-1Disclaimer: Ranma ½ isn't mine, please don't sue.

Author note: It's Christmas time, and I'd figure I'd do a one off Christmas story that won't the affect the main story of First I Giveth. Ranma, Nabiki, a little fuzziness to keep myself sane. Enjoy.

Houki Boshi: An FIG Christmas

By Marik Kurakashi

Ah, Christmas, a time for family and cheer, a bright spot in the season of discontent. Christmas lights decorated much of Nerima, and people usually adversarial to each other got along for this short period of time. The presents, the food, the fun, all wrapped up in one cold December day.

Ranma blew on his hands as he walked around, deciding to get some fresh air while the Tendos finished the prep for the Christmas party tonight. He wanted to be surprised with how everything looked, so he had voluntarily left. Looking around at all the lights, Ranma felt like a kid again, only this time he wasn't on the road or anything depressing like that.

Blowing on his hands again, Ranma simply walked on, hoping he had gotten the right thing for everyone.

The shopping had been frantic, the work even more so. Coming to an agreement to work for Cologne and Ukyo both on alternating days had been a blessing and a curse. He came home exhausted and missed spending time with the Tendos, who were understanding at least.

His father had surprisingly put in a good deal of work around Tofu's clinic, even earning himself a nice Christmas bonus from the good doctor. He chuckled to himself as he remembered his father bragging about the bonus, since the old man decided to do it as a panda. While he didn't know what his father had done with the extra money, he just hoped it was spent wisely for once.

He slowed down to a crawl as he spotted someone familiar.

"A-Akane?" he asked hesitantly, staring at the bundled up girl, whom was shouldering a pack like the wandering Ryoga often did.

"Merry Christmas Ranma," Akane said with a smile, before putting her hands on her hips and with false crossness, "You didn't think I'd let my training trip to allow me to miss Christmas with everyone did you?"

"Oh, uh, no." Ranma replied, rubbing the back of his hat-covered head. "Just thought you would have been back to the dojo by now."

"Well," she said, shuffling her pack as it had started to slip. "I had a lot of ground to cover, the mountains are a good distance away."

"Ah, I see." Ranma said, smiling a bit. "Hey, that stand is selling some hot chocolate, you want to get some?"

"Sure," she replied, before fishing out the appropriate amount of yen. "My treat, okay?"

"Well… ok." he said, shrugging his shoulders.

The two headed over and got their hot chocolate, blowing on it a bit before enjoying it in companionable silence. It had been a while since they had seen each other, as Akane had left on a training trip after THAT. He couldn't blame her, as he was sure he wouldn't have stuck around had that same thing happen to him.

"So…" Ranma said, as they walked along together. "How's your training going?"

"Well enough I suppose." Akane answered, enjoying the company she held now. "I've improved quite a bit from how I was before."

"That's good." Ranma said, a nervous pause before he asked his next question. "Uh, you haven't been cooking for yourself, have you?"

"What?! Oh, no, no." the girl replied, with a laugh. "After the first night, I simply offer to odd jobs in exchange for food."

"Ah…" was all Ranma could say, as he was shocked to see Akane no longer so sensitive over her cooking. "How bad was it?"

"I was bed ridden for the entire next day," she confessed with an embarrassed blush.

"Oh," Ranma replied, face twitching as he bit down an unfunny joke. "I guess that kind of taught you a bit about what goes into cooking, huh?"

"Indeed." she answered, going silent for a few. "So what are you out for?"

"Huh? Oh, Kasumi and Nabiki are setting things up for the Christmas party tonight, and I decided to get out of the way." he said, placing both hands behind his head.

'Same old Ranma,' Akane thought, giggling to herself. "So you don't know what they're doing for the party?"

"Nope, I'm as clueless as you to it." he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Ah, I see. Still, it's good to see you again." she said, looking away from him shyly.

"Yeah, same here." he answered, looking away himself.

On they walked, enjoying the company of the other.

- - -

At the Nekohaten, preparations were under way for what was to be a slow day on Christmas. Cologne opened the restaurant, keen on giving away a few free bowls of ramen or other treats to anyone who would come by. As she made sure Haircare and Mousse were working, Cologne was glad that she had stuck around Nerima after her great-granddaughter left on her own.

Her apprentice, no longer ungrateful as she was training herself to be worthy of Amazon status, was out on a long training trip. Much like the youngest Tendo daughter, she had left when the dust had finally settled from everything surrounding Ranma. While she had no doubts to her great-granddaughter's success in her training, the old woman silently hoped she'd be by today.

If nothing else, so she could gauge how the training had been going.

