"It's really coming down, out there," Tsuki said, shaking off water, as they stood just inside the little onsen they found. It was more like a bed and breakfast type place, but still, it was shelter from the deluge that suddenly started.

"Yeah. Good thing this place was here," Kuroo replied, running his hand through wet hair. "Or we'd still be out in that."

"I can't believe they lost us," Tsuki grumbled, glancing at Kuroo, and then at the little make-shift desk, complete with a little old, cherub of a man. In an apron. Smiling at them with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, hello," he greeted the cherub, or... well... the proprietor. "We apologize for getting your floor all wet."

His apology was waved off. "Oh, it's no problem at all! How may I help you?"

"We just need a room to stay in until this lets up," Kuroo spoke over Tsuki. "And to dry off," he added ruefully.

"Is this for overnight?"

"Well, we hope not," Tsuki said in a rush. "Our friends got ahead of us, and said they'd wait here but..."

"We couldn't find them, and then this..." Kuroo took over again and gestured outside. "I guess it'll be better if we just pay for a night," he turned to Tsuki. "Who knows when this will slow down, and I'd rather not get soaked again and catch a cold."

"True. We can call and find out where they are," Tsuki agreed.

The proprietor was still grinning at them, his eyes going from one to the other, watching them avidly. So, these were the two he'd been told about by the first group of kids that dropped in on their way to another onsen. They didn't tell him much, but they obviously had something planned for these two. And if he didn't miss his guess, and he almost never did... Well, well, well.

"You're in luck!" he interrupted their conversation, which was really them just finishing each other's sentences, or in this case, continuing each other's thoughts out loud. "I have one more room available!"

"We'll take it," the dark-haired one said with a charming smile as he reached for his wallet. "How much?"

"How much for half?" the blonde cut in, also taking out his wallet. The two of them scowled at each other. "I can pay for half, Kuroo."

"It's no problem, Tsuki. I got it."

"I'm not going to owe you anything."

"I didn't say you had to. It's fine."

Grinning even more, the proprietor slid a key toward them.

"Here you go. The room is upstairs, first door on the right. We get our water from the nearby hot spring, so there will be plenty of hot water for both of you to use to warm up."

"Great! How much do we owe you?"

"Don't worry about it," he told them, relishing their twin looks of surprise. "If the rains let up by this evening, I'll eat the charge. If you do have to stay overnight, I'll bill you before you leave. Deal?" he held out his hand.

He watched the two of them share a long look. Then, the dark-haired one (Kuroo) turned back and shook his hand.

"Deal," and he took the key. "Come on, Tsuki. We need to warm up and dry off. You're turning blue as we speak." He put his hand around the blonde's (Tsuki's) shivering shoulders, and gently guided him upstairs.

"Dinner is at seven!" The proprietor called after them.

"Thanks!" the two of them called back from the second floor landing.

The proprietor chuckled and began humming a little tune to himself. It was the tail end of monsoon season in Aomori prefecture, at the end of July. If he didn't know any better, those two young men will be stuck here for the next few days. It was going to be fun watching things unfold between them.

~*~

"Oh, come on Tsuki! It's a cute room!" Kuroo said from the bathroom door.

"In terms of aesthetics, it is indeed a cute room," Tsuki agreed as he went directly to the fireplace. "How do you start this?"

"Is there firewood beside it?"

"No."

"Ah. Well, then, flip the switch. Should be one nearby on the wall."

Tsuki tsked. "Sus." But he found the switch and flipped it anyway, returning to huddle down in front of it as it radiated heat.

"What's so sus about knowing how to work a fake fireplace?" Kuroo replied, laughter in his voice. "Here." He dumped a couple fluffy towels and a robe on Tsuki's head. "Go take a shower. Get warmed up before you start looking like the personification of an icicle."

"You're not going first?"

"No, why would I? I'm not about to shiver my way out of my clothes."

"Yet."

"Whatever. Just go. I'll take my turn when you're done."

"Fine."

"Don't use all the hot water."

"Aww. You're not getting cold now, are you?"

"Smartass."

Tsuki almost made it into the bathroom, but turned around at the door.

"If we have to stay overnight, what are we going to do about sleeping arrangements?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's only one bed, Kuroo. Where are you going to sleep?"

"Me? In bed, of course!"

"So am I, and I'm not sharing!"

"You'd be so heartless as to consign me to the floor? The cold, hard, floor? I'm devastated."

"Using that tone of voice, that pouty face, and puppy dog eyes won't work on me." Tsuki paused for a few moments. "I'll let you have a pillow and a blanket."

"How magnanimous of you."

"Isn't it, though?"

"Get going before I decide to join you."

"You wouldn't..."

"Careful, Tsuki. You don't know what I'd dare."

