"So when is this yer friend gonna get here ta pick ya up, mom?" Ranma asked to change to change the subject from his mother's dating life.
"She said she would be here at seven o'clock." Nodoka replied as she gracefully knelt down, careful not to ruin her kimono, at the table where all the teenagers were all gathered around. "The party doesn't start until seven-thirty.
Everyone glanced at the living room in time to hear it chime the hour mentioned and right on cue a knock was heard from the front of the house.
"Oh, that must be her!" Ranma's mother attempted to rise but her son placed a hand on one of hers.
"I'll get it, mom. Ya just stay here."
"Why, thank you, Ranma. That's very sweet of you."
"Anythin' fer my mom! So what's yer friend's name again?"
"Meioh. Setsuna Meioh."
"Right. Be right back."
After a moment the four women heard the door opening and closing.
The first thing that struck Ranma upon opening the gate about the woman standing beyond it on the street was her hair. Wow! He thought to himself. Never seen hair that green before. Or green for that matter. I wonder if she's an Amazon or somethin'...
"Excuse me?" Setsuna asked when the boy who opened the gate didn't speak for a few seconds.
"Oh! Sorry 'bout that! Didn't mean ta stare. It's just that I've never seen green hair before."
"It's all right. No harm done. Is this the Tendou Dojo?"
"Yep. Are ya Miss Setsuna Meioh?"
"Yes, I am. Is Nodoka Saotome here? She told me she would be here."
"Yep, mom's here waitin' fer ya. Com'on in!" Ranma invited with his best smile, opening the gate wide and stepping back so the woman could enter.
"Mom?" Setsuna repeated. "So you must be Ranma. I've heard so much about you from your mother. She's told me so much about her manly son." She continued as she stepped past the gate and waited for her friend's son to close it behind her.
"Ack!" Ranma waved his hands in front of him while blushing. "Whatever she told ya... uh, um. What did she tell ya?" He finished weakly.
"She's right. You are cute. So I guess she was telling the truth about all the girls?"
"Gack!" What followed out of Ranma's mouth was a string of gibberish as he tried to explain his girl situation to a total stranger in one breath. He only stopped when Setsuna placed a hand on one of his own.
"It's all right. No need to explain. Now why don't you show me to your mother. I don't want to make her wait too long."
The boy breathed a heavy sigh. "Right. Um, follow me then." At the woman's nod he walked back to where his mother was waiting.
Back in the living room, the remaining occupants followed Ranma with their eyes until he turned the corner.
"So, Auntie, tell us about your friend." Nabiki asked once their attention was back to each other.
"Yeah, Auntie. You never talk much about yourself."
"Yes, Auntie. We hardly know anything about you."
"Oh, my. I never realized. Here I was living in your home for several months and still practically a stranger." Nodoka touched her right cheek with her right hand.
"It's all right, Auntie." Kasumi soothed. "We didn't mean it that way."
"Yeah, Auntie. Sorry if we upset you."
"No. No. I'm the one who must apologize for being a rude guest. So what do you girls want to know about me?"
"Well, let's start with your friend," Nabiki began when they heard the door to the house itself opening and closing. After several seconds they saw Ranma return.
"Hey, mom! Yer friend's here." He announced before stepping aside to reveal the woman following him.
The first thing that struck the Tendou sisters about Nodoka's friend was the same thing Ranma noted.
"Set-chan!" Ranma's mother enthusiastically greeted. She rose from where she was kneeling to approach her friend.
"No-chan!" Setsuna replied in greeting, just as cheerfully. The two hugged in front of the teenagers. After a moment the two broke apart.
"You look beautiful as always, No-chan." Setsuna complimented as she held her friend at arms' length. "You'll be darling of the party again."
"You look beautiful yourself, Set-chan." Nodoka returned with utmost sincerity. "Your dress looks fabulous on you!"
"Uh, mom?" Ranma interrupted gingerly.
"Yes, son?"
"Uh, Kasumi wanna know if yer friend would like a cup of tea."
"Oh! Where are my manners! Would you like to have a cup of tea before we leave, Set-chan?"
"Well, I suppose we have some time before we need to leave."
"That's wonderful!" Nodoka exclaimed before leading her friend by the hand to kneel at the table. The two elder women tucked their legs under them.
"First, let me introduce my dearest friend," Ranma's mother began after Kasumi had served Setsuna tea. "Setsuna Meioh. Set-chan, these are Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane Tendou you have already met my son, Ranma."
