Chapter 1: Why Him?
Pairing: Johnny Cage x Fem!Reader
Summary: You’re stuck on a mission with your annoying, depraved, immature co-worker…
Word count: 6.3k Warnings/Notices: enemies to lovers, slow burn, named!reader, the events of mk1's story mode have still happened but with a few changes, johnny being annoying, mildish violence, threats of violence (not followed through), reader is rude and mean, a few curse words here and there, flirty johnny, sexual things mentioned but no actual sex is depicted (yet😈)
Next Part / Origins
A/N: i’ve been debating on whether to turn this roleplay i worked on in character.ai a long time ago into an actual fanfiction and my intrigue eventually won me over. this is something that has really developed over these past few months, to the point where i would like to share this to the world. btw this is my first actual fanfiction so if anything is off then bare with. also, i’m not an actual writer, just a chronically online loser that has too much time on their hands lol
An audible groan came from the room.
Something's happening. There have been strange occurrences happening in Outworld as of late. You and Johnny have been chosen to both collect more information on one of these weird happenings. Together. You both glare daggers at each other as Liu Kang's voice went on in the background. You were stubborn and Johnny was insufferable, naturally the two of you butted heads. In all seriousness, the two of you never liked each other. You thought Johnny a vapid, arrogant child and he thought you an uptight, boring stick-in-the-mud. He never took anything seriously and you took everything too seriously. Truly, a match made in heaven. Why Liu Kang thought it was a good idea to pair the two of you up for this excursion eluded both of you.
"Really? Her? You couldn't choose someone more up for the task?" Johnny complained, raising a hand, not bothering to hide his clear disapproval with your presence in the room.
"Are you serious, Lord Liu Kang? There's no way you think this pompous man-child is up for this mission!" You also complain to Liu Kang, not even attempting to hide the evident disdain in your voice.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" He's scowling now, hands thrown up. Despite his own reaction, he really wasn't happy to hear that you also didn't like being paired with him. Think of the Maddy Perez "I was gonna say no but why are you saying no" bit. This man's ego was far too inflated.
"It means that you're an arrogant prat, Cage!” You start to point an accusatory finger across the table, in his direction. "Do you need me to dumb myself down so you can understand me?"
His lips thin to reveal gritted teeth, glaring daggers at you. "Oh, I'm the arrogant one? Look in the mirror, princess! You've got a hell of an ego yourself!"
You and Johnny subsequently began to argue, literally standing up to yell at each other. Insults and accusations flew across the table as your voices clashed. Kenshi, Kung Lao, Raiden and all others present could only roll their eyes, silently hoping that this latest back-and-forth would be over soon. This was only you guys... third argument this week? Maybe you both were getting somewhere.
"Alright, ENOUGH you two!!" Liu Kang's own voice cut through the mayhem, loud and firm, his command rung out like a declaration. He had enough of the constant arguing, it was time to get you two to work together for once in your lives. "I won't stand for this foolishness any longer!" He shouted, his cheeks flushing red as rage took ahold of him.
In an instant, you and Johnny ceased your petty squabble. The God of Fire, your superior, has spoken. Simultaneously, you both hung your heads low in shame, muttering apologies under your breaths as you looked down at your feet.
"This is pathetic. You two are supposed to be Earthrealm's champions. Yet here you are fighting like children!” He shook his head in disapproval, the fact that neither you or Johnny would make eye contact with him had his lips pull into a scowl.
He gave the both of you that look of disappointment, like a parent would their misbehaving children. Not his first and definately not his last. Sighing, he took a deep breath in and a long exhale out, effectively calming his body down and clearing his mind. He didn't like to lose himself like this, but by the Gods the two of you did his head in.
"Now... l trust that you two will bring back valuable information, yes?" He spoke again, now in a much calmer voice.
"...You have my word, my lord. I will not fail you." You nod your head, now actually looking at your mentor. You sit up straighter in your seat as you address him.
Your eyes wandered. Out of your peripheral, you aim the filthiest of dirty looks at Johnny, scowling. The mere thought of working alone with this man started to make your blood pressure rise. If this was some divine form of punishment, then it was effective.
