Sunset A Ranma ˝ fanfiction by Zorknot (W. Brad Robinson) Disclaimer: Anmaray one-halfay isay originallyay theyay orkway ofay Akahashitay umikoray. Note: A bit of short WAFF I found while going through my files. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it. ~~~~~[BEGIN]~~~~~ Ya know what I really hate? Sunsets. Sunsets suck, man. I mean really, what good are they? What have they ever done for me? And where do they get off...bein so damned pretty? If it wasn't for this damned sunset, the way that all the colors reflect off the koi pond, the bird flying in front of that giant red orange jewel hangin in the sky like a lost puppy...if this sunset wasn't so damn PERFECT...maybe I could tell Akane that I love her. There she is, sittin right next to me, and all I can do is just sit next ta her and watch the clouds change colors. I keep thinkin I should say somethin NOW that I should put my arm around her shoulder're somethin, but it just seems so...I dunno fake maybe. Like I had planned it all along and was just waitin for the right moment. But that's just it. I HAVE been waitin for the right moment. Ever since Jusendo and that Saffron brat... I've been wantin ta tell Akane that I loved her for real. Yeah I know I told her I loved her before. When she was fightin Kuno in that kendo championship and I was a cheerleader I said I loved her when I didn't know it was her. And the weirdest thing about that, even weirder than me bein a girl and Akane bein dressed as a guy and tha whole school watchin...the weirdest thing was that when I found out it was Akane...I couldn't help but feel happy. And then when I thought she was dead...I had ta say it then. I had to or Akane woulda left me forever, but the truth is that if Ukyo or Mom or even... Ryoga were in the same fix...I mighta done the same thing. It freaks me out about Ryoga, but it's true, he's like my best friend or somethin. Don't ask me how that happened, but after that weddin...I kinda learned who my friends really were there. I've forgiven Ukyo, she explained how she thought I was havin the weddin against my will and just got trigger happy with the okonomiyaki bombs. She's had it rough, and I ain't got no right ta judge her for goin a little overboard...not after I kinda sorta killed someone... Tha point though, is that I haven't really told Akane when it wasn't forced outta me. And I haven't told her that I loved her...that way. I do...I knew it ever since I saw that kid Shinnosuke tried ta make a move on her. But I wasn't ready ta get married then, and I wasn't about ta admit ta somethin like that right then. I think we both kinda started ta get closer then though. I mean, we kinda had ta after savin each other's lives and all. Dammit! The sun's almost gone! I'm gonna miss my chance again! But it's always like this. Always the pressure to do stuff even when I don't feel like it Akane and me are already engaged fer cryin out loud! I can't really hate Pops for hookin me up with Akane anymore but... I mean maybe I don't know much about stuff outside Martial Arts but I think bein engaged already's goin a little fast! And I'm just turnin eighteen in a few months! I'm s'posed ta party everyday and stuff right now ain't I? Why'd I have ta go an fall in love? I've made up my mind. I'm gonna tell Akane that I love her tonight...right AFTER that stupid sun goes over the horizon and not a second before. I'm just going to sit right here and stare at the pretty pink clouds and the red and yellow ripples in the pond. I ain't gonna pay attention to tha warmth I can feel from Akane's body. I ain't gonna even look at her, I already know she's not anywhere near cute...She's beautiful. I'm just gonna relax and let that sun roll on down, 'cause I've about had it with all this pressure. A fish just jumped out of the pond. It was really cool lookin with all the water droplets in the sun like that. I wonder if Akane saw it...Uh oh. I'm lookin at her now. She's starin off somewhere. She's got these little fires in her eyes from the sun. And there's somethin about the way the muscles in her neck moved when she swallowed a second ago... I could just watch her all day. Man, I got it bad don't I? Ah hell, she's turning her head, lookin' straight smack dab inta my eyes! Man its like thunder in my chest, lightning in my veins! I can't help myself! "I love you!" "I love you!" I said it. And so did Akane. We both said it at exactly the same time. Wow! I never knew I could feel this good! I must have the dopeyest lookin grin on my face! Akane just looks cuter than ever... After a moment we both turn around...The sun's still there. I guess I jumped tha gun a bit. I ain't upset about it though. I put my arm around Akane's shoulder, she puts hers around mine and we watch the sun ooze inta the horizon like a radioactive tomato. So beautiful...so perfect...I guess all in all I'm in favor of sunsets. Kasumi calls us back inside and we get up like we're in slo mo or somethin and sit down for supper. Both of are still smilin like crazy. I think maybe tomorrow we'll even work up ta kissin. I'll probably have to be male for that though... ~~~~~[END]~~~~~ Praised be to the fic reviewers, for they are among the truly great.