Fic - Worth The Risk (Mortal Kombat)
For: selena__wolf, original request can be found here
Fandom: Mortal Kombat (the first movie)
Pairing: Rayden/Johnny
Length: 1331 words
Notes: AR in regards to the movie's ending, as per the request. This is my first time writing these characters, so any and all feedback will be much appreciated!
~*~
Worth The Risk
"You humans are so unpredictable."
There was just something about the way Rayden said it that made Johnny's skin crawl. And didn't those white eyes flash in his direction, as well? It was almost as if... as if he knew.
Which was ridiculous, really, considering that Johnny himself had barely begun to realize his attraction towards Rayden - much less come to actual terms with it. And now it seemed like he had to deal with the fact that his chaotic feelings might've been found out.
Shit. Johnny Cage was in deep shit.
----
Outworld knew how to throw a good party, that he couldn't deny. The food brought back the feeling of being back in high school, what with the whole mystery-meat du jour thing going on. But it tasted good enough, and his overflowing cup didn't exactly make matters worse. Seemed like every time he emptied it, someone appeared out of nowhere to refill it.
Liu left the celebration early; too much of an ascetic, Johnny assumed with a silent snort. Kitana toasted with them for a while, but it was clear that her mind was occupied with other matters - like, for example, the small issue of rebuilding her home and taking her rightful place as ruler - and she soon excused herself with a weary smile. Sonya simply didn't know the meaning of letting loose, and barely drank at all. Johnny must've said something dumb to her, because she left huffing and puffing (and it probably didn't help that he just laughed at her anger).
And so it was just him and Rayden left. Well, no, that wasn't quite true - there was plenty of other people around as well; just normal Outworld citizens (and, of course, the nice and trusty servants who kept refilling his cup). But it felt like it was just him and Rayden there, especially since they were sitting pretty isolated at the large table - everyone else busy dancing or mingling amongst themselves.
Johnny wondered briefly if thunder gods could even get drunk, but realized belatedly that Rayden had been nursing the same cup for the entirety of the celebration - so, whether he could or not, the point was moot. 'Why are you sticking around if you're not even gonna drink?' Johnny wanted to ask, but all that came out of his mouth when he opened it was a burp.
Embarrassed - and pissed at himself for feeling embarrassed in the first place - Johnny swept back the remaining contents of his cup in one go. He caught Rayden's look as he slammed it back down on the table; an amused and patronizing look. It grated on his nerves, and convinced him that his earlier fear had been right on the money. Rayden knew, damn him.
"I'm not hard up," Johnny slurred, "if that's what you think."
Rayden raised an elegant eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
"You know damn well what I mean! Quit acting so... so..." Johnny waved his hand in the air when the word he was searching for wouldn't come to his mind, hitting the hovering servant smack-dab in the face. Stumbling backwards, he spilled the wine all over Johnny's lap.
"Shit! Goddammit," Johnny yelled as he sprang up, tripping over the chair in his hurry to get to his feet. He felt himself falling backwards, hands uselessly scrabbling at the table for some purchase to stay upright.
He'd expected to crack his skull open on the stone floor, so it came as a complete surprise when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist and kept him from falling. He relaxed into the warm grip, enjoying the sensation, before his brain caught up with what had just happened. Turning his head, he found himself being held by none other than Rayden. Dumbfounded, Johnny just stared.
Rayden gave him a lopsided smile, before looking away - though he never released his grip on Johnny. "I apologize," he said, obviously addressing the fretting servant who was currently trying to wipe away the mess on Johnny's pants. "He's just had too much to drink. You're not hurt, are you?"
"No, no," the small man replied, finally realizing that the pants were a lost cause. "I guess it's a good thing he wasn't sober; I have a feeling I'd be hurting a lot more otherwise."
The low rumble in Rayden's chest told Johnny that the servant's quip had earned him a chuckle from the thunder god. "Perhaps so. Once again, I'm sorry. Well... I think I better take him to bed now," Rayden said.
If Johnny had been drinking - and that sure was a nice idea; he'd gladly drink himself to oblivion if it meant forgetting this disaster - he would've choked. As it was he barely managed to suppress a pathetic giggle at Rayden's badly chosen words.
"Come on, champion, let's go." Rayden pulled Johnny upright, leaving one steadying arm around his waist.
"Sorry, pal!" Johnny offered as Rayden more or less dragged him out of the great hall. The servant just gave him a bright smile in return. Had this been Hollywood it would've been all over the tabloids the next day. Ah yes, he could almost see the headlines: Johnny 'The Fake' Cage batters waiter!
"I'm not a fake," he muttered sourly, more to himself than anything else.
"I know." Rayden's reply was quiet, but utterly steadfast.
