First Time Apart
"Why do you have to leave now? Can't it wait?"
Akane looked at the back of Ranma's head carefully as he sat on the porch in front of the koi pond, his back to her as he lay on his side, propped up by his elbow. He was reading some kind of manga and was idly chewing on a pocky stick that hung from his lips.
"Is'sa only time I can go before the weather turns too hot. It's only for a couple of weeks," Ranma idly replied without looking at her.
Akane frowned but tried to hold her anger in check. Since their marriage and declaration of love one month back, she had tried hard to keep her angry blowouts at a minimum. She puffed out her cheeks and replied, "It's hardly even warm yet. Why would leaving now make any difference?"
"It's just a good time, that's all."
Akane rested her cheek in her hand as she stared at him from the dining room and past the shoji. She reminded herself to stay cool-headed. "So it has nothing to do with me leaving next week?"
The slightest twitch of his shoulders gave him away as he answered, "A'course not." He flipped the page of his manga but otherwise remained indifferent.
Akane's eyebrows knitted together, and she stood up and moved to him. The breeze was blowing gently, and the windchimes danced with it. She stood above him as she said, "It's not like I'll be gone forever, you know." He still wouldn't look at her. "I'll be back most weekends and during breaks - and you could come to visit, too."
"I know," he answered in a bored tone. Akane sighed as she clasped her hands together and let them fall to her waist.
It had only been a month since their wedding, and Akane was leaving for school. It was only an hour's train ride away, and she was renting an apartment with her friend Yuka, who was studying at the same university. Everyone in her family seemed shocked to hear Akane still planned on leaving, which had left a bad taste in her mouth. Did they expect her to become a housewife and wait for her betrothed to return to her like Nodoka? The idea alone made Akane grit her teeth.
"But Akane, what about Ranma's suitors?" Kasumi's words had rang in her ear nightly. "Don't you think with you not around, they may try to win Ranma back?" Akane had replied that if something were to happen, then she supposed it wasn't meant to be, but the idea made her feel sick to her stomach - it was her fears voiced out loud, and she didn't want to pay them any mind.
Regardless of when she would have married Ranma, she had always planned on leaving to further her studies. She may not have had the best grades - thanks to the chaos she always found herself in, thanks to Ranma - but she wanted knowledge outside of martial arts. She wanted to study abroad, or take an art class, or work in a tea shop, or, or…
Just be someone who wasn't Ranma's wife.
She was happy that they could finally admit their feelings and be more honest with each other. She was ecstatic being able to hold hands in public or go on dates - real dates that he asked her to go on. She liked how romantic he could be when he felt he could be vulnerable, and she liked when he held her at night, and she could feel his warm skin against hers. There were other things she liked, but those were the things she thought she loved the most.
Truthfully, Akane hadn't wanted to marry yet, and she was certain Ranma felt the same way. She knew she eventually wanted to marry him, but she had hoped it would have been her choice - after school after she had her degree and felt confident that she could run the dojo.
After some independence.
She wanted to be "Akane," not "Ranma's fiance," not "violent girl," not Shampoo's or Ukyo's or Kodachi's "rival." She wanted to be Akane, and it felt like that title was slipping from her more each day.
College was something Akane had been looking forward to. It was always her intention to come back, but now that she was married, it seemed the family had other ideas.
She could still remember the conversation a few days after the wedding when Ranma had asked her if she was going to stay. When she said no, he frowned but didn't say much else other than he would miss her. When Akane had playfully punched his arm and told him not to be stupid and she'd be back before he knew it, he had smiled a little sadly and told her that he knew that.
Now she was only a week away from leaving, and Ranma had dropped the news that he was going on a training trip for the next few weeks, meaning he wouldn't be sending her off. It felt a bit like a punishment.
She continued to look at him for a few moments before she crouched down and folded her arms around her knees to balance her. "Can you look at me when I'm talking to you?" He glanced up but didn't speak. "What? Are you punishing me for something?"
Ranma returned his attention to his comic. "Quit being dramatic, I just want to train, that's all."
"Then why does it have to be when I'm leaving for school?" She asked as she could feel her anger begin to mount. "Don't you want to see me off?"
"Nah, you'll be too busy gettin' movin'. It's better that way, right?" He flipped another page as he grumbled, "What's to miss anyway?"
