Classes were going well, Ranma was sure he just aced his health exam. Akane stayed up with him all night at the library helping him study. After the intense study session Ranma decided it was useless to go back to the dorm and sleep since they had class in a few hours anyway. He sat at his desk running the conversation of the evening before through his head while waiting for the clock to work its way to the end of class.

“Let’s eat!” He said smiling at her from across the large wooden table.

“Huh?” She looked at him eyes gaped wide.

“Come on, we can’t go to sleep now we are supposed to be in class in just a couple hours.”

“I know, but-”

“If you try to sleep you’re going to feel terrible. So let’s stay up and go grab some food!” He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her through the library doors. They made their way to a coffee shop just outside of the campus. Akane sat across from Ranma as he ordered a large breakfast wearing a black cotton dress with thin straps over a white t-shirt. The dress stopped at her knees, white ankle socks and black loafers rounded off her ensemble.

“Just a coffee for me.” Akane smiled politely at the waitress, when she left Akane gave Ranma a meek look.

“Ranma?”

“Yeah?”

“What is it like being back?”

“I dunno. Things, people they’re different. Don’t really know what I was expecting.”

“Where did you travel to?”

“Didn’t Ryoga ever tell you any stories?”

“No not really, we didn’t discuss his trips much at all.” Evasiveness mingled in her words momentarily.

“We went to China, to Jusenkyo of course, there was some big meeting of the clan of the muscle sword, that was real fun and we didn’t even get cured. That was also where we left Shampoo and Mousse, from then on Ryoga and I were on our own. Half the time it was just me ‘cause he’d run off and gotten himself lost.”

“Why didn’t your father come with you?”

“Are you kidding, our pops will probably die in front of that shogi board.” His words came out harsher then he intended. He cringed to himself, but Akane remained silent. “They’re pretty much joined at the hip. Beside Pop and I had a…disagreement before I left.”

“Oh.”

“Anyway, we made our way back to Japan eventually, fighting evil spirits, local gangs and junk like that. The last few months I stayed in a monastery in the mountains with some monks learning martial arts meditation techniques.” She giggled softly and he raised his head to look at her.

“There really is a martial arts style for everything.” He joined her mirth and they reminisced on old times; martial arts gymnastics, flower arranging, tea ceremony…

“You always mastered them all no matter how strange.” She said with a hint of nostalgia.

“Yeah.” He shrugged. An uncomfortable silence reigned for the next 5 minutes.

“Do you remember all those times we went out shopping for Kasumi?” Akane nodded in response placing her coffee mug on the table before her. “You always acted like we were married or something and I was scared spitless. I guess that is kinda silly, eh?” Ranma said meekly from behind his own coffee mug.

“No, that is exactly what I was doing.” She stated matter-of-factly.

“Wha?” Ranma nearly chocked.

“It’s just something young girls do, maybe it’s left over from playing house as a kid or something. All girls acted that way with their first boyfriends.” She said without thinking.

“First boyfriend? Is that what you thought of me?” Ranma asked in wide-eyed innocence.

“Um, well I guess so.” Akane blushed. “What else would you call it?” Neither answered, but continued to drink their coffee.

He smiled briefly at her from across the room, the memory still very fresh in his mind. As the class was let out he walked her to her next class, making him late for his own.

Still feeling the glow from his good day, Ranma set his books down at his usual table and started to eat his lunch while waiting for Fujimo and the guys to join him.

“Guess who?” The soft hands clasped lightly over his eyes. His first assumption was dashed away by the girl’s posture, she was not a martial artist.

“Um, hmm. Madame Francois, my French teacher?” Ranma joked.

“Nope. Does your French teacher usually do this?” The young woman leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.

“Well of course.” The girl giggled, then removed her hands and placed herself in the seat beside him. “Cept she does it the FRENCH way.”

“Really?!” The girl who was becoming his frequent, all be it brief, lunch companion continued to laugh.

“So class delayed, Li-Li?”

