Ranma ½: Game of Pretend.

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and all related titles are the sole and exlusive © Takahashi Rumiko; Shogakukan Entertainment; Shounen Sunday; Kitty TV; and Viz Communications, LLC.

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Ranma ½: Game of Pretend

Part VII: Storm after the Calm

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'Um, would you like to come in?' Ukyou said awkwardly. She and Ryouga were standing outside the door to her apartment, and Ukyou knew it would be much too rude to not invite Ryouga in. Especially when he had sheltered her from the rain, walked her to her house….

'Sure,' Ryouga said with a nonchalance he didn't feel. He suddenly felt very weird in a deep place in his stomach. Ukyou was inviting him in. To her house. 'Thanks.'

Ukyou undid the lock and the door swung open to reveal Ukyou's apartment. Ryouga looked around wonderingly. It was neat. Simple, but clean. The furniture was sparse but in good taste. He nodded in appreciation.

'Nice house,' he commented, trying to spark conversation.

Ukyou glanced up at him briefly and flashed a small smile. 'Thanks,' she said, quickly ducking her head back down. 'Sit down, let me make tea…' She strode abruptly into the kitchen, making a rather loud clanging noise as she set out the teapot. What…is happening? she asked herself. Why do I feel this way? My heart beats a bit faster when he speaks, my smile is greater when he smiles. Am I betraying myself and my promise to Ranma?

Ryouga noticed that Ukyou had left her bag of groceries near the door, and that there were tea leaves in there. Ukyou'd need this, he thought. I'll just give them to her… He picked up the thin plastic bag and stepped tentatively into the kitchen. It was just as neat and clean as the rest of the house.

'Tea,' he said, a bit unnecessarily, holding the bag out to her. She took it wordlessly.

But their hands brushed each other.

Ukyou shivered. The contact of their hands had been brief, inconsequential, yet she felt a spark through her. A little bolt of lightning that travelled up her spine, froze her brain, so that she stood there staring at Ryouga.

For his part, Ryouga had felt the way Ukyou's hands, still delicate after her years of hard work, passed over his own numb fingers. Her hands were warm. And Ryouga felt so warm inside when their hands touched.

'Ukyou, I—' 'Ryouga, I—' both said at the same time. Then they fell silent, still staring at each other. Ryouga's eyes flicked slightly down, towards her small, delicate mouth, and back up to her eyes. Then back down, and back up, until finally he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers.

.........

That night, Shampoo sat in front of a mirror, admiring herself.

'I'm pretty enough, prettier than that violent girl at any rate,' Shampoo fumed out loud in her native Chinese.

'You're beautiful,' Mousse reassured her.

'I'm a good person,' Shampoo continued, now brushing out her thick hair.

'You're a wonderful person,' Mousse replied.

Shampoo turned slowly to him, her eyes full of confusion…hurt… 'Then why doesn't Ranma like me?' she asked him. 'If I'm so beautiful, and wonderful, then why does Ranma always choose Akane over me?'

'Because Ranma's an idiot,' Mousse said simply. This was it. This was when he was going to tell her. Mousse rubbed his slightly sweaty palms on his pants before taking a step forward.

Shampoo gave a very unlady-like snort and turned back to the mirror. 'I already tried that,' she muttered, remembering the day's incidents.

'I mean,' said Mousse, his voice lower, more secret. Shampoo saw his reflection in the mirror but didn't turn to him. 'He's an absolute idiot for not seeing what an amazing and beautiful person you are.' He was now almost whispering in her ear, his breath tickling her neck. 'Maybe it's because of these glasses,' he continued, 'but I can see you perfectly. You are perfect.'

'Mousse…' Shampoo said quietly, turning slightly so they were eye-to-eye. 'I…'

But Mousse wouldn't let her have her say. He closed the miniscule gap between their faces and pressed his mouth to hers, slowly, lightly. He drew back a tiny bit, carefully watching her face for a reaction. A small voice in his mind screamed urgently at him to run, run far away, because Shampoo would slap him, throw cold water on him…but the larger part of his brain--and his body—overthrew that voice.

Indeed, Shampoo didn't wait for Mousse. This time, she slung her arms around Mousse's head and pulled him in for a deep, amazing first kiss.

..........

'Um, Nabiki?' Ranma said tentatively, coming into the room where Nabiki was busy doing calculations of some sort.

'Hello there, Ranma-kun,' Nabiki said cheerfully, grinning up at him. 'And how is my dear little brother-in-law today?' Ranma bit back what he wanted to say about him not being Nabiki's brother-in-law, in light of the favour he had come to ask.

