I don't own any Ranma 1/2 people,places,etc.
" "-talking
' ' - thinking

Summer Nights

Akane turned towards her alarm clock. 12:12 am, and boy was it hot! The local news had been predicting a heat wave, but nobody whould have guessed it was here so soon. Akane got up, and opened a widow by her bed. The night was clear and the sweet smell of grass wafted through the night air. "Well since I'm on summer holidays, I'll go for a walk." Akane got up and slipped on a pair of jean shorts and a white tank top and headed downstairs. She quietly opened the sliding door that led to the backyard, and walked out. Akane loved the way the long blades of grass felt under her feet, it was almost theraputic...so cool and soft. She accidently touched a bullfrog with her toe and sent the fellow jumping away, this of course startled Akane and she let out a yelp. Quickly she placed her hands over her mouth, 'Baka! Do you want someone to call the police?'
She sat on a rock by the koi pond and looked into the clear water. Brightly colored goldfish swam under the surface, breaking tension only when they leap for a mosquito at the surface. Her eyes beagn to focus on her own features that were reflected on the water's surface. She studied her eyes first, they were like her mother's, at least that's what Kasumi told her. Mrs. Tendo died when Akane was very young, so Akane never really had the chance to get to know her. Akane sighed and ran her fingers through her short hair. 'Humpf! It's so short..' Akane realizied her short hair never bothered her as much now. In fact, she noticed many girls at her school had cut their hair as short, if not shorter than her's. Mai, a girl in Akane's art class brought in a magazine she ordered from America. It was called Seventeen, a fashion magazine for young girls, and Akane noticed that short hair was popular in America. Akane smiled knowing she was in fact, sporting one of the trediest hairstyles.'But he still call me a tomboy.'

Akane let her thoughts drift through all the insulting things Ranma had said to her. Was it true? Did he really think she was ugly. She looked at her reflection again. 'I don't think I look ugly...but..but..' Akane felt a tear slip out of her eye, and land in the pond with a soft "ting" sound. Akane had trouble hiding it sometimes, her crush on Ranma. She tried in vain to do things for him, nice things, but her always found fault in them. 'Like the time I wore those cute butterfly clips in my hair,' Akane thought bitterly 'Ranma thought they were real bugs...' Akane remembered when he tried to bat them off her head...the whole family laughed at her. She never wore them again.

Akane began to cry softly, and didn't notice Ranma come over and sit beside her. "Akane..why ya cryin'?" Akane jumped and looked at Ranma, "because you think I'm ugly.." Akane cringed inside. 'Think before speaking Akane no baka!' Ranma looked shocked, "I...I...look Akane, you arn't ugly. Really. Sometimes you just say stuff that makes me upset. Other times you lash out at me without letting me explain. So I call you names. So Akane, you're not ugly at all...I'm just a jerk." Ranma looked at the ground. "Oh Ranma! I treated you unfairly...if you..I mean..if we work together..I don't think we'd fight as much. So how 'bout it? Friends?" Akane smiled and tilted her head to the side, and held out her hand. 'Whoa, just like when we first met....'. "As long as you let me explain...and calm that temper of yours." Akane nodded. Ranma felt his heart flutter as he held her hand.

Suddenly Akane's expression began to change. She stopped smiling, and began blushing. Ranma began to blush too, and his palms were getting clamy. The two were moving closer to each other, until they were mere centimeters apart. Akane stopped. "Ranma, this is my first 'real' kiss...before it happens, just let me know how you feel...so I don't end up chasing an empty dream if you like someone else." Akane was full of surprises. Ranma sighed, "Well if ya must know...I really, really like you. In fact...I think I could l-l-love you." Ranma was about to ask how she felt, when Akane glommped onto Ranma and kissed him as hard as she could, not noticing they were both falling into the koi pond. Akane looked up at a dazed and blushing Ran-Chan, and she giggled. "Ranma, you're such a hentai!" Ranma looked up suddenly, "HEY! You're the one who kiss---" Akane's lips were on Ranma's again. "Ranma, I love you," Ranma hugged Akane as tight as she could. "Akane..I love you too. Let's go inside. It's late..you should get some rest for our first date tomarrow!" Akane shot Ranma a look of surprise, and smiled. She knew things would be better between them from now on.