Author's Note: Damn, has it been that long since I last updated? Sorry about the long wait guys, school's been getting in the way of a lot of stuff lately, and now that we're at war, things just keep getting even worse for me. But that's enough about my problems, I'm sure you all want to know what happens next so let's get back to where we left off about a month or so ago.



Chapter 9: He and I



"Damn him," Ryoko muttered for what seemed like the millionth time that day, "damn him. Damn him, damn him, damn him, DAMN HIM!" she suddenly yelled.

The everyone in the neighborhood jumped from the sudden scream, it was a cry that was nearly unheard of in Ryoko's neighborhood. A month ago, it was pretty common to hear the samurai girl's yelling a she accidentally hit some of her furniture with her wooden sword during training. That was pretty much the only time the neighborhood would hear Ryoko's yelling, but ever since she became pregnant, the neighborhood thought things would finally become peaceful.

"Damn him!" Ryoko yelled again, this time taking her dusty wooden sword into her hands. "Damn him!" the oak blade came down against the side of her dresser, creating a large dent upon impact along with a small web of cracks. "Damn him!" she swung once more, this time striking the contents on top of the dresser.

More swears continued to cry from the samurai girl's mouth, each of them growing louder than the last. She could see his face everywhere he swung; that stupid red monkey as she would normally call him, he broke a promise that meant so much to her. The visage of her teddy bear had been replaced with Shizuma's, the same happened when her vision turned to her bed's post. Each of these things got a good smack from Ryoko's wooden sword, denting the bed's post and knocking the button eyes off her stuffed bear. The events that happened today kept repeating itself over and over again in Ryoko's head.

She remembers running through the masses of students in the auditorium. The cheers that were once directed to her were now for the navy-haired street fighter and the President of the Flower Arrangement Club. She remembers running through the crowded seats, her feet constantly crushing the toes of another student with every step she took. She remembers eyes continually focused on the arena's big TV screens. Every punch thrown and every kick he made, her memory would not erase the image of Shizuma breaking his word. She then remembers when she finally came to the ring, the apology that Shizuma made. If he could not keep his promise, how could he even rightfully apologize for the pain he caused her. Pain, that was the only thing Shizuma knew about, and there was only way he could feel a fraction of hers. The sting of her palm meeting with his cheek, it hurt her more than it hurt him. The slap did nothing to hurt or hand, all it did was break her heart.

"Damn him!" she cried again, her swing becoming more powerful than the last. "Damn him! Damn him, damn him, damn him!"

She couldn't take it any longer, her strength had become spent. The tears were beginning to take control, they could no longer be held back. Sadness was an emotion that was nearly unheard of for the mighty samurai girl, yet here she is, once again succumbing to the tears.

"Shizuma, you idiot!" she cried. "Just what were you thinking?! Is that all you care about, fighting? You don't care about me at all, do you?! Is that it, you only care about what I'm holding inside me, aren't you?" she asked, her hand creeping over her somewhat swollen belly. "I don't care how you feel anymore, Shizuma. I can raise this child all by myself, you can keep fighting all you want. You can...," her voice began to break once more, "you can just stay out of my life!"



Tick, tock, tick, tock, that was the sound ringing through Shizuma's ears during the last hour. It had been a while since Shizuma had a bad day at school, the last one he had revolved around a certain cooking competition he wished he never interfered in. This was probably the worst day for Shizuma to be alive, this was probably the first time he truly felt sadness. Even when his parents moved overseas, Shizuma didn't cry, he knew he had his older sister, Tomoe, to look after him. Tomoe was always there for him, giving him money, giving him the attention he desired, she did everything for him. But even Tomoe couldn't help Shizuma out of this one, this is something he had to deal with.

"I'm home!" the door suddenly opened, taking Shizuma's attention away from the clock for a mere second. "Shizuma, I'm surprised you're still here," Tomoe's attention fell upon her brother a second later, "usually when I come home you're about to go out or something, but now..."

