Chapter 5: Deals

On the bench

Akane was still in Ranma's arms but Ranma seemed to be more concerned by this mysterious wedding and this guy, Yusuke, than by his fiancée.

Akane sensed him wondering, and it was 10 minutes since he had said a word… Sure it was good to be in his embrace but he had to learn that when he is holding her, he had to think about her and only her.

Ranma was lost in his thoughts, 'Somebody must remind me of Yusuke… but who?'

Akane wanted to find something, 'I know, I just have to say something to surprise him and he will be concentrated on me.'

"Hmm Ranma… As you seem to be more concerned by other people wedding than by me, I think that finally I will marry Yusuke…"

'Ahh she just said something but what…. Remember, remember… euhh… has she just said that she will marry Yusuke?'

He put his hands on her shoulders to face her. "Akane, you are kidding me? You…"

Akane put a finger on his lips, "Yes, for this time, it was a joke but if you keep being in your thoughts whereas you should be concerned by me… while you are holding me…"

"Ah ah ah, women, so complicated… "

"What? I'm leaving Ranma, it's late and tomorrow we have school…" She said it very seriously and Ranma couldn't tell if she was really angry or not, and as it was her that made this declaration, he had to make something not to ruin this day.

Akane had the time to get up and was walking (but very slowly) and when she heard Ranma calling her and catching up with her, she was very proud of herself.

"Akane, please don't be angry, not today… okay I was maybe lost in my thoughts but you know about that wedding, I'm sorry… you are right we must go back home." And with that, he took her hand, he was not secured yet about that part but someday it will be natural.

"But Akane… can you tell me more about Yusuke and the wedding?"

"Hmm let me think about it… I will tell you more but I want something in return…"

"Oh Akane that's not fair!" 'Ranma, for tonight you say Yes and that's all' "Okay, okay, so tell me what you want…"

Akane stopped their walk and faced him, she had a smile on her lips: "My dear Ranma, as you said earlier maybe, I say Maybe, women are sometimes complicated and you know what, you win a fiancée, I'm a girl and I'm here to complicate your life (but just a little bit) so, my dear Ranma, you will have to guess what I want… a sign? You don't have to buy something."

'Aie aie aie, another headache… why me?' "Akane, please, tell me…" but she was running home.

"Akaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnneeeeeeeeeee"

…………………………………..

When they arrived home, Akane hurried in the kitchen to see Kasumi.

"Hey Kasumi!"

"Akane, you look very happy today? Something new linked to a need to hurry?"

"Ah yes… I'm really sorry about the repetition, do you forgive me?" Akane was looking at her with puppy eyes.

"Yes I forgive you if you told me why you leave the repetition; you know it was important for me…"

"Hmm yes, it was because of Ranma… it seems that we are together now… in a way…" 'Oh no, I'm blushing…'

They heard Ranma entering the kitchen: "Hey Kasumi, dinner is ready?" 'Hey wait a minute, Akane is blushing… she may have said something about tonight… but wait a second minute… Kasumi knew about the wedding… could it be? But why is it a secret?'

"Yes, dinner will be ready in five minutes I think!" Kasumi was very calm, as usual.

……………………….

Ranma and Akane went to sit down in the veranda, they sat in silence as if they were looking at the pond but, in fact, they were lost in their thoughts. Ranma wanted to know about this wedding and Kasumi but he wanted to find what Akane wanted… Akane was wondering about her relationship with Ranma, is it gonna change at home, at school?...

They were so lost that they didn't notice everybody was now sitting around the table and was watching them. They were sitting so close, shoulder against shoulder, that they can't even see if they were holding hands. And Akane put her head on his shoulder.

Of course, the two fathers were feeling like dancing naked on the table but they were held back by Kasumi and Nabiki who didn't want to disturb the couple by a scene. The sisters were almost sure Ranma and Akane didn't want to show their closeness.

Kasumi called them: "Ranma, Akane, dinner is ready!"

They blushed when they noticed how close they were. And when they saw everybody and their fathers crying of joy, they understood…

"My dear Akane, I'm so happy! Genma, the two schools will be united soon!"

"Daddy, please…."

"My son, I'm very proud of you! You made the right decision!"

"Daddy, please…"

Nabiki was laughing inside him: 'hey hey hey, I took a great picture of them, shoulder by shoulder…and I already know what I will ask with it!'

The dinner longed for what it seems an eternity for Ranma and Akane.

……………………….

When it was time to get to bed, they were pushed together by their fathers in Akane's room!

