“Going out?”

“Yeah a friend of a friend is having a party.” Akane said from behind the closet door, as she got dressed.

“I guess I’ll see what Fuji is up to then.”

“We’ll go out tomorrow, ‘K?”

“Sure.” Ranma said trying to sound excited. “Remember you promised to help me with the test.”

“I remember, I remember. Oh shoot this won’t do, don’t peek.”

“I’m facing front not even glimpsing your way.” Ranma said, noticing the small mirror on the corner of Akane’s desk. Akane walked out from behind the closet door dressed in a short black skirt and a white satin brassiere. She reached into her drawer and pulled out a few black undergarments. Ranma tore his eyes away, feeling guilty and a little flushed, as she turned returning to the closet.

Changing her undergarments, Akane wondered to herself when she stopped going to the girl’s bathroom to change her clothes and when she became willing to undress in the same room as a boy. ‘But it’s Ranma, and he’s my friend, so it’s ok, right? I mean, I know I used to call him a pervert when we were engaged, but things are different now. We’ve both grown up a lot.’ Akane rationalized to herself. ‘I wonder what he thinks about when I’m here taking my clothes off…if he ever wants to take a look at my body.’ A warm sensation passed throughout her body and she scoffed at herself for even thinking about things like that with Ranma, things that were in the past. Donning the dark loose knit sweater, checking to see that indeed this brassiere wasn’t noticeable. Clothes rustled for a few more moments before she emerged back into the room.

Ranma poured himself into his studying as she walked over to the desk and grabbed the mirror and her makeup case. She stopped, holding the mirror in her hand then turned her gaze on Ranma contemplating something. He never moved an inch, she shrugged and walked to the dresser. Ranma relaxed the muscles in his shoulders and let out a sigh of relief.

“Say, how come you’re always sitting at MY desk?”

“It always has everything I need.” Ranma said, glancing around the desk pleased. It was so neat and organized, the pens he liked were meticulously arranged in a cup on the corner of the desk. A picture of the Tendo Dojo and the family, including his father and himself was set to the right of the desk lamp. Akane walked up behind him and placed her make up back in the middle drawer.

“Well if you didn’t keep so much crap in your desk you might be able to find things.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Holding the drawer open Ranma rummaged around for a sticky note.

“Where are your…ah-ha!” Ranma found the small cube of yellow paper, attached to the bottom piece was a picture he had never seen before. He stared at the boy in the picture trying to remember if he had known him from high school. The boy gave a shy smile to the person behind the lens, his clear blue eyes sparkling behind his wire rimmed glasses, one hand absently running through his extremely short brown hair with blond highlights. “Who’s this?”

“Huh?” Akane asked, a small metal butterfly barrette hanging from her mouth both her hands busy pulling back her hair. She glanced down at the picture all color fading from her face. “Oh, just a friend. He went here last year.”

She snatched the picture from his hand and stuffed it in one of the drawers in her desk underneath a pile of papers. Silence prevailed for the next few minutes as she did her hair at the other end of the room. Ranma busied himself by trying to pretend he was back to studying.

“Well? How do I look?” She stood next to him dressed in a loose knit charcoal sweater with matching tights and a stark black short skirt. She had her hair drawn back on both side and just a touch of color on her face as not to wash out her features with the black clothes. Ranma thought she looked radiant.

“You look good enough to eat.” The comment slipped out before Ranma had a chance to register it in his head.

“You better call Fuji soon, you must be starving.” She said laughing and patted him on the head. “I’ll see you later don’t wait up, honey.”

“Yes, dear.” She smiled at him as she pivoted on her heel her skirt swirling up to reveal her black thigh high hosiery. ‘She really looks incredible…who she’s getting all dressed up for…’

“She barely has time for a good argument anymore.” Ranma complained to Fuji, disdainfully taking a sip of his soda, as the two boys made their way back to the dorm from the movie they watched.

“Maybe she is so active because she is lonely.” Fuji interjected thoughtfully.

“She’s never lonely with all her friends, and guys always falling all over her.”

“Doesn’t mean a person can’t be lonely.”

“Well she isn’t!”

“Ok, Ranma, have it your way.” The two continued to walk in silence. Ranma returned to his dorm room alone and continued his studies. His mind preoccupied, he found himself winding away into the wee hours of the night contemplating the events from two years ago.

‘What does she have to be so upset about she’s the one that got rid of me. I was just doing what she wanted and left.’ He lied on his back on his bed with the covers pulled up to his waist an arm behind his head. Unable to shake the tugging feeling he had in his stomach he let out a long sigh through his nostrils and stared at the clock. ‘Its getting late where the heck is she?’

As if an answer to his question he heard a key fumbling for the keyhole to his dorm room. His ears perked up, there was a faint sound of giggling and someone being shushed.

