Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma1/2.
A/N: It is a surprise project for me as well! I just came up with this idea last night and here it is now :)! I hope you enjoy reading it!
It was an ordinary morning at the Tendo residence. The sun shone brightly outside, birds were chirping, soft breezes were blowing the cherry blossom petals everywhere. Kasumi and Nodoka worked at the kitchen hand in hand; while Akane helped them to set up the table as the other occupants of the house slowly started to come to the living room to have breakfast together.
Soun looked at all the various delicious looking food on the table and said in an awe tone, "Wow, Kasumi dear and Nodoka-san, you guys have overdid yourself today! Is there anything special today?"
Genma couldn't hold homself back anymore, he hastily tried to grab some food for himself, but Nodoka's sharp warning stopped him,
"Genma dear, why don't we wait for everyone to join the table first. Then you can have as much as you wish to."
Genma grumbled and looked at the table and noticed that his son was still missing from his place. He looked at Akane and said,
"Where is that husband of yours, Akane!"
"Oh my, he must be sleeping right now . Ranma came back very late last night, didn't he, Akane?" Kasumi asked, wondering loudly.
Akane smiled at her and said,
"Yes Oneechan, he was with Ryoga ; they were practicing some Martial Arts techniques together."
Genma crossed his arms in front of his chest and said with a wise tone,
"Anyways, You have to teach him some time management, Akane! As his wife its your duty, don't forget.."
"Oh dear, you are so silly; they have been married for only a year, they are still newly married! How can you expect them to be on time!" Nodoka said giggling sillyly.
Kasumi got embarrassed hearing that, she excused herself to go to the kitchen again, Nabiki carelessly blows on her nails and Soun tried to focus on his newspaper. Akane also blushed madly, ever since she got married to her son, this embarrassing comments has became so common for her to hear. But one thing she got to know from where Ranma got his perverted nature. She cleared her voice, shook her head and stood up.
"Umm, excuse me, I will just go and wake him up. I am sorry."
Akane hastily went upstairs to her room, which became their room after their marriage. She opened her door and sighed when she saw him still tangled up under the blanket on the bed. She moaned and went inside, she started shaking him gently to wake him up;
"Ranma! Hey, wake up! Everyone is waiting for you! Ranma!!"
When she didn't get any response from him, she angrily pulled the blanket off from his head and got surprised when she found only pillows there. She took a sharpe breath of surprise when she heard her door closing loudly as Ranma tightly hugged her from behind as he whispered huskily into her ear,
"Got cha, tomboy! How dare ya leave me without telling me , huh!?"
Akane's whole body shivered pleasantly, she giggled hearing that and said,
"Hey! Leave me, you pervert!"
"No! Never! Ya are in my mercy now, babe.."
"Aww! Stop being pervert for a second!"
She turned on his arm, laughing; she wanted to push him away playfully, but when she looked at him, cladding in only his white towel, she stopped immediately. Her heartbeat instantly sped up as she looked at her annoyingly handsome husband, who just come out from showering, his hair dripping water droplets over his bare shoulders as he looked at her with a hungry expression. He pulled her closer to him and asked her huskily,
"You like what ya see, tomboy?"
Akane growled at him and hooked her arms around his neck and said,
"Your pervert nature is so contagious; I can't help it, you made me a pervert like you…"
"Oh yeah.." He growled and grabbed her chin to seal her mouth with his lip.
"AKANE!! RANMA!!! THE FOOD IS GETTING COLD!!"
"Oh honestly,!" Akane sighed, as she looked at him with urgency and tried to push him away from her, which was proving to be very difficult task for her, "Ranma! Let go of me! We have to go downstairs or else!"
"Or else what! I dont care!"
"It's your mother, Ranma!"
That seem to bring him back to reality, he moaned defeatedly and said,
" Yeah, I remember, she told me she has an announcement to make."
"Hmm.." She gave him a quick warm hug and said, "Now be a good husband and quickly get ready and come down for breakfast."
"Okay, Okay! Only if ya promise me that you will come straight to bed after finishing the breakfast.."
"Huh? Are you crazy!"
"Ofcourse I am crazy for ya, tomboy!" He smirked down at her and said, "Its your punishment for falling asleep last night without me!."
"Well its you who came late!!"
"Akane!!!"
Akane sighs and said,
"Please Ranma, let's go now or they will tease me again.."
Ranma smirked at her and shook his head wildly, making his wet hair spray water all over her face,
"Hey!!"
