A/N: Glad you're liking this. Enjoy the next chapter.

Everyone was sick of being lost. Lloyd couldn't navigate his way out of a paper bag, and it seemed like they'd been traveling in circles. Finally, Zelos lost the last of his patience. "That's it! Since we all want to get to Meltokio some time this year, and since Mr. Irving here doesn't know southwest from sweat socks, I'm taking over navigation!"

"Since we're going to your house, why didn't you lead the way from the start of the trip?" Presea asked, giving him one of her puzzled looks.

"He was too busy flirting with Sheena when I asked him if I could lead," Lloyd said. "As distracted as he was, he would have agreed to give me his entire fortune."

"I'm not that stupid!" Zelos snapped.

"Yes, you are!" Genis retorted. "You're the one who believed me when I said Raine had a tattoo."

"Well, I think tattoos are sexy. What's wrong with dreaming a little?"

Raine gave him a glare. "There's one more reason I'm not getting one. And Genis, I don't think you should bring that up again. Don't you think you're already in enough trouble for that incident?"

"Yeah, my butt still hurts from the spanking you gave me."

"Come on, little brother, I didn't hit you that hard!"

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Did so!"

"Did not! And don't contradict me, young man!"

Lloyd gave Colette a confused look. "I'm glad I'm an only child, aren't you?"

After an exhausting and argument-filled flight, the group arrived in Meltokio. Zelos led them to the front door and bowed exaggeratedly. "Welcome to Casa de Zelos. There's always a party at my house! You can do whatever you want, as long as you don't break or steal anything. Eat and drink as much as you want, stay up late, hell, you can even walk around the house naked for all I care." He grinned lecherously at the girls. "In fact, in your cases, I encourage it."

"Try anything funny and I'm going to stay at the inn," Sheena warned.

When Zelos opened the door, his butler, Sebastian, greeted them. "Welcome home, Master Zelos. I see you've brought Master Bud and his friends as well."

Lloyd glared. "It's 'Lloyd,' not 'Bud.'"

"Ah, of course, Master Bud."

"Sooo," Zelos said casually, trying to break the tension between Lloyd and Sebastian, "what do you all want to do first?"

"Eat!" yelled Lloyd and Genis at the same time.

"Can't say I disagree there," Zelos grinned. "I'll just notify my personal chef, and all we'll have to do is wait."

"But what do we do while we wait?" Colette asked him.

"Why, whatever you want, my dear Colette. Would you like to go swimming?"

"Where can we swim? We're not at the ocean."

"That's where my heated indoor pool comes in, oh gorgeous angel. After we're done in there, we can all get in the hot tub. It's like the hot springs, but inside. And no towels needed," he grinned.

"I'm not going swimming. No way." Raine stated.

"Fine. You can be boring and watch the rest of us have fun," Zelos told her.

"Hey!" she snapped. "If you almost drowned as a child, you wouldn't like water either!"

"I could show him what it means to nearly drown," Genis offered.

"You're not strong enough to hold my head underwater, twerp," Zelos sneered back at him. "Seriously, Raine, if you hate water so much, how do you bathe? You certainly don't smell like you never bathe."

"Baths are different," she insisted.

"How?"

Genis sighed. "There's no point being logical with a person who has an irrational fear."

"What I want to know is why somebody who hates water was enjoying herself so much in the hot springs," Zelos commented.

"How do you know I was in the hot springs? Were you spying on us?" Raine demanded angrily.

"I, um, heard it from Sheena?"

"Nuh-uh. Nice try," Raine glared at him.

Lloyd grinned triumphantly. "I told you it wasn't me spying on you! I told you it was him all along!"

"Are we going swimming or not?" Zelos demanded. "I suggest you go change into your swimsuits now."

"You just want to change the subject so the girls don't beat you senseless," Genis accused.

"I thought I told you to shut up, twerp!"

"Don't call me a twerp!"

"You are a twerp!"

"Both of you, stop it!" Raine snapped, knocking their heads together. It was obvious she was still upset about the idea of swimming.

