Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Lost Days Lamenting Lost Days ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: ashez2ashes 
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Mystery / Comedy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.18.2001 | Updated On: 11.07.2004 | Pages: 7 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 421 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Mystery / Comedy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.18.2001 | Updated On: 11.07.2004 | Pages: 7 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 421 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2. If I did, there would have
been a real ending.
I really appreciate C&C and take everything into consideration. It
sounds corny, but I write to entertain (not find inner peace or
something) so I like to know everyone's opinions. ^_^
Contact Info:
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/
----
Lost Days Lamenting Lost Days
Chapter 4
----
He was happy... REALLY happy.
Ryouga hobbled through the streets of Nerima in a virtual state of
euphoria. He had never been so happy in his life. It was like
floating on soft puffy clouds. He didn't think he could pull off a
Shi Shi Hodokan ever again.
"AHHHHHHHHH! LIFE IS WONDERFUL! BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He fell to his
knees laughing. It just felt so good to laugh for no reason. Tears
of joy streamed down his face, but he didn't care. If someone saw
him... so what!
Hiroshi and Daisuke turned a corner and spotted Ryouga doing what
appeared to be a jig in the middle of the sidewalk.
The two boys blinked several times before regaining the power of
speech.
"Daisuke man, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"Yeah, who would have ever thought Ryouga would turn to drugs?"
"Who would have ever thought he could _FIND_ any drugs?" They
shrugged and turned around the other way. A sober Ryouga was worse
enough. They didn't want to see what one on drugs could do.
Besides, they really wanted to stay away from... whatever the hell
he was doing in the middle of the sidewalk.
"IT'S GOOD TO BE ALIVE!" People fled in terror as a telephone pole
crashed down on the sidewalk. Ryouga blinked sheepishly and looked
down at the damage.
"Sorry about that! Uh... and I'll pay for that window someday I
promise!"
The ice-cream shop owner stuck his head out of his shop and glared
at the insane bandanna clad boy hugging telephone poles. Ryouga
laughed nervously and decided to get lost, but only in a
metaphysical sense.
---
Ukyou flipped another okonomiyaki absently, stopping to stare at
the door again.
"Where is that jackass?" She continued to mumble to herself and
tossed a freshly made okonomiyaki to a customer. He smiled and
began to devour it. She glanced at the door again, a worry line
creasing on her forehead. Her customer must have noticed, because
he stopped eating and cleared his throat.
"Are you waiting for someone Miss Kuonji?"
Ukyou scowled and started to fry another okonomiyaki. "No one
_IMPORTANT_."
Her customer raised an eyebrow and left it at that. Usually when
your chef was radiating an unholy red and packed a large piece of
blunt metal, regardless if it was a spatula or not, it was best to
not bother her.
"HAHAHAHA! I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!" a voice shouted from
outside. The customers visibly jumped and Ukyou paused a moment in
her cooking.
"Did Kasumi visit Doctor Tofu today?" She was about to walk
outside and look, when a large telephone poll came crashing down,
narrowly missing her door by centimeters. Blinking in shock, she
grasped onto one clear thought that was rampaging through her
brain.
Someone was going to die, very very painfully.
Dark red fires spread about her form like the deep embers of hell,
and then suddenly dissipated as she turned to her customers with a
cheery smile.
"Will you excuse me for a moment, please?"
Her customers turned pale and nodded slowly.
"All right, I will be right back." She turned and walked out of
the restaurant. One of the customers turned toward his wife.
"Hurry dear! Put a couple of large bills on the counter!"
"Ok, but why?" His wife grabbed her purse.
"I saw it on a history show once. People used to throw coins in
volcanoes to appease the gods."
"Oh." She threw a few bills on the counter and the other customers
followed suit trying to appease the great okonomiyaki gods and
save their pitiful souls.
"But Darling this is awfully expensive. Isn't there an easier way
to do this?"
"Well they would also sacrifice young virgins and throw them into
the volcano." Her husband shrugged.
Everyone paused and turned to Hikaru Gosunikugi. He looked up from
his okonomiyaki and blinked.
