Melting

Chapter One: Discovering the Problem

"I'm home!" Nabiki called out, slipping off her shoes and stepping into the house slippers kept by the Tendo's entrance. She looked around with a small affectionate smile, glad to be home after a semester away at college in Tokyo. Surprised when no one came to greet her, she went up to her room to deposit her bag and then went in search of the family, following the sounds of raised voices out back.

Nabiki found her older sister Kasumi standing by the open back door, hands pressed to her mouth, watching their younger sister attempting to mallet her long-time fiance Ranma Saotome while the Tendo and Saotome patriarchs calmly played a game of go. Ranma, with his life-long martial arts skills, nimbly dodged every ferocious swing, which only served to make Akane's battle aura blaze brighter in fury.

"Coward!" Akane screamed, wielding her mallet in an almost berserker-like rage while Ranma flowed easily around all her wild strikes. "Fight me for real, Ranma, you pervert!"

"Hey, sis," Nabiki walked up to Kasumi, eyes on the violent pair dancing around the koi pond. If things were as they used to be, soon Akane would hit Ranma and he would fly off courtesy of Mallet Express Airlines, and then would calm down.

"Oh, Nabiki!" Kasumi tore her eyes away from the ugly scene to embrace her sister. "It's so wonderful to see you again! How was the train ride? Are you hungry?"

"Nah," Nabiki replied absently, returning the hug before looking back at Akane and Ranma. "What's up with them?"

She was shocked to see Kasumi's normally serene expression cloud with anger. "It's so awful, Nabiki," she said, lips thin and eyes flashing. "Every since you left they fight more often and it always ends with Ranma hurt. Akane won't listen to reason! I've spoken with her twice now and she promises to stop fighting like this . . . but then something foolish happens that sets her off again. I don't know what to do."

"They always make up, though," Nabiki started to interject, but Kasumi shook her head.

"Not anymore. They don't even walk to school together now, and the teachers are threatening to separate them into different classes because of the disturbances to the other students."

"But Akane . . ."

"Is a grown woman and I will not have her acting this way," Kasumi stepped forward, determination in her eyes. "Akane!" she raised her voice, something that normally would shock Akane into stopping. "Akane, this behavior is unacceptable!"

Still nothing. Ranma appeared to have heard Kasumi, he was talking to Akane while dodging, who in turn shrieked something at him and swung. The mallet connected with a dull thud and sent him flying toward the rock wall surrounding the dojo, where he impacted, creating a cloud of crushed rock dust. Ranma peeled himself off the wall and fell to the ground, before slowly standing up, cradling his left arm and limping slightly.

Nabiki started down the steps, whether or not to distract Akane by saying hello to her sister or to help Ranma, she wasn't sure, but that point became moot when Akane shouldered her mallet again with a wordless roar and raced towards him, seemingly intent on hammering the injured young man into oblivion.

"Akane, stop!" Nabiki screamed, breaking into a run. Her mind did some cold calculations while she was in motion. Akane was five feet away and moving fast, but if Nabiki sped up she just might intercept her in time to stop her from seriously hurting her fiance. Ranma was wincing, putting a hand to the back of his head, and just starting to notice Akane's incoming attack. Kasumi was screaming in the background and Dad and Mr. Saotome were just starting to pay attention. Auntie Saotome stepped through the sliding door and her mouth opened in shock. And Nabiki . . . she plowed into her younger sister a mere foot away from the best martial artist in Nerima and tumbled to the ground, landing on the damned mallet.

"Ow," she moaned, trying to rub the pain out of her back. That was going to be one big bruise tomorrow. She got to her feet just in time for Akane's furious face to fill her vision.

"What the hell did you do that for, Nabiki?" she shouted, and abruptly Nabiki was flying backwards courtesy of a two-handed shove, screaming, landing with a splash in the koi pond (who by now were used to the two-leggers visiting them in the water and swam quietly around her.)

Panting in anger, Akane turned and found her arms trapped in an iron grip. Icy blue eyes glared at her, and Ranma barely managed to choke out, "Martial artists never hurt the innocent," before shoving Akane away in apparent disgust and turning his attention to the bedraggled middle Tendo sister.

He crouched and reached his arm out to the soaking wet Nabiki, whose eyes were flashing fire. "Need a hand?"

