"Ranma no baka!"

Ranma looked behind him to see a certain fiancee's fist coming straight at him, and jumped up instinctively to avoid it. "Akane, what're you angry at this time?" Akane glared at him as he perched on a nearby tree, evidently furious about _something_.

"How can you ask that? It's not as if I asked you for such a big favor! All I wanted for you to do was stay and help me with my cooking project, but you didn't even show up!"

Ranma looked down at the irate Akane and tried to think of some excuse. *Man, she's not going to believe that I forgot, is she? Not that I wanted to stick around so she could poison me, but-*

Ranma's frantic thoughts were cut off by another enraged voice calling his name. "Ranma! Where are you?! Running out of our fight again?" Ranma looked down to see Ryouga, who had stopped when he had seen Akane. "Akane-san... what are you doing-"

Ranma smirked down at the eternally lost boy, and interrupted Ryouga's mutterings. "Ryouga! I was wondering where you were... did you get lost, P-chan?"

Ryouga jumped up at him, screaming, "Don't call me that!"

Akane could only look at the dueling two in annoyance as they started to jump away from where she was standing. "Ranma! You'd better be there tomorrow!"

Ryouga stopped his pursuit of Ranma about 5 miles away from where they had started, in a little clearing at a small park. Lying down on the grass, Ryouga waited until he heard Ranma's footsteps a small space away from him, and then looked up to see Ranma's face. "Ryo-chan, I gotta thank you-"

"So, Ranma... what did you do to Akane-san this time?"

Ranma looked at Ryouga, and smiled weakly. "Err... Well, I forgot that I'd promised to help her with her cooking class, and so..."

Ryouga gave him a exasperated look. "Of course, she was furious and came chasing after you?"

Ranma nodded, and smiled down at his friend. "Well, yeah. I'd probably have let her pound me down to the ground, but then you showed up with your usual "I'm going to kill you" speech, so I got away from her for a while- Where have you been, anyway? I've missed you..."

Ryouga propped himself up on his elbows, looking at the blue-eyed young man intently. "Did you really?"

Ranma gave him a direct look: neither really had to answer that question, but he did. "Of course."

Ryouga smiled, and replied, "Well, I was somehow in Hokkaido for a while, so I brought you back some souvenirs..."

"Hey! Thanks, man." Ranma reached over Ryouga to get the backpack, and stopped as Ryouga put a hand on his shoulder. Pulling him closer, Ryouga smiled into Ranma's blue eyes and prepared to give him a kiss...

"Saotome Ranma, Hibiki Ryouga. I had been informed that both of you were seen leaving the fair Akane's presence in your boorish manner of fighting. She seemed quite upset at both of you, and so I came to teach both of you ruffians a lesson-" Kunou Tatewaki stepped out from behind a tree, holding his bokken in a ready stance.

"Tachi! What are you doing here?"

Ryouga's easy question made Kunou scowl as he pointed his weapon at the two on the grass. "Do not address me in such a manner, peasant! I wish to know which of you two wish to be the first to taste the vengeance that this weapon will bring-" Kunou's speech was interrupted as Ranma and Ryouga's chuckles rang in the clearing.

"Please, Tachi... stop it already. No one is around, right? Stop acting like such an idiot."

Kunou gave him a tight-lipped look for just a moment before he looked around surreptitiously. Seeing that the place truly was deserted, he sighed, and sat down next to the two. "My evil sorcerer, you're going to push me too far one day."

Ranma stuck his tounge out at him, and then reached over to brush a lock out of Kunou's face. "Tachi, stop calling me that- It makes me wonder if your sister isn't going to pop out and wonder where the evil witch is..."

Kunou smirked as he heard the apprehensive tone in Ranma's voice. "Afraid of Dachi? Why? I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing..."

Ryouga and Ranma both looked at him in horror. Spilling Ranma from his grasp, Ryouga gave Kunou a disbelieving look. "Tachi! That's so evil! It's bad enough that Ranma has to dodge her and the rest of his fiancees everywhere he goes! But to let your sister..."

Kunou looked at the two for a moment before starting to laugh. "St-stop it! I was kidding! You two are the ones who are telling me to relax, and when I do..." He reached over to Ranma, who was still lying where he had been dropped, with his head on Ryouga's lap. Looking down into his blue eyes, Kunou gave him a gentle smile.

"Ranma, don't worry. I was just joking. Even if she wouldn't mind sharing doesn't mean that I'd want to- Oh, that reminds me. Since Ryo-chan is _finally_ in town..." Kunou gave Ryouga an annoyed look, which Ranma echoed.

"What? Is it my fault that I have no sense of direction?"

