Home for the Holidays

Chapter: 6

Title: Home Sweet Home

Disclaimer: There is absolutely zero chance that I could ever own Ranma ½ or any of the characters seeing as Rumiko Takahashi already owns them. Don't sue. I have no money.

It wasn't until after breakfast, of course, that the snow chose to fall in such great amounts so as to make all the roads in Nerima impossible to travel on. You hardly would have known it was a week until Christmas at the Tendo Dojo at all if it weren't for the festive sprinkle of a few lights across the lawn and the faint sound of Christmas tunes drifting from the radio in the kitchen.

It was that time of year again. A joyous yet dangerous occasion:

It was time to make Christmas cookies.

It was joyous for obvious reasons: family tradition, childhood memories, the delicious smell of Kasumi's infamous sugar cookies wafting through the air.

And dangerous for perhaps even more obvious reasons: Akane.

Needless to say, Ranma had been put in charge of distracting Akane while the rest of the family devised a plan to disguise the rattling of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. After all, they couldn't risk Akane bursting in and attempting to assist Kasumi, successfully ruining all their Christmas cookies (she may have gotten better but she wasn't that much better). Ranma couldn't help but think about the range of awkward situations this "distracting" job could produce, considering the fact that neither one had mentioned what had occurred so recently in the dojo...

His fingers slipped over the cool brass of the doorknob and ran along the grain in the aged wood. There was no way to put this off forever. What was he running away from anyway? He was Ranma Saotome! Not some coward who couldn't face some girl.

Okay. So Akane wasn't just some girl. Maybe that's what made this so difficult. He didn't want to screw this one up once and for all.

He thought he had before.

Well. He wasn't sure how many second chances were offered in life, but he sure as hell wasn't planning on finding out. He drew his hand to the door frame, lightly resting his forehead against the smoothed surface. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a deep breath, preparing himself to face the girl on the other side of the door.

"Ranma... what exactly are you doing to my door."

Or the girl that was standing right behind him.

"Uhh-wanted. I wanted to know-to know if you wanted to.." Think quick, Saotome. "...play cards." Another brilliant save by the amazing Ranma.

Her look was questionable, definitely uncertain, and pretty much a mask of complete bewilderment. Deviously, he added. "Unless of course you're afraid I'm going to kick your ass..." He flashed her a famous Saotome smile, dripping with conceit, a purely ostentatious show of pride.

A bit curious anyway but mostly completely perturbed by the return of his usual cocky high schooler behavior... and perhaps even his slight reference to the dojo escapade, Akane drew up the sleeves of her sweatshirt. Well she couldn't just let him get away with those kind of smug remarks. This was WAR.

Actually. It was poker. Texas hold'em to be exact. Ranma had graciously allowed her to pick the game, which was not purely out of courtesy but predominantly due to the fact that he hadn't planned on playing cards at all. Nevertheless, it was on.

There was something about the game of poker that brought to mind a few things about Ranma and herself.

First of all, they both had extremely competitive natures. The kind that made each of them shout "2 out of 3!" only to be subsequently followed by "3 out of 5!" and so on.

Secondly, this competitive nature also led to several emotional outbursts. There were many a pounding of fists and stomping of feet, shouting matches, and even some intense stare-downs.

Thirdly, unbeknownst to them, their fathers always seemed to get riled up when they spent even five minutes alone together. As if there was some kind of a heart-to-heart "bonding" time going on or something.

The two now lay on the floor of Akane's room, scrambled amongst bags of cheetos and cans of soda, engaged in a heated battle, presumably to determine the fate of the world. Or rather, to determine the winner of the bet that had been thrown into the whole mix somehow.

The winner would be rewarded with the following devastating and pride-injuring sentence: to be the challenger's slave for a week. At university, Akane had quickly learned to miss having Kasumi around the house. Kasumi had always washed the dishes, cooked the meals, finished the chores, done the shopping... Pretty much everything come to think of it. Thus, the idea of having a slave sounded quite rewarding even if it was only for a week... a week that unfortunately would lead right up to Christmas day. Talk about putting a damper on the loser's remaining Christmas holiday.

Fortunately, Akane had managed to snatch the upper hand away from Ranma with her previous victory, leaving them both tied with 23 out of 46 games each. Due to their seemingly endless succession of games, they had finally agreed to call it quits at game #47 (a compromise that they had not argued over.. but simply... "discussed in a heated manner" for at least thirteen consecutive minutes.) After all, even the fittest martial artists in the world can barely handle three hours and twenty-six minutes of intense poker playing.

