The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing of any real worth.

Please read and review.

Tokio looked over at her taciturn friend, with her chin in her hand she asked, "Saitou. We're friends, right?"

Saitou glanced up at his younger friend with a raised eyebrow before once more focusing on his stretches. Completely ignoring her question. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tokio stick her tongue out at him, and he just barely suppressed a smirk.

Tokio blew air out, throwing her bangs up. Of course he'd be difficult. At 17 Saitou Hajime was just like others his age, sure he knew it all. It made Tokio want to prove him wrong. "As friends I can tell you anything, right?"

Saitou sighed. It seemed Tokio had something she wanted to say and she was not going to be put off. "Does it matter what I say?"

". . . No." Tokio gave him a truly brilliant smile. Silence fell between the two, Saitou continued to stretch, not at all bothered by his one woman audience, and Tokio silently marveling. When it became obvious that Saitou would not pursue the topic, she stretched her arms above her head, checked her watch, and said, "You're a terrible boyfriend."

At that Saitou faltered in his kata, and visibly tensed. "What?" he ground out.

Tokio couldn't help but laugh as Saitou lost his composure. Despite his confident attitude he was still a young man and new to many things.

Saitou cleared his throat, "You're fifteen, what do you know?"

"Well, I am a wo –"

"Girl."

"Woman, And I do know about these things."

"Psh. Reading romance novels and watching romantic comedies don't mean shit."

"HEY!" Tokio threw her shoe at him. "I am trying to help you!"

Saitou let his bokken rest on his shoulder, and turned around to face his irate friend. With a roll of his eyes he asked, "Fine. I'll play along. Why am I a horrible boyfriend?"

Tokio beamed up at him, glad he was taking this seriously. Or at the very least indulging her, it was in his best interest after all. "Because, you're here with me and Souji." She said this as if it should have been obvious. "You could have invited her, you know."

Holding back the urge to sigh, he said, "She doesn't care about kendo."

"Who cares, it's the fact that you asked."

Saitou mulled this over, and had to admit that Aioi had seemed annoyed about something or other. He just hadn't cared enough to find out why. He frowned as he asked, "You want me to invite Ai?"

"No." Tokio's eyebrows came together as she scrunched up her nose in distaste. "I don't. I don't like her," was Tokio's snooty reply. But then looking away, and biting her lip, she said, "But she's your girlfriend and you need to treat her right."

Despite himself, Saitou chuckled. Aioi had not made a good impression on Tokio, and he had simply dismissed it as something between women because really, neither he nor Okita could figure out their mutual dislike.

Before anything more could be said, Okita showed up, dressed and ready for practice. "Yo!"

"You're late," Saitou said in lieu of a greeting.

Okita was not at all bothered by his friend's attitude, "Hello to you too." He came and stood by Tokio. He pushed out his lower lip as he looked down at her, "I must really be late if you beat me."

Tokio smiled up at him, indulgently.

"Will you ever take anything seriously?" Saitou asked.

"All I know is that I seriously love kendo." Okita said proudly, chest pushed out, and a hand on his hip while the other held his bokken.

Tokio laughed at Okita's antics, and tried to change the subject, "You missed an interesting conversation."

Okita blinked, "Oh?"

"Nothing," Saitou ground out before turning back around and resuming his practice.

"I was just telling Saitou how to be a better boyfriend."

"You discussed all that in 15 minutes? I would have thought that would have lasted a few hours, at least."

Saitou glared as he growled out, "You're both idiots."

"You should take lessons from me! I am extremely charming. It also helps that I am extremely handsome, well we can't all be as lucky."

"Souji! Are we going to train or are you going to continue babbling like an idiot?"

Okita turned to Tokio, "See? No charm."

Tokio laughed and shook her head. "I guess that's my cue to leave."

"But I just got here! I thought we were going to walk home together?"

"I'll leave you to give Saitou lessons in charm and etiquette."

Okita watched Tokio leave, and Saitou observed them both before saying, "She likes you."

Okita frowned and simply said, "I don't think so." It wasn't so much that he was oblivious but that he did not want to think about.