Needs and Desires
by Richard Lawson
Comments and Criticism Welcome!
sterman@sprynet.com
Nabiki watched Tatewaki from across the room. He was surrounded by various
of his classmates, all talking excitedly. This was, Nabiki decided, the most
relaxed she had ever seen her boyfriend be. Even if his samurai garb made
him stand out, he still never seemed to have fit in better with his classmates.
Nabiki knew that she was a big reason for that. When she and Tatewaki had
made their entrance, murmurs had swept the auditorium. No other man was
wearing a sword. And no other woman had a dress quite like Nabiki's.
She was wearing a shoulderless dress that showed off her figure to best effect.
She and Akane had worked for an hour on her skin, giving it a translucent
look. Akane had called her beautiful and Nabiki had agreed. Nabiki was not
known for her humility.
In fact, Nabiki thought, looking around the auditorium, she was the best
looking creature in here. Ikeda had better natural looks, but she had
gone for a very traditional costume, with a formal kimono that hid most of her
figure and a severely bound hairstyle that wasted her long, flowing hair.
Yuko had done an effective job with her dress and makeup - easily
matching Nabiki for time, effort, and effect - but she had only a plain face
and average figure. She was still beautiful, but not as stunning as Nabiki
was.
Most people saw Nabiki only as a hard-working student who also ran several
successful businesses on the side. They saw only the ruthlessly efficient
amateur entrepreneur, and didn't much notice her looks. This suited Nabiki
just fine; she wanted to be known as a forceful person, not as an object to
be admired. Nevertheless, it felt good to show everyone that there was more
to her than her mind.
She had been feeling everyone's eyes all evening and was basking in their
attention. The boys of Furinkan High were admiring her and, at the same time,
giving Tatewaki envious looks. Nabiki was aware that, in the mind of most of
the men here, Tatewaki was to be congratulated for her appearance more so than
she was. Although this was sexist, it didn't bother Nabiki too much tonight;
Tatewaki was benefitting from his elevated status among the other boys,
finding acceptance from them he had never experienced before. He had been
respected, yes, as captain of the Kendo Club and Debate Team. But his odd
mannerisms had prevented him from making many close friends among his
classmates. Tonight, he was talking easily with them, laughing with them, and
generally having a fun time. This made Nabiki feel very, very good. For some
reason, making Tatewaki happy was as important to her as anything else was.
That was strange; her mind did not normally operate in that manner. Something
was changing its parameters.
She sipped her punch, barely listening to the chatter around her. Her own
group of friends surrounded her, and they were gossipping about the boys.
And other... interesting topics.
"Are you and Kaneto going to get married?" Minami was asking Rei.
"Oh, I don't know." Rei answered in a teasing manner. "I'll have to try
him out first and see if he's worth it."
This set off a round of giggles while Nabiki frowned briefly. Rei should
know better. Sex was not an idle game to be played; the consequences were
too serious. "Are you going to be... trying him out tonight?" Nabiki asked,
putting just a touch of reproach into her voice.
Rei sighed, smiling, either not hearing or ignoring Nabiki's disapproval.
"Well, we'll just have to see how the evening goes, won't we." This set off
more giggles.
Hiromi, known for her serious nature, poked Rei in the ribs. "Are you
prepared?"
Rei looked back at her blankly. "Prepared?"
"You know." Hiromi waggled a finger at her. "Do you have protection?"
Rei blinked. "Good heavens, do you think I'd be carrying something like
that with me? What would Kaneto think of me if he saw it?"
"Well, isn't that just the smartest thing in the world." Nabiki spoke sharply,
making no effort to hide her disgust. "Here you are, all ready to jump into
bed with him, without a thought of what might happen afterwards, unwilling
to take even the slightest responsibility for your actions." Nabiki glared
at Rei. "Kaneto isn't the one who will get pregnant. Think about that
before you try anything."
Rei gaped at Nabiki. Fortunately, Hiromi spoke up. "Nabiki's right,
Rei. Also, what if Kaneto gives you a disease?"
Rei gasped. "He's a virgin! He doesn't have any diseases!"
"Have you been with him every waking minute of his life? How do you know for
sure? Has he been tested?" Nabiki tilted her head. "Do you want to bet your
life on it?"
Rei looked back and forth between Hiromi and Nabiki. She looked briefly
at Minami, who shook her head. "I think they're right, Rei."
"Of course we're right." Nabiki put some arrogance into her voice. "Have I
ever been wrong before?"
Rei narrowed her eyes. "What about when...."
Nabiki interrupted. "Oh shut up, that was a fluke. Anyway, I'm not wrong
about this, and you know it."
Rei looked around at everyone's faces, then lowered her eyes and nodded
her head. "Yes, you are right. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry for a mistake you haven't yet made." Minami clasped Rei's
arm. "Just be sure you don't make it, that's all."
The sound of many people going "Oooohhh" washed over them. They looked to see
that Tatewaki had bared his katana and was showing it to his classmates.
