Ain't No Day at the Beach
1. The lingering questions that many of you have will finally be answered in these next TWO chapters. (I had to split them because of the space)
2. WEEEEEE I am So done I know I am sure to disappoint some fans and I wish you would have left an email for me to forewarn you. I know what it's like to invest your time in something and then have your favorite couple not be the ones hooking up.
3. Dedications to chapter 5 go to Jen of the Wildfire, OmegaDL50, Chrisitine, Deliriums Hostage, Butterfly, QuirkyCellist, and last but not least, KURA-kun (sorry for the misspelling). ----------------------------------------------
Chapter 5: Sand Castles May Fall
"Akane hates me. Akane hates me," he repeats to himself while dashing his way into some foliage. He is lost. Lost as to what to try next. Completely consumed by tunnel vision, but never focused. He could just break something over his anger while finding himself wanting to cry out desperately, "Dear God help me find my way home" all at the same time. Yes, he was a hyper panicked over rejection, unsure, lost little boy. The thing is that he shouldn't be feeling that way. He isn't Ryoga: he is Ranma. Ranma Saotome, heir and successor of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Not that little swine who couldn't tell the forest for the trees.
Occasionally the thundering taunt of "Akane hates me" was interrupted by Ryoga's words, "...if you mess up bad enough she wont like you as a friend either." Even Ukyo's voice chimed in here too, "You really do hate Akane don't you." Ah what did she know?
Trying to shake those taunting words, he started to think about everything he had tried. He tried damage control and that didn't work. He tried reverse psychology and that didn't work either.
Everything went clear in a bright and brilliant second. He would have to do the only thing he hadn't tried. And it scared him. It scared him half to death, but as much fear as it conjured up, it wasn't as much as the fear of losing Akane completely and forever.
He halts and looks at the person who is casually standing in his way.
-----
Akane leans against a pole looking over to that shorthaired person previously known as the mystery man. "Sorry I put you in the middle of this." she apologizes.
"No problem." Ukyo says. "I wasn't going to kiss you on the lips just so you know."
Akane scrunched her nose. "I didn't want you to."
Ukyo smiles again "I figured so. Just don't ask me to do something like that again. It didn't help you that much that I agreed."
Akane shook her head. "No it helped me a lot." She says pensively.
"Akane." She begins empathetically and then continues more firmly. "Ranma's just a jack@ss."
Akane laughs.
"No listen. He is a jack@ss BUT... he was just being stupidly jealous." She says almost repentant and talking to herself more than to Akane, "Sometimes that's hard to see. He has a good side. He's sweet, charming at times and."
"Well why don't you go for it since he's so great. He's available you know."
"heh heh," Ukyo laughs sheepishly. "I got the feeling that Ranma doesn't really want to see me right now." Akane gave her a quizzical look. "What with him thinking I was in cahoots with you plus I sorta stuck my foot in my mouth big time... I really DON'T have much of a chance. You're the one he."
"Ukyo, I don't want to talk about it so just drop it!" Akane says irritated.
"Sorry." Ukyo says and begins to pretend to be busy.
*silence*
"Sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Akane finally replies feeling sorry she let her frustrations out on Ukyo rather than on the person who really made her angry. But that was the whole point of today. Don't let him get to you. It wasn't as easy as she thought it was going to be.
"Let's change the subject. Have you seen Ryoga?" Ukyo probes.
Akane blushes embarrassed. "After we talked" Akane starts nervously searching for words, "He disappeared. He must have gotten lost or something."
She sighs, "I just mentioned it because he said that things went well with you earlier today but he didn't give me any details."
Akane didn't say anything but shifted her weight onto the other leg uncomfortably.
"Kem on I need someone to give me the details." She pries.
Akane opens her mouth to say something.
"HYAAA!" they both hear. Ukyo and Akane look startled at the source of the cry.
Shampoo assaults Akane with her bonbourie. Akane dodges but in barely enough time. She had partially smashed into the pole Akane had been resting on.
Ukyo pulls out her giant spatula. "What's the big idea comin' in to ruin my shop?"
Shampoo glares at Akane for a good long time ignoring Ukyo. Shampoo stares at Akane, sizes her up and then resizes her.
She holds her bonbouri up in strike position, "Akane I kill." Akane readies herself and so does Ukyo. Akane puts her hand up motioning for Ukyo to back off and focuses on the battle.
Shampoo struggles with the bonbouri concentrating on her hatred for Akane. "Akane. I. kill" she says softer as tears threaten to break the surface of her eyes, "No worry about Ranma love Akane." She blurts right after. A tear rolls down and she lowers her bonbouri. Shampoo sinks to her knees and more of the tears come down.
Ukyo shakes her head sorry, if but for a moment, for Shampoo. Akane, heartrended as well, tries to get closer.
"It all Akane fault" Shampoo says firmly. Regaining her senses, she gets on her feet in one swift motion bringing her opponent to a full stop. "You I kill." She swings at Akane with the bonbouri again. Akane gets out of the way. Shampoo launches a blizzard of attacks that Akane dodged all too easily. It wasn't that Akane had gotten any better. It was Shampoo's attacks. They were so wild and unfocused that anyone could dodge them. Ukyo doesn't even bother to help.
Shampoo slips as one of her attacks misses Akane by far. She falls inelegantly toward the ground. Akane pulls her hand out to help her. Shampoo pride to strong, refuses the help preferring to land hard on the floor than grab out for her hand. Indignant, she gets up and snaps the wrinkles out of her clothing.
"What happened?" Ukyo asks curious interrupting Shampoo's mission. Shampoo finally looks at her not really understanding who was talking to her. She looks at the spatula and then realizes, finally, who she's talking to.
"Shampoo?" Ukyo asks.
"Ranma say." She chokes, "Ranma hate Shampoo"
Akane empathizes but not daring to say anything. Whatever she could say would probably make things worse. At this moment in time, she was the problem and the person who is the problem was never the best person in the world who should be trying to comfort her. Akane looks at Ukyo sending her a private message some how. Ukyo stares at her with a what do you expect me to do look on her face. Akane nudges again.
Ukyo sighs.
"It's like this" Ukyo starts, "Ranma's a Jack@ss"
Shampoo interjects, "Shampoo no hate. Ranma." Rushed to set clear the hesitation in her voice she explains. "Ranma is hus.." She couldn't finish the second statement. She didn't understand. Everytime she thought about her future, it was Ranma. Ranma Ranma Ranma. In the midst of that, a scene played out in her head over and over again and Ranma kept telling her over and over again that he hated her. In the middle of her rage. it wasn't Akane she was seeing. it was Ranma.
Shampoo looks at Ukyo and Akane. Ranma or Ukyo and Akane. What difference did it make? She wanted to hurt them. Hurt them all. And those two for just being there. For standing there looking at her with compassion in their eyes like she was someone to be pitied. She didn't understand why she hadn't already killed them though.
