Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Rumiko
Takahashi and other respective companies and I am
in no way making any profit from this story. This
is just for my personal enjoyment and for the
enjoyment of those who may read this.
Rated: PG-13
Email me with C&C: simplyshy@hotmail.com
**************************************************
For the Love of Money and A Kiss To Boot: The Day After
SM
**************************************************
Nabiki Tendo opened an eye and closed it instantly.
Who the hell had opened the curtains in her room? The sun was bright and the light hurt her eyes.
"Rise and shine sleepyhead." She would have told the girl with the singsong voice to get the hell out had it not been Kasumi Tendo.
You were not rude to Kasumi unless you wanted to feel like the scum of the earth. Besides, Nabiki knew that her oneechan had let her sleep in later than usual.
After all, Nabiki was usually up at the crack of dawn making plans concerning ways to swindle the Furinkan High population out of its hard earned money.
It was all in a day's work.
Nevertheless, her body refused to acknowledge that it was time to get up so she pulled the covers over her head and wondered if maybe, with enough wishing, Kasumi would just disappear.
The covers were suddenly pulled from her and she was left, curled in a ball, with her midriff exposed. Nabiki liked wearing tees and shorts to sleep and they left nothing to the imagination.
"Arggh! Just a few more minutes Kasumi! I had a long night yesterday."
That reminded Nabiki of what had transpired in the Kuno mansion. She had never expected that she'd end up making out on a mahogany table. And with Tatewaki Kuno of all people!
"Well, it must have been a good night if the radiant smile on your face means anything."
Kasumi put her hand on her mouth in an attempt to cover her wicked smile. She was not as oblivious to her surroundings as people thought.
Nabiki had learned that countless times when her oneechan had "accidentally" misplaced her photography equipment and countless pictures had disappeared into thin air.
"Whatever are you talking about big sister? I am simply smiling because I have just remembered that today is my payday."
It wasn't exactly a lie per se. After all, she _did_ have countless debts to collect from many poor souls who had, in moments of desperation, borrowed money from the Ice Queen.
Oh well, it wasn't her fault that they never bothered to read the fine print in her contracts. Besides, although she charged exorbitant amounts of interest on their debts, she usually ended up using that interest to keep Principal Kuno from making them wear hideous uniforms.
Of course, she'd never tell them that.
"No, there's something else Nabs. Might it have something to do with the fact that you didn't come home from the Kuno mansion until two o'clock in the morning?"
Nabiki could have sworn that there was an unusual gleam in Kasumi's eyes but that couldn't be.
After all, Kasumi wasn't one to notice such things. Wasn't she?
A knock on the door saved Nabiki from having to answer the question. She had decided before going to sleep last night that she'd rather not tell anyone about the 'incident.'
Nabiki wasn't sure quite sure what to make of it.
"Hurry up Nabiki, we're going to be late!"
Just like any little sister, Akane was usually the pest in Nabiki's life but she was, at that moment, a wonderful blessing.
It would have been extremely difficult to make up a lie in face of Kasumi's all-knowing nature.
Kasumi had never quite fooled Nabiki with her "don't mind me" impression.
One day, she'd get Kasumi to tell all and she'd write a book containing juicy tidbits of all that the eldest Tendo daughter had seen during her lifetime.
The amount of money she'd make off such a book gave her a newfound energy and she was ready to go in a matter of minutes.
She jogged after Ranma and Akane, not exactly looking forward to what lay ahead of her.
Nabiki was, of course, thinking of Tatewaki Kuno and THE kiss.
It was one thing to lose yourself in the heat of the moment and quite another to face the person whose tongue had been in your mouth the day after.
Besides, Nabiki wasn't quite sure what Kuno had thought of THE kiss and, besides, she still didn't know if she was ready for her and Kuno's relationship to change.
Up until now, she had been quite content with the way things were.
She took advantage of Kuno's weakness concerning her little sister and the 'Red Haired Goddess" and Kuno kept the money coming.
It was as simple as that.
Nabiki's train of thought was broken by Ranma's startled cry as Onna-Ranma took his place.
That was routine and Nabiki liked that.
The ladle lady's aim never failed and Ranma never spent a morning without having to go to Tofu's to get hot water.
Routine was comfort and Nabiki wasn't so sure she wanted _hers_ changed.
As they approached the gates of Furinkan High she spotted Kuno, standing tall and proud as always, with his bokken raised in the air.
She could describe what was about to transpire even before it happened.
"Oh beauteous 'pig-tailed goddess,' your grace never fails..."
Nabiki mouthed the words with him even as he spoke them.
Kuno turned as he heard a voice break into his well-practiced speech.
"To impress the eyes of the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High."
All eyes were on Nabiki and she blushed a crimson red.
She had not realized that she'd spoken the words aloud.
"Nabi-Tendo..."
Kuno's expression softened as his eyes met hers and, for a brief second she though that he would make a move to approach her.
But that would mean that he'd bring up last night's events and...
