Bodominjarvi: Oh yes, our girl Nina is such a workaholic. XD Perhaps Jin needs to so do something about that. (hint) I share that trait with Nina too tbh, everyday has to be a productive day for me. Aww thank you, it's always great to have such kind and interesting reviews where you get feedback on things your readers love about your chapters. Thank you for that. It means a lot to me to that you're busy yet you fork out the time to read and review my stories. That's interesting that you used to main Anna but switched to Nina who is your top girl now. I was so young when I first played Tekken. Probably 4 lol. Nina was my first character ever during the early Tekken days and I love her moves a lot, out of the girls, she just seems to fit my fighting style. Stopped playing when T4 came out and when I got back into Tekken during T6 era. I picked her back up as I never forgot her or Jin. I forgot about most of the characters. Nina and Jin left lasting impressions on me for years.
Anna has always been the pin in Nina's foot lol. It would be nice if Harada would advance Nina's story and free her from the Anna nonsense but I hold no hopes. The Tekken pachinko showed her coming to Jin's aid again for a brief moment and taking about fun (my rough jap translation) -But I just think that was influenced by the Titan comics.
Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Chapter Thirteen
.
.
.
Jin Kazama.
Find Jin Kazama.
The voice in her head commanded.
After she stepped out of her shower. After she got dressed in the new clothes they got for her. A blouse, a pair of slacks and a long cardigan with deep pockets and a hood.
Because later, she would steal some surgical tools from the lab and wrap them in tissue paper. Then put it in her pockets. The hood on her long cardigan was thrown over her head. She put on her slippers.
She didn't remember how long it was since she was born again into the world. When she took in her first inhale of air and her eyes opened up for the first time as the water drew back. They told her she had a sister. They told her to trust Dr Bosconovitch.
None of them meant anything. There was no bonding going on. Just a voice telling her to find someone called Jin Kazama.
Nina refused to do anything at first. Her body stiff as years of unuse rendered her pretty much immobile. They showed her how to walk again.
So she walked.
But she never spoke.
They tried sign language but she wouldn't communicate.
She wanted to talk. Wanted to feel as if she existed.
The only way she spoke was learning how to fight. Her sister reluctantly taught her the family arts. That she learnt quickly, as if she was ready to fight. Ready to kill.
When the sun first touched her body, Nina felt free. She was finally out of that underground apartment they locked her up in with her sister Anna. After waking up from the cold sleep, it was a serious of endless tests, her learning how to walk and talk again. The voice instructed her.
Left feet forward. Right feet forward.
She hated that she had no control over her own body as it made her move.
She really did feel like a Pac man in a maze, moving off a player's accord. No will. They forced her to play those kind of games to distract her because she was a patient. Not like her sister Anna.
Nina wanted to do normal things like Anna. Get a dress. Go to the salon. Go and eat somewhere nice. She wanted to feel free like her and not like a basket case under surveillance. Anna did so much fun things.
Why couldn't she do those things? Why was she walking around with a few surgical weapons hidden in her pockets? Who was she trying to kill?
The sound of the birds chirping made her stop and jerk her head. She never heard such sounds before. It was….pleasant. Better than the voice in her head.
People brushed past her, lost in their own little world. She was just bumbling through this place, feet taking her somewhere. She didn't know how much time had elapsed. Her breath was harsh and she was looking. Just looking around. Blurred faces. Blurred figures.
There was a crowd. Why was there a crowd? Why was it so bright?
There was red painted wood. Flowers. Petals falling.
"Kazama!" A voice floated through the crowd.
Her hood fell down and she noticed a young man standing several feet away from her. His hair was peculiar. It stood up at the back, unlike anyone else's. His thick bangs swaying with the wind. He was with his friends, they were taking photos together. Happy and fun loving young people. If there was a definition of joy then this must be it. She had never experienced such a thing herself, not that she could remember.
But most of her attention was on that young man. He had a kind face. A smile on his lips. She watched him out of curiosity and awe as he slightly titled his head back and enjoyed the petals cascading around him with eyes closed. He made something so simple look so magical.