Speaking of, Johnny nodded his head. For as much of a pain in the ass this was, he was not about to fail Liu Kang. It had been a month he'd been here, in Outworld, in service to this realm. In honour of Lord Liu Kang and Empress Sindel Kahnum's long standing alliance, Earthrealm's five champions have been dispatched to assist the crown in the face of General Shao's budding rebellion. It's been smooth sailing. So far.
"I'll do my part, don't worry." He responded. But then, under his breath, he muttered: “As much as I hate working with her."
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
An hour later, you and Johnny were in a dimly lit, out of the way, shady part of Sun Do. He was sat on a curb, occupied with his phone as he endlessly scrolled through social media. You were leaning against a wall, idly checking your nails for any fractures, dirt or indentations. The two of you were waiting for a contact of Liu Kang's to pick you up and take you to the site of one of those mysterious disturbances, the site of your assigned mission. Something about weird wildlife behaivour and odd colours in the sky.
This contact should be here at any minute. They'd better hurry up, the both of you were bored out of your minds.
Johnny sighed, loudly and dramatically, as he pushed himself off of the curb. Bored and impatient, he planted his hands on his hips and started to tap his foot on the ground, anything to serve his dull mind with some stimulation.
"Come on, come on. Where the hell's that contact?" He groaned, complaining to you like this delay was your fault. "Liu Kang said they'd be here at this specific time."
"Silence. Your voice is like nails on a chalkboard." Your voice was cold and cutting, as always when you had the misfortune of speaking to him. You didn't even bother to look up at him, why should you?
In response, he snorted.
"Oh, come on. My voice isn't that annoying, is it?" He inquired, a playful smirk on his face as he spoke.
He took a couple steps closer to you. You didn't say anything to him, only giving the man a dirty look and shuffling away a bit as he planted himself right next to you.
"Don't tell me you're afraid of being close to me, princess." He chuckled, putting extra emphasis on the pet name he always used with you. The fact that you had moved away from him only caused his smirk to grow wider. He just looooved to piss you off, he always did, ever since he first met you. The looks you always give him were priceless in his eyes.
In response, you suck your teeth. Johnny's attempt at getting under your skin was working, much to your dismay.
"Piss off, Cage."
He snickered. He leaned in a bit closer, close enough so that your shoulders were nearly touching. Something about the way your nose crinkled up as he invaded your personal space made everything that much better. For him, of course.
"What's the matter, sugar? Do I upset you?"
"Ugh, Liu Kang should’ve paired me with somebody more suitable..." You mutter under your breath, thinking out loud. Out of all your fellow champions, you value this pompous prat the least. To this day, you still never understood why he was chosen to defend Earthrealm, to share the honour of such a duty with you and the rest of the boys. Why? Why him?
"Oh yeah? Like who? Kenshi?" He quipped back, looks like you weren't quiet enough.
He leaned in even closer, his eyes fixed on you and you alone. There was something about seeing you so irritated that amused him. Maybe it was the fact that you were pretty and he liked attractive women, maybe it was the fact that he was a prick and he found your irritation funny. Either way, he wasn’t about to stop any time soon.
You jolt to the side as your shoulders touched, turning to scowl at him.
"What? You think I'm gonna bite?" He laughed. The way you react to his presence and touch made his heart beat faster, like some sort of childish adrenaline rush.
"One step closer and you're losing a finger." You bluntly warn him. Though, you were bluffing, of course. You didn’t want to stain your clean uniform with blood.
"Oh yeah?" He laughed again. Being the fool that he is, he leaned in closer, close enough that the two of you were mere inches apart.
"Do it. I've taken worse from stronger people than you."
Your lips thinned, gritted teeth showing. Faster than he could react, you grabbed his left wrist and spun him around, pinning his left arm behind his back. You slammed him against the wall behind. He winced as he made contact with the cold brick, he hadn't expected you to be so quick.
You didn't intend to harm him, although you wouldn’t feel particularly guilty if you did so. No, this was all about sending a message. Leaning in so you could whisper in his ear, you issue the strictest of warnings, words that you hoped would stick.
"I am not one to be played with. Liu Kang may have paired me with you for this mission but he said nothing about friendly fire. Try me again and you won’t be so lucky."
Johnny felt slightly embarrassed that he'd underestimated you like this, but he didn’t let it show. His irritation faded when you leaned in and spoke into his ear, the feeling was replaced by surprise. A tingling sensation ran along his spine as the heat of your breath graced the shell of his ear, it all sent a shiver through his body. His small scowl gave way to a grin.
