First Night
By Arianna (Elly) Vesle
Disclaimer: Unscramble these letters to find out who owns Ranma 1/2:
kimuor ihsaaahkt (Answer: Not me.)
Ranma Saotome was a married man. He'd been married that very afternoon to Akane Tendo - - of course to Akane. Ranma had always known somehow that he would be. Anyway, now he was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying distractedly to free himself from the dress shirt he was wearing. He wasn't actually getting very far, partially from extreme distraction and partially because some of the buttons were slightly melted.
They were married. Legal and everything, with the certificates and the priest and the witnesses, even the kiss - - if your father grabbing your head in both hands and forcing you to touch your fiancee's lips counted as a kiss.
Ranma looked down at the buttons blankly and then pulled the shirt over his head instead. He came back to the present when he saw the huge red stain leaking through his undershirt. Ranma hissed.
"Darn those girls," he mumbled. He didn't want to be angry and Shampoo and Ukyo, but they made it so hard sometimes. What was worse, though, was that the gash in his side had actually been meant for Akane instead.
That burned him up.
In spite of all his denials, verbal and otherwise, Ranma knew pretty well by now how he really felt about the spunky tomboy girl with the fiery temper and clear brown eyes. He didn't expect the other girls to understand, but it wasn't like Akane had ever done anything to them. She'd never asked for his love, certainly never made a display of trying to win it.
That's why Ranma loved her. But they wouldn't understand.
Ranma cast a guilty look around the room and slipped out into the hall. Akane was probably still downstairs. Due to the somewhat unusual relationships both Ranma and Akane seemed to have with most of their acquaintances, Dr. Tofu had kindly lent them the use of his clinic for their wedding night. As a professional establishment, it had rather more sophisticated locks on the doors, as well as being a less likely place for everyone to show up at. They had the whole place - - Tofu was staying with the Tendos. Ranma smiled as he locked himself into the bathroom - - he would have loved to see how that was going, what with Kasumi being Kasumi and no doubt making their guest feel very welcome indeed.
Ranma stripped out of the stained undershirt and dug around in the cupboards until he found enough supplies to get himself cleaned up and bandaged - - it hurt pretty bad. He wouldn't have minded Akane's help right about now, in all honesty - - she had a good way about fixing him up. But Akane didn't know about this particular injury, and Ranma intended to keep it that way. No sense in getting her more upset than she already was for no reason. Ranma peeked out into the hall and then snuck back to the overnight stay room Tofu had lent them. He was in a clean shirt and looking perfectly innocent in no time. That nasty cut hurt too much for sit-ups just now, so Ranma did push-ups instead.
Akane Tendo - - Akane Saotome, she kept correcting herself in wonder - - was standing by the full-length mirror in the downstairs bathroom - - the one the public used when they visited the clinic. She was wearing her comfiest old (very modest) pajamas. But Akane wasn't looking at the pajamas. Right now she was holding her wedding dress in front of her and just staring, trying to comprehend what had really happened. Somewhere in a corner of her mind she mused that the dress was in pretty good shape considering what it had been through that day.
She was sorry things had to happen the way they did. Akane sincerely liked Ukyo, and she wanted to like Shampoo, but they made it so hard sometimes. Akane knew she didn't treat Ranma the way they did, not telling him she loved him every day or giving him hugs and kisses. But Akane wasn't confused about her feelings for Ranma, not anymore. She'd known for what seemed now like a very long time.
Akane let the dress drop from her shoulders and walked out of the bathroom. She draped the dress carefully over a chair, and then dropped with a sigh into a second chair sitting nearby. She wondered what Ranma was thinking.
Maybe she didn't want to know.
Akane leant her elbows against the table and put her forehead in her palms, staring down at the grain of the faux wood surface.
She wasn't really ready to be married. What must Ranma be thinking?
Akane took a deep breath. There was no point in delaying the inevitable. She was awfully tired. She'd have to go upstairs and face Ranma eventually, and she might as well do it now. Akane stood and ran a hand over her lovely dress before steeling her courage to go in to face her new husband.
Akane walked softly up the stairs and rapped gently on the door of their room - - in case he was changing or something. 'Not that it matters, now,' an imp somewhere in the back of her mind said dryly.
"Come in," came his low voice from inside. Akane opened the door and walked in.
