Chapter 3: Alluring

Akane's eyes fluttered open when she felt the rays of the sun hit her face. Other than the remaining snow left on rooftops and on some streets, no one would have known that a snowstorm had hit the streets of Nerima last night. She looked around her room and saw that she had overslept as she realized the sun was coming in full-blown, causing her to curse under her breath. She turned around, expecting to see Ranma curled up behind her, but was sad to see he was nowhere near. She looked at the clock on her stand, which read half past eight, before standing up and stretching her arms.

Not a second after she dropped her arms onto her sides, her stomach pushed its contents up. She covered her mouth with both hands before running to the bathroom and emptying what seemed to her as anything and everything she had eaten in the last week. After coughing air back into her lungs, she flushed the toilet, washed her mouth and brushed her teeth, trying her best to remove the taste of bile from her tongue.

After she finished, she placed her hands on the edge of the sink, holding the weight of her trembling body. She closed her eyes and took in deep breaths, feeling the morning dizziness she had experienced almost every day for a few days now, come back to her. Once she felt she had a hold of her bearings again, she open the faucet and splashed water on her face before staring at her reflection in the mirror. She mindlessly grabbed a towel to dry her face and hands and then returned it to the rack. She stared at her open palms as she began silently counting something with her fingers. At the end of her counting, she frowned and attempted her counting again.

"It's nothing. I'm just stressed. Just, stressed."

She repeated the same mantra to herself as she returned to her room. She walked to her closet, opened the door, and began searching for the perfect outfit for her date with Ranma today.

On the other side of Nerima, Ranma finished eating breakfast at his home. He had snuck out of Akane's room before the sun came up, and returned back home to gather a fresh set of clothes for his date with Akane, and begin the preparations of the day he had planned for the both of them. He took the last bite of his breakfast, picked up the dish and glass, and dropped them in the sink as his mother walked inside the kitchen.

She saw Ranma washing the dishes he had used and shook her head. She had told him several times that she could handle the matters of the kitchen, but Ranma never listened to her. He had told her several times that he was not a slob, and that he could clean after himself, earning Nodoka the sense that her son was as manly as they come. She headed to the refrigerator and opened it to take out ingredients to make Genma –and Soun who had dropped by, something to eat, and her eyes caught sight of the fresh bouquet of roses inside the fridge.

"What are those doing there?"

Ranma stopped drying the dishes he had just washed and walked up to see what she was pointing at. "Oh! They're for Akane. We're going out today."

"I see," she said as she gathered what she needed and closed the refrigerator door. "Did you get those before or after you were at her house last night?"

Ranma, who would have usually flinched and blushed at such comment, became slightly irate at his mother. If it had been any other day, he would have stuttered a lame response before placing some reasonable distance between him and the object of his embarrassment, but today things were different. The memory of Akane's reaction last night to his mother's words came to him, making him upset that Akane had to put up with similar comments to the one his mother had just made.

"After. I wanted them to be as fresh as possible."

Nodoka blinked in surprise at his bold response, and his lack of attempt at denying he had done what she had implied in her question. Like him, she had expected him to mumble something unintelligible and haul-ass away from the kitchen. "Are you planning on staying there again tonight?"

By then, Ranma had finished drying the dishes and was now facing his mom, displaying a relaxed stance with the exception of his crossed arms. "It depends on how the date goes. If Akane wants me to stay, I'll stay."

Nodoka wrinkled her nose, trying not to show her disapproval at his actions. She did not know if he meant them, or if he was deliberately trying to upset her with his words.

"And what if Soun doesn't approve?"

"Then I'll bring her over here."

"And, what if your dad or I don't approve of that either."

"Then you will have to get over it while we stay somewhere else."

Nodoka's anger rose. She never thought trying to keep Ranma and Akane out of unnecessary trouble would prove to be difficult. "Where? In some sort of hotel, as if she was a prostitute? That is not very manly of you, Ranma."

Ranma narrowed his eyes at his mom. He could not understand what she was trying to accomplish with this conversation. Was this the reason why Akane had been so upset yesterday? Had his mom dared to call her a prostitute to her face? His and her parents had been the ones to engage them before they had been born. They had been the ones to push for marriage any time they could. Why were they so surprised at how close he and Akane had become after their feelings were finally out in the open for anyone and everyone to see?

"Are you calling my fiancée a whore? That is not very motherly of you, Nodoka."