"Just give me a minute, tomboy .."
Ranma carefully let go of her as he quickly put on his favourite red shirt and black pants. He grabbed his wife's hand and together they quickly went to the breakfast table.
"About time! I thought you guys are gonna make us wait until lunch time!" Nabiki said tiredly.
"Chill, sis, I just came out from shower that's why it took us long.. Anyways, lets start eating then.."
He looked at all the foods on the table and howls with happiness;
"Oh great!! This is all my favourite food items!"
Nodoka giggled and said,
"I made it all for you, dear!"
"For me! Really! Thanks mom and Kasumi oneechan!!"
Except for Akane, Kasumi and Nodoka; all the members of the house devoured over the food all at once. Once Ranma filled up his plate, he took Akane's empty plate and started putting some food over her plate.
"That's enough, Ranma! I can't have that much!"
He handed her the plate and whispered to her,
"You need strength for later, Kane. Eat as much as ya can."
"Pervert!" Akane muttered softly, her face blushing red.
"Arent you two the cutest! My son is so sweet towards his wife! I am so proud of you son."
Nodoka said with a bright smile on her face as she laid her hand over her heart. Akane blushed hearing that, but Ranma gave a cheeky smile to her as he asked her,
"I am your son after all! Anyway Mom, why are this arrangements for?"
Nodoka didn't reply immediately, she took her time and after some time, said with a soft tone,
"Not only today, I will cook all your favourite foods all week; because next week.. you have to go on a long training mission just like your father did.."
Ranma started coughing out his food; Akane hastily helped him drink some water as she looked at Nodoka with complete disbelief.
"But mother, why are you sending him to training mission? He don't have to go!" Akane said with a shaky weak tone.
Nodoka gave her a serious look and said,
"I know it's hard Akane dear; but there is nothing we can do about this. We are Saotome's and he have to follow his ancestors footsteps, just like his father did.."
"But mother.." Ranma tried to argue but Genma stopped him.
"Ranma, don't argue, my boy! Anyway ya are getting way too soft after your marriage! Ya better listen to yar mother if ya want to please her.."
"But I.."
"Ranma dear, you have no other choice. Or are you trying to argue with me about it?" Nodoka asked firmly, but strongly.
Ranma couldn't hold his stare long with his mother. He looked down and nodded his head,
"Alright, mother. If it makes you happy then.."
"Good, that's my son! All manly and fearless; just like I promised you, Nodoka dear.." Genma said proudly.
The once-active table suddenly became quiet and bitter. His appetite fully gone, Ranma puts his food down on the table and said,
"I am sorry; but I have to go somewhere.."
Akane looked at her husband as he quietly left the house. She looked down at her food as she gulped down the emotion that was threatening to come out as sobbing.
Nodoka sighed and said,
"Let's finish our breakfast then.."
The week passed rather quickly and it was indeed a very uncomfortable week so far. As Nodoka has promised, she made sure to make every day special for her son. But Ranma felt far more worse as the days passed. All week he couldn't even meet Akane's eyes properly. Whenever he tried to talk to her about this topic, his throat got heavy and he had to look away all the time.
Akane also tried to act strong in front of him. She acted so supportive and tried to cheer him up all the time; but one thing that she didn't know that, whenever she secretly cried her heart out, he would hear her crying from above the roof and felt helpless.
He tried to talk to his mother; but his father always stopped him and gave him lectures about how his mother wants to see him as a man amongst men! And if he refused to go then, she might think poorly of him and unworthy of Saotome's name. The pressure was too much for Ranma; he was unable to talk to his mother; he was unable to talk to his wife; all he could do was follow his ancestor's dumb rules and leave his love behind to prove his masculinity.
When the day of his departure came, Akane was the one who packed his bag for his long trip. She handed him his bag with a big smile on her face; only her eyes telling him how big of a liar she was. He said his goodbyes to all the family and left the Tendo house after having his lunch.
One week later…
Since Ranma left last week, Akane had become depressed to the level that she thought it was quite impossible. Her family began to worry about her, but she always tried to put a strong exterior in front of everyone so that they wouldn't worry that much about her. But her fast-losing weight and dark circles under her eyes were telling them how heartbroken she was actually feeling.
She lived in Nerima since her birth; but still without Ranma by her side, she felt as if she was living in an unknown place. The things that she used to feel pleased to do, began to irate her. Her surroundings began to disturb her; her loneliness eating her alive. Her bedroom stopped giving her any rest, every corner made her remember the beautiful time she had spent with her husband. She was missing him so badly, it was feeling as if she hadn't seen him for years!
