Author's Note: Thank you to those of you that have left feedback or have simply read this or any of my other fics in my Yuugen series. It means a lot
Notes:
Dialogue in regular font=Spoken Japanese
Dialogue in italics=Spoken English
Text in italics outside of quotes=Shinsuke's inner thoughts
Dialogue/text in bold=Emphasis on word(s)
Dialogue/text that is italicized and centered inside dashes=Shinsuke's flashbacks
Centered ":::"=A time jump of about a day or more
A week had passed since Shinsuke had performed that first power slam on Asuka. No one said anything so they spent the day going forward with their plan at the WWE PC, slowly introducing more elaborate moves to their training. By midday, they were both panting masses of humanity lying on the mat. They squeezed in some time at the beach and a nice dinner at a restaurant before heading home to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening before Shinsuke had to fly out again for work.
Or at least he was relaxing.
"Akemi sent over so many good invitation designs," Asuka pouted as she scrolled through her MacBook on their balcony table. "There's no way I can choose."
Shinsuke thought Asuka looked cute as he watched from the seat opposite her. He had been admiring her focused/flustered expression behind the frames of her glasses for going on half an hour.
Their Shinto wedding in Japan was just three short months away. Most everything had been taken care of with the help of their wedding planner, Akemi. All that was left were the minor details, one of them being their wedding invitations.
- "I want this one," Emiko gushed.
"You've picked already?" Shinsuke asked, studying the fancy and quite elaborate design. "But you hardly looked at the designs."
"It's plain to see this one is the prettiest. That is what I want," she said.
And obviously the priciest…he thought. He kept that to himself though and smiled though he found other designs more appealing to his taste. But the wedding was mostly Emiko's day, so she should decide what invitation they would have.
"If it's what you want, then it's what we'll get." -
Shinsuke closed his eyes against the flashback before refocusing his gaze on Asuka, and slowly the memory faded to the periphery of his mind. He then playfully shut the screen down so he could get an unobstructed view of how the colors of the sunset painted her face. "Then don't choose right now. There is always tomorrow, Niji."
Asuka batted at his hand and reopened the screen. "You've been saying that for weeks now when what you should be doing is helping me decide. If we don't get these invitations out in a timely fashion, no one will show up to our wedding."
"I don't mind that," he teased, then sobered when she narrowed her eyes at him. "You know that I will be happy with anything you pick."
"Really?" One perfect pink brow rose. "Alright then, I pick this one." She turned the laptop around so he could see the design.
Shinsuke took one look and scrunched his nose at the ugly brown invitation. "You did that on purpose."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Kitsune," she said, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "You just said you'd be happy with anything I picked."
"Anything but that eyesore."
"Alright." She took back the computer and scrolled for a few moments. "How about this one?"
"Too… severe…" he squinted disapprovingly at the design. "We're having a wedding, not a funeral."
The next one was so cutesy it was nauseating.
At the end of his rope, he gestured for the computer. "Give me that thing."
Asuka smiled in seeming triumph and slid the MacBook over.
Never did he expect to while away twenty whole minutes looking through wedding invitations. He figured it would take him five minutes tops to find an appealing design. "Damn it… Akemi overdid it with this selection," he grumbled.
"See what I mean?" Asuka pulled on his ponytail from where she stood behind him. "Wait, scroll back up. What about that one?"
She gestured with her hand at a simple but attractive design that consisted of a motif of cherry blossoms over blue ocean waves. The invitation came with a matching envelope sleeve with a blue ribbon wrapped around the middle. What grabbed Shinsuke's attention the most about the invitation was that he felt that the harmony of the motif represented him and Asuka coming together very well.
"I think it is very fitting for us. What about you?" He tilted his head back to look up at her.
Asuka smiled down at him. "I think it is perfect." She cupped his face in her hands and bent down to give him a soft kiss that practically melted him. Just when he was starting to unwind again, she pulled back. "Now we just need to decide on the wording."
Shinsuke's jaw slowly dropped as the dreamy haze of her kiss faded. "Wait? We're not done with this?"
"We still have a few hours left in the day and Akemi sent over plenty of examples. I'm sure we'll figure something out." Asuka patted his cheek.
In response, Shinsuke crossed his arms on the table and rested his head atop the pillow his limbs created. He may have fallen into a mild doze, as it suddenly seemed a little darker outside when he opened his eyes again.
