Late in the seasons, there's an episode called "Akane Goes to the Hospital," and that's what this is based off of. What if Ryouga made it to her bedside as a man, not as P-chan like he did in the show?
Ranma sat in the tree outside of Dr. Tofu's office, watching Akane's family fawn over her. It was stupid, really, all of them cooing over the girl because she'd broken her ankle or something. Sheish. So she wouldn't be able to walk for a few days. Big freaking deal.
It wasn't even his fault, he reminded himself firmly. Not his fault, not his fault, not his fault. It was Gosunkugi's fault. THAT little perv had been taking pictures of her in gym class, not him. Gosunkugi's camera flash had blinded her. Not him. Gosenkugi was the reason he was sitting in this old gnarled tree waiting for all the concerned visitors to leave.
The truth was, as much as he really, really hated to admit it. . .he was so scared to talk to her. He could just picture it now.
He would walk in, say something cheesy and suitable to the situation. Something like, "I'm sorry about your leg. Looks good, though." And then, with a special effort, he would leave out the "Not your leg, the cast . . . I mean. . ."
And she would say, "It's okay. It was nobody's fault." Just like she was saying to her family. Then, "But what did cause that flash?"
"Oh, you know. Gosunkugi's was taking pictures of you, and I just sort of got . . . well, I sort of went berserk on him," he would say, which was true. And then she would blush, because it was Akane and she was, damn her, smart enough to know what that meant.
"Don't get me wrong, I wasn't jealous or nothin'. I just. . "and his voice would trail off. She would turn those big chocolate brown eyes to him, drowning deep and full of soft, shining kindness. Her blush would deepen, and the orange afternoon light would put golden highlights in her hair.
"You just?" she would ask, softly. And he would be cornered. He would be trapped, with nowhere to go verbally.
"I just. . . lov. . ."
NO. He would NOT say that, and THAT would never happen. Because he DIDN'T love Akane, so there. He was just going to visit her because he'd get no end of trouble about it if he didn't. That was all. He'd go in, and say. . .
"Sorry about your leg."
"It's okay, it was nobody's fault. I, ah, am kind of curious about what you boys were doing with that camera. . ." she would say, looking up at him inquisitively. He would sit on the bed next to her, careful not to touch.
"Well, Gosunkugi was taking some pictures of you and I. . . stopped him," he would reply, which was true. She would gasp slightly and look down at her hands, clasped in her lap. Beautiful and slender, those hands, with calluses in all the right places.
"Ranma. . ." she would say softly, looking back up at him with tears shining in her eyes. He would jump a little at the tears, and even more at what she'd have to say next. "Thank you. To know that you were so jealous. . . that you couldn't let another man take pictures of me. . . It's almost like you saying you love me." And she would smile, that radiant smile. "Almost worth getting my leg broke over," she'd say, a little breathlessly.
"Akane," he'd whisper, leaning in to kiss her. She would close her eyes, warm and soft as she breathed against his lips just before they brushed hers. Warm and soft, her hands would reach up to pull him closer. . .
"WHY does it always have to end like that?" he cried out loud, frustrated with himself. A horrifying thought struck him. "What if I actually am in love? NO WAY! No way, no way, no. . ."
The window to Akane's room opened, and Dr. Tofu poked his head out. By the time his eyes found the spot where Ranma had sat, all traces of the pigtailed boy were gone.
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The last visitors were gone. She had nothing to do but her homework. How terribly depressing.
Just where WAS he? Every time the door opened, she'd expected Ranma, and still there was no sign of him. She was completely emotionally exhausted by everything, all the stupid fiancées and fiascos and Ranma's bloody lack of interest. . . Suppose he never came? Suppose he never came to see her? To apologize? She knew damn well why Gosunkugi's camera had blinded her, she'd heard the whole story from Daisuke. Frankly, she was flattered.
But Ranma hadn't come.
Slowly, a tear made its way down her face, then another. She made no effort to wipe them away, staring at her hands clasped in her lap. There was no one to see.
Well, there hadn't been anyone to see. At almost that exact second there was a knock at the door, and she hastily wiped her eyes as Dr. Tofu poked his head in.
"Akane, it seems you have a late visitor," he smiled. Her heart beat faster. Ranma! At last she could chew him out for staying away so long. Dr. Tofu left, only to come back a second later.
"Oh, I almost forgot. K...K.. . Kasumi called to say Ranma would be bringing over some clothes and such things. If he wants to come in through the window, he doesn't have to say hello to me," he smiled, then opened the door wide to admit her visitor. Her visitor who wasn't Ranma. Bloody hell.
