Author's Note: There is a mild lime content to this chapter. Least I think it's mild.
Chapter 30 Reactions
As Ranma and Akane ate breakfast on Sunday morning, Nabiki slowly made her way downstairs and sat down across from them. Kasumi took one look at the bedraggled sister plopped down next to her and said, "What's wrong with you, Nabiki? You look horrible!"
Nabiki grimaced as she drank her tea, and then said, "I didn't get much sleep last night, Kasumi. I'm surprised I look this good to be honest."
"Well, you look like hell, quite frankly," Akane said, earning a rather hot glare from Nabiki.
Nabiki finished her meal quickly. "Thanks, Akane. I hadn't noticed," she said sarcastically as she headed toward the bathroom.
Kasumi got up quickly and followed Nabiki. She firmly closed the door behind her. She lost her normal, cheerful expression and frowned at her sister. Then she asked, "What's really the matter, Nabiki? There's something going on that you're trying to hide."
"What do you think, Kasumi? The man I love doesn't love me. Hell, a lot of the time he doesn't even like me. Even worse he loves my sister. It was bad enough when they were just dating as boyfriend and girlfriend. But now that they're engaged, I couldn't sleep. Especially since I'm the reason they went ahead and got engaged. They were sending me a message. You wouldn't understand!" Nabiki cried.
"Why wouldn't I understand? What gives you the idea that I don't still love Ranma?" Kasumi said quietly, "When Tofu asked me to marry him, I didn't give him an answer right away. I waited until Ranma came home and I told him that Tofu had proposed. I don't know what I expected, but he told me that I belonged with Tofu. He deliberately pushed me at Tofu. Don't misunderstand me, I do love Tofu, and I definitely don't regret marrying him. I've never been happier, but I still felt a great deal of regret when Ranma said he loved Akane. Every once and a while, I still look at Ranma and wish he had told me something different."
"So you're telling me that I need to get over Ranma by finding another man to fall in love with," Nabiki growled angrily, "What kind of fool do you think I am?"
Kasumi frowned in vexation. "No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that life goes on. Someday you'll find someone else, I'm sure. But you have to stop pushing them away first. That's all that I meant. If you don't pull yourself out of this depression, I'm afraid you'll do something silly. None of us want that, and Ranma would be the first person to tell you that he's not worth it," she said.
Nabiki looked at her sister in shock. She said, "Sis, I'm angry at myself, not suicidal. I should have told Ranma how I felt about him as soon as I realized I loved him. Instead, I tried to get rid of all of my rivals for his love. Being sneaky and underhanded caused me to lose."
"Then maybe you've learned something from all of this, Nabiki," Kasumi said with a smile as she left.
Later that Sunday morning Ranma was walking hand in hand with Akane, heading over to see Ukyo. Shampoo was trailing behind them, smiling to herself. As they entered the restaurant, Shampoo headed toward the kitchen to start preparing the food for the noon rush. Ukyo smiled to see Ranma had wasted no time in changing back to his male form once her father had left. "Hey, sugar, are you glad to be back to being a guy?" she teased.
Ranma smiled and answered, "It really wasn't too bad, Ucchan. The worst thing about the whole week was I got bored. It was so bad I even missed not going ta class. Ucchan, if ya got a moment, we need ta talk. Why doncha come sit over here with us?" Ukyo shrugged her shoulders, and followed them over to one of the booths.
"Ucchan, we wanted ya ta hear this from us. I asked Akane ta marry me last night, and she said yes. I guess that makes it official," Ranma said.
Ukyo looked stunned for a second. She then said, "Thanks for having the courtesy to tell me first. I thought you were going to be just boyfriend and girlfriend. What caused you to change your mind?"
Ranma shrugged his shoulders and said, "There was a girl who was showing signs of not accepting that I love Akane. So long as we stayed boyfriend and girlfriend, she was thinking that maybe I wasn't serious. I was tired of all of that. I love Akane and I decided ta ask her."
"Well, I'll be honest, Ranchan. This isn't totally unexpected. You've been leaving clues behind for a while. I won't deny that it still hurts. The surprise is that it doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would." On that note, she hugged Akane and Ranma and ran upstairs.
Ryoga came out then and asked, "What did you do to Ukyo, Ranma?"
"Told her that Akane and I are engaged," Ranma said with a sigh, "She's still not completely over me and it hurt her feelings that I picked someone else."
