Disclaimer: I don't own blah, blah, blah; you get the picture, so DON'T SUE ME!
A/N: This is my first EVER fic so please be kind! Plus, a note about the words. I was racking my brains trying to think of a song when this one popped into my head, but I haven't a clue if the words are right so please let me know if they aren't and I'll change them.
Tenchi sat on the roof of his house, alone, silent. The sky was the deepest black and the stars shinning, watching over him. Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice the cold of the winter night, the cool breeze, nor the time. His downcast face was staring up at the full moon that was casting her ghostly shimmer across his solemn and saddened features, his deep eyes, glassy, showing pain not shown to others, and remembering…
(Flashback.)
"Tenchi, oh Tenchi…" Ryoko's voice called out sweetly.
'Oh God!' he thought to himself. The sun was already getting
to him and putting him in a bad mood, the last thing he wanted was Ryoko's
little games.
Taken back by his stern tone Ryoko smiled and replied, "I just wanted to come and talk to you. Why don't you take a break from your work and enjoy the summer sun?"
"I'm too busy!" he said continuing his work.
"Oh go on Tenchi, you know you want to!" she said walking up behind him and putting her hands on his shoulders and looking around to face him playfully.
"Get off me!" Tenchi shouted pushing Ryoko off him. She stumbled backwards and tripped over a shovel and fell backwards, painfully hitting her head hard on something.
"Ahhh!"
"Get up!" Tenchi said, a little more harshly than he intended. He sighed in annoyance and disgust at Ryoko's pitiful attempt to get his attention and turned around.
"Tenchi…"Ryoko called after a few moments. Slowly she sat up and felt the growing lump on the back of her head, a handful of tears on her pale face.
"Wha-!" Tenchi began to shout as he span around angrily but he stopped in mid speech, shock and horror covering his face at the sight of Ryoko sat on the floor shaking, her head down, almost between her knees, clutching the back of her head with shaking fingers. Ryoko was sobbing, and although it could be scarcely heard, Tenchi heard it. It was like drops of acid falling into his ears, knives cutting through him, a sound that filled him with remorse and regret of what he had done.
"Ryoko, I- I'm sorry," he apologised, dropping to he knees and making to comfort her. She lifted her now very pale face and saw what he was doing, instinctively, she jumped up and stumbled quickly back a few steps.
"Get off me!" she spluttered in a very shaky voice,
releasing one hand from the back of her head and pointing a
"Ryoko please!" Tenchi pleaded, "I was in a bad mood because I've been working in the sun all day and I thought you were just going to wind me up! Please Ryoko I didn't mean to hurt you," he said moving towards her once again and taking her trembling wrist.
"Don't touch me!" Ryoko screamed, tears falling down her face, her head throbbing. She squirmed and twisted in an effort to free herself and Tenchi tightened his grip on her wrist.
"Ryoko please, let me apologise!" he begged furiously needing to relieve himself of the guilt and sorrow that wracked his body.
Ryoko only replied by screaming in pain and smacking Tenchi hard across the face with her free hand. He let go and stumbled back his hand covering where Ryoko had smacked him. His eyes met Ryoko's. Her face was pale and looked drained of energy, which was because of the injury to her head, her pained expression and trembling lip only made Tenchi feel worse.
"Ryoko-" he begged again.
"What!" she spat.
"Please let me apologise, I care about you, I couldn't stand it if I couldn't apologise for what just happened."
"You care about me Tenchi! You say you care about me!" she spat venomously, her meaner side showing through clearly in her tone of voice, "If you cared about me, you wouldn't have treated me with that amount of disgust. "You know what I'm talking about"
Tenchi's mind began racing for any clue to what she was talking about. 'With that amount of disgust' It clicked and he remembered how he'd looked disgusted at Ryoko, thinking that she was playing one of her little games trying to get his attention. He had been disgusted and of course he regretted it now, but he never thought that look would actually be seen and thought about.
"If you cared for me" Ryoko continued, "then why did you look at me with that amount of disgust when I fell Tenchi?" she cried her voice breaking, tears falling freely down her face "I thought I cared for you Tenchi. But I was wrong" Tenchi opened his mouth to say something about her revelation of her caring for him but she cut him off before he had that chance, "Let me say my piece Tenchi!" she shot, her voice cold and stern, "I only came to talk to you, just to see and be with you even!"
Tenchi opened his mouth to speak but couldn't. Ryoko glared
at him before crying out in annoyance,
Tenchi finally got it. Something inside him screamed the words 'Wake up Tenchi!' He now understood what all of Ryoko's words actions and gestures had been saying. He was left dumbstruck at the realisation, but as he stood there, listening to every one of Ryoko's next words, of which each felt like a smack over the head and each past tense a stab in the chest, he was kicking himself, and hurting inside so much.
I thought I felt for you Tenchi! I thought I cared for you, fucking hell Tenchi, I was far as saying I was in love with you." Her words bore into Tenchi like hot irons upon his skin. 'She was in love with me?' Tenchi said to himself inside his head. Suddenly, he felt as if a huge, great weight was placed upon him. 'Oh my God! She used to love me, but I think – yes - I love her. It all adds up, everything our past, the way I've pushed her away, I just didn't know it, I was just scared.' The voice within the inner depths of his head told him. But then the realisation dawned on him, that weight returned and Ryoko's words continued.
"You meant the world to me Tenchi! Just seeing you
look my way made me so happy, I thought were a wonderful
person, exactly the person you'd want to fall in love with, kind, giving,
perfect, not with any impurities.
(End Flashback)
Tenchi now sat with his head in his hands, he remembered every one of Ryoko's words, but the fact that she had loved him, emphasis on the ed, hurt the most.
He was disgusted with himself. Not only had he hurt Ryoko, but he'd been so stupidly unaware to her feelings and emotions. She'd been through so much in her life with Kagato and all of that stuff and had coped so well on the outside, but Tenchi knew she was vulnerable on the inside. He admired her ability to cope with things like that by being able to protect her inner feelings and thoughts, he admired her ability to stand up for what she wanted and the way she didn't take shit from anyone. He loved everything about her. And he'd blown it. But he saw her still as an inspiration, even though she was gone and he didn't even know if she was still alive. You know when kids call someone their hero because they admire everything about them, well that was exactly how he felt about Ryoko, apart from loving her and missing her so much it hurt, he looked up to her so much.
Did you ever know that you're my hero?
That you are the wind beneath my wings.'
God he missed her and wished she'd come back so he could at least apologise and tell her he felt the same way. He regretted not seeing it sooner. But as Tenchi Masaki sat beneath those ever watchful and soothing stars, silently crying into the night, hurting so much inside, two tears fell from those dark eyes, and far, far away, two amber eyes also shed two tears…
That you're everything I'd like to be,
Did you ever know that you're my hero?
That you are the wind beneath my wings.'
What did you think? A load of absolute shit!