Chapter 8: Growing Feelings

Akane wrestled with the chaos of her emotions. How could she be angry at Ranma for kissing her without permission, insulting her, and constantly behaving like the insufferable pain in the ass he was—and yet still feel drawn to him? It didn't make sense. There was something about the way he carried himself that captivated her. It was maddening. For all his faults, Ranma had an energy she couldn't ignore—a strength that mirrored her own.

With a sigh, Akane folded her arms. "I'm not sorry for punching you for kissing me, but… I appreciate you trying to get your father off our backs."

Ranma watched her closely, his expression unreadable, but there was a flicker of softness in his eyes. "I… am sorry for that," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I should've thought it through more."

Akane hesitated, her cheeks warming as she broached the subject weighing on her mind. "We're probably going to have to… consummate this marriage eventually," she said, her voice quieter now. "As much as I wish it could've been with someone I was in love with, I know that's not likely. Maybe we should try to… spend some time together. Not going the whole way but easing into it."

Her face turned crimson as the words left her mouth, and she quickly glanced away. The idea of King Genma arranging an audience to witness their consummation was enough to make her stomach churn. Anything was better than that nightmare.

Ranma blinked, clearly startled. His wide eyes gave way to an awkward cough as his face turned noticeably pink. "How do you… want to start easing into it?"

Akane took a deep breath. "I was thinking we could ask each other questions. Get to know each other better, personally. We're not going to fall in love, but maybe we could build some fondness. Enough to make this whole situation… less miserable."

Ranma studied her, caught between surprise and curiosity. That wasn't at all what he had in mind when she mentioned "easing into it," but he couldn't deny his interest. There was so much he didn't know about her—things he hadn't bothered to ask because of their constant arguments.

But before he could speak, Akane beat him to it. "Have you had sex before?"

Ranma nearly choked on the question, startled by her bluntness. "Uh, yeah. Only with one courtesan, though," he admitted, half-expecting her to tease him about it.

Instead, he caught a fleeting look of disappointment on her face, one that confused him. Most royal men had far more experience—was she judging him for his inexperience? Or was it something else? The customs of Shirya must have been very different from Wallka's.

She pressed on before he could dwell on it. "Have you ever been in love?"

Her question caught him off guard again. "No, I haven't," he said, feeling a pang of awkwardness. "Have you? Been in love or… slept with anyone?"

Akane's expression softened, though a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes. "I've been in love, but I've never slept with anyone."

Ranma's chest tightened. She'd been in love? With who? Was she still in love with him? The thought left a sour taste in his mouth. He couldn't help but envy whoever it was—the idea of someone loving you for who you truly were, not for your title or status, was something he couldn't imagine for himself.

"Who was it? Do you still love him?"

Akane let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "No, I'm not in love with him anymore. He was my doctor. But… he was in love with my sister."

Ranma frowned, confusion flashing across his face. "Your sister? I thought you were an only child."

The moment the words left his mouth, Akane froze. The look of sheer horror on her face made Ranma's stomach drop. She stared at him like he'd uncovered a deep, dangerous secret. Her eyes darted to the door as though she was ready to bolt.

Ranma's mind raced. Did she have a secret sister? Was her sister illegitimate? Bastard children were a common scandal in royal families, but certainly not something worth this level of alarm.

"Is your sister… a bastard?" Ranma asked cautiously, trying to reassure her. "Look, I know kings like to keep stuff like that under wraps, but it's not a big deal. You really think I'd care about something like that?"

Relief visibly washed over Akane's face, and Ranma felt a pang of guilt for pressing her. Still, he couldn't shake the sense that there was more to her reaction than what she was letting on.

"Well," he added lightly, "don't keep secrets from me anymore, okay? I'm not gonna judge you. We're both stuck in this royal game against our wills. If anything, we should have each other's backs, you know?"

Akane hesitated before giving him a thoughtful look. "Maybe in time I will," she said quietly. "I'm not ready to spill my guts to you just yet."

Ranma chuckled. "Fair enough. So… tell me about this first love of yours."

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning back slightly. "I've never had a first love. Everyone around me always wants something—power, status, wealth. Even the courtesans… I can't be sure they're not hoping to get pregnant and climb the ladder. It's hard to know who's being real."

Akane's gaze softened, and she smiled faintly. "Well, you'll never have to worry about that with me. I was taught to suck up to you after our marriage was arranged, but… I'm terrible at it. If I were smarter, I'd have played the dutiful wife. But I'm not a good actress."

Ranma found himself laughing at her bluntness. "You got that right—acting smart ain't exactly your forte."

Akane's expression instantly bristled. "Excuse me?! There you go again, belittling me! How am I supposed to like you enough to sleep with you when you can't even have a conversation without insulting me? No wonder you're insecure about people liking you. They probably don't!"

