A/N: Kind of a double-edged sword this time. Quick update, but short chapter. Even shorter than usual. Sorry about that, I'll try to make the next one longer to make up for it. As always, let me know what you thought, and if there are things that I can improve on. (I'm sure there's tons!)

NEVER EVER

Since that day
I haven't been able to belong to anyone
I've been searching for your warmth.

Chapter Six: Our Reunion

There's a couple of seconds after I realise that Jin isn't returning my hug where I just tighten my hold on him, as if that'll somehow spur him into action. It does, but not in the way I'd hoped. He puts his hands on my shoulders and pushes me back gently, and I feel my face heat up in embarrassment, taking a confused step back.

"Jin?"

He looks at me, and I've daydreamed so many times about this moment, about seeing him again and him holding me close and telling me how much he's missed me, his gentle kisses, the way his hands always come up to run through my hair. I never imagined when we met again I'd end up standing in front of him like this, confused and rejected, and he'd be looking at me as if I were near enough a stranger.

"Why did you come here?" he asks.

"What?" I wrap my arms around myself; the cold breeze swirling around us is making me shiver. "I… I was invited."

"Invited?"

"Anyway, where have you been all this time?" I try again, smiling at him. He only shakes his head.

"It doesn't really matter."

"It does to me. I was worried. I thought -"

"Who invited you?" he interrupts.

"Heihachi."

"You've kept in contact with him?"

"Yes, Jin." I try to keep the exasperation out of my voice. "He was worried about you too."

"I'm sure." Jin scoffs. "Did he tell you that?"

"No. But come on, think about it. He's your grandfather."

Jin says nothing, just narrows his eyes and looks away.

"What happened to you, Jin?" I reach out to touch his arm, and he brushes me off.

"Listen, I've gotta go."

"You what?"

"I've got things to do."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. I reach for him again, but he turns away and starts to head over to the arena gates.

"So that's it?" I call after him, somehow managing to keep my voice even. "That's all I get?" He stops, turns slightly. "I waited for you! It's been two years! You promised me…"

Jin takes a couple of steps back towards me and then seems to think better of it.

"Look, you should forget about it."

"Forget…?"

"Forget the promise, forget… two years ago."

Forget? Forget how he kissed me breathless, how he took my hand and pressed it to his chest so I could feel his heart beating, how he smiled and told me he'd come back?

"How can you even say that…?" My chest's tight with panic, my eyes burning. "I waited two years to see you again, and you act like this? Why? I missed you, Jin. That promise was…"

Everything.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made a promise I couldn't keep."

I shake my head, not willing to accept what he's saying.

"Jin, something happened to you, didn't it?" I grab his hand, desperate to get through to him, to see some warmth and emotion in his eyes. "Tell me what happened. I'm here, Jin."

For a moment, he lets me entwine my fingers with his, and I feel his grip on my hand tighten, but only for a second, and then he lets go.

"Nothing happened."

"Then why didn't you come back?"

Why didn't you come and find me, like you said you would? Why haven't we spent these last two years together?

"Xiaoyu, I'm sorry." He looks at the floor, over my shoulder, anywhere but at my face. "I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise, and I'm sorry you waited. Like I said, just try and forget about it, okay?"

He starts towards the gates again, and I watch him, speechless. I want to run after him, to burst into tears and hit him and scream at him. I want him to put his arms around me and let me cry like he did in my dream. I want to wake up.

"I wanted to see you…"

But not like this.

I wanted to see you smile.

The wind blows my hair in my face – I never did borrow those hairgrips from Miharu – and I lift my hand to tuck it behind my ears, and I'm shaking. My throat's tight, and Jin's retreating figure blurs and dims as tears well up in my eyes, even though I do my best to blink them away. I almost give in right there, almost lose control and let myself cry, but two warm hands on my shoulders keep me together, and I feel myself being gently turned towards someone, pulled in close to them. Then there's his voice, that voice that I haven't heard for two years, not since that night he told me to stop crying, that he'd see me soon.

"Kazama, what the hell's your problem?"

Jin stops in front of the gate, looks over his shoulder.

"Can't you see she's upset? What the fuck's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry."

"Asshole."

I hear the metallic squeal as the gate opens and closes behind him. Hwoarang tightens his arm around my shoulders, and it's as if his presence brings me back to myself, gives me back my voice and tells me it's okay to let go now.

I feel tears tumbling down my face as I violently shrug his hand off me and shove him away, and I can hear myself shouting at him but I can't control what I'm saying. It's like I'm separated from myself, watching from a distance as I snap that he's hardly any different from Jin, that he left me too, that he promised he'd write to me, that I sent letters and he never replied. I'm vaguely aware that I'm directing all of my anger and hurt towards the wrong person, that I'm not being fair, but I can't help it. Hwoarang catches my wrist as I try to hit him, pulls me into his arms and tells me it's okay, and I really want to believe him.

"Why didn't you write?" I ask, voice wavering, and I feel him sigh.

"I did. But I've got a feeling they never got to you."

"What, you forgot my address?" I snipe.

"I sort of… made enemies with some of my superiors."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"You know what I'm like. Not good at taking orders. Like to do my own thing. Not exactly army-friendly qualities, right? So this one time I really pissed off my commanding officer, can't remember what I did, but he says he's cutting off my contact with home. Says that'll learn me some obedience."

He makes a dismissive noise. "Anyway, there was this one guy who I got on with really well. He said he'd sneak my letters in with his and get his girlfriend back home to send them on. Guess she never did."

"No, I don't think she did." I say, matter-of-factly, starting to become myself again.

"I missed you, kid."

"I missed you too."

I look up at him. It's the first time I've seen him in two years, so it's no surprise that he's different. He's got more muscle than I remember, though that's not much of a shock considering he's been in the army. He even seems taller than I remember, but he's still got the same spark, the same smile. I take it all in, can't help a grin from spreading across my face, and he frowns, touching his hair self-consciously. The last time I saw it; it was messy and long, pushed back by his biker goggles. Now it's short, spiky and going in all directions. Still as messy as ever, and still red, but the sun's bleached it lighter than it used to be.

"Cute." I laugh, reaching up to touch it, and he rolls his eyes.

"I hate it. I'm growing it back."

Your smile that day
The passing seasons and our parted love
There's nowhere for them to come back to.

--- Tori Ni Naretara, Aikawa Nanase