meant. He didn’t want to insult you. “I mean—”

“I get it,” you broke in. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“No.” He stopped you gently and moved in front of you so you would look at him. “Hold on.” His jaw flexed as he tried to sort his thoughts into words. He wasn’t used to this at all. “If this temple had plenty of women, I’m sure I would notice you. Even if you didn’t have the mark. Even if you were just a quiet nun who never stood out.”

Your brows knotted in suspicion. You weren’t sure if he was just trying to make you feel better, or if he was just struggling to say what he felt.

He’d noticed your suspicion and pointed gently, accusingly to your face. “That,” he said. “Stop that. Listen to me. Not your head.”

You blinked at him. How did he know you were doubting him—

“When I saw you help brother Li back there, I saw exactly who you are. I saw exactly why Raiden was so set on saving you and bringing you here to train with us. I thought I’d seen it before, but I only had half of it. Maybe I still don’t see the whole reason, but I definitely see more of it,” He told you.

But what the hell was he talking about?

“You are amazing,” he said, catching you off guard. “I have seen hundreds of people--of monks try and fail to find themselves. And you just… You just are. I see you second, third, hundredth guess yourself every day, but when you’re in a situation that needs to be dealt with, you jump in and take it into your own hands. Last night? I couldn’t believe that you had caught Lao. I figured you would freeze up when the time came. That is huge. And Lao told me about the man you saved in a fire.” He stepped closer, keeping his eyes locked on yours, his shifting focus from one to the other. “What are you?” he asked, just so simply amazed with you.

“I’m… just a nurse,” you answered sheepishly.

“No. You’re not. Look at yourself. Really look at yourself. You don’t just risk your time to help people. You risk your life. I’m not trying to dismiss what nurses do. But most nurses don’t throw themselves over a cliff to save someone. They don’t run into fires without proper equipment. And what you did with brother Li? Y/N, you didn’t have to help him. There were plenty of infirmary monks that could have done that. You’re injured. You’re in pain. You should be resting, but you helped him anyway.”

“It was just a sprained ankle,” you tried to reason. “It was nothing.”

“What if it was something?”

“What?”

“What if it was an emergency? What if he was dying?”

“He wasn’t—”

“Humor me.”

“I…” Your jaw clenched. You knew what he was doing. Lao had done this several times. “I would have helped,” you admitted. “I would have had to.”

“You wouldn’t have had to.”

“I would have wanted to.”

He smiled to you. You were near tears and he reached up to hold your face gently in his warm hands. Liu’s dark eyes never left yours. “I know you don’t think of yourself as someone who deserves credit. I know you don’t expect to be appreciated for what you do. I know you feel like someone who doesn’t get noticed. Whether you think it’s because you’re not good enough, or you’re not strong enough, or because your head tells you lies about yourself…” Tears had started to trickle down your cheeks and his thumbs wiped them away. “So don’t ask me if I would ignore you if someone better was around. You’re going to be really hard to beat,” he said, smiling to you. And he meant it.

.

@ancientowlgirl @miss-nori85

[xoxoperse]

the challenge. / kung lao

“don’t pretend you don’t love the great kung lao, y/n.”

word count: 4,641

trigger warnings: none

pairings: kung lao x reader.

your fist met kung lao’s palm, for what seemed like the tenth time, sparring under the ginkgo tree that you both had been under for at least an hour, now. you both constantly seemed to find yourself under the same tree, whether it be while you hang out with lao while he is skipping his classes, or training with one another - mentor present or not - it had always been this same, beautiful tree.

“i have to admit,” you started as he released your balled fist from his grasp, “not to boost your ego or anything, but you have improved, kung lao.” you spoke with a hint of teasing in your tone as a smirk spread across your lips.

“what was that, now?” kung lao asked, putting his hand behind his ear, “i didn’t quite hear what you said; did you say: i’m better than you?” he cockily asked, raisng an eyebrow your way.

“don’t put words in my mouth, now,” you responded with a chuckle before you went to sit in the shade for a moment to cool off some. kung lao joined you, throwing his hat into the ground beside him before resting his back up against the tree trunk.

“that is absolutely what you said,” kung lao playfully argued, his snarky tone still remaining. “let’s not deny the fact that, that is what you actually said,” he teased, nudging you a little bit, which made you laugh softly, shaking your head a bit.

“often times, i wonder how i manage to tolerate you so much,” you joked, looking over to the monk with a smile playing on your lips. you may never actually say it to him, but you really did, somehow, enjoy lao’s company - he always knew how to make you laugh, and it was a laugh he always loved to hear.

“don’t pretend you don’t love the great kung lao, y/n,” he pried, now wiggling his eyebrows a few times, which only made you laugh a bit more.

“do i ‘love the great kung lao?’” you asked playfully, doing air quotes as you spoke. you had absently tilted your head to the side a little bit, still smiling rather widely.

“do i really have to tell you the answer to the obvious question?” he asked, shooting you a look that could bascially read ‘really? really?’ he truly did not think that you didn’t like him in the slightest; you wouldn’t have stuck around this long if that just so happened to be the case. that being said, sometimes these thoughts did reside in his head at times, though the doubts were rarely about you, and more about others around him. if there was anyone who going to truly stick around for as long as possible, it was going to be you and liu kang - and there were no two ways about it in his mind. yes, he was cocky, and he obviously knew that, but you and liu both knew how to put up with it, even if it was annoying at times - okay, most times.

“you mean the obvious ‘no,’ which would happen to be the correct answer?” you sassily retorted back to the man. and then, an idea hit you like a ton of bricks. “but, if you really want to say ‘i told you so’ on this, prove it to me,” you said in a challenging tone, your smile quickly being replaced by a smirk.

“prove it to you?” kung lao repeated, now furrowing his eyebrows together as he looked to you, with a puzzled look obviously written on his face. “how am i to prove this to you?”

“well, it’s simple; make me love you,’ you elaborated to him with a slight shrug as you spoke. “i mean, unless you are not up for the challenge,”

“oh, y/n,” lao scoffed with a devious smirk, “of course i’m up for the challenge. who do you think i am?” he sarcastically asked.

...

for the next few weeks, kung lao had been showering you for affection. he got you flowers, dinner, movie dates, everything. he was trying his damnedest, that for sure. to your surprise, it had been working, only a little bit, though - or so you thought.

tonight, lao was bringing over some food and a movie for you both to watch, and you were expexcting him any minute now. soon enough, the monk knocked on your door. you got up from your spot on the couch, going to the door and opening it. you greeted kung lao with a smile and a ‘hello,’ before stepping out of the way to let him inside. you closed the door behind him, meeting him back in the living room in your home.

“i got you peppered steak this time, since you liked it when i got it,” kung lao told you softly, smiling to you. if you were being honest, it was weird to see the man not wearing his razor-edged hat, or even his leather cap he was seemingly forever wearing.

“must be a special day for you to not be wearing your prized possesion,” you teasingly mentioned, helping him pull out the food and laying on the table.

“it’s weird to the both of us, y/n,” kung lao chuckled, nodding in agreement. “don’t worry,” he added, pulling out a pair of chopsticks for himself and you, before grabbing his own food: a container of lo mein.

you both found yourselves sitting side-by-side on your couch. after sitting for a minute, you realized that neither of you had popped in the movie. “we forgot the movie,” you chuckled with a smile, sitting your food back down on the table. the second you stood up to your feet, you heard yet another knock on the door. you looked to lao, confused. he gave you a light shrug, before you made your way to the door.

you opened your door once more, revealing lord raiden. “hello, y/n. may i come in?” he asked, keeping his hands behind his back, respectfully.

“of course, come in,” you answered, moving out of his way. once he walked in, you closed the door, seeing lao stand to his feet.

“i’m not interupting anything, am i?” the thunder god asked, looking between you and lao as you joined his side. once you gave him a ‘no, not at all,’ he continued on. “i need to ask something of you, y/n,”

you nodded in response, before speaking, “anything, i’ll be glad to help,”

“thank you,” raiden spoke, returning the nod. “there is a mission i need you to go on. it’s rather dangerous, but i’ve asked fujin to assist you on this,”

“may i ask what this mission is?” you asked, tilting your head to the side slightly.

“there has been an outbreak of demons killing humans in earthrealm, assumingly by the brotherhood of shadow.” he elaborated, his slightly hoarse voice filling the room.

“so what? you’re just going to send her out on a dangerous mission with a two person army?” kung lao questioned, making both you and raiden advert your gazes to him. “let me go with her, at least,”

“no, kung lao,” raiden spoke, shaking his head. “i refuse to let the both of you potentionally die out there, we can’t afford that kind of loss. if we need to send more out there, then that is what will happen,”

“then let me go instead,” lao insisted. he didn’t want to take this mission from you for his pride, he wanted to take it from you for your own safety - for the sake of your life. “what’s the difference between this mission and all of the others that you sent us on together? if it’s dangerous,” at that moment, you placed a hand on his muscular bicep to catch his attention as raiden remained silent upon seeing your actions to calm kung lao down.

“lao, it’s okay,” you reassured softly. he huffed as he met your eyes for a moment, almost like you were trying to telepathically convince him. “i can manage. besides, i’ll have a god on my side,”

“y/n, that doesn’t mean anything for your safety,” kung lao argued, raising an eyebrow your way.

you sighed, frowning before you spoke, “fujin won’t let anything happen to me,”

“and if he can’t? then what? i never see you again, i have to bury you six feet under?” the monk argued back. he’d be damned if you went out there without him, let alone let you die on this mission. kung lao didn’t care why raiden wasn’t sending him on the mission instead of you, nor was his pride hurt from the god’s decision. “i don’t want that for you, y/n. i won’t let it happen.”

“and i you, lao,” you responded with a hint of sadness in your tone. you took a quiet, deep breath, before looking back to raiden. “when am i being sent off?”

“we’ll need you to leave tomorrow morning,” he responded with a nod. “i’ll see myself out... enjoy your dinner, and thank you, again, y/n,” with that, raiden had walked back out of your home, leaving you and kung lao to discuss the event that just happened.

“i can not let you go on this mission, y/n,” lao spoke, his voice a bit lower than it had been before - he couldn’t dare yell at you.

“this does not alway have to end badly, lao,” you explained, sitting back down in your seat. you ran a hand through your hair, letting out a long sigh.

kung lao joined you on the couch once more, hunched over a bit with his elbow resting on his knee, and his forehead in this palm. “of all people, y/n,” he huffed, “of all people, he chose you - and i can’t even come with you,”

you looked to him, raising a brow, “are you implying i can’t do this on my own?” you asked, now starting to feel a bit fed up. “is that the real reason why you’re complaining so much? because your ego is hurt so much that you can’t take part of the fame?”

