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RATING NOTES:
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This story is rated R simply because there is nothing to chose from between PG-13 and R. There is no sex happening in this story and I use hardly any bad words (though I excuse as one or two swear words might have slipped in) and I personally don't feel like this story would be offending. Then again, it takes long until I feel offended, if at all.
This story however contains referance to 'it', there are *cough* interesting scenes but said 'it' is not happening. This is not a lemon, it's lime if at all; I personally think sex and love are quite a lion part of life and if you write about people and life ...well, but if you want to complain about the rating, complain in a review or email.
Feedback in any form is always welcomed.




Author's Notes:
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Hello, wow, I really did not write for a long time now. I surprised even myself when I just decided to sit down now and start to write what comes to my mind. And once being back at it I couldn't bring myself to stop and wrote all this non-stop, I didn't even realize the time it took - I had really great fun with it. And I hope you'll like it too!
As for the time table, this is located after the end of the manga. Judging from the seasons we see in manga and anime, and guessing the time all of Ranma's adventures take, I'd say he stayed about 2 years with the Tendos. As he arrived there being 16, that would make him about 18 when he moves out and in with his mom and the manga simply ends with "We're off." This story is a year later. Akane and Ranma both are over 19.

For the records, the characters are (mostly) made by Takahashi Rumiko, this is just FANfiction, -as if you didn't know.

And finally, this story is told out of Akane's point of view, as you probably can tell when reading. A few sentences are really long but that's for the reason that I tried to make it like Akane was talking to you. When you talk you always make long sentences, always adding an 'and' and conneting to something new. Also, I tend to make long sentences in general -_- so actually the above is just a lame excuse.
I tried to keep as much of her character as possible and still let her develop into a grown-up and react to the changes in her life. While writing I noticed that we actually never saw Akane simply stay with Yuka and Sayuri and how she behaves with them... well, but here is what I think she is like...
Hope you'll like my story! (And thanks for reading all through this!) Now Enjoy! ^-^

-kit



PS: C&C always welcomed. Always.




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Ranma 1/2 fanfiction
by kitty


lick, drink and bite
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I went to spend the evening with my two best friends, Yuka and Sayuri. Just for the fun of it, just for the joy of spending time with friends.



Okay, not nearly.
I'm afraid I tried to kid myself there for quite some time now; with the '_best_ friends'I mean.

Yuka-chan and Sayuri-chan, who at some point of time simply became Yuka and Sayuri and this totally unnoticed by me, are probably my closest friends. Yes, that term fits better. B.R. (that is before Ranma), well before all that I could share everything with those two girls. We dreamed together, went out together, had classes together, in general spent every minute we could together. Only we knew that Yuka's parents wanted a divorce, only we knew that Sayuri had a secret crush on Hiroshi Kenta ever since we met him at the top of the school stairs. Only I knew that sayuri wanted nothing more then to become a famous pop star when she was older, though it was painfully obvious that her voice wouldn't be good enough for it. And only those two knew that the most popular girl at school, me, dreamed of the perfect first kiss from a man double my age (well, Tofo-ono was not exactly double my age but for a 13 year old girl every year seems like half a life-time)...yeah and who, by the way, had only eyes for my perfect cute pretty nice sister. Who I secretly envied, tried to copy and had no sucess whatsoever.
Only we knew this. I loved those two, we were so great friends. We had the best time.

Now I haven't seen them for quite some time so I thought we could meet again and as I had hoped when calling them they both had been happy and suggested to meet at Yuka's.
When I went there I noticed for the first time how much time exactly had passed. I'm nearly 20 now. In a bit over a year I'm gonna be a 'grown-up', an adult. I don't feel like one. Being 19 is like being 17, no difference, nothing. I don't feel any more mature. I don't feel like I've changed and grown up. I still feel like the real me is not as old as my age says. It's like life moved too fast somehow, everything since Ranma got here became so busy that time just flew by. And now I'm about to face adult-life and feel like I've missed to prepare myself like the other teens did. I'm afraid I'm going to have to face something I'll have no clue how to deal with.
Those thoughts went through my head when I stood right before Yuka's room. Now standing so close to her door I could hear Yuka and Sayuris' voices already laugh and chatter in there. I felt sheepish for at first entering the room of Yuka's younger brother when their mother had let me in. Not that I had forgotten where Yuka's room used to be but as I had to find out she had switched half a year ago with her brother because of room sizes.

When I finally knocked and entered they both went all excited and greeted me, which made me quite happy. They both were such good persons and I was lucky being friends with them.
We ate cookies, the TV ran in the background and as I expected the first topic to talk about was Ranma. Of course, that was always the moooost interesting.
The routine began to annoy me. Every time we met I would at first be asked "how's it with you and Ranma now" as if we had nothing different to talk about.
And as every other time I told them that there was nothing new and what they wanted to hear me say anyway when it was all about such a stupid baka like Saotome Ranma.
"Yeah yeah, Akane-chan" Sayuri would say everytime in return while she rolls her eyes at me, and in the straight honest way that Yuka has she would add "Dump him, he's not worth the trouble anyway. I never really liked him.". Or something alike. I really missed it though when Sayuri did the unusual and said nothing at all to me. When had she stopped with that ritual? I hadn't noticed.

Such small things I detected all throughout that evening, when Yuka and Sayuri were all into their talk and I could just listen. Somehow I had forgotten how to talk to them and be part of the conversations we always had.
Where our talks in the good old days had flown from one topic to the next I lately had real problems to talk to them. I didn't really know what to tell them or ask them, I mean start with How are you, What have you been doing... and then?? I mean, there *were* questions I asked, things we chatted about, but it felt so arkward to me, so... not smooth. I had to *think* about topics to start instead of them just well, coming.
Until, finally, I more and more reduced to listening.

I hadn't known that Yuka had problems with her hand and had had to quit playing tennis, something that she had liked very much. I hadn't known that Sayuri had no problems flirting with some guy of a party -to which I of course hadn't been- when she was about to have her aniversary with Hiroshi. And I hadn't known that Sayuri now secretly wanted to work at a flower shop but her parents wanted her to go to college.

Wasn't I supposed to already know that?
No, wasn't I supposed to eagerly put my own two cents in there instead of overhearing those ramblings and trying so desperately to catch up on things I didn't even know I'd missed?!


I got more and more depressed by realizing all that but I know I can act quite good if I want to and so I didn't let it show. Back then though the two *always* knew when I acted or faked happiness.

I had just the obvious knowlegde about them left, those things that are official and not only to be shared among us. Like Sayuri going to Kantai College in Kobe and she would live there with her aunt. She would study Economics and have already some connections to get practical experience. Yuka was to stay in Tokio and study Systeme Ingeneering somewhere and she would keep living at home for the time being.
Nabiki did the same, she went to a College in Tokio and kept living at home with us to save money. Still, Nabiki grew very distant to the family as she took College very seriously and worked every free minute she got. Next year, after her first greater exam she would spend a year at a College in HongKong and then return back to her one in Tokio...-no idea how she managed that.

Anyway, what really shocked me was when Sayuri complimented Yuka on how well she had gotten a grip back on her life after her 'down'. I felt uneasy asking it then and there already but her 'down' turned out to be a try for suicide. This is, at our age, unfortunately, not as unnormal as it should be, seeing as statistics every year and again show of the high rates. Still, it shocked the hell outta me... She had thought about jumping from TokioTower.


Tears gathered in my eyes as thoughts over thoughts tumbled through my head. Yuka immediately felt sorry and tried to cheer me up with a "hey, it's over a year ago, I'm over that, don't worry" and things like that. Sayuri explained that both really didn't blame me for not knowing because I already had a lotta trouble to deal with, and they knew my life got hard and troubled, and at the time I had been on vacation with my martial arts gang in China anyway.

