INVISIBLE FRIEND (bonus)
ROSCÓN DE REYES
Just a mere sun beam was able to pass through the frosty window making it look like if it had been cracked. It was funny how the ice looked shattered but still let no light in the little space, so that the room was still quite dark despite being already noon. Akane's eyes fluttered opened as soon as the faint sun ray reached them; her gaze seeming hot melted chocolate thanks to it. Her small hands worked their way out of the covers and she managed to get them off of her. She sat on her bed and let her bare feet touch the cold ground below them and soon after a chill ran down her spin and she had to shiver deliberately. She turned around and looked to the window; it had snowed…
"Snowflakes" was all she could mutter before her eyes became glossy and her lips unable to voice any other sound.
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"'Roscón de reyes'…What the hell is this?" Ranma asked himself out loud. The label had been erased by the wet snow and it was impossible to read anything through it.
The noisy boy got his grasp firmly on the package and ripped roughly the Christmas lace so he could get to know what it contained. A small paper fell from it and he could observe something was written in Spanish. All that he could guess, but he was unable to decipher anything the paper might have said. Inside the cage stood something similar to a ring-shaped cake with cream inside of it and on the surface something resembling comfiture fruits. He took off from the porch and ran inside the Tendo house in search of Nabiki…
"Maybe she'll be able to translate this" he said while pressing the little paper in his calloused hand.
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-"Very well…and you say you found this outside?"
- "Jeez…I've said it like a million times…quit it, it's driving me insane!"
Nabiki had read the paper and had been asking Ranma the same question over and over again.
- "Are you sure you've no enemies in Spain? Who knows…? It might even be from another of your 'still to know' fiancées"
- "arghh… Nab"
- "What are you talking about? Whose fiancée?" Akane cut Ranma in mid speach
-"Morning Akane. Merry Christmas" Said a very rare cheerfully Nabiki
Akane, whose eyes had been glued to the floor as soon as she had acknowledged Ranma standing there, could only nod shyly while a bright blush crept to her cheeks making them strawberry-like. Ranma was not at ease either, his hands were sweaty and he kept looking at them while playing nervously with his thumbs.
After the kiss none of them knew how to treat or react in front of the other and Ranma was sure that as soon as he laid his eyes on her beautiful brown ones he wouldn't be able to contain himself… He had lost his control once and he was sure he wouldn't be able to keep cool anymore in her presence.
Nabiki smiled to herself, this was good she just hoped nothing would ruin their little 'Scheme'. In the first place she had known all along what had transpired between her sister and the Saotome kid, and along with Kasumi had created a plan to help Akane (without her knowledge) confess her love to Ranma. And the "Roscón de Reyes" Ranma had just found that same Christmas morning was the perfect excuse both sisters had arranged to bring both 'love birds' together.
- "So…" Nabiki's thoughtful voice broke the silence " …as I was saying, this is what the 'Roscón de Reyes' is about…Here it's said th.."
- "Wait! What? When? Who? Hä?...What are you talking about, Nabiki?"
- "Here, look at this. This is what Ranma found this morning near the porch, is some kind of a cake and it's traditional from Spain. What I was trying to explain when you interrupted me is that this cake has also some traditional meaning."
- "And what is it, then?"
- "If you keep yourself from interrupting me I might be able to explain it…jeez, kids!.. So, it's said that on Christmas day this cake must be shared by two lovers, inside of it there are: a treasure to be found (which is a small figure of a king) and a bean. One must cut his own peace of cake and who founds the bean has to pay a price. The price will be one requested by the one who found the treasure of the figure king."
- "What a weird thing… And how did this get to us? Who is it from?"
- "I've no answer to that, but as the only 'couple' here are you and Ranma, you might as well try it"
Both teens flushed scarlet by the mention of that very word…
-"Couple…" murmured them at the same time, as if, if rolling through his tongue made the word more real to them.
Just then Kasumi made her way up them "Oh, what a nice thing. You better not dishonour the one who sent us and do your best in respecting the tradition"
- "I'm sure they will" Nabiki's grin nearly kept her from speaking. It had been fun enough with the invisible friend… with that she had at least brought Ranma to kiss her sister but with Kasumi's help the 'Roscón de reyes' would be her last attack… 'Operation: Roscón de reyes' is in game…
- "Oh my, you better eat it now, I don't want you telling me you are not hungry when it's dinner time, today I made something special. Oh, I'm running late, the eggs will burn."
