…Fuck, man.

Saotome Ranma frowned as he looked at the picture of one Kuno Tatewaki. The man in the picture with neat, black hair; a handsome face that was no longer boyish; and, evidently, a sword in his hand as he stared back up unflinchingly at Ranma. The boy lowered the picture and looked into the mirror, his dark hair in a pigtail and his tan evidence of the long hours he spent perfecting his martial arts. His father Genma had hoped that their dojo would be lucrative; if joined with their friends, the Tendo family, the two styles of martial arts might have had a chance. However, after meeting the Tendo girls—the mature and kind Kasumi, the street-wise and crafty Nabiki, and the sweet but temperamental Akane—Ranma realized he could never marry any of those girls. Kasumi was helplessly in love with the local doctor and Ranma would never stand in the way of true love; Nabiki was independent and intelligent and Ranma felt that she was independent enough to find her own husband; and Akane wanted very much to be a good wife (though she was awful at it) and didn't love martial arts as much as Ranma did. They were simply incompatible and Nodoka, his doting mother, decided that the marriage would be useless and detrimental to their dojo. Besides, much as Akane seemed to like Ranma, she could never get over his curse.

With a scowl, Ranma took the other picture on the floor—a picture of a red-headed girl with a pigtail and a charming smile that looked startlingly similar to Ranma.

Training in the cursed springs at Jusenkyou had been a bad idea; now Ranma was practically a woman all the time and his father spent most of his time as a panda. Though it was hilarious to see his father the first time he transformed, it was traumatic to return to his mother and admit he was no longer a "man amongst men." As if his own caustic personality wasn't enough to keep him and Akane at odds, Ranma's cursed form was always the object of Akane's jealousy. Nodoka had loved treating Ranma like a daughter (when it tickled Nodoka's fancy) and taught Ranma how to be a woman; during the first few weeks of the Saotome family's stay at the Tendo's, Ranma made it a point to prove to Akane that, even as a man, he was a better woman than her. His cooking didn't poison anyone; he dressed better and was even capable of sewing; and he was neater than her. There was no way he and Akane could have married, what with Akane always bitter of the fact that her husband was a better wife.

In retrospect, perhaps he should've pretended to suck. Then he wouldn't be stuck in this predicament. Ranma sighed as he looked at Kuno's picture again.

Money was definitely tight. None of his marriage prospects—those that were okay with marrying a half girl, half guy husband, anyway—came with much dowry and Nodoka had fallen ill from malnourishment. In the end, Ranma had agreed to become a picture bride. In the hopes of making money in America with his new husband—whose letters were the only form of communication Ranma had—Ranma had sent a picture of his female self off to an arranger. Kuno, the poor fool, had responded. Ranma stood up, stark naked, and walked to the bucket of cold water he kept in his room; after a quick splash, she was a woman again.

And likely would be for the rest of her life.

Ranma sighed, slipping on her kimono and making sure everything was packed. She lugged the giant suitcase to the genkan, turned back inside, and entered her mother's room. Genma sat, cross-legged, next to the futon where Nodoka lay. Silently, Ranma approached and smiled at her sleeping mother. Nodoka's illness had caused her to lose a significant amount of weight, but Nodoka was still a picture of beauty to Ranma. Gently, the red-headed girl caressed her mother's cheek and Nodoka's eyes fluttered open.

"Ranma?" she asked weakly with a small smile.

"Yeah, mom. I'm heading out. Thought I'd say goodbye."

Nodoka nodded and leaned forward; Ranma bridged the small gap between them and Nodoka kissed her sometimes daughter on the forehead. "I know this isn't the life you wanted...if you don't want to do this, you don't have to."

Genma's fists tightened, grabbing at the fabric on his knees.

"Mom, I have to do this. I promise Kuno and I will make lots of money; we'll send it over and you'll be up and walking in no time! Believe me, mom. You're more important than honor."

Genma nodded minutely, ignoring the itch at the corner of his eye. He had taught his son well.

