*~Ah thanks to my reviewers. ::big hug:: I really appreciate it. ^. ^ I
hope that you all enjoy this next chapter, and I hope that my characters
stay as true to the story as they can. The five review thing still stands,
and I really hope that you all enjoy this. Please review if you want
more~*~
Chapter Two
The day had gone by with an almost sickening pace of slowness. Never before had Ayeka stared at the hands of the clock so long that her eyes had begun to sting. There was a thick silence through out the Maskai home, maybe it was because the air conditoner had finally blown or because Sasami was near panick over the missing dressing sauce, but no one was in the mood for chit chat, to say the least.
At the moment, most of them were gathered in the kitchen, most of them meaning Ayeka, Sasami, and Washu, who at the moment was typing away on her traveling computer, paying no mind to anyone else.
Ayeka didn't really mind the silence, she was in midst of painting each of her finger nails a pearl pink color, and felt content to watch them shimmer from the glow of the over head kitchen light. She began to hum a little tune under her breath, and got lost in a turmoil of her own thoughts for a bit, not noticing the arrival of several more members of the seemingly randomly thrown together adopted family enter the room.
"So Princess." Ryoko's spunky voice cut into Ayeka's head, and she jumped a bit, spilling the small bottle of nail polish.
"Oh! Ryoko, for Christ's sake look at what you've made me do!" Sighing frustrated, Ayeka shot Ryoko a death stare and began to wipe up the spilled polish with several white table napkins.
Laughing, Ryoko held out her sparkly midnight blue nails and said, "You could never pull a color like this off Princess," and continued to laugh; well cackle rather.
Rolling her eyes, Ayeka walked over to the small trash disposal by the sink and said, "Ryoko, I don't want to pull off a color like that, for god's sake." As she tossed away the napkins and went to sit back in her chair, Ryoko continued to cackle and then, just before Ayeka sat down she pulled the chair out from under her.
Ayeka hit the floor with a loud thump, and cried out in an embaressed surprise. By this time, Kiyone and Mihowshi had stumbled into the kitchen too, and they giggled along with Ryoko, and Ayeka was rather hurt to see that even Sasami was poorly restraining a chuckle.
"Oh honestly. It's not that funny." Standing back up, Ayeka adjusted her robes and reached for her chair, a hot blush burning on her face, neck, and even her ears.
"Are you alright, Lady Ayeka?" Tenchi's almost boyishly concerned voice broke in through the mild laughter filling the room, and Ayeka felt the hairs on the back of her neck stick up and bit down hard on her bottom lip.
Whirling around, Ayeka knocked over her chair again and as she tried to find something half intelligent to say to Tenchi, got her leg tangled in the fallen chair and fell back over. Of course, the rest of the people in room took up one of Ryoko's signiture traits, cackling.
Stumbling back up, Ayeka could even feel her chest and shoulders blushing a hot shade of red, and she picked up her chair, swinging it back into place and plopping down in it, tears nipping at the corners of her deep pink eyes.
"I'm.. I'm fine, thank you Lord Tenchi." She spoke her words with much force, if it had been anyone but Tenchi who had asked she would of probably ignored it, but she just couldn't ignore him.
The laughter had died down by then, and the others were beginning to look at each other akwardly, waiting for someone to say something. Tenchi sensed this, and cleared his throat waiting for the others to look over at him, which they quickly did.
Holding out a thick bouquet of dark violet and pale pink flowers, Tenchi glanced across the table from him to Ayeka and said, "I hope you don't mind Lady Ayeka, but when I was on my way back from the feilds earlier, I couldn't help but pluck some of your beautiful flowers for the table.. I hope that that's alright with you."
Ayeka slowly rose her head, the blush lightended but still lingering on her ivory skin. Glancing up into Tenchi's warm dark eyes, she saw the brightness in them, and gave him a small smile before saying, "Oh yes Lord Tenchi, that's quite alright.. I'm glad that you like them."
Nodding, Tenchi plucked the withered flowers from the vase in the center of the table, tossed them away, and placed in with tenderness the new flowers. Everyone around the table looked at them and nodded in approval, commenting lightly about how nice they looked and what a green thumb Ayeka had; well all except Ryoko who was at the moment cleaning a spot of dirt off of the toe of her shoe.
