Chapter Text
For three straight days, Akane had been trying to tell Ranma something. Every attempt ended the same way.
"Ranma?"
"Hm?"
"I... um..."
"What?"
"...Never mind."
Ranma frowned. The constant starting and stopping of conversations were getting on his nerves.
"You're bein' weird." he said, trying to find out what was going on.
"I'm not!"
"You've been actin' weird all week."
"I have not!"
"You just asked me if I liked pizza."
"...So?"
"You know I like pizza."
"..."
"And yesterday you asked if I knew what a facial was."
"I-I was just making conversation!"
"And this morning you asked what I used to wash my hair."
Akane blinked. "...I did?"
"Yeah."
"...Huh."
Ranma folded her arms. "What're you hidin'?" He asked, determined to eventually get to the bottom of things.
"N-Nothing!"
"You are."
"I'm not!"
"You absolutely are."
Akane let out an embarrassed squeak before spinning on her heel. "I have homework!" she shouted, hiding her face to avoid making eye contact.
"You already finished it."
"I have... more homework!"
Before Ranma could answer, Akane hurried into the house.
Ranma watched her disappear. "...Definitely hiding something." he said to himself
---
Kasumi was waiting in the kitchen with a fresh pot of tea. "You still haven't told Ranma?" she inquired, already knowing the answer to her question.
Akane collapsed into a chair and groaned. "I can't."
"You'll have to eventually."
"I know!"
"So why not now?"
"Because he'll hate it!"
Kasumi smiled sympathetically. "That is certainly possible."
"Possible? Kasumi, he'll complain for an hour, refuse outright and probably jump over the wall like he’s escaping prison or something!"
Kasumi calmly poured two cups of tea. "That also sounds possible."
Akane rested her forehead against the table. "I've completely trapped myself..."
Kasumi slid a cup toward her and placed a hand onto hers. "Perhaps." She said sweetly.
Akane looked up hopefully. "...Yes?"
"...Perhaps don't wait until the last minute."
---
Naturally… Akane waited until the last minute.
---
Friday evening.
School had finished for the week. Genma was away to the hot springs in Jigokudani with Nodoka for their anniversary and for the first time in a while, everything seemed calm and serene. Ranma—still in
her girl form after an unfortunate encounter with the garden hose that afternoon—leaned back with a contented sigh.
Noticing how peaceful she looked, Nabiki glanced between her sisters. "...She still hasn't told her, has she?" she whispered over to Kasumi, making sure that Ranma couldn't hear her
“Not yet." Kasumi answered, also whispering and shaking her head subtly.
Nabiki smirked and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "This should be entertaining."
Across the table, Akane hadn't touched her tea. Her knee bounced nervously beneath the table.
Ranma noticed immediately. "There you go again." he started, causing Akane to jump and almost drop her tea.
"W-What?"
"You're twitchin'."
"I'm not twitching."
"You are."
"I'm stretching."
"While sittin' down?"
"...Yes."
Ranma narrowed her eyes. This had gone on long enough as far as he was concerned. "What is going on?" He asked, ready to find out what was going on once and for all.
Silence.
Soun suddenly became fascinated by the ceiling.
Kasumi folded her hands politely.
Nabiki took another sip of tea, clearly enjoying herself.
Ranma looked around the table. It wasn’t just Akane now. Everyone knew something…. Something she didn’t. "...Why's everybody acting so suspicious?"
Akane inhaled slowly. It was now or never. Finally, she spoke. "...Ranma."
"What?"
"My friends are coming over tonight."
"...Okay?"
"For a sleepover."
"So?"
Akane squeezed her eyes shut and steeled herself as she forced the next words to leave her mouth. "...You're joining us."
Ranma blinked. "...I'm what?"
"I already told everyone you'd be there!"
The room fell completely silent.
"...No."
"I knew you'd say that."
"No."
"They're expecting you."
"No."
"I already promised."
"No."
Kasumi glanced at the clock. "They should be arriving in approximately forty-five minutes."
Ranma slowly turned toward her. "...You knew?"
"Oh yes." She admitted.
"Nabiki?"
"Since Monday."
"Mr. Tendo?"
Soun gave an awkward nod.
Ranma stared at the entire family. This felt like a mutiny.
"You all planned this."
"It wasn't exactly a plan," Nabiki replied. "More of a betting pool."
"Betting pool?!"
"You'd be amazed how much your first reaction was worth."
Ranma glared at Akane, ready for a fight. "I'm not going!"
Akane lowered her gaze. Half of her was relieved she had finally said it. The other half was now almost ashamed of herself for letting it go this long. "I know."
Ranma blinked. This caught her completely off guard. She didn’t expect this. "...What?"
"I know you'll hate it."
"..."
"I know you'll think it's embarrassing."
"..."
"And I knew if I told you any earlier..." She looked back up. "...you'd disappear before they ever got here."
Ranma opened her mouth. But paused to think before saying anything. Finally, she answered truthfully. "...Maybe."
"So..."
Akane clasped her hands together and let her puppy eyes land on Ranma. "...Please?"
There wasn't an ounce of smugness in her voice. Only worry.