Nina felt her foot take a step forward, followed by the other one. She wanted to get close to this man. Wanted his magic to touch her. Her remedy. To push out the poison from her and replace it with this balm. To push out Ogre.
The ominous voice roused awake in her head, giving her a sharp pain to the side of her temple. Nina squeezed her eyes shut and stopped. Her hand went to massage her temple.
Kill Jin Kazama.
It kept droning on. Hammering like a pulse.
Her soul was slipping away. The pain of not being able to succeed and to let the magic rub off on her like it did on the handsome young man with the bangs.
She heard the rush of water.
Her heard jerked. There was a river nearby.
Why am I here?! She screamed at herself in her mind.
Water terrified her.
There he is. Kill Jin Kazama.
Who? What?
Nina tried looking around. She never knew what this person looked like.
Her hand crept into her pocket. Ogre's command. It curled over a scissors wrapped in tissue paper.
No.
She just wanted to do the normal things. To enjoy.
Why was something controlling her? Nina forced herself to release the wrapped scissors.
Stop it.
Stop.
It wouldn't stop speaking to her. By now she was desperate to make it stop.
The river. If she jumped into it, it would stop right? The creepy voice would leave her alone.
Nina edged towards it. She stumbled, foot raised and ready to step into-
An arm held her back, stopping from falling in. She met the concerned eyes of a young man. His face isn't blurred. Bangs swaying in front of molten honey eyes.
Stunned, she looked at him.
He doesn't say anything to her but gently pulled her away from the river. She complied without a word.
"Who are you?" He asked her in a soft spoken manner.
Her eyes flickered as she tries to search for an answer. Good question. Who was she?
Kill him. He's Jin Kazama. The monstrous voice ordered her.
He was a young handsome man whose smile was warm and gentle, unlike anyone else's she's seen. It made her feel safe. She didn't know why she felt that he didn't deserve to get killed. Not by her.
No one else made her feel anything since she awoke. Not even her sister.
Wait...could this be? Could she finally get back control of her body?!
Her sister. The one who had a life. The last time Nina saw her was when she was kissing a man. It was her lover. Kiss. When two people put their lips together to show each other that they can feel. That is what Anna said to her. No one kissed her. Maybe that's why she didn't feel. No one wanted too. She also was too afraid of letting someone get too close.
Her jumbled thoughts were helping her push away the unwanted evil voice. Nina tried to think even more. The power of a kiss-
Kill him. The voice commanded again, this time stronger and angrier.
Her hand moved against her will, back into the pocket to get a scalpel.
No. Stop it. Stop. Stop. Stop it!
Nina suddenly grabbed the back of his head, plunged herself at him and pressed her lips against his own to take back control. She released the weapon. With her free hand, she wrapped it around his neck so her hands wouldn't slip into her pockets again. He stayed in place.
She needed to feel.
Like herself.
And not the Ogre's weapon.
There was a lingering taste of cola from this man's lips. It was pleasant. She wanted to stay a little longer on him but he gently pushed her back, gasping as their lips peeled apart.
Her lips felt swollen. She took one good look at him. Ingraining the image of Jin Kazama forever into her mind. He was looking into her eyes for answers.
Answers she couldn't give.
She was safe with him. He wasn't safe with her.
Without another word, she turned around and ran away.
Jin Kazama woke up. What a strange dream. To dream he was inside someone's mind, feeling what they felt. He wasn't sure why or how it happened. But that dream was real. It happened two years ago. But the dream wasn't from his eyes. It was from Nina's. He lay on his back and exhaled. Why did it feel like these were her actual emotions and thoughts? It wasn't just his imagination of the situation.
What caught him was how she felt when she saw him for the first time. It was as if time slowed down for her and he was her beacon of hope. Her balm.
In that silent moment he contemplated upon it, his heart pounded a little faster. He wanted to ask her about it so bad. He would be restless until he asked her if this was true. But then he didn't want to put her on the spot. Jin was conflicted.
