The All-Americans
By
Joshua Trujillo

Part 22 - Simple Tears

"Hey," Ukyou said softly, "Don't fall asleep on me now. You said 
you wanted to talk."

The car moved gently down the highway, the heater on slightly as 
the outside began to feel like the November it had just turned. 
Sayuri yawned and stretched slightly, smiling shyly to Ukyou.

"Ukyou, I guess I wanted to find out what you really feel about 
me."

Ukyou nodded. She figured this was coming sooner or later.

"Well," she began, "I honestly don't know what I feel about you."

A silence hung between them.

"Um," Sayuri wanted to say something, but had no idea what to 
say.

"I don't know if that's good or bad," Ukyou said, "It's just that my 
emotions are really mixed up when it comes to you. I mean, I care 
about you, yes. Do I love you? No."

Ukyou caught herself.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe. I just don't know," she continued, 
"Look. I'm a girl and before this happened with you, I really didn't 
think I was gay."

The last sentence hung in the air.

"Um, Ukyou?" Sayuri more said than asked, "I like guys too, but I 
love you. If it helps you any, I don't really know what my feelings 
are either."

Which she knew was a lie. She really did love Ukyou, more than 
she had felt for any man, more than she thought she ever would. 
Even though she was a woman, Ukyou was more of a man than 
any Sayuri had ever met. The car pulled to a stop in front of 
Sayuri's house. Ukyou got out and followed Sayuri inside 
reluctantly. Sayuri thought that Ukyou might think she was being 
seduced by coming with her into the dark house in the middle of 
the night, and truly, the thought HAD occurred to her. But she'd 
never do that to her beloved Ukyou. She loved, trusted and 
respected Ukyou's feelings too much to do that. Maybe...

The house was quiet and the crickets that had gotten inside chirped 
happily in the vents. Her father had an ongoing war with the 
insects that got into the house, but Sayuri thought that the crickets 
weren't doing any harm. Her little brother was off at a friend's 
house for the weekend and her parents were early to bed. Ukyou 
got a Coke out of the fridge and offered one to Ukyou, who nodded 
and yawned slightly. Sayuri took off her tux jacket and hung it up, 
knowing that her father'd kill her if it got wrinkled. She went into 
the living room and patted the sofa for Ukyou to join her.

"Hang on a sec," Ukyou said.

She sat on the sofa and opened the small purse. Sayuri picked it up 
and giggled softly. Inside was a man's wallet, with Ukyou's drivers 
license and credit cards and money. Ukyou smiled shyly and took 
the purse back, dropping her earrings inside. She closed the purse 
up again and sat back, rubbing her ears.

"Haven't worn earrings in so long..."

Sayuri nodded, though with the black enameled studs in her ears, 
she said nothing. Her heart thrummed hotly in her chest.

"Ukyou," Sayuri began, "I guess I lied when I said that I was 
confused...I DO know my feelings. I guess it was because you 
were so unlike any other guy I'd ever met."

"There was a reason for that, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Sayuri continued, "And I don't blame you for the 
deception, because I know the circumstances. And I think that, had 
I known the truth, I probably wouldn't have fallen for you. But I 
got to know you. I got to know who you are and what makes you 
tick. More than male or female, I got to know YOU."

Sayuri slid next to Ukyou and put her right arm around her 
shoulder, pulling her closer. She shook slightly for the nervous 
feelings that she felt.

"You, um," Ukyou gulped, "You sound like you've thought about 
this."

"I have," Sayuri was even closer, holding Ukyou's right hand in her 
left, "I've thought about it because I want you to think about it. 
Ukyou...My love...I know I can make you happy."

"I want to be happy..." Ukyou breathed nervously, her face within 
inches from Sayuri's.

"All I need is a chance," Sayuri moved in for the kill, "Let me 
make you happy."

Ukyou closed her eyes as they kissed. She had no answer for 
Sayuri. No answer for the thousand butterfly sensations that floated 
through her as they continued to kiss. Sayuri began to pull back 
and Ukyou wanted more. She wanted more of the sensation. This 
time, it was her turn to make the move and she did. The electric 
heat that flowed through her and buzzed around her senses, Ukyou 
had only felt once before, and not all that long ago. What it meant, 
she'd have to keep to herself, but it also meant that she did indeed 
love Sayuri.

And Ukyou found it incredible that accepting that love was damn 
well fine with her.

