After dinner that night, Ranma saw that Kasumi was holding the plates in
her hands, looking him expectantly.
"Ahem," she said, making sure she had his attention.
Ranma looked at Kasumi, then at Nabiki, who was reading another magazine, and back at Kasumi. Sensing that the rules have changed permanently, he gathered the remaining platters and trays, and followed Kasumi into the kitchen to do the dishes. When done, he went to his room to ignore his homework. After a few minutes of wishing that his book bag would go away, Nabiki called him into her room to study.
"No escape..." Ranma muttered as he entered Nabiki's room.
"What was that?" Nabiki asked.
"Nothin'," Ranma replied as he dropped his books and sat down on the floor next to his now-spilled book bag.
"Oh, for a moment, I thought you said something about no escaping from the witch." Nabiki had a mischievous grin on her face.
Ranma's eyes went white, and he started waving his hands in panic. "I didn't say that, really! Don't you go putting words in my mouth!"
Without a change in her smile, Nabiki said, "Oh, and I just thought you were afraid that I could read your mind."
Nabiki saw an expression of fear show on Ranma's face and tried to take advantage of the situation. "Mister Macho Martial Artist actually thinks I can read his mind!" she thought. "Oh, god! I can't believe it! What to do next..."
Standing up, she walked over to Ranma. Ranma had shifted position, and was now sitting in a lotus position, his frightened look on his face slowly changing to one of calmness.
Nabiki moved his book bag a few feet away and studied Ranma's face, and said, "You know, meditation really doesn't work. All I have to do is distract you a little, and POOF! Your mind is even easier to read than before."
Then the middle Tendo sister walked around Ranma, and thought aloud so Ranma would hear her. "Now how should I distract you?" she said. "I don't think startling you will work, so it has to be something that makes you uncomfortable. Now, let me see," Nabiki stood in Ranma's vision, making sure that he was listening and looking at her, "how can I make you uncomfortable."
Nabiki thought about how to rattle Ranma for a few seconds, then a great idea appeared in her head. She walked up to Ranma, and put her face close to his, far closer than what would normally be comfortable to him. She could feel the heat coming off his face and watched a slow blush develop on his cheeks for a moment before she said in a husky voice, "Ranma, I know something you don't know."
She moved behind Ranma, putting her hands on his shoulders and leaned against his body and breathed hotly in his ear, "And I promised I never tell any one." Brushing his pigtail off to one side, she felt Ranma's resolve crack when he shivered.
Not yet done, she put her lips very close to Ranma's ear and Nabiki continued in very sultry voice, "But I'll make an exception in your case." As she spoke, her voice became quieter until it was almost a whisper. Pausing, she breathed softly in Ranma's hair and caressed his neck. She gently leaned into his back and lightly touched his cheek.
Ranma was holding his breath and was sweating so much he needed a sponge to wipe dry. Nabiki gently pulled back and slowly slid her hands off his neck. Gently touching his skin, her hands slid under his shirt and down his torso. Ranma graduated from a shiver to a quake.
Suddenly, Nabiki pulled her arms off him and simultaneously said, but not loudly, "Boo!"
"Aaaaa!" Ranma yelled as jumped and reached the ceiling, trying to find a hold on the smooth plaster to get away from Nabiki.
Nabiki fell on the floor, laughing, tears running out of her eyes. "Oh, oh," she tried to say, "that was perfect!"
Between fits of laughter, she tried to apologize to Ranma when he landed on the floor, and was checking to see if he had wet his pants. "Sorry Ranma, I had to do that. It was just too easy!"
When Ranma caught his breath, he smiled at Nabiki, "Just wait, I'll get even."
"Good luck, you are going to neeeeeed it!" Nabiki found herself looking forward to whatever Ranma could come up with. If nothing else ever happened between the two of them, she thought, she'll always remember how well she set up Ranma.
A few minutes later, they were quietly studying.
***
Nabiki lightly dinged Ranma's head, "No more food for you. You are being a pig." She reaches for his bento box, and closes the lid.
