One night in a casino in Las Vegas, a group of seven men were playing poker. One of them, a red headed man in a suit the rest called Mikey, seemed to be winning.
He spoke.
"Rumor is one of them pilots is staying in this hotel."
Another man, who hadn't introduced himself and wore a blue hoodie and had blonde hair and a thick beard spoke next.
"A pilot?"
"Yeah. The Jaeger pilots. The Chinese woman is here."
"Miss Mako Mori?" The blond frowned.
"That's the one. Pretty little thing." Mikey said.
"She's Japanese." The blonde man said, his blue eyes flashing.
"I wouldn't give a shit if she was Russian. She probably slept her way up and into the Jaeger robot, anyways." Mikey retorted.
Six men at their table laughed.
"Anyone with reason knows that the woman who helped save your sorry ass and the rest of the world, did not sleep her way into a Jaeger," the blond-bearded man said.
Mikey glared at the man. He raised his left hand and made a beckoning gesture. Two men wearing black, security shirts came to the table.
"Anyone with reason knows not to mess with Mikey, bastard. Boys, teach him a lesson."
The security guards grabbed the blond man and dragged him to an exit. Not wanting to cause a bigger scene, the man went along without struggling.
Mikey's table was unusually quiet as they continued the game, the men glancing occasionally at the now extra chair.
"Don't worry, my friends. Those two won't beat him too badly." Mikey reassured the rest of the group. "I hope."
The men laughed a little bit too hard, too loud for their laughter to be genuine.
The rumors Mikey had heard were true, though.
Miss Mako Mori was staying in that hotel, 15 floors above the casino.
She woke up in the middle of the night and listened, alert. She heard a knock on the glass of the window of her room. So that's what had woken her.
She got out of bed and walked to the curtains, wearing only a big, loose T-shirt. Pulling back slowly, she saw the familiar face of the blond, bearded man from the casino downstairs. She laughed and opened the window.
The man climbed inside through the window and practically fell to the floor.
"Raleigh! Are you alright?" Mako rushed to him and helped him up.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm good." Raleigh stood and glanced around sheepishly before turning to look at Mako.
"How did you..?" Mako trailed off.
"Fire escape."
"But it's 15 floors!"
"I gotta stay in shape," he smiled. "How are you, Mako? I haven't seen you in a while." Raleigh made his over to a chair, and fell into it quite graciously.
Mako laughed softly and went to turn on the lights in the room. Raleigh followed her with his gaze, the dark and his T-shirt failing to hide her soft curves, flinching when the lights came on.
When Mako turned around, she gasped. Raleigh had a gash above his right eyebrow, a bruise forming on his left cheekbone and a bloody lip. Raleigh tried to smile but ended up wincing and leaning his head back against the chair, keeping his eyes on Mako.
"You should see the other guys."
"What did you do?" Mako went to get a first aid kit she'd brought along with her.
"I, uh, got in a fight with a couple of security guards."
"Why?" Mako called from her suitcase, her back to Raleigh.
"Their boss was being an asshole."
Mako frowned at him, and carried her kit to the table beside his chair.
"Sorry." Raleigh apologized, "But he was."
Mako sighed and opened a few packages from the first aid kit.
"What have you been up to these past few months?" Raleigh asked.
Mako began to clean his wounds, leaning over him.
"Oh, you know, traveling, answering questions about you, where I thought you were..."
"Ow." Raleigh complained, when she cleaned his eyebrow a bit too roughly. "I deserve that."
"Maybe." Mako threw away the little towelette she had used and took out antiseptic salve.
"I'm sorry I've stayed away for so long." Raleigh said quietly.
"Me too." Mako met his gaze before dressing his cuts again.
" あなたに会いたかった." (I missed you.)
" 私も." (Me too.) Mako smiled a little. And just like that, Raleigh knew he was forgiven.
After the closing of the breach, a lot of people expected the two pilots to stay together, or near each other, at least.
But Raleigh had decided to keep moving. He hadn't said anything to anyone. He'd just disappeared one morning.
He left Mako a note, though.
I'll be back later. - R
That later had turned into a day. Then a week. A month had gone by when he finally called her.
Now, three months later, they both ached to be with each other, near each other.
Mako reached for a band aid and delicately placed it over the gash above his eyebrow.
"All done," she said, closing the first aid kit. "Sorry, but I don't think your lip can have a band aid." Mako gently trailed her fingers over his mouth.
"Now tell me. The real reason you got into a fight." Mako crossed her arms.
Raleigh chuckled softly. "Can't keep anything from you, can I?"
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Becket."
"You're not going to like it," Raleigh said then sighed.
"I don't care."
So Raleigh told her about the conversation with Mikey, pausing when she frowned and dropped her hands to her sides. He continued when she told him to.
"So then I got dragged into an alley, got kicked and punched before I... Knocked them out."
"Both of them?"
"Yeah," Raleigh grinned.
"You got kicked?"
"Yeah," Raleigh shifted in his chair and winced.
"Well, let me see," Mako frowned.
"You want me undressed so soon?"
"Raleigh.."
"Alright, alright." Raleigh took off his blue hoodie and gray T-shirt, and pulled up his undershirt, revealing a nasty purple bruise on his side.
Mako kneeled in front of him and gently traced his ribs with soft warm hands. Raleigh watched her carefully, inhaling sharply once, but otherwise just admiring her exotic beauty.
"Nothing cracked or broken." Mako trailed her fingers over Raleigh's suit scars curiously.
Raleigh caught her hands in his, causing her to meet his gaze.
Mako looked away, and stood up, turning off the lights and walking towards the bed, sitting on it.
Raleigh followed her, though it hurt to stand and sit down.
"What is it, Mako?"
"I didn't sleep my way into a Jaeger."
"Mako, I know that."
"I don't like you getting beat up because of me."
" 私はあなたのために再びそれを行うだろう、マコ." (I would do it again for you, Mako.)
She leaned into him, and he into her.
"I missed you a lot, Raleigh."
"Yeah, me too. I was lonely without my copilot."
"You need to shave that bushy beard of yours, I barely recognized you."
Raleigh hummed.
"How did you even know I was here?"
"Mikey."
"But my hotel room?"
"I.."
"Raleigh did you check all the rooms?!"
"Nah, call it a Drift instinct."
Mako laughed and Raleigh smiled. He hugged her to his chest and sat her between his legs. Mako hugged him back her cheek against his chest.
"Thank you, Raleigh."
"For what?"
"For showing up. For being you. For standing up for me even though I wasn't there."
"Anytime, Miss Mori."
"Miss Mori?" Mako looked up and realized Raleigh's face was very close to hers."
"My very own Miss Mako Mori," he smiled and his blue eyes sparkled in the dark even with a bruised face.
Raleigh leaned down, catching Mako's soft lips in his own.
Mako brought her hands to his face. "Your lip."
"Is fine." Raleigh mumbled between kisses. "Don't worry about it."
He gently pushed her into the covers.
"Can I sleep here tonight?" He asked.
"Well I can't kick you out now, can I?" Mako smiled.
"I guess not." Raleigh answered pulling her closer to him.
They fell asleep like that. Back to chest, hands linked together under the covers.
Hopefully the next day wouldn't come with any more fights.