Disclaimer: In case there's anyone who's completely misinformed out there. I don't own Tenchi. Author's Note: Ryoko11 steps out into the front of a movie theater full of readers. "Okay, does everybody have their ID's or fake ID's ready? This is the chapter that earned that great big NC-17 on ff.net. It includes a very explicit lemon. ::blush:: I still can't believe I wrote this. I tried to make the lemon romantic and erotic, and it's probably the most difficult thing I've ever written. Hope I got the balance on it right. Hey! You in the back! You're not 17! Don't let your mom catch you reading this! And you in the raincoat! You're scaring me!" ************************************************************ Without argument, Hotsuma teleported them back to the safety of Gaiyan. The storms had grown even more brutal. The now relentless lightning strikes started new forest fires, and the air itself seemed to carry an electrical charge. It was definitely time to leave. As soon as they were onboard, Hotsuma ordered Gaiyan to take off on a preprogrammed flight pattern, while he brought Ryoko directly to the infirmary. Ryoko felt better. Still not good, but her head felt clearer and she no longer felt like she was going to throw up. She knew it was the beginning of her rapid healing process kicking in, but she also knew Hotsuma wouldn't be satisfied without giving her head a good once-over in the medical lab. Ryoko resigned herself to having the injury cleaned and possibly stitched. At the moment, she could understand exactly how he'd felt when she'd first examined his wounded arm after the Galaxy Federal Bank job. "Ryoko, I want you to just relax against my arm, while I try to clean some of this blood out of your hair," Hotsuma instructed. "I won't be able to see the wound otherwise." "Sure," Ryoko agreed tiredly. "Let's just get this over with." She watched resentfully as Hotsuma started the tap and adjusted the temperature and pressure of the water flow. She cursed proficiently as he supported her back and neck with one arm and carefully washed the drying blood from her now sticky locks. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected though, and after a few minutes the stinging faded. His gentle touch against her hair began to feel very comfortable. "It's not that bad," Hotsuma informed her. He turned off the faucet, and applied pressure against the back of her head with a soft cloth. That was less pleasant but she could tolerate it for now. "If you were that afraid of losing our wager, there were easier ways to get out of it than trying to kill yourself with a stone wall," he baited her. "What did you just accuse me of?!" Ryoko stormed. "I'm no scared little girl who welches on her bets! You! You insufferable, egotistical..." she realized that he was laughing at her again and her sputtering protestations stopped. "You have to be the most arrogant man alive!" Ryoko accused crossly. "I'm just glad you're alive, Princess," Hotsuma replied smugly. "Otherwise, I'd have to find a partner who actually liked me." He studied her with those strange blue eyes, and a small smile flickered across his lips. He was willing to just let things go back to normal. Ryoko felt like she needed to say something more, but she wasn't sure she could find the right words. "Thanks for rushing to the rescue down there," Ryoko finally said, as he dabbed antiseptic against her scalp with a cotton ball. "I thought you might leave, after I didn't check in. That you might assume I was dead," she admitted embarrassedly. She felt so stupid after saying it. With all that had passed between them since Kittros, he might take offence at her words. Then she would lose the second man to ever try to help her. She looked up nervously, but his expression was a carefully neutral mask, as though he'd never heard her. Hotsuma finished with her head and turned to face the nervous space pirate. He looked her in the eyes with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. "I don't let go of the things I want so easily, Ryoko," he said hoarsely. He placed his hands on either side of her and bent forward to claim her lips with his kiss. His strong lips pressed against hers, as his tongue explored her willing mouth. The sensation sent waves of pleasure through her body, and she could feel a familiar tension knotting itself low in her belly. She craved nothing so much as to feel him invading her senses, invading her heart, her body. Their need and desperation mixed with the adrenaline that was still coursing through their systems, and Ryoko clung to him as she was pushed onto her back by his strong hands. "You know," she whispered against his sensitive ear. "I hear that this supernova is going to be quite spectacular and rare. Do you have any ideas how we could celebrate something like that?" she asked coyly. Hotsuma kissed the palm of her hand, gathered her in his arms, and teleported them both into Ryoko's rather Spartan room. The light spilling in through the wall of windows painted the room in reddening hues, as the massive sun began to fill its solar system, burning away anything in its path. The sky outside had become a sea of flames, both frightening and compelling. Ryoko stared at it in awe, until the feel