The Proposal

Hello Readers,

Just warning you, Nabiki is going to appear very OOC in this chapter, there is no pairing in development. I’m trying to write her not as Nabiki from the manga, but as someone who was involved in a causal relationship for years and cares about that person. Even if a person is a causal sex buddy, you still develop a certain attachment to them and feel a sense of responsibility towards them when they’re down.

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Nabiki

It was weird to be back in Nerima after a year’s absence. I’d gotten engaged over the Christmas holidays and couldn’t wait to be reunited with my fiancé, Tatewaki Kuno. He was supposed to have come with me, but had been called away over a union strike at one of his businesses. Although he’s still a college student, he’s slowly taking over Kuno Enterprises and likes to handle all negotiations himself. He’d booked a suite in the fanciest hotel in town so that we could have a little alone time after we visited our families. I was very disappointed that he wasn’t coming with me, but he insisted that I take the hotel room and arranged for me to be invited to an exclusive party. It was a sweet gesture. so I invited one of my friends along.

I’d been with Kuno since the night that we went to the prom together, it had been one of the best nights of my life, though disappointing in the end. Kuno had been in a horrible mood that night, he’d found out that the rumors of Ranma saving for an engagement ring for Akane were true. Still he’d been so sweet to me and looked so handsome in his tux. He’d spoiled me rotten with a stretch limo, rare orchid as corsage, dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town and expensive champagne. I was hoping that he’d booked a hotel room so that we could finally make love, but instead he’d dropped me off at home to my bitter disappointment. I kept looking out the window to see the limousine in the driveway as he gazed towards Akane’s room for at least an hour. A quick call to Mousse’s cell cured the bad night and like all the rest of the girls on their prom nights, I got laid and well laid indeed.

Mousse; I can never come here without thinking about him. We were never more than fuck buddies, but you can’t sleep with someone for years without developing certain feelings for them. It wasn’t love or some stupid shit like that; it was more like we were allies against the idiocy of others. They wouldn’t fuck us, so we would fuck each other and in that way, tell them to go fuck themselves. We did care for and support each other in our way. It was us against THEM.

Even when I didn’t know Mousse as well as I do now, it was hard not to spot how beautiful he was, even with those silly glasses of his. However, I never would have dreamed that his baggy clothes concealed a whip hard body and a porn star cock, not to mention staying power that would have made Casanova jealous. Man he was fun and up for anything! He’d taken the virginity of every hole on my body and even had let me take his with a strapon one night; he’d admitted that it was fun but not for him. Whips, chains (especially chains), leather, costuming, you name it, we tried it.

I knew that Mousse and I would never be anything more to each other. He understood me and admitted that he could talk to me more easily than anyone he’d ever met. We had a connection; we were comfortable with each other. We turned to each other in our disappointment and our bitterness at our loves. He would bring me his frustrations at a haughty bitch and pound them into my body in a never-ending perfect fuck. He had a lot of frustrations, big huge ones! This went on for years until Kuno finally started to date me for real. For the first year he would sleep with me and then question me all about Akane, then one day he stopped staring at her and started to look only at me. That’s when I knew I’d won. Mousse had hidden his disappointment at being denied sex with me, but had gallantly offered to keep his distance now that Kuno and I were exclusive. That lasted about a month before I practically raped him one night, then our relationship started up again, only the rules had changed: we could continue until I got a ring on my finger. Want to know why I kept sleeping with Mousse when I had the man of my dreams? See below.

It was disappointing when I finally made love with Kuno; I’d assumed that all men were sex on two legs like Mousse. Not the case. Kuno has a low sex drive and ten minutes, a couple of times a week is enough to satisfy him, leaving me to satisfy myself afterwards. He seems to think that he’s some kind of stud; nope, I know the real deal. Everything else is aces; he’s a wonderfully thoughtful, sweet man who spoils me like no tomorrow, whom I love to distraction in all areas but one. So I had the man of my dreams in my life and the lover of my dreams in bed; between them they made one perfect guy.


I gave Mousse a present before I left; I arranged for to get him laser surgery and got Kuno to pay for it. It was simple; I took him to the clinic for a free consultation and firm quote. Then took the documents and doctored them on my computer to read my name and made the deterioration less severe. I gave them to Kuno to read, a few tears and a sob story later I had a credit card to pay for ‘my’ failing eye sight and a hotel room booked for 48 hours recovery time. I conveniently chose a clinic a couple of towns over, at a time that Kuno couldn’t come with me. Wasn’t it convenient that a female friend of mine could along to take care of me? So we went and had marathon sex after his eyes were done. He was so grateful, he told me it was the best ‘thank you for fucking me’ present ever.

