Unspoken Words - WebDragon       (relates to "A Gift for Akane")
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The alarm rings and I snap awake.
Curse that bell!  I wanted to yell
At the clock but I stop myself.

School will start in a short while
And I hurriedly shower, mindful of the hour
And dress up in my school clothes.

I run down the stairs and have my breakfast
Hurriedly and wolfed down, a frown
On my face as I waited.  For someone.

As if on cue, Ranma tears down the stairs and eats
He is wearing that red shirt, I almost blurt
Out that he had already worn twice in a row.

Then there is no time to think as we burn
Out of the house at full speed, the need
To be early overriding all our concerns.

Thankfully we reach the classroom just in time
To hear the school bell, just as we ran pell-mell
Into the room.

The teacher puts her coin back in her pocket
And begins the day's class, starting from the last
Lesson she had been teaching.

Then, after an interminably boring day, classes end
And we walk back home.  Ranma begins to roam
About on the rooftops of houses.

"Get down from there!", I yell at him
"People are watching!".  Then, snatching
Up a mallet, I threw it at Ranma.

With a smirk he dodges the weapon and lands on the fence
And then an air-borne bicycle lands on him.  Grim
Was my face when I saw who it was.  Shampoo.

The bimbo clings to Ranma like a cheap suit
And he stutters a greeting, as if meeting
Her for the first time.

My hands crush the school bag I'm holding
And with a growl, I scowl
And yell, "Ranma, what do you think you're doing!?"

A maniacal laugh cuts through the cold air like a knife
And black rose petals swirl, and whirl
In the area about Ranma.

Kodachi!  Ooh, now Ranma's REALLY in for it!
She appears and grabs Ranma with a `glomp'.  I stomp
Up to the fence and kick it out from under them.

All as one, the trio fall into the river.
Ranma-chan gets up first, then Kodachi surfaces
And finally.....the cat.

With a shriek of terror worthy of a REAL girl
Ranma-chan leaps, as the cat creeps
Around her shoulders.

Her eyes widen and her pupils dilate
Her hair stands up straight, it feels great
To see her punished so.

Kodachi leaves the scene, disappointed
While Ranma-chan zips away, the cat to stay
Wrapped LOVINGLY around her neck.

In a short while I reach home and call out
To Kasumi.  I could see
That she has food prepared for us.

Sullenly, a steaming Ranma descends the stairs
And takes his place beside me.  I see 
Many bumps and bruises on his head.

"It's all your fault that I keep running into walls",
he says as he begins to eat, his face beet
red from the hot shower.  Or is it?

"If you didn't keep your beloved FIANCEES hanging..."
I left the words in the air.  Dare you challenge a tigress in her lair,
Ranma?  Come on.  Say something stupid, like you always do....

He opens his mouth to speak but closes it shut.
My hands tremble slightly as I gulp down food, my mood
Darkening with each passing minute.

Finally, seeing my growing anger, he speaks.
"Is it my fault?  I can't put a halt
To *their* attentions."

Wrong answer, Ranma.  In a second
I smash, with an almighty crash,
A mallet on his fool head.

The hours pass and still he hasn't woken.
The snow outside grows thicker, and the air becomes whiter
Even as the sun hid its face behind the horizon.

Kasumi bandages Ranma's head,
And laid him out in the living room, not a hint of gloom
On her face, as if it were a daily occurance.

Then the clock struck eight and dinner is served.
The seat beside me is empty, and I silently
Begin to eat, missing the usual banter about the table.

A knock on the door breaks the silence and
It brings Kasumi to see who it could be.
I hear her converse with the stranger, whoever it is.

Then she comes back and tells me,
"You're wanted at the door, Akane,  What a day
for him to come visiting, don't you think?"

Him?  I get up, food forgotten, and go
To the living room, to see whom
It could possibly be.

"Oh, Ryoga!  Hello!", I say as I slide back the door.
He laughs hands me a bag, but I lag
In my usual acceptance of the gifts.

"Ryoga, didn't this cost you a lot of money?", I ask
"It cost me a little bit" says he, furiously
waving his hands in denial.

I smile.  He's always such a kidder.
And I accept the gifts.  My hand lifts 
The first item into sight, and I exclaimed....

"A....backscratcher!  How nice!"  I pick up the next.
"And this...picture of a poodle, and this soba noodle
packet!  How thoughtful, Ryoga!"