Ryoga said, "Well, congratulations, both of you. I'll go up and talk to her. Maybe I can calm her down." He went upstairs feeling strangely relieved, and knocked on Ukyo's door, while Ranma and Akane left to go home.
Shampoo smiled to herself as she watched Ryoga follow Ukyo upstairs. While she had come to accept Ryoga as a friend, she didn't see him as ever becoming her boyfriend. She was glad she had suggested to Nabiki that Ryoga pretend to be Ukyo's fiancé. Since he had to spend most of his time with Ukyo, Shampoo thought that it looked like he had lost his bizarre fixation on her. While no Amazon warrior woman would ever admit to fear, it was scary that the only two men who had ever expressed an interest in her acted almost the same around her. Ryoga at least had gotten better since their last conversation had made it clear she didn't like being stalked. She turned as the door to the restaurant opened. She called out, "We're not opened yet. Oh, it's you Mousse. What are you doing here?"
Xian Pu, I came to see you. I missed you and came to see if you missed me too, he said.
I was hoping that after the last time, you would know that I didn't want to see you again, Shampoo replied.
Mousse sighed. Then he asked, When we were younger, we were friends. What did I do to make you dislike me?
You started stalking me. I don't like people who do that. Every time I turned around in the village, you were there saying you loved me. You weren't as good at martial arts as I was, and then your eyes really started to go bad, making you even worse. The rest of the village thought it was beneath me to even allow you near me. While I know it was wrong of me, I let that affect my opinion of you. I need a strong man to love me, a true warrior, and that's not what you were, Shampoo answered.
That's not true, Mousse protested, I am a strong warrior, Xian Pu. I'm a master of the school of Hidden Weapons. They don't make just anyone a master!
True. But we're talking about then, not about now. You know our laws. You first have to beat Airen in combat, and then fight me. You can certainly beat Airen, but I'm a different story. Ranma has continued to train me in his school, so I'm even better than I was back in the village, Shampoo said.
Mousse slumped his shoulders. That's my real problem, Xian Pu. I can't bring myself to hurt you. Even if I did beat Gemna Saotome, I couldn't bear to fight you as hard as I would have to, he said dejectedly.
Suddenly, Shampoo noticed something that she had missed. "Mousse, where are your glasses?" she asked.
Mousse looked up startled, and then answered, "I went and had laser surgery done. My eyes are fine now. That's where I've been since the last time you saw me. I had to earn the money first, and then heal up afterwards. So no more chasing the wrong person, thinking it is you."
Shampoo looked thoughtful. "Mousse, I won't ever be yours. You need to stop thinking about me that way. However, there isn't any reason why we can't be friends, if you can stop obsessing over me," Shampoo said.
Mousse sighed heavily, and then said, "Shampoo, I'm not sure I can do that. I need to think about it for a while. While I'm doing that though, where can I find your Airen? I feel the need for some exercise to work off some of what I'm feeling."
"I'm sure he's at the clinic working. Try not to damage the property. Dr. Ono is a pretty nice guy, and it wouldn't be fair to him," Shampoo said, "Airen, on the other hand, is fair game. He's not a nice man. You should hear some of what he did to stepson." She grinned wickedly. Mousse smiled, and then left.
As Ryoga entered the upstairs apartment, he saw Ukyo sitting on the couch, looking sad. He walked over and sat down next to her. She threw herself into his arms and began crying on his shoulder. Ryoga closed his arms around her and held her close. She said haltingly, between her sobs, "I knew he was going to ask her to marry him, I just didn't think that he was going to ask her this soon. We just dissolved our family agreement, after all. I know he doesn't love me the way I do him. I just didn't think it would hurt like this. The funny thing is I was also feeling relieved when he told me."
"Just let it out, Ucchan. You'll feel better when you do," Ryoga said gently into her hair. Ukyo began to feel the warmth of his embrace. To her surprise, she had begun to feel better as soon as he had held her.
She pulled herself away from him and gazed into his eyes. She saw the concern for her reflected there. Just the fact that he was here for her seemed to break the band of ice that had formed around her heart when she had head Ranma say those words.
Ryoga whispered, "Ucchan, I can't bear to see you unhappy. What can I do to help you get over this?" Ukyo surprised both of them by reaching up and kissing him. He started to pull away, afraid for her, but then succumbed to the moment. They kissed for what seemed like forever.
Finally, Ukyo pulled herself away. "Ryoga, I'm sorry for using you like that. I shouldn't have done that to you. I just felt so happy in your arms," she said.