Akane gritted her teeth and felt that white-hot anger go from her stomach to her throat as she shouted, "Okay, fine! See who misses you, idiot!" Before she could stop herself, she grabbed Ranma by the collar and threw him in the pond. Ranma came splashing out of it, now as a small girl with pink hair.
"What the hell, Akane?" He screeched in a chirping tone.
"See what I care!" Akane growled as she began to stomp off to her - their - room. At that thought, she quickly whipped around to shout, "And you better sleep in your old room until you leave for that stupid trip, dummy!" She turned again and went for the stairs. Her feet pounded up them, and she suddenly thought that maybe Ranma hadn't been too far off with saying she stomped like an elephant.
She opened her door, now empty of the little duck that had hung for years, and slammed it behind her. She fell to her bed as tears began to well up in her eyes. "Dummy," she whispered as the tears began to fall freely into her pillow, "dummy, dummy, dummy!"
—
Akane had woken that night to hear the window to her room trying to creak open. She glanced behind her shoulders to see a human shadow dance across the curtains. She had locked the window, afraid Ranma might have tried to sneak into their room. She didn't want an apology - it wouldn't change anything. She wanted to be angry at that moment. She knew he could have broken through the window or busted through her locked door, but thought Ranma wouldn't be brave enough (or rather, stupid enough) to try and force himself in when she was this angry.
Still wanting to get some of her rage out, Akane shifted from their bed and made her way to the window. She threw back the curtains and was met with sky-blue eyes looking back at her hesitantly.
Akane noted he was in his boxers and a black tank - his usual sleep attire. Ranma reached forward and clinked his knuckles against the glass. "Quit foolin' and let me in." She heard him say through the window pane.
"I told you to sleep in the other room. I don't want to talk to you." She hissed. She was glad Nabiki had moved out and wouldn't be able to hear this conversation to poke fun at them later.
"Quit being a dummy and let me in. You're not seriously kicking me out because of a training trip, are you?"
Akane chose not to respond and - feeling childish - breathed against the glass and wrote into the condensation 'dummy.'
Ranma's brows furrowed together as he bared his teeth at her. This time, he breathed onto the glass and wrote 'sexless' and then, as if remembering that insult wouldn't work anymore, rubbed it away and breathed onto the glass again writing 'macho chi-' but the condensation wasn't large enough to write the whole thing.
She growled back and closed the curtains in one big huff before stomping back to bed and getting under the covers. She pulled the blanket to her chin and stared menacingly at the window. If he forced his way in, she'd kill him.
Akane watched as his shadow drifted away, and she heard him shuffling from atop the roof. She sighed in disappointment. She couldn't admit she did want him to try a little harder.
"S… Shampoo!" Ranma's tiny whimpers came through her window, and she sprang from her bed. She hadn't seen Shampoo since shortly after the wedding. Cologne had promised Shampoo wouldn't cause her harm, stating she knew that it wouldn't help them get any closer to their goal as the young Amazon threw daggers at Akane through gritted teeth. Staring at her, Akane understood the phrase "if looks could kill'. Cologne had told Ranma and her that they would hold a temporary cease-fire but had warned that this didn't mean things were over.
"No, Shampoo! I… I'm married now; I can't!"
Akane's teeth seemed like they were close to breaking with how they clenched together. She ran to the window, unlocked it, and jumped onto the roof before climbing to the upper half. "Ranma!" She hissed as she tried to get her bearings. She was grabbed by her elbow and twisted around. Ranma had swept her legs from under her and caught her so she was cradled in his arms. "Who's the dummy now, dummy?" He smiled before dipping down to kiss her.
The anger in her momentarily evaporated as she accepted his lips. Akane had felt as though she would melt into him but pushed him away, wanting that bubbling rage to stay. "Screw you," she spat as she found her footing again and pushed him away.
Ranma's smile quickly shifted into annoyance. "Are you really going to stay angry because of a little trip?"
"Are you really going to be an ass and not admit you're mad I'm leaving for school?" She countered
He faltered, and the smallest glimpse of sadness reached his clear blue eyes. "I'm… I'm not upset." He argued weakly, and his face had the tiniest blush brought on by shame. "I… I knew you were gonna leave."
