-Disclaimer- Well here I go- you all know that I do not- NOT under-- any *tear* circumstances-- *sob* own Ranma 1/2... but I wish I did! Cuz then... well then I wouldn't change a thing and I would boast to everyone that I own one of the best anime/manga series out there... yeah... But I don't- so don't sue me.

All names and characters are copyright of Rumiko Takahashi (Kami I LOVE YOU!)

This is kinda bittersweet (well it should end up to be) and romantic and dramatic, with all the Ranma stuff thrown in! Enjoy!

Love is Loving the One Intended…

By Cere K Strife

Chap.1 - A Bitter Awakening

"Hmm hmm… La la lu la…" A soft voice hummed in the kitchen, while busy hands prepared breakfast. Orange juice was squeezed fresh, sweet buns were warmed, and white rice was steamed, and all was ready at the table. There was just something missing. The siblings.

"Ah! Good morning, Kasumi." Soun smiled towards his oldest daughter.

"Good Morning Father! Good Morning Mr. Saotome!" Kasumi chimed back as she set down a bowl of vegetables and another bowl of rice in front of a pandaed Mr. Saotome. -Good Morning, Kasumi- was all that came from the speechless panda, as he typically held up a sign.

"Good Day to everyone!" A voice came from the hall, as a cheery Nabiki marched in.

"Your unusually happy this morning, Nabiki. What's the occasion?" Soun queried his other daughter.

"Oh nothing important, Daddy… just picked up a couple of extra yen from a certain someone looking for some… pictures…" Nabiki trailed off, as she began nibbling on some rice.

…….

The sun shone in her window, directly in her eyes, making her squint and making her find the urge to turn over. "Urrgh…"

Akane found the strength to move herself to lie on her right side, and she opened her eyes faintly to take a glance of the morning. Unfortunately, she stopped in her transition, to see the reason her life has been lonely lately. She stopped to see the one person who, now with a new role in her life, should be the person she can't get enough of. She stopped to see the one person that she was deeply in love with but feeling hurt at the same time towards him. She stopped turning to see… Ranma.

Immediately, she sat up in bed and wondered why he was there. She looked down at her arms, rolled up her sleeves, and on her left hand noticed why. She had to mentally slap herself when she saw the diamond ring on her finger. She and Ranma were married. It had finally happened. After all this time, the one and only man she had ever felt this way for was the man she was to wake up to for the rest of her life, but yet it didn't feel like it.

Lately, Ranma and she had been fighting way too much, and not even acting like a married couple. Sure, married couples do fight, but not like Ranma and Akane did. They screamed and yelled and fought- literally and physically. But this wasn't abnormal for them at all. When they were engaged in the past, fighting seemed like every day happenings. But Akane thought it would be different when they got married. She thought that every thing would be flowers and happiness and nothing but love. Boy, was she wrong.

Ranma and Akane had only been married for about 5 months now, and as far as their family was concerned, everything was peachy keen. But not according to the newlyweds. They fought constantly, but out of sight and hearing of anyone close to them, and they wanted no one to know.

Akane continued gazing down at the ring, as something at eye level had the sun reflecting off of it. She looked up to see her and Ranma's wedding day picture sitting right there on her bookshelf. She could clearly see how happy they were then, but how it wasn't to last. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she continued to stare at the beautiful photo of them, and fiddle with the ring on her finger.

As tears streamed down her face, she laid back down on her pillow, on her side of the bed, and cried into the feathery softness, her back to her sleeping husband, unaware of the utter pain his wife was feeling. She lay in the bed crying softly so is not to wake him and was reminded of the night before….

….

"What Akane?! What do you want me to do about it?! Seriously! I can't help it when they approach me! I can't help it when I am casually walking down the street and they supposedly 'run' into me!!"

"Whatever Ranma!! You know you just love it when those girls crawl all over you! You go to Ucchan's restaurant all the time just so you can get attention from her! You know how much she wants to be where I am! I don't mean to brag but it's the truth!"

"Akane, listen… you are my wife! I don't love Ukyo or Shampoo! You know I don't! Please!! Believe me!!"

"No Ranma… I can't believe it… I can't believe it until things change. I can't believe it until those girls leave you alone and realize we are married… I just can't take seeing you at Ucchan's or the Cat Café alone… I don't mean to sound jealous- I just don't know if I can trust you…"

"Akane! Dammit! A marriage is all about trust… can't you just know I want nothing to do with them! Listen to me!!"

"………"

"Akane…?"

"………"

"Akane… what's the matter…?"

"Why Ranma…? Why do we fight like this… everyday?"

"Because you get so damn jealous sometimes…"

"Well what if I want to be selfish and keep the man I love all to myself!!??!"

….

