All the characters depicted in this story are from Ranma 1/2, which was
created by Rumiko Takahashi. This story is something that came straight from
my own mind, so anyone wants to get all huffy and try to sue me for any
infringement, chill; it was a strange coincidence that just happened (if
you're really insistent about monetary compensation, I'll pay you; however,
I'm going to need access to a photocopier and two reams of paper first).
Enjoy.
Chapter 4
And I Close My Eyes To Dream
"Ah, this is life, ne, Tendo-kun?"
"Hai, Saotome-kun. Nothing like a trip away from home to cleanse the
body, the soul, the spirit-"
"-and to further insure that our families will be united at long last!"
Genma said, raising a cup of sake.
Soun raised his porcelain cup as well. "Agreed." They tapped cups.
"Kanpai!"
"Kanpai!" The two drained their cups, then began to refill.
"You know, Tendo-kun, this trip was a brilliant idea. How did you come
up with it?"
"Well, remember when Kasumi took that vacation two months ago?"
Genma grimaced. "How can I forget? We ran out of instant ramen, and
Akane wouldn't make curry everyday."
Soun wrinkled his face at that reminder. "Anyway, I noticed a change in
Ranma when he came back, and I figured that the old adage, 'Distance makes
the heart grow fonder,' is true after all. He was finally acting as a true
iinazuke should act with his betrothed."
"Hai, he seems to have grown into the responsibilities giri demands of
him while he was away."
Soun nodded in agreement. "However, when we began to make plans to have
them wedded off immediately, they started to fall apart again, worse than
before! I thought about what we were doing wrong; after all they want to get
married, ne? So what was the problem?"
"Indeed. What answer did you find?"
Soun beamed, then his expression grew neutral. "I don't know." He
whipped out a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag, exhaling cobalt and
gray wisps of smoke from his mouth. "But since they seem to be coming
together just fine without pressure, why not leave them alone and see what
happens?"
"You know, Tendo-kun, that does look to be true often," Genma stated,
scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Sometimes, I wonder if our constant
pressuring was what had kept the wedding plans at bay. Perhaps we were a bit
too eager in trying to get them married as soon as possible. Maybe we should
have let them grow into love, and not pushed everything onto them all at
once, then let them make plans for the wedding in their own time."
Both men looked off at nothing in particular, thinking on those words.
Soon, their eyes met, and they laughed heartily. Taking the sake into hand,
they simultaneously said, "Nah...what were we thinking?" then knocked the
drinks back.
"Saotome-kun, let's get back home a couple of days earlier. I'm curious
as to how Akane and Ranma are doing."
"I had the same thoughts, myself, Tendo-kun. We should get back by noon
tomorrow. Sounds good?"
"It does."
"Then, it's all settled."
Meanwhile, back at the Tendo house, Ranma and Akane were in the middle
of a heated argument. By now, Ranma would have said something that would
provoke the youngest Tendo into smashing him flat with the nearest blunt
object (or, if such an item was unavailable, she would procure a mallet from
seemingly nowhere and whack him promptly). However, he was making a visible
effort to not put his foot into his mouth; so far he was doing very well.
Suddenly, she blurted out, "Why the hell would I trust a pervert like
you for?!"
Ranma blinked back into reality from the savage, verbal blow. "Y-you
don't trust me?"
"Did I stutter? I just said I don't!"
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You...never...trusted me...?"
"Damn right I don't trust a pervert like you!"
Her words cut deep into him, worse than any weapon could, and they
taunted him, reverberating throughout his mind.
'don't...trust.... don't trust.... ' A flood of other voices washed
through his mind then.
"...Because they don't trust each other. Not one whit-"
"Why the hell would I-!"
"...baka..."
"Which bimbo iinazuke are you hiding in our house!"
"...Kasumi-chan..."
"Ranma, I'm pregnant."
"They don't love each other in that way..."
"Well, I...I.... H-Hai. I...I suppose you could say I...I am...do love
him..."
"RANMA NO BAKA!!"
"...but I lo-lo...care about her, even if she is a violent, kawaiikune
tomboy. Don't I?"
