Smokescreen: A Collection of Vignettes

Chapter 22

Smoke wasn't exactly proud of himself when he flung Sakura. At the same time, though, he had really wanted to test her skill. Madam Bo had really bragged about her and that said quite a lot. The older woman never bragged about anyone. If Kung Lao hadn't engaged him first, then he would have gotten his fight with her. That was how it was supposed to go but didn't happen. He still had to act like that he was down for the count. He would have to speak with Kuai Liang later since he was the one to engage with her since now wasn't the best time to challenge her.

Looking down from the second floor of the teahouse, he could see her annoyance. Wait. Did her eyebrow just twitch? Oh, forget the annoyance. She looked rather disgusted, and he couldn't blame her. He and his brothers did attack her and her friends, ruining their night out. Not to mention finding out this whole thing was just a test would be...irritating.

It went without saying that he owed her an apology.

The young warrior continued to listen to Lord Liu Kang. As he did, he kept his eyes on the woman. He briefly wondered if her hair was dyed. He had never seen violet hair in his young life. He wasn't judging her by any means. Quite the contrary. He really liked it. It made her look like a fairy with her porcelain skin. Gods, he hoped that she wasn't scarred anywhere. Not that it mattered to him. With or without scars, she was still pretty.

Oh, she was looking his way! As tall as he was, he tried straightening his back a little bit more. He kept his face straight and didn't let his nerves show. He wanted her to see him as a confident man. Never mind that his heart just skipped a beat. As soon as her eyes met his, though, he was done for, as cheesy as that sounded. Her eyes were violet, too. He could easily get lost in them and never leave. The way she blushed when he caught her looking at him was rather endearing. He groaned internally after processing everything.

How in the world was he going to ask her out?