"Of Loss, Life, & Love"
A Ranma ½ Fanfic by Luna12
Chapter 26: "Courtship"
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Ukyo held in her growing frustration and concentrated on watching Ranma and Akane finish up teaching in the Tendo dojo. She had been more than piqued after Ranma had deserted her on their date at the festival. At least Ranchan said he'd eventually caught the water gun culprit, but he waved off attempts to go into details as to what he did to the kid afterward. He only gave a half-hearted apology for forgetting about Ucchan after she nailed him with her spatula. Ukyo hadn't meant to let her temper slip, but sometimes he was just so... so infuriating! She was starting to realize that as amazing as her Ranchan was, he could really suck as a boyfriend. All the times she mocked Akane for being violent with him were now seen in a different light. The wonderful jerk had probably asked for it.
Still, if Ranma had forgotten his Ucchan that easily, she obviously had to try harder. So she had dragged – uh, taken – him to the movies, to picnics in the park, to ice-skating (oh had that been a complete disaster! The insensitive idiot kept rambling on about some past martial arts ice skating tournament with Akane instead of focusing on her), to just playing card games at his apartment (a guaranteed way to keep Akane away).
The times she had to take Ranma out on a good old fashioned romantic date were limited, so each morning before Ranma woke up, Ukyo was there in his apartment helping his mother serve out breakfast. She made sure to accompany him everyday on his walk to school, even when he insisted on walking over to Akane's place first so they could all walk together. No matter how busy her business got, she made sure to be in attendance for every teaching and training session in the dojo.
Ukyo chewed at her bottom lip. She'd eaten through two full weeks of courtship and she had nothing to show for it! Ranma still didn't show any signs of being in love with her. She lavished her attention on him, and if anything, Ranma seemed a little annoyed at the sight of her. Ukyo knew better than to be all physically clingy like Shampoo. She was just hanging out with Ranma (okay, maybe just a little bit too much) and feeding him delicious free food! Why wasn't he falling for her?
The only thing easing Ukyo's anxiety was a beautiful twist of fate: Ranma's mother was brainwashed to hate Akane. Ukyo didn't want any harm to befall the lady, but she couldn't help but rejoice at this opportunity. Ranchan was counting on some 411 potion from Mousse as a Hail Mary, but if it didn't work, that left her prime fiancée. 30 days or no, Ranma could hardly hope to keep his betrothal to Akane with Nodoka's health at risk. That left his good old pal Ucchan, the cute one, to be his only prospective bride.
Ukyo finished feeding the last of the Tendo Dojo's dismissed students and returned her full attention to watching Ranma and Akane spar. They had finished teaching for the night and were working on some more of that strange DAFT style fighting for their upcoming tournament. Begrudgingly, she had to admit Akane was pretty good. With the rules of the tournament handicapping Ranma from his natural strengths, they were on a level playing field as they attempted to trip each other while maintaining a perfect score, hitting all the correct marks from the song on the screen.
The dojo doors opened and Ukyo turned to face the newcomer. It was Nabiki. She sauntered into the dojo and gave Ukyo a slow appraising look, a mischievous gleam in her eye. Ukyo fought back a shudder. What did that manipulative money lover want?
Nabiki gave Ukyo a small smile. "Konatsu's on the phone for you Ukyo. He says it's urgent."
Ukyo frowned. She wouldn't be too surprised if the poor ninja was in over his pretty head again. She glanced back at Ranma and Akane. They were dutifully practicing, and Ranma was probably enough of a stickler to his mother's promise that she wouldn't have to worry about leaving them alone for a few minutes.
Soon as Ukyo's back was turned, Nabiki gave Akane a large wink and a smirk before closing the dojo door behind them. Akane felt most of the strain leave her body. For the first time in over a week she and Ranma were without their third wheel. Akane looked shyly at Ranma, and was surprised to notice the hungry gleam in his eyes. Apparently he had felt the change, too.
Ranma cleared his throat and gave her a wide grin. "How 'bout we work more on those hip hop moves?"
