Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½

Am I Just in the Way?

Chapter One

"Remind me why you practice martial arts again?" He inquired, sitting Indian style on the wooden floor.

She snapped her head in his direction. "Why else do you think, dummy? I'm going to inherit the Dojo when I get older," she tightened her headband around her forehead and inhaled deeply. "Now shut up or leave. You're ruining my concentration here."

He did neither. "I'm just saying that you don't have to worry about that dojo."

She scowled. "And why not?"

He sighed. "Ain't it obvious, stupid?" He hoisted himself out of his position and dusted himself off. "One, no guy in the whole world would even want to marry a tomboy like yourself," he counted off on his fingers. "And second, you're too weak to even consider yourself a martial artist!"

"I am too a martial artist!" She retorted, ignoring his first reason. He threw his head back and laughed as if she had just cracked the world's greatest joke. She clenched her fists and growled. "I'd be glad to prove it to you, too!"

He turned on his heel, sauntering cockily to the door. "Oh please, Akane. We always know how this turns out in the end."

Without another word, she charged at him. As expected, he evaded her kick as he launched himself in the air, poking her head from behind. "Get it now, Akane?"

She didn't turn around. "Spar with me for real this time!" He laughed again. "Ranma I'm serious! If you.. don't take.. me seriously.." She grunted with each hit she took, her attempts futile at someone as skilled as Ranma.

"Now you know why I always leave you behind. You just get in my way." He commented obliviously, jogging out the wide double doors.

She was more angry than depressed, to say the least. What did Ranma take her for when he said comments like that? Fist still clenched, she stomped after him. "Ranma! Ranma, I'm not finished with you yet!"

An expression of annoyance finally registered. "Whhaat?"

"What do you mean 'you just get in my way'?"

"I meant just that," he stated bluntly. "I always keep you from interfering because you'll just get yourself in trouble and I'll have to protect you. Again. Like always. Making sense now, Akane? You just get in my way."

The words pierced her. ".. I never asked for your charity, Ranma. If you don't want to protect me then leave me alone. I can do fine on my own! Just so you know, before you were around I got on just fine!"

"Without me you'd be getting kidnapped from foreign lunatics and psychotic residents!"

She shook her head. "Yeah, well without me you're butt would be still be back in freshman year, Mr. I-can-work-my-chi-just-not-my-brain."

Now he was offended. Now he had to top that insult. Now he wasn't thinking. "Without you, I wouldn't be in this stupid fiancee mess!" He retorted angrily. "I'd still be perfecting my martial arts skill and wouldn't have to be tied down by someone as clumsy, jealous, and violent as you!"

"You think I like being engaged to you?" She seethed, pointing a finger at her face. "Look at this expression, Ranma! I can't stand to be around you for a single minute, let alone marry you!"

"Well, won't you look at the married couple," Nabiki interrupted without much enthusiasm, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Married?" Ranma snorted, his eyes never leaving Akane. "We aren't even friends."

"Aren't you?" Nabiki feigned a surprise expression. "Well if you're not married, engaged, or even friends, than what are you exactly?"

Tears burned at the brim of Akane's eyes. "A mistake!" She exclaimed, glaring daggers at the pigtailed boy. "Us, this engagement– it's all a big mistake!"

She brushed past the both of them, crossing the lawn and disappearing. "Well since you're leaving Akane," Nabiki shouted over her shoulder. "Make sure to purchase some groceries while you're out!"

Akane swallowed the insult she was ready to spit at her heartless sister, luckily managing to stop herself. Nabiki wasn't one to anger, especially if she's the one with the camera, the blackmail, and the wicked schemes.

The unspilled tears burned her throat, and she couldn't help but wonder when her and Ranma weren't arguing. After the failed wedding and incident as Jusendo, their disputes became pettier and pettier. Not that her martial arts skills were petty, but today's dispute was just the tip of the iceberg.

And that was an understatement.

Their insults grew deeper than their usual physical or personality statements. They evolved from words such as uncute and unmanly, to deeper words such as their whole existence to one another. She went as far as insulting his stupidity in falling into the springs and how his mother would view him if she only knew about his curse, which seemed to cut him similar to that of a knife.

God, she was awful to him sometimes. But it wasn't only her who did the damage. Of course he played a role in it as well. Like the previous setting, where she was just minding her own business practicing martial arts and he waltzed in there to just start a commotion. This was one of their kinder arguments, to say the least. Even though one comment has been really bugging her..

