Chapter 6: The Meaning of Love
The sun shining through the window woke up Xiao as she slowly opened her eyes to see another day, she blinked slowly as she sat up in bed. It had been weeks since the incident with Jin and he hasn't called her since, she begun to wonder why hasn't he called her in so long, she was starting to miss him greatly. She felt really guilty and wanted to talk to him, she was a wreck without him and she needed him to be around her, feel his touch, inhale his scent, feel his soft lips on her forehead, or if she was lucky, her lips too. Her deep brown eyes looked over at her pink cellphone on her nightstand, no need to bother with it since Jin didn't even bother to call her, text her, or anything for the past couple of weeks! Sighing, the brunette woman grabbed the covers and moved them away from her body and put on her slippers, stretched and yawned as she got out of bed...
She walked over to the restroom and looked at herself in the mirror, it was 8:30 in the morning and she looked like a train wreck, the whole thing with Jin had been taking a toll on her, she didn't know how much she could take... She began to brush her teeth, and freshen herself up, ending her tasks with brushing her hair, with make up, she began to look like herself again. Today was Friday, so she was off from work, though, there was nothing for her to do since Jin wasn't around her anymore...
As she continued to brush her hair, there was a sudden knock at the door, putting the brush down, Xiao looked over in the direction of the door 'Hm, I wonder who that could be!' The young woman thought to herself, the doorbell continued to ring, making Xiao speed up her pace "I'm coming, I'm coming! Just hold on, Okay?" When she finally reached the door, her hand grabbed on the cold, silver doorknob, and opened the door... She was surprised to look into the eyes of...
"Jin!" Xiao said to the Japanese man with utter surprise in her voice, Jin gave Xiao a slight smile before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight embrace, inhaling her soft scent delivering small but sweet kisses to her neck, the smile on his face became wider as he moved Xiao away slightly, still having his arms wrapped around her waist. Xiao on the other hand, was confused by the whole situation, Wasn't Jin mad at her a few weeks ago and now he is hugging her and kissing her? Something is definitely going on... Though... Xiao didn't mind, her heart was pounding rapidly and her palms started to sweat from anxiety from being around him... Yep, Xiao still loved him...that was for sure!
Xiao then placed her hands on Jin's chest, along with her chin as she looked into his eyes, she never knew what it was but, whenever she looked in Jin's eyes she always felt protected and loved, she felt that way ever since she met him and it hasn't changed since... She wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her face against his chest, a smile on her face... "I missed you, Jin..." Was all Xiao could say to the man she loved...
Sighing peacefully, Jin started to run his fingers through the strand of Xiao's hair affectionately, pressing his lips against her forehead "I missed you too Xiao, I really did and I'm sorry for not contacting you in so long, a lot of things have been on my mind lately, Mira got sick so I had to stay at home a lot and watch over her, she caught the flu from someone at school, she's still sick though. She misses you too Xiao and would like to see you."
Xiao smiled lightly when hearing Mira wanted to see her, but the smile suddenly went away when she heard about the child being sick "Well, I hope that she is getting better, I don't want her to become too sick, Maybe I can help her!"
Jin nodded at Xiao and smiled at her "Indeed you can, In fact-" He was cut off by his cell phone, he takes it out of his case and looks at the caller ID to see who is calling, only to find that it was his daughter. "Hold on, Xiao, I have to take this, it is Mira." He puts the phone to his ear and responded by saying "Mira, sweetie, you know that you're suppose to be in bed..."
At home, Mira sat up in her bed and started to cough, she winced at the sharp pain in her throat when the cough ended. Sniffling, Mira said to her father "But, I am in bed Daddy! Right where you left me!" She then let out a loud sneeze, that started to hurt her nose as she sniffled again...
Jin laughed slightly at his daughter's response and shook his head "Yes, I know that baby girl, but you're suppose to be in bed...Sleeping! It's the only way that you'll get better, sweetheart!" Mira groaned at her father's answer "Aww, but Daddy, it gets boring sleeping all the time, I want to go outside and play with all my friends!" She then propped her weight up by placing her hand on her jawline and her elbow on her thigh which was under the light blue covered quilt...
