Chapter Six- Cherries, Dummies, and a Iron Louts to Boot!

Ranma woke up when he ended up falling off the coach. Remembering the past events last night, he blushed as he stood up to get some breakfast.

Kuno woke up next, thanks to pound- sound from Ranma's falling. He got up and walked into the kitchen to get some breakfast as well.

"Not showing off your skater body today," Ranma announced, scuffing rice down his throat.

"Is this thy way of saying doth, thee wanna be my play thing?" Kuno asked.

Ranma felt food caught in his throat, before spitting it out. "I'm going to sit here and pretend I did not just hear that."

Kuno took off his shirt, mostly just to piss Ranma off. "Looking's for free, but touching is going to coast you something."

"You're the gay one," Ranma narrowed.

"Well come on Ranma…. I'm waiting…" Kuno relaxed in his chair.

"And what makes me think I wanna touch you, huh?" Ranma glared.

Kuno leaned forward over the table, eye to eye with Ranma. "Because thou art is going to help me pay for Nabiki's phone bill, that's why."

"Nabiki's phone bill? We called Ukyo's place you pervert," Ranma picked up his plates and placed them in the sink, to see Kuno right behind him.

"Now, art thee sure you don't want to," Kuno smirked.

Ranma looked from Kuno's chest, as he glared up to him. "What makes you think I wanna touch your chest in the first place, you pervert?"

"Oh… I see…now…if not my chest, then I guess…something else," Kuno coming close to Ranma's ear.

Ranma blushed as he peeped. "Your gayness is starting to starting to show."

"So thou art curious then….I'm intrigued," Kuno studying him.

"Quit hitting on me, you horny bastard. You're starting to give me the creeps."

"Aue but come on why not, when you're so cute to pick on?" Kuno teasing him more.

Ranma quickly got away, as he went to get changed in the other room, as Kuno cleaned his dishes off he left to get changed. He bumped into Ranma who was only in his boxers, and his un-buttoned shirt.

"Isn't doth the look," Kuno's eyes attached to Ranma.

"Quiet staring, pervert," Ranma, now just getting mad about the situation.

"Wherefore art thee getting changed in our room anyway, isn't Sentina suppose to be in there?

Ranma shrugged. "She' s not in our room."

"She's not?" Kuno asked, peering in.

Ranma and Kuno gazed at one another worriedly for a moment; both thinking the same thing. They both rush to see if she was in her room. They both sighed in relief that she wasn't in there.

"Dost thee think she could be on the ice?" Kuno asked.

"Yeah, let me finish getting changed and then we'll go and see if she's out there," Ranma walking back to the room. Without noticing at first; he caught Kuno fallowing him. "Why are you here?"

"I have to get changed too Saotome," Kuno spat.

Ranma looked away. "Humph."

They both entered the room to get changed. Ranma was digging through his pack for his belt, when Kuno finally finished changing. He walked up and leaned over towards Ranma. "What are you looking for?"

"Ha-ha, here it is," Ranma grabbing his belt out of his bag. The moment Ranma got up, Kuno put his hand on his shoulder, leaning in. Ranma blushed heavily as he grew huge.

He pushed Kuno away, crawling backswords to the other side, by the bathroom. "Do- do you mind?" Ranma scowled, breathing heavily with his hand by his heart.

"Well hey, don't go crawling to me if thee have trouble kissing your first girlfriend…I was only trying to help out."

"Huh?" Ranma looked at him with a dumb expression on his face.

"Meet me back out in the kitchen when you're done," Kuno exited the room, as Ranma sighed in relief.

Once Ranma finally got done getting dressed, he went to meet Kuno out in the kitchen. "What am I here for Kuno?"

Kuno look through the fridge, knowing he saw a jar of cherries before. "Ha, here we go." He took the jar of cherries out and put them on the table.

"Cherries?" Ranma asked.

"Can thee tie a cherry steam in thy mouth?" Kuno asked.

"Uh…I wouldn't know, why?" Ranma narrowed his brow towards Kuno, in question.

"Here give it a try…" Kuno handed the jar to Ranma.

