INVASION Volume 2, Part 5: Passion.
DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyou! is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I do not own or claim any rights to the series or characters. However, this story is entirely a product of my imagination. So, please do not change it! Other than that, feel free to distribute as widely as desired.
FOREWORD: Just like everything else in Ryoko's life, has anyone bothered to tell her what is right and wrong? In the absence of objective guidance, don't you think she would do whatever felt right?
BEGIN CHAPTER 5.
Up in the trees, there was not much chance of anyone noticing Ryoko. From this spot, she had watched Tenchi depart many times to go practice with his grandfather. As she observed him for the umpteen millionth time, she thought of the way her emotions had been running away from her lately. Previously, she had only felt lustful around Tenchi. But now, the feeling took her whenever Zak got too close. If she let him touch her for more than a few seconds... She shivered just thinking about it. Never had she felt desire like this for another man. Something was wrong and she needed to find out what it was before she went out with Zak tonight. Assured that Tenchi was no longer in the house, Ryoko went to talk to Washu. Thinking ahead as she took off into the air from her perch, she sent a mental warning to her self-appointed mother.
"Hey, Washu. Open up, will ya? I'm coming for a visit."
"About damn time!" Washu sent back. "Everybody's been worried sick!"
"I doubt it."
"No, really. Everybody."
Ryoko considered this for a moment.
"Even Aeka?"
"In her own way."
"More like she's worried I'll come back and take Tenchi from her."
"Mmm... that too."
Ryoko phased through the different levels of the house as she approached the entrance to Washu's lab. She managed to avoid being detected until the lab door shut behind her.
Sitting in the main room of the house with a hot water bottle on her head and nursing a monstrous headache from the beating she had just taken, Aeka heard the door shut. She turned to see what was going on, but no one was there.
"Great." She muttered. "Now I'm hearing things."
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Washu asked as Ryoko floated between various mechanical and electrical devices she did not care to think about.
"I think something's wrong with me."
"What gave you that idea?"
Ryoko blushed a bit, as she tried to communicate the details of her recent increase in libido.
"I, um... I always... felt a certain way around Tenchi. Lately, I've been feeling that way around, um... other guys."
Washu chuckled at this tasty bit of gossip.
"Oh. So, what you're telling me is that you've been getting really horny lately?"
Ryoko cringed.
"It's no like that! It's not like I'm going around trying to get some! It's just... whenever Zak gets close I..." Ryoko sighed. "I like it." Her face grew redder. "A lot."
To Ryoko's dismay, Washu did not seem particularly interested in her problems. She was still tapping away at her terminal as she answered.
"Have you considered the possibility that you're attracted to him?"
"No way!" Ryoko vehemently denied. "I can't like him that much!" Her expression soon softened. "Can I?"
"Why not?" Washu offered.
"I... um..." Ryoko could not come up with an answer. Although she said nothing else, her look pleaded for an explanation. Washu finally turned to her and gave her the attention she wanted.
"Let me clue you in to one of the secrets of the universe. Guys like girls. Girls like guys. It's a fact of life."
"I know that much." Ryoko complained. "Tell me something I don't know."
"I'm getting to that. No matter how much you love Tenchi, you will still feel attracted to others guys. What you do about that attraction is up to you."
From Ryoko's expression of dismay, Washu could tell she was not very satisfied with the answer. She decided to throw her daughter a bone.
"But, since there is a possibility that something might be wrong, it's a good idea to have a check-up."
A reclining chair suddenly appeared behind Ryoko.
"Take your clothes off and have a seat."
Ryoko tentatively began removing her clothes.
"No robots?"
"No robots. You'll need to feel comfortable for the tests to have accurate results. But, there will still be a needle."
Ryoko's face scrunched up with displeasure.
"I hate needles."
Washu could not help a small smile from appearing when she saw how silly Ryoko's face looked.
"I know, dear. But there may be a chemical or hormonal imbalance in your system from something you ate or inhaled. A scanner doesn't have the resolution to pick out the difference between some of the chemicals in your system."
"Well, invent one, then!"
Washu suddenly sat up straighter.
"You know, that's not a bad idea! I'll work on it when I get some free time. But for now, you get stuck."
Ryoko groaned as Washu approached with the rather large needle that she had just conjured. She made sure to sit down before letting her use the wicked-looking device. While it did not actually hurt to have her fluids drawn, she simply did not like the feel of a piece of metal sticking in her arm. She made sure to look away as she felt the small prick. Her discomfort lasted only a few seconds.
"There. All done." Washu confirmed as she moved away with the syringe.
Ryoko gave Washu the hairy-eyeball as her so-called doctor returned the sample to an automated sample analysis device. Washu stuck the needle into a rubber-sealed sample chamber and squirted the contents inside.
"Okay! Let's see what there is to see."
Tapping away at her keyboard, Washu watched as the results of the analysis were presented to her, one chemical at a time. She pulled up a similar list of the last time she had run this test. A pattern immediately began to form.
"Hmm."
"What?" Ryoko asked.
"Not sure, yet. I need to run a physiological response test to match against the chemical analysis."
Ryoko rolled her eyes.
"Huh?"
"Oh, don't worry." Washu assured her. "You'll like this test. All you have to do is sit there and think."
"That's it? Then why did you make me take my clothes off?"
"Some of the, ah... results are subtle and would be unmeasureable if you had your clothes on. The sensors are in the chair, so you won't be distracted by too much visual stimuli. Lie back and try to relax."
Suspicious, Ryoko did as she was instructed. Washu called up her systems analysis screen and began to monitor Ryoko's internal workings, such as emotional and physiological responses to specific thought patterns. As she set up the analysis programs, she issued the required instructions.
"Okay. I want you to think about hot guys."
"What?!" Ryoko sat up.
"Relax!" Washu insisted.
Ryoko grumbled to herself as she laid back again. Washu began explaining what she meant once Ryoko was fully reclined, once more.
