A/N: I've always had a thing for creating pairings with KOF characters. So naturally, this fic will be about many different pairings. And even though Duo Lon will seem to be the focus most of the time, expect chapters in the (third person) POV of other characters, such as Yuri Sakazaki (who doesn't love the funny relationship between her and Robert?), as well as others. A good part of the cast from all KOFs are to show up one way or another, sooner or later. That said, expect to see many canon and crack pairings. Anything can happen.

If OOCness shows, this is just my take on the characters and it's how I view them. I actually think I, strangely, always write KOF chars differently with each fanfic I create, so even I think they're oocing sometimes? lol. But yeah. And if anything sounds funny or wrong, please forgive my English, it's not my first language, and also any other phrases in other languages.

This is a work of fiction made to amuse, and I do not own any of the characters in any way. All I own here is the plot and the fanart made to the cover. Hope you can enjoy this one way or another :)

[Multi-pairing / love drama fic]

Pairing/couple: many

Rating: T (13+)

Genre: drama/romance

~Intertwining Strings~

Chapter 1: Red String

Duo Lon took a jacket and left the apartment. He needed to spend some time alone. It had been a few weeks since him and Shen Woo had moved to that place in the Kyoto capital, lent to them by Benimaru until they could find their own place. The blond model and fighter had insisted they stayed, but him and Shen were against it and had been looking for an apartment of their own since they arrived. That afternoon had been one of those in which they walked around the city, visiting a few places and real estates, and the mahogany haired young man was worn-out, so going to a bar/coffee shop would surely be nice to chill. As he exited, he left a note to Shen, who was already out, in case the other arrived before him.

It had just gotten dark outside as he made his way to a nearby pub, walking slowly in the streets of Nakagyō-ku. No wonder Nikaido would have an apartment in that ward of the city, known for its historical sites and famous Matsuri festivals, as well as the shopping and entertainment centers. When he got tired of Osaka, he probably took the train and spent a few days or weeks there in Kyoto.

He entered the establishment and sat on a table for two by the wall. He didn't intend to share it, since he would just have something and leave back home, but it was the best option available if he didn't want to occupy much space. The waitress approached him and he asked for a cup of green tea, which she quickly brought him.

While drinking his tea, Duo Lon decided to take the time to mentally organize a few things regarding the apartments he and Shen had seen that afternoon. But as he started thinking of it, a young, dark-haired woman suddenly sat on the chair on the other side of his table, cutting through his line of thought.

"Well, if it isn't the Deva of the Nan Di..." he said, calmly.

"Don't call me that." The woman replied, her voice threatening.

Duo Lon took another sip of his tea, his eyes hiding shades of surprise and puzzlement. Seeing a long absent childhood friend out of nowhere would be something to baffle anybody, one way or another. Although it made sense that she, Luan, found him sooner or later, as she had already in past years, it still made him wonder how that came to be this time around.

"I suppose you're not here to reminisce the good old times, so I guess it's better we both cut to the chase. My father is dead. What do you want?"

"I know."

She paused. Duo Lon found that extremely odd and irritating. He stared at her, up and down. She was nicely dressed, casual sweater and jacket. A bit too normal for her standards, but he guessed Luan, much like himself, was now trying to lead an ordinary life since the whole ordeal with their clan was over. It was not really resolved yet, but currently, with his father found dead, and the other members still left missing, there was nothing they could really do.

Luan looked up and then back down, staring at the table. She looked troubled.

"Left with no purpose in life after finding out about his death?" Duo Lon guessed aloud. "I don't know who did it, either. It was not me. If you thought of seeing it out with me, you got nothing. I'm sorry."

"It's not that..." She sighed. He couldn't make anything out of that. If it was not about Ron, what could she be after? They had no business together anymore. They never had. "I just... I wanted to see you." She tried to smile, looking back at him. "I... I wanted to know how you've been taking it..."

"Taking it? What's it to you?"

"Duo Lon... Please, listen to me. I know, it's really strange that I showed up here suddenly, and you must be surprised, but I thought it was time... I have to apologize for... for everything. I was blinded by my desire of revenge... but now that that's out of the way, I am actually glad... that now I can see things with my own eyes. And I realize how important you are... to me."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. That talk was extremely odd, and it made Duo Lon impatient. Luan had her hands on the table, as she moved them nervously. It was not like her to be so tense. He was starting to figure out what she meant, but he decided to play dumb.

"Please, Luan, leave the past in the past. I'm sure you can see I'm trying to lead a normal life as well, and it hasn't been easy."

