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In some timelines, Raiden is an elder god who protects Earthrealm.
Similarly, Kung Lao is often a Shaolin monk whom of which is a close friend of Liu Kang.
But in this timeline, both of them are stripped of their roles. They are simply mortals in a powerless version of Earthrealm, living their day to day life.
Raiden once worked as a farmer in his small town, tending to the crops and devoting his all into ensuring that all of them were healthy was extremely important to him.
But as his small town moved towards new expansions and advancements, the farmland was ultimately purchased and the land would soon have a new use for it. Raiden, along with others, were all suddenly laid off and left to fend for themselves.
Raiden had read on the internet that delivery drivers were desperately needed in his small town and figured it’d be an easy way to make money as he looked for a new position elsewhere.
He’d start his day off the same as he would when he worked on the farm. He’d wake up before the sun had a chance to rise, knock out all of the average morning necessities, and head out the door to get to work. His pay would ultimately depend on the amount of orders he’d get and in such a small town, there’s fierce competition.
His days always had the same repetitive nature.
Slow start in the morning, just a few orders of breakfast to deliver to morning workers.
A rampant increase during the lunchtime hours that’d keep him steadily busy.
And lastly, his largest amount of orders at dinner time.
He was well known within his community and typically, the employees at the restaurants would always recognize him. He also tended to have repeat customers and he had gotten used to what their orders would be. He was well loved and respected, yet still struggled to find a well paying job that could allow him to live comfortably.
Despite the many orders he’d receive everyday, the money he was earning didn’t reflect that in the slightest. He couldn’t continue to put in the amount of time and effort into the job that hardly paid him enough to begin with.
It was all too much for him to think about and he liked to avoid thinking about his own issues, a personal problem of his. He’d sweep away all of his struggles and concerns under one big rug and keep them there until they fade away, opting to not give them the light of day in his mind.
Day by day, it was like he was stuck in a time loop. Unknowingly to him, today would be different for once.
Breakfast and lunch hours were as usual. Same orders, same customers, same interaction. He had began to feel like an npc in a video game forced to repeat the same actions over and over again.
But dinner was different. There was a new person ordering, or at least someone he had never interacted with. He was quick to accept the order, interacting with someone new could be something special.
As he waited for the food to be done, Raiden took a closer look at the customer’s photo. Customers had the option to submit their own photos for a profile picture and while most typically didn’t, this one did.
His display name was simply ‘KL’, and his profile picture was clearly a selfie he quickly took when given the option to do so. It made Raiden lightly giggle and he couldn’t help but be struck by the customer. He was naturally handsome, even in a photo that was visibly rushed.
Romance was never something that arose in Raiden’s mind and he was initially confused on why his mind defaulted to that as a possibility. Despite the continued interaction everyday with residents of his small town, no one ever caught his heart, especially to the point of admiring them. On top of that, this was someone he had never met. All he had was a singular photo to go off of. Regardless, his schedule would be too packed to even fit a love life.
The call of the order being ready broke him from his thoughts. He took the bag and headed to his bike. The mysterious ‘KL’ lived in an area that Raiden had never delivered to before, an added benefit of delivering to him that Raiden never considered.
The rides were always one of Raiden’s favorite parts. Interacting with others made his day but what really made the job special to him was the chance to soak in the scenery.
He always adored nature and everything it had to offer, observing even the smallest details of it. Just simply getting to ride his bike and admire the beauty of each trip was enough for him.
He arrived at the door of ‘KL’ and lightly knocked. It took a moment but eventually, the door slightly opened. Raiden had briefly looked away to take in the unfamiliar sights and didn’t even realize the door had opened.
Everything that Raiden had felt from the simple photo was coming to life right in front of him. Raiden was taking in every detail of him. The clothes he wore, the welcoming smirk on his face, his skin somehow shining, and the dimples on his cheeks.
Suddenly, it was like he had forgotten how to speak. Everything he wanted to say wouldn’t come out and he knew if he spoke, he’d trip over every word. Why was this happening? He loved social interaction, why is he blanking now?
His mind was a flurry of thoughts. The feelings he felt in his heart merged together with the struggle to speak and made it even harder to say something.
‘KL’ had been awkwardly staring at him the entire time. At least a minute had passed and he was locked in a staring contest with his delivery driver. Could he even be called a delivery driver? He literally had ridden a bike all the way here.
“Excuse me, are you okay?”
His words broke Raiden out of thought and made him immediately realize just how spaced out he was the entire time.
“I-I’m sorry, I blanked there for a second. I’m sorry for the wait! I had never delivered to this part of town before, nor to you.”
Raiden’s expression immediately turned to a frown. He knew that he had been zoned out for a decent amount of time and was prepared to be yelled at. But to his surprise, the customer looked at him with a gentle, soft smile.