"...they are in love..."
"Oh my...this wasn't suppose to be happening..."
The flood of broken memories sudsided just as quickly as it came. 'No
matter what I say, the truth is a lie...but all the real lies were all true
to her.'
Ranma blinked hard. Twice. "Man, I've been around Kuno too long; I
think I actually understood all of that."
"What did you say?"
Akane. His eyes focused on the youngest Tendo. Confusion was layered
over her mask of simmering anger. "Why are you bringing up Kuno now, or-"
The confusion left as she was drawing a conclusion; as she did so, her teeth
ground together, as her anger began to boil over once more. "-are you
really worried about sneaking Kodachi into your room?! You're not just a
pervert, but a sick pervert!"
Ranma swore he heard a whistling sound coming from Akane's ears as she
looked ready to explode. Then his mind clicked back to the tea. 'Kasumi.'
Without hesitation, he pushed past Akane, saying to her as he did, "Drop it,
Akane."
She couldn't believe his audacity! How dare he just blow her off like
it didn't matter! She'll make him sorry for dismissing her like-
"Go ahead, do whatever you want. Search the house, my room, Kasumi's
room, even though she doesn't want to see anyone else tonight. I'm tired of
fighting with you about it, so just do whatever you damn well want." He
continued down the stairs without breaking his stride. He rounded the
stairwell, murmuring sadly under his breath, "It's not like you'd believe me
anyway."
Her anger deflated like a balloon, and she sighed. "Ranma...I...I did
it again, ne? ...and just when I thought you really wanted me..." She
started to go down into the kitchen and apologize to him, but her eyes roamed
back up towards Kasumi's room. "It bothers me, though, that you're hiding
something from me. And it involves Kasumi, too." Her face screwed up at a
few thoughts, then she shook her head. "Get a grip, Akane; Kasumi would
never have done that to you."
She looked down the stairwell, then back to Kasumi's room. "I wonder
what's wrong with oneesan, though. It's not like her to shut out her family
like so...and why only Ranma? What makes him so special now? It's not as if
he had to deal with Ukyou and Kodachi today." She grumbled under her breath
at the nagging memories very fresh from an hour and a half ago.
An internal struggle began. One side of her wanted to believe in
Ranma's words and go into the kitchen to apologize to him; the other side of
her was far more concerned about Kasumi and wanted to see her, despite what
Ranma had said. She looked down the stairwell, then back up towards her
sister's room. Again.
BWEE
Akane looked towards the source of the sound. Just at the mouth of the
hall stood a little black piglet with a yellow and brown bandanna tied around
its neck. "P-CHAN!" She ran up the stairs and swept the startled swine into
her arms. "Oh, P-Chan, you had me worried, disappearing like that! Where
have you been?"
Bwee-bwee, buWEE
She smiled to the little black pig in her arms. "As if you can tell
me..." She squeezed P-Chan against her chest, not noticing that it had
passed out when she did, a small trickle of blood coming from its snout.
That was when she noticed that she was in front of Kasumi's room door.
She stared at the wooden nameplate with the small cluster of miniature
artificial flowers decorating one corner for a long moment, wondering if she
should knock or leave. Finally, the decision apparently taken out of her
hand, she made a fist and rapped her knuckles just below the plate softly,
then grimaced as the tiny floral arrangement dropped to the floor. Akane
bent down and picked it up. "Twelfth time this week...oneesan needs a
stronger brand of glue...." she spoke under her breath, thankful for the
small distraction provided for the moment.
Startled out of her reflections of the past, Kasumi turned her eyes to
her room door. 'Haven't felt the house shudder, no explosions or loud
shouting...Ranma must have finished making the tea without getting into a
bigger fight with imoutosan.' "Come in, Ranma. The door's unlocked."
"Um, it's Akane, oneesan."
Kasumi's heart leapt out of her chest for a second. 'Don't come in,
Akane! Don't come in!'
"Ranma said that you weren't feeling well, and you wanted to be left
alone tonight, and, well, I...I just wanted to see that you're okay."