Ranma was just rising from a push-up. His cheeks were just slightly pink, which meant he'd been exercising for a pretty long time. Akane didn't know what to say - - he was so utterly Ranma and yet somehow so different all at the same time. She flushed a little, looking away.
"I'm - - ah, I'm really tired, Ranma. I want to go to - sleep," she said, amending 'sleep' for 'bed' at the last moment for . . . some reason.
Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I'm bushed." Somehow his usually casual voice was somehow not quite right. Something ran underneath it, but Akane couldn't tell exactly what. She looked at the bed, which was smaller than she'd remembered from seeing it earlier.
No. She couldn't do it. It was too embarrassing.
"Ranma, would you - - I mean, would you mind too much . . . ."
Ranma looked at her impassively. "D'ya want me to sleep on the floor, Akane?" The calmness of his voice surprised him. He felt like any number of insects and birds were camping out in his gut. But somehow . . . he just didn't feel like fighting with her.
"Yes, Ranma." Her voice was calm, too.
Hadn't felt like fighting with her. But she was so calm, it bugged him. Ranma frowned. "Yeah, I thought you might. Geez, Akane, what kinda' pervert d'ya think I am, anyways?"
Akane ground her teeth. "Why don't you tell me? I didn't ASK to be married to you like this, anyway."
"Well, Ex-cuuuse me! Not like it was MY big idea, y'know!"
"Ooooh!" Akane scowled at him. "I don't want to talk to you anymore, you big jerk! I'm going to bed." Akane turned and stalked over to the bed. At that moment, Akane would gladly have booted Ranma out of the room altogether, but she also didn't want him to be carried away during the night by those - those - those vultures.
Akane marched over to the bed, and snatched up a sheet. She threw it hard at Ranma. "Here." She took one of the pillows and threw that too. "And here. You can have those."
"Don't overdo it, or anything," Ranma muttered, sarcastically. He laid down beside the bed. "You can get the lights, honey."
"Drop dead, Ranma." Akane snapped off the light and smacked her head down against the pillow, thinking furious thoughts that seemed to echo in the darkness. At first.
But then she couldn't sleep. In spite of her having felt so tired before, now she just couldn't sleep. She felt bad. It must have been hard on him, too. After all, now their parents might expect him to begin supporting her by himself, or maybe even start taking over the dojo, and Ranma wasn't ready for that.
Besides . . . the bed really was big enough for both of them to have their own space.
Akane sighed heavily and rolled over to the edge of the bed. "Ran . . . Ranma? Are you still awake?"
" . . . Yeah."
Akane paused. "Well . . . come to bed, Ranma. There's enough room for you."
"I'm fine down here."
"You're lying. Come on, don't be all upset over it."
"I'm really just fine down here."
"Ranma, I'm serious. I'd . . ." Akane paused. " . . . I'd feel better if you slept in the bed."
"What'sa matter?" Ranma's sarcasm was even more pronounced in the darkness. "Scared of the dark?"
"Of course not," Akane snapped. "Stop being a jerk about it and you get in this bed before I get mad."
Ranma sighed deeply. "Alright, already, don't hurt yourself. Scoot over." Akane moved back to the other side of the bed. She felt the bed dip as Ranma let his weight down on it and caught a faint glimpse of black hair catching just a hint of moonlight, before the weight shifted again and she felt him roll over on his right side - - facing away from her. "I'm not moving again if you change your mind," his muffled voice said. "So goodnight."
"Yeah . . . Goodnight." Akane put her head on her pillow again, staring at what must have been his back, but she couldn't really see anything. Akane closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to relax, and waited to fall asleep.
And waited.
And waited.
She waited for a long time. But sleep just wouldn't come. Ranma hadn't moved again, so he must have been asleep. Akane sighed. She was so tired, so what was wrong? She snuggled deeper into her pillow-
- and thought she felt her cheek brush something damp.
Akane frowned, raising her head from the pillow. Had she started to drool now? Perfect! Curiosity enhanced by her inability to see, Akane put one hand forward searchingly on the sheets.
She nearly screamed when she touched something warm and wet.
Akane jerked her hand back as if bitten. But she couldn't resist moving the hand closer to her face. Disturbing as it was, there was a faint metallic smell to the liquid. Strange, it almost smelled like - -
Akane gasped loudly. "Ranma! Ranma! Wake up! Turn over!"
Ranma groaned. "Aw, man, 'Kane, I was just falling asleep," he protested sleepily.