Asuka didn't bother him, simply had moved her chair to sit beside his and continued looking at the computer screen.
When his mind cleared again, he lifted his head and he said, "Alright, give me a pencil and paper."
:::
Shinsuke applied a Fujiwara armbar on a prone Asuka, slowly wrenching her arm back. "How does that feel?" he asked.
"Everything feels normal," she grunted as she inched her way towards the ropes.
Later that week their next session at the PC focused more on seeing what her bicep could handle. One day a week was reserved to that, while the other remaining day was dedicated to move sets they hoped to bring to their match.
She grabbed the bottom rope and he released her. Next put her in a Rings of Saturn, a move that was not usually in his repertoire. He thought it good to try as many arm submissions as they could on her arm as there was no telling what might be used on her by different opponents when she returned. It was better to go a little overkill now than to not know until later.
"Good?" Shinsuke asked again.
"Yeah." When she gave a verbal submission, he released her and watched as she moved her left arm around experimentally. "Still holding up," she said.
"Good to know." He smiled as relief filled him. He laid a hand on her left shoulder as they stood up together.
Asuka gave him an alluring smile then leaped into a jumping armbar. He went off balance momentarily from her surprise attack, but swiftly righted himself and went down to the mat in the correct fashion.
"Now you tap, Kitsune," she kissed his trapped hand.
"I don't think so," he grumbled, beginning to work a way out.
Asuka gave his arm a quick but sharp wrench and an embarrassing yelp escaped him. He promptly tapped. Satisfied, she released him with a smug look.
Shinsuke sat up and rubbed at his arm, a small pout forming on his lips. "Don't go ruining both of our arms..."
"Ohh you're fine." She waved him off. "That was only one-tenth of my power. If you can't handle that, then I don't know if we should go through with having a match."
His pout shifted into a glower and he pounced, grabbing her around the middle from behind. Giggling, Asuka pressed back against him as she lowered her hips and pried at his locked hands.
Did she want to play dirty? He could play dirty too. Leaning closer, he nipped at her earlobe.
Asuka gasped, losing her focus just long enough for him to pick her up and take her down to the mat. He then quickly swiveled over her back so that he held her in front face lock.
In retaliation, she grabbed him around one of his legs while pushing her weight into his. Try as he might to keep his balance, her constant pressure on his stability eventually caused him to topple over onto his back. She tried to straddle him but he wrapped his legs around her waist, keeping her at a safe distance with the considerable length of his body.
Shinsuke smiled up at her, amused at her efforts to wiggle out from between the grip of his legs. "Do you give up?" he asked, folding his arms lazily behind his head.
"No!" she seethed.
He admired her lovely flushed face before deciding he would have to put an end to their little game himself. He sat up to put her in a front chancery, however, she struck like a spider catching her prey, ensnaring him in the very hold he was thinking of.
They were both caught, stuck in a virtual stalemate. Asuka clearly had the upper hand though. He could squeeze her around her waist but with his body bent nearly in half and her arms trapping his neck, it made it doubly hard for him to breathe. Sometimes his height worked to his benefit, times like now, it was to his detriment.
"Do you give up?" she taunted him back.
"You are a little demon," came his slightly wheezy reply.
He wasn't getting anywhere trying to squeeze the air out of her before he lost all of his, so he elected to release her from his body scissors. He was able to get one leg free and beneath his body but Asuka shifted her hold and used her other arm to grab his other leg, still keeping him folded like an accordion.
His only option was to muscle his way out, using the strength in his legs to break her grip. Climbing to his feet, he attempted a gourd buster. Asuka blocked him by shifting her weight in the air. She landed on her feet and simply stood there in her crouched position. Shinsuke widened his stance, not once removing his eyes from her this time, taking in her expression and posture.
They remained frozen like statues for a few moments before Asuka broke the silence between them, "Seems we were pretty evenly matched for that bout."
"Agreed." Shinsuke inclined his head just slightly. This time he didn't relax his guard until she told him she was ready for a bite to eat and she exited the ring.
"You looked tense back there," she remarked teasingly as they made their way to the trainer's office, a ritual that followed each of their practices.
