CRASH & BURN by Ryoko Saotome (Part Two)

The three teenagers looked up at the speaker.  Ranma was aware of a slow burning
rage building within him, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to hold himself back.
Akane and Ukyou stared at the girl, mouths open in surprise, and Akane kept
shooting looks at Ranma that said 'remember you don't hit girls'.  Nabiki began
to collect new wagers; everyone at Furinkan High had heard about what the girl
had allowed to happen, and she wasn't surprised that most of the bets seemed to
be in Ranma's favor.  Even Tsubasa left off beating up Kuno in order to watch
the scene unfolding before him.

Shampoo smiled sunnily at the three teens and sat down with them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Akane asked, desperately wanting to pull her
mallet-sama from hammer space and using the cat girl's head for target practice.

The Amazon smiled at them again.  "Shampoo get bored with life in village.  Want
return to Nerima and visit with friends again."

Ukyou and Akane blinked at her, then glanced back over at Ranma.  He was
beginning to develop a noticeable nervous tick, and he was giving her a look
that can only be described as 'bubonic-plague fatal'.

"Excuse me."

Without any further words, Ranma stood and stalked away from the table.  He
couldn't trust himself anywhere near the girl.  Hell, all he wanted to do was
rip out every strand of her lavender hair and gouge out her eyeballs.  *Then*
he'd kill her.  Mousse had gone through hell because of that bitch, and he still
wasn't fully recovered from his ordeal.

And now, Miss Aren't-I-The-Cutest-Little-Thing-Surely-You-Couldn't-Want-
To-Hurt-*Me* waltzed back into their lives after nearly six months and expected
to be welcomed with open arms?  Fuck that.  He was leaving before he could give
into the urge to give that bitch the beating that she deserved... for now.

Next time, she wouldn't be so lucky.

~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~

~ When you feel all alone
And a loyal friend is hard to find ~

Mousse finally finished his story and closed his eyes.  For some reason, he felt
like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

<Now he'll leave,> Mousse thought to himself, feeling the tears begin to fall
again.  <Now he knows for sure that I'm worthless, and he and Ranma are going to
leave me.  God, how am I ever going to survive without them?>

"Oh, God, Mousse...."

<Here it comes.>

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

<What am I--nani?!>

Mousse looked up and found that Ryoga was still sitting next to him.  The other
boy's brown eyes were filled with tears, and Mousse realized that he had been
monitoring his emotional state throughout the story.  He knew that his pain and
sorrow had to be overwhelming the other boy, and regretted making him suffer.

"Gomen, Ryoga," he said softly, lowering his head again.  "I didn't mean to
cause you any pain."

Ryoga reached out and gently tilted Mousse's head up so that he could look him
in the eye.  "Don't apologize," he admonished, stroking the other boy's cheek as
he spoke.  "You've kept this inside for far too long, and it's doing more harm
than good.  You had to tell someone sooner or later, Mousse-chan."

~ You're caught in a one way street
With the monsters in your head ~

Mousse slowly nodded his head in silent agreement.  He knew he felt so much
*freer* after revealing everything to the Lost Boy, and yet there was still a
part of him that was lost and alone.  He let his eyes slip closed again and
turned his head away.

"How can you even want me around, knowing that I'm worthless?" he whispered
softly.

"You are *not* worthless, Mousse," Ryoga said, placing his hands on either side
of the other boy's face and turning it back towards him.  "I've never thought
that of you."

The Chinese boy opened his blue-grey eyes and looked into Ryoga's.  The Lost Boy
could see so much fear and uncertainty within those eyes, and so many things
that the other youth couldn't even find the words to say:

Please don't leave me alone.  Please don't hate me.  Please help me get through
this.

Please love me.

Words alone could not express the depths of his loneliness.  But his eyes said
it all.

~ When hopes and dreams are far away and
You feel like you can't face the day ~

Ryoga blinked at the other boy for a moment, then closed the distance between
them, brushing his lips to Mousse's gently.

<Slowly, Ryoga.  Don't push him too fast.>

The Amazon hesitated for only a moment, then hesitantly returned the kiss.  He
was nervous, but he felt none of the fear he had come to associate with such
intimate contact.  He parted his lips slightly, granting Ryoga access to his
mouth, an invitation that the Lost Boy couldn't deny.  Their tongues brushed
against one another, twining together in a sensuous dance.  They finally had to
pull apart in order to catch their breath.  Blue-grey eyes locked with warm
brown, and no words were needed.  Everything that needed to be said was right
there between them.

~ Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall ~

"Are you sure?" Ryoga asked anyway, already knowing what the answer to his
question would be.

"Hai," Mousse replied softly.  "I need this.  Please, Ryoga."

That was all the invitation the bandanna'd martial artist needed.  He drew the
Amazon into his arms again and began to mark a trail of kisses along his
jawline, pausing to nip at his ear for a moment before moving down his neck.
Mousse made a soft sound and let his head fall back, and Ryoga placed a few more
kisses along the line of his throat before beginning to move lower.  He flicked
his tongue lightly over one of the Chinese boy's nipples, eliciting a sharp gasp
from the other boy.  With a small smile, he worked at it for a moment,
alternating between sucking and nipping, then moved lower.

