Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Partnership ❯ Chapter 12

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi Muyo.


-Telepathy-


(Thoughts)


Chapter 12



Ryoko woke up to find her hands wrapped in ice-filled towels.


"What happened, where am I?"


"In Damo's cave," Ryoko turned to see Jas, looking like nothing had happened.


"Who's Damo?"


"The thing that tried to kill us earlier, don't ask me why he didn't kill us, he hasn't told me yet either."


"What about your injury?"


"He healed it so I could help you, those burns are going to take awhile to heal, unless he decides to heal them, he's out hunting right now with the rest of his family, they should be soon." At those words, Damo and his family came running, looking like they had just had a very successful hunt.


-All right,- he said, -Sit up and hold out your hands.- Jas unwrapped Ryoko's hands carefully and helped her to sit up. Damo's eyes glowed an eerie blue and Ryoko's hands healed completely.


"Thank you," was all she could say. Damo nodded and went to the back of the cave, Jas following behind him. What looked like a younger Damo walked over and sat down in front of her.


-My name is Tano, what's yours?-


"Ryoko, so how long was I out?"


-About two hours, I don't know if I should tell you this, but when we were leaving, I stayed behind for a second to see what the man would do.-


"Jas."


-Whatever, I hid behind a rock so he wouldn't see me, oh I really don't think I should say this, but after everyone had left the cave he bent down and kissed you.-


"What, you're kidding right?"


-I know what I saw, and I saw him kiss you.- Ryoko looked toward the back of the cave and saw Jas talking to Damo. She got up and walked over.


"Jas, may I speak with you, alone."


"Uh-oh," he said, but followed. They went where the others couldn't see them and Ryoko started her questioning.


"Jas, what did you do after Damo and the others left?"


"I sat there waiting for you wake up."


"Oh really, I'll bet my sight that you're wrong."


"What? I don't know what you're talking about," Ryoko could see he was getting nervous.


"Damo's son Tano stayed behind for a minute to watch you, and guess what he saw?"


"I don't know, what?"


"He saw you bend down and kiss me, you can't lie to me Jas, and I bet you've done it more times before, am I right?"


"Well I, um-"


"Jas, why are you doing this to me, you're lying to me, and doing a lousy job of it too, why didn't you tell me?"


"Well I um, I-"


"What's so hard about saying you love me?"


"Huh?"


"There you go again, acting like you don't know what's going on."


"Ryoko I just don't know how to say this to you."


"Yeah well you're going to have plenty of time to think about it, I'm going for a walk." She took her glasses out of her pocket and put them on as she left the cave. She walked until she reached a pond and sat down on the grassy bank near the water. -Why, why didn't he ever tell me? I'm sure he has his reasons, but kissing me when I'm in a state of unknown, that just doesn't seem right.- She shook her head and almost made her glasses fly off.


-You look like you need a vacation,- came a voice.


"Who's there?"


-Right here, on the rock to your right,- Ryoko looked to see what looked like a squirrel sitting on a rock looking at her. -My name is Chipper, and I've been watching you ever since you left the cave, and it looks like you need someone to talk to.-


"You got that right, it's my partner, he's just a friend, or so I thought. Turns out when no one is around and I'm unconscious he's been kissing me, and he won't even say he loves me, I mean, how hard can it be?"


-Pretty hard if you're say it to a person you love but don't know if the person loves him or her back.-


"Good point, but he's known me for over two years, he should know me well enough to be able to say everything to me, shouldn't he?"


-I wish I could answer that for you, but it all depends on how he thinks, not me. Maybe you should talk to him, good-bye.- The squirrel bounded off into the trees leaving Ryoko by herself.


(Great, now what do I do?) She sat there and thought for a while, and then something behind her made her turn around to see Jas. "What do you want?"


"Ryoko, I do love you, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I just didn't know how."


"Jas, you've known me for two years, you should be able to say anything to me without even breaking a sweat."


"You so sure?"


"I my opinion, yes."


"So your feelings for me are the exact opposite to what I feel for you?"


"Not the exact opposite, Jas, I do care about you, but not in the way you want me to, I'm sorry."


"What, your heart's still set on that Tenchi guy?"


