The Other Path
by Cherry Gale
'I remember everything about you, Kazuya. I remember your eyes staring into mine, your lips kissing me, your handsome smile...I remember it all. I haven't forgotten you, I even see you so often in my dreams...I still love you so much. I wish with all my heart that you were with me, smiling confidentially and holding me in your strong arms...then I would feel safe like I did back then...'
Jun Kazama thought deeply as she greeted the night sky with glistening, brown eyes and a depressed expression. She kept spotting the constellations in the sea of stars as she laid back on the supporting trunk of an aged tree. Everything was asleep; the birds had stop singing merrily, the flowers enclosed their petals, and all other forms of life were already slumbering. All this silence made Jun feel like she has been feeling lately; lonely.
'I feel as if I have nobody to turn to or nobody to comfort me from what I am going through. It was never like that before when you were alive. Whenever I was near you I felt so secure and warm. Now, I just feel so cold and frightened...'
It was then that the thought of going back to her home struck Jun. She wiped the tears from her eyes and began to get up. She proceeded down the trail to her home as the moonlight looked upon her with a faint glow of sympathy. She must have been too engulfed within her thoughts or sadness to have known someone had been watching her from the shadows and has been also following her steps.
Jun had already retired to sleep, trying to fight off the nightmares that came to her. He watched her as she struggled in her sleep, desperately calling out his name and involuntarily speaking out words of sorrow. He caught a vague sparkle brimmed underneath her closed eyes and realized that it was her tears. He bent down to her and touched her petite face and attempted to kiss her cheek, but stopped, suddenly remembering that he had not an entity. There wouldn't be any way for her to feel his touch or his embrace, because he only existed in the spirit plane and not that of the physical one as his love did. But he should have known that anyway, because he has been trying to tell her of his presence and hold her in his arms ever since he found her, only wasting his time blinded at the fact that she could not hear him or sense him either. He despised the fact of being a mere shadow of himself passing into the world that he once lived in, but he cursed the truth of not being able to comfort his love in her time of need.
'We promised that we would always stay by each other's side throughout anything...but my death made all the difference. I left her alone and broke our promise...dammit, why does it have to be like this?!'
He clenched his fists in vain, his heart aching so much that he hadn't realized that he was crying. Inside of himself, he wanted to yell out his tortured anguish, but he knew that it would not be of any help. Nothing could revive him or bring Jun back into his arms.
'Please...if I cannot be with her, then show me what could have happened if I were alive. Show me what Jun and I could have had together if I hadn't died...so that it would soothe my soul...'
The stars must have had mercy for such a tortured spirit, for they heard his plead and saw him with his head beside his lover's and his hand holding her's. After that moment, he was taken away from consciousness and was transferred into the other fate that he could have shared with Jun if he had lived.
"YOU WANT TO DO WHAT?!" A middle-aged man fumed as he protested angrily to who he thought was one of his most devoted workers. The young woman just blinked back at him and kept her confident composure.
"I said, 'I want to quit my job'." She steadily replied, keeping a clear mind. She watched as her boss gritted his teeth and tried to keep calm.
"What the hell did that sadistic bastard do to you, Jun?! Did he brainwash you, did he seduce you, give me an answer!!"
"I don't appreciate what you're calling my fiance and what you're assuming that he did to me. He didn't do any of those terrible things, and I want to quit my job because you and the rest of the agency are telling me that I can't have an affair with him--"
"That's because you CAN'T!!! Jun, do you have any idea of how the government and agency would react if they knew that one of the WWWF's finest workers was sent to Tokyo to get proof of the crimes of the most notorious businessman in the country, but instead ends up having an intimate relationship with him?! And just what do you think the media would make of this if it ever got to them?! Everything will be utterly chaotic and will be stained in the WWWF's history!!!"
"That's why I am telling you that I am quitting my job so that I won't give the agency a bad name. I don't want to ruin its reputation, nor do I want to stop seeing my fiance. So I am asking you, please understand my decision and accept it."
Jun's boss looked at her with still eyes and then realized that this argument had made his mouth dry. He reached for his glass of water sitting near his desk lamp and gulped it down. He then had a moment of silence to himself.
Jun knew that what she said had shocked and angered her boss, but nonetheless, what was so strange about her situation? The man she cared about had asked her to marry him and she accepted his proposal, so what was so awkward? Her boss should understand her feelings because he had a wife, whom Jun had met once.
