The Pursuit of Love

Ukyou nearly sucked in her breath at the masculine beauty on display when Mousse came out of ‘his’ room wearing a dark grey suit and black shirt with a mandarin collar. His hair was freshly washed and hung loose and straight to his waist, as it always had since she’d known him. “Do I look okay?” he asked her nervously.

“You look good enough to eat” she assured him. “Just wondering why you’re wearing so much black these days. Have you become Goth?” she joked.

“No when I decided leave my old life behind; I decided it was time for a change in every way. I still practice my art, but I don’t wear the robe fulltime anymore. Besides, getting stains out of white clothes everyday is a bitch. I’m pretty sure that my hands are three shades lighter then they’re supposed to be because of the bleach I used to wash my clothes in” he said.

Ukyou held up his hands and looked, “nope, you just look like a gaijin” she teased. “Yes that finger is just as white as the rest” she commented.

When they arrived at the Tendo dojo, Mousse was struck by how improved the place looked. The house was in much better shape and the dojo sported a new sign that read “The Saotome-Tendo Martial Arts School of Anything Goes” with a phone number listed and hours displayed.

“Wait Mousse, I wasn’t even thinking. Are you okay to see Ranma after how Shampoo treated you?” Ukyou asked in panic.

He smiled at her “kind of late to ask now. I have no problem with Ranma, it’s not his fault I married a stalker like I used to be” he said somewhat ironically. “Come on Uuchan, let’s get this show on the road” he said and rang the doorbell.

Akane came to the door; she was a little more voluptuous from giving birth, her hair longer and she was taller. “Mousse you look great!” she said and surprised him by hugging him.

“You look wonderful yourself Saotome-san” Mousse replied.

“Call me Akane” she laughed. “Anyone who tried to kill my husband deserves to call us by our first names” she said.

“Good thing he didn’t succeed” said Ranma, putting his arm around his wife’s slim waist.

Mousse goggled at how developed he’d become “I certainly wouldn’t have challenged you if you’d looked like that back then. You look like the Terminator” he said.

“You’re looking good yourself, you clean up well. Where’re your glasses?” the taller and much broader Ranma inquired

“Laser surgery, amazingly enough it worked and poof, no more coke bottle glasses” Mousse replied.

“So still flinging the weapons around?” Ranma asked.

“Of course, I’ve improved over time. Perhaps I need to give you a demonstration, or just leave you the duck training potty” Mousse teased him.

Ranma winced “don’t remind me” he said sourly.

They were shown in and everyone marveled at changes in the Chinese man.

“Hi Mousse, come meet our sons” Kasumi said, bringing him over to the two dark-haired infants nestled in their car seats. Mousse smiled at them and one opened his dark eyes, shifted and went back to sleep. Mousse chuckled at this; he had a soft spot for children. “I’d let you hold one, but it’s really hard to get them to sleep at the same time as they are now. Really hard” Kasumi said apologetically.

Ranma came by and dropped a small redheaded infant with bright blues eyes into Mousse’s arms “here, this one’s always awake” he said fondly.

“Wow, she really does look your female half” Mousse exclaimed.

“Yeah, she’s going to love it when she’s sixteen and her old dad looks just like her” Ranma said.

“She’s going to be very confused” Mousse predicted.

“Hey yours will be just as confused, duck man” Ranma teased, and then caught the warning glare from Akane. “I’m sorry” he said sincerely.

Mousse rubbed the back of his head nervously, a habit that he’d picked up from Ranma. “It’s okay, I’m not having children anyway; they might have webbed feet or something” he said.

“Come help me serve Ranma” Akane said hastily, leaving Mousse holding the baby.

“You want me to take the little fusspot?” Ukyou offered.

Mousse laughed when the tiny redhead grabbed some of his hair and started to chew on it, he fished it out of her mouth, so she grabbed his finger instead and started gnawing on it with tiny teeth. “No its okay, I like children; I’ll keep the little cannibal for a while” he said. He didn’t see Ukyou look wistful at the sight of him holding a baby.