Akane felt that insanity slowly brewing vanish. Her face now twisted into sadness. "Then why are you running away?" She breathed. Ranma scratched the back of his head and dropped down so he was sitting on the roof with one leg extended and the other one pulled up. He rested his arm on it and looked out to Nerima.
"S'to embarrasing." He mumbled.
Akane tilted her neck to the side in curiosity but went to his side and sat down. She pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped them around herself. "I just want to understand." She whispered.
Ranma sighed and rubbed his neck with his free hand. "I just… I'm nervous that you're going to go there and forget about me."
Akane's eyes widened. "How could I do that? We're married!"
"What if you meet some guy, and you figure out you like him more than me?" He grumbled pathetically.
Akane's heartbeat skipped before it began to beat harder in her chest. She brought her free hand under his chin and tried to pull his gaze to her. "Ranma…" she started, but he refused to budge, "look at me!" She commanded.
Ranma did as she said and lazily looked in her direction. His usually bright eyes were darkened with misery. Her heart was beating so fast that she almost couldn't hear her choked words. "There will never be a man as stupid, arrogant, naive -"
"Ya gonna say anything nice?" He quipped.
"Handsome, caring, protective, and - well, sometimes - sweet as you." She leaned closer to him and brought her other hand to his lonely cheek. "I will never meet another you." She closed her eyes and met his lips. His mouth was pursed, and it almost seemed like he would pull away from her, but then she felt his strong arms wrap around her and pull her close as he returned her kiss.
They sat there kissing for what felt like forever. Gentle, exploratory, and most of all, frighteningly anxious. Butterflies were bouncing around in her tummy, and she had to still her beating heart. She pulled away from him while she kept her palms on either side of him. She stared at him intently and said with as much honesty as she could, "I love you."
He blushed brightly at her sincerity and tore his eyes away from her. "Dummy,' he grunted, "that should've been my line." She giggled and pulled him to her again.
After a beat, she pulled him away. "Besides, don't you think I'm worried about leaving you here with those lunatics around?" She implored with her chin ducked to meet her chest, and she felt an oppressive weight come down on her. She didn't want to say it, but figured since he was so vulnerable to her, maybe she could return the favor.
"What? Like Ukyo and Shampoo?"
She nodded pathetically in return, hating the feeling of being unguarded. "What if - when I'm not around - you realize you like them more than me? Or realized they're prettier than me?"
It was Ranma's turn to look patient and kind. "You really are a dummy," he laughed as he replicated her move of cupping his hand to her face as his thumb gently rubbed her cheek, "if I was interested in those chicks, I would have had my chance two-fold." He leaned over to kiss her again.
They mingled in the moonlight. Akane's arms swaddled around his neck as his hands went up her shirt and grasped both of her breasts, cupping them tightly as his thumbs tweaked her hardened nipples. She gasped but bit her lips to stop from making a noise. After all, her father and Kasumi still lived there, and she was sure their voices would carry. Ranma's mouth went to her ear, and he nipped her lobe. She whimpered, still trying to keep her voice low. He kneaded her breasts hungrily as his lips drew down her chin. It was so sweet and tender she thought she could cry.
Then, the sound of a car whistled by, and she saw the headlights tumble sluggishly down the street. She broke away from him and swiped his hands away as she looked at him red in the face. His expression shifted to one of hurt. "W'as the matter?"
"It's just…" she began as she shifted on her knees nervously, "I don't want to be seen up here doing… that."
"Can I… come inside?"
She looked into the night sky and felt the gentle breeze of the cold night air hit her heated skin. "No," she started and caught his shoulder slumping. A devilish thought hit her head, and instead of squashing it down, she boldly stated, "I kind of want to do that outside." He seemed to perk up and look at her curiously. Her embarrassment came flooding back, but she pushed on, "It could be fun… outside… away from everyone."
He grinned and said in a throaty tone, "And you called me the pervert." She gasped as he swept her off her feet in a bridal hold and carried her to the edge of the roof, his mouth never leaving her face as he left a trail of kisses wherever his lips could land. She felt excited and tingly and a lot of things that she couldn't describe whenever Ranma swept her off her feet - literally or figuratively. He jumped to the side of the building, near the shrubbery and trees, which would overall hide them from prying eyes.
