Akio, Ranma, and Naoki sat across the table from Mrs. Hana and Genma. Ranma sat ramrod straight, hands on his thighs, hiding his guilt and shame behind a steel curtain of composure. His sukajan lay on the floor behind him, in a pile with Akio and Naoki’s jackets and school bags. He wasn’t allowed time to change — and while he was grateful he didn’t sweat as much in spring form — it aggravated his embarrassment.

  Ranma almost squirmed under Genma’s critical gaze. In his eyes, Pops was the absolute pinnacle of masculinity — not that he’d ever admit that to his father’s face — and every second he was perceived it felt like he was transgressing against every ideal he was expected to embody. Maybe “allowing” Ranma to attend school as a girl was actually a test, a test that Ranma failed when he chose to avoid his fears and hide behind a girly facade.

  The other boys were little comfort. Akio was a fidgety mess, constantly shifting, scratching the back of his neck, failing to quietly clear his throat; Ranma heard every attempt Akio made to swallow the imaginary blockage obstructing his breathing.

  Naoki was the opposite, acting entirely unbothered even when faced with the anger of their parents. A crinkling, metallic sound grated on Ranma’s eardrums as Naoki absent-mindedly struggled to open a bag of crunchy chocolate snacks. Whatever relief Ranma felt when the boy successfully opened the bag evaporated as he continued crinkling the bag with each snack.

  “Yesterday I was very excited to learn about Tsunoka-chan,” began Mrs. Hana in the same voice one might gossip, “this morning I gave her mother a call. Now I understand high school girls don’t always tell their mothers everything — indeed, high schoolers rarely tell their parents everything,” her accusatory glare wasn’t lost on Ranma, “but I wanted to see what her mother did know. For some reason, she congratulated me! I, of course, had no idea what she was congratulating me for. Imagine my surprise when she said, ‘For Akio-kun’s omiai of course!’”

  Fear bored a hole into Ranma’s belly as Mrs. Hana escalated from calm scolding to almost shouting. The house matriarch took an enormous swig of water and straightened the creases out of her already immaculately-pressed skirt to recompose herself.

  “I didn’t get too many details from Mrs. Tsunoka, she heard everything from her daughter. Who isn’t even a martial artist!” The betrayal in her voice was particularly pointed, and would have been funny were the situation not so dire. Ranma felt awful: Mrs. Hana had been nothing short of amazing to him and his dad since they’d arrived.

  Pops was staying quiet, but Ranma saw the signs of hurt on his face as well: red, puffy eyes hidden behind his thick glasses, deliberate, slow breaths, the fact that he never stopped staring directly at Ranma. Truly, the younger Saotome felt ready to throw himself out on the street in shame.

  “That was bad enough, having to hear news like that from another parent: I almost looked like a fool or a bad mother who can’t maintain order in her own home.” She drained another glass of water, which Genma refilled immediately. “I surreptitiously managed to find out who I supposedly arranged to marry my youngest son. Before either of his brothers, which you better believe Mrs. Tsunoka brought up.” Now her gaze finally shifted to Ranma, and he had to fight the urge to flee.

  “None other than the ‘daughter’ of my new friend Mr. Genma Saotome: Ranma Saotome.” She pursed her lips and took a sideways, icy glance at Naoki, still munching away. “Well, after a phone call like that let’s just say I was…curious about how that all happened. Mr. Saotome was good enough to come home and discuss matters, and we’ve decided to give you a chance to explain what she got wrong,” Mrs. Hana dramatically paused to take a deep breath and Ranma’s heart froze, “but more importantly, what she got right.”

  Nobody said a word, but Akio and Ranma both looked at Naoki, who didn’t bother to put his snacks down. “It was my fault, and I’ve apologized to them,” Naoki threw a flippant gesture at Ranma, completely dismissing the severity of the situation. “On Monday, after Ranma gave Kodachi a well-deserved clobbering, I may have…made a stupid mistake.” At least he had the decency to look ashamed. Ranma crossed his arms under his breasts and allowed his irritation to show through a gap in his steely concentration.

  “She came up to me at lunch and started asking questions about Ranma,” he unconsciously tugged at his collar while he told his story, nerves finally cracking through his icy resolve, “As payback for all the stuff she’s done to Akio I thought if I told her about the promise Dad and Mr. Saotome made…” he trailed off, shrinking from the waves of disapproval emanating from each parent.

  “No, no, please continue.” There was a ferocity in Mrs. Hana’s voice that Ranma recognized from the few times Pops got really angry. He was starting to think maybe they were overreacting to the whole situation, but when he looked at Genma he saw…tears? Not from his dad, surely, real men didn’t cry, he’d never seen the man cry.

  They just flowed silently down his cheeks as the rest of his face remained impassive until he noticed Ranma’s bewildered stare. He didn’t react with shame or surprise, just gently shook his head and subtly raised a finger. It was a casual gesture that Ranma knew meant to be patient and stay calm, and despite Mrs. Hana’s anger and Pops’s…tears, maybe they weren’t in as big of trouble as it seemed.

  “...And, well, Kodachi just had to yell it in front of the whole student body.” Naoki finished summing up his and Kodachi’s part of the story. To Ranma’s relief, Mrs. Hana nodded sympathetically.

  “Sweetie…given Kodachi’s questionable ability to keep a secret, why did you think that was a good idea?” Naoki’s brow furrowed, reminding Ranma of what he’d said a few days ago. Ranma knew the feeling, it’s how he felt whenever he remembered the guys in junior high who’d made his life hell.

  “I get it.” Ranma offered. “When someone’s taken somethin’ from ya, or hurt someone important, ya just gotta…hurt ‘em whenever ya see an openin’, right?” Naoki sniffed and nodded.

  “That was shortsighted and irresponsible.” Hana's words were harsh but her voice was soft and understanding. Ranma had no idea what that meant or what to expect, but Naoki gave his mother an apologetic smirk. “Well, what about you two, then?”

  Now Ranma and Akio were in the spotlight. Ranma was ready to take responsibility: he was the one who accepted Kodachi’s condition, he was the one who pushed the hardest to keep the act going. Akio wouldn't even let him have that though.

  “I'm sorry mom, Mr. Saotome,” Akio bowed before Ranma could open his mouth. “I asked Ranma to go along with it so that Kodachi would stop bothering—” In a flurry of motion, Ranma rose to his feet and shouted at the youngest Tendo.

  “No! I ain't gonna let you take this from me too!” His outburst caused every set of eyes except for Akio’s to go wide. His fake fiancé stood up and glowered back at Ranma, anger writ across his features.

  “I'm not taking anything! You admitted that I'm getting the better end of the deal.” Their faces were, once again, mere centimeters apart and their gazes bored into each other's eyes. If Ranma were less angry he would have noticed and reacted to the heat of Akio's breath against his lips, but he was too angry to notice little details like that, or how pretty Akio’s eyelashes were, or the now-familiar scent of his soap. “You even asked me about it and I remember I said ‘it makes my life way easier’.”

  “That doesn't make this your fault though!” Ranma countered, unwilling to let Akio take the blame for going along with Ranma’s stupid impulses. “It also makes my life easier! I only got two love letters today, you got hundreds! My friends get ‘em all the time when they're single, that'd’ve been me.”

  “You still have to deal with Tatewaki, and you had to fight the Horde yesterday.” Akio crossed his arms and leaned back, looking down at Ranma like he’d just won the fight or something.

  “Or I would have if you didn't interrupt!” She thrust a finger in his face, reminding him exactly how the morning went. “I had to knock you away so I could focus on them. You even grabbed me. And I couldn't fight Tatewaki because you ran in like a wannabe Prince Charming and stole my fight!”

  Words sputtered out of his mouth in defiance of her ironclad logic, so desperate he was to be right. “You froze when he gave you a bouquet like some kinda smitten princess. I had to do something!”

  “No you didn't! I'm gonna have to learn t’deal with that kinda crap on my own,” she stepped back and gestured to her body, emphasizing her curves. “Have you seen me? Doesn’t matter which form I'm in neither, I’d be fightin’ kids off no matter how I went to school.”

  Akio was rendered speechless, and Ranma cocked her hips and grinned. “An’ don't think I didn't see ya staring at these in class.” Muscles popped as she flexed her arms, and Akio turned a deep red and mumbled something about not noticing.

  “Enough!” Genma's bark shook the house, bringing the arguing couple back to reality. Ranma turned red as she just remembered they had an audience. Naoki watched with an amused smirk and Mrs. Hana had a weird, far-off look like she saw straight through Ranma and Akio and was deep in thought.

  “Well Tendo, they’re already a perfect couple,” Genma let out a sigh. Mrs. Hana laughed nervously and downed another glass of water to hide the furious blush that colored her cheeks.

  Ranma, however, didn’t think it was funny at all. It wasn’t fun pretending to be engaged, especially not to a guy, and definitely not to Akio, who towered over Ranma, had a wingspan like Bruce Lee, was skilled enough to give him a proper fight, and kept trying to keep him safe even from stuff he was perfectly capable of handling. Having Akio around made Ranma feel like a girl.

  …

  Which was awful for a manly guy like Ranma.

  “We are not!” Both of them protested.

  “Great. Sit back down.” His tone brooked no argument, and the teens begrudgingly complied. “Understand what’s at stake here: you and your families’ reputations. Arranged marriages are a huge deal, especially as they become less and less common. Two decades ago, when Soun and I made that vow? They were the norm.”

  “He’s right,” Mrs. Hana cut in. “Akio, Naoki, your father and I were the scandalous ones for marrying without involving our parents until after we got engaged.”

  “Same with your mother and me,” Genma continued. “But because the three of you didn’t think this through we’re all going to be the center of gossip. And with a family as well-regarded as the Tendos?” He spread his arms to indicate the large, comfortable, traditional home in which they were having their discussion. “Good attention can sour quickly. You and I are in even greater risk, boy.” It took all of Ranma’s willpower not to snicker when his pops said that, given his current form and the topic of conversation. Naoki had no such qualms and freely chuckled before a harsh glance from his mother shut him up.

  “The Saotomes have no status, no family wealth, and if I’ve cultivated a reputation I don’t want it getting out.” There was no shame in his words, just confidence born of experience. “Do you understand?”

  Ranma understood too well. He understood that he was a fool, that he should have stopped, told Kodachi the truth, and refused to fight her until she acknowledged it. He should have just gone to school as a boy. Being a girl was making his life more and more complicated every day, he wished things could just be simple.

  He stared at his lap and heard himself mumble an affirmative as he began to spiral. If something as mundane as an engagement could cause all this trouble, the only option would have been to keep his curse secret. When it got out, the gossip and rumors would have been a nightmare. Worse, when his male classmates found out about it, they’d try to trigger his curse in the showers as much as possible. That’d be a new level of harassment from what he had to put up with in junior high.

