I don't own Ranma or any of its characters and receive no profit from writing these stories.

Another one from me, trying out a strange character combo, put those pitchforks away lol. Play nice on here with Siddy.

Btw-thanks for the reviews for my other stories and your charming welcome backs to those I haven't heard from for a while. Looking forward to hearing from anyone who wants to say howdy ho, Happy New Years from the finally wintery Ontario, Canada. Spring-like weather until last night, if you can believe it!

Enjoy

Nabiki was out making her rounds collecting money owed to her and she stopped when she spotted a very familiar white duck walking and quacking dejectedly along the sidewalk. She checked the time, sure enough it was only eight am in the morning and she wondered what Mousse had done in order to anger Shampoo so early in the morning. She wasn't normally given to do anything charitable towards anyone, but she had a slight soft spot in her hard heart for the handsome Chinese man, mainly with how persistent he was when it came to the pursuit of a hopeless seeming love. He was downright clueless about it.

Picking him up, she said "come on Mousse, let's get you some hot water at my place and if you're not Mousse; you're dinner for tonight. She smiled at the almost human expression of alarm on the duck's face, knowing full well it was Mousse, she was getting pretty good at being able to separate the jusenkyo cursed from real animals.

Without preamble, she simply threw Mousse into a bath and gave in him an appreciative stare when he came up sputtering in his birthday suit, wearing only his own hand as a figleaf.

"Hi Mousse, have you been working out? You look bigger than normal" she teased him.

"Could you please turn around while I dress, Akane?" he asked her, his face flaming red at her stare.

"It's Nabiki" she corrected him.

"Okay, please turn around" he requested in a tight voice.

"Okay, I'm not looking anymore" she assured him, when she hadn't move in the least and grinned while he hurried into his clothes and put on his glasses, he looked aghast when he peered though them and realized she had tricked him and his normally pale face turned flame red again.

"Come on, cutie. Let's get you some tea and you can tell good 'ol Nabiki how you managed to take a trip to the stratosphere on Shampoo Airlines as a duck so early in the morning. She noted that he seemed ever more distracted and depressed than normal as he despondently stirred his tea.

"There's a band that Shampoo really likes called May Day, they are a Taiwanese alternative band, so I have been saving up all year long for when they come here and they are playing in Kyoto tonight. I have enough saved up our transportation there, for dinner at a nice restaurant and I rented a hotel suite with two bedrooms for the night. I waited until this morning to surprise her, I presented her with the tickets and I got as far as saying we were staying in the same hotel suite and..." he said with a groan.

"She knocked the stuffing out of you and sent you flying" Nabiki concluded.

He just nodded his head, too close to tears to really trust himself to speak but managed, "sorry to be such a downer, but today is special to me, it's my seventeenth birthday and she didn't even remember that...after knowing me since I was three...and her birthday is the same day as mine."

Nabiki studied him and found herself feeling sorry for him. He was one of the nicest people that seemed to orbit around Ranma like a satellite, he was neither stupid like Kuno or whiny like Ryoga; in fact he was kind, intelligent and a decent sort. "What if I go with you as a friend?" she asked him.

"How much would that cost me?" he asked her bitterly.

"Nothing more than you mentioned; I could use a little get away" she said.

"But why would you want to go with me? You won't even understand what lyrics the bands is singing" he pointed out to her; sure there had to be some sort of catch involved.

"I want to go because I like you. Not as in how Ranma and Akane like each other...or how you like Shampoo. But as in, I think you're a nice guy and would like to get to know you better. Besides, no one should be alone on their birthday. So what time should I meet you at the train station?"

"Four o'clock. Are you sure about this?" he asked her.

"Of course, I'll tell Daddy that I'm staying at a friend's place tonight. He won't even check; he never does" Nabiki said.

Mousse studied her, yes he did like her even if he didn't trust her. There was no actual harm in the middle Tendo girl. She was attractive in her own way with her large soft brown eyes, her slender body and her cute face always framed by a perfectly coifed bob. Yet he knew that the knives came out when anyone dare cross her or her family. Devious she might be when it came to making money, she seemed at first to have the cold heart of a Swiss banker but she was also warm and funny and had always been kind to him. "Okay I'll see you there" he agreed.

Mousse couldn't help almost laughing as Nabiki joined him, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a tight black top as he watched boys turning to admire her, she just seemed to command attention wherever she went. "Hi Mousse, I had no problems getting away" she said as she set an overnight bag in front of her and sat down beside him. He couldn't help tittering a little at the looks of envy he got that she appeared to be with him.