Nabiki watched them, and something tingled in her brain, something that made
her estactic to see Tatewaki having fun with his friends. She tried to
ignore that part of her mind; it interfered with the smooth functioning of
the rest of her brain. Over the past few weeks, however, it had been more
and more difficult to push those feelings into the background.
"What about you and Tatewaki?" Rei seemed to be trying to recover some
momentum, and she sounded mischievious. "Are you two going to be... trying
anything tonight?"
"Yeah!" Minami chimed up, beaming. "He's got that big old mansion, with
lots of rooms. You can get private and everything."
Nabiki snorted. "As if. Trust me, girls, I've got no plans to make his
acquaintance that way."
"Why not?" Rei looked over at Tatewaki. "He's so dreamy-looking, when
he's not carrying on about something-or-other."
Nabiki looked at Tatewaki herself, and considered him. He *was* attractive;
tall, with classic features and a stern visage that somehow turned her on.
He had a good body, too, the equal of Ranma's in terms of build and muscle,
though it was often hidden behind the robes he wore. The illogical part of
her mind wondered what it would be like to see more of it.
Minami was giggling. "Careful, Rei, you're putting ideas into her head."
Nabiki blinked, and flushed a little as her friends laughed at her.
Hiromi calmed down and poked Nabiki in the ribs, too. "Are you prepared,
Nabiki?"
"Well," Nabiki wondered about revealing this, but found the words coming
out of mouth before she could fully consider them. "I am on the pill."
Hiromi and Rei gasped, while Minami looked blankly at her. "The pill?"
Nabiki felt her face go red. She wished she could take the words back.
"Birth control pills." She'd been on them for about six months now, a secret
that only her gynecologist had known until know.
Minami's eyes went wide, while Rei and Hiromi stared at her.
Nabiki grimaced; she was afraid of this reaction. Everyone seemed to assume
that being on the pill meant that you were promiscuous. "I'm still a virgin.
Just thought it best to be prepared. And it's convenient in other ways."
Hiromi recovered first. "But that still doesn't protect you from disease,
Nabiki."
"True." Nabiki sipped her punch again. "However, I've seen the results of
Tatewaki's latest physical, taken a month ago. It was quite extensive. He is
certifiably clean."
Minami's eyebrows shot up. "How did you get a hold of that?"
Nabiki looked at Minami evenly.
"Oh, right." Minami shouldn't have to be reminded that there was nothing
beyond Nabiki's reach.
Hiromi was looking at Nabiki curiously. "It seems to me, Nabiki, that you've
been thinking about this for a while."
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "I just like to keep all of my options open." She
looked at Tatewaki across the room, the logical part of her mind firmly in
control. "We have lots of time. We've only been going out for a couple of
months; no need to rush into anything. Sex is a pretty serious thing. I'm
not sure I'm ready for that kind of a commitment with Tatewaki."
Silence reigned for a minute while they all considered Tatewaki.
Nabiki could almost hear their thoughts: Tatewaki was obsessive, arrogant,
and given to bouts of irrationality that bordered on madness. They didn't
know him like she did. Tatewaki was an honorable, decent, and forthright man
who had experienced a horrible childhood. He was trying to overcome the
effects of his upbringing. With Nabiki's help, he was making good progress.
She was still unsure, however, if she wanted to undertake this as a lifelong
project.
The illogical side of her mind made her think: Then again, I'm not sure I
wanted to go through life without him, either.
The beginning of their relationship could be traced to a time when Nabiki had
been at her most depressed since the death of her mother. She had begun to
see what a horrible person she was on her way to becoming, and it had
frightened her to the core of her being. She might have either withdrawn from
life completely, leaving her adrift at eighteen, or she might have ignored the
warning signs and simply continued her way towards damnation. Tatewaki had,
unexpectedly, come to her aid then, offering unique insight into her problems,
forcing her to realize that it wasn't what she did, but how she did it that
was causing her problems.
Tatewaki's rigid sense of honor, something Nabiki had always ridiculed in the
past, had suddenly become something she leaned on for guidance. If she ever
became unsure of whether what she was doing was right, she would always ask
Tatewaki what he thought about it. More and more, she was following his
advice, too. Increasingly, too, some part of her was coming to enjoy being
with him, if for no other reason than to be physically near him.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the DJ's voice sounding over the speakers.
"I am very sorry, but it is time we brought this great event to a close.
We will play one last song, so everyone find your sweetheart and give them
one last dance to remember Furinkan High by."
Rei perked up. "Last dance!" She stood on her tiptoes, looking around
the auditorium. "I'm going to find Kaneto; have fun everyone!"
Hiromi's arm was already taken by her date. "Don't forget what we talked
about, Rei."
Rei waved at Kaneto acress the room, and favored Hiromi with a cursory
glance. "Don't worry, I won't. At least, not until he's... prepared."
All four women chuckled; Nabiki envisioned a visit to an all-night store in
Rei's immediate future.
Hiromi was led away, and Rei ran across the auditorium. Minami quickly
found her boyfriend as well, and smiled at him as they walked onto the dance
floor.
Nabiki tried not to look for Tatewaki; one should never appear to be too eager.
