Chapter Eighteen
It was a long trek back home to Nerima, but once they reached the small town, Mousse bid the other two farewell and made his way towards the Cate Café. Ranma and Akane continued on, silently walking deeper into the town on sidewalks, not fences, walking side by side, hands occasionally brushing, causing an embarrassed reaction from both teens. Too soon they reached the crossroad where they would have to part ways to go to their respective houses. Ranma however, kept a steady pace in the direction of the Tendo dojo and only turned around when Akane stopped and watched him curiously.
"What?" He asked.
"Aren't you going home?" She asked, feeling regret at their separate living arrangements.
"Oh." He said, as if just remembering himself. He quickly recovered and gave her a gallant smile. "I'm walkin' ya home."
"You don't have to." Akane said softly as she smiled shyly.
Ranma shrugged. "Never know what could happen to a clumsy girl like you if I let ya walk home alone."
"Raaanmaa!" Akane growled in annoyance and began chasing him.
Ranma ran ahead and leapt up on a fence to turn around and make a face at her. Akane launched her canteen and it smacked into the pigtailed boys face, causing him to stumble off the fence and land on his butt, fortunately for him, on the grass. Ranma looked up at the steaming girl, preparing to throw something else when Ranma burst out laughing. This brought Akane up short.
"I've missed this." He said casually as he stood and brushed off his pants.
"Missed what?" Akane asked blankly, confused at the abrupt change.
"Teasin' ya, making ya angry enough to spar with me." He said. "You're cute when you're angry." His compliment caught her off guard and she flushed scarlet. Ranma took the opportunity to gently poke her in the forehead with an index finger. "Left your guard down." He teased with a brilliant smile.
Akane couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on dummy, walk me home already."
They had walked to the Tendo's front gate in companionable silence, their hands occasionally brushing as they made their way. Once they had reached their destination, Ranma seized her hand, stopping her from entering immediately. The youngest Tendo daughter stopped and looked curiously up at Ranma, a soft smile reaching her pink lips.
"Akane…" Ranma said, voice fading as he searched her expression.
"Yes Ranma?" She asked, feeling her pulse speed as he seemed to study her.
"It's just that…" He trailed off, averting his eyes, and rubbing a thumb over the back of her hand as he tried to gather his thoughts, determined to get the words out right this time. "With all the crazy things that've happened and all the stuff we've been through together… I'm sorry." He finished, rather lamely he thought.
Akane squeezed his hand back and Ranma met her warm, chocolate gaze. "You don't have to apologize to me… Our parents decided to set up an arranged marriage before we were ever born. It's not your fault your dad kept trying to sell you for food when you were young. It's not even your fault, most of the things that happen." She continued earnestly, having finally come to this revelation recently. "You just have very bad luck."
Ranma chuckled at that. "That's one way to put it…" He muttered.
"I do know that I can always count on you though Ranma." She said softly. "I think you're one of my best friends actually."
Ranma seemed to light up at that. "Are we really Akane? Friends I mean?"
"Of course dummy."
Ranma seized both her hands in his and held them between the two of them. "Akane, can we just start over? Forget about all the stupid things I've said, forget about Jusenkyo curses, and extra fiancés." He searched her face and felt a wave of relief when she giggled and nodded, face a little flushed. Ranma released her hands and took a step back and a deep breath. He proffered his hand for a handshake. "Hi, my name is Ranma Saotome. Would you like to be friends?" Ranma asked with utmost friendly sincerity.
Akane took his hand, shaking it in turn. "Hi Ranma, I'm Akane Tendo. I would love to be your friend."
Ranma had such a bright and sunny smile, it made Akane's heart lurch for a moment. Ranma seemed lost for a moment before coming back to himself. "I uh, guess I should be headed home so you can change an' stuff." He said, rubbing the back of his head feeling bashful all of a sudden.
"I'll see you at school." Akane confirmed, though she felt a little pang of disappointment that school would be the only place she would regularly see him now.
"Right." He nodded, feeling an echoing pang as well. "I'll see ya later tomboy." He said with a wink and a smile as he hoped up on the fence and began running towards his family home.