Mousse moaned softly as Ryoga continued his exploration of his body, feeling as
if he was drowning in the sensations that were washing over him.  He'd never
thought that anything could feel so right and wonderful after his imprisonment,
but the Lost Boy was *very* quickly disproving that theory!  He wanted more, but
he wasn't sure if he could handle any more.

~ Lift you up and fly away with you into the night ~

Ryoga looked up, locking eyes with Mousse.  He really was beautiful, and Ryoga
found himself wondering, not for the first time, why Shampoo never gave the boy
a second glance.  That didn't matter now, though; she was gone, and Mousse was
here, now, with him.

"Say the word and I'll stop," Ryoga whispered, thinking to himself <even though
I don't think I *can* stop at this point!>

The Amazon was silent for a moment, catching his breath.  Ryoga felt his own
breath catch in his throat.  An eternity seemed to go by, although in reality
only a few seconds went by before Mousse spoke.

"I don't want you to stop."

~ If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart ~

The Lost Boy leaned down to capture the Amazon's mouth in another deep, soulful
kiss, all the while working on removing what little clothing they were both
wearing.  Somehow he managed, only breaking the kiss once in order to shrug off
his T-shirt, and slowly kissed his way down the other youth's body.  They locked
eyes once more; then Ryoga took him into his mouth.  Mousse cried out softly,
arching his back as he tried to move deeper within the warm, wet heat that was
the center of his world at that moment.  Ryoga moved slowly, taking deep strokes
and flicking his tongue ever so lightly against the shaft as he moved.  The
Amazon was reaching a feverish high--he had never been taken to such heights
before, and he wanted to take it further.  Ryoga continued his gentle teasing
for a few moments longer, stopping before actually bringing Mousse to the
release he desperately craved.

~ If you need to crash then crash and burn ~

He reached for the lubricant on the nightstand--he and Ranma'd needed it only a
few days ago while Mousse was at Dr. Tofu's for a checkup--and squeezed a bit
into the palm of his hand.  He wet his fingers, rubbing them together to warm
the lube, then gently pressed one finger into the sheath of Mousse's body.  The
Amazon made some soft, slightly pained noise, but didn't offer any protests.
Ryoga began to stroke gently, licking Mousse's erection as he did so.  He added
a second finger, then a third, moving them all along the other boy's prostate
and driving him closer to the brink.

"Oh, *God*, Ryoga," Mousse gasped, rocking his hips to meet the other youth's
hand.  "Please...."

"Please what?" Ryoga asked, his tone light as he removed his fingers and moved
so that he was between the Chinese boy's legs.  He stroked his own erection,
hissing slightly as he rubbed the last of the lube onto himself to avoid
injuring the other boy.

Mousse pulled himself into a sitting position and took Ryoga's face in his
hands, drawing him closer.  He was out of breath, but managed to gasp out his
words as individual sentences: "Please.  Make.  Love.  To.  Me."

Ryoga pushed the Amazon youth back down onto the bed and leaned over to kiss
him.  Then he entered him with one fluid motion.  Mousse threw his head back and
cried out softly as the Lost Boy began to rock against him, slowly at first,
then increasing the speed and depth of his thrusts.  The Amazon wrapped one long
leg around his lover's waist and rocked his hips in order to meet the thrusts.
They moved together gracefully, holding nothing back, clinging to one another as
they came closer and closer to release.

~ You're not alone ~

They came at the same time, crying out in one voice and collapsing together onto
the bed.  It was several minutes before they were able to catch their breath;
then Mousse curled up against Ryoga and gave him a soft, sweet kiss.

<~I wish I could thank him some other way, but I can't even begin to describe
what I'm feeling right now,~> Mousse thought, pressing himself closer to the
other boy's warmth.

<~You just did.~>

The Amazon started, then turned his head to Ryoga.  The Lost Boy grinned at the
confused expression on his face and kissed him on the forehead.  <~Same thing
happened after Ranma and I made love for the first time.  I think it centers
around me, though.~>

Mousse considered this for a moment, then nodded.  <~I guess this means I belong
to you now, huh?~> he thought to Ryoga, smiling mentally.

<~Hope that doesn't bother you any.~>

<~Not a bit.  I--I really do love you, y'know.~>

Ryoga smiled and hugged Mousse closer.  <~I know.  And I love you, too.~>

They didn't move for a long time.  They were still lying in bed when the outside
door slammed.

~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~

<That goddamn, stupid, fucking *bitch*!> Ranma fumed, slamming the door behind
him.  When he'd stalked out of the schoolyard, he just kept walking until he
made it back to Ryoga's house (even though he did stop to throw a few rocks
through the windows of the Nekohanten in a fit of childish anger).  <I cannot
*believe* she would just come back here after what she did!>

<~Ranma, you're projecting.~>

The pigtailed martial artist flinched and sent a quick mental apology to his
love.  He hadn't realized that his anger was practically tangible.

