Disclaimer: If I owned Ranma ½, Ranma and Akane would have at least kissed by the end of the manga.
A/N: This was my first piece of Fan Fiction. As of July 2014, I have edited it to add some details where it was needed and to tighten up the language.
Furinkan High 10 Year Reunion
Chapter 1
Akane Tendo stood at the gates of Furinkan High School with a smile on her face as a flood of memories washed over her. Her recollections were a mix of good and bad but most all of them involved a single boy, sometimes girl, occasional cat, with a pig-tail and affinity for Chinese clothing. It still amazed her how much of her life at the time revolved around him. She made her way to the gym, not knowing if he would be attending the reunion but hoping he might show up. After all, it had been six years since she had seen him and that was a short but very memorable meeting.
Akane walked up to the check-in table and gave her name to the tall, gaunt looking man sitting at the table.
"Akane Tendo?"
"Yes."
"You probably don't recognize me but I was in your class."
Akane tilted her head to the side, furrowing her eyes brows before recognition hit her and a smile broke out on her face. "Gosunkugi! How are you?"
Gosunkugi sat motionless for a minute, lost in the glow of her radiant smile. Snapping himself out of his daze he handed Akane her name tag. He looked down before saying, "I'm good. I-if you wait a second, I'll walk you in and we can catch up."
Akane gave him another smile and nod before stepping to the side to put on her name tag. Gosunkugi had a quick conversation with the other person seated at the check-in table before joining Akane.
"Umm. So. How have you been?" Gosunkugi asked as they walked into the gym.
Akane looked around and took in the décor of the gym. Tables and chairs were set up around the perimeter of the gym, leaving a small dance area in the middle. On the left side of the gym was a bar and on the side of the stage was a DJ. The gym was already full of people, groups were seated at the tables talking and laughing while others were already enjoying themselves on the dance floor.
"I've been good." As they got to the bar, they both ordered drinks before finding a place to stand and chat. "How about you? What are you doing now? I haven't heard from you since we graduated."
"Well, I'm a photographer now. Mainly print ads for magazines but I try to get to some sporting events throughout the year."
"Oh that's right! You used to have a camera with you all the time. Taking pictures for the yearbook, right?"
Gosunkugi rubbed the back of his neck, "Umm..yeah..the yearbook. I actually got really good at taking action shots of … people while we were in high school. I joined the photography club in college and started getting my pictures published in the school newspaper. Some of my pictures were used in the local news and then some in the national news. Once I graduated, things kind of took off."
"That's great Gosunkugi. You're really lucky to have had made a career out of doing something you love."
He gave her a timid smile before asking, "So, what about you? What are you doing now? Ar-are you married?"
"Me? I actually work for a company that manufactures sports equipment. I help create a line of sporting equipment designed for females. And no, I'm not married."
"Wait, what happened to the dojo? I thought you were the heir to your family's dojo?"
She gave him a small sad smile, "No, I was never the heir."
"Akane!"
Akane turned to see a smiling girl with her raven hair pulled into a pony tail standing next to a very pregnant brunette whose hair reached the middle of her back. She turned back to the man standing next to her and said, "I'm sorry Gosunkugi but I've got to go say hi to Sayuri and Yuka. I'll talk to you some more later."
Across the gym, Ranma was talking to, or pretending to talk to his friends. Over the years and countless mind-numbing social gatherings, Ranma had perfected the art of appearing interested and engaged while letting his mind wander. He dubbed it the Saotome Sleep Walking Technique.
Ranma had no idea how he got there, he hadn't planned on going but before he knew it, he found himself walking into the gym. If he were being honest with himself, which he was actively avoiding at the moment, he knew exactly why he was there and his reason for being there had just walked into the room. It didn't surprise him that after not seeing her for six years, he could still sense her presence if she was anywhere near him. He looked over to see her enter with some guy he didn't recognize and he was struck speechless. She looked exactly the same but so different all at once. She had lost the baby fat on her face, making her cheekbones stand out and making her impossibly large brown eyes appear even larger than he remembered. She had grown out her hair, it was pulled to the side and curled at the bottom. Even from across the room, he could see that her smile was exactly the same. From the moment he met her, it was always her smile that made his heart skip a beat.
