Archive of Our Own

Everything was going great. Johnny was already lining up filming for the next movie before the first had even completed post production. Of course, that left him jumping between two projects, but at least the movies would be consistent with it all so fresh in his brain. It helped to have Kenshi over for a while as a second reference. Okay, that wasn’t the reason why Kenshi was here and Johnny wasn’t allowed to know why, no matter how much he prodded. Classified, Kenshi said.

Whatever it is, it was the reason Kenshi wasn’t out with Johnny right now, sitting in a bar and talking with other Hollywood types. All gossip that eventually twisted around to Johnny and his lack of partner despite being one to play the field.

He scoffed, “Look, none of the dates have really landed, okay?”

“That’s ‘cause you keep using those online apps.” Shae pointedly tapped her phone on the table. “Only get something together for a one-night stand.”

“I don’t think he’s even getting that.” To his other side, Logan chimed in.

“Hey-”

“What about that guy you said you were picking up from the airport?” Liz asked across the table.

“That was my friend, Kenshi.” Johnny put pointed emphasis on the word. Honestly, he probably had a long-standing crush on said best friend, but he was too busy to mull over that.

“Oh, the sword guy?!” Logan sat upright.

“Riiight you said he was helping you!” Liz again, speaking like that just dawned on her. “He has a cameo in the movie, right?”

“Yeah, he, um, helped inspire a lot of it.”

“Uh-huh, go on.” Shae nudged.

Johnny rolled his eyes and gave his friends a good humored smile. “Look, I know what you’re getting at, and it’s a ‘no.’”

“‘You miss all the shots you don’t take.’” Liz quoted, “You loved saying that about auditions but not for dating?”

“He’s just scared.” Logan tried to appease, “I bet ten bucks that even if he asked, he couldn’t get him to say yes.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Then ask him out!” Shae said, “One date.”

“We’ll make it easy on you, it doesn’t have to be a date date, just get him to join us for some drinks.” Liz offered.

Johnny looked over each of them. He would have loved to bring Kenshi out anyway if he could. No date needed. He slid his gaze back to Logan, not one to turn down an opportunity. “You’re betting only ten?”

Shae’s face lit up and a smug little smile spread over her lips, “I bet twenty you can’t get him to come out and have a little double– triple date. Whatever. I can bring my girlfriend, Liz can bring her husband and Logan can bring… Himself.”

Logan fist pumped.

“Gotta be a date, though. Sorry, Liz.”

Twenty was more agreeable. Still a low bet but Johnny was almost certain he could win that, given Kenshi’s work allowed him. It was just drinks, anyway. “Alright, when?”

“The usual, baby!” Logan clapped him on the shoulder.

“Ookay, I can text him right now.” Johnny fished his phone out of his pocket.

“You won’t get your money until we see him sitting at this table.” Shae crossed her arms.

“As your date for the evening.” Liz added.

He laughed, “You guys run a hard bargain."

And the bet was set. Only twenty dollars. But an easy twenty.

The rest of the night went with a few more jabs about his lack of love life and then Johnny went home to find Kenshi had already beat him there. And was still awake. Good, perfect. He sauntered up to him where he sat at the kitchen island, eating a late dinner of leftover pizza.

Kenshi raised his brows as he heard Johnny approach. “What is it?”

“I didn’t say anything.” He innocently sat down in the stool beside him.

“You usually have some big greeting.” He commented, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Johnny put his hands up when Kenshi tilted his head at. “Honest, nothing is wrong. Just an easy opportunity to earn twenty bucks.”

A curious eyebrow went up.

“Next week, same time I went out today, you go with me to meet my friends and get drinks.”

He waited.

He hoped this wouldn’t be weird. “You just have to pretend it’s a date.”

Kenshi rolled his head and took another bite of his pizza.

“I’d rather not give them money…” He paused, “Shit, we didn’t define if I owe them a total of twenty for losing that bet or if I owe each of them twenty.”

“I think I’m open.” Kenshi commented and turned toward Johnny. “I can pretend it’s a date. But.”

Johnny let him pause for dramatic effect.

“You have to buy my drinks.” He smirked, “It’s more convincing that way.”

He huffed a short laugh, taking a moment to revel in the mischief on Kenshi’s face. He knew there was a reason they got along so well and it was this. The rare breaks of Kenshi’s serious facade, the playful sarcastic jabs. Genuine fun. “Just don’t overdo it, champ. The bet was only twenty.”

Kenshi chuckled and ate some more of his pizza.

Johnny poked on his phone, officially taunting his friends that he would be bringing a date. And each of them owed him twenty. Of course, there were refusals. That was fine.

“Why don’t you find an actual date?” Kenshi asked, though he had already agreed.

He finished his taunting reply to the text chat then set his phone down. “They said you specifically.”

“Why me?”

He shrugged, “I dunno. Cause you’re my best friend? You’re staying with me for a while?”

“So they want to set us up?”

“I think so.” Johnny tapped his phone against the counter. “Some big scheme for me to actually date someone again.”

He chuckled, “So your solution is to ask me to go on a fake date with you?”

“Look, I don’t want to make it weird. Also, you’re getting free drinks out of it.”

“And it’s just the one?”

“That’s all the bet was.” Johnny assured, “Don’t worry.”

He scoffed and stood to put his empty plate in the sink. “I wasn’t worrying. Free drinks, remember?”

And that was the plan. After a busy week of more work for the both of them, they joined the party at the bar a little late. But Kenshi had his hand on Johnny's arm as they wove through the tables, sticking close. Johnny couldn't read the expressions of his friends and their partners as they finally joined the table. There was definitely surprise, but with the way some of their gazes lingered on Kenshi’s white cane, he wondered if they didn't realize he was actually blind.

Greetings were made and Johnny pulled out a chair for Kenshi, being polite and courteous. Maybe a little over the top. Then he sat beside him and they all discussed food and drinks before settling into lighter topics. Everyone was learning about each other's partners here at the table. And about Logan. Partnerless but quite happy.

Johnny kept glancing at Kenshi to make sure this wasn’t too weird. And he was perfectly fine. Quite happy with one of his cheap beers in front of him that Johnny would be paying for. Thank the Elder Gods Kenshi didn’t have a palette for fancier, more expensive drinks nor a desire to be drunk in front of a table of strangers.

At a point, Kenshi stood with a gentle hand on Johnny’s shoulder, excusing himself to the bathroom. Liz’s husband - Rob - stood and offered to help him, reasoning he also needed to go. Maybe a mild slight to Kenshi but only Johnny knew it from the way he felt his fingers curl on his shoulder. But Kenshi didn’t make a fuss.