Ranma's stomach growled.
"You can be hungry. Until you can eat lunch like us humans, you will be hungry. Besides, do you see anybody here that is going to eat your lunch while you are still holding it?" Nabiki said as she looked at Ranma, who was staring at his food; she can see that he's about to drool. Trying to bring him back to reality, she tapped his arm and said, "Earth to Ranma. Come in Ranma. Are you there?"
In an exasperated tone, Ranma responded, "Yes, Nabiki. I'm here. I get the point. Now can I eat?"
Nabiki let a small smile escape, having earned a minor victory. She decided to reward Ranma, and said, "Yes Ranma, you can eat if you promise to eat politely."
Since his stomach was sending urgent signals to his brain, Ranma agreed. He reached for his bento, only to have Nabiki slap his hands.
With anger in his voice, Ranma asked, "What'd ya do that for? I said I'd eat politely."
Nabiki relished her role as teacher, responded sternly, as if she's addressing a six year old, "Being polite, Ranma, means asking that the food be passed to you. Eating isn't just chewing and swallowing."
Ranma stifled a sigh and said, "Nabiki-sempai, I would thank you very much if you could please pass me my lunch."
"Why, certainly, Ranma-kun. Here you go."
"Thank you. You are most gracious."
Ranma and Nabiki kept up the exaggerated politeness throughout the meal, making a game of it.
***
It was at the end of school on the fourth day of silence that Akane spoke to Ranma.
"Ranma, can we talk?"
"About time. Yeah." Ranma was happy that she finally opened up a little.
Akane looked at her feet, then at Ranma. "I'm sorry for not speaking. It was childish of me."
With a forgiving voice, Ranma tried to make his fiancee feel better by saying, "Aw, don't worry about it none, Akane." Ranma had decided earlier that he wasn't going to hold anything against Akane. "Why'd you stop talking to me in the first place?" he asked.
She nervously looked at Ranma and said, "I needed to work some things out. Stuff has been happening too fast for me to deal with, and I wanted to think."
Ranma stood there silently, unsure of what to say or do.
Akane continued, "When I was told that I wasn't going to be Juliet, everything came to a head, and I became mad at everything." She held her book bag in front of her and started walking home with Ranma beside her, walking on the fence.
Thinking Akane was done, Ranma opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by Akane.
"Ranma," Akane stopped, and motioned Ranma to come down off the fence. "I've been doing some thinking."
Ranma's stomach just left him. He jumped down and stood next to Akane.
"The last few days have been very peaceful. Nobody has bothered you or me. It was quiet."
Ranma crossed his arms and leaned against the fence quietly for a few moments. Then he smiled and looked at her, and said, "Yeah, it has been, ain't it."
"You've been avoiding everyone, haven't you?"
Ranma shook his head and answered her, "Na-uh. Kasumi got me fixin' the damage that the old pervert caused. That midget really busted up the house."
"He did, didn't he?" Akane almost smiled; she realized that her sister had kept Ranma busy the last four days so he wouldn't have the time for trouble to find him.
Ranma and Akane stood there for a moment without saying a word. At the same time, and without another word said, Akane turned to walk home and Ranma jumped on the fence.
As they walked, Akane looked at her fiancee. "Why did you avoid me? I thought you would at least do something," Akane asked in a disappointed tone.
"I didn't wanna to avoid you, but somehow I would've gotten you mad at me for something" Ranma said.
Akane was touched by his admission. She reached out, and touched his hand, trying to hold it. She could see that Ranma became uncomfortable, and there was a slight tug on his hand as if he wanted to pull away.
Finally, at the gate of the house, Akane let go of Ranma's hand and faced him.
"The last four days have been very peaceful and quiet. I know you've been behind the door everyday at lunch. Thank you." Akane bowed deeply to Ranma, and then she stepped closer to him.
"Ranma, don't tell anyone we talked, okay? Please?" She ran into the house.
