Crash
by riesling
Summary: Jin has forbidden his cousin, Asuka, from seeing his enemy Hwoarang. But it's far too much for him to be asking her. Will she obey her cousin, her caretaker, or will she throw caution to the wind and follow her heart to the man she's falling in love with?
Tears stained her pillow, wetting her cheeks and her hair. It just wasn't fair. Of all of the tournament fighters why was it Jin that Hwoarang had to hate?
Why was it that they had to meet four years earlier? Why couldn't Hwoarang have just won? Why did he have to be the leader of a street gang?
The more she thought about it the more overwhelmed she became. She lay on her bed, thinking of him. Asuka wanted to see him again. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to tell him how much it hurt her that they couldn't see each other any more.
Most of all, she wanted to tell him what it was that she'd really been thinking about him. Every time thoughts of him entered her mind, she always thought about what it would be like to be with him. To have him hold her in his arms.
She would be safe; she knew. The feeling would be warm. It was something that she wanted to know about; not just know but feel. And she wanted to feel it with him; only him.
It was a foolish idea; Jin had explained it all to her earlier. He'd told her the whole story of his first meeting with Hwoarang. Then the story of his second.
Jin's animosity towards Hwoarang wasn't over the outcome of their fight, but of the attempts he'd made to steal Xiaoyu away from him. It was an underhanded way for him to finally 'beat' Jin, Asuka understood that. But something about it seemed so desperate; Hwoarang needed someone. He needed her.
"He's not interested in you because of who you are," Jin had explained adverting his eyes. He couldn't look at Asuka and watch the tears falling down her cheeks. "He's only interested in you because of how you're related to me."
"But I never told him!" she had cried and cried into Xiaoyu's arms. "He never knew who I was; not before tonight."
"Shh, shh," she'd calmed the crying girl. Xiaoyu stroked back the long locks of Asuka's silky hair and sighed, looking at Jin in a way she never had before.
Xiaoyu was begging him with her eyes to reconsider. Maybe Hwoarang was genuine about Asuka. Maybe he deserved another chance.
Either way, Jin left with Xiaoyu to reconsider, should that be what he chose. And Asuka was alone again. She was lonely, that was for sure and she needed to find an outlet for her sorrows.
She dressed herself in a worn out white t-shirt that she'd cut the neckline of to fall off of her shoulders. Underneath she wore an electric tank top that matched the words on the front: Flashdance. She added a jean skirt with the bottom frayed out and blue leg warmers.
Slipping her black flip flops on her feet and heading to the door of her bedroom, Asuka took one last look over her shoulder at music player that rested on her bedside table. She crossed to it; picking it up and shoving the headphones over her ears. She let the music wash over her, drowning out the most painful of her thoughts.
Asuka wasn't sure where she was going. She didn't really care much either; just moving made her feel instantly better. She wanted to dance, she wanted to sing, she wanted to leave this mansion. Asuka needed a place to be alone, to let herself be the person she really was.
She silently slid onto the porch that led down to the ocean; it was the only natural place for her to go. It was late; well after midnight. Probably nearing two or three in the morning. She set out for her rock; hoping to catch the sunrise.
She walked in silence, letting the words of Pat Benatar wash over her. She had the volume turned up so that nothing could distract her.
"We are young, heartache to heartache we stand," she sang along. "No promises, no demands; love is a battlefield."
It made her feel good to be singing the words; dancing because it felt right. There was nothing; no one but her, the waves, the beach, and the stars overhead. Asuka sang again, growing louder, "We are strong; no one can tell us we're wrong; searching our hearts for so long, both of us knowing love is a battlefield."
And she stayed there, under the moonlight, clearing her mind. She let herself go; let desires take over and threw caution to the wind.
Asuka hadn't quite made it to the rock, instead, she found a small cove located not too far away from the Mishima Mansion. There was a ledge on the side of the cliff not too far the bottom. She could reach it easily and it would only be a short climb.
Removing her headphones and flip flops, she left them on the beach below as she climbed. It wasn't hard and she'd completed her task fairly quickly. The view was beautiful.
It reminded her of her special spot back in Osaka. The Mishima Mansion was somewhere above her head and the ocean was down below. It made her feel calm and at home for the first time since Jin and Xiaoyu had left her room.
She hadn't been sitting there long before she saw him, strolling absent-mindedly along the beach. His hands were in the pockets of his ripped out blue jeans and he'd replaced the button down shirt from that evening with a tight blue t-shirt and his dress shoes were now motorcycle boots.
He'd spotted her flip flops and headphones. Hwoarang looked around the cove, slightly confused. She should have been there, and Asuka completely understood what that feeling was like.
"I'm sorry, Hwoarang," she whispered. "It wasn't right of Jin to act that way tonight; but it wasn't right of me to keep that from you."
He looked around, very confused, "Asuka?"
"Up here."
"Holy shit!" he yelled up at her. "Get the hell down from there! You're gonna hurt yourself!"
She didn't say anything; didn't move. Only turned her gaze to look out across the choppy water and Asuka smiled then, "Nothing could hurt right now."
"C'mon, Asuka," he pleaded with her. "Don't talk like that! Just come down here, I wanna talk to you."
'As you wish,' she said in her mind. She rose to her feet, high up on the ledge and looked at the ground below. The fall probably wasn't more than fifteen feet; she'd make it if she jumped, she knew she would.
Instead of climbing down, she decided to jump. Hwoarang watched with eyes wide as she gracefully leapt off of one foot and landed softly on the ground at his feet. She blinked at his shock.
"What the hell was that?" he yelled. "You could have hurt yourself."
She turned her back to him, walking towards the water. Then she spoke, "I jump from much higher in Osaka. It reminded me of the place I used to go to think; I'm sorry."
"Asuka?" his voice was soft, and he held out his hand to place it on her turned shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"Jin doesn't want me to see you anymore," her voice was soft but level. She didn't falter as she continued, "I'm sure you already know that."
