- This is the start of a new series for me, and I'm not sure yet what kind of path it will take - I've got some of the plot figured out, but every time I've done that, it seems to say "Well, I don't want to be written that way" so we'll see. It starts basically right after the last of the Manga. Sorry if Akane seems a bit OOC, but read my notes at the bottom for what I think about it.
- Disclaimer: My good friend Rumiko owns these characters, but only because I sold them to her beforehand. Well, okay, no, I never owned them, I never will own them, I don't make money on them. Visit my website: http://pepsibeth.20megsfree.com to read all my Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction. And please sign my guestbook... It's very lonely.
Better Left Unspoken
"It's over!" sobbed Akane to herself as she collapsed on her bed. "I was sure he cared, after Jusenkyo, I know I heard him say it! He did! He had to have... But with what just happened, I don't know anymore. How can it be over before it ever even started?"
Thinking back on the day's events, she had to wonder if perhaps she had only heard it in her mind because she wanted it to have happened. After the wedding attempt, Ranma and her had settled into a sort of truce. They had been getting along a lot better even. Now that Akane had felt somewhat more secure in Ranma's feelings towards her, it was a lot easier for her to control her temper. And of course, with Ranma getting hit less by her, he couldn't help but be in a better mood around Akane. Which had meant less insults, more getting to know each other.
But even still, there had been that unspoken barrier between them, that final step yet untaken to a new relationship between them, because of what Akane had thought was maybe shyness on both their parts. She had known that in all likelyhood, she would have to be the one to knock down that final wall, to make the first move. Ranma was immature in that sense. She remembered how much of an effort it was for him to simply hold her hand, like he had done after leaving Ryugunzawa. Of course, she could admit to herself that she wasn't much more advanced in that area then he was. She had always shied away from any kind of closeness with someone of the opposite sex, ever since Kuno had made that stupid declaration. She liked boys, but after having them practically force themselves on her day after day, she didn't want anything to do with dating and stuff like that. But in the end, she had made up her mind that she could do it. She could take that one step that neither of them had been able to take before.
**1 day earlier**
Akane was lying in bed, thinking about stuff. And that stuff was Ranma. She knew now that she did like him. She liked him a lot. It was such a relief to be able to admit it to herself. It was almost as if a huge weight had been lifted from her back. She felt herself smiling more, being less temperamental, even less aggressive. Even Ranma's little jibes at her no longer bothered her as much. It seemed that she could see more into them now. Every time he called her uncute, it really meant that he thought she was cute. She could see that now. It was just like that movie, The Princess Bride, where Buttercup had realized that when Wesley said the words "As you wish", he was actually saying "I love you".
"He likes me just as much as I like him! Whee! I can see it when he looks at me, how could I have been so blind to it before? All this time we wasted fighting with each other, with stupid jealousies coming into play all the time, on both our parts. But no more! I want more than friendship with him, but I know he'll never be able to do anything about it. I'm sure he knows somewhat of how I feel, but he'd never be able to come out and do anything about it. I'll have to be strong and be the first one to approach this."
Akane thought about just how she would do it. She knew she couldn't be blunt about it, Ranma would run away if she suddenly glomped onto him a la Shampoo. That wasn't her style anyway. She just needed to get into a good conversation with him, and bring it up that way. She felt that if they just started talking about it, things would progress normally, leading into a new development for them.
"Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be the day that I talk to him. I can't wait anymore. I know our feelings are real now, and I can't wait longer. I want to be able to hug him, to hold his hand, to go places together as a couple, to kiss him..." Akane smiled just thinking about it. That pig-tailed boy of hers was so cute! She didn't want to rush into marriage or anything, but there wasn't anything bad about having him as a boyfriend.
She snuggled into her pillow and sighed. It seemed like tomorrow would never come. Somehow, she managed to fall asleep. And dreamt of Ranma.
