Chapter 13: And yet here we are
Disclaimer: Urgh, look at people, walking around, drinking cups of tea, getting bits of sandwich round their mouth as they eat, god they're disgusting; I say fuck people, people ruin everything, look at them; look at their eyes and their ears and their hair growing on their stupid fucking heads; they make me fucking puke, I wish they were DEAD, all of you, right now, I fucking hate you and I SINCERELY HOPE YOU ALL JUST FUCKING WELL DIE! IN THE MOST BRUTAL, MOST oh, here's my tea. glug glug glug Ah, hello world. Isn't everything just pleasant?
A bit of a more boring chapter here. Just sort of linking stuff up to the last two chapters, which will be super awesome sexy.
Err, yeah, by the looks of my plans (what plans?), after this one, there's going to be three more chapters and ZEN IT VILL BE OVVER, MEIN FURHER!
Jinrei's meditation was uninterrupted. Calm. Serene. He waited for advice. He had hoped to finally gain some truth on Xiaoyu's whereabouts.
"I can tell you that, Jinrei." Came a familiar voice. "Though you will not want to know." Jinrei turned around. Jun stood there, tears coming down her cheeks. Jinrei rose to his feet.
"Tell me. Please." Jun sighed as Jinrei said these words.
"You will hate me for telling you this…and you'll hate Morris even more."
Morris didn't really notice anything when he finally woke up.
The whole world seemed distant, almost like a film. He could talk, he could see, he could hear. He was aware of everything that was happening. He could respond. But nothing felt real. He didn't feel any pain, or any emotion at all for that matter. His brain and body were simply on auto-pilot.
"Wellington-san, please." Came the doctor's voice.
"Yellow." Morris mumbled vaguely. He reached for the whiskey flask on the side table, but knocked it over by accident. He didn't even seem to notice.
"Wellington-san." The doctor asked, trying and failing to hide his impatience. "We've been asking you for an hour to pay attention." Morris didn't even register. He poked the corner of the metal table. The sharp point cut the skin slightly, leaving the line where it protruded Morris's fingertip white. He examined it for a while, before looking back to the doctor.
"When did you come in?" He asked. The doctor sighed.
"There are some people to see you." He said dejectedly. "Not that you'll notice them. Wellington-san, please take the blanket off your head." Morris turned his head around.
"Smells a bit funny in here." He said. "A bit like piss."
"Might be because you pissed yourself." Came a very familiar voice. Morris suddenly was dropped into the real world. The voice made him once again regain life, making him feel an emotion since he awoke. It was a cold bucket of water, a punch in the gut, a good hard smack on the cheek. He kicked up his legs, throwing the blanket into the air and rolling onto the floor quickly. He rocketed up, amazed at his own strength.
"You know, Asuka," He murmured, flexing his arms. "- I think nearly getting killed was the best thing to ever happen to me." He shook all his limbs experimentally. "I feel as if I could lift the moon. I'm better than ever!" He turned to face Asuka. "How about you?" Then he saw her. Her eyes held a tired misery. Her hair was still a mess, tangled and wild. She stood with no strength, almost unable to stand up at all. She looked into his eyes with a despondent stare. Morris stared back blankly. "So, cheer-up sex?" Asuka's eyebrows furrowed angrily. She gritted her teeth. She clenched her fists. Morris wasn't bothered. He saw no fire in her eyes, only amusement, and he could easily see her anger was forced. Her arms began to shake, and her lips curled.
"Same old Morris." She suddenly slammed into him, wrapping her arms around him. She fell into place with him in her grip, as her body began to warm for once. She felt as if she could hold on forever, as the cool breeze came in through the window and the first ray of sunlight she had seen in days came beaming through the window, shining through the remaining raindrops that remained upon the glass, making the floor seem made of yellow diamonds. Asuka's smile grew and grew as her mind calmed itself. She finally began to feel that everything was ok.
"I just jizzed."
"Thanks Morris, you really know how to keep the mood alive." She said, backing away, somewhat annoyed. She looked away, out the window and to the rising sun. Morris joined her gaze. "Morris, do you remember anything of what happened three nights ago?"
"Asuka… it's a nightmare I can't remember." Morris said. "I don't know what happened. I was bleeding. I passed out. I'm here."