Akane flipped on the light. Ranma gave a loud moan of protest as she did so - - she could see his pupils shrink back against the light. Akane flung the sheet back and gave a cry.
"Ranma, you're bleeding! Oh, it's everywhere!"
Ranma sat up, looking down at his bloodstained side. "Aw, crap," he sighed. Akane started to cry. Ranma looked at her. "Hey, come on, it's not that bad. I'll move back to the floor and find ya some clean sheets, so stop cryin . . . ."
Akane shook her head. "I don't care about the sheets. Why didn't you tell me? Shampoo and Ukyo did this, I know they did, with those stupid razor-blade cakes they made. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want you to go gettin' yourself all upset like you're doin' right now!" Ranma peeled off his shirt revealing the bloodsoaked bandage underneath. Akane gave a loud sniffle and took the shirt away from him.
"No, let me, let me do it. Come to the bathroom."
Akane made Ranma come with her to the bathroom where she supervised him rinsing his wound out with water and disinfectant before herding him back to the bedroom to finish the job.
"You needed to use the antibiotic gel on the gauze and put the gauze on first," Akane said, taping said items into place. She began wrapping the bandage around him. "I can't believe you don't know that!" She taped the bandage in place.
"You said that already, just let it go!" Ranma stood up. "Here, let me." He ripped the bottom sheet off the bed. The blood didn't appear to have gotten on anything else, so Ranma merely tossed it aside to be bleached later. "Now I'm really exhausted, so can I go to sleep now?"
"Ranma, you shouldn't have let me make you sleep on the floor," Akane chided.
"I'll sleep on the floor - - I'll sleep anywhere!"
"Ranma!" Akane grabbed his pigtail and yanked him down to sit on the bed. "I'm serious!" she pouted, inches from his face. Ranma blinked.
"I, ah . . . see that. Look, I'm sorry, ok? Happy?"
"No - - yes. Ranma?"
"Yeah?"
Akane looked down at her lap. "You have to try and understand. I'm just not ready for this - - this whole being married thing. It all happened so fast."
Ranma gulped. "Hey, look, you're not worried that I'm gonna put the moves on you or somethin', are ya? Don'cha trust me?"
"No, Ranma - I mean yes - - but that's not it. I do trust you, it's just - - " Akane looked away.
"Hey." Ranma touched her cheek. She looked at him. "Don't go gettin' all depressed or nothin'."
"I'm not depressed." Akane smiled then, though tears were started to form in her eyes. She put her hand on top of the one Ranma held to her cheek. "I'm happy, really I am." She let his hand go suddenly. "You do love me, after all, don't you, Ranma." It wasn't a question.
Ranma coughed. "Well - - you love me."
Akane blushed. Ranma smiled a little. "It's ok, if you won't tell, I won't tell."
"Oh, Ranma!" Akane threw her arms around his neck. "You're so - - " Emotion stopped her.
Ranma put his arms around her. "Perfect?" he suggested. Akane pulled back enough to look into his face and smiled.
"No." Her eyes met his and searched there for a moment. "But you're Ranma."
He stared at her. "Akane . . . ."
He kissed her then. It was simply the natural thing to do. It was a very gentle thing, infinitely sweet. And it was all they needed to express everything they hadn't said; everything they had felt.
Grandchildren would have to wait. They both knew that without saying anything. And everything was alright, all of a sudden. Akane switched off the light and then snuggled down to lay her head on Ranma's shoulder and went to sleep.
In the morning their married life would start and they'd have to deal with everyone all over again. But that didn't matter right now. Ranma felt Akane's cheek nestle against his neck and realized that life was pretty damned good.
He drifted off to sleep with a smile.
The End
Nov. 9 2003
Author's notes, Nov 10 '03: This idea stems from two things about Ranma fics in general that tend to bug me: one, that so many of them seem to be obsessed with sex, and two, that Ranma/Akane always seem utterly shocked upon finding out that the other loves them (but promptly have sex anyway). So here's my opinion of a *slightly* more probable (if terribly WAFFy) situation. I wrote it all in one sleep-deprived sitting, so here you are, hot off the press (I did proofread it this morning so I hope there aren't too many typos.) When I reread this after getting some sleep, I had a vague idea that it could work as a set of one-shots, perhaps. So, if you think there's more story to be had here, please leave a comment and tell me! Until we meet again, I remain your humble servant, Elly. See you soon.
