Disclaimer: Ranma and co. belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Her feet felt like lead as she dragged herself along on the carpeted makeshift aisle of the Tendo Dojo. She had always imagined that walking the aisle on her wedding day would be like walking in the clouds with a big and contented smile on her face. As it was, she was struggling with each stride and could barely put up a nervous smile for everyone, thankful for the veil that covered her face.
Having a 50-student capacity at one time, the Tendo Dojo was bit overcrowded when it was converted to hold a Western-style wedding with 300 guests. Friends, enemies-slash-allies depending on the situation, suitors of the bride, soon to be ex-fiancées of the groom were gathered in the Tendo training hall. The formal celebration of the joining of the Tendo and Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts was akin to being the wedding of the century in Nerima district. Not everyone had the same agenda, or feelings for that matter, on attending the wedding, but they just felt the need to be there if they could afford it, courtesy of Nabiki Tendo. One gift per person and the price of the gift should be not less than 10000 yen, cash or in kind.
Even at 10000 yen as gift/entrance fee, Naibiki Tendo still had to shortlist the guests to 300 people only for security reasons. She too was surprised at that. Everybody in Nerima had been a witness to the non-ending arguments, quarrels, and denials of Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo. Tying the knot was like seeing the end of a long playing soap opera or TV sitcom that came with the elements of action, adventure, drama, and mostly comedy. Now it was ending in romance. A happily ever after.
There were a lot of things weighing in her mind that she didn't seem to notice the numerous people that crowded the dojo. This is it. This is finally it. She tried to reassure herself. This is my wedding day, and I'm finally gonna marry the man I love… So I should be happy, right? These were the same lines that had kept repeating in her mind since last night. She looked ahead to see the priest and found the nervously smiling face of the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.
At that thought, her mind suddenly flashed snapshots of memories since the first time they met, the shocking revelation of the Jusenkyo curse, the one by one appearance of the other fiancées, their arguments, the insults, the kidnappings, and finally the events at Mt. Phoenix. A lot more had happened since Ranma, and all the craziness related with or caused by him, came to peaceful Nerima than in the first 16 years of her existence.
And now this. She was not even 18 yet and she was already getting married to someone she couldn't spend a day with without arguing or fighting. But marriage is not just one day, it's a whole lifetime. She looked at him again trying to discern what was behind that smile of his. She was sure of how she felt for him, but is that enough? She wondered. Her face now carried a look of near desperation while still trying to put up a calm expression. Is he happy? Nervous? Is it because of me or the promised Nannichuan? Does he really love me like he said up in Phoenix Mountain? What kind of a future are we going to have together?
With those questions that came raging in her head, she stopped when she was only about a meter away from Ranma. Everybody suddenly became quiet in anticipation of what was going to happen next because between Ranma and Akane, nothing was expected to go without a few troubles along the way. Akane's abrupt stop had the guests at the edge of their seats.
She turned and looked at the guests who had started their murmuring. She looked at Kasumi who had a worried look on her face. Nabiki gave her a questioning stare and raised an eyebrow. Beyond the exterior, Akane felt her sister's alarm. She looked at her father seated beside Ranma's parents. He had been crying earlier but now he was at a loss of what was happening. Genma Saotome looked like he was about to start crying, while her wife still looked composed but the concern was also evident in her face. She looked at Ranma whose smile had been replaced with a slight frown. The very rare look he had when he was unsure of something. Ranma Saotome was never unsure-except when it came to dealing with his fiancées. He gingerly reached out a hand to her. She stared at it for a few moments as if she had been given a very fancy kitchen utensil she didn't know what do with. She looked at his face again and in his deep blue eyes.
"I…" she started with a lump in her throat which had become very dry. "I can't do this… I'm sorry." With that she turned her back at Ranma, at everything, and ran out of the Tendo Dojo.
Ranma hated being doused with cold water. This time, however, he felt like all the water of Niagara Falls has just passed through him. As he stood there motionless for almost 3 minutes his father went up to the altar to smack him in the head. He looked around and his brain started to register what had just happened and the dull pain at the back of his head.
"Ow! What'd you do that for?!" He barked while throwing a kick at his father. Still seemingly dazed by the events, his father was easily able to dodge the clumsy kick aimed at his mid-section.
"It's your wedding day and your bride's run-off the opposite direction. The question here, son, is what did YOU do this time?"
This time Ranma was able to dodge his father's attack and thus started the exchange of blows similar to what happened during their morning sparring sessions.
