Chapter Nineteen – Girl's Morning Out

Akane

She woke with her arms wrapped around Ranma, his warm body pressed against hers, face resting against the folds of the dress Ranma had worn the night before. Akane blinked away her sleep and pulled back to get a better look at her fiance. Ranma's face looked troubled, all scrunched up in restless sleep. His fists were tightly balled up in the covers.

Akane sighed, wishing Ranma didn't look so small and so feminine in her arms. Wishing for a male form she hadn't seen in days. Wishing against the tug of attraction she felt toward Ranma, against how her red hair and gentle frown made her feel things, against the reckoning she feared would come when they both rose for the day.

Why did Ranma make everything so hard? Akane tried so hard to respect Ranma's feelings about himself, to see him as the man he declared he was, but every day it got harder for Akane to see Ranma, man among men. All Akane could see in that moment was Ranma, the girl she loved.

She tried to pull her arms away.

Curling up tighter, his arms coming up to hug hers to his body, bottle green fabric rustling around him, Ranma shook his head. "Stay," he whispered, breathy and coarse. Akane's heart contracted.

"Okay," she whispered back, and settled down against Ranma, hugging him close.

Ranma smelled like her shampoo and wore Kasumi's green dress like a nightgown he'd owned all his life.

Nabiki

Bright fresh morning light streamed through the backyard screens, illuminating up the dust motes drifting into the airy kitchen. Kasumi was making breakfast, humming as she cooked, doing little spins with precise, sharp pivots between the sink and the counter, chopping and stirring with graceful cheer. A game of Shogi dragged on by the porch; Genma sat in deep concentration, plotting out his move, while Soun bobbed back and forth, tapping his finger on the board in time with his eldest daughter's tune. The scene relaxed Nabiki – she wouldn't admit it, but she loved the mornings, when the day was new and everyone seemed to be in good spirits.

Ranma and Genma hadn't gone for a morning spar.

She heard Ranma's footsteps before she saw him – it was Nabiki's business to know the goings-on of the people in her house, and Ranma's poise gave him the lightest step. Ranma emerged from the hall with his hair up in a bun, wearing one of Akane's oversized old t-shirts and a pair of her gym shorts, too short for a brisk November day. His expression was curiously dead.

"Good morning, Ranma," Nabiki said, chancing him a warm look. Is he still upset? Last night was rough – I hope Akane managed to talk him down…

Ranma settled across the table and gave Nabiki a ghost of a smile. "Morning," he said, tone flat.

Something was off. Everyone in the room could feel the shift in the atmosphere, and the jubilant morning became commonplace; Kasumi stopped dancing, which she only did when she was overjoyed or nervous, although she kept humming under her breath. Ranma's gaze was distant; he seemed lifeless. Nabiki immediately recognized that prying would be useless, worse than useless – Ranma bore all the telltale signs of thinking, an activity Nabiki found Ranma to be notoriously bad at, and she knew it wasn't her place to interfere. I wonder what I can do…

"You don't to worry about doing the paperwork for the new students," she told him, folding her hands on the table. "I've already done it."

"Really?" A flash of gratitude crossed Ranma's face, then it was gone again. "Thanks, Nabiki. You didn't have ta."

It was true. Nabiki had done it out of boredom yesterday, her homework finished and her business ventures running smoothly, looking for a way to be productive. Helping Ranma was a pleasant side effect. "It was nothing," she dismissed. "You have more important things to worry about."

He frowned deeper and looked away.

From the Shogi table came the click of a move being made. Genma cleared his throat. "Boy!"

Ranma turned to face Genma, scratching at his hairline, giving his father a puzzled look. "Yeah, Pops?"

Genma opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out – smartly, he closed it again. Ranma didn't look like a boy. Nabiki hadn't heard him ask for hot water all week. Granted, he was working hard to sell his cousin farce to Ukyo at school, so had to be a girl for that, and water found him like a magnet, but that was unusual behavior even for Ranma. In Akane's clothes with such a casual hairstyle on a Sunday, Ranma looked like a girl. He had no reason to be wearing what he was or remaining in his cursed form, but there he was. Watching Genma. Female.

Nabiki had to take a second to grapple with the wave of sadness that overcame her. Now she saw Ranma's expression: resignment. He was sitting in front of his dad and waiting for a customary verbal lashing – Change out of that form! You're sitting there like a weak girl, get up and man up! How can you become a true martial artist dressed like that? – that wasn't coming.

Oh, Ranma…

Genma swallowed. Hard. Nabiki traced his Adam's apple up and down. When he spoke, his voice was soft and cold.

"You dishonor yourself."

React, Ranma, Nabiki pleaded in her thoughts. Kick his living daylights out. Throw the stupid panda in the koi pond and boot him halfway to China. Donate him to the local zoo again. Anything.

Ranma didn't react. Instead, he pressed his hands against his bare thighs and bowed his head, a loose strand of red hair falling from his bun to his face.

"I know."