Ranma studied the jar and took a quick glance at Kuno; before he took a cherry and popped in his mouth. Observing Kuno, he tried do the same, but failed…horribly. He tossed his neck back and forth as an odd, frustrated look on his face. Ranma spat the cherry steam out and glared at Kuno. "Are we going someplace with this?"

"Aye," Kuno said, looking at his cherry steam. "See?" Kuno showing it to Ranma next.

Ranma looked at it oddly, and then up to Kuno. He folded his arms, tapping his foot impatiently, before looking aside. "Humph."

Kuno grinned at Ranma, holding the jar to him. "Here, try another one."

Ranma looked up at Kuno the jar with a mad expression on his face. "Fine."

He tried again more slowly this time. His foot tapped impatiently again, as he spat it out. "Aue man, I give up."

"Verily, I misprize thee. Nay, I never acknowledge thou were the one to avaunt so easily," Kuno issuing a challenge.

"Aue- who cares if I can't tie some dumb cherry in my mouth," Ranma sat there looking away, with his arms folded in again.

"How about this, if thee can get this down in a week, I won't have to teach you," Kuno pointed out.

"As if I want you, to teach me how to tie a stupid cherry in my mouth," Ranma glared.

"Ah…I guess Akane will be disappointed when she finds out her husband is a bad kisser."

(Bad kisser?) Ranma blushed and glared angrily at Kuno. "I'm not her husband."

"And nay, not will be, if you can't even tie a cheery steam in your mouth," Kuno bring back on the challenge.

"Are you saying I can't kiss," Ranma glared.

"Well, a horrible French- kisser… at that," Kuno grind, giving Ranma evil looks.

"What do you mean horrible French- kisser!" Ranma scowled.

"Oh come on, thee just showed me."

"Yeah, I was tying a cherry I my mouth Kuno, not French kissing."

"It's the same thing," Kuno yelped.

"No it's not!" Ranma protested.

"The inability to tie a cherry in your mouth, mean's you're a bad French-kiss."

"It doesn't mean shit Kuno!" Ranma shouted back.

"Thou couldn't French kiss with your life depended on it Saotome," Kuno stated.

"Oh yeah well I can French kiss all day, try me," Ranma mouthing off, having no idea what he's saying.

"Maybe I will."

"Maybe you should."

"You challenging me, cross-dresser?"

"Yeah you perverted queer," Ranma, felling up with confidence "I bet that I can kiss way better, then what you can.

"Then bring it on!"

"It is on!"

Inches apart across the table, Kuno merely shut his eyes with an evil smirk on his face. "You have before prom Saotome. If you still do not have the ability to tie a cherry in your mouth; I get to teach you."

Ranma swallows. "Fine, deal, I have it down in two days."

"Beware Saotome, it took me a week."

"Then how come I only get two days?" Ranma glared.

"You think you can pull it off in two days?" Kuno asked him.

"Well, yeah, of course I can," Ranma obviously in denial. "But that's not the point!"

"This is a challenge Saotome, wherefore art thou backing out?"

"There's no way I'm backing down," Ranma, implying too much information.

"Now that that's settled, let's go see if Sentina's in the storage unit."

"Right."

Ranma and Kuno finally make their way to the storage unit to see Sentina talking to Natsumi. Sentina looked up to see Ranma and Kuno. "Well, I can say I'm surprised, I'm glad you two showed up for practice, instead of having me drag you ass's down here."

"Hey you left without even telling us where you were going, what if something happened to you-"

Kuno covered Ranma's mouth with his hand, giving him a warning look.

Ranma looks down a sighs.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" Sentina asked.

Ranma narrowed his eyes at her. "Hey, we were just worried about you?"

"Well don't, okay. It was a long time ago, so drop it. You two have a lot more things to worry about right now. Now get on that ice and start practicing like your life is depended on it."

"Yes coach," Kuno walked toward the bleachers to see Ranma hang is head down angry. Kuno put down his skates with a sigh. He walked back to Ranma, pulling him by the hand back to the bleachers. "Come on Saotome, we have a lot to do. Thou dost want to make it up to her, don't thee?" Kuno asked.

"Yeah," Ranma looking at his skates sadly.