I wonder how Mousse is now. We’d sworn to keep in touch when I left, but both had stopped communicating after awhile. My time spent with him had really opened my eyes to his situation. I used to roll my eyes along with everyone else when he sobbed in the streets, it started bothering me after we started fucking. I wanted to drag him to his feet, shake him until his teeth rattled and shout “she’s not worth this!” He really had no one on his side but me, and I couldn’t even show that in public. I learned a couple things too; Ranma can be such an asshole sometimes. He would kick someone’s can and then do his victory dance, while shaking his little ass around as all the girls oohed and aahed over him, leaving his beaten opponent lying injured in the dust. Considering he’s supposed to be such a nice guy, you’d think that he would arrange for medical attention or at the very least, someone to take care of them but no. Too busy bragging. I was always the one who took charge of Kuno, not that Ranma noticed. However I couldn’t leave Mousse there with a dislocated shoulder, or a cut that needed stitches in hopes that Shampoo would pull her head out of her ass long enough to tend to him. So I started carrying a flask of cold water to his challenges and sneaking him to Dr. Tofu’s clinic in duck form for treatment. It was easy to do, no one but me seemed to notice when he was hurt, not even his supposed future wife. I would call her a bimbo but I knew that her stupidity was an act, you can’t be raised by Cologne and be an idiot.

Imagine my surprise when I ran into him in a champagne haze. My friend Yoko and I were stumbling down the street in a giggling state. We both wore expensive gowns with heavy coats over top as the night was bitterly cold. We’d opted to walk because the party was close. Yoko stopped and started laughing “hey isn’t that that Chinese geek who used to cry in the streets? Looks like he’s graduated to bus stop benches now, still a loser I guess” she said amused.

I turned and looked in shock to find a Mousse sitting on the bench beside us with his face buried in his hands. His shoulders were heaving, indicated that he was sobbing. I was alarmed to see him wearing just his usual outfit on so cold a night, I’ve taken that damned thing off of him often enough to know that its made of silk and not that warm! I glared at Yoko when she taunted “hey loser is that bitch still giving you trouble? Grow up!”

I couldn’t help him in public back then, fearing for my reputation, but now I could. I touched his shoulder “Mousse what’s wrong?” I asked him, sensing that his anguish had nothing to do with Shampoo.

He turned a face so woebegone on me and said “Nabiki?”

“You know this weird assed martial artist?” Yoko said contemptuously.

“He’s a friend of my family’s and there’s nothing weird about his style, he’s a hidden weapons master and a damned good one” I snapped, I’d never realized Yoko was such a bitch. “Now help me, we’ve got to get him someplace warm” I ordered her, pulling Mousse to his feet. He followed along like a lost lamb.

“But we’re supposed to go the party” she whined. “Let the idiot take care of himself”

“Fine you go to the party, I’m taking him home” I snarled and pulled him along with me. He stumbled along in a daze. I waited until she stormed off and took him into the hotel. As I passed the front desk, I snapped “send hot tea and blankets up to my room” I didn’t even have to bother saying which suite I was staying in. I got Mousse to sit down and wrapped the comforter from the bed around him to stop his shivering. “What’s wrong Mousse?” I asked him. He pulled me hard against him and broken into heart rendering sobs. I held him and stroked his hair until he was calm. Then wet a face cloth and gently cleaned his tear stained face with it. “Do you want to tell me?” I asked him gently.

“My little sister, Aftershave died of Leukemia” he said in a broken voice.

“I’m so sorry” I said soothingly. “Why aren’t you at the Neko Hanten if you’re this upset?” I asked.

“Shampoo’s really depressed about Ranma and I didn’t want to bother her” he explained.

“You should have taken a coat at least” I chided.

“I just needed to get out of there right away” he said grimly.

“Look we should get you home” I suggested.

“No, I’ll just wander the streets until daylight” he replied.

“No way its freezing tonight, you’re staying here tonight if you won’t go home” I ordered.

He gave me a ghost of smile “still the dominate one” he said but made no move to leave. Then his gaze fell on my two karat diamond engagement ring “I see congratulations are in order” he said fondly.

I smiled back, thrilled at my newly engaged status “since Christmas” I explained. “How’re things going with Shampoo?”

His smile vanished “she’s in a world of pain over Ranma’s engagement, so much so that she might actually marry me. Or any other male who happens to be single” he said bitterly.

“Hey you’re a catch” I protested, slipping into our old supportive lingo.

“She doesn’t love me” he stated. “I know that now, but would still marry her anyway. Either I’m the King of Irony or the biggest loser on the planet”

I touched him then, stroking his soft hair, slipping my hands underneath it to caress his rock hard back and then leaned down and kissed him so, so softly with just enough desire it show that I wanted him. The tip of my tongue just lightly caressed his own as he opened his lips under the pressure of my own.

His eyes grew wide and he protested “But we can’t, you’re engaged”

Mousse

“But we can’t, you’re engaged” I protested.

She responded by softly kissing me again, teasing and tempting me, I hadn’t had sex since the last time I was with her. “Mousse let it happen, you need this” she whispered, her small deft hands unfastening my clothes in a familiar way, finding all hidden ties with touch alone. As if to coax the thin line of resistance that remained in me. All thoughts of doing the honourable thing fled as her warm hands caressed the flesh of my back so gently. I raised my head to hers and surrendered my lips to be kissed.

