Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Heartaches ❯ The Dance ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter 6: The Dance

Akane entered the school gym and could hardly recognize it. It was decorated perfectly for the dance. The school had imported a disco ball from the US and it twirled throwing lights everywhere. The other lights were dimmed and a fog covered the floor. Everyone was dressed in a costume and it was hard to tell who was who. Many people were dancing to the music the DJ was playing while others talked or ate.

Akane had dressed as an angel. Her white dress barely touched the ground and her golden halo shimmered brightly above her head.

Odd, she thought, it feels like someone is watching me.

She dismissed the fact because it was a dance and she was probably paranoid. But still, she could not lose the feeling…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Ranma gazed at Akane and was glad no one could see his face, if they did there'd be no way he could mask the love on it.

Akane, I wish you felt this way for me, he thought.

She looked so beautiful; she honestly looked like an angel. Her eyes shown brightly and her laughter rang through the air. Every time she smiled it melted his heart. He couldn't take his eyes off her. It was though he would die if he looked away…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

"Hey Akane," whispered one of her friends," I think you have an admirer."

Akane looked in the direction her friend indicated and saw a boy in a ninja costume. The costume was all black and had long sleeves with a red belt around the waist along with a red headband. You couldn't see the person's face because of the mask they wore, you could only see their eyes. She looked closer at his eyes and found a warm, caring look.

Is he the one who's been staring at me? she wondered.

"Go talk to him," her friend urged.

"Do you know who he is?" Akane asked.

"No; but one thing's for certain, he definitely has his eye on you." Her friend smiled then walked away to talk to someone.

I guess there's no harm in talking to him, she thought, as long as he's not Kuno!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Oh man, Ranma panicked, She's coming this way!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

"Hi," Akane said," who are you?"

Before Ranma could think of a really good fake name the DJ started playing a slow song.

"I like this song. Do you want to dance?" she asked, not giving him time to answer her first question.

Not wanting her to recognize his voice he nodded his head.

"Come on," she said as she led him onto the dance floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Akane put her arms around his neck as they began to dance. Ranma sighed.

She doesn't recognize me, he thought. Maybe that's a good thing. This way we can have fun together without fighting or arguing. I don't want to fight. I never did. I guess I just say all the wrong things and…

"Hey are you okay?" Akane asked as she felt her partner's body tense up.

"Um, I'm alright, thanks," Ranma finally choked out in a voice that wasn't his own.

"Okay," Akane said as she settled her head against his shoulder.

I wonder what it would be like to dance like this with Ranma, she wondered. It might be nice. No fighting, no arguing. It's not like I want to fight, but sometimes he makes me so mad…

Ranma could tell she was thinking about something. A look of anger flashed across her face and she clenched her fists.

I'm all right, but how about you? Are you okay?" Ranma asked in that foreign voice.

"Yes, I was just thinking about Ran- about how much fun this is."

So, she was thinking about me, he thought. But if I tell her now who I am she really will hate me, and I wouldn't be able to stand that. No, it's best to just be quiet and dance.

He listened to the music, felt the beat of her heart against his chest, and wished he could share this moment with her as Ranma; not just some nameless admirer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

The music faded away and a fast dance remix came on. Akane lingered for a moment, not wanting to let go. Finally she released her arms and looked Ranma in the eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'll see you later?"

He nodded as he watched her leave. She turned back, smiled at him, and disappeared into the crowd.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Funny, he looked a bit like Ranma, she mused. I don't know anyone else with such deep blue eyes. But Ranma stayed home, said he didn't want to come. And besides, if it was him he would have told me.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a tap on her shoulder. She spun around, her dress swirling around her ankles. It was Ryoga, looking very nervous and trying not to get a nosebleed. He took a deep breath and asked,

"D-do you want to dance?"

Ryoga stood nervously waiting for an answer, fearing he had blown his chances with Akane. It seemed like hours before she answered,

"Sure, why not."

Ryoga nearly passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Poor guy, thought Akane, he looks really nervous.

