A/N: Chapter 7 is back up and in style! I added more and made some changes. Please let me know what you think!


Chapter 7: Airon and Bea

After a long day of training, Hwoarang and Jin both found themselves tired out and lounging in the family room. Hwoarang was laid out on the couch, one leg over the arm and the other on the floor, with an ice pack sitting just above the right knee. The Blood Talon's head rested lightly on a pillow, while Jin was sitting in the recliner, both legs on the floor, leaning his head back and holding an ice pack to his left shoulder.

"Damn…," the Korean started to say as he slowly sat up, moving his left leg to the floor and taking the ice pack off his leg and placing it to the back of his neck. "Stretching, running, lifting weights, kicking, and punching a punching bag, two spars, AND practicing our dodging…. I must say, I'm tired. Good job, Kazama."

Jin smiled at hearing Hwoarang's words and slowly lifted his head up from the back of the chair, staring over at the Blood Talon. "It was a good day," he said before leaning his head back once again. He then slowly removed the ice pack from his shoulder and placed it against his forehead. "By the end of the week, we'll be way too tired to do anything else."

Hwoarang chuckled and moved his head so he was looking at Kazama from the side. "Yeah, well, it will be worth it. Tired and sore after a week's worth of training, then congratulated by a cold beer, maybe. A bit of fun is always good."

"I hear you there…," Lee said as he walked into the room, followed by Steve, whose head was slightly lowered. The two fighters looked as tired and sore as Jin and Hwoarang were.

Hwoarang slowly moved over to give room for Lee and Steve to sit on the couch. The two held ice packs in their hands, placing them on some parts of their bodies as they sat down. The Blood Talon gave Steve an awkward glance as the British boxer sat next to him, while Steve gave a light grin in return.

"I don't know about you two, but today was a really hard day. I never thought my legs could go that high," Steve said after a moment of silence, rubbing the back of his knee, turning his head at Hwoarang's snickering.

"I don't know, Steve. I thought I've seen your legs go pretty high before…," Hwoarang said and continued to chuckle. He knew it was weird after what had happened upstairs, but he had to show Steve everything was all right, even if the Brit was angry with him.

Steve stared at the Blood Talon before a smile came to his face. He knew what the Korean was trying to do, and he sighed as he chuckled, "No comment, you git."

Hwoarang beamed at the British boxer and let out a low, soft laugh.

Jin couldn't help but watch the Blood Talon and the British boxer share a moment of laughter. A bit of anger and jealousy crept up to the pit of his stomach. Was that an inside joke? Or do they share something… a friendship, perhaps? Nothing more than a friendship, Jin thought to himself, glaring at the twobefore tearing his eyes away from them, sighing heavily. What is this feeling I am havingtoward Hwoarang? Why am I so angry with him? Is it because he won't be my friend? the Japanese continued to think to himselfbefore he heard Lee say his name. "What?" he said, looking over at his stepuncle.

"I said, did you and the Blood Talon learn anything new today, Jin?" the silver-haired devil asked, rolling his eyes at the young Kazama.

Jin smirked and closed his eyes once again. "Only how to run…," he said, trying to keep his mind calm.

"Kazama Jin!" Hwoarang shouted, causing Jin to jump and stare at him questioningly. "Did you just make a joke?" Hwoarang asked, a smile forming onto his lips. Jin smiled in return, but he did not respond. He only listened as the Blood Talon let out a chuckle.

"Hwoarang a better runner than you, Jin?" Lee asked, turning to look at the young Kazama once again.

"Faster," Jin said calmly, keeping his eyes open as he watched the group of fighters sit on the couch.

"I'll say," Hwoarang snorted, removing the headband from his forehead. Long strands of hair slowly fell loose as the small clothing was removed. He gently pushed them back with his fingers.

"So, you didn't learn anything new?" Lee asked with disappointment in his voice.

"We talked about itand decided to wait for next week to learn things. Let this week be a warm-up for our bodies to prepare them for new things," Jin said calmly.