"All these weeks training with you, I'm beginning to realize how much of a sneaky competitor you are, Devil Woman. I never quite know when you're planning to kiss me or try and take my arm off."
"As well you should," she grinned and reached up to peck him on the lips.
Asuka's physical examination went well and nothing worrisome turned up. However, the trainer requested they wait in the trainer's room a moment before he left. This had never happened over the weeks they had been practicing and it made a shiver of anxiety ascend Shinsuke's spine.
"Maybe he's just consulting with my doctor," Asuka suggested as though sensing his concern.
"Maybe," he echoed, smiling weakly at her.
A few more minutes passed then the door opened once more; only it wasn't the trainer who entered the room.
Shinsuke saw Asuka sit up straighter, her eyes widening a fraction, while he felt literally felt the color draining from his face.
"Hello Asuka, Shinsuke," Vince McMahon addressed them in his usual booming voice. Behind him, Hunter greeted them in a much more subdued voice, his countenance warmer.
Shinsuke briefly imagined what would happen if he threw up on his bosses' shiny black shoes, his stomach swiftly churning all of a sudden and all. Asuka, by contrast, looked to have slipped her noh mask in place. She sat erect and returned their greetings in a confident tone. Shinsuke swallowed back the rising bile and did his best to do the same.
Calm down. Maybe they are just here to discuss Asuka's progress in person.
"How's the rehab been going?" Vince cut to the chase and Shinsuke relaxed a fraction.
"Going well," Asuka answered with a nod and a wide smile.
"Good," Vince returned her smile though it wasn't as broad. "Your doctor and our trainers here have been giving us very positive news regarding your recovery. You know I like hearing good news?"
She merely nodded at his words, but her smile only grew.
"Keep up these results and you'll be right on schedule to be cleared to return," the CEO continued. "Which brings me to the next bit of news."
Vince gave Hunter a gesture and his son-in-law pulled out his cell phone. Hunter tapped at the screen for a moment then turned the phone so it was visible. On the screen played a video of Shinsuke's practices with Asuka. There were clips of him hitting her with a calf kick, giving her an inverted exploder, an ax kick, a triangle cross arm breaker, and his landslide to name a few.
If his blood ran any colder, Shinsuke was certain he would have ice water running through his veins. He chanced a glance at Asuka. For the first time since the two other men had arrived, her noh mask began to slip little by little.
"What is going on here?" Vince demanded, his voice nearly a growl as he looked between the two of them.
Nauseous as he was, Shinsuke wanted to spare Asuka from any potential wrath. "I can explain—"
"It was my idea," Asuka cut him off and he looked at his fiancée in astonishment.
"What did you say?" Hunter asked her.
"It was my idea," she repeated.
"It was our idea," Shinsuke corrected with a stern look her way.
"And what, pray tell, is this foolish idea that has led to this foolish behavior?" asked Vince. The old man looked put out.
Shinsuke and Asuka exchanged a look and she nodded at him. Shinsuke steeled himself then turned back to his employers. "We want a match," he said then continued before either of his bosses could interject, his English becoming more broken with nerves than he would have liked. "We hope to have a feud. Mixed Match Challenge returns, I'm looking for partner. I want Asuka to be my partner. But she refuses, doesn't trust me. So I try to impress her, get her to say yes. Still, she says no. I don't give up easily, so she challenges me to match. If I win, she will be my partner. I lose, but I am sore loser. I challenge her to contract on pole match. This time I win after handcuffing her to bottom rope, so she must be my partner. This angers Asuka and we don't get along well, but we have good ring chemistry." Shinsuke shrugged, "Maybe we win tournament, maybe we don't. But after, Asuka has a surprise heel turn. She joins me and we look to make it to the top, together. Whether or not we make it to the top, we want most to have a match."
Shinsuke had barely finished detailing their idea when Vince spat, "Absolutely out of the question!"
"I don't know, it doesn't sound all bad," Hunter said, thoughtfully stroking his beard. "They would make a good match for the Mixed Match Challenge as well as a small faction. I think the fans would appreciate it."
"We can consider the latter two," Vince told his son-in-law then returned his attention to Shinsuke and Asuka. "But as for the two of you having a match together. That is an emphatic no."
"No?" Asuka hopped off the exam table to stand before the CEO. "Why?"