Tsuki hmphed and retreated into the bathroom, closing and locking the door. Kuroo smiled after him and took another look around the room. Blue floral wallpaper and light wood accents gave the room a country-esque feel, along with lacy curtains and a vase of daisies on the dresser. There were even a couple rocking chairs! Very western in decor. Kuroo liked it. A lot. He had to admit, the place was living up to its description on the webpage he'd stumbled across a few days ago.

His plan was taking shape. Their friends alerted the proprietor, and although the little buddha didn't know everything, he was already playing his part to the hilt. All Kuroo needed was a few more days for his plans to come to fruition. He just needed Nature to cooperate.

"Come on weather. Don't let me down," muttered as he peeled off his clothes and put on the other robe he'd found.

~*~

"It's still coming down pretty good out there," Tsuki said quietly from the window. "Do you think it'll flood?"

"Probably not," Kuroo answered as he rocked gently. "We were going downhill when we found this place."

"Right." He pulled his phone out of the robe pocket and glanced at it. "Tadashi isn't texting me back."

"Well, you only told him where we were, right?"

"Yeah, but he would have texted back immediately," he replied, a tiny smile tilting his lips. "Actually, I'm surprised he didn't text first."

"Maybe he's been distracted."

"Maybe. Still, though, he's not usually this silent." He started typing yet another message and hit send, going back to watching the rain fall.

Kuroo tried to keep his face neutral, interested. But his mind was going a mile a minute, trying to figure out what he could do or say to take Tsuki's mind off his best friend, and his crush. It was Yamaguchi who had figured out how Kuroo felt about Tsuki at their summer camp at Shinzen, clearly more observant than he'd taken him for. The minute Tsuki had gone to talk to Akaashi, Yamaguchi had come to stand in front of him, looking determined.

"You like him, don't you?"

"Like who?"

The Karasuno pinch server gave him a knowing look. Kuroo sighed.

"Yes. I like him. A lot, actually."

"And not just during this camp."

"No."

"I thought so." He paused for a moment, and then looked him dead in the eye. "Look, this is probably going to sound bad, but I know Tsuki has a crush on me, and I don't feel the same way about him. He's my best friend, and I want it to stay that way. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," he replied, an idea forming in his mind. Movement caught his eye over Yamaguchi's shoulder. "He's on his way back. Find me later and we can exchange numbers. I have an idea. Will you help?"

"Sure! As long as it won't hurt him."

"I'll do my best."

Of course, that was last year, and Kuroo still hadn't been able to find a way into Tsuki's heart. Still, he had high hopes this time. All he needed to do was find a chink in Tsuki's proverbial armor.

After a long silence, a soft knock sounded at the door. Kuroo looked at the clock on the wall. 7pm. Dinnertime. He stopped rocking, stood up, and opened the door. The buddha proprietor was grinning and holding a large tray of food. Hot, steaming food that made Kuroo's mouth water.

"I brought you your dinner," the little buddha said cheerily.

He came right in, followed by a much younger pair of girls, both of whom maneuvered a round table into the room. They quickly left and came back with two chairs. Plates, flatware, glasses, and even a candle in a tall candlestick was placed on the table. Then, they put the dishes of food in the empty spaces, smiled at him and left.

"Enjoy your meal!"

"Oh, definitely," Kuroo replied. "It all smells so good."

"I'm trying my hand at some international recipes," the proprietor said proudly. "There's beef stew with potatoes, carrots and parsnips, asparagus spears with cream sauce, and fresh bread with butter. I have a strawberry pie in the oven, and that should be done by the time you two are finished eating."

"Strawberry pie?" Tsuki's attention was now focused on them. "With whipped cream?"

"Is there any other way to eat pie?" the old man replied cheekily. "I'll leave you to it, then. Let me know how you like it!" And he was gone, the door closing softly behind him.

"Well?" Kuroo looked at Tsuki, who was taking very slow steps toward the table. Smiling, he stepped behind one of the chairs and pulled it out. "Join me?"

He didn't expect it. Wasn't prepared. Not even a little bit. When Tsuki finally looked at him, he smiled. A real smile, not the evil little smirk he often wore, but a pure, brilliant, beautiful smile.

"Thank you, Kuroo," he said quietly, sitting down in the seat Kuroo held for him.

Brain.exe stopped working. Network Error. Reboot suggested.

Kuroo was back online in moments, and slowly went to sit in the chair across from Tsuki. He tried to go without doing anything like touching those golden blonde locks, or running his hand along Tsuki's back. Well, he actually did the latter, but if Tsuki noticed, he didn't mention it.

~*~

"You like him, don't you?"

"Like who?"

The Nekoma setter just stared at him, waiting for the truth.