"Thanks," Nabiki put her hand in his and was abruptly lifted before being gently placed on her feet. She shoved a hand through her sopping hair and adjusted her clothes before admitting defeat. She would have to look undignified. She spared Ranma a glance— Upright, coherent, possible arm and leg injury, possible concussion . . . and angry —before turning her furious gaze upon her sister and stalking over to the simmering Akane.

"Daughter!" Soun Tendo wailed, intercepting her with a tackling hug. "Are you alright?" He was followed by an out-of-breath Kasumi and Auntie Saotome, who was looking very concerned for her son.

"No." Nabiki held them off with a hand, gently disengaging herself from her father's hug, and stepped in front of her younger sister, who refused to meet her eyes and was glaring at the ground. Her voice was hard and unforgiving when she spoke.

"Akane, look at me."

Her stubborn tomboy sister didn't lift her gaze.

"Akane." Nabiki spoke sharply, and finally Akane met her eyes.

"What?" she asked sullenly, frowning past Nabiki to Ranma.

Nabiki stepped closer so she was all Akane could see. "How dare you?" she hissed, the ire in her tone finally grabbing Akane's attention. Her younger sister looked startled. "You are eighteen, Akane. Eighteen. Yet you still act like you are a spoiled princess who should be given everything she wants. You call yourself a martial artist? Bullshit. I've seen martial artists." Here she grabbed Ranma's uninjured arm and pulled him close. "This is a martial artist. Ryouga is a martial artist. Shampoo, Ukyo, Cologne, Mousse . . . they are martial artists. You? You are a bully, Akane Tendo. You smash bricks and smack some guys around and think that makes you a martial artist? That makes you a violent girl who doesn't deserve her friends or family. Or fiance."

She released Ranma's arm, and took a step back. She was so angry she was trembling. "Your actions are not honorable, Akane, and they stain the good name of the Tendo family. Change your behavior before the damage is irreparable."

With that said, Nabiki turned and left her little sister shocked and fuming, with the rest of her stricken family cloistered around her. She walked upstairs to her room and shut the door. It was time to do what she did best. It was time to make a plan.

An hour or so later, Nabiki set down her ledger and sat back with a sigh. A quiet knock at her door startled her. "Come in," she called, not very surprised when Kasumi stepped in, shutting the door behind her. "What can I do for you, big sis?"

Kasumi sat on her bed and folded her hands in her lap, and was quiet a moment before speaking. "I wish to speak to you about the way you treated Akane."

Nabiki pursed her lips and nodded slightly. Here's where I get read the riot act.

Kasumi bit her lip and glanced around, then looked straight at her. "Thank you," she said simply. "You did the right thing."

A bit dumbstruck, Nabiki barely managed to utter, "No problem."

"Were you badly hurt?" Kasumi asked, and Nabiki shook her head.

"Some bumps and bruises, nothing too bad. I'm more worried about Ranma. How is he?"

Kasumi shot her a penetrating look. "You've grown up a bit while you've been gone away, Nabiki. You've never asked about Ranma's well-being before."

Nabiki shifted in her seat, kind of uncomfortable with what she was about to admit. "It only took a few days before I realized treating everyone like they were an ATM machine wouldn't make me any friends, and I'm able to support myself without resorting to any . . . unsavory dealings."

"You mean blackmail?" Kasumi looked directly at her, making Nabiki feel about two inches tall. "Extorting your friends and family? Selling revealing photos of your sister and her fiance?"

Nabiki felt her face start to flush. "Y-yes," she said, fingers twitching nervously.

Kasumi smiled at her and Nabiki began to calm down. "I'm so glad, Nabiki."

Nabiki let out a quiet breath. Whew. Then she frowned. "Actually, sis, that's the problem."

"What problem?"

"We're broke," the mercenary sister said simply. "Without my . . . income sources, and with Mr. Saotome's eating habits, and Akane and Ranma and the other fiancee's destroying our walls and dojo so often . . . we have maybe another two months before the bank repossesses the house."

"What can we do?" Kasumi asked, fingers lacing so tightly together the knuckles were turning white. Nabiki hated making her sweet older sister worry.

"I can think of three solutions." Nabiki began, sitting forward. This was her forte. Planning. Decisions. Manipulations. She could fix this. "First; Dad reopens the dojo and starts training students."

Kasumi sucked in her breath but remained silent. Nabiki rolled her eyes and answered the unsaid problem.

"I know, every time someone mentions reopening the dojo Dad cries for a week. It's just an idea. Anyway, my second idea is everyone here gets a job."