'He should be able to understand the sacrifices that a person is willing to take for a loved one.' Jun thought to herself as she watched her boss contemplating with his thoughts.
He finally looked at her again, but to Jun's surprise, with a smile. "All right then. Jun, I hope that your future will be a bright one," with that he got up and took her hand into a friendly handshake, "I wish all the best for you and Mr. Mishima."
Jun smiled back in gratitude. "Thank you very much, sir," she said, and walked out of the room.
"Mishima-sama," Kazuya Mishima heard a voice behind him and turned around to face his secretary.
"What is it, Lee?"
"Your business report, I need to proofread it...you did finish it, right?"
He had almost forgotten about that report. Jun and himself were busy already making preperations for the wedding that work seemed to be his second asset to attend to. He didn't believe it and neither did Lee, for work had been almost as important as his training.
"Yes," he answered, reaching for his desk and taking out thick slab of papers from one of the drawers. He handed it to Lee, who nodded and went out of the office. Kazuya returned back to the splendid view of the city that stood out before him behind the wide glass windows. The sun was beginning to set behind the large skyscrapers and shadows started to infest the city slowly. Kazuya started to think of the matters of his upcoming wedding as well as his lover, Jun.
Kazuya remembered that Jun had told him that when the agency Jun worked for knew of their affair, they threatened her that she had to keep her distance from him or her job would be at stake as well as his the agency's reputation. He was angered that some nature protection coorperation wanted to take Jun away from him, as if they wanted to ruin his life by stealing the one person his heart held so dear. And he knew that Jun didn't want to stop seeing him either; he could tell because she was crying whenever she delivered the news to him. Kazuya knew that all of the crimes he committed were wrong and that he really didn't deserve Jun, but he didn't care. He wanted to be with her because they loved each other, and he was sure of it. Jun didn't want to leave him either, but she was so confused trying to think of what to do. He was too, because basically what Jun had to do was choose between the wildlife she devoted her work and care to in order to protect it, or him. They both were aware that if this situation were to become any deeper, the WWWF would make it known to the public. Kazuya wasn't worried about himself if it did, but he was worried about what it would do to Jun.
He couldn't stand to see Jun cry, so he comforted her by saying that he would have a talk with the WWWF himself in hopes that they would listen to him despite his crimes against the wildlife and its creatures. But Jun shook her head and looked back at him with her wet eyes. She took a calming breath and said that she would quit her job. This came as a shock to Kazuya; he knew from the day he met her was that she loved nature and would do anything to protect it. He couldn't believe that Jun would give up all of that just to be with him. But he didn't talk her out of it, he could try but it wouldn't do anything. Jun was serious and she had stopped crying. So he had to go along with what she was going to do, and hopefully everything would be all right.
'I wonder if her talk with the agency went smoothly...I'm almost off work and she said that she would be here by now.
Kazuya, in all of his nervousness, began pacing. He continued to do so until he heard a familiar voice from outside of his office, and then he saw Lee come in.
"Miss Kazama is here," he said, and Kazuya almost smiled. Lee then noticed that his brother's steps seemed to be lighter as he went towards Jun, who was waiting for him.
Jun greeted him with a smile and planted her rosy lips on Kazuya's. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him. He then returned her kiss, and realized that her face was blusing to a light red. He wondered why she was doing so, and then immediately looked over his shoulder to see Lee trying to concentrate on some work. Obviously, he was attempting to ignore the embraced couple. It didn't take long for Kazuya to catch on to what was happening so he and Jun went towards the elevator and left Lee to his work.
"So...what happened when you talked to the agency?" Kazuya asked curiously, and Jun smiled reassuringly.
"Everything is settled," she said and went deeper into their embrace as she watched the fire dance in the darkness. Kazuya went at ease as he stared at her with his ebony eyes. Today was very tiring for both of them, and all they both wanted to do was to rest on one of the couches in the living room and enjoy the warmth of the fireplace.
"Jun, are you sure that you want to give up working for the WWWF?" Kazuya couldn't stop himself from asking Jun. She just simply nodded and kissed him.
"It's fine with me, Kazuya. I already told you that I just want to be with you. If I can have that then nothing else matters to me," she replied softly and she felt Kazuya's arms bringing her closer to him.
