Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Ranma ½, or anything associated with Ranma ½. All rights and ownerships are the properties of their respective owners. I am broke, don't sue me, I am not getting paid for writing this, I did it because I like Ranma ½.

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"A little help here, please." Nabiki Tendo's voice rang out through the Tendo dojo.

"What do you need help wi- Oh, my!" Kasumi and her father stepped through the entrance from the kitchen, and quickly ran to help.

"What happened, Nabiki?" demanded Soun. He grabbed Ranma by an arm, and helped his daughter pull him into the living room, setting him down by the table.

"Shampoo showed up while he was out walking, and gave him some food as an apology for… something. We knew it wasn't drugged, because Mousse was with her, and he said that he had made it, and Shampoo delivered it to him with Mousse watching the whole time."

"Then why is he like this?"

"Well, daddy, apparently Mousse made the ramen without his glasses on. It turned out something like Akane's cooking, but at least he's not in pain, it just tasted horrible. Ranma's been mumbling comparisons ever since he ate it."

From the floor came a weak voice, saying "Motor oil?"

Soun sweatdropped, well aware of the consequences that came from eating food that could be compared to Akane's. "K-Kasumi, will you please make some rice and some tea to help Ranma's stomach, and to wash the taste out of his mouth?"

"Of course, father." Kasumi quickly walked to the kitchen, where sounds of cooking quickly started.

"Hey, what's going on?" Nabiki looked up, and found her younger sister at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in her gi. Nabiki sighed, and launched back into her explanation.

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"That's about it. I don't know exactly what she was apologizing for, though." Nabiki had told Akane everything she had seen and heard, even Ranma's 'speech' about why the food should be safe. She left out the comparison between Mousse's and Akane's cooking however, feeling it was safer just to say that "I figure Shampoo asked him to make it and he wasn't wearing his glasses at the time. Imagine Tofu-sensei's food right after he sees Kasumi."

"That bad, huh?" Akane looked down at Ranma, who was now, at least, sitting up, having finished the rice, and was now drinking the tea.

"… Battery acid," he mumbled. Ranma frowned. He felt… well, weird. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Probably just from Mousse's horrible cooking. At least I'm not bent in half with stomach cramps.

"Do you want to go lay down, Ranma? If the food was-" Soun caught himself about to say anything like Akane's, "as bad as I think, then you might feel better after a nap. I'll send your mother up to check on you when she gets back from shopping." Ranma, of course, had his and his father's old room all to himself. Genma and Nodoka shared a room, now.

Ranma nodded, then headed for the stairs. He looked back at the assembled group, and then shook his head. He went for his room.

"Is it just me, or did Ranma's eyes look strange whenever he looked at us?" asked Nabiki.

"Probably just from the food, Nabiki. The boy will be alright in a few hours. Just let him rest."

Ranma climbed the stairs, still shaking his head. What was that? Halfway through being dragged home by Nabiki, I wanted to thank her by giving her a hug. After Kasumi's cooking, every time I looked at her, Nabiki, or Akane, I wanted to kiss them. And Mr. Tendo… I wanted to… what? Hit him? No, more like chase him around until he left or something. And why did I have the weirdest urge that I had to answer him when he asked me if I wanted to lay down? Could Shampoo have managed to slip something into the ramen with Mousse watching? He opened the door to his room, falling onto his futon. Nah, couldn't be. All of those weird potions of hers start working as soon as you eat them. It's not like they run on a timer or something. Dismissing the thought of having been drugged, Ranma slept, not knowing that he was perfectly correct. This, er, new potion was in fact, slowly taking effect, just like Shampoo's original potion was supposed to.

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Ranma woke up a few hours later to find his father, currently a panda, standing in the doorway.

[What's the matter, boy?] a sign asked. [Your mom sent to check on you…] flip [and you were pitching around and moaning…] flip [like you were having a nightmare.]

crack

"Nothing's wrong, old man. I don't remember what I was dreaming." Storming out, Ranma barely realized he had answered his father's question.

From the floor, a stunned panda sat up with a lump on his head.

[What got him talking so suddenly?] flip [He's barely spoken in three months…] flip [and now he's talking to me again?] flip [WHY AM I THINKING..] flip [OUT LOUD WITH THESE SIGNS?!]

