Well, I was a little reluctant to send this after all those absolutely
wonderful stories that have been posted recently (thank you, authors!!!),
but I figured I might as well go for it. ^_^ I'm still learning how to
write, though, and this was just a scene I wanted to try, so...be careful!
^_~ I just hope this story isn't getting stale, 'cause I do like writing it.

As always, it's only rated PG. Sorry! ^_~ 

I'm calling it a side story because there's no real plot developement. It
was supposed to be short, simple, and sweet, but I think it's grown to the
size of a real part... 

Enjoy. ^_^;;


----
Another Lonely Night Side Story: The Bath
by marymqc

~*~*~*~*~

Ranma sat on the rooftop, watching the streets below him. It was night, and
the half moon hung high above. Ranma leaned against his pulled-up knees,
feeling somewhat relieved finally. The night gave him his only chance to be
alone. It was the only time he could let his feelings show without having
to worry about explaining himself. During the day, he was forced to act his
normal, cheerful self, pretending that he was fine, that nothing was wrong. 

Pretending that he wasn't incredibly lonely.

That he didn't miss Ryouga. 

But at night he could sit on the roof, sulking and brooding and just
generally being depressed. The house was silent, him being the only one
that wasn't asleep. He couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried. Ranma
sighed as he watched the street below, hoping Ryouga would suddenly appear.


<Man, I've got it bad.> 

It was inevitable - Ryouga had gotten lost. At first, this didn't bother
Ranma. Ryouga got lost all the time, and he had always shown up eventually.
But after Ryouga had been gone for two weeks, Ranma couldn't ignore the
loneliness that started to creep up. Days past slowly. Ryouga remained
missing, and Ranma's loneliness grew.

That night marked the 27th night of Ryouga's absence.

Ranma's eyes roamed over the street despondently. Suddenly, they froze as
they came upon a lone figure stumbling along the side. Ranma let out a
small yelp and jumped to his feet. He looked closely at the figure, which
supported a large backpack and umbrella. 

Grinning, Ranma hopped off the roof onto the ground. He raced to the street
and spotted Ryouga, who had yet to notice him. Ranma felt his heart swell
in his chest. Even if he tried, he could not stifle his grin. "Ryouga!" he
called.

Ryouga's head jerked up at the shout, his face covered in dirt and grime.
His eyes immediately widened. "Ranma," he gasped. 

Ranma sprinted the few yards between them. "You're back."

"I am?" Ryouga seemed confused. But then he looked at Ranma's face. "I
am," he repeated, giving a relieved smile. "Finally..." And then he
collapsed.

Ranma had to catch him before he hit the ground. "Whoa, there!" he
exclaimed, hoisting Ryouga upright. 

"...'M so tired..." Ryouga mumbled, his head rolling down. "Walking...day
an' night..."

Ranma pulled the heavy backpack off of Ryouga, setting it on the ground with
a loud thud. He then wrapped an arm under Ryouga's arms, supporting him.
"Come on, Ryouga," he told him softly, partly leading, mostly dragging him
towards the house. He grabbed a strap of Ryouga's pack with his other hand
and began pulling it behind him.

"Ranma..." began Ryouga in a sleepy voice as they slowly moved. "I...missed
you."

Ranma just smiled as Ryouga leaned against him. Finally after a moment,
Ranma spoke. "Ryouga, you smell."

"Mmm...I do?" he asked dejectedly. Ranma almost laughed at his forlorn
expression.

Once they reached the Tendo house, Ranma kicked open the door and pulled
Ryouga and the backpack through. As he led Ryouga to his room, he remarked
matter-of-factly, "Well, I'll just have to give you a bath, then." 

Ryouga jerked up, suddenly awake. "Wha-what?"

Ranma deposited the heavy backpack inside his room. He then grabbed
Ryouga's arm and guided him towards the bathroom. Ryouga babbled nervously
along the way. "B-b-b-Ranma, w-what do you think you're doing? You don't
need to give me a b-bath," he stuttered. "I - I can do it myself!" 

Ranma gave a short chuckle. "Mm-hm, sure you can. And fall asleep before
you reach the tub." He shot Ryouga a devilish grin as he pushed open the
bathroom door. "Besides, I want to."

Ryouga's face flushed in embarrassment, his eyes wide. He gulped.
"You...what?"

"You heard me." Ranma pulled Ryouga into the room and shut the door behind
him. He then walked to the tub and turned on the faucet. Immediately,
water began gushing into the tub. After making sure the water was at the
right temperature, Ranma turned to face Ryouga, looking him up and down.
Ryouga's fatigue had suddenly caught up with him again. The lost boy was
leaning heavily against the wall, his eyelids starting to droop. 

"Well, you're not planning on getting in with your clothes on, are you?"
Ranma remarked loudly.

Ryouga's cheeks colored brightly with a startled look on his face. "I..."
He trailed off before a large yawn escaped from deep within his lungs. 

