Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma or any of the characters, they belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi.
oOo
"You are not serious, Nabiki?"
The situation between the Tendo-Saotome households was complex. While Kasumi was engaged to Tofu, the finances of the Tendo household were somewhat vanished. With the upcoming wedding of Kasumi, Nabiki going to a (not surprisingly) rather expensive college and Akane's graduation (and hopefully imminent wedding), Soun Tendo was in despair of a cashflow. At the same time, Nodoka Saotome realizing her husband has not managed to get hold of any savings during his elongated travels, the two families have agreed to simply move the two households together. With Kasumi moving to Tofu and Nabiki moving to the campus in Tokyo, there would be enough space to take up Nodoka and her belongings. She would be taking care of the household, enjoying the company of her husband and Ranma (who would hopefully soon wed Akane). Of course, Ranma and Akane did not comment on these thoughts when the families discussed the topic, although the idea did make perfect sense and (without admitting) the two were happy to live together again.
Nabiki looked at her younger sister perplexed. "Of course, I am. Do you think so low of me, not to offer you that for free?" The older sister stood in her room with a sledgehammer and a safety glasses facing the wall towards Akane's room. "I am deeply happy to give the space to you as an early wedding gift…." The threw the hammer, yet her younger sister caught it effortlessly with one hand.
"You will not destroy that wall without us having talked about your plans with the whole family."
Nabiki shrugged. "We did talk about it. Aunti Nodoka and Oncle Genma well take the guest room, you and Ranma will get the enlarged sleeping room of yours and when I come visit, I will enquire the attic dorm…"
"No, you won't'!"
"What, is it that you want the dorm for yourself to share with your Ranma-baby?"
"What…No!" Akane blushed. "We said Nodoka and Genma will move up the attic so that every one of us can keep their rooms for themselves."
"And 'for themselves' meaning that sooner or later we will have to tear down a wall anyway for the newlyweds, so why not do it now?"
Nabiki intended to through the hammer again but Akane held tight to it. "Kasumi…"
"Her room remains a guest room, I mean who know's what strange guests might invite themselves into our home sooner or later, eh?"
Akane frowned. Lately she has gotten along rather well with her sister. In fact, the time she has not spend with her workout she has either helped Kasumi in the household or preparing the wedding or she'd spend time with Nabiki. Often, she hung out until late at night in Nabiki's room talking to her about college life and helping planning decorating her dorm room and even arranging the new schedule. After all, it was sort of a practise for her, as she was about to graduate next year, though she has not made up her mind about what to do after that. Their conversations, however, have always evolved around Nabiki. Whenever Akane's love life became an issue, the younger sister blocked rigidly. Nabiki, ruthlessly as she was, accepted it somehow, acknowledging and appreciating Akane's support in this life-changing stage of hers. Nevertheless, as the day of Ranma's return came closer, she had an urge of getting hold of her younger sister's thoughts and feelings. She took off her safety glasses and leaned casually against the wall she was about to destroy. "So, what's the matter?". It was rather a demand for an answer than a question.
"Nothing. I just... this is so much change you know. Time gets ahead of me so fast, it seems like everything but me decides to alter their lives around me, but I am stuck." Akane felt tears dwelling up. This was not about a stupid wall. She already missed her two bigger sisters at the mere thought of separation, she didn't know how she could fill the upcoming hole that was forming in her heart.
Nabiki smiled. She understood. "I know what you mean. But you've gotta see the good sides in that. See, for you, many things might have changed during the past months. For me, I have been waiting to live my life the way I am about to for too freakin' long…" She took a breath and looked Akane deep in the eye. "Remember my words: Although many things seem to change, you have one constant. And he's coming right back to you, as always. And besides, we are not out of your life, neither Kasumi nor me. Now excuse me, I got construction work to do." And just like that, she gripped the hammer to swing without regarding Akane's complaints.