Stood at the gate, collecting his thoughts, wondering if things just might work out.
"Ahem," she said, making sure she had his attention.
Ranma looked at Kasumi, then at Nabiki, who was reading another magazine, and back at Kasumi. Sensing that the rules have changed permanently, he gathered the remaining platters and trays, and followed Kasumi into the kitchen to do the dishes. When done, he went to his room to ignore his homework. After a few minutes of wishing that his book bag would go away, Nabiki called him into her room to study.
"No escape..." Ranma muttered as he entered Nabiki's room.
"What was that?" Nabiki asked.
"Nothin'," Ranma replied as he dropped his books and sat down on the floor next to his now-spilled book bag.
"Oh, for a moment, I thought you said something about no escaping from the witch." Nabiki had a mischievous grin on her face.
Ranma's eyes went white, and he started waving his hands in panic. "I didn't say that, really! Don't you go putting words in my mouth!"
Without a change in her smile, Nabiki said, "Oh, and I just thought you were afraid that I could read your mind."
Nabiki saw an expression of fear show on Ranma's face and tried to take advantage of the situation. "Mister Macho Martial Artist actually thinks I can read his mind!" she thought. "Oh, god! I can't believe it! What to do next..."
Standing up, she walked over to Ranma. Ranma had shifted position, and was now sitting in a lotus position, his frightened look on his face slowly changing to one of calmness.
Nabiki moved his book bag a few feet away and studied Ranma's face, and said, "You know, meditation really doesn't work. All I have to do is distract you a little, and POOF! Your mind is even easier to read than before."
Then the middle Tendo sister walked around Ranma, and thought aloud so Ranma would hear her. "Now how should I distract you?" she said. "I don't think startling you will work, so it has to be something that makes you uncomfortable. Now, let me see," Nabiki stood in Ranma's vision, making sure that he was listening and looking at her, "how can I make you uncomfortable."
Nabiki thought about how to rattle Ranma for a few seconds, then a great idea appeared in her head. She walked up to Ranma, and put her face close to his, far closer than what would normally be comfortable to him. She could feel the heat coming off his face and watched a slow blush develop on his cheeks for a moment before she said in a husky voice, "Ranma, I know something you don't know."
She moved behind Ranma, putting her hands on his shoulders and leaned against his body and breathed hotly in his ear, "And I promised I never tell any one." Brushing his pigtail off to one side, she felt Ranma's resolve crack when he shivered.
Not yet done, she put her lips very close to Ranma's ear and Nabiki continued in very sultry voice, "But I'll make an exception in your case." As she spoke, her voice became quieter until it was almost a whisper. Pausing, she breathed softly in Ranma's hair and caressed his neck. She gently leaned into his back and lightly touched his cheek.
Ranma was holding his breath and was sweating so much he needed a sponge to wipe dry. Nabiki gently pulled back and slowly slid her hands off his neck. Gently touching his skin, her hands slid under his shirt and down his torso. Ranma graduated from a shiver to a quake.
Suddenly, Nabiki pulled her arms off him and simultaneously said, but not loudly, "Boo!"
"Aaaaa!" Ranma yelled as jumped and reached the ceiling, trying to find a hold on the smooth plaster to get away from Nabiki.
Nabiki fell on the floor, laughing, tears running out of her eyes. "Oh, oh," she tried to say, "that was perfect!"
Between fits of laughter, she tried to apologize to Ranma when he landed on the floor, and was checking to see if he had wet his pants. "Sorry Ranma, I had to do that. It was just too easy!"
When Ranma caught his breath, he smiled at Nabiki, "Just wait, I'll get even."
"Good luck, you are going to neeeeeed it!" Nabiki found herself looking forward to whatever Ranma could come up with. If nothing else ever happened between the two of them, she thought, she'll always remember how well she set up Ranma.
A few minutes later, they were quietly studying.
***
Nabiki lightly dinged Ranma's head, "No more food for you. You are being a pig." She reaches for his bento box, and closes the lid.