She is already wavering. She is weak. A disgrace to Amazon's everywhere. Shampoo backs up and then runs away the same way she left. Confused, Angry, and Alone.
Both of the girls sigh. Both feel sorry for her, but also relieved that she was gone.
"Poor girl" Ukyo starts.
Akane nods.
"Looks like he made it a habit today." Ukyo says. She smiles at Akane. "Sorta proves he wasn't serious don'tcha think."
Akane looks at her not really understanding Ukyo's sudden interest in the health of her relationship with Ranma. "It doesn't prove anything. I had a talk with Ryoga and well things are just different now."
"Listen about Ryoga." Ukyo cuts her off. " You. you don't have to tell me anything."
Akane sighs again trying to speak her thoughts but nothing comes out.
"He's a heck of a guy that one, Congratulations." Ukyo says with a forced but genuine smile. "I gotta go change and get ready to leave." With that Ukyo waves Akane off and gets busy.
-----------------------------------
"Ryoga Hibiki." Ranma scowls.
"Hello, Ranma." Ryoga replies a bit too "happy" for Ranma's liking.
"I wan't Akane back!" Ranma demands.
"I'm not giving her up. I'm not stupid like you." Ryoga bites back snapping out of his previous state.
"I'm not asking." Ranma starts smugly, "Just letting you know that I'm getting back in the game."
"Eh?" Ryoga asks briefly. As if he couldn't believe what he was hearing Ranma say.
"I'm back in the game." Ranma clarifies which as much determination as ever.
"Finally." Ryoga replies refreshed, "I was getting bored." He dusts off his pants and then poses in a ridged defense stance. Suppressed excitement bouncing off of him.
"I don't want a fist fight." Ranma says before he begins to walk to pass Ryoga. Even if a part of him wanted to knock Ryoga out, finding Akane was more important.
Ryoga puts his hands behind his back and smiles. "All kicks then. I gotcha."
"Sorry not interested." Ranma reassesses and walks around him. Ryoga stops him with his arm and then throws him back.
"Comes with the territory." Ryoga smirks.
Ryoga scans searching for something. Ranma follows him with his eye curiously as Ryoga picks whatever he was looking for up. Ryoga shows him a coconut as if he were offering it. Ranma nods understanding what he meant.
The bandana-clad boy hurls it in the air waiting for it to drop. It dully hits the sand and immediately the fight begins.
"HA" one of them yells. It is the breakingpoint technique. Ryoga was the first to attack. Ranma leaps into the air. It was too easy to dodge. He looked down to see Ryoga smiling confidently with his eyes closed. A spray of sand funnels up and gets in his eyes. Ranma lands with his vision impaired.
"You cheat" Ranma declares trying to wipe the sand from his eyes.
"Yeah and you never cheat, especially with water and turning me into a pig." Is Ryoga's retort.
Ranma couldn't argue too much since he knew it was true. "Alright then, now we're even. No more tricks."
"Fine by me, Ranma," Ryoga punches him in the stomach causing Ranma to double over in pain. "Just straight fighting from now on in."
Ranma felt like an iron pillar landed on him on the gut. Ranma couldn't do much about that, Ryoga was pretty strong when it came to brute strength. He himself had much less reaction time because he couldn't see too well. With his speed limited, he had to think faster.
Another punch heads for him. He senses it just in time to dodge it. Unfortunately he doesn't clear fast enough. He gets hit.
It was just a light hit on the side of his arm but it stung like crazy. His sunburnt body multiplied the pain he was receiving. Everything hurt more than it should. He had to get serious or this fight could get ugly fast.
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" He yells and launches a blizzard of strokes. Ryoga doesn't seem bothered by them. He notices that he dodged every single one, quite easily at that.
Ranma isn't giving up yet. He begins to spread out the hits to cover more ground. Finally, a tag. Ranma smiles. Ryoga sure had a hard body to hit, but he knew if he could get more hits in, it could do some damage. Suddenly all his hits get in. Ryoga's just standing there taking it?
"How does that feel?" Ranma gloats, but not really for himself. He wants the fight to end as soon as possible. If he could get Ryoga heated up enough, P-chan there would mess up more and be easier to deal with.
However, even while he said what he did, he knew something was wrong. He could sense it.
Behind him!
He turns in just enough time to get his face slugged. "Don't insult me by beating up on a tree Ranma!" Ryoga yells.
Ranma stands firm and feels the spot where Ryoga punched him. Ranma's other senses are alert as ever. Sensing Ryoga was weird. It was like he was gone half the time. He felt. like a different person.
If only he had his sight back he could adjust. For an instant he could empathize with Mousse and being blind as a bat, but he didn't want to compare himself to a duck ... or a pigboy for that matter. So this was what it felt like to be helpless in a fight. Ryoga must have felt it plenty of times. Water was all it took to eliminate him from the fight and Ranma could send him flying. If they were fighting regular, Ryoga was a pretty good match for him most times. But this was completely unfair. Ryoga had the full advantage. He had the eyes and he had the strength. All he had was speed.
"Thanks." Ranma says.
"For what" Ryoga replies. Ranma flinches a little and then slowly turns his head.
"For what?" Ryoga says again. Ranma in less than a flash is up on Ryoga taking him completely by surprise. He hooks his foot under Ryoga's and then starts punching. Ryoga almost goes down but steadies himself with his other foot.
"For telling me where you were." Ranma says before grabbing Ryoga's shirt and holding on for dear life. He couldn't count on Ryoga blabbing his mouth again to give away his location and he needed to do some damage.
Even still Ryoga had the advantage. He had both his fists and Ranma had only one available. Hey exchanged several blows back and forth.
After a while both of them breathed heavily, Ranma especially. His arm still clung to Ryoga's shirt. He wasn't a quitter and he wasn't going to lose to Ryoga.
Looking at Ranma state, hanging onto his shirt so desperately he feels that it wasn't the same Ranma he was used to fighting. He gets the impression that it wasn't the effects of the sand that made Ranma weaker. He backslapped Ranma. Ranma took it. He couldn't stand this fight any longer. He couldn't stand to see him like this. He was beginning to feel sorry for him. And that was always a bad sign.
"Ranma, You are SO stupid. You're the one fighting for Akane. I'm not. I'm fighting to let out my frustration." Ryoga punches him once more and sends him flying back. Ranma hits a tree and slides down. Ranma could almost see again. .
"I'm done."
"That's it, I'm done." Ranma says shocked. There was no way.. just a little longer and Ryoga would pay. His sight was almost back. This wasn't fair.
"Well, yeah"
"Let me get this straight. You beat on me and now your frustration is gone? Couldn't you take that out on some trees or rocks or something?" Ranma says rubbing the final specks of dirt out of his eyes.
"They can't fight back. Besides I thought I'd do you a favor while I was at it."
"What the.. How is this doing me a favor?!!" Ranma shouts at him.