"You said you were concerned about your reactions to men. So I have to know what's going on inside before I can say for sure if it's normal or not. Think about anything that turns you on. Anything except Tenchi. Save him for later."
Ryoko took a deep breath before even attempting what Washu was asking.
"And they say I'm weird."
Washu watched as the real-time readings on the bar-graph rode the expected baseline level. On the display were two additional, horizontal lines. One indicated the hypothetical levels Ryoko should normally attain, and the other, higher line, indicated the levels Washu was hoping to see. Each bar on the graph indicated an emotional or physiological response. What she had not told Ryoko about was the visual monitoring she was doing through the mental link. She watched the bars move upward as Ryoko replayed her memory of some time spent with Zak on his couch one evening.
The bars climbed steadily in an expected pattern. The bars for pleasure, lust, and, surprisingly, guilt were highest. Also present, but at a reduced level, was joy. As they moved into the region between the two lines, the bars for lust and guilt continued to climb, while joy began to slowly sink. Pleasure stayed about the same.
On the far right was a circle that changed between white and black, depending on the overall emotional balance. White stood for positive feelings like love, while black indicated negative feelings like hate. The circle was slightly more white than black. Overall, Washu had to conclude that Ryoko liked the interest being shown her, but she felt intensely guilty about it, probably due to her feelings for Tenchi.
Suddenly, the bars jumped, and the visions stopped as Ryoko voiced her opinion on the experiment more forcefully.
"This is stupid. Let's just forget about it, okay? It's not that important, anyway."
"Yes, it is important." Washu explained. "I need to know if your responses are working the way they're supposed to. I designed you, so I know what the baseline readings are. But, as you grow, the responses will grow with you. I can predict what they may be, but this is the only way to determine if the responses are in tune with your body's growth. If there's something wrong, I need to know about it before it becomes a serious problem."
Ryoko stared, wide-eyed, at Washu's lengthy, but, for once, understandable explanation.
"I believe you may have begun your final growth stage. That includes physical and emotional growth. Unfortunately, because of that bastard Kagato, your emotional growth is lagging behind your physical growth. At this point, your body is signaling to you that you're nearing physical maturity by increasing your sex-drive. It's your body's way of saying 'I'm ready to reproduce.' Your mind's just not up to the task, yet."
"Reproduce? Kagato said I can't do that."
"And you believed him?"
"Well, sorry! It's not like I had someone around to tell me about that stuff."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Ryoko regretted it. Washu might not have been there for her, but she was probably the only person in the entire universe willing to claim the position of her mother.
Washu looked back at the display, unsure of what else to do except bury herself in her research, just like she always did. As she stared at the display, she noticed it was registering again. Guilt held steady at the second line.
"I... um, didn't mean it like that." Ryoko quietly told her.
"I know." Washu stoically replied. "I want you to lie back and relax. This time, think about Tenchi."
Ryoko did as she was asked without comment. Washu watched as the bars moved around. Guilt quickly reduced while other positive feelings rose. The images Washu received were of when Tenchi went to see Ryoko at Zak's this morning. She was pleased to see Tenchi had taken her advice about the flowers.
The guilt index that had stayed so high, previously, was right near the bottom. The circle quickly turned almost totally white. The bars for lust, security, anticipation, pleasure, and joy rose steadily until, in the replaying memories, Ryoko stuck her face against Tenchi's neck. Security stayed about the same, while the other four shot to the second line and stayed there. Washu smiled as the memory began to turn into fantasy. Without a word, she hit the buttons that made a privacy shield go up around the examination area. She set the computer and visual monitors on record, then went for a snack.
"Ah, to be young and in love, again." Washu thought, recalling the time she had shown Tenchi her adult body. "The look on his face..." She cackled in amusement.
"What are we doing here?" Ryoko asked as she and Zak took their places at a small table within the dance club he had chosen for their date.
"Well, generally people come here to drink, dance, and have fun." He answered, sitting opposite from her. "I thought you might like something like this."
"And what gave you the idea I wanted to go dancing?"
Zak knowingly smiled.
"Because, out on the dance floor, you can totally let go and do almost anything without anybody saying a thing about it."
"Anything?" Ryoko skeptically asked.
"Almost." He clarified.
Ryoko was not too happy about this. Although it sounded like it could be fun, she had neglected to tell Zak she could not dance. Of course, she was not about to admit such a failing unless absolutely necessary. Drinks would do for the time being.
"Get me a drink, would ya?"
"Sure. Anything in particular?"
"Something strong, and plenty of it."
"You got it. Be right back."
Ryoko took a moment to look around at her surroundings while Zak was away. There was a lot of people. Loud music pounded away from the dance floor. There were televisions spread about, but most people were ignoring them. There were also a couple of billiard tables at one end of the establishment. Zak soon returned with two tall beverages of dubious content.
"Here we go." He presented one to Ryoko.
"To fun." He offered a toast, sitting across from her again.
Ryoko grinned mischievously.
"Fun." She agreed before draining her drink in one draught.
Zak chose to drink his in a more dignified manner.
"Wow." He expressed his opinion on the potent mix. "That was... not weak."
"What's the matter? Can't take it?"
"Of course I can take it. It just caught me by surprise, that's all."
"Oh, yeah. Sure."
"Come on." Zak stood up, holding out his hand. "Let's dance."
"Eee!" Ryoko quickly searched for an excuse to avoid the activity. "No way! There's, um... too many people."
"Too many people?" Zak repeated, looking out at the dance floor. "There's plenty of room." When he looked back, Ryoko seemed to be looking everywhere but at him. He grinned.
"I get it. No problem. It's easy enough to learn. But, it's best to start out slow."
"What's so funny?" Ryoko asked, seeing that Zak was privy to something she was not.
"Nothing's funny. I'm just looking forward to this, that's all."
Ryoko blushed.
"Looking forward to what? I'm not dancing."
"Not yet. I'll be right back."
Zak took off for who knows where.
"What in the Hell is he planning, now?"
Within five minutes, Zak returned, holding two more drinks of the same kind as before.
