Hazama had a noticeable concern with his manner of appearance. It was an unexpected yet very marked feature of the man. He was particular about his clothes being of a certain variety and fit–the shade of black and the texture of the fabric were fairly important. He would, for the most part, refuse to wear much of anything else.

Relius was very aware of the man's closet. It was precise. In his visits to the room he'd seen the neat line of suits and coats. Never did he expect this level of peculiar behavior. He was not even sure Terumi was knowledgeable in the manner in which one would tie their own necktie. Buttons were questionable at times, but he had at the very least worked out zippers.

The thought struck him again as he watched Hazama hunting for the specific tie that he wanted for that morning. Relius would not point out they were all essentially the same. The mess of it he found humorous and fascinating. There were little quirks of this soul he could not always predict.

"Look at you Colonel. Doing the walk of shame today, I see," Hazama teased as he cheerfully indulged in his full array of clothing that was undoubtedly brand new. Relius remained silent on the bed; not willing to invite more taunting his way.

So the captain carried on. "Not that anyone will notice. You keep the lab so dark a few wrinkles won't matter. Lucky you, huh?"

Hazama thought he might again be met with silence but Relius spoke up finally. "I'll be using your bath."

"Um, excuse you? Go use your own. I'm not sharing."

Silence filled the room once more as Hazama finally glanced over his shoulder. Relius looked as cool as always. He had a feeling he was not going to be fun to fight on this. Neither man seemed willing to move for what felt like too long.

"Hazama. Do you recall a few weeks ago when you stole into my room and not only broke all my locks and seals, but also did so at four in the morning?"

Hazama was quiet at first. Did he have an angle here or was he just being an asshole?

"I'm not going to lie and say I didn't do it."

"Do you have any idea how much trouble it was to replace those items?"

"Colonel Relius are you honestly trying to guilt me? Because I couldn't give two shits."

Relius did not immediately comment. It gave Hazama the impression that he gave up. It was a pointless endeavor in that way. He couldn't be beaten by guilt if he had none.

"I should have expected as much I suppose," Relius said as he rose and gathered his things. He lingered in place rather than finishing dressing. "Then it is no problem I keep hold of the footage that was taken while you made your way in. I would have to look it over again to recall just how you looked at the time..."

Hazama felt the color start to drain out of his face. "You can't possibly..."

"Oh, I could. Quite definitely. But it's of no matter to you, of course. Perhaps something for others to know," Relius carried on, the smuggest of grins settling over his face.

"Relius Clover..." Hazama began slowly, "Are you blackmailing me?"

The colonel kept on smiling, amusement in his tone. "Such a harsh word, captain. I'm simply working toward a reasonable place to meet you mid-way."

Hazama's shoulders slumped. This was too much work for too little pay off. He groaned, put his clothes out of the way and flopped back into bed. "Fine, fine. Use the damn bath. I can't believe you'd blackmail me over a goddamn bath, but whatever. Your ship to sink, Relius."

The mumbling received no response as Relius simply made his way over toward the bath, shut the door and helped himself. Hazama let himself sink further into the bed as he listened in on whatever was going on through the door. Soon enough the water could be heard running and he was left guessing. Why the bastard couldn't just go use his own damn shower Hazama didn't know. He had a feeling it was probably out of spite. To be an ass. Nothing important—that was for sure.

He heard the water stop and the sound of someone climbing into the tub. That was supposed to be him. The thought just made him more salty about it. There was no going through the day without a bath. Especially not after the previous night.

The longer he sat there the more frustrated he got with it until eventually he stood up. He'd do something. Relius was probably soaking and enjoying himself too—the bastard. He could sort this out probably.

Sort Relius out maybe.

He stood up abruptly out of bed and went to gather his clothes; already dressing mid-step. He only stopped when he heard Relius' voice through the door.

"If you're going to go use my bath out of spite I think you'll find nothing of value in that. Not to mention it is not quite as comfortable as your's."

Hazama chucked his clothes at the bed in a single moment of frustration before swinging the bath room door open wide. Relius did not look surprised, merely relaxed in the tub. Although the mask still rested on his face. He had to have put that back on just to fuck with him. It had to be some kind of planned joke. It worked and pissed him off even more.

"Colonel," he said nearly through his teeth with a strained grin. "I think you're about ready to get out."

He did not budge and instead grinned back at him with ease. "Not at all. Where do you get all these soaps? Do you really have the time to hunt these things down?"