"Can you leave me alone for a moment, sis?" Shizuma asked, his eyes transfixed on the clock.

"Is something wrong, Shizuma?"

Tomoe had never seen her brother like this before, in fact, she never really saw him all that often around the house. It was always "I'm going out until midnight, don't wait up," or "I'll see ya in the morning," Shizuma wasn't one who really liked to stay at home for whatever reason. The two were close when they were younger, but now it was kind of like living with a stranger, a stranger you barely saw. Tomoe never really liked that kind of relationship, but it was best to have one like that in terms of her career, after all, it wouldn't be fun to have Shizuma hanging around the house with some friends over while she was trying to grade her fifth period's book reports.

"It's nothing," Shizuma answered, his voice muffled by his crossed arms as his head sunk even deeper into the kitchen table.

"Shizuma, something's wrong," Tomoe said, beginning to pull the chair across from her brother, "you're never like this."

"I said it's nothing," Shizuma sighed, turning his attention to the wall to the left of him.

It was never Shizuma's style to tell others what was on his mind. Well, maybe it was ever since that incident happened with her, but she was the only one he could share his thoughts with. It was like a bond between them, he didn't want to share it with anyone else.

"Shizuma, I can tell by the look in your eyes that..."

"I broke my promise to Ryoko, okay?!" Shizuma yelled.

That's it, he couldn't take it any longer, he couldn't hide his secret from his own sister anymore, he just couldn't hide it from anyone else for that matter. Shizuma was never one to succumb to his emotions, but now...

"Promise, what promise, Shizuma?" Tomoe asked concerned.

It was too late to go back now, he already mentioned the promise so he might as well tell her the whole story. A deep sigh began to fill his lungs and released it a second later. His eyes turned to his sister's for what seemed like an eternity. Shizuma and Tomoe never looked at each other eye-to-eye since their parents moved, it would be a big step for the two if they were to continue being brother and sister.

"Tomoe..., I," Shizuma began to explain, only to stop once a lump began to grow in his throat.

"You what, Shizuma?" Tomoe asked, leaning in closer to her brother. "What did you do? Is this something about you did at school, or...?"

"Ryoko's pregnant!" Shizuma yelled once more, kicking the side of the table after he spoke.

"Oh my God...," was the only way Tomoe could react. "Shizuma, you didn't..."

"It was an accident," Shizuma began to explain. "We were both so drunk after Daisaku's party a month ago that it just happened!" the tears began falling.

"And you never told me?" Tomoe began to get infuriated, but held it back remembering that her brother needed her ear at the moment.

"I'm sorry, sis," Shizuma said, burying his face into his palms, "I never wanted you to get in my affairs so I..."

"What about the promise?" Tomoe asked. "You said that you broke a promise to Ryoko."

"The promise...," Shizuma began to recall. "After I learned that Ryoko was pregnant, I promised her that I would stop fighting, but I didn't. I had to gain money to help support the baby so I continued. But today, I got into a fight at school that had nothing to do with money. I let my pride get the best of me, and now..."

"Shizuma, it's okay," Tomoe said, taking Shizuma's hand into hers. "We all break promises eventually, it just slips at times."

"How can you say that?!" Shizuma virtually yelled. "What I promised Ryoko was something..."

"Don't you remember when you were eight and I promised to take you to the fair?" Tomoe suddenly changed the subject.

"What does...?"

"Just answer the question, Shizuma!" Tomoe demanded.

"...Yeah, I remember," Shizuma recalled, "you didn't take me. You went to your friend's house instead for the day, you broke your promise."

"I made up for it, didn't I?" Tomoe reminded Shizuma.

"You did?"

"Yeah, I brought you to the movies two weeks later," Tomoe recalled.

"And then after that, you took me out to lunch," Shizuma added.

"What I'm trying to say, Shizuma, is that you should make up for breaking your promise to Ryoko," Tomoe explained.

"But how am I supposed to do that?" Shizuma asked. "It'll take more than a movie and lunch to make up for what I did."