By Arianna (Elly) Vesle
Disclaimer: Unscramble these letters to find out who owns Ranma 1/2:
kimuor ihsaaahkt (Answer: Not me.)
Ranma Saotome was a married man. He'd been married that very afternoon to Akane Tendo - - of course to Akane. Ranma had always known somehow that he would be. Anyway, now he was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying distractedly to free himself from the dress shirt he was wearing. He wasn't actually getting very far, partially from extreme distraction and partially because some of the buttons were slightly melted.
They were married. Legal and everything, with the certificates and the priest and the witnesses, even the kiss - - if your father grabbing your head in both hands and forcing you to touch your fiancee's lips counted as a kiss.
Ranma looked down at the buttons blankly and then pulled the shirt over his head instead. He came back to the present when he saw the huge red stain leaking through his undershirt. Ranma hissed.
"Darn those girls," he mumbled. He didn't want to be angry and Shampoo and Ukyo, but they made it so hard sometimes. What was worse, though, was that the gash in his side had actually been meant for Akane instead.
That burned him up.
In spite of all his denials, verbal and otherwise, Ranma knew pretty well by now how he really felt about the spunky tomboy girl with the fiery temper and clear brown eyes. He didn't expect the other girls to understand, but it wasn't like Akane had ever done anything to them. She'd never asked for his love, certainly never made a display of trying to win it.
That's why Ranma loved her. But they wouldn't understand.
Ranma cast a guilty look around the room and slipped out into the hall. Akane was probably still downstairs. Due to the somewhat unusual relationships both Ranma and Akane seemed to have with most of their acquaintances, Dr. Tofu had kindly lent them the use of his clinic for their wedding night. As a professional establishment, it had rather more sophisticated locks on the doors, as well as being a less likely place for everyone to show up at. They had the whole place - - Tofu was staying with the Tendos. Ranma smiled as he locked himself into the bathroom - - he would have loved to see how that was going, what with Kasumi being Kasumi and no doubt making their guest feel very welcome indeed.
Ranma stripped out of the stained undershirt and dug around in the cupboards until he found enough supplies to get himself cleaned up and bandaged - - it hurt pretty bad. He wouldn't have minded Akane's help right about now, in all honesty - - she had a good way about fixing him up. But Akane didn't know about this particular injury, and Ranma intended to keep it that way. No sense in getting her more upset than she already was for no reason. Ranma peeked out into the hall and then snuck back to the overnight stay room Tofu had lent them. He was in a clean shirt and looking perfectly innocent in no time. That nasty cut hurt too much for sit-ups just now, so Ranma did push-ups instead.
Akane Tendo - - Akane Saotome, she kept correcting herself in wonder - - was standing by the full-length mirror in the downstairs bathroom - - the one the public used when they visited the clinic. She was wearing her comfiest old (very modest) pajamas. But Akane wasn't looking at the pajamas. Right now she was holding her wedding dress in front of her and just staring, trying to comprehend what had really happened. Somewhere in a corner of her mind she mused that the dress was in pretty good shape considering what it had been through that day.
She was sorry things had to happen the way they did. Akane sincerely liked Ukyo, and she wanted to like Shampoo, but they made it so hard sometimes. Akane knew she didn't treat Ranma the way they did, not telling him she loved him every day or giving him hugs and kisses. But Akane wasn't confused about her feelings for Ranma, not anymore. She'd known for what seemed now like a very long time.
Akane let the dress drop from her shoulders and walked out of the bathroom. She draped the dress carefully over a chair, and then dropped with a sigh into a second chair sitting nearby. She wondered what Ranma was thinking.
Maybe she didn't want to know.
Akane leant her elbows against the table and put her forehead in her palms, staring down at the grain of the faux wood surface.
She wasn't really ready to be married. What must Ranma be thinking?
Akane took a deep breath. There was no point in delaying the inevitable. She was awfully tired. She'd have to go upstairs and face Ranma eventually, and she might as well do it now. Akane stood and ran a hand over her lovely dress before steeling her courage to go in to face her new husband.
Akane walked softly up the stairs and rapped gently on the door of their room - - in case he was changing or something. 'Not that it matters, now,' an imp somewhere in the back of her mind said dryly.
"Come in," came his low voice from inside. Akane opened the door and walked in.
