Author's notes: This story is mostly based on the Tekken Anime movie and is set right after Heihachi flew off on a jet plane and the Tekken fighters escaped the island via a submarine. It is also based on Tekken 2 endings of specific characters, as well as a few opening sequences from Tekken Tag Tournament. This fanfic is in Jun Kazama's point of view. Rated NC-17
Disclaimer: Jun Kazama, Kazuya Mishima and all Tekken characters are the property of NAMCO. This is only a fan fiction from the imagination of an obsessed fan. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter IV: Subtle Changes
The sound of a hammer woke me up before the teeter of birds could. I opened my eyes to the warm rays of the morning sun. A sparrow flew through the open window and settled close to me.
"Hi," I greeted, lying flat on my stomach to stroke the bird's head. Another bang of the hammer scared the poor creature, causing it to flee. I turned to Kazuya only to find an empty futon and an empty cup of tea beside me. Tightening the knot on my kimono, I hurried outside.
It was another glorious morning in the Yakushima forest. The flowers were in bloom and the pine never smelled fresher. Putting a hand above my eyes to shield them from the bright sunlight, I stepped back from my cottage and found Kazuya, busily tapping away on the roof.
"Kazuya, what are you doing?!" I called. He stopped hammering and looked at me, his half-naked body shining with sweat. He ran his palm across his still bandaged forehead and continued hammering. I was about to go up the ladder and talk to him when he suddenly jumped off the roof and walked towards me.
"I fixed a few leaks on the roof," he informed, wiping his face with a small towel and setting aside the hammer, which he put inside the bucket of nails and wood.
"A few?" I looked up the roof. He hadn't just fixed a few. He had fixed them all.
Kazuya didn't answer. Instead, he walked past me and took an axe from a nearby tree stump. He took some logs from a pile and began chopping them for firewood. I stared at the great pile. When did he get those?
"Kazuya, you really shouldn't do this. You're still not well," I said. He stopped chopping and gazed up at the blue sky.
"The rainy seasons have come," he stated briskly. "We'll need more firewood to keep ourselves warm."
My heart leaped when he said "we". He was going to stay. Not that I wanted him to leave. It both surprised and relieved me; relief, because I can keep a closer eye on him and perhaps, give him a new reason to live.
I crossed my arms across my full bosom, watching every muscle on Kazuya's form distort and reshape as he brought the axe down on the wood. The sweat that flew away from his body sparkled and shone. There was truly a different aura about him, one that I just couldn't deny.
"I'll go and...prepare some breakfast," I turned around and hastened back into the house. My heart was racing again. I was confused with these strange feelings I couldn't comprehend. It frightened me. By the time I arrived in the kitchen, I was out of breath.
Busying myself in cooking did little to ease my tormented thoughts. Chop, chop, chop, chop...the knife went on with its monotonous tone as I brought it against the daikon I would be adding to the dashi. I had already prepared the Miso to make the dashi more robust. My gaze constantly fleet back to the window, where I could see Kazuya, still busily chopping away on the logs. I smiled. With him doing the man's work and me doing the cooking, why, it's almost like...
"Ow!" I stared at the blood dripping from my finger. I should've been more careful. I took a small dipper and scooped up some water from a pail beside me. Kazuya had also taken the liberty of getting water from the well without my knowledge or consent.
After soaking my finger for a while, the bleeding still won't stop. The cut was deeper than I thought. I decided to get a little bandage for myself when I suddenly bumped right into Kazuya.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Oh, n-nothing really," I ducked my head down, breaking away from his intense gaze. "It's just a small cut. I'm going to go and take a bandage for it," I tried to walk around him but he put a firm grip on my shoulders, forcing me to look into his eyes again.
"Let me see that," he held my hand in his. His lip curled when he saw the blood. Still holding my hand, he washed the excess blood and wrapped the wound in a bandage he had kept in his pocket. I gave him a surprised look.
"I kept that for my hands," Kazuya explained, holding up his bandage-wrapped fists. "To prevent blisters," he stared at me for a moment longer and then left me to gather my bewildered thoughts. I looked at my hand. The wound had stopped bleeding but that didn't stop the blood from rushing to my face.
I stared at the open window. Kazuya had once again, started chopping more firewood. How did he know I was bleeding? Had he been looking all the while without my knowing? I gave out a deep sigh. The winds of change have come in full force...and I'm being swept along with it.
Chapter V