Akane waved after him, smiling at the familiar nickname that was now said with affection instead of derision. When the pigtailed boy was out of sight, Akane finally entered the gate and walked into the house. "I'm home!" She called, setting down her pack and taking off her shoes.
"Oh, Akane, there you are." Kasumi greeted sweetly as she came to the entryway. "How was your training trip?" Her sister came forward to take Akane's bag, presumably full of dirty clothes.
Akane stood and flashed her sister a brilliant smile. "It was really good."
"That's nice. Did you and Ranma get along alright?" She questioned in her normal kind and seemingly oblivious fashion.
Akane blushed, averting her gaze from her older sister. "Actually, we did. I… I don't think I could have done it without his help." She admitted shyly.
"I'm glad things are going well with you two." Kasumi said with a smile as she started to make her way towards the laundry room. "I'll go run the bath for you. You should say hello to father, he's been waiting for you. He and Mr. Saotome are on the engawa out back."
"Thank you, Kasumi." Akane called after her and she padded through the house, making her way to the back porch. She spotted her father and his friend playing shogi as they normally did, sipping sake and cheating discretely. "I'm home!" She called out again as she approached.
"Akane! It's good to have my little girl back!" Her father exclaimed, standing from his spot at the shogi board to embrace her. Mr. Saotome took the opportunity to move several pieces on the board before he stood and joined his friend. "How was your training trip?" Her father asked.
"It was really good." She said offhandedly, not about to let her overly emotional father know she had been cursed with a love potion.
"I'm sure Ranma was a big help." Her father said, fishing for clues.
Akane smiled, thinking of all the trouble they had gone through to get the ingredients for her (and Mousse's) cure. "He really was. I don't think I could have done it without him." While Akane was reminiscing, she missed the conspiratorial gleam in the men's eyes.
"That's my son. Always honorable and dutiful." Genma bragged, looking proud.
Akane thought Ranma was more stubborn than anything else, but he had a good heart. She nodded absently.
"It's such a shame you ended the engagement." Her father said, turning on the water works. "You two would have been an unstoppable martial arts couple, the likes of which Japan has never seen before!" Her father sobbed openly into his hands at the lost dream.
"The dojo's legacy and the joining of the schools would have made for the most powerful school of martial arts, Anything Goes!" Genma declared, tears glistening in his own eyes as his hands clenched before him.
"Such a shame that a long-standing promise between two family's that were once so close was broken so quickly." Her father lamented. "And just when you two were starting to get along so well."
Akane cringed, feeling the weight of guilt and regret weighing on her.
"You said you and the boy were getting along on this trip though, weren't ya?" Genma asked, looking hopeful.
"We were…" When the last conversation she had with Ranma reminded her. "He said if nothing else, he at least still wanted to be friends." Akane offered to soothe the two emotional grown men.
"If nothing else…" Genma repeated, slapping a fist into his palm. "Of course! Ranma doesn't want to just be friends, he wants the engagement back on!" Genma shouted, jumping, for once, to the correct conclusion, even if he didn't realize it.
Akane turned red and stuttered. "No, I- that's not- I don't think he meant that…" She protested meekly.
Her father gazed deeply into his youngest daughter's eyes. "But if that was what Ranma wanted, would you at least consider it?" he asked intently.
Feeling the pressure and the strong desire to be done with this third-degree questioning, Akane stuttered out an answer. "Yeah, I'll consider it." Feeling she had appeased her father, Akane quickly fled to the bathroom where the Furo should be ready by now.
After she scrubbed her skin nearly raw and rinsing, she sank gratefully into the warm water, letting her thoughts run wild. She thought about the day she ended the engagement, the day she became cursed and Ranma's fierce reaction. The long adventure of fighting off massive, vicious boars, blood-thirsty, man-eating crocodiles, and fluffy kitties in a field of flowers. Akane couldn't help but laugh to herself at the last one but sobered quickly reminding herself of the danger and terror Ranma put himself through for her sake. She thought back to the long walks of idle chatter and the shorter, deeper conversations they had. It was too easy to get interrupted in Nerima where there were too many people who knew them and wanted their attention, but on the hike, the only interruptions were Mousse and Ryoga, but they often occupied each other's time thanks to the love potion.
