Title: Accident, Intention
Disclaimer: don't own Ranma ½
Written by: Lisse08
Summary: Ranma torn Akane's gown, accidentally or intentionally?
"I'm buying this." Akane admired herself in the dressing mirror. The pleating skirts stretched until a little above her knees, making her legs slimmer and longer than they were. The curvature in front the chest with laces made her small breast appeared bigger. Her back was revealed too, exposing the milky, porcelain skin that would allure any sensible boys to touch. Ranma had to slap himself mentally for a few times as Akane danced in a circle again, looking for any imperfectness of her yellow gown that represented the color of lilies.
In his point of view, Akane Tendo had always been a tomboy. He never understood the reason why Ryoga, Kuno and other guys would fall for her. But now…
He gulped again when the girl threw a mesmerizing smile at him.
He had to admit that she is beautiful.
"What do you think, Ranma?" Akane gracefully reached his side. Ranma blushed, not knowing why, and broke their eye contact.
"Just choose whichever you like." He mumbled his answer.
His betrothed narrowed her brows at the boy, pang of anger hit her. The unconcern in Ranma's voice infuriated her.
"Fine."
Ranma caught the sulking tone and opened one of his eyes. Curiosity seized him better. He plucked up his courage and asked the question that was on the tips of his tongue ever since they entered the shop.
"Why are you buying this?"
"Our prom night next week…" Akane started, seeing the confused look on her fiancé, she frowned. "Don't tell me you forgot about it?" There was a moment of hesitation seen in his shimmering orbs and it was not missed by her.
"Of course not." The boy ran a hand through his black hair and laughed goofily.
He did forget…
Feeling even angrier than before, Akane threw open the curtain and went back inside the changing room.
Xxxx
Balancing himself atop the fence, Ranma tipped his way back to Nerima's household with Akane alongside him. The vast blue sky here never changed.
The strained silence fell between them and Ranma had to do his best to ignore it. Akane had been like this since they came out from the shopping mall, but then no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't recall anything he had done to offend the girl. They were halfway through their routes when Akane finally broke it.
"Ranma…" Akane started. "Do you have any partner for…?" 'prom night?' She didn't finish her words as a familiar bell interrupted them.
"Ranma!" They both turned around to see that the purple-haired Amazon girl had cycled her bike, nearing them. Ranma cringed at the sight.
"Shampoo wants Ranma to be my partner for prom night." Shampoo hooked her arms around the bewildered boy, batting her captivating eyelashes at him.
"But Shampoo, you aren't a student of our school… can you…?"
"I'm offering to provide my ramen for free that day, so yes. Ranma, please…?"
"Well… I…" Ranma seemed to have totally fallen for the spell, for he teetered, clearly suggesting that he couldn't reject her offer. She had lost counted of how many times she had encountered this scene, each time Akane would feel something burning in her stomach. This was no exception.
She stormed away, wanting nothing but to leave them both as soon as possible when another shadow flashed and stopped in front of her. Ranma raised his head from the other girl and scanned towards the intruder.
"Tendo Akane," Kuno Tatewaki, their senior, was offering a bunch of roses to the short-haired girl. Akane looked anything but annoyed.
"I, Kuno Tatewaki, the blue thunder of Furinkan High school, hereby declared my love for you."
"There is no need." Akane muttered.
"Do I have the honor to be your male partner for next week?" Kuno seemed to be deaf to the words and continued. Ranma raised his brows. His betrothed stole a side glance at him. Ranma thought he saw some sparks in those brown eyes. There was something wrong about this. Usually, Akane would reject him without further considerations. What was taking her so long to voice out her objections this time?
Akane worked her mind fast, feeling the anger surged through every particles of her body. Something snapped when she noticed that Shampoo had deliberately licked out her tongue at Ranma's face, tasting the flesh of his skin. Ranma jerked at that.
"Shampoo!" Ranma scolded.
"Yes." The answer was out before she could give it a second thought. The electrical wave swept through the boys, shocking them. Ranma stopped, staring at her in disbelief, Kuno jumped in joy only after a few seconds of silence. Shampoo pulled away from Ranma, wearing a facial expression that said victory was hers.
"Tendo Akane, I'll see you there." Kuno bowed and raced off. Joy was eating his heart alive. He didn't even feel the pain when he had his head bucked against the roadside light pole.
"Are you a fool or what? Why did you agree with it?" Ranma bursted. Akane twisted her head back at him with a look that knifed through his heart.
"The fool is YOU!" She snapped and pivoted off.
Xxxx
It gave him some hard time to shake Shampoo off. When he could finally reach the gate of their house, he was weary. Dragging his lifeless body like a zombie into the house, his way was blocked almost immediately by his so-called master.