The next morning, she awoke with butterflies in her stomach. But the good kind, the kind you felt when you woke up and realized it was the start of summer vacation and there were good things ahead. She hummed happily to herself as she washed and got dressed. Going down to the table for breakfast, she couldn't keep a little happy grin off her face. It felt like the whole world was hers and Ranma's for the taking. Together, they could do anything.
"Morning!" She called cheerfully. Sitting down in her place, she thanked Kasumi as she handed her a bowl of Miso soup.
"My, aren't we chipper today. And what, dear sister, were you dreaming about last night that put you into this good mood?" Nabiki said.
"Nabiki! None of your business!" Akane laughed. "Besides, if I tell you, you'll just sell the story to anyone that you could scam out of a few yen!"
"Ah, so it was THAT kind of dream, now was it, Akane? Pray, do tell the details..."
"My lips are sealed..." was all Akane would say, with another one of those little smiles, and a sheen lighting up her eyes. "Where's Ranma? I would have thought he'd be already eating by now."
"Ranma's out with his father today. They went to tour a couple of dojo's that they got invited to see. They should be back late this afternoon though. Did you need to see him for something, Akane?" Kasumi asked quietly.
"Oh, nothing that can't wait until later today I suppose. If you see Ranma before I do, can you let him know I want to talk to him?" Akane said. She couldn't help but blush shyly, and glanced down at her breakfast, hoping they hadn't noticed.
"Ah hah! Could it be that my little sister has finally woken up to the land of guys? Someone's got a crush, and their name starts with an A, and ends with an E!" Nabiki giggled.
"Oh my... Akane, is it true? How sweet!" Kasumi exclaimed.
"You guys... Don't embarrass me! Okay, yeah, I like him. And I want to tell him, cause I know he feels the same way about me. But don't tell him, please! He needs to hear it from me, not someone else."
"No prob, Akane, my silence is assured - for a price that is..."
"Nabiki, not this time. Don't worry, Akane, we won't say anything to anyone unless you say it's okay. Oh, this is so romantic! I've always thought you two would make such a nice couple. I'm glad to see that you have finally grown up and are now able to see it yourself."
"And please, make sure Dad doesn't find out about this. You know that he'd have a priest standing outside the door just waiting for me to finish talking to Ranma. I'm not ready to get married yet, and I'm pretty sure that Ranma isn't either. I just want him to be a bit more than a friend right now!"
Akane could barely keep calm during the day. She kept running various things to say through her mind, but it was tough. She didn't want to sound rehearsed, but she didn't want to come across like a bumbling lovestruck idiot either. It had to be relaxed, or neither Ranma nor her would be able to say anything.
The afternoon came and went, without the Saotome's returning to the home. Akane could hardly stand the suspense, and went to try to calm herself down in her room after dinner. Shortly before bedtime, Kasumi popped her head in the doorway.
"Ranma and his father are home, Akane, dear. I think Ranma has went up to the roof to relax before bed, so if you want to talk to him, now's your chance."
"Thanks, Kasumi! I'll head up there right away." Akane started opening up her window, but could barely undo the latch as her hands had started shaking.
Kasumi reached over and released the catch for her. She raised one hand and laid it lovingly on Akane's face. "Good luck Akane." She whispered with a smile.
Akane smiled tremulously back and slid out the window and onto the roof. Seeing Ranma sitting down, looking up at the stars, she approached him slowly.
"Hi Ranma. Want some company?" She said quietly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful air.
"Hey. Yeah, sure, have a seat. Just catching some fresh air before I hit the sack." Ranma leaned back against the roof's incline and sighed contentedly. "I like to watch the sky - it seems so constant, so unchanging, but millions of miles away, everything up there is moving, living, dying, just like down here."
"That's beautiful Ranma. I didn't realize you had those kind of thoughts in you."
"Heh. Couldn't imagine a rough martial artist to have sensitivity, huh?"