“that is not what i’m saying, y/n-“ lao quickly started, before hearing you take a deep breath, assuming to calm your nerves. “i’m saying is that if there was something to happen, i would rather it be me than you,”

“right...” you whispered, leaning back on the couch.”i’m going to pack and then head to bed... feel free to stay the night,” you offered, getting up from your spot. “help yourself to my food, as well,” you added, closing the container before standing up.

“y/n...” kung lao called, looking up to you as you got up, reaching for your hand, the sudden feeling making your insides a bit warm and fuzzy. he rose to his feet as soon as he grabbed your attention, a frown apparent on his lips. “i’m sorry,”

“lao, it’s fine,” you spoke, shaking your head a bit, knowing that your words were over-dramatic, “don’t worry about it... i should be apologizing,”

“all is forgiven. now, sit and eat with me,” he plead, sitting back down but keeping ahold of your hand as he tried to tug you down - gently, of course - with him. you let out a sigh of defeat, unable to help but crack a bit of a smile as you sat down beside him. you knew you over-reacted about the situation, at least you came to your senses about it. but you had to admit, it would be weird going on a mission without kung lao and/or liu kang, seeing how the three of you were always together for your missions.

you let out a bit of a sigh as you took a bite of your peppered steak in hand, before looking over to lao. “put your trust in fujin for me, okay?” you asked, stopping lao the moment he opened his mouth, assuming to speak against your plea to him. “he won’t let me be harmed, alright? and, i know it’s going to be weird without you being there, o’ knight in shining armour,” you teased with a smile, nudging the man beside you.

“knight in shining armour, you say?”  he cockily asked, tilting his head to the side and wiggling his eyebrows.

he made you chuckle as you playfully shoved him away from you, “oh, be quiet.”

the next morning, you were up bright and early, already having got into the shower, packed, and had even already made breakfast for you and kung lao. you just made some simple eggs, bacon, and toast for your first meal of the day. now that the food was done, you had to awake kung lao from his slumber on your couch. you walked over, smiling down to him as he laid stomach-down on the sofa. “lao,” you cooed, placing your hand on his shoulder blade gently. when he went unresponsive to your attempts to wake him, you called his name again as you shook him a bit.

finally, the monk budged. “hmm?” he hummed tiredly, squeezing his eyes closed as he rolled over onto his side, facing your direction.

“breakfast is ready, if you want some,” you told him, speaking softly. he gave you a tired nod, before sitting up and stretching out his arms as you walked to make both of your plates.

soon, lao met you in your kitchen, his plate resting on the counter next to the stove, closest to the table. “thank you,” he told you sweetly, giving you a smile as he sat down after you quickly put a fork on his plate before he walked away, slipping one onto your own plate.

now, you had joined him at the table, you both digging into the food. you had to leave in about an hour and a half, so you knew you had to soak up at least a little bit more time with lao before you had to be gone, for elder gods know how long. “hey, promise me something, lao.” you requested softly, tilting your head a bit as you did so.

you caught his attention, him meeting your eyes. “anything, y/n,” he responded.

“don’t annoy liu kang to the point of murder while i’m gone, alright?” you asked, a smile breaking onto your lips with a laugh. “i know it’s hard for you to... well, watch what you say,”

the man laughed a little bit, as well, before nodding. “no promises, y/n,” he jokingly responded, the same, wide smile on his lips.

and just like that, the time had unknowingly quickly passed, and you had just gathered all of your luggage - well, lao gathered it all; he insisted - which just consisted of a backpack and a medium-sized suitcase. it would have to do, since you didn’t want to carry too much on this trip. kung lao’s hand remained on the handle for maybe a moment longer than it should have, contemplating if he could somehow talk his way into convincing you to not go on this mission, or at least talk you into letting him tag along.

you tilted your head to the side slightly as you watched his hand linger on the handle, a bit of a frown tugging on your lips. you absolutely felt bad that kung lao could not come with you and fujin on this mission, but you’d rather something happen to yourself over him, and it will always be that way, but, of course, you knew he felt the same exact way about the situatiion. the previous night remained on your mind, constantly replaying the night over and over in your head. the thought that you couldn’t shake was that... well, kung lao basically broke his extremely cocky shell. for once, you saw that he cared for someone else rather himself, or the sake of his family name.it was an odd occurence, and it was something that you had never exactly seen before. of course you knew that he cared about you and liked you enough to keep you around for all this time, but him acting out the way he did last night just seemed like a bit of a change - but a good kind of change.

now, kung lao’s gaze fell onto you, and he gave you a small smile, though big enough for you to see his cute dimple. he opened his arms to you, now making your frown disappear as you walked into his embrace. you held each other tight, for not knowing if this would be one of the last times you’d see one another in your lifetimes. it was savoury, to say the least. your arms went around his neck while his went around around your mid-torso, though he moved one of his hands to the back of your head.

“don’t die on me, alright?” the monk whispered to you, a hint of sadness in his tone.

“no promises,” you responded, your voice nearly as quiet as his. then, you chuckled a bit at your own thought. “i can’t believe i’m saying this, but i’ll miss you,” you told him, slowly and reluctantly pulling away, though still each other’s arms.

kung lao’s smile was quickly replaced with that cocky smirk of his, “did i just hear you right? did you say that you’ll miss me, the great kung lao?” he snarkily asked, making you roll your eyes with a stupidly big grin on your lips.

you laughed a little bit before responding, “alright, you got me there. you actually correctly heard what i said,” you playfully admit, smiling to him, having to slightly look up to him.

“do i still have a chance to win that challenge, even though you’ll be gone?” kung lao asked, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly as he spoke, curiousity clearly laced in his tone.

truth be told, you had almost forgotten the challenge you had set for him, though it was... well, working like a charm, almost. you gave him a nod, keeping up your act, “yes, if you can still find a way to do it,” you answered, wiggling your eyebrows at him with the tiniest smirk playing on your lips.

“i’ll win you over, y/n. you have my word,” kung lao responded, letting out a light chuckle. as lao fell silent, there was a gentle knock on the door, almost as if it was on cue. you finally pulled away from the shaolin, taking a step forward and reaching for the handle. as you turned the knob, you were greeted with a smiling fujin. his flowing hair was tied into a braid that seemed to end nearly a few inches off of the ground.

“hello, y/n, kung lao,” the wind god greeted, looking past your shoulder to the monk behind you.

“hello, lord fujin,” you greeted with a little head bow. “would you like to come in for a moment?” you offered, motioning your arm to the inside of your home.

fujin shook his head, “no, thank you.” he responded, the little smile still on his lips. he tilted his head a bit, noticing kung lao’s slightly obvious, annoyed demeanor . despite this, he could also feel sentiment radiating off of the monk. “i sense that you are upset, kung lao... or even, distrust. is everything alright?” he asked, his head remaining tilted.

kung lao simply nodded in the god’s direction, letting out a sigh. he held his tongue for the first time in his life, remembering the promise you asked him to make, though it was never settled on - verbally, at least. “keep her safe... we certainly couldn’t afford to lose her,”

“of course, kung lao.” lord fujin promised, keeping his hands behind his back. fujin’s gaze fell onto you once more, before he spoke up again, “do you have everything you need?” he asked, glancing down to your suitcase and bag that was up against the wall. when you gave him a ‘yes,’ he nodded once more. “good. i’ll let you say your goodbyes,” he spoke, before offering to hold your bags while he waited. you thanked fujin as he took the outside, and closed the door quietly behind him. you turned back to kung lao, letting out a sigh. you found yourselves hugging each other once more, this time being just a little bit tighter than the last hug. if you didn’t savour the last hug, you certainly were on this one. kung lao pressed a soft kiss to your head, his arms remaining around you.

simultaneously, you and kung lao pulled away from each other, offering the man a smile as you did so. “remember: don’t talk your way into liu kang murdering you while i’m gone. just build it up and wait until after, because i will gladly help him out,” you teased, chuckling a bit. kung lao laughed lightly, shakimg his head.

“you would kill me, the great kung lao? you wouldn’t dare!” he responded, only making your genuine chuckles turn into laughs. you playfully placed a hand on his chest to push him away from you.

“yes, the great kung lao” you mocked, failing to match his cocky tone, “i would.” though you were, of course, teasing him, he couldn’t help but feel warm inside as he heard those words come out of your mouth, along with your laughs. it was like a melody to his ears, as it always had been. “i should go... i don’t want to keep fujin waiting,” you sadly told him, all of the happiness in your tone withering away with every word you had said.

reluctantly, he nodded, “right...” he muttered. he knew, at this point, there was nothing he could do to convince one - or both - of you otherwise, so he finally, unfortunately, gave it up. “goodbye, y/n,” he told you softly, meeting your eyes one last time.

“goodbye, kung lao,” you responded. you took a step closer to him, standing up a bit on your toes to kiss his cheek before you approached the door again. you took a deep breath, glancing back to lao before opening it up. “sorry to keep you waiting, lord fujin,” you apologized, stepping out.

the long-haired god turned around, sending a nod your way. “no worries,” he said softly. he looked back into your home, to kung lao. “i’ll get y/n back to you, kung lao,” the god promised once more as you sling your backpack over your shoulder.

the monk only nodded to fujin, before you gave him a little wave and a smile. kung lao returned both, walking up to the door as the little smile remained on his lips, almost as if he was trying to wordlessly convince you that things will be okay. soon, you and fujin walked away, only having glanced back to the beloved monk behind you again, wishing he could come with you.

as soon as you and fujin were out of his sight, he closed the door behind him, deciding to clean up from that morning and the previous night before he had to leave, himself, to meet liu kang at the wu shi temples for the day.

...

the days seemed to grow longer and longer to you and kung lao while you were gone, defending for earthrealm’s sake. you found yourselves writing to each other at least once a week through the three months, just to save the other’s sanity and calm the other’s anxious nerves. calling the mission insane would probably be an understatement. there were more demons than you and fujin both had expected, let alone how strong their powers were. after many nicks here and there, maybe a bad gash or two, you were finally able to come back home. in your final letter to kung lao, you were happy to tell him that you got to come home that following weekend.

fujin walked with you through the wu shi’s tree-filled field, holding a conversation on earthrealm customs, which mainly consisted of you trying to explain them to the god. suddenly, fujin fell silent for a moment, nudging you with a little smirk on his lips. you looked up to him, furrowing your eyebrows before he nodded his head in the direction of a certain monk. your confusion soon turned into joy, happy to see the man you had craved to see in these past months. “go get him,” he whispered. he offered to take your bags into the temple, you thanking him quickly before you made your way to kung lao.

his hat appeared to be thrown into the dirt, the prized possession standing straight up. you were able to grab the razor-edged hat and place it on your head - luckily without a scratch - before you spoke up. “who is the great kung lao now?” you asked, catching his attention. he looked up to you, smilng as he jumped to his feet as he let out a laugh. he pulled thehat off of your head so he didn’t harm himself on accident, laying it back onto the ground before he hugged you. his arms snaked around your waist as your own went around his neck. he lifted you off of the ground for a moment, the widest grin on both of your lip as you enjoyed the embrace.

