Hello! Publishing this a little early because, well... I feel like it. Quick reminder that King is bi as fuck and Jessica is not canon.
Onward~
Although L'Amour hadn't yet closed for the night, King was given the all-clear to leave since her work was done. However, she was far too wired to just go home, so she excitedly texted her girlfriend, Jessica, told her she had some good news, and asked if it was okay for her to come by (which was more of a formality than anything, since they had been together for so long that she had the spare key). Once she was told that it was okay to drop in, she climbed into her car, removed her bow tie and cummerbund, and drove off. Not even fifteen minutes later she stood in front of Jessica's door, still giddy over what transpired earlier. She couldn't wait to give her girlfriend the rundown about her night — to tell her all about how she finally dished out the rest of the payback she dreamt of for the better part of two months.
"I'll be right there," Jessica's muffled voice called when King rang the bell (another formality, of course). Within seconds the door to the apartment was pulled open, revealing the smaller, darker woman, who offered a warm smile despite the late hour.
"Hey, babe," she greeted jovially. King took in every aspect of her appearance, from her stylish t-shirt to her neat curls and felt a sudden need to just… be with her. Other than her little brother, Jessica was one of the best things in King's life — a connection to the normalcy she lost when she initially took the bouncer job. She looked down at the other woman for just a moment before leaning in and kissing her passionately. Jessica, who seemed momentarily surprised, eagerly kissed her back, and the two moved into the dwelling. King used her foot to kick the door behind the pair closed; she then started to clumsily unbutton her own shirt while Jessica reached for the clasp on her slacks. She finally pulled away, tossed her top on the floor, and quickly began removing the athletic tape that was keeping her breasts flattened.
"Bedroom," she said breathlessly.
###
It was a little while later when King and Jessica were situated in bed, both a little tired, but freshened up and satisfied. After their very intense… "session," King recounted every detail of her run-in with the Black Cat whose name she hadn't bothered to learn: her initial shock when she saw him, the pleasure she took with every blow she landed… and, of course, the money.
"Getting my hands dirty was worth every penny," she stated while she fiddled with the zipper on the front of her sports bra. "But even if Big hadn't paid me I'd have been completely fine with it."
"So, if you had come back and he said he didn't have anything for you, and just left it at that, you wouldn't have had a problem with it?"
Jessica's expression was full of doubt.
"Not at all," King replied casually. "You know what that incident did to me. And I got the opportunity — through sheer coincidence! — to give that guy what he deserved. So I did."
"I understand that," Jessica started slowly, "and I'm happy for you because you got your revenge…"
"But…?" King prodded while turning on to her side and bunching a pillow under her head.
"But my girlfriend is dressing as a man and beating up would-be rapists in dark alleys."
Much to King's surprise, Jessica's cadence was incredibly abrasive.
"Key word: 'rapists,'" she shot back, a little perplexed by the change in tone. "You can't tell me that it wasn't justified."
Jessica rolled onto her stomach. She rested her chin in her hands and regarded King with something that was somehow foreign… and very unnerving.
"How badly did you beat him?"
"He'll need a substantial amount of dental work," King answered without missing a beat. "And a lot of painkillers because I'm pretty sure I broke his jaw — and maybe a rib or two. But he still had to get Big his money, so I was a little gentler on him than I could have been."
The look on Jessica's face made King deflate instantly, and the two fell into a somewhat uncomfortable silence.
"Come on," King started gently. "You know that I —"
"Look. If I were in your position I would have enjoyed beating up someone who tried what he tried, too. But I feel like… overall… you might actually… like this job…?"
"...What?"
"I haven't seen you this happy since Jean was allowed to go home."
"I just put a man who tried to rape me in a parking lot in his place," King replied. "Even better is that I got paid to do it! So of course I'm happy!"
"And his boss?"
King quirked a brow.
"You mean Turner?"
"Yeah! He's the one who beat you up and now you've taken out another one of his guys. Aren't you afraid of what he might do to you when he finds out?"
"He's not going to do anything to me," King assured Jessica coolly.
"You don't —"
"Big's orders are Big's orders, and it's very clear that Turner has to respect them. And, even then, if he lays a single finger on me I'll —"
"Céc —" Jessica reached out to place a hand on King's arm — "he probably does know who you are! So it doesn't matter if you were to win a rematch against him because you'd still lose! He'd go to Big and blow the lid off this whole thing, and then…"
She trailed off while averting her gaze.
"Jess," King sighed. "You can't think like that. I can't think like that."
"No, but you need to think about Jean," Jessica retorted sharply.
"What?! Why are you bringing my brother into this?"
