Ranma ½: Game of Pretend

*Disclaimer: * Ranma ½ and all related titles are sole and exclusive © Takahashi Rumiko; Kitty TV; Viz Communications LLC.

A/N: So sorry I haven't been update ('cause I know you all missed me.) But first my computer was down and I just have sooo much work, I don't have any time to write…plus my muse left me. I bet my muse went someone a heck of a lot warmer than here.

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Ranma ½: Game of Pretend

Part IV: Love to Order

**

I'm getting better at this, Ryouga said to himself as he stopped in front of the building he had set out to find. It had taken him only a little time to find the Utchan. He was getting to know the town of Nerima very well. He pushed open the door; a small bell rang. The restaurant was deserted at this time, save one lonely customer, picking at his okonomiyaki.

'Good after—evening, welcome to the Utchan,' Kuonji Ukyou said wearily from behind the counter upon hearing the bell ring. She was sweeping behind the counter and as such could not see her latest customer.

Ryouga came up to the front and deposited himself on one of the high barstools. 'Hello, Ukyou-san,' he said.

'Ryouga!' Ukyou spun around, her broom clattering to the floor. She placed one hand over her chest, near where her heart was. 'Y-You startled me.' She scowled slightly. 'What makes you think you can run around and scare people like that?' she demanded. Ryouga, however, was unresponsive. 'Okay, so it's food you're interested in,' she said. 'What can I get you?'

'The usual,' Ryouga replied. Ukyou turned back to the kitchen, her expert hands flying over the ingredients, more okonomiyaki than Ryouga could ever eat being made in Ukyou's small kitchen.

'Why do I even try?' Ryouga muttered to himself as Ukyou set a steaming plate of okonomiyaki in front of him. For once, his resolve and determination wavered.

'Excuse me?' Ukyou said, peering closely at Ryouga. 'Did you say something?'

'I must defeat Saotome Ranma!' Ryouga declared, as if he hadn't even heart Ukyou. He jumped up and assumed a fearful pose. 'I will defeat Saotome Ranma, and make the lovely Akane-san mine!' The lonely customer was looking at Ryouga with wide, slightly scared eyes.

'Shh!' Ukyou hissed loudly. 'You're scaring all my customers away!' she complained as the other man hastily paid the bill for his uneaten food and left as quickly as was possible. By this time, Ryouga had sat down, but it didn't matter: the man was long gone.

The Utchan was clean, though not necessarily expansive. It was just Ukyou and Ryouga, alone together, the last rays of sunlight filtering in through the windows. A soft ballad was playing on the radio, one of Ukyou's favorites. She started singing it to herself, humming when she didn't know the words. Ryouga looked up at her.

'Sorry,' she said, and stopped singing. But Ryouga shook his head.

'No…you have a nice voice,' he said, slightly wonderingly. Ukyou blushed brilliantly and looked down.

It's…Ryouga, she said to herself. Why am I blushing? I've been told I have a nice voice before…but I'd prefer it to be from Ranma…Ryouga shook his head and went back to eating.

'Thank you, Ukyou,' Ryouga said. She glanced over and saw that his plate was clean, the eating utensils neatly crossed. He dropped a few bills next to the plate and then left, raising a hand behind him as a good-bye wave.

'He could have at least tipped me,' Ukyou grumbled to herself as she cleared away his plate. But a smile crept onto her face as she pocketed the money.

**

'Ranma, are you going to study for this exam?' Akane asked as she and her fiancé walked home from school. Ranma shrugged indifferently.

'I don't see why I gotta,' he said. 'All I need is my skill in the Art. Math is stupid,' he continued, kicking a rock.

'And let me guess,' Akane said, sarcastic. 'English is stupid, and so is Japanese language arts, and so is World History…Is there any class—besides lunch—that you like?'

'I like gym.,' Ranma replied brightly. Akane sighed and shook her head.

'You're hopeless, Ranma,' she said, as they entered the dojo.

**

'Shampoo…I love you, and I always will,' a tall young man with flowing dark hair and flashing green eyes said…to his reflection. 'No, that's stupid,' Mousse said to his mirror-self. 'Okay, let's try this again,' he said. He smoothed his hair, and sank onto one knee. 'Come away with me, Shampoo. Leave behind the unworthy Ranma and come with me instead. I love you, Shampoo! I love you!'

'Mousse! Special combo No. 1 for table 5!' an incredibly tiny, old woman said. Cologne was the proprietress of the Neko-haten, and they were having a busy day. What was Mousse doing talking to himself at a time like this? What an unhinged young man, she thought, calling the order for him again.

Gods, what was I thinking? Mousse thought hopelessly as he threw together Combo No. 1. He slashed the daikon with an unnatural precision and force, cleanly cutting the radishes with the skill of a weapons-master—which he was, after all. So it made sense. That was lame. I must capture Shampoo's heart somehow. And I must defeat Saotome Ranma! 'I will defeat…Saotome Ranma!' Mousse shouted, as he served up the food.

'You get some crazy types in here,' the customer who had ordered Combo No. 1 said to his companion.

'Indeed,' said the other. They could hear an irate old woman scolding the waiter loudly in machine-gun Chinese. 'Sucks to be him,' he said, sympathetic towards the young man. After all, he could remember the time when his own grandmother chastised him, and it wasn't pretty. Though the old woman could have been the waiter's great-grandmother. Or even great-great-grandmother.

The two who were eating the Combo No. 1 looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to eating.

**

'Ranma, I know you don't care about studying, but could you at least leave me in peace and quiet?' a frustrated Akane asked her companion. Ranma himself was singing—rather badly—along to an old anime theme song, and doing tricks with a water-filled yo-yo. 'Remember, we have a maths and an English exam tomorrow.'

