Same Time Next Year
By M. Zephyr
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications, and its characters have been borrowed without permission. This story was written for non-commercial purposes only.
Ranma x Akane. What if the old woman was not outdoors on the day that Ranma learned the neko-ken? Akane and Ranma first meet at age ten just after Ranma undergoes the neko-ken training and Akane's mother has died.
Chapter 4. Discovery
The telephone rang as dinner was coming to an end, just as Akane was finishing her tea. Putting her cup down, she rose gracefully to her feet, saying, "I'm done. I'll get it." She stepped out of the family room and walked down the hall, turning the corner to reach the telephone. She picked it up on the fourth ring. "Hello? This is the Tendo residence, Akane Tendo speaking."
"Hey, Akane! It's me, Ranma. I just got into town. I managed to give my dad the slip." He sniggered evilly. "Given how much sake pop had to drink last night, he may still be out cold. Can we meet?"
Akane smiled happily. "Sure, Yuka, I'll meet you there!" She hung up the telephone and started exchanging her slippers for her outdoor shoes as Nabiki stepped out into the front hall.
"Who was that, Akane?" Nabiki asked in a tone of speculative interest, on the lookout as always for moneymaking opportunities.
Akane regarded her older sister out of the corner of her eye, as she continued tying her shoe. "That was Yuka. She wants me to meet her at the park."
Nabiki looked reflective, sensing that Akane was lying, but not why. With a brilliant smile, she suggested, "I wouldn't mind a walk in the park myself. Wait a moment, and I'll join you."
The younger sister felt a momentary sense of panic then, thinking quickly, smiled back at Nabiki. "No time, gotta run," she replied, suiting action to words. Akane took off at a fast clip which her less athletic sister could never hope to match.
"Hey, wait! Which park are you going to?" Akane heard Nabiki's voice calling out behind. Naturally, Akane ignored this question, and soon turned her feet toward the temple where Ranma would be waiting. As she ran down one street, she passed a shop with some hearts in the window. This reminded her that today was Valentine's Day, and as the traditions of the day recalled themselves to her mind, she came to a stop and looked back at the store. Making up her mind, she went inside, bought some chocolate, then took off running again.
She stopped just outside the gate of the temple, and patted her short hair into place, not wanting to look like she had been running even if she had. She checked her coat and jeans, took a deep breath, and walked through the gate. There was no delay in recognition, their eyes lit simultaneously, and Akane felt her heart figuratively leap in her chest. There was no need for her to run to him, as Ranma ran up to her, and swept her into an embrace. "God, it's good to see you, Akane!"
"It's great to see you, too, Ranma," she responded softly. Looking up into his eyes, she realized that he was now taller than her, not by much, perhaps two or three centimeters, but still taller. He had always been whipcord lean, but now he was starting to take on the harder, more solid, look of the young man he was becoming. The firm muscles of his arms wrapped around her were no longer merely strong, but now stretched his sleeves tightly. Akane suddenly found herself out of breath, although she had not been breathing hard at the end of her run.
For his part, Ranma looked at the girl, no, the young woman, in his arms, and could sense how she had grown since the previous year. Her face was less childlike, more pretty, and her smile was simply dazzling. Her body in his arms paradoxically felt both soft and athletically firm at the same time. He tightened his hold reflexively and felt a gallant response beginning as a result of her close proximity. He released her quickly, growing red with embarrassment, and hoping that she hadn't noticed. He didn't want her to think he was as big a jerk as his old man.
"So, ah, won't be long before we're fifteen, eh?" Ranma said, trying to divert her attention from his potentially awkward lapse. He also needed to take his own mind off of the feelings which had washed over him.
"Not long at all. About two and a half months for you, and three for me," Akane replied quickly, seizing gratefully on the subject that was so safe and nonpersonal. She had never experienced anything quite like the rush of sensations which had threatened to overwhelm her. "I expect that I'll have a small party with some of my close friends, like last year."
"Wish I could be there," Ranma told her offhandedly, as they went inside the temple where it was warmer. "I'm just about fed up with pop and his stupid ideas, except that he's mentioned a couple of places he's planning to take me this coming year that I really wouldn't want to miss out on."
