Blush
Chapter Two
"Ha! You couldn't seduce Shampoo, and she throws herself at you!" Akane shot back.
She couldn't recall how such two secretly shy people ended up talking so casually about something that usually made them blush. Perhaps it was because they were alone; assured that no mad fiancée or nosey family member was spying on them. Ranma lead her unconsciously down the same path the 'doll' Akane and he had taken a year ago.
"At least I got someone that's willing to touch me, Miss Flat-chest-zero-sex-appeal!" Ranma was losing the battle of words, had this been a 'fight-fight' with her, he'd probably ended up malleted to death.
The aqua-phobic boy was sure that his last statement was one to make her get back on to his fighting grounds, insult her enough until she becomes violent and then it's all physical.
Akane flinched at his words in irritation, but that flinch soon evolved into an evil smirk. She remained silent, allowing Ranma to think he had won the war when he only won a battle.
The real war was about to begin.
Thinking through how to approach him about her newly formed idea and, more importantly how to win, took over her thoughts as the couple soon found themselves in the same large grassy field as the year before. The same stream flowed quietly through it, the only difference in the setting was the wind was not blowing.
"Are you alive in there?" Ranma waved a hand in front of his fiancée's face, trying to spark a response out of her. He didn't like it when she was yelling at him, but the frigid quietness was much more disturbing. When Akane Tendo was silent it could only mean two things: she was angry or she was in deep thought. Anger Ranma could handle with no problem. Deep thinking about things? He'd just rather not go there.
"Ranma," Akane drew out slowly as if savoring the flavor of his name as it rolled off her tongue, in response she heard him swallow. Hard. Looking up at the now shaken boy, the blue haired girl tipped her head to the side and smiled.
He would buckle under that type of pressure for sure. Even though the pigtailed denied it multiple times, it was the youngest Tendo's smile that had him wrapped around her little finger.
"If you think I'm so ugly, then I have a bet—no, a challenge for you. It involves us both, so you have to be willing."
Ranma could never turn down a challenge, no matter what form it took.
"W-what's that?"
He was intrigued, and that was the first step into hooking him.
"Whoever can make the other one blush first, has to acknowledged as the one with more sex appeal and is better at, well, anything." Akane looked away, but through the corner of her eye, she watched him stiffen.
What on earth was Akane up to? Justifiable homicide? 'Sorry Judge, he touched me and therefore, he had to die'? But it was a challenge, a competition to see who was best at something. Ranma always thought highly about himself and more importantly his way with girls. If Akane thought she could beat him by making him blush at some tomboyish attempts to be sexy, he was in no way worried about losing this fight. That's all it was, just another fight that demanded him to win.
"Fine. Set the rules and I'll play the game," Ranma prompted with all his self-confidence oozing from his words and stance.
Akane smirked; sometimes the boy was so predictable it almost hurt.
"Okay, no grabbing or groping, no indecent exposure or anything such as that. The first one that makes the other blush wins, and we will take turns in order to see who is able to do it the quickest." Her smirk melted into a smile. "Oh, and there is going to be a three minute time limit for each of us."
Ranma's eyebrows raced to his hairline as she pointed out every rule without the hint of embarrassment or hesitation. He decided to play along and do the suave thing by nodding his head and letting the 'cool guy' mask slip on.
"But how are we going to keep time?"
Reaching to her throat, Akane tugged the small chain around her neck up and from the depths of her kimono came a small circular pendent. Pressing the button on the top, the small hinge swung the circular door open to reveal a quietly ticking clock. "With this."
He certainly didn't remember that before!
"You go first," Akane commanded, dropping the watch, this time on front of her clothes.
"You go first," Ranma contested. "It was your idea."
Akane bristled.
"You go first."
"Ladies first," Ranma shot back.
"Age before beauty."
"That would still put you first."
"Now, Ranma," Akane hissed as she started to walk in the direction of the creek.
Ranma watched her go, and became thoughtful. If the Tendo girl thought she could win this, she was so out of her league and it was his duty to show her how to play the game. Sure Ranma had an idea, but he never truly played the game of seduction. It was always played with him on the defense, so to switch to offense was a new experience. He'd tried it once when Akane had confessed love but then knocked him through the door.
To win this battle would mean he had to take away the perceived safety net of her thinking she knew him through and through. That would call for something uncharacteristic; the first step would blow her mind away. Steeling himself for the punch that would knock out his teeth, Ranma slowly began to walk over to where Akane was waiting.
