Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Distance ❯ Chapter 14 ( Chapter 14 )

Some fuddled directions later, Kentaro dropped Ranma off in front of Akane's apartment building. “Say hi to your brother for me, Kentaro.” The officer bowed as best as he could from his position sitting-down in the car, and Ranma bowed back.

“I'll do that. Feel free to give me a call if you need anyone to show you around Kita, okay?” Ranma nodded, and Kentaro left. When he was gone, Ranma sighed heavily and whirled to face the apartment building in front of him, like a doomed man.

More than anything, he wanted to crawl into his futon, bury himself in Kaibutsu's fur, and have a good nap, maybe even a guilty cry. Clenching his fist, Ranma punched it into his opposite palm. “Fuck this, Ranma Saotome ain't no damn coward,” he growled to himself, stomping up the steps. Wrenching the door open, he walked across the small lobby to Akane's door and knocked.

After a few moments the door opened, and a bemused Akane stood there, looking him up and down. “Where'd you go, Ranma?” she smirked, “Still afraid of my cooking, eh?”

Ranma barely looked at her as he went into the apartment. “Yeah, you know it.” He said without heat. He could feel her staring at him as he slipped out of his shoes. He glanced around and was disappointed to see that Takahiro was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a thick white sheaf of papers. He looked up briefly and smiled at Ranma, and Ranma wanted nothing more than to smack that stupid grin off his stupid handsome face.

On the low table were some tightly-rolled kappa-maki, next to a small bowl of cooled miso and a glass of water. “Is that for me?” Ranma asked quietly.

“Yeah,” Akane glared at him a little, “my cooking has gotten better, you know.”

“Hell yeah,” Takahiro chimed in, not looking up from the booklet he was reading, “she makes damn good ramen, too, man.”

Ranma ignored him as politely as he could and sat down to eat. Everything tasted good, not as good as Kasumi's, but better than the cheap sushi places he'd eaten at every so often. “It's really good,” Ranma said, avoiding talking with his mouth full only just barely, “thank you.”

Akane beamed at him and sat across the table as he ate. “Where'd you run off to, eh?”

He almost choked on his food, but decided that honesty was best - at least she hadn't actually seen him in the police station. “Uh, I sorta got… jumped by some stupid kids.”

“Jeez, Ranma, does everyone want to fight you, or what?” Akane sounded exasperated. When he didn't respond, just stared at her, she looked concerned. “You're not hurt, right?”

Before he could answer, Takahiro stood up and lightly thumped the booklet he'd been reading on top of her head. She glared. “Hey, babe, this script looks pretty sweet,” he looked over at Ranma, “you look alright man - no bruises?”

“Nope,” Ranma said flatly - at least, none on his body, “got picked up by the cops, though.”

Takahiro grinned, but Akane gasped, pulling the papers off of her head and hugging them to her chest. “Oh my god, Ranma! You got arrested!?” She looked angry, and Ranma found that he'd missed that look, even when it was directed at him.

“No, no, no, it was all a big misunderstandin',” he smiled until her anger flooded away to a look of interest, “I didn't get charged with nothin'; the officer knew it was that stupid teen's fault.”

“Got beat up by a little kid, eh?” Takahiro sneered playfully, crouching down behind Akane and wrapped his arms loosely around her shoulders. Akane absently stroked his arm and let the script fall into her lap. Ranma felt his stomach curl up and burn inside him.

“Fuck no, I kicked his ass,” Ranma growled.

“You hit a kid, Ranma?” Akane looked at him with disgust on her face, and he wanted to puke. Takahiro smiled behind her predatorily.

“No! He had a knife,” Akane gasped, “yeah, I guess he knew I wasn't from `round here, didn't like me or somethin'.”

“Well…” Akane started; Ranma watched Takahiro's arms tighten almost imperceptibly around her, but the veins in his forearms bulged out, “at least you're okay. You didn't hurt him too much, right?”

“Of course not, Akane! Who d'you think I am, Tarou?” Ranma looked away, feeling genuinely injured.

“Well, after what happened with Mr. Gyaru—”

“Hey! That's not fair!” Ranma stood up, clenching his fists. Suddenly, he was angry with her. How dare she act like she knew him after not even speaking to him for four years.

Akane shrank back briefly from his anger, and Takahiro glared at him with his eyes, but his mouth was twisted into a grin. “I'm sorry, I…” Akane trailed off, and looked away from him, “I was just worried you'd gotten yourself in trouble already.”

“Hey,” Ranma said, anger dissipating faster than it had come, “no problem, sorry I yelled, I just—”

“Well, I should let you guys talk it out.” Takahiro pulled away from his fiancée and moved for the door.

“Takahiro, wait!” Akane got up and went after him. “Where're you going?”

He shrugged, glaring at her for a second before smiling, his expression softening. “It's cool, babe. I just don't feel like watching you two duke it out.”

Akane laughed and pulled at his hands. “We've just known each other for a while, it's hard not to slip back into old routines.” Akane darted a glance at Ranma, who stayed silent. He wasn't going to say anything, he didn't have a right to say anything about their relationship, either the one she had with him, or the one she had with Takahiro. He didn't even understand the first one, and the latter was none of his business.

“Just gimme a call later, okay?” She nodded and he leaned down and kissed her, deeply. Ranma clenched the kitchen counter behind him so hard he felt the tile give a little. “See you Saotome.” Takahiro looked up from Akane's flushed face and grinned in triumph before slipping into his sandals and out the door.

Akane stared at the closed door for a minute before she turned around to face Ranma, her expression enigmatic. “Ranma, you always bring trouble wherever you go, huh?” she asked him quietly, as though she were asking him what he wanted for breakfast.

“No!” Ranma said defiantly, “Trouble just… finds me.”

They stood there in silence for a few moments, and then she smiled at him and shook her head. “Ranma, I didn't mean what I said the other day,” at his confused expression, she sighed and walked over, removing his hand from the loosened tile and clutching it in both of hers, “it's never too late… to apologize. I'm sorry, too.” Ranma stared down at the sight of his large hand twisted in and around hers.

“I shoulda said it sooner,” he said softly.

“I should have, too,” they hugged, and Ranma felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

And then the tile fell and crashed on the hardwood, and Akane stiffened. “Oops…”

“RANMA!”