"Yeah Kuno-baby, we know the speech. How about you pay me to write you a new one?"
That was better and _much_ safer. It was easier to slip on her comfortable mask of indifference than to face the foreign feelings that were surging up inside her.
It was better because she didn't have to sit and wonder why her heart was beating rapidly with Kuno only a few feet away.
She also didn't have to ask herself why she felt angry that Kuno had not greeted her with that same speech she had just ridiculed.
No, she wouldn't have to explain to her heart why it was that Kuno had not thought enough of their kiss to stop chasing after Onna-Ranma.
And Nabiki would _not_ have to admit to herself that she felt jealous, yes _jealous_, that Kuno's affections towards her didn't seemed to have changed even a tiny bit.
So she didn't mind it when Kuno slipped on that familiar arrogance like gloves and replied, his tone icy.
"I would not mind paying for your *services* if you didn't charge such ridiculous amounts for them."
For a brief moment Nabiki felt the unfamiliar presence of tears in her eyes. But that couldn't be because the Ice Queen _never_ cried.
The moment passed as she raised her head and squared her shoulders. Even as she made her way towards him, the sway of her hips taunting him and her eyes shooting daggers, she thought how she wanted to humiliate him, make him pay for making her feel so damned vulnerable.
But doing so would mean admitting that his words had stung and that her pride had been wounded. And Nabiki Tendo would rather meet Death at the hands of her little sister's cooking than do that.
So she did the next best thing...
She made sure that Kuno was looking straight into her eyes as she reached him and spoke to him, loud enough so that he, and only he, heard her.
"I...have...feelings...too."
And much to everyone's amazement, Nabiki Tendo, short miniskirt be damned, gave Kuno Tatewaki a kick to the midsection and finished him off as her attaché connected with his head.
*************************************
Tatewaki Kuno opened his eyes and was met with the familiar sight of the white ceiling that could only mean one thing.
He had incurred the wrath of the kami in some way he could not understand and they had sentenced him to a place he knew like the back of his hand.
The school infirmary.
He waited until his head stopped throbbing before trying to recall the events that led to his present state.
There had been nothing unusual about the day.
He had begun his days as he always did, by visiting his Akane/Pig-Tailed Goddess shrine, making sure Kodachi had taken her medication, rushing to be the first at the school gates, giving his daily "ode to the goddesses," insulting Nabiki Tendo---
Kuno stopped, his eyebrows furrowed as he recalled that last thought.
Nabiki Tendo had taunted him with her saucy voice and he had responded...
By being the same cur he often accused the foul sorcerer Ranma of being.
But that wasn't possible because he and Nabiki had shared something that had made him wonder if he wasn't wasting his time by chasing ghosts.
Besides, what he had said to the middle Tendo had not warranted the beating she had given him.
The more he thought about it the more he was convinced that he had just been victim to a woman's foul mood.
He would have convinced himself had he not suddenly remembered that Nabiki had told him something before she had proceeded to bash him to unconsciousness.
"I...have...feelings...too."
That was odd...the only reason she would have made such a remark was if he...
Had wounded said feelings.
But all he had told her was that...
She charged too much for her *services*.
And they had kissed the day before.
And Nabiki had charged him for the kiss.
But she had caught him off guard by giving him _another_ kiss and had made sure that he knew that the kiss was too special to be part of a deal.
So that he, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, would not think that _all_ her services were to be bought.
And those were the same services he had accused her of charging him for.
Tatwaki Kuno was, for the most part of his life, a clueless-arrogant-thoughtless-jackass, at least that was what others whispered about him behind his back.
But he had never seen what others saw in him and it wasn't the best feeling in the world to realize that they were right.
It was like looking in the mirror and seeing yourself in a new light, and not a pleasant one at that.
He had claimed many victories before, victories he made sure everyone knew about.
But wounding Nabiki Tendo, and wounding her as deeply and cruelly as he had, was not a victory that Tatewaki Kuno was proud to claim.
_No one_ had ever broken Nabiki's spirit. She was independent, headstrong, ruthless, conniving...
He admired those qualities as much as he loathed them.
And yet he had seen a side of Nabiki last night that he was sure not many besides her family had seen.
She had been weak in the face of passion and what passion she had!
There was not doubt in Kuno's mind that only a man worthy of her affections could make such a passion rise in her.
Last night _he_ had been that worthy man.
Winning those affections would not be an easy task but the end result...that would certainly have been a prize worth receving.
She had been affected by the kiss just as much as he had and she had softened beneath him and he could have sworn that he'd seen her give a sigh of pleasure.
It was as if a door had opened just enough so that Kuno could see that what was inside was worth striving for.
Today's happenings had certainly ruined that and Kuno could almost hear the door slammed unceremoniously in his face.
But things were never so bad that they could not be fixed.
The only problem was, that any problems Kuno had, and he certainly had many, were usually resolved by throwing a few dollar bills someone's way.
