Magic Words
A Ranma Fanfiction
By Mintaka14
"I don't know why I bother," Akane muttered darkly. She gave the butter and sugar in the bowl a furious swipe, and Kasumi reached out to stop the bowl from skittering onto the floor. "Stupid Ranma."
"Then why are you making him cookies?" Kasumi asked mildly.
Akane glared down at the creamy yellow mixture.
"Maybe I won't give him any if he can't be nicer. Would it hurt him to be a little bit polite?"
She ignored the long look her older sister gave her, grabbing the vanilla extract and slopping it in with scant regard for accurate measurement. Kasumi gently tilted the vanilla bottle upright in her hand before it could flood the cookie mix with an overpowering lake of vanilla. With an unhurried movement, Kasumi took the bottle from her and put it out of reach, then dusted her hands on her apron and stretched up to the shelf above her recipe books where she kept a handful of family photos.
From behind the collection of pictures of Kasumi and her sisters, and one solitary, rare photo of their mother smiling gently at the camera, Kasumi took out a photo frame. She brushed a speck of dust from the glass before she handed it to Akane
"Do you remember this?"
Akane frowned in confusion as she recognised the scene. She stared down at the image of little Akane, grinning happily over the top of five candles and a tooth-achingly pink birthday cake. Crowded around her was Yumi, mugging furiously for the camera, and Hanako, who had moved to Narita with her family two years later. There was Kimeko and Sana, and Akane's best friend, Rin, looking solemnly out of the photo while she held up bunny ear fingers behind Akane's head.
Akane felt herself smiling back at the happy group of friends. She looked up at Kasumi in a question.
"Have you ever seen Ranma's fifth birthday photos?" Kasumi asked, her voice as sweet and calm as always.
"No, he was training with his father…" Akane trailed off as she took in the point of what Kasumi was saying.
"Ranma has never had much chance to make friends," Kasumi was saying. She took the photo frame from Akane and carefully returned it to its place on the shelf. "The only childhood friends I've ever heard him mention are Ukyo and Ryoga."
Akane made a vague sound and turned back to the mixing bowl, concentrating deliberately on upending the packet of chocolate chips into the cookie dough. She knew very well that Ranma didn't have any other friends from his past. She'd asked him once, and although he'd shrugged it off, he'd changed the subject as quickly as possible, and five seconds later they were fighting about something again.
Kasumi handed Akane the baking tray, and Akane bent over the dough, rolling it into misshapen balls. She flattened one with unnecessary force, and her older sister raised an eyebrow.
"Cookies need a little care, or they'll be too tough," Kasumi suggested gently, and Akane sighed, focusing on the dough. "Much as I respect Mr Saotome, I doubt that he…" Kasumi broke off, pursing her mouth as if carefully choosing her words "… encouraged Ranma's social development with quite as much rigour as he gave to his physical training. I'm sure you've noticed that Ranma has a hard time saying no to Ukyo and Ryoga, and to Shampoo. He's a kind-hearted young man, but I don't think a life in training has helped him learn how to make friends, so he holds on to the few that he has."
"He doesn't mind hurting my feelings, though," Akane grumbled, sliding the tray of cookies into the oven. She caught her hand on the edge of the hot door and yelped, sticking the burn in her mouth. Kasumi pushed her gently towards the sink, running water over her little sister's hand.
"Have you ever taught him how to treat you?"
Akane snorted. "If a mallet to the skull hasn't taught him not to be stupid and mean, then I don't know what will."
"Did our mother ever use a mallet to teach us how to treat people?" Kasumi asked, a faint note of uncharacteristic sternness in her voice, and Akane looked at her in surprise. "Have I ever used a mallet?"
"But I'm not you," Akane responded a little defensively. There was a long, loaded silence while Kasumi moved with unhurried grace around the tiny kitchen, putting flour and vanilla back where it belonged. Akane sighed heavily and turned to dump the empty mixing bowl into the sink. She turned the tap on it and watched the bowl fill with water.
"So I'm just supposed to put up with his rudeness?" she asked a little angrily.
"You're supposed to act with kindness yourself," Kasumi responded, the snap in her tone a little stronger now. "Not physical violence."
They were interrupted by the chime of the oven timer, and Akane turned in relief to yank the oven door open. Kasumi silently handed her the oven mitt before she could grab for the hot tray with her bare hand.
As Akane carefully slid the still-hot cookies onto a waiting plate, her sister said quietly, "I remember how often our mother had to remind you to use your manners, and think of other people's feelings when you were just a little girl. Ranma didn't have the chance to learn that then, but you can help him learn now."
Down the hallway there was a flurry of movement and the thunder of panda footsteps, a sudden splash from the garden, and the violent rattle of beads as Ranma bounced into the kitchen.
"Hey, Kasumi!" he grinned. "Got something to eat?"
He pulled up short, his eyes on the plate in Akane's hands.
"Jeez, Akane, who're you trying to poison now?" he teased, and Akane felt her breath catch, the fury and hurt rising in her chest as her fingers turned white on the edge of the plate they were gripping too tightly.
Kasumi's cool hand brushed her wrist, and Akane looked up into her sister's serene face. One slim eyebrow lifted ever so slightly. Akane inhaled slowly before she responded to Ranma.
"Does that mean you don't want them?" she asked with careful steadiness. "I made them for you."
She drew another shakier breath, not sure she wanted to see if he'd realised just how much she'd just admitted to.
"No, I want them!" Ranma interrupted awkwardly. He grabbed at the plate in her hands, and reflexively she hung on. There was a soft cough from Kasumi.
"What is the magic word, Ranma?" she chided gently, and Ranma's face creased in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Didn't your parents teach you the magic word to use when you want something?" Kasumi's smile robbed her words of any hint of offence, but Akane thought that Ranma looked like he'd been caught out in something. She had a sudden memory of her mother saying "What's the magic word, Akane?" as she bent down with that gentle, warm smile that was so like Kasumi's.
"What magic word?" Ranma asked defensively. "I don't know no magic word."
"It's 'please'," Akane whispered at him over the plate of cookies between them, feeling as though she was helping him with his homework again. He shot a wide-eyed, suspicious look at Akane, then a glance where Kasumi was still watching with serene patience.
"Please?" Ranma said cautiously.
Akane carefully let go of the plate, and Ranma hugged it to his chest as he stuffed a cookie into his mouth.
Kasumi reminded him, "There's another magic word."
Ranma almost choked as he quickly swallowed the mouthful of crumbs. That slightly wary look flashed again, but Akane could see the moment when he made the connection. His eyes met hers.
"Thank you," he mumbled, and Akane was fascinated to watch the dark blush creeping over his face. "These're actually really good."
Akane couldn't help the smile that lit up her face. For a long moment Ranma stared at her like a poleaxed mule while her irrepressible smile grew brighter, his blush deepening with the plate forgotten in his hands. Then he fled.
Akane was still beaming foolishly at the swinging beads in the doorway as Kasumi reached out and took one of the cookies left on the tray. Her older sister bit into it.
"Oh dear." Kasumi put the cookie back on the tray delicately. She gave her younger sister a sidelong look.
"I think Ranma must be even more besotted than I thought."