A/N: Because Ryoga and Ukyo are meant to be.

It was pouring rain outside and not fit for any person, whether martial artist or no, to be walking around in it. Of course, for Ukyo, getting a certain young man with a yellow bandanna to listen to reason and come out of the downpour was easier said than done.

"Ryoga...just come in already." Ukyo held her hand out to her friend, motioning for him to get inside her restaurant.

The boy scratched his head as he held his umbrella tightly. "But I have to get to the Tendos' so I can challenge Ranma!" Vehemence was all over his tone and Ukyo sighed. Ryoga was just as hard-headed as she was sometimes.

Nevertheless, she continued to try getting him inside. Not like she cared to much what he did, but he did not need to get sick. "Ryoga...for goodness' sake. It's cold and wet out here."

If he turned to a pig, it'd probably take him a year just to get up the street - okay, that was a big exaggeration, but seriously, Ryoga's sense of direction was just terrible.

The boy bit his lip and looked up the street thoughtfully. "Are you sure? I don't mind walking in the rain, Ukyo."

The okonomiyaki chef just rolled her eyes. Really! Was this how mothers felt when their children wouldn't listen to them?

Tired of arguing, Ukyo grabbed him by the sleeve and tugged him into her restaurant. "Come on, Ryoga. I don't need you catching a cold. The rain should be gone by tomorrow morning. When it clears, I'll take you to the Tendo house myself so you won't get lost. Okay?" Honestly, he could be so stubborn.

Ryoga blushed and looked at the ground before tentatively putting his large sack next to the counter. Ukyo was always looking after him. It made him feel good to know that she cared. "Alright. I'll stay for tonight, then."

Ukyo smiled. Perfect! She really wouldn't have likes being forced to hit him over the head with her spatula and drag him into the building. That'd just be unpleasant. She patted one of the stools in front of her counter. "Good! Now, sit down because you look starved!"

Ryoga complied and smiled back. "You don't have to make me anything, you know." The shyness in his reply made something knot up in Ukyo's stomach. She looked over at him and felt her heart begin to pound as he gave her meek smile.

Ukyo just laughed and leaned over, impulsively giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Trust me, sugar. You need some good home cooking! You've been in the forest eating who knows what for far too long!"

Winking at Ryoga, she went behind the counter and started up the grill. As she cooked, she and Ryoga exchanged little smiles with each other. It was no secret to either that they both enjoyed being in one another's company.

As Ukyo made Ryoga's okonomiyaki, she blushed, realizing that she had, indeed, kissed the boy. What had she meant by it? To be friendly, of course, but that still didn't explain why she sometimes felt a tightening in her stomach when she looked up at him and their eyes locked on each other. The stranger thing was Ryoga hadn't gotten a nosebleed or passed out the way he normally did whenever a girl showed him attention.

"Ukyo?"

The okonomiyaki chef jumped, startled by Ryoga's voice. Calming herself, she gave him a little smile. "Yeah?"

"Thank you...for looking after me."

She blinked.

"I know you don't have to, and I can be a nuisance sometimes..." He looked down at the grill, a blush growing on his cheeks.

Ukyo shook her head at the boy, wondering how he could be so ridiculous, insecure and cute at the same time.

"Achoo!" Ryoga sneezed into his sleeve and rubbed his nose.

Ukyo frowned and looked up, realizing that he was wet-through in his clothes. Why hadn't he said anything? She pointed at him with her small spatula. "Ryoga...how long were you outside in the rain?"

"W-well...I..." The boy looked quite sheepish and the inner voice inside Ukyo's head began swearing in annoyance. He didn't even need to answer her question as she figured he'd been outside for too long. Even with an umbrella over his head, he could still catch cold.

She sighed and pointed to the back room. "Go on back to the restroom and change out of those clothes. I don't want you to get sick."

"Ah...okay." He hopped off the stool and took his large backpack with him, footsteps sloshing as he walked.

Ukyo looked at the water he tracked on her floor and put her hand on her forehead. Great. Now she'd have to mop all of that up! Sometimes, she wondered if it was worth being so nice to Ryoga.

"Tsk, what a pain. If I didn't like him so much, I'd ban him from coming here!" For a moment, she kept staring at the sizzling okonomiyaki in front of her, then her eyes glazed over once she realized what she said.

I like Ryoga?