"Same." Asuka said. "Though something tells me that he's dead…" She checked to the doors and the room, making sure no one was listening in. "… and that I killed him." Morris looked to her. She looked to him. She expected shock, or joy, or anger, or even disappointment. Morris's face held none of these things. It was a blank look of recognition, almost seeming as if he had expected to hear it. She decided to continue. "… something happened that night… to me. I can't remember what, but I just remember…"
"… remember what?"
"… just… white." She finally said. "And the songs of birds and the smell of nothing and the essence of everything."
"Deep." Morris said. "Sort of introspective thought I have after I have a wank."
A pause.
"…" Asuka decided what to say. "… yeah, just going to ignore that one entirely." She waited. "… where was I? No, I remember. It was just…"
"Funny. Milky. Sexy. Made of jam." Morris suggested.
"… weird." Asuka said. "I don't know why I know he's dead, or how I killed him, but I… just… did…"
Morris thought for a while. "Hang on, did you just say three nights ago?" Asuka blinked at him.
"Morris, we've both been out cold for three days." She said. "I woke up ten minutes before you."
"What about Xiaoyu?" Morris said.
"Has been awake the whole time." She said.
"Ask her what happened then." He said. Asuka shook her head.
"I haven't had chance to see her yet. I hear that she's in shock." She said. "She apparently hasn't spoken to anyone, not even the doctor." Morris curled his foot into the tiled floor, a stern frown upon his face. Asuka looked. "Why'd you ask?"
"Three reasons. One," Morris began; "– I might hate her guts, but I have a soul. Two, she's met Johnny." Asuka shuddered suddenly. Morris just held back his gasp as she suddenly glowed. She shone a bright white, almost as if she was on fire. Her irises vanished, replaced by a flare. Her skin looked like glass, shimmering like water and as hard as rock. Her hair shot up like a threatened animal. But the aura. Morris would never forget the feeling of raw power in that room, as it almost seemed to move the room. It was there for a second, and gone the next. Outside, dogs were heard to be howling in unison.
"Don't… say his name." She murmured. "… still gives me the chills." She looked as if she was about to cry. She shook herself. "Sorry, I'm being daft."
"No… you're not… Asuka?" She looked to Morris. "… I'm…"
"… yeah?"
I'm so sorry, Asuka, for getting you into this. I should've told you that I had a price on my head, and that you were in danger, and I should've ran after the ambulance and I should've been aware of anything untoward…
"Morris…"
… and I totally could've handled him but he took me by surprise, so I'm sorry about that too, and also you didn't get to see me without my trousers, so you missed out there, sorry, and there's that dead rat I left behind the sofa at the room, but I had nowhere else to…
"Morris!"
"… and I've never been in a spaceship…" He stared at Asuka for a while. "Which reason was I on?"
"Reason three."
"Three;" Morris raised his finger dramatically. "- somebody's not going to be pleased with the way Xiaoyu's in and the fact that … he's dead if what you say is true."
"What, who?" Asuka asked. "Who in their right mind would miss a despicable little cunt like… him?"
"I wouldn't say they were in their right mind." Morris said, looking to the door. "Three, two, one…" The door burst open. At the door stood Jinrei, his face a stone. Not an emotion shone, not a piece of life. His eyes held the coldness of an icicle, and his stare pierced like one too. Morris rolled his eyes. "So, Mr Miyagi, what dribble do you have today? Anything about devils, or Johnny's decent heart, or perhaps you've found the truth in voodoo and have brought us a chicken to slash up." He then jumped back as Jinrei swung a punch. The punch only just caught Morris, who bowled over in pain. "The hell, old man?"
"Why?" Jinrei asked. "Why did you do it?"
"Do what, save Asuka?" Morris asked. "Wouldn't you?" Suddenly he was punched in the temple, and forced to the ground by the vigour.
"You're a liar." Jinrei murmured, restrained, as if a dam in his throat held back his anger. "A cheat. A murderer." Asuka looked to Morris.
"And you're a mental, beardy, untrustworthy old twit." Morris replied. Asuka pulled at her hair. "Anything else, or do you want to lecture me some more?"
"Xiaoyu's in shock! Asuka's been beaten! Johnny's dead!" Jinrei suddenly shouted uncharacteristically. Even Asuka was taken aback at this new rage as Jinrei's eye pierced into Morris, who sneered in anger. "DO I NEED TO MAKE A CASE?"
