Everything You Want
* * * * * * * * * * *
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 1
* * * * * * * * * * *
Akane stumbled into the kitchen of the Tendo Dojo, her hands clenched tightly around a bouquet of wildflowers, which were starting to wilt from her vise-like grip. All the blood had drained out of her face, and she had a stunned expression upon her pretty face. Immediately the young woman next to the stove stopped cooking, and walked quickly over to the blue- haired girl, placing a comforting hand on her shaking shoulder.
"Tell me, Akane, what's wrong?" Kasumi inquired gently, as she pried the bouquet from her little sister's nerveless fingers. Akane looked up, her wild brown eyes finding Kasumi's calm ones, and blurted out the story.
"R-ryoga told me that he l-loves me! H-he's asked me t-to m-m- marry him!"
"Oh, my!" The wildflowers fell limply from Kasumi's hands, and scattered when it made contact with the wooden floor.
*Somewhere there's speaking
It's already coming in
Oh, and it's rising in the back of your mind*
At the exact same moment, Ranma bounded downstairs, intent on stealing a quick snack. He sprinted into the kitchen, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Akane's face. "Yo, Akane, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice slightly anxious.
"Ryoga just told me that he loves me, and has proposed to me! I have until noon tomorrow to think about it, and then I have to tell him my answer!" Akane said, her voice slightly shrill.
"That's it?" Ranma chuckled, his hand slowly stretching out to snag a bun from the counter top.
Akane looked at him, her velvet-brown eyes filled with slight hysteria. "'That's it?' you say? 'THAT'S IT?'"
Ranma could tell that a mallet was coming his way, and quickly threw his arms in front of his face. "Well, geez, Akane, I thought something BAD had happened, like some guy had came and threatened you, or somethin'!" Akane's temper went out like a flame without fuel, which to Ranma's knowledge was uncharacteristic of her. "Look, if you want, we can go talk in your room. You never know if Nabiki is hiding behind some corner, trying to get stuff to blackmail us with," Ranma suggested, feeling that he should do something to help her.
"Okay," Akane murmured, and followed him to his room. On the way upstairs, Ranma tried to puzzle a few things out.
'Akane looked so unsettled when she said Ryoga loved her! How can she not notice anything as obvious as Ryoga's love for her?' The stormy-eyed boy grinned dryly, and continued, 'How can she not realize that P-Chan is Ryoga?' He smiled to himself as they reached the room, and Ranma pushed open the door.
*You never could get it
Unless you were fed it
But now you're here, and you don't know why*
Akane went over to the only chair in the room, and sat gingerly on it. Ranma took a seat on the floor in front of the door, so he could make sure no one was eavesdropping. "So," he started, "Ryoga told you that he loves you." Akane nodded mutely, and started fidgeting in her chair. "Do you love him?" Ranma was afraid of the answer, but he had to know. He was relieved when Akane whispered a tiny no. 'But just make sure..........' "Akane, just to be sure, think about all your times with him, and try to figure out if you really don't love him.........."
*But under skinned knees
And skid marks
Past the places where you used to learn*
Akane thought about all her memories with Ryoga. 'He's more of a best friend to me....,' she thought, and reached her decision. "Ranma, I don't love him like that... I love him like a brother...." Ranma's eyes glinted, and Akane could have sworn they looked triumphant.
"Then don't marry him!" Ranma declared, seeming very much relieved, and stood up. "Now that that's all solved, let's go get dinner." The boy raced out the door into the hallway, leaving Akane behind in the bedroom.
The blue-haired beauty looked down at her bare feet, and whispered quietly, "At least, I think so...."
After dinner, Akane slipped into her room and shut the door. After getting ready for bed, she paused a minute, and walked softly towards the open window. "Mother," the girl called softly into the night, "should I marry Ryoga?" But no answer came; only the almost-silence that comes with night.
*You howl and listen
Listen and wait for the
Echoes of angels who won't return*
Lying in bed, Akane stared up at the ceiling of her room. 'Should I marry Ryoga? He's so kind, and trustworthy. He's never been mean to me at all. He'd protect me from danger, and he might train me. He'd make a good husband.'
