DISCLAIMER: Oh how I WISH Ranma 1/2 was mine, how much I wish it was, but sadly it isn't. I own some tapes, but not the characters...the good, the bad, or the perverted! Author's Notes: Heh, I'm evil this time! *fang pops out to prove she's evil*
Later that week at night, after a semi-peaceful dinner, Ranma and Akane had been forced back into their room. Akane had studied, Ranma read all the comics he could find until boredom got to him and he joined his 'wife' in studying. This didn't seem too awkward, but the fact that not a word was uttered between them was.
Around 10 they, in separate rooms, got ready for bed and then under different blankets as usual, got into the same bed. The lights were out, and backs were facing each other. Akane didn't want to say anything, she couldn't take an insult--not over what happened. It wasn't like she wanted to, it wasn't her fault! Ukyo was to blame for this! The chief had made her and Ranma pretend to be a couple--to be married. And then that OTHER girl just made it more difficult!
Ranma, who was not asleep either, held an ugly expression of annoyance. It wasn't the holding hands that got to him, Ranma decided it wasn't that bad, it was what that GIRL made him do to Akane. A tightly balled fist held under a pillow only became tighter as he whispered the words, "Damn Shampoo."
The following morning the couple sat side by side silently eating their breakfast. Ranma hadn't even bothered to put up a fight when Genma sneaked some of the food from his son's plate. Akane hadn't glared at Ukyo once when the girl tried to feed Ranma, or when she 'accidentally' spilt tea on the short-haired girl's school uniform.
Nabiki watched the couple, sighed and slammed her bowl down. "What is WITH you two?"
Ranma and Akane looked up from their respective bowls to stare at the outspoken teenager.
"What's wrong Nabiki?" Akane asked.
"You two," she pointed to each of them separately with the ends of her chopsticks, "Haven't fought in 24 hours. What's wrong?" Nabiki's words were flavored with a devious look of question she gave them.
"Oh Nabiki, it's great they're getting along together." Kasumi chirped in, smiling at the now sweating couple.
Ukyo grumbled an incoherent rant at the statement of the eldest Tendo.
"Oh right Kasumi, they might be ~married~," Nabiki paused so Ukyo could grumble again, "but for them to be quiet...all night AND day. Something's up...so what's-"
She turned back to where the couple had been, but all that was left was two empty bowls and plates.
"Where'd they go?"
"That was close," Akane huffed out, griping the fence to steady herself as she caught her breath.
"Yeah," Ranma agreed absently, waiting till they continue their normal run to school to avoid being late. It was the first time she had spoken directly to him since---since yesterday morning about this time. Not that he could blame her, Ranma hardly knew what to say himself.
At least Shampoo wouldn't come jumping out of the air again to interrupt them. With that thought floating into his memories, the boy almost growled. Things had been going okay between him and his 'wife' and the stupid Amazon being nosy and mistrusting like always had the nerve to make them ---to make them----
Akane saw the dark expression mold to Ranma's face, and sighed. Had it been THAT bad? Shaking her head as if to clear the thoughts away, she began to slowly walk towards their school. Automatically, Ranma's hand searched out her own, and a blush crept up her cheeks. At least he wasn't so mad with her that he'd not hold hands---even if it was just for show.
Just like yesterday, that was just for show too.
Then why did she wish it wasn't? At first it hadn't seemed like such a great idea, giving into the purple haired girl's request, but then something happened. It was easy to say that they got carried a way just a bit, enough in fact to make Shampoo throw her bike at Ranma before she started to rant in Chinese. Akane felt Ranma's grip on her hand tighten, looking up to her 'husband' he too seemed deep in thought.
It didn't mean a thing! Ranma's brain kept running that exclamation over and over in his brain, trying to get it to soak through so he might believe it. No matter what he said, it seemed that it did mean something. At least to him it had meant something.
"Oh, Ukyo this was delivered to you this afternoon." Kasumi announced handing over an envelope with picture of a little pizza in the corner. Ukyo, who had been trying to interrogate the STILL quite couple since school let out, took the mail from the other teenager and opened it.
"Oh wow!" Ukyo's spirits went through the roof, "This is an invitation to the annual competition!" Then something reminded her of her promise, "But I can't go. I promised no more okonomiyaki."
"That was until Ranma married you or something like that right?" Nabiki asked, flipping through her notebook. "Well he's married to someone else, so you're not under obligation of your own promise, right?"
"I didn't think of it like that." Ukyo glanced over at the deathly quite couple, and sighed. "I guess I can get to them after I win the competition. After all it'll be one more thing that I'll have in my favor that Akane doesn't."
This caught Akane's attention, and Ukyo only smirked and said she had to pack when the Tendo girl glared at her.
Ranma couldn't honestly remember when he'd ever did so much school work in such little time. Since he hadn't missed school in almost a month, so all his catch up work was caught up, and all the homework was done. They say there's a first for everything.