Soun stared at Genma, who nodded once, his expression stoic, and turned back to their Shogi game. Nabiki had never seen Soun in such disbelief before; the expression seemed so out of place on his expressive face. She turned to Kasumi. Kasumi watched Ranma in unabashed guilt, her shoulders trembling, a spatula clutched in her hand, rubbing at her dry eye with her other. Their eyes met, and Nabiki gulped. We'll protect him no matter what. She knew what that guilt meant. Kasumi had taken her farce with Ranma too far for too long; it had started as a jab at Ranma's hyper-masculine tendencies as much as Kasumi's doubts about Ranma's gender, her desire to see him return to the brash boy he'd been when he'd awoken from the coma, and had evolved into something darker, something that cut way closer to the heart of Ranma's self than Kasumi ever intended.

Nabiki blushed in shame. Kasumi and I both hurt Ranma, she realized. Our guest, our friend… our family. And we hurt him bad.

Making a decision, Nabiki scooted around the table to sit next to Ranma. Ranma started when Nabiki threw a casual arm around his shoulders, leaning on him slightly. "Nabiki?" he said.

No. She said.

Nabiki nodded to herself, confusing Ranma further. She released her, giving her a characteristic smile, looking over Ranma's wardrobe with an approving nod – the oversized t-shirt was a good look, especially since it was sized for Akane, who was taller – shooting Kasumi a discrete look to let her older sister in on her thoughts. Kasumi would understand. "Do you have plans for today, Ranma?"

Ranma shook her head. "Nah," she said. "Figure something or another would happen to me. Something always does."

Another devastatingly sad statement, now that Nabiki was on high alert for them. Her determination turned rock solid. I've ignored this for too long. Not anymore. Ranma needed more than just Akane and a shaky group of friends at school – she needed support and care and not a shitty father who couldn't accept the truth before his eyes.

For a little sister, Ranma was pretty cute. Once Nabiki set out to protect her family, she stopped at nothing before she accomplished her goal – and Ranma was her family. Her little sometimes brother, sometimes sister. And Nabiki refused to sit and watch her little sister take verbal abuse from Genma Saotome. Not now, not ever. She should never have allowed it in the past.

Little sis Ranma… I can live with that.

Ranma watched Nabiki with gated, closed-off eyes, clearly unaware of the decision Nabiki had just come to. Nabiki brushed that off as unimportant. Ranma was dense as a brick; it wasn't Nabiki's fault that she understood Ranma before Ranma could understand herself.

Nabiki shrugged. "I'm going out today. Bets to collect, a city to wander, the usual. You wanna come?"

"For real?" Ranma blinked, taking a moment to process. She narrowed her eyes. "You're never this nice to anyone… What're you plotting now?"

"Nothing, I swear."

Am I that bad- Who am I kidding, I'm totally that bad.

Nabiki gave an idle shrug.

Ranma sized her up, and she must not have found any dishonesty, because her frown softened and she leaned back on her palms. "Yeah, sure. Why the hell not? Could be fun, y'know? Never know when you might run into a challenger."

Ranma looked over at Genma. Genma resolutely ignored her, and her face fell.

"Good," Nabiki said, her placid smile masking the cold fury building toward Ranma's father. "Eat, then we'll head out. I like mornings best, anyways. The ones who owe me the most never see me coming."

Ranma

Ranma had expected treachery or a new plot or, at the very least, to get wrapped up in another of Nabiki's schemes, even if it had nothing to do with him. To his genuine surprise and enjoyment, Nabiki had nothing in store for him. They took the train from Nerima to Ikebukuro, where Nabiki introduced Ranma to one of her older friends who attended a nearby university. Kasumi had all-but-forced Ranma into a pair of pants and one of Akane's old coats before he left the house, as he didn't own one himself, so he and Nabiki went into a shop to look for a new coat. Now that the dojo was taking students again, the Tendos weren't so strapped for cash anymore, and Genma had a part-time job; since Ranma helped teach and run the dojo, he could accept the coat without feeling like a freeloader.

The coat they picked out was darker with white details, tailored for his girl form. Nabiki had picked it off the rack because it was 'cute' and would 'look great on you.' Ranma, not in the mood to argue, had shrugged it on and deemed it utilitarian. I need it for school, he reasoned. I ain't gonna be cold this winter just cause I have to be in this stupid body.

You dishonor yourself.

Every time Ranma caught his reflection in the mirror, he stopped and lingered. A petite redhead stared back, wearing her fiancee's shirt and a cute hairstyle, her cheeks rosy from the cold, brand new coat wrapped around her shoulders. He felt like a c-c- small furry mammal who couldn't recognize themselves in the mirror: startled, frozen, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Nabiki dragged him along and bought them both mocha ice cream.

On the train back, Ranma finally spoke up.

"Why're you being so nice to me?"

Ranma and Nabiki sat side by side, backs against the car's wall, the dangling handlebars swaying back and forth overhead, the apartment buildings flashing by out the broad window. Every time the car jolted, Nabiki's shoes knocked into Ranma's. Her expression was gated, as crafty and withdrawn as ever, but Ranma knew better than to fall for the facade. You didn't live with someone else for months without learning a few things about them.

"Would you believe me if I said I was bored and wanted to get out of the house?"

"No."