Jin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as he began to take small steps back and forth "I know, Mi-Mi, I know, but love, you're sick! You can't do a lot of things when you're sick okay? Besides, Daddy is on his way home right now, maybe when I get home we can play some games or something alright?" Sighing again, Mira started to cough again and blow her small, red and stuffy nose on a tissue, then throwing it in the trash... "Okay Daddy.."
The Japanese father, smiled when his daughter responded to him "Alright cutie, Daddy will see you momentarily, I love you, Mira." Mira smiled softly when she heard what her father said "Okay Daddy! I love you more!" She then blew a kiss into the phone and ended the call. Jin laughed when he heard the cute sound that emitted from his daughter, placing his phone back in his case, and shaking his head slightly Jin said "Hehe, my baby...She is too cute for her own good!" Looking up at Xiao, he used his head as a gesture to tell Xiao to walk with him, over to his car. As usual Jin opened the door for Xiao and watched as she stepped inside of it, from there he climbed into his side of the car and drove off...
When they reached Jin's home, Xiao was greeted by Jun, standing in front of the door, holding Mira on her hip, when Jin saw this; he was taken off guard by it... He got out of the car and walked over to his mother, with a very puzzled expression on his face. He looked at his daughter, then carefully grabbed her and gave her to Xiao...
"Mira, be a good girl for Xiao okay? And, I'll be there momentarily!" He said before ruffling his daughter's hair, Xiao nodded, taking the girl inside of the house, where the cute Kazama, led Xiao into her room...
Meanwhile, outside, Jin decided to have a talk with his mother, running his hands through his hair and sighing, his hazel eyes glanced into his mother's. Jun on the other hand, had no idea what was going on, she didn't know what she did to make Jin so...stressed!
"Mom, You know that Mira is sick, why is she outside where there are germs and things that can ultimately make her flu worse than what it already is?" Jin stated to his mother as his black hair blew in the wind...
"Jin, Don't worry, Mira wanted some fresh air, she has been trapped in the house ever since she got sick about 4 days ago! The little girl needed to be outside, I grew tired of seeing her sad face all the time, so I took her outside! I already gave the medicine to her, she is absolutely fine!"
"But Mom, Mira is my daughter! Meaning, she is my responsibility! I took that vow the day Kikyo told me she was pregnant with Mira!"
Jun tried to calm her son down by placing her hands on his shoulders and calmly massaged them, looking deep into her son's eyes, Jun began to speak...
"Jin...I understand that you care for your daughter's well being, that's understandable since you are indeed her father! But, you fail to realize that I am her grandmother, I have to take care of her somehow Jin, I took care of you when you were a child, How come I can't take care of yours?"
Jin sighed as he looked at his mother with sympathetic eyes before walking over and placing a small kiss on his mother's forehead. He loves his mother just as much as he loved his daughter, all she wants to do is help, and trust that being a single parent is a lot of work, and Jin needed all the help he could possibly get. And with his mother and Xiao helping him out, he was pretty sure that raising Mira would be a lot easier for him...
"Thank you, mom..." Was all Jin said to his mother, taking his steps into the house where his joyful and playful daughter greeted him, by jumping into his arms and giving a small and innocent kiss to his lips and placed her head on his shoulder, Jin smiled down at his daughter, tilting his head to lay on top of hers as he ran his fingers through her hair lovingly, Jin could tell that his daughter was hurting on the inside, and it pained him, he wanted to do anything to help his baby girl feel better again...He sighed as he began to softly rock Mira and kissing her cheek, saying soothing words that can help her get over this sickness...
