Kris's fist connects merciliessly into Tao's abdomen and Tao bites back a groan of pain as he wobbles slightly, almost toppling onto the floor in an embarrassing defeat. "Stay focused!" Kris barks, and Tao glares at him, straightening his stance and readying his hands in a defensive strike. He refocuses his eyes back onto Kris, eyes carefully monitoring Kris's every action, just like Kris taught him earlier. He watches carefully and barely manages to defend himself from the next punch. He grunts at the force Kris was putting into the punch as his hands block the move- he was never so glad that he had blocked it- it would have hurt like . 

"Again." Kris says. He warns Tao not to be complacent by a quick harsh jab that still hurt as to Tao. Tao grunts as he returns to his defensive position. They continue until Tao manages to block Kris off continously and land a victory punch of his own. (He got smacked for that, but it was totally worth it.) 

Kris preached Tao on the importance of reflexes. "To be able to fight well," Kris says, "you must be able to defend yourself first." He demostrates by evading Tao's quick knife all without breaking from his sentence. He throws a knife back at Tao and Tao barely avoids it from scrapping his skin, biting back a curse as Kris shoots him a stern and smug look; and repeats the action in a million different directions until Tao gets it right. 

"Fighting is an expression of the mind." Kris repeats, staring at Tao until Tao shifts uncomfortably. "You need to know what your opponent is doing, what you're doing at every single moment." He unexpectedly using his finger to push Tao's chin up, forcing Tao to look only at him, only to point the knife back on to Tao's chest.

"Or else, you're dead." 

Tao broadens his fighting stance, ready like how he has been doing for the past years. He gives Kris a smirk, ready to show Kris exactly what he is made of, even more than what Kris had with no doubt improved. Quickly, his foot flies into a graceful arch before connecting with Kris face, a satisfying thud resounding as he quickly flips out of the way, a fanciful twist. His movements are quick and precise, and he couldn't help smiling as he executes each move, his fist tauntingly close to Kris's face before he twists away and hits another part of him. His body remembers the movements even when it was hidden beneath his knives and fanciful weapons. "Kris," he says, all the while flipping himself up, "this is fighting." 

"An expression of mind- Fighting is art." 

"It's the way you express yourself- how you move; a freedom in you," Tao says, knocking Kris prone onto the floor and leveling his hand straight into Kris throat, poised for a quick knockout. 

"To be free, this is true fighting. More than your weapons and knifes, more than dying," Tao repeats to Kris's face, savoring the shocked expressions flittering through Kris's face. He has not practiced his art of fighting for so long, he never realized he truly missed it so much. 

They share a smile as Tao helps Kris up and teaches him, slowly, the basics of his art. 

Tao learns his second lesson here as they bond over their Western and Chinese fighting- 

Everyone needs someone else. 

a/n:  I think everyone is slowly getting how this story will be like now don't you? Thanks for subbing and leave a kind comment!