ALL CHARACTERS BELONG EXCLUSIVELY TO RUMIKO TAKAHASHI
"Fever and Temptation"
She kept looking at the sky as she walked quickly through the streets, the clouds were becoming increasingly gray and in the atmosphere could be felt some moisture, it was clear that it would be a rainy afternoon and if she did not hurry, that storm would eventually reach her. She had been very reckless for not carrying with her an umbrella, or at least she should had been enough careful to put on a sweater before leaving, she had caught a cold a couple of days before and certainly it would return because of those cold drafts that were reaching to rub her bare arms and her long brown hair.
She quickened her pace as some tiny drops of rain landed on her forehead, but of course, it was a little complicated to walk while holding heavy plastic bags with grocery inside them, one in each hand, but despite that fact, Ukyo moved with speed feeling her face getting soaked. That day was saturday and since she exchanged her work day until sunday, saturday evenings were devoted to do the inventory and to replace the missing ingredients, thus having a sufficient supply for the next week, and that time it would not be the exception, even though the sky was falling, the chef was obliged to go to the supermarket and replenish, it was her restaurant after all.
The girl, seeing that there were still missing a couple of blocks to get to her destination, had no choice but to take refuge under the roof of one of the houses of the avenue, she left the bags on the floor for a moment and hugged herself rubbing her arms trying to provoke some warmth, but feeling the water droplets running down her hair, she knew it wouldn´t be convenient to stay there, she needed to get home and dry as soon as possible.
-I´m almost there…only two streets to get to the restaurant –she told herself, but when she spoke, she felt a little pain in her throat, she frowned as realizing that her last flu threatened to return.
Being convinced enough, she took again the bags from the floor and went back to the rain, which seemed accelerated by the minute, to the point that almost prevented her vision, but despite the violent jets of water that bathed her body, the young lady continued her way. Suddenly she stopped drastically by distinguishing two figures that were under a pedestrian bridge just a few feet away. It seemed that the two individuals were motionless; facing each other, sheltering from the amazing storm that was taking place. Ukyo immediately recognized them, they were Ranma and Akane, observing each other intently, ignoring everything around them, enjoying the loud sound of the rain and being carried away by the intensity they shared in their eyes. Then everything occurred. The young Saotome, realizing that he was out of reach of the water thus avoiding an unnecessary transformation, he dropped the umbrella he was holding and put gently both hands on the cheeks of a blushed bluehead girl, then he got his face closer to hers, until their lips met and get melted in an innocent and romantic kiss.
Ukyo's heart pounded, preventing her to react, suddenly she dropped the bags she was holding, likewise letting fall all its contents in the sidewalk, in some strange way her feet were glued to the floor, forcing her to see with her own eyes the tender scene between Akane and Ranma, her Ranma. He was kissing the youngest of the Tendos without caring about anything, absolutely anything more beyond what he was feeling at that moment. In that instant some lightning and thunder echoed harshly in the sky, the chef didn´t flinch in the least because the sound of her heart breaking inside her was even stronger. Then, feeling her legs wobbling, she watched the pair of lovers was retreating toward the Tendo dojo, they walked embraced under the umbrella without realizing that a young girl with shattered soul was racing toward the opposite side.
In her mind she kept repeating over and over again the painful image, which would be very difficult to forget, she had no doubt about that. To Ukyo, nothing else mattered, nothing. Even having a bad flu, she continued getting wet with the violent downpour and kept moving through all those flooded streets.
She finally stopped when she arrived to the Nerima Park, she spotted a lonely little bench rather away from some trees and she approached to it, shuffling her feet causing water leaked into her shoes, she sat down, put her legs up in the bench and hugged her knees helplessly. And despite she was emitting great sobs, she couldn´t even distinguish her own tears from the raindrops running down her cheeks. She felt weak and betrayed , But why?, three years had passed since she found Ranma, she well knew and could make out clearly that he would never see her as more than a friend, that the one who he really loved was Akane, thousands of indirect indicated it, but of course, one thing is to know it and quite another to accept it, and although Ukyo naively kept a tiny hope, she understood that one way or another, someday it was going to come the time to let Ranchan go, but she did not know how painful it would be and certainly, the pain was enough.
She sighed heavily, blinking again and again, realizing that the park was empty, of course no one was going to be outside in the middle of those weather conditions, but the girl was not interested in that, she simply closed her eyes and leaned back on the bench in fetal position, feeling the cold metal of the seat and letting her body covered by the rainwater.