"Hey Saotome, be not so down. She's just wearing a protective mask to hid her pain; just like what everyone else is going to be doing, at prom. This mask doth she wears, is probably the real reason wherefore she stays. Withal she's our coach. All coaches treat their students like dirt.

Ranma v-shaped his brows, looking at his skates. "I don't know why she taking out all her anger on us."

"Well, we weren't making her life any easier, by destroying her house. Or by our constant auguring."

"Isn't that we made a truce?" Ranma pointed out. "I mean we made it because of her."

"Aye, however, she doesn't acknowledge doth. Withal we shouldn't say anything until after practice."

"You have a point there," Ranma sliding on his other skate. Ranma and Kuno finally made it to the ice, waiting for instructions.

Natsumi left, as Sentina went to flip the board over. "Okay you jackass's I want some work done today. You two have a lot of work ahead of you. Waltz position."

Concerning over the argument, of the whole cherry incident; the fact that Ranma was already counted for the girl part in the pair skating, stuck to it during their practice. After doing most of the lifts over and over again, Sentina taught them some new technique.

"Okay this one of my own invention," Sentina spoke. "It's called The Craw !"

"So what do we have to do?" Ranma asked.

"Well this is a special one, since you two are both martial artist. I don't use this one on everyone. So it actually involves hip-rotation and some stance work."

"Okay… so what do we have to do?" Ranma asked again.

"The first step is for Kuno has to grab your hips, tip you and spin around. The next step is for you to flip out of Kuno's spin into a double axel, got it," Sentina explained.

"Got it!" Ranma and Kuno in unison.

Ranma and Kuno skated up to each other. "Try anything prev and I'll knock you out to the rink."

"Humph," Kuno looked aside. "As if, let's get a move on Tranny!"

"I wouldn't talking queer!"

"NO! NO! We are NOT doing this again!" Sentina shouted.

Ranma and Kuno turn to Sentina, back to each other.

Ranma swallowed as he lifted his hands up. Kuno done as said and grabbed Ranma by his waist and tipped him over half way. Spinning around on his skates, Ranma finally flipped from Kuno's grab, accidently cutting his cheek.

"Ow…" Kuno let go to hold his cheek.

Ranma did his axle and then skated up to Kuno.

"Why you-" Kuno glared. "Watch where you're aiming that thing. What'd I ever dost to thee?"

"Yo, you alright man. I didn't mean to cut you. I- didn't know that was going to happen."

An already aggregated Kuno, let it go and sighed. "Nay thy fault."

"What kind of crazy move is that anyway?"

"Okay troupes, Kuno try lifting Ranma up before he flips, and Ranma watch your blade!" She ordered. "Try it again!"

"Again!" Ranma and Kuno widened their eyes.

"Yes again, I wanna make sure you two can do this, before we move on to our next event," Sentina stated.

Ranma and Kuno try it this time, succeeding.

"I'm impressed, you boys can break, but stay in here, I have something I wanna show you."

Renshiki came in talking to Sentina. A few minutes later they both came out with a TV. Sentina rolled a TV out, placing two chairs in front. "Come sit here you two," she ordered.

Ranma and Kuno glanced at each other, as they sat down in each chair.

Sentina looked back at Renshiki. "Sick in the tape."

Renshiki hesitant, doesn't move a muscle.

"Stick in the tape, dammit!"

Renshiki hurriedly stuck in the tape, and walked away awkwardly, slowly. Ranma and Kuno watch with their own questions in their minds.

Sentina sighed. "What do you two nimrods have that all other teams don`t have?"

"Two men?" Kuno guessed.

"Figures you would say that," Ranma scuffed looking at the side.

Sentina nods. "Well he's right Saotome, so I wouldn't comment if I were you."

"Huh?" Ranma running out of words to say.

"So, I developed a move, a move the likes of which the world had never seen. A move so revolutionary, so dangerous, they would've catapulted the team that stuck it- straight to the top."

"But like many revolutionary ideas- it such scared the shit out of the establishment. "So I quit. And I took it to the one place that shit was crazy enough to give it a try- North Korea.

"That's because all your idea's are crazy!" Ranma getting payback.

"Of course," Kuno said aside.

