Part the seventh- Confrontations
Author's notes- Wow, this fic is turning out to be much much longer than I meant it to be. But all these issues just keep coming up and I keep needing to deal with them. And besides, I'm still not exactly sure how to end this. Although I'm starting to have a couple of ideas. Anyway- enjoy.
"Ranchan."
Somehow that name took on whole new meanings when it was said it that voice. Ranma was confused and started to regret his coming up here at all. It was one thing to make out with a girl, but this was something else entirely. Fighting the flood of hormone messages being sent to his body he pushed himself off the bed and grabbed his previously discarded shirt.
"I'm sorry Ukyo, but this isn't right."
Ukyo sat up, hatred now vying with the lust shining in her eyes. Hell truly hath no fury like a scorned and horny teenage girl.
"Right? You're talking to me about what's right? I have waited for you for so long Ranma! I love you! I want this. Don't tell me what's right and what's not."
"I'm sorry."
"And don't apologize dammit!"
She was now off the bed as well, staring at him. She was half naked, but didn't seem to care.
"What do you want me to say?"
Ranma was losing it, as he always did, around a girl. He had no skills to deal with this and all he really wanted to do was run away. He knew however, that if he did that he would never see her again.
"I want you to say nothing you idiot. I want you to take me in your arms, kiss me until I can't think anymore, and then make love to me."
"I can't do that. You know that I can't do that."
"Why the hell not? It's not that hard, I believe people do it all the time."
"It wouldn't be right Ukyo because… because my feelings aren't… I mean.."
Ranma's voice was anguished, but not as anguished as Ukyo's soon became.
"You don't love me! You never loved me did you? You bastard- here you were playing with my affections all night and you never loved me at all. Was this part of your plan? To get into bed with me? Did you just chicken out?"
Ranma grabbed her hands.
"Ukyo, you are my friend. My very best friend. I will always love you."
"But not the way I need you to! Why didn't you end it earlier Ranma? Why didn't you just tell me to leave?"
"Because…"
He trailed off. This was the first time he'd ever really thought about it. He knew on some level that keeping all three girls around was hard on everyone- even him. But he hadn't really ever tried to get rid of them. Why?
'Maybe because you craved the attention,' whispered some little voice inside of him, full of mockery. 'Perhaps you are afraid of not being good enough. Perhaps the lavish attention the girls throw on you is a way to keep yourself from doubting who you are.'
He mentally told the voice to shove it and tried to explain once again to Ukyo.
"Because… I, I wanted to be your friend."
"You're so full of shit Ranma. Get out."
And so he left.
Ukyo collapsed on her bed and pulled the blankets around her. She had been so close. She thought that if she could just make him realize that he wanted the same things she did that he would… If he had slept with her he would've stayed with her. That was the kind of guy he was. But she couldn't even get him to sleep with her. He truly didn't love her. That damn Akane. She had him so completely and she didn't even want him. She could be everything to Ranma and yet all he wanted was a friend. A friend who gave him free food.
"Perhaps it is time for a change."
~~~
"Ryoga! May I have a word with you?"
Ryoga unfortunately was currently in pig form and rather dense as usual as he hurtled into Akane's arms.
"Well… P-chan, how nice to see you."
The silly boy did not notice the ice that was dripping in her voice, or the battle aura that got considerably larger as he started nuzzling her where he had no right to nuzzle.
Akane marched towards the bathroom.
"Come P-chan, you're rather dirty. Let's give-you-a-bath."
It was around now that the lost boy realized that all was not hunky-dory. The small black creature twisted in Akane's arms- trying madly to free himself.
"I don't think so P-chan. You're absolutely filthy! We must wash you all clean and get rid of all the dirt!"
Ryoga of course had only one thing to say to this-
"Bwee!"
Translated that meant- Oh shit I'm going to die, she knows! How could she know? I bet Ranma told her! Damn you Ranma, this is all your fault!!!!!
The two of them had reached the furo by now. Akane unceremoniously dumped the piglet in the bath and turned away- not wanting to see the truth.
"Akane… I'm…"
"Shut up Ryoga."
"But Akane… you have to understand!"
"No! Shut up Ryoga!"
Akane whipped around to find a rather naked Ryoga in the tub, but she didn't care.
"You lied to me. You were supposed to be my friend!"
"I am your friend!"
"No you aren't! A friend does not pretend to be something else in order to sleep in a person's bed! You sick twisted pervert!"
"It wasn't like that Akane!"
