A December Gathering
A December Gathering
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by June "KaraOhki" Geraci
December 23, 2001
Revised December 25, 2001
Ranma 1/2 doesn't belong to me, but to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm borrowing her characters for a little while. Please note that this story is written for entertainment purposes only, and may not be used commercially.
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"A what?"
"A Christmas party! Doesn't that sound like fun?"
Akane nodded. "Sure! We haven't had a party in a long time."
Kasumi smiled at her sister's enthusiasm. "Good. Would you tell Ranma? I'd like him to help out with the decorations. You can help me with the cooking."
That statement made Akane start dancing around the kitchen. She had been working so very hard on her cooking skills, and her sister felt that they were good enough to serve guests! The only words that could make her happier would be an "I love you" from her fiance. "I'll go tell him now! Bye!"
As Akane's dance carried her out of the kitchen, Kasumi smiled serenely and continued to prepare breakfast.
*****
Ranma was practicing when Akane flew into the dojo and skidded to a stop in front of him. He glanced in her direction to acknowledge her presence and continued until he had completed the kata.
"How come you look so happy, Akane? Glad to see me?"
The remark got the expected reaction. Akane ran forward, placed her hand on Ranma's chest, and gave him a push. It was not a hard push, but had just enough force to send him back a couple of feet. "What do you think?"
"I think I'm right." Ranma glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, put his arms around his fiancee, and kissed her cheek. "What are you so excited about?"
"Kasumi's going to throw a Christmas party! She wants you to put up the decorations."
The happy expression on Ranma's face vanished. "Damn, I knew it was too good to last."
"Ranma?"
Ranma sat on the floor and pulled Akane down beside him. "You don't get it, do you? We've had peace and quiet since the wedding got wrecked, because we haven't let anybody in the house! If Kasumi invites everybody over, and you KNOW it's gonna be everybody, we're going to have another disaster!"
"But Ranma--"
"I mean, Nabiki went to all that trouble to bill everybody for the damage they caused when they wrecked the wedding, right? And when Shampoo got the bill and crashed in to complain, she gave her another one, right? And Cologne has been keeping her away every since! So now Kasumi's gonna just let her IN here?"
"But Ranma--"
"Besides that, why a Christmas party?"
By this time Akane was so frustrated at her inability to get a word in edgewise that she put her hand over Ranma's mouth. "Do you have a problem with Christmas?" She removed her hand and waited.
Ranma sat there quietly for a moment. "It's a bunch of problems, I guess. I don't know a thing about Christmas, really. I mean, what are WE doing having a Christmas party? Me and Pop never did anything about Christmas! It's not part of our religion, or Shampoo's or Ukyo's--and I know exactly what's going to happen. They're gonna make it an excuse to drive us nuts. The girls are gonna hang all over me, Kuno's gonna follow you around, and Ryoga is too. I'm not going."
Akane was not used to seeing Ranma in this sort of mood. Ever since the failed wedding they had taken the time and effort to improve their relationship, and he had become much more relaxed and happy. Now the signs of strain and tension that had become only a memory were back. In an effort to lighten the mood, she decided a little gentle teasing was in order.
"I know what the problem is. You're too broke to buy me a present."
"That's not it!" Ranma turned away, but Akane grabbed his shoulders and made him look at her.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have teased you like that. Just try, okay? Try to have a good time, and if you're not having one, I won't be hurt if you leave." Akane's request was accompanied by a little smile, and a little squeeze, and it got the desired result.
"For you, I'll do it."
"And don't worry about Ryoga. He's got Akari now."
"You still don't get it, do you? He can't make up his mind between the two of you."
Akane just shook her head. Where did Ranma get such ideas?
*****
The next couple of days were very busy for everyone in the Tendo household. Nabiki arranged the delivery of the invitations, Ranma and Akane decorated the entire house and dojo, and Kasumi spent nearly every second cooking. Akane left Ranma to his own devices when it was time to decorate the tree and spent the entire afternoon before Christmas helping her sister bake cookies. The aroma spread through the entire house, and soon the kitchen was full of people sampling the results.
"It's a miracle! My little girl makes perfect cookies!"
"Now, now, Soun. Don't cry. You'll make them soggy!"
"Dearest, perhaps we should take a few cookies and bring them out of the kitchen. Akane and Kasumi have no place to walk."
"Tomboy, these aren't half bad!"
"You know, we could probably pay off all the costs of the party if we sell these."
*****
"Are you ready, Ranma?"
"As ready as I'm going to be, I guess. You look nice."
Akane colored prettily. "Thank you. So do you." This was the first time she'd seen Ranma dressed up since he'd run into her room in a tuxedo. She giggled as he pulled nervously at his tie, and straightened it for him. "Let's go downstairs. Everybody should be arriving."