"He's already in this, Céc! The whole reason you started doing this was for him! And now, if that man realizes that you're the woman he beat the shit out of — "
"Do not," King said through gritted teeth.
"Do not what? Tell you how it is?"
"Look —" King abruptly sat up — "I've learned that… Jack… is an idiot. Yeah, he stares sometimes, and I am a little worried about that, but, honestly? He's too stupid to figure it out! They all are!"
"Do you even know what you look like?"
King made a face as she turned to glance at her reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall. She then looked back to Jessica, who was staring at her intently.
"Of course I do. Why —"
"Look again, Céc. You have two earlobe piercings in each ear, no stubble on your face, and your eyes are an uncommon shade of blue. Not to mention your voice. Do you really think that not a single person will eventually catch on?"
King pressed her lips together and focused on Jessica, a little aggravated. However, as much as she hated to admit it... her girlfriend was right. Those were all very defining features that, if noticed by the wrong people, could royally fuck her over.
"Just get out of there, Céc! It's still early…! Make something up and leave it behind...!"
"You know it doesn't work like that," King quietly remarked.
"So, what? Are you just gonna do this forever now? You're in for life?"
"I'm in until I get what I need to help Jean."
"Sure. Tell yourself that in six months. A year. You'll get your money, but then you'll stay. You'll keep being Mr. Big's lapdo—"
Jessica's eyes went wide as she stopped herself from completing that thought. Meanwhile, King took a deep breath as she rose to her feet, angry.
...But also hurt.
"So that's what you think of me."
"Céc…!"
"I should leave," King said curtly. She bent to pick her pants up from the floor, put them on, and started walking away.
"Maybe... I shouldn't have said that," Jessica mumbled from her place on the bed.
"No," King told her, trying to keep her voice level, "If that's how you really feel, then you should say so."
King left the bedroom so she could retrieve her shirt and shoes, her anger starting to boil over as what Jessica told her really began to settle in her mind. She pressed her lips in a thin line while willing herself to keep a cool head.
"I'm glad you were honest," she stated flatly when Jessica emerged from the bedroom. "You know that honesty is important to me, so I appreciate that."
"Céc, I—"
Jessica started toward King, who was hastily pulling her shirt on, but suddenly stopped. She crossed her arms over her chest and just… stood, watching her with a strange expression. King cut her off the second she parted her lips to speak.
"Oh, and for the record? I do get a little gratification from this because all of those men are trash," King fumed while buttoning her shirt back up. "And I relished every second of the beat down I gave tonight. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But I am not anybody's lapdog!"
"That's not what I meant," Jessica began. "I just… please don't leave like this. I'm worried about you. That's all I'm trying to say."
"Je n'ai rien à foutre."
King slipped her shoes on and grabbed her athletic tape from the floor while Jessica approached her.
"Cécile...!"
"Don't call me that. Actually, don't call me at all."
"You can't be serious!"
King sighed. She turned to peer into Jessica's face, which made her anger fade into something that was closer to a crushing sadness than anything else. No matter what she said or did, Jessica could never understand what she was thinking or feeling when it came to the job.
It was because of that, and the lapdog comment, that she needed to get out of there — to just go home and think.
"I'm sorry," she said while she moved closer to the other woman. She gave her a peck on the forehead, took a deep breath, and made her way to the door.
"I appreciate your concern — I do… but what you said to me sucks and I need to be alone for a while."
With that, King pulled the door open and exited the apartment, into the brightly lit hall, while Jessica locked up behind her. She trekked through the passage, one hand on her head, which was beginning to ache, and the other clutching the athletic tape very tightly. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks as a feeling of unease came over her. She had the strangest feeling that she wasn't alone. Eyes narrowed, she took in her surroundings — which were completely unremarkable — before continuing to the elevator.
"Merde," she whispered sadly.
Another pretty self-explanatory chapter here.
* At this point in time Jess has not strayed yet; she's sincere in her concern and hasn't gone and did her thing yet.
*Jessica is not white; I've mentioned that she favours Nathalie Emmanuel in the past, but whether or not anyone was paying attention remains to be seen. This is important later.
* King's eyes are a very distinct dark blue, as are Jean's. Family trait. (Also, if you look at her dialogue portraits in KOF XIII the blue used is a darker shade than what's common.
* Jean being allowed to go home just means he was in the hospital again
* Two piercings in each earlobe just because it's a super common thing *shrugs*
* Je n'ai rien à foutre = I do not give a fuck
* Merde = shit
As always, thank you very much for taking the time to read and/or comment/review! I super appreciate it! Also, once again, special thanks to RobertCop3, David Tai, and jojoDo for putting up with my shit, and iwewia for the never ending support! I adore all of you! Cheers!