Disclaimer: I do not own Okage Shadow King, although I wish I did.

Ari and the group of strange friends were taking a break in a small valley. Linda was singing one of her songs, driving Rosalyn to the edge of insanity. Stan was not helping the matter either. He was laughing at Rosalyn and then shutting up as soon as she put the tip of her sword to Ari's throat. Big Bull was complementing Linda's singing, which also almost got attacked by the pink umbrella hero.

Ari sighed and watched as they all either argued or tried to kill each other. He slowly rubbed his forehead, which was aching terribly. He feared that if they kept this up he was going to pass out soon.

"Slave? Are you all right?" Ari looked up at Stan before nodding. That didn't seem to convince Stan for he crossed his arms. He was about to say something when Rosalyn cut in.

"Shouldn't we be trying to find something?" Stan blinked his yellow eyes before shrugging.

"Why would you care, you washbowl woman?" At this, Rosalyn and Stan got into another argument. Ari sighed in frustration, which went unheard, as he put his head in his hand. His head felt like it was going to explode if Stan and Rosalyn kept arguing. He stood and started to walk toward the path they were by, bringing a still arguing Stan with him.

"Slave, it's rude to interrupt your master when he is having... Are you all right slave?" Stan was now very worried about his servant. Ari's face was flushed and there was sweat on his forehead. Ari was going to say he was all right, but his headache caught up with him. He fell forward onto the ground; Stan's voice was the last thing he heard.

Ari opened his green eyes slowly. He was in a soft bed and a washcloth over his forehead. Ari blinked, unsure of how he got into the bed. He then remembered what had happened in the valley, his headache, and then Stan. He groaned and tried to sit up, but his head still hurt, forcing him so stay down. As if hearing, or seeing that Ari was awake, Stan popped out from his shadow.

"Slave, why didn't you tell anyone you were sick! That crazy professor said you have a fever and some kind of cold! You scared those pathetic friends of yours!" Even though Stan didn't say it, Ari could tell he too was worried. Ari just stared at Stan before closing his eyes.

"You would not have heard me. You were arguing with Rosalyn, remember?" Stan made an irritated sound.

"But when I asked if you were all right you lied and said you were okay." Ari opened his eyes to look at Stan's golden jack-o-lanturn eyes.

"If I remember correctly, you said that I needed to toughen up and stop whining." Stan had no comment about that. He just huffed crossed his arms, and looked away.

"Well if you were really sick then you should have told me. I could have waited a day or two till you got better to go off on our journey. You're my servant and I need to look after you. I can be a nice master unlike that princess." Stan then got mad after he mentioned her. "That brat! Who does she think she is anyway? Your my slave, not hers and... Are you even listening to me Slave?" Stan turned to face Ari, but Ari had apparently fallen asleep. Stan gazed down at his now sleeping servant and sighed. He took the blanket, which had started to fall off the bed, and placed it back under Ari's chin. Stan looked at Ari again before he heard the door open to his room. He turned, his normal look back on, and saw Rosalyn standing in the doorway.

"Is Ari awake? Is he all right?" Stan huffed and looked at his sleeping servant.

"He was awake. I didn't get the chance to ask him if he was all right because he fell back to sleep." Rosalyn nodded before closing the door, going back to her room. Stan listened for her door to open and shut before sighing and looking back at Ari. Ari looked so... Innocent when he was sleeping. Despite having his face redder than normal, he looked at peace when sleeping. Stan smiled and took the wash rag off his forehead and replacing it with a cooler one. Stan sighed before retreating to Ari's shadow to rest until his slave woke again.

It wasn't until next morning when Ari woke again. His headache was gone and his fever had gone down, but he was still too weak to go anywhere. Stan was asking how he was when voices in the room next to them stopped him.

"LINDA IF YOU KEEP SINGING I SWEAR I'M GOING TO BEHEAD YOU!" Stan and Ari looked at each other before hearing the reply.

"WELL SORRY, BUT COACH THINKS I HAVE WONDERFUL SINGING! YOU MUST BE JUST TONE DEAF!"

"THE ONLY REASON I'M GOING TONE DEAF IS FROM YOUR SINGING!"

And Rosalyn's and Linda's argument continued like that for along time.

Stan, finally not being able to take it any more, shouted at the top of his lungs, "WOULD BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP?" Ari started laughing when the two voices said 'make us'. Stan sighed and looked down at his servant. "I swear, slave, how can you put up with those crazy women?" Ari just shrugged before sneezing.

"Well, it was your fault Rosalyn started following us. You turned her shadow pink... Speaking of which... Why do people who you've helped get their shadow's turned pink?" At this, Stan huffed and turned away.

"I don't know..."

"Well it's not very evil like."

"Shut up slave before I toss you into that crazy woman's room." Ari just laughed before turning to his side to fall asleep.

"You know, Stan, it's nice to just be able to talk to you alone like this." Stan's eyes widened as he stared down at his now sleeping slave.

'What did he mean by that?' Stan thought. He then smiled and stroked Ari's brown-orange hair. 'I'll make him tell me when he wakes up.'

It was now day three of being in the hotel of whatever town they found. Ari was getting better, but still was forced to say in bed. Stan and Ari were looking at the Book of Evil Kings when they heard a crash in the room next to them. They looked at each other before sighing. Their team was ever so slowly going crazy since they had come here.

"You know, I'm feeling much better now so maybe I can-"

"No."

"Stan! Come on! I fee-"

"No. I said no and that means no. Kisling said that colds take at least ten days or a week to get over. I do not want my slave to faint when we are out on our travels. You could pass out in a battle! What then!" Ari sighed in defeat and looked back at the book. Even though Stan said they were not to leave until Ari got somewhat better, Ari could see that Stan was getting antsy to get out of the hotel.

'So why is he making me say here? Does he truly care that much about me?' Ari smiled to himself, forgetting that Stan was watching him.

"Slave? Why are you smiling?" Ari, embarrassed, put the book in front of his face to hide his blush.

"N-no reason. I just thought of something." Stan smiled and lowered the book from his servant's face. Ari blinked up at him in confusion, before his eyes widened when Stan kissed him on the cheek.

"Yes, Ari, I do care for you. So stop wondering and get some rest." Stan then disappeared, a smile on his face. Ari blinked and smiled too, a faint blush on his face.

'He feels the same way. Thank-you, Stan.' Ari put the book away and laid down, falling into a sweat sleep of his golden eyed lover.