8/31/01
Disclaimer: the characters in this fic such as Uriko, Kenji, etc. belong to Hudson Soft; Greco Tylon belongs to one of my best friends Alica Tylon; Erika Daweson, Ryan Scheller, Chrysta Roberts, and Wendy Kesler belongs to me, although like Frank, I don't want Wendy either! =P
Dedication: God, my parents, my 'brothers', Hudson for creating Bloody Roar I-IV and giving me a really good reason to write this story, and my readers, especially LazzyQ, Alica Tylon, Deoku, VGuyver, StarryPeach, AKA, Brad Crawford, Felicia, The Raptor Chic, Alexandra Riot, Arashi, Flyby, Niteflite, and you wonderful Keniko luvers!!
Special dedication to ~ AKA, for complimenting me on the whole rock-throwing episode with Kenji and that biker guy in the previous installment. ^^0
Bloody Roar II: All Or Nothing
Sequel to Bloody Roar II: I'll Be Your Everything
It was the talk of the school.
"Oh my God! Are you serious?"
"Hell yes! She's going out with Greco Tylon!"
Girls standing around in the hallways of the school all cast Uriko a strange look as she strolled along to her class, arm in arm with Greco. She smiled at them cheerfully, although inwardly she felt baffled by the negative attention that she was receiving from her fellow peers.
"But-! Her old boyfriend was hella hot! I'd give anything to couple with-oops!" A giggle traveled through the group of females. "I mean, be a couple with Kenji Ohgami!"
"Awww, look at the poor guy…"
I know when he's been on your mind
That distant look is in your eyes
Slowly walking behind the couple was a narrow-eyed teenager, his dark blue bangs covering over his forehead. He glared at the male student coldly with a pair of light brown irises, although he seemed to burn a hole through his back at the intensity of his anguish. A fiery red glow flickered in his pupils, invisibly lashing out to flicker at the back of the other boy's neck, and he winced, fighting to control his emotions. However, the urge to draw out his fists and knock his former friend facedown flat to the ground never left him as he trailed with the duo to the next class, which all three of them were in.
"Man, he's so sexy!" One of the gossips outside remarked to the others. "Why do you think she dumped him for a loser like Greco??"
I thought with time you'd realize
It's over, over
"I don't have the slightest clue!" The 'leader' of the bunch exclaimed, the smile on her face turning saucy. "But if she's stupid enough to let go that delicious hunk of meat… that means he's free for the taking, and I'm gonna claim him!"
"Oooooooooh!" Her groupies squealed. "Go get him Wendy!"
Licking her lips slyly, Wendy Kesler grinned. "Oh trust me, what I want, I always get…"
*****
…What can she possibly see in that guy… "…I just wanna punch him."
Seated at a table during study hall with a couple of his closest friends, Kenji glanced over in the direction of where his beloved was, across the hall in another room, and snarled as her current boyfriend buried his face into her long auburn hair. She giggled, grimacing for a split second, but then quickly lost that expression and timidly hugged him, staring up at the ceiling of the classroom. The teacher sat in front, his nose in a book, barely paying attention to the students; as long as they were quiet, he didn't care about their ongoings.
It's not the way I choose to live
And something somewhere's got to give
"Pssh, don't we all?" A girl with a head of ebony black tress commented, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Only explanation I've got is that Greco must've put Uriko under some kinda hypnosis spell! That's the only sensible reason!"
"Yeah right," Uriko's best friend, Erika Daweson rolled her eyes. "Like he'd really be smart enough to do something like that! Knowing him, he has to wake up an hour earlier each morning just to figure out how to tie his shoes!"
"Hmm, make it three hours earlier…" her boyfriend Ryan Scheller chimed in.
"Eh? Why?" the girls chorused in unison; the ninja remained silent.
"He's also gotta brush his teeth, use the bathroom, and get dressed!" He cracked up.
As sharing this relationship gets older, older
You know I'd fight for you
"Oh that was lame, Ryan!" His partner slugged him on the arm.
"Hey, it's probably true though!" Chrysta grinned. "Greco's IQ is what, a whole three points?"
