Warning: Sad!fic.
The light filtered into the room through the window. Ranma slowly woke up, but closed his eyes again. For what seemed like a lifetime ago, Ranma remembered a time where he never woke up peacefully, that the commotion at the Tendo household marked the beginning of a brand new day.
The sun was warm against his skin, and Ranma almost wished he could just stay in bed all day and nap under the yellow bed sheets with no chores or errands to do. Almost. He could play hooky on any other day but Thursday.
Practically hopping off the bed, he made his way to the closet. Sliding the door open, he looked at the wardrobe selection. He smiled fondly at the fact that his clothes mixed with Akane's. After taking his orange shirt with the little red bowtie off the hanger, he lovingly touched a pink dress that was next to it. Smiling, he shook his head at Akane's love for the dress. Though he was still a girl half of time, Ranma would probably never understand why girls (especially Akane) liked dresses.
After changing and walking downstairs, Ranma set himself at the dining table. Breakfast was already set. "Morning, Kasumi."
"Good morning," Kasumi chirped, smiling. "Did you sleep well last night?"
As far as pleasantries went, Ranma appreciated Kasumi's the most because they were by far the sweetest and most sincere. Others hesitated around him; they looked at him with eyes full of apprehension and pity. Kasumi, though, sometimes seemed like the only one who cared about his actual well-being. She made sure he ate enough, slept enough, practiced martial arts enough.
In between scarfing down his rice (because if one thing hadn't changed, it was Ranma's table manners) he nodded an answer to Kasumi's question.
"You're going by the hospital today, Ranma?" Kasumi took out a piece of carbon copy out of her apron pocket. She placed it on the table before Ranma. "Could you please pick up Father's prescription? I'm afraid he's all out."
Ranma drained the rest of his tea and placed the cup down with a "thud." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Of course." He got up and stuffed the paper into his pocket. "I'll do it beforehand."
He walked into the shop, dozens of white buckets filled to the brim with flowers. The shop owner, a large man with glasses and a mustache wearing a blue apron over his clothes, turned around. "Ah, Mr. Saotome!" He glanced at a calendar tacked onto the wall. "Is it Thursday already? You off to visit your wife today?"
Ranma smiled. "Mmhm," he said in reply to both questions. A few minutes later, Ranma cradled a large bouquet of yellow carnations to his chest. His tight hold slightly crinkled the clear cellophane that surrounded the flowers. Walking past a few more buildings, he looked up to see a tall building. He walked through the front doors to retrieve Soun's medicine.
"Good morning, Mr. Saotome," the pharmacist said behind the glass window. The curly haired woman glanced at the flowers. "For Akane?" She smiled.
Ranma smiled back. "First I need my father's medication."
After getting the white paper bag that rattled as Ranma moved it, he thanked the pharmacist. Walking across the white-tiled corridor, Ranma exited through the back door. He looked at the empty lot behind the hospital building. He still had about a mile to get to where he was supposed to be. He walked next to the chain-link fence, the border keeping him from walking onto private property.
Soon, Ranma was by the entrance, the gate door opened for anyone to come in. He stepped onto the grassy earth, knowing his way around. Within minutes, he was right where he wanted to be.
Tenderly, he touched the etching of the stone. He placed the flowers in front of the black marble that read Akane Saotome. "Hey, tomboy," he said softly. He lowered himself to the ground, not caring about the grass stains. Ignoring the lump in his throat and his misty eyes, he began to tell his wife about his week.
--
"Ranma," he heard a voice say behind him. Not getting up, he twisted his torso to turn around. Kasumi. She looked unsettled. "You stayed later than usual. We were worried." Her hands wrung the white apron she wore. She looked so misplaced, her kitchen apparel out in public.
Ranma looked up at the sky and noted that the sun had started to set. When had that happened? Hadn't he just gotten there two minutes ago?
"It's time to come home, Ranma."
Ranma nodded and got up, brushing the dirt off his pants. Picking up the white bag full of his father's-in-law prescription, he followed his sister-in-law out of the graveyard. He would follow Kasumi to the house, yes, but it wasn't home. No. In truth, without Akane, Ranma wasn't really sure where home was.