He liked this.
His eyes snapped shut, faint pink started to blossom on his cheeks. His dick started to chub, the crotch area of his uniform felt tighter by the second. His hips started to slightly rut against the wall, just for any sort of release.
"Hahh... this is kinda hot~”
You ignored his painfully in-character response. Your hands pressed his body further against the wall, getting a little squeak out of him.
"Do you understand, Cage?"
He groaned, face smushed against a brick. Even as the well-trained fighter that he is, he still couldn't free himself from your iron grasp. Or did he want to? Johnny really couldn't believe that this was turning him on, the way you took out your aggression on him. He had to bite his lip to prevent an unwanted moan from slipping out.
"Y-yeah, I understand. Sorry." His breath hitched in his throat as he tried to remain calm, however hard it may be.
"Good." You hummed back, satisfied to hear that your message of intimidation finally got across to him. Now, hopefully you could focus more on the task at hand and less on fending off this sack of hormones.
You release your grasp on the man, stepping back in order to give him some space to peel himself off the wall. Luckily for Johnny, this alleyway that the two of you were in was dark enough so the bulge in his pants wasn't visible. Gods, you would've probably finished him right there and then if your eyes ventured a little more south.
"Now then, dust yourself off. Liu Kang's contact should be here any minute now."
Johnny did what he was told, brushing his hands over his torso with a grunt. He was careful not to draw any attention to his crotch, he tried to play it cool but boy, his mind was anything but calm right now. You had really riled him up, he could feel his heartbeat in his cock thanks to your stint. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, to regain his composure. “Yeah… any minute now…” He fiddled with his waistband, trying to sound as casual as possible.
For a few minutes, a silence hung in the air. You were staring out at the street and he was awkwardly standing around. The lack of sound was uncomfortable, but Johnny didn't really know what to say. Not right now, at least. He was silently praying for this person, or whatever, to arrive already - so he didn't have to go through this mental torture anymore.
Also, the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off of you in that tight uniform wasn’t helping matters at all. The material hugged all the right places, the metal accents adorning you only accentuated your beauty. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of the curves of your breastplate, as well as two other predictable areas. He was trying his earnest not keep glancing at his side, but it was getting harder and harder to resist the further the silence went on. And also, because he's Johnny Cage, he has no self-control.
Out of your peripheral vision, you managed to catch him looking over at you. Again. Such knowledge made you roll your eyes once more.
"What are you staring at, Cage?"
Your harsh tone caused him to flinch, as if he was a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He quickly turned away, trying to play it off as him being distracted by something else.
"N-Nothing. Just... waiting." His voice was meek. He could feel his cheeks turning a faint pink, a sliver of embarrassment made its way through his being.
This irritated you a little more than it should’ve. "Well, why don't you-"
Whatever you had to say was cut off by a mysterious cloaked figure making their way down the alley, towards you and your partner. This person, they were extremely well built, at nearly seven feet tall by looks alone. They were draped from head to toe in a thick brown cloak, a hood was covering their face. Intimidating would be the perfect word to describe this being.
This must be Liu Kang's contact.
"Johnathan Carlton? Jade Houzuki?" The figure spoke, much to the surprise of you and Johnny. His voice was low and course, it sounded almost... inhuman. The sound coming of of his mouth was as rough as sand and as deep as the seas.
You both were a bit startled, both by this cloaked figure's sudden appearance and how it knew both of your names. Johnny specifically was taken aback by the deep voice of this stranger. It sounded so unnatural, he didn’t like it. Johnny took a few steps towards you, standing closer than usual. Not in a protective way, though. Quite the opposite.
"That's us. Are you the guy?" You asked, hand hovering over your compacted weapon strapped to your hip.
The figure put a fist and an open hand together, the same gesture that Liu Kang always does.
"Greetings. My name is Geras. I am an associate of Lord Liu Kang. I have been tasked to take you to the site of the pyramid. Come, your transportation awaits." He bowed as he spoke, showing that he meant no harm.
Geras began to walk out of the alleyway, his large hand beckoning you both, a clear sign of his wish to be followed.
You and Johnny gave each other a look, a shared expression of confusion. It was clear that you two were uneasy, but… if he was an associate of Liu Kang, then he could be trusted... right?