The trio burst into hushed snickers, but Kenji suddenly raised a hand and commanded in his old cool, solemn voice, "Stop it."
"Wha?" Ryan stared at him in disbelief. "Stop poking fun at Greco? Never! But outta curiosity, why do you want us to stop? He brainwashed your girlfriend into going to him!"
"Go beat him up!" the youngest of the friends suggested wholeheartedly. "Come on Kenji, it'd be an easy win; you can knock him down on his big, ugly face in two minutes!" She threw a few punches at the air for demonstration.
But how I can fight someone who isn't even there
I've had the rest of you now I want the best of you
"…If she's happier with him than she was with me, then that's her decision." He said softly, his eyes never leaving the feline zoanthrope's figure. "I-I miss her, but I'm not going to try and force her to give up her contentment for my own selfish reasons."
"Whaaaat??" Erika almost fell out of her chair at hearing his proclamation. "Hey, it's only been a week since you two broke up, but she's already been complaining to me about Greco when we chat on the phone!"
He blinked, baffled. "What…?"
"Oh she says stuff like 'Greco is too pushy', and 'Greco needs to stop trying to make out when we're in public', or 'Greco makes me feel uncomfortable at the movies because I caught him trying to French-kiss me!'"
I don't care if that's not fair
Cause I want it all
"…Greco does what to her when they're at the movies?!" The mole zoanthrope shoot Greco a deadly glare. "That grimy jackass touched her when she didn't want him to?!"
"Uh oh," Ryan shook his head and tsked, gently nudging his girlfriend. "Now he's gonna blow his gasket and go cream Greco, Erika!"
"Good!" Chrysta inputted. "That guy should get his ass kicked! His snotty ego can only get better, you know!"
"…Forget it," the cyan-haired teenager said. "Uriko knows how to take care of herself; she'd hate it if I shadowed her like some kind of annoying bodyguard or caretaker."
Or nothing at all
There's no where left to fall
"So he says!" His best friend snorted but smiled knowingly at the girls. "You know the first chance he gets, good ol' Ohgami here's gonna pound Greco all the way over to the United States! Or hey! Maybe you can just sock him into the core of the earth and just let him sizzle n' barbecue there like the pig that he is!"
The females laughed aloud, startling the teacher out of his concentration and prompted him to order, "Quiet! Use this time constructively, class!"
"This is a constructive use," Chrysta muttered to her friends under her breath. "We're solving a major relationship dilemma here!"
He continued, "You can chatter with your friends after school is over-"
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
Is it all
Or are we just friends
The second he said that, the bell rang, and the students cheered, bounding up from their seats and heading toward the exit enthusiastically. The instructor heaved a defeated sigh, and nodded to the remainder, more respectful peers to their own release, turning his attention back to his novel. The thirteen-year-old Asian girl grabbed her schoolbag and ran out of the room, quickly waving to her friends as she left.
"…That girl's energy is permanently set on hyperactive," Ryan commented, watching her retreating figure.
"Oh hush," his girlfriend scolded, poking him in his side. "If she heard you say that, she won't hesitate to punch you! We all know her."
"......" Kenji merely shrugged, then slung the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. And I suppose if I were more like Chrysta, I'd really have the nerve to go beat Greco down. An easy win, huh? Hmm…
Is this how it ends
With a simple telephone call
"Hey there…" a breathy voice interrupted his chain of thoughts.
"…?" He turned around to face the speaker, and quirked an eyebrow in surprise. "…Oh. Hi Wendy."
She pouted her full, glistening red lips and winked at him. "Heard the Nonomura chick gave you the boot, so sorry about that…" she touched his arm, faking a show of sympathy.
"…Hrmp." The fifteen-year-old scowled, easing away from her.
"Well, listen, to try and take your mind off of things, how about a movie tonight? My treat," she offered with a persuasive smile.
"…No thanks," he declined, starting to walk out of the classroom, well aware that she followed him. "I have…a lot of homework to do."