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From her room, Akane watched Ranma as he walked out to the dojo about ten minutes after she heard him thump his father. Must've gotten something to eat, he did sleep through dinner, even though we all tried to wake him up. She glanced over at her closet, where the outfit she'd picked out before was still hanging up. Maybe it'd be better to do it now, instead of in the morning. At least that way nobody else would have to see me.

Cautiously, Akane walked to her closet, and started pulling off her pajamas. Oh, please let this work! she thought. If it doesn't, I'm going to die of embarrassment! She pulled the outfit out, and sighed. I might just die of embarrassment even if it does.

A martial artist, she reminded herself, does not back down from any challenge.

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Ranma wandered downstairs after pounding his father on the head. Now why did I do that? he wondered. The moment my eyes focused on him, I hit him. And then I… answered his question? Now what did I go and do that for? He looked at a clock, noting the time. Aw, man! I missed dinner! And I am so hungry!

Deciding to see if there were any leftovers, he threw open the refrigerator door, and saw a covered plate with a note on it.

Ranma,

We couldn't wake you up for dinner, so I left you something to eat just in case you woke up and got hungry.

-Kasumi

Ranma smiled. Trust Kasumi to make sure that there was something left for him. Starving, he pulled the plate out and set to heating it up. A few minutes (and a mostly full stomach) later, Ranma went out to the dojo, not knowing he was being watched from a second floor window.

He went into the dojo, and began stretching. If I still feel weird in the morning, I'll have to put off talking to Akane's mom for a day, he thought before launching into a kata. But I feel much better now. However bad the food was, I'll be fine in the morning.

Oh, how wrong he would be.

Ranma was so busy concentrating on his workout that he didn't hear the dojo door open behind him, then close a moment later.

"Definitely gonna have to remember that if Mousse ever makes anything for me to eat again, that he'd better have been wearing his glasses first," he grumbled to himself. He continued working out as he tried to find something to compare it to. "Tasted like what week-old gym socks would smell like if they were left to float in a sewer before being hung out to dry in a landfill."

He froze at the sound of a giggle behind him. "That bad, huh, Ranma?"

Akane was still repressing another giggle at Ranma's description of Mousse's food when he spun around to face her. He looked surprised to see her, before another emotion appeared on his face. Before Akane could figure out what it was, Ranma looked away from her.

"Yeah, that bad." What was that? Ranma thought. The second I saw her… I wanted to run to her. Wait a second, did I just answer her? Dammit, what did I do that for? I just know I'm going to end up saying something stupid and hurting her… just like every other time. She's gonna end up crying and I'm going to be knocked so high into the air that I'm going to be able to deliver mail to the space station. Coming out of this train of thought, Ranma realized that he must've answered three or four more questions and had taken a few steps towards Akane without even realizing he was doing it. He glanced at her again, and felt his face flush even more. What the hell is wrong with me?! I gotta be careful, or I'm going to end up in Low Earth Orbit. And what's with the clothes she's wearin'? Looks like their Nabiki's or something! Geez, every time I look at her in that, I want to run over there, and hold her. What is wrong with me? Have I gone suicidal? Akane'd KILL me! He realized he'd just answered a couple more questions without thinking about it. And now Akane was practically blushing like a tomato. What have I been saying?! Dammit, pay attention!

Ranma bent to pick up his shirt, which he had discarded before beginning his workout, and slipped it on over his white undershirt, mumbling yet another statement at her as he turned his back to her. Stupid! What do you think you're doing?! Knock it off before you say the wrong thing and upset her and end up getting killed! He wasn't even aware he was talking again.

"Ranma…" he heard Akane say. What the hell have I been saying to her anyway?!

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Akane tried not to giggle. "That bad, huh, Ranma?"

"Yeah, that bad."

Now, that was interesting, thought Akane. He won't look at me, but he's speaking. Is it the outfit, or something else? Despite herself, Akane was preferring that was the outfit. At least, that way, I won't have worn something so embarrassing for nothing.

"So, decided to work out, I see. Couldn't you sleep?"

"When I woke up, I was hungry. After I ate the leftovers Kasumi had for me, I wasn't very tired, so I figured I could train a little." He took a couple of steps towards her.

Akane blinked. That was… a lot. I didn't expect him to be so willing to talk to me. "Oh. You look a little out of it, Ranma. Is there something on your mind?"