She wasn't trying to win. She was hoping Ranma wouldn't leave her to explain everything to her friends.
Ranma rubbed the back of her head. "...You already told 'em I'd come?"
Akane nodded. “They’re actually excited."
"..."
"...That's dirty."
"I know."
Another long silence followed.
Finally, Ranma sighed. "...Fine."
Akane's eyes widened. The moment she'd waited for had arrived. "...Really?"
"I'm already stuck as a girl." Ranma shrugged. Trying to convince herself. "It wouldn't exactly make much sense to change back just to run away."
The relief on Akane's face was immediate. "...Thank you."
Ranma pointed a finger at her. "You owe me."
"I know."
---
Ranma headed upstairs, muttering to herself. This was nothing like the evening she had planned, but at least there was one thing she could still control—something that might keep the night from
becoming a complete disaster.
"If I've gotta survive this stupid thing, I'm at least wearin' my own pyjamas."
She slid open her wardrobe.
"..."
"...Huh?"
The shelf was empty. She checked the one below it.
Nothing.
She looked inside the laundry basket.
Empty.
She even lifted the futon, just in case one had somehow ended up underneath it.
"...Where'd they go?"
Leaning into the hallway, she called downstairs. "Kasumi!"
"Yes, Ranma?"
"Have you seen my pyjamas?"
Kasumi appeared at the bottom of the stairs, smiling as serenely as ever. "Oh yes."
"You have?"
"I washed them this afternoon."
"...All of them?"
"I believe so."
Ranma stared as the news hit her like a ton of bricks. "...You washed ALL of my pyjamas?! Every pair I own?"
"It seemed efficient."
"...On the same day?"
"So, it would appear."
Ranma slowly narrowed her eyes. "...You planned this."
"I had a feeling you might want to use your usual pyjamas tonight."
"...So, you made sure I couldn't wear 'em."
Kasumi's smile never faltered.
"I wouldn't put it quite that way."
"...I would."
Kasumi disappeared into the linen cupboard for a moment before returning with a neatly folded bundle. “But don't worry.” She said smiling “I’ve got another pair you can use for tonight."
Ranma looked at them as though they were radioactive.
Pale pink cotton. Soft-looking, but simple. Tiny white clouds were embroidered around the collar and cuffs.
"...Nope." She said looking thoroughly disgusted. “Not a chance!”
"I thought they were very cute."
"They're pink."
"They are."
"They've got clouds on 'em."
"Just a few."
"They're girl’s pyjamas."
“Yes,” Kasumi nodded. “I noticed.”
"I'll wait."
"For what?"
"For mine to finish washing."
"I'm afraid that they won't be ready tonight.”
“Why?!”
“The dryer’s broken.”
"...You're making that up!"
Kasumi only smiled innocently. “Would I do that?”
Ranma let out a long, defeated groan. "...You're terrifying."
"So Nabiki keeps telling me."
---
Five minutes later...
Ranma reluctantly walked downstairs.
The pink cotton pyjamas fit perfectly. The sleeves stopped neatly at her wrists. The trousers rested exactly at her ankles. The shoulders sat comfortably without feeling tight.
They weren't frilly.
They weren't itchy.
They were simply... comfortable.
Ranma hated that almost as much as the colour. She tugged at one sleeve suspiciously. "...How are these exactly my size?" She probed.
Kasumi smiled. "A big sister has her ways."
"I don't like your ways."
Nabiki looked up from the sofa and had to bite her lip. "Ooh..."
"What?"
"...Nothing."
"What?"
"They actually look really nice."
Ranma looked horrified. She really didn't want to hear that. "Don't say that." she grimaced
Akane stepped into the hallway carrying a stack of blankets. She stopped in her tracks and stared at the pink-cladded redhead.
"..."
Ranma folded her arms self-consciously. "What?"
Akane smiled despite herself. "...They're cute."
Ranma groaned. She really didn’t want to hear that! "I was afraid you were gonna say that."
She glanced down at herself again.
The pyjamas were soft, comfortable and annoyingly perfect. There wasn't a single thing wrong with them…...except that they were pink.
The doorbell rang.
Everyone looked toward the entrance.
Ranma’s gaze flicked instinctively to the back door as she started planning her escape. Nabiki casually stepped into her path.
"Oh no you don't."
"The garden?"
"Dad already locked the door."
"The roof?"
Kasumi looked thoughtfully upward. "I closed the attic window earlier."
Ranma looked from one family member to the next. She had been rumbled.
"...You actually planned on me escaping?"
Nabiki grinned. "You've lived here long enough. We know exactly how your brain works."
The doorbell rang again.
Akane paused beside Ranma before answering it.
Quietly, so only Ranma could hear, she said, "...Thanks."
Ranma looked at her.
She wasn't smiling because she'd gotten her way. She looked relieved. Relieved that Ranma had chosen to stay.
Ranma sighed.
"...Just don't expect me to enjoy this."
"I won't."
Akane opened the front door. "Hi, everyone!"
A chorus of cheerful greetings filled the entrance hall.
Ranma took one last look at her pink pyjamas, gave them an unhappy tug, and muttered under her breath, "This is gonna be the longest night of my life."
She had no idea how wrong she was.