*He's everything you want
He's everything you need
He's everything inside of you
That you wish you could be*
Akane rolled over, and looked at the blank wall next to her bed. 'He never insults me; he's always there for me. But I don't love him....'
*He says all the right things
At exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you
And you don't know why*
'He'd probably be the kind of husband who'd do anything for his family,' Akane pondered. 'So maybe I should marry him....' Immediately Akane stopped that thought. 'But I don't love him that way! Besides, he might not love me. He might only have a crush on me or something. So what if I married him, then we ran into someone Ryoga really loved, like Akari? Then we'd both be miserable, both of us not in love with each other, and yearning for another.' Akane immediately started laughing to herself, and thought, 'Yeah, right. Me, YEARNING for someone.'
One little corner of her mind whispered to her, 'What about Ranma?'
Akane mentally laughed derisively, and shot right back, 'So? I MIGHT like Ranma, but that doesn't mean he likes me. Anyway, I'm going off topic. Ryoga does, and that's all that I need to know right now.'
*You're waiting for someone
To put you together
Waiting for someone to push you away*
'Now that I think about it... when Akari came, Ryoga seemed to be in love with her. Also, in the Tunnel of Lost Love, Ranma and I saw Ukyo and Ryoga having a boyfriend-girlfriend fight. So Ryoga probably doesn't love me. But then again, Ryoga kept hugging me in the Tunnel, and while he was holding me he said to kill him if it were a dream so he could die happy....' Akane sighed, and wished wistfully that Ryoga had said something then. 'Not that I love him or anything... but it would be nice to know.... Things can be so complicated, sometimes.'
*There's always another
Wound to discover
There's always something more you wish he'd say*
Akane's troubled thoughts slowly stopped, and Akane slipped gently into slumber. But it wasn't a dreamless rest. On the contrary, it was filled with dreams of Kirin, Tauma, and many other suitors who had kidnapped Akane and were trying to marry her. But then, instead of Ranma rescuing her, Ryoga would.
*He's everything you want
He's everything you need
He's everything inside of you
That you wish you could be*
Then after he would save her, he'd take her home. On the way, Ryoga would compliment her, praise her, and fuss over her. Then just as they reached the house it would turn into a church, and they would get married while Akane kept insisting that she didn't love him.
*He says all the right things
At exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you
And you don't know why*
After one particularly vivid dream, Akane woke up, sweat covering her clammy body. 'That was one strange dream,' Akane told herself shakily, as she tried to get it out of her head. 'It's just a dream; it's not real in the least bit. You aren't marrying Ryoga; you were just having a nightmare.' The young woman was about to go back to sleep when she realized what she had just said: You aren't marrying Ryoga; you were just having a nightmare. 'A nightmare of marrying Ryoga? At least now I know I don't love him. I'll tell him tomorrow.' she mused, and then silently added, 'At least, I think I don't.'
* * *
That morning at breakfast, all of the diners were deathly silent. They had all been told of Ryoga's proposal by Kasumi, and were anxiously awaiting the confrontation. The question buzzing on all their minds was 'Is Akane going to marry Ryoga?' And also on one other's: 'How should I make money off of this?'
Everyone was tensely watching Akane, who just sat there quietly, not making eye contact with anyone. Finally Soun leaped up from his spot at the table, and started bawling. "Oh, my little Akane is getting married to Ryoga! What about Ranma, your fiancé? Are you going to disregard the family honor?"
Genma, who was currently in panda-form thanks to Ranma, held up an angry sign. [What do you mean Akane is going to marry Ryoga, Tendo? She might not.]
"And you think she'll marry Ranma? You see how they fight! Why would she?" Soun sobbed. This lead to Genma arguing with Soun, and pulling Ranma up to fight, who continued to inhale his food and his father's as well. And during all this, the blue-black haired woman continued to eat wordlessly, while hoping silently that they wouldn't pull her into the fight.
*And you'll just sit tight
And watch it unwind
It's only what you're asking for*
Thankfully, they didn't, and breakfast was finished. Afterwards, Akane spent her few hours of time before the meeting doing normal, everyday things. First she went into the dojo and trained, and afterwards took a bath. When she finished her bath, she went and watched some TV with Ranma. As she watched, a small smile played across her features. 'It's been awhile since I've had a day without a fiancé coming and destroying the place.' Akane realized how peaceful her thoughts were on a day as nerve-racking as this one should be. 'You know,' she mused, 'I thought I'd be really tense. But I'm not, really. Just a little nervous.'
