After a lot of consideration, I have decided to drop the
lemon part of the story from Lesson in Love. It put WAY too
many restricions on the story and I felt that it was actually
really quite OOC. After all, Ranma and Akane had JUST 
admitted that they loved each other that day. This was just
too constraining on the theme and it made me portray Nabiki
not exactly as I wanted her. She is still going to get the
big emotional slap from Ranma, but it isn't going to be 
over taking sexual photos. That was just, indeed, not right
or where I was taking this story. This is the revised 
version of part 8, and I hope you will read it and make sure
that I did it right. I really think that this version 
conveys L in L much better. I will keep the lemon as a 
side story ONLY, and it will be available upon request.
This will also reflect upon Part 9, which will also be
reposted, and part 10 should be posted in the next few days.

ALSO for all you camera-buffs who chided me for my use of
Nabiki's camera to take "pictures in the dark," I revised 
this part to make it a little clearer how she took the
pictures. Parts of Part 9 have been integrated into Part 8,
so there are going to be differences. Please read, and I am
sorry for all the confusion. THIS part 8 will be put up on
the remailer to replace the lemon, and also on my web-page.

gomen nasai,

misa-chan
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A Lesson in Love
Chapter 8: Dreams
By Marisa Price

        "Gee Ranma, here you are again after your little speech
about how much you hated being half-girl," Akane noted as she 
sat slowly eating a parfait at a small ice-cream parlor they
had seen on they way home from the park. Ranma had immediately
grabbed a nearby garden hose and switched over to his girl-form
and dragged Akane inside. As usual, he was eating a very fancy
girl-style ice-cream in the least feminine and gluttonus way
possible.
        Ranma grinned at her and said, "Hey, I gotta enjoy the
good parts while I still have a chance."
        Akane giggled and looked at her fiancee. For some
reason she still saw him/her as a boy... it was impossible for
her to think of him/her as a girl although SHE sat right in
front of him... she mused, "Hey Ranma, have you ever wondered
who SHE was...?"
        Ranma looked at her, surprised, and asked, "Um... she?"
        "Yeah," Akane continued, "You know, the girl who
drowned in the pond."
        "Not really," Ranma said, and then added, "But... now
that you mention it... I wonder what did happen to her... it's
pretty hard to just fall in one of those shallow ponds and 
drown..."
        "Maybe we should go to the library sometime and see if
there is anything about drowned Chinese girls in Jusenkyo."
Akane said, somewhat seriously.
        Ranma got an intent look on her face and said, mimicing
the Chinese Guide, "VERY tragic story that one..."
        They both laughed.
        She reached a hand over and brushed the hair out of
Ranma's eyes, mentioning, "You know, you should really get some
semblance of a haircut."
        "Oh great," Ranma sighed and rolled her eyes, "Now that
she has finally got me, all she can do is try to change me!"
        Akane conked Ranma's forehead and sat back with a smile
on her face.
        "And besides..." Ranma leaned forward and whispered in
a conspirational tone, "I am too scared to cut it... I figure 
I am just going to enjoy it while I have it... you never know
if I am going to end up like Pop."
        "Oh stop being silly." Akane giggled.
        "This is nice you know," Ranma suddenly said, leaning
back in her chair.
        "What?"
        "Just... US. Not fighting. No one interrupting. It is
almost too good to be true," Ranma mused.
        Akane smiled and reached out to cover one of Ranma's
hands with her own. She said, softly, "It IS nice."
        Then she leaned back in her chair and added, "Though
I wouldn't expect it to always be this peaceful between us,
Ranma. You are still arrogant, and I am still a violent
tomboy."
        Ranma grinned at her and said, "Yeah. That IS true. And
you're so suspicious. And you NEVER listen to me."
        "Well... you can be like that yourself, you know..."
she said quietly.
        Ranma put his hand over hers and said, "Hey... Don't
get all serious on me. I didn't mean it like that. I mean, you
may be a violent tomboy... but you are MY violent tomboy."
        Akane smiled back at him, her eyes glowing, and said, 
"I don't think I am ever going to get tired of hearing that."
        "What, that you are a violent tomboy?" Ranma cracked.
        Akane reached over the table and slugged him saying,
"Oh you know what I mean, baka!"
        Akane looked down at her watch and said, "C'mon, Ranma.
It is taking us forever to get home.
        Ranma looked up at her and said,  "Hmm? Oh yeah. 
Well... I am not in any hurry anyway."
        The stood and paid and then walked out of the shop. 
        "Why don't you want to go home?" Akane asked.
        Ranma looked up at her and said, "Well, we just can't
be ALONE when all those people are around. If it isn't our 
dads, it is Mom checking to make sure I am manly enough, or
Nabiki trying to take pictures of me in the nude..."
        Ranma sighed.
        "Ranma-- I am sorry about Dad and Nabiki," Akane said,
reaching down to take Ranma's hand in her own and giving it an
affectionate squeeze.
        Ranma shrugged and said, "They are no worse than my
Mom and Pop. We just have to deal with it. But..." She looked
up at Akane and smiled, adding, "It has been a great day...
just the two of us..."
        Akane nodded and the two of them finally arrived at 
the doors of the Dojo.
        "Well," Akane said, taking a deep breath, "Here we go."
        The self-conciously dropped each other's hands and
seperated a bit, not wanting to arouse suspicion. The weren't
ready to share their revelations with the others.
