Random fact: Nina's got the eyeliner on in a pinup style in this chapter. You can google it if you want to see.

Plus I always wondered how come Nina grew out her hair in T6? Did working with Jin finally let her have her hair grow longer? Could be just a reasonless thing but girl's gotta have a theory. Nina's always had really short hair in all the games up until T6. In the intro, when she was wearing her coat and that leopard scarf, her hair was so short. Towards the end of T6, her hair is long. I needed a theory for it.

Anyway reviews will be appreciated. Thanks!

Updated: 8th of January 2022

Chapter Twelve

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They sat in the fancy restaurant waiting for their food. Nina was skimming through her phone for work and Jin didn't have to ask twice to know she brought her job to the damn table. Ever since she came back from G corp, it's just been about work with her, he silently fumed. The traces of 'Interesting Nina' he witnessed slithered away. His rational side was convincing him that it was for the best, keeping her at arms lengths was better because he could not afford to go through another heartbreak or take an emotional risk.

But his eyes wandered as if they had a mind of their own.

But her appearance was captivating. Her eyeliner was thick on the top lid which screamed dramatic. Her hair, short as it was, was kept to one side, exposing an ear with a shiny earring hanging from it. The one shoulder dress she was wearing, in the shade of sparkly coral made her look stunning. When Jin first saw her like that, he almost couldn't recognise her. Other people wouldn't recognise her at all. He figured that was the point.

He observed the area, it was bustling and he felt like he was in a movie scene. He wasn't obsessed with opulence but he figured Nina would have liked something like this. Suddenly the blonde peeled her eyes off the phone and looked at him.

"You really shouldn't be out, Jin. It going to get dangerous." She said to him in a concerned tone.

She couldn't forget about his father's scheming. Kazuya had far more business acumen and experience than Jin. It was clear he had no fatherly affection for his own son. They had to be careful. She was very worried for him.

He scoffed at her words. She's the one who suggested this dinner.

Jin frowned. "You're no fun."

"I'm not paid to be fun, I'm paid to keep you alive."

Jin rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. Then you can help me not die of boredom."

She opened her mouth in response and tutted. "My, someone's a moody man aren't they?"

Nina then tucked her phone away, finally getting that Jin was irritated about her bringing her work to the table. It was a terrible habit but she didn't think Jin would care. He obviously did.

But why? She gave him a questioning look that demanded he explain himself.

"Every minute may be my last. I don't want to spend it being bored and not living."

Impressed that he could read her eyes, she mulled over his words. She hated being reminded of him thinking that he was going to die after all this was over.

"Well, what constitutes as fun to you?"

"I'd like to know you better."

She raised an eyebrow. "How is that fun?"

"Answer my question."

"You didn't ask a question." She shot back.

So he rephrased his statement as a question to please Madam Workaholic. Jin braced himself for the tough journey of getting Nina to loosen up. He even told her she could question him too just to make it fair.

"Do you have a hobby?"

"I'm into…," She paused, trying to find something to say. "I can cook."

"You can?" He sounded in awe.

She noticed the gleam in his dark eyes.

"Don't get too excited, Kazama. It keeps me busy and I don't trust other people to feed me all the time. Besides, it's as a survival skill."

And a coping mechanism for depression.

"Name me one dish you'll never forget to cook."

"Dutch baby pancakes." She said

He had to research that one. Of course a woman of her calibre would know unknown dishes. He pegged her as the type to achieve anything she set her mind too really. A wonderful woman. A high achiever. Jin was curious about the dish now she mentioned it. He never seen it in his life.

"Why's that?"

"I may know how to cook but I often end up using every pan and pot and making a mess so that recipe just allows me to use one frying pan."

And a blender.

She didn't mind cleaning up, in fact she was good at it but it was time consuming and she was mostly on the go.

"I know how to cook too."

"Really?"

Now she looked interested and clasped her hands together as she leaned over the table.

"Name me one dish you'll never forget to cook."

"Ramen."

"Ah the national dish of Japan."

"Ever considered having longer hair?" Jin asked. "I think it would suit you very well."

Her mind went blank for a moment. Then once she registered what he said to her, did a soft smile spread across her painted lips.