"Ask and ye shall receive. Two drinks, and a slow dance, coming up. It's amazing what you can do with a couple thousand yen."
"Oh, yes." Ryoko sarcastically remarked. "Bribery works really well at a small-time joint like this."
"Yes, it does." He agreed.
Ryoko began draining her second drink. Zak suddenly grabbed her wrist and carefully pulled her hand and drink away from her mouth.
"Enjoy your drink." He strongly suggested, releasing her wrist when she glared at his hand.
"What's the point? I can't taste it."
"You could pretend. Besides, you can smell, right? Try that. Smell the fruity aroma."
Ryoko looked at him like he was weird, then she said as much.
"You're weird."
"Why, thank you!"
Ryoko hit the table with her forehead, causing Zak to laugh.
"That wasn't a compliment!" She yelled at him.
"I know. But it makes me laugh when you do that."
The DJ came on the speaker system to explain the details of the next set of music.
"Okay, ladies and gents. We're gonna take it down a notch so some novices can get the hang of the way we do things around here."
There were a couple of boos.
"Yeah, I know. But the guy greased my palm, so what can I say? Good luck to ya, pal."
Now it was Zak's turn to hit the table with his head. Ryoko laughed accordingly. Recovering quickly, Zak grabbed Ryoko's writ again and literally pulled her from her seat.
"Come on, you. If I get embarrassed, then so do you."
"Hey, wait! Let me finish, at least!"
Ryoko downed her drink as Zak dragged her to the dance floor. She carelessly tossed the glass into the crowd, knocking some poor schmoe in the side of the head. When he finally got her on the dance floor, he began issuing instructions.
"It's simple. Take a quick look around."
Eager to get this silly game out of the way, Ryoko did as Zak told her. When he put his hands on her hips, she slapped her hands over his.
"Hey, you!" She gave him another suspicious look.
"Relax. Now put your hands on my shoulders. Just follow my lead. As long as we don't step on each other's feet, we're good."
"You gonna try anything?" She asked, still suspicious.
"I don't think so. We're in public."
Reluctantly, Ryoko did as he said. It took her a few seconds to adjust her movements to follow Zak's, but soon she was moving in a similar fashion.
"See? Too easy." He complimented her.
Ryoko was amazed at herself. She was really dancing. Taking a look around to see how the people around her were doing, she noticed most of them were dancing much closer together than she and Zak were. When she looked back to him to ask about that, she saw he was intently staring at her.
"What?"
"You're very beautiful."
"Don't say that!"
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Because you like it?"
Ryoko's face turned red.
"Mmm-hmm. If you don't mind, I'd like to kiss you."
"No!" She refused, even though her face was turning redder by the second.
Zak groaned in disappointment.
"Could we at least dance close?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"How close?"
"This close." Zak answered, closing the distance between them.
Ryoko became completely flustered when she felt Zak press his body against hers. His arms went completely around her waist, holding her tightly.
"There. Isn't that better?" He spoke into her ear.
"No." Ryoko lied, hoping the tingling sensation in her body would stop soon.
"Oh. Maybe like this, then."
Zak relaxed his strong grip around her waist. Ryoko began to breath a sigh of relief as he gave her a little of her personal space back. But, instead of letting her go, he put his hands on the back of her hips, just above her rear, and just below her waist.
Ryoko took a deep breath as she tried to evaluate how she felt. It did not feel too aggressive, but it was still difficult to decide whether she wanted to let Zak touch her there. After several seconds of indecision, Ryoko began to relax. Her eyes drifted closed as she took a another deep breath to restore her somewhat skewed sense of emotional balance.
"Is this what you had in mind?" Zak asked her.
"Would you shut up?" Ryoko replied, annoyed that he had intruded on her moment of relative tranquility.
Zak voiced his thoughts on that by giving Ryoko a kiss just in front of her right ear. She turned her face away so he would not be tempted to try to kiss her on the mouth.
"Remember what happened the last time you tried seducing me?" She reminded him.
"I'm sorry. I made a bad decision. It was way too soon to be trying something like that. I apologize for... acting that way with you."
Zak's assurances assuaged Ryoko's feelings of impropriety. Sighing, she let her arms rest on his shoulders.
"Yeah, well... just... shut up and dance."
"Stupid jerk." She thought to herself. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
Despite her earlier reluctance, Ryoko decided dancing close to someone actually felt pretty good. All she had to do was move her feet around a little without stepping on his toes. Zak's hands roamed only a little, never straying far from the sensitive area on her backside. She found that if she allowed her feelings to flow normally without thinking too much about it, she did not stress out as much.
When she felt Zak place another kiss on her ear, she did not bother telling him to stop. He would probably just talk his way around her, anyway. He was pretty good at that. Besides that, she knew how good it would feel if he moved to her neck.
Eventually Zak's kisses did find their way to that area. Ryoko stretched her neck out the same way a cat did when someone scratched behind it's ear, showing him where she wanted his affection. She sighed with disappointment when Zak started talking again.
"You like that, don't you?"
Despite her annoyance, Ryoko almost answered Zak's question with the truth. Fortunately, she managed to catch herself in time. Unable to think of any excuses for her behavior, she kept silent. Zak was quick to accept her silence.
"That's okay. You don't have to talk. Your hand is talking for you."
Ryoko realized her left hand was stroking the back of his neck.
"Will you shut up?!" She hissed, growing tired of all the chatter. If he would just remain silent, she thought she could relax enough to let him do the things he wanted without getting uptight about it. She was trying to unwind and have fun. But every time she began to relax, he would say something to embarrass her.
This time Zak got the hint. He quit talking and let her relax. They danced silently for a little while longer before he tried kissing her again. She was just starting to warm to his advances, when the slow song was replaced by pulse-pounding dance music.
Zak kept his arms around her hips, holding her close as he moved faster. The new pace was not too fast, but it was fast enough so that slow-dancing was impossible. Ryoko was nearly swept away as Zak moved faster, taking her along for the ride.
