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A Mortal Kombat fanfiction
A counterpart to From a Woman's Point of View by natashaheisenburg
Rated T for violence, language and suggestive themes
Chapter 7

Relatively speaking, Scorpion felt fine when he woke up the next day. For a moment, anyway.

That moment was all that lasted before he remembered what had happened – what had prompted him to even decide to sleep.

Were he not a spectre, it would have made him feel a bit sick.

Either way, he sighed heavily as he pushed himself out of bed, deciding to head downstairs and eat something.

He glanced over the dining table when he arrived, and he saw Nightwolf, Fujin, Sonya, Johnny, Ermac and Kenshi. Then he inwardly tensed. Zeiva was also there.

He remembered that he'd considered apologizing, but for some reason, seeing the others made his resolve dissipate. He ended up sitting far away from her, not even glancing her way.

He did listen, though.

"You aren't eating," commented Ermac.

"I guess I'm not that hungry," Zeiva replied. It sounded… it sounded a bit weak to Scorpion. Maybe the previous night really was bothering her… "Here," she offered, though he didn't look to see to whom, "you can eat it."

He only listened as she walked away from the table. He felt an overwhelmingly desperate urge to call her name, or at least follow her and speak to her there…

…But he let it slip. He could hear the main door open and close again.

With no other reason to stay there, he left, too – the same way she had.

---

Scorpion originally intended to find Zeiva, but he stopped in his tracks not long after the door closed behind him, as if its sound snapped him out of some reverie.

He didn't really need to do this… did he?

Maybe he had to. Or maybe he was the reason Zeiva had left the house at all. Which meant…

Scorpion almost shuddered. It… worried him, how much he didn't want her to turn away. It worried him that he felt that way at all.

He needed to distract himself, he decided.

He moved towards the base of the mountain.

---

For some small part of an hour, Scorpion was focused only on practicing his katas in the dead of the forest near the base, imagining the entire time how it would feel to finally use them on Quan Chi.

However much his rage intensified, Zeiva was constantly intruding his thoughts. Even if she was only at the back of his mind, she was still there.

When he'd finished a sword kata, he took the time to think over the previous night one more time… He remembered her flushed face, her subtle trembling. He remembered how she'd sounded that morning, and he hadn't even acknowledged her… He felt a small pang of regret at that thought. It bothered him… again.

He shook his head, growling slightly. He knew that he had to apologize then. These thoughts wouldn't leave him alone unless he did, he was sure.

Heaving a sigh, he turned back to return to the base.

---

When Scorpion returned, he could not find her. She wasn't in the main hall, or the living room, and she didn't appear to be in her room -- no one had answered when he knocked, implying it was empty.

Frustrated, he returned to his room. He considered sleeping, but he thought that he might just miss her if he stayed there for too long. He had to do this as soon as possible, just to get it out of the way.

He sat for a moment, thinking it over one more time. How would he begin? What would he say to her? What would he do if she didn't want to see him…?

He stopped. …That hurt again…

He immediately got up to leave. He had to find her. And while he knew there were no guarantees, he knew he had to try and keep her from turning away.

He didn't know what he'd do if she did. Or at least he… at least he felt that way.

---

To his surprise, she was speaking to Kitana in the living room when he began to make his way down. He waited, hoping that he could have Zeiva alone.

He watched her, and noticed, with a small jolt, that she looked a bit tired. Had she been so bothered that she had trouble sleeping? It worried him, just a bit. Maybe this wouldn't be so easy… and he was still… fearful of losing her company, ashamed as he was to admit it.

He remained still as Kitana hugged Zeiva, and he suddenly wondered what they were talking about. He knew he probably would never find out, but it was obviously something meaningful… to them, at any rate.

Scorpion was brought back to full attention when Kitana let go and left the room in another direction. This was his chance.

But Zeiva lay back on the sofa, and placed a hand to her forehead. She really didn't seem well…

He had to take his chance. He didn't know when the next one would come. Hoping to seem friendlier, a bit more open, he removed his mask and stealth hood.

He approached the sofa. He called her upon reaching the bottom of the staircase. "Zeiva."

She practically jumped, sitting straight up, eyes wide. He almost laughed, but he didn't dare. It would upset her and corrode his resolve again.

"Hey," she whispered, carefully looking at him.

