A/N: Thank you SO MUCH to my wonderful, fantabulous reviewers: Drink. Juice, omegarulesall, koalababay, Puggles Master, zettaSTUPID, chiharu-tanaka, Difficile, and Dracorum.

Here's another short one-- it took me forever to figure out what to do with this prompt.

Happy one-day-early birthday to Drink. Juice!!

Prompt #6 - Tongue

Penelo's glare was drilling into the back of his head. Vaan could feel it without turning around, and he was more than a little irritated. This wasn't his fault. He hadn't done anything wrong, contrary to what she thought, and he couldn't even explain that it wasn't his fault right now, which certainly didn't help matters.

He picked his way along the wall of the old mining cave, watching his footing because these caverns were only dimly lit by old lighting tracks installed along the floors. He gripped the hilt of his sword tighter in his hand, alert for any fiends that might jump out at them. He hadn't known when they'd come in here for a job that most of the monsters here had an affinity for casting silence, and they were out of echo herbs. That was bad enough, but the fact that he and Penelo had been in the middle of an argument when they'd both been hit with the last silence spell only made matters worse. She had been mad at him all morning, and he knew why. He wasn't an idiot. But he knew it wasn't his fault.

He finally grew so frustrated with Penelo's glowering that he stopped and turned around to face her. Sure enough, her hands were clenched on her staves and her eyes flashed at him. He returned her glare, refusing to take the blame for this.

Vaan didn't even need Penelo's voice to understand the look behind her eyes. Her look was just as loud as her words would have been. We wouldn't be in this mess if you had paid more attention!

He knew the expression he gave her spoke for him, too; she couldn't mistake its meaning. You're just as responsible for this!

I am not!

Are too!

Am not! Her eyes were practically screaming at him now, her hands clenched into fists. He wouldn't have been surprised if she stamped her foot.

Vaan was just as furious, and so he did the one thing he knew would make her angriest: he stuck his tongue out at her. It wasn't as though he could use it for talking at the moment, so he might as well use it for something productive.

That did make her stomp her foot. She glowered at him for another moment, then put her nose in the air and shoved past him, very clearly telling him how immature she thought he was.

Vaan folded his arms and waited for her to round the corner before following, just to give himself a moment to cool off. Or at least to try to cool off. Then he stormed after her.

As soon as he rounded the corner, Penelo fell back into him. He caught her under her arms and heaved her to her feet, his attention immediately on the reason she had fallen back: a monstrous, globular flan was spinning around, already on the attack.

Penelo hefted her staves the same moment Vaan yanked out his sword, and they both started hacking away at the monster intent on mauling them. It took them several minutes; flans were a lot more susceptible to magic than weapons, and right now neither of them could actually cast magic. By the time the flan sank into a puddle on the ground, Vaan was drained, bruised, and had been electrocuted several times with lightning. Penelo was in similar shape; her hair stuck up at odd angles from the lightning blasts. She collapsed onto the ground, hands pressed to her chest, an expression of pain on her face.

Vaan dropped down beside her as she took huge breaths and grasped at her bag. He reached it first and dug into it for a hi-potion, passing it swiftly to her and claiming one for himself. Vaan and Penelo sucked them down and then exchanged glances. Penelo was wearing a remorseful look now, and Vaan knew his expression mirrored hers. He reached a hand out to her and she took it, pressing her lips together.

I'm sorry, her eyes said.

Vaan shook his head. I'm sorry. It was stupid.

There was a slight nod from Penelo. It doesn't matter whose fault it is. She pointed toward the exit. Let's just get out of here.

He gave a nod of his own and took her hand. She squeezed it, but before she could completely turn away, he pulled her close for a deep, lingering kiss, deciding that really, that was the best use for his tongue. Ever.

At least the until the next time they fought and he needed something to do to irritate her.