"So that's how it is"

It was boring at some point, but she listened everything he had to offer.

"Yes, I could tell you more but this rain won't stop and it won't be only you who gets a cold now" - Happosai who was shaking of cold, was also now resting close to Ranma's body. For the first time since they've met, without lustful desires. He did it for the sake of staying warm.

"Gramps... Thank you" - It was hard to tell about Ranma right now. But it seemed like most of her sadness had come to and end while in the talk.

And just what one can expect when you're not longer feeling as weak and useless as before, you start gaining back your old attitude. - "What happened with Master Happosai?" - He was quite shocked with this, but the anger that was building up on him quickly changed to a bright blush when he glared at the curled Ranma.

Smiling was one of the few things she did when he looked at her, and now with her mood cheered up, she finally got up. She stretched her body from one side to the other, being curled up on a bridge while raining and listening a story of who knows how many millennia sure was tiring even for her. Just as soon as she was done, she walked away from the bridge in direction for the place she could call home.

"Ranma, answer me! Don't leave me talking alone" - Happosai had to give it to her, she sure looked beautiful when she was smiling and acting like a girl, just the way he liked it. Or maybe this was an evil plan to blackmail him with the stories he told her. He wasn't sure. - "Could it be... Ranma will tell Akane how she feels at long last?! No no, Ranma isn't that type of person"

Soon enough, Ranma seemed to grab the small Happosai from the neck like a small cat and putted him on her head. Making it act like a hat. - "Ah?! Ranma, what are you doing?"

Shocked at this, he didn't knew if to be afraid, being scared or being happy of her letting him climb on her body when she would usually punch him away from her sight.

"We have to go home, right?"

Shocked. That was saying enough. - "Ranma... Are you feeling alright? You don't normally do this"

Ranma picked him again by the neck and made him glare at her face. Small veins were popping from her head and her aura became menacing for his life. - "Are you complaining? Fine, go walking. You old pervert"

"Ahahah, of course not! Ignore this old man that's asking weird questions!" - Fear, that's a good word to describe it.

The rain didn't seem to stop, but it wasn't as bad as it was a while ago. Still she made a run for it and made sure Happosai didn't let go from her head. This was all too odd for him, it was like if Ranma had been possessed by a different kind of person and was somehow behaving like a true girl. Thinking of trying to take advantage of this didn't come in his mind, in fact he felt respect.

Respect for a person, who had changed by learning about his experiences in his youth. A pathetic youth, but it gave Ranma what she mostly needed in this time of need. A direction.

"Ryoga... Oeh, Ryoga! Why are you spacing out again?! No, actually. Why are we stopping here?!"

Back to the main point, Ryoga made a quick stop. You could say quick, but it wasn't something intentional. His mind was as lost as usual and he was going to the wrong way of his place. His heart placed him in the direction he really wanted to go.

"Here again... I'll be damned, I cannot forget about this morning, eh?" - That place, of course, would be the Tendo's residence, and about what happened on that morning of course it would be in his mind as well.

"Why? What happened this morning?" - Akari pouted as if she just heard a bad joke from him.

"Arah?! I was thinking out loud... Nothing, nothing happened. I just thought..." - He had to give it to her, he was about to spell it out loud and quickly stopped himself before doing so. He kept glaring the doors of the residence in look for an answer, almost praying it to the gods. - "Right, I just thought it would be best to stay here until the rain stops. It's a... friend's place"

She quickly changed her way and instead went through the door first without minding the rain. - "I see... Then we better hurry! Ohaio!"

"Eh? Ryoga is at it again... Oh?" - Being greeted first wasn't something that happened to him very often, but he was glad that the day had finally come. His mind was off place though, and seeing Akari quite close to Ryoga as soon as he stepped in too, he couldn't stop himself. - "Young man, you really go straight to the point, don't you? Who might you be, young lady?"

"Good afternoon, I'm Akari Unryu, a pleasure to meet you, Tendo-san"

"San? So you know my..." - He was happy alright, but was quickly stopped by Ryoga who had drawn a portrait of his. It was accurate on the hair but not on the face, in fact it had no face. He sulked because of this for a moment but kept his tears for later. Coughing, he continued. - "No need to be formal, call me Tendo just like everyone else. Let me present you the family..."

"How did it end up like this?" - Ryoga had to ask this to himself, it was a complicated thing and lying wasn't his forte. At least this wasn't a complete lie, he didn't wanted to have Akari under an umbrella until they reached home. No, in fact, he didn't wanted to be with Akari under the same umbrella as his. - "Just what kind of man am I?"

"Ranma! Where's Ranma, Kasumi?"

His thoughts were stopped again with the key words that made his heart quicken.

Kasumi was the one to say something before Ryoga could. Her voice sounded of concern from the beginning to the end. - "She hasn't returned, father. I wonder if she is in trouble..."

"Is.. everything alright?" - He had to ask.

"Ranma went out as soon as you did this morning, she was supposed to return Shampoo's bicycle but it shouldn't have taken that long"

"I see..." - Ryoga sighed with concern but also with relief. Relief because he didn't want her to meet Akari in this way away, especially after what happened in these last couple of days. His entire world went blank as he looked at the rain while inside the place, watching the main door in expectation that she would show up any minute now. He missed her, and he didn't cared much about everything else. - "Ranma. Come back quickly"

"Ryoga, you came here this morning too?"

He was surprised as hell by Akari's question, he jumped and landed so close to the end of the house that he almost got sprayed with cold water, his heart panicked and felt like it was gonna explode. He didn't want to have Mr. Tendo look at his transformation.

"It isn't my place to say.. but Ryoga stayed in the same room as Ranma last night" - Kasumi added more and more fuel to the fire of jealousy that was lit on Akari's eyes already. Ryoga could only feel the cold stare and the shivers.

No matter how, he would make sure Akari doesn't meat female Ranma and vice versa.