Ranma smiled to himself. A sleepy, embarrassed Ryouga was very cute.
"Here," he said, crossing the short distance between them. "I'll help you
undress."

If it were possible, Ryouga's face would have turned redder. His mouth
opened and closed soundlessly as he desperately tried to say something.
Ranma ignored him as he grasped the bottom of Ryouga's shirt. He pulled it
up, yanking it above Ryouga's head. Ryouga pulled his arms from his
sleeves, blushing furiously. Ranma took a half step back to look at
Ryouga's naked chest. Ryouga fidgeted and crossed his arms over his chest
nervously, uncomfortable under Ranma's satisfied stare. 

Ranma then reached to unbutton Ryouga's pants. Ryouga froze, his eyes wide.
"Uhhhhh..." he said intelligently. Ranma didn't hesitate as he pushed his
pants down, letting them fall to Ryouga's ankles. He then took Ryouga's arm
and gently pulled him until Ryouga stepped awkwardly from the puddle of
clothes on the floor. 

Ryouga stood there in only his boxers, goosebumps prickling his skin. Ranma
then reached towards his underwear, about to take those off also. Ryouga
snapped out of his trance in time to frantically slap his hands away.
"D-don't!" he cried, his eyes wide. 

"Why not?" Ranma replied innocently. "It's not like it's something I've
never seen before."

"Yeah, but this is different," Ryouga insisted. 

Ranma shrugged, obviously upset. "Do whatever you want, then," he told
Ryouga flatly before falling silent. 

The two stood quietly for a brief moment, looking at each other, one fully
clothed and the other almost naked. Then Ranma finally spoke up. "The
water's going to get cold, P-chan."

A dark look passed over Ryouga's face, and Ranma instantly regretted his
comment. "Come on, Ryouga," he said, sounding apologetic as he tugged
Ryouga to the bathtub. Ryouga reluctantly followed, stumbling wearily. He
stopped at the edge of the tub and glanced at Ranma nervously. He then
tentatively slid his boxers off and stepped into the bath.

Ranma watched silently as the other boy slowly sank into the warm water.
Ryouga let out a long sigh as he settled into the bath, finally letting his
worn-out muscles relax. Ranma then approached the tub and set himself down
beside it, a sponge and a bar of soap in his hand. 

Ryouga watched Ranma with a little apprehension as he dipped the sponge into
the warm water. He then held the dripping sponge in front of Ryouga and
twisted it, wringing out some of the excess water. The water made soft
splashing sounds as it fell onto Ryouga's chest. His skin glistened under
the cascading water. 

Ranma positioned Ryouga so that his back faced him. Ranma gently wiped the
sponge down his broad back, wetting the skin. He then took the soap and
began lathering, creating a thick, foamy coat of soap. He spread the lather
over Ryouga's back with the palm of his hand, softly rubbing the smooth
skin. 

Ryouga's muscles felt tense under his fingers, and Ranma's rubbing grew
stronger. He began to massage his back and shoulders firmly, releasing the
tightness of the muscles. Ryouga moaned deeply as Ranma worked on the old
knots in his back.

Ranma stopped his massaging to grab the sponge again. He let it soak up as
much water as possible before holding it over Ryouga's back. The water
poured down as Ranma squeezed, washing away the soapy lather. The dirt and
grime was also washed away, leaving Ryouga's skin clean and bright. Ranma
then resumed his slow, firm kneading, not stopping until all tension left
Ryouga's back. 

"Ranma..." Ryouga was unable to finish the sentence, but the emotion in his
voice said everything. He sounded very content. Apparently, he had gotten
over his shyness and was now just enjoying the soothing rubs Ranma was
giving him. 

Ranma smiled and gently pushed Ryouga back so that he could reach his front
again. Ryouga's chest rose and fell steadily with each deep breath. He
looked at Ranma, blinking heavily as he fought sleep from taking over him. 

As he had done with Ryouga's back, Ranma soaped up his chest, coating the
skin with a thick lather. He then took the damp sponge and began stroking
Ryouga's chest. He rubbed the sponge in slow circles, creating ring-shaped
patterns in the soapy foam. The soothing caress drew a deep sigh from
Ryouga, who leaned even farther back.

Ranma moved the sponge down to Ryouga's abdomen, continuing his slow,
calming rub. As he washed his flat stomach, Ranma looked up as Ryouga's
face. The gentle scrubbing along with the warm water and his already tired
body must have been too much for Ryouga. His eyelids slipped even farther,
eventually falling shut. A soft little snore escaped through his nose.

"Oh, no, you don't," Ranma chided under his breath. "You're not falling
asleep on me again."

Ryouga didn't stir as Ranma sneaked a hand down into the water beside him.
Once the hand was deep enough, Ranma grabbed a tiny bit of Ryouga's flesh
between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed.