“you didn’t miss me too awful much, did you?” kung lao asked you as you both pulled away from each other. you chuckled and rolled your eyes a bit with the smile still on your lips, happy as ever. your hand found it’s way to his cheek, genty rubbing your thumb along his cheekbone as you placed a long, loving kiss to his lips. it had absolutely been something you wanted to do for awhile now, but you almost craved it in these past three months. slowly, you pulled away from him, still smiling to him. “i told you so,” he whispered, bis smile turning into a smirk.

“yeah, yeah - be quiet,” you teased. on cue, you heard someone clear their throat from behind kung lao. you and lao let go of each other, the man turning around as an arm absently remained around your waist for a moment, seeing no one other than the chosen one himself. “liu!” you called happily, leaving kung lao’s side and heading to the other monk. once again, you wrapped your arms around his neck, while his went around your mid-torso.

“i see that you survived your mission, y/n,” liu kang spoke, you both simultaneously pulling away from each other, “see where actually attending class can get you, kung lao?” he teased with a smile.

“i’m still here, aren’t i” kung lao retorted, tilting his head a bit as his smirk had returned to his cute, dimple-y smile.

you chuckled, “i do have to admit, lao, i am truly surprised that you didn’t actually annoy liu to your death,” you joked,

“not quite,” liu started with a tiny, slightly devious smirk on his lips, “but he sure did talk my ear off about you,”

you dramatically gasped, shooting kung lao a teasing look as an obvious, dark blush appearing across his cheeks. “so, maybe you did actually miss me too much,” you teased with a laugh. “alright, children, let’s get to class,” you said once your laughter had calmed. the shaolin monks joined you on the walk to the wu shi temples. you were truly glad to be back with your friends - but let’s be honest, the two men by your side really were like your family.

[malicedragoness]

Baby reactions: MK guys

So this was originally supposed to be a humorous reaction. However it turned more serious and fluffy. Erron’s part is REALLY long! He requires so much more explaining and development than the other guys.

This has fluff, humor, and seriousness in it. Please enjoy!

Kabal - You’re gonna have an ‘oops’ baby. And that’s exactly what he says when you tell him you’re pregnant.

“Kabal, do you want a baby?”

“Like a living one?”

You roll your eyes at him. “Yes. Like an actual baby.”

“Well, maybe later on when-“

“I’m pregnant.”

“....oops.”

Just like his powers, things go so fast when he’s in the mood. He forgets to wrap his willy one time because he was away on a mission for three months. Once he saw you, he immediately jumped you in the living room and he just. Couldn’t. Stop.

Kabal is happy, but shit he needs a minute to take all this in. He wanted kids, but he always imagined it would happen much later and he’d have his life together by then. Now he feels an immense pressure to find a more responsible job and have enough money for all the doctor/medical bills within nine months. When you start to panic because of how quiet he is, he’ll immediately snap out of his funk.

Kabal wraps you in a bone crushing hug and tells you he’s so happy he going to be a dad. It’s his dream to have a large family. He can’t wait to do birthday parties, go to Disney world, costume shopping for comic book conventions. If he has a girl she’s going to be dressed up like a Little Sister and he’s going to be a Big Daddy. He wants it all.

He’s going to be at every doctors appointment that he can get to. If he’s out of town, you better call him and put him on speaker. When he sees that first ultrasound he cries. You’re going to have twins. (I LOVE that part of his tower ending!) He so excited but he also feels so freaking macho! In one shot he was able to get two babies inside of you! He’s feeling proud of himself right now. Let him have his moment. He will also want to know the gender of the babies. He’s too impatient to wait, so don’t expect him to.

Once Kabal finds a house for you two, he’s going to get that nursery set up ASAP. It’s so much fun shopping for baby clothes and toys, he’s practically a big child himself.

“Hey babe, lets get them these nerf guns!”

“That’s for when they’re five.”

“Well...this one won’t be here in five years...they need this one.”

When you go into labor, he’s going to be that guy that asks you if you’re ok a million times until you tell him to shut up. He rocks on his heels, cards his hands through his hair, and breathes heavily. He’s so nervous. He doesn’t want anything bad to happen.

When the babies are born, he’s in absolute bliss. Kabal never thought he could love something so unconditionally like he does these babies. He holds one in each arm while you sit back and sleep. No one is going to take these babies from him.

He is definitely going to be the fun dad. Birthday parties are at the house and he invites all of the twins’ friends over. There’s a pool, bouncy castle, water guns, face painting, silly string, and lots of junk food. There’s also a mountain of gifts for them. When it’s time to cut the cake and they wish on their birthday candles, they both say they want a little brother or sister. You and Kabal talk at the same time.

“Maybe-“

“I’m pregnant.”

“...oops.”

Well...he did say he wanted a big family.

Kuai Liang - “I want a baby.” Kuai looks up at you with hopeful eyes. “Say that again.”

You do as he says, and he walks towards you with a look of amazement. He thinks you’re the most divine being to ever exist. You’re kind, intelligent, and beautiful. And now you want him to father your children.

Kuai gently caresses your face. He has a genuine smile and his eyes hold so much adoration for you. “I would be honored to have children with you.” He gives you such a sweet kiss that makes you blush as his cold hands cup your face. He will make tea that increases fertility and will also use positions that have deep penetration. He wants this baby as much as you do, and he takes this seriously.

Out of all the kombat men, Kuai is the best partner to have when you’re pregnant. He attends to your every need, no matter how silly. You want to eat a whole bowl of macaroni and cheese and a pop tart instead of a healthy lunch the Lin Kuei prepared? That’s all right with him. But he will encourage you to eat at least some vegetables. 

When it’s three in the morning and you have legs cramps, he will be right there to massage them out and give you some water. As your bump gets bigger Kuai will want you to stay off your feet more. If you need something, either Kuai himself or whomever is assigned to you will get it. Your feet hurt and he doesn't want you to strain yourself.

When you go into labor, he will keep a level head and listen to the doctors. Not once will he leave your side unless instructed to. In fact, his experience mentoring comes in handy here when he encourages you to push. Just knowing that he’s there and he believes in you, helps you through the pain of the contractions.

When the baby is born he feels as if half of his heart is living outside of his body. This baby is the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. ‘I wish Bi-Han could see this’ zips across his mind unwarranted. He can’t help but cry and hold the both of you to him.

Kuai is a wonderful father without even trying. He teaches his child about discipline, honor, and respect. He has a strict schedule for them including schooling, training, and housework. They will also go to bed on time and eat healthy meals, no exceptions. The way they will bond will be through training. Most of the time it is taken seriously. However, there will be times where Kuai can’t help it and let them wrestle him to the ground. He’s such a good dad.

Kenshi - One thing about dating a telepath, they always know what you’re thinking. It’s both a blessing and a curse. Kenshi could tell you wanted children. He knows it will be a while before you ask him about it. So he takes this time to contemplate whether if he's ready for another child. He's older and missed out on most of Takeda's life. 

He feels guilty because he never got to be the father Takeda deserved. It would be so selfish of him to start a family with you, when he couldn't even be there for his own son. It wouldn't be the right thing to do. Kenshi decides he won't have any more kids, and he desperately hopes this won't break your relationship.

Takeda and Jacqui come over to visit frequently. While you and Jacqui go into one room to talk about art, the men are at the table alone. Takeda could tell something was on his father's mind, and he's too stubborn to leave until Kenshi talks about it.

He cracks and tells Takeda that you have been thinking about children recently. However, he fears that would be unfair to him as he was never around. He was more concerned about revenge than being in his only son's life. Why should he get a second chance at being a father again?

What Kenshi didn't expect was to feel a wave of sadness coming off Takeda.

"So, not only were you not there during my childhood, but you'll deny me a sibling."

Kenshi is taken aback and doesn't say anything. They have a heart to heart talk for over an hour about the mistakes they have made and what they would have done differently. Takeda wants his father to be happy. And he wants a little brother or sister to take care of.

After they leave, you put your hand on Kenshi's arm and ask him what him and Takeda were talking about. He grabs your hand and follows your voice. "Let's have a baby."

He smirks as he can feel shock, happiness, and hesitation all run through your body. "Are-are you sure?"

His hands run up your sides pulling you closer to him. Beard hair scratches against your neck as he whispers in your ear, "Yes, I am."

When you're pregnant Kenshi is a very helpful partner around the house. He helps with the dishes, laundry, vacuuming, anything you need help with. What pisses you off is when he uses his telekinesis to handle multiple chores at one time. You spend all day cleaning the house and here comes this handsome dork doing everything within forty five minutes. And he does all this with a cheeky smile, knowing you get so annoyed.

Kenshi experiences everything you do during your pregnancy. He feels your mood swings, cravings, leg cramps. He can even tell when the baby kicks and gets excited everytime. And since postpartum depression can start happening even during pregnancy, he's there to bring you back from the edge. He also knows when he needs to bring you to the hospital when the contractions start getting closer together.

After the baby is born, Kenshi is in a state of nirvana. You're relaxing in the hospital bed, Takeda and Jacqui are there holding the newborn, and he's soaking in everyone's happiness, being lost in the moment.

Kenshi missed out on this part of Takeda's life, and both of you are thankful that him and Jacqui are there to help out when they are able to.

Kung Lao - "I want a baby."

Lao looks up at you with big eyes and the widest smile you've ever seen on his face. He grabs you in a bone crushing hug and spins you around, laughing in pure happiness. He plants a big kiss on your lips and leans his forehead against yours.

You smirk at him, "So that's yes, I take it."

"I would be honored to father your children." He kisses you again and then picks you up bridal style. "Well, we better start now."

You laugh as he takes the steps two at a time to the bedroom.

When you announce you're pregnant, everyone is ecstatic for you two. Although they do have some interesting words.

"That's wonderful news," Jade says. "And also very..."

"The timing of it..." Kitana trails off her sentence.

Johnny Cage walks by and notices everyone staring at you and Lao. "What's going on?"

Lao has a big grin on his face, "We're having a baby!"

Johnny lets out a quick laugh. "That was quick!"

He wants to do his best to take care of you while you're pregnant. He gives the best back and foot massages you've ever had. If you're craving cookies in the middle of the night, he gets right up and does his best to get some for you.

However, when it comes to giving birth, he will be that dad who faints when the baby's head starts to come through. Which then takes some of the nurses away from you as they try to revive him.

I've mentioned this before, but if you have a boy his name is going to be Lao. He was adamant about the name and carrying on the line of the Great Kung Lao. You cannot change his mind.

After the baby is born, the weight of responsibility hits Lao quickly. He knew having a child wasn't going to be an easy task. He just didn't realize how much hard work goes into raising them. And he couldn't be more thankful to have you at his side.

