The song "Never a Day" is by Wood. The characters from Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The characters from Love Hina belong to Ken Akamatsu.
Never a Day
Don't go standin' there
Blockin' my view,
And spoilin' my night
You know why we're here
She's an old flame
I'm tryin' to light
And if beauty sleep
Can really work
She must have just woken up
So rub your eyes
'Cause seein' is believin'
Ranma followed Naru to a coffee shop with a pretty patio decorated with a number of tables. He watched as she plopped down at a table already occupied by a young couple. He didn't need to look twice. Even from a distance he could tell that the other girl at the table was Akane…his Akane. She looked the same as she always did and yet different. It didn't matter. She could have shaved her head and gained two hundred pounds, bleached her hair and tattooed herself from head to toe, she could have altered her appearance in a thousand different ways, he would know her anywhere, could feel her presence no matter what she looked like. Somehow, he felt lighter and heavier at the same time.
Never a day goes by
Without something
Stopping me hard in my tracks
I could be happy
And I'll never even know it
Till never a day comes back
Akane shifted in her seat. A funny feeling came over her quite suddenly. Not a bad funny feeling, but a good one. It felt like, somewhere deep inside her, she found something she had lost. She hadn't felt this way in a long time. Not since she left Nerima.
"Are you okay, Akane?" Keitaro asked over the rims of his glasses.
Akane nodded and smiled at her friend. "I'm fine. I just got this weird feeling all of a sudden."
Naru raised an eyebrow. "Oh, before I forget, I have something for you. It looks like a letter from your sister. Shinobu knew how much you were looking forward to it and about killed herself trying to get it to you. Which reminds me…" her words faltered as Akane ripped the letter open, eager to read its contents. Naru and Keitaro watched as the happiness that lit up their friend's face dimmed with disappointment.
"Still no word, huh?" Keitaro asked, putting a sympathetic arm around her shoulder.
"No. Still no word." Akane bit her lip. Maybe if I bite down hard enough I can stop the tears. "I've written so many letters. Kasumi keeps passing them on to Auntie Saotome, but…" she swallowed hard then continued, "apparently he doesn't stay in one place long enough to actually receive letters."
"What are you going to do?" Naru whispered, her voice quiet with sadness for her friend.
"Keep writing, I guess," Akane answered, shrugging dejectedly. "It helps me too…in a way. Even if he never gets to read the letters…it feels as if…even if I just get my feelings on paper, he'll hear me in a way." She growled in frustration. "It sounds stupid, I know."
"It's NOT stupid!" Keitaro exclaimed. "If you believe in it, it WILL work. Keep writing, Akane. If your hand ever cramps up, just let me know and I'll write the letters for you!"
"Idiot," Naru laughed. "As if anyone could read your handwriting!"
Akane looked up at Keitaro and laughed too. He always knew how to cheer her up. Just like Ranma did. Which made sense, since he was always the one making her mad in the first place.
Suddenly, Naru shot out of her chair. "Oh no, Keitaro! If we don't hurry, we're going to be late for that lecture. ARGH! Why does it feel like I'm one step behind everything today?" She yanked Keitaro out of his chair.
Keitaro began digging around in his backpack. "Uh oh…uhm…Naru…I think I forgot my wallet."
"IDIOT! I don't have time for this!"
"Sorry, sorry," he looked pleadingly over at Akane, who giggled and waved them off. "Don't worry about it," she replied. "I'm on my way to work anyway. Now, SHOO!"
As Naru dragged Keitaro off, something niggled at the back of her mind. Something had happened not too long ago that reminded her there was something she wanted to ask Akane. Then Keitaro tripped over his shoelace and grabbed her to keep from falling and all was forgotten as she walloped him on the head.
Glancing fondly at her friends, Akane thought of how much they reminded her of another couple. Oh well, I guess it's time to go. She called the waiter over for the check, but he shook his head. "Thank you miss, but your bill has already been taken care of."
"It has?"
"Yes, by the young man right over there." He turned to gesture behind himself. "Well what do you know? He's gone."
If words alone sound cheap
When I come around
You'll wanna be out
I want that window seat
If I'm going down
I wanna see out
Without taking his eyes off her, Ranma tried to find a table where he could continue to watch Akane and, if he was lucky, hear her voice. Unfortunately, the shop was a busy one and, though he had an excellent view of the back of her head, he couldn't hear a word she was saying.
"May I get you anything, sir?"
Ranma frowned up at the waiter who was obstructing his view of Akane. "No thanks, I'm fine."
The waiter grimaced. He'd seen it all. This guy was obviously stalking some girl while she, a paying customer, was enjoying her coffee. Well, he'd show him. No poor innocent flower would be ogled by a cheap pervert who was taking up valuable table space on his watch! "I'm sorry sir. Only paying customers may sit at a table."
