A first aid kit laid open on the floor beside it; its contents were half-empty. The TV flickered and flash. Several warm meals were placed on top of the coffee table. The hosts blabbed on about this year's tournament. Before the show ended, it flashed images of the remaining teams.
One of said teams inhabited that little hotel room.
"See? I knew we could do it." Ash cheered. He leaned deeper into the couch, one hand outstretched to the screen as he put his foot up.
"It's the first day." Duo said with crossed arms.
"And? These guys are the best of the best and they're being broadcasted to an international stage. There's a reason why this event is such a spectacle!" Ash looked over to his left, "What about you, Shen? Your thoughts?"
Shen took a sip from his beer and leaned over, flashing a grin, "Been a while since I had my blood pumpin' this hard. This is gonna be good!"
"That's the spirit," He stood up, brushing off whatever debris laid on his leg and lifted his glass. He smiled at the two, "A toast for the night."
Duo furrowed his brows, "Isn't it a little early?"
"It is but that's not what I'm toasting for," He wiggled his cup, the ice clanked against the glass, "For surviving the first day and for luck these next few days."
"Cheers to that!" Shen raised his glass. Duo quietly followed.
"À la votre!"
"干杯！"
A clink of glasses rang in the air.
The three began to dug into their meals. The conversation shifted and its speakers were Duo and Ash. Shen had a semblance of what they discussed but his mind wandered elsewhere.
Shen knew Ash for a few years beforehand. Ash was a weird kid, wandering around China for whatever reason. He couldn't get that information out of him—not that it mattered after the brawl they had. Something between them clicked. Their back-and-fourths were great. Whenever the kid was in town, they'd hop from restaurant to restaurant, savoring their delights.
Shen and Duo, though, met only a few times.
Yeah, sure, he's heard of the Hizoku clan but he didn't register Duo was part of it. The family legacy bullshit was never really his thing nor of his concern. The fact that he was also one of the big man's sons also flew over his head. One night, Shen half-drunkenly challenged Duo to a brawl. It didn't help that most of what he knew now of the Hizoku was due to an ongoing news program about them.
He didn't know why he picked him specifically. He had no idea who he was then. He was itching for a good fight. Duo just happened to be there. He looked strong—a little freaky too—but that never bothered him.
Surely something would come out of it, right?
And he was right. Duo gave him exactly what he wanted.
They crossed paths a few times thereafter. It never got anything deeper than a simple nod of recognition, maybe even a "hey." Duo was distant but that never stopped him. If he read their last meeting right, it seemed he lightened up to him a bit. Later, he finally pinned that Duo was part of the Hizoku. Normally, he'd writhe at that sort of thing but not here. The air Duo gave off was… different. Maybe it was the casualness of it all. He didn't flaunt his title or anything. That bar he met him in was dinky and small and kind of shitty but he seemed to have enjoyed himself well enough.
He was just there. Existing.
Maybe they'd fight again someday, knowing their line of work. It'd be nice, wouldn't it?
Then, one day, Ash Crimson invited them to KOF.
"Well," Ash stood up and stretched, "I better take my leave. I need to catch up on my sleep. Au revoir~!"
Before either men could object, Ash already left.
They (Ash and Shen) made quite the mess. Sure, it is their room but kings at least deserve decent living quarters, even if temporary. Shen grumbled under his breath. He didn't want to deal with the hotel staff. The commencement ceremony then switched over to the news, blaring some nonsense about an ongoing investigation of a man from a now-gone village in the Hebei province. He stepped over the table to shut it off. An unopened beer sat next to it so he grabbed it. When he turned around, he saw Duo staring down at a plate in his hand with a garbage bag in another.
"Somethin' wrong with the food?" Shen asked.
Duo shook his head, throwing the plate in the bag, "I'm just thinking about the tournament."
"There's nothin' to worry about, man. We're that good, we'll be fine."
Duo nodded slowly.
Shen shifted his weight. His palms began to sweat. He let out a sigh and began to help. Duo raised a brow but continued. Soon, the mess was contained.
Duo tied the last bag off and set it aside, "Are you going to go to that party near the stadium?"
"Nah. I'm gonna stay up and finish the beer. Smoke too, maybe. Besides, the view's great. Might just stare at it all night," He paused, cracking a knuckle, "You should join me."
