"What a stupid movie," Xiaoyu commented as the credits rolled. "If they weren't so dumb, they wouldn't get killed. I hate American scary movies."
"They are pretty bad," Hwoarang agreed. He picked up the remote and turned off the television. He leaned back and closed his eyes. It was getting late. He found himself wondering where Forest was. Hanging out with Xiaoyu had never been so awkward.
Suddenly, he felt her touching him. He opened his eyes to see her curled up close to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Sleepy," she mumbled. He hesitantly patted the top of her head. She looked up at him, and before he knew what was happening, her lips brushed against his. His mind spun with confusion. She pressed her mouth to his again and ran her hand through his hair as she kissed him softly. His heart raced, and he realized he had no desire to push her away. Instead, he found himself kissing her back, even though the little voice in the back of his head screamed at him to stop.
She threw one leg over his waist and straddled his lap, kissing him harder. He felt dizzy as he traced his fingers down to the small of her back. She kissed his cheek, then took his earlobe between her teeth. "Xiao," he gasped. "Jin..."
"Forget about Jin," she whispered, her breath warm on his moist ear. Summoning every ounce of willpower, he could, he pushed her gently away. She cocked her head and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I can't do this," he told her. "Xiao, I can't be this for you. It's not fair to Jin, or you, or... anyone." She stared at him until tears started to leak from her eyes, and she collapsed against him, weeping softly. He wrapped his arms around her, whispering, "Shh," soothingly into her ear.
"I thought the tears were all gone," she moaned.
"Xiao, what's wrong? What is it?"
"He hated me."
"Who, Jin?" She nodded against his chest. "No. Come on. He loves you more than he loves himself, anyone can see that."
"No." She sat up straight and looked at him. "He found out about us, about me being friends with you. He took it completely the wrong way. I told him you're not a bad guy, and he said if I think you're so great I can just be with you." She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "It's all that Anna's bitch's fault. She heard when I got locked out and told Jin all these things..." Her words trailed off into a sob. "And I didn't know what to do... I felt so alone, so hurt..."
Hwoarang's temper began to boil. He couldn't believe that Jin would break up with Xiaoyu over a misunderstanding, especially one caused by a Williams sister of all people. His urge to fight Jin was growing rapidly, and he had to remind himself to wait for their tournament match.
He realized that Xiaoyu's crying had stopped, and she lay still against him, breathing slowly. He carefully picked her up and left the room, carrying her down the hall to her own room. He kicked the door, hoping that Julia was there. Sure enough, she opened the door. She looked at him, at Xiaoyu, then back at him. "What did you do?" she demanded.
"Nothing," he informed her, pushing past her into the room. He laid Xiaoyu down on the closer bed, not knowing which one was hers. Julia closed the door and folded her arms.
"God, Hwoarang," she snarled. "I knew you and Jin had this rival thing going, but I never imagined that even you would sink so low."
"I didn't do anything!"
"Right. The very night Jin breaks up with her--because of you, I might add--you're carrying her back here unconscious. What am I supposed to think?"
"Maybe that since you and Jin were off together, she needed someone else to talk to?" He approached her quickly, standing so close he could feel her breath. "I am so sick of you treating me like some kind of monster. I have just as much right to be friends with Xiaoyu as you do. And just because I have a penis doesn't mean I'll take advantage of anyone with tits." Julia glared silently up at him. Finally, her eyes softened, and she took a step back.
"I didn't think anything happened the other night," she admitted. "Not with the way Xiao feels about Jin. But I know she didn't tell me the truth."
"What did she tell you happened?"
"She got locked out, and you were going by and offered her Forest Law's bed for the night."
"That's mostly it. The only difference is that we were hanging out before she realized she didn't have her key."
"Doing what?"
"Sitting around outside talking; it was a nice night, if you remember. I smoked a few cigarettes. We discussed a few books we've both read. I made fun of her Backstreet Boys obsession." He stopped there, deciding that Julia didn't need to know that her friend had tried marijuana.
