Valentine’s Day by marymqc Disclaimer: These characters don’t belong to me. I’m borrowing them from their creator. Author’s Note: Happy Valentine’s Day! Sorry it’s so extremely late. I actually had a draft of this story sitting on my website, but I went back and revised it. I'm a little happier with this version, but it's still not great. But enjoy! Oh, and by the way, in this timeline, January doesn't exist. ^_^; ~*~*~*~Valentine’s Day~*~*~*~ Ranma slept through all of the next day. He would only awaken after long, anxiety-filled waits, only to fall right back asleep. Beside his bed, Ryouga kept a watchful vigil, wishing he knew what he should be doing. With each groan or cough from the slumbering boy, Ryouga’s brow would wrinkle with worry. Ranma was unusually quiet. He would say very few words, if any, in his brief moments of consciousness. His fever seemed to have eaten all of his energy, leaving Ranma a curled up ball huddling under a pile of thick blankets. All day Ryouga watched Ranma’a sleeping form, only leaving the room a couple of times. He’d return an hour or so later, carrying soup or other food. With a feeble yet determined shake of the head, Ranma refused to eat. No amount of coaxing and pleading from Ryouga would change his mind. Ranma only slept. No words, no food, no anything. Only sleep. Sleep, however, was not an option for Ryouga. His worry for Ranma was too demanding, refusing to leave Ryouga’s mind for any amount of actual rest. Ranma was far too quiet. As much as it would have surprised him on any other day, Ryouga found himself wishing that Ranma would at least whine or complain. Something, anything to show signs of his regular self. But barely a word left his lips. Something was terribly wrong. Movement suddenly came from Ranma as he struggled to sit up. Ryouga immediately leaned forward, ready to help him if he needed aid. Ranma barely even glanced at him. "Bathroom," he croaked lowly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Here, let me help," Ryouga told him, sliding an arm around Ranma’s back to support him. Ranma didn’t even seem to acknowledge his touch. Together, they hobbled towards the bathroom, Ryouga letting Ranma guide the way. Ryouga politely waited outside as Ranma did his business, and then they repeated the trip back. Ranma slipped back into bed, rolled over, and promptly fell asleep. Ryouga sighed. He did not like the signs one bit. Events of the days before ran through his head, and he tried to piece together the clues. He wondered where and why Ranma had left the morning before, whether that had anything to do with Ranma’s behavior. But it seemed it’d be a while before Ryouga would find out. Long conversations seemed to require too much energy for the sick boy, and Ryouga, who wanted Ranma well again, didn’t press him. A painful sigh escaped Ranma as he twisted in the sheets. Ryouga stared at him, fear clutching at his chest and squeezing his stomach. He couldn’t stop panicked thoughts from racing through his mind. What if Ranma never got better? What if he only got sicker and sicker? Ryouga stared at the huddled form on the mattress. What if Ranma d...left him? It was almost impossible to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. Ryouga squeezed his eyes shut against all the possible scenarios that popped into his head. He imagined Ranma leaving him. Imagined living a life without Ranma. Growing old and lonely, without Ranma. Like a light suddenly flooding his thoughts, Ryouga realized he did not want this to happen. Not if he could help it. A contemplative, determined look settled on Ryouga’s face as he leaned towards the sleeping boy. With gentle fingers, he began caressing Ranma’s hair. No, he would not - could not - live without Ranma. - That night was painfully long and quiet. Ranma slept fitfully as he had during the day. Huddled in the chair beside the bed, Ryouga finally managed to doze, though only in brief bursts. Worry continued to plague him, and he was up well before the light of dawn first spilled through the window. The next day started out as day before. Ranma, who barely spoke two words, continued to sleep as Ryouga sat in the chair, watching beside him. Each time Ranma twisted in his sheets or gave a little moan, Ryouga’s stomach clenched. But around midday, while Ranma was in the midst of a deep slumber, Ryouga felt sleepiness finally creep up on him. With a weary shift in the uncomfortable arm chair, he let his eyes slip shut. - When he opened his eyes again and slowly came back into awareness, he was startled to find that much time had passed. As his eyes searched the room for a clock, the bed suddenly caught his gaze. His mouth dropped open. Ranma was sitting up, watching him. "Ranma! You’re awake!" Ryouga told him with joyful relief. "Yeah," Ranma replied with a slight smile. "How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?" Ryouga’s