"Oh no!" Akane whispers in fear, breathlessly.
A low growl comes out from Ranma's mouth as he turns to look at Ukyo, ready to face her fury. He had become too excited to finally able to spend some alone time with his tomboy after so long and he wanted to stretch their time limit, that's why he intentionally chose the long route home. But in his excitement, he completely forgot that in that route he have to cross Ucchan's okonomiyaki shop if he wants to reach his house. But what is done is done.. Now, they have to face her.. And he is ready for that too… Then he heard as Akane slowly whispers to his ear in an urgent tone,
"Ranma.. Put me down..!"
He felt her pulling her arms out from around his neck as she tried to get down from his back. That made him even more frustrated as he forcefully pulled her arms securely on his back again and the force of that pull had made Akane round her arms tightly around his neck again.
"Ranma! What are you doing?!" She asked him in a panicky hissing tone..
Ranma turned his face towards her. He frowned at her and asked with an angry tone,
"And what are YA doing!?"
Akane moaned and said in a urgent tone,
"Can't you see that Ukyo is standing over there! Don't make her even more angrier then she already is, Ranma!"
"And why should we care!" He asked her with greeted teeth.
"Because.. She is your other fiance ,Ranma!"
Akane says angrily as she eyes him in a serious manner. She just can't understand why Ranma is acting the way towards Ukyo. If he had already made his choice and at that time if he had acted like this to her, then she might have understood why he is so irritated.. But he still hadn't made his choice, and that's why he should not disrespect Ukyo like this..! Whatever it is, Ukyo is still his childhood friend and he definitely owes her some answers.
"Ranma.. She is your friend.. At least respect that, please.."
His fury melted down hearing her plea. He knows that whatever Akane was telling him, is true, that he can't continue to ignore Ukyo every time he sees her. But… but how can he make her understand how uncomfortable he feels whenever he has to explain to someone about him being with Akane. He doesn't want to give any explanation to anyone! But he also knows that, only if he decides to come clear to his decision and tells everyone how he really feels about Akane , that's the only time he wouldn't have to give any reasons to anyone anymore.. But, he can't do that now.. He doesn't want Akane to feel that he is taking advantage of her situation. And she has to say yes to him now because she and her family are staying at his house…
He desperately wants to come clear to Akane, about how he feels about her, but he also knows that now is not the right time. He has to fix the uncertainty feeling that she always feels without having her dojo with her. And he can't do that until she gets what she is working day and night for. And that's why he is continuously supporting her to achieve what she wants so badly. And in the meantime, he wants to make himself capable enough to stand in front of her without any hesitation, to tell her how worthy he is to love her… And to make her believe that, they don't need any Dojo for surviving, he is more then capable of taking care of her. So, for now, whether he likes it or not, he has to face Ukyo and he could only hope that she would eventually see through him and one day she would leave him voluntarily. He gave a defeated sigh as he faced Ukyo with a straight face,
"Hey, Ucchan! How are ya doin' ?"
"Hey yourself!" Ukyo snapped at him furiously, "What the hell are you doing carrying her like that, Ya jackass!"
"Ranma, Put me down.." Akane hissed, struggling to break free.
"Keep your mouth shut, tomboy!" Ranma hissed back at her as he tightened his hold on her. Then giving his full attention to Ukyo, he replied with a regular plain tone,
"Well, duh! I am just giving her a piggyback ride because she is hurt, Ucchan.."
"What! But she is not wearing any bandages! " She snarled back with irritation..
"She just sprinted her leg a little.. Why would she need any bandages for that!" He replied back while rolling his eyes.
"Oh! What do you think of me, huh! A baka or what? That whatever you will tell me, I will blindly believe you?! For your kind information, Akane came to my restaurant this afternoon and she was completely fine! And if she is slightly hurt, then there's no reason for you to carry her!"
"Ranma put me down this instant!" Akane growled in a low voice.
Ranma had enough of both the girls as he couldn't control himself anymore. He glared at Ukyo's direction and latched at her with a heated tone,
"Are ya even thinking about what ya are saying, Ucchan?! I am not calling ya a baka, but why are ya behaving like one! So what, that she came to yar place in the afternoon! Can't she get hurt afterwards?! And how can you tell how much hurt she really is!? I am just giving her a damn piggyback ride home! Why are ya making a big deal out of it, huh?! How many times have I offered ya the same thing when you were hurt!? But at those times I had never seen Akane protesting 'bout it! So, just chill, okay? Don't make a big deal out of this.."
That being said, the both girls stopped what they were doing. Akane stopped her struggles as she calmly settled down as for Ukyo, she just looked at them heatedly. But she was fully out of words so she kept quiet and looked away.. Ranma took some deep breaths to calm himself as he said,
"I am really feeling tired right now, Ucchan.. If ya got all your answers, I wanna leave.. I have work tomorrow, so.. Good night?" He asked hopefully.
Ukyo turned to them and sighed sadly. She nodded at them and without saying anything more, walked into her restaurant and closed the door shut..