Ranma sat down, legs crossed with her in his lap as their kissing turned frantic. Akane's hand fisted into his hair as her other hand flew to his chest. Her hands moved wildly over his abs as she felt every nook and cranny, still amazed she had him to herself. Hers. No one else's. Not Ukyos, not Shampoos, not Kodachis.
Hers.
She groaned throatily at that as her hands moved down to his boxers. Her hands slipped into the hole in front, and she expertly pulled him out, stroking him as she did so. He moaned pleasantly into her mouth, and she worked his shaft. Her thumb occasionally drifted to the head of his penis to smear the precum around as she felt his head grow slicker. Akane felt like she almost couldn't wait to have him inside of her as she kissed his collarbone and bit lightly onto it. His head was dropped low, and his hot breath was flooding his ears. His erection throbbed in her hand as she bit her lip before continuing her kisses. She pushed him down, and he complied. She crawled on top of him, her thighs on either side of him as she greedily trapped his lips, her tongue pushing into his waiting mouth.
His hands were far from idle as he brought them to her rear, squeezing like he was trying to knead dough before sliding back up her sides. She disentangled from his mouth and began kissing him down his neck to his chest, moving further down, tantalizingly slow. She peeked up at him through hooded eyes to see his head was pulled back, and his mouth was gaped open as he breathed in anticipation. She reached his hips and pulled down his boxers as he lifted his hips to assist. She kept them near his thighs in case some unexpected intruder came and they needed to make a speedy exit.
Akane took his dick and placed her mouth on the head, her tongue twirled around, lapping up precum. Ranma's body twitched, and she heard his muffled groans. In the time they had been together, she had practiced her technique almost nightly as budding lovers do. She was still far from perfect at it, and there had been a few times he had cum before they had really gotten started, but she had slowly begun to learn how to bring him close to the brink without letting him go overboard.
Thinking of this, she moved slowly down, inch by inch. She was able to engulf most of him but found that the inside of her tiny mouth could only go so far. She sucked him lightly, bringing her head up and down in a teasing manner. His hands grabbed a chunk of her hair as he gently pushed her down and up again, trying to up the tempo. She resisted him as she gripped his thigh, keeping him planted to the ground so he couldn't unconsciously push himself further into her and cause her to choke.
It was only a few minutes of this slow movement until she popped him out of her mouth. She ogled him, feeling her womanhood burning in need. He sat up to look at her, his eyes searching for the next move. He pushed her hair away and tucked it behind her ear in a loving manner before kissing her. Akane liked that he still kissed her after that. She had heard from her friends that guys found it gross.
"Turn around and get on your hands and knees," he ordered with lowered eyes. Akane quaked, looking into them, seeing a similar deviousness volleyed to her. She did as he said, and her fingers gripped the grass below her as she realized just how cold the ground was. He bent over her, his hands snaking under her shirt again as he tweaked her nipple, and he kissed the back of her neck. Hot and needy.
She felt the cold air on her bottom as Ranma pulled her shorts down and pushed her knees apart. It was still a little embarrassing to know he could see her pussy. He never seemed to mind. She waited for him to enter her but instead was greeted with a whisper, "I'm going to make it so you go back to hating all men but me." She felt his finger enter her suddenly. The intrusion should have hurt, but she was so wet it pushed right in. He pumped into her slowly as she felt his thumb circle her clit teasingly. She jerked into his hand, biting her lips again to keep from crying out, and his other hand pulled around to grip her chin, his thumb on her lips, and pushed inside. "I want to hear how bad you want it, Akane."
She whimpered but didn't speak.
He pushed his hand harshly into her, making her jolt at the elicited feeling rushed up and down her spine. Her back craned upward. "C'mon, 'Kane," he said breathlessly, using a pet name she had never heard him use before, "I know you want me, just admit it."
"I want you," she feebly hissed.
"Good girl." She felt him remove his hands from her and go to her hips. She braced herself as she waited for him to penetrate her. She felt the head of his penis gingerly move up and down her folds, and she attempted to meet him at her opening to force him inside. He chuckled, and she felt his member leave her. She whined in protest, and just as she was about to turn around, she felt his hot breath hit her.