"What?"
---
Ryouga sighed happily as he hobbled down the street on his
crutches. He was on cloud nine going 90 miles per hour with the
windows down. Nothing could spoil his mood! Nothing! Not even--
CLANG!
Well maybe not nothing.
"JACKASS! What the hell do you think you're doing! You could have
trashed my restaurant!" Ukyou stood over him, holding her spatula
in a fighting stance. Her hair moved by some unknown wind. Ryouga
gulped. He'd just incurred the wrath of the most powerful being in
Nerima.
A pissed off girl.
"You're not supposed to beat up on invalids ya know." Ryouga
rubbed the spot on his forehead where a bruise was quickly
forming.
"Invalid my ass!" She rubbed her poor spatula where the idiot's
head had dented it.
"But..."
"And what did you think you were doing, going off on your own like
that?" She glared at him. How could she repay him if he wouldn't
stay in one place long enough?! Jerk, she'd show him.
"Ukyou! Hold on a second! I've got to tell you something!" Ukyou
grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back the way she came.
"It can wait. Come on you've got to sit down and rest."
"Ow!" His still healing ribs hit a few sharp rocks as he was
dragged along.
"Oh stop complaining it can't hurt that bad."
"I bet if I was "Ranchan" she'd be nicer to me." Ryouga's voice
was barley above a whisper but she heard him anyway. She stopped
and glared at him.
"Do you WANT to be Ranma?"
Ryouga's face construed into utter disgust and pain that put
getting hit by large automobiles to shame.
"No."
"Well ok then." She started to drag him back again with
determination. He was going to sit, get well, and let her repay
her debt to him even if it killed him!
---
Ukyou and Ryouga were in a small room, it barely had enough space
to walk. A couch sat next to a far wall piled high with soft
cushions. A bandanna peeked out from under one of the corners of
the cushions so there must have been a boy in there somewhere.
There was also a small TV next to the opposite wall.
"Come on Ukyou, really I feel much better now." Ryouga tried to
sit up off the mountain of pillows he had been lying on and was
quickly pushed back down.
"Sit there and relax damn it!" She glowered at him, making him
cower back onto the couch. She then set down a glass of ice water
on a tray and then turned on the TV.
Ryouga settled back down on the cushions and sighed as Ukyou
fiddled with the stations a few more times.
"Hmm... is a Kenshin marathon OK?" She turned back to him with a
look that seemed to compel him to say 'Yes that is perfect. Thank
you all mighty goddess for taking care of me. I'm not worthy.'
Ryouga, never being a very wordy guy, decided that a smile and nod
would suffice.
"Good. Hey, you should like it. There's this guy that breaks rocks
and everything." Ukyou smiled. She was a great nurse maid! Lost
Boy was lucky to have a girl like her.
Ryouga tried his new smile and nod technique again.
"Great! Is there anything else you might need? Snacks? Blankets?
More pillows?" She went on a brief ego trip again. She was doing
such a great job!
"No thanks. There are... enough pillows." Ryouga felt himself
start to again sink into the fluffy abyss of lace and held on to
the armrest for dear life. If Ukyou tried any harder to make him
feel better, she might kill him.
"Are you sure you're ok? You seem a little... pale." She crinkled
her eyebrows in concern.
Ryouga felt himself sink farther into the pillows. Ukyou slowly
started to disappear. Oxygen... was he getting oxygen? He wasn't
sure. Suddenly, getting buried alive became a very real
possibility.
"Well... I guess you look alright. I'll be back to check up on you
later!" She turned and left, not seeing the single flailing hand
thrust up from under the mountain of pillows.
"Mmmffff mfff!"
----
Ukyou returned a few hours later carrying a tray of chicken noodle
okonomiyaki and two glasses of water. The mountain of pillows was
gone and the various sounds of fighting coming from the TV
indicated that the marathon was still going on. Her patient lay
sprawled on the couch comfortably. He sat up when he realized she
was in the room. She smiled at him and sat next to him on the
couch.