"Well, I should get going. I'll write as soon as I'm in Hawaii," Ranma leaned back and sat on her haunches, smiling at Nodoka. She turned to her father. "Take care of her, Pops."

"Make me proud, boy," Genma replied. "I'll protect your mother."

"Ah! Ranma, before I forget!" Nodoka suddenly said, pushing herself up. Ranma and Genma rushed forward to help her.

"Mom! Don't force yourself!"

"Dear! You have to rest!"

"Oh, nonsense," Nodoka huffed, "This is important. Reach under my pillow, Ranma."

The girl did as she was told and took out a water bottle, the label reading "Emergency Only!"

"I asked for a favor once; that bottle contains water from one of the cursed springs in Jusenkyou. If your husband turns out to be a scoundrel, splash him with this. I think the guard said it'll turn a man into a small animal. You can find a way home from there."

Ranma chuckled. "Mom, I can take on anyone, even as a girl." However, Ranma thought, Kuno looked strong and her girl form was weaker and shorter than her male form. Shrugging and deciding to err on the side of safety, Ranma dutifully packed the bottle. "I guess it can't hurt, Mom."

Nodoka smiled happily. "All I want is for you to be happy, Ranma."

Weeks on the boat did not agree with Ranma's stomach but, finally, she had arrived in Hawaii. The other picture brides huddled around her and shifted nervously off the boat. Ranma frowned and held her head high, walking with no hesitation. Picture bride or no, she was still a man amongst men. The workers at the dock quickly ushered all the would-be wives into a small waiting room and explained briefly that the women should be patient. It took an hour, but finally Ranma heard her name; with more bravery than she thought she had, Ranma stood and walked toward her new life. She paused at the door, seriously considering running away.

But then Ranma thought of her mother.

Face set in grim determination, Ranma turned the knob for the door and walked through the threshold. Inside the small room was a low, rectangular table. In front of it stood a Japanese man, who Ranma assumed was the one marrying them. And finally, her azure eyes fell on Kuno. An audible sigh of relief left Ranma when she saw he looked the exact way as he did in the picture; Ranma had heard rumors of old men using old pictures from their youth to trap attractive, young girls into marriage. As Kuno stared at her, Ranma quickly became unnerved; did he know her secret?

"PIG TAILED GODDESS!" he exclaimed.

Ranma huffed—that stupid moniker—and realized just how dim her new husband was. "Yes, yes, I'm here."

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to quell Kuno's ardent desire. Faster than Ranma thought him capable, Kuno rushed to her and crushed the red head in a fierce hug. "At last, you have come to me, my beautiful little wife!"

Seemingly tired with their antics—or perhaps some god in heaven heard Ranma's plea to be able to breathe again—the man in front of them coughed awkwardly and insisted they go ahead with the marriage. The ceremony was quick and painless; Ranma even managed to trick Kuno to wait until later for his kiss. As they left, Ranma adeptly avoiding holding hands with Kuno, the redhead looked back at the sea. A small sigh left her as she gazed longingly at the island that was no longer within sight.

"There it is; the chariot that will take us to our castle of love!" Kuno suddenly said, and Ranma turned, looking at a small carriage. The horse-drawn ride was old, but looked strong enough to hold the many couples climbing aboard. Curiously enough, there was a boy on the carriage with no woman sitting beside him. The man looked a full head taller than her—he looked about the same height as Ranma's male form. His dark hair was shaggy, but neat, and his thick bangs fell across his forehead, a yellow and black bandana tied around his head. The short-sleeved yellow shirt was clearly made by hand—perhaps even by his hand—but was functional and form-fitting. His dark black pants had ropes at the hems at his ankles tied up to his knees, likely to keep out insects. On his feet were simple black Chinese shoes, similar to Ranma's. He was strong, muscled, and handsome; his most striking feature, however, were his deep viridian eyes. Intrigued, Ranma sat beside him.

Momentarily, she worried that Kuno would become jealous and pull her away, but the man began to brag to the others about his new "pig-tailed goddess" and he left Ranma alone. Unfortunately, he was rather loud.

