Ranma ½: Game of Pretend

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and all related titles are sole and exclusive © Takahashi Rumiko; Shougakukan Entertainment; Shounen Sunday; Kitty TV; and Viz Communications, LLC.

A/N: Welcome to Day Five, Chapter 8 of this Game of Pretend. Thanks so much to all who reviewed! Your support has helped to make this possibly my most popular story—thanks extra for pushing me past the big 100! I goofed in the last chapter when Ranma says "Look Gramps…Friendship Day is tomorrow…" I meant to say the day after tomorrow. Sorry about that!

Have fun with the following chapter! Hope you all enjoy.

--Sanju.

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Ranma ½: Game of Pretend

Part VIII: Something Happens

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When Akane woke the next morning, she opened her eyes to be staring straight at Ranma. She had somehow rolled over on her bed so that she faced the side he was sleeping. She smiled softly to herself, gazing upon his sleeping form…as she had done many times before. Akane certainly realised how much she loved seeing Ranma sleep. And eat. And walk. And…well, she loved seeing everything Ranma did.

Did this mean…could she possibly…actually love Ranma?

The possibility had not been far from her mind, since the first day she met him. She had felt an irrestistable attraction to him that she fought off. And she fought well and she fought hard, and was careful to never give herself away. But what did it matter that she loved him, if he didn't love her back?

Akane shook her head. It's too early in the morning for such thoughts, she said to herself, and pressed her eyes closed for another second before wakening to make a fresh start.

After she dressed, she felt slightly bad about being so cold to Ranma the night before. In a spurt of slight remorse mixed with generosity, she took Ranma's bentou and added a couple extra treats from Kasumi's kitchen to it.

'Good morning, sister,' Kasumi said, smiling sunnily. 'Did you sleep well?'

Akane nodded. 'Quite!' she replied. She took both her and Ranma's lunchboxes, set them on the table, and went to wake Ranma, who was, as usual, still grossly oversleeping. This time, she did not allow herself any sentimental reflections on his inert form. Instead, she uttered the usual threat that always rose Ranma, 'I've a bucket of ice cold water right here….Hmm, I wonder what I can do with it?'

It almost made her laugh to see his reaction. First his stunning grey-blue eyes would fly open wide, searching for a pail of water, and then he'd leap up, looking around and saying alertly, though his voice was still groggy from sleep, 'Where's the water?'

The ritual was not interrupted today. But Akane always suppressed her amusement and she instead said bluntly, reprovingly, 'You've overslept again Ranma, do I need to come and wake you every day? You always make us late for school and earn us double punishment!' By the time her remonstrations were over, Ranma was already brushing his teeth and pulling on his Chinese-style shirt. Akane would be waiting for him with their bentou in hand,her eyes already starting to flash dangerously. It was the same situation every morning.

'Ah Saotome-kun,' Soun said tearily, 'look at little Akane! Taking care of Ranma…waking him up and packing his lunch…!'

'Indeed Tendou-kun,' Genma answered, embracing his friend. 'I've made such a brilliant match!'

'You made a brilliant match?' Soun exploded. 'I think it is all because I agreed to this that your son got such a catch as my Akane!'

Akane herself rolled her eyes, biting back numerous retorts and protests that she knew would be useless against the fathers. She saw Ranma rolling his eyes at his father also and she caught his eye, allowing herself a small smile.

Akane did not start as much as she did the first time when Ranma linked their arms for the sake of keeping up appearances. Soun and Genma, their momentary anger with each other completely forgotten, were now embracing each other in transports of ecstasy. Still…Akane could not deny that she was painfully aware of her hand in his larger, warm one; or of the sensation of their hips occasionally brushing.

No, no, no! Akane said vehemently to herself. Why do I think such thoughts? How can I, when I shouldn't feel for Ranma? When I know…that in the end…nothing will work out. She was so preoccupied that Ranma was compelled to jerk her back himself when she was about to knock into a pole.

'Watch it, tomboy,' he said, insulting her without any real malice, not looking at her. 'Ya' just about knocked your head off!'