And so they found themselves at a draw with the tie breaker lying, literally, at their fingertips.

Akane knitted her brows in concentration as she focused on the slick cards between her fingers. How had she gotten herself into this dumb bet anyway? This was so dumb... beyond dumb. They couldn't even play a game of cards without getting completely carried away with themselves! A small smile played its way across her lips. But would she really have it any other way? She'd been away so long that she'd forgotten how nice it was. Being with Ranma.

...and it would be even nicer to have Ranma as a slave when she won this game!

The possibilities were endless.

He could taste test her next big kitchen project: learning to microwave soup from a can. (She still didn't understand why it kept blowing up the microwave...)

She could make him spar with her everyday! Her mind flew to the rather unexpected scene in the dojo.

everyday.

Her face was a blazing fire. Woah woah woah. She definitely had to slow down there.

She peered over at him. He seemed completely and utterly centered on the two paper rectangles hidden within his hands. For Ranma, this was just another battle to fight. Just another challenge to overcome. Well she'd show him.

Drawing her attention back to her cards, she wrinkled her nose. Now how on earth was she going to win with just a pair of twos in her hand? Thank God they were playing Texas Hold'em so she could use cards from the community pile.

Ranma looked up at her with expectancy and- she noted with worry- a rather smug look on his handsome features. Great. That was just what she needed. Silently she prayed he was just bluffing.

Ranma Saotome was not bluffing. For once he had the perfect hand! Ace. King. Both spades. All he needed were three cards to come out in the community pile that would complete his straight- and if not that, at least three more spades so that he would have a flush. He doubted she had anything better than that from the disgruntled look that had formed on her face. As the dealer, he flipped the first three cards over in the middle.

The jack and ten of spades accompanied by a seven of diamonds lay thrust on the floor space between them.

Needless to say, Ranma was elated. All he needed was one card to complete his straight or his flush. Heck. He could even pull out a royal flush and then there would be no way Akane could beat him! The hint of victory shone under the fluorescent lights of Akane's bedroom. He was so close. Only one card!

He paused a moment to review the significance of such a victory. First of all it meant he spared himself from whatever kinds of torture Akane was planning to subject him to if she won. There must be something she was just dying to pay him back for after all the teasing and name calling from their high school days.

Another important factor was.. well. He just didn't lose. He was Ranma Saotome and yet somehow he'd manage to let Akane almost win the last two of their matches. One being the snow ball fight (which he still considered unfinished.. but for the time being a draw) and the other being the.. interesting dojo escapade. Although in a way, he liked to think he'd won that one at least in one manner of speaking.

But now. Now there was no more almost losing! Victory was surely his.

Akane could not help but fidget. This was bad. Very bad. The first three cards had not helped her chances at all, and from the looks of it, they had greatly excited Ranma's attention. She remained a pair of twos: the lowest and worst pair possible. They sat there in her hands, taunting her and bringing her horrible visions of an insufferable Ranma gloating over her. She would have folded if it wasn't for that one shred of pride she still clung to at this point in the game.

The fourth card came. A nine of clubs. She groaned internally. Of all the games to acquire unexplained bad luck. She felt the chains of slavery clinking at her wrists as she held her pitiful pair.

Ranma cursed silently under his breath. A nine? Oh com'on! He was just too close. He hated to have it left down to the last card. Sure, he did some pretty risky things sometimes but this was different. He was risking more than just his pride. He was risking his freedom. For a whole week. Subconsciously part of him wondered just which part of being Akane's slave really sounded that bad.

He felt his every muscle in his body tense up. Queenofspadesqueenofspadesqueenofspades. He had to win this.

Akane Tendo felt sick. Her stomach churned with the thought of suffering complete and total humiliation as Ranma's personal seven-day slave. At this rate, she was guaranteed a smashing loss. She eyed her twos like a set of ugly step children. Could this get any worse? A still frame of Ranma and herself plastered to each other on the dojo floor danced around her brain. The thought alone caused her cheeks to flame up. She rustled her arms out of her sweatshirt and lifted it over her head, her skin relishing the relief of the cool air. She was sweating bullets here.

She gritted her teeth, quietly admonishing herself for being so pessimistic. There was still hope, right?

Ranma, who had been faithfully repeating his wishful mantra, glanced up at Akane, who was currently.. removing an article of clothing? Did he miss something? Were they playing strip poker?

