Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Distance ❯ Chapter 21 ( Chapter 21 )

After he was dressed in jeans and a shirt, Ranma ventured back into the living room. Makoto and Akane were sitting on the couch together. He'd heard a whispered argument between them, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. They stopped talking the minute he entered the room, and smiled at him.

If they had been arguing, there was no way to tell now.

“Hey, Ranma - this is Makoto Hisamura. Makoto, this is Ranma Saotome, freeloader extraordinaire.” At his cross look, Akane just laughed.

Ranma faced Makoto and bowed. “Sorry to intrude on yer room an' stuff, Miss Hisamura.”

Makoto smiled. “Don't worry about it. Akane called me and told me all about it,” she flushed, “I just sorta… forgot that you were here.”

“Well, I'll get outta yer hair now that yer back,” he caught the look of panic on Akane's face, and tried to ignore it, “Nabiki'll be leavin' soon I bet, mebbe I can move in with Kasumi an' Ono.” He moved to go pack his stuff. There was a quickly whispered conversation between Akane and her roommate, and then Akane was up and off the couch.

“No, Ranma, you- you can stay here,” she paused, looked back at Makoto, who just smiled wider, “you can take the couch.” Akane finished lamely.

Ranma half-smiled. “That's real nice of ya', but I really should jus' leave.”

Akane looked hurt. “Well, at least come out to dinner with Nabiki and her boyfriend tonight? If you're feeling better, that is.” She added hastily.

“I'd like that.” He turned on his heel and headed into the bedroom, shutting the door so that he could pack in peace. The girls whispered some more as Ranma shoved his meager belongings into his pack. He couldn't find the missing tank top, and shrugged - it was just an undershirt anyway.

When he was packed he went back into the living room. Makoto was on a cell phone in the kitchen, and Akane was on the sofa, reading through the script for the Street Warrior movie. “Is Takahiro comin' to dinner tonight?” Ranma asked, trying to sound casual.

Akane nodded almost imperceptibly, and his stomach clenched in disappointment. “Ah, okay, well… I'm gonna get somethin' to eat an' then call Kasumi.” He excused himself to the kitchen, dancing around Makoto as he dug through the fridge for some leftovers to wolf down.

In the fridge, he saw the rest of the mochi, and his nostrils flared briefly. He shoved the offending pastries aside and dug around until he found some rice and egg. Makoto watched him eat with a pair of hashi that were already in the tub with a small grimace before leaving the room.

“Yeah, yeah, okay… okay! Jeez!” Makoto hung up the cell phone with a huff and tossed it onto the couch.

“What's wrong?” Akane asked, looking up from her script.

“It's my brother, he wants me to bring a date to Chez Blanc because you're bringing Takahiro.” Makoto frowned, deeply. “He knows I just broke up with Toshio.”

“I'll be your date,” both Akane's and Makoto's heads whipped around to stare at him leaning against the counter, smiling, hashi still poised over the plastic tub of food, “I'm goin' anyway, right? Jus' tell `im I'm yer date.”

Makoto looked quickly at Akane, who seemed suddenly very interested in burying her face into the script. Seeing no other reaction, Makoto turned back to him and smiled. “Yeah, sure, thanks,” she rolled her eyes, “my brother's overprotective. He doesn't like men ogling me in his grand presence.”

Ranma smirked. “I'll keep my eyes to myself.” She giggled and Akane gripped the script tighter. Makoto opened her mouth to say something, but the phone in her bedroom rang.

“Hold that thought… handsome.” She added after a pause, before going to answer the phone.

“She on the phone a lot?” Ranma asked Akane.

“Mmm,” Akane coughed a little behind the script, and he wished he could see her face, despite his own protests that he could not care about what she thought, “yeah, she's an… associate of Nabiki's.” Ranma's eyes widened a little.

“Really?” he laughed out, and Akane lowered the script slightly and nodded at him. “Damn, no wonder Nabiki likes `er brother.”

Akane set the script in her lap, smoothing it with small hands - Ranma glanced at the deep creases in the paper and resisted the urge to smirk.