After his brain started working again, he took a good look at the rest of her and was glad that he was able to view her from a distance her before trying to talk to her. Even though Ranma called her a tomboy, he knew that Akane always liked wearing skirts and dresses, unless she was working out. So seeing her in a dress wasn't a surprise; the surprise was the style of dress she was wearing. Akane had on a dark blue cocktail dress, with a sweetheart neckline that showed him that he could no longer call her flat-chested. The dress had straps that crisscrossed in back, ending very low on her body, showing off the smooth skin of her back. It had a fitted bottom and stopped just above the knee which she paired with high heels, showcasing her curvaceous hips and athletic legs. Ranma's would have drooled if his mouth hadn't gone dry first. Luckily, he was holding a drink which he downed in one. He looked around and realized he wasn't the only one who noticed her entrance; half the guys in the room were admiring the same view and he felt his blood start to boil. Ranma glanced back at Akane, who seemed as oblivious as ever to how she affected the males around her.
Like the great martial artist he was, Ranma was working out a battle strategy on how to deal with Akane. He wanted the perfect attack plan since he felt unsure of himself. It had been years since he felt awkward around a woman and he didn't enjoy the feeling
'Stupid tomboy,' he thought with a smile on his face.
"So Ranma, what have you been up to. I haven't seen you around town for about five years or so."
"Oh nothing much. Traveling around for work, I'm in private security."
"Oh really," Daisuke said, "what does that entail?"
"Hanging around rich people and making sure they don't get hurt or die," Ranma replied, shrugging and sounding bored.
Just then they all heard "Akane!" being screeched and they all turned to see what the commotion was about. Daisuke rolled his eyes, "I'd better get over there to make sure Yuka doesn't get too excited and hurt herself by jumping up and down." He smirked and looked at Ranma, "Hey, Ranma, you haven't been properly introduced to my wife yet, have you? Why don't you come with me and I'll make a proper introduction."
Ranma rolled his eyes and shrugged, "Sure."
They walked up just as Akane started laughing at a comment Sayuri made. Dai put his arms around Yuka's belly, making small circular motions around her large bump as he gave her cheek a kiss from behind.
"Hi, honey."
"Dai! You scared me!"
He laughed, "Sorry. I just wanted to show off my lovely wife to an old friend of mine. You remember Ranma Saotome, don't you sweetie? Ranma, this is my wife, Mrs. Yuka Yamamoto" he said, his voice full of pride.
Ranma grinned and gave a low bow, "Nice to meet you Mrs. Yamamoto."
Yuka giggled and bowed as much as her condition would allow before saying, "Hi, Ranma. It's nice to see you again. You remember Sayuri and Akane, don't you?" There was a mischievous look in her eyes as she winked at Ranma then grabbed Akane's hand pulling her forward and placing her face to face with Ranma.
"Subtle. Real subtle, Yuka," Akane said, as she laughed at her friends antics. It was comforting for her to know that certain things hadn't changed and her best-friend's attempt at match-making was one of them. "Hi Dai, hi Ranma. We were just about to find a table so Yuka could get off her feet. Do you want to join us?"
"Of course we will, won't we Ranma!" Before waiting for a reply, Daisuke took Yuka's hand and led the group to the nearest empty table. "So Akane, we didn't think you were going to make it tonight."
"I almost didn't. With the relocation, things got a little crazy but I was able to wrap everything up last week."
"Relocation? Where are you relocating to?" Ranma asked.
"Here, actually. The company I work for is opening a branch office in Tokyo and offered me a position. It was a great offer and it meant I could come back home, so I jumped at the chance. I just got back on Monday."
"So you're staying at the dojo?"
"No, I was staying at a hotel for a few days while I finalized my living situation. I was working with a realtor while I was still in Boston and had the search narrowed down to a few apartments before I got back. I signed a lease a few days ago and have been settling in since."
"Wow, that's pretty fast work," Sayuri commented.
"Well it helps that I'm familiar with the area and it doesn't hurt that Nabiki owns the agency that's helping with the move."