Without saying anything at first, concentrating hard on his hands to prevent them from shaking, he placed one on her left shoulder, and slid it slowly to the right. A smile pulled at his mouth when he felt her stiffen, if Akane wasn't up for the game, she should have never call the met. With a hand on either shoulder now, Ranma leaned close to her ear, and in a deep voice whispered, "Sorry."
Akane's stomach twisted and turned itself until it was barely inside her anymore. Just his warm breath gently puffing on her neck had created a multitude of bubbles in her body. She had dared him, but she had forgotten she had to endure the sweet torture first.
As one of his hands moved to the back of her neck, gently rubbing a calloused finger over her spine, the girl almost lost her focus completely.
She couldn't lose! Akane shook her shock off and tried to play his turn against him. If she welcomed his advances then he'd be unsure about himself and what she was thinking, not vice versa. Trying to stomp down her insecurities, the girl relaxed at his touch.
The black haired martial artist smirked as he felt her give in, pretty soon the girl would be as red as a beach ball and he'd have one more thing to hold over her head. Sliding a hand down her arm until he was able to grab her hand, he began to walk away, and tugging lightly to get her to follow.
She allowed herself to be guided to where a rock sat, smooth from years of weathering, and Ranma's smirk almost sent her into a fit of laughter. If he was going to try to play the cute and handsome one, he'd have a lot to learn about how to do it. Of course, it wasn't like Akane was a pro at it either, but she once remember hearing Ranma say that using the same attack twice was where he 'drew the line'.
Sitting on top of the rock, he grabbed his challenger around her waist, lifted her with ease, and settled her between his bent legs. So this wasn't what she had planned, but for once, Akane wanted to win, and this was the only way she could think of to do it. Ranma might try to win but she'd have to be stronger than him.
"Better?" He asked, in the same toe-curling deep voice as before. Ranma felt her shiver and, knowing it wasn't cold, thought the game would be over before long. Checking her face, he let a small smile trace his lips, still no blush. He'd have to try something a bit more—dramatic?
"Oh yeah, wonderful," the Tendo girl rolled her eyes. Romeo he was not.
"Really?" Ranma's smile widened as Akane's whole body suddenly became stiff. It wasn't because she got scared, remembered something, or she was angry. In fact it had nothing to do with what she was doing at all, it was Ranma.
Knowing words alone weren't going to allow him to win, the boy decided to do his second attack. Brushing his lips softly across the back of her neck had gotten the desired result he wanted, but still no blush. Akane went completely still, Ranma wasn't sure she was even breathing anymore. Smirking against her neck, he repeated the action, this time a shiver ran through her body.
Growing bolder, the boy pressed his lips gently at the curve of her neck, while his arms wrapped around her tightly, pulling her closer to him until her back was flush against his chest.
Anger welled up in her, wondering where on earth he learned this, but then the other voice in her head reminded her that at least it was her he was using it on. Akane almost let her mind go off on its own as she felt more of his breath and lips on her getting-more-sensitive-by-the-moment neck.
Unconscioulsy, the teenage tilted her neck to one side to give him better access and sucked in a quick breath as he nipped her lightly.
No! She had to win! This was her fight; this was something the youngest Tendo wanted to win. Her part was going to be easy. No touching, looks, or no anything like that! Only her words and the boy would be red as the setting sun! She just had to last—!
Ranma pulled back; thankfully Akane couldn't see his lovely shade of pink as it raced across his cheeks. He couldn't believe he was doing this! With the tomboy! He might live to tell—well, live to remember it. Even if the pigtailed boy told anyone, they wouldn't believe him and he guessed Akane would say he was making it up because he was a pervert.
Not to mention everyone would try to kill one or the other, that or have the priest on the phone in under a wink.
Shoving all those thoughts aside, the present 'challenge' still remained to be conquered.
Akane could barely control herself from allowing her eyes to enlarge to the size of saucers as the boy started his new attack. Slowly, he let his hands roam, always cautious of the 'no-zones'. One hand found the fabric above her stomach causing the muscles underneath to tighten. He made a noise that had her biting back an unwanted noise of approval in her throat as he started to make lazy circles on her tummy. Ranma was in 'no man's land' and he was very aware that if he moved his hand any further north or south, he was as good as a corpse. The other hand he brought up her arm in aching slow caress until it joined his mouth at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.