"No, I'm not really attracted to anyone anymore that's all, I don't know why though."


"Because you've become dedicated to your job, is that it?"


"Probably, but like I said, I don't know. Jas, there are better girls out there than me, so look for them and don't keep your heart on me." She looked back out toward the water for a few minutes and looked back at Jas, but he wasn't there.
(I'm sorry.)


ooo


Jas made his way back to the cave slowly. He had gotten up silently so Ryoko wouldn't know he had left until she looked, and he kept on walking. He got to the cave and sat hard on the floor.


-What happened?- Asked Damo.


"She didn't accept, she has no interest in me or any other guy and I should go out and find someone else."


-Ouch, but she may have a point, there could be another person out there for you, and she doesn't want you to waste that opportunity on her.-


"I know but, I just can't help it, she's the one I've been looking for, but she won't accept me."


-Maybe you should tell her that, or have you done that already?-


"No, I haven't, but maybe she will change her mind, but it's her own choice, I can't force her." He got up and went back out to look for Ryoko.


ooo


Ryoko stayed by the lake for a few more minutes and then went walking again.


(What does he see in me, he's way to good for me, why the hell am I acting this way? Any girl back on HQ would die for this chance, and I'm turning it down, but it's my choice, but now I don't know anymore.) She stopped at a cliff and looked over, it was a long drop that ended in the lake she was just at. A waterfall was a few yards from her that emptied into that lake.


"Ryoko?" Ryoko turned around to see Jas.


"Jas, about what I said earlier, I really don't know how I feel about you."


"What?"


"I take back what I said earlier, my feelings for you are still unclear, but I know they'll clear up soon, and I will be able to give you a straight answer." Jas smiled at her answer.


"That's a lot better than the answer you gave me earlier." He walked over and hugged her, holding her long after she let go of him.


"Jas could you please let me go?" Ryoko asked. He let her go, but he kept his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him and saw he was wearing his own sunglasses, "How'd you do that?" He just smiled, then in a flash, his mouth was on hers, one hand left her shoulder and went behind her head. Then it was over, and he was walking away very quickly. Ryoko stood there in complete astonishment; it took her a minute to find herself, and by then Jas was out of sight. She stood there for another minute before heading back to the cave.


ooo


-Jas told me to tell you he went to the ship and is getting it ready to go,- said Damo. Ryoko had just gotten to the mouth of the cave when Damo had met her there.



"Okay, tell Tano I said good-bye." She walked to the ship and teleported inside. Jas wasn't in the cockpit when she got there.


"Nigami, where's Jas?"


"In his room."


"Thank you," she walked to his room and knocked, there was no answer. She opened the door to find Jas at his computer. "Jas?" He swung around so fast that he fell out of his chair. Ryoko hid her laughter as best she could and walked over to him.


"Uh, hi," he said stupidly.


"Jas, if you think I'm mad at you, I'm not."


"Huh?"


"All I ask," She said grabbing the front of his shirt, " is that you don't do it again."


"Okay," he answered. Ryoko smiled and let him go.


"So why did you kiss me anyway?"


"I really don't know, I just did, I guess I didn't know what I was doing."


"That was obvious."


"Could you please take those off?" he asked indicating her glasses, "It's hard to talk to you when you have them on." Ryoko smiled and took them off.


"There, happy?"


"Yep, so now what?"


"We still have a day and a half of vacation left, but I don't know what to do."


"Well, there is a planet nearby, I have some friends on there, they usually hang out at a night club, and when I'm there no one gets arrested for getting drunk, because they don't get drunk, want to go?"


"As long as it doesn't end up like your last suggestions," Ryoko answered.


"Hey, I didn't know those were going to happen, but you may blame me all you want, and I don't think anything is going to happen there, I promise."


"Okay, but if something does I get to pound you when I recover." Jas smiled and gave the instructions to Nigami and they were there in ten minutes. "So, where is this night club?"


"Down the street, about fifteen minutes walk."


"Okay, lets get walking."


ooo


Author's Note: Yay! A longer chapter! I'm not sure whether it's the next chapter or the chapter after it where it gets mushy, though it kind of already has. Hopefully they stay longer than three pages long. Review me and tell me what you think.