She set her punch down on a nearby table, following the glass with her eyes,
and felt more than saw Tatewaki come up to her. His presence spoke to the
illogical part of her mind, which was hammering away at her control.
"Tendo Nabiki-san, it would be my honor if you would allow me to escort you
onto the dance floor."
Nabiki lifted her eyes to look into Tatewaki's. Her chest tightened. He had
never looked so handsome as he did right now. His face was happy, and his
stern visage had softened a little. For a second, she imagined that it was
love she was seeing on his face. Part of her mind recoiled from that thought.
The other part rejoiced in it. She wasn't sure what she should be feeling;
both emotions were warring for control of her rationality.
Not trusting her voice, she nodded her head serenely. He gently took her
elbow, led her to the dance floor, turned, and took her into his arms.
She grabbed one of his hands with her own and put her other arm behind his
back, grasping his shoulder. He put his free arm around her waist. They
stood still for a second, looking at each other, before Tatewaki began moving
them to the sound of the music.
This last song was one voted on by the graduating class, an old American song
which had become popular in her English class. The lyrics were well-known;
translations had been made available for those whose English wasn't up to the
task. The song had swept the school; some thought it a fitting tribute to
Furinkan High. Nabiki had voted againt the song - the gaijin song seemed
sickly sentimental to her - but for some reason, right now, the lyrics
grabbed her and played with emotions in a way she had not thought possible.
I cried a tear, you wiped it dry
I was confused, you cleared my mind
I sold my soul, you bought it back for me
And held me up and gave me dignity
Somehow you needed me
You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
And I can't believe it's you, I can't believe it's true
I needed you and you were there
And I'll never leave. Why should I leave? I'd be a fool
'Cause I've finally found someone who really cares
Nabiki's mind was in a whirl. She stared up at Tatewaki, thinking of
how much she had come to depend on him, how much her heart leapt
whenever she saw him, how much she enjoyed his company, how much she
loved the feel of his body next to hers. Something was changing inside
of her, something fundamental. She had erected some very strong barriers
inside her over the course of years, barriers which kept her emotions
tightly locked up and out of anyone's reach. Those barriers had been
slowly eroded over the past couple of months, something eating away at
their foundations. Now they were at last being washed completely away by
the strength of the emotions she was feeling right at this moment. Logic
and rationality lost their control over her basic operating instructions,
and the illogical part of her mind gleefully decided to recode part of her
brain. Those emotions were forever altering the way she looked at life in
general. And Tatewaki in particular.
She loved Kuno Tatewaki.
She released his hand, grabbed his other shoulder, and hugged him close
to her. He surrounded her with his arms, and they swayed together as
the music continued. She was trembling, her face half-pressed into his
shoulder, tears coming from her eyes.
You held my hand when it was cold
When I was lost you took me home
You gave me hope when I was at the end
And turned my lies back into truth again
You even called me friend
You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
You needed me, you needed me
The song ended. There was scattered applause, the DJ gave one more speech,
and everyone began talking as they made their way towards the exits.
Nabiki was oblivious to all this, clutching at Tatewaki, not trusting
herself to stand on her own. Tatewaki seemed to understand; he half-turned
her in his arms and began leading her outside.
He led her to the front of the building where his carriage was waiting. A
small crowd had gathered to watch his exit. Nabiki saw them, and quickly
straightened herself. She dabbed at her eyes, tossed her head, and put on
a radiant smile to dazzle the crowd with.
Tatewaki played his role well, leading her to the carriage, regally entering
it first so that he could pull her up. Nabiki sat in the carriage while
Tatewaki continued standing, waiting as the driver jumped to the front of
the carriage, gathered the reins, and steered the horses off the school
grounds. Tatewaki stared straight ahead, the very picture of noble serenity.
Nabiki waved at her classmates, directing a special smile at her friends as
they shouted their goodbyes.
The carriage reached the street. The driver brought it to a halt, and turned
towards Tatewaki. "Where to, sir?"
Tatewaki looked down at Nabiki. "Shall I take you home, Tendo Nabiki-san?"
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "The night's still young. Let's go back to your
house for a while and take a stroll around your yard."
Tatewaki bowed to her. "As you wish." He looked at the driver. "To the
Kuno mansion."
The driver nodded his head and flicked the reins. Tatewaki sat down and put
his arm Nabiki's waist. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.
They stayed that way until the carriage drew up to the front gate. The
driver helped Nabiki down. Tatewaki talked with the driver briefly, who
nodded and tended to the horses. Tatewaki walked to the gate and punched
a code into a panel. The gate swung open.
Tatewaki took Nabiki's arm and led her inside. They wandered through the
yard. It was huge, as big as you could expect a private yard to be in Tokyo.
The walked for a long while. Nabiki lost track of time; it seemed as if they
walked around the house a hundred times. They talked quietly of inconsequential
things, doing nothing more than sharing each other's company. All the while,
Nabiki's mind raced, trying to define and quantify her emotions. If the
logical part of her brain had lost this particular battle, it at least wanted
to make sure its voice was heard in the new order.