'Good, she's not coming in.' "It's true, Akane. I'm feeling a little
better, though, so don't worry about me, okay?"
"...all, all right. I guess it's good night then, oneesan."
"All right. Good night, imoutosan."
"Oh, Kasumi? Your flowers fell again."
She perked a brow. 'Again? How many times has it fallen in the last
two months? I even used a super strength glue the last time.' "Would you
hold onto it until the morning?"
"Okay. Good night again."
"Good night."
Footsteps treaded down towards Akane's room, then she heard the door
close. Kasumi realized that she had been holding her breath, and she
released it. Her mind wandered back to the unborn child growing in her womb.
Painstakingly, she traced her index finger over her belly, imagining what it
looked like now. 'Is it a boy or a girl?' she thought silently, then sighed.
'Does it matter? I don't even know if Ranma wants the child. He hadn't
said anything about it before he left.'
Another sigh escaped her lips. 'Nor did he say anything about wanting
me...' She briefly thought about the kiss he (who was a she at the time)
gave her a short while ago. It was a sign, but a sign of what? Not really
knowing an answer, she stretched out on the bed, her mind already slipping
back into time.
* * *
=RING=
Kasumi blinked from the daydream she was heavily enthralled with scant
seconds ago. A slight blush riding across the bridge of her nose, she tore
her eyes from the window, where she had been watching Ranma practice punches
and kicks on a practice dummy. She had seen him in full action a few times
before, but there was something about the intensity of his blows this
time...and she had never seen that kind of kick come from Ranma before...the
power behind it...it felt strangely exciting and...something primal...
=RING=
She tried shaking off the burning warmth that spread in her cheeks,
turning her attentions back to the breakfast she was preparing. Deftly, she
pulled the miso soup from the stove eye, and, with a dishcloth, wiped away
the white streams of soup flowing down the black surface, then settled it on
a cooler surface. She plucked the pot lid and covered the breakfast up, then
quickly checked the rice and fish. Both items were nearly finished cooking.
=RING=
Wiping her hands on her apron, Kasumi walked over to the telephone and
lifted the receiver off of the base. She took a few deep breaths to make
sure her voice wouldn't quaver, then said, "Hello?"
"Hey, Kasumi!"
She blinked at the other end of the receiver. "Mariko?"
"Who else?"
"My...isn't it expensive using your cousin's phone to call here?"
"A little, but he can definitely swing it, no problem."
Kasumi heard a male voice in the background shout out, "You're calling
who for how long?!" but her friend continued on as if not hearing anything.
"Enough about my cousin. How are things shaping up between you and
cutie-pie?"
She sighed and related an abbreviated version of last night's events to
her friend.
"Damn...you're just not lucky, are you?" Mariko could only say after her
friend finished.
"I suppose not, Mariko. Perhaps...perhaps I'm better off not knowing-"
"Who are you trying to kid? You're dying to know."
"...well...." She sighed, relenting. "I know, Mariko, but I really
don't want to hurt anyone because of my own curiosities."
"Hey, if he responds, he'd be making the choice, not you, ne?"
"...Well, hai, I suppose that would be true...but isn't that like
entrapment?"
"Not at all. You're just looking for an answer, not trying to get him
on some crime."
"I...I don't know...it does sound a lot like-"
"Oh, come on, now. You're always making excuses about this sort of
thing, even when we were just starting out at Furinken and that one boy was
really interested in you... At least try to succeed just this once; if you
come up with nothing, then you could let it all drop. Okay?"
She pursed her lips for a moment, thinking about what Mariko had said.
"All...all right, Mariko, but...how...?"
"Don't worry; I got a plan. All you have to do is this..."
* * *
'Where did that come from?'
Ranma hunched over panting, sweat dripping off of his forehead and
soaking immediately into the cool earth beneath his bare feet. The practice
dummy had been severed from its stand and now laid on the ground from a
powerful thrust kick. Tiredly, he examined his handiwork, wondering what had
came over him moments ago.
"There, there, Ranma," a voice softly spoke behind him.