He said nothing and moved closer to her, sitting next to her on the sofa. He hesitated, unsure of how to begin. He found himself not minding overly much… at least for a moment.

Scorpion sighed. He had to get this overwith. And he had to do it very carefully…

"Here's the thing, Zeiva," he began. "I know you were upset about what happened last night…" he trailed off, thinking it over again.

She looked down at the floor, shifting uncomfortably. "No… not upset… just… it feels… awkward…" she murmured.

He nodded in firm agreement. "Yes. I still can't believe they made us do that."

She gave a smaller but more definite nod. "Indubitably."

A less charged silence. He felt that he should say something to further ease her…

…But Zeiva stood up before he could even begin to think. "I need to go and talk to Raiden."

Scorpion was alarmed at how weak she sounded when she spoke… and even more so when she began to fall over.

"Zeiva!" He rushed to catch her, his arms around her waist, slumping in his grip. He crouched, bringing her closer, laying her head on his shoulder.

Her eyes were closed; her face was flushed. Her breath came out in heavy huffs. He placed his hand on her forehead. She was warm.

She was sick again, and he was the only kombatant who knew.

Scorpion knew he'd have to act; it'd be too much of a hassle – and possibly a little dangerous for Zeiva – to alert anyone else.

But he wasn't overly annoyed, actually mindful of her as he lifted her up for the third time, holding her close.

He could get used to that much. What concerned him more was that… was that he'd had to do this relatively often in such a short time…

He carried her up to her room. Seeing the blue sheets, Scorpion lay Zeiva on the lower part of the bunk bed inside.

Finding a chair, he sat by her bedside, watching her carefully. He gently pressed the back of his hand on her fevered cheek.

Why didn't you tell anyone you weren't feeling well? He thought. Did you even know?

He waited. Minutes passed. He looked over his shoulder once, hoping for some reason that no one would come in, even though that would have actually been more desirable.

She made a sound. He watched her begin to stir. She tiredly opened her eyes…

"Are you all right?" he whispered to her.

"No, I'm not," she rasped. "My head hurts like hell."

He pitied her, then. She sounded so weak…

Without thinking, he moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't tense, though, he considered, she probably physically couldn't.

But she didn't verbally protest, either.

He reveled a bit in the sensation as if it were completely new – and it was, in a way. …He had been mortal the last time he'd experienced this… the last time he'd held his wife.

And he chose to tell her so, as he had done with his life story, as he let her go, staring at her tired eyes, shaking his head. "You know, I haven't… done that since I died… I never cared much for it outside my family as a mortal."

He reached for the edge of the covers, flattened under her, intending to get her under them. She lifted herself up weakly in an attempt to help the effort.

He wrapped the edges around her shoulders, and she seemed to flush a bit more. He placed his hand on her forehead, subtly stroking her hair.

Another thought occurred to him: He should get some medicine for her. He knew just where to find it, too…

During the Earthrealm invasion, several Earthrealmers fell ill, one after another, and it slowed their progress. Sub-Zero had been among the sickened, and under his vow, Scorpion assisted in his care.

He had recalled a remedy to ease pain and cool fevers… that he'd learned from his wife. He always remembered it, always.

And he always kept a small satchel of the herbal pellets with him. Just add water.

"Do you need some kind of pain reliever?" he asked.

She nodded – his command.

He left the room quickly, heading down to the kitchen. Relieved to see no one there, he grabbed a small cup, filling it halfway.

Beginning to return to Zeiva's room, he reached into his satchel, pulling out three pellets, dropping them into the water. He nodded. This would work.

He returned to his seat at her bedside.

"Can you sit up?" he prompted. Zeiva shook her head.

"Will it hurt you" – he felt a warm burst in his chest as he said this, which he tried to suppress – "if I sit you up and support your weight?"

"I don't think any part of my body hurts," she replied, "except my head. It hurts so much if I try and move it."

"You have to drink this," he stated, lightly swirling the concoction. Or you won't get better as quickly…

His arm moved under her shoulders, across her back. He shifted to sit on her bed, closer to her. He carefully lifted her, only watching as she shut her eyes, wincing. He let her place her head on his shoulder.

The glass was offered to her. "Here," Scorpion whispered. "This should help you."