“I had a lot of fun tonight Akane does it have to end?” The young man, only a few inches taller than her, looked down at Akane seeming to sway slightly. He swept his long black bangs off of his face, his cheeks glowing a rosy pink.

“Sorry, but I have to get up early tomorrow.” She said turning around smiling at him crookedly. She twisted the handle of the door with her back pressed against it slowly let it open. The young man grabbed her roughly around the waist pressing their bodies and their lips together. She made a low moan of protestation that only made him more eager to enter her room.

Ranma quickly shut his eyes as the door opened then heard the door harshly shut again. Akane shoved the boy away, he grinned down at her. “I promise to make you breakfast.”

She smiled back, “Try that again and you’ll be eating breakfast through a straw for a week.” The boy held up his hands in defense and Akane once again opened the door to the room locking it behind her. She wiped her mouth clean and let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. Her head continued to spin as she stood in the middle of the room. Her eyes began to focus on the image sleeping in the bed across from her own. The moonlight shone through the window cascading over the toned muscles in his arms and bare chest. She traced the lines on his face and loose hair streaming over his forehead. She secretly prayed for him to wake so she could see his blue eyes shimmer in the night gloam. Bleary eyed she turned away from him and found herself sitting at the end of her bed without even realizing her knees had given out.

Ranma opened his eyes to just slits as he heard the soft creaking springs of Akane’s bed. She sat still at the foot of her bed not moving. He thought she might have fallen asleep where she was until she started to move her hands to the hem of her skirt. She slipped her hands under the flowing black fabric and started to roll the opaque black tights down her long toned leg. Ranma watched her do the same with the other leg her actions slow and straining as if she was trying her best to concentrate on every movement.

When finally her shoulders relaxed with a job well done, she set about her next task. She grabbed the bottom of her sweater and pulled it lazily over her head tussling her hair as it fell from the oversized sweater. Ranma swallowed his breath at the sight of her smooth white skin against the black lace bra with shinning satin straps. She was turned half toward him so he could see the rise and fall of her well-proportioned chest. Perhaps she had grown up a bit over the past two years, he thought to himself. She held her hand to her flat stomach and rose to her feet. Her fingers inched under the elastic waist hand of her skirt then she slipped the garment over her hips letting in full into a heap at her toes.

Ranma watched her stand there bathing in the evening light, while he desperately tried to keep his breathing to a slow rhythmic pace, a few sweat drops forming on his face from the intense heat his body had started to radiate. She wavered slightly straining to keep her balance. Turning she kneeled on her bed and crawled across the covers to collapse curled up in a ball. Ranma listened to her breathing steady itself her body unmoving.

He rose from his bed letting his legs dangle over the edge and looked over at her uncovered body holding itself. He walked the three steps over to her bed and pulled the covers from underneath her and pulled them up over her shoulders. She grabbed the edge of the blanket and stirred silently. Slowly he swept a single finger across her brow moving her hair off her face.

Ranma again lied back on his bed thinking back to the day he left two years before. ‘What would you have done if I had stayed?’ Sleep slowly pushed the thoughts from his mind letting his dreams take over.

Ranma stirred in his bed stretching his legs, his eyes flew open as he felt the weight off something resting half on top of him. Dark black hair obstructed his view, blue highlights reflected in the dying moonlight peeking in through the window. The body beside him and partially on top of him adjusted itself making a sweet moan. Ranma screamed internally looking about the room. He was still in his bed, which at least meant that he was not responsible for the current situation. Somehow that only mildly relieved him.

The body again stirred, her firm breasts pushing into his chest. Her bare legs moved up his until her knee reached the bottom of his boxers. Ranma prepared his hand to stop her from going any further. He started to wonder where his other hand had gotten to. He moved it slowly feeling the bare skin of her back and the satiny fabric of her brassiere. ‘At least she is still wearing clothes…sort of.’

She moaned again pressing more of her body on top of him moving her leg further up. He felt her thigh moving past the point of no return and held his hand on her leg trying to dissuade her from further stimulation. She turned her head running her silky hair against his chest her eyes fluttering to open.

“Mmmm, too early, need more sleep.” She moved her hand to rub her eyes. Ranma froze his hand still holding her thigh swallowing loudly. She looked at him frowning then glanced around the room questioningly. “What am I doing here?”

“Um, that’s what I was going to ask.” Ranma stuttered knowing that someway this would be his fault. She looked at him disoriented then she looked down at herself. Ranma quickly removed his hand from her leg and she felt what her thigh was pressed hard against.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I had too much to drink last night!” Her hand flew to her mouth. She shot herself up on her hands giving him a close up view of her cleavage. They both looked downward and she eeped dropping herself back down violently moving her leg up. Ranma cried out in pain.

