Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Nightmares
Ranma shot out of his restless sleep in a cold sweat, for what had to have been the third or fourth time that night. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and tossed the rumpled sheets aside.
"Another one of these nights, huh?"
He breathed slowly, eyes closed, trying to slow the pounding in his chest— although it hadn't worked earlier in the night either. The nightmares were intense to say the least. Memories of Jusendo had been playing on repeat since they had returned to Nerima a week ago; memories of Akane, dead in his arms— of him, unable to protect her. His sleep-deprived mind played terrifying what-ifs of her not waking, of her shriveling to nothing rather than into a doll, of him losing the will to fight all together.
Ranma hadn't even realized he had left the spare room of the Tendo residence and had his ear pressed against Akane's door until his eyes managed to focus on the familiar wooden duck hanging beside him. Listening intently, he closed his eyes once more and felt for her aura. He could hear her deep breaths as she wrestled in her sleep. He wondered how Ryoga ever managed to come out unscathed all those nights he spent as P-Chan with her flailing in her sleep, then quickly soured at the thought of the black piglet in her bed at all. Sighing, Ranma pulled away and leaned instead with his back against the wall a moment longer, listening to the quiet through the door.
He turned and peered back to his room with tired eyes; the room was empty now that Genma had returned home with his wife, leaving only Ranma's few possessions behind. Reluctantly, he left the wall to Akane's room, stopping in his room only to put on his pants before bounding out the still open window and heading to the dojo.
It was late— or early, rather. The sky was still dark and the world was silent, save for the occasional ring of the wind chime hanging beside the house. Ranma pulled open the old, wooden door of the dojo and stepped inside, sliding the door closed behind him; he opened a set of windows to let the moonlight in, deciding against turning on the fluorescent lighting, and began to work through a kata, hoping the movements would calm his anxieties.
"Alright, Saotome— get it through your thick skull." He turned and continued into a quick set of punches.
"She's home."
Punch.
"She's safe."
Punch.
"She's…"
His mind drifted to Akane waking in his arms after having thought she had died, again.
"…She's alive," he breathed the words out, feeling the tension loosen as he continued through the forms.
What was she thinking? His thoughts ran as he moved gracefully through the dojo in silence.
Almost giving her life for mine? Twice? That stupid tomboy. I could have handled it if she had just stayed out of the way. I would have figured something out.
What did she expect me to do if she had died like that? How would I have faced her family if…
Ranma shook his head to clear the thought. Huffing out a breath that had caught in his throat, he continued into another more advanced kata.
What the hell did I say out loud? She said she heard everything as she was coming out of it— did I say I love her? It's all a blur.
Sweat dripped, sticking his undershirt to his skin as he pushed harder through each form— growing tense but now for a new reason.
It's not like she said it back if I did say it, so what the hell am I supposed to do now? She willingly throws herself in harm's way to help me, but doesn't… love me?
A final spin and kick flung sweat to the dojo floor. Breathing heavily from exertion, Ranma had to fight to remember to keep his voice down, bringing his hands to his head and completely losing his composure.
"Gaahhhhh, what the hell am I supposed to do NOW?!"
Hanging his head, he sighed and looked up through the open dojo window at the Tendo home, specifically at Akane's window. He knew inevitably they would have to talk about what had happened at Jusendo; What she had been aware of having happened while a doll; What she had heard him say as she came back to consciousness.
He was sure that his lack of sleep wasn't making the thought of talking about recent events any easier to swallow. Looking down at his bare arms, they were still covered in scrapes and cuts from the battle with Saffron. Even with Dr. Tofu's best remedies, the wounds were healing slower this time. The doctor had told him that he needed rest— that not letting himself heal mentally and emotionally would only slow the physical process. Ranma hadn't told him the images haunting his dreams were exactly why he couldn't and didn't want to sleep for longer than he had to.
Things had been relatively calm after getting back— too calm. Ranma was sure any day now things would return to the normal chaos. He turned sharply, starting from the first form again, resolved to tire himself out so he wouldn't have the energy to dream and strengthen himself in the process. This last fight was too close of a call too many times. He couldn't let that happen again.