As it all came back to her she began crying again, trying her hardest to hold the sobs back. She hates fighting with him so much. She hates all of it. It seemed ok when they were engaged, but now that they were married, she felt like it just shouldn't happen anymore.

After the fight, all she did was come to their room and crawl in bed, as she cried herself to sleep. She didn't think Ranma would join her in their bed, but he did and she didn't even realize it.

She continued crying and lay in bed, trying to think of something, ANYTHING to make things right with Ranma…

-knock knock knock-

"Akane? Akane, are you awake yet?" The sweet voice of her sister came from the other side of the door.

Akane choked back a sob and sniffed silently and responded, "Yeah, Kasumi, I'm awake…"

"Well, breakfast is ready!" She said and then proceeded downstairs.

Akane sat up in bed again, and pulled the covers off of herself. She sighed and wiped all her tears off her cheeks and began to undress.

She quickly and silently removed her pajamas, so is not to wake Ranma, but that wasn't successful. Just as she was removing her top and reaching for a bra, a groan came from the far side of the bed, and sheets began rustling, as a haggard looking figure sat up in bed and faced towards a half-naked Akane. She froze.

"Mmm… ugh…" The still asleep Ranma proceeded to scratch himself in places no one wants to know, as he sat at the edge of the bed in his boxers.

Akane remained frozen, half-naked and in a reaching for something pose. She blinked twice as the being of her husband stood and walked for the door.

"Ohayo Akane…" Ranma muttered under his breath, and continued walking out the door.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as the door shut behind him. His eyes were closed the entire time! Sure, Ranma had seen Akane naked before, but not intentionally, and Akane wanted to make sure to keep it that way. Besides, Akane was in nothing but her underwear, and it wasn't the most pleasant sight to see. Akane then continued undressing, and fumbled through her drawer buck-naked, and found a clean pair of underwear and bra.

"Ha ha! Forgot my clothes…"

"ACK!" Akane screamed and jumped back about a foot, surprised as ever, as the door had re-opened, and Ranma re-entered, still in his boxers, and still with his eyes closed. Akane froze once again, her mind drawing a complete blank, as Ranma stumbled in the room and found his way to the drawer and picked out some clothes with his back to Akane. Ranma then closed the drawer and turned around to see Akane and smiled non-chalantly, as he opened his eyes to see and his mouth to speak.

"Akane, you and I need to tal--" Ranma stopped dead in his tracks. There was Akane in front of him. Naked. And he had no idea what to do with it.

"Well, what the hell are you doing?! GET OUT!!" Akane snatched a blanket off her bed with one hand and threw it around her nekkidness, as the other hand grabbed Ranma by the braid and tossed him out into the hall, slamming the door in his face.

**BAM** Ouch.

Akane flopped on the floor, breathing deeply, her back against the door.

"Hey Akane! I didn't know you were changing! Geez, don't have a cow!" Ranma scooched over to the door and yelled through it on his knees.

"I'm gonna have a BRAID here in a minute if you keep talking about it!!" Akane screamed back.

"But can I come in anyway?! We really need to talk!!"

"NO!!!"

"But AKAN--"

"You better listen to her on this one Ranma, she sounds pretty pissed." Nabiki said casually, as she strolled by.

"You may absolutely NOT come in here, Ranma Saotome!! I am NAKED!" Akane screamed for all of Nerima to know.

"Well then go on in son!" Ranma heard a deep voice from behind him and felt a small shove on his upper back by 2 sets of hands.

"Yes Son, do go in please! Make us lots and lots of grandchildren!" Ranma spun around to see, none other than, Soun and Genma (unpandaed) egging him on to go make babies with Akane. If it wasn't Soun and Genma encouraging them to go on a date when they were engaged, it was Soun and Genma encouraging them to have babies. Good Kami.

"Man! Pop! Mr. Tendo-"

"That's 'Dad' now, son!" Soun pointed out.

"Well, whoever you are, GET LOST!" Ranma screamed at them and kicked them through the roof.

Ranma then turned to knock on the door, but before he could do this it was already opening, with an Akane dressed in blue jean shorts, sandals, and a pink shirt that said 'Girl' across the front.

"Hey, can we talk?"

"No." Akane said dryly, walking straight past him, and running into his shoulder on the way.

"Why not?! And what was that for?!" Ranma yelled after her as she just kept walking away.

"Cuz` I don't want to talk, and I wonder why…" She trailed off as she walked down the stairs her arms tightly crossed in front of her.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Women, so emotional…" He shrugged and walked towards the bathroom. "I'll catch her when she's in a better mood…. Heh which'll be never…"

Akane stopped mid-stair and heard him. Doesn't he still remember last night? Doesn't he remember why she's super peeved at him? Guess not… Akane thought to herself as she again recalled the night before, as tears began stinging her eyes once again.

………

R&R Please!