Ryouga stood in the doorway, free for the moment of his pack and umbrella. He smiled shyly at her, and the door shut behind him.
"H. . Hi, Akane," he said quietly, staying by the door. She smiled at him, grateful for his presence. He had just saved her from algebra homework.
"Hey, Ryouga! Where have you been? How did you find out about my injury?" she asked. He blushed and looked down.
"I've . . . been around. I heard about it from a friend," he lied. Well, it wasn't quite a lie. P-chan could be his friend, right? And he had most certainly been around. He had, in fact, slept in her bed the previous night. Of course, she didn't know that. And didn't need to.
"Oh, well, lucky me, I guess," Akane smiled. "Come sit down, Ryouga-kun. You make me nervous, standing all the time like that." Ryouga obliged, walking stiffly, mechanically to sit on her bed. She scooted over to give him more room as his eyes drifted around her little cell. . . oops, her little room.
"I thought Ranma would be here," he said softly. Akane felt the tears stinging her eyes again, and hid her face from Ryouga. She didn't want him to see her cry. It was so silly and childish, really, to cry because the man you . . . not loved, not loved, maybe. . . it wasn't important. It was silly and childish. But she couldn't stop the tears.
"Akane, have you been crying?" he asked, in that quiet, shocked voice so appropriate to such questions. She shook her head violently. Ryouga stared at her helplessly, not knowing what to do in his human form for her. Would she even let him touch her? That helpless feeling, however, was quickly replaced by rage. How dare Ranma do this to her? Make her cry?
And just why was she crying over him?
"Akane. . ." he said hesitantly, touching her shoulder lightly. "What happened?"
"It was silly, really," she admitted, wiping her cheeks before facing him. "We were in gym class, and the girls were doing the balance beam. Gosunkugi was taking pictures and. . . a bunch of boys got into a fight over it. They knocked his camera out of his hands, and when it hit the floor the flash went off and blinded me. I just. . . fell, no big deal. My leg will be fine in a bit," she smiled. She didn't brush his hand away. He studied her face for a moment.
"Don't worry, Akane. I'll beat an apology out of him," he informed her grimly. She blinked at him.
"Out of who?"
"Ranma," he replied, looking a little surprised she had to ask.
"Oh, no, Ryouga. That isn't necessary. Ranma and I. . ." she began, but never finished. At that almost exact second, the window slid open and Ranma dropped in. He held a bundle of clothes. He was sort of panting, but he froze, breath and all, when he saw who was in the room.
::Ryouga! What is he doing here? And Akane looks like she was crying. . .. that dirty little pig, sitting on her bed like that. . . just what are they doing?:: he thought.
"Ryouga! What are you doing here?" he asked out loud, his voice low and clear, the tone of a challenge. Ryouga stood up, and Akane followed him with her eyes. The look on her face cut right through Ranma's heart.
"Visiting someone you caused to be injured," Ryouga replied, glaring at Ranma. Ranma dropped the bundle of clothes and glared right back.
"It wasn't my fault!" he snapped back. Ryouga snarled and lunged at him. His guard was down, there was something wrong. . . but it was easy. It was all too easy. Ranma ducked under his punch and hit him – hard – for being with Akane. For sitting on her bed. For knowing why she'd been crying, while he didn't.
Ryouga sprawled at his feet, and he looked back up to Akane. She wasn't even watching him. She was watching Ryouga on the floor, eyes wide. That's when it hit him.
She knew. She had to know. How could she not know that her pet pig was Ryouga? She was too smart for that to have escaped her. So she knew, and she let him sleep in her bed, watch her undress. . . she was in love with Ryouga. Not him. With the pig at his feet.
He couldn't speak, he couldn't call out to her, and he had this horrible feeling that he was going to cry. Without a word, he leapt out the window and into the night, not surprised at all to feel the hot streams flowing down his cheeks.
He had lost her. He'd probably lost her a long, long time ago. How could she do this? How could she fall in love with that unstable, lost little boy? Especially when he. . . no, he didn't love her. He could never love that uncute, unsexy little tomboy. . .
The thought stopped him in his tracks. He stood on a rooftop somewhere in Nerima, and suddenly realized how she could love that unstable little lost boy. He wrote her love letters. Ranma knew he wrote them, he hadn't known Akane actually got to read any of them. He bought her things. He was polite, and he cheered her on no matter what she was doing.