"Yeah, I figured as much," she was facing him now. "And?"
"I don't plan to listen to him," she looked at the ground now. "I know he only wants what is best for me but I'm not sure how his forbidding me from seeing you can have my best interests in mind."
"Wait," he paused, pulling her chin up so she was looking into his eyes.
She searched his eyes, pleading for him to continue. They were so close to one another, hiding in the shadow of the moonlight. She could hardly breathe.
"No," she whispered. "You're the first person that I've met that's made this place feel like home to me. I'm so far away from everything I've grown up knowing and you're the only person that makes me feel like these feelings are ok."
"Asuka," he whispered her name into her hair, pulling her body into his. "I've wanted to start over for so long. I don't want to be alone anymore; I'm tired of chasing after your cousin for revenge that doesn't even matter to me. It's only ever mattered to Hwoarang, leader of a street gang in Seoul."
She didn't say anything but waited for him to continue. She could feel his heart beating fast in his chest. It must have matched her own heartbeat.
"But right now, I'm not the leader of a street gang. Here with you," he paused. "When I'm with you all I am is Hwoarang. I'm an orphan, I'm homeless; I know I've not got much to offer you. But maybe just me is enough."
"Hwoarang," her voice trailed off. "You're more than enough."
She'd found his actions earlier that night careless and callous. Xiaoyu had been sure to let him know exactly how she felt about his handling of Asuka's affections for the red haired Korean.
"Doesn't it matter to you?" Xiaoyu nearly burst into tears. "Didn't you care to notice the look in their eyes as you pulled her away from him tonight?"
"Xiaoy-"
"You've already taken one woman away from him, Jin," she spat. "Isn't that enough for you? Why take another?"
Her words had hit their mark. He was silent as she stormed out of his bedroom and to her own. His eyes glazed over; he was lost in thought, remembering how it had been in the third tournament.
The three of them had gone to high school together. Xiaoyu was the youngest, but she was smart enough to be moved into their classes.
There was something about her. Jin had noticed it the moment Heihachi introduced them to one another. Something in her eyes reminded him of his mother; there was a light there when she looked at him. And it made him feel welcomed, like he'd finally found a place where he belonged.
Only later did Heihachi explain that he'd brought her more as a gift for his grandson than as a fighter for the tournament. It wasn't his idea of a joke; he was completely serious.
"You've always needed a companion, here," he had told his grandson. "She's just so full of spark and life; I just hope that she'll make up for all of the lost time that you've had."
He'd been shy around her at first. Barely speaking when he was in her presence. But she'd done her part to keep conversation going; to keep his attention.
It broke his heart when Xiaoyu had started to show a liking for Hwoarang; his enemy. Jin would walk her to school each morning and she'd go with him to their first class, but she'd always take a seat next to him. She spent her lunches with him and she even allowed him to walk her home from school on more than one occasion.
Heihachi really had only brought her to be his companion. He hadn't expected his grandson to fall in love with the small Chinese girl. It wasn't like she was betraying anyone with her feelings for Hwoarang.
But it angered Jin nonetheless that the first girl he'd ever liked should fall for someone else. And he decided that it would be completely up to him to turn her attention from the Korean to him.
He started slowly at first, asking her for help with his homework. Then he would offer to train with her; an offer she would gladly accept. They ate breakfast and dinner together often, just the two of them.
Slowly, once Jin became confident that Xiaoyu liked him more than Hwoarang; he confessed his feelings for her. He hadn't known how she would react; she may not have been Hwoarang's girlfriend, but she certainly had feelings for him as well.
After hearing his news, Xiaoyu had thrown her arms around his neck and hugged him so tightly that he nearly fell to the ground. They'd been together ever since, happily. In fact, this had been their first real fight in two years.
Xiaoyu and Hwoarang had remained close friends since she picked Jin as her lover. Once she announced her engagement, however, Hwoarang and Xiaoyu's friendship began to disintegrate. Something Jin had to admit he wasn't very upset about.
Jin sighed, knowing very well what Xiaoyu had meant and knowing very well that she was completely right. It wasn't fair for him to take another woman away from Hwoarang, even if it wasn't for the reason that he was in love with her. Hwoarang had every right in the world to pursue a relationship with his younger cousin, Asuka. In fact, Jin probably owed it to him to encourage this relationship between the two of them.
He set off towards Xiaoyu's room; he would apologize to Asuka in the morning. He had some apologizing to do; he knew it. Jin only hoped that she would still be awake.
Asuka and Hwoarang were holding hands, walking away from the Mishima Mansion and towards where they had first met. The moonlight was still bright, though the stars were fading.
"Take a ride with me?" he begged. "I'm not ready to let you go back yet."
She accepted, following him towards where he had left his bike. The sun hadn't risen yet, but Asuka knew that it would. It would be alright if she didn't return home that next morning; she could always say that she'd just woken up early for a long walk on the beach.
"Where are we going?" she whispered, holding tightly to his waist.
"Anywhere you want," his voice was loud as he fired up the enguine.
"Take me away for a while," she smiled and they were off.
Jin tapped softly on Xiaoyu's bedroom door, waiting patiently for her to answer. He heard a shuffling from inside and decided she was asleep and would need some help waking up.
He opened the door slowly, peeking inside and noticing that the lamp beside her bed was turned on but that she wasn't in her bed. A little bit alarmed, he walked inside and began to look around for her.
"Xiaoyu?"
"Hmm?" she questioned, poking her head up from the opposite side of the bed to look at Jin.
"What are you still doing awake?" he questioned, walking to where she was sitting and noticing all of the photographs and papers spread around her.
The pictures were of the two of them since they'd known each other. She'd even kept the little notes and nick knacks that he'd given her over the years. He smiled, noticing just what it all was.
"I couldn't sleep," she confessed, clearing a spot for him to sit down.
"What is all of this?" he questioned, knowing well what it was.
"These are our memories," she blushed a little as she said it. "Here!"