Ryoga replied, "Ukyo, you didn't do anything that I didn't want you to do. I'm just afraid that you may be rushing things a bit, is all."
Ukyo smiled, a little sadly. "Thanks, Ryoga. You're right; I am feeling confused right now. All I know is that I needed someone to hold me and help me through this and I hoped it would be you. What that says, I don't know," Ukyo said.
"Ukyo, just give yourself a little time. I'll be there waiting for you when you're ready," Ryoga replied.
She gazed at him, her eyes shining. Then she said, "Ryo-chan, I don't think you'll need to wait a long time. I don't want to be alone tonight. Would you mind staying up here in the living room in case I need a shoulder again?" she asked.
Ryoga smiled and said, "Sure, if that makes you feel better. Now, do you think you're ready to face the rest of the world?"
"Yes, just let me go wash my face, and I'll come right down," Ukyo replied. She rose from the couch and went into the bathroom. After washing her face, she stared at the mirror for several minutes. 'Okay, Ukyo girl, pull yourself together. It's not the end of the world, after all,' she thought. She walked out into the living room and said, "Okay, sugar. We've got a restaurant to run. I've indulged myself long enough." She smiled fondly at her friend and they walked downstairs.
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That night, Ukyo and Ryoga finished cleaning up after their dinner. She asked, "There's a couple of good movies on tonight. Do you want to watch one of them with me? Later on, I can make some popcorn."
"That sounds like fun, Ucchan. I could stand a shower, first, though. Can I borrow your bathroom?" Ryoga asked. She nodded as he headed toward his room. He came back out carrying some clothing and she led him up to the apartment.
Ryoga went on into the bathroom. Soon, Ukyo heard the sound of the shower running, so she went into her room and grabbed something to change into. She walked back out in time to see a freshly scrubbed Ryoga walking out of her bathroom and heading towards the door to the stairs. She caught him and pointed him toward the futon. After watching to make sure he made it, she went into the bathroom and showered herself. She dressed in her pajamas and put her robe on over that and walked out and sat down on the futon next to Ryoga. She turned to him and said, "Ryo-chan, thanks for being here with me. You're a real friend."
He put his arm around her and said, "Ucchan, like I told you this morning, I'm here for you. I enjoy being around you." She leaned her head against his shoulder.
Ukyo smiled, as she said, "That means a lot to me, Ryo-chan. I enjoy being with you, too. Maybe we can go out dancing or something this week, while school's out."
"I'd like that. All I can do is slow dancing, though. Is that all right with you?" Ryoga asked.
"Sugar that would be nice. It would give me an excuse to hold onto you so you couldn't wander off," she said, giggling. She reached over and turned the television on using her remote control. She changed the channel to the one the movie was going to be on.
"Oh, the movie 'Titanic' is the one you wanted to watch," he said, "That's supposed to be pretty good."
She slowly got up and poured the two of them a glass of red wine and brought them over to the futon. She snuggled back into his embrace, and handed him his glass. She proposed a toast, saying, "To good friends." He echoed her toast as they clinked glasses and then sipped their wine. They sat back in companionable silence and watched the movie.
Finally, the movie was over. Ukyo had gone through several tissues, crying at several of the scenes, especially the one toward the end where the hero had frozen in the icy waters and drifted away. Ryoga reached over and turned off the television with the remote. He smiled at Ukyo, and said, "You're just a sucker for these romantic shows, aren't you?"
"Hey," she protested, "I thought I saw a tear or two in your eyes, too."
"Yeah, I'm a sucker for them. I like the ones where the guy gets the girl better, though," Ryoga said.
"You do, huh," she said, an odd light in her eyes. She reached up and kissed him hungrily. He returned the kiss, and then reluctantly broke it.
"Ucchan, let's not rush this. I want this to work, but I need to know that it's because you like me, not because you're rebounding from Ranma," Ryoga said gently.
"Ranma, who?" she said with a giggle.
He smiled, and said, "Good answer, but it's too soon. I think it's time for us to go to bed." He blushed as he saw the way she looked at him, and said, stammering, "To sleep, separate beds, you minx."
She kissed him again, and said, "Good night, Ryo-chan."
"Good-night, Ucchan. Have pleasant dreams," he replied. He watched as she walked into her bedroom and shut the door, swaying her hips seductively as she went.
He sighed, turned off the light and went to sleep on the futon.