"Yeah, well, maybe you should've believed me!" Morris shouted. Jinrei pulled Morris by the collar.
"BELIEVE YOU!" He threw Morris into the wall. Asuka stood forward to protest, but Jinrei ignored her. "YOU TRICKED XIAOYU INTO GOING TO FIGHT SOME KIDNAPPERS WHO WERE AFTER YOU! SHE WAS BEATEN! SHE WAS BROKEN!"
"AND SHE'D BE DEAD IF I WASN'T THERE!" Morris replied. Jinrei snorted sarcastically.
"HOW?" He asked. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO SAVE HER?"
"I GOT JOHNNY TO COME OVER, THAT'S WHAT!" Jinrei suddenly punched Morris. The force rippled through his cheek. Asuka pulled Jinrei away.
"Stop it!" She barked, but Jinrei elbowed her away. Asuka stood shocked. Jinrei turned to face her, and Morris leapt up suddenly. He threw Jinrei out of the way. Jinrei landed on his feet, but crashed into the wall, cracking it slightly.
"Why are you still blaming Johnny?" Jinrei asked. "I know Johnny better than anybody, he'd never kill." Morris rolled his eyes.
"WHO DID ALL THIS THEN, THE MAGIC MAN FROM THE SKY?" Morris shouted. "FACE IT, OLD MAN, YOU'VE BEEN HAD! WHO TOLD YOU ALL THIS? XIAOYU'S NOT BEEN TALKING FOR THREE DAYS AND ASUKA AND I HAVE ONLY JUST WOKE UP!" Jinrei suddenly gave away a small look of shock. He clenched his fists and raised them, reasserting his anger.
"I don't see why I should tell you!" He shouted. Morris began to laugh.
"You've been had twice, haven't you?"
"Morris, why?" Jinrei asked. Morris stood stunned. "You think you're not an evil man, so why?"
"Why what?" Asuka suddenly asked, looking to Morris.
"Xiaoyu was tricked into going the front way…" Jinrei told her. "Morris then went in through the back, leaving her to be attacked by his kidnappers. He framed Johnny..."
"That's bullshit!" Morris shouted. "Why would I frame Johnny? Why would I need to? Johnny's evil! He's murdered countless people, and Asuka and Xiaoyu and I were all going to join them! He's a sick demented freak!"
"SO ARE YOU!" Jinrei shouted, his fists shaking and red. "YOU TRICKED XIAOYU, LEFT HER IN MORTAL DANGER! I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED YOU ORCHESTRATED THE WHOLE MESS!"
"That is insane!"
"Is it?" Jinrei suddenly began to calm, though clearly still angry. "I've heard many things about you, Morris Wellington. Your life on the streets hasn't gone unnoticed. Or your life behind that!" Morris snarled.
"Don't go there, Jinrei, you don't know me." Jinrei turned to Asuka.
"Should I tell you about a certain night, ten years ago?" He said. Asuka raised an eyebrow. Morris became confused. "… did he ever tell you what happened the night his mother died?" Asuka shook her head, looking to Morris, who sighed.
"Asuka, it was my uncle Spike." He murmured. "He had good reason to; he was a good person…"
"I'm not talking about Spike or your mother." Jinrei said. "It's the other one." Morris suddenly looked to Jinrei.
"What are you on about?" Morris said. He looked into Jinrei's eyes, which seemed to search through him, looking for the truth. Morris suddenly felt as if a searchlight was reflected onto his heart, and his own eyes widened. "… oh god no."
"Yes, Morris." He murmured sadly. "Do you even know what her name was?"
"You fucking well dare!"
"Morris, what does he mean?" Asuka asked.
"I mean, that Morris should finally tell you whether or not he is a murderer!" Jinrei shouted. Morris looked up. Asuka's world suddenly darkened. The pained look on Morris's face told her everything she needed to know. Morris looked to his shoes. He wanted desperately to vomit. Asuka suddenly felt crushed.
