Sleepwake (Part 5/?)
See Part 1 for disclaimer.
It couldn't have lasted longer than two seconds, but for a single Moment, there was a stillness in the room, the calm before the storm: Jin half- lay, half-sat on the bed and stared at Hwoarang. Xiaoyu sat Indian-style on the floor, her eyes fixed on the fallen door that had almost smacked her over the head. Hwoarang stood in the doorway, his hands clenched at his sides, glowering at Jin. If looks could kill, Jin would've been a decaying cadaver.
Then the Moment came to Its senses and fled with tail between legs.
"What are _you_ doing here?" Jin snarled. He pushed himself up to a standing position, weaving slightly on unstable feet. The sudden movement made him dizzy, but the situation lent him a peculiar strength; when two alpha males confront each other in the territory of one, the energy feeds on itself and grows.
Hwoarang snorted loudly and tossed his hair out of his eyes, looking like an enraged red stallion.
"Dorm. Freaking. B? DORM FREAKING B?? First you, Kazama, and then Firefly, the no-women rule be damned!"
Jin paused at this statement, too confused to think of a snappy reply. He glanced at Xiaoyu for explanation, but she was laughing so hard that Jin nearly panicked, afraid she was having a seizure. Then he remembered that it was Ling Xiaoyu, and shook his head.
"Not gonna ask."
She laughed harder.
Meanwhile, Hwoarang's face was turning a brighter color than his hair. The two enemies glared at each other, mutual animosity building, becoming something tangible that threatened to explode.
. . .
. . .
Well. Boom.
The redhead ran forward and jumped with impossible speed, his left foot aimed straight at Jin's head. Jin stepped away without thinking and Hwoarang's foot sailed past, but then the Korean was on him again, foot raised and delivering a flurry of kicks, each one forcing Jin back, unable to do anything but block. Relentless, Hwoarang stepped onto and over him in a single movement, one foot somehow balanced on Jin's knee as the other leg hooked over Jin's head, and came rushing down, heel-first. He felt a searing pain in his neck, and was thankful for the shock-absorbing pillows he collapsed against.
Jin was vulnerable now, and both of them knew it. Black spots danced in his vision as he looked up, waiting for the final blow. Hwoarang drew his leg up to his side, held nearly vertical and very straight, ready to fall like the blade of a guillotine. His eyes met Jin's, and something faintly resembling disappointment was there.
Then, as though in slow motion, the blade fell. Jin braced himself.
"Hai!"
What? That wasn't the sound of crunching bone.
A blur that resembled a short hyperactive schoolgirl dashed between the two arch-rivals. Momentum prevented Hwoarang from stopping his kick, but said blur was faster. She took hold of his foot and pushed it to the side. Unbalanced, Hwoarang almost fell, managing a clumsy save.
No, Jin reflected, it was the sound of Xiaoyu beating up a thoroughly bewildered redhead.
Before he could defend himself, Xiaoyu slapped Hwoarang soundly in the face.
"Ow!" he complained, rubbing his left cheekbone with his hand.
"That's for nearly killing Jin! He's ill, you idiot!" She slapped him again, on his other cheek.
"OW!"
"And that's for kicking down the door. It almost hit me!"
Jin would've been happy to continue watching his friend batter Hwoarang around, but hollow, whooping coughs overtook him. He doubled over, his throat quickly becoming raw with the violence of coughing.
Hwoarang gaped at him, amazement etched in his sharp features.
"I- I don't believe it. What the hell, are you dying?" The Korean sounded more annoyed than concerned.
"Maybe. Being shot, eating twice a week, and sleeping three hours a day can do that to a person," Jin retorted, before succumbing to another fit of coughing. Thankfully, Hwoarang was too busy gawking to make a comeback.
"Maybe we should go to the hospital." Xiaoyu said quietly, leaning over Jin and inspecting his injuries. She placed one hand comfortingly on his shoulder, her other one brushing the skin near the newly-formed wound on his neck. Jin closed his eyes, the welcome touch of her hands bringing an unfamiliar sense of peace. Then he registered what she said.
