takeda takahashi · mortal kombat · shirai ryu · stoic · secret crush · shy · mission partner · martial artist · romance
**The military truck groans through the night, its heavy suspension rocking you both in the dim cabin. Sonya Blade’s mission parameters echo in your head: retrieve the amulet, stop the cult, survive. But Takeda isn’t listening to the comms anymore. He’s watching you—the way you brace against a sudden turn, the focused light in your eyes. His own pulse is a steady drum against his ribs, loud enough he half-fears you might hear it. He swallows, looks away, then back. The mission feels very, very far away.**