Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the Ronin Warriors series. This story is designed for non-profit use only.
Sometimes Nice Guys Finish First
The ronins ran around Mia's house trying to get their things together for the big dance. The Valentine's Day dance was the biggest of the year next to the prom, and they all were planning on having a great time. Kento, Cye, Rowen, and Sage came into the kitchen just as Ryo finished making lunch.
"Hey guys, grab a seat; I'll go grab Mia," he stated and headed upstairs.
Ryo approached Mia's door and knocked politely.
"Come in," a voice stated. Ryo walked in and time froze for him. Mia stood in front of her mirror checking her appearance as she tried on her dress for the dance. It was an ankle-length black dress that was slit up her left leg and crisscrossed across her back; it hugged her slim form beautifully and gave Ryo a great view of her feminine curves. Ryo gulped as he looked at her.
"How's it look?" Mia asked. Ryo couldn't tear his eyes away from the pretty brunette in front of him.
"Mia…you look…you look…you look incredible!" Ryo finally choked out. Mia smiled and blushed slightly.
"Thank you, Ryo," she said warmly.
"So, who are you going with?" Ryo asked.
"What do you mean?" Mia replied.
"Well, I heard that you turned down the three other guys that asked you; so, who are taking?" he repeated.
"I'm not really sure, but I was kind of hoping that David Michaels would ask me," Mia said sheepishly. Ryo felt his heart break at her statement. He really wanted to ask her, but he didn't want to embarrass Mia in front of the whole school. I mean- you can't have a teacher show up with a student! "How about you?" Mia fired back.
"Me?" Ryo gasped.
"Yeah, which girl convinced you to take her?" Mia prodded. Ryo hung his head slightly.
"Well, I…I…I haven't exactly asked anyone," he replied.
"What?" Mia gasped.
"I'm not much for dates much less picking out one," Ryo replied sheepishly. "It's alright though because I'll be busy all night taking care of the catering; so, I'll be fine," he finished. Mia felt sad that Ryo had no date for the dance, but she wasn't sure what to do.
"Anyway, Mia, I just came up to tell you that lunch is ready," Ryo said quickly.
"Thanks, Ryo, I'll be down in a minute," Mia replied, and Ryo exited the room.
The next day, Ryo walked around the school looking for David. He found him in his office and knocked on the door.
"Hey Ryo, come in," he said brightly.
"Hi Dave, I came by to talk to you about something. I was wondering, if you had a date for the Valentine's Day dance?" Ryo asked.
"No, but why would you ask me that?" he said confused. Ryo choked out his next statement.
"Well, I was wondering how you felt about Mia?" Ryo said. Dave walked around his desk.
"Mia…she's the prettiest teacher in the whole school, but I heard that she turned down every guy who asked her," Dave replied.
"Well, if you ask her, she won't turn you down," Ryo answered. David smiled broadly.
"Really, that's great! I'll ask her today," he said with a smile and headed for the door.
"Excellent," Ryo said flatly and hung his head. Dave stopped before he reached the door.
"Hey Ryo, what's up with you?" he asked.
"What are talking about?" Ryo said trying to avoid the situation.
"Well, all your friends know that you care about Mia deeply, and I for one believe that you're in love with her," Dave shot back. Ryo raised his head as his eyes began to water. He blew out a long breath and sighed.
"You're right, Dave, I do, but Mia wants to go with you, and all I care about is her happiness," Ryo said softly. David just looked at the young man standing in front of him. Ryo really did love Mia; he was willing to break his own heart just to make her happy.
"Ryo…I…I don't know what to say," Dave said as he lost his train of thought.
"Don't say anything, Dave; just make sure that Mia has fun," Ryo said softly and walked out.
That afternoon, the guys were sitting in the living room, when Mia literally bounced in the door.
"Hi everyone!" she said brightly.
"Jeez, Mia, what happened to you?" Sage quipped.
"Nothing, just that the guy that I wanted to go to the dance with asked me today," she said happily. Everyone smiled warmly at her. Ryo smiled at her, but inside, a cold vice was slowly closing around his heart.