"_We_ aren't going anywhere, Xiaoyu."
"What do you mean? It's not like we can stay here. Won't the Tekkenshu come after-"
"Oh god. I almost forgot. . ." Realization hit Jin like a wave of freezing cold water. He removed her hands from his back and held them tightly instead.
"Xiaoyu, I- I'm so sorry."
"Huh?" She stared at him, cocking her head to one side.
"I shouldn't have told you anything, the danger I've put you in- God, I'm so stupid!"
"I agree," Hwoarang muttered, out of habit more than anything else. Jin ignored him.
"Listen to me, Xiaoyu. You have to leave this building right now, or even better, this country! "
"Wait a minute-" She shook her head, disliking the direction he headed towards.
"Forget everything I told you tonight. It never happened. You never saw me. You were in your own dorm the entire time, reading a book."
"Jin-"
"Please," his eyes begging her as fervently as his words, "Please go."
Author's notes:
Okay people, I think I just got over a minor writing hurdle. I had a ridiculously hard time with this chapter, and after reading over it, I'm still not satisfied. Nevertheless, it's posted because The Show Must Go On ::dramatic music plays in background. skips. winds tunelessly to a halt::.
But anyways, the next couple of chapters will be coming relatively sooner and will be faster-paced (I hope). You guys tell me what you think: if the story's moving too slow, or ::gasp:: too fast, or too anything.
By the way, my less-than-sincere apologies to my friend, who told me that part 4 has, uh, renewed her Jin + chocolate fantasies. Heh heh. I'd be amused to no end, if not for the fact that now _I'm_ gonna have Jin + chocolate fantasies, so my challenge for the regular Sleepwake readers out there (yes, the both of you ^_^. just kiddin') is to _not_ think about Jin and chocolate for the rest of the week. If I'm going down, I'm taking everybody with me!
Constructive criticism will be printed out and framed. Flames will be used to toast marshmallows. Yum.
See Part 1 for disclaimer.
It couldn't have lasted longer than two seconds, but for a single Moment, there was a stillness in the room, the calm before the storm: Jin half- lay, half-sat on the bed and stared at Hwoarang. Xiaoyu sat Indian-style on the floor, her eyes fixed on the fallen door that had almost smacked her over the head. Hwoarang stood in the doorway, his hands clenched at his sides, glowering at Jin. If looks could kill, Jin would've been a decaying cadaver.
Then the Moment came to Its senses and fled with tail between legs.
"What are _you_ doing here?" Jin snarled. He pushed himself up to a standing position, weaving slightly on unstable feet. The sudden movement made him dizzy, but the situation lent him a peculiar strength; when two alpha males confront each other in the territory of one, the energy feeds on itself and grows.
Hwoarang snorted loudly and tossed his hair out of his eyes, looking like an enraged red stallion.
"Dorm. Freaking. B? DORM FREAKING B?? First you, Kazama, and then Firefly, the no-women rule be damned!"
Jin paused at this statement, too confused to think of a snappy reply. He glanced at Xiaoyu for explanation, but she was laughing so hard that Jin nearly panicked, afraid she was having a seizure. Then he remembered that it was Ling Xiaoyu, and shook his head.
"Not gonna ask."
She laughed harder.
Meanwhile, Hwoarang's face was turning a brighter color than his hair. The two enemies glared at each other, mutual animosity building, becoming something tangible that threatened to explode.
. . .
. . .
Well. Boom.
The redhead ran forward and jumped with impossible speed, his left foot aimed straight at Jin's head. Jin stepped away without thinking and Hwoarang's foot sailed past, but then the Korean was on him again, foot raised and delivering a flurry of kicks, each one forcing Jin back, unable to do anything but block. Relentless, Hwoarang stepped onto and over him in a single movement, one foot somehow balanced on Jin's knee as the other leg hooked over Jin's head, and came rushing down, heel-first. He felt a searing pain in his neck, and was thankful for the shock-absorbing pillows he collapsed against.
