This fanfic inspired by Book of Days, by Enya.

Time

a Ranma 1/2 fanfic by AJ Andreason

Akane glanced nervously around the rooftop, her gaze quickly shifting over the familiar scene. A boy sat on that roof, the cool evening wind brushing stray locks of black hair out of a tightly knotted pigtail. The boy was dressed in the same clothes he always wore. They had become somewhat of a symbol of himself, things that made him forever him. Akane had given up long ago trying to get him to wear something else. Besides... she found she rather like that outfit now.

Ranma had his legs curled tightly to his chest, his arms draped over his knees. His eyes were locked on the sky, and they were... distant. Considering. Not unhappy, really, just sort of... unfulfilled. Like he was missing something.

She breathed out slightly, making sure to make no noise. (Might as well leave him alone,) she told herself firmly. (If I barge in now, he'll only end up saying something stupid, making me lose my temper, and we'll end up arguing again. He looks like he needs peace, now. It's high time I gave some to him.)

She nodded silently to herself, and began to walk down the ladder as quietly as she could.

"Akane... wait."

She turned in surprise, half expecting some jibe to follow up, but none came. He just stared at her a moment with those hard, brilliant blue eyes of his. Something seemed to pass over his face, like a ripple of self doubt, but it was gone so quickly she was sure she had imagined it. He gestured to the roof beside him.

"Please... sit by me a sec, okay?"

She hesitated a moment, unsure how to react to him, but something about that gaze... It pulled her in a way she couldn't explain. She climbed back up the ladder, and padded silently over to him. After another anxious moment, she sat down abruptly, a rosy blush rising in her cheeks when she realized how close they were.

Ranma smiled warmly at her for a moment, and in that instant, though she would never admit it to anybody (least of all Ranma himself), she knew that deciding to sit by him had been worth it.

His smile faded into nervousness after a moment as a stain of red began to grow on his face, and he quickly gazed up at the stars again. He began to take deep, steadying breath, and she could tell he was using his training.

After another silent moment, he spoke. "Akane, I... just wanted to say how sorry I am. For all the times I insulted you, for all the people that hurt you 'cause of me, and for all the times I put you down in a fight. I was wrong."

"Ranma," Akane protested, "I don't-"

"Please," he said intensely, hold his hand up to stop her, "Let me finish." She looked up in surprise at him again, and nodded slowly. He relaxed slightly.

"Akane, I just wanted to let you know... All those times I said that you couldn't take care of yourself, and the times I got in the way of your fights, it was because... because I don't want you to get hurt, and I... I..."

His face screwed up in anger, and he slammed his fist down, causing the roof to shudder and crack dangerously. "DAMMIT! I gotta say it... I love you, Akane." She gasped and stared at him, wild-eyed. "From that first time we met, when you said you would be my friend, to the first time you ever hit me with a mallet. Through monsters, demons, gods, and killers, I loved you every second, and never wanted you hurt. And now, after the failed wedding, and especially after nearly loosing you to Saffron..."

He paused and slowly rose, bringing Akane to her feet with him. Her heart was pounding in her chest like a runaway freight train, and his touch felt electric on her skin. She was so shocked, things were moving so fast, she could only star on in wonder as he drew something carefully out of his pocket.

"I've gotta do this right..." he muttered to himself, gazing longingly into her eyes. Slowly, he sank to one knee. He pulled up a black velvet box, inscribed in silver, and slowly opened it to reveal a single golden ring.

"Akane... will you marry me?"

There was a long pause as Akane simply stood there, too poleaxed by the simple metal circlet to answer. She couldn't see the growing fear in his eyes, the desperation that crept into his heart. What would she say? What would she do?

Abruptly, she looked up and smiled. "Of course, baka," she told him, shaking her head. "What took you so long?"

With that, she grabbed the hair on either side of his head, and they shared their first kiss. It wasn't the wild, passionate kiss that lovers used, or the soft peck that someone on a date might give. It was the soft, sweet kiss that can only two people who truly loved each other, and knew it, could share. In a moment that was all time, and yet still a moment, they kissed.

She drew back slowly, and he stared up at her, officially knocked completely off balance. "Oh, and incidentally," she told, smirking the way he always did, "I love you, too."

He blinked a moment, visibly considering this, and then a grin broke out on his face. He flew to his feet, and in one swift moment, caught Akane up in his arms and kissed her again.

"Well done, boy, well done!" Mr. Saotome shouted suddenly from the trees.

"Indeed!" Daddy added from jovially from the trees, and then immediately began to cry. "Saotome! My little girl has finally grown up! WAAAAAHHHH!"

"There, there, Tendo. The Schools will be united forever now! I can't wait to-"

He cut off abruptly as Ranma shot out a hand and began to glow, never breaking their kiss. There was a brilliant flash of light, and then the unnamed Mokou Takabisha sent the Anything-Goes School masters well into the upper atmosphere.

"Hey, Kasumi," Nabiki's voice came from below. "I say they went all the way to the ocean. Bets?"

"Oh, my, I'd say a great deal more than that," the oldest Tendo sister replied, giggling slightly. "I'd say they made it to Kyushu."

"You're on."

Author's note:

For all those Akane/Ranma people out there. You know who you are! Just admit it and be spared the pain! ^_^ Also, to The Unseen Watcher, partner in crime (fan fiction) and one who is a little bit of an Akane hater at the moment.

Send any C&C to AJ Andreason @ andreasona@msn.com.

Thank you all!

AJ Andreason

-Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things.

~George Carlin