Your Touch

By

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is used without permission.

Chapter 3 – Balm for a Bad Day

Akane glared up at Ranma, and from the fence Ranma glowered back at her then pointedly looked away, across the canal. Akane huffed, staring down at the pavement with a frown as they walked home from school. She grimaced sharply as she recalled how terrible the day had been. It started with Kuno trying to glomp her the moment she walked through the gates – a minor annoyance, but serving as a herald for worse to come. Home Economics was where trouble truly started, with her attempt at baking brownies ending with a pan of brown goo, burnt and bubbling, so great a mess that even she could not pretend it was remotely edible. Her teacher threw up her hands in despair and Principal Kuno appeared out of nowhere, stating he was sorry, but the school rules were clear: "A wahine who can't cook no brownie don't get promoted to da next grade!" He then declared that he would benevolently see to it himself that Akane learned this necessary skill. The commotion attracted spectators, among them Ranma, who just had to throw in his two yen in his tactless way about the chances of Akane learning how to bake. This set off a tremendous row between the two teens, which resulted in her punting him out a window and then decking the principal as she stormed off.

Matters grew worse at lunch when Ukyo decided to tease her about the brownie disaster, saying in her loudest voice it must be tough, being both uncute and a lousy cook. Akane liked Ukyo –she honestly did – but the okonomiyaki chef could be very obnoxious when she chose to be. The two girls engaged in a screaming match, at the end of which Ukyo said: "Ranchan deserves a fiancée whose cooking doesn't need to be disposed of by a HazMat team!"

"If you want to spend the rest of your life feeding a brainless, bottomless pit, then be my guest!" Akane retorted. She turned to stomp back to home room and almost ran into Ranma. Pain flickered briefly across his face before smoldering anger buried it. "To think I was looking for you so I could apologize," he hissed. "But if that's all you think of me then you can forget it, tomboy!" A second fight erupted between them, even more heated than the first, but ending much differently; when her anger reached its limit and she went to whack him, he dodged her mallet with contemptuous ease and swept her legs out, dropping her on her rump. Everyone gasped in astonishment, and Akane felt her anger transform into shock and apprehension. Frozen on the ground, she just gaped after him as he stalked away like an angry cat.

The rest of the day passed in slow misery. Akane did not know which was worse – Ranma coldly ignoring her, Ukyo's gloating, triumphal grin, or the whispered rumors chasing around the classroom.

Akane's lips trembled and she swiped away the tears prickling in her eyes. She glanced warily at Ranma, feeling relieved, yet a trifle disappointed, that he was still staring out over the canal and had not noticed her distress. She looked away, pursing her lips tightly, hating the painful hollowness pressing against her heart, the odd soreness in her throat. She did not want to feel this way; she and Ranma had been getting along so well since their return from Ryugunzawa – holding hands whenever they could; the whispered, affectionate conversations they engaged in more and more often; the embrace they shared in the dojo this past Saturday. Even their arguments had changed, becoming more playful than acrimonious – until now. The fights today were throwbacks to their past behavior, and she did not want to fall away from the place she and Ranma somehow miraculously discovered. She hoped Ranma felt the same. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she needed to try. "Ranma," she said.

Ranma looked down at her, his expression still hard and angry. "What?"

"Come here."

Ranma's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"

"Would you just get over here!" Akane snapped.

"So you can take a whack at me?" he snapped back, scowling. "Forget it!"

Akane opened her mouth to scream at him, but she choked on the angry words trying to form. Before Ryugunzawa it had been so easy to unleash her temper upon him, but now the thought of it made her feel sick. Her face crumpled and tears started to flow from her eyes. She quickly turned away from Ranma, bowing her head. "Ranma… please?"

Ranma bit at his lower lip, finally noticing how upset Akane seemed, the pleading, almost desperate note in her voice cutting deeply into his resistance. He felt horrible, and did not understand why – fighting with Akane never effected him this way before, but now it seemed as if a strong, implacable hand was squeezing his heart, that a serpent scaled with thorns twisted in his stomach. He hated these feelings, and hated the thought that Akane could be feeling anything remotely like this. He leaped off the fence, landing before her, facing her. Her head jerked up, startled by his sudden action, and Ranma felt a momentary twinge of panic when he saw the tears on her face. "All right, I'm here," he said, voice somewhat strained. "Now what?"

Akane looked at him blankly for a moment, blinking away her tears, then dropped her book bag and grabbed onto him, hugging him fiercely, burying her face in his chest. Ranma's breath rushed out of him in shock, and his eyes opened wide. He looked about wildly, finding to his immense relief no one was around to see them, and then focused his attention on his fiancée. She cleaved to him desperately, as if she was afraid he would disappear, or try to flee from her. Her entire body was rigid with tension, and her shoulders trembled slightly. He could hear little, choking gasps escape from her, and realized she was trying not to sob.

Ranma felt his heart twist painfully. He groped for a moment for words to comfort her, but, not trusting his mouth, decided on a different tactic for soothing his distraught fiancée. His arms came up around her shoulders and he gently but firmly hugged her, pressing his cheek against the side of her head, her silky blue-black hair tickling him. He rubbed her back with circular motions as he slowly rocked back and forth with her. "Shhhh… it's okay," he whispered softly in her ear. "Don't cry Akane… It's okay…" He felt the tension leave her, letting out a sigh of relief as her sobs stopped and her embrace became less desperate. She nestled against him, letting out a soft sigh of her own.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him, after a minute.

"It's okay," he whispered back. "I'm sorry too." They held each other for a minute more before Akane gave him one last squeeze and pulled out of his arms. Her face was a little pale, and her eyes a little red, but her face was free of tears, and she was smiling.

"Thank you, Ranma."

Ranma ducked his head a little, scratching the back of it, feeling embarrassed by the open display of public affection they shared. "You're… you're welcome."

Akane picked up her book bag. "Oh, one more thing."

He looked up at her curiously and a bit warily. "Yes?"

Still smiling, she reached out and tapped Ranma on the tip of his nose with her forefinger. "Boop! Tag, you're it!" Then she was off like a lightning bolt down the street. Ranma blinked in confusion, then let out a shout of mock rage. "ARRRGH! You tricky little sneak! Come back here!" Akane blew a raspberry over her shoulder, and he ran after her, letting loose another shout that turned into a laugh half-way through. They chased each other all the way home, laughing together the whole way.

Thanks again to all those kind enough to comment on this series.

For what it is worth,

Jeremy Harper