After all the C&C I got, I decided to fix a couple things. For
example Ranma is much more in character (I hope) and corrected most
of the grammar mistakes.
The Night After
- Confession of Ranma's Love
By Lord Archive
Note: ( ) denotes what Ranma is thinking, and is not said.
It is late at night and Ranma was resting on the roof of the Tendo
home above Akane's room. He was deep in thought over the events of the
past few days.
(We were close, so close. But, the others had to interfere, and
ruin it all. Why couldn't they just step aside. They just didn't know how
much I wanted this. Hell, I didn't know I wanted it. Not until it was
already ruined.) Ranma thought, as he remembered an event from the
previous day.
-------
In the Tendo dinning room shortly after Soun has called off the
wedding due to damages to the house and dojo.
The Tendos and Saotomes were recuperating from the day's hectic
events, except for Ranma and Akane, who, of course, were fighting.
"Ranma this is all your fault!" howled Akane for the umpteenth time since
the announcement that the wedding had been called off.
"If you told me about the Nannichuan earlier I would have been in a
better position to stop this mess." bellowed Ranma in reply.
"It was all of your fiancées that crashed the wedding!"
"Like it was my idea to invite them! I had nothing to do with that!"
"You keep stringing them along! You should have given them their walking
papers a long time ago!"
Before Ranma could howl his reply to Akane's last statement, Nabiki
interrupts by commenting, "The way you two are fighting, one would think
you wanted to get married."
"Yeah, so what's your point Nabiki?" Ranma said while glaring at Nabiki,
before he really considering his reply.
Ranma realize the scope of what he said only after the room went into
stunned silence, as everyone stared at him.
"Ra..Ra..Ranma, do you really mean it? Did you really want to marry me?"
spoke a shocked Akane.
"Do you think I would say that, if I didn't mean it?" replied Ranma a bit
defensively. Becoming very uncomfortable with the idea of what Akane's
next question will be, he said, "I'm tired, I'm going to bed." Ranma got
up and left.
"Ranma" he faintly heard Akane say as he made his way to his room.
----------
(I guess a good portion to blame for this is mine. I should have told my
other fiancées the truth. Told them that I didn't want to marry them,
that I didn't love them. But, if I told them what I thought was the truth
back then, I would have told her a lie. I just did not realize just what
I felt about her. Not until I thought I lost her, when she almost died in
China. But when she asked me later how I felt, I denied it. Why? Why
couldn't I tell her then? I'm a coward when it comes to expressing how
much I care for other people. I don't want to appear weak to others by my
expressing those feelings. That's what I keep telling myself. But, I'm
afraid. Afraid I will be rejected. Afraid if I told her what I truly feel
about her, she'll respond the same way as Shampoo does to Mousse. Hated.
Why am I afraid she'll reject me though? Sure, she's expressed some
hostility towards me, but usually after I did or said something stupid.
But, she sure seemed happy this morning...)
----------
"We're off." cheered Akane as she and Ranma left for school.
Ranma smiled at the sight of the Akane. She was very happy and had that
smile that always seemed to melt his heart.
While the smile never left his face, Ranma was lost in thought. So
lost in thought, he didn't realize he was walking next to Akane and not
on the fence. At least not until she asked him "What are you thinking
about, Ranma?"
"Huh? What did you say?" replied Ranma as he lost his train of thought as
it switched to,(Man she is uncute, 'cause she is so beautiful.)
"What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about some stuff."
"Like what?"
Akane never got her answer as Kuno choose this moment to make his
entrance. Kuno's persistence delayed them enough that they have to run to
class or be late.
----------
(I hope she was happy because of what I said the day before, and not
because the wedding was canceled. I wish I knew how she felt about me. I
think she might love me, she seemed almost eager to marry me. But if she
loved me, wouldn't she trust me, or at least not try to feed me the toxic
waste she calls food. And what is with that hammer? Would she hit me if
she loved me? I don't know. I want to know. I have to know. I won't get
any peace of mind about this until I find out how she feels about me. But
doing so, I'm probably going to have to tell her how I feel about her.