Mousse could only marvel at how everyone had changed, yet stayed the same. Nabiki looked exactly the same and seemed to have influenced her now taller fiancé to wear normal clothes. Ryoga had broadened out, just like Ranma and had grown his hair longer and his girlfriend, Akira was just super adorable and really friendly. Mousse laughed over Kodachi’s antics in Brazil, where she and her runaway groom were on honeymoon; she seemed as nutty as ever. Mousse enjoyed having dinner with his ex-enemies and was now glad that he’d come to the craziest place he knew to escape the craziness of his life.

Akane noticed how Ukyou was gazing at Mousse and put two and two together. “Ukyou, would you help me with the dishes?” Akane asked.

“I’ll help honey” Ranma volunteered.

Akane gripped Ukyou’s hand and said “no thanks, I want Ukyou to help me” she cried, practically dragging the stunned girl into the kitchen. The guys just rolled their eyes at each other, understanding the girl talk signal; while Mousse remained oblivious to what had just transpired.

Akane scraped the dishes and handed them to Ukyou to be put in the dishwasher, which the Saotome-Tendo household now proudly owned. “So Mousse is staying with you?” she commented.

Ukyou leaned forward so that her hair covered her burning cheeks “yes we became friends shortly before he left” she explained.

“What sort of friends?” Akane asked causally.

“Just friend, friends, like you used to be with the other boys” Ukyou answered.

“So there’s nothing going on between you two?” Akane asked, clearly disappointed.

Ukyou decided to level with her “I’m fond of him and would like to be more then friends, but he’s too emotionally fragile for that” she said. “He’s going to need time, Shampoo really messed him up, and so he’s sworn off love and relationships” she explained.

“What man doesn’t come with baggage? Just give him time and be there for him as a friend until he’s ready. He’s a keeper, better grab him before someone more persistent scoops him up” Akane advised.

“Believe me, I’m not giving up” Ukyou swore. She went back to the living room and watched as Mousse entertained Gaori by juggling brightly coloured balls until the baby giggled and clapped her hands. Then crawled over and stole a yellow one when he let them drop.

“Guess she takes after her mother with her love of yellow” he said to Ukyou as they watched her try and shove the ball into her mouth. His eyes were happy, but Ukyou could tell that he was thinking about his own unborn child.

“Everyone’s leaving and Akane and Ranma have to put the wee monster to bed” Ukyou said.

“Let’s go home then” he replied.

When they arrived home, they both changed into their pajamas and decided to have a night cap. Ukyou studied Mousse, he looked cozy in his blue flannel pajamas, black terrycloth robe and slippers “did you have fun tonight?” she asked.

He nodded and watched how the sake swirled in his glass “yes, everyone was a lot nicer then I remembered. That was a good idea” said.

“I guess that it must be painful to be in the presence of happy couples when you’re single?” Mousse said suddenly.

“Sometimes” she admitted. “How about you?”

“It always reminds me of what could have been and never will” he said, and then laughed. “You must be getting sick of me being so melodramatic” he said.

“I could never get sick of you” she promised him.

“I don’t know why” he said and finished off his drink and stood up “I should turn in” he said and kissed her cheek, then paused. “You want hear something crazy? When we used to hang out, I had this huge crush on you. Goes to show how nuts I was, you were in love with Ranma and I was in love with Shampoo, or so I thought. Yet I still developed feelings for you”

Ukyou touched her cheek and faintly agreed “yes, very crazy”

They were awaken a couple of hours later by the apartment door being flung open and someone shouting “Ukyou where are you?” She scurried out of her bedroom clad in just her long nightshirt, her spatula clutched in her hand in a defensive manner.

“Jiro?” she questioned to see her ex-fiancé weaving drunkenly in her hallway. She lowered her spatula and stared at him in surprise, which is all the time he needed to pin her against the wall. Ukyou could have kicked his can, but wanted to deal with him quickly and send him on his way, so she let him.

