China
Jack's POV
"Hurry up! We need to be at the dojo in a few", Kim said, dragging me – along with her bag – down the road. With us being neighbors and all, we agreed to walk together when we heard about the trip to China.
"I'm sorry", I repeated over and over again while having my thoughts at a whole other theme. I'd be going back to the place where my lovely (pleases note the sarcasm here) cousin went and broke my hand four years ago. Oh, and almost killed me, sorry for forgetting. I was eager to let this trip get to the best one, I've ever had. You know, there was a plus in this; Kim was there, too, and I wanted to spend so much time with her. Maybe I'd even get the chance to share a room with her. That would be so amazing.
You have to know that there is this little thing I decided to keep by myself... the fact, that I actually love her with my whole heart. When she got hurt, it'd hurt myself, when she laughed, I'd be happy whether I was the second before or not. She just made me happy with being there.
"Jack? You there? We almost reached the dojo", my beautiful best friend – how I hated calling her that... I'd love to have something more with her – interrupted my thoughts.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about how awesome this trip would get", I cheered a bit and Kim laughed her silly laugh which just blows my mind every time, I hear it. I smiled widely at her. When she noticed, she blushed and stopped immediately.
"No, don't stop! Your laugh is just amazing! Silly, but amazing", I added with a loving smile which caused her to blush so much more than before.
"Thanks, but we should head inside. You know... we're already late. But before this-", she pulled me back and looked me in the eyes, "I want you to know that I'm being there for you. If you need me in China, just talk to me, got it?"
I nodded before hugging her, whispering in her ear: "Share a room with me?"
"I'd love to." I think, I just died right there in her arms when she whispered those beautiful words in her beautiful voice with her beautiful – and surely kissable – mouth... it took me all my willpower to not just slam my lips onto hers and make out with her, right there in the mall. I wanted to take her breath away, to keep her close to me, to just show her that I really and truly love her.
Now I felt my face heat up. And in that moment, Kim took her head away from my shoulder a bit only to look up at me. When she saw the blush, I could see a smirk form its way on her lovely, beautiful – stop it, Jack! – face. "What caused this blush? I mean, we're always hugging each other. Even when my dad is right there and you know how protective he is." She smirked at me and I immediately knew that this wouldn't be good for me.
"Um, you know- we- I- you- we-we should go inside before Rudy freaks out, ya know?", I tried to get out of my stuttering and felt my cheeks go warmer again. Hot was the only word which could describe my face now – and I didn't mean that in a good way like handsome. More like embarrassed.
"You're right. But you know where I'm right?" Kim looked up at me innocently and the only thing I could do was to sigh.
"Where?"
"That you definitely have a crush on me. A hard one." Before I felt my cheeks warm up, I smirked and wanted to say something like you know, that's not the only thing that is hard but she interrupted me.
"Don't." So I just kept it with a wink before entering the dojo. This would be a funny trip, that was for sure. And I'd make sure that I'd fight hard in this competition. For Kim.
"We have always two places next to each other but at different rows. Well, two of them are at a different row and the other four are at different sides of the way."
I looked over at Kim and she nodded with a big smile.
"Kim and I will go to the two places alone. Then these three guys can sit together and we two and you – uhm – you are with your favorite ones", I added after a little break. I really didn't know how to say Rudy that nobody wanted to sit with him.
"You two alone? I don't know...", Rudy stopped and looked critically at us. Kim's look hardened.
"You don't trust us? I expected that you would trust these three guys less than us", she said before looking softly at the others, "Nothing against you, guys. You're great."
"Nah, it's okay."
"Fine."
"Everything good."
She smiled a bit before turning to Rudy. He sighed and gave her the tickets for her and me.
"Fine, but don't do anything you shouldn't do in a plane."
"RUDY!", we both screamed before we heard the sign that we could start boarding now.
"Come Kim, we go." I grabbed her hand and walked with her towards the guards.
"I'm glad that we got to sit together", she said while we were standing in the row. As I looked at her she bite her lip and looked up at me. The most damn cute thing, I've ever seen.
"Me too, Kim, me too. I really couldn't handle it if we wouldn't sit next to each other." Her eyes went wide as she happily leans into me for a hug.
"I'm glad you're my best friend", she whispered in my ear and I hugged her tighter.
"Make this two."
Behind us, someone cleared their throat and we pulled away.
"I'm sorry, but could you two sweet lovebirds keep going? You're stopping the whole line." The woman looked at us with a slightly happy face. "Ah, young love."
Our faces reddened before we closed up to the people in front of us. It looked like it would take a bit till we were at the guards, so Kim looked at me like she wanted to tell me something but couldn't. So I said the first thing that came to my mind.
"You're really beautiful, you know that." Her cheeks were pink at that and she smiled a bit on the ground.
"Aww!" I looked at the woman behind us and she had a happy face. "How long have you been together? I mean, you're so sweet and everything."
"Uhm, we aren't together. We're best friends", Kim added while explaining her our relationship. I wouldn't lie, it hurt. I wished that we were so much more. I wanted to kiss her, hold her and- stop it, Jack. You can't really think like that about your best friend.
"Oh, that's a pity. You are perfect for each other." Yep, right what I have been and was thinking. But you know, it wouldn't change a thing if I was the only one out of us two who thought that. I looked over at Kim and noticed a hard blush at her cheeks.