"No, wait, I didn't mean that - Just that that was almost like poetry. But not the bad kind that Kuno does, more like a relaxation technique. So... how was your day?" Akane attempted to get the conversation on safer ground. This was definitely not the time for possible conflict between the two of them. She knew from experience how easy it was to get in an argument with Ranma, and didn't want any insults, hidden meanings or not, to ruin this night.
"Ah, not bad, I suppose. The dojos Pops and I looked at today are pretty weak compared to the school of Anything Goes. One or two had potential, but it didn't seem as though the owners had the same commitment that my family or yours has. So, what's up with you? You look like you have something on your mind."
"Well, actually yes, I do. It's important too, so I need you to just sit there and listen, okay? It's hard for me to say this, but I have to. It's about time one of us said it. I think you know what I'm talking about." Akane laid her hand on Ranma's arm and froze.
*Like him? How could I have thought I liked him? I LOVE him... Oh my god, I love Ranma. I love his insecurities, his arrogance, his sensitivity, I love how when he's in Cat mode he comes to me, I love the way he looks at me... Can I tell him? I have to tell him! I can't! Oh, Kami, please, help me to relax and make this right.*
She raised her head and looked into Ranma's face. Seeing his blue eyes looking back at her gave her the courage she needed. Taking a deep breath, she began.
"Ranma, we've known each other for a couple of years now, we've disliked each other, we've been best friends, we've argued, we've fought, we've saved each other, you name it, we've done it together. But I can't be this way any longer. I have to let you know how I feel. I can't hide it from you anymore, I don't want to hide it from you anymore. R...Ranma, I love you!"
And time stopped.
A huge gasp ripped from her lips, as she suddenly remembered how to breathe. Akane tore her eyes from Ranma's face. She had said it! She had done it! Now that the gate had been opened, she felt like shouting to the heavens that she, Akane Tendo, loved Ranma Saotome!
"I've loved you for almost as long as I can remember, Ranma. Everything about you, even the way you annoy me, every single aspect of your personality makes me want you in my life. I knew I liked you, I knew deep down I loved you, but I couldn't admit it to myself, let alone to you. I always needed to be in control of my life, and to admit I cared for someone was like a weakness to me. But that's not how it is! It's more like being in love with you means that I can still be in control of my life, but can share it with another person! And Ranma, that person, that special one that I want to share it with... it's you. I know you might not be ready to say I love you to me, but I know that you do feel something more than friends for me. I just need to hear it from you. Please Ranma, let's be honest with each other, it's the only way that we can move forward from here."
Akane slowly raised her head from where she had been staring at her hands, and looked into Ranma's eyes, expecting to see a mirror of her feeling reflected there. But instead she saw sorrow, regret, and oh, god, no... pity in his blue eyes. Pity for her!
"R...Ranma?" She choked. "Please, say something, anything!"
"Akane..." Ranma started. "Akane, some things are better left unspoken..." And he stood up and walked away, gathering speed as he reached the end of their roof, suddenly leaping onto the next house, then running away into the night.
Akane sat there in shock. A cold wind snapped her attention back to the fact that she was sitting alone on the rooftop. Shaking from pure emotion, she managed to climb back into her room, and crawl onto her bed. Once there, her frozen state cracked. The flood gates opened, and she cried as if she could never stop. She could feel the shards of her heart somehow still beating frantically in her chest. Never in her life, not even at Jusenkyo, had she felt this kind of soul wrenching pain.
"Ranma... what went wrong? Where was I wrong in believing what you felt for me? Oh Ranma, why?"
To be continued.
- So, there you go. Chapter One done. I'm not sure yet how many chapters this will be, I don't think it'll turn into one of those epics that I've seen, but we'll see how it goes I suppose. Please R&R - let me know what you think. It's my first attempt at a more serious fic, if you've read any of my others, you know I've pretty much stuck with slapstick comedy before. Now, about Akane being somewhat OOC from the Manga/Anime - I always thought that after Jusenkyo, she had come to terms with how she felt about Ranma a bit more than before, and had grown up a bit, so I don't see that it's totally implausible for her to take the initiative like this.