He had pulled out his arm from hers the moment they had been outside the Tendou compound, but it was now resting lightly on her shoulder, remaining there from the previous rescue. Ranma was suddenly aware at how the treacherous hand was lingering far longer than was strictly necessary upon Akane's shoulder and quickly retracted it, embarrassed. But Akane didn't seem to notice, and instead said smiling,

'Thanks Ranma.' The fact that his fingers had lain sprawled on her shoulder for a second longer than they needed to be, and how it had felt natural, and how Ranma had not begrudged the chance to touch her, had not escaped Akane's newly-sensitive mind.

What am I, some little schoolgirl that is forever thinking about romance? Akane thought, slightly annoyed—although she could not deny that she was a schoolgirl.

Ranma, for his part, was not completely unaware of how…different…this morning was. He could not put his finger quite on it. Maybe it was how easily he had interlocked their fingers earlier this morning, when leaving for school. Maybe it was the sunny smile Akane had offered him when he had kept her from banging into the pole. Perhaps it was that they hadn't—as yet—had a row….Or maybe that he hadn't seen any one of the regular fiancés and fiancées….

'Hey Akane?' he said suddenly. She turned to him, raising a quizzical eyebrow. 'Is it me, or d'you think it's really quiet today?'

She looked slightly startled for a moment, but then her face relaxed. 'If it's you, then it's me too, because I haven't seen any of them—Ryouga or Ukyou or Mousse or Shampoo.' She smiled again. 'Make for a nice change, doesn't it?'

The remark was said completely casually, but Ranma felt something twist in his stomach at the remark. She was right. It did make for a nice change, to simply walk with Akane without having to fight off numerous other suitors. He gave her a sidelong glance, surveying her under half-closed lids, taking in her slim but strong figure hidden under the school uniform, her bouncy stride, and the happy, relaxed expression on her face. How's it that I've never actually seen Akane before? he was compelled to ask himself. 'Cause there's definitely nothing uncute about her…And so what if she's a tomboy? It really doesn't matter.

On an impulse, Ranma reached his hand back out to grip Akane's. She let out a soft gasp and turned to him, her eyes wide. 'Ranma…' she said.

He looked at her, wondering slightly why she was suddenly so much closer to her, and now it was he who raised a quizzical brow. She didn't say anything, but instead glanced meaningfully at their clasped hands, and then raised her eyes back to his. 'Oh,' he said. He immediately pulled his hand from hers, and wiped them on his pants. 'As though anyone would want to hold hands with someone as uncute as you,' he muttered.

Akane was strongly tempted to retort that he had just held the "uncute tomboy's" hand, so he shouldn't be talking, but swallowed it in the surprise she felt at having reached the school early. 'Ranma,' she said again, 'look. We're early!'

'Well let's have a party!' Ranma said sarcastically, but under his breath. This time it was Akane who grabbed his wrist and dragged him to their schoolroom. Even the teacher shook his head, and wiped his glasses clean, before saying incredulously, 'Saotome? Tendou? What happened to you? You're…why…you're early.'

Ranma was not nearly as taken with the idea of reaching school early as Akane and the teacher were. 'Thank you, Captain Obvious,' he muttered, but the teacher, still in transports over the fact that his two students, previously thought of as incorrigible, were actually early, didn't hear him. 'Now c'mon Akane, let's sit down,' he said irritably to Akane, completely full of the fuss being made of them being early.

In fact, much to everyone's surprise, it was in fact Kuonji Ukyou who arrived late. She was the unfortunate recipient of the teacher's rather burning Look, but still her eyes were bright and her face flushed, and she looked incredibly happy. Even as she bowed and murmured an apology, she retained her joyful look.

'Why's she so happy?' Akane whispered to Ranma.

'How should I know?' he muttered back, nonetheless mystified by Ukyou's sudden felicity. She hurried and took her seat with no more fuss, but surrpetitious glances toward her revealed that she had absolutely no interest in the lessons for the day. Instead, she stared at the front board with her eyes glazed, and a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Akane too was puzzled. From what she saw, it could only mean that she was…in love…with somebody. The thought made her relieved, because it would mean she was in love with somebody else and would Ranma alone…but what if it were Ranma she was sighing over?

At lunch, Akane swallowed all her ill feelings toward Ukyou and insead approached with a civil smile. 'Hello Ukyou!' she greeted the other girl.

Ukyou looked up at Akane, shaking hair out of her face. 'Why hello Akane,' she said, smiling even wider.

'So what's up? I mean,' Akane amended hastily, 'you seem really, really happy today…?'