"Thanks", she whispered before I grabbed her and dragged her towards the guards; softly, you know. I'm pretty calm and careful when it comes to Kim.
"Uhm, Jack, what are you- oh, it's almost our turn!" I laughed a bit at that and kept her in my embrace when I noticed her relax in my arms. Oh yeah, we were perfect for each other. But I wouldn't tell her that, for sure.
"Mind if you sit on the window?" Kim and I was walking down the way in the plane and she has noticed that we would sit next to a window.
"No, but why? Aren't you enjoying looking down?" When I slid in the seat-row, I noticed that Kim was standing there, right in the middle of the way, stopping people from going to their seats. "Come here", I mouthed and it came life in her body.
"You're afraid of heights?", I asked her, whispering in her ear. She nodded and looked down.
"Well, at least it is really something you can be afraid of without people looking at you like you're crazy. You know, compared to my fear", I chuckled a bit while Kim smiled, but looked down to the ground. "C'mon, you're a great girl, you really can't be afraid that I'd laugh at you because you're afraid of something, half of the world are afraid of, too. Wow, pretty much 'afraid' in this sentence, right?" I chuckled a bit before taking Kim's silence as a sign to just shut up. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to feel you bad."
"You made it better, Jack. Thanks", she said when she looked up with those chocolate eyes of hers in which I just wanted to sink in because they made me crazy, and with this smile of hers which let my heart flatter whenever it comes out. Wow, cheesy much.
"I'm glad, you're better. And next time, just tell me."
"Okay, Jack." With that we began to stare in our eyes. It was like everything just went dark or wasn't even there.
When I looked up from Kim's eyes because I noticed a movement next to us, I saw the woman from earlier standing there. She was watching with a big smile which – to be honest – just creeped me out.
"I'm really serious; you guys make such a good couple, better than most of the people today. You guys care for each other, others just want to get in a bed together before going on. Please stay this way."
Both of our cheeks went red and I said, embarrassed but also pretty fluttered: "Thanks, but as we said before, we aren't a couple." But I plan on asking her out, I added in my mind before I slapped myself in also my mind. God, I was so annoying sometimes. Really, I called myself annoying... just stop right here, Jack. Really.
"Yeah, but you just are a great couple." Kim blushed more and pleaded me to get her to go away.
"Anyways, why are you here? Shouldn't you take your seat?" Topic-changing, topic-changing, I sang in my mind and closed my eyes stressed out. Please, someone had to make it stop.
"I'm beside you. Congratulations!", the woman cheered and sat beside Kim. "By the way, I'm Corinna, just call me that since you are really sweet."
I hold back a groan. That would be going to be a great flight.
I woke up and the first thing, I realized, was that I have been asleep. I hadn't noticed it before. The second thing was a weight on my left shoulder. As I opened my eyes and turned my head softly to this direction, I noticed blonde hair. Kim's head, I immediately thought and relaxed a bit. I had been worried that it could be a stranger, but now I was surely calm.
After a few minutes, I felt Kim shifting, so I took it as a sign that she would wake up. And I was right.
"Hey, sleepy-bear", I whispered in her ear as she slowly opened her eyes. She immediately looked towards me and a smile was on her face.
"Hey", she said softly. "I must look really bad right now."
"No, you're beautiful. As always", I added and I meant it like that. Kim could be at her worst and she would look so beautiful that it took my breath away.
"Thanks, Jack. It means so much to hear it from you, you know", she said, smiling at me and yawned right then, before blushing. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You've slept till now, it's just normal. Plus, it's really cute when you do it." I smiled at her before kissing her head lightly. Wow, I was really, really cheesy.
"Oh my gosh, you guys are seriously-"
"Stop", Kim demanded and Corinna kept quiet. I smirked at Kim and winked right away. She blushed before hitting my shoulder lightly.
"You know, that didn't hurt."
"Who said, I want to hurt you?", she countered and I smiled at her. Before I could say something dumb like I love you a stewardess came and asked if we wanted something on which we said no. We had us and that was all we needed. Cheesy much, my conscience said. I groaned immediately and had Kim's attention. Shit.
"You okay?", Kim asked worried. I smiled at her.
"Yeah, sure. I just... spoke to myself in my head?", I said, kinda asking her in a weird way. She just giggled.
"Sometimes, you're just too sweet for the world", she giggled and leaned herself into me after pulling the thing between our seats up. (A/N: I'm sorry, I really don't know the name...)
"Says the one girl who can be so sweet and evil at the same time", I chuckled and put my left arm around her waist to hold her tight.
"I know, I'm pretty sweet", she said while giggling. After that she kissed my cheek and closed her eyes softly. "I'm glad that the boys aren't with us. We wouldn't have time for us, you know?"
"Yeah, and we couldn't cuddle", I said, smirking and looking knowingly at her. As she saw my look she immediately blushed.
"What? I mean, you're really comfortable, so shut up and cuddle with me."
I laughed at that and pulled her closer to me, feeling butterflies in my stomach. Oh gosh, this girl would be the death of me if she'll keep being so sweet and cute and perfect.