Ranma was just rising from a push-up. His cheeks were just slightly pink, which meant he'd been exercising for a pretty long time. Akane didn't know what to say - - he was so utterly Ranma and yet somehow so different all at the same time. She flushed a little, looking away.
"I'm - - ah, I'm really tired, Ranma. I want to go to - sleep," she said, amending 'sleep' for 'bed' at the last moment for . . . some reason.
Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I'm bushed." Somehow his usually casual voice was somehow not quite right. Something ran underneath it, but Akane couldn't tell exactly what. She looked at the bed, which was smaller than she'd remembered from seeing it earlier.
No. She couldn't do it. It was too embarrassing.
"Ranma, would you - - I mean, would you mind too much . . . ."
Ranma looked at her impassively. "D'ya want me to sleep on the floor, Akane?" The calmness of his voice surprised him. He felt like any number of insects and birds were camping out in his gut. But somehow . . . he just didn't feel like fighting with her.
"Yes, Ranma." Her voice was calm, too.
Hadn't felt like fighting with her. But she was so calm, it bugged him. Ranma frowned. "Yeah, I thought you might. Geez, Akane, what kinda' pervert d'ya think I am, anyways?"
Akane ground her teeth. "Why don't you tell me? I didn't ASK to be married to you like this, anyway."
"Well, Ex-cuuuse me! Not like it was MY big idea, y'know!"
"Ooooh!" Akane scowled at him. "I don't want to talk to you anymore, you big jerk! I'm going to bed." Akane turned and stalked over to the bed. At that moment, Akane would gladly have booted Ranma out of the room altogether, but she also didn't want him to be carried away during the night by those - those - those vultures.
Akane marched over to the bed, and snatched up a sheet. She threw it hard at Ranma. "Here." She took one of the pillows and threw that too. "And here. You can have those."
"Don't overdo it, or anything," Ranma muttered, sarcastically. He laid down beside the bed. "You can get the lights, honey."
"Drop dead, Ranma." Akane snapped off the light and smacked her head down against the pillow, thinking furious thoughts that seemed to echo in the darkness. At first.
But then she couldn't sleep. In spite of her having felt so tired before, now she just couldn't sleep. She felt bad. It must have been hard on him, too. After all, now their parents might expect him to begin supporting her by himself, or maybe even start taking over the dojo, and Ranma wasn't ready for that.
Besides . . . the bed really was big enough for both of them to have their own space.
Akane sighed heavily and rolled over to the edge of the bed. "Ran . . . Ranma? Are you still awake?"
" . . . Yeah."
Akane paused. "Well . . . come to bed, Ranma. There's enough room for you."
"I'm fine down here."
"You're lying. Come on, don't be all upset over it."
"I'm really just fine down here."
"Ranma, I'm serious. I'd . . ." Akane paused. " . . . I'd feel better if you slept in the bed."
"What'sa matter?" Ranma's sarcasm was even more pronounced in the darkness. "Scared of the dark?"
"Of course not," Akane snapped. "Stop being a jerk about it and you get in this bed before I get mad."
Ranma sighed deeply. "Alright, already, don't hurt yourself. Scoot over." Akane moved back to the other side of the bed. She felt the bed dip as Ranma let his weight down on it and caught a faint glimpse of black hair catching just a hint of moonlight, before the weight shifted again and she felt him roll over on his right side - - facing away from her. "I'm not moving again if you change your mind," his muffled voice said. "So goodnight."
"Yeah . . . Goodnight." Akane put her head on her pillow again, staring at what must have been his back, but she couldn't really see anything. Akane closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to relax, and waited to fall asleep.
And waited.
And waited.
She waited for a long time. But sleep just wouldn't come. Ranma hadn't moved again, so he must have been asleep. Akane sighed. She was so tired, so what was wrong? She snuggled deeper into her pillow-
- and thought she felt her cheek brush something damp.
Akane frowned, raising her head from the pillow. Had she started to drool now? Perfect! Curiosity enhanced by her inability to see, Akane put one hand forward searchingly on the sheets.
She nearly screamed when she touched something warm and wet.
Akane jerked her hand back as if bitten. But she couldn't resist moving the hand closer to her face. Disturbing as it was, there was a faint metallic smell to the liquid. Strange, it almost smelled like - -
Akane gasped loudly. "Ranma! Ranma! Wake up! Turn over!"
Ranma groaned. "Aw, man, 'Kane, I was just falling asleep," he protested sleepily.
