ch3ymt Starting to Solve the Problems
Ranma smiled, feeling the ring resting against his chest under his shirt. He'd tied it there so he wouldn't drop it and have another accident like he'd had the other night. He'd caught Akane looking over at him and a warmth filled him.
Until he saw the sadness in her eyes.
That had made his heart ice over. *Am I hurting her? I don't want her to be in pain...I love her...I don't want her upset...*
After the bell rang, dismissing the students, he slowly stood until he noticed Akane hadn't risen. It almost reminded him of the moment in the gym. A sigh escaped him and he walked over to her. "Akane?"
"Huh?" She looked up and noticed the room was empty except for them. "Ah! I guess you don't want to miss dinner..." She stood and hastily scooped up her things.
"Akane, I was wondering, why did you look upset during class...?"
She blinked, staring up at him. "How..."
"...Your eyes..." He admitted. "They had 'that' look...ya know...when you're angry or sad and normally, it's because of me..."
Akane swallowed hard and a tear rolled down her face. *I...I guess he knows me too well...* Two warm arms wrapped around her and she jumped.
"You can talk to me if you need to..."
"I...iie...it's alright...I'll-I'll..." Her eyes rose to hers and she saw something that reminded her of how Ryoga looked at her. She knew very well that Ryoga was in love with her, and seeing such a caring look in his eyes, her words stopped.
Ranma swallowed hard, entranced. "A-akane..." He whispered, his eyes slowly closing and he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
Akane leaned into the kiss for a moment before remembering that he was going to propose to someone else. She closed her eyes tightly, fighting an internal battle. *He doesn't love you! He's going to ask someone to marry him...he...he...he's so warm, and I love him, so is it so wrong?! Can't I just take what I can get for now?!*
Ranma slowly pulled away from her and looked down into her face. To his chagrin, her face was stained with her own tears. "Akane?!" He asked, worried he'd severely screwed up.
Akane didn't respond. Her legs gave out and she collapsed between two desks. "D-dosh...ite..."
He knelt before her. "Akane, I...I...wanted to for a long time...and since I've finally made my decision...I...IwantedtokissyoucauseI'mafraidImaynot getanotherchance..." He looked down, his eyes sad.
"Of course you wont." She shoved him away. "You didn't choose ME! You chose someone else! Who would want to kiss someone who didn't love them?!"
Ranma grabbed her by her head and pulled her into another kiss. "Yamate..." He begged, his eyes pleading. "Onegai, Akane..."
She ignored him, pushing him away before scooping her things up and storming from the room.
Ranma fell to his knees, tears rolling down his face. *I have to tell her, but...I want to be a man for her, and I have to get rid of my other fiancee's...* He swallowed. "NO! I wont...if...if she says no...then...then I'll let myself...until then...no..."
He moved towards the window and watched Akane walk from the school, her gaze moving up to where she'd left Ranma. He looked down at her, hoping the rain outside camoflaged his tears.
She turned from him and ran from the school yard.
Ranma looked up into the sky and opened the window, sitting on the ledge and feeling his change take place. *I'd go after you...but you wont let me right now...I know it...* She sighed and shoved off, falling and landing on the ground easy. Her footsteps led her from the schoolyard, following far behind her fiancee.

Ranma walked into the dojo and felt someone gently toweling her hair. "Hm?" She turned and saw Kasumi with a towel and wearing a concerned expression. "Kasumi-oneechan..."
"What's wrong, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked, handing her the towel. "Akane came home angered and when I asked her, she told me: Ask Ranma."
Ranma looked upwards, tears piercing her eyes. "Kasumi-oneechan, you remember the ring I bought."
"Hn. It was quite lovely, but what does-oh...oh dear..."
"Akane saw the ring...she doesn't know who it's for..." She wispered in despair.
"Then you have to tell her."
"I can't...not till I've taken care of the other girls..." She poured hot water from the kettle over herself and sighed as her transformation was undone. "I...I WANT to...but doing so before getting rid of all the complications..."
"Is like signing her death warrant."
"Hn..."
Kasumi nodded sympathetically and watched as Ranma walked upstairs to his room. "Poor Ranma-kun..."
He flopped down on his futon, staring at the ceiling and fingering the ring through his shirt. He sighed and unbuttoned the first button, and lifted it between two finger's, staring at it. "You've caused me so much trouble, you little thing. If you hadn't jumped out of my pocket in front of Akane, she wouldn't have know-"
"So, you want to keep me in the dark."
Her voice caused him to start, dropping the ring. "Akane..." He whispered, staring at her.
"Ya still haven't given it to her?"
He looked down, his face sad. "Akane, come here a moment, please..."
She stared at him a moment before closing the door after stepping into the room. "What?"
"I can't give the ring to her yet..." He said, looking up at her. "Part of it is Shampoo and Ukyou...if they found out, they'd kill her...but, another problem is she's engaged, too...I love her, but...she doesn't know..."
Akane spun away from him, but he was before her again. "Akane!" He whispered, grabing her shoulders and shaking her slightly. "Why do you hate me so much?!" A tear slowly wound down his face.
She glared up at him. "If it isn't Shampoo and Ukyou, who is it?! KODACHI!?"
He slapped her gently, not even hard enough to leave a mark, but sudden enough to shut her up. "Dammit, Akane, shut up and listen!"
She stared up at him, shocked. "Y-you...hit me...you never hit me..." She suddenly realized that there was sadness and despair deep in Ranma's eyes and realized how much she was hurting him.
He hung his head, his hands falling to her shoulders. "Akane, I care for you...I wont lie...I can't tell you who the ring is for cause you'd be in danger if I did...I have other complications to take care of before I..."
She sighed and nodded. "I...I'm sorry, Ranma..." She said, feeling another crack in her already broken heart. "I shouldn't stand in your way...it's your decision, after all...It's not like we wanted this engagement in the first place..."
He bit his lip and hugged her. *Speak for yourself, tomboy!* He smiled a bit sadly at the thought and tightened his grasp slightly. "Arigato, for understanding..."
She felt tears rolling down her face and looked away from him to hide them. "I better go..." She said, walking from the room quickly. After the door seperated them, a sob wracked her body, then another, before she ran to her room.

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