Disclaimer: I own absolutely none of Tenchi. Except for my fanfic ideas I suppose. I wish I could own Tenchi. AND the titles "Your Kiss is on my List" is from a Hall and Oates song. I most certainly did not create that title. It just fits. Unchained Melody is from the Righteous Brothers and Ma Cherie Amour is from Stevie Wonder.
INFO: About this fic! I already have it at the point where Tenchi confessed to Ryoko and I am working on my way out of timeframe Christmas fic to go with it. BUT I had inspiration to write this in betweener based on…a song, yea. I swear I am an idiot mush.
SO! This is in-between…I dunno, one of the points where he was debating what to say to her and before he told her. Aha!
A long day had ended at the Masaki residence. Mostly everyone was lounging around the television, listening to the murmur of night sitcoms or perhaps just sleeping on the couch to tune everything out.
Mihoshi herself was dozing, as usual especially after she ate. And no one dared bother her either. The moods in the household were particularly placid and well, happy. Except for maybe one person, that is. Anyway, Yosho was down for the evening, he had decided to turn in early to get up, and of course Nobuyki was out of the house tonight with his fiancé. Sasami let herself space out watching the love drama on the television, while Ryo-Ohki had curled up comfortably next to her. Washu was watching the television too, feelings of happiness coursing through he head from the person she shared her mindlink with. That had made her stay out of the gloomy lab tonight with Sasami and the rest. Only Ayeka was gloomy, her hands in her lap and eyes staring at the TV. She didn't care what was going on. She didn't care at all. She just had to sit and let herself heal up.
The reason for Ayeka's unhappiness and Washu's good mood sat on the roof. Both of them. Tenchi sat with his arm around Ryoko, who was pressed in next to him as they made conversation. About this and that really, in fact most natural conversation. Ryoko didn't get to have that much with Tenchi before they got together. Mostly before it was glomping him and obsessing so much, all she could focus on was trying to win him. But tonight was different and anyone could see why. It had been some months since they had gotten together, still early in the year and the air was crisp on any skin they had revealed. Ryoko wore her usual yellow and blue robe, and Tenchi wore his jeans and blue sweatshirt, which he kept trying to offer her but she would not take it.
Sighing at a break between topics, Ryoko took an advantage. She had many things she had always been curious to hear about from him, but would take the first one off her mind right now. She grabbed his arm gently to get his attention so he would know she wanted a turn to speak. He turned his big brown eyes towards her, smiling. "Hmmmm?"
"Tenchi…." She hesitated, trying to phrase it into words. "How did you decide…when and how...you were going to tell me?"
His dumb look only assured her what she suspected. He was tired and having problems knowing exactly what she was talking about. He HAD had a long day at school after all. "You know…when and how you decided how to tell me that you had…not chosen Ayeka." She bit her lip. 'Tell me how you decided to say you loved me' sounded too mushy.
"Ah…" Tenchi chuckled and leaned forward, taking his arm from around Ryoko to clasp his hands, dangled in front of him. "That…you really want to hear how I came to decide that."
"Not that." She waved it away. "I mean how you decided to tell me and…well like that."
"Oh….I think I know what you mean. Well, I guess I decided…hmm…about 4 or 5 months ago. It went like this…."
"My Cherie Amour, lovely as a summer's day
My Cherie Amour, distant as the Milky Way
My Cherie Amour, pretty little one that I adore
You're the only girl my heart beats for
How I wish that you were mine"
Rewind to 4 months ago. The beginning of October. "Hmmph…." Annoyed as hell, Tenchi looked at the time he had woken up. It was a good thing it was a Saturday. It was late. He also glared at the radio….that was what had woken him up. But his gaze softened as the words of course, got to him and made him think of Ryoko.