Immediately, he spun around on his heels to face the eldest Tendo
daughter. She was holding a white towel, which she used to begin drying the
perspiring skin his partially-open gi top didn't cover
"Ka-Kasumi!" he squawked as he tripped over the practice dummy and fell
gracelessly onto his back.
She smiled down to him, then slowly knelt at his side. Carefully, she
blotted his forehead with the corner of the towel., then dried off his chest
in a manner near sensuous, her fingers splaying the material about the toned
muscles and when it ran over his-
'Gah! What are you thinking about?!' He forced down the next few
thoughts quickly.
"You really shouldn't sweat so much, Ranma. It'll ruin your clothes
after a while."
Ranma looked at Kasumi as she wiped the perspiration from his body.
'Oh, just being her helpful self, as usual.' He wasn't sure if it was meant
to be said as a good thing or a bad thing.
"It helps if you take them off first." She gave Ranma another smile,
though it was subtly different from her earlier one. Almost like the smile
some people get when a plan is going perfectly.
As usual, Ranma didn't notice. So entrenched in his thinking he was, he
never saw it coming until it was too late.
Her lips came in fast, too fast for his mind to comprehend, and locked
with his tightly, holding the kiss for long moments. His eyes bulged out of
his head. 'KASUMI?! Nani-?!' They did it again when she began deepening
the kiss, her tongue slipping within the recess of his mouth, tasting him.
One of her hands went to hold the back of his head, the other, still holding
the towel, stroked his strong chest. Her legs straddled either side of his
waist, and she lowered her hips down upon his in a sitting position.
Ranma's mind boggled. Kasumi was kissing him. Not a friendly kiss on
the cheek, or on the forehead, but a long, drawn-out passionate kiss. Her
fingers massaging his muscles, her point of desire just touching him, seven
articles of clothing away from making passionate love. He was really
surprised as his desires took over where the mind was still trying to
comprehend what was going on, his arms drawing up and around her body,
crushing her against his chest. She didn't seem to mind at all; in fact, she
was coaxing him more and more, her lips teasing him, her fingers relaxing
him, her hips smoothing against his, bringing him to greater arousal. His
mind was shouting at him, "What are you doing?! This is Kasumi you making
out with! Stop it! You just said you didn't want another iinazuke!
Akane'll kill you if she even _thinks_ you're trying to seduce her oneesan
during this trip Tendo-san practically threw you on! You can't do this;
aren't you suppose to be engaged to Akane?! What the hell are you doing?!
Hentai!! Push her away from you!! I don't care if it _is_ Kasumi!! You
can't be doing this!!" Unfortunately, the voice was sinking into silence as
Ranma began to get bolder with help from Kasumi's silent cues. Eyes closed,
his hands slipped along her back, over her hips, and down her thighs until
his fingers caught hold of the hem of her dress. Slowly, he pushed his hands
up her thighs, taking the fabric up in the process as he grew anxious for the
new experiences he was about to partake in.
Just as he pulled the clump of fabric past her hips, pain stabbed into
his mind. He cried out in surprise and shock, and blinked several times.
He was alone in the yard. Daydreaming, no less.
His face burned a bright pink and beaded sweat as he frantically checked
the source of pain. A long splinter of wood from the practice dummy had
managed to lodge itself deep into his hand. Growling, he painstakingly
pulled out the shard, trying to keep it from breaking off beneath his skin.
"Ite." He looked at the resulting blood seeping out of the puncture
wound.
"Oh my."
He howled as he sprang over the practice dummy, splashing down into the
hidden pool.
"Ranma, are you okay?"
Her head bobbed out of the water, a hand wiping away the soaked red
bangs out of her eyes. "I'm-I'm fine, Kasumi. W-what makes you th-think I'm
not?" She chuckled nervously, her hand rubbing the back of her head.
"You hurt your hand...come in, Ranma, before that wound becomes
infected." She reached out a hand to him.