When the door closed, they were somehow relieved by the tranquility offered by the room.

But, of course, they were a little bit stressed by the fact that they were alone in her room and now that they were really together…

They sat on the bed and Akane lied down: "What a mess! I'm glad we have a little bit of tranquility… In fact, we said nothing about us and we even didn't agree about telling them or not… they have decided for us!"

Ranma looked at her, for the first time, he was feeling nervous but not as much as before, "Yes, but in fact, we gave them a look at us, without knowing it! I mean I didn't notice we were sitting so closed!" and Ranma lied down next to her.

They were both looking at the ceiling… (yes it can't be very interesting sometimes…). Okay, now nervousness was getting them.

'Breathe Ranma, breathe… just say something…' "Hmm Akane, I think I learnt something about the wedding… but first I want to know what you want… you know I'm trying hard to understand women…"

"Oh Ranma, I'm very impressed! You want to understand me! But you know as you are as man as woman you have your own part of femininity… but tell me what you guess about the wedding…"

"No no no… we have a deal!"

She rolled on her side: "Ranma, I think you can easily guess what I want from you"

He rolled on his side to face her, of course big mistake; his body was almost touching her.

They blushed: "Hmm sorry Akane…"

"No, no Ranma, it doesn't matter, I mean… hmm… it's funny in a way!"

"Funny?"

"Yes, I always thought that when we would be together, I would be the one to be stressed but when I saw you, your face and your tensed body, the fact that you can't look at me in the eyes, I think you are the more stressed, one point for you!"

"Noooo I'm not stressed at all! I mean, with a lot of fiancées, 'very bad, very bad… hmm her eyes….' I mean with a lot of girls in love with me, I learnt how to act with women, so I'm not stressed at all" 'Yeah I'm a man!'

"Okay, so look at me in the eyes and give me what I want from you…" 'Shut up butterflies in my stomach, since when I'm confident in myself?'

Ranma gulped 'ah ah ah, you want to be the more confident of us! And you want me to kiss you' He smiled "Akane, do you think we will play little games like this every day?"

"Hmm yeah why not?" and she laughed.

"Okay, but you know I love winning and you too even if you don't want to admit it…"

"Okay, okay, I don't want to lose to you and you don't want to lose to me so…"

"So… I'm not kissing you tonight" 'Damn this game, it was really tempting…'

"Whhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttt? But you know, if you don't kiss me, I won't give you any pieces of information about the wedding" 'Courage my girl, courage!' and Akane put her arms around Ranma's neck, and approached her body from his.

'Okay, so now, she is trying to kill me… but she is shaking… so cute…'

'Shit! I'm shaking… breathe, breathe… you are not ridiculous, he IS your boyfriend!'

"Akane, you are shaking, are you cold?" He asked with concern so she couldn't say if he was ironical.

"Hmm yes that's it, I'm cold!" 'He knows, he knows…'

Ranma put his arms around her waist and held her very close to him. He smelled her hair, 'I will certainly get used to this'.

Akane stopped shaking and lost herself in his embrace, she was about to fall in sleep when the door of her room opened. And then a flash!

Nabiki was very proud of her photo! Ranma and Akane on the same bed, holding each others!

………………..

Ranma sat down but was still holding Akane: "NABIKI, what the hell are you just doing here?"

'Note for myself, lock the door when I want to be with Ranma', "Sister, you don't know how to knock at a door?"

"Of course I know, but I wanted a great picture! And this one…. The best ever… You are so cute…"

Ranma got up to take the camera from Nabiki: "Okay Nabiki, just tell us what you want"

Nabiki laughed: "ah ah ah, I don't want money this time… I want the truth…"

Ranma and Akane: "The truth? Which truth?"

"Okay, boy and girl, I want to know the truth about a certain wedding to be…"

Akane: "Oh no, not you also…"

"The truth or the pictures will be given to Ranma's fiancées and will be sold at school!"

Ranma was still trying to get the camera: "That's not fair Nabiki, I didn't know anything about that damn wedding".

Akane was wondering, telling them or not, 'but wait, I still didn't have my kiss! So for tonight, nothing!' "Well, I know something but I will tell you tomorrow, before I must talk to somebody and Ranma must give me something, ne Ranma?"

…………………………………..

To be continued

And for a little change (lol), thanks for reading and thanks a lot for the reviews, THANKS!

I try to update every 2 or 3 days to make the story going on quickly.

So see you soon!

Célia