She slapped him. He turned to look at her- shaken. He had expected the mallet. The slap took him completely by surprise. It was not her usual choice of violence. Then he saw something that wretched deep in his confused little soul- she was crying.
"I trusted you. You were the one who would always listen to me. I think… I think I knew long ago that you were P-chan. But I didn't want to believe it. You were such a good friend to me. I needed a friend. Ryoga… Just leave."
"What?"
"Leave now. Don't come back."
"But… Akane."
"Get out of here!"
"I love you!"
"Excuse me?"
"That's why I did what I did! Because I loved you! I've loved you since the very beginning!"
It was actually that simply to Ryoga. He saw her, he loved her, and would have her. Even if it meant sleeping in her bed as a small furred mammal. It was okay, because he was in love with her. All's fair in love and war after all.
"It wasn't love Ryoga. It was jealousy. It was yet another way to get back at Ranma. You hated him, he had me, and you decided that winning me would hurt him. But it doesn't matter now. Because he doesn't have me."
"No, now we have each other."
Akane turned around to see Mousse standing in the doorway.
"I'm glad to see you haven't killed him yet Akane."
A half-smile appeared on her face.
"You? You took my Akane?"
"No Ryoga. What we have is between equals. It is a mutual thing, do you understand?"
"I'm not yours you pervert!"
"Akane… Ryoga, do you understand?"
"No."
"Then perhaps Akane is right and you should just go."
"I won't let you have her!"
Ryoga (forgetting that he was totally naked) rushed at Mousse. Mousse for his part very calmly shot a couple chains at him and stood staring at the enraged and now rather trapped boy.
"Anger doesn't help fighting. Get some clothes on and leave."
Akane dumped a pile of his extra clothing that was located behind some towels. Yet another clue that she had always refused to think about.
"Get out of my house Ryoga. Get out of my life."
Akane left, with Mousse coming after her. Outside Akane turned and threw herself into his arms. Then the sobbing began.
"I am so stupid!"
"No, my love, you aren't."
When Mousse checked the furo minutes later, Ryoga was no where to be seen. He wondered if it would stay that way. Akane for her part didn't care. Still… Ryoga was a strong martial artist, who was prone to depression, and didn't always notice when there were other people around…
-To be continued
Author's notes- Wow, this fic is turning out to be much much longer than I meant it to be. But all these issues just keep coming up and I keep needing to deal with them. And besides, I'm still not exactly sure how to end this. Although I'm starting to have a couple of ideas. Anyway- enjoy.
"Ranchan."
Somehow that name took on whole new meanings when it was said it that voice. Ranma was confused and started to regret his coming up here at all. It was one thing to make out with a girl, but this was something else entirely. Fighting the flood of hormone messages being sent to his body he pushed himself off the bed and grabbed his previously discarded shirt.
"I'm sorry Ukyo, but this isn't right."
Ukyo sat up, hatred now vying with the lust shining in her eyes. Hell truly hath no fury like a scorned and horny teenage girl.
"Right? You're talking to me about what's right? I have waited for you for so long Ranma! I love you! I want this. Don't tell me what's right and what's not."
"I'm sorry."
"And don't apologize dammit!"
She was now off the bed as well, staring at him. She was half naked, but didn't seem to care.
"What do you want me to say?"
Ranma was losing it, as he always did, around a girl. He had no skills to deal with this and all he really wanted to do was run away. He knew however, that if he did that he would never see her again.
"I want you to say nothing you idiot. I want you to take me in your arms, kiss me until I can't think anymore, and then make love to me."
"I can't do that. You know that I can't do that."
"Why the hell not? It's not that hard, I believe people do it all the time."
"It wouldn't be right Ukyo because… because my feelings aren't… I mean.."
Ranma's voice was anguished, but not as anguished as Ukyo's soon became.
"You don't love me! You never loved me did you? You bastard- here you were playing with my affections all night and you never loved me at all. Was this part of your plan? To get into bed with me? Did you just chicken out?"
Ranma grabbed her hands.
"Ukyo, you are my friend. My very best friend. I will always love you."
"But not the way I need you to! Why didn't you end it earlier Ranma? Why didn't you just tell me to leave?"
"Because…"
He trailed off. This was the first time he'd ever really thought about it. He knew on some level that keeping all three girls around was hard on everyone- even him. But he hadn't really ever tried to get rid of them. Why?
