“Wanting More” By Diane Long As this is rated NC-17, I truly hope those who are underage are not reading this. If you are please know I wish you wouldn’t, and I trust you to back out of here right now. Note: One of the goals I had for this fic was to keep from switching POV’s within the same chapter. I did my best to switch off between Tenchi and Ryoko by chapter. However, this made for some interesting in challenges in writing this lemon, as it was harder to capture Tenchi and Ryoko’s reactions to each other. Scene One: The Present Tenchi Beautiful. That’s all he could think, paused at the top of the stairs, as Ryoko floated into the foyer with a small grin twisting at her lips. Her hair caught the afternoon sunlight and somehow seemed to shimmer, as if full of glitter. Even her pink and teal dress seemed a richer color in the light, setting off her complexion in tones of rose and peach. Her toenails gleamed a deep purple as she touched down on the entryway’s tiles. “Again! Again!” Sasami cried following on Ryoko’s heels. Ryoko’s grin twitched as she turned to face Sasami. “Haven’t you had enough yet? Your sister will be mad if I make you puke.” Sasami shrugged and reached her arms out to Ryoko. “Awww, come on!” Tenchi slipped around a corner, trying to remain unnoticed as he peered around the edge. If Ryoko noticed him, this carefree moment would be lost. And he wanted to see it more than anything. Ryoko hardly ever showed this side of herself. But closer observation had revealed that perhaps Sasami got to see it more often than anyone. Ryoko laughed at the winsome look on Sasami’s face. “Alright, but this is the absolute time. I don’t want you to get sick, even if you don’t care.” Sasami nodded in agreement and wiggled her fingers, a signal for Ryoko to get on with it. Ryoko reached down and took a firm grasp of each of Sasami’s wrists. “Hold on tight!” With that she began turning in slow, tight circles, gradually increasing her speed until Sasami’s ponytails were streaming behind her as she ran to match Ryoko’s pace. “Faster!” Sasami shouted, making Ryoko laugh freely. “She never laughs like that around any of us, “ Tenchi thought. “She sounds happy.” “What do well brought up little princesses say?” Ryoko teased, slowing down a little. “Please?” Sasami panted. “Right… but what do Space Pirates in training say?” Ryoko prompted, her grin deepening. “Do it!” Sasami cried in a sweet approximation of Ryoko’s commanding voice. “Ha! Ha!” Ryoko crowed, her grin blossoming into a beautiful smile as she suddenly picked up speed. “Bingo!” Sasami achieved lift-off and her body spun horizontal to the floor, her laugher merging with Ryoko’s, a joyous sound of happy, carefree spirits. Tenchi felt his smile grow till it seemed to reach his eyebrows. This was the real Ryoko, the hidden one. He loved seeing her tenderness and love for life. And if she was lovely to look upon when she was frowning, when she smiled with such sincerity she was sublime. He sighed. Why wouldn’t she let him see this side of her more often, and to this degree? Why was she hiding? If she would show him more often, maybe he could chose. Sometimes it seemed like Ayeka and Ryoko stood on two ends of a continuum, one representing all that was polite and gentle, the other representing wildness and freedom. How could he chose between such extremes when he himself lived in middle, almost as a fulcrum between the teeter- totter of their love triangle. But the Ryoko revealed to him right now wasn’t an extreme. She was certainly not in the middle, but she was more balanced. She had all of the qualities he appreciated in her everyday with the addition of a soft kindness that she liked to hide. If only she could show it to him too. As he watched, Ryoko was winding down her spin, so that Sasami’s feet came gently to the floor. Ryoko released Sasami’s hands and gathered her up into a hug as the woozy princess started to stagger back. “I told you,” the pirate said fondly. “Oh! Onee-chan! That was great! Thank you!” Sasami gasped, sounding a little ill. “You okay?” Sasami straightened up and grinned. “Yup!” She eased herself out of Ryoko’s arms and stepped back experimentally. “Time to make dinner!” She tried to walk gracefully to the kitchen, but seemed to be pitching about on the lurching deck of a sea vessel. Ryoko chuckled, slipped on her shoes, and headed towards the door. “That was really nice.” Why did his voice sound so strange? Ryoko stiffened, then turned around. “Oh, Tenchi… um….”, a barely perceptible blush highlighted the skin under her eyes. He smiled, enjoying her holdover of sweetness. “Where are you going?” “Nowhere really,” she was regaining her composure. He smiled coming down the stairs slowly. He pointed to her shoes. “It must be outside, I’m guessing. Can I come to?” She looked at him oddly. “You want to come?” “Sure, I don’t have anything to do before dinner.” She looked at him for a moment as if deciding. Tenchi could see the mask slide back over her face as she shouted with almost too much happiness, “Sure you can!” She teleported over to him and grabbed his arm. “Let’s go! Maybe we can drink some sake together.” She started to float towards the door. “Wait! My shoes!” he laughed, feeling a little sad she was still acting around him. “Don’t worry about that! With me, your feet will never need to touch the ground,” she said playfully, phasing them through the door. “I guess not,” he thought as they began to fly over the lake. And it would be worth the challenge of gaining entrance to her true heart. Scene Two: One Week Later Ryoko “Ryoko, would you please get me some vegetables for dinner?” Sasami’s voice called from the kitchen. Lounging up on her rafter, Ryoko put her arms behind her head and rolled her eyes. She liked the little girl and all, but how could she get vegetables when she was busy thinking about Tenchi? He had been acting very oddly lately. What was up with him? She looked at the sun as it pooled onto the floor of the living room. He would be coming in from the fields