My Year of the OTP 2025 contribution for the prompt : First Kiss.

I'm sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer : Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

First Kiss

Ranma walked on the fence, while Akane walked on the sidewalk next to him. He had not spoken to her since the end of the play. He was sulking. He knew it was childish, but he did not care. He moistened his lips and made a face. He could still feel the tape Akane had stuck on his mouth. She had dared to use on him the technique he had used on Kuno.

"Ranma, don't tell me you're still sulking."

"What do you think ?"

He turned his head towards her and she laughed. He frowned, annoyed. Looks like the mark of the tape was still visible on his face.

"I'm sorry."

She did not look that sorry, Ranma thought. He would never admit it to her, but if he was sulking it was not because of the adhesive mark, or because he felt like his lips were stuck together, but because he had thought that he and Akane were going to kiss. Even if he had never imagined that their first kiss would happen like this. The two of them playing Romeo and Juliet in a play, in front of the whole school.

It was not the first time they had almost kissed, but each time someone or something broke the moment. But this time he had really believed it and he really wanted it. And he was convinced that Akane felt the same.

"It's not that bad," she said.

"It's not that bad?" He repeated.

Why did not she understand ? He jumped off the fence and landed in front of her.

"What if I had done the same thing to you, how would you have reacted ?"

"I wouldn't behave like a child like you're doing."

She was getting angry and so was he.

"You took me for an idiot, you acted with me as if I were Kuno."

"So that's why ? Because you were offended ?"

"Are you stupid or are you pretending not to understand ?"

He could feel that she was more and more angry, but he did not care, he wanted to provoke her. And he knew what could make her lose her temper.

"Kawaikune !"

"Ranma no baka !"

Little by little, without either of them realizing it, they had gotten closer. He could feel the heat of her body, her breath mixing with his. He looked into her eyes. He was flustered, more than he had ever been.

"Why didn't you kiss me ?" He asked in a breath.

"Because I didn't want to do it in front of everyone."

Ranma opened his eyes wide. She had wanted to kiss him too. He moved a little closer to her. Or maybe it was Akane who had moved closer. Their lips brushed hesitantly until they touched. Ranma felt his heart beating fast and a shiver ran through his body. Akane put her hands around the back of his neck, pulling him a little closer to her. He put his arms around her waist, holding her against him. It was not the first time he had held her in his arms, but they had never been this intimate.

They pulled apart slightly. Akane was blushing and he could feel his face went red. She laughed lightly.

"Your lips are still sticky," she explained.

He laughed too. Their first kiss, he thought. It had not gone the way he had imagined, but to him, it was the perfect kiss.

The end