“I’m so sorry!” She started to move her hand between them without thinking and he grabbed it.

“Don’t, it’s ok!”

“Sorry, sorry.” They both started to move around violently disrupting the whole bed making it creak loudly. Akane started to roll off the bed and Ranma grabbed her toppling down onto the floor on top of her.

“Ouch…” Ranma propped himself on his elbows their bodies pressed together, his face cringing.

“Sorry.” She spoke softly bringing a hand up to his brow. “Did you bump your head on the chair?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Did I… hurt you?” She dropped her eyes between their bodies. He flew off of her pulling the blanket over himself.

“I’ll be ok, you were just a little rough.” She pulled her own blanket from her bed draping it around her shoulders. Ranma was blushing and had turned away.

“I know it was my fault, I had a few too many drinks last night and must have slipped into the wrong bed.” She twiddled her thumbs and he turned back to looking at her. “Its nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Huh, who’s embarrassed?” Ranma’s face was bright red, he moved his legs to try and hide himself.

“Look I don’t think you’re a pervert, if that’s what you’re thinking.” His eyes grew huge for a minute from her statement. “I know you aren’t like that because of me, it’s perfectly natural. So don’t worry.”

“Oh you know about these things do you?” She finally met his gaze a rosy flush spilling down to her neck and the glimpse of her chest that was showing.

“Not a lot, but I know some things.” She crossed her arms over her chest. Ranma carefully rose from the floor and crashed onto his bed. Akane, still wrapped in her blanket, walked toward the closet grabbing a clean pair of pajamas from the dresser and changing behind the door.

“So who was the guy you came home with?” Closing the door shut behind her, Akane raised an eyebrow, then pushed her thoughts aside with the memory of the disastrous goodbye her companion had given her.

“Just someone agreed to date in a moment of weakness. Never gonna happen again.”

“Is he from the kickboxing team?”

“No, I NEVER date anyone from the team.” Ranma nodded, not feeling relieved. Without another word they both settled in for a few more hours rest.

It was a good morning. The air was crisp and the sky was covered in the red hues of the newly risen sun. Scaling the outside of the brick building Ranma planted his feet on the outside sill of the window directly above the one to his own dorm room. Now hanging upside down Ranma peered into his room before opening the window. Akane was already up and groggily shuffling from her bed to the dresser. She wore loose yellow cotton pajamas that buttoned down the front, her short hair tied back in a ponytail.

He remained still for a moment, watching her move around the room unaware of his presence. She yawned wearily stretching her lithe body under the unrevealing nightclothes. Pulling a hot plate out of one of the drawers she placed a small kettle on it yawning once again.

Discovering that the window was locked, Ranma lightly tapped on the glass to get her attention. Akane squinted in his general direction and he smiled weakly. Again shuffling through the room Akane made her way to the window stubbing her toe on her bed in the process. Cursing, she limped the remaining feet to the window and unlocked it. Ranma swung in through the window past her, as she closed the window Akane noticed that most of the girls from the adjacent dorm were glued to their windows lustfully watching Ranma as he entered. With a huff she finished locking the window and sat on her bed nursing her toe bringing her leg up against her chest.

“You are such a klutz.” He smiled down into her sleepy face.

“Shut up, I just got up.” Her voice held true to her statement sounding husky and horse. “Ow stupid bed.”

Ranma laughed squatting down in front of her taking her foot from his hands removing her thick cotton socks. He examined it then slowly massaged away the pain. “I think you’ll live.” Continuing to move his fingers over her toes keeping his head down he looked up at her through his bangs a half smile on his face.

“Thanks.” She slowly let her foot slip from his fingers, placed the sock back on and walked past him to the dresser now fully awake. “Do you want some tea, there was no cooking involved.”

“Sure.” He chuckled and walked over and took the cup she handed him.

“Why can’t you use the door like a normal person?”

“Everything is training. The roof is a great place to do my katas.” Ranma smiled watching her yawn. “Still tired?”

“Mmhm.”

“Aren’t you late for class?” He realized looking at the alarm clock beside his bed.

“Today’s class was canceled thank god, I haven’t been able to catch up on my sleep.”

“Well then, let’s go for a walk I have to return a book, we can stop for a coffee or something on the way.”

“Your treat?” She eyed him closely while blowing the steam off her tea.

“Jeez for someone who works every waking minute you sure are broke a lot.” He threw off his undershirt letting it rest where it lay in the middle of the floor and grabbed a light blue sleeveless shirt. “This is the first day it's been warm out for awhile, and it’ll probably be the last since winter is almost here”

Ranma lay on Akane’s bed waiting for her while she dressed behind the closet door.

