The Thin Line Between Love and Friendship

by Kiwi Noriega

ALL RIGHTS ARE OF RUMIKO TAKAHASHI

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Chapter 1: The Way We Are

The wind swept over the Tendo dojo, the leaves rolling past only the evidence of its gentle passing.

Akane wiped a tear from her hand and wept silently, remembering the argument she had with Ranma a few hours ago...

***

"Ranma no baka!!!" Akane screamed, accompanied by her huge mallet.

"Whatcha do that for, you uncute tomboy!!!!!??" Ranma yelled back, nursing his bruised head.

"I saw you, Ranma, you were kissing that-that hussy!!" Akane shrieked, her mallet ready to hit.

Ranma frowned and answered, "She kissed me!!! I didn't kiss her!"

"Well, did you do anything to stop it??!" Akane asked, her eyes staring daggers.

Ranma was taken aback, he knew it was his fault this time. It was true he didn't do anything at all to stop her from kissing him, but Ranma couldn't swallow his pride and bring himself to admit his folly to Akane.

Akane lost all the anger she had shown a while ago and said silently, "I thought so..."

Ranma heard it and at a loss of words, spoke without thinking, "It isn't my fault they chase me, okay?!"

Akane's anger flared up once again and she said, "Then tell me why you keep leading them on..."

"I-I-"

"Hmph..." Akane said as she turned around and started walking. Before she got out of earshot, she heard Ranma mutter,

"Kawaiikune...how are you gonna catch a husband if you're always so macho..." Ranma suddenly stopped as he saw Akane turn around and walk slowly back to him. He waited, putting his stubborn face forward anticipating a mallet directed at his head.

Akane could feel the heat rising in her, she felt it almost bursting to the top. Yet it felt different, it wasn't one of her usual outbursts, it was worse, the anger in her threatened to overcome her. She stopped in front of Ranma's stubborn fa�ade and stared at him, her eyes telling him the anger she felt. Akane raised her hand and slapped him. Although she'd slapped him before, she never really meant it, but now, she knew that this time, it was for real. Akane didn't put any real force to it, but she knew Ranma got her point. She stared into his eyes one last time and turned away, wiping away a tear as she walked away from him, saying,

"We've been fighting for almost two years now...It's time we grow up, Ranma...goodbye..."

Ranma stood there stricken, his eyes never leaving Akane's back. For once, he felt defeated, he felt so hopeless. Seeing the hate and anger in Akane's eyes as she slapped him made him think back and realize that what he said was over the limit.

Ranma didn't even feel the sting of her blow on his cheek, but felt his heart, break into a thousand pieces...

His tears fell...

And for once, he didn't bother to wipe them away...

***

Akane sighed, her tears still not stopping. She looked out into the sky as the sun still hovered above her, *And to think I always dreamt that someday we would stop fighting and somehow get along, I guess some things can only be felt in dreams...*

Akane stared at the playground around her and sighed, *So many memories...Everywhere I go...*

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on her arms, rocking herself, trying to feel the arms of her mother surround her,

*Why'd you have to go, mom...I miss you so much...You're the only one who could wipe my tears away...* Just then, she felt arms encircle her and she opened her eyes in hope, saying, "Mom?"

Ryouga smiled down at her and answered, "No, it's only me, Ryouga...Akane--" he stopped as Akane lunged forward and hugged him tight, crying to his chest as she let her tears fall once more. Ryouga didn't know what to do, normally he would savor this moment and go into peaceful bliss, but he knew this wasn't the time or place. He just held her tight and stroked her hair, giving her all the warmth she needed.

After a while, her sobs subsided and she slowly moved away from Ryouga. She wiped her tears and looked up at him, asking, "Why are you so nice to me?"

Ryouga looked at Akane, seeing the pain in her eyes and the hope that sparked when she asked him the question. He gently smiled and said, "I'm your friend, Akane, isn't that enough?"

Akane smiled, her heart feeling lighter at Ryouga's words, "Thanks..." she hugged herself as the wind grew cold around her and couldn't help but shiver.

"Here, you look cold," Ryouga said, putting his blanket over her shoulders, "You shouldn't be out here, you could get sick y'know..."

"Thanks." Akane murmured, pulling the blanket around her. She smiled as she observed Ryouga starting up a fire and heating water for tea. *Feels just like when Ryouga trained me when Natsume and her sister came...*

Ryouga looked over and saw Akane smiling and asked, "Feeling better now?"

"Oh, I just remembered when you trained me then when those two sisters came..." Akane accepted the cup offered to her and continued, "I got better y'know, because of you..."

Ryouga blushed and answered, "You're pretty good too, Akane, you should practice more so you'd get better."

Akane felt so different being complimented that way. Since Ranma and the others came, she ended up being the worst of them all, and Ranma's taunts didn't help one bit.

"Um, I, uh, could train you, if you want..." Ryouga offered, his blush visible through the dark, "uh, hehe, sorry, it was silly of me to offer, I mean--"

Akane stopped him short when she said, "I'd love to be your student Ryouga."

Ryouga looked lost for a moment, his eyes bulging out as he thought of Akane's words over and over again. Before he could speak, Akane burst out laughing. He looked at her curiously and asked, "Wh-what's so funny?"

Akane laughed even harder and answered, "S-sorry Ryouga, I-I just couldn't help it! The look on your face and--" she proved her words when another round of laughter escaped her lips.

For a few seconds, Ryouga felt really lost, then, the smile on Akane's face and the mirth in her laughter, made him suddenly smile, joining her as they both laughed at nothing.

Akane stopped herself from laughing once again and thought, *Why can't I just sit and talk like this with Ranma? * she looked over at Ryouga who was still smiling, *It's so easy to talk to Ryouga...* She turned sideways to look at him and asked, "Why haven't you asked me why I was crying a while ago?"

