Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Unlikely Alliances ❯ The Morning After ( Chapter 14 )

This was originally published by me under the name Anduril at Anime Addventures, with the only changes being a few corrections in spelling, punctuation and the occasional word choice. If you like the beginning of my story but think I've gone off the rails, or have your own ideas for a great branch-off, or think I'm taking too long to update and want to continue the story yourself, come to Anime Addventures and join in the fun!

I claim no ownership rights to any of the works of Rumiko Takahashi.

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Kasumi slowly came awake, surrounded by the unfamiliar but delightful feel of warm bodies pressed up against her, front and back. So it really did happen, it wasn't just dream made out of a wish, she thought in drowsy joy. It couldn't be another dream, none of them had actually included Ranma quietly snoring in her ear.

For a time, she simply lay there and drowsily watched over the top of her youngest sister's head as the light from the window behind her slowly stretched across the floor. Finally, with a sigh she gently shook Akane's shoulder.

Akane came slowly awake and cracked open her eyes, then jerked awake as the view registered and the memory of the last night crashed into her. Yanking herself out of her sister's arms, she tried to sit up but found herself falling instead, thudding full-length, face first onto the floor. “Owie ...”

Kasumi chuckled lightly as she carefully shifted herself out of Ranma's loose grasp and sat up. “Easy, little sis, we need to talk — and after last night, we both need to clean up as well. Let's head to the furo, I'll scrub your back if you scrub mine.”

Akane's eyes widened and she shot to her feet, only to have her sister grab her by the arm before she could bolt. “Nothing sexual, Akane, I promise — just getting clean and talking,” the eldest Tendo sister said.

“A-Alright,” Akane agreed, relaxing slightly.

Kasumi rose and pulled on a robe, tossing an extra one to Akane, and the two headed for the stairs.

 

A little while later, the two sisters were soaking across from each other in the furo's hot water, Akane slowing relaxing from the preceding scrubdown. For a time neither said anything, until Kasumi spoke up. “So, about last night — did you enjoy yourself? Did you enjoy Ranma?”

Akane blushed beet red, but slowly nodded. “Yeah, I did,” she replied.

“And how about me? Did you enjoy my help? Because I certainly enjoyed what your squirming was doing to me.”

Akane stiffened and her eyes fell, but she eventually nodded. “Yeah, I enjoyed that, too,” she whispered.

“Good, I'm glad,” Kasumi responded softly, and the pair again fell silent for a time. Finally, Kasumi said regretfully, “As nice as this is, I need to get started on breakfast and you have your own pre-school morning routine, so we need to speed this up.

“Akane, what do you want?”

Akane looked up at that. “What do you mean?”

“All right, I'll be more specific: do you want to marry Ranma, or not? Because if you don't I'll be more than happy to take him off your hands. He won't be happy about it — he really likes you a lot, might even love you — but I think that I can get him over you in time.”

“Why you? Why not Nabiki?” Akane asked.

Her oldest sister chuckled. “You didn't listen too closely, last night, did you? Nabiki's engaged — to Tatewaki Kuno.”

“What?!” Akane shot bolt upright, causing waves to ripple across the furo and splash over the sides. “When did that happen?!”

“Yesterday, shortly after you and Ranma started your fun in the dojo, I think,” Kasumi said drily. “And you're dodging my question — do you want Ranma?”

Akane's eyes dropped again, but she finally shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, I do,” she said in a low voice. “He's an egotistical, badmouthing jerk, but I want him — and her, kami help me.”

“You do know that there is going to be gossip, especially after yesterday?” Kasumi asked, almost desperately.

“And I'm afraid I made things worse in that regard,” came Nabiki's voice. The two sisters whirled to find the middle Tendo leaning against the door frame, smothering a yawn, not a stitch of clothing on her lithe frame, only a ring on a chain around her neck and hanging between her firm breasts.

“Wh-what do you mean? How did you make things worse?” Akane asked nervously, then her eyes widened as Nabiki chuckled wryly and lifted the ring Kuno had given her and explained how she'd gotten it.

“... so Kuno should finally be off your and Ranma's backs, and if he isn't I'm sure I can sweet-talk him around, but you know him — he's sure to make a big flowery speech begging forgiveness from the two of you, revealing everything in the process, at least as he sees it.

“Akane, how you and Ranma react to that speech is going to be important. If you play along, it'll probably guarantee a Kuno harassment-free future, but definitely be seen as proof that you're a lesbian by a lot of people — you'll turn into the nail that sticks up overnight. Is keeping Ranma worth that, considering that the two of you aren't that likely to stay a couple all that long, anyway?”

Akane stiffened, opening her mouth for a loud denial, only to hesitate. “Do you really think so?” she finally asked. “I like him, I really do — I think ... I think I might even l-l-l-love him.”

Nabiki straightened and sauntered toward the furo, sitting on the washing stool and pouring water over herself preparatory to soaping up. “Brrr, that's cold. Sometimes I think the Americans do it right,” she mused, turning to Akane as she began running soapy hands over her breasts and tweaking her nipples, smirking while ignoring Kasumi's repressive frown when Akane blushed and looked away.

