CRASH & BURN by Ryoko Saotome (Part Three)

Silence hung thick over the group.  No one dared to speak in the aftermath of
the revelation.  Akane drew in a breath and was about to speak when Ranma
finally found his voice.

"Like hell she is," he growled, wrapping his arms protectively around the Amazon
youth.  "The bitch'll have to go through *me* first!"

"Normally, I'd tell you to think things through before acting," Ryoga said, his
own anger beginning to show on his face, "but this time, you've got the right
idea.  Who the hell does she think she is?!"

Akane shook her head slightly.  "I know, and I agree that the girl has lost what
little mind she had to begin with.  But why would she change her mind about
Mousse all of a sudden?"

"She's right," Tsubasa agreed.  "It's been six months since she left without a
backward glance, and now she suddenly decides that he's the guy for her?"  He
shook his head and frowned.  "It all seems a little too cut-and-dry to me."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Ryoga asked, glancing over at his loves (Ranma
was still curled up on Mousse's lap with his arms wrapped around him).  "I don't
like this wait-and-see approach at all."

"She's moved back into the Nekohanten," Ukyou said.  "Maybe we can go over there
and talk to her, find out what's going on in her head."

Ranma snickered suddenly.  "She'll have to replace all the windows before she
can reopen the place.  I made sure of that!"

"Ranma!" Ukyou scolded, her eyes laughing.  "I can't believe you would do
something so childish!"

"I can't believe you didn't invite me," Akane grumbled.

"Are we going over there or not?" Ryoga said, eager to resolve the situation if
possible.  He turned to the two boys seated in the chair.  "Ranma, I think it
would be best if you stayed here for the time being."

"Aw, Ryoga!" the pigtailed boy whined, already thinking of all the things he
wanted to do to the cat girl.

"Someone should stay here with Mousse," Tsubasa spoke up, hoping that his hunch
about Ranma's protectiveness was correct.  The younger boy frowned for a moment,
then nodded his head and cuddled closer to the Chinese boy without saying
another word.

"Are we all set, then?" Akane asked.  Her question was met with an affirmative.
"Okay, let's go.  Ranma...?"

"We'll be fine," he replied; Mousse nodded in agreement.

The door closed quietly after the four teens.  Ranma and Mousse were silent for
a long time, just sitting and holding onto one another.

"I hate her," Ranma finally said softly.  "Why did she have to come back?  Why
now?"

"I don't know, Ranma," Mousse answered in a voice that was barely a whisper.
"But I don't want to leave Nerima.  Not now, not ever."  He closed his eyes and
rested his forehead against the other boy's shoulder.  "Not if it means leaving
you and Ryoga."

Ranma blinked at Mousse, debating whether or not to follow what his heart was
telling him to do.

<Aw, hell, why not?  I may never get another chance if Shamps has her way.>

Slowly, he tilted his head and regarded the other boy quietly.  Before he could
move, Mousse tilted his own head up and gave him a warm, sweet kiss.

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

Shampoo scowled at the glass that cluttered the floor of the Nekohanten.  She
was quite sure that the building had been in excellent condition when she
stopped by this morning, but now all the windows were broken.  A few telltale
rocks were the only clue as to what had happened.

<It doesn't matter,> she decided to herself.  <No matter how childish Ranma acts
towards me, I'll have the last laugh once I get 'my dear Mu Tsu' away from him.>
Her eyes glimmered with a malevolent light.  <I'll teach that bastard to say no
to *me*!>

The bell above the door jingled, and she quickly pasted a glowing smile on her
face.  She had to keep up the act for a little while longer.  Turning, she
greeted the group that stood there with her trademark "Nihoa!"

Ryoga frowned at the girl.  There was something completely false about her
smile--it was more like a silent growl, and he didn't like the anger and
falseness he was picking up from her aura.  The other three seemed uneasy as
well, and Tsubasa kept glancing over his shoulder as if expecting someone else
to arrive as backup.

"Hello, Shampoo," Ukyou said softly, then paused.  "Um... we were wondering...."

"What made you come back here?" Akane interrupted.  She was eager to get rid of
the cat girl any way she could, and the urge to break out her mallet was almost
overwhelming.

Shampoo smiled.  "Shampoo tell you before, get bored with life in village and
want visit with friends.  After visit, she take Mousse and go home."

"What makes you think he'll go with you?" Tsubasa growled, his eyes flashing
slightly.  "After everything that happened to him--"  He stopped mid-sentence,
noticing that the evil glint was reappearing in the lavender-haired girl's eyes.
The conclusion he was drawing from that look was too horrible for him to begin
to comprehend.  Ryoga glared at the girl, making the connection.

"You *knew* what was going to happen to him, didn't you?" he said, his tone low
and fierce.  If he was right, there was no way in hell he would let the bitch
get anywhere *near* Mousse!