"NABIKIIII!"
oOo
He stepped into the door hesitantly. To his surprise, he did not smell fresh food, although it was only past eight p.m. Of course, his train was late, but wasn't it. just the time to have dinner in a hot summer night like this? The hallway was dark, he peeked into the living room as no one was present, not even to watch TV. He shrugged, as he commenced his way to the stairs to take his stuff into his room. No one was upstairs either, they must have been all out today. He couldn't supress a small sigh of disappointment, although maybe the postcard just had not find its way to the dojo. Well, he could as well just embrace the free space without worrying to much about his first encounter with the bunch. He snatched some fresh clothes and a towel and went to bathroom for a good soak. Afterwards, felt energized and ready to meet the household members. When he exited the bathroom, there was still no sign of a human being in the house.
Suddenly a noise.
"Ranma."
He turned and blinked. In the dark the saw a silhouette he could not recognize, slim and supple, yet the voice was all so familiar.
"Hm." They stood in the dark, facing their silhouettes, but saying nothing. Their eyes tried to adjust to the dark, every second revealing more about their opposite.
"You're late." She tried to make it sound as little as a scolding as possible. He acknowledged that. "My… my train was late. My schedule was off time, I was not well prepared in the woods…" he scratched his head when he suddenly felt a warm grip on his other hand.
"That's ok. You must be… hungry." She pulled him closer, he dropped his wet towel commencing to think what she might have in store for him. Why would she mention his hunger, had she…? Suddenly strange fear took hold of him and he restrained of getting pulled by her so easily. "I'm not hungry, I'm actually really full, just let go of me..." she pulled him past the kitchen, puzzled he gave up his protest, letting her drag him onto the hallway to the dojo. "Puh, somehow I thought you might have cooked…" he stated relieved. She stopped in front of the door to the dojo, turning around slowly. The torches lit up their faces so that he could finally see his fiancés expression. He almost gasped at her beauty and a knot formed in his stomach. He took a deep breath to take up his strength to say what he had planned to tell her, yet she was faster than him.
"Why would I do that?" She said sternly, not able to hide the annoyance in her voice. Yet then her expression softened. She opened the door to the dojo and the whole family sat there on a flamboyant table to celebrate Ranma's arrival. He was utterly perplexed looking at the view of celebration, how come he had not thought about looking for them in the training hall?
"Welcome home, my son!" an already drunk Soun shouted, winking his sake pot towards his future son-in-law. Ranma felt Akane leaning into him. He looked at her, still perplexed, as she said quietly, with a shy yet genuine smile, which he had yearned for so much "Welcome home, Ranma."
oOo
The party was not only based on 'he will be happy having some warm meal again'. In fact, somehow the Tendo family has decided to take Ranma's arrival as an opportunity to celebrate the engagement of Kasumi and Tofu, though he had asked for her hand almost three months ago. It was the stress of the past weeks and even more the prospect of upcoming visitors resulting in more stress that has led to the conclusion, that this was the perfect timing to celebrate the current events in a private and familiar circle, meaning the Tendo and the Saotome family, as well as the Ono family, which included Tofu and his old parents who also lived in Nerima. Ranma liked the outcome: he was surrounded by his loved ones without being the centre of attention. When asked about his trip, he told some few anecdotes of his journey, which he realized, were eagerly absorbed by Akane, who sat somewhat distantly. When the evening became later and the older ones became fonder of their beverages, finally Ranma and Akane found themselves sitting next to each other.
"So, aura training? You have got to tell me more about that." She chirped. He glanced at her. Don't be stupid and ignite her again.
"What would ya want to know about that?" He put on a cocky smile and leaned towards her.
"I would want to learn a lot about that. In theory, there is no…."
"Pff, theory. You and your books." He put his head onto his hand and kept looking at her intriguingly. "Have you ever actually used something you've read in your books?" She was out of words, usually she would have been put off about his interruption but the whole evening has been so perfect she was not about to give into her usual fussiness.