"In a cafe or sometimes on a crowded street
I've been near you, but you never notice me
My Cherie Amour, won't you tell me how could you ignore
That behind that little smile I wore
How I wish that you were mine"
It really made no sense why it reminded him of her. It wasn't like she was ignoring him at all, or really distant but…somehow she DID seem too far to touch sometimes. Of course, it was a lot of his scared conscience saying that since he was always nervous about confessing. He scowled at the radio and smacked the 'off' button. He really did not want to remind himself of his failures to come clean.
A quick shower didn't even work to wash it away. No matter what, he just couldn't seem to get into his usual act of 'go work, pretend to shove Ryoko away, eat, yada yada'. He HAD to do something. HAD to!
He wandered back to bed and lay down. He was stressed. Stressed beyond belief. Then without warning two yellow eyes appeared in front of his own. "You're still in bed!?? Are you sick? Are you okay? What's wrong!? I knew I should have watched you sleep last night! Now now just be quiet and let Ryoko take care of it. You may have to take off your clothes though." With a snicker she plonked onto his bed with a light bounce. Tenchi himself just winced. What a time for her to barge in and want his clothes to come off like a banana peel. He was even too stressed to think about that.
"Ryoko…." He said softly with a sigh. He could just keep her there. He could tell her the truth. He could do a lot of things. "Ryoko I just am tired. Could you go please?"
In one liquid, sudden movement her face was right in his, lips less than an inch away. He swallowed and turned completely red, and closed his eyes. Oh no. She was going to kiss him. And he would not be able to resist. But instead, he felt a smooth finger on his lips. And he heard the low sound of Ryoko singing a little, playfully.
"When they insist on knowing my bliss
I tell them this
When they want to know what the reason is
I only smile when I lie, then I tell them why
Because your kiss your kiss is on my list
Because your kiss your kiss is on my list
Because your kiss is on my list of the best things in life
Because your kiss your kiss is on my list
Because your kiss your kiss I can't resist
Because your kiss is what I miss when I turn out the light"
Then she grinned and leaned back, standing up.
"Ryoko…" He stared and almost begged her not to back towards the door as she was doing.
""I'm going to get it someday Tenchi! And someday, you won't be able to resist." And with that she faded, having no idea at the time just how right she was.
"Hmmm." He slowly got up…and opened a drawer in his desk. Pulling out a few notebooks he finally came to his list of things to do…his very hidden list. Most of it was filled with 'Tell Ryoko' 'Confess' and 'Wash Boxers'. Neatly taking his pen to somewhere near the top of the paper, he added 'Kiss Ryoko.' "You kiss is on my list too…" He said aloud, to no one except maybe the walls. He had made up his mind. He was going to tell her by the end of the month.
And it all rushed at him so fast. The idea of Halloween. Costumes. Costumes were a great invention. Perfect for hiding and saying things before you were ready. Every time he took out that list, he gazed at that top line. And he searched. Searched for a way to hide himself. He found it. A mask. A trench coat. Simple yet effective for hiding.
And it drove him insane sometimes. He would walk in the kitchen to get food, and Ryoko would hug him right away. She would hug him so tight and he badly wanted to squeeze back. But resisted for the right time.
At night he started a ritual of checking up on her when her face was not in his room. He knew it was risky. Should she see him and be alarmed, and go looking for him in his room, she could put the clues together. But thankfully she was tough enough to not run for safety to him. Instead, she caught him masked one night.
He remembered her asking him who he was. He had to disguise his voice. "I know you well Ryoko…I know you better than you might think. And I have ways yet to surprise you. I just want you to know that I love you and think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. That sounds corny, doesn't it?" He laughed.
She called him overconfident, and threatened the cut the mask off. His instincts told him he should not continue any farther in this. So he backed off.
He backed off for a while in the outfit. And he tried to decorate with Ryoko and be with her. But Ayeka always followed along, making him a little annoyed. And then came the day Ayeka felt compelled to show him Ryoko was wearing his boxers. What a tattler. He found it funny though. Unfortunately, Ryoko thought he would hate her and before he could talk to her, she was gone.