'I was wonderin' if I could borrow some money,' Ranma said quickly. Nabiki's eyes narrowed slightly and she sat up.

'What for, may I ask?' Nabiki said, studying Ranma intently.

'Well, y'know, Friendship Day is the day after tomorrow,' he began, suddenly realising it would be on the sixth day of his and Akane's seven-day deal. 'And I found something really pretty she would like…problem is, it costs about ¥ 2500…so I was wonderin' if you'd lend me that money.' Ranma said all this quickly, and saw Nabiki's slow, every-widening sly grin.

'Can it be that Ranma-kun is starting to develop feelings for Akane-chan?' Nabiki said, looking pleased. 'Of course it was bound to happen.'

'It ain't like that!' Ranma protested. 'Just I thought I should get her something for Friendship Day so Pops won't say anything.'

'Right,' Nabiki answered, not looking at all convinced. 'Anyway,' she said quickly, seeing Ranma about to open his mouth again, 'I'd love to help you.' She studied him for a moment. 'Y'know, Ranma, ¥ 2, 500 is quite a lot.'

'C'mon, Nabiki, I know you have it!' Ranma said in frustration. 'You must've made at least some money off Kuno after selling all those pictures of me as a girl!'

'Oh yes, I do have the money,' Nabiki said. She focused her full attention on Ranma now. 'But what's in it for me?'

Ranma growled. 'I can't do anything,' he said. 'I'll pay you back somehow…' Nabiki's earlier words came to his mind. 'Dintcha say, when me and Akane first started, that you were interested to see how all this turned out?'

Nabiki paused, surprised Ranma had pulled such a distant statement to his mind. 'Well,' continued Ranma, 'if you just give me the money, you can see!'

'Good point,' Nabiki said appreciatively. She pulled out a stack of bills and handed them to Ranma. 'Take care of it.' Ranma put it in a pocket without so much as a thanks and left quickly, but Nabiki called after him, 'I wouldn't mind having you as a brother-in-law. I like the way your mind works.'

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'Ukyou…' Ryouga said softly. Ukyou had stepped from him and they both had been staring at the floor, at the walls, silently, not looking at each other. Ukyou's lips felt strangely swollen and red.

She heard him call her name but didn't answer immediately. Ryouga tried again. 'Ukyou,' he said, 'don't deny you didn't feel anything. Just now. When we…' he trailed off, but his meaning was clear.

Ukyou turned sharply to face him, and Ryouga was taken aback to see a faint shimmer of unshed tears glittering in her eyes. Was he so bad at kissing that he made her cry? He was relieved when he heard her next words. 'That's the problem, Ryouga,' she said softly. 'I…I feel as though I should be loyal only to Ranma—'

'Ranma's out there,' Ryouga said, a bit angrily. 'He's pledged to Akane and he won't change his mind. I've tried,' he added, more gently. 'But,' he took Ukyou's face in his hands and softly rubbed off a tear from her cheeks. 'I'm here. And I'm not pledged to anyone but you.'

'Ryouga…' Ukyou answered. He was right—she couldn't fight it. She couldn't quell the feelings that rose in her when she saw Ryouga, when she recalled the feel of his mouth on hers. He's right, Ukyou thought, as her eyes fluttered closed and she felt him press against her once more. Ryouga's here and Ranma's not…

Ranma came to the shop just before it was about to close. Making sure no one was looking, he slipped inside and snatched the perfume bottle off the shelf. Ranma thought again of how nice the perfume smelled…and then, he thought of Akane wearing that perfum…she would smell really lovely in his arms—

Ranma shook his head violently at the unwelcome thought, but the shopkeeper harrumphed loudly and impatiently for him to finish. He gave Ranma a box and a bag to put the crystal bottle in, and looked suspiciously at the wad of money Ranma gave him.

'Young man, did you steal this money?' the shopkeeper demanded.

'Wha—No!' Ranma said, wanting to get home before anyone saw him in such a girly shop. It was acceptable to be in touch with one's feminine side—but Ranma, unfortunately, got in touch with his feminine side a bit too often for his comfort. 'Look, Gramps, tomorrow's Friendship Day and I needed a gift for my fiancee so I asked her older sister for some money and now you have it. Happy?'

The proprietor did not look entirely convinced, but he ¥ 2500 he held in his hands helped persuade him. 'Speak better to your elders!' he called out to the young man's retreating back. But Ranma didn't listen.

'Ranma!' came the one vioce Ranma did not want to hear. He turned and saw Akane, looking at him with a slightly puzzled expression on her face. Ranma hid the bag behind his back and tried to think of some way to make an escape.