I let her guide me as she pushed me back and straddled my lap, yet she did nothing but softly rub her bare heat against me in a teasing manner. She kept caressing my back, chest and shoulder so softly that it was like she was trying to make love to me. As far as I was concerned, I’d never done that before, I’d only imagined doing this with Shampoo when she was my wife. Nabiki allowed me to lower her back onto the bed; I gently thrust myself inside her. We undulated together softly with a rhythm akin to the waves of the ocean on a calm day, I felt like I was drowning in her kisses. There was no frenzy this time; it was as soft and sweet as her sharp mews when she came. My own cry of bliss echoed hers far too soon. Wrapped in her arms, I fell asleep feeling cared about for a brief moment. She gave me one final kiss and whispered “Happy News Years Mousse”

Nabiki

I watched him sleep, not because I was feeling romantic, but because I felt bad for him. Mousse was a good person who deserved good things to happen to him. He’d been lonely without me here. I’d gotten my man while he was still stuck in the same stupid spiral with a dumb bitch. She certainly hadn’t slept with him, that much was obvious. No one could fuck him without craving more. I can’t tell you how many times I thought of him while I rubbed myself feverishly in the washroom. I sometimes wondered if Shampoo worried when he would disappear for our trysts, training missions he would tell her. Well, we sure trained hot and heavy together. I wanted to help him out and a figured out a way.

The next morning, I knew that all he needed was a shower to erase any trace that we’d been screwing. I doubt Shampoo would believe me if I told her anyway. So while he took his shower, I arranged rumpled sheets on the couch as if he’d slept there and called Shampoo.

“Shampoo, I just wanted you to know that Mousse’s here in my hotel suite. I found him on the streets last night when he was depressed about his sister and insisted he sleep here” I explained when she came on the line.

“What happened Mousse’s sister?” she asked. As I suspected, in his quest not to upset his precious Shampoo, he hadn’t even told her. I explained it to her and she said she would come right over as I thought she would. She tries to hide it, but everyone knows she has a bit of a soft spot for Mousse.

“Shampoo’s on her way over” I told Mousse when he joined me wearing one of the hotel’s plush bathrobes and drying his hair on a designer towel.

“You invited her over!” he screeched, his voice taking on a prepubescent caste in his alarm.

“Relax, you slept on the sofa” I said, indicating to the believable looking jumble of sheets there and the one side of the bed that I’d made up “besides, everyone knows I’m a sexless bitch” I said with a grin.

Mousse was fully dressed and looked apprehensive when Shampoo walked through the door. Her expression was unreadable. I opened my mouth to protest when she smacked him across the face with her hand and then just as quickly threw her arms around him. This caused both Mousse and I to freeze. I swear his arms were trembling when he wrapped them around her and held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. It was like watching history being made.

“Why Mousse leave last night without telling me where going? Shampoo was so worried about you. I tried calling cell, but you leave at home” she chided.

“Y-you were worried about me?” he stammered.

“Shampoo does care, silly Mousse” she said. “You think I no care for Aftershave? She was fine warrior and friend to Shampoo. I miss her too” she said.

“I didn’t think you’d want to hear about it, you’ve been so down lately” he said softly. His eyes lit up when she stroked his cheek.

“It not Mousse’s fault, is Ranma’s and Shampoo sorry she been mean to you. I was jerk, take it out on you” she said. “Mousse can we go home?” she asked.

“Back to the Neko Hanten? Sure I’ll take you there” he offered.

She shook her head “no, back to village. Now Ranma getting married, kiss of death over. Is nothing to keep us here and must be there for sister’s funeral. She be buried with full honors as Amazon, Shampoo see to that” she promised.

“Of course, I have to go back anyway. But will Cologne let us?” Mousse asked.

“I make her see reason, what to go back and see friends and family. Not weird Nerima with strange people and funny pollution smell” she said. “Want clean country air, green trees and clear streams” she said wistfully.

“I’ll help you convince her, I’m sorry I made you worry” he said and hugged her close to him. I could practically see the hearts floating around him from where I stood.

Shampoo pulled back “Is okay I use washroom Nabiki?”

“Of course, just down the hall way to your right” I said. Then turned to Mousse and said “so you’re really leaving?”

“Looks that way” he replied.

“I guess that you won’t get to see my wedding then?” I said.

“I don’t think you’ll see mine either” he replied.

I shook his hand and grinned at him, I wasn’t good at goodbyes “we had a great run”

“I wouldn’t have changed a thing” he replied, his grin echoing mine. “Nabiki, thank you for your help with Shampoo. I’ll find a way to repay you someday” he promised.

“I’ll think of something” I replied.

Shampoo had brought Mousse’s coat, it was a puffy parka thing that looked way out of place with his robe, but at least it was warm. Our eyes met, regretting that we probably wouldn’t see each other again as he walked out of my life was Shampoo holding tightly to his arm, none the wiser about our relationship.

After they left, Akane and Ranma got married. I pretended not to notice that my fiancé kept on staring at Akane with lust in his eyes.