Kasumi bit her lip.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Like Mr. Saotome and Dad would ever get off their butts. Third . . ." Nabiki took a deep breath. "Third, I start selling information again."

Now Kasumi furrowed her brows. "Nabiki! You just said . . ."

"I know what I said, Kasumi, but sometimes survival means you do what you have to do," Nabiki snapped. She closed her eyes. "Look. Will you talk to Dad? You can probably approach him better than I would. Run my ideas by him. Let me know what you think?"

Kasumi nodded and left, closing the door behind her. Nabiki blew out a breath. There's no way Dad will go for opening the dojo. Which is too bad—with Ranma by his side, the profits would skyrocket! On the other hand . . . my idea for collecting money will be by far the most interesting and fun!

Half an hour before dinner would be ready, Nabiki knocked on Akane's door. A muffled "Who is it?" came through and she responded, "It's me, Akane, can I come in?"

Silence.

Then, "I guess so."

Nabiki let herself in and leaned against the door.

Akane was sitting on the bed, but judging from the dent and spot on the covers had been curled up and crying seconds before. Her eyes bore traces of wetness and looked red and puffy. Nabiki sighed. Sometimes she forgot how young Akane really was.

"I guess you're pretty mad at me, huh?" Nabiki said finally, and Akane bit her lip and looked at the floor. Nabiki studied her sister. Akane obviously felt badly about what she had done. Whether or not she'd seen the error of her ways and would no longer unnecessarily beat Ranma and hurt innocent bystanders, however . . .

"So what happened, anyway?" Nabiki asked, and elaborated when Akane raised an eyebrow in question, "That made you so mad at Ranma."

Akane snorted. "I don't even remember," she said quietly. "Something to do with Shampoo. She was hanging on him again, and he wasn't doing anything to stop her! Then Shampoo said something . . . something about wanting Ranma all to herself, and he still didn't do anything." The short-haired girl blew out her breath. "It's stupid, I know. But we got home and I confronted him about why he doesn't ever do anything, and he said he doesn't know what to do, and that I should come up with a solution! Ridiculous, right? Like it's my problem, anyway." But she didn't look convinced. "And then we were fighting and . . . it got out of control."

Nabiki frowned when she came to her conclusion. "So you tried to kill him because he asked for your help?"

"No!" Akane faltered. " . . . maybe?" She buried her face in her hands. "I don't know!" she wailed, and her shoulders started to shake.

Nabiki sat down and put an arm around her sister. Akane stiffened for a second but then turned and cried into her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Nabiki! I'm so sorry I hit you! I didn't mean it!"

Nabiki looked at her little sister's teary face and had to remember to be firm. "I accept your apology, Akane, and I'm sorry I spoke so harshly to you. But I think you need to understand something." She drew the younger girl back and looked into her eyes. "I meant every word I said."

Akane took a deep breath. "I know, Nabiki. I don't . . . but I don't know how to stop."

"We'll ask Dr. Tofu, maybe there are some meditation techniques he can teach you," Nabiki assured. "Something to help you keep your temper."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. This next part was so important to get right. "Listen, Akane, I have something very important to ask you. You must give me an honest answer."

"What is it, Nabiki?" Akane looked curious.

Deep breath. Hope to God she doesn't hit first and talk second. "Do you want to marry Ranma?"

"What!" Akane's face turned pink. "Nabiki!"

"I said it was serious, Akane!" she said, leveling a serious look at her stammering sister. "I need to know. Can you see yourself marrying him?"

"Why would I want to marry that pervert anyway?" Akane asked, evading the question as always. "All we do is argue."

"Before I left, I would have laid bets down that you loved him," Nabiki said flatly. "And that fiasco of a wedding— you would have married him, and don't tell me it was for the nannichuan water— I think you were in love with him. But now? Now I don't know."

Akane gave a hollow laugh. "You would have lost that bet, Nabiki."

"What!"

"I don't know if I ever loved Ranma. Everyone tells me how nice he is, how kind, how even though he puts his foot in his mouth all the time he's a good guy. But he's never nice to me." Akane shook her head. "And yes, it's not like I encourage him. But marry a guy I can't get along with for five minutes? I . . . don't know." She heaved a sigh. "Sometimes I wish the engagement would never have happened. I mean, I'm eighteen! I've never had a boyfriend, but I've had a fiance since I was sixteen. How can I know what I want?"