"Get out of my way!" Ranma stepped aside as he was told, only when Happosai passed by did he notice the bag he was hauling behind. To his upmost annoyance, Ranma saw the bra sticking out at the corner of it. He grabbed the old man by the bag and raised him up into the air.
"What do you think you're doing, old man?" Ranma questioned while Happosai struggled to free himself.
"It's none of your business! Let go of me!"
"Give this back." Ranma, hands outstretched for the stolen items, ordered. The old man skillfully evaded the offending hand and escaped from his grip. Pissed off by his defeat, Ranma chased after him.
Xxxx
Akane heaved out a deep sigh, her eyes darting over to the yellow gown that she had hung on the wardrobe. It was emitting a radiant glow. She had planned to wear it, with the hope to be Ranma's partner for the night…
But that stupid Ranma had forced her to be Kuno's.
She rose from her bed and approached it, taking it into her hands.
The commotions outside was getting louder and louder. She frowned as she noticed the voices were heading towards her room. Akane averted her attention towards the door, before she had time to react, it was flung open. She saw random figures around her, blinding her view and making her mind blurry. Before long, she heard something akin to a tear amidst the percussions. Her heart missed beats, the dress she was holding ripped apart. When her eyes could finally adjust, she was shocked. Holding the pity dress up, she stared aghast at the dress that was torn from the middle towards the thigh length, unable to take in anything.
"Sorry, Akane!" Ranma's voice travelled ghostly into her ears. He vaulted himself over the opened window in seconds.
Xxxx
"Ranma no baka!" The short-haired girl shouted in fury. With the broom in her hands, she started chasing after the pigtailed boy who ran off instantly at the combustion.
"It wasn't my fault!" Ranma protested, knocking down the vase again at the corner. It wasn't his fault for tearing her gown. It was an accident, an accident that occurred when he was chasing after Happosai. He clenched his fist tight as his eyes caught the one who started all this —a small sized old man grinning triumphantly in front.
"You filthy old man! You're damn dead!!" He shouted and lurched towards. Akane was close in pursuit. He jumped at the small cannon ball that was thrown at him. It exploded, causing Ranma to cough at the gunpowder smoke.
"You're hundred years early if you wanna beat me!" Happosai jeered. More heat flushed up his neck as anger shook his body. He used his speed to its full advantage. Using the mastered skills, he used the chestnut technique and started attacking the old man with his fists.
"Ranma!!"
"Stay out of this, Akane!" Ranma yelped, now hovering in level with Happosai in the air. The old man continued to counterattack with more cannon balls.
"Ranma!" Akane, in raged, could only glare after the back of the pigtailed boy who hopped his way out the Tendo's house with the old man.
'BAKA!! BAKA BAKA BAKA!!!' The girl repeated incessantly in her mind as she punched the doll, imagining it as Ranma. How could he do this? Her anger was only rising.
Xxxx
"You're still angry at that?" Ranma probed tentatively and beckoned away when Akane threw him a seriously incensing glare. The atmosphere was tensed and everyone could sense it. Akane, unlike her usual self, didn't vent her anger out on Ranma but had kept quiet all thorough their dinner. She resumed her eating, her father shedding tears silently beside, mumbling something about his daughter's unpredictable mood that was hurting him.
Ranma seemed to realize how serious his mistakes were only then. He raised his hands as signs of defeat.
"Akane, I really didn't mean it. I'm sorry." The air was tensed.
The girl slammed her chopsticks onto the dining table with such a force that made the oak table crumbled into two pieces.
"I'm full."
"Akane!" Ranma shouted after her. She stormed out the chamber, the steam puffing out from her ears. Seeing the unresponsiveness of his fiancé, something ugly erupted. Is Akane angry at him because he ruined her date with Kuno?
"It's just a gown, Akane. Why are you so angry? It doesn't suit you anyway from the start." Regret swept through his body the moment the words were said. But as a man, he could never take back what he said. The chills that had nothing to do with the night breeze ran through his hairs on his neck. He scrambled away as Akane snapped her head over, the eyes looked ready to kill.
"I…" Ranma stammered, not knowing what to say.
"Akane, don't be upset. I had got a new gown for you." Happosai appeared out of nowhere with a (Ranma's eyes widened) bra. The boy got hold of the old man and held him down under his foot.
"Not you again! Jiji! You had caused me enough trouble." Ranma cursed.
"Let go of me, I'm a poor old man," He wriggled himself in Ranma's grip, like a fish caught on a line, trying desperately to get free.
"Don't act pity with…" Ranma yelped suddenly and became even more alerted. His voice had inflected to higher note. The chills were real this time. He stared agape at the bucket that was in Akane's hands. His body had shrunken to half of his original size, his flat, muscular chest had grown to ample. Akane walked away with a 'humph' and that was before she sent the bucket over, smacking him on his face.