Ranma realises a sigh of relief as he silently turns on his heels and starts walking out from that place in haste. Akane kept her mouth shut during this whole scenario. It's not that she didn't wanted to interfere in between their conversations, but the way Ranma snapped at Ukyo at the last moment, had made her too shocked to say or do anything..
"Ya okay?" Ranma asked her politely.
"Ranma! Do you even realize what you just did?" She asked him in an astonished tone.
"What?!" He asked, acting indifference to what she was saying..
"You just scolded her, Ranma!" Akane says with surprise in her voice..
"No! I just faced her the way ya wanted me ta.." He replied as he hides his smile from her.
"Hey! I didn't say anything like that!" She protested.
"But ya wanted me to talk to her.." He bickered playfully.
"Yes! But I didn't tell you to be rude to her..!"
"I wasn't rude to her! I just gave her the answers she wanted to hear..!"
"But you could have answered her politely!"
"Oh yeah! Sorry, my fault! I should have just told her, hey Ucchan, I am just carrying this uncute tomboy here because I just wanted to spend some time with her! Isn't it wonderful!" He replied mockingly.
Akane pouted as she murmured, "Baka!"
"Who! Me? Baka! Ya, I sure am one!"
He joked as he smirked at her while shaking his head… Then suddenly he heard her mumbling,
"Don't turn your face to the right.."
"Why?! What happened?" He asked her, but didn't turn as she asked him to.
"For this.."
Saying that, she smiled and without thinking that much, she gave a quick kiss on his cheek.
Ranma was not ready to receive that from her. The sudden shock made him stumble on his track as he almost fell on the road. But at the last minute, he managed himself as he turned to her with a horrifying face.
"Why… wha.. what..what was that for!?"
Akane sweetly smiled at him and replies,
"For being so sweet to me.."
Ranma turned to face the road, his face turned red as he shook his head at that.
"Yeah, right! But stop calling me sweet! I am an insensitive jerk, remember?" He heard her giggling as he said, "Ya should have warned me, though!"
"But why?"
"What if I knocked over on the road?"
"Are you complaining, Ranma Saotome?"
"No! I am just saying, I heard from someone that people should not give kisses to one cheek.. It's a bad omen if you don't kiss both cheeks..!"
Akane was shocked to hear him say that as she asked him,
"Mind telling me who that someone is?"
"Well, of course! Shampoo told me that! It's against Amazon law ya know.."
He finished jokingly, as he turned his face towards her to wink at her.
Akane could never imagine that Ranma would ever say this to her. Then when she saw him winking at her as he started chuckling, she couldn't control as she started laughing as well. In the lightness of the moment, they haven't even realized that they have already reached home. Still laughing to themselves, Ranma slowly enters Saotome's front yard and their laughter dies down immediately.
Not because they have come to realize very late that they have accidentally reached the house with Akane still on his back. It's because of the scenario, that they have accidentally stumbled upon.
"Oh no!"
Hearing Akane's low horrified whisper, Kasumi and Tofu immediately breaks their kiss, in which they have gotten so lost that they haven't even heard them laughing or standing there. Kasumi hurriedly pulls her arms out from Tofu's neck as she starts fixing her messy skirt as she whispers,
"Oh my! We are sorry.."
"I don't mind!"
Ranma said plainly as he kept looking in their direction with a plain expression on his face. He heard Akane moaning after he said that as she lightly bumped her head on his back in embarrassment. That sound of her made both the adults laugh lightly, as Tofu says while still chuckling,
"Well Ranma, I do mind though.." Tofu shakes his head in amusement, then he tells them in a mischievous tone, "But I am glad that you guys don't mind us seeing you guys like this anymore.."
Hearing his playful way of talking, Ranma and Akane both turned red as they finally came to realize their position and their mistakes. Ranma clears his throat nervously as he gently puts Akane down on her standing position. Then he said to them,
"Ya.. Uh.. Well.. Its not what its looked like! She just wanted a piggyback ride home, that's why.." But he couldn't finish as Akane started protesting like a kid,
" Hey! Stop giving all the blames to me! That's not true at all! You are the one who.."
"Akane.. It's fine.." Kasumi intervenes while giggling as she eyes her sheepishly.
Akane pouted, her face red as she said while pointing an accusing finger at Ranma,
"He is the one who is the culprit!"
Ranma smirked at her childish behavior and says jokingly,
"Oh 'kane, don't be shy now! So what that I have given ya a piggyback ride home.! It's okay! I am fine.. Yes I know ya have a gorilla strength, but trust me you don't weight like a gorilla at all! You wanted it and I carried ya home.. So now chill, tomboy..!"
When Akane hears everyone laughing at her, including Ranma, she got furiously bashful as she latched at Ranma angrily,
"Stop lying, you baka! It's you who.."
"Is anyone outside?"
Akane couldn't finish her protests as suddenly the front door opens and Nodoka came out to see who was talking in front of their front yard and she became surprised to find all her kids standing there and it looked like they were having a good time as well.
"Oh dears! When did you guys return? I thought I heard some noises out here, that's why I came to check.."
"Hey mom! Look, Dr Tofu is here with us too.. Why don't ya invite him for a cup of tea.."