  “Now that you’ve announced it, the smartest thing to do is follow through with it.” Ranma snapped out of his reverie and stared at Mrs. Hana in wide-eyed panic along with her sons. She wasn’t suggesting they actually get married just to satisfy some sort of old-fashioned sense of propriety, was she? That couldn’t even work since Ranma wasn’t legally a girl!

  “What?” All three shrieked in utter confusion, and she had to wave her hands in front of her defensively.

  “Sorry, sorry!” she insisted while laughing. “I didn’t mean it like that, of course! I meant we can’t just deny it now that it’s out, so we need a plausible reason to cancel—”

  Once again Ranma and Akio jumped to their feet and in unison cried out, “No!” The sudden intensity knocked Naoki on his back, scattering the last of his snacks.

  Both parents regarded them curiously. Ranma sat back down and averted his eyes, hoping he could keep his embarrassment from showing. “Uh, it’s just…it’s working.” A sudden reassuring warmth ironically sent shivers down his spine as Akio gently squeezed his shoulder. He wasn’t prepared for just how good the sensation of bare skin on skin felt, the surprise causing him to sharply inhale. Fortunately, the sound was covered by Akio’s voice.

  “Yeah, it’s…weird, but neither of us expected we’d have a normal high school experience.” Akio sounded just as embarrassed as Ranma, which made her simultaneously relieved and irritated by his obvious lack of interest. But she hoped he didn’t move his hand: it felt like she was treading water and it was the only thing keeping her from drowning.

  Mrs. Hana and Genma looked at each other, Mrs. Hana with wide eyes and a raised eyebrow, pops with his usual stoic expression. Ranma needed to clarify, needed them to understand that this was her best shot at normalcy. “My friends get a lot of love letters every day, it sounds exhausting.” Moving her shoulders as little as possible, hoping he wouldn’t let go, she indicated Akio. “I don’t wanna fight every guy every day just to get to school, that’d get boring real fast. I only had to worry about it yesterday because Tatewaki showed up.

  “And like I said earlier, I only got two letters in my locker,” Akio took his hand back and she had to quash the sudden sense of cold where it’d been. “I’m so cute I thought I’d get a bunch like Akio. You should see his pile, it’s huge.” The giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it. “We were gonna laugh at ‘em later.”

  “And Kodachi hasn't bothered me since the fight,” Akio jumped in. “Except for right after, in the office. She threatened to come after me if I hurt you.” His nervous chuckle and the image of Kodachi intimidating her fake fiancé on her behalf made her giggle and snort as she slapped his thigh.

  “Hah! Yeah, she's already invited me to the girls' hockey team,” Ranma missed Hana and Akio’s blushes at her casual contact as she addressed Genma. “You're right pops, she prob’ly woulda gone for me if I went as a boy.”

  Genma scratched his chin and let out a pensive grumble. Mrs. Hana eyed the empty pitcher and drummed her fingers on the table.

  “Well, after everything we've said,” the Tendo matriarch began carefully, “you're both sure you want to go through with this?” Even with their pleas, Ranma wasn't sure either parent would—could support them. Especially not Mrs. Hana, who had way more to lose than him and Pops.

  Ranma turned to Akio to gauge how he felt, and ended up staring into the other boy’s big, brown eyes once again. What originally seemed to be a simple solution to a problem ended up altering the dynamic of the whole household and potentially the social health of two families.

  Honestly their fake engagement was starting to be just as much trouble as a real one.

  But the alternative, figuring out how to be a girl while also completely undefended from every two-bit punk who wanted to date Ranma, wasn't feasible. Maybe it was selfish but he liked having that excuse to keep Akio around.

  “Yes, Mrs. Tendo.” After what felt like hours, Ranma respectfully lowered his head to answer.

  He felt Akio shift and stammer out a hesitant, “Y-yeah, me too, mom.” Ranma didn’t realize how anxious he was about Akio's response, but a set of muscles just under the base of his neck relaxed.

  Naoki, ever the gremlin, snickered. “So, when's the wedding?”

  Ranma, Akio, and Mrs. Hana shot him a glare, but Genma let out a floor-shaking belly laugh. “Boy, truly you have mastered the heart of Anything Goes!” Tilting his head, Ranma was confused. What did what he was doing have to do with the Art?

  “Remind me to tell you about some of the scams I pulled off with Soun! Your curse gives you the edge, but he knew how to style that hair of his just right…hah hah hah!” With that, all the tension evaporated, but Ranma didn't know how to react. Who was this man?

  “Uh…sure, Pops. Can I go change now?” He needed a break and a chance to clean himself off. Getting grilled by his dad and fake fiancé’s mom was way more stressful than any fight.

  “Mr. Saotome and I will have some conditions for the two of you,” Mrs. Hana announced like a teacher about to dismiss class, “we’ll talk about that later. But yes, you all may go. Ranma?” He flinched at the sound of his name. “If you want to help, I'm going to start working on dinner around 4:00.” With a nod she got up and followed her sons out.

  After everything, despite the risks…This was okay? What he, and now Akio, was doing was acceptable? Nobody called Ranma a pervert, nobody called him girly, nobody said what he was doing was wrong or weird or anything like that. They just told him the risks and let him decide if they were worth it.

  A hand shook his shoulder, drawing his attention away from his navel. It was his father with a wide grin. “C’mon, boy, got somethin' to show ya.”

  Ranma was probably the best martial artist Akio had ever met. It stood to reason that his master, Mr. Saotome, was also an exceptional martial artist.

  Logically understanding that and seeing Genma in action, however, were two different things. Genma had a powerful core, long limbs and a heavy build… and yet, he fought almost exactly like his son. It was clear who taught Ranma how to dodge.

  Given Ranma’s ability to avoid Akio’s grapples, he suspected Genma was a proficient grappler, but there was no way to test the theory since they were training for a fencing match and both of them were avoiding grabs.

  Why Genma was the only one allowed a weapon was beyond Akio.

  “Does it make sense to learn how to fence without a sword, Mr. Saotome?” Akio complained, getting tired of the lunges, stretches, extensions, and perfectly straight strikes they’d been working on while his teacher retreated and snapped Akio’s arms away with a short length of flexible wood.

  “Footwork is the most important element of a proper duel,” Genma intoned, flourishing his improvised foil, slapping Akio’s leg away, and following up with a lunge directly into his chest. “Once I’m satisfied you can keep your body under you as you advance and retreat we’ll move on to the attack.”

  “Just jump over ‘em and smack ‘em on the back.” Ranma groaned from the corner of the dojo where he was sulking while doing homework. Akio yelped in surprise and Genma capitalized on the distraction by whipping the boy’s ankles in quick succession, then driving forward with enough force to send Akio’s butt to the ground.

  “Don’t ever let your guard down!” Mr. Saotome barked. “Fifteen hanging sit ups, then get some water and we start again.”

  Akio groaned and leapt up to the ceiling. Now he understood why Ranma was always climbing around like a monkey. How did the kid survive training like this for 16 years? “When did you even get here, Ranma?” He made no effort to hide the annoyance in his voice and the other boy rolled his cerulean eyes.

  “I dunno, five minutes?” He returned to his work without further comment. Akio grumbled while he watched the pigtailed boy pore over worksheets and textbooks, leaning back and glaring at the papers in his lap like he could make them combust.

  Mr. Saotome analyzed Akio’s sit up technique just as seriously as his stances and attacks: any time Akio did something wrong Mr. Saotome would wait until the 14th rep to correct him and make him start over, which left him with little opportunity to chat. He was being much harder on Akio today. Had Ranma actually been a girl, Akio would have assumed Mr. Saotome was giving him a hard time for hiding their engagement. He…wouldn’t actually do that to Akio though, right?

  As he collapsed to the ground, abs burning and gi drenched with sweat, he didn't think there could be any other explanation.

  “Good, now you know how to do a sit up.” Mr. Saotome sounded unimpressed, and Ranma snickered. Akio took as deep a breath as he could and tried to ignore it. Ranma was just mad because his dad forced him to…take a free room? Whatever, Ranma was a scaredy cat who couldn't sleep without his daddy, there was nothing he could do that could embarrass Akio.

  “C’mon, that's enough of a break. Get some water and let's continue.” Genma took his position on the other side of the dojo, and that's when Akio lost his cool.

  “Hold on a minute!” He shouted, still laying on the ground. “You don't run Ranma this hard, I can barely move.” This had to be some kind of test to see how much nonsense Akio would put up with, nobody actually trained this vigorously.

  “Ranma!” The commanding bark had the younger Saotome on his feet with his hands behind his back. He gave Akio a smug grin. “Gimme 150 squats, then we show your future husband how to train.”

  That earned Genma a sour look from Ranma but Akio chuckled. At least if Mr. Saotome was mad he was mad at both of them. Regardless, Ranma immediately complied while his dad walked over to the water and…started taking off his gi? Akio wasn't sure what the plan was until the man splashed himself.

  Ranma also seemed confused, though he didn’t stop. “We gonna spar while you're a panda, pops?” The man couldn't respond of course, but he leapt up on to Ranma's back and balanced on one foot. All that seemed to do was annoy his son. “Oh, hah hah, I get it.” His pace didn't slow at all and soon he and his father, still in panda form, faced each other. Ranma was unarmed, Genma upgraded from a switch to a shinai.

  There wasn't a specific moment when everything clicked for Ranma and he started winning. It took a lot of tries, each failure rewarded with a sharp jab or stinging swipe. Almost the entire time, Ranma stayed low: knees bent, legs spread wide, back straight, not at all like his usual light-footed freeform stance. Yet he glided across the floor smoothly with tiny, swift steps.

  Akio knew Genma wasn’t holding back, but Ranma was either inured to pain or bull-headed enough to power through it without complaint. He never shut his mouth either, even after multiple bruises started to appear, he just kept yapping and sniping at his father, seemingly always in good humor.

  After a handful of failed attempts, Akio recognized Ranma’s tactic, or lack thereof: he never approached the same way twice. Sometimes he’d feint, sometimes he’d bait a strike, once he even tried to jump. He scored his first hit sometime after the 20th attempt, and Akio let out a quick cheer on instinct.

  From there his wins came more frequently until Genma chuffed at the two to stop. Both of them were panting, Ranma was so drenched in sweat Akio was surprised he didn’t transform. A glance at the clock on the wall revealed that almost an hour had passed as the two sparred.

  Despite his labored breathing, Ranma was ecstatic. “Woo! Saotome training, that’s right!” Hell, forget ecstatic, he was practically bouncing off the walls. Akio was impressed despite himself, especially when Ranma gave Akio an enormous, brilliant smile that caught the early afternoon light just right and his heart fluttered.

