I Dont own Ranma 1/2 It's Rumiko Takahashis
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Chapter 1 - A Day Like Any Other
Mousse peered dejectedly from behind the counter out into the cat café, watching Shampoo rush around the dinning room serving customers there Ramen.
He wanted nothing more then to rush out and proclaim his love for her but after the beating he had received that morning as she had come downstairs was a slight deter.
He sighed, why couldn't she understand that he loved her, far more then that wretched Saotome ever would.
He squinted behind his glasses trying to watch her as clearly as he could. If only….
He growled as Cologne smacked him again with her staff. "Get back to work boy, the customers are waiting"
Mousse glowered at her as he continued boiling ramen noodles. "withered old ghoul" he muttered under his breath. "What was that?" she glared at him. "nothing" he sighed as he walked out the kitchen to bus some tables that had been previously occupied with customers.
Mousse had gone completely silent by the end of the day as they were beginning to close. He stood at the sink washing dishes and mumbling to himself.
He hadn't said a word in hours and Shampoo and Cologne seemed content with this. He glared at the plate holding back as much as he could in his anger as to not break it in his grip, until he heard Shampoo yell from the dinning room.
Nihao Ranma!
The plate snapped in hands, and he tossed it into the trash. He glared at Ranma as Shampoo glomped onto him holding onto him as hard as she could as he tried to pry her off.
'Airen is hungrey yes?' Shampoo asked s she hung on his arm. He couldn't say a thing before Shampoo was shouting at Mousse.
"Stupid Mousse, you make ramen for Ranma"
Mousses clenched his fists and scowled as he started to make a bowl of ramen for the ungrateful wretch. He paused and sighed but it was at his loves request. He stalked out of the kitchen and sat the bowl in front of Ranma and walked back to the kitchen without so much as looking up or speaking.
He started cleaning the kitchen, he wanted to be done and leave as being around Ranma and his Shampoo clinging all over him made his blood boil.
Mousse woke up the next morning as he always did, with Shampoo yelling at him from the other side of his door to get up to help set up the Café. He dressed and hurried down the stairs to the restaurant as soon his feet it the floor A mop and bucket were shoved in his face by Cologne.
'Get to mopping this place before customers start coming in.' She said as she disappeared inside the kitchen.
He sighed pushing his glasses on top of his head but said nothing as he began to mop the floor of the dining room taking careful steps around the bucket of water.
"Mousse" he heard Shampoo calling him from the kitchen. A goofy grin spread across his face and he went dashing the opposite direction.
Forgetting completely about the bucket of water that was right in front of him…till he tripped on it and looked up just in time to see the bucket come down on his head as he felt the transformation.
He quacked loudly from underneath the bucket till it was lifted to Shampoo staring down angrily at.
'look at mess stupid duck-boy make!' she snapped at him.
He gulped and pulled out a bouquet of flowers, offering them to her as an apology.
She swatted them out of his wings and glowered at him.
'How many times Shampoo tell you she no want you stupid blind duck-boy for husband!'
This happened all the time, it always hurt but it hurt worse then usual today.
'You change back and clean mess then take out trash' she ordered turning on heel and stalking back to the kitchen.
The day hadn't started off quite as he had hoped.
"What did you expect?" The voice in the back of his head asked curiously.
As the lunch rush ended he had kept his glasses on and managed not to make anymore mistakes to irritate Shampoo or Cologne, but that pain that he had felt this morning after the water incident hadn't left him like it usually did by now.
He was just finishing bussing a table When The bell chimed and he looked up and saw Akane Tendo coming in. She took a seat and mousse walked up to her with a pad and pencil.
'Hello Akane Tendo.' He greeted her. If anyone from the Tendo home had to come in today he was glad it was her and not Ranma.
She looked up at him seeming surprised at his presence.
'Hello Mousse' she said smiling up at him.
'What can I get you Akane" he asked looking at her expectantly.
'Are you okay Mousse' she asked suddenly. 'You seem kind of down'
'Is it that obvious' he wondered.
He looked down at the floor sullenly.
'Yes Akane Tendo' He sighed for the twentieth time that day. 'I've felt so..' He paused searching for the words. 'used and taken advantage of since last night'
Akane looked at him disbelievingly.
'your just now realizing this?"
'Well I meant I always knew but as of last night when Ranma stopped by the hurt isn't going away like it normally does'
She frowned at his statement and rested her head on her hands. 'maybe you just need some time apart from her?'
Mousses head cocked to the side in thought tapping the end of his pencil on his chin.
"You may be right Akane, but I'm not sure about leaving…" She shrugged
'In the end it's up to you Mousse but for once you should think about yourself and what would be best for you for a change.' With that she stood up and started toward the door.
'Didn't you want something to eat Akane?' He asked watching her leave.
She looked back over her shoulder and smiled. 'No I was just looking for Ranma, bye Mousse' she said walking out.
As she left Shampoo walked out of the Kitchen and saw Mousse starring out after her.
'What kitchen-destroyer want?'
'Nothing, she was looking for Ranma' he said before going back to wiping down tables.
Shampoo clapped her hands together and smiled. 'Shampoo should go see Airen too'
Mousse tensed at her words but didn't look up As she ran out the door. He let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and continued wiping the table.
The dinner rush had ended several hours ago but he was still cleaning up, It seamed as though every martial artist that lived in Nerima had stopped by when Ranma in girl form came through followed by Shampoo Akane and Ukyou, and then of course The Kuno siblings and Ryoga.
Of course not a single one used the door, After it was over Shampoo had come stomping home angry at Ranmas failure to choose her so she had ordered him to clean up the mess. He had spent the last hour picking up debris.
He finished and went upstairs unnoticed of course since everyone else had long since gone to bed. He climbed up the ladder to his attic bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed his head in his hands.
In front of everyone else and usually when it was just himself he was hopeful and optimistic but these moments of doubt and despair over his failing love life and life in general was taking it's toll on him. 'Maybe I should take Akanes advice.." he thought bitterly while running his fingers through his hair.
He needed to get away from it all for a little while a break from they abuse, the fighting, Nerima, Ranma and even Shampoo.
He looked around his shabby little room the walls were bare and faded what little paint there had been was peeling.
As he finally truly took in what had been his home for a little over a year he realized what a meager life he had been living. He looked around again and realized he had so few possessions.
The only thing he truly had besides his robes and weapons was a framed picture standing on the small night stand beside his ragged bed. He picked it up and examined it.
was a picture of him an Shampoo when they had been on Togenkyo . A frown marred his face as he stared at it. He was smiling in the picture but he realized that she was not. She had on a look or utter boredom or as though it was a complete waste of her time.
He remembered that moment after almost as soon as the camera flashed she had caught sight of Ranma and taken off after him.
' You would think after all this time I would have known better, It's just like her to go chasing after him and leave me… standing alone in the dust'
He sighed and sat the picture facedown on the table.
He packed up what little he had and went over to his bed and pulled a pen and piece of paper out of his robes and began to write.
He set the note on his bed and crept silently as he could downstairs.
He didn't want to see her he just wanted to get away for a little while. Till he knew what it was he would do. He loved her even though those feelings he knew were not returned.
He reached above the door to hold the bell as not to alert anyone of his leaving. He slipped out the door and started walking down the street toward the edge of town.
He just needed a break…or at least that was what he kept telling himself.
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Chapter 2 on the way ladies and gentlemen! - Malthazar LOS