He leaned in and puffed whiskey flavoured breath into her face as he said in a low voice “we were engaged for over a year and you would barely let me kiss you and now you’re fucking some guy who’s staying you. Don’t bother denying it; Haruka saw him with you when she came to get her present, she said you two seemed awfully chummy.”

“She’s wrong; I have an old friend staying with me. We aren’t that way” she hissed.

“Which friend?” he demanded.

“Mousse” she replied, she’d told him about her past crushes and boyfriends.

“The Chinese guy you were sweet on when you were sixteen?” he asked, demanding confirmation.

“What the hell’s going on here?” Mousse demanded, exiting his room. He’d taken his shirt off at some point and even from her vantage point, she found herself admiring him. His chest was smooth, muscular and hairless. Against the blackness of his slightly mussed hair, he looked to be carved out of marble; only a slightly yellow ting betrayed his Chinese heritage. With his green eyes snapping with anger, Ukyo thought that he looked like an avenging angle. “Uuchan come to me” he ordered.

Surprised, she past Jiro and stepped behind Mousse. Normally she would have been insulted by someone trying to protect her; now it kind of turned her on. He drew a knife out of nowhere and said “who are you?” in a threatening voice.

“He’s my ex-fiancé” she explained.

Mousse put down the knife “I thought that you were supposed to be an officer of the law, what’re you doing breaking into young woman’s homes so late at night?”

“I heard she was living with some guy?” Jiro stated.

“I’m her roommate; nothing more. Even if there was something going on, what’s it to you? You broke up with her” he snarled.

“No guy likes being replaced so fast” Jiro said, somewhat calmer.

“You haven’t been. You’re trespassing, I suggest you leave before we call the sober police and tell your buddies about you harassing your ex” Mousse advised.

Jiro paled, he hadn’t thought that far ahead when he’d gone drinking. The alcohol had made Ukyou’s flaunting another male before him seem more acute. He examined them; they were both dressed and had been sleeping apart “I’m sorry Ukyou, I jumped to conclusions” he said humbly.

“Good, now give the lady her key and leave. Even if you have another copy, we’re getting the locks changed in the morning and sending you the bill” Mousse said.

Jiro pulled out the key, put it on an end table and left quickly. Mousse visibly relaxed. He put his arms around Ukyou and hugged her tight, and then just as quickly pulled away. “Are you okay” he asked her.

She reproved “you didn’t have to do the knight in shining armor thing, I could have knocked his block of if I wanted” she pointed out.

“I didn’t doubt that for a second; Jiro’s ego was bruised and had a female kicked his can, he could have gotten violent. With another guy calling the shots and explaining the situation, he backed off when he realized there was no real threat to his manhood. I know the type of guy” he explained.

“I suppose your right, you’re my hero” Ukyou said in a breathy, facetious voice.

He pushed her towards her room and said “get to bed” with a crooked smile; her laughter reached him even after he closed the door.

Mousse went back to his own room and laid thinking in the dark.

Mousse POV

I hugged her and all I could feel was a stab of lust. I could feel her body warmth through the thin nightshirt that she wore, her full breasts pressed against my chest and her slim toned curves. It was all that I could do to prevent myself from tearing off the clothes between and taking her up against the wall. I wanted to stab myself inside her and fuck her until she screamed my name. Instead I just pulled away and pushed her into her bedroom.

I wish I could tell her the full story of my so-called marriage, but even the details she knew were pathetic enough.

I had gotten on the plane to take the dying Cologne, Shampoo and I back to the place I truly hated, with my body still tingling from Ukyou’s kiss goodbye. I knew that it was wrong, but I had developed feelings for her of lust, coupled with something akin to love I suppose when I think about it now. Yet I knew that I could never claim either of these things from her, so I tamped down my growing emotions and accepted only the affection she offered. She was nice to me and treated me with respect; something that I wasn’t used to. I was just ‘duck boy’ to everyone else, a figure of fun and amusement to all. I know that she used to laugh at me too; I remembered her from the crowd cheering Ranma on when he first defeated me. I didn’t hold it against her.