— — — — —
The clock buzzed as it's digital display changed to 5:30am. Akane had set her alarm early, wanting to get an earlier jog in before her workout. She had hoped that she would avoid her father worryingly begging her to be careful and to take things slow after the recent events.
As she grabbed her sweatpants from her dresser, she heard movement outside; peering out her window, she saw Ranma already outside. He was shirtless, practicing with a bo staff; she mused that she rarely saw him practice with any weapons at all, though he was proficient with several. His movements were graceful, and she couldn't help but stare.
How does he manage to make everything look so easy?
She finished getting dressed into her sweats, went downstairs and opened the doors to the porch, though he was so involved he didn't notice her arrival. Akane sat and observed— she of course knew he was fit, but she could swear that his muscle tone had increased since he, or rather, she and a certain panda had arrived only two years prior.
As he moved through forms, she watched his bare arms use the staff as an extension of themselves— hitting invisible targets. Ranma gracefully stepped from stone to stone around the koi pond, occasionally bounding across using the staff to reposition. Akane could only watch in amazement; she knew he was far beyond her skill level, yet he never ceased to impress her with how easily it seemed to come to him.
Her memory of the battle with Saffron was fuzzy. She knew that she had nearly died— several times— and knew that she had willingly put herself in that position to sacrifice herself for Ranma's sake and give him an opening or a chance at coming out alive. She frowned slightly. The one memory she couldn't quite grasp, she wasn't confident hadn't been just a hallucination as she regained consciousness in his arms as he cried for her.
I'm sure he said it… but he hasn't said anything since. That's the kind of thing you don't just throw out there unless you're going to do something about it, right?
He made another pass around the pond.
I came to and he was crying for me. Was it just from the heat of the moment that he said it? Would he have said anything if he knew for sure I was okay?
She placed her chin in her palm as she watched him and sighed. His arms and chest were covered in wounds that were still healing. It was becoming more clear that he was healing mentally, too.
Most nights over the last week since returning he would be the last to head upstairs for the night, but she could swear she could hear him tossing and turning during the night when the house was still and silent. The other night she woke to him yelling out in a panic— though he had quickly deflected the following morning, saying it was nothing.
Akane came to realize just how… sweaty… he was, noticing his discarded undershirt next to the stone step leading up to the porch nearly soaked through. Her face changed from slight disgust at the soaked fabric to concern.
How long has he been out here…? It's barely daybreak and he looks like he's been at it for hours. "H-hey, Ranma?"
He continued his movements, not hearing her. Akane stood and tried again. "Ranma?"
He readied the staff to bound over the pond, balancing carefully on the inner side of the surrounding stones.
"HEY."
Ranma jerked his arm suddenly at the sound, losing his hold, and falling squarely into the center of the pond, face first. Transforming instantly, she pushed herself to a kneeled position, bare chested, and glared.
"What the hell, Akane? Warn me next time!"
"I tried twice and you didn't hear me, you big dummy. And have some modesty for once, would you?!" Akane grabbed the towel she had intended to take on her morning jog and tossed it to Ranma to cover herself up.
Ranma waded out of the pond and up to the porch, draping the towel around her neck and covering her chest. She didn't acknowledge Akane as she grabbed her sweat-soaked undershirt and began to walk inside.
Akane grabbed Ranma's thin arm, pulling her back a step. "Hey, how long have you been up? You look awful."
"Gee, thanks."
"I'm serious, Ranma," her voice softened, "the bags under your eyes have bags… how long have you been out there? Did you even sleep?"
Ranma avoided eye contact and thought back to her nightmares she had been plagued with before giving up on sleeping altogether. Sighing, she pulled her arm away from Akane and continued down the hall. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to take a bath."
"Ranma, Dr. Tofu examined us both here when we got back. I know he told you to take it easy and not push your—"
She raised a hand to wave Akane off, "Seriously, Akane," she turned and her blue eyes met her fiancée's brown eyes. "Just… I'm okay. So don't worry about it."
