Forever Yours
Written by Remi
~Prologue~
It took hours. Hours of precious time that he could have spend with her if he hadn't instead pushed her into leaving him. He found her at last, sitting by a lake in a secluded area of the park. He sighed in relief at the sight of her.
The moonlight had softly graced her head, as the tender wind blow the cherry blossoms from the trees ever so delicately around her. It was awful how the scene before him could look so hauntingly beautiful when in any moment it could all fade away.
His throat became dry as he continued to stand there and observed her. She looked so peaceful sitting there. If he hadn't known about her delicate condition, he would have thought she was just enjoying the view. Instead of trying to take everything in, before she could no longer do so . . .
Unable to keep the long span of distance between them, he took a step toward her. She must have sensed his closeness when she softly called out his name. "Ranma."
"Akane . . . " He replied hoarsely.
"Y-You came."
"Why did you leave without first telling me?" He demanded. Worry and frustration filled his voice that had been building for the last several hours, since he found her missing.
"I just don't want to bother you." Meekly, she answered.
His heart clenched painfully at her words. For he hadn't been the most considerate person the last few days since he found out about her condition. Purposely, he had been avoiding her, because he couldn't stand to see her fade away before his eyes. She was so healthy, this tomboy of his. But all of a sudden and out of the blue, life was leaving her. He just couldn't handle that, nor could he acknowledge the fact that it was happening.
So he ran off in denial. He was angry at the world for screwing up his life since he was a child. Mad at Kami for giving him hope by sending her to him, but to only then take her away again. And mad at her for getting into this condition. She was supposed to be stronger than that. He couldn't accept that after all the times he had risked his life for her was all for not. And in the end, she was going to leave him again. Fate couldn't have been crueler.
"I-I'm sorry." His voice came out raw and full of anguish. That was all he could say. However, deep inside his heart, he knew there was more, so much more he wanted to tell her. For one, he wanted to apologize to her for being such a selfish jerk in running off and leaving her alone to face her fears. He also wanted to ask for her forgiveness for the awful way he treated her in the last few days. He should have been kinder, nicer, and . . . a better fiancé. There were so many regrets. He couldn't express it all in words. And he hated himself for it.
"Oh Ranma . . . " She shook her head lightly, as she gave him a small smile. It was a weak smile as she didn't have the strength to give him one of those sunny smiles that he known her for. "It's not your fault." She said softly.
If the situation hadn't been so severe, he would have noted the irony and humor of the situation. Of all the times, she blamed him for causing troubles that mostly had been out of his control, this was the one time he knew for sure that it was his fault. If he had protected her better, this wouldn't have happen. But she wasn't blaming him. Nor does she seem to hate him. He just didn't know how to response. There were so many emotions boiled up inside him that it threatened to burst out all at once. He stood stiff still and simply called out to her. "Akane . . . "
"I should be the one to apologize." She looked away as she fingered the grass on the ground. "I'm really sorry for all the troubles I caused you."
He gritted his teeth in anger. An abundant of questions ran through his mind as his frustration grows. Like how could Akane be so dense? How could she say that to him after all they been through? Didn't she know how important she is to him? Didn't she even know what she meant to him?
Scowling, he strolled determinately toward her. Dropping down beside her, he grabbed her shoulders none too gently. He wanted to shake some senses into her, but stop himself short of doing that. For how could he blame her? When he had done everything to make her believed otherwise, like how he hadn't care about her one bit. He sighed, knowing that it was his fault he made her feel this insecure. "You're no trouble or a bother, Akane." He said throatily. "I . . . "
It became all too much as he gazed deep into her expressive golden eyes. He couldn't finish what he was saying, nor could he longer take it. Pulling her close to him, he crushed her into his arms. His breathings came out harshly in painful heaps, as he held her in a fierce embrace with his head snuggled between her neck and shoulder. He felt her released her breath in relief, before gently wrapping her arms around his waist as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"I'm glad you're here." She whispered ever so softly. If he hadn't been so close to her, he would have missed the desperation and longing in her voice. He wanted to kick himself again, for being such an idiot. He should have been comforting her and take care of her, instead of soaking in his misery and cursing the injustice of the world.
