The Girl You Left Behind
Summary: Ryoga had royally screwed up. He'd had the perfect girl at his side; athletic, played tennis, witty, fun and friendly, more importantly, she was real. There had been nothing fake about her. She spoke her thoughts as quickly as they came, and held nothing back, if she had a problem, she'd let him know, but she also let him know how much she loved him...and he threw it back in her face out of fear...fear of following in his 'fathers' footsteps.
Genre: Romance/Angst
Pairing: Fuji/Kagome/Tezuka
Rated: M
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Year – 2008
Ryoma sat down across from the troublesome duo and sighed. "Sorry Nee-Chan, I didn't realize they would really listen."
"What do you mean by that?" She looked curiously at her brother as her daughter was quick to take her spot on her uncle's lap.
"I told them that if they were so curious about you, to ask you themselves. Sorry, they wouldn't leave me alone. I was questioned by nearly everyone on the tennis team about how you were doing. I forget that these two take things very literal."
Kagome smiled, "It's no problem. Ryoko seems happy to have her...friends over."
"Only one, Mama."
"Hm?"
"Eiji-Chi is friend, Mama, not Fox-Chi."
Kagome laughed, "I see..."
Eiji chuckled as he poked Shuusuke in the shoulder, "Fox-Chi!"
"Eiji-Chi...play flips with Ryoko?"
Eiji laughed as the little girl jumped down from Ryoma's lap and ran to his side, taking his hand in hers as she pulled him to the backyard.
"Ah! Ryoko!"
"You can trust Eiji-Senpai, Nee-Chan." Ryoma pulled off his hat and sighed, "He won't hurt her, or let her get hurt. Eiji-Senpai and Fuji-Senpai are probably the best people to trust her with, me not included."
"Even if you say that..." she opened up the blinds to the window and watched her daughter play with the red haired acrobat as he flipped out of her reach as she tried in vain to catch him. Smiling, she couldn't help the feeling of ease which settled around her just by watching the two play.
"Eijiko is friendly with kids, being the youngest of five children, he tends to be spoilt, but he is extremely playful and careful with kids. As for myself, I am both a younger brother, and an older brother, I'm right in the middle of three children. On that note, my brother doesn't like me, so maybe I'm not the best person to leave with a child, who knows."
Kagome gave a soft laugh of unease at that. "I see...oh, is this for literature?" Kagome picked up the assignment Ryoma was tapping with the sharp point of his pencil.
"Mm,"
"Bestiary, huh? An anthology of poems about animals...says, choose an animal that fits your personality best and then write a poem befitting that animal."
"...I don't know what animal fits me."
"Cat,"
Ryoma frowned at Kagome and Shuusuke who had both responded in unison to the statement he'd made. "You think I'm like a cat?"
"In every way imaginable," Kagome said, "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?"
Ryoma stared curiously at her, "Every day,"
"You have cat eyes."
"I do?"
Kagome sighed, "Wow, how do you not see the resemblance? If I didn't know better, I'd assume your father was a cat."
Ryoma blinked blankly at Kagome but added nothing to her comment.
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Eiji laughed as he flipped over Ryoko's head and landed behind her. Ryoko stopped running and tried to catch her breath.
"I do too?"
Eiji stopped laughing and turned curiously as she tried to flip, but ended up rolling on the ground and onto her back. He burst out laughing again. "Nai, Ryoko-Chan might be a little small for backflips right now."
"Not small, try again!" She did so without waiting. This time, she didn't roll, she did a handstand before gravity took her to the ground and the earth knocked shoulders with hers. "Ouch!" She made a sad face, her eyes watering, but she didn't cry. "Again!"
"Ah...w-wait a second. You don't need to get it right, not immediately. You practice, and learn in time, nyan!"
"No, now! I learn it now!" She ran and made a bridge out of her body as her hands touched the ground and her body moved with the spurt of speed she let off. She stood on her feet and stared off into space with wide eyes as a smile started to form widely across her face.
"You did it!" Eiji cheered as he clapped his hands excitedly.
"Did it! Did it!" She ran into the house and Eiji followed her quickly inside as well. "Mama, mama~!"
Kagome turned from her conversation with Ryoma and Shuusuke as Ryoko ran up to her side, "What is it Tenshi?"
"Mama, I did, I did!"
"Did what?"
"Flip!"
Eiji laughed, "She did a front flip while running. She was determined to do it. I told her that she didn't need to do it yet, that if she just practiced little by little, she'd get it, but she wanted to learn now...I hope you aren't upset, nyan!"
Kagome smiled, "No, she's like that all the time. She's always trying to learn everything all at once. She wants to learn quickly."
"Can I ask why?" Shuusuke sounded genuinely curious.
"DADDY!"
Kagome stiffened and stood up, "I'm going to go get a drink, Ryoko, finish your grapes. They are in the bowl on the table."
"Kay!" Ryoko smiled as her mom left the living room. Grabbing the bowl, she sat down on the floor with it in her lap and started to eat the black beauty grapes.
"Ryoko, are you trying to learn these things for your dad?" Shuusuke knew he was prying, and the eyes watching him from the seat across from him told him as much too. He looked up and locked eyes with Ryoma, but the younger didn't say anything to oppose his questioning.
"Daddy will come home if Ryoko is good, and knows a lot."
"Who said that?" Eiji hadn't meant to discourage the girl, he was just curious about where she had picked up the idea.
Ryoko looked up at Eiji, "...he not come back if Ryoko does good?"
Ryoma glared at Eiji who cringed at his mistake.
"Oh, that's not what I meant, I...just wanted to know...who told you that..."
"Ryoko says. Daddy will come when Ryoko knows lots. Daddy will come..." she went back to her grapes and ate, looking genuinely in thought, concentrating on something, but not paying any attention to the boys who watched her curiously.
"We will take our leave, tell Higurashi-San, thank you for entertaining us. We hope we weren't too much of a bother." Shuusuke said as he and Eiji stood to leave.
Ryoma walked them to the door and nodded, "I'll tell her, and it was no trouble at all. She could use some more company. I'll see you guys at school tomorrow."
"Right, Ja~"
"Bai-Bai, nyan!"
The two left and Ryoma walked back over to Ryoko, she was still mulling over something in her head, so he left to the kitchen to check on Kagome. She wasn't doing as well as Ryoko was. Sitting with her knees tucked in under her chin, and her arms hiding her face in an embrace over her knees, she sat crying silently.
Sitting down beside her, he placed his arms over her shoulders and held her as she cried. 'I wish I could help you more, Nee-Chan...but this is all I can do. From now on, you have to take steps forward on your own...but I can still be there for you like this.'
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Me: Hope you all enjoy! Chapter, what is this? Six, I have to keep looking, lol. Anyways, review and tell me what you think, nyan!