Note: The name Alya is said like All-yah, Aul-yah or Awl-yah.
The next morning Nary woke up before Kano and used the opportunity to slip out of the bedroom letting him sleep in. Hoping to shake off the disturbing nightmare she had, the young doctor needed a distraction and to talk to a certain someone. After sending a text, she walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She put all of her energy and focus into making the sleeping Aussie the best breakfast he's ever eaten. Heavy rain started pattering against the roof of the beach after she finished cooking the sausage links.
Seeing the inclement weather made her wonder what Kano's itinerary was for today and if he had a backup plan. Save for the previous night's confrontation, she loved having him as her guide. Their visit to Rottnest Island was her favorite part so far. Neither one had had ever seen quokkas so sharing the experience together made it much more special. It also helped that she could see the care he put into making sure that she'd have a great time on the quaint little island. He knew how to balance showing her parts of his past and creating memories for the both of them.
Visiting the places and meeting people who helped mold him were enlightening and positive experiences for her. Even though last night was their first bump in the road, she was pleased to see him express regret and admit that he was trying to be a better man. It wasn't just words, he barely managed not to make the situation worse by controlling his temper instead of giving into it. Despite how he struggled, it was proof that he was changing instead of regressing.
As she was about to make toast, the sound of her mobile phone pulled her away from the task. Seeing Sonya's flawless face on her phone's screen made her lips curl into a bold smile. She tapped on the video chat application, "Hey Sonya! You didn't have to call me. A text back would've been fine."
Sonya sat down in the hotel suite's living room, "I know, but I miss you and it seems like you needed to talk."
"Aw, I miss you too! And you're right but first, where are you?" She tried to look at the background.
With a groan, the blonde soldier told her friend, "Hollywood, we're leaving tomorrow with our newest champion, the famously unbearable Johnny Cage!"
Her mouth dropped open, "Kano would lose his mind if he knew that! He loves him!"
"We know but you guys need this vacation-although, if we visit you two right now that'll get Johnny off my back for at least two hours with Kano fawning over him!" She rolled her eyes.
An amused grin was on her lips, "He has a crush on you! How cute!"
The irritation in her light blue eyes and voice was obvious, "He wants to fuck me, that's a bit different than a crush. Anyway, how's Australia?"
"Pretty good, I just sent you a few pics from yesterday. Isn't he adorable?" A cute smile was on her lips.
Seeing the photos of Kano bonding with quokkas provoked a stunned chuckle from her, "The infamous Black Dragon looks like a Disney princess!"
Nary laughed and nodded, "Yeah but it suits him and…" She released a long sigh, "Things were rolling along nicely until the very drunk husband of one Kano's past hookups tried to start shit with him."
"Shit, Kano must've handled that well," her voiced dripped with sarcasm.
Placing her other hand on her hip, she defended her boyfriend, "Actually, he did! He told the drunk jackass to walk away several times!"
With genuine shock, Sonya's head drew back, "Really? That's pretty big of him."
A disgusted expression, "Yeah…but then the idiot asked to either fight him or fuck me so that things would be even between them."
Her light blue eyes popped open as her mouth formed into an O shape, "All right, Kano would have every right to kick that fucker's ass!"
"He was about to! But thankfully the prick's wife came and got him." She said with a small tip of her head. "When we came home, he apologized and we had a really good and honest conversation."
Sonya's perfect brows knitted in confusion, "Then why did you text me?"
After a slow exhale, Nary told her about the nightmare. She was unable to stop her voice from occasionally shaking and her eyes from welling up when describing the most terrifying parts of the horrific dream. Once she was finished, she could see the sympathy on Sonya's face and sense it in her voice.
She brought her phone a bit closer to her face, "Nary, that sounds really terrible and it's not dumb to be shaken by it. It was a legit nightmare. But it wasn't real; you and everyone else are safe. Have you told Kano about it?"