His phone beeped, the personal one. He looked up and saw that his news app informing him of G Corp's latest blunder. They sent troops to Bora Bora, angering resort owners and guests. He smirked thinly. Looked like Nina's trap was effective. He'd have to thank her for that.
His mind then went back to the dream. If this was indeed real, then maybe she had a dream from his own eyes. Jin let out a low gasp. If so, what did she see?
Nina gasped and awoke. That was no dream. It was an old memory. She lay in bed, deciding to stay put for a little way. It couldn't have been past her normal waking up time.
Her fingers traced the crescent moon shaped scar on her hip. Unlike the other nicks over her body, she knew exactly where this one came from. On her way to eliminate Jin in the third tournament, Ogre had her draw out her blade to stab him. When Ogre finally succeeding in eliminating most of her emotions, if not all and taking away her agency. It was a struggle as Jin was trying to defend himself. The knife cut a little into her. Jin stopped it from going further.
Had he wished, she could have been killed.
Everything would have been over.
Anyone else would try to forget the scar was ever there but not her. Unlike the other scars on her body, this one gave her comfort for some strange reason. Nina allowed some time to pass as she buried her face in her pillow before getting up for the day.
After a shower and a change of clothes, she was instructed to accompany Jin to a business meeting across the city. She wore a suit, an earpiece and had her hair done up in a bun just like a typical bodyguard. Her weapons were in place on her body.
While she was getting ready, Jin was already dressed and had gone down to the office to gather important files. She stepped out of their apartment and on the way to Jin's office, she collided into Lars Alexanderson.
"Good Morning Nina." Lars greeted her with a polite boyish smile.
"Morning Lars." Nina gave him a nod to acknowledge him and noticed his Lion Armor. He stood out amongst the other soldiers. It was peculiar. "So what do they call you? Lion man?"
She gestured towards his Armor.
"Lion actually. I'm known as the Lion."
"Ah." She smirked. "What is the story behind that? That you're courageous and a shining example of heroism?"
His eyes had humor in them. "My friends describe me as brave."
"And do you roar?"
She knew some men liked to give themselves animal names and truth be told it was hilarious as fuck. One such man was a pest from the past who had to be killed. He called himself Alligator. Urgh.
"I would prefer the term battle cry." Nina heard him say with a grin.
She had no idea what to say to that so let him carry on the conversation.
"Being brave is an accomplishment." He said. "Even you accomplished that Nina."
He'd seen her name on the swimming list for the use of the Zaibatsu pool. He hadn't caught her there before but he was thoroughly impressed.
"I remember when you mentioned to me that you were afraid of swimming."
Nina nodded, remembering some bits and pieces of their strange conversation in the bar all those years ago.
"And you told me to forgo my fear by swimming. And I heeded that advice. It actually worked." She smiled softly.
"Well, I'm glad." He gave her a boyish smile and there was a soft laughter in his tone.
Then Nina remembered something that she'd been meaning to ask him once she bumped into him again. Now was the chance.
"Lars, could I ask a question?"
Was she going to ask him out on a date? He wondered, slightly excited. He was going to ask her sometime but hadn't gotten a chance.
"Yes, go ahead."
"During the fourth Tekken tournament, when Heihachi ordered Jin to be captured, was it your men who captured him?" Nina asked, looking him dead in the eye.
Odd question, he thought. But her demeanor was serious and no longer playful so he was compelled to answer her.
"Yes, they were my men."
Of course. Those guys had to be trained by an expert to take down a Mishima as strong as Jin Kazama. It was common knowledge that Lars helmed the best of the Tekken Force soldiers.
"You knew Jin was innocent and yet you carried out Heihachi's orders?" She asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible.
"An order is an order, we don't question it." Lars replied seriously, wondering where the blonde was going with this.
His words played in her mind as she took a deep sigh. Normally those words would be good to hear from a colleague but it made her feel queasy now. Lars would be loyal to anyone who paid him? She couldn't really blame him as she was like that in the past. But now, she was sure she could never go against Jin in any form. Even if they paid her higher.