Akane could see the sleepless night behind Ranma's tired eyes. "Yeah, but…"
They heard movement upstairs as the household began to stir for the day. Kasumi always woke early to prepare breakfast. Ranma turned back towards the bathroom. "Kasumi's gettin' up, which means Mom and Pop will be here soon for breakfast. I would rather be a guy when my Mom gets here. Let's just… drop it for now, okay?" Her red pigtail disappeared around the corner and Akane heard the door to the bathroom open and close. She sighed and turned to go on her now delayed morning jog.
"Ranma, you dummy…"
— — — — —
Ranma sat on the stool, rinsing with cool water; she hadn't realized just how much of a sweat she had worked up. Training for four hours straight as hard as she had been pushing herself had left her smelling ripe to say the least. Reaching back to wash out her hair, she could feel her pigtail already soaked with sweat and grimaced.
Should prob'ly rinse this bad boy out today… that feels nasty.
She undid the hair tie, unraveling the braid. It was still a reflex to worry about her hair exploding in length, but after checking and re-checking in her sleep deprived state, she was able to focus on washing it through. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she turned away. Although she had been worried about more important things at Jusenkyo, she had been disappointed having returned home without a cure once again.
Not that I would change anything. If it means Akane is alive, I can stay like this a bit longer…
Having washed herself, she moved over to soak; she ran the hot water, waiting for the tub to fill.
Is that why Akane didn't say anything back? Because of my curse? If anything she seems like she's the one who cares the least about it and treats me the same regardless of which body I'm in. Shampoo only ever uses my girl body for her gain or curing my curse as some kind of blackmail… Ucchan always seems more concerned with just turning me back… where does she even get hot water that fast?
She lowered into the tub, feeling the transformation travel up her body instantly as she submerged up to her chest.
Obviously Kodachi is a damn loon, not that she matters anyway.
He thought back to Akane smiling at him whether he was in his male or female body. His thoughts lingered on the previous week, having wrapped his battle-torn shirt around her, praying she would wake up. She had seemed so small, held tightly against him as he cried. She had wiped his tears as she came back to him, smiling then too.
She might have just been happy to be alive… but if I had said it… really said I… I loved her… maybe she was smiling because of that too?
Water splashed from the tub as he brought his hands suddenly to his head out of frustration.
Gahhhhhhhh but why wouldn't she have said anything back?! If I wasn't such a coward I would have said it again right then and there to be sure she knew but…
A gentle knock on the door broke him from his thoughts. "Ranma!" Kasumi's sweet voice came from the other side of the door, "you're mother and father are here and breakfast will be ready shortly, okay?"
"O-okay— thank you, Kasumi!"
Stepping out of the bath, he realized he hadn't brought any new clothes with him. Sighing at his lack of attention this morning, he wrapped a towel around his waist after drying himself and stepped out into the hall.
He could already hear everyone gathered by the table, his face turned rosey as he stepped in to view and Nabiki whistled, "Going for a new look, Tarzan? We don't see your hair down often."
"Oh, my! Ranma did you forget to bring clothes in with you?"
"Ranma, dear! It's so manly that you want to show off your muscles, but please— you're still a guest in this house."
He bit his tongue and kept walking by. He was in no state of mind to answer back and not insult someone. Turning the corner and coming to the stairs, he hurriedly began to head up when Akane had just finished descending and they collided.
"Oh— Ranma!"
"Hey, watch it—" he stumbled over his words, not wanting to pick a fight and averted his gaze. "Sorry, I'm… I wasn't paying attention."
Akane blushed, not expecting a towel-clad, hair-down Ranma this morning. Her brow furrowed and she reached out to touch his cheek gently. He was clearly exhausted.
"Ranma…"
His steel blue eyes looked up at her to meet her gaze as she stood above him from the first step.
She's beautiful.
She wasn't wearing anything special, just a short, ruffled top and a long skirt. But the way the light was shining in from the windows made her eyes sparkle. He could see the concern in her deep brown eyes and he blushed and looked away. Gently taking her slender wrist in his hand, he placed her hand on the stair rail.
