Author: essenceofthedark
Pairing: Ranma/Ryoga
Author's note: Um, I have thought about this and the title of this fanfiction isn't actually a good title, it's more fitting as a title for a chapter, but it was kind from that sentence the whole idea about this fanfiction formed itself from so I choose not to change the title anyway even though it's not really representative for the story. I still do not want any flames, though I'm very fond of constructive criticism (I'm also very fond of that expression too if you can't tell).
Oh, and sorry that this chapter is so boring, nothing really happens here, except some fraternising between Ryoga and Ranma and a little more insight in Ranma's thoughts… I hope to make the next one more exiting… God, I'm not even sure why I wrote all this… well actually I am, it's the evil boring fairy that lives in my head commanding me to do stupid and useless things like writing all this useless crap, the worst thing though is that I really don't have a say in that matter…
Chapter two: Overprotective?
Ranma's view
I sat and ate dinner at the Tendo dojo, thinking back on what had happened. Damn Happosai, why did he have to come around in the first place? As if I had not got enough trouble without him. And now he had used the Moxibustion against me. I didn't like the fact that I was weaker than the smallest kid around; I didn't like it at all. But what did you expect? I used to be the strongest teen, hell; I think the only ones that were stronger than me were Happosai and Cologne. Do you blame me for hating being weak? No, hating was not the word, I downright loathed it. Every second being so weak made me feel as if a future didn't exist. Though it had been a nice feeling having Ryoga stand up for me like that.
One blink. Two blink. Three blink.
Where had that thought come from? I didn't know, everything had been so weird since our china trip a year or so ago. First it was the curse that makes me take the shape of a girl whenever I am in touch with cold water. Then there was not just one, but also a quite huge number with fiancées that either hated me, loved me or were just crazed. And all the weird people I've encountered because of them. It would take no end, and whenever I thought things couldn't get weirder, something or someone managed to prove me wrong yet again.
I sighed heavily and pushed the bowl with ramen away from me before I stood up. Everyone turned to look at me, it wasn't often I showed no sign of being hungry. "Ranma, is something wrong?" Kasumi asked. I grunted, if they wanted to take that as yes or no, I didn't know, and I frankly didn't care. I walked thoughtful up the stairs to my bedroom, and as I lay down on my bed my thoughts yet again went to the days previously happenings. Why had he been crying like that? Sure he had told me why, but I didn't believe him. That he didn't like to see me weak wasn't a good enough reason to cry for, was it? I didn't think so, but then again I didn't know how sensitive the boy actually was. Because of his strength I had always assumed that he could stand much on the mental level too, but maybe I had been wrong. The way he acted when Akane was close, well sometimes even when she wasn't there, indicated something else. I didn't really care for the boy, but I didn't like the fact that he was crying for me, somehow I didn't want him to be sad because of me. And then there was the fact that I didn't like that he thought me weak.
I was weak, for now at least, but it had not been my own choice. That damned old wrinkled bastard of a hentai had the entire blame for this. I fumed with anger and despair on the inside. If, no, when I got my strength back he would pay for what he had done to me. The only problem was; how do I get my strength back? Well, I hoped that something would come up sooner or later or I would be forced to remain weak for the rest of my life. I could not stand the thought of that so I tried to think of something else.
I let my thoughts wander a bit and found that the only thought that came to mind, was the one I tried to avoid. Ryoga. The reason he had given me still didn't seem valid to me. But that wasn't the only thing about him that bothered me. The fact that he so easily angered me when he wanted to go out with my fiancée, whom I had come to love more like a little sister than as a girlfriend. Then why should I feel jealous every time he came close to her? Maybe I was being overprotective of her, though I could not ever imagine myself as overprotective, and definitely not of her, but what other possibilities were there? I sat up with a sudden movement. What if..? Nope, that's not an option, I told myself. Not an option at all.