"...Lead the way, my man." Johnny spoke out, jogging to catch up as he began to follow Geras's footsteps.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
Geras led the two of you to a horse drawn wooden carriage. Both of you entered the vehicle and sat down on the adjacent seats, getting yourselves comfy.
It was actually rather cozy inside. Four small pink lanterns hung in each corner of the ceiling, staving away the darkness from outside and dimly lighting up the interior. The benches were nice and cushioned, seat and back. The door in which you and Johnny entered in even sported a little window, perfect for gazing out of.
"Quite a comfy ride we got here, huh?" Johnny said, striking up a conversation with you as the carriage took off. He bounced around a little on the soft cushion of the seat, testing its springiness.
The pink light of the lanterns gave the interior a pleasing hue, creating an almost… intimate atmosphere. He was sat on the other side of the carriage, directly across from you. His eyes traveled up and down your body, taking in the sight of you in the low light. Despite the fact that he really didn’t like you as a person, he’d always thought you were attractive. Was it weird to have a crush on your mortal enemy?
”Yes... it's nice." You, just like him, were shifting around in your seat, adjusting yourself in an effort to get comfortable. You unequipped your weapon, a magical staff compacted, and laid it down next to you. Your bō, it's your greatest companion. It's pretty, it's easy and it always gets the job done. The bestest friend a woman could ever ask for. Way better than Kenshi's little sword, way more iconic that Lao's weird hat and WAY more useful than numb nuts across from you.
Johnny couldn't stop himself from smirking as he continued to "assess" your form. He leaned back against the wall, sighing as he continued to look you up and down.
"You know, I never pegged you for the comfy type. I always just assumed you'd like, I don't know, a really hard chair or something."
You huff at what he has to say. Was he serious?
"Hah, what in the realms do you mean by that?" You look up at him with a raised brow, awaiting an answer.
Johnny chuckled a little as well, a sly look in his eyes.
"I mean... you seem like the type of person who'd be pretty hardcore about your furniture. I assumed you'd like stuff that was really firm, like the floor or a really stiff futon."
You don’t say anything, only rolling your eyes at his remarks before redirecting your attention towards the outside world. This man loved to ramble, and it was leagues more annoying than amusing.
"C'mon, don't give me the silent treatment. I know you want to argue back." He teased, sitting up and leaning a little closer to you.
You remained silent, a side eye shot his way, eyes cold.
"Aw, are you pouting? That's adorable." He teased, inching a little closer.
He's so annoying. "Go away.”
Johnny laughed, moving even closer to you. He was so close that your knees almost touched. "You love it, sugar." He said in a low, nearly sultry tone. That kind of voice that always worked on women. Except you.
You were pretty quickly growing sick of this man - which, wasn't good for you as you have to spend the next few days with him.
"Geras!" You loudly called out to your new driver, the sudden sound of your voice reverberating around the small confines of the carriage. The shock drew a colourful word out of Johnny. "How long 'till we reach the mission site?"
"Jesus, woman. You scared the hell outta me...” He moved away from you, crashing back down into his seat. He crossed his arms over his chest, grumbling something about you being over the top. Ironic choice of words.
Geras, meanwhile, was driving the carriage to the mission site. He was sat outside, coursing the horses down the road as well as keeping a watch out for any bandits or wild animals, just as Liu Kang instructed. That deep voice of his spoke up, muffled through the walls of the carriage.
"Not until sunrise." He was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "The journey will be long. You two may wish to get some rest."
"Sunrise?!" Your eyes widened. The thought of spending a whole night in a tiny, enclosed space with a man you couldn't stand made you audibly groan in displeasure. You slumped back into your seat, defeated, not looking forward to the night ahead.
Johnny couldn't help but grin as he saw the defeated look on your face. It made him laugh, this reaction from you. The way you always did the most when it came to having to work with him.
"Oh, don't make that face! I don't mind spending the night with you, Jadey." He teased, winking at you.
"I couldn't think of anything worse...!" You muttered, voice muffled by your hands.
Your partner was really enjoying this. The idea of spending so much time alone with you actually excited him. This was the first time in... ever that he's had the opportunity to experience such a pleasure. Again, he didn't like you BUT he liked the look of you. Are you as excited as him~?
