Title : Thoughts and Plots of an Older and Wiser Sister

Rating : G

Author's Note : The title, I know, really stinks. It is VERY temporary. If you have any ideas for it, please please PLEASE review and/or email. Thank you !

Author's Second Note : ( aren't these annoying ?? ^_^;; ) As I admitted so blatantly in my author's prologue, I have only seen the first few episodes or Ranma unfortunately, so some of the time I may have the characters a TEENY bit OOC ( Out Of Character ). I thank my bestest friend Hannie-chan for being the listening and advising ear for the final draft reader.... I LOVE YOU ! ! Oh... and please email ! Gotta love feedback....



ONTO THE FICCIE ! !





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"Ranma ! MUST you be such a pervert !" Akane yelled at her incipient husband. She had no real reason to, if you asked me. All he had asked was a simple, all be it shy ( shy ? RANMA ?!? SHY !?!? ... must be hormones... ) request to, quote, "do something after school." I wasn't about to tell my youngest sister that it had been a suggestion from her own father, my father. Akane hadn't been herself lately. Nabiki had said that she knew of a reason that she suspected after major reconnaissance that she would be willing to share with me... for a price of course. My poor delusional sister.... sisterS. Nabiki and Akane both had no idea that I knew what the problem was. And... neither did the one who was the source of the problem : the male ( well... MOST of the time ) portion of the Tendo/Saotome engagement. Ranma was on Akane's mind and just the fact that it was so was driving her mad.



Uh oh... I know what's coming. Ranma has just got ticked, too. There is no hope.... unless... A smile washes over my face as an idea percolates. I put the dishes that I was drying down and head outside where Nabiki was watching the ensuing argument with perverse pleasure. I shake my head at her and tell her to get in the house. She begins to refuse but I give her a parental glare and she retreats into the dojo. I unsuspiciously pick up a load of laundry I wanted to hang up on the line. Actually I just wanted an innocent excuse to get to Ranma and Akane that they wouldn't be suspicious of. I approached them and caught a tail end of a comment from Ranma.





"-you can't cook, you are stupid, you SLEEP WITH A PIG !" Ranma counted on his fingers all the bad things about Akane he could think of, occasionally putting his fingers to his lips in sarcastic and melodramatic thought. He seemed to forget what had happened the last night Akane and he had watched the sunset on the roof together:



~*~ Flashback~*~



Akane had fallen asleep. Ranma was sure. The last few rays of light were fading fast from the sky and the red glow of them were making her look so angelic.... 'and .. cu.. cu-.. No.. Akane's not cute...' a voice said in his mind. But another louder and more sure voice answered it, the annoying one that actually seemed to like the 'uncute tomboy.' 'For once you are right.' Ranma's eyebrows knitted in confusion.. must be the wro- 'she's beautiful.' He rolled his eyes at his own subconscious. He looked down to her, just to prove the voice wrong.... and he was struck dumb with her appearance. The set sun was reflected in her shiny short blue black hair lightening it with red highlights and there was a slight smile on her tiny lips. He couldn't resist; his reason had left him. His first two fingers lightly touched her lips and as they did, the parted slightly. Ranma's wits came back in an instant and he withdrew his fingers into a loose fist in surprise. She was muttering.....



"Ranma...."



Again his eyebrows were knitted together and his mouth fell open. Meanwhile, Akane smiled a huge happy smile and snuggled into the blanket she was laying on. A bit of her silk dress had touched Ranma's hand. Although it was just part of the hem near her knee he flushed at his thought which popped into his head : 'it feels just like her hair.' A thought crossed his mind and he smiled a small smile and opened the hand that was still caught in a fist. He leaned over his fiancee and slightly, gently, touched her raven hair. 'See... I was right...' He looked down at her quickly and closed his eyes. 'She is so beautiful right now...' Again, he lost his senses and couldn't resist. He began to lean towards her... 'A little kiss won't hurt...' He caught his breath as he came closer and opened his eyes a bit to look at her face. 'Oh my god...'



She was awake.



They both blushed and Ranma skillfully and silently jumped off of the roof. Akane jumped up and looked over the side to see if he was okay, though she knew that he would be. He was already gone. She smiled a half smile/smirk and put her hand to her lips and then to her hair.



Ranma watched from the window they had exited to get on the roof. He smiled and turned to go to bed.



~*~ End Flashback~*~



"Wow Ranma ! I am surprised that you can count that high ! NEXT time try doing it without your FINGERS... I mean.. we ARE in HIGH school.." Akane yelled in mock pride.



I sigh as I resume my "task" of clipping up the laundry. I know that there is nothing wrong with a little argument every now and then, even *I* do it... once in awhile. But for Akane and Ranma, it's a daily drill... it has almost become like sparring for them : they perfect an insult on one that they don't really WANT to hurt so they can really hurt ( in all senses of the word ) their enemies. Ooooh... that was a good one, Kasumi, I congratulate. It's not everyday that I have an excellent time for thinking like this. It's usually cook, clean, cook, clean, cook, clean, break up fights, and sleep. Ah.... Well.. that's life. I must learn to be a good wife for Tof- my future husband. I blush at my own thoughts. Oh Tofu.... My reverie, however, is interrupted.



"Kasumi ! Do you really think that I'm uncute... I admit that I can't cook and everything very well.. YET ! But... uncute ??" Akane had started her plea as a sarcastic little question with Ranma looking away from her in exasperation. ... But Akane finished really unsure and sad and Ranma was now looking at her genuinely apologetic and... admiringly ??? I smiled lovingly at my sister and caught Ranma's now surprised eye. I have no idea what he was just thinking, but according to my observation of his now pink cheeks, it was probably something about Akane. Akane is still looking at me. Right now I usually just say some subtle word of advice to stop the fight. However, why does this 'fight' seem to be going a different way then usual ?? Hmm... it's, I think, time to take these annoying little fights into my own hands.