"What the Hell!" She complained, pulling back far enough so she could at least see who she was dancing with. It was difficult for her to keep up since she had no dance experience what-so-ever. The activity had always seemed like a waste of time to her, so she had never bothered to learn.
"Try to keep up, if you can!" He challenged her over the loud music.
Zak's challenge did not go unanswered. Ryoko's gaze narrowed and she bared her fangs, showing him she was up to it. Again, relaxation seemed to be the key. The more she tried to keep up, the worse she did. Eventually she got the idea that if she let Zak lead and kept herself ready to move, she could keep up with him. When she figured out his movements kept time with the bass line in the music, it became much easier to stay with him. He soon noticed her growing dance skill.
"You learn quick." He complimented her. "Washu would be proud."
She stuck her tongue out at Zak, making him laugh.
"All righty, then! Try this on for size!" He challenged again, pulling her body against his, once more.
When she felt Zak moving against her front, Ryoko starting thinking she might be in trouble. She quickly found she had to match his movements absolutely or she would get thrown off her rythm. It took her a second to adjust, during which time their legs had a tendency to bump together. Zak's grip on her hips had the effect of guiding her in the right direction, allowing her to mimic him more easily than she could if he were not touching her. Still, it was not all easy. Having him so close to her was very distracting.
"You're getting pretty good at this." Zak complimented Ryoko on her performance as he moved his hands up to the sides of her ribcage.
Ryoko stared into his eyes, wondering what it would take to discourage him, or if she even wanted to discourage him. The way he was touching her excited her, just as Washu said it would. The advice she had received from the scientist was still fresh in her mind. The problem was, she did not really know what she wanted to do about it. She knew she was not in love with Zak. Only Tenchi held that place in her heart. But, the way he was making her feel left her with no choice except to admit to the truth.
"Okay. I like the guy. So, now what? It's not like I really want him. I just... like how he makes me feel."
Zak pulled her tighter against his chest.
"A lot." Ryoko amended as her breath quickened. "I wish Tenchi would come on to me like this. Of course, if I stay with Zak, he won't have the chance, will he?"
Sighing, Ryoko pushed Zak a little further away. To her surprise, Zak backed off, putting about a meter of space between them. He watched her twist and move on her own for a few moments before he tried to speak over the music.
"Do you want to be alone for a while?"
Ryoko felt relief flood through her system.
"Yes." She yelled back.
Zak gave her a rueful smile as he slowly backed off of the dance floor.
Ryoko continued to dance on her own. Her apparent transition to single status did not go unnoticed. Single men began to gravitate towards Ryoko, forming a loose ring around her. She paid them little attention, disregarding their hungry stares and knowing smiles. A small grin on her lips was the only hint of her appreciation of their attention. She began putting more emphasis in the movements of her hips and chest, flaunting her well-formed body, as if daring them to try gaining her attention. There were a few whispered words of approval as she displayed herself to the men.
A delightfully funny idea suddenly sprang into Ryoko's mind. The only requirement for this evening was that she had to have fun. Her idea would definitely qualify, at least from her point of view. In addition, it had the added side-effect of letting her know exactly what guys on this planet thought about her. Playfully, she engaged one of the other men in conversation.
"You like what you see?"
"A lot!" Her new dance partner answered.
"Want to see more?"
"Yes!" He shouted over the music.
"You think they want to see more?" She pointed a thumb at the other prospective dance partners.
"Hell, yes!"
A full-fledged smile finally broke out on Ryoko's face as her old playfulness and daring began reasserting itself.
"I'll be right back!" She announced before heading for the restroom. On her way, she swept an unattended drink from someone's table without anybody noticing. She drained it before reaching her destination and set the empty glass on a different table.
The door to the ladies' restroom swung open with a push, and closed behind her, muffling the intense music from without. Ryoko took a moment to look at herself in the mirror before deciding on what outfit to change into. The one she was wearing now was fairly conservative for her. It showed little of her body except when she happened to squat or sit. Then the cut of her dress would allow her legs to show. The little bow-tie was a cute touch, but it just was not enough for tonight. She wanted to knock everyone's socks off.
It took her a minute to decide on the right outfit. It was one she had not worn in quite some time. But it would have the intended effect. She disintegrated her current outfit without removing it, with the exception of her white panties. Standing in front of the restroom mirror in nothing but her panties, Ryoko conjured the replacement outfit in her outstretched hand, ready for wear.
She put on the black stretch-top first. It was basically a tank-top, with a large open diamond shape in the middle that showed all of her cleavage. Next on was the white overtop. It resembled a sports-bra in how it covered her chest. The lower portion of her cleavage was now hidden from view, but it also emphasized the size of her breasts by contrasting with the black above it. Intricate needlework called even more attention to her ample attributes.
There was only one piece left now: the gold blouse. It was reversible, with the inside being purple. But she usually wore it with the gold outside, since it matched her eyes. Ryoko pushed her arms through the oversized shoulders and out the blue-trimmed short sleeves. She wrapped the blouse around her chest and found the red sash that kept the material tight about her waist. She grasped it and tied a quick knot in it, cinching it in place. The best thing about this blouse was how the front hung so low, it covered nothing of her chest. The open hem hung below her breasts, framing them in the same blue trim as the sleeves. More of the red sashes ran over the shoulder and under her arms, framing her chest and arms. Looped through an eyelet at the bottom-outside of each sleeve hung a red kerchief.
One would expect there to be a dress or skirt with this outfit. Of course, this being one of Ryoko's outfits, there was none. Instead, the gold blouse simply hung down her front and rear, giving only a slight nod to common decency, rather than adhering to conventional fashion. Since the sides of the blouse stopped at the waist, her panties were clearly visible at the top of her hips. In addition, if she were to move quickly, the hanging material would swish to one side or the other, revealing even more of her hips and panties. And, of course, the outfit made no effort to hide her well-toned legs.
"Now this is a party dress."