"I always keep you from interfering because you'll just get yourself in trouble and I'll have to protect you. Again. Like always. Making sense now, Akane? You just get in my way."

Was he truly finding her bothersome? She never got into too much trouble, did she? If he didn't really want to protect her, he could have just left her to fend for her self. Of course, she wouldn't be in most of those situations if he wasn't around, but she never went without thanking him. But if she was better in the Art, then she wouldn't need him so much to risk his life for her. It dawned on her. Whenever she mingled into the battlefield, she just got in the way.

"You just get in my way."

She held her breath, aware that if she thought about the situation anymore, tears would be streaming down her face. So, she forced herself to think about P-Chan, the 'A' she received on her biology test, and that hilarious prank Daisuke played on Ms. Hinako this morning. By then, a smile wide enough to appear insane to others, formed on her face.

But all good things have to come to an end.

"Well if is Violent Kitchen Cook!"

"Shampoo," she said miserably, turning to see the purple-haired amazon on her delivery bike. "I'm so delighted to see you."

"Where Airen?"

"We're not inseparables, you know," she replied with visible contempt. "Wherever I am he just doesn't magically appear beside me."

Shampoo frowned. "Why you here then, if Ranma no with you?"

"I'm here to buy some groceries, so if you'll excuse me," she murmured, pushing past her.

"You no cook, do you?" She asked, and when Akane didn't answer, she let out a high-pitched laugh. "I feel so sorry for Ranma!"

Leave it to Shampoo to boil her temper even more. "Now you listen to me, Shampoo," she said in a deadly tone that seemed even foreign to herself for a moment. "I didn't come here to have a little play date with you! If you're feeling so sorry for Ranma then why don't you go over and tell him that! I just came to buy some groceries, so–"

Shampoo's eyes narrowed in rage, as she stepped down from her bike and approached Akane with too calm of a demeanor. "No, Akane listen to Shampoo, now! I sorry for Ranma because he nice to crazy Akane when she only hold him back!"

All confidence left Akane as she answered in a hushed voice, "I don't hold Ranma back."

Her laughter split the silence that followed Akane's response. "You no hold Ranma back?" She echoed incredulously, holding her gut as she continued to laugh with no restraint. "Ranma is most handsome, strong, talented man in all Japan! You interfere with everything because you cause Ranma to hurt himself!"

The world stopped spinning. Please don't say it, she begged silently, her mouth frozen shut as she stared into Shampoo's amused eyes.

"You just in his way," she finished, glancing at her watch. "Oh no, now I is late. I leave now."

Akane stood there defeated, the words she was most dreading spit into her face by her rival. This time, she made no attempt to stop the tears falling down her face as bent down on her knees, weeping away the sorrows of the truth she has known all along.

-XxX-

He angrily threw his fist into the bricks she had piled in the dojo until he interrupted her. Beads of sweat was streaming down his face even though he had barely even worked up a sweat. He wiped the perspiration off his forehead and drilled his fist into the wooden wall.

"I'm such an idiot!" He screamed to no one in particular, running his hand through his jet-black hair.

"Ranma, are you OK?" Kasumi inquired innocently, silently gasping as she examined the huge hole in the dojo wall.

"Oh, Kasumi," he said, startled. "Didn't see you there. But, um, yeah, I'm fine! Oh you mean that thing right there? I was just practicing..."

He didn't fool her for a minute. "Did you get in a fight with Akane again, Ranma?"

"Yeah."

She smoothed her apron and seated herself on the floor, motioning for him to sit next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He began to shake his head, but there was something about Kasumi's demeanor that assured him that whatever he said, would stay securely with her. Plopping next to her, he sighed once more. "She hates me," He said bluntly, the mere thought crushing his spirit. "I know she does."

Kasumi smiled politely at him. "She doesn't hate you, Ranma," when his eyes met hers, she noticed the stress effecting his usual lively features. She placed his hands in hers tightly, "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

He nodded. "I stopped in while she was practicing in the dojo and began insulting her..." He gazed at Kasumi, expecting to see annoyance or disappointment evident on her face, but all he saw was a small smile encouraging him to proceed. "I guess I was just so use to insulting her martial arts and when I said what I said, the argument started."

"All you argued about was her martial arts skills?"

"No," he said gloomily, remembering the harsh words that were used. "I started something about her never getting married, and how she's so weak and I always have to protect he, and how she just gets in my way."

"Ranma, do you really mind protecting Akane whenever she's captured or injured?"

"No."