And what did Ranma do? He called her names.
Ranma shook his head. It didn't matter. Akane was HIS fiancé. The only one he ever took seriously. That was why he let her hit him for "flirting," wasn't it? Because even though he hadn't started it, he felt somehow he might deserve it.
She was his fiancé. And Ryouga couldn't have her. Not without one hell of a fight.
And not until Akane herself told him that she was in love with that little pig. Some part of him, maybe it was his vanity, just refused to accept it.
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Ranma was conspicuously missing for the next few days. He cut school, he missed meals at home, and he never slept in his own bed. No one had seen him, and no one knew where he was.
Well, almost no one. She watched the others discuss where he might have gone, smirked quietly to herself when they suggested he might be with Akane. She knew better. He was with her. Of all the fiancé's, she was the one he'd chosen to help him out. The little triumph, however, was overshadowed by the biggest heartache she'd ever known.
Ukyou had his friendship. She had his trust. But she didn't have his heart. Her worst suspicions had been confirmed when he came to her restaurant, tear-soaked and determined, to ask for her help in winning Akane back. And she had agreed, comforted him and let him sleep in her room, all because she'd rather have his friendship than nothing at all.
So when she went over to Akane at lunch, piercing the crowd of happy, giggling girls, the smile on her face was purely fabricated. Most of the time she liked Akane, but now. . . Now that she knew the truth about Ryouga, about P-chan, about how Ranma felt. . . she wanted to break the other leg.
"Hey, Ukyou!" Akane smiled. Ukyou noted with grim satisfaction the bags under her eyes, the look of strain. Good. It wasn't easy for her.
"Hey, Akane. How's the leg?" she asked, with far more friendliness than she felt. Akane shrugged.
"Still broken. How're you, Ukyou?" she asked. The giggly girls, Ukyou noticed, were all having their own conversations. None of them were even talking to Akane at all. Good. She deserved a little loneliness, after the unhappiness Ranma had been going through.
"Oh, you know," she waved the question away, then leaned toward Akane conspiratorially. "You ought to come visit my restaurant. I'll give you one on the house, in honor of your broken leg," she smiled cheerfully, then paused as if a thought were just coming to her. "You ought to bring Ryouga, too."
"Oh, Ukyou," Akane sighed, looking away. "Please tell me this isn't another attempt to get Ryouga and I together?" she said softly. "I don't want to be with Ryouga. I'm fine. . . how things are," she said vaguely. Ukyou blinked at her.
"I thought you were already with Ryouga," she blurted, then mentally kicked herself. Akane looked up at her sharply.
"No, Ryouga isn't 'with' anybody, as far as I know. Who told you that?" she asked, the small smile on Ukyou's face not going unnoticed.
"No . . . Nobody," Ukyou stammered. She really, really had to watch her mouth. "But you know, everybody knows how he feels about you. . ."
"What?" Akane frowned. Ukyou decided to drop it. She would rather this conversation occur somewhere Ranma could hear it. If Akane wasn't lying.
"Look, I just sort of miss the big lug, okay? Bring him by so I can see him," Ukyou said. With that, she strode off, leaving Akane to stare at her retreating form.
::Could Ukyou like Ryouga? It could happen, I've certainly seen stranger couples. She wants to know if he's with me? She smiles when I say he's not with anybody?:: Akane thought, a slow smile spreading across her face as the natural matchmaker within each of us flared to life in her.
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Ukyou's shop was empty when she brought Ryouga that afternoon. Akane noted this, but didn't really think about it. She was on a mission. Well, two missions. The first was to get Ryouga and Ukyou together. The second. . . well, she wouldn't be able to do that for a while yet. But when her leg healed, she was going to find that Ranma Saotome, and tell him off for leaving her alone.
"Hi!" Ukyou grinned as they came in. Ryouga helped Akane onto a bar stool, then sat down himself.
"Hey, Ukyou," Ryouga said, absently. He, of course, had thought this was a date Akane was asking him out on. Akane watched the two of them speculatively, looking for telltale little signs. Small glances, accidental touches, that kind of thing.
None. There was, really, nothing to see. Maybe she'd been mistaken?
"Ryouga, why don't you tell Ukyou all about your last trip?" Akane suggested, mentally throwing up her hands in frustration. They could at least TALK, couldn't they?
"Oh, sure. Ah . . . I think I went through Osaka, but there were all these deer walking around, just these tame deer. It was wild. They tried to eat my pants," he said shuddering at the memory. Ukyou frowned at him.