You leave me here with nothing at all
There are times it seems to me
"Aw, come on," she coaxed, latching her hand onto his forearm when they were in the corridors and tugging him to a stop. "It'll be fun, trust me!"
"…" He faced her, then inquired coolly, "What's your motivation."
"Nothing!" Wendy proclaimed, battering her eyelashes innocently. "I just don't like seeing you sad is all! Wouldn't want you to go back to your old self last year, now would we?"
…Last year, I was a cold, in-drawn, reclusive jerk, he thought silently. Then Uriko changed me… "…Guess not."
"So… what do ya say?" The red-haired student gazed at him expectantly, an almost pleading look in her alluring verdant-colored eyes.
I'm sharing you with memories
I feel it in my heart
…This girl is not going to leave me the hell alone unless I accept, Kenji realized when he tried to pull away, but she clung onto him tightly. "…Alright. I'll go with you." The last time I went out with her, to the movies, the date was an absolute disaster, but it only turned good in the end because Uriko was there… with that other jerk, T.J. something-or-other. Now… now I'm on my own… damn it.
She let out a squeal of joy. "Great! I'll meet you in front of the plaza at seven, okay? See you then!" Before he could react, she leaned over and kissed his cheek forcefully, then ran down the hall where she met up with her crowd of giggling girl friends.
But I don't show it, show it
And then there's times you look at me
Shaking his head, wondering what kind of predicament he got himself into, the cobalt-haired teenager sighed and jogged over to his locker in the next wing. Spinning his combination lock, he unbolted it, then opened the small metal door, unzipping his backpack to place textbooks inside. As he was grabbing one of them, a square object suddenly caught his eye: a photograph lying at the bottom with a harsh "X" scrawled over something. Picking up, he was surprised to discover that it was a shot of him and his former girlfriend sitting a photo booth on one of their dates… and the vicious "X" had been drawn to cross out his picture, leaving hers completely untouched.
…Who the hell did this?? Frowning, Kenji turned it to the other side, and found a message written on the back in devil-black ink. "She's mine now…" he mumbled the words to himself, then his eyes flashed angrily. "…Greco…"
*****
"Ohh I'm so glad that you decided to come see this with me!"
As though I'm all that you can see
Those times I don't believe it's right
"…Mmmhmm," the male zoanthrope answered absentmindedly. Uriko… are you safe with that perverted creep…? If he hurts you, I swear I'll-
"Are you listening to me??"
"What?" He blinked, then turned to look at his right side, where his date sat next to him in the still-lit movie theatre; the feature was due to start in a few minutes. "Sorry Wendy, I was just brooding for a minute."
Her lips formed a scowl. "About her again?"
"…No," he fibbed. "Just… school."
Her previous expression melted into a grin. "Kenji, dear, you're too serious of a student! Relax and have some fun! You can study as much as ya want when you go to college, where it's really needed!"
I know it, know it
Don't make me promises
…I wonder what's a polite way of telling an annoying girl like her to shut up, he wondered. I never had that problem with Uriko… I always love hearing what she has to say. "…Whatever you say."
"Hey!" the female student suddenly exclaimed, gazing over his shoulder. "Look who's coming toward us right now!"
Rolling his eyes, he glanced in the direction that she was looking in, and jerked back in astonishment when he saw Greco striding foreword, his girlfriend behind him. Kenji subconsciously scooted away from his rival, unknowingly moving closer to a smug Wendy; the feline zoanthrope expressed a gasp when she spied her fiery-haired peer, but hastily turned it into a breathless "Hi…"
Baby you never did know how to keep them well
I've had the rest of you
This is just great. The ninja suppressed a groan of disapproval. "Hey Uriko… …and Greco."
"What a… coincidence," she said quietly, frowning a little when she gave Wendy a quick once-over.
The lights dimmed as the couple took their seats, right next to the two other students. "Hey, it's starting now; looks like we got here just in time…" Greco grinned at his companion, who managed a small, uncomfortable smile back; the cyan-haired teenager grumbled inwardly.
