"All right. Both fathers are out drinking. Check. Kasumi is out with Dr. Tofu. Check." He read down the list, making sure every requirement had been satisfied. "Nabiki is out with Kunou." At that one, Ranma shuddered. Best not to think of that. "Check. And Happosai is in panty heaven at the lingerie show in Tokyo."

"Fiancées taken care of." Shampoo and Mousse were home from China and very happily getting to know one another better. Ryouga had taken Ukyou off on a short trip to Hakido. Which meant they'd be home in a week or so. And Kodachi was out of town at the competing Districts gymnastics tournament. "Check."

Akane looked around her room nervously, taking everything in. Candles, check. Battery operated radio. Check. Window locked and blinds drawn. Check. Her outfit was new. She'd purchased the dress with Kasumi's help, determined that he'd have no cause to call her a tomboy and ruin the evening.

Everything was ready. Akane sighed. Check.

Ranma opened the small metal door and looked down at his list one last time. Everything was done except for this last thing. And the rest of the night loomed before him, filled with fear and promise.

Akane. He was actually going to have a night alone with Akane.

His stomach did a back handspring before it tried to crawl up his spine. This was going to be the most important night of their lives and he had no idea what he was doing. Why couldn't she have given him a list of what to do after he'd taken care of the house?

He didn't know what to do. He was new to this and about as comfortable with sex as a cow is comfortable in a slaughterhouse. He gazed at the switches in front of him. They were all labeled, but they'd both decided not to take any chances. Pulling the main breaker, Ranma watched as the entire Tendo household disappeared in darkness.

Stepping out into the yard, he looked up at Akane's window. The blinds were drawn and it looked as dark as the rest of the house. Fear gripped him around the heart. She'd changed her mind. She'd decided she wanted Ryouga or Mousse or anyone who wasn't him. She'd… his train of thought stopped mid-sentence as the blinds were drawn back and the soft flicker of candlelight reached out to him.

The window slid up. "Ranma?"

"Nabiki's equipment disabled. Check."

"Are you going to come up?"

He could hear the nervousness in her voice and suddenly didn't feel so bad. This was Akane. His Akane. "I'll be right there, Akane-chan."

Akane stared at the door nervously, knowing that Ranma would come in any minute. As assured as she was that they were doing the right thing, what they wanted, she was scared to death. Nothing ever went right when it came to them. Everything always went wrong in some monumental way or another.

A soft knock came and she started. "It's okay," she whispered to herself. "It's only Ranma." She walked over and put her hand on the doorknob. "Who is it?"

"Who do you think?" Ranma asked. "You expecting someone else?"

"Knowing our luck? Yeah." She opened the door and smiled at him. He was dressed in his usual red shirt and black pants, but for some reason, he looked better than he ever had.

Ranma smiled at her, knowing she was right to be nervous. If they'd been smart, they would have found some excuse to disappear for a week or so and go to the most remote spot in the universe to be together. And, knowing their luck, Ryouga would have shown up - lost as usual.

"You look nice, Akane." She did. She was wearing a spring dress, no sleeves and delicate purple flowers all over the white material. "I mean, beautiful."

"And not like a tomboy?"

"Don't." Ranma shook his head. "I don't want to fight tonight. Because, you know as well as I do, if we start fighting we won't stop. And if we start fighting, I won't get to do this."

"Do what?" She asked.

Ranma took a step toward her and raised his hand to her cheek. It trembled slightly as it rested against her skin and he laughed softly. "I'm scared to death, Akane. I don't think I've ever been afraid of anything as much as I'm afraid I'm not going to please you."

"Ranma," she sighed. She stepped into his arms and looked up at his face. His deep blue eyes were staring at her intently. "I…I love you. You can't help but please me."

"But…"

"No. Remember?"

He nodded, stroking the smooth skin of her cheek. "If it wasn't me, it didn't happen." He leaned down slowly, allowing her time to back away. When she didn't, he placed his lips lightly against hers. He pulled away quickly, his heart pounding in his chest.

Akane smiled.

She was smiling. A surge of relief coursed through him. Leaning in again, he kissed her once more, his lips moving carefully against hers, as though he were afraid of doing something wrong.

Akane pulled back slightly. "Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"I won't break. And I won't mallet you. I want this, just as much as you do." Her dark eyes sparkled. "Don't be afraid to kiss me."

"I…I've just wanted this for so long…" He blushed and stepped back. "Is it warm in here?"

Akane shook her head and moved to sit down beside her bed. "Come sit down. Maybe we'll just relax for a bit?" She pulled a deck of cards out of her desk. "Want to play a game?"

"Sure." He sank onto the floor; glad the pressure was gone. "What shall we play?"

Akane shuffled and dealt. "Poker."