"How did you find out about that?" Lars prodded. "That was confidential information."
"It's not like there wasn't a crowd at that time." Nina replied. "The tournament isn't just for Mishimas. Word gets around fast."
That seemed to convince him. Lars didn't let the conversation spoil his mood and he had a smile on his face. Nina looked disturbed so he decided to lighten the mood.
"I suppose so." He said in a friendly manner. "Do you want to go for a coffee sometime?" He asked her. As friends or anything else, he didn't mind.
Oh. This was unexpected.
Had she actually been single, she might have accepted. Unlike Eddy, Lars had no idea she and Jin were actually married now. Eddy was a good friend, keeping it to himself. He could be trusted.
"Sorry Lars, I'm just a very busy woman."
Lars did not look offended at all. If he was, then he was good at hiding his displeasure. He wasn't one to be rejected but a no was a no and he fully respected her choice unlike so many other men. She hated ruining moods especially with someone who wasn't annoying and full of cringe so she shot him an apologetic look before turning away.
She widened her eyes in surprise when she saw Jin standing by the door, arms folded. How long was he standing there for? Nina walked up to him and he remained silent as she stopped by him. He regarded her with a mysterious look before leaving. She followed him out.
"You're driving?" Nina asked Jin who got into the driver's seat.
"Does it matter if I am?"
She shook her head. "I was just expecting you to be in the backseat. Like someone who needed to be protected."
"Backseat is for rich lazy folks." He replied, a lazy smirk on his lips. He had his fair share of just sitting in the back like a rich boy while he lived with Heihachi.
"Suit yourself." She said and got into the passenger seat. She was not lazy.
Once she got settled, he started the engine and drove off.
"You seem to be getting along well with that captain."
"What captain?" She asked quickly and then realised. "Lars?"
Jin grunted lowly in affirmation. Was that jealousy? She smirked. Jin Kazama was jealous.
"Don't tell me you called that flirting?"
"It looked like flirting to me."
"Baby, please. It's harmless. And why are you getting all worked up? We're only married for the sake of the mission remember?"
He scowled. "You don't need to remind me."
"So you're free to do what you want. With whomever you want." She said coolly and soon after those words were spoken, she felt like it was a lie. She didn't want to imagine him with someone else. Not even with that femme fatale secretary of his who always shot her daggers whenever she was with Jin.
How easy it would be if she didn't care. Nina sighed, refusing to think about why. She was waiting for Jin's reaction.
"Whatever I want to do, I want to do it with you."
She inhaled sharply. Why did he say that? Why did he make her feel so much? What was it about this man that had her heart pounding and her-
A gun shot hit their vehicle. Instantly, she was thrown into fight or flight mode. Nina undid her belt and grabbed her gun. Several bullets hit their car now, shattering a window. Jin did his best to keep calm as he drove. Nina looked out of the window to see who rained on their parade and once she saw the culprit, she instructed Jin to take a turn. He complied.
She grabbed the binoculars too.
A big fucking truck was behind them and she saw a tuft of red hair. And the face.
No. Not that fucking bitch again.
Nina knew what Anna wanted. She rolled down the window, leaned out with practiced ease and began shooting at the wheels first. She punctured one and then decided to shoot at the driver and Anna, fully knowing it would stall her. Anna couldn't be that stupid to get shot like that. She was betting on her sister to duck.
The truck skidded as it slowed down a little. Nina saw an approaching turn and before she could tell Jin to take it, he already took it much to her satisfaction. He was keeping calm in all this and she was grateful that he was not screaming. Not that he was the type to scream.
By now Anna's truck had to be losing speed and would eventually stop somewhere.
"Pull over." She instructed Jin.
He was baffled but trusted her and pulled over. He watched Nina get out of the vehicle. She was actually going to do a one woman army against a truck? Was she crazy?!
"You're going to get hurt." He warned her in exasperation.