Kunou and Ranma gave each other exasperated looks before Kunou continued. "The Kunou residence is free for a time, as I have been able to convince my father that he would enjoy another vacation at the far-off shores of Hawaii..." Ranma gave him a strained look, which he waved away. "_And_ my precious sister is going to go to boarding school for a time, as she has currently... err, let's just say that she needs to get away for a time."

Ryouga and Ranma looked at Kunou with smiles on their faces. "That's great! That means that I don't have to stay as P-chan to find a place to sleep... do you realize how annoying it is, trying to get away from that woman with an iron grip? Not to mention that even if I did reach Ranma, that his father is always there..."

Ranma gave Ryouga a commiserating grin, before reaching over to Kunou. Taking his chin, Ranma reached over and gave him a firm kiss. "Tachi, you're amazing."

Kunou smiled and pulled Ryouga into what turned into a three-way embrace. "Can you imagine what Dachi would say if she found out?"

Ranma interrupted him with a small laugh. "What about Akane, Shampoo or Ukyou?" They looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads.

Ryouga said what all three of them were thinking. "If any of them finds out, we're dead, aren't we?"

Ranma nodded in a helpless sort of way. "If any of them ever find out about us... I wouldn't have to worry about mother..."

Kunou drew both of them in a fierce embrace. "Don't worry- how could anyone find out?"

Ranma gave Kunou a sober look. "Tachi, I hope that you're right... after all, who would think to suspect us of all people?"

Ryouga gave Ranma a half-crooked grin, and then said, "Well, I guess we have to thank Happosai..."

Ranma gave the grinning young man a disgusted look, before sighing and leaning against Kunou. "I suppose... if you can thank someone for a thing like that."

Ranma looked up as arms encircled him. "Ranma, aren't you thankful?" Ranma smiled at the two around him, and then sighed. As he stretched out on the grass, he couldn't help feeling grateful that the little hentai was so irrepressible...

As Happosai looked behind to see what had happened to his heir, he cackled, "Ranma my boy, don't disgrace our school and me! Take your punishment like a man!" Ranma could only watch helplessly as his supposed master left him behind to the fury of the mob of young women whom Happosai had victimized.

As the young women leapt at him, screaming incoherently in their righteous fury, Ranma knew that this was not going to be an easy fight... "Ah, I-" Ignoring his feeble attempts to give an excuse, all of the girls pounded him to the ground and left his bruised body behind as they went in search of the old lech.

Ranma could taste the grit and dirt in his mouth, and tried to get up after a moment. His muscles wouldn't obey him, and he lay there on the ground wondering what would happen to him next.

*Well, this has been a good day... first Shampoo throws herself all over me while Akane was watching, so she gets mad and throws me in the river. I get to school late and then couldn't get to any hot water until after lunch... Lunch. I don't even want to think about that...*

Ranma shuddered a little at the melee that had occurred when Ukyou, Shampoo, Akane and Kodachi had all tried to offer him their home cooking... *Ucchan's and Shampoo's I wouldn't have minded so much... but Akane's... is she consciously trying to poison me? And Kodachi... I'm sure it would have tasted really good- I just don't want to know what it would have done to me...*

As he thought back to the day, Ranma couldn't help but feel pity for the idiot who had tasted Kodachi's food... *I'm glad I had such a small dose of that... And then, when I finally do get hot water, somehow Happosai ran into me and then pointed me out as an accomplice... Man, all I wanna do is get home...*

Ranma tried to get off the ground, he noticed that his body was not responding at all. *Man... maybe Kodachi's stuff was stronger than I thought... this is not good.* As he felt unconsciousness creep up on him again, Ranma hoped that someone friendly would find him...

"Excuse me, but do you know where the Tendo dojo is?" The man whom Ryouga had asked shook his head and suggested he go to a police station. "Thank you very much, sir." As Ryouga looked around, he couldn't help feel that he'd been here before...

*I know that I've seen this building before! I have to be in Nerima!* Gazing at the buildings around him, he wondered if he should start using the Bakusai Tenketsu on some of them... *I guess I shouldn't, considering how much I had to pay last time...*

As he started to walk in what seemed like a good direction, Ryouga started to think of what he would do once he had found Ranma again. In his usual way, he screamed out, "Ranma... this time, I will defeat you!" Somehow, this didn't make him feel as good as usual.

*Ranma... Akane-san...* As Ryouga thought of the two of them together, he could feel the depression building up inside of him. *How could I have left that bastard alone with the wonderful Akane? That must be why I feel so bad about leaving the two alone...* He ignored the little part of his mind that was wondering about the other person of the pair.

Ryouga saw a person lying on the ground and went up to see if he could help. After all, if it weren't for nice people who helped him along on his journeys, he probably wouldn't have survived... "Ranma? Is that you?" Ryouga looked at his rival on the ground, and couldn't help but wonder who could have incapacitated him like this...