"Hey Sugar, where are the pillows?" She picked up her own
okonomiyaki and started to eat. Ryouga looked back at her with
haunted eyes.
"The pillows... were... uncomfortable." He shuddered. A cloud
passed over his face but was quickly brushed away by a ray of
sunshine. "Oh! I think somebody copied off of me when they made
that Sanosuke guy. We're like twins!"
Ukyou burst out laughing and almost choked on her okonomiyaki in
the process.
"Really! We're both really strong, we each have bandannas and we
each break rocks... never understood why he always tried to eat
his armbands in the ending credits." Although, all the girls
seemed to dig that... maybe he should try it?
"It's called sex appeal Ryouga." She rolled her eyes and took a
sip of her water. "I don't expect you to know anything about it."
"Hey! I could be sexy if I wanted to be!"
Ukyou started to choke again. Quickly, she grabbed her glass of
water and took a gulp. When she could breathe again, she burst out
laughing. Her companion scowled.
"What's so funny? I just choose not to care about those sorts of
things. Who would want a girl that likes you just for your looks?"
He wrinkled his nose.
"Sugar, are you sure you didn't fall into the spring of drowned
girl, too?" She wished she had a camera. Nothing human should have
been able to turn that red.
"DID NOT!" His voice came out a little louder than he had wanted
it too. Ukyou looked taken back for a moment then her lips slid
into a sly smile. She grasped her glass of water firmly and held
it in front of her.
"Maybe you DID fall into a spring." She swished the water
threateningly.
Ryouga recoiled like she was going to plaster Ranma-chan stickers
all over his body. Quickly, he stood up, leaning on his good leg,
and inched away from the glass of water.
"Let's not be hasty--"
"Me thinks you doth protest too much." Ukyou leaned forward a bit
more.
"You sound like Kuno." He edged back.
"What's wrong? You aren't scared of a little water are you?" She
dangled it near him, playfully. She leaned forward a bit more--
and stubbed her toe on the carpet.
Ryouga had the presence of mind to push her hand away, sending the
glass and water safely across the room. However, he had to lean on
his bad leg to do it, and grabbed Ukyou for support. The two
collided and fell to the ground in a heap, Ukyou landing on top.
They froze, each looking into the other's eyes. Luckily, Ryouga's
mind was too frozen in fear to tell his nose to bleed. Ukyou could
feel his muscled chest underneath her hand and Ryouga could smell
her perfume. He didn't even think she wore perfume. A long strand
of hair fell off her shoulder and tickled his face. The tension in
the room was almost palpable until--
They quickly scrambled off each other and retreated to opposite
sides of the room.
'Think about okonomiyaki,' Ukyou repeated to herself. okonomiyaki,
okonomiyaki, okonomiyaki or Tsubasa... ewww.'
Ryouga coughed and fixated his eyes on the wall. Martial arts,
think about martial arts or... sumo guy in a pink bikini... eww.'
Ukyou risked a glance out of the corner of her eye. After seeing
that he was occupying himself with the great splendor of walls,
she stood and pretended to clean up the water.
"So?" She fumbled for words that had no sexual connotation in
them. "Feeling better?" Damn...
Fortunately, the male in the room was too busy chanting about
baseball and cold showers to see any underlying information in her
words.
"Um, yeah... I'm kinda bored though. I wish I could walk around
for a little bit." He grabbed the armrest of the couch and pulled
himself up.
"No way! The doctor said to keep you on bed rest for at least
another week. You don't want to have a relapse do you? So sit down
and let me repay you, jackass." Her voice radiated annoyance. She
picked up the glass and faced him. The redness had almost faded
from her cheeks.
"It's nice to know you care." He rolled his eyes and sat back on
the couch. His okonomiyaki sat on his plate, uneaten.
"Stop complaining." She grinned evilly. "Ranma wouldn't complain
that much."
Ryouga paused and turned his head slowly in a nice impression of
Linda Blair.
"Do I look like Ranma to you?"
There was a pause.