"That's something you'll have to figure out, Shizuma," Tomoe answered as she began making her leave from the table.

"Sis," Shizuma called before she could leave.

"What?"

"Thank you."



Madoka was worried, ever since she came home her niece has been locked up in her own room. Every time she asked what was wrong, she'd always get some sort of nasty reply such as "go away!" or "leave me alone!"

"I bet it was that Shizuma-boy that did this to her," Madoka thought to herself as she opened her third can of beer for that evening. "That son of a bitch, the next time I see him I'll..."

Ryoko could hear her aunt's mumbles all the way up from her room. Her entire room was a wreck, everything had been smashed or dented at least once by her wooden sword. Even though it was about midnight, she still couldn't get the stupid red monkey out of her mind. She had been tossing an turning in her bed for hours, not able to gain a single wink of sleep. The image of Shizuma breaking his promise was still very fresh in her mind.

"Dammit...," Ryoko muttered.

Sleep wasn't going to get the street fighter out of her mind, she needed to do something else in order to get him out of her mind.

"Ryoko?" Madoka said surprised as soon as her niece opened the door to her room.

Her eyes were red, her hair was tangled, Ryoko just looked like a total mess. She never looked this bad, even after the toughest K-Fights she at least still had a smile on her face.

"Aunt Madoka," Ryoko barely called. "I'm going out for a bit, is that okay?"

"Yeah," Madoka nodded, "it's fine."

The city was as busy as usual despite how late it was. The constant echoing of chattering and car horns filled the air. The bright lights of the city would blind anyone who stared into them for five seconds or so. None of these things caught Ryoko's attention, instead, it focused on the ground. There was just too much on Ryoko's mind at the moment, everything around her just began to slowly die with ever step she took. The lights grew dimmer, the sounds became fainter, all the while, her thoughts on Shizuma were growing stronger. By the time she looked up, all the sights and sounds of the city were gone, and she was alone.

"I can't believe I wandered here," Ryoko said to herself realizing where she had arrived.

It was a place she knew all too well. The smell of pine, the smooth grass, and the splashes of the fountain, it was the park she and Shizuma had gone to a month ago after she gave him the news. Ryoko remembered that time clearly, she could practically see herself and Shizuma fighting over by the area close to the playground. She could still feel the wind gliding through her hair and body, the feel of her wooden sword nestled in her palms, but most of all, she remembers being with him. Ryoko could never remember feeling so alive back then, it felt like it happened oh so long ago. Whenever she thought of Shizuma not too long ago, her lips would always curl into a smile, and her heart would begin to race, but now, things were different. Her fists would curl just remembering his name, her teeth would clench if she could recall his smile, but now, standing here where it all began, Ryoko didn't know how to feel at the moment.

The playground, Ryoko recalled going there a lot when she was a lot younger, she and Hitomi used to be regulars at the swings. The two always went there when they were kids, it was the closest they would ever come to flying. It made them feel so free back then, but would it still do the same for her even now?

Ryoko's legs dangled even now as she sat on the swing, her toes barely touching the ground. Just sitting there began to take her back, back to a time she didn't have much worries in the world, a time where all she really had to care about was herself. Times were different now, there are so many things Ryoko has to care about now. Her education, her future career, her unborn child, all of these things she would never have dreamed about back then. Ryoko couldn't help but clench her fists against the chains of the swing when these things came to her head, she just wished they could all go away.

Crunch, the sound of one's footsteps began to enter Ryoko's ear. Crunch, the sound was coming closer. Crunch, crunch, crunch, the sound had stopped a few steps behind her. Ryoko could feel her heart beginning to race suddenly, her face was starting to burn as well. She knew who was behind her, but how to react to him, she didn't know.

"Hey," the person behind her said.

"Hey," Ryoko replied without turning.

The steps began coming closer once more, close enough that she can practically feel his body against her again, just like that night a month ago. Her fists began to close more tightly against the chains of her seat, and her teeth began to grind against each other once more. Her guest knew how she was feeling at the moment, the only thing he could do was...

