Please forgive me my spelling.
II
He couldn't find her. Now of all times, he couldn't find her. She wasn't at home, she wasn't in the park, she wasn't under the bridge, she wasn't, it seemed, in Nerima. Oh, hell, he thought, she wouldn't leave after that, would she? Slowly, because he had nowhere left to look, he began to circle Nerima working his way outward. Finally, he found her in a clearing, camping supplies for two waiting beside her. When he landed in the clearing, she stood and smiled.
"I was worried you wouldn't come." He didn't say anything. He couldn't. Instead, he walked toward her slowly afraid she wasn't real. He stopped within inches of her. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched her cheek. Her eyes closed and she leaned into his hand with her entire body. He flashed on a memory of her after Mikado had made his declaration sitting in the dojo, waiting for him to complete his dare. He remembered how badly he had wanted to do it, how afraid he had been, and how angry when their families had shown up. Now, though, there was no dare, there was only love and only them. So he kissed her. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. When he broke this kiss, she laid her head against his chest.
"Of course, I came, Akane. I love you." She lifted her head and smiled. God, how he loved that smile. It was so bright and seemed to contain every part of her soul in it. He kissed her softly and stepped away from her. Slinging both packs over his shoulders, he held out his hand.
"Are you coming?" She smiled and took it.
Ukyo stood behind her grill, idly watching the cooking okanomiaki that was before her. That scene between Ranma and that other young man disturbed her. Ranma had looked pissed, but then it seemed as if the fact that he had laid a hand on Akane had made him an automatic enemy. She hadn't been close enough to hear what was said, but the look on the other man's face had made the content quite clear.
Ukyo sighed and desperately wished she could ask Ranma what had happened. That, however, was impossible. She still hadn't worked up the nerve to apologize yet and Ranma had made it clear that he would have nothing to do with her unless she did. Sighing once more, Ukyo decided that it was time to quit being a coward and just do it.
Kasumi opened the door to find Ukyo standing nervously on the porch. She watched Ukyo lick her lips and shift from foot to foot.
"Um, can I-can I talk to Ranma, um, and Akane, please?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ukyo, but Ranma and Akane have gone on a training trip."
"Oh? Do you know where they went?"
"No, I'm afraid not." Kasumi smiled that smile that was hers alone. "I will tell them that you wanted to speak to them though."
"Thank you. Um, Kasumi?"
"Yes?"
"Was the trip planned?"
"No, I don't think so. Akane came home after school packed for both of them and left."
"Oh. Thank you." Kasumi smiled again and closed the door. Ukyo stood for a moment, staring at it and then turned and walked back to her restaurant. They had gone on an impromptu training trip. Alone. She sighed.
"I guess it's time to admit it. He loves her and I'm just the best friend." The tears were inevitable but knowing that didn't make them any easier to deal with.
Ranma glanced at Akane. She walked sedately by his side. By his side. That sounded so right. He smiled.
"Hey, Mrs. Saotome?" Akane smiled her brilliant smile.
"Yeah, Mr. Saotome?"
"I love you." Akane laughed.
"I love you too." Ranma smiled at her and wondered how he had ever found the guts to admit he loved her, much less get her to marry him.
What was supposed to be a weekend trip had somehow lasted two weeks. They had started sleeping in two tents but after one week had begun sleeping in the same tent. Each night they had gotten a bit closer and a bit more intimate. His mind was still spinning. They had slept together their final night and the next day, as he had been watching her get dressed, he had asked if she wanted too swing by one of the small towns and get married. The look on her face had been priceless, and the sex that had been her answer had been phenomenal. Yes, his mind was definitely still spinning.
Suddenly energized, Ranma swept her up in his arms and ran toward home. She squealed and clung to his neck.
"Ranma, what are you doing?"
"I just want to get home," he answered with a lascivious grin. She laughed and lifted herself up to his ear.
"Well, then, I guess we should hurry." Ranma grinned down at her and, with a quick kiss, sped up. He made it to the Tendo Dojo in record time. Pausing outside the door, Ranma looked up at the house that would be his one-day. Akane tugged at his pigtail. He looked down at her.
"This will be our home one day. You and me and our children," he said softly in answer to her inquiring look. Her face softened and she kissed him softly on the lips.
