YOU WIN SOME Title: You Win Some
Author: Rimau
Email address: rimaufic@yahoo.co.uk
Rating: R
Fandom: Mortal Kombat
Pairings: Johnny/Rayden
Date: September 1999 (revised February 2000)
Disclaimers: Not mine, borrowed without permission, am not making any money. Please don't sue.
Summary: What did the victory of the Kombat cost?
Author's webpage: http://www.rimau.aeglos.org/
Well, well, well. Krychick, it seems your spell worked. Congratulations, you got me going. Just what I needed, another fandom. <groan> Thanks for all the help. And Wolfsbride, you're the greatest!
Based solely on the first film.
You Win Some by: Rimau
A young monk pulled his red robe tighter around his thin body as he bent down to grab the haft of a huge hammer. The ancient tool seemed too heavy for him to hold, but he swung it towards the gong as if it weighed nothing. The deep sound reverberated through the whole temple, letting the inhabitants know it would soon be time to go to bed.
Laying the hammer back in its place, the monk scurried to join the other monks, who were gathered in the great hall for the last prayer of the day. The theme for the ceremony was the same as it had been for the past five weeks. Praising the Gods, and thanking all of them - one in particular- for helping the people of this realm to defeat the Emperor of Outworld.
After the tournament the Emperor had tried to seize power, but, with the help of Rayden, the champions of the realm of Earth had conquered him easily. The evil ruler's attempt to grasp one final victory had been the last thing he'd ever done.
Dozens of voices were raised, forming a steady hum that made the whole temple pulse with profound joy.
The same joy was plainly written on the faces of the three people standing just outside the temple. Sonya Blade let her shields drop for a moment, and grinned widely at Liu Kang, who answered with a smile and then pulled his newly betrothed to his chest. Kitana didn't seem to mind that gesture; her eyes glowed with contentment. It was hard not to be happy, listening to all the rejoicing.
Hard, but not impossible. The living proof of that was standing a little farther from the wall than the others, squeezing his hands into fists at the sight of all the happy people.
The merriment was making Johnny Cage nauseous. He did nothing to hide his feelings, and because of that his friends had began to avoid his company. Of course, they had tried to understand his mood, but when their questions had been answered with clear hostility, they'd decided to leave him alone.
Noticing the way Sonya glared at him, the young man turned his back on his companions and walked to the West side of the temple. There was a small stone platform there that was one of his favorite spots on the mountain, and he was relieved to see that there was no one in sight. As usual.
Johnny watched the setting sun, finding the upcoming twilight oddly comforting. At least most of the people at the temple would get some shuteye, and he could brood in peace. All those perky monks in their perky red dresses were almost as depressing as Liu Kang and his pretty princess.
Kicking a pebble down the hill, the man cursed, "Just how sweet can those two get? Stupid idiots, believing that now that we've won Mortal Kombat, everything's fine."
Another pebble rolled down the hillside. Then another, and another.
"And Sonya 'let's just be friends' Blade. 'It's all fine now, Johnny. You can go back to your life, Johnny. We can all relax now, Johnny.' Hah!"
The young man sneered, remembering the way his companions had tried to convince him that everything was just perfect now.
"Smug bastards." Sending another small rock bouncing down, he tried to clear his mind of everything that had happened since they had returned from Outworld. Defeating the Emperor wasn't such a bad memory, but everything after that was a nightmare.
Five long weeks, and he still felt like he had no control over his own life. He'd followed the others to the Temple of Light in China, and stayed there. Five weeks full of doubts, resentment and an odd sense of falling through the air with no parachute in sight.
Johnny lifted his foot a little, then put it back on the ground. Even kicking pebbles didn't seem to interest him anymore. That was just it. Nothing really held his interest anymore. He didn't feel like he could return to LA and his acting career, but the serenity and happiness of the temple seemed annoying, too.
Maybe there was no place he could feel comfortable now. After all, everything he'd done before the tournament now seemed to pale in comparison. Saving the world did that to you.