"What should I do with you?" Ryouga contemplated the stiff, still young man for a moment before heaving him up onto his back. "You better remember that I could have done some real damage to you..." As he felt Ranma's arms wrap around his neck, he couldn't help shuddering. He tried to tell himself that it was because of how angry he was at Ranma, but...

He stopped that uncomfortable line of reasoning and looked around at the unfamiliar buildings, wondering where to go. *He really doesn't look good... where can I get him? Maybe Tofuu-sensei's clinic? I definitely have to be able to find it this time.*

He couldn't seem to wake Ranma up (to give him directions), so Ryouga walked on. He noticed what seemed to be familiar landmarks, and then stopped in front of a house. "Now where am I?!" Ryouga truly contemplated just using the Bakusai Tenketsu on the house in front of him, but decided not to. After all, walls were one thing, but a house...

"Who dares to intrude upon the peace of the Kunou domicile at such a time of day? Have you no manners that you would shout in such a manner in front of a warrior's door?"

Ryouga thought he remembered the voice... *Oh no. Not that idiotic-*

Kunou Tatewaki walked out of his house, still haranguing the supposed strangers. "Ah! You are the curs who dare to disturb my time of contemplation! How dare you bring that nefarious reprobate near my home?"

Ryouga braced Ranma's body on his back to prevent him from sliding off, and then went to where Kunou was. "Will you shut up! Ranma is really hurt! If you can't tell me where the Tendo dojo is, then at least point me to a damned phone!"

Kunou gave Ryouga an annoyed look, and seemed to ready himself for another rant when he gave Ranma a closer look. Putting his head near Ryouga's shoulder where Ranma's head was nestled, he seemed to be looking for something. After a moment, he quickly turned around, and in a tense voice, said, "Follow me. Now!"

Ryouga looked at Kunou's stiff retreating back, and then followed, shifting Ranma up to a more comfortable angle, and trying to ignore the soft breaths that tickled the back of his neck... Kunou led them through a confusing tangle of hallways and stairs until he stopped at what seemed to be a little used attic.

Kunou looked around for a moment, and then reached up to pull a well-disguised ladder from the low ceiling. He motioned for Ryouga to follow, and then closed the trap door up after they had both come up. "This is a secret room.; no one knows about it, even my sister." He gave Ryouga a surprisingly vulnerable look as he motioned around the room. "It's not easy being part of my family if you don't have somewhere to go for a moment or two... anyway, you can put Ranma over there."

As he went over to the futon to air out the blanket, Ryouga gave him a unreadable look, and then asked in a quiet tone, "What do you know?"

Kunou stopped fussing with the bedding on the futon and let Ryouga put Ranma down. "While I hate the fact that he is the one who has my poor pigtailed goddess and the fair Akane trapped in his evil snares, I have to admit that he is usually very strong. He is too strong to have been taken down to this level unless something was affecting him."

Kunou stopped speaking for a moment as he put a blanket on top of the sleeping Ranma, and then placed one finger to Ranma's pigtail. For a moment, indecision, until suddenly, he pulled the tie from Ranma's braid, letting the shoulder-length hair come loose around his face. Both Ryouga and Kunou looked at their transformed rival for a second before they eyed each other.

Each could see in the other's expression an echo of what they were feeling -- though it was never acknowledged, or even admitted anywhere except in the deepest part of their hearts, it was there. Seeing it in the other's face, both looked away. Shame, or just confusion... either way, neither looked at Ranma lying there on the bedding.

"Ehem... that is, Saotome is too strong in his... er..." Trying not to look at who they were talking about, Kunou lost the thread of his rant, and was left staring at an interesting blank spot on the ceiling. He shook his head, and then went over to a small cabinet on the side of the wall. There, he pulled out a small case.

As Ryouga came to see what was in it, Kunou pulled out a few assorted vials and sachets, checking each one carefully for leaks or tears. "I believe that my sister may be the cause of Ranma's condition right now... she is prone to her experimentation, as you know, and yesterday, I did smell one of her fouler brews being concocted in her room."

Kunou saw Ryouga's expression as he started to assemble a cocktail of powders and chemicals, and gave him another quiet look. "As I have said, one cannot grow up in such an environment as this and not learn to protect oneself. For many of Dachi's brews have be tested upon me first... and I know that this particular one robs a person of their vital strength for too long."

Going over to Ranma with what looked like a pea-green soup of ooze in a small Dixie cup, Kunou sat down beside the sleeping young man. "Hibiki -- that is your name? Come here. I need someone to hold him up while I make him take this." Ryouga came over and held Ranma up while Kunou got Ranma to ingest some of the foul-looking stuff. "I think it was worse in his case because he was so severely beaten after ingesting the drug -- it probably prevented him from healing as fast as he should have..."