Luckily he knew where to find her. He appeared to her in the outfit as she ruined the decorations they had hung together in a sweet day of just…happiness. He ached at that. He did not hate her! And yet she was wrecking them. He wanted to say something, but now...was not the time. He tried to reach out secretly again and still she lashed. But curiosity got the best of him. Believing he hated her now, would she give up on him and go with someone claiming to have feelings for her. He asked.
And was satisfied as the answered she would not give up on her dear Tenchi, good. He pretended to be sad. But inside he...he felt like he was going to explode. He was going to tell her. The next night at the dance.
The next night he tried so painstakingly to get the outfit right. He looked at his list and left it on his desk. That way if he backed out again tonight, she might see the list. He had selected music to dance to; a song he had found called Unchained Melody. It had done nothing for him at first until the singer howled out "I need your love" for the next to last time. The way he did it, when Tenchi first heard it, made the poor guy literally topple over in his chair as the song had been soft before. Perfect! The perfect effect! Calm and odd and then it would let loose! How perfect! Oh he could give himself so many brownie points right now.
Oh yea. He was almost done. Sasami walked in. He pleaded for her not to leave the door open too wide...or to tell everyone including Ryoko what Tenchi was dressed up as. She complimented him and ran off, no one else saw. Whew. So he descended.
He knew Ryoko was a sea serpent, she had mentioned it. And as he walked down those stairs, he saw her with it off, talking to Washu. And then she looked up as he came towards her. Her face scowled at first, but Washu seemed to...know...she urged Ryoko on and she went. Tenchi led her to where he wanted to dance, and cued the music from his father.
Ryoko was giving him a confused look as he did so. She of course could not recognize him. Then the music started, and his heart leapt into his throat. NO turning back now. None.
"Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch, a long
Lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine…"
She turned her head towards him. "Who are you?" His lips were dry and he prepared to answer, except to be interrupted by the next part of the song.
"I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me"
"Take off the mask Ryoko. I want you too. You've earned it. Though you still resist me, at least see the man behind the mask." He was ready.
"Lonely rivers flow, to the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me
I'll be coming home, wait for me"
He could see through the mask eyes the hand coming towards his head. He felt as though he may black completely out. The he could breathe. The mask was off, and his face was revealed. He smiled at his extremely surprised glowing face. It was like a burden was lifted of both of them.
"Oh my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch a long
Lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?"
He asked the last words instead of sang them, and then answered his own question. "I suppose you are…you resisted me yesterday when you knew not who I was…" He smiled and pulled Ryoko in closer to dance. She had never left. She was still his. She had not left for…the trench coat guy as Tenchi could only put him. His eyes closed as the line that had urged him blasted.
"I need your love
I need you love
God speed your love to me…"
"I was always yours Tenchi."
"Hmmmm…." Ryoko was lying against him now on the roof, her eyes closed as her fondest memory ever came flooding back to her. She hadn't asked for the memory of course but would in now way grow tired of talking about it. "So…I inspired you when I sang you before running off to punch Ayeka huh?"
He looked alarmed. "THAT'S what you were up to? Oh…" He realized as she laughed that had just been to get his attention. "Oh Ryoko!" He was happy despite her strange ways of riling him up. He raised her head to give her a kiss on the lips, and realized she did feel a little cold. "Let's go inside."
She nodded her head in agreement and teleported them both off to a warmer place.
Notes: I did not mean to type the ending from a different perspective when I started. But I thought it might be fun. And it actually was. Now I realize this was a lot of mush. But it's been a little pent up lately; I have badly wanted to express more Tenchi and Ryoko stuffs, especially since I got Unchained Melody burned on cd. I may write a story for them for Tenchi Universe as well, who knows. Anyway…yea lol.
Comments? Reviews or emails to are lurved. Malkavia(underscore)fox on hotmail