Story Arc 1: "Byouki"
Part 5: Baby Steps

Ranma returned to the Tendo home just as Tofu-sensei was walking out. Ranma grabbed him by the arm, eager, fearful and hopeful for news. "How is she?"

Tofu still looked serious, but the gravity and concern on his face from before were gone. "Better. She should be out of danger now. Why don't you see for yourself?"

Ranma didn't need any further invitation. Too anxious to even say thank you, he ran into the house.

Tofu shook his head, amused. "Ah, love," he muttered to himself.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a week after the poisoned soup incident and life had returned to a relative norm in the Tendo household. If anything, life in Nerima was slightly calmer. Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne were away in China, and Ucchan's restaurant boomed with the Nekohanten out-of-business.

Ranma was on the roof of the house, gazing at the stars and trying to build up the courage to follow his mother's advice.

--- FLASHBACK ---

"You should tell her how you feel, son" she had told him after Tofu-sensei had left.

"I--I don't know what you're talking about, Okaa-san."

Nodoka turned a stern gaze on her only child. "Do not lie to your mother, Ranma. It is unmanly."

Ranma gulped hard, half expecting her to unsheathe her katana.

Nodoka continued. "I know you are unhappy that your father arranged your betrothal and is pushing you into marriage, but don't let your stubborn rebellion against him ruin the chance you have at love."

Nodoka paused to let her words sink in. "Answer me truthfully son, do you love her?"

Ranma's face paled. He felt trapped. Any positive answer and he'd be back in that monkey suit in front of a priest in no-time, but he couldn't lie to his mother or himself any longer.

Nodoka sensed and understood his hesitation. "I will not reveal your answer to your father, or Tendo-san, nor will I force you to fulfill your engagement," 'until you are both ready' she thought.

Ranma looked his mother straight in the eye and answered truthfully. "I ...I…do." Ranma felt as if a huge weight upon his shoulders had been lifted, but a large burden still remained. "But she doesn't, well at least I don't think, that she…she…" Ranma felt at a loss for words. He hated talking about this stuff.

"Love you back?" Nodoka supplied for her son. Ranma nodded emphatically.

Nodoka smiled. "I have spoken privately with Akane, Ranma. And though I will not break her confidence in me, I think I can safely tell you that you are very wrong in thinking that."

---- PRESENT ----

Ranma thought long and hard on his mother's words. If he really had a chance… he needed to talk to Akane. But telling the truth to his mother and telling the truth to Akane were two very different things.

Ranma heard a familiar shuffle behind him and turned his head. Akane was sitting next to him, dressed in a warm nightgown and bathrobe. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked him.

Ranma nodded. "What about you? It's pretty late to be up."

"Couldn't sleep either. Too many nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

Akane blushed, realizing she might have said too much. "I had a lot of bad dreams while I was sick. I don't want to repeat those again, ever."

"What kinda nightmares? The type where you show up to school in your boxers, or the real serious kind?"

"The serious kind." Her eyes looked troubled and Ranma desperately wanted to know what was bothering her.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Akane blushed and looked at the roof tiles. "You'd laugh at me."

Ranma smiled and shook his head. "Nah. I promise – unless it really is funny."

Akane laughed and mock slapped him in the arm. "What kind of promise is that?"

"A truthful one!"

Akane shook her head, but she continued, her voice becoming soft. "I—I kept having nightmares – of all the times I almost lost you." She waited with baited breath to see Ranma's reaction. Would he laugh at her anyway, call her stupid, or would he truly understand?

Surprisingly, Ranma nodded as if he perfectly understood. "We've had a lot of close calls, haven't we?"

He took his gaze off the stars and looked at her. Akane's skin gleamed in the waning moonlight and it suddenly hit him what a precious thing he had before him. Despite her temper, and her toxic cooking and tomboyish ways, she was a friend who truly accepted him and his curse, who had constantly risked her life for his own, and had never let him down when he needed help.

And he had almost lost her, again.

He desperately wished he could find the right words. He needed to let her know how he felt before he was left without the chance.

"Akane?" he managed to get his voice working, but it scarcely came out a whisper.

"Yes?" she looked at him, sensing the seriousness and intensity of his mood.

"Sometimes I—I have the same nightmares, about you, that is." He could feel his cheeks blushing and hoped the lack of light hid his face. "Jusenkyou was hell and -- and I'll be damned before I let anything like that happen to you again!"

Akane fell speechless. Then she smiled -- one of her rare, beautiful and utterly cute smiles at him. She took his hand and squeezed it. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she pushed aside her fear and uncertainty and leaned her head against the side of his shoulder. He didn't attempt to pull away, or even tense up or tease her. Instead he brought a shaky arm around her shoulder. It was this action that gave her the extra courage needed to speak.

Her voice came out soft and slightly nervous, yet still firm. "Trust me; the feeling goes both ways, Ranma."

It wasn't an earth shattering declaration of love, but for the willful, insecure, parentally arranged couple, a whole new world opened as they watched the sun rise.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

End of Story Arc 1!

A/N: Okay, a lot of you Ranma/Akane fans must be screaming at me for not actually having one of them come out and say it, but let's face it: even though we all know they love each other, it's going to take a while before they come out and say it. Things need to build, they need to slowly overcome their own insecurities of rejection and take things one step at a time their own pace. It's a slow and agonizing pace, (38 volumes and many fanfics later and this is it?!), but think about how willing you would be to fall in love when you've been engaged against your will to a stranger! Akane and Ranma constantly want to rebel against their parents' scheme at dictating their lives, and yet they find themselves in love, inflating their need to rebel and take control of their own lives. At the same time, they have the typical fear of rejection. In summary, don't yell at me that they didn't come out and say those three little words at the end of the story. That's for another time. All things come to s/he who waits.

Please REVIEW. This is my 1st Ranma fanfic! I'll even take negative comments! :-)