        They walked up to the house and went inside.
        Even though the two of them felt as if the world had
changed, everything in the dojo was exactly as it had been 
before.
         Nabiki was propped up against some pillows watching
T.V.,  Happosai was ironing underwear, Nadoka and Kasumi were 
mending clothing and chatting, and Soun and Genma-Panda were
playing shogi.
         The Panda held up a sign that said, "Welcome 
back!" and he smiled at Akane and Ranma. While Genma was 
distracted, Soun frantically moved pieces to different locations
on the board. Genma turned back to Soun and the game, and then
looked down at the game. His eyes widened, and he held up a 
sign that said, "WHAT?!"
        Akane and Ranma shrugged at the lack of notice upon
their entry and headed upstairs.
	They didn't notice the always-aware Nabiki looking at 
their retreating reflection in the television screen, or her 
calculating smile when she noticed her sister standing so CLOSE
to her fiancee.
	When they reached Akane's door, Ranma jerked her thumb
toward the bathroom and said, "I'm gonna go change back, I will
be right back."
        Akane nodded and opened the door to her room. She put
on one of her nightgowns and sat down on her bed, the events 
of the day still swirling through her head. She laid back and
looked up at an upside-down picture of all of them at the
beach, Shampoo and Ukyou attached to each of Ranma's sides,
and Akane standing off to the side.
        She had kept looking at that picture over and over for
the past few months, jealousy eating at her. But now she knew
the truth. She had never been on the side. Ranma had always 
cared.
        Akane thought about how strange things had been since
they had admitted how they felt. It was as if some invisible
barrier had been lifted. That barrier had prevented them from
showing any physical or emotional affection.
        Now... She smiled as she thought about how he had 
easily taken her hand, and kissed her, and held her. She had 
never been held like that before by anyone... but with Ranma
it felt so... RIGHT.
        His kisses made her feel different... yet wonderful. It
was all so new. For a whole year they had danced around each
other... never connecting. And now, the excitement was so 
powerful when they did. It had filled her like a rush of pure
light whenever he had even spared her a kind word or a smile 
before, in his clumsy way of being affectionate. And now...
        It was as if she was able to hold the sun in her hands. 
        She smiled and closed her eyes.
        She must have fallen asleep because the moon was
shining through the window where it had been absent what 
seemed like moments before. And her room was dark. What had
happened to Ranma?
        She sat up and started to get up when she noticed 
Ranma at her desk, his head pillowed on his arms, snoring
softly. She went over and stroked his back, loving him so much
it filled her with almost an anxious feeling. She noticed
that he was now only dressed in his tank-top and boxers and 
looked a bit cold.
        She shook him a couple of times... no response.
        "This is never going to work," She thought. "The guy
sleeps like a brick."
        But she wondered... She leaned forward and whispered
softly in his ear, "Ranma. Wake up. It's me, Akane."
        And he stirred, sitting up and rubbing his face. He
looked at her with sleepy grey-blue eyes and said, "Mmm...
Akane?"
        Akane sat back down on the bed, amazed. She didn't 
think it was possible to wake Ranma up when he was asleep.
        She smiled at him and said, "Wow... I woke you up just
by whispering in your ear. Usually it takes no less than bashing
you over the head or throwing you in the pond."
        "You did? Wow." Even Ranma was surprised.
        "So why didn't you wake me up when you came in?" Akane
asked.
        Ranma blushed, the red of his cheeks showing in
the moonlight, and said quietly, "You just looked so... pretty
when you were asleep. And... I felt bad waking you."
        "Really?" she asked, surprised.
        Ranma nodded.
        He shivered a bit, the room having grown chilly, and
started to get up. He said, "Well... I better get back to
my room... I just didn't want you to think I hadn't come 
back." He blushed again.
        Akane was touched by his tenderness... she knew it was
strange and unusual for him to show how he felt, and that she
meant enough to him for him to try was extremely important to
her.
        She said, softly, "Wait awhile, Ranma."
        "Huh?" he said, looking at her in surprise.
        "I... I don't know how to explain it. You know what
you said about me thinking this was all a dream earlier?"
        He nodded, encouraging her to go on.
        "Well, " Akane continued, "You were right. I am so 
scared that I am going to wake up and things are going to have
gone back to what they were before."
        She paused, and in the moonlight Ranma thought he saw
the trickle of a tear slide down her cheek.
        He pushed himself away from the desk, stood up, and
walked over to her, putting her head against his torso and
holding her, softly stroking her hair.
        "Akane..." he said soothingly, "I promise things will
never go back to the way they were before. I... I couldn't
ever let that happen... I NEED you..."
        Akane sobbed a bit and said, "I was so lonely before,
I couldn't bear it again..."
        Ranma just let her cry, holding her.     
        Ranma pulled her close to kiss her softly, and said
softly, "Akane... I love you...."
        Akane smiled and nodded, saying, "I know, Ranma."
        Then she was silent.
        "AND?!" Ranma asked, pensively.
        Akane smiled again and added, "I love you too."
        Ranma sighed in relief and sat down on her bed with her
pulled up close to him. They sat there for several minutes,
holding each other and, somehow, fell asleep.