Nabiki finally decided that she could not keep her thoughts to herself. She
reached her hand over and took Tatewaki's. Her heart was beating very fast,
and she was still shaking a little.
Tatewaki noticed. She felt his gaze. "What is wrong, Nabiki-chan?"
"Nothing is wrong, Tatewaki-kun." She stopped and looked over to the house,
which was dark. "Is your father home?"
"No, he will be spending the night at the school. He delights in pouncing on
those who linger on after the prom." He stopped, turned to face her. "Do not
attempt to divert my attention. Tell me what you are thinking about."
Nabiki looked up at him. His face was stern, but genuine concern was there
as well. It pierced her heart. She was so wide open, right now. The
slightest nuance was having the most profound effect on her.
She reached up and touched his cheek. She couldn't hold it in any longer.
"I love you."
His eyes became wide. He actually took a step backwards. "What - what
did you say?"
She laughed and stepped closer to him. "I love you, Kuno-baby. I just
decided that tonight. Or rather, it was decided for me. It made me so
happy, it scared me so much, I was trembling." She examined his face to see
what his reaction was.
The stern look was gone; a kind of happy befuddlement covered his face. "So
long have I wanted to hear that, Nabiki-chan. Yet I still can scarce credit
my ears that they have heard those words." Fear flitted across his face.
"Are you sure Nabiki-chan? There is much that should drive you away, I
cannot help but think that it would be better for you - "
The irrational part of her mind recoiled at his self-doubt. It made her want
to pull away, hurt. Fortunately, the logical part of her mind reasserted
itself, and decided that Tatewaki was due for a lecture on the nature of her
emotions.
Nabiki reached up and grabbed his head in her hands. She whispered fiercely
into his face. "Listen to me, Kuno Tatewaki. Never again question my
judgment. Never, ever try to tell me what I should be feeling. And
especially, I never want to hear from you anything about your unworthiness.
I - love - you." She paused for a moment, glaring into his eyes. "Don't ever
doubt that."
Tatewaki's focus shifted from one of her eyes to the other. He seemed to be
trying to say something, but was unable to get it out.
Nabiki came to his rescue by kissing him passionately.
He seemed to be in shock at first, but eventually responded. They kissed for
long time in the moonlight.
Nabiki eventually broke it off. She smiled at him, then took his hand and
led him to the front door.
Tatewaki let them inside. They removed their shoes, then he took her into
his room. It was not their first spent alone in his room, but something felt
different this time. Nabiki could see hope warring with trepidation in his
eyes.
Nabiki was unsure herself what was going to happen. She walked gracefully
over to his bed, turned and sat on it in one fluent motion. She looked
over at Tatewaki to see what he would do.
He removed his katana from his outfit and put it in its place on the wall.
He turned out the lights, although enough moonlight shone in from the
window to show everything fairly clearly. He walked over to the bed and
sat on it next to her.
They looked at each other for a while. Nabiki smiled, enjoying the moment.
Anticipation was often better than the actual event, Nabiki knew. Still,
after a minute she became impatient. She leaned over and met him halfway
as they began to kiss again.
He reached his arm behind her to grab her opposite shoulder. This usually
meant that he had plans for his other hand. Sure enough, it began to trace
the curve of her breast. She felt his fingertips explore the edge of the
fabric along her bust. The dress was too tight; Nabiki knew he'd never be
able reach inside.
She rose suddenly and stood facing him. She looked at him long enough for
her to take two deep breaths, then turned her back to him and held her arms
out.
She heard him rise behind her and awkwardly feel along the clasps that held
her dress on. He seemed to be having difficulty; he'd never had much luck
with her bra in the past, either. Snap by snap, Nabiki felt her dress
become looser until it fell around her feet.
She turned back to face him, almost nude, wearing nothing but her panties.
Tatewaki stared at her breasts. Although he'd felt them in previous sessions,
she'd always kept her blouse on, even if it had been unbuttoned or pulled
loose. She thought that, even at his distance, she could feel heat emanating
from his face. Then again, maybe she was blushing herself.
She quirked a smile, then stepped up to him, reaching for his shirt. She
pulled it loose from his hakama, then brought her hands up his hard,
muscular chest to his shoulders, then slid her hands down his arms until
his shirt fell to the floor.
Not pausing for thought, she looked down at his hakama. Despite the fact
that it looked a lot like a divided skirt, she had no idea what held it
up. She tugged at it, and realized that it had an elastic waist. She knelt,
grabbed the hakama with each hand at either side of his waist, and pulled it
down to his ankles. He was wearing boxer shorts, and they bulged in an
unusual way.
She stood quickly back up, not wanting to explore that further right now.
Tatewaki was breathing heavily, his face filled with desire. Nabiki had
plenty of that herself. She stepped closer to him, her breasts pressing
against his chest, sending small waves of pleasure radiating from her
nipples. She felt them harden, which was an intriguing experience when
they were pressed against Tatewaki's flesh.
