Tenchi Muyo - "Only A Dream Away"

By JockoMegane
Send comments and critiques to jockomegane@cs.com

SUMMARY: Nobuyuki and Mihoshi discover a mutual attraction one sad, starry 
night.

LOCATION: Regular Archive.

DISCLAIMER and TANGENT: Tenchi and the whole damn ranch is owned by Pioneer 
LDC and AIC.  Yes, I will always call them Pioneer LDC.  For LDC stands for 
LaserDisc Corporation.  Without this company, LaserDisc would have died a 
failed format in 1981, and a lot of Tenchi Muyo's early fans may not have 
ever realized what they were missing.  Yeah, I know there was always 
VHS...but LaserDisc helped spawn the joy known as DVD, and the LaserDisc 
junkies out there deserve our respect and gratitude for telling us that our 
movies did not have to deteriorate with time.

Notice: Anyone who wants to MIST this story is welcome to.  All I ask is to 
know about it, and maybe be allowed to participate. :)

Misson Statement: Some people may be wondering why a Nobuyuki/Mihoshi piece.  
Well, get used to wondering.  All I can offer up as a reason is that I think 
they'd be good for each other.  There's also the added appeal of it never 
being done before, as far as I know.


***

    To say that Nobuyuki Masaki was used to coming home late was an 
understatement.  In fact, he had at times been thankful to Kami-sama when his 
son Tenchi had told him over the phone of yet another destructive fight 
between Ayeka and Ryoko resulting in a wall or more being knocked down.

    As Nobuyuki drove down the nearly deserted highway his memory briefly 
flitted back to the call he had made to Tenchi at around 5:30PM saying that 
he wouldn't be home until at least after midnight, and for Sasami to leave 
him a little something to eat when he got back.  Though Tenchi hadn't told 
him, Nobuyuki had heard in the background a loud, extended battle between 
Ryoko and Ayeka over who had tried to seduce Tenchi, etc, etc.
    
    'Son,' Nobuyuki thought as he pulled onto the Masaki Shrine's rural dirt 
road, 'I'm beginning to think you should just choose both just to save poor 
Washu's sanity.'  Nobuyuki didn't like the idea of The Greatest Scientific 
Genius in the universe spending a significant portion of her time fixing and 
rebuilding *his* house when she could be doing something like curing cancer, 
or bringing back the dead.

    His house?  Well, he assumed the house was as much his and Tenchi's as it 
was to everyone else in their extended Family, but in Nobuyuki's office there 
was a saying that those who screwed around with a house screwed around with 
the architect.  'Thank Kami-sama they hardly ever fight when I'm at home...' 
he thought as he passed through the opened gates around his house, giving a 
slight wave to Azaka and Kamidake, wondering if they could see him in the 
dark...

    "Don't be a fool, Nobuyuki, of course they can see you.  Hell, they could 
probably even tell if I stopped for a drink first."  First words Nobuyuki had 
spoken since buying a bowl of Ramen while waiting for the 8:30PM train from 
Tokyo to Okayama.  Feeling hunger gnawing at him, Nobuyuki quickly parked the 
car in the garage, grabbed his briefcase and some blueprints, and quietly 
slipped in the side door.  

    After locking the door, Nobuyuki set his stuff down, removed his shoes, 
and proceeded quietly and directly on his favorite late-night route to the 
kitchen.  To his slight disappointment, Ryoko was not asleep half-naked on 
the couch, nor was Ayeka.

    Seeing no one around to hear him, "Rats," Nobuyuki chuckled dryly.  He 
proceeded to the kitchen, finding a note on the refrigerator door...

        "Your favorite, sorry you couldn't make it home.  Eat well and 
pleasant dreams."
    
            - Sasami.

    Nobuyuki smiled, what did he or Tenchi ever do to be blessed by such a 
great cook? 

    After eating, Nobuyuki opened a can of beer and briefly considered 
turning on some hentai, but the kitchen clock chiming 1:00AM stopped him.  As 
he stood up to go through today's mail, something caught his eye.  A box, 
with a note attached to it:
    
        "Dad, sorry for opening your package, but Washu was suspicious."

            -Tenchi.
            PS Ryoko says she doesn't know why you go in for shit like this.

    Nobuyuki looked down at the LaserDisc box, "Damn," he had been hoping to 
have had time to watch it.  The LaserDisc was an American movie called "The 
Deer Hunter."  The movie had a certain sentimental value to Nobuyuki, though 
he hadn't told Tenchi yet, this was the last movie he and Achika had gone out 
to see.  What's more, they both loved it.  

