#𝟎𝟏𝟐.

★ ⋆ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫 ⋆ ★

★ ⋆ ━━ Jessie's thoughts ricochet throughout her troublesome mind as she treads on Kenshi's right side. Kenshi is being led by Johnny, with a hand on the tip of his shoulder.

   Each step she takes, she advances more slowly, not wanting to match Johnny's footsteps despite it having no meaning. From the unexpected intimate action, she thrusted upon him to her unnatural strength. She didn't want to dwell on what he had to say.

   Oh, how she kept replaying the affection Johnny gave her during their kiss. She was ashamed of herself. She had promised to herself she wouldn't fall for him again, but it's so hard for her not to. He was still the same as she remembered from high school, and maybe that's why the spark for him never faded. One thing she is greatfull for is that he wasn't as arrogant as before. Yeah, it showed here and there, but she'd like to think Cristina humbled him to some extent.

   But then there it is again, Cristina. His recent ex. Hell, his legal martial status still states he's married to her despite their obvious parting. Alas, it also means he can still think about his actions and go back to her after their outworld problems seize to exist. That's why she felt so conflicted with how she responded to seeing Johnny after their unfortunate dilemma.

   Every time Jessie thinks anything good for herself and just has the tad bit of hope. It falls down as fast as gravity takes it. Mostly because of her hope and anything she deems good truthfully comes from Johnny. Her job was given to her by him directly. Her money came from him as his manager. The house she has comes from him as well. She should be kissing his dress shoes at this point, but no.

   Here she is, being fully read by her cowardice by walking a suspicious amount behind them, but speed walks right back to Kenshi's side. She groans at her thoughts as they begin to give her a headache.

   She didn't even want to elaborate on what Shang Tsung did to her. She didn't even know herself.

   She runs her feminine fingers through her disheveled hair, content at the calmness it gives her. It eases her distraught attitude for a few seconds. The sun shining through the alluring trees makes her be thankful for the silence they beckons through the whole group for just a mere second. She rests sori, the non-lethal part of Kenshi's sword on her right shoulder. Eyeing her hold on it as she walks. Her nails are too long to be considered normal, yet it blends well with her slender figure.

   As much as she welcomes the silence of birds chirping and the breeze flowing through the trees. Her footsteps matching Johnny carefree ones. Anything to do with him she didn't want to involve herself in the moment but she'll have to get over it at some point.

   The group begins to talk once more. "Back then, Shang Tsung was a huckster. We crossed paths, and he saw what I can do." The man, known as Syzoth, informs them. "When he began to learn real sorcery, he asked to study me. When I declined, he took my family hostage."

   Shang Tsung needed to be dealt with. Jessie couldn't even imagine if he ever laid hands on Johnny, practically the only person with whom she has an emotional attachment to. She wish the same for Kenshi, but they haven't had time to bond as much.

   "Well, that's an offer you can't refuse." She hears Johnny comment on the topic. She turns her head to the left and stares at him, just taking in the moment. His brown hair still in its signature style despite the commotion they've been in. His side profile looks weirdly attractive in the sunlight. There she is again, finding Johnny appealing for the millionth time.

   It must have been quite a stare, Johnny looks to his left to find Jessie already looking at him. He smiles at her gracefully, his lips pulling on it ends, not showing any teeth.

   Jessie doesn't smile back and quickly looks ahead. Johnny furrows his eyebrows as his smile fades. Confusion wanders in his head as to why she was so eager to put space between them. It couldn't be because of the kiss, right? Did she regret it?

   She diverts her awkwardness of getting caught, to Syzoth. "I'm sorry, Syzoth, my condolences to you deeply." She feels sympathy for the man. She didn't say that just to get Johnny off her mind, but she meant it. Family wasn't an important thing to her, but that doesn't mean it is the same for everyone else.

   Syzoth smiles sorrowfully as he turns his head in her direction, but not fully. Enough for her to know he is listening. "Thank you," He sighs with defeat, the silence that follows after was enough for him to mourn alone.