Not far from there, a boy was walking with subtlety, being careful of not stepping on any puddle and holding a special red umbrella on the top of his body. He looked tired, in his face was a look of annoyance, it was obvious he hated rainy days. His frustration was big, and somehow understandable, it was late at night and clearly that stupid rain didn´t had an intention to stop, he would never be able to raise his tent with that weather, and staying in a hotel was not an option, he barely had enough money and so his stomach was demanding, he would spend his last cash on something to eat, which wasn´t feasible either, most of the restaurants were already closed. His only option was his curse, becoming into a pig and find a place to take refuge, but Ryoga was too stubborn to do so, he had to exhaust all possibilities before transforming into P-chan. So without many options, he looked around, if he did not mistaken he was in Nerima, which was proved as he saw some known avenues that with some haste, he merely crossed. He thought about going where the Tendos, surely he would be welcome there and could see again his beloved Akane at least for a while.
Without another thought, Ryoga headed that direction. Not being quite sure what route to take, the young man decided to cross the park, that place had always been a very useful reference point for him. Upon his arrival, he was grateful to realize that the drops of water were dwindling, but the breeze was still cold and the atmosphere continued with that stifling humidity, so without taking off his umbrella, he continued his walk, until he saw something that initially he couldn´t understood. Laying on a bench there was a girl whose identity Ryoga did not recognize until he approached her.
-Ukyo? –he said quietly but very surprised. He could not believe what he was seeing, that girl was dripping and shivering –What the hell are you doing here?
The brunette didn´t respond to his question, she was just hugging herself, her eyes were closed, and her breathing was irregular. Ryoga didn´t know what to do, he didn´t understand anything. Why would Ukyo be right there in the middle of a storm?, Was she crazy?, or maybe something bad had happened to her, maybe someone had hurt her and left her there; with this conclusion, the boy looked in all directions looking for any potential aggressor, but the surroundings were abandoned and the young lady apparently had not any visible wound, so that possibility was ruled out, but then, what had happened?. Without thinking more about it and looking at Ukyo being in those deplorable conditions, he had to act quickly, he would find out later the true. Ryoga did not hesitate and took her in his arms, her skin was as cold as an iceberg and her clothes and hair were soaked, so the guy pulled a blanket out of his huge backpack and covered the girl with it, so she could heat up a bit and he couldn´t transform himself with the water.
He walked a few minutes with Ukyo in his arms, both under the umbrella, strangely, she was very lightweight, but of course, Ryoga had a very unusual strength, so for him it was no problem. Luckily the rain was very soft and the girl´s restaurant was not so far away, therefore the young man did not get lost, he only got a little bit disoriented on a few occasions, but fortunately the two teens had arrived.
He opened the door with a move and entered, it was very dark, so he carefully deposited Ukyo in a chair, turned on the light with a switch and closed the porch.
-It´s okay Ukyo, you're home now –Ryoga said as he placed one more blanket over her shoulders, she was his friend and he could not leave her, at least not in that moment, something prompted him to help her, besides he wanted to know what had happened to the girl, to be in that condition.
The girl was shaking, she was not even able to move, she was totally numb and with a great effort could barely open her eyes, in doing so, she saw the dim outline of a boy, but because of her state, Ukyo couldn´t recognize who it was, so she just closed the eyes again and remained motionless.
Ryoga was getting scared, Ukyo didn´t respond to his words and did nothing but shiver, he had no idea what was happening, so following his instincts, he touched the girl's forehead with one hand.
-Gosh, you're burning up in fever! –he exclaimed barely touching her face –Now what the hell do I do?!
The boy was definitely desperate, Ukyo had a very high temperature and that was serious, he couldn´t go to Dr. Tofu, his office was away from there, he was feared of getting lost as usual and the weather didn´t help at all, the only option left was to think of something and quickly. It was then when he remembered. Of course!, his mother had done it with him when he was a child more than once, ironically he needed cold water.
Ryoga took the brunette again in his arms and climbed the stairs that connected the restaurant with the small apartment where she lived, once there, he opened every door he found, looking for the bathroom. After several attempts, he finally located it and felt nothing but relieved to see there was a bathtub. He left her seated on top of the toilet, Ukyo wasn´t able to stand up by her own, hundreds of chills were coursing through her body from head to toe, she was very cold even though her skin had a high temperature. The young man quickly opened the cold water faucet and waited until the tub was full, he didn´t touch the liquid because transforming into a pig was the last thing he needed in that moment, but apparently the water was perfect.