"Ran-chan!"
Everyone turned to see Ukyo walk up to the table. She was wearing dress pants with a low cut sequin top. It seemed she still had an aversion to dresses but had no trouble playing up her assets. Ranma stood up to give Ukyo a hug and turned to the group, "Ucchan, do you remember everyone?"
"Of course!" She gave a warm smile and said hello to Daisuke, Yuka and Sayuri. She then turned to Akane and gave her a curt nod before turning her attention back to Ranma. It was obvious to all involved that Ukyo did not intend to join them or engage in conversation with the rest of the group. Akane made a conscious effort not to roll her eyes before turning to her friends. She was honestly surprised that Ukyo would hold any grudges against her after all these years but she wasn't going to get worked up over it. This little interaction did not go unnoticed by Ranma, who was also puzzled by the apparent animosity from Ukyo.
"So Ucchan, how are you doing? I haven't seen you since the wedding, where's Konatsu?"
"Oh, he's at home with the baby."
"You guys have a baby? Congratulations!"
Ukyo shot him and irritated look before saying, "Yeah, Chiyo turns 1 next month. You would have known if you came home more often. Or written. Or called."
"Yeah. You know I'm not good with that kinda stuff, sorry." Ranma replied unapologetically.
Ukyo shrugged in response before narrowing her eyes in Akane's direction, "It seems like you keep in touch when you want to."
Ranma just shook his head, "I'm not sure what you mean Ucchan."
Ukyo looked ready to explode. She grabbed his hand and dragged him from the group. "After all she put you through, I can't believe you are here with her! What the hell are you thinking?"
Irritated at her outburst, Ranma tried to explain. "For your information, I didn't come her with Akane, we ran into each other a couple minutes ago. But even if I did come with her, what's the big deal? I thought we got past all this petty crap years ago, why would it bother you now?"
Ukyo didn't want to admit the truth, that while she liked her life, she always felt like she settled. She knew she had a good husband that was devoted to her, a child she loved more than her own life and a successful business, but there was a part of her that never let go of the dream that was Ranma. Late at night when everyone was asleep, she would still think about The One that got away and would imagine what her life would have been like if only he had loved her. She blamed all of this on Akane. Ukyo always knew that it was Akane and not Shampoo or Kodachi, who held Ranma's heart. She just spent far too long in denial, hoping to be able to win him over. Ukyo had thought she had gotten over it but seeing them together tonight was like opening up an old wound that never healed properly. She didn't want to blame Ranma so she focused her pain on the next likely target.
"I..I just don't want to see you hurt again. I was the one who was there for you when she left the first time."
Ranma sighed, "I appreciate the concern Ucchan, I really do. But, there is no reason to be rude or hostile towards Akane because of it."
Ranma's comment did the opposite of what he hoped. Ukyo narrowed her eyes further and hissed, "I can't believe you are STILL protecting her after all this time!"
She then turned and stomped away leaving a confused Ranma in her wake. Ranma rubbed his hands over his face before turning back to the table where everyone was trying to look like they hadn't seen the little drama play out in front of them. Ranma decided that if everyone else wanted to ignore what happened, he was more than happy to oblige them.
"So…Akane, you were telling us about your move?"
"What? Oh, yeah. Umm….so, I'm back in Tokyo. There really isn't much more to tell. I took this week off to get things settled and I start work on Monday. How about you Ranma? Last I heard, you were traveling the world. I'm surprised you made it here tonight."
"I just finished a job following some spoiled pop star around on her world tour and decided to take a couple weeks off before picking out a new assignment."
Daisuke smirked, "Looks like you two have been keeping pretty good tabs on each other."
"You know, it's not really that hard to do when you consider that our parents live in the same house."
"I didn't realize your parents were still at the dojo."
"Shortly after we graduated, Kasumi married Dr. Tofu and moved out of the house. Mom ended up taking over all the household duties, which made her feel better about staying at the dojo. Unlike Pop, she felt bad about freeloading off the Tendos."
Akane added, "It really worked out for the best. With all of us out of the house, it's nice to know Daddy is being taken care of. And Aunty keeps an eye on our fathers, to make sure they don't do plan anything too stupid."