  “Ranma, how…” Akio uttered breathlessly. But he had to hold strong. Just because Ranma was amazing and adorable when he got all happy and was glistening didn't mean he could lose his head. He had his pride to consider after all. “...How are your legs not a puddle of jelly?”

  “Sao. To. Me. Training.” Ranma repeated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Mr. Saotome barked in agreement as he stretched, which provided Akio with a much needed distraction. Ranma’s dad didn’t spend a lot of time in his cursed form if he could help it, so Akio was unaccustomed to the sight of a panda in Crescent Moon Pose.

  “Y’know pops, this almost makes up for what you did to the bedroom.” Even in the throes of a post-workout high, Ranma avoided saying “my” bedroom. “You run Akio this hard maybe he’ll make for a real challenge someday.”

  Akio wanted to be angry, irritated, or at least annoyed, but Ranma gave Akio a wink and a hearty, wet slap on the arm, which left him too distracted to register Ranma’s insult. “H-hey I’m at least a challenge already,” Akio whined, but his stutter undermined whatever point he was trying to make. “I’ve won a couple of our fights.”

  Ranma hated losing, and that meant he found ways to explain away his losses. So it surprised Akio when Ranma tilted his head in thought, but eagerly nodded. “Huh, you’re right! I got you figured out though, so keep gettin’ better or I’ll get bored.”

  With that, he pivoted and marched toward the house, throwing his dad and Akio a V as he shouted over his shoulder. “I don’t wanna help Mrs. Tendo like this, and y’all make sure you’re clean before dinner so she doesn’t get mad!”

  Once he was certain Ranma wasn’t paying attention, Akio let himself grin. His fake fiancée got so cute whenever Akio’s mom was involved, even when he acted like a gremlin. And Akio knew Ranma would be just as mad if they came to dinner covered in dried sweat. Ranma would probably make a really great mom someday, as seriously as she took dinner. She’d probably be great with the kid—

  A shinai slammed into his temple and knocked him ass over teakettle, completely derailing his train of thought. “Huh-wha?” was the only semi-intelligible noise he could make as Mr. Saotome poked him in the abs, still sore from the earlier workout.

  “Don’t ever let your guard down!” When did he turn back to human? Where did he get the hot water? Why was he upside-down? “That’s 20 hanging sit ups, and you better do ‘em right.” Akio groaned.

  Hana strode into her kitchen full of purpose and almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Ranma, pink-haired, wearing red flannel and blue jeans under Naoki's…well, really now his apron, he'd already worn it more than her middle child.

  Much like yesterday he snapped to attention when she walked in but she could tell he was nervous. He was helpful but she didn’t need an assistant who was going to make food prep awkward.

  “I'll be honest, I didn't expect you to be here tonight.” Hana started tying her own apron and pulling food out of the fridge. She wanted to do something hardy and filling after the emotional whirlwind of the day, but she had something special planned for tomorrow and didn't want something heavy two days in a row.

  “Well, I promised, yanno, and Saotomes aren't freeloaders.” He was practically mumbling while he stared at his feet, the poor boy. Hana had to take care of the problem now.

  “Ranma, look at me when I'm speaking to you.” Gentle yet unquestionable, Hana's words took hold of Ranma and drew his attention to her. All he saw was her smiling face and comforting brown eyes. “I'm upset that you and my son hid a very big, potentially troublesome decision from me. My boys have upset me before, and I've made my share of bad decisions too. We solve our issues in this household by talking to each other, apologizing, and helping. We still love each other, we forgive, and we move on.”

  She gave the boy a few moments to digest her words. Genma Saotome was, as far as she could tell, a good father, but he and Ranma probably never spoke as openly with each other as Hana was to Ranma now. That worked, perhaps, when it was just the two of them, but if they were going to live in her house they needed to learn to communicate.

  “Guess Akio hasn’t learned that yet…” Hana barely heard the mumble, but she was a veteran mother of teens and had a keen sense for mumbling, muttering, and under-the-breath subvocalizing. Since it concerned her baby boy, she couldn’t let it stand.

  “Excuse me?” She didn’t snap, but she did add a scolding edge to her voice that immediately got the boy’s attention. “What do you mean by that, Ranma? Have you and Akio been fighting again?”

  Ranma froze and blushed. Hana felt the familiar stirring of her inner matchmaker, but she was ready. When she heard about the fake engagement she was so shocked it reset her, allowing her to think clearly about the situation and construct a barrier to rebuff fantasies about grandchildren or daughters-in-law or anything like that, especially with regard to Ranma.

  The tiny, pink-haired boy sighed before rambling, opening the dam of feelings he’d built up. “I think Akio's mad at me and I don't know why. I said sorry for bein' upset about the Tatewaki thing an’ he said okay but he's been weird about it all day, an’ then he teased me in front of our friends even though I know we're s’posed to put on a good show to keep the other kids offa our backs but he went too far and embarrassed me.” Ranma said basically the entire thing in a single breath. Her vulnerability, the slight tremble in her voice, the deepening blush on her cheeks, and the fact that she was worried about Akio demolished Hana’s mental barriers almost immediately.

  Maybe a spring wedding, with sakura petals? Or would her hair disappear? Maybe a winter wedding, I think Soun’s sister still has that cottage in Myoko, that'd look lovely. Wait…dammit Hana, we practiced this!

  She shook her head and put an arm around Ranma's delicate but firm shoulders and shut away the thoughts about switching to a Western style wedding so she could wear a sleeveless dress because there isn't going to be a wedding Hana get a grip godsd—

  “It's possible he's just taking his time getting over it,” she reassured Ranma, “but if you're worried he's not telling you something you just have to ask. If he gets defensive or avoids the question don’t push him and feel free to ask me about it. Is there anything about that day you might have overlooked?”

  Ranma shook her-her-his head. “Naw, I remember sayin’ some mean things about how he handled Tatewaki but if I said somethin’ I don't remember what it was.”

  She just had to remember that Ranma was a sweet boy who had trouble expressing and discussing his emotions. He probably hadn't formed many friendships with other boys being on the road most of his life and she'd need to be patient and give him guidance and support.

  “Well, I'm sorry I can't be more help, but the fact that you noticed and care means an awful lot to me sweetie.” Hana tilted Ranma's face up and beamed. “If he keeps making you uncomfortable just let me know, okay?” Ranma nodded and a slight grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Why don't you tell me about how your schoolwork’s going while you get some wood ear mushrooms ready to soak?”

  Her sous chef was much more pleasant after their chat. Ranma shared his revelations about how girls experienced the world, most of which Hana was familiar with, though 1987 was a very different time than the early ‘60s. Hana filled in some of the context Ranma was missing since she often spoke with the parents of his and Akio's classmates.

  “Oh, I never asked: how was P.E. yesterday?” Hana wanted to make sure Ranma was comfortable and not drawing too much attention to himself.

  “P.E. was P.E., doesn't matter if you're a girl or a boy,” he shrugged. “But if you mean how did I handle the locker room, I did okay. Showers have their own stalls so I didn't need to dodge blasts of hot water or stare at my toes.”

  He suddenly got quiet and looked away, scratching his jawline. That was his tell when there was something else on his mind but didn’t want to mention it.

  “Go on.” She offered, earning her a startled, wide-eyed Ranma looking at her like she was a witch. Laughing, she continued. “No, I can't read your mind, but I can tell when a kid has more to say.”

  “Y-yeah, uh…” Whatever it was must be embarrassing, given the blush on his cheeks and his awkward stance. “The other…the girls sure didn’t mind looking at me, and commenting, and…I dunno, I kept worryin’ they were gonna figure me out.”

  More vulnerability from Ranma? Maybe getting him and his father to open up wouldn’t be as monumental a task as she feared. “Well, they’ve had years to get used to their bodies, and they’re clearly comfortable with you.” She considered explaining that girls had to learn early on how to spot potential threats, but she wasn’t sure how to broach that topic. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out; you’ve got two years and I’m always here to help.”

  Ranma nodded and the two got back to prepping plates and setting the table. “Will you go let Naoki, Akio, and your father know dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, dear?” Ranma nodded and bounced off to summon the household. Hana hummed and tossed the kikurage salad, pleased by how the day had gone — even after the rocky start.

  When Ranma returned he came in bright red and clenching his shoulders, then began wordlessly ladling bowls with miso soup. “Told everybody.” He sputtered. Hana wasn’t sure what happened until people started arriving at the dinner table. Genma came in first with an enormous grin and had to hold back a chuckle when he saw his son’s still-blushing face.

  Akio came in, hair still wet from the shower, also blushing and the two teens refused to look at each other, and that’s when Hana put two and two together. She risked giving Genma a knowing look and couldn’t help but grin along with him. Naoki came in, immediately intuited what was going on, and grinned along with the adults.

  “Katsumi will be home soon, he called a few minutes ago,” Hana announced to the room with a smirk. “We’ll go ahead and start eating now.” To everyone else’s amusement, Ranma and Akio ended up sitting catty-corner to each other. Neither wanted to speak or look at each other, so once everyone said thanks Hana asked Naoki how his day went.

  Dinner was pleasant for a little bit before the first disturbance. Naoki was complaining about his workload and the increased difficulty of second year exams when Akio cried out.

  “Hey!” Akio was glowering at Ranma, who looked every bit as innocent as the day he arrived, just ate his food quietly.

  Akio looked around incredulously, and saw nothing but blank faces. “Did you see…?” Hana frowned, realizing Ranma must be engaging in juvenile pranks.

  “Please don’t antagonize anyone at my table, Ranma.” Emphasizing ‘my table’ to reinforce her authority, Ranma complied without a word, and for a few more minutes they knew peace.

  “C’mon!” This time it was Ranma’s shrill voice that disturbed their dinner and Genma’s musings. Akio was slurping up the last few inches of a soba noodle while parrying Ranma’s attempts to steal some of his, their chopsticks a blur of motion as the martial artists used their amazing skill for such a petty display.

  “Akio! Ranma!” Hana commanded, freezing the both of them who looked at her with wide eyes. “You’re almost adults, act like it. Akio, I shouldn’t have to tell you to not misbehave.” Her youngest child gulped, nodded, and tried to tell her he was sorry. “Don’t apologize to me, apologize to each other. If you can’t behave together your arrangement is over, understand?” She left the implied threat of what she’d do if they disrupted dinner a third time unsaid.

  Everyone at the table watched the two glare, bruised egos refused to concede. They thought they were saved when Katsumi finally announced he was home, but Hana wouldn't let them get away that easy.

  “Ranma and Akio have to apologize to each other.” She informed Katsumi as soon as he turned the corner into the living room. The squabbling pair shot her belligerent glances but returned to their staring contest.

  Katsumi watched the scene unfold as he sat down. “Ranma should apologize first,” he offered, much to Ranma's chagrin.

