Disclaimer: sigh Sadly, I still don't own them. Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Just another Day

Like so many days before, Akane Tendou ran into her room and threw herself on her bed. Tears she had held back now flowed freely as her body became racked with sobs. "Ranma you jerk!" she screamed into her pillow.

"Does he even think about how I feel before he says those things?" She thought back to the fight they had.

The day started as it usually did, with her getting up early and going for a jog. When she got back, Kasumi was finishing breakfast and the others were just beginning to stir. There was no school that day, and she was hoping that there would be an opportunity to spar with Ranma. She knew she was getting better, and wanted to show him. The conversation around the breakfast table was friendly, if a little light. Then SHE came. That no good, lavender haired, bimbo. She threw herself onto Ranma, calling him "airen" and declaring her love of him. How dare she! I could feel myself getting jealous, an emotion I was not proud of. Then the fighting began.

"It must be nice to have one of your CUTE fiancées come visit you," I shouted.

"Akane, you're overreacting again," Ranma said as he tried to pry Shampoo off of him.

"Overreacting? Why should I be? It's not like I care. I know that this stupid engagement is just our parents' idea." I hoped I sounded convincing.

"That's right. Who'd want to marry an uncute, macho chick like you anyway," he replied.

I felt the anger rising up in me, and as usual, my hand found its way to his face, resulting in a loud, resonating, smack."Ranma you jerk!"

That was how it happened. Just like so many other times. After all of the fights we've had, I should be used to it by now. But it still hurts every time he says it. I don't know when I started loving him. It may have been when he tried to cheer me up after my hair was cut. Or maybe it was when he protected me during our fight with Sanzenin and Azusa. It doesn't really matter; he'll never feel the same about me. Not that I can blame him. He's right; I'm not very cute, I'm violent, I can't cook, and I'm not as good a martial artist as Shampoo or Ukyo. I just can't compete with his other fiancées.

I can't keep doing this. All of this fighting, the chaos, the hatred…I want it all to end. A knock on my door, it's Ranma. He's come to apologize, just like every other time. I open my door and let him in. He looks at my red, puffy eyes and seems shocked. He has always hated making a girl cry. He mumbles an apology, and then looks at me expectedly. This is where I am supposed to say that everything is fine. However, this time is different. I don't know what made me do it, but I smiled and told him that it's ok. I told him that I knew I couldn't compete with the others, and that the reason I always got jealous was because of that knowledge. He must have been as shocked as I was, because his eyes widened and he was left speechless. I told him that I loved him, and then I wished him the best of luck with Ukyo and Shampoo. I felt the tears coming back, so I ran past him. I didn't want him to see me crying, that would just upset him even more. Then it was his turn to surprise me. He grabbed my arm as I ran past him, and pulled me close. Puzzled, I looked into his eyes, and he smiled at me. My heart was racing, and my entire body was shaking. Why was he doing this? Why was he torturing me this way? He chuckled softly, and then called me an idiot. At first I was hurt, but then I noticed that there was no malice in the way he said it. What came next was something I thought I would only hear in my dreams. He told me he loved me. He said that to him, there was never a competition. Shampoo and Ukyo had never had a chance at winning his heart, because he had already given it to me. I cried again, but this time it was tears of utmost joy. I pulled him close to me, he bent his head down, and we had our first real kiss. Many were to follow, in what would become just another day.

Well, that was it. Just a little something to help me get out of my year long writer's block.

Comments would be welcomed as usual.