The young man beside Ranma raised a brow and glanced at her. "Pig tailed goddess?"

Her cheeks flushed. "My name is Saotome Ranma. That guy is just an idiot."

The man looked away as the carriage began to move, then looked back at her. "…Hibiki Ryoga. Why did you marry him, then?"

Ryoga, huh? She smiled sadly. "My mom is sick and I needed money. My parents can't afford to give a dowry, so we thought it would be better if I married over here. Kuno said he makes lots of money in his letters. I figure I could send some back to my mom so she gets better."

"I'm so sorry," Ryoga suddenly said, a pitying look on his face. "They hate us Japanese here. I mean, the Americans like us more than the Chinese and the Filipinos, but we're still below the Europeans. We barely get paid for all the work we do. I can't imagine that guy being rich."

Ranma gaped at him. "You mean…that idiot over there lied to me? And I'm married to him for nothing?"

With a grim frown, Ryoga nodded.

Ranma let out an inhuman growl as her blue ki gathered around her. Surprised, Ryoga stared unabashedly at her as the petite girl stomped over to the other side of the carriage and, in one smooth uppercut, sent Kuno flying off the carriage and into the horizon. As Kuno screamed that he would find his goddess soon, the other passengers looked on warily at the unnaturally strong girl. With a huff and a rude gesture towards the direction she'd sent Kuno, Ranma walked back to her seat beside Ryoga and plopped down in the most unladylike way.

"Feel better now?" Ryoga asked, stunned.

"A little," Ranma admitted, her shoulders slumping, "But what am I supposed to do now? How am I gonna help my mother?"

Ryoga faltered as large, pleading blue eyes turned on him as if he had all the answers. He opened his mouth, but Ranma sighed and turned away abruptly.

"Sorry, this isn't your problem. I'll figure it out on my own. Where's your wife?"

Ryoga sighed bitterly. "She never came. At the last minute, she sent me a letter with one of the girls on board saying she couldn't leave her family and her pig farm."

Ranma frowned, placing a small hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."

"So, are you a martial artist?" Ryoga asked suddenly.

"I…yeah. My father always wanted a son to carry on the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, but…"

"But then he had a daughter, huh?"

Ranma glanced away. "Y-Yeah. He still trained me, though. We went on training trips all the time all over Japan."

"That's pretty amazing," Ryoga grinned, a hint of a fang poking out, "You must be really accomplished. Since when have you been training?"

"Uh…since I was two."

Ryoga's eyes bugged. "Two? Was your father a sadist?"

Ranma scowled. "That's one word for it…"

"I'm surprised your mother let it happen."

Ranma couldn't exactly tell Ryoga that it was based on an agreement between both parents that their usually-a-boy child be a man amongst men. They had even written a contract that stated failure was cause for seppuku. Thankfully, on the day father and son revealed to Nodoka that the contract couldn't be fulfilled, Nodoka had bought a dress and shoved Ranma into it; instead of pulling out her trademark sword, Nodoka had pulled out all the stops to help Ranma feel comfortable in both genders. She'd made an effort to convince Ranma that she was still Saotome Ranma and her gender was whatever Ranma wanted it to be. She'd shown Ranma that women could be just as strong as men and that being a man didn't mean being arrogant and convinced he was the best, but it meant the same as being a woman—being a human being who was compassionate and kind, just like her mother, and a person who was strong and willing to protect those they loved, just like her father.

"I think she really wanted a son, too," Ranma said instead. "But she liked the idea of having a daughter."

"Oh, yeah? Well that explains why you speak like that."

"Like what?" Ranma asked, tilting her head.

"You say 'ore' instead of 'watashi' or 'atashi'. You totally talk like a guy."(i)

"Oh…I forgot to make sure I talk like a girl…"

"Well, that's not important," Ryoga shrugged. "Did your mom at least teach you how to act like a girl?"