She handed him pictures of their first trip to an amusement park. He smiled, thumbing through them slowly, "I remember this."
"I begged and begged for you to take me," she laughed. "And I was so excited when you finally agreed!"
"What's this?" he opened up a menu from a carry out Chinese restaurant.
"It's the menu from the place you brought me Chinese food from after I told you how homesick I was," she blushed. "It was in the first few months I was here."
"I think I remember," he smiled, opening up a folded piece of paper. Then he laughed, reading, "Hey baby, chocolate always loves you back!"
"What's so funny?" she asked, looking at the note and seeing 'chocolate' crossed out and replaced with 'Jin'.
"Oh Xiao," he whispered, pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her head. "I'm so sorry. You were right. It isn't my place to forbid Asuka from seeing Hwoarang if that's what she chooses."
"You're forgiven," she smiled up at him, kissing him quickly and jumping up onto the bed. "But let's not fight anymore, ok?"
"Ok," he smiled, following her to the bed.
Hwoarang pulled the motorcycle up in front of an elegant looking hotel and tossed the concierge a tip and the keys. "Lot A-3, please."
"Huh?" Asuka asked. "Is this where you stay?"
"Yeah," he smirked. "Guess Kazama decided to put us up nice this year, better than his lousy old gramps could do."
She looked at him blankly, not upset but confused.
"Sorry," he stuttered. "Jin got us nicer rooms this year is all. I forgot Heihachi'd be your grandfather, too."
Asuka laughed, adding, "It's ok, anything you say about them. They may be family, but right now I think the only person in that house I'd like to claim as a relative is Xiaoyu."
Hwoarang smiled, leading her through the large revolving doorway and spoke softly, "Yeah, that Xiaoyu; there's something about her. Everyone likes her."
"What brings us here?" Asuka asked, thinking she already knew the answer.
"Well, I've gotta get my stuff for my fight this morning," he smiled, assuming what it had been she thought she was at his hotel for. "Then I'm taking you to breakfast, American style!"
He led her to the elevator and they stepped inside. It wasn't busy at the hotel at that time, but the elevators were still working extremely slowly. His room was on one of the upper floors and the wait in the elevator seemed somewhat excruciating.
At about the seventh floor the doors opened and a young couple stepped inside. They were silent, each one looking extremely tanned, as though they lived on the beach. The man's hair was tied back in braids held into a pony tail and the girl with him was extremely gorgeous.
Hwoarang must have known them, however, because he greeted each of them politely, "Christi, Eddy."
"Hwoarang," the woman nearly sang his name. "How have you been, love? It's been so long, hasn't it Eddy?"
He only eyed Hwoarang suspiciously, looking from him to Asuka. Finally he spoke, reaching out a hand to her, "You're Jin Kazama's younger cousin, right?"
"Y-yes," she answered, a bit taken aback that he had recognized her. "Do you know Jin?"
"Oh everyone knows Jin, love," the woman answered for him. She giggled a little before continuing, "He's just the most delicious thing, isn't he?"
Eddy rolled his eyes and drug Christi out of the elevator by her wrist. She called after her, waving as she went, "Goodnight, loves. You two have fun! But not too much, I'm sure Mr. Jinny wouldn't like that much."
Asuka blushed and Hwoarang pushed the button to close the doors faster. They stood in silence for a moment, the flush draining from Asuka's face and Hwoarang felt his heartbeat lessen.
They were nearly at the right floor when he finally spoke again, "She's kind of overbearing at first, that Christi. But she's alright after you get to know her."
Asuka laughed, adding, "I'm sure she's just 'delicious'!"
The elevator finally reached the right floor; number fourteen. He stepped out of the elevator, leading Asuka to his room in silence. Fumbling through his wallet for the credit card-like key to open the room, he sighed until he finally slid it through the mechanical reader.
It beeped twice; a red light flashing and then one in green. He opened the door slowly, stepping inside and turning on the light. Hwoarang moved aside to allow room for Asuka to follow him.
The room wasn't very large, but the bathroom, from what she could see as she walked past, had marble floors, and the western-style furniture was made from oak stained a deep mahogany. The room was clean, much more than she had expected from a single man like Hwoarang.
She sat on the edge of his bed and watched as he rummaged through his drawers and tossed random articles of clothes into his bag. She noticed a tae kwon do uniform on the edge of the bed opposite her. There was a black belt lying on top with 'Hwoarang' embroidered elegantly across it.
She picked up the entire uniform and set it in her lap, feeling the soft fabric against her fingertips. The blue trim around the jacket was cute, she had to admit, and the symbol printed on the back added a sort of elegance to the simple uniform. Down the legs of each pant, she noted how the trim matched.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "Here I am digging through all of my drawers for that only to find that you've had it all along!"
She smiled, refolding and handing the uniform to him. Then began, "Well? Let's see it!"
"Huh?" he looked down at her, beginning to tuck the uniform into his bag.
"Let's see it on you!" she laughed.
"You mean now?"
"Of course, now!" she pointed to the clock. "It's going to be another two hours or so until any place will be open to get breakfast."
Shrugging, Hwoarang took the uniform out of his bag and turned his back to her. Removing his shirt, Asuka's eyes widened as she noticed how muscular he really was. All too quickly, though, he replaced it with the top of his uniform. He did the same with the uniform pants, though for that part, even though she might have liked to look, Asuka let her eyes fall to the floor.
"Well?" he asked, holding his arms out a little bit, as though presenting himself for inspection.
Asuka jumped up and began walking circles around him. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. He sure did look good in the little uniform. His chest was exposed, revealing not only how muscular he was but also his strong abdominals. The belt tied around his waist was adorable; the knot in the center was a little crooked, but she pretended not to notice.
"It's a little small, isn't it?" she questioned.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, your shirt looks too small," she started to smile. Grabbing the two edges and pulling them towards each other over his exposed chest she then added, "It doesn't close. And I don't think it's long enough."