Yeah, 'vacation'. I had told them that. I didn't want them to know about what Saffron tried to do to me. I had told them that the others and I, my gang as it was obviously refered to, went there to get some time to breathe and pick up a cure for Ranma while being at it.


Tears rolled down my eyes when it became painfully obvious to me that we didn't know each other anymore like we used to. And yes, I'm still the crybaby that Ranma calls me.


Still, of course, we like each-other and the two girls tried their best to get me in a better mood again. So, after some fruitless tries we watched a movie. We had seen it many times together and I remembered a lot of conversations initiated by it, remembered what we had laughed about at some scenes and what we sometimes would do after watching it. It was strange that my connection to Yuka-chan and Sayuri-chan went only over the past, what we had in common, our secrets, meaningful talks, all those links lay in the past.
Now, somehow the movie had lost it's meaning. What was there to laugh about, be surprised about - I knew it by heart after all. Yuka and Sayuri though seemed to enjoy theirselves.


I was glad when the phone rang. Yuka has one in her room. It was Hiroshi, who wanted to talk to Sayuri. He told her that there was this hyper cool party today and if she and Yuka would like to join. I wasn't offended mind you, Hiroshi was actually okay and he very probably didn't know that I was there with them, otherwise he would, I guess, have invited me also. She didn't give him a straight answer but it was clearly written on her face that she wanted to go.

I actually didn't want to go. I wanted to go home in fact. Even more so when the 'Hiroshi' topic developped further. They talked about sex, openly and I could do nothing but sit there and listen and feel my cheeks getting warm.

Gods, was that a horrible moment.
I felt like the biggest idiot on earth.
I had not said much before, but now I *could* not say anything.
But listening alone made my face go all red...

Dear kami, who would have known. Yuka had had several one-night-stands and Sayuri, well, at least one year Hiroshi plus x, I didn't ask you see. And actually, if you don't happened to be the traditional no-sex-before-marriage kind of type then that was perfectly alright.
I mean, we are nearly 20 - you hear about kids who do it with 12 and god knows in how many countries the average's first time is at 13 or 14!

*I* personally don't have a problem with it. I know my body in ahm...*that* way and it's not like I never think about doing it... Ah, yeah. With Ranma. I can say that in mind, but only there, mind you very much. And before I go into detail with that statement, with *me* it's only been thoughts so far about the male gender while Yuka and Sayuri exchanged very obviously experiences.
No, I don't know how it feels to give a blow-job and No, I can't throw in my own 2 cents about how difficult it is to be on top and - ride.
The only thing I know is that while those two were discussing the problem of hips and feets' muscle-ache I felt my head ready to explode from heat and blushing.

Oh, was I embarrassed.



Now you see, my friends didn't mean to outcast me, and hadn't meant to the whole evening, I'm sure. And naive me, I had thought the situation couldn't get any worse.
Until, of course.
Until good old Sayuri asked me if I did it with Ranma.


Bluntly like that. As if it was true and clear as day that I was together with him, no no, together with him *like that* *AND* that despite my earlier statement of the opposite.



"You *did* nearly marry bout a year ago after all" Yuka added when I couldn't find words. Not that Yuka did help me.


The whole affair with the marriage had been a disaster. It had been nothing like I had imagined from beginning to the very end. I got no romantic proposal, no ring (but a pill box), no perfect first kiss from the man I love (if you don't count cat licks) and thus no girly chitter chatter with these, my best two friends, about it. But I had Ranma as my groom and somehow I felt as if that would make up for everything else, come there what may. And -up to this day- I don't want to stop believing that I indeed *heard* him say 'it', I didn't only imagine so. But, as this was all about Ranma, and Ranma is a brigde to chaos, nothing worked out. He didn't love me, he didn't wed me and all I got was a dojo that looked like a war had happened in there.
In some kind it had.
Ever since Ranma and I get better along, we don't fight so much as we did a few years back. I think we both realized how short life can be. I just wish and hope it isn't only that.

I guess Ranma is now my best friend.



That realization is funny somehow. I knew it was true the second the thought voiced itself but it sounds so... Ukyou-like.

Ukyou, by the way, was soon forgiven for what she did at my joyful wedding day. I saw it clear on his face that it pained Ranma to be on such bad terms with his long-time friend Uchan.
Shampoo on the other hand had a harder time. Ranma was very mad at her and I often lay awake at night to figure out what exactly angered him the most about her. I had my suspicions and hoped dearly it had to do with me or her stopping our marriage but then again those times weren't the first that I had to stop myself at wishful thinking.
And Kodachi... mmh, I wonder what she does nowadays? I can't recall meeting her for a long time now. Not that I miss her.


"Do you?" with that Sayuri brought me back to the problem at hand, curiousity spiked by my hesitance to answer.

After some moments to catch up with myself I brought a "Of course not" out and hoped dearly that it didn't sound as forced from my lips as it felt.
Ever since Mrs Saotome got her house repaired the whole family had moved back there, including Ranma.
Yes, Ranma now lived at his own home and I was once even brave enough to admit to Kasumi that I missed him being here. Which again shows about the seriousness of me missing the jerk.

With Nabiki out so often and Kasumi working over the day the house seems so empty now. I still had dad when I came home after school, but still. Dad isn't Ranma. Nobody is.
And since we graduated this spring and I have the greatest of all vacations you'll ever get before college starts in autumn, I spent a lot of time at home alone.
At first I felt incredibly embarrassed for every now and then going to Ranma's house to visit him, it felt like ...don't know, courting a boy you want to date. I still wonder how I managed to get there. But soon Ranma visited just as regulary. He often excused that he wanted to train at our dojo but in the end ended up with me in the house. We were both grateful that the dojo was only at our house, otherwise, without school now, I wouldn't really have seen much of my fiance. Nowadays we see each other daily, which I plain and simple love as for a fact.


"Well then" Yuka said, once again, getting me off from my train of thoughts. She grasped my arm and somehow I had a forebording feeling. "lets hook you up with somebody at that party" she said, fully enthusiastic and wearing that look where her features said that there were already plans forming in her head.

Oh. hell. no., was all I thought.

Now I knew definitely that my best friends mutated to only close friends and that knowledge was accepted without the pain I had previously hurt from. My best friends would *know* that I secretly wanted to be with none but the pigtailed martial artist and they certainly would know that I did not want to be hooked up with anyone else!
I mean, I didn't really know where I stood with Ranma nowadays. We certainly became very good friends but could we, eventually, finally, would *he* want to, ...would it in the end... Could there ever be something?
As tiring as this unsecure outwait was however, I was not yet to give up on him. And I certainly, cer-tain-ly, did not want to meet with anyone else now on a dump party!

The "I don't know" that I wanted to use as my introduction for the 'Definite No'-answer was quickly overheard and faster than I thought possible I found myself dragged downstairs to leave for a certain fun-place.




- - - -





The party was in Chiba and we would reach the district pretty quickly with using the subway. I can't recall when I last used the subway; every time I had to travel some greater distance within Tokio I used the Ranma roof-hoping express. He himself had once offered me that service and I gladly make use of it - literally and figurative, as I like his arms around me too...Yeah, well and the business I have within Nerima I can run at myself.
Though, taking the subway now I immediately recognized the sticky air, the light dusk and everything that carries the subground along - I'll never get used to that. I really prefer air-express.

While in the subway waiting for our station at Chiba someone walked up to stand behind me. At first I didn't really think about it but it got all pretty damn quickly clear when I felt a hand brush my butt and pretty self-confidenly feel me up; yuck, was that disgusting, that hentai - but I would teach him. Oh, yes I would!