He led her on to the dance floor just as another slow song began to play.

Odd, she thought, somehow this isn't the same as the dance I had with the ninja. I wonder why?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Off to the side Ranma watched Akane, his angel, dancing with Ryoga.

Ryoga finally got the courage to ask her, he thought. I don't know whether to congratulate him or dump cold water on him when we get home. Sometimes I wonder who has the worst curse, him for turning into a piglet or me for turning into a girl.

Well, he smiled, at least I don't get lost going to a friend's house two blocks away.

Ranma watched them dance and noted with a bit of satisfaction that Akane didn't look like she was having as much fun with Ryoga as she had with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Akane didn't know a song could be so long. She liked Ryoga as a friend but nothing more. She couldn't relax the way she had with the ninja.

How is it I could be totally relaxed with someone I don't know but I'm so nervous with my friend?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Ranma decided to go home. The party was going to be over soon and he had to get home before Akane.

Man, he thought, I wish I could dance with her one more time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

Akane had thanked Ryoga but he could tell she hadn't had much fun dancing.

Maybe she's tired, he pondered, it is late.

Well, I guess I'd better hitch a ride home. I have to hurry and get back. Then I have to splash myself with cold water, I wouldn't want Akane to worry about her pet pig P-chan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

"Has anyone seen the boy dressed as the black ninja?" Akane asked a group of people.

Everyone said no, so she went to look some more.

The night is almost over and I really wanted to dance with him again, she thought. I enjoyed dancing with him so much! It felt so…natural. I wonder how it would have been if it was Ranma?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the last person she wanted to see,

"My beloved I have saved thee the honor of this dance with me! But woe unto me, where is my pigtailed goddess? Her radiance is great, yet yours…" Kuno said.

And would have continued had Akane not punched him out.

I am outta her, she thought. I hope I see the ninja again though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Ranma stared out of his window waiting for Akane to come home. Ryoga had come home a while ago by hitching a ride.

Good thing to, smiled Ranma, knowing Ryoga, if he tried to walk home we wouldn't see him for weeks.

Ryoga had poured cold water on himself and now waited as P-chan in Akane's room.

Ranma glanced down the road and saw a car coming. The car turned in the driveway. Akane got out and waved to her friends. He watched as she ran into the house.

He started downstairs to greet her, but before he left he made sure his ninja costume was well hidden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Akane started up the stairs and saw Ranma coming out of his room.

"Hey Ranma, you missed a great party for Shampoo!" she told him, sounding a little angry.

"Shampoo's gone so what was it like?" he asked.

She told him about how the gym looked and how much fun she had. She told him about the DJ who was playing music and that she had danced with Ryoga.

"Is he the only one you danced with?" asked Ranma.

"No baka, of course not! I danced with someone else."

"Oh," Ranma raised an eyebrow," who?"

"Some guy in a ninja costume," she replied blushing slightly.

"I see," he commented. " Well, I'm going to grab a snack then go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"I could cook you something," she offered.

"NO, that's okay! I mean, you must be tired. Later!"

Ranma bounded down the stairs and Akane walked to her room. She shut the door and greeted P-chan. She grabbed her journal and wrote about the evening she had.

If only he could have been Ranma.

Akane sighed and brushed away a tear from her eye. P-chan watched her and grunted in a comforting way. Akane petted him and turned out the light before going to bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Ranma had eaten his fill (half of the contents in the fridge) and was in bed ready to sleep. He stared at the ceiling and wondered what Akane was doing. At that point he must have fallen asleep because all around him was a fog.

When he stood up he found he was dressed in his ninja costume. He wandered in the fog and stopped.

There, lying on the ground, was Akane in her angel costume. Ranma rushed over and gently shook her.

"Akane, wake up," Ranma said.

Her beautiful liquid brown eyes opened and widened when she saw him.

"You came back to dance, ninja?" she asked.

Ranma was momentarily confused, then he remembered he was wearing his costume.

"Yes," he whispered gently in his foreign voice.