That certainly wouldn't work in this situation, Kuno had enough common sense to know that much.
Kuno decided that he had to think seriously about a way to amend his wrongdoing.
There were also other matters, both concerning a blue-haired and a voluptuous pig-tailed goddess.
It was a good thing, he decided, that the infirmary was the perfect place to begin.
************************
"Oneechan, you want a bite of my sushi?"
Nabiki looked up at Akane, whose chopsticks were extended in offering.
"No thanks Akane, I'm not too hungry right now."
Akane chewed her lip in thought before breaking into a smile.
"Kasumi-chan made it."
Nabiki breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, in that case..."
Both sisters broke into giggles before eating in silence.
"I forgot to ask, why exactly are you sitting with me when you're usually at Ranma's side, breaking into fits of jealous rage whenever Ukyo drops by to feed him?"
Akane blushed slightly and looked to where Ranma was sitting with a crowd of boys, no doubt dodging questions concerning whether or not he had "hit it" yet.
"Well, I told Ranma that you looked like you needed some company so he offered to suffer through a round of "twenty questions" with the Hentai Horde."
Nabiki sighed, wondering how, as violent as Akane was, she had a guy who'd do something so sweet for her.
"Yeah, well, you didn't have to do that on my account. Besides, I'm used to eating by myself, remember?"
She gave Akane a forced smile.
Akane did not miss the sadness in Nabiki's eyes and was alarmed by it. Her oneechan wasn't usually so...down.
"Does your mood have anything to do with what Kuno said earlier this morning? Really onee, you know how Kuno can be sometimes. I don't really think he means to be so harsh it's just that, well, all guys are naturally stupid and Kuno's just got that extra amount to deal with."
Under normal circumstances, Nabiki would have certainly agreed with that comment but...it depressed her knowing that all of what Akane had said _wasn't_ true.
Last night, she had seen a glimpse of who Tatch-Kuno really was and it wasn't all stupidity.
Sure, it was 85% stupidity...she really couldn't argue with that. But there was a side of him that she wanted to explore further before she decided that Kuno was just a waste of her time.
The sad thing was, she suspected that she *wouldn't* be wasting her time if she explored the strange feelings that had been borne from the kiss.
But to do that, Kuno would have to get a clue (or buy one, he was rich enough), get rid of his obsession for both Akane and Onna-Ranma, and become a semi normal human being.
And dammit she was not about to wait until she was in her mid forties for that to happen!
"Akane, when did you know that Ranma loved you, I mean _really_ loved you?"
Nabiki turned to her little sister, her face in earnest and waited for an answer. By the looks of it, she would have to wait awhile because her sister looked no less than stunned by the question.
"Well," she chewed on her lower lip, her trademark whenever she was uncertain about something, "I don't really have an answer to that question. There's no _one_ thing that tells you something like that."
She hurried on when she noticed her oneechan give a depressed sigh.
"But there are small clues, you know. Like the way he's taken my tantrums and stuck with me through everything. Heck, the fact that he's still here at all tells me something."
Akane broke into that contagious smile and Nabiki had no doubt as to why Ranma wouldn't mind waking up next to her if that was what he would see every day.
"The point is, you never really _know_. Like with me, there are always those doubts and there will always be bad things...but I think, I think love is something you _feel_ and as long as that feeling's there you know that you're okay."
Nabiki couldn't help but grin at Akane's helpless expression. Her little sister obviously had no idea how much she'd actually told her.
Her little speech may have been a bit choppy and jumbled but Nabiki knew that whatever it meant to be in love was certainly powerful and obviously hard to explain.
She guessed that she'd have to experience it to really know what Akane was talking about.
Unfortunately, love didn't seem to be coming to her anytime soon and not with Kuno.
Of course, not with Kuno.
Besides, Nabiki Tendo was fine as long as she had her confidence and self-respect...and her money, of course.
"Eeee! Ran-maaa!"
Nabiki barely had time to duck before Ranma's water pistol shot a spray of water at her unsuspecting sister.
"You've always gotta be prepared Akane!"
He gave her his boyish grin and bounded off in laughter.
Her sister followed, growling in mock anger. She couldn't hide her infatuation with him even when she tried.
Suddenly, Nabiki didn't doubt for a second that she would have given any of the above up if it meant she could be as carefree as those two.
***********************
"Look Sayuri, I've given you an extended period of time to pay off that debt only because you're one of my sister's closest friends but enough's enough."
Nabiki gave the younger girl a menacing glare before proceeding with her rant and rave session.
"Now when exactly do you plan on giving me the money?"
The younger girl looked down, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Nabiki, money's tight around the house ever since my grandma had to go to the hospital---"
"Your grandma's dead, Sayuri."
"Er, I mean, ever since my dad got pneumonia-"
"Your dad HAD pneumonia for about a week and I do remember sending quite an expensive bouquet of fresh flowers for exactly that occasion. Now, I'm getting tired of these pathetic attempts to avoid answering the question."
