DISCLAIMER: Ranma & Co. are not mine. Please don't sue me.
NOTE: The first chapter was a little short beacuse this idea popped in my mind and I was just so curious to see if I was the only one to like it. Don't worry, Ranma and Akane will take their time... As usual be gentle (thanks for the compliments for the first chapter), I'm not english and I haven't pre-read this stuff! ^_^;;; Visit my site!
AKANE - Chapter 02
Two weeks have passed by since Ranma's arrival and the questions he had intended to ask Akane had been left unspoken. In the meantime he had adjusted to the routine of the Tendo Dojo and the Tendo House, teaching for most part of the day. He felt so alive, practicing and teaching the Art was his life and he just felt so alive when he moved accross the Dojo's floor showing a kata to a class of students.
"Ok class! Good job, we'll see tomorrow!" he said clapping his hands. As the students emptied the room he walked to the bench on the side to clean himself with a towel and drink a little of water. He sensed someone watching him so he spun around towards the doors and saw Yoshi watching him with P-chan in his arms.
"Take a strong hold of him. I don't want another bite in my leg!" he said chuckling.
"I won't let him this time." the kid said seriously.
"What are you doing around here?"
Yoshi seemed unsure for a moment but he asked anyway: "Can you teach me the Art?"
Ranma was surprised to say the least. "Why don't you ask your mother?"
"Mom doesn't want me to learn the Art...once I heard her say she didn't want me to be like my father..."
He knelt down in front of the kid to be head-level with him: "Do you want me to teach you the Art without telling your mother?"
Yoshi was having an hard time keeping Ranma's gaze but he nodded through his troubled feelings.
"You are very strong willed..." stated Ranma "...ok so I'm gonna be your teacher...but I have to be paid for teaching you..."
Yoshi was left without words, he hadn't thought of this aspect of the deal and he hadn't money to pay Ranma for teaching him!
"Let's make a deal: I teach you the Art and you watch out for P-chan not biting my legs. Do we have a deal?" he sticked out his hand with a big grin on his face.
"Deal!" a relieved Yoshi shook his hand.
He was standing up when he saw a man about his age entering the house with a bouquet of flowers.
*Here comes the boyfriend.* he thought with a pang of jealousy in his heart.
He felt a tug on his pant. He looked down and saw Yoshi looking up at him expectantly.
"Ok, Yoshi. We can start the lesson now, if you want."
"YEAH!"
About an hour later the two stepped into the house giggling and wiping the sweat with a towel. They entered the living room and Ranma stopped when he saw Akane talking with the man he had previously saw, the bouquet of flowers was in a vase on the table.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know we had a guest!" he said and turned to leave.
"Wait, Ranma. I wanna intriduce you two." Akane stopped him.
He turned to see a troubled look on the other man's face.
"This is the new teacher of my dojo, Ranma Saotome..." she said at the other guy "...and this is..." now she was speaking with him "...Ryoga Hibiki, umm..." she esitated "...a really good friend of mine."
Ranma didn't know why but he felt terribly irritated by the other man presence in the living room - maybe it was the fact that he was here alone with Akane - but he put it aside and bowed.
"Nice to meet you." they said.
Ranma looked at the man a little longer, then turned to leave: "I'm gonna take a bath...Yoshi, you too!"
"Ranma." she didn't yell but it seemed like she had to him.
He turned around: "Yes?"
"You didn't teach Yoshi, did you?" she asked narrowing her eyes.
"Me?" he was struggling to find the right words.
"We were playing with P-chan." Yoshi cut in.
"Yes!" Ranma took the lifesaver "Well, actually P-chan was trying to have me for his dinner and I was trying to save my leg. Eheh." he scratched the back of his head.
As if on cue P-chan trotted into the living room, looked at everybody with curiousity and then made himself comfortable in Ryoga's lap.
"It seems like a good little piglet to me." Ryoga said looking at him with his eyebrows lifted.
"Maybe he feels more comfortable with you than with me."
"Maybe you have to treat him better than you do."
"Maybe you understand him better than me."