Her whole body was buzzing. She'd felt this way before when she and
Tatewaki had made out before, but never this strongly. Tatewaki's breathing
was becoming more ragged. Nabiki found this all very interesting, since
they had done nothing more than kiss and take off their clothes. If this
was foreplay, she couldn't wait for what sex itself felt like.
Tatewaki bent down and began kissing her. He pulled her down onto the bed
and rolled with her until he was lying more or less on top of her. Their
kissing grew more and more passionate. Tatewaki used one of his hands to
fondle her breasts. Nabiki found this enjoyable, but it was old territory.
She wanted something new.
She broke off the kissing and raised her chin. As she had hoped, he began
kissing her neck. This, too, was pleasurable but familiar. She put her
hands on his head and applied a small amount of pressure. He moved further
down her body and began kissing her breasts. He ran his tongue around her
nipple before gently sucking on it.
This was new. Nabiki closed her eyes and let out something between a sigh
and a groan. The buzzing sensation was stronger, and she felt a warmth
increasing in intensity in her groin.
Tatewaki moved his head and applied the same treatment to her other breast
while Nabiki idly stroked his hair. His hand began to stroke her leg,
moving lightly up and down her outer thigh. He seemed to be flirting with
moving it to her inner thigh, but always backed his hand away when it began
to drift that way.
The center of the warmth she was feeling was in the region Tatewaki's hand
was drifting. She wondered if he could do something to increase the
sensation. When his hand moved once more towards the warmth, she spread her
legs farther apart, so that her inner thigh was under Tatewaki's hand.
He seemed to freeze a little at this point. After a second, his head moved
up so that he has kissing her shoulder. One hand lightly carressed her
breast while the other stroked her inner thigh.
Alas, he seemed to have no idea what to do. He touched her panties
uncertainly, and stroked her pubic region through the fabric. This did
absolutely nothing to enhance Nabiki's pleasure; if anything, the buzzing
grew less.
Tatewaki seemed to sense this. He withdrew his hand and lifted himself
up so that he was kissing her again. At the same time, he shifted himself
so that he was on top of her. His weight pressed down on her, his chest
flattening her breasts, his groin pressed against hers. She found this very
exciting, and the buzzing and warmth grew again. She... felt something
through his boxer shorts. Something that pressed against her panties;
something very hard.
She knew what it had to be. She just had no idea it could get that... rigid.
For a moment, Nabiki stepped outside of herself, her logical side making one
last argument. What was she doing? This was crazy, there was no need to do
this. This was too much, too fast. She was too young; they both were. She
should tell him to stop. That was the most reasonable thing to do.
She loved him. Nabiki loved Tatewaki. That was a fact, and part of the new
truth of her existence. The force of that emotion washed over her again,
wiping away reason and enhancing the growth of the buzzing. Her logic admitted
defeat. Somehow, it didn't feel wrong, either.
She kissed him more ferociously, pressing her tongue into his mouth as far
as it could. She arched her back a little, pressing her groin against his.
She rocked him a little this way, pulling her groin back and pressing it
back against his.
His hips began thrusting against hers. Suddenly, he went rigid. He pulled
his head away from hers and gasped. She felt a wetness through his shorts.
She opened her eyes to look at Tatewaki. His face looked very strange. He
looked down at her, and suddenly looked embarrassed. He rolled off her.
Nabiki drew a couple of deep breaths, free of his weight. She looked over
at him. "What happened, Tatewaki-kun?"
He sat on the edge of the bed and didn't answer.
Suddenly she figured it out, and became quite amused. "You had an orgasm,
didn't you?" She chuckled. "I understand young men like you have those
quite easily."
"Nabiki!" He sounded shocked and embarrassed. His hands covered his shorts.
She sat up, her nudity making her somewhat self-conscious. "What was it
like?"
"Nabiki!" He sounded less embarrassed and more outraged. He got up and
made his way to the bathroom attached to his bedroom. He turned on the light
and closed the door halfway.
Nabiki grinned in Tatewaki's direction. That had been interesting. There
was lot for them to build on. Next time, they could try some different things.
Then again, she wasn't sure she was done with this time. On an impulse, she
threw most of the covers off the bed, covering herself with a single sheet.
Tatewaki turned off the light and emerged. He was wearing a bathrobe. He
saw her lying under the sheet, and she saw another strange expression come
over his face. If she could make it out right, he seemed to be feeling
guilty.
He came over and sat on the edge of the bed again. "I - I apologize,
Tendo Nabiki. I did not intend for things to go this far. This is not
an honorable way for me to treat you."
"Hush, Kuno-baby." The amusement hadn't left her. "I could have stopped
you at any time. You went as far as you did because I wanted you to."
She gave him her evil eye. "Do you really think you could ever make me
do something I didn't want to do?"
His chuckle sent tingles up her spine. "I suppose not. Still, we must
needs be careful. There are... complications associated with the...
actions we were considering."
Nabiki tsked at him. "Don't worry, Tatewaki-kun, I've got the 'complications'
under control. You needn't worry that anything unplanned will happen as a
result of our 'actions'." Teasing Tatewaki was one of her favorite things in
the world to do.
