Cat Got His Tonuge

by Silverflare07

An effort to scare Ranma away Kuno turns to Ranma’s fear of cats. Unfortunately things don’t go quite as planned because Ranma seems a bit...well stuck...What’s Akane going to do.

Disclaimer:  Ranma ½ doesn't belong to me in anyway shape or form...but I would love to own Ranma...hehe. 'My Immortal' belongs to Evanescence.

Summary:  An effort to scare Ranma away Kuno turns to Ranma's fear of cats. Unfortunately things don't go quite as planned because Ranma seems a bit...well stuck...What's Akane going to do.

Title: Cat Got His Tongue

Author: qtloveskittles

Dedication: To anyone who wants this to be dedicated too.

Author's note: Just some good ole R/A fluff.

Extra info: I first started thinking of all the cute things you could do with Ranma/Akane when Ranma goes into the Cat fist when I read "Curiosity of the Cat." You should read it.

Stuff you need to know:

          " "- speech

          Thoughts are in italics

          "italics" –is someone singing.          

          [Ranma's thought when he's in Cat Fist]

           When Ranma's in male form he's just Ranma when he's in girl form I'll call him Ranma-chan. K?

ON WITH THE FIC!

~*~

"Foul Saotome!" Kuno ran towards Ranma, his bokken (that's what it's called right?) posed out in front of him.

"Huh?" Ranma looked up. "What now Kuno?"

"Release the pig tailed girl!"

From the sidelines Akane watched the soon to be fight a sweat drop forming on her head.

"Honestly." She muttered. "When is Kuno ever going to learn?"

Next to her Nabiki sighed. "Kuno baby will never learn." Then she turned to the still growing crowd. "ALRIGHT PLACE YOUR BETS! WHO WILL BE THE WINNER! KUNO OR RANMA?!?!?!"

Akane sighed. Her sister would never change. She saw Kuno charge towards Ranma. Suddenly the janitor came by, whistling and completely oblivious to the fight that was about to take place. And he was holding a bucket of cold water. An idea struck Akane and she grabbed the bucket of water and ran out to the battlefield before the janitor knew what was happening.

"Kuno!"

Kuno stopped mid attack. "Is that my lovely Akane Tendo calling?"

Ranma was too surprised by the interruption to bother to correct him.

"Yeah 'Kane. Whatchya doin'?"

She stomped over to them a scowl plastered on her face.

"I'm tired of Kuno's idiotic obsession with the 'pig-tailed girl'. I'm going to set the record straight once and for all. Kuno take a look at Ranma. What do you see?"

Kuno, thoroughly confused but still willing to go along with anything that his lovely Akane wished to do turned to face her. "I see a foul male standing there."

Akane nodded. "Good. Now watch closely. Ranma's not going to move an inch okay?" Kuno nodded. "Okay ready..." She poured the water over Ranma's head. Before Kuno's eyes his enemy Saotome became his beloved pig tailed girl. "Get it now?"

Kuno stood rooted to the spot. "How...what kind of magic is this?" He cried outraged.

"It's not magic Kuno baby." Nabiki appeared behind Ranma-chan and was dumping warm water of the girl's head. Instantly she was a he again.  "It's a curse. He turns into a girl when doused with cold water."

"Hot water changes him back." Akane finished. "Get it now?"

Realization hit Kuno like a bag of bricks. All this time he had been pinning over another guy. He could feel his face heat up as the majority of the school (who had come to watch the fight) began to laugh, loudly.

"Man Kuno must have been pretty thick to not get that."

"Looks like the Blue Thunder's storm is over."

"I still think he knew all along."

"That would make him-"

"Exactly."

Kuno turned and stormed into the school. Saotome would pay for this. He would pay dearly. But how?

"SASUKE!"

~*~

Ranma looked at where Kuno and gone then to Akane. Suddenly he became very nervous. The whole school was expecting him to thank her.

"I...well...thanks."

Akane blushed and looked at the ground.

"I...I..." She could feel an insult on the tip of her tongue but bit it back. "Your welcome."

They could both hear a collective sigh of relief from the student body. This only made them blush harder.

"Well we should get to class before we're..." The bell rang and Akane sighed. "late."

Ranma laughed nervously. "At least the whole school will be late today."

They both looked around to see that they were the only one's still outside.

~

Ranma sighed and shifted the bucket of water from one hand to the other. Beside him Akane began humming softly. Ranma turned to look at her.

"What are you humming?"

Akane looked surprised and blushed at being caught.

"An American song. I heard it on a TV show a few weeks ago."

