AN: And now a little humor is needed...enjoy!

Chapter Five: Happiness

"Shelley, could you go over this for me?" Jr. turned his head as Gaignun handed a Connection Gear to the lavender-haired woman, bringing up a screen. "I need to get ready for that party."

"Sure." The raven-haired man nodded, and then got on the Durandal's lift, heading down to the ship's main section.

"Sis, is Master Gaignun alright? He's been rather quiet the past couple of days...." Mary asked. Jr. didn't wait to hear Shelley's answer, following his younger brother's trail and getting on the elevator. Gaignun had been acting oddly, but the red-haired U.R.T.V. was familiar with his moods,his younger brother usually got very quiet and contemplative when he was trying to figure out a problem.

But this seems like this is pretty serious...The raven-haired U.R.T.V.had a tendency to withdraw completely into himself and get very somber. Jr. couldn't bear to see Gaignun like that, things couldn't be as bad as they looked, and everybody had to smile once in a while...

----

Gaignun looked up as Jr. entered his bedroom; a garment bag slung over one shoulder.

"Yo." He said briefly before tossing the bag on the bed. "I'm tagging along tonight." Gaignun lifted an eyebrow.

"Don't you have something else to do?" His "son" shrugged.

"Not really." The black-haired U.R.T.V. felt a smile quiver on his lips. Jr. hated corporate parties...hated dressing in a suit even more...

"Have I been that depressing?" Another shrug as Jr. unzipped the bag.

"When you want to talk, we'll talk."

And there it is... Gaignun thought. Ever since Miltia, Jr. had been trying his best to take care of him, even now, when the situation demanded that he debase himself...Damnit, Albedo, it wasn't his fault! Leave him be and allow him some peace, you bastard! Gaignun harbored no ill will towards Jr. for what happened, understanding the hell that his older brother had gone through and was still enduring...he had first broached the idea of using the dummy Kukai Foundation as a cover to fight U-TIC shortly after the events of Miltia, but as he aged and Jr. stayed the same, they had to quickly come up with an explanation, and Jr. was stuck with the short end of the stick. Gaignun had then made a promise to himself that he would do everything in his power to help his older brother in any way, to help exorcise the demons that haunted him. His green eyes glanced over at Jr. in the corner, taking off his clothes.

He suffers more than I, having given up so much to protect me... Like Jr. Gaignun couldn't bear to see his sibling sad, preferring to see laughter in his eyes instead of melancholy. An idea flashed into his mind, and he shot a glance over at the abandoned garment bag.

Heh heh...

The fire-haired U.R.T.V., now down to only his boxers, stilled as he felt a shadow pass over him, and he turned his head...

"Gaignun? What's...?"

"My son."

"Waaaahhhh!!!"

----

She had seen many things...death, destruction, the joy of life...but she had never seen this.

"Get off of me! Lemme go or else!"

Gaignun Kukai, playboy and businessman extraordinaire, clad only in a tuxedo shirt and boxer shorts, currently wrestling with his olderbrother, who was only in a pair of boxers himself, Gaignun trying to pull a pair of black pants on Jr.

"You will look exactly like me!" He yelled, a grin on his face as Jr. kicked and squirmed. "And everybody's going to see you and go 'Aww, how cute! He looks just like Master Gaignun!'"

"Kiss my ass!" Jr. bellowed, hooking a foot around one of Gaignun's ankles. The two fell down, Jr. landing on top andgrabbing one of his socks before balling it up and attempting to shove it down his brother's throat.

"Eat it!"

"No!"

"Eat it!" Jr. roared.

"Never!"

"EAT IT!" The two rolled over, Gaignun managing to pin Jr.'s smaller frame to the ground and shoving his legs inside the pants.

"I have you now!" He crowed, a bright gleam in his eyes. "Stay still!"

"Help! Stop grabbing my legs, you dirty old man!" Jr. screeched, laughing. "Pervert! Gaignun Kukai's a perverted old man!" Shion put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing aloud.

"Umm..." The two U.R.T.V.s stopped wrestling to stare at her. "Am I interrupting anything?" Jr. took advantage of his younger brother's distraction to wiggle free and scurry underneath the bed before Gaignun could grab him. Sighing, the green-eyed man stood up, facing Shion.

"Do you need anything?" Faced with six feet and one inch of partially undressed, extremely good-looking male, Shion gasped and bowed her head, a red tinge appearing on her cheeks.

"Umm, S...Shelley asked me to bring this by..." She stammered, holding out a Connection Gear. "I'm sorry, I knocked and nobody answered, and the door was unlocked..." Gaignun chuckled.

"It's alright." He said, taking the Gear and not noticing the broomstick that suddenly poked out from underneath the bed and was sliding towards him. Shion's eyes widened.

"You might want to watch your feet." She said abruptly. Gaignun looked up.

"Huh? Whoa!" He found himself suddenly sprawling face-first on the carpet, pain ringing in his ankles and Jr.'s laugher in his ears.

"Sucker!" Then he threw himself in the bathroom, sealing the door just as Gaignun recovered and lunged at him. "Ha ha!" Shion couldn't help herself, and burst out into a fit of giggles as the raven-haired man stood up, sighing.

"You two...look so funny!" Getting herself together as Gaignun shot a glare at her, she smiled. "But it's good to see you two laughing. The both of you have been so quiet lately...and had such gloomy looks in your eyes. I'm glad you're smiling again."

"Yeah..." Gaignun muttered, suddenly feeling awkward. Shion grinned, stepping backwards before bowing.

"I'll just leave now...and good luck dressing Jr.!"

"Don't worry about that." Gaignun growled, turning to face the bathroom door as she left. Bending over, he scooped up the pants and slammed his fist on the control panel.

"Oh Junior!"

"HELL NO! Stay away from me!" Cackling, the younger U.R.T.V. nabbed his brother in a headlock.

"Now be a good little boy and dress nicely for your old man..." He cracked, trying to get the pants back on Jr.

"Truce! I wanna take a shower man, lay off!" Jr. complained, still laughing. "I can't put clean clothes on when I'm dirty!" He wiggled free as Gaignun loosened his grip.

"Alright, alright..." Gaignun let himself be pushed out of the bathroom. "Don't use all the hot water!" He snickered as the door opened slightly, a hand emerging and giving him the finger. "Same to you too!" Inside the bathroom, a grin crossed Jr.'s face as he heard Gaignun chuckling.

Much better.