The restroom door opened as Ryoko admired her handiwork. The young woman entering took one look at Ryoko and immediately caught her breath.
"Wow! That's a great outfit! Where's it from?"
"Rostafaria." Ryoko answered without thinking.
"That must be European."
"Nope."
"Where can I get an outfit like that?" She asked.
"They don't make it anymore."
"Oh, poo." The girl cursed.
"But, you really like it?" Ryoko asked.
"Oh, yes! It's really sexy!"
Ryoko's smile grew broader.
"Okay, Mom. Time for a little experiment. Let's see what guys really think about me."
"Here I go." Ryoko announced.
"Save some guys for me!" The girl begged.
Ryoko cackled to herself as she exited the restroom. As soon as she began the walk back to the dance floor, men began dropping their jaws to the floor. Exclamations of wonder and appreciation reached Ryoko's ears, reinforcing her rejuvenated feelings of self-confidence and attractiveness. Jealous girls smacked their boyfriends to regain lost attention. Single men jabbed their friends, and pointed her out to them. Phrases like "Dear, God!" and "Look at her!" were repeated over and over as she found Zak seated once more at their table, two drinks ready for consumption. He looked up and nearly fell to the floor.
"Dear, God, Ryoko! You..."
"Oh, come on. Everyone's saying that. Come up with something original."
Zak's mouth worked for several seconds with no resultant sounds. He soon gave up on that line of speech.
"Ryoko, there are no words to express how beautiful you look."
Ryoko blushed deeply with pleasure and embarrassment at such high praise. Never in her entire life had anyone ever said she was indescribably beautiful. She quickly took one of the drinks and began sucking it down to hide her embarrassment. Zak took the opportunity to begin working on his own drink. He was not even half done when Ryoko thumped her glass down on the table.
"Not done, yet? I guess I'll have to dance with someone else." She turned and went back to the dance floor, not bothering to wait for him.
Zak began taking huge swallows, trying to finish the drink so he could dance with the incredible woman that was suddenly the center of attention.
Ryoko reentered the dance floor and quickly found the guy she had spoken to earlier, still moving around the general area she had vacated in order to change. His broad smile and roving eyes clearly showed how much he appreciated her appearance. She stopped just inside his reach and began moving with the beat. She swayed and wiggled, showing him what she was about. She flaunted how little she was wearing by twirling around, intentionally causing her outfit to spin up and give everyone around a good showing. The guy she was dancing with quickly moved in. His hands went to her hips and he pulled her close, making her match his movements and rythm.
"Ooh. Aren't you aggressive." She melodramatically observed, slipping her arms around his neck.
"We should get together." He told her.
"I don't know..." Ryoko made as if she were reluctant, while watching over his shoulder for Zak to approach. "I don't usually go home with guys I don't know."
"Then let's get to know each other."
He tried to pull her hips against his, intentionally angling his leg so she would end up riding his thigh. Ryoko refused to move closer, simply holding her position just long of where he wanted her. Casting another glance over his shoulder, she saw Zak watching them, jealousy plainly evident on his face. She smiled.
"Is that the best you can do?" She taunted.
The guy began fondling her rear. He groped and squeezed, hoping to convince her to submit to his will. Ryoko did not particularly like having her rear groped in such a fashion. But, in the interest of entertainment, she let him pull her fully against his body. When he tried to kiss her, Ryoko turned her head, making him miss. His lips found her neck, instead. Her eyes closed as she found she did not have to fake her interest quite so much as before. Regardless, she made sure to stay just above his thigh, keeping it from making contact with her more sensitive areas. As their bodies continued to pay homage to the beat of the music, someone tapped the guy on the shoulder right near Ryoko's face. She opened her eyes and saw Zak with an incredibly stern look on his face.
"Piss off." Her dance partner said.
"Excuse me, buddy." Zak insisted. "The lady's with me, tonight."
Ryoko stuck her rear out to keep the guy interested. She could smell a fight brewing and wanted to see how far the two of them would take this. As she expected, the guy continued his advances while defending his claim to her.
"Was with you. Now she's with me." He responded, sticking his hands into Ryoko's panties.
"HEY!" She suddenly yelled, jumping away from him.
Zak did something that she missed, and the guy simply collapsed. He promptly hauled the unconscious man away while Ryoko pulled her panties back up to their customary position just below her waist, rather than the new location of just below her rear. Amused by Zak's jealousy, Ryoko smiled.
"Now that was funny! Who's next?" She quickly scanned the dance floor, looking for contestant number two. She caught sight of someone on the other side of the floor staring intently in her direction. Pushing her way between the wriggling bodies she found the man she had seen a moment ago. He was a little older than the first guy, but that probably meant he was more experienced. She smiled, and went through the pretenses of dancing up to him until she was just in front of him. They stared at each other for a few seconds.
Ryoko suddenly remembered seeing a couple dancing front to back earlier. She turned around and backed up until she made contact with the man. His hands went straight to her hips and he held her tightly against his body. He began to lower himself, pulling her along with him. With their bodies so low, Ryoko discovered she had to keep her legs wider to maintain enough balance to keep from falling over.
As soon as she had her base, she felt his hands roaming all over her body. He kept up the pretense of dancing, while exploring her, especially her hips and thighs, where she was more sensitive. As her body began to respond to his advances, Ryoko realized that Washu had not been exaggerating about how she would feel. She let her head roll back when she felt her partner's breath against her neck. He understood what she wanted and began kissing her neck. However, when she felt him press his hips against her rear, she began to feel a little uncomfortable with such an aggressive display.
Smiling coyly, Ryoko began to disengage herself from him. While she did like knowing she was so greatly desired, she did not want to encourage the guy to the point where he tried something like what the last guy had done. She leaned forward, separating her back from his chest. She allowed him to continue holding her hips, but only as a dance. She moved back and forth and around, leading him in the steps she was rapidly becoming more accustomed to.
