Thank you for all the favorites, comments, and messages. We're nearing the end of this story, but I'll be taking a break here to refresh my brain and focus on updating other stories for a while. So please appreciate this nice long chapter in the meantime.

Chapter 7: Don't Let Me Go

My head was killing me. As I came back into consciousness, I could feel every muscle in my body start to ache. The clutches of sleep were still holding on, but the pain was growing to be too much to ignore. My eyes slowly fluttered open, and as the light came into the room, I could make out more than just blurs and blobs in my vision. I sat up slowly and looked around the room. It wasn't mine. In fact, I had no idea where I was. The room was lightly decorated, had hardwood flooring and incense burned on the bedside table. There wasn't anything that detonated who my new surroundings belonged to.

The door to the hallway was left slightly ajar, and I could hear faint footsteps approaching. With all the energy I had left, I forced myself to stand up and limped over to the door. I didn't remember much after the explosion, just darkness and a pair of red eyes that hovered above my body. Was I kidnapped by one of the fighters?

I reached the door, quickly opening it, and was met face to face with a giant tanned chest. It was so unexpected I lost my footing a little bit and nearly fell back before a strong arm circled my waist and caught my fall. "You're awake." I looked up to see Jin looking back down to me. His hair was ungelled and messily framed his face, nearly covering his eyes. I almost didn't recognize him.

"Jin, wha, where…? I could barely form a sentence.

"We're at my place." He easily lifted me up to my feet, waiting for me to find my balance. "Sorry there isn't much here. I only use this place for eating, sleeping, and studying." Jin gently pushed his way into the room and ushered me back onto the bed. He brought over a tray of tea and two cups to pour us both some tea, "Here, this'll make you feel better."

The tea did somewhat soothe me. It certainly made the crackers given to me go down easier, "how long was I asleep."

"For two days now. You got hit pretty hard on the head. I was thinking I might have to take you to the hospital" Jin motioned to the back of my head. I moved my hand up to feel the tender spot in the back."Do you remember what happened?"

I closed my eyes trying to think about what had happened two days prior, "I remember we were fighting. I fought a capoeira fighter." I touched my touch and winced at the pain of the bruise she had left me. "Then there were people running and screaming… I think someone had a grenade…"

Jin chuckled while pouring more tea, "Yeah, everything went downhill from there."

"What was his problem?" I laughed out loud. "At least it's over now." I looked around the room again. There really wasn't much in here, except for the bed, a dresser, and a photo. "This room really suits you. You don't seem like the type to value a lot of possessions. Even for a Mishima."

"It's not the way I was raised. Living in Yakushima, my mom and I didn't have much. We barely had electricity and running water."

"Sounds tough."

Jin shook his head, "Not tough, just different. Simple." Jin sipped his tea slowly, letting the aroma fill his senses. " Sometimes I wish I could go back to that."

I looked down at my tea, as the specs of leaves swirled in the warm water, "I can't imagine. I have so many things I feel attached to, I don't know how I could go without them."

Jin laughed a little at my comment, "I guess it's hard to let things go when this is your life. All it takes is just a few days away from everything and you'll see how meaningless a lot of things in your life are."

"I guess, I could use a break. Spend a couple days in the mountains. I'm sure Panda would like that–" my train of thought left me as I remembered my dear friend Panda. "Oh, no Panda. S-she must be so worried and scared." I jumped up and started scrambling to look for my phone.

"It's okay, she's —"

"And my grandpa too! I've never gone this long without checking in on him."

Jin grabbed my hands pulling my attention away from my frantic thoughts, "I already spoke to your grandfather. He's doing fine and he knows you're here." He laced his fingers through mine and I could feel all the blood rushing to my head. "You just need to rest right now." I shook my head yes, as I became hyper-aware of Jin's naked torso and our proximity to each other. As I tried to avoid making eye contact with Jin, and looking down to see he was wearing long black cotton pants. Probably his pajama pants. A normal choice since we were in his home. However I noticed that I wasn't wearing any pants, and was only wearing an oversized white t-shirt.

"Um Jin…where are my clothes?" I asked shyly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

He cleared his throat, carefully choosing his words, "Sorry, ah… your clothes were pretty torn. And I thought you'd be more comfortable in something…else.."

"Oh…" was all I could reply back. I thought for a moment about what Jin said and began to realize the true meaning behind his words, "Oh…"My face grew red from embarrassment.

"Don't worry, nothing happened."

"Ah, I'm sure." I nervously spoke , trying not to let my nervousness show. "Just, you know I wasn't prepared for anyone to see my body. I have all sorts of strange scars and maybe I'm not as good looking as the other girls. Did you see some of those fighters there, their bodies were unbelievable." I started speaking faster without really thinking about what I was saying, like word vomit. I felt exposed, vulnerable and suddenly a little insecure about my looks.