"Behind the Bamboo curtain-" She gave them a look."- they call it the Iron Louts.

She turned on the tape, as Ranma and Kuno watched.

"Look at the grace, the beauty, everything was going so well, until…"

Ranma and Kuno, cringed at the site after the women's head fell off.

Sentina quickly and nervously stopped the tape. She turned to Ranma and Kuno. "Okay now what do you say, let's give it a try."

"Are you nuts?" Ranma giving her a look.

"That- that's crazy!" Kuno pointing to the TV.

"C'mon. What are you talking about? Look after all these year, I know what went wrong. The physics were off; it was a man and a women, that's why it didn't work. You two are men, you two should be fine."

Ranma and Kuno, looked at each other in horror.

"You two are the last pieces of the puzzle, go on fit them together."

Ranma and Kuno, both nervous, but still gave it a shot anyway. They tried it again, again, and again, and missed up every time somewhere along the line.

Sentina stood up from her newspaper. "What's wrong with you guys. You act like you never skated before. The Iron Louts is nothing back a technique like the rest of them."

"This is dangerous, and you are crazy, you know that!" Ranma yelped.

Sentina rolled her eyes. "If you two can fight with skates on, as I-" she coughed. "- previewed the other day, you two should be able to do this.

"Man and here I thought Kuno wanted to cut my head off, always aiming his sword at me," Ranma talked.

"Hey as long as thou aren't cutting my head off; I won't cut thine ," Kuno implied.

The next few minutes rolled by when Sentina had Kuno practicing on a Ranma-dummy heads.

Sentina was shaping some skates, when she lifted up her goggles to look at Kuno's- improvement. "Try it again!"

Kuno frustrated enough; he eventually took his anger out on his practice time. He started using Ranma's dummy head as in actual target, instead of trying to miss it.

Ranma skated out the last dummy head that fell right to his feet. Ranma picked up the head.

"What are you doing Kuno, you're gonna kill him!" Sentina snapped.

Ranma sweated nervously, looking at it as horror struck is face. Then he narrowed his eyes at Kuno. "Sure… you aren't going to cut my head off."

"I'm almost there, Kuno skating around him.

They practiced till supper hit, which flew by; because before Ranma and Kuno knew it, they were back out on the ice.

Ranma and Kuno hyped in a small argument until Sentina entered back in the storage unit.

"Alright ladies, tea party over, we have less then ½ a day till the competition, I wanna see an iron louts."

Ranma and Kuno practiced, which sucked as always, until Ranma found a way for Kuno to be more precise and careful. "Yo Kuno, I'll give you a kiss if you stop taking my head off with your blade."

"Huh?" Kuno lost his focus as he accidently cut Ranma's dummy's body in half.

"KUNO!" Ranma widened his eyes.

Kuno skated by Ranma, with is head narrowing in. "Verily?"

Ranma blushed looking aside as he nodded. "Really."

"With a lousy French-kisser like you- forget, I'll pass. I actually think I prefer the actual head- cutting thing."

"Oh but Kuno, you know" Ranma, blushed, trying to control his laughter. "I'll been practicing.

Kuno looked at her suspiciously. "Really?"

Ranma got his straight face back on. "Hey, I'm not about to give up just yet."

"Deal!" Kuno, skating around, trying it again.

"Freakin' dumbass, focus more, damn it." She turned to Ranma. "Tranny, stop giving Kuno false hope, seesh…"

He and Ranma continued to practice, again and again, getting better, little by little. However Ranma's trick on Kuno did help out.

12:00 hit and the boys where beat to boot. Ranma and Kuno collapsed on their bed, side by side.

"Man…now that's what I call practice," Ranma started.

"Yeah….I know…." Kuno's words drifted off.

Ranma finally got up, digging to get his PJ's on. He walked Kuno to take his shower, when Kuno noticed Ranma's boxers dangling for the sack. Kuno, being a wise-ass, goes to strip them away from the pile, when Ranma finally went in and closed the door behind him.

Kuno looked at the boxers he held in his position with an intrigued smirk on his face. (Well this is going to be more interesting night then what I thought.) Kuno hid Ranma's boxers behind him, just waiting as he lied back down with own thoughts.