She took a step toward the girl but was stopped as an arrow flew just inches before her nose before stopping at the oldest weeping willow in Furinkan High.
"Wha--?"
There was a piece of paper attached to the arrow, bound to it with a blue ribbon.
"Really, Nabiki, I'm saving up the money but it's really hard when you have a family of ten to feed..."
Nabiki pulled the arrow from the tree and opened the paper. A light blush filled her cheeks as she read the contents of said paper.
"You only have a mother and two sisters Sayuri," she replied, absentmindedly.
The piece of paper felt like fire in her hands and it was all she could do not to drop it.
"Nabiki please oh please I promise to pay you as soon as my great uncle Tomo gets out of his coma- -"
But Nabiki was too preoccupied reading the paper to pay much attention to the babbling girl. With a wave of her hand she dismissed her and Sayuri did not need to be told twice to get lost.
"Whatcha doin'?"
Nabiki jumped, startled by Ranma's sudden appearance.
"Damn, Ranma, have you ever heard of giving a warning before sneaking up on somebody?!"
Ranma raised an eyebrow and looked at Nabiki curiously.
"That would defeat the whole purpose of it being a sneak attack Nabiki. 'Sides, whoever heard of a martial artist giving away his position? That's dumb."
His eyes traveled to the piece of paper in her hands.
"What's that, did you get someone else to sell you their soul?"
He jumped over Nabiki just as she took a swing at him with the arrow.
"Ha ha funny-boy. Shouldn't you be escaping Akane's wrath?"
Ranma snickered.
"Nah, that tomboy's too slow for me. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to---"
Nabiki gave him a smug smile and almost laughed as she watched Ranma's confidence fade away.
"She's behind me, isn't she?"
It gave Nabiki great pleasure to confirm his suspicion and watching him close his eyes and ready himself for the unstoppable hyperspacial mallet was utterly hilarious.
Fortunately for Ranma, the blow never came as Akane simply dumped a bucket of ice cold water on him.
A very grumpy Onna-Ranm proceeded to wring out her shirt.
"Violent, angry, short tom---"
To both Nabiki's and Ranma's surprise Akane merely gave the red headed girl a wink before placing a soft kiss on the girl's nose.
"You can go meet me in the gym as soon as you find some hot water," she told him, her voice sultry.
Ranma watched, mouth agape, as she skipped off in that direction.
"Well what are you waiting for?? Go get that hot water, dummy!"
Ranma closed and opened his mouth once more before nodding with nodding, purpose in his eyes.
And then he was off on his journey to find the ever-elusive hot water that would turn him male and bring him rewards left only to everyone's imaginations (AN: or until I write a side story about it...*wink*).
Nabiki sighed before taking another look at the piece of paper in her hand:
Meet me after school in the secluded field behind the school...alone.
TK
It was silly, really and yet...she'd always wondered if she'd ever get an offer to take a romp through the fields of Furinkan High.
Feh, who needed to go to a secluded place with a tall, handsome guy who could...?
"Where do you suppose Nabiki's running off to?" Hiroshi turned to his partner in all crimes that are Hentai, Daisuke.
"I dunno, probably off to swindle money out of the prayer group. How'm I supposed to know?"
Hiroshi looked off and marvelled at Nabiki's grace and agility. The chick had some seriously sexy legs on her.
"Well, wherever she's going she sure is in a hurry. Wonder what has her in such a rush?"
"I dunno Hiro, but I just heard that a wet Onna-Ranma is jumping AND running and you know what that means..."
The two adolescent youths looked at each other before shouting in unison...
"Beatiful, bodacious, bouncing boobies!"
And thus, even as two of Furinkan High's most unlikely people were about to meet for an either romantic or very violent tryst (make that two, can't forget about Ranma and Akane) the two hentais were off on their quest to find a redhead with bouncing breasts.
And all was right with the world.
***************************************************
Pre-Author's Notes: I wanted to end it with Nabiki running off, really I did but Hiroshi and Daisuke just showed up and...the potential for comedy was there and what can a novice writer like myself do except seize the opportunity? LOL. I intended for the story to end here but my imagination begged for another part so you'll just have to wait for this story's conclusion in the next chapter (unless Hiroshi and Daisuke show up again and get me sidetracked once more).
Author's Notes: Is this it for our unlikely couple? Not likely. I might find a way to fit in this relationship to The Truth or other stories. I like Kuno and Nabiki like this. Affectionate yet...themselves. What? You didn't know Sayuri was a pathological liar? It's a fact that has been well hidden in the Ranma community for years. Besides, she had to do a lot of lying to keep Akane's self esteem up: "Of COURSE Ranma thinks you're a good cook, Akane." LOL. Tell me what you thought of it. Oh, and don't mind Nabiki being OOC. It's just that, as a woman, she's got needs too ya know! LOL. As always, e-mail me with C&C at smijaresc@my-deja.com or review this part at fanfiction.net.
Later,
Sonia M.
