Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, but Rumiko Takahashi does.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated but I've been really busy. I hope you all understand if it takes me a long time to update because everything has been really hard especially school. But I'll try to make it up and update more often :^)

Chapter 3- Denying Feelings

'THOUGHTS' ~SOUNDS~ *MADARIN*

-----------------------------------------

Shampoo groggily walked to her bathroom. Her bathroom was small and only had a shower, but as long as it got her washed up it was ok with. Anyways, that night she barely got any sleep. She wasn't sure why but the way Ryouga acted was on her mind all night. "*sigh* Why has he been on my mind all night?" Shampoo asked herself as she removed her towel and wrapped her hair up.

'Yea, I can finally admit to myself that I DID have feelings for him, but now I'm in love with Ranma. I can't have those kind of feelings for Ryouga. When he left it took me a long time to get over him. If only.....if only I told him how I felt in the first place maybe he would've stayed. But thats the past and this is the present. And now I'm in love with Ranma. Even though he might not return my feelings its only because of that Violent Kitchen Destroyer and that dumb Spatula Girl that just got here. With them out the way Ranma and I would be happily married. But now.....ARGHHH....These feelings for Ryouga are returning. But the way he reacted when I told him Ranma was my Airen, he didn't show any feelings at all. I know Ranma is his enemy but when it came to me he always supported me, no matter what. But when I told him he didn't even congratulate me or even give a fake smile. But I guess as time passes people change. *sigh* If only......'

Shampoo's thoughts and shower were cut off when she immediately turned her attention to the person who entered the bathroom. And of course it was Ryouga looking at Shampoo wide-eyed with a huge blush on his face that made him look like he would blow any second now. "Ummm....umm....I...I'm...s..ss....sorry. I.. um....well...got ....got.... lo...lost...a..and......" Ryouga just couldn't take it anymore even though he stopped looking at Shampoo and averted his eyes to the floor, he couldn't get the image of her body out of his head and ended up passing out from a massive nose bleed.

Shampoo couldn't help but blush either. She took her towel and wrapped it around herself and walked up to where Ryouga passed out at. She shook her head and smiled at him. "Or maybe some people never change."

-----------------------------------------

Ryouga had a splitting headache. Ryouga started to recall what made him have this headache. The only thing that popped up was a very naked Shampoo. Ryouga blushed horribly. 'Well its not at all a bad image.' Ryouga thought with a silly grin on his face.

"Ryouga, what are you thinking about?"

Ryouga's eyes immediately snapped open to see a confused and worried Shampoo looking at him. 'OH NO!!! SHE KNOWS WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT!!! I'M DEAD!!!' Thought a very panicked Ryouga.

"Ryouga, are you ok?" Asked Shampoo now looking worried.

"Umm....YES....YES I AM!!!" Yelled Ryouga with his voice cracking.

Shampoo just smiled and nodded her head. "Sure you are. Anyways I'm about to go downstairs and start serving. Great-Grandmother wanted to know were you just going to free-load off of us or were you going to help out."

"Well I wasn't really planning to stay." Said Ryouga.

Shampoo grabbed him by the shoulders and started to shake him fiercely. "WHAT?!? WHY AREN'T YOU STAYING?!?" Yelled Shampoo.

"Well....I get lost easily and I don't know how I could repay you." said Ryouga nervously.

"I'll watch you so you won't get lost and like Great-Grandmother suggested you could just work here. Just please stay Ryouga. Please." said Shampoo with big puppy dog eyes.

Ryouga try to look away but it was too hard. "OK, OK I'LL STAY!!! Just stop with the puppy dog eyes."

Shampoo gave him a bright smile and instead of giving her usual glomp she gave him a small hug. "Thank you Ryouga. I really need a friend to talk to. Anyways I'll be back in awhile. I have to go tell Great-Grandmother the good news." Shampoo said bubbly before she left the room. But not before she ran back in to tell him something she forgot. "AND DON'T MOVE!!! Ok Bye."

Ryouga just looked at the door thinking that she might pop up some more but after a few minutes she didn't. 'Well I guess I am staying. *SIGH* Now I get to be with my precious Akane more. But now....I guess I'm sort of unsure about my feelings. Is it because of Shampoo? No it can't be, she only see's me as a friend and I only see her as a friend. Right? But if she only see's me as a friend why did she kiss me when I left the village? But that was two years ago and now she loves Ranma. RANMA!!! THAT PERVERTED FIEND!!! HOW CAN SHAMPOO LOVE HIM!!! Shampoo can do much better than that. I know Shampoo has better taste than that. Its all because of that DAMN amazon law.'" I SHOULD BE HER AIREN!!!" Yelled Ryouga out loud. He stopped to look around to make sure no one heard him. 'DAMMIT!! I didn't mean to say that out loud. Why did I say that? Why did I think that? OH NO!!! I'M STARTING TO HAVE FEELINGS FOR SHAMPOO AGAIN!!!'