"I'm so glad we have landed. It gets me every time", we heard Milton's voice as we waited at the package station. Kim and I smirked at each other before searching for the red-headed boy and our other friends. As soon as we made sure that they've seen us, we began walking towards the station. As people began pulling themselves between us, I placed my arm around Kim's shoulders because I didn't want her to get lost. She smiled at me and pulled herself into me which caused me to smile even more.
"Hey there", our friends greeted us and we smiled at them.
"Where there any package of ours?" We shook our heads before I spotted my bag and immediately grabbed it when it was at our point.
"So, we can go", I joked and earned a hit at my shoulder from Kim. I smirked at her while she blushed a bit and looked down to the ground. Then I thought I spotted her bag.
"Is this yours?", I asked, not really sure. Her head went up and she nodded while trying to grab it, but failed. I made a quick step and grabbed her bag.
"Got it", I said while handing it to her. She smiled at me and hugged me. "Thanks, Jack."
"Oh, always", I just answered and hugged her tighter. After a few seconds we heard someone clear their throat. We looked up to see Rudy.
"You ready? The others went already away." We pulled away quickly, with light blush on our cheeks. While Kim ran as fast as she could, Rudy pulled me a little behind.
"What's the matter, Rudy?", I asked concerned. I saw him smiling as he nodded to go on, but a bit slower so we could talk.
"You know, I love you guys and it's really obvious that you two are in love with each other", he said while smiling to himself then went serious and added, "but I hope, you won't get distracted by that. I mean it. If you're not sure, just tell her that you like her and you won't be distracted because you want to make her proud of you. So, yeah, take that advice."
"Rudy, I won't get distracted by her. I mean, yeah, she's beautiful and just perfect in all ways but I know how to ignore that when I fight. I mean, I have that like three years, so I got quite good experience." Before I even knew it, I said that and immediately regretted it. I just admitted that I loved my best friend since I first saw her. Rudy's smile hit me a bit.
"You can calm down. I won't tell her that you liked her since almost forever. But if you've liked her so long then you can be sure that you two have something special."
"I know, we have something special, but I don't want to make things awkward if she don't like me that way. I rather have her as my best friend than don't have her at all in my life, you know?" I let my head hung with that before I felt Rudy's touch on my shoulder. He patted on my shoulder and gave me a smile.
"I understand that, but you don't see you two together. You two are perfect for each other, both of you see that but none of you is able to make the first step because you're both too afraid of what might happen if you two would break up. And don't deny it because I know that you're afraid of it. I'm not only your sensei, I'm your friend. And I know you. Not as much as Kim do it but I know you good enough to tell that. And you can be sure that Jerry, Eddie and Milton know it, too. By the way, they are all three tired of you two flirting with denying it, so could you just make a move on her?"
Wow, I had to say that that wasn't exactly the Rudy, I knew till then, but I liked this side on him. I nodded.
"I will. Someday. I don't know when but I couldn't live with me without telling her."
Rudy just shoot me a glance, knowing it wouldn't change a thing if he'd try to convince me to do something. I really was that stubborn, and he knew that. If something was in my head, there would be nothing which could change my mind.
"I can't believe, Rudy let us have a room together", Kim said excited and fell on her bed. I smiled at her and just enjoyed that she was happy when she heard that we would share a room.
"What exactly do you want to say with that?", I asked smirking, knowing I brought her in a really tight situation. She blushed while trying to find the words. Then she breathed in and out before she sat up and looked at me, smirking.
"You know, with you being a hormonal teenage-boy and me being a super-hot southern bell."
"That hurts", I chuckled and let me fall onto my own bed. Kim just smiled at me while I looked through the room.
It was a pretty, small but comfortable room with an own bathroom which was shown from a door right next to Kim's bed. Her bed is right next to mine's. It didn't look like we were a couple but we were pretty close to each other at night, so I had to take care of me when I wanted to cuddle with her. I couldn't do that, it would be pretty weird. Next to my bed was a door which leads to a little balcony. On the yellow and orange walls hung a few pictures which made the room look a little more like home. All in all really pretty, I think.
"I like it here", I said, looking back to Kim who was looking through the room, too. Her head flew in the direction to mine and she smiled.
"Yeah, it's pretty comfortable and homely. Plus, I like how our beds are together. I mean, then we can cuddle at night, isn't that awesome?!" She sounded so excited that I was shocked. I mean, I wished it, too, but she said it out loud. When she noticed me staring, her smile turned into a frown.
"O-or we won't cuddle. I mean, pffft, cuddling is so overrated." I smirked and rolled me over to her side – ignoring the fact that there was a small gap between the beds.
"Yeah, really overrated", I said while pulling her towards me and cuddling with her.
Her face was right at my chest and I felt her mumbling something when I tightened my grip on her waist.
"Say what now?", I asked and let her pull away a bit. She half-smiled.
"Oh, you just gave me too much love... I couldn't breathe... but it's fine now", she said and pulled towards me, putting her hands around my torso.
"I'm sorry", I chuckled slightly, leaving her a bit annoyed.
"Gosh, you're so annoying."
"But you love it." I winked with that and saw her blush. Cute.
"Shut up."
"I don't see you complaining", I smirked and looked down at her.
"I said SHUT UP!"
"Geez, calm yourself down, woman", I said, slightly chuckling and – yes, I admit it – afraid. "I was only joking."
