{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to claim them as my own. This story may not be used without my permission, and may not be used to make money in any way, shape or form. Characters and certain situations were created by Rumiko Takahashi, so don't try any funny stuff!}
"I think it's time for 'the talk'."
The twins stared at her blankly.
Taking a deep breath, Nabiki started speaking. "I know you got the lecture about sex and babies and all that. But..."
"What? Is there somethin' wrong?" Reichi asked, unnerved by his mother's nervousness.
"There is nothing wrong," Tatewaki interjected. "This simply has to do with your... differing development from your classmates."
Aichiko sat back on the couch and rolled her eyes. It would be another "talk" all right. "So big deal. We change, they don't. You made it fine; what's there to worry about?"
"You remember how you told me about that boy that kept asking you out, and how you'd rather die before you did?" Nabiki asked calmly.
"Yeah." Aichiko snorted. "Teruzo is such a creep."
"Well, what if you got a little carried away one day and suddenly found yourself..." She glanced at Tatewaki, who nodded. "What if you ended up mated to someone you couldn't stand?"
"Mom!"
Nabiki held up her hand for silence. "I know you two think you know everything. You're fifteen; I wouldn't expect less. But this is not something you want to ignore. For your own good."
"Dad, you mean I'll..."
"Watch yourself. I was older than you are, but we have no way of knowing when it may start. When you start having the dreams, don't be afraid to tell me. I had them, and then a few days later, your mother and I..."
"You mated?"
Tatewaki arched his eyebrow. "We did, as a matter of fact, but it was not purposeful, or even wanted at the time. Neither of us knew any better and we made a mistake."
Reichi looked crestfallen, as if he had been expecting to hear a tale of true romance.
"I don't want you, or your sister, to end up with someone you will be unhappy with. Your mother... grew to love me, but it was never easy. I just want you to find someone you will be happy with, and who will be happy with you."
"But I'm not even eighteen yet. How is someone I find now going to be happy with me in ten years? Or even two years? Dad, this doesn't make any sense. I don't want a girlfriend," Reichi complained, on the verge of whining.
Tatewaki shook his head. "It makes no difference whether you want one or not. When your body has reached maturity, though I believe it may be related to arriving at your sexual peak, the attention you receive from women will be overwhelming."
"But they're not even in high school yet," the boy grumbled in response, folding his arms across his chest as he slouched in the chair.
"I said nothing about girls. Women. Any female, though some do seem immune, may be irresistibly attracted to you. I will give you one piece of advice: if this starts happening, don't stay after school with any of your female teachers."
Reichi stared at his father. He then cracked a nervous smile. "Don't kid like that, Dad. That's freaky."
"It is the truth. I actually consider myself lucky to have ended up with your mother. There were many others chasing me, and not all were... appropriate."
"Like who?" Reichi asked in a whisper.
Tatewaki looked to make sure no one was within hearing distance. "This was not as close to becoming a reality as I had thought, but..." He leaned over. "Many of my dreams involved your mother, but an equal amount also involved your Aunt Kodachi."
For a moment, Reichi looked horrified. "You mean I'm going to... about Aichiko?"
"Probably," Tatewaki answered. "Though I think your family bond will prove to be a considerable barrier to... acting out on those dreams."
"Good!" Shuddering, Reichi shook his head. "Yuck."
Leaning back, Tatewaki fixed his son with a serious gaze. "Find someone before it happens. Make the choice for yourself. Don't let it be made for you."
"Did you... love Mom before... before you mated?"
"No. That is in the past, and now, we only want you to be happy. If the mistakes we made help you, then it is our duty as your parents to warn you of them." Tatewaki's gaze never left Reichi's. "Do you understand?"
"I guess, but..." Reichi finally had to look down at his hands, frowning. "You don't love Mom?"
Sighing, Tatewaki knew this was bound to come up. "I did after, and I suffered for it. More than your mother would ever admit. I have ever since then. It is the one weakness of a male: to be subordinate to his mate."
"So when I find a girl, she's going to end up bossing me around?" Reichi asked, having trouble taking it all in at once.
"Yes, she will. And you will gladly take it. This is why I am urging you to find someone you can... live with. Whether you think you can live with them for the rest of your life or not, you will adjust. Both of you will."
"Dad... Are you going to get a divorce?"
"Rei, I would rather chew off my own hand than separate from your mother." Tatewaki gave his son a small, yet toothy grin. "Get used to it."
"I believe your parents are interested in some time alone. Shall we go out for lunch?"
"Sure. I just wish they'd realize it's not a big deal."
"I think they're concerned that it may be a bit too... intense with your heightened senses." Kodachi smiled faintly. "It's a bit too late for that though, isn't it?"
"Yeah, basically. It's not like we didn't know what was going on two years ago." Reichi snorted. "They're so overprotective sometimes."
Kodachi laughed lightly, no longer possessing that spark of life or malice to laugh as she used to. "As I'm sure you will be when you have children."
Reichi blushed and shook his head. "I'm not having any kids."
"I don't think you'll have much of a choice when it comes to that point. My brother never imagined becoming a father at the age of seventeen, but it happened. I think Nabiki desired children even less, and yet, here you are."
"Well... Not when I'm seventeen!"
Again Kodachi laughed. "As you say, Nephew. We'll see though."
The two left the house and started down the sidewalk. "Where shall we go? Ucchan's? It's been... a while since I've been out for okonomiyaki."
Reichi's stomach growled at the prospect. "Um, I guess that's a yes."
"An appetite like your mother's. And cute like your father." She tweaked her younger companion's cheek and watched him blush.
Pulling away, Reichi protested, "Stop that." Then the things his father had warned him about came back with frightening urgency. Skittering away from his aunt, Reichi looked at her suspiciously. "Aunt Kodachi, do you..."
"Do I?"
"Do you ever, you know, feel something? For me, I mean."
"You're my nephew. You and your sister were a very large part of my recovery when you were just babies; I love you almost as if you were my own children."
Heart swelling with pride, Reichi smiled nervously. "But I mean do you ever... _feel_ something for me?" he asked guiltily, feeling nervous after the sweet things she had just said.
Kodachi's expression soured for a moment. "You're my nephew. I love you as my nephew and nothing more, if that's what you're asking."
Reichi let out a huge breath of relief. "Okay. I was just worried."
"Worried?" It took a moment, but understanding dawned on Kodachi's face. She gave a small, wicked smile. "You're getting to be that age, aren't you?"
"That's what Mom and Dad said, and now I'm all paranoid about it. I don't want to end up with some..." He gestured futilely, not able to put his worry into words.
"If you're half as perceptive as my brother was at that time, you'll be able to tell easily. I take it you're now on the hunt for a prospective..."
Reichi cringed, expecting her to say mate, an inelegant and insulting word to his ears. It was different for his parents, who had been together for so long. But he did not believe that any available girl was a prospective mate for him though.
"Bride?"
"Dad told me I should start looking, but the only girls that are going to even look twice at me are in school. I'm not really interested in any of them though."
"You've got some time; I'm sure you'll find someone."
Reichi shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He had no reaction when Kodachi linked her arm with his, and they continued on to Ucchan's that way.
"Hey, you two. What'll it be for you today?" Ukyo greeted them, already grilling up okonomiyaki for the other customers.
"I'll have a special. Nephew?"
"Seafood deluxe," Reichi answered glumly.
"Special and a seafood deluxe coming right up!"
Reichi stared blankly at the grill, watching the food cook. He knew his parents had given that "talk" for his own good, but it felt like he was under pressure now to find a girl and get married. And he was only fifteen.