The nighttime became the favorite time for her; when she could put down her strong act and cry her heart out at her bed and fall asleep feeling completely worn out. Ranma called her every day, his voice always so thick with emotions for her that sometimes he couldn't even talk properly. He still hasn't called her tonight, she kept sitting in the living room, waiting for his call to come. Then suddenly, she heard Nodoka clearing her throat as she came to her and sat beside her,
"Akane dear, are you okay?"
For some reason, ever since Ranma left, she couldn't able to meet Nodoka's eyes. She always tried to walk away from her, not wanting to have any kind of conversation with her. Now that she had sat beside her, she knew she couldn't ignore her anymore. She gave a big sigh and said,
"I am fine, mother.. I am just waiting for Ranma's call."
"Oh dear, I know you might be angry with me for what I did.."
Akane bites her lower lips and said with a shaky tone,
"No mother ! I am not angry at you.. It's just.. I..I.."
Nodoka laid her hand over Akane's trembling hand and said,
"I love you, my daughter. Whatever I did, I did it for your own good. Please don't hate me.."
"I can never hate you, mother!" Akane let out hastily as she turned to look at her with tears pouring down her eyes.
"Oh Akane, I am so sorry.."
Akane shook her head and said with a weak tone,
"I just.. I just miss him so much, mother.. I am.. afraid of living alone for the rest of my life."
Saying that, she hastily stood up and ran to her room, where she could find some alone time that she needed. She opened her door, sobbing hard,
"Hey Kane!"
And closed the door again. She slammed her back over the closed door, her eyes wide with surprise, as she still couldn't believe what she saw inside her bedroom,on her bed. She shook her head wildly and slowly, carefully, opened her door again and fearfully peeked inside.
A hand from inside grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside her room and slammed the door closed again. For a few minutes, she completely lost her ability to talk as she looked at the depth of the sea-blue eyes looking back at her with love and desperation.
He slowly cupped both her cheeks and pulled her towrds him and gave a soft lingering kiss over her opened mouth. Akane was still in a state of disbelief and shock as he kept kissing her gently. He sighed deeply and laid his head over her forehead and whispered to her,
"I missed you, my wife.. I love you.."
"Ranma!" Akane whispered in a weak doubtful tone. Then suddenly realization hit her hard as she let out happily, "Ranma! Ranma, its really you!! It's you!!" She whispered again with tears pouring down her eyes.
He smiles at her and kissed her forehead and said,
"I am back, Kane!"
A big happy sob came out from Akane's mouth. She couldn't say anything to him anymore. She hastily grabbed his face with her small hands and started showering his face with kisses. Ranma laughed at that, his eyes wet with his tears as he pulled her towards him and hugged her with all his might. Akane also hugged him as tightly as humanly possible, she hid her face in the crook of his neck as she said in a desperate filled tone,
"Oh Ranma! I missed you so much!! You have no idea what I went through these days.. I thought.. I thought.."Akane said in between her sobs.
"Shhh, Kane. I am here now. I know how you felt and I felt the same for ya ; that's why I came back!"
"Please, please don't leave me like this ever again! I don't want you to become man amongst men! I just want you! Please, please you don't have to prove anything to anyone!! Please Ranma, I don't want to be alone anymore.." She said with a frantic tone, hugging him passionately.
Ranma forces her to look at him, he wipes her tears and said,
"I am not letting ya go ever! No matter what! I Love you. I will never leave you like this ever again."
Akane sniffed and looked at him with tears in her eyes,
"You promise?"
Ranma gave her a weak smile, his lips trembling with emotions. He gave a soft kiss on her hand and whispered to her,
" I promise with my honor, Kane.."
"Oh Ranma.. I love you so much.."
They shared a tight hug again and gave each other time to heal with their closeness. After a long moment of savoring each other's warmth, Ranma looked at her and said,
"I can't wait to show you how much I have missed ya , Kane.. But first, I have to go downstairs and have some talk with my parents, because I don't want any disturbance later." He said winking at her.
Akane blushed hearing that, she pouted up at him and nodded her head with a soft giggle.
The whole family was busy doing their own stuff separately. Nodoka was washing the dishes, lost in her own thoughts when suddenly she heard the voice she least expected to hear,
"Mother.."
She almost dropped the plate on the sink, she hastily looked back and saw her son standing at the kitchen doorway, protectively holding Akane by his side. She was surprised beyond imagination, she walked towards them and called out his name in complete astonishment,
"Ranma! Son! Is that really you?"
