Whew… Here's chapter 4! Sorry it took me longer to bang this ch. out, but please enjoy J Oh, BTW: I'm thinking of changing the title of this fic., so stay alert!
"Dinner!" Sasami called from the kitchen. Ryoko was the first to appear, salivating at the delicious spread before her. The others soon followed her, Washu bringing up the rear.
"Listen up," the scientist demanded sternly. "After much deliberation, I've decided to let the patient come to dinner." There were varying degrees of enthusiasm around the dinner table, with the exception of Ryoko and Kiyone.
"Patient?" Mihoshi asked, confused. Washu ignored her.
"His name is Hotsuma, but he can't seem to remember much more than that."
"I'll bet," Ryoko muttered.
"So be gentle with him!" Washu commanded severely, then turned and disappeared from the room.
"Hotsuma?" Mihoshi mused, chewing on a chopstick. "Gee, that really sounds familiar…"
"Mihoshi!" Kiyone said hastily, standing up. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Sure Kiyone!" Mihoshi chirped, jumping to her feet. The two G.P. officers walked into the living room. There was a loud thump, a shortened squeal, then a muffled shout followed by a string of cursing. Finally a door slammed and Kiyone limped back into the kitchen, her hair in disarray. The group stared at her.
"Um, Mihoshi wasn't feeling well. She decided to go to bed early." She took a seat next to Ryoko, who leaned over.
"What'd you do, lock her in the bathroom?" she whispered.
"It's only temporary," Kiyone muttered back, taking a bite of fish. "It's not like we can trust her to keep her mouth shut." Just then, Washu walked in, leading a very disgruntled, sulky Hotsuma. But at the sight of Ryoko he brightened visibly. Washu sat him down next to herself and began making introductions.
"That pig-tailed girl over there's Sasami. She's an excellent cook. On her shoulder's her pet Ryo-ohki. That's Ayeka, Sasami's sister. She's a first crown princess as well as a royal pain in the butt. The one with the blaster is Kiyone. She's with the Galaxy Police. And over there's our Tenchi." After each introduction Hotsuma had merely nodded his head curtly, keeping his gaze on Ryoko. But at the mention of Tenchi, he slid his gaze from hers and glanced at the earthling, one eyebrow raised in disdain. "I believe you've already met Ryoko, class-A criminal."
"Miss Washu," Ayeka said cautiously. "Are you sure you should be so…open?"
"Oh, it's alright. He's not an earthling, of that I'm certain. In fact his body chemistry is most similar to Ryoko's." Ryoko snarled wordlessly. Hotsuma merely chuckled.
"All the same," Ayeka said delicately, "we don't know anything about this man."
"Sure we do," Washu responded brightly. The table looked at her eagerly, and Hotsuma began to fidget uneasily. "We know that he's…a total hunkalicious babe!" Everyone groaned. Hotsuma looked seriously affronted.
"Come on, everybody, dig in!" Sasami urged cheerfully. Ryoko, who was already on her third helping, hardly needed any encouragement. But Hotsuma looked at his dish uncertainly, pushing the food around with a chopstick.
"What's wrong Mr. Hotsuma?" Sasami asked anxiously. "Would you prefer something else?"
"Er no, I just - "
"Shadows don't eat food," Ryoko muttered sneeringly, softly enough so that only Hotsuma heard her. Glaring murderously, he slammed down his chopstick, grabbed the bowl and tipped the entire contents into his mouth. Munching laboriously, a look of amazement spread across his features.
"This is delicious!" he said through a mouthful of food. Sasami beamed.
"I'm glad you like it!" Ryoko glowered as Hotsuma helped himself to several more servings.
"Suddenly I'm not very hungry anymore," she announced distastefully, and phased to the roof.
"Ryoko, wait!" Tenchi called, leaping to his feet. Hotsuma glanced at him, his eyes narrowed hatefully.