"You know English?"

Akane almost face faulted.

"We're in the same English class idiot!"

Ranma sweat dropped. "Hehe...oh ya."

"Honestly. You can be so stupid sometimes."

For some reason what normally would have started an argument was almost teasing. His temper was just not working today. "Well would you sing it for me?"

Akane almost dropped her bucket of water. "What?"

Ranma held back a laugh. "Would you sing it so I can hear the lyrics? Please."

Akane shot him a suspicious glance. "You won't make fun of me?"

Ranma held up his hands. "I promise."

She looked at him for a minute before nodding. "Alright...but remember you promised."

Ranma pretended to zip his lips and lock them.

Akane took a deep breath:

"I'm so tired of being here,

Suppressed by all my childish fears.

And if you have to leave,

I wish that you would just leave.

'Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone.

And these wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase.

When you cried I'd wipe away all your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all your fears

I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have

All of me.

You used to captivate me

By your resonating light

Now I'm bound by the life you left behind.

Your face it haunts

My once pleasant dreams

Your voice it chased away

All the sanity in me.

And these wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase.

When you cried I'd wipe away all your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all your fears.

I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have

All of me.

I've tried to tell myself that you're gone

But though you're still with me

I've been alone all along.

When you cried I'd wipe away all your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all your fears.

I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have

All of me."

Akane finished and the hall way was eerily silent. Cautiously she turned to look at Ranma and saw that he was staring at her, his eye were shinning with unshed tears. They were barely noticeable but they were definitely there.

Was my singing that bad?

She had always been the singer in her family. Kasumi's voice was more for humming and Nabiki thought singing was pointless and profitless (unless you did it professionally) so she had never bothered to see if she was good. She was about to ask him to say something, anything, even if it was an insult, when he pulled her into a hug. She was so startled that she did drop her bucket and it and the water went on the floor.

"Ranma?" Her voice was muffled by his shirt but he must have heard her because he let go and brought her so that she was arms length away.

His eyes were looking into hers and she noticed, not for the first time that his eyes were a grey blue that a girl could lose herself in. Something Akane found herself doing.

"Ahem." A voice snapped them out of their little world.

They turned, both a nice shade of red, to see Nabiki standing there a smirk on her face. Immediately they sprung apart and Nabiki had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.

"The teacher says you can come back in now." She began to walk away. She called out to them just before she disappeared from view. "You know Akane you really do have a nice voice you should sing more often." Then she was gone.

They both looked at the ground again before deciding to head back to class. Akane, having been in her right mind when Ranma had hugged her, knew to side step her spilt water. Ranma, however, wasn't so lucky. Still in a slight stupor he stepped and slipped on the slick floor. His bucket flew into the air and before he could process what had happened he was now a she and grumbling miserably.

Akane giggled and offered Ranma-chan a hand up. She took it and was up and on her way to the boys' bathroom before Akane could finish giggling.

"Tell sensei I'll be a there in a minute."  She called over her shoulder.

~*~

Kuno sat at his desk almost to patiently. His hands were folded together and rested on the desk before him. His eyes were closed and he had an almost relaxed smile on his face. He was actually in the process of humming a song when Sasuke walked up to him.

"Master." His voice broke Kuno out of his happy thoughts (which consisted of Ranma cowering in fear and Akane running into his arms). He opened an eye.

"Is everything in place?"

Sasuke bowed. "Yes Master. I saw her...him heading to the bathroom moments ago."

Kuno nodded. "Very well. Sit and enjoy this victory with me."

Sasuke nodded and sat in the chair that was next to Kuno's desk and the two laughed, an evil laugh that sent shivers down the spines of Kuno's classmates. One of whom was none other then Nabiki Tendo.

~*~

Ranma-chan grumbled as she opened the door to the boys' bathroom. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that it took her a minute to realize that the lights were off.

"What the...?" She stopped when she heard a low 'merow!'

~*~

"Okay Kuno what'd you do?" Nabiki asked as she walked up to his desk.

He looked up into her scowling face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Nabiki swore under her breath. She didn't really want to do this...but she also really didn't like the way Kuno had been laughing either. Finally she slapped her hand down on his desk.

"Fine five pictures of my sister for whatever it is that's making you so god damn happy!"

Kuno inspected the pictures carefully before putting them inside his shirt.

"Very well. Nabiki Tendo I shall tell you of the thing that is giving me such great joy." His face darkened. "Ranma Saotome's downfall."

Now Nabiki was hooked. "And just how do you plan to accomplish that." 