“By the way, I’m not broke, I’m frugal.”

“Whatever. How much you got on ya?”

“I dunno a couple bucks.”

“You have two jobs and only a couple bucks?”

“If I really need money I can always go to Nabiki.” She peeked her head around the door. “But I’d rather not.”

Ranma only nodded his agreement. He felt the same electric feeling pass throughout his body as he always did when she changed behind the door. The memory of his accidental, at least he had convinced himself that it was an accident, peak at her undressing the night before didn’t help his resolve. And then there had been the short romp in his bed, that memory he couldn’t even think about without flushing, neither of them said a were able to broach the subject any further than they had that night.

“Close your eyes I have to get something from the dresser.” She waved her hand at him allowing him to see the strap of the cream colored bra she wore.

“Well, what do you think?” She stood before him in a cream camisole and a short sky blue skirt with tiny pink flowers holding up a matching solid blue light weight sweater that buttoned down the front and a silk cream blouse.

“Why can’t you just wear that?” He said gesturing to the camisole that stretched across her breasts and hung loosely above the waist of the skirt. She looked down then up giving him a ‘gimme a break’ look.

“I’m wearing this so you can’t see my bra through my shirt.”

“Alright the white.” Ranma shrugged, he’d seen girls wear a lot less modest clothing out in public now a days. He stood up as she threw the sweater onto the bed and started to pull the blouse over her shoulders.

“So where are you taking me?”

“That pancake place.” Ranma’s eyes dazzled when she looked up from her buttons.

“You have quite a sweet tooth.” She giggled.

“And you don’t?” He reached out and buttoned her last two bottom buttons.

“I guess it’s a good thing we stay active then.”

“Mmm.” He agreed smiling down at her cute outfit. “You know sometimes you actually look like a girl.”

“Shut up.” She promptly hit him on the back of the head.

Ranma shoveled his third helping of blueberry pancakes into his mouth while Akane calmly finished her coffee.

“Are you coaching tonight? We could do something.”

“No, I have to help a friend tonight.”

“Oh yeah?”

“The drama club is putting on a winter play and they need some help.”

“Another play huh? I hope it goes better than the last time.” Akane put down her cup and looked at him with a devilish smile.

“Me too, but I’m not in this one. I have to get going…I’ll be at the auditorium later tonight if you wanna get a drink or something.” She finished her coffee in three large gulps and squeezed his arm before leaving. “See yah later, sweetie.”

He laughed at her final remark. They teasingly started using pet names for each other after the hundredth time someone asked them if the reason they shared the same dorm was because they were married. Marriage and engagements was not something either of them normally joked about, or talked about for that matter, but some how making light of it in some small way helped ease the tension.

From across the crowded cafeteria the girl spied her prey sitting at his usual table speaking amicably with his “girlfriend.” Brushing her shoulder length brown hair aside, slowly she made her approach.

“Jeez you’re early. Where’s the rest of the guys?” Ranma asked as Fuji joined him and Li-Li at their table for lunch.

“They all got distracted by the girls tennis team.” Fuji shrugged.

“So, why didn’t you go with them?” Ranma asked, shooting him a glance out of the corner of his eyes.

“I’m insulted, I have better things to do than ogle the girl’s tennis team.” Fuji crossed his arms in front of his chest, veining outrage.

“Oh yeah, like what?” Ranma asked smirking.

“Ok, fine. I used to date a girl on the team, happy?” Fuji said pouting, Ranma just shook his head smiling.

“Wow empty table today.” Ukyo commented as she and Akane joined the three. Li-Li and Akane eyes met.

“Hi, Akane right?” The Chinese girl said putting her hand out.

“Yeah, hi.” Akane took the offered hand standing above the pretty girl sitting beside her roommate.

“We never actually met the other day. Ranma’s told me all about you.” Akane and Ukyo turned to Ranma questioningly, feeling a little shocked.

“All about me, huh?” She tried to say levelly. Ranma returned her gaze shaking his head from side to side vehemently. Akane released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and smiled at the girl. She didn’t know why she should be so relieved that Ranma didn’t tell his new girlfriend that his present roommate was his former fiancée. They didn’t have anything to hide, but there were enough rumors about them floating around campus and she didn’t need anymore questions, she mused to herself.

“I’m Ukyo.”

“Yes, Ranma’s told me all about you as well. He said you’re just like a sister.”

“Oh Ranchan, you’re so sweet.” The two girls started to chatter back and forth. Akane walked around the table to sit between Fuji and Ukyo since Li-Li currently occupied her usual seat.

Trying in vain to ignore the girls’ conversation about him and his uneasy feeling of Akane and Li-Li being around him at the same time, Ranma began to eat his lunch. Suddenly an odd, and all too familiar, feeling passed through his body as a thermos of cold water splashed him in the face.