"I uh.. heard what you did. By my counts that already makes you sorry and pathetic..."
"Look. I can explain you see" Ranma interrupts apologetically with as much fear as he usually does to Akane when he knows she's about to use her trusty sidekick." I don't hate Akane. And you see, she's my friend... sometimes and...we fight because... I said it.. and she's my friend."
"Ranma. Shut up." Ryoga blurts out. "if you want Akane back like you say you do"
Ranma Panicks, " don't wanna marry her or nofin'" he realizes what he says too late.
Ryoga rolled his eyes wanting to tell him to shut up again. "if you want Akane to even look at you as a friend." he says still finding it hard to believe that Ranma said, "I'm back in the game" a couple of moments before the fight. "If anyone COULD take you back after that little outburst of yours"
Ryoga begins to think outloud. "Wow, I didn't realize how much you screwed up."
Ranmas head snaps back as he takes a blow to the ego.
"I never thought you would do something like that. Your pretty much done for now aren't you."
An invisible spear jabs him in the side as he takes another blow.
"You're not even competition anymore."
Ranma flinches.
"HAH, even KUNO has a better chance at Akane than you."
The final strike that sends Ranma to his grave. "Alright Allright already. I'm trash. I get the point already"
"Anyway, all I am saying is that Akane has one more excuse to feel sorry for you." Ranma looks puzzled towards Ryoga while he walks away. "If she asks about your bruises that is, you can tell her that I beat you up in a jealous fit."
"But she never believes me about you."
"She will today. Oh and Ranma, Why don't you just say, "I'm in love with Akane""
"You're in love with Akane." Ranma says and sticks out his tongue. Ryoga does the same and head out the rest of the way.
Whatever was true about his feelings for Akane, Ryoga wouldn't be the first to hear them.
-------- Ryoga travels in his usual manner and comes upon a Tiki stand. He sees a girl in wearing a blue bathing suite and a wrap tied around her waste. She looked cute he could see with her very short hair tucked behind her ears. She was packing up shop.
"Ukyo" he says. "I almost forgot you cut your hair."
"Hi Ryo. You just missed Akane." she replies. She busies herself even faster. "Sorry I wont be able to take you to her. I'm not sure where she went."
" 'Sokay. I'm not really looking for her. Not trying to get away from her either. just." he was staring at the pillar where Shampoo had struck wither bonbouri, "Say do you need any help?" He asks remembering the time he spent with her earlier that day.
"I'm almost done packing. I don't need any help right now." Ukyo says shoving her stuff in her bag faster.
"No the uh support beam is . bent."
"Oh that. It happened while my contract was up so I don't have to pay the damages. It's someone else's problem K? Thanks for the offer though."
"Oh" Ryoga replies a little disappointed. "I better be going anyway." Ryoga walks out and then five seconds later walks right back in as if he were traveling there for the first time.
"How do you get out of the beach?" Ryoga asks sheepishly.
Ukyo points in a direction, any direction but the right one and he takes that exit.
---------
Ranma exhausted, mentally and physically drags himself to a beach front a little ways off from the commercial section. He plops himself down next to a tree. Ryoga whaled on him sure, but he still didn't look as beat up as he felt. Why did he let Ryoga hit him like that. Even blind he could have done a better job of dodging.
He hung his head. It was because he deserved it. He deserved to get beat up. He deserved it that's why...
Everytime he searched for Akane, she wasn't there or he had just missed her. "She doesn't want to be found," he admits. He laughs at himself. What would he do if someone found him this way looking so... so. pathetic.
He hears a shuffle in a nearby low bushy palm and is up the tree in record time. Someone enters the clearing and gives a big exhausted sigh.
"Peace at last." She says. Ranma, miraculously healed, peeps from behind the palms and gazes down curious. Akane turns to look up and he hides behind the palm branches swiftly. He gives a silent cheer for finding her. All he had to do was slide down the tree unnoticed and walk in on Akane pretending he just stumbled onto her. "Easy as pie." He thought to himself.
"Well at least he won't find me here." Akane plops down on a blanket she laid out.
Ranma stops short. Maybe he should wait if the very thought of seeing him brought a sense of dread. He decides to stay in the tree. He occasionally spies some glances at her.
--- Ryoga walked into Ukyo's temp shop again, this time unnoticed. A man was inspecting the damage done to the post. "That'll cost you a pretty penny young lady."
"I'm telling you it wasn't my fault some crazy girl came in and hit it."
"A girl.. yeah right. Only crazy girl I see here is you. And even if it were true, your insurance doesn't cover it. You'll have to pay up."
"Well how the heck am I supposed to come up with the ALL the money?"
"It'll be fixed within" Ryoga interrupts, calculating on his finger, "two hours."
Ukyo stares at him incredulously. "Well it better." The inspector replied, "or else she has to pay $1230 for the repairs."
"Ryoga nodded." The inspector left.
"You lied to me?" Ryoga finally asks.
"Look, Ryoga, you don't have to help. It's not your fault, Shampoo did it."
"You know she's not going to help you rebuild or give you money to pay it off.Why couldn't you just tell me the truth."
"Look, I said it wasn't you responsibility so just don't worry about it. I'll just use the prize money." she finally says shrugging her shoulders.
"You're right." Ryoga says backing off. He smirks a little "I shouldn't pretend to be hurt by it or anything. It's not like we're, you know, best friends or anything."
"Right." Ukyo says.
"And it's not like you would want to see my face all day. You probably had enough of me already." Ryoga say's a little more nervously.
"Look, Ryo, it's not that. I'd love your help but."
Ryoga's smirk returns. He interrupts with his finger in the air indicating his brilliant idea. "If you let me help you, I'll let you know what happened between me and Akane."
Ukyo smiles and inches forward wiggling her fingers threateningly, "I could get the information out of you if I really wanted."
Ryoga laughs before running away. "Anything but that." Ukyo chases. ----
Ranma had stayed up in the tree and was getting bored. Akane made a new friend with a crab. Only good thing about that was that Akane was talking to it. Why she talked to animals was beyond him but at least it entertained him from time to time.
Akane pokes at the crab. She sighs dropping her head down in resignation. "I'm not being honest am I?" she asks the crab. "about him?"
Ranma's ears immediately perked up. She remains silent for sometime. Ranma, thinking he must have missed something, leans out a little putting a hand to his ear.
"About my feelings for him." She exhales. He inches in closer.
"I.."Akane started with hesitation
"Yeah," Ranma thought inching in closer.
"I.." she says again getting firmer.
"yeah. Spit it out already" Ranma thinks getting to the point of frustration
"I L.. ll"
"OH yeah" Ranma thought eagerly.
The crab, tired of being pointed at strikes. "llLOUCH" Akane cries causing Ranma to fall out of the tree and plop onto the sand.
Akane jumps back shocked and backs up into a tree, "RR Ranma."
She expected him to gloat, to do or say something terrible. Well she would be ready.
