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The aftermath of Kuai Liangs escape had been easier to manage than Shang Tsung would’ve suspected. No riots or uprisings broke out, and apart from the few broken soul stealers and melted army members, they didn’t suffer any damage.
The sorcerer himself also left unharmed, as far as his allies were aware. After they had collected themselves and the word of The Scorpions escape got out, he just scoffed and commanded everybody to get back to restoring what they lost. Yet his newly recruited asset, Bi Han, was quick to notice something was wrong.
Everytime the man spoke, took a step or even moved his arm, there was a slight discomfort visible behind his eyes, barely noticeable. Had the cryomancer not been a respected grandmaster for years, he wouldn’t have noticed such a small detail, unimportant at the first bat of the eye.
But, Sub Zero had been trained by the best for many years, had to be aware at all times to protect those he loved, to prevent anything devastating from happening and to be at Liu Kangs every call. It took a toll on him, but also sharpened his senses an incredible amount. Not only could he hear the slightest step, but he also would recognize those, of people he knew. That ability would often ruin Tomas’s prank, as his brother would call him out on his mischievous intentions before they could be even put into motion. As well as that, his vision was comparable to a hawk.
So when he notices Shang Tsung shuffling in place, clearly in need of a patching up, he decides he won’t stand for it.
In the meantime, Shang Tsung was left unaware of the thoughts racing in Bi Hans mind, convinced he was doing a great job at being the cunning and unshaken leader. Of course, the scratches and bruises he got from his fight with Kuai Liang did sting, but he decided it would be better to keep it to himself. A worrying thought about being replaced crossed his mind, but he shook it off as fast as it appeared.
When the cryomancer came up to him he thought nothing of it, assuming the man wanted to get to know him better, look around and take in the way things operated here. So, with a smile he waved at the man to come over.
- “Well, who do we have here? If it isn’t the mighty warrior – Bi Han himself!” - he exclaimed and looked his visitor up and down, his smile growing wider - “How can I help you? If it’s my promise you worry about, I will make sure to give you what I promised in time” - the sorcerer assured. He was still unsure whether he could trust the man fully but based off of his brother’s genuine face of shock, this wasn’t just some elaborate plan.
Just as he opened his mouth to make a snarky comment, Bi Han spoke up.
- “That is not one of my concerns, if I have to, I’ll make sure of it myself sorcerer” - the taller man barked out, looking down at Shang Tsung with an unreadable expression, face still hidden behind his mask - “I’ve come over here to make sure you won’t ruin this plan by refusing to get treated” - he said, this time more gently than before.
Shang Tsung’s eyebrow slightly raised, amazed at his new ally’s perceptivity but also unwilling to show any weakness just yet.
- “I’m thankful you’re concerned but I am perfectly fine” - nothing besides a small cut on his lips was visible, everything hidden underneath his robes - “After all, I am the greatest sorcerer of the Outworld. I can handle more than a stray Lin Kuei member, don’t you think?” - a hint of challenge was hidden beneath that supposedly innocent sentence.
Bi Han ground his teeth together, the sorcerer getting on his nerves already.
- “Go to the infirmary or I will drag you there myself” - he reached his hand out and gripped the shorter man's forearm hard to prove his point.
Shang Tsung winced at the rough grip, staring up at the man dressed in blue before him.
- “Alright, alright, have it your way, but I am not going to the medic, you will have to be t
he one to do it” - there was no way he’d let some lowly subordinate see him in such a weakly state. With that said, he grabbed Bi Han’s wrist and dragged him, heading to his private chambers.
Once they reached the door, Shang Tsung looked around to make sure nobody sees them heading in and quickly shoves Bi Han in, forcing himself after and shutting the door. There was no reason anybody should know about this, and he was going to make sure it stayed that way. He valued his position too much, the means he used to get here brutal in nature.
- “Well then, get to it” - he said, pulling out his first aid kit and setting it down on the table. It consisted of all the essentials as well as some of Shang Tsung’s own inventions. Some soothed the wound, others could be used as painkillers, the sorcerer was quite proud of how they turned out.
Bi Han sighed, slowly leaning on the door, taking in the new environment. The room was quite gloomy, located in the lower levels of the whole structure and illuminated by candles. There was a faint smell of incense in the air making the whole room feel slightly stuffy and uncomfortable. It wasn’t exactly guest-ready so the cryomancer assumed these were the shorter man’s private chambers where he took care of what he preferred to keep behind closed doors.
- “You do know that I cannot patch you up through all those robes, right?” - he lifted his back off of the door, making his way over to the supplies, sorting through them and picking out those he would need.