"Don't look so down, sugar. Seafood deluxe is guaranteed to brighten your mood," Ukyo said cheerily, sliding the plate in front of Reichi.
"Thanks, Ms. Kuonji. I could use it."
Ukyo looked at him with an appraising eye. "Girl troubles?"
He nodded and picked at his hot lunch. "I'm just not interested in any of the girls at school. They're all so..."
"Immature?"
"Yeah, but it's not just that. I just don't _want_ a girlfriend now."
"Then what are you worried about? You don't need a girlfriend now. You should just relax and enjoy these days in school while you can. Once you get close to graduating high school, the pressure can be a real killer," Ukyo said in a conversational tone.
"Well..." He couldn't very well tell her the pressure was killing him now. "Kinda, well... I guess, my parents have kind of..." How to explain it? "It's kind of an arranged marriage." Reichi glanced at his aunt to find her giving him a bemused look.
Ukyo just shook her head. "I thought Nabiki was more sensible than that. She should know better than to mess around with arranged marriages."
Laughing a little, Reichi tried to cover his rear. "It's kind of arranged, but not really. I mean, I get to pick the girl and all. And it won't be until..."
Ukyo waved her hand. "Yeah, they'll make you think it's all in your control, and then they'll just rip it out of your hands." She flipped a cooking okonomiyaki almost violently. "Stay as far away from those as you can, kid. They're bad news."
Reichi sighed. "I wish I could."
"My nephew doesn't have that luxury though," Kodachi added. "He has be ready to step up to the altar at a moment's notice."
"Don't say that! I just..." He sighed and put his head down on the counter.
Ukyo eyed the two of them. "There's something I'm missin' here, and I'm not sure I want to know what it is."
"You don't want to know," Reichi informed her, his face still covered by his arms.
Nodding, Ukyo started on another seafood deluxe. "Well, you ever want to talk about getting shafted by an arranged marriage, you come and talk to me, sugar. Here, one on the house." She flipped the finished food into a take-out box and set it on the counter.
"Thanks, Ms. Kuonji," Reichi said, lifting his head finally.
"Ukyo to my friends." She gave him a friendly smile, which he could not help but to return.
Kodachi shook her head and paid for the food as Reichi quickly gulped down the rest of his okonomiyaki. "I think we've taken up enough of Ms. Kuonji's valuable time, Nephew. We should be going."
"It's not a problem. Come back any time." She waved as the two exited the restaurant.
"Were my eyes deceiving me?" Kodachi asked slyly as they walked away from Ucchan's.
"What? Something wrong?"
"Wrong? I suppose not. She is available. Though sixteen years your elder."
That took a bit for it to sink into Reichi's head, but when it did... "WHAT!?"
"It's not necessary to get defensive. If that's what you're interested in, far be it from me to tell you no," Kodachi conceded. "She does look almost the same as when she was in school..."
"It's not like that at all! She was just being nice!"
Nodding sagely, Kodachi said in a thoughtful manner, "And you? What were you doing?"
"_I_ was just making small talk," Reichi asserted, pointing at his chest.
"And thus, it begins."
"It's not like that!"
"I didn't think you'd find someone so quickly."
Reichi rolled his eyes and sighed. "I didn't find anyone, Mom."
Nabiki looked at him carefully. "I don't know about that. You've got... a look that you didn't have before. I'd almost say you were glowing."
Reichi shook his head and started on his homework. "There's no girl, Mom."
Patting him on the shoulder, Nabiki started toward the kitchen. "Of course there's not. Dinner will be early tonight."
That meant exactly one thing to Reichi. "Again? Can't you control yourselves?" he asked, disgusted and embarrassed.
"We did. You were at school. Don't be such an old lady; your opinion will change when you and this girl make it official." She smirked at his reactionary snarl and said, "Salmon. One or two."
"I'm not really hungry. Just one." But what he was really hungry for at that moment was okonomiyaki.
"And how's my favorite regular?" The okonomiyaki was already sizzling on the grill as Reichi sat at the counter in front of Ukyo.
"Hungry," he answered enthusiastically, watching the food grill with great interest.
"Good to hear. How's that arranged marriage situation working out?" Ukyo flipped the finished food onto a plate and started on a second one.
Shrugging Reichi started to eat. "Mom thinks I picked someone out, but I haven't. She says I've got a 'glow'. I think she's yanking my t... leg."
"She's your mom. I bet she can see something different in you that you probably don't even realize is there." Ukyo leaned forward over the grill. "Besides, whoever she is, she's the lucky one."
"Not you too! Why doesn't anyone believe me?"
Ukyo smiled and cleaned the grill, waiting for another order. "I think your mom's right. You do have a little glow," she said, giving him a small grin.
Sighing in defeat, Reichi shook his head and continued to eat.
Ukyo watched him, still smiling. He didn't eat nearly as fast as Ranma, but he could put away twice as much. Not that it mattered. Ranma wasn't a very regular customer any longer; he hadn't been for over ten years.
"Spicy pork, Ukyo-sama," Konatsu said quietly.
"Coming right up," she answered without enthusiasm. Thirteen years and Konatsu was still working at her restaurant, and she dearly hoped he wasn't still hung up on her.
He invariably told her he was over her and he just needed the work, Ukyo wasn't really sure. Konatsu was a friend, a close friend to her, and nothing more. Nothing... more.
"Ukyo, is there something wrong?"
Blinking rapidly, she looked up at Reichi and realized she had let his second okonomiyaki burn on the grill. She laughed guiltily, suddenly feeling very tired. "Guess it's just not my day."
She finished up the pork okonomiyaki and scraped off the remains of the burnt one. "Just not my day," she repeated and started a new one for Reichi.
"Uh, no, you don't need to make another for me," he said, trying to make her stop. "I don't need another. Really."
"No, sugar, you just stay right there while I finish it up. I know how growing boys need to eat. I fed one for a year, after all," she said, and Reichi could detect some bitterness in her voice.
He just didn't know what to say when he knew she was upset about something. "Ukyo, what's wrong?" he finally asked gently.
"Konatsu," Ukyo said sharply, "take over for me. I'm not feeling well." Before Konatsu could even get behind the grill, Ukyo was gone, heading up to her room.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Reichi asked, watching her go with concern.
Konatsu sighed before answering. "I'm sure she will be. This happens every so often."
"Oh." After another moment, Reichi slapped his money on the counter and left, leaving his food half uneaten.
Outside, he ran around to the back of the restaurant and looked up at the second floor windows. There was one half-open that he heard the distinct sound of quiet crying coming from. If he thought about it too long, he would just lose his nerve; he had to just do it.
Standing under the window, he jumped up and grabbed on to the sill. Pulling himself up, he looked in and saw Ukyo on her bed, face buried in the pillow. Hanging on with one hand, Reichi opened the window the rest of the way and pulled himself in. "Ukyo..."
She sat up immediately and stared at him. "What... How did you..."
"I don't mean to sneak in like this, but you seemed upset. I didn't think it was a good idea for you to just..."
"Get out of my room!" she yelled, all of his words falling on deaf ears. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
Flinching, Reichi started back out the window. "I'm sorry. I'm just... leaving... Sorry." He got one leg out and was about to hop lightly to the ground fifteen feet below him when the small lamp flew through the air and bounced off the side of his head.
Stunned, he wavered for a moment before falling out the window.
Ukyo's anger drained out of her as she watched Reichi slip from the window. She could have just... Standing quickly, she rushed to the window and leaned out.
There on the ground, looking like a smashed pretzel, lay Reichi; he was unmoving.
"Oh shit." She considered leaping out the window after him, but the last time she had done that, she had almost broken her ankle, so she settled for hurrying out of her room and down the stairs.
