Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma or any of the characters, they belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi.
AN: I envision the scene when listening to the song "Journey" from Tenno. Somehow the music makes my heart ache in a romantic way and it might be too melodramatic for something nice happening to RaxAk but in my opinion it fits perfectly. As a helpless romantic, I hope you like the outcome.
oOo
When Akane entered the room, Ranma sat in lotus position and watched the raindrops fall onto the dry lawn. His shirt taken off and thrown into the next corner, Akane was able to spot his back, which was covered in less scars and instead a good number of pink scratches. When he registered her approaching, he muttered: "Stupid cats, I bet that old ghoul from next-door dumped some food there on purpose." Relieved that Ranma wouldn't pick up the topic of his unusual awakening, Akane sighed: "Don't blame it on Mrs. Agawa, it's not her fault you got attacked." She placed herself right behind Ranma, putting the medication aside. She opened a bottle of antiseptic and poured some on a cotton pad. He hissed: "Right, it was you who threw that stone at me like a maniac." She pressed the alcohol-drenched pad onto his fresh wounds. "Ouch!"
"Serves you just right. Eavesdropping on private conversations, didn't your father teach you any manners?"
"You know the answer, blame that old skunk, not me. So, what was that conversation about?" She blushed behind his back. "Uhm, nothing really. She was asking if she can come to the wedding and I said it's okay. I mean, she's Kasumi's guest and who am I to decide" she lied. There was no way she'd tell Ranma about Ukyo's change of heart: he would probably just complain why he has gotten rid of his cute fiancé instead of the un-cute one. She kept cleaning the wounds and listened to Ranma's wincing. On the other hand, who is the one always taking care of this idiot's injuries, none of these bimbos but me. Suddenly the thought of Shampoo, placed behind a half-naked Ranma and putting lubricants onto his skin came to her mind and she had to supress a wave of anger. Not over my dead body. She scooped around him to face his front and took care of the last scratch, secretly enjoying the expression of pain on Ranma's face. "Is that it?"
"Don't be so impatient, I have only cleaned the fresh wounds. Next comes the ointment." She scuttled back behind him, reached for the paste, and spread some onto her fingertips. "What is that stuff? I haven't seen you use that potion before." So, he DOES acknowledge me taking care of him!
"You're correct, it's new. Tofu helped me making it from the dried Orochi-moss I collected in Ryugenzawa. I always wanted to make a potion out of it and now I finally had the time to do so."
"Hey, that's a great idea. Let's see if it works!" He exclaimed in excitement. Happy about his enthusiasm, Akane started to treat the few scars in front of her. Her thoughts wandered of again as she felt his silken skin beneath her fingertips. How can something feel so hard but still so incredibly soft? Very carefully she brushed her fingers over his back, taking her time to work precisely and not to make a klutz move on him. As if reading her mind, he declared: "That feels nice."
Her heart commenced to increase its pace and Akane was thankful that he couldn't see her face as she felt the blood rising to her head. "I did have some good exercise, you know." Thinking of all the times, she treated her fiancé, it was a wonder how he had survived before living with the Tendos. She smiled, but then again donned a poker face before scuttling back to his front side.
Delicately, she let her fingers move over his torso, closely leaning in to see exactly what she is doing. After a moment of silence Ranma asked, his voice calm and somewhat bashful:
"Is that also how you took care of that Shinnosuke -guy?" Surprised Akane raised her eyebrows and looked into his eyes. Again, he regarded her with this serious, daring look that sent shivers down her spine. It was then she realised, how she was supporting herself on his thighs and that their faces were only a few inches apart. His warm breath felt like flames on her cheek. The only reason she could keep her sanity was that ridiculous question he asked. Why, just why does he have to bring up that dreaded topic again? Ever since, her solo trip to Ryugenzawa has been a sensitive issue between the two of them, however, the arguments they would have usually followed the same pattern: Ranma accusing her of getting herself in danger, Akane claiming she had to safe Shinnosuke from death, Ranma taunting about how that guy only got fond of her because she was cooking with the water from the spring-of-life and, finally, Akane pulling her mallet and sending Ranma through the roof. The conversations about her almost-liaison always ended in violence. It was her temper that would get ahead of her: deep down she knew that it must have been jealousy that drove Ranma to repeatedly broaching the issue, but it simply made her mad that he could even get the idea of her being unfaithful. Despite the fact, that they didn't have anything that resembles a relationship, Ryugenzawa was the first time (apart from his infamous declaration at the Charlotte-cup, that she was his fiancé), that he sort-of-acted like her boyfriend. But instead of actually meeting the criteria of being her boyfriend once they were back in Nerima, he rather kept bugging her about things she hasn't even done wrong. Just like now.