Kunou and Ryouga both watched as their rival's exhalations start to change to less shallow, more cleansing breaths. Kunou gave a relieved sigh, and put the cup down on the floor, while Ryouga held Ranma up next to him. Somehow, Ryouga didn't want to let go... Trying to distract himself from his unusual thoughts, and the fact that he should let Ranma go, Ryouga asked in a rather puzzled voice, "Why are you helping him? Isn't he the 'Evil Sorcerer' whom you've vowed to revenge yourself on?"

Kunou gave Ryouga a hard look and responded with a question. "And aren't you the person who causes all the massive damage to the school while you fight with Ranma?"

Ryouga looked at the young man in his hands, and nodded. "But this is different! I know that Ranma is just about guaranteed to win, or at least hold out... It's wrong that he of all people should be helpless like this."

Kunou came closer to the two of them, and then put one lock of Ranma's hair to his face. Closing his eyes, Kunou whispered, "How could I deny my pigtailed goddess anything? Or my Sorcerer, for that matter..."

Ryouga looked at him in shock. "You- you know? Then why?"

Kunou gave a small muffled laugh, his eyes still closed. "Because this is the only way that he even pays attention to me? I've tried to tell myself it was to free Akane, and my Osage no onna... but I know that it isn't. When I see him like this, my first instinct is to hold him. How can that be, if I wish to destroy him? It's pathetic, perhaps, but..."

Ryouga put one hand on Kunou's shoulder, making it so that Ranma was held upright by leaning against Ryouga's chest, with his head supported by Ryouga's shoulder. Ryouga felt the soft breath against his ear, and closed his own eyes for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Kunou, who had opened his eyes to gaze at him in surprise. "I know. Trust me, I know."

Looking at Ranma with sad eyes, Ryouga sighed. "I know that if I weren't screaming for revenge, if I didn't become P-chan to make... make him jealous? I don't know. But if I don't do any of that, then I would get ignored... forgotten. After all, why should he think of me? I'm just a stupid guy from junior high school who dropped everything for a idiotic fight. I know that's what he thinks of me, but what else can I do?"

Kunou's hand went up to his shoulder to meet Ryouga's. Ryouga clutched at the hand that touched his, and smiled. For a moment, both of them looked at each other, and then at the young man between them. In a bitter voice, Ryouga asked, "What is it about him that attracts so many? He's a cocky, rude boy without any manners..."

Kunou answered him with a voice that has submitted to the inevitable. "He's so strong, alive... and damn cute, too -- whatever form."

Ryouga grinned at him, and nodded. "That he is... and he doesn't realize it, either. When he's arrogant, it's because of his martial arts, not because of his-"

Kunou interrupted with a smile, "Not because of those baby blues, or that really adorable smile he has?"

Ryouga laughed out loud, and then sighed as he looked at the sleeping Ranma. "Yeah... he really is too cute for his own good. I just wish he didn't think I was actually trying to-"

Kunou squeezed his hand, and Ryouga gave him a grateful look, which changed into a searching one. Kunou looked into Ryouga's brown eyes and couldn't breathe as the younger man reached over to give him a gentle kiss on his lips. "What..." Ryouga went back where he had been sitting before, and lay Ranma gently onto the bed.

"Kunou... no, Tatewaki. Tatewaki? Do you really like that name?" Ryouga's wondering question made Kunou look at him in a strange manner.

"That's what you ask at a time like this? Tatewaki... you can call me that if you like, but Kunou-sempai-" Kunou stopped as Ryouga walked over to him and put a hand under his chin.

"Tachi. Is it all right if I call you that?"

Kunou looked at him in indignation and seemed about to start to lecture him, but stopped as he saw Ryouga's whimsical expression. "Why Tachi?"

Ryouga put one hand through Kunou's hair, and then leaned in closer. He whispered, "You remind me of an honorable blade, for all that you only use a bokken... My long sword..."

Kunou blushed a little, and then smiled as he put his hand to where Ryouga's was, at his hair. "What about you, Hibiki? Ryo-chan? Should I call you by such a disrespectful name?"

Ryouga smiled a little and pulled Kuno toward him. "Now that we're so familiar with each other, what should we do?"

Ranma came out from the depths of his enforced sleep wondering what had hit him. *Man, it had to be Kodachi's stuff... that girl is absolutely-* Ranma tensed as he realized he had no idea where he was. *Where-* He felt himself on a futon, so he must have been picked up by someone... *Oh, gods. Tell me I'm not going to be somewhere that if any of my fiancees finds out about it, they'll try to kill me again...*

He lifted his head off of the bedding and looked around him slowly. It was a dusty, odd looking room, and seemed a bit unused. As Ranma turned on the bed to see the other side of the room, he stopped, shocked. *Ryouga... and Kunou? I have to be dreaming this... it has to be 'cause of the drug-*

Ranma watched with wide eyes as the two started to talk for a moment, their hands intertwined in the other's hair, and then couldn't believe it when Ryouga stepped closer as if to- *What the hell-* He watched the two of them kiss, and couldn't look away. Strangely fascinated by the two, Ranma couldn't stop watching as they started put arms around each other and knelt on the floor...