"He crawled through your window?"
Ukyo nodded. "Don't get mad at him. It really wasn't that big a deal." After all, she had hit him in the head with a lamp and caused him to drop like a rock to the ground.
"Oh, don't worry about it. He'll get exactly what he deserves," Nabiki said darkly, glaring at the still unconscious form of her son.
"But it's not..."
"It is. There is simply no excuse for that kind of behavior. When we get home, he _will_ get punished."
"I don't think he'll... go... easily." On the other hand... Ukyo watched as Nabiki lifted the young man and slung his body over her shoulder.
"I'll make sure you get an apology," she said. "Oof, kid, you're either getting heavier or I'm older than I thought," Nabiki added under her breath, shifting the weight.
"Um, okay." Ukyo could only manage those words as she watched Nabiki leave carrying Reichi.
"Loverboy, wake up."
"Mmm, Ukyo, don't cry..."
Nabiki shook her head before splashing the glass of cold water in her son's face. "Wake up!"
Snarling and growling, he sat up immediately, his hand lashing out to grab the person that had so rudely awakened him.
"Don't. Even. Try it."
Reichi's hand froze in mid-air at the sound of his mother's voice. He blinked, his vision coming into focus, and looked at the disapproving scowl on his mother's face. "Um..."
"Explain what you were doing in Ukyo's room."
"Uh." Reichi scratched his arm absently.
"And don't even try to change to get out of this. I want an explanation for it, and after I get it, you're going to call and apologize." Nabiki's eyes pulsated red once, then twice, and Reichi's gaze dropped.
"I just wanted to know why she was upset. She was crying and..."
"Reichi! Ukyo? That's who you've been..." Nabiki shook her head. "I should have known. Every night, coming home smelling like okonomiyaki. Damn it. She's over twice your age!"
"But I..."
"You are too young. Period."
Reichi growled. "If you'd give me half a minute to talk, I could explain! And it's none of your business anyway!" He stood, too quickly, and sat back down roughly.
Nabiki, face set in a tight-lipped mask of neutrality, said, "You got hit with a lamp. Just stay down for a while." She handed him a cool, damp cloth.
He didn't take it though; he looked at it impassively, frowning a little.
Sighing, Nabiki stood and sat next to him, placing the cloth on his forehead. "I'm sorry if I jumped to conclusions, but you don't understand. I just don't want you to end up in a situation you're going to regret later."
"Mom, there _isn't_ any situation. That's what I'm trying to say. Ukyo was just... being nice, and then she just flipped out and ran to her room. I was just checking on her." He shrugged helplessly. "She got a little upset when she saw me climb through her window."
"I bet she did." Nabiki took a breath and released it, slowly shaking her head. "I hope you didn't get that from your father."
Reichi had the good grace to look embarrassed about the whole thing, and kept quiet.
"One last thing."
"Yes, Mom?"
Nabiki took her son's chin and lifted his head so she could look in his eyes. "Be careful."
Her eyes glowed again, and Reichi could feel his will drain a little. "I will, Mom," he whispered.
Ukyo flipped the okonomiyaki on the plate. It read, in sauce, "happy birthday". "Sixteen now, sugar?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Get those girl problems worked out yet?"
Reichi was eating the first mouthful already. "No, but we worked out an agreement."
"Well, that's something. Your parents were all right with it all?"
Reichi snorted. "Not really, but I just said there was no girl and no way I'm gettin' married any time soon. Dad didn't care, but Mom was pretty worried." He shoveled down another mouthful. "She thought I'd end up with someone that I wouldn't get along with."
Ukyo laughed lightly. "She said that? And she had kids with _who_? That's funny."
"Why?"
As quickly as it had started, Ukyo's laughter ended. Reichi was looking at her quite seriously. "Well, um, Nabiki and Kuno didn't exactly get along that well."
"Oh." Reichi looked back down at his food and resumed eating.
"Hey, sugar, what's wrong? Your mom and dad are doing okay, aren't they?"
"Yeah. Just that... Dad told me that he and Mom weren't in love when they got together. He said that Mom didn't love him even when she got pregnant with me and my sister."
"Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry."
He shrugged, knowing he couldn't explain how much that had disappointed him, knowing he might end up the same way with someone. "Ukyo, if I told you something, would you promise never to tell anyone?"
"Well, sure, sugar. If it's that important to you."
"I'm... I'm a..." Reichi looked to make sure no one was paying attention to them. "I'm a werewolf," he whispered.
Ukyo's reaction was not exactly what he had been expecting. "Right. So what's this big secret?"
"I... just told you."
"Come on. I'd believe you turned into a giant, frothing wombat when splashed with cold water before I believed you were a werewolf."
"But... it's the truth!"
Ukyo smiled knowingly at him. "Right. I guess I won't know until a full moon though, and then you'll just be somewhere else then. Not that I even think you're remotely serious."
"I am," he said quietly and held his hand up.
Ukyo watched, the smile slipping from her face as Reichi's hand grew... larger. Longer, wider, and the flesh started to darken in color. She looked from his hand to his eyes and gasped.
"The truth."
It took a few moments for Ukyo to find her voice, and in that time, Reichi's hand reverted back to normal. "What the hell!?" she yelled and stepped away.
"Not now. There's too many people," he whispered, looking around to see the other customers staring at them both.
"Konatsu!" Ukyo snapped. "Take care of things!" Not even waiting for his agreement, she ran out from behind the grill and waved at Reichi.
He followed her up the stairs, making a concerted effort to not look at her behind. It was still tantalizing him though, and he knew he was going to have a hard time having a serious conversation with her.
Once they were in her room and the door was closed, Ukyo asked, "What the hell was that? How did you do that?"
"I told you, I'm a werewolf. I change into a..."
"I _know_ that! But... but..."
"I don't need a full moon or anything to change. I can do it whenever I want. It's really nothing like the movies," Reichi explained calmly, feeling very self-conscious as Ukyo stared at him.
"So... why are you telling me?"
"Because I... Because all the stuff we talked about, all the stuff about the arranged marriage..."
"Has nothing at all to do with an arranged marriage, does it?"
Reichi flinched at the look Ukyo was giving him. "Well, no. It's sort of like an arranged marriage, but not as... civilized." He was trying to avoid actually saying the words. She probably wouldn't be too impressed.
"Civilized? You turn into a... thing! I don't see where being civilized fits into the whole picture!"
"I don't turn into a thing," Reichi responded, frowning. "It's just another version of myself." That's what his parents had always told him in an effort to keep his self-image and sanity intact.
"Are you sure it doesn't work with water?"
Reichi looked from side to side with just his eyes, trying to find the person that would suddenly jump out with a bucket full of water. "Um, no. Water's got nothing to do with it."
"So, assuming I believe you, how did this happen? Did you get bitten by one or something? Or is that just a movie thing too?" Ukyo asked, feeling the comfortable weight of her oversized spatula in her hands.
"I didn't get bitten. I was born with it," he replied simply, realizing too late the opening he had left her.
"So you were born with it. Then how'd you... get it from there?"
Reichi sighed. "You promise you won't tell? You have to promise, or... People would get hurt," he finished in a whisper.
At first, Ukyo was implying that she would be the one getting hurt, but the look in his eyes told her otherwise. He wasn't threatening her; he was worried sick. "I promise I won't tell anyone about it."
"I was born with it because... both my parents have it. And my sister has it." He smiled weakly at her. "We keep it to ourselves; not very many people know. Grams and Aunt Kodachi; all of Mom's family; obviously Uncle Tofu..."
"Obviously?" Ukyo was taking it a lot better than she thought she was going to when she had first heard him. Instead of collapsing on the floor, she slowly sat on her bed, just listening to what he was saying.