Julia watched him closely, as if searching for any sign of dishonesty. At last, she went to sit on the empty bed. "Jin's pretty broken up over all this," she said. "If everything you're saying is true, I hope he realizes it's just a misunderstanding."
"So do I, as much as I'd love to pound it into him." Julia couldn't help but chuckle. Hwoarang sat down in the armchair next to the window. "Xiao is devastated."
"Where did you find her? She disappeared after everything happened."
"She came to my room a couple hours ago, said you and Jin were off training. We watched a really bad American movie, and then she told me everything that happened." He frowned. "I have a feeling tomorrow's fight is going to be a doozy."
"I don't doubt it." She pulled her legs up onto the bed and crossed them. Hwoarang stared at her as she turned to watch Xiaoyu sleep. "I guess she just kind of crashed, then."
"Wore herself out crying. One second she was sobbing like crazy, the next she practically passed out." He balled his hand into a fist, then relaxed it, still forcing his anger to maintain a sane level.
"Well," Julia said, distracting him from his emotions, "thank you for bringing her back here."
"I guess that's my cue to leave." He stood with a groan and started toward the door. "I can take a hint."
"Hwoarang," she called, jumping to her feet. She hesitated, then reached out to hug him. "Really. Thank you."
"No problem," he replied, surprised by her actions. "Just looking out for her." The hug lasted longer than he expected, and he felt himself blush. She quickly noticed this when she pulled away, and she scowled.
"What are you blushing for? It wasn't that kind of hug, so don't get your hopes up."
"There's the Julia I know," he said, grinning. 'You're gonna be at the fight tomorrow, right?"
"Who isn't?"
"See you then, then." He bowed his head slightly and backed out of the room. Julia turned to look at Xiaoyu, then turned out the light and crawled into bed.
A/N: Re-uploaded this chapter to fix some major typos I found.. words like foomr, dure, opnened, and uip managed to sneak in. Just thought I'd share, 'cause foomr and uip amuse me to no end.
"They are pretty bad," Hwoarang agreed. He picked up the remote and turned off the television. He leaned back and closed his eyes. It was getting late. He found himself wondering where Forest was. Hanging out with Xiaoyu had never been so awkward.
Suddenly, he felt her touching him. He opened his eyes to see her curled up close to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Sleepy," she mumbled. He hesitantly patted the top of her head. She looked up at him, and before he knew what was happening, her lips brushed against his. His mind spun with confusion. She pressed her mouth to his again and ran her hand through his hair as she kissed him softly. His heart raced, and he realized he had no desire to push her away. Instead, he found himself kissing her back, even though the little voice in the back of his head screamed at him to stop.
She threw one leg over his waist and straddled his lap, kissing him harder. He felt dizzy as he traced his fingers down to the small of her back. She kissed his cheek, then took his earlobe between her teeth. "Xiao," he gasped. "Jin..."
"Forget about Jin," she whispered, her breath warm on his moist ear. Summoning every ounce of willpower, he could, he pushed her gently away. She cocked her head and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I can't do this," he told her. "Xiao, I can't be this for you. It's not fair to Jin, or you, or... anyone." She stared at him until tears started to leak from her eyes, and she collapsed against him, weeping softly. He wrapped his arms around her, whispering, "Shh," soothingly into her ear.
"I thought the tears were all gone," she moaned.
"Xiao, what's wrong? What is it?"
"He hated me."
"Who, Jin?" She nodded against his chest. "No. Come on. He loves you more than he loves himself, anyone can see that."
"No." She sat up straight and looked at him. "He found out about us, about me being friends with you. He took it completely the wrong way. I told him you're not a bad guy, and he said if I think you're so great I can just be with you." She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "It's all that Anna's bitch's fault. She heard when I got locked out and told Jin all these things..." Her words trailed off into a sob. "And I didn't know what to do... I felt so alone, so hurt..."