Silence stretched between them, and Johnny was fine with that - busy putting one foot in front of the other (and even busier with trying to not think of how close he was to Rayden).
"So, what's bothering you?"
Leave it to Rayden to break his concentration. Stumbling slightly - which only served in getting Rayden to tighten his grip - Johnny grimaced. "I told you to stop acting like you didn't know."
"I would," Rayden replied slowly, "if only I did know."
Frowning, Johnny pondered that. Maybe it actually had been all in his head? He almost wished he could say the same thing about his impossible crush (hey, that was yet another high school throwback!) - almost. It was a nice feeling, somehow.
"Well?" Rayden prodded.
Brought back to reality, Johnny forcefully shook his head. He needed to clear his mind; he'd almost managed to convince himself that turning his head and kissing Rayden wasn't a half bad idea. "I'll tell you tomorrow," he finally muttered. Come morning, he'd just pretend to not recall anything. Then everyone would go their separate ways, and no one would ever be the wiser to his little problem.
Silence. Then, "But will you remember?"
That all-knowing bastard...! Johnny grit out some vague reassurances that he would, thankful that they had finally reached the door to his quarters. Rayden escorted him in, gently easing him down on the bed despite Johnny's grunts of protest.
"Well then," Rayden said, "I suppose this is goodnight."
"Mm," Johnny replied, squeezing his eyes shut. The sooner Rayden left, the better.
But Rayden, apparently, had no such plans. "You know..." he drawled, "While I'm glad you took my words about not foolishly rushing into danger to heart, sometimes you should risk it."
"Wha-" Johnny began as he opened his eyes, but got cut off halfway by a pair of lips laying claim to his. He'd had some silly notion of how Rayden's kisses must be electrifying (not in the cliché romance novel way, but rather literally) - and, well, that turned out to be true alright.
When Rayden pulled back Johnny was left breathless, and with a strange prickling sensation on his lips. He could get used to that, oh yes he could.
"I..." he began, before indignation took hold. "You said you didn't know!"
Rayden's eyes sparkled. "I said I didn't know what was bothering you."
"Yeah, so?!" Johnny snapped.
"I don't know why this," Rayden leered, "is something to be bothered about."
Johnny just gaped, before a relieved laughter bubbled up his throat. Reaching out, he grabbed Rayden's hand and pulled him back down. "Yeah," Johnny whispered, "I think you're right."
~*~
Thanks for reading :)
Fandom: Mortal Kombat (the first movie)
Pairing: Rayden/Johnny
Length: 1331 words
Notes: AR in regards to the movie's ending, as per the request. This is my first time writing these characters, so any and all feedback will be much appreciated!
~*~
Worth The Risk
"You humans are so unpredictable."
There was just something about the way Rayden said it that made Johnny's skin crawl. And didn't those white eyes flash in his direction, as well? It was almost as if... as if he knew.
Which was ridiculous, really, considering that Johnny himself had barely begun to realize his attraction towards Rayden - much less come to actual terms with it. And now it seemed like he had to deal with the fact that his chaotic feelings might've been found out.
Shit. Johnny Cage was in deep shit.
----
Outworld knew how to throw a good party, that he couldn't deny. The food brought back the feeling of being back in high school, what with the whole mystery-meat du jour thing going on. But it tasted good enough, and his overflowing cup didn't exactly make matters worse. Seemed like every time he emptied it, someone appeared out of nowhere to refill it.
Liu left the celebration early; too much of an ascetic, Johnny assumed with a silent snort. Kitana toasted with them for a while, but it was clear that her mind was occupied with other matters - like, for example, the small issue of rebuilding her home and taking her rightful place as ruler - and she soon excused herself with a weary smile. Sonya simply didn't know the meaning of letting loose, and barely drank at all. Johnny must've said something dumb to her, because she left huffing and puffing (and it probably didn't help that he just laughed at her anger).
And so it was just him and Rayden left. Well, no, that wasn't quite true - there was plenty of other people around as well; just normal Outworld citizens (and, of course, the nice and trusty servants who kept refilling his cup). But it felt like it was just him and Rayden there, especially since they were sitting pretty isolated at the large table - everyone else busy dancing or mingling amongst themselves.
Johnny wondered briefly if thunder gods could even get drunk, but realized belatedly that Rayden had been nursing the same cup for the entirety of the celebration - so, whether he could or not, the point was moot. 'Why are you sticking around if you're not even gonna drink?' Johnny wanted to ask, but all that came out of his mouth when he opened it was a burp.
Embarrassed - and pissed at himself for feeling embarrassed in the first place - Johnny swept back the remaining contents of his cup in one go. He caught Rayden's look as he slammed it back down on the table; an amused and patronizing look. It grated on his nerves, and convinced him that his earlier fear had been right on the money. Rayden knew, damn him.
