Disclaimers: All characters belong to rightful owners.
Story concieved by Lee.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hm? Glad I feel that way, huh?" Sam grinned widely as he continued to hold his arms out toward the other--no, I don't know why. "Well, I always kinda figured that you knew as much, but, still, glad that you're glad, Lukie..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Maybe I did... it's still nice to hear, though." Lukas glanced rather doubtfully at Sam's outstretched arms, "Er... is there somethin' you wanted, Sammy? Or are you 'bout to sing 'Mammy' for us?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, any time you want to hear it, you just have to tell me, Lukie." Sam grinned, then, at the question about his outstretched arms, he tipped his head on side. "Well, a hug--or something along those lines--would be nice, but I could always try to sing 'Mammy' if you'd like..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A hug, huh?" Lukas said slowly, finally stepping within Sam's reach. "I guess that'd be okay..." He then added, "You can always sing 'Mammy' later..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Or I can sing 'Mammy' while I hug you..." Sam offered inanely as he reached to wrap his arms around the other. "I'm pretty versatile, you know?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So I've heard," Lukas commented wryly as he stepped into his friend's embrace, returning it - albeit a bit and stiffly. Resisting the urge to nuzzle into Sam's hair, he patted the other's back a bit awkwardly. "There... that better now?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ah really?" Sam chuckled as he wrapped his arms fairly tightly around his friend. Dipping his head, he purred to Lukas' ear in what was probably meant to be a sultry, seuctive tone. "Tell me, what else've you heard?"

"Hmmm..." Tipping his head, he took a moment to consider the question and, in this lull, he nuzzled into the Cajun's neck; quite obviously, he wasn't as good at resisting urges as his friend. "It's not... bad."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Just that you're very... er... friendly..." Lukas replied a trifle unsteadily due to all the purring and nuzzling his friend was doing.

"Not bad, eh?" he repeated, forcing a casual laugh, "But not good either, eh?" Slowly, almost reluctantly, he pulled away from his friend, taking a step or two back. "Oh well... I'm sure you can find somebody else who be up to your standards 'fore too long..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Awww..." Sam whined as Lukas pulled away and, letting his arms fall idle to his sides, he shook his head. "I was just getting comfy, you know..."

"Mm." Grinning, he shook his head. "Actually, for what it's worth, you're probably pretty close to my standards... or would be if you hadn't pulled away like that..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mousy almost made a pose as he "stood" on his back feet at the comment, squeaking more so. Sasurai felt Lemy's hand touch hers slightly before she could pull back to let him pet as well, and she blushed just slightly more. "You-you won't take his place... he- he wouldn't mind-mind having help..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the back of his mind, Kisoku saved the conversation that his two friends were having. His arms tightened around the younger red-head ever so slightly as he felt pinpricks of some foreign emotion running through he veins... what was it? He forced out a yawn, rolling his eyes.

"Oh goodness, Arvie, you think they'll ever stop the mushy talk." He laughed. "And all I wanted was my manpile... SIGH!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lukas was about to make one of his standard, smart-ass replies to Sam, when Kisoku's comment brought him up short. Arching an eyebrow, he turned toward the guitarist, "Oh... s'cuse *me*, budreau... I forgot... *You're* th'only one allowed to indulge in... er... what did you call it? Mushy talk?" Doffing an imaginary hat, he made a deep, flourishing - and very mocking - bow to the blonde. "Beg pardon for encroachin' on your territory," he drawled laconically.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There it was again... that seething, writheing feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I never said anything of the sort, Lukes. Just when _I_ do it, it doesn't sound like a bad soap opera."

Kisoku raised a challenging eyebrow at the cajun. For some reason, he just wasn't prepared to lose this battle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam blinked at this sudden and rather unexpected showdown between his two friends and, tipping his head on side, he chewed softly at his lower lip. Okay. _What_ had brought this on again? He was just flirting away like usual, then sempai...

No. It couldn't be because of his flirting with Lukie; sempai never got worked up no matter how much he flirted, so it couldn't be that. But what else could it be?