'Yeah?' said Ranma in greeting. Akane's puzzled expression turned to one that looked slightly put out.

'I just…I couldn't find you, I wondered where you had gone,' Akane said.

'Oh,' said Ranma, not saying anything more. There was a silence while Akane expectantly waited for an explanation of where he had been. 'Look, Akane, I gotta go,' Ranma said.

'But Ranma…where did you go?' Akane pressed, running slightly to catch up to him.

'The Neko-haten,' Ranma replied shortly. As Ranma expected, hoped, Akane stopped in her tracks and fumed.



How oould he? Akane said to herself. After all this time, he still goes running to Shampoo every chance he gets? She felt…not so much angry as sad, as hopelessness. I'd hoped…that maybe this plan of ours, this week, would have pushed him more toward me. To show him I'm more than what I seem on the outside, and show him I'm a thousand times better for him than Ukyou or Shampoo!

Akane stopped. She had never had such vindictive and mean thoughts before. Could she…could her feelings for Ranma….have really developed and strengthened that much?

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Shampoo knew she was kissing Mousse.

She also knew it felt wonderful. Felt right. And that at the moment, she didn't care about Ranma, didn't care about Akane or Ukyou or anybody else. Because at that moment, she was with Mousse.



How could I not have seen before? Shampoo asked herself wonderingly, as she and Mousse sat in comfortable silence, Shampoo's head resting on Mousse's shoulder. Why did I always chase an impossibilty, knowing what pain and hurt would wait for me, when my love was right here? Shampoo sighed contentedly and raised her head slightly to smile at Mousse, lightly kissing him once more before letting her head drop to his shoulder.

Mousse absentmindedly stroked Shampoo's head softly, feeling her thick, soft hair slide between his fingers. I can't belive this finally happened, he said to himself. I'm finally with Shampoo. She is with me, not with Ranma or anyone else. I'm with my love. Mousse was…inexpressibly happy. There was such a warm, complete feeling inside him every time he was with Shampoo—that, surely, was love, more than any palpitations of the heart, flips of the stomach, loss of speech.

This was true happiness—to have found heaven in one person.

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Akane was already in bed by the time Ranma came upstairs. She pretended to be asleep, her comforter drawn up to her chin and her head tucked in close to her body.

Ranma saw the rise and fall of her back as she breathed, but also saw that it was too irregular to be really sleep. 'Hey, Akane?' Ranma said softly. Akane didn't reply, indeed, didn't even move. 'Akane!' Ranma said more urgently, shaking her shoulder gently. But Akane was a good actress, and she didn't want to talk to Ranma, so she only let her shoulder fall limply back to her side, giving no sign she knew what was going on around her.

'I…I just wanted ta' say….' Ranma began, 'that I wasn't really at the Neko-haten. This afternoon I mean. I just wanted to get you off my back 'cause you can't know what I was doing…well not yet at least. 'Kay?' When Akane didn't even stir, Ranma was fully convinced that she was asleep. He leaned close to her, whispered 'Good night' in her ear. For a moment, he hovered over her forehead, a sudden urge to place a gentle kiss in her hair taking him over.

But Ranma fought back, and didn't press his lips to her dark hair.

Akane had heard everything, had felt Ranma's breath tickle her neck. She stared unseeingly at the walls with wide eyes, a great relief and happiness coming over her.



He wasn't…at the Neko-haten…I'm so happy….

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A/N: Hullo all! Yes, I'm still alive, and I'm still writing. So here's the long-awaited (just kidding) seventh chapter of Game of Pretend. You know what, I actually like this story. It's one of the few of my own I like.

I guess the Ryouga-Ukyou and Shampoo-Mousse scenes were a little too sappy and serial-ish, but I needed them to be together! So I hope you liked it anyway—a little sweetness is nice. Everyoen needs a generous helping of sugar in their stories…besides, isn't that how the song goes? "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…" See? The sappy sugary sweetness of the romance scenes can be a good thing.

So now we are left with the burning questions: How will Ranma present his newly-acquired gift? How will Akane respond? Will Friendship Day turn into MORE than FRIENDship Day? The answers to all those question—and more—are found in the next installment of Game of Pretend.

On another note, I've almost finished writing my yearly exams.! I've one more left and then I'm out for the summer hols. And also, the QuickEdit thing doesn't work. It's no good! Does any one else want to petition for me to have the FF.Net team change it...so at least we can upload our documents, with their original formatting, if we don't want to go through QE? They ought to have made QE optional. --

Bye!

--Sanju.