*And you'll be just fine
With all of your time
It's only what you're waiting for*
Ryoga Hibiki plodded down the street, following the little boy he had hired to take him to the Tendo Dojo. As he walked, his mind wandered to one lovely woman. 'Akane,' he thought, 'will you marry me? Or will you refuse?' Ryoga shook his head violently at the thought, and fervently wished that it wouldn't be the case. The crow-black-haired man remembered all the times he had gotten lost then found his way to the dojo. 'Perhaps love IS guiding me,' he wondered silently, 'so maybe she does love me.'
But then a little corner of his mind told him, What if she doesn't love you? What will you do then?
Ryoga held his chin up strong, and replied to himself adamantly, 'I'll still love her, even if she doesn't love me back,' even though the very idea crushed him.
But what about Akari? his mind prodded. Do you love her? And Ukyo- I think you like her, too. So if Akane doesn't love you, won't you start to love one of the others?
Ryoga frowned slightly, and answered, 'There is no time right now to think about that. I'm going to reach the dojo soon enough, and I'll get my answer there.' The man followed the young boy down the road, passing Ukyo's okonomiaki shop, and passing the place where he first met Akari. 'I am going to the dojo- I won't think about them,' he scowled at himself.
*Out of the island
Into the highway
Past the places where you might have turned*
But as Ryoga neared his destination, he started to have second thoughts. 'What if Akari or Ukyo hears of my proposal? Will they still like me? Will they still be my friends?' He quickly forced that thought out of his mind. 'If Akane marries me, I won't have to think about them for a while. But they might be a little... angry when they do hear.' Ryoga's brow knitted in concentration. 'But when they come, I'll be ready, and I'll protect my love!'
*You never did notice
But you still hide away
The anger of angels who won't return*
Back at the Tendo Dojo, Nabiki glanced at the clock in her bedroom. 'Five minutes to noon. I should go get Akane..... and anyone else who might pay to see this.' Nabiki jumped up, and raced down the stairs to where the entire household had congregated. "Everybody, it's five minutes to noon," Nabiki announced. "I suggest you all go outside and wait for the eternally lost boy." Everyone slowly stood up, and they all walked to the front yard in silence. Nabiki strolled out ahead of them, and then sprinted undignified down the street to where her schoolmates might be gathered.
The next five minutes passed by slowly. Akane looked at her family's faces, searching to find what they thought about the proposal. Kasumi's face was carefully blank, her dad's was streaked with tears, and Nabiki wasn't around. Akane then looked at the others' faces. Uncle Saotome had turned back into a man, and his face was mildly anxious. Then Akane looked at Ranma's. 'His face is really tense. I wonder why..........' Akane mulled it over, and realized why. 'Is he afraid of my answer? But it's not like he likes me or anything, so why would he be?' Akane didn't have anymore time to think about it however, for then Ryoga appeared, behind a small boy.
At the gate, Ryoga thanked a boy and handed him ten yen. The boy scampered off, profit in hand, and the young man slowly headed towards Akane.
His eyes shone, and he asked her very softly, "Will you marry me?"
Everyone's eyes went straight to Akane, who was thinking hard about this. 'He's everything I could have possibly hoped for in a husband. He's kind, patient, gentle, thoughtful... I could go on and on.'
*He's everything you want
He's everything you need
He's everything inside of you
That you wish you could be*
Ranma was very anxious. 'Very? That's an understatement. I'd be shaking if I thought no one could see me.' Ranma was having an internal battle. He knew he shouldn't do anything, but he wanted to so badly. 'But why though? It's not like I lo- like that uncute tomboy! So why should it matter if Akane married him? I should be happy I got a fiancé off my back! But I'm not....' He shook his head, and gazed thoughtfully at Akane, who was concentrating.
'I should marry Ryoga,' Akane nervously thought. 'After all, he never insults me, he was always there for me when I really needed it.... But I don't love him.'