“Just a half hour, I thought I’d come by and say hi and…” She started to twiddle her thumbs not looking at him.

“And…?”

“And ask if you would like to take me out for a bite to eat tomorrow?” She spoke quickly raising her eyes to meet his shocked expression.

“Uh, sure. When?” The girl beamed at him, nearly knocking him from his chair.

“Seven?”

“Ok, I’ll come to your dorm.”

“Great! I’ll see you then I have to run.” She jumped up and gave him another shy peck on the cheek before disappearing into the crowd of students. Ranma counted in his head and made it to three before the table was swamped by young men of his age, bombarding him with questions.

“Don’t any of you have lives?” He shouted silencing them. Each one stood staring at him blankly for a moment then continued their questioning undaunted. Abruptly the boys were pushed out of the way by a girl crashing into the table her arms bracing her against the table and preventing her from becoming sprawled out in front of Ranma. Meekly, she looked up at him and smiled. The boys finally fell silent, awed by her presence.

“Hi yah Ranchan.” Ukyo’s head poked out from over Akane’s shoulder her arm draped over the girl’s shoulders. “I never realized until today that we all have the same break between classes. Mind if we join you?”

“Of course not!” All the boys yelled as they seated themselves around the two girls and Ranma. Ukyo and Akane sat next to each other across from Ranma. Akane shot Ukyo a displeased glare, which she ignored.

“So Ranchan who’s the chick?”

“Oh her name is Li-Li.” Both girls cringed.

“She’s not Chinese is she?” Akane asked.

“Half Chinese, NOT an Amazon.” They each relaxed, the boys at the table exchanged questioning looks.

“Did you ask her out this time?” Fujimo asked getting lots of nods from the rest of his friends.

“Nope.” All the boys groaned commenting between themselves regarding his hopelessness. “She just kinda asked me.” Ranma said without pride or embarrassment and Ukyo began to laugh wholeheartedly.

“What?” Ranma asked ignoring the boys around him.

“Only you Ranma honey.” She smiled brightly. “You have never had to ask any girl out in your life.”

He frowned for a moment in thought, but couldn’t find a single instance to object with. Ukyo’s face suddenly changed from mirth to mock disappointment. “I mean you never even asked me out.”

“I’m sorry Ukyo.” He smiled leaning across the table. “How about tonight, that good for you?”

Akane rolled her eyes and Ukyo slapped Ranma lightly on the cheek. The two started to laugh. Tetsuo leaned over to speak softly in Ranma’s ear.

“Are you sure you should be flirting with her like that.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” A few of the boys turned and gathered in more closely, the girls starting their own conversation paying them no mind.

“Have you seen her boyfriend? He’s MASSIVE.”

“Ungodly strength.” Another boy said timidly.

“I’m not afraid.” Ranma smirked continuing to eat. Fujimo remained quiet observing his companions.

As if beckoned Ryoga suddenly appeared behind Ukyo. Giving Ranma a signal to remain silent Ranma’s head barely moved up and down. Ukyo was suddenly sent into convulsive laughter as he mercilessly tickled her from behind. She slapped his hands away and pulled him into the chair next to her smiling deliriously.

“See told you-huge.”

“Muscle isn’t everything.” Fujimo said, Ranma nodded knowingly in his direction before receiving a bonk on the head from Ryoga.

“Hey, what was that for?”

“You giving these lovely ladies any trouble?”

“Me?” Ranma said innocently.

“Akane honey, sit over there next to Ranma so I can talk to all three of you.” Akane frowned but followed orders and gathered up her belongings and headed around the table. Ranma glared down at the boy sitting next to him, who quickly vacated the seat. Akane dropped her lunch and gave Ranma a tight-lipped smile before sitting.

Ukyo and Ryoga bathed in each other’s presence while Akane and Ranma silently ate. A yawn escaped Akane’s lips, she apologize to the couple assuring them that it was not due to their company.

“I kept her up late helping me studying for our health exam.”