"That sounds like a good idea," Steve said, stretching out his long legs, letting his knees crack. "Damn, that feels good," he said with a sigh.

Hwoarang watched the boxer and grinned, sliding a hand up his thigh. "That's because you're tight…," he said in a whisper, letting a laugh escape his lips. Steve was about to reply when Lee caught his attention. Hwoarang's hand quickly left Steve's thigh.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. Right now, I'm too tired to think about training," Lee said with a groanas he rubbed at his sore leg.

"Holy shit!" Hwoarang suddenly blurted out, causing everyone to jump and stare at him.

"What?" Jin asked, sitting up straight. He stared right at the Korean.

"I'm hungry…," Hwoarang said, rubbing his stomach and groaning, "When do we eat!?"

Steve laughed, and Lee rolled his eyes.

"Of course…," the silver-haired devil said with a small chuckle.

Jin simply smiled at the Korean and let out a soft chuckle. "We can eat now. It is true that we skipped lunch…," Jin said. As he pushed himself out of the chair, he helped Hwoarang stand up as well.

"Gah, I think after I eat, I'm going to bed…," Hwoarang said with a groan. Nearly losing his balance, he quickly caught a hold of Jin's shoulder. "Damn, Kazama, the last time my legs hurt like this… was… I don't remember," he lied and closed his eyes from the secret memory. He then gently pushed himself away from Jin and slowly walkedto the kitchen.

As Jin helped the Korean stand straight again, he noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes. The look quickly vanished, though, as Hwoarang leaned away from him and left for the kitchen. Jin stared after him, wondering what the Korean was thinking about. Perhaps he was hurt in his past? Or maybe… something else is bothering him, Jin thought to himself as he started to follow Hwoarang, only to be stopped by Lee, who grabbed his arm gently.

"Damn, Jin. What did you do to the boybesides made him run?" Lee asked.

"Kick the punching bag one hundred times with each leg. The only hassle was getting a new punching bag every few minutes," Jin said with a smile as the three began to walk into the kitchen.

"Deadly legs of steel…," Steve said with a chuckle and then sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his blond hair, a frown forming on his lips. Lee noticed the frown and easily put two and two together.

As the three guys made their way into the kitchen, they noticed Hwoarang searching the cabinets for some kind of food. "This place has everything but food!"

"Relax and sit, Hwoarang. We'll just order. Then, tomorrow, we'll eat at a decent time, before the cook leaves," Lee said, calmly taking out his cell phone from his pocket.

"Cook? You got to be fucking kidding me. Are you saying you two don't even know how to cook besides in fighting?" the Blood Talon said as he took a seat next to Jin and across from Steve.

"Hey, what can I say? Heihachi never cooked, and there never was a woman present, so we were never taught…. Well, Jun might've taught Jin some things before she died, though I doubt he knows how to cook a decent meal," Lee said with a sigh before ordering a few trays of pizza.

"Shit, sorry," Hwoarang said as he got up, getting himself a root beer. "I guess growing up on the streets, though, you had to learn, right?" he said with a chuckle and sat back down, opening his root beer.

Jin watched him for a moment before tearing his eyes off him. He couldn't help but feel bad for Hwoarang. He appeared to have lived a hard life growing up, and Jin wondered if that was the cause for his behavior. He wanted to ask more of the redhead's story, but he knew better. Jin knew it would only start a fight between them, and he didn't want that. He was glad that they were on good enough terms.

"My stepmum taught me how to cook, growing up," Steve said as he grabbed himself a coke and leaned against the counter.

"Really, now? Hmmm, maybe that does explain some things…," Hwoarang said with a laugh.

Steve gave him an odd look before shaking his head and sitting back down. "Only you, Blood Talon…."

Thirty Minutes Later:

After the guys had finished their pizza, Lee and Steve didn't hesitate to go to bed. Hwoarang stayed in the kitchen, staring at the table and holding onto the empty can of root beer. Jin had just finished cleaning up some of the mess and washing his hands when he turned to the Korean.