"Akane!" The group turned to see a girl coming towards them.
"Yumi! It's so nice to see you!"
"Hi, everyone!" Yumi waved to the group before turning to her attention to Akane. "The rest of the volleyball team is over near the dance floor. Can you come and say hi? We want to take a big group picture!"
"Sure, that sounds fun." Akane turned to the table and said, "Excuse me for a bit."
After hanging out with her old volleyball team and taking tons of cheesy photos, Akane left to use the restroom. She entered just as Ukyo was washing her hands. Akane gave Ukyo an acknowledging nod before heading towards a stall, but was stopped by when Ukyo called out to her.
"Tendo."
"Yes, Ukyo?"
"You know, I didn't think I'd see your face tonight, not after the way you took off."
"Took off? I don't really know what you're talking about. You act like I ran away without telling anyone where I was going. I left to study abroad. You remember, right? You were at my going away party."
"Oh I remember. You left Ran-chan like he didn't mean anything to you and I was the one who was here for him."
"From what I recall, you were more than happy to see me go so that you could have your Ran-chan all to yourself. In fact, you, Shampoo and Kodachi were so happy I was leaving you threw the going away party for me! It was one of the few times you three actually worked together."
"That doesn't change what happened after!"
Akane sighed and took a depth breath in an attempt to control her temper. "Ukyo, I really don't understand why you are upset and why you are blaming me. I'm not responsible for what happened after I left, since I WASN'T THERE. And since we just went over the fact that I left with everyone's blessing, then we shouldn't have a problem. Right?"
"Oh, no. Don't think you can get out of it that easy."
Akane finally had enough and her temper erupted. "GET OUT OF WHAT? I still don't understand what you're blaming me for!"
"Ranma! He changed after you left! He was never the same and it was all because of you!" Ukyo screamed at her while pointing her finger at her.
"This is ridiculous, that was EIGHT years ago. IF he changed after I left, that was his choice. IF you are mad that he didn't choose you, then be mad at him. We aren't kids anymore; I'm done fighting with you over a boy."
Ukyo stood there fuming. She had been expecting the Akane she used to know, the one who could so easily be provoked into a fight. The person in front of her was different and Ukyo was too emotional to think straight. "Don't think this is over," she ground out and stormed out of the bathroom.
Akane took some time to calm herself before going back outside. Whenever she had a spare moment the rest of the evening, she'd glance over to Ranma, as if by just looking at him, she could figure out what Ukyo meant about him changing. It also gave her time to really get to look at how he had physically changed. She noticed that he had grown taller in their time apart and lost the lankiness that was typical of teenage boys. His shoulders had broadened, his chest was now wide and muscular but his waist was still trim. He still wore his hair in a braid. Gone (at least for that night) were his usual Chinese clothes and replaced by a dark suit that was obviously well tailored. He chose a dark button up shirt to go underneath, forgoing the tie he left the top button undone, allowing her a glimpse of his chest. Every time she looked at him, Akane had an overwhelming desire to kiss that indent where his collar bones met. She noticed he seemed to be as easy going as always but with her martial artist eye, she could tell he was aware of his surrounding and ready to react if something sudden happened. She figured he got plenty of practice in his line of work.
The rest of the evening was uneventful, with Ranma or Akane (mostly Akane) being pulled from the group soon after the other returned. The evening was winding down as Ranma walked up to Daisuke. He realized he hadn't seen Akane in a while and was looking around the room. "If you're looking for Akane, she left about half an hour ago. Yuka was feeling tired and I was going to take her home but Akane told me she wanted more girl time, so they left with Sayuri. I was told I should 'take my time' heading home. I'm guessing there's going to be a lot of giggling when I get back, so I'm hanging out here as long as I can."
Ranma chuckled, "Want to go the bar down the street for a while?"
Daisuke looked a little sheepish, "Umm. I do but I really want to check on Yuka. She's due any day now and I really don't want her to overdo it."
"No problem. It was good seeing ya." The two old friends shook hands and departed with promises to meet up at some vague point in the future.
