Fiances
"Ranma, wait up!"
Ranma Saotome glanced over his shoulder, the gentle breeze lifting several strands of his black hair. He stood still for a minute, waiting for roommate, Jiro Yoshi.
Ranma noticed the racket and canister of tennis balls in Jiro's hand.
"Thanks," Jiro said. "Mind if I join you at the court?"
Ranma shook his head. "Let's go."
*^_^*
Once at the park, Ranma and Jiro stood at opposite sides.
"Hey Ranma! How's that cute fiancée of yours?"
Ranma squinted. "What cute fiancée?"
"Akane Tendo!" Jiro replied. "Oh I get it! 'Cute' doesn't describe your fiancée, huh? More like gorgeous, beautiful, lovely…"
Ranma didn't bother to say that his fiancée was his fiancée due to an arrangement between his father and her father.
He remembered when he first met Akane. He didn't like the arrangement any better than she did. Back then, they were 16 years old. Over the years, Ranma and Akane got to know each other and developed a friendship. Now, the 2 were 19 years old, attending Furinkan University.
Ranma whacked the tennis ball across the court. Jiro hit it back.
"Are you going to the dance?"
Ranma frowned. "I dunno."
*^_^*
Ranma went up to the lunch counter for dinner. He sat down, his tray containing a bowl of ramen and a soda.
"Ranma!"
He looked up. "Hi, Akane."
"Mind if I keep you company?"
"No."
She sat across from him. "So…how's everything?"
Ranma shook his head. "Are you here for small talk?"
Akane shook her head. "I just wanted to know."
"The only thing new is that dance next weekend. You going?"
"Maybe."
"Well, my roommate is going and he wants to meet you."
"He does? Well, I'm not really interested in meeting a guy right now."
Ranma shook his head again. "Akane, you might be my fiancée, but you can see other guys."
"That-that's not it," Akane protested.
Ranma didn't notice the flush on her cheeks.
*^_^*
In PE class, the guys and girls were playing tag football.
Akane had tripped and hurt her ankle. Ranma reached her side to see what happened.
"Akane, you ok?"
Akane clutched her ankle. "It…it hurts."
Ranma glanced at it. "It's pretty swollen. Did you break it?"
"I don't know."
*^_^*
At the hospital, Ranma sat in the waiting room.
Akane had to wear an ace bandage. Her ankle was sprained badly. She had to use crutches to get around.
The doctor gave specific instructions to her and Ranma. "I know it's spring break but stay off your feet as much as you can, ok?" the doctor told her. "I know that the dorms are closing during spring, so where will you stay?"
"At my old house. My family still lives there."
"Ok, Akane. Ranma, I think you'd better take your girlfriend home."
Akane and Ranma both spoke at the same time.
"She's not my—"
"I'm not his—"
They stopped.
"She's … she's my fiancée," Ranma replied.
The doctor smiled. "You take good care of her, then."
"I…I will."
*^_^*
Ranma drove to the Tendo dojo, his home for 2 years, and Akane's for 17.
"You ok? Ankle doesn't hurt?"
"I'm fine."
"At the hospital, your roommate gave me some things you might need. She packed then all up for you," he told her.
At the dojo, they let themselves in. The house was empty.
Ranma frowned. "Where is everybody?"
"Remember that trip Dad wanted to take to the mountains?"
"Yeah?"
"I think that's where they are. They left the number of their lodge." Akane pointed to a piece of paper on the low dinner table.
Ranma looked it over. "So, I guess we're by ourselves."
*^_^*
Akane settled in the living room. Ranma set up the blankets for her. "If you need anything, Akane, just let me know. The doc said you shouldn't move around too much."
*^_^*
The next morning, Ranma served Akane breakfast in bed. They ate in comfortable silence. Akane noticed that an emotion she couldn't name lurked in his eyes. She ran her fingers through her dark hair.
"Akane?"
"Yes?"
"Did you ever think about where we'd be if our parents never arranged the engagement?"
Akane paused. "I think I'd still be fighting off perverts."
Ranma smiled. "I think I'd be back
home, but I wouldn't be a girl."
"You really want to be a full
guy again."
Ranma nodded.
*^_^*
Days went by and Akane and Ranma spent time talking, watching TV.
"Ranma, you don't have to stay here. You can go out."
"Naw, it's ok. I like taking care of you."
"What?"
Ranma coughed. "I…I have to take care of you. No one's here, right?"
"Yah."
Ranma thought about what he said. No one was in the house. They can do anything they wanted without getting caught. Akane was unusually quiet. Something told him she was thinking the same.
Ranma walked out of the room. He had to get out of there before he did something he'd regret, or before he got slapped.
