Maison Ikkoku - Now It's Time to Say Goodbye
by Sean Gaffney

Draft 1

WARNING!  This fanfic has bits that are *really* nasty!  Yes, it has
romance, but if you hate violence (or at least the suggestion of
violence), STAY AWAY!!!

C&C, please.

*****

Yusaku Godai sighed as he took another look around Maison Ikkoku.  It
was hard to believe that, after 8 years, he and Kyoko were finally
leaving.  It was hard, but they felt a need to get away from their
past, to try and start a new life.

He walked past Room 1, frowning as he passed.  The room reeked of
alcohol, and looking inside he could see that bottles had been smashed
all over the floor.  He saw a vague shape lying in the middle of the
floor.  Frowning slightly, he went in, picked up Kentaro, and put him 
to bed.  No sense in leaving him lying on the floor.  Godai always had
a soft spot for the kid.  Maybe it was the little ways that he reminded 
Godai of himself.

He walked back out of the room, turning off the light as he did so.  Mr.
and Mrs. Ichinose were lying on their futon, surrounded by the scent of
alcohol, obviously not about to wake up anytime soon.  Godai smiled.
Mrs. Ichinose usually slept like the dead anyway.

Walking up to Room 4, he pondered just how much of his life had been
spent here.  He'd met Kyoko, gotten through college, gotten a job, and
gotten married.  It was hard, just abandoning the place like this.  But
he'd gotten a better offer from a place in Kansai, and he and Kyoko 
both agreed that Maison Ikkoku was *no* place to raise their daughter.

Walking into Room 4, he took note of the decor.  He'd never been in this
room very often, and was intrigued how much it fit its owner.  Yotsuya
was certainly one of the people he'd probably miss the least.  Blackmail
had kept him almost bankrupt for 7 years, and had kept Yotsuya in meals
that, Godai suspected, were his only source of sustenance.

Godai sighed as he picked up the remains of the meal on the floor.  Godai
had decided, as a final treat, to treat Yotsuya to one last big meal.  No
one had been more surprised than Yotsuya himself, who quickly scarfed 
down the meal without a second thought.  Typical, Godai thought as he 
cleaned up the rest of the room, no thoughts for others at all.  Even
Mrs. Ichinose and Akemi *occasionally* noticed my feelings...even if they
used that to their advantage.  He stuffed the remaining contents of the
room into the crawlspace between his old room and Yotsuya's.  It was a 
tight fit, but Godai wanted everything to be nice and neat when he and
Kyoko left, so he ignored the occasional snap.

Turning off the light, he headed down to Room 6.  Kyoko would be getting
back soon, and then they would be on their way.  Akemi was in here, since
Godai had no way of getting her back to Cha Cha Maru by himself.  He
went into her room, noting that she was lying on the bed completely naked.
Another typical aspect of Maison Ikkoku life that he wouldn't miss.
Akemi was probably the worst of them, since she knew exactly how Godai
has felt, right from the start, and just used him.  He didn't know what
the manager saw in her, really.  He sighed as he rolled her out of bed
to change the sheets again, ignoring the mess that was made on the floor.
He picked her up gingerly, tucked her back into bed, and left the room.

He heard Soichiro barking outside, and his spirits rose.  Kyoko must be
back!  He ran downstairs and greeted her as she came in.

"Hi!  Did you get everything at your parents?"

Kyoko turned from the sink where she had been washing her hands.  "Yes, 
everything's all set.  I've just put Soichiro in the car.  Are we ready 
here?"

"Yup.  I've got almost everything sorted out.  Why don't you change and 
check on Haruka-chan, and we can get going?"

As she left the room Godai smiled again, all his previous melancholy
leaving him.  They'd been married two years now, and he was even more in
love with her than before, if that was possible.  Godai once told Kyoko
that she was his heart, and that he would die without her.  Kyoko responded
that Godai was her soul, and that without him she would crumble to dust.

They'd never been this overemotional before, but it was as if, after six
years of Kyoko's denial, a dam had broken.  They both felt as if they had 
to pour their hearts out to each other all the time.  It was rare that
they were not together anymore.

As Godai finished reminiscing, Kyoko came back, chaged into a new outfit,
and carrying a sleepy Haruka-chan with her.

"How'd your talk with your parents go?" Godai asked.

"Oh, pretty much as you'd expect.  There wasn't much they could say in
the end, though."

Godai gathered up their luggage and began moving it out to the taxi.  As
he got back, he saw Kyoko looking around, her eyes watering.

"I invested so much of my life into this place, Godai.  It's hard to let
go.  All the memories, the good and the bad."

Godai put his arms around her.  "I know, Kyoko.  This is where we fell in
love, after all.  But we've got to move on sometime.  Our lives are just
moving in different directions.  We'll always have our memories, you know."

Kyoko smiled, leaning back against him.  "I know.  And now it's time to 
say goodbye.  Are we ready?"

Godai smiled, fishing out a packet of matches.  "Of course."  Smiling, he
lit a match, then lit the entire pack, tossing it into Room 1.

As they left, the glowing light that had once been Maison Ikkoku lit up 
the sky.


Notes:

Blame it on Jeff Rutsch.  No, don't.  This was just an idea I had to get
out.  Hopefully, it will help me get over my block on Honeymoon.

I'm not sure if I'll put this out officially.  That's why I'd like C&C.
Is it too subtle?  Not subtle enough?  Just plain awful?  You be the judge.

--Sean Gaffney
--to all fans of the Loon Squad:  BEEEEEEEDAH!