"That's not true. I thought… you looked great…"

I looked up at Jin, through his bangs I could see his eyes were closed. But he was just as anxious as I was after giving that compliment. I've never seen him look so flustered and unsure. In school and while fighting he was always one step ahead of everyone else. He knew how to read his opponent's moves carefully. And here it's like he doesn't know what to do next.

"Thank you." I softly spoke, trying to ease some of the awkwardness in the air.

Jin cleared his throat again as he walked towards the hallway door, "I'll go run you a bath, I think it'll help you feel better."

The bath was the perfect temperature and helped all the muscles in my body to completely relax. I submerged myself letting the water come up over my nose as the warmth rolled over my skin.

"When you finish there's food here," Jin shouted through the closed bathroom door.

"Okay I'll be out in a minute."

I closed my eyes and sank lower into the bathtub trying to capture every bit of warmth until the water cooled down. I popped the drain and sat in the tub until all the water completely disappeared. Slowly I stood up and immediately felt something was off. My right leg tightened quickly and an extreme cramp started settling in.

"Aggh!" I cried out trying to support myself up with my arms and the nearby sink.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just a cramp." I tried to stifle myself and overcome the pain. I stepped my left leg out of the tub and stepped softly to steady myself. I lifted my right foot slowly and gently placed it on the ground and cried out again as the cramp tightened. My legs gave away and I fell to the ground barely catching myself on the bathtub ledge.

"Xiaoyu?" Jin knocked on the door, hesitant to come in.

"I'm okay, I just tripped." I tried lifting myself up but felt the cramp from my leg travel up the side paralyzing my body from moving. The door opened slightly, "Don't come in, I'm okay."

"You don't sound okay…"

"Just a really bad cramp." I looked around the bathroom for my towel realizing that it's on the far side of the bathroom by the opening door.

The door opened further and I tried my best to cover myself with my arms, cursing my body for betraying me once again.

Jin crouched down in front of me, his eyes narrowing as he examined the bruise on my leg. "This one?"

I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek.

He gently began to massage the area, his touch firm but careful. The heat in the bathroom seemed to close in around us, mixing with the warmth from his calloused hands. My heart thudded in my chest— whether from the pain or his touch, I couldn't tell.

He kept working at the knot, but the cramp stubbornly refused to ease. I tried to stay quiet, but a soft whimper escaped. Jin froze, glanced up at me and then stood. Without a word, he grabbed the towel from the rack, wrapped it around my body and scooped me into his arms.

The sudden closeness made it hard to breathe, but I didn't resist as he carried me out of the steam-filled room.

He gently laid me down on the bed, his body towering over me. His onyx eyes examined every inch of my body, silently trying to gauge just how worn down I was. He lightly brushed a few strands of hair out of face then turned his attention to the knot in my leg again. "You need to relax."

"Hard to relax through the pain." I continued, trying to hold back from crying.

"Maybe you need a deeper stretch…" Jin gently lifts my leg, bending it at the knee, and slowly pushing it towards my stomach. The cramp slowly travels up my side. Then he gently uses his right thumb to put light pressure on the part of my thigh where the twisted muscles lie.

"There," I gritted my teeth, reaching down to coax Jin's hand to the painful area. The tightness slowly left my thigh with every kneading.

"Keep your back straight," Jin maneuvers my leg over across my body and lightly pushes it down. I felt my back crack a little as some of the tension left my body and I could help him move me into a deeper stretch.

"That feels so much better."I said, a little too relaxed. My eyes felt heavy and I probably would've fallen asleep if I wasn't so aware of Jin's hands. He placed one hand on the tatami mat by my head while his other hand lightly pushed down further on my thigh. He shifted his weight from his palm to his elbow, to lower himself down closer, deepening the stretch even further. We locked eyes, both of us too nervous to look away. My hips popped, and I unintentionally let another moan escape.

"Feeling better?" Jin asked softly in my ear. The deep timbre of it sent a shiver down my spin, resonating through me like a quiet storm. My voice escaped me. My breath caught as I instinctively pressed my hands against his chest, a subtle barrier between us. One I wasn't sure I wanted to keep. I slowly turned my head so that the tips of our noses were touching. His breath mingled with mine, warm and steady. I nodded, barely, unsure of what would come next. Then, without thinking, I leaned in and pressed my lips against his. Just a whisper of a kiss, but one that said everything I couldn't.

Jin didn't pull away. He deepened the kiss, begging for entrance to my mouth. Our tongues danced playfully together as my hands came up to tangle themselves in his hair. Without thinking, I moved underneath him, my legs on either side of his hips and he settled his weight on top of me. I didn't even remember that I was wearing nothing but a towel until his large hand gently landed on my breast. He released my lips trailing soft kisses down my jawline and continuing to the nape of the neck and trailing further down to the crest of my breast. He carefully moved the towel away and my back arched bringing my chest into him.

I felt hot and a million thoughts were running through my mind. I wasn't expecting my bruised body to be so exposed. Did he care? My body tensed, and I gripped the sheets as I shut my eyes tightly.

"Are you scared?"