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At breakfast the next morning at the Tendo home, Ranma cleared his throat and said, "Since school's out until the next week, I was thinking that me and Akane could go on another training trip for the rest of the week. We'll be back on Saturday to allow us to rest up for when school starts on Monday. That's if it's okay with you, of course, Mr. Tendo."
Soun looked thoughtful and said, "I think it would be good for you two to get away together."
"I'd like to go, as well. I could use the practice," Kasumi said, looking at her husband for his reaction.
"That's sounds like it could be a good break before you have to start college next week, dear. Maybe I could come up later in the week," Tofu said.
"Can I come, Ranma?" Nabiki asked, quietly.
Ranma looked at Akane, who shrugged her shoulders. Ranma said, "I guess so, Nabiki. But why would ya wanna go rough it for a week on a training trip? You don't really have a big interest in martial arts, after all."
Nabiki said, thoughtfully, "I haven't shown much interest, that's true. I'm beginning to think that may be a mistake on my part. It's a part of my heritage, after all, so I ought to know the basics better than I do." Then she flashed a quick smile, and said, "Besides I'm bored and it might be fun, the four of us together."
Ranma shrugged and said, "You're both welcome to join us. You, as well, Doc if you can get away. If we pack quickly, we can get ta where I wanna go early enough ta do some practicing after we get the campsite set up."
"Are you planning on going back to the same place, Ranchan?" Kasumi asked, "It was very pretty."
"I think so. I checked the weather report this morning and it looks like nice, warm, sunny weather over that part of the island," Ranma replied, "You'll need ta dress sensibly for the hike, though."
Within an hour, the four of them were packed and ready to go. Ranma had the same huge backpack that he'd carried on the last trip. Akane was carrying a backpack almost as large. Kasumi and Nabiki had smaller backpacks, though Kasumi hadn't been happy that Ranma wouldn't let her carry her cooking gear. He had put that stuff in his and Akane's backpacks.
They said goodbye to the rest of the household and headed off at a brisk pace to the train station. Ranma was pleasantly surprised to see that Nabiki was keeping up. He knew she was reasonably fit, but he still needed to watch out for her. She didn't have near the stamina and endurance of the other two girls. As they got to the train station, Ranma bought the four tickets, while Nabiki collapsed on a bench. Soon their train arrived and they made their way to their seats.
As the train rumbled down the tracks, traveling through the countryside, Nabiki promptly fell asleep, lulled by the sound of the wheels on the rails. Kasumi pulled out one of her medical books and quickly became absorbed in what she was reading. Akane simply cuddled with Ranma. After a while, she asked, "What are you going to teach this time, Ranchan?"
"I just wanna give ya the opportunity ta practice what we did last time. The real reason was ta just ta get us out of Nerima so Mom can knock some sense into the panda. He was making noises about us getting married soon again this morning as I came down, and I didn't wanna listen to anymore of it," Ranma replied, "I want it ta be our decision on when we get married, not any one else's."
"Just as long as it's sooner rather than later, is all I ask, love," Akane said.
As they pulled into the station for the village, Ranma woke Nabiki up. She grumbled in protest and then the four of them got their backpacks and left the train. The four of them headed toward the grocery store. There they bought the fresh food that Kasumi wanted and some ice. Ranma pulled the same small ice chest out of his backpack and put the food and ice in the chest. After putting it back in the backpack, Ranma shrugged it back on, staggering a bit with the increased weight. "If you three are ready, the trail is this way," he said as he led them out of the village. Ranma led them up the path at a moderate pace. The path continued to climb, getting narrower as they went, and then began to wind around through a small narrow ravine. Once they got through that, the path opened up again and they could see the lake in the distance. Nabiki stopped to gaze at the scenic vista that had unfolded in front of her, both to soak in the view as well as to catch a quick break.
Once they had rested for a few minutes, they headed down the trail towards the large meadow where they had camped before. Ranma led them over to one end where he wanted to set up the tents. They gladly took their backpacks off and set them on the ground. Ranma and Akane each pulled a tent out of their backpacks, and Ranma also pulled a dining fly out of his as well. Ranma and Akane quickly set up the two tents, while the other two set up the dining fly between the two tents, facing the remains of the fire pit. While the girls beginning arranging the belongings in the two tents, Ranma dug out the fire pit and lined it with large rocks. He then quickly built a small table, out of rope and some small saplings he found. By that time everyone was ready for a quick meal, and a break.