*****

	Nabiki waited until late at night to creep slowly from
her bedroom.
	"Something is up between those two," she thought as she 
paused outside Akane's room. She leaned her ear to the door to 
listen to the muted conversation.
	She grinned as she heard Ranma clearly say, "Akane... I
love you...." Followed by Akane's barely audible, "I love you
too."
	"So, they finally admitted it," Nabiki thought.
	She crept back to her room, leaving the door open a crack,
wanting to be able to catch Ranma as he was sneaking out of
Akane's room. It ought to be worth a lot of yen to Ranma for 
her to keep his little secret.
	However, when an hour went by, and then two, Nabiki 
started to wonder what had happened. Then it struck her... had 
they fallen asleep? Were they doing something.... else?
	Nabiki had made it to the door, ready to go check on her
sister, when she realized that she should turn back and get her
camera "just in case."
       She threw open the door to Akane's room and flicked on
the light. Akane and Ranma, two of the world's deepest sleepers,
didn't even stir. They sat together, cuddled up, on Akane's bed,
Ranma leaning against the wall and Akane's head cradled in his
lap.
	Nabiki smiled and raised her camera.
	"Now THIS should be worth a few yen," she thought as she
snapped a few photos. She then turned around to shut off the
light and carefully shut the door. She glanced one more time at
the sleeping lovebirds, their eyes were still shut.
	"All to easy," Nabiki snickered as she went back into her
own room and closed the door.

*****

	Akane stirred, blinking her eyes and yawning, wondering
how long she had been asleep. Akane turned her gaze to the window
and noticied the moon was gone- it was almost dawn. How had time
passed so quickly?
        "Ranma..." she said, looking at him. He was fast asleep
again. Not a good sign.
        "RANMA." she said a bit louder.
        "HUH... ?" Ranma said, jerked awake from his dreams.
        "Ranma," Akane said seriously, "I think you should
go back to your room."
        "Why?!" Ranma said, surprised and now fully awake.
        "Well..." Akane began, "It's already dawn, and if we 
fall asleep again, we might not wake up in time. It might not be
such a great idea to let anyone know that you were in my room
tonight..."
        "Or we'll end up married by tomorrow evening?" Ranma
finished, seeing her point.
        Akane nodded.
        She finally said, reaching over to stroke his cheek,
"I want our relationship to be based on what WE want from now
on, Ranma. Let's not give it away to them yet..."
        Ranma sat up and leaned down to kiss her. He finally 
stood up and dressed, and then gave Akane a rakish grin.
        "Well... thanks..." Ranma said.
        Akane looked flabergasted and stood up to slug him.
"THANKS?!" she asked. "And what is THAT supposed to mean?"
        Ranma just chuckled and added, "I was just kidding.
And... you look so cute when you're mad."
        Akane slugged him again and said, "Baka."
        She turned and started to shoo Ranma out of the room,
pushing him into the hallway. Before they parted, Ranma caught
her hand and looked into her eyes.
        "What is it?" she asked, surprised at how serious he
looked all of a sudden.
        "I just.... wanted to... tell you that you are 
beautiful, Akane. And I'm sorry for all those times when I..."
Ranma began.
        Akane silenced him with one finger pressed to his lips.
Then she reached up and kissed him and said, "Shh. I know. It's
time for bed, and all that is behind us now. I love you."
        She reached up to kiss him goodnight, and then turned
back to her room. She started to close the door, and then 
stopped, realizing something.
        She added, "Thanks, Ranma... For making my dreams come
true..."
        She then gave him one of her sweetest smiles, and softly
closed the door.
        Ranma, slightly baffled, and watched Akane return to her
room and close the door behind her.
        Ranma stood there for a second before saying, in a loud
whisper, "Yat-----taaaaa!!"* before he went off to bed with a 
smile on his face.
        
        The dark days were over... the dawn had come.... but the
dream was just beginning.
     

* "YES!" or "Alll-RIGHT!"
                
Marisa Price
marisa@gladstone.uoregon.edu
Anime Page!!! http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~marisa/
Mermaid Saga WebPage!!
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~marisa/mermaid.html
Member of COR and UDIC.