By then, all the other occupants came running to the kitchen to see the commotion. Genma reacted fast, as he gave an angry growl and yelled out at him,
"What the heck are ya doing here! You are not supposed to come back here until a year or two!"
Ranma gave him a bored look and said in a serious tone,
"I am not going on any training missions anymore. I will stay at home and practice."
"WHAT! How dare ya say that!! Didn't ya hear what yar mother said! It's the rule of the Saotome family and you as a Saotome have to follow the rules! YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!"
Ranma growled angrily and said loud and clear,
"I AIN'T FOLLOWING ANY DUMB RULES, YA OLD MAN! RANMA SAOTOME MAKES HIS OWN RULES!!"
"HOW DARE YOU, SON!!" Genma tried to scold him more but Nodoka stopped him. She firmly looked at Ranma and said,
"Explain yourself to me, Ranma. Why did you came back so early? You were supposed to prove your manliness to me.."
Ranma shook his head and gave a defeated sigh. Akane held his hand tightly and started tracing his tensed palm. Ranma smiled at her and began saying to his mother, with courage in his every word,
"If I have to prove my manliness to you by abandoning my family; then I would rather be unmanly, mother. I am a man of my word and I keep my promise with my life. I promised my wife when we got married that, in happiness and sickness, I would always be by her side. How can I break my promise to her, mother? I know you guys are here to look after her, but the way I would care for my wife, no one can ever match my level. I want to live my life with my wife, mother. I don't want to run away from my responsibilities like a coward. I want to stay by her side all the time. I have lived all my life without any love and family. I don't want to feel the same loneliness anymore and I definitely don't want my wife to suffer like me and waste her life waiting for her husband to return to her. I want to stay with my family, with my wife ; I want to start a family with her and take all the responsibilities like a man. And if for keeping my promise to my wife makes me unmanly and unworthy of Saotome name, then be it.. I don't care.. I don't care at all.."
"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT! APOLOGIZE TO HER.."
"Stop it, dear! Please, stop it.." Nodoka said with a serious tone. She looked at her son with tears in her eyes and said,
"You made me so happy today, son. I am a proud mother.."
Ranma and Akane exchanged a surprised look as he asked her,
"But Mother, I disobeyed you and came back.."
"Do you really think I would consider it to be manly if you had left your wife, Ranma? Did I ever consider your father's act as manly?!"
Ranma was still in a state of shock as he asked her doubtfully,
"I don't understand! Then why did you send me for a training trip, Mother?"
Nodoka sighed and said with a soft smile on her face,
"I was just testing you, son. Testing you, if you really deserve a girl like Akane. I have lived my life all alone, a life without love, a life without family; this is not a easy thing to face Ranma and that's why I didn't want my Akane to face the same harshness I had to face for this so-called Saotome rules."
"Oh mother!" Akane couldn't hold back her tears anymore, she went to her and hugged her tightly, unable to say anything to her.
" Oh my dear, you have no idea how hard it was for me to see you cry every day. But I had to do it, because I didn't want to see my daughter suffer for the rest of her life, like I did.. Now I can relax; because now I know my son is not like other Saotomes, who shamelessly abundant their family to hide from their responsibilities !" She broke their hug and puts Akane's hand on Ranma's hand and said,
"Now Akane, you can trust my son and start a family together. And I can assure you that although Genma is responsible for his upbringing; my son is not like his father at all! Ranma, today you really proved to your mother how manly you are! I can't ask more from you.. I am really proud of you!"
Ranma sighed as if a huge burden had left his shoulder. He circled his arm around his wife's shoulder and asked his mother with a smile on his face,
"So, …did I pass the test, mother?"
Akane and Nodoka giggled hearing that as Nodoka replied with a soft whisper tone,
"With full marks, my son!!"
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Although I know fanfiction has stopped sanding notifications, which causing less support ; but still I couldn't help but post it. It just makes me sad sometimes when I see so many views but so less support. I thought it wouldn't have any effect on me, but I can feel it slowly affecting me. So please, if you enjoyed reading this fic; don't forget to leave a review for me. I know its easy to just read and leave without any reaction; but believe me, if you take some time to appreciate our hard work, we appreciate it more and it really helps us to write more :).. Thank you so much for your time! Take care :)
Oh yes, I have a page named "Mrs Impatience" :)!! See you all soon, hopefully :D!!