After lunch, Ranma suggested that they do some simple katas to limber up. Again he kept a watchful eye on Nabiki to make sure she was okay. After they had worked up a decent sweat doing the katas, he paired Nabiki and Akane up and had them spar with each other. He did the same thing with Kasumi, though at a faster pace, since she was much better than Nabiki. After about an hour and a half, he called a break. He had noticed that Nabiki was getting pretty tired and sloppy.
"Biki-chan, how're ya doing?" Ranma called.
She sagged to the ground and replied, "I'm pretty wiped out Ranma. Too much soft living I guess. Between the hike up here and Akane knocking me around, I don't have much energy left."
"Akane, Kasumi, why don't you two go to the other end of the meadow and practice some ki blasts? Do you remember how you did them last time? Just keep them small and under control," he suggested. The two young women shrugged their shoulders and walked over to where they could practice without hurting anything.
"Biki-chan, where did that come from, Ranma?" Nabiki asked.
"I don't know, it just seemed like a good pet name for ya. I never had one for ya before, but I thought it was time. If it bothers ya, I won't use it again. At least not much," he replied with a smirk, "Seriously, why did ya want ta come today?"
"Pretty much the same reason you did. I wanted to get out of town and away from Father. He was trying to get me to help get you two married off right away. I think your dad was putting some pressure on him. If I'm here, then I don't have to listen to their half-baked schemes," she said.
"Thanks, Nabiki. Looks like I need ta talk ta Mom, again. She said she had a plan to keep him out of the inheritance. Looks like we ought to use it now," Ranma said, sadly. He deliberately changed the subject and asked, "How are your legs doing? I noticed that you were kinda favoring one of them with Akane."
"I got a cramp in my left leg while we were hiking up here. I thought I walked it out, but it started to hurt when we where sparring. I'm just glad she was pulling her punches and slowing her speed down," Nabiki said.
"There's a couple of hot springs we can soak in later that'll help. I can massage your leg now if ya want. I'm gonna go check on Akane and Kasumi and then I'll come back," Ranma said. He headed down toward Akane and Kasumi. As he neared them, he could see that they were making good progress in their ki blasts.
"You guys are doing pretty good. How are ya feeling?" Ranma asked.
"I'm getting a little tired," Kasumi admitted. Akane agreed.
"How are ya feeling from this morning's hike and the sparring ya did? Nabiki's got a bit of a leg cramp," Ranma said as the three of them headed towards the tents.
Akane admitted that she was a little sore. As they got closer, they saw that Nabiki had changed into some shorts and had tied her shirttails together so her midriff was showing.
"Ranma, I think I could go for that massage," Nabiki said.
"Okay, just lay on your sleeping bag, and I'll be right there. I'll work on you next Acchan," he said, kissing her lightly. Ranma walked over and knelt on the ground next to Nabiki and began massaging her calf, putting pressure on the knots he could feel. Soon Nabiki began to moan in relief as the pain started to leave. After a few more minutes, Ranma could feel that most of the knots were gone. He stood up and walked over to his fiancée. She had also changed into her shorts and a sports bra.
He whispered to her, "Hey, this isn't a competition, ya know?"
She blushed, and answered, "I know, it was just that I thought Nabiki looked pretty comfortable in shorts.
He asked, "Where are ya hurting?"
Akane replied, "My legs are a little stiff, and so is the back of my neck." She laid down on her sleeping bag, while Ranma knelt down beside her. He began to massage the back of her neck, loosening the knots that he felt there. Soon, the tension left her neck and she relaxed. He switched to her legs.
"Man, you're all knotted up down here. What tensed ya up?" he asked.
Akane said, "I got a little jealous when you were with Nabiki. Don't get me wrong, I trust you. She's still the same devious person she's always been, though."
"Don't worry, dear. You're stuck with me. Finally, that did it," he said, as he felt the knots disappear under his ministrations. He leaned over and kissed the back of her neck. She rolled over and pulled him to her and kissed him passionately. After a long time, he pulled away and smiled. Then he asked, "Feeling better now, Acchan?"
She grinned wickedly, and said, throatily, "Now I do, Ranchan."
He gazed fondly at her and then got up. "Let me go check on Kasumi, while you get some water for the rice. It's about time to start dinner," he said.
They got up out of the tent, Akane walking down to the lake with a big pot, and Ranma walking over to Kasumi. She too had taken the opportunity to change into some shorts. "Hi, Kasumi-chan. How are you doing, no aches or pains, or anything?" he asked politely.