"Yeah, well... It's a long story, actually. It's kinda how Mom... caught it."
"Keep talking, kid. You've got my attention."
Reichi sighed, knowing he would end up telling her everything.
"So I want to see this. If it's really true, show me. Not just your hand this time; the whole thing."
"But... I can't."
Ukyo raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"I'll... rip my clothes. Mom doesn't like it when I do that; she says it's a waste of money to keep buying me new clothes because I don't have enough sense to take them off first," he said, looking down at his feet and blushing.
"So strip, because right now, I'm still not sure I believe you."
Instead of protesting, Reichi pulled his shirt off and tossed it on the bed. He started to undo his pants, then found he couldn't really couldn't do that without embarrassing himself terribly. "Uh, do you have something I could... cover myself with?"
Ukyo tossed him a pillow from her bed without taking her eyes off of him.
Reichi dumped the pillow from the case and held the case in front of himself as he pushed his pants down. Swallowing, he worked his underwear down slowly while hiding his emerging nakedness. And to his disgust, that wasn't the only thing emerging.
He stepped out of his clothes, avoiding looking at Ukyo, and started to change. It was slow enough so that Ukyo could actually see what was happening, but quick enough so it wasn't unnecessarily gruesome.
Ukyo stared. There were no words for her to say, nothing to express her amazement. What was she supposed to say in the presence of a six and a half foot wolf... thing? Who was quite comically holding a pillowcase in front of himself.
"Well, sugar, that's quite..." Her eyes studied him, up and down, before something caught her eye. As much as she wanted to look away, she couldn't quite manage. "Interesting."
Reichi looked down at himself to see what Ukyo was staring at, only to find that he was holding the pillowcase a little to closely to himself, and his excitement making itself known. Quite earnestly too.
Yelping, he spun around, lowering his tail to hide himself from the rear, and tried to will himself to settle down.
"I guess I know why you were worried about ripping your clothes." Ukyo grinned, but it wasn't an easy grin. She wasn't really afraid, but she just had no idea how to react.
Reichi looked over his shoulder at her, and surprisingly enough, she could read the emotion on his face. "I'm sorry, sugar. You can go ahead and change back now."
He murmured something at her before he sat on the floor, the pillowcase held generously in front of him, and changed back human.
"I believe you now, if that's any consolation," Ukyo offered, tossing Reichi's shirt at him.
"Not really."
Seeing he wasn't happy, Ukyo decided to go back to her questioning. "Right, so explain this arranged marriage story."
"Okay." Reichi took a deep breath. "When I reach... a certain age, basically my hormones are going to go into overtime. I'm gonna get swarmed by girls and I'm gonna end up with one for the rest of my life."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. So I need to find someone that I won't mind being with. And I don't know when this is going to happen, so I have to do it as soon as possible."
"Well, that's tough. I can see why you were having a hard time with it then. It's not really that bad is it?" she asked, and her voice was just a tad quieter than it had been.
"You mean changing?"
She nodded.
"The first few times it's pretty bad. Mom said it was the worst thing she'd ever felt when she was pregnant, but I don't mind it. Mostly it just itches."
"What... what else do you get from it?" Ukyo asked, and her voice was certainly breathier than before.
Reichi shrugged, noting that he could now safely lay the pillowcase across his lap without revealing anything. "Well, my hearing and eyesight and sense of smell are all better. I'm faster, I'm stronger... Little stuff."
"Yeah, nothing important. So what are the drawbacks?"
"Uh... None, I guess. Except this whole stupid mate thing. But that's only for males. My sister won't have to deal with it. It's kinda cool sometimes, but I don't think I'm the same person I would have been without it."
Ukyo sat for a bit, thinking about it. "Well, you've got nothing to worry about, sugar. I won't tell a soul about your secret. I know a little something about keeping secrets too."
"Wow, you just know about all this stuff. How'd you..."
Ukyo chuckled a little. "Very long story. Very ugly story. When you've got a spare week, I'll tell you. Though, for some reason, I don't think it's as ugly as what your parents went through."
"I don't know. They won't ever say anything about that, except that's where Grams came from. She's not really my grandmother, but I can remember her even when I was real little."
"Hnh. Maybe I'll just ask some time then," Ukyo said thoughtfully. "Anyway, Konatsu's probably having an attack downstairs. Thanks for sharing your secret with me, hon."
Reichi blushed, smiling shyly. "I just felt bad saying all that stuff to you when it wasn't really true. And you were nice, giving me all that food... I just thought you deserved to know the truth."
"I appreciate it. Now get dressed and get out of my room."
"Is it always thirty out during practice? Is there some reason shade is not allowed on the practice field?"
"Yeah, because we all love to listen to you whine, Ujiaki."
"Guys, practice is over. Let's just call it quits now, okay?" Reichi asked, hot and sweating and not wanting to deal with squabbling teammates.
"Yes, oh mighty captain. You speak and we shall obey. Besides, I'm starved. Where are we goin' to eat?" Haseo asked, carrying a soccer ball under one arm.
"Dunno. Where do you think we should go, Reichi?"
It took only a moment for Reichi to come up with his answer. "I'm game for okonomiyaki."
Fukashi snickered. "You practically _live_ at that place, man!" he said, wiping his sweaty neck off with a towel.
"I think he's in love," Ujiaki added with a big grin on his face.
"Shut up, Ujiaki."
Ujiaki looked immediately crestfallen. "Sorry."
"Come on, idiot. You'd insult the Emperor to his face if he was standing here," Kaizo joked, punching Ujiaki in the arm. "Let's just get some food. Reichi's treat!"
They all started running as Reichi, called after them, "Hey!"
"Hey, guys. What'll it be?"
"Whatever Reichi's paying for!"
There was a chorus of shouted approvals to the suggestion.
Ukyo smiled at the group. "Then he's ordering. What'll it be, sugar?"
There were whistles and catcalls in response as Reichi sat with an annoyed look on his face.
"Shut up!"
The noises stopped immediately, replaced by quiet sniggering.
Reichi punched the person sitting closest to him in the arm.
"Ow. Why are you so sensitive?"
"Because this isn't funny," Reichi growled back, looking more annoyed with each passing moment. "Do you want food or not?"
"Well... yeah."
"Then shut up and order." Reichi pulled out his wallet while the others sat in uncomfortable silence and checked the amount of money he had with him.
He sighed. "My mom isn't gonna like how much money I spend on paying for your meals."
"Hey, Rei, can we go to your house after this?" Fukashi asked, overcoming the awkward silence of before.
"Um, sure, I guess. Why?"
Ujiaki had a huge grin on his face. "No reason. We can get some more practice in."
Reichi looked at them suspiciously. "Practice? You mean sitting around and watching my mom, right?"
"Dude! Your mom is so hot!" Kaizo proclaimed as the others nodded their heads in agreement.
"Well I don't think so!"
"Yeah, you've got your eyes all over..." Haseo whispered and pointed back at Ukyo.
"Hey, she's a lot better looking than _your_ mother."
The others laughed at Haseo's expense, and Reichi felt a moment's satisfaction at putting Haseo back in his place.
"It's not my fault your mom's a babe," Haseo mumbled.
Reichi sighed and put his head in his hand.
"Last time I was over and she asked if I wanted anything to drink," Kaizo said eagerly to the others, "and the way she looked at me... I thought I was gonna die right there."
"Like she knew you wanted her, right?" Fukashi added, getting into it.
"Yeah. Exactly. She knew it, and she was just giving me this look. Like she was a million miles out of my league. I was just this bug, and she coulda crushed me any second." Kaizo leaned back in his chair. "It was a moment of heaven."