'Maybe because you craved the attention,' whispered some little voice inside of him, full of mockery. 'Perhaps you are afraid of not being good enough. Perhaps the lavish attention the girls throw on you is a way to keep yourself from doubting who you are.'
He mentally told the voice to shove it and tried to explain once again to Ukyo.
"Because… I, I wanted to be your friend."
"You're so full of shit Ranma. Get out."
And so he left.
Ukyo collapsed on her bed and pulled the blankets around her. She had been so close. She thought that if she could just make him realize that he wanted the same things she did that he would… If he had slept with her he would've stayed with her. That was the kind of guy he was. But she couldn't even get him to sleep with her. He truly didn't love her. That damn Akane. She had him so completely and she didn't even want him. She could be everything to Ranma and yet all he wanted was a friend. A friend who gave him free food.
"Perhaps it is time for a change."
~~~
"Ryoga! May I have a word with you?"
Ryoga unfortunately was currently in pig form and rather dense as usual as he hurtled into Akane's arms.
"Well… P-chan, how nice to see you."
The silly boy did not notice the ice that was dripping in her voice, or the battle aura that got considerably larger as he started nuzzling her where he had no right to nuzzle.
Akane marched towards the bathroom.
"Come P-chan, you're rather dirty. Let's give-you-a-bath."
It was around now that the lost boy realized that all was not hunky-dory. The small black creature twisted in Akane's arms- trying madly to free himself.
"I don't think so P-chan. You're absolutely filthy! We must wash you all clean and get rid of all the dirt!"
Ryoga of course had only one thing to say to this-
"Bwee!"
Translated that meant- Oh shit I'm going to die, she knows! How could she know? I bet Ranma told her! Damn you Ranma, this is all your fault!!!!!
The two of them had reached the furo by now. Akane unceremoniously dumped the piglet in the bath and turned away- not wanting to see the truth.
"Akane… I'm…"
"Shut up Ryoga."
"But Akane… you have to understand!"
"No! Shut up Ryoga!"
Akane whipped around to find a rather naked Ryoga in the tub, but she didn't care.
"You lied to me. You were supposed to be my friend!"
"I am your friend!"
"No you aren't! A friend does not pretend to be something else in order to sleep in a person's bed! You sick twisted pervert!"
"It wasn't like that Akane!"
She slapped him. He turned to look at her- shaken. He had expected the mallet. The slap took him completely by surprise. It was not her usual choice of violence. Then he saw something that wretched deep in his confused little soul- she was crying.
"I trusted you. You were the one who would always listen to me. I think… I think I knew long ago that you were P-chan. But I didn't want to believe it. You were such a good friend to me. I needed a friend. Ryoga… Just leave."
"What?"
"Leave now. Don't come back."
"But… Akane."
"Get out of here!"
"I love you!"
"Excuse me?"
"That's why I did what I did! Because I loved you! I've loved you since the very beginning!"
It was actually that simply to Ryoga. He saw her, he loved her, and would have her. Even if it meant sleeping in her bed as a small furred mammal. It was okay, because he was in love with her. All's fair in love and war after all.
"It wasn't love Ryoga. It was jealousy. It was yet another way to get back at Ranma. You hated him, he had me, and you decided that winning me would hurt him. But it doesn't matter now. Because he doesn't have me."
"No, now we have each other."
Akane turned around to see Mousse standing in the doorway.
"I'm glad to see you haven't killed him yet Akane."
A half-smile appeared on her face.
"You? You took my Akane?"
"No Ryoga. What we have is between equals. It is a mutual thing, do you understand?"
"I'm not yours you pervert!"
"Akane… Ryoga, do you understand?"
"No."
"Then perhaps Akane is right and you should just go."
"I won't let you have her!"
Ryoga (forgetting that he was totally naked) rushed at Mousse. Mousse for his part very calmly shot a couple chains at him and stood staring at the enraged and now rather trapped boy.
"Anger doesn't help fighting. Get some clothes on and leave."
Akane dumped a pile of his extra clothing that was located behind some towels. Yet another clue that she had always refused to think about.
"Get out of my house Ryoga. Get out of my life."
Akane left, with Mousse coming after her. Outside Akane turned and threw herself into his arms. Then the sobbing began.
"I am so stupid!"
"No, my love, you aren't."
When Mousse checked the furo minutes later, Ryoga was no where to be seen. He wondered if it would stay that way. Akane for her part didn't care. Still… Ryoga was a strong martial artist, who was prone to depression, and didn't always notice when there were other people around…
-To be continued