Ukyo smiled, while Akane rolled her eyes. “I-I got to get going. I’ll see you in Business Theory Ranma.” With that Akane bolted from the table.

“What was that all about Ranma?” Ryoga asked threateningly.

“Beats me, she gets weirder everyday.”

Ukyo held Ryoga back with a hand on his arm before he could make any more accusations.

“So what happened to Ucchan’s?” Ranma asked changing the subject.

“Dad is running it for me until I graduate. It’s doing very well.” Ranma nodded. Ukyo and Ryoga went off on their own subject leaving Ranma to the grilling off all the boys at their table.

“Ugh! I’m so exhausted.” Akane collapsed onto Ranma’s bed beside him. “How do you do it?"

“Stamina I guess.” He smirked and she just shook her head in mock annoyance.

“Can we share, I forgot my bag in class and I was too tired to go get it.” She motioned toward the book he was reading for their business class.

“Sure thing.”

Soon after they started to study together Ranma abandoned his reading for his English assignment. Akane read faster than him and her annoyed sighs were beginning to irritate him. He turned back to find Akane asleep head resting on the textbook. All of her anger left her soft features as she slept. Gently, so as not to disturb her with his movement, he lowered his head to rest on his arms all the while gazing at her. The bed they lay on was small causing the distance between their faces to be mere inches apart while their bodies touched.

He enjoyed the shared warmth between them, her bare leg press against his clothed one. Never had he laid this close not even on the training trips they were forced to share the same tent. With a delicate hand he pushed the hair from her forehead. He had forgotten how beautiful and fragile she could be. That was a lie, he admitted placing his hand back under his resting chin, not a day passed where he forgot her beauty. Taking a deep breath he watched her sleep before succumbing to unconsciousness himself.

Akane awoke with a start. ‘How long has the alarm clock been going off?!’ Painfully she pulled the book free from her cheek. Disregarding where she slept, Akane grabbed the clock in disbelief.

“Damn Ranma why didn’t you wake me up!” She thumped him in the head leaping around the room.

“Huh?” He asked grumbling.

“I’m going to be late. I don’t even have time for a quick shower.”

Ranma started to rise wiping the sleep from his eyes, Akane quickly shoved his face into the pillow. “Don’t look.”

“What the-” Ranma rose irritated, a piece of clothing was flung over his head.

“I said don’t look, I got to hurry!”

“Hey!” Ranma yanked the black dress from his head and found Akane standing in front of the dresser in just her white t-shirt. He closed his eyes immediately turning away, a warm flush covering his body.

“I don’t have time to dress in the bathroom. I’ll just be a second, you don’t have a class for another hour.” The t-shirt muffled her voice, she flung off all her clothes and donned new fresh ones moments later. Patting him on the head she bolted from the room.

“Have a nice day dear!” He yelled after her sarcastically. Slumping back on his bed the black dress rising and falling with his chest, his heart pounded in his ears.

“Mm. I don’t have much time I gotta get to class, but I had to say hi.”

Soft and wet, she was a good kisser.

“Anytime.” Ranma tightened his grip around Li-Li’s waist. “Dinner tonight?”

“Sure.” She said excited jumping out of her seat giving him a one last lingering kiss before she ran off to class.

“Well, well how long has this been going on?” The female voice asked calm and calculating.

“Hey there Nabiki what can I do for you?” Ranma said never turning to look at her.

“What an interesting question Mr. Saotome.” She grinned at him like a Cheshire cat sitting across from him at the empty table. He didn’t respond warmly. “I was just looking for my little sister. I hear through the grape vine that she dines with you for most of her meals.”

“She’ll be here in a bit.”

“Nice to hear, now about that girl.”

“Yes, well nothings for free Nabiki.”

“My we are learning. How much?” Ranma was surprised he hadn’t really expected the news to be worth much.

