The Princess and the Silly Boy
Pairing: Hwoarang/Lili
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Tekken, but it is a pretty cool game.
A/N: I haven't seen any Lili fics yet, so here's my unsure but hopeful attempt at one. Since I was looking for a Zidane/Garnet (Final Fantasy 9) princess-and-commoner dynamic, I decided to pair Lili with the feisty and fun Hwoarang. Here goes!
SMASH!
She cringed as she watched the crimson-haired boy fly backwards into the brick wall, signaling the victory of his opponent, a creepy-looking cyborg sporting a peculiar mohawk. Perched on a brick wall perpendicular to the one he had just been hurled into, the blonde girl had decided to stay and watch the tournament matches, eager to learn a new move or two.
"Owwwch!"
Cute but dumb, was her mental analysis of the match's loser.
The cyborg turned on its heel and marched away, leaving the redhead to lie in a dusty pile of bricks. Twirling her long, blonde hair, she looked unblinkingly at his retreating form.
"Hey, you! Princess!"
She silently turned to look at him.
"Help a poor guy out?"
Her face still expressionless, she walked over and dabbed at the blood on his forehead with a handkerchief.
The redhead struggled to get up, placing a hand over hers. "Sorry you had to see that."
For the first time, he saw her smile, and though he wouldn't readily admit it, she was beautiful underneath the midday sun. He froze for a moment, stunned by her exotic, European good looks.
"Silly boy," she laughed.
"So, princess," he grunted, getting up, "what's a pretty young thing like you doing here? I haven't seen you around up until now."
She scowled. "My name is Lili, not 'Princess,' and I'm part of the tournament."
"You compete?" he wondered disbelievingly.
Lili quickly assumed her fighting stance. "Want me to prove it?"
"I've had enough punishment for one day, thanks. I'm Hwoarang, by the way."
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Hwoarang," she said, opening her umbrella and turning to make her leave.
"Hey, hey, hey," he called, jumping in front of her. "Where do you think you're going?"
She raised an eyebrow at the persistent (and annoyingly cute) redhead blocking her way. She stepped to the side, he moved in a reflection-like manner. She stepped to the other side, he quickly matched her move. "I'd like to make my way home, if you don't mind."
He held up a hand to stop her. "Not quite, gorgeous. I'd like to show you around the town, if you're free."
"Why?"
"Because no good deed goes unpunished," he replied with a cheeky grin. "Pretty please? Or do you fancy someone else?"
"Not particularly, but I do think the blond boy with the muscular arms is quite handsome."
Hwoarang scoffed. "You mean that little prettyboy, Steve Fox? Oh, please. I'm twice as cute and not nearly as prissy."
As much as she tried not to, Lili laughed. "All right, I guess I have some time to kill."
He mock-bowed and extended his forearm. "Thank you, my lady," he said in a phony British accent. "Shall we?"
She slipped her arm through his. "If you think that I'm willing to be played, think again. I refuse to be a notch on anyone's bedpost," she warned.
"No worries, princess. I'm nothing like that!" He smiled -- quite insincerely, in Lili's eyes, but what did she have to lose? She could easily kick his ass if he tried anything funny. And Sebastian would surely take care of things if she needed any help.
Together, they perused the streets of the city on foot. Lili was not used to the frenzy of such a modernized place, with sports cars and billboards everywhere. Monaco was far different; very rich, old-fashioned and beautiful. This new city was fascinating, Lili thought, in all its glamorous and high-end glory. She looked up at a billboard with a handsome man in a half-open white polo advertising a soda.
"Does that impress you?" Hwoarang sneered. "He can't do anything I can't." Fishing out some money from his pocket, he rushed to a nearby food stall to buy a can of soda. He then turned to his blonde companion and began a series of silly poses mocking those of the man in the billboard ad. "See? I can totally model!"
"Your arrogance is impeccable," she giggled. They walked on, taking turns in sipping the soda. Pedestrians were amused at the sight of the rich girly-girl and the rock star wannabe bad boy, a seemingly mismatched but nonetheless adorable pair. In ways, they represented their own worlds: Lili, decked in pure white silk and lace, embodied the rich splendor of Monaco, while Hwoarang in his colorful motocross gear represented the high-tech and modern cities of Korea.
Hwoarang treated her to lunch at a nearby tea house where she tried dimsum for the first time, and then took her to an arcade where she (unsurprisingly) beat him at that game with the dance pad, although she soundly lost to him at the racing games. They were neck-and-neck at air hockey.