"Carry me over the threshold of our home, Ranma." He smiled and obeyed her.
Soun looked up from his and Genma's game of shogi to see his daughter being carried into the house by Ranma. He jumped to his feet, spilling game pieces across the floor.
"What's wrong with my baby girl? Ranma, how could you?" From Ranma's arms Akane laughed.
"Calm down, Daddy. Nothing's wrong. In fact, I'd say everything's perfect. Right, Ranma?"
"Absolutely," he answered, leaning down to kiss her. Their fathers stared in shock and then burst into cheers."
"Our families will be united!"
"Hey, Pop? Why are you guys talking in future tense?" Ranma and Akane burst into laughter at the confused look on their faces.
"What they mean, Daddy, is that the families have already been joined." Everyone turned to find Kasumi standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She smiled.
"Congratulations, Ranma and Akane. I'm pleased to see that you two are happy."
"Thanks, Kasumi," Ranma said with a smile.
"Thanks for what?" Nabiki pushed past Ranma and Akane, her eyes slightly wide. "And what happened to Akane?" Ranma frowned.
"Why does everyone assume something's happened to Akane?"
"Because you don't carry her like that unless she's hurt. What's the thanks for?"
"Kasumi was congratulating us," Akane supplied.
"For what?"
"Guess." Nabiki looked at Ranma and Akane. She noted how Ranma was still holding Akane even though she was fine, she also noted how Akane had her arms around his neck, and she noted how, hidden by Akane's shadow, there was a very...suspicious bulge in Ranma's pants. Nabiki looked up to meet Akane's eyes. She knew her little sister wouldn't have sex until she was married so....
"You got married." Akane smiled and Ranma seemed a bit surprised.
"Right on the nose, sis. Now if you'll excuse us, Ranma and I had, um, plans." Ranma nodded and turned to head straight up stairs. Nabiki snickered.
"I bet we can guess what kind of plans."
"Nabiki!" The middle Tendo daughter turned to her older sister wearing an innocent look. Kasumi looked embarrassed.
"Is something wrong, Kasumi?" Kasumi chuckled and shook her head. Behind them, Soun began crying again.
"My little girl's grown up!"
II
He couldn't find her. Now of all times, he couldn't find her. She wasn't at home, she wasn't in the park, she wasn't under the bridge, she wasn't, it seemed, in Nerima. Oh, hell, he thought, she wouldn't leave after that, would she? Slowly, because he had nowhere left to look, he began to circle Nerima working his way outward. Finally, he found her in a clearing, camping supplies for two waiting beside her. When he landed in the clearing, she stood and smiled.
"I was worried you wouldn't come." He didn't say anything. He couldn't. Instead, he walked toward her slowly afraid she wasn't real. He stopped within inches of her. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched her cheek. Her eyes closed and she leaned into his hand with her entire body. He flashed on a memory of her after Mikado had made his declaration sitting in the dojo, waiting for him to complete his dare. He remembered how badly he had wanted to do it, how afraid he had been, and how angry when their families had shown up. Now, though, there was no dare, there was only love and only them. So he kissed her. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. When he broke this kiss, she laid her head against his chest.
"Of course, I came, Akane. I love you." She lifted her head and smiled. God, how he loved that smile. It was so bright and seemed to contain every part of her soul in it. He kissed her softly and stepped away from her. Slinging both packs over his shoulders, he held out his hand.
"Are you coming?" She smiled and took it.
Ukyo stood behind her grill, idly watching the cooking okanomiaki that was before her. That scene between Ranma and that other young man disturbed her. Ranma had looked pissed, but then it seemed as if the fact that he had laid a hand on Akane had made him an automatic enemy. She hadn't been close enough to hear what was said, but the look on the other man's face had made the content quite clear.
Ukyo sighed and desperately wished she could ask Ranma what had happened. That, however, was impossible. She still hadn't worked up the nerve to apologize yet and Ranma had made it clear that he would have nothing to do with her unless she did. Sighing once more, Ukyo decided that it was time to quit being a coward and just do it.
Kasumi opened the door to find Ukyo standing nervously on the porch. She watched Ukyo lick her lips and shift from foot to foot.
"Um, can I-can I talk to Ranma, um, and Akane, please?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ukyo, but Ranma and Akane have gone on a training trip."