soon. She had to have a plan of action ready. “Ryoko, can you hear me?” Sasami called again, the faint thunder of a distant storm rolling down the mountain as she spoke. Ignoring her, Ryoko thought back to Tenchi’s actions during the past week. He had stared at her all through dinner one night, only to ignore her the next day. Then everything seemed normal again for most of the next day, except that he always seemed close by, no matter what she was doing. It was kind of creepy, because he hadn’t said anything. He was just there, watching her. The topper was this morning when she had hugged him like she did every morning. But today he had hugged her back. Just for a quick second, but it was so different from his typical squirms that she noticed it right away. Could it be? Was he getting to like her better? Wrapping her arms around herself, she tried to believe it was true. But she was just kidding herself and she knew it. As much as she loved him, he would never love a demon like her “Please? I’m in the middle of a sauce. I don’t want to ruin it!” Sasami cajoled. Ryoko sighed and teleported to the floor. She was a sucker for sweet little princesses, besides she needed to think about something else. Thinking about how to act around this new Tenchi was driving her nuts. She glided into the kitchen and watched Sasami whisking together a brown sauce. “What do you want me to get, Kiddo?” “Thanks Ryoko! Five carrots and a small ginger root would be great,” Sasami said with a big smile. “I knew you would come through – if I asked enough!” “Watch it,” Ryoko joked, phasing through the kitchen wall and onto the back porch. Floating above the ground she made her way to the shed and slipped through the wall to get the vegetables. It was dark with the door closed, but her enhanced optical receptors didn’t need very much light to see plainly. She selected five carrots and was holding them by their green tops with one hand while she rummaged through the ginger bin trying to find a small root. As she looked, the door creaked open to reveal Tenchi with the large carrying basket upon his back. She turned her head to see him as the growing rectangle of light from the opening door reached her and threw her sharp features into a bas relief accentuated by her glittering eyes. Motionless, she took in the smudges of dirt and sweat along his forehead and knew that he still hadn’t broken the habit of wiping his brow when his hands were dirty. He had grown recently, he was now a little taller than she was, and the boyish round features taking on the angularity of a man. She stared. When had this happened? When had her Tenchi grown up? Even as her sense of attraction doubled she felt uncomfortably guilty. What would he think of her skulking about in the darkness of the shed? She stepped around a basket of cabbages and began to fade away in secret. But the trademark sound of her teleportation gave her away. “Ryoko?” Tenchi asked in surprise, barely seeing her in a shadowed corner before she faded away. Then she was back, standing beside him. “Yes Tenchi?” she asked awkwardly. He set the basket down with a grunt. “What were you doing in here?” She flushed. “I … er…well…Sasami asked me to do it.” Tenchi smiled gently at her, seeming to approve of her answer. “It’s okay Ryoko. Vegetables for dinner, huh?” He slipped off his work gloved and stuffed them into his back pocket. “Yes,” she said with relief. It was difficult to have a criminal past, everyone tended to think the worst of you. She kept forgetting that Tenchi wasn’t like everybody else. He patted her shoulder. “It just surprised me to see you here in the dark, that’s all “Washu made it so that I don’t need lights to see by,” she said with a wry grin. “Really? That’s neat!” Tenchi stepped back and kicked the door closed with a sharp tap of his foot. “Can you see me now?” “Why are you so interested?” She hated being made differently than he was. “I like to learn new things about you Ryoko,” he murmured. After a pause he asked, “So, can you see me?” She squinted. “For the most part, but not too many details. I can’t see your face.” He moved closer. “Now?” “Well, I can see you have features, but I can’t see your expression.” He moved closer still, so that he stood inches away from her. “And this?” he asked in a whisper. It dawned on Ryoko that she was alone in a dark room with Tenchi. And he was very close. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body. And that look on his face? What was it? It was so strangely intense. “I can’t tell what you are thinking,” she whispered back, wondering what was happening. “Hmm.” He took another step forward and wrapped his arms around her middle. His head moved forward to kiss her, but he missed his mark and got her cheek instead. The carrots fell from Ryoko’s numb fingers and rolled about on the floor as Tenchi slid his lips across her cheek and kissed her lips with clumsy sincerity. Her arms stuck out from her sides in absolute shock as he held her more tightly. This was something she had wanted forever, but now it had happened she was confounded. Who was this person kissing her? Could it really be the indecisive boy she had lived with for over two years now? Feeling his hands rubbing her back she no longer cared why this way happening, and wrapped her arms around him, becoming an active participant in the kiss. Her interest seemed to intensify his and he leaned forward to press her lightly against the wall, their bodies in full contact. She raked her fingers through his hair, her pent up desires pushing her need to do something, to move, to take him as close to her as possible. Then it was over. Just like that. As quickly as he had kissed her, Tenchi was backing away from her, a hand pressed over his disbelieving eyes. Without a word he leapt over the carrying basket and out the door, sprinting away. Ryoko’s mouth burned with the after effects of their kisses and her blood accelerated through her veins as her heart refused to slow down. Hazy, incoherent thoughts tried to cut through the