With trembling hands, he approached her again, he swallowed and thought that it was the only option available at that moment; it was an emergency, so definitely it was absolutely necessary. Surely if Ukyo was really aware of the situation, she would not hesitate to give him a great punch for what he was about to do, luck was with him in that way. So, breathing deeply to prevent his nose from bleeding, Ryoga took his hands to the button of her trousers and unbuttoned it.
Ukyo barely felt such movement, even been sleepy, dazed and dizzy because of the high fever, she opened her eyes and blinked a little puzzled a few times when she saw him, but without an intention of stopping what he was doing, that young man was familiar to her, so fearlessly and meekly, she allowed herself to be manipulated. Ryoga pulled off her pants, shoes and then her blouse, leaving the girl only in underwear.
-Control yourself, Ryoga –he thought being a bundle of nerves, never in his life he imagined himself in a similar situation with Ukyo. Seeing her there, half naked in front of him, letting him see her shapely female body, was something that Ryoga didn´t know how to manage, his hands were sweating, his pupils were dilating, and he couldn´t avoid crossing the brunette's body with his gaze over and over again. He had to admit that it was not the first time he saw a scantily clad woman, after all, Ranma used to walk almost naked from one side to another without any shame when he transformed into a girl, but that was different , Ryoga knew that the redhead was not a "woman", therefore, it didn´t caused him the slightest impression, on the other hand was Akane, she used to undress in her room in front of him when he was turned into P-chan, but of course, the lost boy respected the youngest of the Tendos and never dared to watch that show, if it was something he was proud of, it was his willingness for not taking advantage of such situations. But now, looking at Ukyo in that way, it was difficult to avoid an annoying nosebleed.
Taking a deep breath and realizing that the girl´s health was in risk, Ryoga helped her to get into the tub, being him very careful of not having any contact with the water. Ukyo gasped when her body touched the freezing liquid, but that was just what she needed. Her flushed face started to lose color as well as her body to lose temperature. And after proving that the fever was down, he breathed easy at last.
Then he looked for a towel to dry her, the boy could locate one by opening a small closet that was inside the bathroom, he took it and when he turned again, he saw that Ukyo was closing her eyes very slowly. Again his heart leaped, so he quickly approached the bathtub, held the girl´s face in his hands and began to slap her cheeks gently.
-No, Ukyo please don´t sleep yet! –he yelled desperate –Come on, wake up!
He grabbed her arms and pulled her up off the tub, again being careful of the cold water, he wrapped her with a towel and sat her back on the toilet. Ryoga still spoke with a high pitched trying to keep Ukyo´s eyes open, and even though she was doing terrible efforts to not close her eyelids, it seemed that her mind was elsewhere; she had fallen into a somnambulism state and felt her body as fragile as glass.
Ryoga knelt beside her and began to dry her with rapid movements, he rubbed the towel over her body, however in doing so, he noticed that the curves of the girl were so defined that he had to swallow hardly. Then he stood up getting away for a bit, he put the hands on his head trying to lessen the pain that was beginning to emerge. He breathed deeply and implored heaven for some strength because, looking again at Ukyo sitting there at his mercy being semiconscious and with just a towel covering her, was something that didn´t help him to calm his hormones, because however noble, shy and sensible that he could be, Ryoga was a man and as such, he had certain temptations.
A huge sigh from the brunette roused him from his thoughts, returning to set his sight on her, Ukyo shivered again, which caused him another bunch of concern. With some trepidation, he immediately touched the girl's forehead, her temperature was normal; he relaxed, now she surely was just cold.
-My...room –Ukyo whispered squinting and raising her arms toward Ryoga as if she was a little girl, he smiled slightly and carried her in his arms.
With the towel still covering her, the lost boy lifted her easily, she leaned her head on his shoulder as he opened doors in search of her bedroom. Finally they entered a room that apparently was the one. The room was small and cozy, it had a mirror just above a dresser, there was a bed with a pair of little tables by both sides with a lamp on each of them, next there was a closet and an opened window through which it could be seen some streets of the avenue.