of Hotsuma's hot breath against her skin brought her attention back to him. He lowered her to the bed, pinning her beneath him on the flame-colored silken sheets. "Yes," he sighed against her lips, "I know exactly how I want to celebrate it." With a wicked smile, Ryoko released his long golden hair from the ponytail, and watched it come spilling down like a curtain of sunlight. She slipped off his glasses and dropped them onto the nightstand, as she covered his eyelids with fleeting kisses making her way down his cheek to his jaw line. In turn, he nibbled on her earlobe and whispered seductions into the receptive hollow of her ear, telling her that she was glorious and painting his need in words as the feel of his body against her affirmed his speech. Ryoko unfastened his white jacket and slid it over his shoulders. Her fingers came across a ragged patch of fabric over his left shoulder blade. It was shredded from crashing through that last wall. "You don't seem to have much luck with this jacket," she remarked dryly, as she bit gently into his shoulder and wrapped her leg around his hip. She reveled in the weight of his body, as every muscle and curve of him melded to her small form. She rocked her hips against his, taking pleasure from the hard ridge of flesh that was pressed against her. "A jacket is a small sacrifice, Princess," he replied, as he removed the little black top which she favored when pirating. Ryoko unconsciously moaned into his mouth, as he caressed her full breasts, alternating gentle stroking with lightly pinching her rosy nipples. His hips dug deeper against her, as their needs intensified, and she hurriedly tugged his shirt away. Ryoko wanted the silky feel of skin on skin. That supple, alive feeling was more luxurious than any fabric. Flesh. She needed his flesh against hers. She pulled away the soft orange fabric and let it fall to the floor, as she savored the naked contact of his firm abs and chest against her. She stroked his back with her fingernails, caressing a trail down to his buttocks and back up to his shoulder blades. Ryoko was drunk on his passionate kisses and it left her craving more. She wanted more of his mouth devouring hers. She wanted more of his hot skin sliding over hers. She wanted more of that delicious friction between their hips. She wanted more of everything, so she could ride this feeling of euphoria to its zenith and come crashing back down only to repeat it over and again. Her fingers went for the fastening of his black pants, as Hotsuma forged a trail of lingering kisses from her shoulder down to her left breast. As if in silent agreement, his hands matched her desperate actions as he stripped away her low- cut khaki pants. Ryoko rubbed his hard length through the thin silk of his boxers, and Hotsuma growled playfully before delicately trapping her nipple between his teeth and flicking the tip of his tongue over its sensitive crown. He rolled her right nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and Ryoko moaned loudly as the nearly electric jolts of pleasure coursed through her breasts and fueled the intense ache between her whetted thighs. Encouraged by her vocal demonstration, the tall pirate ran his other hand over the dampened satin of Ryoko's panties. She raised her hips straining against his fingers, and he slipped his long fingers under the edge, slowly pushing the satin away from her skin as he delved into the velvet folds of her body. They danced over her and stoked the slow burn of her flesh with their rhythmic ministrations, as he continued to suckle and sweetly tease the peaks of her breasts, alternating between his warm mouth and calloused hand. That empty throbbing at her core grew unbearable, and Ryoko squirmed her hips against his probing fingers in an attempt to gain the contact, which she so urgently needed. "Did you want something, Ryoko?" he asked amiably, sounding a far cry from innocent. He removed the final, flimsy garment and rolled over dragging her on top of him so that she straddled his hips. His fingers lightly traced the line of her ribs, the heaviness of her breasts, and the flat expanse of her belly, before sliding down over the tops of her thighs and up her sensitive inner thighs. He stopped short of what she wanted, and waited for her response. Ryoko could see his blue eyes cloud over with passion and lust as he studied the nude line of her body, and she knew that for all his bravado his need was as raw as hers. Two could play at this game. She bared one of her fangs in a toothy smirk, and bent forward to lavish some of the same erotic attention on his exposed body. He breathed raggedly as Ryoko raked her nails down his chest and over his small, hard nipples. She continued over the ridges of his stomach; she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his boxers and grinned triumphantly when his breath caught in his throat. She leaned in close to his face so that they were eye to eye. "I want to make you beg for release," she whispered against his lips, punctuating each word with kisses. She slithered off his hips and slowly slid the silk trunks down his sinewy legs. His body really was magnificent, lean and strong with a naturally bronze cast to his smooth skin. His