"Oh my baby.. Oh my little girl where have you gone off to?!" Sound had started crying. Kasumi and Nodoka were at his sides trying to comfort him. Nabiki was in one corner making her calls and almost yelling at whomever it was she was talking to. A rare sight since Nabiki Tendo never lost her cool. "Don't call back if you have nothing, got it?!" She ended one call and was dialing another number.
Ranma managed to look at all the people staring at him. In that moment he was unable to dodge Ryouga's fist. He fell to his side. In all of their fights, Ranma had proven that Ryouga was almost made of rock. He felt as if his jaw was going to fall off.
"What now pig-boy?!" He was mostly aware of the eternally lost boy's grudge on him at one time or another. He never took them seriously. But right now he didn't feeling like playing. Being hit twice in less than a minute was something Ranma Saotome did not take lightly, by his father and Ryouga at that.
"It took me many days to find the Tendo Dojo only to find out that you are getting married to Akane." Ryouga had tears in his eyes like every other time he poured out his misfortunes in life that may or may not have been caused by Ranma. "I almost thought that I had lost her and now this!" His face now looked like one that had just won the lottery, or that he had finally won a fight with Ranma. "Whatever it was that you did, I thank you. Now I definitely have a chance with Akane!"
"They why'd ya hit me for?!" Ranma asked standing to his feet still caressing his jaw, making sure it was still connected.
"Uh… I dunno.." His expression changed to one those when he thought he'd made a wrong turn. "Just reflex I guess… Ooh!" Ryouga fell back as Ranma attacked with his Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken."
"How's that for reflex!" Ranma made a show of dusting his hands while Ryouga was down. He was able to make a step over him when his trained senses felt an oncoming punch from behind.
"Ranma no baka!" Ryouga was on him again delivering one fatal blow after the other while Ranma dodged them easily trying to think of a counterattack.
"Did you honestly think I'd fall that easily? Especially now that Akane's free and she's made her choice?"
"Oh yeah? And what would that be P-chan?" Ranma found an opening and delivered another Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken to Ryoga's chest and midsection. Ryouga staggered two steps back with a smirk on his face.
"Definitely not you." He charged at Ranma who had resorted to defense mode again. He made a quick check of where he was and the people around him. He caught a glimpse of Kasumi handing a glass of water to Soun Tendo who was still in hysterics. "I'm going to go after Akane and tell that she need not go any further, because I'm the one that's going to make her happy for the rest of her life. I'm the man that will give her the love that she deserves…. Bwee! Bwee! Bwee…"
Ranma picked up the screaming and squirming Ryouga until their eyes were at level.
"Not in this lifetime, Pig Boy." With a well aimed kick, Ryouga flew out the window. "Thanks Kasumi." He quickly handed the now empty glass to the eldest Tendo daughter.
"You're welcome Ranma-kun." She replied with that ever present smile on her face.
"Don't let that priest go anywhere. I'll be back for my wedding!" He called out to them as he left the dojo.
"My son is a man among men." Nodoka said as she brushed a tear that fell from her eye.
"Go on, son! Make your father proud." Genma added.
"Oh my Akane…" Soun continued to cry.
The guests had started to depart only to find out that they could not take their gifts back.
"Well, it was worth the entertainment I guess." Hiroshi said to Daisuke.
"Yeah, considering all the girls we met today." The latter added.
"Looks like I'm no longer needed here." The priest started towards the door with the other guests only to find Genma Saotome blocking his way.
"Mr. Saotome, please understand, I have to be in a funeral service in less than 2 hours."
"What my son said was perfectly clear. He'll be back for his wedding. We've waited for more than several kidnappings, near-death experiences so that this wedding could take place. You're not going to disappoint us now, Father, are you?" Genma explained calmly cracking his knuckles in front of the priest.
"Well.. um.. the guy's dead anyway. What's a couple more hours. The living is more important than the dead right?" The priest tried to swallow the lump that was in his throat and slowly returned to the altar.
"Glad you see my point, Father." Genma said to the priest.
"Yeah, whatever." Was all the priest could say.
"Stupid, uncute, tomboy." Ranma muttered to himself as he ran and tried to avoid the eyes of the people in the street looking at him. For who wouldn't take a second look at a man in his white wedding tuxedo running in the streets of Nerima district. But after a second look, they just shrugged it off. This was Nerima anyway, what else was unusual. For Ranma though, this was unusual even for him.
Isn't this what she wanted? He thought. He remembered all those times he was with Akane. Although they argued and insulted each other most of the time, with him getting really hurt physically in the process, he was sure her feelings for him went beyond that. Or were they? He asked himself again this time slowing down after more than 30 minutes of running. He slowed his pace to a walk and looked around hoping to find traces of her.
