[This is a double update due to its length. I felt it was better to keep it together, than to split it into pieces. I am happy to be releasing this one. There are MANY scenes in it that I have had written since I started this project. Enjoy!]
[soundtrack for this one: Tsukiakari No Michishirube, by Stereopony, then ZERO, by AKINO from Bless4, in that order.
Note: The songs aren't random. I have a reason for using all of them. The songs fit to the story, and the story fits to the songs. That was done on purpose, and it is planned out. You really won't get the full experience of the story without listening to the songs while reading. ^_-]

"So where are we going?" Ranma asked her while he held her. Nabiki buried her face into the soft silk of his chest for a moment and breathed in slowly to try to recenter herself. She smiled as she smelled a whiff of the cologne she had gotten on him, mixed in with his usual flowery-cedar scent.
She pulled her head back and sighed softly as she looked into his eyes and gently brought her hands up to his chest and lightly pushed back against him in an unspoken signal for him to let her go.
As he always did, he immediately responded to her signal. As he slid his arms from around her, she snaked her arm through his and twined them together as she started to walk away from the building. She looked at a few street signs and got her bearings, and set off to the west.
"We're near the Chūōdai foot bridge. We can take the other bridge over by the Tokufuneinari shrine to get into the 1-Chōme district, which will take us back to the Ginza. Are you all right with going someplace a little fancier to eat? I had originally planned to go someplace a little more casual. But we're pretty far from there now. Just getting back to the Ginza is going to be about a two kilometer walk. Once we get there we can go to a place a friend of mine runs in the Carioca building in the 5-Chōme district." She said as she steered them westward.
"Yeah, sure, that sounds fine ... if you promise not to let me embarrass myself at the fancier place." He said cautiously.
She smiled at that. "I promise. Just do what I do, or wait until I prompt you, and nobody will know you don't go to fancy places all the time." She said agreeably.
He was quiet for a while after that. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, and saw him looking around them constantly. She didn't think he was looking for threats. Well ... she didn't think that was all he was looking for.
"What are you looking for?" She asked him quietly.
"Just tryin' ta figure out where we are." He said distractedly as his head kept swiveling. "It's a good thing you know this area, 'cuz now that we're not following the route I mapped out, I'm lost." He said sheepishly as he walked next to her.
She looked over at him and smiled softly. "How'd you find me then?"
"I just ran in the direction people pointed me to." He said nonchalantly. She nodded at that; she had suspected that would be how he would find her. They walked for a while after that in companionable silence.
She had to admit, her nerves were still jumpy from what had just happened, and her heart rate was still quite high. She knew for a fact that there was an Amazon in a building behind them who had tried to kill her. And she was sure there were probably more Amazons out in the city, probably looking for her. She shivered a bit at the thought and squeezed his hand a bit harder as they walked. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
After about a kilometer, she felt her nerves were starting to calm down enough that she was starting to feel normal again. That was, of course, the point in their walk where a door opened abruptly in the wall of the building they were walking past.
She gasped in fright and hurriedly stepped back as the door swung open. Ranma immediately stepped in front of her and hit the door hard, and slammed whoever was on the other side of it back strongly. She cringed, expecting an attacking Amazon to come racing around the door at any moment.
Instead, she heard a man's voice shout in surprise followed by a crumpling sound. As the door swung closed on its own, they both saw a young man picking himself up off the sidewalk along with a couple of boxes he had been carrying.
"What the hell, man?! Why'd you do tha—" The young man immediately cut off what he had been saying when he saw the look on Ranma's face.
She stepped forward enough so she could see Ranma's face, and let out a hissing breath. Ranma's face was set into hard lines and he was glaring at the young man with clenched fists. She could tell he was going into full combat mode. She could see his eyes were starting to blank out as anger took control of him. She quickly reached for Ranma's arm and wrapped herself around it and smiled gently to the young man. "Sorry about that, you just startled us." She said politely while she held on to Ranma. She hoped that her physical presence would be enough to calm him down ... for the young man's sake.
The young man fixed his eyed on her, and nodded fearfully as he scooped his boxes up from the ground and hurriedly stepped backwards away from Ranma, who was still glaring. The young man's eyes darted to her again in an unspoken question. She nodded imperceptibly to him, and tightened her grip on Ranma's arm.
The young man took a hesitant step backwards, and Ranma did indeed flinch forward with a growl in his throat, but she held on to him and kept him in place. She opened her eyes wide at the young man and jutted her chin out to signal him to move it. The young man nodded and hurried away. Ranma stared after him until he couldn't be seen in the crowd on the street any more.
She tugged on his arm urgently. "Breathe, Ranma. It's all right, it was just a false alarm."
"People ... shouldn't ... go poppin' out on the street like that." He grumbled as he allowed her to pull him back. She sought his eyes and saw that they had cleared back to their usual clear blue. She sighed happily at that and pulled him into a hug. He returned the hug, but kept his head up and sweeping side to side as he watched the people around them.
Privately, she was happy to have him with her protecting her. She was still scared from what she had just survived, and she knew more was to come. If some innocents got caught up in that and had to deal with Ranma being protective of her ... then so be it, they'd live.
She pulled oh his arm and got him walking again. He wrapped his arm around her properly so she wasn't just hanging on his arm, but was now being held by him around her waist. She noticed he kept his right arm clear to fight, though. She smiled thinly at that and shivered involuntarily.
He looked over at her in concern immediately. "You all right?" He asked her worriedly.
She nodded and looked at the sky. "It's just colder than I thought it was going to be. I think a storm's coming in."
He looked up and nodded. "Looks like rain." He said in a resigned tone.
She cringed at that. If it rained on her while she was dressed as she was, she was going to be miserable. She shivered again. "Let's hurry and try to get to the restaurant before the storm hits. If we have to, we can call a taxi to take us back to the train station after that."
He nodded and picked up his pace to match hers. She knew he could sprint at top speed for hours without too much effort, and that he was just humoring her with the pace he was setting to match hers. She sighed and vowed to do more endurance training in the future. I am going to have to step up my game in the exercise department if I don't want to be embarrassed every time I am out with him. She thought, chagrined.
The wind picked up as they walked, and she felt a noticeable drop in the air temperature. The air she breathed in through her nose now had a frosty bite to it. She was shivering uncontrollably now. She couldn't help it, her dress didn't offer her much in the way of protection against the elements.
They were getting close to where she was taking them, though. They were back in the outskirts of the Ginza, but she could tell they wouldn't make it before the storm hit. She sighed and just resigned herself to deal with it. She was a Tendo after all, she could be strong when she had to be.
It was getting darker as the storm clouds blotted out the little remaining light in the sky from the setting late afternoon sun. She looked around in appreciation as the Ginza lights came on all around them. She knew it was just their photosensors turning them on, but it felt like they were magically responding to her wish for warmth and light.
She smiled appreciatively at the blue and white twinkling lights wound around the trees planted in the sidewalk they were walking past. If she wasn't so cold, it would have been magical to just stand there and watch the beautiful lights swaying in the branches of the trees.
She felt something cold land on her nose, and looked up and gasped. It was snowing! Ranma looked up too, and smiled a little bit.
"Ranma ... it's snowing..." She whispered.
"Yeah ... I guess it is." He replied in his own whisper. She liked that he also seemed to want to respect the quietness of the snow by matching her whisper. She shivered harder as she looked up and watched the snow falling. It was a bit too early in the year for snow, but it wasn't uncommon for snow to hit Tokyo every now and then.
The sudden unseasonal snow was beautiful, but it was also cold. She hadn't brought anything with her for cold weather. She wasn't even wearing a shoulder-wrap, just her dress. Her teeth were starting to chatter.