"Ra… Ranma?" She questioned. He didn't answer her but instead gave a hesitant lick to her folds. She gasped again and pressed her face against the grass to keep from making a louder noise. While she didn't remember all the events of the night they had first learned the ins and outs of each other's bodies, she vividly remembered the part she thought he was about to do. He hadn't done it since, and it had almost become a tantalizing but distant memory. He had used his hands to get her off plenty of times as if it had been some kind of race, but she had wanted this so badly. Akane had wanted to ask him before but had been too nervous to make the request, thinking he would find it revolting.
He made a grunt into her as she unconsciously shifted herself closer to him. His hands remained on her hips and gave her another lick. Finally, he was on her, lapping her up greedily as if to get every last drop she could offer. She trembled as her head met the ground, and her legs quaked. He held her hips and dug his nails into her skin. She hissed as the slight pain mixed with the feel of his mouth. She could feel the sensations of orgasm begin to stir in her loins. Hot and itchy and needy and angry, like a sneeze that wouldn't come out.
His lips went around her clit as he freed one hand from her hip to push it back inside of her. She could feel his finger slowly move up and down her insides as if he were telling her orgasm to come hither. There were stars in her eyes, and the night sky had nothing to do with it. She shuddered, about to cry out, when his hand went over her mouth, stifling her open screams. She felt herself clench around him, her legs quaked and felt as though they would give out at any moment. He released her, and she collapsed. She breathed heavily, and Ranma waited patiently for her to regain her breath.
When she had, she heard him throatily order, "I'm not done. Get back on your knees."
It was crazy to her the sort of sexual demon he had become once they had finally consummated their marriage. Part of her expected that he had practice on the road or even with one of his suitors, but she knew if that was the case, she would have heard about it. Besides, up until that first night, he had been a bumbling, virgin who could hardly admit he had any desire for anyone.
Akane did as he said. Her arms held her up, and her legs pushed together. Being martial artists, they had quickly found new ways to screw and found that their stamina and flexibility had worked for most - not all - positions that they had cooked up. They had even taken a sneaky peek at the "Karma Sutra" book that Happosai had gifted them. Each time, however, it always felt new.
Ranma was once again at her entrance, and she felt his mouth return to her ear as his arms moved down both of her arms. His hands wrapped themselves in hers. She almost would have thought it was romantic if she hadn't heard him whisper, "I'm going to fuck you now, Akane. I'm going to fuck you silly. You'll have to be bedridden the next day. Do you understand?" She nodded hastily, wanting to get the show on the road as she felt the lingering return. "Say I'm the only man you think of," he instructed as he pushed his head inside of her.
"You're… the only man… I can think of…" she conceded.
"Say you're going to miss having my dick inside you every night."
"Every other," she was able to squeak out. He spanked her and she quivered.
"Don't be cute," he ordered as he nipped her ear. "Say you love it when I fuck your tight pussy."
"I… I like…" she hated groveling. She loved the dirty talk but hated the teasing. Without finishing her sentence, she moved her hips back to meet his. He trembled at her suddenness, and she teased back, "Quit trying to make me say embarrassing things outside - are you going to screw me or not?" As if to prove her point, she wiggled against him.
That seemed to do it as Ranma pulled himself out of her before quickly slamming back into her. She squeaked at the forcefulness of it all but found she enjoyed it. Ranma may have done dirty talk and light spankings, but he had never thrust so hard into her. It seemed since their wedding night, he had been afraid of hurting her again. This time, there was no hesitation as he continued to push and pull inside of her.
"My beautiful tomboy," he whispered as he continued to move inside of her, "my thick thighed wife." She would have normally been insulted but had learned in the last month that this particular insult had been more of a secret hint of his desire.
He pulled out of her suddenly, and she turned around to pout. Before she could ask what he was doing, Ranma flipped her onto her back. He held her leg up over his shoulder to open her further. As if seeing her disapproval, he captured her lips and mumbled into them, "I told you I'm going to screw you senseless." And then he did. He placed himself back inside of her and began to pound into her even harder. She covered her mouth with her hand to keep from yelling. Ranma grinned, but it seemed like he was having trouble holding himself back. He pushed her shirt up to watch her breasts bounce. He reached for one and pinched it roughly, pulling as he did.
Akane's head snapped back, and he did the same to the other tit before his hand began to drift down her stomach and back to her button. He started gently but, upon seeing Akane's hungry expression, began to press into her harder. She heard the muffled screeches leaving her mouth, still covered by her hand, and watched as the cocky look on Ranma's face fell and his eyes twisted shut. His low moans washed over her.