He went for a walk. The days in close company made Ranma realize that he and Akane could actually talk without fighting. And it also brought up feelings Ranma had been fighting for so long.
*^_^*
Akane sighed and headed to the bathroom to wash her face. Once there, she remembered the interest she had seen in Ranma's eyes. Why was it there? Ever since Ranma came, and they got to know each other, she became attracted to him, but he never knew how she felt.
Akane examined herself in the mirror. Short, dark hair, brown eyes…hot a knock-out, but attractive enough. Akane headed back to the living room.
*^_^*
Ranma rushed into Ucchan's Okonomiyaki restaurant.
Ukyo Kuonji smiled at him. "Ranma honey! What can I do for you?"
Ranma smiled at the young restaurant owner-chef. "I'll have 2 specials to go."
"You got it." Ukyo noticed the bag in his hands. "Grocery shopping?"
Ranma nodded.
The okonomiyakis soon were done. "Here you go, Sugar."
Ranma paid and took the box. "Thanks Ukyo!"
Ukyo sighed as he ran out. She liked Ranma a lot. Too bad he couldn't stay longer.
*^_^*
Akane emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, to the sound of slow jams. She headed to the sound, which led to the living room. She stood still, surprised to find Ranma lighting a candle on the small low table. The table contained two plates, two sets of chopsticks and wineglasses of sparkling apple cider. The plates contained two steaming ready-to-eat okonomiyakis.
"Ranma, what…?"
He looked up and grinned. "What do you think? I know okonomiyaki's not exactly a romantic dinner, but…"
"Romantic…?"
Ranma stood up straight. This night was going to be special for the two of them. He thought of nothing but her the last few days and he realized that his feelings for her were so strong, he had to get them out in the open.
Akane sat, her foot propped up. "Ranma, I can't believe you did this. It's … sweet of you." She swallowed, her eyes misting.
"Akane?"
"It's ok. Everything is so beautiful."
Ranma smiled. They ate in silence, love songs playing in the background. After eating, Akane finally spoke.
"Ranma, why'd you do all this?"
Ranma set his chopsticks down and moved to her side. "I think it's time we really started acting like fiancés," he told her.
Akane raised her brows. "Meaning?"
"Well, in the beginning, we hated each other. But it's not like that anymore."
Akane looked at the table, glad for the dim light so he couldn't see that she was blushing.
Ranma cleared his throat. He reached out to tip her chin so she'd meet his gaze. "I'd like to give us a chance," he said simply.
He really meant it.
"How about it?" he prompted.
"Ranma…"
She didn't finish. She couldn't. Ranma leaned forward and kissed her gently. Akane didn't know what to do. He pulled back and kissed her again. If possible, that kiss was better than the first. Akane placed her hands around his neck and the kiss went on.
*^_^*
Akane woke to the sound of Ranma cooking. Tomorrow, they'd have to go back to Furinkan University.
Akane wondered if last night was a dream. Her fingers flew to her lips, remembering Ranma's soft kisses. Her eyes strayed to the small table, the candle wicks darkened by the flames they held. "It wasn't a dream."
Ranma entered, a tray in his hand with breakfast. "Akane, breakfast."
She smiled at him. "Good morning, Ranma." He set the tray down and they ate. After, they just sat, Ranma's arm around her shoulder, her hand on his chest.
"This is so new," Akane declared.
"For both of us."
"We have to talk about this, Ranma. What do we do now?"
"I think we should just let things happen."
And they did. Ranma and Akane spent their lunchtimes together, they walked together a lot, holding hands. Everyone thought they were the perfect, loving couple. Their parents and families were glad that the two decided to try a relationship.
*^_^*
"Ranma honey's what?" Ukyo cried.
"It not possible!" Shampoo cried.
"Since…since when did they…"Ryoga swallowed, "…officially become a couple?"
"Oh my, I never thought they would fall in love," Cologne declared.
"It's true," Kasumi, Akane's sister, responded. "Ranma and Akane have fallen in love. It took them a while but they finally did it."
"Hi-yaaaaaah!!!" Shampoo screamed. "Ranma belong to Shampoo!"
"Ranma honey's mine!" Ukyou piped up.
"Since you're such good friends of the two, we thought you knew," Kasumi said.
'Good friends' wasn't the correct term. Ukyo and Shampoo both liked Ranma and Ryoga liked Akane. Cologne has tried to get Ranma and Shampoo together.
"I gotta find out for sure if Ranma honey and I are through!" Ukyo then ran out, Shampoo, Cologne and Ryoga trailing her.
Nabiki, Akane's other sister, looked at Kasumi. "I didn't even know they actually started," Nabiki said.
*^_^*
Ranma was throwing stones in the water at a river.
"Ranma!" came a cry.