She blushed more and I smiled a bit at this sight. See, I was the only one who could make her blush like that and it was so cute when she blushed. She was like a little, sweet school-girl just more mature and definitely more beautiful. Even if she was really beautiful when I met her almost four years ago.
"Maybe we should sleep now", I said after a comfortable silence. I decided to look on my phone to see the time and was surprised. "It's already past ten."
Kim groaned and wiggled out of our hug before standing up. "I'll go to the bathroom."
"Have fun but not too much without me", I said, smirking like an idiot when a pillow hit me right in the face. I heard her laughing and chuckled by myself. Well, it was a pretty low joke. Maybe I've deserved that.
When we laid down on our beds, we both stayed on our own beds and I just stared at the ceiling.
"You know, that's just silly", Kim said and rolled over to me before lying her head down onto my chest. My blank chest, may I say that. I just put my arm around her back and onto her waist.
"You really are cocky, aren't you?", Kim said after a few seconds of silence. I began to smirk.
"Don't."
"What?"
"You shouldn't smirk, you know?"
"How did you know that?"
"I know you."
"Stalker much?"
"Uhm, I think you got the definition of 'stalker' wrong." With that we both chuckled and I was just happy that she was with me. With her the world shines just so much brighter and it seems like nothing could go wrong when she was with me. That sounded cheesy, didn't it?
"What sounded cheesy?" Crap, I think, I said it out loud.
"Nothing?" I knew immediately that it was wrong to speak it out like a question.
"Yeah... so Mr. 'Nothing', we have to sleep. Tomorrow will be a tough day for you so you have to sleep."
"I know, mother." She really sounded like a mother... or like a girlfriend. But no way was there a chance that she liked me that way. I mean, yeah, we flirt like all the time, but she couldn't like me like that... she was way too good for me.
"So, son, sleep. Now."
"But I don't think, a mother should cuddle with her 17-year-old son, shouldn't she?" I smirked right now and knew that she blushed.
"And that's why I am you best friend, not your mother. I have to take care when your mother isn't around."
"Well, that would be a girlfriend."
"I kinda think that you want me as a girlfriend." Ooohh, now she turned the thing around. But two could play that game. And I knew, that I could play it.
"Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?", I said kinda mysteriously.
"Obviously you", she answered coldly.
"Oh girl, you're really no fun", I joked and kissed her cheek, just to make sure that she could understand it. Well, I think, I kissed her spot right before her mouth begins and felt her cheeks go hot. "Sorry", I muttered out and immediately regretted it. I really didn't mean it that way. I wasn't sorry for this kiss.
"It's fine, really. I mean, it's ok, you know?", she stuttered and pushed her head into my chest.
"We should sleep right now", I said after a while and felt her a bit relax.
"Sleep well and have sweet dreams", I said sweetly to her and felt her smile.
"You too."
"Plus, I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't sorry for the kiss", I whispered when I felt her arms around my waist go weak.
"I know", she managed to speak out, right before I felt her even more relax in my arms. Damn. She heard it. But then again, she said she knew it, so I think, it's fine.
So I closed my eyes and felt me fall into sleep fast. I guess, Kim was affecting my sleep really good. Normally, I would take really long to finally sleep. And now, with her in my arms, I was fast asleep.
My phone alarm set on and I sat up quickly and completely confused on where I was and what had happened the evening, or even the day, before. I noticed a person lie next – or on – me and saw immediately that this person had blonde hair. I only knew one person who had hair like that. Kim. And with that I remembered everything. And yes, I knew that I had to fight today. To be more exact, I had to fight in about four and a half hours, so I shook my best friend gently.
"Kim, Kimmy, wake up, we have to dress us so I can go warm up." When she opened one eyes sleepily, I smiled at her. She just groaned.
"I'll go get dressed while you can sleep a little bit. But be out of the bed, when I call you then, deal?"
She nodded lightly and let go of me. As I stood up, I walked to my bag and grabbed a few clothes – just underwear, a shirt and shorts – so I could warm up in comfortable clothes. After a few minutes – ok, ok, maybe it took me a quarter of an hour to get ready, but you know, my hair just comes from nothing – I went out of the bathroom, to see Kim sit on the bed, her hair falling down while she was staring sleepily around the room. I immediately smiled.
"Morning beautiful", I said cheerily. I couldn't help it. First of all, I was a morning person and second, when she was with me, I couldn't help but be happy. It was like she was my sun or something.
"Morning", she answered when she spotted me and even smiled a bit which made me smile even more. Then she frowned.
"I look soooo bad", she groaned while putting her head in her hands. Immediately, I was besides her, sitting on the bed since I were barefoot.
"You look really good, like always. I mean, you can be at your worst and just be the most beautiful girl in the whole world. So don't think other of it. Understand me?" I pulled her towards me, looking her in the eyes completely serious. She nodded while beaming up at me.
"Why are you always so sweet?"
I smirked a bit. "Just for you." With that, I kissed her cheek, before pushing her lightly. "And now go, so we can have breakfast. I'm starving."
She just laughed at that and I smiled. She was back to happy and that made me happy. I couldn't have her not happy.
"Finally!", Rudy said while raising his hands in the air.
"What?", I asked calmly, sitting beside Jerry and taking Kim next to me.
