Author's Notes:

Special Thanks to my beta reader, Angela Jewell. None of my writing would ever see the light of day without her gentle guidance.

I originally started this back in November of 2014. 6 years later, and I finally got it ready. I'm such a slooooooow writer.

Inspiration fanart: pin dot it slash 3V01cfd & pin dot it slash 1jE6UxV

Akane rose to her feet, but found her limbs were as weak and wobbly as wet noodles. Her trembling was visibly noticeable, and the little color that had returned to her cheeks started to drain away as she pitched forward.

Ryoga looked alarmed. "Akane-san?"

Ranma's head snapped to attention, yanked out of the earlier mortification that had kept him from making eye contact with the resting girl. An internal force, deeper than instinct, had him on his feet and at Akane's tumbling side. Before Akane could hit the ground, Ranma had her in his arms in a bridal carry.

Within Akane's pale face her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Her right hand gently rubbed over her forehead as she tried to shake away the sudden vertigo and dizzy spell.

Ryoga was making panicked sounds in the background, but Akane's attention was focused on the grim and suddenly very serious face on her fiancée. The earlier tears Akane had felt fall from Ranma's face onto her own cheek had now dried, but they had left tell tale lines across his dusty face. It was a visual reminder affirming all that she had heard when she was unable to move.

She suddenly felt very guilty and embarrassed for worrying Ranma so much. "I'm okay..." She breathed out, forcing a trembling smile to her face. "Just a bit dizzy." She swallowed a dry throat, refusing to go further and acknowledge aloud how thirsty, sore, and exhausted she felt. It had felt torturous trapped in that dehydrated doll form, nearly paralyzed, and it was a relief to be able to move in her proper figure again. However, the rapid change left her body feeling slightly alien to her, and her head pounded whenever she moved too quickly.

Ranma swallowed hard, holding in a sudden urge to crush Akane to him. His previous self-consciousness faded the moment he saw her nearly faint. He rolled his eyes when Akane had the nerve to say she was "okay". It was obvious she wasn't fully recovered. She trembled in his arms when he first caught her, and her complexion was closer to chalk than her usual healthy hue. "You're overdoing it again, tomboy. Sheesh, what are you thinking, trying to walk around already?!" He was halfway to yelling, a much safer and familiar expression of his concern.

Akane humphed. "I just got up too quickly!" she defended huffily, not willing to admit to him how right he was. Still, she made no move to actually get out of his arms. Her head was resting gently against his chest, and she could hear the rapid pounding of his heart.

Ranma felt torn between feeling pleasantly relieved that Akane wasn't physically fighting him, and hiding his concern with his usual rough bravado. "Feh. What would a stubborn chick like you do if it wasn't for me saving you, huh?"

He felt her muscles tighten and prepared for the usual outburst of temper. "Honestly! It was me saving you first, remember?"

Ranma felt his stomach lurch as guilt flooded through him. The guilt quickly triggered his own defensiveness as he retorted, "And look where it got you!"

"Ranma…" Akane half growled in warning. She had been content to let him rescue her, and she felt too tired to really start an argument, but if he kept pushing it, she'd show him. She stubbornly lifted her head away from him, ready to move out of his arms and prove him wrong if necessary.

Ranma could sense Akane's temper rising into the danger zone, and the previous words he had poured out to the girl when he thought her dead came rushing back to his mind. Why did he always have to say such stupid, jerkish things instead of what he really meant? He didn't want to make her mad. He was just worried, and hated feeling worried, and it came out all wrong. Again.

Ranma let out a long breath of air, and turned his face slightly away in chagrin. His voice came out softer, laced with regret, undercutting the harshness of his next awkward words. "Dammit, Akane...just, take it easy, okay?" His voice cracked on the last word, and he quickly tried to cover his emotional flub by clearing his throat.

The worry that lined Ranma's voice was so intense that Akane felt the fight drain out of her. She let out a large sigh that was a mixture of relief and exhaustion, and slowly, gratefully relaxed back into his embrace. As much as she took pride in her self-reliance, she couldn't deny how safe and soothing it felt whenever she was carried by Ranma. His strong arms were surprisingly gentle as they carried her, and even when he poked fun at her weight, it always seemed to be effortless for him to carry her.

Akane allowed herself to be lulled by the gentle swaying motion of Ranma's walking, the beat of his heart, and the comforting spicy scent off his body. The fights, worries, and life threatening exploits of the past 48-hours were coming to a grateful end. Within his strong arms, her bruises became a distant ache instead of an insistent throb. Akane was filled with a sensation of utter safety and contentment.