- “Does the mighty Bi Han want to see me naked so bad? I am honoured!” - the sorcerer grinned and glanced over at Bi Han, his smile faltering upon seeing his gloomy and intimidating expression. He really was as intimidating as folks said - “Fine, fine, I’ll take them off”
He began by removing his gloves and placing them upon his chair. Next came the sash holding his shirt together and finally he slipped that off as well, leaving him in his bottom garments. He didn’t necessarily make a show out of it, but he did keep his moves slow and sensual, dragging the moment out for as long as possible.
What he didn’t know, was that Bi Han’s gaze was trained on his body through it all. It traced the whole of his back, making mental notes of how Shang Tsung was muscular but slender at the same time, his curves much gentler, as if painted with a singular brushstroke. He was well defined, muscles flexing with every move he made. What really caught the cryomancer’s attention though was the way his stomach dipped and accentuated the sorcerer’s thin waist, usually hidden behind the firm sash and loose shirt. His shiny black hair loosely flowing down his back didn’t help the man stop staring either. To put it simply, Shang Tsung was gorgeous and Bi Han had just processed that information. Pulling him away from his thoughts was the sudden motion of the man in front of him turning his head around, Bi Han immediately turning his attention back to the supplies.
Shang Tsung noticed the sharp turn of his head but didn’t think much of it.
- “Well then, I’m all yours doc” - he sat down in a comfortable position on the bed, back once again turned to the taller man. It was covered in some sizeable bruises as well as slight scratches and old scars.
Without a word, Bi Han began taking care of Shang Tsung’s back. First, he took a piece of cloth and drenched it in rubbing alcohol and began cleaning all the dirt and residue off. It did cause the man sitting in front of him to flinch and let out a hiss, but the cryomancer simply put one of his hands on the others shoulder, stabilizing him so that he could work in peace. The skin on skin contact made this activity feel even more intimate than before, but Bi Han had decided to simply ignore the strange feeling and move on to applying cream.
- “You know, this reminds me of when my brothers and i got
Into trouble for stealing a few sweets from the clan kitchen. We were so focused on running away, our speed gradually increasing, that we handn’t noticed a steep cliff in front of us. The fall downwards was scary, but i did manage to grab Tomas in time, shielding him from most damage. But me and Kuai Liang got roughed up pretty bad, Tomas was also crying the loudest” – the cryomancer chuckled at the memory – “I was equally freaked out but had to keep it to myself, what example would i have set otherwise?” – Bi Han sighed, continuing to gently spread the cream – “Our father was gone by then, leaving me to take care of my brothers, no matter what trouble we got into, so it was also my responsibility to tend to their wounds at that moment. It was a bit stressfull, having to deal with their words of protest, but I ended up enjoying it, feeling like i had a purpose, an ability to help somebody. I guess I just like taking care of others”
Seconds after saying that the room fell into silence, the taller man realizing that what he just said was extremely private and Shang Tsung too stunned by the honesty to say anything. As the sorcerer started turning around to open his mouth, the hand on his shoulder tightened as a silent warning, but he just kept going.
- “Honestly, I’ve never had anybody take care of me like
that, it must be quite nice” – he flashed a smile that resonated both fondness but also slight sadness – “All those years I spent in my caravan, I was alone, left to fend for myself. Nobody was there to pick me up when I was down, leaving me alone to patch myself up, hence my scars” – he mentioned pointing to the gashes across his whole back.
Bi Han, now in the middle of bandaging the worst looking parts of Shang Tsungs body faltered in his tracks, some part of him feeling an unexplainable guilt. Part of his brain felt bad for not being there for the man when he needed somebody the most.
For some reason, he was overcome by a sudden need to comfort Shang Tsung, let him know he was here for him, a shoulder to lean on. Not knowing how to express it through words, he simply began gently tracing over the whole of his back, stopping for mere seconds over where he knew scars resided.
The sorcerer was suprised at the sudden display of affection, but welcomed it by leaning back againt the touch, enjoying how gentle and loving it was. Nobody had treated him like this before, took care of him or even treated his body like it was anything but a tool to their means.
- “Gonna kiss it better as well?” – Shang Tsung teased, but let out a suprised noise and tensed up when suprisingly warm lips pressed themselves to his shoulder blades.
The way Bi Han slowly spread kisses along the skin had the sorcerer’s stomach doing flips. It was loving, gentle and almost worshipping. He also felt like the taller man was trying to say “sorry” to him, as if the scars were his fault, as if he couldn’t protect him from something.
- “You know, my lips were also hurt..” – Shang Tsung said in a teasing manner again, turning his head back to face Bi Han.
With a sigh, the cryomancer’s lips left his back but didn’t keep him waiting too long as they quickly pressed a chaste kiss to the sorcerers, licking over the cut and humming in satisfaction.
- “I think i should get hurt more often” – blurted out Shang Tsung, to which Bi Han scoffed, but there was a noticable raise at the corners of his lips.