Takahashi and other respective companies and I am
in no way making any profit from this story. This
is just for my personal enjoyment and for the
enjoyment of those who may read this.
Rated: PG-13
Email me with C&C: simplyshy@hotmail.com
**************************************************
For the Love of Money and A Kiss To Boot: The Day After
SM
**************************************************
Nabiki Tendo opened an eye and closed it instantly.
Who the hell had opened the curtains in her room? The sun was bright and the light hurt her eyes.
"Rise and shine sleepyhead." She would have told the girl with the singsong voice to get the hell out had it not been Kasumi Tendo.
You were not rude to Kasumi unless you wanted to feel like the scum of the earth. Besides, Nabiki knew that her oneechan had let her sleep in later than usual.
After all, Nabiki was usually up at the crack of dawn making plans concerning ways to swindle the Furinkan High population out of its hard earned money.
It was all in a day's work.
Nevertheless, her body refused to acknowledge that it was time to get up so she pulled the covers over her head and wondered if maybe, with enough wishing, Kasumi would just disappear.
The covers were suddenly pulled from her and she was left, curled in a ball, with her midriff exposed. Nabiki liked wearing tees and shorts to sleep and they left nothing to the imagination.
"Arggh! Just a few more minutes Kasumi! I had a long night yesterday."
That reminded Nabiki of what had transpired in the Kuno mansion. She had never expected that she'd end up making out on a mahogany table. And with Tatewaki Kuno of all people!
"Well, it must have been a good night if the radiant smile on your face means anything."
Kasumi put her hand on her mouth in an attempt to cover her wicked smile. She was not as oblivious to her surroundings as people thought.
Nabiki had learned that countless times when her oneechan had "accidentally" misplaced her photography equipment and countless pictures had disappeared into thin air.
"Whatever are you talking about big sister? I am simply smiling because I have just remembered that today is my payday."
It wasn't exactly a lie per se. After all, she _did_ have countless debts to collect from many poor souls who had, in moments of desperation, borrowed money from the Ice Queen.
Oh well, it wasn't her fault that they never bothered to read the fine print in her contracts. Besides, although she charged exorbitant amounts of interest on their debts, she usually ended up using that interest to keep Principal Kuno from making them wear hideous uniforms.
Of course, she'd never tell them that.
"No, there's something else Nabs. Might it have something to do with the fact that you didn't come home from the Kuno mansion until two o'clock in the morning?"
Nabiki could have sworn that there was an unusual gleam in Kasumi's eyes but that couldn't be.
After all, Kasumi wasn't one to notice such things. Wasn't she?
A knock on the door saved Nabiki from having to answer the question. She had decided before going to sleep last night that she'd rather not tell anyone about the 'incident.'
Nabiki wasn't sure quite sure what to make of it.
"Hurry up Nabiki, we're going to be late!"
Just like any little sister, Akane was usually the pest in Nabiki's life but she was, at that moment, a wonderful blessing.
It would have been extremely difficult to make up a lie in face of Kasumi's all-knowing nature.
Kasumi had never quite fooled Nabiki with her "don't mind me" impression.
One day, she'd get Kasumi to tell all and she'd write a book containing juicy tidbits of all that the eldest Tendo daughter had seen during her lifetime.
The amount of money she'd make off such a book gave her a newfound energy and she was ready to go in a matter of minutes.
She jogged after Ranma and Akane, not exactly looking forward to what lay ahead of her.
Nabiki was, of course, thinking of Tatewaki Kuno and THE kiss.
It was one thing to lose yourself in the heat of the moment and quite another to face the person whose tongue had been in your mouth the day after.
Besides, Nabiki wasn't quite sure what Kuno had thought of THE kiss and, besides, she still didn't know if she was ready for her and Kuno's relationship to change.
Up until now, she had been quite content with the way things were.
She took advantage of Kuno's weakness concerning her little sister and the 'Red Haired Goddess" and Kuno kept the money coming.
It was as simple as that.
Nabiki's train of thought was broken by Ranma's startled cry as Onna-Ranma took his place.
That was routine and Nabiki liked that.
The ladle lady's aim never failed and Ranma never spent a morning without having to go to Tofu's to get hot water.
Routine was comfort and Nabiki wasn't so sure she wanted _hers_ changed.
As they approached the gates of Furinkan High she spotted Kuno, standing tall and proud as always, with his bokken raised in the air.
She could describe what was about to transpire even before it happened.
"Oh beauteous 'pig-tailed goddess,' your grace never fails..."
Nabiki mouthed the words with him even as he spoke them.
Kuno turned as he heard a voice break into his well-practiced speech.
"To impress the eyes of the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High."
All eyes were on Nabiki and she blushed a crimson red.
She had not realized that she'd spoken the words aloud.
"Nabi-Tendo..."
Kuno's expression softened as his eyes met hers and, for a brief second she though that he would make a move to approach her.
But that would mean that he'd bring up last night's events and...