"Oh, have you asked Lee yet?" she questioned, and Kazuya raised a quizzical brow.
"About what?" Jun sighed and laughed a bit at his response.
"Silly. You were supposed to ask him if he could help us with the wedding, remember?" she said, and it struck him. Not only did he almost forget about his work, he forgot to ask his brother to be his best man on the day of the wedding. He found himself to be quite forgetful ever since he and Jun were preparing for their wedding.
"I'll ask him tomorrow, I promise," he answered, and Jun playfully pushed him away.
"At this rate, we'll never get married!" she joked, and Kazuya grinned. He then grabbed Jun and locked her in his strong arms. His hand lingered through her dark hair, and her head rested on his shoulder.
"Soon, you'll be my very own Mrs. Mishima..." he whispered in her ear and she snuggled up to him in response, her warmth caressing him.
"I am looking forward to that day, when I become yours..." was her hushed reply and Kazuya smiled as he lead her to a passionate kiss.
Sunlight poured into the window of the chamber and greeted the embraced lovers in long, transparent rays. Kazuya woke up as sunlight beamed softly on Jun's face. He smiled as his fingers ran down her cheek and slowly made their way to her lips.
'I didn't hear the alarm clock. I wonder what time it is...?' He thought and looked at the clock sitting on the nearby drawer along with an expensive lamp. He groggily picked it up to get a clearer view of it, and he nearly jumped out of bed. It read 9:45, and he only had fifteen minutes to get ready for work.
"DAMMIT!!!" he cursed out loud as he tossed the bedsheets aside and made his way to the bathroom. He must have forgotten that Jun was awake from his outburst because he didn't even know it.
After he brushed his teeth and took a quick, cold shower, Kazuya got dressed in his trademark purple business suit and combed his hair back like he always did. He then went into the bedroom that he and Jun shared, only to find an empty space in the bed, which was already neatly made. He then remembered that he awoke Jun when he realized that he was late for work, he was sure that he caught a glimpse of bewilderment on her face before he went into the bathroom. Figuring that she was probably in one of the other bathrooms, he decided not to bother her and apologize when she was in the dining room where breakfast was being served.
As he was walking down the wide, empty hallway that lead to the dining room Kazuya thought to himself why the clock didn't wake him up about an hour and half eariler like it was supposed to do so. It was unlikely that Jun had shut it off, because she had no reason to. He was sure that none of the butlers did, and he was positive that he didn't do it either. Perhaps it was broken, or maybe he forgot to set the alarm. Whatever it was, he decided to ask Jun during breakfast.
He set himself to the breakfast served to him and quickly ate it as fast and as clean as he could. He then felt frail arms wrap around his neck and soft lips on his cheek. He saw brown eyes glowing with pure innocence staring affectionately at his and he smiled at the beautiful woman that he loved and whom was to become his wife.
Jun sat down on one of the chairs beside Kazuya and started to drink a small cup of steaming tea. He preferred coffee in the morning because it would wake him up faster.
Kazuya then remembered about the alarm clock incident and the moment that he had accidentally woke Jun up. "Did I wake you?" he asked teasingly and Jun giggled quietly.
"Yes," she responded,"and I was having a good dream too!"
'Really?' he asked himself, but he didn't question Jun about her dream because he knew that he had about five minutes left at the most. He would ask her when he got home from work.
But that didn't stop him from asking about the clock. "Jun, did you shut off the alarm on the clock?"
Jun looked back at him with a puzzled expression, as if she was assuming that he did it.
"You know, it was supposed to wake me up at--"
"Kazuya...don't you remember?" Jun asked and Kazuya just gave a clueless look, because he didn't know what she was talking about.
"What?"
"You shut it off yourself," she replied, trying to keep her laughter from coming to her lips. "You turned off the alarm right before we...well...you know..." she blushed embarrassingly and Kazuya was about to do the same.
"I don't recall shutting it off..." he said. Jun let out a helpless sigh.
"Kazuya, you don't know at all? Fine, I'll tell you. Remember last night that we were just so tired from earlier, because you had a lot of paperwork and I had to tell the agency that I quit my job? Well, we got to talking and then you just took me in your arms and carried me to the bedroom. You set me on the bed and before you...joined me, you took the clock and shut off the alarm. Then..." Jun couldn't go one because she was blushing entirely.
