[ff][ranma]Martial Arts Marriage Ceremony ch 4


     Nabiki's room was her sanctuary.  The war rooms and council
halls of the world's leading nations had not seen the birth of as
many plans as Nabiki's room had.  Some of the greatest schemes in
history had been conceived within its four walls.  

     Today, she lay stretched out on her bed, contemplating her
latest and greatest challenge.  So many angles.  So many
potentially lethal pitfalls.

     She was having the time of her life.

     It was a very interesting game of pick-up sticks.  One wrong
move and the entire structure would come tumbling down. 
Figuratively speaking, that is.  

     Downstairs a door slammed, and her younger sister's angelic
voice ripped through the house.  "YOU ARE *SUCH* A JERK!"

     "Aw c'mon Akane, I didn't do nothin'." was the answer.

     "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, RANMA!"

     For a moment there was silence, and then Ranma's voice also
rose, more hurt than angry, but trying to hide it with greater
volume.  "FINE!"  

     Nabiki could hear him stomping off towards the dojo to work
out his frustration.  She wondered what had gone wrong.  Not that
she couldn't have made a few good guesses.  

     As she continued to listen from the safety of her bed, she
heard Akane moving as well.  Her footsteps were quiet as she went
into the kitchen.  Without opening the squeaky refrigerator or
any of the cupboards, she turned back around and walked through
all of the bottom floor.  When she didn't find what, or rather
who, she was looking for, she walked slowly up the stairs, opened
the door to Kasumi's room, closed it again, and then looked in
every other room upstairs before finally coming to knock on
Nabiki's door.

     "Come in."

     Akane had calmed down considerably since coming in the
house.  She looked almost meek as she came in and sat down on the
bed next to her older sister.  "Nabiki, can I talk to you?"

     Nabiki smiled.  "What is it?"

     "It's Ranma." she said with a grimace.

     The smile broadened.  "What about him?"

     Swinging her feet as much as the bed allowed her to, and
paying very close attention to her fingernails, Akane tried to
explain herself.  "He's just been acting so... weird."

     "Weird how?"

     The foot swinging sped up a little.  It was accompanied by a
slight blush.  "Sometimes it's just...  I mean he's just so... "
she sighed.  "He's been acting so weird."

     "You said that."

     Akane growled a little, more frustrated than angry.  How to
say it?  Her feet sped up again untill Nabiki could hear them
tapping against the frame through the bedding.  Any harder and
she might damage something.  "I don't know.  It's just that
sometimes he's so... so... *nice* lately."

     "And that's a problem?"

     Still blushing, Akane thought about that.  "No!"  She
gestured violently with her hands as if that would enlighten her
sister to what she meant.  "It's just so... weird."

     Grinning on only one side of her face, Nabiki regarded her. 
She couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to move things
along.  She wondered whether it would be better to encourage her
to really think about her own feelings, or just subtly guide her
toward an outburst.  She had an evil thought.  Putting on her
best serious face, she made her move.  "So when you say 'nice'
what do you mean exactly.  Is he buying you flowers or jewelry?"

     "No."

     "Has he offered to carry your books or confessed his undying
love?"

     "No."

     "Has he recited poetry, sent you love letters, or held your
hand?"

     Akane went into hyperblush mode, gritted her teeth, and
stopped swinging her feet in favor of studying her slippers as if
expecting to find some new kind of life form growing on them.  

     To say that Nabiki was startled would have been an
understatement.  She stared at Akane in unbelief.  "He *did*
didn't he?!"

     It took Akane a few moments, but she managed to nod once.

     _Way to go Ranma!  I didn't think he had it in him._  "What
happened?  I want details."

     After a few minutes of deep breathing, Akane was able to
explain the events of that morning on the way to school.  She was
a little irritated by the smug look on Nabiki's face, but didn't
show it.  She had a lot on her mind.

     "That sounds nice."  Supplied Nabiki helpfully.  "So what
happened when you got to school?"

     Akane fidgeted.  "I'm not sure.  Someone called to me, and
I'm not sure if I dropped his hand or if he dropped mine, but all
of a sudden I was really embarassed.  I don't think anyone from
school saw, though."  She sighed again.  "I was pretty... okay
with it, but then he was flirting with Ukyou in class, and I got
mad.  You know how he's *such* a pervert.  Then after school, she
came up to him and he was being way too nice to her again. 
*Honestly*!  It makes me so mad the way he keeps all those girls
around all the time."

     _Oh yes.  I'm sure he was all over her._ "So you got mad at
him?"

     "Yes!" Akane shouted as if outraged that Nabiki could doubt
that fact for a second.  "The stupid pervert!  And after what he
did this morning... I ought to..."

     She made a wringing motion with her hands and scrunched up
her face.

     "So are you mad because he held your hand this morning, or
are you mad because he's still on speaking terms with Ukyou?"

     "Neither.  I just..."

     Nabiki waited.

     "I just don't see why he can't make up his mind."

     "Have you made up your mind?"

     "Because if he'd just make up his mind, then I could... 
What did you say?"

     Nabiki smiled, then sat up next to her sister on the bed. 
"Have you..."  She pointed to Akane.  "made up..."  She was
making an important point and exagerated the fact by speaking
very slowly.  "your mind?"

     "About Ranma?" 

     "Yes."

     Trembling, Akane closed her eyes. *Had* she made up her
mind?

     Not really expecting an answer, Nabiki gave her sister a few
moments, then said "You know, you've got to give Ranma a little
credit.  He's got no shortage of possible female companions, but
have you ever seen him *really* come on to any other girl?  Has
he ever held anyone *else's* hand?  He could have taken advantage
of his situation with Shampoo, or with Ukyou.  He probably could
have done a lot worse."

     She paused for effect.  She knew that her next observation
would make Akane angry, but it was a truth that needed to be
spoken.  "You", she said solemnly "are too hard on him."

     Akane fumed.  How dare Nabiki suggest such a thing.  "How
can you side with that pervert?"

     "I'm not siding with anyone.  I'm just stating the facts as
I see them.  Even though you've publicly denounced Ranma as your
fianc� time and time again, he's still loyal to you.  Even though
you call each other names, and you get violent with him at the
slightest provocation, he hasn't tried to get out of his
engagement to you for several months now.  And now, you say he
held your hand on the way to school."  She slid a little closer
to the still seething Akane and put an arm around her shoulder. 
"Honestly, sis, can't you see that he's trying to find out how
you feel about him?  You complain that he's insensitive and then
you turn around and miss every signal that he sends your way. 
You shouldn't ignore too many more of them, because he's just not
capable of sending out any bigger ones, and it may be a long time
before he gets the courage to hold your hand again."

     She turned Akane towards her and looked into her eyes.  "He
may wait forever, but then again, he may not."

     Her anger effectively melted, Akane stared back at her older
sister.  "What should I do?" she asked, wide eyed and a little
frightened.

     Nabiki shrugged.  "I don't know.  Why not try talking to
him?"

     Akane blinked.  "You mean, just talk?"

     "Yes, that's what I mean."

     The idea seemed so foreign to Akane, and yet somehow made
sense.  She looked at her older sister in awe.  "Maybe I'll try
that." she said seriously.