eyebrows were raised with worry. Ranma nodded. "I’m a bit hungry though." A grin lit up Ryouga’s face as he jumped to his feet. "Oh, thank god! Er, I mean, do you want me to get you something to eat?" By this point, he was already standing at the door. "I’ll be right back!" And he was gone, leaving Ranma to stare with amusement. Even though he entered six different rooms - and some more than once - Ryouga rushed quickly enough that the food was still warm and juice still cold by the time he found Ranma again. He attempted to help Ranma, but it soon became obvious that Ranma neither wanted nor needed any help at all. Soon, he had finished off the soup, ramen, fruit, and two glasses of juice. "Well," Ryouga began, looking over at the leftovers, "most of your usual appetite is still gone." He then smiled broadly. "But you seem to be feeling *much* better." "Yep, I think I might almost be over it." Ryouga felt his forehead for a moment. "Your fever’s gone!" he announced. He kissed Ranma’s cheek happily. Inside, it felt like his heart and stomach were dancing in celebration. "’Bout time, ne?" remarked Ranma, giving the other boy an apologetic smile. Ryouga nodded emphatically. The two watched each other for awhile, their eyes dancing. They didn’t talk much, just insignificant words and phrases, but the conversation was nonetheless very gratifying. Suddenly, a yawn escaped Ranma. Ryouga immediately helped him snuggle down into the covers. Ranma tried to continue talking, but very quickly fatigue took over. With another deep yawn, he apologized and soon fell asleep. Ryouga settled back into the chair, relishing in the immense relief he felt. His excitement slowly dissipated, leaving only behind a content happiness. He still hadn’t gotten any answers from Ranma, but just the fact that Ranma was no longer sick was enough for him. Well, for now, anyway. He yawned, realizing how tired he had gotten. He looked over at Ranma’s sleeping form on the bed, suddenly urged to crawl into the covers beside him. Impulsively, Ryouga pulled down the covers enough to snuggle behind to Ranma, enjoying his warmth. Flinging an arm over Ranma’s waist, Ryouga buried his head into Ranma’s back and fell asleep. - Ryouga woke to find something stroking lightly against his forehead. Cracking his eyes open slightly in surprise, he saw Ranma leaning over him, gently brushing his bangs with a soft smile. A happy little shiver ran through the Lost Boy as he shifted just a little bit towards Ranma. He closed his eyes and sighed with content, wanting to enjoy the sensation just a bit longer. After a few moments, Ryouga decided it was time to wake and relieve Ranma of his very soothing petting. With a resigned yawn, he stretched and sat up in the bed. "So you’re finally up," Ranma smiled. "You’re up early," remarked Ryouga, rubbing his eyes. "Well, it *is* Valentine’s Day," Ranma explained. He reached beside him and, with a sudden flourish, sat a tray in front of Ryouga. "Breakfast in bed," he announced with a large grin. "Happy Valentine’s Day, love." Ryouga stared in awe at the lavish breakfast sitting over his lap. "Oh, Ranma…you did this?" "I’m feeling *much* better," answered Ranma with a smile. Ryouga bit into a waffle first. "Mmmmm…this is good." Washing the food down with juice, he looked up at Ranma with a questioning expression. "Where did this sudden change come from?" Ranma shrugged lightly. "I’m not sick anymore." "Well, I’m happy about that, but…" Ryouga trailed off, unable to express his worry with words. He was concerned with Ranma’s change in attitude as well. "Did anything happen the other day?" Shaking his head, Ranma told him, "We’ll talk later. Let’s not ruin Valentine’s Day, okay?" Ryouga relented. After the breakfast was finished off, Ryouga placed the tray beside him and reached out to Ranma. He pulled the other boy to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Mm, thank you, Ranma. It was delicious." Ranma kissed him back before pulling away. "I’m glad you liked it." "It was wonderful." His voice trembled slightly as he tried to hide the sudden rush of emotion. A playful light danced in Ranma’s eyes as he gracefully saved Ryouga from any embarrassment. "I have another surprise for you later on tonight." Ryouga raised his eyebrows. "When did you plan all this?" he asked incredulously. "Being stuck in a bed, a man’s gotta think about *something*," explained Ranma, darting to kiss Ryouga quickly on the nose. Ryouga reached a hand up to stroke Ranma’s cheek before he pulled away. Ranma, a bit startled by Ryouga’s touch, grinned down at the other boy. Ryouga smiled back, his large, dark eyes full of emotion. Ranma placed a hand on either side of Ryouga’s head and leaned down to kiss him. Their lips meet gently, but the kiss grew deeper. The two boys became more insistent and greedy as they continued. Ryouga