Nabiki shrugged. "Don't look at me. I thought, you know, once you found right guy you just know he's the one."

"Well then Ranma isn't mine," Akane said, arms folded, face decided.

Nabiki shut the door and blew out a breath. Holy crap. Well, that was the mother of all discoveries. Akane doesn't want Ranma. I can't believe it.

Pushing herself away from the wall, Nabiki walked down the hall to the bedroom across her own, steeled her nerves, and knocked.

The door opened. Ranma stood there, face unreadable. "Nabiki?" He asked, and he moved back as she stepped inside.

"I have some questions for you, Saotome," she said, and shut the door.

Nabiki glanced around the room. Man, it sure is bare bones in here. Even though Ranma and his father had been sharing this room for over two years, they only had a futon apiece and their packs leaning against the wall, like they were going to take off again. Rather than awkwardly sit on his bed, she chose to stay standing and turned to speak.

"What's up, Nabiki?" Ranma asked, striding a few steps beyond her before casually dropping to the floor to do some one-armed pushups.

"Heeeee," she said, eyes fixed on him as his arm muscles strained and his back flexed. She shook her head. "Er—Ranma, I want to ask you something."

"You already said that, Nabiki," he grunted, switching arms.

"Hey— wasn't that your hurt arm?" She felt rather slow, but pointed to his arm to prove her point. "You were holding it before!"

He finished up and bounced to his feet, started a kata. "Nah, it just hurt for a minute or two. No biggie."

"Are you . . . all okay?" she asked tentatively, decisively ignoring the question she needed to ask. "You looked pretty beat up, before." He nodded, executing the complex kata around her, and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from telling him to knock it off, it was hard to have a serious conversation when he was literally turning circles around her.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Oh." She cursed herself for acting like such a dolt. Get a grip, Nabiki! She cleared her throat. "I want to know how you feel about Akane."

"Yeah right." He halted the kata, stared her down, face unreadable. "Why? So you can sell the info? Get Ukyo and Shampoo to attack me again?"

"I don't do that anymore, Ranma," she said angrily, staring right back. "I learned my lesson after the dojo was destroyed by those stupid girls."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe ya," he stepped forward, and Nabiki suddenly felt a cold frisson of fear. When did Ranma get a spine? Stubbornness stiffened her own spine and she met his cool gaze with her own. And swallowed. He's . . . pretty close. His face was mere inches away.

"Look, Ranma," she said finally, "I've never seen you two fight like you did today. I just want to know if you think Akane might be the right girl for you."

"2,000 yen and I'll tell ya."

Shock made her step back. "What? No!"

He grinned. "Yeah, not so funny when the tables turn, is it?"

"Look, I risked my neck today to help you," Nabiki said, clenching her fists, "Doesn't that earn me something?"

He gave her a measured look. "I guess you're right. I do owe ya something." He was quiet for a minute, but his eyes didn't leave her face. Goosebumps tingled down her spine. "I got no respect for somebody who can't control her martial arts skills and hurts her sisters."

"But . . . respect, that's not what I was asking," Nabiki protested, backing up as he pressed forwards. "I was asking about a relationship!"

"Yeah? I answered your question," Ranma replied, smirking slightly. "Or do ya think relationships don't need respect?"

He closed the door in her dumbstruck face, then opened it again and stuck his head out. "I forgot. Thanks for helping me out today, Nabiki," he said pleasantly, and then shut the door again, leaving her gaping like a fish and feeling very much like she was the one who had been played.

One thing was for sure, she reflected as she turned to head downstairs for dinner. She had a lot more respect for one Ranma Saotome than she ever had before.

"I have an announcement to make," Nabiki said after dinner, drawing everyone's attention. She smirked, and opened her mouth, greatly looking forward to the upheaval that would soon occur.

"Actually, I would like to say something as well," Nodoka Saotome interrupted smoothly, smiling at Nabiki.

"Of course, Auntie," Nabiki demurred, surprised. "You go first."

Nodoka nodded her thanks before turning away, and Nabiki crinkled her brow, trying to figure out what exactly Auntie Saotome would say that was so important. She obviously wasn't the only one surprised— the whole table was staring open-mouthed at the Saotome matriarch.