He laughed, taking off the uniform and replacing it with his jeans and t-shirt. He tossed each piece on the bed carelessly and Asuka moved to begin folding the pieces once again. He reached for her hands to stop her.
"Uh-uhh," he shook his head. "Your turn now."
"What!" she laughed. "That won't fit me, either, Hwoarang."
"I know," he grinned at her evilly.
Deciding it would be fun to try on his uniform anyway, Asuka stood up from the bed and removed her leg warmers and flip flops. She grabbed the pants first, pulling them on under her skirt and then removing it over the top. They were a little bit too big, relying on her hips to keep them up. She didn't try to walk anyway, afraid of stepping on the dragging legs.
She removed her t-shirt, leaving on the electric blue tank top underneath and pulled the undersized top over her arms. It was soft on the inside, softer than the outside. It was a little large, just as she had imagined it would be, though it did close in the front.
Looking at her, Hwoarang couldn't help but laugh. The uniform was so large; but she looked good in it nonetheless. He bent down and began rolling up the pant legs and the sleeves.
"Here," he unrolled his belt. "You'll need this to keep those pants up!"
He was standing behind her, getting ready to tie the belt around her waist when she spoke, "I might need more than just the belt, Hwoarang."
"Nah, you just need someone to tie it right," he smiled. "Now, you only get your belt tied for you once in tae kwon do; and you only get shown how to tie it a few times. So if you ever think of being my student, pay attention."
"Yes sensai!" she chirped happily.
"No, no," he shook his head. "It's sir. Sensai is Japanese, not Korean."
"Oh, yes sir!" she corrected herself, still smiling.
"Ok, for starters, you take the center of the belt and place it right over your belly button," he held it there from behind her, both of his arms wrapped around her waist. "Now, hold it there and you take this left side all the way around and lift up the top of the section you're still holding to your belly button to put this part underneath it."
He was right next to her now, pulling her body closer into his without even noticing it. He smelled wonderful and she could feel the warmth of his chest against the silky material covering her back.
Her heart began to race as she thought, 'Too bad he'll tie my belt only once; otherwise I might have to take up tae kwon do.'
"Take this section on the right and wrap it around yourself the other way," he traced the entire trail of the belt against her back. "Good, now take the part from the right and tuck it underneath everything. No, no; sorry. It's the part that's in your left hand."
Asuka wasn't really paying much attention to what he was telling her. But she noticed the warmth of his skin each time he brushed his hand against hers. And she could almost feel his heart beating against her back.
"Now, fold the part that is underneath over towards the right, taking the top tail and tucking it underneath. Then pull! The perfect tie," he smiled, pulling the two tails of the belt into a perfect knot. The he leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Lookin' good, Asuka."
She'd heard him but hadn't moved. Asuka could barely even breathe. He was holding her so close, she wanted to turn around and face him. She wanted to return his embrace.
"Hwoarang," her voice trailed off.
"That uniform looks so good on you it would be a crime if you didn't come back to Korea with me to study," he laughed a little and added, "You could be my first student once I reopen my dojo!"
"I'd probably be beyond teaching," she laughed a little, finally turning to face him. His eyes were locked on hers and they sparkled.
He looked shocked at first, but his eyes softened into hers. He was still holding her close to him, but rather than have her pull away as he might have expected; she wrapped her arms around his waist. He stepped a little closer until their bodies were nearly touching and brought his hand to her cheek.
"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" he whispered.
"Hwoarang," she lowered her eyes.
He caught her chin, however and brought her back to face him. His breath was short and he was sure that his palms were sweating. Hwoarang wasn't sure why this feeling was coming over him. He'd been with women before; lots of them. But there was something about Asuka that made this seem different to him.
He pressed his lips against hers possessively, knowing very well that this was what he wanted. It was his chance for a new start; a chance to say goodbye to the old Hwoarang and hello to the new.
But then he thought about his 'old' self. He thought of Hwoarang the leader of a street gang, the gambler, the partier, the womanizer. Asuka needed someone better than him. It would be very wrong to take advantage of her in this way.
"You're so much better than this," he took a step back, breaking the kiss and turning his eyes away from hers. "Maybe Jin is right about me, you know?"
"W-what are you saying?" she tried to stay calm but her heart was racing.
"You don't know that much about me. Hell, even I don't know that much about me," he paused. "I've been with other women before. And what about you? It would be your first time, no doubt. I can't take that away from you."
"You would think that, wouldn't you?" she turned away from him, blushing a little at what she'd just admitted to him.
"Think what?"
"To think this would be my first time," she paused, remembering what it really had been like.
Her high school sweetheart in the back of a movie theatre. It had been dark enough and there wasn't much action in the movie. They'd spent most of that evening together for fast thrusting and quick fireworks.
It hadn't been how she'd expected it at all. They were both too young, but she thought that she was in love with him. All it really was, she realized later, was a feeling of inadequacy in other areas of her life.
And God how it would have been a lie to say that she'd enjoyed it. The pleasure had been only momentary, quickly fleeting. And it was nothing to make it worth the pain.
"Then it's not?"
"Of course not!" she laughed a little at his reaction. "Besides, isn't it my decision who 'takes it away'?"
She had a point; one that he wasn't ashamed to admit he didn't want to argue with. They stayed still for a moment, Asuka letting him have time to take in what it was that she'd just said.
He justified his actions in his mind. He really was planning to stay with her; take her back to Korea with him. Hell, he'd even stay in Japan if that's what she wanted.
And his lips met hers again, this time more forcefully. His tongue parted her lips and he pressed her delicate body onto the bed under his. She gasped for air each time their lips parted.
Asuka's hands found their way to Hwoarang's chest. She ran her hands over his muscles, feeling them through the fabric of his t-shirt. His body was warm; an invited contrast to the chill of the room.
He held his body over hers, not wanting to rest his whole weight on her petite frame. The way her soft brown hair fell over her eyes and the way she smiled and giggled at him in between kisses made his heart melt.