"I suck at poker."

"I want to win." Akane laughed at the hurt look on his face. "Okay, we'll play something we're equal at. How about go fish?"

"And what are the stakes?"

"Ranma," she gathered up the cards and dealt again. "There are no stakes in go fish."

"How about for every go fish, you have to kiss the other person? I think that's fair," he looked up at her shyly. "Don't you?"

"Yeah. I do."

Ranma tossed his cards between them. "I give up, Akane. How do you do this to me? You always win." He gestured to her groups of pairs. "It's just not fair."

"You owe me a kiss."

"You were cheating, weren't you?"

"I don't cheat, Ranma. You owe me a kiss."

"You were cheating."

"You just can't stand to lose, can you?" Akane took a deep breath, determined not to get angry. "Even at a stupid game of cards. You just have to win." She was losing the battle with her anger, his pout spurring her on. "Oh right, because the great Ranma Saotome can't lose, can he? Especially not to a girl." She put her hands down on the floor, intent on getting up. She couldn't do this. She couldn't.

Ranma grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him. His lips found hers again, this time more assured. He slipped his tongue between her lips, tasting her for the first time. Never before, in all the years he'd been denying his feelings, had any other kiss either had shared ever meant as much. He pulled away and licked his lips. "Our first real kiss, Akane."

She opened her eyes slowly. "The first of many?"

"Are you still mad?"

"Admit that I won?"

"You won at cards. We both win at this." He brushed the cards away and moved closer. Kneeling directly in front of her, he ran his hand through her short dark hair. "Can I kiss you, Akane?"

"Oh Ranma, I wish you would."

Akane wrapped her arms around Ranma's waist as his lips found hers yet again. Her mind was spinning. Ranma was kissing her - on purpose. She ran her hands over his back; her mind supplying images of the hard muscles she was stroking. Without thinking, she moved her hands between them and loosened the ties that held his shirt together.

The silk parted and she slid it carefully off his shoulders. His white tank top was still between them, as was her dress, but the heat rising off his body was almost more than Akane could stand. She ran her hands lightly over his arms, feeling the muscles move and flex beneath his warm skin.

Ranma's shuddering breath tickled her lips. He tangled one hand in her hair and pulled her head back so that he could kiss the soft skin of her neck and shoulders. The other slipped behind her and began working the small zipper down, parting the thin material of her dress.

His hand was like fire on the skin of her back. Akane moaned softly into his kiss and tugged his tank top free of his pants. Ranma leaned back so she could pull it off of him. As soon as she tossed it free, he guided her dress from her shoulders, letting the material fall to her waist.

He'd seen Akane in various stages of undress throughout their relationship, but every time he'd averted his eyes as quickly as he could. True, it hadn't changed the fact that the sight of her naked body was burned into his consciousness and had been long before he'd seen her with Ryouga.

But seeing her, her half naked body straining toward his hands, was more than he had ever hoped for. He gently placed his large, callused hands on the lace-trimmed cups of her bra, carefully rubbing the hard tips beneath them.

The peaks tightened even further under his attentions. She shivered. "Are you cold?"

"Burning up," she whispered.

Ranma nibbled on her lower lip as he swept her onto his lap. "Why don't we cool you down then?" He guided the dress off her completely. "Does that help?"

She shook her head, unable to speak for a long moment. When she finally could, her voice was a harsh whisper. "No. I'm getting hotter."

Ranma got to his feet, Akane still firmly in his arms. Placing her on the bed, he stared down at her, love shining in his blue eyes. He unfastened the ties of his pants and let them fall to the floor.

Akane reached out with a shaky hand to touch the yellow boxers. Ranma's muscles tautened, his erection stretching the fabric to its limits.

Her hand stroked it through the tightening cotton, "Oh, Ranma…"

He took her hand and lifted it away from him. Raising it above her head, he ran his fingertips over her heated skin. He moved his hand slowly back down to her breast.

Akane turned on her side and began petting him thorough his boxers. Ranma gasped and fell to his knees on the bed. She giggled softly.

"Something funny?" He asked quietly.

"Oh no," she stated, struggling to control her soft laughter.

He lay beside her on the bed, his hand resting on her hip, his fingers rubbing the satiny material of her panties. With his head propped on his other hand, he leaned forward and kissed her nose. "Stop laughing."

She pressed her lips together, trying desperately to do so.

Ranma's finger moved under the elastic to touch the silky skin beneath. Akane rolled onto her back, eager for his touch - her laughter completely gone.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he touched the dark, downy hair. "Akane…?"

She thrust up to his hand, urging him to touch her again. "Please, Ranma?"

He pulled his hand away and she whimpered softly. "It's okay, Akane." He knelt beside her again and coaxed the material off her hips. He caught his breath at the sight of her. "How did I ever think you were uncute?"