"Jin, you've been fantasising about me with long hair?"

"Maybe."

"Truth be told, I've never considered it. In my line of work, the shorter the better."

"I understand."

Now she wanted to grow her hair out. Just to see how he'd look at her. She always wanted longer hair but never got the chance. Maybe she'd do that. Seeing as she was living in luxury now.

"Favorite color?" He asked.

"Purple and Black. Yours?" She responded.

"Red and Black."

Nina grimaced at the mention of 'red' but hey, at least she and Jin both liked the color black. Jin on the other hand, remembered from those nightmares of his that his father could turn into a purple devil. That's what he always had associated with that color. Perhaps with time, both of them could change their mind on those colors.

Their food arrived, piping hot and they thanked the waiter before he left.

"So Kazama, since we played your game just now, it's my turn. I want to challenge you to something and if you accept, I'll let you give me a challenge."

"What is it?"

"I've always wanted to see a broody angsty guy dance. It's kind of my thing."

His eyes widened. "You can't be serious?"

"Of course I am. You and me doing the Tango. I want it. Are you a coward?"

He narrowed his eyes at the word 'coward'.

"Fine." He said. "But I don't know how to dance that well."

"Darling, you don't have to worry when I'm there. I can make you dance. I trust my magic. I can make any man dance. Even you, Kazama."

He lifted an eyebrow in a half mocking way. "Is that so?"

She nodded. "That is so."

"I want to challenge you to do something."

"Go on."

"I want you to do some self-reflection. You don't seem the type to explore your feelings much."

She swallowed her mouthful of food and remained quiet for a moment. He was right. She buried her feelings down. She was a coward that's why. Feelings were her Achilles heel. How did Kazama figure that out about her?

"How would you know if I've done some self-refection?" She asked him. "I could lie."

"Everytime we dance, we can have a conversation. A topic of your choosing of course."

Damn, her plan sort of backfired off on her. Here she was wanting to give him a taste of fun for some apparent reason she had yet to figure out and he played just as well as her. He wanted her to be more self-aware, a skill he definitely seemed to have.

"I'd be a coward to run now, wouldn't I?" She asked him.

He nodded, his eyes smiling a little. Nina huffed. This man's intelligence was a turn on. She wasn't going to lie about that. A trait not many men in this damned world had. Almost all were stupid imbeciles, the reason of why she hated as many men as she could. Idiots bragging about how amazing and godlike they were, disturbing her while she went to have a drink at the bar. Touching her without her permission. Trying to cop a feel and getting offended when she said no.

Dumb fucks.

So easy to kill.

Nina wanted to know the depth of Jin's intelligence. To see what more he was capable of.

"Fair play, Kazama. Fair play. Challenge accepted."

He nodded once. During the course of the dinner, Nina used the napkin to wipe her mouth. It was then she remembered, she left a napkin with her lipstick mark on it on Jin's desk. He hadn't mentioned it at all to her. She wasn't going to bring it up unless he did. The whole point was him to say something about it first.

He just glanced at her from across the table as she purposely took a little longer in wiping the corners of her mouth. He knew what she was trying to convey but he carried on taking a sip of his drink as their gazes locked. There was a small twinkle in his eyes but he said nothing.

She was left wondering if he had even seen it. She put her napkin down.

"Did you have fun then?" Nina asked. "Did I deliver?"

There was a mischevious gleam in her eyes. Jin smirked.

"Yes, our dinner was very much fun. I would like to do this at least once a week with you."

She could tell he was being honest and this warmed her heart. They pretty much dined almost all the time when she was with him but it was always in the Zaibatsu at his office. It wasn't dressing up and going on a date.

"Hmmm, I have to agree. Even I enjoyed our dinner. Well, lets do it then. Once a week, we will have a good fancy dinner. After the war, it's going to get difficult to enjoy."

He didn't like the mention of war but nodded, pleased that she had agreed. No longer did he want to manipulate her with eating together but he really wanted to get to know the woman and spend time with her. She was actually alluring. He hoped she felt the same way about him.