Akane gave him a critical once over as they sat on a bench. "No broken bones or black eyes this time? Any other injuries you want to tell me about? Or that you don't?"
Ranma chuckled. It felt surprisingly good to have someone fussing over him like that. "Nothing major. A couple of new scars from training accidents. Broke one of my fingers pretty nastily back around October, but amazingly enough it wasn't pop's fault for once. My own stupidity. He still comes up with plenty of idiotic ideas for training, and I have gotten hurt doing some of them, but he's mostly laid off hitting me in punishment since I started being able to hit back just as hard. He usually contents himself with insults these days, though he's got a real talent for making them as unpleasant as possible. How about you?"
Akane sighed, more for Ranma than for herself. "Well, I've been trying to keep up with the training exercises you suggested, and I think I've been doing pretty well. I'm still working out with daddy once a week, though it's gotten so much harder to get him to do it. It's awfully sad the way he's let himself go; I think that I could probably take him in a fair fight now, although I bet he could still win an unfair one."
Ranma laughed outright at that. "I know what you mean. There is something to be said for experience, isn't there? I feel like I'm starting to catch up to my pop most ways, but he always seems able to come up with some trick that he's never shown me before. It helps to remind me that no matter how much of a fool he is in other things, he's still a pretty good martial artist."
Akane looked at him fondly, and then remembered what she had in her pocket. Nervously, she pulled out the small box of chocolate. Her words, when they came, sounded like they were tripping over her tongue. "Um, Ranma, you know, it is, uh, Valentine's Day and, um, well, here!" Without looking in his direction, she thrust her hand toward him, and Ranma gingerly took the package from her. He turned it around nervously, looking it over.
"Chocolate?" Ranma asked. Akane nodded, and he contemplated the package again. Something half-forgotten was tickling at the back of his mind. Something about Valentine's Day and chocolate. His eyes narrowed as he tried to call it to the forefront of his memory, then widened when he remembered. Girls were supposed to give chocolate to boys they liked on that day. "Gee, um, thanks Akane! Thank you. Uh, this is great." He opened it and took a bite, his eyes closing in pleasure at a luxury he never received from his father.
Ranma opened his eyes again and looked at the girl beside him. "So does this mean that you, uh, ... like me?" He whispered the last couple of words.
Akane bent her head down, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. She hadn't considered the possibility that he might ask this, or what she would answer if he did. "No fair, Ranma! I asked first!" She paused. "Even if it was a year ago. You never did answer, remember?" That event, like every moment they had spent together, seemed to be engraved in her memory.
Ranma stared at her blankly, long enough for her to feel a little hurt, and then laughed weakly, finally recalling the incident in question. "Yeah, I do remember. You really surprised me when you asked me that. But, um ..." He turned a little, unable to look directly at her. "Yeah, I do. Like you, that is." Akane's hand was resting on the bench between them; he reached out and took hold of it.
Akane looked down at their linked hands, and then up at the boy beside her. She whispered, "I like you, too, Ranma."
The boy turned his head back around to face her again, smiling, pleased beyond description that she seemed to share his feelings. Tentatively he leaned toward her, and she just as timidly tilted her face up to meet him. Gently their lips brushed together, and the world around them dimmed to insignificance. The kiss did not last very long, both were still too shy for that, but this only made it all the more intense and real.
They sat and talked for a while, sharing stories with each other about things which had occurred in the past year, until full darkness had fallen outside. When Akane noticed this, she was surprised. It hadn't seemed that long since she had arrived. She pointed the time out to Ranma with the observation that it was probably safe to try to sneak him inside now. They headed back to her house and successfully got Ranma down into the dojo basement. Akane promised that she'd bring him some supplies before she left for school in the morning.