    After finishing his beer, Nobuyuki yawned and decided he'd just head 
upstairs, and collapse on his bed until his alarm rung in five hours.  
Exiting the kitchen, he was about to turn towards the stairs when he noticed 
that the sliding glass door to the dock was open a crack.

    With a shrug Nobuyuki strode over, put his hand on the latch...and didn't 
shut it.  He peered out into the darkness and saw a figure sitting by the 
water.  Briefly wondering why he didn't notice this when he first walked in, 
Nobuyuki decided to see if anything was the matter.

    Quietly, he tip-toed out on the dock, as he drew closer he could discern 
that it was Mihoshi sitting there.  He stopped, she hadn't turned her head to 
look at him.  Briefly, he wondered if she had fallen asleep...

    "Mihoshi?" 

    She cocked her head slightly to the side, as if distracted, "Honorable 
father?  Why are you still up?  Am I disturbing you?  I'm so sorry!  I can go 
to my room if I am..."

    "I, uh, just got home from work...I was about to go to bed, and I noticed 
the door open," Nobuyuki felt he should just backpedal until he was in his 
own bedroom, but something about Mihoshi's bearing stopped him, "is something 
wrong, Mihoshi?"

    Mihoshi returned her gaze to the still lake.

    "Mihoshi," Nobuyuki looked down at his feet, "if something's wrong, maybe 
you'd like to talk about it.  But if you'd rather just be alone, I can 
certainly understand."

    Mihoshi turned to look at him, smiled "Yes...yes.  I think I'd like that, 
honorable father!" 

    Nobuyuki blinked, confused, "you want to talk, or you want me to leave 
you alone?"

    "The latter," she nodded, then blinked, "or is that the former?  
Oh...yes, I want to talk."

    Nobuyuki smiled, ambled over and sat next to Mihoshi.  From his vantage 
point, he could see Mihoshi's face in profile...glistening with tears.

    "Mihoshi...have you been crying?" 

    Mihoshi looked up at the star filled sky and across the moon reflecting 
lake.  "Three years," she whispered, "it's been three years."

    Nobuyuki, knowing himself to be a man who often doesn't say the right 
things, decided to give her a minute before asking.  Fortunately, his 
patience was rewarded.

    "I miss her, you know?  I miss her every day of my life," she whipped 
another tear from her eyes with a shredded tissue used ten times too many.

    Mihoshi returned her gaze to the still lake.

    Nobuyuki did the same for a few minutes, collecting his thoughts.  'Come 
on, think genius...you can't just let her sit here all night.'

    "It's been ten years longer for me than you."
    
    Mihoshi looked at him.

    "No," Nobuyuki answered her unasked question, "time doesn't make it any 
easier."

    "Does anything make it easier?" Mihoshi gazed brightly at him.  To tell 
the truth, when he had first met Mihoshi at the hot springs, that had been 
the first feature he noticed about the Galaxy Police officer...okay, maybe 
the second feature, but he was undeniably fascinated by her eyes.  Which were 
now looking expectantly into his own.

    "When Achika died, all I wanted was to follow her, but Tenchi stopped me. 
 My son is the only thing that kept me in the game," Nobuyuki smiled 
wistfully.

    "My duty as a Galaxy Police Person kept me, in the game," she grimaced, 
"as you say, honorable father."

    He smiled, "please, call me Nobuyuki."

    "O...okay," she nodded.

    'Now where did that come from?' he asked himself.  Mihoshi didn't give 
him long to dwell on this question, deciding to lead the conversation.

    "Honorable--oh!  I mean Nobuyuki, I suppose I ought to tell you why I'm 
out here, and who she was."

    "I would be honored to hear that," he smiled.

    "Today is the third anniversary of the death of my partner, Detective 
First Class Kiyone Makibi," tears again poured down her face.  Sobs soon 
followed.

    Cautiously, Nobuyuki put his arm around Mihoshi's shoulders.  To some 
amount of surprise on Nobuyuki's part, she didn't resist or seem hesitant, 
she just leaned into him.

    "Thank you," she said quietly, then continued, "Kiyone died doing her 
duty.  We were chasing after a member of the Orion Syndicate," Mihoshi smiled 
sadly, "a brilliant piece of detective work we did, if I do say so myself.  
We tracked him for three weeks before cornering his ship in interstellar 
space near some system I don't care to remember," she was silent for a 
moment, found her voice "after a fire fight, we boarded to take him into 
custody.  He...resisted, I returned fire, headshot--died almost instantly, 
but he was able to throw a knife at Kiyone..."

    More tears, without thinking Nobuyuki reached for her folded hands.