After dinner, the two decided to walk around the busy streets for a bit to take in the sights of Shinjuku at night. Nina was lucky she wore low heels with her evening dress. The night was a little chilly and it was nice to walk around in public with her boss. It wouldn't be long until things would change but this was their taste of freedom together and she wanted to make the most of it.

Jin slowly took in the sights, the large screens, the bright lights as they walked in the maze. They were on their way to the parking lot where their driver was waiting for them so they had to walk. He looked at the arcades they passed and an ache filled his heart. He used to sometimes go there with his schoolfriends. He had no idea of such times would ever come again but they were great memories. A time before the devil gene.

Nina caught that look and even asked if he wanted to go inside but he declined and opted to walk through the park with her which led to the parking lot. He loved that little park with the cherry blossoms. She seemed to be content as she had a smile on her face and hummed a little. A reminiscent of the time she was on his bike with him.

"Why did you kiss me?" He asked suddenly. "That day I asked you in my office. Why?"

"Because it seemed like a fun idea at the time." She replied casually and shrugged.

He was hot. Handsome. Captivating.

Good enough reasons to give him a snog. She was also curious to know how Jin Kazama kissed. His last two kisses made her moan. The way he grabbed the back of her head. Remembering them, it made her nibble her bottom lip. She had a slight dreamy look in her eyes as she stared ahead. Nina didn't notice the slight look of 'uff' on his face.

Jin wanted to hear something more. But he didn't know why he was reacting in a such a way. Like him, this was a person who never fell in love at first sight and he wasn't going to chase for her love. But why…why did his heart ache for her affections? It didn't make sense to him.

When he was quiet, she realized he probably didn't like her answer.

"Did I say something wrong?" Nina asked him. It was a good answer, any guy would have been happy with it. Being implied they were worthy enough to get a genuine kiss from her.

Jin said nothing. So her mind raced. Maybe he wanted her to literally say it out aloud. To build his ego.

"Hey, don't be mad. If you knew how to flirt, than maybe you would have gotten another kiss." She teased.

It was just harmless banter. Hopefully he didn't take it personally, Nina thought.

Jin made a small grunt at her words. It definitely wasn't what he wanted to hear. He would not forget those words.

Nina wasn't one to dish out praise. He was a strong looking man and she wondered how if would feel to be held in those muscular arms of his. How it would feel to be pressed up against his hard body, feeling those muscles which took years of hard training to be contoured into the shape they were today.

She looked at his hands. Big hands when formed into a fist could obliterate even stone. A gentle soul like Jin with so much power. It was an interesting combination. She took another look at those hands of his.

They said big hands meant men had a bigger package down there.

To feel him inside…

Oh dear, she was getting carried away.

Keep it together, woman! She mentally chided herself.

Nina held her tongue, ceased her insolent thoughts and glanced at her boss. He seemed to in deep thought. They get into the fancy car that was waiting for them. The driver politely greeted them both before raising up the tinted screen to give them privacy. Once they shut the door and fastened themselves in, the engine purred and the vehicle moved. Another thought struck her. A memory of their fight and also of their first meeting by the river.

"I kissed you once or twice before." Nina said.

She saw he was about to say something and beat him to it.

"Before the one in your office. Our first kiss happened years ago."

He nodded as the memory of their first actual kiss came to mind.

"It was our first meeting?" Jin questioned, remembering how the blonde grabbed him by the back of his head and smashed her lips upon his. Two times she did that to him.

He hadn't a clue why she did that. At that time he was stunned that some random blonde with striking blue eyes kissed the hell out of him when he was a cocky nineteen year old hanging out with his friends.

"Remember it, Jin?"

"I'm surprised you remember it." Jin revealed. "I guess I'm unforgettable." He said smugly. He knew at least two people who couldn't forget him and now he had to add Nina to the list.

"Hmpf, so cocky aren't we?" Nina scoffed.

"If I recall correctly, you were under Ogre's influence then. Was that kiss to distract me?" He asked, suddenly feeling anxious.

"I did it to stop myself from killing you the first time I saw you. I…," She paused, searching for the right words. "I didn't want to kill you. I had no reason to. This thing that was controlling me, it wanted me to slaughter you right there and I was trying my best to fight it. Kissing you brought me some time to fight the effects of possession. I felt in control in that short moment. So I tried that again during our match."

