This small crazy one

-"What's love?" His tiny hands posed on his knees and he crooked his head to his right as if to wait for Ranma to speak up.

Ranma rested his eyes upon the little boy and smiled

-"What is it?" the child continued to ogle him with his bright hazel eyes. "Tell me" he urged him tugging at his sleeve.

-"It is many things." Ranma finally spoke up as he reached out to grab the little boy's hands lifting him up to sat him on his knees.

-"What is 'things'?"

-"A thing can be 'anything'" Ranma chuckled at his own answer

-"So, what is the anything about love?" inquired the little one once more. His eyes now shimmered with impatience, insatiable for knowledge.

Ranma could never imagine he had actually been four at some point of his life and that he had probably been as noisy about everything as was now the small black-haired boy who was currently sitting on his lap.

-"So, what is it?" he asked again now pulling Ranma's braid to obtain his attention

-"Don't be so impatient" his deep voiced admonished

-"What's that?" the naivety of the 4 year old now completely showing as he raised his eyebrows in total confusion.

Ranma just looked down at the boy as some words rang in his head. They seemed now very far away …'You'd be hopeless looking after children. You're far too impatient!' Akane had snapped at him stomping her food annoyingly on the ground. He smiled at the memory that had so vividly played on his head and again his gaze rested upon the bemused boy.

-"Tell meeeeeeeeee" his sweet voice drawled out

-"That's being impatient; you are impatient" Replied Ranma matter of fact.

-"So? I'm impatient? But I thought my name was Alexander?"

Ranma could hardly suppress a laugh at the little boy's puzzlement. The statement had sure been simple but he had been expecting the child's reply.

-"No, impatience is when you want something to happen as soon as possible. Like you wanting an answer."

-"Ahh" he opened his mouth and brought his hand to his lips; his eyes were full open as if he had just discovered the treasure of a pirate. "Is love impatient, too?"

-"Love is not a human, Alexander. Love is a feeling."

-"Does that mean feelings cannot be impatient?"

-"Well, it certainly does mean so but, they make people become impatient."

-"Why? Do they want answers too?" the little boy grinned

Ranma caressed Alexander's black silky dark hair -"Would you like to hear a story?"

-"Just if you tell me what love is" Alexander pouted crossing his arms and huffing

-"There's a lot of love in the story" Ranma reassured him

-"Does that mean there is no treasure?" the kid pouted again biting his lips

-"Well, there is a treasure"

-"yeah?" immediately his freckled face lightened up "And pirates? Are there pirates on the story?"

-"I don't think…" started Ranma though he could not finish as Alexander's eyes had begun to water and he kept biting his lower lip. Ranma sighed as he said "it's ok, I think we can manage at least a little space for one pirate"

Alexander's mood soon change and he tilted his head up as if to indicate Ranma he had his permission to start with the narration.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess everybody loved. She had loads of friends and a big family who cared about her deeply and wished for her to be happy. There were many young boys who liked her but the princess had a very bad temper and she always refused them all. One day though, a new prince came to her kingdom and fell in love with her but he had a curse and…"

-"What's a curse?"

-"A curse is like magic but bad"

-"Like fairies?"

-"fairies are not bad, Alexander. More like trolls"

-"Was the prince a troll?"

Ranma shivered at the thought of it and shrugged his shoulders.

-"No, the prince was not a troll but he turned into another person when he touched cold water. Do you understand it, now?"

The boy grinned happily and nodded his head

"well, so the prince had a curse so he could not tell the princess he loved her. Then, an evil pirate called P-chan came to the village…"

-"What kind of name is P-chan? Is he a bad pirate?"

-"yeah, a very bad one" Ranma smirked at that; after all Ryoga had always wore that bandana and why not think of him as a pirate?

"so the pirate P-chan wanted to steal the princess away with the help of his other friends: a blind boy, cat-woman and a chef. They planned to kidnap her but the prince heard of their plans and saved the beautiful princess. The prince promised to protect and take care of the princess forever because he loved her. When they came back to the kingdom everybody was happy and brought the prince a golden box…"

-"What was it? Is that the treasure?" the little boy asked expectantly

-"No, that was not the treasure"

-"What was it then?" he inquired

"…the cure for his curse. Now the prince could tell the princess how much he loved her and so he did…They married and lived happily ever after"

The clapping of hands broke the silence

-"Akane" Ranma voiced out as she approached them

-"I still don't understand what love is" Alexander pouted

Ranma smiled down at him and took his little hand bringing it to his heart

-"Do you feel that" he asked the kid

Ranma's heart was beating fast

-"Woah! Is that love?" Alexander asked

-"That's how being in love feels" Ranma answered him softly while looking at Akane. She was smiling broadly as she kneeled in front of them. Then, Ranma brought Alexander's hand and rested it against Akane's heart. Her heart was beating fast too and the little boy grinned happily.

-"What was the treasure? You said the story had a treasure. What was it?" Alexander looked expectantly at Ranma

-"You" amazingly enough the little boy seemed to understand it and kissed Ranma's cheek then yawned as his eyes started to drop

Ranma got up and brought him to a baby room. Akane was standing there too, she had opened the covers already and Ranma placed the sleeping boy in his arms on the bed, he then tucked him and gently kissed his forehead. Akane too bent down and placed a small kiss on the little boy's cheek and Alexander woke up for a moment

"Mama, I like it when Papa tell me stories. It's always fun" And then again his eyes fluttered closed and he dreamt of pirates and treasures

Akane walked up to his husband and softly kissed him on the lips

-"What was all that about?"

-"Love" he answered

Akane and Ranma hugged tightly as they stared back at their treasure and smiled

'This small crazy one'

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A.N: I hope you people out there like this piece of fluff

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