A/N: Writing chapter five so I thought, hey, why not? Thanks for the review, Remi. You brought up some good points! Explains why I was stuck on this one anyway. Let's hope I fix them as the fic goes on. For the prompt- muse


2. Somehow, It's Going to Work Out

Taiki was trying to be sympathetic.

It wasn't working too well.

"Are you telling me you didn't see this coming?" he asked, crossing his arms in an attempt to be serious while containing a smile. "Kotone's never been someone to just go along with anything." Not without some profit in it...

Kiriha grumbled, tugging at the folds of his shirt. It was true, but he didn't like thinking about that. "She listens to you."

"Because I barely tell her to do anything," Taiki pointed out, now unable to control his expression. "You're rather pushy, Kiriha." He rubbed one arm in memory of a cold fight with fire headed to kill him.

Kiriha glowered. And people said Taiki didn't hold a grudge. "I don't want to hear that from the guy who justexpects his redhead to go along with him."

Taiki had the grace to flush. "She's not my red head, and I don't expect her to do it; she does it before I can say no. At this point, she'd be angry with me if I refused her." He sighed."Anyway, one of the few times Kotone's seen you with Nene is dragging her out of a Shademon. You have to admit howbad that looks."

"We saved her!" Kiriha protested.

Taiki groaned, resisting the urge to put his head in his hands. "And Akari says I miss the point. You do realize Kotone is ten, and what she saw amounted to you declaring your fascination with her big sister when she was vulnerable?"

Kiriha grumbled halfheartedly, cheeks burning up as this sunk in. "... supposed to be the parents..."

Taiki pinched his nose. "Really?" He should be happy it's not.

"Well, what would you suggest I do?" Kiriha tugged on locks of blond hair. This had been so much easier before high school and jobs and life and all they had to do was save the world.

Taiki sat back on his bed, giving Kiriha a look that would have been condescending if it had been from anyone else. As it stood, it appeared rather disappointed and made Kiriha squirm with discomfort. Taiki, at least in the years following the Xros Wars, had become somewhat more charismatic than he used to be, and with that, had this whole "leadership' quality down to a science, though knowing how oblivious the idiot was, Kiriha had a sincere doubt the guy even noticed.

Then Taiki snorted, and the disappointed expression turned into a playful smile. "Don't be difficult?"

"She said that," he deadpanned.

"Then try it. Pamper Nene, don't stare at her chest." Taiki shrugged. "I dunno, be romantic."

"And how, in the hell am I expected to do that?" His hair was going to go gray by the end of this.

"Start using 'please' and 'thank you'?" Taiki offered, smiling innocently.

Kiriha threw his cell phone at his friend's head.

Thankfully, he missed.