"No, I'm fine, Ranchan. I thought I would start cooking, could you get a fire going for me, so we can have a good bed of coals," Kasumi asked. Ranma smiled at her, and lit the fire, feeding it carefully with small pieces of hardwoods until he had a nice fire that would burn down to a good bed of coals. By that time, Akane had come back with water from the icy cold lake. She put the pot next to the roaring fire on a bed of coals that Ranma prepared for her.
"Excellent. Once the water boils and is purified, then we can use it to make the rice and soup," Kasumi said with a smile, "Akane, could you cut up the vegetables we'll need." Ranma pitched in to help as well, while Nabiki watched. Soon the dinner was ready and they sat down to eat the miso soup, the rice and some fish that Kasumi had pan-fried.
Once dinner was over and the dishes were washed, Ranma reminded everyone of the hot springs. "If you are ready for a long soak, we can head on down to the springs," he said. The women nodded enthusiastically, and went into their tents to get their soap, buckets and towels. The four friends headed down the path to the hot springs, Ranma and Akane hand in hand. The three women went to one of the pools, while Ranma went to the other. He quickly stripped down, and using his soap and the water from the spring fed pool, washed off his body. Then he slid into the water to soak, finding a convenient rock on which to sit.
He heard the three women giggling, and then Akane said, "Ranma, close your eyes, we decided to join you."
"Uh," he stammered, "Are you three sure about this?" He could hear their voices approaching, so he spun around on his rock and closed his eyes. As he waited, he heard them enter the water.
Kasumi said, "It's okay to look now, Ranchan." Ranma opened his eyes and turned around. There he saw the three girls sitting up to their necks in the hot water, the steam rising from the water obscuring any details.
"I don't wanna work any of ya too hard on this trip. Ta be honest, it was really more ta be a vacation than anything else. Biki-chan, we need ta work on your endurance. The best thing for that is doing some running, or swimming. The choice is yours, but that lake is pretty cold right now," Ranma said.
"I'm going to do some jogging in the morning like normal, Sis. You could join me for that," Akane said.
Nabiki winced at the thought of joining Akane for her normal jog, but the thought of swimming in the lake didn't strike her as much fun either. "Alright, Akane, the jogging it is, but you're going to have to take it easy on me," Nabiki said.
"Acchan, I mostly want ya ta practice your ki attacks. Everything else we can do at home," Ranma said.
"What about me, Ranchan?" Kasumi asked, "What do you think I should work on?"
"It's pretty much up ta you, Kasumi-chan. Ya could certainly work on the ki attacks with Akane and I could show ya some more advanced katas as well," Ranma said, "I'm done soaking, so if you would turn your backs, I think I'll get out now."
The three women politely turned their backs to him as he waded out of the water and wrapped his towel around him. As he walked away, he heard Nabiki say, "Akane, you sure are lucky."
"Oh my, yes," Kasumi sighed.
"Shame on you two for peeking," Akane scolded. Ranma walked away, blushing.
When Akane entered the tent she was sharing with Ranma, she saw that her fiancé had changed and was sitting in her sleeping bag, waiting for her. Akane pouted for a few seconds and said, "I was hoping to kiss my boyfriend goodnight."
Ranma shrugged her shoulders and said, "Sorry, Acchan, I wasn't thinking I guess. I just got ready for bed like always."
Akane sighed, changed into her pajamas and crawled into her half of the sleeping bag. She leaned over and kissed Ranma, and said, "Goodnight, dear." She snuggled up to Ranma's back and put her arms around her.
Ranma smiled contentedly, feeling the warmth of her fiancée's body. "Goodnight, Acchan," she said. Soon the two of them were fast asleep.
The next morning, Ranma and Akane were awakened to the smell of Kasumi cooking breakfast. Akane said, dejectedly, "I overslept. I was supposed to help her this morning."
Ranma groaned. Then she said, "Sorry, Acchan, You're actually getting to be pretty good. That was just a reflex."
Akane mock glared at her, and then started changing into her jogging shorts and sports bra. She crawled out of the tent and went over to wake up Nabiki. "Rise and shine, sleepy head. You need to get moving if we're going to jog before breakfast," she said, laughing at her sister.
Nabiki opened one eye at her and growled, "Go away. I'm not leaving from this spot until I've had some tea."
Akane called over to Ranma, saying, "Biki-chan here doesn't want to go jogging. Should I throw her in the lake instead?"