Akane felt her face grow warm, and she nodded in return.
He began to lean towards her, his eyes smoky as they sucked her in. The blood in Akane's ears began to pound as his fingers brushed over her jaw, hot on her skin. She was vaguely aware of the music pounding out the beat, but it was dim compared to the beating of her heart.
With Ukyo acting as an insistent shadow the past week, Ranma had felt a low, constant hum at the peripherals of his consciousness whenever he was next to Akane. It was an agonizing tease to have been brought so close together, only to be hounded and forced apart ever since.
Alone at last, Ranma could feel a tide of burning desire threaten to overwhelm him. All he wanted to do was to touch her, to feel her warm skin like silk beneath his fingers. The want was trampling over his thoughts, but Ranma felt the promise eating away at him. He was only allowed to be in the dojo for training...but oh, how he wanted more. So, reluctantly, he continued without pause in their DAFT routine, secretly relishing every brief touch and contact he made. He could always improvise a few new moves for the sake of Anything Goes, right?
Slipping his fingers into the delicate space between her arms and the curve of her hips, Ranma let them drag across her skin before coming to rest over her navel. Akane's eyes fluttered shut as her world began to spin. There was a throbbing in her chest, competing with her heart, that raged against the brutally unfair and cruel arrangement Ranma was stuck under. She turned her head, their faces so close she could feel his heat on her lips and his breath in her hair. Her voice came out thick and warm. "Its been a while since you got to hold me like this."
Ranma's eyes seemed to swallow her whole. "Too long," he breathed, and Akane felt herself shiver involuntarily.
The moment felt charged with electricity, the tense atmosphere from before transformed into an altogether different and more pleasant form. They continued to move, compelled by the promise and buoyed by the music, but never once did their "training" feel like work. It was a bending of the rules, a dance meant just for them for however long they could make it last...and Ranma was determined to make it last as long as he could.
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Ukyo grouchily walked back to the dojo. She would have to gather her things and leave. Konatsu was swamped at the cafe and Ukyo did not want to see her hard earned business fall apart. She had too much pride in her career to let it falter now.
Ukyo stepped back into the dojo, greeted by the sight of Ranma and Akane practicing in a very different manner than when she had left. Was that dancing? Or martial arts? It seemed a strange, but beautiful blend between the two forms. She would have enjoyed the display if it wasn't for the frequent intimate embraces the dance-sparring seemed to employ. The beauty of their movements together, the grace and cooperation, and - damn it, Ukyo wasn't blind - the blatant sexual tension between Ranma and Akane had to be stopped!
Her temper exploded out. Without conscious thought, Ukyo launched a multitude of bladed spatulas directly between them. Ranma and Akane sensed the oncoming attack, and jumped apart. The small weapons were now embedded into the well worn and often-patched dojo floor.
Akane's face was a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. Ranma's looked sheepish and disappointed, but he faced Ukyo calmly. Ranma was so skilled, he never did bat an eye when she flung her spatulas at him. "Hey Ucchan. Everything good at the restaurant?"
There was a grinding noise and it took Ukyo a moment to realize it had come from her own jaw mashing her teeth together. She took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm and - hopefully - cute. "Ranchan, didn't your ma expect you home by now?" The tone was strained, but not overly terse. She had to break them up, but it was taking every ounce of willpower to refrain from screaming like a harpy. Ukyo was pinning her strategy on proving to Ranma how much cuter and sweeter she was in comparison to Akane. She couldn't afford any more slip ups of how she really felt.
In unison, Ranma and Akane both sighed. Ukyo clenched her jaw further, but said nothing. Ranma dutifully grabbed his pack and walked towards the door, but not before flashing Akane a long look. Akane gave him a small smile and mock-whispered to him "only 12 days to go!"
Ukyo heard that and bristled. In retaliation she smoothly grabbed Ranma's arm and said "Your ma just loves it when I come over, Ranchan. How 'bout I help out with dinner tomorrow, since you love my food and all." It wasn't a question, but a rhetorical point.