She was definitely the most adorable woman he'd ever had, if not the most beautiful. The way she looked wearing his uniform was turn-on enough; not to mention the feel of her curves underneath the smooth fabric.
Placing a hand on her back, he pulled her body up to sit under his, kissing her all the way. Gently, he slid the uniform top off of her arms and tossed it to the floor. Her arms were well toned; the skin there soft.
He slid both hands slowly up her shirt. Her body was warm to the touch; the longer he left his hands there, the more of her body he wanted to feel.
Before she realized what he was doing, her shirt was over her head and her bra on the floor. Deciding to retaliate in an example of her own speed and grace, Asuka removed his t-shirt in one swift motion.
Letting his body fall onto hers, Hwoarang closed his eyes and began to leave a trail of kisses from her jawbone to her collarbone. She held onto his muscular arms, finally releasing him to wrap her arms around his neck.
"Listen," he whispered. "No one's allowed to take off your belt in tae kwon do. It's respect; and you can't face me when you do untie it."
"Hwoarang?" her voice was soft.
"It's up to you, Asuka," he waited, finishing softly, "You choose how much further we go today."
Asuka rolled to her side slowly, turning away from Hwoarang and, with shaking fingers, untied the borrowed belt from around her waist. She folded it neatly, just as it had been before Hwoarang himself had undone it such a short time before.
She laid it on the pillow above her head, turning to face Hwoarang who was still lying on his back. He hadn't turned to see what it was she had done while her back was facing him.
Without waiting for him to look at her, Asuka wrapped her arms around his neck and let her body rest on top of his. He kissed her, softly at first; then more deeply. All that mattered was their being together.
"It's not too late, if you want to stop now," he breathed into her neck, hoping that she hadn't heard him; hoping that she wouldn't want to stop. Then he finished his thought, "If this isn't what you wanted."
"Hwoarang," her voice was low, rough. "I want you right now; that's all I know for sure."
His mouth crushed hers before she was able to say any more. And the force of his lips pressed to hers elicited a small whimper from her subconscious. As she increased the pace, moving her lips rapidly against his, it didn't so much matter any more. He was rough; but it was lost in the passion.
Asuka pulled away from his kiss, setting to work unfastening his pants. Taking the opportunity, he pressed his lips against her jawbone. Finding the tender spot just below it was such a delicious torture.
Her small gasps for air and moaning urged him onward. He was blinded by the pleasure he could produce within her. Nothing mattered but the small sounds, the slight movements, the look in her eyes.
All Asuka thought about was how it felt to have is muscular arms wrapped around her. It was the warmth and safety that she felt there; he'd protect her, if not love her, forever.
"Hwoarang," she barely breathed. "Please."
He took her. She was the most beautiful woman in his world and she wanted nothing more than to allow him his every pleasure with her body.
And pleasure! Yes, this pleasure was wonderful. She might have given up on sex entirely after what had happened her first time, had it not been for Hwoarang finding his way into her life. She hadn't known she could feel this good.
He'd allowed Asuka to explore his body as well as her own. With him nothing was shameful, nothing forbidden.
He trembled as he felt his release into her. Hwoarang let his head fall to her chest, listening to the dull lullaby of her heartbeat mixed with his own desperate gasps for air. He was so warm and she was soft. He left his hands wrapped around her waist protectively.
They fell asleep together. Her head was resting on his strong arm and his free hand rested on her waist. On they slept, curled against one another; ignoring the sunlight sliding between the window shades and the desperate knocking on the door for housekeeping.
It was a three whole weeks before she saw him again after that night. Jin had found out that Asuka had spent the night with Hwoarang in his hotel room. He'd been furious, of course, and had ordered her to her room.
Only when Xiaoyu came to train with her or eat their meals together could she leave. In the twenty one days that she'd been held 'prisoner' in her room, Asuka had only found the opportunity to go to the beach once.
It was with Xiaoyu late in the afternoon the day before she was allowed to freely roam the mansion once again. The breeze was cold and the ocean choppy; a sign of the storm to come.
"I suppose Jin never told you," Xiaoyu began, sitting down on the white sand. She took Asuka's silence as a 'no' and continued, "He'd reconsidered his judgment of Hwoarang. He was going to tell you the morning you were caught but he heard from Christi first."
Asuka didn't say anything but sat down next to her friend. The waves were breaking not far from where her feet were buried in the sand. She shrugged her shoulders, not taking her eyes off of the horizon.
"There wasn't anything I could do," Xiaoyu whispered. "I tried to tell him that you're not any different than he and I were. But it didn't seem to work."
More silence; all that could be heard was the calling of a seagull far off. Finally turning to face Xiaoyu, Asuka's eyes were empty and blank.
"I'm so sorry, Asuka," she whispered, pulling her friend into a tight embrace.
"It isn't your fault," Asuka spoke softly, in perfect even flowing syllables. "Even if I had known, I can't say that things would have ended up any differently."
"His next fight is tomorrow," she began. "Against Steve Fox. I'm sure Jin won't protest to us going."
Asuka didn't say anything. Instead she pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. Her arms were wrapped around her shins and she sighed, closing her eyes.
"He's probably upset, Xiao," she whispered quietly. "It's been nearly three weeks and I haven't spoken to him."
Laughing a little, Xiaoyu smiled and stood up from her seat in the sand. "I might have sent him word of what happened. And he might have asked that I invite you to the fight."
"Xiao!" Asuka stood up, genuinely smiling for the first time since she'd come home that fateful morning. "How could you keep something like this from me?"
"He asked me to, Suka," she was being honest. "I'm not sure why, but it seemed like he wanted me to keep it a secret from you. I think Hwoarang's just a little too embarrassed to admit that he's got a crush!"
When Asuka woke up the next morning, however, she didn't much feel like going anywhere. Her head was spinning when she woke up and she was barely able to make it to the bathroom in time to lose most of the contents of her stomach.
It was raining outside; not much helping her already sulky mood. Xiaoyu was by her side, stroking her head and wiping her hair away from her face as she proceeded to vomit into the toilet not once but five times.