Ranma wrapped his arms around her gently from behind as she looked up at the snow. She could feel the snowflakes catching in her eyelashes. It was a perfect moment. Her shivering even slowed down as his body heat warmed her. They stayed that way for a few wonderful moments, then she felt him step away from her.
She lowered her eyes from the sky and turned to look at him quizzically, just as he reached over and wrapped her up in the heavy silk of his shirt, and pulled her in close to him again. Her shivering stopped. She looked down at the shirt he had wrapped around her shoulders and smiled. He's very sweet. She thought happily as she reached up and pulled the shirt off of herself and stepped back away from him with a smile on her face as she handed it back to him.
"I don't want you to be cold for me. Besides, I'd look silly wearing your shirt up top, and my dress below." She said warmly to him. She loved that he had wanted to do it for her. "Maybe we can ... stop somewhere and get a wrap for me, or something?" She suggested.
"Nah, I have a better idea." He said as he pulled his shirt back on quickly, then spun her around so she was fully facing him. He looked into her eyes and smiled as he pulled her closer to him.
While she wasn't opposed to the idea of him holding her in the street, she also didn't think he could really hold her well enough to actually warm her up without something wrapped around her to catch and hold the heat. "That's nice, Ranma, but—"
She stopped mid-sentence and gasped. Waves of heat were radiating off him. She looked closely at him and focused like he had shown her, and saw a small yellow aura flicker to life around him. It was very faint, she could barely see it rising more than a couple of millimeters above his skin. But, she could feel it.
"What are you doing?" She asked him happily as she slid all the way into his arms and felt herself unclench as the cold left her.
"Making you warm, Kiki." He said with a soft smile.
"How?" She smiled at his use of the nickname.
"I'm focusing my Ki and using it the same way I did the night I got you to turn off the lights." He said casually.
"H-how long ... can you do that?" She asked as she reveled in the warmth coming off him. It was easily two to five times what his normal body heat was.
He looked down into her eyes and smiled. "As long as you want."
She smiled at that but pressed him. "No, seriously, I'm curious, how long?"
He shrugged. "I've never actually tried to hold it like this before to make heat. It doesn't feel warm to me, just you. But, I'm only usin' a little bit of focus on my Ki ta do it, so I'm pretty sure I could do this all day." He said confidently.
"Can you move while you do it?" She asked.
"Sure. Battle auras wouldn't do much good in a fight otherwise." He said with a smile.
"Do you have to hold me for it to work? It will look awfully silly for you to have to carry me to the restaurant. Won't you get tired?" She teased him.
"Nah, you're so little, I could carry you around all day an' barely feel it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, you're really small and you don't weigh enough for me to notice when I pick you up. My arm fits all the way around you too. You're not solid like a guy. When I pick up Ryoga during a fight, that guy is solid. When I pick you up, it's weird, it's like you're barely there. You're even smaller than Akane, even though you're a bit taller 'an her." He said softly.
"What else do you notice about me when you hold me, other than the fact I am not built like Ryoga?" She asked him slyly, with a smile on her face as she leaned into him and batted her eyelashes at him prettily.
He blushed. She could tell it was an unexpected topic for him, and he wasn't prepared with anything to say. "Um ... you're soft and you smell good, and ... and ... it's ... it's just different... but, anyway, I don't think I'll need to carry ya anyways. I think if I'm just close to you, I can still keep you warm." He said as he hurriedly changed the subject.
She smiled radiantly at him. He was very sweet. It was also fun hearing him describe what it was like for him to hold her. She hadn't really thought about it, but she supposed it would be odd for someone like Ranma who mostly was physical with men, to hold women from time to time.
"Well, let's go then. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." She said as she tugged on his arm and got him walking again. True to his word, she stayed warm as she walked next to him. She glanced over at him occasionally as they walked and marveled at how casually he was using his battle aura to keep her warm while his eyes scanned for danger around them.
She wanted to get to know him better. But she felt it was time for her to do something for him. "Hey Ranma..." she began, not sure exactly where to start. He looked over at her and nodded. "Would you like me to explain to you everything that was going on back at Tasaki?" She asked.
"Everything that was going on?"
"Yeah, I'm sure you noticed some stuff happening between me and the manager for instance."
"Oh, yeah, I did notice that. Why? What was it?"
She smiled and launched into an explanation of the subtext of their encounter at the jewelry store. As she had expected, he was originally annoyed with them once he understood how they had been treating them. But once she was done explaining it, he didn't seem inclined to contact his friend to try to get the manager in trouble.
"Wow ... I didn't know most of that was happenin' ... I knew they were suspicious of me, but I had the card an' everythin', I just figured they were bein' careful. Oh well, I guess it's no big deal though." He said in a disgruntled voice but with a smile for her.
She smiled back at him and walked quietly with him for a little while before she asked her next question. When she couldn't hold it in any longer, she blurted it out. "Why didn't you listen to me on the roof and fight harder against Shona?" She whispered.
He stopped walking and looked at her sadly. "I ... I can't ... it's hard for me ... I hate it when girls are hurt." He whispered back as he looked away and wouldn't meet her eyes.
"But why, Ranma?"
He shrugged. "It's hard ta explain." He said, still not looking at her.
"Is it really so bad? What if they attack you first?"
"Then I do what I have to do, and nothin' more." He said simply.
"But you know the Amazons are just going to just keep trying."
He was quiet for a while after that, then looked back at her and nodded. "I know." He said with resignation in his voice. She didn't have much to say in response to that at the moment. She dedicated a part of her mind to think about it, and to ask him more about it at dinner. She walked next to him quietly for a while after that and reveled in the warmth he was making for her. She watched other young women rushing about on the streets, also caught out in the cold unprepared, and was all the more grateful that she had him with her.
She stopped him just a little but further down the road. They had arrived. He looked at her quizzically. She smiled happily at him. She knew that the humble exterior of the building in the common-looking Ginza business neighborhood they were in didn't scream restaurant. He was in for a surprise.
They made their way into the lobby and she paused to straighten her clothes, and to pull out her makeup compact to do a bit of a touch-up, as best she could, to try to hide the signs of their earlier adventures. When she was done, she felt she had managed to hide most of it. She turned back to him and smiled as she held her hand out and started walking to the elevator. They were only going to the fourth floor, but she had absolutely had it with stairs.
"What kind of place are we goin' to?" He asked as they waited for the elevator.
She looked over at him and smiled. "If I said the words three starred Michelin restaurant, would they mean anything to you?" She asked him curiously. He shrugged in reply and shook his head. She winked at him. "Well, let's just say, you won't forget this place." She said as the elevator dinged and they walked into it.
"It's not super fancy, is it? I don't know how to eat at a super fancy place." He said nervously as the elevator lifted them rapidly up the floors.
She smiled at him as the elevator dinged as they reached their floor. "Don't worry, Ranma. They do Kaiseki dining here. It will feel like you are eating at home." She said with some humor in her voice as they started to walk down the hall.
"So ... it's just normal stuff?" He asked.
She nodded happily. "Really really good normal food, but yes, they do Kaiseki style here ... many courses from a fixed seasonal menu. Just like what Kasumi does at home." She said softly as they arrived at the hallway that lead to the restaurant. Ranma relaxed a little next to her, and she smiled softly to herself as they walked towards the restaurant.
There was a traditional set of Noren curtains set at the end of a hallway decorated with paper wall dividers, and small little stone garden complete with lights. It was very traditional looking. Ranma let out a slow breath as he took it all in. She could tell he wanted to whistle, but he was trying to be polite.
