Anchor

Written by: RinoaDestiny

#36 – A Get-Together with Old Friends

"Haven't seen you in a while, Kyo!" An arc of lightning passed between Benimaru's outstretched hands. "How's your family?"

Kyo settled into stance, flicking one hand idly outward. Already, a small crowd was forming around them, since they'd decided to spar near a residential neighborhood. "They're good." It was true – between matters at home and Iori, he hadn't connected with his friends recently. With the tournament around the corner, a quick meet-up would allow them to catch up beforehand. It'd also count as training, even if it wasn't like how he and Iori did theirs. "Yours?"

"Doing well. Dad's got his hands full with the company as usual and Mom's the same. I've also been getting to know Shun'ei and Meitenkun. They're good kids. Tell your dad thanks for that."

"My dad arranged that with you?"

"Well, they were supposed to team up with you, but you'd already declared for another team. So I did a favor for your dad and yeah. Good kids, both. You know they haven't had a really good meal in a long time?"

"Huh." Kyo glanced off to the side at Goro Daimon, the other member of the once-active Japan Team. Insofar as Kyo knew, Goro wasn't attending the tournament this year. Taller than them both and even the chain link fence he stood by and wearing his usual headband and geta, it was as though Japan Team never disbanded. "Hey, Goro. You ready?"

The solid clack-clop as Goro walked over. "Ready when you are."

Kyo grinned. "Let's do this, then."

Taking his words as the cue to start, Benimaru aimed a high sharp kick at his head. Moving backward, Kyo breezily dodged the blow. The surrounding spectators retreated to safer ground, widening the distance between them. Ample room now to maneuver and counterattack. With his left now open, Kyo circled towards that direction, while across from him, Benimaru moved right.

As he did this, Goro leapt into range, arms extended to grab. Rolling back, Kyo avoided him and then registered Benimaru closing in. Lightning attack or kicks? High or low or in between? Blocking what always looked like a corkscrew attack to him, Kyo followed it up by sidestepping Benimaru's fast knee strike.

His blood was hot, sweat beading on his temples. He missed this.

Goro, always faster than he looked, closed the distance. However, because this was a three-way spar and not two-on-one, it was Benimaru countering this time against Goro's attempt at a throw. Lightning connecting, smaller than usual and Goro stumbled back, Benimaru's hit successful. Some cheers and murmurs from the surrounding crowd. Benimaru pressed in and Kyo surged forward, trading blows with either him or Goro. Back and forth it went – the ebb and flow of battle – until they called a break, thanked their audience, and while the crowd dispersed, sat by the fence to relax. Kyo caught the cool damp towel Benimaru tossed him and wiped his face.

"Whew, that was good. Haven't lost your touch, Kyo. Goro."

"Heh."

"Indeed. We should do this more often. Kogoro's still young and in training, but I can make time if you give me advance notice."

"How's he doing?"

Goro smiled with the look of a proud father. It was familiar, since Kyo had last seen it on Saisyu as well. "He's growing fast. Quick learner. Already started school."

"A promising beginning for the Daimon family," Benimaru said, clapping a hand upon Goro's shoulder. "Your wife?"

"Pleased to see me step away from the dojo."

"Haha. Good."

Kyo draped his towel around his neck. "Even though you're just meeting us to fight?"

"Not in the dojo, though. Jokyojo thought I deserved a break."

"Ah."

"So I've been seeing some stuff in the tabloids and hearing some things," Benimaru said, tone casual and conversational. "Rumors are rumors and photos can be altered, but word seems to be you and Yagami are together, Kyo. Is this true or have wishful thinkers infiltrated the media?"

"It's true," he replied, not at all surprised. "When did you find out?"

"Had just finished a photoshoot in the U.S. and flew back two weeks ago. Every other tabloid seems to have a different picture of you and Yagami in different locations. None of them show you two fighting. Even the city seems more relaxed. And you know me with the ladies – I asked around. Didn't take long to confirm it was likely the truth."

"Huh." Kyo leaned back against the chain link fencing, feeling it give a bit. "I guess you would've known sooner if you were around. We assumed as much."

"What about Yuki? She's okay with this?"

"We parted on good terms. She was the first to know."

Across from him, Benimaru wiped the side of his face, sighed, and then released the static hold on his hair. "Well, I trust your judgment. You've known her longer than we have." His friend placed the used towel aside and brushed his hair behind his shoulder. "How long have you and Yagami –"

"We're almost two months now." Heading into three once the summer month kicked in. "We think most of the city knows. It's not a secret."

"Indeed. Even I've heard talk around the city and from my students," Goro said, tone unchanged. "However, there's someone who doesn't know."

"Who?"

"Shingo." Benimaru dropped the name on him like a hot stone. "Dunno if he doesn't listen to gossip or read the papers, but the kid's been looking for you and can't find you. Don't think it's occurred to him that you're unavailable for reasons besides being out of town."

"Has he asked you?"

"Yeah, but I've only just returned. Wouldn't know where you'd be."