"Because our clan may be gone, but we're still Hizoku at heart. It hasn't been easy for me, either. And I realized, I... I've been thinking, I needed someone who lived the same way I did."

"I can understand that." He tried a reassuring tone, but he realized his irritation was not easy to contain. He genuinely did understand her condition. She was probably alone. Leading a life she wasn't meant to have. With the clan gone, both himself and her had lost pretty much everything they had. But still, somehow, he didn't want any involvement with her anymore. Luan was past. She reminded him of a time he cherished, but which was also painful to remember.

"Duo Lon, I'll be straight with you... I really like you. During all these years, I saw you as an enemy, but now it's clear to me that my obsession was misleading me, and, actually... I have other feelings for you." She said and then she sighed, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but her body tensed even more. It didn't come as a surprise to Duo Lon, though. He was seeing through her since she uttered his name the first time in that conversation. "I want to be a part of your life. I want to stay with you."

"You know there are certain things involved in living with me... I am not your ordinary guy."

"Don't act like you don't know me, Duo Lon! It's what I've been trying to say. I am a Hizoku like you... I can bear this burden. It only makes sense that we-"

"I can't... I can't correspond to that feeling, Luan. I'm afraid I am already interested... in someone else."

Luan sighed. Her brows furrowed, curling her expression into a sorrowful one. Duo Lon averted his eyes. He wished he could look like he cared. But the woman in front of him couldn't bring him anything but disgust. The friend he saw in her was long gone, and whatever feelings he could've ever had for her were simply a distant memory. Now, she only looked like as much of a traitor as himself.

"I thought so. You prefer the one you'll have to hide your true self from?"

Duo Lon looked back at her, his eyes narrowed. "If they can't comprehend my condition, I am willing to live however I have to if that means being true to myself. Lying about the one I love would mean hiding."

"They? Can I at least know who I am losing you to? A man or a woman?"

"Don't make it sound like I ever belonged to you."

Silence. Her expression darkened even more. Duo Lon knew he was being crude, even rude, perhaps stupid. But knowing how stubborn the woman was, he judged right to be honest with her. She could take it. She had to.

"Afraid of telling me who you really became? You're pathetic, Duo Lon. I never thought I would see you like this. The Duo Lon I knew would never put himself under like this. You make me feel like an idiot for telling you my feelings... Maybe I shouldn't have come here."

Luan got up from her seat bluntly and walked steadfastly to the exit. The mahogany haired young man only stared. Then he brought his attention back to the cup sitting in front of him on the table, still pretty much full. The steam went up from the tea in it like the turmoil of thoughts in his mind, shifting and mixing in a confusing and desynchronized dance. Even so, at the moment, he had no doubts about what he had just done.

Reaching for the pocket in his pants he took up his cellphone, went through his contacts and stopped on the one named simply "Shen". It took him a few seconds to decide whether he would really call that bastard or not. Should he do so, he knew they would probably have some very uncomfortable conversation about how Duo Lon dumped the only woman who would probably ever be able to really coexist with him.

"Shen? Where are you?"

"I'm at King's... What's up?"

"Oh, right. I take it you wouldn't be up for a drink with me?"

"Bros first, man... where you at?"

A few minutes later Shen arrived at the bar Duo Lon was at, sporting a sour expression. Something told the young man his older friend knew what that was all about, as he sat at the other side of the table. Duo Lon took a sip of his tea, feeling something he would mistakenly describe as uncertainty.

"Gēmér. Zěnmeyàng?*" Shen affectionately called his friend, greeting him in mandarin as he sat on the other side of his table.

"Hey. That's fast."

"Yeah, you know it's not far."

"How's King's business doing, by the way?" Duo Lon asked. King had recently opened another branch of her bar in Japan, and it was right there in Kyoto. Things were going very well for her in Europe and Southtown, and with the visibility provided by the King of Fighters tournaments it only made sense that she expanded the brand of Illusion.

"It's going well. Guys be talking about planning a surprise party for her later this week. It's her birthday soon. Garcia and the Sakazakis, mainly. Well, Yuri, at least." Shen chuckled, as he raised his arm to call the waitress. It was nice to see the man cracking a smile, pulling the conversation to a lighter tone than Duo Lon thought it would be.

"No kidding. That Ryo guy is still giving you the cold shoulder?"

The waitress approached them and Shen ordered a cup of coffee. Duo Lon stared at him as the girl walked away, gesturing with his hand as if asking 'why coffee?' since that was not much like Shen.