Ryoga approached the bed, removed some of the bed sheets, gently deposited Ukyo on the mattress and immediately covered her with a thick blanket, he fluffed some pillows and then touched the girl's face one more time, the temperature had risen slightly again, but still it was nothing to worry about. Ryoga walked to the window, closed the curtain for preventing the cold air slinks into the room, it was still raining outside, a soft but persistent rain. It seemed to be an enigmatic night.
The young man looked at his watch, it was past 10 pm, the best he could do, was to go and let Ukyo rest, of course he would not leave the restaurant yet, he had decided to stay overnight to take care of her, and he wouldn´t go anywhere until he knew exactly what had happened, so without a word, he walked to the door of the room, he planned to sleep on the couch of the lounge, but before he touched the doorknob, a voice stopped him.
-I´m ... I´m cold –said Ukyo frowning but still with an absently stare –It´s wet… take it off
He took a step to the bed and raised an eyebrow; he did not understand what she meant. What was wet?
-My underwear… it´s wet and cold ...take it off –she spoke again in a whisper
Ryoga opened his eyes like two huge plates and his face flushed violently. Ukyo definitely was not in her right mind, she would never had asked him for something like that if she had been actually aware, surely the fever was making her mind wander causing such requests.
-W-What? –he asked, wondering if his ears had failed
-Take off my underwear ... I´m ... I´m very cold
-But ... b-but ... –he stammered helplessly
-Please ... –Ukyo pleaded in a small voice.
Then after a few minutes of several hormonal discussions, Ryoga, with his heart popping out of his chest, and without removing the blankets so he could not see what he wasn't allowed to, introduced his tumbling hands in the warm bed sheets, he stumbled with a pair of long and perfect legs, he touched them quickly, reaching the towel that covered her body, he picked up her white panties and removed them, after all, maybe it was necessary to do so, because the garment was indeed freezing and very wet, but of course, the boy knew that if the brunette ever remembered that, she would want to kill him more than once.
But when he thought that nothing would be worse, Ukyo smiled slightly, a neutral and abstracted smile, and after a few seconds, she slowly removed the covers off and by doing a faltering effort, she tried to stand up, but instead, she remained kneeled on the bed, being face to face with Ryoga, who after seeing such movement, was on the verge of a heart attack.
-Cover up, Ukyo! –he cried hysterically, turning away abruptly. His breathing was becoming more agitated by the minute, he did not know how much longer would be able to control himself, it was better to finish quickly and leave the room as soon as possible, he didn't want to do something that both could regret later.
-The ... bra ... is also wet –the brunette muttered, placing one of her delicate hands on Ryoga´s back. When he felt that touch, thousands of electric currents swept the boy's spine, putting him goosebumps and tensing his muscles from head to toe.
The boy's body seemed to be as stiff as a board, leaving him motionless for a few seconds. He did not know what to do, did not dare to turn around, he was frightened for what he would find if he did, not because it was something unpleasant, of course not, but because he feared his own reaction; he was feeling his nose exploding in liters of blood. At that moment, he noticed that Ukyo´s breathing was ragged, she was emitting little groans, the girl was freezing, and finally after taking a giant breath, Ryoga began to spin his body.
-Calm down, calm down, calm down –he told himself as he turned around, keeping at all costs his gaze fixed on the floor and his head down; sideways he saw a blanket, he used it to cover Ukyo´s intimacy, while he was struggling with all his forces for not to look. Once hidden the girl´s body bottom, Ryoga let his hands guide him, he skimmed Ukyo´s back touching the clasp of the bra, which he opened without problems, taking it off very quickly; the garment was icy too. He immediately picked up one blanket and put it in her chest, covering her almost entirely, and finally gave himself permission to look up.
A huge stream of blood ran down his nose, turning the back again. The brunette still remained kneeling on the mattress of the bed, he knew that Ukyo was not fully conscious, but for some reason he was ashamed that she could see him in that embarrassing condition, he thought of leaving the room once and for all, but then, just as he finished wiping his face, he heard the sound of a blanket falling to the ground and immediately felt a pair of hands holding his right arm and forcing him to roll back once again.
-Oh my God ... God! – Ryoga´s heart skipped a beat when he saw the image it was being presenting; Ukyo was completely naked in front of his gaze. The girl's eyes were closed, while his, were more open than ever, the boy stood still, watching her from the bottom up, unable to believe that such perfection existed.
Definitely it was not a good idea to stay there for so long, and if he wasn't going now, undoubtedly he would end up doing something rash.