"And there you go, taking everything way too seriously and throwing back worse insults!" Ranma shot back. "I wasn't trying to insult you! I like that you're honest to a fault and don't hide your feelings. You're not playing the royal game smart, but that sure as hell don't mean I think you're dumb!"

Akane froze, her cheeks warming as she muttered, "Oh…"

"Yeah, 'oh' is right," Ranma mockingly retorted.

Ranma, emboldened by Akane softening her initial stance, slid onto the bed beside her and locked eyes with hers. Determined to dispel the lingering awkwardness, a mischievous grin spread across his face as a playful mood overtook him.

"Hmmm," he began, wagging his eyebrows and sticking out his tongue, "I know you want to be in love with the person you sleep with. So maybe my challenge is to become your second love!"

Akane raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Internally, she sighed. Does he think everything's a joke?

"Oh, come on, Ranma," she said, rolling her eyes, "be serious."

Ranma feigned mock indignation. "Oh, but I am serious! I heard what you told Prince Tōma about me—you think I'm an 'honorable man.' Admit it, you're secretly pining for me like all those other castle girls. But you're too stubborn to say it!"

"As if!" Akane shot back, leaning into her own teasing. "Pretty sure you're the one projecting. Jealous of Prince Tōma, were we?"

Ranma's grin faltered, a flicker of something more serious crossing his face. He thought back to what he'd overheard—Akane's mention of people King Gosunkugi was holding over her head. He wondered if she meant her sisters, the ones she'd inadvertently mentioned to Prince Tōma. The memory tugged at him, but he resisted the urge to pry. Her reaction to revealing she even had sisters had been telling. That was a conversation for when their trust was stronger.

But despite the somber undertone, Ranma couldn't resist returning to his teasing. Akane was fun to rile up—probably too fun. Her quick wit was like fuel to his fire.

Still, something else gnawed at the edge of his thoughts: her first love. A pang of unease crept in. What had it been like for the doctor Akane had once cared for so deeply?

Man, he thought, maybe I am jealous of her first love... and maybe Tōma too?

Ranma shook the thought away, though the frustration lingered. "There's no way I'd ever be jealous of some royal physician or a prince from a hermit kingdom," he muttered aloud, before redirecting his attention to Akane. "Anyway, answer my question. You asked two in a row and now you're dodging mine!"

Akane huffed. "I'm not dodging. I just thought you were insulting me!" She crossed her arms but relented. "Fine. My first love was Doctor Tofu. He was kind and compassionate, always patching me up when I got hurt. I guess I just… grew fond of him because of that."

Ranma bit back another question about why she always seemed to need patching up. The thought of King Gosunkugi's involvement churned uncomfortably in his stomach, but he let it go for now. He needed to tread lightly.

Instead, he blurted, "What were your first thoughts about me when we got married?"

Akane blinked, caught off guard. "My first thoughts? Uh, well…" Her gaze drifted to the wall. "I remember being impressed that you swallowed that gross drink without flinching. And then I thought you were… um… handsome. I'd expected someone scrawny and pampered, but you weren't like that."

Ranma stared, stunned. Handsome? Her words hit him like lightning. He didn't know why, but hearing that felt good. Too good. He shifted nervously under her scrutinizing gaze. Then it clicked—she was wondering how he'd respond. Since he'd been less than kind about her appearance to his guards after the ceremony. Now she was bracing for the worst, despite having shared her honest thoughts.

Ranma took a breath. He decided against mentioning his initial impression that she was plain. "The first thing I noticed about you was your short hair. It surprised me. Then I noticed your aura—you seemed like you wanted to punch me. I figured I had to stand my ground."

Akane snorted, breaking into laughter. "I didn't want to punch you! I was trying not to throw up from that awful drink!"

Her laughter was infectious. Ranma found himself grinning, her joy lighting up something deep inside him. How had he ever thought she was plain?

As the laughter died down, Akane surprised Ranma with her bold request. "Do you have any alcohol? It might make this whole 'getting to know each other' thing easier."

"Yeah, there is likely wine in here, just in case we were to have come here on our wedding night. It's tradition to have wine before the consummation.

Ranma hesitated before grabbing a bottle of wine from the cabinet. He poured them each a glass, feeling an odd mix of nerves and excitement as he handed hers over.

Akane took a sip, her cheeks slightly flushed. She hesitated before asking, "So… what was it like with the courtesan? I mean, I don't know much about… sex."

Ranma nearly choked on his wine. "What exactly do you want to know?" he stammered, his voice cracking.

"Positions or… whatever," Akane mumbled, eyes locked on her glass.

Ranma turned beet red. "Uh… well… she usually took the lead. She's a professional, so, you know… we've done stuff like… her on top, me on top… the usual."

"Okay," Akane said quickly, changing the subject. "Your turn."

Ranma scrambled for a question. "How intimate have you gotten with someone?"

Akane rolled her eyes. "You should know—you stole my first kiss!"

Ranma winced. "Oh, right… I, uh, forgot!"