“Can’t believe you’ve never brought him to anything before.” Shae commented. “How long have you known each other again?”

Johnny exhaled thoughtfully, “Oh, I don’t know. Not as long as I’ve known you guys. I know I’ve talked about him.”

“A little.” Liz shrugged, “You kind of disappeared for almost a year after your divorce then came back with new movie ideas and talking about new friends.”

“A little soul searching.” Logan joked. “Seriously, though, he’s cool. You guys get along better than I thought.”

Johnny scrunched his nose, giving Logan a look. “Of course we do. I told you, he’s my best friend.”

“Mmhm more than best friends now.” Shae held her beer bottle toward her girlfriend–Claire–and they clinked the glass together. Of course she got her girlfriend in on it, too.

He scoffed, “Look, it’s just one date. That’s all the bet was.”

Liz sighed, “I guess that’s all it is, just betting, huh? Doesn’t actually mean anything.”

A smug little smirk came over Shae’s face and she gave Johnny a challenging stare. How far will you go?

He met her gaze and quietly sipped his drink. How far did she want to push him? He’d play along so long as she was willing to pay. What did she even want to happen? To just buy Johnny dates with different people?

“Well, Kenshi is here. He did say yes.” Logan pointed out, giving Johnny a cheeky grin. “There’s hope for you yet!”

“Yeah, okay, speaking of bets. You owe me.” He stated, “Cash, venmo, whatever. I’m waiting for that twenty.”

Shae rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone and the conversation dropped, mostly due to Kenshi returning with Rob. The rest of the evening went pleasantly. Soon enough, Kenshi and Johnny were headed home, feeling quite accomplished with their little ruse.

“Thanks for the drinks.” Kenshi said, fully relaxing once they were inside Johnny’s house. He tucked his cane under his arm and walked to the kitchen like he never needed it.

“Thanks for being my date.” He followed him, also deciding a glass of water was a good idea.

“Did they say anything while I was in the bathroom?”

“You just met them and you already know them so well!”

“I know you.” He nudged Johnny gently.

He huffed, “They didn’t say much, but I did tell them the bet was only the one date.”

Kenshi hummed thoughtfully. “Let me know if they give you more bets. I want half next time.”

“Are you saying that was a good first date?” Johnny teased, grinning at him.

He gave a noncommittal shrug. “It was fun.”

“Listen, if this week is hell, I’ll take you out again. Just for fun.” He paused for a moment, a question popping up. “How long did you say you were staying?”

“However long they need me here.” Kenshi sounded tired. Getting pushed around by work was never fun, it made it difficult to plan anything ahead of time. He turned his head toward Johnny, “Let me know whenever you need your house to yourself, I can get a hotel.”

“You are welcome to stay.” He said without missing a beat. “Just… You know, let me know when you need to go and I can drive you.”

His shoulders visibly relaxed and he smiled just a little. “Thank you, Johnny.”

“Yeah, of course.”

From there, they finished their drinks and retreated to their respective rooms.

The next couple weeks were busier for Johnny than for Kenshi, at least as far as he could tell. But they both had things to do in the end. Johnny skipped the usual drink meetup with his friends to stay late with his editing crew, working over some of the finer details of the movie. By the time he met up with them again, they were all expecting some grand news.

“Oh, Johnny.” Liz sighed, “You can't mess up a good opportunity like that!”

“You literally went on one good date with him and then nothing?” Even Logan was judging.

Shae was giving him a hard stare over her drink.

“The bet was one date, remember? One singular date where I brought him out for drinks with you guys.” Johnny clarified. “He hasn't asked for anything, either.”

“He's probably waiting for you to make a move.” Logan said, “He agreed to a date with you, remember? You bought his drinks!"

“Fifty bucks. Take him to dinner.” Shae said.

Johnny scoffed, sweeping his gaze over the other two. He could feel a smug smile tugging at the corner of his lips but he had to force his brows up, making him look incredulous. “Do you plan to tag along to all my dates?”

“Video call.” She shrugged. “Just show us that you took him out. Easy enough, right?”

“Wouldn't that be rude?”

“I mean, he has met us. And you're a good actor, you can play it off.” Liz suggested.

Johnny tapped the table and looked around again before meeting Shae's stare. “Alright, fine.”

“If he says ‘no’ to the date, that counts as you losing.” She stated.

“So I only owe you fifty if I lose?”

She smirked, “No, you owe them, too.”

Logan grinned cheekily, “Better get that date, loverboy!”

Another bet on the table, then. Johnny figured out an evening he was open, but he needed to suggest it to Kenshi. Dinner would be easy enough, he knew he'd agree to it.

Kenshi did, with a laugh. “They're desperate, aren't they?”

“Yup.” Johnny chuckled, “How's it sound? You want to go on a dinner date with the Johnny Cage?”

He rolled his head and gave him a good-humored smile. “You offering to pay again?”

“Oh, no you don't. We already agreed you'd take half the prize money.” He quickly corrected him.

Kenshi shrugged. Worth a shot. “Then it's a date.”

A giddy little smile couldn't be suppressed. Something had jumped in Johnny’s chest but he wrote it off as simple excitement. They could be caught, easily. As long as Kenshi played dumb, though, he was probably in the clear to keep these stupid bets up.

Admittedly, the “date” was nice. Good food, good atmosphere, good company. Johnny had almost forgotten the deal of the video call until Shae was making his phone go off. Repeatedly. All because he had automatically muted it the first time it went off. But when it went off again, he actually checked and remembered the deal. He proved he was on his “date” with Kenshi by showing her and saying he was busy, then he promptly hung up like he was ecstatic to return to this dinner. They both laughed as soon as the call ended. Easy money.

Shae forked over the fifty the next time she saw Johnny. She had a suspicious look on her face, like maybe she was catching on. Or maybe she just didn't believe them. But he was willing to play the game and she had some money to spend. The questions were how long could Johnny keep? How far would Shae's bets go? And a dreaded question: would this hurt Kenshi in the long run?

Johnny didn’t keep thinking about that. The next bet offered was basically the same as the last.

“Every date we see you going on, you get a fifty.” Shae laid the simple rules. “Has to actually be a date type thing, not just us seeing you two getting groceries or someshit.”

“Okay?”

“Has to be organic.” Logan added.

Johnny frowned, “You know, this seems stacked against me.”

Shae just shrugged. “What have you got to lose? I’m not saying you gotta pay us. If we see proof you’re on a date without it being obvious you’re just showing us, you’ll get fifty. We’re basically giving you two dinner.”