"Ranma!" Akane exclaimed, as she burst into my room without knocking first. Normally, that would have started a quarrel, but today I was so deep in my own thoughts that I just turned my head and looked at her. "Hn?" I grunted. "Whaddya want?" In all honesty I didn't want anyone to hang around me right now. I knew momentarily after the words escaped my mouth that I had said something wrong. She puffed up her cheeks as she always did when she was angry or upset. "If that's how you'll be, then you can just forget me telling you about the cure for the Moxibustion" angrily she turned her heels and walked out of my room. "Akane, wait" I called after her. She had to tell me about the cure, she just had to. "Akane, sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude…" I started but she just hmphed and tried to ignore me. "But Akane, I…" I didn't have the time to finish the sentence before she threw a bucket of ice-cold water over me while shouting: "Just go to hell Ranma. Why should I care anyway?" then she turned around and ran away from me. She is so kawaiikunee. I stuck out my tongue after her and stalked towards the bathroom to get myself some hot water. What I didn't notice was a little black piglet with a bandana that followed after me.
In the bathroom I filled a bucked with hot water and threw over myself. Soon after I could see the reddish hair change into the old familiar black locks. I hated it when she did that, like a little sister, indeed. "Oink" I spun around only to see P-chan, or Ryoga as his real name was. Of course Akane didn't know that P-chan, her pet-piglet, and Ryoga were the same. She was just so naïve and stupid when it came to that piglet. I felt a sting of jealousy, why was it that she got to sleep with P-chan and not me? Wait, what was I thinking? I didn't want anything to do with him, let alone sleep in the same bed as him. That's right, he's my enemy, my opponent, and he's supposed to hate me, right? Yes that's it, isn't it? But it had been him that saved me earlier today, and how embarrassing it might be that I had to be rescued, I had to admit that it somehow felt right to have him on my side.
"What's up Ryoga?" I asked him carefully. Just because he saved me earlier this day doesn't mean that he is to be entirely trusted, you never know with him. Yes, I was talking to a pig without thinking that any of it was abnormal. Of course I don't understand what the pig's saying, but I don't care. Knowing that he couldn't answer me properly in that form I filled the bucket anew with hot water and splashed it at the little black piglet. Soon pig the pig had disappeared and instead Ryoga were sitting on the floor, without clothes. I turned around quickly so he couldn't see me blush. Wait, I was blushing? Why? It's not like I haven't seen him without clothes before, or other guys for that matter. When he didn't answer my previous question I asked another, anything to make this awkward feeling go away. "So, why haven't you shouted at me or anything yet for upsetting Akane?" I could feel his gaze on my back, but still, he didn't answer. After a while I heard him move, to get a towel or something to cover himself with, no doubt. Then he said, "Because you're still weak Ranma and I won't pick on weaklings" I turned around just to find him wearing a towel as predicted, what I hadn't predicted was that he was beat red in his face, but angry as I was I barely noticed. With the anger that surged through me by hearing those words it was all I could do to keep from hitting him. Sure I knew it wouldn't hurt him, it would only prove his point. And why the hell was it suddenly so important to me not to hurt him?
For a second or two I just stood there facing him, not sure of what to do, I knew by now that I weren't going to hit him or anything, but what was I supposed to do? After a second of thought I just said in a low voice, still a little hurt by the comment: "Come" was all I said, before turning my back to him and started to make my way to my room. "Ranma?" he asked and it made me stop in my own tracks. "Yes?" "Why would I come with you?" he asked calmly to my back. "Well, we can't have you run around naked in the house, now can we? Besides, as the only room in the house you actually know where is, my room is the place you always leave your backpack with clothes" I replied as I once again started to walk to my room. By the way; why was my room the only room in the house that he knew where was and not Akane's room? I wondered. Probably just because he had attacked me so many times that he had memorized how to get there to challenge me, but somehow I didn't feel like that was the right answer, but I had no clue why. But another unsolved mystery was; why did he always put his backpack in my room?
As I walked into my room I had started pondering on why I had bothered to help him out. He seemed content enough to be a pig around here and as I said he knew his way up here. I didn't really have to go with him at all, but I guess I'm just not comfortable knowing he would be in my room alone. I snorted while I found Ryoga's backpack, it stood in it's usual place, it has a usual place? Well yeah, as often as he comes here it's bound to bring some habits. Soon I could hear footsteps behind me. I turned around and found an extremely uncomfortable Ryoga. "Oi, Ryoga. I don't bite, you're the one with fangs, remember?" I said as I noticed he kept some distance from me. He walked up to me and his backpack, but not before giving me an angry look saying I'm-not-afraid-of-you-never-was-never-will-be-and-you-know-it. I rolled my eyes to that, it was meant as a joke. Why did he always have to misunderstand what I was saying?