"Hey, Akane. How ya doing? Funny meeting you here" he says still face down to the sand. He picks himself up and dusts himself off. How much more humiliation could he suffer in one day!?!
------
The pole was up and the inspectors had come and gone. Ukyo and Ryoga had found a spot to sit down and casually and talk.
"Yeah. So that's when I decided I wanted to really go for that kiss. I had a weird moment before that. A premonition that." Ryoga sighs and remains silent.
"Well, what happened?" Ukyo asks.
He eyed Ukyo from the side and then sneaks in this last statement in almost one breath. "I kissed her and she threw her arms around me. I couldn't believe it at first, that my precious Akane would want me back. It just went so well. I told her I would give her some time to break off the engagement with Ranma etc."
"Oh." Ukyo says. "That's really incredible."
"Ukyo, ya don't sound too happy." Ryoga says as he scrunched his nose.
Ukyo stuck out her tongue at him and jumped to her feet.
"I would think this would be great news. Hey.. why're you walking away." He got up and started to walk after her not realizing it would turn into a chase. What a time for her to start a game?
----
"How long were you up there?" Akane demands.
Ranma for a moment was confused. He thought he heard Akane being bossy again. "huh"
"I said HOW long were you up there?"
Ranma coughs nonchalantly. Everything seemed like it was coming together. Akane was showing some anger finally. "Well, I ehem" His instincts told him to brag about everything he had heard, about what he had almost heard. To put her on the spot. Problem was, he didn't really know who she was talking about. Awe heck he knew she was talking about him, but she would probably just deny it. Besides it's not like he was in the clear either.
The expression on her face changed and mellowed out almost instantly. "Doesn't really matter does it." She says dully.
There it was again. Ranma thinks. He feels like he would probably acquire a nervous tick every time she talked that way.
"being that you hate me for sure definitely.. without a doubt." She said so cool as if it were a passing statement.
Ranma almost snapped inside. "Yeah I said it and it's true!" he blurted out. He was sticking his foot in his mouth again. But his frustration didn't end. He didn't feel like he was making a mistake by saying it.
This time she would be cool about it. Last time she failed this time she wouldn't. Dang it hurt.
He had to be honest. It is what he had resolved to do. That's why he said what he did. Honesty wasn't an easy road. "Akane," he softens. "I hate this. this FAKE Akane. Why can't you be angry with me?" he whispers. Getting angry again he blurts, "Really, I'd rather you hit me than feed me this load of bull. My Akane doesn't take crap from me!"
Akane smirks. "You're Akane?. I'm not your Akane anyway." She hesitates. Ranma waits, not really sure what was going to come out of her mouth next.
"I'm someone else's." she adds.
"Who that Mystery guy? I know that's Ukyo so don't even try that one."
"No, no. I had a talk with Ryoga."
Ranma gave her a look and almost as if commanding her says, "You turned him down nice and easy didn't you."
"Things are different now." She says in a subtle wistful manner. " I wouldn't have thought he'd be the one."
"But that swine!"
Akane giggles but it doesn't bring any comfort to Ranma. It sounded like was one of those far away giggles one does when they don't mean it for you to hear. A "my mind is somewhere else" giggle. But that couldn't be a real.
"It's so funny because now I get why you call him that." Akane smiles.
"Wha.. what do you mean?"
"I mean, now that I know he's P-chan. We have an emotional link I never understood before. I've always cared for P-chan so I'm sort of attached." She says wistfully, "We make a perfect couple don't you think?"
"NO I DON'T think." Ranma huffs. "You guys are way wrong for each other."
"I suppose you might think that. but when you're in love, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks" Akane stares at Ranma, "Or does it?"
"No" Ranma whispers. "No, it shouldn't"
"Exactly what I thought" Akane says as she shrugs her shoulders. Oh she was coming out the winner of this round.
"Wait." Ranma says desperately. He didn't really buy into her game. He had to crack her out of this shell and get the Real Akane to show up. He'd have to do something. something that Akane would never allow unanswered. None of what she was saying could be true. It.. it just couldn't be.
Ranma straightens up his back. Honesty's overrated. If you can't beat em, join em. He begins to put on an act as well, "I guess. if you love him. there's nothing I can do. Can I. kiss you. Before you. "
A sweat drop appeared behind Akane's head, invisible to Ranma.
"It's just for the prize." He says as he steps forward, "I didn't want any loopholes that would come back ta haunt me ya know." Ranma adds.
"That little imp" Akane thinks. "He's trying to get me to crack. Well I'm not going to go there. I'm not going to let him take me there."
Akane inhales. "Well, sure " she says aloud. Ranma tensed to hear an approval. He knew that she would have had to agree in order to continue the charade, but hearing her casually say yes stirred a weird anxiety in the pit of his stomach.
"I can just pretend you're 'him'" she throws in.
"Oh." Ranma says. That statement hurt him as much as he didn't want to admit it to himself. But this was a true showdown. Who could keep face the longest. He would win. He always won.
Ranma shrugs his shoulders.
They both stand there for a bit. Ranma takes a step forward. Akane keeps her cool. She realizes that keeping her cool was starting to get annoying when he took another step forward. The gap between the two was almost closed. She leans back on the palm tree. He tilts his head letting his nose lead the rest of his face.
Of course he wasn't really going to kiss her. Right. She kept telling herself. Ranma's too scared for that. Any moment someone was going to barge in on them freeing them both.
Ranma stalls. He misses her face and places his cheek next to hers barely touching it. He takes in a breath. She didn't smell like any fancy perfumes. Just Akane. Even so, there were too many guys who were intoxicated by just Akane.
He wasn't like the rest was he? Who would stop him if he stole a kiss? "Come on" he begs inwardly. "Someone please walk in on us like you always do."
Akane sensing his nervousness gains confidence. "This is taking too long" she says.
If Rama didn't know any better he would think she was taunting. Ranma pulls back to an awakening revelation... Akane. Not nervous or angry about this? It was because she knew he couldn't do it.
Ranma smirks to himself. Correction THOUGHT he couldn't do it. It was a challenge wasn't it? And when it came to challenges, he always had to prove himself. He WOULD kiss her. What's more, she wouldn't even suspect it. He'd play like he was avoiding and then strike.
Ranma leans in again leading to her ear. Akane looks at the scene that seemed strangely familiar to her. He leaned in closer.
Akane's eyes shot wide open, "Ryoga!"
Author's notes
Answered in the NEXT Chapter 1. The number one question on peoples mind, "Is this a Ryoga/Akane fic or a Ranma/Akane fic? I am warning you that you MUST read to the very end to get this answer.
2. The second, like unto the first, "What the heck happened between Ryoga and Akane?"
All my self-important AN's are in the epilogue. This puppy is almost finished.
It has exactly 1 CHAPTER and 1 EPILOGUE left for completion.
Chapter 6 will be short in comparison.