Except that he hadn't really saved it. He'd just tagged along, watching the others do most of the work.
Feeling the anger rise again, Johnny pushed the thoughts back, burying them somewhere deep inside, just like he'd done every other time he'd started to feel the anger. The pain.
The emptiness.
A white-robed figure stood in the shadows of the temple, watching the young man kick rubble down the hillside. He sighed, knowing that leaving the American to try to solve his problems on his own wasn't an option anymore. It was quite clear that 'solving' his problems wasn't what the mortal had been doing. 'Hiding from' was a more appropriate term.
He didn't want to interfere with the man's life more than was necessary. His duty was to guard and protect mortals, not to nurse them. He shouldn't get too involved with a mortal's life. Especially this one's. Still, he felt like he was drawn to the man by his attitude. He had no idea why. It was a mystery to him.
And if there was something Rayden couldn't resist, it was a mystery.
The older monk who had accompanied him looked worried, as he surveyed his master's face and saw the signs of frustration .
"He has spent every evening here for weeks, Lord Rayden."
The God grunted, "So he has."
"Is there something you'd like us to do about the situation?" The monk wasn't sure if his question was really appropriate, but since his God didn't often ask for favors, he felt compelled to volunteer.
There was a slight tremor in the air, like electricity gathering around the white-robed figure. Then Rayden shook his head. "No. I think I'd better handle this myself."
With a bow, the monk watched his God approach the American.
The feeling of being stared at registered somewhere between Johnny's shoulder blades, and he spun around to see who was watching him. Seeing the familiar figure approaching, he willed himself to relax. "Oh, it's you again."
"Your friends are getting worried about you."
That was definitely not something Johnny wanted to hear at the moment. He resumed his former position, and once again kicked a few stones down the slope. He hoped the God would take the hint and leave him alone.
"I thought I'd come and see how you were doing." Rayden ignored the skeptical look on the mortal's face and continued calmly, "Is there a reason for all this pouting, or is this how you amuse yourself?"
"You should know. You're the God here, remember?"
Ignoring the sarcastic snarl, the God just stared at the man. Indeed, he did know the reason for Johnny's behavior, but he wasn't all that sure that the American knew it himself. Schooling his features to show only curiosity, Rayden cocked his head a little. "Frankly, I can see no reason at all. After all, we won. Can't you just sit down and enjoy the victory?"
The man dropped to the ground and smirked. Crossing his long legs, Johnny made an indelicate sound. "Happy now?" He was even angrier than before, and, for some reason, he couldn't distance himself from the emotion anymore.
Rayden didn't say anything, just kept his gaze on the mortal. A few minutes later the man turned his eyes to the ground, thus missing the smile that flashed across the God's features, disappearing almost as quickly as it had come.
"Spill it. What do you want?" Johnny almost flinched at the vehemence in his own voice, but once the words were in the open, he was glad he'd spoken them.
"This isn't about me. It's about you."
"Me? This is about me?" The young man didn't even realize that he was shouting now. "Finally it's about me. Not about Liu Kang, or Sonya, or Kitana and their justified vengeance against Shang Tsung for all the things he'd done to them, their family and friends. It's not about saving billions of people, or defending the true nature of humankind. It's about me. Me!"
Rayden raised an eyebrow. "It's good to see that saving the world hasn't affected your self confidence." His tone was blank.
"Shut up."
The old monk, who had remained standing in the shadows, flinched at the American's words. He looked at his God of Thunder and Lightning and decided that it was definitely time to get inside. The beautiful Summer night wouldn't be all that beautiful much longer.
"What did you say?"
Johnny didn't let Rayden's glare frighten him. "I said, shut up. Is that concept too difficult for a God to understand? You just put your lips together and don't make any noise."
"I understood it. Now can you give me one good reason why I should do it?" The God looked slightly amused.