Night after night we would drink tea and talk about our dream spouses, without her becoming aware that my interest was shifting. So many times I looked into her beautiful, animate face and longed to remove her clothes, to slowly unwrap her chest bindings to my mouth and fingers. To slip her panties from her body and part the short wiry curls that would perfectly match those on her head and worship her pussy until she mewed with pleasure. I would mount her after the pinnacle of her pleasure and make love to her until she cried my name while we came together. It would have been nice to have someone cry my name for once. What a joke.

My marriage, now there was another joke. Once Cologne had succumbed to old age, Shampoo had been inconsolable. She’d clung to me like a lifeline and could barely stand my being away from her for a second. Yet I knew that her ability to rule was being challenged by a cousin of hers. I forced her out of her funk, I wrote her speeches, I told her what officials she needed on her side, I arranged truces for battles that had been raging between families for centuries and I suggested marriage alliances to hold these truces. All of this I did from the shadows, giving her all the credit. I was the man behind the woman and my instructions paid off, she won and became the leader. Realizing I was invaluable, she agreed to our marriage and ceded defeat to make it possible.

Another joke; my wedding night. I admitted to her that I wasn’t a virgin and apologized for this. Like she cared! All those things I longed to do with Ukyou, I did to my virgin wife. I lovingly ate her out for over an hour, driving her to spend many times, wanting there to be as little pain as possible for her. When I finally penetrated her, I was as gentle as I could be. It should have been the greatest experience of my life, to have the woman I loved impaled on my body and it was until she screamed Ranma’s name. It hurt so much that I felt like something died inside me that night. I’d thought that my innocence was taken the night a drunken twenty year old pushed me back onto a musty smelling futon and mounted me. Now I realized that it was the night my wife rejected my love. The final bit of it died the night I buried my child.

Once Shampoo grew in power, I became an embarrassment with my bad eyesight and bumbling ways. We got my eyesight fixed but that was just the beginning of my problems. I was a late bloomer I realize now. I was embarrassed of my pale skin, height, thin frame and green eyes, all of these things marked me as being of mixed blood. Amazon men are meant to be submissive, but possess a broad, powerful frame and stellar good looks. I looked delicate compared to the average male. I slouched, I wore my clothes loose even for a weapons master and wore glasses that barely corrected my vision, but hid my eye colour. I could feel Shampoo’s attention shifting away from me while watching other males compete in the male martial arts tournaments. I knew she was courting someone else’s favour, when my inquires as to her whereabouts, were met with “she’s busy” and snickers as I walked away. She grew distant and didn’t wish to make love even the few times we still did.

When she insisted on having a certain type of flower to wear in her hair for a festival, I knew was probably because it was her new love’s favourite. I was really ill and for once she took pity on me and went to climb the mountain herself. After half a day had elapsed, I forced myself to climb it as I was worried about my wife. When I got to the top, I was positive that what I was seeing was a fever induced hallucination. My wife lay on the ground with her skin blotchy and swollen and her lips empurpled, she still held the flowers in her hands. I touched her, she was so cold and blood seemed to have leaked from her womb. I sobbed like a demented thing and then put her over my shoulder and carried her down the mountain. I would only release her into the hands of a healer that I trusted and would allow no other to touch her. I stayed with her as she was examined and then discovered about our child. The blood at her vagina proved to be a spontaneous abortion that had been caused by convulsions that were a side effect of the venom. I requested that the remains of my child be given to me for burial; the healer had always been kind to me and agreed. She wrapped them up in a bundle of cloth and handed them to me.