*****
There were already a few guests downstairs when the couple walked down. Predictably, the first one to greet them was Tatewaki Kuno, who ran up to Akane holding a gift in each hand.
"Akane Tendo! You are a vision to delight the eyes of any man! Please accept this gift as a token of my affection! But where is the pig-tailed girl? I wished to give her a gift as well!"
Ranma glared at Kuno as Akane reached out and took both gifts. His glare got stronger when she spoke. "Thank you. I'll be sure to give it to her the next time I see her."
"But why is she not here?"
"She had another engagement today."
That was just the beginning, as people began to arrive in droves. Ranma watched in amusement as Akane avoided Ryoga, walking right past him several times as he wandered about trying to give her a gift. His girlfriend Akari kept trying to point him in the right direction, but she was completely unsuccessful.
"How come Akari doesn't clobber him?" he muttered to himself.
"I don't think she realizes what's going on," said a quiet voice at his elbow. Akane was standing there. "I'm sorry, Ranma. You were right. What are we going to do about him?"
Ranma shrugged. "You got me. He's been this way for ages."
Their conversation was interrupted when Akane was pushed aside, and Ranma found himself surrounded by Kodachi, Shampoo, and Ukyo, who were all trying to feed him at once. He held up both hands and backed off a step.
"Hey, didn't the invitations say not to bring any food? Kasumi worked real hard on this party and I'm not gonna hurt her feelings by eating what you brought."
The girls found no way to refute this argument, so took another tack.
"Then you must open my gift first, Ranma-sama!"
"No, open mine, Airen!"
"Ranchan, you're going to LOVE my present!"
This was a little harder for Ranma to talk his way out of. "Um, well, I don't know�" Ranma backed away a few more steps as the girls stopped talking to him and began to argue with each other. When the argument went from words to violence he remembered what his fiancee had said: "I won't be hurt if you leave."
Then he looked across the room. Akane was stuck between Ryoga and Kuno, who were both trying to speak to her at once. Her eyes met his, and the message he got was unmistakable. She needed to be rescued. Again.
Ranma turned to one of the food-laden tables and grabbed the tablecloth with both hands. He pulled it out from under the food in one smooth motion, leaving everything behind on the table. People around began to applaud. He ignored the applause, ran to Akane, and wrapped both of them in the tablecloth.
They vanished.
*****
Akane gasped when she realized what Ranma was doing, and clung to him as tightly as she could. There was a huge difference between seeing Ranma perform the Umisenken and actually being part of it. She knew they were outdoors because of the cold, and wondered where he was taking her. Then the movement stopped, and she found herself indoors again. They were in a Shinto shrine halfway across Nerima.
"Ranma, why are--"
His finger was on her lips. "Shh. I hear something." Moments later a crowd of people ran into the shrine, looked around, and ran out again. Akane barely dared to breathe.
"They didn't see us."
"Nope."
"But they were looking right at us!"
"Great trick, right?"
Akane shivered. "Uh huh. But I'm cold."
Ranma found a draft-free corner for them to sit in and wrapped the tablecloth around them a little more securely. "I like this place. The priest here is a nice old man, and I'd come to sit and think when things got a little too crazy for me."
"I can see why."
"You sorry we left the party?"
"No. Not a bit."
The two sat quietly, sharing warmth and contentment. Then Ranma pushed the tablecloth away from his side in an effort to get his hand in his pocket.
"What are you doing?"
"Wait a sec." Ranma succeeded in getting his hand into his pocket, and pulled out an envelope. "You were right that I didn't have any money to buy you anything. I've been paying Nabiki to keep us a secret as long as she can. I don't think it's gonna be much longer." He sighed. "It's gonna start all over again, I guess. But this is for you."
Akane put out a hand and accepted the envelope, opened it, and squinted to see what it contained in the dim light. It was a card. Not a Christmas card, but a simple card with flowers on the front. She opened it, and realized that the message inside had been handwritten.
"It's about time I said I love you."
Akane's hand trembled as she traced Ranma's written words with her fingertips.
"Akane?"
She looked up, tears in her eyes. Ranma seemed anxious.
"Aren't you gonna say anything? Are you okay?"
Ranma had to lean close to hear her whispered reply.
"I love you, too."
Ranma pulled Akane even closer, and then hesitated. Somehow it seemed inappropriate for them to kiss in the shrine. Instead, he pulled Akane into his lap and made sure she was well wrapped in the tablecloth.
They sat there for a long time, unaware that they were being observed. Eventually the priest smiled and walked away. There was no harm in leaving the young couple there.