Ranma beamed with pride. "Yep! I can cook, clean, wash clothes, and still kick any chauvinistic jerk's butt!"

Ryoga laughed. "Maybe we should spar some time, Ranma."

"Yeah? Think you handle me, Ryoga-chan?" Ranma smirked.

"Bring it on, princess."

Ranma pouted. "Don't you dare call me that."

Ryoga snickered. "I probably wouldn't if you didn't look so cute when you get mad." Immediately after, Ryoga's cheeks flushed as he realized what he'd just said. "I-I mean, well…y-you are cute and all but that's not my place to say. Well, I guess it doesn't matter if I say it, but I shouldn't have 'cause you're not my wife, but if you were, I'd think you were really beautiful—ack! What am I saying?"

As Ryoga continued to stumble over his words, a warmth spread over Ranma's cheeks and her smile grew wider. "That's okay, Ryoga. I understand."

Finally, Ryoga stopped talking and smiled sheepishly at her. "So, uh," he began, hoping the change in subject would lessen the heat on his face, "Do you know where you live?"

Ranma frowned. "Oh, right. I didn't think of that."

The carriage stopped and the last few couples hopped off, heading towards their homes hand in hand. Ranma watched them go, wistfully. Some of those couples looked genuinely happy. Now, whether a woman or a man, Ranma would never have that. She was doomed to marriage with…Kuno. A disgusted shudder rippled through her. She jumped as a muscled arm wrapped around her shoulders and looked up at Ryoga in surprise. The man in question was blushing again; she hadn't noticed him scoot closer to her, but he was close enough that their knees were touching.

"Sorry…I don't mean to impose or something, but you were shivering, so…"

Oh, Ranma realized, he thought I was cold.

"I don't have much," Ryoga admitted, "but at least it's not a communal house like the others have. I built it myself. I guess you don't know where Kuno lives, so…if you need somewhere to stay…"

"I…that would be great, Ryoga," Ranma smiled. "If you don't mind, that is."

Ryoga grinned at her happily. "'Course not! Stay as long as you need to."

"Here's your stop, Ryoga-chan," the old horse driver said, stopping the carriage.

"Thanks, old man," Ryoga smiled. He helped Ranma off the carriage and lugged her bags onto his shoulder with ease. "I'll see you later!"

The man winked at them. "Have fun, kids." As he rode off, Ryoga made it a point to scoot away from Ramna a few inches.

"So, uh…" Ranma looked around, the tall grass impairing her view as she tried to figure out where to go. "I hope you didn't mean you built this grass. Cause if you did, I have bad news for you."

Ryoga snickered and, apparently over his small bout of bashfulness, gently grabbed Ranma's hand. "No, of course not. We need to walk the rest of the way."

Ranma looked down at their hands curiously. Ryoga followed her eyes and realized what he'd done. He immediately began to loosen his grip, only for Ranma to weave her fingers with his. Ryoga chanced a look up at Ranma's face; she smiled encouragingly at him.

The depressed aura of ki Ranma had sensed earlier was nearly gone. As she sat beside him on the carriage, it had been rolling off him in waves; now, his aura was calm and happy. Ranma didn't know what she did to make him so happy, but she figured that she could continue to keep him company to make sure Ryoga stayed that way. Unlike the many lecherous boys she knew back at school and her idiot husband, Ryoga seemed like a true gentleman. Whoever that girl was that had rejected him must've been a real idiot. Ranma couldn't be his wife or lover, but she could definitely be his friend. She'd seen girls holding hands with other girls and knew it was a friendly gesture to hold hands.

Absently, Ranma also realized that her girl half definitely found Ryoga attractive. She wasn't sure how she'd react to Ryoga as a guy, but she was sure that attraction would be gone. For now, she didn't mind giving into the whims of her girl side, if only to make Ryoga happy. When the time was right, she'd be sure to explain her situation to Ryoga. After all, he seemed like a reasonable guy.

"So, you gonna show me or what?" she asked.

Slowly, Ryoga wrapped his fingers around her tiny hand and he smiled back. "Let's go."