swollen member arched against the trail of golden hair that ran from his navel to its base, and the sheer size and perfection of him took her breath away. She wondered if she really did have enough resolve to restrain her own desires. She lay against him curled in a crescent with her upper body resting on his slightly spread thighs. Her own legs ran along his side and were curled demurely and crossed at the ankle. Ryoko squeezed his thigh gently. She skimmed the ticklish blonde hairs on his left leg with her cheek, and then she began licking and biting a trail up his tender inner thigh. The sound of his hoarse breathing filled the room as she sucked provocatively at the juncture between his thigh and groin. Her fingers and nails ran teasingly over his other thigh and along his hip, and she could feel his hand seeking out her legs in response. Ryoko nuzzled one of his firm, fleshy orbs, before teasing the delicate skin between them with her deft tongue. She cupped them lightly in her hand, letting her fingers exert a delicate pressure as she again created pleasure for him with her warm mouth. Hotsuma groaned in enjoyment, as he traced his index finger along the seam between her thighs. Her other hand glided over the line of his taut arousal. Like silk over steel, he was all at once smooth and yet unyielding. Her muscles clamped almost painfully on emptiness, as she imagined the fullness of being joined with his thick length. Hotsuma could feel his body throbbing against her hand in time with his rapidly pounding pulse. He moaned her name loudly, as she clasped him in her heated mouth, and then he lost himself in the impassioned caresses of her tongue and the inflaming suction of her kiss. He was so close to the edge of his restraint that if he didn't find some small way to gain back control, Ryoko would indeed bring him to the point of begging. He insinuated his hand between Ryoko's tightly pressed legs and sought out the entrance to her tightening, liquid sheath. He pierced her with his questing index finger and began to crook it in a "come-hither" motion, until he could feel her slightly bucking her hips and whimpering against his yearning skin. He groaned with the sensation, and he felt Ryoko's legs relaxing, allowing him further access to her. He stretched her tiny body around his invading digit, pumping it in and out of her in time with the motion of her head. After a few minutes, he felt her push back against him with her hips in need of more. He pulled back only to thrust two fingers into her moist channel, adding the sporadic flicker of his thumb over the origin of that slow-burn, which would eventually drive her into ecstasy. They were locked together in a maddening embrace, each wanting greater fulfillment but unwilling to be the first to break. Suddenly Hotsuma sat up, lacing his fingers into her tousled blue hair and pulling her up into a desperate kiss. "Your turn, Princess," he growled against the shell of her ear, as he hauled her to the head of the bed. He dropped her against the stack of pillows, and positioned her legs over his shoulders as he delved his tongue into her warm mystery. She was ready to explode, and he toyed with her. Sucking and licking at her until she was right on the brink, only to pull away pinning her beneath him and capturing her frustrated yells in his kiss, until she had calmed enough for him to do it again. "Just tell me what you want, Ryoko," he cooed soothingly, as he held her shaking body against him. He brushed her sweaty bangs out of her eyes. "Tell me, and I'll give it to you," he purred. "Just tell me that you want me...." He said in a low voice. His eyes bored into her with a nearly painful need of his own. "I... w-want... you..." Ryoko responded with as much breath as she could muster. She kissed him tenderly. "I want you," she repeated simply. He sucked on her neck fiercely, the way that always made Ryoko feel as though her very soul was being drawn outward. Then he drove into her deep and hard, and Ryoko cried out sharply, as she held his hips tightly against her and ground herself against him. It felt as though her spirit were being drawn from her body, as he tried to fill the void that was left with the sheer size of his body. She realized that she was still moaning, as she wrapped her slender legs about his waist. He paused long enough for her to adjust to him taking the time to lavish in the wild explorations of her mouth, before thrusting into her again. He started slowly still giving her body time to accept him; but soon Ryoko's abandon encouraged him to build up a heady, powerful rhythm. He forcefully slammed into her pulsing body, as though he could finally break through into her and cross over binding them forever. Ryoko quivered as each plunge of his hardness sparked a tightening jolt where he struck deep inside her, dancing along that sweet border between pleasure and pain. Both partners were dancing that line, carried along by a need too long restrained. Ryoko's nails bit into the skin of Hotsuma's back eliciting a grunt, before she knotted her fingers into his flying blonde mane and buried a new series of cries against his lips. It felt as though a livewire ran just beneath her skin, overloaded with the jolts