Disclaimer: (Me: Blinks) Um . . . drinks all around? (Everyone: cricket, cricket)

Author's Note: Happy Readings!

ooo

Shishi ran the pristine white cloth down the pernicious blade of his sword, reveling in the clean glimmer that resulted. With the weather as it was, he could hardly think of going outside to practice techniques, but he could care for the beloved weapon in the meantime. And care he did, for the swordsman had been polishing it for the last half hour. Though it took up only a small portion of his day, he found that period to be the most relaxing and therapeutic. It was a time when he could bond with the fighting spirit of his sword, and he appreciated it very much.

However, this particular time period on this particular day did not have the tranquility of the previous ones. Today he could care for and admire the sword but could not use the peace and quiet to become one with it as he usually did. The reason, of course, was because of the actions of a certain blonde who was beginning to ware thin on Shishiwakamaru's sensitive nerves.

Lavender eyes tore themselves away from the prized sword in favor of staring at the moving figure of Suzuki. Shishi glared pins of irritation at his lover but to no avail. The scientist was far too enraptured with his is work to take notice, so Shishi fought his temper and cleared his throat.

"Suzuki," he summoned. His voice was soft but tinged with a distinct flavor of agitation.

He watched as Suzuki continued about his work and couldn't help but allow a few droplets of searing anger to breach his calm.

"Suzuki!"

Surprised, Suzuki turned around quickly to face him, nearly knocking over a beaker of some strangely colored chemical.

"Hm? What is it, Shish?"

Shishi took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. "Why are doing your experiments in our room today?" He asked.

The blonde shrugged and smiled. "It's too humid to do it in the conservatory."

Shishi tried to ignore the innocent look on his lover's face, reminding himself quickly that he was upset at his peace being disrupted.

"This is a large house, Suzuki. Surely there is somewhere else that you could play with your little science projects," he replied.

Suzuki's eye twitched at the comment. Was there no respect for genius?

"They aren't just 'little science projects'. All of my experiments hold value, Shishi, and I'll thank you to remember that," he retorted, his tone now curt. "If you have a problem with it, why don't you leave?"

Shishi's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, but last time I checked our bedroom wasn't a laboratory. Therefore, you should be the one to go elsewhere."

The two demons stared at one another, challenging, battling with their eyes. The air was tight with tension, albeit, it was a familiar tension that the two had become quite accustomed to over the short year or two that they had been together.

Outside the rain seemed to beat harder on the windowpane, as if adding some sort of sound effect to further the combatant atmosphere.

Shishi cocked an eyebrow and sat back in his chair. "Well I'm not leaving."

Suzuki crossed his arms over his well-defined chest and replied simply, "Neither am I."

"Well one of us has to," responded Shishiwakamaru.

The blonde scientist merely shrugged. "Well it won't be me."

"And it won't be me," said the swordsman.

Once again their eyes fought a never-ending battle for control, but neither backed down. They were always having these little quarrels and sometimes wondered why they bothered to stay together, but both always came to the conclusion that they were better off as a couple than anything else. Although they made things difficult for one another, they enjoyed the bond and attraction shared between them. Outwardly it would seem that they didn't fit nearly as well together as Jin and Touya, but inside both demons knew that they completed one another in a way that no one else could.

However, it was on this particular occasion that they found themselves quite unwilling to yield to the passion that they held for one another. Perhaps it had something to do with being trapped inside of the house for three long and uneventful days.

"This is stupid, Suzuki. Just leave!" Shishi suddenly shouted, rising menacingly to his feet.

The blonde Suzuki took a defiant step forward. "I will do no such thing. I demand that you leave this instant!"

Shishi's eyes narrowed. His first reaction was to argue that he should not be the one to move, but he realized that it had been getting him nowhere thus far. So he took a deep breath and moved closer to Suzuki.

"Fine, you can have your way, I'll leave," He said a little too calmly.

True to his word, Shishiwakamaru gave his lover one final glare before heading toward the door, knowing well enough that the other demon's eyes were following his movement. He opened it slightly and then paused to look back at a silently fuming Suzuki.

"But I'm NOT coming back!" Shishi added, and with that he slammed the door behind him.

Now on the opposite side of the wall, Shishi smirked to himself. That little move always got Suzuki. The blonde hated the idea of not being able to be in the company of his lover, and Shishi used it to his advantage as much as possible.

'In any case,' thought Shishi idly as he began walking downstairs. 'He's being ridiculous.'

The swordsman fumed silently as he descended each step. His task interrupted, he really didn't know what to do with himself. Oh, maybe he would reside himself to vegetating in front of the television with Chuu to watch one of those abhorrent soap opera dramas. The very idea of it made his mouth curve into a distasteful sort of scowl.