Nodoka gasped. Even though she had not been involved in most of Ranma's life, she still felt she had the right to point out to Ranma what she believed was not the right thing to do. She also believed that he had no right to talk to her as he had just done so. She walked up to him, all attempts to mask her anger, gone. She lifted her hand, aimed it at his cheek, but it never connected with his face.

She stared at his hand, stopping her from hitting him. He was not hurting her, but he was placing enough strength to prevent her from finishing her attempt at exercising her authority on him. "Any other day, I'd let you hit me, mom; I probably earned it. But not today. I don't want my girlfriend wondering why my face is red."

"Whatever it is that you two are doing, you've got to stop. We have a responsibility of honor with the Tendos. We can't allow our honor to be tainted by you getting Akane pregnant before you are wed."

"What if I told you she already was?"

"W-what?"

Ranma let go of her hand when he sensed she was not going to try to slap him again. She took a step back, looking around for something to do with her hands so she would not choke her son to death with her bare hands. She remembered that Genma and their guest were waiting for breakfast, so she pushed Ranma out of her way as she began washing her hands to begin cooking for her husband.

"I certainly hope you are joking, Ranma. If you really love her, you will respect her and stay away from doing…that…until after you marry her."

"I don't think any of you have any say on that. What's it gonna take for you to wrap your head around it?"

Nodoka finished washing her hands and walked to the counter to start chopping the ingredients she needed. "And what is it going to take for you to wrap your head around the consequences of your actions? I know both of you are young; I used to be young, too. But with everything that is going on, do you think a baby will make things easier on either of you, or us?"

Ranma snorted. "I know that. But, the point I'm trying to make is that whether or not Akane and I have, or will, sleep together, is not your business to know. Stop berating her about it."

"I don't know what you mean."

Ranma growled and pressed his body against Nodoka, towering above her in a threatening stance.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. You may be my mother, but that doesn't give you the right to tell what to do, anymore. You'll always be my mom, but Akane will be my wife. And as my wife, I will keep her away from harm, even if the harm comes from you."

Nodoka stared at him, speechless at his actions and words. She knew Ranma had a problem hitting women, especially if he was in any way related to them, so she knew he was not truly going to physically harm her. However, the shock of seeing her always emotionally aloof son speak such angry words at her, left her looking as if she was actually afraid of being hurt.

When Ranma saw the fear in his mother's eyes, a small feeling of guilt engulfed him. He sighed as he pulled himself away from her and made his way to the fridge to gather the flowers inside. He held them securely under his arm as he walked out of the kitchen.

Nodoka had not moved from her position and just stared at him as he left, stopping at the door for a moment to end the conversation he had just had with her. "I don't want to hear that you've upset Akane again. If you do, I will…"

He was unable to finish his sentence, as he was not sure himself what he would do. He walked to the entrance where his gym bag had held the items he would be using for the day. He picked it up, and as he did, he saw an envelope on it that had not been there before. He flipped it over and read that whatever was inside it was addressed to him, again with no sender's address. He placed the envelope inside his shirt and made his way out of his home, slamming the door as he did. He took a deep breath as he began his walk to Akane's home, replacing his angry thoughts with pleasant ones that involved the plans he had for her today.

Akane's thoughts, however, were unpleasant regarding the events to take place today. She had gone through her closet twenty times, and nothing she found was good enough for today. She decided to put on a pair of loose-fitting pants, a turtleneck and a hooded sweater before she slammed shut the closet doors. She picked up her purse and shoes on the way out of her room, and ran out of her home, heading straight to Nerima's shopping district to find a decent outfit for the day.

Had she slowed down just a tad, she would have seen Ranma make a turn at the corner of the street, arriving to the Tendo residence just a few moments after she had left. Ranma walked inside and called for Akane as soon as he stepped into the hallway. When he did not hear a response, he tried again as he walked around the premises, opening doors and calling her name. When he was certain she was not around, and that the home was empty, he continued his preparations for their date today.

He walked to the kitchen and emptied the contents of his gym bag on the table. He placed the bouquet of flowers inside the fridge and took out the ingredients he needed for the first stop of their date. He spent an hour in the kitchen before he filled a wicker basket with the food he had just prepared, and other items that he knew they would later need. He spent a few minutes making space inside the fridge to store the basket before picking up the almost empty gym bag, took out the envelope from his shirt, and headed upstairs to his old room.

