[crow]

"Did you see Shiki's message?"

A slim man in a handsome black suit sat on an armchair, one elbow propped up against an armrest. A look of amusement graced his features, one corner of his mouth quirked upward.

Across the room, another figure rolled his eyes, not even bothering to cast a backwards glance at his companion. This one was broader in the shoulder, his face handsome in a more rugged way. "If you have time to waste on that kind of thing, you're not busy enough," he replied.

[crow]

Itsuki glanced up from his phone, arching one brow at Hinata. "You're in a mood. Why, what happened? Did Master reprimand you again?"

That earned him a look. "Nothing of the sort," Hinata said. "I just don't like wasting my time with that kid's nonsense, that's all."

"Well, it's not bad to indulge him once in a while. Some of the things he comes up with are pretty useful. This is certainly a more stable method of keeping in touch than what we've been using," said Itsuki, brandishing his smartphone.

[crow]

Hinata didn't exactly disagree, but he hardly looked mollified by Itsuki's words either. "I'd feel better about it if he didn't waste his time with it so much." Though it went unsaid, Itsuki didn't miss the implication that Hinata was lumping him into the same boat. It was a little unfair, considering that Itsuki only used his phone occasionally.

"It wouldn't hurt to relax once in a while, you know," Itsuki said.

"Weren't you the type who always said work came first?" Hinata shot back. "What happened to that attitude?"

[crow]

"It's been peaceful lately," he said. He smiled as he saw Hinata's expression; he didn't need words, spoken or otherwise, to know that Hinata was telling him that that didn't mean anything. New dangers could rear their heads at any moment, and it was their duty--- their sworn duty, the reason for their existence--- to remain vigilant against such a possibility.

But on the other hand, Itsuki wasn't wrong either. Time marched on, and so did technology, in more ways than just instant communication.

[crow]

Things like firearms and tasers made their jobs more challenging in some respects, but easier--- or at least more efficient--- in others. Security cameras were a godsend, even if they didn't solve all of the lions' problems.

In that respect, they were much more fortunate than some of their brethren. Shiki, for example, guarded an old struggling temple with his partner Touma, and there was no way they could have afforded such luxuries to make their own jobs easier.

But then, the biggest threat to Shiki and Touma's temple was the wear of time.

[crow]

In that regard, too, Hinata and Itsuki were fortunate. They didn't have to worry about the upkeep of their home. Their masters employed other servants, human ones, to make sure the grounds were clean and well tended. The sole domain of the lions was protection, of the grounds and the family that lived there.

Itsuki knew from experience that this line of thought about where their idle time came from would be lost upon Hinata, however. Thus, he wisely chose to appeal to Hinata with a different tactic.

[crow]

"There's a human holiday happening soon," he said. "Shiki and I were sharing some ideas as to how to participate. Aren't you interested?"

"Holidays? How many years do we have between the two of us?" Hinata said dismissively. "They're all the same by now, aren't they?"

"Ah yes, if we're merely talking about ourselves," Itsuki said. "But what of our masters? They're human enough. Haven't you ever wanted to do something for them?" A token of gratitude, or the excuse to spend time together that wasn't strictly business... These were temptations, were they not?

[crow]

Itsuki spoke of their masters, but in reality, he knew that Hinata's thoughts probably drifted elsewhere. Not that Hinata had told him, of course, but nevertheless, Itsuki knew.

They had been together since they first came into being, after all. Humans spoke often of the connection between twins, and the two of them had had many more years together even than that. Itsuki would have to be oblivious beyond plausible belief to not have noticed the way that Hinata seemed drawn to one of the servants lately, like a moth to a light.

[crow]

Maybe Hinata was just shy about the matter, and that was the only reason he hadn't mentioned anything to Itsuki. But then, maybe he had thought Itsuki would disapprove.

And in the past... Well, Itsuki couldn't exactly blame Hinata for that. Familiarity went both ways, and he supposed this was merely the reflection of his own rigid biases coming back to haunt him. But time, among other things, had softened the edges of his opinions, and now he fancies that he could wish his partner well.

[crow]

In a way, this was a little of that, funnily enough. Valentines was, as he was given to understand, a romantic holiday. Perhaps Hinata himself was still ignorant of what he was feeling, but Itsuki wasn't.

Still, he didn't push too hard. Embarrassment was something Hinata felt a little too much of, in Itsuki's educated opinion. "I hear humans like sweets. There is a tradition of hand-making chocolate as gifts. I thought it might make for a bit of entertainment, at the very least."

[Wild Pet Found]