Akane glared daggers while Ukyo waved goodbye, her pride somewhat assuaged after getting that last barb in. Besides emphasizing that she was in his mother's good graces while Tendo was not, it was important to remind Ranma that a life with Akane meant a life of toxic cooking.
Once outside, Ranma hopped onto the fence while Ukyo walked beside him. The evening was fairly warm, but each night was getting steadily cooler. Tonight it felt pleasant on his skin...and it helped to cool the heated desire he felt for Akane, something he had to suppress while Ukyo stalked his every move. Damn that stupid arrangement and his Pop for sticking him with another fiancée. Well, he couldn't blame his Pop too much, he supposed. Without him, he never would have met Akane. Not that he'd ever admit it to the old bastard.
Ranma glanced at Ukyo, who was humming a pleasant tune. Ranma knew he had to try and get her to cut back on the whole 'courtship' thing. He liked all the extra food, but even Ukyo's cooking wasn't worth feeling so cramped. Heck, even Shampoo with her tentacle arms had given him more free time than Ukyo. Instead of physically smothering him, Ukyo was stifling his soul.
He would have to convince her to understand, which didn't give him high hopes. They may have been old childhood pals, but talking just wasn't his strongest skill.
"Ucchan?"
Ukyo looked at him eagerly, like a love-sick puppy. Ranma sighed. "We should talk about, I don't know, scheduling and stuff."
Ukyo frowned. "What do you mean, sugar?"
Ranma fidgeted as he walked, yet remained perfectly in balance as he continued walking on the top of the fence railing.
"I, uh, think you're trying too hard."
Ukyo frowned. She did not like where this conversation was heading. She feigned ignorance. "Ranchan, I'm not trying anything. I just like to hang out with you and cook for you. It's no trouble at all."
Ranma frowned. He was not getting through to her. "You don't need to tag along every time I'm at the dojo."
Ukyo stiffened, her voice growing cold. "After what I saw, I think I do, hun. Akane was all over you. She had no shame, taking advantage of you in her dojo."
Ranma's face blushed. "It's for DAFT. It's part of the rules for the judges. You want me to win, right?"
Ukyo crossed her arms. "But you were enjoying it!"
Ranma couldn't help but get a distant look in his eyes. "Yeah… I was." He shook his head, seeing Ukyo's face turn a very startling shade of angry red. He let out a deep breath and prayed he could get her to understand without throwing more battle spatulas his way. Why was it that girls insisted on being subtle around him, but he had to blunt to get his point across?
"Ucchan, I don't want you gettin' your hopes out of proportion. Just 'cause you get to spend extra time with me for a month doesn't mean I'm gonna fall in love with you."
Ukyo lips trembled. "Why not? We're already good friends. You just need to see how well we'd be together as a couple."
"You deserve to be with a guy who will love you for you. Not because of some stolen dowry."
Ukyo shook her head fiercely. "I'm not giving up on you that easily, Ranchan. I know you don't hate me. We're friends. Old friends. That has to mean something."
Ranma sighed. "It does, but not the way you want it to."
They were only a few blocks away from his apartment, and they had reached the end of the fence. Ranma had to jump down to join her on the sidewalk. Ukyo seized the opportunity, and she put a solitary hand gently over his mouth. "Ranchan...even after the month is over, there's no way I'm giving up hope, short of you saying you can't stand to see me anymore."
Ranma's shoulders slumped. When Ukyo wasn't being so clingy, he was glad to have her friendship. It was a tie to one of the few good things he could remember from his childhood.
Ranma pulled away, feeling trapped and wanting nothing more than to be alone. He sighed in resignation. He was not prepared to tell Ukyo to stop all contact with him for the rest of his life.
His blue eyes met hers, firm as steel and more than a little sad. "I'm going to bed. See you later, Ucchan."
Ukyo felt her heart twist. Why did he have to look at her like an abused puppy? Being with his cute fiancée should be a pleasure, not a chore.
She watched him go into the building and then her eyes lit up. After watching that display in the dojo, Ukyo knew Ranma was still a typical young male. He had needs, and she would help show him how much better she was to fulfill them than that tomboy in her gi.