Mousse had surprisingly stayed behind after Shampoo left, which made Cologne respect him a little more than she had before. Haircare had returned a month ago battered and bruised, which told her that the foolish girl had tried to assault Shampoo again and paid for it. Her stupid apprentice would need a few more reminders like that to understand the considerable gap between herself and Shampoo.

The door opened and in slipped a bundled figure carrying a massive pack. Though they technically weren't open, Cologne decided to let this person stay. With a flick of her staff, she pointed to where the person could put down their bags.

Moving towards the appointed area, the figure doffed their pack and began rooting through it, pulling out a familiar black piglet and a set of yellow clothes.

"Great-Grandmother, is okay I take stupid pig to bath so he change back yes?" asked Shampoo, pulling the thick scarf off her face.

"Shampoo!" Mousse cried, flinging his arms wide. "You came back to me!"

"I not come back for you!" the girl said, kicking him away.

"Welcome back child, and yes, you may take the pig to the bath." the old woman said, shaking her head as Mousse staggered a bit before crumpling to the floor.

"So you're back." Har said neutrally as Shampoo walked past.

"Yes, I back for now at least." Shampoo replied, eyeing the girl warily. "You want some what Mousse get?"

"Hey, hey, today's supposedly a day of peace." the other girl said, waving her hands.

"Good, I glad you not as stupid as you seem." Shampoo said haughtily as she went to the back and into the bathroom with pig and clothes in tow.

"She never changes." Har muttered before going over to check on Mousse."

"Okay, I draw nice hot bat for pig, leave clothes and give you privacy." Shampoo said to the piglet as she set it down. Then, she turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her.

The piglet, happy for warm water, dove into the tub, submerging for a second before coming back up as Ryoga.

"Ahhhh," the lost boy sighed in relief. "Nothing like a hot bath on a cold winter's day."

"So what are your plans for today Shampoo?" Cologne asked, as her great-granddaughter emerged from the back.

"I guide lost boy to dojo for their party, come back her and spend day with you." the girl replied, smiling a bit she took in the restaurant. "I miss this place."

"I see. And how is your training going?" the elder asked, smiling a bit to herself.

"It good. Nowhere near what I need, but it has been good." Shampoo answered, looking over at her Great-Grandmother.

"That's good child, that's good. Have a seat, I'll whip you up something real fast." the elder said, turning for the kitchen.

- - -

At the Tendo dojo, the family were preparing for their Christmas party they were hosting tonight. The daughters of Tendo Soun were working together to string up decorations in the dojo, with the elder sister instructing the younger. Kasumi smiled at the playful groaning from Nabiki, knowing that her sister didn't mind doing the work.

Nabiki, for her part, was in an extremely good mood. Today was Christmas, a time for family and loved ones. Secretly, she couldn't wait to see what Ranma got her, as she noticed how hard he had worked in order to get money for gifts.

With all of her patience, she had to resist peeking at it.

"Okay, Nabiki," Kasumi called, "that's the last of the tinsel."

"Good," Nabiki huffed in mock exasperation. "I want to be awake to enjoy the party tonight.

"Don't be silly you." Kasumi chided, giggling at her sister. "You've done more during your training than you have with the decorations."

"Hush." Nabiki said, giggling herself. "How about we enjoy some hot chocolate while waiting for Daddy to finish with the lights?"

"Sure." Kasumi said, walking to the kitchen. "I'll heat us up some."

"Great," Nabiki enthused, before tapping her chin. "Anything I can do?"

"Check on Daddy to make sure he isn't having any problems with the lights." Kasumi called.

"Got it." Nabiki said, grabbing a jacket and heading outside.

"Ah, Christmas, what a wonderful day." Soun mused as he continued stringing the lights on the roof. "If only Saotome weren't on a trip."

"Daddy?" Nabiki called up, looking at the roof. "You're not having any troubles are you?"

"Not at all, Nabiki-chan." he replied. "I should be done in another half-hour."

"That's good. Come back in when you're done." Nabiki said, going back inside.

"Nabiki?" Kasumi called, "the hot chocolate will be done in another few minutes."

"Good, Daddy will be done in another half hour." the younger sister replied.

"I wonder how Uncle and Auntie Saotome are doing." Kasumi mused, resting against a counter.

"Enjoying their second honeymoon, I'd guess." Nabiki answered with a shrugs, leaning against the refrigerator.

"True." the elder sister said, before they lapsed into silence for a few minutes. It was broken only for Kasumi to finish the hot chocolate.

"Ahhhh," Nabiki said after she took a swig. "That hits the spot."

"Mm," Kasumi said, before getting a conspiratorial look in her eye. "What do you think Ranma got you for Christmas?"

