I am back! I took a trip that is why this update is one a day late since I'm striving to put something up every Sat. or Sun.. Reviews always give me initiative, though.

Disclaimer: DipuC owns a dog, some guns and an awesome collection of Batman Comics, but besides that nothing, so you lawyers can leave me alone!

"Dreams are which the mind conceives, the heart desires, and the soul believes." -Julie

Pure

He was undeniably hot.

This was a strange state of being in the middle of December. With the snow capped house and people covered head to toe with wool, "hot" was certainly not normal.

And especially this sort of hot.

Ranma sighed. Then he rested his head on his crossed arms, staring blankly at the ceiling. His thoughts were not at all concerned with the clever design of the roof, but of a particular woman. His fiancée, to be exact, the only one he ever thought about .

He had another dream. Number….well he had lost count sometime ago. She seemed to have invaded his brain with an army of dazzling smile and strategically distracting smooth porcelain skin. With that, she was winning a war that he had not known he was fighting. Not to mention her autumn eyes, silk tresses and dainty hands.

He groaned. His mind went rampant again.

The dreams became so vivid these nights. And as sick as it sounds, he enjoyed them. In his dreams, she uncorked all that bottled passion, letting it flow out in rivers of pleasure, unhindered and willing. Always willing.

He shook his head, trying avidly to dispel the cardiac-arresting images of his blue-haired fiancée. He glanced wearily at the snoring man next to him. Scratch that, make it animal sleeping next to him. It was quite depressing. Every night having these dreams where he felt alive, then to wake looking at that face …. Very depressing, indeed.

His mind went off tangent with that thought. Imagine, waking up to see Akane every morning. The thought was thrilling, especially because that would signify he spent the night with her.

Pervert.

And as much as he hated being even considered that, that is exactly what he was becoming. A perverted pervert. One of those slobbering dogs that was supposed to be humans. That would stop at nothing to get a woman naked.

And willing.

Aughhhh!

He sat up, his body jolting. Panicking. He was one of those guys?! He never…

His mind suddenly flashed backed him to a situation a year back, shortly after the Jusenkyo accident. His father dearest had wondered off, leaving him to fend for himself….or at that instance herself.

He was still unaware of how….alluring he was to the dirty minded creeps. He had walked past a street vendor as the merchant reached out to grab him. Being the martial artist that he was, he nimbly dodged the attack and promptly whacked the guy hard atop his head, rendering him unconscious for the next couple of hours. Yet he was shocked at how disgustingly bold that pervert was. He felt bad for women at that moment. Then Shampoo appeared and the thought quickly soured.

He stared at the wall, his mood gruff. A pervert? Him? Never!

Then he heard footsteps. Light and quick, inaudible for most. But he was not most. The quickness of each step was easily recognizable, the uniqueness of those small fairy feet clothed in white fabric.

It was Akane.

He abruptly covered himself, for it was the morning and he did have quite an arousing dream. He laid there waiting for her eminent arrival.

She slid the door gently,

"Ranma!"

He could not help but smile. He could see the look on her face, annoyed and exasperated.

"Ranma! Are you going to sleep all day? You are going to be late for school!"

He rolled over lazily, and gave her a half grin. "Who cares?" He was quite surprised he did that.

So was she for she frowned at him, then stiffened. "Fine…But I'm leaving." She hastily walked out of the guest room and to the kitchen. He watched her go, then shaking his head hard and got up.

He would not miss their walk to school. It was the best time of his day, as sad as that sounds.

He agilely strolled atop the fence, though he was a little tense. There was always the threat of Shampoo interrupting the semi-peace of the mornings. Heck, afternoons, nights, a different universe….the girl seemed to have radar on him.

He shook his head, annoyed with himself, wasting thoughts on the Amazonian when Akane was in a good mood.

He tried to think of a conversation that he could follow without having it end with him smashed to the ground.

But all his brain conjured were images from the night before.

Heat suffused his face, and he stumbled in his step.

"You okay?" Akane's voice floated up to him.

"Eh…yeah" He responded, frustrated with himself. Man, he had to install some self control or he would land face first into the cement.

"Ranma?"

He glanced down at her. She had stopped, and was peering up at him in the most peculiar manner. For some odd reason his heart fluttered.

Her honeyed eyes glazed over him, and that took him to the aforementioned dream.

Her eyes traced him like a caress, darkening as a hurricane.

She turned away, walking as if they didn't have an electrical storm happen between them.

Or maybe that was just him.

"Do you remember your dreams?"

"Wha…?" He flat out almost fell this time, his hands waving comically in the air, attempting to regain his equilibrium. Damn and he was a martial artist! His foot finally became steady on the steel, and he wisely chose to jump off it, in case she decided to scare the living daylights out of him again.

The other thoughts were concerned with how she read his mind…

He landed next to her, eyeing her cautiously.

