What did it mean?

Slowly she grazed her brush against the short strands of blue black hair as she sat at the edge of her bed, her legs crossed and face struggling to find an expression. The moments from earlier that night consumed her thoughts, from their fight to the heated exchange. She didn't know how to feel, what to think. What did it mean? Why did he do it? Why did she reciprocate? What was going on?

Her relationship with Ranma was always a bit complicated. She had accepted that they were engaged, attempted to ignore the advances of his other suitors, and would feign indifference to them even though she would boil with jealousy at their desperate behavior and tactics to lure him. Perhaps one day they would get along, she figured. One day they would mature and the courting could blossom. They could date and then get married-

Placing her brush on her bed, she blushed, resting her hands on her lap. A moment later, there was a knock at her door. A frown pursed her lips. As she initially ignored it, a second knock quickly followed. With a sigh she stood, holding her breath as she opened her door and looked ahead.

No surprise to her, Ranma stood on the opposing side, back in his male form. He looked fresh out of the bath, his wet black hair tied into a low ponytail, in his usual bed time apparel of yellow boxers and a white tank top. Nervously he looked down at her. Her look towards him was neutral.

"Uh, hey," he spoke, rubbing the top of his head. "Can we talk-"

Before he could finish, she slammed the door shut. She could feel his startlement from the other side, hearing his muffled, bitter grunts.

"Whatcha do that for?!" he hollered, knocking on her door again.

"Go away, Ranma!" As she placed her back against the door, she knocked back on the wood aggressively. This only agitated him more.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me!"

"Well I guess you'll be standing there forever then!"

"Akane, c'mon! Just hear me out!"

While her lips parted to answer him, she heard footsteps, feeling the vibrations of the treading on the floor beneath her.

"Ranma, what are you doing outside Akane's room?!"

She blinked, recognizing the shouting as her father's.

"I'm just trying to talk-"

"Ranma, you are not allowed in Akane's room ever! Do you understand?"

"I'm not trying to get in her room-"

There was sound of a slight struggle as she could feel the shuffling against the door.

"Jeez, ok! I'm going!"

There she remained at the door several moments later, the silence devouring her room. Thanks to her father, he had walked away and left her alone. She knew he would try again, and would keep trying until she would allow him to speak. However, what he could possibly have to say to her about the incident? Why did he feel the need to explain to her what happened? How would it help the situation besides making her hurt more?

As her back hunched, a slow, light sigh escaped her mouth. She wiggled her toes inside her slippers, her hands in fists, her sight focused on the floor. Closing the light, she headed back towards her bed, lifting the pastel yellow bed sheets as she positioned herself inside, covering her body as she closed her eyes.

Only a few minutes of peace and quiet had passed when she heard the tapping at her window. Her eyes opened widely as she heaved a loud, aggravated breath.

"You've got to be kidding me."

As played out moments earlier, she ignored the disruption, shifting her position so she lied on her side. The tapping persisted, and she grabbed her pillow, holding it over her ear, squinting in frustration. He was not going to stop.

Briskly she stood from her bed, walking towards her desk where her window was. There she saw him outside, hanging upside down, holding a flower in his hand. Softly this time, he tapped again, giving her an awkward smile.

She shook her head as she leaned over her desk and opened the window, her face greeting his upside down one.

"So, can I come in?" he asked, gesturing the flower to her. "I come in peace."

Briefly she considered closing the window on him, but was impressed by the lengths he took to get her attention. With a twitch of her brow, she took the flower from his hand, widening the entrance so he could get inside. As he hopped off of her desk and she closed her window, he looked around her room cautiously.

"Is the stupid pig here?" He lifted the pillow from her bed, checking under the sheets.

She felt the flower crumple under her fist. "Are you serious, Ranma? You really are going to force yourself in here and insult P-Chan?"

"I have to make sure we're alone," he blurted out, checking her trash can and underneath her school books. Akane blushed at his statement, nervously crossing her arms over her chest.

"He's not here, Ranma. And why do we need to be alone? I'm not going to sleep with you!"

He stopped searching her room, turning to look at her her with a bewildered stare. "I'm not here to sleep with you, weirdo!"

For some reason she took offense to that. "Oh so are you saying you don't want to sleep with me?! Am I not cute enough like Daiyu?!"

"Of course I want to but that's not why I'm here!"