"The agreement between the Tendo and Saotome families was that my son would marry one of the Tendo daughters," Nodoka began, "And while my husband may not have honored that agreement to the best of his ability— proven by his acts of engaging my son to nearly any woman that walks by— I find it to be the only binding contract. I happily looked forward to the day he would marry Akane," she nodded at the short-haired girl, who flushed at being singled out.

"Until today," Nodoka continued, voice hardening. "Today I witnessed the nonsensical beating of my son by the woman who was to become his wife. And I am to understand this event is not unusual!"

"My dear," Genma Saotome tried to interrupt but his wife held up a hand, eyes flashing.

"No, husband. I will have my say. And my word is this: I will not allow my son to be married to an abusive and uncontrollable woman. As of this moment I declare the engagement between Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome dissolved."

"What!"

"Mrs. Saotome!"

"Dear! The schools must be joined! Our agreement clearly states—" Genma began, and Nodoka interrupted again.

"The agreement states that Ranma will marry one of Tendo's daughters. Well. He has two others to choose from, that I'm sure will treat him better than Akane did."

Akane was staring at Ranma, who in turn was staring at his mother, mouth open in shock.

"Mom," Ranma was saying urgently, "Listen, Mom, that ain't a good idea."

"I will not have my son tied to a woman who does not appreciate him, and who routinely hurts him! That is an abusive relationship, Ranma, and there will be none of that in the Saotome clan!"

"My dear!" Genma tried again, and Nodoka drew her katana and rounded on him.

"What!"

He shrank back. "N-nothing, dearest."

Nabiki rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to suppress a laugh at the cowed panda man.

Ranma wouldn't stop arguing. "Listen, Mom— even if Akane is a stupid uncute tomboy who can't control herself and thinks I'm a perverted freak— she can at least defend herself from Ukyo and Shampoo! They've gotten crazier than normal trying to get rid of her! It's practically a death sentence to change the engagement!"

Nabiki's voice froze in her throat. Oh. Shit. I forgot about them. How could I do that? Stupid, Nabiki, stupid!

"Wah! My daughter isn't engaged anymore!" Soun Tendo added his voice to the increasingly loud fray, wailing his despair. "My poor Akane will never be married!"

"Like I want to be engaged to him! My sisters are welcome to him!" Akane yelled, "If they don't mind being engaged to some pervert!"

"Oh, my," Kasumi uttered, and Nabiki rolled her eyes as her family fell back on their usual responses.

"People, people," she stood up to get their attention. "I still have my announcement to make, remember?"

"Of course," Nodoka said, looking flustered. "I'm so sorry, dear. I should have realized mine would have resulted in this . . . mess."

"Not a problem, Auntie," Nabiki replied cheerfully. "Mine is related." She gave Ranma a megawatt smile, felt like the cat that got the canary. "I want to be engaged to Ranma."

The resulting noise was deafening. Tendo's and Saotome's alike were shouting and protesting, her father was wailing happily about the joining of the schools, Genma Saotome was dancing about with a bottle of sake and some celebratory sparklers, Ranma was staring at her with his jaw unhinged, and then all hell broke loose.

"WHAT'S THIS, RAN-CHAN!" Ukyo Kuonji, best friend turned unwanted fiance, okonomiyaki chef extraordinaire, and fighting spatula master, exploded into the room courtesy of a huge blast of okonomiyaki flour bombs. "You two-timing jerk!"

"Shampoo so happy Ranma no marry kitchen-destroyer!" Ranma's Chinese fiance, pride of the Amazon tribe, bounced into the room through a new hole in the wall, holdin two vicious looking bonbori. Or perhaps they only looked so vicious because Nabiki was suddenly envisioning them crushing her skull. "But Ranma no marry mercenary girl now! Marry Shampoo now, Airen!"

"Son in law, what's this news? It's futile to switch the engagements— only your marriage to Shampoo is valid!" Cologne, the three-hundred year old Elder of the Amazons hopped into the room on her staff, shooting Nabiki a warning glance. "You know our law!"

"Akane! At last you can be my girl!" Ryouga Hibiki burst into the room, dripping water, holding a teakettle aloft. "Marry me, Akane!"

"Ah, my fierce tigress! At last you can be mine! I, Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High— nay, of the whole of Nerima— do pledge to make you my wife!"

"Ohohohohoho! Such nonsense, Ranma dear! You know you must marry me!" Kodachi Kuno flipped into the room, landing square on Ranma's lap and latching on.

"Ranma you pervert!" Akane shouted, balling her fists and looking like she wanted nothing more than to hit Ranma into next week.