“Don’t worry about it. I just moved to this town and don’t really know much about it. I can tell you’re devoted, especially judging by your countless 5 star reviews.”
It took Raiden and every fiber in his body to not get flustered at the comment. He settled on a gentle smile in return.
“Thank you. I hope you have a pleasant experience in this town. It may be small but the people are the true heart of it.”
“I certainly can see the heart part of it already.” A response so simple and short immediately made Raiden lose his composure. He was clearly flustered and had to get out of there quickly.
He had to think of a response quickly, preventing him from getting lost in thought again. What he came up with was simple, but inviting.
“I look forward to delivering to you in the future KL!”
“Please, call me Kung Lao. I hope to see you again, have a safe ride home.”
And with that, their first encounter concluded.
Kung Lao took his food in and was prepared to eat but he was stuck in thought. He couldn’t get the image of Raiden out of his mind. He was charming and swept Kung Lao off of his feet. So soft spoken and kind, heartfelt in his words and actions. Raiden maintained a smile on his face through most of their interaction and in the minute’s silence they had, Kung Lao studied everything about him.
He couldn’t figure out why he felt these dizzying feelings in his mind and heart. Why was so he so attracted to someone he only spoke to for less than ten minutes? Someone he had just met? He brushed it aside as just a general acknowledgment of another man being attractive and his personality being welcoming, nothing more. His food was starting to get cold and he was hungry.
Raiden on the other hand, was not as composed. He didn’t even bother looking at nature on his ride back, he was losing his mind entirely. The words “I certainly see the heart part of it already” replayed in mind like a broken record.
A compliment? A dig? A simple joke? Flirting? What could it have potentially been? He also told Raiden he hoped to see him again… but was that just a simple response to Raiden’s “I look forward to delivering to you”???
His mind was quickly becoming overwhelming for him and he had to take a break to stop somewhere before he headed home, he couldn’t handle another delivery. He opted to stop at his local park and simply sit on the bench.
Raiden had never felt love before. Slight crushes here and there but there was never someone in his life that overtook his thoughts, someone that made him yearn to be with them. He was just… utterly confused on why he felt this way. Kung Lao was a stranger. A customer he had just met for the first time. And most importantly, a guy.
Sexuality was never a thought in Raiden’s mind. He lived his life with no relationships and no yearning for one, leaving little thoughts or feelings about sexual orientation. But in this very moment, everything felt natural to him. It didn’t matter to him it was another man. He was entranced by every part of him and he wanted to see him more.
Raiden headed home and spent the rest of his night heavy in thought.
The next few days were as normal for Raiden. Part of him was happy about that, he knew that if he saw Kung Lao he’d want to progress further with him. But another part of him knew that and acknowledged it, but yearned to see him again. It was a losing battle on both fronts and Raiden checked tirelessly to see if ‘KL’ would appear on the order list.
It wasn’t until a week later when Kung Lao would finally place another order, and Raiden was quick to accept it. He quickly grabbed the food and headed to Kung Lao’s house. He studied the way there and took in his surroundings to make the trip there easier in the future, Raiden so desperately wanted to see Kung Lao everyday just like other customers.
He arrived at Kung Lao’s house and rushed to knock on the door. Kung Lao immediately opened the door, almost like he was anticipating Raiden’s very arrival.
“Welcome back, I hope the trip wasn’t too incongruent for you.” Kung Lao’s tone was warm and inviting, something that caught Raiden off-guard.
Without double thinking, Raiden blurred out a flirty response.
“The trip could never be inconvenient when you’re the only I’m delivering to.”
It took both of them by surprise. Raiden immediately realized what he had just said and Kung Lao was in awe that he could just blurt it out so casually. Both immediately got flustered and had to look away so they wouldn’t see each other blush.
Kung Lao was quick to break the silence this time around, inviting Raiden into his home. Raiden was initially taken aback, but Kung Lao had asked him to chat and he had been begging for a new request to come through from Kung Lao.
“I’m sorry for the sudden invitation, but I don’t really know many people in this town and thought it’d be nice to properly chat with you for once. You don’t have any jobs coming up, do you?”
“I haven’t accepted any new ones, don’t worry! I’ve been meaning to talk to you again too so this was a lovely surprise.”
The two sat down and began to converse.
“Kung Lao, you mentioned you just moved here. How are you adjusting to the switch? Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Nothing really comes to mind. Although, there is something that comes to mind. I’d like to know more about you, I want to get to know you.”
The request made Raiden’s eyes slightly widen. Rarely was anyone ever interested in what he had to say. His only real friends were the repeat customers he’d interact with on a daily basis.
Raiden didn’t want to go too into detail, only detailing the recent problems with a job and how his new job as a delivery driver has allowed him to get closer to his community.
Kung Lao seemed genuinely interested, listening to every word Raiden had to say and carefully taking in each one. But Raiden wasn’t interesting in telling him about his own life, he wanted to hear about Kung Lao. He wanted to know everything about him.