He seemed taken aback by her words. "Truly, Nabiki? Are these 'actions'
something you had prepared for?"
"I always plan for every contingency." Nabiki wondered, for the first
time, if he would be offended by it. He shouldn't be. "To answer your
question: No, I didn't plan to have sex with you tonight. I've been
planning for these contingencies long before we were going out."
He blinked at her, and she was quick to add, "I'm still a virgin, Tatewaki.
I firmly believe that sex is not a casual thing. Only people truly in love
should have sex. And you're the first person I've fallen in love with."
She didn't add that she hoped he was the only man she would fall in love
with. That would give him a certain power over her, and power was something
she gave up only under extreme circumstances.
Tatewaki reached out and took her hand. "Sex..." just saying the word
seemed to embarrass him. "Sex is something only those who are married
should engage in. It is not honorable otherwise."
Damn, a male Kasumi. "Why is that, Tatewaki?"
He blinked. "I... I am not sure. It seems to be a... violation, a
besmirching of your honor...."
Nabiki snorted. "Trust me, Kuno-baby. I would feel neither violated
nor besmirched. If we're both willing and in love, how can it be at
all dishonorable?"
Tatewaki thought about it, and seemed unable to answer her.
Gotcha, she thought. Time to move in for the kill. "So tell me,
Tatewaki, what was it like to have an orgasm?"
"Nabiki!" He was beginning to sound repetitive.
She smiled mischieviously at him. "All the books say that the best sex
comes only when two people can talk candidly about it. Speak to me. What's
it like?"
"I..." He swallowed. "I cannot describe it. I am sorry, Nabiki."
Nabiki put on a pouting face. "You can't describe it? In that case,"
she said, throwing the sheet off of her, "you'd better show me."
He stared at her. While he had been in the bathroom, she had removed her
panties. She was now completely naked.
Tatewaki's eyes grew very, very wide. Nabiki waited for him to react.
He just sat there, apparently carved out of stone.
She smiled and got up on her hands and knees. She went over to him and
put her face in front of his. His eyes wandered over her body before
settling on her eyes. Nabiki leaned forward and quickly touched the tip
of her tongue to the end of his nose.
His breath began getting heavy again. She rearranged herself so that she
was sitting on the bed next to him. She reached for the straps of his robe.
His hands reached out to grab her wrists. His grip was very strong. Nabiki
looked at him in mild surprise. Tatewaki gazed at her for a long moment.
He released her hands, grabbed her shoulders, and pushed her back onto the
bed.
As she watched, he undid his robe, threw it on the floor, and crawled into
bed with her.
She tried to examine the parts of him she hadn't yet seen, but he managed
to keep them out of her line of sight. He brought his face to hers, and they
began the kissing again.
Nabiki tried her best to recapture the buzzing. The sensation seemed distant
this time. Somehow, the knowledge of what she was about to allow Tatewaki
to do to her seemed to put a damper on the sensations she was feeling. She
tried increasing the ferocity of her kissing, to the point where their
tongues seemed to be fighting each other. It helped a little.
Tatewaki disengaged himself and began another journey south. As his
mouth reached her breast again, she lifted her head and kissed the top of
his head. He gave her breast considerable attention, tickling her nipples
with his tongue and sucking gently. Nabiki subtly guided Tatewaki by
sighing louder when he did things she particularly liked. He picked up
on it quickly, and soon she felt the buzzing returning in greater force.
His hand began stroking her legs again, this time beginning on her inner
thigh. It felt so weird to have someone touching her there, at the same
time very exciting. He moved his hand up until it touched her cleft.
There it paused, and again Nabiki got the sense that he had no idea what
to do.
Nabiki wasn't too sure herself. She rocked her hips gently, and one of his
fingers slipped inside her. His finger was quickly wet, and he tried
moving it around. It didn't seem to be doing anything useful; Nabiki wasn't
sure what he was doing wrong.
Tatewaki sensed that he wasn't getting anywhere, and removed his hand. As
he did, the tip of his finger brushed something. Something that sent a
jolt right through Nabiki. She cried out, and looked down at Tatewaki.
He raised his head to look at her, concern on his face. "I'm sorry, did
I hurt you?"
"No..." She sounded a little shaky. "That felt... can you try it again?"
Tatewaki looked puzzled. "Try what?"
Nabiki reached down, took his hand, and guided it inside her again. "What
you did right at the end. It was about..." His finger brushed against
the spot again, and Nabiki gasped and dropped her head back on the bed.
"That's it. Right there."
Tatewaki began rubbing her clitoris gently. Nabiki moaned; the buzzing
seemed to be directly connected to that spot. It grew in leaps and bounds.
Tatewaki seemed to be getting a feel for the exact area, and began
stroking it directly. Nabiki grabbed his shoulders and began squeezing.
This was very, very good. Something was building in her; something that
begged for release. The warmth in her lower body grew in heat and area.
Her breasts grew even more sensitive, which made Tatewaki's ministrations
in that area even more pleasureable. The buzzing became almost a quivering.