"Man, she _is_ a million miles out of your league! Stop talking about my mom!" Reichi snapped.
"Sorry, but..." Kaizo shivered. "Your mom makes me feel all funny inside."
The others laughed while Reichi just shook his head. "You know what my dad would do to you if he heard you say that."
Kaizo paled suddenly. "Um..."
"I know!" Ujiaki said brightly. "He'd say boo, then Kaizo would run with his tail between his legs!"
Kaizo punched Ujiaki in the arm.
"Ow."
"Really, guys, can we not have this conversation? It's creepy."
"Sure, Rei. But can we still go over to your house later?" Fukashi asked, earning laughs from around the table.
"You never get tired of okonomiyaki, do you, sugar?"
"Not when you make it, Ukyo."
"Sweet talker. No free food for you today though. Got rent to pay."
Reichi looked around the restaurant. "How much does it take to run this place anyway? A lot?"
"Enough to make me work," Ukyo answered, cooking for almost full seating. "Loyal customers don't hurt, of course," she said, winking at him. "Especially when they bring the whole soccer team in."
Shrugging, Reichi smiled. "They ask where I want to eat and I say here. If they want to go someplace else, I don't mind. But if they ask me..."
"You know, sugar, if you walked off a cliff, I think they'd probably follow you."
"Maybe. I think it's because of... You know."
"Your overwhelming manliness?" Ukyo asked, fluttering her eyelashes slightly.
"Yeah, that's exactly it." Reichi leaned back a bit, showing his profile. "I'm just glad someone finally noticed."
"Sugar, you're a piece of work."
If Ukyo ever suspected that he was hopelessly in love with her, she never showed it. She just let him go on silently worshipping her, practically buying his own seat at the grill with the amount of food he bought there...
His parents never said anything else either. His mother was perfectly aware of what was going on and kindly gave him the space to live his life as he wanted. Reichi wasn't so sure about his father, if he really knew, but...
He was his dad, and Reichi didn't question him. Fairly quickly, he had learned not to question his mother; that just was not done. Questioning his father was... something else. He did it, but usually earned his lumps for it after.
So the raised eyebrows, the little things his mother said received no reply. The apparent obliviousness of his father was never an issue.
Reichi was left to deal with things without any parental interference. He thought it was the best thing in the world.
And then the dreams started.
"Hey, sugar, what'll it be today?" Ukyo called out as Reichi stepped inside. He looked a bit ragged to her eyes, but he was still young. He had probably just had a late night.
"The usual," he said quietly as he sat down in front of her.
"You're not really looking that good," she commented, starting his okonomiyaki. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Just... tired."
She looked up at him and caught his gaze for a single moment. A most unnatural feeling of want overcame her then, and she could almost see the spark. Almost, but not quite. She could certainly smell him though.
"On the house," she heard herself say. "On the grill, if you want."
Her eyes got very large and she hoped he hadn't heard that over the sizzle of the food.
"Thanks, Ukyo. I feel kinda bad taking advantage like this. I can pay; it's really no problem."
"It's all for free," she said huskily as she stepped outside herself again.
This time, Reichi heard, and he looked at her curiously. "Wha..."
Coughing, Ukyo tried to cover herself. "Because you're looking so down, it's all free for you today." She hoped that would work, but the look in his eyes didn't exactly exude trust.
"Thanks. I'd trade all the food in the world for one night of decent sleep though."
"That's too bad. Nightmares?"
Oh gods. Nightmares? That was such an understatement. His sister, fully changed, tempting him... At least he had been expecting that; his father had told him he would probably find her in his dreams when they started.
But his father had only one female in his family when he had gone through this stage. Reichi had three young, beautiful women in his family, and they all displayed themselves prominently in his dreams.
His mind had filled in all the details about Aunt Kodachi two nights ago, while his sister was there every night. But last night had been the end of it all. If Reichi didn't get a girl fast, he was going to go insane from the dreams.
"Mom..." he said quietly, shaking his head.
"Why don't we go upstairs and rest. You look exhausted," Ukyo suggested, running one finger down his cheek.
Reichi looked into Ukyo's eyes, and while his first instinct was to pull away from her touch, he didn't, just enjoying the attention from her. "Ukyo, you don't want to do this."
"You're right. I don't want to; I need to."
It took everything that Reichi was to resist the temptation, to not give in, and go upstairs with Ukyo. His father had had it easy. He hadn't been silently pining away for Nabiki for a year the way Reichi had been about Ukyo.
"I need to go," he said and practically ran from the restaurant.
He thought the dreams had gotten as bad as they could with the appearance of his mother in them. He found out that he was sadly mistaken.
It was all three of them, and Ukyo, and he could only comprehend what was happening as pleasurable rape. Sitting up in bed, his entire body shuddering, Reichi clamped down on the rush of feelings and stopped himself from making yet another mess in his bed.
Sweating, dressed only in a pair of shorts, he went to the window and stared out at the night. Panting, his entire body itched and felt like he was burning up with a fever. In a way, he was, and Reichi was perfectly aware of why.
Letting the transformation swarm over him, he howled to the sky with his full voice, unmindful if people awoke to his cries. Before he allowed himself to consider his actions, he dropped outside and ran across the yard.
As he went, Nerima did not exist. There was simply a long, dark tunnel in front of him with a single light at the end. The light... He had to get to the light.
Ukyo shivered in her sleep and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. It had been a long time getting to sleep for her, and even then, it was not peaceful.
Her mind was consumed by the things she had said to Reichi without even being able to control herself. She had just... volunteered herself for him, and her thoughts had been filled with the desire to have him all to herself.
She pulled the blanket tighter to her body.
Reichi stood under her closed window. He hadn't told his parents that it had started, though he figured they knew, so he hadn't received any advice on how to handle his feelings. It was certainly something he was regretting.
Frightening Ukyo, hurting her, was the absolute last thing he wanted to do. He was hopelessly in love with her, but that was being perverted into lust, and he just couldn't help it.
He leaped up and grabbed on to the sill with one hand while he opened the window with the other. Pulling himself the rest of the way into Ukyo's room, he swallowed audibly and looked at her still form in the bed.
All Reichi wanted was for her to realize how much he thought of her, how much he liked her. He wanted to tell her how pretty he thought she was, and how nice she was, and how he thought she was perfect.
As if hearing his thoughts, she sat up in bed, looking right at him. "Reichi? Is that you?" Who else could it be? Not that she really wanted to know.
He nodded.
"This... isn't a dream, is it?"
He shook his head.
"What are you doing here?"
Reichi changed so he could talk to her, and approached her bed. "I needed to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"This is the only time I could... find the courage. I couldn't tell you before." He stood next to her bed, then sat down. "I think you're perfect."
Ukyo shook her head, too tired to puzzle through what he was getting at. "Reichi, what do you..."
"You're beautiful and kind, and I've been in love with you for a year. I can't keep it in any longer." He leaned forward a little.
Ukyo watched him, knowing she should tell him to get out, but unable to make herself say the words. "What are you doing?"
"I'm acting on the way I feel about you. I love you." He leaned forward a bit more, her scent filling his nose.
"You... you shouldn't be doing this," she said weakly, her eyes half-lidded.
"I don't care. I just want you." He leaned forward again, this time kissing her.
Ukyo's stomach suddenly developed flutters, though she couldn't tell at all if it was nervousness or excitement. Words and actions that she should have said and done came to mind, but her body was determined to do the exact opposite of anything sensible.
She parted her lips and returned his kiss, putting her hands on his sides and feeling his smooth, hot flesh. The flutters changed to a throbbing, and for an instant, their kissing reached a peak of passion she couldn't even describe.