Lunch was finished rather quickly, although Sasami's lovely cooking skills hadn't failed her, the salad did taste rather dry, but there was a surprsinly abundant amount of tea which helped a good amount. It was later that evening though, when Ayeka was watering the flowers again, when Tenchi appeared once more, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Hello there Lady Ayeka." He said with an almost scarily joyful voice.
Being lost in a random state of thoughts Ayeka, jumped a bit at the sudden break in the silence, and she turned around quickly, teetering on her heels. "Oh, well er, hello Lord Tenchi. What brings you out here this evening?"
Smiling down at her, Tenchi knealt down on the ground next to her, and gestured to the small garden before them. "Your flowers," he said and grinned at her, barely seeing the tender blush in her cheeks. "You have a wonderful touch for nature, Lady Ayeka. But I'm sure you realize that already."
Smiling softly Ayeka felt a steady warm blush spread throughout body from being under his almost loving stare. In a quiet voice, Ayeka looked up at him and as her eyes met his she felt her heart skip a beat or two, and she herself not wanting to look away.
"Why.. Why thank you Lord Tenchi. That's very kind of you to say."
Grinning even broader, Tenchi said, "It's the truth Lady Ayeka, no need to thank someone for saying the truth."
There were a few moments of a rather content silence between the two of them, with the light sound of crickets chirping idly somewhere in the background, before Tenchi cleared his throat and glanced back over at Ayeka, who was now staring at up the fading sunset, and waiting for her to adjust her gaze to him.... He certainly did love it when her gaze was on him.
Looking back at him, Ayeka's eyes wandered his face and waiting patiently for him to begin speaking. Feeling her eyes on him, Tenchi suddenly felt his heart rate quicken a bit, and shifted uneasily from foot to foot.
"Well Lady Ayeka.. I was just er.. Wondering if you would like to.. join me for lunch tomorrow after noon." There, he had said it. Looking back into her eyes, Tenchi felt as if a great load had been lifted off of his tired shoulders.
Giving him a puzzled look in return, Ayeka said slowly, "Well that's very kind Lord Tenchi.. But don't we eat lunch together every afternoon?"
Opening his mouth a bit, Tenchi paused and arched a brow slightly before responding. "Well, Lady Ayeka.. I meant would you like to join me for lunch tomorrow.. In the speaking of just you and me, together."
The unique mixture of surprise, heart throbbing, and blush can make some people react in ways that they would normally avoid. For instance, after Ayeka yelped out, "Oh! Why of course, I'd love to Lord Tenchi." and then continued on to wrap her lilac robe clad arms around him.
They stayed like that for a few moments, Ayeka not realizing what she was doing and Tenchi too stunned at her sudden burst of forwardness to think of a single thing to say. Blinking open her eyes though, Ayeka realized what she was in the midst of doing and jumped back a bit feeling one of her famous blushes rising through her body.
"I apologize Lord Tenchi.. I didn't mean to act upon my influences so forcefully.. I apologize."
Smiling over at her, Tenchi chuckled and said, "It's quite alright Lady Ayeka, quite alright. So.. tomorrow at noon?"
Nodding shyly, Ayeka tried to regain a dignified hold on herself, and desperatly tried to mentally calm the flush that was now covering as much of her body as was visible through her robes.
Before Ayeka excused herself to her bedroom, Tenchi gently touched her shoulder and held up a beautiful deep violet rose, one so powerful with color and life that it nearly took his own breath away.
Holding it out to her, Tench said, "Out of everything that you've done and said, I think that this flower represents you the best.. Powerful, elegant, and beautiful." And with that, he tenderly placed it into her hand, nodded to her, and walked back in the direction of the house, his figure slowly getting lost in the dim light that the barely there moon was beginning to let glow upon the Earth.
Mirroring the motion that she had seen Tenchi do only the night before, Ayeka held the flower up to her noese and sniffed it, smililng a bit. Ironically enough, Tenchi was on the porch, watching her smell the flower and smile, and he strolled back into his home, feeling quite content.
