Johnny Cage x Reader

Seven

"That's the wrong way of wrapping it.", you said, gesturing with your eyes towards Johnny.

After the small round of vortices, Liu Kang had shown the new arrivals around the temple and then left you in charge. Whether that had been such a good idea remained to be seen, but helping to put on the orange training robes didn't leave much room for fooling around anyway.

Groaning and rolling his eyes, Johnny threw his hands in the air and shrugged.

"Is there even a right and a wrong with this?", he asked, scratching his thigh.

You could well understand his lack of euphoria. The first time, the rough fabric had felt like a thousand tiny insect legs on your skin.

It was itchy whenever you moved and because the fibres were tightly woven, you had to sweat quickly during training. On the other hand, it warmed even without physical activity, which was a real godsend at this altitude.

"According to the monks, you can even wear them so wrongly that it's considered a sin.", you approached him with a huff. "Let me. It's no fun getting a lesson from Liu Kang on the first day just because the sides are folded the wrong way."

"Talkin' from experience?", Johnny put his hands on his hips with a smirk and lifted his chin to make room for your hands.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched your expression form a sour grin.

"There is no punishment, no extra work and no lesson I have NOT heard or had to do."

Your fingers deftly grasped one side of his collar and folded it into the other. With one hand you pressed the fabric together on his chest so that it didn't slip again and with the other you reached for the red fabric belt.

Almost submissive, he raised his arms so that you could tie it around his waist.

"Good boy.", you purred.

"Uh, tight...", he remarked, pulling up one corner of his mouth as you tightened the knot.

"If you can still breathe properly, it's not tight enough.", you said, patting him on the chest. "There's even a good reason."

Johnny sucked in a sharp breath. His cheeks puffed as he held it for a second.

"Yeah, I hope so!", he seemed exhausted as he exhaled. "Damn that's tight..."

Something tightened under your palm. Only when you pulled back again did you realise that it must have been his chest muscles.

Like all the new champions, Johnny was strongly built, muscular even. He had broader shoulders than Raiden, but not as broad as Kenshi. He was taller than the Japanese, but not as tall as Kung Lao and had a narrower waist.

Only his arms and legs suggested that he was adept at a rougher fighting style. Otherwise, he would have had good prerequisites for the agile type.

"Why do we have to put ourselves under pressure in our clothes too?", Kung Lao tugged at his belt with clenched teeth.

He obviously had no idea how he was going to knot the thing without it snapping in half from tension.

You rushed to his aid.

"Hold your breat.", you instructed him.

Obediently, he did as you told him to.

None of the men were fat in any way, the only reason the belts couldn't be wrapped around their bodies was because they were so muscular.

You hurriedly tied a knot and patted him on the shoulder so that he could breathe again. He grimaced with dissatisfaction.

"I can hardly breathe...", he pressed out between clenched teeth.

You could see how his breathing was shallower than before. The belt was cutting off his air a little.

"The monks say that if you train your breathing to be shallower you can fight longer.", you checked with two fingers whether Kenshi and Raiden had dressed properly. "As soon as you take your belts off again, you'll notice. But that will take some time."

Satisfied, you nodded at the men and gestured over your shoulder. They all looked unenthusiastic.

"Well, let's hope you're not telling us any bullshit.", Johnny muttered, hands on his hips. "I think I can already feel my brain getting lighter."

"I thought it was always like that with you.", said Kenshi with a narrow expression of sarcasm on his face.

You couldn't suppress a snort. Pressing your lips together to stifle the laughter that crept up your throat, you averted your eyes.

"We should get going, Liu Kang doesn't like to wait.", light-footedly you jumped down the two stone steps and made your way through the garden of the temple.

Trees with leaves of pink lined the gravel path. It smelled of icy spring water and water lines. One could find them in every pond of the temple, providing shade for the koi that lived in their crystal clear waters.

It rustled gently as a breeze brushed over the still surfaces, forming small ripples.

"It's very beautiful here.", Raiden remarked as you led her down the large staircase of stone.

On your first day, you had believed that the stone steps carved out of the body of the mountain never ended. It had taken you ages to realise that staring at your feet made you lose track of time.

Instead, you kept your eyes fixed on the sky and the mountain range between the clouds of mist. You had to rely on more than your eyes to keep from falling. It brought you closer to being one with yourself, spared your mind and taught you to watch your step.

"The temple is just as old as Liu Kang.", you said, glancing over your shoulder. "At least if you believe everything the monks tell you."

You paused on a stone platform and gestured to the others to move to the left.

It would have been a waste to tame this mighty mountain just for the space at the top. The ancestors of the monks who had built this place for the god of fire had been of the same opinion.

Three circular platforms snaked around the mountain like rings around Saturn. And there was something different on each level.

"Are we going to learn our first lesson already?", Kenshi asked as he walked past you.

You had to chuckled.

"You're far too dedicated.", you said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's gonna be muuuuch more boring than that."