He finally remembered what had happened. Jun and him were spending time together in front of the fireplace last night. They were talking about varoius things; Jun quitting her job, himself forgetting to ask Lee about the wedding. He recalled Jun playfully scolding at him for his mistake, and that was when he took her into his arms and...they went to talking about their wedding. Kazuya then carried Jun effortlessly into their chamber and he did remember placing her on their bed. Then he reached for the alarm clock and...
'SHIT!!!' Kazuya caught on to his mistake, and he was about to slap himself upside the head. He turned his attention towards Jun, who was trying her hardest not to laugh at the expression on his face.
"Didn't you try to stop me?" he asked, and Jun nodded.
"I told you not to, but you said that I shouldn't worry and that you would wake up early in the morning like you always do."
'But I didn't,' he thought, and suddenly he checked his watch. His five minutes were up and the driver should be waiting outside. He grabbed his briefcase that he had placed near his chair and with that, he kissed Jun before he went out the door.
"He's been late ever since he proposed to Jun," Lee Chaolan said out loud while attending to some paperwork.
"It's not like I'm annoyed by it, but he IS running this company and he shouldn't be late just because he's going to have a wife in a month or two..." Lee brushed his long silver bangs aside and took out some files that contained most of his work.
That was all he ever did in this building, he and the other workers. He never really minded it because he got better pay than the other employees, and he usually didn't care about his older brother's matters. But recently for some reason, he grew curious about what Kazuya's life was like. Ever since the time he heard from his brother that he was going to marry Jun Kazama, he really didn't think he meant it. But now, he WAS actually going to marry her, and Lee couldn't help but wonder about their affair. In a while, Kazuya was going to walk in this office building as a married man, and that just made Lee go back on everything he said about himself finding the right woman for him before his brother did.
Lee had dated some women who were nice to look at and intelligent before, but he never felt a bond between any of them. Sure, they could've been fashion models and any average man would settle for that, but for him he couldn't. He was sure that Kazuya was the same way, the only difference being that the man never dated in his life or didn't even make eye contact with any woman. So when he first met Jun Kazama, he didn't know what was so different about her that Kazuya would want to start a relationship with her. He agreed that she had a pretty face and a lithe figure, and unlike the women Lee dated she was very shy and quiet, but why would Kazuya choose her? At first, Lee refuse to believe that his brother was actually having feelings for Jun, even actually loving her. However, as time grew he realized how much Kazuya cared about her. When Lee learned that he was going to propose to her, he thought his brother was playing some uneasy joke. But, Lee knew that Kazuya would never do something as serious as a life-long committment with Jun unless he was absolutely sure that he loved her and wanted to share both their lives together. So basically, his brother really did find the the right woman for him before Lee did.
"Somehow I envy him," Lee admitted. He comforted himself that the woman he would love would come in his life sooner or later. But no reason for rushing, he still wanted to enjoy being single and having women swooning over him.
'No need to find my supposed significant other in a hurry,' he thought. He was then interrupted by a closing of doors and he realized that Kazuya had just stepped out of the elevator and was going towards his office. Lee continued with the files because he didn't want to be caught doing anything else but work.
When Lee was looking over some papers, he noticed that Kazuya had stopped in his steps and turned his attention to him. He was surprised by his brother's sudden action and Lee started to wonder if he had made a mistake in one of Kazuya's documents or if he had something on his shirt.
"Before I forget again," Kazuya started, "I have to ask you something." Lee, feeling a bit relieved, turned away from the papers to hear what his brother had to say.
"I need a best man, and since you're not doing anything on the day of the wedding I want to ask if you can take the responsibility," he bluntly stated.
"Um...sure," Lee replied. Kazuya then walked straight into his office and shut the door.
'You'd think a person would be a bit more enthusiastic...' Lee joked about Kazuya's simplicity in his request. Afterwards, he returned to the papers.
Jun stood still on the small platform as the aged dress maker was placing the finishing touches on what was to become her wedding dress.
"I'm almost done, Miss Kazama," the quiet voice informed her, and Jun did her best to halt any movement that might throw the dress maker off.
The dress was turning out to be perfect, just as any woman would've dreamed of on their wedding day. Jun was happy about its appearance, and how comfortable it had fit her. The long, white dress had stopped a few inches above the ground and the sashes of the bow that was wrapped around Jun's waist elegantly fell in the back. Slick, white gloves brimmed with lace complimented her attire as well as a flowing veil with a white ribbion tied in the back of it crowned on her head.
