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Ever since they first saw each other in the dark rooms of Shadaloo, they knew they were different. They were born in different countries, into different classes and families, grew up in different ways and had different lifestyle philosophies. There was nothing they shared in common even remotely close that would bind them in a way that partnerships, friendships and families were. They existed in their own worlds, living for themselves, fighting for what they deemed important. Nothing else mattered to them.
Vega was cold, emotionless, cruel and merciless; an untamed force of bloodthirsty insanity and vanity under the mask of a simple nobleman emerged from a family tragedy. It was beauty that he loved and desired to always have, something that was personal to everyone, but he had his own twisted visions of what true beauty was to him, and no one could convince him otherwise. The psychopathic assassin under the garb of a handsome and brave bullfighter, his alter ego no one knew of, except for those he worked with in the shadows.
Sagat was fierce, proud, strict and honourable; somewhat of an oddball in a crime syndicate such as Shadaloo, but he remained there mainly for revenge. He detested weakness in the same way the matador detested ugliness and swore to get stronger in order to defeat Ryu for once. His never-resting warrior heart burned with flames of determination and will, his fist soaked in blood clenched in despair and regret of his decisions. He was a broken man deep inside. And he was not the only one.
There was no such thing as chemistry between the muay thai champion and the Spanish ninja in the beginning. The two detested mere sight of one another and avoided any needless interaction like a plague. They knew they could never see each other eye to eye. And none of them tried until the incident in New York, when the assassin was almost left for dead and that was when Sagat made the first move.
Seeing the narcissist’s will to live and endure despite his defeat, the muay thai king was reminded of his own defeat and rising up to live in order to get his title back. Vega was not someone who was eager to compete as the best warrior, as fighting was more like a time-killing hobby for him that he enjoyed and loved seeing his opponents mauled - something that Sagat honestly and reasonably despised. Still, something was telling him back then that saving this sadistic psychopath was worth trying and so he allowed himself to show mercy only for once. And he did not regret it.
The recovery process was difficult and long, lasting more than a month, as Vega’s injuries were serious, but not lethal. The biggest concern was the assassin’s vanity and unwillingness to cooperate with his caretaker, because of his implanted irrational hatred for anyone and anything “ugly” that Sagat did not understand at the time. Luckily, Vega was calm and cooperative, much to the king’s surprise, knowing how nasty his temper could get. His face, that he worried the most about, healed quickly thanks to the intense nursing and the medicine Sagat was getting from the local doctor. The villagers were naturally curious about the foreigner, and Sagat did not like the idea of Vega hurting someone due to his unstable mind, so he made sure his interactions with the locals were minimised. The matador ninja disagreed.
Over the time, Sagat learned that Vega was not as unsociable as he appeared to him initially. He was talkative and appeared friendly to the people, and even Sagat’s friends, who were children, liked his company, not knowing about the sick sadist that was hidden under that handsome face.
Vega, on the other hand, had his opinions on the muay thai king slightly changed in a more positive manner. While he still found him ugly, the Spanish ninja respected Sagat as a warrior and important figure in his home country Thailand, seeing how loved he was by the locals. He was convinced that the one-eyed man saved him for some personal benefits, as he could not imagine that someone ugly as Sagat was actually capable of displaying kindness simply because they wanted to act so. He was still vain as he was, but he would put it aside to think about this man who saved his life when he was on the verge of death. It would be dishonourable of him to just kill Sagat like a dog, even though he personally thought that the man deserved to be put down due to his unpleasant looks. But certain feelings got in his way.
The same feelings formed in both of them when Vega’s recovery was in his last phase. The Spanish ninja was about to leave the village when he started weeping and hugged Sagat like a scared child, asking him to remain by his side. The one-eyed warrior did not know how to respond to that and the whole situation ended up with a kiss. And when the night came, it evolved further into something bigger.
The intimacy they shared that night helped them discover something they never knew about themselves, and something they never knew about each other. Sagat saw the hidden pain emerge from Vega’s bright blue eyes when the matador started crying again and saying sorry for wanting to hurt him, the man who took care of him and nurtured him when no one else would. And Vega saw how pretty Sagat was once when he was young and still blooming in the days of his glory as the muay thai king, the man who was still kind underneath that rock-hard stern demeanour and personality. What they hid from the world has become known between them only.
Sagat had heard things about Spaniards way before he met Vega. From his knowledge, Spanish people were brave, passionate and fiery; the colours displayed on their flag were indicators of their burning red blood and fearless nature that was almost borderline insanity. He thought of them as a warm, jolly nation dancing to the rhythm of flamenco in the hot nights in Barcelona. Spain had its stains in history, but its people were one of a kind. He even heard about their famous traditions of bullfighting and games with bulls - that was something that suited their almost insane bravery and boldness. And he met one such person, his lover. Vega was the most famous bullfighter in Spain, born to a noble family from Barcelona. Bullfighting was something the bloodthirsty nobleman chose himself, as it interested him as a part of his cultural tradition. Sagat had doubts that the cause was matador’s patriotism or anything, but rather a form of entertainment and exercise for his own soul, a deadly tango with perfect victims to release his rage on as he would tire them out slowly and painfully. And unlike the image of a Spaniard he heard from the stories in his homeland, Vega was a completely different case. The assassin was cold and uninterested in anyone, obsessed with his own beauty and perfection, dismissing anyone he did not like - which was almost everyone - and he was a sadistic psychopath, full of vanity and hatred. His origins were well known to the king, and he would later come to understand why Vega turned out the way he was. The one-eyed warrior had been annoyed with the narcissist’s behaviour and detested his attitude to the very core, but once they got closer, he came to see there was much more to Vega than it appeared on the surface.
To Vega, Sagat was just another hideous brute that needed to be executed from the face of earth. The man’s face was disgusting enough to make the ninja cringe - missing eye, rough edges, single white eye and baldness. He did not have any sort of respect for the muay thai king initially, but he was forced to cooperate with him as both of them were under Bison’s command. Vega did not deny that the king’s fighting skills were incredible, but it was the man's physical appearance that made the matador hate him from the bottom of his soul. When he thought it was all over once he got knocked out from the 10th floor flat after failing his missions, he saw that Sagat had picked him up and carried him to his village in Thailand, where he took care of him as if they were close friends. Even to this day, Vega still does not understand why Sagat acted the way he did - simple kindness, respect as a fellow warrior, personal gain… or something else? The matador keeps wondering to this day.
But all those questions would get pushed aside in the end once the two lay down together in bed, exchanging smiles and gentle caresses as they shared the deepest of their secrets and desires. They were two different worlds, two opposing forces that clash every now and then, but come down in peace once the storm is over and the sun comes down. By day, they were simply comrades, sometimes rivals and even enemies. But when the night falls down and everything becomes quiet, they throw away their coats and let themselves be open and vulnerable, like lovers do.
They were two worlds, polarised and different, but they thrived in feeling their worlds through touch and voice. As long as they have one another, they will be alright.