He did not know when Akane would return, but looking at the clock, he saw that their date would be starting in less than two hours, so she would have to be coming back anytime soon. He dropped the bag in his room and took out the clothes he was going to wear to his date, and hung them inside the closet. He then kicked the bag inside the closet to keep it out of view, and dropped the envelope on it before leaving the room.

He headed to the bathroom and quickly showered. Not ten minutes later, Ranma was back in his room, already dressed to impress Akane, and sat on the floor of the room holding the envelope in his hands. He tore the envelope open, expecting to see another flyer and a random note, but this time only one piece of paper came out.

He unfolded the paper and saw the note was longer this time around.

Ranma,

I see that my earlier note found you well enough to sign up for the ART. I feel it's my responsibility to let you know that you won't be the only martial artist with a chance to win. Don't take anyone there for granted, especially him. I hope to see you there.

Ranma read the note a few more times, but could not determine the origin of it. The note had not been signed, just as the previous one. He folded the paper again and stuffed it back in the envelope. He dropped the envelope in the bag at the closet and headed downstairs.

He looked at the clock again, and it now read 10:30 a.m. If he wanted to be ready in time, he would have to leave now. He walked to the kitchen and tore a piece of paper from the notepad on the fridge. He grabbed the closest pen he could find and wrote a note. Once he finished, he ran to Akane's room, left it on her desk, and ran back to the kitchen. He took out the flowers and basket from the fridge before heading out of the kitchen and the Tendo home, making his way to the destination of the beginning of the eventful day.

Had he waited just a couple of minutes, he would have seen Akane make the corner down the street, just as he had before. She arrived at the entrance and opened the front door, knowing she had left it unlocked. Her hands held a few bags with the items she had bought, so she used her back to open the door. The first thing she did was call for her dad, and then for Ranma.

When she heard no response, she headed upstairs to her room and dropped the bags on the floor. She returned to the hallway and walked around in her home, knocking on doors before opening them and calling out her dad's and fiancée's names. Certain that no one was home, she headed to the bathroom to take a bath. She had less than an hour to get ready, and she did not want to be late for her first date with Ranma. Her stomach churned at the thought.

"Ranma and I are finally going out on a date! After all this time."

She finished her bath and brushed her teeth again, as she still held the same revolting taste on her tongue. She wrapped a towel around herself and returned to her room to get ready. She grabbed the bags she had left on the floor and flipped their contents on her bed. After tearing tags and opening boxes, she placed the ensemble on her bed, taking a moment to admire it.

After a few failed attempts, she had settled for a long-sleeved black dress, made of a thick fabric that would keep her cool enough during the hottest part of the winter day, but warm enough during the early hours of the night. She did not know how long their date would last, but she did not want her apparel to be the reason it could be cut short. The dress had a pattern of colorful horizontal lines across her chest, which extended to the immediate side of the sleeves, but not all throughout the sleeves. The dress stopped right above her knees, allowing her to wear knee-height heeled red boots. The dress had a thick red belt that hugged her waist, accenting how small it had gotten over the last few years. The final touch of the dress was the V-neck it sported which allowed some cleavage to show. She chuckled, knowing the neck would be the only aspect of the dress Ranma would remember for years to come.

After she finished dressing, she sat in front her desk and pulled the small mirror she had. She took a few minutes to apply light make up and comb her short hair. She then grabbed a few bills, rolled them up and placed them inside her bra. She did not feel like carrying a purse or a wallet, so she felt her bra was the safest place for money to be carried around. Once she was done and she checked herself in the mirror one last time, she saw that she had overlooked a small note.

She grabbed it and immediately recognized the chicken scratch writing which belonged to Ranma.

Akane,

Meet me at the canal at noon.

Love,

Ranma

Akane's fingers stroked over the word love. Thinking about the real meaning of him signing the note that way made her smile like an idiot. Neither of them had said the l-word to each other, but she knew that both felt the same way. Ranma was never a man of words, but a man of actions, and his actions –especially as of lately, had told her all she needed to know.

"Wouldn't hurt to actually hear it, though," she thought, knowing that she was guilty of the same crime. Maybe she should be the one to say it first. Maybe, if she opened up to him regarding it, Ranma would feel more compelled to say it too. She quickly dismissed her thoughts when she realized she had fifteen minutes to make it to the canal they walked by everyday on their way to school.