He was so wrapped up in the moment, he failed to realize that Xiao was standing there, watching the father and daughter. She could instantly see the love and compassion Jin felt for his daughter, she knew it was there, and it was very strong. She knew that Jin would love the hell out of his daughter, the moment she was born, and from what she has experienced with knowing Jin for so long, is that he is very consistent and determined, when Mira was born, she could tell that Jin was ready to change his ways and become a father... When Jin looked up, he saw Xiao and a small smile appeared on his face, it wasn't awkward being around Xiao in situations like this, from how close they are, Xiao has been with Jin countless times and seen many ups and downs with him, from crying, to even losing some of his battles in the tournament, Xiao had always been there for him... And Jin appreciates that fully...
Jun walks in, and closes the door behind her and walks behind Jin, to look at Mira, smiles at her before, giving her a kiss on her forehead, then turning her attention to her son... "Jin?" She started to say, as she waited for her son to turn around and face her. Once he did, Jun continued to speak "Your younger brother called, he needs you to watch over Akira while they go on their vacation!"
Kyosuke, Jin's younger half-brother by 2 years, was always the prime opposite of Jin; in some cases. Kyosuke wasn't always as isolated as Jin was, he always made friends while Jin always rejected them, they don't share the same father, but have the same mother, though, the same outcome was uprooted. When Jun became pregnant with Kyo, his father left, leaving Jin to take care of his mother and unborn brother...But now at the age of 25, Kyo has made a drastic change, becoming the CEO of a very successful company, meeting his wife and having a beautiful baby boy with her, Jin could say that he is glad to call him his younger brother...
"How long are they suppose to be gone, Mother?" Jin asked as he looked at his mother, still taking hold of his precious daughter. "A week, Jin. Are you sure you can handle having a baby around, son?" Jun asked as she walked over and placed a hand on her son's left shoulder...
Jin looked at his daughter, then over to his mother again "If you think I can handle Mira for five years, Don't you think I can take care of Akira too? Besides, Mira loves babies and maybe..." He looks down at Mira, who was now looking up at her father "Just maybe...Daddy's little angel can help him take care of her?"He continues. "I would love to, Daddy!" The young Kazama exclaims as she becomes excited about the new visitor... "At a girl!" Jin replied as he kissed his daughter's forehead and set her down before looking toward his mother again, grabbing onto Mira's hand... "So, when are they suppose to be here?"
"Tonight actually, so go get Mira cleaned up and ready to see her cousin!" Jun said with a smile toward her son, she was so excited to see her second born child, it's been so long since she seen him, she had wondered how he was doing..."I'm sure she would like that." Jin replied as he looked at his daughter, who was now showing Xiao her toys and sharing them with her as they started to play.
Walking over to the duo, Jin picked up Mira and placed her over his shoulders, her giggles filled the room as her father held her "Alright little one, time to get cleaned so you can see your Uncle!" Jin stated before walking up the stairs, he took one last glance at Xiao "Um, Hey Xiao, make yourself at home, my brother will be here in a little while, he's nice so you'll be able to cope with him..."
Xiaoyu nodded, with a smile on her face, watching Jin as he traveled up the stairs with his daughter, he washed her up and brought her back downstairs wearing a simple white summer dress and her black hair was in a ponytail, immediately she ran over to Xiao and wrapped her innocent arms around her waist, and looked up at her with a smile...
Then suddenly, the doorbell started to ring meaning that the company had arrived... "I'll get it!" Jun said as she ran over to the door, and opened it only to see the bluish-grey eyes of her son, "Kyosuke! So glad you can make it!" She exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her second born son, she then looked over her shoulder to see that his wife, Keri, wasn't there, it was just him... Jun became concerned, Kyo did say that he and Keri weren't under good terms right now, but she didn't expect things would get this bad!
"Kyo...Where is Keri and Ryu?" The concerned mother asked, Kyo replied with just a simple shrug of his shoulders "She said she would be here a little late, no telling where she is now..." Jun placed her hand on her hip and looked at her son "Kyo, Keri is your wife and the mother of your son, the least you can do is show your concern and contact her, something may have gone wrong!" Yet again, Kyo shrugged off the situation, taking off his jacket and placing it on the silver rack "Hehe, who said I was concerned about her? She's a big girl now, she can handle herself, like she said, she doesn't need me, so why be concerned?"
