Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2

Chapter 4)

Ranma yawned as Akane sat on the bed. They'd changed into their pyjamas in seperate rooms but their fathers urged them to sleep together once again. Giving up the struggle, they headed up to Akane's room.

Akane pulled the covers up. "Are you going to sleep, Ranma?" Ranma opened his mouth to answer but was interupted by P-chan, the little black piglet Akane had taken in as a pet and was greatly fond of him. Dispite their pet and owner relationship, she was oblivious to the fact that her beloved P-chan was Ryoga's cursed form and she was actually letting that 'pervert', as Ranma refered to him as, snuggle against her during the night-time hours beneath the covers of her bed.

Akane let P-chan in and happily gave him a hug. Ranma, furiated, and slightly jealous (though he'd never admit it aloud), snatched the piglet from Akane's arms.

"He can't sleep in here, you do realise that, don't you?"

"There's no harm in him sleeping at the foot of the bed, Ranma."

Setting P-chan down where she said, Akane turned to Ranma.

"What were you going to say before?"

"Oh, er, that..." Ranma trailed off as they lay on the comfortable matress. "I was... Yeah."

"It's kind of obvious now, Ranma." Akane rolled her eyes and settled herself on her side.

"Akane?" Ranma whispered into her ear.

"Hmmm?"

"You know earlier, when you rejected that guy?"

"Andrew? What about him?"

"Was I just an excuse to not marry him, or..." He didn't know how to word the rest. He didn't want to word the rest. That meant saying what he didn't want to hear.

Akane turned to face Ranma.

Looking into eachothers eyes, Ranma told her, in the easiest way possible, how he felt. Everything around them dissapeared...

"I love you, Akane. I want this to be real... I want us to be real."

Akane let a smile dance it's way across her face.

"I feel the same way, Ranma. I used truth, not lies. I don't want you to just use me, either."

Ranma understood. This wasn't a game anymore. They knew that their skinny love was over. They knew that their love wasn't one sided.

P-chan, at the end of the bed, was asleep. He was supposed to be spying but the efforts of running around as a piglet had taken it out of him and the soft covers didn't make it any easier to stay awake.

"So, do we act differently or just the same?" Ranma asked.

What's going on? Ryoga thought, still half asleep on Akane's bed.

"You really don't know anything, do you, Ranma?"

"Hey, I'm just asking!"

"We were in this relationship anyway, so we'll just act the same but with minor differences to before."

"Meaning?"

"In some cases, we'll be different to the way we were before all this."

Ranma nodded, "so when will we be different?"

"You'll be different without realising it as you become closer to that certain person. Like friendship, at first you just talk but you eventually you start hanging out more and more and trust eachother with secrets and stuff."

"So I don't have to do anything particularly?"

Akane just laughed at his rediculousness. "No, Ranma." Flattening out invisable creases on her school dress, Akane said, "besides, we should get going before we're late."

Entering the school gates just on time, they were surprised to see the male population of the school running out like they did when Ranma first arrived.

"Akane! Please date me!"

"Go on a date with me, Akane!"

Ranma and Akane looked at eachother for a moment. Coming to the conclusion that neither of them had a clue of what was going on, they shrugged and battled their way through the crowds.

"Ranma Saotome."

They were finally able to carry on into the school building, but they were now interupted by a familiar foe of theirs...

"You," pointing his bokken at Ranma's face, kuno continued, "have no right to partner up with Akane."

"What are ya goin' on about now, Kuno?"

"Now that your engagment has been broken, you no longer have the power of keeping Akane from us, who have an even chance of winning over her love again."

"Kuno? Who told you that we broke our engagment?"

"She held much beauty, but didn't quite capture my interests. I suppose it was her bright purple hair that made me turn away from declaring-"

"Shampoo?!"

"How dare you interupt the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High?"

"If Shampoo said this, then she's still trying to pry us apart."

"She's still got her heart set on you, Ranma. Perhaps you should go and explain things to her?"

"Yeah, but when will I get the time?"

They continued their conversation as they entered the building, completely ignoring Kuno.

Kuno stood there, astounded that someone would be disinterested in what he had to say, his opinions on things, mostly ladies. His bokken clattered to the ground, his mouth agape.

Entering the classroom, Ranma headed over to where Hiroshi and Daisuke were sat. "Didn't you hear the rumor?" Ranma asked.

"The rumor about you and Akane breaking up? Yeah, and it seemed pretty realistic." Hiroshi commented.

"Is it true? We watched you guys from the window. It doesn't loook like it's true but-"

"No, Daisuke, Shampoo made it up."

"So, if you're still together, does that mean you guys actually accepted your engagment?"

Ranma glanced at Akane. The girls of the class were obviously asking her for the gossip. Ranma sighed. "Yeah, I'm surprised there aren't more rumors with whats been happening."

"What has been happening?" Daisuke asked.

"You mean, Nabiki's not said anything?"

"Not that I know of, and rumors spread pretty quick here." Hiroshi told him.

Ranma dismissed the topic, "don't worry about it. It nothing."

It's nothing, eh, Ranma? Hahaha!

I hope you guys enjoyed this update! And incase any of you are interested, I've begun posting a fanfiction over in the Angel Beats! area.