***

Her butt hurt.

But then, it had been a while since Akane rode on Ryouga's bike 
for this long. They were heading back to his place to have 
something to drink and talk. She didn't want to go home because 
her mother might come in and wonder why she was still up. She 
didn't care. She'd had plenty of sleep and was awake enough to 
want to still talk.

She'd never been to his house, even back when she was helping 
heal him. That had always been something of a safe haven for him 
back then. If he ever felt that Akane was going too hard on him, 
he'd retreat to his job, or his home. He always played it off as 
responsibilities, but she knew better. When they got there, she 
decided that she'd have to impose a little bit on him so that she 
could change into something a little less...Well...Airy.

She had her jacket on, but the winds whipping around her on the 
motorcycle had become marketedly colder in the last ten minutes 
and they were still a few minutes from his house. She had put some 
clothes into the saddlebags on which she was sitting. Just a 
sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, but certainly warmer than the 
coconuts she was now wearing. Never mind she looked good in 
those same coconuts; they provided little in the way of insulation.

Akane put her head down against Ryouga's back. She closed her 
eyes and relaxed a bit against Ryouga, who seemed to radiate heat. 
He was nervous. Akane smiled. She knew that Ryouga liked her, 
but until tonight he'd never kissed her. They shared a small kiss 
before the whole thing with Daisuke happened. He was so sweet 
and gentle; it actually surprised her, especially when she 
considered his actions being a football player and what he did 
against Toma.

She liked kissing him. It made her feel warm inside. It felt good to 
her toes. She smiled again, but lost the smile as her thoughts took 
her back to the events back at the house that night. Another reason 
that she hadn't wanted to return to the house.

Ranma was SO frustrating. It was so hard to understand him 
sometimes. It was like, she knew him and then he would do 
something so completely stupid or kind or weird that it simply left 
her speechless. But tonight, he got the rough end of the shaft. 
Akane wanted to help, but she didn't know how. And after what he 
did back at the house, she owed him that.

So he caught her as they both went over the edge of the roof, right? 
He had twisted in midair and caught the top edge of the window, 
what used to be Kasumi's room. Kasumi used it when she came 
home, but she helped Akane and Nodoka change it to more of a 
general guest room. Nodoka hadn't wanted to do it, but Kasumi 
thought that it was necessary. So Ranma was holding onto Akane 
by the left forearm with one hand and the ledge with the other. It 
was luck that he actually caught some kind of edge and not the 
gutter; otherwise they would have incurred some property damage.

***

"C'mon Ranma, let me go," Akane yelled up at Ranma, "I can see 
the compost heap from here, it'd be easy to aim for it!"

"No..."

"Ranma!" she yelled, "You are so stubborn! Let me go!"

"Shut up already..." he grunted.

Ranma could feel the tendons burning in both arms. He'd have to 
be careful how he pulled her up, lest he pop something. That'd be 
all he'd need. Ranma gathered himself and slowly pulled her up to 
the small ledge that jutted from the bottom of the window near his 
waist. He hung there for a second.

"Grab-the damned-window!" he was shaking from the strain.

Akane glanced down and grabbed the ledge of the window.

"Now hold on," he said.

"Whu-?" she began.

Ranma let go and pushed off into thin air. Akane turned her head 
and watched as he landed lightly on the ground and took off 
running, missing the compost heap completely. Well, if HE could 
do it, then she damn well could as well! She turned back to the 
window ledge and shifted her grip so that she had a better hold on 
it. She huffed a couple of times, trying to get up her breath for the 
jump as well as her courage. She forced herself not to close her 
eyes and pushed off. As she hung in the air for half an instant, she 
realized she'd really screwed up and in the other half, she felt a jerk 
on her arm and the thud that ran along her side as she swung back 
and hit the side of the house. The pain not only in her arm, but in 
her side brought tears, which she shook away.

She looked up and saw that Ranma had opened the window and 
grabbed her. He strained as he tried to pull her up through the 
window. She tried to grab the ledge again but he grunted 
negatively. She brought both hands together with his and he was 
finally able to bring her inside. She panted against the rug in the 
room as she held her shoulders. The throbbing ache ran a distinct 
counterpoint to the sharp flare of pain in her head.

"Are you stupid?" Ranma shouted at her, "I was the last one to mix 
the compost heap remember? I would be the one to know if there 
was a rake in there or not?"