"Don't be a stick in the mud. This'll be fun! After all, we'll have a lot of time to ourselves..."
You suck your teeth at what Johnny had to say. The way he emphasised that last word made it clear what he was thinking about. You aren’t stupid, you know exactly what his dirty little mouth is implying.
"You're a fucking dog of a man." You spat out, hate in your voice. A little bit of a control loss, but you'll be fine.
Johnny pretended to be hurt by your words, even putting a hand on his heart to dramatically convey his "wounded" state.
"Ohhh, a dog? How dare you, darlin’. You're such a bully." He wore an exaggerated pout, although the smirk on his face gave away that he wasn't actually hurt by your remark. He was still getting a kick out of this whole thing.
"You know you don't mean it, sugar~" He continued to tease you, his voice dropping, eyes low-lidded.
This man was really starting to piss you off. Johnny loved to rile you up, and you were too ticked off to realise that all he wanted was a reaction. You gave him one last look as you leaned back. Your fingers twirled the end of your braid around themselves, anything to stop yourself from slapping the source of your sour mood that sat across from you. The last time you gave into that urge on the job, it was satisfying. But it did start a fistfight between you both that Liu Kang had to physically break up. Best not try to kill each other before you've even left the city.
"You know, you look so cute when you're angry." Johnny chuckled, teasingly wagging a finger in your face, nearly booping you on the nose. His eyes traveled from your visage, down and then back up your body, taking in the delicious sight before him. He wiggled around a little in his seat, subtly adjusting his pants as he felt something start to grow down there.
"Whatever..." You laid your body down on your bench, a slow yawn slipping past your lips. You, too, shifted around in your seat, now makeshift bed. Though, not for the reasons that your partner was.
You were so tired, you'd been up all day without a chance for a moments rest. Sparring with the Umgadi was fun and all, but maybe it wasn't that smart to have been exercising so intensly before you left for an excursion. Your exhaustion, and the man across from you in general, left you unable to keep your heavy eyelids open. Geras did say that this journey would be a long one, so why not get some rest?
"I'm going to sleep." You inform Johnny, mentally hoping that he would follow suit and stop fucking pestering you already. "Do not bother me."
Johnny rolled his eyes. He leaned back, resting his arms behind his head as he watched you make yourself comfortable. He was actually fairly tired himself, but he didn't want to let you know that. He really just wanted to keep teasing you, to see that pretty face of yours curl up in disdain.
"Hm. And what if I do?"
"Then it’ll be your last mistake..." Your eyes closed. The mental image of Johnny being up all night and having no one to talk to actually made a small smile sprout on your face. How ever would he cope?
"You should rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Or don't sleep. Whatever. Just leave me alone.
Johnny laughed, muttering something about you being a firecracker. He leaned his head back, eyes on the ceiling. A yawn escaped him, fatigue was starting to sink its claws into him. Some rest really didn't sound that half bad. As if he'd ever let you know that he agreed with something you said, though.
"Hmph...fine."
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
Time has passed. The peak of night is now.
The carriage continued its journey toward its destination, a pyramid in the Jade Desert. The interior was dark, way darker than earlier. Faint illumination emanated from the four small lanterns that hung in the ceiling corners, the pink warm against the wood.
Having long departed Sun Do, the world outside has been submerged in a profound silence. Darkness swam around Outworld. Along with the distant noises of animals, the muffled sound of the carriage wheels rolling across the ground were the only sounds audible on the road.
Despite the small and cramped conditions, you’ve made yourself comfortable. You're fast asleep, and have been for a few hours. Your partner, however, is awake. Johnny was unable to fall unconscious, all the tossing and turning in his seat no longer helped. He was bored out of his mind, there wasn't much else to do besides sit and... uh... where was his phone again?
He glanced over at you, a sly smile spread across his face as an idea formed in his head. He knew that he should let you sleep, but the idea of getting under your skin again was simply too tempting to resist. You were so cute when you were pissed off, could you blame him?
"Jaaade… Jade. Wake up..."
Despite his pestering, you remained fast asleep, lightly storing to add to it. Johnny, however, didn't give up. You were so pretty asleep, why were you so hot yet so mean? A part of him actually wanted to leave you be, but the more he looked at your sleeping face, the more he wanted to bother you.
