Nadesico Fan Fiction
Romance Of The Stars
By Kraven Ergeist
Chapter Five
When Gai Daigoji died, Akito was not left with very many people he could commune with on a personal level. Megumi had always been someone to talk to about personal situations, but after their falling out, Akito wasn't sure he could talk to her, especially about seeing another girl. The other pilots sometimes offered conversation, thought they usually deteriorated to Hikaru and Izumi making illicit implications concerning the other two.
Even Seiya Uribatake, who he could relate in terms of mech fanboyism, wouldn't have any desirable input on Akito's women trouble; he'd just go off on some rant on how Akito was getting all the luck. Had Mister Akatsuki been there, he might have at least been able to extract some useful information, though he would have had to dig through no end of teasing and embarrassment to get it.
Actually, the only person Akito could really think about going to for advice would have been Ruri herself. He had always admired her for her knowledge and practical outlook on life. But talking to Ruri after their most recent discussion was a task Akito was not yet prepared to do.
"What's the matter, Akito?" came a familiar voice.
Akito had been in the middle of washing dishes, thinking on his troubles, when the sudden question caught him off guard.
"Uh…Miss Howmei?"
The older woman looked genuinely concerned. "You've been out of it all day today. Is the Captain on your case again?"
Akito shook his head. "No, it's not the Captain."
The lunch lady smiled, getting back to a pot of stew that was boiling. "You know, back when I was growing up, I would have thought a man being chased around by women right left and center would consider himself lucky. Now that I've met you, I know just how stressful something like that can be."
Akito smiled. "Well, at least I have one sympathizer."
Akito went back to his work.
And paused.
Maybe he did have someone he could talk to for advice.
"Actually…" Akito began, "It's about Ruri."
Miss Howmei blinked. "That sweet little thing?"
Akito nodded. "Yeah. She's been bringing up the topic of romance with me, and it's really making me uncomfortable."
Miss Howmei nodded. "Getting to be that age, huh?"
Akito nodded. "I know. I mean, I've always thought of her as a little sister to me…but now she's coming to me with all these questions, and…"
Miss Howmei winked. "I know what you mean, Akito…and you can stop fidgeting, because I also know what you're not telling me…"
Akito gaped. "You…what…?"
The cook chuckled. "Please…with the women that I work with? If those girls could spread butter like they spread gossip, they'd serve enough toast for all of Earth and Mars."
Akito swallowed his tongue. "Uh…it's not what you think!"
"Relax, kid," the Chinese woman sighed. "Where lived when I was a kid, men would marry teenage girls all the time. We were a poor village, and people weren't expected to live that long, so it was actually kind of necessary to marry early." The cook turned off the burner, her eyes still focused on the task at hand. "Thankfully, when I signed up with Nergal, I signed an agreement that would help the people in my village get better health care and better education. My point is, I don't see it as a crime, Akito. Just be gentle with her."
Akito raised his hands. "You've got it all wrong! I mean, you may be comfortable with the idea, but I'm not so sure about it!"
Miss Howmei sighed. "Do you like her, Akito?"
Akito gaped. "I…huh?"
The older woman sighed. "It's a simple question. Ruri Hoshino. Do you like her or don't you?"
Akito shuffled, uncomfortably on his feet. "Well, of course I like her! I mean…"
"And does she like you?"
Akito stopped and scratched his nose. "Well, uh…she likes me enough to kiss me. And Miss Minato seems to think she's in love with me, but…"
Miss Howmei poured some spices into the pot she was stirring. "Then what are you wasting time in the kitchen for? Go out there and set things right already!"
Akito started. "Oh…right!"
Without pausing to think things through, Akito dropped what he was doing and blasted out the door.
"Good going, Miss Howmei!" came an appreciative call from one of the cook's subordinates.
"I'm just dong my part," Miss Howmei smiled. "The rest is up to him."
As the rest of the Howmei girls swooned over the possibilities of Ruri and Akito, Miss Howmei got back to work.
"Good luck…Akito…"
xxxxx
Akito raced about the halls, looking for the Ruri. She wasn't in the bridge and she wasn't in her room. Minato didn't know where she was, and the pilot slash cook was getting desperate. Eventually, Akito found the blue haired girl as she was walking through the halls.
"Ruri!" he called out to her as he caught a flash of blue hair walking in the other direction.
The girl ignored him, continuing to walk in the direction she had been.
"Ruri, wait up!"
Still, the girl gave no response.
Akito eventually caught up with her. "Ruri, wait…please…"
Ruri didn't look at him. "What is it, Mister Tenkawa?"
