The Lost Boy's Lost Love

 

Chapter 8: Seduction Attempt Number One

 

Well, Nabiki hadn't been happy about it, but after Ranma promising her lunch money to the devious Tendo sister for the next two years, some leeway had finally been made. She was allowed access to Nabiki's digital camera for the next 48 hours only, so there was no time to lose.

 

Nabiki had expressed more skepticism for Ranma's plan, which she assumed was still to teach Ryoga a lesson (and she was more or less right about that); she was, however, impressed at the young Saotome's decision to acquire blackmail material so that things didn't backfire this time around. "You're getting to be more like me every day," she'd said. Ranma wasn't sure how she felt about that comment.

 

She took several deep breaths as she walked out of school with the camera hanging around her neck, busily reminding herself that for however long it took her to get a good picture, she wasn't Ranma anymore. She was Lacy, the drop-dead gorgeous blond bombshell who, for some reason which mankind may never be able to discern, was completely devoted to pleasing her darling Ryoga. Her skin crawled at the thought, but she had to get in character if this was ever going to work.

 

Remember, she told herself, it's not gay, because it's for a really good reason. Ugh - the things she was willing to do for that girl.

 

Meanwhile, Furinkan was awash with rumors about the pretty new girl who'd been talking to Nabiki. Every time this sort of thing happened, Akane was rightly made to wonder whether Ranma was up to some whacky scheme again. What other bride in the world has to worry about this kind of stuff? she wondered in amusement, thinking on how absurd it was that gossip about pretty girls should remind her of her potential husband-to-be. Her eyes drifted toward the ceiling and she twirled a pencil absently over her notebook, thoughts returning to that dumb argument she and Ranma had gotten into the previous night. She remembered his words so clear in her head that it was as though he was right there speaking to her: "...like it or not, you're my fiance, and that makes me responsible for you." Oh, Ranma - he was trying so hard to make it seem like he was only looking out for himself in this, but frankly, his jealousy had never been more obvious. Even the slightest interaction between her and Ryoga seemed to rouse a tantrum of out of him. She just didn't get it sometimes - if he cared about her so much, then why the heck didn't he just say so? The thought irritated her. Why did men always have such trouble putting aside their pride? If they just tried it every once in a while, she thought, they might be surprised at the results.

 

Meanwhile-meanwhile, Ryoga was looking out over Nerima's marine view. He was seated on the ground, back hunched over as he hung his head in shame and retreated into his mind. Sure, okay, so maybe he had done a bad thing, but if anyone just took a second to look at matters from his point of view, then who could blame him for how he'd reacted? After all, it wasn't like he'd planned for Akane to ... start doing what she'd done.

 

No, but you hoped for it, said a voice from out of the shadows of his mind. Every time you slept in her bed, you hoped.

 

Ryoga grabbed two handfuls of his own hair and pulled, physically shaking his head as he denied the despicable truth of the matter. "I love her," he mumbled to himself, and as he remembered the sweet way she had breathed his name, said, "And she loves me." The memory was all the certainty, all the confirmation he needed that Akane felt the same way about him as he did about her. Since coming clean wasn't even an option, Ryoga found himself faced with a catch 22: he could stick around, keep his mouth shut and continue to betray her trust, or he could leave town forever, and potentially break her heart. He couldn't stand the thought of hurting her. In that light, the former solution seemed a much less harmful course of action, because, after all, at least what Akane didn't know couldn't hurt her, right?

 

...Right. And so, Ryoga made his decision: he'd stick around, keep his mouth shut, and say goodbye to life as little P-chan altogether. No more sleeping in Akane's bed, no more snuggilng between her breasts, and no more lies. He'd just avoid the subject, put it all behind him and start totally anew. Ranma might hate him for years to come, but some day, he'd see that his feelings for Akane were pure.

 

Suddenly, he was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of a familiar voice. "Yoohoo!" it called out in a sing-song sort of way, "Babycakes, sweety-pie - it's me!"

 

"Oh, shit," Ryoga breathed when he saw her coming. He almost didn't recognize who it was at first; the hair was different, and the glasses, too, and then of course, the clothes - but it didn't take long for the realization to hit him. 'Lacy'; she was back.

 

As soon as he scrambled to his feet, Ryoga found himself trapped in her embrace; she threw her arms around his neck and quite literally tossed herself against him. When she did, something hard smacked Ryoga's chest that knocked the wind right out of him. "...H-hello, again, Lacy..." he said when he recovered. He tried in vain to wriggle his way out of her hold, but just like he remembered, this was one strong girl.

