Your Touch
by
Jeremy Harper
Note – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is used without permission
Chapter 4 Ticklish
Saturday afternoon they had the house to themselves again, their family having gone out on various personal excursions. Ranma and Akane sat together in the living room in companionable silence, she reading a fantasy novel while he tried not to doze off while watching a martial arts tournament on television that was proving not as exciting as he hoped.
Akane bookmarked her novel and stood. "I'm getting a soda," she said. "Do you want one?"
Ranma covered his mouth as he yawned and nodded. "Yes please." Akane walked off to the kitchen, and he watched her out of the corner of his eye, admiring her legs and her stride. His mouth crooked in a sly smile as an idea occurred to him. Giving it some thought he decided it was worth trying – at the very least it would be entertaining. He turned his attention back to the television, waiting for Akane to return.
She came back into the living room a minute later, two bottles of soda in hand. She set them on the table and was starting to sit back down when suddenly Ranma grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and dragging her into his lap, her back against his chest.
Akane let out a little shriek of surprise. "Ranma! What are you doing?" Her fiancé smirked. "Duh. What does it look like, dummy?" he replied playfully. He hugged her, firm but gently. "You feel good, Akane." He pressed his face to her silky blue-black hair and inhaled softly. "Smell good, too."
Akane first bristled at being called a dummy, then felt herself start to melt when he complimented her. Then her pride asserted itself. "Very nice of you to say, Ranma.," she said in an icy tone. "Now let me up, please."
Ranma shook his head, the motion making her hair tickle his face. He pulled away, grinning. "Nope. Not 'til I get my fill."
"Ranma!" Akane shouted.
"Akane," he sing-songed back.
A soft growl rumbled in Akane's throat. She shifted slightly and glared over her shoulder at him. "Ranma, I'm warning you: if you don't let me go I'll make you regret this."
Ranma pretended to contemplate her threat for a moment before shaking his head again, still grinning. "Don't think so."
Akane looked away, closing her eyes. "Okay then." She took a deep breath. Then, with a speed that surprised Ranma, she turned in his lap and started to tickle him, her fingers darting up and running quickly up and down just underneath his arms. "WAAAH!" he cried out, eyes bulging as he fell on his back laughing uncontrollably. Akane started laughing too as she continued to tickle him. He squirmed and twisted beneath her ministrations, trying to slip free, but she was too cunning and he could not escape her touch. "So that's how you want to be!" he managed to gasp out between laughs. His own hands blurred up and he reciprocated her tickles. Akane let out a happy shriek, her laughter redoubling.
They rolled on the floor together, laughing as they tickled each other, neither willing to quit and concede defeat – partly because of stubbornness, but mostly because they were enjoying themselves tremendously. What stopped it was an honest accident, totally unintentional; Ranma managed to pull free of Akane, leaving her on her back as his own hands skimmed up her bare leg and started to tickle the sole of her bare foot. She let out a squealing laugh, her loudest yet. Her leg jerked automatically and totally without meaning to she kicked, hitting Ranma in the jaw and sending him tumbling backwards out the open engawa doors. Akane gasped, quickly rising and running out to check on him. He was sitting upright on the lawn, shaking his head and rubbing his jaw. "Ranma! I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." she stuttered out, stopping when he glared at her. He opened his mouth to yell at her, but then checked himself. He blinked, then let out a huff of breath. He shook his head again and started to chuckle, forgiving her with his laughter. Akane gaped at him for a moment, then started to giggle herself as she plopped down on the engawa.
When they stopped laughing Ranma rubbed his jaw with rueful amusement. "Okay Akane, I'll give you this much – you made me pay for it. But I don't regret it."
"You're weird, Ranma," Akane replied, looking at him with warm affection. Ranma kipped up to his feet and grinned at her.
"Duh, no kidding. You just figure that out now?" He walked back into the house. As he passed her he reached out and ruffled her hair. She gave him a playful swat on the rear that made him laugh. She watched him take his soda off the table and head for his room. When he was out of sight she looked out at the koi pond, drawing a leg up, wrapping an arm around it and resting her chin on her knee. She could not remember the last time she felt so happily content, and hoped the feeling would be long in fading.