*He says all the right things
At exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you
And you don't know why*
Akane took a deep breath. 'I know what I have to do.' "Ryoga, I can't.
Ryoga was at a loss for words. 'But, I, you, me, I thought.... How, can you not marry me? I love you! I'd do anything for you!'
*I am everything you want
I am everything you need
I am everything inside of you
That you wish you could be*
'Akane... I never anger you; I'm always there for you. I'm never rude to you, and I try to rescue you whenever possible... though Ranma always does instead. And I love you!' "But I love you!" he whispered, barely audible.
Akane looked at him with those velvet-brown eyes of hers that he thought of when he was lonely, depressed, or miserable, and whispered back with tiny tears in her eyes, "But I don't love you that way."
*I say all the right things
At exactly the right time
But I mean nothing to you
And I don't know why*
"Why?" Ryoga asked, his voice shaking.
"I don't know."
*And I don't know
Why
Why*
"Then, then I guess I shouldn't bother you anymore," Ryoga managed to get out, his throat closing tight. "Ryoga!" Akane exclaimed, but Ryoga cut her off. "Goodbye, Akane," he whispered, then started to leave the dojo. Trying to be strong, he looked over his shoulder, and spoke softly, "I'll be seeing you later, I guess."
Then Ryoga walked down the street away from the Tendo Dojo, his yellow bandana flapping in the stiff breeze that had came up.
*And I don't know*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
So what do you think? I absolutely love this song, ('Everything You Want,' by Vertical Horizon) and when I heard it I thought about Ryoga. It's my first songfic, so please, be nice!
Author's Note: No, I don't have anything against Ryoga. He's one of my favorite characters, actually. But I like Ryoga/Ukyo pairings, personally. Anyway, since a couple of people have been feeling a bit disappointed that I didn't make it an R/A fic, don't worry! I was considering putting a side story in at the end about Ranma asking Akane about her decision, and it was going to be an R/A chapter. So now, I KNOW that I will make a Ranma and Akane chapter. But, I'm going to make it AFTER I finish the Ry/U branch of it. ~ AmberWings
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Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 1
* * * * * * * * * * *
Akane stumbled into the kitchen of the Tendo Dojo, her hands clenched tightly around a bouquet of wildflowers, which were starting to wilt from her vise-like grip. All the blood had drained out of her face, and she had a stunned expression upon her pretty face. Immediately the young woman next to the stove stopped cooking, and walked quickly over to the blue- haired girl, placing a comforting hand on her shaking shoulder.
"Tell me, Akane, what's wrong?" Kasumi inquired gently, as she pried the bouquet from her little sister's nerveless fingers. Akane looked up, her wild brown eyes finding Kasumi's calm ones, and blurted out the story.
"R-ryoga told me that he l-loves me! H-he's asked me t-to m-m- marry him!"
"Oh, my!" The wildflowers fell limply from Kasumi's hands, and scattered when it made contact with the wooden floor.
*Somewhere there's speaking
It's already coming in
Oh, and it's rising in the back of your mind*
At the exact same moment, Ranma bounded downstairs, intent on stealing a quick snack. He sprinted into the kitchen, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Akane's face. "Yo, Akane, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice slightly anxious.
"Ryoga just told me that he loves me, and has proposed to me! I have until noon tomorrow to think about it, and then I have to tell him my answer!" Akane said, her voice slightly shrill.
"That's it?" Ranma chuckled, his hand slowly stretching out to snag a bun from the counter top.
Akane looked at him, her velvet-brown eyes filled with slight hysteria. "'That's it?' you say? 'THAT'S IT?'"
Ranma could tell that a mallet was coming his way, and quickly threw his arms in front of his face. "Well, geez, Akane, I thought something BAD had happened, like some guy had came and threatened you, or somethin'!" Akane's temper went out like a flame without fuel, which to Ranma's knowledge was uncharacteristic of her. "Look, if you want, we can go talk in your room. You never know if Nabiki is hiding behind some corner, trying to get stuff to blackmail us with," Ranma suggested, feeling that he should do something to help her.
"Okay," Akane murmured, and followed him to his room. On the way upstairs, Ranma tried to puzzle a few things out.