"NO!" She recoiled back violently, causing Kasumi to step back from her
forcefulness. "Ah...I-I mean, don't risk getting wet for me. I wouldn't
want you to ruin such a pretty dress on you and-GAH! I-I-I mean I can get
myself out, and...uh...ju-just stand back..." Had she been looking up
instead of babbling madly, she would have caught a blush running across
Kasumi's cheeks. The eldest Tendo daughter did as she said, taking a few
steps backwards. Onna-Ranma lunged forward and onto the cool grass and stood
up, then shook off the excess water.
Kasumi reached out and took her arm. "Come, Ranma, let's get that wound
cleaned before it becomes infected."
"itsallrightkasumiicandoitmyself!" The words came out so fast, Kasumi
had to blink. Onna-Ranma was on the fringe of complete panic, her daydream
about Kasumi coming back full force. Desperately, she tried to bring her
body under control--then realized he was a she. "um...sorry, about
that...just...didn't expect you, is all....ah..."
"It's all right, Ranma. Finish what you were doing; I'll draw a hot
bath for you. Afterwards, we'll eat breakfast." She smiled at him.
"O-okay, Kasumi. Be there in a few minutes."
"Oh, and Ranma, please clean that injury before you do anything else."
She nodded, wet red locks blocking her vision temporarily. "H-hai."
* * *
Ranma soaked in the tub, trying to put his raging thoughts into some
semblance of order. He was failing miserably as his mind replayed the
daydream over and over again of its own volition. 'Dammit, why can't I get
that out of my head? What kind of pervert am I? Fantasizing about
Kasumi...it's just too much!' He laid back even more as the steam arose from
the bath water. 'I mean, she's nice...well, she's nice to everyone...well,
so's Akane, unless it's towards me....not that I don't like Kasumi or
anything, she is pretty, while Akane's just cute, and-ARGH! Dammit, not
again! You already have way too many fiancees and enemies as it is; what are
you trying to do, complicate your life even more?' He puffed a deep sigh,
his eyes closing. "Kuso, this sucks..."
* * *
"Ranma?"
There was no answer from the bathroom. Softly, she knocked. Still no
answer.
"Well, if Ranma's not inside..." She pushed the door open, letting
herself in.
"Oh!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice. There he was, laid back in the
warm waters of the bath tub, sound asleep. The idea of waking him up came to
her, but she really didn't want to disturb him; however, he looked so sweet,
relaxed...alluring...sexy....
Her body took over when her mind would not function clearly, her hands
moving up to shed her clothes. Moments later, she stood beside him in all
her naked glory, her breasts quivering with each carefully measured breath.
One glance into the water told her just how manly he is, drawing both a smile
and a blush. Carefully, she slipped one foot into the waters, breaking the
surface as quietly as possible as to not wake him...at least, not yet. It
swallowed her up to her thigh, then she lazily pulled in the other leg,
letting the clear water lap over her soft skin. Soon, she was submerged up
to her waist in liquid warmth, so close to him...
Her slender fingers reached out to him, trailing along his arms resting
on the sides of the bath, as she neared him. Her lips parted in
anticipation, her hands leaving from his shoulders. Her arms were on either
side of his head, palms flat against the wall just behind. Bracing herself,
she leaned into his direction till their lips met softly.
He responded automatically, still adrift in slumber apparently. Her
heart leapt for joy, quickly forgetting her own inhibitions and shyness, and
she drew herself to him, her bare breasts pressing against his chest. That
simple motion stirred him awake, or at least partly awake.
"Tenshi..."
She gave him a soft smile. "Hai...Ranma-chan..."
His eyes flew open with the voice, the so familiar voice. His crystal
blues found a pair of dark greens boring into his.
"Ka-Kasumi...?"
"Hai."
His scream was loud enough to wake the dead.
* * *
Kasumi was making her way to the bath to check on Ranma; he had been
inside for at least half an hour, and she was getting worried. 'So many
changes in so few days. Who would have thought that I-'
"KASUMI?!"
She almost jumped. Her name had just came from the bath, where Ranma
was at.
"Oh, my..." she said, picking up her pace.
Just as she was within a few feet of the bath's door, it was flung open.