“Oh sorry about that Ranma.” Nabiki apologized standing about a foot away from the soaking red head scowling at her.

“R-Ranma?” Fuji asked aghast having seen the entire transformation, his eyes glazing over in shock

“What happened?” Li-Li asked turning to the girl that now sat in her boyfriends chair wearing his clothes. Ranma just sat grumbling to himself not looking at either of them but staring at the middle Tendo girl. “Who, who are you?”

“I’m really sorry, Ranma, were you keeping your curse a secret?” Ranma had to admit her acting had improved, but he could tell she had done it on purpose.

“Ranma? Curse?” Li-Li pondered, while Fuji started to twitch. “Is it some kind of magic trick?”

“It’s not a trick, it’s a curse. Cold water changes me into a girl, hot water turns me back.” Ranma sighed.

“And that’s an honest to goodness, real FEMALE body?”

“As real as yours.” The red head responded used to the drill, if somewhat annoyed to have to relive it.

“Oh Ranma…” Li-Li said without knowing how to feel about her boyfriend/girlfriend.

“I’ve had the curse for awhile now, I’ve kinda gotten used to it, it’s no big tragedy.”

“And there’s no cure for you.” She said as if speaking to a patient dying of some terminal disease.

“I’ve been looking for years and haven’t gotten one yet. Maybe someday I’ll find one, but until then…”

“Here Ranma, do you want to use my tea?” Akane offered sympathetically.

“Thanks.” He took the aforementioned beverage and poured it over his head restoring his manhood. Li-Li just stared in awe blinking her eyes, Fuji stopped twitching, all the color draining from his face.

“So you all know?” Li-Li asked motioning to Ukyo and Akane, who nodded in response.

“Um, you don’t think it’s strange or anything?” Ranma asked.

“Well, sure it doesn’t really happen everyday or to every person, but I don’t think YOU’RE strange. I’m sure one day you’ll be cured Ranma, I just know it.” Li-Li smiled at him gushing with sympathy, Ranma shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“I’d rather not. Fuji, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell the other guys about this, it’s not a game.” Ranma said seriously.

“Fuji? Hey Fuji, you ok?” The boy just continued to stare forward unblinking as Ranma waved his hand in front of his face.

“Oh my gosh, I have to get to class.” Li-Li exclaimed glancing at her watch.

“I’ll see you later Ranma, we can talk about this later. That is if you want to.” Gathering her things together Li-Li gave him a quick kiss on the check before dashing off. Nabiki turned her head to watch her go a frown etched into her pretty features.

“It’s time for me to be off as well.” She said turning back to the group gritting her teeth behind a smile. “Sister, Ranma.”

Akane waved, while Ranma frowned.

“Well, that sure was strange.” Ukyo said shaking her head.

“She’s very understanding, you’re a lucky guy, Ranma.” Akane stated.

“Yeah…” He replied with less enthusiasm then he thought he should have. His reverie was interrupted by yet another lunchtime interruption.

“Phew I made it.” Ryoga said stumbling to the table out of breath clearly just arriving back from one of his ‘trips.’

“Not quite sugar, I have about thirty minutes before my next class.” Ukyo shook her head disappointedly while Ryoga dropped to his knees bowing his head to her.

“I was here early too, but I got turned around on my way to the table.”

“Its ok, you’re improving. You’ve only been gone for three days. It used to be if you made it back in a months time we had a celebration.” He just continued to shake his head in dismay. She moved in closer whispering in his ear but not low enough for Ranma and Akane not to hear. “If you can make it back to my dorm room we’ll do some celebrating tonight.”

He raised his head to show an excited smile while Ukyo grinned down at him. Ranma kept his eyes glued to his food sneaking looks at Akane who was doing the same.

“I, ah, gotta get to class. See yah guys.” Akane bolted from the scene,

“I’ll come with you.” Ukyo ran after her stopping only to give Ryoga a peck on the cheek.

“So Ranma, can you walk me to Ukyo’s place.” Ryoga smiled at him.

“Far be it from me to keep a guy from carnal knowledge of his girlfriend.” Ranma smirked.

“Hey! I don’t hear you complaining about your living arrangement!”

“You know it’s not like that.” Ranma lunged across the table and grabbed Ryoga by the collar of his yellow tunic. “Now lets get outta here I got classes to go to you know.”

All three boys at the table stood up, Ranma glance at Fuji who seemed to be in some kind of trance.

“Hey you going to be ok, man?” Ranma asked watching his friend wonder off into the crowd mumbling to himself, before he disappeared from view. Ranma and Ryoga looked at each, shrugged and set off to Ukyo’s dormitory.

