AN: Written for the Dec 2010 Saiunkoku_fic LJ comm fic exchange, for thierrys! I hope she enjoyed! (This was a pinch-hit fic, so a bit rushed.)

Disclaimer: SaiMono is owned by its appropriate copyright owners and creators. (Not me!)

Shuuei leaned forward over Kouyuu's desk, effectively looming over his colleague's hunched frame.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, just came to see if you were busy."
"Obviously. Go away."

Smirking softly, Shuuei's eyes gleamed. "Always so hasty. Actually, I have a bit of shopping to do, and I was looking for company."

"And I. Am. Busy. Go ask his Highness if He'd like to don that peasant garb He so enjoys, to run amuck again." He paused and looked up at his 'friend' then. His eyes narrowed a fraction. "Actually, no, don't you dare, I need his stamp on more than half of these by tomorrow, and if he disappears again I may become too inclined to resort to regicide."

With a sigh, Shuuei nodded seriously and stood. "Well, I'll be going to get Shouka's medicine on my own then, I suppose. I hope I know what to get when I reach the market, what with all those charlatan doctors and apothecaries, who knows what they'd mix up for-."

There came a faint cracking sound that Shuuei didn't miss, of Kouyuu's brush snapping in his grip.

"You forgot to mention that part," Kouyuu's shoulders shook and he clenched his teeth, probably as he internally counted to ten. "Of course I'm coming with you! Who knows what you'd pick up."

"Indeed," Shuuei agreed, his tone sending Kouyuu into a bright flush.

"I meant you'd probably end up with poison!"

"After a fashion. There are worse ways to go. I might have ended up with poison, but at least I would have arrived at the right mansion with it thereafter, to share."

Immediately turning on his heel to match Shuuei's lead, Kouyuu barged past him with all the determination (and grace) of an elephant. "Well quit dithering, let's go, let's go."

From his completely-by-accident-eavesdropping position in the hallway, Reishin suddenly ducked behind a column as the two imperial advisors strode past in the direction of the palace exit, still bickering like a pair of monkeys.

His decision had been made, though – if his esteemed elder brother was in any danger at all, he, Reishin, would be sure to rectify the situation through any means necessary!

And some which were perhaps completely unnecessary.

With that, he dispatched his swiftest assistant to his home to arrange for a full shipment of oranges to be delivered to the private residence of one illustrious Shouka Kou, and no, this was not misappropriation of government funds as this was in the Civil Affairs budget, so get a move on, and there would be no further discussion on the matter unless a certain civil service messenger wished to be promptly sacked.

…And boiled in oil thereafter for not immediately rushing to the archivist's (probable) deathbed in aid.

With a haughty snap-shut of his fan, Reishin dismissed the unfortunate man.

As soon as the underling was out of sight, Reishin hopped through the nearest window and sped across the palace grounds.

Shuuei smiled as he thanked the last apothecary, and steered Kouyuu out of the dead-end alley he'd wandered into.

"It was a clear route before—a shortcut I've used to…"

Smirking, Shuuei hummed in acknowledgement, which only seemed to incense Kouyuu further.

"Why did they ask you to get the medicine, anyway?"

Thinking on things a moment before he answered, Shuuei shifted the packages in his arms. He hadn't missed how the subject had been changed, and on which syllable Kouyuu had put his emphasis.

"Shuurei was notified by the staff that her father had taken ill, and as she left to look after him she left a note for Seiran—as he was called away, it was directed to me… and here we are."

"That seems awfully convenient. If convoluted."
"Doesn't it?"

Kouyuu's eyes narrowed and he huffed in frustration. "So you're Seiran's back-up now?"

Blinking once, Shuuei caught on to the ulterior motivation for Kouyuu's participation in their errand-running. "Because of my military connections within the palace, it is sometimes faster and more secure to send a message to me than to another civil servant."

Kouyuu glanced at him suspiciously. "The imperial guard urgent-communications couriers?"

Not wanting to admit too much, Shuuei waved a hand dismissively. "Something like that."

"So this secret, confidential, top-priority communications route was employed… in order to send you a shopping list?"

"You make it sound far less impressive than it is when you speak of it like that," Shuuei sighed in mild disappointment.

"Your ego needs to come down a peg on occasion, and I volunteer to alleviate your suffering."

"My wounded ego would like to take this opportunity to remind you that we do not need to go through that river to get to Kou manor, as there is a perfectly suitable bridge available ten paces to the left."

Robes sloshing around him, Kouyuu stomped angrily—shoes still squishing—after a ridiculously amused Shuuei.

The pair arrived at Shuurei's family home late that afternoon, and with her sincerest thanks and hot tea of gratitude still warming them, made their way polite farewells thereafter. It wouldn't do to linger and distract her while she was looking after an ailing family member.

"Better now?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you relieved after finally seeing he was fine?"

Kouyuu scoffed. "I wasn't worried."

"Of course you weren't."

"…"

"At least you weren't as obvious about it as certain others."

Kouyuu groaned at the memory of Reishin blazing trails into Kou manor. "When I saw him swing through that window with his arms full of leeks, ducks and medicinal teas, I thought for sure he was going to take poor Shuurei-san out in shock. How he managed to scale the walls while carrying so much will forever elude me."

"Ah, but it was kind of spectacular."

Kouyuu grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Or bordering on lunacy," as they made their way homewards.

It had been a busy day for all.

THE END.

: )