*What should I do? I can't just leave now... they'll know that I saw- and what am I doing here, anyway? Damn... what the hell am I doing? I really am a pervert...*

Ranma tried to turn around, ignore them, but couldn't manage it. Somehow, even as he shifted on the bed, his mind was imprinted with the sight of the two of them together. He tried to put it out of his mind by thinking about something, anything- Akane, Shampoo, Ukyou... hell, even Kodachi- but somehow...

*Ryouga... Kunou...* The thought of what they were doing behind him... it made him want to- *Want to what? I don't know...* Run away? Yell at them to stop? Why did he feel so... jealous? Of who- Ryouga or Kunou? Hell... maybe of both of them- *No way. It has gotta be the drug... what the hell am I thinking?*

It made all those little fantasies, all those little, suppressed wishes come back to him with a vengeance... All those times he'd watched Ryouga, not knowing why. All those times he'd almost let Kunou get to close, if only to Osage no Onna... when had his dreams started to feature those two more than any other?

Ranma couldn't help it... he sobbed a little, somehow hurt beyond belief that those two would be doing this right in front of him, even if they didn't know. How could it feel like betrayal when there was no promise made, no bond between any of them? The only thing either felt for him was hatred -- it wasn't fair...

Ryouga froze from his exploration of Kunou when he heard something... "Mm- what is it, Ryo-chan?" Kunou looked at Ryouga in confusion, wondering what he had done wrong.

Ryouga replied with a frown, "Nothing, Tachi... I just thought that..." He got up from where he had been with Kunou, and motioned for Kunou to follow quietly.

Ryouga went to where Ranma was lying, and sat down on the bed. He knew he had been right when he saw Ranma's back stiffen. "Ranma, are you awake? How do you feel?" Ryouga knew that he should try to act as if he were revenge-stricken or something, but somehow, he just couldn't summon up the required anger...

"I- I'm fine. I'm gonna go now, so-" Ranma attempted to get out of the futon, only to sway a little and fall back into it.

Kunou came up quickly and tucked Ranma back into the bedding. "Ranma, I know from experience that this particular concoction of my sister's is especially bad- just lie down and rest."

Ranma's reply was quiet and a little muffled. "Why are both of you still here? I must be bothering you... I'll just leave as soon as I can get up-"

Ryouga and Kunou looked at each other for a moment, before they both looked at the huddled form under the blanket. Ryouga shrugged, and Kunou held up his hands in a gesture that showed his questions as well.

Going over to the other side of the bed, Kunou sat down. He had absolutely no idea what he should say... not to Ranma. He could always fall back on the archaic speech and pretentious airs, but somehow, Kunou knew that it wouldn't work... Instead, in his real voice, his real heart, he asked, "Ranma, are you all right?"

Ranma couldn't help the sob. It came up from past his throat -- it came from his heart, and it hurt... "Damn it! Leave me alone, 'Tachi'. Why don't you go play with your 'Ryo-chan' and just-" He flinched violently when a hand came to rest on his blanket- covered back. "Just go away!"

Ryouga's slightly stunned voice reached the young man in the blankets as he talked to Kunou as if Ranma wasn't there. "Tachi... do you think it's even possible?"

It was an almost plaintive question, and was answered by Kunou's nearly reverent voice. "It seems almost impossible, but..."

Ryouga reached over to where Ranma was lying and gently pulled the blanket off. Ranma buried his face even deeper into the bedding and tried to ignore the slightly chill air that hit the back of his neck. He almost stopped breathing when he felt hands wrap around his stomach and pull him up to a sitting position.

Ranma looked almost blindly at Ryouga, who was propping him up on his chest, and then at Kunou who had come around to bracket him in. "What... what are you two doing! I'm not-" His indignant yell was cut off by two pairs of lips which started to softly brush against his face, his neck.

"Stop... Please- I..." Ranma's panicked expression made both of them pause to look at him. For a moment, Kunou regarded him quietly, and then let him go. Ryouga held on for a moment longer before he too released him.

In a small voice, Ryouga apologized. "Of course, it was just a stupid hope. Ranma, I'm sorry... you may think we're rivals, but not in such a thing as this."

Kunou looked at both of them helplessly and gave Ryouga a pat on the back. Then, with a small expression of sadness, he helped Ranma off of the bed. "Ranma... I know how you must feel right now, as I too have borne the brunt of my sister's evil brews. I would recommend you staying in bed for a time to recover, but if you wish, I can have someone take you home instead." He paused, and then glanced helplessly at Ryouga.