“Information for information.” Ranma said raising Nabiki’s eyebrow. She nodded her agreement. “Her name is Li-Li, half Chinese-not Amazon, we have been seeing each other for the past couple of weeks.”

“And you’re bit of information?”

“Where does all of the money Akane make from her jobs go?”

“Paying off debts.”

“To who, for what?” A smile slowly curled up from the corners of Nabiki’s mouth.

“That is a completely different bit of information.” Ranma began to stutter frustrated responses when the table was suddenly full of students.

“Akane, just the little sister I was looking for.” Nabiki smirked when she saw Akane take her usual seat next to Ranma.

“Hey Nabiki.” Ukyo said coming up behind her to sit to her right, across from Akane. A group of girls followed her to the table taking some of the boy’s seats.

“Man wherever you go chicks follow.” Kunechi whispered nudging his side.

“So Akane, Ukyo how’s field hockey going?” Nabiki asked.

“Fine.” Akane answered.

“What was that team you lost to last year?” Nabiki said as if she was trying to recall the name, but it continued to elude her.

“Nakaguma Tech.” A lot of the girls gasped and murmurs started to fill the crowd.

“How are you recovering from your injury Akane?” All eyes turned to her, Ranma was very curious, but Akane’s features remained unchanged.

“Just fine.”

“They fight dirty.” Ukyo stated adamantly.

“What was the name of their captain?” One of the girls asked.

“Olga-something, an exchange student.” Akane replied never taking her gaze of off her lunch.

“That girl was built like a horse, how are you going to manage against her this year, Akane?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be ready for them this year, right Akane?” Ukyo added excitedly.

“Of course.” Akane said none too convincingly. Ranma’s brow crinkled at her response. It was unlike her to just sit back and except defeat.

“Well I’ll be posting the odds by the end of the day, which reminds me Akane I need those estimates from you.” Akane nodded and walked with Nabiki away from the group. Ranma watched Nabiki pull out a notebook and start writing down whatever answers Akane was giving her.

The two girls eventually came back to the table and Ranma was finally able to hear what they were talking about. “…but why are you hanging around, you don’t usually stay here for lunch.”

“And I’m not planning to start today. I have a lunch date and he is meeting me here.”

“This should be interesting.”

“What beauty shadows the brilliance of the sun bidding all the gods of heaven pay heed to her slightest whim.” Ranma suddenly began chocking on his food. “Jeez Akane, still haven’t been able to shake Kuno?” He wheezed out between coughs. A small smile rose across her lips as she shook her head. He looked across and Nabiki wore a large smile still somehow maintaining her smug exterior. That smile began to mock him as the kendoist approached their table.

“Kuno-baby you always did have a way with words.” Nabiki waited until Kuno was right behind her before turning to greet him. Taking her hand, he lightly kissed it making Ranma’s stomach churn. They continued to hold hands gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes.

“Akane Tendo how pleasant to see you.” Kuno’s eyes turned cold as he spotted Ranma in the seat beside her. Nabiki gave his hand a hard squeeze and he cleared his throat. “Ranma Saotome how…nice to see that you are doing well.”

Both men seemed to grit their teeth as if swallowing some vile concoction. “Yeah, ah, you too Kuno.”

Ranma’s last memory of Kuno was the same old insults. He was an evil sorcerer, violator of women and completely honorless. Ranma had, of course, beaten him into the ground for aggravating an already sensitive situation.

“Come on Kuno baby, we’ve got reservations.”

“Of course, dearest Nabiki.”

Ranma stared at their retreating forms in complete horror his lunch all but forgotten. Ukyo’s giggling broke him from his stupor.

“How long has that been going on?” Ranma said, immediately turning to Akane.

“Oh, about a year now.” She replied exchanging knowing nods with Ukyo never looking at him.

In a mad dash across the campus, weaving in between unsuspecting students, Ranma Saotome made it to his dormitory seconds before the rainstorm started its assault on the earth. Ranma laughed from the safety of the overhang watching people run by ducking for cover wherever available. Years of being caught in his female body by freak rainstorms made Ranma’s senses receptive to changes in the barometric pressure.