  “Why? He started messing with me first.” That thoroughly childish logic failed to convince anyone, though before Akio could respond in kind Katsumi pulled himself up to his full height and adopted his most stentorian affectation.

  “You're the youngest, you should apologize first, then Akio.” Hana smirked as Katsumi began eating as if this was an everyday occurrence. What astonished her the most is that it worked. It was stilted and brusque, but Ranma turned to Akio, pouted, bowed, and apologized.

  “‘m sorry.” He mumbled, and from her angle Hana saw that he was tightly gripping the hem of his shirt.

  Akio sighed but bowed his head. “I'm also sorry.”

  And with that the tension at the table dissipated and dinner was resumed, albeit noticeably chilly at one end.

  “How'd you know I'm the youngest?” Ranma asked a few minutes later while idly moving some food around with his chopsticks.

  “I filled out your intake form at Dr. Tofu's, remember?” Katsumi informed him, not even pausing to look. “Akio's birthday is in April, you're the youngest by seven months.”

  Ranma balked and glowered at Akio like he'd been betrayed. “You're gonna be 17 in a month?” Akio just shrugged, but Hana spotted the slight grin on his lips. “Ugh, whatever, it just means I'm gonna outlive ya.”

  “How was your day, Akio? Ranma?” Katsumi didn't want another argument erupting at the table. Akio was caught with a mouth full of cucumber and mushroom, leaving Ranma to answer.

  “School was fine, got a bunch of study material from my teachers. Came home, Mrs. Tendo an’ pops found out about the engagement, did some homework, showed Akio how to train properly,” Akio's eyebrows twitched in protest, “An’ made dinner, nothin' special happened.”

  So quick and casual was Ranma's recollection of the day that Katsumi nodded along and went back to his food along with everybody else. For a few moments anyway. Hana was refilling her soup bowl when her oldest dropped his chopsticks and practically shouted “Wait, someone got engaged?” at Ranma.

  Naoki laughed out loud and put his chin in his hands when Akio and Ranma started turning red. Hana smirked along with Genma, but Katsumi was less amused.

  “You engaged my little brother to your kid?” Katsumi stood up and roared at Genma, who blinked and scowled but otherwise didn't respond to the outburst. “Not even a week in our home and you take advantage like—”

  “Katsumi, sit down and be quiet!” Hana didn't have to stand up or shout, but the chilling aura swirling around her darkened the room and rattled the dishes. Her eldest begrudgingly sat back down, anger still focused on Mr. Saotome.

  Ranma and Akio looked mortified and Naoki eyed the backyard in case he needed to make a quick getaway, but Hana wasn't going to suffer one of her children ruining dinner.

  “Before you jump to conclusions and embarrass our family, ask for more details.” Her voice was calm but inviolate. “I'll let Ranma and your brothers explain.”

  Katsumi was mortified by the time they finished explaining, and put his forehead to the tatami floor. “Please forgive my outburst mother. And my apologies to you as well Mr. Saotome.”

  Hana was well used to his overly formal apologies; she knew it meant he was sincere. “It's all right Katsumi, I should have told you on the phone.” She nodded at Genma, who grunted his forgiveness.

  Once again, Hana sighed. Men his age just couldn't use words properly, could they? “Mr. Saotome, if you would please utilize the same level of respect in acknowledging my son's apology as he did making it I would be most grateful.”

  Genma was taken aback by her forward request, but he quickly smoothed his expression and inclined his head. “Ahem…thank you Katsumi, I appreciate the apology and I apologize in turn for any disrespect.”

  Once her eldest returned, humbled, to his seat, Hana allowed herself a sigh of relief. She needed to talk to Katsumi about his temper, but at least there wouldn’t be any more engagement-related drama.

  An unfamiliar scent wafted through the air, disturbing Genma's shaky focus as he meditated next to the koi pond. It had been a trying day, and he wanted a chance to make sense of it all. The slightest disturbance distracted him, however, so he sighed and sniffed to figure it out.

  Once he turned his focus to analysis, he recognized it: smoke. Not the acrid odor of burning wood but the sweet, heady scent of tobacco. It was close, too close to belong to a pedestrian walking by the wall. He needed to investigate.

  Hana sat on a bench behind the dojo, gazing at the sky, lit only by the ambient illumination coming from the city. She didn't seem surprised as he came around the corner and gave him a sardonic but apologetic look.

  “Sorry Saotome, I only get one pack a year.”

  This was a much different version of Hana than the one he'd gotten to know over the past week. In her he saw the decade of emotional and physical labor and both admired the strength she needed to thrive and appreciated the pain she had to endure.

  “‘preciate it, but I don't smoke cigarettes.” He leaned against the wall and looked skyward. “Good cigar or pipe? That's my weakness.”

  They soaked in the soft noise of Nerima’s early evening, letting the far off sounds of downtown Tokyo fill the space between them as they struggled to begin the conversation they'd been avoiding.

  “What do you think, Saotome?” Hana asked. “I never expected anything like this. Maybe when you first showed up and I was looking at a 16-year-old girl, her weird pet, and her absentee father, but not…well, not after.”

  Genma chuckled to give himself time to think. Maybe talking with a friend and fellow parent would help him clear his mind. His thoughts twisted and turned like a maze, leading him deeper into a quagmire of doubt. “Honestly, Mrs. Tendo, I don't know what to think either. Ranma's always been a hard kid to read. He's got a few tells but he keeps everything locked up tight, even from himself.”

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  “Sounds about right. Teens. I guess we should count ourselves lucky he's not making it everyone else's problem.” She seemed preoccupied. Genma couldn't well ask what was bothering her though: he was preoccupied himself.

  “Saotome, how does Ranma feel about his curse?” It wasn't the question she wanted to ask, he could tell, but perhaps starting there would help..

  “He was angry at first, but that's nothing new for him.” Genma remembered how his son screamed in horror, then in rage, before chasing Genma into the forest. “It was the following week, after the shock wore off, he seemed…lighter.”

  Hana snorted. “Well he looks about 10 kilograms lighter whenever he's got pink hair, doesn't seem that surprising.”

  “Haha, true. Meanwhile I gain about 200. But I mean lighter in spirit. Certainly there was a lot weighing on us. We feared the curse was permanent, I couldn’t write yet, and we ran out of food after about three days. But…when he was resting, when he lost himself in kata, or when he was asleep, he was calmer than ever.” He pinched his chin in thought, recalling an important detail. “He hasn't had nightmares since.”

  She leaned forward, intrigued. “Were they a problem before?”

  “Constant, especially if he was alone.” Genma shuddered as he remembered some truly awful nights back when he worked late hours. “I snore, but he woke me up most of the time.

  “What do you really want to ask me, Mrs. Tendo?” He sensed her hesitation, her wariness, her fear of his response.

  A clump of ashes hit the damp street and she took another drag to steel her nerves. “When we were shopping for clothes, I saw him looking at something when none of us were around.” She hesitated, but Genma could guess where she was going.

  “Girl clothes?” She nodded.

  “A dress. A very pretty blue sundress with a white bow around the back. He didn't try it on I don't think. But he was mesmerized by it.”

  “Hmmm.” Genma grunted while he processed this information. Ranma occasionally showed signs that he was interested in “girly” things. Genma always assumed it was because he lacked a mother figure or feminine presence, and that created an air of mystique around the fairer sex. Perhaps he should have enrolled Ranma in a coed junior high school.

  “Now we find out he’s involved in a fake engagement with my son and I have to wonder what he wants or expects to happen.” She continued while Genma pondered. “I have to wonder what his father wants or expects to happen.”

  Before the smell of her cigarette brought him here, that was exactly why he was meditating. Hana lacked an important piece of context, however: Ranma’s full reason for going to school as a girl, and why he would go to the lengths he did to avoid attention from other boys. Genma decided she deserved to know a little more.

  “Ranma’s last school was boys only, and there was…a bully problem.” Flashbacks to the times Ranma came home with bruises and wet eyes threatened his composure, but he kept his cool. “It escalated from name-calling to violence, eventually that’s why I decided to unenroll him. Going on a two-year training trip to China was, in hindsight, not the smartest follow-up but I wanted to give him something else to focus on.”

  “How awful!” Mrs. Hana shook her head. “Were any of the bullies held accountable, at least?”

  Genma brusquely replied “Yes,” before quickly returning to the previous topic. “I don't think he's excited about pretending to be a girl, being called ‘girly’ tends to set him off. He's adaptable, stubborn, and hardheaded, and…” he had to confess to how they used to live. He hoped Mrs. Hana would understand, especially since she married Soun.

  “For a while we, uh, had to make ends meet through…dishonest means.” He couldn't keep his embarrassment from showing. “Scams, cons, things I learned from the Master. Ranma has always been very good at…acting. Has a tendency to lose himself in the roles he plays.”

  He risked a guilty glance at Mrs. Hana, and was heartened to see that she looked sympathetic and understanding. “This was after your wife disappeared?” It was barely a question. “Believe me when I say I was a mess after Soun passed. It's a miracle my boys turned out as well as they did. You're done with all of that, though?”

  Genma nodded emphatically. “Absolutely. You have nothing to worry about from either of us.”

  Hana took another drag of her cigarette. “Well, you're his father, and Naoki tells me he's adamant about being a boy. I guess we'll see how this engagement thing plays out.”

  For some reason, Genma could swear she sounded disappointed. Did she want them to have a relationship? When he thought of Akio's trouble with Kodachi, he realized none of the Tendo boys had girlfriends, not even Naoki. Before he shared his observations of Ranma's potential feelings toward her son, he needed to make sure she was safe.

  “Would you have a problem with them developing a real relationship?” He asked plainly, “hypothetically”. There were a few ways he considered she might react, but gasping and coughing like she'd been struck in the throat wasn't on his list.

  He made to help her but she waved him away to catch her breath, the last bit of her cigarette rolling away on the asphalt.

  “Wh-why would you ask that?” There was a shaky quiver in her voice, probably from having just caught her breath. “I don't, of course, it'd be hypocritical of me after Naoki.”

  “Naoki?” Genma wasn't sure what her middle son had to do with his question. Had he told her he was interested in Ranma? He did seem confident enough to be so forward.

  Hana’s eyes went wide and she cursed under her breath. “Dammit Hana…Okay Mr. Saotome,” the cold aura from earlier radiated from her once more, and Genma felt an immense weight on his soul as she laid her gaze upon him. “Why don't you tell me how you'd feel about a relationship between our boys first?”

  Clearly she was a greater threat than he realized: he felt claustrophobic but couldn't move, and the edges of his vision darkened. “I wouldn't have a problem with it at all, it'd be hypocritical of me after Soun.”

  Color and light came back and Hana looked shocked. “After…what about my husband?”

  Despite the chill, sweat started gathering on the back of Genma’s neck. “Oh he, he never told you about some of the things we tried, eh?”

