This is a followup story to Richard Lawson's 'A Better
World Than This'.  It is a lemon.  That means there's sex in it.
Continue reading at your own... risk.  :)

'A Better World Than This' can be found at:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/sterman/fanfic.htm

My stuff can be found at:
http://www.emich.edu/public/llb/fanfic.html


{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!}


			    The Risk
			 by Lara Bartram

		{based on situations by Richard Lawson}

 	Nabiki looked in the mirror and straightened her dress.  That
shifted the end of the right strap too much.  She pulled on it,
trying to even it out.  That naturally shifted the other strap too
much.  God, she hadn't been on a date in years, and never one where
she felt so much...
 	She was going on a "date" with Kuno Tatewaki and was feeling
pressure?  What was wrong with her?
 	Regaining her cool, Nabiki rationalized to herself that this
was not a date.  This was just a... reunion dinner.  They hadn't seen
each other, hadn't talked to each other in a long time.  They would
have a chance to catch up on things, and Nabiki would have a chance to
see what had changed in Kuno Tatewaki.
	It was one day she wished Akane was around to get her opinion.
Damn it, she was doing it again.  She didn't need anyone's opinion
about how she looked.  She looked more than good enough to be seen
with Kuno Tatewaki; Tendo Nabiki looked good enough to be seen with
any man, no matter what his stature.
	Finally declaring herself good enough (though not perfect,
damn it), Nabiki gathered her black blazer and purse, slipped on her
shoes and prepared to leave her house.  With her hand on the doorknob,
she stopped and took a deep breath.
	Why was she doing this?  It wasn't necessary.  She had already
proven that she was capable of surviving without a man, against all
typical Japanese pre-formed ideas.  Tendo Nabiki did not need a
boyfriend.
	Damn.  She wasn't looking for a boyfriend; she was only
catching up with Tatewaki.  No matter what Ranma or Kyoko thought, she
was most definitely not in love.
	With her purpose cemented firmly in her mind, Nabiki opened
the door and stepped out into the night.

***

	"Very nice," Nabiki commented as Tatewaki pushed her chair in
for her.
	"Indeed."  Tatewaki took his seat across from Nabiki and
looked at her.  He had gone back to using the same tone with her he
had used at the picnic, though not quite as cold.
	Nabiki thought it rather matched his black three-piece suit
and red silk tie.
	"It seems you've done rather well with your 'hobby'.  When did
you start your company?" Nabiki asked.  She avoided making excessive
eye contact for the time by watching the waiter pour the wine for
Tatewaki to taste.
	Tatewaki tasted the wine for a moment, then nodded.  The
waiter proceeded to fill both their glasses, then left them alone.  "I
must admit," Tatewaki said, "that I am still confused as to why..."
	Nabiki was waving her hand, dismissing his question.
"Tatewaki, let's not get into that.  I just want to... catch up on
things."
	Tatewaki seemed to understand and dropped the subject.  He
sipped his wine before speaking.  "After graduating..."

*** ***

	"I had a good time this evening," Nabiki said, standing at her
door.  Tatewaki was standing in front of her, his eyes softer than
when the evening had started.
	"As did I."
	"Thanks for seeing me home," Nabiki said, unsure of what to do
now.
	"It was my pleasure."  Tatewaki was feeling the same thing.
Nabiki, standing in her doorway, seemed to be hesitating about
something.  "I shall take my leave now."
	Nabiki nodded.  There was something else he wanted to say, she
could tell that much.  He hadn't made any move to leave back down the
walk either.  Shivering in the air a little, Nabiki couldn't believe
the words that were flowing from her mouth.  "Would you like to come
in for some tea?"
	He looked a bit surprised, even startled by the offer, but
nodded his head.  "I would like that."
	Nabiki stood aside to allow Tatewaki to enter.  He walked by
her slowly into the darkness of her house.  "You have done very well
for yourself," he said, looking at her large, spacious home.
	Nabiki came inside, shutting the door and removing her shoes.
"Well, I need my space," she replied, shrugging.
	Not bothering to turn on the lights, Nabiki walked through the
house to the kitchen, where she started some tea.  Turning on a small
light over the breakfast table, she offered a chair to Tatewaki.
Nabiki leaned against the counter as the water heated up, and the two
looked appraisingly at each other.