I'm just going to have to face my fears and find out, tomorrow. Might as
well check to see if she's okay.)
Ranma got up and walked towards the part of the roof that was
directly above Akane's bedroom window. Ranma knelt down and flipped down
in a fluid motion that placed him face to face with Akane. "A.. Akane."
Ranma said as his feet lost hold and he fell off the roof. He
instinctively reached out and grabbed the window ledge. He started to
pull himself up.
"What do you think you're doing?" asked Akane in a voice confused at
being delighted or angry at seeing him.
(Might as well try to talk to her now. Less chance of someone else
listening in.) "It's just that I wanted to see if you're awake. I ahh
wanted to talk to you about some stuff."
"Start talking."
"Um Akane, well, er... I... Can I come in first? " Ranma began nervously.
"You're not going to try to do anything perverted? Are you?"
"No.. No, all I want to do is talk. Okay?"
"All right, but one false move and you go flying." she said as she helped
him inside.
(Great. She is threatening me. This is not a good sign.)
Once inside she asked, "So what did you want to talk about?"
"I ahh... I just wanted to say... I.. I... I'm sorry." he finally said
as he sat down on Akane's bed.
(That's it start small, it might help to
make a big finish.)
"Sorry about what?" she asked as she sat down on the other side of her bed.
"Sorry for hurting you, by stringing along my other fiancées. I should
have told them a while ago that I didn't want to marry them."
"Well, we can fix that situation now. Can't we?"
"Sure... Sure we can." he said smiling. (This is a good sign.)
"Are you sorry you didn't marry me yesterday?" she asked with a smile.
"Um... Yes." he replied. (She's smiling. She's smiling! That must means
she feels the same way. Tell her how you feel about her. You may not get
a better chance.) "Akane, I.. I... I'm also sorry about lying to you
yesterday."
"What did you say was a lie?"
"Umm when you, well you know... asked if I... I... l.. lo... loved you,
and I... um... denied it." he said as he looked into her large, tear
filled eyes.
"D... Does that mean y... you lo.. love me?"
"Y.. Y... Yes... I... I... d... do. I... I... d... do l... l... lo...
love y... you."
A long moment passed, and Akane was speechless. He felt his heart
shatter into a million pieces. (Why? Why isn't she saying anything?)
Akane finally replied, "Ra.. Ra.. Ranma, you have no idea how long I
waited for you to say that. I... I love you too."
She immediately embraced Ranma, who quickly returned the hug. He
broke the embrace first. She backed with a confused look on her face, but
smiled as he leaned toward her. He kissed her and went into another
embrace, one that neither of them wanted to end anytime soon.
*******************************
Author's note:
If case you haven't guess this story takes place the night after the end
of the Manga series.
This is the second draft of this fic. I have revised this in an attempt
to make Ranma more in character (he was much quicker in saying I love you
in the previous version), add a touch of humor, and to fix many of the
grammar mistakes. I give my thanks Freemage for the grammar help, and to
all those that sent me C&C. I will bow to suggestions and not make a
Lemon sequel (but I do plan on making a Lemon short as soon as I figure
out a good believable plot). If I make sequels to this fic, I will do each
from a different character's point of view about the events from the end
of manga or events the happened earlier in the series. If I get around to
making sequels, the next one will be Akane's version of this night.
Legal babble: Ranma 1/2 and all characters involved belong to Rumiko
Takahashi, Viz Video, ect... I am just borrowing the characters, I will
give them back. (Well maybe not Ukyou ;)
Please give me C&C or even a MSTing of this story. If you wish to reply
in private mail contact me at archive@mich.com
(
geocities.com/tokyo/fuji/9061) (
geocities.com/tokyo/fuji) (
geocities.com/tokyo)