The guy relaxed his death-grip on Ryoko's hips enough to let her separate herself fully. As she moved, his hands ventured up and down her sides and back. Now that there had a little distance between herself and guy number two, she felt more in control. Looking around, she spied Zak making his way through the crowd. She decided to test his interest in her again.
Ryoko stepped back against her dance partner and allowed him to wrap his hands around her hips again. This time he was not quite so suggestive with his movements. But still, it felt wonderful to have him touching her so freely. Zak soon made his way to her. When he saw her dancing with yet another man, he did not hesitate to intervene.
"Do you mind?" He asked the second guy in a strong tone of voice.
"Yes, I do." The man behind Ryoko answered. "But since I saw what you did to the last guy, I guess I don't have much choice."
He disengaged himself from Ryoko, but not without a farewell.
"Thank you for the dance."
"Sure." She offered noncommittally.
As soon as the person was out of sight, Zak moved in close to Ryoko, taking advantage of her apparent willingness to dance close. He stared at her for a while before speaking. She stared right back, daring him to stay something.
"Who were they?"
"Just guys." She answered.
"You were dancing pretty close for them to be 'just guys'."
"So?"
He just looked at her for a few moments.
"You're teasing me!"
"Well, duh!" Ryoko cracked a big smile. "You're so easy, I couldn't help it!"
Zak shook his head in amazement.
"You are truly amazing."
"Well, you said I had to have fun tonight. So I am."
Zak took the plunge, and reached for Ryoko. She did not so much as bat an eyelash when he took her by the waist and pulled her to him. Her arms went around his neck while she watched his face.
Ryoko kept her expression unchanging as they danced. Soon, she felt his hands move to the place on the back of her hips where he had touched her earlier. Even though she felt a flush of excitement go through her body, she kept her face immobile. Through three songs he gently rubbed the back of her hips. Despite the intense desire he was making her feel, Ryoko somehow managed to maintain her neutral outward expression, showing only a small smile that indicated she was sufficiently entertained.
"Wanna take a break?" Zak asked at the beginning of the fourth song.
"What's wrong? Can't hang?"
"I can hang, all right. I just feel the need for a drink."
"Is that all?" Ryoko's sly smile spoke more than her words.
"Heh. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!"
"Wuss."
Ryoko managed a short moment of self-reflection while letting herself go on the dance floor. She was glad she had agreed to go on this date. It was giving her a chance to exercise some self-control over her new-found lust. Washu had said she would feel strong urges from now on when a man, any man, came on to her. As an added bonus, she was not only having fun, but, she was getting to work off some stress through exercising. She felt more relaxed right now, than at any other time within the last month. Soon, Zak called to her from the edge of the dance floor. She looked to see what he wanted.
"Lookie here!" Zak called, holding up two drinks.
Ryoko crooked a finger at him, indicating he should join her with the drinks. Zak shook his head.
"No drinks on the floor!" He shook his head while quoting the warning sign that was posted nearby.
Ryoko pouted her lips, then turned away. Zak began drinking from one of the glasses he held while watching Ryoko dance. Her hips swayed back and forth, teasing him with small flashes of white from time to time. It did not take long for another man to come up to her.
"Hey." He greeted her.
"Hey, yourself."
"What's your name?"
"Ryoko."
"Do you mind if I get a little closer?"
She shook her head, smiling. Guy number three moved close, but not directly against her. His fingers gently played over the exposed skin of her hips.
"I like your outfit." He told her.
Ryoko's smile brightened to something more genuine. The way he modestly touched her was not overly aggressive like the first two guys. But it still excited her to feel him against her bare skin. His hands soon came to rest, simply touching her in a manner appropriate to the activity.
"Is this your first time here?" He asked.
"Yes, it is." Ryoko politely answered.
"I thought so. I've never seen you before. Are you here with someone?"
Ryoko almost laughed at his ill-disguised interest.
"I came with a guy. But he's more interested in his drink than with me."
"That's not right."
"No, it's not."
"We could go somewhere else."
"Oh? And what would we do someplace else?"
"Anything you like."
"What if I want sex?"
He ran his hands over her rear.
"Maybe."
Ryoko kept her sight focused on her partner, intentionally avoiding looking at Zak as he approached. For a few seconds, she got to see his self-satisfied smirk as he revealed his baser desires to her. Then, Zak threw him across the dance floor.
"The next guy that touches my girl gets an ass-whoopin'!"
The dance floor quickly cleared out. The music stopped and the guys he had previously thrown out suddenly converged on the scene, confident that the three-on-one advantage would prove sufficient to defeat their more skillful opponent.
The club bouncers also converged on the scene, intent on keeping order in the establishment. The violence-prone young men would, of course, have to be thrown out. Seeing that her fun was about to be disrupted, Ryoko threw her arms out in mock fright, catching two of the three bouncers in the head. They fell to the floor, stone cold unconscious.
"I'm scared!" She cried, wrapping herself around the third bouncer, who tried, unconvincingly, to remove the nubile young woman from his person.
"Come on. I've got a job to do!"
"Isn't your job to protect me?" She offered, batting her golden eyes.
"Huh?" He blinked in confusion for a moment before breaking out into a great big smile. "Why, yes. Yes, it is! Come over here. I'll see you to a very private, I mean, protected place." He began to lead Ryoko away to a dark corner he knew of.
The three angry young men charged Zak. He deftly avoided the first attack and clubbed the attacker in the kidney. The second attacked and also got a punch for his effort, this time in the liver. He went to his knees. Not waiting for the third attack, Zak used the fallen opponent for a stepping stone and jumped, head-first, over the third guy. Zak somersaulted in mid-air and landed neatly behind his third attacker. His heel sliced through the air at head level, catching his opponent in the mouth just he turned around. Teeth went everywhere, and the fight was over.
The first two guys took off, and the third took his sweet time getting up. To his surprise, he found the bare legs of the cute girl whom he had been so interested in a few moments ago. Ryoko looked down at him as he crawled to his feet, holding his mouth. Their eyes met just before Ryoko hauled back and clocked him. Whatever teeth he had left went flying.