“Oh,” Liz spoke up. “If two of us see you on the same date, you may only get your prize from one of us.”

“And how will you know?”

“We’ll keep in touch.” She said cheerily,

He squinted at them then bluntly stated what he was thinking. “This isn’t much of a challenge.”

“We don’t want to rush you.” Shae smirked. “Don’t worry, I have a better one for later. Depends how you do.”

That was suspicious. But he laughed it off, “All right, keep your secrets, Gandalf.”

“Docking points for incorrect quote.” Logan hit the table and laughed, the topic devolving from there. Back onto lighter topics that didn’t involve Johnny’s love life.

It was late when he got home. He wasn’t even sure if Kenshi was there, the house was so quiet. Johnny curiously wandered down the hall to the guest room. He paused at the door and heard nothing, just quiet. Checking the time on his watch, it was a little earlier than Kenshi usually went to bed. But maybe he was already asleep? Presenting the new bet terms to him could wait for the morning.

A small shuffle and the door opened. Kenshi didn’t have his blindfold on when he opened the door, greeting Johnny with those scars where eyes should be.

Honestly, Johnny was more surprised by the door opening then he was about the eyes. “Jeeeesus.”

Kenshi scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. “You’re the one standing outside my door. What’s up?”

He recollected himself, “It’s not really a bet this time.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Each date they see us on, they’ll give me–us–fifty.”

Kenshi’s brows dipped down, “That sounds too simple.”

“I think the goal is to see us be long-term dating.” Johnny said.

“Oh.”

Johnny couldn’t read Kenshi’s expression. It had settled into his usual, sour poker face. Brows tense and a small frown tugging on his lips. Which could mean anything. “Do you need to leave soon?”

“No… No.” He frowned further. “Look… I don’t want to be a burden-”

“Kenshi…” Johnny warned.

“No, listen.” He gestured with his hand to stop Johnny. He chewed on his bottom lip a little, figuring out his next words. “We–the OIA–are looking to set up a base here. Headquarters, whatever.”

“So…” Kenshi could stay?

“So, I have found a place. There’s just a few more things to tie up but… Yeah.” He crossed his arms a little tighter. “My plan was just to stay with you for a while until something solid was put in place and it almost is. Then I’m staying in this city. I’ll get my own apartment, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried about that at all. If you want to stay here, I don’t mind. Mi casa es su casa.” Deep down he knew he just didn’t want to be alone again. But even deeper down some hope sparked. A hope he wanted to squash in the face of this betting deal.

Kenshi sighed, a small smile creeping across his lips. “What’s my rent?”

“Rent?” Johnny scoffed at first then took it seriously, thinking. “Hmmm well… I could take all the bet winnings.”

Kenshi’s turn to scoff and he rolled his head. “How long do you want to keep playing that game?”

He shrugged, “Until you’re fed up with it, I guess?”

He wanted to keep playing, to show Shae up mostly. But he also felt it gave him a reason to hang out with Kenshi. And they did, it was fun. Especially when they had their breaks off from work and spent most of the “date” complaining about what aspects of work they could talk about. And with the OIA base almost set, Johnny was sure he’d hear a lot more from Kenshi.

Kenshi’s lips parted for a moment but he shut his mouth again before anything was said. Brows dipped. He bit his lip. Then, pushed himself off the doorframe. “I’ll let you know. It doesn’t sound like I’m getting much out of it if you take my half, though.”

“I was joking. Honest.” Johnny chuckled, “I’m not gonna make you pay rent. For now.”

He tilted his head, “Ominous.”

Johnny winked at him, emphasizing it with a little click.

Kenshi seemed to get the idea and smiled, shaking his head. He took a step back and held the door. “Anything else or can I go back to bed?”

“Nnnope, I think that’s it.” Johnny paused, “Oh! If you want to keep doing the bets, we should figure out another date.”

“Hm.” He drummed his fingers on the door for a moment. “I’m going to sleep on it.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. We can plan stuff in the morning.” Johnny took a step back, smirking at him. “Good night, Sleeping Beauty.”

A deserved head roll and scoff. “Good night, Johnny.”

The next morning over breakfast, they started to make a plan. Strategizing more than they probably needed to. One of the hardest parts was all of Johnny’s friends were unpredictable outside of work. They’d be running a risk of just going on dates with no reward. Which, in any other situation, would be rewarding in itself. But they were here to play a game, to fake it.

There was silence for a while, the two of them opting to eat for a bit and chew on it. Johnny ended up scrolling on his phone, half a distraction, half wanting to see if he could catch a pattern of his friends’ habits.

Kenshi tilted his head toward the sound of Johnny’s tapping. He sat up a little. “Any proof will do, right?”

“Hm? Yeah, as long as it’s proof.” Johnny glanced up to him.

“Poparazzi.” He stated simply. “I’m surprised no one sniped us the last time.”

Johnny sat upright, “Because they only saw it as a one-off. They’ve seen that before all the time, it’s not worth it unless it keeps happening.”

“Then… We just keep happening.” Kenshi shrugged.

“You sure about this?” He asked a little softer, “It’s not private.”

“That’s the point. It’s the proof.”

It was a brilliant idea, honestly. And simple enough. They just needed to go to places in what appeared to be a romantic context. A bonus would be to try and act as though they were hiding it. Would they even really have to try? It would be more scandalous if there was something obvious. But that would be too much.

“Alright… So, where do you want to go? What do you want to do?” Johnny asked, “Dinner, again? Movie?”

Kenshi shrugged, “I guess there’s not a lot of date options?”

“Depends. I think we might be a little limited.” He admitted with a little gesture to Kenshi’s eyes.

He nodded with a small frown. “That’s true.”

“You can think about it.” He offered, “We’re not in a rush. They might punish me, though, if we go too long without a date. Not like that was a part of the agreement, though.”

Kenshi nodded and continued to eat his breakfast.

That was the end of the conversation for the morning. They went back to their usual work routines for the next week but Kenshi finally got back to Johnny about a date. He liked the idea of a movie, though he admitted it wouldn’t be the best location for anyone to snoop on them and snap pictures. So, the agreement turned into dinner and a movie. Pizza and then whatever movie was conveniently playing next in the theater with open seats.

Johnny wore his usual when going out. Sunglasses were a vain attempt to hide his identity, like he wanted to, but he was fairly recognizable and the pizza joint was fairly busy. He wasn’t sure if that would help or hinder. Regardless, he was splitting a pizza with Kenshi, making conversation, and nudging their legs together under the table like they were teenagers trying not to be obvious about their attraction.