   "But," He continues soon after getting his composure in check. "He's dangerous. And he has plans. He, General Shao, Rain, they are conspiring."

   "To do what?" Kenshi on her left, questions.

   "I can't say for certain. I've only overheard fragments." As their conservation dies down, they all hear distant roaring. All of them halt as they look to each other with dubious gazes. Jessie avoiding to look at Johnny as they do.

   Syzoth and Braka speed away to the sound and leaves the four by themselves. Silence reverberates between them as they stand still, wondering what to do. "So..." Johnny begins. "Should we run after them?"

   "Let's just take it slow," Kenshi states. She looks to him as she shifts Sento on her shoulder. "We'll catch up- eventually."

   "Yeah," Johnny's abrupt, laugh echoes as he places a hand on his hip. "Besides, they're the only supernatural among us. I'm sure they got it down."

   Kung Lao nods as he crosses his arms. "Yeah. I do not want to fight whatever that was anyway."

   "Alright- so," Johnny scratches his head as he speaks. "I need to speak to Jessie alone real quick. Kung Lao, you wouldn't mind walking ahead with Kenshi, would ya?"

   Kung Lao has a smug look on his face as he eyes Johnny knowingly, then gives Jessie a smirk. He bows his head after. "Alright- Kenshi? Wanna hear about my wins against Raiden before he became champion? I mean, he learned from the best."

   "Uh," Kenshi laughs in discomfort. He then shakes his head and releases his hold on Johnny. "Fine- as if one Johnny isn't enough." Johnny simply smiles at his teasing.

   Jessie finds Kenshi reaching out ahead to nowhere near Kung Lao. She takes Sento off her shoulder and stabs it into the dirt. Coming behind him, she guides him to Kung Lao until he find his hand on his shoulder.

   "Thanks, Jessie." Kenshi says with gratefulness. He then begins to walk away with Kung Lao until Jessie grabs his forearm.

   "I-" Jessie hadn't had the time to properly talk to him, but she felt bad about what happened to him. "I'm sorry Kenshi..."

   "Don't feel pity for me. I'm just glad you're here Jessie." With one last smile, Kenshi continues walking with Kung Lao.

   Leaving Johnny and Jessie standing near each other in pure silence. Jessie retrieves Sento from the ground and extends it Johnny. "I'm guessing you need this now. I don't technically need it."

   She hold Sento in between them, waiting for Johnny to reach out and take it. He looks to her eyes then to Sento, catching her unusual long nails. "Yeah, Kenshi still hasn't paid me my mulah yet."

   He reaches and grabs ahold, grazing her hand as he does. He smiles to himself as he puts Sento behind his back. "And here-" He grabs a smaller sword from behind him and holds it out to Jessie. "Held onto it. You know, for when I see you again."

   Jessie looks up at Johnny and nods appreciatively. "Thanks a lot. Honestly, I totally forgot about it. I kinda suck at being a swordsman if I say so myself." Jessie grabs it and places it on her hip, clipping it to the cloth that wraps around her torso.

   "Nah," Johnny says. He scratches his nape and looks away from her. "You're pretty good, Jess, even though I probably only saw it once. You're Jessie fucking Munroe anyways, you can't be bad at anything."

   She appreciates his compliments but she herself knows she's not perfect. From her commitment issues to trust issues both originated from people who she loved and loves. And something Liu Kang thought she would be good in, she's complete shit. But she won't belittle herself, knowing she could at least improve with Kenshi's expertise and hopefully Johnny, to some degree.

   Jessie puts a strand of her short black hair behind her ear as she flushes at Johnny's sudden appraisal towards her. "Stop. You're making me gush." She expresses with a monotone voice trying to hide her excitement.

   "Good- Anyways, we should probably address the elephant in the room - or forest, for literal speaking." Jessie watches as Johnny fumbles with his hands in front of him. He rocks his heels as he speaks without making direct eye contact with Jessie.