Shaking her head, she explained, "He already feels guilty about last night he doesn't need to apologize for the nightmare version of himself!"
Her tilted to the right as she spoke in an understanding tone, "True, but this is clearly troubling you and he needs to know about it, Nary. He's your partner now. You should be able to tell him anything, especially your feelings."
She knew Sonya was right and briefly glanced down before looking into her phone's camera, "…I know and I will. But talking to you did help me feel a little better, thanks!"
"Don't mention it. Out of all the crazy things I've seen so far, a reformed Kano still tops them all!" A dry chuckle came from her.
Nary's lips curled in amusement, "It is unbelievable but it's no less crazy than you possibly hooking up with movie star, Johnny Cage!"
Her face scrunched up in utter annoyance, "Don't even joke about that! He did the impossible, he makes Kano look humble!"
She giggled, "Well, I have friends who have met him and yeah, he's cocky but he's a nice guy who also tips well. At the very least, you could have some real fun with him!"
With a hard shake of her head, the fair-haired fighter said, "There's no fuckin' way I'm gonna be another notch on his bed post!" A text from Jax appeared on her phone's screen, "Hey Nary, I gotta go now. We're having a late lunch but I'm not letting you off the hook, talk to Kano!"
"I will! Have a good lunch and have fun with Johnny!" She laughed when her fellow champion scowled and gave her the middle finger before signing off.
While covering the second piece of toast in a thin layer of Vegemite, Nary heard Kano padding down the stairs. The mouthwatering scents of fried eggs, bacon, sausage and other breakfast foods greeted him once he stepped onto the first floor. As he entered the kitchen, he noticed that she was keeping her back to him and heard scraping.
A wide smile cracked through his beard after he hugged Nary from behind and saw her spreading Vegemite onto toast, "Good morning, Babe!" He pecked her cheek and received a chaste kiss in return, "This looks goddamn delicious and we didn't even fuck last night!"
Keeping her eyes on him, she moved aside letting him take the seat in front of his breakfast. She was grateful that he was behaving like his usual self instead how he was in the nightmare. Brushing his cheek with her hand, she replied, "Making breakfast for each other doesn't have to be a reward for great sex, Kano."
"I know, but it always feels like a little treat and fuck, you went all out this morning, thanks Cupcake!" He took a bite out of the hash brown and lightly moaned.
She sat down next to him and stabbed her scrambled eggs with a fork, "You're welcome and I wanted to return the favor after yesterday's breakfast. So, what are we doing on this rainy day?"
"I'm not gonna let this shitty weather ruin our day so we're gonna visit an old friend of mine!" He said with a big grin on his lips, "Lars! I hated school but he was one of the few good teachers I had."
She didn't hide her surprise, "Really? What subject did he teach?"
Wagging his finger, he told her, "Not telling, it'll ruin the surprise! That also goes for the second place we'll be visiting today!"
Resting her chin on his shoulder, she remarked, "Well, you've been the best tour guide I've ever had! And I can't imagine this vacation being any better!"
He was thrilled to see how pleased she was with the care he put into planning their daily itinerary. His leaned his forehead against hers, "I love hearing that from you especially after what happened last night. I, eh, I know that we've already talked about it…but are sure you're fine?"
Her lips brushed against his nose before and drew her face back, "Yes, but I need to tell you um, about the nightmare I had."
The distressed expression on her face concerned him, "Nightmare? Was it about us?"
After a beat, she nodded, "I guess the movie triggered it because in it, I took a job in a different city. Since I wasn't Bobbie's neighbor, I didn't get my marking…but you still did."
His head leaned back realizing what she was saying as he took a breath, "You weren't there at the temple. I took Kabal's deal, didn't I?"
"Yeah and hell, you weren't even paid upfront or after! But you took down Raiden's electric forcefield and-uh…" Her voiced shook as her eyes became flooded; she then hugged herself, "Shang Tsung and his fighters attacked everyone. He took-he ripped Kung Lao's soul from his body as Liu watched in horror."
