I dunno... this is an experiment. Review and tell me if yo like it. I will continue it if at least one person wants to read it.

Not Enough Guts
Chaper One: Another Long Night

One more time it happened. A brisk sob started and died quickly, muffled slightly. It still found its way to the listener, who didn't want to hear it, but it was the reason he was standing there in first place.

He knocked his head against the wall, just next to the door. Feeling the cold hard surface of the wall against his head reminded him of how cold he actually was, in temperature and at heart. He thumped his head lightly, as if to clear his myriad thoughts.

It didn't work.

Ranma sighed and slumped to the ground, his back against the wall. The black pig tail that was always present followed him and ended up resting on his shoulder. Stretching out his legs relaxed his body, but most definitely not his mind. He sighed, for he saw no other option.

It was against the Saotome nature to mope and sigh, and any martial artist's for that matter. His father always said that sighing and moping was girlish, but if anything, Ranma felt the most like a girl at the moment.

What can you expect? On the other side of the wall, lay the quarters of Akane Tendo. She was crying, yes, as she often did. But at the moment, she was silent. Either made a miraculous recovery from her fit, or had cried herself to sleep. Number two was quite more likely.

And it was Ranma's fault.

He shook his head, feeling a small ping of guilt, all right, a large ping, more in the lines of stab. So what if he had called her uncute? It's not something she hadn't heard before. But this time, it had gotten more serious somehow. To Ranma, the reason was unknown.

Maybe it wasn't that Ranma had called her uncute. Maybe she wasn't crying because of the insults he shot at her. Maybe it was the fight afterward...

Ranma shook his head at the remembrance of the very near nuclear reaction that had accrued earlier.

The school day had just ended and Akane and Ranma were making their way home the usual way. Ranma on the fence and Akane on the ground. Ranma was looking at the flint colored sky as a small sigh sounded through his chest. Shame on you, Ranma. Sighing again.

Akane had given him a strange look. She uttered something like not being manly and Ranma countered with his usual tomboy routine.

As Ranma remembered the conversation:

Akane: Did you just sigh? Isn't that a girl thing? Are you half girl at mind now too?

Ranma: For your information, I did sigh. And I am not half girl at mind. I was just thinking of you Akane. Why? Because I love you Akane. I have for a long time. I was thinking of how you smile at me and how it makes me feel. I was thinking of how you always stand up for me and try to help me. I was thinking of how I always treat you. I'm sorry Akane, but I hope you understand.

Akane:

And at that moment Akane swept him from the fence and engaged him in a long and passionate kiss, at the same time, fending off Shampoo, Kodachi and Ukyo. Adding to the fray, she blew off Kuno, Happosai, Ryoga and about twenty other guys.

... Make that how Ranma wanted the conversation to happen.

The real thing went a little like this:

Akane: Did you just sigh? Isn't that a girl thing? Are you half girl at mind now too?

Ranma: I did not sigh.

Akane: Yes you did, Ranma. I heard it.

Ranma: So what if I did? At least I'm not a girl that acts like a guy naturally!

Akane: No, You act like a girl... by choice!

Akane had thrown a rock at this point, that barely missed Ranma.

Ranma: Hey watchit, you uncute tomboy!

Akane threw another rock in response.

Akane: Better than bein' a pervert!

Ranma shook his head, not remembering what happened next.

Suddenly, the martial artist had a sudden urge (that was quite sudden) to apologize to Akane. He stood up and faced her door, his outward stretched arm shaking madly. The door knob was only a few inches from his palm when he chickened out. He placed his back to the door and once again slid down to a feeble position.

Another long night. Ranma sighed again.