He helped her up as a gentle song played. He realized it was the song played when they danced the first time.

This really must be a dream, he thought, everything is so perfect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

This has to be a dream, thought Akane, but I don't care. I wish we could dance like this forever.

She gazed into his blue eyes and saw that he was enjoying this as much as her. She could feel the love radiating from him. She rested her head on his chest and felt his heart beating.

This is so nice, but why do I keep thinking of Ranma, she wondered.

She glanced up at the ninja and asked,

"Who are you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Ranma panicked.

Awwww man I don't want to tell her, I just want to keep dancing. I don't want her to get mad at me.

"Can't we finish this dance first?" he pleaded.

Akane pondered that.

"Right after this song you take off your mask ninja," she answered.

"Only if my angel won't fly from me," he whispered softly.

I can't believe I said that! he thought.

To his surprise Akane blushed and her eyes shone brightly.

Why can't I do this as Ranma? he sighed.

Abruptly the song ended.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

"Now keep your word," she demanded.

She saw his shoulder's sag and she heard him give a huge sigh. Was he really that ugly?

"Promise you won't get mad?" he asked.

"Why would I get mad?" she answered.

"Please," he said.

She looked into his eyes and saw that they were begging her to agree.

"I promise," she said.

He slowly removed his mask. Akane gasped, it was Ranma!

"No baka! Why didn't you tell me!" she said, backing away.

"Because I didn't want you to get upset," he said staring at the floor.

Once again Ranma had made her feel like a jerk. She had proved his point and felt guilty.

She walked up to him and cupped his face in her hands. She tilted his head up and whispered,

"No baka I can never stay mad at you."

He looked her in the eyes and she saw his relief. He used the back of his hand and gently stroked her check.

I wish he'd kiss me, she thought blushing slightly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

He was so glad she'd forgiven him. He stared at her still stroking her check.

She's so beautiful, he thought, I wish she'd let me kiss her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

The fog around them faded away leaving them on a grassy hill. Above them the sky was full of stars. A warm, gentle breeze blew, making their hair sway to and fro. Slowly the two leaned closer, their breath slowed while their hearts sped up. Ranma tilted his head and leaned forward closer. Akane closed her eyes and waited for the kiss…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

When she opened her eyes she was in bed kissing P-chan on his snout.

"P-chan, I just had the greatest dream," she said.

P-chan grunted curiously and stared at her.

"Well come on, it's time we get up!" she said smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Ranma wasn't so lucky. When he awoke he was kissing a grumpy old panda.

Genma, the panda, was kinda mad at his son. Needless to say, Ranma got chucked out the window into the pond of cold water.

"Grumpy old geezer," she mumbled. "Now I have to find some hot water to change back."

Ranma-chan entered the house and went to the kitchen. She got out the teapot, filled it with water, and put it on the stove to heat up.

While she was waiting, Ranma-chan searched the fridge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Kasumi had woken up a little later than usual and was in a rush to go downstairs. On her way down she began to smell something cooking.

Can't be Akane, thought Kasumi, or the food would be burning. I hope it's not Nabiki, she'll charge everyone money to eat. I wonder who…

She looked in the kitchen and gasped.

"Hi Kasumi," said Ranma-chan. "Hungry?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

"I didn't know you could cook," Kasumi said.

"If you're on vacation only Akane and Nabiki will cook. Akane's is hardly edible and Nabiki charges for food," Ranma-chan shrugged. "I figured why not learn. Besides, learning to cook is better than starving."

"Want me to finish up?" Kasumi asked.

"Sure. Don't tell anyone I was cooking, all right?" Ranma-chan said, grabbing the teapot and pouring it over her head.

"No problem Ranma," Kasumi said smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Akane had gotten changed and walked downstairs to eat some breakfast.

It smells great, she thought.

She sat down at the table. Ranma and Genma (still a panda) were already inhaling their chow. When Genma reached to steal some of Ranma's food he received a blow on the head.