Setsuna graciously bowed her head. "It is a pleasure to meet you all." She took a sip from her cup. Her eyebrows raised in suprise. "Oh, my. This green tea is delicious." She complimented Kasumi.
"Why, thank you." Kasumi answered.
"I can't believe this is ordinary green tea."
"Tea is not the only thing she can cook very well. Kasumi is one of the best chefs I know." Nodoka added.
"Oh? Coming from you then she must be."
Setsuna noticed the look Ranma was giving her. "Hmmm? Is something on my face, Ranma?"
The boy blushed and looked down. "Ah! Sorry! Didn't mean ta stare!"
"Pervert." Akane said good-naturedly.
"Hey!"
"There they go again." Nabiki drawled. Their attention were drawn by giggling.
"My. My. No-chan did describe you children quite well."
"Eh?!" Three voices said in unison while another went "Oh, my!".
Nodoka had the grace to blush. "Well, Set-chan was curious about my son and, well, telling about Ranma wouldn't be complete without his friends."
"Mom!"
"Oh, I wouldn't worry, Ranma. May I call you Ranma?" Ranma nodded. "Too much, anyway. So, why were you staring at me? It's not very polite to do so."
"Um, sorry. It's just that I haven't really met any of mom's friends and, um, I was just curious, that's all."
"I suppose that's to be expected. So what about me are you curious about?"
"Everythin' I suppose. Like how did ya and mom meet?"
The two women laughed together at the memory perplexing the youths.
"Would you believe we literally walked into each other?" Setsuna answered.
"Really? How?" Nabiki asked.
"It was almost ten years ago, Nabiki-chan." Nodoka said. "It was just over a year after Ranma and husband left on the training journey. I was walking in a park near our former home to relieve some of the loneliness." Nodoka felt a hand touch her own.
"Mom..."
"It's okay, Ranma."
"And I was walking to relieve some stress due to my work."
"We were both so absorbed in our own thoughts we didn't see the other until our heads bumped and we fell to the ground."
"Unfortunately, or fortunately as it let me meet No-chan, I was drinking sake at the time as a stress reliever."
"Yes. I remember it very well because it spilled on my kimono. And you were unconscious when I checked on you."
"Not one of my best moments, I'm afraid. But it did allow me to meet a very wonderful person who became my dearest friend."
"Yes, it did." Nodoka softly answered back.
Setsuna looked at her watch. "No-chan, we have to leave now or we are going to be late." She turned to the teenagers. "I apologize but we leave now. When we meet again, I will be more than happy to tell you more about myself." She added when she saw the disappointment on their faces.
"Oh! Of course! Children,if you will excuse us." Nodoka said before she and Setsuna rose to their feet followed by the teenagers. The six of them walked to the front gate where the taxi Setsuna hired was waiting.
"Well, we must be going now. Thank you for your hospitality." Setsuna bowed to the Tendous.
"Oh, it was our pleasure to finally meet one of Auntie's friends." Kasumi replied as she bowed as well.
"You are too kind." Setsuna returned. "Well, No-chan?"
"Yes, of course. Well, Ranma, Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane. We'll be going now."
"Ya enjoy yerself, mom. And I'll wait up fer ya."
"Thank you, son." Genma's former wife said before getting into the backseat of the taxi after Setsuna.
Once the two women were certain they were out of sight of the teenagers in the taxi they leaned in towards one another until their heads and shoulders touched, their hands finding each other, fingers entwined.
"No-chan?" Setsuna began.
"I will, Set-chan. Soon." Nodoka answered, knowing what her lover was going to ask.
Setsuna sighed. "You can't keep our relationship a secret forever, No-chan. Sooner or later, your son will know. It will be better if he hears of it from yourself."
Nodoka sighed in return. "I know, Set-chan. I know. But I'm afraid. What if he rejects us? What if he rejects me? I fear that more than anything else."
The green-haired woman raised her arm and placed it around the other's shoulders. She pulled Nodoka closer. Setsuna felt the other woman press herself closer. "Have faith in your son, No-chan. I'm sure he will not reject you because of our relationship."
Nodoka raised her face from the shoulder. "Are you certain, Set-chan?" She asked tremulously with some hope.
"Yes. From what little I have seen of him, I am certain he will not reject his own mother for finding happiness in the arms another of another woman. Trust me."
For several seconds Nodoka looked uncertainly into Setsuna's eyes before she nodded hesitantly. "Thank you, my love." She whispered before closing her eyes, offering her lips.
A moment later those lips were claimed by another.
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(Posted Tue, 25 Apr 2006 17:49)
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