Despite the fact that Ranma will forever belittle my martial arts skill (and well knowing that I'm the weakest of the martial artists in Nerima) I do know about using the right tad of strength in the right situation.
If I had lost my temper (and I had really tried to work on that recently) I might have well crashed bones with my mallet and I didn't want to risk a judicial consequence. So all I did was grap the man's wrist and -turning around within the same movement to face him- twist it sharply to hear it crack. I know for sure I didn't break nothing but hurt him very much nevertheless. "pervert" I hissed at him and I stared at him with the coldest look I could muster. The smug grin i had caught just before he realized that I was not such a helpless victim as he might have enjoyed in the past, was pretty soon lost.
Now he just whimpered and got out at the next station, Yuka and Sayuri complimented me on my reaction.
Serves them right, those men.

---


The party was at a nice family house, something pretty raw in Tokio. I myself am very happy to live in Nerima where we can have such a house. As I hear in Chiba for most people it is usual to live in a few rooms appartment, not more than 20 square meters all in all. Anyway, this house was even a few rooms bigger than ours. It had a garden too and where we were more traditional and had a fish pond this was rather modern with having a swimming pool in the backyard that was highlighted with red and yellow laterns. I really wondered what kind of rich people lived here. The whole house was a bit hidden and away from the street and other houses and blocks, and had one side to a small city parc. And, as young people do when given the luxury, the as music was loud up as it would go.
It turned out that this was a birthday party of someone our age. His father had been lucky at some kind of share thing and had suceeded in what Nabiki always dreamed of. Since his wife loved TokioBay so much they had stayed in the city and bought this luxurious nice house here (apart from another one near Okinawa). At least so I was told.

Anyway, I knew nobody here and nobody obviously knew me. Sayuri went immediately to Hiroshi whom she gave a *long* kiss. I turned away not wanting to watch and pushed through crowds of people to follow Yuka. I was still looking around for people I might know (usually everybody knows either me or Ranma - but that is Nerima) when Yuka shoved a glass with some clear liquid into my hands.

"Akane" she said "This is -" she lay her arm around a boy with dyed hair. "What was you name again?" she asked him overly friendly.

"Iwasaki" he answered grinning at me and from that very second I decided I wanted to leave and, I wanted to leave that guy.

"Iwasaki-san, this is Tendou Akane." Yuka took her arm back and continued "Now, Iwasaki-san, if you could hold this for me for a sec, I'll be right back and I just go for little girls. See ya" and all that went in a rush and I just saw her handing him her glass and leaving in a hurry.

Great. Here I stood.
"So, Tendou, you're a friend of Nyoba?"
Who?
"You know I've never seen you around"

I turned my head sideways and guessed it couldn't hurt to say that I had no idea what this dult talked about.

"I know nobody with the name of Nyoba I'm afraid" I said, trying to be polite. I was talking to a stranger after all.

"This is his birthday party and you're drinking his -" he sniffed at Yuka's glass "Tequila"

Shi-it.
I broke out into a smile and tried to weasle my way out. Gosh, I wanted to weasly out of this party. I wanted nothing but home!
"Geez, I forgot! Kenta-kun is a very very good friend of Nyoba-kun and you see, I'm really best friends with Hiroshi-kun and I'm here with him, and yeah." Now I just hoped that this guy didn't know Kenta Hiroshi otherwise I was done for. I had no idea if Hiroshi even knew Nyoba at all.

"Is that so." Iwasaki said.

...

I waited but apart that he said nothing so I guess that was over.
There was a long silence, meaning that we didn't talk (and I was glad for that) but therefore the music hammered around in my ears. I like music but this was not exactly my taste.
Until, he had to break it, our verbal silence. I began to hate that guy - didn't he know when a girl didn't want nothing to do with him? What was I to do? Tell him to the face? I smiled again to show I was listening.
He took him some time to start to say that whatever it was that was hanging there on his lips. He bent a bit towards me.
Unwillingly I did the same - no don't think nothing wrong here - the music was just too loud to understand each-other any different way. But be sure of it, I kept great care to lean just sideways to him. For one that meant I didn't have to look at him directly and understand him better anyway.



"SOOooo, you're not gonna drink it?"
he heaved Yuka's glass to emphasize.



He really went on my nerves and I felt my old temper flare back to life. Yes, the one that I worked so hard for to not lose it. And this was not even Ranma!

"I don't like alcohol, and at our age we're not allowed to drink anyway." I said back.
"Aw come-on, cutie" *cu-tie* he said.

CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL, was all I thought. I hadn't lost my temper for well over 2 months now, and I wasn't gonna break my new outstanding record over such an idiot!

"Sooooo," gods I hated how he said that "is there any boy you like, boyfriend?" he asked again.
Was that now one question or two?

"None of that" Yuka said for me, hugging me from behind.
I again brought up that smile for show and fisted my hands - it was too crowded for people to notice. Though Ranma might have noticed my aura...
"But Yuka" I began, sounding overly sweet.
But Yuka was obviously having none of it.

"What Akane-chan? Is there anyone special you gave your heart to at the moment?"

She knew it that she had me there.

"No but" I said

"Well then" Iwasaki said, grinned and I wanted to punch him in the face "how about let's drink your Tequila, Spanish Style" and he grinned again with what he probably thought to be attracting.

Oh, no, I won't have that! Sirenes went on in my head. Somehow I had the feeling that this was not only about gulping that clear liquid down, not that I knew how to drink Tequila in the first place, not even to talk about any 'Spanish Style'.

"I'm not interested" I squeaked out.

Yuka was about to say something but I cut her to it.

"in boys." I continued, surprising and afterwards complimenting myself. I was used to some pupils at school thinking that about me, initiated by a girl who couldn't stand me and had a crush on one of the boys who later fighted for my dating. Some believed her since I never wanted any of the boys that followed me. But most knew better or didn't care, whichever. My best friends had the proof when I time and again rambled about Tofu-ono, that was the most important for me. I never cared much about rumors, and later on, when Ranma came, I should become grateful for that attitude.

Anyway, that shut up the stupid Iwasaki.
Friendly and politely as he was he spotted -accidently of course- someone, and with a "Kensuke!" greeting that sounded like his lifebelt on the high sea he went over to that someone, handing Yuka her Tequila back.
Oh, was I satisfied.

"Well done, 'Kane" Yuka said a bit annoyed that her plan obviously hadn't worked out as she had wanted it to "now you're the lesbian for the rest of the night. This is gonna spread like fire."
She shook her head at me and I was about to say that I rather would like to go home now when she dragged me to some kind of bar made of two wooden tables. "now let's at least get some salt and lemon"

"What for?" I wondered.

Yuka only shot me a look in return and grasped for said items that were there on the table.

"Now here" she fished me one of the cut lemons out of the bowl she had grabed and put the salt in front of us.

"Wha-" I wanted to ask
"Now use the lemon to make your hand a bit wet there. No, not the palm, turn it round. Fist your hand, yeah, that's it"
I did as I was told out of curiosity and finally put salt on the wet spot on the back of my hand and wondered what the heck this would turn out to be. In any case, Yuka did just the same on her hand.
"Now lick off the salt"
Again I did as I was told and I mean, I'm not totally stupid, it already had dawned on me that it was about the drink, but Yuka did it too so I figured it wouldn't hurt. But damn was I wrong. The taste of so much salt on your tongue was disgusting and when Yuka told me to drink I gladly accepted wanting to wash the taste away. Imagine my look when I had to learn that the Tequila was even worse! If I had known anything about Tequila I would have known that this was no Tequila size glass but double of it. While I was making faces at Yuka, my hands fluttering around like nervous birds, she calmly motioned me to bite into the lemon. Well, it couldn't get worse then the Tequila. I bit into the lemon squeezing my eyes shut after the first second and my hair stood at end from the taste. I shook my head to clear it from that taste and experience and if possible forget about the whole affair that instant. When I opened my eyes I saw Yuka finish with her drink and she did very obviously manage the whole thing a lot better than me.

"Yuka that was awful"
"No," she said "that was Tequila."

Well, what an introduction to alcohol.