- Disclaimer: My good friend Rumiko owns these characters, but only because I sold them to her beforehand. Well, okay, no, I never owned them, I never will own them, I don't make money on them. Visit my website: http://pepsibeth.20megsfree.com to read all my Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction. And please sign my guestbook... It's very lonely.
Better Left Unspoken
"It's over!" sobbed Akane to herself as she collapsed on her bed. "I was sure he cared, after Jusenkyo, I know I heard him say it! He did! He had to have... But with what just happened, I don't know anymore. How can it be over before it ever even started?"
Thinking back on the day's events, she had to wonder if perhaps she had only heard it in her mind because she wanted it to have happened. After the wedding attempt, Ranma and her had settled into a sort of truce. They had been getting along a lot better even. Now that Akane had felt somewhat more secure in Ranma's feelings towards her, it was a lot easier for her to control her temper. And of course, with Ranma getting hit less by her, he couldn't help but be in a better mood around Akane. Which had meant less insults, more getting to know each other.
But even still, there had been that unspoken barrier between them, that final step yet untaken to a new relationship between them, because of what Akane had thought was maybe shyness on both their parts. She had known that in all likelyhood, she would have to be the one to knock down that final wall, to make the first move. Ranma was immature in that sense. She remembered how much of an effort it was for him to simply hold her hand, like he had done after leaving Ryugunzawa. Of course, she could admit to herself that she wasn't much more advanced in that area then he was. She had always shied away from any kind of closeness with someone of the opposite sex, ever since Kuno had made that stupid declaration. She liked boys, but after having them practically force themselves on her day after day, she didn't want anything to do with dating and stuff like that. But in the end, she had made up her mind that she could do it. She could take that one step that neither of them had been able to take before.
**1 day earlier**
Akane was lying in bed, thinking about stuff. And that stuff was Ranma. She knew now that she did like him. She liked him a lot. It was such a relief to be able to admit it to herself. It was almost as if a huge weight had been lifted from her back. She felt herself smiling more, being less temperamental, even less aggressive. Even Ranma's little jibes at her no longer bothered her as much. It seemed that she could see more into them now. Every time he called her uncute, it really meant that he thought she was cute. She could see that now. It was just like that movie, The Princess Bride, where Buttercup had realized that when Wesley said the words "As you wish", he was actually saying "I love you".
"He likes me just as much as I like him! Whee! I can see it when he looks at me, how could I have been so blind to it before? All this time we wasted fighting with each other, with stupid jealousies coming into play all the time, on both our parts. But no more! I want more than friendship with him, but I know he'll never be able to do anything about it. I'm sure he knows somewhat of how I feel, but he'd never be able to come out and do anything about it. I'll have to be strong and be the first one to approach this."
Akane thought about just how she would do it. She knew she couldn't be blunt about it, Ranma would run away if she suddenly glomped onto him a la Shampoo. That wasn't her style anyway. She just needed to get into a good conversation with him, and bring it up that way. She felt that if they just started talking about it, things would progress normally, leading into a new development for them.
"Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be the day that I talk to him. I can't wait anymore. I know our feelings are real now, and I can't wait longer. I want to be able to hug him, to hold his hand, to go places together as a couple, to kiss him..." Akane smiled just thinking about it. That pig-tailed boy of hers was so cute! She didn't want to rush into marriage or anything, but there wasn't anything bad about having him as a boyfriend.
She snuggled into her pillow and sighed. It seemed like tomorrow would never come. Somehow, she managed to fall asleep. And dreamt of Ranma.
The next morning, she awoke with butterflies in her stomach. But the good kind, the kind you felt when you woke up and realized it was the start of summer vacation and there were good things ahead. She hummed happily to herself as she washed and got dressed. Going down to the table for breakfast, she couldn't keep a little happy grin off her face. It felt like the whole world was hers and Ranma's for the taking. Together, they could do anything.
