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ajremixApologies if I’m getting Sareena all wrong, I’ve only seen her in MKX so I’m just making stuff up and having a ball with it.
Title: Jinsei Apt: Worth Working Out
Fandom: Mortal Kombat
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2026
Characters: Hanzo Hasashi, Kuai Liang, Sareena
Summary: Hanzo and Kuai Liang work out their relationship and get a surprise visitor.
“I feel as if I’m trespassing,” Hanzo said, acting as if he’s trying to be as small as possible even as he bent to take off his shoes.
“Why?” Kuai Liang only wore sneakers so he toed them off and nudged them in line at the wall. “You’re here as my guest.”
An eyebrow rose at him, but Hanzo smirked lightly, “Aren’t you also a guest?”
“Bi Han told me to treat this place as my home. That means I’m allowed guests.”
Kuai Liang lead the other man into the apartment which was sparsely decorated in a modern, almost monochromatic style, much cleaner than Hanzo had imagined. Not that he often imagined what Bi Han’s apartment was like, the fact that he was there now seemed surreal. He half expected Bi Han to charge right in, accusing him of breaking and entering.
“Would you like anything to drink? No alcohol, I’m afraid, but there’s water, energy drinks, milk- made sun tea yesterday.”
“Tea is fine.”
“Ice and sugar?”
“Yes, please.”
When Kuai Liang opened the refrigerator to pull out the tea, Hanzo saw an entire shelf dedicated to energy drinks. He opened his mouth to ask but Kuai Liang pushed the pitcher into his hands and shrugged, “Whaddya going to do,” he said, as if that explained it. “Let’s sit out on the porch,” he told Hanzo as he turned to pull out the glass and the container marked sugar. The movement caused his shirt to lift, leaving Hanzo momentarily enticed by the flash of pale skin.
He went out to the porch before he got too distracted, the place nearly entirely taken up by a glass and iron table and chairs, a small grill in the corner. When Kuai Liang joined him, Hanzo admitted, “I hate the fact your brother has a grill just because it always smells so good.”
Kuai Liang laughed, setting out the glasses and taking the pitcher to pour. “Don’t you have one?”
“No, our porch is taken up by a garden.”
“Really?”
“I’ve always enjoyed flowers,” Hanzo scooped some sugar into his tea, intently watching as his spoon stirred everything together just to keep from having to look at Kuai Liang, “eventually we added succulents and small vegetables.”
“I was pretty surprised when I found out he became such a good cook. Never cared about it growing up, then one day I visit him and he’s whipped me up a five-course meal. You know, he might share food with you if you offered to give him some stuff from your garden.” He paused, “Maybe. Or I can sneak it out to you.”
Hanzo sipped at his drink, looking vaguely uncomfortable, “That’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about. If this relationship were to happen, how would it affect you and your brother?”
Kuai Liang waved a hand as he swallowed his own sip. “We’ve already talked it over and came to an understanding. He won’t try to wreck whatever we have and I won’t gush about you to him or try to make you two friends.”
“He’s… okay with it?”
“‘Okay’ is a strong word. ‘Tolerant’ would be more accurate. He understands that he can’t change my mind when I don’t want it to be changed and I don’t make him feel compelled to change in return.”
Odd wording, Hanzo thought, but he asked, “How long are you planning on staying? I don’t do casual and even my shortest relationships tend to be long-term.”
“Hmmm,” the younger man cupped his chin in one hand, the other idly swirling his tea. “Bi Han has offered me to stay here and I wouldn’t mind. I’m in need of a job and a home, no matter where, and from what I’ve seen of the area it’s quite nice and the other residents are entertaining.”
Hanzo’s heart squeezed in his chest, trying to decide if it should be happy or not. “Then you would be staying?”
“I would like to.” He leaned forward, putting a hand over Hanzo’s, “The view is certainly exquisite.”
He burst out laughing, “Oh God- do you often use terrible pick up lines?”
“Only to make you laugh,” Kuai Liang looked at him like a smitten puppy, adoring everything he saw. “You have a beautiful laugh.”
He flushed and looked away, trying to hide a pleased smile. “I’m afraid I’m out of practice when it comes to flirting.”