After school the next day, Kasumi was surprised to find that a block of tofu she distinctly remembered seeing before leaving that morning, and had been planning to use for dinner, was missing from the refrigerator. As their father had left for the day even before herself, that meant either Akane or Nabiki must have taken it. The high school let out before the middle school and her two sisters were not yet home, which meant that if one of them had taken it, it would have had to have been before they left for school. Why would either of them have wanted an entire block of tofu so soon after breakfast? Feeling puzzled but seeing no means to a quick answer, she continued her dinner preparations, resolving to keep her eyes open.
Akane usually walked to and from school with Nabiki, but this day, she made the excuse of needing to visit the library to do some research, and took off without her older sister. Running quickly, she got home well before Nabiki, going around to the back gate and sneaking down into the basement of the dojo, all without anyone seeing her. She and Ranma talked for about an hour, discussing the training she had been doing among other things.
From somewhere outside came the sound of the front gate slamming and they heard Nabiki calling to Kasumi. The interruption reminded them both that time was getting on. Akane knelt beside Ranma and looked at him, licking her dry lips, not wanting to say good-bye yet. He leaned slightly forward, his lips barely brushing hers. They heard Nabiki calling again, her voice petulant with annoyance. With a whispered promise that she would see him again as soon as possible, the girl ran up the stairs, snuck out the back gate, then went around to the front gate and came in openly.
As soon as she got into the house, Nabiki pounced on her, demanding to know where she'd been. Apparently, Kasumi wanted to speak to both of them, and Nabiki had walked all of the way to the library and back looking for Akane. As a result, she was not in the happiest of moods, and was not made happier when Akane told her that she had detoured for a walk through one of the parks on her way home from the library.
What Kasumi wanted was to ask them about the missing tofu. Both Akane and Nabiki denied having anything to do with the disappearance, protesting their innocence. Kasumi finally felt obliged to drop the matter, as she was getting nowhere. Akane walked away looking outwardly calm, but feeling fairly nervous inside. She was concerned about the suspicious way that Nabiki was looking at her.
After dinner, while Akane was helping with the dishes, Kasumi noticed her humming happily to herself and scarcely paying attention when anyone spoke to her. While Akane was a generally cheerful person, this seemed out of character. Her little sister was practically walking on air! She didn't see how this could have anything to do with the missing tofu, but it was definitely unusual behavior, and so she tucked it away to think on further. Then, after the dishes were done, Akane disappeared again, saying something about meeting Yuka and Sayuri as she went out the door.
An unusual impulse came over Kasumi, one which she tried to fight down, but her curiosity was too aroused. Feeling horribly guilty about spying on her sister, she called over to Yuka's house to ask where the girls had gone. Yuka herself answered the phone, and when Kasumi asked if she could speak to Akane, replied in some puzzlement that her friend wasn't there. Kasumi apologized, explaining that she must have misunderstood, and hung up the telephone thoughtfully.
‹What are you up to, little sister?› Kasumi asked herself. ‹The obvious answer is that she has a boyfriend. I suppose she might be worried that daddy would make a fuss. He hates anything which reminds him that we are growing up. That might be reason enough for her to sneak around and hide it from us. And Akane is a sensible, intelligent girl; she wouldn't be doing anything improper. Would she? No, she's too responsible for that.›
‹Of course, it might not be a boyfriend at all. Maybe she's found another sensei to teach her. She has been getting very frustrated with daddy for not spending much time training with her, but she wouldn't want to hurt his feelings by letting him know she is training with someone else.› Kasumi sighed unhappily. ‹Somehow, I'm going to have to try to get the truth out of her. But I need to be careful. I don't want to lose her trust.›
When Akane returned home, Kasumi noted how happy her sister looked, smiling brightly. Even Nabiki's teasing didn't annoy her. She watched all evening, waiting for an opening, although still unsure what she would say if she found one. By the time they all went to bed that night, Kasumi still hadn't thought of a way to approach the subject.
The next day was Saturday, and Kasumi made her weekly trip to the market. Nabiki headed off on some moneymaking scheme. She also intended to check with some people she knew concerning the missing tofu; she had a vague idea that Akane might have taken it for something at school. It was hard to imagine what her sister could have wanted it for, but Akane had avoided walking to school with her that day, and Nabiki knew very well that she hadn't taken the tofu herself.