"That sounds more like Nara," she said. He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.
"Really?"
"Yeah, they have this deer park down there. Outside of a temple, right? A really big temple? Near a museum?"
"Yeah. . . but the Osaka town hall was just up the street, I swear. . ."
Akane smiled as she nibbled at her okonomiyaki and listened to them squabble over what landmark might be in which city. They sounded like a couple already. They sounded like. . . her and Ranma.
She was suddenly not hungry anymore, and put down her chopsticks. Ranma, that idiot! How could he just deck Ryouga and then run off, without a word. . . he'd never even come home to get his things. She looked around Ukyou's shop. Could he be here? She knew Ukyou would take him in. . . If that was the case, he was in SO much trouble. . .
The conversation had really started going, now. She slid off the bar stool and picked up her crutches, hoping her departure would go unnoticed. It didn't. The conversation stopped completely and they both looked at her.
"Don't mind me, I just remembered an errand Kasumi asked me to run. You stay and finish your okonomiyaki," she said to Ryouga. With that, she turned and began to hobble out.
"Akane, please don't go. I haven't congratulated the two of you on your happiness yet," Ukyou said, her face a careful blank. Akane blinked at her, too stunned to notice the curtain over the doorway in the back of the shop flutter with movement.
"Who?" she asked, drawing a complete blank. Ukyou frowned, then pointed a small spatula at Ryouga—who was giggling like a maniac.
"You two. You're an item, aren't you?" Ukyou asked, crossly. Akane shook her head violently.
"No! Why does everybody think that? No, Ukyou, Ryouga's free and clear," Akane said, with a meaningful glance. She hoped Ukyou would get it this time. After all, how often was she supposed to have to explain that they could be together? She could understand Ukyou's reservations, maybe she wasn't ready to give up on Ranma. . .
Which brought Akane back to the thought that Ranma might very well be within these very walls. Listening to her voice, but pretending he didn't hear. Suddenly, she wanted to be home. In her own bed. Screaming into her pillow.
She turned and resumed hobbling out. Ukyou snarled at her retreating back. She hadn't wanted to do this, but it seemed Akane had forced her into the final stage of the plan.
"Akane, look!" she cried, grabbing Ryouga's water and splashing him with it. He melted down to a pile of clothes on a stool, and then P-chan wormed his way out of the shirt. Unfortunately, Akane never looked back, she never saw P-chan, and Ukyou never got to see Akane's reaction. P-chan squealed indignantly at Ukyou.
"You shut up, you filthy runt," a familiar voice ordered. P-chan looked up to see Ranma, emerging from the back rooms.
Without another word for either Ukyou or P-chan, he rushed after Akane. Though, really, at the speed she was forced to go, he could have just sauntered out. She was about ten feet away from the shop.
"Akane," he said softly, and she turned. The beaming smile that passed over her face was immediately replaced with a look of unreasoning rage.
"Ranma. . . you bastard. . . you were with Ukyou. . ." she whispered. He walked towards her.
"You didn't expect me to stick around, did you?"
"You could have at least SAID you were leaving for a while. Just why did you dissapear, anyway? What have you been doing?" she asked, the war between anger and sadness plain on her face.
"To watch you, and watching you," he answered grimly. "Making sure that little pig didn't do anything. . ."
"What are you TALKING ABOUT?" Akane cried, frustration beating out both sorrow and anger. He glared at her.
"Your pig lover. How are you two doing?"
"WHAT?"
"You and Ryouga."
"Oh," Akane frowned. She looked up at those big blue eyes, a sinking feeling in her stomach. "You saw him at Dr. Tofu's office, and you thought . ."
"Yeah, I thought. I should have thought sooner. You're too smart to not know," he grimaced.
"Know what, you blazing idiot? That Ryouga's my friend and actually cares enough about me to visit when I'm hurt? That he came to see me, instead of making me wait for three days thinking every footstep in the hall might be you . . ." she cut herself off, blushing furiously. She'd said too much.
"What?" Ranma asked, more confused than angry now for the first time since he'd discovered Akane knew about Ryouga. That she loved Ryouga. Or. . . maybe she didn't know? Maybe she didn't love him?
"You're not in love with Ryouga?" he asked. She blinked at him.
"Of course not!" she snapped. "Was that why you stayed away from me? Why you. . . watched me? You were. . ." a thoughtful and triumphant smile crossed over her face. "jealous."