confusion of desire and shock that muddled her mind. She slid down the wall into a seated position, legs splayed, and leaned her head back. “Ryoko?” Sasami said poking her head around the door. “Are you okay?” Ryoko rolled her head towards the little girl. “Uh huh.” Sasami’s brow crinkled. “Then why are you sitting down?” Ryoko shrugged. “Are the carrots okay? I still need them for dinner.” Ryoko gathered the carrots from the floor and slowly got to her feet. “Carrots,” she repeated handing them to Sasami and phasing away. “Ooookay,” Sasami said with a shrug and went back to the kitchen. Scene Three: The Next Day Tenchi “What have I done?” Dark storm clouds of a storm that had been building for days were gathering overhead as Tenchi looked up into the old cherry tree and scratched his head. Its blossoms were spent for the year, but the thick green foliage was enough to hide the person he looked for. She was becoming predictable, but he would never dare tell her. But what would he tell her? Yesterday he had kissed her. Out of the blue, with no plan to do so, he had shut her in a dark room and kissed her. And he had liked it. He had liked it almost too much. It had scared him when his body started to run away from his mind. He had felt a rawness, a hungry need that he had only felt whispers of before. And when she had returned his passion, the intensity of his feelings had doubled from that already frighteningly high level. Running away had saved him from doing - doing what he wasn’t sure, but it had to be something he shouldn’t have done. And it had hurt Ryoko too. In the day following the kiss, no one had seen the slightest glimpse of her, even at mealtime. Everyone was worried, except for Washu, who kept shooting him glances that alternated between amusement and disdain. She obviously knew everything some how. It figured that she had the answers. He wished he did too. It seemed as it the choice had been made. He wished he could have done it more honestly, with more grace. But it had been sudden and clumsy and absolutely terrifying. And by reacting without thinking he had mad a terrible mistake. Now he needed to fix things between them. But how? He couldn’t have hurt her more yesterday. How to make up for that? It didn’t help that his physical longing for Ryoko was so strong even his teeth ached in sympathy to his feelings. His lips itched to feel hers again, and the rest of his skin wanted to touch her, to feel all of her. It was hard to pay attention to keeping his balance, not to mention negotiate a delicate apology. He put a foot to the trunk of the tree and used a low branch to begin his climb. The longer he waited the worse it would be. He would just have to try. He looked around a leafy branch and there she was, her body wedged into a V made by two large branches splitting off from the truck. Her long legs, encased in red leggings and crossed at the ankles, stretched along one branch, while her torso rested against the trunk. She had a large sake bottle in one hand, its contents half way depleted. She looked incredible, the curves of her legs stunning him in their display. How could have not noticed this before? Opening a bleary eye she smiled. “ ‘Lo, Tenshi,,” she slurred, toying with the bottle’s label. “Ryoko?” Tenchi settled onto a branch near her waist. Great, she was intoxicated. This wouldn’t help him at all. “Ya drive me to drink, Tenshi. Yesh you do,” she said with an overly emphatic nod. Wincing, Tenchi looked away from her eyes and intently studied an inchworm working it way past him. This was his fault. He had done this to her. “I don’t know what to say, Ryoko.” “Izzat why you ran away?” she asked sagely, taking a long pull from the bottle. “Here let me have that,” he said trying to take the bottle from her. She pulled it out of his grasp and held it protectively at her side. “Or –or –or – did you run because I’m a monshter?” Humiliation coloured her words. She starred into the depth of the bottle, avoiding his eyes. “I don’t think that about you,” he said quietly, pained for hurting her so much. “I’ve never thought that.” The wind was picking up now, carrying the scent of rain. She snorted and swished the sake around. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I ran away like that,” he said sincerely. “I do.” She said in morose tones. “Nobody can love a demon, Tenshi.” “Ryoko!” “I’m screwed. That’s how it is for monshters.” Thunder rolled in the distance, as if agreeing with her words. “Ryoko that’s not true!” She looked out of her bottle and met his eyes squarely. “ No love for demons. No love for Ryoko. No. Love. For. Me,” she said the last words like bullet shots, shaking her bottle for emphasis. He stared at her, speechless at how fragile she really was underneath her many layers of bravado. He had always known she hurt inside, but he now had a better sense of the deep emotional bruises she hid from all of them. And now he understood why she hid the sweetness, it was the other side of her hidden grief. To reveal one was to leave the other unprotected, so she hid them both. He had wanted so badly for her to open up to him, and when she did he punched her where she hurt the most. He felt like a complete louse. She smirked at his silence. “See? Even you know it’s true.” He shook his head. “No it’s not.” He willed her to believe him. “It is not true for me. I am sure of it.” She frowned and looked away. “Uh huh.” “No way,” Tenchi said firmly, removing the sake from her while she was distracted. He placed it out of her reach and wedged it between two smaller branches. “I meant every bit of it.” “Hey… huh?”” she pulled back from her lunge for the sake with a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?” “This.” He leaned in and placed a small kiss on her lips. Pulling back, he gauged her reaction. Her eyes caught his and wouldn’t let go. “Do that again.” He did, somehow enjoying the tang of sake as he pressed his lips to hers. Her lips felt so warm under his, but it was more than that. Little shivers of sensation were running