Akane lowered her eyes and continued taking care of his bruises. "No Ranma I didn't. I never touched him. And even if I did, it would have been only for a medical cause." She had to keep her composure as she didn't want him to think that issue was of any importance to her. Maybe then he would drop the topic for good.
"Hm." He didn't seem satisfied with the answer but remained quiet. Akane worked her way up and down his body, now smearing the ointment on a scratch on his upper abs. She felt his eyes regarding her, like a tiger eying its prey, only that he was not about to devour her but ask stupid question or make even more stupid comments. She ignored him and focused even harder on her task. The longer she regarded his body, the more details she became aware of. Like the tiny mole right above his right nipple. Or his bellybutton that was not too big, not too deep; it was a cute bellybutton. Or that his muscles twitched slightly whenever she took some new ointment on her finger and put the cool texture on his skin. Now slightly rubbing the paste on his collarbone, she heard him ask barely audible: "Then you would touch other guys like this?" Again, she looked at him and this time, there was not only earnestness written in his face but a hint of vulnerability. He might be really concerned, and I must have given him a cause to be... How do I make him stop thinking that way?
This time, it was Akane who remained serious, but her voice was full of compassion when she answered. "I wouldn't do anything with anyone but you." She let the gravity of her words sink in and watched how Ranma tried to digest them. Puzzled, he just watched her with these beautiful blue eyes, in silence, when she conducted her view back to his collarbone, caressing an almost invisible bruise while placing her other hand behind his neck as if to emphasize her avowal. It was sheer wonder that she kept her cool, as her heart was pumping like she had sprinted a mile uphill. The words have left her mouth before she was able to grasp their depth, but once she had said them there was no way back. So what, it was true, she wouldn't treat anyone the way she treated Ranma and vice versa, she wouldn't let anyone do anything with her but him. She bit her teeth and held her breath as she waited for him to make a snappy comment or make fun of her, but when nothing happened, she relaxed. Suddenly, Ranma put both of his hands around her waist and pulled her fully onto his lap. Surprised Akane looked at the man, who still wasn't able to manage the chaos in his heart and the void of his brain and the only sound she heard was the pouring summer rain and the unendurable pounding within her chest. "Akane…" His voice was just a whisper, but the ocean of his eyes was reflecting a raging storm. Akane, now feeling her composure surely gliding away, was not even capable of pronouncing any syllable. Despite her mind screaming the name Ranma in bold letters, the only sound to come out of her mouth was a soft moan as she felt the heat of his calloused hands through the thin fibres of her shirt. She became oblivious to everything around her but his hands on her body and his magnetizing eyes. When she saw him conducting his gaze down to her lips, she completely lost all willpower over her body and like in trance leaned in closer, half-lidded eyes, while caressing the back of his neck, slowly letting her fingertips dive into the black of his hair. It was Ranma who seemed to hesitate a second, but only to quickly scan the environment with his other senses, making sure there was no one around to bother them. Within a second he refocused on the girl in front of him, taking all his courage to slowly closing the distance between them. As his nose brushed hers, Akane closed her eyes, yet again not able to supress a slight moan, giving Ranma the ultimate consent to make the move. Hesitantly he closed the distance, placing the softest kiss on her lips.
This. Is. Heaven. The softness of her was not even comparable to anything he knew, it felt as if deep down in his stomach, a very tightly closed vessel opened and literally millions of butterflies escaped. The thrill was mesmerizing, as he finally closed his eyes, too, to fully absorb the sensation on his lips. Automatically, one of his hands travelled up to her smaller back to further press her towards him, while the other one reached in between them, taking her hand that was still positioned on his collar and placing it flat onto his chest where his heart was drumming.