1. The lingering questions that many of you have will finally be answered in these next TWO chapters. (I had to split them because of the space)
2. WEEEEEE I am So done I know I am sure to disappoint some fans and I wish you would have left an email for me to forewarn you. I know what it's like to invest your time in something and then have your favorite couple not be the ones hooking up.
3. Dedications to chapter 5 go to Jen of the Wildfire, OmegaDL50, Chrisitine, Deliriums Hostage, Butterfly, QuirkyCellist, and last but not least, KURA-kun (sorry for the misspelling). ----------------------------------------------
Chapter 5: Sand Castles May Fall
"Akane hates me. Akane hates me," he repeats to himself while dashing his way into some foliage. He is lost. Lost as to what to try next. Completely consumed by tunnel vision, but never focused. He could just break something over his anger while finding himself wanting to cry out desperately, "Dear God help me find my way home" all at the same time. Yes, he was a hyper panicked over rejection, unsure, lost little boy. The thing is that he shouldn't be feeling that way. He isn't Ryoga: he is Ranma. Ranma Saotome, heir and successor of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Not that little swine who couldn't tell the forest for the trees.
Occasionally the thundering taunt of "Akane hates me" was interrupted by Ryoga's words, "...if you mess up bad enough she wont like you as a friend either." Even Ukyo's voice chimed in here too, "You really do hate Akane don't you." Ah what did she know?
Trying to shake those taunting words, he started to think about everything he had tried. He tried damage control and that didn't work. He tried reverse psychology and that didn't work either.
Everything went clear in a bright and brilliant second. He would have to do the only thing he hadn't tried. And it scared him. It scared him half to death, but as much fear as it conjured up, it wasn't as much as the fear of losing Akane completely and forever.
He halts and looks at the person who is casually standing in his way.
-----
Akane leans against a pole looking over to that shorthaired person previously known as the mystery man. "Sorry I put you in the middle of this." she apologizes.
"No problem." Ukyo says. "I wasn't going to kiss you on the lips just so you know."
Akane scrunched her nose. "I didn't want you to."
Ukyo smiles again "I figured so. Just don't ask me to do something like that again. It didn't help you that much that I agreed."
Akane shook her head. "No it helped me a lot." She says pensively.
"Akane." She begins empathetically and then continues more firmly. "Ranma's just a jack@ss."
Akane laughs.
"No listen. He is a jack@ss BUT... he was just being stupidly jealous." She says almost repentant and talking to herself more than to Akane, "Sometimes that's hard to see. He has a good side. He's sweet, charming at times and."
"Well why don't you go for it since he's so great. He's available you know."
"heh heh," Ukyo laughs sheepishly. "I got the feeling that Ranma doesn't really want to see me right now." Akane gave her a quizzical look. "What with him thinking I was in cahoots with you plus I sorta stuck my foot in my mouth big time... I really DON'T have much of a chance. You're the one he."
"Ukyo, I don't want to talk about it so just drop it!" Akane says irritated.
"Sorry." Ukyo says and begins to pretend to be busy.
*silence*
"Sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Akane finally replies feeling sorry she let her frustrations out on Ukyo rather than on the person who really made her angry. But that was the whole point of today. Don't let him get to you. It wasn't as easy as she thought it was going to be.
"Let's change the subject. Have you seen Ryoga?" Ukyo probes.
Akane blushes embarrassed. "After we talked" Akane starts nervously searching for words, "He disappeared. He must have gotten lost or something."
She sighs, "I just mentioned it because he said that things went well with you earlier today but he didn't give me any details."
Akane didn't say anything but shifted her weight onto the other leg uncomfortably.
"Kem on I need someone to give me the details." She pries.
Akane opens her mouth to say something.
"HYAAA!" they both hear. Ukyo and Akane look startled at the source of the cry.
Shampoo assaults Akane with her bonbourie. Akane dodges but in barely enough time. She had partially smashed into the pole Akane had been resting on.
Ukyo pulls out her giant spatula. "What's the big idea comin' in to ruin my shop?"
Shampoo glares at Akane for a good long time ignoring Ukyo. Shampoo stares at Akane, sizes her up and then resizes her.
She holds her bonbouri up in strike position, "Akane I kill." Akane readies herself and so does Ukyo. Akane puts her hand up motioning for Ukyo to back off and focuses on the battle.
Shampoo struggles with the bonbouri concentrating on her hatred for Akane. "Akane. I. kill" she says softer as tears threaten to break the surface of her eyes, "No worry about Ranma love Akane." She blurts right after. A tear rolls down and she lowers her bonbouri. Shampoo sinks to her knees and more of the tears come down.
Ukyo shakes her head sorry, if but for a moment, for Shampoo. Akane, heartrended as well, tries to get closer.
"It all Akane fault" Shampoo says firmly. Regaining her senses, she gets on her feet in one swift motion bringing her opponent to a full stop. "You I kill." She swings at Akane with the bonbouri again. Akane gets out of the way. Shampoo launches a blizzard of attacks that Akane dodged all too easily. It wasn't that Akane had gotten any better. It was Shampoo's attacks. They were so wild and unfocused that anyone could dodge them. Ukyo doesn't even bother to help.
Shampoo slips as one of her attacks misses Akane by far. She falls inelegantly toward the ground. Akane pulls her hand out to help her. Shampoo pride to strong, refuses the help preferring to land hard on the floor than grab out for her hand. Indignant, she gets up and snaps the wrinkles out of her clothing.
"What happened?" Ukyo asks curious interrupting Shampoo's mission. Shampoo finally looks at her not really understanding who was talking to her. She looks at the spatula and then realizes, finally, who she's talking to.
"Shampoo?" Ukyo asks.
"Ranma say." She chokes, "Ranma hate Shampoo"
Akane empathizes but not daring to say anything. Whatever she could say would probably make things worse. At this moment in time, she was the problem and the person who is the problem was never the best person in the world who should be trying to comfort her. Akane looks at Ukyo sending her a private message some how. Ukyo stares at her with a what do you expect me to do look on her face. Akane nudges again.
Ukyo sighs.
"It's like this" Ukyo starts, "Ranma's a Jack@ss"
Shampoo interjects, "Shampoo no hate. Ranma." Rushed to set clear the hesitation in her voice she explains. "Ranma is hus.." She couldn't finish the second statement. She didn't understand. Everytime she thought about her future, it was Ranma. Ranma Ranma Ranma. In the midst of that, a scene played out in her head over and over again and Ranma kept telling her over and over again that he hated her. In the middle of her rage. it wasn't Akane she was seeing. it was Ranma.
Shampoo looks at Ukyo and Akane. Ranma or Ukyo and Akane. What difference did it make? She wanted to hurt them. Hurt them all. And those two for just being there. For standing there looking at her with compassion in their eyes like she was someone to be pitied. She didn't understand why she hadn't already killed them though.