He hung to each word she said and there was a look of wonder in his eyes. "The kiss of life."

"Kiss of life?"

He nodded and then explained to her so she'd get it.

"Made you feel like you're yourself and my life got spared."

"Oh. That's such a creative way to put it. Wow." He heard her say.

Jin had a way of also making things sound so poetic. He wasn't boring at all and she could just tell he had many interesting things he kept buried beneath that aloof exterior of his. She wonders if she'd be able to get through and dig in deep.

Then the fact hits her hard. This was the first time in her life that she ever wanted to get to know a person personally.

Congratulations, Jin Kazama.

She rested her head against the headrest and looked out of the window. The lights on the building shined over her face. She closed her eyes and smiled.

Steve Fox was out of a job and Anna who had connections, discovered that he had work experience in Journalism. He also had a Business and Management degree. His primary passion was boxing of course but his work background in journalism and with his volunteering for some magazines was perfect. She pulled some strings, orchestrated a scheme and had somehow scored him an interview with an award winning magazine that one of her friends worked for.

And that magazine would soon publish some humiliating news for Nina. At the hands of a son she had no idea about. Revenge was a dish best served cold.

Before entering the building, she was in a car with Bruce and prepped him. Nothing should go wrong. She was not going to fail this.

"She said screwing around was a waste of time." Anna said to Bruce. "My sister is the most frigid bitch you'd ever meet, even before we got frozen, she had no time for men. She's asexual and relies on her toys. Trust me."

"And that's why you're spreading rumors about her and Jin."

Jin Kazama wasn't anything personal to Anna so she really didn't consider him as her enemy.

"We're spreading rumors about her." Anna corrected. "She used to shame me for getting laid and I tried to help her lose her virginity. You will say she likes them big, I mean who doesn't?" Anna giggled like a little girl.

"Don't stereotype me and ma kind, Scarlet." Bruce huffed. "I hate that shit."

Anna too hated being classed as a whore while men were awarded the playboy honor. She had a huge sex drive and wasn't ashamed of enjoying men. It was also a coping mechanism but no one else saw that. She hated that people just pointed at her and slut shamed her. All her life she was treated as inferior and her own sister basked in the love of their cruel father.

High and Mighty Joan of Arc Bitch.

Anna sighed. She hated Nina the most in the world. That bitch deserved every bit of hatred Anna could throw at her, every pain and humiliation.

"Just say this , the blonde even approached me for sex but I turned her down because she is loose." Anna instructed the Muay Thai boxer.

"That's nasty but whatever. A favor is a favor."

Anna giggled coyly again and tapped her friend on his shoulder. "I love you Brucey. You are a godsend."

"Man wit'chu, everything end up bout fuckin'. It's hilarious."

"Well we only have one life. Betta spend it good."

Beside, sex was trending these days. The more partners, the better. Anna was a slave to that trend.

They both exited the vehicle, ready for this.

During the interview, they told him that he'd have to partake in scandals. He stopped midway and said he could not accept the job. On his way out of the room, he collided with a woman in a leopard coat and extreme makeup. She seemed to know him and got him to talk. There was a black man with her who kept quiet. He was dressed up in a suit, all classy looking unlike the woman.

So now, Steve Fox was sitting on a couch with this woman called Anna Williams who said she was his mother. She even had a report from the Zaibatsu to prove it. He wondered why she was so adamant on him getting this job, what was in it for her? Steve really had no idea but he put it down to personal dislike of Nina Williams. However to be fair, he would hear this woman out and understand her side of the story. Secretly, he wanted her to be his mother, the lengths she was going for him, the concern she was showing him warmed his heart unlike that blonde woman who didn't even stick around to talk to him. He had a sneaking feeling that she too must have read the report he did but didn't care to know him. It hurt his heart.

Bruce Irvin leant against the wall, watching Anna manipulate the British boxer. So far, it seemed to be working.

"I know her, she's my sister." Anna told Steve. "All my life, I had been humiliated by her. I am not going to lie, I dislike her and I need to deter her from ruining other people's lives. By shedding some truth about her, she will stop killing people for a living and go do something else. Hopefully something useful."

