Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ In 2 Minds... ❯ In 2 Minds...Chapter 7: Confessions & Broken Hearts ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter 7:

Confessions & broken hearts

Author's Note: Ranma and Nabiki are in love? What are they going to do? This chapter picks up exactly where the last one finished. Sorry about the long wait but I've been really busy. My A-Levels are coming up and I've got loads of work and the lack of reviews is hardly stimulating. PLEASE review! I need some feedback people!

Nabiki sat on her bed, lost in thought. She desperately wanted to talk to Ranma but at the same time she wasn't sure she could face him right now. She was so confused!

Her head snapped up sharply as she heard a tapping on the glass of her window. Ranma was hanging upside down by his legs outside her window. She hesitated then dashed to the window and flung it open.

"Ranma! I…" she began quickly but Ranma raised a hand to silence her.

"We need to talk. Right now! Can I come in?" His tone was deadly serious. Nabiki hesitated again, not sure if she was ready if indeed able to talk at that point. She bit her lip.

"OK" she decided finally. Ranma swung himself neatly through the open window and landed on his feet, closing it after him. Nabiki opened her mouth to speak but Ranma raised his hand again.

"Listen" he murmured quietly. "We have to decide what to do. I love you." Nabiki's lip quivered and she flinched, fighting the urge to fling her arms around him. "I'm certain of that much. But we won't be able to keep this quiet for very long. What are we gonna' tell everyone? I'm engaged to your little sister. There's no way of knowing how they'll all react to us suddenly turning around and saying that we're in love." He spoke in a hushed tone, clearly not wanting to be overheard.

"But Ranma…I don't KNOW!" she exclaimed.

"Ssshhhhh!" hissed Ranma angrily. Nabiki shrank back. "Keep your voice down" he added, trying to sound soothing, seeing her reaction to his words. "Sorry Nabiki. I didn't mean it so harshly."

"I'm so confused" whispered Nabiki quaveringly, tears pricking her eyes. Ranma slid a comforting arm round her shoulder and pulled her towards him. She sniffed.

"Ssshhh" he whispered gently. "Please don't cry Nabiki. I don't ever want to see you cry!" He hugged her more tightly and she snuggled against him.

Ranma paused to think then looked down at the girl in his arms. Kami she was beautiful! He didn't understand how he had never noticed before. Her soft brown eyes, with the tell tale tear droplets at the corner of her eyes, stared up at him. He could have drowned in those deep pools or been lost forever in their crystalline depths. His nostrils seemed to have been heightened; he could smell her scent. It made his head spin, and his senses reeled.

Nabiki sighed with contentment. His chest was so warm! She could spend an eternity of bliss in his gentle embrace! She didn't ever want him to let go. Finally she spoke:

"I think we better tell them Ranma" she whispered then buried her face in his muscled chest. "Like you said, we can't hide it from them for long. They'll find out sooner or later. It might as well be sooner…and from our own mouths." Her words were slightly muffled, since she was still pressed against him and she trembled as she spoke. She stared up into his face, eyes quivering apprehensively. Slowly he nodded.

"I don't see any other way" he confirmed solemnly. "Are you ready to do it now?" Nabiki's fingers curled into the material of his shirt. After a moment she inclined her head slightly.

"Y…y…yes. I'm ready!" She seemed resolved. She released her hold on his shirt and stood up straight facing him. She took a deep breath. "Let's get it over with". The two left the room and headed downstairs.

Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome sat out in the corridor overlooking the garden, playing a "friendly" game of Shogi. The sky was blue and the sun beat down. Soun moved a piece, putting Genma in the equivalent of check-mate *in don't understand the rules of shogi*.

"Aaaaahhhh!" cried out Genma. Then a thought struck him *not a usual occurrence* and he turned to Soun. "Beautiful day, aaay Tendo" he said, gazing briefly up at the sky.

"Yes it is isn't it Saotome" replied Soun, momentarily taking his eyes off the board. This was a mistake. Quick as lightning Genma swivelled the board around while his opponent was distracted, so that Soun was now the one who had lost. He turned back to the board.

"Aaaaahhh!" he yelled. "Do over!" he said hopefully.

"Sorry Tendo" Genma said gleefully. "A true martial artist does not do such things."

"But I…but…but…" stuttered Soun.

"No buts Tendo. You lost, fair and square!" Genma answered, crossing his fingers behind his back. At that point Ranma and Nabiki appeared. Nabiki shifted her weight uneasily and Ranma stood unusually still and respectful.

"Dad, I…er…I…" Nabiki stammered.

"We need to tell you something Mr. Tendo" said Ranma hurriedly. A light blush stained his cheeks and he stiffened further.

"Yes son?" asked Soun, not noticing the reddening of Ranma's face. Looking passed Soun, Genma saw the colour in his son's face and frowned suspiciously.

"Well you see, I…I mean we…" Ranma indicated Nabiki, "we're…well…we're…er…" He floundered. His face was now scarlet and even Soun had noticed it. Ranma shifted guiltily and looked down at his feet. He couldn't summon the courage to say it.

"We're in love!" burst out Nabiki. She wrapped her arms around Ranma's middle and hugged herself to him.

"Well that's wonderf…w-WHAT?!" screeched Soun. "Nabiki? Y-y-y-your in l-love with Ranma? Uuuuurrrrhhhhhh!" Soun moaned and fainted.

"What's the meaning of this boy?!" yelled Genma furiously. "What do you mean in love with Nabiki? You're engaged to AKANE!!!" He gritted his teeth. For once Ranma did not respond. He simply hung his head, as though he were a small child who has just been caught doing something he or she shouldn't. He couldn't look his father in the eye. Seeing this reaction, Nabiki clung onto him tighter and took his hand in hers, squeezing gently.