"Maybe..." Ryoga was really annoyed right now.
"Do you wanna fight, pig-boy?"
"Tell me when!" Ryoga said getting up.
"Now seems as a good time as ever to me. Follow me in the dojo!" Ranma stomped in the dojo's direction.
That eveing was a very pleasant one, a lot of stars were lightining the sky and a cool breeze was making tolerable the heat of the night.
"Akane?" she was sitting on the porch, a glass of tea in her hands, looking at the stars.
"Ranma." she turned just enough to say: "Sit down."
He sat down gingerly. "Ouch."
"He is good, isn't him?" she said.
"Yes, I didn't expect him to be that good. But I gave him a taste of my skill, too. Heheh." He had a satisfied look on his face. Then, remembering why he had come here to talk to her after he was sure Yoshi was in his bed sleeping peacefully he added: "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" she turned to look at him, she seemed genuinely surprised. "What for?"
"For picking up a fight with this Ryoga guy."
"Oh. That. Don't worry he was just as eager to fight as you." she pondered the words: "He...he was so pissed that I hired a teacher for the dojo."
"Why didn't you offered the job to him?"
"I'm...I'm not sure why I'm telling you this..." she looked at him for a moment "I know so little of you...Ryoga...Ryoga is a good man, really. But...he's totally in love with me."
"It's not a bad thing." he said looking downcast.
"I know. It's just that I suffered so much in the past...with Yoshi's father and all. I used to follow my feelings and now I'm afraid. Afraid to get hurt, afraid of not being a good mother for Yoshi, to not be enough for him. I want a good father for him, and Ryoga could be that man. Maybe I have to learn to love him."
"That doesn't answer my question. Why didn't you offer the job to him?"
She looked at him and he saw in her eyes that she didn't want to voice her thoughts. She looked so childish in that moment.
"You don't want to learn to love someone, right? You want to fall in love like every man and woman want. So you hired a teacher for the dojo to keep Ryoga away from you. You were afraid that if he worked here and you saw him everyday you'll have the temptation to follow reason rather than your heart."
"Maybe." She stood "Maybe I'm just afraid that love doesn't even exist." She turned to leave yawning.
"Love is life itself. We are the result of someone's love." he said without turning.
She stopped in her track: "Maybe. Or maybe of someone's passion of the moment." She left.
*How much have you been hurt to think these things?* he stood and went to bed.
Ranma used to like mornings. He felt fresh, relaxed and ready to break mountains. But that was before he moved in the Tendo Dojo. Now his mornings started with P-chan chasing him all the way to the bathroom, Akane chasing after P-chan trying to stop him and Yoshi laughing his head off at the scene.
"Sorry." Akane said looking at the table where they were having breakfast.
"Akane, there is no reason for you to apologize." Ranma was rather imbarassed, it was the fifth time that morning that she apologized to him "He is just a stupid pig...OUCH! Let go of me!" he ran accross the room waving his arm wildly, a very upset P-chan biting it. "When did pig start to understand human's speech?!?"
"P-chan is really smart!" said Yoshi in awe "Come on P-chan! Leave him alone, come here!" he said to the piglet.
P-chan looked a Yoshi without loosing the grip, looked unsure for a moment but in the end leapt in the kid's lap.
"You could do this anytime...what were you waiting for?"
Yoshi just looked at him giggling. They heard a knock at the door.
"I get it." said Ranma.
He opened the door and found Ryoga on the front step with a smile in his face. The smile however turned into a frown when he saw it was Ranma that answered the door.
"Where is Akane?" he asked entering the house.
"Why, yes! Good morning to you, too!" Ranma said throwing his hands in the air and then shutting the door "Someone must teach you some manners."
In the hallway P-chan ran towards Ryoga that stopped to pet him.
"You two sure are made of the same flesh!" Ranma muttered under his breath.
"Ryoga! Good morning!" Akane greeted him.
"Akane!" he stood up with P-chan in his arms. "I was wondering, you know it's saturday and it's a nice day...why don't we go to the park for a picnic?"
"I don't know, I..." she looked at Ranma for support.