Duo blinked. He looked forward where the balcony was and looked back at Shen, "Maybe I will."
Shen whipped out a box of cigarettes and a lighter from his pockets. He handed a cigarette to Duo, who declined. He shrugged and took one for himself. The cool breeze brushed against them as the stars faintly twinkled through the city lights.
Silence clung onto the air, occasionally being interrupted by the honking of folks and cars down below.
…
…
…
… How the hell do you talk to a guy like this?
Shen was never one for small talk and, by god, would this guy even bother?
"… So," Shen coughed, "What do you do in your free time?"
"… Catching bugs." Little Duo scrounging for bugs? Cute.
Shen bit back a smirk, "Not, like, summonin' demons or some shit?"
"I could I suppose. I much prefer bug catching, especially unknown ones. I'm guessing you like bashing faces in?"
"Duh, though I like playin' ping pong with the ol' folks more."
"… You don't hurt them, do you?"
"No way! They're ruthless! They beat me harder than my boss!"
Duo smiled, a small chuckle escaped his lips. The warm hum of it stayed with Shen, "Then, when we get the chance, I'd like to play a game together."
Cars below honked like a flock of geese. The height muffled it.
Duo broke the silence, "Is there a particular reason why you're here, Shen? In the tournament?"
"Hm… A good fight? I don't know. Feels like I'll get my rocks off here."
"Really? Is that it?"
Shen shrugged, "The world's best gather here and fight. Not much to it. I guess the money would be good too."
"Hm…"
"What?"
"Nothing," Duo's face softened, "You're a simple man."
"You make it sound like a bad thing."
"Not necessarily. It's... I'll say interesting. Honestly, I assumed you joined this tournament because you wanted to get back at me."
"Tch, I'm not that petty. I thought you'd do your homework better than that."
"Well, it's not everyday you team up with Shanghai's God of War. I'm learning a lot," Duo looked in his direction, using his fingers to draw something in the air. There was a graceful flick to them, "Speaking of which, 'War god (武神)' is that really your name?"
Shen blinked. He looked straight at Duo's eyes. It seemed as if they were trying to get something from him, "No. It's just something the locals gave me."
"Then…" Duo scanned his face once more. Maybe if things went a certain way, he'd get that answer eventually, "I see. Never mind."
Shen took a sip of his beer, "Yours is written like…"
"'Fallen dragon (龙堕).'"
"…? Not, like, 'flower clusters (朵)'?"
"Unfortunately, no. Though, I think that would've been nice."
The streets below slowed and quieted.
His next response should be obvious but feigning the ignorance to ask it would be stupid of him.
He let it out like the smoke falling from his lips, "I'm sorry about your dad."
"My...? Right..." Duo stiffened. His eyes glazed over, looking at something far beyond. Something about it twisted his guts.
"I heard you're lookin' for him. I heard that's why you're here."
A few months ago, Duo's father joined some crazy organization in search of world domination. His entire village was set ablaze, leaving only a few relatives and henchmen. Since then, they struggled. Their only pride was holding onto what was of their name.
That incident was all over the news and all Shen could think of was their fight at the bar. How lax and pretty he was then. All he could think about was the searing pain it must've been. He was seething. Fuzzy memories and shapes flooded in his head. Motions he swore he's done before. He couldn't remember what went where. A knot formed in his throat. Before he knew it, his face softened in a way he wasn't used to. Fuck, is he really gonna do this with a guy he's met once or twice? Sure, he didn't know the guy that well—much less his dad—but the audacity of his dad. He was the head honcho—the village head. Shen didn't need to glimpse in his direction to feel the rage-
"How much do you know?"
"Only what's in the news," He paused, "If I hear anything, I'll let you know. I know folks. Shanghai's a big ass place with fuck all folks. I'm sure I'll hear something"
Duo's eyes narrowed, "… What do you want out of this?"
The midnight breeze hit them both. The moon hit him just right, just like that night. The night that he lost. The night that started him wanting to see him again. Without a thought, Shen said, "I just think you're cool."
Duo's expression shifted but Shen couldn't pinpoint how. Duo pointed at his pocket, where he put the cigarettes. Shen brought out a cigarette and slipped it between his fingers. He rummaged around for the lighter when Duo placed a hand on his shoulder. He froze.
Duo brought the end of his cigarette to Shen's before sticking it in his mouth.