She moaned tremulously.
Tatewaki began rubbing harder, faster, and suddenly it wasn't so good.
"Ouch." She pulled her hips back, and Tatewaki removed his hand.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." She tried to catch her breath. "Let's... let's move on."
"M-move on?" Tatewaki's voice sounded almost strangled. "What do you
mean?"
Nabiki laughed throatily. "Kuno-baby, what do you think I mean?"
He swallowed and his face looked frightened. She could see the desire there
as well.
She shifted herself slightly and spread her legs. Tatewaki positioned
himself above her, and she felt something pressing against her cleft.
Something hard; she still couldn't believe it was a part of the human body.
It was trying to penetrate her, but it didn't know where it wanted to go.
She reached down and touched it. It was smooth, hard, and very warm. She
guided it gently to her cleft and inside of her. Tatewaki thrust, driving
himself deeply inside of her.
Nabiki had thought, because of her feminine protection methods, that she
had already gotten rid of her hymen. Evidently not. Something ripped
inside her, and she cried out in pain.
"Nabiki-chan!" Tatewaki's voice sounded scared. "Are you okay?" He
moved to get off of her.
She wrapped her arms around him and held him in place. "Wait." She was
sure she was bleeding, and it hurt, but it wasn't unbearable. The feeling
of him inside her was very strange. Still, she could see Tatewaki trembling
with desire and pleasure; that made it worthwhile. She held him a moment,
trying to recover from his initial penetration, then she began to move her
hips.
That was all the permission Tatewaki needed. He began thrusting, moving
inside of her. It combined pleasure and pain; she discovered that there
were other parts of her, inside of her, that seemed to be connected to the
buzzing as well. At the same time, he was aggravating the wound. She
tried to work around the pain, moving her hips in rhythm to his thrusts.
It increased her pleasure, but the pain was still too much.
Meanwhile, Tatewaki seemed to have lost all rational control. His
thrusting increased in intensity, and both of their bodies were being
rocked by the force. Suddenly he cried out and went rigid again. He
held that pose for a few seconds, before practically collapsing on top
of her.
Nabiki smiled and began kissing his shoulder. She decided that she liked
the feeling of him on top of her, and inside of her. This was a level of
intimacy she had never shared with anyone before, and she found that she
liked it, as long as she was sharing it with this man.
Tatewaki seemed to be having a lot of difficulty recovering this time.
Nabiki was still buzzing, and continued kissing what parts of him she could
reach. She ended by wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
Finally, he rolled off of her. She felt a little messy, so she made her
way to the bathroom and cleaned herself off. She returned, walking nude
across the bedroom. She stood over the bed and looked down at Tatewaki.
"Well, that was fun, but you've certainly got some room for improvement,
Kuno-baby. I'll do some research and see what we can do to better our
technique."
Kuno was sitting up on the bed, his hands clutching his head. "Tendo
Nabiki. We must get married right away."
"Oh *please*." Nabiki glowered at him, unsure how much of her face he
could see at this distance. She adjusted her body posture to show as much
disapproval as she could. "What possible reason could we have for getting
married?"
Tatewaki lifted his head, looked over at her, then sprung from the bed.
He seemed unaware of his own state of undress, instead striking a kind of
heroic pose in front of her. This could only mean one thing: he was
about to spout something. Nabiki hoped it wasn't Shakespeare.
"Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! It is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no woman ever loved."
She rolled her eyes; so much for hoping. She looked at him skeptically and
tapped her foot. This only seemed to encourage him.
"And, Will you, nill you, I will marry you.
Now, Nabiki, I am a husband for your turn;
For, by this light, whereby I see thy beauty,
Thy beauty, that doth make me like thee well,
Thou must be married to no man but me."
Nabiki tilted her head. "I'm pretty sure my name doesn't appear in any of
Shakespeare's works."
Tatewaki looked abashed. "I improvised."
Nabiki snorted and began searching the clothes at their feet for her
panties. Tatewaki began quoting other poets, but Nabiki ignored him
completely. She stepped into her dress and lifted it up, then turned
her back to Tatewaki.
"Kuno-baby, shut up and help me get this on."
Tatewaki ground to a halt. She felt his hands fumble with the clasps.
She could feel that he was doing it wrong, but it was sufficient to keep
her dress on, which was all that mattered at this point.
She turned back to him. "Time for me to go home."
He looked at her, and seemed genuinely distressed. "Nabiki-chan, we must
get married. To act as we did tonight would not be honorable otherwise."
"We already covered that, Tatewaki-kun. Let's not rehash old arguments."
"But, Nabiki-chan, we must. Will you not marry me?"
Nabiki barked at him. "Of course not. Now get dressed and get me home."
Tatewaki stood there in shock. Nabiki closed her eyes and scolded herself.
That was much harsher than she had intended it to be.
"Look, Tatewaki-kun, I am not going to get married to you or anyone, ever.
College is going to be tough enough, and after that I'll be going into a
business of some sort, probably investment banking. There's enough pressure
associated with all of those things that I don't need a husband holding me
back. So get used to the idea that you will never see me in a wedding
dress."