"You'll not be going anywhere!" a very upset Jin exclaimed upon finding the predicament his young cousin now found herself in. "Not until that flu or whatever you've got clears up!"
"But I want to see him!" she exclaimed, nearly causing herself to be sick again. "It's been three weeks, Jin."
"She does have a point," Xiaoyu innocently chimed in.
Rubbing his temples with his eyes closed, Jin sighed, "Fine, we'll see how you're feeling later this afternoon."
And with that, Asuka went back to bed. She was feeling much better, knowing that she would finally be able to see Hwoarang again. She'd force herself to get well; how, she wasn't sure. But you'd better believe she was going to do it.
She was feeling much better later that afternoon. It was nearing two thirty; his fight started at three. Upon a thorough inspection from Jin, it was decided that she could attend the fight; but only so long as she continued to feel well.
Xiaoyu was sitting next to her in the stands surrounding the arena where he was to be fighting. There was a boxing ring in the center. Immediately Asuka knew what that must have meant; this was Steve's arena and that explained why she hadn't seen it yet.
The fight was short; Steve really wasn't used to being hit as hard as Hwoarang was capable of hitting. Boxers really didn't mix well in the ring against someone with such grace and speed as a tae kwon do practitioner.
Xiaoyu left them alone after the match. It was her understanding that the two would go out for a quick bite to eat and that Asuka would be home early. She had her own match in the morning; this one against Steve's lovely Julia Chang.
"Asuka!" Hwoarang held out his arms to her after the match.
She jumped into his embrace; burring her face in his neck. "I missed you!"
"I missed you too," he smiled, holding her tightly in his arms. They stayed in the center of the arena, near the boxing ring, waiting for the crowds to clear out slightly. Then he asked, "Where to?"
"It's your choice," she smiled. "You're the winner tonight."
"Sushi it is then," he put an arm around her waist and led her to the door.
"Sushi?"
"Uhh, yeah," he scratched the back of his head and smiled nervously. "I love the stuff. Ever since I had it here in the third tournament; I just can't get enough."
Asuka laughed softly, holding onto his arm and letting him lead her to the restaurant. It was a short walk, which was lucky for them, considering he'd left his motorcycle at the hotel.
"Here's good," he stopped, holding the door open for her to enter the small and dark little corner shop. "This place is my favorite."
They took a booth in the corner, away from the door but not too close to the kitchen. Asuka opened a menu, scanning it for something that sounded appetizing.
"What are you getting?" she asked.
"Uhh," he opened a menu as well. "Not sure yet, why? Need help deciding?"
She laughed, "You wish! I live on this stuff. You're the one that I was worried about."
The waitress came shortly after and took their orders. She brought their drinks and a large bowl of steamed rice. Hwoarang began to scoop rice into two bowls and handed Asuka a pair of chopsticks.
They began talking, enjoying their meal until the food they had ordered was ready. Deciding to share, Hwoarang ate quickly, not noticing that Asuka hardly touched her food at all. She was beginning to feel sick to her stomach again.
"Something wrong?" he questioned. "Doesn't it taste good?"
"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just not as hungry as I thought I was," she pushed the plate towards him. "Want some of mine?"
"You sure?" he waited for her to nod before helping himself to her shrimp.
She really wasn't full; in fact, she was starving. But nothing tasted very good to her at the moment. The rice was too plain, the soy sauce too salty. She wanted something sweet.
Then she saw them; the sugar packets on the table. Of course! A little sugar on top of her rice would do the trick.
Setting to work to prepare her rice, Hwoarang watched with his mouth wide open. Was she seriously putting sugar on her rice? Just the thought made his stomach turn over.
"Asuka?" his voice showed all of his confusion.
"Hmm?" she didn't lift her eyes from her work.
"You sure you're alright?" he wrinkled his nose up slightly as he watched what she was doing. "I mean, you know that's sugar, right?"
"Yeah," she smiled weakly at him, finally realizing that she'd just committed a taboo. No one ate rice with sugar on it; it wasn't just the way that the sugar made the rice stick together that disgusted most people, but it was the grainy texture of it mixed with the too sweet taste. She defended herself quickly after this realization, "I just wanted something sweet is all."
"Here," he pulled the bowl away from her and set it on his side of the table, safely out of her reach. "I'll take you to get some ice cream or something. Don't make yourself sick from something like that."
She blushed slightly but agreed. When they'd left the restaurant, however, Asuka was no longer hungry for something sweet. She was in the mood for something fresh, like a mango or a papaya.
The next morning she woke up sick again. Instead of letting anyone else know about it, however, she decided to do her best to keep her spirits high. If she didn't acknowledge that she was sick then her body wouldn't be sick. It had worked in the past and she was determined to let it work again.
Dressing herself in her favorite pair of hot pink leg warmers and cut off jean shorts, Asuka sighed. This was going to be a big fight for her; it was the first one Hwoarang would be there to watch. She put on a hot pink tank top and headed for the doorway.
Her stomach still felt weak, but she blamed it on nerves. She'd tried not to let the schedule of fights get her down. If she won this fight then her next match would be against Hwoarang. The thought terrified her.
'One fight at a time,' she kept telling herself. 'You'll cross that bridge when you get there; if you get there.'
Julia was in the corner of the arena stretching. She was a bit taller than Asuka but hadn't seemed quite as fast. Asuka decided to follow suit; it wouldn't be good to pull a muscle in the first round.
Her stomach still felt queasy, but she was determined to win this fight. Hwoarang was watching her; she needed to do well. She needed to be strong.
The ring judge called both fighters to the center and went through a short rundown of the 'rules' before allowing the match to begin. Julia was fixing her boots and quickly jumped up, bowing her head slightly to Asuka.
Pointing her finger at the Indian woman, Asuka spoke confidently, "You sure? You sure you wanna fight me?"
The woman grunted, curling up her nose in a less than beautiful sneer. Her voice was low and she nearly growled, "Shut up and fight!"