She left the note at her desk before speeding out of the room and the home. A few minutes after she had begun her travel, she arrived at the canal. She took deep breaths to calm her demeanor, taking small steps as she stared in front of her. She did not immediately see Ranma, and frowned. Had she been too late? Too early? Was he hiding in the shadows?

Her questions were answered when she looked up and saw him smiling, just a few feet away from her, standing on the fence. His smile widened when he saw she had seen him. "Just like ol' times, eh, Akane?"

Akane nodded but did not speak. If they had planned on matching outfits, it would have not worked as well as it seemed to work right now. He wore a pair of black pants and a red, long-sleeved dress shirt. A thin black tie hung from his neck, completing his choice of simple yet fitting clothes. The tie flitted in the air as he jumped down from the fence to stand next to her.

Ranma stared at her up and down, clearly liking what he was seeing. His eyes lingered on her chest for a couple seconds longer than he would have liked being caught seeing before he cleared his throat and bowed down to Akane. "You look exceptionally lovely today, madam."

Akane giggled as she walked to him and grabbed his tie to pull him down closer to her. "You're not so bad to look at either, sir," she said before planting a quick kiss on his lips.

Ranma enjoyed the kiss while it lasted, pushing himself away after it and going around Akane. Without a warning, he carried her bridal style and jumped on the fence. "The menu today is light for an entrée, but it is accompanied by the wonderful view."

Akane followed his eyes to stare at what he was looking at. Ranma lowered both of them to the other side of the fence and walked with her in his hands towards the spot of their date. She gasped as he carefully placed her down and admired her response to his surprise.

"Ranma, this is…did you…?"

Ranma nodded.

In front of them lay a red blanket on the grass, away from the remnants of the snow. On the blanket were several items typical of a picnic meal, wicker basket and all. In the middle of the blanket was a tray, which held sandwiches, carefully cut into triangles and stacked in different positions to resemble an orderly disorder of bread and meats. There also were a few bowls with chips, sauce and fresh fruit. A small ice chest held bottles of water and soda pop. A couple of linen napkins were set aside, next to the silverware and dishes to serve the food on. On top of all that was edible on the blanket, a bouquet of red roses lay on the side, and unlit candles surrounded the already crowded piece of fabric.

Akane covered the sides of her face with her hands, too shocked for words. Knowing that he had made the first impression he was aiming for, he placed a hand on her back and led her to sit on the blanket to begin their feast. He sat next to her and waited for her to speak.

"Ranma, this is just…beautiful. When did you do this? Is this why you left me in the morning?"

"Yup. I couldn't let you see it early, now could I? I hope you're not too mad at me for leaving without saying a word."

"No, of course not. Wow!"

"I hope you aren't that hungry. This s'posed to be a light snack to get us going for the day."

"It's fine with me."

Ranma held one of the candles to light up. He looked under the linen, inside the basket and even patted himself. He realized he had forgotten something after all. "Dammit, I'm sorry Akane, I forgot matches."

Angry at himself, he hit the side of his head, not understanding how something so simple could have been left behind. He had an image in his head of candles surrounding their lunch, and now the image was ruined by his forgetfulness. Seeing how hard he was taking the small detail, Akane grabbed the candle from his hand, immediately getting his attention.

"I think I can help."

Ranma's face lit up. "Did you bring matches?"

"No," she said, seeing his face fall again before she spoke. "But I don't need them."

"What?"

She placed the candle in front of her, so that the wick was facing up. She extended her left arm away from her, in a straight line. Her right hand closed to form a fist, and she held her arm close to her heart. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Ranma frowned to show his confusion with her stance. In a few seconds, Akane's aura began to shine red, and he could feel energy being absorbed by her body. Before he could make anything else out of it, he saw the aura intensify in her left hand as it began traveling down her arm, through her chest and down her other arm. She then opened her eyes and opened her fist to show a small ball of fire floating inside her palm.

"Akane! There's…." Ranma said, afraid for her and confused at what he was seeing.

She handled the small ball of fire in her palm by joining both her hands and when she separated them again, both of her hands held a small source of fire on each. She manipulated the energy to run to her index fingers, making it seem as if Akane's finger had turned into a lighter. She carefully used her fingers to light the candles around her. Once she was certain the candles would remain lit, she clasped her hands together and the fire disappeared.

She lifted her head to face her fiancée. Shock could not begin to describe the man who had almost seen it all. He made haste to grab her hands in his and looked for burn wounds. When he found none, he looked back at her, his mouth open but no sound coming out.