Ranma emerged from within, a panicked, disoriented look etched on his face
as he tried to take in his surroundings. Panting, he said, "Man, it was
just..." He turned his head towards the eldest Tendo daughter. "...a..."
Their eyes met, or rather, not met, as the woman took one look at him, then
hastily cast her eyes to the floor. "...?"
Something wasn't right.
Kasumi was virtually glowing red, and her eyes continually shifted from
the floor up to about his waist before hastily slamming down to the floor.
She was ramrod staight, almost like she was paralyzed, and...was that sweat
on her forehead? 'What's going on?' he thought. "Why is she just standing-'
He took a glance down to see what elicited such a response as the one Kasumi
was having...
...and blushed very darkly in abject horror. He snapped to and squawked
out, "Gomen nasai! Gomen!" as he desperately threw himself into the nearest
room. Unfortunately, it was his fiancee's oldest sister's room. Another
squawk, then silence.
"...um, ah heheh, er...Kasumi...?"
It took every ounce of strength she had to pull herself together before
replying. "...h-ha-ai...?"
"...I...I...um...ah...eh..." Then he blurted out, "Towel! ...please..."
She nodded dumbly, then mechanically walked to the linen closet,
extracted a towel, then walked back to where she was standing.
"...t...tow...el..."
Ranma's head poked out of the room very, very cautiously. They refused
to meet each other's eyes again, so he scanned for the towel. Seeing the
proffered object, he breathed a little easier, then he held out his hand for
it. Wordlessly, she tossed it to him, and he managed to snare it out of the
air and zip back inside Kasumi's room. "Thanks!" mingled with the fast
slamming of the door. Scant seconds later, the door cracked open, and Ranma
darted out to his room, towel wrapped around his waist.
"...well...he certainly...lives up...to...his name..." Suddenly, Kasumi
needed another bath and a change of clothes today.
* * *
Dinner went by very quietly and even more awkwardly.
Ranma's mind kept replaying the daydream he had in the bath and the
effects it had on his body, then how Kasumi must have seen him in all
nakedness. Ranma no hentai!! he thought Akane would say, but it would turn
out to be Kasumi wielding a huge mallet over her head, bringing it down on
his head, smashing him through the floor into nothingness. He shuddered at
the thought of Kasumi wielding _anything_ other than kitchen utensils which
would be put to use preparing meals. 'Way to go, baka....' He tugged at the
collar of his red chinese shirt as it felt uncomfortably tight and warm then.
Kasumi's mind replayed the events from earlier. She remembered hearing
him cry out her name, then sprint out of the bathroom... Her cheeks burned
with the thought of what she saw pointing at her. Quietly, she drained her
glass of water, hoping it would cool her down. It didn't, of course. She
sighed to herself, taking up a mound of rice in her chopsticks and putting it
into her mouth. She slid the glossed pieces of wood out between her lips
very slowly. She almost choked when she realized what she was doing and
almost threw her utensils down. 'Maybe this was a bad idea, after all...'
She smoothed out her floral pattern dress absently.
"Ranma..."
"Kasumi..."
They looked up at once, eyes meeting, if hesitantly, for the first time
today. "...Kasumi, I...I'm sorry. Bout earlier...."
"It's...it's all right, Ranma."
He looked away, not hearing. "I...should've been more careful..."
"Ranma..." A small smile showed up on her lips.
"I wasn't thinking, and..."
"Ranma."
He stopped babbling and looked up. "Huh?"
She smiled softly to him. "I said it was all right, Ranma."
He blinked. "I-it is?"
"Hai."
He rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, sorry..."
Kasumi had to chuckle for a moment. 'He's looks so cute apologizing...'
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing, really. I was just thinking how cute you look when you
apologize."
Ranma blinked in surprise. "Really?"
"Mm hmm."
He let it sink in for a moment. Then he started chuckling, too.
"What are you laughing at, Ranma?"
He smiled. "I was thinking the same thing about you."
It was her turn for a surprise. "R-really...?"
"Yep." She smiled at that, and their chuckles died down.
'Baka.' It was unclear whose thought it belonged to nor who it was
refered to.
(continued)