	The two broke apart, breathing heavily, their arms still
around each other.  "Never married, eh?  I'd never know by that,"
Nabiki said, grinning up at him.
	Tatewaki didn't say anything, finding himself far too overcome
by his boiling emotions.
	Nabiki swallowed, getting her breath back.  She didn't want a
boyfriend, but she could deal with having a purely physical
relationship between two consenting adults.  She leaned up and gave
Tatewaki several quick kisses on the lips.  "Here," she said quietly,
taking his hand and walking toward the stairs.
	Tatewaki followed her, his hand in hers, as they went up the
stairs.  He wasn't sure this was such a good idea, but he didn't feel
like fighting the feelings that were churning in him.
	Nabiki walked down the short hall to the door that led to her
bedroom at the end.  It opened silently under her touch, revealing the
room she had shared with another at one point in time.  What was
comfortable for two people was now large for the single woman.
	Nabiki could feel Tatewaki's hand get a little sweaty and
smiled to herself.  Once they were both in the bedroom, Nabiki closed
the door and moved to the middle of the room.  The moon bathed the
room in pale light through the window as Nabiki removed her blazer.
	Tatewaki watched her toss the blazer gently aside and began to
remove his suit jacket.  As he did that, Nabiki started removing her
jewelry, an assortment of gold and diamonds, and setting them on her
dresser.  Tatewaki couldn't help but ask once his jacket was off, "Are
you sure?"
	Nabiki smiled at him and put her arm around his waist.
"Tatewaki," she said, her other hand loosening his tie for him,
"you've never been married."  Tie sufficiently loosened, she began
unbuttoning his shirt.  "Are you still a virgin?" she asked.
	His blush was the only answer she needed.  She slipped the tie
off over his head and tossed it away, then started undoing his belt.
"Tatewaki, do you want me to make you a man?" she asked, a sly smile
on her face.
	Tatewaki nodded reluctantly, and had to keep himself from
jerking away when Nabiki began to undo his pants.  He hadn't ever
quite felt the same way he was at the moment, and it was almost
painful in its intensity.
	"I'd like to do that.  I'd like to show you, teach you..."
Nabiki whispered, then stepped back.
	Tatewaki picked up where she left off in removing his
clothing.  He struggled to unbutton his shirt cuffs as Nabiki reached
behind her and undid her dress in the back.
	The dress had been modest enough to allow her to wear a
regular bra, but it showed off the proper amount of neck and shoulder,
combined with being just short enough to show a good amount of leg, to
tease.  Nabiki pulled one arm out of the dress and let it hang loosely
off her.
	It had been a long time since she had bothered to undress this
way for anyone, and she found she was rather enjoying it.  Her smile
increased in size when she saw that Tatewaki had finally managed to
get his shirt off.  Slowly she pulled her other arm out of her dress
and let it hang on her for a moment.
	Shortly remembering who she was facing and his... delicate
condition, Nabiki decided to go easy on Tatewaki and pushed the dress
down so that it clung around her waist.
	Tatewaki had been about to lower his pants when Nabiki's near
naked torso was revealed to him.  His whole body seemed to just stop
functioning as his eyes took in the view.
	Nabiki noted his sudden inaction.  "What's wrong, Tatewaki?
Don't you like what you see?" she asked, modeling for him a little.
	Tatewaki nodded and let his pants fall to the floor around his
ankles.  He wanted to tell her how badly he wanted her, how desperate
he was to feel her against him...
	Nabiki pushed her dress down past her hips and let it drop to
the floor as Tatewaki stepped out of his pants toward her.  She wagged
her finger at him and said, "Ah ah ah.  We're not done yet.  You
first," she said, and her finger pointed down to the business-like
boxers he was wearing.
	Tatewaki groaned and hooked his fingers into the waistband of
the shorts, then pushed them down slowly.  He had to do it slowly,
carefully controlling himself as he went, concentrating on the slow
descent of his shorts.  That also stopped him from thinking about the
fact that he was about to be naked in front of Tendo Nabiki.
	And what was almost too quick for him, his shorts were down
and he was kicking them back behind him, where his pants were.  Of
course, at that point he was basically lost.  So far, he had followed
Nabiki's directions and he figured it might be best to do the same
now.
	Nabiki looked him over.  No, he wasn't bad at all, and he most
definitely wasn't shy.  Smiling slightly, her eyes half-lidded, Nabiki
beckoned Tatewaki forward with her finger.  As he approached her, she
turned her back to him.  "You can do the honors," she said huskily.