That half grin made something snap inside Johnny. He jumped to his feet and took a defensive pose. "You want to fight?" He knew that he was acting like an idiot, but that knowledge didn't alter his actions.
The half grin widened into a goading smile. "Fight? Against you? Waste of time, little mortal. You couldn't beat a real fighter, how do you expect to defeat a God?"
"Bastard!" Johnny slammed his fist into the place where his opponent had stood just a second ago, almost losing his balance as his hand met only air. "Stand and fight."
When he reformed from the burst of energy he'd become, Rayden was still smiling, but there was no amusement in his voice. "Is your ego so big that you think that you can beat a God on his own soil?" His eyes flashed with lightning. "You're a fool to think you could try my patience, Johnny Cage. Go now, and I'll let you leave unharmed."
"No. I want you to fight me!" With a desperate wail, Johnny once again attacked the white robed figure, groaning with frustration as the God once again moved away from his flailing hands. "Fight me! Damn you, Rayden! You can't ignore me forever!"
The God sighed, not letting his relief show on his face. Though the Emperor had been defeated once and for all, one person had felt like he'd lost a great war and won only a small battle. Rayden had been waiting for Johnny to let go of his pain ever since.
The man's words held all the resentment he felt. His companions had achieved what they had come to achieve. Liu Kang had saved the world, at the same time saving his brother's soul. Sonya had avenged her partner's death. Kitana was finally free of the burden of being the Emperor's ward. Everyone was happy.
Except Johnny Cage.
Rayden knew that when he'd talked with the mortal during the Mortal Kombat, he had been right to say that the man's ego was his greatest obstacle. If he hadn't used his mind instead of giving in to his temper, Johnny would have lost his fight with Goro. The God has known all along that that growth couldn't have been easy, but maybe he should have done something to prevent the agony it had caused the man.
Johnny had learned his lesson, but it had been a hard one to learn, especially since he was the only one whose achievements were purely spiritual.
No dead enemies, no girlfriends, nothing.
Nothing but the gratitude of a God, whose existence had been in danger for a few seconds before the cocky young American had reached his side. Johnny had defended him from a host of ninjas, allowing him to concentrate on his immortal enemy. Rayden had thanked him after they'd returned back to Earth, but somehow that hadn't been enough. Not when he'd thanked all the other humans at the same time.
Now he had the chance to correct his mistake and help the young man he found he was rather fond of.
"You want me to fight you, or really fight you?"
Johnny didn't know why he felt such relieft at Rayden's words. He couldn't articulate the feeling, knowing that it would come out all wrong if he tried to make the God understand how he was feeling inside. Especially since he didn't really understand it himself.
He needed to get rid of the frustration, but he hesitated to attack the man standing in front of him, even though the provocative question indicated that Rayden knew exactly how he was feeling.
The man held himself ready, still not able to charge at the God unprovoked. The years of training, of both his body and mind, made sure of that. Now, even with all the confusing emotions floating in his consciousness, he couldn't just start beating someone into a bloody pulp. One swing in anger, yes. A real fight in which he used his skill, no.
Rayden seemed to understand that. Taking off the heavy white robe, he copied Johnny's defensive pose, and bowed his head a little. When the mortal didn't do anything, he concentrated on his opponent's past for a few seconds, and then grinned as a phrase came to mind.
"Let's dance."
His gratitude didn't prevent Johnny from unleashing all his frustrations on the God. With a blur of motion, he aimed a kick at his opponent's chin, and then twisted his body to keep his balance as Rayden moved out of the way. This time the God had just side-stepped, instead of turning into the essence of Thunder, and the young man continued to fight.
Rayden parried most of the kicks and blows, and then struck out with a few of his own. But mainly he took in all the anger Johnny had kept inside for so long, helping him channel it. Johnny's every move was meant to defeat his opponent, and the God enjoyed fighting against someone who didn't give a damn about him being a divinity. There was nothing apologetic in the way the man tried to beat him.