I looked down to see Jin's dark eyes look up at me. I was scared. It's my first time. Was this going to be painful? Would he be satisfied? I had no idea what to do with my hands. "Maybe, a little…"

Jin stood up from the bed to turn off the light. I hid underneath the covers, unable to look at a fully naked man in front of me. That actually might make me explode.

The weight of the bed shifted as I could feel Jin hovering over me. The room was completely dark, with only the moonlight illuminating through the window. Jin peeled back the blanket, kissing me lightly and pressing our bodies together. I could feel his manhood pressing against me as he slowly moved his hips against mine.

I was ready. At least I think I was ready. He slid slowly between my moist folds and an unfamiliar pain shot through my hips, instinctively causing me to pull away from him and shut my eyes. I was scared. I knew there'd be some pain but I didn't expect it to be like this. Is this all there is? I covered my face with my hands trying to mentally prepare myself for the oncoming pain. However there wasn't any. Instead I was met with more soft kisses on my cheek, kissing away the trail of tears.

Jin found my lips, kissing me deeply again, allowing me to relax into him as he continued to push into me. Once…twice.. And on the third time he was all the way in. Nervousness and tension was slowly replaced with waves of passion and ecstasy. Jin was patient, never pushing too hard and always careful to avoid bringing me any moment of pain. I felt so beautiful underneath him, so cared for as he took in every inch of me as if I was the last meal he'd ever have.

I can't believe we just did that. I keep replaying us together in my mind. Every kiss, every touch, every moan, it made me tingle just thinking about it again. "How are you feeling?" Jin interrupted my thoughts. His bangs now completely covering his sleepy face. His voice still deep, but he sounded more relaxed now. Like he was at peace.

"I feel great. Still sore of course, but I still feel good."

He leaned over and gently kissed my cheek. He was so soft and open with me here. A side I'm sure I'd never see him display in public. I wish I could see it everyday. Be with him like this everyday.

"Why didn't you tell me before that you were leaving?" I asked shyly, trying to cover myself with the blankets.

Jin chuckled at the question, "I didn't think you'd even notice."

"I'm being serious." I snapped. "Of course I would notice you were gone. I thought we were…" I pushed my feelings away not wanting to make things more complicated. "You could've at least sent a text. Just radio silence."

"Because, I think if I had seen your face, I would've stayed."

"I wouldn't have asked you too."

"I know, but I would've wanted to." Jin sat up in the bed, his back now facing towards me. "This tournament is about more than just money and fame for me. I'm going to face and defeat Ogre— the spirit

that killed my mother."

Spirits aren't to be messed with by mortal beings in this world. Only special priests have the power to interact with them, let alone fight them. "But to defeat a spirit…"

"I have to win. No matter what it takes. There's a power that runs deep within the Mishima bloodline. My great-grandfather had it, my father had it and now it's been passed down to me. I've been training, honing my skills every day to take down Ogre."

"How do you even know where to find it?"

"The tournament will be in its home. It'll have no choice but to make an appearance." Jin continued, "It'll be there. I can feel its presence growing every day. I have to stop it, even if it means losing myself in the process."

I quickly sat up to be beside Jin."You won't lose yourself. You can't because… I'll be there to bring you back. I don't care how far gone you are, I'll find a way to bring you back to your old self."

Jin laughed a little, caught off guard by my sudden profession and fell back into the bed, "I'm going to hold you to that." He pulled me back down to him to lay on his chest. "I'll be looking for you in the crowd. As long as I can see you, everything will be okay."

I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to stay here a little longer. In these soft cotton sheets, in Jin's embrace. However as I moved my hands, I no longer could feel him there. I opened my eyes and he was gone. I was just holding a pillow tight to my chest. I rolled over from my groggy sleep out of bed. "Jin…" I shouted while walking through the hall, but no one answered.

I found my phone on top of some new clothes. A pink floral dress and a pair of white strappy sandals. Jin must've ordered these for me, a nice gesture but it would've been even nicer if he was here with me. I tapped on my phone screen and saw several messages waiting for me. A few from grandpa, a couple from Hworang, and the most recent one from Jin.

Good Morning,

I'm sorry I won't be there when you wake. You can stay as long as you'd like, but I won't return. I loved being with you, holding you, but I can't focus when I'm near you. And I think if I stay with you, I'll eventually convince myself to abandon my goal, and grow to resent you for it. This is something I have to do, no matter what, no matter where it leads me, even if it's to my own end.

I would tell you not to come to the tournament, but I know you won't listen. All I'll say is be careful. Just know that no matter what happens, I'll always look for your guiding light.

Yours Truly

Jin

I clutched the phone to my chest, allowing the tears to stream down my cheeks. I wish I had never fallen asleep. I could've kept an eye on him, maybe convinced him to stay. We would have both dropped out of the tournament, graduated and moved out of the city. I picked up the photo of him and his mom. We probably could've moved to Yakushima and lived a simple life.

"I'll bring him home safely," I whispered softly to the photo, gently returning it to the nightstand.