Ryoga blushes and hides his face behind hands.
He must be modest, and honest,
unlike SOME people I know.

And speaking of which, Ranma begins to stir.
Ryoga tips a tub of water, then Mr. Saotome suddenly has a daughter
The moment Ranma got wet.

She wakes up, sputtering and coughing.
Cursing Ryoga for all she's worth, no mirth
Evident in her tone.

But Ryoga has different ideas, and he laughs.
Ranma-chan moves to threaten him.  A dim
idea, because nobody hurts my friends.

A mallet appears in my hand and I raise it threateningly.
Ranma-chan backs off.  Sullenly she begins to doff
Her shirt, to wring it dry.

"Thank you, as always, Ryoga."  
I stood up and smile, and asked Ryoga to while
Away the time by having dinner with us.

He shot to his feet, and agreed enthusiastically.
I had no idea one got this hungry on the road, with his mode
of travel being to walk from place to place.

Without looking back, for I was hungry,
I go to my seat and commence eating, Ryoga seating
himself next to me.

Ranma-chan pops in and squeezes in between us.
Ryoga looks furious.  Thus,
We spent our together this way.

Then dinner ended and we three head 
Back to the living room, a certain gloom
Emanating from Ranma-chan the longer Ryoga stayed.

Ranma-chan flops on a couch and flicks on the TV.
I told Ryoga I had a gift made, and I bade
him to wait awhile while I went to get it.

I search in my drawer and pull out a brown paper bag.
Inside is a blue scarf.  I admit it looks like a graph
with all its holes and lines, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Originally I was going to give it to Ranma but
Since Ryoga was so nice to me, I see
No reason why Ranma should get it.

I drape it over my arm and step downstairs.
And I motion Ryoga over. I put the scarf on his shoulder
and drape it around his neck.  Ranma-chan giggles.

"That's not a scarf, it's a net!", says she while laughing.
She must be an idiot, to summon the mallet
Twice in one day.  I oblige her....request.

My weapon smashes her to the floor with a dull *boom*
And I turn to Ryoga and grin, showing him that I win
Every fight with Ranma.

I apologize to Ryoga, but he waves it away with a smile.
He's so nice and considerate, his bearing moderate
And his demeanour friendly.  How lucky I am to have such a friend!

After a while he gets up and says he has to leave.
I glance outside at the driving snow, and hear the low
Moan of the wind as it sweeps across Nerima.

I ask Ryoga if he could stay, for it was late.
Ranma-chan starts awake.  My words seem to make
Ryoga delirious with joy.

Such a hard life on the road it must be, I thought.
No food and no shelter, to brave any weather
That might happen by one's way.

I pull out a deck of cards and we play to pass the time, 
With poker being the game.  Then it came
Quite suddenly.

Ranma, who had changed back before playing, collapsed.
Without a word, and nothing we heard,
He fell face first and was unconscious.

I let out a cry of sheer horror, and guilt,
And I was at his side in seconds.  As time reckons
It may already be too late to call on a doctor for Ranma.

Without a word, Ryoga drops his cards and gets up.
He shoulders his pack, and turns his back
To go somewhere, I guessed.

"Where are you going, Ryoga?", said I.
"To get a doctor, I will be back...later."
With nothing else to say, he disappears into the snowstorm.

I get a basin of warm water and a towel.
The towel I soak, then I cloak
His forehead with it, smoothing his hair back.

His lips open, and he speaks one word.
"Akane....", as I stay 
by his side and watch anxiously.

I jumped and listened to him more closely, awaiting the next word.
"Kawaikunee....", and I PRAY
That he was just delirious - for his own sake...!!

But as I looked at his face, wonder struck me a blow.
He was smiling slightly, lighting the room brightly
With the boyishness of that grin.

I forgive him for that remark this once.
Obviously he didn't mean it, not even a bit.
And for that....I'm glad.

As I gaze down at his handsome face,
So peaceful and serene, the mean
Thoughts I had harboured went away.

I laid my hand tentatively on his own,
And he grasped it with fervour, like a lover
Does with his love.

I hold the grip, for once not shying.
For once I may whisper the words I had longed to say
Out loud.  Those three words of my inner heart.

I love you.

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By WebDragon.  Comments on it are welcome.  :)