"Begin!" the announcer called.
Julia attempted to strike first, throwing two punches straight towards Asuka's face. But she'd evaded and countered with two swift punches of her own, the first landing at the base of Julia's chin, the other in her abdomen.
"Argh!" the discouraged woman grunted. "Is that all you got?"
She struck again, this time with an intense series of three spinning kicks. Asuka barely got out of the way of the first. It grazed across her right but Asuka knew that no point was awarded; it had looked like a block, after all. She'd managed to stay out of the way of the other two kicks, however.
Asuka struck back, wasting no time before attempting to finish the young woman in front of her. She could feel her insides sloshing around and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. It was everything she could do to keep her mind on the fight and off of the constant desire to fall to her knees in a series of heaves.
'Hwoarang's watching you,' her mind rang over and over. 'You've gotta win; gotta stay strong Suka.'
One final kick landed to Julia's face and she fell to the ground with a moan. Asuka's head was spinning; she'd just won, Julia hadn't landed a single hit the whole match. She raised her hand in the air to acknowledge the cheering crowd.
In the back of her mind she could hear the announcer. Something about 'the first time in tournament history' and 'keep your eyes on this one'. But she couldn't quite make it out; her vision was blurring.
'Fatigue,' she thought. 'I'm so tired. I think I'll just lie down for a while.'
Her body fell to the ground next to Julia's still unconscious form. Everything was swallowed by the darkness; light, sound, and all of her senses.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly. The room was white; almost everything in it matched. The light overhead was too bright and it burned her eyes.
She moaned, bringing a hand to her face to cover her eyes. She didn't ache, but her stomach lurched. Asuka barely got her head turned inside before she began to lose the remainder of her insides.
"Suka," the voice was soft. "It's okay."
The sound of vomit hitting tile was replaced by one of vomit hitting plastic. And Asuka could feel a small hand gently rubbing her back; helping her keep her hair out of her way.
After she'd finally regained control of herself, Asuka looked into the tired looking eyes of Xiaoyu. She was hoarse, her throat hurting still, "Xiao, where am I? What happened?"
"After your fight with Julia you just passed out," Xiaoyu looked into her eyes, beginning to worry that she wasn't remembering what had happened. "No one knew what was wrong; we were all so worried about you. Jin had you brought here and he's barely left your side since."
"Where is he?"
"He's down at the nurse's station, speaking with the doctor," she lowered her eyes. "They're making sure that everything's ok."
"I feel fine, Xiao," Asuka sat up, beginning to lower her feet to the ground. "I think I'll be going now."
"No, no!" she gently moved to push the younger girl back in bed. "Not until Jin comes back; you'll just have to stay there until then."
It wasn't long until he really did come back, however. There was no doctor with him but he was followed by a nurse. He looked pale, not necessarily angry but not exactly happy to see that she'd finally woken up.
No one in the room had anything to say as the nurse checked Asuka's temperature and blood pressure. She'd asked Asuka a few questions that she'd found rather odd. They were personal questions that she'd have preferred not to have answered in front of Jin.
"You've been feeling sick to the stomach lately?" her voice was warm and kind. She stroked the hair off of Asuka's forehead as she asked.
"Yes," she looked towards Jin and Xiaoyu. "Jin says it's the flu."
The nurse blinked for an extra long time at those words. But she brushed off whatever feeling had caused that look upon Asuka's answer. "When did you last have your period, dear?"
"Last week," she said without really thinking. But then she began to worry as she realized that wasn't the truth. She stuttered as she corrected herself, "N-no, sorry, I skipped this month."
Jin closed his eyes and sank into the chair beside Xiaoyu after hearing this news. Xiaoyu took his hand in hers and held it against her heart. He could feel it racing; all now knowing well what was wrong with Asuka.
"Dear," the nurse said it so sweetly, stroking Asuka's soft hand. "You're pregnant."
She hadn't cried at the news. It didn't destroy her like it did most girls her age. She was going to be seventeen soon, after all. Her aunt Jun had only been eighteen when Jin had been born, her own mother only twenty.
The actions had been all her own and it was time now that she take on the responsibility that she'd brought on herself. Jin would take care of her; she knew that for a fact. He'd made that well known from the very beginning.
"You're going to need someone to take care of you both," he'd been sitting on the edge of her bed, holding her hand as he spoke to her. "You can depend on me and Xiaoyu for anything that you need. We're here for you always, no matter what; and that is a promise."
Jin hadn't been angry with her; not too angry, anyway. He was more upset with Hwoarang. Not that it was any more his fault than hers.
Xiaoyu had to beg him for more than an hour not to tell him about Asuka's condition. Over and over she kept telling him, "It's her place to tell him, not yours Jin. Leave her be."
Asuka had decided that she would tell Hwoarang the news that night when he came to visit her in the hospital. She'd been asleep for nearly forty eight hours and he wasn't a member of her family so he wasn't allowed to visit until she woke up. Asuka could only guess at anxious he would be to see her.
Visiting hours started at noon and she had no choice but to wait for when it was that he would show up. Jin and Xiaoyu had both left to give the two of them their space.
Asuka's heart beat quickened as the nurse knocked softly on her door. "Someone to see you, Miss."
She left room for him to enter before stepping out of the doorway herself. Hwoarang was cautious to enter the room, carrying a vase full of flowers in his arms. But he greeted her with a quick smile and sat down on the edge of her bed.
"How are you feeling?" he immediately set the flowers aside and brushed her soft brown hair out of her face. "God, you scared me after that fight! What was the matter anyways? She didn't even touch you."
"About that, Hwoarang," she lowered her eyes. She had been prepared to tell him everything. She wasn't going to cry on him, she wasn't going to get angry; she wasn't going to need to.
But everything about her plan, everything she had rehearsed to tell him suddenly left her. She was at a loss for words. Scared, tears started to well up in her eyes.
She looked away from Hwoarang to hide her shame. She remembered one of the first conversations that they'd ever really had with one another.
