Chapter 9: Cops and Ramen

Tenchi dragged more than walked himself up the darkened entry hall. Even by his standards, this had been one exhausting day. Thoughts of food, bath and bed circled his mind while trudging past entry into the living room, wondering who would be still up at this hour?

Seated across from the doorway from him, Katsuhito sat holding a sleeping Mayuka while providing Ayeka a shoulder against which to slumber. It would have been an idyllic scene, if not for how pissed he currently were at his grandfather. The two men locked eyes for the briefest of moments, before Tenchi simply turned and left neither of them saying a word. He was out of immediate earshot, when a mass of red hair erupted up from where Washu been laying out of sight on the wrap around sofa. Studying Katsuhito's face a moment she glanced toward the now vacant doorway.

"Is there something going on that I don't know about?"

It had been a long time in coming but he'd reached saturation point. Finally 'utterly' sick of his grandfather's snide remarks! Even thinking such thoughts made Tenchi angrier with himself, just for allowing the old man to get his goat. Make no mistake, he loved and respected Lord Katsuhito even revered him. However, maybe just maybe ... it was just time his Grandfather stopped treating him like a child!

"The next time he calls me 'boy' I swear!" Tenchi muttered, before acknowledging the simple futility and just let it go. The smell of the kitchen was drawing him like a magnet anyway. He hadn't felt all that hungry but having gone without, since breakfast, knew he had better eat something! Entering the darken kitchen, the sight of a note with his name, speckled with red hearts on the counter top warmer brought an immediate smile to his face.

"Sasami" He sighed, opening the warmer. She had left him three covered dishes, egg drop soup, rice and sweet 'n sour beef. Right next to the wonderful dinner, a covered cake-pan with another hand written note, 'Open me first Tenchi!' Lifting its cover revealed a small white cake with its own message.

'Don't let him get to you!' written delicately in red frosting. And below that, 'Love Sasami.' He had to stop to wipe a tear away from his eye.

"Must just be dusty in here." Tenchi murmured, pulling up a barstool and seating himself. He was about to 'dig in' when feather light fingers suddenly began caressing his back, extracted a gasp. Drawing a breath, closing his eyes, Tenchi straitened but did not turn. Sighing, he waited, tired certainly but wanting to see what mischief, she was in the mood for. Wondering also, if Ryoko had been thinking about their first kiss as much as he? He'd been amazed at her level of restraint up till now, deeply surprised she hadn't shown up all day to find him.
He had reasoned She must be taking this slow as hesitant he was. It was wonderful! However, there was a darker side to all of this and they both apparently knew it. Tenchi considered, even as those long nails played their magic across his spine before sliding both hands under his arms, she clasped his pectoral muscle. He gasped, feeling her lean forward, becoming aware immediately of the delight her breast pillowing against his back produced. Amazed and delighted how much that one simple act this morning had changed ... everything! In an instant, he no longer had any desire to pull away. Suddenly her voice was in his ear husky, breathless.

"Evening lover!" She sighed, nibbling at his lobes. The emotions he had held back for so long surged upward threatening to engulf him. Ryoko must have been feeling it as well! Her voice even sounded odd ... Tenchi's mind had just started to protest...

"Not here!" he instantly mentally rehearsed. Almost at the same instant he became aware of something hard and cold pressing against his side. A single glance down immediately identified it as a G.P issue pulse-blaster.

"KIYONE!" Tenchi rasped loudly, just able to restrain his reaction from yelling her name! The response he got was a fit of giggling as she rolled away. Achieving minimum safe distance, Kiyone Makibi leaned coltishly against the counter.

"Is this a pistol on my hip?" She studied him seductively. "Or are you just happy to see me?" Tenchi simply ground his teeth and glared, astonished.

"Now that's what id call a dirty look!" She concluded smiling, wagging a finger.

"What the hell kind of stunt was that just now?" He demanded harshly, unable to believe the nerve she was displaying!