"Aw fuck…" he brushed her tears and was relieved when she leaned her face into his hand, "that's terrible!"
"It was but um, you also tried to kill Sonya." She sniffled, "It was after Mileena stabbed her in the shoulder but she refused to kill her because she didn't have her marking. So, you jumped in and-and…" Gripping her left shoulder, she shuddered, "You pushed your thumb into her wound and laughed before trying to kill yourself. I felt all of it. All the pain that-that version of you caused. And I know that it was a nightmare…but it felt so real!"
Kano saw how deeply disturbed and hurt she was by her bad dream. He wanted to tell her that he would never make the same horrible decisions without her in his life…but he couldn't. Before he could respond, she continued speaking.
"Sonya got her marking by fighting and killing you. And even though you weren't the same man…it tore my heart out to see you die!" She sobbed and felt his hands on her face.
"Look at me," he told her as his thumbs brushed away her tears. Kano didn't talk until her dark glistening eyes met his blue ones, "I'm not gonna bullshit you, Nary. I love and respect you too much to do that to you. The truth is, before you, the only thing I really cared about was money because-because it couldn't fuck me over or love me…only to be ripped away from. That Kano, he was a fuckin' idiot and he deserved what he got! I'm so goddamn grateful to you and our friends for making sure that I didn't become him!"
His honest acknowledgement of who he was and his rejection of it, gave her the comfort and assurance that she needed. Nary grasped his muscular sides as her lips captured his. "That was a nightmare but this, right here? What we have, it's better than a dream!"
Her sweet words compelled him to kiss her, "It really is, Love. But I gotta ask, how did Blondie take me out? I mean, it must have been fucking epic, right? Let me guess, she killed me with my own knife, that would've been fuckin poetry!"
With an awkward smile, she admitted, "After a fight in her trailer, you two ended up outside and uh, and she stabbed you in the right eye…with her garden gnome."
Disgusted and horrified, he said, "Fuckin' hell, that really is the darkest timeline!"
They both laughed before enjoying breakfast together.
Kano started speaking once he pulled into a parking lot full of warehouses, "Lars is the best woodworker and bladesmith I've ever met! Peaches, I'm taking you into his workshop and teaching you how to make a knife!"
Her full lips lifted into a big smile that reached her dark eyes, "Really? I mean, that sounds great but I have zero experience and won't it take all day?"
"Don't worry, Babe. It's gonna be a small simple knife and we're gonna have time to do other things, promise!" He pecked her mouth and gave her an encouraging smile.
She told him while putting on her sling bag, "All right, but keep in mind, outside of the kitchen - I'm not very handy."
He reached across the arm rest and gave her hand a quick squeeze before opening his car door, "It's OK, Sunshine, I'm gonna teach you everything you need to know!"
A lanky and bald fair-skinned man in his early sixties welcomed them after they walked in. His warm smile lifted the salt and pepper mustache that sat above his upper lip. The joy in seeing his former student and friend lit up his hazel eyes, "Kano, you fuckin' bastard, it's great seein' ya again!"
"Hey Lars, fuck you got old!" Kano said with a loud snicker as he hugged his friend then let him go.
"Really now?" He pointed at the younger man's beard, "you're just a few hairs short of being Santa Claus, mate!"
With a chuckle he playfully punched Lars's arm, "Oh fuck off, wanker! Anyway, this is Nary, I told you about her on the phone."
"The girlfriend! And shit, you are gorgeous! It's nice meeting you!" He stuck out his hand and accepted her handshake.
"It's an absolute pleasure meeting you, Lars! Pardon me, I need to use the bathroom so.."
"Right, it's down that hallway, first door on your left. We'll be in the workshop," he pointed to the double doors in front of them.
"Thanks, I won't be long!" She grinned at the pair before heading towards the hallway.