Now I want the best of you
It's time for show and tell
His mood didn't get any better when a few minutes into the movie, his former friend turned his face to the other side and began to neck with his girlfriend. Tightly gripping the armrests with his clenched fists, Kenji fidgeted, unfortunately giving his date the idea that he wanted to make out with her. She snaked her arms around his neck and moistened her lips while bringing his face closer to hers, but he resisted her invention stubbornly. Gently prying her hands off the back of the base of his throat, he held onto her hand with his, keeping it planted down, making sure that it didn't… wander anywhere.
…Little pervert, he glared at Greco out of the corner of his eye. Not to mention a manipulative, lying, pathetic excuse of a human being.
Cause I want it all
Or nothing at all
The flick was an agonizing two hours for him; Wendy kept trying to tug her hand out of his grip to rest it on his thigh, and the couple next to him stayed locked in their embrace for the rest of the time. A twinge of pain and envy hit him as he realized he and Uriko had never done that - when they went to a movie, they actually watched it, maybe exchanging a quick kiss if a particular scene was boring. He shot out of his seat the second the credits began scrolling down the screen, then looked over at the pair and his face twisted into an expression of disgust. Damn, are they ever going to come up for air…?!
"Mmmm…" Greco murmured, finally breaking away. "Movie's over already? Aw, it went by too fast," he grinned at his girlfriend. "Don't you think?"
"Y-yeah, sure," she agreed unenthusiastically.
There's no where left to fall
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
"Let's go," Wendy spoke up, arising from her seat. "I've gotta be home by nine-thirty, thanks to my bitchy mom for setting a stupid curfew just because I went home a little late last week."
Thank God for that curfew, he thought dryly. Otherwise I'd probably be stuck with her longer.
They exited from the theatre, not noticing until they were outside that the couple had trailed after their lead. Casting his rival a withering glance, Kenji mumbled to his date, "Thanks for everything… …hope you have a good night."
She looked at him expectantly. "…? What, no kiss?"
Uriko's ears twitched at that inquiry.
"…" He pecked her quickly on the cheek, then hastily backed away in case she would try and lure him into going any further. "See you later."
Is it all
Or are we just friends
Is this how it ends
Clearly disappointed, she glared at the Kenpo student, and mumbled something inaudible before whirling around, traipsing down the street.
"You're not gonna walk her home?" Greco coaxed. "Man, that's a cold thing to do to your date, ya know. Not to mention rude too."
"Whatever," the ninja snarled lowly, turning his back on him and starting to head for his own home.
"Hey," he heard his former friend call out from behind him, "At least I'm gonna have the decency to walk Uriko home!"
…He's going to do what?? Kenji jolted involuntarily, stopping and facing the couple, but they were already in the process of proceeding toward the female youth's house. …I don't trust him with her alone… his eyes narrowed at the thought. …Uriko… be careful…
With a simple telephone call
You leave me here with nothing at all
*****
"U-um, thanks for the movie, Greco…" Uriko murmured softly as the two stopped upon reaching the porch that was outside her residence. "I… um, had a great time tonight." That's a lie, her mind taunted inwardly. You wanted to be with Kenji, and you know it…
He smirked and his grin at her had a touch of arrogance. "Of course you had a great time; you were with me, right?"
…Puh-lease. "Hm."
"Hey…" he leaned in close to her, his lips next to her ear. "Is your mom home right now…?"
Cause you and I
Could lose it all if you've got no more room
…Why would he wanna know about that…? "…Why?"
"Ah, no real reason in particular," he replied smoothly. "I was just wondering when I would finally get to see the inside of your house. As much as I adore the outside, I'd like to check out what's behind the walls, ya know."
"…Maybe sometime later this week," she suggested with a shaky smile.
"Why not now…?" her beau persuaded sturdily.
"…Because Mother is working late at the store tonight, and I'm not allowed to have guys over when she's gone."
No room inside for me in your life
Cause I want it all
"Come on…" he urged her insistently. "You don't always wanna be a good, obedient girl, do you? Ever think of breaking the rules - even just once in a while?"
She grimaced. "Mother's done a lot for me, and I don't feel very comfortable doing something like that."