"I'm going to bed. You should, as well. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow…," Kazama said, heading to the door, turning to Hwoarang, who hadn't said a word, not even as asshole remark. "Doo San?" Jin said, softly walking over to the Blood Talon and staring down at the redhead before him. Is he asleep? Jin asked himself and, with hesitation, touched the Korean's shoulder lightly. "Doo San," he said again and shook Hwoarang's shoulder lightly.

"I'm not Doo San …," Hwoarang mumbled, his crimson brown eyes slowly flicking open. He stared up at the Japanese. "Kazama?"

Jin gave Hwoarang a questioning look. Doo San is only his master's name, then?

Shivers ran up Hwoarang's spine when he felt Jin's gentle touch to his neck. He blinked a few times, but shook the sudden feeling away. Sitting up straight, Hwoarang brought a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle a yawn, and then he nodded. "Yeah, maybe I should," he said as he stood to his feet. He tossed the can into the trash and then turned to the Japanese beauty before him. He smiled and rubbed Jin's right shoulder before walking away. Waving a hand over his shoulder, Hwoarang bid good night and disappeared.

Jin watched the Korean leave the room with a puzzled look on his face. He had no idea what had just happened, and it left him in confusion. Was he just being nice? It wasn't that Jin was shocked that Hwoarang could be nice. He was more shocked that Hwoarang had been nice to him. No argumentand no rude comment.

Even so, Jin couldn't help smiling. He was really hoping the Blood Talon was starting to come around, that Hwoarang was starting to see him as more than a rival. That he would see him as a person and… as a friend. Sighing softly, Jin walked out of the room, turning the lights off on his way out.

~*~

Two weeks passed, and the training started to gettenser. Each night on their training days, all four fighters would crawl into bed sore and dead tired. And each night, the guys spent thirty minutes together talking of their training and how the day had gone. Jin noticed that Steve and Hwoarang would flirt off and on. At the same time, the Blood Talon ignored Steve's requests of going to a bar with him. Then, on other days, the two would emerge from the same room together either angry or in a very good mood.

When Jin would ask either of them what was going on, Hwoarang would simply put it as, "It's nun of your business," or "Fuck off, Kazama." Steve, however, mentioned he liked the Blood Talon and that he was more into guys than he was girls. Even so, Jin couldn't believe Hwoarang was that type of guy. He had often seen Hwoarang with a girl hooked to his side at bars and clubs. So, it utterly confused him what was between the two fighters.

Jin just didn't understand it. The Korean was a bigger mystery than the other two fighters in the house, and he couldn't help but wonder why the Blood Talon stood so hidden. If he was with Steve, why did he have to hide it? Why did it make him so angry to even think about it? It hurt Jin to see the blond and the redhead flirt often, and he didn't understand why. Was he jealous of the two? Did he perhaps want to be with Hwoarang? Am I not good enough for him? Why can't he see me the way he sees Steve? Jin asked himself a number of times, only to shake his head and think his thoughts were wrong. But either way, Jin couldn't help but wonder what was on the young Korean's mind.

Hwoarang had some of the biggest secrets in the house, and Jin wanted to crack him open. Jin knew that was going to be impossible. It also didn't help much that the Korean would run off at each chance he got, either when Jin was at school or on their nights off. Those days, Hwoarang would often get himself into some sort of trouble either at a local bar or clubs. Sometimes, it was when he was hanging with his gang. But crazy and stupid though the Blood Talon could get and despite being a handful, Jin was glad Hwoarang was on speaking terms with him and not trying to get into a fight every chance he got.

Now it was almost the third week of training. Considering it was their day off, Jin and Steve were the only ones home. Both fighters were in the living room. Steve was enjoying a movie that was on TV, and Jin was sitting on the floor at the coffee table, going over a few notes for school. It was the best time for Jin to study, as Hwoarang was out again doing something with his gang, and Lee was gone with his own company doing some work that needed to be done.