Ryoga hadn't lied. The house was well made, considering Ryoga's resources. There was a small sitting room with a low table and two mismatched pillows; a small bedroom with two futon pushed together, a mosquito net surrounding it; a kitchen separated from the sitting room by a thin wall, containing a stove, a kettle, and other odds and ends; and a small outhouse a few yards away that could be seen from the window in the kitchen. It was nothing like home, Ranma realized with some sadness, but it was quaint and comfortable.

Ryoga placed her belongings in the bedroom. Ranma followed him and noticed two dressers—one was old and worn and the other, of a more feminine design, looked like it was recently made.

"Was that one for her?" she asked abruptly.

With a wince, she immediately regretted asking as the depressed ki returned.

"…Yeah, this one was Akari-san's. You can use it if you like; but I'm sure Kuno will be back by tomorrow and you'll be going back with him."

Ranma scoffed. "You kidding? Consider this HQ. I'm hiding out until that idiot forgets about me."

Hesitantly, Ryoga smiled at her. "Really? I mean, I wouldn't mind if you stayed."

"Great!" Ranma bounced over, unpacking her clothes into Akari's would-be dresser. As she unpacked her underwear, Ryoga made it a point to look away politely.

"Are…Are you hungry?" he asked right as Ranma finished with her Chinese clothes.

Ranma's stomach chose that moment to growl loudly and Ryoga laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

Though he knew she didn't need any guiding and though she knew she ought not to encourage him, Ryoga grabbed Ranma's hand again and Ranma didn't object. They walked to the kitchen, chatting about the different techniques they'd learned. In a few minutes, Ranma learned how to maneuver around the kitchen and forced Ryoga to sit down as she cooked their meal. In about an hour, Ryoga was treated to delicious, flavorful rice balls and buns filled with vegetables.

Ryoga hummed in appreciation. "You definitely weren't lying about your cooking. These are great!"

"Told ya," Ranma preened, chest puffed out in pride.

"So, uhm," Ryoga carefully placed his chopsticks down. "I guess I should separate the futon now. We have a hard day ahead of us."

Ranma glanced toward the bedroom. "Will the net be able to stretch that far? I saw a small river near here. The mosquitoes must get really awful at night."

"Well, don't worry about that. I'll be fine."

Ranma pouted. "Okay, there's the line. You're not gonna get yourself sick just to make me comfortable. We can share the net. Leave the futon together."

Ryoga blushed, looking at his lap. "I just mean...it isn't proper. I don't want your honor being brought into question because you shared a bed with me. They'll already be talking about how you punted Kuno off the carriage and went to another man's home...I don't want your reputation ruined. They might pay you less and you won't be able to help your mom."

"Oh," Ranma blushed, "Well, how much do I get paid anyway?"

"About 55 cents an hour."

"55?!" Ranma balked. "Kuno said he gets paid a dollar! Was he lying about that too?"

"Well, no," Ryoga frowned. "Men get paid more than women here."

Ranma twitched. "...What if I were a guy? Then my reputation would be fine and I'd get paid a dollar an hour, right?"

Ryoga raised a brow. "Well, I guess. But you're definitely not a guy. There's no way you could pull that off."

With a scowl, Ranma slipped out of her kimono, leaving her half naked and in her boxers. Ryoga's eyes widened in shock and he stared openly, much as he told himself to look away. Without warning, Ranma grabbed the tea pot and poured the hot water over herself. Suddenly, the shapely womanly body Ryoga was memorizing melted away into hard, chisled muscled covered in wisps of hair. The delicate arms became bigger and more defined; the flat, toned stomach became hard abs; the slender legs, though still hairless, became thicker with muscle; the red hair blended back to black and her once light blue eyes had darkened to cobalt; gone were the perky breasts and ample bottom, much to Ryoga's astonishment. Standing before him was a very much male Saotome Ranma.

"Nice to meet you, Ryoga," Ranma said, his voice only about two octaves deeper than his female voice, "The name is Saotome Ranma and I'm the sole heir to the Saotome Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Oh, and sometimes I turn into a girl."