up his back at this gentle contact. Her body was having an electric interaction with his own. It was hard to keep his mind focused on proving that he cared about her. It didn’t help when Ryoko increased the intensity of the kiss, opening her mouth to accept him. She tugged him from his branch so that he was straddling her, and she wrapped her strong arms firmly around him keeping him close. Tenchi found himself panting in her arms, the ferocity of her drunken kisses empowering that need, that desire to be as close to her as possible. He moaned into her mouth and pushed his hands into her soft hair, enjoying its strange texture. Without thinking, he pushed his hips into hers, trying to scratch that burning, building, itch in his loins. Ryoko’s eyes popped open and she looked down at his hardness where it pressed into her stomach. Pushing him away she covered her mouth in horror. “Not like this. Not like THIS. I’m drunk Tenchi!” she said with sudden clarity. Moaning with despair, she phased away leaving him clinging to the tree branch as the first drops of rain fell from the sky. Scene Four: The Next Moment Ryoko “Washu! Washu!” Ryoko called as she flew through the darkened spaces of Washu’s lab. “Where are you?” Washu poked her head around a large machine. “Over here!” she shouted, waving a large wrench. Touching down softly on her feet, Ryoko met Washu’s eyes briefly then looked away. Washu’s eyes narrowed. Something was up. Her critical mind noticed Ryoko’s rain spattered clothing and distressed body language. And her nose smelled the sake. Not to mention the fact that her anti-cabbit surveillance system in the shed had caught the two of them kissing yesterday. She folded her arms and leveled a calm look at Ryoko. “Where have you been, my little Ryoko?” Ryoko said nothing. She had come running to her mother out of instinct, but now had no idea what to do. Washu cocked her head to one side, a long end of her purple scarf almost touching the floor. “Well, I can see your clothes are all wet. That won’t do.” She snapped her fingers and Ryoko’s outfit was replaced by her blue and yellow kimono. Ryoko looked down at her new clothes in surprise. “Thanks.” She turned her eyes to Washu almost shyly, her shoulders quivering. “And take this pill, it will counteract the alcohol in your system even faster than your fantastic metabolism could do it,” Washu said handing Ryoko a bright blue capsule. “Wow,” Ryoko sniffed, taking the pill and swallowing it with out water. “Um… where did you get these?” Her head was starting to clear. “I made them when I noticed how much you have to drink before your body can feel it. I knew they would come in handy!” Washu cackled. “Oh,” Ryoko said quietly, looking at the floor again. “Did you want to talk?” Washu asked with soft encouragement. Ryoko shrugged. “I guess. Well, no. Not really.” “What can I say?” she thought, “ That Tenchi kissed me while I was toasted? And that it made me feel cheap? Like everything I never wanted him to think about me?” She took a step back. “Never mind.” Washu crossed her arms and frowned. “Helping the unwilling is a big challenge, dear.” She was about to try another approach when a loud nock at her subspace door sounded through the lab. “Little Washu? Is Ryoko in there? Let me in!” Tenchi shouted from the other side. “Don’t you dare!” Ryoko said sternly, yet with a touch of fear. Washu grinned. Bingo. “The door’s unlocked Tenchi!” she shouted. “Why you little..!” Ryoko spit grabbing for Washu. “If you won’t talk to me, you’ll just have to talk to him!” Washu proclaimed flipping out of the way and through a handy sub-space portal. “See ya!” “Ryoko!” Tenchi called, his bare feet slapping on the cold concrete as he ran. His steps slowed as he came closer to her. “Ryoko?” he asked stopping a few feet from her. “I don’t want to talk right now Tenchi,” Ryoko said flatly as she teleported to the other side of the lab and stood, arms crossed, with her back to him. How could he think kindly of her now? She was just a stupid drunk. Why wouldn’t he leave her so she could stop holding back the tears? Her dreams of a perfect future with him were shattered. Washu appeared momentarily and shook her head with disapproval. “Ah, ah, ah! No powers until you guys talk this out, Ryoko.” Still not turning Ryoko growled, “You wouldn’t.” “Gee whiz, you ought to know your own mother better!” And she was gone again. Ryoko tried to teleport, but to her dismay found that she could not. “Damn!” “Ryoko, can we talk?” Tenchi asked hesitantly. “No!” Her powers useless, Ryoko started walking briskly towards the lab door, steering a wide path around Tenchi. Could this get any worse? “Why not?” Tenchi asked following her out into the Masaki household. “Because!” Ryoko snapped as a large clap of thunder shook the house. She headed towards the front door. “You can’t go out there, the weather is dangerous!” “I can do whatever I want,” she yelled running out into the storm. “Ryoko!” “Leave me alone!” Ryoko jogged towards the shrine steps, muddy water splashing upon to her dress as the heavy rain quickly drenched her to the bone. Her dress was becoming weighty and clingy, making running difficult, and her hair lay plastered against her head. That damn Washu! And she had come to her for help! “Wait up!” Ryoko looked over her shoulder to see Tenchi struggling against the wind with a large umbrella. That umbrella was going to be toast. She shook her head and continued her way up the stairs, being careful not to slip upon the wet stone. Half way up she heard him yell out in fear and turned to see him close behind, still fussing with the umbrella and almost tipping over backwards towards s certain broken neck. “Tenchi!” she yelled, running back towards him. “Just drop the damn umbrella!” He did as she said and looked up at her sheepishly as she approached him. “I didn’t want you to get wet,” he said in a meek voice. “It’s a little late for that,” she said grabbing his arm and supporting him the rest of the way to the top. When they were again on flat