Ryouga looked at her for a while then answered, "Well, I saw it was hurting you, and I didn't want you to feel bad and all that. I guess I just waited till you tell me yourself..." he stared at the fire as it flickered.

"Ranma and I had a fight..."

Ryouga sighed and just nodded his head, motioning her to continue.

Akane looked at him then said, "Well, it wasn't our ordinary fights, y'know. I-I got carried away and I slapped him...it's just that I was so angry and-and his being stubborn didn't help my temper at all. I know it isn't his entire fault, he just says the wrong things, and even though I knew that, I still get angry..."

Akane smiled at Ryouga weakly and added, "It's all messed up isn't it?"

Ryouga smiled back and thought, *I thought I would destroy Ranma's happiness when I came here, but why do I find myself defending him? Akane deserves the truth...* "Aw, c'mon, brighten up...Y'know Ranma's like that...he's a good guy and he doesn't mean what he says...and even though you get angry, it's not your fault either, it's just the way you two are...you can't change that..."

"Thanks Ryouga...well I guess being brought up alone would make him act like that, but how come you--" Akane stopped and looked at Ryouga and was about to ask him a question when he cut in,

"Me?" Ryouga grinned and continued, "Let's just say I didn't have someone like Mr. Saotome as my father."

Akane smiled at the joke and said, putting her hand on top of his, "Thanks Ryouga, thanks for being my friend..."

"You're Welcome," Ryouga said, giving Akane a small smile as he gently squeezed her hand.

Akane stood up and smiled brightly down at him as she extended her hand, "So, when do you wanna start, sensei?" she said playfully.

Ryouga blushed and took her hand as he too stood up, "Um, I think Ryouga sounds better, hehe."

Akane smiled and answered, "Okay, Ryouga..."

Ryouga stood dumbfounded, still not believing his normal behavior around Akane. He put his hand behind his head and said, "Hehe, I guess you'd better change into your gi first, Akane."

Akane took his hand and led him away to the dojo, saying, "You're right, Ryouga, come on, I don't want you to get lost."

"Hey, I don't get lost that often, y'know." Ryouga said, grinning at her.

Akane just pulled him away, answering, "Sure, Ryouga..." They walked off the playground and continued their walk to the Tendo dojo, their laughter heard from feet away.

After the two had gone, a young man came out of the shadow of a nearby tree, his head bowed in defeat at what he just saw...

***

Akane skipped into the gates of the dojo, her footsteps echoing through the garden. She smiled as she slowed down, looking back at Ryouga's retreating figure as he once again turned the wrong direction.

She took one last look and went into the house and stopped dead, seeing Ranma standing amidst stone rubble. Akane looked closer and she was sure she saw him wipe away a tear. Guilt filled her thoughts and the only thing in her mind was that she made him cry...

Ranma closed his eyes tight and wiped away a tear. His fists tightened and he tried to will the tears away, yet, they kept on flowing. He stared at his fists and saw small cuts made by the rock. He sighed...

Then his senses warned him someone was near, so he turned around and stood frozen, seeing Akane looking at him, her brown eyes close to tears, "A-akane..." he put on a fake smile and stayed a few feet away, wishing Akane wouldn't notice his red eyes, "D-did you have fun?"

Akane rushed over to him and took his hands, saying, "What did you do to your fists?"

"Oh, it was just a little practicing..."

Akane took her handkerchief and wrapped it around his right fist, tying it carefully as she looked it over, "You shouldn't practice that hard, you're gonna ruin your hands..."

"I'm sorry..."

Akane suddenly looked up into his blue-gray eyes and saw the sincerity in his words. She looked down at the ground and kept quiet, not knowing what to say.

Ranma gently lifted her face up and said, expressing his feelings with his eyes the same way she had done earlier, "Akane, I'm sorry...will you ever forgive me?"

***

Ryouga still grinned as he walked on, trying to find his way back to the dojo. He tightly held Akane's headband, finding his way to the Tendo home to return it to her.

{Flashback}

Ryouga smiled at Akane as she removed her headband and placed it on top of the swing.

"You're gonna get better in a few weeks, Akane, I'm sure of it." Ryouga said, handing her a bottle of iced water.

Akane graciously accepted the bottle and poured it over her face, feeling the cold water rush down her neck.

Ryouga stared at Akane, *She's so beautiful...* He shook his head and just smiled as Akane spoke.

"Thanks...With a teacher like you, I know I'd get better."

"Hehe..." Ryouga grinned, putting his hand behind his head.

Akane grinned back and gave back the bottle to Ryouga...

{End flashback}

*Oh Akane, I guess fate has lead me here so fast...* Ryouga thought as he looked at the huge Tendo dojo doors...

***

Akane was still in a loss for words but she opened her mouth to answer, "Ranma I for--"

Ranma put his finger on her lips saying, "Please don't say you forgive me unless you really mean it...I'll understand..." hope flared in his eyes but at the same time fear was etched deep.

Akane brushed a kiss on his cheek and whispered into his ear, "Thank You, Ranma..." she turned without a word and went into the house, leaving him staring at her back, his wrapped hand touching his cheek...

A white headband fell slowly to the ground as the figure saw Akane gently kiss Ranma on the cheek... Before it touched the ground, the figure was nowhere to be seen...

- end ch 1

Author's notes:

Hi everyone! Well, I don't what you make of this, but I'm not sure how long this is gonna be. My estimate is about 3 chapters. It was supposed to be one whole one-shot fic but I decided to post the first chapter and see the feedback first. But this is intended to be a one-shot. I hope you enjoyed it and watch out for the upcoming chapters ^_^ Ja ne!

~Kiwi~

C&Cs are welcome!!! ^_^