"I already had my share of today back at the Illusion" The blond laughed warmheartedly. "But yeah, that Sakazaki... Well, you heard him that time, he insists it's because I beat him during last KOF and he wants a rematch and all that, but damn... I'm starting to think it's something else."

"Of course it's something else" Duo Lon smiled. "You think he's blind? He must have noticed the way you and King act around one another."

"We haven't made it official yet...!"

"But your attitudes don't lie" the younger one chuckled.

Shen smiled awkwardly, his cheeks flushing a little. The waitress brought his cup of coffee and put it on the table as he thanked her. "Dude, let's not talk about me, ok?" Shen's face turned to a serious expression. "I can see you wanted to be alone, that's why you came here instead of coming with me to King's. And I mean, I know it's not in the nature of men to talk about our problems openly, but you called me here. What's the matter?"

Duo Lon inhaled deeply. "It's not a problem..."

"You name it, but I know something went on."

The brunette avoided his friend's eyes, turning his own to his tea. Why, yes, good question, did he even call the other? He felt like he had played a trick on himself. Telling Shen and talking to him about what just happened wouldn't help at all. It was not like he needed help, either. He was just confused. And why? Why was Luan confessing her feelings for him such a troubling thing? Duo Lon sighed, again, and after a few seconds, which Shen respected in silence, he felt ready to talk, bursting it all out at once:

"Luan found me, she came here and declared her feelings for me."

As he finished the sentence, Duo Lon raised his eyes again, only to see Shen didn't look surprised or anything. He simply reacted like good old Shen:

"That Hizoku bitch?"

Duo Lon only nodded.

"Man... I don't know what to say."

"I didn't, either."

For a moment, Shen and Duo Lon paid attention to the ambient sound of the bar, such as the lively conversations, the background music and the chinkling of the glasses and bottles, as both men remained silent. The place was fairly well attended for rush hour on a wednesday, as some tables were still vacant. For a neighbourhood bar with no name, it was a nice and somewhat cozy place, lit by reddish orange lights on the walls and tables. Everything looked new and recently renovated, which indicated it was probably established not long before the Illusion. Duo Lon wondered for a moment if the other bar was not going to be a threatening competitor to this one.

"Yeah, so" Shen started suddenly. "I can't fake it with you, I was the one who told her you would probably be here..."

The younger of the two looked up at the other in slight astonishment. Duo Lon thought of so many questions to make he ended up not speaking up any of them and simply left his mouth agape, as if he was going to start something, which he didn't at all.

"She... She came up to me. She talked to me, first. I think I should have told you." Shen paused, but apparently he noticed Duo Lon wasn't going to say anything, so he continued: "Well, she found out, somehow, we were living here in Japan, and she contacted Nikaido first to know where we were. Top model's got a big mouth, and he told her. I don't blame him, though, he didn't even know her. She said she was a good friend of yours, he complied. Makes sense, actually."

"Why did you...?" Duo Lon was sincerely confused.

"Well it didn't cross my mind it could be a problem. I mean, I remembered she had kinda like a grudge on you because of... that man." Shen made another short pause after referring to the man Duo Lon resented the most, which caused him to frown slightly again. Remembering his father was never pleasant. Shen continued "But she came like, all friendly and stuff. I suspected something was up, but at the same time, I thought there was no point in lying or shooing her out. I trusted if she wanted to fight you, you would be able to take care of yourself. So I told her."

Duo Lon looked back at his tea. Shen was right, there was no point in avoiding Luan like she was some kind of mortal decease. If she wanted to kill him, it was about time they settled it. Obviously, Shen didn't see through her, and didn't even think of the possibility that she actually wanted to tell Duo Lon she loved him, that much was clear - but in not knowing it, Shen threw his way something much harder to deal with than a crazed assassin looking for revenge. Duo Lon could take care of himself. But he couldn't handle this kind of situation.

"I think I should apologize-"

"No, don't." Duo Lon stared at Shen again. "No, really. It's not your fault, it's not Nikaido's fault. I... I should..." That was the problem. He didn't know what he should do. He didn't even know why he cared so much, in the first place.

