Crimson

by llett

Chapter 1

It was raining and his umbrella was struggling to keep him dry. He knew he was about three more small drops of moisture away from turning into his female form, which would be a shame because it would ruin his clothes.

The restaurant behind him had an ambient glow beckoning him inside. He had resolved to wait only two more minutes – and then he would either leave, or eat away his feelings.

Yes, he reasoned, she only had two more minutes.

It seemed fitting to him then, that she would appear before him right when his patience was at its breaking point – it was a habit she still hadn't shaken over the years.

She actually smiled weakly when their gazes met, and he responded with a cold shrug. He knew she had about as much desire to be here as he did, and he couldn't comprehend a reason for the two of them to even fake enthusiasm.

"I'm surprised you turned up." She spoke softly, not breaking their eye-contact.

He steadied his lower lip, "I was about to say the same thing to you?"

"Shall we go in?" she motioned towards the restaurant door, "Or are you content just standing out here in the rain?"

"Suppose we should," he turned and faced the door pulling slowly on its handle, "After you, Akane."

"Thank you, Ranma." She smiled again. As his name left her lips it caused a shiver deep in his spine. It had been too long, far too long.

The restaurant was brightly lit, with extravagant style furnishing and soft piano filling the room. From the roof hung a large glass ornament that sprayed brilliant light across the floor bellow it. It was moderately busy and loud, as to be expected at this time of night. A young male waiter greeted them kindly and led them to their table, which had been reserved under the Saotome name.

"Seems like a very nice place." Akane spoke as she pulled back her own chair, "But won't it be expensive?"

"You trying to imply that I am poor?" he didn't look at her as he took his own seat, "Or cheap?"

She sighed, her fingers darting out to idly play with one of the forks laid out in front of her.

"How was your trip?" He pulled on his collar, which was annoying him, and then looked up her expectantly.

"You really want to know?" her right eye brow rose.

"If you'd rather sit here in silence?"

"No." she shook her head, "It was alright. I still don't enjoy the train ride."

"Too slow?"

"Too boring."

Ranma nodded and let out a sigh, "Yeah. Guess I understand that." He collar pulled again, "You haven't been back in a while."

"Since Christmas."

"Yeah."

She gave him a smile, for at least trying. It wasn't easy for either of them, they both knew this. And so they made small talk.

"The weather is awful tonight." Akane pushed her fringe from her eyes, her hair, having been let to grow a little, was beginning to lick against the tips of her shoulders, delicately framing her cheeks.

"It has been this way for a few days now." He shrugged, "I don't mind the rain, it's just the cold wind that gets to me."

"I saw a cat on the way over here, kinda looked pink, might have been Shampoo?"

"I doubt it, I haven't seen her in months, I think they went to the seaside."

"Oh." She paused, "I guess the dojo didn't want to relocate for a holiday this season?"

"Your father considered it." Ranma crossed his arms, "Actually im not entirely sure why he decided against it."

"Mmm." She sighed, making eye contact.

He'd aged.

This was to be expected of course. But even in the few short moments of truly taking him in, she noticed that his face, his entire frame had become… older. His boyish cheeks had begun to fakde, his shoulders, which had always been lean, were showing maturity. He didn't look sixteen any more, that's for sure.

And why should he?

He met her gaze with perplexion, her silence concerned him slightly, unable to deny that he was troubled by 'that' look. To his credit he had already stolen numerous glances of her since they she had arrived. She was still Akane, still had the same bright amber eyes and the cherry cheeks and that damn smile.

It annoyed him, he wouldn't deny that.

"You look… nice." He stumbled across his words, eager for conversation to resume.

Her face changed with slightly put-on astonishment "My goodness Ranma, did you just pay me a compliment?"

"Am I not allowed too?"

"No." she shook her head, a smile breaking out across glistening lips, "It's just so unlike you."

He shrugged in response.

"Thank you though." She nodded, her fringe returning to fall across her eyes.

It was time that had changed them from the boisterous and trouble-proud magnets of their youth. It was time and nothing else. They both shared many fond memories of their teenage years – but they were in the past. A past that had rapidly departed them.

They were by no means very 'old' but they were no longer very 'young.'

And it was this quandary that had landed them in this predicament.

When high-school ended the two of them had been faced with a choice. Akane choose to move on to her university campus, while Ranma – who had not even applied for any further studies, choose to stay back at home. She had left with little fan-fare, and remarkably little drama. It was generally considered by the two patriarchs of the Saotome and Tendo house-holds that the two of them were well and truly bonded by the crimson string of fate.

After all, they had gone through so much together over their years together. Travelling across the country, meeting new people, fighting others, and more importantly, themselves. There was little doubt in either of the aged elders that the two of them would end up together no matter the circumstances.

And it was only six months after she left that doubt begun to set into their minds.

The pair were far more stubborn then anyone had ever anticipated. So stubborn that neither one of them would make the first move in regards to contacting the other. Despite the implied immaturity, and the constant nagging and nit-picking by both their fathers, his mother and her sisters, they simply refused to compromise in any way, shape or form.