"This place ... looks ... expensive..." He said hesitantly as he looked over at her nervously.
She grinned at him. "It is, but don't worry about it." She whispered to him as they approached the curtains.
"I don't really know how to—"
"Don't worry, just wait for me to take the lead. You can mostly just stand there and not say much. If someone asks you a direct question, just be polite. You don't need to use honorific speech here, if that's what you're afraid of. It'll be fine, don't worry. Even if you make a mistake, you'll be with me; nobody is going to say anything rude to you." She said with a wink as she pulled him through the curtains.
He gulped and nodded nervously at her as they entered the foyer to the restaurant. It was a dimly lit alcove set in front of a wall that blocked off the view of the main dining area, except for a small doorway set into the far corner, that was also blocked off with another set of Noren curtains. There was a small desk in the corner set in front of the doorway to the main part of the restaurant. It was a place that respected the privacy of its guests.
There was a small fountain set on top of the desk, along with a register to write one's name down, if someone didn't have a reservation, and was hoping for a cancelation. There was a single bench on the far wall flanked by plants on either end. There was also a print of the famous Great Wave off Kanagawa painting by Hokusai on the wall.
Standing behind the desk was a woman in her late twenties to early thirties. She bowed to both of them and was halfway through the usual welcome to customers she probably always gave, when she gasped as she recognized who it was.
"Nabiki! Long time no see! How are you?!" The woman exclaimed excitedly as she dropped her pretense and rushed around the desk to sweep her up in a hug and spin her around. She hugged the woman back, and smiled happily.
As soon as the woman put her down she grasped her forearms happily, and smiled at her. "I'm fine; it's good to see you! How are you?"
"Oh, I can't complain. We're doing well here, and the issues you helped us with have gone away entirely. How's your family? Are your sisters still breaking everyone's hearts?"
"Well, Akane is for sure, but Kasumi is still waiting for Doctor Tofu to notice her." She replied happily.
"Is that so? Poor Kasumi. And what about you, my dear? Who's your friend?" The woman asked slyly as she looked Ranma up and down approvingly. She noticed that the woman's eyes lingered for a moment on Ranma's injured hand, but the woman didn't say anything about it.
She blushed and waved Ranma forward. "This is Ranma. We're on a date right now." She said shyly as Ranma stepped forward and bowed.
"Oh my, isn't he polite?" The woman said warmly, as she continued to size Ranma up. "My my, he'll certainly do, won't he?" The older woman said with a wink. She nodded a small but happy nod. She knew she was blushing even harder now.
"He's a little nervous. He's never been here before. Ranma, this is Mariko; Mariko, this is Ranma. As I said, Ranma asked me out on a date tonight. And Ranma, Mariko is the co-owner of this place along with her husband, Toro, who is the head chef." She said by way of introductions and explanations.
"You know it. So, what brings you here tonight dressed so fancy?" Mariko asked with a wink as the older woman ran her eye over how she was dressed. She noticed that Mariko's eyes stayed on her earrings for a moment, and twinkled a bit. She smiled at the unspoken praise.
"We have had some ... issues with out plans tonight, and the place we were going to go to is out of reach now. I know I don't have any reservations, but could you squeeze us in somewhere?"
"Ah, well, Nabiki, we are very busy tonight, we have turned away all sorts of people without reservations today. Only very important people are being let in tonight." Mariko said with a small, mischievous smile.
"I see..." She replied with a mischievous smile of her own. Ranma started to turn back towards the door with a disappointed frown on his face. She set her hand gently on his arm as a silent signal. He looked back at her with a puzzled expression on his face, but stopped moving. "... and, would you happen to know what might qualify someone to reach such an exalted status?" She asked Mariko softly, with a twinkle in her eye.
"Well ... the prime minister and his cabinet would qualify, visiting foreign dignitaries for sure, my favorite band of course, and anyone who has done us a great service." Mariko said brightly with a wink.
"Just out of curiosity, if a VIP were to show up, do you have any of the private rooms available tonight?"
"Oh, wouldn't you know it, the Mizuho Financial group's reservations just got canceled for room one, and it just happens to be free. For VIP-level guests only, you understand." Mariko said warmly.
"Oh, that would be perfect for a VIP party. I've always liked that room." She said with a small smile while Ranma looked at her quizzically.
"Well, in that case ... I suppose we could let you use it tonight, you know, in case you were to happen to run into any real important people who might want to know about our fine establishment." Mariko said with a growing smile.
"Oh, you are too kind. Thank you, we will be happy to try out your room, and of course, spread the word to any actual important people we might come across in our travels." She replied happily.
Ranma was openly looking at her in confusion now. She reached over to him and grasped his hand warmly and tugged him to step towards her as Mariko poked her head beyond the second set of Noren curtains and waved someone forward.
A moment later, a young man in formal evening-wear entered the foyer, and bowed to them politely. When his eyes rested on her his polite smile changed into a real one.
She smiled back and pulled on Ranma's hand harder to signal him to follow her. She was sure he was catching on that it had all been just a fun little act. If not, she would explain it later once they were in their room.
As they passed Mariko, the hostess rested her hand lightly on Ranma's shoulder and paused him for a moment. She continued forward and let him go, to stand next to the doorway with a smile on her face.
"Young man, you are the only guy my little Nabiki has ever brought here, even though I have been asking her to visit us for some time now. The few times she had visited us, she has always come alone. You should feel honored. Make sure you treat her right." Mariko said in a stage whisper.
"Don't worry, Ranma takes very good care of me. I know for a fact he will go to great heights for me." She said with a soft smile.
"Well, in that case, enjoy your evening with us you two. And Ranma, welcome to the Kojyu." Mariko said with a wide smile and a sweeping bow.
She reached her hand out for Ranma, and as he grasped it, she pulled him through the Noren curtains to follow the staff member into the warmer main room that was filled with the delicious smells of food being prepared. The young staff member led them proudly through the main dining room, straight to their private room. The main room had a bar to her right were most people ate while they watched the chef work. There was a dance floor to the left and a small stage for live bands to perform on occasion. The room had been done in cream tones and had exposed wood and recessed soft lighting. Every seat at the bar was occupied with people in nice clothing quietly chatting to each other or focusing on their meals. Without exception, every diner in the room was dressed nicely and clearly had money. Ranma looked at her with wide eyes. She squeezed his hand to reassure him.
She smiled and waved at the staff as they passed through the room. Several of them smiled and waved back, and a few even dropped what they were doing to rush over to them when they recognized her. One of the younger staff even stumbled a bit in their haste to reach them. Ranma flinched a bit at the rushing motion towards them, but she soothed him by squeezing his hand reassuringly. They were among friends.
The staff who had rushed over to them lined up to either side of the doorway they were being led towards. The men were dressed in formal western slacks and a Japanese style top made up with a hanten and juban combination. The women were dressed in kimonos and dresses. She noted with some amusement the jealousy in the eyes of the staff who looked at the young man escorting them, and also the pride of the posture of their escort. Ranma was noticing it as well and shot her a couple of quizzical looks but didn't say anything.
The staff bowed in unison to them as they entered their room. Their escort followed them into the room along with an older gentleman from the staff. The room was small but very elegant. It had a western style dark wood table with four chairs, soft overhead lighting, and an ornate wooden cabinet on the far wall with a small rock garden and lantern combination set inside it behind roll-up bamboo dividers that had been pulled up about two thirds of their maximum height. The details were subtle, but for people who knew what to look for, the place screamed elegant and expensive. She smiled in approval.
"Will you be needing anything else, Miss Tendo?" Their escort asked stiffly, with obvious pride in his voice.