'Akane looked so unsettled when she said Ryoga loved her! How can she not notice anything as obvious as Ryoga's love for her?' The stormy-eyed boy grinned dryly, and continued, 'How can she not realize that P-Chan is Ryoga?' He smiled to himself as they reached the room, and Ranma pushed open the door.
*You never could get it
Unless you were fed it
But now you're here, and you don't know why*
Akane went over to the only chair in the room, and sat gingerly on it. Ranma took a seat on the floor in front of the door, so he could make sure no one was eavesdropping. "So," he started, "Ryoga told you that he loves you." Akane nodded mutely, and started fidgeting in her chair. "Do you love him?" Ranma was afraid of the answer, but he had to know. He was relieved when Akane whispered a tiny no. 'But just make sure..........' "Akane, just to be sure, think about all your times with him, and try to figure out if you really don't love him.........."
*But under skinned knees
And skid marks
Past the places where you used to learn*
Akane thought about all her memories with Ryoga. 'He's more of a best friend to me....,' she thought, and reached her decision. "Ranma, I don't love him like that... I love him like a brother...." Ranma's eyes glinted, and Akane could have sworn they looked triumphant.
"Then don't marry him!" Ranma declared, seeming very much relieved, and stood up. "Now that that's all solved, let's go get dinner." The boy raced out the door into the hallway, leaving Akane behind in the bedroom.
The blue-haired beauty looked down at her bare feet, and whispered quietly, "At least, I think so...."
After dinner, Akane slipped into her room and shut the door. After getting ready for bed, she paused a minute, and walked softly towards the open window. "Mother," the girl called softly into the night, "should I marry Ryoga?" But no answer came; only the almost-silence that comes with night.
*You howl and listen
Listen and wait for the
Echoes of angels who won't return*
Lying in bed, Akane stared up at the ceiling of her room. 'Should I marry Ryoga? He's so kind, and trustworthy. He's never been mean to me at all. He'd protect me from danger, and he might train me. He'd make a good husband.'
*He's everything you want
He's everything you need
He's everything inside of you
That you wish you could be*
Akane rolled over, and looked at the blank wall next to her bed. 'He never insults me; he's always there for me. But I don't love him....'
*He says all the right things
At exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you
And you don't know why*
'He'd probably be the kind of husband who'd do anything for his family,' Akane pondered. 'So maybe I should marry him....' Immediately Akane stopped that thought. 'But I don't love him that way! Besides, he might not love me. He might only have a crush on me or something. So what if I married him, then we ran into someone Ryoga really loved, like Akari? Then we'd both be miserable, both of us not in love with each other, and yearning for another.' Akane immediately started laughing to herself, and thought, 'Yeah, right. Me, YEARNING for someone.'
One little corner of her mind whispered to her, 'What about Ranma?'
Akane mentally laughed derisively, and shot right back, 'So? I MIGHT like Ranma, but that doesn't mean he likes me. Anyway, I'm going off topic. Ryoga does, and that's all that I need to know right now.'
*You're waiting for someone
To put you together
Waiting for someone to push you away*
'Now that I think about it... when Akari came, Ryoga seemed to be in love with her. Also, in the Tunnel of Lost Love, Ranma and I saw Ukyo and Ryoga having a boyfriend-girlfriend fight. So Ryoga probably doesn't love me. But then again, Ryoga kept hugging me in the Tunnel, and while he was holding me he said to kill him if it were a dream so he could die happy....' Akane sighed, and wished wistfully that Ryoga had said something then. 'Not that I love him or anything... but it would be nice to know.... Things can be so complicated, sometimes.'
*There's always another
Wound to discover
There's always something more you wish he'd say*
Akane's troubled thoughts slowly stopped, and Akane slipped gently into slumber. But it wasn't a dreamless rest. On the contrary, it was filled with dreams of Kirin, Tauma, and many other suitors who had kidnapped Akane and were trying to marry her. But then, instead of Ranma rescuing her, Ryoga would.
*He's everything you want
He's everything you need
He's everything inside of you
That you wish you could be*
Then after he would save her, he'd take her home. On the way, Ryoga would compliment her, praise her, and fuss over her. Then just as they reached the house it would turn into a church, and they would get married while Akane kept insisting that she didn't love him.