"Oi, oi, come on!" He whined theatrically as he sprawled on the bench. Stretching fluidly, he grinned as he found his head in some random lap. "You can both encroach on my territory all you want and we can all make our own bad soap opera!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I... I wouldn't mind helping..." Lem murmured and, of course, he flushed as their hands brushed. Tipping his head, he smiled a bit foolishly as he shook his head. Yea, it was nice to say that he wanted to help, that he wanted to be her friend, but the stark reality was that it was thoroughly unlikely that Master Barano would give him days off or let him go just to play with a little friend. He could do it on days off, but most of those, well, he didn't feel much like company. So, really, maybe this all was just a hollow meeting, a child playing at having friends, playing 'house'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sasurai eyes brightened slightly, "I-I know... that's what makes you- you... so kind..." Ah that feeling, the feeling of hope. How much Sasurai wanted this stranger, this company to be there for her. In truth, it was pathetic how she already wanted to depend on Lemy, how much she wanted him to stay... not in physical sense but in staying in her world. However... as everything that contained a chance of happiness, it was unlikely. There was a risk. She may not have known of his occupation, but she knew enough about herself to be afraid.

To be afraid of accidently losing control and hurting him. If the meeting was just that, one meeting and nothing more, despite the lonliness she would feel... at least he would be safe from her. Gently she took Mousy into her hands to hold the one friend she knew she could never hurt, and smiled at her new companion, "Also, Mousy would love more company and friends... instead of just little ole me..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sure it does," Lukas replied cheerfully, meeting Kisoku's challenging eyebrow with a smug, smart-ass grin. "But then again... given the way some of your past relationships worked out, I guess that's to be expected." Okay... so it was a rather low blow... but Lukas was just a tad bit tired of the barbed remarks that Kiso had been flinging at him of late. And now seemed like as good a time as any to tell him just where he could get the fuck off.

At Sam's attempt to create a diversion, Lukas glanced over at his friend and chuckled, shaking his head, "Nah... thanks anyway, Sammy... I'll just leave that to Kiso, since he's the expert."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was the straw that broke the the back of Kisoku Capulet's sanity. True, Lukas couldn't really know _all_ of his relationship history, but the cajun's smug remark hit a little to close to home. And even Kisoku knew enough to not bring up the subject of him and Sam... it was just completely taboo. He felt his face flush with anger, eyes watering a little.

"Well..." Kisoku smiled cheerfully, pushing back the lump in his throat. He rose to his feet, carefully plopping Arvel in his former spot on the bench. "I need to get some cigs. Fresh out, and you know how much that sucks when the craving hits! I'll just... I'll just see you guys later maybe."

With that said, he turned away from his friends and ran as far as he could. Away from Lukas, away from Sam, away from the whole awful experience.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam hissed softly as Lukas brought up Kisoku's past relationships and, wincing in sympathy, he opened his mouth to try to offer something to soothe things. Still, he was too late and, even if Kisoku hadn't left, he wasn't sure he knew what could be said. Standing from the bench, he wrapped his arms around himself and, turning his head in the direction Kisoku had gone, he frowned.

"I... think I need some more candy..." He murmured almost absently as he ran a hand through his hair. Worrying at his bottom lip, he shook his head further as he, too, started to walk--not necessarily in the direction which his friend had gone nor in any other true direction; it was just as if his feet--or some subconcious part of him--was taking him exactly where he needed to be at the moment.

Around him was the noise, the chaos, the sounds of the season, but he wasn't entirely aware of any of it. More, he was wondering just how the hell the day had gone so wrong--first the thing at the pizza parlor, then the whole nasty scene on the bench; it was like some sort of messed up conspiracy and not even one which he could very much enjoy.

"I tried to laugh about it, cover it over with lies. I tried to laugh about it, hiding those tears in my eyes.." He intoned moodily as he lifted a hand to adjust the dark glasses perched at the end of his nose. Still, he quickly stopped as he noted the soft, pleasing sound of a saxophone playing Holiday songs and, turning his head, he started as he felt something soft, warm by his feet. Making a half inquisitive sound, he crouched down and, with a few tentative touches, he was able to recognize it as a body.

"H-hey! What... what's going on?" He murmured in suprise as he gave the body a gentle shake. "Are you okay?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, I'd love to keep both Mousy and you company to be your... friend." Lem murmured quietly as he returned the girl's smile. Of course, he knew the falseness of his words, but, for the time, he was just going to ignore that. It didn't matter. He wanted to be happy and he wanted Sasurai to be happy, so he'd lie to himself for the day.

"St-still..." He shook his head slowly and, flushing a bit, he dropped his eyes so as to glance at the whitened ground. "I-I think... I think you must be a... a very good friend for little Mousy.."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<-----||----->