"Hey, Jin," Steve started as he turned down the TV and stared at the Japanese. "When does the tournament officially start?"

Jin took off his reading glasses and turned his attention to the British boxer, smiling. "In a few more weeks. We should be getting a notice in the mail of whereand when the opening ceremony is held. Then, that night, a notice will be put on the board of each match. It will be just like the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, but instead of looking just for our names, it will be your and your partner's name. In your case, Lee."

Steve nodded and turned the volume back up and sat comfortably on the couch. "All right, then," he said and focused fully on the television.

Jin noddedand placed his glasses back onto his nose, but before he could go back to his work, there was something else on his mind. "Hey, Steve…?"

Steve's coral blue eyes turned from the television and back to Jin. Again, he turned the volume down to hear what Jin wanted. "Yea?"

Jin sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't know how to ask the British boxer what was on his mind, but if he didn't, he knew it was going to bother him for the rest of the tournament. "This may seem weird, but I, err… have to know," he started and once again removed the glasses from his face and placed them on the table.

Steve stared at Jin, wondering what was on the Japanese's mind. He slowly sat up and grinned. "Spit it out, Jin. We're friends here."

Jin sighed and nodded as he forced himself to look up at the British boxer. "Are you… are you and Hwoarang seeing each other?" he asked, swallowing hard. He watched as Steve's eyes widened, and then a smile broke onto his face.

"No. I like the Korean, but no. I don't think he… swings that way," Steve said, telling the half truth. The British boxer couldn't tell Jin that Hwoarang was, indeed, bisexual. He knew the Korean wouldn't like that or speak to him afterwards. He knew there was some story behind why Hwoarang kept that part of his life such a so hidden. But he couldn't lie that he had feelings for the Korean. It was obvious and even Lee had figured it out.

Sighing, Steve chuckled and sat back on the couch. It was true he wished he and Hwoarang were together like that, but he knew Hwoarang had other interests. He was just glad they were friends, friends with some benefits, at that, though Jin didn't need to know that. That led him to ask, "Why?"

Jin blushed slightly and stared back at the table He stood quiet for a moment as he folded his hands together, letting his thumbs rub against one another. "Well, I often see you two… flirt and, well, be kind of close. I was just wondering, I guess. He never gives me an answer…."

Steve's eyes widened, and he let out a laugh. "Jin, Hwoarang wouldn't answer a question like that even if he would die if he didn't. I don't know what the Korean is thinking when he flirts. I sometimes think he doesn't realize. Hell, maybe he does go both ways. But trust me, Hwoarang made it clear to me he just wants to be friends. So, I have to respect that. Let him be happy with whoever he chooses to be with, if he ever finds someone." Steve shook his head and stared at Jin.

Either he has feelings for Hwoarang or for me. That or he caught the two of us in an act, Steve thought to himself and chuckled again. "Jin, mate, if I were you, I would let the Blood Talon come to you when he's ready to talk. He's a pretty enclosed guy. I've been friends with him a year and know only so much. I still don't know his real name or much of his past. Favorite color, kind of drink I can tell you, but only small things like that."

Jin smiledand nodded. "I figured that out. Thanks, though…. I was just wondering. I found it odd… when I heard Hwoarang call you sexy Foxy the other day in the hall…," Jin said with a grin.

So he did catch us…? Steve laughed and clapped his hands together. "That fucker called me that to be a dickhead. No meaning to it," Steve half lied again.

Jin smiled and nodded. He let out a soft sigh and chuckled with Steve. He couldn't help but feel a bit relieved, and he decided to go back to his studying. Everything then got quiet between them. Steve returned to his TV program, and Jin to his studies. Then, as everything seemed to be fine and quiet, there was a loud bang from the front door, and, without hesitation, the two fighters jumped to their feet and ran down the hall to the main entrance.