  He couldn't tell if she was upset, intrigued, curious, just shocked, or some combination of all four, but she got a faraway look in her eye and stroked her chin. “I suppose…that explains a few things. Well, if you’re worried about me or my sons disapproving of something like that…don’t. Why do you ask?”

  Now that Genma was at the precipice of revealing his thoughts to her, he wasn't so sure. But considering the situation they'd found themselves in, perhaps it was best not to subject their children’s futures to uncertainty. “Ah, well, I believe Ranma has a crush on Akio.”

  Finally, he gave her some news that didn't hit her like a truck. Instead, she grinned and leaned back into her seat. “I thought so. I wasn't positive, but I'm happy to have independent confirmation.” The box of cigarettes was back in her hand in a flash before she paused and shook her head.

  They simply sat together in silence for a time, thinking. Genma wondered what Ranma's mother would think, if she were still around. They probably wouldn't have gone to Jusenkyo to begin with, so the situation wouldn't have happened anyway, but he wished she were here to offer her perspective.

  “He looks so much like his mother, you know?” Genma mused. Hana perked up, his voice snapping her out of her own rumination. “I met her when she was 19, we were married when she was 23. He took after her enough before the curse, but…when he popped out of the spring, I'm grateful I couldn't speak. I thought it was her somehow. And now I see her face whenever I see him in that form.”

  Hana patted the bench next to her, and he accepted her offer. Her smile was warm and understanding. “I know what you mean, it's like that with Katsumi and Akio. I see so much of Soun in them. I've had a long time to see them grow into it though. You've had a month.”

  She was right, of course. It had to be harder for Ranma, he had pictures of his mother, did he see her face every time he looked in the mirror?

  Footsteps approached, and Hana sighed. “Looks like someone found us.”

  Someone was Akio, who only seemed surprised to see Genma. “Oh, hi Mr. Saotome. Mom, can I get your help inside?” Hana donned her motherly mantle in a flash and hopped up to her feet with a smile.

  “Of course sweetie. Mr. Saotome, have a good evening.” And like that Genma was left alone with his thoughts and the lingering scent of cigarette smoke.

  Ranma’s first night alone was miserable. Creaks and moans emanated from the old house without rhyme or reason, ensuring his already light sleep was disturbed constantly. When he had them, his dreams were colored by the stress he felt about school and the awful first tutoring session with Katsumi.

  First he poured scalding water on Ranma without warning when he was still wearing his girl clothes and a sports bra. The stomach-clenching rip of his jeans as his body struggled to expand wasn't just embarrassing in the moment, it was constantly on his mind afterward, making it very difficult to focus on the nonsense Katsumi droned on about.

  Then the taskmaster assigned Ranma homework. For a tutoring session! Katsumi expected it by their next session: tomorrow at two in the afternoon, which meant Ranma probably wouldn't have time to help with dinner. Mrs. Hana promised she wouldn't make anything special or complex without him, just a normal Sunday family dinner.

  It was after he offered to “make up” the day when she gave him a knowing look, put her hands on his shoulders, and said “Ranma, I know you like to help me cook and I’m grateful. You're lovely company and always welcome in my kitchen, okay?”

  That had to be the source of the nightmare where he skipped out of the Tendo kitchen wearing a frilly apron and served dinner to his classmates in the middle of an exam being proctored by Professor Katsumi. It was the only dream he was grateful to be woken up from.

  Well, that and the stupid dream with Akio. In girl form he chased a grumpy Akio all over Nerima, Suginami, and eventually all the way to Jusenkyo where he again fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl, and when Akio pulled him out he was dressed in a huge Western wedding gown and the two came together for a kiss. He was very grateful when the sound of barking dogs woke him up before their lips actually touched.

  All that to say: Ranma didn't want to get up when his alarm clock went off. By itself, the device was alien and jarring. A shrill cacophony of tiny bells wasn't, strictly speaking, worse than when pops used to wake him up with a bucket of cold water, but he learned how to handle that.

  No way would he let one bad night of sleep and an awful alarm get in the way of his training though. Without his usual ebullient energy it took him a little longer to get dressed but he strode out into the hallway in running shorts and a tank top and of course ran right into Akio, wearing basically the same thing.

  Part of him hoped that Akio got a good night's sleep and wouldn't be as prickly today, but that hope was dashed when Akio looked him up and down with a judgy raised eyebrow. “You're going running like that?”

  So much for being friendly. Had Ranma gotten a better night's sleep, maybe he would have remembered Mrs. Hana's advice before he opened his mouth. “What, I should go naked?” Akio blustered and turned red with anger.

  “No, idiot, as a guy. You want people to see a boy who looks almost like popular new girl Ranma Saotome running around? And what if you get splashed on the run?” Ranma grit his teeth. He meant to lay out girl-sized clothes last night but the frustrating session with Katsumi left him too riled up to remember.

  No way could he admit that to Akio while he was being a jerk. “Of course not, I'm gonna splash myself before we go out. What, I'm supposed to make a mess in the guest room?”

  “Whatever,” Akio rolled his eyes and headed for the stairs. “Wait, we?” Ranma was determined to figure out why his friend was upset with him. If it was something Ranma did he wanted a chance to fix it. If it was something stupid he'd laugh at Akio's face and tell him to get over it.

  “Yeah. You did strength training yesterday, so you're running today, right?” Ranma ducked into the kitchen to splash himself and rejoined Akio before he could finish putting his shoes on.

  “I feel like running so I'm gonna go with you.” Ranma slipped on his oversized shoes, internally grumbling for putting himself in a situation where he'd be running without a sports bra or properly fitted footwear. “Gotta problem with that?”

  Apparently Akio was so angry that one quick glance at Ranma made him turn tomato red again. “N-no, y-you can run with me if you're not embarrassed or something.”

  Ranma had seen some of Akio's runs, or more accurately jogs. It'd be easy enough to manipulate him into spilling the beans at that pace.

  “Soooo…what’re ya up to today?” Ranma began once they cleared the front gate. He was legitimately curious, but he also hoped if he got Akio talking he'd give Ranma a thread he could pull.

  “Homework, training with your dad, studying for my end of year exams.” Terse, brusque. That was fine, Ranma could work with that, even when Akio started speeding up, probably hoping to discourage talking.

  “Sure, but I meant for fun.” Maybe Akio didn't like it when Ranma showed off? Guys, other guys that is, had fragile egos and didn't like getting shown up, especially by their friends. “I haven't hah stayed in one huh place in two ye-hah-ars. Any fun whoo stuff to doaroundhere whuh?” Maybe the panting was excessive, but as long as Akio bought it he didn't care.

  Of course, Akio sped up again. “There’s the movie theater near the train station, but Sundays are always packed. We-huh like to go on discount d-hah-ays and watch older stuuhff.” Another burst of speed. “Weather’s nice haaa today so I think haaa I'll goskateboarding wheeze.”

  Ranma couldn't feign exhaustion after that. “Wait, you skateboard?!” Whatever problem he and Akio were having could wait: Ranma had a new aspiration. “Where? Can I come? Will you teach me?”

  Akio stopped abruptly, though that might have been due to Ranma sprinting backwards right in front of him and bouncing as he asked his questions (otherwise they couldn't see eye to eye). At first Ranma thought Akio was so angry he was about to explode, the way his face turned red and he started blustering, and the taller boy grabbed his wrist and dragged them into a nearby alley.

  “Shut up!” he hissed urgently through his teeth and rubbed his temples. Ranma tilted his head, both frustrated Akio was mad at him for innocent questions and curious why the sudden need for secrecy. “Nerima is a gossipy, traditional town, and full of old people who will complain the second they get a hint of a skateboard.”

  Two trains of thought collided on the tracks of Ranma’s mind: Akio was worried his hobby could get him in trouble but Akio also had a hobby that could get him in trouble. Ranma’s personal history of legal noncompliance included breaking and entering, so he had absolutely no room to talk. If anything, his estimation of Akio rose considerably, and his eyes widened in excitement at the same time that his mouth split into an impish, toothy smile.

  “Akio! I didn’t know you could be so…rebellious.” Akio found himself pushed against the wall as Ranma stepped forward, suddenly all too aware of how close they were and how compromising things looked. Ranma wasn’t even paying attention to that: Akio represented Ranma’s first close glimpse into a mystifying sport and subculture he’d had to admire from afar for the past five years, and two of those years were hiking through the Chinese wilderness.

  “I-I-I’m not!” Akio weakly protested. “It’s j-j-just something I like to d-do that my br-brothers aren’t b-b-b-better than me at.” Despite the current 20-or-so centimeter difference in height between the two, Ranma felt bigger than Akio for once, and the pink-haired boy didn’t know how to proceed.

  Inadvertently, however, it seemed like Ranma found the source of Akio’s discomfort and anger. Ranma actually felt a little guilty: he didn’t mean to manipulate Akio into opening up. Technically he hadn’t, he was just excited to learn about one of Akio’s hobbies, but it was clearly more important to Akio than a means to waste time.

  The responsible thing to do was not to push him and respect his boundaries. If he insisted on skateboarding alone, Ranma should be okay with that.

  Neither of these were Ranma’s strong points, and he figured Akio would be excited to show Ranma something he was passionate about. Ranma just had to make sure he hid just how good he’d be by the end of their first lesson so he didn’t embarrass Akio.

  “I promise, your secret’s safe with me, ‘Kio.” Ranma mimed zipping his lips shut and put his hands behind his back, giving Akio just enough time to think he was finished. “Buuuut you gotta take me with you today and show me the basics!”

  A frustrated, borderline angry noise almost escaped Akio’s lips as Ranma delivered her ultimatum. Intense willpower and a tornado of conflicting urges and emotions kept the noise contained, though he had to manage so many different autonomic processes happening in his body at the same time he knew something would get through eventually.

  Ranma couldn’t possibly understand just how…cute he was, right? Akio didn’t buy that she meant to come out with an oversized shirt, shoes, and no bra, but there’s no way he planned for Akio to get an eyeful of her bouncing…pigtail right as he asked Akio for something.

  Because he was trying to keep his mouth shut, the blood from rushing to his pants, and his eyes from wandering down to her glistening body, his judgement was severely compromised. “Sure, I’m gonna head out after dinner if you wanna come with me.”

  Once he said it he regretted it. In the best case scenario, Ranma proved again that he was better at one of Akio’s things. In the worst case, Ranma’s reckless, carefree attitude got them in trouble and Akio’s mom would confiscate his board again. Somehow, whatever happened would be Akio’s fault.

  “Yes, thank you Akio!” All regrets — indeed, all thoughts — were immediately cancelled as Ranma jumped up and hugged Akio around the neck. Everything below her shoulders hung limp against his body and her feet were popped up behind her, which meant all of her soft, gentle weight pushed against him. Especially her — previously established — bare chest, separated from his by two damp layers of cloth. Her cheek pressed against his neck and he caught a whiff of shampoo as her pink hair tickled his nose.