“So…new girlfriend?” Ryoga asked uncomfortably motioning back to where they came. Ranma looked puzzled for a moment then nodded. “I’ve seen her around you sometimes and the other day at the game.”

“Her name is Li-Li. Chinese but not Amazon.” Ranma added before getting the usual response from those who knew his history of female problems.

“You looked like you’d gotten pretty close. Is that the reason you and Akane aren’t back together?”

“We were never together Ryoga. That was just some agreement between our stupid fathers.” Ranma responded coldly.

“Right.” Ryoga said with little conviction. Ranma glared at him for a moment, but Ryoga kept his eyes front never acknowledging his look.

‘Dinner was excellent but dessert is even better’ Ranma thought to himself while kissing Li-Li. They laid on their sides on his bed bodies pressed together kissing each other softly. Li-Li placed her hands on either side of his face delicately running her fingers down to his neck.

“Mmm…” She sighed as they separated. Ranma rolled onto his back Li-Li resting her head on his chest.

“I’m so glad you asked me out to dinner tonight.”

“Me too.” Ranma smiled and Li-Li giggled.

“Well the night isn’t over yet.” She moved her body more on top of his kissing him again starting at his lips then moving on to nibble on his ear and neck. His hands roamed over her back then slowly slid over her side grazing the tender skin of her breast. So involved with his own movements he didn’t realize when Li-Li had undone all the ties of his Chinese shirt and was now caressing his chest.

“You work out a lot, huh?” She smiled at him then started kissing his chest.

“I’m always in training.” He said trying to swallow his excitement as her hand neared the waistband of his trousers.

“I’m just here for a second I gotta run back…” The door flew open and Akane starred in shock at the scene on Ranma’s bed. Ranma bolted straight up tossing Li-Li off of him barely catching her around the waist before she sprawled out on the floor.

“I, ah, I’m sorry to…I’ll go now.” Akane stuttered leaving the room as abruptly as she entered.

“Wait…I’ll be right back.” Ranma put Li-Li on his bed and rushed out the door only to find Akane standing a few feet down the hall. Meeting his gaze she suddenly started to rummage through her bag.

“I’m sorry about that I just needed to get a t-shirt and things but I can borrow something from a friend. You know it might be a good idea if we came up with some kind of system for when one of us has company. I know when I have a guy over it would be really embarrassing-”

“Right.” Akane had been rambling on rather quickly, but Ranma cut her off. She shot her head up looking into his blank expression. He didn’t really want to hear a description of what she had just been saying. What had he been thinking, that she would be jealous? He scolded himself for being so ridiculous. What he did meant nothing to her he’d come to realize this one cold spring day nearly two years ago.

“Well I have to get going, we can discuss this later.”

“Sure.” He half smiled at her. With that she turned and fled and he returned to his room and his girlfriend.

“Everything ok?” Li-Li asked worried, her hands clasped together resting on her lap her legs tucked under her.

“Oh yeah, just wanted to make sure she hadn’t needed anything important.” He took a seat next to her on the bed.

“You sure did rush after her.”

“Well we never discussed something like this happening. It was kind of embarrassing.”

“I heard that you’re the only guy with a female roommate that didn’t live in the family housing.” He turned to regard her as she spoke. “You aren’t dating her or anything…”

“No we’re just roommates.” He said thoughtfully then sighed. “You better be getting back to your dorm it’s getting late and I have to get up early in the morning.”

The mood was completely broken and Ranma had the need to be alone for a while.

Ranma walked into the auditorium, pursuing for his dorm mate. A young man standing in the front row was yelling directions to the balcony while different spotlights shined on stand changing to various sizes and colors. A shorter boy with glasses starting walking up the row between the seats toward him.

“Excuse me.” Ranma said shocking the boy up from his clipboard before he walked straight into Ranma’s chest. “Can you tell me where I can find Akane Tendo?”

“Y-yes, she’s up at the corner of the stage there, working on some props.” The boy said nervously, pointing in the general direction of the stage never taking his eyes from Ranma.

“Thanks.” Ranma smiled letting the boy walk past him, shaking his head at his nervous manner.

Akane was indeed was on stage to the far left nearly behind the curtains. She was dressed in a pair of baggy overalls and a tight white tank top, not something that he remembered from her usual wardrobe. ‘Course she didn’t have time to get her change of clothes.’ She was crouched in front of what Ranma guessed was a huge flower, except the flower petals were a slightly darker shade of green and oddly shaped.

Ranma shook his head smiling to himself, whoever decided she should be given something artist didn’t know what they were in for. Just as he was about to ascend the stairs up to the stage, a tall young man that Ranma did not recognize came out from behind the curtain to stand beside her, appraising the rather questionable flower with a barely suppressed smile.