"We don't do that sort of thing in WWE for one thing," the old man replied, staring down at her. "Second, you just had an injury. A match with a man could easily reinjure you or hurt you elsewhere."
Asuka stoically held Vince's gaze, almost challenging him, then began speaking in rapid-fire Japanese.
"What is she saying?" Vince looked to Shinsuke.
His fiancée was talking so fast even he had trouble keeping up with her thick Kansai-ben. "She says she has faced many men over and over. The matches were brutal but she was never injured once. She asks how can you say you do not allow men and women to fight when Ronda has fought Hunter? When Nia Jax has fought in Royal Rumble, took several finishers, one a kick to face? Becky stood up to Cena and fans loved it. Men have fought women in the past. Women held men's titles. She thinks fans want to see it again."
Vince sighed. "Look, we are not Japan or the Indy circuit. And those mentioned instances were different. Ronda did all of the offense against Hunter. And Nia, she's not the most breakable woman. Yes, we did allow for some intergender matches in the past, but times are changing. We must lead by example as a global brand. If men and women began having matches regularly someone is bound to get hurt, most likely a woman. Not to mention it could lead to an influx of domestic violence."
For the first time, Asuka flinched at his words, but it was a microexpression only Shinsuke seemed to notice. She looked down and to the side then met Vince's eyes once more.
She spoke again and Shinsuke interpreted. "We believe men and women can have good, competitive matches that will not lead to such things. I was injured, but I trust Shinsuke to keep me safe." A smile he couldn't contain bloomed on his face as he translated the last of her words. Asuka looked at him and her lips curved upwards in a returning smile.
"What you believe and what I believe are two different things," Vince said, bursting their small moment of happiness. "I said I will consider putting you both in a storyline together, but you two will not be having a match." He turned to Shinsuke."You may continue to help Asuka rehab in the ring until she is cleared, but you are no longer allowed to practice offensive moves on her here. If we catch more of that at the PC, the both of you will be suspended indefinitely. Understood?"
Shinsuke felt a part of him deflate at the other man's words, but it was an answer he had expected. "Yes, sir," he said, more or less resigned to the fate of feud.
"Yes," Asuka replied, though her demeanor told Shinsuke that she was barely containing herself from arguing her point further.
"Good," said the CEO. "I will be looking forward to more progress reports." He then took his leave of the trainer's room.
Hunter lingered behind. "If I were running the show here I might have agreed to it," he admitted. "It honestly sounds like a pretty badass dream match…The King vs The Empress…" He gestured the words in the air with his hand. "Ah well…this is the way of things. Anyways, keep your chins up and have a good day."
As they left the PC, Shinsuke could still sense waves of anger and disappointment roiling off of Asuka. To comfort her, he reached across the console of his car and took her hand in his.
"At least they are considering part of our proposal," he said, rubbing his thumb soothingly over her skin. "And we can always pitch the match to another promotion once we're done here."
"I'm not giving up, Shinsuke," she responded, "I want us to fight together on the biggest global platform in wrestling, and I will continue to fight for that until the end."
"I do too, and I will fight alongside you all the way." He interlocked their fingers. "Vince sounds resolute in his answer, though. We may have to settle for what we can get and see what the future brings."
"That we may," she agreed, squeezing his hand. "But while we are here, why don't we show WWE the power of persuasion?"
"What do you propose?"
"We hold our own match outside of WWE, film it, and post it for the world to see," she replied. "Let the viewers be our voice. WWE will surely take notice."
"That sounds like a kamikaze mission, ya know?" he glanced at Asuka out of the corner of his eye. "Is that something you really want to take on?"
"Having an unforgettable match in the ring with you is more important to me than any title they could give me here. It is a risk I'm willing to take, but only if you're willing to take it with me."
At a stoplight, Shinsuke shifted to face her fully. He lifted her hand to his lips and tenderly kissed her knuckles. "Well, I'm not getting any younger. And at this point in my career with WWE, if I'm going to go out, I may as well go out in a defiant blaze. So remember this well; wherever you go, Asuka, I go too."
Asuka leaned over the console and kissed him. "I will never forget that," she murmured against his lips. "And by your side, I will always be."
A.N.: Uh oh, obstacles are already making themselves known. Stay tuned for the next chapter!
Anyway, I hope those that read this have enjoyed it and I hope you all are doing well~