WARNING & AUTHOR NOTE: This is not meant to be a literary award winning story, so I understand some of the negative feedback I've been getting on this story. Everyone is allowed to have his/her opinions. I wrote this story rather quickly and so it is in need of a lot of rewrites. That is also why it is called a work in progress. I hope to eventually correct a lot of that over time. I will not be taking this story down but I will be rewriting it and so updates may take longer in coming.
This story will not be explicit, because is censured. So When there are "love" moments between RanRyo it will be at my website but I haven't gotten to any sex scenes yet and I wont be for a while. Because as the story unfolds a lot will be revealed. I also wrote Ranma and Ryoga as older more mature individual so I should warn you this is AU and OOC. I know what't the point in writing a story when you change the personalities? I don't view it as changed personalities. I view it as growing up. In the series you get glimpses of what Ranma would have been like if he'd matured or Ryoga or even Akane and so based on those glimpses I reasoned if things had gone a certain way this is how they would be. The series is all about teenagers and teenager issues, like insecurities and how to get a boyfriend and whether or not one is ever ready for marriage.
This story is not about teenage angst, its about adult angst, though that too can be very juvenile, butits done in mature manner with adult ways of dealing with things.
I know i shouldn't post a first draft story but i was very excited that I had finally been able to write a Ranma story after a long long absence from the fandom. I used to have a story or two posted at the old RRArchive and on the old RRYaoiMLlist but that was about 1998 I think, so like I said a long time ago. I have finally bought the entire series and I hope to watch it all again and refamiliarize myself with Ranma and Ryoga. :) They're like a couple of old friends I've missed a lot and have not seen in forever.
If you do not like this story, that's up to you. I appreciate comments & feedback. I like helpful criticism. If you have nothing helpful to say however or if you just want to say negative things, don't bother hitting the review button. Thank you.
Have slightly revised but haven't changed much.
CHAPTER ONE
Ranma Moves Out! Engagement Called Off!
The school newspapers were filled with the new breaking news on the unfortunate events of the Tendo-Saotome Household Heartbreak. Gossips columns were a buzz with speculation.
Ranma was walking on crutches this had been the last straw. He'd evolved over the years in his view points on girls and on people and social interactions. He decided that:
1. he wasn't stupid enough to marry into an abusive relationship, no matter that his father argued Akane would grow out of it. Ranma had argued when, its been five years?
2. violent women didn't need a man's protection or any sort of show of chivalry, they could take care of themselves, this was after all the twentieth century. Let chivalry die already its been dead for a hundred years anyway.
3. Ranma wanted his own life. This last beating had been his wake up call. He'd almost died this time around. He wasn't going back to her not even if she showed an ounce of remorse. Which Akane would rather die than do. She was a prideful hurtful girl who beat Ranma every day and people just blamed Ranma for rocking the boat.
That's not how it's supposed to work. Ranma was the victim here. Where was his sympathy? why was Akane always getting all of the attentions and sympathies? This life sucked and he wasn't standing for it any more. He was done.
Genma Saotome had screamed "What about Honor? What about the Seppuku Contract?"
"Ranma Saotome is no more. I will no longer go by that name." Roared Ranma. "I give up this wretched name and this wretched life. I'm breaking all family bonds and ties to you, Genma Saotome and to The Tendos. I'm eighteen, I'm an Adult now, I can do whatever the hell I want. And the first thing I'm doing is changing my life. Its not yours to rule anymore. I'm out of here. I won't stay in a relationship that's all about abuse. Goodbye. So long and if Ma catches ya, just let her know I died in a training accident."
Genma tried to argue and then he tried to bully his thick headed son but Ranma was beyond him in skill and strength. Ranma felt a certain satisfaction when Genma Saotome was no longer able to get up.
"How does it feel Dad? How does it feel to get so beat up you can't even breathe? Maybe now you'll get it. I'm out of here!"
p-chan- ran-chan –RxR- p-chan-ran-chan
A Year Later...
Ranma was enjoying his life so far for the first time ever. He was living on student loans and two part time jobs, he was also teaching part time at the academy earning a small break on student loans making his costs of attending school a little cheaper than the usual student. In spite of all the work he was doing and how tired he was he found his life was profoundly serene and profoundly satisfying.
He was so busy he never realized he was lonely but his life had never allowed for him to have much of a social life anyway and he really didn't mind that he didn't have any friends or any visitors. He didn't mind being a work-a-holic hermit. He liked it very much.
He smiled at his neighbors. He smiled at fellow students. He smiled a lot. He never smiled this much at the Tendo Dojo. His life was a good now. He was happy.