She is already wavering. She is weak. A disgrace to Amazon's everywhere. Shampoo backs up and then runs away the same way she left. Confused, Angry, and Alone.
Both of the girls sigh. Both feel sorry for her, but also relieved that she was gone.
"Poor girl" Ukyo starts.
Akane nods.
"Looks like he made it a habit today." Ukyo says. She smiles at Akane. "Sorta proves he wasn't serious don'tcha think."
Akane looks at her not really understanding Ukyo's sudden interest in the health of her relationship with Ranma. "It doesn't prove anything. I had a talk with Ryoga and well things are just different now."
"Listen about Ryoga." Ukyo cuts her off. " You. you don't have to tell me anything."
Akane sighs again trying to speak her thoughts but nothing comes out.
"He's a heck of a guy that one, Congratulations." Ukyo says with a forced but genuine smile. "I gotta go change and get ready to leave." With that Ukyo waves Akane off and gets busy.
-----------------------------------
"Ryoga Hibiki." Ranma scowls.
"Hello, Ranma." Ryoga replies a bit too "happy" for Ranma's liking.
"I wan't Akane back!" Ranma demands.
"I'm not giving her up. I'm not stupid like you." Ryoga bites back snapping out of his previous state.
"I'm not asking." Ranma starts smugly, "Just letting you know that I'm getting back in the game."
"Eh?" Ryoga asks briefly. As if he couldn't believe what he was hearing Ranma say.
"I'm back in the game." Ranma clarifies which as much determination as ever.
"Finally." Ryoga replies refreshed, "I was getting bored." He dusts off his pants and then poses in a ridged defense stance. Suppressed excitement bouncing off of him.
"I don't want a fist fight." Ranma says before he begins to walk to pass Ryoga. Even if a part of him wanted to knock Ryoga out, finding Akane was more important.
Ryoga puts his hands behind his back and smiles. "All kicks then. I gotcha."
"Sorry not interested." Ranma reassesses and walks around him. Ryoga stops him with his arm and then throws him back.
"Comes with the territory." Ryoga smirks.
Ryoga scans searching for something. Ranma follows him with his eye curiously as Ryoga picks whatever he was looking for up. Ryoga shows him a coconut as if he were offering it. Ranma nods understanding what he meant.
The bandana-clad boy hurls it in the air waiting for it to drop. It dully hits the sand and immediately the fight begins.
"HA" one of them yells. It is the breakingpoint technique. Ryoga was the first to attack. Ranma leaps into the air. It was too easy to dodge. He looked down to see Ryoga smiling confidently with his eyes closed. A spray of sand funnels up and gets in his eyes. Ranma lands with his vision impaired.
"You cheat" Ranma declares trying to wipe the sand from his eyes.
"Yeah and you never cheat, especially with water and turning me into a pig." Is Ryoga's retort.
Ranma couldn't argue too much since he knew it was true. "Alright then, now we're even. No more tricks."
"Fine by me, Ranma," Ryoga punches him in the stomach causing Ranma to double over in pain. "Just straight fighting from now on in."
Ranma felt like an iron pillar landed on him on the gut. Ranma couldn't do much about that, Ryoga was pretty strong when it came to brute strength. He himself had much less reaction time because he couldn't see too well. With his speed limited, he had to think faster.
Another punch heads for him. He senses it just in time to dodge it. Unfortunately he doesn't clear fast enough. He gets hit.
It was just a light hit on the side of his arm but it stung like crazy. His sunburnt body multiplied the pain he was receiving. Everything hurt more than it should. He had to get serious or this fight could get ugly fast.
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" He yells and launches a blizzard of strokes. Ryoga doesn't seem bothered by them. He notices that he dodged every single one, quite easily at that.
Ranma isn't giving up yet. He begins to spread out the hits to cover more ground. Finally, a tag. Ranma smiles. Ryoga sure had a hard body to hit, but he knew if he could get more hits in, it could do some damage. Suddenly all his hits get in. Ryoga's just standing there taking it?
"How does that feel?" Ranma gloats, but not really for himself. He wants the fight to end as soon as possible. If he could get Ryoga heated up enough, P-chan there would mess up more and be easier to deal with.
However, even while he said what he did, he knew something was wrong. He could sense it.
Behind him!
He turns in just enough time to get his face slugged. "Don't insult me by beating up on a tree Ranma!" Ryoga yells.
Ranma stands firm and feels the spot where Ryoga punched him. Ranma's other senses are alert as ever. Sensing Ryoga was weird. It was like he was gone half the time. He felt. like a different person.
If only he had his sight back he could adjust. For an instant he could empathize with Mousse and being blind as a bat, but he didn't want to compare himself to a duck ... or a pigboy for that matter. So this was what it felt like to be helpless in a fight. Ryoga must have felt it plenty of times. Water was all it took to eliminate him from the fight and Ranma could send him flying. If they were fighting regular, Ryoga was a pretty good match for him most times. But this was completely unfair. Ryoga had the full advantage. He had the eyes and he had the strength. All he had was speed.
"Thanks." Ranma says.
"For what" Ryoga replies. Ranma flinches a little and then slowly turns his head.
"For what?" Ryoga says again. Ranma in less than a flash is up on Ryoga taking him completely by surprise. He hooks his foot under Ryoga's and then starts punching. Ryoga almost goes down but steadies himself with his other foot.
"For telling me where you were." Ranma says before grabbing Ryoga's shirt and holding on for dear life. He couldn't count on Ryoga blabbing his mouth again to give away his location and he needed to do some damage.
Even still Ryoga had the advantage. He had both his fists and Ranma had only one available. Hey exchanged several blows back and forth.
After a while both of them breathed heavily, Ranma especially. His arm still clung to Ryoga's shirt. He wasn't a quitter and he wasn't going to lose to Ryoga.
Looking at Ranma state, hanging onto his shirt so desperately he feels that it wasn't the same Ranma he was used to fighting. He gets the impression that it wasn't the effects of the sand that made Ranma weaker. He backslapped Ranma. Ranma took it. He couldn't stand this fight any longer. He couldn't stand to see him like this. He was beginning to feel sorry for him. And that was always a bad sign.
"Ranma, You are SO stupid. You're the one fighting for Akane. I'm not. I'm fighting to let out my frustration." Ryoga punches him once more and sends him flying back. Ranma hits a tree and slides down. Ranma could almost see again. .
"I'm done."
"That's it, I'm done." Ranma says shocked. There was no way.. just a little longer and Ryoga would pay. His sight was almost back. This wasn't fair.
"Well, yeah"
"Let me get this straight. You beat on me and now your frustration is gone? Couldn't you take that out on some trees or rocks or something?" Ranma says rubbing the final specks of dirt out of his eyes.
"They can't fight back. Besides I thought I'd do you a favor while I was at it."
"What the.. How is this doing me a favor?!!" Ranma shouts at him.
