Healing Hands

"You really need to stop picking fights with Happosai, Ranma"

Akane gently cleaned the small cuts on Ranmas face with disinfectant. The two of them were left alone after the old man was lured away by a trip to the public bathhouse. Kasumi decided to visit an old friend for café and Nabiki was dealing business with a school mate. So they were left to their own devices.

"The old man had it comin'." Ranma grumbled, looking at the girls face before his eyes flitted away to rest on the bamboo walls. Gentle hands healed as they caressed his face with non-lingering touches and Ranma tried to ignore the close proximity.

"If you didn't pick a fight with him, then I wouldn't have to patch you up all the time."

"It's not like you have'ta patch me Kane'. No one asked you to." Akane tried to ignore the small pang in her chest at the comment and busied herself by moving onto the bruises on his muscular arms. Ranma started to fidget under the feeling of her hands.

"Well it's not like there's anyone else to do it. Now stop moving." He became still while she worked. Secretly he loved when the short haired girl patched him up. Being the centre of her attention while she worked her magic was more often than not, the highlight of his day.

He sat under Akanes feather light touches, thinking of how he ended up fighting with the old man. The man had stolen underwear from the girls' locker room and somehow placed the blame on him. This had led to numerous bashings and an across town chase which ended with him limping home in his female form. When he walked through the door, Akane had taken one look at him before turning around and getting the bath ready for him.

Even with her monstrous strength and hot temper, he could always count on his fiancé to look after him after a rough day. His eyes sought out hers again, taking in her calm face he fought the urge to lean down and kiss her supple lips.

'S'not like she'd ever let me.' Shoulders slumped and his eyes fell to his hands which were covered in bruises from abuse. Akane let her enquiring eyes lift to look at her handsome fiancé, seeing his fuming expression, she let out a small sigh. Secretly she loved when he came to her. It made her feel special knowing that he trusted her enough to get close to her, especially when he shies away from people touching him.

"It's not like you were worried anyways." His voice was small, almost mumbling. He watched as Akanes hand paused in their place on his forearms before they continued healing.

"Idiot." One word. As she finished cleaning and bandaging the last cut, she let her eyes meet his. Ranma swallowed the lump in his throat, waiting for her to continue and tell him that he's not worth worrying over. That she's sick of him and that she wanted to break up with him–

"I'm always worried about you." His thoughts came to an abrupt stop, his eyes left her hands and met hers. Seeing her rosy cheeks and her eyes drawn away from his own, his eyes softened as he reached to place her soft hand in his, squeezing comfortingly. He remembers how she always jumps to try and help him whenever she could, and how she always has her first aid kit ready when he comes home after a fight. He remembers how gentle her hands are when they touch him. Akane was always the most gentle when she healed him, nothing like his father or the other girls, even though he would never willingly go to any of them to get patched up. Ukyo was rough and would always try and talk him into marrying her because SHE was the "cute" fiancé. Shampoo was just annoying and would jump at the opportunity to touch him and try to con him into going on a date with her.

Akane would let him sit and grumble about whatever was on his mind, and throw in her own comment whenever he asked for her opinion on something. She would sit and listen, something that not many people in his life did that often.

"Sorry Tomboy. I'll try to do better next time." A small smile appeared on the short haired girls' lips as she turned to let her soft doe-like eyes meet his. He let a small, genuine smile grace his mouth, his blue eyes shining with affection. Then his fiancé graced him with that smile that knocks the breath out of him, making him grin even wider.

"You better."