"Nah, Ranch--err Ranma's a lot cuter than you."
"Hey!"
That was odd... she almost called him Ranchan. He couldn't
remember her calling him that for quite awhile...
Slowly pieces of a larger puzzle started to fit together. Her
behavior lately, the distance she had been keeping from Ranma...
Had she given up on him?! No way!
Ryouga sat up and looked at Ukyou seriously.
"Ukyou, is there something you haven't told me?"
She paused and seemed to struggle for a moment. Suddenly, she
looked up and smiled. "I'll tell you later OK?"
"... ok." He sat back down and inspected his okonomiyaki. What the
hell was in it anyway? He poked it with his finger.
"It's not gonna jump up and attack you Sugar." She rolled her
eyes. "It's not Akane's cooking."
Ryouga was about to retort with a nice remark about Ranma when he
remembered. He hadn't told Ukyou the good news yet! He sat up
quickly, rattling the TV tray Ukyou had set out. Luckily, she had
her glass of water in her hand, or it would have fell into
Ryouga's lap and REALLY made the situation uncomfortable.
"Listen, Ukyou I have to tell you something. Don't interrupt this
time OK?"
Ukyou raised an eyebrow. He was REALLY excited. It was eerie. He
almost looked... happy? She looked out the window to make sure
pigs weren't flying.
Tarou flew by her window, chasing Happosai.
Close enough. Ukyou sighed.
"Yeah what's up?"
"I didn't think it would ever happen Ukyou. It shouldn't have
happened. I didn't think it could ever happen to me. I had almost
accepted it you know? But It happened and I can't deny it."
Ukyou turned pale. Oh no. He knows about Akane and Ranma. He must
have found out. Poor kid, and after all he's been through too.
She looked back up at him with tears and pity shining in her eyes.
"I know how you feel. I never thought it would happen." She hung
her head, letting her bangs fall over her face. Her companion
looked confused, which wasn't that out of the ordinary for him.
"Ukyou, I didn't think you'd care this much. You act like it's
something bad." Wow. Ukyou was really happy for him.
"How could you say that?!"
"Uh why wouldn't I say that?" Was it getting hotter in the room?
"Jackass! I should have known you'd go and get over Akane without
telling me! Can't you even consider my feelings?!"
Ryouga blinked. Now he was REALLY confused.
"Uh... why should your feelings be important right now?" Getting
over Akane? What was she talking about?
"JACKASS!"
Uh oh. She was getting out the spatula. Why was she getting out
the spatula?!
Ukyou picked up her blunt instrument of death and stalked towards
him. Ryouga wondered how fast he could bolt to the door. With
crutches it would be more along the lines of rolling to the door,
than bolting.
Time had already run out though, as she lifted the large cookware
over her head--
and stopped.
He looked up and saw her walking away muttering about how honor
and revenge was a dish best served cold.
What the hell just happened?
He scowled at her retreating form.
What the hell did he do now?
He picked up his uneaten okonomiyaki and glared at it.
And what the hell was in these things?!
---
HOURS LATER . . .
Ukyou walked back to her small living room, after a hard day of
work. She had no idea why Gosunkugi had been tied to the grill and
surrounded by money. Why not just leave the money?
She wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead with the back of her
hand.
"Hey Ryouga I'm back!" She walked through the door and looked
around. The pillows had reappeared and were stacked neatly against
the wall. Ryouga's pack was gone, along with the crutches. She
stepped closer and noticed a single note lying on the couch.
"What the..." She walked over to the note and picked it up.
Ukyou's name was written in neat handwriting on the front next to
a comical image of Ranma getting stepped on by a giant foot. She
grimaced and opened it.
Dear Ukyou,
I'm sorry for being such a bother to you. You don't need to repay
me. I didn't knock you out of the way to be repaid. Actually, I
wasn't thinking a whole lot at all. I release you from any pact
that you feel you're obliged to repay. I don't know why you were
angry. Me getting a sense of direction shouldn't have affected you
THAT badly. So whatever, I did or said... I'm sorry. I'm gone. I
won't bother you anymore.