"'What'? Are you serious?! You are too late! We've talked about nine o'clock, now it's half past nine. You have to fight in three and a half hours! And before that, you have to warm up and maybe get a bit rest and-"
"Rudy! Fucking calm down!", Kim said and glared at Rudy who get smaller and smaller.
"Don't tell me to fucking calm down, Kim!", he said back.
I just rolled my eyes and immediately saw a few peoples stare at us, so I stood up, only to grab Kim at her hands to keep her with me.
"Guys, calm down. People are staring." With that Rudy stomped away and I get Kim to sit beside me. I leaned to her ear and whispered in it.
"Kimmy, calm down. It's fine, ok? We're good and I couldn't care less about what Rudy said right now, you know?" She smiled a bit at me and I kissed her on the cheek before grabbing my plate.
"I'll go and get some food. You want something special, Kimmy?"
"No, no, I'm fine. I'll go and grab some apple or something." She smiled, got up and walked away. I smiled after her and heard the guys snicker behind me, so I turned around, only to clear at them. "What?"
"You guys are seriously in love", Jerry said, smiling widely. Instead of beating him, I only sighed. If even Jerry figured it out that I loved her, then it wouldn't take much longer for Kim to figure it out.
"I know, I love her so much. But I don't want to ruin our friendship, you know?"
As I said that, my friends smiled at me a little worried, but also a bit freaked out.
"He didn't deny it. Oh my gosh, he didn't deny it, he always do it", Milton kinda screamed, causing Kim to look over a bit worried.
"Milton calm down, if you don't want Kim to worry", I hushed him and shot a calming smile towards Kim who furrowed her eyes but let go of it. Then I turned to Milton again, a dead look on my face.
Milton's eyes showed fear.
"If you tell her, you'll be dead."
He nodded serious and I knew he wouldn't do something to upset me. I smiled again. "And now that this is clear, I'll go and grab something to eat. I'm starving."
"Jack! You're doing really, really great! I'm so proud of you", Jerry spoke, patting me on my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and smiled.
"Thanks, bro, but you know that I'm just warming up, right?"
"Whaaaaaaa? And then you're breaking like fifteen boards?"
"Actually", I said, smiling proudly, "I broke sixteen boards."
"I'm fainting", Jerry said, putting his hand on his forehead and falling down on his back. Maybe he was a worse actor but he could fall perfectly on his back. Well, he had training in this, since he was training either with me or Kim.
Speaking of her, there she came, just when Milton and Eddie helped Jerry up. She looked confused before realizing that it wasn't worth the question.
"I just won't ask about it then everything will be alright", she said, shaking her head a bit before looking seriously to me. "Jack, I got bad and good news. Which one do you want to hear first?"
"Bad ones?", I said, turning it to a question. She smiled a bit, before it turned into a frown.
"So... yeah... Kai is here, too." I exploded immediately
"WHAT?!"
"But he is one of your first opponents", she added, smiling helpless towards me.
"Were that the good news?", I asked, feeling myself getting down. I knew, it was really stupid. I shouldn't be afraid of him, but I couldn't help it. He won against me like six years ago, turning me away from karate. Last time was worse. He'd set up his friends to hurt me just so he could win. Well, in the end, I kind of won, but that wasn't exactly that what I expected. And this last time was right here, in China. Where I was now, again right before facing Kai.
Before I could even control it, my knees got weak and immediately I sat on the floor, looking up at Kim helplessly. She understood me without words.
"C'mon." With that she helped me standing up and dragged me towards our room, our friends following us.
When we were in our room, I fell onto my bed.
"There is no way, I can win this fight. It'll be over right before it started." I looked to Kim who looked back at me, her eyes full of concern.
"Jack, I hadn't even told you the good news."
"What? So that weren't the good news?"
Kim rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm maybe blonde but not stupid. Of course not. The good news are that the competition is in default, so the qualifications are also tomorrow when there normally shouldn't be fights. And you'll be competing against Kai tomorrow."
"Great. So I'll be dead tomorrow. I have almost twenty-four hours to live. What should I do first? Maybe jumping right off the Great Wall of China." I could see Kim getting worried right before she launched herself on me, so she straddled my waist. I hold a moan in.
"Don't ever do something like that. Don't even think of it, got it?"
"Geez, Kim, that was sarcastic. Of course I wouldn't do something so stupid. I mean, I'll enjoy my last twenty-four hours at the most."
"You. Won't. Get. Killed. By. Kai. I won't let that happen." Kim's eyes were now dropping out of concern... oh no, these were tears. Wait a second... Kim was crying?!
"Kim, are you okay? Gosh, what happened? Who did it?" Kim cracked a half-smile and leaned down to me.
"I can't handle you like that... you sound like you don't want to live." Her whispers sent chills down my spine and I just hoped that she hadn't noticed that.
"If you're with me, I'll always want to live, remember that. But I'm scared. I'm scared that Kai will hurt me even more. Not physical. Psychical. He knows how much I care about my friends and that it would hurt me even more if he'd do something to them... to you. And you know, I can't handle that. I couldn't handle it if you were hurt. You're my best friend, I lo-like you so much... I can't even think about it." Kim's eyes were glossy, but I took it as a good sign.
"I like you too." Her cheeks were slightly flushed and I could understand her. It was slightly embarrassing to let her know how much I cared about her. We looked at each other and broke first away when we heard someone clear their throat. We sat up again, finally remembering that our friends were with us.