She smiled and shook her head. "No, thank you, we should be all right now. Thank you for your excellent service." The younger man beamed with pride, bowed, and left their room hurriedly.
The older gentleman reached a graceful hand over to the western style door and closed it softly. He then turned to her with a twinkle in his eye and a small smile on his face. It was not a face etched with laughter lines. He held his hands out to her gently at the waist.
She smiled and let go of Ranma's hand, and walked over to the older gentleman, and took his hands in her own. "How are you, Kamenosuke?"
"I am, as always, in your service, Miss Tendo. But to the point of your question, I am well. It is always a pleasure to see you, Miss Tendo." The man said gravely, but with a small hint of joy in his voice.
She smiled gracefully at him and inclined her head to acknowledge his kind words. "It is always a pleasure for me to be able to visit as well."
"You are too kind, Miss Tendo. Might I have the honor of an introduction of your guest?"
"Yes, of course. Please excuse my lack of manners. The cold streets have obviously done me no courtesy today. Kamenosuke, this is Ranma Saotome. He is the heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, and my date for the evening." She said as she reached her hand out for Ranma to join her.
Ranma moved immediately to stand at her side as he slid his hand into hers while he inclined his head politely to the older gentleman.
Kamenosuke looked Ranma up and down with a critical eye before he turned his attention back to her with another small smile on his face. "If you deem him worthy of your company, Miss Tendo, he must be special indeed." The older gentleman said gracefully. She smiled at that and nodded happily.
"Please, be seated." Kamenosuke said with ceremony, but with a certain amount of familiarity in his voice as well.
Ranma looked at her with mild panic in his eyes after he shot a glance at the western style chairs. She was sure he knew there were customs for chairs on a date, but that he didn't know what to do in the situation they were in. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand then released it with a gentle push away from her. She then stared at the chair opposite from the one she was heading towards then back to him and back again. Ranma got the message and stepped around to the opposite side of the table from her.
Kamenosuke pulled her own chair out from the table regally, and gently slid it back into place under her as she sat down. Ranma waited and watched as she was seated, then hurriedly pulled his own chair out and sat in it. He hadn't been particularly graceful about it, but he also hadn't done anything to draw attention to himself. Kamenosuke, of course, said nothing about it.
Once they were both seated, the older gentleman walked to the head of the table and assumed a standard waiter's pose with a slight incline of his head towards herself. "Shall I bring you your favorite drink, or would you like something else this evening?" He asked her softly.
"Yes, thank you, my favorite would be lovely." She said happily as she started to relax. They were in a safe place, surrounded by friendly people, in a good environment, and Ranma was with her. Her nerves were mellowing, and her adrenaline levels were bottoming out.
"And for you, sir?" Kamenosuke asked smoothly as he switched his attention to Ranma.
Ranma darted his eyes to her in a mild panic. She simply smiled and raised her eyebrows at him. If he couldn't figure out how to order a drink, then there was simply no hope for him.
"Oh, um, could I just have water, please?" He replied hesitantly.
"Of course sir, a fine and healthy choice, sir." Kamenosuke said with a smile. "Far better for you than what our Miss Tendo favors." The older gentleman said in a mildly reproachful and teasing tone.
She smiled warmly at him as he backed away towards the door. "I only have them on special occasions, Kamenosuke."
"Of course, Miss Tendo. Of course."
"Will I see you again tonight?" She asked as the older gentleman headed for the door.
He stopped and turned to address her with a soft smile on his face. "Miss Tendo, even if this wasn't the table I would have been taking care of, it would be now. I will, of course, be taking care of you tonight, personally." The older gentleman said with pride and affection in his voice.
She inclined her head gently to that and smiled as the older gentleman backed out of their private room, gently closed the door, and left them alone. She swung her gaze back to Ranma and let out a happy sigh.
Ranma was eying her with a mixture of respect, and curiosity. "Geez, Nabiki. What did you do for them — save their kid from drownin' or somethin'?"
She smiled gently at him as she shook her head. "I am afraid I can't tell anyone the details of things I help people with, without their consent. Not even you, Ranma. All I can tell you is that I helped them with something that was a real problem for them, and nobody else they had gone to had been able to help them."
"Wow ... Riko wasn't kidding about the people you know, was she?" He asked with a note of disbelief in his voice.
"Riko ... talks too much sometimes." She said with a small smile. "But, we aren't out together to talk about what I have done for other people, or what they've done for me. We're out together to get to know each other bet—"
A small knock at the door interrupted her, and she sighed as she called out permission to enter. A young woman hurriedly entered the room, and closed the door gently behind her. The young woman smiled nervously at both of them, then hurried over to Ranma's side of the table.
"Please sir, may I see your hand?" The young woman asked as she knelt down next to him.
She smiled as she realized what the young woman's purpose in the room was. Mariko didn't miss much. Ranma looked at her questioningly, so she smiled and nodded. Ranma then reached across himself and held his uninjured hand out to the young woman awkwardly, because the young woman was kneeling on the side of his injured hand.
The young woman looked over at her with some exasperation in her eyes. She smiled in answer. Ranma was Ranma, they would just have to deal with him as he was. The young woman waited a few more moments, obviously hoping she would step in and rescue her from the embarrassment of having to correct Ranma.
She sighed and nodded after another few heartbeats. She didn't want the young woman to be embarrassed. "Ranma..." She said gently. He looked over at her with some embarrassment on his own face. "She's here to look at your injured hand." She said softly.
"Oh ..." Ranma said sheepishly as he switched the hand he was holding out to the young woman. Ranma's new friend looked over at her with grateful eyes before she produced a small first-aid kit from inside the sleeve of her kimono and started to expertly clean and dress the wound. Less than a minute later the young woman closed and re-hid the kit, stood and bowed to them both, and hurried out of the room.
Ranma looked over at her with wide eyes. She smiled at him. "Mariko obviously noticed you were hurt, and sent someone in to discretely take care of it for you. This is just that kind of place. They will bring someone in to give you a replacement pair of stockings if they notice yours are ripped, or someone to mend a hole in a shirt. All discretely, of course." She said with a small smile. Ranma nodded nervously at her. She could tell the kind of people she knew, and the things she could make happen, were intimidating him. They needed to talk. She wanted him comfortable in her world, just like she wanted to be comfortable in his.
"Anyway, as I was saying, I want us to get to know each other better." He nodded at that and smiled at her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she gathered her courage. It was far too soon in their relationship for her to press him for more of a commitment to her, but she needed at least some clue from him.
She blew the last of her breath out determinedly, and began as gently as she could. "So ... let's talk. What happens at the end of the week, Ranma? Assuming I manage to keep my promise to you, where does that leave things between you and me?" She whispered. It was hard, even in private with him, even after he had fought for her, and saved her life, to open up to him. Very few people knew who she really was — really only Daddy and Riko knew the real her. But if she was going to build a relationship with Ranma, then he had to get to know her as she really was. She bit her lower lip nervously as she waited for him to respond.
"I ... I don't ..." He stammered as he looked down at the table.
"I am not trying to put you on the spot, Ranma. I'm just trying to figure out how we can build a relationship together." She tried to reassure him.
He nodded eagerly to that and looked back up at her. She smiled at him as she pulled in another deep breath and reached inside of herself for the courage to continue. She locked eyes with him, and stared at him for several moments before she could continue. As she did so, a light knock sounded at the door. She kept her eyes on Ranma as she softly called out permission to enter with another sigh. She appreciated the staff's efforts to take care of her, but she really wanted to just sit and talk with Ranma.
Kamenosuke swiftly brought their drinks in, set them down, and left without a word. He was the epitome of the professional and discrete wait staff who could tell when he was intruding on a private moment.