Even with his heightened senses, Ranma’s luck usually worked against him. A quirky extra to his curse most likely left him without shelter or an umbrella. He shook his head humming a cheerful tune as he leisurely climbed the stairs of his dormitory, why didn’t he carry an umbrella around like Ryoga? Scoffing at the thought that the lost boy might have some kind of superior intelligence, he just didn’t want to look like a dork dragging a stupid umbrella around in the best of weather.

He lay on his bed idly drumming his fingers on his chest momentarily glancing at the clock on his roommate’s desk. A mild sense of boredom started to settle in, he was content, but restless waiting for the time to go by before his date with Li-Li. Forty-five minutes and she should be meeting him in his room to go out for the movie. Not enough time to truly accomplish anything and too much time to just sit around doing nothing. He supposed he could study, but laughed the thought off almost immediately. Normally he’d practice on the roof, the perfect place for doing his katas, a large flat surface, lots of room and no one to disturb him, well if you didn’t count the girls from the dorm next door, it had a great view of the sunrise too.

A momentary flash of sparring with his father appeared in his mind along with a wave of regret. He shook it off quickly and resumed his vigilant examination of the ceiling. The door to his room flung open fiercely slamming into the wall and bouncing back at the person in the doorway. Ranma bolted upright staring at Akane holding the door at bay, dripping puddles of water onto the floor an indescribable look of annoyance on her face. The irony hit and Ranma fell on the floor laughing.

“WHAT is so FUNNY?!” She practically steamed in the hallway glaring down at him. Ranma quickly gained his composure grabbing a towel and placing it around her shoulders.

“Out of the two of us, what are the chances you get caught in the rain and I don’t? I mean, what are the odds?” He chuckled looking down at her rubbing the towel against her shoulders trying to both dry her and bring some warmth to her body. Looking up at him through her long shimmering lashes her eyes sparkled and the corners of her mouth rose into a smile. He pulled the towel up brushing it across her hair and whipping some of the moisture from her face.

A great weight pressed upon his chest clamping down on his heart and squeezing the air out of his lungs. Since he returned this feeling seemed to wash over more and more when he stood too close to her, a feeling of wanting her closer, against him. He brushed it off quickly, it was just an urge, he was a guy and should be used to it, he told himself.

“Come inside and change you’re going to freeze.” Pulling her by the shoulders he brought her into the room and down to her chair. While Akane attempted to dry herself Ranma went over to her dresser and pulled out the clothes she told him she wanted to wear, a pair of flannel boxer style shorts, pink and purple, and an oversized purple t-shirt both heavily faded and very soft to the touch. He went for her underwear drawer, but she told him that she’d get them herself a light blush crept across both their faces.

Akane bolted from the room to the showers at the end of the hall leaving Ranma alone once again in their room. Thirty more minutes, now for some reason the time seemed so short. Before he knew it Akane was back in the room smelling of lilacs and soap, holding a huge bowl of popcorn. She smiled brightly at his questioning look.

“They’re having a pajama party in the dorm and they’re gonna watch a movie. I snagged some stuff to eat, have you had dinner yet?”

“I have a date with Li-Li tonight.” He said surprising himself with the quiver of regret in his voice.

“Oh well never mind then…”

“I’m not on it yet.” He quickly said smiling at her. “I thought pajama parties were for chicks?” Ranma stated with a sly grin.

“Come on, you should see what some people are wearing.”

They headed out of the room and were nearly run over by a group of students flying down the hall and around the corner. Akane and Ranma exchanged looks then laughed in amusement. The hallway was lined with students dressed in their nightclothes most with beverages in their hands. A lot of girls wore short chemises of a silky looking material while a few boys were daring enough to wear silk boxers. Ranma shook his head and followed Akane to the large common area in the dormitory where the residents usually hung out to watch TV.