She was nearly asleep in his arms when she had a startling thought. As sore and sleep deprived as she was, surely Ranma wasn't at his best right now either? She had witnessed his final battle with Saffron, and knew he had to have sustained some injuries.

"Ranma?" Her voice was thick and quiet with fatigue, but the note of alarm was still there.

Ranma looked down, concern etched in his face. "Yeah?"

"Don't push yourself, either."

For a moment he was stunned and utterly without words. After all she had recently gone through, Akane was still worried about him?

She saw him shake his head and felt, more than heard, a very light chuckle in his chest. "I'm fine. Now go to sleep already. I can tell you need it."

Akane's eyelids felt heavy, but she stubbornly willed them open. "Promise?" She murmured, not quite ready to start an argument, but knowing better than to blindly accept Ranma's self evaluation of his health.

Ranma paused, the sleepy, sweet concern in her voice stopped him from issuing any wisecracks. Moreso, Ranma took promises very, very seriously. Akane knew that, and he knew Akane knew that, too; she never made him promise something idly.

Ranma swallowed, and a small smile escaped his lips. His tomboy cared about him all right, and despite the multitude of their misunderstandings and miscommunications, she understood him all too well.

He almost made some arrogant comment about his own glorious strength and stamina. Truthfully, he was in better physical condition than Akane right now - he hadn't been magically dehydrated, taken a full energy blast from a demigod, and then barely, miraculously revived back to life - but he had been running without sleep for days, (unless he counted being knocked unconscious a few times in between) and the last battle with Saffron was nothing to shrug at. With the previous adrenaline surge and panic of the past few hours expended, he felt the edges of exhaustion starting to wear at him. He thought he had hidden it well, but as always, Akane saw through him.

Belatedly, he realized the girl in his arms was stubbornly willing herself awake, waiting for his response.

He sighed, and a slight blush started to form on his face. "Okay, Akane. I promise to try not to push myself too hard." It was a bit of a hedged promise. He sincerely hoped there wouldn't be anything more exciting than a duel with Ryoga for the next month, but he wouldn't stand by or run if they needed to defend themselves again, either.

Thankfully, Akane was appeased by his answer. Letting out a small yawn, her cheek nestled back into his chest. The last words he heard were a small, satisfied "good" before her breathing evened out and deepened into slumber.

Ryoga, along with the rest of their ragtag party, were awkward witnesses to the bickering couple's tender exchange. Shampoo's arms crossed fiercely in front of her chest and her eyes smoldered with jealous fury.

Mousse was still without his glasses, but his very acute hearing caught every nuance of their interaction - not that it took especially fine hearing to make out the desperate longing and grief that had poured out of Ranma earlier. As Mousse sensed Shampoo bristle beside him, his brow furrowed in concern. Now was not the time for his unrequited beloved to intervene. Ranma's emotional control had already been stretched to the breaking point twice in one day.

"[He just killed a demigod for her...]" He murmured purposely aloud in their native Chinese dialect. Shampoo's head turned sharply in his direction, surprised to hear him use their mother tongue. "[Heaven help whoever wants to mess with his protective nature right now...]"

His words had the desired effect. Shampoo continued scowling, but her attack aura died down as her self preservation instincts kicked in. It was easier to live in denial that Ranma was merely being his chivalrous protective self, not a man defending his soulmate. He was always going on about a martial artist's duty to protect the weak, (such a strange, barbaric notion...was not the purpose of strength to protect your tribe against all others?), so surely there was no need to concern herself about the affectionate-looking embrace … or the blush on his face? Shampoo clenched her fists, wanting to rage like a toddler whose favorite toy was being handled by another.

Ryoga ignored the foreign exchange between the Amazons, focusing his attention on Akane, now asleep, in Ranma's arms. Giddy relief at her miraculous recovery still coursed through him, even with the realization that Akane would never be his. As much as Ryoga still believed Ranma didn't deserve her, he couldn't deny reality; his rival had fought to the death to save Akane-san. Not for ego, not for glory, not out of some sense of honor or duty. It was for her. The uncharacteristic depression and shock Ranma had entered when he believed Akane to be dead was no lie. As much as Ryoga hated to admit it, Ranma did love Akane. The realization was enough to let the perpetually lost-boy take another emotional step away from his pursuit of her.

Ryoga gave the sleeping Akane a quick glance. You'll never know I loved you...so that jerk of a fiancée Ranma better treat you right.