  It had to have been an eternity by the time he regained control of his limbs and grabbed her waist, gingerly pulling her off of him, his body somehow managing to ignore the hormones screaming in his blood to hold her tight and…initiate other things. “Yeah! Of course! No problem! Ha hah hah hah!” Why was he laughing? He didn’t know, probably the same reason he was almost shouting every word.

  They needed to get home so Akio could shut himself in his room for a couple of hours and cool off. “This run was really good! I need to relax before training today, we should head home!” Finally allowing himself to look at Ranma, he noticed she was idly playing with her pigtail the same way she’d done a week ago, on the day she first arrived. And she was averting her gaze and blushing. There was no way he could understand why she was making that anxious expression, all he could say was that it made her even cuter.

  “Okay let’s get going bet I can beat you back!” His legs started moving before he consciously told them to, but the split second head start on the impromptu challenge didn’t help: Ranma was very competitive, and apparently just as eager to get home as Akio, because even though he sprinted at full speed to get home, Ranma beat him there by almost 30 seconds, and somehow seemed unsatisfied with that.

  “I would have done better if my legs weren’t still sore from yesterday,” she stretched and rubbed her shapely calves while Akio fumbled with the front gate key. In the morning light, every rivulet of sweat shone brightly on her skin. Akio realized he was staring and quickly managed to redirect his focus to finding the right stupid key, but that meant he missed Ranma getting similarly distracted by his glistening abs when he raised his shirt up to wipe the sweat from his face.

  “Lunch!” Ranma blurted out as Akio finally unlocked the gate. He gave Ranma a questioning look, and the pink-haired boy smiled. “Buy me lunch since I beat you back.” Oh, right, Akio did say it was a bet.

  “What would you have done if I’d won? You don’t have money to buy me lunch.” Ranma just shrugged.

  “I woulda made you lunch, I guess. Or asked pops if he’s got my first allowance yet.” Her eyes went wide. “I should ask him anyway!”

  “We’re home!” Akio announced from the genkan, the homey smell of cooked rice making their mouths water. When they rushed to the living room to partake of breakfast, however, his mother took one look at the two of them and threw up her hand.

  “Not one step farther!” she commanded, halting their advance. “You’re not sitting at my table before you clean up. Shoo!” Despite the audible grumble from Ranma’s stomach, both of them complied with a groan and slumped off to the furo.

  Akio had seen his fake fiancée nude, in both forms, several times by now. He was willing to say he’d gotten used to the sight. However, given just how…energetic they’d been this morning, his body reacted as soon as she began peeling off her sweat-slick clothes. “Uhhhhh I’m gonna go grab a change of clothes.” he sputtered before removing his shorts.

  He was stopped before he could make a hasty exit as Ranma gripped his wrist. “Oh, wait, I’m starving, can you get my…” she blushed and trailed off for some reason as her eyes drifted down from Akio’s face. Not that he noticed, as his attention was glued to her uncovered form.

  “N-nevermind!” he squeaked and freed Akio, “I’ll ask when you get back.” Both of them stepped through their respective doors, leaned back, and let out panicked sighs.

  Okay Katsumi, you’ve got this. The eldest Tendo locked eyes with his opponent, who refused to blink before him, who met his steely gaze with his own, who matched Katsumi’s impressive glower…his reflection. Yesterday was abysmal. Ranma was incredibly behind and had trouble focusing despite Katsumi’s attempts to help. It was reasonable to assume she’d have an easier time studying in his birth form, it wasn’t Katsumi’s fault she was wearing the wrong clothes.

  Perhaps carrying the shinai was a mistake, Ranma seemed unable to take her eyes off of it while he lectured, but wasn’t she a martial artist? He knew Mr. Saotome trained her with a shinai, he’d seen the man exiting the dojo holding one. Still, yesterday was just the first session, it made sense they’d encounter some growing pains. The relationship between mentor and student was a sacrosanct agreement to take the student’s education seriously. Hopefully Ranma took Katsumi’s extra work suggestion seriously.

  He glanced at the clock. 12:35, and Ranma still wasn’t back from her lunch with Akio. Less than half an hour, but Katsumi paced around his room nervously anyway. Why was he so nervous, anyway? He’d successfully tutored lots of kids. It wasn’t because she was a girl sometimes, was it? Girls never asked him to tutor them, so maybe it felt new to him even though Ranma was a boy. If he asked Ranma to transform back, maybe he wouldn’t get mad.

  12:36. Dammit, what was wrong with him? Maybe his room was the problem. Should they study in the living room? No, that was a public space, and today was their only three-hour session. Perhaps Ranma’s room, then? While he waited for Ranma and his youngest brother to get back from their da—lunch Katsumi peeked in to examine the space.

  The only furnishings so far was a futon on the floor, a wardrobe, and a desk where Ranma’s books were haphazardly piled. A stuffed animal sat atop the uneven stack of books and a framed picture of an older woman with pink hair sat on the corner of the desk.

  In a word, it was the perfect study space. He’d ask her when she finally got back.

  “Big Bro, it’s rude to go through someone’s room when they’re not home.” Naoki appeared so suddenly behind Katsumi that he yelped and spun like he’d been caught trespassing.

  “Warn me when you sneak up like that!” he bellowed, which earned him a chuckle.

  “Then I wouldn’t be sneaking, would I?” Naoki fired back, which stumped Katsumi. His brother wasn’t wrong, of course, sneaking was by definition something you did to avoid detection, and giving someone advance warning defeated the purpose. The sort of pedantry Naoki knew would bother him. “What are you doing in Ranma’s room, anyway?”

  “Just checking to see if she’d prefer to study in here than in my room.” Katsumi explained as if his nerves weren’t on fire. “I don’t want a repeat of yesterday, especially for our longest session.” He checked his watch: 12:41. “Do you have any idea how much longer they’ll be?”

  Naoki shrugged and slipped past Katsumi to take a look at the former guest room. Well, Katsumi supposed it was still a guest room, just an occupied guest room, since a guest was staying here. A guest’s room.

  “I’d say he was lucky to get the biggest room on the second floor, but I’m not jealous of the East-facing window.” Katsumi started analyzing the room and Ranma’s needs.

  “She’ll probably need a second wardrobe too, if she’s going to maintain two sets of clothes for both of her forms.” He pointed out, which made Naoki frown but nod. Katsumi quickly glanced at his watch — 12:43 — and put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Something the matter, Naoki?”

  As Man of the House, Katsumi had responsibilities to his mother and brothers. He had to be strong, certain, and help them when things were difficult. Usually that just meant straightforward advice or a willingness to listen: he had time for that.

  “I just…I dunno. Ranma.” Katsumi frowned inwardly, worried that this might take more than a couple minutes and a rote suggestion. “He’s…hard to figure out sometimes.”

  “Well, we’ve only known her for a week,” Katsumi offered. “And I think only Mom has experience with someone like her and Mr. Saotome.” Naoki nodded but didn’t seem convinced, or he hadn’t asked the question he really wanted an answer to. Sifting through what he knew about Naoki and Ranma’s relationship, Katsumi wondered if it was related to Naoki’s obvious schoolboy crush on Ranma when he was expressing masculinity.

  Ranma was adamantly male, even when she was a girl, something Katsumi made sure to internalize as quickly as he could. It was possible Ranma was, like Naoki, attracted to members of the same sex, but Katsumi doubted it: if that was the case, it was possible Ranma could be attracted to Katsumi as well, and he dared not get his hopes up that was the case.

  “I just wish I knew why he’s willing to pretend to be someone he’s not for so long.” Naoki hesitantly admitted. “I hope he’s okay.” This subject was not something Katsumi had much experience with, despite growing up with Naoki: his brother explored his sexuality privately, even after Akio accidentally found him out.

  “Well, the best we can do is be there for her.” Katsumi moved his hand to Naoki’s other shoulder and pulled him in for an awkward side hug. “If she needs help we’ll make sure she has it.” Just like that was the best thing Katsumi could think to say in the moment. If it helped, great! If Naoki needed more time, it would have to be enough.

  Akio’s voice sounded from the genkan for the second time today as he announced they’d returned home. Katsumi checked his watch: 12:50. They cut it awfully close. “Okay, let’s get out of the guest’s room.” He pushed his brother into the hall without waiting for a response, closed Ranma’s door, and took the stairs down two at a time to retrieve his pupil.

  “Maybe I'm just an idiot who needs another year to catch up,” Ranma slammed her head into her book and Katsumi winced. He knew it'd be a hard session, but Ranma was struggling quite a bit.

  Using her room was a good idea, and he didn't bring the shinai, but she was doing even worse than yesterday. This was the session they'd establish a learning plan though, they couldn't give up after only 45 minutes.

  “This is only our second study session after two days at school after a two year break.” Katsumi quickly weighed the pros and cons of putting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, and went for it. She was unlikely to kick him into the pond from here, after all. “It's normal to feel frustrated. We're getting a baseline so we can tailor how you'll spend your time studying for the next two weeks, so don't stress yourself out trying to learn everything right now.”

  The raspberry Ranma blew in response to his impromptu pep talk was impressive, Katsumi had to admit, but ultimately counterproductive. “Classy.” He said dryly, “Is your next trick going to be balancing a pencil on your upper lip?”

  Ranma didn't make a noise as Katsumi moved around the desk, but as soon as he sat down she raised her head to look at him in confusion. “Did you just make a joke?” The sincerity in her voice countered his anger, allowing him the wherewithal to maintain momentum.

  “I'm a very funny man, Ranma: just ask my mother.” Her outburst of laughter broke him and he smiled. “Remember that you showed up without any warning and then spent the next several days ruining my carefully curated routine. I've been a little grumpy.”

  “Hey! I cooked your lunch at least once, and dinner lotsa times.” Ranma practically giggled her counterargument and Katsumi kept smiling. “But ‘m sorry we made such a splash.”

  “Between you and your father you've been splashing quite a bit.” Katsumi gave his best wry smirk, but Ranma raised a single unimpressed eyebrow.

  “Pfft. Really? I set you up and that's the best you got?” Well, comedy wasn't Katsumi's strong suit, but at least the tension was gone.

  “You're not studying comedy, you're here for math and science.” Ranma groaned, but it was an exaggerated, easy-going noise. “C’mon, let's get back to it.”

  Akio never should have mentioned skateboarding. He wasn't even seriously considering it today, it was just a random thought that crossed his mind thanks to the weather. But now he was dragging it out of its hiding place in the dojo while Ranma eagerly watched.