'I know English,' Ranma replied readily. ' "Snore." "Sleep." See? I know lots. I don't gotta study.'

Ha, figures he'd know those ones, Akane said to herself, turning back to her list of vocabulary. It's all he ever does in that class.

'Ranma, could you come over here?' Kasumi called from the kitchen. Akane looked immensely relieved as Ranma shrugged and abandoned his yo-yo, and thankfully, his singing, to follow Kasumi.

She put him to work with the usual, drying dishes while she washed them. It was silent, save for the trickle of the water from the faucet. Ranma resumed his humming again, though rather softer than before. Kasumi looked at him.

'Sorry,' he said. She smiled and shook her head, and then went back to washing. 'What?' Ranma said. 'Why did you shake your head?'

Kasumi smiled. 'Nothing, Ranma-kun,' she said. 'It's just…how much you and little Akane have changed over the past year.'

'Changed?' Ranma yelped. 'I haven't changed! And she hasn't, either! She's still the same macho chick I saw a year ago…' he trailed off.

He doesn't say it with the same volition he used to, Kasumi noted. I wonder what will happen now…? At the end of this week, will they really be together?

'We're home!' sang Soun, meaning himself and Genma.

'Oh crap,' Ranma said under his breath. He dropped his dishtowel like a hot potato and ran to the living room with Akane. He seized one of her notebooks and made like he was studying with her.

'Hey!' Akane hissed. 'What are you doing?'

'Our dads are home,' Ranma whispered back. 'At least pretend like you're happy to see me here and are helping me study.' Akane scowled and opened her mouth to say something before Genma came.

'How is the little couple?' Genma boomed. He stuck his head in the living room and saw Ranma and Akane seated close together, two dark heads meeting as they bent over a book. They both looked up at Genma's voice and Akane worked to relax her face.

'Good afternoon, Uncle,' she said pleasantly. Ranma gave a grudging nod and a curt, 'Pops,' as greeting.

'I'm so glad to see you two working so hard at school together,' he said happily.

'Our little Akane and Ranma are growing up, aren't they Uncle?' Nabiki said, who had slipped up behind Genma. 'Such the sophisticated couple.'

'Oh, and Akane! No more of this "Uncle" nonsense,' Genma said heartily. 'From now on, you must call me "Father"!'

Akane nodded and smiled, though on the inside her heart sank. Father! That meant that Genma thought them as good as married already! And it was only the second day of her and Ranma's plan…which had been to prevent them from getting married. She continued to smile and nod until Genma and Nabiki left, then rounded on Ranma.

'Father!' she said as loud as she dared. 'Now your dad wants me to call him that too!'

'How's it my fault?' Ranma protested.

'Do you know what this means?' Akane said, running a hand through her hair. 'It means that we're failing! I don't know what we're doing wrong, but we had better start do something right, or else…or else…' she shuddered.

'Gee, don't act so happy to spend your life with me,' Ranma muttered sarcastically.

'I'd be happier to live with you if…if…' Akane blushed and looked away, suddenly quiet.

'If what?' Ranma said quickly.

'If you'd be happier to be with me,' she said softly. Her cheeks burned, and she bent over her books again to hide her face. Did I just say that? she thought as she stared at the same sentence. What will he think now?

Did she just say that? Ranma thought as he too took up his composition book and pen. He looked at her from over the top of his book, surveying her. She'd actually be happy to live her life with me? Her hair was pulled into a short ponytail, for though she had kept it quite short since that fateful day when Ranma first battled Ryouga and Akane's hair was chopped off, it had grown some, and on this warm day Akane had put it up. Ranma reached over and pulled out the hair tie.

Akane's head snapped up, all ready to shout at him, when she noticed that his face was very close to hers.

'You know,' he commented softly, 'you look cuter with your hair down.' He tossed her the hair tie and went back to reading. Akane reached a wondering hand up to her hair, touching it softly.

Did he mean that? Akane wondered, as she saw him absorbed in his work for once. She smiled. 'Thanks, Ranma,' she whispered.

'Did you say something?' Ranma asked, sure he had heard Akane say something.

Akane shook her head. 'No,' she said, still smiling. Ranma shrugged and once more resumed his interrupted studies.

**

That night, as the two prepared silently for sleep, Akane said something to Ranma she had not said in a long time.

'Good night, Ranma,' she said, as she curled up under the blankets.

Ranma looked up sharply, surprised. 'G-good night to you, too,' he stuttered.

Within ten minutes, the two youngsters were deep asleep, small smiles present on both their faces as they dreamed their pleasant dreams.

**

Farther away, a young man still wearing the Neko-haten uniform walked slowly home with the dejected slump of a rejected lover.

**

And not too far away from that, another teenager with sharp teeth paused in the glow cast from a street lamp, looking hopelessly lost.

A batty old woman happily poured a bucket of water out the window, only to drench Ryouga.

'SQUEEK!' the piglet said indignantly. 'SQUEEEEEEEK!'

**

A/N: Oh boy, another chapter complete. Sorry it was so much shorter than the others. Uhm…what to say…Thank you so much for all your support and all, I appreciate it tons. If you noticed, I did add more characters, not just focusing on the major couple Akane and Ranma, but also hinting at Ukyou and Ryouga, and Shampoo and Mousse. For all you die-hard A/R fans, don't worry, the others really will not take over the story, because this was written as primarily A/R. But, you know, a little variety is always good.

As always, questions, comments, suggestions and flames are welcome.