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If anyone had told you that one day you’d be sitting at the Wu Shi Academy’s training grounds, watching a bunch of buff, sweaty men spar on a blindingly hot day, you would’ve laughed and asked how they’d managed to guess your fantasy so accurately.
And yet.
Here you were.
At the Wu Shi Academy.
In Ninety-one degrees.
Watching buff, sweaty men train like this was some kind of elaborate joke at your expense.
You supposed your fantasy really had come true after all.
You were tucked into the shade of one of the small gazebos at the edge of the grounds, having joined the boys for the day to watch their training.
The boys rotated through sparring partners, trading off without much rest. Sweat clung to skin, caught the light, dripped down spines and shoulders. The sun today was merciless and none of them seemed particularly interested in shirts.
This was honestly every teenage girl’s dream, and somehow you were finally living yours.
Your gaze drifted to one particular figure, one who had caught your attention more than a few times already with his broad build and effortless confidence.
Kung Lao was sparring with Johnny Cage, the two of them circling each other while Johnny ran his mouth, taunting him nonstop. It took only a moment before Kung Lao rolled his eyes and swept Johnny off his feet, sending him flat onto his back.
As Kung Lao straightened, his eyes scanned the courtyard before landing on you, your stare very clearly fixed on his abs.
A small, knowing smirk tugged at his mouth as he stood, brushing himself off before starting in your direction.
“Hey, princess.” He stopped right in front of you, arms crossing in a way that very obviously made his biceps bulge. “You see that takedown? Pretty cool, right?”
You blinked up at him, lips parting before your brain had any chance to intervene.
“I’m really thirsty,” you said, voice dipping into a flirty tone that was absolutely criminal. “Think it’d be okay if I poured water on you and licked it off your abs?”
You even licked your lips for emphasis.
Kung Lao short-circuited on the spot.
He froze, mouth half-open, eyes wide like someone just unplugged him from reality, before his face flushed completely red.
“I—uh—” He coughed so hard he had to cover his mouth with his fist, turning his face away from you like that would help. “I—yeah? I mean—uh—yeah, that’s—um—cool with me. Totally. Very cool.”
You felt your cheeks warm, your lips curling into a small, smug smile you couldn’t hide.
You both heard a wheeze, followed by a couple of low coughs and poorly hidden snickers behind him.
Kung Lao turned around, rubbing the back of his neck as the group stared at him in varying states of amusement.
“Damn, dude,” Johnny cackled. “Did you just malfunction?”
Kung Lao sputtered, his mouth opening and closing as he shot Johnny a glare sharp enough to cut glass.
“I—I did not. I was just… ahh…” he trailed off, clearly abandoning whatever excuse he’d been reaching for.
“Damn,” Kenshi chuckled. “That’s funny.”
Even Liu Kang wore a small, amused smirk as he watched the scene play out.
“Can’t handle a small compliment, Kung Lao?” Raiden teased.
Kung Lao grumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes as the boys continued to pile on. Then he felt a small hand land on his bicep.
He looked down.
You were smiling up at him.
“Sorry,” you laughed softly. “Didn’t mean to get you bullied by them.”
Before he could respond, you leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.
Kung Lao flushed all over again.
But this time, he smiled.
“…Worth it.”