Looking over her shoulder, at her boss for a moment, she had no time to argue with him. She wasn't going to let him get hurt because Anna was having a temper tantrum.
"I'll meet you back here. Just stay out of trouble."
She shut the door before he could protest. Jin sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his bangs, frustrated.
Staying out of sight, Nina caught a glimpse of the truck so she rushed towards it's direction and shot a couple more wheels. It stopped. Nina calmly walked over to it. Anna must have seen her in the rear view mirror.
The little sister popped out of the truck in a fancy red dress. So impractical. Typical Anna. She was also armed.
"I didn't know you had a change of career." Nina mocked. "Driving trucks now."
"You played me. For setting us up, I will fuck up your day."
Nina really wasn't in the mood for this shit. She just wanted to knock Anna down and out of the way so Jin would be okay and they can get to his meeting in time.
"Lucky for me, I already know how this plays out."
Without wasting time, Nina charged for her sister.
After a few moments, Anna was beaten down pretty easily. Nina hardly broke a sweat apart from the arm that got twisted a bit. Her wrist was aching but she didn't give up. Fights with her sister were always boring so she was eager to finish this quickly. Her sister came out all this way in a truck to throw a tantrum. She was about to deliver the final blow to that thick skull of Anna's until the little bitch grabbed Nina's dagger out of its holder. That was a new trick.
Anna swiped the dagger and sliced though Nina's trousers. She felt something warm ooze out of her ankle. The blonde yelped and pistol whipped Anna before grabbing her into a sleeper hold. She ignored the pain in her ankle while Anna lost consciousness. She dropped her sister to the ground. Then grabbed her knife and wiped it on Anna's tattered dress before putting it back into her holder.
Nina head the sound of a vehicle approach her and saw it was Jin. She opened the door.
"I thought I told you to stay put."
"I'm the boss." He reminded her as she climbed in the backseat with a wince.
"Not from where I'm sitting." She added with a smirk, hoping he'd get the message.
He was the chauffeur and she was the rich lady in the back.
Jin rolled his eyes and let her naughty remark slide. Just for this time.
He wasn't going to attend the meeting because she was injured so she hastily put on a bandage to assure him that she was fine. Nina also had an extra pair of her uniform which she brought in a backpack and discreetly got changed so she looked presentable as his bodyguard.
She stood outside the conference room like a statue while Jin was discussing with other businessmen and board members. She had her eyes everywhere. She knew this business deal was important to him and it was stressful.
Nina glanced a little longer through the glass walls of the conference room. These people had several years of experience in the business. More than Jin.
She was anxious to know what the result was and asked him once the meeting was over.
Once they were back at headquarters, he summoned her and she sat down on the sofa, in the living space they shared.
"Who was the person behind the truck attack?" Jin asked her. He'd been meaning to ask her earlier but was distracted. Nina didn't even talk about her.
"She's not a threat. She's my younger sister."
"That was your younger sister?"
"I'm not proud about it but yes that's my sister. She is well acquainted with your father."
Upon hearing this, Jin gritted his teeth. He knew what Nina meant. It just felt disgusting to know such a thing. Nina told him earlier that Anna was simply working with Kazuya to which he didn't ask any questions on. But now he was curious.
"She was just pissed that her beau had to face humiliation in the press because of me. So she threw a tantrum. It's what she does."
"Seems like a problem." He said darkly. Would he have to ask Nina to kill her own sister?
"She won't be." Nina promised. "I took care of it quick."
He stared at the woman, wondering if her sister was anything like her. It didn't seem like the case but it was strange how she too had family that treated them like an enemy. He wondered what else they had in common. It was then the dream he had of their first meeting came to mind. He was about to ask her about it but then saw her stand up, ready to go.
"Your sister, why is there animosity between you both?"
Nina sat back down again. She got comfortable, leaning a little closer to Jin in the process. He noticed that.