Akito cringed. That title used to make him smile, but now…
"Ruri…" Akito panted. "About this morning…"
Ruri blinked. "This morning? What ever do you mean, Mister Tenkawa?"
Akito gaped. "What are you talking about? That time in my room this morning. You know!"
Ruri frowned. "Mister Tenkawa, are you implying that the two of us might be intimate with one another? Honestly, spouting out notions of an adult being intimate with a child such as myself is filthy and perverse, not to mention illegal."
Akito stared at the girl in disbelief. "Ruri, what are you talking about? It was your idea!"
"Then why won't you be honest with me?" Ruri demanded. "First, you tell me that you'll do anything to make me happy, then you deny me when I try to explore the possibilities further. Now, you're suddenly asking for me back? Make up your mind, Mister Tenkawa!"
Ruri hadn't been yelling – she didn't really "yell," per se – but the words sounded harsher than any scolding Akito had heard. "Ruri…I…"
Ruri pouted, impatiently. "Do you want us to be a couple or not?"
Akito fidgeted uncomfortably, tearing apart his mind for a suitable answer. His mouth opened, but his words came out mute.
"I see…" Ruri responded. "Then I have nothing further to say to you."
Akito almost panicked as Ruri walked away. "Ruri!"
He didn't go after her thought. He couldn't. What else was there to say? What could he possibly say if he didn't have anything to say? He wanted to speak with her, to tell her that he cared for her. But actions spoke louder than words…and he had already made himself clear.
So lost in himself, that Akito did not see the tears on Ruri's face as she left.
xxxxx
"So, you just blew him off?" Minato prodded.
Ruri was seated at her usual station, wondering whether or not Minato's input would be of any use to her. "All he was trying to do was make amends. It's not like he came to me to try again."
Minato frowned. "You don't know that, Ruri. For all you know, he was about to ask you for a second chance."
"Then why did he refuse to answer me when I asked him straight out?"
"Ruri, men don't usually handle direct questions like that very well. And for goodness sake, this is Akito we're talking about here!" Minato sighed. "The poor guy's got so much to work through, especially now that the Captain knows that you're in love with him."
Ruri nodded, frowning. "Oh, right…that…"
Minato frowned. "To be honest, Ruri, you haven't really been all that fair on him. I mean, for the longest time, you two were like brother and sister, and now all of the sudden, you come to him with this request for intimacy. Even if you weren't a minor, suddenly changing your relationship like that is a hard choice to make. You can't expect him to make up his mind all at once like that."
Ruri nodded. "Even if I weren't a minor…if I were an adult, this would all be so much easier…"
Minato shook her head. "The grass is always greener on the other side, Ruri."
Ruri blinked. "Come again?"
"Everyone seems to think that when they grow up, all their problems will be solved. And then, when they grow up, they find that the problems that were solved by growing up are replaced by an entirely new set of problems."
Ruri nodded. But she still wasn't convinced.
Had Akito not said that when Ruri had grown a little older, he would be perfectly willing to do it with her? If Ruri were an adult, Akito would not have rejected her.
Ruri got up to leave the bridge.
"Ruri?"
The computer operator paused at the door.
"If this doesn't work out…" Minato frowned. "I mean I hope it does, but if it doesn't, please remember, it's not the end of the world. There are more fish in the sea. I know you said Akito's the only one for you, but I sad the same thing about Mister Hoary, and six weeks later, I never thought twice about him."
Ruri nodded, clearly impatient. "Yes, thank you Minato. Good day."
Minato sighed at the girl left the bridge.
"Please don't do anything you might regret, Ruri…"
xxxxx
Akito was moping in the cafeteria that afternoon. Miss Howmei and her helpers watched sullenly from the kitchen. No one else was present in the lunchroom.
"So Miss Hoshino shot him down?" one of the Howmei girls asked.
"Evidently," Miss Howmei said. "I haven't had the heart to ask him directly."
"That adorable little girl?" one of the girls replied. "I wouldn't have seen her as someone to my hurt dear Akito."
"'Your dear Akito' is it?" another girl joked.
The first girl colored, letting out a shrill "eep!"
"Well, I think it was for the better," another one of the girls said. "I mean, as cute as they would have been together, it would have only brought trouble."
Another girl nodded. "Maybe so, but as down as poor old Akito looks-"
"Girls!" Miss Howmei shushed them as she saw someone step into the cafeteria.
Conversation ceased as the Howmei girls saw what their boss saw.
Ruri Hoshino stepping into the cafeteria.
Akito noticed the girl's presence almost immediately. "Oh…Ruri…"
"Mister Tenkawa," Ruri nodded. "Would you please come with me?"