   "And that is?" She asks.

   Johnny tilts his head as if he didn't understand what she meant. He stammers over his words. "What happened between us back there." He expresses with a finger pointing behind them. "The kiss." He says, clearly dumbfounded at Jessie vagueness.

   Jessie makes an 'oh' with her mouth and faces away from Johnny. Hugging herself for comfort at the situation she hoped he wouldn't talk about. "I was just happy to finally see you guys." She says with uncertainty, her tone being noticeable by Johnny.

   "Happy enough to kiss me, though, right?" She hears Johnny say with bitterness. His demeanor changes as he also closes himself off.

   "Hold on-" she couldn't believe what she's hearing. "Are you mad at me, Johnny?" Was he seriously mad about her kiss she gave him. She thought he'd be beeming with happiness.

   "I mean, I'm a little if about it," Johnny says sternly as he shrugs his shoulders. He walks up and stands a little closer to Jessie. "You kissed me, remember? I didn't mind, obviously. But then you avoid me for an hour after. How am I supposed to take that, Jess?"

   Jessie loved it. Of course she did. Though her commitment issues made her second guess it, she still liked it. The only thing that made her mad was his immediate care about it rather than her actual health. He hasn't asked at all since reuniting with her. "Are you serious? That's what you're ticked off about?"

   "Yes, it's a serious problem, Jess." Johnny says with uncertainty. Confusion went through him as to her sudden anger.

   She pokes him in his metal chest with anger behind them as she laughs dryly. "I literally come back from the dead, and you're worried about a kiss? Shang Tsung did something to me. You haven't even asked me if I'm okay." A waves of emotions hit her unexpectedly as she thrashes her fist on his chest. "I have strength that I didn't even know I had. I have nails that are fucking sharp, I can't even chip 'em if I wanted to. I drank some weird shit he gave him, I don't even know what it did. I thought I was really gonna die and you're worried about that. Don't talk to me, Johnathan." Jessie hits his chest until she couldn't no more, her eyes fill with water.

   Johnny let's her hit him, not doing anything to prevent her. Her hits held more strength than what he was used to. It must have been from Shang Tsung weird wording. Finally, understanding her perspective. He hates himself for worrying about something so miniscule to something so substantial that it is hurting Jessie mentally.

   She backs up after her rant and hugs herself, facing away from him. Crying silently, trying to comfort herself.

   Johnny stares with guilt. He was so worked up about the kiss. He didn't take into account how Jess was handling things mentally. Johnny slowly comes up and hugs her from behind. His hands wrapping around her waist, with his head resting in the crook of her neck. His brown chestnut hair coliding and mixing eith her black hair. His taller frame bending down to accommodate hers. She has always been there for him, through everything. Maybe this was his chance to let her know he was there for her, even if she didn't want it.

   Jessie didn't budge against his hold as she expected herself to. She hates herself. She was so confusing. She wanted Johnny, yet she despised his touch. She plays around with him but when he actual commits to things to her, she backs out. Yet in spit of her perplexed character, she deep down wanted it. She really wanted it.

   So she lets him hold her. It's what she also desperately needs after the traumatizing shit she went through in a span of a few hours. Her parents unfortunately weren't there for emotionally, but Johnny was and is. She sighs and wraps her hands on top of his rough ones, feeling the coldness of his signature ring of his right hand. She then lifts her head, looking up to the sky. Resting her head all the way back, on his shoulder that was behind her. Her body resting against his. Feeling the soreness in her feet from their elongated walks throughout outworld.

   They spend a moment silence before Johnny speaks. "I'm sorry...Jess, I am," He looks to her eye that he could currently see and finds her eye having glints of red throughout her original brown ones. He says nothing and raises a hand to wipe away her tears.