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The next evening, Ranma walked into his small bedroom and did a double take. Ukyo had already laid out his futon, and was kneeling prettily in the center. "Ucchan, whadda ya doing here? Did you lose your place above the shop again?"
Ukyo gave Ranma a coy look. "Oh, don't be silly Ranchan. Of course I still own my shop, but I'm moving in with you. How else do I show you all my assets as a wife?" Ranma gulped. Ukyo stood and gently removed her outer robe, letting it pool at her feet. She was not in her usual male attire, or even in a regular set of pajamas. She was in a very feminine, and rather seductive babydoll that would have sent Happosai into a drooling coma. The garment was a sheer, semi-translucent black with lace trim that skimmed just at her fingertips. Very little was left to Ranma's imagination.
As pretty as Ukyo was, Ranma's mind couldn't help but make the direct comparison to Akane. Although he had trouble picturing his tomboy ever wearing something like that, he knew every tempting curve and shape of Akane's body. Ukyo may have fit more into the Japanese ideal, long and skinny, but it didn't hold a candle to Akane's form - something Ranma knew all too well. The memory of Akane's naked body (even if it was Kiima transformed via the Jusenkyo pools) pressing against him in China filled his mind. Ranma shook his head repeatedly, those thoughts would only lead to trouble.
Ukyo was looking at him impatiently, patting the extra space beside her on the futon.
Ranma flushed. "Uh...not really tired yet, Ucchan. Why don't you get some shut eye? "
Ukyo pouted. "I could help you relax..."
Ranma felt beads of sweat gather on his brow. Even if he preferred Akane, there was no denying that Ukyo was looking very, very attractive, and he was a healthy eighteen year old male. "Teeth. Brushing. I gotta, um, go do that."
He ran out of the room, only to bump into his mother. Ranma gulped and reflexively covered his stomach. He wanted to keep his head and intestines intact, and there was no explanation she'd swallow for why he wasn't joining a willing, pretty young woman in his bed.
Nodoka smiled knowingly and handed him a small rectangular box. "Until you're officially married, I want my manly son to be responsible." She winked and then strolled back into her own bedroom. Ranma looked at the package in his hands and mentally groaned. It was a box of condoms. His mother definitely expected his son to do the 'manly' thing tonight.
Ranma went into the bathroom and closed the door. He couldn't stall in here all night, could he? His eyes caught the small window. Choosing flight over a futile fight, Ranma crawled through and jumped out.
He was still in his pajamas, and without his pack for camping, but he couldn't risk going back to his room tonight. It looked like a long, uncomfortable night on the rooftop.
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The following morning Ranma crawled back into his bedroom via the window, grateful that it had been left open a crack so he could slide it the rest of the way open. He was exhausted and irritable. He would have kept sleeping, despite the discomfort of lying on cold cement, but the damn pigeons kept landing on him.
Soon as he stepped his foot onto the floor, Ukyo woke up. She turned to face him and despite the drowsiness in her voice, her displeasure was evident.
"Where were you?!" she accused.
"Shhhh! You want my seppuku-lovin' mother to hear you?" Ranma whispered loudly back.
Ukyo pouted again, making her look cute but also childish.
Ranma felt torn. He was used to tossing Shampoo out the nearest window when she made her advances, but Ukyo wasn't being that aggressive….just annoyingly persistent. Still, he was irritable enough that he was mentally daydreaming ways of booting her out the door. If only his mother wasn't so intent that he had to prove his manliness.
For once, Ukyo seemed to sense Ranma's simmering frustration. The guy looked like he hardly slept and there was dirt and dust all over his pajamas. Did he spend the night in the park, or the roof?
"You poor thing," she crooned. "I'll go make you some breakfast!" Ukyo doned her bathrobe and scampered out of his room to the kitchen. Ranma flopped back on his futon and covered his eyes. He couldn't wait for the next 10 days to be over with.
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Original Publication Date: Oct. 24, 2014
