A/N: Thanks to M&N for betaing!
It was no ordinary sight for Nerima to see Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome arguing. What was rather odd, however, was the fact that Ranma sported a small, overstuffed Doraemon backpack while Akane walked next to him pushing a stroller. But aside from the stroller, the sleeping child in the stroller, the backpack, and the fact that Akane wore a white sundress and a wide-brimmed straw hat, everything appeared to be the same: Ranma with a "I'm-annoyed-but-too-cool-to-care" look, Akane with a scowl on her face.
Ranma casually walked next to her, hands clasped at the back of his head.
"I'm serious, Ranma. No funny business today," Akane warned him. "Kasumi's trusting me with Ichiro's life, and the last thing I need is someone trying to fight you while he's nearby!" A look of worry crossed her face.
"Come on, Akane," Ranma replied, slightly irritated. "Nothing's gonna happen. And it ain't like I ever start it." He glanced in her direction and saw her frowning. "Relax, Auntie Akane," he said soothingly, emphasizing her beloved title, "Ichiro's gonna have a blast."
Akane scoffed and continued on their course. But her irritated face was exchanged for a hopeful one. For her nephew's sake, today had to be good.
While on the train, Ichiro had woken up and had cried until Akane had placed him on her lap. He giggled, showing off a mouthful of saliva and baby teeth, when, through the bumps and speed of the subway, Akane pretended to be a galloping horse. It was only halfway through the ride that Ranma realized they must've looked like a young married couple complete with their first-born child: Ranma latching onto the handles of the stroller so it wouldn't roll away, Akane playing with a cheerful Ichiro. It was confirmed when the elderly woman sitting across from them flashed him an affectionate, approving smile.
True to Ranma's word, there had been no fights at the zoo. So far, they had successfully avoided any type of feline, and Akane began to relax. They were actually having fun. Ranma was behaving, and it surprised her how well he was doing with Ichiro.
After seeing the giraffes, zebras, and hippos, Ranma had actually made a good decision and suggested they visit the petting zoo. While Ranma helped Ichiro approach a goat, Akane leaned against the fence, watching over the stroller and backpack. Ranma crouched over to pet the goat while Ichiro hid shyly behind his leg. Although Akane couldn't hear him from all the commotion of the petting zoo, she saw Ranma coax her nephew into touching the soft white coat.
After Ichiro got the hang of petting the animals, Ranma looked up and shot her a grin. Akane couldn't help it. Seeing Ranma with Ichiro made her heart flutter. And while she told herself to quit it, the pounding of her heart in her ears disobeyed her.
While Ranma pushed Ichiro in the stroller, Akane walked silently beside him. After many moments, Ranma decided to risk the peace. "Everything all right?"
Akane nodded, pensive. "I just realized," she admitted, as they continued on their path to the pandas, "that I'm a year older than when Kasumi had Ichiro."
Ranma processed this. "Is—is that a bad thing?"
It was quiet again—at least between the two. Other families surrounded them; children laughed and skipped as parents called after them, demanding they behave. Once more, Ranma was aware that they, too, were presumed to be a family.
"No," Akane finally answered, a slight smile on her lips. "Not really." With both her hands, Akane straightened out the position of her hat, which started to tilt on one side. "I think I just want what she has…someday."
It was Ranma's turn to fall silent. He couldn't deny it, though. The thought of having what Akane was yearning for—it was nice. Real nice. The thought of having what Akane was yearning for actually with Akane? It was even better. He could feel his face grow hot.
"Tell me something, Ranma," she continued, not looking him in the eyes. "Do you think we'll ever get married? I mean, I don't mean any time soon, but we're twenty-four and have been engaged for—"
"We will," he interrupted confidently, surprising himself. "Someday," he added.
"Yeah," she agreed, somewhat dazedly.
--
As they looked at the pandas, Ichiro sat on Ranma's shoulders, holding onto his pigtail for extra balance. "Look!" Ranma exclaimed brightly, pointing at the biggest and laziest panda in the enclosure. With one hand Ranma held onto Ichiro's leg. With the other, he pointed at the exhibit. "It's Grandpa Genma!" Ichiro giggled noisily at his joke, and soon Ranma and Akane joined in on the laughter.
"I'm going to get a snack," Akane announced, spotting a cart by the gorillas. "You want anything?"
Ranma looked up at the child who was slurping happily on an apple juice box. His throat was feeling parched. "Just water," he replied, as he reached into his pocket for money.
Akane shook her head. "My treat," Akane insisted pleasantly. "You paid for the tickets. Just watch Ichiro and the stroller, okay?"
As she turned her back, Ranma couldn't help but watch her walk away with a goofy grin on his face. They were getting along so well today!
"You enjoying your visit to the zoo?" the vendor asked Akane after she placed her order.
"Yes." Akane nodded. "Thank you."
"Are you with your family?"
She nodded again. "They're just over there." She gestured to Ranma and Ichiro. It pleased Akane that her answer came out so naturally. She walked back to her fiancé and nephew, bottle of water in one hand and a bag of peanuts in the other.
"It's Auntie Akane," she heard Ranma exclaim. At first she thought Ranma was talking about her, but soon realized he was pointing at a gorilla who was hitting another with its fists. Ranma howled in laughter, and Ichiro began to laugh too.
"Ranma," she said darkly, glowering, "I heard that." She started to crush the plastic bottle in her hand.
Ichiro spent the remainder of the day being carried by Auntie Ranko.