slid down the head board, and Ranma followed, his lips locked firmly with Ryouga’s mouth. Soon, Ryouga was lying underneath of the lighter boy, who climbed up fully onto the bed. Ranma broke away from the kiss, and for a moment, held himself up with his arms so he could look down at the other boy. Ryouga stared up at him quietly, a small, loving smile tugging the corner of his lips. They looked each other over, inspecting their most prized possession, unbelievably happy with what they were seeing. Then, with a sudden attack, Ranma dove down and covered Ryouga’s mouth, the mouth that just as much belonged to Ranma, with resumed their passionate, fiery kiss. At that moment, their love consumed their thoughts and actions. They loved each other. They knew nothing else. - Ryouga paced the house. He meant to stay in one room, but with his sense of direction, he ended up in rooms he never knew existed. Fortunately, Ranma’s advice of not going through any closed doors helped him actually remain inside the house. Ranma had gone out with a vague explanation of "getting supplies". At first, Ryouga was excited about whatever surprise Ranma was cooking up. Also, he was also grateful for the time it left him to complete a task he needed to do. But after he was finished, time began to drag on, and he became increasingly restless. He managed to locate the front door - well, what he hoped was the front door anyway - and decided to wait there for Ranma’s return. Sitting himself heavily on the floor, Ryouga took to that time to think. His thoughts began rolling over in his head. He hated this contemplation, because it always made his stomach queasy with worry, but he couldn’t ignore it. Besides, he wanted to sort through his thoughts. Ranma was confusing him. Tonight, as soon as he got a chance, he’d consult the other boy. He only hoped Ranma’s reaction wouldn’t blow up in his face. After what seemed like an eternity, Ranma burst through the door, his arms supporting a few bags. With a disgruntled sigh, he kicked the door closed behind him. His clothes looked slightly disarrayed, and his hair was ruffled. "What happened to you?" Ryouga asked. "I have too many fiancees," answered Ranma, exasperated. Ryouga blanched painfully. Oblivious of Ryouga’s mortified expression, Ranma immediately shut himself in the kitchen, cheerfully warning Ryouga to stay out. Ryouga stared at the closed door in unhappily before wandering off. He resumed pacing the house restlessly, almost chewing a hole through his bottom lip. He hated this suspense, this wait. A sort of anxious excitement fueled him, but he had no way of burning that energy. He tried watching television, but soon realized that because nothing caught his attention, time only passed by slower. Next, he attempted to find his bedroom, and after locating it an hour later, found that he had nothing to do there either, and so left. Unconsciously, his hand wandered into his pocket. Anxiety shot through him. He was determined to talk to Ranma tonight, but he was scared of Ranma’s reaction. This would change their entire relationship. He began pacing fretfully, picturing every possible scenario. Some were very pleasant, but many of them made his heart sick. He turned a corner, and suddenly Ranma was there. Ranma’s appearance was so quiet and startling, Ryouga thought his mind was just playing with him at first. But the moment Ranma’s hand made contact with Ryouga’s, Ryouga jumped as his mind immediately cleared. "I’m ready," Ranma announced cheerfully, pulling a still-startled Ryouga towards the dining room. Trailing behind, Ryouga noticed that Ranma was dressed in a nice suit. The smell of cologne wafted through the air. For a brief instant, Ryouga was confident about his decision. Soon, they arrived in front of a closed door. By now, Ryouga had no idea where Ranma had lead him, but with a flick of Ranma’s arm, the door swung open. "Ta da," proudly announced Ranma. Ryouga glanced at him curiously before shifting his gaze into the room. His breath caught in his throat. It was the dining room. The lights were out, and only the glow from two tall candles illuminated the table. Delicate china was set at the two seats, and plates and dishes brimming of food lay in the middle. Soft music eventually drifted to Ryouga’s ears. "Whatcha think?" Ranma asked eagerly. Ryouga blinked. His mouth opened and then closed, only to open again. "Oh, wow..." Ranma wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed him lightly on the lips. Pulling away, he gently guided Ryouga into the room. The two sat across from each other at the table, their gazes meeting. In between bites, the two were content just to look at each other, engaging in small, meaningless talk. The soft light fell gently on Ranma, who looked incredibly handsome with his well-groomed appearance. Complete joy filled Ryouga’s chest. Not for the first