"Of course I did," she answered in flawless Japanese, startling the hell out of
the other four.  "How else was he ever going to learn his proper place in Amazon
society?  And now that he's learned, he can be a worthy husband to the future
ruler of the tribe."

"You--you cold, heartless, egotistical, self-centered *bitch*!" Ukyou fumed.
"That's what it's all about, what *everything's* always been about--you, and
everyone else be damned!"

Shampoo smiled smugly.  "Of course," she purred.  "Ranma's a complete waste of
my efforts, especially since he obviously prefers the company of swine"--here
she shot a look at Ryoga, ignoring the angry glare he sent in return--"and
Mousse *is* an Amazon male, after all.  It's only fitting that he return to the
tribe."

"Fuck the tribe," Ryoga growled.  "I'm not letting you come within fifty feet of
him!"

"It's not you I'm here to fight, pig boy," the Amazon girl hissed at him.  "I'm
here to face Ranma.  And if he thinks he's stopping me, he's sadly mistaken.  I
*will* be taking Mousse with me. I suggest you all leave.  *Now*."  With that,
she turned and walked into the back of the Nekohanten.

The four teens looked at one another in stunned silence and walked out of the
restaurant.  As they slowly began to make their way back to the Hibiki
residence, Tsubasa spoke up hesitantly:

"Who's going to tell Ranma?"


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

Mousse gently broke off the kiss and leaned back to look at Ranma.  The other
boy titled his head and regarded him silently once more, blinking in surprise.

"What was that for?" he asked softly once he found his voice again.

"Just because I love you," the Chinese boy replied, a shy smile appearing on his
lips.  "Why, do I need some other reason?"

"No, not at all, Mu-chan," Ranma said, shifting around until he was straddling
the other boy in the chair.  "That's a *very* good reason," he concluded,
leaning in for another kiss.  It was eagerly returned, and the Amazon wrapped
his arms tightly around the smaller youth, pulling them impossibly closer than
they already were.  A soft moan escaped Ranma's throat, and he lashed his tongue
lightly across Mousse's lips.  The other boy opened his mouth slightly in
response and flicked his own tongue out to meet Ranma's.  Their tongues entwined
gracefully as they explored the hidden contours in each other's mouths with a
gentleness born of passion.

Finally, the need to breathe overpowered the desire to drown in the kiss, and
they broke apart.  Two different shades of blue locked and clashed, and the want
and need was apparent in both sets of eye.

"Upstairs," Ranma breathed.

"Good idea," Mousse replied in kind.

Neither one was sure exactly how they made it up the stairs.  But once they got
into the bedroom, it made no difference.  Ranma pulled Mousse down onto the bed
and trapped him in another gentle, impassioned kiss.  Hands came into play,
roaming lightly through clothing and teasing at the enflamed flesh underneath.
Mousse pulled back for a moment and locked eyes with the younger boy, locking
for the answer to his unasked question within those crystalline blue pools.

~ Because there has always been heartache and pain ~

The answer was clear, and to reinforce it Ranma pulled the other boy down and
nipped gently at his neck.  Mousse whimpered slightly, moving to place a
butterfly kiss on Ranma's exposed throat.  They quickly shed their clothes and
moved back to their game.  The younger boy closed his eyes as his soon-to-be-
lover placed a trail of light, gentle kisses along his collarbone, gasping when
he came to a sensitive spot.  Mousse noted the spot, and lightly traced the spot
with the tip of his tongue before continuing to explore his partner's body.
Every line and contour was quickly memorized by touch alone, every gasp and moan
stored away in his memory for future encounters.

"You learn fast," Ranma complimented, moaning as Mousse began to place light
kisses along his abdomen.  The Amazon looked up and smiled.

"I had a good teacher," he replied, nuzzling at the other boy's erection before
tracing his tongue lightly along its length.  That small motion alone earned him
a throaty moan, and he smiled again.  He continued the light licking and
caressing movements, drinking in every low moan and pleading whisper before
actually taking the other boy into his mouth.  The slow, deep strokes and
nipping were slowly driving Ranma to the edge, and he threw his head back with
another low moan.  He never would have thought that Mousse could make his blood
boil quite so much, and he was loving every minute of it.

~ And when it's over you'll breath again ~

The Amazon youth pulled, leaving Ranma craving more.  He pulled Mousse down and
stole another deep, lingering kiss.  When they broke apart again, the desire in
his eyes was burning far brighter than before.  When Ranma found his voice, it
was far huskier than normal.  His demand was simple, one that Mousse was hoping
he'd make:

"I want you," he said as calmly and controlled as possible, "to make love to me.
Now."

It wasn't exactly an invitation, but the Amazon wasn't one to ignore a request.
Gently pushing the younger martial artist back down on the bed, he quickly found
the lube where Ryoga had left it earlier in the day.  He squeezed a few drops
onto his fingers, rubbing his fingertips together to spread it a little, and
gently pressed one finger into the body that was beginning to writhe beneath
him.  Ranma let out a throaty moan as Mousse's fingertip brushed lightly against
the delicate nerves that sent waves of pleasure shooting through his body.  A
second finger, then a third were added, and he began to press against the
fingers, begging in no uncertain terms to be taken right then.