'Oh Akane, the most wonderful thing!' Ukyou sighed. She spoke to Akane like the two were close friends—which, by no means, they were. Ukyou seemed to realise that she was being a bit spacey, and toned down a bit. 'That is to say, that I found…him.' Upon uttering this sentence she remembered that she was supposed to be after Ranma, and that Akane was his fiancée, but it was too late. 'Oh, I don't mean Ranma,' she said, laughing a bit, correctly interpreting the look on Akane's face. 'Actually,' and here she blushed a bit, 'it's Ryouga.'

Akane looked duly startled, and repeated, 'Ryouga? He…um…well, that's great, Ukyou!' she said sincerely, smiling warmly at her. 'So, if you don't mind telling me—since Ryouga's a great friend of mine—how did it happen?'

Ukyou recounted her story, ending with how he had walked her to school that morning—without getting lost—but they were rather…distracted…on the journey, and thus she had been late. Akane laughed at Ukyou's jokes and congratulated the other girl and being with Ryouga, but inside she felt a small flare of jealousy.

I wish…I could be with Ranma like Ukyou is with Ryouga, she thought to herself, sitting with her school-friends now. It all sounded so romantic. Ranma really was not at all romantic. Ryouga hadn't really struck her as being very romantic either…but from what Ukyou had said, he was a regular Romeo.

Yuka and Eri had noticed how spaced-out Akane was. 'Hello, Earth to Akane,' Yuka said, waving a hand in front of Akane's face. It didn't work, so Eri gently pulled the sandwich Akane was holding out of her hands and pretended to eat it.

'Yum, what a great sandwich this is!' she exclaimed, loudly and obviously. Akane didn't acknowledge this at all, so finally Yuka hit upon it.

'Hey Akane, turn around!' she hissed. 'Ranma's looking at you…now he's getting up…he's coming right to you!' This was a complete lie, but it certainly snapped Akane back to reality, and she hastily smoothed down her hair and turned around.

'Where?' she asked, not seeing Ranma anywhere. Yuka and Eri had dissolved into giggles, clutching their sides. Now she knew what had went on. 'You're so wicked,' she admonished them, snatching her sandwich from Eri and eating it, a bit put out.

……..

'So what's up with Ukyou?' Ranma said after school, as they were walking home.

'Oh—She and Ryouga got together,' Akane said.

'Yes! Two less people to worry about,' said Ranma, punching a fist up in the air.

'Ranma!' Akane exclaimed. 'I thought it was terribly romantic.'

'Who cares? At least they're out of our hair,' he responded, putting interlaced fingers behind his head. Although this won't give me nearly as good an excuse to fight Ryouga as when he came after Akane, Ranma thought. But at least he won't be running after her all the time and getting lost! He wondered briefly whether to tell her the truth about P-Chan, but by that time they had reached the dojo. He figured P-Chan wouldn't be making much of an appearance, trying to sleep in Akane's bed and be held by her, now that Ryouga was with Ukyou, so he might as well tell Akane why her beloved pet wouldn't be around….

'Oy, Akane!' he called after her. 'Wait up a sec.' He caught up to her and he pulled her into a room.

'What do you want now, Ranma?' Akane demanded, though she had to admit her heart was beating a bit quicker. After hearing how Ukyou and Ryouga became more-than-friends, perhaps could Ranma be thinking the same thing? Akane didn't know whether to be relieved or to be angry at hearing his next words.

'Lissen, about your little P-Chan,' he said, stretching the word out in the falsetto he reserved for the black pig. 'You ain't gonna be seeing him around too much anymore.'

Akane's eyes widened in anger. 'Ranma…you…no, you didn't kill P-Chan did you?'

'Geeze, keep your shirt on,' he said, putting up two hands in defense. 'Think about it Akane. I've been trying to tell you this practically since I moved here. When P-Chan disappears, Ryouga always comes…When Ryouga's gone, so is P-Chan.'

'You're saying that P-Chan is Ryouga's pet?' Akane said incredulously.

Ranma let out a frustrated sigh. 'I guess I couldn't expect an uncute tomboy like you to understand,' he said, now exasperated.

She rose to his bait, but in a rather different way than usual. 'At least I'm better than all those stupid girls you chase after!' she said.

'Hey,' Ranma said. 'I don't chase after girls. They chase after me.'