"Oh my!" Kasumi said again, and Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome did the only rational thing they could think of; they fainted.

"Excellent!" Nodoka enthused, clasping Nabiki's hand. "You must call me Mother, dear! You have my blessing to marry my son!"

"Er . . ." Nabiki felt the blood drain out of her head as all of Ranma's other fiancee's turned to glare at their newest competition. Her always-ready excuses deserted her, as all she could think about was the fact that they looked a lot scarier when they were readying themselves to attack her.

"Obstacles is for killing!" Shampoo shouted, flinging herself at Nabiki, bonbori flourished.

"Ran-chan is MINE!" Ukyo lunged with her big battle spatula.

"Ohoho! Such insolence must be punished! You will make an excellent snack for Mr. Turtle!" Kodachi snapped her gymnastics whip and tossed a bouquet at Nabiki, who caught it on reflex.

Oh, shit, she thought as sleeping powder exploded in her face, I can't believe I fell for tha . . . she tumbled to the floor and knew no more.

Nabiki opened her eyes and stared at the star-studded evening sky.

Still alive . . . that's good. Looks like I'm on the high school roof . . . that's unexpected. She took stock of her body, expecting to find multiple bruises and injuries, and was very surprised to find none. Not even a headache from hitting the floor! She marveled. I wonder if someone managed to catch me?

She closed her eyes again, still feeling slightly woozy from the powder Kodachi had put in the bouquet.

This may not be my most brilliant plan ever. Sure, the idea of switching the engagements for a month or two to make money by selling information again sounded smart in my head, but in practice it's probably not the best way to make the money necessary to keep the house. Crap. How do I get out of this? If I say I changed my mind the engagement will go to Kasumi— and that would be even stupider. No way am I gonna be responsible for those idiots hurting Kasumi!

"You awake, Nabiki?"

She opened her eyes to see Ranma's face scant inches away from hers, and shrieked in reflex. "God! Back up, Saotome!"

He sat back. "Figured as much. 'Saotome', huh? Is that what you call your future husband?" He leveled a look at her. "Spill the plan, Nabiki. I know you don't want to marry me."

Shit! He knows! Her mind whirred about. Wait. He only knows if I confirm it. Right now it's just a supposition, and if I play like I really do want him . . . Kasumi will be safe. "Who says I don't want to marry you?" she sat up slowly, made a show of looking around. "Because I'm fairly certain I just announced to everyone that I do."

He snorted. "Yeah. What was up with that?"

Just buy it already! She cast her eyes down, trying her best to look disappointed. "You don't want to be engaged to me?" She made her voice waver. "Ranma, I know we haven't always been the best of friends . . ."

As suspected, as soon as the waterworks were threatened Ranma backed off, waving his hands frantically. "Wait, Nabiki, I'm sorry! I didn't know . . ." He cleared his throat. "You . . . really?"

She looked up at him through teary lashes. "Of course I do! You're so strong, and brave . . . and handsome," she added slyly, blinking at him.

His face scrunched up like he was deep in thought before suddenly clearing. "Man, Nabiki, you almost had me!" He laughed, sounding slightly relieved. "You laid it on too think, though. You'd never say that."

She abandoned the damsel in distress act, scowling at him. "For all you know, I might, Saotome," she snapped, "You wish I'd waste my talents on you!"

"Is that so?" Ranma leaned in close, and her heart pounded as he brought his face so close to her she could see each separate lash surrounding his blue eyes. "Maybe this engagement will be more fun than I thought." He smirked at her and leaned back, the spell broke, and she snapped out of it, abruptly furious he'd played her so easily.

"Whatever, Ranma. Accept my reasons or not, we're still engaged," she told him, turning her back on him. "Now take me home."

He stretched out on the roof. "Nah, I'm good," he said, smirking at her. "I think I should spend some time with my new fiancee. Get to know the real her, ya'know?"

"Right. You do that. I'm getting off this roof and going to bed," she told him, and started walking around the edge of the walls, looking for a ladder. There really wasn't much to see besides the tops of some trees and the entrance to the roof via stairwell, which unfortunately was locked. But she'd give it her all. There had to be a ladder.

. . . Ten minutes later.

"All right, Saotome, where's the ladder?" she balled her fists and stood over him.

He cracked an eye, looking supremely comfortable. "What ladder?"