"Some of the magic from the Phoenix members remains in me. Not the powerful one, mind you, but the more…shall I say, practical one?"

"No shit," he said, unable to say anything else. He had no idea she could create or manipulate fire like this. What else had she not told him? Were there other tricks she had up her sleeve? Ranma came to the quick conclusion that this woman in front of him, his woman, just simply amazed him. To any stranger, she surely looked so innocent, so fragile, and so carefree. He, however, knew the real Akane. The Akane that made his heart beat faster when she was near him. The Akane that made him shiver in pleasure when she roamed her hands all over him. The Akane that would always put everyone's needs and wants before hers, even at the cost her own life. The Akane that, somehow, had single-handedly defeated the greatest and most powerful enemy either of them had ever fought. The woman that he was engaged to; the woman he was going to make his wife.

Akane began fidgeting under his scrutinizing look. She had no idea the images that were harassing his mind. She had no idea how much he wanted to ditch their date and take her back home and…

"If you really love her, you will respect her and stay away from doing…that…until after you marry her." Nodoka's words hit him like a bucket of cold water. He shook his head and gave her a warm smile, suddenly realizing she was probably afraid he would throw a fit. He was not done exploring her hidden powers, but today was not a day to train; today was a day to enjoy.

He looked around and made sure the candles were not placed in locations that would cause a fire hazard before he began serving the food to both. "That's one way to light candles."

Akane sighed, relieved that he had not drowned her with questions about what he had just witnessed. She knew, however, that she would soon have to tell him what had occurred after she transported him to Nerima, and explain to him, in great extent, the applications and limitations of her powers. "It does more than light candles, I can assure you that."

"I rather be a witness than a dummy for that."

Akane laughed. "I'm sure."

Once he finished serving them their food, they ate at their pace and made light conversation of trivial things. They spoke about memories of good and bad times of their youth, and shared their feelings regarding situations they had lived in the past. They were surprised to find how many times they had shown each other they cared, but had been too stubborn or blind to see their actions for what they really were.

"I swear Ranma," she said between laughs. "I thought you really didn't want to come see me at the hospital. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE had come to sign my cast, except you!"

Ranma laughed along with her, remembering the situation. Gosunkugi had been taking pictures of her while in P.E. class, and Ranma had somehow aided him in distracting Akane enough to cause her to fall and injure her leg. He had tried to visit her many times, but his mind played all these crazy scenarios that made him stay away.

"Well, by the time I did see you, I had somehow signed your cast. I don't recall doing that before. How did my signature get there, uh?"

Akane blushed lightly. "Come on, Ranma! I was upset!"

"Oh, I remember that! If it hadn't been for you covering my eyes, the entire population of Nerima wouldn't have run all over me!"

"I said I was sorry, already!"

"I know, babe. Just messing with ya."

Akane blushed, this time harder, as she realized the nickname he had used for her. He did not seem to realize he had as he went along his merry way, cleaning up the leftovers and placing them back in the basket. Other than tomboy, uncute, unsexy and all the other less than lovable nicknames he had for her, he had never, willingly and without shame, called her anything else that resembled real love without immediately taking it back.

He finished cleaning up after themselves before stretching out and resting his head on her lap. Akane shifted positions so that he was a little bit more comfortable before running her fingers through his hair.

"I can get used to this," he said, closing his eyes.

"I think I could, too."

A comfortable silence engulfed them, in which, Ranma went down the list of the places he would take her today, and Akane thought about what he had already done for her. After replaying the list in his head enough times that he felt comfortable with not forgetting, he ventured the question that had been nagging in since she lit the candles a few minutes ago.

"Akane?"

"Yeah?"

"The fire…how did you…"

Akane sighed. She knew he was dying to know, being a martial artist and all. She decided that it was as good a moment as any to fill him in about one of her secrets.

"After I gave up Kiima's body, I lost many of the powers I used to defeat Saffron; the powers used to kill. However, some of the magical abilities the Phoenix people had, dealt with manipulation of the energy of nature. Wind, water, ice, electricity –fire, they are all a natural elements of nature. The Phoenix taught me how to pull this energy from my surroundings, and turn it into what I needed, when I needed it."

Ranma opened his eyes and stared at her, assimilating her words. The idea was simple, and the task made sense. However, he knew that there was more than just asking for fire and having it appear in your hands. The level of tuning with nature needed to achieve this had to be significant, otherwise any loser lost in a desert would have water pouring on him whenever he would like.