---



After that Yuka brought me some drink without alcohol, or so she claimed. It was as green as the grass in spring is but tasted good. Like a lot of juices mixed and ahm, whatnot. I don't really know what is put into a drink like that. In any drink for that matter.
We were about to be an hour here when Yuka finally left me too. I was pretty bored, so I went out into the garden. The swimming pool reminded me on Ranma, if he was here he certainly would fall into it. He had a talent for that.

I smiled at myself, catching me thinking about him. Again. I wondered what he did this night. Probably watch TV or read a manga or train in some way. What else would Ranma do, besides eat and sleep that is.

I stood around there for quite some time, listening to the music which amazingly was not at all loud here in the garden. I watched the stars, watched the people and occasionaly sipped at my drink. By then I didn't care if there was alcohol in it or not; it tasted good and I just had this one glass. One can't hurt.
Finally I was about to sit down at the pool when to boys came towards it carrying a screaming girl at arms and legs. I rushed out of the way and the boys threw the girl in, clothes and all, without hesitation. They thought it probably very funny and laughed loudly about it. The girl started throwing curses at them and splashed water at the boys for revenge. At her first blow I got enough already on my blouse and hair and as I didn't want to get drenched in the end I muttered a watch it and got out of the way. After spending some more time wandering around in the garden, I wanted to return back inside.

On my way there I ran into Hiroshi and Sayuri, both a bit drunk and both needing to steady each-other slightly.

"Hi" I said.
There was silence.

"Where you going to?" Sayuri wanted to know.
I decided to say it how it was.
"I think I'm going home now. I hope you don't mind"
"Of course we mind" Hiroshi said, sounding offended for a reason.
Sayuri somehow didn't realize that last dialog and just wore a wondering look on her face. Finally she voiced her question after observing me a few times: "Where is Yuka?"

I was about to shrug my shoulders but Hiroshi turned the two of them around and pointed back at a door frame near the entrance to the garden. Yuka was standing there lost in heavy tongue-battle with Iwasaki's Kensuke.
I made a face at them to show that I not exactly approved of that, but well. It was Yuka's cup of tea.

"Why do you want to go home? It's not even midnight?" Hiroshi continued with our earlier conversation.

"You see, Yuka's busy" I threw my thumb over my shoulder to point at them "and I neither want to disturb you two and I don't exactly know anybody here..." I trailed off, hoping to explain the situation.

"Should I call Ranma?" he asked me in all honesty. Geez, I knew Hiroshi and Daisuke were Ranma's best friends at school but I had no idea what that baka told the two of them about me or his reltionship with me.
"Ahm, Hiroshi-kun," I started, not knowing how to word it or what I actually was going to say "you don't-"
"Why don't you get to know some people?" Sayuri interrupted me. The get-to-know Iwasaki came back to my mind and I really wasn't keen on repeating that.
"Yes, hello Mrs Saotome. Yes, I know the time, I'm sorry but it's an emergency."
"What??!" I hissed at the boy who all of the sudden had his mobile out. "Hiroshi!" I grabed his arm, willing him to stop talking and lay down and be cold out right then and there.
He instead just disentagled from Sayuri, handing her to me by that and turned around to continue his call undisturbed.
"Yes, please tell him to come, this is the adress..."
"Hi-ro-shi!!" I whined. What would come next? Shampoo and Ukyou having the catering service?

I wouldn't wonder.


- - -




Well, okay. So Ranma would come. In some way I was glad. But I felt sorry for Mrs Saotome to be called so late.
However, Hiroshi, Sayuri and I went back in as Sayuri felt so cold out here...in the light summer breeze...okay. Inside I felt like it was over-heated, but okay. The things you do for friends. The two insisted on me staying with them. Probably they were afraid I would secretly leave. I would by the way.

We sat down with a group of boys that Hiroshi knew. Apart from Sayuri and me there was just one more girl. I noticed her because of the size of her chest. She didn't have as much as Ranma occasionally did but a good Shampoo-size nevertheless. The fact was that along with her tight black leather pants she was wearing a red top (with 'bitch' standing in western letters on the front) which offered a very nice few on her bosom, if you wanted to or not. She looked increadibly cheap. The 'bitch' shirt just highlighted her. You know, these kind of shirts are meant to be ironical, not a statement. But the boys seemed to like to have her sit with them.
As I learned her name was Mineko and she was enjoying herself very much.
I looked at my own clothing - not at all party-like. A yellow skirt, and my old blue blouse, buttoned up to the collar at the neck. Luckily the two of us didn't sit next to each other. I wore a white top beneathe the blouse but that was a *very* tight top that I mostly used for work-outs. I never liked sports-bras that much, I prefered these really tight tops. And not to be mistaken, the top was feshly washed and I wore a bra beneathe it this time. It would be safe to look at but it still would be a show-off. There was no chance in hell that I would run around just with that. No, no. Not without my blouse.
...
Ranma would come soon, would he also drool over that Mineko?
...
Maybe I could at least open a few buttons, the first two or so...




----

15 minutes later I wore the blouse tied around my hips. For one was the heat in here getting to me and for two *would* Ranma appear soon and Mineko was still shoving her damn breasts into any male face available. And maybe Ranma would finally -just maybe I remind- see that I'm somewhere here a girl too.
I shouldn't get any hopes on that up though.
Again my gaze travelled back to brush over Mineko.

My jealousy -yes, I know that I am- is something I couldn't improve on. I have still my hands full working on the temper-part.

I shook my head in hope to clear it and tried to concentrate on something different.
Seemed to be my lucky day. Hooray.

One of the boys suggested to play a game. I was not at all into playing anything here. The music had been turned off because a few girls in a corner were singing karaoke now and it was about to become midnight and they prepared something for Nyoba's birthday or whatever they were doing. It turned out that his birthday was not today but tomorrow. Not that Hiroshi knew about any of this, I found out, he didn't know anyone called Nyoba. How come I was not surprised.

Gladly they decided to not play Blowing Cards as there were too many boys. Strip Poker was suggested but again, that game was better safed for the time when more girls joined. Furthermore did Mineko state that she wore too few things to play that game - she would lose *eve-ry-thing* in an instant. Oh my.
So "Max" it was or "Truth or Dare", how classic. 'Max' was a dice game where at about every 3rd throw somebody lost and had to drink something as punishment. Truth or Dare, well is Truth or Dare, they didn't have to explain that to me, for a change.
I feared the wrath of the Tequila and it's kind so I voted for the latter game. I just hoped Ranma would pick me up and bring me home before it was my turn. He should be here any minute anyway.



- - - -




"Tendou."
I groaned inwardly, being chosen for the 4th time within these 12 rounds and still no Ranma in sight. Did he mean to arrive at all actually? It's of course all Ranma's fault, again. How typical. Once when I need him...
"Truth."
I chose yet again Truth. I rather not take the Dare that those boys might want me to do. My first question was an easy one (at least on the mean-level), namely if I was taken. What actually meant taken? I was Ranma's fiance that cerainly meant 'taken' but it was not out of Ranma's free will. Seeing it like that, if any boy had ever layed in any way a claim on me that he wanted to be with me? -No. The next: if I'm wearing panties under my skirt. How mature, but then again, how mature was that game. -Yes.
If I liked it rough. Well, strictly grammatically this 'it' could be anything and seeing how my life with martial arts was on the kind of rough side. -yes. That earned me some cat-calls. Where the heck was Ranma??!

"Is there anyone in the room you would want to have sex with?"


And of course *this* was the moment that Ranma entered the room.
And he was a she.
Oh how perfect.

Now, probably unknown to this boy there was no excuse to misunderstand that question. Ranma had only just entered the room and couldn't yet have heard of what was going on here but this was a thing on honour, I wouldn't lie. And unfortunately, Sayuri was all of the sudden fully awake and her whole attention was directed to me. I couldn't lie, she knew it.
But I certainly wouldn't say "Ranma" now, so that he would hear his name and question me about it. I wouldn't point at the red-head as it was one to simply say 'I'm not interested in boys' and something totally different to say in truth 'I'm want to have the red-head in bed'. Still, this was debateable embarassment BUT while I could deal with Sayuri, what in all serious hell would Hiroshi do with information like that.