"Who the hell is Kai? And why was Kim on top of Jack like that?", Jerry asked, now not confused. Like seriously, why wasn't he confused when we needed confused-Jerry?
I looked at Kim who had a deep blush on her cheeks. I breathed in and out and began to explain them everything what Kim and I had decided to keep in between us. Well, not everything. I told them everything that had to do with Kai, to be exact.
"So... Kai is your cousin – we knew that already – and you're afraid that he'd hurt someone you like? Like, as a new plan to hurt you?" I nodded simply and felt Kim's hand on my back, going up and down just to calm me down. I shot her a small smile and saw her lip go up a bit. I could see it in her eyes that she was worried.
"And if I understood this right, this would be someone of us four, right? Well, Rudy, too, if we count him to us." Again, I nodded. I kinda got annoyed by all the questions.
"It's easy, Kai. It'll be someone out of Jerry, Kim and me. He hadn't seen Eddie and most likely, he won't think that you have a friendship with your sensei."
"That is really helpful, Milton", I said sarcastically.
"Geez, I just wanted to help you."
"I'm sorry, Milton. I'm just not used to be afraid, you know?"
Milton, Eddie and Jerry grinned at that. "That's right. Normally it would either be Jerry, Milton or me the one who is afraid. Maybe someone is chicken", Eddie teased and I could feel the blush creep on my cheeks. It was embarrassing.
"Could you please just stop it?! Jack doesn't need friends who make fun of him." Kim's voice was really harsh, but it got softer when she spoke to me. "You don't have to be embarrassed. It's just normal to be afraid, ok?"
And with that she pulled me into a hug which I gladly returned. I couldn't think of a life without Kim. She was everything, I had. Well, if you took it exactly, she wouldn't even be mine.
"Thanks", I whispered in her ear and breathed in her scent. She always smelled like vanilla and strawberry which I always noticed with a blush on my cheeks. I mean, it'd really be creepy when she would know that. When it came to that, I was like a stalker. And that wasn't exactly that what a best friend should be, if you know what I mean.
"And what should we do?", Kim asked when she pulled away from me, her arms still around me.
"Maybe we could tease Jack?", Jerry suggested, smiling smugly.
"Maybe we could kill you, Jerry?", Kim asked sweetly with a dangerous glance in her eyes. Jerry's eyes widened.
"Geez, girl, calm down. I was just joking. Man, love makes blind", Jerry added whispering. Well, you could tell that he was a really, really bad whisperer. I hold onto Kim while she was trying to get up and turning around on my lap during this, getting ready to kill our friend who was like a brother to her.
"Calm down, Kim. He is just joking", I mumbled in her ear, noticing the chills which run down her bones which made me smile. I was glad that I kind of had an effect to her.
"You know yourself the best that he isn't joking", she whispered back, right into my ear because she leaned back into me.
"I know", I chuckled slightly and felt her smile a bit, too.
"How about we just calm down and get Jack ready for his fights. I mean, c'mon, it isn't like Kai is that bad."
"You know that he sent some of his friends last time, just to get Jack down?"
"Yeah, Eddie, I know that. But c'mon, he could've down that himself so I think he isn't that bad, huh?"
"Milton's right."
"I'm always right, Kim. I'm the nerd after all."
I just smiled at the silliness of my friends. They may be a bit weird but I loved them. But Kim the most, my conscience told me. Right, I thought and smiled a bit more.
"So... are we going to fight then?"
"Well, we aren't going to fight, Jack is. We'll be the cheerleaders", Kim smirked and looked at the guys smugly. While Milton and Eddie looked shocked, Jerry 'whoo'ed.
"Finally I'm going to do the thing, I can do!"
We all looked at him in a weird way, shocked how he always shocked us again and again with his character. He always gets to show us how stupid and clueless he is. And that was really hard to do.
"Yeah riiiiight", Kim stressed the 'I' and looked at me, pretty amused. "Whatever, we have to go now or Jack will be too late for the qualifications."
"You're right. Hey, Kim, if we have time, will you spar with me before it begins?" I really hoped, she'd say yes because she would be the perfect training.
"Sure", she smiled at me before getting up. "And now, get up, lil' baby", she joked and pulled me up. "And now, go and get 'em!"
I laughed at her weird encouragement before lying my arm around her waist. "And now we can go."
Qualifications were finished for today and Kim were running around the room. Looked like it took her by surprised when the host has told us that we would have a dance tonight. And now she searched for the right outfit. Well, if it was for me, she wouldn't even need something special; she was just that beautiful.
"Oh my gosh, I don't have anything to wear!"
"Well... you wear something, so I'd go with, yeah, you do have something." When she looked at me weirdly, I realized that it wasn't exactly the best thing to say.
"C'mon Kim, you don't need something special, you're naturally beautiful."
"Oh, don't give me your freaking Brewer charm; you can't play up to me, you know." But even if she said that, I noticed her blush. She was flattered by what I said to her. Hmm, I should have a little fun with that.
"Yeah, sure. The blush on your cheeks really help you steady your declaration. Like really... not", I added smirking. Now she turned to me, completely ignoring her clear blush on her cheeks, grabbing my shirt and getting on top of me, pushing me down to the bed, causing her to straddle my hips. Even if it's a position I would normally joke about, Kim's look caused me to shut my mouth. It was like she wanted to kill me. Well, she wanted to hurt me maybe because I knew that she liked me.