He matures significantly and is more focused on raising your child than trying to become the best Shaolin or beating Liu Kang. After all, Liu Kang and Kitana don't have any children yet. In his eyes he already won.

Erron Black - So lets be honest. Erron in his Black Dragon days will only be your fuck buddy. He’s not committed to anything or anyone. This is the prime of his thrill riding days. So if you ask him for a baby, he’s gonna deuce out. He’s not looking for that shit, he’s looking to have fun.

Fast forward to his Outworld days. Yes, he’s 150 years young, but he’s definitely getting older. More scars, more wrinkles, and a lot of grey hair. You can tell he’s feeling it in his bones, and he’s getting to the point that thrill seeking isn’t getting to be as fun as he thought. He’s still not going to commit that easily. His parents weren’t exactly the best role models in life.

I imagine his father knocked up his mother and they just dealt with the idea that they’re having a kid now. He was abused by his dad, so when he excelled at handling guns he finally decided to shoot him. His mother was a tough woman and didn’t show any affection. She was more of a tough love kind of lady, but I suspect she slapped him around when it suited her. This is also why he’s attracted to strong and dangerous women. It’s familiar and it feels like he’ll get his mother’s stamp of approval and some type of closure. (“My Ma would’ve loved you, Cassie Cage.”)

Erron doesn’t want kids because he’s scared of that kid having the same childhood he had. He doesn’t want to be like his father and he doesn’t want anyone like his mother to bare his children. Best to forget the whole idea all together.

But then here you come along, with your irresistible smile, quick wit, and dynamic personality. And it completely threw him for a loop. How was he supposed to ignore you when you’re so damn beautiful and you can make him laugh and feel young again. He sure as hell was not gonna let some other man steal you away.

It’s still going to take time and patience for him to break down that wall he’s spent decades building before he lets you in completely. There’s going to be fights, there’s going to be him walking out to the bar to run from his feelings and his past. He’s not used to healthy relationships of any kind.

Erron does notice when you cook for him, do his laundry, and take care of him when he gets hurt. Especially one time when he had to have bed rest for a week and he was acting like a child about it. You waited on him hand and foot without even being asked to. And goddamn it if that didn’t make him love you. Once he finally breaks down his wall, it’ll still take him a couple years before even considering the idea of kids.

One day, the two of you are out on the back patio looking at the stars. Erron is strumming an acoustic guitar, humming a little song to you. You look up at him and he looks back with a slight smirk. “Erron, do you want children?”

Cue the screech sound of his hand slipping from the guitar. He freezes as he gives you an unreadable look. After a minute of silence you start to panic. You tell him it’s ok if he doesn’t want kids. You love him and you’re not going to leave if he decides against it. You just wanted to see if he was interested.

You continue to babble until he tells you to let him think on it for a while, and then he’ll give you an answer. When you agree to that he’ll continue strumming his guitar, but now he’s staring off in the distance.

The next few weeks you can feel his eyes burning a hole in your back. When you turn to look at him, he just stares at you with a heavy look.

“You all right, handsome?”

“I’m good, baby doll.”

It’s all that’s ever said.

You’re cleaning the dishes from dinner. When Erron wraps his arms around you from behind and rests his face against your neck, swaying you from side to side. He eventually turns you around and looks you deep in your eyes. His calloused hands cup your face and he leans his forehead against yours. “I love you.”

When your breath catches in your throat, he gives you the sweetest kiss you’ve ever received. In the few years you’ve been together, he’s never once said that. And that night is the most sweet and passionate he’s ever been with you, that it made you cry.

When you’re pregnant expect Erron to be super protective of you. He doesn’t want to take jobs that are far away, but that’s not always possible. So while he’s gone, Ermac and a few midwives are there for you. He gave them specific instructions to not let you pick up anything heavy, make sure you’re eating enough, and to go walking once a day. Walking is supposed to help you when it comes to pushing, and he doesn’t want you in anymore pain more than necessary. He wants his sugar taken care of.

Erron loves to hold you from behind and rub your bump. He can’t believe any of this is actually happening. This beautiful and kind woman is going to be the mother of his child. He never plans anything in his life. It’s mainly just seeing where the day takes him. But now he can’t wait to take them horseback riding, shooting a gun, and going hunting together.

When you go into labor he has no idea what the fuck to do. So he calls for the midwives and they get to work. Erron is sweating bullets the entire time. But holy shit, he is amazed by how strong you are. When he sees you give birth to his child, he tells you it’s one of the most amazing things he has ever witnessed.

Erron is used to not getting much sleep when he’s out on missions. So when the baby cries, he’ll usually get up and help out. He loves to hold and stare at them. Never once did he think this moment would be possible in his long life. Yet here he is with a good woman beside him and this little bundle of life in his hands. He’s trying to be the best dad that he can be. He’s so terrified of his child growing up and hating him. But he knows you’re a much better person than his Ma, so he relies on you a lot for what’s best for the baby.

Erron may not be a super fun dad like Kabal will be, but he teaches his kid how to defend themself. He’ll teach them everything there is to know about guns, hunting, and fighting. This is how they will bond, and your child will know they can always rely on their pops to protect them.

[daresplaining]

MCU Danny Rand Week: Day 3

A Favorite Relationship

    We are (gasp) not going to be talking about Danny and Luke (though they are our favorites)! Or Danny and Misty (who we adore in the comics and will be sharing two upcoming shows)! Or Danny and Colleen (who have been wonderful in the Netflix-verse, though we’re still not sold on the necessity of the romance)! We’re not going to take this opportunity to geek out over all the comics-based Danny relationships that we’re so incredibly excited about seeing in the MCU. Trust us... there will be time for all that later, and we’ve already blogged about them quite a bit. Instead, we’ve decided to focus on something unique to the Netflix shows, with which we feel they did an incredible job: the relationship between Danny and Davos. 

    Danny and Davos do know each other in the comics, of course-- they hate each other’s guts. Davos (AKA Steel Serpent) has been an Iron Fist antagonist since the first solo series, where he introduced himself to Danny by intermittently jumping out from behind buildings and trying to steal his chi. 

Davos: “Step into my arms, young fool. [...] Your life is mine for the taking, boy-- but I want more than that. I want what your cursed father denied me. I want the Iron Fist!”

Iron Fist vol. 1 #15 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and B. Patterson 

    (Not creepy at all, dude.) 

    Danny has no idea who this guy is or why he’s so angry, which adds a certain amount of humor to their early encounters. In fact, Davos doesn’t have anything against Danny himself-- he’s still angry at Danny’s deceased father Wendell, who was his best friend back in K’un-Lun.   

Caption: “It’s an unpleasant mixture of feelings you struggle with this day. You cheer on Davos in his bouts, as he does you in yours. You pray you won’t face him. But you study his moves. You look for flaws. ‘If it can’t be me, then let it be you,’ is what you’ve said to one another these past two years. But do you truly mean that...?”

Immortal Iron Fist #10 by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Kano, et al.

    Despite their close friendship, when Wendell beats Davos in the qualifying tournament and wins the right to fight Shou-Lao, Davos goes a little bit nuts. He is the son of Lei Kung the Thunderer, has a big ego (and a few psychological issues-- Lei Kung is a great guy but not the most attentive father), and is convinced that he is destined to be the Iron Fist-- so much so that he does the unthinkable. He runs off to challenge the dragon in secret. But even Shou-Lao doesn’t take him seriously. Davos is left with a few nice scars and a destroyed psyche. 

Caption: “But the monster turns and slithers away, back to its cave. It turns its back on you... and you know why. You know it in your heart. It does not find you worthy.”

Immortal Iron Fist #11 by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Kano, et al. 

    This crime results in his being kicked out of K’un-Lun, which does not help his mood. Even though Wendell ends up failing in his attempt to be the Iron Fist, Davos is still angry and bitter-- and stuck on Earth, which just makes it all worse. When Danny appears on the scene as the Iron Fist twenty years later, Davos turns this anger and bitterness on him, and-- when he is able to find his way back-- on K’un-Lun in general. He self-styles himself “Steel Serpent” and becomes a nightmare haunting the eternal city-- at best horribly embarrassing, at worst deadly. In his most recent appearance, he aided an invading force in sacking and burning K’un-Lun, then murdered both his father and adorable reborn baby Shou-Lao (thus destroying the entire future of the Iron Fist legacy). Just to make a point, because he’s just that much of a jerkwad.        

Davos: “I tried to be reasonable. I really did. I tried to do the right thing! To make amends. But no one ever listens. No one respects me. Not until I do something really, really bad.”

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #11 by Kaare Andrews

    He’s one of those bad guys who is great fun to hate, because he’s a self-centered, violent sore loser with no redeeming qualities, who frequently gets his butt kicked. We really enjoy 616-verse Davos. With all of this in mind, it is amazing that the Netflix show was able to craft a version of the character who we care about on an emotional level-- and a lot of that comes from his complex friendship with Danny.  

    As much as we like to laugh about comics Davos holding ridiculous cross-generation grudges, this disconnect between him and Danny means their relationship lacks substance. Davos is the eternal evil jerk with a chip on his shoulder, and Danny is perpetually annoyed at him because of this, and that’s pretty much it. By de-aging Davos and transferring his childhood friendship from Wendell to Danny, the Netflix show instantly crafts a dynamic that is far more engaging. 

    Added to this is the fact that Davos doesn’t appear in-person until the very end of the season. This is effective from a geeky standpoint-- while we assumed he’d be making an appearance, since he’s a core Iron Fist villain, there was no indication in any of the promotional material that he was going to be in the show-- and this made his arrival that much more exciting. But it also allows for his character to be introduced in a really effective way: via Danny. All we know of MCU Davos for the first nine-and-a-half episodes comes from Danny’s fond stories of the shenanigans he and his best friend got up to in K’un-Lun. We love this as fans (one of us is extremely attached to Danny’s happy experiences and friendships in K’un-Lun, so this was a gift), but it’s also a simple but effective way of showing how close they are and how much Danny cares about Davos. It lays the groundwork for that friendship to receive further development-- which it does, in spades, once Davos arrives on Earth.        

    (Good Davos introductory line, or best Davos introductory line?)

    Once he arrives to rescue Danny, we get to see all of this love in person. We are instantly given another shorthand introduction to their closeness in their fight to escape the Hand compound-- which showcases their combat chemistry and the fact that they have been fighting alongside each other for a long time. It’s awesome. Danny finally has an ally that he knows he can count on, and Davos’s willingness to travel all the way from K’un-Lun and to stick by him further cements their bond.             

    All of this adds power to the undercurrent of pain in their relationship, which becomes more and more apparent the longer Davos sticks around. Just like in the comics, MCU Davos feels robbed-- but he can't just come right out and be furious and bitter about it because he still cares for Danny. There are no awkward chi-stealing hugs here. Instead, Davos’s true feelings are slowly revealed the more he is confronted with them, putting cracks in a friendship in which we are now emotionally invested. 

