DISCLAIMER: Nope. Ranma and Akane still don't, ain't never gonna belong to me.


CHAPTER TWO/THEME 36
LEAN ON ME


Idling in a stupid manner outside the nurse's office, Ranma Saotome looked more like a child than a martial artist. Whenever the door would open he would ease toward it, but then quickly shy away once seeing that Akane wasn't in the main waiting room. Damnit. What a senseless girl. What the hell happened back there, anyway? She had complained about a headache to him before the game started but was it really something to pass out over? And if she really was feeling so ill, why the hell didn't she just speak up?

"Ah, Ranma-kun. What are you doing here?" Nabiki grinned and clasped her hands behind her back as she approached him. "Where's Akane?"

"She's uh…in the nurse's office…"

"Doesn't she usually put you in there? Maybe my sister's violent nature is starting to rub off on you. But, really. It's not right to hit a girl-"

"I-I didn't put her in there! I didn't touch her!"

"That's not what I heard." Nabiki winked. "Kuno-Baby told me about your little basketball match. Sounded sexy."

"There wasn't anything sexy about it!"

"So why aren't you in there?"

Ranma blushed and stammered, "W-Why would I be?"

"Why would you be standing out here?"

Damnit.

"…A-Anyway, she's in one of the beds and only relatives are allowed to go in or something so-"

"That's not a problem!" She snatched his arm and pulled him inside. "Excuse me! This is Akane Tendo's fiancé! He'd like to see her, please!"

"H-Hey! Wait a minute, I-!"

"Ah. You are? No wonder you looked so sad when I told you no. You should have just said so!" The nurse smiled and started down the hall. "This way please."

Ranma looked over his shoulder but Nabiki was already gone. Maybe her meddling wasn't so bad this time around. And it didn't even cost him a….Never mind. Ranma glanced down on the arm she had pulled on to see a post-it note with what he owed her.

Once Ranma was actually in the room, he didn't know what to do with himself. He didn't even know why he was there or why he wanted to be there. In all honesty, seeing Akane lying motionless in the cold hospital bed was too striking in resemblance to her lifeless body in Jusenkyo. Uneasy and suddenly ill, Ranma stared at the floor as he sat in the chair at her bedside.

On the whiteboard that had been set on the folding wall, it read dehydration.

"Geez," he muttered. "Why didn't you just stop to get something to drink?"

"Because I wouldn't have beaten you."

Ranma's face turned bright red as Akane opened her eyes and gazed at him through the semi-darkness. He awkwardly shifted under her gaze and smile. Damnit, he didn't know what to do or say when things like this happened. He was bound to say something that would upset her. He knew it. He was artless when it came to pissing her off. And so, determined not to say a thing, he rather stupidly handed her the glass of water instead.

"How long have I been…?"

"School's over."

Akane sat up and blinked in a daze. "My bag?"

He lifted it up to show her. "I'll carry you, too…" he began to say.

"Don't be silly." She swung her feet over the bed and stood up. "I just needed some water. I'm not ill or anything."

When she swayed on her feet Ranma extended his arm. Not intending to offer his arm, he was surprised when she accepted it and even clung to his body. It was actually kind of...cute.

Waving her hand over her face she looked up to him, saying, "Why is it so hot in here?"

"It's not. You're probably warm from bein' in all the blankets…" He shyly moved his body closer to hers so she could brace herself against him. When Akane willingly accepted the support, Ranma smiled to himself.

"Come on, tomboy," he said softly. "Let's go home."


Author Notes and other such nonsense:

What the Zork? Seven months later...that's just shameless, reappearing like this. I should be ashamed of myself ;A;

Well, I hope the shy and caring Ranma brought you a smile anyways! I resisted the urge to make him say something stupid to mess it all up. Though it was tempting lol. This was theme 34: Sick.


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