From afar, Jin heard the rant from his brother, from what he knew, that didn't sound like his brother at all, more like Kyo's father if anything. Jin made sure when he marries a woman that she wouldn't have to lift a finger for anything, to keep her under his wing, to guide and protect her, some of the things that a husband should do in nature for his wife, besides, he already has experience with it taking care of his little pride and joy, his flesh and blood, Mira. Mira, who was now playing with her toys once more, saw her Uncle, but she also saw that two grown-ups were talking, she knew better not to talk to grown-ups when they were in a full fledged conversation, especially times like this, Daddy taught her that.
Jin kissed his daughter's cheek before rubbing her head "Daddy will be right back okay baby girl?" Mira looked up at her father and nodded, giving him a thumbs up, before continuing to play with her toys. "Alright." Jin replied, getting up from the couch and walking over to the commotion going on with his mother and brother. which was getting out of hand.
"Still want things to go your way huh little bro?" Jin said with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at his younger brother. Jun sighed as she walked over to her eldest with her hands pressing against his chest "Please, Jin, don't do anything to get involved, I'm begging you." The Japanese man looked down at his mother, and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry Mother, Kyo and I are just going to have a little talk okay? No biggie. Can you help Xiao watch Mira for me?" Jun said nothing, except she nodded with the movement of her head, walking over to her granddaughter and Xiao.
While the guys walked outside to talk, Jun took this chance to get to know Xiao better, and to explain her feelings toward her son. Taking a seat next to the young woman, Jun cast over a smile, and immediately Xiao sent one back. "So, I know you and Jin are great friends...ever thought about taking it to another level? I mean, you two knew each other since high school, even beyond that! I remember when you were just a little girl, and now you're all grown up...and still without Jin...How does that make you feel Xiao?"
Xiao leaned back on the couch and thought about it for a second, she had to admit, she was lonely. She had her fair share of boyfriends in the past, but all she ever wanted was Jin, and honestly, when Jin was with Kikyo, she was afraid that she would lose him...forever. And when Mira was born, she knew seeing him was a done deal, with him being a single father ever since Kikyo's death. Even though, she and Kikyo were great friends and even with her gone, she would want Xiao happy no matter what the circumstances were. "I'll admit, I gave Jin plenty of chances back in High School but he just wasn't budging...It made me believe that he didn't want me, so I left it alone... And when Kikyo told me she was pregnant with Mira, it changed everything, I stayed distant from them, and when Mira was born and Kikyo passed, I thought Jin needed me so I gradually came back into his life..."
Jun listened to Xiao speak, making the mother smile in the process "In some way, that reminds me of Kazuya, how he gradually came into my life, then suddenly left me after the birth of Jin." She looked over at Xiao and grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze, looking her in the eyes "Xiao...I love you, you know that, you have been with Jin since day one, and if it were up to me, you would've been the biological mother of Mira. To me Xiao, you and Jin are the meaning of love...You may not notice it now, but you will later...I promise." Jun then placed her hand on Xiao's stomach, and looked in her eyes, giving a small but secure smile... "I promise..."
Little did they know, that the front door was cracked and Jin heard every word that his mother said to Xiao, and honestly enough, she was right, Jin felt that way about Xiao, no doubt about it, now, he felt better about the whole situation between him and Xiao and things would be great between them as well. Jin walked into the house, followed by his brother after they had their talk, he then walked over to Xiao and kissed her cheek. "Hey, Can we go and talk for a while?"
"Uh...Sure Jin!" Xiao says as she gets up and walks over to Jin's side, where he grabs her small hand and leads her outside, and shuts the door behind them, Jun smiled at her son's action, already knowing that he heard what she said earlier. "Hehe, Go get 'em tiger!" She says to herself before she looks down to her granddaughter, and picks her up. "C'mon sweetie, want to help grandma cook dinner?"