He instantaneously covered his mouth with both of his palms, his face burning as his skin deepened into a dark crimson. She stared at him in disbelief, her lips parted, her own cheeks painted red. They gawked at each other uncomfortably for a moment, as Akane attempted to process what he just said.

"Akane, I didn't mean-" He cut himself off, scratching at his head as he tried to find the words. He could see she was ready to explode at any moment.

Closer she walked toward him, raising her curled fist, and he knew what was coming.

"You gross pervert!"

Instead of dodging her, she was taken aback when he took her in an embrace, placing a hand over her mouth. As she tried to continue her rant against him, her voice was muted against his skin.

"Would you shut up?" he spoke, furrowing his brows. "I don't want your dad coming in here and killing me."

Taking a careful breath, she relaxed against him, and he let her go. She remained close to him however, looking down at the floor.

"What do you want to say to me, Ranma?"

"I just want you to let me explain." He grazed his hand over her sleeve, and a lump formed in her throat. Shrugging him off, she frowned.

"What do you have to explain to me? You didn't do anything wrong. It doesn't matter to me."

"Then why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset!" Her voice cracked as she shouted in a loud whisper. Tears stung at her eyes but she restrained them, her body tensing, as she looked up at him with glittering eyes. "It's none of my business what you do or what you did. I don't need you to explain."

"But I want to explain, ok? I want you to understand."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she froze when he grasped her shoulder, kneeling forward so their faces were level. She couldn't avoid him any longer. He desperately wanted to tell her, and she was going to have to listen.

The grunt left her mouth through pursed lips as an agitated grunt, as she walked to her bed and sat down, patting the area beside her to invite him, making sure to avoid any eye contact with him. She felt his weight sink on her bed as he sat next to her, his arm brushing against hers, looking forward just as she did. They remained like this for a moment, while Ranma fidgeted with his hands, trying to be careful with his words.

"Maybe I should start with how I met her?" he asked, glancing over at her anxiously.

"Whatever you want, Ranma," she replied, restlessly leaning her head against her palm.

He was momentarily quiet, clearing his throat before beginning.

"It was right before I met you. Me and pops were hiking in China. After the curse and everything. I was pissed because were we going to Japan to meet you guys, and he said I was going to have to get married. We were fighting about it when we saw her. She was alone on the mountain. It was very weird because she was wearing a really nice long Chinese dress and she was there with a backpack on a mountain. We thought she was lost."

"Was she pretty?"

The question took him by surprise as Akane blurted it out. Nervously he looked down at her, their eyes locking uncomfortably.

"Uh, yea. I guess she was, uh, pretty."

"What did she look like?"

He paused, looking at the ceiling as if he were trying to remember as he rubbed at his nose. "Uh, long black hair. Really short. Brown eyes. She was wearing a red dress."

Akane sighed, her gaze towards her knees. "She sounds beautiful."

A nervous chuckle fled his throat. "I mean, she was ok I guess. I know pops was worried about her, because she was alone. She told us she was sixteen and she had run away from home. He offered to let her come with us into the next town so she wouldn't have to be alone."

"How long did she travel with you?"

"It was just that one day."

She raised an eyebrow at this. "She left after a day?"

"Yea, so, uh that night after we set up camp and pops went to sleep we got talking. She said she ran away from home, because she was in an arranged marriage."

Akane blinked. She had begun fiddling with her thumbs. "Wow, must have been some whirlwind romance."

"It really wasn't, Akane. This is what I'm trying to tell you." He gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. Their eyes met uncomfortably, but he maintained his gaze.

"She had sake in her backpack, and we started drinking. And we got really drunk ok? We were just really dumb and drunk. And I felt like we bonded because I felt like I could relate to her, with the arranged marriage. But this is before I knew you, and at the moment I felt just as hopeless as her. And she knew she was going to get caught, that they were gonna find her eventually. So she said she there was one thing she could control, one thing she could make sure her husband would never have from her."

She could feel the tension building, knowing very well where the story was about to go. She breathed heavily from her nose, pressing her lips together firmly. His hands were still on her shoulders, and she tensed against his grasp. However, their eyes remained interlocked, blue and brown blending, in a bitter dance, staring deeply into one another, into the depths of their emotions. And she could feel his distress, sensed his hesitance to continue. She finished the thought for him, her voice barely more audible than a whisper. "Her virginity."