It felt silly. But maybe that made it all the more convincing. Something a little real should always be added to acting. Was it all acting, though? No, he was having a genuine conversation with Kenshi, reminiscing a little about their time training and in Outworld. To an outsider, it probably sounded like he was spoiling his own movie.

They headed out to the movie theater after eating, which seemed silly considering Kenshi walked around with a blindfold and white cane. But Johnny described all the movie options for him and they picked one of two that were starting next. A horror movie, funny enough. Exactly the type of movie Johnny had to lean close to Kenshi in the theater to describe the scenes to him, filling in what he couldn't see. And trying not to be too annoying about it, and maybe he did hiss at someone for them to go sit somewhere else if they were bothered by his whispering to his blind fri– partner. That's the word he used.

“That was mean.” Kenshi whispered to him, smiling a little.

“They'll live.” Johnny chuckled and leaned close to Kenshi, sharing the armrest as much as he could and continuing his quiet narration.

He only stumbled once, when Kenshi decided to take the step and solidify a romantic gesture. He had slid his fingers between Johnny's, holding his hand. And apparently using it as a grounding comfort during the movie. He explained later he knew there were eyes on them during it and he was only adding to witnesses, totally not because the audio alone was making him tense–as a good horror movie should.

By the time they got home, fifty dollars had been quietly sent to Johnny from Logan through his phone. The only comment attached was “movie tickets.”

Lo and behold, the idea worked. There were only a couple posts–one from their pizza date and another catching them as they were deciding a movie–but they were generating gossip. Not quite enough to end up on a magazine, but definitely on dedicated fan blogs.

A text came in from Liz, linking to a post that simply said “went to a movie and I think Johnny Cage just cussed me out for telling him to be quiet on his date.”

He laughed out loud and read it to Kenshi when he asked. By the morning, there was some discourse in the comments of the post pointing out that the man he was seen with seemed to be blind. Another said the blindfold was a weird choice. And a last person mentioned some early leaks of production of Johnny’s movie where Kenshi was seen in the background as a consultant.

“Wow, they’re like little detectives.” Kenshi joked once it was all read out to him.

“They’ve helped solve cold cases.” Johnny chuckled. “Do you want to come out to get drinks again with my friends?”

“Are you going to pay again?”

He sighed, “Fine, sure.”

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic.” He sarcastically commented.

“It won’t count as a date.” He added.

Kenshi shrugged, “It doesn’t have to.”

Johnny’s cheeks felt a little warm and he laughed it off, “You’re sweet.”

Kenshi scoffed and shook his head. Still, he joined Johnny on the evening he usually spent with friends.

All three of them kept glancing between Johnny and Kenshi. Shae in particular had that smug little smile on her lips. She considered herself having won. Johnny was dating Kenshi. The joke was on her, though. They weren’t. And Johnny had to keep himself from looking equally smug. He and Kenshi were getting money for changing quite literally nothing. Though, maybe Johnny wished it was a little different.

Nothing particularly important happened during that evening. Johnny and Kenshi went back home and parted inside to do their own things. That was their habit after the next couple “dates” they went on. Be mildly romantic in public but go back to being just friends at home, even if it started to stab at the feelings Johnny never addressed. Too busy, he always thought. And yet, outside of work, he was making time to go out with Kenshi. And Kenshi was all on board to receive the measly twenty-five dollars.

They were out one time, walking around a park. Half a date, half just to get out of the house and do something other than eat. Also, Johnny knew Liz picked up her kids around this time and usually they hit the park for a bit on their way home. They’d be somewhere here, though he wasn’t exactly taking a path near the playground. Just walking.

Kenshi was holding onto his arm. Like a couple, but also as a seeing aid. He hadn’t brought his cane. Nor Sento, of course. Just him and Johnny. And maybe Liz if they stumbled across her on their walk. They weren’t exactly putting themselves in a place to be deliberately spotted this time.

They talked, of course. About shit happening at Kenshi’s work now that the building was being filled in, the growing pains of a new place. About the few things Johnny could talk about without breaking his NDA, though Kenshi already knew the details anyway. He had been there. That pivoted the topic to Outworld, wondering how their friends were doing, if Mileena and Tanya had finally figured something out.

Kenshi chuckled a little, continuing to walk close to Johnny. “I think we won't get the invitation when they do.”

“Yeah, probably.” Johnny sighed dramatically. He wasn't too upset about it, it wasn't like they were super close, though he had persuaded Liu Kang to give him contact with Mileena. She was pretty vital in his movie development for the Outworld half, to give it more depth than just what he saw. Still didn't exactly make them friends, even if she was great to work with.

“I still feel awful for what we did…”

Johnny slid him a look, knowing what he was talking about. “She stabbed your eyes out, man.”

Kenshi shrugged, “Maybe I deserved it.”

“Hey.” Johnny stopped and turned to him. “No.”

He stopped and tilted his head toward him. “We stopped her treatment–”

“We interrupted Shang Tsung's ruse.” He pointed out and put a hand on Kenshi’s cheek without thinking much of it. “You didn't deserve that. And you better know I'm glad you're still here.”

Kenshi broke after a moment, smiling a little with an amused exhale. He shook his head. “I know, Johnny.”

He felt compelled. He told himself it was because he knew there were eyes watching them, knew there would be witnesses to this little date. But, with his hand on Kenshi’s warm skin and that smile in front of him, he leaned closer to him. And maybe Kenshi leaned in too, he didn't know. He only knew he was kissing him.

Not a long kiss, the two parting after just a moment. But a revealing one. A kiss that made him giddy and want to push for more. And there was a hand resting on his chest now while his own still lingered on Kenshi’s face. Not pushing him away, not maintaining space, just resting.

Johnny glanced around and played it off like he noticed someone watching–he did–and straightened up. He nudged Kenshi quietly and they continued walking.

“Johnny?” Kenshi kept his voice low.

“I know, I know.” He felt flustered. His mind was running between what was quite unmistakable in the affections of that interaction and how smug his fucking friends would be. They won.

“Johnny.” Kenshi repeated his name and gripped his arm tighter. He forced Johnny out of his anxious pace and to walk like a normal person. “Easy.”

He took a breath, skimming his gaze around the park quickly. The lack of privacy had never been so oppressive as it was now, even without seeing anyone who noticed them. Everyone was doing their own thing.

“It was just a kiss.” Kenshi tried to say.

“How did it end up like this?” Johnny cracked.

Kenshi elbowed him.

He sighed, “You know this means they won, right? Their whole little goal with the bets?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Johnny looked at Kenshi, studying his face again. Not entirely, he wanted to say. He was more frustrated about the fact that he apparently couldn't come to this conclusion on his own. His friends had to meddle.