"Those clothes you're wearing. They're look nice on you, but they're kinda loose. It shows a bit more than I'm used to seeing of you." He took another step towards her.

Pervert! Akane's mind promptly screamed. No, calm down, Akane, I wanted him to talk to me. This was just the means to get it, that's all. I'm not gonna mallet him, unless he tries to touch me. Then he gets the mallet. He'd better have one hell of a reason for getting closer to me though, or he dies.

Akane prepared herself to ask him something he wouldn't expect from her. "You saw me naked right after you moved in here. I'm covered up this time, so what's different?" Akane felt herself blush slightly after asking.

"I wasn't trying to look at you then. Kasumi set us up. She knew we'd end up walking in on each other."

Kasumi!! What were you thinking?! "What do you mean, you weren't trying to look at me then?" And exactly what pried open your mouth from being silent for so long, Ranma?

"I barely knew you. I don't peek at girls, and even if I did, I wasn't about to peek at someone I didn't know. But now, what you're wearing makes it hard not to look at you."

Akane watched as Ranma looked up at her, and then snapped his head away, blushing even more.

Okay, bigger question now, since he seems willing to talk for tonight. "Why won't you look at me while I'm talking to you?"

"Because every time I look at you, I want to come over to you. I want to hold you."

Akane flushed, looking less like a girl, and more like a living impersonation of the color scarlet. "You… want to hold me, Ranma? Why?"

"To make you feel better, and because I want to be close to you." Akane was sure she had gone beyond scarlet, and was now glowing like a red nuclear reactor. Even her arms were blushing. Ranma bent down to get his shirt off of the floor.

"But the things you call me… don't you know that they hurt?"

"I know," Ranma mumbled as he slipped his shirt on. "That's why I stopped talking to you. I hate hurting you, Akane. I figured if I stopped talking to you, then I wouldn't say anything to hurt you." Akane's eyes widened. "I didn't want to see you cry because I can't always control the things I say."

Ranma… you stopped talking to everyone just to avoid hurting my feelings? Do you really care for me, or do you not like making any girl cry? To you, am I still…

"Ranma, do you still think I'm just a kawaiikune tomboy?" she asked as he turned his back to her.

"Kawaiikune? Never. You've always been very cute, but I always thought if I told you that, you wouldn't believe me, or you'd just mallet me. You're definitely a tomboy, but you should stay a tomboy. I like you just as you are, I wouldn't change anything."

"Ranma…" Akane couldn't take it anymore, she ran the few steps left between her and her fiancée, and threw her arms around his back.

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"Ranma…"

What the hell have I been saying to her anyway?! Ranma heard Akane run at him, and braced himself for the impact of mallet-sama into his skull. The impact didn't come like he expected, and he felt Akane's arms start to wrap around him. She's gonna squeeze me to death! his mind screamed. She's gonna squeeze me to death! She's gonna crush my ribs! She's-

squeeze

-gonna h-hug me? Ranma turned in Akane's arms, and found himself looking at the top of the blue-haired girl's head. Hold her, came the silent command from somewhere in his mind. What?!

Hold her. It's what she wants. It's what you want. Do it. Hold her. Do it. Now.

Unable to help himself, Ranma reached around his fiancée. Her arms pulled at him.

Closer.

Ranma tightened his arms, and felt Akane bury her head in his chest.

Closer.

He pulled her as close as he could, feeling her body crush against his.

Kiss her.

What?

Kiss her. Do it. Kiss her. Kiss her. Kiss Akane. You want to, I know you do. You always have, just do it. Kiss her. Kiss Akane!!

Unable to hide from the voice he realized was coming from some part of his mind he didn't understand, Ranma pulled at Akane's chin until she was looking up at him.

"Ranma?"

Kiss… the voice of the potion whispered.

"What are you...?"

And Ranma tilted his lips towards Akane's.

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A/N

Fixed some typos and stuff in chapter 2.

AHHH!!! I left it at such a cliffhanger, I'm so sorryyyyy!!!! But I had to publish what I had so far! Don't worry, I'm already working on chapter 4, I just had to find a breaking point between three and four, and this seemed like a good place to do it. Gomen nasai! bows to the ground Gomen nasai!! Gomen nasaiiiiiiiii!!!!!!