time, Ryouga thanked the gods and his fortune for giving him the other boy, wondering what wonderful deed he had performed to deserve such love. His hand drifted into his pocket, this time confident and sure. He could not think of a more perfect time. he told himself. A concentrating look passed Ryouga’s face as he tried to put together the best approach. After a moment of intense deliberation, he decided on just speaking naturally whatever words came to him. He sucked in a deep breath to begin, the object clasped confidently in his hand. "What’cha thinking about?" curiously asked Ranma suddenly. Ryouga jumped, and a tiny box fell from his hand. The confident spell instantly broken, he immediately became flustered. "I, uh...well...um, hold on!" he stammered, his voice squeaking. Panicked, he tried to pick up the fallen box from the floor, but in order to do so, he would have to move his chair back. He hastily pushed his feet against the floor to push back on his chair. As he did so, his feet accidentally swung forward and kicked the box, causing the box to skid across the ground. Landing at Ranma’s feet. Mortified, Ryouga looked up at Ranma speechlessly as the other boy reached down to pick the box up. "What’s this?" he asked with amusement and curiosity as his hand closed around the object. A despereate, strangled sound escaped Ryouga’s throat. Ranma brought the closed box in front of him to inspect it. He glanced at Ryouga quickly in bewilderment. Ryouga only stared in chagrin, his face burning. Ranma looked down at the box and then, with a short, quick motion, snapped the top up. Ranma froze. Neither boy made a sound; Ranma out of shock, Ryouga out of extreme trepidation. Tears began to sting the Lost Boy’s eyes as he silently berated himself. No matter how hard he tried to make this moment perfect, he still managed to completely ruin everything. Unable to save himself, to smooth over his fumble, Ryouga only watched Ranma. Ranma stared at the content of the small box. Even across the table, Ryouga could see the light shine off of the gold. He bit his lip, hoping that Ranma would just say something. At this point, he didn’t care what, he just wanted Ranma to break the unbearable silence. Finally, Ranma slowly lifted his head up to look at Ryouga, his eyes questioning. "What’s this?" he repeated, only this time, his voice was just a whisper. Ryouga swallowed heavily, blinking rapidly a few times. "Ranma...I, uh...I really wanted this to be perfect. But once again, I’ve managed to make a mess of things, haven’t I?" He flashed him a shaky smile. Ranma looked at him, his face full of unreadable emotions. Ryouga ran a hand through his hair nervously. Mustering up enough courage to make the first step, he stood up and made his way towards Ranma’s side of the table. Ranma bit his lip as he watched him approach. Ryouga tried to control his trembling as he clasped Ranma’s hand into his own. With a sincere look, he knelt in front of Ranma and took the box. As he gathered his nerve, he stared down at the simple gold band. Finally, he lifted his head to meet Ranma’s eyes. "Ranma, I love you," he began, cursing his inability to express his deep feelings perfectly. But he tried anyway. "I need you, Ranma. I want you. I really - I couldn’t live without you." Taking a deep breath, Ryouga finally asked. "Ranma, will you marry me?" Ranma stared at him silently. Then, suddenly - miraculously - his lips widened into a large, elated grin. "Oh, Ryouga," he laughed happily. "I can’t believe this! That’s so...so..." Ryouga looked at him worriedly, causing Ranma to laugh again. "Yes! Of course I will!" Ryouga’s eyes widened. "You will?" "I love you, Ryouga." "You *will*?" Smiling, Ranma nodded. "Yes, I already said that, dummy!" Ryouga grinned ecstatically. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he gently picked up the ring from its bedding. Ranma held out his hand, and Ryouga carefully slipped the gold band onto his finger. Both boys stared at the glittering ring. "Where’d you get it?" Ranma asked curiously. "Nabiki helped me today while you were gone." Ranma shook his head and laughed. "Wow. I just can’t believe this." "What do you mean?" Ryouga asked, suddenly on guard. This had to be too good to be true. "I’m just so incredibly happy right now," Ranma smiled, immediately quenching all of Ryouga’s doubts. He hugged the Lost Boy who was still kneeling beside him. Ryouga hastily brushed away a tear that slipped past his eyelid. "Think you’re ready to handle another fiancee?" he teased as he broke away from Ranma’s embrace. Ranma laughed. "If it’s you," he replied, "always." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Phew. Well, another one’s done, even if it is sloppy. ^_^; So, what did you think? Did I do the right thing? I was just as nervous as Ryouga. *grin* Please tell me what you think! I thrive on comments!