*He says all the right things
At exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you
And you don't know why*
After one particularly vivid dream, Akane woke up, sweat covering her clammy body. 'That was one strange dream,' Akane told herself shakily, as she tried to get it out of her head. 'It's just a dream; it's not real in the least bit. You aren't marrying Ryoga; you were just having a nightmare.' The young woman was about to go back to sleep when she realized what she had just said: You aren't marrying Ryoga; you were just having a nightmare. 'A nightmare of marrying Ryoga? At least now I know I don't love him. I'll tell him tomorrow.' she mused, and then silently added, 'At least, I think I don't.'
* * *
That morning at breakfast, all of the diners were deathly silent. They had all been told of Ryoga's proposal by Kasumi, and were anxiously awaiting the confrontation. The question buzzing on all their minds was 'Is Akane going to marry Ryoga?' And also on one other's: 'How should I make money off of this?'
Everyone was tensely watching Akane, who just sat there quietly, not making eye contact with anyone. Finally Soun leaped up from his spot at the table, and started bawling. "Oh, my little Akane is getting married to Ryoga! What about Ranma, your fiancé? Are you going to disregard the family honor?"
Genma, who was currently in panda-form thanks to Ranma, held up an angry sign. [What do you mean Akane is going to marry Ryoga, Tendo? She might not.]
"And you think she'll marry Ranma? You see how they fight! Why would she?" Soun sobbed. This lead to Genma arguing with Soun, and pulling Ranma up to fight, who continued to inhale his food and his father's as well. And during all this, the blue-black haired woman continued to eat wordlessly, while hoping silently that they wouldn't pull her into the fight.
*And you'll just sit tight
And watch it unwind
It's only what you're asking for*
Thankfully, they didn't, and breakfast was finished. Afterwards, Akane spent her few hours of time before the meeting doing normal, everyday things. First she went into the dojo and trained, and afterwards took a bath. When she finished her bath, she went and watched some TV with Ranma. As she watched, a small smile played across her features. 'It's been awhile since I've had a day without a fiancé coming and destroying the place.' Akane realized how peaceful her thoughts were on a day as nerve-racking as this one should be. 'You know,' she mused, 'I thought I'd be really tense. But I'm not, really. Just a little nervous.'
*And you'll be just fine
With all of your time
It's only what you're waiting for*
Ryoga Hibiki plodded down the street, following the little boy he had hired to take him to the Tendo Dojo. As he walked, his mind wandered to one lovely woman. 'Akane,' he thought, 'will you marry me? Or will you refuse?' Ryoga shook his head violently at the thought, and fervently wished that it wouldn't be the case. The crow-black-haired man remembered all the times he had gotten lost then found his way to the dojo. 'Perhaps love IS guiding me,' he wondered silently, 'so maybe she does love me.'
But then a little corner of his mind told him, What if she doesn't love you? What will you do then?
Ryoga held his chin up strong, and replied to himself adamantly, 'I'll still love her, even if she doesn't love me back,' even though the very idea crushed him.
But what about Akari? his mind prodded. Do you love her? And Ukyo- I think you like her, too. So if Akane doesn't love you, won't you start to love one of the others?
Ryoga frowned slightly, and answered, 'There is no time right now to think about that. I'm going to reach the dojo soon enough, and I'll get my answer there.' The man followed the young boy down the road, passing Ukyo's okonomiaki shop, and passing the place where he first met Akari. 'I am going to the dojo- I won't think about them,' he scowled at himself.
*Out of the island
Into the highway
Past the places where you might have turned*
But as Ryoga neared his destination, he started to have second thoughts. 'What if Akari or Ukyo hears of my proposal? Will they still like me? Will they still be my friends?' He quickly forced that thought out of his mind. 'If Akane marries me, I won't have to think about them for a while. But they might be a little... angry when they do hear.' Ryoga's brow knitted in concentration. 'But when they come, I'll be ready, and I'll protect my love!'