"Sure pig-boy! Why not?" Ranma cut in giving Ryoga a slap on his shoulder.
Ryoga glared at Ranma but what was funny was that him and P-chan had the very same expression.
"Yeah! To the park!" an enthusiastic Yoshi yelled.
"I have to prepare something to eat, I'm not ready..." Akane babbled.
"I have all the necessary outside..." Ryoga explained.
"Well done, pig-boy! Let's go!" Ranma exclaimed opening the door and letting Yoshi out.
"Stop calling me that!"
"Ouch! P-chan let go of me!"
They arrived at the park and put the blanket on the grass under the shade of a big tree. They ate in relative peace, and when they were finished Yoshi dragged Ranma to the playground to play a little with him. Ryoga and Akane remained silently on the blanket looking really embarassed.
"So...have you thought about what I told you yesterday?" Ryoga broke the silence.
Akane looked at him at a loss for words. She opened her mouth several times but nothing came out.
"I think it's the best solution for us." he continued "I mean, I love you, you know that..." he blushed furiously.
"I know, Ryoga but..."
"...and I love Yoshi, too. I want to be a good father for him...as a good husband for you..."
Akane took a deep breath and straightened her back: "Ryoga, I don't think it's a good idea. I love you, but as a friend..."
"For now. But you can learn to love me, can't you?"
"I could, but I don't want."
Ryoga looked crestfallen by now. Then suddenly he took Akane in his arms murmuring: "Maybe if I show you how much I can love you..." he leaned closer to her so close that the kiss almost happened...almost. Almost because a baseball hit him on the head breaking the moment.
"What the hell...!" He yelled taking the ball in his hand.
"Sorry, pig-boy! Wanna play with us?" Ranma neared the couple under the tree panting. "The little kid is really good and I really need your help."
"Ah! You are ridicolous, Ranma! I'll show you how to play!" Ryoga stomped off towards Yoshi.
Ranma grinned at Akane, and before leaving he winked at her.
"Ranma!" she called "Thanks." she smiled relieved.
"You're welcome!"
END CHAPTER 02
NOTE: The first chapter was a little short beacuse this idea popped in my mind and I was just so curious to see if I was the only one to like it. Don't worry, Ranma and Akane will take their time... As usual be gentle (thanks for the compliments for the first chapter), I'm not english and I haven't pre-read this stuff! ^_^;;; Visit my site!
AKANE - Chapter 02
Two weeks have passed by since Ranma's arrival and the questions he had intended to ask Akane had been left unspoken. In the meantime he had adjusted to the routine of the Tendo Dojo and the Tendo House, teaching for most part of the day. He felt so alive, practicing and teaching the Art was his life and he just felt so alive when he moved accross the Dojo's floor showing a kata to a class of students.
"Ok class! Good job, we'll see tomorrow!" he said clapping his hands. As the students emptied the room he walked to the bench on the side to clean himself with a towel and drink a little of water. He sensed someone watching him so he spun around towards the doors and saw Yoshi watching him with P-chan in his arms.
"Take a strong hold of him. I don't want another bite in my leg!" he said chuckling.
"I won't let him this time." the kid said seriously.
"What are you doing around here?"
Yoshi seemed unsure for a moment but he asked anyway: "Can you teach me the Art?"
Ranma was surprised to say the least. "Why don't you ask your mother?"
"Mom doesn't want me to learn the Art...once I heard her say she didn't want me to be like my father..."
He knelt down in front of the kid to be head-level with him: "Do you want me to teach you the Art without telling your mother?"
Yoshi was having an hard time keeping Ranma's gaze but he nodded through his troubled feelings.
"You are very strong willed..." stated Ranma "...ok so I'm gonna be your teacher...but I have to be paid for teaching you..."
Yoshi was left without words, he hadn't thought of this aspect of the deal and he hadn't money to pay Ranma for teaching him!
"Let's make a deal: I teach you the Art and you watch out for P-chan not biting my legs. Do we have a deal?" he sticked out his hand with a big grin on his face.
"Deal!" a relieved Yoshi shook his hand.