Just to make himself feel a little better on such a depressing day, he said in a voice loud enough for them to hear. "Great, I confirmed our hotel reservation for later."

She seemed to sense that he was showing off a little and glanced at their eavesdroppers and then putting a hand on his thigh, she gave him her most seductive smile and purred "Okay but I hope you're not counting on getting much sleep tonight, lover" and pecked him on the lips and chuckled as all three boys...and Mousse turned beet red.

They were comfortably seated on the train when she asked him. "So what is a typical birthday for you?" and then felt bad when he looked depressed again.

"Let's see, I normally save up all the money I can to spend on Shampoo so that we can celebrate my birthday and hers and she usually rejects me and goes off with whichever guy she is seeing at the time" he explained.

"So why bother?" she asked him.

"Because I love her and always will" he said with a shrug. "Love can't always be soft and gentle, there is also pain and cruelty involved. Take Ranma and Akane for example" he stated.

"What about them?" Nabiki asked.

"They are obviously in love but not able to communicate their feelings properly. I swear someone would be doing them a favour by stripping them naked, locking them in a room together and leaving a box of condoms beside them. Sorry I don't mean to be so crude about your own sister" he apologized.

"Hey I might mention that idea to my father" Nabiki said with an amused giggle at the idea.

"Don't tell him it came from m; I sure don't want to have his demon head wagging its tongue at me" Mousse said with a chuckle of his own.

"So should we make out make out the rest of the way to Kyoto?" Nabiki teased him and thought he looked cute when he blushed.

"How about I just try and get some sleep? I'm still not myself from Shampoo's punch" he said and leaned back against the seat. She read for a bit and then found herself studying him. He was really quite cute without his geeky glasses. His cheekbones high and his long eyelashes rested on his cheeks. He wasn't Ranma's brand of boyishly handsome; he was more in a class of his own, hovering been handsome and dangerously pretty. She found herself wondering how he compared with other Chinese Amazon males and wondered why Shampoo would even bother putting up with how Ranma treated her so indifferently with hotties like Mousse running around at home, stupid marriage law or not. She had to hand it to Ranma, he/she sure managed to find some of the hottest males in China and Japan to claim as frienemies.

Mousse pretended to sleep, he was flustered at Nabiki's offer of making out, but knew that she was only teasing him but found himself wishing she was being sincere. He had never had had the opportunity to make out with a girl on a train or anywhere else for that matter as the one he wanted had been slapping him down all his life. He wondered what it would feel like to receive such soft physical affection from someone, to be claimed by someone in such a way that would probably embarrass him, but thrill him at the same time. He also wondered at Nabiki's scrutiny of him.

Nabiki found herself studying his mouth, there was something about it that begged to be kissed and blushed at the idea. Reaching forward, she dared to touch a stray lock of his glittering hair and found it was as soft as she had thought it would be. She blushed and released it when he shifted in his sleep and opened his wide aquamarine coloured eyes and hastily opened her book, embarrassed that she had almost been caught gawking at him.

"Hey did they say how many more stops?" he asked her in a convincingly sleepy sounding voice.

"We'll be there in about half an hour" she muttered, trying to pretend to be engrossed in her book.

She was impressed by the hotel suite, it was huge and each room had a king sized bed; Mousse had obviously spared no expense in an effort to impress Shampoo and he looked sadly at the red roses that he had obviously intended to give to her that night, that he had forgotten to cancel.

Nabiki tried to make him feel better by slipping one behind her ear and giving him a warm hug of thanks for them, not surprised to find lots of lumpy objects hidden beneath his customary white Chinese robe and he gave her a warm smile in return.

"I hope you don't mind, but I am going to lie down for an hour" he said to her.

"Mousse you okay?" she asked him at how he seemed to be favouring his back.

"My back is a little sore" he admitted.

"Then take off your robe and lie on your stomach so I can find that naughty knot and get rid of it" she ordered him.

"Are you sure? You really seem to really like to looking at me today" he teased her good naturedly.

"The robe, right now" she said and watched as he undid it and pushed it from him, it hit the floor with an audible thud.

She still couldn't believe what a well developed chest he concealed beneath his robe; with it on, he look scrawny, with it off; hunk city. Nabiki herself was no virgin, but only believed in quick convenient vacation romances where nothing was brought home. Yet somehow she could picture making love to Mousse if only to show him how desirable he actually was. Instead she straddled his back and rubbed the soft, warm flesh of his back until she located the knot and kneaded it until it loosened beneath her knowing hands, as he moaned beneath her. She kept going when it was gone simply because she realized this was probably the most tenderness he had gotten from a woman in years. But she withdrew her hands and realized that he had gone to sleep, covering him with a spare blanket, she let him sleep but not before dropping a kiss on his cheek.