"Mumph!" Nabiki tried to avoid spitting her hot chocolate, swallowing the mouthful. "Kasumi! That's personal."

"But don't you wonder?" the older sister said, a big smile on her face.

"Yes, but I can wait." the younger sister said, faking being scandalized. "Patience is often rewarded with Ranma."

"You would know best." Kasumi replied, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

"That I would, that I would." Nabiki said, sipping her own.

- - -

"I'm sorry Akane," Ranma said, standing in the dojo, staring at the aforementioned girl. "I can't be your fiancé anymore."

"Why?" Akane asked in shock, her eyes widening in horror. "What have I done to make you not want to be my fiancé anymore?"

"It's nothing you did, it's just… I fell in love with someone else." Ranma answered, closing his eyes.

"But… but I!" Akane said, feeling helpless. "I love you!"

"That's the thing… I DON'T love you." Ranma answered, opening his eyes and looking her in the eyes. "I can't stay engaged to you because it isn't fair."

"Who?" Akane uttered, shaking a bit.

"Huh?" Ranma asked, confused.

"Who is it?" the youngest Tendo hissed at him, unshed tears in her eye.

"Uh… it's… Nabiki." he answered, stepping away. "I'm sorry, but that's how it is."

"N-Na-bi-ki?" Akane stuttered out, quivering with either rage or shock.

"Yeah," Ranma said, "I barely believe it myself."

"What does she have that I don't?" Akane asked, tears beginning to streaming down her face. "What is it about her that makes you love her and not me?"

"It's not something that makes me love her," Ranma said, standing firm. "It's just… she's done so much for me and has been so patient for me, that I guess it's because she hasn't stopped being there for me ever since she started."

"That's it?" Akane asked, glaring at him.

"Alright Miss Smarty, what is it about ME that make you love me and not say, Ryoga?" he snapped back, crossing his arms.

"What? What kind of question is that?" she asked, her tears slowing.

"A fair one I'd say, as it's what YOU asked ME." he answered, turning away from her.

"Wait! Don't go Ranma." she pleaded, reaching out for him.

"Don't you get it Akane?" he said, looking over his shoulder. "I'm already gone."

She could say nothing as Ranma walked out of the dojo.

"I see she didn't take it well," Nabiki said, as Ranma came back to the house proper.

"Yeah," he replied with a heavy sigh. "Like I knew she would."

"It's not your fault." she said, with a measured look on her face. "But it's better she hear it from you, not me."

"I know… I know." he said quietly, drawing her into a quick hug. "Thanks."

"No problem, Ranma," she answered with honest feeling.

- - -

"I still remember that day, more for the night out than anything." Nabiki said, her cup long empty as she stared into the bottom of it.

"Yeah, it was a shock to me, because I didn't really see what was going on." Kasumi said, her own cup in the sink.

"Hey girls," Soun said as he came into the kitchen. "Lights are strung, now just to wait for night to turn them on."

"Say Daddy," Nabiki said, a thoughtful look on her face. "How about we leave the lights up until New Year's at least. I mean, you don't want to climb up there tomorrow to take them down do you?"

"Not really." he answered, nodding along. "It's a shame it's been so busy around here, or we would've had them up before now."

"Yes." Kasumi said, agreeing with the sentiment. "Hey, Ranma should be back soon."

"I know," Nabiki said, heading out of the kitchen, "which is why I'm going out to wait for him."

- - -

"Look, we're almost back at the dojo now." Ranma said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"I know the way Ranma, I lived there a lot longer than you." Akane said in mock annoyance.

"Yeah, but I bet they aren't expecting you." he added, looking sidelong at her.

"And why wouldn't they be?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Uh… Akane, you have written to us since you left." he answered.

"Oh." she said quietly, feeling slightly foolish.

"Ranma!" a voiced called from another path. The boy turned to see Ryoga walking with Shampoo.

"Ryoga, Shampoo! Merry Christmas." he called, waving.

"Merry Christmas." Ryoga said neutrally, coming to a stop before Ranma and glaring at him.

"Merry Christmas!" Shampoo said cheerily, before noticing the person standing next to Ranma with their back to them. "Who this?"

"Uh, hey Ryoga, Shampoo. Merry Christmas." Akane said, turning around.

"A-Akane-san." Ryoga said, a nervous twitch in his voice. "M-Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Shampoo said, still smiling. "I glad to see Akane make back for today."

"Say, you guys headed to the Christmas party too?" Ranma asked, getting a nod from Ryoga.

"I just help Ryoga to dojo. Party back at Nekohaten, I go there." Shampoo answered.

"Well," Akane said, looking at Ryoga. "I guess we can take over from here if you want to go back now."

"I do that. See later." Shampoo called, turning around.