“What do you think of my tree?” She smiled blissfully. ‘A tree?’ Ranma thought to himself, hanging back out of the general area of vision.

“It’s, um, very nice.” She frowned slightly, but continued her painting.

“So, how was the date?” Tetsu asked a smile hiding behind his lips.

“Ugh.” Akane groaned rolling her eyes. “A complete and utter disaster. “ They shared a laugh and a clamp tightened around Ranma’s heart.

“He kept offering me rum and cokes. I had a few more than I probably should have.” She said with a hint of embarrassment.

“Becoming a drunkard are we?” She turned to see a subtle smile on his face. Akane loved the way he always seemed in such a good mood, always easy to laugh. “You used to refused to drink, ‘I’m in training,’ you’d cry.”

“Well I was trying to loosen up.” She said. “Besides, there is drunk-fu in the Anything-Goes school.” She tried to reason and again they both laughed.

Then Ranma saw it, she gave him the smile that he once thought was his alone and had to turn away. ‘Why’s she so chummy with him all the sudden? We’re friends, she couldn’t tell ME all this stuff?’ Ranma tried to reason away the pain he felt in his chest that seemed to creep into his stomach twisting him into knots. Unable to walk away from them, Ranma continued to watch and listen to them from his concealed position.

“Anyway, he went overboard kissing me at the door to my dorm room trying to spend the night. I sent him packing after that and passed out in my room.” She shrugged turning back to the skinny green trunk of her tree, choosing to ignore the interlude between herself and Ranma in the retelling. Her blood turned a degree hotter thinking back to the time spent in his arms, on top of him, their skin pressed against each other. She seized all thoughts in that direction and busied herself with looking on the ground for her black paint.

“Is there any paint over there?” She asked pointing to the right.

“Shimmering black?” Tetsu asked holding the canister of paint up questioningly.

“Yes.” She smiled and he shook his head at her masterpiece. Walking back over next to her, he handed her the paint and squatted next to her.

“You know if you finally decided to get back into the dating scene you could have come to me before resorting to some dead beat.” He smiled at her pleasantly and she looked back at him, her brown eyes growing larger.

“Tetsu?” She said mildly shocked, then seeming to sober. “I will.”

He smiled brightly for her and she allowed herself to feel good about a situation with a man for the first time she could remember in the longest time.

“Good.” He nodded. “Then tomorrow night I’ll take you on a real date. No parties, no alcohol.” They both smiled and he reached over taking her hand in his, running his fingers over hers comfortingly.

“Hey.” Ranma said in greeting, finally letting his presence known walking up the stairs to the stage.

“Oh, hi Ranma.” Akane responded a little flustered at seeing her roommate. Ranma just smiled weakly in return moving his eyes to Akane’s companion.

“Ranma this is Tetsu. Tetsu, Ranma. Ranma’s my roommate.”

“I’d heard, nice to meet you.” The two shook hands stiffly.

“Ranma, Tetsu is a friend from my freshman year.”

“Hi.” Ranma said evenly. “So, are we still going out?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I’ll see you later then, Akane.” Tetsu said giving her hand another squeeze and leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek before turning and walking back behind stage. Ranma ground his teeth together watching him leave.

“Shall we go?” Akane turned to Ranma, a little flushed in the cheeks, clapping her hands together. Before Ranma could answer a swarm of girls surrounded Akane.

“And Akane snags yet another perfect guy.” Ranma recognized the girl from the party in their dorm, Kimiko he thought was her name. She was dressed in a bikini top and a grass skirt, a lay of flowers strung around her neck. The other girls were dressed similarly, obviously acting in the theatrical performance.

“I can’t believe it, Akane Tendo, dating.” Another girl stated.

“Well, I for one am glad to see you out seeing people.” The third girl said, shaking her head motherly.

“Always going for the artist type.” Kimiko said.

“Come on guys.” Akane pleaded. “Its nothing big.”

“Nothing big, please! You shut yourself away for like a year and now you’re suddenly back to dating!”

“Yui!” Akane squeaked, identifying the girl. “It was not a year…8 months tops.”

“Yeah ever since you dumped Keichi.” Kimiko blurted out. All eyes turned to the fourth girl, who remained silent throughout the conversation. “Oh sorry, Mina.”

“How is Keichi doing?” Akane asked the girl piously.

“He’s doing pretty good at his new school.” She said trying not to show that the conversation bothered her.

“Um, Akane?” The second girl motioned to Ranma warily.

“Oh don’t worry, Ranma’s just one of the girls.” Akane smiled, happy to be able to change the subject, even as Ranma glared at her for the comment regarding his sex. Akane giggled a little as the girl continued to stare at him.

“So you’ll give us the whole scoop on your date later?” Kimiko asked.