'I wonder what Kazuya would say if he saw me now...?' Jun asked herself. 'Well, I guess I have to wait for another two months.'
"There, finished!" the dress maker stated almost happily, and Jun stepped off the platform, relieved that the long hour of standing as still was over.
"My, I guess I still have talent in making dresses..." the woman said. "Your future husband will be pleased with how you will look on your wedding day, Miss Kazama."
"Thank you very much," Jun responded. She too had thought that the dress was made even better than she had expected. It showed off her slender figure and Jun felt the caress of silk against her skin.
"Now, if you changed out of the dress I can wrap it up for you at the counter," the woman said and Jun nodded. She went into the dressing room and changed into the clothing that she was wearing when she first cam into the store. She came out with the dress and went up to the counter. The woman took it and gingerly folded it and placed it neatly in a rectangular box. She then placed it into a large bag and handed it to Jun.
"Have a good day Miss Kazama," she told her, and Jun smiled brightly.
"You too," she replied and exited the store out into the crowded streets of the city.
'I still have some time...I think I'm going to walk around the park a little.'
Jun went into the entrance of the park and walked along the winding, clobberstoned path. As she passed, she saw clusters of cherry blossom trees decorating the whole park as well as children playing with their parents, some admiring the small pink flowers. She watched them running happily, not knowing of the troubles of the world. Playfully getting into mischief and innocently asking thousands of questions to almost flustered parents...that was what children were like. She couldn't remember what she was like as a child, but she was sure that she was always shy around adults and other people that she didn't know. She wasn't sure how Kazuya was like, because she didn't ask. Jun knew as much as how violent a childhood he had, so she didn't want to accidentally bring up something that might hurt him. Kazuya had respected that as well.
Jun sat under a blooming tree, and watched the beautiful blossoms that were the native flower of her country. They were so frail and delicate, as well as graceful. They were beautiful as they bloomed in the spring time, and Jun had always admired them herself. Whenever the flowers were to come alive in spring time, Jun would come to the park to see them. She knew that Kazuya was too busy to look at something such as flowers, but she also was aware that if he didn't have so much work, he would come to watch them with her.
As Jun was lost in her thoughts, she was taken back to earth by a pair of powerful arms embracing her and bringing her closely to meet the dark eyes of the man she loved. Kazuya grinned mischieviously, and Jun couldn't help but smile, happy at the fact that he had come all the way from work to be with her.
"I thought that you were busy," she said and Kazuya only kissed her.
"I saw you coming out of the dress maker's store and wanted to follow you..." he replied. Jun laughed softly and her hands gripped his shoulders lightly.
"Were you spying on me?" she teased, and Kazuya gave her a thoughtful expression.
"Well...I wasn't comfortable with the idea that other men might take an interest in such a beautiful woman, so I had to make sure that none of them would do something that would charm you and steal you away from me," he joked.
Jun just rested on against his neck and fondly kissed him in return. "Kazuya, you are the only man I love. No one else can ever take your place. And by the way..." Jun escaped from his hold around her and made a teasing face.
"How do I know that other women aren't flirting with you while you are gone from home? You never tell me!" she exclaimed, and started to run away from him with light, care-free steps. Kazuya leaped onto his feet and chased right after her. As he ran in pursuit of Jun, he saw people eyeing the couple strangely, especially the little children around the park. It was awkward, seeing a grown man with such a strong build running after a frail woman. He didn't mind though, all he thought about was catching Jun as fast as he could.
Jun was a quick runner, but Kazuya was close at her heels. When they were nearby the small lake in the middle of the park, he was finally near enough to gently take her down. Jun felt the light impact of hitting the ground when Kazuya had tackled her, and she closed her eyes so that any dust didn't get in them. When she opened them, she saw Kazuya grinning above her.
"Gotcha," he said almost victoriously, and immediately took Jun into the embrace that they had both known so well. Jun didn't resist this time and she touched his face with a soft brush of her fingers.
"Jun," he spoke again, "I could never find anyone else like you. The emotions I have for you can never be taken....I love you too much to end up with another woman..." Jun heard how steady his voice was and how serious his answer had been. She looked up into his eyes which were now calm and staring fondly back at her.