"No!" She shoved him away, almost knocking him off the bed. "I... I can't do this," she said, panting and staring at Reichi.
The words stung Reichi, but he knew he couldn't be upset with her. Her hesitation was perfectly understandable, though he would do everything possible to get her to change her mind about him. Sixteen years was not too large of a gap to overcome.
"I'll be back tomorrow night," he promised as he rose from the bed. "Tomorrow night. It's driving me insane, I need you so much."
"You can't. This isn't right." But she _wanted_ it to be right because it was so powerful.
Reichi backed up to the window. "Tomorrow night. If you really don't want to give me a chance, just... leave your window shut. I'll... find someone else then, but... I want you, not someone else."
He disappeared through the window, leaving Ukyo completely awake and very shaken. The next night then... She would have a lot to think about.
"Dad," Reichi whispered, "I need to talk to you."
His shape moved in the darkness, pulling free from a pair of furry arms. "What is it?" he asked when he was out in the hall with his son.
"They started, Dad. The dreams started, and I don't know what to do. I want her so much, but..."
"Is it Kuonji?"
"She's got a name, Dad."
"I suppose that answers my question then. I assume her feelings are not the same as yours?"
"No, and I can't just... I can't hurt her. I can't force her to do it just because of the way I feel. But if she doesn't, I don't know what I'll do."
"You have two choices; it all depends on how strong you are. You can either give it up, find someone else, or you can hold off the instincts until you manage to convince her." Tatewaki shrugged. "You need to do what you think you can handle."
"So this is all on me? You can't give me any advice?"
"Not really. I told you to start looking early. You decided you wanted to fixate on a woman twice your age. That _is_ all on you." He sighed, his gaze softening. "If this was something I could help you avoid, I would. It is something you simply have to go through."
Reichi slammed his fist against the wall. "I hate this. I just want a chance... I don't care about having a mate or being an alpha."
"Go back to bed. Let the dreams take care of the tension. Don't feel guilty or disgusted; they're just an effect of becoming an adult."
"But..." Reichi had a pained look on his face. "I dreamt about Mom. I don't want to think about her like that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's Mom!"
"Son, it's only a dream. Don't feel bad about it."
"I can't help it! It's Mom, and it's so... It's so real, like she's really there. I can't even look at her the next day without..."
Tatewaki couldn't help chuckling. "Go back to bed. Relax. Don't worry about the dreams; they'll go away when you finally choose a mate."
Reichi sighed and leaned against the wall. "I don't know how long I can hold out."
Ukyo sat up, sunlight streaming through her open window. It was late, really late, and she had to open the restaurant. She hopped out of bed and started getting around.
She hadn't slept very well, and she had been dumping too much of the work on Konatsu. It was starting to be Natsu-chan's as much as it was Ucchan's.
Dressed, she started to shut her window, but looked outside at the sun and the blue skies, and decided against it.
"Closing up, Konatsu. I'm dead in the ground right now." The very thought of cooking another okonomiyaki was enough to make her cry. A good bath was what she really wanted.
After the restaurant had been closed down and Konatsu on his way home, Ukyo finally could have her bath. She made sure the doors were locked and the shades were drawn before heading upstairs.
In the bath, relaxing, Ukyo's mind wandered a bit. There was so much pressure running the restaurant by herself, yet she didn't really trust anyone else to do it either. Konatsu was passable, but he sure wasn't someone she really trusted to leave Ucchan's to if she took a vacation.
Not now that Ucchan's was all she had left. Who could she really count on after all? If something happened, she would have nothing.
And then what would she do? True friends she could count on one hand, and true friends she could turn to in a time of need... A couple. Maybe.
She couldn't impose on Konatsu, especially if he didn't have a job. He would certainly offer, but she just couldn't accept. There was always... Ranchan, but that was just... It was still an awkward feeling for her. She felt like a reminder of Ranma's less than happy past, and she was still stuck there while he had moved on.
There was also... Who? Surely none of her customers would... Unless. Reichi's family was wealthy. The Kunos had more money than they knew what to do with, and if their firstborn son made a heartfelt request...
But she wouldn't want to take advantage of a nice kid like that. Not when he...
'I love you. I want you. I need you so much.'
The fluttering returned, powerful enough to make her feel queasy. He was serious, about everything, but he wanted and expected something from her she wasn't sure she could give him.
It just wasn't right. He was so young, and while it was legal, it felt wrong to her. And it felt even worse because her body wanted it. Some primitive, basic parts of her brain wanted it. None of that made the decision any easier though.
And she had to decide. There could be no hesitation; if she said yes, it was... everything. If she said no, he would simply find someone else. It wasn't like she was condemning him if she said no, but...
There was very definitely some affection for him in her. Pro and con time. He was friendly and boyishly good-looking and sincere, and he was far more mature than anyone she had known at that age... And he knew his place in things. There was something about him being grounded that she liked.
On the negative side, he was only sixteen, still a kid. It wasn't that big of a deal, but still... And the Kuno family. The name itself carried an air of forbidding. Abandon hope all you who enter here and all that. And...
Ukyo thought, but those were the only two negatives she could come up with. Pro versus con, and which would win... There was one thing she hadn't considered to the the depth she should have. Just one thing that seemed to turn the tide.
He wanted... lifetime commitment, love... He wanted her.
And Ukyo... She had no idea what she wanted.
She changed into her nightgown and got into bed. The open window allowed in the assortment of night sounds, reminding her of what Reichi had said before he had left. If she left her window open, he would...
But not necessarily. He wanted a chance. What exactly a chance entailed, Ukyo didn't know, but there was just something... There was something about him that made her very curious what his chance might be.
Swallowing, staring at the open window, she made a decision. Pretend. Pretend she had forgotten and leave the window open. That would make it easier to justify later on. She had simply been careless and left the window open.
Repeating that to herself, she tried to sleep.
With nervous anticipation, Reichi approached Ucchan's, and went around to the back. Seeing the open window, he smiled to himself and thanked his ancestors. "Ukyo," he whispered.
Standing under the window, he jumped up and grabbed on to the sill, then pulled himself inside. "It's me, Ukyo," Reichi whispered. "I'm here."
"Reichi?" she mumbled, turning over to look at him in front of the window.
"Yeah. I'm back. You're willing to..." He licked his lips and approached the bed, not even really sure what he would do if she simply said yes.
Ukyo sat up in bed and looked at him. "Can I... ask you some things first?"
"Of course. Ask me anything." He sat at the foot of her bed, resisting the urge to run his hands over her legs under the blanket.
"If I... agree to this, we'll be... together permanently?"
"Yeah. For life. That's how it works. Even if you don't really feel anything now, you'll..."
Ukyo closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't want to hear anything about that. All I want to know is... this isn't just some thing? It's not temporary?"
"The farthest thing from it I wouldn't ask you this if it was because I care too much about you." Reichi shivered at the prospect. "I just want to be with you more than anything in the world."
Ukyo looked at him, and even in the darkness, she knew how serious he was. She didn't know it was possible for a boy of his age to be so sincere.
"How can you love me? I'm so much older than you."
"I love you because you're a person I can admire. You're someone I can love and know I feel that way for a good reason. I can't give you any specific reason why I feel the way I do; I just do."
"Reichi... Rei, I'm... scared. I haven't considered spending my life with anyone since Ranchan..."
"Does that mean you'll..." He changed his position on the bed, crawling up and crouching over her. "Is that a yes?"
There was that fluttering again, and Ukyo could almost feel his skin against hers. She could certainly feel the heat through his clothing, the blanket and her gown. "Yes," she whispered in response.
