Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma
PS: I live in Ireland, so I use English spelling, not American, so don't beat me for that!
Ranma- Love at last!
Chapter 7- Homework
A/N. Hi everyone!
First of all I'm sorry that this chapter is slightly shorter than the rest. But I needed the next chapter to be separate from this one. It got to messy when I tried to put it with this one.
Thanks for all your support so far, so…..
BIG THANK YOU TO:
Ryan L.Spralding: Don't worry swimming's coming soon.
Ikerana / Fotoguy / Expired Doughnuts / Goku905041 / nonenge / nao-lien / tkdl / arababu / genko / borg rabbit and shima: THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR YOU REVIEWS AND SUPPORT
LazyChick23: You can write American, some words are spelt differently. Like organize/organize. Thanks for the review.
AND A BIG BIG THANK YOU TO:
kenshinlover2002/ nonengel / jace3/ Dragon Man 180 and Priestess Kohana
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
On with the story…
Tendo Dojo: Outside Ranma's Room
Nabiki was kneeling down beside the door. She had a glass up against the door and her ear was pressed to it. Kasumi was nervously fidgeting with her apron behind her. Suddenly Nabiki left out a smug smile and shifted to look in the keyhole. Smiling she stood up and the two walked to the top of the stairs as silently as possible. Once they were out of earshot of the room Kasumi looked at Nabiki and in a hushed voice asked,
" Well?"
Nabiki grinned wildly,
" It worked!"
Kasumi's eye's bugged out and she spluttered out,
" They kissed?"
Nabiki grinned nervously and scratched the back of her head,
" Hehe…No. But they are hugging and Ranma's decided to stay. Something big must have happened in Jusenkyo. They didn't act like this the last time Ranma left. Basically everything happened this time that Father and Mr. Saotome had tried to make happen the last time."
Kasumi smiled and finished Nabiki's sentence for her,
" Because they didn't interfere this time!"
Nabiki smiled and nodded, Kasumi continued,
" It was a very good idea to get the Saotome's to leave. I mean apart from the financial strain, Mr. Saotome was causing a ridiculous amount of hassle. I'll miss auntie Nodoka though, she was fun to have around and helped me a lot around the house."
Nabiki smiled sadly,
" Yeah! She is a great help!"
Kasumi continued,
" Hey Nabiki! I know that making Mr. Saotome leave will stop his interfering antics but…How do you intend to stop Father?"
Nabiki grinned wildly,
" Well I put it to him very bluntly that if he hadn't been interfering they probably would have married already…
Kasumi raised her eyebrow at Nabiki. Who rolled her eyes and said,
"…and I threatened never to do the house finances again if he didn't go along with it all!"
Kasumi grinned wickedly,
" Ohh that's good Nabiki!… Let's leave the two lovebirds be then! Auntie Nodoka is probably wondering if the toilet swallowed me, I've taken so long."
Nabiki laughed and they both headed down the stairs together.
Tendo Dojo: Ranma's Room
Warm. Akane was warm. And she was hugging him. Ranma couldn't believe it. Maybe things between them were finally looking up. Holding her gently they had both sunk into a gentle embrace with Ranma's hands on her back and Akane's around his neck. Her head was buried in his shoulder and she was still sniveling slightly.
After what seemed like a life age she slowly pulled away. Carefully unhooking they both got back into a kneeling position. Akane wiped a tear from her eye and nervously mumbled,
" Sorry Ranma! I-I-I didn't mean to…"
Ranma impatiently interrupted,
" Didn't mean to what Akane? Didn't mean to hug me?"
Akane winced slightly and quickly answered,
" No no! I didn't mean to use you as some kind of human tissue. I'm sorry for using you shoulder to cry on."
Ranma calmed and blushed,
" Ohh. There's no need to be sorry 'Kane."
Akane smiled and blushed. Wiping another tear from her eye she quietly said,
" Thanks! Thanks Ranma!"
A silence descended down upon them. For a while they both knelt with their hands on their knees and were blushing while looking at the floor.
Akane was the first to speak,
" I ehm… I'm gonna go get changed out of my uniform… then we'd better get started on our homework."
She stood up slowly and Ranma stood up moments later. Rubbing the back of his head he said,
" Heh! Yeah! And I gotta pack too."
Akane sadly looked at the floor, turning around she quickly left his room. She stopped at the door and looked back at Ranma and said,
" Ranma I'll call you when I'm ready so we can get started on our homework"
Ranma nodded and Akane left the room silently, shutting the door as she went.