Mousse woke to find someone touching his shoulder and with his martial arts honed reflexes, grabbed the unknown person by a handful of their clothing and pinned them to the bed, still groggy with sleep.

"Mousse, put on your glasses. it's me ,Nabiki" she said in an even tone from her prone position on the bed while Mousse hovered over her, not wanting startle him.

Mousse complied and then blushed when he realized that she had changed for dinner and now wore a short black skirt and some kind of drapey red top the parted in the middle. The way he held her down had caused it to open, revealing her in what appeared to the smallest red bra ever, that that would have made Happosai weep, and it was completely sheer. He blushed a shade to match it as even with his myopic vision, he was able to make out every detail of what Nabiki had inside her bra...why he could even make out the rosy points of her..." he thought and then quickly released her and averted his eyes as she arranged her top and then stood up.

"I-I'm sorry" he stammered, expecting to be clobbered for how he had been staring at her and then looked up when she laughed and noted her look of amusement."No harm done, I should know better than to approach sleeping martial artists. I'm not going to call you a pervert and send you flying for my own mistake; I'm not Akane" Nabiki said. "You like my new bra?" she asked him.

"I-it's a little revealing don't you think?" he said hesitatingly.

"That's the point, it's sexy but no one knows that but me...and you too" she said with a laugh. "I'm wearing panties to match" she added.

"I-I think I should go change for dinner" he said and she smiled after him, liking how a little sexy lingerie could get him so flustered.

Nabiki couldn't help admiring Mousse in his black suit when they were shown to their table in the upscale Italian restaurant and glowed when he pushed her chair in for her. "This place is great" she said.

"I booked the reservations based on their excellent reviews" Mousse agreed with a smile.

"So Shampoo didn't want to go to a Chinese place?" Nabiki asked him.

"We are from China and run a Chinese food restaurant. Believe me, you want to eat anything but after a while. I think she would have liked it here" he said, staring around.

"Yes and enjoyed the company of a gorgeous male" Nabiki said.

"You mean if Ranma were here with her?" he said in a dangerous tone.

Nabiki cocked her head at this, "I meant with you. Wow talk about self esteem issues, Mousse. You happen to be quite the looker" she said.

"Really?" he said skeptically.

"Yes not everyone is as blind as Shampoo" she said and he smiled at this statement.

Nabiki groaned in appreciation at how good her chicken parmesan was as she ate it. "You want to try some?" she asked him.

"Sure" Mousse said and waited for her to put some on his plate, instead she held out her fork for him. "You want to feed me? What am I, a toddler?" he asked with a laugh, really enjoying his time with the oddly affable Nabiki.

"Say aw" she said and laughed when he did. "Is it good baby?" she asked him in a babyish sounding voice.

"Well open up and try my cannelloni" he said holding his fork out to her.

"Oh come on, one person doing that is cute and whimsical; two is just pathetic" she chided.

"Come on, the airplane needs to come in for a landing" Mousse said moving his fork around and making airplane sounds until she blushed and opened her mouth.

"Aw did little Nabiki like that? If you're a good girl and eat all your food; you can have dessert" he cooed and laughed at her frosty glare. "If not, I will have to spank you" he teased and wondered at the slightly predatory look that she gave him.

Then it was time to change for the concert. Mousse's eyes went hugely wide at what Nabiki was wearing as she returned from her room wearing, a black leather vest that barely extended past her bra, cut off denim booty shorts and black fishnet stayups stockings with knee high black leather boots. '"What the hell are you wearing?" he demanded, suddenly understanding how her father felt about raising three attractive daughter on his own.

"I understand that this is what people wear to rock concerts" Nabiki replied.

"I guess I should bring all my weapons along" he said examining her and then blushing when he did as he examined her seemingly endless legs, toned belly and the pert behind that her shorts just covered.

"Going to be hard to do that in this outfit, Happy Birthday" she said handing him a bag.

"You have got to me kidding me" he said when he looked at what it contained.

"I had to guess as to your sizes, but doubt I'm that far off" she said. "Now go and change" she said making a shooing motion at him.

Mousse looked shamefaced when he returned wearing paint on blue jeans, a sleeveless shirt with a skull on it and black leather boots. "I look like a thug" he complained.

"Nonsense, you look hot" Nabiki said, applauding herself for being good with measurements as she examined his wide chest, slim hips and long legs that his outfit emphasised rather then detracted from as his normal clothes did.