Sometime during the fight, the tension seemed to ooze away from Johnny, and it turned into something gentler, like a sparring match. The opponents moved together, not trying to hurt one another, but needing to see who would give up first.
Considering the fact that one of them had the stamina to keep fighting for centuries, the final outcome of the match was rather predictable. With one last flip of his arm, Rayden threw the other man to the ground, and then just stood there as the mortal tried to catch his breath.
Johnny watched the figure standing over him. "Thank you." He was panting, feeling the bruised ribs with every breath, but for some reason he'd never felt this good in his life. "I needed that."
"Next time you need to work out some issues, let's do it my way, okay?" Rayden reached out his hand, helping the mortal to his feet, and then picked up his robe. Even though the fight had been oddly satisfying, he still felt like there was something more about to happen. Almost like a calm before a storm.
The thought made him shudder.
"Your way?"
The God's eyes flashed. "Yes. My way." He had intended to say that he preferred to talk about things that bothered him, but something made him make his comment a bit more obscure. "I have a unique way of getting over my bad moods."
"What? You go kick some demonic ass?" The man teased.
"No." Seeing that Johnny was about to make another smartass remark, the God shook his head. "This is neither the time nor the place for it. You're tired. Go to bed." Realizing what would happen if he didn't end the conversation right there and then, Rayden turned his back on the mortal, intending to snap out of there.
"Hey wait!"
The tables had turned. Johnny was calm now, all the tension and anger he'd felt having evaporated during the fight.
The young man addressed the man God who was still facing the other way, but had stopped moving. "What's eating you now?" There was curiosity in his voice instead of the hard edge that had been there for weeks.
Rayden, on the other hand, felt the tension seeping back into him. The strange tightness he'd felt in the pit of his stomach ever since he'd watched Johnny and Liu follow Shang Tsung to Outworld was there again. Being a God, he couldn't brush it off as indigestion, but he'd tried -and failed- to distinguish all the emotions behind the tension. Worry, anticipation. But there was something else, too. Something he'd shoved away with all his strength.
Something that was now back with a vengeance.
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"Yeah, right. And I'm thinking of joining the Order of Light. Wouldn't one of those red sheet things look good on me?" Laughing a little at the ridiculous mental image, Johnny shook his head. "Would you like to try that again? This time, tell the truth."
"I'm frustrated, I guess." That sounded lame even in Rayden's own ears, even though it was the truth. Well, part of it. The electrical charge the God was feeling all around him wasn't purely spiritual. Most of it was physical, aimed at the young mortal.
"Mmm hmmm. And?"
"Isn't that enough? What more do you want?" The God's voice was a little choked.
"There's a question. First you help me to deal with my tensions, and now you won't let me return the favor." Not really knowing what made him say it, Johnny blurted out, "You want to know what I want? I want you to show me what you do when you feel like this."
"My problems are none of your affair," Rayden said abruptly. "Don't concern yourself." He didn't have to look the man in the eyes to know that he was amused. For some reason that annoyed him, even though he knew that the mortal was trying to coax a response from him, just like he'd done earlier. He sighed, seeing that Johnny had no intention of giving up. "I'm annoyed, and frustrated, and you don't want to be around when I deal with it!"
"Try me."
There was a moment of silence as the God turned to look at the mortal, letting all his feelings show on his face. Neither man paid any attention on the clouds that blocked out the starlight, or the chilly wind that had started to blow from out of nowhere.
Rayden raised his hand. "You asked for it." Before he had the chance to doubt the wisdom of his actions, he let the calm give way to the storm.
Johnny didn't have the time to regret his cockiness before lightning flashed across the ink black sky. The first burst of electricity was silent, but the second was certainly not. The earth rumbled, and thunder raged all around the temple, the dancing lightning making the night as bright as day.
Inside the temple the monks were shaken from their sleep by the sounds of their God's power. One look out the window told them that it wasn't an ordinary storm. Knowing that nothing could make any difference, the older monks just sighed, and pulled the covers on tighter. The younger ones did the same, after murmuring prayers to their master, hoping that whatever had angered Rayden wasn't their doing.