"I should go get dressed— 'scuse me." And he walked around her, up the stairs. Akane's eyes followed him as he went.
— — — — —
Ranma had managed to get into a fresh pair of boxers and an undershirt before he found himself just staring down at his hand. He had held her wrists before, but he always was amazed at how slender and delicate they were in his hand. A knock at the door shook him from his thoughts. "J-just a minute!"
He pulled out a pair of his dark blue pants and slipped them on, as he tied the knot, he turned to the door, "Come in!"
Nodoka seemed to glide into the room as she opened the door, leaving it partially open behind her, and smiled at her son.
"Oh, h-hey Mom. Everything okay? I'm sorry about downstairs— I ended up in the pond this morning and just didn't think to grab new clothes before getting in the bath, so—" he rambled as his mother drew near, not sure how to apologize if he had embarrassed her, still getting used to her being around his male form at all. "I've been here almost two years now, so they've kinda seen me in all states of dress— not that I walk around naked— at least not as a guy— I mean, not that I'm completely naked anyways… I just— I forget I shouldn't do that as a girl? I—"
Nodoka caressed her son's face and smiled, but there was a concern behind her eyes.
Man, is everyone going to look at me like that today?
"You look tired, dear. You're worrying poor Akane."
Ranma blushed and looked elsewhere, "Mom, I'm… it's fine." He looked into her eyes, trying his best to seem manly and in control. "I'm okay, really. Just been hittin' hard at trainin' lately, ya know?"
Nodoka smiled and walked around the bare room, "A mother can always tell, dear. You've barely slept all week— even if your dear fiancée hadn't told me when I asked, I knew something was wrong," she stopped her walk around the room, taking a brush from the top of the dresser. "How about you sit down, and we can chat while we do something about your hair, now? We can join the others for breakfast after."
"Mom, you don't have t—"
"Nonsense, I used to brush your fathers hair," she brought up a hand to stifle a giggle, "back when he had some anyways!"
Ranma's tired eyes softened and a smile creeped onto his face. "Pop had hair? I've never seen pictures that showed any."
He went and sat cross-legged in front of his mother who had knelt on his futon, letting her brush through his hair and begin braiding, "Mr. Tendo has photos from when they were training under the old lech, and he never had hair in any of those."
"I've known your father long before that, I'm afraid— he was quite the strapping young man." Ranma could tell his mother was smiling at the memory, but he couldn't help but grimace at the thought of his father being considered 'strapping.'
"I… I guess I didn't know about all that."
"No matter, dear, plenty of time for us to talk about that now."
Ranma smiled faintly, his eyelids heavy and his muscles sore.
"…Do you think you might be coming home with us soon? I know you are used to not having much, but having an actual bed could help in your recovery." She finished the braid and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Erm… I—" his eyes shot open as he tensed. "Mom, I— uh, don't… don't take this the wrong way. I don't…" Ranma took a deep breath, and turned to face his mother, with what he hoped was a manly look in his eyes, "I don't think after everything that happened last week— well, I think I should stay close by."
He hadn't given much detail to anyone about what had actually happened in Jusendo. He relived it often enough at night and when his mind wandered that he didn't want to bring it up more than needed.
Mom, please understand… it's not you it's… I can't leave her. Not again.
Nodoka smiled warmly. "I suppose it makes sense for you to be here. You and Akane will be taking over the dojo one day, after all."
Ranma let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"I do wish you would tell her how you feel, dear."
Ranma's face flushed, "Mom, I—"
"A mother can always tell, dear, remember?" She winked, "I've seen enough of your interactions to know. It honestly makes much more sense of when I thought your girl form was Akane's cousin." She reached out and caressed her son's cheek again, forcing him to face her despite the apparent embarrassment. "The sooner you tell her, the sooner you'll have your answer you're looking for."
Looking into his mother's eyes, Ranma felt the tension start to slip away, but two year's worth of doubt remained. How can she be so sure?
"Now then, why don't you rest for a bit?" Nodoka reached for the discarded sheets from the night before and began to push her son down.