<Maybe *that's* why everyone stayed out of my way,> he mused, looking up as
Ryoga entered the room.  He looked a bit disheveled, as if he'd just thrown his
clothes on in a hurry.

"What are you doing home?" he asked, a slightly worried note in his voice.  "Did
something happen?"

"Oh, *I'll* say something happened!" Ranma said, trying to remain calm but
failing miserably.  "Who's the last person on the face of the earth we want to
see anywhere around Nerima right about now?"

Ryoga chewed his lip thoughtfully, leaning back against the wall.  The only
person he could possibly think of that would make Ranma *this* angry was--

"No way," Mousse said softly, having heard the last part of the conversation.
He also looked a bit disheveled to the younger martial artist.  "She wouldn't
dare--"

"Oh, she *dared*, all right!" Ranma growled.  "Hell, she dared to sit down at
the same fucking *table* as me, Ukyou, and Akane and acted like nothing had ever
happened!"

"You didn't do anything drastic, did you?" Ryoga demanded.  Mousse was watching
the younger martial artist, a slightly worried look in his expressive eyes.
Ranma, despite his anger, couldn't help but get lost in those eyes for a
moment--they'd somehow managed to talk him into getting contacts, and they
improved his looks.

<As if it's *possible* for him to be more beautiful than he already was,> Ranma
thought distractedly before responding to Ryoga's question.

"No, I took off before I gave into the urge to pound her face into the dirt like
Tsubasa did to Kuno today."  The other two boys smirked at the mental image.

"Kuno's *still* panting after Tsu-chan?" Ryoga asked, shaking his head.  "I want
to see the look on his face once he realizes Tsubasa's a guy!"

Mousse dropped into a chair, drawing his legs gracefully over one of the arms
before adding his two-cent's worth: "Maybe he already knows."  At the startled
looks he received from the other boys, he shrugged and said, "Well, it *is*
possible!"

"Are we talking about the same Tatewaki Straight-As-An-Arrow Kuno here?" Ryoga
asked, quirking an eyebrow at the Amazon.  Mousse just grinned and nodded.  He
hadn't spent much time at school lately--staying awake until 4 a.m. wasn't
exactly the smartest way to deal with his nightmares, but it *did* help
somewhat--but when he did go, Kuno's antics never failed to amuse him.

"*Someone's* in a good mood this afternoon," Ranma muttered under his breath.
The hidden weapons expert was awfully cheerful for someone who was probably
still half asleep.  In fact, Mousse was acting an awful lot like he did after--

Ranma smirked and shot a look at the two boys across the room.  "You two had
sex, didn't you?"

He knew what the answer was going to be before he even finished asking the
question.  The lovely shades of red the two boys turned was worth asking it,
though.

"Well..." Ryoga faltered, "I wouldn't have used that terminology, but...."

"Yep," Mousse interrupted, still a pale shade of rose but managing a grin.

Ranma pretended to pout.  "You could have at least videotaped it for me."

"RANMA!"

"Kidding," he said, trying to keep from laughing at Ryoga's reaction.  <Well,
not *really*,> he added to himself before changing the subject.  "So what are we
going to do about--"

*DING-DONG*

"What the hell?" Ryoga grumbled, even as he moved to answer the door.  Ranma and
Mousse watched him go, then Ranma crouched down on the floor next to the other
boy.

"Really, I would have liked to at *least* watch," he grumbled.  Mousse turned
yet another shade of red and giggled.  Ryoga returned to the living room,
followed by Tsubasa, Akane, and Ukyou.

"We've got a problem," Akane said.

"Duh!" Ranma retorted, deciding that he wanted to use Mousse as a chair all of a
sudden and dropping into the other boy's lap.  "Shamps decided she wants to come
back here and play Little Miss Polly Perfect and wants us to treat her like we
used to!  What would *you* classify that as?!"

Tsubasa shuffled his feet nervously and played with the ribbon in his hair.
"Um..." he mumbled, "there's a little more to it than that."

A sense of foreboding seemed to fill the air.  No one spoke for a long time;
Ryoga was the one who finally broke the silence:

"What do you mean, Tsubasa?"

Ukyou looked over at Ranma and Mousse, drew a breath, and said:

"She's not leaving without Mousse."

~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~

Mousse: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!  No way!  I'm staying right here!!!  ::glomps
onto R'oko and refuses to budge::

R'oko: Urk... Mu-chan... I can't breath....

Mousse: Oh.  Sorry.  ::loosens his grip, but is still hanging onto the woman::

R'oko: *sigh*  Well, that's the end of part two.  I was going to have another
lemon scene in there, but for the life of me I couldn't fit it anywhere!  There
is gonna be one in part three, promise!

Ranma: Yay!!  It's *my* turn next!!

~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~^^~~^~~

PART TWO OWARI