Their father also went out, planning to meet some friends, and saying something about a shogi tournament. Akane truthfully told everyone that she was going to stay home and practice in the dojo. She merely neglected to inform them that she would not be alone.
Akane and Ranma worked up a good sweat while training. When they were done, and since they had the house to themselves, Akane invited him in to bathe, while she stood guard outside in case anyone returned unexpectedly. Afterward, they went down to the dojo basement together, and started discussing some of the schoolbooks Akane had picked up for him for the next year. While doing so, meaning it in the way of thanks, Ranma leaned over and kissed her. A few minutes later, she returned the favor, pressing her lips to his a little more firmly and holding it a little longer. When they pulled apart, feeling an odd sense of reluctance at breaking the kiss, Ranma's hand remained on Akane's shoulder. It migrated down her back, then back up to her neck, causing her to turn slightly toward him, leaning. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to meet her halfway.
Before too long the books were forgotten. Akane found herself slipping further back until she was lying down, Ranma supporting his weight on his elbow above her to one side. Her hands seemed to have a life of their own, exploring under his shirt, delighting in the feel of his hard-muscled back. When Ranma's hand found the bottom hem of her loose shirt and his fingertips brushed the skin of her stomach, she could not help but gasp and arch her back slightly. She moaned in pleasure as his hand lightly caressed her flesh, wanting more.
"What is going on down here?"
Kasumi's voice crackled with indignation, almost unrecognizable, and the two teenagers sprang guiltily apart as though yanked in opposite directions. Both faces turned beet red, and they looked everywhere but at each other or at Kasumi, who was glaring down at them from the stairs. Her lips were compressed into an incredibly thin line.
"Akane, I cannot believe that you would behave like this! I come home from the market, hoping to talk to you privately, and I find you like this! When I came into the dojo and heard the moaning from down here, I thought some animal must be trapped in the basement. Then I come down the stairs to find you ... cavorting ... with some strange boy! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Akane looked down at her feet, mortified, unable to answer at first. She wanted to protest that Ranma was no stranger, that she had known him for four years. On the other hand, she was guiltily aware that Kasumi's accusation was well-founded, their behavior had been out of line. Akane had always snorted contemptuously at girls who got themselves into trouble, and then protested afterward that they had been unable to control themselves. She made a silent and profound apology to all of those nameless girls, but that did nothing to provide her with an answer to give her older sister.
"I ... I g-guess it's my f-fault," Ranma stuttered, unable to look the older girl in the face. "I shoulda had b-better control, but I just wasn't thinking too clearly. I'd never wanna do anything to hurt Akane, she means too much to me. You gotta understand, I'd never hurt her."
Kasumi regarded the boy coolly, but she heard the sincerity in his voice and the glitter of anger began to fade from her eyes. "I am glad to hear it," she told him frostily. "However, I think that you had better leave and go home now. My sister and I need to talk."
Ranma turned an agonized glance in Akane's direction, and she in turn finally found her voice. "No, Kasumi! He only got here! I only see him once a year; please don't make him go yet."
Kasumi's eyes widened in surprise. ‹What is going on here?› Coming to a decision, she told them, "I think that you had better explain what you are talking about. Come with me to the kitchen. The others won't be back for a while and we may speak there much more comfortably." She turned and mounted the stairs, confident the other two would follow her. Still avoiding each other's eyes, they did.
In the kitchen, Kasumi put a plate of cookies on the table, and made some tea. Then they all sat around the table, and Kasumi pointedly suggested to Akane, "Perhaps you could begin with introductions."
Akane nodded. "Ranma, this is my oldest sister, Kasumi Tendo. Kasumi, may I introduce you to my, um, friend, Ranma Saotome."
Ranma stood and bowed politely. "Akane has told me so much about you."
Kasumi regarded him with little favor. "I wish I could say the same. I haven't been told anything about you."
Akane winced and spoke up. "Ummm ... actually, you might remember his name from a few years back. The boy that father's friend was looking for? The one who ran away while training in a martial arts technique and was missing for a few days before he showed up again? He was, um, here the entire time."