"You didn't…" She stepped back. "… no, no you can't have… no… NO!" Morris remained silent. Asuka suddenly felt weaker. "… you didn't…"
"… Spike killed my mum…" He said. "… because she had forced him to. She used to dismantle crime rings as private investigator of sorts… and there was a new rookie ring called the Stamfords… but they were far cleverer than anyone else before them, and quickly we were all in trouble… and she called Spike… and they decided… my mum decided that if she didn't die and take a load of them with her, then the Stamfords would kill everyone I knew within the month… and… and she wanted to buy them time…"
"This is insane." Asuka murmured, seeming to lose her already shaky stance.
"… so they filled the room from top to bottom with dynamite… and they waited for the Stamfords to come… and they came, and Spike blew the place up… and that should've been it… but…" Morris awkwardly squirmed, scratching the back of his neck with two hands like a guilty child. "… some of them had survived, and there was this bitch…"
"I'm not hearing this!" Asuka shouted, gasping for air.
"… and she… she was one of their big ones… and she tried to follow me…" Morris choked back a tear, himself desperate for air. "… and I didn't understand anything, and I reported Spike… and soon this bitch found me… we met in this alleyway… and she told me who she was, and that she wanted payback… and she began to chase me…"
"… this isn't real!" Asuka curled up on the floor, pressing her ears against her head.
"I was… was ten at the time and… and I didn't know what to do… and I was so angry when she told me what had happened… so I stopped running… and I grabbed an iron bar to defend myself… and I wasn't thinking and it… just… happened…"
"YOU CAN'T HAVE!" Asuka screamed and wailed, begging for it to be a lie.
"… I killed her." Morris finally said, drooping to the floor himself. "she had ran straight onto the end and it went right through her stomach… but she was still alive… and she still tried to
"THIS ISN'T REAL! I'M NOT HEARING ANYTHING!"
"… and I was scared and lonely and angry… so I pulled the pipe out and bashed her head… and she was dead. I went home… and my home was on fire… and Johnny Showdown had burnt the place to the ground… and if I hadn't reported Spike at all… then he'd have driven the Stamfords away… then all the people in that flat would still be here…" Morris scratched his eyelid with his fingertip. "… but they're gone becau… because I fucked up." Morris fell onto his back, looking up to the ceiling. "… sixty three completely innocent people are dead because I was angry, and I fucked it all up."
The sun still shone on, oblivious to what had transpired in the hospital room. The raindrops glistened like small suns. Second became years as Morris sat, shattered and broken, as Asuka looked. She tried to process what Morris had told her. She couldn't breathe. Her throat had clogged up. Her eyes watered and glistened. Tears fled from her eyes down her cheeks, dropping to the floor, embracing the cold hard touch.
"You see, Asuka…" Jinrei finally said. "Morris Wellington. Liar. Cheat. Murderer."
"I…" He lamely defended himself. "… I was just going to knock her out at first and… and she was going to kill me… what else was I going to do?" Asuka crawled over slowly to him. He looked up. "Please don't leave…" But Asuka didn't know what to do. Jinrei came over, and picked Morris up onto his feet.
"… and now you've killed Johnny Showdown, and you beat and broke Xiaoyu..."
"… no." Asuka said to Jinrei. "No he didn't." Jinrei looked to her.
"Asuka, what are you…" Jinrei stiffened. "You aren't siding with him, are you? This… murderer, this…"
"ENOUGH!" Asuka suddenly shouted. Jinrei was taken aback as the aura returned and left once again. Asuka looked to Jinrei harshly. "If you're so sure of what happened three nights ago, why won't you tell us who told you all this? And how do you know of what happened ten years ago?" Jinrei simply looked stunned. "I don't care what Morris has done in the past! I don't care if he's a liar! Or a cheat! Or even a murderer! BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO GIVES A SHIT ANYMORE!"
"Asuka, what are you…"
"MORRIS…" Asuka suddenly stood up, seeming to fill the room with her new found height. "… IS SO FAR THE ONLY ONE WHO SEEMS TO ACTUALLY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING!"
"He's just spent ten years of his life running away from his problems, how is he…" Jinrei began, but was interrupted.
"YOU'RE SO DESPERATE FOR JIN TO BE STOPPED, AND YET YOU REFUSE TO DEFEAT HIM YOURSELF! WHEN I WAS KIDNAPPED, MORRIS COULD EASILY HAVE RAN AWAY AND ESCAPED JOHNNY SHOWDOWN FOREVER, BUT HE DIDN'T! WHENEVER YOU GO ON A WEIRD SPIRTUAL JOURNEY, YOU JUST SAY THAT YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO YET DON'T TELL ME WHAT YOU SAW!"
