Disclaimer: DaMastah101 doesn't own the rights to the Tekken series, obviously. Gosh, it's been a while since he's needed to state that disclaimer for this story. As for who I might be, it's not that important. Ahaha~! Now then, here's the latest chapter of "By Your Side"! Happy reading~

[Chapter 3 - Feelings]

ASUKA'S POV

I lay in my bed, quite exhausted. Presently, I had been drained of my energy and there was nothing more that I currently wanted other than a good night's rest.

Yet, my eyes were still wide open, staring at nothing in particular. Sleep kept avoiding me like the plague.

"Why is it so hard to sleep?" I asked myself in slight frustration.

The current time was 12PM midnight, and I couldn't sleep at all. Thoughts concerning a certain blonde girl kept flooding my mind. Various images and thoughts of Lili, my sworn rival, kept swirling around in my subconscious. The same girl that suddenly moved in with me after our fight in the tournament.

Yep, how could I forget, she lives with me and my dad now. And right now, princess happened to be sleeping above me. We were using a two-decker bunk bed, after all.

As for why I was so exhausted? It's quite simple, really.

My mind pondered over everything that happened this day. Most of my tiredness came from dealing with the blonde aristocrat, who seemed to have a knack for giving me a headache. In more ways than one. 'Can't say I'm too mad at the girl though. That's just how Lili is and I'm used to her quirkiness.'

Firstly, at the Kazama Dojo. Because even that place wasn't safe from my princess' antics.

Lili had the bright idea of challenging my father to a spar, with the twist of using only the Kazama Style. She didn't use her own moves, fighting style or whatever. Nope. She actually intended to spar with my dad, a master of the Kazama Style, while using a bastardized version of it that she picked up from the multiple times I've fought with her.

She even said this, and I quote, "Monsieur Kazama, in order to fully understand your powerful style, I challenge you to a friendly spar! I won't even use anything other than Kazama Style-moves!"

My dad, not one to back down a challenge, happily accepted it with a grin. "I keep telling you to call me Akira, but I accept your offer Emilie!"

Before the spar began, she went up to me and said "Behold, Asuka Kazama. I am going to use your own fighting style against your father. I've fought you so many times, that I've picked up on some of your attacks! With your powerful techniques aiding me, I shall be victorious!"

Naturally, I voiced out my disagreement. Sure, I was already one of the best practicioners of the Kazama Style, but this is dad we're talking about here. Even though he lost to Feng, he's still the master of this dojo. Even though I didn't show it, I kept track of the fights Lili and I had. My win count was more than hers, and that's when she's using her own fighting style.

As it stands, she wants to use a copy of my style against dad in a friendly spar? She's doomed to fail!

"Princess, are you sure that's a good idea? Can't you just use your own fighting style?"

"Oh perish the thought! If I am to learn the almighty Kazama Style, I must first fully immense myself in it!" that response caused me to shake my head in disagreement. She then went back to dad, and after bowing respectfully to each other, began the spar. The students of the Kazama Dojo were present as well.

Lili was going to get wrecked with a crowd watching her. Even I felt sorry for the blonde. But since she won't listen to reason, princess brought this on herself.

As expected, princess got the tar beat out of her. Even though I kept yelling at her to just cease this madness and use her own moves, she didn't. She kept stubbornly continuing with this one-sided fight, hellbent on using poorly replicated versions of signature Kazama Style moves such as the "Demon Slayer", the "White Heron Dance",the "Whiplash Combo" and even the "Kazama 10-hit combo". It was like trying to play soccer all of a sudden, when you've been trained and played basketball your entire life.

The main problem was that Lili was trying to incorporate her grace and fluidity while doing the moves, instead of using her body as a pillar and focusing on the power and impact of the moves. She lacked power. The forms and movement were replicated faithfully by Lili, but without the power behind the moves, it was all moot.

Take Demon Slayer, for example. It was a forward-moving lift motion that used the right arm as its main tool. You took two or three steps forward in a downward and lunging trajectory, then while keeping the momentum, you swing your right arm in an upward arc. The left arm is used to maintain the stability of the right arm, as the Demon Slayer launches the opponent high up into the ground.

When done by a dainty and finesse-obssessed woman such as Lili however... not only did her Demon Slayer not launch the opponent, but it just bumped into my dad's chest and he wasn't even fazed. Dad then swept princess off of her feet using the move "Sacred Blade", which was a forceful low circular kick, and Lili was down for the count.

Yet, even though Lili was obviously getting wrecked, she had a smile the entire time. It confused me. If it were me in that situation, I would've been very angry for failing. But Lili was different. She just took it all in stride, and was even happily chatting with my dad, after getting patched up in the aftermath of the spar. The students were all motivated to practices their katas even harder, after seeing Lili act gracefully even in defeat.

Which was messed up. During a lot of the times I've bested her in our battles, she would throw a damn tantrum. Sometimes she'd even accuse me of cheating! And yet now, she's acting like some humble girl who only wanted to learn? It baffled me to no end.

During lunch time, it was my dad who cooked this time. Lili also praised his food, but not to the same extent as her praises of my cooked breakfast. She even told my father that she was excited for more of my cooking in future meals.

Somehow, I felt kinda happy that princess really liked my food the most. Not that I'd ever say that to her out loud. That girl would never let it go if I did. Knowing her, she'd even tease me with that typical ojou-sama laugh you see in anime.

The rest of the day pretty much consisted of Lili trying to help dad with something, whether it be trimming the bonsai trees we had, or writing calligraphy, and me stressing over it. Waiting for princess to screw up somewhere. I loomed over her like a hawk, and every time Lili caught me, she just winked and went back to what she was doing.

