Hi guys! Roobaby2011 here! I'm new to the world of anime fanfiction but I figured I would give it a try. I really think that Ryoushi and Ryouko deserved a real ending! I love this anime and was really disappointed by how it ended so I wrote my own little follow up one shot!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
KISSING THE WOLF
Long long ago….Well you get the gist.
When we check in with our friends at the Otogi Bank we find Okami-san, Alice and Ryoushi sitting before a requestor. A small, shy, girl looked up at them from behind caramel colored bangs and began her story.
"I-I was at-tacked on the way h-home yesterday." Her weak voice was barely audible. Her little body shook which caused her hair to move slightly and they all saw the bruises on her neck.
"Did you recognize your attackers?" Alice asked as she scribbled on a note pad.
"No." The girl shuddered and a small tear ran down her check. Ryoushi noticed Ryouko was gritting her teeth and lightly slicing at the arm of the couch with her nails. This type of request has been particularly infuriating for Okami-san as of late. Ever since she was rescued from the clutches of Shiro there has been a certain intensity radiating from her whenever the subject matter is mentioned.
"Well. What is it that you want from us exactly?" Alice asked in her usual straightforward way.
"I-I want…Okami-san." She squeaked. The girl brought her head up and everyone saw the fear and desperation in her eyes.
"For what exactly?" Alice asked. Ryoushi winced at Alice's unintentionally harsh tone. He noticed Ryouko's face change suddenly. Her expression softened and she slid forward in her seat.
"Do you want me to protect you?" Ryouko asked suddenly. Her voice was low and it had a comforting quality.
"Please!" The girl begged. Ryouko nodded that she would accept the assignment with a determined smile. Alice handled the rest of the arrangements and it was settled that Ryouko would accompany the girl home and deal with the thugs who attacked her. After the girl left the President called for a meeting.
"Are you sure about this Okami-san?" Liszt asked. Everyone in the room was a little apprehensive. There didn't seem to be anything fishy about this request but Shiro was still out there plotting.
"Of course." Ryouko dropped her head and spoke again, her voice was rough and laced with hatred. "You all saw those bruises. How could you even ask me to turn her away for my own protection?" Without another word she left. Ringo and Ryoushi followed a few seconds later and when they reached the exit Okami-san was nowhere to be found.
"I wonder where she ran off to?" Ringo placed a finger to her lips. She stared off in the direction of the street, and then glanced back at the school. "She wouldn't go to class if she was upset." Ringo tapped her foot on the ground. "I wonder." She glanced at Ryoushi and saw that his wheels were spinning. She knew exactly where Ryouko always went to blow off steam but she wondered just how well Ryoushi was beginning to understand the wolf.
"The gym." He said simply and took off down the street. Ringo smiled and turned to go back to the Otogi Bank. She figured her friend would be fine in the hands of someone who obviously loved her a great deal.
He spotted her in the ring taking her frustrations out on some poor unsuspecting fool. Ryoushi could see the fire gleaming in her eyes and knew this poor man was in for an intense fight. The bell sounded and Ryouko came out full force. It seemed like she had completely forgotten one of the most basic rules of fighting, to keep a cool head and not let your emotions take over. She pounded away at the man ending the fight with just a few swings.
Ryoushi watched as she backed away and turn to exit the ring. He moved on instinct when he saw the man get up from the ring floor with pure hatred burning in his eyes. He reared back to throw a shot and Ryoushi slammed him with a strong right hook to the jaw. He hit the mat and Ryouko spun around.
"Ryoushi?" Ryouko looked at the now unconscious man and back to Ryoushi.
"Is everything all right Ryouko-san?" Ryoushi asked completely ignoring what had just happened.
"I'm fine. Why are you here?" She asked. Her last statement was like a stab straight to the heart.
"I came to make sure you were ok. You seemed pretty upset back at the bank." He lowered his head and stared at the ground. He felt so defeated because, after all they had been through together, she still didn't trust him enough to tell him how she really feels. He really felt like melting into the floor when she didn't even respond to him and just walked away. He waited for her outside the gym half expecting her to sneak out a back exit so that she didn't have to walk back with him. He was taken by complete surprise when she came out of the gym with a huge smile on her face.
"I will. See you guys tomorrow!" She called over her shoulder. The people at the gym were like family to her and going in to box was like going home for an afternoon.
"You really care for them." Ryoushi said. There was a little pang of jealousy in his heart.
"Huh? Oh yeah. They are all like family to me. This was where I first learned to box." Her smile slipped and Ryoushi knew her mind must have turned to the reason why she learned to box. Before she sank too far into terrible memories Ryoushi blurted out.
"You know you don't have to worry." He said unable to meet her eyes.
"Worry? About what?" She asked.
"Anything." He began. "I'll always be here to protect you Ryouko-san." He finished with a smile. They walked back the rest of the way in silence. Ryoushi noticed that after that she walked a little closer to him.
