I feel like everything's been all fluff all the time lately, though that won't last much longer. I couldn't resist the scenario in this chapter. -w-b

This chapter is brought to you thanks to the support of VineTabris, Jaiden, Senem, and Angerawr.

As always, thanks for reading. (´∀｀人)

Tea Time

The kettle whistled for only a moment before Rin deftly removed it from the hot element and set it aside, but it had been more than long enough and the patter of tiny feet sounded as Lily hurried in to the kitchen, sliding to a stop on the linoleum floor.

"Daddy, is it ready?" Lily asked, her eyes sparkling as she practically vibrated, her pigtails and little pink tutu bouncing up and down.

"Almost," Rin said, trying to suppress a smile at his daughter's excitement as he pulled a little step stool from the corner and placed it beside him. He then stretched up, opening the cupboard above the stove. "What kind do you want?"

Lily adjusted her skirt and hopped on to the step stool. She pursed her lips and tapped her chin as if thinking deeply on the matter before throwing a hand up in to the air and shouting. "Orange Pekoe!"

Rin chuckled as he pulled the tea bags down and handed them to her, watching her carefully as she placed two of them in to her tiny decorative tea pot, and then struggled to lift the kettle with tiny hands. It was heavy, but not more than she could manage—this was by no means her first tea party—but Rin hovered protectively over her shoulder nonetheless, just in case she slipped or dropped the kettle.

"Daddy~!" Lily said, drawing the title out in a dramatic whine, "Don't just stand there. Get the other stuff."

"Oh, right." He hesitated until she had finished pouring and set the kettle back down on the counter, then began helping her prepare the other things she'd need: cream, sugar, honey, a few slices of lemon—just in case—and the pièce de résistance, the vanilla squares he'd prepared the night before. All he had to do was dust them with icing sugar and cut them in to actual squares and they'd be perfect.

Lily arranged everything artfully on her little serving tray and then hopped down from her step stool so Rin could hand it to her. Once again, it was just slightly too heavy and the dishes rattled slightly as her grip shook with effort, but she began slowly, carefully making her way towards her room.

Rin watched her until she rounded the corner and then returned to the vanilla squares, adding the finishing touches before bringing them to Lily.

Rin cracked a smirk as he entered the small messy room. Ryuuji was sitting—if you could call it that. It looked more like squatting—on a tiny plastic chair covered in peeling stickers and child-sized hand prints made out of non-toxic acrylic paint. He was seated at a tiny table across from Lily. A plastic tiara sat nested more on top of his hair than on his head, and he was holding a tea cup so small he could barely fit one finger through the dainty little handle. He looked up as Rin entered, glaring when he noticed the tight little smirk on Rin's face, a look that screamed, "Say it. I dare you. Say anything at all, and I will end you."

Rin couldn't resist.

"Are my two favorite princesses enjoying their tea party?" It was worth it for the way Ryuuji's face darkened, his glare intensifying and his jaw tightening with the effort not to say anything in response to Rin's teasing, lest it upset their daughter.

"We're not princesses, Daddy, geez," Lily said, rolling her eyes, stopping Rin short.

"You're not?"

"I'm a queen, and Dad is a king," she said

"Yeah," Ryuuji said, looking up at Rin with a cocky smirk, "I'm the king, and as a matter of fact, we are enjoying our tea party."

"Oh," Rin said dumbly, still standing there, holding the tray of desserts, "…Can I join you?"

Lily clicked her tongue. "Who ever heard of the maid joining the king and queen for tea?" Lily said as she turned up her nose and rolled her eyes as if he simply should have known better.

"Maid?!" Rin sputtered. "I'll have you know, I'm not the maid," he said, placing the tray down on the tiny table, "I'm a tickle monster!"

He dove on Lily and she shrieked with laughter as he dug his fingers in to her sides, tickling her without mercy for the insult. He was completely unprepared for the assault that came from behind.

"How dare you attack the queen!" Ryuuji said dramatically as he jumped in to the fray, tickling Rin and pulling him off of their daughter as they all fell to the floor in a shrieking pile.

The struggle continued for a moment until Rin scrambled up off the floor, red faced and out of breath and still fighting the urge to laugh, and fled to the safety of the hallway. He stopped and turned to shake his fist dramatically.

"You'll pay for this insult!" he shouted, his maniacal laughter echoing through the apartment hallway as he made his retreat.

It took Ryuuji and Lily a moment to catch their breath, but when they did Ryuuji stood and offered a hand to his daughter and pulled her chair out for her, making sure she was seated comfortably before sitting back down on his own tiny pink chair.

Lily smoothed out her skirt and her hair, took a deep breath to compose herself and then turned back to Ryuuji. "Do you take sugar in your tea?" she asked him with all the grace and composure of a queen who hadn't just had someone make an attempt on her very life.

"Lemon, please."