"I'm sorry," he said, placing his palm over her fist.

"Hm?" her teeth began to loosen their hold on one another.

"I'm so sorry, Ryoko," he repeated, burrowing the temple of his head against the invisible wall before him.

"Why, Shizuma?" was all she could say, her eyes averted to the ground.

"It's because I want to support our baby," he answered.

"Because you...!" her fist began to tighten once more.

"It was the only way I could support you and the baby," he continued. "I never... did find a job at the docks, that was only a fake ID I used to try and fool you that I had an actual job there. The truth is... I did find a job, but it was one you would never recommend. I'm a fighter, Ryoko, I fought at a club at the docks for cash, that was how I was able to get the money for the baby."

"There are other ways to get money, Shizuma," Ryoko practically growled. "Fighting isn't the only..."

"That's not the whole truth," Shizuma admitted. "The truth is that I never felt alive unless I was in a fight. The only time I felt that my life ever existed was when I was in a fight. The feel of my fists or feet striking against my opponent or being struck myself, that was the only time I could feel my heart pacing. But that all changed a month ago, Ryoko. I never told you this, but when I first met you, there was something about you that made my heart race. I didn't even have to be in a fight with you, and all of a sudden my face would begin to burn. I thought it was just some kind of fluke or something, but after being with you for a whole, I finally realized what all that stuff was about. You see, Ryoko, the truth is that I... I love you."

"What?" her heart began to race once more.

"I love you, Ryoko Mitsurugi," Shizuma repeated, "more than you could ever know."

"Shizuma...," the tears began falling once more. "I... love you too."

"Ryoko..."

"Shizuma...,"

His hands began to glide down the chained links of her seat, finding their way to her shoulders. Her head began to slide downward, stopping at the base of her neck, his nose nestling against her cheek. Her hand slowly began to unwind from their grasp on the chains, finding their way ever so slowly to the palm of her lover. Slowly her head began to turn, her eyes finally meeting with his after an eternity. Her lips began to quiver at the sight of his turquoise pupils, her entire body was burning, it was a fire she could never put out. Those violet orbs, they looked so tranquil, so delicate. Her skin, so soft and silky, it reflected the moon's light perfectly. Her lips were quivering, he had to console them. His palm began to tread from her shoulder, making it's way up her neck and then stopping a few inches away from her chin. His fingers began to caress the creamy texture of her cheek, making her lips tingle even more. He couldn't wait any longer, he just had to stop them. His mouth dove into hers a moment later, suckling away at its ambrosia ever so slightly. The feel of his lips, she never knew how much she could miss them so. So sweet, so tender, this was a treasure that neither would trade in for all the money in the world and so much more. This was their moment, this is where they could truly feel alive.

It felt like an eternity until the two lips finally parted, each of them still fresh with the honey of the other. The street fighter and the samurai girl once again sat there, their arms folded against one another and their cheeks perfectly sliding against each other. This was a feeling neither could live without, this the feeling of being alive, the feeling of love.

"Shizuma," Ryoko finally spoke. "Do you promise?"

"Promise?"

"That you will stop fighting?"

"I..."

"Before you answer, be certain that you're willing to keep your word."

"I... I promise, Ryoko," Shizuma answered. "I promise that I will stop fighting for the baby's sake, and yours as well."

"Thank you, Shizuma," Ryoko smiled, planting her lips on his once more to seal the deal.

'There's no reason to fight anymore,' Shizuma thought to himself, 'with her in my arms, I can truly feel alive.'



Author's Note: Well, pretty touching, wasn't it? This fic's almost done people, sorry for the long wait, I promise you readers that I won't have you guys wait another month for the next chapter. That's right, I'll give you my word that I will update once again within a week. Well, go ahead and leave me a review, and as usual, no flames or anything like that. So do you guys think Shizuma will keep his word this time, we'll find out in the next chapter. Until then, later people!