-Stay with me –she whispered opening her eyes, showing him those dark blue orbs, although they didn´t show any signs of consciousness, were really intense. Apparently the girl's mind was blank, without the faintest idea of what she was doing.
-No ... U-Ukyo ... I-I have to…get out of ... here ... n-now –Ryoga replied, trying to escape of the brunette´s embrace, who nevertheless, held him firmly –U-Ukyo ... please
Ryoga didn´t know what to do, those feminine hands did not want to let him go, thus resulted an irresistible temptation for him.
-Ukyo ... stop it ... I ... I love Akane and you love Ranma ... remember?, You and I ... we're friends, remember? ... The fever is making you act like this ... p-please –he mumbled nervously and steadily. She looked at him blankly, with those deep and tempting empty eyes –Gosh, Ukyo ... stop it... I beg you
The young man didn´t want to do anything wrong, he knew that it was not right. He diverted his head sideways avoiding her face and tried to fill his mind with other thoughts, Ryoga´s reasoning insisted that he should get out of that room at that moment, but not his instincts, that forced him to stay there, in front of her, devouring her body with a gaze of desire, a totally new and indescribable feeling, he could not resist any longer, it was impossible.
Ryoga stopped talking and could not help but to bite his bottom lip when he felt Ukyo´s hands grabbing his shirt and approaching him to her body. He closed his eyes, carried away by her delicate touches, he felt her slender fingers stroking his hair and removing his yellow bandana off the head. Then, an exciting shiver travelled through his skin when he sensed Ukyo´s scent too close, he could felt his breath mingling with hers, a pleasant warmth that was intensified with the soft touch of their lips.
-Fuck it all –thought the young man freeing his head of all thoughts and guilt, thus obeying his impulses and holding her by the hips, he pulled her ever closer to him, and kissed her passionately, as he had never kissed anyone. Ukyo circled his neck with her arms and sighed inside the kiss, thus rising Ryoga´s ecstasy up to reckless levels.
He separated from her for a moment, turned off the small lamps and closed the door, for some reason, darkness reassured him and gave him that final push he needed to convince himself entirely on what he was about to do with Ukyo. The boy could still repent but now, he did not want to leave. He returned to where she was waiting, joining themselves again in a wild kiss, Ryoga ran his hands over and over the girl's back, and at the same time, he gradually leaned her over the bed. He stopped kissing her just to look at her face, ultimately it was the hottest image he had ever seen in his life, Ukyo´s hair spilled over the pillow, her red and swollen lips, her innocent face, her eyes closed, her restless and warm body and her wonderful breast rising and falling due to an irregular breathing, Ryoga didn´t wait any longer and attacked once more her mouth desperately, then he leaned to her neck, which he kissed and bit, leaving many small red marks on her skin.
After finishing with her neck, the young man had every intention to return and devour her lips, but when he raised his head to look at her, he discovered with surprise and with a lot of disappointment, that Ukyo was completely asleep, making him react out of that exciting trance into which he had fallen.
Ryoga sighed heavily; he got off the bed and covered her with the blankets again. What the hell had just happened? Undoubtedly he had lost his self-control like never before, his sanity and logic began to return slowly, letting him see how unwise he had been, Ryoga did not understand how his will and mind had betrayed him in that way, making him forget everything and everyone, also the supposed great love he professed to Akane Tendo, whom minutes earlier he hadn´t even remembered. Everything was still spinning, now it was clear for him that the passion could become dangerous, but despite that, and although he felt a little guilty, he did not regret, he had lived a unique experience with the person he had least expected, and he had enjoyed it entirely, Ryoga had discovered that Ukyo was a really beautiful young lady, incredibly sexy, he could still perceive her delicious and intoxicating scent around him. That was definitely one of the best nights he had lived, even considering the fact that he hadn´t the chance to finish it, if something the boy was sure of, was that he would never see the brunette the same way, even if she never came to know what had happened.
He observed her for a few more minutes with a big smile on his face, she was completely lost in Morpheus´s arms, looking more innocent than ever, and that was when he realized. They had been close, he had been close to take advantage of her and her situation, if Ryoga had reached to the end, analyzing it carefully, he would regret it later, because it hadn't been Ukyo who he was kissing, but rather a sleepwalker version of her, so the lost boy felt immensely relieved. And then before anything else could happen, he left the room. He needed to rest because the next day would be a very difficult one, it was better to start thinking about all the explanations that surely Ukyo will demand. But before going down to the lounge and lie on the sofa, Ryoga decided to take a long cold shower, he really needed it, he didn't care of transforming into a pig, but it seemed that now it was him who had a fairly high "temperature".