He slipped an arm around her waist, and began rubbing her back with his fingers. "If you never take risks, sometimes you'll miss out on things that you'll later regret…"
"…No, really, I promise I'll show you around my house someday, but just not tonight," the auburn-haired girl told him.
Or nothing at all
There's no where left to fall
"Aww, you're not even gonna reconsider?" Greco asked her silkily, furtively brushing aside the bottom of her shirt and sliding his hand up through the space between her skin and the cotton material.
"Um, yeah, I'm sure," she said, feeling uncomfortable at the slightly lecherous gaze that he was giving her.
"I'll make it worth your while…" he breathed as he leaned foreword and captured her lips, kissing her hard as he pressed her body to his, touching the bare flesh of her back with his palm.
"!!!" she struggled against him, pushing at his chest. What is he doing!!
It's now or never
Cause I want it all
A sudden blow to the male student's head made him lose his hold on her, and stagger shakily while clutching at his wound. "Argh! Who's the asshole that hit me?!"
"Leave, now." A new voice demanded quietly, yet had forceful intention aligning the tone; a hard shove to the insteps of his knees forced him to kneel down. Uriko gasped when she identified the interrupter.
Twisting his face around, his eyes widened. "Kenny! What the hell are you doing here! I thought you went home!"
His expression clouded with anger, the ninja grabbed his rival's shirt collar and lifted him up to his feet. "If you ever touch her when it's unwanted, I promise that I'll beat you to a bloody pulp."
The reply to that was a scornful laugh. "Hahahaha, you?! A fighter?! Oh that's the funniest thing I've heard since you threatened to hurt those of us in the locker room if we continued spreading rumors of you and your little ex-girlfriend!"
Or nothing at all
There's no where left to fall
She gasped again in realization. Oh my Lord…
Kenji's pupils flickered with fury. "If you don't shut up right now, I'll make you!"
"Oh really?! What'cha gonna do, huh, swing your chopstick arm at me?!" His former friend burst into laughter, straightening up and looming slightly over the younger male student.
Wordlessly, the ninja jumped up, leaping over Greco's head; landing behind him, he launched out with his leg and struck his opponent in the back. Changing feet, he kicked him again, and the force of both blows made him collapse to his knees with a pained groan. Calmly walking over to his downed figure, the mole zoanthrope reached and grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking it and bringing a scream out of him.
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
Is it all
Or are we just friends
"You leave her the hell alone, understand?!" He hissed angrily. "I won't be so damn easy on you the next time!"
A hand gently touched his forearm just then. "Kenji…" his name was whispered softly.
"…" With a scowl, the fifteen-year-old let go of his captive and stepped away, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for him to stand up.
"I'm gonna get you for this…" Greco threatened with a sardonic grin. "My family totally despises the Ohgami origin, and now I do too…"
That said, he whirled around and disappeared down the corner of the street, gone from sight within mere seconds.
Is this how it ends
With a simple telephone call
"…God…" Uriko mumbled despairingly, crumbling to her knees on her lawn, not even showing
any signs of pain from the sudden drop.
"…??? Are you okay?" Her companion questioned. "Greco didn't go anything else to you, did he??"
She shook her head. "N-no, although I have a good idea of what he wanted to do to me…"
"I'll bash his nose into that thing he calls his face if he comes within a twenty-feet radius of you…" the cyan-haired teenager muttered darkly.
Slowly standing up, she looked at him apologetically. "Kenji, I'm so sorry-"
He dismissed the issue with a wave of his hand. "Forget it. I know things seemed suspicious. I'm not mad at you."
"Y-you're not…?"
You leave me here with nothing at all
Cause I want it all
"No." he assured her. "The only person I'm pissed off at is that jerk Greco. I can't believe he tried to grope you right here in public… I should've hurt him more…"
A quivering sigh escaped from her. "If only I hadn't fallen for his trap…" she took out her key and walked up the porch, unlocking the front door. She started to go inside, then paused and turned around. "You… wanna come in…?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I thought your mother wasn't home…"
"She's not," the Kenpo student confirmed. "But, unlike Greco, I trust you to be alone with me."