"You know me, Akane. It's not something I would ever do," he rationed, rubbing her arm gingerly. "Especially with a total stranger. But I was really drunk. And she was coming onto me. And I was in this pity party with her. And it just happened."

The gravity of his words sat with her. It was hard to hear him admit it, and describe it. It all felt so surreal to her. Someone who commonly acted so repulsed of her, who often ignored so many constant advances thrown his way, had such a huge moment of weakness. Was it such a bizarre idea? That a sixteen year old had had sex? That he did something silly while drinking with a girl one night? Was it really so horrible? Even when rationalized, it still hurt. It hurt a lot.

"She was gone the next morning. She just left and I haven't seen her after that. I promise."

"How was it?"

He blinked, his face darkening into a blush as he tugged at the top of his tank. "Uh...what?"

"How was it? Did you like it?"

"I mean I, uh..."

Slowly she could feel the rage building up inside her. "Well? Did you?"

"I mean, yeah, I did but-"

As she dug her nails into her bedsheets, a large grunt vibrated in her throat. "Well I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"Oh my god, would you relax? This is the second point I was trying to make, Akane." He grabbed her wrist and forced her to resume eye contact.

"It wasn't this sexy, magical thing you're probably thinking it was."

She became very quiet, yet very interested.

"We didn't kiss or do any of that stuff. I didn't even do much. I just laid there and it was over in a couple of minutes. It wasn't a big deal!"

Her expression had turned blank, her eyes large, dull, and lifeless as her arm fell limp in his clutches. Awkwardly and unable to interpret her reaction, he leaned back against his arms, biting his lower lip.

"You can just sleep with someone without even kissing them?" she asked bluntly, narrowing her eyes. "Just that easily."

His blush deepened. "I mean, not normally. I told you I was drunk!"

She shook her head. "Wait, how do you know if, what if she...she became pregnant?"

As he twiddled with his fingers, his posture hunched. "Well she had...she had a, you know."

She buried her head in her palms. "Oh my god."

"Come on, Akane! I didn't do it on purpose! It didn't mean anything."

"How can that not mean anything?" She snapped her face towards him, her brows arched, nose wrinkled, breath heaving. "How can you sleep with someone so easily, and then never think of them again? How can it not mean anything, Ranma?"

"Because it just didn't, Ok? It really was nothing. I knew her less than a day. I was drinking. I barely remember it."

"So something like that doesn't mean anything to you? Doing that means nothing?"

"It does mean something to me," he replied, and without realizing it he took her hands in his. "Just that time it didn't."

"And how could you do that and not kiss her?!"

"Because kissing is special." He realized how dumb it sounded the moment it left his mouth, and was reassured of it when he witnessed her frown perilously. "I mean, it's not something that's easy for me to do, OK? Its not something that can just happen for me. It's very intentional." Pausing for a moment, he became aware of her hands, and he rubbed her knuckles softly, looking towards his lap.

"You know its not easy for me to show affection."

She sighed. "I know."

"So if I kiss somebody, it's because they're special." Their eyes found each other once more, and it felt as if her heart stopped when he gave her a knowing look. "To me."

She smiled slightly. "So what are you trying to say?" He rolled his eyes at her teasing.

"I like you ok? Like, a lot, I guess."

As she sighed in tenuous aggravation, she fluttered her eye lashes. This was the closest to a love confession she was going to get from Ranma.

"So are you mad at me?"

Her head tilted as she looked at him, still trying to process her emotions and all the information she was given.

"I mean, you sound like a complete douchebag," she spoke with annoyance, her eyes closed. "But I guess I can see in your deranged mind how it makes sense."

Slowly, she opened her eyes. "Did you really mean that, though? I'm special?" Her voice had gotten low and somewhat deeper. Closer she leaned towards him, to where she could feel his breath lightly touch her skin, could feel the his nervousness radiate towards her.

"Why do you gotta make me say it again?"

There she looked at him knowingly, her eyes half closed, inviting. "I'm not making you say anything."

And he knew her connotation, saw the challenge in her eyes, her gaze testing him, while his hand moved to caress her cheek, his mouth hovering over hers. And she closed her eyes when he kissed her, breathing in his scent, sighing into his embrace, consumed by his warmth. They stayed like this for a while, kissing softly, until she pulled away from him, blushing.