"Kazuya...I was only teasing you. I already know how much--"
"I know. I just...wanted to tell you that," he responded, and Jun wrapped her arms around his strong neck lovingly and they both fell silent as they watched the blossoms fall slowly down from the trees.
'Oh man, I need a cigarette...when is this wedding going to start?!' Lee frantically thought to himself as he saw the guests waiting in the church. He was up at the altar which was decorated with flowers and ribbons, and beside him was Kazuya. Lee wanted a cigarette so badly, but he knew that his brother would kill him if he smoked right now. He was sure of it, because Kazuya was glaring at him.
'He's probably thinking, "I'm going to break your neck if you smoke your damn menthols now, little brother".' Lee knew Kazuya all too well.
"Okay, okay!" Lee exclaimed in a hushed tone. "I get it, I won't smoke! So stop staring at me like that!" Lee saw the arrogant grin on his brother's face that had boasted his successive influence. Lee looked away and kept an eye out on the church doors where his new sister-in-law was too enter.
'Now this suit is chafing me...' Lee complained, and cursed silently at his misfortunes. Kazuya, as he observed him, was calm and Lee could've sworn that he actually was smiling a little.
'Why is it that this is turning out to be a bad day for me, when it's the happiest day of my brother's life? Damn him...' Lee, however, had to admit that he was glad for his brother. This was the day when he was to marry a woman that he truly loved...he would be happy spending his life with Jun. So Lee had to be happy too; even if Kazuya was arrogant and cold, he was still his brother.
'Heh, sure Kazuya, you're gonna be happy for the next few years...but wait 'til you have kids...then I'll be the one laughing...' Lee chuckled at his thought, only to be kicked in the ankle by Kazuya's foot. He let out a stifled groan while his brother laughed silently.
'...in just a few minutes I'm going to be married to Kazuya Mishima...why am I so nervous then? I love him with all of my heart, but for some reason...I'm still a little scared...'
Jun looked solemnly back into her mirror and saw a bride who seemed to be depressed when she was supposed to be joyful. Jun brushed her bangs aside and she picked up her veil, which was laying still on the dresser. She examined it, and put it back down. Jun then reached for her bouquet of white roses and thoughtfully tied the ribbon around it more securely. She suddenly remembered about the wedding and the waiting guests, and Kazuya.
'He's probably worried about me. I shouldn't keep him and the others waiting.' Jun put her veil on top of her head and took the white roses with her. She looked once more in the mirror and she now saw that she was smiling.
'I shouldn't be sad, I should be happy! I'm going to marry the one I love and share my life with him...' Jun said to herself and returned back to the wedding.
'Please don't tell me that she's got cold feet...' Lee pleaded, and curiously looked back at his brother.
'Man, he looks worried...poor guy. The guests are getting a bit impatient...but hey, what's a wedding without a bride?'
Kazuya looked at his watch and saw that Jun was now almost ten minutes late. Even if it hasn't been exactly very long, he was concerned about her. What if she wasn't ready? What if she didn't want to be married?
'...no. Jun wouldn't ever leave me here alone on our wedding. She said she loved me, and I believe her. I just have to give her some time.' Kazuya was right, for he saw Jun enter through the church doors. Everyone looked relieved; the bride was finally here, and now the wedding could start.
'She looks beautiful...' Kazuya thought as Jun walked gracefully down the aisle. He could see her smiling at him, and he returned it.
'Finally, I could smoke!' Lee praised quietly as he lit up a cigarette. The evening party inside was making him feel as if he was confined in a prison. The wedding did go well when Jun had arrived, but he wanted a menthol so badly while the she and Kazuya were exchanging vows. He wanted to bust out of the church, but knew that his brother would litteraly tear him to piecies.
"I'd knew you would be here," a familiar voice beckoned him from behind and Lee whirled around scornfully to find Kazuya with a glass half full of wine.
"You've always been addicted to smoking ever since we were teenagers," Lee only shrugged at his brother and inhaled the blissful smoke from his cigarette.
"And now you're saying that you have a problem with it?" Lee wasn't as up-tight as he was back at the office whenever he was off duty. Even though Kazuya was his boss, he still couldn't help but talk casually to him and for once go through at least thirty minutes without calling him 'Mishima-sama'.