"It's…complicated. Growing up, we were close sometimes and on the other hand, we were enemies who really just hated each other. It's a mess of a relationship that I don't even fully understand. She blames me for stuff I shouldn't be blamed for and she feels the same way about me. She feels that I've been too hard on her." She drifted off, trying to find a way to simplify the sistership in minimal words.
Jin waited for her to continue. He really was intrigued by this story of hers. Two sisters who hated each other so much. It was strange. As far as he knew, Nina wasn't a hateable person well for him at least. Perhaps it was just how well they got along. He really wanted to know how could anyone hate a woman like Nina Williams. Especially a family member.
Nina was glad Jin didn't interrupt her. His silence gave her the chance to continue.
"Long story short, Dad's favorite was me, she didn't like that and I didn't want her to rain on my parade. We fought all throughout life and she eventually betrayed me so Kazuya Mishima could turn me into a test subject for years."
So she too was betrayed by a family member. Another thing they had in common, Jin quietly surmised. It did sound like a strange dynamic Nina had with her sister. Jin took in the information and decided to process it later.
"If your sister becomes a problem….,"
"If she becomes a problem which I doubt as her fighting skills are shit and if I'm not around, you have my permission to knock her out of the way. Just don't kill her. That's my job." Nina said, a faint smile on her lips. But if it ever did come push to shove and Jin had to kill Anna, Nina wouldn't blame him. After all they had quite a lot in common. Horrible family members and being betrayed by them.
Her wound was starting to itch even more and she needed to treat it again. As much as she would have loved to sit with Jin and have a nice long chat, that wound was itching so bad. He got lost in his thoughts so Nina decided to quietly slip away. Reluctantly of course.
Jin watched her limp. He couldn't believe she hid this from him and downplayed her pain. Sure, she was used to getting hurt and bounced back from pain quicker than the average human but that didn't mean she should be walking with a bad ankle. He hurried towards her and grabbed her arm just in time to stop her from falling.
Nina felt herself being pulled effortlessly and colliding into a hard chest, almost causing the wind to get knocked out of her chest. The scent of his cologne reaching her nostrils almost hypnotized her into being somewhat complacent. Or at least delaying her reaction.
"Jin, I can manage…," She protested.
"Quiet!" He snapped.
Then he did what neither of them expected him to do. He slid one of her arms over his shoulder, bent down to slide an arm under her knees so he could swiftly lift her up in his arms. As soon as she felt her feet leave the ground, she inhaled sharply with mild embarrassment. No one ever dared to lift her up before. No one.
Because she never let them. So why was she letting Jin Kazama carry her like this?
As he was carrying her in his strong arms, Nina just observed his face with a frown and kept her free hand on her midsection. She was just trying to process the whole thing. She couldn't come up with an answer she could accept so she just threw in the towel. She hated that she couldn't even deny that it felt nice, being carried in those strong arms of his, by a man like Jin Kazama no less. A man who was unapproachable and closed off to the world. A man who wouldn't do this for anyone.
She felt special for some reason. When she noticed his deeply focused expression, Nina titled her head back slightly with a short chuckle.
Jin Kazama wasn't thinking much about why he was carrying this woman in his arms that was suggestive. Right now he had tunnel vision. To get her somewhere he could apply some ointment on her wound. That damn pain of hers had to go and he was going to relive her of it.
Gently kicking his ajar bedroom door open with a foot, he entered his room. Jin gently placed Nina on his bed and instructed her not to move before he went to his wardrobe. She didn't have to fight her sister. They could have just avoided the crazy woman and got to the meeting without a scratch. Nina didn't even listen to him and now look what happened to her. All because she went the extra mile in her duties towards him.
He quickly returned to her side with a first aid box.
"My wound is already bandaged." She remarked.
"Did you tie that with one hand?" He asked sarcastically which caused her to scoff.