"I'm really tired," she spoke gently. "It's been a long night."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Maybe you can lay down with me?" A frown immediately took over her lips. "But don't try anything funny."

She didn't wait for him to answer as she crawled towards the inner part of her bed, laying above the blankets. He followed her shortly after, laying next to her, sharing her pillow. They lied together, silently, the sounds of their breathing melding into one, as they stared at her ceiling. A thought crossed her mind, and at first she was reluctant to voice it. But after today, she was ready for anything else he was willing to tell her.

"Ranma?"

"Yea?"

She paused, her hands resting over her chest as she focused on gazing at the empty wall of her ceiling. "Do you think I'm cute?"

She could hear him gulp. "What kind of a question is that?"

As she tried to control her anger, the muscles of her legs contracted. "Not a hard one. Am I cute?"

He feigned a nervous laugh. "I mean yea you are...At least most of the time."

"Excuse me?"

"You could be a little sexier sometimes, ya know?"

As he glanced over at her, she kept her attention facing forward. "Please, do tell."

"Like, right now. You're wearing granny pajamas. You could wear something kinda sexy."

She looked down at her pajamas, which were yellow with little ducks on them, the shirt long sleeved with buttons. "What's wrong with my pajamas? They are not granny pajamas. No granny wears this, Ranma. What do you want me to wear, lingerie? In front of my dad and my sisters?" Her voice was stern, and she was regretting bringing this up. But he was on a roll now.

"I mean, you could wear like a little dress or something, show some skin. Tease me a little."

She didn't respond, finding herself undoing the top buttons of her shirt as she listened to him carry on without a care, her eyes narrowing as her right brow began to twitch aggressively.

"You could wear tighter clothes. Like tighter dresses. Like-"

"Like Shampoo?" She frowned. "You want me to dress like Shampoo?"

Hesitating, he found himself nodding. "Uh yea, that wouldn't be so bad, right?"

"Well, Shampoo's clearly very available if you like her tight sexy clothes so much."

With a nervous chuckle, he nudged her arm. "C'mon, you know I don't like her."

"You just think she's sexy. Which I'm clearly not."

He stumbled with his next words, trying to make sure he didn't say the wrong thing, which was impossible at this point. "I didn't say that, I'm just saying sometimes, not all the time, that you could be a little bit more-"

Before he could finish his thought, he gasped lightly as Akane swiftly sat up and then straddled him, her knees locking at his hips. As she leaned forward, she pressed her hands against his chest, her hair falling in front of her eyes, while her cleavage was visible from the buttons she undid of her shirt. Her skin seemed softer in the darkness of the room, her face a shadow from the hair that concealed her. He wanted to touch her but his arms went limp beside him. And as she pinned him down, she leaned forward, pressing her chest onto his, and he could feel the pressure of her breasts.

"Like this?" she concluded, her voice huskier. "Is this sexy enough for you?"

He didn't answer, but met her eyes, which were two glittering black pools, and his breathing quickened. She pressed herself against his groin, not knowing where this sudden boldness came from, her face inches from his, as she breathed lightly through her mouth, her breath warming his lips.

She could feel him harden beneath her, and she didn't realize immediately that his body was reacting to her position, from their proximity, and as it became stiffer and more apparent, the feeling rubbing at the fabric of her pants, a light gasp escaped her mouth while he grunted, and quickly she ascended off of him, her cheeks blazing crimson. She resumed her earlier position next to him, laying down, pressing her knees together as she stared at the ceiling, her heart now racing.

There were several minutes of awkward silence which had felt like hours. The clock on her wall was ticking and she became very aware of the sound, counting the seconds as they occurred. As she felt a brush against her hand, she flinched, turning her head to look at Ranma.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to hold your hand. Jeez."

Awkwardly, he succeeded in intertwining her fingers with his. A heavy blush burned his face.

"God you're an idiot," she exhaled, rubbing her lips apprehensively. "You can sleep with a complete stranger but holding my hand makes you uncomfortable. You never take initiative, Ranma."

She felt the weight of her bed redistribute as he shifted his position so he lied on his side, facing her. Then, swiftly, he placed his hands on her waist, pulling her towards him roughly, turning her so she faced him as well.

He didn't let go of her, holding her close against him, the beating of their hearts uniting into a distinct rhythm. And his grip on her tightened, as he pulled her even closer, a quiet gasp leaving her throat as her chest expanded.