I was met at the door by a mourning committee, the most prominent member being a male, who at first I thought was Ranma, then I realized it was a warrior from another Amazon village who could have been Ranma’s double; my replacement. I was shoved out of the way in favour of him; they’d already given over to him, the rituals that are the rights of the husband. They’d already acknowledged his claim on her and I, as the rightful widower, was ignored.

I left taking the tiny bundle with me, feeling sad that this was the only product of the love I’d strived so long for. I knew that this was my child indeed; Shampoo, despite her flaws wouldn’t have taken a man into her bed unless he was her rightful husband. I carried it to my mother’s farm and buried it under a Saruka tree; I didn’t have anyway to mark the grave or have a name for the baby. So I decided that it was female and named her after the one woman who’d been kind to me. In the loose dirt, I wrote the kanji for Shampoo’s surname, as this was the Amazon way. I wrote Xian in Chinese and Ukyou in Japanese. I sat beside my little Ukyou all night long and talked to her as if she was afraid of the dark. I made up a life for her full of love and laughter, inventing boyfriends and a husband. I told her that I wouldn’t marry again because rejected Amazon husbands never do; no one wants someone else’s leaving, but I would have had her. Her mother would have acknowledged her as mine and she could have come and visited me. I think that I went slightly mad that night.

In the morning I left with only the clothes on my back. I hiked into town and went to see the lawyer who Cologne had hired to handle her estates. I signed a document to the effect that I was giving Shampoo’s half to the village and left with my half in the form of bank draft. It was a huge amount of money and I knew it, I took to the bank and within half an hour, I’d invested half of it and had the rest sitting in a high interest saving account to begin my new life.

I bought new clothes, black the opposite of what I normally wore. They were formfitting, unlike my normal clothes. I was no longer concerned about the slenderness of my body; I was simply shaped as I was meant to be. I stood straight tall and started wearing my hair in a ponytail to emphasis my green eyes. I no longer cared or tried to disguise that I was of mixed blood, something that I’d shyly admitted only to Ukyou when I was younger and more innocent. I took to traveling anywhere they would give me visa for and told a girl in a bar one night that my father was Caucasian and my mother Chinese, her reaction was “cool, like Brandon Lee.” I thought it rather ironic that biggest shame was brushed off so causally.

I travelled all over the word, a true vagabond with nothing to keep me anywhere. I belonged nowhere; even my own village had rejected me. With experience, I gained confidence and girls noticed me, oh boy they noticed me. For once I knew how Ranma felt, yet I let none of them close. I’d walled up my emotions and chose celibacy for myself. I still liked the attention and would revel when one girl got mad at her friend because I was paying more attention to her. Yet all I allowed myself was a couple of kisses from a stranger when I felt lonely; I’ve always loved hugs.

I always gave my name as Mousse. Mu Tzu was a stupid little pussy wimp who wasted his life in the pursuit of love over a spoiled girl. Mu Tzu was dead; long live Mousse.

One night I watched the fireworks over a beach in Spain as they heralded in the New Year and saw everyone kiss their special someone and realized that I didn’t have anyone to even kiss at that moment. This got me questioning where I belonged, I realized that the only place I’d ever felt any level of acceptance was with the circus or in Nerima. I rejected the circus with its carnie folk with their slack morals and decided that Nerima it was to be.

I continued my studies. My mother had insisted that we all get an education and drove us in her ox cart to the nearest school in town everyday. I dropped out to follow Shampoo to Japan, so I wasn’t that far behind and had always achieved good grades with minimal effort. I got a tutor and attended alternative school for six months to achieve an almost perfect grade point average. Then I applied and was accepted by the University of Nerima.

On that day I packed my bags and headed directly to Uuchan’s restaurant, happy to fulfill the promise that I made to her all those years ago. She hadn’t changed, except to grow more gorgeous.

Now I’m living with her as a roommate and all I can think about is making love to her. Yet she still only wants me as a friend, so again I’m forced to accept her crumbs of affection. Life can be so ironic when you have a crush that never dies.

It’s so like me to always be chasing rainbows.