Kenshi let out a frustrated exhale. “Can you put your pride aside for five minutes? Please?”

“Kind of hard when I thought I was winning this whole time!”

For someone without eyes, Kenshi could sure give him a look. Furrowed brows, disapproving frown.

Johnny stopped walking again and turned to him. He opened his mouth, but his brain had fifty different things it was trying to say and it would all be wrong. He just groaned instead.

“Yeah?” An amused lilt in that one word.

He sifted through the words, trying to find something. He glanced at Kenshi’s face, which had relaxed. There was patience and maybe understanding, if Johnny was reading him right. Johnny shook out his shoulders, deciding to dig at the truth. “I… Like what we've been doing. I don't like that we got here because of a stupid game.”

“You started it.” He commented.

“No, Shae started it. Just to get me to date someone. It could have been anyone.”

“You still chose me.”

“They suggested you and, well, you’re my best friend. You make it easy.” He frowned, feeling like he was dancing around the subject again. He slid his arm out of Kenshi’s hand and instead took his hand, holding it in both of his own. “Look, Kenshi, you mean a lot more to me than I was ever willing to admit. Especially not when we first met. I would love to date you for real, but…”

Kenshi tilted his head, waiting.

“I cannot let those fuckers think they won.” He said, exasperated.

Kenshi laughed, “They’ve thought they won up to this point, what does it matter?”

“It matters because we were playing them! They didn’t know you were in on the bet or that it was just for show for us to get, like, twenty bucks.”

Kenshi pulled his hand away and crossed his arms over his chest. Only the sly smile on his lips gave away his mood. “What? Do you want to fake a break up but secretly actually date?”

Johnny shuffled his feet and looked around, pursing his lips. He slid his gaze back to Kenshi, who was patiently waiting with that little smile. “When you say it like that, it sounds dumb.”

He shrugged. “I know how you think.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Look, let’s talk about this at home.” Kenshi made a little gesture around them. “Away from other people”

“Alright… Yeah. Sure.” He thought he’d never ask. He let Kenshi put his hand on his shoulder like he used to. A little more space between them.

Once at home, Kenshi sat down on the couch and tracked Johnny as he walked around to grab beers out of the fridge. “Really? Drinking already?”

“Don’t act like you don’t want one.” Johnny popped the bottles open then sauntered over to the couch and handed Kenshi one. It was accepted and he smirked a bit before sitting down beside him. “Okay… So.”

“So.” Kenshi sipped his beer.

“What are you thinking?” He asked, “I mean, I can’t read your mind and I think I’ve been pretty upfront about all this.”

He lowered the bottle from his lips and tapped the side of his bottle. “I think dating you sounds nice. It doesn’t feel like it would change much, would it?”

“Probably not. We were basically dating anyway.”

“But you want them to think we broke up?” He tilted his head.

“Yeah.” He took a quick sip of his beer. “I just don’t want to give them the satisfaction, you know?”

“Of setting us up?”

“Exactly. Like, I think it would have come to this anyway without them but–”

Kenshi furrowed his brows and scrunched his nose in a way to clearly indicate he was squinting at him.

“What?”

“You really think we would have ended up dating?” He smirked a little.

Johnny felt his face heat. “Yeah, of course."

“When were you planning on asking? After your movie release?” Kenshi sat back and took a long sip of his drink.

Johnny narrowed his eyes at him. “That sounds really accusatory coming from someone who also wasn’t making a move.”

The smirk disappeared and Kenshi turned his face away. Caught.

“I, at least, made a move today and kissed you.” He continued to defend himself. “And before you ask, no, it wasn’t for show. That was genuine.”

“I know.” His voice was a little quieter and he idly touched his lips. It was only for a moment then he finished his beer off quickly and turned back to Johnny.

He watched him and took a sip of his drink again. “I've been transparent with you about everything for these bets. I didn't want you to be hurt because of something stupid I did.”

“I know.” He said again, “I appreciate it.”

Johnny smiled a little then joined Kenshi in finishing off his drink, setting the empty bottle on the coffee table next to Kenshi’s.

“Now what?”

“Now… whatever?” He shrugged, letting his hands fall into his lap. He idly pat his thighs for a brief moment then looked at Kenshi. At the look of concentration on his features. “You okay?”

Kenshi nodded and carefully moved closer to Johnny. One hand found a place to be on Johnny’s cheek and he gently began to pull him in.

Johnny followed the silent command and leaned in, kissing him. It lasted only a moment before they parted. Not far, still close enough to be touching noses. From here, at least, he could see Kenshi’s expression had relaxed. And he could also see him tilt his head again. Of course, Johnny closed his eyes and leaned into it, kissing him again. And again, and again, and again. All the way until his back was on the couch and Kenshi was over him.

When Kenshi parted for a moment, Johnny spoke up. “Gonna be honest, I always pictured this flipped.”

Kenshi chuckled, “You weren't making the move.”

“I'm not complaining.” Johnny hummed, his hands wandering down to Kenshi’s shirt, slowly beginning to unbutton it. His heart felt like it was racing. After so long of having an inkling of a crush and shoving it down, he was antsy to take more.

Kenshi gently touched one of Johnny’s hands, stopping him. He leaned down and kissed him again, sweet and chaste compared to the kisses that had pushed Johnny onto his back.

“Too much?” He asked once Kenshi parted, accepting his hand and gently holding it.

“A little, I think.” He didn't seem certain he wanted to stop here. But he definitely didn't seem certain he wanted to keep going.

“I was just messing with your shirt.” Johnny hummed, hoping it offered a little comfort. “I've seen you dressed down before.”

“I remember the remarks you made.” Kenshi huffed, “I knew you were staring back then.”

“And I caught you looking a few times. I mean, who wouldn't?” He grinned innocently.

Kenshi scoffed, unable to suppress the smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Please.”

“Anything for you.” Johnny kissed his hand, still watching Kenshi’s face. The fact that they were so close, so intimate, washed over him again. A giddy kid was all he felt like. Being allowed to be with a crush, being allowed to do whatever with said crush.

Kenshi’s fingers touched Johnny’s face, slipping out of the loose grip to explore. There was a sense that he had wanted to do this for a long time. To feel his face without it being too weird. Of course, once he found his lips again, he leaned down and kissed him. Sweet and gentle.

Johnny decided to slide a hand up behind Kenshi’s head and slowly attempt to work the blindfold off. Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple to undo as a bra with one hand. He reached up with the other and carefully loosened it, pulling it off of Kenshi’s face.