"Listen, Asuka…"
"Go Asuka! Kick him in the balls!" Morris shouted sheepishly.
"MORRIS HAS BEEN STRAIGHT WITH ME EVEN WHEN HE MAKES NO SENSE! HE HAS NIGHTMARES! HE'S TIME TRAVELLED! HE'S GONE THROUGH SHIT NEITHER YOU NOR I COULD IMAGINE AND IS THE ONLY LEFT WHO IS ACTIVELY TRYING TO DEFEAT JIN AT ALL!" Asuka stopped, breathing heavily. Jinrei looked to Morris, who seemed to have a smug look on his face.
"You know, I've never been on this side of an argument before." He said. Jinrei leapt for him, but Asuka suddenly batted Jinrei away. Jinrei was thrown into the window of the ward. It cracked heavily, not shattering but buckling under the strain. Jinrei looked to Asuka in horror.
"… I don't care who Morris was." She said. "I love him for who he is, and frankly there are more important things at stake right now than what Morris did ten years ago." Jinrei stood up. Asuka stared him down. "Get out!" Jinrei looked to the two, before running to the door. Sound seemed to leave with him, as did motion. Neither Morris nor Asuka moved nor made a sound. Morris could feel rage and anger tightening the
"You are so fucking hot when you're pissed." Came a small voice.
"Don't push it, Morris." Asuka said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"… because I'd tried to forget it myself." Asuka looked to him. Morris stood up, still scratching his hair, looking at her rather bitterly. "She was scum, ok? She had stabbed a woman who had done her no wrong."
"How does that make it better?" Asuka barked.
"Could ask you the same about Johnny." Morris said. Asuka felt as if she had been punched in the gut. The blunt frankness of the words seemed to bring home the levity of her actions. Morris walked closer to her. "We all do things we know are bad." He said, slowly, as if still thinking of the words to say. "We all do things that are stupid, or dangerous, or just plain wrong. She was one of the few things I've done that I'm not proud of." His stare seemed to go right through Asuka, scanning for any sign of agreement or acknowledgement. "I can't say if I was right or wrong, only that it happened, and I can't change it."
The two said nothing for a while. They just looked at each other for a short time. Morris looked to the window. Asuka sighed.
"Morris, who are you?" She asked. "You just don't seem to be real. First time I met you, you were a drunken dickhead, then you were a tragic orphan, then you're a fun-loving carefree nice-guy, then you're desperate and panicky, then you're defensive and angry, and now you're a murderer." The look she gave Morris wasn't one of anger or hatred, but one of, to Morris's shock, sorrow. Her gaze simply shimmered, as if looking for a stick in a whirlwind. "So which is it?"
"I don't know." He replied. "If I knew, then my life would be a hell of a lot easier." He smiled to her rather suddenly. "Though thanks for sticking with me, babe." Asuka tried to think of a reply.
"Don't call me babe." She said. "You make me sound like your girlfriend."
"Well, you did say that you luh…" Suddenly Morris dropped forward and he was somewhere else entirely.
"Easy there." Came a calm voice. Morris looked up. Jinrei smiled at him. "Had a little too much to drink?" Though Morris immediately wanted to punch him in the face, he looked around first. The smell of the hospital was gone, as was the salt from the tears. It was replaced by soothing flowers and the fresh smell of newly cut grass. He looked around. People. All a manner of people. All in white. He saw flowers blow in the wind across the crowded space in the meadow, overlooked by a small house, Japanese in design, but with Western materials and layout. The house stood upon a cliff. Despite the warm, calm atmosphere, Morris instantly knew that none of it was real, and this unnerved him more than anything else. Morris looked to Jinrei.
"Not enough drink." He murmured, running through the crowd. He barged and pushed past everyone he so much as brushed against, desperately hoping to find an escape. Then he saw Spike. He smiled and ran over. "Spike!" Spike looked to him. "Where the fuck are we?"
"… how do you know my name?" Spike asked him. Morris looked to him.
"… what?" He looked around. He noticed the table behind Spike. "Actually, could you pass us one of those prawns?" Spike kept watching him, passing him a prawn on a stick. Morris nodded goodbye, and ran through the crowd some more. He looked around. He saw Xiaoyu, in the arms of some young looking, well built man who looked a lot like Kazuya. Her hair was long again, in cute pigtails and her classic school uniform. She looked to Morris.