It took nearly 15 minutes to get everyone changed. Presea couldn't find her swimsuit, and it turned out it had accidently been packed in Colette's bag. Then Lloyd couldn't find his flippers and snorkel, and he and Regal spent the next few minutes debating whether or not he actually needed them in a swimming pool. Genis had trouble blowing up his beach ball and looked about ready to hyperventilate.

Lloyd was first in the pool. He leaped onto the diving board, yelled "Belly flop!" then proceeded to jump belly-first into the water. "Ow...ow...ow.." he mumbled.

"Lloyd, didn't you learn your lesson about belly flops the last time you tried that?" Genis rolled his eyes.

The others soon joined Lloyd in the pool, except for Raine, who stretched out on a lounge chair with a book. "You sure you don't want to join us, Sis?" Genis yelled.

"No, I'm fine right here, thank you. HEY! Who threw that beach ball at my head?"

Back in the water, Lloyd tried his best to look innocent. Zelos and Genis pointed accusing fingers at him.

"I swear, Lloyd. It's a wonder you can defeat monsters with aim like that," Zelos smirked.

"Shut up."

"Is that the best you've got, Irving?"

"I've had enough of this!" Raine snarled, practically jumping out of her chair. "You're practically begging for me to hurt you."

"What's her problem today?" Zelos grumbled. Sheena muttered something under her breath about PMS.

"What's PMS?" Lloyd looked confused, and Sheena whispered something into his ear. "Ohh, I get it now," he grinned. "I always thought it was just another word for 'bitch.'"

WHACK! Raine's thick book came down on his head. "WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?"

"N-nothing."

"That's good." Raine sat on the edge of the pool, evidently tired of not being part of the "fun." She decided dipping her feet in the water wouldn't kill her.

"Ooo, Professor!" Colette squealed. "Your toenails are pink! It's such a pretty color!"

Raine smiled at her. "I'll give you a manicure later if you want, dear."

Colette looked excited. "Can I style your hair? We could have a slumber party!" She giggled.

Genis looked at Lloyd. "Uh-oh. I think we'd better avoid the girls later if they're going to act like this."

"I'm just surprised your sister paints her nails. I didn't think she cared about stuff like that."

That evening, Genis discovered the girls were indeed having the "slumber party" Colette was planning. He knocked on the door to the guest room where Colette was staying, hoping maybe she knew where he'd left his kendama. He heard someone yell "Come in!" so he assumed it was safe to enter. Then he screamed.

These...people didn't look like his friends and his sister. Their faces were covered in some kind of weird green stuff. Colette was brushing Presea's hair, and Sheena was covering Raine's head with plastic curlers.

Genis bolted from the room and slammed the door shut. Zelos just happened to be walking down the hall and stared at him. "What's the matter, kid?"

"Too...much...girliness," Genis panted. "They've covered their faces in green goo, and they're giving each other makeovers or something."

"There's nothing wrong with what our lovely female companions are doing. It's quite normal," Zelos assured Genis. "The 'green goo' you're referring to is probably a clay mask. It's great for the skin."

"How do you know about stuff like that?"

Zelos just ignored him. "I think I'll go keep the ladies company. If you don't want to join me, it's your loss."

Several minutes later, Lloyd, Genis, and Regal heard insane giggling coming from Colette's room. Fearing something strange might be happening, they burst through the door...and couldn't believe what they found.

The girls were gathered around Zelos, and for once, nobody was hitting him. Sheena was in the process of covering his face with the clay mask, Presea and Colette were braiding his hair into two long, red braids, and Raine was filing his fingernails. What was more surprising was that Zelos seemed to have submitted to this voluntarily.

Lloyd's mouth hung open. "Zelos, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"You look like you're playing beauty shop with a bunch of girls," Genis taunted.

"For your information, brat, women love a man who's in touch with his feminine side. Besides, this feels nice."

"Nobody likes an egotistical pretty boy, though."

"Nobody likes a smart-mouthed brat either!"

"Zelos, Genis, don't make me hurt you," Raine warned, picking up the nearest "weapon", which happened to be a hairbrush.

For once, everyone just laughed at Raine's threats.