Chapter 8: …And don't let go

Evening

Jun and Kazuya had had a great time. They had seen every stall and played all the couple games together. Kazuya even won her a large teddy bear in one game. Jun swung it around as she walked. More than anything, it was the fact that the first time since she knew him she had seen Kazuya laugh. The clowns that were in the circus were hilarious and even Kazuya laughed out loud at one point. Never had she been so glad to see anyone laugh. She hardly even saw the clown act and kept staring at Kazuya the whole time—feeling a new peace in him. She had seen him smile many times but she had never seen him laugh in all these weeks she knew it.

And that is when it hit her: she had only known Kazuya for less than a month.

She hugged his arm tightly as they walked together. As they walked Jun noticed that it was evening already—how time flew by? They continued walking towards the bus stop when Jun stopped at the same candy stand, staring at it like a greedy little girl. Kazuya smiled and got her another packet of candies—and ice cream too. Jun started eating the candies again, relishing every bit of it. Kazuya just stared at her lovingly. They both licked their ice creams and walked towards the bus stop. They sat down on the bench together, and Jun rested her head against his chest.

"Hey, did you realize that this was our real first date?" she asked after a while, looking up to him.

"Yes."

Jun smiled and went back to licking her ice cream. She looked up at the sky and saw the moon shining brightly.

"It's a nice moon."

"Yes."

She licked her ice cream again before turning to him.

"We should come here again."

"Yes."

Jun smiled. He wasn't much of a talker. All he did was stare at her lovingly, with a shade of desire. She loved it when he looked at her like that, his black eyes ablaze with passion and a tempestuous masculinity.

Kazuya had finished his ice cream and was now staring at her still licking hers, curled up against his chest, holding the teddy bear in her free hand. She finally finished it and looked up at him, smiling.

"We really had a great time."

Kazuya bent his face near hers and kissed her nose—wiping away the small ice cream smudge off her nose.

"Yes," he whispered, smiling warmly.

The bus finally arrived and Kazuya and Jun sat down in it quietly. Kazuya sat next to the window, staring outside at the world that was submerged in a coquettish darkness. Jun wished he would say something but he just sat there staring outside. She sighed, a little disappointed but it was then that she realized that he was holding her hand in his. The gesture, simple as it was, touched Jun—it was like a simple message from God reminding her that the man she had given her heart to was different…he did communicate but not with words. She tightened her grip around his hand, realizing it. Kazuya looked at her and smiled. She looked at him and smiled. She felt the warmth in his hands and when he looked at her he saw the same desire there.

After a few minutes the bus stopped and Kazuya and she stepped off the bus. They hurried towards the house, smiling at each other, their hands still intertwined, the cold wind melting against the warmth of their bodies, neither saying a word, their eyes shining. Once inside the house, Kazuya took off his shirt while she stood there and pressed his lips against hers ardently, eager to take her again. He took her to the bed, feeling the warmth of her breasts against his chest.

"Jun…oh, Jun…"

"Kazuya…"

Lee Chaolin's office

Anna came in to Lee's office but was shocked to see him sitting there as if he had seen a ghost.

"Mr. Chaolin? What happened?" she said as she sat in his lap. She tried to kiss him but he didn't react. He just kept staring ahead of him—thunderstruck.

Anna was about to ask him again when he pointed to the paper in front of him. Anna took it and read it aloud… and then froze herself.

It was the letter that contained the list of matches that would take place. This time Kazuya had done it again—he had made Lee face Heihachi in the tournament's third day. The third day of the tournament was a few days away and Lee procrastinating his training and his workout all these months only made things worse. He finally hunched forward and held his head in his hands.

"…Oh fuck, he's going to tear me open! I'm fucked! I'm fucked!"

Anna stared at Lee. He was right. Heihachi was a monster. He would destroy him…and considering that he had betrayed him by joining Kazuya when he took over the Zaibatsu in the previous tournament, Heihachi was going to be pissed.

"But Lee darling, I don't get it. How come Kazuya is getting to make all these matches? Didn't he leave it all for that bitch, what's her name, Kazama Jun?"