"A rake?" she asked weakly.

"Yeah," he shouted again, "And if we'd have landed on that, one of 
us would've gotten seriously hurt."

Ranma huffed as he rubbed his shoulder and stormed out of the 
room. Akane lay there for a minute, trying to calm the pain. She 
pulled herself into the bathroom and took some Advil for the pain. 
Dinner, which both of them received looks from Nabiki and 
Nodoka, went along in relative silence as the whole episode played 
again and again in her mind. Ranma took off shortly after dinner 
for Shampoo's place and before she got ready, Akane went out to 
the compost heap.

The wet smell from the heap drifted lightly around it and Akane 
could plainly see the pointy rake sticking along one side. The same 
side that she would have landed on, had she completed the jump. 
Ranma knew. He must have known. Tears jumped to her eyes with 
the realization that Ranma had saved her. Maybe not her life, but 
certainly from being poked by a large, pointy metal object.

Shaking, she went back inside to get ready for Ryouga.

***

Akane opened her eyes. She let go of Ryouga for a minute and 
wiped the tear that had jumped to her eye. It had to be from the 
wind...

***

Ryouga's mind wasn't too occupied with many thoughts. Most of 
them included the sweet bliss normally associated with Akane. He 
had been sweating slightly because she held onto him and wasn't 
really driving as fast. But if he had died right then, he would have 
died a happy man...

***

The house was bigger than she thought it would be. Ryouga had 
told her a little bit about how he got it originally, so she hadn't 
thought it more than an extension in a roadhouse, but this...The 
house was an old farmhouse with a small tower on one side and a 
wrap around porch. She couldn't tell the color in the dark, but it 
looked well kept and in good shape. Quite similar to her own 
house, really. Akane turned and looked down the little road that 
lead out to the highway. Jackson's Hole was out there. Just down 
the road from his house. Akane sighed as she took off her helmet. 
This was NOT a way to live. Ryouga gave her a questioning look, 
which she shook off as she followed him inside.

"We're home," Ryouga said as he opened the door.

No answer. He and Akane went inside and Ryouga looked around. 
Tofu had probably gone off to bed after his visit with his girlfriend. 
It was so odd that they didn't seem to be getting anywhere with 
their relationship. He knew that his brother wanted to go slow, to 
make sure it was right and all, but this was silly. A woman's light 
laughter floated in from the den. Ryouga looked back to Akane 
who shrugged her shoulders.

"I thought you said that your brother always went to bed before 
midnight?" Akane asked quietly.

"He does," Ryouga replied, "It's like clockwork. Come on, let's see 
who's kept him up this long..."

"No!" Akane whispered, "Ryouga, we should leave them 
alone...Ryouga!"

Akane tugged at his arm, but he'd already looked into the room. He 
couldn't see the girl, but she sounded so familiar, so close. Who...? 
Ryouga had to know. He opened the door and Akane just cringed 
out in the hall, waiting for his brother to throw him out.

"Oh, Ryouga! Home so early?" she heard his brother say.

"Cassie?!"

"Ryouga?!" the woman said.

A cold chill ran through Akane. She knew that woman's voice. 
Akane pushed open the door to the den and her mouth dropped. 
There, on the loveseat, her sister sat with a young man, not that 
much older than Kasumi. His brown hair ruffled above beautiful, 
steel gray eyes. Gold-edged, wire rimmed glasses framed those 
eyes as they smiled at Akane.

"Kasumi?!" she more said than asked.

"Oh my..." Kasumi sighed.

***

"So, you see, that's why I wasn't all too eager to tell mother, you 
and Nabiki about my dear Tofu," Kasumi explained.

"I just think you could have trusted us a bit more," Akane said as 
she pulled on her sweatshirt.

"I know, I just wanted to do this on my own," Kasumi said, "I 
know how you and Nabiki are when there's a mystery involved and 
so I kept it quiet. What do you think of Tofu, by the way?"

Akane smiled at her sister as she put her jeans on.

"He's a quiet guy. Quite good looking too."

Kasumi laughed gently. Akane straightened and frowned as she 
remembered something.

"Kasumi?" she asked, "Tofu...Weren't you dating a professor?"

Kasumi lowered her head and blushed.

"HE'S a professor?!" Akane gasped.

"I'm learning a lot," Kasumi giggled again.

***

"You mean that Cas-Kasumi," Ryouga corrected himself, "Is 
Akane's sister?"