Just outside the large room the group of students that nearly ran them over in the hall were standing in a circle all excitedly bickering with each other.

“Now, now people, there’s plenty for everyone.” Nabiki’s voice wrung out from the middle of the commotion sounding as business like as ever, completely in her element.

“Nabiki?” Akane stared at her sister and she continued to go about her negotiations.

“Be right with you, sis.” Nabiki directed to Akane then resumed her discussion. “Ok who’s got biology?”

Nabiki took bids on her merchandise then dug into the briefcase slung to the side taking out what proved to be various folders and handing one to each student. “A pleasure doing business with you.”

“What was that all about?” Ranma asked as she strolled over to them.

“Just some business, there was an…accident in the computer lab about an hour ago. A virus somehow found its way into the system and everyone that was working lost ALL their data. Really very tragic, so I was helping those unfortunate students that were under a deadline with some materials that I already had.”

“So basically you sold them all reports.” Ranma deadpanned.

“Supply and demand my dear Ranma. You are taking business theory this year, right?” Ranma started to grumble something, but was interrupted by a male voice calling his name.

“Saotome, phone!” Nagano, one of his dorm mates, held up the receiver of the payphone located in the hallway. Excusing himself from the girls, Ranma walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver where Nagano left it hanging.

“Hello?”

“Ranma? Its Li-Li.”

“Oh, hi.” Ranma spared a glance to Akane speaking to Nabiki.

“I’m not going to make it tonight.”

“Really, what’s up?” Ranma looked down at the cord winding it between his fingers.

“There was a problem in the computer lab and I lost my Economics paper that I spent the whole week working on.” There was a sigh of annoyance from the girl.

“You want me to come and keep you company?”

“No, I really have to concentrate if I’m going to get it done for tomorrow, and well you’re distracting.”

“Ok, then.” He turned back to Akane, she smiled and laughed at something Nabiki said. Her smile bathed the room in a glowing light and Ranma momentarily lost himself in his own smile. Then the elder sister appeared to say her goodbyes and headed his way and he was pulled back into his conversation.

“Forgive me?” Li-Li said in a pouty voice, at the same moment Nabiki brushed past him in the hall on her way to the stairs.

“Supply and demand. Have a good night Saotome.” She said without giving him a glance.

“Oh, um, yeah.” Ranma answered the girl on the phone staring at Nabiki’s back.

“I’ll make it up to you.” She said sweetly, with a hint of seduction.

“K, I’ll see yah tomorrow.” They said their good byes then Ranma strolled over to his former fiancée. She was speaking to a girl in one of those silky nightgowns, this one bright red. Out of the corner of her eye Akane looked at him and gave him a soft smile.

“Well it looks like you’re stuck with me.” Ranma sighed in mock disappointment. “Li-Li’s economics report was destroyed.”

“Interesting.” Was Akane’s only response.

“I’ll be back in a sec.” Ranma shouted over his shoulder as he ran down the hall, ignoring her statement.

“Where are you going?” She shouted back confused.

“To change, where else?”

“Oh gods, I hope he comes back in a pair of those silk boxers.”

“Kimiko!” Akane stared shocked at her friend as she giggled not at all embarrassed by her statement or her blatant desires. Much to the young girls disappointment Ranma returned to the room in his standard pajamas feeling quite comfortable.

“You’re in luck Ranma, Akane tells me that your favorite movie is on the agenda this evening.” Kimiko smiled at him with a gleam in her eye.

“Oh yeah?”

“Drunken Master, they’re putting it in now.”

“Well let’s get a seat.” Ranma stated happily staring at Akane. Kimiko looked back and forth between the two, after a long sigh she excused herself to get a drink.

The movie started and they took a seat on a small love seat, the lights in the room were extinguished, but the party continued on in the hallway and in various dorm rooms. The loveseat was rather cramped their knees rubbed together when either of them moved.

“I’m gonna get a soda, do you want anything?” Akane asked, rising to stand in front of him.