Ryoko perched on the edge of the roof, her arms wrapped around her legs to protect herself against the cold night air. Above her, stars twinkled brightly in a clear, cloudless sky. She tilted her head back to admire them, reminded of her excursions through space. Robbing banks, escaping the galaxy police, hiding out with Hotsuma…
"Damn him!" she swore fiercely. Why the hell did his name have to come up?
"Thinking of me?" Ryoko whirled around, igniting her energy sword. Hotsuma grinned.
"You were thinking of me!"
"How'd you get up here! Doesn't Washu have a leash for you or something?"
"Let me guess… You were reminiscing about our days as partners in crime," he said silkily, ignoring her last question and stepping closer. "Defying the law, traveling among the stars, lying low on remote, isolated planets…" Ryoko stood transfixed, swept away by the memories, aching for the freedom of space once again. Hotsuma edged closer and cupped her face with cool hands, tilting her head upwards. She gazed at him as if in a dream, still lost in her thoughts.
"I couldn't forget you, even after you ran back to Tenchi…" Hotsuma said huskily, sliding one hand around to the back of her neck and pulling her to him.
"Tenchi!" Ryoko raised her energy sword and pushed away, sending Hotsuma stumbling back. "I love Tenchi," she stated firmly, fighting to keep her voice steady.
"He cares nothing for you!" Hotsuma spat disgustedly. "He's been stringing you along for over three years! Either he's too cowardly to admit who he wants, or too immature to decide."
"Either way, I'll wait for him," Ryoko responded evenly.
"He's just a child!" Hotsuma raged.
"He's…coming along. He grew up a lot in these past months." Hotsuma's lip curled up in a sneer.
"But you don't like the change in him, do you Ryoko? He makes you uncomfortable…" Ryoko stared. How is he able to get inside my head like that?
"It's true Tenchi's lost most of his naïveté, something I loved best about him," she said slowly. "He's more sure of himself and less oblivious to the world around him. But these changes are natural – he's maturing, that's what people do, Hotsuma. Life is full of experiences that change and shape you into an adult. I guess I was a little afraid at first because, well, change hasn't exactly been my friend in the past. But I, for one, think Tenchi is turning out to be as amazing a man as he was a boy." Hotsuma clenched his jaw, his head bowed and hands balled into fists.
"Very pretty speech, Ryoko," he said at last, a strange note of anguish creeping into his voice. "But have you forgotten that he once chose another woman over you? Have you forgotten about Sakuya?" Ryoko bit her lip, fighting to maintain her composure.
"I haven't forgotten," she muttered.
"Oh, good," Hotsuma continued viciously, "then you remember that kiss they shared on the school roof? After Tenchi went on a date with you, after you tried so hard to be trusting and loyal?" Ryoko jerked her head from side to side, feeling the old bitterness rise like bile in the back of her throat. Hotsuma smiled maliciously. "You didn't even stay to find out what they did afterwards, at Tenchi's apartment…"
"Liar!" Ryoko screamed, tears pricking her eyes. She ignited her energy sword once more and leapt at Hotsuma. Green and orange blades clashed, sparking magnificently in the frigid night air. The two blades crossed in a 'X,' trembling in a deadlock. Their faces were inches apart, Ryoko glaring desperately, Hotsuma smiling that deadly smile. They broke apart suddenly and took to the sky, engaging in battle several feet above the tops of the trees. They seemed equally matched in speed, agility and power. Neither could gain the upper hand, and each anticipated the other's attack.
Hotsuma quickly phased behind Ryoko and locked an arm around her waist, holding his sword up to her neck. But she retaliated just as quickly, throwing her head back and striking Hotsuma directly in the nose. He released her, floating backwards, and they faced off once again, staring at each other warily. Hotsuma laughed breathlessly.
"I always told Yugi that you were too powerful to get rid of easily. I wanted to destroy that weakling, Tenchi…" Ryoko threw herself forward and, catching Hotsuma by surprise, struck him squarely in the jaw. He fell and hit the roof heavily, sending a few tiles crashing to the ground. Ryoko descended slowly and touched down on the roof, smirking triumphantly.
"Ryoko!" Ryoko spun around.