He narrowed his eyes at her and the poorly done up bandage on her ankle. It was clear that she hadn't visited the in house medics. Jin said nothing as he sat down on the bed and opened up the first aid kit. What he had in there was more effective than modern medicine. He put on his latex gloves and proceeded to undo her sloppily done bandage. Nina didn't bother arguing with him and just watched her boss unravel the bandage. She exhaled deeply and watched him intently as he tended to her wound. That deeply focused expression and that clinical kind approach made her smile softly. Who knew that Jin Kazama could make such a normal thing feel so intimate? Lucky for her that he didn't notice how her eyes softened as his attention was fully on applying the ointment on her cut. He was leaning close…so close. Her eyelids fluttered.
Jin gently leaned a little closer to blow cool air over her skin to help alleviate the pain. Being cut at such a place must have been extremely painful, he surmised. For Nina, such cuts weren't that painful. It was the itching that really affected her. When Jin applied that cool paste, it suddenly relieved her itching. Usually creams stung on the first go but this…this was different.
"What are you applying on me?" She questioned, opening her eyes.
"Some homemade remedy made from natural herbs." Jin admitted. "Native to Yakushima."
"Didn't realise you were good at nursing wounds too." She commented as he carefully wrapped a fresh bandage on her wound.
"It's my mother actually. She taught me a lot about medicine. Back home, she always healed my injuries along with injuries of the wildlife." Jin said, his tone suddenly changing from firm to soft. There was a quiet tinge of sadness in his voice too.
He had nothing left of his mother apart from memories and her knowledge of such things. It was his way of refusing to let her die. It was his way of keeping his mother alive. He never spoke about someone with such tenderness, Nina surmised. He viewed his mother the way she viewed her father. Another thing they had in common. She smiled a little.
She wondered if Jin was similar to his mother or were they different?
"Your mother was a vet as well?"
"Yes, she was."
Nina nodded to his response. Here he was, the son of a nurturing vet as the world's most powerful man with a throne too. How odd life was. But then again, maybe it was the fate of a Mishima to helm the throne at least once in his life.
"There, it should be okay for you now. No more itching."
She watched him clear up everything as she stretched her legs on his comfy bed. She hadn't meant to make his bed her sanctuary but she was too relaxed to put pressure on that ankle of hers. Besides, the last time she was here, she had a good night's sleep on it. Perhaps they'd be able to converse for some time. She wondered how Jin would react on seeing her still here while he was putting the box back into his wardrobe. He went to the trouble of dressing her wound for her, a mere bodyguard. Curiosity suddenly seized her and Nina's mouth had to open.
"You know, all I got was a cut on the ankle. It's nothing really. How come you've been so attentive to me?" Nina asked boldly. This was just a small scratch in her eyes. If he reacted so strongly to that, she wondered how he'd react to seeing her bashed up. He'd probably flip.
What made her so special?
Jin stopped what he was doing and his jaw clenched. It was a good question actually. He slowly looked at his bodyguard who made herself comfortable on his bed. He wasn't offended by that. Not at all, strangely. He let out a small sigh of relief that she hadn't ran away with her bad ankle. She seemed like she wanted to spend time with him. Still though, he wanted to test her.
"I could answer that, but you may not like the response." He replied curtly.
"Try me."
He shut the door of his wardrobe and exhaled. Then he turned around with a smirk as he slowly approached her.
He sat on the bed and made sure her full attention was on him by staring into her eyes. They were such a beautiful shade of blue that he just wanted to stare at them all day. He wanted to touch her face. Wanted to kiss her. Wanted to hug her. Wanted her.
But Jin just settled for tucking her blonde silky hair behind an ear. The assassin slightly leaned forward at his touch, curious to know where this was heading.
"Because I care about you."
His care. For her. Not a weakness but a strength. Nina stared at him. His actions and words made her stomach tingle. And the funny thing about it? Nina didn't flinch. Not one bit.
Because she cared about him too.
.
.
.
Note: My fic 'Revive' where Jin and Nina have their first fight can be considered the prequel to this story. It will explain why Nina and Jin have this mysterious connection where they can see the other's memories in the forms of dreams and feel each other's emotions. If you squint that is. :D
Chapter Originally published: 11th Jan 2022