ground, she let go of him and looked away as the rain whipped her wet dress around her ankles. “Now go into the shrine and get dry before you get sick.” She tucked a waterlogged lock of hair behind and ear and started walking. “What about you?” She paused. “I need to think.” “Out in the middle of a storm?” “I’ll be fine,” she said walking off towards the cave. “Please. I need to talk to you,” Tenchi’s quiet tones stopped her unlike any shout or angered yell could. “There is nothing to talk about Tenchi. Just go inside, okay?” Tenchi walked closer, squinting against the rain. “I can’t. I’m worried about yesterday and…” he trailed off uncertainly. She turned and leveled a stare at him. “I really don’t want to have this conversation.” Tenchi pressed on. “I can’t believe you of all people are afraid of this. I would have thought that you would be happy.” Ryoko squirmed. Why was he making her talk about this? It was getting too close to her fears. This could be the end of any hope for them. “Happy?” she asked sarcastically. “What do I have to be happy about?” “I have kissed you twice,” he said with a gentle sincerity. Ryoko’s eye’s narrowed. “Oh yes! Let’s see, the first time was in the dark and you ran away from me afterwards. Then the second time I was intoxicated and easy!” Confusion clouded Tenchi’s face. “What are you trying to say?” Clenching her fists in frustration, Ryoko grunted, then straightened her back, and pointed a finger at Tenchi. “Let me lay it out for you then. When it’s Ayeka, you take her out the city. You flirt with her in front everyone at breakfast. You are gentle with her! With Ryoko it’s a dark room with a closed door, then you can’t even stay after wards! With Ryoko you get in some passion because the drunk won’t care!” she shouted down her finger at him. He paled. “Ryoko –no- it’s not like that.” For once she hated her body. “You don’t like me! You are just attracted to this, “she said running her hands down her body. “You think I’m a monster.” Horrified by her accusations, Tenchi just stared at her. Scene Six: Same Moment Tenchi Lightening split the sky above the shrine, swirling the angry clouds of the storm. The tall conifers that lined the stairs chiseled into the mountain groaned in the wind and grabbed at the sheeting rain with spindly arms. “I can’t believe you Tenchi Masaki!” Ryoko bellowed against the storm, her hair lay flat against her head, a dark gunmetal grey with a touch of blue, heavy with rain. Her blue and yellow kimono also darkened with water clung to her body like an anchor, seeming to root her to the earth Tenchi ran agitated hands through his hair. So much was changing right before his eyes. Things had remained constant for almost two years, and in the span of a few days it was all falling apart. How could Ryoko think that about him? Didn’t she know him at all? He looked at Ryoko, her eyes flashing at his continued silence, masking the hurt he had seen in those pools of amber only moments before. He shook his head. He was lying to himself and he knew it. Things had been changing between the two of them for much longer. It had only been in the last week that a critical mass of emotion had tipped the scales. And because of his own fears, he had been twisting a knife in her heart. And he hadn’t even realized it. “Fine!” she growled and straightened her shoulders, masking her pain almost as well as she usually did. “I should have known you would be like all the others.” She pushed past him, the squelching mud under her feet subtracting from her proud display. “Wait.” Tenchi stated calmly, his new resolve lending strength to his tone. She paused, but didn’t look back. “Wait? I’ve waited and waited Tenchi. And look what I get. I’m outta here.” She titled her head back and looked at his shoes. “For good.” “Don’t!” Tenchi pleaded as his hand shot forward, capturing her forearm in a tight grip. With a twist of his wrist, a technique from his martial training, he spun Ryoko back to face him and gripped both of her shoulders like he would never let go. “Don’t you dare leave me.” Not now! Not when it was all clear to him. She thrashed in his grasp, mightily trying to be free of him. “Let me go!” Somehow he managed to hang on, his mind racing for the words to fix this awful situation. How had it come to these ugly words? “Please!” she cried, unable to hurt him even then. “ Let me go. Please, just let me go!” Tenchi smiled sadly, and pulled her closer. “I’m so sorry, Ryoko. Please forgive me. I seem doomed to hurt you, don’t I?” Tears in her eyes, she looked away, her struggles slowing. Tenchi released his hold on one of her shoulders and ran the hand up her neck to cup her left cheek, his pinky nestling behind her ear. “Forgive me.” Tears spilling, she slid her eyes to his, showing him the turbulent emotions brewing there. Clearly struggling not to, she pushed her cheek further into his hand, the rest of her becoming still. “I don’t think any of things about you. Don’t put that on me, it’s not fair,” he said. Tenchi slid his second hand to her other cheek and cupped her face firmly between his hands. “This is so hard for me Ryoko. I’ve been secretly in love with you forever and I didn’t know how to tell you.” Ryoko screwed her eyes shut to hide her open emotions from him. Tenchi sighed into the storm. “Because I waited so long, things started to happen between us. Our feelings wouldn’t be denied. This is my fault. I should have told you sooner.” Still holding her face he used his thumbs to brush away her tears. He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers “I love you. YOU: the brave, loyal friend. The crafty fox who will not be trapped again, the hidden sweetness, the showing boldness. It’s you I love and your beauty would be nothing without who you are inside,” he confessed. Ryoko opened her eyes and stared at him. “You – you mean it?” she whispered with faint hope. He pulled her face closer and touched his lips to hers softly, unlike the almost violent firestorm of their earlier kiss that day. This kiss, with