"I uh.. heard what you did. By my counts that already makes you sorry and pathetic..."
"Look. I can explain you see" Ranma interrupts apologetically with as much fear as he usually does to Akane when he knows she's about to use her trusty sidekick." I don't hate Akane. And you see, she's my friend... sometimes and...we fight because... I said it.. and she's my friend."
"Ranma. Shut up." Ryoga blurts out. "if you want Akane back like you say you do"
Ranma Panicks, " don't wanna marry her or nofin'" he realizes what he says too late.
Ryoga rolled his eyes wanting to tell him to shut up again. "if you want Akane to even look at you as a friend." he says still finding it hard to believe that Ranma said, "I'm back in the game" a couple of moments before the fight. "If anyone COULD take you back after that little outburst of yours"
Ryoga begins to think outloud. "Wow, I didn't realize how much you screwed up."
Ranmas head snaps back as he takes a blow to the ego.
"I never thought you would do something like that. Your pretty much done for now aren't you."
An invisible spear jabs him in the side as he takes another blow.
"You're not even competition anymore."
Ranma flinches.
"HAH, even KUNO has a better chance at Akane than you."
The final strike that sends Ranma to his grave. "Alright Allright already. I'm trash. I get the point already"
"Anyway, all I am saying is that Akane has one more excuse to feel sorry for you." Ranma looks puzzled towards Ryoga while he walks away. "If she asks about your bruises that is, you can tell her that I beat you up in a jealous fit."
"But she never believes me about you."
"She will today. Oh and Ranma, Why don't you just say, "I'm in love with Akane""
"You're in love with Akane." Ranma says and sticks out his tongue. Ryoga does the same and head out the rest of the way.
Whatever was true about his feelings for Akane, Ryoga wouldn't be the first to hear them.
-------- Ryoga travels in his usual manner and comes upon a Tiki stand. He sees a girl in wearing a blue bathing suite and a wrap tied around her waste. She looked cute he could see with her very short hair tucked behind her ears. She was packing up shop.
"Ukyo" he says. "I almost forgot you cut your hair."
"Hi Ryo. You just missed Akane." she replies. She busies herself even faster. "Sorry I wont be able to take you to her. I'm not sure where she went."
" 'Sokay. I'm not really looking for her. Not trying to get away from her either. just." he was staring at the pillar where Shampoo had struck wither bonbouri, "Say do you need any help?" He asks remembering the time he spent with her earlier that day.
"I'm almost done packing. I don't need any help right now." Ukyo says shoving her stuff in her bag faster.
"No the uh support beam is . bent."
"Oh that. It happened while my contract was up so I don't have to pay the damages. It's someone else's problem K? Thanks for the offer though."
"Oh" Ryoga replies a little disappointed. "I better be going anyway." Ryoga walks out and then five seconds later walks right back in as if he were traveling there for the first time.
"How do you get out of the beach?" Ryoga asks sheepishly.
Ukyo points in a direction, any direction but the right one and he takes that exit.
---------
Ranma exhausted, mentally and physically drags himself to a beach front a little ways off from the commercial section. He plops himself down next to a tree. Ryoga whaled on him sure, but he still didn't look as beat up as he felt. Why did he let Ryoga hit him like that. Even blind he could have done a better job of dodging.
He hung his head. It was because he deserved it. He deserved to get beat up. He deserved it that's why...
Everytime he searched for Akane, she wasn't there or he had just missed her. "She doesn't want to be found," he admits. He laughs at himself. What would he do if someone found him this way looking so... so. pathetic.
He hears a shuffle in a nearby low bushy palm and is up the tree in record time. Someone enters the clearing and gives a big exhausted sigh.
"Peace at last." She says. Ranma, miraculously healed, peeps from behind the palms and gazes down curious. Akane turns to look up and he hides behind the palm branches swiftly. He gives a silent cheer for finding her. All he had to do was slide down the tree unnoticed and walk in on Akane pretending he just stumbled onto her. "Easy as pie." He thought to himself.
"Well at least he won't find me here." Akane plops down on a blanket she laid out.
Ranma stops short. Maybe he should wait if the very thought of seeing him brought a sense of dread. He decides to stay in the tree. He occasionally spies some glances at her.
--- Ryoga walked into Ukyo's temp shop again, this time unnoticed. A man was inspecting the damage done to the post. "That'll cost you a pretty penny young lady."
"I'm telling you it wasn't my fault some crazy girl came in and hit it."
"A girl.. yeah right. Only crazy girl I see here is you. And even if it were true, your insurance doesn't cover it. You'll have to pay up."
"Well how the heck am I supposed to come up with the ALL the money?"
"It'll be fixed within" Ryoga interrupts, calculating on his finger, "two hours."
Ukyo stares at him incredulously. "Well it better." The inspector replied, "or else she has to pay $1230 for the repairs."
"Ryoga nodded." The inspector left.
"You lied to me?" Ryoga finally asks.
"Look, Ryoga, you don't have to help. It's not your fault, Shampoo did it."
"You know she's not going to help you rebuild or give you money to pay it off.Why couldn't you just tell me the truth."
"Look, I said it wasn't you responsibility so just don't worry about it. I'll just use the prize money." she finally says shrugging her shoulders.
"You're right." Ryoga says backing off. He smirks a little "I shouldn't pretend to be hurt by it or anything. It's not like we're, you know, best friends or anything."
"Right." Ukyo says.
"And it's not like you would want to see my face all day. You probably had enough of me already." Ryoga say's a little more nervously.
"Look, Ryo, it's not that. I'd love your help but."
Ryoga's smirk returns. He interrupts with his finger in the air indicating his brilliant idea. "If you let me help you, I'll let you know what happened between me and Akane."
Ukyo smiles and inches forward wiggling her fingers threateningly, "I could get the information out of you if I really wanted."
Ryoga laughs before running away. "Anything but that." Ukyo chases. ----
Ranma had stayed up in the tree and was getting bored. Akane made a new friend with a crab. Only good thing about that was that Akane was talking to it. Why she talked to animals was beyond him but at least it entertained him from time to time.
Akane pokes at the crab. She sighs dropping her head down in resignation. "I'm not being honest am I?" she asks the crab. "about him?"
Ranma's ears immediately perked up. She remains silent for sometime. Ranma, thinking he must have missed something, leans out a little putting a hand to his ear.
"About my feelings for him." She exhales. He inches in closer.
"I.."Akane started with hesitation
"Yeah," Ranma thought inching in closer.
"I.." she says again getting firmer.
"yeah. Spit it out already" Ranma thinks getting to the point of frustration
"I L.. ll"
"OH yeah" Ranma thought eagerly.
The crab, tired of being pointed at strikes. "llLOUCH" Akane cries causing Ranma to fall out of the tree and plop onto the sand.
Akane jumps back shocked and backs up into a tree, "RR Ranma."
She expected him to gloat, to do or say something terrible. Well she would be ready.