"Come on princess, I know you're awake..." He leaned in close. He spoke into your ear, his voice barely above a whisper.
Fortunately for Johnny and unfortunately for you, this did the trick.
"Joh.... Johnny? Are we... there yet?" Waking up, you let out a yawn as you pushed yourself off of your seat, slow. Your voice was groggy and your speech was slow, words a little slurred.
You heard him laugh at something, or someone. Bastard.
"No, not yet, darlin'. We've still got a ways to go."
Wait, what? The news that you haven't yet arrived at the mission site woke you up a bit more. If you weren't there then why did Johnny wake you up? Did something happen? Did bandits attack? Is Geras alright?
"...So why did you wake me up if we aren't there?!" Your voice was rapid, eyes widened. "Is everything alright? Are we-“
The sound of him laughing cut you off. "Calm down, sugar, everything's fine! I was just bored and wanted someone to talk to." Johnny smiled, eyes shining with something mischievous. Anger was also a good look on you, fire added to your beauty.
Is he fucking serious? "Are you fucking serious?"
"I'm dead serious, darlin'. I got bored and thought to myself, let me wake this sleeping beauty up so that I have someone speak with." He smiled again, like he was innocent. "I have no one to talk to, Jade! Aside from that Geras guy. To be honest, he doesn’t seem like he’s a very good conversation partner..." He muttered, frowning. You were frowing too, but for a very different reason.
You were now fully awake. Now you were mad. The sudden onslaught of (false) panic and anger snapped you out of your sleepy state. There was no danger, no attack, no crisis, just him. Johnny fucking Cage and his short attention span. The glare you gave him was dark, the night outside could never.
"Aw, don't look at me like that, darlin’! It'll give you wrinkles! Come on, ain't you bored too?" Johnny grinned in contrast, knowing that he had successfully gotten under your skin again. That death glare aimed solely at him was exactly the response he'd been looking for.
"By the Gods..." You take a deep breath in and a long exhale out, pinching the bridge of your nose as you worked to stop yourself from outright attacking your partner there and then. You sat up without thinking, shuffling upright.
"Come on, can you blame me? We've been in this cramped ass carriage for hours now. I know you’re also bored.”
"Johnny-"
He knew that you were holding back from physically attacking him, and that you were probably thinking of a billion ways to kill him. Johnny knew he was annoying and that he pissed you off, that was the fun in it.
"What's wrong, sugar? Cat got your tongue?" Like the ass that he is, he still continued to push you. He leaned in, closer and closer, until...
Opening your eyes to see Johnny's face inches away from your own wasn't a welcome surprise. You moved, shoving him backwards, literally using his face as the launch-pad. He came crashing down with a loud: "Oof!"
After the initial shock wore off, he laughed. Johnny pushed himself back up, the mild sting on his face not really bothering him.
"Damn. ou got quite the strong arm, don't you, darlin'?"
"Just go back to sleep, Cage..." You mutter as you lay back down, trying your hardest to fall back asleep.
Johnny sighed, leaned back against his bench and propping his feet up. His boots rested on the adjacent seat to him, a spot besides your knees. "Well..."
"Do you even have a favourite colour, Jade?"
He looked at you curiously, his eyes on your facial features. As much as he revelled in getting on your nerves, a part of him genuinely wanted to hold a conversation with you. You were supposed to work with him, were you not? He'd known you for a little over a year and yet, he didn't know you at all. You'd lived with him for most of 2023 and yet, you were basically a stranger. All he knew is that you kill people, and that's about it.
"...Why do you ask?" You reopened your eyes. Your anger gave way to confusion, intrigue.
"I don't know, I'm just curious. Can't a guy have a normal conversation with the woman who's stuck with him for the entire night?" Johnny shrugged, keeping his eyes on you.
"Hm..." You lie there, pondering his question. Maybe, just maybe, if you answer him then he’ll leave you alone for the rest of the night.
"...l am rather partial to green."
Johnny smiled in response, this time genuinely. Of course, you would pick the colour that you mostly wore, it made perfect sense.
"Green, huh? Me too." His tone was jovial, but still slightly teasing.
"Is that why you wear it so much? 'Cause you know it suits you?"
