Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Duckie Dearest ❯ Shampoo's Husband ( Chapter 4 )

Duckie Dearest - Part 4

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"What?"

"I'm breaking all engagements."

"You can't! The Saotome honor--"

"Mom says it's unmanly."

Genma paused in fear, but remembering Soun Tendo's demon head, pleaded, "not even one?"

Ranma shook his head emphatically. "If Mr. Tendo gets mad, send him to Mom." And he left.

~~~~~~~~~~

Standing in front of the Neko-Hanten, he paused a moment to settle himself. Then he walked in.

"Son-in-law," Cologne greeted. "What brings you here today?"

"Questions. And after that, I'd like to speak to my wife."

Cologne nodded. "Come in the back. Mousse, cover for me." She closed the door. "Now, what were these questions about?"

"Mousse explained a bit to me of the deal with outsider husbands. What I'd like to know..."

~~~~~~~~~~

Mousse looked up a little apprehensively as the door opened, but when no staff came flying out at her, she relaxed. Shampoo was called in, and the door shut again. Then Cologne came out alone.

<Not what I would have done,> she said. <But you accomplished in two days what I could not in two years. Well done, child.>

<Thank you, Grandmother,> Mousse said.

Cologne took over her usual place and sent Mousse out in Shampoo's stead. During a lull, she brought the topic back up. <Why wait so long? I assume you had thought of this before?>

Mousse shrugged. <A male has no business being smart,> she said simply.

<Mmm, yes,> Cologne said. It seemed that Mousse was really a very intelligent person. She was glad he'd found his solution in a way acceptable to her. <In any case, Ranma has agreed to consummate the marriage as long as Shampoo does not gloat. Congratulations on your success.>

Mousse ducked her hand and went to serve the customers that had just entered.

~~~~~~~~~~

Around closing time, Ranma came downstairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He seemed more relaxed and confident, but an air of startlement clung to him like an old scent. It slowly faded, though, as he smirked at Mousse.

"Good evening," Mousse said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you." He stretched, tightening his shoulders and then relaxing them. "Shampoo will be down in a minute. She's still getting dressed."

Mousse nodded.

Cologne hopped in from the kitchen as their last customers left and stopped Mousse from retreating to clean up just yet. "So," she cackled. "How was it?"

"Very nice," Ranma replied, after a pause. "But how am I going to explain to everyone else? They won't see it the same way."

"I think what we discussed before will work," Cologne said. "You get on home while I explain to Mousse."

Ranma nodded and seemed to disappear, moving extremely fast without really realizing it.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Where have you been, Ranma?" Akane asked, slightly belligerent, as he entered.

"Some more of Cologne's crazy training," he replied, sitting easily at his place for supper. "She's really recruiting me pretty heavily."

Off went the various expected reactions.

"Hey," he said, a little annoyed. "I said that she was recruiting me. That doesn't mean I'm actually joining her."

Surprisingly, Akane calmed before their fathers. She even went so far as to yell at them for jumping to conclusions before Kasumi's look made her blush and fall silent.

Hmm, Ranma thought. Wonder where that came from?