He was standing up when he saw a man about his age entering the house with a bouquet of flowers.
*Here comes the boyfriend.* he thought with a pang of jealousy in his heart.
He felt a tug on his pant. He looked down and saw Yoshi looking up at him expectantly.
"Ok, Yoshi. We can start the lesson now, if you want."
"YEAH!"
About an hour later the two stepped into the house giggling and wiping the sweat with a towel. They entered the living room and Ranma stopped when he saw Akane talking with the man he had previously saw, the bouquet of flowers was in a vase on the table.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know we had a guest!" he said and turned to leave.
"Wait, Ranma. I wanna intriduce you two." Akane stopped him.
He turned to see a troubled look on the other man's face.
"This is the new teacher of my dojo, Ranma Saotome..." she said at the other guy "...and this is..." now she was speaking with him "...Ryoga Hibiki, umm..." she esitated "...a really good friend of mine."
Ranma didn't know why but he felt terribly irritated by the other man presence in the living room - maybe it was the fact that he was here alone with Akane - but he put it aside and bowed.
"Nice to meet you." they said.
Ranma looked at the man a little longer, then turned to leave: "I'm gonna take a bath...Yoshi, you too!"
"Ranma." she didn't yell but it seemed like she had to him.
He turned around: "Yes?"
"You didn't teach Yoshi, did you?" she asked narrowing her eyes.
"Me?" he was struggling to find the right words.
"We were playing with P-chan." Yoshi cut in.
"Yes!" Ranma took the lifesaver "Well, actually P-chan was trying to have me for his dinner and I was trying to save my leg. Eheh." he scratched the back of his head.
As if on cue P-chan trotted into the living room, looked at everybody with curiousity and then made himself comfortable in Ryoga's lap.
"It seems like a good little piglet to me." Ryoga said looking at him with his eyebrows lifted.
"Maybe he feels more comfortable with you than with me."
"Maybe you have to treat him better than you do."
"Maybe you understand him better than me."
"Maybe..." Ryoga was really annoyed right now.
"Do you wanna fight, pig-boy?"
"Tell me when!" Ryoga said getting up.
"Now seems as a good time as ever to me. Follow me in the dojo!" Ranma stomped in the dojo's direction.
That eveing was a very pleasant one, a lot of stars were lightining the sky and a cool breeze was making tolerable the heat of the night.
"Akane?" she was sitting on the porch, a glass of tea in her hands, looking at the stars.
"Ranma." she turned just enough to say: "Sit down."
He sat down gingerly. "Ouch."
"He is good, isn't him?" she said.
"Yes, I didn't expect him to be that good. But I gave him a taste of my skill, too. Heheh." He had a satisfied look on his face. Then, remembering why he had come here to talk to her after he was sure Yoshi was in his bed sleeping peacefully he added: "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" she turned to look at him, she seemed genuinely surprised. "What for?"
"For picking up a fight with this Ryoga guy."
"Oh. That. Don't worry he was just as eager to fight as you." she pondered the words: "He...he was so pissed that I hired a teacher for the dojo."
"Why didn't you offered the job to him?"
"I'm...I'm not sure why I'm telling you this..." she looked at him for a moment "I know so little of you...Ryoga...Ryoga is a good man, really. But...he's totally in love with me."
"It's not a bad thing." he said looking downcast.
"I know. It's just that I suffered so much in the past...with Yoshi's father and all. I used to follow my feelings and now I'm afraid. Afraid to get hurt, afraid of not being a good mother for Yoshi, to not be enough for him. I want a good father for him, and Ryoga could be that man. Maybe I have to learn to love him."
"That doesn't answer my question. Why didn't you offer the job to him?"
She looked at him and he saw in her eyes that she didn't want to voice her thoughts. She looked so childish in that moment.
"You don't want to learn to love someone, right? You want to fall in love like every man and woman want. So you hired a teacher for the dojo to keep Ryoga away from you. You were afraid that if he worked here and you saw him everyday you'll have the temptation to follow reason rather than your heart."
