Wo ai ni
by Hikako
I don't own Ranma 1/2 I am just using its characters
Shampoo jumped out of her bed when the first crash was heard through the whole of Nerima. Realizing she was still in one piece Shampoo cursed silently, she hated this storm. It had been raging for nearly two days now, rain would fall for an hour and then stop for an hour and start up again. The winds had not stopped blowing hard for three days, and then it sent the rain this way and that so it was impossible to go out in the rain without getting wet. But worst of them all was the thunder.
Since the start of the storm, periodic bursts of lightning and thunder would blast through the sky. Although it didn't happen often it was just enough to shake Shampoo up every once in awhile. But tonight was the only night that the thunder and lightning raged continuously, and Shampoo was scared out of her wits. Now she was shaking badly and couldn't get back to sleep.
Well, there was only one solution. Getting out of bed with a determined look on her face she slow opened her door. Using her padded night shoes, she slowly made her way down the hallway, deftly missing the loose planks sure to make a squeek. Reaching the stairs she slowly went up them remembering the pattern to avoid making noise on the aging steps, one, two, skip, one, skip, one, two, three. When she reached the top she smiled proud of herself for not making a single noise.
Now came the hard part. Taking the solid brass knob in her hand she slowly turned it counterclockwise half a turn, and then clockwise a full turn and she slowly pushed the ancient door open. There on the bed, fast asleep, lay Mousse. His long black hair sprawled out on the pillow, the covers to his waist. Shampoo took a look at her friend's chest and gasped, he was extremely buff. Shaking those thoughts from her head she slowly crept into his room.
When she arrived at the bed Shampoo was hit with a barage of scents. Sweat, soap, but mostly musk. Breathing it in she lightly tapped Mousse's shoulder, Mousse just groaned and rolled onto his shoulder. Frowning Shampoo tapped him again, harder this time. Again Mousse just groaned and rolled onto his chest. Finally, Shampoo very cross, smacked Mousse upside his head. Unfortunately this didn't work, he just slept on. Then Shampoo got a good idea.
Bending down to his ear she whispered something in it, and a few minutes later Mousse was up and moving over to give her some room. Getting under the covers Shampoo snuggled down into the soft cushions of Mousse's bed. "So what's wrong this time?" Mousse asked in voice that sounded very sleepy. At this Shampoo took a deep breath and said "Thunder." as if that one word explained the situation.
But for Mousse it did, he remembered when they were little and they had to play inside when it was raining. Every time there was a thunderclap Shampoo would give the slightest jump. And when the two were having a sleep over, Shampoo would wake up shivering with every peal of thunder.
Settling back down into his restful sleep he suddenly a poke in his ribs he opened his eyes, and found violet ones staring back. "Was Mousse asleep?" Shampoo asked. Mousse gave her an long even look, "What do you think?" he asked. "Oh." was his answer.
"Okay Shampoo, what's wrong?" Mousse asked with a yawn, "And don't tell me it was thunder either." Looking over he saw her blush and shift deeper into the feather mattress. "Shampoo worried about Airen." Shampoo said quitely, "Airen not seem to love Shampoo as much as used to." After a shuddered breath she continued. "Also, Elders coming tomorrow, what Shampoo supposed to say. So sorry, Airen love other, bring dishonor, want come home." Shampoo turned onto her back and looked up to the ceiling.
"They bunch of old women, not know anything about anything. All they see is heimongmong." Shampoo said in a fatigued voice. Mousse propped himself up on one arm and stared down at her, "There is one more option." Mousse exclaimed. He didn't know why he hadn't brought up until now. But his friend was in trouble. "What?" Shampoo asked excitedly, there was one more chance for redemption! Perfect!
"You must marry..." Mousse paused and tried to remember the words his own great-grandmother told him, "If Amazon warrior not kill outsider girl, or marry outsider male, then warrior get rebucked." This was Shampoo's curse. "But if warrior still not kill girl, or marry male. Then must marry noble born male to redeem honor or face death." Satisfied that those were the right words he nodded his head and look at Shampoo.
A small crease had worked its way into her forehead. She was going through the ancient bloodlines of the Amazons each junior warrior was forced to memorize. The noble families were the founding families of the Amazon order five of the original twenty moved to China, of that five were the Ka family, their adjoining family Xiam. Noone in there, for incest and inbreeding was looked down upon. The Ad family ended two generations ago, the Ty had no unmarried men, and that left only the Mu family.
Eyebrows raised she stared at Mousse his eyes were unreadable, and his face was completely neutral. Shampoo's eyes searched his entire face, she went along the jawline, such a proud face, his forehead was smooth and held no wrinkles, likewise with the corners of his eyes, which were glazed over. Shampoo then realized that all those times he called her beautiful he ment it. He had never seen her face, never touched her outside of a fight. Taking in a lung's full of air she asked the one fatal question.
"Why Mousse love Shampoo?"
"I don't know." Mousse said truthfully. He looked up to the window above his bed and saw a splash of color forming. "You should go back to your bed. It is almost dawn." Shampoo nodded and got up. Mousse also got up and felt around for his glasses. Finding them on the bedside table he quickly put them on and walked over to his dresser. "Mousse?" Shampoo said just behind him.
Turning around all he could see was a small blurry cloud of white and pink surronded by a cloud of violet. He felt her tiny hands take his callous covered and bring them to her face. "Shampoo?" he asked. "Airen must know what wife look like before we marry." Mousse felt his eyes fill with tears as his hands felt the delicately soft skin, the silky hair, the feather soft lips, the pert little nose, and the the lidless eyes.
Kissing his hands Shampoo let them go and let saw them drop to his sides. Looking up at Mousse's eyes she saw the tears streaming down his face. Wiping them away she said, "Husband not cry, make Shampoo look bad." she said in lithe voice. Rubbing the salty water into his skin she realized how fragile males were.
Letting go of his face she slowly walked to the door. "Shampoo." she heard her name and turned her head. "I love you." Mousse said his eyes filled with happiness. Shampoo spoke in a low voice and said the four fateful words that forever sealed her soul to Mousse's.
"Wo ai ni, Airen."