    Mihoshi accepted this, giving Nobuyuki an appreciative smile before 
continuing.  "The...the knife got her in the heart, and she...she, she died 
in my arms, telling me how proud she was of me, how I was such a great 
officer...and how much she loved me."

    Nobuyuki nodded, looking down at the water and deciding whether or not he 
should ask the big question on his mind.

    "In case you were wondering, Nobuyuki, yes me and Kiyone were lovers."

    Nobuyuki, feeling ashamed, said: "I'm sorry, I'm really not the best 
listener, I guess," he laughed darkly, "I make no apologies for being a 
pervert, Mihoshi, but please don't think I'm heartless--"

    Mihoshi looked at him with a look of seriousness he had never seen on her 
face before, "Heartless, Nobuyuki?  Who *ever* told you that?"

    Nobuyuki looked at her, "well, I admit that I'm not always a perfect 
father, and I constantly try to sneak peeks at you girls...except for Washu 
and Sasami," he frowned, "though I wish Washu would spend more time in her 
adult form.  Anywho, most of you think I don't understand...ahh, darn it I 
forget what I was getting at."

    Mihoshi giggled sweetly amidst her tears, "it's all right, Nobuyuki.  I 
don't think you're heartless.  Please ask me any question you want."

    He nodded, "I, uh, guess you are of the lesbian persuasion?"

    She shrugged, "I like guys a lot, it's just I loved Kiyone so much more."

    "Oh..." Nobuyuki nodded, blushing.  'Keep those ecchi thoughts out of 
your head!  Just for now!,' he thought.  "It's just I know you 
are...attracted to Tenchi."

    "Well, I like Tenchi just fine, and I did stay here because I thought 
that he and I would have a chance," she looked up at the stars sadly, "but 
you'd have to be as blind as Lois Lane not to see that Tenchi loves Ayeka and 
Ryoko."

    Nobuyuki laughed, "I didn't know you'd been reading American mangas..."

    Mihoshi nodded, "I like the colors."

    "And you really think Tenchi will try that Jurai thing with them?" 
Nobuyuki could not believe his instincts were correct.  'Well,' he thought, 
'sometimes ecchi is the right way to go.'

    She looked out into the night intently for a moment, "Nothing is for sure 
in this life, Nobuyuki.  But I know what's right when I see it."

    "I really hope things will work out like that," Nobuyuki sighed, "minus 
my house getting destroyed every week, and I could live forever with you 
girls living here."  He smiled thinking about the possibilities of lots and 
lots of grandchildren.

    "Tell me about Kiyone," Nobuyuki asked.

    "Okay," Mihoshi nodded, "she was my partner for two years...ah, 
personally we were involved for a year.  We were assigned to Sector 149, 
which is a major trade corridor between Jurai and Alpha Centauri, we mainly 
investigated piracy and theft.  Kiyone was so beautiful, Nobuyuki...at first 
we didn't quite get off on the right foot, but after a few months we got 
along really good."

    "After that," Mihoshi smiled, "one night in our favorite kareoke bar, we 
were really smashed," she giggled, "and all of a sudden I was telling Kiyone 
how much I cared about her.  And you know what, Nobuyuki?"

    "What?" he smirked.

    "She told me so much more than I had ever dreamed!" she beamed, "we were 
both crying so much, telling each other how much we loved each other that we 
almost got kicked out for 'making a scene!'"

    Nobuyuki laughed, much louder and longer than he probably should have.  
To his happiness, Mihoshi also laughed.

    When both had calmed down, Mihoshi smiled radiantly at him, "would you 
like to see a picture of Kiyone?"

    "Sure."

    Mihoshi wasn't embellishing her description of Kiyone, for a moment 
Nobuyuki gazed at the small photograph stunned.  "She was a very beautiful 
woman, Mihoshi."

    She leaned back into his arm again, "she was my first love..." she gazed 
up at the stars again, "and probably my only love."

    Something snapped in Nobuyuki at this statement.  'No...'

    "Mihoshi," Nobuyuki sighed, "you have no idea what you're opening 
yourself up to.  You're still young, you have a good heart even if most 
people don't appreciate that fact--but I do--and you should never, ever, 
think that there's no one else out there for you."

    Mihoshi shot him a probing look, "isn't that only what you've done, 
Nobuyuki?"

    He blinked, "well, um..."

    "Nobuyuki, if Ryoko were to walk out here right now, tell you that Tenchi 
didn't want her, and demanded you kiss her, what would you do?"

    He looked at her in the darkness and could tell she was deadly serious.

    "I'd tell her no."

    "Why?  Because of Achika?"