Akito blinked, unable to form any coherent thoughts at the girl's request. "Uh…sure…"
Akito stood up and followed Ruri out the door. He didn't pay attention to the comments the Howmei girls were making behind him as he followed Ruri down the hall.
"Anyway, I'm really sorry about this morning…" Akito muttered.
No response.
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," Akito sighed. "But I guess all bad acts start with good intentions, don't they?"
Silence.
"Ruri?"
More silence.
"Are you just going to keep ignoring me?"
"Mister Tenkawa…" Ruri said, finally. "You might want to save your comments until after you've seen what I want to show you."
Akito gulped at that. What on Earth did Ruri want to show him?
xxxxx
Akito found out moments later, as he and Ruri stood, their heads plugged into headsets in the dark, simulation room.
Akito found himself on a picturesque beach, a gorgeous sunset that didn't actually seam to be setting, lay on the horizon, as the gentle crashing of surf and scent of the seashore took the edge off the young man's nerves.
Any comfort he'd gained from the setting was completely marred by what he saw next. Getting to his feet with a start, Akito found himself face to face with Ruri.
Well…sort of…
"Good evening, Mister Tenkawa," Ruri said. "This is how my body would look," Ruri explained. "If I were six years older."
Akito stared at her in disbelief. A very much older, and very much more promiscuous looking Ruri greeted his eyes. She was smiling, giving her hair a playful toss, evidently playing the part of the character the simulator was designed to emulate. A cute blue bikini revealed more than Akito was willing to look at. She still had the same face, the same yellow eyes, the same pale skin, and the same adorable pigtails. But the similarities ended there.
From her neck down, her body adhered to curves that made Akito's mind scream. Obviously, when given the prerogative for how her body would look in six years, Ruri had chosen one that would be as attractive as possible. Or maybe the computer had simply factored in for her meager diet. Whatever the reason, Akito had to fight to keep his eyes level with her face.
"Ruri…what…why are you doing this…?"
Ruri looked cutely at him. "Isn't it obvious? You said you weren't comfortable sleeping with a minor. Now, I am no longer a minor. Now you maybe do whatever you want with me without feeling guilty."
Akito gaped. "Ruri! I…"
Ruri blinked. "What is it, Akito? Don't you want to?"
Akito stuttered. "I…I can't, I…"
Ruri frowned, a look of complete sorrow on her face. "What is it this time, Mister Akito?" the blue hair girl wrapped her arms tightly around her body. "What is it that's holding you back? What is it about me that makes you say no?"
Akito shook his head, eyes clenched. "Just being in a simulator doesn't make you an adult, Ruri! It would still be wrong!"
Ruri glared back. "How? Outside the simulator, our bodies would not even be touching." The older Ruri approached Akito, subtly beginning to untie the top to her bathing suit. "We could spend as much time as we want together…" Ruri closed the distance on the stunned young man, the cloth straps of her swimsuit hanging loose around her shoulders, just barely covering what was there. "So please, Akito…please just let go of your inhibitions and-"
"Stop it!" Akito shouted, pulling away from her. "Just stop it already!"
Ruri recoiled, her arms clutched around her body. "Akito…?"
Akito clenched his eyes. "This is insane! This is all wrong, Ruri! If I say no, it would mean I wouldn't want you ever…but if I say yes, it would mean I'm in love with this illusion that you've made, and not the real you!"
Ruri faltered. "I…Akito…"
Akito seized her shoulders. "I love you, Ruri! I love you for who you are, not for what you can do for me! I don't care about sleeping with you, Ruri, I care about you! There's more to loving someone than just doing it with them, Ruri! Can't you see that!"
Ruri's tears flowed down the illusion's face. Her tears interfered with the helmet's reception, and the simulation terminated. The two of them both removed their helmets, and Ruri was still crying.
"Oh, Akito…" she sobbed, her happiness spilling out in waves of tears.
Akito smiled, shaking his head. "Honestly…"
Ruri didn't let him finish the thought as she rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around him.
Akito returned the embrace warmly. They both stood there in the dark room in each other's arms. For the first time, Ruri knew, truly knew, that Akito loved her. The thrill, the rush, the excitement of the very thought of consummating with this man…that had all been nice too. But this outshone it by far.
She knew for sure now that Akito didn't see her as a means to end, something that she herself had almost felt with him. Now, she knew that this was the person she wanted to be with. The life mate she had always longed for.
As for Akito…he couldn't have been happier. For once, he didn't doubt that he'd made the right choice. For once, he knew that the girl in his arms was the girl, the girl that he loved. He loved everyone else to be sure, but this girl…Ruri Hoshino…she was the one for him.
xxxxx
"So, Akito's chosen Ruri…" Yurika sighed at her position on the bridge. "Well…of all the possible suitors on this ship, I'm glad it was her. She deserves a wonderful man like Akito."
