All Over
A Ranma 1/2 Shortfic
by Lawrence Chu
A Product of My Imagination
Based on characters created by Takahashi Rumiko
All rights reserved. Used without permission. Don't sue, I have no
money.
***
Open up my head and let me out.
--David Matthews
***
The wedding, take two, went well, and Akane and I got along that much
better after our first night alone. That was two weeks ago.
Akane-chan was feeling better than ever. Her cooking is improving
rapidly, too, and at this time she had stepped out the door fifteen
minutes ago to pick up some new groceries. She told me not to expect
her to be back for another two hours or so.
I didn't expect anybody to come around our apartment while I was
studying.
There was a knock at the door, though.
I opened the door to find Ukyou, a tissue in her hand, eyes red, from
crying, I suppose. She didn't go to the wedding; I guess she felt
guilty about what happened at the first one.
"I...just wanted to give you...my best wishes," she stammered, before
blowing her nose into the tissue.
"You don't look like it," I commented, handing her another one. "I
think I know how hard this is on you, but it had to be done. I'm
sorry."
"No. I'm sorry," she replied. "I'm the one who got in the way of
everything, Ranchan. I'm the one who stopped your first wedding. I'm
the one who tried to keep you apart. It's me who's at fault. I came
over to...to...
apologize."
This caught me off guard. "Why?"
"I told you, I'm sorry. Please accept this..." Ukyou handed me one
last okonomiyaki, with an apology written on it, "...as my request for
forgivance."
I rested my hand on her shoulder. "You're forgiven."
She looked into my eyes. I looked into hers. "I would've made a
great wife for you, Ranchan."
"I know."
"We could've had children together. Helped each other with business.
I'd have made okonomiyaki for you every day, and love with you every
night. We could've been so happy!...
...but that's all over now." Her
face showed something, an old age quality to it, reminiscing of old
times past, times which didn't happen, times which she wished did.
"Everything's over."
The last words came out as a whimper.
I held her in my arms. She softly cried into my chest. "I'm sorry it
had to be this way for you, Ucchan."
She stayed like that for another minute. Then she looked up at me. I
was afraid she was going to lose herself in me, her eyes were so
searching. "I...I have two more things to ask you, Ranchan. Then
I'll go."
I nodded, ever so faintly.
"The first thing...please...kiss me. Just once."
I looked at her, startled. Then I settled down a bit, thinking a bit
about it myself. One kiss wouldn't hurt, would it? She looked so
desparate, so compassionate. So...unlike Ucchan.
It was then, at that moment, that I realized how much Ukyou meant to
me. Not a lover, but a friend. More than a friend. A soul mate,
maybe, or a deep companion.
One kiss would definitely not hurt.
I nodded, ever so faintly.
Then she and I looked at each other. This time I was worried that I'd
lose myself in her, her eyes were so deep. And then I closed mine and
leaned in.
It was a warm sensation. Gentle, not like Akane's kisses, but equally
as passionate. Maybe even more so. It could have gone on forever.
After fifteen seconds, she pulled out. I looked at her, and I thought
I saw the faintest trace of a smile on her face. "That's one,
Ranchan," Ucchan whispered.
I forced myself away from her eyes. It was too unbearable.
"The second thing...please..." She paused, and then closed her eyes.
" ...tell me it's over...
tell me it's all over.
Please, Ranchan, I need you to say it...
say it's over..."
I held her, perhaps for the last time, and tears formed in my eyes.
"It's over, Ucchan. You and me, it's over."
I stood there, holding her. For the first time in my life, I realized
what I must have meant to her. I knew she loved me...
...but to hear her
ask me to say that it's over was the only thing that told me how much
she loved me. I never knew before. Kami-sama, was I that dense?
Only two years ago?
We stood there for about five minutes, bodies in arms, gentle embrace.
For Ukyou, there wasn't anything else in the world. For me, she
was...she was...she...
No words in any language I knew could describe Ukyou-chan at that
moment.
We finally let go of each other, and Ucchan was smiling. "Thanks,
Ranchan. I needed that."
"Anytime, Ucchan."
"Friends?"
I nodded, ever so faintly.
"Friends."
Ukyou smiled, then looked at her watch and gasped. "Oh! I have to go
meet someone in a few minutes."
"Huh? Who?" I hated admitting it, but I felt a little jealous.
"Just a friend, silly." Ucchan patted my cheek a couple of times.
"From back in my middle school days. Imagine the surprise he's going
to get from his best bud Ukyou, ne?" She grinned like a cat ready to
devour a mouse.
"Yeah..."
"Well, I'd best be off now," Ukyou said in a light voice. "Thank you
for everything you've done for me."
"Anytime, Ucchan."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
And the door closed.
***
Endnotes:
I had posted a draft of this a long time ago, and at this point the only
real thing I've done with it was reformat it for 70 columns and add/delete a
word or two.
I figure that Valentine's Day would be an appropriate time to send out this,
the final version...as a reminder to you people that just because someone
doesn't love you...like that, anyway...doesn't mean that they don't care
about you at all.
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.
This has been a Product of My Imagination
chu_bear@hotmail.com
--
"To you and me this rice means nothing, but to my ancestors...don't mess
with my family. Apologize to the rice." -- Chow Yun-Fat
--
http://come.to/pomi