"Fair." Nabiki leaned back in her seat, looking up at the map of the Tokyo subway on the far wall. "I know you might not believe me, but we all want to see you happy, Ranma."

Ranma couldn't help it; he laughed in her face. Yeah, right, fat chance I'll believe… Nabiki flinched, and she had the audacity to look hurt. His laughter died in his throat. That.

"We do," Nabiki repeated, lips pressing to a thin line.

"You do?"

"All of us. Me, Akane, Kasumi, Daddy. You had a tough day yesterday, and Akane wasn't exactly chomping at the bit to make you feel better, so here I am. You needed to get out of the house for the morning." Nabiki gave Ranma a self-deprecating smirk. "I am occasionally capable of human emotion, you know."

"I know that," Ranma protested. "But ya don't have to, I dunno, do me favors or buy me things for me to forgive ya for the whole photos thing. I already have. You can't… buy my friendship, Nabiki."

Nabiki flinched again, worse than the last time, and Ranma suddenly felt bad. "Is that really the impression I've given you?" she asked ruefully, rubbing her thumbs together. "Look. Ranma. I know you forgave me for that, and I really am sorry. We were in a tough place, and I was desperate and not thinking straight. But I keep track of my debts, and as far as I'm concerned, we've been even since I helped you with the whole Ukyo thing. This isn't that. You're my friend, and hopefully someday my, ah..." Nabiki coughed and cleared her throat. "Brother-in-law. If I want to take you for a girl's morning out-" Ranma glared daggers at her, and she hastily retracted her statement. "Right, right, sorry, a morning outing, super manly – look, the point is, I'm gonna take you out if that's what you need, which you did. You were depressed this morning, Ranma."

"Depressed," Ranma repeated, raising an eyebrow. Martial artists don't get depressed.

"You were," Nabiki murmured. Her voice turned serious. "You submitted to your miserable excuse for a father, and you never do that. You're acting more like you do on the days when you curse out the curse, man up, and run off to find a fight, but you haven't asked for hot water once. I don't know what happened with you and Akane last night, but that's not you, Ranma."

"I ain't givin' in to the curse," Ranma said hotly.

Nabiki pinched the bridge of her nose. "I never said that. This has nothing to do with what's in your pants. I'm talking about who you are, Ranma, and I hate to see you miserable like this. So I tried. And I think it worked, at least a little, cause you're not staring off into space like somebody killed your dog."

Who I am.

Ranma stared at Nabiki, blushing, resenting that he was blushing, turning what she'd said over in his head. Maybe she ain't so bad, he thought. I didn't realize she cared. "Oh."

"You can close your mouth now," Nabiki said in a dry tone.

He closed his mouth.

"Do ya always spoil the people you actually like?"

Nabiki reached over and flicked his forehead. "Don't get used to it."

Ranma pressed his hands to his forehead with a little ow, which came out far higher and squeakier than he intended, his brow smarting from the attack. His hands flew to cover his mouth. I sound like a freaking girl! And then he and Nabiki locked eyes, and they both burst out laughing – laughing at the world, or that Ranma Saotome, heir to the school of Anything Goes Martial Arts, man among men, would squeak at the tiniest flick. Ranma laughed so hard he had to lean against Nabiki's shoulder to catch his breath, wheezing, for once not caring about how feminine his laughter sounded or whether anyone else on the train could hear it. It washed away the worst of last night, the green dress, the cold that wouldn't go away, the disapproval in his father's eyes. Outside of the dojo, Ranma could almost believe maybe, in the real world, his curse wouldn't matter so much. If nobody else cared, why should he?

He cared. He cared so so so much. It was simply the direction of the caring that had him confused, like a tangled mess of string he'd almost teased out.

"You're a good friend," Ranma told Nabiki once he'd caught his breath.

Nabiki smirked. "I know."

[A/N] As per usual, Nabiki's calling the shots like she sees them – and making some solid conclusions about Ranma. I like to portray that even when Nabiki's letting her softer side show, she's still calculating and thorny and, y'know, herself. After Nabiki and Kasumi's little bonding session last night, neither of them can treat Ranma the same; when Nabiki Tendo makes a promise, she makes good on her word.

Yeah, I was offline for a while – in other news, I'm now 150k into an original manuscript, which is coming along swimmingly. I'm having so much fun with it. It's a contemporary/low sci-fi jam, hella complex, and I've been at it since December. I'm hoping I'll be able to finish and publish it someday, so I can share my original work with all you lovely people.

If you want to stay updated on me and my writing, I've got my Tumblr (AllisonIlluminated) which has a whole buncha neat writing stuff.

I hope everyone is staying safe and keeping sane with Rona knocking on our doors. I've read a shit ton lately – fanfic and not – and as far as Ranma Fanfic goes, a lot of the pre fanfiction dot net stuff is truly fantastic. I was trawling the Ranma Fanfic Recs page on TVTropes, which I highly recommend for anyone who's bored and wants a good read.

Thanks to Alucard45, Noies, Beedok, Oakranger, The Keeper of Worlds, elusivetruth, Siatru, Lukkai, and Herofire for reviewing!

That's all I got for now. Cheers, Allie