"I've been busy lately," Kyo said, reaching up to scratch the uncovered part of his neck. "Dad's got me involved with clan meetings and –"

"And either you've been fighting strays or something else is up." Benimaru winked at him. "I won't ask and a gentleman doesn't give away ladies' secrets, but let's just say not all are shy and demure. You wear those hickeys and scratches like medals."

Kyo laughed. "Was that how you knew?"

"Yuki wouldn't maul you. Unless you two had –"

"Her dad would've killed me, so no. We hadn't."

"Then that just leaves Yagami. Fitting, actually." Behind Benimaru, the residential street was quiet with a few elderly strolling by. "Shingo might ask again. You might want to talk to him directly. Let him know."

"My dad's training him now, so I'll find a time."

"He's a good kid, Kyo. I know you don't see much in him, but he's held the line several times already. Break it to him nicely, okay?"

"I'll just tell him what it is."

"Nicely, though. Unless you've been blind the last few years, Shingo admires you. Won't be easy to realize his 'Kusanagi-san' isn't entirely what he seems."

Kyo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He still thinks I'm with Yuki, right?"

"Certainly not with Yagami. After that incident several tournaments ago, I doubt that possibility ever crossed his mind."

He didn't need Benimaru to clarify which incident. "Get your point. If Shingo asks you again, tell him I'll be contacting him through my dad." Through all the current upheavals, he'd forgotten about Shingo and how the changes in his life could impact his former student. Leveling with him hadn't even occurred to Kyo, since Shingo hovered on the fringes and hadn't always been his top priority. It seemed to be otherwise for Benimaru. "Leave it to me."

"Good. Mean it about being nice to the kid, Kyo."

"I know, I know. Don't worry."

"You're both in separate teams this year," Goro said, directing their conversation towards a different path. "Benimaru confirmed being in the Hero Team and you're with the Sacred Treasures."

"Can't believe you guys went official, man."

"Kagura-san said it was necessary. The Orochi three are back and those are her words. They've already called themselves that, so we can't just hide and wait."

"No bickering from you and Yagami this time? What a relief that must've been." The tips of Benimaru's hair flew up, leftover static charge still present. "Beats me how she managed to keep you two cooperative and alive all these years. You're finally giving her a break."

"We know."

"Hero Team has Shun'ei. Sacred Treasures Team has Yagami. If anything happens to either one of them, will you two be able to work together?"

"You mean Verse and Orochi." The reason for Goro bringing up their separate teams made sense now, since both carried a potential threat under unresolved circumstances. "If we're both in the same arena when it happens, then yeah. Can't say if that'll happen, though."

"Kyo, if both show up –"

"Better hope we're all at the same place, then."

Shadows shifted on pavement as clouds screened the sun, only to unveil it brighter than before. Kyo pushed away from the chain link fencing and rolled his shoulders, stretching his muscles. "It's always a shitshow at the end, anyway. If both bastards are gonna be there, we should give them a memorable reception."

"If by memorable you mean something exploding or sinking…"

"Nah. That's them being sore losers."

"Losing an entire stadium is more than being a sore loser. Or Southtown being blasted away by a laser cannon."

"Here's to no laser cannons, sinking ships, exploding stadiums, or alternate dimensions." All he needed was a beer to complete this. "Verse and Orochi can fuck off, too."

"Direct as usual."

"It's part of my charm."

"Does Yagami say that, too?" With a deft move, Benimaru ducked the towel Kyo threw at him. "Or you just believe that?"

Towel gone, Kyo rushed in for a friendly tackle; however, Benimaru evaded him, quick on his feet. As Goro chuckled behind them, Kyo arose and tried again. It was stupid, yet fun and he'd missed his time with them. Japan Team might become a name lost to the past – a legacy – but Beni and Goro had been with him since the beginning. There was Iori and there were other changes ahead. Even so, if he could keep these friendships alive, it'd be worth it.

"Heh." A quick electric jolt and Benimaru's hair was upright again. "Are we going into round two?"

His answer was a cocky grin and the flickering flame on his extended finger.

"Alright. Come on, Kyo! No holding back now!"

Comments: So obvious allusions to KOF XV aside, it's quite apparent that because of Kyo and Iori's relationship in this fic, several things are similar but different. Benimaru is still in the Hero Team, but instead of Kyo reaching out to Benimaru to replace him, Saisyu contacts Benimaru directly. Chizuru still reached out to Kyo and Iori in an earlier chapter, but both guys willingly joined this time. A lot of canon divergence here, but firebois being a couple is the biggest divergence of all. Hence why I'm not following the XV canon team stories completely and just gleaning what I need from them.

Jokyojo is the name of Goro Daimon's wife from KOF: Kyo the video game. It's the only source that gives a name for her, and is considered semi-canon. She is brainy, being the director of Osaka University. The SNK Wiki link is available on my AO3 chapter cross-post.

Shingo will show up, but I'm not going to bring up anything from the ongoing Shingo Gaiden manga. Still need to see how that plays out.