"Shampoo?" Ranma's voice was tinged with alarm. If anything happens to her, I'll never get Ryoga away from Akane. He tried to stand, but his knee still refused to cooperate.

With a glare at Ranma, Akane rose and hurried over to the girl's side. I may not like her, but I still hope she's all right. She knelt next to the Amazon, gently touching her cheek. "Shampoo, are you—?"

The girl's eyes slowly opened. Brushing Akane aside, she pulled herself shakily to her feet. "R-Ryoga?" She looked across the courtyard, her gaze settling on her target. Her steps became steady as she started toward him, her countenance stern.

She did not speak until she was standing right in front of the still slightly-surprised Ryoga. She looked up into his eyes. "Ryoga defeat Shampoo."

"Yeah, I guess I… I mean, that's right, I did! And now you can't k—"

He stopped abruptly as Shampoo's expression melted into a smile and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Wo ai ni!"

A confused Ryoga turned to Ranma for help. "What'd she say?"

Ranma grinned. "We're pretty sure that means, 'I love you.'"

Ryoga stared down at Shampoo, his cheeks burning red. "But what about Ranma? I thought you were—"

"Tch! Who need Ranma?" Shampoo asked scornfully. "Ryoga defeat me. Ryoga I love." She snuggled against Ryoga's chest.

He looked down at the female warrior, so contentedly – and shamelessly – pressing herself against him. Only in one other circumstance had he felt the warmth and softness of a woman's body against his. When he was P-chan, Akane had clutched him to her chest, showering him with love. Oh, Akane… will you be forever beyond my reach? Yes… you will never embrace me like this, never look upon me lovingly when I am a man. A single tear rolled down his cheek. You will never feel for me what you feel for… Ranma.

Ryoga grasped Shampoo by the shoulders, gently pulling her away from him. "Hold that thought just for a second, okay?" He stepped away from a forlorn-looking Shampoo and turned to Ranma.

"You planned this, didn't you? You took the whole, 'Amazon women have to marry men who defeat them' thing, and used it to get Shampoo to like me, didn't you?"

"Um…" said Ranma, plastering on a fake smile, "…No… I mean…"If he finds out that it was all a setup, then there goes the whole deal. But outright lies were never my strongest game. Akane? Help? Akane, however, was halfway across the yard, out of reach. He swallowed hard. "…Kind of…"

Ranma was completely unprepared for the hug that nearly knocked him off his cushion. "Thank you!"

"Really, it's okay, Ryoga," Ranma laughed uncertainly. "You can let go now."

Ryoga did so, rising to his feet. He wasn't, however, done talking. He could feel Shampoo's eyes on him, her affection enveloping him in an almost-tangible warmth and reaffirming his decision. "I've never had a real girlfriend before. I've always had to face the cruel trials of the world alone!" He turned to Shampoo. "But now…"

The Chinese girl's face lit up with a smile. "So you accept Shampoo as fiancée?"

Ryoga's eyes widened. F-fiancée? As in marriage? He smiled nervously at her, taking one of her hands in his. "Um, how about we go steady for a while first, and see how it goes?"

She considered this for a moment, and nodded. "Okay. Shampoo date with Ryoga." She flung her arms around his neck, nuzzling his shoulder.

Cautiously, Ryoga returned the embrace. Looking over Shampoo's shoulder, he saw Akane standing in the courtyard, smiling cheerfully. She's not upset. She looks happy for me. Happy that I'm with Shampoo. I… I guess it was never meant to be with Akane after all…

He pulled back slightly, looking into Shampoo's face. She met his gaze and smiled. Drawing courage from her eyes, he placed a finger gently under her chin to angle her face upward. Reading his intentions, she parted her lips as he leaned in to kiss her.

o o o o o

Akane quietly slipped past the lovebirds to join Ranma at the table. Her face was alight with happiness – due in no small part to the fact that Shampoo would be leaving Ranma alone from now on. She leaned over to whisper to Ranma. "Aren't they cute?"

Ranma, on the other hand, looked slightly ill. "'Cute' isn't the word I'd use."

The short-haired girl glowered at her fiancé, walloping him in the head with her school-bag. "You have no sense of romance whatsoever!"

Gingerly rubbing the bump on his head, Ranma glared back at her. "What does an uncute tomboy like you know about romance, anyway?"

Outside, Ryoga broke the kiss just long enough to whisper, "They're at it again. They really are impossible, aren't they?"

Shampoo smiled, nuzzling at his ear before replying, "They figure it out eventually."