   She turns her head a bit and smiles sadly. "I glad you're safe. I know I don't ask as much as you want me to, but I hope I've shown it through my actions. I'm still in the wrong- I know, but forgive me, please. I can't stand you hating me."

   In the end she really couldn't blame him, with how Hollywood treated him to how Cristina treated him. She wouldn't put it past him to worry about a romantic scene he didn't except. "Johnny," She expresses as she raises her left hand and caresses his left cheek. Her look at her lovingly when she does this. "I don't hate you, I never did. Sometimes you just let Johnny take over everything. Lay off the persona every now and then, please. It gets annoying."

   "Of course, anything for you, sweetheart." Johnny watches her face in awe as he continues to hold her by her waist. He swings them both in place as he fills up with happiness. "You're pretty, did I ever tell you that? If not I'll say it again. You're beautiful." He comments as he pushes her hair away from her face.

   Jessie stares at him before laughing, putting more weight on him. Feeling his chest inhaling and exhaling again her back. "God, you are my weakness, Johnny. But yeah, you're handsome in your own way, too."

   "I am, aren't I?" He says knowingly. His eyes drift off as he imagines himself.

   Jessie groans and rubs his hands that hug her dearly. "You're doing it again."

   "Right. My bad." Johnny lightly shakes his head as he flushes with embarrassment. Looking back at her. "Force of habit."

   They then stand hugging each other still, basking in the nature before them. The thriving nature of the ever blooming forest providing them an etheral imagination of their current situation. "As for the kiss, I wouldn't mind doing it again..." Jessie admits. If she's gonna start somewhere, to get over her issues, she is going to start with someone she adores.

   "You would?" Johnny says with bewilderment.

   "Yeah, just, if we continue this, I wanna take it slow, Johnny." At this point in time, she let's go and faces him fully, looking up into his eyes. "We've done this before, and it didn't end well."

   Johnny looks at her painfully. "I promise you, Jessie." He grasps her hands in his and holds it between them. "I'm not like that anymore. I'm not. I won't do that to you, I've learned. I'll show you that I've learned."

   "Sure, but just in case, we are not labeling this. Whatever this is, we got. You're still legally binded to Cristina." She honestly still wants Johnny to have a choice, not wanting him to feel force with her.

   "Jess," He stops her talking as he grabs her by both her cheeks. "Right when this whole shenanigan with Liu Kang is over and done with. Me and Cristina have agreed to get a divorce. Meaning I can kiss anyone I want. Obviously, I didn't tell her exactly what we're doing, but that's not the point."

   Jessie rolls her eyes as she begins to remove his hands until he speaks again. "Im kidding, Jess." He jokes. "My eyes are set on you. And honestly, for a long ass time- I don't know. You're just different."

   Jessie again raises her eyebrow. "In a good way, of course." Johnny adds as he senses her skepticism.

   She smirks after a few seconds and roughly pulls Johnny by his torso. He yelps as the unexpected action that comes from her. Their bodies are now pressed into each other, front to front. "Geez, Jess, warn a man next time. Got me screaming like a girl." He explains with embarrassment, at the way he feels like the smaller one in the situation.

   Jessie pouts and lightly taps his metal chest. "Now, where's the fun in that?"

   "You're right." He admits. With his hands stil holding her cheeks, he sooths them passionately as he hums. "Gotta remind myself you got crazy strength, though. Kinda hurts my ego a bit."

   Jessie laughs hysterically. "I was hoping it would." She bought Johnny closer by his torso even more.

   "So Jessie Munroe... Can I kiss you?" He asks as he goes quiet, and his voice goes to a gravelly output. He puts all his focus on her lips.

   She backs her head a bit with amusement. "You're saying it like we're getting married."

   "I mean, we can." Johnny simply shrugs at her comment in agreement.

   She rubs his hip with her fingertips. "Getting ahead of yourself there, Johnny boy."

   He feels her sharp fingertips against the metal amor. In response, he slowly rubs himself against her, giving her a smug look. "Sorry, not sorry, I just couldn't help myself with whom I'm looking at right now."