Ranma eyed the sakura-syrup flavored soda Kamenosuke had brought her with some obvious jealousy. She smiled at that and winked at him. Then she sucked in another deep breath, and braced herself. "Ranma?" She asked in a hesitant voice. She was scared to ask her next question, but she felt she had to.
"Ya?" He answered her casually as he took a sip of his water. She left her soda untouched.
"Ranma ... what is so special about me?" She whispered.
"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.
"What Ukyo said, this morning ... why me? Why, when I asked you to, did you finally start ending things with the rest of them? What's so special about me? Why are you doing it?" She whispered with a wavering voice as her eyes slid down to the tabletop. She couldn't look him in the eye right now.
He didn't answer her right away. The silence grew between them until it felt like another person was in the room with them. The fear that he was just playing with her was gnawing at her. She was deathly afraid that at any moment he was going to jump back from the table, stick his tongue out and laugh at her, and say it had all been a joke. At this point, she didn't know how she would be able to recover from something like that. Him doing that would be the same kind of brutal long-game revenge plan that she herself would have come up with, before she had gotten involved with him. It grew so silent in their room, she could hear that faint ringing sound in her ears that she could hear only when it was abnormally quiet. She couldn't bear the silence anymore, she had to say something! She opened her mouth to ask him again, but he interrupted her in a quiet voice.
"I .... I don't know." He said in a whisper so small, she barely heard him.
She looked up at him and found him looking down at the table as she had been. She decided to wait, and went back to looking down at the table as well.
"I ... it's just ... I dunno, Nabiki. You're ... the only one who's ever said anything like what you said to me when this all started. I could tell you didn't really mean it when you said it, but I could also tell that you were holdin' back, that something else was goin' on. You're a lot more ... real ... than a lot of people I know, and you mean what you say. And you don't just expect me to do stuff, you do stuff for me too ... not a lot of people do that, ya know?"
"Some of them have done things for you." She said as a roundabout way of bringing up Akane. She didn't want to mention her little sister's name right now.
"Yeah ... you're right, some of them have done stuff for me too ... but not like you, Nabiki. But it's not about how much you do, or I do ... it isn't about presents or favors ... it's ... I dunno, it's just ... you do more than just make little gestures, ya know? Like the night you stood up to your Dad, and yesterday when you stood up to that lyin' girl..." He trailed off, obviously embarrassed.
"But I hadn't done any of those things when we made our promises to each other." She whispered with a quaver in her voice.
"I know."
"Then why ...?"
"I don't ... know. I've spent my whole life working on my instincts. My instincts help me fight, and help me react to things. When you said what you said, I felt I should trust you." He whispered.
"Do your instincts tell you to trust anyone else?" She asked carefully as she tried to look into his eyes. She couldn't though, because he was looking carefully down into his lap. He didn't say anything for a moment. But, after a while, he looked up into her eyes, and then nodded a small nod. In his eyes she saw sincerity and ... something else she didn't have words for.
Before she could respond to him, he continued in a rush. "But anyway, you were right. I was tired of them chasin' after me, and it was time to make it stop. I probably woulda let it go on for way too long if you hadn't pushed me to stop it. An' I still ended up hurtin' Uc—Ukyo really bad by waitin' so long." He said glumly.
She was sad for him that he was having to correct himself on the name he called Ukyo. She was also ashamed to admit to herself that she was also glad that he was putting distance between himself and Ukyo.
"But... where does that leave us at the end of the week, Ranma?" She couldn't help herself from pressing him.
"Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you, if that's what you mean." He said earnestly as he reached for his water again.
She sighed gently as she looked into his eyes and smiled a special smile for him. "That wasn't what I meant, Ranma. But, since you brought it up. I want to thank you again for protecting me. That is one of the things about you which makes you very special."
"Whadda ya mean?" He asked softly as he looked into his lap again.
She stared at him for a few seconds and tried to gather her thoughts. She was about to tell him something incredibly personal, and embarrassing. But she wanted to tell him anyway, it was the least she could do for someone who had fought for her and saved her life.
"When you protect me ..." She started out tentatively. He nodded softly to show he was listening, but he kept his eyes in his lap. "When you protect me ... I can tell how you feel, Ranma. I know you would come for me, no matter where I was, no matter what was going on, and that you would fight for me. Not that I think I'm special, I know you would come for most people you know." She said with a soft smile.
He didn't look up at her, but he did nod again and she thought she could see a small smile etching the corners of his mouth. So she pressed onward. "When you came for me at the top of that roof, I was scared to death, and ... I also was feeling things for you that sent shivers up and down my spine. I feel that way every time you fight for me or protect me.
"It feels like ... it's like when the music starts out slow, then builds up to just below a crescendo, then it drops before it starts to rise again, and you can feel it, you know? Then the deep bass note strikes, or the power chord hits, and it resonates, and even though you knew it was coming, it makes your whole body shiver. It's like that.
"It's the feeling you get when the hero in the movie makes the ultimate sacrifice for the person they love. It's how you feel when the girl in the love story cries out to the boy to wait, and to come back to her, and he pauses in the rain and doesn't look back at her, and the tension builds, and then he turns, and he loves her, and he runs back to her. It's like all of that, and more..." She trailed off softly. She had no more words for how she felt about him protecting her. Ranma was still looking into his lap.
Great ... I've probably weirded him out by telling him that. She thought nervously. A moment later he lifted his eyes out of his lap, and looked at her with a mostly blank face, but with wide eyes. She wasn't sure if she had embarrassed him, confused him, or had simply told him something he already knew. But he smiled softly at her and nodded again, so she tried to put more of how she felt into words she knew weren't doing her feelings justice.
"I ... I know I'm not describing it very well, because it's all feelings. But it feels wonderful, to have you watching over me, Ranma. I have never felt more safe, and protected, and needed in my life, than when I am with you.
"You watch me, constantly. Your attention is on me, and only me. You listen to what I say, and all the while, you are constantly, always, scanning for danger. What you are offering me, and what you represent, is something most women would be more than happy to accept, and be happy with their whole lives. And a part of me really really really wants to as well.
"It's exhausting sometimes, you know, being the strong woman. Oh, I can do it, and I'm damn good at it too. But having someone open doors for me, and willing to fight for me, and to keep me warm as I walk next to them on a cold evening ... I have to admit, that feels incredible."
He was smiling at her now and nodding shyly. She reached her hand across the table for his hand, which he quickly placed in hers. Then she returned his smile somewhat bitterly. She didn't want to say what she was going to say next, but she had to risk it. They either had to build their relationship from a foundation they both considered solid, or they had no hope.
"It feels wonderful ... but ... but I can't build a relationship with you based only on your desire to protect me." She finished somewhat lamely as she let go of his hand and reached for her soda with a shaky hand and averted her eyes down to the table. It was up to him what happened next.
"I don't ... understand..." Ranma said nervously as she drank.
She set her glass down as calmly as she could, laced her fingers together, and set her chin on them, and tried to explain. She hoped he hadn't noticed that her hands were shaking. "Well, for one thing, if I start training seriously again, could I get as strong as Akane?"
"Sure."
"Could I get stronger than her?"
"Sure."
"Could I get as strong as you?"
"Um ... I dunno; maybe."
"See, there it is, you're already starting to feel it. What if I did, Ranma? What if I got as strong as you, or even stronger, like the time Akane ate those freaky noodles of the old lecher? Could you handle it?"
"I ..."
"And that's the problem with trying to build a relationship on a foundation based on you being strong and protecting me. I love that you want to protect me, and that you are so loyal, and that you are strong, and willing to do it. But I can't build a long term relationship on that alone. I want to, but I can't." She said softly.