Mousse gently withdrew his fingers and slid quietly between Ranma's thighs.  He
leaned over to kiss the other boy's throat again, sliding into him with the same
fluid grace he exhibited in every other aspect of his life.  Ranma wrapped his
legs around his partner's waist, meeting every thrust and stroke with one of his
own.  They both moved gracefully, clinging to one another as their actions
increased in speed, until neither one was able to speak in words.  Their cries
rose together as they came closer to the edge.

Mousse came first, shivering slightly as he spilled his seed into the body
writhing beneath him.  As the first traces of warmth began to fill him, Ranma
shuddered and cried out as his own orgasm hit.  The older youth pulled out of
the other carefully, and they collapsed against one another, curling up as much
as they were able to without moving too much.

<~Damn, Mousse, you're a fast learner!~> Ranma thought to the other boy
admiringly.  Mousse turned his head to gaze at the other boy, his eyes slightly
glazed over.  He smiled and nodded.

<~Toldja I had a good teacher,~> he replied in kind.  <~So I guess we all belong
to one another now, huh?~>

Ranma giggled and kissed the Amazon gently.  <~Yeppers.~>

~ You'll breath again ~

The sound of the door opening downstairs alerted them to the fact that the
others had returned.  They exchanged a look before both collapsing into a fit of
muffled laughter.  There was silence from downstairs, then Ryoga's voice
permeated the thoughts of both.

<~I leave you two alone for half an hour...~>

<~Hey, you're the one who didn't make a video for me!~> Ranma teased back as
Mousse fought a losing battle with the giggles.

<~Get some clothes on and get down here,~> Ryoga replied, a hint of laughter in
his 'voice'.  <~We found out a few things about dear Shampoo.~>

<~Clothes?  We have *clothes*?~> Mousse sent back in reply, causing Ranma to
burst into laughter once again.  Still laughing quietly, the pair dressed
quickly and rejoined their friends downstairs.

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

Tsubasa glanced out the window for the third time in five minutes and breathed a
frustrated sigh.  Before anyone could ask the boy what was bothering him,
though, Ranma and Mousse came down the stairs.  Ukyou looked them over
thoughtfully, then shook her head.

"Nope, not even gonna bother asking," she decided aloud.

Akane rolled her eyes and scolded, "Jeez, Ranma, what are you doing, forming
your own harem?!"

Ranma ignored the question, instead dropping back into the chair he had been in
earlier--in other words, back on Mousse's lap--and said, "Did you guys find out
anything useful?"

"We found out that she's more of a bitch than we thought," Tsubasa muttered,
looking out the window a fourth time.  If she didn't know better, Ukyou would
have thought he was *waiting* for someone.  "And she's a big phony on top of all
that!"

Mousse and Ranma blinked in confusion and looked to Ryoga for an explanation.
The Lost Boy sighed and told them everything Shampoo had said.  He didn't leave
out her sudden fluency in the Japanese language, either.

By the time he finished talking, Tsubasa had looked out the window a grand total
of fifteen times and the two boys who'd remained in the house were furious.

"Oh, she is so dead it's not even funny!" Ranma growled.  "If I thought I wanted
to kill her before...!"

"I *knew* she was behind that somehow!" Mousse said quietly.  It seemed that the
angrier the Amazon youth got, the quieter he became.  Right now, the others had
to strain to hear him.

Ryoga shook his head and said, "I had an idea she was up to something.  I never
would have figured her to be the kind that would resort to torture to--*ahem*--
'teach someone his place'."

"She had us all fooled," Akane said quietly.

"What we need is a plan," Ukyou spoke up, "and a good one.  Who do we know who
might be able to come up with some way to stop Shampoo without resorting to
extreme violence?"

"No violence?" Ranma said.  "That's no fun!  I want the bitch to *suffer* before
we kick her ass back to China!"

*DING DONG*

"Again?" Ryoga said, surprised.  "What the hell is this, Grand Central Station
Nerima?"

He got up and went to answer the door, grumbling all the way.  Everyone looked
at each other as they heard Ryoga's surprised exclamation in shock--except
Tsubasa, whose eyes lit up:

"KUNO?!"

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

Ranma: o/` I got a lemon scene, I got a lemon scene... o/`

Mousse: Yeah, but the video camera wasn't on!

Ranma: Damn!

R'oko: Oh, don't worry about it, guys.  There'll be another lemon scene soon!

Ryoga: How soon?!

R'oko: Um... probably part five.  We gotta deal with the bitch queen in part
four.

Ranma: KILL HER!!!  TIE HER UP, FEED HER TO PIRAHNAS, AND *KILL HER*!!!

R'oko: (sweatdrops)

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

PART THREE OWARI