All hell would freeze over before I would let Hiroshi know that I wanted to have sex with Ranma.

"I take Dare, Dare!" I tried desperately "I'm sorry, I've had enough Truth, I'd like Dare please" I pleaded hastily.
Now, though this is actually not how the game works, the players accepted. Finally a girl with Dare. Of course they accepted! What did I expect! I should have quit before I was asked a fourth time! Why that Ranma, if only he would have come a tad bit sooner or later!

I didn't know if Ranma had spied us yet but hoped that the idiotic Dare would be over before he saw me.


Afer some time of thinking (which I thought would never end) the boy finally gave me my Dare. The mean-type of Dare. Oh, I hate that game.

"I want you to sit on one of our laps -your choice- and fake an orgasm."



I really *felt* how all blood left my head. GODS NO!!! WHAT WOULD RANMA THINK!? Oh GODS please help me! Maybe I should for once swallow my damn pride and quit the game simply. They couldn't force me to do anything! ...No, I could cope with anything they threw at me, that's how it's always been. I just had to find a way out of this and fast before Ranma would come.

Sayuri, of course!


I went to her, sat on her lap, each of my legs at her sides and nearly tearing my skirt by it.
"Please, help me out of this" I whispered to her, desperate for help.
Sayuri proved to be a true friend. Looking down we both hid our faces, she in her hair, I between our chests, and *she* did the vocals and rocked our bodies a bit forth and back. Gods was that embarassing. The boys' cat-calls the only company to that embarassment. I wanted to simply vanish. If only I had voted for that stupid Max!

When Sayuri was finally finished,...verbally of course, I looked up. A great blush was all over my face. I was so grateful that it was over and nobody knew me, I just wanted to go and leave. When my head went up and I looked over her shoulder I met straight with Ranma's grey blue eyes.

This day kept from getting worse to worst.





The red-head wore a pretty sick look on her face and he kept just staring back at me. Hiroshi finally dared to look away from his girl-friend who just had proved her perfect ability to fake an orgasm anytime, and so he spotted Ranma.

"Yo, Pal, how's it goin?" he greeted my fiance.
"Hi Hiroshi." Ranma answered, his voice clearly showing that he felt more than disturbed. I didn't find my own voice to say anything to him, not that I knew where to being and explain.

"You said it was an emergency, and you got me the wrong adress"

So that's why he ran so late...

"I was worried but" and here he looked back at me "it seems ya having fun."

...that tone, Gods did I feel guilty!


Without another word he turned and began to walk away.
"RANMA!" I shouted, finally disentagling myself from Sayuri and running after him as good as you can run in a crowd.

"10" said crowd began. "9"
Oh boy, why *had* it to be exactly now
"Ranma!" I tried again, unheard as it went together with the "8".

He headed towards the yard. "7"
He passed Iwasaki "6" and Iwasaki spotted me "5"

"Watch out, she's a dyke" he warned. Before the "4" was shouted. A vene plopped out on both, Ranma's and my, heads. Maybe I imagined it, as I was never good at reading auras, but I thought I saw Ranma's flickering up that second.
"3"

"Ranma!" I tried again and he heard, I'm sure, but didn't stop.
"2"

I passed Yuka who still kissed with that Kensuke at the same place as before.
"1"


"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" they screamed within the house and music and noise and paper trupets and whatnot was to be heard.
Ranma and I stood practically alone in the garden.

"Ranma, don't be mad, it was only a stupid game in there" I tried to explain.
"What should I care what an uncute tomboy chick like you should do in there!!" he shouted without facing me; his form looked even more angered now than I thought before. I could tell that lately my fiance had tried not to call me names anymore. He didn't by far suceed but at least he had tried. Until now. And it still hurt like ever.
"Well, excuse me it wasn't like I was exactly having fun." I could feel it how my temper snapped but I somehow couldn't stop it! "If you hadn't taken all the time of the world to co-"
"Well, excuse *ME*" he interrupted me, spinning around and facing me. The look on his face somehow shocked me and slammed me out of my routine where I grab for hammer-space now.
But he did not continue, no words left his lips though he seemed to fight a battle for finding them.


He had been worried. He even said so, he must have been worried sick then. I could see the sweat on his face as he had probably run his heart out trying desperately to find this place when Hiroshi, the baka, had called him to an emergency. And when he finally finds it, people all in happy moods and no emergency at all, he finds me, his fiancee, doing *that* of all things.
I wanted to slap myself.

After a heavy silence between us, me feeling guilty and he just freaking staring at me...


Finally I found some courage to speak.

"Ranma, please. I just want to go home." I said.

Somehow that seemed to be the last straw for him though.

"You know what" he hissed "You command and I do, that's not as it works, tomboy! We are NOT going home now!"

"I haven't commanded anythi-" I wanted to scream back but today I was always interrupted!

"We STAY and that's FINAL! You stay, I stay and full stop!"

My hands fisted automatically and I was very VERY tempted to punch him as hard as I could. But then again, what happened to control. In the back of my head it kept dancing that this time he was not at fault, and this was really seldom. Usually I always could blame him for at least one part. Now he was only angry and I was pretty sure that despite himself he didn't want to stay - it was all just to do against my will.

"What would you want to do here anyway?" I thought out loud. What would he do?

"Well this is a party, so I can be here and end."

But then again, I was not perfected on controlling my temper yet.
"Fine" I snapped "be that way! See if I care!"

"See if *I* care" he screamed at me.

"Fine!!" I screamed back, feeling childish somehow but I couldn't help reacting so.

"FINE!" he screamed back just as childish.
And here I thought we were over that.

I stomped back into the house. I would not be the one to say "let's get home already" as the first. He would do that. Ranma could never amuse himself at parties, he just was not that type. I would prove him that he would have to drag me out of there because of all the fun I could have if I wanted it. I would not be the one to give up here firts.



- - - -





It became 1.15 and still Ranma had not shown up to say we could go. I had spotted him occasionally but I had to look pointedly away when he would look too, so I never saw him for too long. Gods, this was all so boring. The house was full to the breaking point, I wondered how long this all would be going. Sayuri and boyfriend played now that dumb 'Max' with the rest of the boys. Mineko was gone but as Ranma was currently a she it was unlikely that I should worry about her where-abouts.
Speaking about gone, Yuka was also out of sight. Kensuke too. I remembered, not my cup of tea.
I rather wanted to find Ranma.

And I thank the gods that I found him when I did.

He had gotten himself into a challenge. A drinking challenge.
And I could guess who would lose.


It seemed to me to be the 'drink until one falls over' type, a condition so dumb that only men could come up with something like this.


What a funny coicidence that right then and there Mineko wanted to squeeze through. I accidently, really!, bumped into her at the right moment and she turned out to be more drunken than I had expected so she all but fell onto Ranma's competition (instead of simply bumping into him as I intended) and *both* kissed the floor.


The people watching were a bit mad at how this turned out but accepted the winner and went their ways. Ranma's competitior kept lying were he was, he had had drunken more than enough all through the evening and probably that fast change of air-level gave him the rest.
Maybe Ranma would have won even without me.

Then again I looked at Ranma, he had had only two drinks and was already having problems, I could guess.

"I saw you cheated! Could have won easily!" he accused me.
"Yeah sure" I commented sarcastically though I'm not sure if my fiance got that.

"I have no problems drinkin! I'm a man among men!" That sounded pretty insane coming from female lips, at least for those surrounding and not knowing us.

"What are you wearin anyway, 'kane?" he suddenly threw in.
He regarded me for a while, checking me throughly and I felt extremely self-concious. My skirt had a cut on the side that showed off my leg, the tight white top and then my hair, which stood still out at odd ankles... Since it got wet from the pool it didn't dry properly with the sticky heat in here.