As soon as Kasumi had sun off from the front stairs Nabiki could be found no-where in sight… Not that Ranma or Akane noticed, as they kept on with their respective works: thumb-playing and floor-staring…
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The cold air ran freely through the open window letting the sun made its way inside of it. The little snow that was still on the windowsill being bathed by the sun beams reflected the light and it remember fairy powder…so soft and sparkling. Two teenagers could be seen on the inside of the little room one of them seated on a mattress the other just standing near of it looking no-where. Their faces still bit red their actions unsure their speaking none existent. They had both been dragged by their parents to her room as soon as Genma and Soun had known of the "roscón de reyes" existence.
Ranma's thoughts kept flying to last night when he had just kissed Akane, right here… How soft her lips were, the way her body fit so perfectly to his, the way she looked when he opened his eyes and said "you cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs". And all he wished now for was for a chance to know what she felt for him…
Akane was also in her little world…she knew what she felt for him, and today was supposed to be the day she'd confess it…so she was nervous like hell. And the fact that none of them talked made her even more but soon like the prince charming when is wanted the deep melody of his voice took her of her reverie.
- "Well, I…I'm really just kind of hungry" Ranma unsurely said. "I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon"
- "Me neither" Akane realized. "I'm starving"
She began to stand up from her bed, but Ranma put up his hand though he had his face confronting the other side of the room. "You stay right there; I'll go into the kitchen and fix us something to eat"
She stood up nonetheless and her hand brushed his by accident. How such a small act could make her tremble she wouldn't know but her knees started giving away and she felt so dizzy she had to grasp his shirt to help herself up.
- "You need some sugar. Stay put, I'll bring the "roscón de reyes". We may as well go with the tradition" As soon as the last word left her mouth he was out of sight and she had been sat properly on the mattress again.
Ranma tried breathing in and out to calm his rapid heart beat but it just didn't want to slow down. They hadn't looked at each other in the eye yet he felt the urge to hold her and she had been to close for comfort back then… It took him all his power not to crush her and kiss her again, so he'd be able to feel her sweet lips against his.
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Everything was placed nicely on a tray, 2 cups of hot chocolate, 2 small plates, a knife and the "roscón".
- "Who goes first?"
- "You nearly fainted, might as well be the first to try it"
Her small hands trembled as she managed to get the knife steady….and finally a piece of the cake-like thing was thrown in her own plate.
- "Now it's your turn" she said passing the knife to Ranma
Again the contact was electrifying… and Ranma's eyes were drowned to her face, though she kept her eyes downcast, he could tell she was also tempted to just stare at him too. She looked as she grabbed the piece on her plate and stuff a bit into her mouth and soon after another bit until…
- "Ain't you gonna try yours?"
- "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I had just zoned out" and he got half of the cake on his mouth…. "-argggg…What's this" he said while chocking.
- "Ah, I found something too…What is it?"
- "Oh shit, why is it that I'm always so unlucky?"
- "Ranma, idiot…you got the king…so? That means?.." her eyes diverted to her plate and she could make out a small greenish thing… "arghhh…why me?"
- "So that means I get to ask you anything?"
- "Yeah, I guess that's the prize for the winner. So? What is it that you want?"
- "I…I …I want, I …."
- "Yeah, that part is already clear to me…now, you want…"
- "A k-k--ki—kiss"
Her eyes darted open and for the first time since last night she looked him in the eyes, those blue eyes that drove her crazy. She nodded with her head and slowly felt hot hands against her smooth red cheeks. Ranma's thumb traced the softness of her skin without breaking contact with her brown pearls. His hands moving from her cheeks to her neck and down to her shoulders to finally trace her figure and settle in her little waist…bringing them closer together in the process.
Akane was by now shuddering, her senses muffled as his lips came painfully closer and she could feel every bit of his body with her own wandering hands. His head moved for a second and his hot breath tickled her ear. Ranma laid his lips on the soft skin near her neck and kissed her there painfully slowly. Then his eyes where once more looking hers. And before he closed the space between them, his lips mouthed something similar to "I love you"… And all Akane could feel were fireworks going through her head.
"I love you" she breathed out as soon as Ranma broke off the kiss. The poor teenager didn't know if he was dreaming or not, his eyes unfocused his breathing muffled… And then, she kissed him again as to give him the proof he needed to wake up from his state.
He never thought happiness would taste as sweet as it did. And he forgot all of his surroundings…. Nothing else matters anymore when you embrace your most valuable treasure: LOVE
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Outside a flying paper could be seen with something looking close to Spanish and all you could guess out of it was: Merry Christmas
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A.N: I hope you like it.
By the way "el roscón de reyes" is something I love….gosh, tastes like…mmmm, oh, what I was saying is that we usually eat that at home with the family on the 5th January and it's tradition everyone cuts his/her piece. Now, the one finding the figure of the king gets a little crown (it's included when you buy the roscón) and the one who gets the bean has to pay the prize the roscón costs… about 11 Euro