It didn't get through to him right away, but when it did, he was almost unstoppable. He kissed her savagely, all the feelings from the dream rushing back to the forefront of his mind.
Ukyo pushed him away for a moment, her entire body screaming GO! at her, and took a breath. "Rei, I've never felt quite like this before," she said, then laughed a little.
Something computed in his brain. "Ukyo, let's go back to my house. We could have a big breakfast in the morning and spend all day in the bath. What do you think?" he asked excitedly.
"I'm not sure. I don't know about... seeing your... family."
"Put some clothes on and let's go!" He kissed her again, invigorated by excitement and sexual energy. He bounced off the bed and grabbed her hands, pulling Ukyo up and out of bed. "I'll help you get dressed!"
He went to her closet and looked in. Reichi first pulled out a shirt and tossed it to her. He then went to her chest of drawers and pulled a pair of slacks out. "There. Now to get you into those..."
Ukyo could barely comprehend the blur that was Reichi. It was mildly entertaining when he stripped her of her nightgown, but the urgency with which he tried to get her dressed was somewhat frightening.
"Rei, stop. If it means that much to you, I'll dress myself and then we can go," she said, pushing his hands away.
Reichi nodded enthusiastically, and waited while Ukyo got dressed. He didn't even give her time to get shoes before he swept her up in his arms and ran downstairs. "I won't go out the window. That'd probably be tough."
They left out the rear door, and Reichi ran all the way back to the mansion, not stopping for anything along the way.
"I dreamt about you tonight, before I came over," he whispered as he walked quietly into the house. "I dreamt about us and... lots of different things. I couldn't control myself. In the dream."
He set Ukyo down gently and took her hand. "Come on. I'll have to tell you all about them. I can't believe this is about to happen." Just walking down the hall, Ukyo's hand in his, was hard.
"Rei, I don't think we should be doing this here. Your family..."
"They don't care. My parents were expecting this and it's no one else's business," he answered breathlessly, walking a little faster than before. It was for a moment that he considered what he was doing and why.
It was ugly and inelegant and completely involuntary, but uncontrollable. He had waited for over year, silently watching Ukyo, waiting for the moment to come when he would have to make the choice.
He stopped walking suddenly and turned around so Ukyo ran straight into him. Before she could step back, his free arm went around her and he kissed her.
It was a moment of kissing before Ukyo had to pull away. "Not in the hall," she warned in a whisper. "Your room now."
Reichi looked at her and he could see the desire mirrored in her eyes that he felt. His parents really hadn't been lying. Too breathless for further words, he hurried to his room with Ukyo on his heels.
He opened the door and pulled Ukyo inside before swinging her around and tossing her on his bed.
She was immediately unbuttoning her blouse, the only thing on her mind the way she felt about Reichi. He was a good kid, a good friend, a very good-looking young man... "Rei, come over here and help me," she said, beckoning him as he pulled his shirt off.
He hesitated for a heartbeat before hopping on the bed next to her. Growling, Reichi tore at Ukyo's clothes, ripping them from her body.
Ukyo, in the meantime, was trying to get Reichi's pants off, completely uncaring that he was hungrily eyeing her body that she had been ashamed of for so long.
"Ukyo?" he asked, his voice an octave deeper than normal. "You realize what will happen if we..."
"It's too late. Isn't that what you said before? Once it goes this far, we're already..."
"Mated? Not... technically; it's just the attraction to each other for whatever reason." Reichi's entire body was quaking with the effort of restraining himself. Ukyo's hands moving over his skin, pushing down his pants, were really throwing him into a frenzy. If she didn't watch herself, she'd end up with two handfuls of very large, very amorous, very eager wolf.
"After then?" she asked, panting more than breathing, yanking on his pants, trying to strip them from his body.
"After then we will be." Reichi growled from the back of his throat as his pants were yanked down and his... raging, angrily so, erection was loosed.
Ukyo had only moments to get his pants off the rest of the way and get herself into a more comfortable position before he roughly, but not painfully, thrust into her.
The worry that had been resting in the back of her mind about the fact that she was in this young man's bedroom in his family's home where they probably weren't too far away so she couldn't make a lot of noise was completely blown away.
She cried out in surprised pleasure immediately, and a vague thought about why she had ever wanted to resist this skirted through her mind. Doubts were washed away in the tide, and she was left with only herself, Reichi, and total pleasure.
Ukyo arched her back, tossing her head from side to side as she fully gave in to the experience.
Reichi, however, couldn't. All of his senses were open and active, making it difficult to lose himself in the pleasure. He could almost hear his parents listening as Ukyo repeatedly cried out and he grunted with effort.
They were listening, and if he listened close enough... It didn't bother him though. Their sounds, inhuman growling and snarls, perversely enhanced his own pleasure, and finally he understood. No longer could he begrudge their often and enthusiastic sex.
If they felt even a fraction of what he was... The end was approaching, and the desire to let loose his joy for the entire house to hear was bubbling up. The noises from his mouth changed from grunts into gurgles, and the familiar feeling spread throughout his body.
Hearing Reichi's breathing changing, Ukyo opened her eyes and couldn't be sure if she was seeing things or not. He appeared over eight feet tall and had a strange gleam in his eyes. "Rei..." she managed to say before the pleasure made speech impossible again.
Growling as he felt his entire lower body tighten up and expand at the same time, he felt Ukyo quiver around him, and then his voice was set free by the consummation of his relationship with the glorious woman in his bed.
Ukyo let out her own, not quite as loud, sound of pleasure as her own orgasm took hold of her and shook her like a rag doll while she could feel Reichi shuddering within her. Too soon, as quickly as it had started, it receded, leaving her shaking and exhausted, limbs twitching periodically from the aftershocks.
Reichi hovered over her, still in the same position as before. She took the opportunity to stare through half-lidded eyes at his partially transformed physique. It was eerie and beautiful in its perfection and mass; she wanted to touch it and know if it was hard muscle, or if it had give, if she could dig her fingertips into it and massage it. "Rei," she whispered and ran her fingers down his arm.
Looking down at her, the whites of his eyes boiling red, he started to revert back to his human body. "Ukyo," he said softly, and fell forward, stopping himself from collapsing on her with his elbows. "Are you mad?" he asked, touching her cheek lightly. "It's done. There's no going back."
"If that's it, then there's no point in getting mad about it, is there?" She looked away from his face at his chest for a moment, running one finger down it, through the bare layer of sweat there. "I'm not upset."
"Personally, I'm the happiest man on the planet right now."
Ukyo looked back into his eyes. "Man?"
"I'm almost seventeen. Isn't that close enough?"
"No." She looked at him for another moment, then dropped her head back to the bed and closed her eyes. He was sixteen. She was... much older than that. And now...
"I think," Reichi said, kissing his way down Ukyo's neck, "that I want to stay right here for a while."
"Rei, stop. I... I need to talk to you about this." She really needed to, but... Ukyo gasped as Reichi set to making all his dreams come true.
"Rei..." Her hands were on the top of his hand so she could pull him back up and talk to him. "Rei... oh, Rei..." Her fingers worked into his hair as the pleasure arced through her.
Reichi slept in the darkness next to her, silent and unmoving. He slept like the dead. One arm lay draped over Ukyo's stomach as she stared up at the ceiling.
She certainly didn't _love_ him, but from what he had said, she would grow into the emotion. She would be the companion, virtually a wife, of a sixteen year old boy. What would she ever be able to tell anyone about her... mate?
As if responding to her thoughts, Reichi rolled over and cuddled up to her, gently biting her shoulder.
Unfortunately for Ukyo, her first thoughts were about taking care of Reichi like a mother, not acting as a... lover. "Rei," she whispered, not trying to wake him up, "I know it's too late, but I'm not so sure."