So what if his eyes on occasion gazed a little enviously at couples walking together or at friends laughing with friends or fathers and sons actually being friends rather then enemies or mothers who held their sons and babied them even a little. It was at those times he felt the most lonely and not a little jealous.
Class was a minute from starting when he sat down at the front of the class and glasses perched on his nose and notes and text book spread out on his desk, pens and papers at the ready for more notes. Today's test was going to be hard but he looked forward to the challenge, he had studied well and prepared for it.
For the first time in his life things were going his way. No one to answer to other then teachers or landlord or part-time job bosses but things were still way good since he never, well hardly ever, ran into trouble any more. It had been a great day when he had moved far away from the Tendo Dojo. He lived near the college campus on the outskirts of town on the other side of town 20 miles away from the Tendos. Things were good really, really, good.
p-chan- ran-chan –RxR- p-chan-ran-chan
A Month Later...
"WHERE THE HELL AM I?" roared the frustrated vagabond fangs facing the sky, eyes wide searching for something familiar to tell him where he'd managed to get to this time. One minute he'd finally been home and the next minute he'd been somewhere over in America trying to ask direction in his broken English and getting weird looks and now he was somewhere else entirely.
"Yes! Narima! I'm home again. Akane my love I shall free you from Ranma's abuses at long last and Ranma today's the day you die!" he laughed happily and started making his way towards the Tendos of course it wasn't long before he was lost again, walking for hours in ever growing wider circles till finally he stopped in an odd place still in Nerima but in an unfamiliar part of town.
Ranma Saotom in glasses with books in his arms walked towards him did a double take then smiled.
"Ryo-Kun, Man, welcome back to Nerima, Where the hell have ya been the last two years? I'd hug ya man but my arms are full. You look starved, did ya want a bite to eat? You can come with me to my place, I've got leftovers in the fridge."
Ranma was clueless as ever. Didn't he know they were supposed to be enemies? Of course not. Ranma didn't have the brain power to figure that out on his own. Ryoga was exhausted from all of his traveling and from walking, well running really, all throughout Nerima and he was not upto yelling at Ranma, he owuld do that when he had his strength back. Yes, he was hungry, starving really. He decided a temporary truce would be okay.
p-chan-ran-chan-RxR-p-chan-ran-chan
He was very surprised to find that Ranma's home was not the Tendo Dojo. He lived on his own in a tiny one room apartment with indoor facilities and modern utilities. He had a couch the pulled out into a bed. The bedroom was currently the library and study, books lined homemade shelves, which in turn took up every wall in the bedroom, as well most of the floor. The closet had a shelves dedicated to neatly folded clothes and shoes. Ranma did not have a tv just a radio/cd player, that sat at the foot of the couch. On some shelves lining the window and kitchen area fresh fruits and vegetables, herb plants and regular houseplants filled the place with wonderful smells and clean greenery.
Ranma dropped his books and shoes on the inside of the doorway and let Ryoga in to explore his small apartment. He then rummaged through the refrigerator and turned on the stove and made a quick meal for the two of them.
Ryoga was impressed. Ranma looked good. He looked at peace and relaxed.
"Where's Akane?"
Ranma shrugged. "Ryoga if you want Akane, you can court her if you like. We broke up. I decided I needed my own life. I gave up my family ties and all ties to the Tendos. So if you want Akane go for it buddy. I won't stop ya. Just be careful ya know, Akane has an explosive temper. She almost killed me, so I left."
Ryoga couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Akane's not like that Ranma. She's a kind and caring and compassionate person. She wouldn't try to kill you unless you had deserved it." Eyes blazing with the fires of conviction and fierce loyalty.
Ranma scowled. "I know ya love her Ryoga so I'm not going to argue with you over this and ruin my day off. I just want a pleasant evening and it was such a wonderful surprise to see you again. I don't want to fight with you Ryoga. I've given up that life. I'm a full time student and I have two part time jobs. I'm a responsible adult now and all I want to do is have a pleasant evening with my friend. My only friend in the entire world, alright?"
Ryoga blinked, blushed then put his full attention to his dinner. It was really good. Ranma was a good cook. He almost made a crack about Ranma taking on girly ways but managed to bite his tongue. He wasn't sure how to respond to this new Ranma. He was so different from the last time they ran into each other. He blushed more furiously when he realized Ranma called him his only friend in the entire world.
"What about Uk-chan?" asked Ryoga. "Isn't she still a friend?"
Ranma bowed his head. "I wanted to keep being friends with her but every time I went to visit her to talk to her or to eat at her restaurant, well there was Shampoo then Moose and then the Tendos and my Dad kept showing up. They tried to get me to come back by force. Ukyo tried to ban them from her establishment but in the end it caused her a lot of troubles and money problems."