its gentle conquest affirmed love before passion. “Tenchi,” Ryoko breathed pulling away. “That was…” she broke off and kissed him again, unable to find the words. Tenchi slid his arms around her and returned her kisses. He tried to keep it light, to cool his passion, but he found that they were both turning on the heat together. He felt Ryoko’s tongue lightly stroking his lips in invitation and opened his mouth to let it inside. Slowly she slid it along the roof of his mouth, then she traced the outline of his teeth. A lighting strike sounded close by as Tenchi intercepted her tongue with his own, engaging her in a lingual dance that set both of their nerves sparking. It was becoming hard to think, and they were out in the middle of a dangerous storm. He broke the kiss for the briefest of seconds to murmur “We need to find cover,” before sliding his tongue back into her mouth with out preamble. She moaned in agreement and pulled away. “Must… tell… Washu…get powers back…” she muttered before pressing her lips back to his. Within moments Ryoko teleported them into the cave without breaking the stride of the kiss. Sensing the change of location, Tenchi sunk to his knees on the dry stone of the cave’s floor taking Ryoko with him. He kissed her for a few moments then reluctantly pulled away, so that they were facing each other in seiza. “The cave?” he questioned, knowing her fear of this place. “This section is okay, it’s near the surface and warm,” she said softly, then added, “And you are here with me.” She let the gem on her wrist illuminate the room. In the red light Tenchi couldn’t help noticing the way Ryoko’s nipples were showing through her wet dress as peaks of arousal. His mouth went dry, but he remembered her words and decided to hold back. She noticed the direction of his gaze and blushed. “See something you like?” she asked sincerely, her old seductive bravado completely gone. “I won’t be mad.” Tenchi nodded and licked his lips feeling that yearning, that need come over him again. Without a word she took his hand and placed it against her breast. “I want you to touch me, Tenchi.” “Are you sure? But those things that you said…” She dropped her eyes. “I was hurt, I didn’t understand things. I’ve always wanted you to touch me.” She pressed his hand more firmly to her, “In here?” he protested again. “On a hard stone floor? Let’s go back to the house.” She held his hand to her chest. “We won’t be left alone and this moment will pass. I don’t want to lose you.” “You deserve more than this Ryoko. I – I want this too, but in a warm, soft bed.” She smiled at that and wrinkled her nose, concentrating. Behind her a large futon covered in soft blankets and cushions appeared. Another wrinkle of her nose brought a altar’s worth of lit votive candles scattered across the cave lending a warm illumination to the darkness as they scented the air with cinnamon. Instead of a cold cave, the chamber was now a cozy grotto hidden from the prying eyes of family. “I had Ryo-Ohki beam these from my ship’s quarters.” She smiled and removed her hand, smiling when his remained upon her. “Tenchi…” Her eyes spoke of her rising feelings for him as his fingers traced the outline of a very erect nipple “Oh….” Tenchi’s other hand joined in and began teasing her through her clothing. “Like this?” he whispered, feeling unsure. “That’s good,” she murmured, her eyes half closed. Tenchi swallowed as he watched her. She looked so sexy all wet and disheveled like that. And she liked what he was doing, that much was clear. Perhaps those things he had read in his dad’s books were right after all. Feeling more confident, he slid behind her and kissed the soft skin of her neck and behind her ears, smiling as she shuddered at his touch. Still kissing her, he slowly untied the belt of her dress and undid the tiny, almost hidden buttons exposing the pale skin of her back as it stretched tautly over her firm muscles. He trailed kisses down that expanse of skin and enjoyed her sudden change in breathing. He nibbled a little and was gratified when she jumped. Right now he wanted to touch those breasts without the wet fabric around them. Moving slowly, hardly believing he was daring this, he slipped his hands under her arms and there they were, smooth globes of curving flesh filling his hands. This skin was soft, smooth and elastic, quite unlike the skin on her back. The contrasting rough hardness of her nipples begged for attention. He squeezed softly, delighted at how the flesh gave under the pressure. His head spun as touching her there made his whole body yearn for more. He needed to see her breasts, he needed to taste them. He needed more than that. He needed to touch all of her at once. It was so clear how people got carried away by passion, he knew he couldn’t stop now unless she asked him to stop. “Please, take us out of these wet clothes,” her urged into her ear. “I need to see you.” Ryoko murmured and reached back to touch his shirt, and in an instant they were both naked , their soaked clothing slopping to the floor. Tenchi took in the close view of her ivory body, then pressed the length of his body against her back, his warm erection sliding along the crease of her rear, making her gurgle in surprise. Turning her around, he pushed forward and tipped them into the softness of the pallet, kissing her as they fell. Ryoko broke the kiss and moved to roll on top of him, hunger flaming in her eyes. Tenchi countered her move and flipped her back over and pinned her beneath him, holding her wrists over her head. “Please, “ he asked, kissing her softly and sucking at her bottom lip. “This is new to me. Let me make love to you, let me try, then it’s your turn I promise.” He kissed her deeply, finding her tongue again. “Please?” he asked into her mouth. Aroused to speechlessness, she nodded and waited for him to make a move. Tenchi released her hands and rolled to the side of her. He ran his hands down her arms, feeling the gooseflesh rise in the wake of his touch. The warm candlelight cast a golden