Feeling his heartbeat, she felt as if hers would explode from excitement. Ranma. Ranma. RANMA! It was yet the only thought her brain produced as she felt him parting his lips and brushing his tongue softly over hers. Again, she couldn't help but respond with a little moan as she allowed him entrance, just to taste the sweetness of his hot mouth. It was honey, cherry, vanilla, melon, every good taste she ever savoured, yet with a deliciousness of manifold intensity. Her fingers glided deeper into his hair, gripping it, as she felt like she needed to hold onto something, anything, otherwise she'd drown, with the sure estimate never to come back to her senses. Obviously having more control over his doing, Ranma slowly sucked Akane's lower lip passionately, opening his eyes just a bit to have a glance at her. He was not disappointed as her eyes were still closed, eyebrows arched in pleasure as she completely gave into his will. Becoming even bolder, he removed his hand from hers to cup her face, first caressing her cheek softly and then holding her tight to take control over the more passionately growing kiss. She is butter in my hands… I can't believe it. This must be a dream.
Somehow, an image from his first days at the Tendo domicile flashed before his inner eye, when a distant and grumpy Akane regarded him, a stranger, with an annoyed look on her face and no sympathy whatsoever. He couldn't help but smile into the kiss, regarding the long way they'd come and the fact that he was finally kissing her now. Finally. It wasn't before they had to part to catch their breath, when they opened their eyes again to regard one another. Blushing, out of breath and words, they sat and waited for the other to break the silence.
Why doesn't he say anything?
Why is she so timid all of a sudden? She doesn't want me to say something, does she?
Oh, what the heck, if he says anything, he might as well just ruin the moment… Akane thought as she leaned back in, placing both hands on his neck to pull him closer in a lustful kiss, eagerly sucking his lips and tongue as if he exerted a nectar she had to soak up until he runs dry. In fact, that is what she thought. He will ruin the moment, I am sure, and if this kiss is the last kiss I am ever going to share in my life, I am going to make it count!
For Ranma, the surprise about her sudden attack soon made room for the familiar excitement he always felt about her tomboyish behaviour. She's so feisty, even in the way she kisses. Grateful about the continuation of this new activity, he let his hands move across her back, her hips, even her thighs, rapidly feeling a new, stronger desire as he pulled her closer to his own body. Slowly, he opened his eyes to capture the sight of this dream-like moment. He wanted, he needed, to use all his senses to make sure this was really happening. He longed for the taste of her mouth, the smell of her skin, the sight of her cute face and the feel, oh, the feel of her body so close to his own. A rush of adrenaline waved through his body as his instinct urged him to make him also hear her, so he bit down slightly on her lower lip which caused her to release a high-pitched moan. Approving, he grunted into the kiss, his mind making more and more space for his instincts, which simultaneously alarmed him. We are in the family room; every second someone can come in… I don't care, I don't care, I don't care… But I should care, this is still the Tendo house….
As if reading his mind, Akane pulled away from him, heavily breathing and with the prettiest shade of pink on her cheeks. "We should…"
"We should?" His eyes were fixed on her plump lips. She licked them.
"I mean, someone could…"
"Yeah?" Ranma's voice was husky, he did not avert his eyes from her inviting mouth.
"Ranma I don't think we…" I don't care, I don't care, I don' care…. He darted forward, never removing his gaze from her lips, to initiate yet another passionate kiss as the main door yanked open with a smash. "Tadaima!"
When Nabiki entered the family room, Ranma was buttoning up his shirt whilst Akane collected her medicals. "Now, what have you two been up to? Got in a fight again, Saotome? You look wild."
"Yeah, the usual thing" he muttered, trying to act as normal as possible whilst rearranging his messy pigtail. Akane, who was worse of an actor but also aware of it, was about to leave the room, when Nabiki stated: "Now you guys, you won't believe who it was I saw on my way back home."
"Hm?" Akane halted, curious about the tone in her sister's voice. Nabiki turned towards the younger girl. "I believe you've had quite a time with him about a year ago."
"What are you babbling about, Nabiki?" Ranma interfered, jealousy and anger audibly rising in his voice, as he jumped up from his seated position. "Wow, Saotome, don't worry, you've had some fun with him, too. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't come by for a visit, after all it was you who helped him with the old gramps." Frowning, Akane and Ranma looked at each other, blushing, before addressing Nabiki again. "What are you talking about?"
"I think we should prepare some tea, as I expect we'll get visitors soon. Akane, make sure not to wear any pantyhose, it might offend our guest."