"I don't visit that side of town at all. I stay the hell away from all of them. Even if I do miss Uky-chan, she was like a sister to me, well brother really, ya know what I mean? Ukyo's come to accept that I'm never going to marry. I am never going to marry any of the fiancés that have been forced on me." He took a bite of his food and let his words sink in for both of them.
"I like being on my own. I enjoy not getting into fights every hour. I enjoy the peace and quiet that I have here. Ryoga if you visit them or take up courting Akane please don't tell them where I am. I want to continue to be left alone. So please Ryoga, swear on your honor you will not tell a single soul where I am."
Ryoga took another bite of his food and sighed happily. It was really really good food. "I swear Ranma, no one and nothing will get your location from me. I swear on my honor that I will never tell anyone where you are."
Ranma's smile was radiant. "Thank's P-chan."
"Don't call me that." Growled Ryoga.
"Sorry, I was only teasing, sorry." Apologized Ranma still smiling at him but with a warmth that was almost unsettling.
"You're really lonely here aren't you Ranma?" asked Ryoga suddenly very insightful.
"Well not usually, I mean I'm so busy all the time that I never, well hardly ever, notice that I'm alone. I like the peace I really do and it has done a lot for my mental health, ya know?"
Ryoga looked long into Ranma's eyes. Ranma was definitely a very different person now days. Ryoga felt almost like he could really like this Ranma a lot some day when his feelings were less sharp and less angry he could really like Ranma. He could become a true friend to Ranma.
"I can tell." He said smiling. Still a little unsettled. This wasn't how he had imagined his confrontation with Ranma would be. This was way different from any of the other times they'd met up with one another. There was always fighting and sparring, loud battle cries, and cries that turned into pain. He couldn't imagine this Ranma at the moment being the Ranma he had always viewed as his enemey. This Ranma was graceful, quiet, confident without arrogance. Ranma seemed to have grown a lot in the two years since he'd last seen him and fought him. He was still shorter than Ryoga but his aura his presence, there was something very different about this Ranma. Could it be a new curse? With that thought Ryoga prepared to keep a suspicious eye on Ranma.
Ranma beamed. Then he stood up from his chair at the bar that was acting as their table he turned around and prepared some already made fudge brownies for desert, he popped them into the oven for five minutes than put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and handed it to Ryoga.
"It was good having you over for dinner Ryoga. You want to stay the night? You're my guest and my best friend, its getting late out and I don't want anythignbad happening to you out there."
Ryoga scowled. "I can take care of myself."
"I know that. I'm just trying to be a good friend. The offer stands, if ya wanna stay? Anyway I'm going to go study and then get ready for bed. I have an early shift then a class I gotta go to. I'll be home late tomorrow if you stick around we can go to the movies, if ya like, like real friends do?"
Ryoga looked outside then grimaced it was starting to rain and night was falling fast. "I'll head out tomorrow to go see the Tendos and Akane. But thank you, Ranma for your hospitality. Its been really great."
Ranma smiled. "Like I said, buddy of mine, you're my best friend. I like having you here. Its been forever since we last saw each other. I'll get the bed ready, we'll have to share since I only got the pull out bed-couch to sleep on, I hope you don't mind. You look ready to drop."
Ryoga almost protested but what was the point. They were after all both guys and why get freaked out over it? The couch looked pretty big and so the bed part must be pretty good sized, enough room for three or four people, and besides it wasn't like either he or Ranma were gay, so why get freaked out about sharing a bed with another guy?
Ranma showed him to the bathroom and helped him get ready for bed. Ranma was right Ryoga was ready to drop on the spot. Ranma tucked him in then turned on the radio and then out the lights and disappeared with his books into the bedroom made into library-study room. Ryoga slept well, better than he had slept in a long time. He felt comfortable. Safe. He felt looked after.
The morning saw a red-head female version of Ranma dressed in a cute little waitress get up and back pack slung on her back heading out the door for work and school.
Ryoga curled up tighter into a ball and slept in the dent where Ranma had slept during the night. An hour or so later he woke up to breakfast. It was easy to reheat up and it was waiting for him on a hot plate. Ranma's special pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and French toast special. It was a huge breakfast with a bowl of bran cereal on the side and any pick of the fruit in the open bowls on display. Ryoga ate an orange and then a kiwi and then an apple. He was stuffed. He could barely move he was so stuffed. He let the ripe tomato fall back into its bowl and patted his stomach. It felt like heaven. Ranma was being to good to him, too kind, too wonderful. So much food and he had gorged himself on it.