They both believed they would be happier apart. And they were determined to prove this by any means necessary.

Akane Tendo threw herself at her studies, and through her consuming hard work had achieved fabulous grades. Ranma Saotome threw himself with even more determination at his Art, travelling across Nerima in an all consuming effort to better himself.

There had been few words expressed between the pair during this time. A 'hello' here, a 'can you put Dad on the phone' there. There had been family visits during holidays, but they seemed to do everything they could to avoid each other during those times.

And yet, here they where, sitting together in a fancy restaurant while the rain continued to fall outside.

It was these very stubborn tendencies that had let them to this place under these circumstances. It had been two years since High-School had ended, and aside from one very busy and very long Christmas the two young individuals had been just that. Individual. This had left their families with only one choice.

Though it had pained both their fathers to admit it, the pairing of Ranma Saotome, heir of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and Akane Tendo, heiress of the Tendo Dojo, had failed. It had come time to call an end to the arrangement between the two families. Ranma had come to an age in which his mother and father would seriously have to start considering other potential suitors, and the Tendo patriarch, though a loyal friend; would have to start making an allowance for a future free of a joining of the two families. The suggestion that Ranma wed Nabiki had been shot down outright by most related parties.

The young waiter took their orders with a bow and excused himself, leaving the pair again alone with each other.

"So, father tells me you have started travelling on your own now." Akane spoke, making eye contact with the man across from the table from her.

"Yeah," Ranma scratched his head, notably under discomfort, "The Ol' Man said I needed to start taking responsibility for the school, drum up some business and make a name for myself."

"And how's that going?"

"Well enough I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"I have pupils."

"You're a sensei now?"

"I guess." Ranma pulled on his collar, "It can be challenging."

"Im sure that's true."

Ranma met her eyes, "Ryoga travels with me when he can." He paused, "That is, when he isn't off lost on some island someplace."

Her eyebrows raised "Oh, so you and Ryoga are…"

"Rivals to the end." He actually cracked a smile, "But he's better then nothing. A good sparing partner at least."

"Good to hear, I actually wondered where he ended up."

"So do I most of the time." Ranma continued, "Still can't find his way down the damn street."

She laughed and it filled him with the most betraying warmth.

"What about yourself," Ranma swallowed back a breath, "How do you find university?"

She crossed her hands in her lap. "It is fine."

"Just fine?"

"Pretty much."

"Wow Akane, way to fill me in with all the details."

"Its not like you really care Ranma." Her eyes locked with his, "You're just making conversation, same as me."

"I might care." His voice sounded almost hurt, "Not that you care."

"Now you're not even making sense." Her words finished with silence from the pair of them.

Their food arrived. Akane poked at it. Ranma stuffed it into his mouth. He was hungry.

"Sorry."

He looked up from his meal; she was looking down at him. She whispered again, "Sorry."

"Never mind." He mumbled, shoving another mouthful in.

"This isn't easy you know."

"Didn't say it was."

"Shall we talk about it then?" her face seemed to almost sadden, a sense of melancholy arrived.

"I suppose." He sighed.

The fathers had been left with little choice but the call off the engagement. Though they had argued about it for months, they both concluded that there was nothing to be done. And it is for this reason Ranma and Akane sit alone in a restaurant – to finalize the end of a long saga that has consumed the best part of their lives. It was at Mrs. Saotome suggestion that it would be the two of them, free from the influence of the 'others' that would have the final say. And thus they found themselves.

"So?"

"So."

"You do know why we are here right, Ranma?" she asked.

"Of course." He scoffed, "I'm not an idiot."

"Then?" she stared him down, her hands resting on the table, her face a strained resilience.

"Then." He nodded, mostly to himself. "Ok."

"Ok?"

"Ok."

"Geeze Ranma…" she trailed off.

"Don't get angry Akane; I'm not trying to piss you off." His voice was soft. "I'm just, whatever. Ok."

"I thought by now you'd have figured out how to get your words together." She looked away from, "Guess I was wrong."

"It's not like that." He was hurting, he wouldn't deny it. He finished the last mouthful of food from his plate and let the silence hang.

"I don't know why you're making this difficult." She said, softly.

"Im not being difficult."

"You haven't spoken to me in months, haven't made any attempt at contact, even after Christmas when…" she shook her head, "Just forget about it."

"It's not my fault." He replied, "It's not like you were desperate to talk to me either."

She didn't counter, just sat there quietly, staring at the table.

He let out a large, audible sigh. "If this is what you want, then fine, alright? I won't fight it."

"What do you mean by this is what I want." She spoke the words slowly, deliberately.

"This!" he put his hands out in a dramatic gesture, "This!"

She shook her head, "What are you on about Ranma?"

"Look. If you don't want to be engaged to me anymore, fine, you got it. This!" he raised his hands again, "This is over!" he let them fall, "Just what you wanted."

There was a silence.