Meanwhile, outside, Jin was trying to piece together the puzzle to find the words to say to Xiao, who was standing there before him, her brunette hair blowing in the night wind. When he found the words, he grabbed both of her hands and looked at her in her deep brown eyes... "Xiao...you've been here with me ever since we were little, hyperactive teenagers, you were even there for me when Kikyo became pregnant with Mira and when Mira was born, you stood by me, held my hand and told me everything would be alright, say the right words to make my grey skies blue... I just want you to know, that I loved and adored you for so long, and I want you to be mine, maybe we aren't ready for an engagement yet, but I would love to be in a relationship with you. I know it may sound corny, but, it's how I feel about you, every time I see you, my heart pounds, and it makes me want to be around you all of the time... Xiao... I've fallen in love with you, I love everything about you, to your energetic attitude to the sweet and loving things you do for me, and I want to express my love for you in a totally different manner..."
When he was finished speaking, he reached inside of his pocket to pull out a beautiful necklace, and held in it his hands for her to take "The decision is up to you Xiao...Take your time!"
Right now, a bunch of emotions were clouding her thoughts, Xiao had no idea what to say or do, she didn't know whether to accept or to decline him, but she loved him too, yet, wasn't sure if a relationship would be in her favor.
"J-Jin...I love you too, always did, always have, but, I've been heartbroken so many times in my life, that I don't know if a relationship is what I want right now, I know; you can hate me if you want to, it's just that I need time to think about it." Xiao said as she looked at Jin with completely honest eyes...
Meanwhile, Jin was left absolutely stunned and dumbfounded, he didn't know whether she was being serious or sarcastic, though, he did give her the chance to think it through, so this must be what she wants, plus, at least she feels the same way he does...well...almost. Even though, she declined him, he still left a smile on his face, laughing a little "Okay Xiao, it's your call, but, in the long run, this necklace will be waiting for you." He placed the necklace back into his pocket, grabbed her hand once more and led her back into the home...
After everyone ate dinner, Jin did the honors of taking Xiao home as usual, he watched as she walked into her home, just to make sure that she would be fine. When she got into the house, she set her things on the table beside the door, and walked upstairs into her room where she took a shower. She returned some time later, wearing a short tank top and long pajama pants, she had a picture in her hand... It consist of Jin, Panda, and herself, back when they were in High School... the words he said still left their mark in her head, causing her to think about her decision that she made earlier... "W-Was it the right decision? Did I do the right thing?"
She didn't know, which worried her. She knew she loved Jin so much, but yet, in turn, she found it hard to get into a relationship with him. Xiao thought that maybe a good night sleep would help jog her thoughts, get her to think more. She placed the picture on her nightstand and turned the light off in her room, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep...
Jin laid in his bed twirling the necklace around his fingers, thinking about the previous events from today, his brother showing up without his wife and son, and the love of his life turned him down today, oh well. When all goes bad, Jin knew the one person he could always depend on and that was his daughter, sweet and innocent little Mira. The adorable little girl laid next to her father, sleeping away, dreaming of fairies and princesses, unicorns, the simple things that little girls her age dream about; she had the cutest smile on her face that could light up the world if it wanted to, but it did put a smile on her father's face as he pressed his lips calmly against her forehead, before stroking the locks of her jet black hair...
"Don't worry Mira, Daddy will make sure that Xiao will become your Mommy..." He states before looking at the necklace laced between his fingers once more, and setting it on the dresser beside him, and getting comfortable under the quilt that kept him warm, letting out a yawn before closing his eyes "One way...or another..."
A/N: Another day, another chapter! Hm, I wonder if Xiao made the right decision! What do you think? 8D Prepare for the next chapter and make sure to bring Santa Claus his milk and cookies because it's going to be Christmas Time, meaning, Christmas Parties, and a Mistletoe kiss! From who? Find out in the next chapter! =D