"Hwoarang!" I screech, wrenching his wandering hands away from me and pinning them at his sides. "Knock it off!"
I slap him around the back of the head, scowling. "Jeez, I should have known! Sympathy my ass - you just wanted to cop a feel!"
I step away from him, hands firmly on hips, ready to launch into an angry tirade - perhaps with a little violence thrown in for good measure - when I realise he's laughing.
"What the hell is so funny?" I explode, face flushed.
"There she is." he smiles, putting an arm around me. "There's my Xiao."
"What are you babbling about?" I demand crossly, trying (albeit a tad half-heartedly) to wriggle free of his heavy arm.
Hwoarang grins, giving my left pigtail a playful tug, his smile widening as I slap his hands away, glare firmly in place.
"I'd rather see you pissed off than miserable."
I stare at him silently for a few seconds, and for once, I can't think what to say. But Hwoarang breaks the silence for me when he says, with a wink;
"Besides, you look hot when you're mad."
"You promised me a coffee." I say, ignoring the remark.
"That I did. Your place or mine?"
A final slap upside the head.
"Okay, okay, you win." he grumbles, crossing over to the other side of the road, me following behind.
"And I'm picking the place." I snap.
"Aww, Xiao, I wanna pick!" he whines, trying his best to win me over by pouting like a five year old. Needless to say, it has no effect.
"No. If I let you pick, we'll end up in some seedy old dive like last time."
"That was my local, Xiao."
"Yeah, well, I didn't like it. The blonde guy with the tall hair weirded me out."
Eventually, we end up at the coffee house downtown, the closest thing to Starbucks. I need my praline mocha. I sink down onto a battered old orange armchair as Hwoarang pays at the counter, wiggling my fingers inside the gloves and wincing.
"Remind me to take any future frustrations out on a teddy bear." I comment as Hworang sets my mocha down and slouches next to me.
"If they're sexual ones, I'm always here." Hwo jokes, and I roll my eyes, sipping my drink.
"No thanks, I'm turning lesbian." I proclaim glumly, and he chuckles.
"Whatever floats your boat, Xiao, but just because Kazama's an asshole, doesn't mean we all are."
"You're right." I mutter, wiping cream off my top lip. "Some of you are pervs."
"Hey, can't blame me for trying!" he protests, eyes twinkling with amusement.
"You grabbed my ass, Hwoarang. Most guys start out with a 'hey, wanna go for a drink?'"
"I did that before I grabbed your butt." he points out.
"...True." I take a big gulp of the mocha, glancing at Hwo out of the corner of my eye, then slumping further down into the chair, savouring the chocolatey caffeinated goodness.
"Ahh...." Heaven.
"Feeling better now?" he asks, grinning. I take another gulp and close my eyes.
"Mmm."
"Well, good." Some of the amusement has gone out of his voice, and I give him a quizzical look.
"Xiao..." he asks, face serious.
"Mmm?"
"Why don't you forget about Kazama?"
I give a sigh, laugh a little. "I dunno."
"I mean it."
"What, and try dating you?" I joke, waiting for Hwoarang to laugh along with me and make another sex joke. But he doesn't.
"Why not?" he asks simply.
"W-what?"
"I said; 'why not'?"
I forget about the mocha, turning to him with wide eyes. He gazes straight back at me, gentle brown eyes suggesting he's dead serious.
"Hwoarang, I..." I trail off. I can't seem to find the words. I don't really know what I want at the moment, and I certainly never thought that Hwoarang would feel that way about me. Sure, he flirts with me, and likes to grab my ass, but he does the same thing to Miharu, and probably every other girl he knows. I didn't think he meant anything by it.
"I'm confused at the moment, Hwo." I say softly. "You know that."
"Well, maybe I can help with that." he murmurs, leaning in close. My eyes widen as our mouths get closer, close enough for me to feel his light breath against my skin, close enough for it to rustle through the loose strands of my hair. I try to form words, but nothing happens. My face feels hot as he moves closer, eyes seeming to close of their own accord, waiting to feel his mouth on mine.
"Xiao? Hwoarang?"
My eyes fly open as Miharu's voice reaches my ears, and Hwoarang stands up, turning to face her and running an unsteady hand through his hair.
"Heyyy!" he drawls, walking over to her, easy grin slipping onto his face.
"What were you doing?" Miharu asks, eyes filled with surprise.
"Nothing."
Mi glares at him. "Sure didn't look like nothing."
"Okay, I admit it." Hwoarang says dramatically, holding up his hands in a submissive gesture. "I was teasing Xiao again." He turns to me, grinning. "Really had you worried that time, didn't I?"
"I..." I trail off as he chuckles, turning back to Miharu, acting as though nothing happened, asking if she wants a coffee, making suggestive jokes as usual, then sauntering off to the counter as Miharu sits next to me, patting my leg to get my attention.
"You should kick his ass next time he does that." She laughs, brushing off what just happened with a shake of her head.
"Oh, you know him, he's always picking on me." I manage a giggle. "He almost got me thinking he was serious that time."
Mi snorts. "Hwo? Serious? Those two words should never be used in the same sentence." She smiles, then a mildly contemplative expression appears on her face. So. What was with you and Jin today?" she asks finally. "You didn't half give him the cold shoulder, hon."
I sigh, recounting the whole tale to Mi, who's frowning by the time I'm done.
"'Someone like you?' The hell does that mean?"
"I dunno."
"Did you ask him?"
"What do you think?"
"Well, don't you think you should?"
"I don't ever wanna talk to him again." I snap.
"Xiao, you're being childish. Why not find out exactly what he meant?"
"I don't wanna."
"You'll only be wondering about it if not, Xiao."
I rest my chin on my hands. She's right. But perhaps I'm afraid to find out.
A/N: Got a bit of inspiration, so I scribbled this chapter down and revised the first six chapters a little. I didn't change much, just polished the spelling and grammar, and made the sentences flow a bit better, and got rid of some of the more cringe-worthy bits. So give 'em a re-read if you've got time. Reviewers, I would have your babies if it were possible. ;)