He glanced momentarily at the window of a familiar ice cream shop he and Akane used to stop by. He then witnessed a familiar scene. There was a couple inside and the waitress winked at the guy that did not go unnoticed by his date. The girl spilled the ice cream on the guy's head who was clueless as to what had just happened. Ranma couldn't help but laugh at the familiar situation. He had been in one too many times.
He now understood clearly why Akane had acted like that. She was jealous and there was no other way to put it. So what could possibly be the matter this time? He asked himself and saw the girl inside the ice cream shop stomp off toward the door with guy following behind. "Women." He said aloud and let out a sigh and continued walking.
The sun was already going down. Where could she be? He thought about all the places she could have possible gone off to that he hadn't checked out. He wondered what time it was and looked in the direction where the sun was setting.
"That's right!"
He made a turn in the next block towards Nerima Park where one had a clear view of the sunset. Akane's favorite spot when she needed to think about stuff or clear her mind. There were only a handful of people left in the park by the time he got there. He looked around and saw a torn piece of lacy material clinging to a thick bush. He came nearer to get a better look. Akane had been here and had torn off a part of her wedding dress while running.
Crazy klutz.
He walked around some more and came across a playground. He was about to continue his search when he saw a familiar figure all alone in the 2-seater swing. He was about 10 to 15 meters away from where she was sitting. He stood there silently for a moment and wondered at how he could have come up with all those names. She was beautiful, intelligent, kind, sweet, and gentle—in her own way.
Akane stiffened when she felt his presence behind her even without saying a word. She knew he would find her, he always did. This was just Nerima after all. It was nothing compared to out-of-the-country kidnappings they'd somehow gotten used to. He always got to her even when she did not want to be found, or left alone.
"Hey." He said as he stood beside her trying to look calm and cool.
"Hey." She replied, not looking up at him and continued to stare at the sunset.
That was good. Now stay cool Ranma, the last thing you wanna do is have another argument with her although she certainly deserves an ear full, he thought to himself.
"I've been looking all over for you."
"Yeah?"
"Y-yeah…" Ranma couldn't detect the emotion in Akane's voice. "You know, everybody's getting' worried an all with you runnin' off like that." He added.
"Oh."
"And of course that includes me, ya know." Ranma kept his fingers crossed in his pockets. "So, can we go back now so we can get this thing over with?" Ranma finally offered his other hand to her, still keeping the other crossed in his pockets.
"Get this thing over with?" Akane turned to look at Ranma.
When she stood up to face him, Ranma had a dozen sirens ringing in his head and he couldn't hide anymore the panic he felt since he caught sight of her.
"Do you even know what this thing is we're getting ourselves into? 'Get this thing over with?' Over is not the right word for it, Ranma."
"What are you talking about?!" Ranma finally lost his cool not seeing where he had gone wrong this time.
"Don't you get it? Do you even understand what kind of predicament we're in? Is the stupid Nannichuan all you ever care about? Getting a cure for your curse?!" Her eyes were welling up with tears as she poked him in the chest with every accusation.
Ranma clenched his fists at his sides. "Now wait a minute there, Akane, that ain't fair." He said while trying to control his anger at the situation he was now in. How had it all come back to him being the one to blame?
"Not fair?! What's not fair to you Ranma?!" She was shouting now. "It's not fair to you that I almost gave up my whole life and future just so you could have a cure for your curse? That I'm just taking my chances with a guy who's engaged to God knows how many other women? That I'm getting married to a guy who can't tell me directly how he feels?" She couldn't stop the tears now as they flowed in her cheeks.
"It's not fair that you'd treat me like some low-life you're making me out to be." Ranma began. "I thought you knew me better. I thought I knew you better." She looked at him becoming quite unsure of herself or of what she just said.
"That's right, Akane. You think I'd get so low like my old man just to get a cure? Hell, I could just sneak up and get it for myself without getting tied to you if I wanted to, you know that." He stopped and continued to look her in the eye waiting for a reply. When none came he continued. "If I wanted a cure that bad I could've gone off to China with Cologne and Shampoo."
"Then what about Ukyou or your other fiancées? Why couldn't you make up your mind unless there was something else to be gained?!" She retorted. Why couldn't you just choose me for me?
"Akane, I've fought and many times nearly died only to have the right to have you. Do you think they matter?"
"So that's it then. That's all I am to you, a prize to keep." With that she turned and started to walk away from him.
