In the silence of the office, the phone ringing in his ear made him jump and wince at the same time. That cue seemed to precede only a few seconds an argument coming from the front of the store by his employees. Annoyed, he thought their fights might drive away their customers.
He would have gone to do something about it, but the phone was insistently ringing and would not shut up. It even penetrated Saiga's sleep and he grumbled. "Who the hell…?"
"Hello?" Kakei answered with a heavy sigh and ignoring his lover.
"…"
"Hello?" Was that some sort of shouting in the background or was that just from Rikuou and Kazahaya?
"…Kakei."
"Yuuko-san?"
"Her? What does she want this time?" Saiga asked, rubbing his eyes and then settling down for his continued nap.
"I…I can't take it anymore…"
"Yuuko-san? What's the matter?"
"I'm coming over."
"Eh? Hey, wait!"
But the line was dead and he stared at the receiver. Today was just one of those terrible days. He pushed his chair away from the desk and stood up, patting Saiga's feet as he passed the sofa. "Yuuko-san is coming, so you might as well get up. Besides, we have to break them up before they destroy something."
What was it about the last week? Everywhere he looked, people were arguing. Rikuou and Kazahaya were having some of the worst and longest fights he'd ever seen before.
"Boys, please don't fight," he warned, eyes glinting dangerously and managing to silence a screaming Kazahaya for a few seconds to give himself a few seconds of needed quiet. "You're going to—"
He never got to finish, since the door swung open to present even more arguing. Yuuko looked…tired and ready to kill something and two boys followed her. The shorter one was yelling just as loudly as Kazahaya had been and all Kakei wanted to do was cover his ears.
Hormonal boys! More hormonal boys!
"Yuuko-san," he complained a little, but she didn't seem at all apologetic.
"I can't take it anymore, Kakei. I need a vacation. It's every five minutes! It hasn't been this bad since Clow brought his guardians with him to invade my home! So please, take them even for an hour."
Kakei's eyes widened in disbelief at what he was hearing. For the first time ever, Yuuko was…giving in? Wasn't this the woman who had confidently told him she could handle everything, even a screaming, hormonal boy? The idea of having not only two, but four headaches almost made the storeowner pass out.
"Hell no!" Saiga interrupted, his bellowing voice silencing even the slim, bespectacled boy. All eyes fixed on the big man, but he didn't seem to care and pinned Yuuko with a hard stare. "We've already got two pain in the asses here, we're not taking yours! I haven't had a decent sleep all week, thanks to these two running their mouths all night long! Even in their sleep, they're arguing!"
Kazahaya meeped and Rikuou glared at being called pain in the asses. Deciding it was not his fault, Kazahaya rounded on his partner. "This is all your fault, you know! If you weren't such a jerk—"
"Hey, it takes two to tango, idiot!"
Kakei groaned and put a hand to his head as Kazahaya and Rikuou started up again. Wonderful, Saiga. Just wonderful. This was the last thing he needed.
"Yuuko-san, I'm begging you, please don't leave them here. As you can see, we have our own problems."
But Yuuko was not budging. "Kakei, my eardrums can't handle it. I'm going deaf. I just need an hour of quiet, drinking, and a hot bath."
"I knew this had something to do with alcohol!" the shorter boy in black screeched. "You're going to destroy your liver at this rate!"
"See? Kakei, please…Have pity."
"Oi, you're making things worse."
For the first time the other boy with Yuuko spoke and the loudmouth whirled on him. Kakei just tuned out him out, since he didn't want to hear what expletives they were yelling. He was surrounded by yelling, hormonal boys.
It was just too much. He needed a vacation and a punishment for these boys…
Kakei blinked and lifted his head slowly, eyes locking with Yuuko's. It took only a few seconds and she then smiled. It was perfect. Absolutely, utterly, perfect. They could take as long as they wanted to relax. It would last at least five hours! And it combined in punishment, even. They'd never argue again.
Just beautiful. Choirs of angels sang in his head at the idea and he smiled far too sweetly at the arguing, four boys. Saiga caught his look and had known him well enough to know that meant that something very terrible would be happening at the object that smile was directed to.
"If they have such energy, we should put it to such good use. If you want to do the honors, Yuuko-san."
The witch smirked. "I have just the thing." She headed for the door, but when it appeared as if her helper was going to follow her, she waved him to stay. "Wait here. I'll be right. back.
Apparently that smile was a tip off to the boy and he began to sweat and was blessedly quiet.
"Kudou-kun, Rikuou." His quiet voice sliced through their arguments. Kazahaya winced and looked distinctly nervous. He wrung his hands together and stared at the floor. "I have just the thing for you boys."
Saiga smirked and wrapped an arm around Kakei's shoulder. It didn't take more than two minutes of blessed silence before Yuuko was back and behind her, trailed a pretty girl. She had pale blue hair with a flouncy black dress and an umbrella rested on her shoulder. Upon seeing the bespectacled boy, she suddenly grinned.
"Welcome back, Yuuko-san."
"Thank you, Kakei. Now, Watanuki, I have lent you, Doumeki, and Kakei's little errand boys to the Ame Warashi for the rest of the day."
"What?! How can you just lend me like that?! I'm not your slave!!"
"Dear Watanuki-kun," Kakei interrupted, causing the boy in question to glance at him, "I would not argue. You of all people should know she can probably come up with something much worse."
"Um…Kakei…san…what?"
"Ah, Kudou-kun, you'll be going with them. You will be helping with whatever the Ame Warashi tells you to do. You're not going to…argue, are you?"
Kazahaya gulped and frantically shook his head. The Ame Warashi seemed distinctly pleased about this prospect and there was an unholy light in her eyes. "Well, children, let's have…fun."
"Oh, and Kudou-kun?" He waited until the boy looked up, hopefully for a reprieve. "You won't get paid for this."
"Wha...?"
"Go on now," Yuuko encouraged and like they were trudging to their doom, Kazahaya and Watanuki began to leave. Seeing that Rikuou and the other boy, Doumeki, didn't move, she whacked them with her umbrella.
"Come on, I haven't got all day and there is much to do! I've always wanted help with some of the things I haven't gotten around to doing in ages."
When all four boys were out of the store, the spirit turned to the three remaining and fixed her gaze on Yuuko. "You'll keep your end of the bargain?"
"Naturally. Otherwise it wouldn't be fair."
"Good."
And when she was gone, there was blessed, blessed silence. It hadn't been this quiet for a very long time. With a brilliant smile, Yuuko sighed and turned to him. "Well, Kakei, I know this perfect little hot spring not very far from here. Shall we go and relax?"
"I'd love to, Yuuko-san. Just love to." Saiga grunted and was ready to follow wherever his lover led him.
Meanwhile
"You moron, that's not a weed!" Watanuki snarled as he sat in the baking sun and weeded the Ame Warashi's garden.
"Quiet!" Whack!
To save himself from a concussion, he shut his mouth with a clack. When one of the boys from the drugstore, who was busy moving the furniture in the house, began arguing and there was a distinctive 'OW' after that, he winced in sympathy.
A whole day of this, in a house of the Ame Warashi, who he'd never thought would have one. And the house just had to be on a mountain, where running away was not at all feasible…
He'd never, ever annoy Yuuko again.