Kasumi's eyes narrowed slightly and after a few minutes, she gave a cool nod. Akane and Ranma took turns explaining how they had met, what Ranma's father was really like, and how Ranma had come to visit each year since then. It wasn't long before Kasumi's eyes were glittering with anger again, this time over the thought of Genma Saotome's treatment of his son.
Kasumi shook her head resignedly over the clandestine meetings which had been occurring, year after year, right under her nose with her never getting a whiff of a hint until this year. It was quite clear to her that her youngest sister was smitten with the admittedly handsome boy, and he with her, but it was not yet clear whether this was simply a youthful crush or something more serious. In any event, the two were much too young to be allowed to run free without supervision.
The two younger teenagers sat silent and anxious, watching as Kasumi poured a little more tea into her cup, then sat staring into it, looking for answers in its depths. Finally she looked up, and pronounced her judgment. "Very well, I will allow Saotome-kun to complete the term of his planned visit, without revealing your secret. I will also seek to get father and Nabiki out of the house as much as possible during that time. In return for these considerations, the two of you will promise me that you will not meet unless I am present to chaperon, except during those times when you are in the dojo, the upper part, for martial arts training."
Akane and Ranma both nodded solemnly. Kasumi took a deep breath, and continued. "I also agree with Akane that it is in Saotome-kun's best interest to leave his father, and since his family is apparently known to our father, at least from some point in the past, that honor suggests that we should help him to find a home. Perhaps he could even stay with us for a time. I say this with considerable reluctance, considering the dishonorable manner in which the two of you were carrying on. If you wish my assistance in these matters, then I must have your promises that you will behave appropriately in the future. Is that clear?" More nods ensued. She addressed Ranma pointedly. "Now, do I understand that you do not plan to leave your father at this time?"
Ranma answered her sheepishly, feeling guilty for the answer he gave and wondering why. "That's right. Martial arts is, well, it's my life, I guess. I need to be a master, and I feel like there's a little more I have to learn first. I guess I don't really like pop much, but I have learned a lot from him, and I'm not finished yet. Next year, that'll be soon enough. I mean, he isn't able to force me to do things so much, anymore. What could he manage to do to me in just one more year?"
At that point they all heard the front door open, and Ranma tore out of the room, headed for the dojo. Soun Tendo walked into the kitchen, greeting his daughters. "Hello, father," Kasumi smiled at him, rising and kissing his cheek. "Akane, dear, don't you have homework to do?" The younger girl nodded, and went up to her room. A little later, Kasumi joined her there, feeling that more needed to be said. Although Akane felt that she was more than adequately aware of the dangers she had been flirting with, her sister proceeded to drive the point home of just what sort of disasters could befall her if she was not more careful. It went beyond painfully embarrassing, and Akane promised faithfully to be more cautious in future.
Nabiki returned home much later, in a foul mood. Her schemes had only netted her a little profit that day, and she had been unable to discover anything that Akane might have been up to. With a sigh of disgust, she decided to drop it. How important could some missing tofu be, anyway?
The next couple of days followed according to the rules Kasumi laid out for them, with the older girl allowing no more than a brief kiss good-night each evening. With Kasumi's help, they did get more opportunities to train together, and Ranma carefully instructed Akane in the things he wanted her to practice over the next year. The more Kasumi saw of young Ranma, the more impressed she was, and she tried to be no more intrusive than necessary in her younger sister's burgeoning romance.
Tuesday arrived all too soon from the young couple's point of view. Very early in the morning, well before dawn, the three of them stood outside the back gate in a light rain, saying their good-byes. Akane and Kasumi were both holding umbrellas, and Ranma was standing under Akane's. As the time of his departure approached, Ranma turned to the older sister, cleared his throat, and nervously asked, "Kasumi? Would you mind?"
Kasumi frowned at first, but then gave him a tender smile, turned around, and stepped back through the gate. Ranma did not hesitate, but took Akane firmly in his arms and kissed her deeply. This would likely be the last time that he would kiss her for a year, and he wanted her to remember it. Not to mention that he wanted the memory to sustain him through the coming days as well. After a lengthy interval they broke apart, staring deeply into each other's eyes.