Her glare was sharp enough to cut steel. "Forgot?!"

"Not like that!" he blurted. "I'm just nervous, okay?"

Akane blinked, startled. "You're nervous?"

"Yeah!" Ranma ran a hand through his hair. "This is my first time doing… this. With someone who's not… you know, a business arrangement. This feels personal. You're personal."

Akane softened. "That's… nice to know."

They fell into a quiet rhythm after that, trading questions about their thoughts on the marriage, the countries they came from, and what might have been.

"I guess it's my turn now. What did you think about having to be married to a Princess from Shirya?"

Ranma's expression turned thoughtful as he leaned back slightly, holding his wineglass loosely in his hand. "I won't lie, I wasn't happy about it. Like you, I was hoping that I would get a say in who I married. My marriage options were originally between Princess Shampoo and Princess Ukyo. Their countries are pretty equal in power, and I thought I would get to choose between them. But when your father offered your hand in marriage, my father's mind was made up."

He paused, swirling the wine in his glass, his gaze distant. "Your country is unique and untouched—your father made it sound like this would be a way to secure something rare, something no other kingdom could offer. My father believed that someday, through this marriage, our kingdom might have a claim on your nation. At first, I was angry about it—angry that I didn't have a choice. But once I got over that...I thought maybe it could be a good thing." His lips tilted into a small smile as he glanced at her. "You would be someone I didn't already know, someone who wasn't tied to my world. That...felt exciting."

Akane's stomach twisted at his words, uncertain if she should feel flattered or hollow. But before she could dwell on it, she heard herself ask, "And now? Now that you've met me, would you still choose me? Let's say, hypothetically, you could go back in time and have a say. Would you marry me?"

The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and Akane's heart dropped as she realized what she had just asked. Why did she even want to know? Did she like him? Her mind rebelled against the thought, warning her to squash any budding feelings before they took root. This marriage wasn't real. She wasn't a princess—just a pawn in King Gosunkugi's game. She should want him to not be interested in her the slightest bit. Why would she want for the betrayal he eventually would know to sting that much worse?

But part of her longed for his interest. That small, traitorous part made her question her own heart.

Ranma arched an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "Hey now, I'm pretty sure it's not your turn to ask a question." His voice was teasing, but his eyes softened as they met hers. "But yeah...I'm not sure if I'd pick you again."

The pang in her chest was sharper than she anticipated, even though she had told herself this was what she wanted to hear.

Ranma must have seen her reaction, because his expression shifted, and he quickly leaned forward. "Now hang on—let me finish before you go takin' my words the wrong way." He fiddled with the tip of his ponytail, an endearing nervous habit Akane had noticed. "If I thought that you wanted to marry me, then yeah, I'd choose you. But you don't seem like you wanted this—like you even had a choice. If not choosing you would've made you happier, then...I wouldn't have done it."

His words were clumsy, but they struck Akane harder than any polished declaration ever could. She watched as he downed his wine in one gulp, then fumbled with the bottle to pour himself more.

Akane hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them as she took a moment to collect herself. The weight of his words settled over her, heavy and warm in a way she couldn't define. Her heart beat so loudly she wondered if Ranma could hear it.

Ranma, meanwhile, sat back down beside her, his hand trembling slightly, causing ripples in his wineglass. Her silence seemed to unnerve him, and he finally asked, "What's wrong?"

Akane glanced at him and smiled faintly, though the gesture didn't reach her eyes. "Nothing. It was...thoughtful and sweet."

Ranma let out a small sigh of relief, scratching his neck awkwardly. "Ah, well...guess it's my turn." He hesitated, then cleared his throat. "Knowing me now—would you choose to have your marriage arranged to me, or would you have stayed in Shirya?"

Akane blinked, startled by the directness of his question despite it being a mirror of hers. Her eyes locked with his, and for a moment, it felt like she could see straight into his soul. The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down her spine, but she didn't look away.

"That question is...complicated." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. She closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly. "I'll say this: I would prefer we had met as regular civilians. If we had...I think I could find happiness as your wife."

Her words hung in the air like a confession, and Ranma felt his breath hitch in his throat. His heart thudded against his ribcage, loud and unrelenting. She had essentially said the same thing he had. But to Ranma, it felt like she had said something entirely different. She was saying she would be more likely to love him if they had met as ordinary people, free from politics and obligations. It was as though, in her own guarded way, she was saying she would have chosen him if the choice had been hers alone.

To hear those words—that she would have chosen him, not as a prince but as a man—was something Ranma hadn't realized how badly he had wanted. It was as if a small, locked part of his heart had been opened, and what he found inside left him dizzy.

Akane turned her gaze downward, her cheeks flushed, but Ranma couldn't take his eyes off her. In that moment, she wasn't a princess, a pawn, or an enemy. She was just Akane—a fiery and complicated woman. Someone he felt connected to in a way he'd never experienced with anyone else.