"Let me think…" She put a finger onto her chin to imitate severe thinking. Finally, she brightened up. "I have found a spot on your body that can put you out for a couple seconds during battle… like a Moxibustion point." Ranma's eyes widened first, then he burst out in laughter. "No way you read that. I mean, yeah, in some Chinese manuscript perhaps…" He counted one and one together. With Tofu being a quasi-part of the family, all of these therapeutic books were available to her. Hell, even he has considered consuming some of them, however, that required actually reading them. Having Akane do that part and teaching him would be a totally different story. He grinned at her. "Show me."
"Here?"
"Naw. Let's go outside." She looked around. He saw her doubtful expression and waved off. "Come on, the others are distracted, they won't notice if we are off for a couple minutes."
He was right. The older ones were busy helping Tofu catching up with his sake level while the Tendo girls and Nodoka were consumed into girly talk. Akane wondered what exactly they were talking about. Ranma stood up and smiled down at her. "Let's go"
oOo
They went outside into the yard. The moon was bright and enlightened the area. Akane laughed when Ranma put himself into an exaggerated defence stance.
"Baka" She stepped closer to him. "Actually, I was planning on sparing with you today." She said softly. He was not sure if she meant it seriously but something in her tone made him feel different. There was a note he has not captured before, like a… flirting sound? No, not possible…
"So why don't we spare" he looked at her, half self-secure, half impatiently waiting for a further sign of hers to show him if she was being affectionate or not. Somehow his mind was twirling. He could not think. He just focussed on the features in front of him trying to read into any of them.
"I think, I would prefer to do so in the dojo. I am used to training there…." She came a bit closer, showing her bare hands as if proving she wasn't up to anything. He laughed again "As you will, you won't have a chance anyway…"
There it is… my opportunity
She quickly came up, turning behind him while gripping his right arm behind his back and simultaneously pushing her left thumb deep into a spot in his lower back. Surprised, the sank to the ground, arching his back while being held in headlock by his fiancé. "Gotcha!" She yelled confidently.
"Moxibustion, hm…" Ranma grinned, his voice was calm. He has given into his fiancés play, yet enough was enough. In a split of a second, he had his free arm around her, lifting her through the air around him getting her onto the ground with him. To make his victory certain, he held his forearm easily on her throat, leaning over her. "So that's what your book taught you?"
She laid on the soft, slightly moist grass, looking up into his daring blue eyes. His body was very close to hers, his broad chest, his handsome face. Obviously, he was only thinking of his reassured victory over her but feeling him so close to him after the past weeks of his absence gave her sudden stitch in the heart. She realized how much she has missed him and how close she wanted to be with him. Her stomach gave her an unfamiliar feeling. Even under the circumstance to lose ... wait. Lose? The fact, that she had not managed to master the Moxibustion point was out of discussion, she had just read about that last week without having the chance to practise on anyone but Betty the skeleton. But she would not make him believe, that this was everything she had learned to past weeks. She pushed him away hard (harder than anticipated) and stood up. "You know you're right, that is everything I have learned from books the past weeks, but there is more, you know?" She almost trembled saying these words, she felt embarrassed on how obvious she revealed her hurt pride.
He frowned. "Yeez, Okay, I mean it might work on another person or whatever, don't get it twisted." He jumped up facing her looking into her eyes. After all she was the same 'Kane, stubborn and easily to trigger. He smiled at that. "You know, we will have our match tomorrow when the dojo is unoccupied…." she said and he nodded, lifting his right arm around her which left her speechless. She took a deep breath not knowing what he anticipated. "Alright, I'll let you surprise me what you are up to tomorrow…" He put his hand on her lower back, pushing his thumb in the exact spot she planned to trigger in her prior attack. She felt her legs soften, scared she would drop to the ground, when he caught her into his strong arms, lifting her bridal style. He looked deep into her eyes. "But don't you ever think you can trick me with Moxibustion." She puffed her cheeks in petulance and purpled. He laughed carefreely, holding onto her. "So, I guess we'll wait until the numbness wears off, just to spare us both the unnecessary embarrassment."
oOo