Tatewaki gaped at her, evidently unsure how to react. Nabiki sighed to
herself and waited him out.
Slowly, he looked down at himself and seemed to notice his nudity for the
first time. He began dressing slowly, while Nabiki watched him closely.
He was hurt, she could tell. He needed to understand this, however. She
was not going to get married for years at least. It was best for his peace
of mind if he believed that she was never getting married. He would come
to appreciate their relationship for what it was, rather than what he
thought it should be. After they'd been together for a few years, she
would allow him to talk her into marriage. But not for a long while.
Nabiki was determined to be her own woman. She certainly wasn't going to
depend on any man for her identity. When she was certain that the world
understood who exactly Tendo Nabiki was, then she'd allow Tatewaki to share
her identity. But not one minute sooner.
Tatewaki finished dressing and looked at her. Without saying anything, he
took her arm and began leading her out of the house. He called for the
carriage, and helped her into it. The carriage began making its way to
the Tendo home.
Nabiki was feeling more and more depressed. This was not how her prom was
supposed to end. She had just allowed Tatewaki into the deepest recesses
of her heart. That should be sufficient for him, he shouldn't demand more.
His silly sense of honor and his antiquated views on sex were forcing him to
ask for more than he should. He'd better get over it. She was not going to
let him get away.
She looked over at him. He was staring straight ahead, doing a good
impression of a block of ice.
Nabiki sighed, a sad sigh that had no artifice in it. She grabbed his arm
and rested her head on his shoulder.
The carriage continued for some distance. She tried to break the silence.
"You're still coming to the beach with us, aren't you, Tatewaki-kun?"
His answer was very formal. "I have already given my word that I would be
there. You need my family's van to help get you there."
Nabiki felt tears coming to her eyes. "And that will be the only reason
you'll come?" she asked in a small, quiet voice.
Tatewaki sighed heavily, then took his arm out of her hands and put it
around her shoulders. "Of course not. My first and best reason will be
to see you and share your company, Nabiki-chan. Nothing else gives me as
much joy as to bask in the glow of your smile when it is directed at me.
If all the demons of hell were to rise against me, were the earth split
asunder and a thousand-kilomter chasm to separate us, if Saotome Ranma
himself were to oppose me, nothing would prevent me from being at your
side."
Nabiki closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief and happiness. She
half-turned in her seat and hugged Tatewaki to her.
Tatewaki sounded uncomfortable. "Forgive me for causing you distress
just now, Nabiki. Such was not my intent. I understand your reasons for
refusing to marry me, even if I do not agree with them. Please know, I
will not relent in my pursuit of your acquiesence. We two are meant to be
together, now and always, and not even the willfulness of Tendo Nabiki
will prevent our destiny from being fulfilled."
Nabiki began laughing. She couldn't help herself; she was very tired, and
Tatewaki was very silly. She could feel Tatewaki radiate disapproval at
her laughter. In an effort to control herself, she lifted her head and
kissed him.
He kissed back. This went on for some time, until the carriage came to
a stop.
They disengaged and she sat up. Tatewaki helped her out of the carriage and
walked her to the front door. They stopped and faced each other.
Tatewaki spoke in a soft, quiet voice that was full of emotion. "It occurs
to me, Tendo Nabiki, that I have not yet told you how I feel about you."
Nabiki smiled at him. "Kuno-baby, do you honestly think that there is
anything about you that I don't already know? You keep underestimating me."
"That cannot be, Tendo Nabiki. How can one underestimate perfection?
Yet, it is true I am still learning about your nature. The more I discover
about you, the more I wish to discover. It will be my lifelong quest to
know all about you, and to discover new ways to make you happy."
Nabiki chuckled. "We haven't even discovered one way, yet. I told you
that we'll need to work on that."
Tatewaki colored. "That is not what I meant, Nabiki!"
"I know." Nabiki shook her head a little. "I shouldn't tease you so
much, Tatewaki-kun. I'm sorry." She reached out and took one of his
hands. "Forgive me?"
"In all things you ask of me, Nabiki, I will endeavor to do as you wish."
He reached out and stroked her cheek. "I love you, Tendo Nabiki."
Nabiki felt the tears coming again, but they felt better than before. "I
love you, Kuno Tatewaki."
They gazed at each other for a while. Nabiki examined every detail of his
face. It *was* love that was written there, and it no longer frightened her.
Tatewaki raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. He bowed to her deeply,
then turned and made his way regally back to the waiting carriage.
Nabiki watched as the carriage drove away. Damn, what a night this had
been, full of all sorts of ups and downs. They had experienced a whole lot
of up, and they had worked together to try and minimize the down. She liked
that, liked the fact that she could trust someone as much as she trusted
herself. She was especially grateful that there was someone who needed her
as much as she needed him.
Tonight, she decided, was merely a microcosm of what her whole life spent
with Tatewaki was going to be like. It was going to be wonderful.
Humming to herself, Nabiki opened the door and went inside.