He finally pointed at my top. "You're getting desperate or what?"

What did you think, of course that immediately sent my temper flaring.

"With your flat chest, Akane, it's absolutely no use dressing like that" he continued and I reached for hammerspace, control be malleted with him!

With said mallet in hand and ready to swing, my "Ranma no baka" on the lips, Hiroshi hugged Ranma from behind, with one arm around the neck. Like this I would hurt *both*.
To hold back now made me just more angry.

"You guys want to come?" Ranma's friend asked, oblivious to any danger.
"For playing 'Max' we found the last bottle of Tequila and now we're all drinking the last round back at our table. want to join?"


Oh, yes, Tequila. I would show Ranma with that and shove his own words back his throat. I would make sure Ranma drinks of that stuff!
"YES" I answered for us both and dragged Ranma to the place I sat at before.


---



Now, Hiroshi hadn't said that *this* time it was Spanish Style, whatever that meant. But I sure as hell wasn't going to drink again so it didn't matter to me. See how Ranma would deal with the stuff, the salt on the tongue, the burning on the throat and the sour lemon. I really wondered why people drank that kind of way and *liked* it.
Now I *knew* that Ranma could cope with alcohol even less that I could. I at least, at special occasions nipped at some sake (as it actually tastes not so bad) while Ranma only drank sake if his mother was around.
I *was* a bit confused though as Hiroshi said to make couples now. I had noticed the moment we returned there that a lot of girls had joined to the boy group. Quite a bunch of people had left the party too, though still many were here.
Anyway, it was said to make couples, and every boy really got a girl at his side. I remained with Ranma though. Every couple got one glass and it was decided who would drink. I really didn't understand what the use of this could be. This obviously was for the 'Spanish' reason.
We got the Salt standing on the table as well as the bowl of cut lemons, of which every *not-drinker* should take one. Now I really was confused. What did *I* have to do with this? But I didn't want to back out as long as Ranma participated and drank the Tequila as he agreed to. He just eyes everything sceptically. With all the other boys going through with this I knew Ranma would never stop now.
Then a boy with a little pony-tail at the back of his head came and brought us new glasses, Tequila glasses, small glasses. And as we had only one bottle left and quite a number of couples we got even less into each glass. That was at best a third of what I drank. Was I disappointed.

Sayuri was one of the few girls who wanted to drink, mostly it were only boys. I sat there with the lemon in my hand and waited to be instructed.
Had I known what was to come I would not have sat there so casually.


"Non-dreakers, take the lemon and make the side of your neck wet with it." the boy instructed for all those who didn't know. "Now put salt on it."
Oh no-oo..., I thought. I was still pretty sure that Ranma was the one to have the salt on his tongue in the end...

"...take the glass" he continued "and girls, put it between your tits so that it still sticks out of your tops and boys, put it" he grinned "where your legs join. No, you gotta close them of course, make a lap, yeah like that...No, you have to open your shirt a bit more, ...you, as you wear no top make your bra hold the glass or somethin..."

I was still shocked about the so nicely put 'tits' when I looked down at myself and where exactly I should put the glass. I was more then a little nervous now.
Ranma on the other hand, who had definitely no clue about Tequila, enjoyed my blush very much and grinned smugly at me.
Well, he had no idea that he was supposed to be the one on the recieving end of the Tequila, now was he...
Okay, I thought and put the damn glass where I should put it.
Ranma would get his lesson.


"Alright? Now the lemon between your teeth, no, other way round so that the partner can bite from it"


Can..bite from it? While I hold the lemon with my teeth he can ...bite from it??

What have I gotten myself into now??!


I practically *felt* my redness on the cheeks now, and even Ranma had a slight hue over his face. He didn't look at me no more.

I wasn't about to back out from it now though.
So I put the damn thing between my lips and bit down on the one edge to hold it between my teeth.
It wasn't like this meant anything, it was just a stupid game after all.
And Ranma was a girl too. He wouldn't try anything.

I raised my eyebrows at him in silent question.



"And remember" the boy rambled on "you're not allowed to let loose on your lemon. Now, the rest, normal. Lick the salt, drink the Tequila and bite into the lemon. Oh, did I mention? No hands allowed to use." He grinned again "Go for it"

And so, every couple started.








If only Ranma hadn't looked me into the eyes at the last moment. All his anger and stuborness seemed to have gone and there was something.. different now... The fact that with him hesitating to start and rather search in my eyes for god knows what made me just more nervous. And finally I felt my stomach tingle.

_Really_ tingle.

Not the light kind, or the annoying kind when you're excited about something or whatselse, but the kind where you're...where you're...really...gods, my breathing is somehow so difficult.

Warmth rushed all over me when Ranma finally broke eye-contact and looked to the side. Behind him I saw Sayuri going for Hiroshi's lap. My attention was quickly back on Ranma-chan when he bent over and I felt his breathe against my neck. I caught myself panting and wondered how long I could surpress it. I felt heat pulsate through my whole system.
Not very long infact, the breathe, I couldn't hold it very long at all when I felt his lips on my neck; ...I really thought I would burst inside. It felt, it was...it was...
That was his tongue.

With one warm stroke it glided slo-owly over there to lick the salt away. I couldn't keep my breathe in and and nearly chocked it out, heavily. He licked again, carefully, and again and I found myself titling my head slightly to the side to give him better acess. Too many emotions ran through my head to think about that now any further.
I absently saw Sayuri trying to catch the glass between Hiroshi's legs to catch it between her teeth. Finally she succeded -Hiroshi seemed not so happy about that- and looked up towards the ceiling to get the Tequila down her throat.
The second Ranma drew back I already missed the warmth of his tongue there immensly. The wet spot was now cold against the air and I yearned for being touched like that again.
I regained my senses when I felt Ranma's bangs brush against my collarbone. Safe for him to go unnotice I closed my eyes when I felt him try to catch the glass. His forehead against my chest did wonders to my insides and I was happy to sit otherwise my knees would have given out. He couldn't catch the glass and with each try pushed it unintentionally deeper into my top. Briefly I wondered if Ranma did that intentionally. Then again I wondered if that mattered. Finally he got it and like Sayuri, by throwing his head back, drank the content. He did not make a face at the taste though.
He caught my gaze again before he moved forward and warm lips pressed against mine.


I can't say if he just lingered there or actually tried to bite off of the lemon. All I felt was... Wow, and well, him.
Eventually though he pulled away trying to bite his bit off but you see, a lemon is not like an apple where you bite and then got your piece. A lemon is tough and rather fights to keep it's flesh. So he tried again and again and it really felt like kissing him and I had to bring up every ounce of will to not let the damn lemon be lemon and return the intoxicating movement.



After I have no idea how long, but too soon that's for sure, he pulled back though and I took the remaining piece of lemon out of my mouth. Only then, opening my eyes again and looking at him I remembered that my fiance was currently female. Ranma still hadn't moved away and I swear I felt him bent towards me again when the devil itself came by.


"Wellwellwell, if it isn't the dyke Akane. Are we having fun yet?" Iwasaki said.

I can't list the many many curses that I sent upon this boy at that very moment.
Ranma, of course, sat now back at his place. I neither had the courage to just get back to the magic little second *before* Iwasaki spoke up.
Ranma wore a blush and I wore a blush and somehow I wished my brain to stop thinking so I wouldn't have to face what any of this had meant after all or what the consequences could be.

"Hey, Yamato" Iwasaki continued "you can do that chick in my car, let's go. Half of the gang is already out"

Geez, was I glad that that idiot would be gone. Indeed quite a lot of people were gone and I hadn't noticed the music being reduced to a radio station at normal loudness level.
By directing my gaze towards adressed Yamato who was one of the boy-group I had always been with so far and who now heavily was making out with a gril, I noticed that most of the couples were making out. And without the disturbance, I, Akane would be too. With Ranma Saotome.