She began to buck harder, and Ranma, as if sensing this, opened his dreamy eyes to look down at her. He looked like he was about to suck her soul right out of her as soon as she orgasmed.
"Kiss me," she said breathily. Ranma did as instructed as he dropped the leg on his shoulders, and his mouth quickly overlapped with hers. She groaned into his mouth, which he covered with his tongue, and then it hit her again as a wave washed over her, drowning her.
She lay there breathlessly as Ranma continued to feast on her lips. The feeling of his penis moving in and out of her erotically. She felt his hands go back to gripping her thighs as they attempted to help push him further inside of her, but there was no more space to give. "Akane," he whispered into her mouth. His mouth went against her cheek. "You're so tight. You're so beautiful. You ain't leaving me." He said this in rapid fire, and she knew he was close. She was a little concerned at the last bit he had spat out but chose to ignore it for now to not disrupt his need for her. "You're mine, your mine." His hand wrapped around her now, pulling her body so close to her she thought she might break in half. "I love you, Akane." Then it turned into gibberish, but she could make out her name from time to time before he finally froze, his muscles shaking as he gave a guttural groan. He collapsed onto her, and Akane held him close to her - partially for the connection to him and partially for the warmth his body transferred to her as she lay on the cold ground.
After a few panting moments, he lifted his head to look at her. Akane could see the beads of sweat rolling down his face. "I love you, Ranma," she whispered, and he kissed her before moving upward to tenderly kiss her forehead.
They heard a dog bark in the distance and looked at each other in shock like neither had any idea how they had gotten there. They quickly pulled their shorts up and stood as they looked bashfully at each other like a couple of virgins.
After a beat, Ranma asked, "So can I come back to our room?"
Akane pondered this and began, "That depends: are you still going on your trip before I leave?"
He brought her to his side and kissed the top of her head, "No way - I gotta check out that place to see what kind of bozos are going to try and feel you up."
She giggled, elated, and reached on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek. Her hand rested on his deflated package. "I hate all men now, remember?"
He grinned at her cockily and stated, "If you keep that up, we'll never get inside."
She blushed but countered, "Who says I don't like that idea?"
Now it was Ranma's turn to blush as he looked at the stars. "I'll be honest with you: I'm pretty much spent for now." She laughed a little too loudly and quickly covered her mouth.
Soon, they had slipped inside and crawled into their shared bed. She rested her head on his chest as she felt a protective arm cradle around her, and the two fell asleep.
The next day, they came down for breakfast. Akane wore a collared shirt to hide the growing bruise that had begun to form on her collarbone. Nodoka and Genma were over that morning, as they seemed to come over almost every morning. Neither minded. Ranma had missed so much time with his mom he wanted to make up for every second that he could. They ate steamed rice with miso and tofu. Kasumi looked over at Ranma questioningly and asked, "I thought you would be going on your training trip today."
"Nah," Ranma answered nonchalantly as he poked Akane's shoulder, "who else can help this macho chick move? With her thick thighs and my strength, the two of us can get it done in five minutes flat."
"Ranma!" Nodoka shouted. She didn't like the insults - teasing or not.
"It's fine, ma'," Ranma replied and he looked over to Akane. "Ain't that right?"
Akane smiled warmly and nodded her head, "You really can't blame him, Mom," Akane started. The new nickname was something Nodoka insisted on once they wed, and Akane hadn't fought it. It was nice for her to have an age-appropriate motherly presence in her life, and Kasumi had seemed to be able to finally relax and focus on her happiness for a bit - not that the Buddha-like sister would ever admit to it. "Mr. Saotome had him kidnapped for 10 years - he never got a chance to learn manners."
Nodoka didn't seem entirely convinced, but the rest of the house was smiling, pleased at how they had seemed to be getting along so well outside of small fights here and there. Akane knew her dad was especially happy about it. She could tell since the wedding that he had felt regretful in his haste. He had even tearfully told her once that he was sorry.
"Oh boy! What's for breakfast?" Happosai cried as he bounded into the room and bounced around, throwing his captured lingerie around. He stopped on the table to turn to Akane and Ranma and gave a sly smile. "Quite a show you two put on last night."
The two turned into cherry tomatoes, and within a blink, Ranma had punched the old man into the air, sending him so far that Akane was sure they wouldn't see him again for a month.
