A loud pounding yanked Julia out of her dream. She realized that someone was knocking at her door, and she hoisted herself out of bed. Heading toward the door, she grumbled at being interrupted right before her lips met those of Brad Pitt. As soon as she turned the knob, the door flew back, knocking her from her feet. Jin pushed his way into the room and noticed her on the floor. He gave her a hand up. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"What the hell are you doing?" she growled. He ignored her and ran to kneel by Xiaoyu's bed. He flipped the bedside lamp on and looked at her face, then gently nudged her awake. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened, and she took a few seconds to focus on his face.
"Jin?" she mumbled, confused.
"Xiao... I'm so sorry."
"You are?" She propped herself up on an elbow and stared into his eyes, which were tearing up.
"I didn't mean to, Xiao... it just happened so fast. One second she was training and I was leaving, and the next she was kissing me, and I didn't want to kiss her back, but I did, and things just went from there." Xiaoyu's eyes flew wide, and she turned her glare to Julia, who was watching the scene with a look of shock on her face.
"Jin," she cried, what are you talking about?"
"Anna," he sobbed. "After you left, she came in, and she... god, I know I shouldn't have let her, but..." He trailed off and grabbed Xiaoyu's hand. "Can you forgive me, Xiao? Please say you will!" She stared at him for a long time, no hint of emotion in her eyes. He felt like a lifetime passed before she finally spoke.
"You don't need to answer to me," she said coldly. "You broke up with me, remember?" She yanked her hand from his grasp. "And here you are, not twelve hours later, doing the exact thing you accused me of doing! You expect me to forgive you?!" His tears flowed faster; he had never seen such a look of rage on the girl's face. "You hypocrite! Get out of my room! I never want to see you again!"
"Xiao, I--"
"Go!" She slapped him hard across the face, and he stumbled back. Having no other choice, he stood and left the room, unable to look Julia in the eye as he passed. Julia ran to Xiaoyu, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking her hand in hers.
"Xiao, honey..." She watched her friend, waiting for her to start crying. A minute passed, and she hadn't moved a muscle. "Xiao, are you okay?" No response from the girl, and Julia shook her shoulder. "Xiao!" she cried. "Look at me, Xiao! Say something!"
"I'm going back to sleep," Xiaoyu mumbled softly, and her body went limp in Julia's grasp. Julia gently laid her head on the pillow and watched her as she breathed. She stroked the girl's forehead, pushing strands of raven hair aside. Once she was certain that Xiaoyu was indeed sleeping and not simply in shock, she stood and stepped into her slippers. She stopped just before she opened the door, looking back at her sleeping friend. Her instincts screamed at her not to leave her alone, but she had to go talk to Jin and make sure that he was all right. She did the first thing that popped into her head: dashed across the room and dialed Hwoarang's room number.
"Hello?" came the groggy response.
"Law? Is that you?"
"Who this?"
"Law, I need to talk to Hwoarang."
"He sleep."
"Wake him up. This is important."
"Too tired." The reciever clicked in her ear, and she let out an exasperated sigh. She dialed the number again, and Law answered again, a more irritated tone in his voice.
"Wake up Hwoarang," Julia demanded. Grumbling, she heard Forest moving around his room and yelling at Hwoarang. Finally, Hwoarang's voice came across the phone line.
"Hello?"
"Hwoarang, it's Julia."
"Is everything okay? Is Xiao okay?"
"Get over here now. I'll explain when you get here."
"On it." She hung up and waited at the door, looking through the peephole. She opened the door as soon as she spotted his red hair, and he walked in, clad in only his gi pants. His eyes immediately went to the sleeping Chinese girl.
"She's okay," Julia told him, "I think she's just sleeping."
"What did you need me for, then?"
"Jin came by. He woke her up, and I thought he was going to apologize, but he ended up telling her something happened between him and Anna Williams in the dojo tonight."
"What?!"
"Yeah. He didn't say what happened, but it's fairly obvious what category it falls into. He begged her to forgive him, but she called him a hypocrite and said she never wants to see him again. I need to go talk to him, but I don't want to leave her alone, just to be safe."
"I understand. Go ahead. I'll keep an eye on her."
"Thank you so much, Hwoarang." She darted for the door, but paused and said over her shoulder, "Xiao's right, you're not so bad." She caught a glimpse of his smile before she left the room and rushed up the hallway. She knocked on Jin's door. There was no hint of anyone coming to answer the door, so she knocked louder. "Jin, it's me," she called. "I know you're in there, now answer the god damned door." Still no answer. With a sigh, Julia paced back and forth in the hallway. An idea came to her, and she ran back to her room.
"That didn't take long," Hwoarang commented as she flipped on her bathroom light. She stripped off her clothes and wrapped herself in a towelm adjusting it so that as much cleavage as decently possible showed, then turned on the shower and stuck her head under the water. Once it was sufficiently wet, she turned the shower back off and left the bathroom.