Nodding, he managed a wry smile and trailed after her into the house. "Thanks. I really do appreciate hearing that."
Or nothing at all
There's no where left to fall
Flicking on the switch of a lamp that was sitting nearby her living room sofa, Uriko slipped out of her shoes and plopped down onto the cushion. Her companion followed suit, taking a seat next to her, leaning his upper body against the armrest and looking at her silently. "Is something wrong?"
"No…" she said, shaking her head. "…Well, yeah, there is, actually. I… I feel really bad for not believing you before when you were trying to convince me that you didn't start that… that ugly rumor…"
"…Listen, Uriko." He spoke, sitting up and taking a hold of her hand, squeezing it with his. "If, if something like that ever did happen to us," he swallowed nervously, "And even if it did, it'd be way in the future - but that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say is, if that ever did happen to us, I would never, and I do mean never publicly announce our love life to other people. It's none of their businesses, after all, only ours. So… don't worry about me doing that to you. Because I wouldn't."
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
Is it all
Or are we just friends
Her eyes moistened slightly. "Kenji… I'm still sorry about all this…"
"Argh, don't cry," he pleaded, stroking her cheek with the fingertips of his other hand. "Like I said earlier, don't worry about it. I understand your reaction, and I'm not gonna hold it against you."
She laid her palm over his wrist and looked away shyly while telling him, "I-I still love you… Do you… do you want to be together with me again…?"
He smiled joyously and leaned toward her, whispering when he was a sliver away from her mouth, "I'd be stupid to say no to a question like that. And, I love you too," then kissed her.
Is this how it ends
With a simple telephone call
The moment their lips touched, all the pent-up tension that bottled up within them was released in a wave of rush that gladly escaped into the air. Letting go of her hand, Kenji encircled her waist with his arms, holding her adoring and gently as opposed to Greco's harsh and careless imprisonment. Sighing in heavy relief, the female teenager relaxed in the embrace with her reunited boyfriend, and leaned back against the sturdy stature of the sofa. Following after her, neither of them acknowledged their position as he lied over her slender form, entangling his hand into the midst of her soft auburn hair.
I missed you… he thought silently, teasing her with small, quick kisses all over her face. She slugged his arm in protest, and he grinned sheepishly, a twinkle lingering in his eyes, then pressed his lips against hers once again. His hands feverishly roamed her back; unintentionally slipping under her shirt and lightly tickled her skin, which made her fight back a giggle. When his fingers bumped into her bra strap, his cheeks flamed red, and he immediately retracted his arms, breaking off the kiss.
You leave me here with nothing at all
"I-I didn't mean to-" he stammered apologetically.
"Shhhhh…" she hushed him gently. "It's okay only if it's with you… I trust you…"
…Thank you, he said to her in his mind, brushing his mouth against both of her cheeks before going back to their heated kisses. I promise I'll protect you if you need it, Riko…
The End
Author's Note: Sappy, fluffy ending! =D Like? No like? Okay, I know that I should've had more of a fight scene, but hell, Greco is a total pansy-ass, so Kenji really CAN take him down hella easily! *grins and waves a "Go Kenji! banner* Sooo… what did you readers think? Pleased with the conclusion, or disappointed that I didn't drag it out longer? But really, I can't stand Kenji and Uriko being broken up very long, so I wanted them to get back together ASAP… besides, it wouldn't take Uriko much time to find out that Greco is a devious perverted jerk anyway! =P
OH! On a very important note, August 31st, yesterday, marks the very day that I started writing my collection of Bloody Roar stories one year ago, with Bloody Roar II: A Hidden Bond being the first ever in the series. I can't believe that I've already been writing BR fics for a whole damn year! O_o Damn, feels like just yesterday I was nervously reading over my first Keniko fic before submitting it up to FanFiction.Net… Well, just wanted to share this little tidbit of information with you all - none of you fell asleep during that, right…? ^^0 Okay, okay, I'll take a hint and end this hella long Author's Note, heh…
Anyway, hope you readers enjoyed the fic and please leave a review!
With love for my fans of one whole year!
Tiger5913