	Tatewaki put his hands on Nabiki's shoulders gingerly, as if
he was afraid of being injured by her skin, then ran them slowly down
her back.  His hands stopped on her bra and he worked to unhook it.
The two halfs pulled apart, exposing a flawless expanse of Nabiki's
bare back.
	Swirling his fingertips over her back, Tatewaki moved his
hands up to her shoulders and pushed one of the bra straps off.  He
pushed the strap down Nabiki's arm as she maneuvered her arm to allow
the strap to be slipped past her hand.
	Tatewaki stared intently at the back of Nabiki's neck as he
trailed his fingers up and down her arm while he pushed the other
strap off her shoulder.  He leaned forward and gently kissed the back
of Nabiki's neck as he worked the other strap down.
	Nabiki let the bra drop to the floor as Tatewaki continued to
caress her and kiss her neck.  Upping the stakes of the encounter,
Tatewaki stepped forward so their two bodies touched.  Reaching around
with one arm, he tentatively touched Nabiki's breast and teased the
already firm nipple.
	Nabiki squirmed luxuriously against him, soaking up the
attention.  It had definitely been too long for her.  Wanting to hurry
things along, she reached up and took hold of the hand that was still
moving up and down her arm.  Nabiki pulled it down so Tatewaki's
fingers were on her panties.  "Don't stop now, Tatewaki.  Don't
stop..."
	Tatewaki squeezed her breast once before moving his hand to
her panties, and pushed them down, breathing heavily on Nabiki's
neck.  He began to squat down, running his mouth over her back and
taking her panties down.
	Sighing from the pleasant sensations, Nabiki stepped out of
her undergarments for Tatewaki, though he didn't move around to face
her, preferring to stay at her back.  He put his arms around her and
squeezed, kissing her ear as he pressed his body fully against hers.
	The blood pounding through his skull was almost too much for
him.  His heart was beating faster than it ever had and his breathing
was very shallow.  Tatewaki thought he might pass out.  Nabiki rescued
him in a way at that point.
	"I think it's time for things to go a little farther," she
said, moving the both of them toward the bed.  "We'll have a good time
with none of the responsibility..."  None of the hangups, none of the
emotional investment, none of the problems that had plagued her
ill-fated marriage.
	Tatewaki nodded again, somewhat hesitantly.
	Once they were standing at the bedside Nabiki said, "Lay down,
Tatewaki."
	He released her and did so, laying spread eagle in the middle
of the bed.  Looking at her, seeing the things he had missed by
standing behind her, the pounding of his heart increased.  Nabiki
looked nothing like that other woman, the woman that had laughed at
him during his one abortive attempt at sex eight years ago.  She had
found nothing funnier than a 25 year old virgin, and that had been the
last he had seen of her thankfully.
	But that memory was not for now, not for this place.  Nabiki
didn't love him, but he didn't love her.  They were scarcely even
friends, though it appeared that things might progress beyond that
even without the sex.  But things had progressed considerably at
dinner and over tea earlier.
	"Maa...  Tatewaki, you're so tense," Nabiki said, running her
hands over his legs.  "You need to relax more."  She dug her fingers
into his thigh, expertly massaging it.  "If you're too tense, it won't
be as good."
	Tatewaki watched her get on the bed on her knees and continue
the massage from a more advantageous position... for him.  "I've never
done this before," he said haltingly.  His erect penis twitched in
expectant agreement.
	That got a chuckle from Nabiki.  "True, but it's my
responsibility to make sure you don't lose interest.  So just let
yourself relax and enjoy it."  She stopped and looked at him.  "You
are enjoying this, right?"
	Tatewaki nodded enthusiastically.  There weren't words to
describe just how much he was enjoying it, and he hadn't even really
done anything... yet.  He hoped.
	Nabiki got on the bed and crawled over him, straddling his
body as she sat on his stomach.  Leaning down, she kissed him deeply,
feeling him return it with enthusiasm, reaching up to grasp her hips.
	She made a sound of approval through the kiss.  He was
appropriately enthusiastic, yet restrained, never a word she thought
she'd describe Tatewaki with.
	Instead of proceeding directly to the deed, Nabiki took her
time, exploring his entire mouth, to see how much he would
reciprocate, how interested he really was.  To see if he wanted to
fuck as desperately as she did all of a sudden...
	Their kissing intensified, her hands kneading his pectorals,
frequently stroking and pinching his nipples.  Tatewaki's hands moved
lightly up and down her back, feeling so... horny he didn't even know
what to do.
	