 

"Oh, Ryoga... I've been thinking about you every moment we've been apart," Ranma cooed. Ryoga could feel her breath hot on his ear. A tingle ran down his spine and became a swirl of nausea in his belly.

 

"...You have...?" said Ryoga as he took a few steps back, hoping she would let go of him, but she didn't. He glanced down and noticed with passing interest what it was that had collided most uncomfortably with his rib cage: a big digital camera hanging from a loose lanyard around the girl's neck.

 

"Oh, yes," said Ranma, loosening her hold on him just enough to come face to face with the boy. "Every minute, every second, I've been yearning for the time when next your lips would touch mine!"

 

Ryoga returned her longing stare with a look of utter confusion. Was this chick bipolar or what?

 

"R-really? Because you... didn't really seem too pleased with that, last time," he said.

 

Ranma laughed light-heartedly and set a palm gently to his cheek. "Ohhh, you must forgive me for that, my love - the thrill of your touch was almost more than I could bare! But in the time I've been away, I've matured." She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close. "So, c'mon - pucker up, sexy!"

 

She swooped in for the kiss, one hand going for her camera, when Ryoga finally managed to break away.

 

"No!" he said, putting his hands up defensively. "I can't. I'm sorry... I can't be your fiance... I'm - well, I guess I'm not really, 'involved' with anyone, but, see... I like someone... And I think she likes me back."

 

Ranma's eyes burned with impressively convincing jealousy. "But, Ryoga...! You dog!" she growled, "You said I was beautiful! You said you were happy that we finally found each other!" She spoke tearfully and covered her eyes. "Didn't - didn't you MEAN any of that?" She turned away with a feigned sob.

 

The fake tears worked like a charm. Ryoga put his hands down and reluctantly took a step closer to her, reaching a hand out to touch her bare shoulder. "Wait... please don't cry," he said, glancing around anxiously as people walking by turned their heads at the spectacle. Ranma let out another exaggerated wail. "I - I did mean all of those things, I really did!" Ryoga told her, "You are really beautiful. You're gorgeous, and... I was happy..." The feelings that had possessed him to kiss her came back into his memory. It was the unexpected thrill of having stumbled upon someone who knew his every flaw, yet loved him unconditionally nonetheless. He felt a sudden throe of affection for her, and a pang of guilt for what he knew he had to do. He and Lacy might've shared something great in another life, but now, Akane Tendo was the only girl for him.

 

Ranma whirled around to face Ryoga, composure instantly restored. "So you agree, then?" she spoke rapidly, "That we're meant for each other, I mean? Ohh, I'm so happy!" She caught him in another painful squeeze-of-a-hug.

 

"I didn't say that!" Ryoga spat. "Look, you've got to understand - you slapped me in the face and ran away crying!..."

 

"I wasn't crying!" Ranma interrupted him in offense, her entire mannerism momentarily changing. Crying? How could anyone mistake screaming for crying?

 

"...You slapped me, ran away, and you called me a freak," Ryoga said. "I was sure you hated me after that, and I didn't think you were ever coming back. So I moved on... I'm really sorry, but that's how it is."

 

"Don't say that, my love!" Ranma plead, touching a finger to Ryoga's lips. This wasn't working as well as she had hoped; she'd have to turn it up a notch. "Who is she? It's that hideous little tomboy you were with, isn't it? I promise, I'll be a better wife to you than she could ever hope to be," she said, hands dropping to grab him by the cloth of his pants. She pulled his waist to hers, her breasts pressing up against him as she tilted her head and murmured with lustful eyes, "I'll do more for you... than she would ever do." She winked an eye at him and smirked.

 

"Um... w-wow," Ryoga muttered, his whole body going stiff as a board. "That's... er, like I said, I can't be with you, Lacy. My heart belongs to someone else... I'm sorry..."

 

"Don't make me beg, Ryoga!" Lacy gave his waist a shake and grinded up against him. Even more people were looking their way now than when she'd been crying. "Or, is that what you like...? Do you want me on my knees?" She dropped to them as she said the word, putting her face just inches from his crotch. Ryoga took a step back for good measure, but Lacy grabbed his arm to keep him from getting too far. "Please," she plead with him, arching her back and showing off her best feverish pose. "I'll let you do anything you want to me."

 

Now, to say that not the slightest hint of temptation came into Ryoga's mind as he watched this strange girl offer herself to him would be a very severe lie indeed; but Ryoga's resolve stayed strong, his love for Akane keeping him on the straight and narrow path. He may have possessed more flaws than he could count, but two-timing wasn't one of them.