"What are you doing?" Hwoarang cried, struggling to keep his eyes on her face.
"He won't open the door. I'm going to go get a key from the front desk."
"Like that?"
"Just trust me." Not waiting for an answer, she left the room and bounded down the stairs. She put on her best timid face and padded to the main desk. She smiled shyly at the obviously embarrassed clerk. "Hi," she said. "I was in my boyfriend's room, and when I got out of the shower, I thought I heard a noise out in the hall. I went to go see what it was, and the door closed behind me. He's asleep and can't hear me knocking, and I don't have a key. Do you think I could get one? I'd really hate to spend the whole night down here dressed like this." The woman behind the desk sputtered an affirmative response, and Julia gave her the room information. In no time, she was dashing back up the stairs with a key in hand.
She had to wait for Hwoarang to let her into her room, since she had been unable to take her own key. Smiling, she held up the key. Hwoarang shook his head. "Women," he muttered. "They can get anything they want." He returned to his spot on the bed, and Julia quickly dressed and ran back to Jin's room. She inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. Jin stood at the window, his back to her.
"Jin," she said, closing the door behind her, "why wouldn't you let me in?"
"How did you get in?" he asked, not moving from his perch at the window.
"Managed to get myself a key." She crossed the room and stood next to him. "Wanna tell me what happened?"
"Anna decided that she wanted to 'distract' me, keep my mind off of Xiao. I figured it would be all right to kiss her a little, you know, nothing too serious." A tear slid down his cheek, shimmering in the moonlight. "The next thing I know, we're both half naked and she's going down on me." More tears followed. "I haven't cried this much since I lost my mother. Now I'm losing the only other woman I've ever loved, and this time it's all my fault."
"No, Jin, it's not."
"It is. I've fucked up big time, Jules. I'm not sure there's any going back from this one."
"Jin--"
"On top of that, I realized she was telling me the truth. But not until after I've fixed it so she'll never want me back." He squeezed his eyes shut and wrinkled his nose, holding back a loud sob. "What's wrong with me, Julia? Why do I always have to fuck things up like this?"
"You didn't fuck anything up." She placed a comforting hand on his forearm. "You're only human." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You know what I mean. Someone offered you an escape from your pain, and you accepted it. You're not the first person it's ever happened to, and you certainly won't be the last." She gently took his hand and led him to the bed. "Get some sleep, honey. Things won't look so bad in the morning."
He wordlessly climbed into bed. Julia tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead. She knelt by his bed and watched his face until he fell asleep.
"What the hell are you doing?" she growled. He ignored her and ran to kneel by Xiaoyu's bed. He flipped the bedside lamp on and looked at her face, then gently nudged her awake. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened, and she took a few seconds to focus on his face.
"Jin?" she mumbled, confused.
"Xiao... I'm so sorry."
"You are?" She propped herself up on an elbow and stared into his eyes, which were tearing up.
"I didn't mean to, Xiao... it just happened so fast. One second she was training and I was leaving, and the next she was kissing me, and I didn't want to kiss her back, but I did, and things just went from there." Xiaoyu's eyes flew wide, and she turned her glare to Julia, who was watching the scene with a look of shock on her face.
"Jin," she cried, what are you talking about?"
"Anna," he sobbed. "After you left, she came in, and she... god, I know I shouldn't have let her, but..." He trailed off and grabbed Xiaoyu's hand. "Can you forgive me, Xiao? Please say you will!" She stared at him for a long time, no hint of emotion in her eyes. He felt like a lifetime passed before she finally spoke.
"You don't need to answer to me," she said coldly. "You broke up with me, remember?" She yanked her hand from his grasp. "And here you are, not twelve hours later, doing the exact thing you accused me of doing! You expect me to forgive you?!" His tears flowed faster; he had never seen such a look of rage on the girl's face. "You hypocrite! Get out of my room! I never want to see you again!"
"Xiao, I--"
"Go!" She slapped him hard across the face, and he stumbled back. Having no other choice, he stood and left the room, unable to look Julia in the eye as he passed. Julia ran to Xiaoyu, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking her hand in hers.
"Xiao, honey..." She watched her friend, waiting for her to start crying. A minute passed, and she hadn't moved a muscle. "Xiao, are you okay?" No response from the girl, and Julia shook her shoulder. "Xiao!" she cried. "Look at me, Xiao! Say something!"
"I'm going back to sleep," Xiaoyu mumbled softly, and her body went limp in Julia's grasp. Julia gently laid her head on the pillow and watched her as she breathed. She stroked the girl's forehead, pushing strands of raven hair aside. Once she was certain that Xiaoyu was indeed sleeping and not simply in shock, she stood and stepped into her slippers. She stopped just before she opened the door, looking back at her sleeping friend. Her instincts screamed at her not to leave her alone, but she had to go talk to Jin and make sure that he was all right. She did the first thing that popped into her head: dashed across the room and dialed Hwoarang's room number.