"Yeah, so just cool it about how you know her, okay? They have 
enough to worry about with Kasumi being in school and away 
from home without having to worry about where she works," Tofu 
said as he stirred honey into a cup of tea, "I mean, I would get her 
to quick doing that if I could."

Ryouga could see the hurt cloud his brothers' face. Ryouga 
wondered what it would be like to date someone from the club, 
knowing that other men have leered after the one you love. Ryouga 
clasped his brother on the shoulder and smiled at him.

"Don't worry," he said, "I won't say anything."

It worried Ryouga to see Tofu this way. His brother had always 
been stronger. The better martial artist, even after training with 
Grandfather all those years ago and the fighting...Tofu had still 
always been better. It scared him slightly to see Tofu vulnerable 
and Ryouga vowed he'd help in any way he could.

"Good," Tofu smiled, "Now help me get these tea's out to the 
ladies."

***

Ryouga turned the latch on the window as Tofu fooled around with 
the fireplace, trying to get it lit.

"We haven't used that thing in almost two years," Ryouga said, 
"It's not going to light."

Ryouga began to pull the last window closed when he heard a 
small puff behind him, followed by the faint and familiar crackle 
of a new fire. He smirked and closed the window. He turned the 
latch and turned back into the room. Akane began to laugh first, 
followed by Kasumi. Tofu chuckled and arranged the wood as the 
fire grew.

"How's the tea?" Tofu asked Kasumi.

"Fine, thank you, dear," she said happily.

Tofu wondered slightly if it why the heat from the fire was making 
him blush so much. Time to change the subject.

"So what is it that you want to know, Akane?" he asked.

Akane set her tea on the coffee table and moved slightly as Ryouga 
sat next to her.

"Well, like this house..." she said, "This is really an amazing 
house."

"Nice, ain't it?" Ryouga asked.

"Yeah, and how did you two...?" she asked.

"Well, the original arrangement was that Ryouga and I both work 
at the bar. Jackson's Hole needed both major security and an on-
site doctor. Someone to patch up the wounded," Tofu began, "In 
the beginning, it was a horrid place to be. Ryouga came in and 
really worked magic in getting people to straighten up."

"I had to bust a few heads," Ryouga said as he sipped his tea.

"Yes, well the rent for this place was part of the payment," Tofu 
continued, "After a while, my position wasn't needed and I was 
able to divert more time into studies. And then, we bought this 
place outright from the manager. He let us buy it because Ryouga 
said he wanted to keep working there."

Akane picked up her tea and took a sip. It occurred to her that, 
while she'd known Ryouga for almost two years, she knew very 
little about him. What he was like and such.

"You know," she said as she put her tea down again, "I know 
almost nothing about your past, Ryouga. You've never told me 
anything about it and I want to know, if it's okay?"

Ryouga grew quiet and thought a minute.

"It's kinda sad," he said, "And it'd take a while to tell..."

"Who's personal history isn't sad, Ryouga?" Tofu said, "Look, we'll 
not go into detail with those sad parts and I'll help where I can. 
Besides, what else are you two doing tonight? You have...plans?"

He smiled at both Ryouga and Akane, who blushed fiercely.

"Okayokay," Ryouga said quickly, "Where to begin..."

The snap and crackle of the fire breathed warm life as Ryouga took 
a quiet sip of tea.

***

I was born in a little house to the north of Earnest, in a little town 
called Clemont.

"I remember something about Clemont," Kasumi said, "Didn't the 
town leave or something?"

As far as I can tell, someone with a lot of money bought the town 
and disenfranchised it. Pretty much got rid of the town in '92 or 
'93. Sad really, to think that I outlived the town in which I was 
born. I don't remember much about mom and dad, other than they 
loved me. I know that they were kinda sad for some reason. Maybe 
they knew what was going to happen to the town then...I don't 
know.

Well, when I was about six, there was a huge fire at the house and 
I remember waking up in the middle of the night coughing and 
choking for all the smoke that was in my room. I didn't know any 
better and burned myself on the handle of the door. So there I was, 
in the middle of a blaze, crying and holding my burned hand when 
the window opens up and an older boy jumps in and grabs me. I 
didn't want to leave my house and I didn't know where my parents 
were, so I fought him.

"Yeah, even back then you were strong as an ox," Tofu said.

