Hiei came flying into the living room, a black and white streak. Trying to stop, he went skidding across the carpet. He wasn't wearing his cloak, or his belts. Everyone looked up at him. He flung the window open, and flitted outside, and off into the nearest tree. "I wasn't here!" He growled.

Ari came racing into the living room, just minutes after Hiei. "WHICH WAY'D HE GO?" She screamed, looking around, threateningly.

Everyone blinked. Her friends were all gathered in the living room, staring at her. There was Pan, Ashley, Nikoru, Arjei... Kurama was... or HAD been reading a magazine, but now he watched interestedly.

"Hiei took off that way..." Pan grinned, pointing out a window by the front door. She didn't know what it was about, but it seemed like it could be fun. "He's hiding in that tree."

Hiei jumped out of the tree and took off, knowing he'd been told on.

"What'd he do...?" Ashley frowned, turning to get a good look at Ari.

"Thanks! Bye!" Ari started to take off for the door.

"Wait!" Chetara yelled, jumping up. Ari skidded to a stop.

"Can't, he'll get away!" Ari whined, jumping around.

"Why's he running off?" Arjei asked, confused.

"Bathtime!" Ari said, and raced out the door.

"This is going to be great!" Nikoru grinned.

The girls started to laugh. Yes. Bathtime. They'd forgotten it was Friday. This was the funniest time of the week. If they hurried, they could JUST trail behind Ari...

"Come on!" Pan jumped up. "After them!" They all chased after, wanting to see this.

Hiei REALLY hated bathday. Everytime it rolled around, he stayed suspicious of Ari, and watched her closely. Most times he'd keep his distance. She usually managed to trick him, or use brute force to get him into the bathtub with water running. More often than not, she'd do it with his clothes ON.

This particular time, she'd said nothing about it, and instead started kissing him, and trying to seduce him just outside of the bathroom door. Then she sneakily moved him inside, and had gotten him half undressed before he noticed the tub was full, and remembered it was Friday. And then he was off like a shot. And Ari was after him. It's kinda sad when you have to seduce your boyfriend in order to get him to bathe.

Ari was running after him, "Which way did he go?" She growled to herself. "There!" She saw a black shadow in a tree. When he saw her seeing him, he took off, treehopping away from here. Ari chased after him, "You're not getting away!"

"Watch me!" He called back, turning his head to check how far away she was... In doing so, he tripped on a branch, and toppled to the ground. Ari went to pounce on him, but he was up and running as she jumped.

"Oof!" Ari slammed onto the ground, then jumped up and after him.

The girls were dying of laughter in the background. They ran after them, not wanting to miss this. A few of them fell behind to catch their breath from so much laughing.

Ari chased Hiei all over the town. About 45 minutes later, Hiei stopped, thinking he'd lost her. He grinned, and looked down at the mud puddle in front of him.

"I won." He sounded relieved. "... Now I just have to be careful when I get back..." He made a face.

Ari leapt out of a bush. Hiei turned, hearing it rustle, and Ari slammed into him, knocking him directly into... yup. The mud puddle. They were both completely covered in mud from tip to toe.

"GREAT!" Ari yelled, splashing a huge glob of mud into Hiei's face in rage. "I JUST took MY bath..."

They heard laughter and looked up. The girls were in hysterics, all but crying from laughing so hard.

Hiei splashed more mud on Ari, and then thought better of it. Then, he flung mud at one of them. He hit Ashley directly in the face.

"PLEH!" Ashley spit out the mud that had gotten into her mouth. Ari grinned. She slung more mud, hitting Nikoru.

"Hey!" Nikoru covered her face with her arm. "Stop!"

Chetara started backing away. She got far enough away to be safe.

"If you hit me...!" Pan warned. Hiei did. Soon it was a mudslinging contest, and everyone was completely covered, except Chetara who was smart enough to back away.

"Uh..." Kurama said, for lack of words when the group returned.

"Bathtime..." Ari said, weakly.

"I can tell..." Kurama blinked. "You guys certainly need one..."

"Kurama... shut up." Hiei glowered. "Let's just get this stupid thing over with..."

Ari grinned. "It only took you 45 minutes, and a huge puddle of mud to decide to take a bath."

"You pushed me into it." Hiei complained.

"You ran from me." Ari accused.

"You tricked me." Hiei growled.

Ari frowned. She did, she admitted. "I'm going to take a shower. And I'm going first." She said, finally.

"What am I supposed to do, stand around like a mud monster until you get done?" Hiei growled.

Ari looked thoughtful. "We could shower together."

Hiei blinked, then frowned, then looked thoughtful too. A moment passed, and finally Hiei nodded, "I like that idea." They headed upstairs, and everyone did a sweatdrop.

"All that work... I think Ari's found a new way of getting Hiei into the bathtub." Nikoru laughed, with a small sweatdrop.

RJ rubbed her head. "All of that, the months of fighting, the tons of mud... and all it took was that?"

"You would think ARI would have thought of that sooner." Pan sighed, wiping mud off her eyebrows.

"Like months ago." Ashley laughed.

Chetara frowned. "I'm surprised she didn't. She's tried everything else..."

The group laughed at the Ari bashing.

"It's almost too bad the friday night show is over..." Ashley sighed. The group thought a minute, and then sighed too. That was a fun weekly event lost. "At least Ari's done struggling with him."

Everyone nodded, then headed off to take their showers and baths.