"WHY DO YOU HATE ME KAMI!?! WHY!? WHY!? WHY!? WHY......" Ryouga was cut off when he heard someone open the door. He looked up to see Shampoo looking at him worried. He just smiled sheepishly at her. "Umm.....hi."

"Ryouga are you ok? We heard you yelling from downstairs. " said Shampoo even more worried.

"Umm.....did you hear what I said?" asked Ryouga blushing a bit.

"No. Why?" asked Shampoo curiously.

"Ohh just wondering. Can I come downstairs with you now?" asked Ryouga trying to change the subject as he grabbed a clean shirt to change into.

"Sure, lets go." said Shampoo looking at Ryouga suspiciously.

-----------------------------------------

Ranma was going to get to the bottom of this. He was going to find out why Ryouga and Shampoo were acting all friendly and most importantly why they were ignoring him. No one just forgot about Ranma Saotome like that and he was going to make sure of that. Too bad the way he got there was being booted from Akane. He really shouldn't have told her he was going to the Nekohatten to see Shampoo.

Ranma landed right in front of the Nekohatten. "Stupid Uncute Tomboy." Ranma mumbled as he got up and brushed himself off. As Ranma walked in he was greeted to well.....a not so pretty sight.

"Hello Son-in-Law, have you come to see your future wife?" asked Cologne with a toothy grin.

Ranma simply just glared at her, "NO!!! And stop calling me Son-in-Law because I'm not. All I'm here to do is eat." said Ranma seating himself at a table.

"Fine, you can wait here for Shampoo to serve you once she comes down." said Cologne hopping away.

Ranma glared at Cologne as she hopped away. Ranma turned his attention away from Cologne when he saw Shampoo and Ryouga walking down the stairs together. And as they were walking down the stairs it looked like Ryouga was now just putting his shirt on which made Ranma even more suspicious.

As Shampoo and Ryouga walked down the stairs Shampoo was the first to notice Ranma. She quickly ran over to him and gave him a big Amazon Glomp. "Airen, have you finally come to your senses and know that you love me?" asked Shampoo giving him a bright smile.

Ryouga scowled at Ranma. But Ranma didn't notice because he was paying more attention to the Amazon attached to him. "Ummm.....no, I just just came to eat. Yep thats it." Said Ranma trying to pry off the Amazon with out telling her the real reason he came here was about him being jealous of her and Ryouga.

That was it. Ryouga was sick of Ranma getting all the good girls and treating them like dirt. "RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO...." Ryouga noticed that Shampoo was now looking towards him giving him pleading eyes. Shampoo didn't even have to speak to tell him what she didn't want him to do. So Ryouga just sighed and sat down at a nearby seat not looking at the couple.

-----------------------------------------

Ranma had finally gotten the Amazon off and was now on his third bowl of ramen. Ryouga was now sitting with Ranma and Shampoo at a table next to a window. Shampoo had insisted that he should come and join her and Ranma. "So....how do you two know each other?" asked Ranma finishing his third bowl of ramen.

"Its none of your buisness." growled Ryouga.

Shampoo gave Ryouga an evil glare and Ryouga just shrugged innocently. She then turned back to Ranma and smiled sweetly. "Ryouga's my best friend. When Ryouga and I were 12 he came to our village and stayed with us for two years."

"Oh......so were you and Ryouga, ya know, ever a...couple?" asked Ranma scratching his cheek.

Shampoo blushed a bit and was about to answer but was cut off by a furious Ryouga, "NO!!! EVERYONE'S NOT A PERVERT LIKE YOU!!!" Yelled Ryouga.

Shampoo looked at Ryouga stunned and was about to speak up again but this time she got interupted by Ranma, "I'M NOT A PREVERT, PIG-BOY!!!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT, YOU...YOU PERVERTED ANIMAL!!!" Yelled Ryouga.

"Wow, nice come back P-chan. Are you calling me names because you like Akane and she's my fiance?" asked Ranma smirking at him.

"YOU LIKE AKANE?!?" Asked Shampoo shocked.

"Well.....its just a small crush." Said Ryouga sheepishly.

"Feh, please. More like obessed. You sleep with her in your pig form and who knows what you see when your in her room when she's changing. And you call me a pervert." Said Ranma.

Ryouga looked towards Shampoo and he did not like what he saw. Shampoo looked completely hurt and disgusted. But before he could explain anything to her she had already ran back upstairs leaving Ranma and Ryouga looking worried. And leaving Ryouga feeling completely ashamed.

-----------------------------------------

Hey, I know this doesn't make up for me not updating as much but like I told you I've been busy. Oh and I know Shampoo's bathroom is probably bigger but just keeping it short and sweet (I'm Lazy), and I know Ukyou probably came later so sorry if I got that wrong. But I hope you all still enjoyed. R&R, Thanks.