"Then ... what ..." He stammered, he looked crestfallen.
She smiled at him. "That's what we're on this date to find out ... so ... let's talk." She whispered to him hopefully.
He smiled at her and just stared at her for a moment. Before she could encourage him to say something, a knock sounded on their door again. She almost cursed but managed to control herself and simply sighed instead as she called out permission to enter.
Kamenosuke entered the room smoothly, and walked quickly up to their table. "Will you be dining with us with the standard Kaiseki menu? Or would you like to make a special request for tonight?" He asked. It was left unsaid that only VIP guests got to make special menu requests at a Kaiseki restaurant.
She looked over at Ranma, who shrugged, then back at Kamenosuke and smiled. "I think both of us would be delighted to see the lovely selections you have for your Kaiseki menu tonight." She said happily.
Kamenosuke bowed and smiled a knowing smile. "Of course, Miss Tendo. I will let the chef know. I will also mark your door as strictly not to be disturbed. Your first course should be served in about ten minutes. I will knock three times to announce my presence, if that is all right with you?"
"That would be perfect, thank you so much." She said warmly as the older gentleman backed quickly out of the room. Ranma raised an eyebrow to her quizzically. "He's one of the best. He knows we're talking and don't want to be disturbed. Don't worry, I trust him." She said.
"Oh, all right. Hey ... can I ask you a question?" He asked.
She smiled and nodde. "Sure."
"How ... how did you learn all this stuff? Did your parents show you?"
She smiled sadly. "My mother showed me some of these things, the rest I learned by observing people, and trial and error." She said gently. He looked disappointed at her answer, so she hurried to encourage him. "Don't worry, just like with the rest of your skills, I am sure if you practice it, you will get the finer points of the social graces down in no time." She said with a smile.
He nodded at that and took another sip of his drink. She decided to bring the conversation back on topic. "So, back to what we were talking about ... what's so special about me, Ranma?" She asked nervously.
He gulped down a mouthful of water, and set his glass down gently, as she watched the gears of his mind turning show on his face while he tried to think of what to say. Finally, he raised his eyes to hers. "Well ... you're ... pretty..." He said hesitantly.
She waited for a few moments, hoping he would complete the thought. When he didn't, she sighed. "All right, so I'm beautiful. So what? Is that it? Is that what you want to build a relationship on, that I'm pretty?"
"I ... I don't, I—"
"Because you know, in twenty or thirty years, I won't be beautiful like a teenager any more. And in another twenty or so years, my beauty will be fading. Would you leave me then?"
"No, I'd never—"
"Why not?" She asked with some heat in her voice. She was trying not to be annoyed, but it was hard.
"I—"
"If all you can think to say is that I'm pretty, then once my beauty fades, wouldn't your interest in me fade too?" She pressed him.
"No. It's not like that, I—"
"Then what?!" She interrupted him, probably more harshly than she should have, but she was frustrated. This wasn't going the way she had pictured it in her mind.
"I didn't mean it like that." He said quietly.
"Mean what?"
"I ... it's not just what's on your outside... it's your inside too." He whispered. She stared at him and saw a blush creeping up his neck.
She smiled at him. It was a start. She could work with what he was giving her. She was going to tease him though, if for no other reason than she wanted to show him that he didn't know as much about her as he thought he did.
"All right, well, since you think I'm so beautiful, what color are my eyes, Ranma?" She teased him as she closed them and smiled. She had a feeling he wouldn't be able to tell h—
"Light brown." Ranma said softly, interrupting her thoughts.
She opened her eyes and looked at him with a bit more respect. "That's right. I'm ... impressed you noticed."
He nodded and shrugged. "I notice things. It isn't anythin' special. You have lighter eyes than Akane, and your hair is lighter too. Kasumi's hair is lighter than yours, but her eyes are about the same color. Ranma said as he ticked the points off on his fingers and smiled softly.
She smiled widely at him. "Wow, Ranma. I bet if I asked most of the guys at our school, they couldn't have said all that about us even if they were offered money to do it."
Ranma shrugged again. "I get attacked a lot. I have to pay attention to my surroundin's."
"Anything else you know about me?" She asked, curious.
"Ye— ... no, nevermind."
"Come on, go ahead, it's all right." She encouraged him.
He looked at her mutely for a moment, then nodded. "I know what your name means." He said in an embarrassed tone.
She raised an eyebrow at him and smiled. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, I wanted to practice my writing, so I figured I would use your name to practice — because it's fun to say." He said in a voice so quiet, it was almost a whisper. He looked down at the table in embarrassment.
She grinned at him. "So, what does my name mean?" She whispered in return as she felt herself flush with happy warmth.
"The root's Nabiku, it means to bend, wave, bow to ... stuff like that."
"Don't forget yield to, that's the one I go with." She said happily.
"Whadda ya mean?"
"I have always taken my name as a sign that others should yield to me." She said with a wink. "Did you know the Kanji for that in Mandarin is Mí? That means extravagant. Kind of fits me, don't you think?" She said teasingly.
He nodded carefully. "Yeah, I guess that fits. You do like money and stuff, don't you?" He said slowly as his eyes roamed the room around them.
She sighed. "Ranma, I'm a person. I am more than the sum of my hobbies and interests. I just happen to be very good with money and finances, and I like to make money. That's all. I also like music, and dancing, and eating nice things. None of those things define me. Just like I know that you can apparently cook, and you play sports, and like watching movies. None of those things are you. There's nothing wrong with having hobbies, and there is certainly nothing wrong with earning money." She said defensively.
He blinked at her rapidly and nodded. "I ... I guess you're right ... sorry. You really are good with making money though. I guess that's a really good thing ... I know how much of a problem me and Pop stayin' with your family is." He said with embarrassment in his voice, and his eyes downcast.
She smiled gently at him and waited until he met her eyes again. "Would you like to know a secret?" She asked him carefully. He looked at her blankly then nodded. She sighed. "This is a serious secret, you have to promise that you will keep the secret if I tell you." She said a bit more sternly.
"Oh ... yeah, sure, I promise, I won't tell nobody. You have my word." He said.
She smiled and nodded. "Ranma ... haven't you ever wondered how my family has money to go on trips to the beach in the south, and skiing in the north? Haven't you ever wondered how it is we have a large house on a very large plot of land complete with walls, a dojo and a koi pond? And didn't you wonder how we so easily paid for you to attend Furinkan when you arrived?" She asked him softly. He looked at her with wide eyes, and shook his head slowly. "Well ... think about it." She prompted him.
He nodded and closed his eyes for a few moments, then looked at her strangely. "But ... okay, so you have money to do that stuff, and have those things, but ... you and your dad are always sayin' how tight money is, and ... stuff." He said with confusion.
She nodded. "Yup. We do that. I have to admit, part of the reason I said those things to you in the past was just to tease you or to get you to do what I wanted. Daddy says them for mostly the same reasons. We don't spend money just on whatever, and sometimes to keep up appearances Daddy will do things like make it seem we are out of money for food. It keeps people from asking us for money. But the truth is, we have enough money to be comfortable."
"Where ... how ...?" Ranma tried to ask.
"Haven't you ever noticed that suit of armor my daddy puts on every now and then?"
"Yeah..."
"That's Samurai armor. It's real. It's our family's. The Tendos were high ranking Samurai under the Tokugawa Shogunate. We weren't a Daimyo family like the Kuno family, but we did all right for ourselves." She whispered somewhat proudly.
Ranma opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. She watched him carefully while he came to terms with what she told him. He eventually swallowed nervously and uttered a single word.
"Wow." He said in a small voice as he fidgeted in his seat.