"I really never cared," Kazuya answered. "I just thought that you can't go through a day without having a cigarette."
"You thought right," Lee said as his brother sipped his wine.
"Aren't you supposed to be with your wife?" Lee asked, and Kazuya didn't respond until he was finished drinking.
"I wanted to step out for some fresh air...but I guess that was meaningless. You're polluting it."
Lee laughed a little. "Sorry," he then put out his cigarette.
"...actually...I wanted to talk," It was then that Lee nearly choked. He looked at his brother and saw that he was serious, so all he could do was play along.
"Okay. What'd you want to talk about?"
"It's really not significant, but still..." Kazuya paused for a moment.
"Is it about Jun?" Lee asked and his brother shook his head.
"It's not about her...it's just that...I felt that I needed to talk to someone else because I don't think that she would understand."
"Oh..." Lee didn't know exactly what Kazuya was saying, but he was wondering what he was talking about.
"Lee, I actually have a wife...and somewhere down the line, I know it's not going to be just Jun and me. I know that the subject of children will come up."
"You don't want to have any sons or daughters?" Lee interrupted, and Kazuya shook his head in denial again.
"No, it's not that at all. What I am saying is that...I am going to have my very own family. I have Jun, and I am sure that we will have a child sometime in the future...then I would be not only a husband, but a father as well..."
When Lee heard this, he thought about his and Kazuya's childhood. He remembered his adoptive father, and how violent he had been to his brother. He spat out strings of curses and cruel words at Kazuya, as well as train him nearly to death everyday. There was hardly a time that he didn't see his father abusing Kazuya physically and mentally. Lee knew that the lack of love and care had influenced his brother to be isolated and caused him to lash out at those who had agitated him. He tried hard to keep his brother from getting out of hand, but he knew that all the torture that Kazuya endured everyday had an impact on him.
"You're worried about being like our father, aren't you?" he asked. Kazuya didn't show any sign of denial this time.
"...you know how he was, Lee. I only learned how to fight from him, nothing else. How can I be a father if I didn't even learn how to care for others from the man who raised me? I don't want to give my child the same kind of childhood that I had, I don't want him to become someone like me. I don't want to lose Jun like father lost my mother. I just...don't know what will happen if my new life will be just like his, Lee. I will never be able to forgive myself if I repeat the same mistakes that father did..." Kazuya trailed off, and Lee could see that in his silence, he was shaking slightly. He truly was afraid if he would become like their father.
'Dad lost everything because of his coldness; the love of his wife, the respect of his only true son...his whole family. What if...that happens to Kazuya? Will he lose his family too?'
Lee scolded himself that now was not the right time to be thinking such thoughts. His brother had just confessed something that frightened him, and it was his job to comfort him. Lee didn't know what fate had in store for Kazuya and Jun, but standing here doing nothing wasn't going to help him.
Lee placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, a gesture that had shocked himself and Kazuya even.
"You can't let yourself be like our father was. A family isn't worth losing, so you have to make sure that you'll always be there for yours. Man, you have a brand new life now so you can't go on ruining it if you turn into dad. And besides, I don't think you will have any trouble raising your own kid, because Jun will be there to help you."
Kazuya smiled at Lee's words in gratitude and Lee was glad that he was able to help him.
"Thank you, Lee."
"No problem. Now if you're finished, can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"What's it like being married?" Lee asked, and Kazuya grinned in a friendly way.
"Why, you jealous?"
"Hell no. Why would I be jealous, I'm still single!! But you...you're enslaved to Jun now because you had to get MARRIED!!!" Lee laughed and Kazuya punched him in his shoulder as his response.
"There you are," both Kazuya and Lee whirled around to face Jun.
"I'm sorry. Did I interrupt anything?"
"No, it's fine," Kazuya replied.
"Oh, I want to thank you Lee for being able to come to the wedding," Jun said and Lee nodded.
"Thanks for inviting me."
"Jun, we have to go now. We're going to miss our trip."
At first, Lee didn't know what Kazuya was talking about, but then he remembered that he and his new wife were to have their honeymoon on a cruise ship heading for a resort island that was popular among newly-wed couples.
"I won't be back for three weeks, so I want everything to be in order when I come back," Kazuya said to Lee.
'He might not want to admit it, but he has dad's stubborn pride.' Lee thought as he watched Kazuya and Jun walked away hand-in-hand.