"Wh— Hey! Listen— I thought we were going down for breakfast? You can't force me to nap, I'm not a kid!" Am I that tired or is she stronger than she looks?
Ranma suddenly found himself laying on his futon on his side, sheet draped over him, with his head resting on his mother's lap.
"I'll prepare something for you once you've rested. No son of mine is going to be up all night long, working himself to death and barely sleeping."
He groaned, "C'mon, I'm not—"
"Ranma dear," she bent over to look in his eyes, "Akane is safe and sound, downstairs. Whatever horrors you faced— she is alive because of you."
Ranma averted his gaze, pouting, "She was there in the first place because of me too."
She straightened and began rubbing her son's back, her fingers dancing over certain pressure points to relieve tension from his aching body. "You're father filled me in on what he could remember, though he was under a spell for most of it… it sounds like Akane is capable of making her own mind up on when she chooses to act and for whom; your father told me what you were able to overcome, and he knows that you're healing in more ways than just physically."
Ranma sighed deeply as the tension left him, his eyelids growing heavy. Did the old man hear me with Akane? Was he even there? I can't remember anything happening around me while I held her… no, if he had heard me, they would have forced a wedding the second we got back.
"Mom, that…" he unsuccessfully stifled a yawn, closing his eyes fully, "that feels really nice…"
Nodoka smiled warmly, having used this same technique on Genma after most days spent training with Soun and Happosai. "Just rest, dear."
Ranma didn't hear, as he had already fallen into the first peaceful sleep he'd had all week.
— — — — —
"A barrel of Nanniichuan? How?"
Soun shushed his youngest daughter, "it's not here yet— the Jusenkyo guide called yesterday morning and said it should arrive in two days. He said it would be a wedding gift for Ranma as a thank you."
Akane's eyes narrowed. "A wedding gift, huh?"
"Now, now, after everything you've told me, don't you think your fiancee deserves a win? My dear, he brought you home safely to your loving father. Is it so much to ask that he be rewarded?" Soun had erupted in tears as he hugged Akane close, and she blushed.
"Akane, you can't be seriously considering this."
Nabiki was leaning against the entry way, having heard the news, and spoke dryly. "You're seriously going to marry him because he rescued you? Doesn't that happen once a week anyway?"
Genma piped up, "Akane, Ranma fought tooth and nail to bring you home this time, even—" he turned dramatically, his memories a little unreliable, "even fighting me, his dear father!"
Nabiki scoffed, irritating Genma.
"He brought your sister home from peril! Let him get married so we— I mean, he— can be cured!"
Akane sat thoughtfully, her father no longer bawling on her, but simply in front of her.
It was more than just peril… he fought to keep me alive… to save me from death. I sacrificed myself for him at Jusendo to give him an edge in the battle… We could be… He could be cured— something he truly deserves, and… I…
She looked to Nabiki and Genma arguing over timing of the wedding and the morality of this whole choice they were forcing upon her with Ranma not even part of the conversation. Nodoka came back into the room, smiled at Akane and nodded. She had managed to get him to rest. Akane breathed a sigh of relief, gathering her resolve.
"I'll do it."
The arguing stopped and all eyes turned to Akane.
"Ranma deserves to be cured. I'll do it." And if he doesn't want to be married… we'll figure out a way to get out of it. After he gets his cure.
Genma and Soun erupted with joy as they began planning with Akane. Nodoka offered little help but feigned support, making eye contact with Nabiki and nodding.
Nabiki's scowl changed to her overly cheery smile when she met the older woman's gaze. "Well, congratulations then, Akane. I guess we'll have a wedding on Saturday." She turned on her heel and left the room, grabbing a few notecards from the table. She counted out how many cards she would need as she went up to her room. "It would be a shame if word got out to the wrong people, though, wouldn't it?" She could hear Ranma's light snoring as she passed the spare room and entered her own.
"Sorry Ranma, I can't guarantee you'll get that barrel, but I'm not letting my little sister get roped into a wedding before you're both ready."