"Morning!" She called cheerfully. Sitting down in her place, she thanked Kasumi as she handed her a bowl of Miso soup.
"My, aren't we chipper today. And what, dear sister, were you dreaming about last night that put you into this good mood?" Nabiki said.
"Nabiki! None of your business!" Akane laughed. "Besides, if I tell you, you'll just sell the story to anyone that you could scam out of a few yen!"
"Ah, so it was THAT kind of dream, now was it, Akane? Pray, do tell the details..."
"My lips are sealed..." was all Akane would say, with another one of those little smiles, and a sheen lighting up her eyes. "Where's Ranma? I would have thought he'd be already eating by now."
"Ranma's out with his father today. They went to tour a couple of dojo's that they got invited to see. They should be back late this afternoon though. Did you need to see him for something, Akane?" Kasumi asked quietly.
"Oh, nothing that can't wait until later today I suppose. If you see Ranma before I do, can you let him know I want to talk to him?" Akane said. She couldn't help but blush shyly, and glanced down at her breakfast, hoping they hadn't noticed.
"Ah hah! Could it be that my little sister has finally woken up to the land of guys? Someone's got a crush, and their name starts with an A, and ends with an E!" Nabiki giggled.
"Oh my... Akane, is it true? How sweet!" Kasumi exclaimed.
"You guys... Don't embarrass me! Okay, yeah, I like him. And I want to tell him, cause I know he feels the same way about me. But don't tell him, please! He needs to hear it from me, not someone else."
"No prob, Akane, my silence is assured - for a price that is..."
"Nabiki, not this time. Don't worry, Akane, we won't say anything to anyone unless you say it's okay. Oh, this is so romantic! I've always thought you two would make such a nice couple. I'm glad to see that you have finally grown up and are now able to see it yourself."
"And please, make sure Dad doesn't find out about this. You know that he'd have a priest standing outside the door just waiting for me to finish talking to Ranma. I'm not ready to get married yet, and I'm pretty sure that Ranma isn't either. I just want him to be a bit more than a friend right now!"
Akane could barely keep calm during the day. She kept running various things to say through her mind, but it was tough. She didn't want to sound rehearsed, but she didn't want to come across like a bumbling lovestruck idiot either. It had to be relaxed, or neither Ranma nor her would be able to say anything.
The afternoon came and went, without the Saotome's returning to the home. Akane could hardly stand the suspense, and went to try to calm herself down in her room after dinner. Shortly before bedtime, Kasumi popped her head in the doorway.
"Ranma and his father are home, Akane, dear. I think Ranma has went up to the roof to relax before bed, so if you want to talk to him, now's your chance."
"Thanks, Kasumi! I'll head up there right away." Akane started opening up her window, but could barely undo the latch as her hands had started shaking.
Kasumi reached over and released the catch for her. She raised one hand and laid it lovingly on Akane's face. "Good luck Akane." She whispered with a smile.
Akane smiled tremulously back and slid out the window and onto the roof. Seeing Ranma sitting down, looking up at the stars, she approached him slowly.
"Hi Ranma. Want some company?" She said quietly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful air.
"Hey. Yeah, sure, have a seat. Just catching some fresh air before I hit the sack." Ranma leaned back against the roof's incline and sighed contentedly. "I like to watch the sky - it seems so constant, so unchanging, but millions of miles away, everything up there is moving, living, dying, just like down here."
"That's beautiful Ranma. I didn't realize you had those kind of thoughts in you."
"Heh. Couldn't imagine a rough martial artist to have sensitivity, huh?"
"No, wait, I didn't mean that - Just that that was almost like poetry. But not the bad kind that Kuno does, more like a relaxation technique. So... how was your day?" Akane attempted to get the conversation on safer ground. This was definitely not the time for possible conflict between the two of them. She knew from experience how easy it was to get in an argument with Ranma, and didn't want any insults, hidden meanings or not, to ruin this night.