The blasé reaction was more annoying than the last. The worst part was Hazama knew damn well he was doing it on purpose. Usually he was the one getting under everyone's skin, but Relius knew. He knew too well this little crack in his armor.

In a second of not really thinking, Hazama grabbed one of the soaps in question and threw it at Relius' face. The puppeteer caught it, of course, and merely set it aside calmly. Before he could retort like it looked like he was going to Hazama was throwing more. He threw every single one he could get his hands on.

While he stopped some, ultimately Relius was pelted with soap leading to some less than graceful moments that Hazama caught every second of. Once Hazama realized what he saw he broke out into laughter. With a few proud steps Hazama was at the side of the tub, grinning widely and looking quite pleased. He leaned over Relius who still looked a bit perplexed with the whole mess.

"So you're ready done, right? You're gone?" Hazama attempted again, this time with much more energy for it.

It took a moment longer than usual for the other man to answer. "I don't suppose that I am exactly...But I can work something out."

There was just no surrender with Relius. Not today it seemed. Their gazes met for a few seconds before Relius carried on. "I could share, I suppose."

Hazama spared one look over the bath and the colonel. "You know we won't fit." It was just a matter of fact at that point. It was not the biggest tub. "In fact I know you know that and still you said it anyway."

Relius' expression remained steeled as he grinned just a pinch wider. "You won't try? What's wrong, Hazama? You're backing off so easily."

"I'm not backing off, I can see!"

The following thoughtful silence left him just a little uncomfortable. He considered throwing more soap, but Relius spoke up again.

"How strange. It's almost as if having your personal space invaded is...what would you call it, Hazama? Perhaps frustrating? Grating? Bothersome?"

The captain recalled every time he climbed over Relius' furniture and space with the explicit goal of bothering him. It all came at once too.

"Is this payback?"

"It is."

Silence filled the small room briefly.

"You aren't leaving my bath yet, are you?"

"Not yet."

Rather than letting himself be bothered by all the heated emotions of the minutes prior Hazama took a breath. Air in and air out, now he could think clearly. Relius didn't plan this as well as he thought he did surely. There was a weak point in the plan.

In one quick motion Hazama shoved his way into the bath; one leg at either of Relius' sides; essentially doing more sitting on him than actually getting in the tub. It was admittedly a very tight fit—one that hurt just a little bit. Not that he couldn't work with what. There came an odd grunt out of Relius and a bit of strain in his face as Hazama settled on him.

"There you go! I'm sharing. And we fit just like you insisted. Are you happy? I hope you like it snug," Hazama chattered happily as though he were not shoving his legs into a space far too tight for them. He was thin, but not nearly enough.

Relius' grip on the outside rim of the tub loosened only after a few moments of trying to get used to this. He realized it was his own damn fault shortly enough. Usually he could gauge where Hazama's common sense and decency ended. Not well enough perhaps.

The man on top leaned in closer; resting his hands at the rim of the tub behind Relius' head. For that moment his eyes remained narrowed but fixed on where he would find Relius' gaze. His voice dropped a bit lower, a little more taunting in tone. "Is this all you wanted? You could ask, you know. I'll get in just as tight as you'll have me, Relius."

Relius couldn't very well admit this had veered off plan, but his sight for whatever the plan had been was dimming. Hazama made himself difficult to ignore when he put his mind to it. There was only so much leaving him to it that he could stand.

"You are a shameless creature." Each word came out a touch more pointed than he really intended. It didn't bother Hazama who merely cackled—his head dipping lower aside Relius', his shoulders shaking.

"No, go on. If you're sitting on more compliments, why not share?"

The request was met at first with a creeping silence. Perhaps he was at a loss for words. Maybe he was seriously considering it; Hazama was not quite sure.

When Relius spoke it was in a hushed tone. "What sort of flattery are you expecting? I doubt you want this from me as much as you are thinking you do."

"Oh come on now. I'm you're favorite, aren't I? You do come to see me often enough."

Hazama's answer gave Relius pause once more. He had not exactly considered it in such a way. It led him to still shake his head at the end. "I would hope you aren't making foolish assumptions."

Hazama merely smiled back at him; keeping close. "I wouldn't dream of it. I know better."

A conversation which held little context, but it was one they ultimately understood each other from. Hazama remained only another moment before he lowered himself just a bit closer to Relius' face.

"So don't sweat the details. Let's just enjoy the moment. That is what you wanted at the end, isn't it?"

