Author's Note: I know some of you (including myself) are getting a bit impatient about this story due to its slow progression. This chapter should be the trigger to a chain of events, if I don't decide to change things, that is. Anyway, for those of you craving some actual Saitou/Misao action, SOON, I promise.

You know the drill, don't own it, and won't own it...ever... (cries)

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Dentention: Tension

The atmosphere in the room suddenly dropped a few degrees as a stare down between the two men commenced. Misao glanced franticly from one to the other.

"Take a seat, Mr. Shinomori, preferably away from Ms. Makimchi, this is detention after all, not social hour."

Aoshi smiled and took the seat to the right of the girl, much to Saitou's irritation. He narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"Very well, since you insist on being so defiant, Makimachi..."

She jumped and looked at him startled to which he responded with a raised eyebrow. Since when has she been so skittish, not to mention quiet, I couldn't even get her to shut up...

"Huh...?"

"Move,"

"What...?"

"I said, move; are you that hard-of-hearing?"

She glared at him. Someone's being unusually cranky today.

Grabbing her bag, she got up and moved to the corner at the very front of the room, next to the windows.

"Today's agenda includes you and complete silence, is that understood?" He asked, rhetorically.

To which, of course, Misao felt obligated to answer anyway.

"When doesn't it?" She mumbled.

"Starting now..."He ignored her.

"As if I actually listen..."

Aoshi just watched the scene before him unfold in amusement. Perhaps he hadn't been wrong in assuming that these two were on rather friendly terms, considering how they bickered, it reminded him of an old married couple.

The looks of utter dislike being sent his way by that amber-eyed mongrel had not gone unnoticed; he simply countered with an icy stare of his own.

Misao's awkwardness immediately dissipated and was replaced with anger.

She drummed her nails on the desktop and in an attempt at rebellion she turned to Aoshi.

"So, did you find everything okay? Did that map help at all?"

Aoshi looked at Saitou who was eyeing him pointedly in a way that said, "Don't you dare."

So, he did...dare, that is.

"Yes, the map was very helpful, thank you again for taking time away to draw it up for me. I noticed it was very well detailed, are you in art, by chance?"

She blushed prettily.

"Um, yes, I am, and thank you for the compliment."

Saitou felt nauseous when he noticed his Weasel go all girly on him. He only hoped she didn't start giggling like a fool and batting her eyelashes...wait...his weasel?

He massaged his temples feeling the beginnings of a headache. I really must being going insane. I think I'll have Okina add a few more digits onto that paycheck as compensation for my loss of mental sanity.

"So, how'd you get yourself landed in here? I mean, what started the fight in the first place?"

"I could ask you the same question. Who would have thought that the Principal's granddaughter of all people would be in detention?"

She sighed. "It's a long story, not really worth telling. Let's just say that you don't know me as much as you think you do."

Oh, how corny are you, my dear? Misao's conscience mocked.

"What if I told you that I'd like to get to know you better?"

Never mind, I take it back, just keep doing whatever it is you're doing, because it seems to be working.

She smirked at him, "Well than I'd have to say get in line."

Saitou almost laughed out loud, was that her way of playing hard to get? Amateur... He had let this go on long enough.

Aoshi was about to respond when Saitou interrupted him.

"Perhaps my instructions weren't clear enough, do you both not understand the meaning of silence? Must I resort to taping your mouths shut to educate you?"

"Jeez, talk about rude, interrupting other people's conversations. Must I get a dictionary to educate you in manners? Now what was it you were about to say Aoshi, if I may call you Aoshi?"

If the Wolf wanted to be a jerk today, she wasn't about to put up with his crap.

"Only if I may call you Misao..."

You can call me whatever you want. She mused.

"Of course...You never did answer my question; what happened during lunch?"

"A few words were exchanged, a challenge was made, and I won, that's really all there is to it. What's your excuse?"

"Like I said, long story..."

"It's not like I'm going anywhere."

"As far as I'm concerned, you won't be for the rest of the school year if you don't quite conversing. Same applies to you Weasel." Saitou said. He was fed up with being ignored.

"You know what Wolf, you aren't "concerned"." She retorted.

They have pet names for each other, how cute. Aoshi thought to himself as he saw the negative electricity sparking from the two. This would serve as good entertainment.

"Don't make me add another week, Weasel."

"Don't make me make you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Saitou looked at the fuming girl in confusion.

"It means stop being such a jerk and act like you normally do and everything will be just fine and dandy."

"How am I not acting normal?"

"For one stop glaring at Aoshi like you're going to kill him."

So now it was Aoshi's turn to be ignored as the two commenced a battle of their own. He didn't mind though, this would offer the opportunity to get an inside peek at their, for lack of a better word, "relationship".

"I am not glaring; I don't know where you got that notion from."

