TEASER FOR:

"Fast as I Can: Part 3"
by Jennifer De Salme a.k.a. Mercedes
matoko_hibiki@excite.com
http://www.oocities.org/isis_shadow5

DISCLAIMER: If you don't know who owns who by now, are you sure you've been reading my fic?

Note: 'text' = thoughts, text = emphasis, *text* = noise/action
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Ukyou fumed as she watched Ryouga flirting with one of the customers. The two apparently didn't notice the chef's glare, as they continued to talk amiably despite it. Ukyou had recognized the young woman immediately. Biko Iragashi, one of her classmates in several of her college courses and also the one with the worst reputation for sleeping around. A reputation Biko didn't deny.

She brushed away the thought that her anger was caused by jealousy and settled on the fact that he was embarressing her by flirting with the customers while he was working. She gritted her teeth as Ryouga laughed at something Biko said. The short-haired young woman grinned in reply, her eyes half-lidded. She laid one delicate hand on Ryouga's arm and let her fingers slide lightly down his skin, a gesture which Ryouga didn't seem to take note of at all.

That was the last straw. She slapped her cooking utensils down on the counter and marched around the grill. Those customers who noticed her expression decided now would be a good time to beat a hasty retreat. When people like the okonomiyaki chef got angry in this town, it tended to get ugly, and Ukyou was nearly glowing with rage.

She walked up behind Ryouga and tapped him on the shoulder. By the time he was facing her, her expression was neutral.

"Could I see you out back for a moment, Ryouga?"

Ryouga shrugged and looked turned back to Biko. "It was nice meeting you, Biko. Maybe we can talk again sometime."

"Anytime you want, handsome." Biko purred. Ryouga blushed slightly and turned away. Ukyou gave the class slut a final warning glare, only to have the woman wink and give her a smug grin.

Ukyou barely retstrained herself from doing the girl bodily harm and, grabbing Ryouga by the wrist, dragged the lost boy past the seperater curtain and into the storage room. Once there, she let go and spun to face him.

"What the hell do you think you were doing out there?" She kept her voice low, but it carried more malice than if she'd been yelling.

Ryouga blinked. "I was just talking to that girl. What's wrong with that?"

"Talking?! More like flirting! And on MY time in MY restaurant! I don't care what you do when you're not working, but don't you _ever_ stand there gossiping with one of the customers while you're supposed to be waiting tables! Do you even realize what a scene you were making?"

"Scene? Flirting?" He frowned. "Listen, all we were doing is talking and you said that talking with the customers was a good thing."

"I said _talking_, not flirting with little sluts like Biko!" Ukyou voice began to rise a little. "She just wanted to get into your pants and it looked like you were ready to let her do just that!"

"And just what do you mean by that? Just because someone calls me "handsome" you seem to think that means that I'm gonna jump in bed with them?" The scowl on his face began to deepen and he bared his fangs as he talked.

"Well, past experiences seem to prove that you're willing to! Hmm, P-chan?" Ryouga looked a little startled as she continued. "All Akane had to do was call you cute and into her bed you went!"

Ryouga was stung. It had taken him months after Ranma proposed to Akane to accept that what he had done as P-chan had been wrong and dishonorable. He'd spent that time trying to think of ways to do penence for it while not telling Akane of his curse. After moving in with Akari, he'd buried the matter, but it was still a sensitive topic. Ukyou's almost casual comment cut him deep.

His expression quickly changed from surprised to enraged. "How dare you say that! What right do you have to say anything about how I acted around Akane? You practically did everything but strip down and throw yourself at Ranma! Even when you knew he wouldn't have anything to do with you! And I'm beginning to see why no one would even want to!"

"At least I didn't lie to the man I loved! I was honest about what I felt which is more than I can say for you!" Ukyou barely restrained the tears welling in her eyes. Ryouga's words had hit a little to close to home.

"Damn you, I did--"

"--A damn stupid thing!" She cut him off. "In fact, you've done a lot of idiotic things, and today's little fiasco is just another stone on the pile! I don't know why I put up with you!"

"Put up with me?!" He roared. "You invited me!"

"Than maybe you've over stayed your welcome, you snot-nosed pig!"

"Maybe I have! Maybe it's time I left!" Ryouga spun around and headed for the door.

"Fine then, go!" She yelled after him. "Who needs your lying honorless face around here anyway?"

Ryouga stopped in the doorway and turned to her. He was frowning and his eyes were dark with anger.

"I'm not your whipping boy, Ukyou! I'm not here just so you can boost your ego and make yourself feel all high and mighty and justified in your actions just because I made a few mistakes in my life. You've screwed up royally a few times, too, and maybe you should just stop and take a good look at your life before you go accusing others of being without honor."

"Get out!" Ukyou picked up a bag of flour next to her and threw it at him. He easily brushed it aside, a snarl etched on his face. Spinning around, he strode down the hallway and was gone.

Screaming in rage, she uncerimoniously began to wreck the store room until she finally collapsed in a heap. Sobbing with anger and pain, she curled up on the dusty floor and wept.
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Why's Ukyou so upset? How did Ukyou know about the curse? What happens to Ryouga? And more importantly... Why is Biko even in this story?

*evil grin* Okay, so not all of those questions are answered in the upcoming part 3, but I had to put down something. ^_^

C&C Welcome!

-Mercedes matoko_hibiki@excite.com