It was during this brooding that Ryoga witnessed Ranma try to stretch and roll a kink out of his neck and shoulder, all while he carried Akane. The lost boy felt a twinge of sympathy for his cursed rival. Even he had to admit Ranma had been through a crazy physical ordeal the past two days.

"Ranma, you need a hand? I'll carry Akane-san for a while. We all saw that last blast from Saffron got your shoulder."

Ranma's first reaction was to glare at Ryoga territorially. Old habits of fighting over Akane were strong, but Ranma managed to hear the genuine concern lacing Ryoga's voice. Recognizing the offer as non threatening, Ranma switched to his usual disposition: mercilessly teasing. "Forget it, but nice to know you care, Porky."

Ryoga's previous friendly concern popped like a soap bubble. His face went red at the usual insult about his curse. "As if I'd give a rat's ass about you. I just don't want you dropping poor Akane-san out of exhaustion!"

"You think I'd drop her after all this?!" The outburst left Ranma's mouth without thinking. His face flushed and he worriedly checked on the sleeping girl, who had thankfully not stirred from his shouting. Belatedly realizing how much he had revealed, he back pedaled as fast as his clumsy mouth would let him. "I mean, you know, the tomboy's tough and she'd be fine, but, uh, she would never let me hear the end of it." Ranma nearly cringed at his own lame attempt to deflect his real meaning.

Ryoga let out a deep sigh. He wasn't sure if he should be angry or just disappointed that his rival was still too much of a jerk to ever admit his feelings. Akane deserved so much more...but she had chosen. He had seen Akane throw all caution to the wind to save Ranma... and he couldn't bring himself to interfere any longer.

Ryoga shook his head in disgust, but let the matter be.

"Guests hurry now, yes?" interjected the Jusenkyo Guide, his young daughter Plum nodded agreement above her father's shoulders, where she was being carried by him piggyback style.

Plum pointed at the fast moving, ominous dark clouds rolling in. "A very, very big storm is coming. Mountain storms are bad."

With more than half their party at serious risk if they were to get wet and revert to their weaker, cursed forms, they bustled along after the Guide who led them to a tall, if relatively shallow, cave. It was free of any carvings or work of the Phoenix people, just a natural inlet for shelter.

A gust of wind suddenly howled against the opening, followed by the brilliant flash of lightning and its sister boom of thunder. The clouds burst open, surprising the youths with the pounding of pebble sized hail. The ice melted soon after hitting the warm ground, unwelcome and out of season.

The tired group stared dumbly for a moment at the sudden extreme change in weather. The Guide clicked his tongue, seemingly annoyed but not particularly surprised. He addressed the bedraggled group informatively, "You battle big, use hot and cold air. Wreck much havoc on weather. Mountain sensitive. Angers easily, no? Better stay here until over, young guests."

The explanation was welcome, as the sudden change from blue skies to this horrific battle of ice and lightning was a shock. Tired, but now relatively safe and dry, the teenagers (and one middle aged, cursed, brainwashed giant panda) set aside their meager packs and settled in to wait out the storm.

Akane continued to sleep peacefully in Ranma's arms, and he made no move to put her down. Ranma had to hold her. To feel the steady deep breathing, the air from her nose tickling his chest. They all screamed to his senses that she was real, and here, and blessedly alive. The thought of letting her go and setting her somewhere else was alien to his mind, despite the heavy fatigue pulling at his limbs and eyes to rest.

Ranma sat with his back leaning against the cool rock wall, his cradle hold on Akane never weakening. Through his exhaustion, he vaguely noticed the actions of his company; Ryoga expertly setting up a campfire near enough the draft of fresh air to keep them from being smoked out, Mousse setting out the few blankets and sleeping bags intact from their packs, little Plum helping where she could.

Ranma closed his eyes, ready to join Akane in her nap when his danger sense kicked in.

It was not an imminent attack, but definitely a hostile presence.

His eyes snapped open to see Shampoo in front of him, her familiar seductive smile on her face. The sultry expression failed to reach her eyes. Shampoo's violent intent was tightly coiled around her. Pulled as if by magnetism, Shampoo's gaze kept flitting to Ranma's hands and the sleeping form of Akane, her eyes as cold and sharp as a knife.

"Airen no need hold pervert girl. We make camp. Shampoo help you feel much, much refreshed". She gestured alluringly at her hourglass figure and her obvious sexual intent.

Ranma frowned and his voice went cool and flat. "We're fine where we are, Shampoo."