"Later Shampoo." the trio chorused, before heading for the dojo at a faster clip.

- - -

"Well well," Nabiki called, as she saw the approaching trio. "It appears you picked up some friends on the way back Ranma."

"Yeah," Ranma called, before hooking his thumb to his right. "Look who's back."

"Hey, the Prodigal Daughter returns, unfortunately, we're all out of fattened calf." Nabiki joked as the trio stopped in front of her with puzzled looks on their faces. "Ahem. It was a joke. Come on, let's get inside."

They all marched inside, getting unbundled and exchanging greetings and such. The party would start in another fifteen minutes, so they had some brief time to catch up with one another. Soon, time flew by and the party got under way.

It was a nice party and altogether festive in it mood. Carols were sung, and holiday themed goodies were consumed en masse. A goof time were had by all, and gifts were exchanged.

All except for two party goers, who went outside and onto the porch.

"Some party eh?" Ranma said, keeping his gift to his side as he looked to the side at Nabiki.

"Yeah, I'm glad Akane made it back." Nabiki said, looking sideways at Ranma, her own gift held just out of view.

"So…" he said, looking briefly at the gift in his hand.

"So…?" she asked, sparing a quick look at her own.

"I guess this is for you." he said handing it to her.

"Thanks. Here's yours." she said, taking her gift and handing him his.

"So who opens what?" Ranma said, looking at the gift in his hands.

"You go first." Nabiki answered, hoping he'd like what she got him.

"Alright." he said, tearing into the wrapping and unveiling a small telescope with both her name and his engraved on it. "Hey, this is nice."

"Yeah," she said with a nod and a smile. "I figured since you liked to sit on the roof, I'd give you some help looking at the stars."

"Thanks, this is great." he said, though it may have seemed inexpensive, it was a nice gift, since she had apparently gotten their names engraved into it. He stuffed it into his pocket.

"Okay, my turn." she said, tearing off the packaging to revel a long white package. With Ranma taking a hold of it, she pulled the lid off to reveal a set of matching bracelets and a necklace. "Ranma, this is… wow."

"I was kinda blocked on what to get you, so I decided to do some, what's that word that means the meaning of names?" he asked, confused.

"I don't know." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, whatever, let me just show you." he said, picking up one bracelet, which had the characters of her name as the chain, circling all the around to a gold plate. "Tendo Nabiki, the girl who bends the laws of heaven."

"Ha ha ha," Nabiki laughed, "that's cute. What's the other one say?"

"Well," he said, setting down the first one and picking up the other. "Saotome Ranma, the boy who is as reckless as a wild horse, yet as gentle as a rice-planting girl."

"Nice," she said, peering into the box and looking at the necklace with a gem embedded at the center. "What about that?"

"See for yourself," he said with a smile, reaching down and handing it to her.

"Houki Boshi," she read, making out something written inside the gem. "No matter where you are, I will always run to your side, even if I have to become a comet and fly across the endless sky to."

"I will admit, Mom helped me with that." he said with a slight blush.

"T-thank you Ranma, this is wonderful." she said, setting down the necklace and quickly putting on the bracelets.

"Here, allow me." he said, snagging the necklace, then setting the package aside. "Turn around."

She obeyed, turning around and allowing Ranma to place the necklace on her. Quietly, she looked down at the gem, a finger brushing against it. It was just like him, to be competitive over something simply like Christmas gifts. Not that she minded, as he obviously sunk a great deal into them.

"So, what do you think?" he asked, slightly nervous at her silence.

"They're wonderful." she said, voice thick with emotion. She turned around to him.

"I'm glad you like them." he said, before reaching out and hugging her.

"Mmmm," she hummed, hugging back for a few before digging something out of her pocket. "Mistletoe?" she dangled it over their heads.

"Sounds good." he said, leaning in for a kiss, which was met halfway by Nabiki.

And as they kissed, a comet flew through the sky…

End Houki Boshi

Author note: Well, wasn't as much WAFF in here as I'dve liked, but what can you do. Now please, refrain from thinking that this will happen in First I Giveth, as this is simply an excuse for me to do a Christmas fic. I certainly hope that everything won't be as cut and dry as that, and I'll try not to. Also, the gifts were something I didn't think of, and I made them up when the scene got to it, and skipped the party because I didn't feel like meandering along through pointless dialogue. The sayings on the bracelets are a riff on a certain Kamen Rider and his penchant for making a saying out of his name… and I recognize that I flipped Nabiki's name around, but it would have sounded incredibly stupid as: "Tendo Nabiki, the laws of heaven, she who bends them." It doesn't work. Well, that's all from me, see you later for more mainline FIG.

Merry Christmas.