"Have we met?" She said. Morris rolled his eyes.
"Oh, not you, you're the last thing I fucking well need!" He pushed past her. He was grabbed on the shoulder by her well built companion.
"That's my girlfriend you've just pushed." He said. Morris turned around.
"Look, piss off, will ya?" He suddenly looked behind the man's shoulders. He gulped. Johnny stood there, chatting to some young woman. Morris decided to act on impulse. "YOU BASTARD!" Johnny's vision snapped to Morris as Morris elbowed him. Johnny dropped to the ground, as Morris began sending fist after fist on him. Blood collected on his knuckles. Then he suddenly felt two arms snap under him and throw him off.
"What the fuck d'you think you're doing?" The woman shouted. Morris looked up. Asuka stood there in a low cut bridesmaid dress, anger on her face. Morris's jaw dropped.
"The bride and groom are here." Came some indistinct voice. Morris didn't notice, gawping at Asuka.
"Get out, prick, and stop looking down my top!" She shouted.
"I just jizzed." He murmured in reply. He looked over. Kazuya stood at the centre of a gap in the crowd, beaming and smiling. The smile looked weird on his face, as if somebody was serving chocolate pudding at a Weightwatchers meeting. And linking arms with him was a woman who looked much like Asuka, with a few differences. She was taller, for a start, and much less stocky. Raven hair touched her small shoulders, her eyes gleamed violet. She too was beaming, with a brilliantly warm smile, until her gaze shifted to Morris. Then suddenly, the mood shifted, and Morris felt it. The wind picked up, colours began to fade, and the atmosphere became wire tense.
"… what the…" She murmured. Suddenly everything other than her began to dissolve. "How did you get here?"
"Where is here?" Morris asked. The world became a black and red, incoherent spiral. A purple fog began to swirl around their feet as the bride looked straight at him.
"HOW ARE YOU HERE!" She suddenly threw her arms out. Lightening fizzed across the span of her arms, as her clothes formed into black goo. It covered her lower body and her arms. Morris started to drool.
"That is among the hottest things I've ever seen!" He shouted. The woman looked up.
"Why is he here?" She asked. Then Morris looked up, and gulped.
The wolf's black and purple fur rippled with delight as its snarl of razors pierced the fog that was its cold breath. Drool fell across its maw, and its claws curled with anticipation. It was colossal, easily larger than any building Morris had seen. Its yellow eyes glimmered like stars in the night sky that was its furry head, large and proud, standing upon a muscular torso. It seemed to be burning with blue flame as it shook with glee.
"I wanted to spice things up a little." It said. "I wanted to show him a real liar! A real cheat!" It shrugged its shoulders dancing its fingers around Morris. "A murderer, as you called him." It looked to Morris. "I thank you, so I'll tell you now, Morris." It sniffed his fear slightly. "Devils are very real Morris. You're one of them!"
"… if you don't crush me, I'll tickle your tummy?" He asked, suddenly having the hand slam onto him and he threw his head up on cue. Asuka was over him on her hands and knees, shaking him awake.
"Morris, are you alright?" Asuka asked him. Morris stared at her. He looked around the room. The same hospital room. The same smell of tears. Same cracked window. Same tense atmosphere.
"I need a bit of fresh air." He murmured, before pushing her off him and bolting for the door. Asuka followed. They were outside quickly. The sky had darkened. The air was cool, the wind stinging Morris's eyes slightly as he looked into it, observing the grey plaza of fresh grass. Asuka walked over slowly.
"Morris, it's going to rain." She looked to him. He didn't say anything. She guessed what he was out here for. "Morris, about I said in there… I meant every word." She looked to him, but he wasn't concentrating. "I don't care about who you were. I know you wouldn't kill anyone if you weren't forced to, and I know you're a good..."
"Devils are real." Morris said. Asuka stopped.
"What?" Morris didn't say anything for a short moment.
"There was this wedding and Jinrei and Spike and Xiaoyu were all there and they didn't recognise me and Johnny was there and you were chatting to him and you were wearing this low cut dress so I could see your knockers and then this chick came along…"
"Morris, you're not making sense." Asuka said.