"Ranma" she whispered. He turned his head to look at her, pain and misery in his eyes, their bright sparkle temporarily smothered. Her heart bled for him when she saw it.

"Help me carry him into the living room boy!" ground out Genma, indicating Soun. Ranma flinched at the harsh tone and helped carry the other man inside to a futon.

Soun's eyes flickered as his soggy mind slowly regained focus. He was lying on a futon in the living room, a cold flannel pressed to his forehead. Raised voices came from nearby. He listened:

"What happened?" asked Akane in concern.

"I had to tell Daddy something" replied Nabiki levelly, though she squirmed guiltily. "He, er…didn't take it too well." Akane looked suspiciously at her sister. Meanwhile Kasumi noticed her father's return to consciousness.

"Are you alright father?" she asked anxiously. Soun sat up, the flannel falling from his forehead.

"Ranma! Nabiki! You have some explaining to do!" he said sternly. The two stared down at their shoes.

"What's going on here?!" said Akane in exasperation. "Dad. Can you please explain what this is all about!" Akane's eyes darted between Ranma & Nabiki and Soun.

"Well sis…it's like this…" began Nabiki slowly. "Ranma and I…" she trailed off.

"You are what?!" Akane exclaimed.

"They seem to think that they are in love" said Soun tersely. He did not look angry, more bewildered than anything but his tone was calm.

"W-W-WHAT?!!!" yelled Akane. She stared flabbergasted at Ranma and Nabiki, who fidgeted uncomfortably and did not look up. Akane's hands balled into fists and her face purpled.

"Ranma you JERK!" she shouted and sent him flying into the pond with a hard punch to the face.

*SPLASH*

The drenched boy just sat in the pond, not moving. Then he turned into Reena. She too just sat there, stunned, staring back at Akane, almost fearfully. Nabiki cautiously approached her sister.

"Akane, I…" She stopped, hand stretching out towards her sister. Akane stood stock still, shaking with anger as she stared at the floor. Then…

*SLAP*

Nabiki stumbled backwards, her face turned sharply away from her sister, hands at her sides. Akane's hand was out-stretched, palm open. She had slapped Nabiki hard around the face. Very slowly, Nabiki turned back to face her, her hand travelling up to her own cheek, a look of utter stupefaction on her face. Akane was scarlet in the face, every line of her features etched with rage, staring at her sister.

"As far as I'm concerned" she began in a quiet but deadly tone, "YOU ARE NO LONGER MY SISTER!" she finished, shouting at the top of her lungs. She spun around and stormed out of the room.

No-one moved, too shocked to do anything but sit or stand and stare at the spot where Akane had been standing.

"Oh my!" gasped Kasumi. Tears welled up in Nabiki's eyes, but she fought them back as her knees gave way and she sank to the floor.

"Nabiki!" yelled Reena, leaping up from the pond and racing over to her. Nabiki held her face up, defying the tears that were trying to flow. Reena gripped her hand which shook violently as she shivered. Unable to hold back any longer, Nabiki collapsed into Reena, the howl of misery pouring out of her in floods. Reena held her tightly, whispering soothingly to her as she cried.

"Akane!" Reena yelled, banging on the door. She was standing outside Akane's bedroom, trying to talk to her. Akane had locked herself in her room after her altercation with Nabiki and had not come out since. "Come on Akane. Open the door! If you want to hit me then that's fine but this isn't helping. Have you thought what this is doing to the others, eh?" Reena waited for some sort of response. After a minute or so it became clear that no reply was coming. Reena fumed.

"Come out here!" she shouted angrily. "If you don't open the door in 10 seconds I'll break it down!" No response. She started to count loudly.

"0! That's it. I'm coming in!" she growled and crashed through the door. Expecting a raging Akane to fly at her she took up a fighting pose as she looked around the room. It was empty. Panicking, Reena charged around the room cheeking every corner. Akane was not there. Then she spotted the window. It was wide open but someone had drawn the curtains so that from the outside no-one would realise.

"Uh-oh!" she moaned. Turning on her heel she charged downstairs to find the others.

Nabiki lay curled in a ball in her room. Her whole world was falling apart in her hands. Akane had run away and now Ranma had gone too, searching for her. She had tried to stop him but he had told her that he had to go because it was his fault. She was burning with guilt and drowning in misery. She had driven her sister away and her love was gone. For years she had been the Ice-Queen - emotionless, impossible to wrong foot, unconquerable. Suddenly her world had turned upside down when she realised that Ranma had melted her hard exterior, broken her defenses and stolen her heart without even realising it. And then to find that he felt the same about her had taken her into a new world of feeling. But then it was all snatched away from her. Fate could be cruel sometimes, she thought to herself. She had never believed in fate before she met Ranma. Being such a calm, controlling person she didn't like the feeling that she was not in control of her life. But the more strange things that happened in Nerima since his arrival the more she found herself thinking that there was such a thing.

Soun and Kasumi occasionally came in to try to comfort her but nothing they said made things any better. Many hours later she drifted into a fitful and troubled sleep.

Author's Note: (PLEASE READ - IMPORTANT) This was a tough chapter to write because all these emotions and feelings that the characters are going through at this point are impossible to put down on paper. Things are very confused. But stick with it. The next chapter will have Ranma searching for Akane while asking some important questions of himself and his feelings. And how will the other fiancés respond when they hear of this new development? The only way to find out is to review because this fic is taking me a long time to write and if I don't get any reviews then I'm just going to assume that no-one is interested and stop writing it. So if you are enjoying it then review!