On the other hand, Touya always new of some wonderful books he could read, but he really didn't feel like doing that. Perhaps he could tempt Jin into an intellectual game of chess, but the thought simply made him chuckle. Jin and chess were simply two things that didn't belong together. The last time the giddy redhead had played chess he'd ended up role-playing with the pieces. Really, it had been a surprisingly fascinating story, but no better than one of Chuu's soaps.

There was always Rinku. He could perhaps play some childish game with the young boy. After all, he'd been moping around the house for days complaining about the lack of stimulating activities, but Shishi wasn't so certain that Rinku wasn't still upset about being banned from going outside. He didn't feel bad, as he'd only been thinking of young Rinku's best interest, but children would always be children. He remembered many times when he was young holding grudges against his father because he'd been prohibited from doing things he wanted to do.

Soon, Shishi's feet joined one another on the first floor of the house, and he looked up. He took no further steps as he gazed in confusion at the transformation in front of him.

"What . . . happened to the living room?" He asked aloud but more to himself than anyone else. It was covered in sheets and pillows and wrapped with tape; it was a mess!

The television was still on; its colored pictures gently combated the gray weather outside. Chuu's empty sake bottles were where they always were, scattered all around the couch and on the coffee table, and the couch hadn't moved, but its cushions had been absconded with.

Between two sheet-covered sides of the room there was a path of hardwood floor, which was flecked with a white substance. Curiously, he stepped closer toward the anomaly that had become the living room. He squatted down to get a better look at the fine powdery constituent on the floor completely unaware of the three pairs of eyes that watched him intently.

A thin index finger swiped a bit of the dust from the floor, and Shishi examined it further.

'Flour?' He thought puzzled.

Just as he was about to stand to his full height once more, he was suddenly knocked to the floor by what felt like a body. He let out a surprised yelp.

"What the he--," he started but was immediately cut off.

"Stay down! We're under attack," yelled a familiar voice.

Shishi blinked and craned his neck around so that he could see exactly who it was that was sitting on his back.

"Rinku," he asked. "What the HELL are you doing?"

Rinku looked down at him seriously, although the pillow tied to his head defied his fierce expression.

"We don't have time. Any minute they'll be sending at least six bombs our way, and we're out in the middle of nowhere with nothing to cover our asses. Now's the time, son, do you wanna live or are ya givin' it all up?" Rinku forced his voice deep into his throat.

Shishi could only stare at him. "We're in the living room and frankly YOU happen to be covering my ass, SON," he said dully. "Now would you mind telling me what's going on?"

Rinku, however, wasn't paying attention. He was, instead, looking upward with wide eyes.

"Damn it, man! We've wasted too much time. Incoming!" He screamed.

Abruptly, Rinku leapt off of his friend's back and scurried under the sheets of the fort just as three flour bombs hit the floor and exploded right in Shishi's very disgruntled face. He heard cheering from the other side of the room and coughed as the dust began to settle. Although his face was quite white, underneath the powdery mask his cheeks were beginning to tint a dangerous red. He could feel his blood boiling at the indignant confusion he had just suffered, but alas, he had no time to act, as he felt two hands wrap securely around his ankle and soon found himself being dragged on his stomach across the floor. He was pulled under the sheets of a fort just in time to see three more bombs hit the floor where he had been. Despite the ridiculousness of it all, he couldn't help but think, 'Whew, that was a close one!'

"Do you have any injuries, soldier?" Came the question that broke Shishi's trail of thoughts.

The flour-covered swordsman pushed himself to a sitting position and looked up at young Rinku who, despite himself, was grinning like mad.

Through clenched teeth and a vicious glare, Shishi replied, "I'm fine."

"Good. We need all the help we can get. The enemy raided the supply area and got their hands on a box of grenades. They got through our defenses by using a distraction tactic, but it won't happen again. We're at a strategic advantage," he explained. "So whattaya say, soldier? Are with us or against us?"

Shishi blinked and attempted to remain calm. Obviously, he'd been sucked into a strange twilight zone in which his housemates had confused the kitchen for the "supply area", the bag of flour for "grenades", and had in all other senses, gone completely insane.

He gently shook his head, inwardly cringing at the flour that fell from his hair in waves. Still, the bastards HAD ruined his hair. They should be made to pay for the damage.

"I'm in," he said, smiling wickedly at Rinku.

Rinku grinned and handed him a wooden mixing bowl that he'd probably taken from one of the cupboards. "Then suit up!"