The scars were nothing new, he had seen them just the other night. But here he was, face-to-face with them. A pang stabbed his chest. How hopeless Kenshi had been. So utterly defeated. Johnny had done as much as was in his power to drag him out of there, to try and light a fire under him to keep living, to keep going.

It worked, it seemed. Kenshi was here, right above him. A man who did fulfill his goal of saving his family, who got a job, who ended up with a future he didn’t think he’d have back when they were in that lab.

“Did you ever think we’d end up like this?” Johnny rested his hands, still holding the blindfold, on his own chest. His gaze still flickered over Kenshi’s features, studying him like it was the first time he ever saw him. Scars, wrinkles, stubble, a couple early strands of silver in his hair that he would never notice at a distance.

Kenshi tilted his head a little and shifted. Not that Johnny would mind, but he clearly was avoiding resting his entire body weight on him. He shifted his jaw then answered, flatly. “No.”

The bluntless made Johnny blink blankly. It processed, and he scoffed a quick laugh. “No?”

“What? Did you expect me to fantasize about us after that as our meeting?” He quirked a brow up.

“I did have you tied up in a chair.”

“I can’t believe you thought that whole thing was a setup.”

“Listen, it’s not every day I get robbed by someone who can actually fight.” Johnny grinned up at him.

Kenshi rolled his head, leaning down toward Johnny again. Before lips could touch, Johnny’s phone started going off.

Of course Kenshi pulled away and Johnny loudly groaned. He threw a tiny fit before grabbing his phone, not bothering to see who it was and answering with an irritated, “What?”

“Oh, jeez.” Shae’s voice. “We were just checking in.”

Oh, this was actually good. He answered sorely, “You’ve checked.”

Kenshi sat back, tilting his head and listening.

“Were you like… Busy or something? You sound pissed.”

He sighed dramatically, “Sorry. It’s just been a weird day, you know?”

“Liz said she saw you and Kenshi–”

“Out on a date? Ugh what a flub that was.” Johnny continued the dramatics. “We broke up.”

Kenshi smirked, resting one arm on the back of the couch and leaning closer to hear Shae’s response.

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, man, I didn’t mean–”

Johnny sighed again, “I know. It’s just weird now.”

“I get it.” She related, “Are you okay?”

“I guess?”

“That’s a ‘no.’” She answered.

“No, I mean, ugh. I think we’re still friends at least?” He tried to suppress his own grin, looking at Kenshi. The smile would be heard through his voice if he wasn’t careful.

“You’re not sure?”

“I mean, I kissed him and we said some stuff that amounted to ‘damn that was weird.’ Then we went home and he’s been in his room the whole time.”

“Maybe he just needs time to process, have you thought of that?” She sounded like she was defending Kenshi, “Have you considered maybe you were moving too fast?”

“Shae, we have been on so many dates.” He said flatly, “If one little kiss was ‘too fast’ then I really don’t think it’d work between us. And I’d also really like to keep him as a friend.”

“Talk to him in the morning. I’m not giving up on you two.” Stubborn, as always. Her competitive streak was almost as bad as Johnny’s.

“Well, I am.” Johnny stated.

“Ugh, I wish I had Kenshi’s number.”

“Nope, no. You are not meddling in my love life anymore.” That sounded maybe a little too genuine, he sighed. “You’re a great friend, Shae, but Kenshi means so much to me as a friend and I can’t force this.”

She was quiet for a moment, her mic catching her exhale. “I get it. Sometimes friendships are just tight like that.”

“Thank you.” His gaze slid back to Kenshi’s face. It was unreadable right now, his head tilted a little to put one ear toward Johnny.

“Still should probably talk to him, though.” Shae said, “You know, clear the air. Get on the same page, all that shit.”

“Yeah… Yeah, I will. In the morning.”

“Okay. Let me know if you, like, need a night out to get wasted.”

He snorted, tearing his gaze away from Kenshi. “Sounds like a plan, if I need it.”

“Good luck.”

“Night, Shae.”

“G’night.”

And the phone call ended. He put his phone down on the coffee table and turned back to Kenshi. “So.”

“Hm?”

“Gonna forgive me for that little kiss?” He smirked.

Kenshi chuckled, “I don’t know, are you going to do it again?”

“I just might.” He rumbled and gently dragged Kenshi by the chin, closing the gap between them. “Now, where were we?”

He smiled a little and tilted his head, kissing him sweetly.

Johnny savored it. By movie standards, this type of kiss would usually get cut out in favor of more passionate open-mouthed kisses. But the affection was all there, in the kiss, in the way Kenshi smiled at him. That foolish feeling of having a crush realized rushed back and his cheeks felt hot. Gods, they had just been kissing more intensely than this, why did the chaste one make his heart rate pick up?

He had to sit there, wondering, while Kenshi pulled away. Actually, he damn well knew the answer, but it felt stupid. He loved him. And he was given affections that showed Kenshi loved him back. A stupid little grin plastered itself on his lips.

Kenshi had collected the empty beer bottles but paused. He furrowed his brows toward Johnny. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.” He hummed, “Just, you know. Happy.”

“With your little ruse, part two?” Kenshi chuckled and carried the bottles into the kitchen, depositing them in Johnny's recycling bin.

“No, you.” He turned on the couch to watch him. “Us.”

“Us…” Kenshi repeated, thoughtfully. He chuckled, “I didn't take you to be so sappy about all this.”

“Hey, I'm allowed to be happy.” He stood and followed Kenshi to the kitchen. His hands itched to touch him again and he wanted to explore more of him. But he stopped a few paces away. Not yet. He could respect Kenshi’s boundary, and he admittedly agreed it was for the best. Switching the dynamic of their relationship so dramatically would just be confusing, wouldn't it?

Kenshi shook his head, that smile still playing on his lips. “Sappy.”

Johnny scoffed, “Sure.”

“I'm gonna go to bed.” He spoke a little quieter.

“Alright.” He nodded, “I'll see you in the morning?’

“Bright and early.” He teased then started for his room. “Good night.”

“Good night.” Johnny was left standing alone in the kitchen, feeling like he had missed his chance at something. Like this was a dating sim and he got one dialogue line wrong. It wasn't like he hadn't taken things slow with Cris, but he felt like he knew Kenshi almost in and out.

Ugh, now he was worrying about that instead of winning his little game. There was some merit in going slow. If Johnny showed up one day with hickeys–even makeup to hide hickeys–then they'd have questions for him, if they didn’t outright know. Worse would be if they happened to spot Kenshi out on the street with similar marks. Okay stop thinking about that. He pulled himself out of his own thoughts before it went down the route of marking him up.