"Don't..." she stuttered, betrayed by her own voice, "Don't blame me." She looked at him, "It is not my fault Ranma. I didn't ask for any of this."

"Well it certainly isn't mine. I didn't ask to get engaged to you either."

"That's not even what I meant you stupid fool." It wasn't yelled, it was spoken directly at him, and it cut straight to his heart.

Akane stood, brushed herself and her dress down, shook her head and begun to walk away.

He watched her leaving, perplexed, stunned, completely entranced.

"Stop." He said, but she did not hear him.

"Stop!" he said again, louder, and the entire restaurant heard him.

She turned, faced him, he could swear he could see tears forming at the bottom of her eyes, "Why?" she shrugged, turned again and continued to walk away.

Ranma stood, quickly, noticing that his waiter was returning with a truly worried look across his face, he reached for his wallet, throwing more then enough money on to the table to cover the bill and begun to bound after her.

She was already out on the street by the time he caught up. It was still raining, he felt his body transform but he was far to gone in his purpose to care.

"Akane!"

He wasn't sure why, but she turned again to face him. He was a girl now, standing in the rain in a relatively nice shirt, pants and tie combo. He had no doubt he looked ridiculous. But she didn't flinch, she never did at his transformations – she looked into his eyes, she was a couple of footsteps away.

"What is it Ranma?" her fringe was getting wet from the rain, it was sticking to her. "What possibly could you have left to say?"

"What did you mean? Before." He gave her a stern look, as stern as his cute girlish face could.

"Why do you care?"

He took in a breath, "Why do you?"

They both stood there in the rain for what could have possibly been two minutes. This was fitting of her, he distantly thought, to take this long to answer what was no doubt a simple question.

She shuffled her feet. Drops of rain bounded down her hair and across her fringe. She stared at the young, buxom red head across from her – who was also now dripping wet and looking miserable.

"Do you remember?" she spoke.

He waited for her to continue, but she did not. "Do I remember?" he injected.

"Do you remember when we met?" she didn't smile, "Do you?"

"Yeah." He pushed his red hair from his eyes, he was confused, but that was normal enough "You thought I was a girl, you didn't seem too happy to find out I was actually a boy."

"No I wasn't." she paused, "From that moment on you've turned out to be nothing but trouble. For years, nothing but trouble."

"A lot of trouble, im sure." His voice was soft.

"Nothing but."

"You regret it then?" he shrugged his wet shoulders, "Meeting me?"

"Never." She said, simply.

"Neither." He returned.

"Then what do we do now then?" she asked him. "Continue on? Pretend? How long do you want to keep this up Ranma? Tell me, please, what do you want to do?"

He thought for a moment before his response.

"Get dry." He smiled.

She seemed taken back, but then actually smiled in return.

"Come home." He said, "Let's go home."

He watched her carefully. He had refined the skill. The little moments of emotion across her face, the way she stood, her hand movements. She was mulling it over in her mind, he was tired and he was sure she was too. Then, she nodded, if only slightly.

Ranma signaled down a taxi, he let her enter first. She waited while he procured a hot water bottle and his missing umbrella from the previously hastily exited restaurant. He sat in the dark automobile very wet but a man. She sat beside him, equally wet, but not shivering. He gave the driver an address; she simply watched the droplets of rain fall down the glass windows.

They travelled mostly in silence.

"Stay for a while." He said.

"How long?" she asked

"How long can you?" he replied.

"A few days."

"Then stay a few days."

They arrived at the dojo; it had been some time since she had last seen it. Ranma paid the fare and watched the taxi drive off into the night. His umbrella now returned to above his head and its proper use. It shielded both of them just barely from the water. They walked together, shoulders bumping softly and slowly up the old cobble path towards the warm dim light of the dojo living room. You could hear the soft murmurs of the family inside.

The two fathers were playing GO in their usual spot. They looked up, expecting to see but a very drenched Ranma, not the pair of them. Mr. Tendo took it as expected. The wild cries of excitement and exclamation drew both Kasumi and Mrs. Tendo to the room. They both smiled and said very little. Ranma's father shot him an odd look, and Ranma returned one that seemed to say he would explain later. Right now he was wet and he wanted to cure himself of this aliment. He left the room just in time to hear Akane say –

"I'll be staying, just for a little while."

Ranma found himself sometime later lying in his bed; he was now much drier, staring intently at his ceiling, lost in his thoughts. This wasn't how he planned the night to go. Hours ago, when his father had pushed him out the front door with a solemn look, the young heir had sworn to lay the matter finally to bed. He would have no fiancée by the close of the night, he had claimed. He had been incorrect.

The rain fell softly on the dojo roof. A dojo Ranma had been calling home for many years. A dojo that had been slowly becoming his livelihood. A dojo that was intrinsically linked with everything he held dear. He had set out tonight to leave a part of his past behind him, and had instead found it returning to be under this very roof. But these are thoughts he would choose dwell on come morning – he was tired and exhausted.

He closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be another day. He still had a little while left.

End Chapter 1.