Outside, the wind was making the young man sway and he took a few steps away from the edge of the hill. That was the only precaution he took against the storm.
"This is how I deal with my frustration." The God's voice was clear even above the sounds of the thunder. "How do you like it?"
"I love it!"
Rayed looked a little startled at his admission. "What?"
"This is great!" Johnny had risen his hands up, and he was now bouncing a little, letting the rain wash over his upturned face. "You're right! This is much better than sulking, or even fighting!"
The God's mouth was slightly open as he watched the young man take a few dance steps. The tension that the storm should have dissipated was building even higher. All because of the mortal.
Johnny screamed with joy, as the sky went white with the next bolt of lightning. He pulled his sweater off and stood there wearing only his T-shirt, needing to feel the rain all over his skin. "This is awesome! All wild, and elemental." He glanced at his companion, and shuddered. Those two words could have described the God of Thunder just as well as they described the weather.
Outwardly Rayden looked calm. A fortress of sanity and peace in a world of raging storm. He was standing straight, his white robe tightly wrapped around him. Only when Johnny looked into the God's eyes, could he see the turmoil that was evident all around them. His eyes widened, as he understood that this 'man' standing in front of him was one with the storm. That he was the storm; the violent bursts of energy that danced all around him.
That thought wasn't at all scary. Instead of being frightened of the God, Johnny felt safer than ever. If Rayden was indeed in control of the weather, he didn't have to worry about getting hit by lightning. After all the trouble the God had gone through for him, he wouldn't just strike him down with a burst of energy.
More lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the night. It made Johnny laugh out loud to feel the last traces of the tension evaporate. There was no need to let hold the anger and hurt rage inside of him. The storm, with the relieving violence and pouring rain, was washing him clean.
Feeling strangely exhilarated, Johnny turned once again to look at the God.
Noticing the mortal's stare, Rayden had to fight the urge to just toss the man inside the temple, preferably through the wall, and leave the place for a couple of decades. Certainly it would be the most satisfying thing to do. Instead, however, he turned his back on the young man, and rasped, "Go inside. Now."
"Hey, what is it with you?"
"Nothing. Leave. Now." A bolt of lightning emphasized the God's command.
Brave or foolish, Johnny didn't have any idea which his next act was. He stepped right behind Rayden, and grabbed his arm. "Come on, what is..." The rest of the sentence came out as a choked exhale, as a flick of the God's wrist sent him a few meters back and on his ass on the ground.
Rayden cursed himself. Finally he could see what was behind his actions, his worry for the younger man's well being, his frustration, his need for some kind of a release. The answer had been there all along, lurking somewhere so deep in his consciousness, that only the unleashed storm had brought it to the surface.
Closing his eyes, he marvelled at the revelation that since the Gods were greater than mortals, they could also make greater fools out of themselves. And a fool he had been, to hide his emotions from himself.
The desire he felt for Johnny. And something even more powerful than that.
With a few steps he was next to the young man, and then he squatted down. "Get inside and stay there!"
"No!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Rayden raised his hand.
Johnny saw the determined look in the God's face and shuddered. Obviously he'd pushed too far. When a hand grabbed the back of his head, he closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow that never came. Instead, he felt Rayden's mouth close over his in a hard, demanding kiss.
The kiss was electric, a strong, compelling touch of lips, that demanded a reply. With a soft moan, Johnny raised his hands to hold Rayden's shoulders, and opened his mouth to invite the God in. The thought of fighting, or pushing the other off of him never crossed his mind. It was almost like he'd been expecting this.
Rayden got a better grip on the back of Johnny's head, and guided it down as he moved closer. Feeling the strong muscles below him, he shifted his body on top of the mortal's, feeling elated as Johnny just spread his legs a little to accomondate his weight.