“Me? Pfft, I’m not that interesting I’m afraid. Don’t laugh but one day I’d like to become a magician… Ever since I was a kid, I thought that becoming a magician would be fun.”
“Whether or not I follow that dream is still up in the air. One thing is for certain though, my short experiences with you have made me happier than you could ever know.”
Raiden’s face was completely red, he didn’t even try to hide his blush. He was at a loss for words and all he felt was pure love. His first love was right in front of him, and his heart couldn’t take it anymore.
He wanted more. He wanted to grab Kung Lao’s face and profess his love in a bold twist of fate. He wanted to spend the rest of of the day with him. The rest of the week with him. He didn’t want to leave. The two chatted for a bit longer and Raiden left to take a few more requests, money was still necessary for him.
As Raiden left, Kung Lao had a smirk on his face. Not only did Raiden flirt with him, but he flirted right back. He hoped that his words were articulated well. He hoped that his interest and passion for Raiden was shining through each word he spoke.
Raiden left with his love being certified in his mind. He didn’t know how Kung Lao felt, but he knew that his love could only rise day by day. With every order he took, Kung Lao was the only thing on his mind.
Raiden would occasionally deliver to Kung Lao throughout the week, leaving both of them to cherish every second spent together. At the same time, just how much longer could they go without confessing? Did the other even feel the same way? On the surface, it’s obvious they do. But to them, the concern was still there.
If Raiden didn’t feel the same way about Kung Lao, Kung Lao would lose his only friend in an unfamiliar place.
If Kung Lao didn’t feel the same way about Raiden, Raiden would lose his first love. Could he ever recover from that?
Wanting to see Raiden again, Kung Lao placed one giant order. It’d be enough for both of them to eat, and he planned on making it an unofficial date. He had already invited Raiden in once, the plan was foolproof.
As usual, Raiden rushed to accept Kung Lao’s order. He didn’t want to miss a chance at seeing him and in such a small town, the competition was strong. He was confused on why the order was so big, full of items Kung Lao has never ordered, but he didn’t care. Raiden just wanted to see his face again.
The route to his house was engraved in Raiden’s mind, and he could ride there with his eyes closed. He arrived at the house and gently knocked, he could hear the sounds of footsteps running to the door.
“Hello Rai!-“
His words were interrupted by Raiden rushing towards him and grabbing his face, pushing him against the wall and kissing him. Raiden couldn’t hold it in anymore. Every part of him wanted Kung Lao and he physically couldn’t handle his feelings building up to an out of reach climax.
“Is… is this okay?” Raiden broke a kiss in order to ensure Kung Lao was comfortable with what had occurred.
“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this, keep going.”
Without second thought, Raiden continued to kiss him. One hand was placed on Kung Laos cheeks, directly on one of the very dimples Raiden adored. His other hand was placed on Kung Lao’s back.
In that moment, it was only them. The sounds of the world had gone silent, their thoughts faded away, and nothing mattered to them. It was just them. They both had forgotten about the food that was just outside. They spent the next few minutes just kissing and occasionally breaking their kisses to giggle at each other before continuing again.
“I’ll take this as a confession,” Kung Lao sly said. A smirk had grown on his face.
“Something along those lines.” Raiden responded.
The two laughed at each other and finally sat down to discuss the logistics of their bond. Raiden was quick to ask him out, and Kung Lao was just as quick to say yes.
“Even if I don’t follow my childhood dream, living a life with you is the closest to a dream coming true I’ll ever get.”
Just two weeks ago, Raiden lived a life so painfully dull. The days blended together and love wasn’t even a topic of concern. But in such a short amount of time, his life had completely been changed. A part of Raiden was missing and he never knew what it was, but he found it. Kung Lao made him feel complete.
Raiden decided to stay the night with Kung Lao, letting his worries be cast aside and taking the day off for once.
In bed that night, the two simply cuddled side by side. Kung Lao held Raiden tightly, and ran his hand around his body. He could tell that his body was worn down from the exhaustive farming and delivery jobs, and he wanted to lend his support to his newfound boyfriend in any way possible. Finger by finger, he slowly massaged every part of Raiden’s back.
The care he was receiving took Raiden by surprise, but he welcomed Kung Lao with open arms. The relief and joy he received from Kung Lao’s hands tracing his back were an out of body experience to him, and he didn’t want it to end.
Raiden turned around and looked Kung Lao in the eyes. Raiden kissed him on the forehead and whispered a “I love you” in a gentle tone.
It was only their first day together but they both contained love for each other in their hearts. They had their own struggles and concerns in their lives, but their shared love for each other illuminated their souls. Anything could be conquered as long as they were together.
In the end, maybe Kung Lao had achieved his dream. Only a magician would be able to steal a heart like that.