As Ryoga lied against his tree he tried to fathom the depth of his interest for Ranma. Was that concept of love too foreign for him or was he afraid to touch this subject? Like a deer caught in headlights, Ryoga seemed to wonder into space. Only his thoughts of Ranma surfaced to the top, everything else in the world was inconsequential, irreverent, pointless, whatever word was used for the moment didn't really effect matter.

There had to be a reason for his interest in Ranma, what was it that created these feelings of attachment? When he was a pig the only things he could hold onto were eating and keeping himself alive, but there had to be something that he could recall that seemed more than the ordinary oblivious pig ways, something that spoke to him in a comforting way and made him feeling as warm as he did when around Ranma or something close enough to the feeling. Then it came back to the mother he had a piglet, how she taught him to do all the things young piglets could do. There was a time when he was perfectly happy with the world and his pig mother, along with his siblings.

That feeling of attachment vanished when it became a game of survival, since humans started chasing him and his piglet brothers away. All so they could get something to eat, but from what he's heard. Maybe Genma was one of those men who wanted to make him into food, but that all vanished when Ranma showed him compassion and even took him home to raise as a pet... far what he could tell from people owning cats and dogs in the village, he was much like them. 'Damn it! No! My old family never made me feel this much... with Ranma, it's more than that...' Ryoga reached his hand up and placed it over his heart, clenching the fabric of his shirt and the skin underneath, going as far as hurting himself, hoping the feeling would go away. His breath tightened as he knew that his efforts were in vein, was this pain worth being with someone who could never see you as nothing more than a pet? Not only that... the simple fact that he was a boy ruined his chances with her, from what Nodoka told him... it was wrong to be into someone like Ranma and boy of the male variety. He desperately wished to have been born a woman now, but he wasn't going to take his chances in the springs, because that wasn't as real... that would also mean he'd lose the body he had first used to obtain his feelings for Ranma. To him these feelings were like getting caught in a rose bush, beautiful and enticing but dangerous to get caught in. Though as he pondered these feelings he had to wonder... was he even meant to grace Ranma's presence or for that matter... be around Ranma? His human form was a facade too, it wasn't really him. 'I'm just some made up person... something that shouldn't exist, something that shouldn't have become a person, someone who can never really be with someone like Ranma...' Ryoga's thoughts pained him.

Then as to scare him further about his feelings, his object of affection came close. "Ryoga!" Ranma exclaimed, running over to him, Ranma got down to her knees, trying to help him up.

Ryoga instinctively leaned away from Ranma's touch, "No! Stay back!" Ryoga shouted, his head lowered enough to cast a shadow over his eyes.

"Wha?" Ranma paused, quirking a brow at his odd behavior around her. "Ryoga... come on, what happened?" she asked, once again holding her hand out to him. "W-Why...?" was all she was met with as she noticed that Ryoga's expression remained soft and timid, most hushed she would comment.

"Why do you make me cry..." Ryoga commented, gritting his teeth as his hand continued to squeeze the area over his heart. From the looks of things it seemed as though he was strained to say anything to anyone. Ryoga breathing became shallow as he could feel his heart thumping rapidly in his chest, the feeling so alien to him as his face became red.

Ranma leaned back, afraid now... this boy was crying out for her attention and she had to push him back. Ranma guessed it was inescapable now. All their time obviously meant more to Ryoga then it did her, but what was she to do? She couldn't fall for Ryoga, he was a boy and not only that, he wasn't a human. In fact Ranma only viewed him as a brother, an awkward brother but nevertheless a brother. Of course all his advances allowed his thoughts to wonder, such as why did it feel good. Though like many uncertain people it wanted to put it in the back of his mind and go on with his life, having Ryoga around as his friend/brother. "I guess it's because you like me..."

"Stop calling it that!" Ryoga exclaimed, now shouting. His emotions jumbled into an unrecognizable mess. "Why does it make me so sad when you say those things, Ranma... Ranma... Ranma..." he said, repeating the name that haunted his thoughts over and over again. The beauty of a vision that Ranma's girl form was captured his newly acquired human feelings.

Ranma sighed and looked to the side, placing her hand on the back of her bicep, not sure what to way. "Look... Ryoga... I just want to be friends an-"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Ranma! I don't want to be friends! As your 'friend'" Ryoga stated, feeling the word prick his heart strings. "I-I... can't hold you like Nodoka holds your dad, as a 'friend'! I can't touch you and get you close to me, like I want..."

Ranma's eyes widened to about the size of dinner plates, she only respected Ryoga as someone he could look to as an equal... not as someone he could view a potential lover. Hell, she barely cared about love interests in her life already. All she wanted to do was continue her martial arts style or perhaps someday find a cure for her girl curse. A part of her hoped that maybe Ryoga would like to join her on her journey to free herself. "Look... you ain't in love with me, you're in love with what I look like, there's plenty of pretty things in the world, 'real' pretty things in this world, dat you can get with! I'm not the only one out there!"