  He'd been in a good mood all day, which just exhausted Akio even more, and he was considering cancelling the whole stupid engagement thing. It was confusing, anytime Ranma was nice to him or acted cute Akio couldn't be sure if that was genuine, exaggerated, or just completely made up. And Akio had spent the last two days second-guessing every thought, feeling, and interaction and it was all her fault. His fault. Dammit, Naoki didn't have this problem, his mom didn't have this problem, why was it so hard for him?

  Whatever, one more reason to call things off. “You ready?” He asked once his board was secure and hidden. Ranma, wearing jeans, a long-sleeve shirt under a flannel button-up, and shoes that actually fit (that he'd borrowed from Akio’s mom, apparently) nodded, his excitement just as powerful as it was this morning.

  Bubbly. That was the only way Akio could explain it, especially while she…he was a girl. Once again Akio wondered if it meant anything that he seemed so much happier in that form, but he remembered what Naoki said.

  Of course, Akio was grappling with the fact that he found himself staring at and fantasizing about Ranma's boy form too. If that was the case, he couldn't be projecting his desire onto Ranma, right? Or did he just think Ranma's boy form was cute because of its similarities to his girl form?

  Uggghhh, he couldn't waste time thinking about it. Regardless of his form, Ranma thought Akio was ugly, so it didn't matter what he thought. It hurt for some reason, but he'd get over it. “Great, let's go.” He announced impatiently.

  Despite Akio's attempts to dampen Ranma's mood, he remained upbeat and bouncy the whole walk. “Where’re we goin'?” Came his adorable question from the top of a fence, rubbing in that he'd master the board in a few minutes.

  “Can't skateboard on the sidewalk or street. Cops around here are big fans of confiscating boards, most of the old folks who live around here are happy for them to do it, and there's not enough of us to complain and get them to ease up.”

  They continued walking in silence before Ranma piped back up. “Okay, so we're goin' to a quarry or another district or….?”

  Akio pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course he forgot to actually answer Ranma's question. “No, there's a little park nearby where skateboarding is allowed, so long as we're out before 10.” Akio could practically hear Ranma roll his eyes as he scoffed.

  “That's boring, though I guess we got school tomorrow…agh!” Akio spun when Ranma made a noise of disgust, but he was just staring at the sky with his hands behind his head.

  “What's wrong?” Akio wondered aloud, hoping whatever it was made Ranma want to turn around.

  “I just realized I spent almost my entire first Sunday as a girl.” He shook his head. “I meant to spend it as a guy, even if I had to stay in all day.”

  “Well you screwed that up as soon as you turned into a girl just to save face.” To Ranma's embarrassment and frustration, Akio chuckled.

  “You…ugh!” Whatever Ranma intended to do by cutely stamping his foot on the fence backfired, and the section he was standing on started to collapse. “Wha-wh-whoa!”

  He sprang back toward the path at the same time Akio rushed to grab him, and thus both boys were flustered as Ranma landed right in Akio's arms in a princess carry. For a second neither knew what to do and stared, hearts racing from the sudden scare.

  Before she could yell at him, Akio quickly — but softly — put her on the ground. She leaned against him for just a moment as her legs wobbled under her.

  “I didn't mean to—”

  “Th-thanks for—”

  Akio looked away, hiding his blush and scratching the back of his head. For a second he thought she said “thank you”, but that wasn't Ranma. Couldn't be her-him.

  “...So where's this park?”

  It wasn’t very impressive, though Ranma had no idea what to expect. He’d always seen skateboarding in the wild, not caged up like a zoo animal. The skating area was restricted to a triangle-shaped lot backed into the corner of a proper park that wasn’t actually that close to the Tendo’s home. A few ramps, arbitrarily placed grind rails, and a single quarterpipe surrounded by concrete still managed to feel cramped in the tenth-acre plot.

  Ranma wasn't gonna let something like almost falling into the canal, some wannabe gorgeous heroic knight, a small park, or that they could only be here for another hour and a half ruin his night: he was gonna get on a skateboard and figure it out.

  So long as it wasn't anything like snowboarding he'd be fine. Or ice skating. Or roller skating. Or skiing…okay so he didn't like it when stuff under his feet moved, but that was fine, he was an expert martial artist.

  That’s why he was watching Akio skateboard first, that was just responsible. And Akio was really good at it! Ranma perched atop the fence and thoroughly appraised Akio’s form and movements, grateful he'd worn a tight T-shirt so he could see how all those rippling muscles were moving to keep his tall, broad-shouldered form stable.

  It was actually very impressive that he maintained his balance given how high up his center of gravity must be and how small the skateboard was.

  “Do those get bigger?” Ranma asked after Akio dismounted, earning him yet another irritated glance, but at least the sourpuss answered.

  “Skateboards don't, anything longer is a longboard.” Before Ranma could ask a follow-up question Akio was already back at it, running up to the top of the quarterpipe and grinding away.

  Fascinating as it was, even Ranma couldn’t just watch for long. He had to get out there, and if he wanted to salvage his friendship with Akio he had to be respectful. Pops had taught him how to do that, he could be respectful if necessary.

  He waited for a good opportunity and pounced when Akio stumbled coming off a rail. The empty board skipped toward Ranma and he scooped it up with aplomb. “You’re very good at this.” he meant it but he also had to sell it, so he opened up his eyes and injected a little awe into his voice. Akio was a little red from his stumble but he nervously chuckled and scratched his cheek in response to Ranma’s flattery.

  “I think I got it, can I try?” A little fluttering of his eyelashes — a powerful weapon in a girl’s arsenal he knew from experience — might have been overkill but it worked: Akio sputtered and gestured at the park, trying to maintain his cool demeanor with a shrug.

  “Have at it.”

  Like a kid in a candy store, Ranma took off, clutching the skateboard in his hands. He wanted to show off his amazing agility and balance, so he needed to do something suitably awesome for his first attempt. Akio looked on, leaning against the fence with a despondent look on his face that Ranma didn’t notice.

  After a few moments’ scrutiny, he knew what he was gonna do: he’d leap from the park entrance sign, land on the tallest grind rail, then skip from rail to rail until he managed to make a full circuit, hitting each rail in the park despite their haphazard placement.

  “Please don’t break my board.” Akio groaned when Ranma began climbing the fence. He knew he shouldn’t be showing off this hard, but he couldn’t help it: he’d been looking forward to this for years.

  “Relax, I’m way lighter than you in this form and you know how good I am.” Whatever the board’s owner mumbled in response was too quiet to hear, but Ranma was ready. Eyes focused on his first target, he took a deep breath and leapt.

  Falling wasn’t a big deal for Ranma: he did it all the time, learning how to fall and, more importantly, how to land was one of the first things pops taught him. Having the board between his feet and the railing wouldn’t change that much.

  Turns out that landing wasn’t his issue: going forward, however…

  The back of his head clanged off the railing as he fell back, the skateboard shot off and clattered meters away, and in the aftermath all Ranma heard was a metallic ringing and Akio’s raucous laughter. As he cautiously stood and dusted himself off, he felt his sore legs groan.

  “Ahem…Don’t laugh, that was a fluke.” The light pink on his cheeks belied his embarrassment, but it was fine. Even he messed up sometimes, he wasn’t perfect. “Watch, I’m just a little sore is all.”

  “Maybe don’t jump from three meters up next time.” Akio chided unhelpfully.

  “Shut up!” After a brief walk of shame to retrieve the board he looked for a different starting point. “I won’t break your board, I just need to work my way up to the good stuff.”

  This time he’d get a rolling start, hop up to one of the rails close to the ground, and work on speed. Yeah, yeah he had this. He was Ranma Saotome, dammit, no stupid piece of wood and some plastic wheels could beat him.

  If there was a bright side to face-planting as soon as he tried to push off, it was that it wasn’t from as high up as his first attempt. Before he finished picking himself up again, Akio rushed over looking actually concerned.

  “Hey, you wanna make sure you don’t have a concussion? Two blows to the head—”

  “Ain’t nothin!” Ranma interrupted. “I’mma martial artist, we get hit in tha head all the time!” Akio didn’t immediately back off like Ranma wanted, but after a frustrating moment of consideration the taller boy shrugged and got out of the way.

  Fifteen minutes and seven attempts later, Akio put his foot down. The best Ranma managed was to stand straight up on the board as it slowly moved, and he only managed that by rolling it by hand and then jumping onto it. Ranma wasn’t having it though. “One more!” he protested around a busted lip. “Next time I’ll do it! It’s just these stupid boobs throwing off my center a’ gravity!”

  “You said that two tries ago, let’s just head home and we can work on this in the dojo with a proper first aid kit nearby!” Akio held out his hand for Ranma to return the skateboard but the pink-haired boy leapt back to keep it away.

  “No! I’m not leaving ‘til I get—” his foot caught on a grind rail and he flailed and fell backward. After so many failed attempts, his already sore legs were like jelly and something twisted. To make sure Akio wouldn’t catch on, Ranma made sure to catch himself on his uninjured leg and stand up proudly, putting the hurt leg behind the other and putting his hands on his hips so that it looked like he was posing defiantly.

  Akio blinked, having already cleared half the distance between them. Ranma’s stomach couldn’t help but flutter knowing that the big lug tried to help. But before Ranma could say or do anything Akio rushed to the fumbled skateboard and secured it in his grip. He gave Ranma a victorious smile but the shorter boy just shrugged. “That’s fine, I’ll just snatch it back when you drop it.”

  Ranma was bluffing, of course, he wasn’t even sure he could put weight on one of his feet, but Akio didn’t need to know that. The boy scout would dote on him or something and make his stomach do those confusing flips again, and he didn’t need Akio’s pity anyway. Subtly he tested a little weight on his back foot and barely contained a wince. It’d be a miracle if he could make it to a bench without revealing his shameful secret. Maybe he could jump it without using his other foot…

  “Nope, I’m done for the night.” Akio derailed Ranma’s train of thought and he gawped at the taller boy. “It was funny watching you fall over yourself at first, but I’m not taking any more risks.” Keeping his grip on the board tight, he smugly sauntered over to his bag and started putting things away.

  The way back was simple enough, but largely uphill and it took them almost a half hour to get here. He’d handled hikes like this before, and in way worse conditions, he could handle it. “Uggghhhhh…fine, I guess I’ve got some homework to finish anyway.” With exaggerated put-upon-ness he steeled his nerves and made for the park entrance.

  Each step was like hot knives flensing his entire leg under the knee, but as long as he kept his cool and nothing surprised him he’d make it back to the Tendo’s where he’d soak the thing in a bucket of ice water until it was better.

  “Cool, I’ll catch you up in a…second…” Akio trailed off for some reason, staring at Ranma’s legs with a concerned look.

  “Hmm? I got somethin’ on my pants?” Turning and pivoting on his good leg, he inspected himself but didn’t notice anything obvious beyond some dust.