You scoffed, that noise sounding suspiciously like a laugh. An awkward silence hung in the air for a bit. Realising that you wouldn't get back to sleep anytime soon, and realising that Johnny wouldn't let up in bothering you talking to you, you sat back up. Deep breath in, you sighed as you regained more of yourself. There's time that needed to be killed.
"You like green, too?"
"Yeah, I do... guess that's another thing we share in common then, darlin'." Johnny was admittedly a little surprised that you’d actually started to talk to him. He was honestly expecting you to dismiss him. Or ignore him. It's what you always did. Nonetheless, he still answered your question without missing a beat. His smile didn't fade. You were a tough nut to crack, but maybe he could get you to loosen up a little more.
"Guess so." A tiny smile appeared on your face, genuine. Hm.
Johnny’s smile widened. For the first time in a long time, you two were starting to have an actual, normal and proper conversation, not just a petty argument. He found himself enjoying this a lot more than he thought he would. He looked you over again. You looked tired, yet still pretty. He couldn't help but say something.
"You know, you still look cute even when you're sleep deprived."
You chuckled. He was flirting with you, like he always did. Always. To be honest, you were never sure if he meant it or not, his little complements. American men are so weird.
And that's when you take a good look at him. The dim lighting above actually complemented his features rather well. His cheekbones were well defined, his jawline strong and his smile was bright. Moving downwards, the way his uniform hugged his broad form made a weird warm feeling grow in your stomach. Like butterflies. Kinda. Your face softened ever since slightly. As annoying as he was, Johnny's... handsome. Good looking. Slowly, you were starting to see this.
"Must you flirt with every single woman you come across?" You tilted your head to the side slightly, a playful look in your narrowing eyes. Maybe the atmosphere the two of you were in was having some sort of effect on your psyche. Either way, what was commencing was doing so.
"No, I only do it to the beautiful ones." He let out a soft laugh, shameless in his admission. Though not obvious, he liked how you chuckled at his words. You looked... weirdly beautiful when you smiled, it was such a rare sight to see.
"Like Kitana? I've noticed how you speak to her."
"Oh, Kitana..." He laughed again, craning his neck to look out of the window for a bit. His smile shifted into a sly smirk as he looked back at you. "...Maybe a little." The smirk on his face grew. It's almost as if he knew something you didn't.
"And what if Kitana and I were… friends of sorts?"
You laugh again, somewhat amused by his revelation. The implication of his words didn't elude you, of course he'd be hooking up with somebody in Outworld by now.
”Then Sindel would have your head."
He shrugged, not at all bothered by that very true fact. "That's a risk I'm willing to take... for Kitana, at least." Hmm...
"Jealous, are you?"
"Please..." You roll your eyes, your usual feelings of Johnny Cage irritation starting to bubble back up again.
The smirk on his face grew more sly. In his eyes, you were trying to act unbothered by the whole situation. He believed that deep down, he knew of your true feelings.
"Aw, come on darlin', don't lie to me! I can see it in your eyes. You're jealous that me and Kitana have something special." He grinned, continuing to tease you.
"Hmph, whatever helps you sleep at night." You squirmed in your seat a little. Not because what Johnny was saying was true, which it wasn't, but because you were starting to grow a little uncomfortable. This armour wasn't a good pair of pyjamas.
This just amused Johnny more. In his eyes, you were starting to get flustered. The knowledge that him and the princess were FWB clearly got to you, he thought. It was all a little game to him.
"Hey, don't worry, princess. Your secret's safe with me. I know you're a tad envious, it's alright." He leaned in closer to you, his voice just a whisper.
“Elder Gods, you're annoying..." Your head falls into your hand, fingers pressing into your forehead.
"And you're adorable when you're jealous." He leaned forward, even closer to you.
You again push Johnny away from you by his face, but this time noticeably lighter. Wow, he really was making progress! A yawn slipped out of you, tired. You laid back down, hands folding below your head.
“…I’m going back to sleep. You should, too." You look up at Johnny one last time, just before closing your eyes. "And don’t bother me this time."
Johnny couldn't resist rolling his eyes in response to your warning, absolutely no fun. He leaned back in his seat and placed his arms behind his head. He watched you, this time in silence. He smiled. Only the Elder Gods know what his lewd mind was thinking about at that moment.
"Night, darlin'..."
A/N: click onto chapter 2 girl, what are you waiting for??