Signed,
Ryouga Hibiki.
She crunched up the note in her fist and hung her head.
"Damn it!"
----
Contact Info:
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/
been a real ending.
I really appreciate C&C and take everything into consideration. It
sounds corny, but I write to entertain (not find inner peace or
something) so I like to know everyone's opinions. ^_^
Contact Info:
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/
----
Lost Days Lamenting Lost Days
Chapter 4
----
He was happy... REALLY happy.
Ryouga hobbled through the streets of Nerima in a virtual state of
euphoria. He had never been so happy in his life. It was like
floating on soft puffy clouds. He didn't think he could pull off a
Shi Shi Hodokan ever again.
"AHHHHHHHHH! LIFE IS WONDERFUL! BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He fell to his
knees laughing. It just felt so good to laugh for no reason. Tears
of joy streamed down his face, but he didn't care. If someone saw
him... so what!
Hiroshi and Daisuke turned a corner and spotted Ryouga doing what
appeared to be a jig in the middle of the sidewalk.
The two boys blinked several times before regaining the power of
speech.
"Daisuke man, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"Yeah, who would have ever thought Ryouga would turn to drugs?"
"Who would have ever thought he could _FIND_ any drugs?" They
shrugged and turned around the other way. A sober Ryouga was worse
enough. They didn't want to see what one on drugs could do.
Besides, they really wanted to stay away from... whatever the hell
he was doing in the middle of the sidewalk.
"IT'S GOOD TO BE ALIVE!" People fled in terror as a telephone pole
crashed down on the sidewalk. Ryouga blinked sheepishly and looked
down at the damage.
"Sorry about that! Uh... and I'll pay for that window someday I
promise!"
The ice-cream shop owner stuck his head out of his shop and glared
at the insane bandanna clad boy hugging telephone poles. Ryouga
laughed nervously and decided to get lost, but only in a
metaphysical sense.
---
Ukyou flipped another okonomiyaki absently, stopping to stare at
the door again.
"Where is that jackass?" She continued to mumble to herself and
tossed a freshly made okonomiyaki to a customer. He smiled and
began to devour it. She glanced at the door again, a worry line
creasing on her forehead. Her customer must have noticed, because
he stopped eating and cleared his throat.
"Are you waiting for someone Miss Kuonji?"
Ukyou scowled and started to fry another okonomiyaki. "No one
_IMPORTANT_."
Her customer raised an eyebrow and left it at that. Usually when
your chef was radiating an unholy red and packed a large piece of
blunt metal, regardless if it was a spatula or not, it was best to
not bother her.
"HAHAHAHA! I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!" a voice shouted from
outside. The customers visibly jumped and Ukyou paused a moment in
her cooking.
"Did Kasumi visit Doctor Tofu today?" She was about to walk
outside and look, when a large telephone poll came crashing down,
narrowly missing her door by centimeters. Blinking in shock, she
grasped onto one clear thought that was rampaging through her
brain.
Someone was going to die, very very painfully.
Dark red fires spread about her form like the deep embers of hell,
and then suddenly dissipated as she turned to her customers with a
cheery smile.
"Will you excuse me for a moment, please?"
Her customers turned pale and nodded slowly.
"All right, I will be right back." She turned and walked out of
the restaurant. One of the customers turned toward his wife.
"Hurry dear! Put a couple of large bills on the counter!"
"Ok, but why?" His wife grabbed her purse.
"I saw it on a history show once. People used to throw coins in
volcanoes to appease the gods."
"Oh." She threw a few bills on the counter and the other customers
followed suit trying to appease the great okonomiyaki gods and
save their pitiful souls.
"But Darling this is awfully expensive. Isn't there an easier way
to do this?"
"Well they would also sacrifice young virgins and throw them into
the volcano." Her husband shrugged.
Everyone paused and turned to Hikaru Gosunikugi. He looked up from
his okonomiyaki and blinked.
"What?"