*You never did notice
But you still hide away
The anger of angels who won't return*
Back at the Tendo Dojo, Nabiki glanced at the clock in her bedroom. 'Five minutes to noon. I should go get Akane..... and anyone else who might pay to see this.' Nabiki jumped up, and raced down the stairs to where the entire household had congregated. "Everybody, it's five minutes to noon," Nabiki announced. "I suggest you all go outside and wait for the eternally lost boy." Everyone slowly stood up, and they all walked to the front yard in silence. Nabiki strolled out ahead of them, and then sprinted undignified down the street to where her schoolmates might be gathered.
The next five minutes passed by slowly. Akane looked at her family's faces, searching to find what they thought about the proposal. Kasumi's face was carefully blank, her dad's was streaked with tears, and Nabiki wasn't around. Akane then looked at the others' faces. Uncle Saotome had turned back into a man, and his face was mildly anxious. Then Akane looked at Ranma's. 'His face is really tense. I wonder why..........' Akane mulled it over, and realized why. 'Is he afraid of my answer? But it's not like he likes me or anything, so why would he be?' Akane didn't have anymore time to think about it however, for then Ryoga appeared, behind a small boy.
At the gate, Ryoga thanked a boy and handed him ten yen. The boy scampered off, profit in hand, and the young man slowly headed towards Akane.
His eyes shone, and he asked her very softly, "Will you marry me?"
Everyone's eyes went straight to Akane, who was thinking hard about this. 'He's everything I could have possibly hoped for in a husband. He's kind, patient, gentle, thoughtful... I could go on and on.'
*He's everything you want
He's everything you need
He's everything inside of you
That you wish you could be*
Ranma was very anxious. 'Very? That's an understatement. I'd be shaking if I thought no one could see me.' Ranma was having an internal battle. He knew he shouldn't do anything, but he wanted to so badly. 'But why though? It's not like I lo- like that uncute tomboy! So why should it matter if Akane married him? I should be happy I got a fiancé off my back! But I'm not....' He shook his head, and gazed thoughtfully at Akane, who was concentrating.
'I should marry Ryoga,' Akane nervously thought. 'After all, he never insults me, he was always there for me when I really needed it.... But I don't love him.'
*He says all the right things
At exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you
And you don't know why*
Akane took a deep breath. 'I know what I have to do.' "Ryoga, I can't.
Ryoga was at a loss for words. 'But, I, you, me, I thought.... How, can you not marry me? I love you! I'd do anything for you!'
*I am everything you want
I am everything you need
I am everything inside of you
That you wish you could be*
'Akane... I never anger you; I'm always there for you. I'm never rude to you, and I try to rescue you whenever possible... though Ranma always does instead. And I love you!' "But I love you!" he whispered, barely audible.
Akane looked at him with those velvet-brown eyes of hers that he thought of when he was lonely, depressed, or miserable, and whispered back with tiny tears in her eyes, "But I don't love you that way."
*I say all the right things
At exactly the right time
But I mean nothing to you
And I don't know why*
"Why?" Ryoga asked, his voice shaking.
"I don't know."
*And I don't know
Why
Why*
"Then, then I guess I shouldn't bother you anymore," Ryoga managed to get out, his throat closing tight. "Ryoga!" Akane exclaimed, but Ryoga cut her off. "Goodbye, Akane," he whispered, then started to leave the dojo. Trying to be strong, he looked over his shoulder, and spoke softly, "I'll be seeing you later, I guess."
Then Ryoga walked down the street away from the Tendo Dojo, his yellow bandana flapping in the stiff breeze that had came up.
*And I don't know*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
So what do you think? I absolutely love this song, ('Everything You Want,' by Vertical Horizon) and when I heard it I thought about Ryoga. It's my first songfic, so please, be nice!
Author's Note: No, I don't have anything against Ryoga. He's one of my favorite characters, actually. But I like Ryoga/Ukyo pairings, personally. Anyway, since a couple of people have been feeling a bit disappointed that I didn't make it an R/A fic, don't worry! I was considering putting a side story in at the end about Ranma asking Akane about her decision, and it was going to be an R/A chapter. So now, I KNOW that I will make a Ranma and Akane chapter. But, I'm going to make it AFTER I finish the Ry/U branch of it. ~ AmberWings