Chapter 3: Confrontation

King was out, training himself in the weight room in the main floor of the Mishima Hotel. I stood on the balcony of our room on the third floor. The view was a lively beach, but not even the beauty of nature could cheer me up.

As I looked at the water of the ocean, I wished that it would come and swallow me up, take away my pain. But I knew that would never happen. And besides, King would be devastated if I disappeared. He lost his original step-father, King the First, and then he lost Armor King to the wrath of Marduk. How would he react if he lost me as well?

I looked down to the ground beneath me, watching as Xiaoyu and Miharu tossed a beach ball to each other. Next to them, Christie and Eddy held hands sitting on the floor watching the two of them, laughing happily. As I saw their hands joined together, I noticed that my face tightened. Was I jealous of other people's happiness?

"Why…? Why can't I be happy? How come everybody else can and I can't?" I said to myself. As I spoke, the only person I could think of was King. I saw all the good times we had, all the laughs we shared. I just wished that King would appreciate me on a higher level, not viewing me as a friend and step-son…but as a partner. I knew it sounded bad, but King was my friend before he became my step-father. We weren't even related. That would make it okay...wouldn't it? I sighed to myself. Of course it wouldn't. I straightened myself up as I went back inside of my room.

"I just wish I could tell you King. Things would be so much easier if you knew-" Suddenly, I bumped into someone as I pushed open the curtains to go back inside. It was King.

"If I knew what?" he said cheerfully.

I stared in shock, quickly thinking of something to say, but nothing would come out. Finally, I mustered up the courage to speak.

"I…it's nothing important. I was just thinking aloud." I said, hoping he would buy it and drop the subject.

"Everything would be easier…if I knew what, Pete?" he replied.

'I have to think of something…' I thought to myself.

"I just meant that…things would be easier if you knew how much I missed my family. That's all."

King stood firmly, his eyes fixated on my facial expression.

"So…did you get a good workout?" I said as I walked past him and towards the bathroom. I opened the door as I heard him slowly following me. I drowned out the sound of his heavy footsteps by turning on the faucet, splashing water onto my face to clear my thoughts.

"Pete…" I heard King say as his voice now felt next to me.

I looked up at him as he leaned against the wooden doorframe, waiting to hear what he had to say. My heart was beating at such a fast pace, I thought it might explode.

"If you have something to tell me…I just want you to know that I'm always here for you." King told me. For a moment I considered revealing the truth, but then I thought 'but at what cost?'

Would I ruin my relationship with King by telling him the truth? I don't know, but I didn't want to ruin anything between us at all. Then I remembered what King always used to tell me: "Sometimes the only way to move forward is to take that giant leap."

Okay. I'm ready…

"King…can I ever say anything to make you change the way you feel about me?'

"You know the answer to that Pete. You know I care for you no matter what." He replied.

"Yes, but…would your feelings diminish?"

"No way! You're my step-son, there's nothing you can say that will make me reject you."

What he said…only reassured my doubts. "Only a step-son…" I said aloud, whispering to myself.

There was a knock at the door and I straightened up, looking up to King. "Guess I'd better get that…"

As I walked past him, he grabbed my arm and turned me towards him again.

"…When you're ready, I'll be waiting to hear what you have to say."

I looked into his green eyes, and I knew he was telling the truth. But for some reason, I wasn't willing to take the chance…not yet.

"Thanks." I said as he let me go. I turned to get the door. Upon opening it, I realized that it was Julia, the girl I'd been dating for months now and one of my best friends. I smiled, but I knew as well as she that it was fake.

"Pete, we need to talk…" she said. I looked back to King, who motioned for me to go. She has to know, she deserves to know. I just hope I won't hurt her feelings. You see, while King had just told me that there was nothing I could say to hurt him, there was no guarantee that Julia would be just as generous…