No, she hadn't seen what was running through his absolute male brain, for if she had, she would've of pounding him right into Hell.

"Are you sure you're okay?" The question was laced with concern and that cheered him a bit.

"Yea, Yea…" He scratched his head, willing his tongue to form words. "So what was that, 'bout dreams?"

A splash of color streaked across her face, and those pretty hazel orbs bounced around wildly, avoiding him completely.

A thought hit him. Maybe she dreamed of him, as he did of her…?

His jaw slackened, his gaze sharpening on her.

Naw…

But…no, that was impossible. Akane would never…

But a hope growing in him,

Her fingers brushed against his collarbone, ever lightly touching him, after each graze, flames arose.

"Well…um" She broke through to him. She was still evading, and appeared very tense. "I was just wondering if you remember your dreams"

She blinked slowly, seductively, sinfully, and the smoldering passion heightened to a new level each time her eyes opened. Her fingers curled into his shoulders, as she leaned in dangerously close.

"Uh yeah…some. Why?" He replied, putting to play that self control of his.

Her face reddened even more, the light pink becoming dark. "Um…' She sped up her step, trying to get ahead of him. "J-Just wondering" She was all flustered and that fact made him bold.

"Whatsa matter with you?"

She kept right on walking.

"Oi! Tomboy!" That would get a reaction.

She swirled around, an expression of annoyance on her pretty face.

"What? Pervert."

"Are you going to tell me or not?" his curiosity overcoming the stinging of the insult.

She glared at him, then her face softened, and she gave him a questioning look. "I don't know if I should…" She confessed.

He stuck his hands in his pockets, put out by her distrust. "C'mon, I ain't gonna beg."

She swung her pack over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him.

He trembled as the breathe escaping from her lips, blew across his seething skin. His fingers danced on her naked flesh, watching fascinatingly as she gasped. Her small and wet tongue daringly swept against his lips, teeth nibbling.

Ranma felt his body tighten, his breath becoming laden, at the sight of that pink appendage.

This was insane. He had no will power around this woman.

"Since you're dying to know…" She started, her gaze light and playful, but quickly turning serious.

"I …I had a dream about you."

His stomach dropped, and the hope that he had been pounding down the last few moments grew tenfold. "What?" All good humor gone.

She gulped nervously "Don't get the wrong idea, Ranma. I'm not a pervert like you!"

"I ain't a Pervert!" was his typical response. He took a step closer to her and honeyed eyes shot up to him, "You dreamin' about me?" he asked a little uncertain if he had heard right. He was thrilled that maybe this thing he felt wasn't a one way street after all.

Her face was already in flames, but somehow she turned redder. "I..uh…I…..ugh, Never mind."

She turned, pacing briskly away from him. Oh no, the girl was not going to leave him hanging.

"I know I'm such a stud that you can't help dreaming about me." He called out after her, a smile playing on his lips as she stiffened.

Her pack suddenly was zooming towards him with the speed of a bullet. He caught it, twirling it around his finger. 'Well, I am aren't I?"

She resembled a tomato and he wanted to double over and laugh at her embarrassment. "You…you JERK! Here I am trying to tell you something and you…" she trailed off, her eyes narrowing. Her admission made him sober up real quick "Uh…"

She walked up to him, and snatched her bag viciously from him, "I'm going to school." She hissed at him.

And she left.

Ranma stared at her retreating figure. What had he done now?

"Hey!"

She ignored him. Women…

"Akane… "

"Leave it alone, Ranma."

"Hey, I didn't even…"

"You don't have to. I already know that you're going to make fun of me." She sighed heavily "I should have never told you…"

He caught up to her, "That's not right!" He fought with himself for a moment. "I just…"

"It's alright, it was my fault for telling you…"

He frowned at her. "Okay, tell me,"

"What?"

"Tell me 'bout you dream."

"Like I want to now!"

"Man, you are uncute! Are you going to tell me or what?"

"No!" she glared at him, "you'll just laugh!"

He crossed his arms "You don't know that."

"I know you, and you'll laugh."

"Try me."

"Then will you leave me alone?"

He shrugged.

She sighed again, wringing her hands. She just stood there for the longest moment, regarding him with the most suspicious look. Finally, "Remember when we went to Ryugenzawa?"

A flood of memories and emotions sprung forth. Anger, defeat, and then the warm fuzzy feeling of happiness. Of course he remembered. "Yea, What 'bout."

She bit her lip and the action made him feel envy, for some odd reason. "In the dream…we were there again." She stopped, then after pinking prettily, she began walking, "We …um…well you… um."

"What."

"Um…we, well you know…"

His heart was beating so fast and unconsciously he stepped forward, closing in on her. His breathing was pitching upward, his own face becoming red. She…she… So many things were running in his head, thoughts, desires, and one feeling that there was no way to describe. He was hanging on her next words.