"Next year I'll be staying. I promised you," Ranma told her quietly. Akane nodded, unable to speak through her tight throat, as a tear rolled down her cheek. Ranma lifted his hand and wiped the tear off with his thumb, then turned and walked down the street, letting the rain soak into his hair and coat. At the corner he turned and looked back at her one last time, longingly, then stepped out of sight. Akane stood there staring for a while, until she felt Kasumi's arms wrap around her from behind, and pull her into a comforting embrace.
On March 14th, Kasumi received a package in the mail, the handwritten return address purporting to be that of a book club. Feeling a little confused, she opened the package to find another smaller box inside, together with a note, which read "Kasumi, would you please give this to Akane? Ranma."
She waited until that evening after dinner, to knock on her youngest sister's door. Receiving permission to enter, she did so, closing the door carefully behind herself. When she was sure that they would not be observed, and speaking too quietly to be heard outside the room, she held out the box and said, "This came in the mail today for you, from Ranma."
Akane was surprised and pleased and unaccountably shy. She reached eagerly to take the box from her sister, excitedly wondering what in the world Ranma would be sending to her. Inside she found white chocolates, together with a scrawled note, reading, "I wouldn't want you to think I forgot last month. I wanted to make sure you knew how I feel. Ranma." Bursting with pleasure, she remembered that today was White Day. Akane carefully saved the note inside her diary, on the page for that day.
Time passed. Akane began her final year in middle school, as Kasumi began her final year in high school. On Akane's fifteenth birthday, after everyone else had retired, Kasumi presented her with a small wrapped box, saying that it came from Ranma. On opening it, she found a small piece of polished jade. It was not carved or shaped in any way and, except for its smoothness, might have been something picked up off of the ground. However, she treasured it, knowing how little the boy had, and kept it on her desk where she could touch it from time to time, imagining how his hands must have spent days polishing it.
During summer break, the Tendo family visited the beach again, although Akane did not have a particularly good time. Several boys insisted on pestering her, trying to catch her eye, despite her complete lack of interest in any of them. When the leaves changed in the autumn, Akane found herself walking through the park, wondering what it would be like to have Ranma walking there beside her. As December arrived, she began to count down the weeks until February.
The Tendo family had begun celebrating Christmas, if only in a secular fashion, while Soun's wife was still alive. The three daughters continued to do so thereafter, although their father didn't seem to care one way or another. Even Nabiki emerged from her hard financial shell for at least that one day of the year. That particular Christmas dawned gray and dreary, with a thick overcast and no snow to brighten the ground. In the early morning, after they had finished opening the presents, and while they were eating some cake which Kasumi had baked, the telephone rang. Excusing herself, Kasumi rose and went to answer it. She returned a minute later with a strange look in her eye. Picking up her plate again, she casually said, "Akane, that was Masa on the telephone. He said that Yuka wants to know if you could come over for a little while. I told him that seemed reasonable to me."
Akane blinked a few times, knowing from Kasumi's raised eyebrows and the tilt of her head that it was indeed Ranma and not Masa. It was astonishing, and unexpected, that he would have arrived so early this year. Not that she planned to complain! "Thanks, Kasumi. I guess I should head over there. I'll be back in a little while."
There weren't many people on the streets, as Akane picked her way over to the temple. She found her anticipation growing the closer she got. Not seeing him when she walked through the gate, she continued inside and found him sitting on a bench, looking a little sad. However, as soon as he noticed her he looked up and smiled happily.
"Hey, Akane," he said, with delight in his voice. "Come on over here and sit down. I have something for you."
The girl walked over and sat beside him. Raising her eyebrows, she inquired, "What is it, Ranma?"
Wordlessly he held out a box to her, wrapped in newsprint, with a piece of string tied into a bow. Akane took it from him and tore off the paper, then opened the box. With a feeling of awe, she pulled out a piece of carved mahogany, showing two sparring fighters on the top. She noticed that the top was actually a hinged lid, and on opening it she heard music begin to play. Realizing that it was a music box, she sat and listened to the haunting melody for a couple of minutes before closing the lid again. She turned to look at the boy beside her, her eyes wide.