“By all means, practice away!”
“You’ve put me on the spot, I’m not exactly prepared.”
“According to Kana, you’re quite the poet.”
Hanzo nearly choked on his tea, “You met Kana?”
“I was talking with Vera when she came to pick up your son and introduced us. After a brief interrogation, Kana suggested I ask you out on a picnic at some time and then made an oblique threat by mentioning she was the assistant kenjustu instructor that taught you in college.”
Hand over his eyes, Hanzo struggled between sighing and laughing helplessly. “She can be terrifying when she wants to be. And also that explains why she was so happy when she came by.”
Suddenly the latch on the door clicked. Hanzo tensed, expecting Bi Han to throw open the door and a yelling match to begin. Instead it was a woman Hanzo had seen a couple times in the complex, chin length hair, black save for a bleached stripe, wearing low-slung pants and a bodice. “Hey, kiddo!” She called out as she leaned down to unzip her boots, “Bi Han told me you were back!”
Kuai Liang’s face split into a grin and he pushed away from the table and back inside. “Sareena! I thought you weren’t free until tomorrow!”
“Got my boss to let me off early by telling him my baby brother was in town.”
He hugged the woman- Sareena -even as he scoffed, “A week is not a big age difference.”
“Big enough for me.” She caught sight of Hanzo, still sitting on the porch. “Didn’t know you had a guest, sorry about that.” She went over, snatching Kuai Liang’s glass as she went. “I’m Sareena.”
He stood, holding out his hand, “Hanzo.”
“Hanzo? You’re the guy that lives upstairs? Well, this is a little awkward,” Sareena said as she shook Hanzo’s hand. At his confused head tilt she explained, “So all those times you heard us having sex? That’s like 90% just us banging the wall and moaning for the hell of it. We’re actually pretty quiet when it comes to sex.”
“What? Why would you-”
“It’s kind of funny and basically harmless.”
Kuai Liang came up behind Hanzo, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Guess we’ll just have to pay him back,” he gave an exaggerated leer so comical it actually made Hanzo snort.
“My roommate is blind, not deaf, remember?”
“He can moan some too, why not?”
Sareena snorted tea out of her nose and Hanzo had to cover his face to keep from laughing. “God,” she gasped, “I forgot what a little brat you are!”
“You’re the ones that started it with making poor Hanzo listen to your fake sex. I’m just helping him retaliate.”
She shook her head, hazarding another drink. “So you two hooking up? Gotta say, Kuai Liang, that’s fast even for you.”
At the feeling of Hanzo’s muscle tensing slightly, Kuai Liang dropped his arm, “We’re, uh, working things out.”
“'So stop screwing up my chances, Sareena,’ go it.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Hanzo said as he sat down again, “what is your relationship with Bi Han?”
“We’re… unstatedly exclusive.”
“I’m sorry?”
“They’ve been together for a long time,” Kuai Liang explained, “but Bi Han has commitment issues.”
“So he won’t say we’re more than fuck buddies.” When Hanzo choked on his drink, Sareena amended, “Sorry, friends with benefits.”
Kuai Liang pulled Hanzo’s drink away, “I’m starting to think tea is hazardous to our health.”
“By the way, the place is surprisingly clean,” Sareena said a little slowly, as if not certain how she should feel about that.
“Bi Han is into energy drinks, cleaning keeps him occupied when he’s on a rush.” When he saw Sareena frowning, Kuai Liang spread his hands out in a shrug, “It’s one of his better addictions.”
“True…”
“I’m sorry,” Hanzo said gently, “but what are you talking about?”
The other two exchanged glances, silently debating if they should tell him or not. Eventually Kuai Liang leaned forward to place his glass on the table. “Bi Han… tends to get addicted to things very easily. It caused him all sorts of problems growing up and he does his best to regulate it now but… well, better being addicted to energy drinks than alcohol.” He added under his breath, “Again.”
“A lot of his addictions happen because of impulse.” Sareena said, “When he gets bored or stressed, Bi Han will pick up whatever he thinks will entertain him. When he finds something that gives him the rush he’s looking for, he latches onto it. Which annoying you may actually be an addiction, sorry.”