Minato looked back up, feeling guilty for being so happy with the blue haired girl. "Are you going to be alright, Captain?"
Yurika nodded. "Oh, I've still got some crying left to do…but I'll get over it eventually…" she inhaled, calming her nerves. Just because she wasn't finished crying didn't mean she had to break down in front of her helmswoman. "I'll never forget about him though. Not ever."
Minato bit her lip. "I feel like I should apologize, Captain…I was the one who urged Ruri to pursue a relationship like this."
Captain Misumaru waved her hand. "Don't be. You were just being a good friend to her, Minato. To be honest, I was getting kind of worried about her myself. I'm glad you were able to give her what I couldn't."
Minato nodded, smiling. "Well…I'm just glad the two of them are happy."
Yurika smiled, brushing a tear aside. "Yeah…me too…"
xxxxx
It was a few days later. On the holo-deck, Akito and Ruri were lying back on a field of grass, the ceiling stylized to look like an evening sky. A very fake looking sunset in the backdrop, while the first of many stars twinkled overhead.
Ruri was on her side, clutching Akito's arm possessively, one leg draped over his, getting as much contact in as she could.
Akito smiled at her. "Are you okay with this, Ruri? I mean are you satisfied with just hugging and kissing?"
Ruri looked back at him. "That is not all we do, Akito."
Akito blinked. "What do you mean?"
Ruri smiled, evilly. "Remember that time I discovered how ticklish you were?"
Akito fidgeted, carefully eying her hands around his arm. "Don't get any funny ideas now Ruri."
Ruri batted her eyelashes. "Me? Funny ideas? Akito, I'm hurt."
Akito leered at her. "Don't think you can fool me with that fake pout of yours either. You may have gotten the better of me last time, but I won't fall for it again."
Ruri smiled, wryly. "Akito, I've known you long enough to know better than that."
Akito sighed. "Oh, Ruri, what am I going to do with you?"
Ruri giggled. "As if you could do anything even if you tried."
Akito leered at her, letting his hands brush over her ribs. "What was that, Ruri? I couldn't quite hear you. Did you say 'I'm not the only one who's ticklish?'"
Ruri gasped as his finger danced across her belly. "A…Akito! Ah…stop that!"
Akito grinned, not retracting his prodding fingers. "Not until you take back what you said, Ruri."
Ruri winced. "What's wrong, Akito? Does the truth hurt – Ah!"
Ruri cursed her slight frame as Akito seized her, his fingers wiggling everywhere, causing her to burst out in pearls of laughter.
"Alright, alright, I give up, you win!" Ruri shouted.
Akito let her go, and the two of them collapsed in a heap of laughter and exhausted panting.
"Tell me again why I put up with you?" Ruri asked, catching her breath.
"Oh, don't be like that," Akito chuckled. "You know you love it."
Ruri sighed. "You know, I really hate it when you're right."
Akito smiled, leaned over her and kissed her. "Well, I'm glad I was right about one thing at least."
She didn't have to ask what he was right about. Or rather, she couldn't, because he was currently kissing her neck. Ruri's eyes closed as she tilted her head back, allowing Akito further access as he kissed his way down to her nape. Maybe, just maybe, he might begin to untie her dress and proceed farther down…
But Akito came to rest, his head lying beneath her chin.
"I love you, Ruri…" he sighed, resting over her.
Ruri smiled, enjoying the feeling of his weight on her. So, he would remain true to his word. She sighed, almost in lament. But there was time. She could wait. Akito had promised her the life she had only dared dream of. For now, she could enjoy being with him like this.
Akito didn't hear her response. He was already fast asleep. Still, Ruri kissed his forehead, holding him close to her.
"I love you too Akito."
Ruri smiled; Minato was right. It felt wonderful just to say those words and know that they were true. Silently thanking the woman for her guidance, she allowed herself to be enveloped in this feeling called love, never wanting to let go. Soon, Ruri followed suit, the two of them settling into their dreams, enshrouded by the romance of the stars.
End
xxxxx
Yes, that's it. The story ends here. Don't worry, though, I'm still planning on writing a sizable epilogue. But the plot ends here. If I were to take this further, it would have to be some spiel about social services finding out about their underage relationship and separating them. If that were to happen, I would have to write chapter upon angst-ridden chapter of sad separation, and I really, really don't want to do that.
Thank you to all my readers for your encouragement and kind words. Thanks to all of you who critiqued me and corrected me, trying to make this worked better than I could have made on my own. I dedicate this fic to all of you.
Thanks for reading.