The next morning, Ukyo woke up just at 6:30 am at the sound of her alarm clock as usual, she stretched lazily on the bed, opened her eyes bit by bit, and saw some rays of light crossing the curtain of the window. Soon, she received a shocking malaise over her body, she felt as if she had been struck over and over by a steamroller. It was strange, the girl couldn't remember absolutely anything from the night before, she did not even know how it was she had come to her room, the last memory that Ukyo had, was of herself being in a thunderstorm after seeing... of course, at the time her mind recalled such scene, her good mood disappeared, leaving only a stabbing pain in her heart, she was about to drop the tears, till she heard noises coming from downstairs; she definitely didn't like that. Without delaying more than five seconds, Ukyo pulled off the blankets and was disposed to stand up, until she discovered something that left her pale instantly.
-What the hell! –she cried after seeing herself being completely naked when she sat on the bed. Panic seized her when she saw, on one of the bedside tables, a yellow bandana that she could recognize anywhere. Ukyo opened her eyes wide and screamed horrified, thinking of lots of disturbing conclusions, unable to reason enough to find out what it was that had happened. Just then, the door of the room opened, almost causing her a cardiac arrest by confirming some of her feared suspicions, because in front of her, was standing nothing less than Ryoga Hibiki with a steaming cup of tea in his hands.
The lost boy had woken up early, he still had a big smile on his face, and with that positive attitude, decided to prepare something hot to drink, but it was at that moment when he heard a scream whose voice he recognized. Ryoga let out a pitiful sigh, he knew that Ukyo was awake and obviously she had already realized her situation. So steeling himself, Ryoga took his cup of tea and went upstairs, mentally prepared to reassure the "beast ". Unconsciously, for his misfortune, or perhaps his fortune, he opened the bedroom door, Ukyo was standing by the side of the bed still without clothing. Ryoga could not prevent his pupils to dilate when he put his gaze in the brunette´s body, enjoying her delicious curves once again, to his surprise; any drop of blood came from his nose. Clearly now, the submissive and docile Ukyo from last night, had been transformed into a fury. And when she saw him standing there, watching her from head to toe, she couldn't help to throw another piercing cry, making him leap and spill the hot liquid on his hand.
-Get out of here right now! –shouted Ukyo by covering her body with the blankets as soon as it was possible
-I'm sorry, I'm sorry! –said Ryoga with a red hot face, closing the door behind him –I´ll ... I'll be downstairs!
-Scram of my room now!
Ryoga heard something crashing against the door after Ukyo´s last scream, certainly she was furious, the girl wanted an explanation and if she didn´t receive it, she would cook him alive for sure... in the best case.
After a couple of minutes, Ukyo went downstairs, stomping up to the little lounge of her apartment, now she was already dressed, she was wearing a thin pajama with navy blue pants, a three quarter sleeve shirt and a sleeping gown. Ryoga was waiting for her, eating his nails, the boy had not the slightest idea how to begin the explanation, and the brunette, approaching to where he was, with that giant spatula now in her hands, couldn´t be a good signal.
-Now you´re gonna tell me what the hell happened last night!...What are you doing in my house?! –she said menacingly –DAMMIT, RYOGA HIBIKI, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH ME?!
-U-Ukyo ... p-please ... please listen to me –the boy gulped, undoubtedly she was fuming and imagining the worst.
-YOU! –exclaimed Ukyo, pointing him with her huge spatula - YOU RAPED ME, DAMN PERVERT!
-WHAT!...OF COURSE NOT!
-Then, how do you explain that I woke up in my bed completely naked, without any memory of what happened, you being here only! –Ukyo shouted, swinging her weapon back and forth trying to behead Ryoga, who evaded the blows while fleeing with the hands up.
-Take it easy, I can explain everything, it´s not what it seems, I swear! –he mentioned as he ran around the room
-So, it´s not what it seems, uhh?... now you´re gonna tell me that I asked you to take off my clothes, right?! -she shouted sarcastically
-W-Well ... you did
-WHAT! –she stopped stunned and outraged, and then she continued with the chase -YOU, CHEEKY...CYNIC... DEGENERATE!
-Listen, we can talk calmly, we are adults! –Ryoga said, using a sofa as a barrier between him and an enraged Ukyo –Last night you had a high fever, you didn´t know what you were doing!