Both Steve and Jin were shocked at what they saw: Hwoarang being carried in by two men neither of them knew. One was atall Korean, about Hwoarang's age and height, with a dyed dirty blond hair and soft brown eyes. He was holding Hwoarang by the right shoulder, trying to hold him up. On Hwoarang's other side was a much shorter boy. He was about the same age as the taller one, but he couldn't be taller than Xiaoyu herself, and he looked American. He had a short brown hair. His eyes were covered by bangs, and Jin could just make out they were green. There was a visible scar on his lower cheek. What struck Jin as odd was the thick black leather glove covering his left hand.

"THAT GIRL HAS A FUCKING-- A FUCKING MOUTH!" Hwoarang blurted out angrily, swimming around in the guys' grasp. "Let me go back and staple it shut! SHE HAS TO FUCKING MIND HER BUSINESS!" It was obvious the Blood Talon was drunk.

"What happened?" Jin asked as he and Steve helped the two guys carry Hwoarang into the temple. Steve quickly closed the door behind them.

"Someone called him a fag. Not a good thing for the Blood Talon," the taller man said as he kept Hwoarang at bay. "Can't blame him. I wouldn't like to be called a fag myself, but Hwoarang has real issues with it all. So, naturally, it went overboard."

"Yeah, and then some girl made it worse," the shorter boy said as he struggled to stand from the heavy weight on his shoulder.

"It's ALL THAT GIRL'S FAULT! She had to fucking come over to me and fucking ask me if I was gay…. THERE'S A FUCKING DIFFERENCE! Let me go! I need to fucking kill that motherfucker!" Hwoarang said angrily.

Jin didn't hesitate to help the shorter guy take a hold of Hwoarang. He quickly moved to his back to try and restrain him. "Calm down, Hwoarang!"

"So, who are you two?" Steve asked, moving away from the door and helping Jin.

"Is it really a time for that…?" the shorter man asked with an annoyed look on his face.

"I'm Bea; that there is Airon. Hwoarang, man, buddy… relax, it's over…," the taller guy, Bea, introduced himself and pulled the Blood Talon upright.

"I said let me--" Hwoarang started, sending a back kick at Airon and then another one at Jin. "GO!" he shouted, pulling himself away from Steve and Bea.

Bea watched as Jin went flying back into Steve. They were both knocked to the floor, and Airon to the side. "Shit!" Bea cried and went to help the two fighters up.

Jin quickly jumped up after the fall and turned to Airon. "Watch out!" he shouted to Airon.

As Hwoarang went for another kick he was stopped by Airon, who quickly dodged it by grabbing Hwoarang's deadly leg with his left hand. He then squeezed hard at the Korean's ankle. "Calm down, Hwoarang," Airon said and tripped Hwoarang to the floor. "See, when he's drunk, it's easy," he added with a smirk and watched as Bea stepped on the Blood Talon's head.

"We do this all the time, but usually, it's Rally and Joe that get kicked," Bea said with a chuckle and watched as Airon sat on the Blood Talon's legs.

The four men could hear muffled and angry groans from the redhead, as his face was smooched to the floor, his arms moving, as he tried to get up. Jin quickly took a hold of Hwoarang's wrists, sitting on his back. "Calm down," he said calmly and closed his eyes.

"Smart move," Airon and Steve said at the same time and then turned to see Lee walking in through the door, looking utterly confused.

"What the hell?" he asked and then placed a hand to his forehead. "Who are they sitting on?" Lee asked as he turned to Steve.

"Hwoarang," Steve answered, a smirk on his face.

Lee laughedand shook his head. "Go figure. Have fun with that," he said and stepped out of the room.

"You're not going to help?" Steve asked as he watched the Blood Talon twitch on the floor and wince when Jin pinched at the skin of his wrist.

"Nope. Have fun," Lee called out from the hallway.