"Tenchi!" she gasped.
"What's going on up here?" he demanded crossly, climbing onto the roof.
"Oh, Ms. Ryoko was just warning – I mean advising me about my, ah, conduct while staying at the Masaki residence," Hotsuma called, clamoring to his feet laboriously and wincing dramatically.
"Oh, Ryoko, you didn't!" Tenchi said disappointedly.
"Don't blame her, Tenchi, she just cares about her family," Hotsuma said slyly.
"Tenchi, that's not what happened!" Ryoko pleaded. Tenchi waited, looking at her expectantly.
"I – " Ryoko stopped, looking down at her feet miserably. Tenchi shook his head and sighed.
"Ryoko, I thought you had changed, but…" he glanced away from her sadly. "Do you need help getting down, Mr. Hotsuma?"
"No, I think I can manage," he replied, hiding a smile. "Goodnight, Ms. Ryoko." Only Tenchi and Ryoko remained on the roof. Ryoko turned away from him slightly, eyes downcast.
"Ryoko… It's pretty cold out, why don't you come inside," Tenchi said gently, moving towards her. Ryoko whipped around, shaking off the hand Tenchi placed on her shoulder.
"What exactly did you mean, 'I thought you had changed'?" she asked, glowering dangerously. Tenchi stepped back, surprised, then his expression hardened.
"I thought maybe you'd grown up a little!" he retorted harshly.
"Oh, I need to grow up, huh?"
"Yeah, Ryoko, you do."
"Don't keep me in suspense, Tenchi, how exactly do I need to grow up?" she snapped, folding her arms.
"Well, you're suspicious of practically everyone you meet. And you seldom think of the consequences of your actions. You have no inhibitions to speak of, you're stubborn, aggressive, selfish – need I go on?" Tenchi asked, breathing heavily and glaring.
"No, I think you've made your opinion of me quite clear!" Ryoko shouted in reply, eyes bright with unshed tears.
"You're completely wrong for me," Tenchi muttered angrily, raking a hand through his hair in frustration. Ryoko gasped sharply, the weight of his words squeezing the breath out of her.
"Tenchi…" she whispered, closing her eyes hopelessly. "Well if that's the way you feel, then fine!" she yelled brokenly, her eyes flying open and narrowing furiously. "I can't believe I wasted my time with a…a…coward like you!" A single, hot tear slid down her cheek, and she disappeared from view.
"Ryoko, that's not what I meant!" Tenchi called after her. "Ryoko, please! I'm sorry…" he whispered.
Ryoko pressed her face into her pillow, using it to muffle her sobs and soak up her salty tears. She was hiding out in her room, long legs tangled in silky sheets and a full moon glinting off her silvery hair. She needed to fly into space and let the cold emptiness of it consume her once again. She wanted to travel among the stars, those magnificent, glittering stars that made everything else seem trivial. But something was holding her back, keeping her here: Hotsuma.
Tenchi was a dead-end. He had made his feelings for her abundantly clear, there was no chance she'd ever gain his affection. But all the same, she couldn't leave him to deal with that psychopath, Hotsuma. Hotsuma was her problem and she planned to deal with him.
Ryoko turned her head away from the soggy pillow and let the cold air sting her wet face. She never let herself cry like this. I wonder what Tenchi would think if he saw me now, saw my softer side… No, no, it's some kind of personality flaw. Maybe if I'd been more delicate, like Ayeka, or innocent like Sasami. Maybe Tenchi prefers a woman who needs constant attention, like Mihoshi, or a responsible woman, like Kiyone. If I were more intellectual, like Washu, would Tenchi still despise me? Ryoko felt tears well up again. God, Tenchi, I'd do anything for you, even live eternity as a lie. I need you Tenchi, why can't you need me?
*Sniff, Sniff* Tenchi, you bastard! Why can't you love Ryoko, huh?! Oh, wait, I control everything you do… Bad fanfic author, bad bad! Okay…. 'nuff of that… Please review and help me hang on to my sanity!!!