Later that evening, they all piled into Mia's jeep and headed for the school. Ryo had left an hour earlier to make sure that everything was perfect.
As the evening progressed, Ryo felt his heart slowly breaking as he watched Mia dance in David's arms. He sighed sadly, but he knew that he'd done the right thing.
Dave kept one eye on Ryo as he danced with Mia. Ryo never took his eyes off of Mia. Dave could see that Ryo's eyes were filled with pure longing, but he wasn't sure what to do.
When the dance was about half over, Ryo grabbed his coat and headed out. His duties were finished for the evening, and as he looked at Mia and David one last time, he knew that he had no other reason to be there.
Mia gently hugged David as she danced with him.
"I wanted thank you for bringing me tonight," Mia said with a smile.
"Sure, Mia, anytime. I actually wasn't planning on asking you until Ryo came to see me," Dave replied. Mia jerked up and looked at him in shock.
"What are you talking about?" Mia gasped.
"Ryo came to see me the other day. He said that you told him that you wanted to come with me; so, he told me to ask you to the dance," Dave replied. Mia's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait a minute! You're telling me that Ryo set us up!" she replied.
"Yes, Mia, that's the reason why I asked you," David answered.
"But, why would he do that?" she asked.
"Because he cares about you, Mia, and I honestly believe that he loves you," David said warmly. Mia almost fainted at David's words, but she couldn't help denying them. Ryo always treated her like a princess and was always a gentleman around her. He was her best friend, and the one that she always confided in.
"But…but, if he loves me, why would he let someone else bring me?" she said as tears welled up in her eyes. David grinned at her.
"Well, he said that you coming to the dance with me would make you happy, and that's all he really cares about," he replied. Mia couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I believe his exact words were 'Mia wants to go with you, and all I care about is her happiness,'" David finished. Mia was on the verge of breaking down; Ryo had broken his own heart just to make her happy. She let go of David and looked around for her benefactor, but Ryo was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he?" she said worriedly.
"Go on, Mia, go find him. He's the one that deserves to have you," David said with a smile. Mia kissed his cheek and went looking for Ryo.
She couldn't find him anywhere and finally went up to the principal.
"Excuse me, but have you seen Ryo Sanada?" Mia asked.
"Ryo…oh, he left about fifteen minutes ago. He said that his duties were completed for the evening; so, he went home," the man replied. Mia dashed outside and looked for Ryo's motorcycle, but it was gone.
"Ryo, I'm sorry for not realizing it earlier; please, wait for me," she pleaded and climbed into her jeep.
Mia made it home in record time and ran inside.
"Ryo!" she called. "Ryo, are you here?" Mia ran through the house looking for him, but Ryo was nowhere to be found. Mia ran upstairs and almost tripped over Whiteblaze as the tiger came out of Ryo's room.
"Whiteblaze, where's Ryo?" she asked. Whiteblaze made a motion like he was swimming, and Mia knew that he was talking about water, but where would Ryo go near water…the harbor. Mia ran down to her room, pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, grabbed her purse and keys, and bolted out of the house.
Mia reached the docks around midnight and smiled when she saw a familiar red motorcycle up ahead. She pulled up behind him and got out. She could tell that it was Ryo by his long mane of black hair. She came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Ryo?" she said softly.
"Hi Mia," he said flatly. "How was the dance?"
"It went very well thanks to you," she said sweetly. That made Ryo turned his head to look at her.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. Mia moved closer to him and cupped his face in her hands.
"I know what you did, Ryo; I know that you asked David to take me to the dance," she said with a grin. Ryo's eyes widened in surprise to her words.
"Well, I just thought that it would make you happy," Ryo said softly and put his head down. Mia lifted his head and kissed his nose.
"You're right, Ryo, it did make me happy, but it also taught me something," she said tenderly.
"Which is?" Ryo asked.