"That damn ladder that leads up to the roof, stop playing dumb!"

He snorted. "There ain't a ladder, Nabiki. I jumped."

"You jumped." She repeated, eyebrow raised in an outright rejection of the possibility. "You jumped five stories while carrying me."

"Nah. I jumped to the gym roof first, so really I only jumped four stories at once."

"Stop it!" She felt like pulling her hair out. "Just take me home already, Saotome!"

He jumped nimbly to his feet and advanced. "Tell me why you want to be engaged to me, Tendo, and I will!"

"No!"

"Then get used to it up here," he snapped, looking kind of scary, and despite herself Nabiki took a few steps back until she was pressed up against the wall of the stairwell. Her breath whooshed out.

Despite herself his take-charge manner was turning her on. She'd always been a sucker for assertive types— too many guys let her push them around to the point where it was almost like subservience.

She swallowed hard, realized that if she took a half step forward she would be pressed up against him and god, she really wanted to. That fact alone rocked her. This day had been surreal, from her sister's assault from Nodoka actually taking charge and changing the engagement. It still felt kind of unreal, like they were warping on the edges of a dream.

"Take me home, Ranma," she ordered shakily, and he bared his teeth.

"Not a chance. Tell me why you want me, Nabiki. I know there's some ulterior motive." He leaned towards her, eyes dark, and she lost her tenuous hold on self-control. Why do I want you? Let me show you . . .

"Here's your motive," she breathed, before taking that half-step and sealing her body against his, one hand sliding up in his hair while the other gripped the back of his shirt, and she kissed him, eyes sliding shut, inhaling his scent and willing his frozen body to thaw and kiss her back.

Unable to resist, unsure of whether or not it was to mess with his head or to satisfy some hunger within her, Nabiki parted her lips and traced his own with her tongue, and finally— finally— Ranma responded, carefully kissing her back, calloused hands pulling her close, at the same time gently pushing her back with his body until she was trapped between him and the wall, and passion flared up from some long-forgotten place inside her. She couldn't remember what her reasons for kissing him were, only that here in his embrace was the first time since mother died that she'd felt safe, and wanted, and god, oh, god, why did she wait so long to switch the engagements?

Nabiki had kissed boys before, in college, where dalliances were commonplace and there was some new boy every week to catch her eye. She was always careful to remember her goals, however, and easily pushed the boys away when she tired of them, citing her need to concentrate on school as the reason, if she felt like giving them one.

But this? Kissing Ranma blew all thought of school and goals and family away, leaving only the yearning and hungering she had always controlled to sweep her carelessly off her feet. She pressed closer, feeling the hard lines of his body underneath his Chinese silks, the warmth seeping through the fabrics. He lifted her up slightly and pressed her against the wall, deepening the kiss, and Nabiki wound her arms around his neck and moaned into his mouth.

That seemed to act as some sort of trigger, for Ranma froze, before taking his mouth off hers. Nabiki whimpered and squirmed slightly in his grasp. "What?" she asked fretfully, trying to pull him back. He smirked and pressed another kiss to her lips, this one unfortunately brief.

Nabiki felt a sense of profound loss as he slid her down his body and stepped away, leaving her to sway slightly once on her own feet. She lifted a hand to her head, feeling disoriented. At last she gained enough control over herself to pull herself back together. She looked up at Ranma. "What the hell?" she managed, and closed her eyes, absolutely confused. She needed to think. "Take me home now, Ranma."

In the blink of an eye she was in his arms and clutching his shoulders, biting back a scream as they bounded from the roof and plummeted five stories before he hit the ground and effortlessly started for home.

He bounded over the Tendo wall and jumped up to Nabiki's window, setting her down on her feet before looking at her with seriously, a question in his eyes. A question she had absolutely no answer to.

"Look, Saotome," she began, voice hoarse. God, had her room shrunk? It felt so little now with him filling the window. "I don't know what . . . don't expect . . . that's not gonna happen again," she finished lamely, and he nodded, eyes hooded.

"Good night, Nabiki," he said, and she suppressed a shiver of desire, not meeting his gaze.

"Good night."

As abruptly as they had appeared in the window, he was gone. Nabiki sat on the bed and touched her fingers to her tingling lips. What did I do? And what the hell am I going to do now?

Rather than solve this new dilemma, she stripped off her clothes and crawled naked into her bed. A good night's sleep would make her problems disappear. Right?

Right.