"It's a beautiful night..." Jun said thoughtfully as her eyes glanced at the starlit night admired its reflection in the vast, sea waters.
"Yes," Kazuya replied, holding her waist as he and his new wife watched the moon trailing in the sky. They could clearly hear the soft, lapping of the waves as the boat rode through the water smoothly.
"You've been very quiet after the wedding," Kazuya said. "Anything wrong?"
"No...I'm just tired, that's all."
Kazuya couldn't blame her. Even if it was their wedding, everything that they had prepared for the occasion had tired them both.
"Do you hear that?" Jun asked him, and his ears detected the faint sound of music from inside the ship.
"Yes. It sounds like they hired musicians."
"It sounds lovely..." Jun was taken away by the elegant notes as the music played, and a thought came to Kazuya.
"May I have this dance?" he asked cooly with an arm extended towards Jun. She was at first suprised at his gesture, but then smiled and nodded without hesitation. She placed her hand into his, and he took her into a waltz.
At first, Kazuya had stepped clumsily on Jun's feet and he could hear her small yelps. He had forgotten the last time that he had danced. Jun didn't want to ruin the moment by telling him that her feet were starting to sore, because she knew that it had been a long time since she had gone dancing as well.
But each step they took started to progress and after a few minutes, the couple danced gracefully as if they had been doing so all their life. Kazuya was glad to see Jun happy as they danced cheek to cheek. Jun could feel his warmth as his lips began to leave a long line of kisses down her neck.
Kazuya could still hear the faint sound of waves splashing aganist the boat as Jun was cuddled up against him in his strong arms. It was near midnight now and she had already fallen asleep. He couldn't do the same, because his thoughts had been bothering him from going to sleep.
"You are still awake. Is something on your mind?" Jun's soft voice beckoned.
"I am just thinking," he said and he pulled the covers over Jun's bare shoulders to keep her comfortable.
Jun smiled and she caressed his lips with a soft kiss. "About what?"
"Nothing in particular. I was about to go to sleep anyway."
"Well...alright then," Jun said and she slowly closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep. The last thing she heard was the soft beating of Kazuya's heart.
He watched her as she slept in the comfort of his arms and admired her slumbering form. Kazuya longed to see her innocent brown eyes, but didn't want to wake her when she seemed so peaceful.
'I am a husband...and I will be a father too.'
After a few more minutes of contemplating, Kazuya finally felt slumber nudging him. He saw a small slip of the moon as he fell asleep embraced with his new wife.
He watched as she placed a hand gently on the tiny creature's forehead. He didn't whine, instead he cooed happily as he gripped one of her fingers. She smiled as she adored the look of amazement on his face as a butterfly fluttered around the small child. His attention was attracted by the bright and lively colors painted on each of its wings. She didn't mind the excited baby, she just went on cradling him softly in her delicate arms.
'My family...'
He approached her from behind and gently planted his hands on her frail shoulders. She looked up at him lovingly as he bent toward her closely and greeted her with a tender kiss.
They were interrupted by a faint sound of laughing and he stared at the two, wide eyes looking back at him with happiness. His son smiled as he tried to swat at him. She gingerly took the small child and placed him in his father's arms.
He stared back as the baby playfully tugged at the collar of his shirt. A smile crept onto his lips as his son started to tire and yawned quietly.
He could feel her arms wrapping around his arm softly and she rested her head against his shoulder. He was still as his son shut his eyes and fell asleep in his arms.
Jun woke up with a start and pulled the blankets off of her. He sensed that she awoke and realized that reality had brought him back from his unconciousness. He was still nothing more then a mere shadow now, pathetically clinging to the comfort of what he could have had if he was still alive.
"...Kazuya was there, and we were together again...I was so happy. But...it was only a dream, and nothing else..." he then watched her as tears slowly began to make their way to her eyes and he heard her breathe in hushed sobs. After what seemed like a few hours, Jun snuggled against the comfort of her pillow and cried herself to sleep.
He sadly touched her cheek and kissed her while she was in a dreamless slumber.
He suddenly could sense a life pulsing in Jun, another warmth inside of her own body. He could make out the small beating of its heart as it tossed and turned silently.
'Jun...forgive me for not being able to be with you or our son.' He watched over her for as long as he could before the sun rose over the mountains to greet the world.