"You have your own food," Ranma growled.

Genma replied by whacking his son into the pool outside.

"THAT'S THE SECOND TIME TODAY!" Ranma-chan shouted from the water.

Wonder what the first was for, Akane pondered. Oh well, better eat while there's still food on the table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

After Ranma had gotten some more hot water and switched back, he went to lay on the roof. Up there he could relax; away from the chaos, away from the girls.

His thoughts wandered to the dream he had.

I wonder if Akane would really act like that, he pondered. Probably not, looks like this secret will remain secret.

He heard a door shut. Curious he peeked over the ledge. He saw Akane heading to the training ground outside.

Doesn't she ever stop training? he sighed, Better see what's she's up to.

He jumped off the roof and gracefully landed on his feet and then he walked to where Akane was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

I've got to train harder, she thought, I have to be stronger and tougher.

"Yaa!" she cried and brought her hand down on the bricks in front of her.

Ouch! she thought biting her lip, That one hurt!

She tried to fight the stinging feeling in her hand and glanced at the rubble.

"All right! I smashed `em all!" Akane said happily, forgetting her pain.

"Hey Akane," Ranma greeted his enthused fiancée.

"Oh, hi Ranma," Akane smiled.

She remembered her dream from the night before and smiled again.

"Hey Akane, whatcha so happy about?" Ranma mused.

Akane turned to face him and replied,

"Oh, I don't know. I guess last night was so wonderful. I wish you could have, I mean, I wish it could have lasted longer."

Catching her little slip up, Ranma gave a little laugh before he could choke it down.

"That's great, sounds like you had a really fun time. Too bad I wasn't there,"

"Yeah, it is. But then, I guess you had Shampoo for company and didn't want to be there with me anyway!"

With that Akane spun on her heel and went to find some more concrete blocks to bust the heck out of. After all, she needed something to vent out her anger, didn't she?

Oh great, what'd I do now? Ranma thought.

"AKANE! COME BACK, I…"

Ranma's words were lost in the wind. Akane didn't ever turn her head.

Ranma stared after her and wondered what he'd done this time to make his `uncute macho chick fiancée', no, make that his `wonderful, incredibly strong, and beautiful fiancée' mad at him again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Shampoo sat on her bed pouting after returning from Ranma's last rejection.

"Why Ranma no love Shampoo? Shampoo give Ranma magic powder keep him from dance, but still he want pervert girl. Now he no even talk to Shampoo. What Shampoo do deserve this?"

Mousse (who had somehow managed to get out of the box Cologne had locked him in) burst in to comfort his only love, but she slammed the door in his face and listened to him tumble down the stairs. Now, if there was only a way to transfer Mousse's affection to Ranma…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Akane, in the meantime, was busy beating the heck out of the straw dummies in the dojo.

Don't think about Ranma. Keep your mind off of Ranma…she thought as she took the head off another practice dummy.

Akane looked around and noticed that she had just used the last dummy.

"I guess that means practice is over," Akane sighed and slumped against the wall of the dojo.

"Ranma, why do you have to do this to me? You make me so mad so I come in here to break things, but all that seems to be broken is my heart. Why can't you just tell me how you feel? I know that one night on the roof you said you loved me, but why can't you tell me to my face? I love you but I guess you don't know that. Maybe you think I don't and that's why you can't tell me! It's not gonna be easy for me but if I can find some way to tell you then maybe…"

Akane jumped up, her energy renewed. She ran off to figure out someway to get her feelings out in the open and to get Ranma to tell her how he felt.

Ranma, of course, was outside and had heard the whole thing. He smiled to himself and then realized something.

Akane must have heard everything I said that night on the roof, but she doesn't think I care enough to tell her. She thinks she has to open up before I will. That's gonna be so hard for her, I'll just tell her first. Won't that be a surprise!

Ranma, also charged up with anticipation, sprinted down the street (pausing only to jump onto the fence where travel was quicker) to find a peace offering/love gift for Akane.

"Let's see, I know she likes daises…"