Shampoo's fists clenched and her mind raced for a better solution. She couldn't stand seeing that poor excuse for an obstacle being held so tenderly in what should have been her rightful place.

Before she could utter her next sentence, Mousse interrupted, a short rhyming phrase in Chinese that was meaningless to Ranma.

Shampoo stiffened. Her pride reasserted herself, and pretending as if she had never heard Mousse's words, she flippantly waved a hand. "Fine. Arien go sleep and get crick in neck. Shampoo give too good massage for him later." She forced herself to give out a seductive wink before moving to the opposite side of the cave opening.

Ranma unclenched muscles he didn't realize had tightened during the exchange. All too recent memories played back in his mind's eye; Shampoo's cruel eyes and thumb poised to snap the doll-Akane's neck. Was Shampoo's retreat just to lure him into a false sense of security? He was puzzled how anything Mousse said could possibly make Shampoo back off.

Ryoga followed the exchange in puzzlement as Shampoo slinked off. He nudged the young Plum for a translation. "Excuse me, but what did he say?"

Plum nodded. "Oh. It's an old saying. "Only a fool mounts a wild horse." Does that make sense to you?"

Ryoga chuckled sadly and resumed poking the small campfire to life.

Consciousness came slowly and reluctantly to Akane, mainly pulled by an overwhelming sense of thirst with a tinge of panic.

Akane's eyes fluttered open to dim surroundings not yet in focus, but any sense of alarm was stilled by the steady rise and fall of her "pillow" (a toned chest) and her "bed" (a comfortable cradle of muscular arms). The pointed weight of a familiar chin grazed the top of her head.

"Ranma?" she murmured, surprised that she was still in his embrace. She was merely greeted by a light snore, while he remained in his slouched sitting position.

Her chest tightened and expanded with a wave of tender emotion. She knew, deep in her bones, she could rely on Ranma to protect her, but tenderly holding her all this time was unexpected.

The memory of Ranma's words as he fought, begged, and demanded her to wake up and return to him echoed in her mind.

So, perhaps, not that unexpected since he said - or rather screamed - he loves you.

Akane felt her face warm and flush at the thought. Embarrassment crept in, as she realized how exposed she was in nothing but Ranma's (thankfully large on her) shirt and not a stitch of undergarments.

The embarrassment quickly gave way to curiosity and concern. Where were they?

Carefully she moved her head for a better view. As her eyes adjusted to the low flickering light of the adjacent campfire, she recognized the walls were of natural stone. The opening to the little cave was dark, the sound of hard rain hammering the ground intermittent with rumbles of thunder.

With the darkness from the storm there was no telling the time of day...or was it night? How long had she slept?

Light snores from several people filled the little cavern. Her vision properly adjusted, she took in the sleeping forms of Mousse, Ryoga, Uncle Genma (still a fluffy panda), and Shampoo. They all were sleeping in more natural positions on proper camping gear, unlike Ranma who seemed to have fallen asleep sitting half-upright on sentry duty.

Akane's comfortable position on Ranma abruptly changed as he stirred, his face scrunched painfully before his eyes flew open.

Akane tried to back up and give him space, but she was still fairly entangled in his grip.

For the briefest of moments, Akane was stunned by the haunted and pained expression in Ranma's blue eyes.

"Akane?" He croaked, his voice heavy with sleep, and an odd mixture of bewilderment and relief.

"Don't tell me you have a habit of holding other girls on your lap?" She teased softly, her voice more raspy than she expected.

She felt more than heard his short chuckle in response. "Heh. It's definitely you, Akane. Kiima would not be busting my chops already."

Before she could ask exactly what Kiima had tried when impersonating her with Jusenkyo water, Ranma caught her off guard by reaching out and tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.

Suddenly self conscious, Ranma bashfully yanked the hand back and rubbed the back of his own head.

There was a beat of silence as awkwardness warred with the precious closeness they shared. "Do we have any water?" Akane whispered, partly out of discretion for the sleeping members of their group, but mainly because her throat felt too parched for regular speech.

With determined grace, Ranma smoothly reached over to his satchel and pulled out a dented metal canteen of water. The entire movement kept Akane carefully in his lap, with his free arm still encircled lightly at her side.

Akane eagerly grasped the canteen. When was the last time she had anything to drink? A day? Two?

Ranma vaguely remembered the basics of first aid. Although restored from a magically shrunken doll, Akane's lips were visibly chapped from dehydration.

"Hey, go slow...you don't want to throw it up," he warned.