'Oh, that's right, Ranma's so charming and so handsome—' Akane's catalogue was interspersed with 'Yeah's from Ranma, before he interrupted her.

'But really, Akane, you're much more handsome,' he said, 'you've got much thicker thighs and broader shoulders!'

Akane's eyes narrowed and she put her face close to Ranma's. 'Was that a joke?' she demanded.

Ranma met her eyes unflinchingly, still bantering. 'And if it was?'

'I don't like jokes.'

'Yeah? Well I don't like you!' They were glaring angrily at each other now, their noses almost touching, before they heard the heavy clop of two sets of men walking down the hallway. They also heard their father's voices—dangerously close to the room they were in! They hadn't even shut the door.

'Akane and Ranma'll be in this room, Saotome,' Soun said.

Thinking quickly, Ranma pulled Akane into his arms and bent his head so that his lips were brushing the joint between Akane's head and neck.

'What are you doing?' she hissed.

'Make it look real,' was his only answer, his hot breath tickling her neck. Indeed, no sooner had Ranma shut his mouth than the fathers came in. Akane and Ranma sprang apart, both flushing partly from anger, partly from the little façade they had put on, and partly from the embarassment of being so close together.

'Now, now, Ranma!' Soun said. 'Wanna be careful now! Save it for the marriage.'

Genma sighed. 'Y'know, son,' he said, 'when you two first said you were in love, I thought you were pulling one over on me. But it seems like you were telling the truth.' He swept his arm vaguely to include them, and smiled reminiscingly. 'Ah, I remember when your mother and I were young…'

Akane and Ranma, looking very alarmed at the beginning of this memory, quietly made their way out the door, leaving Soun and Genma to discuss themselves at a much- younger age.

'Good job,' Akane said to Ranma, after a few awkward minutes. 'If you hadn't thought that quickly…then likely we'd be on our way to temple right now to get married.'

'Yeah,' he said distractedly. He hadn't meant anything by pulling Akane to him. But once he had felt how her body was against his, her breathing slightly heavy, all he wanted to do was turn her face up to his and kiss her. He punched a wall out of frustration.

And then it hit him. Because of the game he and Akane had been forced to play, how he and Akane were always together and had to pretend to be in love…he had fallen completely and sincerely in love with Tendou Akane.

…………………

It was still weighing on his mind when they were getting ready for bed. Akane too had seemed slightly distracted, always preoccupied. He wanted to know what she was thinking. If she was thinking about him.

His thoughts would not leave Ranma alone. Akane brushed past him on her way to the washroom, but Ranma impulsively caught her wrist and held her back. She looked so beautiful, standing there in her yellow pyjamas, her dark eyes bright and questioning, that Ranma again felt the urge to bring her to him and press his mouth to hers. But he pushed that urge aside, and instead he wanted to tell her how for once in his life, Saotome Genma had done something right by engaging him to Akane. That what Genma said earlier in the afternoon was true.

But somehow he couldn't put into words what he wanted to tell her. 'Ranma?' she said, prompting him. Instead, Ranma let go of her wrist, turning away from her and muttering, 'Nothin'. I mean, good night.' He could tell she wasn't completely satisfied with his answer but she didn't press, continuing on her way to brush her teeth.

I thought…he would tell me he cared for me, Akane thought, as she brushed her teeth. I hoped he would embrace me again and kiss me wildly and deeply and passionately. She splashed cold water on her face. But he didn't. She dried her face and put away the toothpaste, then switched off the lights and went back to her room.

She paused for a moment outside her door. She felt confused, as though she had been standing on her head for hours on end. At least, the yellow duck on the doorknob with her name written in red English letters was constant, the same now as it had been for so many years. She was reassured slightly by the familiarity of the faded wooden duck and went inside, where Ranma had already burrowed under the covers.

But Ranma was not asleep. He couldn't help but dwell on how he blew his chance to tell Akane how he felt.

Damn.

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A/N: Hey! This was the Akane-Ranma romance chapter. Originally I hadn't planned for them to think about how they feel this early, but that's the way the story wrote itself. I think I can still work with it. What do you all think? At any rate this is my longest chapter, at about 3300 words! About a thousand more than usual…::sweatdrop:: Hope I didn't bore you all.

Keep those reviews coming! They certainly provide inspiration for me. Hope everyone's having good summer hols., because I'm enjoying mine!

--Sanju.