"Kano, she has good manners and she's beautiful? Mate, you better not fuck things up with her!" He pointed at him and smirked.
"I won't, I'm not a fuckin' idiot!" Kano shook his head.
In a serious tone, he said, "Oh and I thought you should know, Alya was in here yesterday. She ordered a knife from me last week and picked it up."
He paused and briefly rubbed the back of his neck, "Really? Does she still hate me fucking guts?"
With a loud snort he nodded, "Yeah she does! But as long as you stay away from Calder's Pub and Alejandra's Restaurant you should be good!"
"Thanks for the advice, Lars, I appreciate it! Now, let's get to the shop!" He gripped his friend shoulder before they walked forward.
After entering the workshop, Nary walked over to Kano just as he finished sketching a knife template for her. She made a suggestion about the hilt and he immediately added it to the sketch. With each step, he demonstrated the action before handing over the reins to her and would correct her when she made a misstep. He loved seeing how interested and receptive she was to his instructions. She enjoyed receiving guidance from about a craft that he was highly skilled in and clearly loved.
After placing the knife in the oven to temper, Kano took her out to lunch. She immediately kissed him the minute they walked up to Keith's Pies. Mal and Michelle (the chef and owners) immediately recognized her and warmly greeted her with a hug. Kano told the older couple how he, his late mother and uncle used to be regulars. Michelle remembered him and spoke about the time the trio came to celebrate his mother's birthday. The day before little Kano had drawn the kind of pastry he wanted his mother eat, Uncle Jack had dropped it off and Mal perfectly created it. After they were done reminiscing, Kano and Nary sat on the front patio where they enjoyed steak and onion and chicken Thai green curry pies.
They returned to the workshop to sand the knife and glue on the wooden hilt. Before leaving to allow the glue to dry overnight, they gave meat pies to Lars. He was grateful for their gift and wished them well.
Following dinner in their beach house, the sun began to set when Kano told Nary to stay downstairs. He needed time to prepare her surprise. At first, she thought he was calling out for her from their bedroom but saw the room empty when she looked through the open door. The sound of his gruff voice led her to their bathroom where he was resting in a bathtub full of bubbles with his knee poking out.
"Hello Peaches, the water's great tonight," he lips pulled at into a mischievous grin.
Seeing him repeat the same line he said to her during their first time in the hot springs made her scoff and grip her hips, "Kano, you already know that I'm against-…"
"I know, no underwater fucking and after the ER horror stories you told me, I agree! I wanna take a nice, relaxing and leisurely bath with you, Sweetheart…" Lifting his right hand out of the water, he then curled his forefinger towards himself, "Come on Darling, get that beautiful ass in here!"
Unlike their first time in the hot springs, she couldn't resist his demand. She saw the water and suds shift when he spread his legs open making room for her. Nary admired his wet chiseled body as she stripped out of her clothes then eased herself into the warm water.
The image of her undressing caused him to lick his lips as his eyes drank in her perfect body. Even though he had seen plenty of naked women in his life, none of them were stunning and sexy as Nary. Of course, he knew that his deep love for her made all the difference. Only she was able to make him feel free and comfortable to express himself. He also was drawn to her heart, mind and body; he couldn't say that about those other women.
The feeling of warm sudsy water surrounding her while his lips pressed against her cheek and neck, it caused her to melt. In response to his kisses, she reached up and stroked his face. A content hum came from her once his lips planted small kisses on her fingers and palm. He bent both legs allowing her to rest her hands on his knees. A blissful sigh left her lips when his hands slowly slid down her bare arms before his fingers threaded into hers.
Kano waited until their neighbor's dog stopped barking to say, "Babe, today was pretty fuckin' good especially compared to last night!"
Turning her head, she looked at him, "Really? I mean, I started off the morning on a depressing note."
His eyes met hers as he adamantly said, "You didn't! That nightmare fuckin' terrified you! And instead of keeping it bottled up to spare me feelings, you told me…as you should have, Love. We're a team now, we should be able to speak freely with each other."
