Title: Christmas Blues
Author(s): DK & DaliaStar89
Fandom: Tekken
Keyword: Dean Martin - Christmas Blues
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: We do not own Tekken characters nor the used song. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Warnings: (DK) I might not know how things work in Seoul, but I flash my artistic license at you.
Summary: Baek and Michelle were both up to have a lonely Christmas, until they found each other.
A/N: DK: This was quite interesting and I'm actually pretty fond of that pairing. Part 1 out of two?
Christmas Blues
It was Baek's first Christmas alone in years. It was supposed to be a holiday spent with relatives and friends, with all the closest people one had. Sadly, the Tae Kwon Do master didn't have that many. Hwoarang had moved away to his own apartment after finding himself a girl, he was happy for his wayward and stubborn student for finally settling down. Still he felt loneliness try to creep into his home and into his heart. He gazed towards the center of Seoul, filled with bright multicolored lights, laughter and music.
Michelle Chang had left to wander around the city, admiring the Christmas lights, also loneliness in her heart since her adoptive daughter Julia was busy with her projects. Walking on the white snow, the glittering of the glowing lights looked beautiful, yet the same like in any city she had been to. If only there was someone Michelle could share the spirit of this peaceful season... Snowflakes were falling calmly, dancing magically in the purplish blue sky.
With a heavy sigh, Baek went to pull on his coat and such, deciding to head outside, down to the Dongdaemun-gu, maybe to see if the food stalls had anything new for him to try. As he stepped down from the last few steps leading to his home and onto the street, he drew a deep breath. The air in Seoul wasn't the cleanest, but the frosty air felt great in small doses. Stuffing his hands into the black mittens and checking he really had everything, he headed for the busy district he saw clearly from his 5th floor apartment.
Half Chinese half American, Michelle was a sight in her long and furry zebra stripe coat as she looked at the stalls near the street, smiling to herself, yet looking lonesome.
Finding a rather... western treat by the skating rink, roasted chestnuts, he bought some and continued his aimless wandering under the thousands of Christmas lights in Seoul. That was when he thought he saw a familiar figure.
Sensing a strong and familiar spirit of a fighter near her, Michelle knew who it was as she came to eye contact with the Korean gentleman she knew. She walked towards him, smiling kindly, happy to see him.
Baek was left to search for her name for a minute or two. Dark hair, dark eyes, Asiatic features, few crinkles at the corners of her eyes... Feathers...
"Mi-michelle?"
"Baek, how nice to see you." Her eyes shone while smiling for the Taek Kwon Do master.
He didn't correct her with her slightly accented pronunciation of his name, but heck, only Koreans knew how to pronounce it right even in their sleep and backwards.
"How did you end up in Seoul? I thought you lived in..." Baek wasn't too shabby with English, thanks to the tournaments that forced him to learn, but some location names were a pain.
"Arizona, yes. I just wanted to spend my Christmas elsewhere since Julia isn't home. What brings you to the city today? Some shopping, I assume..." she replied gently, fixing her scarf a bit.
"I thought, coming down here would make me feel less lonely. Hwoarang has settled down and lives elsewhere..."
"Oh, that's nice to hear, that your student is doing fine. I'm lonely as well... just wandering around the city, admiring the lights..."
"The electric bills are horrible, but tourism pays well... Want one?" he offered the roasted chestnuts.
"Oh, thank you, so kind of you." she took a little and tasted. "Delicious... unfortunately I haven't got anything to give you back."
"Just come company would be great..." he mumbled and lifted his own scarf a little and watched the children run around in the snow.
"That'd be delightful..." Michelle smiled and helped the man with his scarf, leaving her warm hand on his chest for a little while.
He could feel the warmth faintly through his jacket and smiled back. A child was running past him and slipped her footing. Baek, being a martial artist, grabbed the girl before she could fall over and set her back to her feet. She thanked him shyly and went off back to her mother. Also smiling as watching the girl go again, Michelle thought that the girl reminded her of little Julia.
"Still fast as always... She looked a bit like Julia in her age..."
Patting her back, he led them to a stall selling hot drinks. "Want some hot chocolate? My treat." He found himself rather pleased to have company and didn't mind if he was being a gentleman and bought things.
"Very well, thank you." she felt warm and cozy with Baek, like they had been this way for ages.
With paper cups filled with the hot South American beverage, they continued to walk around, watching people scurry around in their haste, children loving the slow snowfall, calm music filling the air. Some would have called the atmosphere a tad bit romantic. He stole few glances at her from the corner of his eye, letting a small smile brighten his usually stern face.
"This is so much nicer, being with you than all alone on the evening like this..."
"I thought this was going to be a long and lonely Christmas holiday... but seems I was wrong," Baek admitted and noticed they had wandered to his apartment block. "Um... want to come up to my apartment?"
"If you invite me in then I'd love to."
Fishing out his keys, he opened the door with the electronic badge and led her to the elevator. The journey to the fifth floor was short and quiet. He had to hand his cup to Michelle while he opened his apartment door and flicked on the lights.
His apartment was sparsely furnished. Cream and mahogany were the dominating colors with some colorful specks created by multicolor Christmas lights on some walls and few colorful candles on the low tea table. Few mementos and photographs, black stereo, simple flat screen TV, nothing that didn't scream against his calm nature. Sure he wasn't all that zen as he seemed outside, not when younger, but...