After school Ryoushi followed Ryouko and the requestor. If Ryouko had known he was trailing them he would have been severely punished but he didn't care. Something just wasn't right about the situation but he couldn't figure out what. He was actually relieved to see that the thugs that appeared were not from any of the usual groups that had made it a personal game to challenge Ryouko. They didn't seem like they were affiliated with Shiro either.
"Stay back!" Ryouko called to the poor whimpering girl. She gently pushed her aside and turned to face her first opponent. There were five all together, and Ryouko noticed all of them came to the fight well armed. Three of the men had switchblades, one a lead pipe and the last a wooden baseball bat. Ryoushi hid himself in a nearby tree and readied his slingshot. Ryouko donned her kitty knuckles and dared the nearest man to bring it on.
The first opponent thrust his switchblade toward Ryouko and something began to burn inside Ryoushi's chest. Ryouko dodged his attack effortlessly and Ryoushi shot a Pachinko ball. The knife went flying from the man's hand. Ryouko looked over her shoulder for an instant and Ryoushi swore he saw a small smile grace her lips. She landed several strong punches and the man hit the ground. The next few attackers met the same fate in almost the same exact way. The Wolf and the Hunter had become quite the fighting pair.
Ryoushi watched her plow through the men so effortlessly and allowed himself to become momentarily caught up in her beautiful fluid movements. He observed her roundhouse kick one attacker square to the jaw and heard the sickening crunch that indicated it was broken. He watched as her long locks whipped along her back like a silky golden river. He didn't see the last attacker wielding his baseball bat ready to strike Ryouko from behind until it was too late.
The bat connected with a tremendous amount of force across her shoulders. She crumpled to the ground and the poor requestor began to scream. The last man standing had taken a cheap shot and taken down his beautiful wolf. Ryoushi shot from the tree like a bolt of lightning. The man never saw the strong right hook that connected with the side of his head coming and for a moment was knocked off balance.
"How dare you!" Ryoushi screamed. He was shaking with rage. Ryouko stirred slightly and her eyes fluttered open, she watched the next few moments unfold before the darkness claimed her again.
"How dare I what?" The man growled. Ryoushi wanted to smack the smug smirk from his face.
"How dare you lay a hand on MY RYOUKO!" He screamed. Ryoushi flung himself at the man and used all of his weight to tackle him to the ground. He then proceeded to beat the man in the face mercilessly. His fists began to draw blood and when he saw the deep red liquid dripping from his fingers reality began to return. He backed away letting all of them escape, and then slowly walked over to where Ryouko lay motionless.
"I-Is she o-ok?" The requestor whimpered. Ryoushi rolled Ryouko over and put two fingers to the side of her neck. He was so relieved to feel her heart beating almost normally. In fact it was beating a little faster than normal.
"I'm so sorry." He managed to say. A few tears threatened to escape his eyes. He then scooped Ryouko up and stared down at her for a moment. Ryouko needed help and he figured she probably needed to go to the hospital but for some reason he felt like it was safer to report back to everyone at the Otogi Bank first. He told the requestor that Ryouko would be fine and told her to go home then he started the long walk back to the school.
During the walk Ryouko was in and out of consciousness. She recognized the sweet scent that was filling her up. She felt two strong arms cradling her back and legs. In her mind she kept hearing MY RYOUKO over and over again. If Ryoushi wouldn't have been so guilt ridden and sore from his own fight he might have noticed her occasional alertness.
In her mind the events of the day played over and over again. First they were at the gym. The owner had come over to Ryouko after her fight and told her how Ryoushi had valiantly charged in and saved her from her opponents attack. He told her that the man was suspended from the gym and to thank Ryoushi for him. Then they were walking outside and she relived his words again and felt her heart beat quicken when she remembered the word 'protect.' Now he had saved her yet again. Her mind flashed to the time she was captured by Shiro and she realized that Ryoushi had always been there. He had saved her every time she needed him. She was really starting to believe in his promises.
"I love you Ryouko-san." Her mind flashed back to fireworks and smiles. That was the night that in her own way she had confessed that she didn't 'dislike' Ryoushi. Ever since that night she had been trying to ignore her new unfamiliar feelings. It felt like a cinderblock crushing her chest every time he came into the room. The darkness cleared again and threw blurry eyes she looked up at his face. She felt a deep blush coming on before the pain drug her back into the darkness.
When they arrived at the school everyone had already gone home. He made a quick call to the President and Ringo then returned to Ryouko. He stared at her broken form and a whole new wave of pain hit his chest.
"I'm so sorry Ryouko." He said, his voice shaking. He hit his knees and grabbed her hand. "If only I had been paying attention to the battle and not just to you I…" His voice trailed off and he laid his head down on her stomach.
"Ryoushi." He heard it, regardless of how faint it had been. He stared up at her for an instant but then laid his head back down. He really didn't have the courage to meet her gaze.
"Ryouko? Can you hear me? I'm so sorry!" His voice was soft and his eyes stung from unshed tears. She brought up the only hand that was free from his tight grip and used it to pat him on the head much like one would a puppy.
"Why are you sorry? You saved me." That last part was just above a whisper and her voice was full of admiration. Her pats began to linger as memories flooded back.