Zeiva weakly took the cup and drank the concoction slowly. Scorpion watched her carefully, gauging her discomfort. Despite the pain she reported, she had no problems taking the medicine – something he was grateful for. He gently took the empty cup from her hands and set it aside on a table. He didn't move when she slumped back onto him.

"Sorry," she rasped.

"For what?"

She heaved a weary sigh. "Imposing," she mumbled weakly.

He looked at her, staring at her half-lidded eyes. "It was nothing." He meant that. She slacked further. She was falling asleep. He shifted, letting her head rest on his chest, holding her a bit closer, more securely. "You're fine, Zeiva…"

He remained where he was for several long moments, thinking. Part of him was astonished. This girl was getting him out of his usual character, making him care for another for the first time in years. And it was all within the course of a few days.

He knew it was because he'd opened up to her. He'd long since realized that. Which made him wonder… what had triggered it in the first place? Was it just her sincerity? Just the relative innocence he'd seen in her? He'd seen that in other kombatants, too, but he rarely said a word to them.

Maybe it'd just been held down too long. Maybe it just… leaked.

But he'd been a loner for years; it would seem that keeping his thoughts to himself would be completely natural. Why, it would seem he'd even have a perfect system to keep them shut up!

He sighed, looking down at the figure in his arms. There was clearly something about her and her alone, and he didn't know what it was. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was…

But for the moment, he didn't care to find out, or guess. She was ill, but she was asleep. She needed this rest. He'd have at least a few hours to himself now.

…But what if she was still alone by the time she woke up? What if she needed something?

Scorpion sighed again. She moved him so easily… too easily.

He slowly shifted, laying her down one more time. He lightly tucked her in, keeping his eyes on her flushed face. She seemed more comfortable than before. It was a reassuring sight.

He returned to the chair, still focused on her. He'd meant to leave, though. He'd meant to, but he didn't. He continued to watch over her… he didn't know for how long.

Part of him wanted to leave, and not just because he felt he had probably overstayed his welcome. This was completely unusual for him in every way he could think of. Besides that, it would probably startle Zeiva if he was still there after a few hours of rest. …It could be offensive, even.

But he stayed anyway… just for a little while longer. He'd know the absolute time to go.

He didn't know how he'd know, but he didn't care.

This was fine for now.

Description
Open
A Mortal Kombat fanfiction
A counterpart to From a Woman's Point of View by natashaheisenburg
Rated T for violence, language and suggestive themes
Chapter 7

Relatively speaking, Scorpion felt fine when he woke up the next day. For a moment, anyway.

That moment was all that lasted before he remembered what had happened – what had prompted him to even decide to sleep.

Were he not a spectre, it would have made him feel a bit sick.

Either way, he sighed heavily as he pushed himself out of bed, deciding to head downstairs and eat something.

He glanced over the dining table when he arrived, and he saw Nightwolf, Fujin, Sonya, Johnny, Ermac and Kenshi. Then he inwardly tensed. Zeiva was also there.

He remembered that he'd considered apologizing, but for some reason, seeing the others made his resolve dissipate. He ended up sitting far away from her, not even glancing her way.

He did listen, though.

"You aren't eating," commented Ermac.

"I guess I'm not that hungry," Zeiva replied. It sounded… it sounded a bit weak to Scorpion. Maybe the previous night really was bothering her… "Here," she offered, though he didn't look to see to whom, "you can eat it."

He only listened as she walked away from the table. He felt an overwhelmingly desperate urge to call her name, or at least follow her and speak to her there…

…But he let it slip. He could hear the main door open and close again.

With no other reason to stay there, he left, too – the same way she had.

---

Scorpion originally intended to find Zeiva, but he stopped in his tracks not long after the door closed behind him, as if its sound snapped him out of some reverie.

He didn't really need to do this… did he?

Maybe he had to. Or maybe he was the reason Zeiva had left the house at all. Which meant…

Scorpion almost shuddered. It… worried him, how much he didn't want her to turn away. It worried him that he felt that way at all.

He needed to distract himself, he decided.

He moved towards the base of the mountain.

---

For some small part of an hour, Scorpion was focused only on practicing his katas in the dead of the forest near the base, imagining the entire time how it would feel to finally use them on Quan Chi.

However much his rage intensified, Zeiva was constantly intruding his thoughts. Even if she was only at the back of his mind, she was still there.