"...Sometimes?" Ryoga asked, voice cracking.

"I fell into a cursed spring. I turn into a girl when I get hit with cold water." With a grimace, Ranma explained his trip to China, his training with Genma, and how they both fell into cursed springs and came out in their different forms. After a few minutes of silence, Ryoga recovered.

"S...So, you were born a guy? So, you lied to me?"

Ranma winced guiltily. "I couldn't tell you the truth in front of everyone like that."

"Is that story about your mother even true?" Ryoga cried, standing, his entire aura screaming in anger.

"Of course it is!" Ranma shouted back. "Why the hell do you think I'd marry a guy like Kuno if I weren't desperate to help her?"

Ryoga faltered, but his expression remained angry. "What about marrying a girl with a big dowry?"

Ranma frowned, looking away. "No one wanted to marry a...freak. There was one girl...but my mom taught me to be a housewife, remember? She liked having a daughter and a son in one person. Akane...she could never get over my being half girl. She was always jealous of my other half and she refused to marry me unless I found a cure."

Despite himself, Ryoga softened. "So, why didn't you find a cure?"

"Like I had the time," Ranma sighed, "I'd already spent three years in my engagement with Akane. Mom was sick. Something needed to be done sooner rather than later. Finding a cure could take decades. I have months. Besides, I...I don't exactly mind being half girl."

Ryoga choked. "Excuse me?"

Face burning, Ranma looked away. "It doesn't matter if I'm a boy or a girl, okay? I'm still the Ranma Saotome. I'm still a martial artist who can cook, clean, wash clothes, and kick any chauvinistic jerk's butt!"

Ryoga shook his head. "This can't be real. I can't handle this."

Ranma sighed and grabbed his glass of water, throwing it on himself. Instantly, male Ranma was once again replaced with female Ranma.

"Oh for—would you cover up!?" Ryoga blushed furiously, looking away.

Ranma slipped back into her kimono, frowning. "Look, Ryoga...I know you didn't expect any of this when you helped me out; you don't know how thankful I am that you did. If you hadn't have told me the truth, I would be stuck fighting that Kuno jerk off."

Ryoga scoffed. "Does it matter? That's not your real body anyway."

With a sad look on her face, Ranma gently touched Ryoga's shoulder. Despite himself, the man found himself looking back in the aqua eyes. Immediately, he was lost at sea.

"Why is it not my body? Because I wasn't born in it? I feel in this body; I felt when you held my hand, I felt when you put your arm around me, and I felt your ki. I'd feel it if Kuno tried to touch me in any way. Maybe I wasn't born a girl and maybe I don't think like one, but this is my body because I'm in it. How'd you feel if someone groped you like that?"

"I..." Ryoga sighed, "I'm sorry. That was really insensitive of me. I guess...well, having a girl body is every guy's dream, yeah? I guess we don't think of what it's like to be on the other side of all that attention."

Ranma smiled. "It's okay. I was super macho about this at first, too. I thought I was weak for it," the girl grinned mischievously, "But imagine fighting an opponent that's super strong with hot water and super fast with cold water."

"That's some challenge," Ryoga grinned weakly. "Look...it's just...maybe I was reading this wrong, but there was kind of...There was something there, Ranma, between us. Did I imagine that or...?"

Ranma blushed, rubbing her arm. "Ah...no...y-you didn't imagine that. You see, when I turn into a girl...I'm really a girl. I become attracted to boys and when I have my...er...my monthly...I stay as a girl for a week, even if I get hit with hot water. If I wanted to...I could have a family."

Ryoga's eyes widened again. "I...Wow. That...I have no idea how to reply to that."

"Look, we can figure this out later. For now, I really need your help. I promise, as soon as I make enough money to send back home to my mom, I'll be out of your hair; for now, though, please don't tell anyone about this and please don't kick me out! My mom's depending on me. I can't go back empty handed! I'll do anything!"