"Yes…he did…but he will lose command over the Zaibatsu once the tournament is over. He has put the Zaibatsu on the line in this tournament and even though he has stepped down as CEO, he will lose power over it only after the tournament. So in other words…right now he is more like on a vacation than anything else. I'm so fucked!"

Lee put his head back in his hands, as Anna tried to comfort him. He was hoping she'd say something, or give him an idea rather than pat his shoulders or stroke his hair.

"Come on, Anna, say something!"

Anna thought for a moment and then smiled. She cupped his distressed face in her hands and stroked it, bringing her lips close to his, her eyes glowing, caressing his lips.

"Lee…" she said huskily, bringing her hands to his chest.

"Y-Yes?" he gasped, feeling her hands on his chest, a strong surge of heat traveling down his whole frame.

Anna grinned.

"…You're fucked."

Yakushima forest—a few days later

Jun woke up, her head resting on Kazuya's chest, feeling his heartbeat. He was sleeping soundly after yet another passionate night. Jun slowly sat up, draping the sheet over her, her body fatigued and yet full of life. She turned back and looked at him, brushing her hair away from her face. She hunched over him slightly and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Good morning, Kazuya," she whispered and then carefully stepped out of the bed, wrapping a towel around her as she slowly tiptoed to the bathroom outside. Once inside she stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself, smiling. She gazed at herself and noticed that she was indeed looking lovelier and lovelier with the passing day. She looked fresh, happy and full of life; something her life in Tokyo had drained away. Her skin was glowing and her face and eyes were more radiant than ever before. Love really did make a woman more beautiful.

She took off the towel and poured the water over her from the large pitcher. As she bathed her mind kept going over the past wonderful days. In just a few days it was as if Kazuya had become a totally different person. He was always happy and smiling and even polite to the local people who would come up to the house to meet with Jun. He still had his usual problem with words but she had already understood and accepted that weakness…just like everything else about him. He was on the right track now. And that wretched spirit in him had died away.

She sighed, smiling.

The past few days, since they had come to Yakushima, was indeed like heaven. It was just as how Kazuya had said to her when he brought her here: just a man and a woman…and their love. They would make love several times in a day sometimes, their bodies supple, more willing, more capable, their love and passion an imperishable flame. They would walk around in the forest, go to the town, lazy around in the house or just watch the lake and listen to its mystic words. They would listen to each other; their hearts beating with the same vibe, their souls dancing to the same melody—love.

Sometime later

Jun was sitting outside near the lake. Kazuya was still asleep and she couldn't help but smile naughtily.

"Busy boy again…" she giggled to herself.

The sun was shining weakly through the smoky clouds. The sky was colored divinely in some sort a picturesque blend of grey and golden. Some birds came near her and the bold ones even sat on her shoulders. This was nothing new for her, as no animals feared her. After gently stroking them she made them fly away and sat back down, hugging her legs in front of her. The lake was looking extra special with the light gushing down the sky like some immaterial waterfall of pure gold. The birds were chirping and singing and she could even see two butterflies gliding in the air, one trailing behind the other. She sighed dreamily. Her intuition told her something beautiful was going to happen to her today.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in all the sweetness and vitality of this forest and nature. She decided to go and wake up Kazuya. She walked inside the house in her own thoughts and almost gasped when she bumped into Kazuya's broad chest. He was wearing black pants and a black shirt that he hadn't buttoned up completely, exposing his well-built chest. What surprised Jun though was the uncharacteristic cheeky smile on his face. Jun found his expression cute but she knew he had something up his sleeves.

"What?" she said, as she crossed her arms in front of her. She looked around and saw the duffle bag open. He had told her not to open it and she hadn't.

Kazuya kept grinning.

"What?" she said, laughing slightly when he kept staring at her.

"I got something for you…" he said, pointing towards the bed. Jun looked at him questioningly, clearly excited as well. She looked to where he was pointing and saw a large gift-wrapped bag. She excitedly ran towards the bed, her mind filling up with all kinds of things—and the best part of it was that she really could never guess what he was up to…and even now she couldn't imagine what her cryptic lover had gotten her. All she knew was that it was going to be something priceless.

