A week passed, two weeks, a month, two months. And Ryoga returned. Akane and Ranma had truly become friends. With Ranma's seemingly lasting devotion to a man, the fathers had declared the wedding postponed indefinitely; and the two relaxed even more, and started talking about having a wedding.
"I want mine to be yellow-and-white," Akane said firmly. "Western-style. And not nasty, bright yellow-pale chiffon yellow."
Ranma considered, peering down at the bride magazine. "Red," he said finally.
"Red? For a wedding?" Akane looked incredulous. She began kicking her feet in the air behind her as they lay on the carpet together.
"What can I say? It's my color." Ranma began to kick his feet in the air, too.
"It'd clash with your hair," Akane warned.
"I wouldn't be the one wearing red, baka. My bridesmaids would be. You would be."
"Ahhhh. So ka desu. Hmm. what do you think of the catering?"
"Neko Hanten and Ucchan's, all the way!"
The two giggled, but Ranma rolled over until he was staring at the ceiling. "I'm dreaming, though," he said wistfully.
"We're both dreaming, Ranma. It's okay," Akane assured him. "Besides; someday Ryoga might actually come to his senses!" She winked. "You never know."
"I do so. He's repulsed. He thinks I've gone nuts."
Akane sighed, having had this conversation countless times before. "Just walk around him splashed most of the time," she advised, "wear something pretty when he's around, and smile at him-not a lot, but enough to let him know you like him. That's all you can do, right?" She smiled hopefully.
Ranma didn't notice the smile. "Right," he replied morosely.
Kasumi knocked gently and peered into Akane's room. "Ryoga is here to visit!" she exclaimed, a pretty blush across her cheeks. She was indubitably remembering the lost boy's last one.
Ranma's face lit up. "He's here!" He turned to his fiancée. "Akane, what should I wear?"
Akane considered. "The mauve top-and those new blue jeans we bought the other day." She grabbed his hands. "Lay it on a little thicker this time. If you see him panicking, back off."
"Thank you!" Ranma kissed her on the cheek and ran for the furo to change and to 'change'.
Kasumi stared off after the black-and-red colored streak that used to be Ranma. She turned to her sister and blinked.
"Well. if the only thing I can do is be a good friend. that's what I'll be," Akane replied stoutly, and headed off downstairs, rubbing her cheek.
Ryoga was quite dirty, so he took another bath before seeing Akane-but he managed to remember to lock the door, this time. When he came down, Akane was standing next to a girl he'd never seen before. The girl had a scarlet wave of hair that came down to her shoulder blades; it had been pulled half- back with a small jeweled clip. She was wearing a mauve sweater that was of a very thin but soft material, which hugged her curves like it never wanted to let them go. Dark-colored blue jeans completed the outfit, along with a belt of a similar design to her hair ornament.
Ryoga blinked at her. Was *that* the girl Akane wanted to set him up with?
The girl turned to face him and revealed the most lovely, innocent, startlingly blue eyes he'd ever seen. His heart flip-flopped in his chest. He didn't think he'd ever received such a look from a girl before. It was almost as if she knew him and trusted him already.
"Hi," the girl said. "How have you been?" She smiled up at him, that expression of absolute trust still in her eyes.
Ryoga opened his mouth, then closed it, thinking first. *Don't make a fool of yourself, don't make a fool of yourself,* he intoned. "H-hi," he finally replied. "I'm Hibiki Ryoga. N-Nice to meet you."
Akane and the redhead exchanged a confused glance.
"Yes, as always," the new girl exclaimed, confused. "Do you like the hair? I changed it a little."
She was acting like she knew him! There was no way he could forget such a vision. "Ah. it's very pretty, miss.?"
The angel frowned. "It's *me*-" She leaned in and pulled him to her, embracing him happily. "I've missed you."
Ryoga short-circuited. The way this girl felt in his arms- he recognized it. he recognized her shape. he *did* know this girl! He had held her before, then. but there was only one girl who he'd ever. "Ranma!"
Ranma withdrew and offered him a dazzling smile. "Sorry 'bout that, I know you don't like it. But I'm just so happy to see you again, that I couldn't stop myself. Especially with how cute you look when you're all confused like that." She beamed again.
Ryoga stumbled backwards until he was standing against the kitchen cabinet.
Akane approached him cautiously. "You are okay, aren't you, Ryoga? It's your fault for not recognizing Ranma."
Ryoga gulped. When did everything stop being Ranma's fault? "S-sorry."
Ranma shrugged, going to the refrigerator for a soda. "I should've known," she said, still smiling happily. "You never recognize me when I dress like this. Still, I figured, pants." She tossed a soda to Akane, who caught it and popped the top seemingly in a single motion. "Want one?"
Ryoga shook his head numbly, and Ranma closed the refrigerator door. Then, she paused. "Are you hungry? I could whip something up for you."
Ryoga shook his head again. "Ah. I, ah."
Ranma sat next to him and patted him on the shoulder. "Are you alright?" she inquired sweetly.
The lost boy in question shuddered.
"I think he just needs to wait until the blood goes back to his brain," Nabiki stated, coming in from the TV room. Ranma reached into the fridge for another soda and tossed it to the mercenary. "Thanks," she said. "So. what brings the lost boy all this way, huh?"
Ryoga finally gathered himself. "Another cure. This one'll do it for sure!"
Ranma giggled. "That rhymed!"
"What is it?" Akane huffed. "A magic goldfish? A singing rock? Or perhaps a magic bow-and-arrow this time!"
Ryoga shook his head. "It's a magic incense. You light it in the room with two people who don't want to love one another anymore, and they sit in it all day. It's supposed to be guaranteed."
Ranma shrugged, making eye contact with first Akane, then Nabiki. "Oh, sure. That's fine, Ryoga."
Nabiki put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing, but Akane mouthed '*you'd BETTER not*'. Ranma waved at them. "See you guys in twenty-four, ne?"
************************
(Posted Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:33)
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