A/N: Teehee. Hee hee hee. ^_^ Chapter Three is forthcoming with more antics.

"No need to get so defensive," Oscar said, laughing and holding his hand over his stomach. "Ow."

"You-" I choked out, then glared at him, still clutching my throbbing elbow. "How did you get in here?"

He just looked at me for a moment, then poked a thumb over his shoulder, at the door. "Um, it wasn't locked."

"So you just walked in?" I yelled, more annoyed that he'd caught me off guard than at anything else. Then I realized I still wasn't wearing anything, and yelped, grabbing out. The curtain was the only convenient form of fabric, and I yanked it in front of me. He started laughing again, and I glared some more.

"Kieran," he said, "it's not exactly like I've never seen you naked."

"It... it was always dark, you squinty fool!"

He shook his head and went over to the bed, still chuckling. I managed to accept my trousers with a negligible amount of grace, and put them on. "Well, I'm sorry I startled you. I suppose I should've known you'd be jumpy." He looked around, admiring the room. I was huffily pulling my shirt over my head, and only halfway heard him ask, "... like your room?"

"No," I snapped, rummaging under the bed for my boots. "Too fancy."

If he were anyone else I would've said his eyes widened in mock surprise. "Too fancy? What happened, did you change your mind about all the fame and glory you wanted to get in the Knights?"

I finally lost my temper. "What do you want?" I yelled. "What'd you come in here for, just to make fun of me?"

That took him aback, and he shrugged. "I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd come in and keep you company." He looked down at the coffee, and I felt my face reddening. "I didn't think you'd be sleeping, either."

I muttered something, embarrassed, and pulled my boots on. Then I looked up and noticed for the first time that Oscar wasn't wearing his old green armor. "What... what in the name of Ashera is that?" It was still green, but a different color: it shone, almost shimmered in the morning light, and was of a much more modern design that his own armor.

He looked down, face changing; for a fleeting moment his expression reminded me of how I'd felt yesterday. "Oh, this. Eh... you'll be getting yours later." He rubbed at a spot low on the breastplate - where my elbow had whacked into it - and added, "It doesn't fit as well as my old stuff, but I suppose it's shini-"

My mind had somehow drawn an instant connection between the newness of the armor and something about me getting mine later. "You got promoted, too?" I interrupted, half-horrified and secretly half-elated, and leapt up. "Did the queen tell you why? I haven't figured it out! I mean," I said, pacing back and forth, trousers still unbuttoned and one boot still in my hand, "half of us died and the rest of us didn't do anything particularly good, except maybe you and Erk, but it was a complete disaster..."

As I paused to draw a breath he jumped in. "Kieran. Kieran, I didn't get promoted. Calm down."

I stopped. He didn't look particularly put out - but then when did Oscar ever look particularly upset about anything? He was just half-smiling, waiting for me to burst out. "But... you didn't...no promotion?"

"No, why would I get one?"

I could feel my shoulders slumping; I was suddenly annoyed by his nonchalance, and did burst out. "Because you... I don't know! Why aren't you upset about this? I don't even know why I got promoted, I practically died, you had to do everything!"

"No, I didn't," he said, patiently, and came over to me, finally. He was wearing gloves, but his touch was warm on my arm. "Look, be happy. Things could have gone a lot worse. As for why you and not me, Elincia was probably proud we did our mission, and that the rebels followed us all the way back here."

That part made sense, but... "But why aren't you upset?" I cried, frustrated. I wondered if my face was as angry as it had been earlier, when I had been making faces at myself. Undoubtedly. "Don't you want to move up in the world? Get recognized for your success?"

My angry faces had never appeared to have any effect on Oscar, and they certainly didn't now. "Sure," he answered after a moment, shrugging. "Don't you remember, though? I've told you before... it's not my first priority. And it's up to Elincia anyway. Surely you have enough respect for her to realize when she knows best."

I gaped at him in a horror for a moment, about to loudly and vehemently deny that her Majesty could ever be wrong about anything. Then I realized he was trying not to grin. I closed my mouth, then narrowed my eyes at him. "That... that was a cheap shot."

"Yes," he admitted, finally laughing. "I know you. Come on, let's stop talking about it." To my surprise, reaching down, he started unbuckling his armor. "I am happy, though, that for once you remember me doing something right."

"What are you doing?" I couldn't keep the indignation out of my voice as he slid the armor under my bed one piece at a time. "What..."

"Oh, come on," he said again. I was still standing crookedly, one boot dangling from my fingers, and my mouth dropped when he started unbuttoning his shirt. "No one's coming for you for awhile, I'm sure. It's barely past dawn." He took a look at my face and added sternly, "Don't you start yelling. You are getting into that bed with me, and that's final."

A sort of panic was building, and I looked wildly at the door. "But... someone might come in!" I drew myself up with as much dignity as I could muster and added, "If I'm getting promoted this afternoon, I don't want to be thought... weak!"

"Everyone already knows, and anyway, I locked the door behind me," he said, quite cheerfully, as he pulled his shirt off. I gulped. "Though I appreciate, once again, that your objections are to someone walking in on us, rather than the proposition itself."

"Everyone... already knows?" I repeated, somewhat faintly.

"Yeah, it's all over the castle." He sounded far too happy about this: I thought that quite unfair, since my heart (along with my elbow and other parts of me) was throbbing. "See, you were kind of dying, and I kind of... kissed you in front of everyone else."

I goggled at him. "What!?" I screamed furiously, and threw my boot at him.

He ducked, though it still caught him on the shoulder. "Ow! Hey, give me a break!" he exclaimed, but good-naturedly. I fumed, unable to speak for my fury. "That was about a day after you tried to say good-bye to me, and told me you loved me. I was in a state of panic."

"Well I was delirious!" I roared at him, forgetting that everyone in this half of the castle could probably hear me. "That's... that's taking advantage of your unconscious commander! Don't pull down your pants, I'm angry with you!"

He stopped, thumbs hooked in his beltloops. Damn him! How did he manage to look so pitifully mournful, yet at the same time completely irresistible? "Well, I'm sorry. Do you want me to go, then?"

"No!" I yelled, my arms exploding outwards. Confusion overtook me, but I couldn't see any way out of this argument other than to keep yelling. "I just can't believe you..."

Suddenly he was right there, face closer than ever, arms wrapped around my middle. I couldn't speak as he fastened his mouth on mine. As he moved back, I demanded breathlessly, "Don't I even get... a say in any of this?"

"You're always getting a say in things," he said firmly. "So no. Shut up."

I couldn't really think of any way to argue back.