Hanzo’s eyes narrowed, “What?”
“It’s the trolling he’s addicted to, not you specifically. You just happened to be unfortunate enough to have the kind of reaction he's looking for.”
“His addictions go in cycles,” Kuai Liang said, “The initial rush as he picks up a new addiction, compulsion where he feels hehasto keep doing a certain thing or acting a certain way and then… the downward spiral that Sareena has been doing her best to keep him out of.”
“He helped me out of a real shitty situation,” she said, “I try to help him manage his addictions. Which I’m glad Kuai Liang has been thinking about staying since work has been sending me off to expos and shit more often.”
“What do you do?” Hanzo asked.
“I’m a tattoo artist. You ever seen Bi Han’s back? That’s my work.”
“I think he tries to see as little of Bi Han as possible.”
“Oh, right. Pity, you seem like an okay guy. Little formal, but hey. Could just be how you are around new people.”
“I may come off a little… pricklier than I should sometimes,” Hanzo admitted.
“Bi Han’s the same way, we’re used to it. Though with him it’s probably more intentional.”
Hanzo hummed, looking off the balcony with an unwillingly sympathetic expression, “I’m not used to thinking of Bi Han as a person with understandable flaws.”
“Just because he has issues doesn’t mean he’s not a jerk,” Kuai Liang leaned forward, curling a hand loosely over Hanzo’s, “but I would appreciate it if you didn’t antagonize him as much. Or tried not to reciprocate.”
“I promise to make an attempt,” he turned his hand over, letting their fingers lace together.
“Good enough for me.”
Their gazes locked, grip tightening, a thumb rubbing across knuckles as they just stared at each other, smiling, suddenly reminded at how handsome the other was, how much they both wanted this to work-
A little electric click broke the moment and they turned to Sareena who was lowering her phone. “Oh my god,” she said, eyes glued to the screen as she flicked a finger over it, “you two are adorable. I’m texting this to Bi Han.”
Hanzo pulled his hand away, trying not to flush, “I thought we were trying not to antagonize him.”
“Ican, I’ve been with him long enough.”
“Can you send me a copy, too?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Hanzo covered his eyes with a hand, wondering what he was getting himself into.
Title: Jinsei Apt: Worth Working Out
Fandom: Mortal Kombat
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2026
Characters: Hanzo Hasashi, Kuai Liang, Sareena
Summary: Hanzo and Kuai Liang work out their relationship and get a surprise visitor.
“I feel as if I’m trespassing,” Hanzo said, acting as if he’s trying to be as small as possible even as he bent to take off his shoes.
“Why?” Kuai Liang only wore sneakers so he toed them off and nudged them in line at the wall. “You’re here as my guest.”
An eyebrow rose at him, but Hanzo smirked lightly, “Aren’t you also a guest?”
“Bi Han told me to treat this place as my home. That means I’m allowed guests.”
Kuai Liang lead the other man into the apartment which was sparsely decorated in a modern, almost monochromatic style, much cleaner than Hanzo had imagined. Not that he often imagined what Bi Han’s apartment was like, the fact that he was there now seemed surreal. He half expected Bi Han to charge right in, accusing him of breaking and entering.
“Would you like anything to drink? No alcohol, I’m afraid, but there’s water, energy drinks, milk- made sun tea yesterday.”
“Tea is fine.”
“Ice and sugar?”
“Yes, please.”
When Kuai Liang opened the refrigerator to pull out the tea, Hanzo saw an entire shelf dedicated to energy drinks. He opened his mouth to ask but Kuai Liang pushed the pitcher into his hands and shrugged, “Whaddya going to do,” he said, as if that explained it. “Let’s sit out on the porch,” he told Hanzo as he turned to pull out the glass and the container marked sugar. The movement caused his shirt to lift, leaving Hanzo momentarily enticed by the flash of pale skin.
He went out to the porch before he got too distracted, the place nearly entirely taken up by a glass and iron table and chairs, a small grill in the corner. When Kuai Liang joined him, Hanzo admitted, “I hate the fact your brother has a grill just because it always smells so good.”
Kuai Liang laughed, setting out the glasses and taking the pitcher to pour. “Don’t you have one?”