Kazuya was standing outside, leaning against the wall of the house when he heard her excited voice from the house, making him smile. She liked it.

"Oh Kazuya! Thank you, thank you so much!" she kept squeaking excitedly as she ran up to him holding the silky white dress and the white sandals in her small hands. She was smiling ear to ear, her ivory cheeks pink with joy. She hugged him dearly showering kisses on his face.

"Go put it on!" Kazuya said simply.

Once she ran back inside the house Kazuya kept standing there, his head resting against the wall. Nothing in this world seemed to make him happier and give him more peace than the slightest smile on Jun's face. He was so happy to see her getting excited about her dress that he almost felt like patting himself in the back.

"Well done, Kazuya, Well done!" he whispered to himself, grinning ear to ear.

He kept waiting there for her for a long time but she still didn't show up. He heard her humming to herself inside but still no sign of her.

"Women…"

With his impatience getting the better of him he walked inside the house.

"Jun?"

Jun was standing in front of the mirror looking even more angelic in that silky white dress. It was just perfect, going with her skin color, hugging every curve of her body yet making her retain that purity about her—making her the more angelic. More divine. Kazuya felt his knees weakening slightly when he saw her, never wanting to take his eyes off her…even for a heartbeat.

She was brushing her hair when he stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her on the nape of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Jun closed her eyes when she felt his warm breath on her ear and neck. She blushed, rubbing his face gently.

"You look gorgeous, Angel…" he whispered in her ear.

"Angel?"

"What else could you be but an angel?"

Afternoon

Jun was exuberant the whole time. She was lively and perky, holding onto his arm like a little girl. She was smiling and laughing the whole time and Kazuya just smiled, just watching her smiling and laughing filling him up with all the happiness he could wish for.

"Hey, Kazuya. Where are you?"

Kazuya roused from his thoughts.

Jun was looking at him, his eyes large, staring at him curiously, highlighting that endearing innocence. Kazuya just blinked. Jun sighed and looked at him with a mix of hopelessness and fun.

"You're weird. All you do is just stare at me the whole time. But you know what: all your feelings about me are always shining in your eyes. I can see them all. Love, desire, passion, gratitude…it's all there burning behind your eyes. I can see it. And then just when I think I have you figured out, you surprise me with more love, more desire, more passion…"

Jun stopped and stared at the lake near them, searching for the right words. Kazuya just kept staring at her.

"…You continue to stare at me when I laugh, when I talk, when I walk. You follow every movement of mine and hang on to every word I say but somehow you don't hear what I say to you, like right now…and yet you know and hear what I don't say to you…as if all this time you are staring at me at the center of my being…"

Jun stopped thinking of what she had said.

"You do the same to me, don't you?"

Jun turned to him, her eyebrow knitted in confusion. He felt an impulse to kiss her again but discarded it. Instead he continued.

"Don't you see it? The whole world thought me some fire breathing monster and for all my life I thought I was those things too…but then you came in my life…"

He walked up to her cupped her face in his hands.

"You showed me everything people thought, what I thought, it was all wrong. You showed me I was worthy of living and being loved just like everybody else. For that I can never repay you…even if I was to die a million times…"

Jun placed a finger on his lips, shaking her head slowly. There was no need for such words…

They had continued to stroll through the forest and finally returned to the house. Jun was enjoying the gentle rays of the sun, laughing as she splashed the cool lake water. She had her sandals in her hand as she lightly kicked the water around or just stood with her eyes closed and felt the gentle sunrays on her radiant face and the cool water sooth her feet, her heart amidst the two worlds of peace. She had asked Kazuya to join him but he chose rather to just sit and watch her. She saw him sitting on one of the fallen trees near the lake, looking prominent in the forest and the grey-golden sky in his black shirt and jeans. He was brooding as usual, fiddling with something red in his hands. Jun laughed a bit to herself, wondering what it was that he was thinking so intensely about…

Kazuya sat on the tree, thinking hard.

