disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story, except Li'an and Pa'liu.

I decided that I have not given Tasuki all that much of an accent, so I'm trying to step it up a notch. Tell me if ya think it's too much.

---------------The Next Morning...

"Tasuki, dear?" Nuriko teased, rubbing his hand gently against the side of Tasuki's face.

Through clenched teeth came the reply, "Yeah?"

Nuriko was wearing a hot-pink kimono with embroidered flowers, and his long violet hair was up in a bun. "How long will we be at your house?"

"Depends. Nothin' long'r 'n a month, though. Ya ready ta leave yet?" Tasuki stood up straight and gave a sigh of relief, having just tied an exceptionally hard knot in his clothing bag.

"I, have been ready for a while. You, on the other hand, just had to pack every single outfit to your name, your precious jewelry, and you had to give long, sappy good-bye's to everyone here."

Tying the heavy clothing bag to his waist, next to his tessen, the man in question shot back, "Well ya jest had ta go an' get all dressed up."

Nuriko scrunched his facial features together, "Suzaku, we're acting just like a married couple."

Tasuki mimicked his friend, "Really? 'Cuz I always jest thought that Tama an' Miaka acted like a married couple."

"Tasuki..."

"Nuriko..."

"Tasuki..."

Both men burst out laughing at their pathetic attempt to sound like those two. After they calmed down, Nuriko spoke up. "You do know that your gonna have to call me Kourin, right?"

"Howcome?"

"Because everybody knows who the seishi are. I don't look that different dressed as a girl, and if you call me Nuriko people will recognize me."

Tasuki waved his hand as if to say 'who cares?', but he actually said, "Fine. Whatever. C'n we leave now?"

-----------

On the way there, Tasuki was growing impatient. At first it was just a fast walk, but now he was jogging. And jogging for Tasuki meant huffing and puffing for Nuriko.

"Tasuki, I can't keep up with you for much longer. Could you at least carry me if you're gonna run, or even jog?"

Tasuki spun on his heel and shouted, "Hell no! You carry me, you have the super strength!"

"And that's another thing-I can't use my strength or people might recognize me. But you can use your speed," Nuriko pointed out.

"So...?"

"So if you run, I will still be all the way back here while you're at the house. Besides, are you really so weak that you can't carry a girl?" He batted his abnormally long eyelashes.

"I'm not gonna carry ya," The bandit did slow down, however. After about ten minutes of walking at Nuriko's pace, he quickly scooped up the latter and started running. "Damn, did ya know that yer light'r 'n Miaka?"

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment," Nuriko said a little shakily, for he was being bobbed up and down as Tasuki ran. Much to the duo's relief, they arrived at a small house within the minute.

Nuriko, being a professional spy, noticed two people watching them from the bushes. What a great chance to mess with Tasuki's head...The seishi rested his purple head comfortably against Tasuki's chest and wrapped his arms around his neck. "Carry me inside," He whispered, eyes closed and denying himself the urge to laugh.

"Do ya want me ta drop ya on yer ass?" Tasuki obligated, obviously oblivious to their observer. (A/N: Sorry I couldn't help myself.)

"No, but don't we need to actually act like a couple?" Nuriko didn't open his eyes or look up from his spot. Tasuki hesitated, but nonetheless he opened the door, still carrying his 'girlfriend'.

"We're here," He shouted, cautiously walking in.

"Well, nobody else is. They didn't expect you to be home untill later so they went shopping," A voice from behind stated, causing Tasuki to suddenly turn and face two young girls, no older than seventeen, standing in the doorway. Nuriko didn't move, and Tasuki began to wonder if he was asleep. "They should be home soon though," The same girl said, studying her nails. "So, Shun'u, right? Or do you prefer to be called Tasuki?"

The bandit started in awe, still confused as to who the girls were, which became evident when he asked them.

"Well," The first girl smiled, "I am Li'an, and this," She gestured towards her companion, "Is Pa'liu. She's our neighbor."

"Our...?"

"Yeah. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I'm your sister too. Kinda, anyway," Nuriko still acted as if he was asleep, but he knew the look that was on Tasuki's face right now without even needing to open his eyes. That was when the rest of the family came in through the door.

"Oh, Shun'u, you're here already?" His father asked, setting his bag of groceries on the counter. "Oh, Li'an, you're home too. Pa'liu, are you spending the night again?"

The girl known as Pa'liu let her eyes fall from Tasuki and nodded her head. "Is that alright?"

"Of course it is," Tasuki's mother wiped her hands. "Honey, how did you get here so soon? We weren't expecting you for at least another hour."

Tasuki just stared for a minute, then snapped back. "Oh-uh, yeah, Nu-I mean-Kourin went to sleep so I jest carried...her...here."

"Kiss me on the forehead and lay me down," Nuriko whispered so that only Tasuki could hear. Tasuki did as he was told, kissing Nuriko on the forehead and quietly asking, "C'n I lay 'er down somewhere? She's jest so tired."

"Um, yeah. We got your bedroom ready so just lay her in there. You remember where it is, right?"

He gestured with his head towards his own old room and started heading in that direction. When the bandit bent over to lay Nuriko down on the bed, the man started to whisper again, "Don't look, but she's still watching you, behind the door."

He looked around, careful not to look directly at Li'an, who in fact was hiding behind the door. After catching glimpse of this, gently Tasuki let go of his friend and began akwardly stroking his face, then walked away. At the doorway he stopped and purposly leaned hard against the door, acting as though admiring Nuriko/Kourin's beauty from afar.