"But it was my fault! I should have had your back!" He said looking up at her through his dark bangs.
"But…" She began, and he cut her off.
"But nothing! I have to make this right! What can I do to make you feel better?" She was almost frightened by the look in his eyes. It was almost like he was searching her very soul for the answer he sought.
"N-n-nothing! I'm fine." She started to sit up but winced and fell back to the couch.
"No you're not." He said, getting up and going to sit behind her so that she could lean back on him and rest easier. She tensed up from more than just pain because of his actions. Eventually she leaned into him and rested her head on his chest. A few moments passed and Ryoushi noticed that Ryouko seemed to be going through some sort of internal struggle.
"Ryoushi, I-I know wh-what would m-make me feel better." She wanted to thank him for everything that he had done but somehow mere words seemed insufficient. It was then she realized that she was sitting on her long hair and it was starting to hurt a little. She pulled it aside and hoped that he would assist her in leaning up a little. He did and once she had all her hair collected she pulled it to her left side. Her neck and shoulder was exposed and Ryoushi could see the gruesome bruise that had already formed. His chest hurt like he was being stabbed. He leaned down and without thinking kissed her shoulder.
Ryouko's entire body shivered. Her heart began to race and for an instant she thought about trying to make a run for it. Ryoushi was so surprised when she leaned up against him even closer and tilted her head to the left exposing more of her neck. Ryoushi obliged with another kiss at the base of her neck and one just below her ear. Without a word Ryouko reached up and tapped her shoulder signaling him to kiss a particularly painful spot. He obliged once again and felt her shiver.
"And here?" She inquired, tapping just below her ear again. Ryoushi made that kiss linger for a moment and then peppered a few more working his way back down to her shoulder. When he paused she turned slowly and painfully around to face him and he gently wrapped his arms around her waist. She stared up into his eyes and felt a pain go through her chest. She wanted to tell him but at that point words didn't make sense.
"And here?" She asked placing a finger to her bottom lip. There was a fiercely red blush forming across her checks and she averted her eyes. Ryoushi cupped her face with one hand causing her to meet his loving gaze. Ryoushi was blushing as well. He leaned in and lightly touched his lips to hers. He was so gentle and affectionate and did his best to give her time to think things through. He pulled his lips away and stared into her eyes looking for any trace of hesitation.
Ryouko had never been kissed like that. She had braced herself for what she believed to be a kiss but was taken by surprise. Ryoushi was so gentle and slow. It was nothing like any of her previous experiences. He kissed her as a product of his feelings for her, there was no hint of an animalistic lust, which is all she had ever known. Shiro's kisses had been nothing like this. She could no longer deny the feelings in her heart. The pain in her chest was replaced by a deep burn.
Ryoushi froze, her eyes were wide and she was slightly out of breath. In his mind he was cursing himself but then he saw the sudden change in her entire expression. Her eyes glowed like fire and her lips curled in a slight smile. She then threw her arms around his neck and planted a rough kiss on his lips. He kissed back, a little afraid of what he might have unleashed by kissing the wolf.
"Ahem." Ringo interrupted, with a huge smile on her face and a gleam in her mischievous eyes. Ryouko tried to pull away from Ryoushi quickly but was too weak and fell back to his chest. Her entire face was scarlet red as Ryoushi helped her sit. She knew that there was really no reason to try and cover it up. Ringo surely heard and saw the entire thing. After thinking about it for a few minutes Ryouko decided she really didn't want it covered up.
"Are the two of you alright?" Liszt asked.
"Fine." They both answered simultaneously. They both blushed and stared at the floor.
"Well, you can make sure Ryouko-san gets home right Morino-kun? The President and I have a few things to discuss." Ringo said grabbing Liszt by the arm and dragging him out the door. They sat in silence for a few more minutes until Ryoushi, getting nervous, began to ramble.
"I uh can explain to them that we were just uh…um. That is if it makes you uncomfortable." He tried to smile but couldn't. He didn't want to try and make this something it wasn't. He wanted to throw his arms around her and never let her go but he was giving all of the control to her.
"If that's what you want." She said, trying to stand, only to fall back into Ryoushi's arms. Their faces were now inches apart, and she could feel his breath on her lips. He stared into her amber eyes, his emerald ones shining.
"That's the farthest thing from what I want." He said softly. He was now unable to meet her gaze so he turned away and released her. He felt so sick and literally felt like beating his head on the wall. How could he have said that? How could he be so stupid?
She was finally able to stand. Her body felt weak and her balance was a little off but she was up. She stood for a moment trying to come up with the right words to express how she felt but couldn't. So finally she stretched out her hand but didn't dare look back. She waited for what felt like an eternity but then she felt his strong hand clasp hers. She looked up at him and the smile that was on her face was one he had never seen before.
"Let's go home." He said. The couple walked down the street hand in hand. A bush bounced along behind them. Ryouko could have sworn she heard someone who sounded a lot like Ringo say, "See I told you so!"
And they all lived happily ever after.