"It sounds so awful though, airing out someone's dirty laundry." He said.

His accent was so British that it was strange that he was even Nina's son. He looked like a male version of her, Anna surmised. But he was so different. Polite.

Nina didn't deserve such a sweet boy. That why she was going to sharpen him as a weapon against the blonde.

"Don't forget, the Zaibatsu is responsible for your entire childhood being taken away from you. They didn't even let me out of the experiment to raise you with love and care. They took you from me and god knows what else they've done to people." Anna argued. "My sister knows all this and still she doesn't care. She parades around the Zaibatsu with that logo stamped on her. She is the bad guy in all this. Apathetic people like her victimize people like us, the voiceless."

He looked sad. Anna felt a little guilty for him. If only he was her son. If only.

"Look darling, I know you have a conscience, you're young but the world needs you to help them right now. Please do your part?" She said impatiently.

He still didn't say anything. Stubborn. Just like his mother.

"She was sent to kill you. Nina Williams was sent to kill you." Anna revealed. "She staked out a spot from a window, ready to kill you. I brought down the syndicate who put out the hit on you."

"You….saved me?" He asked incredulously.

"Of course. You're my son. I can't let anyone kill you." Anna swiftly answered.

Steve gasped, he looked at Anna whose eyes held so much emotion for him. All he ever wanted was a mother who looked at him like that. Like he was her boy, the apple of her eyes. Anna then took his hand and clasped it.

"I'm willing to accept you. I believe you are mine." She said softly.

His eyes softened when she said that. Her heart raced. He was so innocent really. Dammit, if only he was her son instead of Nina's. Poor guy had to be cursed with having such a shit woman for a mother.

"Trust me." Anna murmured. "Please finish the interview and accept the job. Help us in our cause to destroy the Zaibatsu for what they've done. It's for the best."

He nodded albeit reluctantly. "Okay, I'll go back to the interviewer and then if I get the job, I'll accept. Thank you both for coming here."

"Don't you believe I'm your mother?" Anna asked.

Steve had shrugged. "I don't know, my investigations before told me Nina Williams was my mother…but this report you gave me is conflicting data. I can't believe anything unless a DNA report is done."

Anna wanted to scream. But she faked a smile and nodded. "A DNA report it is."

She was sure she could charm any doctor to fake results. She had a pull that Nina Williams could only dream off. She wanted to sweet-talk the boy further, butter him up and atleast half convince him that her report was the accurate one. But then Bruce had to open up his mouth.

"I saw your matches." Bruce suddenly said. "You're the Steve Fox?"

He nodded, happy to be noticed.

"You're a legend man. I would love to spar with you."

Thank you Bruce, Anna thought happily. "I would love to watch!" Anna interjected with excitement.

She felt like screaming in happiness when she saw Steve's eyes light up. Yes! Everything was going as planned.

"I do Muay Thai boxing." Bruce said.

"That's awesome!" Steve suddenly said with vigor. "I would like that."

"Cool, here's ma number. Hit me up if you wanna spar kid."

The next morning, Nina went into the office to meet Jin there as he requested. He was busy meditating and she wasn't rude to disturb him. So his office was empty and she decided to bide her time by looking for that damned napkin. It was on her mind for a good portion of the night. It wasn't where she left it and she was contemplating whether to open Jin's desk drawers to look for them. Her hand reached for it. Normally she didn't hesitate to rifle through other people's things for information but her heart was warning her not to invade his privacy.

So she retracted her hand and threw in the towel. Her eyes went back to the desk again. It was always so neat and tidy. Expensive looking stationary, a lamp, a phone and a remote. Jin never left his files out even though this office was heavily guarded. Nina took the remote and looked at the wall where the TV was hidden in. She pressed a button and it revealed itself.

Then Nina turned on the screen. She pressed play. On TV, there was a footage of Jin Kazama fighting in a tournament. Fighting off more like. Many Tekken force members were trying to subdue Jin. He was fighting off scores off them. The man was strong but his spatial skills were not so great. If he beat five in front of him, another five would attack from behind, from the side…

She watched this baited breath, hoping that he would win. These idiot Tekken force members must have been under Heihachi's control and treated Jin as the enemy. She figured it must have been hard for Jin to work with the same men, the very men who attacked him. It was another thing she had in common with Jin. Working with the Zaibatsu who had wrong them in some way. Life was so ironic.

