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"Okay, so now what you do is take the shot, but don't swallow it - just keep it in your mouth."
"What kind of drinking trick is this again?"
"Just trust me."
Kenshi chuckled at Sonya's continuous coaxing versus Raiden's rather reluctant nature.
When Sonya first announced she had a drinking trick she wanted to show off, but that she would need a partner to assist her with it, he should have intervened.
Unfortunately, Raiden had been quicker to volunteer.
And even more unfortunately, Kenshi was willing to let the man have the win.
If anything, he was surprised Raiden had volunteered in the first place.
But he guessed the lax mood and the passing night had loosened the man's reserves a bit - even if Raiden seemed to regret having volunteered now.
Kenshi had brought Sonya to the Teahouse to meet everyone and mingle for the night, to show her what existed outside of the Special Forces. He had recounted stories about Outworld and the ensuing chaos he had experienced there, much to the woman's skepticism; he figured his stories would be easier to believe if he had additional eyewitnesses to back him up.
He had had his concerns about how she would fit in with the group, but the moment they walked in, it was like she was a regular here.
Even Madam Bo was entertained by her presence.
Then again, Madam Bo was probably just surprised to see them bring a woman for once.
Kenshi guessed all they needed were some drinks and some drinking games to break the ice and set the mood.
Introductions had led to backgrounds being given for each person, which then led to stories, which then led to Outworld stories, and then those gradually fell off to circle back to personal stories. Food came out and drinks were passed around, and now they were simply enjoying one another's company, and pressing one another's buttons.
Raiden inevitably gave in to Sonya's coaxing.
As expected.
Raiden took a deep breath before he brought the shot glass to his lips and took it in full, mindful to keep to Sonya's instructions of keeping the liquor in his mouth.
"Good! Okay, now don't spill it-"
Sonya grabbed Raiden by the shirt and pulled him into her, catching his lips with her own as she did, before she pulled the both of them back across her chair. She was seated sideways, however, so there was no chair backing to catch either of them as she continued to lean backwards, threatening to fall off the other side now.
Raiden was quick to grab the table with one hand though, before he pulled the both of them back upright, where they then separated.
The man gave out a quick breath of air.
Meanwhile, Sonya wiped the back of her hand across her lips.
"Now don't let just any girl pull that stunt on you," she laughed, playfully patting Raiden on the cheek.
And, thankfully, Raiden laughed in return - once he had recovered.
Sonya hoisted herself to her feet now. "Alright, that was my last trick for the night, unfortunately, because, unlike you losers, I have work in the morning."
"We all have work in the morning," Kenshi corrected.
"Yeah, okay, Mr. Start-Up," Sonya mocked, as she grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair and slipped it on. "We have two monks-"
She pointed to Raiden and Kung Lao with the words.
"And a man who films for a living, so he might as well be a Youtuber."
She pointed to Cage that time.
"Great career prospects, boys," Sonya finished, pushing her chair under the table with her hip now.
"If you're not going to say Director, then I would prefer the term Influencer," Cage suggested.
"Okay, well, you should try to influence yourself some bitches then, Mr. Director."
Kenshi nearly spat out the last of his drink with a laugh.
He set the now empty glass aside, before he pushed himself to his feet as well. "You're my ride back, so it looks like I'll be checking out for the night as well."
"I can get you an Uber if you want to stick around longer," Sonya offered.
And despite her previous teasing and mocking tone, there was a tone of sincerity in her voice at the offer.
"Nah, Jax needs me for something in the morning, and I need to sober up so I don't show up hungover," he assured, as he grabbed his jacket just the same and slipped it on. "Plus, I need to walk you home so you don't bully anyone else on the way out."
"Oh don't worry, I only bully your friends."
Sonya made her way around the table now and joined him.
And Kenshi couldn't help but to smile at the close proximity.
They had started the night sitting on the same side of the table, but Sonya ended up moving across from him when Kung Lao was showing her a drinking trick. And then she ended up staying there for the rest of the night. He was glad that she was fitting in well with the others, but admittedly, he was a little jealous of the attention they were giving her at the same time.
Kenshi chuckled and shook his head before he turned his attention back to the table. "I apologize for introducing you to this... monstrosity of a work acquaintance I have. When we meet up next week, I promise to leave her at the office."
Sonya clicked her tongue and pinched his arm at the comment.
"Hey, we always swap out the fifth member at the table, and so far, she's been the most fun," Kung Lao spoke. "I would at least put her above Syzoth - although the food issue is not his fault. She's definitely better than Adam though."
"Ah, come on, he was just nervous," Cage defended. "If anything, we should all be embarrassed that the blind man managed to bring a woman here first."
Sonya laughed as the conversation devolved into an argument, before she turned and cocked her head at him. "See? I can make a good impression."
"I'll give you that," Kenshi conceded.
He bid the boys one last good night, before the two of them departed from the Teahouse.
He did manage to catch Madam Bo on the way out though, and gave her his well wishes.
Once the two of them were at a safe distance, and out of anyone's clear line of sight from the building, Sonya pulled out her handheld portal device, and used it as a shortcut to get them back to the city. It dropped them off in the parking garage of his apartment building, dropping them off exactly where she had left her car hours before.