“No, our porch is taken up by a garden.”
“Really?”
“I’ve always enjoyed flowers,” Hanzo scooped some sugar into his tea, intently watching as his spoon stirred everything together just to keep from having to look at Kuai Liang, “eventually we added succulents and small vegetables.”
“I was pretty surprised when I found out he became such a good cook. Never cared about it growing up, then one day I visit him and he’s whipped me up a five-course meal. You know, he might share food with you if you offered to give him some stuff from your garden.” He paused, “Maybe. Or I can sneak it out to you.”
Hanzo sipped at his drink, looking vaguely uncomfortable, “That’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about. If this relationship were to happen, how would it affect you and your brother?”
Kuai Liang waved a hand as he swallowed his own sip. “We’ve already talked it over and came to an understanding. He won’t try to wreck whatever we have and I won’t gush about you to him or try to make you two friends.”
“He’s… okay with it?”
“‘Okay’ is a strong word. ‘Tolerant’ would be more accurate. He understands that he can’t change my mind when I don’t want it to be changed and I don’t make him feel compelled to change in return.”
Odd wording, Hanzo thought, but he asked, “How long are you planning on staying? I don’t do casual and even my shortest relationships tend to be long-term.”
“Hmmm,” the younger man cupped his chin in one hand, the other idly swirling his tea. “Bi Han has offered me to stay here and I wouldn’t mind. I’m in need of a job and a home, no matter where, and from what I’ve seen of the area it’s quite nice and the other residents are entertaining.”
Hanzo’s heart squeezed in his chest, trying to decide if it should be happy or not. “Then you would be staying?”
“I would like to.” He leaned forward, putting a hand over Hanzo’s, “The view is certainly exquisite.”
He burst out laughing, “Oh God- do you often use terrible pick up lines?”
“Only to make you laugh,” Kuai Liang looked at him like a smitten puppy, adoring everything he saw. “You have a beautiful laugh.”
He flushed and looked away, trying to hide a pleased smile. “I’m afraid I’m out of practice when it comes to flirting.”
“By all means, practice away!”
“You’ve put me on the spot, I’m not exactly prepared.”
“According to Kana, you’re quite the poet.”
Hanzo nearly choked on his tea, “You met Kana?”
“I was talking with Vera when she came to pick up your son and introduced us. After a brief interrogation, Kana suggested I ask you out on a picnic at some time and then made an oblique threat by mentioning she was the assistant kenjustu instructor that taught you in college.”
Hand over his eyes, Hanzo struggled between sighing and laughing helplessly. “She can be terrifying when she wants to be. And also that explains why she was so happy when she came by.”
Suddenly the latch on the door clicked. Hanzo tensed, expecting Bi Han to throw open the door and a yelling match to begin. Instead it was a woman Hanzo had seen a couple times in the complex, chin length hair, black save for a bleached stripe, wearing low-slung pants and a bodice. “Hey, kiddo!” She called out as she leaned down to unzip her boots, “Bi Han told me you were back!”
Kuai Liang’s face split into a grin and he pushed away from the table and back inside. “Sareena! I thought you weren’t free until tomorrow!”
“Got my boss to let me off early by telling him my baby brother was in town.”
He hugged the woman- Sareena -even as he scoffed, “A week is not a big age difference.”
“Big enough for me.” She caught sight of Hanzo, still sitting on the porch. “Didn’t know you had a guest, sorry about that.” She went over, snatching Kuai Liang’s glass as she went. “I’m Sareena.”
He stood, holding out his hand, “Hanzo.”
“Hanzo? You’re the guy that lives upstairs? Well, this is a little awkward,” Sareena said as she shook Hanzo’s hand. At his confused head tilt she explained, “So all those times you heard us having sex? That’s like 90% just us banging the wall and moaning for the hell of it. We’re actually pretty quiet when it comes to sex.”
“What? Why would you-”
“It’s kind of funny and basically harmless.”
Kuai Liang came up behind Hanzo, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Guess we’ll just have to pay him back,” he gave an exaggerated leer so comical it actually made Hanzo snort.
“My roommate is blind, not deaf, remember?”
“He can moan some too, why not?”