Hazama's lips grazed close to his skin, but not quite. Just enough to tease a closer touch. He wanted to make things more difficult if he could.

Relius still managed to answer with a bit more poise than before. "I intended to get under your skin a little, but I see you've found your own way of dealing with this."

"Who's under whose skin now?" Hazama taunted him with a grin. The pause there was momentary. "I think you're under me this morning...It has been awhile, hasn't it?"

The teasing and taunting didn't do too much to change Relius' posture or his tone of voice. "I'm not sure what you think you're going to do like this, but do feel free to believe whatever you like."

Immediately the captain took this as a challenge and pressed against him in a much less innocent manner. The usually steel look on the colonel's face turned to just a bit of strain. It was small, but a start. He could work with that.

Hazama shifted up as he could; moving over Relius carefully, but with a position in mind. He didn't quite go there though. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but holding out like this he could do as long as needed as long as he got what he wanted at the end. There came a low laugh out of him as he recognized the advantage he had.

"You know, Relius," he began as he worked himself into a position he liked; shifting at the hip and spine to keep close, but not exactly touching. Not very well anyway. "I'm not sure you're so innocent as to be unable to figure out whatever I'd like to do. What I could do."

He was met first with silence, then unexpectedly, a crooked grin. "You are almost trapped where you are and insist you have all the power here. It is a little ridiculous."

Hazama got the hint. "Maybe. But I'll take my wins where I can get them."

In a lowered, breathier voice, Relius answered much quicker. "Have I said I would take them from you if we were to move?"

The words buzzed around in Hazama's skull for a few seconds before he recognized the meaning. "Is that an offer, colonel?"

After a brief quiet moment, Relius grinned a little more broadly. Hazama could hardly stand how he sounded. He could have strangled him for it too.

"You head that direction and I will see about everything I might offer you, Hazama."

That edge of tension—that small hint of something good to come perhaps drew Hazama's interest. As nice as this was it was cramped and less to work with. Options he liked the sound of. If said that way who was he to say no?

Just barely under his breath, Hazama laughed and brought his lips to Relius' ear. "I'll give you the pleasure of showing me then."

Calm and cool as always Relius simply remained where he was and waited for Hazama to move as he was hoping. Rather than doing exactly as predicted Hazama worked a bit differently. He did motion to sit up more, but rather than getting up he leaned back down and pressed quickly at Relius' lips with his own. He could he could just feel the smug grin fading.

He parted feeling refreshed for it and looked down on Relius twice as smug as he might have been moments before. "Make sure you keep up," he decided for him as he straightened up and got himself out of the tub. He helped himself to a towel hanging on the wall as Relius slowly stood and joined him at his side. The towel passed casually the colonel's way as Hazama went back to the bedroom. Not that he needed to dress or anything at this point. The morning could be delayed a little longer maybe.

Already his head was swimming with plans; with how he wanted to do this. When Relius stepped out behind him Hazama didn't even bother looking again; he was already making his way through his list.

"I realize you said showing me, but I think there's something I had in mind. If you're here you should just get comfortable and then—maybe not too much. I wanna see the look on your face when I—"

Hazama stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Relius dressing himself as usual rather than actually listening to him. He froze right in place as he started to realize he was probably just had.

"Did you...really think you could toy with me like this?" he muttered his way, looking less than impressed as the colonel put his arms through his sleeves.

"I have every intention of showing you all your options. I have not lied to you after all," he answered with all the calm ease that was soon becoming more annoying than anything else.

Relius fastened his cloak back in place before going on. The silence left Hazama already planning ways to get back at him. "I'll even make it very easy for you."

Something about the tone of those words snapped Hazama's attention back to the present. "Well? Are you going to waste my time or—"

Before he could even finish that the marionette arms were out from behind Relius and pulling Hazama into the bed face first. One arm reached out a bit further, picked up Hazama's hat from aside him on the bed and helpfully put it on his head.

"There you have it. You're set. Do enjoy, Hazama. I'll see you at a later time." The smugness in Relius' voice was so obvious it might have been the worst the captain had ever heard him. The last comment would be the final nail in the coffin. "I did so enjoy your bath however. Another time perhaps I'll be by to use it again."

He half-muttered, half-groaned Relius' name as the colonel left him be. Once the door was closed what could be heard behind it could have been described as some kind of loud hex, but Relius deemed it something he could ignore.