"The Romantic Tales of Tenchi" (Tentative series title) #2: "The First"
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The First (#2)
A Tenchi & company short story by Gary Littlejohn
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All Tenchi* characters and the like are trademarks of Pioneer.
I did not invent these characters, I simply thought up the situation
for them to be in.
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        I came home from tending the fields as normal yesterday, to the
house,
which seemed unusually quiet this evening.  Sasami was cooking dinner,
Mihoshi
was asleep on the couch, Ayeka was reading, Washu was nowhere to be seen,
probably
in her lab, and Ryoko was sitting by herself, she seemed to be in deep
thought.
I wondered what she was thinking about for amoment, but sometimes it's
impossible
to know just what is going through her mind sometimes.  I went upstairs,
took a shower,
and changed clothes, all of which went without interruption.  Nothing of
this day
suggested that anything out of the norm would happen.

        Thinking back now though, there was a kind of tenseness in the air.
The quiet atmosphere was kind of creepy and unusual.  It was alien to this
household.
I suppose I knew in my bones or something that there was going to be an
event later
that would affect my life, even just a little.

        Anyway, the evening progressed without a hitch.  Sasami served
dinner, and
everyone sat around the table to eat, talking cheerfully, conversing about
the
day's events, joking about this and that.  Nothing unusual, just the norm.
Except
for Ryoko that is, who remained silent and thoughtful throughout the whole
dinner.
I hadn't really noticed though, and I suppose I should feel bad about that,
but I
honestly didn't even think to comment or express a concern, because Ryoko is
Ryoko,
and she gets like this sometimes.  Usually all that can be done is to leave
her to
her thoughts until she sorts things out in her head herself.

        The later half of the evening was spent leisurely.  Ayeka finished
her
book, and then she and Sasami retired to their room upstairs.  Sasami
herself seemed quiet
that evening as well, and I couldn't figure out at the time why she was like
that, but I think
it was because of Ryoko's silence.  It's funny how someone can bring another
person to silence
just by being quiet themselves.  I think it may be due to the fact that
Sasami could
tell what Ryoko was thinking about so seriously, but I can't be sure,
because I have
not asked her about it, nor does anyone know about what happened that night
anyway.

        I went to bed soon after Ayeka and Sasami.  The blankets felt cool
and calming as
I pulled them over my body, and the bed was soft and relaxing.  After
working in the fields
all day, I was tired and had been looking forward to this time of sweet
unconsciousness.
Soon I fell asleep.

        I can't remember what time it was, btu I was awakened by the sound
of someone's voice
calling my name from outside the window.  I glanced out, my eyes glazed over
with sleep, and saw
Ryoko looking up at me, smiling.  She gently glided up to my window and
phased through, taking
foot next to my bed.

        "What are you doing up at this time of night, Ryoko?  Aren't you
tired?" I asked.

        She simply nodded her head in response, retaining her calm quietness
as she had been
doing the whole day.  It was at that moment that I realized that she had
been silent earlier,
and had not said a word to me all day.

        "Is something wrong, Ryoko?  You seem troubled lately." I said,
wiping the sleep
from my eyes, looking up at her dark sillhouette.

        "Nothing really, Tenchi." She smiled. "I just can't sleep tonight.
That's all."

        I thought to myself for a moment.  I wonder if she's planning
something.  She's tried
something like this many times before, where she would try to come into my
room and
sleep with me.  I had always calmly made excuses to get her to leave and go
to bed, but tonight,
I don't know what had come over me, but I felt devious suddenly.  I wondered
how she would
react if invited to spend the night in my room.  Was she truly as bold as
she pretended to be?
My mind still partially asleep, and my devious thoughts going through my
head, I just blurted it
out suddenly without thinking.

        "Why don't you sleep in here tonight, then?  Would that help?" I
asked, and then
eagerly awaited her reaction.  I suppose it was cruel of me to do this to
her, but I figured
that it was a small drop in the pond compared to some of the stunts she
pulls.  She blinked,
and looked at me with an astonished look on her face, as if I had just told
her the meaning
of life itself.  I didn't know what to make of that look.

        "Tenchi, did you..." she paused a moment to think. "..Just say what
I think you did?"

        "Of course I did, you heard me right." I replied.

        She suddenly composed herself, and kind of made a scoffing noise
before she spoke.
"Well Tenchi, Thank you, but I think I'd rather sleep on my pad than the
floor of your room."