"Do you mind marrying Akane one day in the future?"

Silence.

She smiled. "I don't know if you know this, Ranma, but Akane really admires you."

His eyes widened. "S-She does?"

She nodded. "When it comes, to martial arts that is," he snickered and Kasumi joined in. "She really admires your poise, grace, and strength. That's why she tries so hard at martial arts, you know. She just feels that she's ridiculed by your suitors and your opponents. They taunt her and undermine her so she asks you to spar with her because she respects your skill enough to ask. She doesn't go around asking just anyone."

The guilt settled in. "And all I do is tease her about it," he rubbed his toes together. "God, it's all my fault."

"No, it's not," she protested. "Akane gets jealous a lot, assumes way too much, and is so stubborn sometimes when it comes to you. But there's a method to her madness, get it?"

"Uh..."

"She cares a lot about you," she saw him begin to blush, but continued anyway. "Somewhat like a friend. Or maybe even more. But how do you view her?"

Silence.

"OK, let's put it this way," she said thoughtfully. "If Akane and I were both drowning, who would you save first?"

"Both of you!" He replied immediately.

"But what if you could only save one person?"

He didn't answer, but she was pretty sure he was thinking of the same person she was. "It's alright, Ranma, Akane would do the same thing. No relationship is perfect, but I'm sure you both will figure it out down the road."

"But she's really mad at me this time," he argued. "What if I don't get a second chance?"

"Guess we'll find that out right now," he gazed confusedly at her. "Akane's home with the groceries."

Kasumi stepped outside, but when Ranma didn't follow her, she smiled encouragingly at him. Ranma certainly wasn't stupid, so she'll leave it up to him to decide when he wants to take his first steps.

"I'm home." Akane whispered into the house, sliding the door shut behind her.

"Good to see you Akane– oh my!" Kasumi analyzed Akane's tattered clothes and lifeless eyes. "Akane, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she gazed blindly at Kasumi, setting down the bags on the counter. "I'm gonna go to take a bath now."

She ascended up the stairs and was grateful Kasumi didn't ask anymore questions. After Shampoo had left, Akane didn't waste anymore time to dart into the store and buy the groceries before running home. How she got the tattered clothes was unbeknownst to her since the only things she was conscious of was buying the groceries followed by entering the house.

Ranma could never want you.

Her inside voice kept reminding her that Ranma was no longer a factor in her life. How could she have even conceived the idea that Ranma wanted her? He had beautiful girls chasing him from left to right, why would he settle for her?

You're not good enough.

She bit her tongue, she already knew all of these things! The sooner she acquainted herself with the truth, the better. She no longer felt like herself, anymore. The gaping hole in her chest was tearing her apart, and she knew what she had to do now.

Run away, Akane. Run away, and never return to these horrible memories behind.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Jusendo wasn't an act of love, it was an instinct. Ranma treated everyone the way he treated her, minus the insults. His acts of saving her were merely because he was Ranma! He would save anyone if given the chance.

"Akane?"

"Ranma," her breathing fell short, and she slowly turned around. He's here to end the engagement, she realized. But couldn't this wait? She couldn't endure a rejection when she was in this state. "I have to take a shower!"

She tried speeding away from him, but he grabbed her arm. "This can't... um, wait."

"O... kay."

"Where to begin?" He breathed nervously. "So, I've been thinking about things. Primarily, us, and the situation we're in. I just want to settle everything right here and tell you how I truly feel."

"You're fed up."

"Yes!"

"You're sick of the situation you're in?"

"Exactly!"

"You wish maybe the person was different?"

"Wow, Akane! It's like you read my mind!" It was true, he was fed up with the situation he was in with her. And he wished that he himself could be a little different toward her. Why was there any need to talk, Akane felt the same way he did! "So, Akane, you do understand?"

She nodded slowly. "I get it, Ranma. No hard feelings."

"Hard feelings? Akane wait–"

The door slammed shut, a fatigued Akane diving into the bathtub. Ranma admitted to her face that she wasn't the person he was looking for... and nothing in the world could have prepared her for that. The hole in her chest widened, and she was sure for a moment that she was bathing in her own tears. What was she going to do? The thought was as clear as day:

Run away, Akane. Run away and leave these terrible memories behind.

-XxX-

A/N: Ah, my last update until summer! Sorry guys, but exams are coming up so I need to study-udy-udy! Anyways, I re-edited this story because I think it had WAY more potential then I gave it.

PLEASE REVIEW. Love those reviews.

333