Nadesico Fan Fiction ❯ My Tenkawa!! ❯ One is a lonely number ( Chapter 2 )

my tenkawa


"C'mon Mr. Tenkawa, follow me! Quickly!" A pale, cool hand slipped into his, as he was lead away from his precious Geki.
"Wait..Ruri.." Her small body dragged the pilot with surprising strength." Where are we going?"
"Hold, on, just a little bit fur-"
"AKITO! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" True to her word, Ryoko was the first one to spot the beloved and hunted man. The cute couple had stopped at the pealing roar from the woman down the hall.
"C'mon," The petite figure tugged on his arm. "Just a little further." Seeing that Akito was going to protest, she quickly hauled him along.
"Ruri.." The question hung thick as they were engulfed in darkness. Just a second ago they were in a brightly lit corridor....
"It's ok, Mr. Tenkawa, they won't find you here."
"Ruri... where are we? And why is it so dark?" Ruri smiled into the darkness, as she lifted her hand to a cool metal side-panel. Akito shifted his vacant gaze to the fluorescent nanotechnology on her hand. Akito was overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of light. As his eyes adjusted, sudden realization hit him broadside on the head. The sight was wonderful. Ample furniture dotted the room; while neoclassical music added ambiance where the scarce but well placed decorations were. To Akito's glee, a small kitchen was also added.
"It's not much, but you can stay in here for whenever or how long you need some time to yourself."
"Not much? You turned a maintenance storage room into pent house! Food, furniture, and...and..oh my-" The fry cook's voice changed at the sight of his spastic obsession.
"-Yes. Gekiganger stickers. There seems to be a Geki fetish onboard this ship. Ms. Minato encouraged me to decorate my room with them, but I didn't think it would be appropriate for an officer like me. So I put them in here."
"Oh wow, Ruri, this is perfect." Akito's voice of awe shifted to a quiet admiration. "How long have you had this room like this?"
"87 days, 23 hours and 37 minutes."
"So why did you create this secret place?" Ruri faltered, shifting uncomfortably. It just wasn't her forte to tell people how things affected her. It was rude to complain. But Akito's soft eyes and gentle smile prompted her on.
" I want to be alone. Away from people."
"Well, why didn't you just use one of the recreation rooms-"
"-You're not really alone there. Someone will walk in, or call you out for duty. People know where you could be, and if they wanted, they could find you. I want a place only I could find. Something made just for me. Is that really so wrong?" Emotion teemed from that last statement. Ruri could feel her throat tighten, and eyes become heavy with unshed tears.
'No," Akito replied, voice far away, deep with meaning. "It's not wrong. Everyone wants that. A special place. Only for them. No one else. A place of security, where only beloved ones have ever looked upon."
Ruri knew the statement rang true. Akito was called beloved by many, but in her heart he was her beloved, but did he feel the same way. Could she be his? her body may be young, but her mind and soul were well beyond her years. And maybe even his. Ruri wiped away the welling tears, smearing the crystalline liquid on the back of her hand.
"Mr. Tenkawa?" She found her voice stood steady, to her relief.
"Akito. "
"Huh? I don't understand." She looked at the chocolate haired man in curiosity.
"I'm your knight in shinning armor. So call me Akito." The young man's light mood changed the tense atmosphere. She drew resolve from his smile.
"Akito..." she let the unfamiliar words roll off her tongue. She liked how it sounded. "Would you care to spend an evening with me here?" Hope and repressed happiness was overflowing in that simple question.
"I think I would." Ruri took his outstretched hand, her face tinted a becoming light rose, while he lead her further into the room.