Dancing in the Dark
Shadow Knight
Chapter 2: Waltz
Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns ALL of the characters.
~
"Well that was certainly interesting. . . ."
Reaching up a hand, she twirled her blue black hair idly between her fingers. Looking up, she saw an old wooden sign swing on its hinges. Black characters reading "Tendo Dojo" were painted on the sign as it swung in the windy weather. Stepping into the house, she slipped her shoes off quietly. Her mind was still caught in a slight daze when suddenly she heard someone calling her name.
"Akane, are you home?"
Smiling, Akane slowly walked toward the kitchen. "Yes, Kasumi, I'm here."
Turning around the corner, she saw Kasumi smiling at her as she wiped her hands in a towel. "I'm glad you're here Akane! I need someone to clean out the dojo. Someone left the door open today and a lot of leaves blew inside. Could you grab a broom and clean it out?"
Akane scratched her head and smiled as she felt sweat on the back of her neck. So that's what she forgot this morning. . . . . "Sure Kasumi," she gulped, "I'd be glad to."
~
Swish.
Swish.
Sigh.
Swish.
"This is so boring," Akane mumbled as she brushed at the ever elusive leaves. As soon as she tapped them, they seemed to break into pieces, only creating a bigger mess. She grumbled with frustration. That's the last time I ever leave that stupid door open. . . .
Looking distractedly, she stopped for a moment and reached up to twirl her hair. "I wish I could go out for another ice cream. . . ."
She suddenly stiffened as she felt another presence.
"With Mousse no doubt, eh?"
Whipping around, Akane felt her eyes narrow as she saw her unexpected invader. His black braid snaked over his shoulder as his stormy blue eyes regarded her carefully, a disapproving frown on his face. His arms were crossed lightly along his chest, his fingers digging into the red silk of his sleeve.
"What do you care, Ranma?" Akane cast down her eyes and went back to sweeping.
Akane knew that Ranma was staring at him, but she continued to look down at the leaves. When she went to stroke them with the bristles of the broom, she suddenly noticed with widened eyes that they blew the other way. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled.
"You stupid tomboy," Ranma's voice yelled in her ears, from beside her, "I don't care. . . I . ."
Akane looked up as she heard Ranma's voice crack.
His face was slightly red, with embarrassment or anger she couldn't tell. His eyes shifted side to side as he saw her looking directly at him, dead serious. "I just. . . I just," he stuttered, noticing for a moment how cute she looked at the moment, "I just don't want your dad getting angry at me and stuff!"
With a slight frown on her face, Akane snorted and went back to her sweeping. "Whatever Ranma. I don't care."
Ranma watched, taken back. She. . . she wasn't angry? Nothing? Ranma felt a bit of anger sprout inside of him like a vicious weed. She didn't care?!
"Fine then," Ranma barked out, "I'll just go see Shampoo or Ukyo and get some _real_ cooking from my _cute_ fiancées."
He reached up and covered his head, ready for her giant mallet to slam into him.
Blink.
Cracking one eye open, Ranma peered out cautiously at Akane. She wasn't looking at him. She wasn't even next to him. Akane simply continued to sweep the leaves out of the dojo near the entrance. Suddenly she looked up, back at him.
"Well," she asked curiously, "aren't you going?"
Ranma gaped at her for a moment, his mouth slightly ajar. What was wrong with her? No response at all. This was. . . weird.
And he didn't like it.
"Y. . .Yes! I'm going," he replied when he gained his voice back, "I'm just. . . just. . .taking my time! See ya, you uncute tomboy!"
"Bye, Ranma."
When Ranma made his way out the door, he looked around the corner, careful not to be caught. "What's up with you, Akane?" he whispered to himself.
With a confused and somewhat sullen face, he hopped away on the rooftops toward Shampoo and Ukyo's.
~
Meanwhile, back in the dojo, Akane waited for a moment before letting out a huge breath. "I thought I was going to crack there for a second," she mumbled to herself, sweeping the last of the leaves out.
Placing the broom aside lightly, she closed the screen and made her way back into the house. Making sure no one saw her, she darted up the steps with silent grace and let the door click shut quietly behind her. With barely contained excitement, she grabbed the phone and dialed the number on the small piece of paper that she clutched tightly in her hand.
Written across the top in quick symbols read: Mousse.
~
BRING!
"Duck boy, answer that!"
BRING!
"Stupid Mousse! Answer phone!"
"Yes, Shampoo," Mousse grumbled as he put down his rag and raced toward the kitchen and to the phone.