"Yeah Kuno-baby, we know the speech. How about you pay me to write you a new one?"
That was better and _much_ safer. It was easier to slip on her comfortable mask of indifference than to face the foreign feelings that were surging up inside her.
It was better because she didn't have to sit and wonder why her heart was beating rapidly with Kuno only a few feet away.
She also didn't have to ask herself why she felt angry that Kuno had not greeted her with that same speech she had just ridiculed.
No, she wouldn't have to explain to her heart why it was that Kuno had not thought enough of their kiss to stop chasing after Onna-Ranma.
And Nabiki would _not_ have to admit to herself that she felt jealous, yes _jealous_, that Kuno's affections towards her didn't seemed to have changed even a tiny bit.
So she didn't mind it when Kuno slipped on that familiar arrogance like gloves and replied, his tone icy.
"I would not mind paying for your *services* if you didn't charge such ridiculous amounts for them."
For a brief moment Nabiki felt the unfamiliar presence of tears in her eyes. But that couldn't be because the Ice Queen _never_ cried.
The moment passed as she raised her head and squared her shoulders. Even as she made her way towards him, the sway of her hips taunting him and her eyes shooting daggers, she thought how she wanted to humiliate him, make him pay for making her feel so damned vulnerable.
But doing so would mean admitting that his words had stung and that her pride had been wounded. And Nabiki Tendo would rather meet Death at the hands of her little sister's cooking than do that.
So she did the next best thing...
She made sure that Kuno was looking straight into her eyes as she reached him and spoke to him, loud enough so that he, and only he, heard her.
"I...have...feelings...too."
And much to everyone's amazement, Nabiki Tendo, short miniskirt be damned, gave Kuno Tatewaki a kick to the midsection and finished him off as her attaché connected with his head.
*************************************
Tatewaki Kuno opened his eyes and was met with the familiar sight of the white ceiling that could only mean one thing.
He had incurred the wrath of the kami in some way he could not understand and they had sentenced him to a place he knew like the back of his hand.
The school infirmary.
He waited until his head stopped throbbing before trying to recall the events that led to his present state.
There had been nothing unusual about the day.
He had begun his days as he always did, by visiting his Akane/Pig-Tailed Goddess shrine, making sure Kodachi had taken her medication, rushing to be the first at the school gates, giving his daily "ode to the goddesses," insulting Nabiki Tendo---
Kuno stopped, his eyebrows furrowed as he recalled that last thought.
Nabiki Tendo had taunted him with her saucy voice and he had responded...
By being the same cur he often accused the foul sorcerer Ranma of being.
But that wasn't possible because he and Nabiki had shared something that had made him wonder if he wasn't wasting his time by chasing ghosts.
Besides, what he had said to the middle Tendo had not warranted the beating she had given him.
The more he thought about it the more he was convinced that he had just been victim to a woman's foul mood.
He would have convinced himself had he not suddenly remembered that Nabiki had told him something before she had proceeded to bash him to unconsciousness.
"I...have...feelings...too."
That was odd...the only reason she would have made such a remark was if he...
Had wounded said feelings.
But all he had told her was that...
She charged too much for her *services*.
And they had kissed the day before.
And Nabiki had charged him for the kiss.
But she had caught him off guard by giving him _another_ kiss and had made sure that he knew that the kiss was too special to be part of a deal.
So that he, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, would not think that _all_ her services were to be bought.
And those were the same services he had accused her of charging him for.
Tatwaki Kuno was, for the most part of his life, a clueless-arrogant-thoughtless-jackass, at least that was what others whispered about him behind his back.
But he had never seen what others saw in him and it wasn't the best feeling in the world to realize that they were right.
It was like looking in the mirror and seeing yourself in a new light, and not a pleasant one at that.
He had claimed many victories before, victories he made sure everyone knew about.
But wounding Nabiki Tendo, and wounding her as deeply and cruelly as he had, was not a victory that Tatewaki Kuno was proud to claim.
_No one_ had ever broken Nabiki's spirit. She was independent, headstrong, ruthless, conniving...
He admired those qualities as much as he loathed them.
And yet he had seen a side of Nabiki last night that he was sure not many besides her family had seen.
She had been weak in the face of passion and what passion she had!
There was not doubt in Kuno's mind that only a man worthy of her affections could make such a passion rise in her.
Last night _he_ had been that worthy man.
Winning those affections would not be an easy task but the end result...that would certainly have been a prize worth receving.
She had been affected by the kiss just as much as he had and she had softened beneath him and he could have sworn that he'd seen her give a sigh of pleasure.
It was as if a door had opened just enough so that Kuno could see that what was inside was worth striving for.
Today's happenings had certainly ruined that and Kuno could almost hear the door slammed unceremoniously in his face.
But things were never so bad that they could not be fixed.
The only problem was, that any problems Kuno had, and he certainly had many, were usually resolved by throwing a few dollar bills someone's way.