    An interesting detail in Davos’s complaints is his assertion that Danny was chosen to fight Shou-Lao. This contradicts Danny’s version of the story, in which he specifically states that he was not chosen-- that he earned the right to face the dragon through hard work and dedication to his training. Obviously, both are biased, but favoritism on the part of Lei Kung and Yu-Ti was part of Davos’s complaints in the comics as well. We never learn the precise details of how Iron Fist candidates are chosen in this universe, but in the comics (as mentioned above) it is tournament-based. In some ways, it’s neat that we don’t find out whose version is closest to the truth (though we’d personally believe Danny over Davos any day). In this fight, both sides have valid points, and that adds nuance to the situation. 

    Added to this is the fact that their own personal demons are colliding. Davos needs to understand why Danny left. So does Danny. His quest throughout the show is to understand his own motivations, which are being repressed alongside his trauma about his parents’ deaths. He knows he shouldn’t have left. He needs to understand and justify why he felt compelled to do so. When he is unable to give Davos a straight answer about why he abandoned K’un-Lun, Davos gets angrier. When Davos presses Danny about this, digging into that emotional sore spot, Danny gets angrier. At this late point in the show, he has begun to understand that he left because of his parents. But that isn’t a good enough answer for Davos, which just places both of them in even more pain.        

    As if that weren’t enough, we are then bludgeoned with their inevitable physical brawl and this. There is more to this fight than jealousy. We’ve seen that already. Davos doesn’t just want to take Danny’s chi. This isn’t all about the Iron Fist, and-- though we’d easily believe that this Davos might actually give a damn about K’un-Lun, unlike his comics counterpart-- it’s not about K’un-Lun. Just as Danny disguises his trauma-based need to stay on Earth a little longer as Hand-related, Davos cloaks his pain at having been abandoned by someone he considers a brother with lofty statements about protecting K’un-Lun. That is what’s so fantastic about this version of their dynamic: it’s all personal. Their anger is laced with the pain of the fact that they actually love each other, and want to continue loving each other, and the fact that fighting in this way is hurting them both. It’s brutal-- and we cannot wait to see how this impacts the show’s upcoming take on Davos’s revenge quest. Bring on the trauma. 

[justnerdthings]

New Beginnings Ch. 9

F!Reader x Liu Kang/Kung Lao

You did it!

You had to walk away from Liu. It wasn’t that he had hurt you in any way. He had just been so… insightful. You needed to step away and collect yourself even if he did try to hold you there.

You’d never met someone who could read you like that. It was like you were an open, large print book to him. How did he do that? Your heart was pounding as you grabbed hold of a railing, looking over the fight pit below. What the hell was going on here? Was this another test? No… Liu promised no more tricks. You believed him. And you believed that he’d meant what he’d just told you.

But this was unreal. Like some weird fairy tale. Girl gets saved and brought to a strange place where a man falls in love with her. Ugh… You were going to be sick. How… Disney.

“Are you alright?” Liu’s voice was behind you. Your knuckles turned white as you gripped the railing tighter. You nodded and lowered your head, wincing as the stretch fired pain through your back. “Are you sure?” He was next to you now.

“Yeah…” You nodded again and took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“No. It’s fine.” You shook your head. “You just… surprised me.”

“I see…” He watched you for a second before looking out onto the fight pit. His brows rose as he noticed the height and you not seeming bothered by it. Maybe Kung Lao was right. Maybe his little stunt had worked. Or perhaps this just wasn’t high enough to trigger you.

“Thanks.”

He looked back to you. “For what?”

“For what you said… About me.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Y/N.”

“I don’t know what else to say. No one’s ever… no one’s ever been able to see me like that. I don’t even see me like that.”

“Maybe that’s the problem.”

Now you looked to him with furrowed brows, catching his dark eyes. He was right. Why was he always right? Reluctantly, you looked away from him as a heat built in your cheeks. “I’ve never had any self-esteem,” you admitted. “Went through my childhood being bullied… Just kind of never grew one, I guess.”

“Sounds like an excuse, to me.”

Your brows knotted again.

“Everyone faces bullies in their life. Some worse than others. You need to move past that, Y/N. You need to see how great you are, or you’ll never believe in yourself.”

You sucked in a deep breath. He was doing it again… reading you. “How do you do that?”

“Just take a look at what you’ve done—”

“Not that.”

Liu lifted a brow.

“You read me like a book.”

He lifted his chin in realization. He grinned. “You’re an easy read.”

You groaned. Were you really? Maybe you should work on that. “That’s annoying.”

He chuckled. “Would you like me to stop?”

Yes. “No…” Dammit. Your face was hot. “Maybe I need to hear it. Maybe I need someone to set me straight. I sure as hell aren’t doing it.”

Liu nodded and stepped away from the railing. “You’re a wonderful person, Y/N. You just need to realize it. If you keep doubting yourself, you’re never going to get control of your anxiety. And you need to.” If you wanted to hear it, Liu would say it. “Tell me what you want to do with your life.”

“I don’t know.”

“Think.”

You sighed and looked over Raiden’s statue. You really didn’t know what you were going to do. You were completely fine with just being a nurse the rest of your life, but now… Well, now you were supposed to fight in Mortal Kombat. “Guess I’m going to fight in Mortal Kombat.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why? I have to. Earthrealm is counting on me. Not fighting would be like telling the world ‘fuck you’.”

“How does that help you, though?”

“I live here, Liu.” You side-eyed him. Honestly, despite all the bullshit in the world, you were quite content living here.

He sensed your growing annoyance and stepped back to your side. “What does Mortal Kombat offer you?”

Your jaw clenched. What did it offer you? A way to kill yourself? A way to get out of paying your bills?... A way out. A way out of the real world. A way into the even realer world. Being a nurse was great and all, but there were millions of them in the world. Did you really make a difference in the grand scheme of things? Did being a nurse help in any way against Shang Tsung? No. Mortal Kombat didn’t need nurses. Mortal Kombat needed fighters. And you weren’t a fighter… At least not physically. Raiden said you had the mind for it. And you supposed you did. You did want to stand up for those less fortunate. You did want to help save lives. You would fight to save people. But it’d always been a different kind of fighting. You fought with your medical training, not your fists.

Liu was silent as he watched your expressions change. You were debating within yourself. You were doubting yourself again, he could see it. You felt like you didn’t belong here. Liu wasn’t going to argue that. He’d felt similar a long time ago. He understood it. And it took a while for him to see that he’d had it all wrong.

He took a deep breath. You turned your head to look at him, noticing his own troubled expression that told you he understood you more than he’d admitted. “Tomorrow we’ll work on focusing your arcana,” he said.

Your brows knotted. You’d heard that you’d caused the ground to shake, but you still had no idea how you did it. “How?”

“Lord Raiden believes that you have terrakinesis.”

“Terraki-what’s-it?”

He grinned. “You can manipulate the ground. Like how I can manipulate fire.”

You blinked. “Wait… What? Fire?”

He raised a brow, then he realized… you hadn’t seen him or Lao use their arcanas. They were both so focused on trying to help you with basic skills that it completely slipped their minds. Liu laughed at himself and shook his head. “Sorry. I forgot. We never showed you.” He stepped back and held out his hand, palm up. He willed a small flame to his palm.

You recoiled at the sight, feeling the heat hit your face. You stared in concern at his hand, then his face. He was grinning at you. “That… That doesn’t hurt?”

He shook his head. “It’s part of me.”

“You’re saying I can do that with the ground?”

“Maybe not this, but yes,” he said as he watched you step closer to inspect the flame. You lifted a curious hand and slowly reached for the flame. Liu was reminded of Lao telling him about you running into a fire to save a man and wondered if you were going to keep reaching.

You did. The heat was warm against your skin, but it didn’t burn, oddly. Your hand was only a couple inches from the flame as you debated with yourself. Would it burn you? It wasn’t part of you like it was Liu. Of course it’d hurt… but with your hand so close already, it should have already burned you. Your fingers twitched as you tried to decide.

Liu grinned and moved his hand closer, making the decision for you. You gasped. You had jerked in a start, but you’d fought the urge to pull your hand away. Your hand was in the flame! It was in the flame! It rolled over your hand, crackling. It didn’t hurt at all. Actually… it felt cold. Your brows knotted at the irony of it. Fire equaled hot. Why wasn’t it hot? Why did it give off heat if it was cold?

“It only hurts those I want it to,” Liu said, watching your face. “Like I said, it’s a part of me.”

Your eyes watched the flame dance around your hand and you stepped closer. You put your hand right into his. He gripped yours gently as the flame grew to engulf both your hands. You took a deep breath and looked to his face, heart pounding.

Liu sat with you in the sand the next morning. He’d intentionally had you sit to face the statues. Because unknown to you, Lao watched silently from a level up, leaned over the railing. Lao had promised to stay out of this. He’d promised not to make himself known to you that morning. But he still deserved to watch and see what you could do. Guilt still gripped him as he watched Liu take over his lesson.

Meditation with Liu was much easier. He still didn’t mind that your posture wasn’t correct, though that could have been because your back was still very much bothering you. And he didn’t mind so much when your thoughts started to wander. “It’s normal,” he’d told you. “You have a lot on your mind. Just try to redirect them for the moment. Center yourself”

You supposed that was his way of telling you to focus. Lao would just tell you that. Liu was more gentle. It was probably because he understood you were still new. But what was on your mind was just eating away at you. Last night.

“I think about you too,” you admitted, fighting to keep a straight face. He had been honest with you. You should be honest with him. You could feel tension thicken the air between you. “I kept looking at your ass when you led me to meet Raiden.”

He was silent. The information caught him completely off guard.

“I don’t know if it’s love or lust. But I trust you. I know that much,” you said. You were unable to keep your mouth shut about it now. Last night had been weighing on you. It was a surprise you were able to keep your eyes shut. Was he looking at you? Was he smiling? Laughing? You didn’t know, but you didn’t want to look at him to find out. “When I first saw Lao, I figured he’d have a nice ass too,” you added, if only to cut the tension.

Liu had been watching you. He wasn’t laughing, or smiling. He was shocked with the sudden confession. Just staring.

Liu’s eyes shifted as he noticed Lao straighten above. He must have heard that last bit. Liu figured a smirk would stretch across Lao’s face, but none came. If anything, Liu could see a scowl on his brother’s face. Liu’s brows knotted. A knot twisted in his stomach. He’d be hearing about this later.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to make it awkward,” You spoke up after some silence.

“No. It’s fine,” Liu said, looking back to you. “Thank you.”

“Just… Thought I’d return the favor.”

“What favor?”

“Your honesty.”

He smiled. “Perhaps we should start training.”