She smiled at him and waited for more. He took a sip of water and then set his glass down nervously. He looked up into her eyes again, and took a deep breath. "Does ... does my Pop know? Is that why he engaged me to your family?" He whispered.
She smiled and shrugged. "I don't know what Daddy has told him. Your dad must have at least some clue though, the Tendos don't exact live in squalor, Ranma." She said with a wink.
He nodded and looked down at the table. "I'm sorry we're such a burden." He mumbled in an embarrassed voice.
A hot anger blossomed to life inside her chest, and she reached her hand to him across the table, and grasped his hand gently but firmly until he looked up at her. When he did, she smiled gently at him. "You, Ranma, are not a burden. Your dad is, but you ... are not. Sure, you like to eat, but I am well aware of the things you do for our family. I have been watching you since you showed up, you know. You aren't like your dad. I never would have agreed to be engaged to you if you were, even for pretend." She said fiercely as she squeezed his hand again.
Ranma looked down at the table and nodded, embarrassed. "I try." He said softly.
She shook her head gently. "You do more than try. You have done great things for our family. You have protected all of us, multiple times. You have been hurt badly defending my little sister. You were gentle and kind with her, even when she was angry with you. Oh sure, sometimes you would tease her, or yell back at her. But you never screamed at her, raised your hand to her, or said unforgivable things to her. You just gave as good as you got. And frankly, both of you can be very immature." She said with a soft smile while Ranma blushed at the praise.
"But none of that matters to me." She continued. "What matters to me is I have watched you keep your promises to my family, even when they weren't easy to keep. I've watched you stand by your oaths, even when it cost you a personal price to keep them. I've seen you deliberately step into the path of danger in order to protect my younger sister, and the rest of us. You are even patient and kind to my Daddy. I know that Daddy seems ... off ... these days. He isn't the same person he was when Mom was alive. And I think training with that awful old man didn't make things any better." She said bitterly as she stared at the table for a moment, lost in thought.
Then she refocused on him and smiled. "You do lots of things for us, Ranma. That's part of the reason why I agreed to date you. I want to do things for you too. It shouldn't only be you giving to my family. The Tendos need to be as strong as you are." She said soberly.
Ranma was quiet for a few moments as he let what she had said sink in. He finally cleared his throat nervously. "You do stuff for me. Like when you went against that girl accusin' me of gropin' her." He said softly. "You're stronger than you think you are." He added with approval in his voice.
She smiled at that. "You have no idea, Ranma. I am capable of doing terrible things to people. I have done terrible things to people. If someone crosses me or my family, they don't get a second chance. I am not proud of it, but I am not ashamed of it either. It just is. I will do what must be done." She said in a neutral voice. Ranma looked up at her and nodded. She could tell he could respect what she was saying. "And I don't have the same qualms about hurting women you do, Ranma." She said teasingly. Ranma flinched at that, and she frowned. "Why is that, Ranma? If a woman is a threat to you, why do you hold back? You seem ... almost afraid?"
He nodded slowly and looked at the table.
"What could make the great Ranma Saotome be so frightened? Especially of a mere woman?" She teased him.
He looked up at her and fixed eyes on hers that seemed much older than she knew he was. He was silent for a while as he seemed to gather his thoughts. She sat and patiently waited for him while she took a couple of sips from her soda. Eventually, he spoke up hesitantly. "It's not that I'm scared ... it's ... I dunno. It's hard ta explain..." He said softly. She nodded and waited for him to figure out how to explain it to her. She smiled softly to encourage him.
"I don't like seein' girls get hurt. Even if Pop hadn't raised me, I think I would still feel that way." He said quietly without looking into eyes. She nodded and waited. "I ... there's more ... um ... I feel really ... bad ... about it." He said in a mixed voice.
She raised her eyebrow at him, she didn't understand what he was trying to say. Had he hurt people? Was that what he meant? "What are you trying to tell me, Ranma?" She asked, confused.
"Um ... all right ... I'll tell ya ... but you hafta promise to keep it a secret, especially from your dad and Pop." He said in a small but firm voice as he raised his eyes and met hers earnestly.
She nodded and smiled at him. "I am very good at keeping secrets, Ranma. You know that. Don't worry, I promise I'll keep yours too." She whispered with a wink.
He nodded, apparently satisfied with her promise, and cleared his throat before he took a sip of water and began to speak. "See, the thing is ... it isn't just girls, I don't really like seein' anyone hurt real bad, ya know? But girls especially, even hearin' about it is bad..." he said hesitantly. She could tell he was ashamed of what he was telling her.
She smiled at him and silently waited for him to gather his courage and tell her what he wanted to tell her.
"When I hear about people bein' hurt real bad, especially if it's a girl, and especially when it's real bad ... I feel sick, like I'm gonna pass out. I have ta lay down or I'll fall down when I feel like that." He whispered.
She reached across the table and put her hand over his to encourage him to finish it. She knew he hadn't said everything quite yet.
"I ... I know Pops would be mad at me if he knew about it, but I can't help it!" He whispered while he stared at the table.
She felt that he had now mostly told her everything he was likely to tell her. "So? What's so wrong with having a strong negative reaction to people's pain? There's nothing bad about that." She said gently.
"You don't understand ... Pop trained me to be strong. I'm not supposed to feel anythin'. Pop would want to start my trainin' all over again if he knew what I told you." He said with a hint of fear in his voice.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." She said gently as she squeezed his hand. "Was ... was there anything that happened ... that caused you to feel the way you do? Did something bad happen?" She asked him softly.
He shook his head, still without looking up. "No, nothin', I've heard some bad stories though, that's how I found out about it." He said remorsefully.
She sighed and looked at him staring down at the table. He looked like someone who had just said he kicked puppies for fun. "Ranma?" She prodded him gently. He nodded, but didn't look up. "Ranma..." she prodded him again. He finally looked up, with shame in his eyes. "Listen to me ... nothing you said is shameful. It is actually admirable that you feel bad when others are hurt. You can be strong and feel empathy for others. That shows a much greater strength than someone who is just strong. Strength without purpose can easily turn into bullying ... or worse." She said softly, with pride in her voice.
He is so ... very ... special. She thought fiercely as she held on to his hand and tried to reassure him that his father's insanity was wrong. After a few more moments he took a slow, shuddering, breath and let it out as he nodded at her and turned his hand over to squeeze hers back.
She locked her eyes on his and smiled gently at him. "Thank you, for sharing that with me." She said happily.
Before he could say anything in response, three light knocks sounded at the door. She smiled and called out softly for Kamenosuke to enter. Has it been ten minutes already? She thought as the older gentleman quickly and professionally laid out their dishes for their first course. He then lit several candles around the room, and turned off the main light in their room before he backed quickly to the exit.
"I will bring the next course in about fifteen minutes, Miss Tendo." He said softly as he closed the door. She nodded happily at him.
As soon as the door was closed, she winked at Ranma, who was eying the food hungrily, but with a nervous frown on his face. "You can eat however you like, Ranma. We're in a private room. You don't have to try to eat formally, if you don't want to." She said gently.
He looked up at her, and shook his head as he smiled nervously. "Nah, this is a nice place. I'm not gonna eat like I'm at home. I may not be very good at eatin' fancy, but I can try." He said with some confidence.
She smiled at him as she sampled some of her own food. It was delicious. The tangy sweet sauce of the dish she'd sampled danced on her tongue and awakened her own hunger. She tucked into her own meal with enthusiasm as she realized just how hungry she really was. Apparently getting thrown off buildings and hiking across town in a formal dress takes it out of me. She thought sardonically to herself as she worked eagerly on her own meal. Ranma took his cue from her and attacked his own food with equal zeal, not that he really ever needed much of an excuse to eat heartily. He still tried his best to use his napkin, and to not just dump the contents of the plates and bowls into his mouth.