*~This is really only a connecting chapter, next one will be their date! If you're interested or want more, review please! I only ask for five! I promise, the next chapter will be fluffy! Hehe, push the review button and finish the job m' friends. *~
Chapter Two
The day had gone by with an almost sickening pace of slowness. Never before had Ayeka stared at the hands of the clock so long that her eyes had begun to sting. There was a thick silence through out the Maskai home, maybe it was because the air conditoner had finally blown or because Sasami was near panick over the missing dressing sauce, but no one was in the mood for chit chat, to say the least.
At the moment, most of them were gathered in the kitchen, most of them meaning Ayeka, Sasami, and Washu, who at the moment was typing away on her traveling computer, paying no mind to anyone else.
Ayeka didn't really mind the silence, she was in midst of painting each of her finger nails a pearl pink color, and felt content to watch them shimmer from the glow of the over head kitchen light. She began to hum a little tune under her breath, and got lost in a turmoil of her own thoughts for a bit, not noticing the arrival of several more members of the seemingly randomly thrown together adopted family enter the room.
"So Princess." Ryoko's spunky voice cut into Ayeka's head, and she jumped a bit, spilling the small bottle of nail polish.
"Oh! Ryoko, for Christ's sake look at what you've made me do!" Sighing frustrated, Ayeka shot Ryoko a death stare and began to wipe up the spilled polish with several white table napkins.
Laughing, Ryoko held out her sparkly midnight blue nails and said, "You could never pull a color like this off Princess," and continued to laugh; well cackle rather.
Rolling her eyes, Ayeka walked over to the small trash disposal by the sink and said, "Ryoko, I don't want to pull off a color like that, for god's sake." As she tossed away the napkins and went to sit back in her chair, Ryoko continued to cackle and then, just before Ayeka sat down she pulled the chair out from under her.
Ayeka hit the floor with a loud thump, and cried out in an embaressed surprise. By this time, Kiyone and Mihowshi had stumbled into the kitchen too, and they giggled along with Ryoko, and Ayeka was rather hurt to see that even Sasami was poorly restraining a chuckle.
"Oh honestly. It's not that funny." Standing back up, Ayeka adjusted her robes and reached for her chair, a hot blush burning on her face, neck, and even her ears.
"Are you alright, Lady Ayeka?" Tenchi's almost boyishly concerned voice broke in through the mild laughter filling the room, and Ayeka felt the hairs on the back of her neck stick up and bit down hard on her bottom lip.
Whirling around, Ayeka knocked over her chair again and as she tried to find something half intelligent to say to Tenchi, got her leg tangled in the fallen chair and fell back over. Of course, the rest of the people in room took up one of Ryoko's signiture traits, cackling.
Stumbling back up, Ayeka could even feel her chest and shoulders blushing a hot shade of red, and she picked up her chair, swinging it back into place and plopping down in it, tears nipping at the corners of her deep pink eyes.
"I'm.. I'm fine, thank you Lord Tenchi." She spoke her words with much force, if it had been anyone but Tenchi who had asked she would of probably ignored it, but she just couldn't ignore him.
The laughter had died down by then, and the others were beginning to look at each other akwardly, waiting for someone to say something. Tenchi sensed this, and cleared his throat waiting for the others to look over at him, which they quickly did.
Holding out a thick bouquet of dark violet and pale pink flowers, Tenchi glanced across the table from him to Ayeka and said, "I hope you don't mind Lady Ayeka, but when I was on my way back from the feilds earlier, I couldn't help but pluck some of your beautiful flowers for the table.. I hope that that's alright with you."
Ayeka slowly rose her head, the blush lightended but still lingering on her ivory skin. Glancing up into Tenchi's warm dark eyes, she saw the brightness in them, and gave him a small smile before saying, "Oh yes Lord Tenchi, that's quite alright.. I'm glad that you like them."
Nodding, Tenchi plucked the withered flowers from the vase in the center of the table, tossed them away, and placed in with tenderness the new flowers. Everyone around the table looked at them and nodded in approval, commenting lightly about how nice they looked and what a green thumb Ayeka had; well all except Ryoko who was at the moment cleaning a spot of dirt off of the toe of her shoe.