Ranma stood still for a few moments. Finally he dropped back onto his futon. Lying back he touched his check and quietly mumbled,
" Wow!"
For the next few minutes he stared at the ceiling while grinning wildly to himself.
After about 5 minutes he got up and was about to go look for Akane when he heard the sound of a door opening. He knelt down quickly, as the footsteps got louder and louder. The door slid sideways and Akane appeared. She was wearing the white blouse and yellow dress that she often wore, Ranma had to admit he liked that dress on her, it suited her. Her eyes were still puffed but she didn't look like crying. Infact she looked quite happy.
She softly said,
" Ranma, you can come now. Thanks for waiting."
Ranma smiled and got up. Opening the door properly Akane turned around and they both headed out the door, down the hall and into Akane's room.
Just as they shut the door to her room they heard someone coming up the stairs behind them. Quietly padding to Akane's room the person knocked and said,
" Akane, I've got your bag! You left it downstairs!"
It was Kasumi.
Akane pushed Ranma to the side so as to hide him from Kasumi. Signaling him to be quiet she opened the door and took her bag from Kasumi with a bow,
" Thank you Kasumi Oneechan!"
Kasumi was about to leave when Akane stopped her,
" Erm Kasumi? Can you give me Ranma's bag too?"
Kasumi handed it to her and smiled, Akane swore it was a smug one,
" Of course Akane. But why would you want Ranma's bag?"
Akane nervously scratched the back of her head and stammered an excuse,
" I…. Have to get a book out of it….. Because he borrowed one!"
Kasumi smiled again and said,
" Off course Akane."
Turning around and heading off she called back to Akane,
" I'll call when dinner is done! Have fun with Ranma!"
Akane nervously laughed until she heard Kasumi descending down the stairs.
" Dammit! She knows!"
Ranma looked at her from the corner of the room,
" Knows what 'Kane?"
Akane turned too him and said in a panicky voice,
" That you're here! And that I was trying to hide you! Which in their minds means that we were up to something!"
Ranma took a few steps towards Akane. Stopping in front of her he raised his eyebrow and questioned,
" Akane…Why did you try to hide me?"
Akane nervously looked at her hands and twiddled her fingers for a few moments before timidly answering,
" I…..I was afraid Ranma!"
She looked up and into Ranma's eyes, they were shining in the brilliant deep blue that she knew so well. Sounding careful Ranma asked,
" Of what Akane? Of Kasumi?"
Akane nervously answered,
" No…Not of Kasumi. I'm afraid our fathers will think that were doing something and come to ruin it like they always do. It would be so much better if they left us be."
Ranma looked up and blinked twice. He realised something.
" Nabiki!"
Akane looked at him in confusion
" What about her?"
Ranma looked back down at Akane and smiled,
" It was her idea! It must have been! I'm gonna have to thank her, not kill her!"
Akane was completely baffled and asked,
" What are you blabbing on about?"
Ranma's smile grew wider,
"She's the one who got mom and pop to leave, she probably did it so that we'll get some alone time!"
Akane blushed at what Ranma said and nervously said,
" You want alone time with me?"
Realising what he had said Ranma blushed furiously and started playing with his pigtail while stammering,
" Ehm…w-well… if, you know… you d-do… then… I g-guess I… do too!"
Although she was nervous and blushing furiously Akane managed to smile and say clearly,
" I do Ranma! I'd love to be able to talk with you properly without distraction!"
Ranma who was still blushing, smiled happily,
" Good! 'Cause you know… I do too…"
Both of them lowered their heads and continued to blush, but this time they were both smiling happily.
They continued to blush for quite some time until a bird, which began loudly singing outside on the tree, distracted them.
Akane turned her head to look out the window. Smiling she picked up her schoolbag and put it on her bed,
" Ranma, let's get started or we'll never get it done!"
Ranma nodded and said,
" Yeah"
With that he sat cross-legged on the floor and pulled his bag over and began pulling out the books and copies he'd need. By the time he was ready Akane came and sat on the floor opposite him and pulled out the first book.
Smiling happily she said,
" Come on Baka, let's get you a bit more ready for the exams."
Ranma smiled, if it meant spending quiet time with Akane he was all for it, no matter what it was.
It was no surprise really then that, although they did get everything done in time for dinner, that both of them would have had a permanent red hue to their faces had they blushed any more from sneaking looks at each other.