[2nd Anniversary!] [Word Count: Free!] [Theme: Hot Summer Nights]

Title: Fan Service
Author: beyondthemoor on LJ
Pairing: Kouyuu x Shuurei x Shuuei (friendship-love)
Fandom: SaiMono
Canon or AU: Canon-ish
Word count: (approx. 750 words…)
Genre: friendship/family-romance-bromance-humour (I say it is a genre, so it is!)
Disclaimer: I do not own SaiMono! (Just some DVDs, art-books, manga. Maybe an altar…)
Summary: This wasn't what she meant when she suggested they brainstorm ways to help stave off the summer swelter.
Prompt: Hot Summer Nights

AN: Written for saiun_challenge's 2nd anniversary—and our hostess with the most-est mod, imanewme (happy birthday, ima!). May is party month, yay! :D

Pulling her long hair up off her neck for the -enth time that day, Shuurei shifted in bed and tried to find a breeze to cool herself down in the stifling room.

The sudden hot-spell had gone into its third day, and the capitol's inhabitants were lethargic and cranky from the oppressive humidity that had rolled in with the southern winds. Things around the palace had slowed to a crawl, and some non-essential functions and departments had declared a temporary work-stoppage, in order to accommodate the swelter and minimize the number of officials suffering from heat-stroke. (This was after rumours had circulated of a certain department head accepting the services of a woman dressed as a man to help relieve the staff… and the woman in question doing a better job than the men-officials before her.) They had to keep up morale, after all.

While Shuurei had not benefitted from the sudden vacation (she was considered essential, apparently), one of her colleagues had.

And he made no bones about filling them all in on his relaxing days spent in the Kougarou being fanned and fed flavoured ice-chips. The ladies had even bestowed upon him a large bamboo-slat fan for his own personal use to help lessen the impact of the heat—he'd been using it to fan himself all evening. In front of them. While they suffered miserably in the blistering, soupy air.

"You should come visit for a bit, Kouyuu. You'd feel much better. You just need to cool off for a bit," coaxed the dark-haired man. His scowling colleague glared at him, as if he was the source of all things uncomfortable.

Shuurei tried to ignore them both; she hadn't slept well in days and could barely keep her eyes open that evening. Folding some paper up, she started fanning herself again, only to have the make-shift thermantidote go limp after a few passes in the air.

With a muttered "Tch!", she groaned and tried to find another air current…

"Never. There is too much to do. And why are you taking time off—how are you not considered 'essential', you're one of his highness' advisors, too!"

Rubbing her temple, Shuurei swore under her breath at both of them. Could they just quiet down for a bit? It was late. She was so, so very tired…

"Perhaps Shuurei would like to visit her Kouchou-neesan? I don't think our favourite courtesan would mind if her little sister stopped by for a bit? In fact, since I'm headed back first thing in the morning, we can all go together and-."

"You cannot take Shuurei there as a guest! Are you out of your mind!"

"She's been there hundreds of times before, Kouyuu-."

"As an employee! Do you know what Seiran would do to us if he were to find out we'd-!"
"Could the two of you just shut UP for the night before I call Seiran here anyway to bind your tongues!" exploded the young woman beside them.

Silence fell at the voicing of her second-most-potent threat. (Yes, second.)

Shuuei quickly remedied the situation.

"I'm sorry, Shuurei-chan," he said softly, re-arranging the blankets around them both so the heavier one was pushed to the end of the bed and only the lighter one made it to her shoulders. He sighed as he lay down on his back again and helped sweep her hair away from her neck and shoulders, and with a deft movement of his wrist, started fanning her with the large bamboo fan he'd received. "Is that better?" he leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Oy! She'd be better if you weren't crowding her!"

The only one still sitting up in the large bed (to Shuuei's other side), arms crossed, Kouyuu glared at his comfortable, languid husband again. "Now stop talking so much and let her get some sleep!"

A smirk crossed Shuuei's lips. "Oh, I can think of a way that will tire her out so she sleeps straight through until morning…"

"You pervert! Stop corrupting my wife!"
"Our wife."

"I'm contemplating widow-hood," said-wife informed them tersely.

"I assure you, it may mean a few minutes more heat, but you'll feel much more relaxed afterwards."

"What I would give for my own room," lamented Shuurei to herself as she tried to find a cool spot on her pillow, eyes closed. "Don't stop fanning, Shuuei."

"I won't."

"Oy! Why didn't you get me a fan!"

Yes, it was another hot summer night in the Kou-Li-Ran household again…

AN: My fav new word: thermantidote. :D (Thank you, online thesaurus. Your ridiculous suggestions are appreciated.) Concrit appreciated, as always.