Ranma, unfortunately, never got the chance to deny that. P-chan came bounding out of the shop, with Ukyou in hot pursuit. She was holding a pot of hot water, which she immediately threw at the little pig. Scalding hot water hit Ranma, hit Akane (who screamed), and hit the little pig. . . who was suddenly not a little pig anymore.
All hell broke loose.
Akane went very still, and very pale. Ranma yelled at Ukyou for messing up the plan, and she began screaming at him about what an ingrate he was. Ryouga began to sob that his life was over, and ran away. Or at least, he would have. Akane tackled him with a somewhat amazing one-legged jump and began to punch him in the stomach, tears streaming down her face as she yelled something about betrayal and perverts. Ranma noticed Akane's wholehearted efforts to murder Ryouga, and tried to pull her off. Akane turned the barrage on him, and he tried to defend himself without hurting her. Restraining her was the only way to really do that, so he trapped her in the circle of his arms and let her rage against him. HE could take it. Ryouga wasn't even trying to defend himself.
The problem was, as soon as she was within the circle of his arms she stopped raging. She simply broke down and cried. Cried for the anger and frustration she couldn't vent with her arms pinned against his chest. Cried for the fool she had made of herself. And lastly, she cried because Ranma was holding her in his arms at last, and it was only out of self defense. Gods, but she hated crying. Especially in front of people. So why, lately, hadn't she been able to control it?
Ranma froze and stared at the sobbing girl in his arms. Slowly, very slowly, he bent his head so his cheek rested on her hair. He half-forgot that Ryouga was still sitting brokenly on the pavement in front of him, that Ukyou had turned away from the sight of him and Akane. She was soaking the front of his shirt, and he didn't even care. In fact, a warm glow was spreading throughout his body. She hadn't known. She didn't love Ryouga. And she wasn't sending him into orbit for being so close to her. In fact. . .
He held her tighter to him, cradling her head on his chest as he bent his head over hers. "It'll be all right, 'kane, it'll be all right. Please don't cry."
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Night had fallen. Ryouga was staying with Ukyou, presumably so they could complain about their failed love affairs into the wee hours of the morning. Ranma had been welcomed home when he carried Akane and her crutches through the Tendo entryway. His absence had been commented on, his whereabouts had been questioned, and the truth about P-chan had been told. Akane had figured out his involvement in the whole fiasco, chased him with her mallet. . . or at least she'd tried, then fallen to the ground in a frustrated fit because she couldn't chase him on crutches.
So for once, she had been forced to listen to his explanation before beating him. Good thing, too, he had dreaded that particular beating for some time now. He'd explained his oath to Ryouga, his sense of responsibility. . . the works. He'd even thrown in how it wasn't a direct violation of that oath to have Ukyou try and show her what P-chan was.
So now they were sitting in silence by the pond. He didn't know what else to say. The sky was completely free of clouds, and he could see the few stars visible above the lights of Tokyo. Little bugs swished around them, looking for a good landing spot.
"You were jealous. That whole time," Akane said abruptly. "Not of a pig, like I thought. Jealous of Ryouga. You were trying to protect me," she announced, making it a simple declaration of fact.
"Yeah," he whispered, too sick of everything to deny it. What was the point?
"And you were jealous when Gosunkugi was taking his pictures," she said, more softly. Ranma looked at her in surprise. The moonlight made her skin look paper white and her eyes like pools of darkness. She was watching him as well, a slow blush creeping up over her cheeks. "It's almost like. . . well, you were too jealous to let anybody take pictures of me. And too jealous to let me just be with Ryouga, when you thought that was my choice. It's almost like. . . almost like you saying you love me," she whispered, watching his face closely.
Ranma's eyes widened. He'd imagined this, hadn't he? Once before? He could deny it. He could say she was imagining things, get up, and walk away. That was safer. That was familiar. However, he'd just spent nearly a week fuming and on the verge of tears because he thought she'd chosen somebody else. He didn't know if it was love. . . but he didn't want to actually lose her. So no more running. No more hiding from those pretty dark eyes. And no more pretending he could care less when his heart felt like it was about to burst.
Damn, but this was going to be difficult.
"Yeah," he said, very, very softly. She blushed more, looking up at him. He leaned towards her, just as he had when he imagined this scenario outside Dr. Tofu's office. She leaned into him, her lips warm and soft when they brushed against his. He found his hand was at the back of her head, and realized with a start that this might actually be easy.
And fun.
I posted this story earlier, but took it off because it was bad. Now, it's edited, and hopefully better. Thanks!