Ranma's stomach growled.
"You can be hungry. Until you can eat lunch like us humans, you will be hungry. Besides, do you see anybody here that is going to eat your lunch while you are still holding it?" Nabiki said as she looked at Ranma, who was staring at his food; she can see that he's about to drool. Trying to bring him back to reality, she tapped his arm and said, "Earth to Ranma. Come in Ranma. Are you there?"
In an exasperated tone, Ranma responded, "Yes, Nabiki. I'm here. I get the point. Now can I eat?"
Nabiki let a small smile escape, having earned a minor victory. She decided to reward Ranma, and said, "Yes Ranma, you can eat if you promise to eat politely."
Since his stomach was sending urgent signals to his brain, Ranma agreed. He reached for his bento, only to have Nabiki slap his hands.
With anger in his voice, Ranma asked, "What'd ya do that for? I said I'd eat politely."
Nabiki relished her role as teacher, responded sternly, as if she's addressing a six year old, "Being polite, Ranma, means asking that the food be passed to you. Eating isn't just chewing and swallowing."
Ranma stifled a sigh and said, "Nabiki-sempai, I would thank you very much if you could please pass me my lunch."
"Why, certainly, Ranma-kun. Here you go."
"Thank you. You are most gracious."
Ranma and Nabiki kept up the exaggerated politeness throughout the meal, making a game of it.
***
It was at the end of school on the fourth day of silence that Akane spoke to Ranma.
"Ranma, can we talk?"
"About time. Yeah." Ranma was happy that she finally opened up a little.
Akane looked at her feet, then at Ranma. "I'm sorry for not speaking. It was childish of me."
With a forgiving voice, Ranma tried to make his fiancee feel better by saying, "Aw, don't worry about it none, Akane." Ranma had decided earlier that he wasn't going to hold anything against Akane. "Why'd you stop talking to me in the first place?" he asked.
She nervously looked at Ranma and said, "I needed to work some things out. Stuff has been happening too fast for me to deal with, and I wanted to think."
Ranma stood there silently, unsure of what to say or do.
Akane continued, "When I was told that I wasn't going to be Juliet, everything came to a head, and I became mad at everything." She held her book bag in front of her and started walking home with Ranma beside her, walking on the fence.
Thinking Akane was done, Ranma opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by Akane.
"Ranma," Akane stopped, and motioned Ranma to come down off the fence. "I've been doing some thinking."
Ranma's stomach just left him. He jumped down and stood next to Akane.
"The last few days have been very peaceful. Nobody has bothered you or me. It was quiet."
Ranma crossed his arms and leaned against the fence quietly for a few moments. Then he smiled and looked at her, and said, "Yeah, it has been, ain't it."
"You've been avoiding everyone, haven't you?"
Ranma shook his head and answered her, "Na-uh. Kasumi got me fixin' the damage that the old pervert caused. That midget really busted up the house."
"He did, didn't he?" Akane almost smiled; she realized that her sister had kept Ranma busy the last four days so he wouldn't have the time for trouble to find him.
Ranma and Akane stood there for a moment without saying a word. At the same time, and without another word said, Akane turned to walk home and Ranma jumped on the fence.
As they walked, Akane looked at her fiancee. "Why did you avoid me? I thought you would at least do something," Akane asked in a disappointed tone.
"I didn't wanna to avoid you, but somehow I would've gotten you mad at me for something" Ranma said.
Akane was touched by his admission. She reached out, and touched his hand, trying to hold it. She could see that Ranma became uncomfortable, and there was a slight tug on his hand as if he wanted to pull away.
Finally, at the gate of the house, Akane let go of Ranma's hand and faced him.
"The last four days have been very peaceful and quiet. I know you've been behind the door everyday at lunch. Thank you." Akane bowed deeply to Ranma, and then she stepped closer to him.
"Ranma, don't tell anyone we talked, okay? Please?" She ran into the house.
Stood at the gate, collecting his thoughts, wondering if things just might work out.