Ryouga nodded, and then helped Ranma to the trap door. "I have a feeling that you probably don't want either of us around. I- I understand... but at least let us help you home. That's the least I can do for Akane-san... and don't worry. P-chan's not going to be around any more. I just realized how really hopeless-"

Ranma gave the pair a desperate look, as if telling them not to cast him off, and then shook away Ryouga's helping hands. "I'll be fine -- you guys go do whatever you want to. I'm out of here-" Then, as he spoke, the walls started to blur a bit around him. Ignoring the dizziness, he started to go down the ladder.

Half-way down, the air around him seemed to shimmer a little, and Ranma gave out a small cry. His hands loosened from the ladder and he started to fall from his precarious position, before he was supported from above and below by the two others.

"Ranma, this is what we meant. Come and lie down for a little longer before you go -- we don't want you to hurt yourself." Ryouga's pleading voice made him look up at the rapidly blurring figure and smile...

Ryouga and Kunou looked at the unconscious figure on the bed, and sighed. "So now what do we do?" Ryouga went over to where Ranma was lying down, and gently moved the stray locks of hair from his face.

Kunou went over and sat down on the floor next to both of them, and shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe he'll think that whole scene was a dream... or something. I hope so -- I think that we really scared him by-"

Ryouga nodded, and tucked a blanket around Ranma. "I know... hell, I scared myself! I'm not sure where that came from, but for a moment, it seemed as if he cared..."

Kunou's soft, bitter voice reached Ryouga's ears as Kunou hugged his knees to his chest. "But he doesn't... he doesn't realize at all, and that's the worst part. Now, he just thinks we're strange people who tried to take advantage of him at a weak moment. He doesn't even realize how much..."

Ryouga echoed his bitter tone. "He doesn't realize how much we want him, or for how long. Even if we admitted it today, it's still true -- he's been like a magnet attracting me to him ever since he drew me in when we were children. God, I followed him to China and back, and he doesn't even realize..."

Kunou took Ryouga's hand into his own. "But we're not really alone..."

Ryouga looked down at his newfound friend with a smile. "Tachi, I don't know why you're such an idiot in public, but like this... you're not so bad."

Kunou chuckled, and replied, "Ryo-chan, I don't know why you're such an idiot either... actually, I do know. Ranma, of course."

Ryouga gave a small nod. "Ranma... except now, I won't let him control my life as he has been... I'm going to stop doing such stupid things, and I really will stop being P-chan. After all, why should I? There's no point, now that I know-"

Kunou nodded, adding, "Perhaps not so many people will believe me when I tell them that I shall be giving up both my Osage no Onna and the fair Akane, but truly, what would be the point? After all," He paused for a moment, and pushed one wisp of hair out of the sleeping Ranma's face. "After all, my Osage no Onna does not care, and neither does Akane..."

They gazed sadly down at Ranma, and then stood up together. They gave each other knowing looks, and then Ryouga picked up Ranma. Putting him on his back again, he looked at Kunou. "I'll help you get him back to the dojo... and then we should talk, Tachi." Kuno nodded, and then watched as Ryouga started to go down the ladder before following him.

As they started to leave the hidden attic, the two heard the frightening laughs of a certain insane gymnast. "Dachi... oh, no. Ryo-chan! Get Ranma back up there -- we have to make sure she doesn't know that he's here, that she doesn't know that this room is here. If she finds out..." They both knew the fearful amount of damage Kodachi could do, especially since Ranma was asleep...

"But won't he object when he wakes up again?"

Ryouga's question made Kunou laugh suddenly. "Do you really think that he'd rather be caught by Dachi?"

Ryouga shook his head. "Very, very true. He can be angry at us later..."

As Ranma came out of another unconscious state, he couldn't help feeling annoyed -- this was happening way too many times today. It was odd, at the very least since he was usually the one who was strongest. To keep passing out like this made him feel too vulnerable...

He tried to move from where he was, but found that he was surrounded by two warm bodied. Struggling, he tried to get away from both of them but found himself firmly wedged between the two of them. *Oh gods... oh...* He found his face buried against hair that smelled so... *So good...* and felt himself being embraced from behind by strong arms that pressed the three of them together tightly. Ranma tried to move again, to find out that anything he did forced the three of them into an even more intimate position...

A whisper from the person behind him reached Ranma's ear. "Ranma... please don't move. We're trying to stay quiet so that my little sister doesn't try to come up here -- if she does, she'll see the footprints we left in the dust. Do you really want her to find you?"

Ranma shuddered a little, unconsciously embracing Ryouga who was in front of him. "No... definitely not."

They waited, quiet and tense as the maniacal laughter came nearer, and then faded off to the distance. As everyone held their breath, they heard a door slam, muffling the cackles. As this faded, Ranma let go of Ryouga's shirt, which he had grabbed as he had striven to keep silent, and blinked, a little confused.