Akane had finished, naturally, before him and was down in the den watching TV and he was on his way to the dojo. There was one sure-fire way to pass the slow hours and that was to exhaust himself. Of course, it would take a while for him to do so, sometimes being so fit was annoying.
She shouldn't care. Let the stupid jerk work out through the night, fall asleep in class come morning and then hold buckets in the hall for the rest of the day. She didn't care! Akane huffed, and folded her arms against her chest. At least she had the bed all to herself for once! So what if it was little chillier without him next to her? It wasn't like they ever ~touched~, heck no! She'd boot him to Hawaii for a move like that.
Still, as the sounds from the dojo slipped in through the crack in the opened window, she couldn't help but worry. It was just a little spot of worry, not full blown sweating with the shake worry, just more of a curious worry. And that type of worry, Akane argued, was okay to have.
It wasn't her place to tell him to come to bed, because, Oh! How wrong THAT sounded! AND if he thought for a second he was going to jump into bed all sweaty and hot, well, she's show him how nice the floor was. Akane told herself repeatedly that she didn't care, over and over she slammed the words against her mind. But her mind had a sturdy wall of resistance and laughed at her pride.
Dang it! Akane cursed as she threw back the blanket and hunted out her slippers and robe, she DID care! Trudging down the steps, the teenager checked one of the clocks and frowned, it was a quarter till one. At least no one would be up to tease her or to cry about their happiness that she was concerned for her pretend husband.
Yawning, the girl slid open the door leading to the catwalk to the dojo. The shill of the morning air sent a shiver down her spine. Why did that stupid dummy decide NOT to come in after dinner? Didn't he know they had school tomorrow? Even if Ukyo wasn't in the house at the moment, only because of the competition and the prize money it brought, the 'married' couple still had to share a room in case she came home early. What did Ranma plan to do, sleep in the dojo? Try to pass out to avoid her?
Of course, her mind rebelled as her hand hovered above the handle to the dojo, that could be the reason. Ranma was trying to distance himself from her. Akane backed a step away from the door. That was it! He hadn't come to terms with what Shampoo had made them do! He hated her because of it! Or at least, was mad at her because of what wasn't her fault!
Ranma could have said no, could have come clean with their scheme, but then Akane wouldn't have him around her for the better part of the day. Ack! When did her life get so fuzzy and complicated?
Just as she turned on her heels to leave the dojo, she heard something she dreaded. The lights being flicked off, and the door sliding open. There was no where to run, no where to hide, but perhaps there was away to lie her way out of this.
"A-Akane?" Ranma's voice sounded tired and surprised. He hadn't expected to see HER out here, Kasumi yes, Akane, no.
"H-Hey!" She replied nervously, pivoting on her heels to face him. Though her eyes were down cast, and her head was slightly hung. This was so humiliating!
"Whatcha doin' up so late?"
"I---I couldn't sleep," Cause you weren't beside me, her mind continued but she quickly malleted that thought into a tiny crumb and threw it out of her mind. "Because---because all of the racket you were making!"
Ranma made a face at this, twisted with annoyance, "Well, go to bed. I ain't goin' to be makin' anymore noise to keep you up." If With that the young man walked past her, and towards the house. Foolishly he thought she ~might~ of come to talk or because she cared or some other stupid far fetched reason such as that. Well, Akane certainly proved him wrong!
The blue haired girl did find her way back into the house, and climbed the stairs towards her room. The room was just as empty as when she'd left, and just as cold. That was a pointless fight if their ever was one, Akane thought glumly as she climbed under the covers.
Of course Ranma would want to avoid her at all costs! Shampoo got what she wanted, the proof she needed, and had inadvertently caused a rift to form even more between them. Then again, maybe the Amazon *knew* what she was doing, that was the whole purpose of it! Akane let out a irritated and mad sound before flipping over on to her side. Like it or not, she'd have to discuss this with her 'husband'.
The hot water felt good, Ranma use to like taking cold showers until he turned into a girl every time. It was up to his nose in the warm soapy water, not wanting to stay the whole night in the bathroom, but not wanting to face Akane either.
They *had* to talk about what happened, it was the only way for them to continue to deceive Ukyo. Ranma's steel blue eyes rolled heaven ward and back to the ground. What a reason to make up with Akane, just to keep him from getting married to someone else before he turned eighteen.
Grumbling, the boy had to get out, there was no use in hoping he was going to dissolve down the drain, even if it would make his life that much more easier to live. Dressing, the boy couldn't help but almost laugh at the irony. He didn't like the idea of making UP with Akane to fool Ukyo, but he had little problem with making OUT with her to please Shampoo's suspensions.
Hehehe, call me evil. ^_^ What exactly can out wayward couple have to say to one another? And how the heck is this going to help or will it just get Ukyo what she's been wantin'?