Bliss

Author:

Chapter 1:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ranma 1/2. So please don’t sue me.

*

The fire was cackling merrily, lighting the dark forest with orange-yellow glows. Ranma was tired after battling with his tent – it was so stubborn because he couldn’t put it up! – and was sitting cross-legged by the fair, warming his cold body. Nearby, the lake glittered underneath the silvery beams of the moon, as if thousands of sparkling diamonds twinkled beneath the waters.

His gaze was solemn as he stared at the fire, transfixed by the cackling flames.

He was deeply contemplating and sorting out his feelings.

Ranma was confused.

He wasn’t sure if he liked Akane or loved her. To him, it was a very confusing thing.

He liked a lot of stuff. He liked ice cream, Ukyo’s pancakes, Shampoo’s food – as long as it isn’t poisoned – and taking long, leisurely hot baths. But he would rather die than admit that he liked something that generally was a girl’s thing.

But Ranma wasn’t sure if he even loved anything. Sure, he liked his parents, Genma rarely and he didn’t spend that much time with his mother to really know her, much less love her. But he was fond of her, anyway.

Then Akane. She was one heck of a girl. Stubborn, annoying, headstrong, strong, kind, sweet, painful, compassionate, friendly and incredibly cute. That was Akane.

The main reason why Ranma often teases and insults Akane was because he was afraid that when he stopped, he’d really see Akane and start falling for her.

Then again, Ranma was already long gone.

Ranma sighed. He was very tired of all his other fiancés trying to woo and poison him into falling in love with them. Shampoo was cute, but she was too…forward. Yup, definitely forward when she presses her body close to his, her breasts being crushed by his chest and when she manages to kiss him when he’s off-guard. Though many boys wouldn’t find this offensive, Ranma did though and he normally didn’t walk with his dick controlling his every move.

And there was Ukyo. Ranma wasn’t that dense that he couldn’t detect her intentions with him. She was in love with him, simple as that. But it wasn’t simple at all. Ranma was certain that all he felt for Ukyo was friendship and not love or desire. And therein lay one of his great problems. When he decides to tell Ukyo that all he and her can ever be are best friends, Ranma is afraid of causing her that much pain.

He’d never intentionally hurt a girl.

Ranma tried to ignore his brain screaming, ‘Akane! You hurt Akane intentionally!’

Kodachi. Okay, let’s skip that one.

Nabiki. She loves money and uses him to gain it. Enough said.

Kasumi. Ah! What are you thinking, idiot? She’s like a sister to you, Ranma’s mind bellowed.

There wasn’t really anyone else that confused him. Surely not Kuno because he’s a guy and Ryoga is like a friend-enemy to him. Mousse is too blinded by his love for Shampoo to see the obvious that she doesn’t love him back.

After a long time of contemplation, Ranma’s mind reluctantly delves into his intricate and powerful feelings for Akane.

Oh sure, she made him mad as hell or Akane pounds him with her mallet and he writhes in pain, but really, it’s all his fault anyway for egging on Akane’s anger. Also, Ranma couldn’t forget what Akane’s rare and breathtaking smiles did to his system. He also couldn’t forget all those times when she unthinkingly tried to save him from danger – but in vain, really – and the terror he felt when he thought that he had lost Akane forever to some rival for her affections or to someone who hated him.

Face it, Saotome, you l-l-l-l-lo…Ranma’s inner confession to his real feelings for Akane was abruptly cut by a gasp behind him.

Ranma jerked around and his blue eyes widened in shock as he saw Akane standing there behind him, carrying a huge backpack. Her face, illuminated by the moonlight, looked just as shocked to see him.

“Ranma! What are you doing here?!” Akane spluttered in surprise.

“Me? I was the first one here!” Ranma defensively said, his heart beating fast.

Gosh, Akane looked really pretty under the moonlight. She was wearing a thick, blue sweater since it was a bit chilly and a pair of loose drawstring jogging pants. Even in conservative clothing, Akane looked amazingly appealing.

Ranma swallowed thickly as he felt the first stirrings of desire in his member and tried to ignore it. Akane was a very innocent girl and he shouldn’t be having any thoughts about her that wasn’t wholesome.

Akane peered curiously at him. “Are you all right, Ranma? You look a bit…suffocated…”

Ranma flushed darkly and tried to calm down. He tried thinking about thoughts that were a turn-off but what he kept seeing in his head was Akane wearing a string bikini; Akane in a thong; Akane naked.

Oh crap, he thought despairingly, desire shooting through his body at the mental images.

“Ranma?”

“Uh…I’m f-fine…It’s just a bit hot…” Ranma loosened his shirt and with his other hand fanned his face. “Here, near the fire,” he added lamely.

Akane arched a slender brow, then shrugged. She approached him and sat down on the other side, so that they were facing each other. She shrugged off hea heavy backpack, then turned to him with inquisitive brown eyes.

“What are you doing here?” she repeated.

“I needed some time to…ah, think…” Ranma replied uncertainly, setting his legs so that Akane couldn’t see the indecent bulge between his legs. That’d be way too embarrassing!

Akane’s eyes shot upward in surprise. “To think, huh? It’s not like you.”