Nodoka smiled, seemingly pleased.
—
"Are you my new neighbor?" The man across the hall asked. Akane gave a big huff as she stepped outside her new apartment. Yuka had moved in a week back and was currently back home to give Akane enough space to get her belongings into the apartment and sorted. He looked early 20s and stood tall. His hair was dark and his eyes were the color of oak. By all accounts, he was a good-looking man.
"I am," she started and gave a slight bow, "Akane Ten - Saotome," She corrected.
"Miss Ten-Saotome? It's nice to meet you. I'm Botan Ito. Do you live alone? Are you going to the University?"
Akane nodded, "Yes, I start next week - and it's just Saotome." She smiled warmly and said, "If you're my new neighbor, you can just call me Akane. It's nice to meet you. Do you go to the University?"
He grinned at her and said, "I do." He pushed a piece of hair out of his face. "I like that name, by the way. "Akane"? It suits you."
"Why thank you."
"You know, I was going to have a small get-together with some other tenants on the floor tonight. Would you care to join us? You could meet some of your neighbors."
"Oh, that would -"
"Sorry, bud, but we're gonna be busy tonight to get her set up." Ranma cut in as he lugged the remaining boxes up the stairs.
Botan looked at an unamused Ranma in surprise and asked hesitantly, "Oh, is this your brother, Miss Saotome?"
"Husband," Ranma cut in before Akane could answer. Botan seemed shocked - probably because they were both so young. Ranma flipped the large boxes to one hand and turned back to Botan, extending his hand to him. "Ranma Saotome, nice to meet you."
"Well then," Botan answered slowly before he looked over to Ranma and gave a slow bow. Ranma dropped his hand as Botan looked over to Akane and flashed her a brilliant smile, "perhaps another time then, Miss Saotome?"
"I would like that very much!" She smiled back. Botan nodded and turned back to his door to lock it before turning to the stairs to exit. Ranma seemed to wait until Botan was out of earshot before he turned back to Akane.
"Seriously?" He asked incredulously.
"What?" Akane asked with a raised brow as she opened her apartment door and let Ranma go ahead of her before shutting the door behind them.
Ranma dropped the boxes down and turned back to her. "What? Are you trying to get another boyfriend, flirting like that?"
Akane looked back at him annoyed. "I wasn't flirting," she answered dryly.
"Oh yeah?" He asked as he matched her annoyance with a raised brow. "'Why thank you!'" He repeated her words in a girlish tone in an attempt to copy her. "'Why, yes! I would love to come into your apartment now that I'm all by my lonesome!'"
Akane growled. "It wasn't even going to be just the two of us! He said it was with other neighbors."
Ranma rolled his eyes as he moved over to her couch and sat down. "Don't be naive," he scoffed, "that's the oldest trick in the book. Invite a girl over, telling her other people will be there, and then," He snapped his fingers, "they say something like, 'Oh, it looks like no one could make it. Oh well, let's get to know eachother.'"
Akane blushed and stuttered out, "T…that's not even what was going to happen!" He raised a brow in response. "What? Have you done that?" She asked to turn the tables on him.
He chuckled, "You and I both know that would never happen; but you know how often that crap got pulled when I'm a chick? It would happen to you a lot more if I wasn't around to look out for ya'."
"Oh yeah, like when?"
"Remember those times Ryoga would invite you over to 'meet Checkers' or to come over 'because he was lonely'?"
Akane's blush turned scarlet, "That was just as friends!"
Ranma scoffed. "Oh yeah. The lost boy definitely just invited you over "as a friend"."
Akane sighed and walked over to him to join him on the couch. "Okay, okay, I get your point." She concided as she sat next to him and leaned to rest her head on his shoulder. Ranma put his hand around her shoulder to keep her close.
"I'm not tryin' to act jealous or nothin', I get worried about you." He kissed the top of her forehead. "You're so cute, guys can't help but want you to themselves."
She turned to look at him and grinned. "Well, you're doing a bad job of not trying to act jealous." She leaned closer to his lips and whispered against them, "Didn't you say jealousy was uncute?"
She found herself on her back and Ranma loomed about her. She gasped at the suddeness and he bent down to kiss her. "It can be cute sometimes."
Yes. Sometimes.