Suddenly someone knocked on the door and both of us almost jumped. The door opened slightly and revealed Kasumi. "Ranma, oh my, you have a guest. Well hello Ryoga" Polite1 and nice as always, that's Kasumi in a nutshell. Before any of the two of us got the chance to say anything, she continued. "I'll go and get you something to eat, you must be hungry" with that she disappeared out through the door, leaving us to stare after her. "And she's always like that?" Ryoga asked after a moment. "Yeah" I answered. "Her timing is scary". "I know". The silence hung loud in the room as none of us said anything. I looked at him and he looked at me, neither of us knowing what to say. I guess we had never been in the same room this long before without arguing or fighting. But you never knew with Ryoga. Maybe he was secretly plotting something to make my life even worse right now. Somehow I doubted it though. Actually it felt kind of good, not fighting with him. Suddenly I heaved one eyebrow and looked questioningly at him. "What?" he asked defensively and I smiled a little. "Are you going to get dressed or are you planning on wandering around in that towel for the rest of the day?". "Oh," he said, and blushed faintly as he realised that he was still only wearing the towel. I blinked, why was he blushing? I shrugged; it was probably because Kasumi had seen him almost in the nude. As I thought this he had walked to his backpack and was rummaging through it in search for his clothes. Suddenly he turned around and I noticed I had been staring at his back and I blushed a little. Why was I behaving so strangely? Why was I feeling so…shy, yes that were the right word, when I was around him all of a sudden?
"Ranma…" He sounded somehow hesitant now. "Yeah?" I tried hard to force down the blush and succeeded somehow. "Do you mind?" he asked and it suddenly dawned on me what he was asking. "Oh, of course" I answered and turned around so he could get some privacy. As I waited for him to get into his clothes I reflected upon what had just happened. I was talking friendly with him. I was behaving and we were not fighting with each other. Except a few sharp words now and then, nothing more had been reminding of the enmity we had had so long. It was quite amazing actually. And I had been staring at him, or at his back more precisely. The worst part was that I had actually been enjoying the view. I blinked once. Where were these thoughts coming from?
Just then the door opened and Kasumi poked her head through the door. "Oh dear," she exclaimed as she covered her mouth with her hands, letting go of the tray with food she had been carrying in the process and I had to run really fast to catch it before it hit the floor. I barely managed to do so, she has to stop doing this, it is tiring me out. I looked back, hoping for Ryoga's sake that he was somehow properly dressed. He was, thankfully. He was wearing his boxers and his trousers were half-way up on his knees. He looked very surprised with a clear blush staining his cheeks. "I… I'll have to go down and… and take care of some stuff…" she said weakly before leaving the room.
I turned around to apologize to Ryoga and found him in a haste to get dressed. "Ryoga, you can take it easy, she's gone and I doubt she'll come back soon…" I started but was silenced when he looked at me and blurted out. "I… I have to go now Ranma" for a while he were standing there opening and closing his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but decided not to. As he did this he hurried getting his trousers completely on. Then he suddenly jumped out of the window, grabbing his shirt in the process, leaving me feeling more than a bit confused still holding the tray.
To be continued
As I said, pointless, and I hope I didn't bore you too much with it, but I have to admit that it's fun to embarrass both Ranma and Ryoga And of course, my thanks to 'the good grammar fairy'(GGF: Yeah, where would you have been without me. EOTD: hey don't get too cocky here!!!). Until next time I want to see at least 15 reviews or I will maybe choose not to update it again, understood?
essenceofthedark
1Aargh!! The politeness!! It's too much!! Honestly, Kasumi kind of scares me…
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between these lines I'll answer questions from my reviewers (oh and since it was my first fanfiction that I put up here, I made a little mistake, I hadn't removed the note saying that only signed reviews would be shown on my site so I've actually got more than 8 reviews, I've fixed it now and everyone that weren't signed will also be answered):
anss123: Aww, everyone, give her a huge thanks for showing me a site where I could find the English lines to the comic, that was really nice of her. Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!
Winged Golden Tiger: sorry I don't understand French or whatever that was supposed to be..
Uzumaki901: hey, I've actually not seen lots of Ranma/Ryoga fanfictions... but anyway I don't know who's going to be the seme or the uke, I havn't really decided yet
and thanks to everyone else that reviewed... I really appreciate it!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------