"…I know and I was gonna hold off on telling you until tonight but um, this morning I spoke Sonya and she convinced me not to. And I'm glad that she did because then it would be like a dark cloud hanging over me. But today was so good because of that decision." She caressed his face again.
"Blondie was right to tell you that but…but that nightmare, it frightened you because I used to be that mongrel. I've fucked over so many people in my life but more than half the time it was retaliation for what they did to me. However, I can't say that about eh, about Jarek." He swallowed hard wanting to stop talking but knew that he couldn't.
The seriousness in his voice and eyes urged Nary to sit up and turn around to straddle him. Her forearms rested on his shoulders as he linked her hands behind his neck, "Who was he? A former client or was he in your crew?"
He gripped her waist, "Sort of the latter. He only joined us on three jobs and Kira was the one who brought him in. He was a good fighter and not as much of an asshole like the rest of us which is why he never really joined. Anyway, on that last job, he popped in minutes before we left for Brazil, Ros flew us there."
"What was the job?" Her head slightly leaned to the side.
"Some corrupt rich politician was divorcing his wife. She was pissed at him for fucking and leaving her for their nanny. The investigator she hired found out that he had a secret warehouse full of his money, priceless family heirlooms, fine art and her jewelry. But all she wanted was a platinum necklace with a diamond heart. She told us to just get her that and we could take whatever we wanted.
That warehouse was in the middle of nowhere and fuck, it was like something out of a movie with all goodies inside of it! We each filled our bags before security came. Those fuckers were really closing in and they were shooting at us! Then a silver butterfly statue with jewels fell out of Jarek's bag! And the goddamn idiot actually ran back for it! We were all pissed off including Ros so we left him behind and, eh, those fuckers shot him to shreds…we could've given him cover and pulled him into the plane but-but all that mattered was getting our asses out of there."
His hands went to her somber face, "Angel, there's nothing you can say to justify what I did. It was wrong and selfish and um, I'm gonna have to live with it as long as I live."
She knew he was right; "We've all had selfish moments and regrets, Kano. It means a lot that you feel guilty about what happened."
"Yeah, well, I didn't until I imagined that it was us and our friends. I can't imagine leaving Cole, Liu, Lao and even Sonya behind like I did with Jarek. And your nightmare…it reminds of who I used to be. So," the pads of his thumbs stroked the apples of her cheeks, "I promise that if…if I lose you." He took breath trying to calm himself because the mere thought of her dying sickened and terrified him, "I won't go back to being the piece of shit that I was. And I'll keep all of my real friends in my life instead of pushing them away."
Tears filled her eyes as she felt her heart swell and her soul become at ease. "I'm so happy and relieved to hear that, Kano. I didn't worry about that until my nightmare. Whether I'm here with you or gone, I want you to be truly happy and safe. You wouldn't be if you were still that man from my nightmare."
He wiped the tears that managed to stream from her deep brown eyes and kissed her cheeks. It delighted him to see her be honest and comforted with his sincere words. "I know and honestly, I can't go back to who I was. What we have between us and the friends I've made and the ones I've reconnected with…That's real, dependable and fulfilling. I'm not chasing something anymore because I have it again. I didn't know what it was…until you came along. Nary, I love you with every single part of me!"
Her hands went to his heart, "Oh Kano, I love you with all of my heart and I always will!"
With their hearts and bodies fully exposed, they held each other as they shared an adoring and passionate kiss.
Note: I post this story on archiveofourown and this chapter has a great photo included! Thank you ShadowMaster for following and placing this story under your favorites! I really appreciate it and thanks again to nadilla and Lawlyss for the comments! You two are great! Seeing active and engaged readers means a lot to creators, even if it's just a one word comment, a typed out emoji like this :) and if you have an account, following and favoriting a story! It's motivating and we want feedback. So thanks again!