"That's for groping my ass!"
Zak briefly inspected her handy work.
"Hmph. What took you so long?"
"Eh, what can I say? The bouncers weren't decent opponents."
"Will I do?"
Everyone looked to see the new opponent who emerged from the gawking crowd. He confidently strode to the guy laid-out on the floor and nudged him with his foot.
"My little brother never thought much of the lessons I offered him. Too bad for him."
"Yeah, well, he should've kept his hands to himself." Zak explained.
"You were a little aggressive for a simple groping."
"Be happy." Ryoko snickered. "I was considering electrocution."
"Know your role, and shut your mouth." He told Ryoko as he turned to focus on Zak.
Ryoko gaped at the insult for a second before deciding to initiate a little wall-to-wall counseling session with this one. She tapped him on the shoulder.
"What now?"
WHAP WHAP POW!
The fourth and final opponent landed at Zak's feet, unconscious. Ryoko cracked her knuckles and winked.
"Anyone else?" She asked.
There were various denials of her invitation.
Since the sounds from outside were no longer obscured by the music, the wail of police sirens could be heard. Apparently, the manager had alerted the local authorities of the altercation.
"Time to go." Zak offered Ryoko his hand. She took it, and then they disappeared.
Ryoko hated to admit it, but she had had a lot of fun. Zak had taken her to dinner at a nice restaurant, followed by drinks at a night club. She had learned how to dance, and had had a ton of fun teasing the poor guys on the dance floor. The bar-brawl afterwards had been perfect.
Of course, they had had to leave the club to avoid the cops, but that was cool since they went to a more low-key bar after that. Her superior eye-hand coordination had won them enough money at billiards and darts to keep them in drinks for the night.
Sometime after two-thirty in the morning, they stumbled in the general direction of Zak's apartment, arm-in-arm, and laughing themselves silly. When he suddenly pulled her into a dark alley, she thought he meant to try something naughty. Instead, he only teleported them both back to his apartment.
"What? Are we done already?" Ryoko asked. "Light-weight."
"Everything's closing-up. I thought we could have our own party."
Ryoko's gaze narrowed in suspicion.
"That depends on what kind of party you want."
When Ryoko felt Zak rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand, she remembered he had not yet released her hand. The small gesture seemed to indicate he was thinking of a more romantic kind of party.
"You're drunk." She accused.
"Yes, I am. But, hey, at least I didn't drink and drive."
"Yeah, right." When she looked at Zak's face, Ryoko noticed he was looking at her in a very significant way. She blushed a little bit.
"Don't look at me like that."
"Why not?"
"I..." Ryoko's voice stuck. She did not have an answer she could safely give. Telling Zak the truth, that she liked when he looked at her this way, was out of the question. When Zak's free hand moved to her face, Ryoko tried to intercept it. Somehow, he got there first. She had to settle for a verbal warning.
"Don't do that."
"I have to tell you something."
Ryoko suddenly got very worried.
"Don't you dare." She clamped her eyes shut, trying to block Zak out of her mind. "Don't you DARE!"
"I love you."
There it was. The one thing Ryoko had been waiting for years to hear. Her heart pounded to hear those words. Words that meant she was special to someone. She wanted so much to hear Tenchi say that to her. Instead, it was Zak who was saying it to her. For a week, he had given her everything she had ever wanted, except for the most important thing in her life: Tenchi.
When Zak's face brushed against her bare cheek, Ryoko knew he wanted to kiss her. The hand within hers shifted and his fingers intertwined with hers. She clamped down on the hand, giving vent to her wildly rampaging feelings. As Zak's breath passed over her face, he gently tilted her chin up with his hand. Ryoko's rampaging emotions drove her on, demanding she return his affection in kind. As his face approached hers, she closed her eyes. At the first touch of their lips, Ryoko's mouth opened. Continuing the motion, she could manage only one, small, breathless word.
"Tenchi..."
Zak paused. It was enough for Ryoko to remember it was not Tenchi she was with. Her self-control reasserted itself in full force. She slammed the brakes on and stepped back, completely separating herself from Zak.
"No." She refused his advance more forcefully.
"Don't you like me?" Zak asked her.
Something clicked in Ryoko's mind. The question bounced around inside her head, jogging something loose. It was the same question she had asked Tenchi that night over a week ago. They were all things she had said to Tenchi. Now Zak was saying those things to her. Maybe that meant he felt for her, the same way she felt for Tenchi. If that were true, then maybe she was feeling the same way, now, as Tenchi did whenever she came on to him.
"Ryoko?" Zak asked after she failed to respond for several seconds.
Ryoko's lips turned upwards into a wry grin. She cursed herself for a fool.
"I am so stupid."
"And you're saying I'm drunk?" He continued to stare at Ryoko with concern. "Are you all right?"
Ryoko addressed Zak in a more controlled and understanding manner.
"Yeah. Look, I wasn't really sure whether I was going to stay or not until just now. I want to go home."
Zak did not look happy with her decision.
"Please stay."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
Zak's face twisted with displeasure.
"You sound like Tenchi."
Ryoko realized he was right. It was exactly what Tenchi would say. Now she knew for certain this was how Tenchi felt about her. Although it was not what she really wanted, Ryoko was pleased to finally figure out something important about Tenchi. She even smiled, knowing things would be less complicated from now on. She looked Zak straight in the eyes.
"I guess I do. But I'm still going."
"Ryoko, I really need you to stay."
"Uhn-uh. I love Tenchi, not you." Without warning, Ryoko bolted through the back wall of the apartment building. She tossed him her standard farewell on the way out.
"'Bye!"
"RYOKO!"
Something about Zak's cry gave her pause as she flew through the air. He sounded really upset. Ryoko drew on her new-found revelation to consider his feelings. If he felt for her the way she did about Tenchi, then maybe he was feeling the same way she had felt when Tenchi had told her off.