"Ranma honey!"
He knew who those two were. "Ukyo, Shampoo, what's up?"
"Ranma, it really true?" Shampoo looked at him, her eyes wide. "You in love with Akane?"
Ranma cleared his throat, a flush creeping up his neck. "Who told you that?"
"So it not true?" Shampoo said eagerly."
Ranma ran off.
"Ranma honey!!"
*^_^*
"Akane!" Ranma called, running to catch up with her.
"Hi Ranma." Akane gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Akane, I'm really sorry, but I gotta cancel our date tonight. I have some stuff to do."
Akane sighed. "Ok."
"I'm really sorry."
"It's ok."
*^_^*
"I came here cuz ever since you came here, I've been something to you that I'm not," Ranma told Ukyo.
"Ranma honey, you'll always be special to me."
"Life goes on and all that. I want us to be friends, Ukyo, but friends because we want to be and that's the only thing that'll be between us," Ranma said. "I'm with Akane now."
Ukyo nodded, tears in her eyes. "I … I understand."
"Ukyo…"
"Please leave now."
Ranma looked at her, then left.
*^_^*
"I'm really sorry Shampoo, but a friend is all I'll ever be to you."
"Akane make Ranma happy?"
"Very," Ranma said.
"Shampoo see."
"You deserve someone who will fully love you. I'm not that person, Shampoo."
"Shampoo no love anyone else."
"Then you'll make yourself miserable waiting cause I'll never feel that way about you," Ranma said.
On impulse, Shampoo kissed Ranma for a long time. He didn't respond. He froze. Shampoo clung to his rigid body in the moonlight.
*^_^*
Ranma wondered what was wrong. Akane didn't speak to him for a few days. When he confronted her, she ignored him. It was frustrating. He caught her before she headed to her dorm. "Akane, wait! What's wrong with you? You haven't spoken to me for days. What'd I do?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?!"
"Yah, I would."
She narrowed her eyes. "Ranma, if you aren't ready for a relationship, just say so."
"I am ready."
"But obviously not with me."
"I want one with you."
"I saw you and Shampoo kiss a few nights ago. I was out with my friends and we spotted you two."
"Uh…"
"Nothing to say? Then get lost!!" Akane kicked him into the sky.
*^_^*
On a Saturday, Akane was sitting under a shady tree, enjoying the afternoon. Ranma suddenly came into view, but he was upside down. He was hanging from a low tree branch.
"What do you want?!" Akane demanded.
"To talk," he replied. He jumped down and sat across from her, Indian-style. "You mad?"
Akane glared at him.
"I'm sorry, Akane," Ranma said softly. "That night I cancelled our date, I went to talk to Ukyo and Shampoo separately."
"And you kissed Shampoo!"
"Akane, I—"
"I know what I saw! I'm not blind!"
"But…"
"Get lost! You're ruining my afternoon!" Akane punched him and stomped off.
Ranma frowned. "Typical Akane."
*^_^*
"I never thought you and Akane would get together," Ryoga commented.
"Yeah, but she's not talking to me," Ranma replied. He sighed.
"If you really love her, you'll work it out."
"Ryoga…"
Ryoga narrowed his eyes. "You'd better take care of her, Ranma." He swallowed, tears in his eyes. "If you can do that, you…you have my blessing."
"I thought you wanted to be with Akane."
Ryoga nodded. "But she wants to be with you. I won't get in your way."
*^_^*
Ranma found Akane on campus, under a tree. "Akane?"
She frowned. "What?!"
"I want to talk."
"About?"
"Us."
Akane narrowed her eyes. "Fine."
"The night Shampoo kissed me was the night I told her that we weren't going to ever get married. Shampoo and me, I mean. I told Ukyo something like that too. Ukyo got upset, but Shampoo didn't take it so well," Ranma explained. "I swear I didn't kiss her. Honest."
Akane met his eyes. Those gray eyes sparkled with love and affection. He took her hand.
"I love you, Akane. I think I was just afraid to admit it."
"Ranma you dummy…"
Ranma only smiled. "Is that what a girl's supposed to do after a guy tells her he loves her?"
Akane said nothing. Ranma's smile faded. "Akane? If…if you don't feel the same, then we can break—"
"No. Ranma…falling in love is scary. I don't…"
He gripped her hand tightly. "Love is new to me too. But we can learn together. I … I've never tried so hard to please anyone."
"Meaning?"
He smiled. "Meaning you're worth all the trouble."
"Oh Ranma…" They embraced and he kissed her.
*^_^*
All characters were created by Rumiko Takahashi, the creator and artist of the comic series Ranma ½…except for the very minor character Jiro Yoshi, which was a creation of the author of this fanfic. Have a good day!