When he'd finished a sword kata, he took the time to think over the previous night one more time… He remembered her flushed face, her subtle trembling. He remembered how she'd sounded that morning, and he hadn't even acknowledged her… He felt a small pang of regret at that thought. It bothered him… again.

He shook his head, growling slightly. He knew that he had to apologize then. These thoughts wouldn't leave him alone unless he did, he was sure.

Heaving a sigh, he turned back to return to the base.

---

When Scorpion returned, he could not find her. She wasn't in the main hall, or the living room, and she didn't appear to be in her room -- no one had answered when he knocked, implying it was empty.

Frustrated, he returned to his room. He considered sleeping, but he thought that he might just miss her if he stayed there for too long. He had to do this as soon as possible, just to get it out of the way.

He sat for a moment, thinking it over one more time. How would he begin? What would he say to her? What would he do if she didn't want to see him…?

He stopped. …That hurt again…

He immediately got up to leave. He had to find her. And while he knew there were no guarantees, he knew he had to try and keep her from turning away.

He didn't know what he'd do if she did. Or at least he… at least he felt that way.

---

To his surprise, she was speaking to Kitana in the living room when he began to make his way down. He waited, hoping that he could have Zeiva alone.

He watched her, and noticed, with a small jolt, that she looked a bit tired. Had she been so bothered that she had trouble sleeping? It worried him, just a bit. Maybe this wouldn't be so easy… and he was still… fearful of losing her company, ashamed as he was to admit it.

He remained still as Kitana hugged Zeiva, and he suddenly wondered what they were talking about. He knew he probably would never find out, but it was obviously something meaningful… to them, at any rate.

Scorpion was brought back to full attention when Kitana let go and left the room in another direction. This was his chance.

But Zeiva lay back on the sofa, and placed a hand to her forehead. She really didn't seem well…

He had to take his chance. He didn't know when the next one would come. Hoping to seem friendlier, a bit more open, he removed his mask and stealth hood.

He approached the sofa. He called her upon reaching the bottom of the staircase. "Zeiva."

She practically jumped, sitting straight up, eyes wide. He almost laughed, but he didn't dare. It would upset her and corrode his resolve again.

"Hey," she whispered, carefully looking at him.

He said nothing and moved closer to her, sitting next to her on the sofa. He hesitated, unsure of how to begin. He found himself not minding overly much… at least for a moment.

Scorpion sighed. He had to get this overwith. And he had to do it very carefully…

"Here's the thing, Zeiva," he began. "I know you were upset about what happened last night…" he trailed off, thinking it over again.

She looked down at the floor, shifting uncomfortably. "No… not upset… just… it feels… awkward…" she murmured.

He nodded in firm agreement. "Yes. I still can't believe they made us do that."

She gave a smaller but more definite nod. "Indubitably."

A less charged silence. He felt that he should say something to further ease her…

…But Zeiva stood up before he could even begin to think. "I need to go and talk to Raiden."

Scorpion was alarmed at how weak she sounded when she spoke… and even more so when she began to fall over.

"Zeiva!" He rushed to catch her, his arms around her waist, slumping in his grip. He crouched, bringing her closer, laying her head on his shoulder.

Her eyes were closed; her face was flushed. Her breath came out in heavy huffs. He placed his hand on her forehead. She was warm.

She was sick again, and he was the only kombatant who knew.

Scorpion knew he'd have to act; it'd be too much of a hassle – and possibly a little dangerous for Zeiva – to alert anyone else.

But he wasn't overly annoyed, actually mindful of her as he lifted her up for the third time, holding her close.

He could get used to that much. What concerned him more was that… was that he'd had to do this relatively often in such a short time…

He carried her up to her room. Seeing the blue sheets, Scorpion lay Zeiva on the lower part of the bunk bed inside.

Finding a chair, he sat by her bedside, watching her carefully. He gently pressed the back of his hand on her fevered cheek.

Why didn't you tell anyone you weren't feeling well? He thought. Did you even know?

He waited. Minutes passed. He looked over his shoulder once, hoping for some reason that no one would come in, even though that would have actually been more desirable.

She made a sound. He watched her begin to stir. She tiredly opened her eyes…

"Are you all right?" he whispered to her.

"No, I'm not," she rasped. "My head hurts like hell."

He pitied her, then. She sounded so weak…

Without thinking, he moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't tense, though, he considered, she probably physically couldn't.