Fortunately, she ended up doing those various tasks without fail. But my mind got overworked and I ended up feeling tired as hell anyway. Maybe dad was right, and I'm just being too uptight.

And so, I remained staring at nothing here on my bed.

Finally, after who knows how long of blankly gazing at a wall, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was was pretty early, the clock on my drawer informing me that it was only 4AM in the morning. 'I only got about three or four hours of sleep, damn it.'

That meant I need a couple more hours of shut eye to function properly.

While I was preparing to return to sleep for a few more hours though, I realize that I wasn't alone on the bed anymore. Turning to my right, I was greeted with luscious golden hair.

Lili had snuck into my bed, and currently had me in a cuddling position. She was holding onto me, and sleeping peacefully. Her arm was snaked around my waist, and she had a dreamy smile plastered on her face.

"Princess?!" I told myself quietly in barely controlled surprise, so that I wouldn't wake up the sleeping beauty. Yes, I can admit that she was beautiful, even if she drove me crazy sometimes. Got a problem with that, readers?!

Seeing no way to escape this, I accepted my current predicament and adjusted my body so that I was now facing her directly. She seemed to tighten her hold on me after that. Her legs brushed against my own, and our chests bumped into each other. I could feel her heartbeat.

'She smells quite nice... Asuka, what the fuck are you thinking?! This is princess we're talking about here! The same girl that keeps stalking you just to challenge you into fights and shit! The same girl that transferred to your school to continue that rivalry crap! The same girl that bought the deed to your house and moved in with you for mundane reasons!' I mentally reproached myself. But as I kept scolding myself, I couldn't stop from taking in the tantalizing scent of her hair. The comforting feeling of her arm wrapped around me. The soft lull of her sleeping breaths.

Emilie de Rochefort was a beautiful girl.

"Lili..." I felt my cheeks heating up due to the close proximity of our bodies.

Yep, I'm definitely not getting some sleep anymore. Not when I have THIS in front of me.

I tried closing my eyes, in the hopes that I'd be able to fall asleep again.

But sleep never came back. No, I was forced to endure these mesmerizing and alluring sensations I currently felt. So instead, I pretended to be asleep. I kept my eyes closed and made sure I was very still.

After quite some time, I opened my eyes to peek at the girl beside me. She was still sleeping. I found myself staring at my rival's facial features. My eyes trailed over her soft lips, her flowing blonde hair, her wonderfully-shaped nose, and various other parts of her face that I could focus on.

I'm starting to sound like a pervert, ugh. But I can't help it! Maybe it's the lack of sleep...

'What would it be like to hold her?' a sudden thought enters my frazzled mind. No Asuka, bad Asuka! Don't do it!

...I hate myself sometimes.

I'm pretty sure that I was going to regret this later on, but whatever. I wrapped my arms around the sleeping blonde as well, and brought her closer to me, so that both of use were now cuddling each other. It felt... quite nice. I let the soothing comfort of her warmth overpower me, and I continued to relish in these nice feelings.

As we lay together on my bed, I had a feeling of contentment.

Hours later, I was still pretending to be asleep, when I felt Lili stir.

She was waking up.

'Shit! What am I gonna do?!' I frantically hyperventilated within my mind. She was going to find out that I cuddled her too and I can't release her now or she'll also find out that I did it consciously and willingly!

As if responsding to my panicked thoughts, I suddenly hear her speak. Right now, her voice was like that of an angel to me.

"Oh, my precious Asuka-chan is still sleeping... that was one of the best slumbers I've ever had. And she's hugging me too. She didn't drive me away, awwwwwww~"

Darn it Lili, stop saying such things! I'm trying to fake-sleep here! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!

"I wish I could stay here forever, but I promised Monsieur Kazama- I mean Akira, that I'd be the one making breakfast today. You're in for a treat when you wake up~"

She's leaving the room?

I should feel relieved but... why do I feel sad about that? 'Can't she sleep in a bit longer...'

Without warning, I felt something warm press against my cheek. It was the feeling of Lili's soft lips.

She kissed me.

Princess kissed me. Lili actually kissed me. Granted, it's only on my cheek, but she kissed me!

The moment her lips touched my skin, I felt a rush of excitement run through my body.

She actually kissed me!

'Lili?! W-w-w-w-what?!' my mind went into overdrive after her affectionate gesture. I couldn't get over the fact that my blonde rival just kissed me like that. She kissed me and didn't even feel embarrassed from doing that!

"Sleep tight, Asuka-chan. If only we got along like this whenever you're awake... oh well. One day, I'll be able to openly act like this around you. For now, I have to keep up this charade of being your heated rival. Adieu, my love."

Shortly after, I felt her get up from the bed, and a few seconds later the sound of my bedroom door being shut was heard.

No longer needing to be fake-asleep, my eyes shot open and my face was flushed red.

"She likes me?!" princess liked me. I'm not assuming wrong here! She kissed me and even called me "her love"! Oh my kami-sama!

I touched the spot where she kissed me, and it felt like butterflies were swarming my stomach, fluttering about in a wild frenzy. For some unknown reason, I felt really happy.

"Lili... do I like you in that way too?"

I didn't know for sure. But if the bright smile on my face right now was any indication, then maybe I do.

-Chapter 3 END-

A/N: I apologize for yet another lengthy waiting period. To tell you all the truth, I've been focused on two stories for another fandom, hence why this hasn't been updated quickly. If you visit my FFN profile, you'll see that I'm very invested in my two fanfics for the game "Doki Doki Literature Club". Those stories/fanfics are "The World Beyond The Screen" and "The Color Pink". If you're a DDLC fan in addition to being a Tekken fan, you can check those stories out if you're intereted.

Thank you all for the favorites, follows and the reviews. I greatly appreciate them all. See you guys in the next update!