That certainly wouldn't work in this situation, Kuno had enough common sense to know that much.
Kuno decided that he had to think seriously about a way to amend his wrongdoing.
There were also other matters, both concerning a blue-haired and a voluptuous pig-tailed goddess.
It was a good thing, he decided, that the infirmary was the perfect place to begin.
************************
"Oneechan, you want a bite of my sushi?"
Nabiki looked up at Akane, whose chopsticks were extended in offering.
"No thanks Akane, I'm not too hungry right now."
Akane chewed her lip in thought before breaking into a smile.
"Kasumi-chan made it."
Nabiki breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, in that case..."
Both sisters broke into giggles before eating in silence.
"I forgot to ask, why exactly are you sitting with me when you're usually at Ranma's side, breaking into fits of jealous rage whenever Ukyo drops by to feed him?"
Akane blushed slightly and looked to where Ranma was sitting with a crowd of boys, no doubt dodging questions concerning whether or not he had "hit it" yet.
"Well, I told Ranma that you looked like you needed some company so he offered to suffer through a round of "twenty questions" with the Hentai Horde."
Nabiki sighed, wondering how, as violent as Akane was, she had a guy who'd do something so sweet for her.
"Yeah, well, you didn't have to do that on my account. Besides, I'm used to eating by myself, remember?"
She gave Akane a forced smile.
Akane did not miss the sadness in Nabiki's eyes and was alarmed by it. Her oneechan wasn't usually so...down.
"Does your mood have anything to do with what Kuno said earlier this morning? Really onee, you know how Kuno can be sometimes. I don't really think he means to be so harsh it's just that, well, all guys are naturally stupid and Kuno's just got that extra amount to deal with."
Under normal circumstances, Nabiki would have certainly agreed with that comment but...it depressed her knowing that all of what Akane had said _wasn't_ true.
Last night, she had seen a glimpse of who Tatch-Kuno really was and it wasn't all stupidity.
Sure, it was 85% stupidity...she really couldn't argue with that. But there was a side of him that she wanted to explore further before she decided that Kuno was just a waste of her time.
The sad thing was, she suspected that she *wouldn't* be wasting her time if she explored the strange feelings that had been borne from the kiss.
But to do that, Kuno would have to get a clue (or buy one, he was rich enough), get rid of his obsession for both Akane and Onna-Ranma, and become a semi normal human being.
And dammit she was not about to wait until she was in her mid forties for that to happen!
"Akane, when did you know that Ranma loved you, I mean _really_ loved you?"
Nabiki turned to her little sister, her face in earnest and waited for an answer. By the looks of it, she would have to wait awhile because her sister looked no less than stunned by the question.
"Well," she chewed on her lower lip, her trademark whenever she was uncertain about something, "I don't really have an answer to that question. There's no _one_ thing that tells you something like that."
She hurried on when she noticed her oneechan give a depressed sigh.
"But there are small clues, you know. Like the way he's taken my tantrums and stuck with me through everything. Heck, the fact that he's still here at all tells me something."
Akane broke into that contagious smile and Nabiki had no doubt as to why Ranma wouldn't mind waking up next to her if that was what he would see every day.
"The point is, you never really _know_. Like with me, there are always those doubts and there will always be bad things...but I think, I think love is something you _feel_ and as long as that feeling's there you know that you're okay."
Nabiki couldn't help but grin at Akane's helpless expression. Her little sister obviously had no idea how much she'd actually told her.
Her little speech may have been a bit choppy and jumbled but Nabiki knew that whatever it meant to be in love was certainly powerful and obviously hard to explain.
She guessed that she'd have to experience it to really know what Akane was talking about.
Unfortunately, love didn't seem to be coming to her anytime soon and not with Kuno.
Of course, not with Kuno.
Besides, Nabiki Tendo was fine as long as she had her confidence and self-respect...and her money, of course.
"Eeee! Ran-maaa!"
Nabiki barely had time to duck before Ranma's water pistol shot a spray of water at her unsuspecting sister.
"You've always gotta be prepared Akane!"
He gave her his boyish grin and bounded off in laughter.
Her sister followed, growling in mock anger. She couldn't hide her infatuation with him even when she tried.
Suddenly, Nabiki didn't doubt for a second that she would have given any of the above up if it meant she could be as carefree as those two.
***********************
"Look Sayuri, I've given you an extended period of time to pay off that debt only because you're one of my sister's closest friends but enough's enough."
Nabiki gave the younger girl a menacing glare before proceeding with her rant and rave session.
"Now when exactly do you plan on giving me the money?"
The younger girl looked down, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Nabiki, money's tight around the house ever since my grandma had to go to the hospital---"
"Your grandma's dead, Sayuri."
"Er, I mean, ever since my dad got pneumonia-"
"Your dad HAD pneumonia for about a week and I do remember sending quite an expensive bouquet of fresh flowers for exactly that occasion. Now, I'm getting tired of these pathetic attempts to avoid answering the question."