"Would you just shut up for once in your life?" he said quietly, aggressively. Her eyes half closed, she nodded with a hum in her throat.

He kissed her again, unapologetically, and she melted into him, her form pressing onto him as she squirmed on the bed from the pleasure. He was so warm, his body heat capturing her, and his scent filled her nostrils, so natural and clean from his bath. It felt like he was a part of her body now, close and connected, as he wrapped his arms around her back, engulfing, taking her like a real man.

He had kissed her softly at first, slowly. Their lips glided carefully, as she drank from his mouth, kissing repeatedly, breaking and starting. He had parted his lips, deepening their connection, and it became more disheveled, passionate. She touched his arms, feeling his muscles flex as her fingers smoothed over his skin, as her palms traveled to his chest, tracing the counters of his body, to his abdominals, counting them, relishing in the hard, taut flesh. And there she felt him pull her closer, where she moaned delicately in surprise, her arms resting around his neck.

They remained there, kissing, holding, touching, exploring. It was a new, glorious, yet confusing sensation. But it felt so good, that neither wanted it to end. And as his mouth left hers, smoothing down to her neck, a muffled groan stayed trapped within her throat, her lips puckered and skin wet from his mouth, his breath scorching her, while his hands slid underneath her shirt, palms grazing the soft skin of her belly and waist. His lips kissed along the flesh of her neck, finding her nape, kissing her softly, repeatedly, while caressing her body, moving upwards and tracing the bones of her spine. A shiver traveled up her back, and she writhed in his embrace, rubbing his shoulders as their legs intertwined, sighing gently.

"Ranma," she breathed his name lightly, naturally, her tone soft and girlish.

He reacted to her contentment ardently, releasing an aroused breath, and there his hand continued to slither up the naked skin of her torso, his palms warm against her, creating friction as he rubbed her skin, until he found the mounds of her breasts, his hand resting over the tender flesh, her nipple puckering against his palm.

On instinct, Akane's eye burst wide open, bloodshot, and upon the intimate contact, she immediately sat up, pushing Ranma off her as she punched him square in his jaw. With a painful grunt, the impact sent him falling off her bed, landing onto the floor on his tailbone in a light thud.

"Pervert!" she exclaimed in a loud whisper, nose flaring while her fist remained clenched. "I told you not to try anything funny!" In a moment of weakness, she relaxed her stance, a pang of concern in her chest as she peeked over to the floor where Ranma sat achingly, rubbing at his now red chin.

"Are you ok?" she asked, offering a hand.

Suspiciously, he took her hand, climbing back onto the bed with her, but keeping a distance.

"I'm fine," he grunted, shifting his jaw uncomfortably. "Sorry I got carried away. I'll never do it again."

At his apology, she blushed as she sat cross legged, her hands in her lap. "You can do it again...Just not today."

Resting his arms on his knees, he looked at her inquisitively, raising a brow. "Yea?" He paused. "Like tomorrow?"

"Don't push it, Ranma."

She noticed when he stood to leave, and she grabbed the hem of his shirt. "Where are you going?"

"To bed?"

Brushing her bangs away from her eyes, she hesitated. "You can stay. For a while. I mean, if you want."

His lips fumbled until they formed into a half smile. "If you say so."

"But you better behave yourself," she grumbled, readjusting her position on the bed as she lifted the blankets so that they could lay underneath them. He lied next to her, and to his surprise she cuddled against him, resting her head on his chest, raising her leg and plopping it over his. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to react. After a moment, he eased into her embrace, his arm wrapping around her, as he began to run his fingers through her hair. They remained there, holding each other, sharing their warmth, in the comfortable silence.

"What are we gonna tell our dads?"

His eyes narrowed as he lowered his gaze towards her. "Whatya mean?"

"What are we gonna tell our dads? And all your other fiancés? What are we gonna tell them? How are we gonna act now?"

He paused. "What do we have to tell them? We're already engaged. And I definitely want your dad to calm down first."

She frowned. "We have to tell them something."

"We can tell them," he began, and then a stupid smile cornered his mouth, "that my body count increased." And there he chuckled to himself, relishing in his humor, until Akane pushed him off her bed and he landed onto her floor once again.

A/N: The end! Thanks for reading. Please leave a review!