Resident Shadow

Written by: RinoaDestiny

King of Fighters, Kyo Kusanagi, and Iori Yagami belong to SNK

Comment: Hiatus is almost done – hours are getting back to normal. I'll need a few nights of decent sleep before getting back to serious writing. In the meantime, my brain's been kicking this silly little thing around because the boys won't shut up, haha. It kinda morphed into something a bit longer than expected, though (like always). :)

"Yagami, what are you doing?"

"…"

"I know you're there, asshole. Stop skulking around and face me, dammit."

"…"

"Why are you even here?"

It took that question for the redhead to show himself, slinking around from behind; shoulders slouched after years of doing that in battle stance. Even after years dealing with his own personal stalker – with enough time to inure himself to Iori's obsessive tendencies – Kyo still found his antics creepy as hell. "You didn't go to the tournament. Why should I?"

"So that means you…yeah, look who I'm talking to. Don't you have a life outside mine?"

"You know I'm only there to fight you."

"So what? I don't show up for one year and you –"

"Don't want to fight Daimon and Nikaido. They annoy me. The military types piss me off. Asamiya's too loud. Girl needs to stay home. Kaphwan's always going around like some goddamn missionary."

Kyo snorted.

"Everyone's fodder. You don't show – what's the goddamn point?"

"Uh…to fight?"

"So why aren't you there? Why are you here?"

"Yagami, you notice where I'm at?"

"Outside the city. You dodging the media? Got your bike with you."

"Don't touch it. Don't want you scratching the paint job."

"Tch." His rival gave his bike a disdainful glance and for a second, Kyo thought he was going to kick it out of spite. "Running's not like you, Kyo."

"Yagami Team's missing, too. You think they won't notice?"

"No one worries if I don't show. But you? Have your friends started hounding you, yet?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't."

"Yeah, like I'd believe that." Kyo was tempted to throw his phone at Iori's face, but he wanted to see his teammates' results via live broadcast. Just because he sat this one out didn't mean he stopped supporting them. "Go kill puppies or whatever it is you do. Leave me alone."

"Was that supposed to hurt? Because it didn't."

"Yagami, shut up."

"…"

"Get away from me, too." Iori never understood personal space – at least it didn't apply to anyone else. "Now. I'll make you eat dust if you don't."

"Are you threatening me, Kusanagi?"

"Unless you want to become roadkill, I'd move."

"I'll chase you down."

"Of course you will. Because that's all you do, isn't it?" Kyo looked at his phone, brow furrowing. "Wait…how the hell did you catch up to me on my bike?"

"I'm fast, Kyo. I know you."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound creepy. How did you even find out –"

"You didn't leave prior to the tournament. Not hard to guess after that."

"So that's why you're here. You looking for a fight, Yagami? Some grand throwdown or some shit like that?"

"No."

"So why are you even here?"

"Why didn't you go this year?"

"That's why you're…" Exasperated didn't describe his irritation with Yagami right now. "What? I'm not allowed to sit out without you finding out why?"

"You love it. All that glory."

"Doesn't it ever occur to you that I get tired sometimes, Yagami?"

The other man shrugged. "Hard to tell with you."

"Ha!" Kyo moved away, because his rival got too close and Kyo hated that. "Distance, Yagami. Keep it."

"So you decided to pass this one. What – all the stress getting to you?"

"I'm allowed a goddamn vacation."

"Your old man say anything?"

"Doesn't matter what he says. I'm staying here."

"Your girlfriend?"

"Keep Yuki out of this."

"Just asking."

"Ask yourself into the grave, Yagami."

That stilled the other man, who gave him a stony glare. What – did that hurt his feelings or something? On the phone screen, Benimaru took the victory, pulling off his signature pose. Even without him, his teammates would be fine. Japan Team wasn't just Kyo Kusanagi.

"You're just gonna hang outside the city 'til it's over, aren't you?"

"I don't need company, Yagami."

"Tch. Wasn't thinking that."

"You're still here. My shadow doesn't even follow that close. Don't you have hobbies?"

"Touring season's over."

"Besides that."

"I like cats," Iori volunteered the information, as though he wanted to know.

Kyo rolled his eyes. "So go find some and leave me alone."

"Already fed the strays."

"Wait…you feed the strays?" The hell?

"Why not?" His rival shrugged, casual and again encroaching on his personal space. "They need food, too, right?"

"Yagami…the hell you going on about now?"

"You asked first."

"Didn't ask for your life fucking story."

Iori's brown-red eyes swept the area around them. The other man sat down, the motion smooth and effortless. "Seems kinda boring 'round here, Kyo. Who's winning?"

"I'm not getting rid of you, am I?"

"No. You're not."

"K' just took it."

"Should be the preliminaries right now."

"You should've gone."

"And fight those boring fuckers? Hell no."

"You're not fighting me. That's odd for you."

"You should be glad I'm not. Unless you want to throw down."

"Yeah no."

"Yabuki went?"

"Yeah. Took my place."

"Ah."

Kyo sat down, still keeping some distance from his rival. At least Yagami wasn't going to claw his eyes out. "Brackets are showing…three more teams left."

"And we're not there. Let them have it."

That, he couldn't disagree with. "Let someone else win this year."

"Let them deal with the crazy fuckers."

Kyo laughed. That, he wouldn't mind missing out on.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Nevermind."

This wasn't so bad after all. So long as the media kept away, Yagami stayed in his zone, and his bike kept its paint intact.