“No thanks.” He watched her leave the room then returned to the movie. Enjoying the movie Ranma laughed to himself as the old man worked the main character out with bizarre training rituals and remembered his father again. Maybe he should visit him, it had been nice being out on his own, but he missed the old man, his father and martial arts was his world for most of his young life.

His reverie was interrupted by a young man dropping into the seat beside him. A pretty young girl in a pale pink nightie straddled his lap, her face suction cupped to his. Ranma wanted to ask them to move, but was trapped by his embarrassment. When Akane returned with her drink she was flabbergasted. She turned to Ranma for an explanation, but he just shrugged his shoulders in response an embarrassed look on his face. Akane turned to the couple and started to interrupt them several times, but was cut off by their moans of pleasure.

A particularly excited student rushed past them and Akane found herself in Ranma’s lap, her drink firmly in his hand not a drop out of place. She looked at him meekly taking her drink back.

“Thanks…” He smiled putting his hand down, the overwhelming urge to bring her closer almost overpowering him. ‘I know if I just held her closer, in my arms, against my chest then it would be out of my system, I’d feel so relieved.’ She looked down and he followed her gaze and found his hand squeezing her leg, the bare skin of her thigh against his hand.

A breathless chuckle brought his head back up. The boy beside him gave him a smirk and the thumbs up.

“Way to go man, she’s hot.” The young girl pressed her forehead into her lovers smiling seductively at Ranma.

“What?” Ranma again looked at his hand assessing their position. “Hey, no it’s not like that.”

“Oh well, too bad you got little Miss Frigid.” The boy cast a disgusted look at Akane while the girl giggled. Ranma felt Akane suck in her breath.

“How about you say that to her again and I’ll rip your tongue out and show it to you.” Ranma grabbed the boy’s hand and bent it back into an unnatural angle, the boy cried out in agony. “By the way, you’re in her seat.”

The boy scrambled to get up dropping his girlfriend onto the floor in the process and both fumbled out of sight.

“Thanks Ranma, you didn’t have to do that.” She stayed in his lap for no reason she could discern.

“He was being a jerk.” After a few minutes she got up and sat next to him again, a little closer than before, their shoulders and knees pressed against each other. By the middle of the movie Akane’s head rested on his shoulder her breath coming in and going out at an even rhythm. At the end of the movie he carried her sleeping body back to their room, uncaring of what their dorm mates thought as most of them were passed out drunk on the floor.

Entering their room he held her close in his arms, not entirely the way he imagined. Looking down at the serene face that laid on his shoulder one hand around his neck the other slowly caressing his chest, the feeling remained urging him onward. Her scent consumed him filling every pore. With great strength of will he placed her on the bed and brought the blankets up around her. Immediately she cuddled up to her pillow making a contented moan. Ranma backed away from the bed still looking at her in his mind a picture of her face on the day their engagement ended. He never really said goodbye.

He pushed all thoughts from his head, it was beginning to ache, and ran from the room, out of the dorm, and across the campus finding himself at the computer lab. Ranma waited watching her for a moment before pulling her out of the seat and kissing her passionately.

“Mmmm, Ranma?” The girl giggled in surprise, not at all unhappy to see him.

“Am I being a distraction?’ He asked almost painfully, slightly out of breath, not from the exertion of his run. She smiled up at him feeling a joy she never knew before.

“I guess I can take a five minute break.” She brought her arms up and around his neck. Without another word, Ranma took the invitation.

Author’s note:
This part took me a very long time to actually have a finished copy that I could stand to read.  From here out the stories SHOULD come a lot faster.  If you check back to the Misc Ranma Fanfiction page you can see how I am progressing.

If it wasn't for my pre-readers bumblebee-queen and HPackrat this would really suck.
(CrazyDuck - Hey, what about me, I pre-read for you?)
(Jenna - Yeah and the only thing you ever say is that Ranma needs to get laid.)
(CrazyDuck - You asked for my opinion and I gave it.)