"I'd like to see you do some others, some other time, if you don't mind."

"I don't. I was planning to teach you before the tournament. You never know when they will come in handy."

Ranma smiled, excited at adding a few more techniques to his repertoire. He had enjoyed teaching Akane when they were in China, and he was more than willing to train with her again.

"Has your stomach settled?"

"What?" Akane panicked, thinking of his real meaning. Did he know she had been throwing up? Had he heard her?

"Yeah, from the sandwiches. Are your ready to continue our date?"

Akane's panic disappeared. She almost gave away her other secret to him.

"I'm ready when you are."

Ranma got up from her lap and helped her get up. He folded the blanket and placed it on top of the basket before offering his hand to Akane. She accepted it and walked behind him, standing behind the fence. He held onto her by surrounding her waist with his arm before leaping both of them clean over the fence. "Let's go to Tofu to drop off this thing," he said, pointing at the basket.

After a few blocks of walking, he left Akane standing on the sidewalk of Dr. Tofu's clinic. He ran to the entrance and left the basket and blanket at the door. He returned to Akane and told her that Tofu was expecting it before grabbing her hand again and making their way to their next stop.

Minutes later, Akane figured out where they were headed, as she had just been there herself the same morning. Akane and Ranma finally arrived at the shopping district and immediately went inside the mall. Once inside, Ranma bought them both a shake and cookies for them to leisurely eat as they window-shopped around the mall. After walking around for half an hour, Ranma invited Akane to ride with him at the carrousel, earning him a few laughs and taunts from her. She finally accepted and they both rode it a couple of times, taking the time to finish their cookies and shake.

Once they were done with the carrousel, Akane suggested stopping at the arcade, to which Ranma happily agreed. They would have stayed there longer, but Ranma was fed up with the lecherous looks she was getting from some of the men at the arcade before dragging her out of the location.

"Ranma! Where are we going?"

"What do you mean, where? Away from there! Those guys were undressing you with their looks!"

"What guys?" Akane said as she turned behind her and caught a handful of men staring at her before they looked away, seeing as they had been caught. Akane rolled her eyes and followed Ranma away from the arcade.

"Stop being so jealous."

"I'm not jealous."

"Yes, you are!" She said, pulling him to a stop to face her.

"No, I'm…" he was going to continue denying it but her knowing look defeated him. "Fine! I'm jealous. Deal with it."

"I am," she said kissing him. Ranma's defenses left him and held her closer to continue their kiss. Happy that the men staring at them witnessed their kiss and understood they had no chance in hell of getting her, he stopped the kiss and followed her to wherever she wanted to go.

"You did that on purpose," he said.

"Of course not," she joked.

She dragged him to a pet store and slightly tuned her out when she started cooing at the puppies in the display, jumping at her and scratching their paws on the window. Ranma let go of her hand and stared through the window of the store next to the pet store, its contents catching his eyes.

In front of him was a mannequin, dressed in a western-style wedding dress. It reminded him of the many times their parents had tried to marry them after they had poisoned them with mushrooms, or knocked them unconscious. He had never paid much attention at the attire, but now that marriage was a possibility he was considering, he imagined how Akane would look in one of those western-style dresses.

Akane suddenly realized he had left her side, so she peeked over to see what had caught his interest. She saw the wedding dress in front of her and gasped. She quickly composed herself and stood next to him, thinking of how to reverse her feelings of shyness and transfer them to him.

"You've got great taste, Ranma! I think that dress would look wonderful on you."

Ranma's eyes widened when he saw her standing next to her, almost falling on his side as he squeaked. He then cleared his throat and stood up, pretending he had not been picturing her in any of the dresses in front of them. He stared at their reflection on the glass and frowned. He then turned to face her, looked at her up and then and frowned again.

Akane, thinking her joke had upset him, began feeling nervous under his critiquing eye. "What?"

"Did you use the water of the Spring of the Drowned Akane to cure yourself?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Did you create a new spring or used the old one?"

"The old one. What are you getting at?"

"How many times did you have to use it?"

"Two. Why?"

Ranma smiled, knowing his suspicious had been correct. "Your body is two years younger than it should be, isn't?"

Akane gasped. She never thought he would make that connection on his own. She shook her head and frowned back at him. "Well, your body is one year younger than it should be."

"True. Do you know what that means?"

"That you are a perv?"

"Oh come on, Akane! Think about it! When people see is in the streets right now, you know what they think?"