 

"Please, stop," he demanded in a dead-serious tone of voice. "I know you may have a hard time seeing this now, but you really are better off without me. I'm sure you'll make someone a great wife some day..."

 

Damn it, Ranma thought. Was it the make-up? She thought she'd done a pretty good job with it, personally. Oh well, whatever, screw this. Seduction was taking too long. She lifted her camera and lunged at Ryoga, catching him off guard, forcing her lips over his and snapping a photo.

 

The flash and buzz of the camera sent Ryoga into a quick panic. He shoved Ranma off him with all his strength and stared at her with wide, astonished eyes. "What are you doing?"

 

"Plegh! Euck!" Ranma spit at the ground. She looked back at Ryoga with a cheerful smile. "Just a little keepsake, my love," she said, glancing down at the camera to check the picture quality. Ryoga snatched it out of her hands and wound up choking her as he yanked on the lanyard, his eyes desperately scanning the camera for a delete button. "What is wrong with you! You have GOT to delete that!" he insisted.

 

"Hey, cut that out!" Ranma tried to snatch the camera back, resulting in a heated game of tug-of-war between the two, which Ryoga seemed to be winning. "I mean," Ranma said with a with a little laugh, "Darling, don't you want to have memories of our precious lives together? Whatever will we do when we're old and gray...?"

 

"You're CRAZY!" Ryoga told her, his patience running short. "I don't WANT you, don't you understand that? I. DON'T. WANT. YOU!"

 

Inside, Ranma smirked at the opportunity presented to her; on the outside, she froze. Her eyes glinted with drops of water, her face contorting with fabricated pain. "But... I...!" 'Lacy' sniveled and snorted and broke out into another fit of false tears. Ryoga might not have been fooled this time, had he not recognized the harshness of his own words. Remorsefully, he frowned at her and began a stuttering apology. "Wait, wait, don't do that... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so - ...please, don't do that..."

 

"You men are all the same!" Ranma shouted at the top of her lungs. "Love 'em and leave 'em, that's all you do! I didn't expect this kind of treatment from YOU, Ryoga!"

 

Ryoga felt something swell in his throat as the whispering of the spectators rose to a hum. "Shhh!" he hushed her, moving close to put a comforting arm around the sobbing girl and maybe slap a palm over her mouth to keep her quiet. Before he could do so, Ranma had taken advantage of his loosened grip on the camera, yanked it away, snapped another picture while he had his arm around her and turned tail to run for it.

 

Ryoga winced, momentarily blinded by the second unexpected flash. "WAIT!" he roared, but by the time he opened his eyes, she was nowhere to be seen.

 

His heart was beating fast with a fear he couldn't shake, thoughts stuck on the photographs 'Lacy' now had in her possession. His stomach rolled. This wasn't good at all. Not at all. Things like this just seemed to always have a way of coming back to him, and the results were never pleasant. What was that insane girl planning?

 

Ranma had dipped into an alleyway and hid herself behind a couple of trash cans. She brushed a few strands of fake golden hair from her face and crouched down to inspect the images she'd taken in peace, quietly snickering to herself all the while. Alright, so maybe that hadn't gone quite the way she envisioned. But still, she got a picture, didn't she? So long as long as she managed to get some hard evidence, it didn't matter if Ryoga was actually into it or not. It just had to look convincing, that's all, and the rest of her plan could take shape from there.

 

...But, to her disappointment and irritation, the pictures didn't look all that convincing at all. Ryoga looked nothing but horrified in both of them. Ranma bit her lip and shook her head, breathing a long sigh. This would never do. If she showed these to Akane, she'd be laughed right out of town. Hell, Akane would probably try to say Ranma was the perverted one, if she saw these. She deleted them both and dropped the camera in her lap, crossed her arms and pouted. What could she do now? Try all she might, Ryoga had said it himself: he didn't want her.

 

Ranma lowered her head, eyes peering down to admire the cleavage of her own breasts - something she did from time to time, as any guy would - and she thought, who in their right mind wouldn't want her? Someone like Ryoga, especially - who was bound to be a virgin - ought to be crawling at her feet. No, there was no way that pervert 'didn't want' her, she thought to herself; he was just in denial. That had to be it. A little more effort, and he'd be the one on his knees. A few ideas began floating around in her head, her lips curling into a devilish sneer. Tonight, she'd try again. If she failed a second time, then maybe she'd change up her game plan a bit, but Ranma had a feeling she could still make this work.

 

~~~

RAEDE