'Someday I hope I'll have a family,' he had whispered it so softly. 'But I'm not ready for one now; I don't want to settle down until I have to.'
Asuka knew that there wasn't anything she could say to make this alright. He'd asked her so many times the night they'd had sex if it was what she really wanted. And she'd said yes.
Thinking back on that night; all he'd really meant with those questions was of a way for him to get out; to stop before he had to go any further. It was a way out of their situation that she hadn't given him. But now was her chance to make up for that; she could make this all right by letting him out now.
"Asuka? Baby, what's wrong?" he lifted her face towards his and brushed several tears out of her eyes.
'Baby?' her mind screamed. She couldn't hold the tears back any longer and she was now openly sobbing. He'd wrapped his arms around her and her face was buried in his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry!"
"Shh," he rocked her back and forth. "Sorry for what? You didn't do anything wrong. It's alright, just tell me what's wrong."
She was nearly hysterical then. He wanted to help her; but she knew that he hadn't asked for any of this. It would be selfish of her to expect him to take responsibility for something that she, herself, had forced him into doing.
"I'm sorry," she was still crying, though her words made more sense now. "We can't see each other anymore, Hwoarang."
"What?" he nearly yelled, causing her to let go of his neck and pull her knees tightly to her chest. "Is it Kazama?"
"Jin?" it was Xiaoyu's voice, a little bit panicked. She'd called to him from down the hallway. "Hurry Jin!"
He was at her side then, looking at the scene in front of him. Asuka was sobbing on the bed, her face buried in her knees and her shoulders visibly shaking. Hwoarang looked on at Jin with such a hatred in his eyes.
"I swear Kazama, I'll-"
"Get out," Jin's voice was low, threatening.
"Fuck you!" Hwoarang spat at him. "I'll leave when I damn well wanna!"
"I said get out!" Jin yelled now, his face turning red.
Hwoarang began to move towards Jin but Xiaoyu stepped in his way. She begged, "Jin! Hwoarang! Please! Not here in front of Asuka! She's upset enough as it is!"
"Get him out of here, Xiaoyu," Jin ordered.
She obeyed, taking an extremely shocked Hwoarang by the wrist and leading him down the hallway. It wasn't until they were halfway into the elevator that his mind finally registered what was happening.
Jin had ordered Asuka not to see him anymore. That had to be the problem. That's why she was so upset. Hwoarang knew it could be the only reason to cause Asuka to react in sucha way.
"Hey! What's going on here?" he began trying to pull away from Xiaoyu's grip. But she was holding him too tightly.
"You have to leave," Xiaoyu spoke softly, not looking into Hwoarang's eyes. "Please, you heard what Asuka said."
"What the fuck?" he was yelling at Xiaoyu now. "You're on Kazama's side now, too? What the hell is all this?"
"I'm on no one's side," she looked at him genuinely, honestly. "But Asuka told you that she didn't want to see you any more. Please, respect her request and don't make this any harder for her than it has to be."
"Xiaoyu," his voice trailed off. "Why?"
"I don't know, Hwoarang," she pushed himgently into the elevator to ride back to the ground level. Her back was turned to the elevator as she finished, "I honestly don't know."
As she walked back towards Asuka's room, she remembered the conversation she'd heard between them. Asuka had started crying and then she'd told him that they couldn't be together anymore. But why? What was the cause of her sudden desire to be rid of him so quickly?
He was the father of her child. She hadn't even given him the option of staying to take responsibility for his actions. Then the thought struck her; was Asuka afraid of what his reaction might have been to the news? Was she afraid that he would reject her and their child?
Or was there some other reason she hadn't told Hwoarang? It wasn't right for him not to know; Xiaoyu was certain of that. The child Asuka was now carrying was as much his as hers. They'd both done their equal part in creating the child. It was only fair that they should share equally in the responsibilities attatched to rasing that child.
Xiaoyu stayed in the hallway, pondering what had caused Asuka to change her mind so quickly. She could hear Asuka still sobbing and the low voice of Jin comforting her.
"Shh," he whispered. "It's alright. I'm still here."
"Jin," she kept crying his name over and over. Her voice sounded muffled. Xiaoyu knew that her face was probably buried in his shoulder.
It was nearly a half an hour before Jin stepped outside of the hospital room and closed the door. She'd finally fallen asleep; though Xiaoyu could have only guessed it wouldn't be long before she woke up once again.
Xiaoyu questioned softly, "Jin?"
"She's fine."
"He's gone," she didn't need to say any more.
"How could that goddamned bastard just leave her like this to raise their child alone?" he raged. "Why the hell is he running from this responsibility?"
"I don't know, Jin," Xiaoyu lied, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. It wasn't that she didn't understand why Asuka had done what she'd done. Maybe she did, in a way.
Besides, there was no way that she could tell him what she'd overheard between Asuka and Hwoarang. Xiaoyu knew that it was best to let him go on believing what he believed right now because he would never be able to understand otherwise.
Author's Note: Holy Cow this was a long chapter! But hey, it's finally finished, the story of how Hwoarang and Asuka first met. And maybe did a little more than just 'meet'. But anyhoo, tell me what you think. Was it worth the wait? Does it need something more?
I'm thinking of continuing this story from after 'Masterpiece'. You'll have to read that (if you haven't already) and let me know what you'd all think about that idea. The more I write, the more I absolutely LOVE this pairing!
Ok, two things that I should mention about this story before concluding this little note to you all. I want to apologize for how cheesy I think I let the ending get. If you read the chapter titled 'Masterpiece' before this then you already knew that she had to end up pregnant somehow. I just hope that the whole part about her finding out wasn't too hoaky.
What can I say though? I was a bit rushed in the ending; I wanted to get it up as quickly as possible for all of you! Especially ericaTEKKENfan who has been a MAJOR help in urging me to complete this story.
:story dedicated to Erica:
Well, that's all for now, thanks so much for reading! Please let me know what you think. Happy writing, ja mata ne!