of pleasure from his fingers stroking her breasts and that deep twinge which left her violently arching against him. His fingers dipped between their joined hips adding to that intense friction which seemed ready to sear them both. Ryoko threw her head back into the pillows, whimpering unabashedly, as she gripped the burn, feeling her entire body constricting around this pounding invasion. It was like riding a spiral inward, as her entire body stiffened until eventually there was no room for even her spirit inside her body. Then with a sudden internal snap, the tension channeled itself into a chain of body- jerking contractions. She screamed out her pleasure, calling Hotsuma's name again and again, as he steamrolled over her orgasm. Hotsuma felt Ryoko finally go limp beneath him, and he slowed, cradling her against his chest and kissing her tenderly. "You're truly breathtaking, Ryoko," he whispered soothingly. "I want to take you beyond all of this, to steal you away from the rest of the universe, and make you only mine." He buried his cheek against hers, and then kissed her with a mounting passion. He could feel her beginning to respond, and he fueled her rekindled desire with his kisses and caresses. Ryoko slowly roused from her languid bliss, as the promise of more pleasure in his arms dawned on her. Hotsuma rolled them over so that she was sitting astride him, as he fondled her breasts and raised his hips beneath her. She moved slowly on him, raising herself until he was completely outside her only to plunge herself upon him again, taking all of him deep and fast. She repeated the maneuver delighting in the freedom of it and the intensity of the depth he could achieve from this position. "Yes," he hissed, as she squeezed those achingly full orbs and tightened herself around his shaft. Hotsuma sat up, savaging her breasts and wrapping his arms about her steadily jerking hips. He could feel his control slipping, and he was determined to take her over the edge with him. He traced small circles over her wet flesh, honing in on that point that made her gasp in pleasure and building up a pressure there. Ryoko's rhythm broke as she came close to a second shattering orgasm, and Hotsuma grasped her hips with his other hand to steady her. He guided her movements, jerking her down on him and lifting her again. "Please," he whispered against her throat. "Oh God, Ryoko!" he panted. Ryoko could feel her legs ready to give out, and she rolled him back on top of her as she kissed him passionately. He wrapped one arm around her hips, holding them tightly as he rammed into her repeatedly. Their voices mingled in guttural cries building off one another as they both held onto the burgeoning rapture for as long as possible. Ryoko felt the tension building to an unbelievable height, and she closed her eyes prepared to let it wash through her and leave her destroyed in its wake. Hotsuma's fingers against her cheek surprised her, and she stared at him feeling suddenly lost and helpless against the pull of those pale blue eyes. "Don't look away, Ryoko," he growled softly. She felt the pleasure cresting and breaking loose in another series of powerful contractions. She screamed her satisfaction, calling out for her lover and still lost in those mysterious blue depths. Hotsuma took in the magnificent sight of her lost in bliss, and he drove wildly inside her as the trembling beginnings of her contractions spurred him onward. He started to close his eyes, until the fluttering of Ryoko's fingertips against his temple roused him. He stared straight into her luminous golden eyes and laced his fingers with hers, pressing her hand gently as he exploded deep within her core. That glorious tension spent itself in waves of release, and Hotsuma physically emptied himself inside her tight wet channel in a series of deep thrusts, fueled by the spasms of her muscles clasping him tightly. Emotionally, he spent himself in those large golden eyes, spilling out all of his careful control and revealing the shattered edges just beneath the surface. He screamed her name again, and she kissed his throat and face, holding him in her arms until they collapsed as one on the tousled sheets. They burrowed together, comforting each other with intimate caresses to calm their shaking bodies and tender words to ease their exposed souls. Their kisses were no longer urgent and demanding, but instead were gentle and giving. Their exhausted bodies were covered in a sheen of sweat, making the hot air cool against their skin. Hotsuma wrapped the sheet around them protectively, as Ryoko snuggled against his chest and twirled his long golden hair around her finger. They savored the contentment of still being clasped together for as long as they could, as the dying sun painted them in its rosy hues. "Do you want to watch the heavens burn for a few hours?" Hotsuma suggested, whispering it against her hair, as her rubbed her back. "I thought that's what we just did," she teased, biting his earlobe playfully. She crossed her arms over his chest and rested her chin on them, as she studied the tall blonde space pirate. His long hair was spread across the pillows in swirls and his blue eyes were half-closed and heavy-lidded with