---
Ryouga sighed happily as he hobbled down the street on his
crutches. He was on cloud nine going 90 miles per hour with the
windows down. Nothing could spoil his mood! Nothing! Not even--
CLANG!
Well maybe not nothing.
"JACKASS! What the hell do you think you're doing! You could have
trashed my restaurant!" Ukyou stood over him, holding her spatula
in a fighting stance. Her hair moved by some unknown wind. Ryouga
gulped. He'd just incurred the wrath of the most powerful being in
Nerima.
A pissed off girl.
"You're not supposed to beat up on invalids ya know." Ryouga
rubbed the spot on his forehead where a bruise was quickly
forming.
"Invalid my ass!" She rubbed her poor spatula where the idiot's
head had dented it.
"But..."
"And what did you think you were doing, going off on your own like
that?" She glared at him. How could she repay him if he wouldn't
stay in one place long enough?! Jerk, she'd show him.
"Ukyou! Hold on a second! I've got to tell you something!" Ukyou
grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back the way she came.
"It can wait. Come on you've got to sit down and rest."
"Ow!" His still healing ribs hit a few sharp rocks as he was
dragged along.
"Oh stop complaining it can't hurt that bad."
"I bet if I was "Ranchan" she'd be nicer to me." Ryouga's voice
was barley above a whisper but she heard him anyway. She stopped
and glared at him.
"Do you WANT to be Ranma?"
Ryouga's face construed into utter disgust and pain that put
getting hit by large automobiles to shame.
"No."
"Well ok then." She started to drag him back again with
determination. He was going to sit, get well, and let her repay
her debt to him even if it killed him!
---
Ukyou and Ryouga were in a small room, it barely had enough space
to walk. A couch sat next to a far wall piled high with soft
cushions. A bandanna peeked out from under one of the corners of
the cushions so there must have been a boy in there somewhere.
There was also a small TV next to the opposite wall.
"Come on Ukyou, really I feel much better now." Ryouga tried to
sit up off the mountain of pillows he had been lying on and was
quickly pushed back down.
"Sit there and relax damn it!" She glowered at him, making him
cower back onto the couch. She then set down a glass of ice water
on a tray and then turned on the TV.
Ryouga settled back down on the cushions and sighed as Ukyou
fiddled with the stations a few more times.
"Hmm... is a Kenshin marathon OK?" She turned back to him with a
look that seemed to compel him to say 'Yes that is perfect. Thank
you all mighty goddess for taking care of me. I'm not worthy.'
Ryouga, never being a very wordy guy, decided that a smile and nod
would suffice.
"Good. Hey, you should like it. There's this guy that breaks rocks
and everything." Ukyou smiled. She was a great nurse maid! Lost
Boy was lucky to have a girl like her.
Ryouga tried his new smile and nod technique again.
"Great! Is there anything else you might need? Snacks? Blankets?
More pillows?" She went on a brief ego trip again. She was doing
such a great job!
"No thanks. There are... enough pillows." Ryouga felt himself
start to again sink into the fluffy abyss of lace and held on to
the armrest for dear life. If Ukyou tried any harder to make him
feel better, she might kill him.
"Are you sure you're ok? You seem a little... pale." She crinkled
her eyebrows in concern.
Ryouga felt himself sink farther into the pillows. Ukyou slowly
started to disappear. Oxygen... was he getting oxygen? He wasn't
sure. Suddenly, getting buried alive became a very real
possibility.
"Well... I guess you look alright. I'll be back to check up on you
later!" She turned and left, not seeing the single flailing hand
thrust up from under the mountain of pillows.
"Mmmffff mfff!"
----
Ukyou returned a few hours later carrying a tray of chicken noodle
okonomiyaki and two glasses of water. The mountain of pillows was
gone and the various sounds of fighting coming from the TV
indicated that the marathon was still going on. Her patient lay
sprawled on the couch comfortably. He sat up when he realized she
was in the room. She smiled at him and sat next to him on the
couch.
"Hey Sugar, where are the pillows?" She picked up her own
okonomiyaki and started to eat. Ryouga looked back at her with
haunted eyes.