"Remember. It's part of you. You can control it," Liu coached, watching as you stared at the ground beneath you. You understood that it was part of you... But how do you control it?!

It was racking your brain. Liu was telling you stay calm, but that was honestly making you more frustrated. You were glaring at the sand, silently telling it to move… Move… Move!

But nothing was happening. Your shoulders were tightening, sending pain through you. This wasn't working. Maybe they were wrong. Maybe you couldn't control it. Maybe that earthquake was a coincidence. Maybe you weren't the right person. It was all just a mistake.

A sigh escaped someone behind you. You looked up. It hadn't been Liu. He was standing right in front of you, concentrating on you. He caught your eyes and his brows bunched. Had he not heard it? You turned your head back. No one there—

Your jaw clenched, noticing Lao above, watching you with a bored expression. He didn't seem to notice you were glaring at him for a moment. Then he stiffened and straightened. But he didn't look away. You whipped your head back around to glare at Liu now.

Liu frowned. "Just ignore him," he told you. "He's agreed to leave you alone."

"He's watching me," you hissed. How could you ignore him when you could feel his eyes boring into the back of your head.

"Focus on the ground. He's not going to do anything."

You grumbled something as you looked back to the ground. Focus on it. Okay. How about focusing on Lao falling from the upper level and hitting the ground? How about Lao getting swallowed up by a fissure? Your fists clenched at your sides as you imagined different ways Lao could get hurt.

Eventually, your anger got the best of you. Lao's eyes weighed heavy on you. You didn't realize the small tremor in the ground as you turned and shouted up at him, "STOP WATCHING ME!" A stalagmite shot up from his feet.

Lao had dodged just in time to avoid the sharp point driving into his skull.

You froze. Your eyes grew wide. Liu put a hand on your shoulder gently as he looked up at Lao with concern.

Lao's heart was pounding in his chest as he stared at the spike of earth. He'd only barely dodged that. The cold rush of adrenaline washed over him as he looked down to you and Liu. That was close. That was really close. A grin slowly came to his face.

Liu breathed a sigh of relief. Lao was alright. Liu gave your shoulder a proud shake and let a small laugh escape him. You'd done it!

@ancientowlgirl @miss-nori85

[whatifxwereyou]

Firestorm Part 13: Insecurity

Fandom: Mortal Kombat 2021 Liu Kang x Reader

Liu Kang chapter!! Fluff <3

A/N: I'm running late today, what day is it anymore even??

Start From the Beginning << Previous Chapter Next Chapter >> Chapter Index

By the time that Liu Kang was free it was the middle of the night. It had been a busy day. He longed for the day before when he’d done little more than rest with you. Instead, there had been mountains to catch up on. He would have given anything to be with you and Kung Lao in the city instead of being buried in books, archives, and unpleasant conversation. Sometimes he was tired of being responsible Liu Kang.

And the subject he’d been immersed in was too close to home especially after the last week. Somehow, he had managed to remain professional and objective. He’d even gotten a chance to sneak away so he could buy condoms which was not something he was particularly practiced in. It had wound up being the highlight of his day which spoke more to the quality of the rest of his day than anything else.

The halls of the temple were mostly abandoned. He considered going to see you so he could see how your day had gone. You’d been afraid to go into the city with Kung Lao but he was glad that you’d done it. He’d spoken with Kung Lao that morning about your hesitation and asked him to keep an eye on it.

Then reality had crashed on him after getting back to work.

If they didn’t find a solution soon then things would take a dark turn. It wouldn’t be a slow burn but a sudden crash. They’d spoken about you in a clinical sort of way. Would Y/N succumb to whoever was controlling your curse and become their puppet? Or would you simply… die? Either end was unacceptable. He shut out those conversations.

Raiden had suggested trying to buy time by suppressing your gift.

You’d suppressed it as a child and maybe with his magic you could do so again. But even those ideas had involved leaving you unconscious or frozen in time. Liu had spent hours upon hours researching and making lists of ways they could suppress your visions only to be told Raiden had gone to consult with elder gods. Liu Kang had little faith it would work. Even if it did, it was a temporary solution to a permanent problem. You had to get rid of the curse. It was the only thing that made sense.

Just around the corner Liu Kang found Kung Lao seated on a windowsill with a jug of wine next to him, staring into the starry night sky. That was more Liu Kang’s go to thing but Kung Lao had been known to do so on rare contemplative nights.

Liu couldn’t think about the starry night sky without thinking about that night he’d stolen his first kiss from you. You had shared in the comfort of the night sky. Liu leaned against the wall by the window, arms folded over his chest while he waited for Kung Lao to acknowledge him. Lao was quiet. A rare thing. Then he tapped the jug.

“Want a drink?” He didn’t sound like he’d been drinking for long.

“No thanks. It’s late.” Liu Kang would likely pass out from exhaustion if he had a drink and he wasn’t ready to do that yet even if he was sure to have another long day tomorrow.

“I know. That’s why I’m drinking.”

“Instead of sleeping?” Liu Kang watched as Kung Lao took a long drink from the jug in response. “Something on your mind?”

“Nope.”

That was a lie but a harmless one. If Kung Lao wanted to talk then he’d talk. Liu had known him long enough to know better. Pushing was a waste of breath. Liu wondered if maybe you had told Lao something about what had happened between you. He felt his stomach take a sudden dive- not at the idea of Lao finding out but because he hadn’t really had the guts to tell you how he felt. He’d spoken in vague niceties and had kicked himself while doing it. He wanted to drop to his knees and confess that you were the most important woman in his life but he’d stopped himself.

It was selfish.

Kung Lao deserved you.

Lao had spoken of the girl from his childhood for years on and off. When he had a bad day or felt sick, he brought you up and it made him smile. Liu Kang hadn’t realized it back then but Kung Lao had a special place in his heart for you. It was unfair of Liu to have fallen for you. But he’d also never meant to. He’d never felt that way about anyone before.

What was he supposed to do?

If it were up to him then he wasn’t sure what would happen.

Kung Lao was chosen by fate and given the name of Earth’s greatest champion. He was there to save them from Outworld. Kung Lao was a hero. What was Liu Kang? An orphan.

Kung Lao had been your best friend. You had a connection that he could never match.

Liu was just the monk who had taken care of you and showed you kindness.

He was undeserving of your affection.

But at the same time he wanted it. He craved it. Sharing the same air as you was the purest and most tantalizing form of torture he’d ever experienced and he was addicted to it. And he’d grown to care for you deeply. You had become a part of him. Losing you would be like losing a limb. He wasn’t sure if this was what love felt like but he didn’t shy away from the word either. It felt right.

Ultimately, he was glad the choice was yours to make. Not his. Not Kung Lao’s. It would be unfair of him to push you one way or the other. He trusted that you would follow your heart. Liu Kang only wanted you to be happy. He considered again that he was in love. He would have broken his own heart a thousand times to make you happy.

“How’s research?” Kung Lao interrupted his thoughts.

Thank the stars. He was tired and his brain was noisy.

“Stressful.” Liu Kang was looking forward to a change of pace. Even if it was more research in Korea it would at least be a different kind of research and it would at least be with his two favorite people. “The sooner we find out about her heritage the better. Hopefully it gives us some answers.”

“Raiden thinks we’re cutting it close?”

“He does.” Liu averted his eyes. He’d talked about the inevitability long enough that day.

“She knows, by the way.” Kung Lao shrugged and then swung his legs back into the hallway, jug in his lap. “Better than any of us do.” Liu turned to lean on his side. “I think she’s ready to go behind our backs and have Raiden lock her away until it’s over. I don’t know how to bring it up. Being encouraging is all I can think to do. She was… off today. Scared. You were right to be worried. I had to drag her the whole way.” Ah. That explained the liquor. Liu wasn’t sure what to say. “Sure you don’t want a drink?” Lao offered him the jug.

“No. I’m too stressed and tired. It’s a slippery slope. I don’t… want to think about it anymore. All I do all day long is think about it.” Liu Kang rubbed his temples, feeling a headache settling in.

“What, and I want to think about it?” Lao set the jug down next to him and rested his elbows on his knees. “This is killing me. It’s too serious.”

“Sometimes things have to be taken seriously, Kung Lao.”

“I know.” Kung Lao couldn’t seem to sit still. He tapped his fingers against the stone. “Here we were making bets over who she’d date and she’s worrying about whether or not she’s going to accidentally kill one of us.”

“We were selfish.” Liu sighed heavily. “Where is she?”

“Sleeping. It’s late.”

“Good. How was the trip?”

“It was fine. Chen’s a big cock block of a human being though.” Kung Lao rolled his eyes. Liu laughed. That answered whether or not you had mentioned anything. What was holding you back? It was unfair of him to speculate. They’d put you in a tough position. Your childhood love or him. And he couldn’t seem to keep himself together around you anymore without thinking with his dick so it wasn’t like you’d had a proper discussion about it. He laughed at himself and rubbed his temples again before loosening his jaw. He was clenching. “When are we going to Korea?”

“Not tomorrow but the day after. Maybe you could help her pack.”

“But I haven’t packed. And how long am I packing for?”

“Since when have you cared how long? Just pack what you usually pack.”

“But…”

“You should stop drinking and get some sleep. You’re exceptionally stupid when you drink.”

Kung Lao didn’t even laugh. He picked up the jug and jumped into the hall. “It wasn’t helping me feel better anyway. And being hungover sucks when I have work to do.” Kung Lao nodded down the hall. “I’m hungry. Food?”

“I’m exhausted, Lao.”

“Fine. I can’t sleep so… food.”

“Go.” Liu patted his brother on the arm and then walked down the hall toward his room without another word. He stopped at the end of the hall and considered going to see you instead. He would just check on you. Make sure that you were resting. Then he could rest in peace. He knew if he went there, he’d be unable to control himself and would likely end up crawling into your bed. He wanted to hold you. They were all trying to stay optimistic and avoid discussing the truth but Kung Lao was right.

You would rather lock yourself away and rot before you hurt anyone. You’d proven that by asking to be in isolation.

That had been enough to convince him.

He walked to your room and knocked lightly on the door. There was no answer so he let himself in. The lantern on your desk was burning dimly in the corner providing just enough light so he could see the shadows of the furniture. You were curled up in bed and looked exhausted and pale. He couldn’t remember if you had always been that pale but he also couldn’t help but think that you were beautiful.

Even looking as troubled as you did. Why would you look troubled in your sleep?

You deserved peace and rest.

He should leave.

Selfishly, he wanted to hold you.

Even more so after talking to Kung Lao. This day had been hell on his nerves. All he wanted was to make sure you were okay. To take care of you the way that he used to. Maybe he would be able to slip into your bed without waking you.

Screw it.