The God broke the kiss for just a moment, to collect himself enough to adjust the storm. With the turmoil inside of him, he couldn't end the thunder, but he did make the downpour lessen. After all, he didn't want to drown the young man.
Feeling their lips part, Johnny had just a second to think about what he was doing. Then his body decided that thought was completely unnecessary, or at least secondary to actions. He ran his fingers through Rayden's hair, and reached up to seal the God's mouth with his. He'd thought that the taste of the Thunder would be overwhelming, but the touch of the God's tongue was soft, caressing. A gentle exploration of his mouth.
Then Rayden's hands began exploring other parts of his body, and he shivered with every new touch. He felt more alive than he had for weeks, and his whole body arched to get more contact with the other, needing the touch of it more than anything.
Moving his hands down Rayden's back, Johnny wasn't at all surprised to feel bare skin instead of the soft robe. When he raised his right leg to wrap it around the God's, he felt that his own clothes had also disappeared. Normally the whole situation would have made him freak out, but after the fight, after the storm, this felt natural.
Never mind that they were lying outside on a hard stone platform. Never mind that it was still raining. Never mind that the person above him wasn't really human. Never mind that the body he was now pressing himself against wasn't a soft female one. The hardness of an erection against his just made his hips thrust upwards, seeking more.
And there was more than just the friction now. A hand, a big strong hand, closed around his hardness and began to caress him. Johnny's eylids lowered slowly, shutting out everything but the sensations. He could only hear the thunder, and feel the rain on his skin, the touch of Rayden's lips and hands, the beating of his own heart.
The kiss had moved away from his lips. The young man could feel soft nibbles all over his neck, like small electrical shocks that made him shudder. Needing more, he made a soft sound in his throat, wordlessly urging Rayden on.
That small sound made the God pull back a little. The raw need in the mortal's voice made it quite clear that the man was just following his instincts, not his head and heart. As much as Rayden wanted that moment with Johnny, wanted to let go of everything and ride the waves of pleasure as well as the storm, he couldn't let his desires blind him.
After that night, there would be another day, and in the daylight things would change. His desire to spend time with the young man wouldn't change, though, and he needed to make it perfectly clear that a one night's stand wasn't an option with the God of Thunder and Lightning. Not when said God was drawn to his new lover by the brightness of his soul as well as the beauty of his body.
Rayden's strong, lean body pinned Johnny to the ground, preventing him from moving. He raised his mouth from the soft skin and waited for the mortal to open his eyes.
Johnny whimpered something, and then raised his gaze to meet the stormy grey eyes that held him still more surely than the strength of the God's touch.
"You still have a chance to get up and walk away. Stay, and you must face all the consequences of this night. Leave, and you might still have a chance to return to your old life."
Those words made the young man squirm. His body told him to screw the consequences and take everything he could from Rayden. His mind, however, had control over his body, processing the matter for a long moment before he sighed, "Damn you, Rayden. Can't this just be what it is?"
The grey eyes flashed with electricity. "You mean that I should just let this be sex. A relief of the tension we've both felt for weeks. Is that it? Is that what you want?"
"I..." Johnny clamped his mouth shut, realizing that the 'yes' he had planned to let out wasn't exactly the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He couldn't really lie right to a God's face. The thought of leaving the temple the next day, and walking away without looking back wasn't a pleasant one. "I don't know."
The soft chuckle was the last thing he'd expected. A small smile played about Rayden's lips. "That's a very good start." Leaning closer, so that the smile was almost buried into his lover's lips, he whispered, "Stay or leave?"
"Stay." Johnny closed the distance between them, touching the God's mouth with his. Hesitantly at first, but with growing confidence as Rayden's hands pulled him even closer. Feeling a thigh parting his, the pressure making it impossible to just lie still, he managed to gasp, "I'll stay, all right."
Then all speech was impossible as his body began to thrust against Rayden's.
And the storm over them raged on.
The End
September 1999 (revised February 2000)