It was still amazing to him the kind of technology that the Special Forces had on-hand, and the fact that they were able to keep it under wraps and away from the public eye. It had taken months of an on-and-off again working contract before Sonya even mentioned their on-base portal system. And even then, it had been a casual, throwaway remark about how they really only used it for transporting cargo between bases.
Even with the ability to travel instantly though, Sonya still preferred to drive.
It seemed like a bit of a waste, but Kenshi quite enjoyed their daily rides and conversations.
Sonya was charming - and her banter from behind the wheel was witty, if not a little vulgar at times.
"Want me to walk you up to your apartment?" Sonya asked, as soon as their feet were on solid ground and the dust had settled around them.
"I would be tempted to ask you to stay," Kenshi replied.
"We both have work in the morning," she reminded.
"Yes well, it's not morning yet, now is it?" he countered, earning himself an amused chuckle. "How about we flip a coin? Heads, you come up with me. Tails, we end the night here."
Sonya gave a laugh now.
And the sound of it echoed in the enclosed lot around them.
"Do you think I was born yesterday?" she teased. "You're going to rig the flip."
"I won't."
"Oh come on, like I won't see your little blue energy, you blind fuck," Sonya laughed once more. "Actually, you know what? Yeah, let's go ahead and flip a coin."
Kenshi chuckled at her now flipped stance, before he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a quarter from the loose change that was still in it. He didn't usually carry cash, or change, on him these days; it was too busy to keep up with, but old habits were hard to break. Cash was untraceable, and having it on-hand was always good in... situations.
He didn't keep a lot on him, just enough for emergencies.
He had been out the day prior and had gone to a local coffee shop for a cup - and of course, their machines were down.
So that was one good use for his emergency fund.
Kenshi traced his thumb over one side of the coin.
Heads.
"How about I do a practice flip and prove that I won't rig it?" Kenshi offered.
"I would love to see that."
Kenshi flipped the coin into the air, and utilized Sento just enough to keep track of it, without interfering with its path or rotation. When the coin came back down, he caught it in his left hand, and then flipped it onto the back of his right hand. He quickly removed the cover as soon as the coin was still and held the results out for Sonya to read.
"Tails," she called. "Hm, you hoping to play the statistics game?"
"It's up to fate," he replied.
Kenshi picked the coin up with his left hand and flipped it into the air once more.
This time, however, Sonya caught it mid-air before it even had a chance to land - and before he had a chance to catch it himself.
She kept it conveniently out of his sight as she checked the results.
"Oh, well look at that, it's heads," Sonya spoke, before she tucked the quarter into her own pocket. "Looks like I'm coming up with you."
Kenshi thought about bringing up how the ones who complain the loudest about cheating tended to be cheaters themselves.
But he kept it to himself as Sonya linked her arm with his own, before the two of them headed across the parking garage.
It was late, and the elevator ride from the parking garage to his apartment floor was seamless.
Not once did it stop at another floor, which was impressive.
And very convenient, seeing as the moment the elevator doors closed behind them, the two of them tangled themselves together in one of the corners.
His hands curled around the support handles on the connecting walls of the elevator as he pinned Sonya in-between him and the corner.
Her fingers had originally been buried in his jaw, but they were now tangled and pulling at the collar of his jacket.
Sonya used her force and his weight to pull him down to her, pinning him against her just as much as he was pinning her in.
Her tongue made short work of his lips and he could feel the heat and weight of it in his mouth.
Thank the Gods the elevator never stopped at another floor.
Because they sure as Hell weren't going to.
The familiar ding, followed by the slow rumbling of the elevator as it came to a stop, was the only thing that pulled them away from one another.
And that was really only because of the prospects that laid ahead of them.
The two of them made it down the corridor in a relatively calm manner, so as not to disturb his sleeping neighbors.
But the moment Kenshi pulled his keys out of his jacket and attempted to unlock his door, he felt Sonya's arms wrap themselves around his waist. He felt her fingers tug at his shirt and manage to pull it out from where it had been tucked in all night.
"Easy," Kenshi ushered, as he felt her pull his shirt away from his skin, momentarily exposing his abdomen now.
"Oh, no one's around," Sonya assured, "- maybe you should be quicker with the door."
"I'm trying. You're distracting me."
Kenshi finally managed to get the key into the lock, despite her continuous distractions, and quickly pushed the door open once he was able to.
He dragged her inside and closed the door just as quickly as he had opened it.
He heard the sound of her jacket hitting the floor behind him, no doubt having missed the nearby wall hook, before the sound of her boots getting kicked off followed after. Kenshi locked the door and hastily removed his own jacket and shoes, before he turned to her - and while she was distracted by his apartment, he hoisted her up without warning.
Sonya let out a surprised squeak at the sudden grab, but rode on his shoulder as he then carried her across his apartment.
"You got a nice place," Sonya commented. "Did you decorate it yourself?"
"I did actually," Kenshi answered.
He crossed the living room, counting his steps and avoiding the optimally placed furniture as he did.