	It was when Nabiki broke their kiss that he knew what to do.
Gripping her hips again, Tatewaki sat up and rolled over so Nabiki was
underneath him.  She made a small sound of surprise, then began
giggling.  "I didn't know it was possible for you to giggle like
that," he said quietly, staring in her eyes.
	"You don't know a lot of things about me," was her only reply.
	"Indeed."  Instead of saying more, he leaned down to kiss her
again, hoping she would guide him to what came next.
	Nabiki put her arms around him and let her hands rest on his
back.  After a few more seconds of kissing, she pressed down on him
until Tatewaki laid flat on top of her.  "Are you sure you're ready
for this?" she whispered to him, breaking the kiss and nibbling on his
ear.
	"I'm not a child.  I've never been more ready," he answered.
	"I can see you're not a child... and that you're ready."
Reaching down between them, Nabiki took hold of him and adjusted
herself so they were in proper position in relation to each other.
"Now, go slow."
	"Slow?  Are you expecting this to hurt?"
	"No, I just thought you'd enjoy it more if you could actually
feel what you were doing."
	Tatewaki swallowed.  Yeah, that would be better.  He moved his
hips forward as Nabiki guided him.  The wet, hot sensation of her sex
before he was even inside her was almost enough to set him off.  And
when he pushed his head inside her, his fingers convulsively clutched
at the sheet.
	"Relax, Tatewaki.  Keep going; it only gets better."
	Shuddering, he pushed himself deeper, trying to hang on to the
feeling of glorious heat and pressure.  He didn't ever want to lose
it.  He immersed himself fully in Nabiki and held that position,
savoring it the way it was meant to be.
	Slowly, almost unwillingly, he pulled back, Nabiki arching her
hips to follow him, until he couldn't stand it and thrust forward
again.
	It was so slow, it was torturous in a heart-stoppingly
fabulous way.  Nabiki made a quiet hissing sound beneath him as he
lowered his weight onto her.  Shuddering briefly, he couldn't stop
himself and abruptly began thrusting repeatedly, rapidly.
	Nabiki lay back, not even attempting to match his thrusts.  He
was far too... enthusiastic for her to keep up with in her current
position, so she simply put her hands on his arms and hooked her legs
around him loosely.  She closed her eyes and just let things happen.
	It wasn't that she wasn't enjoying it.  The hard, desperate
movements Tatewaki was using had their own appeal, forcing the breath
from her lungs, forcibly moving her body...
	Yes, what he lacked in technique, he made up for in enthusiasm
and... well, that wasn't important.  After all, it's how you *use* it.
	Suddenly, he pulled out of her grasp, breaking the hold her
legs had on him.  He collapsed on the bed by her feet, rolling into
the fetal position, panting.
	Nabiki opened her eyes and looked at him, blinking a little.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
	Tatewaki only shook his head, keeping in his current position.
	Sitting up in the bed, Nabiki looked down at him, utterly
confused.  She hoped it hadn't been that awful of an experience for
him.  That was quite a way to crush someone's ego, especially when she
had been enjoying it.  "What's wrong, Tatewaki?" she asked again.
	Uncurling his body, Tatewaki sat up slowly.  "I think I made a
mess on your bed."
	Nabiki looked down, and sure enough, there was a stain on the
sheets.  Her eyes tracked up slowly and saw that he also had some on
his stomach as well.  She couldn't help herself and chuckled a little.
"You didn't have to do that."
	Tatewaki looked somewhat embarrassed, but also had that
post-coital daze about him.  He shook his head slightly.  "I... I did.
I was concerned with the consequences if I did not."
	Quietly, almost unheard, Nabiki said, "I wouldn't have
minded."  Unmindful of the mess, she pulled the sheet up and settled
in the bed, still looking at Tatewaki.
	Assuming the space she had left next her in the bed and on the
pillow was for him, Tatewaki joined her under the sheet and tried to
make sense of what she had just said.  Indeed, if she had even said it
at all.
	Nabiki rolled suddenly to her side to face him.  "Before we...
started, I thought this was just a way to blow off some steam.  I
thought this would be a way to get just what I wanted without the rest
of the trouble..."
	Tatewaki looked at her, his face still serious and somewhat
thoughtful.
	Nabiki managed to not laugh when she saw what a mess his hair
was and ended up smiling softly at him instead.  "I almost did it
again.  I wanted to.  I wanted to use you to get what I wanted,
but..."
	"But?"  There was a part of him that couldn't help but be
offended.  She had even admitted to his face that she had planned on
using him.  But.
	She shrugged.  "I don't know.  I guess... I guess it just
occurred to me that maybe it wouldn't be so bad.  It wouldn't be so bad
to try again."  She laughed a little.  "I'm not going to look like
this forever, you know."
	Tatewaki looked at her, maybe a little closer than he had
before.  "You have aged remarkably well," he commented quietly.
	"You haven't done so badly yourself," Nabiki answered and
touched his cheek gently.
	They stayed that way for a few moments, neither ruining the
silence by speaking.
	"Aye," Tatewaki said finally.  "There is no shame in trying
again."  He settled his head on the pillow, keeping his gaze on
Nabiki's face.
	Nodding gently, Nabiki did the same and brought her hand up to
run through his hair.
	"The only shame would be in not taking the chance."

End