-Don´t even think I'll swallow that story ... surely I don´t remember anything because you drugged me or something ... yeah, you drugged me and then you raped me!
-You´re insane!
-Damn, Ryoga, tell me what you did with me last night! –Ukyo couldn´t take it anymore, she was very scared and needed, demanded to know once and for all what had happened.
-Nothing!, I didn´t do absolutely nothing, Ukyo! –he mentioned truthfully when he saw that the brunette´s eyes were beginning to moisten –at least not anything that you're imagining, please believe me
-Then… What…? –she put her hands to her head frowning, trying to remember.
-What I said is true, last night you were burning up in fever –Ryoga responded with a gentle tone when she stopped chasing him and sat on one of the chairs, apparently calmer –I found you totally soaked in a park bench, I didn't know what you were doing there, but I couldn't leave you in the midst of such storm –he went on explaining, taking a seat beside her –I brought you up here and the only thing that came to my mind, was getting you into the tub with icy water to lower the temperature.
-I suppose that's why I was naked, isn´t it? -she asked with accusing eyes
-D-Don´t look at me that way, if I didn´t remove you your clothes, you would had died of hypothermia ... but, the underwear was your idea –Ryoga said with a hint of mockery, making her stand up abruptly in front of him –Calm down!... I told you, you didn´t know what you were doing.
-Sure, as you are so condescending, you didn´t hesitate a second on doing it –she exclaimed haughtily
Ryoga blushed when he heard that phrase and chose to remain silent; he was so embarrassed because, in fact, nobody had pointed him in the head with a gun as long as he undressed the girl. Ukyo sighed, relaxed again and looked intently at Ryoga´s fearful green eyes, they were transparent, showed no sign of deceit, maybe the lost boy was telling the truth, maybe that was what had really happened.
-Do... Do you believe me? –he spoke again using a low volume, raising his eyes slightly.
He received no reply, but simply heard her snorting repeatedly and then going to the kitchen.
-I´ll make breakfast ... you coming or not? –Ukyo turned to see him with a neutral gaze, her voice was still harsh, but obviously was calmer, apparently she did believe him. Ryoga took a huge burden off, and smiled slightly of satisfaction –Stop grinning like that...I'm still upset with you
Ryoga smiled a little bit more when the girl turned her back, she definitely was still quite angry, but at least the fury already had vanished and that was better than anything. So, wordlessly he followed the brunette to the kitchen, sat in a small table next to the stove, and watched while she cooked, when finally she gave him a plate with rice, some scones with jam and the tea that he had previously boiled. She sat in front of the boy and then they began to eat in the middle of an awkward silence, Ukyo did not dare to look up, neither did the lost boy, he was still very embarrassed; but otherwise, she was relieved, something told her that trusting Ryoga was not a mistake, maybe that's why she had left him stay for breakfast, if the story he had told her was true, the least she could do to thank him was invite him some food, but of course, without telling him openly. The boy meanwhile was moving uneasily in his seat, he thanked her for the breakfast, but he still felt his face burning and his hands sweating, it was clear he would not leave, not yet. Now it was his turn to make some questions.
-Amm ... Ukyo ... May I...May I ask you something? -said Ryoga after taking a long sip of his tea
-What?
-W-What happened to you yesterday afternoon?... you know, before I found you
-Nothing -replied Ukyo dryly, looking away and feeling her heart racing, she knew that those questions would come any time now.
-Oh come on, nobody stays on a park bench in the middle of a storm, something had to have occurred
- Nothing Ryoga!, nothing happened to me, okay! -she cried and slapped hard on the table.
-Did someone hurt you? -asked once again, unperturbed by Ukyo´s reaction. He started to form his own conclusions, he thought the worst, feeling strong and strange fits of anger –Did someone dared to hurt you, Ukyo?, tell me who was it.
-It's not about that, nobody hurt me, at least not physically
-Then, what happened? –Ryoga felt a twinge when he saw some tears coming out of Ukyo´s eyes. He held one of her hands in his, and looked at her with grasp in an attempt to provide her some relief, but at the touch of her skin, he felt again those strong and stimulating shocks he had felt the night before.
-They're together -said Ukyo at last, she raised a crystallized gaze and squeezed the boy's hand –Ranma and Akane
-What?