"Nah, this is supposed ta be a vacation. Why doncha wait until after breakfast when sleeping beauty will be ready to go?" Ranma said, with a smile. She walked over to the fire, where Kasumi had some hot water, and poured it on her head. He toweled himself dry, and then helped Kasumi dish out breakfast.
The week went by extremely fast. While they spent several hours each day practicing martial arts, they also allowed plenty of time for relaxation. Nabiki slowly built up her endurance; between the jogging she was doing and the katas that Ranma had her perform. Akane and Kasumi got proficient at their ki blasts.
One afternoon, Ranma took the three women over to the tree where their parents' initials were carved. The three women put their arms around each other and stared at the tree, remembering what it was like back then in silence. Ranma slowly drifted away, allowing them their privacy. When they rejoined him at the campsite, all three of them came over to him and kissed him thoroughly. At his puzzled expression, Nabiki said, "That was for being so thoughtful. We needed that time to be together and remember our family and what it was like before. Thanks for giving us that opportunity."
Thursday night, Tofu came walking down the trail to their campsite. After dropping off his backpack, the first thing he did was hug his wife. Then he kissed her for a long time. Kasumi pulled back, and said, in a husky voice, "I think someone must have missed me this week." After letting his wife go, Tofu pitched his tent a little ways away from the other two, and moved Kasumi's things into it. Then they took a long walk into the woods.
Once they came back, they found that Ranma and Akane had dinner waiting for them. After the dinner was over and the dishes were cleaned up, the five of them headed for the hot springs to soak. Tofu and Kasumi went to the one pool, while Ranma waited up the path for Akane and Nabiki to rinse off and then enter the other pool. They turned their backs and waited for Ranma to rinse off and join them.
Nabiki said, "Ranma, I want to thank you for allowing me to join you on the trip. I've actually learned several things this week that I needed to know."
"Like what, Nabiki?" Ranma asked.
"That I don't have to be the Ice Queen anymore, at least around my family. I still have my reputation at school to consider," she said, "I had pushed Akane and Kasumi away, by accident. Watching the three of you showed me what I was missing, and this week allowed me to regain the bond that I used to have with them."
"I'm glad I'm getting my sister back, Nabiki," Akane said. They sat there in silence for several minutes, soaking in the hot water.
"I'm proud of ya, Nabiki. You've really gotten the basics down pretty good, now. When we get back, maybe we can start ya on some more advanced techniques," Ranma said.
Nabiki replied, "Thanks, Ranma, I'd like that. If I can manage to wake up soon enough, I may try to join Akane on her morning jog, as well."
"That would be great, Nabiki. I've enjoyed the company this week," Akane said.
Nabiki said, "Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. If I soak anymore, I'll turn into a prune." She stood up, shocking Ranma, who quickly closed his eyes. She laughed as she walked toward the bank, and toweled herself off. She put her clothes on and walked back toward the camp.
Just before she left, she heard Ranma say, "You're not bad yourself, Biki-chan. Some guy is gonna be real lucky one day." She blushed with pleasure as she walked out of sight.
"Ranchan, you weren't supposed to look," Akane teased.
"Hey, I'm engaged, not dead. Besides, I closed my eyes as soon as I could. I like your body better anyway," he said, with a smile.
She moved closer to him and growled, "Good answer, Ranma." She reached out for his hand and held it. His smile grew even bigger. Then Akane said, "I want my boyfriend with me tonight, Ranma." He turned to look at her, startled.
"No, I don't mean that. I want to wait until we're married. That doesn't mean we can't cuddle for a while, though," Akane said.
"Uh, if you're sure, Acchan," he stammered, "I'd like ta cuddle with ya this way."
Akane smiled and then waded out of the pool, moving her hips seductively. Ranma groaned at her. He watched mesmerized as she toweled off and got dressed. She turned and said, "What are you waiting for, baka?" She giggled seeing the expression on his face. He growled at her, and waded out of the water. He toweled off and got dressed. She ran toward the tent, laughing as he chased her. By the time Ranma got to the tent, she had changed into her pajamas and crawled into the sleeping bag. Ranma stripped down to his boxers and undershirt and joined her.