He took her hands and helped her to sit up. Reaching behind her, he unhooked her bra. Guiding it off of her, he stared down at the perfect mounds of creamy flesh.

Stroking her hair, he lay her back on the bed. "Are you okay, Akane-chan?"

She nodded. "You?"

One hand casually massaged her breast as he dipped his head to capture the hard tip of the other in his mouth.

"Ra…Ranma…" she managed to breathe.

His hands explored the line of her body as his lips and tongue feasted on her. Breathing rapidly, Akane ran her short nails over his heated skin. Encountering the waistband of his boxers, she slid her hand under the fabric, squeezing the firm flesh beneath it.

He thrust, his cock rubbing against her thigh. He struggled to breathe, using all his willpower to pull away from her. Standing, he shed his boxers quickly then lay back beside her. He pulled her into his embrace and held her body close to his. The warm feel of her was better than anything he'd ever felt or imagined.

"Ranma?" Akane pushed him onto his back and moved on top of him. Pushing his hair back with both hands, she leaned forward and kissed him.

He pressed his hips forward, his cock teasing along the dark curls between her thighs. Akane managed to get to her knees, the heat from her body enticing against his erection. "Help me?"

Ranma held her hips as she lowered herself onto his shaft. He stopped breathing as he filled her, the intense heat of their joining overwhelming them both.

Akane gazed down at him. "I…I love you, Ranma."

He sat up and wrapped his arms around her. Laying his head against her breast, he inhaled the sweet scent of her. "I love you too, Akane." They sat like that for a long moment, both of them thinking of the long road they'd traveled to reach this moment.

"I've dreamed about this," Akane admitted, stroking his black hair.

"Me too." He looked up at her. "I wondered, for a long time, if we'd ever make it this far without killing each other."

"We're doing okay, so far. Not a mallet in sight." She smiled. "Of course, we haven't been talking very much, so you haven't had much opportunity to get yourself in trouble."

"Me?" Ranma opened his eyes and feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about." He used his upper body strength to twist her onto her back, so that he was on top. Akane's muscles tightened around him, holding on while he switched their positions.

"You don't like me on top?"

"Not the first time." He kissed her gently. "The first time, I want to feel you beneath me. I want to feel you around me. After that, we can negotiate."

"You sound like Nabiki. What if I don't negotiate?" Akane had trouble getting the sentence out as Ranma started moving, his hips meeting hers then pulling away in a easy rhythm.

"I don't know what I'll do then." Ranma increased his movements slightly; wondering where all the control he'd spent years learning had gone to. Something about Akane's body, so strong and supple, beneath his was making him forget everything he'd ever learned.

Akane wrapped her legs around his, pulling him deeper inside her. "Ranma," she begged.

"Yeah, Akane?" His own voice sounded breathless and harsh.

"Shut up."

He nodded, gazing down at her silently, as they moved together. She matched him stroke for stroke, their hours of training and practice making them perfect partners. He noticed the rise and fall of Akane's chest and realized she was panting as though they'd been running. "You okay?"

"Mm-hmmm." She closed her eyes and her body arched up toward his. Ranma's eyes opened wide as he felt the warm rush of her orgasm surround him. She continued thrusting up toward him, her body glistening with exertion.

Akane couldn't help herself. Soft, quiet moans of pleasure and satisfaction took the place of anything coherent she could say. Ranma's body was hard against her, their hips moving in a dance thousands of years old. Her hands raked down his back, her legs tightening as she felt another climax building.

Ranma could sense the change in her body and he realized she was going to come again. He smiled to himself, all of the fears of being inadequate - the fears he'd been holding on to, despite her reassurances - left him. She loved him. He pleased her. He'd beaten Ryouga in the most important contest of all.

He felt a tinge of guilt, worrying about his rival at a time like this, but nothing in the world was more important to him that Akane. And he'd been prepared to do whatever he had to in order to win. He looked down at the woman who was going to be his wife someday.

"I love you, Akane," he whispered. And then their worlds exploded.

Ranma lay beside her, his fingers casually trailing across her damp body. "We should take a bath."

"We should. But who knows when everyone will be home. We should probably get the house back in order, turn the power back on, that kind of thing."

He nodded sadly. "I hate that we have to hide this."

"Me too." She touched his cheek. "So, who won?"

"What?"

"Our martial arts duel of sexual gratification? Who won?"

Ranma laughed and pulled her to him in a tight hug. "We both did, Akane. Don't you agree?"

Nabiki sighed happily as she turned off the battery-powered recorder. She didn't anticipate that she'd have to take advantage of the tape, but it never hurt to have it handy.

You never knew what was going to come up next. Especially in Nerima.