"What's the idea?" Ranma girl shouted in defiant which soon turned into a high-pitched shriek. The old man had had the bra on his hands once more, dangling it in front of Ranma's face with a smirk that indicated none other than wanting her to wear it. Annoyed, Ranma sent her last punch over to the lecherous man.
"Ranma, you should really apologize to Akane." Nabiki, the second child of Tendo's family pointed out.
"Why should I? I really didn't mean it." Ranma protested.
"Oh really?" The girl challenged. "Did you just accidentally tear her gown or did you intentionally do it?" Ranma gulped at her.
"Aren't you actually jealous about it? Kuno and Akane…" Nabiki testily said.
"Of course not." Ranma denied. Despite this, Ranma found herself mumbling excuses and scrambled out from the room without delay.
Xxxx
"Did you just accidentally tear her gown or did you intentionally do it?"
Back then, when he broke into his fiancé's room without permission, he had seen Akane admiring the dress again. Something had snapped, like a string and the emotion was strong, so strong that he couldn't control himself-- the emotion to possess her.
"Aren't you actually jealous about it? Kuno and Akane…"
Is the rage… jealousy?
Ranma rumbled aimlessly in the household, not knowing where to go. Before he knew it, he found himself standing outside the room where the wood with 'Akane' embroiled on it was hang on the oak door. He swallowed hard. Since when was his world filled with the tomboy's faces? Did he really…
Raising his fist high in the mid-air intending to knock on the door, he stopped at the track when he heard sobbing. His heart wrenched. He lowered down his tightened palms and hesitantly, pressed his ears onto the door. The sobs and mumbling in between them became clearer to his ears.
… Fallen in love with Akane?
…
Akane plunged herself down on the bed, making it bounced against the owner in response. Distressed and anger, she lied down onto the soft comfy pillow, her black pearl eyes darted over to the torn dress that was hanging at the door.
"Ranma baka…" She shifted. "Insensitive idiot…" The tears were struggling in her eyes. She blinked to clear her blurry view, feeling her cheeks damped as they escaped.
"Fiancé, what an idiotic fiancé you're… Can't you tell that I want to be your partner?" Her grip onto the pillow tightened, her sobbing not ceasing for a second. The sharp pain was stabbing at her heart. This wasn't the first time Ranma did this to her but Ranma never seemed to understand her true feelings and continued to hurt her. Unintentionally or not, it was both frustrating and saddened her greatly. Did Ranma really not know that she liked him or pretend not to take note of it?
Crying out loud, she grabbed up the pillow and sent it flying over to the door.
"Why am I feeling so hurt?" She hiccoughed. "I hate you. Really hate you!"
Xxxx
The sunset's ray was streaming in through the velvet curtain. Akane sat up bolt awake, realizing that she had fallen asleep. The memories flooded back to her at the arts Ranma had left her on the door. Enraged, she strode over the room and chucked it back into her closet. Even if it was torn, she couldn't bring herself to just throw it away and marked it as rubbish.
Pulling the curtain apart to reveal the beautiful scenery, she sighed. What should she wear for the prom night? May be, she should cancel the date with Kuno. After all, she didn't really hold any interest for the boy. And Ranma…
"To hell with him!" Akane cursed and crossed the room, her fist clenched at her sides.
As she threw opened the door, she was stunned at the familiar shopping bag perching itself outside her room. It took her a few seconds for senses to come back. She lowered down and picked it up. She scrutinized the area but there was no one around to welcome her.
Akane peered into the bag. Stupefied, she stared at the yellow hem and laces. She reached inside, and drew the cloth out. A silent gasp escaped from her lips.
It was the same yellow gown that was torn.
Who…? How…? Questions flashed over numbed her mind.
There was a note inside. Senselessly, she retrieved it from the bottom of the bag. The messy handwritings were easily recognizable without any afterthought.
"Yo. I accidentally passed by this shop. It's lucky that they still have stock for the dress. Sorry for ruining your dress." Akane stared at the big clean gap where Ranma had stopped. There was a deep bolt ink at the start of the next question. He must have hesitated for a considerably long time. Taking deep breathe, she scanned it down. Tears sprang to life and she burst out laughing before she knew it. She heard some commotion at the room situated opposite of hers. It was akin to a person, clumsily stumbling over something.
"Who's there?" She cried out, her heart leapt.
Sheepishly, the pigtailed-boy stepped out into the light, scratching his head.
"I…" Ranma stammered, embarrassed to be discovered like that. He shifted his leg on the wooden floor, wondering what kind of answer his fiancé would give to him. He stared at the floor for what, two seconds? Maximum. Then, he looked up to lock his gaze with hers. To his relief, Akane smiled affectionately and nodded. His own lips quirked up and spread.
The question repeated in Akane's brain again and again, like a mantra, making her unable to wipe off the smile on her face.
"Do you want to be my partner for prom night?"
Accidentally or intentionally, no one knew better except for Ranma himself.