Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

    Ranma sat on the hill, lying on the soft summer grass. Idly, he watched the clouds above slowly drift by him as he thought about the day. Today had not been a good day for him despite the fact that today was his birthday.

    No one had remembered his birthday, he didn't expect much. Certainly not a present, living up with Genma had taught him that. He just wanted a break from the usual 'activities', that wasn't too much to ask was it?

    Apparently it had been, first he had been woken up by Genma for morning practice. Then Akane had whacked him all the way to school when Shampoo showed up and glomped him. The whole day, he kept wishing that someone had remembered, but no one did. Not even Ukyou, his best friend. It hurt him, even more than anything he had ever felt.

    By the end of school, when Akane had tried to scold him for flirting with Shampoo, he had ignored her. Why couldn't she see that he wasn't in the mood to fight with her. Let her think whatever she wanted. But apparently, she had been so infuriated by him ignoring her that she had kicked him off. He had landed on the hill, and instead of rushing back home he had decided to lie here and think.

    It was unfair, life certainly was. Whenever Akane's birthday came, her family treated her like some princess, giving in to her requests(Well all except Nabiki of course.). But when it came to his, nobody remembered. Not even his baka Oyaji.

    He wiped away the wetness on his cheeks, men did not cry. He would not cry, no matter how much he wished he could.

    " Ranma?" 

    He turned surprised that someone had found him. He turned back when he saw who it was, going back to looking at the sky.

    " What is it," he replied monotonelessly, as he stared straight at the blue heavens. Apparently, he wasn't safe, even up here. 

    " Here." Something was being offered to him, a wrapped up parcel. "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday."

    He sat up, cocking his head to one side as he looked at the girl in front of him with a new light. He smiled, his first real smile that day as he accepted the present.

    " Thanks." Perhaps life wasn't so bad after all, he couldn't think of anyone else he would want to remember his birthday. 

End

Author's Notes: I've had this idea for quite some time, but somehow I never really had the time to write it out. And I
pictured to be a bit longer, but it seems to have shrunk in the writing. Well, tell me what you think of this. Thanks.

Sining