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Slip of the Tongue
"Akane!"
Akane Tendo turned around to see a petite brunette jogging towards her. "Unizuki! Hi! What are you doing here?"
"Well, I came to visit my cousin, Momoko. How've you been since I moved away, Akane?"
"Ok, I guess. How about you?"
"Great! I was just wondering if you wanted to go get some ice cream. Momoko and me, and bunch of her friends are meeting at that little shop a couple of blocks over. You wanna come?"
"Sure, I guess." Akane suddenly tripped over a stone and her shoe came off as she stumbled. "Ouch! Shoot. Hold on a minute, Unizuki." Akane sat down on the ground to fix her sock and put her shoe back on.
"No problem. So, Akane, Momoko tells me that you've gotten engaged."
"Well...yeah, if you can call it that. It was arranged by our parents," Akane frowned.
"So, what's he like?"
"Ranma?" Akane reached for her shoe. "Oh, well...he's..." She paused. Then frowned again, deeper than before. "He's really a jerk, I mean, he never thinks of anyone but himself, and he's really a pest. He's totally insensitive and mean, and he's forever trying to get on my nerves. I really...I really hate him," she finished sulkily, jammed her foot into her shoe. "I really wish we weren't engaged. He makes my life miserable." What Akane had neglected to mention, was that she and Ranma had fought that morning (again) and she was still angry with him. As Akane stood, she suddenly realized that she had left her school bag sitting on her desk. "Oh! I forgot my bag! Wait here, just a second, K? Be right back."
"Ok."
Akane stood up and hurried around the corner, only to screech to a halt mere inches from- "Ranma!" Akane gasped, noticing her fiancee for the first time. "Where...what are you doing here?"
"You...forgot your bag." Ranma held it out to her. "Here."
Akane took her bag and clutched it to her chest. "Ranma....I..I didn't..I didn't see you standing there."
"Yeah, I know," Ranma replied, quietly. "Well...I'll see ya later, I guess. Bye."
"Ranma, wait! Ranma!" Too late. He was already long gone. Akane winced. He must have heard every word; how could he not have? "Hoh...Ranma..."
"Hey, Akane, everything ok?"
"Huh? Oh...yeah...everything's fine," Akane sighed. "Come on, let's go."
Honestly, Akane was almost dreading supper, when she would have to sit at the same table as Ranma. But to her surprise, Ranma came in and sat down and ignored her completely for the entire meal. It wasn't as if he was snubbing her, he was merely ignoring her. To Akane, this was worse than a verbal attack would have been, for it showed that Ranma hadn't forgotten her harsh words from earlier. Could it be that...he actually...cared what she said? Akane shook her head. Nahh...Ridiculous!
But by the time they were walking home together from school the next day, and Ranma STILL hadn't spoken to her, Akane had finally had enough.
"Oh, Ranma!" She cried. He glanced down at her from his own personal sidewalk-the fence. "Why won't you say anything to me?"
"I don't have anything to say," he replied with a shrug. "If you wanna talk about something, that's ok."
"You're still mad at me about what I said to Unizuki."
"I'm not mad," Ranma denied the charge. "Why should I care if you like me or not? It's not like...not like we're dating or something...I don't care..." Ranma was muttering now. Suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of guilt, Akane gave a cry of frustration. "That does it! Come down here right now!"
Ranma obeyed, albeit unwillingly. "What do you want?"
"Ranma..I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what I said. I...I shouldn't have said that."
Her fiancee shrugged indifferently. "Whatever you say, Akane," he said nonchalantly, but there was a hurt tone in his voice. "It really doesn't matter. Hey, with all the guys you've got after you, and all the crazy girls after me, we may never get married, huh? How great is that?"
"Ranma, please." Akane was close to tears now. "Don't be mad. Please, I...I didn't mean it. Any of it. I was mad about our fight...I just vented it all at you. I'm really sorry, Ranma."
He turned away.
"Don't go! You can't just walk away! Ranma, I need you to forgive me!" Ranma stopped, but he didn't turn around. Akane bit her lip but forced the words out, tumbling over themselves. "I never meant to hurt you. You're the nicest boy I know, and I...I don't.." A tear found it's way down Akane's cheek. "I don't want to lose you..."
Ranma turned, his mouth agape. "Akane, are you serious? I thought you were just kiddin', and getting all teary-eyed to just scare me! You really MEANT all that stuff just now?"
"Y...yes."
"Gosh, Akane, why didn't you say so? I'm not mad at you."
"Then...you just...you mean..." Akane's eyes darkened with confusion. "Then..it didn't to you? What I said to Unizuki?"
"Welll..." Ranma hedged, "it wasn't exactly the nicest thing you've ever said about me. I guess I didn't like hearing it, but not cause I like you or nothin'. I mean..."
"But you forgive me."
"Sure! That is...you didn't mean it?"
"Nope."
"Sure, I forgive you. Forget about it. Now can we go home? I'm hungry."
"Okay." Then, before Ranma could jump back onto the fence, Akane reached out and took his hand. Ranma's head turned quickly in her direction and he opened his mouth. At the last minute, however, he wisely decided to say nothing and just smiled instead. Akane smiled back.
Finis