BR-
"Hello, you've reached the Neko Haten, what can I do for y-"
"Mousse! It's me, Akane!"
"Ak-," Mousse paused at covered the edge of the phone where he talked, hushing his voice, "Akane, is something wrong?"
"No," Akane laughed into the phone at his cautiousness, "I just have some good news and wanted to tell you."
Mousse looked back at Shampoo and saw that she was continuing to go on, not noticing him, "Akane, what happened? Make it quick, I don't want to get caught."
Akane smiled on the other line. "Mousse," she declared softly, "it worked! He fell for it. Have you done your part yet?"
"No," Mousse muttered, agitatedly running a hand through his thick locks, "She keeps ignoring me. I have no idea what to do now."
There was a pause on the other line for a few moments. Mousse began to think Akane hanged up.
"Akane?"
"I've got it," she suddenly declared, "I'll come to the Neko Haten and you serve me. Then, as you serve me, I'll flirt with you, okay?"
Mousse was blushing on the other end, pulling his collar out a bit further. "Excuse me?"
A hearty laugh made it's way back in his ear as she heard his nervous voice. "Mousse. . . hahaha. . . no. . . haha. . .I . . . hahaha. . whoo. . . I meant that I would _pretend_ to flirt with you. You have to act like you're flirting back, okay? Well. . . that is if you can manage. . . .around your beloved Shampoo."
Mousse heard the challenge in her voice and smiled, his blush fading as a spark lit in his eyes. "You got yourself a deal, Akane. Be here in a few minutes. I'll make you regret making this bet."
"You're on."
~
YES! ANOTHER CHAPTER! #VICTORY DANCE ENSUES# Oh yeah! Well, there you go. I hope you liked it! I should have the next chapter up in no time because I already wrote it! It was supposed to be connected to this one, but I figured that 8 pages was a little long for one chapter in this story.
Geeze la wheeze, I can't even fathom how I actually got this story on a role. The first chapter was just purely an idea that I came up with on my spare time. I didn't even think I'd get any reviews. Then BAM, 18 reviews on one chapter. Wow. Thank you all who reviewed. You guys made this chapter and the next possible.
Thanx again!
Well, until the next chapter,
Ciao. ^_~
P.S. PLEASE REVIEW! Thanx. :P
Shadow Knight
Chapter 2: Waltz
Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns ALL of the characters.
~
"Well that was certainly interesting. . . ."
Reaching up a hand, she twirled her blue black hair idly between her fingers. Looking up, she saw an old wooden sign swing on its hinges. Black characters reading "Tendo Dojo" were painted on the sign as it swung in the windy weather. Stepping into the house, she slipped her shoes off quietly. Her mind was still caught in a slight daze when suddenly she heard someone calling her name.
"Akane, are you home?"
Smiling, Akane slowly walked toward the kitchen. "Yes, Kasumi, I'm here."
Turning around the corner, she saw Kasumi smiling at her as she wiped her hands in a towel. "I'm glad you're here Akane! I need someone to clean out the dojo. Someone left the door open today and a lot of leaves blew inside. Could you grab a broom and clean it out?"
Akane scratched her head and smiled as she felt sweat on the back of her neck. So that's what she forgot this morning. . . . . "Sure Kasumi," she gulped, "I'd be glad to."
~
Swish.
Swish.
Sigh.
Swish.
"This is so boring," Akane mumbled as she brushed at the ever elusive leaves. As soon as she tapped them, they seemed to break into pieces, only creating a bigger mess. She grumbled with frustration. That's the last time I ever leave that stupid door open. . . .
Looking distractedly, she stopped for a moment and reached up to twirl her hair. "I wish I could go out for another ice cream. . . ."
She suddenly stiffened as she felt another presence.
"With Mousse no doubt, eh?"
Whipping around, Akane felt her eyes narrow as she saw her unexpected invader. His black braid snaked over his shoulder as his stormy blue eyes regarded her carefully, a disapproving frown on his face. His arms were crossed lightly along his chest, his fingers digging into the red silk of his sleeve.
"What do you care, Ranma?" Akane cast down her eyes and went back to sweeping.
Akane knew that Ranma was staring at him, but she continued to look down at the leaves. When she went to stroke them with the bristles of the broom, she suddenly noticed with widened eyes that they blew the other way. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled.
"You stupid tomboy," Ranma's voice yelled in her ears, from beside her, "I don't care. . . I . ."
Akane looked up as she heard Ranma's voice crack.