"I'm not hard up," Johnny slurred, "if that's what you think."
Rayden raised an elegant eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
"You know damn well what I mean! Quit acting so... so..." Johnny waved his hand in the air when the word he was searching for wouldn't come to his mind, hitting the hovering servant smack-dab in the face. Stumbling backwards, he spilled the wine all over Johnny's lap.
"Shit! Goddammit," Johnny yelled as he sprang up, tripping over the chair in his hurry to get to his feet. He felt himself falling backwards, hands uselessly scrabbling at the table for some purchase to stay upright.
He'd expected to crack his skull open on the stone floor, so it came as a complete surprise when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist and kept him from falling. He relaxed into the warm grip, enjoying the sensation, before his brain caught up with what had just happened. Turning his head, he found himself being held by none other than Rayden. Dumbfounded, Johnny just stared.
Rayden gave him a lopsided smile, before looking away - though he never released his grip on Johnny. "I apologize," he said, obviously addressing the fretting servant who was currently trying to wipe away the mess on Johnny's pants. "He's just had too much to drink. You're not hurt, are you?"
"No, no," the small man replied, finally realizing that the pants were a lost cause. "I guess it's a good thing he wasn't sober; I have a feeling I'd be hurting a lot more otherwise."
The low rumble in Rayden's chest told Johnny that the servant's quip had earned him a chuckle from the thunder god. "Perhaps so. Once again, I'm sorry. Well... I think I better take him to bed now," Rayden said.
If Johnny had been drinking - and that sure was a nice idea; he'd gladly drink himself to oblivion if it meant forgetting this disaster - he would've choked. As it was he barely managed to suppress a pathetic giggle at Rayden's badly chosen words.
"Come on, champion, let's go." Rayden pulled Johnny upright, leaving one steadying arm around his waist.
"Sorry, pal!" Johnny offered as Rayden more or less dragged him out of the great hall. The servant just gave him a bright smile in return. Had this been Hollywood it would've been all over the tabloids the next day. Ah yes, he could almost see the headlines: Johnny 'The Fake' Cage batters waiter!
"I'm not a fake," he muttered sourly, more to himself than anything else.
"I know." Rayden's reply was quiet, but utterly steadfast.
Silence stretched between them, and Johnny was fine with that - busy putting one foot in front of the other (and even busier with trying to not think of how close he was to Rayden).
"So, what's bothering you?"
Leave it to Rayden to break his concentration. Stumbling slightly - which only served in getting Rayden to tighten his grip - Johnny grimaced. "I told you to stop acting like you didn't know."
"I would," Rayden replied slowly, "if only I did know."
Frowning, Johnny pondered that. Maybe it actually had been all in his head? He almost wished he could say the same thing about his impossible crush (hey, that was yet another high school throwback!) - almost. It was a nice feeling, somehow.
"Well?" Rayden prodded.
Brought back to reality, Johnny forcefully shook his head. He needed to clear his mind; he'd almost managed to convince himself that turning his head and kissing Rayden wasn't a half bad idea. "I'll tell you tomorrow," he finally muttered. Come morning, he'd just pretend to not recall anything. Then everyone would go their separate ways, and no one would ever be the wiser to his little problem.
Silence. Then, "But will you remember?"
That all-knowing bastard...! Johnny grit out some vague reassurances that he would, thankful that they had finally reached the door to his quarters. Rayden escorted him in, gently easing him down on the bed despite Johnny's grunts of protest.
"Well then," Rayden said, "I suppose this is goodnight."
"Mm," Johnny replied, squeezing his eyes shut. The sooner Rayden left, the better.
But Rayden, apparently, had no such plans. "You know..." he drawled, "While I'm glad you took my words about not foolishly rushing into danger to heart, sometimes you should risk it."
"Wha-" Johnny began as he opened his eyes, but got cut off halfway by a pair of lips laying claim to his. He'd had some silly notion of how Rayden's kisses must be electrifying (not in the cliché romance novel way, but rather literally) - and, well, that turned out to be true alright.
When Rayden pulled back Johnny was left breathless, and with a strange prickling sensation on his lips. He could get used to that, oh yes he could.
"I..." he began, before indignation took hold. "You said you didn't know!"
Rayden's eyes sparkled. "I said I didn't know what was bothering you."
"Yeah, so?!" Johnny snapped.
"I don't know why this," Rayden leered, "is something to be bothered about."
Johnny just gaped, before a relieved laughter bubbled up his throat. Reaching out, he grabbed Rayden's hand and pulled him back down. "Yeah," Johnny whispered, "I think you're right."
~*~
Thanks for reading :)