  “Yeah, you got something on the back of your leg, lemme get it for you.” If this was a trick of some sort, Akio must have been practicing his subterfuge because Ranma didn’t detect a hint of trickery. He shrugged and let the boy come close.

  Perhaps it was the pain and mental focus he was exerting to maintain his composure, but it was absolutely a trick. As soon as Akio laid his hand on Ranma’s leg he felt an intense pain and yelped. Akio was gently squeezing the exact spot.

  “I knew it! No way you’d be that reasonable.” Ranma was a little relieved he didn’t have to keep up the charade but now he was holding back tears of pain.

  “It’s…fine.” He hissed, glaring at Akio’s smug face. “I can…walk…just fine!” To back up his words he — gingerly — planted both feet on the ground, crossed his arms, and desperately tried not to let the pain show on his face.

  The last thing he needed was Akio’s compassion or pity or whatever, and it’s not like he could do anything anyway. It’s not like he could carry Ranma all the way—

  “Stand right there for a second.” Akio ordered before taking four long strides. “If I hit you first, you have to let me carry you home.”

  “No way! I’m not a little girl!” A furnace bellowed in Ranma’s chest as anger surged through him.

  “I know you’re not, but you know you need to stay off that leg for at least a few hours.” The frustrating way he talked down to Ranma stoked the flames of rage even higher, but the worst part was that Akio was right. The longer he put his weight on the leg the more obvious it became.

  “Hmph. Fine.” Akio’s game was obvious. He expected Ranma to leap using his good leg, which reduced his attack options. If he tried to step off his injured leg he might flinch or come slow enough Akio could switch and counter. No worries, Ranma knew what to do.

  “Ready when you are, tomboy.” Akio taunted as he settled into his usual defensive pose. Ranma nodded and took a high horse stance, not bothering to hide the grimace on his face.

  Akio surprised him and came forward, but that just made things easier. Doubtless he expected Ranma to come forward or dodge to the side with his good leg, but Ranma had a different plan: he jumped, flipping over Akio’s head and thumping it for good measure. He didn’t need to do it too hard but the idiot had to feel it. Then he landed and SPENT EVERY LAST OUNCE OF WILLPOWER NOT TO SHRIEK.

  “Dammit!” Akio swore and spun, but he was mollified as soon as he saw Ranma’s face twisted into a shaky, forced grin with wet eyes. “I…guess you win?” Akio shook his head and started walking.

  “H-hold it!” Ranma commanded before the idiot walked off. “W-we n-never s-said wh-what I g-got if I w-won.” Akio crossed his arms and glared.

  “I’m not letting you back on this skateboard.” Okay, Ranma probably deserved that, but he had something else in mind.

  “H-hah, n-nope. I d-demand you c-carry me.” They both stood still until Ranma winced and shifted his weight off his leg. “I pr-probably sprained o-or t-twisted it or s-somethin’. It’d b-be p-pretty stup-pid to w-walk all the way b-back t-to your p-place like th-this.” He beat Akio’s stupid game and now the idiot had to carry Ranma back.

  Once he accepted his humiliating fate, he rolled his eyes and bent down to hook one of his arms under Ranma’s knees and the other around his torso. As soon as Ranma was suspended in the air the weight was no longer pressing on his injured leg a wave of relief crashed over him. It was even more crucial Akio not notice it than the pain, because at least it was manly to fight through pain.

  Neither spoke for a time, which gave Ranma a chance to settle against Akio’s chest. It was soft but firm, and there was a calming rhythm to his strides and a soft jostling as each step hit the street. He was warm, too, which Ranma grew to appreciate as the mid-March night air grew colder.

  At some point, Ranma realized she was starting to nod off now that the adrenaline wore off and the pain pushed against her eyelids. She needed to say or do something to stay awake, the embarrassment of falling asleep in a boy’s arms would haunt her forever.

  “Why…why are you being so nice?” Dammit, did she have to sound like a hurt puppy when she said that? The shaking never really went away, apparently.

  “You’re hurt, and we’re friends, I hope you’d do the same for me.” He answered brusquely, mechanically. It might have been true, but it wasn’t the answer Ranma was looking for.

  “N…no, why are you being so nice when I can tell you’re so mad at me?” Akio slowed and considered how to answer. “I’ve been tryin’ ta be friends but if you’d rather not spend every second of tha day with me I get it.”

  It was a big mistake, letting him carry her like this. Should have insisted he carry her piggyback. They could see each others’ faces, and staring at Akio’s…well it left her feeling all weird inside. Again. Especially combined with how gentle he was carrying her. Given his size, his fighting style, and how he’d been treating her lately, Ranma didn’t expect a comfortable trip.

  “No, I wanna be your friend too, Ranma…” Akio sighed, and Ranma felt his heartbeat quicken. She could only pray he couldn’t feel hers as well. “I just…well I…” When he started blushing Ranma had to will herself not to give him a comforting pat.

  Akio stopped and shifted his hands, elevating Ranma so their faces were even closer. In the dim light she couldn’t make out the details of his face as well, but given how red her cheeks had gotten she didn’t want him to tell either. His hand was also now in the small of her back, and she thanked her earlier self for picking out multiple layers when shivers ran up and down her spine.

  “I’m sorry to tell you this…but you’re very pretty when you’re a girl.” Ranma would have laughed if he didn’t sound so serious, or if hearing him say that didn’t make her heart beat faster. “And when you’re nice and flirty and stuff…you know I get that it’s an act but part of me…”

  A profane, blasphemous part of her brain finished his sentence for him, “part of me wishes it was real”, and she felt a pang in her chest in the hopes that he’d pull her even closer and press his lips—

  No, nope, nuh-uh, not happening brain, this is just our cute friend confessing that he doesn’t love me and that’s good and fine because I’m not actually a girl, and even if I think he’s hot he’s not into guys. Naoki’s his brother, if he was gay he would have figured that out by now. So calm down.

  “I just think about all the girls who think I’m ugly, you know? And how even before Kodachi I never had a chance with them.” Akio hung his head and resumed walking, but Ranma was confused.

  Not about his feelings, those were locked down, but about what Akio said. “Who thinks you’re ugly?” Ranma couldn’t hide the disbelief, which got a cocked eyebrow from Akio.

  “Uh…girls? Guys who like guys? I’m, you know…shaped weird. Top heavy.” Now Ranma knew he hit his head or something, because Akio was gorgeous! Er, handsome! Dammit, he was…Ranma envied Akio’s body.

  “Did you not read your love letters? Or remember that you got like a hundred of them?” Surely he could logic his way out of this situation, right? Akio was a smart guy, he had to understand. “I know Kodachi scared everybody away but we all…all the other girls…I mean, all the girls I know are jealous of me.”

  He couldn't help but be proud of his status as “Akio's girlfriend” considering he was such a catch. And those other girls didn't even know how kind he could be. None of those other boys were gonna carry their sweethearts for forty-five minutes, that's for sure. Especially since she earned it by literally beating out the competition.

  Akio scoffed. “Why?” Ranma sighed and put an arm around the back of his neck to pat him on the shoulder.

  “Here's something I've learned after only two days: girls are just as gross as boys.” Akio's disbelieving eyebrow had her giggling. “It's true! First day of home ec and all my friends asked if we're…if we've done anything yet.”

  “We'd already sparred or fought at least three times by then…” Akio’s eyes boggled with innocent confusion, and Ranma couldn’t help but chuckle. This must have been how her friends felt while they were grilling her.

  “Have Shingo or Kiichi asked you about what we’ve ‘done’ so far?” Ranma waggled her eyebrows suggestively and burst out giggling when Akio’s face practically turned purple. He tried to flinch away from her but must have forgotten she was literally in his arms. Her giggles turned into shrieks of laughter as he found his balance.

  Akio’s pout thwarted her efforts to get her laughter under control but must have been infectious because she heard him nervously chuckle before they were both letting out full-throated guffaws. As Ranma wound down she wiped her eyes and realized their faces were very close after the stumble. Close enough that all they’d need to do was lean forward and…and…

  “My friends just think you’re hot and assume we’ve done lots of stuff.” Akio’s voice was soft, perhaps a little hopeful, and Ranma felt a warm, coiling sensation somewhere below her stomach. She swallowed, mouth suddenly watering.

  “S-same with mine…” He didn’t need to know she didn’t correct them. “B-but that’s my point, that they think you’re hot. That’s what…they said all the girls think.” Did Akio want to do anything with her…with, with him?

  Did Ranma want to do anything with Akio? Well…that was the problem, wasn’t it? That this stupid girl body wanted him to lean forward just a few centimeters. That Ranma’d spent too much time as a girl, that he was forgetting about being a badass martial artist and worrying about things like clothes and boys and romance.

  So why couldn’t he push away or say something? Why was he just sitting there, arms around Akio’s shoulders, heart racing, red-faced? A hand gingerly fell against his cheek, fingers snaked into his hair. It was warm, Akio’s hand, despite the blazing heat rushing just beneath Ranma’s skin, but a cold shiver arrested her entire body and she let out a tiny gasp. Ranma didn’t even realize they’d sat down on some bench or retaining wall or…whatever.

  An eternity passed while Ranma gazed into Akio’s eyes, at least when she wasn’t looking at his lips. Like Ranma’s, they were pursed and ever so slightly open. They were so smooth…

  “What are you doing?” Ranma’s whisper was tiny, cracked, but to the couple sitting beneath the cover of night it was deafening. Akio blinked and the spell was broken. Nervously he leaned back and rubbed his thumb against Ranma’s cheekbone.

  “...!...ahem,” the first noise to come out of his mouth was practically inaudible. “Sorry, you,uh, had something on your cheek. Dirt or something.” He shrugged and slid his arm back under Ranma’s legs, and even through the denim the sensation sent a thrill up her body.

  “Oh. Thank you…” Ranma shrank away from Akio’s face as he moved his arm behind Ranma’s back and gripped his shoulder.

  For a while neither one of them said anything, but for Ranma it was anything but silent. His brain was swimming with alien chemicals and he had no idea how to deal with the lustful feelings they engendered. “Pops is gonna freak out about my leg…” He had to think about something, anything else.

  “Y-yeah, mom too, probably.” Her fian-boyf-good friend nodded, then hesitantly smiled. “They’re totally gonna get the wrong idea when they see me carrying you.” His stupid smile threatened to shatter the mental defenses Ranma was in the process of rebuilding, but he could handle it.

  “We need ta give your mom a break, she looks like she’s about ta panic every time she sees us standin’ next to each other.” Ranma chuckled as he remembered the times Mrs. Tendo sort of froze and stared into space for a second. Was that a normal thing for her? Her kids never said anything about it.

  “I don’t think we were ready for the weirdness you Saotomes brought with you.” Akio teased, and soon the two were chatting like ordinary friends.