The gray cotton of her sweatshirt was slipping over her head, tugging at her ebony locks, strewing them across her creamy complexion. Mesmerized, he surveyed the lavender straps of her shirt and gulped. You'd think at the age of twenty Ranma Saotome would be more comfortable around girls. Sadly, his relationship with Akane was about as close to comfortable as he had ever been around a girl. Even after being apart and well, not exactly on speaking terms for two years. He forced his eyes to fix themselves elsewhere: the slenderness of her fingers against the intricate pattern on the back of the cards, the delicate features of her face absorbed in intense thought...

Well, it was getting to be a bit warm in the room. Subconsciously, he tugged at the top of his shirt collar, loosening its grasp on his neck in attempt to gain some breathing room.

Focus, Ranma! He stole one more glance at Akane, whose expression was fraught with a mixture of uncertainty and dread. Propping himself up on his heels, his fingers brushed the next and- at least for this game- final card from the deck. With one last plea for some kami to have mercy on him and let the queen of spades appear, he flipped the card over.

Ranma was in disbelief. A two? Out of all the possible cards in the deck, it was a two? And of hearts no less! It couldn't even be a spade! Not only were his chances of a royal flush ruined but the possibility of a straight or flush as well. Now all he could hope was that Akane didn't have anything better than ace high. Fat chance there.

The moment Ranma's fingers had left the card Akane's eyes had glued themselves to it. Impossible! A two? She glanced at the cards lying in her fingers and back to the one on the floor then back to her hand again. Suddenly with the flick of one card, her measly pair of twos had been transformed into a radiant three-of-a-kind, spelling only one thing in her mind: VICTORY. Her mind sang with elation, lighting her eyes up.

She grinned wickedly in his direction. Oh this was going to be good.

Ranma did not like the look on Akane's face. She was almost... too happy. He took this as a bad sign for himself.

He cleared his throat cautiously. "Let's just get this over with already.." He painfully lowered his hand within her view. In response, she casually tossed out a pair of twos, crossing her arms over her chest in a smug manner. "Make that three twos," he noted to himself glumly with a glimpse at the cards already present on the bedroom floor. Great. She had annihilated him once again. Just perfect. He groaned and closed his eyes

Akane's slave for a week.

"...You're not actually gonna hold me to that dumb bet, are you?" he asked in desperation, still holding out a tiny bit of hope. "I mean... com'on. Akane wasn't that-"

"Of course I am!" came her indignant reply. How could he back out of their bet?

"You cheated, didn't you!" Ranma stated in defiance. Had she slipped the card in when he wasn't looking? After all, he had been... slightly distracted. It was plausible.

Now she was a bit outraged by his accusations. She gritted her teeth to censor any unnecessary curses. "I won fair and square and you know it, Ranma!" She leaned forward on her knees, a triumphant smirk. She could do this. Be an adult, Akane.

Ranma narrowed his eyes. "Oh com'on! You know I was distracted!"

"By what?" she shot back hotly, completely oblivious to what exactly he was referring.

Woops. He hadn't realized that had just kinda.. popped out. "Well, you... you know- you were- uh. like.. you know." He fumbled for words like a high schooler again, bumbling as a blush crept to his cheeks.

Akane resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. "No, Ranma. I'm afraid I don't." She leaned in closer, scrutinizing his peculiar air with curiosity.

He paused in mid breath. They were so close now he could feel the tips of her fingers that she clasped to her knees. A wash of lavender and soap mingled in the gap between them. He met her hesitant, watchful eyes with a steady gaze. How could she not realize she was so... intoxicating.

Ha. Intoxicating. What was he thinking? This was AKANE. A little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that it was the same Akane he'd kissed in the dojo not too long ago...

His eyes captured by her wondering expression, he inadvertently drew himself closer, recalling the feel of her smooth skin against his that morning..

He saw her demeanor shift from confusion to a look of hopeful expectation. If he just leaned a little closer...

He could barely breathe.

"Akane, I-"

"Cookies are ready!"

A rather bemused Nabiki Tendo stood in the doorway, hand still lingering on the brass doorknob while her eyes lingered on this interesting scene. "Well what have we here..."

AN: I APOLOGIZE SO MUCH FOR THIS BEING... 2 YEARS LATE. What can I say. Life got the best of me. But I swear to you it was at least half way finished for a year and a half (my bad my bad). Hopefully people still read this thing...

as always comments and criticism are welcome.

once again... how can I make it up to you all?

-SP

P.S. don't stone me.