This was where he wanted to be so it was where he would stay. Slipping off his shoes, he tucked them neatly beneath the bed. Then he slipped off his shirt and draped it over the back of your desk chair. Trying not to disturb you, he lifted the blankets and climbed beneath them. Each movement felt like the loudest thing he had ever done in his life. But he managed to make it into bed and you remained asleep next to him. For a few minutes he watched you but the moment he’d laid down he knew it wasn’t enough.

He should have known better.

His usual control was out of his hands when he was near you. Pulling you into his arms would definitelywake you up. You weren’t a heavy sleeper and he knew that but also damnit, he wanted to hold you.

He had to hold you.

He slipped his arm around you and urged you closer to him and you leaned unconsciously into his touch but didn’t wake up. Then he adjusted himself onto his back and suddenly you stirred awake, stiffened up and recoiled as if frightened. Your breath was suddenly sharp and you stared at him with wide eyes. He leaned up on his elbows.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s just me, Y/N.” He soothed you, drenched in guilt that he’d woken you. “I didn’t mean to wake you… I…”

“Liu…?” You exclaimed in relief and then much to his surprise you buried yourself against his shoulder. You were trembling so he held you closer.

“Are you okay?” He tilted your chin up with his forefinger. You nodded but he could see behind your dark eyes that you were still frightened. He was sure his worry was written on his face. He’d been terrible at hiding it. You looked guilty, as if you realized he knew. “Well?”

“Nothing it’s… just…” You deflated and then pouted your lower lip. He couldn’t help but smile. You were so damn cute.

“Bad dream?” He guessed. “You looked pretty peaceful.”

“Yeah. They’re not rare these days. Fades pretty quickly after I wake up but… was scared, that’s all. I’m okay. Happy to see you.” You rubbed your tired eyes.

“Need to talk about it?”

“No. No, I’m fine. Is everything okay?” You leaned suddenly on your elbow and looked him over then back at the door. “Wait, hold on. When did you… when did you end up shirtless in my bed? Am I…? Having a different kind of dream now?” You pinched the bridge of your nose. He laughed and pulled you into his arms. You melted against him, like his arms were all you needed to be okay. You might have been the sweetest thing he’d ever seen. He ran his fingers through your hair and swore that you were bewitched by his touch. Without having considered doing it, his lips brushed down the bridge of your nose, over your cheek and then to your lips.

They were tender, ever-so-slightly swollen from all the kissing you’d done in days past.

You were powerless to him and not in a way where he had stripped you of that power but as if you couldn’t help but kiss him back. Being with you made his doubts and fears fade away. The guilt he’d earlier felt was the furthest thing from his mind. He was confident when he was with you. This was where he was meant to be. And he had almost no control over his hands. He’d wrapped his arms around you and leaned you back, resting almost on top of you. The warmth of your body was familiar but also foreign, your womanly curves pressed against him in the best way. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to it and that was a wonderful feeling. No matter how many times he held you it felt special.

You laid there kissing, tangled in each other. His lips trailed over your jaw and down your neck but he stopped himself. He had to find a little self-control. You’d been dead asleep and there he was waking you up, holding you, wanting you and you were looking to him like he was a drug you were addicted to. But you were smiling too.

“What was that for?” You sounded as dazed as you looked.

“Uh…” He laughed nervously and then buried his face against your shoulder. His lips barely brushed against the skin there and he could feel your skin warm beneath his touch. It made him quiver. Your fingers reached to tangle into his hair almost on instinct. Another thing he’d become addicted to. If your fingers were tangled in his hair for the rest of his days, he could die a happy man.

“What? What is it, Liu?” There was the slightest tug on his hair and he had to focus solely on his breathing.

“…I have a difficult time being this close to you and not kissing you or holding you or…” He lifted his head from your shoulder and looked at the little space between you and then back to your dark eyes. “I don’t think you’ve noticed that yet.”

“What?” You couldn’t have sounded more skeptical which surprised him. He thought it was obvious. Every single time you’d been close even since that first day it had taken all of his effort not to pull you even closer. Each time he tucked your hair behind your ear he’d wanted to kiss you. He’d fought it because of Kung Lao but in the end, he’d been unable to control himself. Your connection was beyond fighting. “Me? Seriously?”

“Yes, you.”

Your dainty fingers rested on his cheek. He closed his eyes and sunk into your touch. It sent shivers down his spine and he rested his fingers over yours, dwarfing your tiny hand in comparison. Then instead of speaking the way he expected you to, you kissed him. He wouldn’t deny you that kiss but he laughed against your lips when you made a sound of surprise as if you hadn’t realized that you’d done it. Maybe you were in the same boat with this attraction. That was a wonderful thought.

“Oh no… this is dangerous.” You muttered against his lips and each word that left your lips made his curl into a smile.

“Extremely dangerous.” It was only then that he’d realized how much better he felt. You had a way of lifting the weight from his shoulders. All other worry that had plagued him, even regarding you, were replaced with hope and light. He was unsure what this thing was between you, this draw, this romance, but he was addicted to it. He wasn’t sure he could go back to being without it. “…but I’ve never been the type to back away from danger.”

You giggled and leaned your head back, pushing your hair away from your face. No matter what happened he would find a way to save you. You hadn’t asked him to save you and he knew what you would say if he said it out loud. But he cared about you too much to watch you waste away. Even if you did as Kung Lao worried you would, he would chase you to the ends of the earth and find a way to bring you back.

“Is it okay for me to stay?”

You cleared your throat.

“Are you asking me if it’s okay if you keep these ridiculously strong arms around me all night long? Seriously, your biceps are bigger than my head.” You tapped his arm and he laughed then nodded to confirm that this was exactly what he was asking. “I wanted to make a joke and saw ‘ew, no, gross’ and then roll away before rolling back to you and saying of course but… I can’t even pretend that it’s not what I want.” He chuckled again and all the laughter made his stomach hurt. It felt good to laugh. “Laying on top of me to sleep is a little much though. Can we readjust?”

“Sure.” He hadn’t even realized just how on top of you he’d been until you’d pointed it out. This really was dangerous but like he said, he had never shied away from danger before. It was kind of nice to feel out of control of something and it was such a good and sexy thing to not have control over. He laid on his back and you curled up against him. Then he adjusted the pillows and urged his arm beneath you and pulled you to rest against his shoulder.

“Oh, me on top of you? That’s fine.” You laughed. He bit his lip as you hooked your leg right over his. That was very dangerous. Thank god that you’d chosen to be responsible today and get the things you needed to keep you from getting knocked-up because this was an inevitability. It wasn’t a question of if you would end up together again but when.

“…so uh… did you get what you needed today?”

“…did I rub against you the wrong way, Liu?” You teased and his face burned. He leaned his head back with a laugh. “Wow, you’re on fire. I’m never going to get to sleep with you making me this hot.”

“You’re definitely not getting to sleep anytime soon if you keep teasing me like that.”

“Wow.”

Your hot breath of laughter on his shoulder and neck forced him to try and focus again. A few deep breaths and he thought he was okay. “Really though, how was your trip? Lao said it was okay.”

“I was a nervous wreck through most of it. I’ve never been this nervous around people before. I’m scared I’m going to hurt someone.”

“That’s a real fear, Y/N.”

“Thank you for understanding that. I don’t think Lao quite gets it.”

“Oh, he gets it he’s just… Kung Lao.” Liu smiled down at you, brushing his thumb against your lower back. You were exhausted. He could feel the weight of you sinking against him which was great because he was exhausted and if you kept it up then you were going to exhaust each other and be sorry for it later. Closing his eyes, he felt you growing heavier with sleepiness. “Y/N?”

“Mmhmm?” You adjusted yourself against him as if trying to find the right spot to drift off.

“Thank you.”

You lifted your head from his shoulder. Your hair was wild and you were half-asleep. “For what?”

“I had a hard day and being with you has made it better.”

“I didn’t do anything, Liu.” You tried to fix your hair but it was impossible. It was mostly white now. The black was only at your ends. He loved it. “Do you need to talk about today?”

“No, no… I’ve gotten exactly what I needed.” He picked up your hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. “This isn’t working for me though. I’m a side sleeper.”

“You’re the one who pulled me on top of you.”

“I know. Everyone makes mistakes.” He readjusted onto his side and then pulled you so your back was resting against his chest. He slipped both of his arms around you, hands flat on your stomach. You laughed and buried your face against the pillow.

“That’s actually fine. Your arm was too big to lay on that way. I was uncomfortable.”

“Is it okay like this?” He adjusted it beneath you. You nodded.

“Perfect, big spoon.” You snuggled further back into him and he stiffened up and readjusted.

“Dangerous way to sleep though. You’re all… pressed against me…” He placed a lazy kiss on the back of your shoulder.

“I think we established that everything we do is a little dangerous so… is this par for the course or do I need to be less of a nesting spoon?”

“No, no… you’re perfect.” He closed his eyes and had every intention of saying more but exhaustion finally won. He fell asleep holding you.

[justnerdthings]

Never Again Ch. 9

F!OC x Raiden/Shang Tsung

Shang Tsung and his silver tongue.

@shang-hung @mammondaughter

Helena sighed as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her hand stroked the old sheets. This was the bed she’d spent her last night with her beloved in. This simple, small bed. It hadn’t changed much from her memories. She could still feel the sparks dancing over every inch of her body. It was painful… Her body ached for her beloved. For his touch. She was so starved of him. It had been too long. Much too long.

“Pleasant memories?” Shang Tsung asked from the doorway. He’d wondered where she’d gone off too. He wasn’t surprised to see her in this room. This had been her room once.

Helena smiled softly at the memory of Raiden holding her all night… but her smile faded quickly as she remembered the following morning.

Raiden had woken her early that morning. Groggy from having little sleep since their intimacy, she pouted up to him. The Elder Gods were wanting to speak with him. It was urgent. He’d be back as soon as he could be. She should be careful while staying behind on Shang Tsung’s island. Her beloved did not trust him. She knew this. Helena agreed to be careful.

“And see to Kung Lao’s remains,” Raiden told her with a frown, then a quick kiss to her forehead. “Make sure they are treated well.”

“Of course, my love.” Helena smiled to him and returned his kiss. “Go on. I’ll wait for you.”

Reluctantly, Raiden stepped out of the room, where he undoubtedly made his way outside before disappearing in a bolt of lightning. Getting out of bed, Helena cleaned herself up with a simple spell, a new dress appearing on her body. Black, with purple embroidery. She was awake now, she may as well make the best of it. Carefully, she lifted her ball off the table and carried it out into the hall.

Her legs led her to Shang Tsung’s throne room. He hadn’t been there, no one was, so she decided to look over the murals that decorated his walls. Shang Tsung certainly did have an ego. He was depicted in each painting, victorious, of course. Heroic in his own way.

“Helena,” Shang’s voice broke through the silence as he stepped behind her.

She turned to face him. A sly smirk spread across her face which he returned.

“Good morning, my dear,” He spoke.