"That you love me…" Mia trailed off as she bent down and lightly kissed his lips, "…and that I love you," she finished and kissed him again. Ryo almost exploded, when she said that she loved him. He couldn't believe that Mia was kissing him. Her lips were like hot silk as they brushed up against his. Ryo pushed her away and climbed off his bike. He pulled Mia into his arms and looked into her eyes. Mia smiled at the tenderness and love shining in his eyes.
"I love you, Ryo," she said with all her heart.
"I love you too, Mia," Ryo replied and tightened his arms around her. He slid one hand up her back and gently stroked her cheek. He bent down and lightly kissed her lips. Mia happily returned his actions and wrapped her arms around his neck. She slowly opened her mouth, and Ryo gently let his tongue slide into her mouth. Mia was electrified as Ryo's tongue touched hers. Ryo couldn't hold back anymore and embraced her passionately. He slanted his mouth over hers to deepen the kiss, and his tongue flooded into her mouth. Mia moaned softly as Ryo made a thorough sweep of her mouth.
"Oh Ryo…" she purred into his mouth. Ryo slid his hands into her jacket and wrapped his arms around Mia's slim body. He couldn't stop kissing her sweet lips; she tasted too good. Finally, lack of air forced them to break, and Mia buried herself in his arms. Ryo placed a trail of kisses down her neck, and Mia moaned softly. He came back up to her mouth and kissed her gently.
"My beautiful Mia…" Ryo said softly as he looked into her eyes. Mia smiled warmly at him.
"Hey, Ryo, wanna go to the dance with me?" she quipped.
"What?" he gasped.
"Sure, it doesn't end until two, let's go," she said happily.
"Anything for you, love," Ryo said tenderly. Mia smiled and kissed him gently. She reluctantly left his arms, Ryo climbed on his bike, and Mia headed back to the school.
They walked inside to see that most of the people were still there. Ryo turned to Mia and grinned.
"May I have this dance, Miss Koji?" he asked with a wink.
"It would my pleasure, Mr. Sanada," she said and offered her hand. Ryo kissed her hand and led her onto the floor. The next song came on, and Ryo recognized it immediately. He pulled Mia into a warm embrace and looked directly into her eyes as he lip-singed to 'I Want to Fall in Love'. Mia couldn't believe the love and tenderness that she saw in his eyes. Ryo bent down and placed his forehead against hers as he led her around the floor. He was sure that people were staring at them, but he didn't care; he only had eyes for Mia tonight. From the side, Sage, Rowen, Cye, and Kento grinned at each other.
"Hey guys, check 'em out!" Kento quipped and pointed at Ryo and Mia.
"Well, I'll be…" Rowen said in disbelief.
"Ryo finally told her," Sage added.
"It's about time!" Cye finished. They all looked on with smiles as Ryo danced with Mia.
The last set of fast songs began, and Ryo walked over to the other ronins.
"Hey guys," he said happily.
"Well, Ryo, I'd say that you're in a good mood," Sage quipped, referring to his arm wrapped around Mia's waist. Ryo was about to retort, but Mia silenced him.
"Hey guys, what's say we show these people how the Ronin Warriors dance?" Ryo quipped.
"Ryo, I thought you couldn't dance," Kento piped up.
"You never asked big guy," he retorted.
"Ryo, can you really dance?" Mia asked anxiously.
"You'll soon find out; come on guys, let's rock!" he ordered.
"Yeah!" they all agreed and headed out to the floor. They formed up, and the music started. All the students made a huge circle around the ronins. All the girls gathered around to watch Sage dance; he was the 'best' dancer in the school, and they didn't want to miss it. Each of the ronins took their turns individually- first Kento, then Cye, then Rowen, and finally Sage who drew a huge applause. Ryo deliberately acted like he was nervous as his friends and classmates looked at him.
"Come on, Ryo, you're not scared are you?" Sage mocked. Ryo looked at him and gave him a look that said 'I'm about to make you eat your words'. Ryo glided out onto the floor and spun around. He proceeded to dazzle the crowd as he flew around the floor. Everyone couldn't believe that this was Ryo Sanada; he was usually so reserved and quiet; now, he was all show. Mia giggled as she watched him; Ryo was having the time of his life making Sage eat his words. Ryo suddenly turned around and locked his eyes with hers. Mia gulped as she watched Ryo slither his way towards her, looking like a predator stalking his prey.