Sareena snorted tea out of her nose and Hanzo had to cover his face to keep from laughing. “God,” she gasped, “I forgot what a little brat you are!”
“You’re the ones that started it with making poor Hanzo listen to your fake sex. I’m just helping him retaliate.”
She shook her head, hazarding another drink. “So you two hooking up? Gotta say, Kuai Liang, that’s fast even for you.”
At the feeling of Hanzo’s muscle tensing slightly, Kuai Liang dropped his arm, “We’re, uh, working things out.”
“'So stop screwing up my chances, Sareena,’ go it.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Hanzo said as he sat down again, “what is your relationship with Bi Han?”
“We’re… unstatedly exclusive.”
“I’m sorry?”
“They’ve been together for a long time,” Kuai Liang explained, “but Bi Han has commitment issues.”
“So he won’t say we’re more than fuck buddies.” When Hanzo choked on his drink, Sareena amended, “Sorry, friends with benefits.”
Kuai Liang pulled Hanzo’s drink away, “I’m starting to think tea is hazardous to our health.”
“By the way, the place is surprisingly clean,” Sareena said a little slowly, as if not certain how she should feel about that.
“Bi Han is into energy drinks, cleaning keeps him occupied when he’s on a rush.” When he saw Sareena frowning, Kuai Liang spread his hands out in a shrug, “It’s one of his better addictions.”
“True…”
“I’m sorry,” Hanzo said gently, “but what are you talking about?”
The other two exchanged glances, silently debating if they should tell him or not. Eventually Kuai Liang leaned forward to place his glass on the table. “Bi Han… tends to get addicted to things very easily. It caused him all sorts of problems growing up and he does his best to regulate it now but… well, better being addicted to energy drinks than alcohol.” He added under his breath, “Again.”
“A lot of his addictions happen because of impulse.” Sareena said, “When he gets bored or stressed, Bi Han will pick up whatever he thinks will entertain him. When he finds something that gives him the rush he’s looking for, he latches onto it. Which annoying you may actually be an addiction, sorry.”
Hanzo’s eyes narrowed, “What?”
“It’s the trolling he’s addicted to, not you specifically. You just happened to be unfortunate enough to have the kind of reaction he's looking for.”
“His addictions go in cycles,” Kuai Liang said, “The initial rush as he picks up a new addiction, compulsion where he feels hehasto keep doing a certain thing or acting a certain way and then… the downward spiral that Sareena has been doing her best to keep him out of.”
“He helped me out of a real shitty situation,” she said, “I try to help him manage his addictions. Which I’m glad Kuai Liang has been thinking about staying since work has been sending me off to expos and shit more often.”
“What do you do?” Hanzo asked.
“I’m a tattoo artist. You ever seen Bi Han’s back? That’s my work.”
“I think he tries to see as little of Bi Han as possible.”
“Oh, right. Pity, you seem like an okay guy. Little formal, but hey. Could just be how you are around new people.”
“I may come off a little… pricklier than I should sometimes,” Hanzo admitted.
“Bi Han’s the same way, we’re used to it. Though with him it’s probably more intentional.”
Hanzo hummed, looking off the balcony with an unwillingly sympathetic expression, “I’m not used to thinking of Bi Han as a person with understandable flaws.”
“Just because he has issues doesn’t mean he’s not a jerk,” Kuai Liang leaned forward, curling a hand loosely over Hanzo’s, “but I would appreciate it if you didn’t antagonize him as much. Or tried not to reciprocate.”
“I promise to make an attempt,” he turned his hand over, letting their fingers lace together.
“Good enough for me.”
Their gazes locked, grip tightening, a thumb rubbing across knuckles as they just stared at each other, smiling, suddenly reminded at how handsome the other was, how much they both wanted this to work-
A little electric click broke the moment and they turned to Sareena who was lowering her phone. “Oh my god,” she said, eyes glued to the screen as she flicked a finger over it, “you two are adorable. I’m texting this to Bi Han.”
Hanzo pulled his hand away, trying not to flush, “I thought we were trying not to antagonize him.”
“Ican, I’ve been with him long enough.”
“Can you send me a copy, too?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Hanzo covered his eyes with a hand, wondering what he was getting himself into.