Jin was vulnerable now, and both of them knew it. Black spots danced in his vision as he looked up, waiting for the final blow. Hwoarang drew his leg up to his side, held nearly vertical and very straight, ready to fall like the blade of a guillotine. His eyes met Jin's, and something faintly resembling disappointment was there.
Then, as though in slow motion, the blade fell. Jin braced himself.
"Hai!"
What? That wasn't the sound of crunching bone.
A blur that resembled a short hyperactive schoolgirl dashed between the two arch-rivals. Momentum prevented Hwoarang from stopping his kick, but said blur was faster. She took hold of his foot and pushed it to the side. Unbalanced, Hwoarang almost fell, managing a clumsy save.
No, Jin reflected, it was the sound of Xiaoyu beating up a thoroughly bewildered redhead.
Before he could defend himself, Xiaoyu slapped Hwoarang soundly in the face.
"Ow!" he complained, rubbing his left cheekbone with his hand.
"That's for nearly killing Jin! He's ill, you idiot!" She slapped him again, on his other cheek.
"OW!"
"And that's for kicking down the door. It almost hit me!"
Jin would've been happy to continue watching his friend batter Hwoarang around, but hollow, whooping coughs overtook him. He doubled over, his throat quickly becoming raw with the violence of coughing.
Hwoarang gaped at him, amazement etched in his sharp features.
"I- I don't believe it. What the hell, are you dying?" The Korean sounded more annoyed than concerned.
"Maybe. Being shot, eating twice a week, and sleeping three hours a day can do that to a person," Jin retorted, before succumbing to another fit of coughing. Thankfully, Hwoarang was too busy gawking to make a comeback.
"Maybe we should go to the hospital." Xiaoyu said quietly, leaning over Jin and inspecting his injuries. She placed one hand comfortingly on his shoulder, her other one brushing the skin near the newly-formed wound on his neck. Jin closed his eyes, the welcome touch of her hands bringing an unfamiliar sense of peace. Then he registered what she said.
"_We_ aren't going anywhere, Xiaoyu."
"What do you mean? It's not like we can stay here. Won't the Tekkenshu come after-"
"Oh god. I almost forgot. . ." Realization hit Jin like a wave of freezing cold water. He removed her hands from his back and held them tightly instead.
"Xiaoyu, I- I'm so sorry."
"Huh?" She stared at him, cocking her head to one side.
"I shouldn't have told you anything, the danger I've put you in- God, I'm so stupid!"
"I agree," Hwoarang muttered, out of habit more than anything else. Jin ignored him.
"Listen to me, Xiaoyu. You have to leave this building right now, or even better, this country! "
"Wait a minute-" She shook her head, disliking the direction he headed towards.
"Forget everything I told you tonight. It never happened. You never saw me. You were in your own dorm the entire time, reading a book."
"Jin-"
"Please," his eyes begging her as fervently as his words, "Please go."
Author's notes:
Okay people, I think I just got over a minor writing hurdle. I had a ridiculously hard time with this chapter, and after reading over it, I'm still not satisfied. Nevertheless, it's posted because The Show Must Go On ::dramatic music plays in background. skips. winds tunelessly to a halt::.
But anyways, the next couple of chapters will be coming relatively sooner and will be faster-paced (I hope). You guys tell me what you think: if the story's moving too slow, or ::gasp:: too fast, or too anything.
By the way, my less-than-sincere apologies to my friend, who told me that part 4 has, uh, renewed her Jin + chocolate fantasies. Heh heh. I'd be amused to no end, if not for the fact that now _I'm_ gonna have Jin + chocolate fantasies, so my challenge for the regular Sleepwake readers out there (yes, the both of you ^_^. just kiddin') is to _not_ think about Jin and chocolate for the rest of the week. If I'm going down, I'm taking everybody with me!
Constructive criticism will be printed out and framed. Flames will be used to toast marshmallows. Yum.