When she came up for air a little while later, Ranma was sitting and looking at her with wide eyes, and an even wider smile. "Wow, Nabiki. I thought I was the big eater here." He said in an impressed voice.
She smirked at him. "Just because I don't normally inhale my food like you do, doesn't mean I don't get hungry."
"You need more practice if you want to get up the level Pop and I are on. You didn't even spill anythin' or nothin'." He said happily.
She winked at him. "Hey, I'm a lady. We never spill." She said happily as a soft knock sounded at the door. She called out happily for Kamenosuke to enter and beamed at him as he quickly cleared their first course from the table.
"Was the first course to your liking, Miss Tendo?" He asked sincerely.
She nodded her head vigorously. "Oh, it was wonderful! Please tell Toro that he's spoiling me, and I love it!" She said with a smile.
Kamenosuke nodded gravely, but with a small smile on his gentleman's face as he laid out their second course. "I will bring dessert in about a half hour, is that all right with you, Miss Tendo?" He asked her fondly.
She beamed at him. "That would be just lovely, Kamenosuke. Thank you! She said as she eyed the food hungrily. She felt she should wait to dig into it until he had left. She didn't want him to see just how hungry she was.
The older gentleman bowed graciously to them, winked at her, and backed out of the room with a knowing smile on his face. She could tell he knew she was just waiting until he was gone before she attacked her food.
Ranma looked over at her sharply as soon as the door shut, and grinned as he raised his chopsticks in challenge. "Wanna race?" He asked happily.
In response she grinned at him, raised her own chopsticks, and dove for her food. Ranma followed suit, and they ate in a satisfied silence for the next few minutes. When they were both done, they sat in a happy and easy silence and watched each other shyly across the table.
It's odd, but we seem to have bonded more over eating together here, than we did talking. She thought as she eyed him happily. He seemed much more at ease now that he had seen her loosen up a bit, and she had shared in an activity she knew he enjoyed.
She hadn't intended to flaunt how sophisticated she could be by bringing him to the Kojyu; she had just wanted somewhere nice to eat that was closer than where she had originally planned to go. But she could tell that he really appreciated that she had dropped the formality stuff while they were in private.
She smiled at him as she finished with her napkin, and set it aside as she scooted back from the table and lounged happily in her chair. He mirrored both her posture, and her smile. The sound of soft music started up in the main room a moment later. A small speaker set in the ceiling of their room started playing the music more clearly right after that. She looked up at the sound of the music and smiled wistfully. She knew there would be couples dancing in the main room soon.
Ranma immediately picked up on her attention shift. "What's the matter?" He asked her softly.
She looked over at him again and smiled softly. "Nothing's the matter, Ranma. Everything is wonderful." She assured him as she did her best to keep the longing out of her voice that the soft music was triggering.
He picked it up anyway. "Is there somethin' you need? Something I can do?" He asked as he reached across the table for her hand.
She smiled as she leaned forward and let her hand fall into his. He squeezed it gently as she looked at their hands together on the table next to the flickering light of the candles and appreciated how lucky she was to be able to be where she was and with who she was. That was enough for now.
"It's all right, Ranma. I was just noticing the music being played for couples to dance to. But I know things like dancing aren't your style." She looked into his eyes and smiled. "Maybe ... some other time ... we could ..." She trailed off. She didn't want to talk about the future when she had no guarantees past the end of their week together.
"Hey, who says we can't, right now?" He said in a somewhat shaky voice; she could tell he had decided to be brave.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "It's all right, Ranma. You don't have to do anything and everything I want to do, just to make me happy." She said kindly. "Besides, do you even know how to dance? There's no Martial Arts in it." She teased.
He stood up and continued to hold on to her hand, which was now being raised off the table. "You're right, I don't know how to dance. And yeah, I would be embarrassed ta do this in front of a lot of people. But ... this is a private room ... if you're willin' ta teach me, I'm sure I can learn." He said with confidence.
She tried not to be stunned, but she was. She sucked in air between her clenched teeth as emotions hit her harder than she was ready for and she tried not to cry as shivers ran up and down her spine. She wasn't sad, she was happy, incredibly happy.
She nodded her head fiercely and stood up quickly and almost leaped into his arms. Instead she settled for running into him and throwing herself into his arms. He caught her gently and rocked back with her. She knew she had thrown herself at him hard enough that she should have felt a bit of an impact when she hit him, but he had instinctively cushioned it for her.
He wrapped her up into a hug and picked her up off her feet just a little bit, and swung her around a little before he set her down. The urge to cry left her as she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. The strength in her legs also briefly left her as he held her. She felt wobbly in the knees for a moment. But it was fine, he just held her and swayed to the music with her while he waited for her. He was pressing the soft fabric of her dress into her, and holding her like he needed her. It made her feel emotions she didn't even have words for. She felt herself getting warm all over as something inside her opened up a bit and connected to some part of her that touched everything.
I'll just know.
"All right, Ranma..." she finally said in a shaky voice. "To dance, all you have to do is pretty much what you are doing already. Just listen to the music and move with either the beat or the rhythm. It can get much more complicated than that, but for couples dancing, that's all you really need to know." She mumbled into his chest with her eyes closed.
"Okay ... can you show me?"
She nodded into his chest and stepped back away from him just a little bit. Just enough so she could move her feet so he could see. She wanted to keep her head on his chest and her arms around him. She could feel him craning his neck to the side so he could see her feet as she moved them in a basic box-step waltz pattern as she led their dance.
"Do you see?" She breathed quietly.
"Couple more steps." He replied. She danced with him for a few more seconds, then she felt him nod. "Got it."
She stopped moving and leaned her head back and looked up at him with half-lidded eyes and whispered to him. "Then dance with me." She could feel the heat radiating off her skin now, tiny waves of it were coming from her center and spreading as electricity ran up and down her spine.
He nodded rapidly and then started to move with her as he took the lead. True to his word, he was replicating the steps she had shown him pretty much motion for motion. She knew he didn't understand the finer points of it, because she hadn't taught it to him, but he had picked up the motion and the movements after just being shown it once.
Her heart was hammering in her chest. This was perfect. Perfect perfect perfect perfect perfect. She thought euphorically to herself. She was warm in Ranma's arms and he was dancing with her in a nice place in a candle lit room. And he was funny, and charming, and gentle, and he played with me, and he learns so fast! And he got me that wonderful and thoughtful gift! And he protected me, and he was so brave when he came for me on the top of that building! She thought to herself on a rising tide of emotion.
Her breathing was coming more slowly as she fell into the music and moved with Ranma as her heart hammered away in her chest. He smelled like his usual flowery cedar along with a wisp of the cologne sample she had put on him. He was warm and kind and he was holding her tight and swaying to the music with her. She couldn't remember the last time she had been happier than she was right now.
I'll just know.
She let the music caress her as she danced with him long into the night while she let the special place inside her open up a bit wider. She felt herself blaze with the heat of it pouring off her skin. Their private room was glowing with a nice golden light; it was soft, and warm, and made her feel peaceful. She forgot about pain. She forgot about grief. She forgot about worry and fear. All that mattered was the music, and her dance with the most wonderful person she had ever known.
Ranma was alternating between looking around the room in wonder, and looking into her eyes softly. She felt like something deep inside of him was resonating with her — but it was probably her imagination. She ached to kiss him, but dancing with him was almost as good.
All right, well ... it's official, Mom. I'm in love with him.