"Hey, Akane. How ya doing? Funny meeting you here" he says still face down to the sand. He picks himself up and dusts himself off. How much more humiliation could he suffer in one day!?!
------
The pole was up and the inspectors had come and gone. Ukyo and Ryoga had found a spot to sit down and casually and talk.
"Yeah. So that's when I decided I wanted to really go for that kiss. I had a weird moment before that. A premonition that." Ryoga sighs and remains silent.
"Well, what happened?" Ukyo asks.
He eyed Ukyo from the side and then sneaks in this last statement in almost one breath. "I kissed her and she threw her arms around me. I couldn't believe it at first, that my precious Akane would want me back. It just went so well. I told her I would give her some time to break off the engagement with Ranma etc."
"Oh." Ukyo says. "That's really incredible."
"Ukyo, ya don't sound too happy." Ryoga says as he scrunched his nose.
Ukyo stuck out her tongue at him and jumped to her feet.
"I would think this would be great news. Hey.. why're you walking away." He got up and started to walk after her not realizing it would turn into a chase. What a time for her to start a game?
----
"How long were you up there?" Akane demands.
Ranma for a moment was confused. He thought he heard Akane being bossy again. "huh"
"I said HOW long were you up there?"
Ranma coughs nonchalantly. Everything seemed like it was coming together. Akane was showing some anger finally. "Well, I ehem" His instincts told him to brag about everything he had heard, about what he had almost heard. To put her on the spot. Problem was, he didn't really know who she was talking about. Awe heck he knew she was talking about him, but she would probably just deny it. Besides it's not like he was in the clear either.
The expression on her face changed and mellowed out almost instantly. "Doesn't really matter does it." She says dully.
There it was again. Ranma thinks. He feels like he would probably acquire a nervous tick every time she talked that way.
"being that you hate me for sure definitely.. without a doubt." She said so cool as if it were a passing statement.
Ranma almost snapped inside. "Yeah I said it and it's true!" he blurted out. He was sticking his foot in his mouth again. But his frustration didn't end. He didn't feel like he was making a mistake by saying it.
This time she would be cool about it. Last time she failed this time she wouldn't. Dang it hurt.
He had to be honest. It is what he had resolved to do. That's why he said what he did. Honesty wasn't an easy road. "Akane," he softens. "I hate this. this FAKE Akane. Why can't you be angry with me?" he whispers. Getting angry again he blurts, "Really, I'd rather you hit me than feed me this load of bull. My Akane doesn't take crap from me!"
Akane smirks. "You're Akane?. I'm not your Akane anyway." She hesitates. Ranma waits, not really sure what was going to come out of her mouth next.
"I'm someone else's." she adds.
"Who that Mystery guy? I know that's Ukyo so don't even try that one."
"No, no. I had a talk with Ryoga."
Ranma gave her a look and almost as if commanding her says, "You turned him down nice and easy didn't you."
"Things are different now." She says in a subtle wistful manner. " I wouldn't have thought he'd be the one."
"But that swine!"
Akane giggles but it doesn't bring any comfort to Ranma. It sounded like was one of those far away giggles one does when they don't mean it for you to hear. A "my mind is somewhere else" giggle. But that couldn't be a real.
"It's so funny because now I get why you call him that." Akane smiles.
"Wha.. what do you mean?"
"I mean, now that I know he's P-chan. We have an emotional link I never understood before. I've always cared for P-chan so I'm sort of attached." She says wistfully, "We make a perfect couple don't you think?"
"NO I DON'T think." Ranma huffs. "You guys are way wrong for each other."
"I suppose you might think that. but when you're in love, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks" Akane stares at Ranma, "Or does it?"
"No" Ranma whispers. "No, it shouldn't"
"Exactly what I thought" Akane says as she shrugs her shoulders. Oh she was coming out the winner of this round.
"Wait." Ranma says desperately. He didn't really buy into her game. He had to crack her out of this shell and get the Real Akane to show up. He'd have to do something. something that Akane would never allow unanswered. None of what she was saying could be true. It.. it just couldn't be.
Ranma straightens up his back. Honesty's overrated. If you can't beat em, join em. He begins to put on an act as well, "I guess. if you love him. there's nothing I can do. Can I. kiss you. Before you. "
A sweat drop appeared behind Akane's head, invisible to Ranma.
"It's just for the prize." He says as he steps forward, "I didn't want any loopholes that would come back ta haunt me ya know." Ranma adds.
"That little imp" Akane thinks. "He's trying to get me to crack. Well I'm not going to go there. I'm not going to let him take me there."
Akane inhales. "Well, sure " she says aloud. Ranma tensed to hear an approval. He knew that she would have had to agree in order to continue the charade, but hearing her casually say yes stirred a weird anxiety in the pit of his stomach.
"I can just pretend you're 'him'" she throws in.
"Oh." Ranma says. That statement hurt him as much as he didn't want to admit it to himself. But this was a true showdown. Who could keep face the longest. He would win. He always won.
Ranma shrugs his shoulders.
They both stand there for a bit. Ranma takes a step forward. Akane keeps her cool. She realizes that keeping her cool was starting to get annoying when he took another step forward. The gap between the two was almost closed. She leans back on the palm tree. He tilts his head letting his nose lead the rest of his face.
Of course he wasn't really going to kiss her. Right. She kept telling herself. Ranma's too scared for that. Any moment someone was going to barge in on them freeing them both.
Ranma stalls. He misses her face and places his cheek next to hers barely touching it. He takes in a breath. She didn't smell like any fancy perfumes. Just Akane. Even so, there were too many guys who were intoxicated by just Akane.
He wasn't like the rest was he? Who would stop him if he stole a kiss? "Come on" he begs inwardly. "Someone please walk in on us like you always do."
Akane sensing his nervousness gains confidence. "This is taking too long" she says.
If Rama didn't know any better he would think she was taunting. Ranma pulls back to an awakening revelation... Akane. Not nervous or angry about this? It was because she knew he couldn't do it.
Ranma smirks to himself. Correction THOUGHT he couldn't do it. It was a challenge wasn't it? And when it came to challenges, he always had to prove himself. He WOULD kiss her. What's more, she wouldn't even suspect it. He'd play like he was avoiding and then strike.
Ranma leans in again leading to her ear. Akane looks at the scene that seemed strangely familiar to her. He leaned in closer.
Akane's eyes shot wide open, "Ryoga!"
Author's notes
Answered in the NEXT Chapter 1. The number one question on peoples mind, "Is this a Ryoga/Akane fic or a Ranma/Akane fic? I am warning you that you MUST read to the very end to get this answer.
2. The second, like unto the first, "What the heck happened between Ryoga and Akane?"
All my self-important AN's are in the epilogue. This puppy is almost finished.
It has exactly 1 CHAPTER and 1 EPILOGUE left for completion.
Chapter 6 will be short in comparison.