But she didn't verbally protest, either.

He reveled a bit in the sensation as if it were completely new – and it was, in a way. …He had been mortal the last time he'd experienced this… the last time he'd held his wife.

And he chose to tell her so, as he had done with his life story, as he let her go, staring at her tired eyes, shaking his head. "You know, I haven't… done that since I died… I never cared much for it outside my family as a mortal."

He reached for the edge of the covers, flattened under her, intending to get her under them. She lifted herself up weakly in an attempt to help the effort.

He wrapped the edges around her shoulders, and she seemed to flush a bit more. He placed his hand on her forehead, subtly stroking her hair.

Another thought occurred to him: He should get some medicine for her. He knew just where to find it, too…

During the Earthrealm invasion, several Earthrealmers fell ill, one after another, and it slowed their progress. Sub-Zero had been among the sickened, and under his vow, Scorpion assisted in his care.

He had recalled a remedy to ease pain and cool fevers… that he'd learned from his wife. He always remembered it, always.

And he always kept a small satchel of the herbal pellets with him. Just add water.

"Do you need some kind of pain reliever?" he asked.

She nodded – his command.

He left the room quickly, heading down to the kitchen. Relieved to see no one there, he grabbed a small cup, filling it halfway.

Beginning to return to Zeiva's room, he reached into his satchel, pulling out three pellets, dropping them into the water. He nodded. This would work.

He returned to his seat at her bedside.

"Can you sit up?" he prompted. Zeiva shook her head.

"Will it hurt you" – he felt a warm burst in his chest as he said this, which he tried to suppress – "if I sit you up and support your weight?"

"I don't think any part of my body hurts," she replied, "except my head. It hurts so much if I try and move it."

"You have to drink this," he stated, lightly swirling the concoction. Or you won't get better as quickly…

His arm moved under her shoulders, across her back. He shifted to sit on her bed, closer to her. He carefully lifted her, only watching as she shut her eyes, wincing. He let her place her head on his shoulder.

The glass was offered to her. "Here," Scorpion whispered. "This should help you."

Zeiva weakly took the cup and drank the concoction slowly. Scorpion watched her carefully, gauging her discomfort. Despite the pain she reported, she had no problems taking the medicine – something he was grateful for. He gently took the empty cup from her hands and set it aside on a table. He didn't move when she slumped back onto him.

"Sorry," she rasped.

"For what?"

She heaved a weary sigh. "Imposing," she mumbled weakly.

He looked at her, staring at her half-lidded eyes. "It was nothing." He meant that. She slacked further. She was falling asleep. He shifted, letting her head rest on his chest, holding her a bit closer, more securely. "You're fine, Zeiva…"

He remained where he was for several long moments, thinking. Part of him was astonished. This girl was getting him out of his usual character, making him care for another for the first time in years. And it was all within the course of a few days.

He knew it was because he'd opened up to her. He'd long since realized that. Which made him wonder… what had triggered it in the first place? Was it just her sincerity? Just the relative innocence he'd seen in her? He'd seen that in other kombatants, too, but he rarely said a word to them.

Maybe it'd just been held down too long. Maybe it just… leaked.

But he'd been a loner for years; it would seem that keeping his thoughts to himself would be completely natural. Why, it would seem he'd even have a perfect system to keep them shut up!

He sighed, looking down at the figure in his arms. There was clearly something about her and her alone, and he didn't know what it was. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was…

But for the moment, he didn't care to find out, or guess. She was ill, but she was asleep. She needed this rest. He'd have at least a few hours to himself now.

…But what if she was still alone by the time she woke up? What if she needed something?

Scorpion sighed again. She moved him so easily… too easily.

He slowly shifted, laying her down one more time. He lightly tucked her in, keeping his eyes on her flushed face. She seemed more comfortable than before. It was a reassuring sight.

He returned to the chair, still focused on her. He'd meant to leave, though. He'd meant to, but he didn't. He continued to watch over her… he didn't know for how long.

Part of him wanted to leave, and not just because he felt he had probably overstayed his welcome. This was completely unusual for him in every way he could think of. Besides that, it would probably startle Zeiva if he was still there after a few hours of rest. …It could be offensive, even.

But he stayed anyway… just for a little while longer. He'd know the absolute time to go.

He didn't know how he'd know, but he didn't care.

This was fine for now.