Hwoarang's temper began to boil. He couldn't believe that Jin would break up with Xiaoyu over a misunderstanding, especially one caused by a Williams sister of all people. His urge to fight Jin was growing rapidly, and he had to remind himself to wait for their tournament match.
He realized that Xiaoyu's crying had stopped, and she lay still against him, breathing slowly. He carefully picked her up and left the room, carrying her down the hall to her own room. He kicked the door, hoping that Julia was there. Sure enough, she opened the door. She looked at him, at Xiaoyu, then back at him. "What did you do?" she demanded.
"Nothing," he informed her, pushing past her into the room. He laid Xiaoyu down on the closer bed, not knowing which one was hers. Julia closed the door and folded her arms.
"God, Hwoarang," she snarled. "I knew you and Jin had this rival thing going, but I never imagined that even you would sink so low."
"I didn't do anything!"
"Right. The very night Jin breaks up with her--because of you, I might add--you're carrying her back here unconscious. What am I supposed to think?"
"Maybe that since you and Jin were off together, she needed someone else to talk to?" He approached her quickly, standing so close he could feel her breath. "I am so sick of you treating me like some kind of monster. I have just as much right to be friends with Xiaoyu as you do. And just because I have a penis doesn't mean I'll take advantage of anyone with tits." Julia glared silently up at him. Finally, her eyes softened, and she took a step back.
"I didn't think anything happened the other night," she admitted. "Not with the way Xiao feels about Jin. But I know she didn't tell me the truth."
"What did she tell you happened?"
"She got locked out, and you were going by and offered her Forest Law's bed for the night."
"That's mostly it. The only difference is that we were hanging out before she realized she didn't have her key."
"Doing what?"
"Sitting around outside talking; it was a nice night, if you remember. I smoked a few cigarettes. We discussed a few books we've both read. I made fun of her Backstreet Boys obsession." He stopped there, deciding that Julia didn't need to know that her friend had tried marijuana.
Julia watched him closely, as if searching for any sign of dishonesty. At last, she went to sit on the empty bed. "Jin's pretty broken up over all this," she said. "If everything you're saying is true, I hope he realizes it's just a misunderstanding."
"So do I, as much as I'd love to pound it into him." Julia couldn't help but chuckle. Hwoarang sat down in the armchair next to the window. "Xiao is devastated."
"Where did you find her? She disappeared after everything happened."
"She came to my room a couple hours ago, said you and Jin were off training. We watched a really bad American movie, and then she told me everything that happened." He frowned. "I have a feeling tomorrow's fight is going to be a doozy."
"I don't doubt it." She pulled her legs up onto the bed and crossed them. Hwoarang stared at her as she turned to watch Xiaoyu sleep. "I guess she just kind of crashed, then."
"Wore herself out crying. One second she was sobbing like crazy, the next she practically passed out." He balled his hand into a fist, then relaxed it, still forcing his anger to maintain a sane level.
"Well," Julia said, distracting him from his emotions, "thank you for bringing her back here."
"I guess that's my cue to leave." He stood with a groan and started toward the door. "I can take a hint."
"Hwoarang," she called, jumping to her feet. She hesitated, then reached out to hug him. "Really. Thank you."
"No problem," he replied, surprised by her actions. "Just looking out for her." The hug lasted longer than he expected, and he felt himself blush. She quickly noticed this when she pulled away, and she scowled.
"What are you blushing for? It wasn't that kind of hug, so don't get your hopes up."
"There's the Julia I know," he said, grinning. 'You're gonna be at the fight tomorrow, right?"
"Who isn't?"
"See you then, then." He bowed his head slightly and backed out of the room. Julia turned to look at Xiaoyu, then turned out the light and crawled into bed.
A/N: Re-uploaded this chapter to fix some major typos I found.. words like foomr, dure, opnened, and uip managed to sneak in. Just thought I'd share, 'cause foomr and uip amuse me to no end.