"Ryo, don't you dare!" she was about to scream, but it was too late. Ryo pulled her out into the middle of the floor. He let go of her hand and used her as a prop for his show. Mia blushed as Ryo danced around her. His movements were not normal at all; they radiated his love and affection for her, and the passion that roared beneath his calm exterior. Ryo spun her out and pull her back into his arms. He ground his hips into her as he literally buzzed with sensual energy. Mia couldn't believe that Ryo was doing this; he was turning her on so much that she started to sweat from the heat on her face. The music drew to its climatic end. Ryo went to pull her back against him, but he deliberately pulled too hard, and Mia flew past him. Ryo caught her in his opposite arm and dipped her over just as the music ended. He stared into her eyes, and Mia tried to catch her breath.
"Wow," was all she could say. Ryo smiled and kissed her softly. He pulled her up and winked at her as the crowd gave them a thunderous ovation. The other ronins slapped Ryo on the back as they grinned.
"Damn, Ryo, you're good!" Kento roared.
"Yeah, Ryo, you brought the house down," Cye added.
"I hate to say it, Ryo, but they're right," Sage conceded. Ryo shook his head.
"Wait a minute, guys…" he said and signaled the DJ. "What's say we show them how to rap…Ronin style," he said with grin.
"Oh yeah!" Kento said with a smirk. Ryo herded Mia off to the side to catch her breath.
"Ryo, what are you doing?" she asked.
"Just wait and see," he said with a wink. Ryo joined the others, and the music began. It was rap piece they all knew well and began their movements. Fighting together made them anticipate each other's moves, and they flew around the floor. Kento vaulted Cye up into the air, and he landed on Rowen's shoulders. They each took turns doing the hip-hop dancing. Sage and Ryo did a duo and left the girls breathless. The song wound down, and the ronins went for their finish. Sage stood arms crossed back to back with Rowen, Kento with Cye, and Ryo did the splits in front of them just as the ended. The students and faculty roared their approval, and the guys all slapped hands.
"Now, that was fun!" Kento quipped. Ryo grinned and walked back to Mia.
"Catch your breath?" he quipped.
"Yup. Ryo, how in the world did you learn to do that?" she gasped.
"Natural talent I guess; I never really practiced; I hope you liked it," he said warmly. Mia fanned her still red-hot cheeks.
"Ryo, you were great…" she trailed off and leaned in close to his ear, "…but did you have to turn me on so much?" she asked pleadingly. Ryo couldn't help it and laughed.
"That was the idea, Mia," he said with a grin.
"Why you…" Mia was cut off as Ryo kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Ryo pulled her tight against him. The rest of the night went like clockwork.
At around two in the morning, they all got home. The ronins headed up to bed, and Ryo walked Mia to her door. Mia smiled as she looked into his eyes. Ryo leaned over and pinned her to the door as he began to kiss her. Mia raised her hands to his face and hungrily accepted his kiss. Ryo pressed her up against her door as he kneaded the back of her neck. Mia purred into his mouth, and Ryo gently broke the kiss.
"Goodnight, Mia," he said softly.
"Goodnight, Ryo," she replied and reached for her doorknob. Ryo gently took her hand.
"I love you, Mia," he said with all his heart. Mia smiled at him.
"I love you too, Ryo," she answered him. Ryo smiled tenderly at her, and Mia disappeared inside her room. Ryo headed for his room and collapsed on his bed. He closed his eyes and smiled as he thought about the whole night; he grinned and let sleep overcome him as a certain brown-haired teacher entered his dreams.
Mia lay in her bed with a broad smile. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Ryo had sparked something inside her tonight, and she did want it to stop.
"Hmm, if he dances that well, I wonder how good he is at other things," she thought coyly. Mia grinned and closed her eyes as a certain longhaired Ronin Warrior entered her dreams.