"I was just playing around Masaki." She shrugged, only being slightly defensive really. "But from the way you reacted." Key paused, raising eyebrows. "I take it you were expecting someone else?" She added coyly. Tenchi's response was to just sit there, fuming.

"Damned if you do damned if yah don't huh?" Key added gleefully. "And speaking of Ryoko." She continued laughingly, smiling as his eyes widened and mouth fell ajar. "I also take it that you didn't see her on the way in?"

"If I had seen her on the way in!" He quietly snapped, eyes catching fire. "I wouldn't have..." He stopped, mid sentence grimacing, realizing he had given exactly what she wanted. Kiyone's expression softened.

"Lets just say, the price of my silence is a rub down after our next sparing match." She told him kindly.

"You don't have use extortion Key." Tenchi simply turned away after a moment or two of glaring. "Just try asking." He added quietly. Still leaning against counter Kiyone finally place a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Now, you know I can't resist yanking your chain!" she affectionately squeezed his arm. "I hope you also know I mean no harm."

Oh, It took him another moment or so, this was one of the things, he both loved and hated about her at the same time! Tenchi had often wondered, when along this journey he'd managed to acquire an older sister? Because that was how sometimes felt about the occasional 'pain in the ass' leaning in front of him! Clasping where her hand rested with his Tenchi reached across, gently stroking her bare stomach with the back of his knuckles.

"Yeah, I know." He finally replied, wishing, sometimes he could stay mad! Smiling, enjoying his touch, Kiyone did feel a bond with this fine example of a young man. And yes, there had been a time when... 'more' certainly had been considered, however those feelings rapidly faded in reality's cold light. Looking down at his hand after a second, Kiyone sighed.

"Better not do that Masaki." She told him tiredly. "Too many people are still awake who would get the wrong idea." Tenchi glanced up, his eyes hardening upon arrival at hers. Making a disgusted snort, he grazed the knuckle still in contact briefly defiant up the smooth expanse of Kiyone's abdomen before dropping the hand to his side.

"And that's something else I'm getting 'royally' sick of around here!" He told her angrily. "I can't show any basic affection towards an attractive woman."

"Why thank you!" Key said brightly, eyes lighting up.

"Or some worthless old hag!" He added, smiling as her features fell.

"Bastard!" she snapped, but not seriously.

"Without someone getting so jealous, they trash the house!' He finished, his voice acquiring a bitter edge. "I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do Key!" She studied him a moment, believing she felt his pain. Then without warning, Kiyone leaned over, running a finger across the cake still waiting in the warmer.

"Hey!" Tenchi complained, staring as she popped a frosted nail into her mouth before he could further protest. "That's mine!" He added, only slightly miffed really.

"Ah! But there is only one cake!" Kiyone told him. Slowly and meaningfully, staring directly into his eyes. "So maybe we will all have to learn to share?" Tenchi stared back, his mouth was moving but no sound was coming out of it. Mind wild with the possibilities! He finally coughed, finally seeming to produce that necessary spark his brain required.

"Y-You were saying something about Ryoko earlier?" He stammered.

"I didn't." She said with a wink. Quickly diverting the topic before words like 'Polygamy' or its more elusive cousin 'Polyamory' reared their not so ugly heads. That was something that maybe Tenchi Just wasn't ready to hear. "But I'll let you off this time with a warning!" Kiyone added.

"What are we talking about anyway here?" He asked, eying her curiously.

"Anyway!" Key continued as if he hadn't spoken. "After dropping off Mihoshi and your supplies, I got called out to old man Ikari's farm. Turns out someone forced the lock on his stable and stole a good quantity of his veterinary supplies." She stopped, an odd expression crossing her face.

"You know, I just don't see how anyone with only five animals can call themselves a breeding stable."

"Soto raises purebred Arabians, Kiyone." Tenchi told her quietly. "Very expensive and rare."