"Hello?" came the groggy response.
"Law? Is that you?"
"Who this?"
"Law, I need to talk to Hwoarang."
"He sleep."
"Wake him up. This is important."
"Too tired." The reciever clicked in her ear, and she let out an exasperated sigh. She dialed the number again, and Law answered again, a more irritated tone in his voice.
"Wake up Hwoarang," Julia demanded. Grumbling, she heard Forest moving around his room and yelling at Hwoarang. Finally, Hwoarang's voice came across the phone line.
"Hello?"
"Hwoarang, it's Julia."
"Is everything okay? Is Xiao okay?"
"Get over here now. I'll explain when you get here."
"On it." She hung up and waited at the door, looking through the peephole. She opened the door as soon as she spotted his red hair, and he walked in, clad in only his gi pants. His eyes immediately went to the sleeping Chinese girl.
"She's okay," Julia told him, "I think she's just sleeping."
"What did you need me for, then?"
"Jin came by. He woke her up, and I thought he was going to apologize, but he ended up telling her something happened between him and Anna Williams in the dojo tonight."
"What?!"
"Yeah. He didn't say what happened, but it's fairly obvious what category it falls into. He begged her to forgive him, but she called him a hypocrite and said she never wants to see him again. I need to go talk to him, but I don't want to leave her alone, just to be safe."
"I understand. Go ahead. I'll keep an eye on her."
"Thank you so much, Hwoarang." She darted for the door, but paused and said over her shoulder, "Xiao's right, you're not so bad." She caught a glimpse of his smile before she left the room and rushed up the hallway. She knocked on Jin's door. There was no hint of anyone coming to answer the door, so she knocked louder. "Jin, it's me," she called. "I know you're in there, now answer the god damned door." Still no answer. With a sigh, Julia paced back and forth in the hallway. An idea came to her, and she ran back to her room.
"That didn't take long," Hwoarang commented as she flipped on her bathroom light. She stripped off her clothes and wrapped herself in a towelm adjusting it so that as much cleavage as decently possible showed, then turned on the shower and stuck her head under the water. Once it was sufficiently wet, she turned the shower back off and left the bathroom.
"What are you doing?" Hwoarang cried, struggling to keep his eyes on her face.
"He won't open the door. I'm going to go get a key from the front desk."
"Like that?"
"Just trust me." Not waiting for an answer, she left the room and bounded down the stairs. She put on her best timid face and padded to the main desk. She smiled shyly at the obviously embarrassed clerk. "Hi," she said. "I was in my boyfriend's room, and when I got out of the shower, I thought I heard a noise out in the hall. I went to go see what it was, and the door closed behind me. He's asleep and can't hear me knocking, and I don't have a key. Do you think I could get one? I'd really hate to spend the whole night down here dressed like this." The woman behind the desk sputtered an affirmative response, and Julia gave her the room information. In no time, she was dashing back up the stairs with a key in hand.
She had to wait for Hwoarang to let her into her room, since she had been unable to take her own key. Smiling, she held up the key. Hwoarang shook his head. "Women," he muttered. "They can get anything they want." He returned to his spot on the bed, and Julia quickly dressed and ran back to Jin's room. She inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. Jin stood at the window, his back to her.
"Jin," she said, closing the door behind her, "why wouldn't you let me in?"
"How did you get in?" he asked, not moving from his perch at the window.
"Managed to get myself a key." She crossed the room and stood next to him. "Wanna tell me what happened?"
"Anna decided that she wanted to 'distract' me, keep my mind off of Xiao. I figured it would be all right to kiss her a little, you know, nothing too serious." A tear slid down his cheek, shimmering in the moonlight. "The next thing I know, we're both half naked and she's going down on me." More tears followed. "I haven't cried this much since I lost my mother. Now I'm losing the only other woman I've ever loved, and this time it's all my fault."
"No, Jin, it's not."
"It is. I've fucked up big time, Jules. I'm not sure there's any going back from this one."
"Jin--"
"On top of that, I realized she was telling me the truth. But not until after I've fixed it so she'll never want me back." He squeezed his eyes shut and wrinkled his nose, holding back a loud sob. "What's wrong with me, Julia? Why do I always have to fuck things up like this?"
"You didn't fuck anything up." She placed a comforting hand on his forearm. "You're only human." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You know what I mean. Someone offered you an escape from your pain, and you accepted it. You're not the first person it's ever happened to, and you certainly won't be the last." She gently took his hand and led him to the bed. "Get some sleep, honey. Things won't look so bad in the morning."
He wordlessly climbed into bed. Julia tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead. She knelt by his bed and watched his face until he fell asleep.