"Ah, not bad, I suppose. The dojos Pops and I looked at today are pretty weak compared to the school of Anything Goes. One or two had potential, but it didn't seem as though the owners had the same commitment that my family or yours has. So, what's up with you? You look like you have something on your mind."
"Well, actually yes, I do. It's important too, so I need you to just sit there and listen, okay? It's hard for me to say this, but I have to. It's about time one of us said it. I think you know what I'm talking about." Akane laid her hand on Ranma's arm and froze.
*Like him? How could I have thought I liked him? I LOVE him... Oh my god, I love Ranma. I love his insecurities, his arrogance, his sensitivity, I love how when he's in Cat mode he comes to me, I love the way he looks at me... Can I tell him? I have to tell him! I can't! Oh, Kami, please, help me to relax and make this right.*
She raised her head and looked into Ranma's face. Seeing his blue eyes looking back at her gave her the courage she needed. Taking a deep breath, she began.
"Ranma, we've known each other for a couple of years now, we've disliked each other, we've been best friends, we've argued, we've fought, we've saved each other, you name it, we've done it together. But I can't be this way any longer. I have to let you know how I feel. I can't hide it from you anymore, I don't want to hide it from you anymore. R...Ranma, I love you!"
And time stopped.
A huge gasp ripped from her lips, as she suddenly remembered how to breathe. Akane tore her eyes from Ranma's face. She had said it! She had done it! Now that the gate had been opened, she felt like shouting to the heavens that she, Akane Tendo, loved Ranma Saotome!
"I've loved you for almost as long as I can remember, Ranma. Everything about you, even the way you annoy me, every single aspect of your personality makes me want you in my life. I knew I liked you, I knew deep down I loved you, but I couldn't admit it to myself, let alone to you. I always needed to be in control of my life, and to admit I cared for someone was like a weakness to me. But that's not how it is! It's more like being in love with you means that I can still be in control of my life, but can share it with another person! And Ranma, that person, that special one that I want to share it with... it's you. I know you might not be ready to say I love you to me, but I know that you do feel something more than friends for me. I just need to hear it from you. Please Ranma, let's be honest with each other, it's the only way that we can move forward from here."
Akane slowly raised her head from where she had been staring at her hands, and looked into Ranma's eyes, expecting to see a mirror of her feeling reflected there. But instead she saw sorrow, regret, and oh, god, no... pity in his blue eyes. Pity for her!
"R...Ranma?" She choked. "Please, say something, anything!"
"Akane..." Ranma started. "Akane, some things are better left unspoken..." And he stood up and walked away, gathering speed as he reached the end of their roof, suddenly leaping onto the next house, then running away into the night.
Akane sat there in shock. A cold wind snapped her attention back to the fact that she was sitting alone on the rooftop. Shaking from pure emotion, she managed to climb back into her room, and crawl onto her bed. Once there, her frozen state cracked. The flood gates opened, and she cried as if she could never stop. She could feel the shards of her heart somehow still beating frantically in her chest. Never in her life, not even at Jusenkyo, had she felt this kind of soul wrenching pain.
"Ranma... what went wrong? Where was I wrong in believing what you felt for me? Oh Ranma, why?"
To be continued.
- So, there you go. Chapter One done. I'm not sure yet how many chapters this will be, I don't think it'll turn into one of those epics that I've seen, but we'll see how it goes I suppose. Please R&R - let me know what you think. It's my first attempt at a more serious fic, if you've read any of my others, you know I've pretty much stuck with slapstick comedy before. Now, about Akane being somewhat OOC from the Manga/Anime - I always thought that after Jusenkyo, she had come to terms with how she felt about Ranma a bit more than before, and had grown up a bit, so I don't see that it's totally implausible for her to take the initiative like this.