“Sure, sure. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Akane walked off with Ranma toward the dressing rooms behind stage.

“I just gotta change.”

“It’s cute.” Ranma commented on the jean overalls and tank top, both splattered with green paint here and there.

“Thanks, I had to borrow from a friend.” Akane blushed from the compliment and the recent memory of her interrupting Ranma and his girlfriend at an intimate moment. She stepped into the dressing room and Ranma leaned against the wall outside waiting for her. In silence, he marveled at how easy the compliment had come. Why had it been so difficult in the past and now he had to resist telling her how beautiful she was every moment he was with her.

She finished changing and they made their way to a local club outside campus. They talked about schoolwork, and about his traveling while they had a couple drinks at the bar. It was a few hours before they returned to their room in the dorm, both plopping down onto Ranma’s bed sharing a pleasant moment in silence as they lay side by side. Ranma turned onto his back while Akane faced the window lying on her stomach.

“So…have you done it with her yet?” Akane asked never turning her gaze from the window or the world outside.

“What?!” Ranma shifted his eyes from the ceiling lifting his head off the bed to look at her.

“You and Li-Li have you done it?” She asked again concealing all emotion in her blank expression.

“No.” He placed his head back down on his arm returning to his vigil of counting the marks on the ceiling.

“But you’re not still a virgin, right?” She finally turned on her side putting an inch or two between them on the bed.

“Where is this coming from?” He turned his eyes on her more shocked by her questions then embarrassed.

“You’ve been away for almost two years, people change I just want to catch up.”

“Fine, I am still a virgin. You?”

“Yes.” She said simply and they remained silent for a moment. “But you’ve been… intimate with women right?”

“I guess.” He looked back at the ceiling.

“How far have you gotten?”

“Geez you really want all the details, huh?” She nodded. “Ah well I’ve gone pretty far.” His brain marveled, he never in his life thought he would be discussing things like this with her of all people. He wasn’t sure what to tell her.

“I don’t really know any of those baseball analogies the guys in high school were always talking about. Kissing obviously and touching mostly. No all out nudity, I can’t believe I am telling you this.”

“Why not, I’m your friend right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t usually even discuss these kind of things with the guy friends I have. I guess I just keep expecting you to grab a mallet and start calling me a pervert.”

“I’ve matured some, now go on.”

“Well, not much left to say.”

“Any kissing, you know, other than on the lips?” He swore he saw her flush slightly.

“Some kissing below the neckline, but not below the waist.”

“I see.” Ranma looked around the room a moment not really wanting to hear the answer to his question, but felt turn around was fair play.

“So, now you.”

“Me?”

“Yup.”

“About the same, I guess. Not much nudity at all actually and I’ve done some, um kissing, below the waist. But it was mostly with one guy.”

“Really?!” Ranma turned to her blushing face not knowing whether to be disgusted or turned on. He decided to push the entire idea out of his head. “With who?”

“He went here last year, he transferred to another school. You don’t know him.”

“Too bad.” Ranma said softly.

“We broke up, it was kind of messy. Other than him I haven’t done too much dating since…you left.” Ranma nodded knowingly. “So how many woman from Nerima to China and back again have fallen prey to the Saotome charm?”

He laughed, then choked realizing the answer to her question. “Not really that many at all. A girlfriend here and there nothing too serious, then the last four months I was staying in a monastery.”

“And before that?”

“Well I spent a couple weeks with the Amazons trying to wait out the clan of the muscle sword, which turned out to be a big waste of time.” He looked over at her seeing his stalling hadn’t deterred her from the answer to her question. “Shampoo and I spent some time together…”

Akane sat up right. ‘Shampoo.’

“It didn’t last for too long.”

‘Shampoo.’

“I’m not really sure what I was thinking, things didn’t end well. She was pretty devastated when I broke things off and Mousse…well he was pissed.”

‘Shampoo!’

“I just remembered I have to go out somewhere.”

“A-Akane?”

“I’ll see you later Ranma ok.” She shouted back to him trying to sound cheerful as the tears welled up in her eyes. She bolted from the room and out the dormitory. The sky slowly clouded over making it a dark gray lightening flashed and the downpour began. Silently she thanked the heavens for the rain. Students dashed by trying to take shelter, as she walked down the stone pathway letting the tears melt into the raindrops that covered her face.

Rough draft: 12/17/00
Revised: 1/27/01

Author’s note:
The first whole scene with Akane going to the party and ending up in Ranma’s bed almost didn’t make it into this story. My first revision had this much earlier in the story (when it was supposed to be only 4-5 part instead of close to ten) but when I rearranged some stuff that part lost its home and I didn’t know where I was going to put it. I hope it fits with this section, I tried my best to make it work because I really liked that section.