"No, Akane dear, you are not uncute. You are very cute... no.. pretty. You are a beautiful lady, Akane," I said to Akane, but looking accusingly at Ranma.



Akane "hhhmmmph"-ed and bobbed her head in satisfaction and turned to Ranma who was laughing nervously and waving his hands in front of him as Akane reached for her mallet. I grabbed it from her before she could do something stupid. I had a better way to end this spat.



"I have a question Ranma..." I dramatically drew the statement out in an almost too sweet voice. "You think that Akane is uncute... am I right ??" He nodded with a boyish "duh" smirk and Akane turned away from both of us and crossed her arms sulkily. I picked up a clothes pin and began to idly play with it. I spoke at it as I finished what I had to say.....



"Then why are you always gazing at her ??"



I would have paid Nabiki one thousand yen for a picture of their faces at that. Ranma's face was tight with trying to conceal his obvious embarrassment and keeping his anger in check. Akane's jaw was dropped and her body was leaning backwards to get a better look at me.



Then she started to topple and Ranma rushed to her. Except Ranma had misjudged the amount of shock that Akane had received. She still had enough sense left in her to turn herself around to brace herself. Her arms were out so that she could block her body from the fall. Ranma had put his arms also out so that he could put them under her armpits to catch her that way. However, because of the unexpected twist they fell in a sort of hug and Akane's weight, all be it slight, caught them both off guard and they fell to the grass, arms around each other. Ranma, 'strangely' sincerely worried about the girl he supposedly hated with a passion silently checked to see if she was alright. Then he remembered what I had said. He blushed intensely and muttered something.



"I do not GAZE at Akane..."*



I rolled my eyes. Akane looked "up" (they were, after all, sideways) at Ranma and said, "Could you please let me go, Ranma." A slight look of surprise came over his face and then he quickly let go, awkwardly jumped up, leaving a VERY startled Akane on the ground. He flushed and placed a hand over his crimson face and holding out the other to help Akane up from the ground. I giggled quietly behind my own hand.



Akane, however, did not take the offered limb. She pushed herself up from the ground and brushed her dress off. She spat out the first thing that came to her mind, "I do NOT need the help of some PERVERT."



Genius struck me again as a good reply to that statement came to me again. It must be finally wearing off from Ranma and Akane....



"Akane...." I played with that clip again, innocently. "Ranma has never done anything perverted at all when you were around. Well.... except for that one time when you first met.. in the bath.." I added to satisfy my sister who was about to make a comment. She "Ha"-ed, pleased and glared at Ranma who looked to me for help and was shaking his head in denial.



"Which was YOUR fault, Akane," I attached. She now turned her somewhat angry but more stunned face to mine.



"What ?!?!"



I ignored her outburst and continued. "And every time he makes an innocent remark to you like 'would you like to do something after school' or even gets close to you or acts nice you freak out, Akane, and call him perverted ! Now... if you ask me.. the facts would point to that he is entirely innocent.... and YOU, Akane dear, were the one who was thinking perversely."



Her jaw was to the ground..... LITERALLY. Ranma sauntered over to her and picked it up and placed it in its proper position.



I, very satisfied, picked up the rest of the laundry and went back inside. I heard Ranma chuckling as I passed and then a battle cry by Akane when she apparently tackled Ranma.



"Ooof !"



I looked out the window in the kitchen to see Akane twisting Ranma around, both in the very familiar and very horizontal position. She brought her fists back to hit him but he got a curious expression on his face. She relaxed a bit.



"Akane... have I ever told you how cute you look when you are mad.... ?" He smiled, genuinely entranced by her, so he put it, cuteness.



She threw her arms around his neck and sighed, "Oh Ranma !"



He awkwardly put his arms around her and smiled and snuggled into her hair.



I shake my head and turn as I hear Nabiki coming home... "Hello Nabiki..."



"Hey Big sis ! How are - " I see her looking out the kitchen window at our little sister and her fiancee. I look out as well and see that they have loosened their grip and are staring into each others eyes...



"What the he- " she muttered before I put my hand over her mouth. I wanted to see this.



Akane leaned down to Ranma with eyes closed and he closed the space between them with his own lips. Nabiki and I's stunned expressions turned to face each other in unison and continued to be in synchrony as we turned back to the window. They had broken apart and Akane was offering her hand to Ranma to help him up.



I smiled, happy that my plan had succeeded. Nabiki is still gawking. "WHAT happened..."



I half ignored her as I heard Ranma mess up Akane's hair and say, teasingly and kidding, "I can't believe I just kissed an UNCUTE TOMBOY..." He smiled as Akane opened her mouth in mock pain and with a smile hit him over the head with a tiny little mallet. She started chasing him around the yard and then into the house, arms outreached to bring him into a hug. He took off, neither of them actually RUNNING just having fun being chased by the other.



I covered my eyes as a flash went off. Nabiki was flashing pictures like no tomorrow.



"Ooooh.. They are gonna pay GOOD for these..." she muttered.... and smirked.



I smiled and turned back to my towel and dish. Everything is back to normal... Well.... until Daddy and Mr. Saotome return......







* = the do not gaze comment is an edited quote from Agent Mulder in the X-files in the wonderfully genius episode THE RAIN KING.



"I do not GAZE at Agent Scully......"

- David Duchovny as Fox Mulder,

The X-files, RAIN KING