Kuno just smirked. "You will undoubtedly see soon enough." And with that the conversation was finished and Kuno went back to staring at his pictures.

~*~

Ranma-chan found the light switch and with a click the bathroom was flooded with light.

Cats. Dozens of them. All sitting there licking their lips and yowling. One got brave and decided to venture over to the now shaking girl.

"Mrowl." It rubbed its head against Ranma-chan's leg.

"CAT!"

~*~

Akane was only half listening to the teacher when she walked back into class. The other half of her brain was wandering back to what had taken place in the hall.

What in the world was that all about? I should ask him later but he'll probably just deny it ever happened.

She was actually about to get angry at him when she heard a terrified scream of 'cat!'. Her head snapped up.

That sounds like Ranma.

Knowing that her fiancée often had serious problems when it came to cats, like the cat fist, she was up and out the door before her teacher could get a word out. Of course the whole school and heard the cry, and knew what happened to Ranma when he encountered cats, so she just let Akane go figuring it would probably be the best idea in the end.

Akane and barely taken two steps towards the boys' bathroom when Ranma-chan came flying down the hall and almost ran her over.

"RANMA!" She called to the girl with her arms open. "Here kitty kitty. Here kitty."

Ranma-chan turned around and made a beeline for Akane. In seconds she was knocked to the ground and Ranma-chan was cuddled on her lap purring. Many of the students had come to see what had happened and were whispering amongst themselves.

"Oh no he's gone cat again."

"Don't worry Akane can snap him out of it."

"Yeah I mean she's done it all the other times."

"It must be because they're fiancées."

Akane sighed; she had learned to ignore what her classmates said a long time ago. She usually just got mad to make Ranma mad and convince herself they were lying. But right now didn't seem like the time to make a scene. She stood up and placed Ranma next to her. She began to walk towards the girls' bathroom and, just as she had suspected, Ranma-chan began to follow her.

She held the door open and Ranma-chan walked in without a second thought. Akane followed. After checking to make sure that there were no girls in the stalls she filled a cup up with hot water.

As soon as Ranma-chan heard the water running she became suspicious. She backed away as Akane tried to dump the water on her head. Akane sighed.

"Here kitty. Here kitty kitty."

Ranma-chan sniffed cautiously before approaching the girl. SPLASH! A very wet and very male Ranma sat before her shaking his head to rid himself of the water. Suddenly he looked up at her.

Akane took a step back. There was something very different about his eyes and the way he was looking at her. He opened his mouth to say something.

"Meow!"

Akane screamed.

~

Ranma winced as a loud noise came from the girl in front of him. He cocked his head to the side in a confused gesture.

[What's wrong with mate?]

Carefully he took a step closer to her letting out a small meow. She was shaking from head to toe and it looked like she wanted to cry.

"Ranma?" Ranma turned when he heard his name.

[Mate need Ranma.] He bounded over to her and sat down by her feet.

Akane looked down at him. "Why are you still a cat?"

Ranma was confused. What was she talking about? He decided to ask.

"Mrow?"

He watched as Akane began to walk towards the door. Instinctively he followed.

[Must make sure mate is safe.]

Together they walked out into the hallways with Ranma right by Akane's heels. Suddenly Kuno came bounding over and pulled Akane into a hug. Ranma hissed and flexed his claws.

[Stay away from mate!]

He lunged at Kuno (who was too busy reciting poetry to Akane to notice) and slashed at his arms. Kuno jumped back in time to avoid getting any serious damage but his bokken was lying at his feet in pieces. Kuno looked outraged at Ranma and stood up to face him.

"How dare you break my weapon. You are truly the foulest of all creatures!"

Ranma simply hissed. [Don't come near mate!]

Again Akane sighed. "Kuno Ranma thinks he's a..."

"You don't have to explain." A cold voice cut in. "He knows already."

Ranma turned to see Nabiki walk up to them. He walked up to her and gave her an approving meow before go back over to Akane.

[Mate's family. Is okay.]

Nabiki almost looked relieved. "Good I can come near you."

Akane blushed. "Well I guess he just doesn't like anyone..."

"Any males." Nabiki corrected.

This made Akane blush harder. "Right any males to come near me when he's in cat fist."

Nabiki muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'not just when he's cat.' But Akane wasn't sure. She opened her mouth to ask her when Nabiki cut her off.

"Kuno's the one who put all the cats in the boys' bathroom."

Akane's battle aura flared. "WHAT?" She turned to Kuno murder in her eyes. "Didn't you learn the last time you tried that?"