“Mm… For you, perhaps,” Helena said. “My beloved is not pleased.”

“Ah, yes. Where is Raiden? I do not sense him on my island.”

“The Elder Gods wished to speak with him.” She turned and began to walk slowly to the next mural. Shang followed her. “He will be back soon,” she added. Though she didn’t know for sure how soon that would be.

“I see. May I interest you in some breakfast?”

She laughed and glanced to him. It wasn’t a secret to her that he found her attractive. Though he hadn’t been bold enough to ask her to spend time with him. “We are not friends, Shang Tsung.”

“A shame. I would be too fortunate to have you as an ally.”

Her eyes rolled. Helena looked back to the mural. Shang Tsung had a silver tongue. She was sure he charmed his way through most situations. “You can not charm me, Shang Tsung.”

“Are you so sure of that?” He asked with curiosity.

Perhaps in another life she may have fallen for his tricks--his sweet words. But this was not that life. “My beloved requests that Kung Lao’s remains be handled respectfully. Have they?”

“He has been taken care of. I assure you. Will you be taking him with you?”

“Yes.”

“As you wish.”

“Very good.” Helena stepped away to visit the next mural.

“If I may, my dear. I have been wanting to ask you about our fight.”

Helena lifted a brow to him. “What about it?”

“You forfeited.”

“I did.” She nodded and looked back to the mural.

“I find it hard to believe that you would, given that you had the upper hand.”

“Oh?”

Shang Tsung closed in on her, watching her face. “You insult my intelligence.”

“I have no idea what you’re on about.”

“Why did you let me win?”

Helena looked to him, then a crack of thunder stole her attention. She turned to face the main door just as Raiden pushed open the doors. His face… Something was wrong. Very wrong. She could feel his anger and dread. Worry washed over her as she moved for him. “Beloved—”

Raiden held a hand up to silence her. Her brows showed her concern, but soon lifted in protest as he pulled her ball from her arm. Raiden turned his eyes to Shang Tsung. He glared to the sorcerer. “Someone will come for Kung Lao’s body. It would be in your best interest to hand it over when they arrive.”

Shang Tsung stiffened his posture at Raiden’s obvious controlled rage. He lifted his chin in a show of confidence. “Of course,” he answered with a small bow.

Raiden grunted, not entirely believing the snake, but powerless about it for the moment. He looked back to Helena and took her arm with a strong grip. He didn’t answer her questions as he led her outside. The next thing she knew, she was outside the entrance to that damned tomb.

“No,” Helena finally answered with a heavy sigh. She looked up from the sheets to look at Shang Tsung. “That night was lovely, but the next morning…”

“You were locked away,” Shang nodded. He’d heard of it some time later. “How unfortunate.”

“I did it for him.”

Shang lifted a brow.

“We could have had four hundred years together before having to worry about you winning the tournament. We could have been happy… Instead he made that time miserable.”

Shang’s eyes searched her as she sat there. He’d admit, what she had done was diabolical. To throw the tournament like that… Helena had not only hurt Raiden, but Earthrealm. And all just because she wanted to have Raiden to herself for a few centuries… How delectably selfish.

He stepped forward and offered her his hand. She took it without protest and he gently helped her to her feet. “He does not deserve you, my dear.”

Helena’s brows knotted as she looked to him.

“He is far too preoccupied with Earthrealm to truly appreciate you.”

Her jaw hardened. She had thought the same thing for centuries… but she couldn’t help her love for him.

“You deserve a man who will go out of his way to please you.” He moved her hand to his arm as he escorted her out of the small room. “I assure you. Had you been mine, I would not have left you to rot in some tomb.”

Ah. She could see what he was doing now. She grinned and shook her head. “If I had betrayed you as I did my beloved, you would have killed me where I stood.”

He considered that for a second. He gave her a single nod. “I would not have neglected you in the first place.”

She looked back up to him, expecting to see a smirk on his face. But his expression was straight, as if he was telling her a simple fact.

“Regardless, I believe death would have been more merciful than letting you wither away in chains.”

She looked away. “I had begged my beloved to give me such a release… He denied it. Everytime.”

Shang glanced over to her with a raised brow. That was news to him. Raiden was capable of being selfish himself, it seemed. “He wished for you to suffer, my dear.”

“The Elder Gods wished for me to suffer,” she corrected him with a deep sigh. Her fingers curled around his arm and she lifted her other to hold it as well. “Except one,” she added, catching Shang’s attention again.

Shang had led Helena outside. The courtyard was once again teeming with life. Helena and Shang had spent hours pouring their energy into the island after she’d retrieved her ball. Well… It wasn’t exactly their energy. The souls Shang had collected, and Raiden’s energy from Helena’s crystal ball had done most of the work. Helena and Shang just… guided them.

The moon was casting just enough light into the courtyard to light their way. Fireflies now danced through the air. Crickets chirped all around them. And the scent of coming rain filled their noses. Helena could feel herself relax for the first time in so long.

Shang Tsung had been stealing small glances as they toured the courtyard. To think that he would be caught in the middle of a lover’s quarrel between Raiden and Helena, was simply surreal. He could still remember how annoying the two of them had been centuries ago. Such a pleasant couple. At least before that infamous tournament. Something had happened between them sometime between that tournament, and the one prior. There had been more bickering between the two. Oh, there was still an undeniable love they shared, Shang had saw it. They had still fawned over each other like a pair of newlyweds… But there was a certain tension he couldn’t quite place. Shang had planned to use it against Helena during their fight, and he almost had. But she had conceded to him before he could bring that little plan to action. He didn’t think much of it then. He’d won. That was his goal and he’d reached it. But he still wondered why she conceded. Helena had him on his toes the entire fight. She could have won. It wasn’t until a few days ago when she’d admitted to sabotaging the tournament that he realised the real reason for her forfeit.

He stole another glance of Helena. Just what exactly went through that pretty head of hers? What was she planning to do? She still loved Raiden, he was sure of that. But to what extent? Was she only trying to get a little revenge for being locked away for so long? Or was there a bigger picture?

“If you keep stealing glances of me, I may have to call the authorities,” she broke the silence with a joke. A lovely grin pulled her lips--that lovely grin. The one Shang adored on her face. The one that spoke volumes of her mischief.

He chuckled, but didn’t look away. “You look lovely in the moonlight,” he told her with that smooth voice of his. And Shang wasn’t lying. Helena’s pale skin practically glew under moonlight. And her raven black hair shined like the stars in a clear night’s sky.

Shang watched her grin grow, then soften as she tried and failed to fend off the heat that rose to her face. Ah, yes. His silver tongue still worked. He smirked.

“You are being ridiculous,” Helena finally answered with a shake of her head.

“Oh?” He rose a brow.

“Do you have no shame in trying to charm Raiden’s wife?”

“Ah, but he is not here to threaten me for my efforts.”

“But I am.”

“Will you?”

Helena glanced up to him. That grin came back to her face before she looked away. “When I’ve had enough, perhaps.”

Shang’s brows rose in interest and mild surprise. Had Helena just told him that she enjoyed his flirting? Once upon a time, she would not have taken so kindly to him. Had her love for Raiden withered with her while she was imprisoned? Or did she just feel so betrayed by him that she wouldn’t mind hurting Raiden again? Either way, Shang liked his chances… To think he may be able to steal Helena away from that bothersome god. His smirk grew.

________________________________________________________

The Chamber Of Artifacts had been cleaned and reorganized. Fujin made his way over to the bronze amulet. He reached for it, then stopped. The emerald… It was red. Helena.

Helena had done something to the amulet, what, Fujin wasn't sure. But for her to have involved Shinnok… Fujin's brows furrowed as the possibilities ran through his mind. This was worse than he and Raiden had imagined.

He grabbed the amulet. A horrible dread flowed through him, full of hate and anger. Fujin did his best to push the influence away as he left the chamber.

[malicedragoness]

How the Kombatants Fart

No one:

ABSOLUTELY NO ONE AT ALL:

Me: I wonder how they fart?

No one asked for this, but my immature ass is up at almost midnight over here writing dumbass shit like this.

Please feel free to ignore this and never read it again. 🤣🤣🤣

@spideypotpie @theprinceofchocobos also helped to co-write this. 🤣😭

- - - -

Kabal - Pre burns or post burns, this man will not care if his s/o farts in front of him. It’s a perfectly natural body function, and he’ll tell you “better out than in!” Expect some jokes headed your way though. He’ll pretend your farts blew him away and proceed to launch himself over the couch to prove his point.

Also, be careful when he farts. He’s loud and proud and will clear a room in seconds! And if he EVER asks you “pull my finger” DON’T DO IT!

Erron - Well, this cowboy does mention beans a lot in his intros... so you know he’s gonna be farting a lot. He mainly does it in his sleep and you wake up from it because you’re choking. You try to tell Erron this and he completely denies it. It’s only when you set up a camera and show the playback of him blowing ass while he’s asleep does he believe you and apologized afterwards.

Johnny - Good lord, get ready for the most immature jokes of a lifetime of you fart in front of this man. He’s waving his hand in front of his face in an exaggerated motion and lots of “phews!” He will literally act like a five year old and keep making fart jokes for about 15 minutes.

Johnny has silent but deadly farts and will crop dust with absolutely no guilt! He’ll let it out and casually walk around everyone with a giant smirk as he listens to everyone lament about the smell. And say “you smelt it you dealt it.” Fucking childish.

Kuai - He’s the grandmaster to the Lin Kuei. He does not fart in front of anybody. How dare you ask or accuse him of such a thing! But when he does, he farts cool gusts of air.

Kitana - She does her best to keep a calm composure and regal appearance in front everyone. And she certainly doesn’t want to something as disgusting and inappropriate as fart in front of her s/o, no matter how long you’ve been together. It’s happened one time where she was so stressed out dealing with important dignitaries all day and she finally got a chance to relax in her chambers. You went to go cheer her up and she started to relax and laugh at the jokes you were telling and it slipped out. That’s the only time you’ve seen Kitana freeze in place and start blushing a deep red! It wasn’t even loud, it was just a little poof of air and it even sounded as regal as her.

Jade - Doesn’t fart. At all. And if she does it doesn’t stink and you will never be able to tell because it smells like lemongrass. She’s literally a perfect woman and can do no wrong.

Kung Lao - If he’s in front of his guy friends, such as Liu Kang for example, he’ll let it rip all day long and joke about it. But if he’s in front of his s/o, he’s fucking mortified if it happens. He’ll look at you with wide eyes and give you some dumbass excuse “uh, uh, it was uh... someone stepped on a frog!” And then he’ll high tail it out of there blushing like a fool.

Kenshi - Kenshi tries his best to leave the room when he needs to pass gas. But if you ever catch him he lets out soft poots. He’ll turn pink and stay quiet for a second before he says, “Let’s move on.” Before he walks past you and never mentions it again.