She traced his face, imagining the line of his jaw and the set of his cheekbones. If he weren't such a good kid, it would have been so much easier to discount what had happened. But he was... friendly and sweet and cute... And she didn't even know if it was what she really thought, or if it was just the whole bond thing talking, telling her how to feel.
"You're so young; how will we get through this?" How would _she_ get through it? Her... husband was sixteen, wasn't even in his final year of high school, and she was a moderately successful business owner. It just didn't make sense. How could she go out in public with him, looking more like mother and son than lovers.
Maybe if she was lucky, he'd mature like his father and look older than he actually was. His father... was her father now? That just wasn't something her brain wanted to consider. Her "father" was only a year older than she was, and that would be a little difficult for her to take at all seriously.
"Rei, tell me how I can get through this. I'm... attracted to you, but I don't love you. I'm afraid I won't... be able to make it through this." Her entire life spent with this one person was a scary concept, but... They would always be together, there would never be betrayal or doubt, and though she knew things wouldn't always be perfect, they would be... happy.
If she could trust what Reichi had told her about his parents, and Ukyo didn't think he had any reason to lie about them, considering the odd circumstances that had surrounded their relationship, subsequent disappearance, and all the strange stuff... They were still together and seemed happy. Or satisfied. Not quite happy _and_ satisfied, but they had been thrown together unwillingly.
And they had only been a little older than Reichi at the time. Ukyo had been through sixteen years of not having a man she could really rely on like she wanted to. No long relationships, nothing that had ever been close to permanent.
Could she be happy and find satisfaction with Reichi? She wanted to be able to say yes, but there were so many doubts. But more fundamentally, did she want to?
While they were questions too late to influence her decision, she still had to struggle with them. Maybe she needed to have a long talk with Nabiki because she just wasn't coming up with any answers, easy or otherwise.
Pulling the blanket up and covering them both, she tried to let her mind rest while her physical fatigue would take her to sleep. Reichi was a comforting warmth next to her even while he kept his mouth on her shoulder.
"Rei, honey, you're drooling on me," she whispered, gently pushing his head away.
Sighing, Reichi moved his head and was still again.
It was the tiny gestures that Ukyo found herself unable to resist. The sound of his sigh when he was content, the softness of his hair against her skin, the look of peace on his face when he was sleeping... It was her doing that had changed him from a boy into a... not quite a man, and it was hard for her not to admit that there was an appeal in it.
The appeal in him being somewhere between a boy and a man. And him being totally committed to her. That was something very hard for her not to find attractive.
Rolling to her side, Ukyo put her arms around Reichi finally fell asleep, her worries gone.
"Breakfast."
Ukyo yawned and sat up, holding the blanket to her chest. "Breakfast?"
"Yeah. Smells like..." He smelled the air. "Little bit of everything. Mom and Dad musta been up all night."
The look on Ukyo's face was nothing but confusion, but she decided that she just didn't really want to know. "Um, I'll just get ready now."
Breakfast was a veritable feast. Ukyo had never seen so much food in a home for one meal. Kodachi and an older woman that she didn't recognize were already at the table.
"Hi Grams, hi Aunt Kodachi," Reichi said cheerily before plopping down next to Kodachi.
"How did you sleep, Dear?" the older woman asked.
"Great!" He looked at the table, overburdened with food. "Is this it?"
"I'm afraid so. We weren't expecting... last night, and this was all that was left."
"Oh. Sorry about that, Grams. Next time, I'll try to..."
"Control your hormones?" Kodachi asked, smiling at Reichi and a madly blushing Ukyo.
"Mention that I'll be having a guest over, Aunt Kodachi. What my hormones do is my business."
"Yet, I think the rest of the house could figure out just what they were doing last night."
Reichi looked away, blushing.
"All night."
"You've tortured the boy enough, Kodachi. Can't you see he's in love?"
"Quite right, Irina. He's so fun to tease though."
Ukyo sat next to Reichi, hoping the attention wouldn't turn to her. "Rei, what is all this?" she whispered, not sure if it was safe to eat.
"Well, we eat a lot of proteins, and sometimes, stuff tastes better when it's not... made the way you're used to." He leaned over the table as the other two women watched with amusement. "This you shouldn't eat," he said and gestured to what looked like perfectly fine chicken and vegetables. "The soup's fine, eggs are good, rice..." He shrugged. "Just be careful of the meat."
Ukyo nodded, still looking at the food. "I'll just have something small; I'm not that hungry." She fixed herself a small plate and started eating.
Reichi heaped his own plate with the chicken, something that might have been raw beef that Ukyo didn't look too closely at, some pork along with the usual breakfast fare she was used to seeing.
"If I have to tell Teruzo no one more time, I'm going to scream," Aichiko proclaimed, sweeping into the room and taking a seat on the other side of the table.
"Why don't you give him a chance? He just wants to get to know you, Dear," Irina said, passing her a plate stacked with a pile of various types of fish.
"Gram, he smells funny," she protested, wrinkling her nose as she put half of the fish on her own plate. "I don't know what it is, he just smells."
"Some people just don't take rejection very well. Don't lower your expectations, Aichiko," Kodachi added.
"I'm think I'm going to have to start looking for college guys. High school is just too..."
"Perfect for your age. Don't even think of heading to the university to go boy hunting," Nabiki warned, entering the room with another full plate of food. "You think high school is bad? College isn't any better. And they all smoke and drink there."
Scowling, Aichiko looked at her plate as she ate, listening to her mother. "But..."
"No buts. I've been there; I know. If you could have seen half the times I had some half-drunk party boy try to pick me up, you'd probably give up men right now." Nabiki sat down at the head of the table. "You got the talk. You want to end up with some drunk salaryman, living in a matchbox-sized apartment in Tokyo?"
"No, Mom," Aichiko mumbled, knowing she was right. Her mother was always right.
"Give it a little time, Aiko. You're not as driven like your brother, so you can afford to... browse for a while longer. I'm sure you'll find someone to match your personality before you're out of high school."
There was silence for a minute.
"Rei, how was your night?"
"I don't know, Mom. Why don't you tell me?"
"Don't speak to your mother that way." Tatewaki entered and went to sit at the opposite end of the table as Nabiki.
"Sorry, Dad. But it's true. I know you were listening," Reichi asserted.
That made Ukyo pause in her eating. They had been... listening? They had heard her? With Reichi? Her entire face felt hot and she knew she was blushing.
"And I heard you too. I wish you'd just give me some space for once." Reichi had a sudden desire to hold Ukyo, feeling like his parents were trying to take her away from him. "This is my life," he said, and Ukyo could hear the low growl he let out.
"Don't try to test me, Son. Your life, my house, my rules."
Ukyo could feel the tension, though the others at the table ignored it and continued to eat.
"Dad."
Glancing at Reichi, Ukyo could see how stiff his body was, and she could just imagine that he was holding back, trying not to change. She was so busy trying to look like she wasn't looking, she let out a frightened gasp when Tatewaki strode forward, grabbed Reichi by the front of his shirt and lifted him into the air.
Shaking him briefly, growling while he did so, Tatewaki resisted changing and showing his son exactly who was in charge in front of everyone.
"Da-a-ad," Reichi stuttered.
"What?" Tatewaki stopped shaking momentarily.
"She's my mate," he whispered, looking in his father's eyes pleadingly.
Sighing, Tatewaki dropped him. "We need to talk."
Recovering, Reichi nodded, and the two left the room.
"Welcome to the family," Nabiki said to Ukyo, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Thanks. I think."
"I'm not calling you 'daughter' though."