He quickly turned and tidied up the kitchen. He even checked his emails to get his brain back on work, as irritating and a bit stressful as it was. Then, with his brain somewhat settled, he went to bed.

By the time he went out to get drinks with his friends again, Johnny had forgotten his worry about missing chances with Kenshi. They had some nights in, sitting on the couch while eating takeout and watching movies. He found Kenshi was even bold enough to cuddle him, so long as he kept describing the movie. There were a couple times they went out, just for things like groceries and careful not to look much like a couple. Of course, just appearing with a man he had been clearly dating set the internet alight.

But his friends understood his explanation better than an outsider. He and Kenshi got along great as friends. And also, rent around here wasn't exactly cheap, Logan helped emphasize that.

What mattered here, though, was that they gave their sympathies when he expressed being a bit upset over not dating Kenshi. But things were feeling a little less weird, he said. And then he bullshit about Kenshi still keeping a little distance, like he was afraid Johnny would try to make a move again if they got close. He dug at a real fear, there. The last thing he wanted was for Kenshi to push him away, for fear of his behavior. He frowned and took a long drink of his beer.

Logan pat him on the back, “Hey, man, it's okay. He's still your friend.”

“I know, I just worry about how he sees me.” He admitted.

“Since when has Johnny Cage worried about what other people think?” Shae scoffed.

He gave her a look, “My career is built on what other people think of me. Also, I will reiterate for like the thousandth time, he is my best friend, and I want to keep that.”

“I think you'll be okay.” Liz offered in a more chipper tone. “You two went through worse together, right? Things'll sort themselves out!”

Johnny shrugged, he supposed things were fine. And they would be fine.

Shae checked her phone and groaned. “Fuuuck. I got to get up early.”

“For what?” Liz checked the time on her phone as well but shrugged a little.

“Meeting with my team about our next project.”

And that seemed to be the wrapup. Shae left first, then Liz, leaving Logan and Johnny to head out together at the end of the night.

“Can I say something that's, like, weird?” Logan asked, standing with Johnny beside his car.

“How weird?” Johnny raised his brows at him, knowing Logan would just say it anyway.

“You smell like Kenshi.” He said then continued to blabber, “Like, you smell like you, but also Kenshi. And- and if I were to guess- if he were here, he'd smell a bit like you.”

Johnny knew about Logan's sensitivity to smells, their first meeting had him tuning down his cologne to make his new friend comfortable, but he hadn't expected that. He tried to laugh it off, “We're living in the same house, Logan.”

“Nah, it's like you were cuddling or something before coming here.” He said nonchalantly, but that little smirk was there. “You two didn't actually break up, did you?”

Johnny shook his head, “It's a lot more complicated than that, Logan. But as far as you and the others are concerned, we totally are not dating anymore.”

Logan nodded slowly, his gaze dancing around as he processed it. He smirked a little, nodding. “Yeah, yeah. Totally. I get you.”

“Good.” Johnny hummed and said a goodbye before heading home. Well, Logan puzzled it out. Oh, well, whatever. The main bets were with Shae, anyway. Luckily, Logan kept his mouth shut for now and seemed a little smug for knowing something Shae and Liz didn’t.

Time passed and Johnny’s first Mortal Kombat movie was finally released. Johnny was jazzed about it, he had even invited Kung Lao and Raiden out to see it. Tickets were on him, of course. It was fun to have the old squad together again, though Johnny of course invited his usual crew of friends, too. Luckily, the two groups got along pretty well during and after the movie, everyone sitting around and having celebratory drinks.

Johnny and Kenshi sat beside each other, though kept a safe distance between them to try and keep up appearances in front of Liz and Shae. As well as Riaden and Kung Lao, who didn't yet get the privilege to be in on anything that happened the past couple months. No one except Logan knew.

They kept a visible distance between each other above the table, it serving as their evidence for only being friends. But, just like teenagers, Kenshi had his leg touching Johnny’s. It seemed subtle since it was under the table, out of view, but would be obvious from literally any other angle. Johnny welcomed it.

There were luckily no more awkward conversations around relationships for Johnny. Not from Shae, not from Liz. However, over the next few days of Kung Lao and Raiden visiting, he noticed they kept looking at him and Kenshi funny. Now, admittedly, they were also staying at Johnny’s place since he had rooms to spare. And, admittedly, Johnny wasn't being as careful as he should in the privacy of his own home, giving Kenshi small affections. Worse, still, Kenshi returned them with the same disregard.

“You know,” Raiden began, sitting at the kitchen island while Johnny worked on breakfast. Kenshi and Kung Lao were still asleep, though the smell of bacon would easily summon the latter. “It is not good to lie to your friends.”

“Lie about what?” His morning brain was running on an outdated system, currently only able to focus on the program of making food. The coffee he kept sipping was helping, though.

“You and Kenshi.”

“I haven’t lied to you about that.”

Raiden sighed softly over his tea. “Not me. You have not told us about your relationship, I assumed you were taking your time. But your, um, bold friend told us about that bet.”

“Oh.” Yeah, Shae was pretty bold, wasn’t she? “What about it?”

“You two did not break up.” He pointed out. “Forgive me for assuming if I am wrong…”

Johnny took another swig of his coffee and nudged the bacon on the pan. “Nah, you’re not.”

“Then why are you lying to them?” There was far more curiosity than accusation in Raiden’s voice.

He sighed, “It’s about pride, y’know?”

Raiden hummed softly, “Only second-hand.”

“Yeah, well, they were making bets about it. It was a game, so I got Kenshi in on it and it… I don’t know, it stopped being a game.” It did feel nice to confess this to someone, honestly. But it made his shoulders feel heavier. “And I didn’t want them winning that of all things.”

“Did they know of your interest in Kenshi?”

He laughed, “I wasn’t interested in–”

Johnny met Raiden’s gaze. He was giving him the most you-know-that-isn’t-true look, emphasized by a long sip of his tea.

He flushed and went back to tending to the food. “I don’t think they did. They just suggested him because we’re friends. I don’t know.”

Raiden sat there, processing it for a minute. “You were… Lying about dating, and now you are lying about not dating?”

“Uuuh yeah, basically.” He wasn’t even going to deny if it was technically lying or not. He knew Raiden would just break it down to semantics and in the end it was a form of lying. Made him feel bad about the whole thing to call it that, though.

“When will you tell them?”

“Whenever Shae won’t be smug about it and lord it over my head.” Johnny glanced up to Kung Lao, who was sleepily wandering in on a beeline toward the food. He had to lightly smack his hand away. “It’s not ready yet, go sit.”