"I don't care about how you look! I want you Ranma, no matter what you are!" Ryoga now gained his strength and used his weight to stand up, his back pressing onto the tree's bark. It seemed to strain him, forcing him to raise to his feet and with shaking legs; which were a combination of exhaustion and fear at the moment.

"I know Nodoka said I'm not supposed to... but Ranma Saotome... I can't just be your friend, I want so much more than that..." Ryoga explained as his tears fell freely from his face.

Ranma felt a tightening in her chest but found herself going into a world of denial. "I-I can't! Don'cha get it!" she demanded, now baring her fangs and clenching her fists. "I don't like boys!"

Ryoga squinted his eyes and fell back against the tree, grunting as his confidence left him. Sorrow consuming him as he felt himself stuck in a world he could never understand. A world that people had to constantly suffer, a world that even few people could barely understand. "Ranma..." he whispered, feeling his lower lip quiver. He tilted his head down and allowed his salty tears to stain his brown martial artist pants.

Ranma found his darkened state cast a cloud over her head, a cloud of disappointment, but what could she do? She wasn't a woman, she was Ranma Saotome, the male martial artist with huge dreams of being the best. There was no room for a lover in hers life, not yet... and even then she wasn't sure she'd ever be ready. "Ryoga... come on, you don't need to love me, just be there for me."

Ryoga shook his head, "Just go, Ranma..." Ryoga whispered in a hushed tone.

"So what... I'm supposed to leave you here, where you can get hurt? Huh?" Ranma asked.

"I don't care... with my curse I can remain a person as long as I want, and fight against anything that comes my way..."

That caused Ranma to panic, the worked could be a dangerous place with all varies tapes of ill mannered people. "You can't! You could get killed!"

"I'm an animal! Don't you get it? I can handle myself even before we knew each other..." Ryoga really wished Ranma would simply allow him to continue his life without this pain. Maybe one day he could forget everything that happened between him and the red headed girl. "Just like you say your girl side is fake... that means I'm fake too!" Ryoga exclaimed, finding courage once again. "Everything I am is fake! My feelings, my hopes, my dreams, my life... everything's just fake, I'm just some stupid pig in a boy's body..."

Ranma was introduced to something knew, had Ryoga hated it when she referred to her girl self as 'not real'.

"You shouldn't care about some stupid pet like this, Ranma... you can replace me with anything, because I'm just some fake..."

Ranma shook her head and moved over to Ryoga, kneeling down and stopping in front of the martial artist. Placing her hands on his shoulders, "Look, I kind of wish I was a real girl, someone you could really fall for..."

Ryoga met eyes with her before shaking his head and forcing his body to move enough to push him and Ranma back onto the ground with Ryoga above her, her legs spreading form the sudden action as Ryoga leaned his head into her neck, pressing his tongue to her neck. Invoking grunt from Ryoga as the tingling sensation sent shiver throughout her female body.

"R-Ryoga! S-Stop!" Ranma cried, squinting her eyes.

Ryoga's more human instincts and testosterone, gained control and allowed him to explore a more mature side of his teenage body. The sounds of Ranma's female voice urged him to continue his exploration, his nose catching her sent as his hands dug into the grass near the sides of Ranma's head. His body rubbing against hers, enjoying this level of intimacy between them.

Ranma had no resistance and that scared her, scared her to think Ryoga had this power over her. Biting her lower lip she tried her best to ignore the feeling of his body pushed up against hers. From there she reached her hands out and placed them on Ryoga's shoulders, attempting to push him off, but found that she instead ended up digging her hands into his shoulder, only prompting him to continue. "Ngh... R-Ryoga..." Ranma groaned 'Damn it Saotome! S-Snap outta' it! Ugh! Why does this feel so good?'

It was then that Ryoga noticed Ranma's moans and leaned his lips onto hers, pressing them close and gently. They continued this for as long as both could enjoy each other. Ranma had continued for a series of kisses before needing to pull back and catch her breath. Fortunately for her, Ryoga was in dire need of some air as well.

Ranma stared into Ryoga's eyes, a blush spreading across her face as both panted deeply. Ryoga found himself flushed but that pained feeling had only been eased now. It was as he thought, Ranma was the remedy to his pain.

"Don't look at me like that..." Ranma replied, looking away as her voice took on a rather raspy quality.

"I love you, Ranma Saotome... even if you don't love me either," Ryoga stated.

Before Ranma could reply to Ryoga's statement.

"Is too, too cute... too bad Shampoo has to end life."