        Was she just using the situation?  Did she know what I was doing?
Or was she serious?
I didn't know if I should continue on this tangeant or not.  It could get
dangerous, and
I wasn't sure I wanted that right now.  However, my curiosity got the best
of me.

        I lifted the covers and scooted over, saying "Why would you sleep on
the floor?  Just
climb in bed with me."  I couldn't believe I had just said that.  That was
practically an
invitation to my virginity for all Ryoko knew.  Especially since Ryoko
constantly thought
about my virginity, no doubt.  I was a little scared, and shook at the
thought.  I am still
not sure what kind of shaking it was, though.  Was it from fear or
excitement?  I had never in
my life been this open with Ryoko, and I had certainly never invited anyone
to sleep with me,
let alone a girl who lusts after me.  I awaited her response.

        She was taken aback by the offer for certain, and blinked in
thought, as if she
was searching for the way to react to the words.  After a minute's
deliberation, she took
two steps forward, and leaned over my bed.  She put a hand on either side of
me, trapping
me under the covers, and she just stared down into my eyes, hers sparkling
lightly.

        She began to speak, "Tenchi, I..." but then she couldn't seem to say
anything else.
I didn't know what she was going to do, and again, I could feel myself
trembling, either
in fear or in excitement.  Either way, my adrenaline was rushing, and I felt
like I had
never felt before.  She leaned down and pressed her lips to mine.  At first
I resisted, but
just for a moment.  Then I began to think again.  this was the first time I
had ever had a woman's
lips pressed to mine.  This was the first time I had ever been this close to
a woman before.
Actual physical contact behond just a slight touch or a hug.  I wasn't sure
what to do, but it
felt warm and friendly.

        I looked into Ryoko's eyes, as if to ask "What are you doing?".  She
looked
back into mine, as if to say "I'm not sure."  Then it hit me... Ryoko and I
were both virgins.
We had never done anything like this before, neither of us.  It was sudden
and unexpected.
It was fast and unprecendented.  I looked into her eyes a moment more, and
then
just closed mine.  Then the next thing to happen startled me even more.

        I felt something warm enter my mouth.  I knew what it was, there was
no mistake about
that.  This was it.  I was having my first kiss.  My first real kiss.  I
didn't know what to
do.  I just layed there, mouth open, accepting Ryoko's tongue, which was
slightly trembling.
I wondered if this was her first time as well.  Our tongues touched gently,
a strange sensation
unlike any other in the world.  There was no real taste to it like some
people like to talk
about.  It was as if I were kissing my own tongue, and yet it moved by
itself, gently dancing
with mine.  I sighed, breathing out against her face, and I could feel her
breath on my cheek
as well.  This moment, completely unexpected, was very nice.  An
undescribable feeling rising
through my body as we kissed.

        And then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over.  She gently
pulled away from me,
and placed her hand on my cheek.  She looked down into my eyes, not knowing
what to say, just
like I had no idea what to say as well.

        Finally, she put her arms around me and hugged herself close to me
for a moment.  Soon
after, she stood up.  We spent a moment just looking at one another, in
disbelief as to what
had just happened.

        She smiled at me gently, and spoke. "Good night, Tenchi.  I'm going
to bed now." her
voice somewhat choked up as if she was about to cry.

        I smiled back. "Good night, Ryoko...  Good night."

        Ryoko walked to my door and opened it.  She glanced back at me once
more, then walked away.

        A moment later, I heard another set of footsteps lightly walking
away from my room in the
hallway.  I was not sure whose they were, and I might never find out.  When
I called out to see
who it was, there was no answer, just a sound of a door opening and shutting
down the hall.

        Had they seen what had happened?  Or were they just passing by?  I
tried not to
linger on thoughts like that, and gradually dozed off.

        My first kiss that night was everything I had expected and more.  I
had no regrets, and
no dissapointment.  Today, Ryoko was back to her normal self again, happy
and energetic.
I wonder if she had planned the whole situation out beforehand that day
while she had been quiet,
or if it took her by surprise as well.  I might ask her someday, but for
now, I'll just
leave it be.

        And now, I think I'll go to bed.  I wonder if she'll come to my room
again tonight...

THE END

(C)2002 Gary Littlejohn (garylisk@shinra.org)