No more 'brushing' of the lips, these were full pressed kisses, trailing antagonizing slow down from the curve of her ear to the base of her neck. Ranma gently hooked the collar of her kimono and pulled it to the side, allowing him better access to her skin.
When he nipped her skin and then lightly sucked on the same spot he heard Akane's breath hitch in her throat.
The small watch on the necklace's cold metal brushed against his fingers. Hmm, Ranma thought, there wasn't much time left and Akane seemed unaffected by any of his 'advances'.
Stopping his attentions on her neck, he bite lightly on her ear before asking, "How much more time?"
The girl suppressed a need to squeak in surprise, but instead moved her hand to look into the watch face, "A-about another minute."
The husky baritone he all but purred out had the girl's mind numb with anticipation. Her entire body was coiled like a spring, ready to turn around and further their activities or to leap away.
"Put your head on my shoulder and lean back," he whispered.
If he continued to use that voice, she would do much more than that! However her pride was still hanging on by a thin, fraying string as she did as he instructed.
The new position had Ranma fisting his hand in her kimono at her stomach to make sure that he didn't offend her by accident. Breathing in her sent as he kept his mouth close to her ear, the hand that had been toying with the collar found its way to the base of her throat, pressed flat against her breastbone, his thumb making lazy rotations in the hollow of her throat.
The possessive gesture made bubbles go through the girl's veins. Even though she beat up on him, Akane new that Ranma was stronger than her, much much stronger. To feel his powerful, well trained arms and calloused hands on her, even over clothes, and in such a controlling gesture had been something she only ever thought about late at night.
Ranma's mind was blank as what to do now, there was nothing physically left for him to do that would insure his winning and safety. He might not be able to win, but at least it would be a draw-unless, "Akane?"
"Mm-uh, yes, Ranma?" She replied her voice breathy and relaxed, Ranma wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign.
What? What could he possibly say to her to make her a red sputtering mess? A red, embarrassed, sputtering mess? A thought struck him, but before a word could slip out of his mouth, Akane breathed a sigh of relief.
"Time!"
Ranma kicked himself. He didn't win. Man, did that leave a nasty taste in his mouth, usually he only experienced this unnerving, upsetting flavor from Akane's cooking. The pigtailed boy fully expected for the girl to leap away from his presence as soon as the time ended, so it was quite a shock when she didn't budge.
Unpleasant, no.
Unnerving, one hundred percent.
Sweat broke out on his brow, Ranma was seriously thinking of doing the 'Final Attack: Run away!' when Akane, much to his relief, pulled away. She turned at the waist, so that she could face him. Using his arms to lean back comfortably, Ranma mentally prepped himself for whatever onslaught Akane might dream up.
Akane smiled sweetly, this was going to be so easy it almost wasn't fair.
His eyes were half lidded, a small frown of boredom on his lips, aw, she thought, he was playing cool. Ranma could be screaming his head off on the inside, but his outside face was calm and collected. For some odd reason, the boy never manage to use this face during poker, only in battle or when sidestepping a question.
"Ranma," Akane drew out, saying his name as if it were dripping honey.
Deciding some physical touch couldn't hurt as extra insurance; Akane lifted herself and turned until she was on her knees. Leaning forward, she placed a hand on the rock at either side of his waist, and leaned forward until her breath ghosted across his lips.
He tensed for a second, and then relaxed, only raising an eyebrow.
She sent a silent prayer of thanks that she didn't klutz out at this crucial moment. Nothing would have been more frustrating than to get him right where she wanted him and then trip at the finish line.
There was no denying the young man was painfully aware of her and her closeness as his breathing seemed to jump track a few times.
"You know what, Ranma?" she breathed out sweetly watching for his reaction as she lowered herself fully on his body. From hip to chest, there was anything but clothes between them. Though, to prevent any complaints about her weight, she kept a great deal of it on her hands.
"What?" he replied, turning his head so their lips where a hairs width from touching.
"I really wish," Akane started, tipping her head just slightly to look him in his blue eyes, "We could have done that—and much more— without having to make it a challenge."
3, 2, 1.
Ranma's face turned to a lovely shade of red, almost the color of his favorite Chinese shirt.
Leaning up, she crossed her arms for a second then taking a finger and tapping his chin, she smiled like her normal school girl self.
"I win, tomato-boy."
Struck speechless, the pigtailed boy couldn't do anything but stay in his current position with his eyes enlarged and his mouth hanging slightly open. Akane, on the other hand, started to gently laugh at his expression.
This was just too good.