Ranma frowned harder. Who did this guy think he was? "Get me some water then."
The waiter remained stoic. "Water is free sir."
Ranma frowned even harder. "Fine…some tea then," he snapped.
The waiter forced a small smile onto his face. "What kind of tea sir? We have 55 different flavors there's…"
Ranma reached up and grabbed the waiter's shirt. "I don't care what flavor. I don't care what you get me. Just get me something that will get you out of my face," he snarled, releasing the man. "Not anything cold…make it hot…really hot." Better safe than sorry.
The waiter scrambled away. Ranma continued to watch Akane. Even after going so long without seeing her, he felt that familiar tug that drew him to her since that first day. Somehow, just seeing her like this, he felt complete again. He was very tempted to get closer to her, to hear her voice, to talk to her. As if such seemingly simple acts could help him move on, to gain…what was it called again? Oh yeah. Closure.
And she's happy now
I'm goin' home
Another day
Another cruel reminder
Ranma watched as the guy put his arm around Akane. Jealousy and anger instantly flared. Who did that guy think he was? He was halfway out of his chair before he stopped himself. His insides ached as he remembered that he had given up any rights he had a long time ago.
He steeled himself. I just need to make sure she's happy. If she's happy, then I'll go. I won't follow her, won't talk to her, won't think about her. If she's happy, then I'll just get up and walk away. Oh Akane, please be sad…I need you to be sad.
His universe shattered when Akane looked up at the guy next to her, a smile on her lips, and laughter in her eyes. Jaw clenched, he signaled the waiter over. "The bill please. Oh, and I'll take care of the bill for that table over there too."
Never a day goes by
Without something
Stopping me hard in my tracks
I could be happy
And I'll never even know it
Till never a day comes back
Ranma sat on a park bench, his head in his hands. Well, that's it. It's definitely over now. I'll just pick up and move on. Maybe I'll head back home for a little bit. See mom. Nah…too many memories of…I mean, it's way too far out of the way. So…where to next? Where did I put that stupid map?
He dug around in his knapsack for a little bit before triumphantly brandishing what he thought was a map. He looked down at it and groaned. It wasn't a map, but a picture. The picture Nabiki had taken of him and Akane that snowy day so long ago. He stared at it for a long moment and was about to shove it back into his bag when the wind whipped it out of his hands.
Could be a song on the radio
Could be that feeling from long ago
Could be that accidental photo I find
When I'm looking for something else
But I found you
Akane decided to cut through the park on the way to the Hinata Café. She was a little early, but that only meant she could chat with Mutsumi for a little bit. For all her ditziness, Mutsumi had a tendency to be lightheartedly insightful.
A gentle breeze rolled through the park, carrying the faint strains of someone's radio to Akane's ears. The funny feeling was back again, this time squeezing harder on her heart. She glanced up to see a piece of paper fluttering just out of her reach. She jumped up to reach it the same time someone else did. The owner of the unidentified body crashed into her, then tightened his arms and shifted so that he took the brunt of the fall.
More than a little dazed, Akane glanced down at the paper…no wait, it was a picture, she was holding in her hands. She was surprised to see her own face smiling back at her. But it wasn't just her in the picture…there was someone else. She turned around to face the person who held her tight despite the fact that they were now safe on the ground.
"Ranma?"
Never a day goes by
Without something
Stopping me hard in my tracks
I could be happy
And I'll never even know it
Till never a day comes back
Ranma swallowed. He had known it was her when he leapt into the air to snatch the picture. He had known since he saw her from across the park. He had known and he still couldn't stop himself from racing toward her, from grabbing her in the air, from cushioning her fall. Even now he couldn't let go, couldn't help himself from burying his face in her hair.
He felt her turn in his arms and reluctantly loosened his hold. He heard her say his name, but couldn't bring himself to respond.
"Ranma…" she said again. "How…" she couldn't continue. The funny feeling was squeezing her throat, her lungs; she couldn't speak, let alone breathe.
Ranma braced himself. Although she didn't say anything, the many ways she could end that sentence roared through his head. How could you do this to me? How could you grab me like that? How could you even think that we could just pick up where we left off? How could you think I could love an idiot like you?
Go ahead, he thought defiantly. Hit me, punch me, hurt me for finding you when you didn't want me to. I don't care. It was worth it to see you again, to hold you again…it was worth anything.
Akane tried again. She had finally placed the funny feeling that paralyzed her. It was relief. It was joy. It was love. It was knowing that she was right, that her letters had worked in their own way, that he was with her again…this time to stay.
It was easy now, to smile, even if it was filled with tears. "How long do you think we can lay here like this?"
Ranma smiled back shakily. He leaned forward so that his forehead touched hers. "How long do you want to?"
Never a day goes by
Without something
Stopping me hard in my tracks
I could be happy
And I'll never even know it
Till never a day comes back