Just when it seemed Jin was victorious in the video, a slew of tranq darts hit his chest so fast. Nina gasped and stood up.

No, she thought in despair.

He lay on the ground as the darts rendered him immobile. Nina's face fell seeing him like that. It wasn't nice. God, if she was there, she would have destroyed all those soldiers and whisked Jin to safety.

No wonder he felt he needed a bodyguard. Nina sighed deeply and massaged her head. Jin didn't deserve that and she felt more hatred and anger at Heihachi Mishima.

Such a piece of shit that old man was.

What Jin went through was the same she thing she went through. All that pain, hurt and anger….of course she buried hers because she couldn't deal with them. Jin on the other hand, she had no idea how he was dealing with his pain but reliving this moment again was something he had to stop. He could not drown in his pain. She had to make sure of it.

"What have you done?" Jin asked.

Nina almost jumped. She hadn't heard him enter the office. She had been so consumed in her thoughts. Jin looked at her and then the screen. Instantly he scowled. In one swift motion, he was infront of her and took the remote off her hands.

"You shouldn't have." His tone was cold.

This was a new side to him. She didn't say anything as she watched him turn the TV off and stormed to his desk to put the remote down. Nina was speechless. She could feel the anger burn off from him.

"Why did you do that?" He asked calmy. His eyes staring right through her.

She folded her arms and stood her ground, refusing to lower her eyes.

"Was I not meant to see that?"

"What do you think?"

Enough with the rhetorical questions she thought angrily. Nina kept her arms folded and remained where she was.

"I think you need to control your temper." She advised coolly.

He spun around. Nina gasped. For a second she swore she saw the shade of silver in his irises. She blinked and they were brown. He just observed her, breathing harshly.

"I didn't think you'd do that. It's invasive. It's so rude."

"Didn't you think the same when you read reports concerning me?" She retorted.

He looked at the floor and balled his fists. She had a point. "What do you want from me?"

There was a defeat and accusation in his tone. No. He got this all wrong. She was not a menace to him.

"Jin…," Nina sighed, unfolding her arms. "You don't have to feel ashamed. What they did to you wasn't your fault…,"

"I was weak again." He said, sounding less angry and more sad. "Last time it was bullets."

Huh?

"He killed me." Jin said with a deep sigh, looking at the floor. "He killed me."

It took a moment for her to understand. Oh god. Heihachi Mishima had the Tekken force shower Jin with bullets. Her heart felt the pain. Seriously, that nasty old man really did deserve a horrible end.

Jin closed his eyes, ashamed. When he felt both hands cupping his face, he opened them again. He was met with the warm blue eyes of his bodyguard.

"It's clear that you have been was watching this again and again, filling your mind with negativity. You need to stop. It's going to kill you, sweetheart."

Her voice was so kind, soft…much softer than anyone's ever heard it before. It was clear to Jin in the moment that this woman cared about his emotional state. There was no reason for her to but she did. She cared.

Nina didn't know what came over her but the gentle look in Jin's brown eyes captivated her. She can't pull away.

She didn't want to pull away.

Nina felt Jin's hands on her waist and then her body pressed up against his as he hugged her. Shocked, she was frozen to the spot. No one ever hugged her before. Not like this.

This was strange. Alarm bells rang out in her mind, telling her to slip away and run. Hugging produced oxytocin which bonded people. She was bonding with Jin. They were making oxytocin together.

No. This hug was genuine, her conscience told her. A meaningful gesture of trust. From him to her.

But really, it was too late to run now.

She shot away the negative thoughts to avoid putting a damper on the mood. It was a nice gesture. He trusted her enough to do this.

She waited for a moment before allowing herself to relax and then…bask. He clung onto her as if she was the one healing him with her touch. It was their first hug.

Nina closed her eyes and exhaled.

This was….warm and pleasant.

Her hands slid over his back to keep him in place.

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.

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