"Oh yeah, is this head or tails?" Mousse asked, shoving a coin in the back of his jeans.

"Heads" Nabiki answered back sweetly, causing Mousse to blush again.

"I'm not wearing this"

"Yes you are, now come on. Time to go to the concert" she said taking his arm and leading him from the room over his protests.

This time it was both of them who were getting looks of envy as to their dates as they took their seats. Nabiki couldn't follow the Mandarin lyrics like Mousse could, but the band had a fun style and nice rhythm and Mousse clearly seemed to be enjoying them as he sang along and swayed in time to the music. Soon Nabiki found herself swaying too as she got into it and Mousse barely noticed as he took her hand. She turned to him, he looked so happy. She wondered if perhaps he missed hearing his native tongue and on a whim she kissed him on the cheek, he smiled back and surprised her by cheekily pecking her back. She laughed and then gently traced his features down one cheek with peppered kisses until she reached his mouth and gave him a quick kiss on there. He turned in confusion at how their silliness had gone so far and both people's eyes got wide as his mouth was suddenly against her own. Nabiki made a slight gasping sound as his mouth curled below her own and both started to kiss in earnest until their tongues tentatively met and then wrestled.

Mousse felt apprehensive when they were alone in their hotel suite together, he tried to think only of Shampoo but was only too aware of the beautiful Japanese girl sitting beside him on the couch, she still hummed songs from the concert and seemed relaxed.

"Did you like the concert?" he asked her.

"They were awesome, I can see their appeal" she replied, stripping her boots and stockings off with a sigh of relief, Mousse averted his eyes from the sight of her long slim legs and bare feet. "These boots kill my feet" she explained.

"Here why don't I rub them?" he suggested and he blushed again when she started making sex sounds as he did so. Mousse was personally glad when he was done and was about to excuse himself to go to bed when she settled into his lap and cuddled close to him.

Nabiki enjoyed the nervous look on his face and she kissed him gently as her hands eased up under his t-shirt to stroke the warm flesh of his back until he was sighing under her caresses. She kept pulling back slightly from his kisses until he caught the back of her head to stroke her soft bob and to deepen their kisses as his tongue explored the velvety interior of her mouth until both were breathing heavily. His t-shirt was quickly stripped from him as he eased her onto her back.

It was his hands that undid the scant two snaps on her vest and eased it from her while his mouth closed on a nipple and gently suckled it through her bra until that too was removed. Her shorts soon joined their growing pile of clothing as he turned his attention to removing her tiny panties, enjoying how her pubic hair was shaved into the briefest of landing strips.

They quickly lost track as to who took off what, until he was poised at her glistening entrance, still wavering at whether he could go through with what they obviously both wanted. Yes he loved Shampoo but he was heart sick of her constant rejection of him. His growing attraction to Nabiki had brought him to this point and while she panted in his ear, urging him to give in as they wet humped together and she told him she was on the pill. He bit his lip when he just shallowly penetrated her, she was so wet and she gave out a small gasp at his teasing her. Finally he lost all reason as he slid fully inside her to be gripped by her and they made love in a frenzy. Their second time lasted long into the night and was much more tender, but no less passionate.

Mousse woke up with Nabiki still in his arms, realizing that he had cheated on his one and only love. He quickly left the bed and went to the washroom and burying head his hands, he softly started to sob. The door opened and arms wrapped around him, he looked up once he was sobbed out and Nabiki kissed his remaining tears away.

"Don't be upset" she whispered to him, stroking his hair.

"But I cheated on Shampoo. I was keeping myself pure for her" he explained.

Nabiki sat on the edge of the tub and said. "It is fine and good to keep yourself pure for someone who is doing the same for you. I made love to you last night not to hurt you or confuse you. I made love to you because I wanted you and wanted to show you, you have options. Love doesn't have to hurt or be cruel; I wanted you to see the difference" Nabiki explained. "There are lots of girls out there who would be happy to be with a guy as wonderful as you; don't think Shampoo is the only one."

"I never have really had anyone else in my life" Mousse said, feeling confused.

"You have all of China and Japan to meet someone who will treat you well, until then, I'm here for you" Nabiki promised him.

"So why don't you want to date me?" he asked her.

"You know my family. You want to be married in under three months; sure let's go ahead and date. No, it's more like I intend to go to university and don't need a husband and possible kid coming with me, no matter how cute and tempting they would be" she said cupping his cheek and he smiled at the most tender words he had ever heard her utter. "Besides, I know that I could never compete with Shampoo" she added.

Mousse felt much better as they reached a much more tender understanding of each other as they made out on the train back to Nerima.

THE END