contentment. She realized that she was grinning like a fool and he was grinning back the same way. "You know, I could use a little drink right now. And you did tell me that you had something to give me after this little mission! Unless, this is what you meant, but I don't think you'd need a lab to prepare for..." Hotsuma threw one of the pillows at her. "Alright, Princess! Since I know royalty can't stand to wait, I'll be right back." He'd already put his glasses back on. He teleported out of the room, and Ryoko sprawled out on the bed and waited impatiently for his return. She'd never experienced anything so passionate with a man before. She was always the one in control, enjoying the sensations but still detached as she found ways to drive him nuts. This was the first time that she'd ever lost that safe-distance. She'd always thought that it would be Tenchi's innocence that finally allowed her to connect with a man emotionally. Instead, it was Hotsuma's stubborn steak! She laughed loudly at the realization until tears formed in the corners of her eyes. In the end, he had begged the way she'd wanted though. She wondered for the zillionth time why it couldn't have worked out like this for her and Tenchi. She supposed that it didn't really matter anymore, but it did still sting. Tenchi was the innocence she had lost a lifetime ago. Around him, it had seemed she could regain that quality, but that was just another dead dream. It was time to face the fact that life moved on. There was nothing innocent about Hotsuma or her, but he was the one who was faithfully at her side. It was an arrangement that was lately full of new possibilities. Ryoko looked up to see him teleport back into the room wearing a short white robe and carrying a bottle of wine. "Now I would never have expected that type of modesty from you, partner," she quipped, rising up on her knees and reaching for the bottle. "Who said it had anything to do with modesty?" Hotsuma responded. He reached into one of the robe's large pockets and produced a large crystal wine glass. "I just needed somewhere to carry the glasses," he said with a wink. He took the bottle from her hands and poured a rich, red wine into the glass. Then he produced another goblet from his second pocket and filled it to the same level. "It's port," he offered as he handed her one of the glasses. Ryoko took a small sip. It was rich and sweet and very strong. The port slid down her throat, leaving a warm tingling to mark its passing. She smiled appreciatively and carried her glass over to the wall of windows, where she stood sipping it and waiting for Hotsuma to join her. She could tell that the red giant was still expanding, and she studied the pinkish red glow outside her windows. "Almost like being inside a sunrise," she decided. "Well, sunset was probably more correct in this case," she amended. She could feel Hotsuma standing behind her and she leaned back as he pulled her against him. "Amazing, isn't it, Princess?" he asked softly, and she nodded against his shoulder. He handed her his wine for a moment. He had removed the robe, and he was drawing the sheet around them again, as they stood before the blazing sky. The sheet, the ship, the flaming sky were like a series of cocoons, worlds made just for them. "Close your eyes," Hotsuma whispered when he'd finished with the sheet. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten," she told him haughtily. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back slightly. Hotsuma's hands brushed along her shoulders, lifting her thick hair, as he fastened something delicate around her long neck. Her hair fell back into place, as he withdrew his hands and reached for his wine. At his prompt, Ryoko opened her eyes and looked down. A jeweled locket hung at her throat. It was made of gold, a heart covered in perfect rubies and diamonds. "H-Hotsuma!" she exclaimed quietly. She brushed her fingers over the fine stones, which even graced the chains from which the necklace hung. "Press that large diamond, right there," Hotsuma instructed, as he pointed to a hefty stone in the center. Ryoko did so, and the locket projected a hologram of the two pirates celebrating their first heist. Ryoko was holding up the bag of money and making a victory sign, and Hotsuma stood behind her smiling and resting his chin on the top of her head. She noticed that they both looked a little tipsy, each blushing slightly. She pressed the button again and was met with another picture of them from that little victory celebration. Hotsuma had programmed in the best shots of them from the poses they'd struck for Gaiyan's security camera. "It's a memory locket from the Crown Jewels of Polidis," he began, "I reprogrammed it with the pictures we took after we first became partners. I can add new holograms for you over time, and you've got your own scrapbook of ...." Ryoko cut him off with a kiss. She could feel tears starting. It was a gift to her and her alone! It wasn't a present that was shared with five other girls. She'd forgotten all about their "pictures" in the wake of that terrific hangover. It was something he'd thought to do on his own, and she hadn't even known what he'd planned. "Thank you," she whispered against his lips.