-Under the bridge that is heading to Furinkan high school –she said with a broken voice, standing up –They were kissing, I saw them Ryoga, they are together now.
The lost boy felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach, now he understood everything, certainly for Ukyo it must had been a huge shock if she had to witness that scene with her own eyes. But for some strange reason, Ryoga was not too surprised, somehow, he already saw it coming, so he was somewhat prepared for that terrible news, but of course, his heart did not expect the soreness reaching in that drastically way.
Ukyo was trying with all her forces not to cry, but it was very difficult to avoid the tears. She couldn´t resist any longer and went into Ryoga´s arms, whose face had a wistful expression. He hugged her tightly, listening her consecutive sobs over his chest, both remaining in the same position for several minutes, without mentioning a word.
-We knew it had to happen one day, didn´t we? -he said with a melancholy tone, breaking the silence but not the hug, resting his chin on Ukyo's hair.
-Yes ... but I didn´t know it would hurt this way -she replied hoarsely, plunging her face in the boy's chest
-I know ... and believe me when I say I recognize this pain perfectly
They continued in silence for a few more moments, enjoying the closeness of the other and sharing the same affliction.
-Do you feel better? –Ryoga asked, breaking the embrace and wiping gently Ukyo´s eyes with one of his hands
-Yes, I think I needed to unburden...Thank you
-Okay, now listen to me ... I don´t want to hear that you risked your health in this way again –Ryoga spoke firmly –It was something very stupid what you did, you know?, despite all, nothing justifies how reckless you were, staying under that terrible rain for so long, what would have happened if I didn´t go through the park at that time?, never do anything like that again Ukyo, I forbid it, do you understand?
Ukyo frowned slightly when Ryoga finished scolding her, and although she knew he was right, she had the impression that he was caring too much, but after a few sighs, she ended up moving her head affirmatively making him smile again.
The rest of the morning was uneventful; the atmosphere was slowly brightening with the various trivial conversations they shared. He remained seated, listening and making chatter, while she was washing some dishes, ordering the cupboard, writing a new grocery list, and occasionally sneezing, definitely a flu was the price that the brunette had to pay for her irresponsibility.
-Well, I think ... it's time for me to go –said Ryoga, placing his backpack
- Are you sure? –replied Ukyo with a hint of disappointment –I have no problem with you to stay
-Thanks but ... I need to think about certain things, a trip will be the best therapy for me
Ukyo smiled and nodded, understanding him perfectly, she also needed space to reflect and figure out how to permanently close the wounds.
-Ryoga ... –she stopped him before he opened the door of the restaurant –Thank you ... you know, for everything you did for me
-Anytime –he responded turning around again, and giving her a smile –See you soon, Ukyo
-Wait ... –the brunette detained him once more, this time she held his arm, approached him and captured his gaze, a small concern didn´t let her in peace yet –Are you ... absolutely sure that ... nothing happened between us yesterday night?
Ryoga remained static, expectantly looking at those blue eyes that now, unlike last night, were brighter than ever. His face flushed, but he answered with ease.
-F-For sure ... nothing happened between us, there´s nothing I need to regret, I give you my word
Ukyo smirked and gave farewell her friend when she saw him walk out the door, not without return him his yellow bandana. Ryoga was walking through the streets with a big smile in his face, he had not lied, maybe he had omitted certain details, but the boy had not said a single lie, it was true that among the two of them nothing had happened, it was about to happen of course, but in the end, it was not. He still hesitated, but who knows, maybe someday he would dare to tell the whole truth to the brunette, but that would be when he was absolutely sure that would not exist any risk. Now Ryoga would concentrate on his trip and try to put his feelings in order. And although he knew Ukyo remembered nothing, at least he would never forget it. It was real, he did not regret anything, after all, Ryoga had learnt that fever and temptation make an interesting combination.
END OF ONESHOT
Oh my God, I did it! Finally I had finished it. You have no idea how happy I am, this is the first time I translate one of my fics, it was hard, yes, but also it was fun (I love English language XD). I hope that you like it despite all my grammar mistakes (because I know I made several), Spanish is a very complex language, you know?, one word could have many different meanings depending the sense that you want to give, that´s why it was a little confusing translate some sentences, so please, feel free to correct me if it´s necessary, anyways I hope this English version is better than using google translator.
Before I get going, I´d like to dedicate this fic to Milktea5, who was cheering me up to do this translation…Gracias my friend, this is for you!
Greetings, Nabiki-san.