Kuno just sat there on the floor in the middle of the hallway as if he hadn't heard a word of it.

"How many did you put in there? 'Cuz he won't switch back!"

When Kuno still wouldn't answer her she turned and ran to the boys' bathroom Ranma close behind.

Nabiki sighed and watched her sister before turning back to Kuno, who was still sitting calmly in the middle of the hallway.

"What are we going to do with you Kuno baby?"

He tossed her a bouquet of red roses. She blinked. "Thanks but I'd prefer cash."

Kuno looked up at her and scoffed. "They're for Akane Tendo. Be sure she gets them." Then he stood up and walked back to class.

Nabiki sighed and handed the roses to someone next to her before following Kuno.

~*~

Akane slowly opened the door to the boys' bathroom. Ranma's head peaked out curiously from behind her legs. Immediately he began to growl. Akane had to turn on the lights (which had mysteriously been turned off) in order to see what was making Ranma so upset. She gasped.

Cats were everywhere. Crammed into every corner of the bathroom. And not just a few cats either but hundreds maybe even thousands.

"Kuno really outdid himself this time. There's even more in here then there was the first time he tried this." Akane muttered before turning out the lights and walking back out.

She looked down at Ranma who was busy licking his paws.

"Well I guess we'd better get you home."

Ranma looked up with questioning eyes.

[Home?]

~*~

"Dad! Uncle Saotome! Kasumi!" Akane and Ranma had made it home in record time.

Pushing the front door open she was greeted by Kasumi's voice floating over to her from the kitchen.

"Father and Uncle Saotome are in the living room. I'll be there in a minute I'm pouring tea."

Akane nodded even though she knew Kasumi couldn't see her and made her way to the living room. Ranma walked slowly after sniffing every few seconds.

By the time they had reached the living room Kasumi was serving the tea and Soun and Genma were fighting over the pieces of their game. Kasumi was the first to notice them.

"Ah! Akane there you are. Where's Ranma..." She trailed off when she noticed Ranma sitting happily at Akane's feet.

"What happened to the boy?"

Akane sat down at the table and launched into the events of the day. When she had finished Kasumi's eyes were wide and Soun was crying. Genma looked grave.

"So he's stuck."

Akane nodded. Genma looked at the ground.

"I don't know how to snap him out of it."

"What?"

"The few times he has gone into cat fist he was brought by three things: that old lady (did she have a name?), his curse, and you. Since the old lady is dead and his curse isn't snapping him out of it I leave it up to you."

Suddenly Soun was in front of his daughter. "Yes Akane, it is your job to make sure that Ranma is brought back safely from the cat fist."

"Oh alright. Well he's coming up to my room so I can do math homework." She climbed up the stairs and Ranma followed.

~

Once Ranma was inside she closed the door and leaned against it. She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day and turned to look at Ranma her eyes watering slightly.

"I don't know what's wrong Ranma or why you won't come out of cat fist but I hope...I hope I'm enough to bring you back." She sat down on her bed and swiped at her eyes a few times.

Ranma walked up to her but stopped halfway and began to sniff the air. He ran to her desk and pulled out something black from underneath it. Akane was momentarily stumped as to what the thing was until it gave a weak:

"Bwee!" She jumped up.

"P-chan!" She bent down to take the shaking black pig from Ranma. "Give him here Ranma."

Ranma obediently set the pig down and it jumped into Akane's arm. She laughed and planted a kiss on its nose before stroking its head. She scratched his neck and felt something wet. She gasped as she saw a few drops of blood coming from a small bite mark on the pig's neck.

"Ranma must have accidentally bitten you when he picked you up." She turned to Ranma. "Silly kitty," She cooed. "You have to be more careful." She turned back to the black pig. "Come on I'll wash it up and everything will be fine."

Ranma watched her walk out of the room. He let out a noise that suspiciously sounded like a laugh and began to follow.

[Now mate see real pig.]

~

Akane hummed and placed the tip of the washcloth into the warm water. Her grip on the struggling pig tightened and she laughed.

"Calm down silly its cold water." She was lying through her teeth but it calmed the pig down.

Ranma watched from the door with mild interest as the Akane dabbed at the pig's neck with warm water. The pig's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't very hot. But it was hot enough to activate the Jusenkyo (did I spell that right?) curse.

The piglet jumped out of Akane's arms and changed mid air. Akane had fallen back and was sitting on the floor staring at a naked Ryoga with her mouth hanging open in surprise.

Ryoga laughed meekly. "Akane-san I..."