Ryoga stared intently at Ranma; this girl...boy?...was asking him for help desperately and offering anything in return. Even knowing that Ranma was really a boy, it was impossible to ignore how beautiful his buxom girl half was. Ryoga could quite frankly do anything he wanted with Ranma. Akari had left him after all; his one chance at true happiness was shattered when Akari sent that letter. Whatever hopes Ryoga was starting to foster with Ranma had died the second she became a he. But that didn't mean Ryoga couldn't experiment with Ranma. He could have his own personal friend-with-benefits and when he was done with her, she'd become a he again and go off to his sick mother.

But, Ryoga sighed, he wasn't like that. Ryoga could never take advantage of Ranma that way, even if the boy/girl had lied. Despite her inconvenient misleading, Ranma seemed like a genuinely good person who sincerely only wanted the best for her mother. Besides, Ranma had said that she was half girl, half boy and that the girl half was attracted to boys.

The girl half was attracted to Ryoga.

They would need to figure this whole mess out—Ranma's marriage, Ranma's gender, their relationship—but Ryoga couldn't turn someone in trouble out on their rear just because of a little white lie. And, having only been there a few hours, Ryoga's house didn't feel so lonely anymore with her around. Maybe she wasn't exactly what Ryoga wanted, but she was there to cheer him up when Akari dumped him.

At the very least, Ranma had become Ryoga's friend. And friends help friends, Ryoga thought with a nod.

"Ranma...if you pull your weight around here, I don't mind if you stay. We're friends now."

Ranma's large blue eyes glistened as a huge smile spread across her face. "Really?"

"And...I don't really use all that much money, honestly. I don't mind helping you send some to your mom so she can get better. After we hear word that she's improved...well, you and I need to figure out what's going to happen here with us. With the money we make, you probably won't be going back to Japan for a long time. I'm really attracted to you when you're like this so...so when your mom is better, you and I need to have a long conversation."

Ranma beamed, nodding enthusiastically. "Whatever you say!" With a cry of joy, the red head threw herself at Ryoga, clutching at him. Flustered, the man gingerly wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, feeling immensely awkward.

"Ranma...?"

"Thank you so much, Ryoga," she whispered, voice shaking. "If we save my mom...I..."

Ryoga's expression softened as Ranma's shoulders began to shake. Ignoring whatever voice in his head kept reminding him that he was really hugging a guy, Ryoga sat down and drew the petite woman into his lap, holding her closely. He looked straight ahead, out the window, pretending to look at the moon and pretending he couldn't feel her tears soaking his shirt.

"I-I'm only crying 'cause I'm a girl now!" she muttered, hiccupping. "D-Don't think I go around crying like some s-sissy all the time!"

"I know, Ranma," Ryoga patted her back comfortingly, "I know."

Call me suicidal, because I love starting new stories when I'm overworked.

All right, before the reviews pour in, let's get some things straight.

1! Yes, Ryoga knows his own way around. His sense of direction is very much intact right now. If you're going to point out that he should be super lost, give it a minute. We'll get there.

2! Ranma and Ryoga are OOC and way too mature about their situation. …Welp.

3! Lastly, the quick attraction. …WELP.

Honestly, I don't want to have to go out of my way to explain myself for this story. Ranma and Ryoga are adults in this story with a deeper level of maturity and understanding. They're not their hot-headed teenage selves; they've faced hardships and they're continuing to do so. They're stuck in a place where they work 18 hour days and get paid the bare minimum. I like to think a life like that makes you a bigger person along the way.

(i) This is hard to portray in an English fic. In Japanese, boys and girls have different ways of addressing themselves. They vary from polite to rude. Instead of using the girl version of "I" (watashi, atashi), Ranma—in this story—refers to herself in the rude boy "I" (ore). When she talks to Ryoga, she uses the rude masculine "you" (omae). I understand this is confusing, but it's important to the story.

Also, did you know that ffnet's auto-correct constantly suggests that I use less complex phrases? How ridiculous.