Shen Woo, on the other hand, knew his friend way too well, and Duo Lon, knowing him too, could see he was analyzing the whole situation and his every gasp and body language behind his blond bangs and chocolate colored eyes. Maybe he was learning that from King. She was good at that, too. And Duo Lon could tell, Shen knew what he was thinking before he could express it out loud, so the next question didn't seem at all odd, because he could understand where it was coming from:

"Why do you worry so much about what you're gonna do anyway, gēmér? I mean, she came here, told you her feelings for you, you turn her down... and that's it. You two go your separate ways. End of story. Bùshì ma?**" Shen was right again, Duo Lon couldn't deny that. But still, it bugged him. It bothered him in a way beyond he thought it could. Before he himself could elaborate on why that was so, the older one continued, leaning on the table to speak closer to him. "Duo Lon, you got another woman on your mind. But are you sure Luan is not in your heart?"

The phrase sounded a bit weird to Duo Lon's ears, since Shen was not the type to speak like that. But at the same time, it seemed like the most suitable way to put it. It made him think. And, somehow, it also made him scared. Afraid not to know what was it he really wanted.

"Wǒ bù dǒng... *** " he said, an expression of defeat forming on his face, his hands clutching to the tea cup. "It seems... wrong. To accept Luan. Doesn't seem right."

"Well, maybe we should go back to France. Well maybe not we. Maybe you should."

"What are you talking about? You can't take care of an ant, how would you be by yourself?" Duo Lon looked both surprised and amused.

"Yeah, look, Lon..." Shen didn't seem at all offended with the other's joke, but he continued with a serious look "I've got King here, and you got Xiao Lon there, she's still with... her. With Elisabeth." He sounded cautious on that sentence, and Duo Lon knew why: Shen knew his feelings for the french woman, and much like himself, his friend didn't seem comfortable enough to speak about it openly, or even mention her. "Maybe it's time for you to... you know. Go for it. Go on with your life."

The brunette's expression changed from surprised to confused as he frowned. He wasn't sure what to make of that. It was clear Shen Woo did not intend to say he wanted Duo Lon to leave him alone or anything of the sort, he felt honest concern coming from the blond's words. But even so, he couldn't really decipher what made Shen come to the conclusion that leaving for another country, away from his best friend, would do him good.

"No, Shen..." Duo Lon sighed after a few seconds of silence. "I can't. I wouldn't feel comfortable with that."

"Okay, maybe you don't have to go live there, just be there for a few weeks... I mean, be there for your sister, and try and tell a certain somebody how you feel... If it seems wrong to stay with Luan, maybe by trying to be with your French girl you could, I don't know... see how it goes, and figure out what you really feel. Not to mention you would get to see Ash, that boy's humour would surely lift your spirits. Ah, I miss him." Shen raised the cup from the table and drank his coffee, putting it down afterward.

The mention of Ash somehow lightened the mood of the conversation that was already starting to feel too heavy for Duo Lon. Thinking of Elisabeth made his heart wrench, and something inside him seemed to want out. The mere thought of her caused him to want to do things he never thought of doing before - and it wasn't even about physical things. It made him want to become someone else. It made him want to let go of his past and current self, and become a new person, one he thought would be more adequate for her. He didn't think he'd be good enough for her in his current condition. She deserved an honorable man and everything else. He wished he could be that man. Was that it Luan meant to say before? About not being true to himself, depending on the person he loved? But the thought of being by Elisabeth Blantorche's side felt right, and it brought butterflies to his stomach, so many he felt stupid. He had such an infatuation for her, as much as he wanted to change, that didn't seem wrong.

"Okay, I get it..." Duo Lon said, surrending to Shen's idea. "But wouldn't you be willing to come with me? I mean, we haven't found any good apartments yet, maybe being away for some time would help us get a refresh... I mean, we've been on it for weeks. I'm tired."

"Hahahah, I am, too" Shen opened that big grin of his, which made Duo Lon smile back. "Yeah, ok, I'll think about it. How about next week? I sure don't wanna miss King's party. You'll come, right?"

"Of course, and I'd be glad to help. Have you guys decided what you'll do?"

"Yeah, well, we need help getting her out of the bar so we can decorate it..." Shen said, a thoughtful look played on his eyes as he finished drinking his coffee. "You done with that? We can go to Illusion and if everybody's still there we can plan it out more carefully."

Duo Lon took the last of his tea and chuckled to himself. Shen was another guy when he dated someone. He always suddenly got excited about planning out parties and special occasions. It was something quite funny to witness.

"Let's go."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

* Gēmér. Zěnmeyàng? (哥们儿. 怎麼樣?) - Mandarin - Dude. What's up?

** Bùshì ma? (不是吗) - Mandarin - isn't it?

*** Wǒ bù dǒng (我不懂) - Mandarin - I don't know.