It was what felt like the first real chance they'd had to have a conversation and Akane had come to realize just how repentant Ranma truly was. Expressing his feelings and speaking his mind were traits his father had tried to pound out of him, and he found it difficult later in life, but not yet impossible. He had apologized, repeatedly, for many different things, that was a start. He'd never been overly apologetic in the past. Smug was a more accurate description. As always, Ranma had come through in the end as he always did. He had saved her in the end, like he had in China and the handful of other, less dire times she had needed saving.
Her father and Mr. Saotome's pestering and guilt trip suddenly started nagging at her and with a frustrated huff, she exhaled and sank below the surface of the warm water.
Ranma had taken his time walking home, thinking over his latest adventure and how he had parted ways with Akane. It wasn't like it had been, but maybe this was the start to something better? He could only hope. He jumped to the ground and idly kicked a rock down the sidewalk as he neared his house until the rock landed amongst a pile of rubble.
"Wha-?" Ranma asked in confusion, staring ahead at what had been the garden wall that now lay in a pile of demolished rubble. A sense of dread filled Ranma, and he sprinted forward, leaping over an intact portion of wall and found his mother calmly sipping tea on the front engawa, obviously waiting for Ranma. Ranma dropped his pack to the ground and stared in open-mouthed shock. The side of the house closest to the broken-down garden wall was also demolished. The living room wall had been blown apart, rubble and broken furniture scattered across the lawn.
The color drained from his face, and he leapt to the second story above the trashed living room and landed in the remaining scraps of his bedroom. His meager belongings lay scattered, clothes torn and missing, manga ripped and scattered, and his bed roll slashed with char marks and black rose petals. Feeling the fury building, he yelled, "What the hell happened to my room?!"
"Ranma!" his mothers gentle lilting voice called out to him. "Can you come down here dear?"
Still fuming Ranma leapt through the gaping hole that had once been his bedroom wall and approached his mother who was standing among the rubble. "Mom, what happened?" He demanded.
"How was your training trip?" She asked sweetly, ignoring his demands, and rubbing at a dirt smear on his cheek.
"Fine. Mom, what-"
"And Akane? I hope you two got along alright." She continued to fuss, cutting him off.
Slumping in defeat, Ranma allowed his mother to link her arm through his and lead them back to the front steps where two cups, a teapot and a tall tray of fish cakes waited for them. "She's fine." He said, trying to ignore the memory of the love-spell induced looks she had given Ryoga before they had gathered the ingredients needed for the cure. Then feeling a rush of smug satisfaction at the way Ryoga had been revealed finally and couldn't help a subconscious grin at the image of her malleating Ryoga into the stratosphere.
Nodoka had watched the display of emotions run over her sons face that told her so much more than his two words ever could. She smiled fondly at her son, still lost in thought. "Well I'm glad things have improved between you two."
Ranma turned to his mother and smiled brightly. "Yeah, me too." They had a moment of companionable silence while they both sipped their tea. "So," he asked in a much more casual tone, feeling more relaxed. "What happened here?"
Nodoka sighed and set her cup down on the saucer heavily with a clink. "Your father…"
Ranma groaned loudly. Nothing good ever followed those words.
"Your father," Nodoka started again, "and Mr. Tendo thought it wouldn't cause any trouble if they went around bragging that you and Akane were on a training trip. Together." Ranma groaned again. "Your father did most of the announcing at a few different restaurants, mostly in exchange for free meals for the 'important information regarding Ranma'." Ranma groaned even louder, burying his face in his hands.
"Tell me what happened." He said through gritted teeth.
Nodoka took a long sip of hot tea. "The rumor was you were due home any day, completely unfounded, of course." She said bitterly. "So Shampoo, Ukyo and that strange little ninja servant of the Kuno's were all camping outside the garden wall." She nodded to the pile of rubble. "One day while your father was at the Tendo's, a fight broke out between the three girls, and they did all this damage." Nodoka gestured around her at the demolished wall, garden, living room and his own bedroom. "I finally got their attention as they were fighting over your belongings."
Ranma let out a frustrated growl, the tornado of destruction in his room finally explained. Nodoka gave him a sympathetic smile as she patted her son's knee.
"I had the family sword and I told them if they didn't leave now, I would forbid you from ever seeing whoever remained. They cleared out pretty quickly." She said with a shockingly malicious smile.