His face was slightly red, with embarrassment or anger she couldn't tell. His eyes shifted side to side as he saw her looking directly at him, dead serious. "I just. . . I just," he stuttered, noticing for a moment how cute she looked at the moment, "I just don't want your dad getting angry at me and stuff!"
With a slight frown on her face, Akane snorted and went back to her sweeping. "Whatever Ranma. I don't care."
Ranma watched, taken back. She. . . she wasn't angry? Nothing? Ranma felt a bit of anger sprout inside of him like a vicious weed. She didn't care?!
"Fine then," Ranma barked out, "I'll just go see Shampoo or Ukyo and get some _real_ cooking from my _cute_ fiancées."
He reached up and covered his head, ready for her giant mallet to slam into him.
Blink.
Cracking one eye open, Ranma peered out cautiously at Akane. She wasn't looking at him. She wasn't even next to him. Akane simply continued to sweep the leaves out of the dojo near the entrance. Suddenly she looked up, back at him.
"Well," she asked curiously, "aren't you going?"
Ranma gaped at her for a moment, his mouth slightly ajar. What was wrong with her? No response at all. This was. . . weird.
And he didn't like it.
"Y. . .Yes! I'm going," he replied when he gained his voice back, "I'm just. . . just. . .taking my time! See ya, you uncute tomboy!"
"Bye, Ranma."
When Ranma made his way out the door, he looked around the corner, careful not to be caught. "What's up with you, Akane?" he whispered to himself.
With a confused and somewhat sullen face, he hopped away on the rooftops toward Shampoo and Ukyo's.
~
Meanwhile, back in the dojo, Akane waited for a moment before letting out a huge breath. "I thought I was going to crack there for a second," she mumbled to herself, sweeping the last of the leaves out.
Placing the broom aside lightly, she closed the screen and made her way back into the house. Making sure no one saw her, she darted up the steps with silent grace and let the door click shut quietly behind her. With barely contained excitement, she grabbed the phone and dialed the number on the small piece of paper that she clutched tightly in her hand.
Written across the top in quick symbols read: Mousse.
~
BRING!
"Duck boy, answer that!"
BRING!
"Stupid Mousse! Answer phone!"
"Yes, Shampoo," Mousse grumbled as he put down his rag and raced toward the kitchen and to the phone.
BR-
"Hello, you've reached the Neko Haten, what can I do for y-"
"Mousse! It's me, Akane!"
"Ak-," Mousse paused at covered the edge of the phone where he talked, hushing his voice, "Akane, is something wrong?"
"No," Akane laughed into the phone at his cautiousness, "I just have some good news and wanted to tell you."
Mousse looked back at Shampoo and saw that she was continuing to go on, not noticing him, "Akane, what happened? Make it quick, I don't want to get caught."
Akane smiled on the other line. "Mousse," she declared softly, "it worked! He fell for it. Have you done your part yet?"
"No," Mousse muttered, agitatedly running a hand through his thick locks, "She keeps ignoring me. I have no idea what to do now."
There was a pause on the other line for a few moments. Mousse began to think Akane hanged up.
"Akane?"
"I've got it," she suddenly declared, "I'll come to the Neko Haten and you serve me. Then, as you serve me, I'll flirt with you, okay?"
Mousse was blushing on the other end, pulling his collar out a bit further. "Excuse me?"
A hearty laugh made it's way back in his ear as she heard his nervous voice. "Mousse. . . hahaha. . . no. . . haha. . .I . . . hahaha. . whoo. . . I meant that I would _pretend_ to flirt with you. You have to act like you're flirting back, okay? Well. . . that is if you can manage. . . .around your beloved Shampoo."
Mousse heard the challenge in her voice and smiled, his blush fading as a spark lit in his eyes. "You got yourself a deal, Akane. Be here in a few minutes. I'll make you regret making this bet."
"You're on."
~
YES! ANOTHER CHAPTER! #VICTORY DANCE ENSUES# Oh yeah! Well, there you go. I hope you liked it! I should have the next chapter up in no time because I already wrote it! It was supposed to be connected to this one, but I figured that 8 pages was a little long for one chapter in this story.
Geeze la wheeze, I can't even fathom how I actually got this story on a role. The first chapter was just purely an idea that I came up with on my spare time. I didn't even think I'd get any reviews. Then BAM, 18 reviews on one chapter. Wow. Thank you all who reviewed. You guys made this chapter and the next possible.
Thanx again!
Well, until the next chapter,
Ciao. ^_~
P.S. PLEASE REVIEW! Thanx. :P