The bathhouse was on the outskirts of the town. The water in the basin was warm and Siegfried relaxed for the first time in a long while. He leaned back against the side of the basin, and sighed. He knew he should be washing so that he and Raphael could continue on as quickly as possible, but this was just far too calming. It gave him plenty of peace of mind with which to think about last night's events. At least it was until he noticed Raphael getting into the tub.

"What?" the Frenchman asked as he noticed Siegfried's confused stare.

"Why are you in my bath?"

"Who paid for it? This is cheaper and kills two birds with one stone. Plus it's not like you haven't seen my…"

"Shut up!" Siegfried harshly commanded splashing Raphael with water.

This apparently angered Raphael. "What was that for!?"

Siegfried leaned in and whispered. "This is a public bathhouse. There are other basins nearby. I don't want you going on loudly about which parts of your anatomy I have or have not seen."

"Or put in your mouth," Raphael said matter-of-factly.

"Or put in my …hey!"

Raphael smirked. The fencer found himself splashed in the face once more. He frowned and splashed back. "Stop that."

Siegfried sighed and looked away from Raphael. Once he was certain that Raphael had settled in the water, he slyly moved his hand into position and delivered a surprise splash. Siegfried laughed as Raphael, annoyed, lunged towards him. The German held his hands forward and caught the Frenchman by tickling him in the stomach. This made him squirm and emit a sound in between screaming and laughter. Siegfried stopped the tickle attack and smiled as Raphael seethed. The seething turned into a smirk and before he could react, Siegfried found himself dunked under the water, Raphael's hand on his head. Siegfried wriggled himself free and broke through the surface of the water. Raphael was sitting back against the wall of the basin, looking pleased with himself. "You look like a drowned rat with your hair like that, Siegfried." Apparently Raphael thought he had won. As Siegfried was concocting a plan, he noted a change in Raphael's expression. It went from victory to concern (or at least what Siegfried translated as concern) as Raphael leaned into Siegfried and stroked the bangs over his right eye away. "Siegfried…"

"Yes?"

Raphael's fingers traced the long scar over Siegfried's eye. "What's this?"

"You didn't notice it?"

"No. Your hair covered it. It looks like it was painful."

"I'm all right. I don't even remember getting it. Don't be worried."

Raphael's smile returned. "Of course I'm not worried. It makes you look more intimidating! No one will bother me when my bodyguard has a scar like that!"

"Oh you think so?"

"I think so."

"Will you two ladies keep it down over there? Some of us are trying to bathe," a man in a nearby tub said, annoyance apparent in his voice.

"As are we," Raphael shot back. "I'd like to know why you were listening in."

"It's not hard with you talking as loud as you do, damn pansy."

Raphael sat back in the tub and looked to Siegfried. "Again with the pansy comment. That's the second time this week."

Siegfried sighed. "I'll take care of it, Raphael." With that, Siegfried got out of the tub. In his full naked glory, he walked over to the man's tub, stood for a moment staring at him, and before the man could react, punched him squarely in the jaw. The stranger was unconscious from the singularly massive blow, and Siegfried walked, still calmly, back to his own basin.

After Siegfried stepped back in and sat behind Raphael, Raphael turned to look back and down, then quickly back up to Siegfried's face with a look of surprise on his own. "I didn't know fighting made you so happy Siegfried."

"Well, I like you, don't I?" Siegfried snapped.

Raphael laughed at Siegfried's statement. He then turned around and looked Siegfried in the face. "Is there anyone else around?"

Siegfried shook his head. "No. It was just him."

"Good," Raphael said with a smirk before pulling Siegfried into a kiss.

Siegfried smiled at Raphael after the kiss and lightly stroked his hair. Raphael in turn smiled back. As Siegfried moved his hand to the top of Raphael's head, Raphael's smile turned to a look of panic as he realized what his companion was up to. Siegfried laughed and pushed Raphael underneath the water.

…

"Kicking us out for punching a man that deserved it. What is the world coming to?" Raphael asked, trying to get the last bit of water out of his ear using his pinky finger.

"You didn't have to tell her that's what happened," Siegfried said, annoyed. He was enjoying his bath. "We're lucky they didn't arrest us."

"I told you. It's that scar. No one is going to bother us."

Siegfried sighed. "I think it's the fact that I punched out that guy in one blow and the poor girl was scared for her life."

"Details, details," Raphael shrugged. "And what was I going to say? 'Oh, I'm sorry, miss. He just sort of passed out and his tooth fell out. We thought it may be normal and so didn't alert you.' She certainly would have believed that."

Siegfried rolled his eyes. "You're an ass, do you know that?"

"Never been told it, no. If I'm an ass as you claim, why do you like me?"

"I don't know, honestly. Why do I like you?"

"Because I buy you things? Because I'm small and you need to protect me?"

"Raphael…"

"Yes?"

"You're taller than me."

"Details!"

"Stop." Siegfried said, stopping in his tracks.

"What?"

"Someone's coming. They're going to attack," Siegfried whispered, reaching back for his sword.

Raphael smirked. "I know." Siegfried hadn't noticed that Raphael had been ready to draw his blade since he finished cleaning out his ear.