"No, no! Ranma, Mrs Saotome, please don't bother at all.. I am just on my way.."
"Nonsense!" Nodoka speaks cheerfully, " You have no idea how glad I am now to see you standing here, our good Dr Tofu. I actually wanted to discuss some important matters with you regarding your marriage, but I forgot to ask Kasumi to bring you here. So, now just come in, we have lots of things to discuss at the moment.."
Hearing that, Tofu smiled at her and nodded his head. Ranma slightly narrows his orbs to see what Akane was doing and when he looks at her, she eyes him at the same moment. He heard her growling in frustration, but before she could start her protests again, Ranma hastily ran beside Kasumi and Tofu and started pushing them inside the house.
"What are ya guys waiting for! Let's go inside.. Mom, I will help ya make the tea.."
Soon, they all disappeared inside the house, leaving Akane behind them. Who was gawking at their retreating form as she said in a low voice,
"But… but.. It was Ranma.."
She growled in frustration as she pouted angrily. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and mumbled moodily,
"Baka! I will get you for that!"
Soon, they all settled down in the living room. Ranma and his mother arranged some quick snacks for all of them to have with some hot tea. As usual, Ranma went to sit beside Akane who immediately turned her face to the other side to ignore looking at him, still angry at him for what he had previously done.
"So, Mrs Saotome, what did you want to talk to me about?" Tofu asked as he smiled at Nodoka's direction.
Nodoka smiles and replies, "Your and Kasumi's wedding is almost knocking on the door! And we haven't even prepared anything for it!"
Akane's sour mood instantly lights up hearing that as she joined excitedly,
"Oh yes! Obasama, you are absolutely right! We should start planning the wedding! We have so little time left for the day! Its already so late!"
"And who's fault do ya think it is?" Ranma asked scarcely while looking at Akane from the corner of his eyes.
Akane growled and turned to him,
"Are you telling me something?"
He also turned towards her and says mockingly,
"Who else! It's because of ya that we still couldn't plan any wedding!"
"What did you just say? And why's this my fault!" She scowled at him.
"Because, all you are doing is studying all these days ! It's like, ya are gonna give all the exams in Japan!" He replied in an annoyed tone.
"Hey! But I DO have exams coming, you know !"
They both growled at each other as they started fighting childishly by pushing their bent arms sideways. But they stopped their childish game when they hears Nodoka laughing softly ,
"Oh dear! You guys are getting closer day by day!"
"Are we, really!?" They both asked shocked, giving her doubtful looks.
Kasumi giggled softly at that as Nodoka says again,
"Of course my dear! But, we have lots of time for you two.. now let's concentrate on Kasumi's." She turned towards Kasumi and Tofu ,
"We didn't even select the place yet!"
"Place!" Ranma asked surprised, then just like a bulb turned on he said, "Oh yes! We don't have the dojo to use it as a hall! We need to find one!"
"Oh Kami! I am so sorry, oneechan! I have become so busy with my studies that I haven't even thought about it! And now we don't have much time left as well!" Akane said in panic.
"Hey, we will figure out something soon, don't worry.." Ranma says as he places his hand over Akane, to assure her. She looks at him and smiles as she nodded at him.
Tofu clears his voice to draw their attention towards him as he said with a smile on his face,
" You guys don't have to take any pressure at all! Everything has already been taken care of.."
"What! Really, Dr Tofu!" Akane asked hopefully as her face lit up with a bright smile.
"Yes my dear, Akane.." Tofu gives her a assuring smile and says, "Our aunt Suki has already arranged everything for us!"
"Who!?" Ranma asked, confused.
Akane was in a state of shock as well as she whispers..
"Aunt Suki?! But how.."
Tofu became shocked to see Akane react like that, so he turned to Kasumi and asks her,
"Kasumi! Haven't you told them yet that aunt Suki and Nabiki, they both will soon come here for our wedding?"
"Aunt Suki will come?"
Hearing Akane's horrific whisper, Kasumi turns to look at her with an apologetic expression. Akane kept looking at her for her confirmation and when she saw Kasumi sighing and nodding at her, she released the breath she was holding in anticipation . Akane then turned her fearsome weavery eyes towards Ranma, and when he turns to look back at her, her lips started to tremble as she bit onto her lower lips.
"Hey, you 'kay, Kane?" Ranma asked her worriedly as he saw her turning pale for some reason.
Akane looked down immediately and declared in a low voice,
"I am .. I am feeling tired.. umm.. excuse me.."
Saying that, she stood up hurriedly and stars walking away from everyone . Sensing her mood, Ranma also stands up to follow her up to her room, but he could only take two steps forward as he had to stop when he heard Kasumi calling him in an urgent tone,
"Ranma, let her be alone for some moment. "
" But oneechan.."
"Ranma please.. Before you go see her, I need to tell you something.."
Kasumi says while giving him a serious look and giving him no room to say no. He sighs defeated as he nodded his head at her….
A/N: I want to thank you all who gave me their valuable reviews..! Thank you so much guys! This is the only reward we authors get for their hard work, sadly nothing else :( …