Akane cut him off. "You have a curse too?"

Ryoga could only nod his head in shame. He waited for Akane to get up and hit him or yell at him or something, but nothing happened. After a few minutes he looked up and Akane was standing over him hand ready to smack him across the face. He waited. He deserved it.

But Akane's eyes began to water and she dropped her hand and turned and ran out of the bathroom.

Ranma glared at Ryoga and gave an angry hiss before running after her.

By the time he made it to Akane's room the door was shut and he could hear her sobbing inside. He scratched at the door and gave a small meow but all he got in response was a 'go away'.

[Why is mate alone? Mate need Ranma. Ranma can't get to mate!]

He began pushing at the door with his head but that didn't work. He was about to claw down the door when Kasumi walked up the stairs. She spotted Ranma pawing at Akane's door.

"Oh would you like to get in?"

Ranma mewed in response and Kasumi opened the door.

"There you go...oh my what's the matter Akane?"

Ranma gently nudged her out of the room before Akane could respond. Kasumi went willingly. She could talk later.

~

Ranma jumped on the bed and nudged Akane with his head. She began to stroke his head while she cried. He began to purr in an attempt to comfort her. She wiped her eyes and looked at him. This only caused her to cry harder.

"Why won't you back? I need you to come back."

Ranma only looked at her confused. Come back from where? He was right there. Suddenly she began to make noise. And soon words flowed from her mouth that matched the noise (aka she's singing).

"These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have

All of me."

Ranma's head was spinning and he's heart hurt. What was that sad sound. Why did sound so familiar?

[Is Ranma home...?]

Suddenly his head snapped upwards and he stood up, on two legs, and walked over to the crying girl. He pulled her into a hug and gently stroked her.

"It's okay 'Kane I'm here now."

Akane stopped crying and looked up into the blue-grey eyes of her fiancée.

"Ranma?"

"Shhh... everything's gonna be okay. I'm gonna kick Ryoga to China when I see him."

She let out a giggle. "Thank you."

He pulled her closer. "Just don't cry anymore. You're so much cuter when you smile."

Akane looked at him in surprise. "Wha...?"

He smiled. "Kawaiikune tomboy." His voice was playful. "You are so clueless sometimes."

She smiled back. "Maybe I need you to spell it out for me." Her eyes were dancing and she was holding back a laugh.

In that instant he knew, without a doubt, that she loved him as much as he loved her. He and always known on some level and assumed she had too. They were both waiting for the other to back down first. This was one challenge Ranma really didn't mind losing. After all in the end he would win.

"I love you." Why had that been so hard to say before? It was so easy now.

Her smile was brighter than the sun and her eyes sparkled with a kind of joy Ranma rarely saw.

"I love you too, baka."

"Tomboy."

They laughed and Ranma cupped her face with his hands before bring his lips down to meet with hers.

It was their first real kiss (the one as Romeo and Juliet didn't really count he had been taped) and the feeling of lighter than air was one Ranma wouldn't change for anything in the world.

They broke apart when the need for air became too great to ignore. And they stayed in a hug just ignoring the rest of the world. After a few minutes Akane looked up at him.

"Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"I never got a chance to ask but...why did you hug me after I had finished singing?"

"You seemed sad. I just felt this need to give you a hug. I could here the pain in your voice."

She giggled and hugged him tighter. "Well I won't be able to sing sad songs like that anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because I have to only thing in the world that could make me happy." She reached up and kissed him again and they were both lost in a world that consisted of only them.

~*~

Nabiki watched from TV that was connected to the hidden camera in her sister's room. She grinned as she watched them kiss again. This was valuable stuff. But something tugged at her heart and she frowned.

"Oh alright." She sighed and shut off the TV and disconnected the camera. "I won't use my sister and Ranma's new found happiness for money."

Her frown let up slightly and she reached for the phone. Dialing quickly she pulled open her desk drawer and pulled out a handful of photos. Her frown became a smile as someone picked up on the other line.

"Hey Kuno-baby! I've got a proposition. Meet me at the Cat Café in half an hour. Trust me you'll like it."

She hung up and grabbed her purse and stuffed the photos in them. One fell on the bed and she picked it up and examined it. It was a picture of her sister working out in the dojo. Someday she would stop using her sister to make money completely but...

Baby steps Nabiki, baby steps.

She walked out of the room. She had a meeting to attend to. After all, she smirked; old habits are hard to break.

~*~

Okay I want to apologize if they seemed OC but I tried. This is my first Ranma fic so R&R and let me know what you think.