"Listen, Jack. I can go to a dance without a partner, but I can't go without a beautiful dress. And I have like no dress with me, only a few dresses for free time when it's warm outside. I don't have a dress with which I could go to a dance with. These dresses should be beautiful, even stunning, but my summer dresses aren't that kind of type, you know?"
"Kim, I really meant it. You don't need dresses to look stunning. You take my breath away whenever I look at you. You are really beautiful, stunning if you want it like that. The point is that you look amazing in every state whatever you are wearing. Even in your gi, you look so beautiful that I just can't believe how you can like me. I mean, I'm not good enough for you but then again, you need me and hold onto me like a life jacket. And I don't even know, why I said all that, but I guess, you really need to know how truly amazing you are. And that's not only on your outside but on your inside, too. But if I go on, it would take the whole evening because you're so amazing."
I didn't even know what came over me. It was like I wanted to make her feel good and then everything just slipped out of my mouth. And that caused me to be afraid. If she could lead me to say so things just because I want to make her feel good, it'd be only a matter of time till when I'll say that I love her.
When I finally cut out of my thoughts I saw Kim staring down at me with her mouth wide open. I just could think about one thing: I made things awkward with what I said. But I can't take it back now and if I'd take it back, it'd be a lie because I really meant what I said.
"You really mean that?", Kim finally asked. Her mouth shut and her eyes blinked. Huh, I guess, I took her by surprise.
"Sure. Kim, you really don't know how amazing you are, do you?" She just shook her head and I sighed before smiling softly and lovely to her.
"No wonder... you don't notice the way boys look at you. You grew up to a beautiful, stunning lady – woman – and you have such an amazing character. The boys are drooling over you. Well, most of them just because you have a body of a goddess", at that point I chuckled at her blush which crept on her cheeks, "but I know you more than them. I know, how amazing you are just with being you. Just the way you are", I sang softly and smiled wider to her.
Her face had a grin on it. "So... you see how amazing and stunning I am?"
"Of course! You're like the most amazing girl in the world!" Her grin grew wider.
"And you know me and my feelings?"
"Yeah, I think... but why is all the asking?", I asked confused.
Her grin turned into a smirk and she went a bit down, her face right in front of mine, her body right on mine which caused me to blush. Hey, don't judge me! I'm a teenage-boy after all.
"Well, I don't think you know me that well."
"Why?" Now I was curious. I wanted to know why Kim acted like that. I expected with like everything – even that she don't like me at all and just acted all the past years – but I didn't count with what she really did; she kissed me. Well, it was more like a peck on the lips but I knew that she meant it.
"Wow", I muttered out and blushed immediately when Kim began to laugh.
"Look, I really like you, Jack – gosh – I think, I even love you. And what you said right now made me realize that you feel the same way. So-" I cut her off.
"Will you give me the honor of being your boyfriend?"
Her smile grew immediately. "Of course!" And with that she pushed herself on top of me, kissing me more confident and just possibly we laid after that on my bed, fully making out. I couldn't even think straight. There were like clouds in my head, causing my brain to be like blank – or not even existing. And with these clouds there were butterflies and fireworks in my stomach, making me feeling so high.
I just worked on instinct. And these instincts told me that I needed to move my hands all over her body. Respecting these instructions and Kim's own body, I moved my hands up and down her body, exploring almost every inch of her body that I could reach.
Eventually, we pulled away in search of oxygen. When we pulled away, my brain got back to work and I realized now that I was on top of her. Smirking down at Kim, I winked at her causing her to blush like crazy.
"So... do you want to be a good boyfriend?" Her question took me by surprise.
"Of course! I want to be the best!" She smirked. Uh-oh. That couldn't be good.
"So being the best boyfriend you are, you should come with me and help me search a dress."
"Ki-im!", I whined. "Didn't you listen to me earlier? You are beautiful whatever you wear!"
"Maybe, but I want to dress good for my new boyfriend", she smiled and leaned up to kiss me. I eventually helped her and leaned down, leading us to have another mind-blowing make-out-session.
"And before we are just lying here and making out, we should go now", Kim instructed and pushed me down of her – much to my disappointment.
"Oh c'mon, you big baby. We have the whole nig- nope, we have to sleep. Tomorrow, you have to beat some ass", she smiled proudly at me and gave me another kiss. "I'm proud of you."
"You're my girlfriend for, like, half an hour", I smirked back at her.
"Well, we are best friends, so I am proud of whether you are my boyfriend or not, you know." Her smile grew as she saw me smiling love-struck.
"You are such a goof, Jackson", she said, using wisely my hated name. I grimaced at that and got ready to whine before she shut me up with a peck.
"Great way to tell me to shut up", I said happily, grabbed her hand and dragged her out of our room.
"Um... Jack?"
"Yeah, loved one?" I saw her blushing, so I smirked a bit.
"Well, honey, you forgot that we need shoes if we want to walk around."
Pfft... I knew that!
"Yeah, um... I knew that!"
"Sure, Romeo, just go back and bring me my shoes, too."
"Damn, she can instruct someone really good", I muttered under my breath when I walked back to our room. Looked like it was going to be a long life for me when I was with Kim... and I wouldn't have it another way right now.