A note read. "Don't feel bad. Most of this stuff goes to rot. I'm hardly ever home. Eat all you want. I'll see ya later tonight if you're still here when I get back from school and my second job. Your friend, Ranma"
p-chan- ran-chan –RxR- p-chan-ran-chan
Ryoga did not know why he felt so reluctant to leave Ranma. One day bled into a second day and then a third day and then before he knew it two weeks had gone by and he still hadn't left for the Tendos Dojo. He didn't know why. Maybe he was nervous because now he had a real chance with Akane. His nerves were on edge and Ranma was not normal Ranma.
Ranma was good to be around. They laughed they went out together. They acted like friends. Like good friends would act. Ranma listened to him and tried to be helpful and considerate. Ranma seemed almost like the toddler that used to help at school before the bread wars.
Ranma had even found him a job at the morning place where Ranma worked. Because Ryoga felt guilty for taking advantage of Ranma's hospitality. Though Ranma was the one that kept asking him to stay and kept treating him to movies when there was time or treating him to special events. It was almost as if Ranma were dating him. What an unsettling thought that was. They were just friends. Friends going out together and having fun.
Ryoga's job had longer hours but fewer days. He was also making the higher wage but Ranma brought home lots in the way of tips. Ranma's customers really liked the waitress and more often then not tips were in denomination of tens and twenties though on few occasions she received the occasional three dollars or five dollar tips.
Ranma trained with Ryoga in the mornings and evenings in boy form as well as in girl form. Ranma seemed surprisingly comfortable in her girl form. When Ryoga commented on this Ranma explained.
"I gave up my name as Ranma Saotome. I leave my apartment as a girl because I choose to be someone else and this girl form allows me to do that. Not to say that I don't like being a boy. I am a man! I go to some classes as a man and some classes as a woman. I'm two different people sometimes Ryoga and I use it to my advantage as a good martial artists does."
"But it seems so weird." Ryoga commented.
Ranma shrugged.
Before either one knew what was happening people were referring to them as a couple. Such comments were easier to take when Ranma was in girl form but not when he was in boy form. It was embarassing.
Those comments though inaccurate were probably not that far off from the truth. They were practically glued at the hip. Where Ranma went so did Ryoga, mainly for Ryoga's sake. After all, the eternally lost boy wasn't called eternally lost for nothing. Without Ranma's help Ryoga would have ended up anywhere on Earth.
Ryoga did not know where he'd be right now without Ranma. He owed Ranma a lot.
But he wasn't sure he liked the stigma that was now associated with his and Ranma's interactions with one another. Why were people calling them a couple? It wasn't as if they held hands or were dating one another. Okay so Ranma would grab his hand from time to time but that was only to lead him around like a dog on a leash, sure its a little embarassing and he hated it, but how else was he not going to get lost? And yeah, when there was time they went out to the movies or simply hung out together at parks and at the school grounds. But there was nothing romantic going on.
Things were good between them, sure they still had fantastic misunderstandings. Fireworks, some would describe some of those arguments, but things didn't get out of control like they usually would have at the Tendos. They were two guys sharing an apartment. Roommates. They were becoming close like brothers. Brothers fought at times. It still didn't mean that he and Ranma were dating. (Ryoga's in deep denial)
For the most part the two of them would make peace with one another and apologize for hurt feelings or miscommunications. Ranma cooked Ryoga cleaned. They continued to share the pull out couch bed. Ryoga thought about buying a futon or a second bed but the apartment was pretty small and beds cost a small fortune and besides he was used to sleeping with Ranma by now. Though used to it did not always equate with comfortable with it. Especially when Ranma was in one his weird neko moods where he curled up practically on top of Ryoga. Ryoga would try like crazy to dislodge Ranma from him when that happened. But his will was weak and getting ever more weaker with every passing day.
Something strange was happening between him and Ranma. Something he'd never experienced before. He was becoming too close to Ranma. His life was getting too entangled with Ranma's. He should leave. heshould go to the Tendos and confess his love to Akane. He should move out and run as far away from Ranma as possible.
A noise startled him out of his brooding thoughts.
Ranma whimpered in his sleep, he murmured Akane's name, but it wasn't in a tone of voice anywhere near passion. It was a tone of voice that frightened children had or beaten wives. Ryoga froze at hearing such a tone in his friend's voice.
He contemplated what he should do. Should he wake Ranma? Should he say something? What should he do?
In the end he found his heart told him to snuggle closer to Ranma and carefully wrap his arms around his best friend to give him comfort.
"Its okay, Ranma-kun, I'm here now. You're okay now. You're safe."
Ranma wept in his sleep and curled up more tightly against Ryoga taking comfort and safety from the shelter of his friend's arms.
p-chan- ran-chan –RxR- p-chan-ran-chan
TBC