glow over her skin, hi-lighting her natural beauty. He moved his hands in wide sweeping strokes, lightly touching her breasts, her belly, the soft patch of fur between her legs, and tracing down her long legs. He was making a map of her body, exploring every curve and etching this moment into his memory for all time. She had the cutest toes. He lingered at her feet for a while before moving back up her legs. She moaned for him as his hands roamed, claiming her as his. Somehow he knew this was something she had always wanted: for him to make love to her, to make a decisive move, not just give into her seductions. This was acceptance for her, and he wanted to make it clear that he loved her. “You are so beautiful. Just look at you,” he whispered in awe. He lowered his lips to her breast and engulfed a nipple in his warm mouth, making her sigh. He sucked, loving the idea of doing this to her. This was his Ryoko and he was pleasuring her breasts, something he had only dreamed of doing before. He was actually doing it. His desire mounting, he trapped the nipple between his teeth and nibbled. Her cry of pleasure encouraged him to try the other breast. While he orally pleasured one breast, his hands were happy to pleasure the other, kneading, squeezing, and pulling at her nipple until it seemed to double in size. Over and over she murmured his name, like a mantra. Like a prayer. His amorous successes brining him more confidence, he left her breasts and began to kiss his way down her stomach towards the light blue fur that hid her secrets from view. Reaching the edge of that mysterious carpet, Tenchi paused and blew a slow, hot breath over the small triangle, causing Ryoko’s hips to twitch. “Mmmm,” she whimpered twisting a tassel from a pillow between her fingers. He blew again, this time placing his lips closer to her body. “Do you like that?” he murmured, already knowing the answer from the little throaty sounds she was making, but he wanted to hear her tell him. “Yes,” she whispered sharply. “What about this?” He trailed a fingertip over the very tops of the blue green hair, making a subtle movement that was felt in a big way at the roots of her follicles. “Ahhh,” she sighed trying to raise her hips to meet his hand. Loving this response he moved his finger higher and continued the teasing caress. “Is it nice?” “Please, touch me,” her urgent whisper begged. He repeated his motion, this time watching her face. Heavy lids half covered her glazed eyes as small drops of perspiration formed on her brow. A lone fang protruded from her upper lip as she ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “Please,” she said shakily. He stretched up and kissed her lips. “I love you.” She ran a firm hand through his short black hair and kissed his neck. “Tenchi,” she breathed into his ear. “Touch me right now, or else.” Chuckling, he looked her in the eyes as he traced his hand back between her legs and let his middle finger gently slide between the seal of her pubic lips. Her eyes rolled up into her head as she again raised her hips to meet his touch. He pushed harder, his finger sinking further into the incredibly hot and most skin of her vulva. It was like satin sheets on a heated waterbed, and his finger seemed to fit into this natural slit perfectly. He had read his father’s magazines, and knew the concrete basics of making love, but those cold pictures were nothing compared to the organic reality of real life. She felt like a ripe peach on a July afternoon and he wanted a bite. But first, there was something he was curious about. He slid his finger upwards and encountered a small, shielded nub of flesh that was harder than the rest. Spreading wings of flesh away from it, he rubbed it experimentally. This time Ryoko’s hips bucked sharply and he lost his place. But it looked like that was the spot he had been hoping for. He quested for it again, hoping she would remain still this time. “Oh, a little to the right, “ Ryoko guided with her voice and he found it again, touching it softly this time. “Mmmm,” she murmured, rubbing her breasts with her own hands. “Oh, Tenchi. Right there.” He rubbed it a little more forcefully and spread her lips so he could see what he was doing. The deep pink flesh glistened and beckoned to him as his lover writhed and moaned beneath his touch. “It feels so good, don’t stop,” she urged, her voice sounding a half-step higher than usual. Still touching her, Tenchi eased over her body and in between her legs so that his head was positioned just over her stomach. He lowered his head until the sweet and salt aroma of her sex wafted into his nostrils, the smell of late summer fruits. He touched his tongue to the smooth skin of her labia and tasted her. It was wonderful and earthy, almost exactly as it smelled. He noticed Ryoko was silent and still now, her anticipation clear. With a quick motion he covered her clitoris with his mouth and worked it with his tongue, immediately feeling her fingers twined in his hair and her ragged gasps of breath urging him on. He could do this forever. Here he was,Tenchi Masaki ,pleasuring a woman he loved. Just listening to her cries of pleasure was erotic, pleasing him in a way his own hands never could. As he alternated between sucking and licking, Ryoko was jumping around like a mustang, but by now he knew how to hold on. “Tenchi!” she shouted as the flicking of his tongue drove rational thought out of her mind. “I can’t take it! It’s too much!” Yet her hands were firmly holding him in place, not pulling him away. He continued, listening in awe as she lost control. “Oh please! Oh no! I can’t… not again… Yes….Tenchi! Oh Tenchi!” Concomitant with her last shouted word he felt the muscles in her abdomen contract and she arched her back, nearly knocking him away. He watched with fascination as she collapsed, a dreamy, far away look in her eyes. Tenchi’s penis was throbbing now, aroused beyond bearing at the sight of her lying there, dazed from the passion of his intimate kisses. He had been holding back for her, to