"… and this wolf was like 'devils be real, bitch' and Jin's a devil if I face him he's gonna use his voodoo on me and turn me into a Swiss roll or whatever…"
"Wait, Jin's an actual devil?" Asuka asked.
"… and I'm totally gonna get killed and I'm all like shit and I'm scared and I wanna go and I'm terrified and I'll die and there's still that dead rat behind the sofa that I didn't clear up…"
"MORRIS!" Asuka shouted. Morris looked to her. She looked for words, desperate to say something. "Why don't you just leave?" She asked him suddenly. She cringed instantly. What kind of question is that, idiot? Morris just stood there, unmoving.
"… you're here, I guess…" Morris said. Asuka looked to him. He looked to her. His eyes already had rings under their eyes. His face had more scars than ever, and his eyes now held a slight loneliness. She looked as a blonde strand of hair brushed lightly across his face. He suddenly clasped at his eye. "ARGH FUCK GET IT OUT GET IT OUT!" He bowled over, but Asuka didn't really notice, simply staring blankly into space.
"Nuts to the flat chested queen of fairyland; frankly, I've got bigger priorities than a bad tempered kissogram."
"Like what? No wait, let me guess, you've got some breasts to ogle over rather than actually training for…"
"You, actually." Morris said, not a trace of a smirk.
"ARGH MY EYE HURTS LIKE FUCK!" Morris wailed.
He sighed. "So this is how it's going to be." He walked over to her. "Asuka, if you stay here, Johnny will kill you, and I don't want that. But if you wanna end it all…" He then amazed her, kissing her on the cheek as a husband would to his wife before going to work. "– go get'em, baby." He walked over to the door and stepped outside with a spring his step.
"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST SOMEBODY KILL ME ARGH!" Morris wailed.
"… I don't care who Morris was." She said. "I love him for who he is, and frankly there are more important things at stake right now than what Morris did ten years ago."
"Ah, it's out now." He said. Asuka looked to him. He looked back as if nothing bad had ever happened to him in his life, proudly holding up a strand of hair as if it were a trophy. "Sorry, you were saying 'bout the stuff you said?"
"Actually, Morris…" Asuka said.
A pause.
"… Asuka?" Morris asked. He lightly placed his hand on her wrist, and curled his fingers into her palm. She looked to him, observing his beady eyes, scanning for any hint of warmth. She looked up to the greying sky, as clouds swooped in like vultures, and began to throw down their gift to the earth, a cold unfeeling barrage of rain. Morris looked up. "Asuka, if you want to say what you were going to say before the rain gets heavier, that'd be perfectly cool with me." He tugged at her hand. She pulled at him suddenly, holding him back.
"Morris, why did you save me?" She asked. Morris raised an eyebrow. He looked to her eyes, which held uncertainty.
"Why wouldn't I?" He replied simply. He looked to the clouds once more as the watery barrage continued, becoming only more ferocious. "Asuka, this isn't really funny, I'm going to get soaked." He pulled and tugged. "Come on, bitch, let's get inside!" Suddenly Asuka pulled him back harder than before, throwing him around and sending him to the floor. He smacked straight into a puddle. Mud and water splattered across him. He looked up to a beaming Asuka, whose eyes and smile was mischievous and clever. He plucked a globule of muck for himself and launched it at her. It hit her cheek with a harsh slop. She started to giggle.
"Morris, you just don't have a clue, do you?" She laughed, wiping her cheek. She held the last droplet on her finger, balancing it easily, before sending it rocketing into the rising Morris, himself holding two handfuls of mud. He threw one at her as she ran to him, before she tackled him to the ground, sending the two back into the puddle. She looked onto him a short distance above, her head sheltering his from the rain, her hands slightly grazed by the landing, the pain ignored. "Get it now?"
"Nope." Morris said rather stupidly. A flash of disappointment skimmed across Asuka's face. Then she saw his smirk.
"Morris, you're such a shit liar. And you look like shit."
"And yet here we are." He said. The two laughed harder than they had in days.
"Why the hell am I doing this?" Asuka asked to nobody in particular, before locking lips with him, recognising warmth in him that had for a few moments seemed lost.
The rain didn't stop for hours, and while this didn't interrupt them, they did stop every so often at first because Asuka didn't like Morris grabbing her bottom every ten seconds.