And once he was on the other side, he headed down the short hallway that continued on in front of him, before he pushed aside the door to his bedroom. He stepped through the doorway and carried Sonya over to his bed, where he then dipped forward just enough to drop her on top of the neatly made sheets.
She laughed when she landed.
"I have to admit, Takahashi, I wasn't expecting to find everything so... immaculate," Sonya remarked.
"Old habits," Kenshi replied, as he straightened himself back up.
Fingers moved ahead and undid his belt, before he pulled it through the loops and tossed it aside.
He unbuttoned his shirt and peeled it off next.
And against his own routine, he balled it up in his hands before he tossed it out of the way.
Kenshi could feel her eyes on him, looking him over, taking in every bit of detail in both his body and ink.
An on-and-off again working contract had had the two of them spending quite a lot of time together, and in between the meetings, and eventual physical work, there had been a lot of downtime for them. They usually spent it driving around, going to lunch, attending other meetings - anything to kill the time. They even went drinking once, which in hindsight was not very professional of either of them, especially with how much they drank between them.
It wasn't enough to get drunk with.
But it definitely loosened them up a bit.
And the bantering between them eventually got personal.
"Your hands are tattooed."
Her fingers traced circles over his blue and red knuckles.
"There has to be more than just these."
"You don't want to see them."
"I do, actually."
And in a moment spurred by a combination of her interest, and him wanting to impress her, Kenshi had shown her the thick, black ink that covered his chest. Not all of it, of course, but enough to get the picture. It was the first time he had done that in years - willingly, anyways. He had long stopped showing his tattoos off, even when he was still with the Yakuza.
He had found that leaving his hands uncovered was enough to get the message across.
No one needed to see the rest of him.
Kenshi could still feel her fingers curiously prodding at his skin, prodding at the decorative ink.
"So how much of you is actually tattooed?" Sonya asked, as she stretched her body across the surface of his bed.
Kenshi felt her heels prop themselves onto his thighs now.
"Everything from the neck down," he answered, "- almost, anyways."
"Yeah?"
Her right heel pulled away from his thigh.
And Kenshi felt the ball of her foot press against his groin now.
"Even your little friend here?"
He should not have been surprised by the question.
He had allowed her to set it up to be asked, after all.
"I never got around to it," Kenshi admitted, "- actually, I don't think I ever would have. Despite what you might think, it's not a common place to ink. It was considered more of a... a bragging right for those who were really committed. Or, if you really wanted to get under someone's skin, you would dare them to get it done."
Sonya laughed at his answer.
And she slowly rocked her foot against him as she did.
"That's a shame, but it's probably for the best," she replied. "I would've taken the ink clean off of it."
Kenshi laughed before he grabbed her by the legs and pulled them around him instead, allowing him to lower himself to her now. And her hands were there to greet him as she cupped them against his face, before she brought his lips to her own once again. He felt the cross of her legs over the back of his hips now as she continued to pull him down, as she continued to pull him in against her - cementing him to her now.
"I should not have taken you drinking with my friends," he teased.
"Hmm, but if you hadn't, we wouldn't be here right now, would we?" Sonya reminded, as she dragged her fingers through his hair.
"Point made."
Morning came too soon.
And his bed was too empty, too cold.
Kenshi vaguely recalled Sonya getting up a few hours earlier.
He vaguely recalled her searching around his room for her clothes.
She had given him a parting kiss and a promise to call him later that night - if work allowed her to.
When his own alarm went off, Kenshi had to drag himself out of bed and shower off the prior night, before he got dressed for work just the same. He was already so used to keeping himself covered that he didn't worry about the still lingering impressions of her lips that covered his neck and chest; he wasn't sure if Sonya could say the same thing.
Grabbing his wallet and keys, Kenshi headed out.
The short walk to the office was uneventful.
But the moment he stepped out of the elevator and onto his floor, things were different.
There was a heightened sense of energy, a robust and entertaining kind of atmosphere - like someone was celebrating something.
"Kenshi, come here!"
He heard Jax's heavy voice call out to him, and he quickly tracked the man down to figure out what was going on.
"What's all the commotion about?" Kenshi questioned, as he found the man standing in their usual conference room.
Jax had the large projector screen pulled down and was watching something on it.
Kenshi could only catch the occasional flashing light on the screen.
"You know that new tool the Special Forces have been working on? That laser they launched into orbit two months ago?" Jax asked.
"Yeah, isn't that what we've been running around collecting data for?" Kenshi replied.
"It is, and guess what? Today they were finally able to use that data to connect it to the satellites at their desert base, and calibrate the laser from the ground," the man explained. "And now they have full control of it from orbit, which means they can move it to whatever location they need it at, whenever they need it - given an appropriate amount of time to allow travel."
It was nice to hear that the work he had been putting in for the last few weeks had actually paid off.
Now, what exactly was the Special Forces going to do with a space laser?
He didn't know, but hopefully it was for the betterment of mankind in some way.
"I'm sure Sonya's glad to know all that driving around finally accounted for something," Kenshi remarked.
"Are you kidding? She's the one who fired it."