Let's just say after this shopping tour with my girlfriend, I'd never look at dresses the same way as before. It took us one freaking hour to find a dress that fit and looked really stunning. And we only had like one and a half hour to get ready because the dance was almost right after the first part of the qualifications. And shopping with a Kim who almost freaked out wasn't exactly my understanding of fun.
Anyways, we got a dress – a beautiful lime-green, knee-long one – and now, Kim was in the bathroom to make her hair. I didn't know what took her that long but after twenty minutes – I had to change in our normal room, just so I didn't interrupt Kim with her hair – she came out. And know what? My mouth hung immediately open.
I have seen her in the store but that was really more than it was back then. Her beautiful blonde hair fell in curls at her bare shoulders and the lime-green dress fit her body perfectly. And the light blush that fell on her cheeks when she saw my face made the whole outfit even more perfect than it was before.
"You are so beautiful." Her blush darkened even more.
"Don't be so sweet, Jack. I know that I'm not that beautiful."
When she said that, I immediately went to her, looped my arms around her waist and kissed her. "Don't say that. You don't realize how amazing you are. Shall I tell you everything, I said before? 'Cause everything was true."
"How do I deserve you?", she mumbled when we pulled away and kissed me right again.
"Well, maybe because you're perfect. The real question is how do I deserve you?", I asked serious when we pulled away again and looked her in her big, brown, slightly watering eyes.
"You make me cry. In a good way, I think", she added and grabbed my face to slam her lips on mine.
This kiss was more heated than the ones before. In this one you could really feel the love and passion. It was like nothing could tore us apart. Well, something could tore us apart. Our friends.
"Whoooops, sorry for interrupting." When we pulled away – blushing crazy, by the way – we saw our friends smirking at us.
"First, you're looking really beautiful, Kim. And second, what the hell are you doing there?"
"First, don't flirt with my girlfriend, Jerry. Second, yeah she is really beautiful. And third – which was normally second – what does it look like? We were kissing, you idiot."
"First, it was more like making out and second... what do you mean with 'girlfriend'?"
I smiled smugly as Milton mostly freaked out. "You call someone a girlfriend when this girl and you are a couple. You should know that by now, Milton. Especially since you are the intelligent one of us."
"Wait a sec... you guys are a couple? Since when?"
"Oh... since two hours ago or something like that", Kim smiled and pulled herself closer to me.
"Phew... and I've thought that I've missed something", Eddie chuckled slightly and caused us all to laugh.
"We're really happy for you guys, but we should go now, you know?", Jerry said sympathetically.
"You're right. Oh, I have one question", Kim said and paused a bit, "how did you get in our room without knocking?"
"Oh, Rudy gave us a spare key in case if 'these guys are busy with doing inappropriate things'", Milton said smirking widely. I saw Kim blushing like crazy and smirked, too, which caused Jerry, Milton and Eddie to laugh.
"You know how it looks? Kim is blushing while Jack is smirking. So hilarious", Eddie chuckled and earned a glance from Kim.
"Don't smirk like that, Jack", Kim whispered in my ear which just caused me to smirk more than before.
"Ugh, you're so annoying."
"But you love me."
"... Shut up."
When we walked in the dancing room – it was the same room in which the fights were taking place – we had every pair of eyes at us. Well, we were a hot guy with a hot girl in his arms and this hot guy was practically the best martial arts fighter of the world. Cocky? No, just stating facts.
"I hate how everybody is staring at us." Kim's whisper only came slowly to me. After thinking a bit, I got an idea.
"You think, they'll stare more if we would be dancing?"
"Um, yeah, I think so, why?"
"May I have the next dance?"
She looked at me in an 'are-you-kidding-me'-way as I hold out my hand, ready for her to grab it. As she realized that I meant it that way, she smiled widely and grabbed my hand with passion. Eventually, she wasn't that bad at slow dancing, so we had nothing to worry about. Even if I just loved her dancing – without it, she wouldn't be Kim.
When we were dancing along the slow music, I was smiling all the time like the love-struck idiot I was.
"Jack, you're smiling weirdly."
"Well, I fell in love with you and now you are my girlfriend and we are slow-dancing. I think, I' allowed to smile weird."
"Shut up, you're making me blush." And it was true. A blush crept on her cheeks, signalizing me that she was taken away with my words. The only word that could describe her right now, was cute. Well, and stunning. And really sweet. Okay, I'd admit it; there was no way, Kim could be described with only one word.
No, she's perfect. And that's just one word.
Huh, my conscience told me once something true.
"Perfect", I whispered, getting Kim interested but I just smiled at her lovely.
"So... you like it? The slow dance?"
"As I said... perfect. And to top it all, I'll be going to take Kai down tomorrow – with you on my side, there can go nothing wrong." She smiled at me and leaned up to kiss me – shocking a few people on our sides. As they gasped, I just smirked and pulled her closer. They should see me with my lovely girlfriend. Because now that I had her, I wouldn't let her go. Never ever in a million years.
"I'm proud of you", Kim whispered as we pulled away.
This thing said, I grabbed her waist and pulled her to me again.
"I love you."
Her smile grew and she whispered back: "I love you too."
Yup, I love this chapter because it's literally the longest I have ever written in English. :)
I really hope you enjoy it :D