Kunou felt Ranma in his arms, and didn't really want to let go... but he did. As Ranma dropped agilely to the floor, he swayed for a moment, and was supported by Kunou, who held him up. "I..." Ranma looked at the two, and shook his head ruefully. With a small smile on his face, he said, "I suppose I shouldn't go just yet..."

Ryouga turned around to see the self-deprecating smile on Ranma's face. It was an expression that brought out the lovely blue eyes in its most advantageous manner, making Ryouga's heart want to stop... "Ranma- about before..."

Ranma closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened it. Directing another smile to Ryouga and Kunou, he asked in an innocent voice, "What before?"

Kunou looked as if he were about to object for a moment, before nodding. With a slightly sad smile, he said, "Of course, there was no before..." Then, his smile turned a bit brighter as he continued, "You accursed... um... evil sorcerer- that's what I'm not supposed to say now, right?"

Ryouga laughed out loud, and asked, "Weren't you supposed to stop that, Tachi?. Oh, and Ranma, I'm not going to be screaming for your blood or challenging you anymore... actually, I don't think that we'll be seeing very much of each other for a bit. I... I don't think that I could deal-"

Ranma looked at the two who seemed to be drifting away from him. It was slightly strange, but somehow, when the two had been threatening him, at least he'd had an excuse to think about them. But now... they were becoming closer to each other, and didn't seem to need him at all. What was he feeling? Jealousy...

"Then you're not going to be showing up as P-chan? I'm glad you're going to stop being such a pervert. I mean, I know you like Akane and all, but-" He stopped as Ryouga regarded him closely for a moment with a disbelieving look on his face. "What? Why're you lookin' at me like that?"

Ryouga shook his head and buried his face in his hands, while Kunou gave him a commiserating pat on the back. "Never mind, Ranma... just never mind. Go back to you love and your life as the heir to your school, and just forget about me and Tachi. Just go." Ranma looked at him in bewilderment as Ryouga turned his back to bury his face into Kunou's willing grasp.

"Geez- All right! If you want me to leave that badly... just cause-" Ranma turned to the trap door, trying to bottle up door to the screaming pain that was threatening to spill out from his heart. He knew when he wasn't wanted... no matter how much he wanted to be needed by either one... by both of them...

He could feel the tension now, between him and the two. Ranma ignored it, knowing that he was showing his strength by being able to seem normal, although all he wanted to do was cry... *I'm not a girl now, and I'm not gonna break down where they can see me...* He was strong, and was able to pretend this simple thing -- after all, he was a man! Not a woman...

Behind him, Ranma heard a soft exclamation. "Dammit-" Then, with an almost sixth sense, Ranma turned to see Ryouga coming up to him with all his strength. Honed by years of battle, Ranma went on the defensive, only to have his guard drop as Ryouga embraced him tightly. "Damn you, Ranma. I was so ready to just give you up, and then you give me this hope..."

Ranma heard Kunou come up behind him to lock him into the three way embrace that he had been in before. "What- what are you guys doing? You have each other, right? You don't need me..." Ranma couldn't help speaking in a hurt tone... not that he had any right to. But...

"Ranma, you idiot... you're the one both of us has wanted for so long and you think that we're not interested in you? Stop being so blind for a minute and look at us!" Ranma stared up into Ryouga's deep brown eyes and felt himself being pulled into the raw emotions he saw there. Quickly, he turned his head to look at Kunou, only to see the same longing there.

"Me? Why would you-" He gasped as Ryouga kissed him full on the mouth. An endless moment followed by shock, as he tried to push Ryouga away. "No- hey! I'm not-" Ranma struggled uselessly as he felt Kunou's lips behind his neck, and at his shoulder, while Ryouga started to leave little butterfly touches all over his face- first at his eyelids, then one at his nose, before he started to really explore Ranma's mouth...

"Oh..." Objections were forgotten as the two pairs of lips started to move simultaneously down his neck, and they all slid to the ground. Ranma couldn't tell who started to take off what, but he felt his shirt being slowly peeled off of him to be tossed to one side, and saw other articles of clothing that the rest had also divested from themselves.

Ranma felt himself being lowered to the ground, and looked up to see both Kunou and Ryouga giving him faintly predatory looks. He shivered a little, wondering what he was doing... but he wanted this. That was the only thing that he knew right now... He closed his eyes, missing the frankly worshipful looks that both of the boys had given him, and wondered what they were going to do next.

Ryouga looked at the divine body on the sun-warmed wood floor, barely half-clothed, and his heart skipped a beat- several beats. It was a dream that had haunted him for too long... and now... Ryouga put out a hand tentatively, only to pull it back as if he couldn't believe that Ranma was actually there... Then, he started as Kunou's hand brushed against his own cheek.