"That we are weird for riding a carrousel at our age?"

"No! They say: Oh! 'Look at that 19 year-old guy with that 18 year old girl! Boy he is lucky!'"

Akane rolled her eyes at him. "Ranma, number one: I'm your still your age, even if the water of Jusenkyo shaved two years off me; and two, who are these people, guys?"

"Just…people…"

"Right…" She said, still not quite following his conversation.

"I'm serious! Then when I'm 21, you know that they will say? 'Look at that 21 year old guy with a 20 year old! Boy he is lucky!'"

Akane sighed loudly, showing him the lack of interest in his current thoughts. What was it with guys thinking they were special if they dated younger girls?

Fed up with his ego talking, she spoke again. "And you know what they are going to say when you are 40?"

"What?"

Akane pressed herself closer to him, forcing him to rest his back on the glass wall.

"Look at that 40 year old guy with that 39 year old woman! She needs to find a younger guy!"

Ranma's face faulted. "Whatever," he mumbled before grabbing her hand and leading her out of the mall.

"Where are we going now?"

"You'll see."

Ranma led them out of the mall and towards the lake. The lake at this time of year was frozen, turning into a natural ice rink. After their encounters with Azusa and Mikado, ice-skating was not so difficult for Ranma anymore, and he knew that Akane loved to skate. As soon as they arrived, Ranma paid for the pair of skates and they swapped their current shoes for them. Without regard to the prying eyes on them, Ranma and Akane skated at their leisure, scrapping drawings on the ice and laughing until the mood turned more intimate and they slowly danced on the ice.

Akane rested her cheek on his chest, placing her left arm around his neck, and his own held her right hand.

"This has been the best date I've been on, Ranma."

Ranma, hearing her words, smiled. "We ain't done yet."

"Really?"

"Really."

Ranma twirled both of them a couple of times, relishing the company and realizing this was the perfect moment to tell her. He sighed and cracked his neck, as if he was getting ready for a battle before he spoke.

"Akane, I want to tell you something."

Akane's heart beat faster at his innocent request. She knew what he was about to say. The timing could not be better. They were dancing on the ice, most of the bystanders had left the rink, and the day had gone great for both of them. She closed her eyes and waited for him to utter the words she had been waiting for.

"You're very special to me, Akane. You know that?"

She only nodded, as if her voice would disrupt his train of thought.

"And we've been through a lot, a lot. And I'm happy that you've decided to stay with me."

Akane nodded again, showing him he had her full attention.

"I guess, what I'm trying to say is that I lo –"

"Akane Tendo! Fancy seeing you here."

Ranma flinched at the unwanted disruption. He turned around to see who was going to be the receiver of his wrath but his jealous nature immediately overrode his thoughts. Akane, hearing he had become quiet, pulled herself from his chest and turned around to face the intruder that had dared interrupt their moment together.

Standing in front of them stood Satoshi Nakajima. Ranma glared at the man, waiting for an opportunity to wipe the smile of his face. "Oh! Satoshi! I didn't see you here."

Satoshi, knowing well his presence was unwelcome, walked closer to Akane and shook her hand. He then looked up and gave a fake smile to Ranma, who was still holding Akane's other hand. Akane, realizing Satoshi and Ranma had not been properly introduced, quickly amended the issue.

"Satoshi, this is Ranma Saotome, my fiancée."

Satoshi extended his hand towards Ranma, who took it and shook just a little too hard for Satoshi's taste. Satoshi, however, did not seem affected by it and his smile did not falter. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Ranma. Akane talks about you all the time."

"Nice to meet you, Satoshi. Sadly, I can't say the same."

Akane elbowed Ranma in an attempt to ask him to be more respectful towards Satoshi. Ranma's smile became menacing as he began walking away from the man, making sure Akane followed him. "Well, we've got somewhere we have to be, don't we, Akane? Hope to meet again, Satoshi."

Akane nodded and gave Satoshi an apologetic smile as she waved goodbye to him, following her clearly jealous boyfriend out of the rink. By the time Akane reached the end of the rink, Ranma had already placed his regular shoes on, and was holding Akane's. She took them without a word and hastily changed. Ranma returned the pair of skates to the attendant, and she followed Ranma to their next stop.

