A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They make me a happy bunny :) This series of one shots is not in chronological order, since I just write them randomly. I wrote this in one sitting, it's late here and I'm not thinking straight, so bear with me:P I do hope you enjoy reading!

"Can't you sit still for one minute?" he asked, looking uncommonly amused and ungrouchy, which was a very good thing.

"I don't hear you saying that when you're trying to wake me up in the morning!" I flounced around, dodging when he attempted to grab my hand. He reclined against a tree, folding his arms and watching me with firelight dancing in his coppery eyes. "Anyway, why can't you all travel more at night and not have to make me wake up sooo early?"

He snorted at that, "Some of us are actually human and can't see in the dark, Captain. While I'm sure that watching the paladin trip over his feet would be amusing, it would get tiresome. And don't even get me started on the subject of you and waking up."

"See! Make up your mind!" I poked him for emphasis, which was probably not a good idea as he grabbed my hand and pulled me down next to him. Within the space of a blink, I was firmly ensconced in his strong arms, which was surprisingly nice.

He nuzzled at me, sniffing deeply. "Mmmm. You smell nice."

"Let me introduce you to the latest wonder of the world—soap!"

"Next, you'll actually be suggesting that I shave," he replied in mock horror. His voice then slid straight into the dodgy tone that I knew all too well. "Anyway, since you're up and about, I could use a distraction—and it'll be a good way for you to siphon of some of your excess energy."

Ewww. Dodgy.

He began kissing me in earnest then, but I clapped my hand over his mouth as soon as I could. I really did not like this particular turn of events.

"You're just doing this because Casavir said 'Don't hit on the Captain!', so you were like 'Ooh, what a good idea!' and so you're just being contrary!" His eyes crinkled and I felt laughter rumbling up from his abdomen, so I decided it was safe to let go. He buried his face in my neck, laughing quietly.

"What is your big problem with people telling you what to do? I mean, it does get annoying, but sometimes they actually are right, if only partially."

He snorted—again—and crushed his lips against my ear. "Hush, you'll wake them, and we really wouldn't want that, would we? And no, it doesn't matter whether they're right or wrong. What matters is that I do what I want."

"Lousy! You're so amoral."

"But you knew that all along, didn't you? At least, I never lied to you." He looked grave then, and for a moment, he reminded me of Casavir. Both honest, yet not completely so.

Honest in a secretive sort of way: check.

Problems with authority (but in different ways, I conceded): check.

Severe emotional problems (but which also manifested at opposite ends of the spectrum): check.

Socially dysfunctional (well, technically only Bishop, but Casavir seemed rather discomfited by Shandra's massive crush on him): check? No check? Hmmm.

At any rate, there surely were enough similarities for them to fall madly in love, given time. And a way to keep them to killing each other, of course.

When I finally decided it was time to pay attention to my surroundings again, I was leaning against him, his cloak pulled around us both. A rough hand absently stroked my hair but I sensed that he was alert as always, watching over us. I could hear his heartbeat, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest made something in me settle down as I timed my breaths to match his own.

"Bishop?"

"I thought you were asleep," he said softly, shifting position so that my head was nestled in the crook of his shoulder even more securely.

"Belly full of bedsprings, remember? I just wanted to say… Don't do anything just because someone told you not to, and don't not do something because someone told you to. I mean, it's kinda difficult, because you might take it as me telling you to do it, and then you'll just go and do the opposite, but I just want to tell you that you should think first, all right?"

He snorted (again? This was the third time in ten minutes!) quietly in reply. "I'll think about it."

"There's a smart ranger." I just had to ask, so I did. "Did you ever stick anything up your nose as a kid? You keep snorting, and I bet there's something obstructing your airway there."

Out of habit, he snorted in disbelief, and caught himself when I started giggling. He sounded annoyed, yet amused. "No!"

"Are you sure? Maybe I should check."

"And how would you do that, dear girl?" he pulled me onto his lap, kissing both of my sleepy eyes in turn.

"Are you really sure you want to know?"

"I have a feeling that I'm going to have to punish you for this," he said slyly.

Oh well. Since I was going to bear the consequences regardless, I might as well just do it.

The trick depends on knowing what light is, and having a little light in your blood helps you to remember exactly how it feels.

There was a moment of stunned silence, and he growled between clenched teeth, "Oh, no, you didn't."

I slipped from his grasp before he could react, ducking behind the tree, and when I heard him come towards me, I sprinted around the other side, giving him a wide berth. Casavir was up within seconds, his warrior's instincts coming to the fore as he drew his sword. He lowered it when he saw me, breathless and pursued by…

"What is that?" he asked, unsure of how to react.

Two small, vertical beams of light bobbed towards us, and I discreetly sidled around him.

"Bishop?" the paladin said incredulously as the ranger stepped within the ring of firelight. I really wanted to see the look on Casavir's face as well, but I had to satisfy myself with the look on Bishop's face. It was priceless enough, in itself.

"Dear Captain, you and I need to have some serious words," he snarled.

"Casavir, he's going to kill me!"

I could just see his impassive face as he replied, "My lady, perhaps you should have thought of that before illuminating his nose."

The ranger seized my wrist, and pulled me close for another protracted kiss. I wasn't sure whose benefit it was for; mine or Casavir's.

"You've been a very naughty girl," he whispered. "I think I'm going to have to kiss you into submission."

The previous one had been…one-sided to say the least, but this was really pushing it.

"Can't you come up with something else? You're always kissing me as a punishment!"

He arched an eyebrow at me, "I like it, you don't. Works fines for me."

"I think that says more about your skill—or lack of—in kissing than anything else." I made a face at him, and he grinned, which looked pretty ghastly since he still had light streaming out of his nostrils.

"That sounds like a challenge…"

"Sheesh, you two! Get a room!" Shandra seemed profoundly grouchy, and Casavir cast a strained, but grateful look in her direction.

"Figuratively speaking, you mean. We are camping in the middle of nowhere after all," I had to add.

Sand's groan was surprisingly eloquent. He flipped over and used his pack to cover his ears, mumbling something about "Pheromones, gods, I hate the smell."

"I don't know! Just…go away or something." Shandra flopped back down, looking uncannily like an invertebrate.

Now, that's a surprise. However, I suspected that any reprieve would be painfully temporary.

Bishop released his hold on me and crouched over her. "Now, now, there's no call to act that way. Since the resident paladin refuses your charms, I feel obliged to bear the burden of keeping you ladies…satisfied."

He couldn't see the new beams of light bursting from his ears and mouth, but the others certainly could. Casavir covered up quite convincingly with a sudden fit of coughing, and Sand withdrew from his cocoon briefly to gloat. "Why, it really is quite becoming."

Shandra simply sighed, sounding and presumably feeling martyred.

I rolled myself up in my own blanket, and said to myself, "Hmph." I wasn't really sure why I was feeling so sulky, but I was. Probably because it was way past my bedtime.

Casavir's voice rumbled, "For someone who is so…Well. I expected you to be better versed in the ways of women. I will take the next watch, Bishop. Good night."

Hmph. I'm going to sulk in my bedroll till noon tomorrow. And I wonder how visible my light would be under the sun's rays…