She took a step toward the girl but was stopped as an arrow flew just inches before her nose before stopping at the oldest weeping willow in Furinkan High.
"Wha--?"
There was a piece of paper attached to the arrow, bound to it with a blue ribbon.
"Really, Nabiki, I'm saving up the money but it's really hard when you have a family of ten to feed..."
Nabiki pulled the arrow from the tree and opened the paper. A light blush filled her cheeks as she read the contents of said paper.
"You only have a mother and two sisters Sayuri," she replied, absentmindedly.
The piece of paper felt like fire in her hands and it was all she could do not to drop it.
"Nabiki please oh please I promise to pay you as soon as my great uncle Tomo gets out of his coma- -"
But Nabiki was too preoccupied reading the paper to pay much attention to the babbling girl. With a wave of her hand she dismissed her and Sayuri did not need to be told twice to get lost.
"Whatcha doin'?"
Nabiki jumped, startled by Ranma's sudden appearance.
"Damn, Ranma, have you ever heard of giving a warning before sneaking up on somebody?!"
Ranma raised an eyebrow and looked at Nabiki curiously.
"That would defeat the whole purpose of it being a sneak attack Nabiki. 'Sides, whoever heard of a martial artist giving away his position? That's dumb."
His eyes traveled to the piece of paper in her hands.
"What's that, did you get someone else to sell you their soul?"
He jumped over Nabiki just as she took a swing at him with the arrow.
"Ha ha funny-boy. Shouldn't you be escaping Akane's wrath?"
Ranma snickered.
"Nah, that tomboy's too slow for me. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to---"
Nabiki gave him a smug smile and almost laughed as she watched Ranma's confidence fade away.
"She's behind me, isn't she?"
It gave Nabiki great pleasure to confirm his suspicion and watching him close his eyes and ready himself for the unstoppable hyperspacial mallet was utterly hilarious.
Fortunately for Ranma, the blow never came as Akane simply dumped a bucket of ice cold water on him.
A very grumpy Onna-Ranm proceeded to wring out her shirt.
"Violent, angry, short tom---"
To both Nabiki's and Ranma's surprise Akane merely gave the red headed girl a wink before placing a soft kiss on the girl's nose.
"You can go meet me in the gym as soon as you find some hot water," she told him, her voice sultry.
Ranma watched, mouth agape, as she skipped off in that direction.
"Well what are you waiting for?? Go get that hot water, dummy!"
Ranma closed and opened his mouth once more before nodding with nodding, purpose in his eyes.
And then he was off on his journey to find the ever-elusive hot water that would turn him male and bring him rewards left only to everyone's imaginations (AN: or until I write a side story about it...*wink*).
Nabiki sighed before taking another look at the piece of paper in her hand:
Meet me after school in the secluded field behind the school...alone.
TK
It was silly, really and yet...she'd always wondered if she'd ever get an offer to take a romp through the fields of Furinkan High.
Feh, who needed to go to a secluded place with a tall, handsome guy who could...?
"Where do you suppose Nabiki's running off to?" Hiroshi turned to his partner in all crimes that are Hentai, Daisuke.
"I dunno, probably off to swindle money out of the prayer group. How'm I supposed to know?"
Hiroshi looked off and marvelled at Nabiki's grace and agility. The chick had some seriously sexy legs on her.
"Well, wherever she's going she sure is in a hurry. Wonder what has her in such a rush?"
"I dunno Hiro, but I just heard that a wet Onna-Ranma is jumping AND running and you know what that means..."
The two adolescent youths looked at each other before shouting in unison...
"Beatiful, bodacious, bouncing boobies!"
And thus, even as two of Furinkan High's most unlikely people were about to meet for an either romantic or very violent tryst (make that two, can't forget about Ranma and Akane) the two hentais were off on their quest to find a redhead with bouncing breasts.
And all was right with the world.
***************************************************
Pre-Author's Notes: I wanted to end it with Nabiki running off, really I did but Hiroshi and Daisuke just showed up and...the potential for comedy was there and what can a novice writer like myself do except seize the opportunity? LOL. I intended for the story to end here but my imagination begged for another part so you'll just have to wait for this story's conclusion in the next chapter (unless Hiroshi and Daisuke show up again and get me sidetracked once more).
Author's Notes: Is this it for our unlikely couple? Not likely. I might find a way to fit in this relationship to The Truth or other stories. I like Kuno and Nabiki like this. Affectionate yet...themselves. What? You didn't know Sayuri was a pathological liar? It's a fact that has been well hidden in the Ranma community for years. Besides, she had to do a lot of lying to keep Akane's self esteem up: "Of COURSE Ranma thinks you're a good cook, Akane." LOL. Tell me what you thought of it. Oh, and don't mind Nabiki being OOC. It's just that, as a woman, she's got needs too ya know! LOL. As always, e-mail me with C&C at smijaresc@my-deja.com or review this part at fanfiction.net.
Later,
Sonia M.