Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and all associated characters are the property of the Queen of Manga, Rumiko Takahashi.
The song 'Should've Listened' is the property of Nickelback. It can be found on Nickelback's "The Long Road" album from Roadrunner Records.
Should've Listened (a songfic)
By Will Rogers (Xtor49)
Key
Bold: emphasis
Italic: thoughts
Underline: Song lyrics
This story takes place two years after chapter one.
There's clothes all over the floor
Don't remember them being here before
Smell of perfume is in here
Why's lipstick on the mirror?
And still I don't understand
The annoying high-pitched buzzing alarm went off next to the queen-sized bed, reading 8:00. From under the mess of covers, a hand poked out and tapped the snooze button. Ranma sat up, feeling groggy, eyes still closed. Hmm? What's that smell? Perfume? Akane hasn't worn that in some time... he thought as he stood up and headed for the bathroom by instinct. Suddenly, he tripped and fell on his face.
"What the..." he rubbed his nose as he stood up. Finally opening his eyes, Ranma saw a pile of clothes around his foot. Looking around, he saw that it wasn't the only one.
"What's all this doing out? Maybe Akane was searching for something..." he reasoned, returning to his journey to the toilet.
After he had relieved himself, Ranma turned to the sink to wash his hands. "Ack!" he exclaimed. On the mirror was a bunch of streaks of lipstick.
"Akane?" Ranma called. "Akane?!" he repeated louder. No response. The pigtailed young man started searching the home he had shared with his wife for the past year.
No pictures left in the hall
There's three new holes in my wall
Where the hell's my credit cards?
Why's my wallet in the yard?
Still I don't understand
Nails jutted out of the walls of the hall, where framed pictures used to hang. There were three fresh holes, obviously made by Akane's fist. Through one of them, he could see his wallet outside. "What is going on?" Ranma went outside to pick it up. All the money and the two credit cards were gone.
Well now, I guess I should've listened
When you said you'd had enough
A little trick I picked up from my father
In one ear and out the other
Why's love gotta be so tough?
The whole building was a mess. Only Ranma's things had been touched, except Akane's clothing. Much of that was missing, as was her suitcase and her purse. The television was in the koi pond in the back yard. There was also a great deal of women's underwear in the house, particularly the training hall; they appeared to be leftovers from when Happosai was around.
Should see the look on my face
My shit's all over the place
Why's this happening to me?
Why'd you take both sets of keys?
And still I don't understand
"Was it some kind of burglar? But, if so, what happened to Akane?" Ranma went back to the bedroom to get his keys, but they were not in the drawer he left them in every night. He searched around, but couldn't find them anywhere.
Well now, I guess I should've listened
When you said you'd had enough
A little trick I picked up from my father
In one ear and out the other
Why's love gotta be so tough?
And now I guess I should've listened
As he searched, Ranma did find a note. "Ranma. I'm tired of us fighting all the time. I'm sick of you hiding your emotions from me. Do you even love me anymore? You even forgot our anniversary yesterday, you jerk! That was the last straw. I'll be staying at a friend's for a while, until after the divorce. Goodbye." It was signed, "Akane."
There's clothes all over my floor
I don't remember them being there before
There are no candles in here
Lipstick's still on my mirror
And still I don't understand
"I..." Ranma was dumbfounded. "I don't believe this...I knew we were having problems, but...a divorce? She...she couldn't even say it to my face?"
And now I guess I should've listened
When you said you'd had enough
A little trick I picked up from my father
In one ear and out the other
Why must life be so tough?
It's just like before. I'm losing Akane all over again...
Well now I guess I should've listened
When you said you'd had enough
A little trick I picked up from my father
In one ear and out the other
Why's love gotta be so tough?
Author's note: As with chapter one, the lyrics are as sung by Chad Kroeger on the "The Long Road" album, typed out as I listened to it (repeatedly). This means that it may be different from what you would find on a website or whatever.
Well, all relationships have their problems. The house in the story is the Tendo Dojo, now the Saotome-Tendo Dojo. Everyone else moved out not long after Ranma and Akane finally married.
Chapter three will not be a songfic. Yes, I'm writing a chapter three. Expect a happy ending.