"I'll be searching for getting to find a, a c-coke. Be right back" I stammered out pathetically trying to surpress the even greater blush I felt coming up and going as quickly as possbile to the room next door to get my breathing back to normal.


After searching for the coke sucessfully I decided it couldn't hurt to make use of the bathroom which was up-staires.
I refreshed myself and finally went back to Ranma.


...and did. not. believe. my. eyes.


Most of the group was gone. The only girl left was busily making out, so that left Ranma for the rest of the boys.
Said one was sitting there happily, surrounded by boys who obviously had convinced him to drink yet a bit more. Like the remaining Tequila, though that hadn't been much, and beer. Beer was all that was left now. And Ranma had gotten enough alcohol, plain to any eye, and now he was seriously flirting with those boys. Hell knows why.

"Ranma!" I shouted, loud even to my own head.

"Took ya, l-long" he broke out into girlish giggles "long enough, Akane!" again he laughed, whatever he found so funny.

I took that as a serious sign.
"Ranma, let's go home"

The moment I said it I realized that just a few hours before I nearly sweared to not be the one to say it as first. Seesh.
Although Ranma, he didn't notice at all.

He looked around, confused. He reminded me a bit on a chicken with his strange movements of his head. Just a slow-motion chicken. Whatever.

"You---" he dragged the sound along "think so?" he asked finally, and I felt as if he meant that to be a serious quesiton.

I nodden and was about to respond when one of the boys unasked for started to trickle Ranma's side.
And he giggled so girlishly!! I saw red.


Pounting like a little girl I stomped over there and snaped Ranma out of their grasp. I dragged him by his pigtail out of the room towards the next and thus in the direction of the house entrance to leave.

Unfortunately that next room was what was left of the party spirit.






Hiroshi and Sayuri and about 10 other guys were sitting in a circle playing cards. Beer bottles stood all over the place, every third one lying emtpy on the ground. In the middle was a smale pile of clothes.

Of. course.
Strip Poker.


"Ey, Ranko, Akane-chan, sit down, have fun, come on" Hiroshi sing-sang. Sayuri elbowed him slightly in the rips but giggled afterwards.

"no, I think we're going home now" I tried to say reasonable.

"Aw, come on Akane." Sayuri pleaded "Hiroshi's elder brother is picking us up with his car later, he can take you along." My face must have looked doubtful so she continued.
"Ranma doesn't really look like he's gonna make it very far tonight and subway is closed by now."

Yeah, well, she had a point there.
I was not exactly crazy on running around Tokio's streets at night with female Ranma singing along about how much fun it is.
And taxi? Nabiki would kill me for bringing *that* bill.

"So when's this brother coming?"




- - - -




We sat here now for not even 15 minutes and Ranma not only had managed to drink another four beers but also lose every game. Though the latter was to expect. Somehow I had the false hope that his drunken state (which was rapidly intensifying) would weigh out his absolute non-talent for card games. Proved to be wrong.



In the middle of us there lay my blue blouse, 6 different socks, 3 pairs of socks, Sayuri's top (she really sat there just with bra), three pairs of pants (one of them being Ranma's who wore now boxers - something that got wondering looks from most of the players), 7 boys' shirts (one of them a red chinese one) and now it was time for one black muscle-shirt to join.
And Ranma, with his ever lacking sense of modesty, sent it there no time.

I can't really blame them but of course the boys went nuts on Ranma. He again didn't really seem to realize any of this, he rather looked very troubled and focused on something. I was having enough of it and wanted to get his shirt back when one of the guys grabed it for it to be out of my reach.
I stood up immediately and got angry but the fast get-up was doing bad things to my head. I needed a second to clear my vision from the blackness and get my steadiness back.
"Yo, ya okay ka-ne?" Ranma asked concerned, his hand steadying my right shin. That was so useless it was cute again.

However, looking at him with an all but naked chest I got back on mission again.
"Give him back the shirt" I shouted
"huh? Whom?" he answered but when I made one threateningly step forward he went for a run trough the house, I was about to follow but threw my blouse at Ranma first.
"Get that on" I ordered.

But before I could get on my hunt, Ranma, who obediently got into the sleeves of my blouse, adressed me.
"I'm sick somehow, please"

That stopped me right away and I forgot all about that shirt idiot. Instead I helped Ranma get up and went with him to the bathroom up-stairs.
On our slow way there we met several small groups talking away, mostly only two or three people. The party really had thinned out. No wonder, it was about to become 4am.

When we finally were upstairs the bathroom of course was occupied. Well fine, we would wait.
"You okay, Ranma?" I asked as tentatively as I could.

He just nodded in return and I could nearly feel how his whole world shook with the movement.

"I really liked that kiss" he suddenly said and shook me completely out of my clear thinking with it.

I didn't know how to respond, after all Ranma was drunk and would say anything. So I said nothing and only looked down.

Well, and found him still naked.
"Get that buttoned, idiot!" I hissed, more sharply than I intended. He really tried but couldn't look down for to long it seemed.

"Hold it at least closed." I said it this time more carefully.
And again he did as he was told.
Somehow he was a lot easier to handle now. If he did not exactly speak about kissing.

A boy came up running to us. I remembered him from the Truth or Dare group.
"You're friends of Kenta-kun, aren't you?" he asked

"We are" I said
"His brother is waiting outside in his car."
"Oh, I see. Ahm" I thought for short, my head hurting "Listen, please tell him to wait a bit, I'll tell Hiroshi and Sayuri."
The guy went back out to do as I had asked him, and I for my part had now to get through to Ranma.

"Listen, can you stay here for short? I'll be back in a sec, okay? I'll only tell this the other two and then be back here." He nodded again and I went for the steps.
"And hold that closed" I reminded him pointing at my blouse.
He tightened his hold on the cloth.

He was really sweet like that.


---



After telling our friends about the waiting home-driving service and making sure that they waited for us, I ran back up to Ranma, hoping that the damn bathroom was free now. A quick 'holding the head in cold water' should do for the drive home. Maybe even a change would help him, who knows?

Oh joy, the bathroom *was* free. I could see that from afar. What I could not see was Ranma.


He was not to be found on the floors of the first floor so I went down to search downstairs. He was in neither room, not in the yard and not in front of the house. Hiroshi's brother was getting impatient.
After 10 more minutes of all three of us searching wihtout sucess the elder Kenta gave the option to either come with him or stay here. Telling me her sorry Sayuri went with her boyfriend to be driven back to Nerima.






I was thinking that maybe Ranma went home alone but then again, he wouldn't do that. Maybe he fell asleep somewhere, but then again, I would find him. I spend 5 more minutes searching everywhere downstairs, calling his name and everything.
I went upstairs again and decided he could actually be nowhere but in the upper rooms. Though apart of the bathroom, everything was pitch-black there and she had already checked the floors. Why would Ranma investigate the rooms, in his state.
I looked into the bath-room, nothing.
I tried to open the door next to the bath-room though there was a clear sign on it with 'NO PARTY'. It was locked anyway. I tried that for the few next doors also but all but one where locked and in there, a guestroom, he wasn't.
I tried the other side of the bath, the rooms down the floor there. Only two of them were locked but there was no Ranma in the others so far. Two doors remained. Out of one definitely sounds came out. The kind of sounds where you don't want to interrupt the two people. It wasn't Ranma's voice anyway, neither the female nor the male one. Not that I really expected that in the first place.
If Ranma shouldn't be in the room facing this one though then and only then would I risk open it and disturb whoever where going at it in there.

'Luckily' may be the wrong term. But I did not have to open the door after all as Ranma was indeed in the last room I tried. It's always the last one. Only I found him not really as I would have expected.