Kunou raised an eyebrow, and then smiled at both of them. Kneeling, he reached out with a faint hand to gently brush against Ranma, running a finger down Ranma's chest until it reached his navel. Ranma's breath sped up as he felt the feathery-light touch, lost in the moment. Ryouga looked at Ranma's expression, and smiled. Regaining his resolution, he knelt almost reverently near Ranma's head, and bent down to give him a soft kiss.

Ranma's eyes flew open, to stare straight into Ryouga's. He searched those deep brown eyes, trying to see if this was truly happening, trying to find out if this were just another dream, or reality... He felt the truth in those eyes, and in the touch that was slowly driving him near madness...

Kunou looked at both of them with just a touch of envy. He nodded to himself, knowing that he wasn't truly involved in this- after all, he was just the guy with the house... He prepared to move away from the two, to give them a little privacy. With a wistful gaze, Kuno shrugged and wished that he could watch...

A light voice interrupted him. "Ku... Tachi, where are you going?"

He looked up to meet Ranma's luminous blue eyes, and felt like he couldn't breathe... "Ah. Well, I just didn't want to bother-" Kunou stopped as he felt Ryouga behind him. Looking up, he was hit again by eyes, deep brown this time... *Twice... two. And both of them...*

"Tachi, I'm not going to let you get away, either. So don't you even dare-" Ryouga showed him how serious he was by giving him a deep kiss, pulling him toward him and Ranma until the three were intertwined in each other, not knowing where the one left off and another began...

Somehow, hands started to pull and tug until all the unnecessary clothing was discarded and thrown onto the floor. Ranma's boxers were tossed to one side, followed by a pile of Ryouga's bandannas. Ranma and Kunou's identical looks of annoyance made Ryouga laugh as they gave that task up as a lost hope. Laughing, the three started to explore...

Hands and mouths were everywhere, as the three started to discover breathlessly, feeling as if they were flying headlong into a flame that had started to burn between the three of them... Ranma's loose hair got started to tangle as the three reached for whatever and whoever was closest, and Ryouga growled a little as Ranma started to investigate with mouth and hands the body that he had been dreaming of...

Showing off those little fangs, he stopped Ranma's exploration by latching onto his nipple, sucking hard and making Ranma groan. Kunou gave Ryouga a impish grin, and started to suck on the other one, making Ranma moan and writhe under them. Ryouga kissed the little nub, and then started to move his mouth downward, while Kunou moved upward to seize Ranma's mouth...

A small laugh rang through the clearing as Ranma started to tickle Kunou, with Ryouga joining in. Then, Ranma looked up and sighed. "It's getting late... if I don't get home soon, Kasumi will worry."

Ryouga propped himself up on his elbows, looking at his now-serious lover. "Do you have to go?"

Ranma nodded. "I should go apologize to Akane, and promise not to miss another cooking demonstration..."

He shuddered, knowing what that meant, but Kunou smoothed away his frown with a finger followed by a kiss. "Ranma, when is that cooking project? Because the Blue Thunder could get it in his head to challenge you to a duel for the fair Akane's heart..."

Ranma grinned, while Ryouga chimed in. "And if that doesn't work, a certain revenge-stricken rival could demolish the show- just a little. Then you'd have to chase me, right?"

Ranma looked at both of them with an expression of true relief on his face. "Thank you both so much... you have no idea how much I was dreading that..."

He sighed again, and then pulled himself away from the warm bodies of the other two. Making sure all of his clothes were in place, he started to go toward the direction of the dojo. Stopping for a bit, he turned and said, "Tachi, you're going to make sure that Ryo-chan doesn't get lost anymore, right?"

Kunou smiled, and then took Ryouga's hand. "I'm not going to let him go for a second! Ryo-chan, if you get lost for another month, I'll have to just come looking for you, so don't. Unless you want the blighting of a perfect school record on your hands."

Ryouga chuckled as Ranma rejoined, "Perfect because of a certain principal, right?" Kunou coughed a little and refused to answer, while his ears pinked a little.

Suppressing another fit of laughter, Ranma turned to go. As he left, he called out, "Tachi, don't worry -- if you ask Nabiki, I'm sure she'll help you find a way to trick a certain person into staying at your home for a time..."

Kunou nodded, and then got up with Ryouga in tow. "Ranma..."

Ranma looked back to see the serious gazes of the other two. "What?"

In a earnest tone, Ryouga said, "We're not going to let you go... you're ours."

Kunou agreed, adding, "No matter who it is, we're definitely not going to let you go away."

Ranma smiled, feeling the heart-strings between the three of them, and nodded. "Do you really think I'd let either of you get away from me? Never." There was time for a quick hug below the passion-red setting of the sun, and Ranma took it, enfolding the three of them in an all-encompassing embrace. "Never... no matter how we act... one day, we'll tell them, and then-" It was left hanging, a promise to the future.

---Finis---