Lili and Hwoarang left the arcade laughing hysterically. "I didn't think I could have so much fun in under an hour!" she exclaimed. "And with a complete stranger, too!"
"Welcome to the city, princess." He took her by the hand. "Come on, I've got one last thing to show you. That is, if your legs aren't tired yet."
"Please. I'd be more worried about you, seeing as you've got two left feet."
"Touché," he muttered.
The city was actually quite beautiful in springtime. Hwoarang led her through a park to a clearing with trees dotting the area. The faint scent of dewy grass swirled through the air. The wind caused the pink cherry blossom petals to dance all around them, much to Lili's delight.
"Wow," she gasped. "They don't have anything like this back in Monaco."
"Amazing, isn't it?"
She nodded.
"It's my secret hideout for those times when I just feel like being alone," he said. "I'm not supposed to show it to anyone, but hey, I like you." And again appeared that cheeky grin on his face.
Hwoarang had far earlier decided that he would rather appear shallow and callous to her than reveal his inner feelings. Truth be told, her beauty intoxicated him more than the lovely surroundings; more than any of the alcoholic beverages he and his buddy Steve Fox (whom he had earlier clamed to Lili was half as cute and intolerably prissy) had dared to try on random nights. She had very light blond hair that glistened in the orang light of the setting sun, striking blue eyes, pink lips that curled upwards at the corners, and fair, delicate skin, and...
"What are you staring at?"
"N-nothing," he mumbled, running a hand through his red hair. He managed to find an excuse fluttering behind her. "That butterfly on your shoulder." He deftly caught it in his hands, slowly opening them to free it. Lili smiled as she watched it fly away, and just looking at her, he felt like he would do anything to make her smile.
Lili was different, he had decided. She was more than any girl Hwoarang had ever met. She wasn't jaded and cynical, like Nina was. She wasn't as immature as Xiaoyu, yet she wasn't oversexed like Anna. Most notably, she had a unique appeal to her, unlike Julia, who was cute but never really shared any chemistry with him.
As the butterfly flew out of sight, their gazes redirected to each other. Suddenly, they both realized that they were standing only inches apart. He was looking right down at her, being taller than her by about four inches. More specifically, Hwoarang was looking at her lips. Sweet, moist and light pink, they were more beautiful to him than all the cherry blossom petals swirling around them. He hungered for them, slowly closing his eyes and tilting his head, when his thoughts were interrupted.
Wait...I don't even know this girl! And things are going so well, too. What if she might not want to kiss me?
He quickly stepped back and covered his mouth. She looked at him, eyes wide and questioning. In reaction to this, he pretended to cough.
"Uh, Lili?"
"Yeah?"
"It's getting late. I think we should go."
She laughed and strode ahead.
"What's so funny?" he prodded, catching up with her.
She turned to him and grinned. "That's the first time you've called me Lili today."
Together, they walked through the city streets all the way to the condominium where she temporarily resided for the duration of the tournament. The tension between them, however, made the walk seem much longer than it did for Hwoarang.
"Well, here it is."
"Damn, girl," he exclaimed, gazing up at the large marble building amidst the star-studded night sky. "This is the most high-end place in town!"
Though his eyes never left the building, he felt a pair of hands running through his hair, prompting him to look down and see her with only the moon to illuminate her features. She was grinning mischievously, a playful sparkle dancing in her sky blue eyes. Her body pressed against his, setting his insides ablaze.
He laughed nervously. "Wh-what are you doing, Lili?"
"Silly boy. I'm doing what you want me to."
Without warning, she turned his knees into jelly with one powerful kiss. Her lips alone made him lose control and stumble backwards into the wall, hands traveling to the small of her back. The feel of her lips against his, her hands in his hair, the light scent of her vanilla perfume, it was all making his mind go haywire. Making his body react with such a passion that --
"Get a room, you two!"
They both looked towards the source of the voice, a pudgy man across the street.
"Talk about a buzz kill," Hwoarang laughed.
Lili fished around in her purse. "I had an unexpectedly good time today," she said, handing him a card. "And I would like it if you could call me sometime."
He took the card from her and studied it. "A calling card, eh? Well, nothing less for the princess," he remarked. "And I was so used to girls writing on my arm, too."
She kissed him on the tip of his nose before walking towards the entrance. "Goodbye, Hwoarang."
"I'll call you, Princess," he said, waving. He would, too. Somehow, Hwoarang had the feeling that Lili was more than just another girl to him. He'd definitely fight the good fight to keep her around.
And before the elevator even reached her level,Lili's cellphone was already ringing.
-FIN-