“A great martial artist, just like me, gets tired too,” Ranma muttered, averting his eyes from Akane’s face, which looked enticing with the flames fiery shadow dancing on her face.

“I thought you, the great Saotome Ranma, never got tired no matter the circumstances,” Akane teased laughingly, feeling relaxed. She placed her hands fln thn the ground and leaned back, inclining her head sideways. Ranma could see the shape of Akane’s full breasts against her thick sweater.

Ranma forced himself to look away. “There’s always exceptions.”

Akane scanned the surroundings then looked at Ranma suspiciously, her eyes narrowed in distrust. “You didn’t come out here to meet one of your other fiancé’s, did you?”

Ranma rolled his eyes. “No, because that’d be stupid.”

“Stupid? Why would that be stupid?”

Because you’re my real fiancé, Ranma thought but didn’t say this out loud. Instead, he said loudly, “Because I could just meet with my cute fiancés back home, anytime.”

Oops! That was the wrong thing to say in front of a very violent and easily angered fiancé. Very wrong thing indeed. Akane’s eyes widened in anger and hurt, her hands already taking out her mallet and ready to pound him.

He panicked.

“Ah! Akane…w-wait!!!”

Akane growled and swung the mallet at his head. But then, before the mallet could hit Ranma though, Akane abruptly pulled away.

Ranma blinked in shock, unable to believe what just happened. Did Akane just stop in malleting him? That was astonishing.

Akane sighed and her mallet vanished. She sat back down calmly, as if nothing happened at all.

A cold breeze passed by them, blowing at the flames. Akane brushed back her silky blue-black hair out of her eyes, starring directly into Ranma’s eyes.

“What just happened?” Ranma asked, dazed.

“Nothing,” Akane shrugged, “I decided to spare your life because I suddenly remembered what an idiot you are.” She smirked.

“I’m not an idiot!” Ranma said indignantly.

Akane laughed harshly, her eyes strangely bright. “Yeah right.”

Then that was when it hit Ranma. He had hurt Akane’s feelings, again, and Ranma inwardly winced at the realization. He began cursing at himself with every curse he knew. He did it again. Thoughtlessly, he had upset Akane with his unkind words. 

Ranma debated at what to do. He could apologize, screw it up royally like always and have Akane fuming at him again and this time she wouldn’t hesitate to mallet him to next orbit. Or he could just ignore his raging conscience and wait for his next screw up so Akane can justly knock him out. 

Ranma ded thd that the former was better than being more inconsiderate.

“Akane…” Ranma began uneasily, twisting in his seat. He began to play with his fingers, looking at his hands and a blush creeping up his chest. “I…I…g-gomen…na…”

He was intercepted rapidly by Akane who asked him a completely mind-boggling question.

“Ranma, are you in love now?” Akane blurted out, her eyes downcast and a soft red tinge on her cheeks.

Ranma’s eyes resembled saucers when the question sank in. Was he in love…?

He didn’t know how to answer. If he said yes, then Akane will pester him to no end unless he tell her who she is and risk another mallet-smashing. If he answered no, then he’d get the mallet and the lashing of a very irritated Akane.

Akane raised her eyes to his, the brown depths filled with apprehension.

Ranma decided to lie.

“N-No! Of course, not! The person who deserves me hasn’t yet been born!”

Oh, what an arrogant, self-centered thing to say, don’t you think so?

Something passed in Akane’s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Ranma wondered if it had been his imagination.

“How about you?” Ranma was terrified to ask.

Akane was silent for the moment.

“I…I’m in love…with someone” Akane whispered so softly that Ranma didn’t almost hear the words before they were swept by the chilly breeze.

It was like someone had torn out his heart, plunged a thousand sharp needles into it, thrown against a spiky wall repeatedly like a basketball, stomped upon by spiky cleats, roasted over a roaring fire then placed back into his chest.

Ranma was certain that she was in love with someone else, not him. He was so mean and callous on her that she should hate him and could never love him.

He tried to speak but his throat was strangely clogged and no sound came out. He’d never imagined pain as great as this.

But Akane didn’t notice his tongue-tide state and continued, speaking tenderly.

“I didn’t want to love him…in fact, at first I really hated him…but then, I got to know him. The real him he’s been hiding behind a mask. But of course, he didn’t know he was hiding his true self…” Akane murmured silently, her eyes fixed on the glowing fire.

Ranma blinked away the moistness in his eyes as he felt sickly jealous and enraged towards this unknown guy who had stolen Akane’s heart. He was also mad at himself for acting like a jerk and a coward and never letting her know his true feelings.

Akane raised her eyes to Ranma’s and said sadly, “But I’m not sure if he loves me or not…most of the time he acts as if I’m something really nasty he must put up with…It really hurts.”

She had tears in her eyes and Akane quickly wiped them away, giving a self-conscious laugh as she noticed the tension in the air.

“W-Who…” Ranma swallowed past the lump in his throat and continued, “Who is he…the one that you love?”

Akane hesitated for a moment.

“He’s…”

*

If you want me to continue, please review! There will be lemon action in the next chapter if you want me to continue on!!! Yay! Review please!