She laughed bitterly, "Oh don't kid yourself, I'm not blind, and I saw the looks you two are constantly giving each other."

"What does this have anything to do with me wanting to "kill him"?"

"I've seen that look before, except it was on my twelve-year-old cousin when one of his friends broke his Gameboy."

"You are comparing ME to a twelve-year-old?"

"If the shoe fits…"She said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair, much like Saitou had done in the past.

It seemed today the roles were reversed and Saitou didn't appreciate being cast as the teenaged punk.

He quickly turned to Shinomori, not forgetting the boy's presence.

"You are dismissed, leave, now."

Aoshi didn't need to be told twice, as much as the current situation interested him, he had better things to attend to; he got up and waved a silent goodbye to Misao who smiled weakly at him.

"And what about me…?"

"What about you?"

"Ugh! What is your problem?"

"He is my problem."

"What'd he ever do to you?"

"I don't like him."

"You aren't paid to like your students."

He chuckled, "If only…"

"You are one twisted man."

"You have no idea…"He said more to himself then to her.

Misao rested her forehead on the cool surface of the desk and let out an exasperated sigh.

"What is it that you don't like about Aoshi; you hardly know him."

"You're one to talk, you've barely even met the boy and here you are flirting with him."

She looked up at him.

"Is that what this is about? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were…worried about me…"

"Then I guess you don't know any better." He simply stated while mentally berating himself for letting what was really on his mind slip.

"Aw, Wolfy is worried about his little Weasel." She cooed, not realizing her choice of words and moving to take a seat on top of his desk as was her new routine.

He lit his second cigarette of the day, rolling his eyes.

"More like I'm worried about my job, I'm responsible for you two, if something happens to you, I'll get the heat."

Ouch…For some reason, Misao's heart sunk a bit at his words, but she pushed the feeling aside.

"You could jeopardize your job by intimidating a student too, you know."

"I thought we'd already established that I…"

"Oh shut it; just admit you that you were worried about me."

"I was not." He said, playing around with the cigarette in his hands before he pulled out a small black lighter and lit it.

"Were to…"She countered snatching the thing from him before he could even take a draw.

"Give that back…"He growled grabbing at it making her lift it above them in the air and out of his reach.

"Not unless you admit that you cared."

"I'm not going to play this game with you." He stood up and made a move for it.

She giggled when he missed again and put her arms behind her back.

Placing his hands on either side of her to prevent escape, he hovered over her.

Misao felt a small tugging sensation in her stomach, but stayed put.

"Give…it…back…" He whispered dangerously low.

"N…O…." She smiled.

A throat cleared and both their attentions were directed to the doorway.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." The red-head smirked.

"Hardly, she was just…"

Both of them were too occupied with the Math teacher grinning at them from the doorway that they completely forgot about the situation at hand.

It wasn't until Misao felt a burning sensation caused by the item previously being held hostage in-between her fingers, that the awkwardness of the moment was interrupted when she released a small shriek.

Saitou, having forgotten their close proximity turned quickly to face her and his lips gently grazed hers.

She gasped and her eyes widened considerably.

Saitou backed up with an emotionless expression, grabbing the cigarette butt in the process, and grounded it out in a small Petri dish he had on top of a stack of papers.

"Are you alright Ms. Makimachi?" Kenshin asked, concerned, but something told him it definitely wasn't the burn that was troubling her at this particular moment in time.

She avoided Saitou's gaze, "Um, yes, I'm fine. I better get going."

The girl hopped off the desk and grabbed her things. Without even sparing a glance in the History teacher's direction, she left.

Once she had gone, Saitou pulled out yet another cigarette, lit it, and brought it shakily to his lips. Trying to pretend that the electric-like tingle that lingered on them was merely the result of the warmth that radiated off the lighter, he sat down and glanced over at Himura.

"How long were you standing out there before you saw fit to make your presence known?"

"I got here around the time a tall young man was walking out the door." Kenshin said, deciding not to mention Aoshi's parting warning, "I wouldn't go in just yet; they are in the middle of a lover's spat."

"You didn't see anything."

Kenshin just smiled widely, "See what?"

"Exactly…"

Kenshin just chuckled to himself.

-----oOo----

Alright so that Saitou/Misao action I mentioned earlier happened sooner than expected. To be honest, that last part there was NOT planned, it just came out of nowhere. I hope I didn't make a mistake in choosing to leave it in.

I was reading over the last 7 chapters and THE HORROR, all the grammatical errors! I just want to smack myself. I am what one may call a "Grammar Nazi". I am especially hard on myself when it comes to making silly mistakes, no matter how small.

Review!

I'll be expecting at least 55 reviews before the next update. That's not too much to ask, is it?

I really do like to hear what you all think! I'd like to thank Lilly (again) for beta-ing this chapter and for helping me out whenever I got stuck.