"Think, damn it, think!" he kept muttering to himself over and over again, hanging his head low, his hands clasped together. He kept fidgeting with the red box in his hands, biting his lips in irritation. Never had his weakness with words irritated him so much. "Think, think, think, you useless idiot, think!"

He just couldn't think of the words. He finally hung his head low in despair.

"Kazuya…you're hopeless!" he finally let out.

He shook his head and looked up at Jun. His heart started beating faster the moment he saw her. She looked at him and waved. He couldn't help but smile. She continued dancing and splashing the water, her childlike giggles making his stomach churn. Kazuya closed his eyes.

"Okay, enough of this…"

Kazuya stood up and took a deep breath, feeling his heart beat wildly and the blood flood at his temples. He took another deep breath and walked up to Jun…

Jun had her eyes closed and when she turned around she saw Kazuya stand up, staring at her as he walked towards her. His face looked really determined and intense. The way it was taut made him look like a gladiator mustering up all the courage he had in him. She saw Kazuya walk up to her and then stop abruptly, staring at the sky, cursing at himself in anxiety. She shrugged. Something was always up with him. She went back to her splashing. Moments later, though, she turned around sharply; loud splashes behind her.

"Kazuya?"

Kazuya still had that intense look about him, his shoes submerged in the lake, his broad shoulders rolling as he walked up to her. His eyes were shining with something new. He walked up to her and held her to him with his left arm, till they were nose to nose. She blinked rapidly, not knowing what to expect—as always. His right hand finally caught her left hand and intertwined his powerful fingers around hers.

"Kazu…?" she whispered questioningly but he muffled her voice with a deep kiss, holding her with so much gentleness that even she was surprised. A light roar from the sky resonated through the still forest and almost immediately, a light rain started. Jun tried to move but Kazuya held her closer to him.

"Kazuya" she gasped as he continued kissing her, muffling her voice, "we'll soak…"

"Who cares?" he whispered between their kiss.

The two stood there kissing against a backdrop of darkness, rain and gentle thunder. The contrast between the cold rain that was beating on her and Kazuya's warm breath was ecstatic, making her moan as they kissed. As they continued kissing in the rain, Jun felt something cold around her finger. Kazuya finally broke the kiss and stared at her, his eyes intense yet gentle. She looked at her hand and saw a beautiful ring there. She looked at it as if not believing what she was seeing.

It was a silver ring with a small heart shaped diamond on it. She looked at Kazuya, her head spinning with all sorts of emotion, her knees giving way so that Kazuya had to hold her to him. She didn't even know what to say as she stared at him, her eyes welling up with tears of joy. She smiled, she cried, cupping her hand over her mouth.

"Kazuya…"

Kazuya smiled at her and kneeled down, in the lake water, his arms stretched in front as he held her hand. More tears of joy streamed down her face. Already he had surprised her so much, shown her so much that this felt like it would tear her heart open with joy.

"Kazuya…" she said in between her tears not knowing what else to say or think.

"Kazama Jun will you…"

"Oh, Kazuya…"

Jun started crying uncontrollably and kneeled down to him, hugging him tightly, showering kiss after kiss on his face.

"Yes…yes…" she kept repeating rocking with him gently as she melted in his arms.

The rain came down harder now soaking them both as they sat in the water in each other's arms, rocking to and fro slightly, feeling their hearts beat together.

comment: notice it? Yup, it is from the Tekken Tag intro where Jun is standing in the lake with mama's boy, Jin, sitting brooding on a tree and staring at his mother. I always thought she was reminiscing about Kazuya the whole time and especially when she looked at Jin walking up to her. Considering Jin looks a LOT like Kazuya it is indeed really, really possible. And besides is it just me or does Jun's white dress look too much like a simple wedding dress? Guess now you know where the idea for the above came from. Oh and by the way, I really don't know how a Japanese wedding goes around taking place and how a guy would propose to a Japanese girl so I just had the good old western style here. Oh yeah, and i am a BIG hopeless romantic.