Ranma, in the bathroom started getting changed to realize his boxers where missing. (I was sure I brought them in with me. Huh? Maybe I only thought I did.) Ranma came out of the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist; to see Kuno laying on the bed.

"Hey Kuno did you see my-" Ranma narrowed his eyes in question. (Is he asleep?)

Kuno, only pretending to be asleep, grins to himself. Ranma went back to his case to find that they weren't there. He examined the room, and went back to the bathroom to re-check, until he finally realized it.

Ranma scowled. ( Why Kuno…you sick bastard!) He walked out again now just angry. "Hey you fake- lying pervert, quiet pretending to be asleep and hand me back my boxers."

Kuno peeked open one eye, then the next. "Nay Ranma, I Tatewaki Kuno am asleep."

"So you do have them," Ranma twitches at the thought. "You're not- wearing them, are you?"

"Nay, they're right here," Kuno held Ranma's boxers with his right hand, holding them away from him.

"Hand them over, you sick- twisted- bastard!" Ranma jumps over to try grabbing them out of Kuno's hand. When Kuno shifted them to the other."

Ranma crawled back over to try to re-grab them again. "Give them back!"

Kuno then held them evenly above his head; as Ranma made a shot to use both hand, but ended up whacking his forehead on Kuno's check. While Ranma rubbed his forehead, Kuno wrapped his arms around Ranma, holding this boxers behind his back.

"Why you-" Ranma looked from his hand to Kuno.

"Where's that kiss doth thee owe me?" Kuno asked.

Ranma blushed and looked aside. "Look I just said that so you'll practice better."

"You mean-"

"Remember we made a deal."

"We made a deal on doth to."

"No you did, I didn't."

"Why you- after all that practice."

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to take my head off;" Ranma standing- well not standing, obviously, but still held his ground.

"But- but-"

"Beside's, why you wanna kiss a bad kisser like me?" Ranma asked.

Kuno sighs. "Well- it's still a kiss."

"Give me my boxers back and then maybe we'll talk," Ranma narrowing an eyes at him.

"You're not getting out of this so easily, Saotome!"

Ranma tried grabbing his boxers from behind him, when Kuno sat the both of them up, holding them in the air. Ranma tried again and again to grab at them. Reaching to far back, Kuno ends up crashing down on Ranma this time.

"Ow…my nose, smarts man…" Ranma rubbing his nose.

"It looks like we're both getting hurt….hey Saotome?" Kuno let out a little laughter. Without thinking we went up to kiss Ranma's nose.

Red tint covered Ranma's cheeks, as he and Kuno were caught in another staring contest. Inching closer and closer, half hesitant/half willing; they were one centimeter away, from what would've been their first kiss, until….

Ranma grabbed his boxers back and got off Kuno, before Kuno could open his eyes. Kuno felt a weight being lifted, and when he did open them, he saw the bathroom door closed again.

Kuno sat at the edge of the bed and looked at the floor. (I can't believe he hasn't noticed by now. I should try asking him. But If I bring up the topic, he isn't gonna wanna shut up until you knows the whole story.)

Ranma stood on the other side of the bathroom door his hand fist by his heart. (That was too close…way too close…Man, I don't get it, he says he's in love with another man, but he acts like he doesn't even care about him. Then on top of that he's gonna be meeting another one for prom. Then here's- me. Which I have no idea why he's coming on to me- for some reason…it's just…ugh… He hasn't even brought yep Roko guy since that day.)

Then another thought hit Ranma which just scared the shit out of him like the Iron Louts. (Could it be that he was lying all along…could I possibly be the Roko guy his talking about. I mean he saw been after my other from for so long….it's just… I never actually thought he would came on to my guys side like that. NO! NO! NO! That can't be it, it can't be. Or is it that I want to be…..Hell no! No Way! I'm engaged to Akane for crying out loud. I ain't attracted to Kuno like that. Heck I wasn't even attracted to him in my female form…or was I? Kuno seems to have some strange hold of my sometimes, it just makes me think that I….)

Ranma blushed deep red. (Maybe it's just best that I just stop thinking about it.)

Ranma and Kuno switched places. Kuno took his shower as Ranma finally feel asleep.