"Hey wait a minute…" Ranma ran after her and grabbed her arm to stop her. He then quickly moved to face her again. "Look, I ain't that good with words alright? And you know that. I told you before at Mt. Phoenix that I love you and I can't live without you. I don't know how else to say it or do to show it you without you takin' it the wrong way. Jeez."
She looked at him for a moment trying to look for any sign of doubt in his words. Finding none, she walked past him to sit on the swing again.
"What now…" Ranma muttered as he followed Akane to crouch in front of her, trying to look into her eyes. "Akane, if you don't believe me then tell me. What do I gotta do to prove it to you?"
"I.. I believe you, Ranma. " She replied but unable to meet his gaze. She really did believe him for who could deny the craziness in her life that had happened since Ranma came. Perhaps before she was too immature in trying to deny what she thought she saw in Ranma's actions when it came to protecting and saving her.
"Then what's the problem now?"
Akane let out a sigh. "Do you think it's enough?" Her eyes full of uncertainty and doubt pierced his heart.
"Huh?" Ranma was lost again.
"Do you think it's enough that we love each other?" She finally looked at him. "Let's face it Ranma, were not even adults yet and we're being forced to grow up and raise a family. Think about it, most of the time we can't stand each other or hold a mature conversation. And now we're gonna have to spend our lives together." Tears were starting to appear in her eyes again.
Ranma's expression softened and he reached for her trembling hands in her lap. "Is that it?"
Akane felt like being mocked again by Ranma and she hated that.
"What do you mean, 'is that it?'?! Ranma I.." He hushed her before she could continue.
"Lemme tell you something, Akane. Something I learned from bein' with you." She seemed to calm down a bit. "The only reason I'm goin' through this is because I'm doin' it with you. Haven't you noticed that whatever it was we went through, we always saw it through? Together. I know what tying the knot means and all that life commitment stuff. I'm a martial artist for cryin' out loud! I know how serious this is, but I also know that I can't do this without you. I don't intend to go through it with anyone, but you." He was now cupping her cheek. They just sat there for a moment locked in each others' eyes and all their doubts were quickly fading into the background.
Akane closed her eyes and leaned in on Ranma's hand. She stiffened when she felt Ranma's lips on hers.
Ranma waited until Akane would push him away or mallet him to the ground while keeping his eyes closed. When more than 3 seconds passed and nothing happened, he slowly pulled away and saw that she was looking at him with an expression he had never seen before in her eyes.
"Uh… sorry 'bout that." He swallowed and felt that something worse than the mallet was coming. He closed his eyes when he saw her move towards him unable to move and just receive whatever punishment was coming his way.
He was surprised, however, to feel Akane's lips on his. The sudden move almost made him tumble backwards from his crouched position. Without breaking contact, he steadied himself by kneeling, not caring anymore about getting his white slacks dirty on the ground. He tried to deepen the kiss which made Akane gasp and this only made Ranma bolder. The kiss seemed to last forever until they both pulled away remembering the need for oxygen.
"Wow," Ranma said, breathing heavily while resting his forehead on hers.
Akane looked up at him, one hand on his shoulder and the other at his cheek. "I love you. I just now realized I never told you that, even after what happened on Mt. Phoenix."
"I know. And you know that I l-love you too, right?" Akane could only smile at Ranma's attempt at confession. She leaned forward and kissed him again. Ranma pulled away after a few moments and looked her in the eyes.
"Akane, while I'm here on my knees and in a very vulnerable position…"
"Ranma Saotome in a vulnerable position.. I never thought those words were part of your vocabulary, Ranma." Akane smiled with her arms still around Ranma's neck.
"What can I say, you bring out the best and worst in me." He gently removed her arms from his neck and held her hands in his, never taking his eyes of hers.
"Akane Tendo, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"
To say that she was surprised was an understatement. She never thought that Ranma would ever say those words to her even if they did end up together. She imagined that at most he'd just say "I choose Akane" or something to that effect. And Ranma did look very vulnerable at the moment. No arrogance whatsoever when he said those words which made him all the more endearing to her. She gave him an answer that hopefully would erase all the doubts in his mind.
When they pulled apart Akane was smiling and Ranma had a boyish grin. "So, I'll take that as a yes?"
"I can't wait." Akane replied.
AN: Did some minor editing for this story: typos and grammatical errors.
It is a one-shot, for those who are wondering. I do have one more Ranma fanfic in the works. Fantasy this time. However, I won't be posting that until 1) I finish Magic Touch; 2) I've finished the first draft. Currently at about 50%. So, hopefully by early next year :)