Lunch was finished rather quickly, although Sasami's lovely cooking skills hadn't failed her, the salad did taste rather dry, but there was a surprsinly abundant amount of tea which helped a good amount. It was later that evening though, when Ayeka was watering the flowers again, when Tenchi appeared once more, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Hello there Lady Ayeka." He said with an almost scarily joyful voice.
Being lost in a random state of thoughts Ayeka, jumped a bit at the sudden break in the silence, and she turned around quickly, teetering on her heels. "Oh, well er, hello Lord Tenchi. What brings you out here this evening?"
Smiling down at her, Tenchi knealt down on the ground next to her, and gestured to the small garden before them. "Your flowers," he said and grinned at her, barely seeing the tender blush in her cheeks. "You have a wonderful touch for nature, Lady Ayeka. But I'm sure you realize that already."
Smiling softly Ayeka felt a steady warm blush spread throughout body from being under his almost loving stare. In a quiet voice, Ayeka looked up at him and as her eyes met his she felt her heart skip a beat or two, and she herself not wanting to look away.
"Why.. Why thank you Lord Tenchi. That's very kind of you to say."
Grinning even broader, Tenchi said, "It's the truth Lady Ayeka, no need to thank someone for saying the truth."
There were a few moments of a rather content silence between the two of them, with the light sound of crickets chirping idly somewhere in the background, before Tenchi cleared his throat and glanced back over at Ayeka, who was now staring at up the fading sunset, and waiting for her to adjust her gaze to him.... He certainly did love it when her gaze was on him.
Looking back at him, Ayeka's eyes wandered his face and waiting patiently for him to begin speaking. Feeling her eyes on him, Tenchi suddenly felt his heart rate quicken a bit, and shifted uneasily from foot to foot.
"Well Lady Ayeka.. I was just er.. Wondering if you would like to.. join me for lunch tomorrow after noon." There, he had said it. Looking back into her eyes, Tenchi felt as if a great load had been lifted off of his tired shoulders.
Giving him a puzzled look in return, Ayeka said slowly, "Well that's very kind Lord Tenchi.. But don't we eat lunch together every afternoon?"
Opening his mouth a bit, Tenchi paused and arched a brow slightly before responding. "Well, Lady Ayeka.. I meant would you like to join me for lunch tomorrow.. In the speaking of just you and me, together."
The unique mixture of surprise, heart throbbing, and blush can make some people react in ways that they would normally avoid. For instance, after Ayeka yelped out, "Oh! Why of course, I'd love to Lord Tenchi." and then continued on to wrap her lilac robe clad arms around him.
They stayed like that for a few moments, Ayeka not realizing what she was doing and Tenchi too stunned at her sudden burst of forwardness to think of a single thing to say. Blinking open her eyes though, Ayeka realized what she was in the midst of doing and jumped back a bit feeling one of her famous blushes rising through her body.
"I apologize Lord Tenchi.. I didn't mean to act upon my influences so forcefully.. I apologize."
Smiling over at her, Tenchi chuckled and said, "It's quite alright Lady Ayeka, quite alright. So.. tomorrow at noon?"
Nodding shyly, Ayeka tried to regain a dignified hold on herself, and desperatly tried to mentally calm the flush that was now covering as much of her body as was visible through her robes.
Before Ayeka excused herself to her bedroom, Tenchi gently touched her shoulder and held up a beautiful deep violet rose, one so powerful with color and life that it nearly took his own breath away.
Holding it out to her, Tench said, "Out of everything that you've done and said, I think that this flower represents you the best.. Powerful, elegant, and beautiful." And with that, he tenderly placed it into her hand, nodded to her, and walked back in the direction of the house, his figure slowly getting lost in the dim light that the barely there moon was beginning to let glow upon the Earth.
Mirroring the motion that she had seen Tenchi do only the night before, Ayeka held the flower up to her noese and sniffed it, smililng a bit. Ironically enough, Tenchi was on the porch, watching her smell the flower and smile, and he strolled back into his home, feeling quite content.
*~This is really only a connecting chapter, next one will be their date! If you're interested or want more, review please! I only ask for five! I promise, the next chapter will be fluffy! Hehe, push the review button and finish the job m' friends. *~