"Oh? Do you know where they went?"
"No, I'm afraid not." Kasumi smiled that smile that was hers alone. "I will tell them that you wanted to speak to them though."
"Thank you. Um, Kasumi?"
"Yes?"
"Was the trip planned?"
"No, I don't think so. Akane came home after school packed for both of them and left."
"Oh. Thank you." Kasumi smiled again and closed the door. Ukyo stood for a moment, staring at it and then turned and walked back to her restaurant. They had gone on an impromptu training trip. Alone. She sighed.
"I guess it's time to admit it. He loves her and I'm just the best friend." The tears were inevitable but knowing that didn't make them any easier to deal with.
Ranma glanced at Akane. She walked sedately by his side. By his side. That sounded so right. He smiled.
"Hey, Mrs. Saotome?" Akane smiled her brilliant smile.
"Yeah, Mr. Saotome?"
"I love you." Akane laughed.
"I love you too." Ranma smiled at her and wondered how he had ever found the guts to admit he loved her, much less get her to marry him.
What was supposed to be a weekend trip had somehow lasted two weeks. They had started sleeping in two tents but after one week had begun sleeping in the same tent. Each night they had gotten a bit closer and a bit more intimate. His mind was still spinning. They had slept together their final night and the next day, as he had been watching her get dressed, he had asked if she wanted too swing by one of the small towns and get married. The look on her face had been priceless, and the sex that had been her answer had been phenomenal. Yes, his mind was definitely still spinning.
Suddenly energized, Ranma swept her up in his arms and ran toward home. She squealed and clung to his neck.
"Ranma, what are you doing?"
"I just want to get home," he answered with a lascivious grin. She laughed and lifted herself up to his ear.
"Well, then, I guess we should hurry." Ranma grinned down at her and, with a quick kiss, sped up. He made it to the Tendo Dojo in record time. Pausing outside the door, Ranma looked up at the house that would be his one-day. Akane tugged at his pigtail. He looked down at her.
"This will be our home one day. You and me and our children," he said softly in answer to her inquiring look. Her face softened and she kissed him softly on the lips.
"Carry me over the threshold of our home, Ranma." He smiled and obeyed her.
Soun looked up from his and Genma's game of shogi to see his daughter being carried into the house by Ranma. He jumped to his feet, spilling game pieces across the floor.
"What's wrong with my baby girl? Ranma, how could you?" From Ranma's arms Akane laughed.
"Calm down, Daddy. Nothing's wrong. In fact, I'd say everything's perfect. Right, Ranma?"
"Absolutely," he answered, leaning down to kiss her. Their fathers stared in shock and then burst into cheers."
"Our families will be united!"
"Hey, Pop? Why are you guys talking in future tense?" Ranma and Akane burst into laughter at the confused look on their faces.
"What they mean, Daddy, is that the families have already been joined." Everyone turned to find Kasumi standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She smiled.
"Congratulations, Ranma and Akane. I'm pleased to see that you two are happy."
"Thanks, Kasumi," Ranma said with a smile.
"Thanks for what?" Nabiki pushed past Ranma and Akane, her eyes slightly wide. "And what happened to Akane?" Ranma frowned.
"Why does everyone assume something's happened to Akane?"
"Because you don't carry her like that unless she's hurt. What's the thanks for?"
"Kasumi was congratulating us," Akane supplied.
"For what?"
"Guess." Nabiki looked at Ranma and Akane. She noted how Ranma was still holding Akane even though she was fine, she also noted how Akane had her arms around his neck, and she noted how, hidden by Akane's shadow, there was a very...suspicious bulge in Ranma's pants. Nabiki looked up to meet Akane's eyes. She knew her little sister wouldn't have sex until she was married so....
"You got married." Akane smiled and Ranma seemed a bit surprised.
"Right on the nose, sis. Now if you'll excuse us, Ranma and I had, um, plans." Ranma nodded and turned to head straight up stairs. Nabiki snickered.
"I bet we can guess what kind of plans."
"Nabiki!" The middle Tendo daughter turned to her older sister wearing an innocent look. Kasumi looked embarrassed.
"Is something wrong, Kasumi?" Kasumi chuckled and shook her head. Behind them, Soun began crying again.
"My little girl's grown up!"