"Maybe." She stood "Maybe I'm just afraid that love doesn't even exist." She turned to leave yawning.
"Love is life itself. We are the result of someone's love." he said without turning.
She stopped in her track: "Maybe. Or maybe of someone's passion of the moment." She left.
*How much have you been hurt to think these things?* he stood and went to bed.
Ranma used to like mornings. He felt fresh, relaxed and ready to break mountains. But that was before he moved in the Tendo Dojo. Now his mornings started with P-chan chasing him all the way to the bathroom, Akane chasing after P-chan trying to stop him and Yoshi laughing his head off at the scene.
"Sorry." Akane said looking at the table where they were having breakfast.
"Akane, there is no reason for you to apologize." Ranma was rather imbarassed, it was the fifth time that morning that she apologized to him "He is just a stupid pig...OUCH! Let go of me!" he ran accross the room waving his arm wildly, a very upset P-chan biting it. "When did pig start to understand human's speech?!?"
"P-chan is really smart!" said Yoshi in awe "Come on P-chan! Leave him alone, come here!" he said to the piglet.
P-chan looked a Yoshi without loosing the grip, looked unsure for a moment but in the end leapt in the kid's lap.
"You could do this anytime...what were you waiting for?"
Yoshi just looked at him giggling. They heard a knock at the door.
"I get it." said Ranma.
He opened the door and found Ryoga on the front step with a smile in his face. The smile however turned into a frown when he saw it was Ranma that answered the door.
"Where is Akane?" he asked entering the house.
"Why, yes! Good morning to you, too!" Ranma said throwing his hands in the air and then shutting the door "Someone must teach you some manners."
In the hallway P-chan ran towards Ryoga that stopped to pet him.
"You two sure are made of the same flesh!" Ranma muttered under his breath.
"Ryoga! Good morning!" Akane greeted him.
"Akane!" he stood up with P-chan in his arms. "I was wondering, you know it's saturday and it's a nice day...why don't we go to the park for a picnic?"
"I don't know, I..." she looked at Ranma for support.
"Sure pig-boy! Why not?" Ranma cut in giving Ryoga a slap on his shoulder.
Ryoga glared at Ranma but what was funny was that him and P-chan had the very same expression.
"Yeah! To the park!" an enthusiastic Yoshi yelled.
"I have to prepare something to eat, I'm not ready..." Akane babbled.
"I have all the necessary outside..." Ryoga explained.
"Well done, pig-boy! Let's go!" Ranma exclaimed opening the door and letting Yoshi out.
"Stop calling me that!"
"Ouch! P-chan let go of me!"
They arrived at the park and put the blanket on the grass under the shade of a big tree. They ate in relative peace, and when they were finished Yoshi dragged Ranma to the playground to play a little with him. Ryoga and Akane remained silently on the blanket looking really embarassed.
"So...have you thought about what I told you yesterday?" Ryoga broke the silence.
Akane looked at him at a loss for words. She opened her mouth several times but nothing came out.
"I think it's the best solution for us." he continued "I mean, I love you, you know that..." he blushed furiously.
"I know, Ryoga but..."
"...and I love Yoshi, too. I want to be a good father for him...as a good husband for you..."
Akane took a deep breath and straightened her back: "Ryoga, I don't think it's a good idea. I love you, but as a friend..."
"For now. But you can learn to love me, can't you?"
"I could, but I don't want."
Ryoga looked crestfallen by now. Then suddenly he took Akane in his arms murmuring: "Maybe if I show you how much I can love you..." he leaned closer to her so close that the kiss almost happened...almost. Almost because a baseball hit him on the head breaking the moment.
"What the hell...!" He yelled taking the ball in his hand.
"Sorry, pig-boy! Wanna play with us?" Ranma neared the couple under the tree panting. "The little kid is really good and I really need your help."
"Ah! You are ridicolous, Ranma! I'll show you how to play!" Ryoga stomped off towards Yoshi.
Ranma grinned at Akane, and before leaving he winked at her.
"Ranma!" she called "Thanks." she smiled relieved.
"You're welcome!"
END CHAPTER 02