Taking her coat and other outside clothes off, Michelle followed Baek further inside his apartment. "Warm and cozy, just like the owner..." she let out a compliment, holding her cup, looking around until she found a framed picture of Baek and Hwoarang. "Aw, such a nice photo of you two..." 'They look like father and son...'
Baek smiled as he set his clothes were he took them and came to sit in his small living room. Beneath the thick winter coat, Michelle wore her usual outfit indoors.
"I hope I'm not going to upset you, but your student, he looks like he's your son..."
"There are days when I wish he was... He never had a real father, like I did... for a short time..." he had to keep a pause and take a deep breath. "He has never called me father. Only a teacher. And I am only that..."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that..."
"It is alright. I am a bit bitter at that, but I must live with it. I raised him, but... he is a grown man, he doesn't need a father."
"Perhaps not a father, but a father-like-supporter. You're the only one he can relate to though he has his girl now... Well, I'm not the best to speak out loud of the situation of yours."
"I think nobody is. My father raised me alone... and I..." he couldn't continue and to calm himself, he drank rest of his hot chocolate and got up to gaze out from the window.
Feeling he needed support at the moment, Michelle left her cup on the nearest table and walked to wrap her arms around the man's waist, hugging him gently. "I sense your sorrow... your loss... it's in the past..."
"I killed my own father and Hwoarang almost died when I hadn't taught him well enough... I trained him the best I could now... he found love and didn't tell me until he was moving to other side of the city, away from my dojang and has not called since. I'm lonely, Michelle. I'm completely alone..."
"Not completely alone... I'm here with you now." she hugged him a bit tighter, still gently. "Give him time to settle down and get used to his new life... He won't forget you, I can tell you that."
"I can only hope. Can you put the stereo on? This silence is driving me insane..." he asked and rubbed his eyes. He was glad however, that Michelle was there with him. Baek had always found her good to be around with, though they hadn't been in other tournaments together, but one. The second. Still, they had met few times and she had always left a remarkable impression of her strong persona. Just like now.
"Of course..." she had to locate the stereo first before pressing it on, peaceful music filling the apartment. "You loved your father and I believe he loved you too very much... just like Hwoarang respects you, like a son of his father though you're not the same blood... but you have the same strong spirit within two bodies."
He was rather touched by her words and turned to face her.
"How long are you staying?"
"I don't have to rush anywhere after Christmas so as long as I please..."
"Stay with me here for a while?" Baek asked gently.
For that, she had to blush. "I... I'd love that, Baek..."
He raised his arms around her and pulled her gently a bit closer, the music just called for a dance.
"I didn't know you dance..." she smiled and leaned against him, dancing slowly to the background music. 'Such a nice feeling...'
"There are lots of things I hide..." he whispered and relished the feeling. The lights weren't too bright, the Christmas lights gave a nice atmosphere and the warm woman in his arms... "I could get used to this..." Baek said quietly as they swayed to the music.
"...me too." Michelle hugged the Korean within their dance, smiling happily, her cheeks flushing pink in pleasure she felt in her heart. There they were, two seasoned fighters who had raised orphans on their own, taught them all they knew and suffered in the hands of evil. Michelle had been held capture and Baek had been attacked by a creature named Ogre.
They danced to the slow beat, the singer unknown to Baek and the lyrics more or less blurry to him, they didn't matter. If she stayed, then this Christmas would be something worth remembering.
"You want me to move here for the time I stay in Seoul?"
"If you want."
"This is your home... I'd need to pick up my bag from the hotel if I come here... I have nothing against it, but..."
"...but what?" the Korean didn't quite quickly enough hide the flash of disappointment from his eyes.
"It's really your call. I'll come if you invite. You're a good man and I appreciate your hospitality and kindness..."
"I just asked you to..."
"Then, I'll spend this Christmas with you..."
"I thank you for the honor, Michelle." The prospect of Christmas spent with her was heartwarming, one of the best gifts he could get.
"Thank you, Baek... I'm afraid, that's the only gift I can give... unless..." she couraged herself to give the Korean a kiss on lips, just an innocent kiss... or was it really?
He was left speechless like a school boy, despite being on his way to 50 years.
"There was my second present..." she stayed close, hoping to get another kiss back, deep in her mind she hoped.
Looking at her for a moment, Baek then leaned to kiss her, the kiss intensified within minutes. That kiss felt divine from within.
"Michelle..." he murmured and held her close.
"I love to hear you call my name... for some reason it feels so good inside..." Hands roamed gently and lovingly. There was no hurry. "We're not that young anymore... but I feel younger every passing minute... with you here, right now."
"You call the pace..." he said and gave her the reigns, she could do as she pleased. "But you are right, we are not young anymore..."
"You're still handsome in my eyes... if we... end up doing something... I'm not going to hold back."
"You don't need to if you feel like it..." Baek whispered and gazed upon her. Her features were a nice mix of Caucasian and Asian, she was exotic in his eyes. Only the slight laughter creases at the corners of her eyes betrayed her age. She didn't look a day older 30 and if he had counted it well, she should be a bit over 40. "I'm pushing my 50'ties here..."
"I'm not backing off, Baek..." Michelle hold tighter, hugging. He hoisted her into his arms, she didn't weigh much in his arms. Carrying her to his simplistic bedroom, he set her back down carefully.
To be continued some other day on this December ^^