"The pillows... were... uncomfortable." He shuddered. A cloud
passed over his face but was quickly brushed away by a ray of
sunshine. "Oh! I think somebody copied off of me when they made
that Sanosuke guy. We're like twins!"
Ukyou burst out laughing and almost choked on her okonomiyaki in
the process.
"Really! We're both really strong, we each have bandannas and we
each break rocks... never understood why he always tried to eat
his armbands in the ending credits." Although, all the girls
seemed to dig that... maybe he should try it?
"It's called sex appeal Ryouga." She rolled her eyes and took a
sip of her water. "I don't expect you to know anything about it."
"Hey! I could be sexy if I wanted to be!"
Ukyou started to choke again. Quickly, she grabbed her glass of
water and took a gulp. When she could breathe again, she burst out
laughing. Her companion scowled.
"What's so funny? I just choose not to care about those sorts of
things. Who would want a girl that likes you just for your looks?"
He wrinkled his nose.
"Sugar, are you sure you didn't fall into the spring of drowned
girl, too?" She wished she had a camera. Nothing human should have
been able to turn that red.
"DID NOT!" His voice came out a little louder than he had wanted
it too. Ukyou looked taken back for a moment then her lips slid
into a sly smile. She grasped her glass of water firmly and held
it in front of her.
"Maybe you DID fall into a spring." She swished the water
threateningly.
Ryouga recoiled like she was going to plaster Ranma-chan stickers
all over his body. Quickly, he stood up, leaning on his good leg,
and inched away from the glass of water.
"Let's not be hasty--"
"Me thinks you doth protest too much." Ukyou leaned forward a bit
more.
"You sound like Kuno." He edged back.
"What's wrong? You aren't scared of a little water are you?" She
dangled it near him, playfully. She leaned forward a bit more--
and stubbed her toe on the carpet.
Ryouga had the presence of mind to push her hand away, sending the
glass and water safely across the room. However, he had to lean on
his bad leg to do it, and grabbed Ukyou for support. The two
collided and fell to the ground in a heap, Ukyou landing on top.
They froze, each looking into the other's eyes. Luckily, Ryouga's
mind was too frozen in fear to tell his nose to bleed. Ukyou could
feel his muscled chest underneath her hand and Ryouga could smell
her perfume. He didn't even think she wore perfume. A long strand
of hair fell off her shoulder and tickled his face. The tension in
the room was almost palpable until--
They quickly scrambled off each other and retreated to opposite
sides of the room.
'Think about okonomiyaki,' Ukyou repeated to herself. okonomiyaki,
okonomiyaki, okonomiyaki or Tsubasa... ewww.'
Ryouga coughed and fixated his eyes on the wall. Martial arts,
think about martial arts or... sumo guy in a pink bikini... eww.'
Ukyou risked a glance out of the corner of her eye. After seeing
that he was occupying himself with the great splendor of walls,
she stood and pretended to clean up the water.
"So?" She fumbled for words that had no sexual connotation in
them. "Feeling better?" Damn...
Fortunately, the male in the room was too busy chanting about
baseball and cold showers to see any underlying information in her
words.
"Um, yeah... I'm kinda bored though. I wish I could walk around
for a little bit." He grabbed the armrest of the couch and pulled
himself up.
"No way! The doctor said to keep you on bed rest for at least
another week. You don't want to have a relapse do you? So sit down
and let me repay you, jackass." Her voice radiated annoyance. She
picked up the glass and faced him. The redness had almost faded
from her cheeks.
"It's nice to know you care." He rolled his eyes and sat back on
the couch. His okonomiyaki sat on his plate, uneaten.
"Stop complaining." She grinned evilly. "Ranma wouldn't complain
that much."
Ryouga paused and turned his head slowly in a nice impression of
Linda Blair.
"Do I look like Ranma to you?"
There was a pause.
"Nah, Ranch--err Ranma's a lot cuter than you."
"Hey!"
That was odd... she almost called him Ranchan. He couldn't
remember her calling him that for quite awhile...