Akane flushed, chagrined, realising all she wanted to do was drain the container in one satisfying gulp. She nodded, forcing herself to drink slowly and let her body adapt. With mindful, tiny sips, she eventually drained the container dry,

"So, uh, you feelin' better?"

Akane nodded. "Yeah. And, um, thanks for being my bed for a while."

Ranma shrugged, a small blush blooming. "It was nothing. You kept me warm."

This time the beat of silence wasn't awkward, but full of a suspenseful tension. They had been at this precipice many times before. It came with the same vertigo as standing on a cliff's edge, and nearly always was interrupted before they could ever dare explore the other side.

Flickering firelight framed the edge of Ranma's cheek and jaw, casting a soft shadow over the side of his face. He shifted closer, his forehead a hair's breadth from leaning against Akane's. He paused, but it wasn't out of uncertainty.

It would be Akane's choice to close the gap, or pull away.

There was no hesitation. Akane's hands reached out and cupped Ranma's face. This time his cheeks were free of tears, and Akane felt her heart swell. So close and entwined, Akane wasn't sure whose pounding heartbeat was hers or Ranma's.

"Akane…." Ranma breathed her name, savoring her closeness and the solid, miraculous reality: she was alive! The nightmare reality mere hours before was over. The echoing remnants had haunted his sleep, but no more. She was alive. Relief gave way to joy. Beneath that was a wellspring of longing, once held fiercely at bay, now threatening to burst free.

He wanted to tell her he would never take her for granted, never again. But words weren't his strong suit. Action and movement were his strengths; he only needed to gather the courage to use them.

Ranma followed the pressure of Akane's hands and bent his head as she rose to meet him. Their lips met, and his senses came alive.

It was a slow, deliberate kiss, not exactly gentle, but not torrid either. It was as if some force had taken hold of his senses. The nearby patter of rain seemed to dim and fade, while touch and smell intensified in a beautiful crescendo. He gladly lost himself in the sensations. The texture of Akane's lips on his, the warmth of her fingertips on his jawline, and the sweet scent of her was beyond his wildest imaginings. He closed his eyes to try and control the surge of emotion as instinct took over and he kissed her again and again, each time more deeply.

"How long are you going to be kissing?" chirped a child's inquisitive voice.

Ranma and Akane broke away and starred in horror and embarrassment at Plum's bright little face.

"I have watched lots of soap operas," the girl continued proudly. "Many times, the man wakes up from a coma, and the girl kisses him. This time it was you -" Plum pointed at Akane, "- who was not waking up, almost dead, but you -" at this, she pointed at Ranma accusingly, "-did not kiss her when she woke up. But now you are. A lot."

Plum seemed pleased with her summary of observed romantic behavior.

Ranma's mouth was open like a stunned fish. Akane was equally nonplussed. Her cheeks suffused with color, steadily darkening from pink to ripe cherry red.

Plum remained obliviously curious. "Are you done kissing?"

Ranma finally regained his ability to speak. "Aren't you a little young to care about, about -" he waved his hand between himself and Akane, unable to finish as if the very words were taboo.

"Kissing!" Plum supplied.

Ryoga's groggy voice piped up near the sleeping bags. "Who's kissing?"

"No one!" Ranma and Akane returned in unison.

Plum pointed directly at the couple, ruining the effect.

Before the chaos could gather around them, Plum's father approached with a bow. "Guests, much good news. Storm lifting." He motioned at the cave's entrance. All that remained of the supernatural storm was the gentle beat of rain licking at the lip of the stone opening. The skyline was brightening, allowing bits of natural light into their shelter despite the cloud cover.

The Guide continued. "Is safe to travel to Jusenkyo pools. Then to more comfrotable penthouse for evening rest, yes?"

At this news Ranma leapt to his feet, his hands around Akane's waist as he spun her once around in joy. "Did you hear that, Akane?! This means -"

"- our cures!" Mousse, Shampoo, and Ryoga cheered.

And they were off.

Ryoga carefully arranged his umbrella to keep himself dry, but Shampoo and Mousse were so eager they didn't care about their curses (nor did they have anything to hide).

Akane smiled up at Ranma, who finally had put her down to stand on her own bare feet.

"Shall we?" she asked, hand outstretched at the entrance.

Ranma stepped out into the rain. His body shrank, changed coloring, and rearranged into his cursed form seamlessly. A much smaller hand than before was in Akane's calloused palm.

Akane didn't miss a beat. Ranma's curse was such a part of him, the magical transformation and outward gender change was as mundane as the water that triggered it.

Hand and hand, they went onward.

Original Publication Date: November 18, 2020