Akane held her fiancé and kissed him hungrily. Ranma reached out and held the love of his life close to him. He could feel her body where she pressed up against him. Suddenly, Akane growled, and rolled Ranma over onto his back and straddled him. She pulled one of his hands and placed it on her breast. He froze for a second and then he brought his other hand up to the other breast and slowly began to caress them gently through her pajama top. Her nipples came erect under his hands. She leaned forward and kissed him, parting her lips, her tongue darting forward.
Akane began to unbutton her top, when suddenly they heard some moaning. Akane's eyes grew wide and she began to laugh. Ranma said, "I don't remember Kasumi doing that on the last trip. They must have really missed each other this week." Akane blushed as she realized what she had been thinking a moment before. She rolled off of Ranma.
"Ranma, I'm sorry. I got carried away," Akane said.
Ranma rolled over onto his side and held out his arms. She fell into his arms gladly and embraced him. They began kissing again, this time trying to stay in control. Finally, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning Ranma and Akane got up and began preparing breakfast. The food was nearly ready when the other three made their appearances. Kasumi had a visible glow about her, Nabiki was her normal morning grouch and Tofu had a look of a man immensely pleased with himself. After breakfast was over, Akane and Nabiki took off for their morning jog, both of them wearing their jogging shorts and a sports bra. Tofu and Kasumi wandered off again, leaving Ranma to clean up the breakfast dishes. Once he was done with that, he began working on a particularly complicated kata that he wanted to teach Akane. He thought to himself, 'When she learns this form, she will look so graceful.'
Akane and Nabiki came back from their jogging, the sweat glistening on their bodies. They stopped in awe as they watched Ranma performing a kata that they had never seen before. He was oblivious to their presence as he concentrated on perfecting his moves. Nabiki eyed the finally chiseled body moving in front of her, the muscles rippling across his bare chest as he moved. Akane's eyes narrowed and she said, quietly, "Remember, Sis, he's mine. And nobody, but nobody, is getting between us."
Nabiki blushed and said, "He is handsome, Akane. I can't help noticing. I still love him; I can't change that. You can't expect me to stop loving him overnight."
Akane sighed as she said, "I know, Nabiki, I expect I'd feel the same way if our roles were reversed. This is going to be difficult for both of us, I know, but you're strong enough to get through it."
Finally, Ranma finished his exercise. As he awoke from his reverie and became aware of his surroundings, he saw Akane and Nabiki, both of their faces flushed. He gazed at Akane, thinking that he had never seen her so desirable. His face heated up as he discovered that he was becoming aroused looking at her. Without thinking, he ran and dove into the icy cold waters of the lake. Once Ranma felt the change, she waded back out of the lake, sluicing the water of her body. She walked back to the campsite, and grabbed a towel to dry off.
Akane said, "Ranma, did you forget something? You really have no modesty, do you?"
Ranma glanced down at her bare chest and blushed. She blushed even deeper as she realized her nipples were erect and that she was feeling strangely warm. She thought, 'Well, the cold water obviously didn't work, this time.' She quickly rearranged her towel so it covered her. "Sorry, Acchan. I wasn't thinking, I guess. We're all girls here though, so it doesn't matter, does it?" she replied.
Nabiki smirked at her and said, "What's the matter, Ranma? Did something come up, suddenly? You sure ran off in a hurry." Ranma walked over to her tent and pulled her shirt on.
She walked back over and said, "Acchan, I wancha ta try ta do that kata. I'll show ya, move by move in slow motion and I wancha ta follow me." She got in her stance and made the first step. Akane copied her and to Ranma's surprise, so did Nabiki.
Ranma walked them both through the steps, correcting each of them when they did something wrong. She ran them through it a couple of more times at the slower speed until they had it down perfectly. Then the three of them began to perform the kata faster. Finally, they ran it at the speed at which Ranma wanted them to perform. Ranma stopped and watched the two women, moving gracefully together. Her heart began to race as she realized how graceful and sexy her love looked. She joined in the exercise and finished it with them. At the end, they stopped, exhilarated by their performance. The three of them joined in a quick hug, Ranma kissing Akane. Ranma got some hot water and changed.
Soon Tofu and Kasumi came back from their walk in the woods. The five of them ate a quick lunch, and packed. They made their way back to the small village and caught the next train to Nerima.
Author's Note: This chapter is longer. It kind of makes up for the brevity of the preceding chapter, plus there wasn't a real good place to break it.
Hopefully this chapter is a bit more descriptive than the last as well. Enjoy!
Reposted to fix one typo. Thanks Doctor Emmit Brown. I do know the difference; I thought I had caught all of them, stupid word processor.