A/N: This is my seventh fanfiction. This story takes place one year after The Decision.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to anything involving Mortal Kombat. The franchise belongs to Ed Boon.


Satisfied with the results, Bi-Han ended his training for the day. He sat down on the floor of the training room, taking his mask off, drawing his legs to his chest, and regulating his breathing. To his mild surprise, he found that he didn't mind how warm he was feeling after the intense training regimen he followed.

He was Sub-Zero, the Lin Kuei's greatest warrior and Cryomancer. Coldness was all he knew. There was no room for warmth.

At least, that's what he originally thought.

Closing his eyes, he recalled when he started to actually enjoy warmth, one year ago. Specifically, it was a person who gave him reason to embrace warmth, both externally and internally. Eyes still closed, he smiled, imagining that the person was with him right now, enveloping him with the warmth. He could feel it all around his very being. It was as if it was actually happening.

A few moments later, he felt something light brush against him. He already knew what it was. The assassin slowly opened his eyes.

A cloud of smoke surrounded him. It eventually materialized into a human body sitting behind him, a head on his right shoulder, a chest against his back, two legs on either side of him, and two arms wrapping loosely but securely around his waist. Even though the smoke wasn't there anymore, the warmth remained.

"You didn't immediately notice me," Tomas Vrbada observed. "Either I'm getting really good at stealth, or your guard is down."

"When do I ever let my guard down, Smoke?" the blue-eyed man asked, turning his head to look at the smoke user.

"Whenever it's just the two of us," the silver-haired man answered, kissing Bi-Han's temple.

"I can't deny that," the Cryomancer replied, smile growing.

He leaned back into Tomas's chest, placing his hands over the other man's own, feeling both his body and the warmth.

"What are you thinking about?" Tomas asked, his hold becoming snugger.

"How much I like your warmth," the warrior admitted, not a trace of shame or embarrassment in his voice.

"… I'm glad you like it," the Czechoslovakian man declared a moment later, cheeks turning a deep pink.

Bi-Han chuckled.

"We don't have to go to dinner for a while," the Chinese man said. "What you do think about staying like this until then?"

"I'd like that a lot," the gray-eyed man grinned.

"As would I," Bi-Han agreed.

And so they stayed in their embrace, enjoying the feel of the other, and the warmth they shared.


A/N: That was fanfic number seven. I hope you enjoyed it!