After a long and uncomfortable silence, they arrived at a restaurant Akane had never been to before. Ranma let the host know that he had a reservation, and before they could blink again, they were both being led to their table. The waiter saluted them, left the menus at their table, took an order of drinks, and promised to come back with their order. Akane had not dared to say a word until she realized Ranma's face of anger had not changed a bit since their abrupt escape from the rink.

"Ranma, are you gonna talk to me again, ever?"

"Oh! You're talking to me? I thought you were still talking to your friend, Satoshi."

Akane rolled her eyes. "Ranma, let's not do this. I was having a great time until he showed up."

"Why? Are you afraid I'll find out you are dating him on the side?"

Akane frowned. "Are you fucking stupid, or you are just pretending for my sake?"

Ranma attempted to look upset, but her words had hurt him. She rarely cursed at him, and when she did, he knew he had truly made her mad.

He realized that their date was almost over and decided to let go of his anger for now. There would a chance to discuss Akane's relationship to Satoshi, some other time.

He dropped the menu and grabbed her hands before apologizing to her. She accepted the apology and before they knew, they were laughing again as they tried Indian food for the first time. Unfortunately, for them, Akane became ill in the middle of it, and ran to the bathroom to throw up what she had just eaten. She cursed under her breath, knowing Ranma would be suspicious of her, but decided to play it off as a reaction to the food.

Ranma, not questioning her logic, proceeded to pay for the food and decided not to take her to the winter fair as he had thought, seeing how pale she looked. He, instead, took her to the park where they sat at a bench, staring at the sun setting down.

The couple remained quiet, observing the people surrounding them. They saw a man playing with his kids while a woman laughed and took pictures. They saw another couple walking hand-in-hand, pointing at the stars above them. As the night became more prominent, the families in the park left, and their presences were replaced by more couples, enjoying the beautiful night.

Akane leaned closer to Ranma, feeling the chill of the cold getting to her. Ranma placed an arm around her shoulder and held her close, providing whatever heat he could to her. They remained like that for a while until Ranma saw a preview of his future. In front of him, a couple rested against the fence of the park. The guy pointed at something at a distance, making his partner turn around and try to find what he was talking about. As she did this, the guy took out a small box and opened it, getting down on one knee. When the woman in question was not able to find what he had been pointing at, she turned around to see him, holding a ring in his hands. The woman, visibly shocked but also happy, nodded in acceptance. The man stood up and placed the ring on her finger, and they sealed the deal with a hug.

Ranma stared at them until they left, surely on their way to tell the four cardinal points that they were to join their lives. Ranma's mind replayed the scene in his head, finding it alluring to be that man.

"I will do it after the tournament. I will ask Akane to marry me."

Feeling a newfound wave of courage and knowing she had also witnessed the scene, he tightened his hold on her before he spoke. "You better say yes when I ask you to marry me, Akane."

He heard her gasp, but she did not move. Thinking this was the chance he had been deprived of earlier today by Satoshi, he continued to speak. "Would it help to say yes to me if I told you I love you?"

He smiled to himself, satisfied that he had finally come out and said it. He waited for Akane's response but when he did not hear one, he looked at her.

She was asleep.

The gasp he had heard earlier had not been a gasp, but actually a wheeze.

Ranma sighed. "Fuckin' shit."

He cursed his luck and lifted Akane, who was tired from the eventful day. He took her back home, and laid her on her bed. He thought about staying with her tonight, but decided against it. He had other plans. He kissed her goodnight and left her home, stopping at a pay phone on his way to his own house. He dialed a number and waited until a very angry woman picked up the other line.

"Who the hell is this?"

"Hey, Nabiki, it's me, Ranma."

"You better be fucking dying, Saotome. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Time to get married to Akane?"

Nabiki smiled. Finally! Her plans would pay off. "What can I do you for? Whatever it is, it's gonna cost you."

Ranma chuckled, knowing that just too well. "I need you to get something for me, and keep it until I tell you. And no word to anyone, especially Akane."

"No worries, Ranma," she said, knowing that she was about to become an accomplice of Ranma's proposal plans. Once Ranma arrived home, he remained awake, thinking of ways to propose to Akane. After many scenarios, his body finally gave up and he was able to have a restful night.

A/N: "Ranma was never a man of words, but a man of actions" borrowed this from reader Kikko! Thanks! So, what do you all think is going on here? Too much? Too little? The next chapter will be the last normal chapter. The crap really starts to hit the fan from the fifth until the end. Enjoy the fluff and light drama for now, because the real drama is coming soon. The next chapter is called Adorable. Thanks!