"How do you know I was going to come here to look for you?" He asked just so he could hear her husky voice again. No longer does he want there to be denial and silence between them. He will not let what time they have left go to waste.
"I don't know. I was just hoping you would come."
His eyes burned as he struggled with his next words. "Being a baka that I am, what if I didn't think of looking for you here. What would you have done?"
"I would have waited until you come, Ranma."
Hot tears streaked down his face to fall onto her shoulder as his heart constricted painfully in knowledge that she would have waited for him until she dies . . .
"A-Akane." He stuttered upon her name and cursed himself again for being unable to continue. His eyes lit up as an idea occurred to him. Perhaps, he may not know how to say the right words, but he sure will darn do the right thing. Besides, he was always more of a man of action than words.
He pulled away from her and gazed deep into her eyes. In determination and without hesitation, he said firmly, "Marry me."
"Ranma . . . " His name softly came out of her lips as she froze in shock. He could tell Akane had never anticipated that he would say those words to her based on the look of disbelief on her face. It seemed like minutes later before she finally found her voice. The expression on her became sad. "I don't want you to marry me because I'm-"
It was as he was connected to her thoughts at that moment. He just knew what she would say next. He cut in before she could further go on. "Akane, I'm not asking you to marry me because you're dy-leaving." He admonished, before admitting, "I want you to be my wife, because I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
She shook her head in anguish. "But we can't Ranma. At any moment, I could-"
"I don't care if you only have a year or a day left, Akane. I just want to be with you." His voice was strong and certain as he stated, "With you and no one else."
"Oh Ranma . . . " Her eyes brimmed with tears. "D-Do you really think that we could?"
"Oh yes, Akane. As long as we're together, anything is possible." He gently took her hands and kissed them. Kneeling before her on one knee, he demanded, "Say you will be my wife, Akane."
Time stopped as he waited for her answer. The wind halted in the mist of blowing the hair off his temple and bangs. And the cherry blossoms that were falling, were suspended in the air around them as his heart continued to race at an alarming rate. In that single moment, his soul was laid bare opened as well as all of his feelings for her as he gazed earnestly into her warm golden eyes.
"Yes." Her word came out in a bare whisper, giving him relief as well as allowing time to progress once more. Fiercely, she clung to him as she cried onto his chest. He hugged her back with just as much passion if not more abandonment.
"I love you, Ranma. I love you so much."
Her sweet words were liked music to his ears. It made him feel happy, sad, strong, and weak at the same time. He never thought it was possible to feel all these emotions at once. But he did felt them, just like her admittance of adoration for him. It was possible, and it was a miracle. She loves him. Him! Not Ryoga, not Shinosuke, or some other guy. He didn't understand how she could love someone like him. Kami knows that he didn't deserve her. And he was not even a full man. But she does . . . He held her tighter in his arms, never intending to let her go again.
"Will you love me forever, Akane?" He felt a strong urge to ask. For some unknown reason, beyond his comprehension, he needed to have her word, that even in death, she would still love him. Still, be his . . .
"Yes, Ranma. Forever . . . " She promised as she rested her head on his chest, listening to the powerful rhythm of his heart that was beating in tone with hers.
He smiled. It was not a smile solely of happiness, but a strange content smile that show oddly of relief. With an urgency that he never known, he quickly searched for her lips. There was no hint of shyness in his kiss. It spoke of passion, love, need, desire, and lust that had been suppress far too long. Much too long . . .
He groaned in pleasure as she responded by opening her mouth for his tongue. Not once breaking their kiss, he gently laid her down onto the grass. He showered her face, her neck, her shoulders, and any part of her flesh that he could reach with kisses, as he made promises to her that were never given to another.
He continued to kiss her until she was in a frenzy of need and desire. He kissed her again until she was in a state of passion and on fire. He wanted to make her completely senseless, to be too far gone in pleasure to realize the implication of the oath she had just given to him. It had meant . . . in death, through eternity, and beyond she would still be his . . .