Slowly pieces of a larger puzzle started to fit together. Her
behavior lately, the distance she had been keeping from Ranma...
Had she given up on him?! No way!
Ryouga sat up and looked at Ukyou seriously.
"Ukyou, is there something you haven't told me?"
She paused and seemed to struggle for a moment. Suddenly, she
looked up and smiled. "I'll tell you later OK?"
"... ok." He sat back down and inspected his okonomiyaki. What the
hell was in it anyway? He poked it with his finger.
"It's not gonna jump up and attack you Sugar." She rolled her
eyes. "It's not Akane's cooking."
Ryouga was about to retort with a nice remark about Ranma when he
remembered. He hadn't told Ukyou the good news yet! He sat up
quickly, rattling the TV tray Ukyou had set out. Luckily, she had
her glass of water in her hand, or it would have fell into
Ryouga's lap and REALLY made the situation uncomfortable.
"Listen, Ukyou I have to tell you something. Don't interrupt this
time OK?"
Ukyou raised an eyebrow. He was REALLY excited. It was eerie. He
almost looked... happy? She looked out the window to make sure
pigs weren't flying.
Tarou flew by her window, chasing Happosai.
Close enough. Ukyou sighed.
"Yeah what's up?"
"I didn't think it would ever happen Ukyou. It shouldn't have
happened. I didn't think it could ever happen to me. I had almost
accepted it you know? But It happened and I can't deny it."
Ukyou turned pale. Oh no. He knows about Akane and Ranma. He must
have found out. Poor kid, and after all he's been through too.
She looked back up at him with tears and pity shining in her eyes.
"I know how you feel. I never thought it would happen." She hung
her head, letting her bangs fall over her face. Her companion
looked confused, which wasn't that out of the ordinary for him.
"Ukyou, I didn't think you'd care this much. You act like it's
something bad." Wow. Ukyou was really happy for him.
"How could you say that?!"
"Uh why wouldn't I say that?" Was it getting hotter in the room?
"Jackass! I should have known you'd go and get over Akane without
telling me! Can't you even consider my feelings?!"
Ryouga blinked. Now he was REALLY confused.
"Uh... why should your feelings be important right now?" Getting
over Akane? What was she talking about?
"JACKASS!"
Uh oh. She was getting out the spatula. Why was she getting out
the spatula?!
Ukyou picked up her blunt instrument of death and stalked towards
him. Ryouga wondered how fast he could bolt to the door. With
crutches it would be more along the lines of rolling to the door,
than bolting.
Time had already run out though, as she lifted the large cookware
over her head--
and stopped.
He looked up and saw her walking away muttering about how honor
and revenge was a dish best served cold.
What the hell just happened?
He scowled at her retreating form.
What the hell did he do now?
He picked up his uneaten okonomiyaki and glared at it.
And what the hell was in these things?!
---
HOURS LATER . . .
Ukyou walked back to her small living room, after a hard day of
work. She had no idea why Gosunkugi had been tied to the grill and
surrounded by money. Why not just leave the money?
She wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead with the back of her
hand.
"Hey Ryouga I'm back!" She walked through the door and looked
around. The pillows had reappeared and were stacked neatly against
the wall. Ryouga's pack was gone, along with the crutches. She
stepped closer and noticed a single note lying on the couch.
"What the..." She walked over to the note and picked it up.
Ukyou's name was written in neat handwriting on the front next to
a comical image of Ranma getting stepped on by a giant foot. She
grimaced and opened it.
Dear Ukyou,
I'm sorry for being such a bother to you. You don't need to repay
me. I didn't knock you out of the way to be repaid. Actually, I
wasn't thinking a whole lot at all. I release you from any pact
that you feel you're obliged to repay. I don't know why you were
angry. Me getting a sense of direction shouldn't have affected you
THAT badly. So whatever, I did or said... I'm sorry. I'm gone. I
won't bother you anymore.
Signed,
Ryouga Hibiki.
She crunched up the note in her fist and hung her head.
"Damn it!"
----
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