    "Well...maybe that, yes, but there are other reasons, Mihoshi..." he 
winced at the thought of an *actual* nuclear family meltdown.

    "Um," she thought, "maybe you're right on that.  Bad example, sorry, but 
you know what I'm talking about."

    Nobuyuki looked at Mihoshi's beautiful face.  Yes, she did have a valid 
point, he admitted to himself.  Could he do what he'd been thinking about in 
the back of his mind for months?  All those times he'd walk past Mihoshi in 
the hallway, help her with the laundry, sit next to her at dinner, try and 
sneak longer peeks at her than Ryoko or Ayeka...  

    "Isn't there anyone else out there for you, Nobuyuki?" Mihoshi whispered. 
 "If there is for me...why wouldn't there be for you, too?"

    "Wouldn't both Achika and Kiyone want us to be happy?" Nobuyuki asked the 
stars, fatigue making him forget to separate thoughts from speech.  That, and 
the simple logic of what Mihoshi was saying.

    'Ah, what the hell...' Nobuyuki thought.  Without sparing a second, 
Nobuyuki moved his hands from Mihoshi's folded hands to her shoulders, and 
with sparing one look into her eyes, which were willing, he kissed her gently 
and slowly.  Mihoshi responded, slightly fiercer, but just as slow.  After 
separating, the two hugged for a long time.  So long in fact, one, and then 
the other dozed off and had to be nudged back to wakefulness.  After this, 
they both decided to retire for the night.

    At the sliding glass door, Mihoshi turned to Nobuyuki, started to say 
something but stopped blushing.

    "Mihoshi," Nobuyuki blushed in return, "I just want to make sure you 
don't fall asleep on the stairs again," he smiled.   

    She smiled back, "same to you."

    He blinked, "I had forgotten about that incident..."

    "Well, you were pretty smashed," she giggled.

    "So were you," he grasped her hand warmly.

    They soon made sure the other made it up the stairs.  Once Nobuyuki 
arrived at Mihoshi's room, she kissed him once more.

    "Do you want to keep this a secret for now?" Mihoshi whispered in his ear.

    "No, I don't," Nobuyuki said, "unless you do, my dear."

    Mihoshi shook her head in the negative, "I don't."

    Nobuyuki smiled, "in that case, I'd like to take you out for dinner this 
weekend...er, Saturday, when I have a day off the boss can't take away from 
me."

    Mihoshi smiled and nodded, "I accept."

    "Goodnight, Mihoshi dear...thank you," he kissed her forehead.

    "Nightie night, Nobuyuki," she squeezed his hands.

    Nobuyuki went to his door and waited until Mihoshi had closed her door 
before retiring into his room/home office.

    On the door, was posted another note:

        "Your office called after you left, said your cell phone was turned 
off, told you to take tomorrow off because of your good work.  No need for 
worries, you are not fired, they emphasized.  Good night."

        - Ayeka, Lady Jurai.

    
    Nobuyuki looked at the note for a moment before cracking a wide smile 
that he would wake up wearing the next morning.

    "Gray skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face..." he hummed a song 
he learned from a drunk American business associate last year as he fell 
asleep.

THE END...or is it?

Author's Bullshit: Well, that wasn't so bad now, wasn't it?  I'd like to 
thank a few people for writing Tenchi fanfiction that did two things.  One is 
not suck, and two is inspire me to try my own hand at it on a serious level.  
These few people are Thomas Doscher, Literary Eagle, and Arca Jeth. 

A Splendid Brown Derby Hat Award is deserved for all three, and maybe a 
Splendid FireMare too.

On another note, I'd like to thank Michael Cimino for forever damning my 
sense of "Good movie versus Bad movie" with "Heaven's Gate" (1980) and "Year 
of the Dragon" (1985).  At the same time, anyone disputing that "The Deer 
Hunter" (1978) didn't deserve every award it won out of bullshit cinematic 
revisionism can go take a flying leap.  

I'd also like to extend my apologies to Kiyone and MihoKiyo fans everywhere.  
It's nothing personal, it's just a story.  Really, I love Kiyone and MihoKiyo 
stories.  

To anyone who enjoyed this story, if you'd like to encourage me to maybe 
write a sequel, I'd be willing to listen. :)

As an aside, I'd also like to thank AAA-PhuckNut.  It takes courage to write 
truly hilarious sick work.
    
Lastly, about the title.  Originally, I had intended the late great George 
Harrison's "Only A Dream Away" (raise your hands, all you Gilliam fans!) to 
be Mihoshi and Kiyone's kareoke song.  I didn't feel like thinking of another 
title.