Akane flipped on the light. Ranma gave a loud moan of protest as she did so - - she could see his pupils shrink back against the light. Akane flung the sheet back and gave a cry.
"Ranma, you're bleeding! Oh, it's everywhere!"
Ranma sat up, looking down at his bloodstained side. "Aw, crap," he sighed. Akane started to cry. Ranma looked at her. "Hey, come on, it's not that bad. I'll move back to the floor and find ya some clean sheets, so stop cryin . . . ."
Akane shook her head. "I don't care about the sheets. Why didn't you tell me? Shampoo and Ukyo did this, I know they did, with those stupid razor-blade cakes they made. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want you to go gettin' yourself all upset like you're doin' right now!" Ranma peeled off his shirt revealing the bloodsoaked bandage underneath. Akane gave a loud sniffle and took the shirt away from him.
"No, let me, let me do it. Come to the bathroom."
Akane made Ranma come with her to the bathroom where she supervised him rinsing his wound out with water and disinfectant before herding him back to the bedroom to finish the job.
"You needed to use the antibiotic gel on the gauze and put the gauze on first," Akane said, taping said items into place. She began wrapping the bandage around him. "I can't believe you don't know that!" She taped the bandage in place.
"You said that already, just let it go!" Ranma stood up. "Here, let me." He ripped the bottom sheet off the bed. The blood didn't appear to have gotten on anything else, so Ranma merely tossed it aside to be bleached later. "Now I'm really exhausted, so can I go to sleep now?"
"Ranma, you shouldn't have let me make you sleep on the floor," Akane chided.
"I'll sleep on the floor - - I'll sleep anywhere!"
"Ranma!" Akane grabbed his pigtail and yanked him down to sit on the bed. "I'm serious!" she pouted, inches from his face. Ranma blinked.
"I, ah . . . see that. Look, I'm sorry, ok? Happy?"
"No - - yes. Ranma?"
"Yeah?"
Akane looked down at her lap. "You have to try and understand. I'm just not ready for this - - this whole being married thing. It all happened so fast."
Ranma gulped. "Hey, look, you're not worried that I'm gonna put the moves on you or somethin', are ya? Don'cha trust me?"
"No, Ranma - I mean yes - - but that's not it. I do trust you, it's just - - " Akane looked away.
"Hey." Ranma touched her cheek. She looked at him. "Don't go gettin' all depressed or nothin'."
"I'm not depressed." Akane smiled then, though tears were started to form in her eyes. She put her hand on top of the one Ranma held to her cheek. "I'm happy, really I am." She let his hand go suddenly. "You do love me, after all, don't you, Ranma." It wasn't a question.
Ranma coughed. "Well - - you love me."
Akane blushed. Ranma smiled a little. "It's ok, if you won't tell, I won't tell."
"Oh, Ranma!" Akane threw her arms around his neck. "You're so - - " Emotion stopped her.
Ranma put his arms around her. "Perfect?" he suggested. Akane pulled back enough to look into his face and smiled.
"No." Her eyes met his and searched there for a moment. "But you're Ranma."
He stared at her. "Akane . . . ."
He kissed her then. It was simply the natural thing to do. It was a very gentle thing, infinitely sweet. And it was all they needed to express everything they hadn't said; everything they had felt.
Grandchildren would have to wait. They both knew that without saying anything. And everything was alright, all of a sudden. Akane switched off the light and then snuggled down to lay her head on Ranma's shoulder and went to sleep.
In the morning their married life would start and they'd have to deal with everyone all over again. But that didn't matter right now. Ranma felt Akane's cheek nestle against his neck and realized that life was pretty damned good.
He drifted off to sleep with a smile.
The End
Nov. 9 2003
Author's notes, Nov 10 '03: This idea stems from two things about Ranma fics in general that tend to bug me: one, that so many of them seem to be obsessed with sex, and two, that Ranma/Akane always seem utterly shocked upon finding out that the other loves them (but promptly have sex anyway). So here's my opinion of a *slightly* more probable (if terribly WAFFy) situation. I wrote it all in one sleep-deprived sitting, so here you are, hot off the press (I did proofread it this morning so I hope there aren't too many typos.) When I reread this after getting some sleep, I had a vague idea that it could work as a set of one-shots, perhaps. So, if you think there's more story to be had here, please leave a comment and tell me! Until we meet again, I remain your humble servant, Elly. See you soon.