"It ... it's beautiful, Ranma," she whispered. "Where did you get it?"
The boy shrugged, elated that she seemed pleased with his gift. "The last dojo we stayed at, the master seemed to like me a lot, almost as much as he detested pop. He told me I was welcome to come back and stay anytime, if I decided I couldn't put up with the old man any longer. Anyway, he had this thing on a shelf, and he caught me admiring it, though truthfully I was thinking of how much you might like it. He insisted on giving it to me; wouldn't take no for an answer. So, uh, I decided to make a quick visit to give it to you for Christmas. I'm glad you like it."
"I love it," she told him warmly, then leaned over to kiss him soundly. Drawing back, she said, a little plaintively, "Thank you so much. But I'm afraid that I don't have anything to give you."
"Aw, that's okay, Akane. I just wanted to give you a present, I wasn't expecting nothing in return. Although," he chuckled, "that kiss you gave me was definitely worth it."
Akane's eyes danced. "Oh, well, in that case ..." Then she leaned over and kissed him again, even more deeply.
As she pulled back again, Akane remembered the look which had been on his face when she came in. "Ranma, is something wrong? You weren't looking very happy when I first came in."
The boy sighed. "Well, sort of. I'm afraid I may not be able to make it in February this year, maybe not even March. Pop's been talking about heading over to China for a few months. He seems to be pretty serious about it too. We've stayed in one place for the past four months, while he's been working, actually working, to raise money for the trip." His eyes became calculating. "Gave me a chance to spend an entire term at a single school, though."
Akane understood exactly how Ranma had felt when she walked in, because now she felt the same way. The next time he visited, he was supposed to be coming to stay, but it looked like that was going to be delayed. She remembered his promise, that he would come by summer at the latest. She hoped he wouldn't be delayed that long. "You'll take care of yourself in China, promise? And don't go falling for any of the local girls."
Ranma snorted. "No need to fear about that. The only girl I'm interested in is sitting beside me, right now." Akane wriggled in pleasure, and they kissed a little more.
"How soon will you be leaving? Do you know?"
"Well, pop hasn't been too clear about that. A few more days I think, but I won't swear to it." Ranma considered that for a minute. "Hopefully, that'll give me time for a duel someone challenged me to a couple of days ago." The boy chuckled at some memory. "He's a real interesting guy. I swear he could get lost in a closet with no window and one door. I've been walking him from home to school and back every day this term, it honestly takes him two or three days to find his way, otherwise."
Akane frowned. "That sounds really strange. I hope you're not picking on him about it."
Ranma shook his head, still feeling amused. "Naw, just a little friendly teasing between guys. He knows I don't mean anything by it. After all, would I walk him back and forth every day if I didn't like him?" Ranma looked around the room and sighed. "I've gotta be going, Akane, before pop misses me."
She grabbed hold of the front of his coat, looking at him. "Please take care of yourself. I wish you were staying."
Ranma placed his hands on hers. "I wish that I was staying, too. Next time. It won't be much longer now. I'll take care, and I'll be thinking about you every day."
"I'll be thinking about you, too," Akane replied, then pulled him close and kissed him fiercely. Silently and regretfully, they stood up and left the temple together, Akane holding the box containing her gift. Once out the gate, they turned and left in separate directions, occasionally peeking over their shoulder at each other until they were out of sight. With a heavy sigh, Akane turned her feet toward home, while mentally increasing the countdown of the number of weeks before she could expect to see him again.
Author's note:
I have added a new page on my web site, called "Character Violence Ratings." It rates the Ranma 1/2 characters for their tendency to act violently, not counting response to physical attacks. Unsurprisingly, Pantyhose Taro is the most violent, and Kasumi Tendo is the least. What may be more surprising (to some, not to me) is that Akane falls right in the middle. Kodachi, Ukyo and Shampoo all have higher violence ratings than Akane.