   They both laugh harmoniously until they stare at each other. Their stares were different this time. Both mixed with appreciation and lust. Their hands remain in their current position.

   Johnny slowly creeps his head closer and bends his head sideways. Jessie is doing the same, closing her eyes as Johnny's face darkens her vision. Johnny's slow tread of his right hand to the back of her head felt just right to her. He grabs her head gently and dips her to the side, "I'm gonna kiss you now." He says with with octave lower than his previous. He then captures her lips with his.

   There nothing stopping them this time. No Shang Tsung, no imminent danger, no, no one. Just them, savoring eachother. He backs her up until, she hits a tree. Jessie gasps as she felt him put his left hand under her right leg from her perspective. Guiding it, so her knee went past his left leg but hugs tightly against him. Her pelvis hitting his roughly. Their passion began to spike in lust. From the literal fatal attraction they've had through their time in outworld to the instances they've had. It was bound to happen to some extent.

   He deepened their kiss by putting his tongue in her mouth. Both moaning at each other. His other hand goes to her hip, rubbing her bare stomach that lays baren between her pants and chest amor. Jessie put her hands around his neck, tugging at his chestnut hair. Johnny moans seductively at the lustful pain she gives him.

   Jessie smile but tears apart at that, knowing if she continued with him, she wouldn't stop herself. The sound of their lips and his tongue disconnecting made Johnny stare in confusion.

   she opens her eyes and see Johnny still in a state of could 9. "As much as I would like to continue whatever that was, we got to get back to the group." Jessie explains through a series of breath intakes. Finding it hard to breathe after what they just did. Slowly down her high that was building.

   He tries to control his breathing as he leans a hand against the tree by her head. "You gonna leave me hanging like that, Jess? Can't cockblock a guy like that. Luckily, these pants are sturdy and well made that nothing can point out." Johnny complains as he exhales and runs his hand through his hair.

   She looks down and sees a faint bump in his pants. He smirks as he sees he looking. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of time at some point. Come on." Jessie begins to walk away and she fixes her hair that was a mess from Johnny. Leaving him by the tree in a state of bliss.

   "Wait up!" Johnny runs up and grabs her hand and holds it with his as he matches her walk speed. He has some trouble walking as his problem down below wasn't going to be fixed anytime soon.

   His demeanor was more happy and uplifted than he was before. He swings their hand back and forth as they walk. He gets near her ear and speaks. "Oh! and by the way, Kensh knows about your little fear of the dark." He adds out of the blue.

   Jessie gasp and hits his shoulder with hers. "You ass, why'd you tell him that?" It was embarrassing fear she had. She didn't want Kenshi to know.

   Johnny shrugs, and he keeps a smile on his face. "Well, duh, He is you're brother Jess."

   "Ugh," Jessie tightens her hold on Johnny's hand. "Let's just get going and catch up to them. We wasted enough time already."

   "Well, I personally think our time was put to good use..."

ʸᵉˢ ᵗʰᵉʸ ᵐᵃᵈᵉ ᵒᵘᵗ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ˡⁱᵛⁱⁿᵍ ᶠᵒʳᵉˢᵗ, ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵒᵘˡˢ ᵃʳᵉ ⁿᵒʷ ᵗʳᵃᵘᵐᵃᵗⁱᶻᵉᵈ. ᴶᵘˢᵗ ᵃ ʰᵉᵃᵈˢ ᵘᵖ, ⁱᵗ ʷᵒⁿ'ᵗ ᵇᵉ ᵃˡʷᵃʸˢ ᵖᵉᵃᶜʰʸ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉⁱʳ ᵗⁱᵐᵉ ⁱⁿ ᵒᵘᵗʷᵒʳˡᵈ. ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ'ˢ ᵃ ʳᵉᵃˢᵒⁿ ᵗʰⁱˢ ʰᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿᵉᵈ