Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2 & its characters. I just wish I do.
Wedding Bells & Secret Kisses
"We're not supposed to see each other, not anymore..."
"I know, and you keep on telling me that ever since." The young man looked at her then smirked.
"It's different this time, you know what I mean." she whispered, now evading his gaze.
He stared at her, suddenly feeling a lump on his throat. He doesn't know how to respond to her, how to comfort her and how to assure her of their status. He can thread on a thousand dreams of her by his side, but all the same, waking up in the morning will always show him an empty space beside him on his bed. He knew she can never be with him.
Slowly, he brought up his palm to touch her soft cheek, just to reassure himself that she's still there at this very minute. In return, she shyly looked up to him, with glazed eyes, and hugged him. In the silence of the night, they stayed like that, in each other's arms, without a care to everything around them. Up there in the main building of Furinkan High, for a few moons now, they have shared the warmth of each other. For just an hour or so before the dawn comes, they would create memories that only served as dreams, which no one can ever peeked at.
"Will I see you again tomorrow?"
"You mean after my wedding tomorrow...It would be difficult to sneak out, I guess I'll have to start digging a tunnel under my bedroom to do that." She chuckled.
"Haha, yeah! Well... if only I was born with a silver spoon on my mouth... I would have sold that and give to you the money to pay your family's debts! He grinned and kissed her hair.
She was silent for a while, then again in a hush tone she said, "Yeah, but that will not be enough. All these years, what do we know then? We already had our time, but that was in the past"
He suddenly looked at her and said, "I will be there in your wedding. I won't ask you to smile, if you don't want to, of course I know you won't! Just, be how you'd want to be..." He can't say anything more. He was trying to hold back his tears. Yes, there was a time when both of them could have actually been together, they were just very foolish then.
She grabbed his hand and looked at their interlacing fingers then said, "You're such a masochist. But of course, you're also getting married this year. You'll have your chance to walk on the isle." She joked, but he didn't miss the shiny twin tears that sparkled on her cheeks before she looked down. She has always been a strong girl and that was one of the reasons why he fell in love with her. At times like this, she still tried to muster a calm facade.
"I also never wanted that. If only I had a say on what I want in my life. I could have done so much to save you."
"But I also have to save my family." She weakly added.
He felt her sadness and their hopeless struggle to stay true with what they feel for each other. He slowly put his arms around her waist and whispered ever so softly to her ear, "I'll find a way for us to be with each other again. I love you so much...I won't give up on us."
He caressed her cheeks and wiped her tears. Then slowly, he kissed her. If in so doing that, he hoped he could lessen the pain that she feels. Their kisses became very intense as the time passed. They drowned their sorrows into oblivion until they succumbed to their physical need of reaching heavenly bliss in their borrowed moment.
That moment ended with a different resolution for each of them. He parted with her saying "I won't let you go." while she just nodded after giving him a chaste kiss, she thought, "I'll never see you again."
"You're very beautiful!" her father lovingly told her that morning. He smiled at her, but she knew that pain was etched all over him.
"Thank you Dad." then she looked at herself in the mirror. Like any other brides, she too was wearing a long, satin, immaculate white gown. Her make-up has successfully hid the dark eye bugs she got from sneaking out in the night until the wee hours of morning almost everyday. Maybe her family knew already, they were just kind enough in giving her time to enjoy her remaining days as a free woman.
"I'm very sorry honey, I shouldn't have dragged you in this mess. I should have thought about the consequences of my debts. I didn't think they will take you as my repayment." her father bitterly said.
She just hugged her father and said, "It's better me than for them to kill you instead."
"But I know you don't love him, you'll never learn to." He earnestly told her. "Though I'm sure he can give you all luxuries... that you may not want. Thank you for doing this sacrifice. What did I ever do to deserve such a daughter?" He closed his eyes and let tears fall freely from them. After a few minutes, he straightened up and weakly said. "I think it's time. I'll see you outside." and so her father walked out the room.
"Am I really doing this?" she whispered to herself.
Suddenly there was a noise behind her and, "Nooo! You can't be serious in marrying that bastard, I won't allow that!" Said the man who jumped in from her windows.
"Ryoga! W-what are you doing here? How did y-you get in?" she asked, a little shocked by the sudden intrusion in her room.
"There's no way I will let you marry that idiot!" Ryoga answered and grabbed her arm. "For several days I kept on following you whenever you go out at night, and from there I learned the best route on how to get in. So today, you have to come with me now. I will take you away from this madness." He professed, like a knight in shining armour, rescuing his princess.
She removed her arm from his grasp, touched his cheek, and said, "Thank you, that was very brave of you, but I can't leave this place. Not when my family is at stake here."
"Oh don't worry about that! I've got that covered. Just come with me now and I'll explain to you later." Ryoga then tried to grab her arm again.
"I'd like to believe you but what if..."
"Don't you trust me?"
Author's Note:
Was that Ryoga and...? I'll reveal everything on the next chapter. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but then I thought I should hear what you think about this story first. So there you go, please review.