It took a little more than five minutes for the Blood Talon to calm. Bea stepped off his head, and Jin and Airon got off as well. Once Hwoarang was released, he rolled over onto his back and sat up, tucking his legs under him in Indian style. "Jin, your fucking girlfriend, Ling, I guess her name is, has a fucking mouth that needs to be stapled shut."

Jin blinked several times. His folded his arms over his chest, as he heard Xiaoyu's name. "She isn't my girlfriend," hesaid and sighed. "But what did she do?"

Hwoarang sighed heavily. He was too drunk, and his mind was too foggy to remember everything, but his mind clicked to Jin's words."Not your girlfriend, huh? Interesting…," he saidand licked his lips, stretching out his legs before he stood up. Hwoarang noticed Steve gave a questioning look at him and then back at Jin, but Steve stood quietly, as he spoke. "I don't know. She came up to me, talking to me, asking me if I was Hwoarang. I told I was. I am…. She called my hair fake or whatever and you know… it's not…. I never dyed it once… not once. Ask Bea, he knows…. Anyway… she all goes up to me. I was talking to someone…," the Blood Talon said, swaying back and forth as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and placed it to his lips. Then tried to light it but realized he had misplaced his lighter.

"That's not going to work…." Jin shook his head and took the cigarette from Hwoarang's mouth and held onto it. "Continue," he said getting angry at the Korean.

"R-right. Anyway. I was talking to someone…. A guy. So, she comes and asks me if I'm gay! As if it's her business! That's… that's…. She's rude! So, of course, this other guy calls me a faggot! You know, thinking I was, because of her mouth!" Hwoarang said, looking around. "Where… where's my cigarette…? Kazama! If you wanted to…. You know you have to ask," he said as he noticed the USA gold in Jin's hand.

Jin shook his headand handed the cigarette back to Hwoarang with a sigh. He knew Hwoarang was telling the truth, but there had to be more to the story. It didn't sound like Xiaoyu to just go and ask someone if they were gay or anything like that. He would have to talk to his good friend sometime, but for now, he knew he had to get his partner to sober up.

Hwoarang put his cigarette behind his ear and then stared at Steve. "You! I'M SORRY! OK?!" he said and turned on his heel, nearly falling over. Bea and Jin took a hold of him and stood him up straight. Hwoarang blinking before looking at Bea and then at Jin.

"Kazama! I'll take you on! I'll take you on right here and right now!"

"No. There is no reason to fight," Jin said and felt a sudden familiarity and knew he had said those words many times to the redhead.

"Damn, he needs a shower," Bea said, picking Hwoarang up onto his feet.

"You stink!" Hwoarang said as he started walking down the hall, hitting the wall on his way. Jin caught him before he fell. "Kazama… you… you… look… look… different…," he said, facing the wall. " Ugly… and… wait…?" He then turned to the floor as Bea and Jin pulled him to the stairs.

Steve and Airon quickly ran in front of the two Koreans and the Japanese to keep the Blood Talon from falling over. "Damn, what did he drink?" Steve asked, pushing Hwoarang forward.

"Jijibutsubutsu," Airon said in Japanese.

"What?" said Steve, not understanding as he nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Everything," Jin said in English.

"Jin… you got fucking… short," Hwoarang said to Airon, and Airon turned the Blood Talon to face the real Jin. "Yeppoyo…. Let's fight now!" he said, calling Jin beautiful in Korean in a demanding tone.

Jin closed his eyes and shook his head before bringing a hand to the Korean's neck and pushing at his pressure point, knocking him out. He watched as the Korean beauty went limp and he took a hold of him before he fell over.

Steve's eyes widened, and he laughed. "Damn, Jin. You didn't need to do that," he said and watched as the Japanese threw Hwoarang over his shoulder.

"I know, but it was getting annoying," Jin said with a sigh as he heaved Hwoarang up the stairs, the rest of the guys following him. Why does he have to get himself in so much trouble all the time? Jin thought to himself as he gently carried Hwoarang into his room. Another mystery….


That's the end of this chapter. Please tune in for Chapter 8, which will be up soon! ^__^