A stretch of silence followed until a question nagged at Ranma. "Now what?"
Nodoka let out a long sigh and placed her teacup down. "Soun Tendo has offered to let us move back in with them." Ranma's expression was a mix of shock and pleasure. Nodoka noted it and with a sly smile continued. "It's a good thing you and Akane have been getting along so well."
Ranma flushed and quickly turned his head, hoping his mother wouldn't notice.
Continuing casually, Nodoka spoke again. "I've had my things packed and ready to go. Your father is already at the Tendo's home. I'll call Kasumi and let them know we're on our way while you pack your things."
"Whatever's left of 'em." He muttered.
She leaned forward and rubbed at another smudge of dirt on his cheek. "Maybe you should take a bath first."
"Alright." He sighed as he climbed to his feet and went inside to go to the bathroom to wash quickly, scrubbing the grime from his trip away. After his bath he went to his room where most of his meager belongings lay in shreds on the bedroom floor, spare shirts and pants, his tatami mat and futon and even the doors to his closet lay in splinters. With a sigh, Ranma gathered the few garments that had survived and held his breath as he opened the bottom drawer of his dresser and behind some boxers, he found the lumpy yellow scarf and the silky blue-black hair tied in a bow. He released his held breath and carefully tucked the treasured belongings into his shirt. A few minutes later and all of Ranma's things were in his pack he had taken with him on his trip and a small duffel he had slung over one shoulder as he came down the stairs just as his mother was hanging up the phone.
Nodoka turned to her grim-faced son with a bright smile. "That was Kasumi. She says they can't wait for us back home and that she is preparing a big feast for everyone."
"Home…" Ranma said softly, feeling warm and light for the first time in a long while.
"We're here!" Nodoka called as they reached the front entryway, Ranma putting down all their belongings as they removed their shoes.
"Please come in!" Kasumi called, appearing before them with a tray of tea and cookies. "I was just preparing these for your arrival while I make dinner. Father and Mr. Saotome are at the table." Kasumi explained as she led the way and both Ranma and Nodoka followed, abandoning their belongings for the time being. "Father, our guests have arrived." Kasumi announced as she breezed through the doorway and began laying down teacups and the plate of cookies.
"Thank you, my darling Kasumi." Soun said smiling lovingly at his eldest.
"I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." Kasumi said with a demure smile as she left the adults and Ranma.
"Pop, I can't believe what you-" Ranma started with a frustrated growl but was quickly cut off.
"Well boy, you're in luck." Genma said as he folded his arms across his chest, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.
Feeling dumbfounded by this change is subject, Ranma snapped at his father. "What are you talkin' about old man?" Ranma threatened as he cracked his knuckles.
"Akane decided to take you back."
At this pronouncement, Ranma stopped, his brain seeming to have stopped functioning. "She… she wha-?"
"We talked with Akane when she came home, and she wanted the engagement back on." Soun added quickly, lending credence to his father's story.
Ranma felt a hard lurch in his chest and his stomach twisted almost painfully. "Really?" He managed to choke out in a whisper, quickly wetting his dry lips as he studied first his father and then Mr. Tendo's face.
"Well done son!" Genma clapped his son on the back hard enough to send him stumbling forward, but Ranma was too pleasantly surprised to take offence.
"Where is she?" He found himself desperate to see his once again fiancé.
"In the furo." Soun said. "She should be out soon."
Ranma nodded, feeling eager.
"We should celebrate! Here son!" Genma offered his sake cup to his son who pushed the odiferous alcohol away with one finger.
Ranma's mother's gentle hands laid on his shoulders and encouraged him to sit as she slid the plate of cookies away from her husband and a hot cup of tea towards Ranma, to which he ate and drank automatically, his mind still racing.
"I'll just check on Kasumi." Soun said as he excused himself to the kitchen. When he entered, he looked around furtively, making sure neither of his other daughters were around. "Kasumi!" He hissed.
Kasumi startled, dropping a plate which fell and broke on the floor. "Father! You startled me. Oh dear…"
"I'll clean it up!" Soun offered as he caught his eldest's arm before she could retrieve the broom and dust pan. "I need you to go upstairs and let Akane know what happened to the Saotome's house and that they'll be staying with us once again."