Ranma looked pretty out of it, his eyes focused on something on the ceiling where there was nothing but white. He seemed half unconcious. The thing was another girl was with him and while Ranma was lying on a western king sized bed she was benting over him.
My blouse was open, her right hand on his left breast, her left one resting on his lower belly, at least not *inside* the damn shorts but out of them.

Her.head.near.his.right.breast.

Her mouth had probably just left him when she jerked her head towards the door.


I lost my temper?? Damn right I did. I lost a hell more than that!
Slut, bitch, get off of him, and whatnot I screamed at her. Gods I was angry! I barely resisted the urge to beat her to a bloody pulp. But a martial artist doesn't raise his hand in anger, and certainly not against the weak. But still.

When the hussy kindly offered me, as the known lesbian of the party, to go for three, I punched her in the nose with all I had and well possible broke it. I didn't care! I kicked her out and slammed the door shut.
In my anger and nobody else to scream at I continued to do so at Ranma. How he could be so utterly stupid, how that happened, if he had wanted it,...I was blind with rage.
He just stammered things out like "she said you waited here" "the room empty she said you would come you would come there" or "I was afraid you wouldn't come no more" things like that. He reminded me a bit on a small child that had feared his mom wouldn't come back for him. Didn't the child know she would always come?

The salvia of that woman still shimmered on his chest and with tears gathering around my eyes out of frustration I went to him and tried to button up the blouse.
It was a hard job as Ranma's bosom is a lot bigger than mine and he didn't fit the blouse.
This was such a horrible day, nothing worked out.
When I was about to give up and draw my hands back Ranma kept them there with putting his own over mine.
He had his eyes closed and wore a strange look and I wondered what it was now.

"What that girl did to me..." he started in a hushed voice, but this time I needed to interrupt.
A tear heavily fell down my cheek "What did she do to you, Ranma?" I was so afraid to ask but I needed to. I knew that they had just started from the looks of it but still.
"She kissed my chest" he said, as if it didn't mean anything to him. Probably, seeing it as a guy, it didn't. Luckily.
"And?" I asked fearfully, another tear making it down my cheek.
"Nuthin" he said, moving my hands a little but still keeping me in place.

To say that I was reliefed was an understatement. I didn't want to think about what could have happened or what would have been if the girl would have been a boy instead. Dear kami.

"I kissed your chest too" he continued, finally opening his eyes to look at me. His speech seemed to have gotten better.
I smiled at him, willing my tears away. "That was only a game and you tried to catch a glass" I said.

He just shook his head and grinned. I would have never thought that I could find a girl's grin sexy.
I thought I better left it at that.

"How come you are a girl anyway?" I tried to change the topic to something non-challant.
"Came through a parc an' they water the grass at night"

"Ranma, I'm sorry you had to come run after me" I tried to seriously appologize though I knew I would probably have to do that again. It could well be that Ranma wouldn't recall too much of all this tomorrow.
But if Ranma had listened at all he didn't react on it.
I wanted to put some distance between us to figure out what to do next, and well, get my hands off his breasts. While I suceeded with the one he kept the other hostage.

"What de woman did to me" he repeated from earlier
"Felt like gettin a massage on the shoulders." He paused a bit, thinking something over "not a good one at it" he added and I had to giggle at those silly comments.
"But when it's you" he surprised me and quickly guided my hand inside the blouse to rest it against his breast some more. He breathed out sensually and closed his eyes again.

And I had NO IDEA what to do now. I could just stare at him and look at what he made my hand do. He let it move every so slightly, but enjoying it immensly.
Then he breathed my name out and he did that so mysteriously wonderful and completely Ranma-like though I never heard him say my name like that, that I suddenly found my hand move slowly, shyly on it's own. And when Ranma pulled his hand away and felt still mine move over him he moaned. Gods help me, Ranma moaned.
And that sound turned me on incredibly. Ashamed as I am to admit that and never ever had I felt any attraction towards women but Ranma managed to turn me on in his female body.

All of the sudden I heard voices from the floor and I froze, concentrating any concentration that I could muster on the floor outside. I didn't know whom the voices belonged two, but a door opened and closed and then there was silence again. When I looked back at Ranma he still had his eyes closed and I could tell he was about to fall asleep.

I wondered how much Ranma would remember of all this. Most likely in any case he would have a great hang-over tomorrow.
"Silly one" I whispered out affectionately I might say. I brushed the bangs out of his eyes with the free hand I had, the other was covered again by his, keeping both close to his beating heart.


I regarded him for a good 5 minutes, adoring his beautiful features and replaying the days' events all the while in the background of my head. What a strange day. I guess I prefered my strange strange days in Nerima.

To end a strange day strange, I kissed him. I just bent down and carefully brushed my lips against his and though I expected him to sleep already -and Ranma is dead to the world once he sleeps- he immediately kissed me back. It was a slow kiss and very caring and I loved every second of it. I love what he can do with his tongue and I love how it feels to be kissed by him.
Kisses can take very long though but ours ended after about a minute only. Ranma was tired and fell asleep nearly as soon as he protectivly wrapped his free arm around me and held me close.






I fell asleep pretty soon after that, I thought a few hours sleep couldn't hurt. Gods, first thing in the morning I needed to put an end to the worries I just now became certain anybody at home did have, as well as Mrs Saotome. Then we could take the subway home.
It turned out that we weren't the only ones that remained unbidden in the house. Fortunately no parents had come home to claim back several bed-rooms.
When I got up and refreshed I met the younger sister of Nyoba, who by the way was out cold from alcohol just as some of his guests.

She was there to clean up and after I appologized for still being here I offered to help clean up. Ume was a very nice girl and she even allowed me to call home with her telephone. In exchange for my great help it was my reward that Ranma could use the bed-room he was in for as long as he needed it. Ume made some tea in general for all those who might come in need of it and I brought some up to Ranma in case he woke up. I also brought him a hot thermos to change if he desired so, and I was sure he would. I put a bucket next to his bed, just in case, and folded his clothes that I picked up downstaired to lay them next to him. I also pulled the curtains closed for the sunlight to stay out for the time being. That was all I could do so far, so I went down cleaning.

Fact was the bucket was a wise thought. Ranma threw up first thing he woke up and felt generally sick. I felt disappointed when he told me that he couldn't really recall the things that happened after that guy had challenged him to the "Drink to the death Match". I let him sleep until I was finished cleaning.

---
---


Now that's been yesterday, the party was three days ago. Just now Ranma had visited me at home and brought me my blouse which his mother washed for him.

Now, you see, I suspected that the blouse was not the only reason he came over but I hadn't really expected anything else but his usual visits.
But when we were to part and I asked him to come to the kitchen before he left (as Kasumi wanted to send Mrs Saotome some dashimaki to taste) he simply walked towards me, a decided look on his face, and kissed me for all he was worth. No kidding, just like that, no introduction. Just like that, not that I protested.
I swear this is the kind of kiss that is on the passionate's list at the very very top, full of power and and and all that that was Ranma.
And I'd say that was about a 5 minute nonstop kiss, with only little gasps of air accepted before one would search for the other again. After breaking it however, we were both heavily panting, my heart pounded so fast I feared it was unhealthy and I could not do anything but cling to his shirt and try to get my breathe under control.
He gulped and I wondered what catastrophe would come now; we were back in Nerima after all.

"Now I can finally stop figuring out when there was or is gonna be a first kiss between us." he said "Boy, girl, for fun, as a must, out of my mind..." he smiled sheepishly, his blush so cute "At least one of them must be it." he reasoned, grabed the pancakes and left.






Okay so, you see, this is were I'm standing now. Some things have changed, some things are still the same. I have still words to say to Ranma, there are still problems to figure out. I have lost some very best friends, gained a whole new gang and my very best friend and secret love just kissed me, ...again.
Things couldn't go better.

Let's see what the future holds!



I'm off!


_end--------------





Review if you like! ^_^,thanx for reading!


- kit
Jan 2003