“Anyway,” she continued soberly as she rinsed herself off with another shiver, “sometimes just loving someone isn't enough, little sis, and the way the two of you fight I don't think it will be this time — you're just too much alike, too proud, too hot-headed, and that'll make the two of you miserable from constant fights and misunderstandings.”

Akane had tensed as her sister spoke, pulling her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. Kasumi gazed at the miserable girl for a moment before slipping around the furo and placing an arm around Akane's shoulders, pulling her youngest sister against her for comfort as Nabiki slipped into the furo's steaming water with a sigh.

“You can relax, Akane,” Kasumi said softly. “I know a way for you to keep Ranma, stay together, and be happy.”

“Really?” Akane asked hopefully, looking up.

Kasumi nodded. “Yes ... make me a part of the relationship.”

“What? Like last night?!” Akane half-shouted, straightening with a jerk and pulling away, while Nabiki's jaw dropped.

“Yes, like last night,” Kasumi said, “though I promise, nothing sexual outside of the bedroom, and only within it when Ranma's with us.

“Think about it,” she continued as her two sisters stared at her, stunned speechless. “Your and Ranma's biggest problem is your temper combined with his tendency to speak without thinking, and both your pride afterward. But if I'm there, to give the two of you someone else to talk to about things, to help you both when you're angry, it'll cut down on the arguments, help you make up faster, make you both happier.”

“But ... but ... but ... Kasumi, I can't ask that of you, you deserve your own man, your own family!” Akane finally burst out.

Kasumi shook her head, dropping her eyes. “I don't want another man, I want Ranma. I won't take him away from you, not when you want him and you're the one he really wants, but ... could you share? Please? You won't regret it, I promise.”

Akane stared at Kasumi for a long moment, shock, jealousy, hope, fear, all at war in her mind. And was that a hint of eagerness? Kasumi's been like a mother to me since Mom died, how can I ... can I ... ?

She sure didn't seem much like a mother last night, did she? Or even a sister — those hands playing with your breasts certainly felt good. And the fact that it was Kasumi's hands just added to it, didn't it? And she sounded just a bit desperate there at the end ...

I guess I'm more of a pervert than I thought, Akane thought wryly, then sighed and smiled softly. Moving back beside her sister, she reached over a hand to lift Kasumi's chin, turning her head to allow Akane to look her in the eyes — those oh, so lonely eyes. “How could I refuse my big sister anything?” Akane asked, then leaned forward and gently, if somewhat stiffly, kissed her on the mouth.

Nabiki stared at the sight, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Like last night ... ? she thought in shock, as Kasumi teared up and pulled Akane into a tight hug. Finally, Nabiki shook herself and sank lower into the steaming water. “So,” she asked as nonchalantly as she could, “what did happen last night?”

 

“Damn!” Nabiki remarked after a beaming Kasumi gave a quick report of the previous night's events, her arm once again around Akane. The youngest Tendo was blushing furiously and looking anywhere but at her middle sister across the furo. “Too bad I'm already engaged to Kuno — Tatewaki. If I wasn't, I could join in and really wear that poor boy out! Now that I think about it ...”

Her voice trailed off suggestively with a smirk, and a wild-eyed Akane's gaze snapped over to lock on her face. “Y-y-you w-w-w-wouldn't ...” Akane stammered out, and Nabiki's smirk turned into chuckles, then outright laughter.

“Oh, you should have seen your face!” she crowed, ignoring Kasumi's repressive frown. “No, even if I was willing to stab ... Tatewaki ... in the back like that after the way he's treated me, not to mention all the money I'd lose, I doubt we could find a bed big enough. And even if we did, what room would it fit in?

“Speaking of beds, we're going to need to get you three a new one, and move you all to a different room. Perhaps the room the Saotomes have been sleeping in? Then I can move into Akane's room at the other end of the hallway — and add extra soundproofing. With the noise you guys were making, I had to turn up the volume on my headset so high it's amazing I can hear anything this morning! So, who'll be sleeping in the middle?”

“Enough, Nabiki,” Kasumi ordered sternly as Akane buried her face in her sister's shoulder while once again her beet red blush spread down her neck and over her upper chest and back. “We can't stay in here much longer,” Kasumi continued, her other arm going around Akane to pull her into a hug, “and there's one more thing we need to discuss — do you think Ranma sleeping with me and Akane at the same time would be enough to satisfy his mother as to his manliness even with the curse?”

Sobering instantly, Nabiki frowned in thought as Akane looked up hopefully. After a few minutes, she shook her head. “I can't really say,” the middle Tendo said. “It would certainly be enough for me, but I wouldn't have made such an idiotic pact in the first place. I suppose all we can do is ask Cologne what she thinks, she's the only one that's met the woman — no, wait, you did, too, Kasumi. I'd say you're in a better position to answer that question than I am.”

Now it was Kasumi's turn to frown thoughtfully. Finally, she shook her head. “I'll ask Elder Cologne. But Ranma probably still needs to sleep with Ukyo and Shampoo — just to be safe,” she said regretfully. “I'll call her after the three of you head to school.”

“And speaking of school, it's past time we got out of here and got ready. We'll break the good news about what Akane and I are willing to offer him at breakfast.”

With that, Kasumi gently disengaged from Akane and stepped out of the furo as she grabbed a fresh towel to dry off.