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The end of the fiancée wars came in a whisper, not a bang.
Ranma found it relieving, a chance to finally have the endless drama end. Akane found it confusing, Nabiki annoying.
Kasumi?
Kasumi, truthfully, was thankful they no longer needed the repair company on speed dial.
She wasn’t certain exactly how things went—only that Shampoo and Ukyo had met at some fast food restaurant, “neutral territory”, as Konatsu had put it. It was supposed to have been nothing more than a cease-fire—an agreement that Nodoka’s growing impatience with Ranma’s struggle in school was a greater threat than the other’s potential victory. Somehow, however, something more came out of it.
Mostly, what she knew was the days after. The utter bewilderment on Akane and Ranma’s faces when they returned home, unscathed. Her sister’s slightly pinked face as she mentioned a conversation she had with Shampoo, and Ranma’s unguarded ramble about her and Ukyo’s adventure in an amusement park.
Kasumi also remembered the two of them sharing looks across the dinner table. The night she came home and found the two girls curled up on the couch (she assumed, given Ranma’s rather clear preference for that form as of late). She thought of this, and more moments like this as she folded the laundry, a few days after the end had been officially announced.
Peace has been good for them.
For all of them, in truth.
In fact, just last night Ukyo and Shampoo had come over, playing games on Shampoo’s rather fancy game console well after the sun went down, the sound of laughter as heartening as it was loud. Kasumi had eventually been forced to shut it down, but she looked back on it with a smile.
Folding done, she packed up the laundry in the basket and set off, placing each occupant’s pile in their room, until she reached Akane’s. At the doorstep, Kasumi hesitated briefly. She hadn’t seen much of Akane this morning, and she wasn’t quite certain the girl had awoken.
After a moment, she shrugged.
Akane’s always been an early riser, she thought, and pushed the door open.
And then stopped.
And stared.
And stared.
Curled up in Akane’s bed was not just the girl herself, but three others. Ranma, her face nestled in the crook of Akane’s neck. Ukyo, lying behind the redhead with her arm’s stretched around both. And on top of the blankets, wearing a pair of rabbit-themed pajama’s Kasumi knew were Akane’s, was Shampoo, laying over the three and fluttering her feet in her dreams.
Kasumi stared for a few more moments, then, quietly, silently, stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.
She would let them sleep a moment longer, she decided, smiling softly.
They deserved it.