"It was you?" Akane asked, surprised.

Yeah, it as Tofu that saved me. His father, Soi, tried to save mom 
and dad, but wasn't able to. Tofu somehow heard me screaming in 
there and got me out. Soi got out himself just before the place blew 
up. It was a total loss, and both of my parents were gone.

"Oh Ryouga," Kasumi said, a warm hand on his shoulder, "Akane 
and I know what it's like to lose a parent. But both..."

It's okay. I mean, I know they loved me and I know that both Tofu 
and Soi love me. I just wish I had the chance to know them, that's 
all. After that, Soi adopted me and Tofu became my brother. At 
that time, we all lived in a little townhouse in the developments in 
Earnest.

"Those near the house?" Akane asked.

Yeah, they're not too far from you. Same ones. It was cramped and 
all, but there was love there and Soi tried to raise me as best he 
could. I love them both, Soi and Tofu, but whenever I think about 
my real parents, I got into a depression that I couldn't get out of. It 
was bad sometimes. I'd sulk for days on end over little things. The 
holidays were the worst though.

"Then there was the summer of '93," Tofu said as he sat back with 
his tea and put an arm around Kasumi.

Yeah, that was a bad year.

"Bad?" Kasumi asked.

"Real bad," Tofu said.

Okay, so it was bad...I was about twelve and I started running with 
a group of pretty nasty people.

"Wasn't that the first summer you...?" Akane asked.

That's right. It was the first summer I tried drugs. I forgot that I had 
told you about it, but yes, you're right. The whole lot of them were 
into drugs and fighting and all the rest. I fit right in. It was at that 
time that I really found a use for my great strength. No one could 
beat me in a fight, even if they were pumped with drugs, I could 
still normally take'm.

"About six months later, father died under a mysterious heart 
attack," Tofu said softly.

Yeah, I still don't buy it. He was healthier than you OR I and yet he 
still had a heart attack caused by bad living? I don't think so. 
Someone set us up and then murdered him...I just can't prove it. 
Well, father died and things just kinda fell apart. I mean, we had 
the insurance policy money and all, but we also had bills and 
Tofu's college and everything else. So I went to live with 
Grandfather out in the desert until Tofu could get stuff together 
here. Grandpa Biin.

"Yeah," Tofu said, "He's an amazing old fart."

"Tofu!" Kasumi said, shocked.

"Well, he IS..." Tofu smiled.

Heheheheeee...While I was out there, Grandpa got me off the drugs 
and began to clean me up. To that end, he decided to teach me the 
family martial art, called the Void. I don't know where he learned 
it, but the technique is incredible. It involves being able to take any 
attack your opponent dishes out and redirect the energy so that it 
fuels your own attack.

"So that's why Ranma's attack doesn't work on you?" Akane asked.

Yeah, it's why Toma's attack doesn't work either. And it's why he's 
so scared of me.

"Have you been fighting again?" Tofu asked wearily.

"No, he's actually been protecting me and my friends!" Akane said 
quickly.

"And Ranma attacking him?" Kasumi asked.

"That was back when they still had a rivalry," she said, "They're 
okay now."

I still owe him, you know...

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Akane said, taking his hand 
in hers.

Ahem...Well, Grandpa taught me those techniques and I got them 
down, but it still didn't get me thoroughly clean. I was still into the 
fighting. Maybe not the hardcore drugs, but streetfighting was a 
way to bring in some money and I had no qualms about doing it.

"I brought him back here about nine months later," Tofu explained, 
"I had turned eighteen and was therefore awarded as Ryouga's 
legal guardian. I was working and in school and half a dozen other 
things, so our life here wasn't exactly ideal. I blame myself for not 
being here for him, really."

How many times do I hafta tell you? It wasn't your fault. We were 
both on hard times back then and blaming yourself won't make 
those memories any easier. Well, because neither of us were home, 
my drug habit came back and my fighting became worse. I was too 
strong for them to break any bones, but I certainly came home with 
busted lips and cuts and scars.

"I think the clincher was when I had to stitch up his head after 
someone tried to do an impression of a can opener with it," Tofu 
said.

Yeah, and me with no anesthetic, either. It used to be like a bad 
movie, and I was very much the addict.

"Yeah," Tofu said, "And then something strange happened. You 
just up and quit. I'd never complain about it, but you never told me 
what happened?"

Well, it was around that time that I first met Akane...