“The longer you keep it, the more betrayed she may feel.” Raiden commented.

“It’s too early for this.” He complained. “Besides, the lying is just for fun.”

“He has a point.” Kenshi finally came in, yawning. “Maybe Shae will respect the hustle.”

“Hey, not you, too.” Johnny noticed Kenshi’s little smirk as he moved past him to the coffee.

“You’ll have to tell them eventually. It’s been a while.” He commented and sat down with his cup.

“I will think about it.” Johnny stated flatly. He shrugged his annoyance off and set the food, sliding it onto the table. “All right, dig in!”

The topic was dropped and Johnny was grateful for it. The four of them spent the day mostly sightseeing. And stopping at some places with good food, as per Kung Lao’s request. Get it all in before they had to go home at an obscenely early hour the following morning. Of course, Kenshi and Johnny saw them off, then returned home and went back to bed for just a few more hours. Johnny had welcomed Kenshi into his bed for that, reveling in the feeling of someone cuddling into his chest.

Johnny spent the next day off while Kenshi went in to work in the afternoon. He chewed on the idea of telling Shae and Liz about the whole thing. It would hurt Liz, though, to know he was lying to her. The scolding would be just as bad. Shae was hard to take a guess on for reaction. She could be pissed. Or insanely smug. He wasn't sure which was worse and he still hated the idea that he'd be essentially losing.

Maybe he could play it off somehow. Just another part of the game. They would never know. Except for Logan. He knew. He'd out the inconsistency without even thinking about it. He wasn’t sworn to secrecy or anything anyway.

Nothing was easy! He groaned and shoved his face in his hands. He'd figure it out, he knew he would. The guilt was sitting sourly in his stomach. He didn't want to tell them but he also didn't want to not tell them, cause then he could just be with Kenshi as a normal couple. Maybe he could just wait for one of them to bring it up again. Which, from the record, was never. And he wouldn’t have to worry about it.

…

Was he the asshole?

Johnny kept thinking about it on and off until the usual meetup time arrived. Kenshi went with him, giving him a nudge as they arrived. Starting off the night with that wouldn’t be a good idea and he still wasn’t sure if it was actually a bad idea to keep quiet. He was inclined to let the night go as normal and just text them about it later.

Kenshi left to use the bathroom at a point, leaving Johnny alone with his friends. Not that it was unusual.

Shae gave Johnny a hard look, “What the fuck was that?”

“What?” He genuinely didn't know but his mind was immediately trying to fill in what she possibly could be thinking.

“You two broke up, right?” She gestured after him, “Why's he all sweet on you?”

He frowned, “What do you mean?”

“She means he still very clearly likes you.” Liz cut in. “And you said you were upset about not dating him anymore?”

Johnny just shrugged.

“Not everything has to be a romantic relationship.” Logan spoke up, “I know you guys mean well but it’s been buggin’ me that you won’t just let him be.”

Shae and Liz both shut up at that and awkwardly glanced at each other.

“They’re totally dating, though.” He threw it out there then took a long sip of his drink while making direct eye contact with Johnny.

“Woah, woah, hold on.”

“Hey, you didn’t swear me to secrecy.” Logan grinned, “Only that you two totally weren’t dating anymore.”

“Johnny.” Shae narrowed her eyes at him.

“Okay, fine, we never broke up.” He waved a hand, “And you guys didn’t have to keep paying for our dates so, there!”

“Thanks for saving us money?” She scoffed.

“Why did you lie to us?” Liz did indeed sound hurt.

“Because I didn’t want you guys winning?” He said like it was obvious.

“Well, too bad, we won!” Shae leaned on the table.

“Don’t be mad about it, Johnny, you’re the real winner here.” Logan pat him on the shoulder. “You got to date him!”

“I didn’t need you guys meddling with my love life, okay?”

“Well maybe you did. Were you ever going to ask him out yourself?” Shae asked, “You like him, he likes you, was it ever going to happen?”

“Or were you dating in secret before it all and never told us?” Liz frowned.

“No, no.” He quickly shut that down, “we didn’t do anything before the fake dates.”

“Fake dates?”

He pulled his lips into a tight line.

Shae gave him another look then her gaze flickered to the side, attention pulled to something behind Johnny. “Kenshi! Get over here!”

Johnny tensed up, ready to put himself between Kenshi and Shae. He shouldn’t be the target of her ire.

Kenshi awkwardly approached the table, opting to stand beside Johnny. “Is… Everything alright?”

“Were you two fake dating just to get money from us?”

Johnny just scowled at her, opening his mouth.

Kenshi spoke before him, “I didn’t think they were fake… Johnny told me about the bets after and I didn’t take that well but-” he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “We worked it out. We just didn’t want to feel pressured.”

“Oh, Kenshi, I’m sorry.” Liz apologized. “We didn’t mean for-”

“You’re apologizing to him and not me?” Johnny scoffed. He felt Kenshi gently touch his shoulder as he sat back down beside him.

“You agreed to the bets.” Shae stated.

“You can see why I was mad.” Kenshi chuckled and rubbed Johnny’s shoulder before pulling his hand away. “I have to thank you for getting him to actually do something, though.”

Johnny rolled his eyes, hating that it was true. Hating that the bets did, in the end, get him on the dating scene again, with a committed date. He didn’t hate that it was Kenshi, though. Far from it. He was just mad about the whole thing and how it played out.

“Ey, well, congrats, you guys.” Logan grinned, “You got it all sorted out.”

“Okay but why did you call it fake dates when Kenshi thought it was real?” Shae wasn’t letting it go.

“Shae,” Liz touched her arm, “It was just a silly game and I think we’re lucky we didn’t mess it up more.”

“I didn’t mess anything up.” She was defensive.

Kenshi gently nudged Johnny, whispering to him. “Should we leave? Let her calm down?”

“Shae.” Liz gave her a look, pulling in her mom voice. “Do you want to keep arguing or do you want to have a nice evening?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Johnny waved a hand, addressing the whole table. “Logan’s right, it’s fine. We got a good ending in all of this. Thank you, Shae, for getting me to finally do something."

She still seemed displeased but she tried to shift her tone, “What do you mean ‘finally?’”

“Long-time crush?” Logan teased.

Liz went along with the tone shift, “How did you two meet, again?”

Kenshi chuckled, leaning to Johnny. “Is that considered spoilers?”

“Maybe?” Johnny knew he hadn’t told them about it. “Do you want to tell them?”

He grinned a little and started the unbelievable story in the simplest way, “I broke into his house to steal back my family’s sword.”