"Of course father." Kasumi said dutifully.
"Oh! And tell her, uh, tell her that Ranma spoke with his father and I and he wants the engagement back on." Soun said, eyes darting about suspiciously.
Kasumi clasped her hands before her and grinned at her father. "Oh that's wonderful news!"
The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing followed by footsteps on the stairs prompted Soun to shoo Kasumi out of the kitchen with promises of cleaning the broken plate remains.
Once shooed from her kitchen, Kasumi took a moment to straighten her apron before slowly making her way up the stairs, giving her youngest sister plenty of time to get dressed. When she reached the door with the duck name plate that held Akane's name, she knocked gently on the door.
"Come in!" Akane called from within her room, dressed in fresh clothing and sitting at her desk, brushing her short, damp hair. Kasumi entered and closed the door behind her, beaming wider than she had when Akane had arrived home. "Hey sis, what's up?"
"Father asked me to come tell you about the things you missed while you were on your training trip." Kasumi said, sitting lightly on the edge of her sister's bed.
"What kind of things?" Akane asked, putting her brush down and turning to face her sister.
"Oh my… well, the Saotome's house was badly damaged."
Akane blinked. "Again?"
Kasumi nodded. "Apparently Kodachi, Ukyo and Shampoo got carried away in a battle while you two were gone."
"What?!" Akane shrieked, feeling the rage well up inside her.
Kasumi continued, unphased by her sister's outburst. "Father has offered to let the Saotome's stay here until their house is fixed."
"Oh…" Akane said, playing with the hem of her skirt, averting her gaze as thoughts raced through her mind.
"That's not the best part." Kasumi said with a sweet smile.
"Oh?" Akane asked, feeling wary.
"Father said he and Mr. Saotome spoke with Ranma and he has asked for the engagement to be back on."
Akane's chest felt fit to burst and her stomach seemed to be filled with butterflies as her face turned a deep crimson. "He," she licked her lips, trying to find her voice with her suddenly dry mouth and throat. "He did?"
"That's what father says, and Ranma is downstairs at the table drinking tea." Kasumi stood, brushing out her skirts. "You should hurry up and come downstairs, everyone is waiting, and I must get back to dinner."
"Tha-thanks Kasumi." Akane called after her sister, still feeling nonplussed.
As Kasumi closed her door, she heard her sister move down the hall and knock on Nabiki's door. Akane went to her closet and dug deep until she withdrew the battered red Chinese silk shirt that Ranma had wrapped her in when she had nearly died on Phoenix Mountain. She traced the embroidered silk and the multiple stitches that marked where the shirt had been mended time and again. "He wants to be engaged again." She said stroking the silk in wonder. "To me." She clutched the shirt to her chest before hiding it in the depths of her closet once again. She turned to her window, looking at the sun shining on the yard and took a deep, calming breath before she exhaled. Her breath fogged the glass and revealed an old message, drawn in messy scrawl. I'm sorry.
Akane stared at the message and then smiled to herself, recognizing the apology note from Ranma, her fiancé. Feeling giddy at the thought, she had to restrain herself from running down the stairs. She walked down into the dining room where her family and the Saotome's already sat around the table, and there, next to her spot, sat Ranma, drinking tea and eating cookies. Her Ranma.
Ranma felt eyes watching him and he turned, his breath catching as Akane, his beautiful fiancé came into the room and smiled shyly at him. He swallowed thickly, then flashed her a brazen smile. "Yo, Akane."
"Good to see you again Ranma." Akane said as she took her seat next to him and they shared a long look and warm smiles.
"Dinner's ready!" Kasumi called, coming into the room with a tray full of steaming bowls and platters. As food was spread out and the two families began to eat, talking loudly as the fathers congratulated each other on a successful engagement, Nodoka and Kasumi discussed the meal and Nabiki needled her soon-to-be brother-in-law and little sister. Life was basically back to the way it had been before.
Sarahplainntall here! Thanks for sticking with me this whole time! I appreciate my readers, those who favorite or follow and of course, my reviewers! Em Ortiz, muchas gracias! Leave me some love and tell me what you think!