Sunset
A Ranma ½ fanfiction by Zorknot (W. Brad Robinson)

Disclaimer: Anmaray one-halfay isay originallyay
theyay orkway ofay Akahashitay umikoray.

Note: A bit of short WAFF I found while going through
my files. Hopefully you'll enjoy it.

~~~~~[BEGIN]~~~~~

Ya know what I really hate? Sunsets. Sunsets suck,
man. I mean really, what good are they? What have
they ever done for me? And where do they get
off...bein so damned pretty?

If it wasn't for this damned sunset, the way that
all the colors reflect off the koi pond, the bird
flying in front of that giant red orange jewel hangin
in the sky like a lost puppy...if this sunset wasn't
so damn PERFECT...maybe I could tell Akane that I
love her.

There she is, sittin right next to me, and all I
can do is just sit next ta her and watch the clouds
change colors. I keep thinkin I should say somethin
NOW that I should put my arm around her shoulder're
somethin, but it just seems so...I dunno fake maybe.
Like I had planned it all along and was just waitin
for the right moment. But that's just it. I
HAVE been waitin for the right moment. Ever since
Jusendo and that Saffron brat... I've been wantin ta
tell Akane that I loved her for real.

Yeah I know I told her I loved her before. When she
was fightin Kuno in that kendo championship and I was
a cheerleader I said I loved her when I didn't know
it was her. And the weirdest thing about that, even
weirder than me bein a girl and Akane bein dressed as
a guy and tha whole school watchin...the weirdest
thing was that when I found out it was Akane...I
couldn't help but feel happy.

And then when I thought she was dead...I had ta say
it then. I had to or Akane woulda left me forever,
but the truth is that if Ukyo or Mom or even... Ryoga
were in the same fix...I mighta done the same thing.
It freaks me out about Ryoga, but it's true, he's
like my best friend or somethin. Don't ask me how
that happened, but after that weddin...I kinda
learned who my friends really were there. I've
forgiven Ukyo, she explained how she thought I was
havin the weddin against my will and just got trigger
happy with the okonomiyaki bombs. She's had it rough,
and I ain't got no right ta judge her for goin a
little overboard...not after I kinda sorta killed
someone... Tha point though, is that I haven't really
told Akane when it wasn't forced outta me. And I
haven't told her that I loved her...that way.

I do...I knew it ever since I saw that kid
Shinnosuke tried ta make a move on her. But I wasn't
ready ta get married then, and I wasn't about ta
admit ta somethin like that right then. I think we
both kinda started ta get closer then though. I mean,
we kinda had ta after savin each other's lives and
all. Dammit! The sun's almost gone! I'm gonna miss my
chance again!

But it's always like this. Always the pressure to
do stuff even when I don't feel like it Akane and me
are already engaged fer cryin out loud! I can't
really hate Pops for hookin me up with Akane anymore
but... I mean maybe I don't know much about stuff
outside Martial Arts but I think bein engaged
already's goin a little fast! And I'm just turnin
eighteen in a few months! I'm s'posed ta party
everyday and stuff right now ain't I? Why'd I have ta
go an fall in love?

I've made up my mind. I'm gonna tell Akane that I
love her tonight...right AFTER that stupid sun goes
over the horizon and not a second before. I'm just
going to sit right here and stare at the pretty pink
clouds and the red and yellow ripples in the pond. I
ain't gonna pay attention to tha warmth I can feel
from Akane's body. I ain't gonna even look at her, I
already know she's not anywhere near cute...She's
beautiful. I'm just gonna relax and let that sun roll
on down, 'cause I've about had it with all this
pressure.

A fish just jumped out of the pond. It was really
cool lookin with all the water droplets in the sun
like that. I wonder if Akane saw it...Uh oh. I'm
lookin at her now. She's starin off somewhere. She's
got these little fires in her eyes from the sun. And
there's somethin about the way the muscles in her
neck moved when she swallowed a second ago... I could
just watch her all day. Man, I got it bad don't I?

Ah hell, she's turning her head, lookin' straight
smack dab inta my eyes! Man its like thunder in my
chest, lightning in my veins! I can't help myself!

"I love you!"

"I love you!"

I said it. And so did Akane. We both said it at
exactly the same time. Wow! I never knew I could feel
this good! I must have the dopeyest lookin grin on my
face! Akane just looks cuter than ever... After a
moment we both turn around...The sun's still there. I
guess I jumped tha gun a bit. I ain't upset about it
though. I put my arm around Akane's shoulder, she
puts hers around mine and we watch the sun ooze inta
the horizon like a radioactive tomato. So
beautiful...so perfect...I guess all in all I'm in
favor of sunsets.

Kasumi calls us back inside and we get up like
we're in slo mo or somethin and sit down for supper.
Both of are still smilin like crazy.

I think maybe tomorrow we'll even work up ta kissin.
I'll probably have to be male for that though...

~~~~~[END]~~~~~

Praised be to the fic reviewers, for they are among
the truly great.