"Don't laugh, but I cooked for you, and you liked my food."

…

He was not laughing. Quite the opposite, in fact. Cooking, eating? What the hell…

"That's it?" he asked, maybe a little too harshly.

"What do you mean 'that's it'? What did you expect?"

He was not going to answer that question. He just stared at her, "We… um… talked a little. But it felt nice, you know. Like peaceful. And…Stop looking at me that way!"

"So you cooked and I ate it? And then we talked…"

"Yeah..."

He deflated, like a popped balloon. Despite all his efforts, his disappointment showed on his face. He was there, teetering on this cliff, and here she came, barely poked him, and he almost jumped off. Seconds ago, he was ready to show her exactly what he dreamed of, not tell her, show her.

"I know it was only a dream, and no, I'm not going to cook for you anytime soon, so you can stop giving me that look."

Damnit, this was not right, the hope he had minutes early began decaying. He should have known, he should have known.

"Ranma?"

"Thank the heavens it was only a dream, cause I be dead now, wouldn't I?"He retorted, but there was no enthusiasm behind it. "Only in a dream would I eat your food, Akane."

She leaned away; shocked for a moment, and then she responded roughly, "Shut up, you jerk. I knew I shouldn't have told you!"

He was frustrated. At who? He didn't even know. But that's what he felt. There was also something else.

Disgust. He was disgusted with himself.

Her confession made him realize something ugly. She was so utterly shy about dreaming of cooking for him, when he…went way beyond that point. At night, there were no sinful sultry gazes, or trembling lips, dancing fingers, and cries of satisfaction for her. No, her nights were sweet and innocent. And here he was hoping she was dreaming in such ways. He was a pig, looking to ruin her. He was the devil himself, and she a saint. He didn't deserve her. He was mad, pissed off at his stupidity and teenage hormones, and the general unfairness of life.

He jumped back on the fence, staying away from her, his good mood gone in an instant.

She was an angel. Wings and all. He felt that if he would touch her, he would taint her, and she would fly away from him.

He didn't want her to fly away from him.

They walked in silence, their day ruined. They were late but neither of them noticed, or ignored it. And because the higher being has such fantastic humor, Ranma, distracted in all his worldly worries, was suddenly soaked. He jumped "What the…." Than spotted the old lady, nonchalantly throwing water around.

Great, just great. Now he was a girl. His day couldn't get any better. He sighed. Then his keen ears heard muffled sounds. He glanced down at his fiancée. Her shoulders were shaking, and concern hit him, Was she crying?

He jumped of the fence, and looked for her tears.

She was not crying. She caught his gaze and laughter burst from her mouth. Laughter…

"What are you laughing at!" he yelled highly offended.

"You! You idiot!" she wiped her eyes, "I mean a 'stud' like you can't avoid water?" Despite being the butt of the joke, a weight was taken off his shoulders, something heavy lifted. " I had somethin' on my mind!" he explained.

"Your are such a dummy sometimes, Ranma." She replied, but that playful look was in her eye and she said it in the airy way, as if reassuring herself. Of what? Only the tomboy knew. Her giggles were contagious, because he felt something bubbling in his chest. A hope once again sparking up. A chuckle escaped his lips, and then turned into a full on roar. This had to be the strangest mood change he ever had. But there he was laughing with Akane, his fiancée as if all the things that happened early didn't happen. She turned to him, and grabbed his hand, "C'mon lets go to Dr. Tofu's" a smile was still in place, and he wondered if she even remembered what they were mad about because he didn't. He thought that perhaps it had to do with the feel of her hand nestled in his and her fingers holding him firmly, yet gently, a way that only Akane could pull off. He stared at their held hand for a moment, everything but one thought forgotten.

An angel that doesn't mind hold hands with the devil.

________________________________________________________________________

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." ~ Thomas Haynes Bayly

Lonely

He was happy.

Loneliness forgotten.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Yes, indeed.

~~DipuC~~

Musing….

I want to apologize for the out of character-ness that happened in this chapter. I…well was lost. I did it, I'm sorry about that. And it's soooo long! Ugh…It is so hard to write conversations between these two. In what world would Akane tell Ranma her dreams??? In DipuC's!!!! So there.

And in the whole 'pure' aspect of the Akane, I really believe. In my opinion, she is a sweet, pure child, that can work a mallet like no other, and I do have some ground in the manga for this belief. Just wanted to put that out there.

Thank for reading this chapter, and I'll have something up by next weekend. And about finally, the last chapter will be up on Tuesday, cross my heart hope to die poke my eye and all the other painful stuff.

Thank you!

P.S. Again, pleading here, any mistakes, just point them out and tell me, "Hey, dummy, this is wrong!" Because nothing ruins a story like not knowing what the heck is going on!