He got the desired effect. Ryouga immediately jumped two feet into the air,
suddenly wide awake. "Hey!" he cried, rubbing his sore bottom. "You-you
pinched me!" 

"You were falling asleep!" defended Ranma, trying not to laugh.

Ryouga looked sheepish. "I couldn't help it." 

Ranma smiled at him. "Well, I guess it's okay," he told Ryouga. "Since
you've been gone so long and everything. I know you're tired. So I don't
mind if you sleep while I clean you up."

"Thank you, Ranma," Ryouga replied, settling even farther back. He closed
his eyes and promptly fell asleep.

"Well, better make sure I don't miss anything," Ranma cheerfully thought to
himself. With a cunning smile, he grabbed the sponge and immersed it in the
water in front of Ryouga. But instead of bringing it back up, he lowered it
deeper. With his other hand, he triumphantly reached for his target and
began scrubbing.

Ryouga's eyes popped open. "Ranma!" he cried, blushing furiously. "What
are you doing?!"

Ranma gave him an innocent look. "What? You want to be clean, don't you?"

Ryouga stared at him, flustered. "But-but-but-but-but...I...you...I can
clean my...that...*there* myself!"

Ranma suddenly let go and leaned forward. He pecked him on the cheek with
his lips. "You're cute when you're embarrassed, you know that?"

Ryouga blushed shyly. "You really think so?" he asked in a small voice,
looking down shyly.

"Of course," Ranma replied simply. 

Ryouga looked up at him, his eyes full of emotion. "Why?" His voice grew
even smaller as he hesitated. "Why me?"

Surprised at that, Ranma didn't know how to respond. He thought about it
for a moment, and came to a conclusion - he had never been good with words,
so why bother trying? Instead, he opted for something else, something
*much* more enjoyable.

He leaned forward, curving himself around Ryouga, and covered his lips with
his own. His hands clutched at the edge of the bathtub as he kissed Ryouga,
pressing firmly. Ryouga, startled at first, quickly began to kiss back. 

The kiss lasted only a few seconds before Ranma pulled back. Ryouga leaned
a little, his lips following Ranma's as he drew back until they parted.
"That's why," Ranma explained. He briefly ran a hand through Ryouga's hair.
"Because I love you."

Ryouga remained quiet for a moment. Then, without warning, he wrapped his
bare arms around Ranma and pulled him as close as he could. Water from his
wet arms soaked through Ranma's shirt, but Ranma didn't hesitate to hug
Ryouga back, effectively soaking the rest of his shirt. 

Ryouga buried his face into Ranma's shoulder. "Ranma..." he mumbled. "Oh,
Ranma, I...you don't know how much that means to me."

Ranma ran his fingers up and down Ryouga's smooth, bare back, delicately
tracing his spine. Ryouga looked up from Ranma's shoulder and planted a wet
kiss on his cheek. Ranma turned his head towards him, letting the other boy
capture his lips with his own. 

Together they kissed, focusing on only each other. They were gentle, loving
kisses, tender and soft. After a few moments, Ryouga leaned into Ranma and
his lips began to slide away from his mouth. He slowly and softly left a
trail of kisses from the corner of Ranma's mouth, traveling across his lower
cheek. The kisses continued downward, briefly touching his jawline and
moving to his neck. 
Each kiss grew lighter as Ryouga trailed down Ranma's neck and shoulder. He
laid his head on Ranma's shoulder, his kisses barely brushing his skin,
until finally, Ryouga stopped, his lips resting lightly in the crook of
Ranma's neck.

Ranma smiled softly, realizing Ryouga had fallen asleep. He gently pushed
Ryouga away from his shoulder just far enough to be able to lift him from
the water. Even though he wasn't as strong as Ryouga, Ranma was still
strong enough to carry the heavier boy out of the bathtub. 

The action slightly roused Ryouga just to the point where he could stand up
as long as he leant against Ranma. Ranma took a soft, fluffy towel and
dried the sleepy boy, gently rubbing every limb and part. He patted Ryouga
until he was completely dry, running the towel over him again just to make
sure. He then helped Ryouga into his boxer shorts before grabbing his own
robe and wrapping it around the larger boy. 

"Come on, Ryouga," Ranma guided him gently. "Let's get to bed."

Ryouga nodded drowsily, leaning against Ranma as he walked. His eyes
closed, he brushed his lips against Ranma's cheek. "...I love you, Ranma..."


THE END

-----

I know, I know, I could have had a lot more fun with this...
Oh, lordy, I just realized how much of this story resembles scenes from my
other stories...*gulp* I didn't mean for that to happen, honest! Ack!!! 
*runs around in circles, desperately trying to think of new, fresh, original
ideas*

Would you like to comment on my story anyway? *Please*?
Pleasepleaseplease? Pretty, pretty please? I'll be your best friend! ^_^