Coming to a stop, Ryoko looked back at Zak's apartment building from her position in the night sky. A pang of guilt stabbed through her heart. This was the second time she had left a guy behind for Tenchi. But, this time, as weird as it felt to admit it, she actually had feelings for him. Because she still wanted to be friends, she would probably end up seeing him again at some point. However, if she just left, he might not want to be friends anymore. Ryoko closed her eyes as she considered what to do.
Zak stood alone in the middle of his apartment. Ryoko was gone. Now he had no choice. Things would be more difficult from this point forward. As Zak mentally reviewed his plans, the room dimmed slightly. Someone must be standing in front of the window. Ryoko spoke from behind him.
"Zak?"
He turned to hear what Ryoko wanted to tell him.
"Everyone's always saying how I should, um... be more grateful for what they do, and that I should say 'thank you' more." Ryoko slowly floated around the couch to stand before him. Zak noticed she seemed nervous about something.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
Ryoko shook her head.
"I just... want to say 'thank you'. So, um, thank you."
Zak's gaze turned from concern to one of absolute appreciation and kindness. It was just enough encouragement for Ryoko to accomplish her objective in returning. She threw her arms around Zak's neck and pulled his face to hers, passionately kissing him. Zak had no difficulty recovering from his initial shock, even going so far as to hold her tightly against his body. Ryoko made sure it was good, but not so good Zak would think she had reconsidered going home. After a couple of minutes, she pulled away, smiling.
"Not a word to anybody."
Zak bowed deeply.
"My lips are sealed."
When he straightened, Ryoko was gone again. This time, he did not feel so bad, even though it still would not change his plans any. But at least he knew Ryoko liked him. As Zak's thoughts returned to implementing his secondary course of action, he felt a tightening in his chest.
"Dammit, fool." He berated himself. "You're not supposed to fall for the target."
Sasami was glad when Sunday finally arrived. Since no one had to be up early on Sundays, she could also sleep in. When she awoke and smelled something cooking, she thought she had miscounted the days and overslept.
Quickly changing out of her night clothes and into day clothes without waking Aeka, Sasami hurried downstairs. She went straight to the kitchen to see what was going on. Upon entering, Sasami was shocked to see Ryoko trying to cook. When Ryoko heard the kitchen door swing open, she looked over her shoulder to see who had joined her in the kitchen.
"Hey! What's up?" She smiled at Sasami.
Getting over her initial shock, Sasami rushed to give Ryoko a hug.
"Ryoko!" She cried, wrapping her arms around her friend's ribs.
Seeing her friend again gave Ryoko a really good feeling inside. She ignored the frying eggs to talk with Sasami.
"Are you back, now?" Sasami asked her.
"Yup." Ryoko gave her a thumbs-up.
"Finally!" Sasami released her hold. "Now maybe Tenchi won't be so depressed, anymore."
Ryoko took special note of what Sasami had just said.
"Tenchi was depressed?"
"Are you kidding? He spent the entire week avoiding everyone. When he wasn't at school, he was working in the fields or up at the shrine. He really missed you."
Ryoko blushed just a bit. She certainly was not displeased to know Tenchi had missed her so much. However, she had desperately needed some time away. It had worked out in the end. Now she was back to stay. The spitting food in the frying pan next to her gave Ryoko an idea.
"Hmm. I know!" Ryoko shared with Sasami. "Tenchi gets pissed when I wake him up. So, why don't you go upstairs and tell him breakfast is almost ready."
Sasami giggled mischievously.
"Okay!" She ran out of the kitchen to get Tenchi, giggling all the way.
A minute later, there was a tremendous ruckus upstairs. Someone could be heard thumping down the stairs with all due haste to reach the first floor. Ryoko set Tenchi's glass of milk down just before he came rushing into the kitchen, wearing only his boxers. She greeted him with a smile.
"Good Morning! Breakfast is ready."
"Ryoko!" Tenchi exclaimed, smiling broadly. "You made breakfast?"
"Yup! Go ahead. Eggs and bacon. It's a little greasy, but, hey, what do you expect when -- urg!"
Tenchi suddenly embraced her in a huge hug. Ryoko's face turned bright red. She was usually giving hugs, not receiving them. After a moment, he released her. He just looked at her appreciatively for a moment before turning his attention to the meal she had prepared for him.
"Eggs and bacon, huh? Well, why not?" He pulled up one of the two kitchen stools and sat before the central counter. Utilizing the chop-sticks that were provided, he bravely picked up a piece of bacon and put it in his mouth. As he chewed, Tenchi found that the bacon strip was just as it should be, greasy and salty. It tasted like bacon.
"It's good!" Tenchi complimented her.
"Really?" Ryoko smiled brightly as she watched him devour her cooking.
"Yeah." Tenchi answered as he began working on the eggs. "But, when did you learn to cook?"
Ryoko stopped dancing around the kitchen when Tenchi asked her about the how of the meal she had prepared for him.
"Hmm... Well..." Ryoko's smile mutated into a sly grin. "I took Aeka's advice. She said I should get off my butt and do something, rather than sitting around being depressed. So I learned how to cook." She turned to the short cook of the family. "What do you think, Sasami? Do I have a future as a cook?"
"Well, it's a good start." Sasami offered. "I could show you some other dishes, if you like."
"That'll be cool. Then Aeka can't complain that I never do anything around the house."
The door to the kitchen swung open, admitting Mihoshi into the small room.
"Something smells good." She said with her nose up in the air.
Sasami explained about Tenchi's breakfast.
"Ryoko made breakfast for Tenchi."
"Really? That's so sweet! I was wondering what you were doing all week long."
Ryoko and Sasami fell over.
"Could someone pass the salt and pepper, please?"
END CHAPTER 5.
AFTERWORD: I felt really good writing the conclusion to this chapter. Kind of a warm fuzzy feeling, ya know? There's more to come. Things get very tangled soon.
I also want everyone to know I did not write this chapter as a response to input from readers. It was planned this way from the beginning. Although, I did pay more attention to the details.