give her pleasure first, but things were quickly moving beyond his control as he in turn was losing his ability to think. He crawled on top of her, nearly orgasming when his sensitive member bumped against her stomach. Instead he kissed her, with her own flavor still heavy upon his tongue. Her arms snaked around his neck and she matched his passion by deepening the kiss and grinding her hips into his. He could barely take it. “Ryoko,” he breathed. “Ryoko, I can’t… I can’t wait.” “Hurry,” she urged. “Please.” He slid his knee between her legs and gently pushed them further apart. He locked into her gaze and lowered his hips pointing his penis into the warm and damp apex of her thighs. He groaned as he felt her fingers guide him to the right spot and he held himself poised at her entrance. “I love you,” he said as he slowly pushed his penis into her, feeling her warmth surround him. She said nothing, but closed her eyes in delight and held onto his shoulders. “Oh,” he muttered as powerful sensations clouded his mind. He pulled back, almost removing himself from her depths, causing a delightful friction to arise between their bodies. And then back in again. And out. And in. Over and over. He buried his face in her neck as they moved together. The scent of her completing the perception that he was somehow completely enclosed by her. ‘’Ryoko…please…” It was his turn to beg. Time worked differently as their bodies pulled apart and rejoined repeatedly. It became less about a physical act, and more about a sense of disassociation, a merging of their spirits into one entity and they were flying high above the mortal plane. In that moment, they knew everything about each other. Then they were back in the realm of the physical very urgent, very real sensations driving them faster towards climax. Ryoko was meeting every stroke with her hips in a gently circular motion, her vaginal muscles pulling at his penis as it slid along its path. Her nails scratched his back in time with their rhythm, and her grunts of pleasure were raising in volume, mingling with his own sounds of pleasure. Feeling something in his middle flex Tenchi grabbed the edge of the futon above Ryoko’s head for support and began pushing into her as fast as he could, a great sense of urgency driving him. “Harder,” she urged. “More.” And he gave it to her, crying out as something within him stretched thinner and thinner. Then it snapped, and with one last heave he buried himself within her and came, the throbbing waves of orgasm crashing over him as his semen rushed into her. She arched into him, his orgasm sending her into another series of her own. She ground her hips into his unable to help herself as the sensations took over. Spent, but enjoying her continued pleasure, Tenchi dropped sleepy kisses on her face, neck and shoulders as she drifted back to the world. He collapsed on top of her, reluctant to withdraw, to break their connection as a heavy sleepiness stole over him. He snuggled into her hair and closed his eyes. “Tenchi.” “Mmmpf,” he answered, barely awake. “It’s not over yet.” She rolled him off of her with gentle hands and moved away. “You promised Tenchi.” As he lay there, barely cognizant, he felt wisps of her half-dry hair brushing over his penis. He opened an eye to see Ryoko crouched at his waist slowly drawing her mane of hair over his genitals. Soft sensations that were a mix of tickling and erotic sparks followed in the path of her hair. He groaned softly as he felt his limp member begin to stir back to life. He heard her trill a little purr in response and looked again to see her mouth very close to the tip of his penis. “It’s my turn now,” she said in breathy tones, letting the hot air from her mouth caress the sensitive skin. She made eye contact with him and extended her tongue to take a long lick. As he moaned, she let her lips take in the tip and slowly drew his length into her mouth as it began to harden anew. Still looking up at him she drew her head back until she only held his tip lightly between her front teeth. “Ryoko…” With a quick movement she took all of it again, letting the muscles in her throat tickle him. She repeated this motion with increasing speed until Tenchi had his hands in her hair, pushing and pulling with her. Coloured lights were exploding behind his eyes as he moaned out meaningless sounds, trying to ask her to go on forever. As he felt himself losing control, she stopped. Before he could protest she climbed atop of him and lowered herself upon his painfully aroused penis. He gasped as it slid into the even hotter, even tighter depths of her. He was engulfed by the intensity of sensation, but steeled himself against coming. This was so good, it needed to last. He reached out and grabbed her hips, allowing her to rise and fall with more force. Above him her head was thrown back and her breasts bobbed in time with her movements. As he watched she took rubbed her chest and began to moan, obviously on the edge of an orgasm. He wanted to see it. He wanted to see her come before he did. “Do it,” he whispered. “Let go for me.” She continued to bounce on him, but her body was tensing. Her mouth opened into a silent cry, and her eyes closed tightly as he felt the walls of her vagina constrict in powerful waves. He pulled her down one final time as he thrust into her and let himself go, his own orgasm so powerful that he was sure he had been blown out of reality. Almost as if in another world, he felt her body slump against him. With leaden arms he turned them on their sides and cuddled into her. Both of them could barely move, so they just lay there enjoying the tiredness and afterglow of their loving. It had taken so much to get to this point, and now the future they had longed for was the present. Their dreams had come true. As sleep stole over them both Tenchi remembered something important and whispered to her. “No more hiding, no more dark rooms. I’m telling everyone about us first thing tomorrow.” The End. Well, that was my first Lemon. What did you think?