Bi Han "Sub-Zero" x F!Reader

Twenty-Three

For a moment, you looked at Kuai Liang silently. There was something warm in the brown of his eyes, small flames that crackled.

The same brown colour as Bi Han's. The same and yet so different.

He gave you a smile and when he withdrew, he seemed to be trying to feel your skin one last time. With a watchful gaze, Bi Han observed his brother's movements before his eyes came to rest on your face to see your reaction.

Unmoved, you bowed your head in thanks. Kuai Liang was handsome. But the same could be said of Tomas.

All three brothers had been blessed with nice looking faces and bodies that other people desired. What made them different were their personalities, the people they were.

And as the person you had become, you could never feel more for Kuai Liang than for a brother.

Bi Han was different. The boundaries that applied to siblings had never existed between you. He had always looked at you the way a man looks at a woman. And you had always thought about giving him everything of yourself.

So it hurt all the more that all that was gone now.

"You look exhausted.", Kuai Liang stood closer to you with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

He didn't notice how Bi Han gave him a warning look. As if he was trying to take something that belonged to him.

Gloomily, you bury your fingers in the fur on Baobao's neck. Tired, the panda shook himself.

"I'm fine.", you replied and looked up at Kuai Liang.

He smiled, genuinely pleased that you were feeling better. Now he looked so much more like Tomas than Bi Han.

Childlike, you thought to yourself. Sweet. But sweet was not something you desired.

Once again, you caught yourself wanting to look at the grandmaster. This time you refrained from doing so and gave the younger Lin Kuei a smile instead.

"How are the new champions doing?", you had no desire to give Kuai Liang ideas or hopes.

But that was also no reason to be rude. At the end of the day, he was still a kind of brother to you.

His dark eyebrows rose as if he was only now remembering that you were not alone. He glanced over his shoulder to see how Tomas was getting on with them.

"Promising.", he said and stepped aside so that you had a clear view of everyone.

Liu Kang had chosen four men. Surprisingly, because Outworld dominated with female strength that was magical in nature.

Three of them were of East Asian origin, one Caucasian. You recognised two of them from Madam Bo's establishment. This time they wore the orange uniform of the Wu Shi Temple, which made it harder to tell them apart.

There were only clear differences in the way they fought. One of them, a man with brown hair and blue eyes, fought roughly with fists and kicks. The movements were heavy, sometimes without a fixed tactic in mind. He was simply trying to win.

But Tomas was too fast for this kind of fight. As if his feet were not touching the ground, he smoothly dodged the blows and jumped when they tried to kick him off. The man went down with a targeted kick to the face.

Another appeared in his place. The first thing you noticed about him was his arms. Despite the warm weather, he had tied them with bandages as if he was trying to hide something underneath.

Instead of bare hands, he carried a sword, a single-edged blade of thin steel. The air buzzed with every cut he made.

"A skilled swordsman.", you remarked. "Japanese?"

Kuai Liang nodded, visibly impressed, a smirk playing around his lips.

"Your powers of observation are good as always.", he said. "His name is Kenshi Takahashi."

Your eyebrows raised.

"Takahashi... like the Yakuza clan?"

"Like the clan whose heirs can wield Sento."

"If they proof worthy.", Bi Han reminded his brother.

He had retreated into the shadows of the building. Arms crossed in front of his chest, he watched you both. No, that wasn't quite right. He was watching you.

Especially how you reacted to his brother.

When your eyes met, he crunched his nose slightly sourly. Brown wanted to devour (E/C). At the same time, there was something in his gaze.

Something that almost felt like a plea.

You frowned questioningly and tilted your head. He took a deep breath, the muscles in his chest tensing. But instead of answering, he closed his eyes to shut you out.

Kuai Liang just frowned in confusion.

Although they were brothers, he couldn't understand him as well as you did. Instead, he simply wondered why his brother had changed so much.

But he didn't ask why.

This quality in particular was something you considered to be a major flaw in him. Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes for a moment and then return your attention to the chosen ones.

"Tell me more.", you demanded.

Baobao growled under you. Tired, he opened his mouth, showed his sharp white teeth and sat down on the floor. You almost slipped off his back.

Your legs twitched. All you had to do was stand up so that the panda could lie between your legs. But the numbness hadn't completely disappeared and instead you were threatening to fall into the dirt.

A slight sound of surprise slipped between your lips.

Bi Han jumped up from his place in the shadows. Right at that moment, warm fingers closed around your arm again. In one sweeping movement, Kuai Liang pulled you to your feet.

It was so jerky that you lost your footing and stumbled against his chest. Out of reflex, you grabbed the collar of your uniform to find support.

Bi Han froze.

Confused, you looked up at Kuai Liang. An amused smile appeared on his lips. Bowing his head, he looked at you.

"Hold on to me as long as you need to.", he said softly, almost whispering as if he didn't want his brother to hear.

But you just shook your head, slightly chuckling.

"You've always been a good friend to me.", you replied with a smile. "Brother."