"Yeah, I do. But, I don't think he likes me."

"What if I said you're wrong? That he really does like you. A lot."

"He does? But then why...?"

"Let me ask you this: do you like that pinch server guy on your team?"

"Yamaguchi? I mean, yeah. He's my best friend."

Another stretch of silent staring, waiting...

"Oh! No, not like that! He's just my best friend, nothing more. Is that why he always leaves when Tadashi shows up? Is that why he always has a smile on his face, but it's kinda sad, too?"

"That's exactly why. Listen, I have an idea. Think you could meet me later? And bring Yamaguchi."

"Sure."

With nothing else to really do but talk, the two of them spent most of their time doing just that. Kuroo was an endless source of things to talk about, his conversation changing up in a seamless stream of subjects, like a 2am web crawl with no real goal in mind. One could say he was nervous, and talking was just his way of trying to calm himself.

Tsuki smiled and rested his chin on his hand and just watched him talk. He responded when it was necessary, but otherwise, he just watched. Kuroo was an animated talker, using his hands, arms, and sometimes his whole upper body, to emphasize whatever he needed to emphasize. Occasionally, he'd shift in his chair, moving his legs, too, which amused Tsuki. Kuroo would be the guy on stage, pacing as he gave his speech.

And somehow, he never ran out of breath. Somehow, he managed to eat and talk at the same time, without it looking like he was eating and talking at the same time. Tsuki was mesmerized. Literally. It took a few moments to realize Kuroo had stopped talking.

"Earth to Tsuki," Kuroo said quietly, grinning once Tsuki focused on him. "Welcome back."

"Sorry," Tsuki apologized. "I was just..."

"It's fine. I'm surprised you didn't fall asleep."

Tsuki blinked. "Why would I?"

"I can put most people to sleep if I talk long enough."

"Tsk. How rude."

Kuroo's turn to blink. "You weren't bored?"

"Not at all. You switched often enough to keep me interested in what you'd say next."

Kuroo blushed. Actually blushed, and nervously put his hand on his neck. "I gotta tell ya, Tsuki. That's the first time anyone's said that to me."

"It's true."

"All I usually get are apologies and half-baked excuses."

"Probably because no one was really listening."

"And you were?"

"Of course I was!" And Tsuki proved it by listing each and every subject Kuroo touched on. Then, he smirked. "There were a few times where you went a bit long, but you seem to like those subjects a bit more than the others."

"And here I thought you were just making starry eyes and falling in love with me," Kuroo teased, even though he was half-serious.

While it wasn't exactly the wrong thing to say, it was as effective as throwing ice water over them. Tsuki straightened up in his chair and began gathering the empty dishes and flatware. The cherub proprietor will be happy to find out they ate everything he made them. Kuroo stood, stretched, and went to check on their clothes. The mood had shifted, and neither of them knew what to do to fix it.

A knock sounded at the door, and this time Tsuki answered it. As if he'd been summoned, the cherub was there, smiling as he always did. Tsuki opened the door further so he and his helpers could come in.

"The strawberry pie is finished cooling and ready to eat," he told them. "Shall I bring you both a slice?"

Kuroo looked at Tsuki and raised an eyebrow. Tsuki shrugged.

"Maybe tomorrow," Kuroo said gently. "For breakfast?" Once again, he looked at Tsuki, who nodded. "Thank you for offering," he told the proprietor.

"I'll save a couple slices, then," the little man said. "I start serving breakfast around 8am."

"When is the latest time we can eat breakfast?" Tsuki asked and shrugged sheepishly. "I'm not much of a morning person," he added by way of explanation.

"Typically around 10-10:30, so we can start getting ready for lunch. But," and he looked between the both of them with a twinkle in his eye and cunning smile. "I'll make an exception for you two."

"Oh, no. Not on our account.."

"You don't have to do that for us.."

They spoke at the same time. Stopped at the same time. Grinned at each other and looked a little relieved at the same time.

"It's no trouble at all! Just call down to the desk when you're ready."

"Thank you," they both replied.

Once the dishes and table had been cleared out of the room, and the proprietor wished them a goodnight, they just stood there awkwardly. Then, Tsuki sat down in front of the fireplace and looked up at Kuroo.

"Is your phone still pretty good on battery?"

"It should be. I didn't use it much today."

"Me either."

"Why?"

"Well, I thought maybe we could play a game."

"What kind of game?"

"Grab our phones. I'll show you."

Kuroo smiled and brought both of their phones over, settling down beside Tsuki. Once they were linked up, they played. It didn't take long before they were laughing, shoving each other over, and taking turns saying 'be quiet, you'll wake up the other guests!' while trying to beat each other in the game.

~*~

"Kuroo, what are you doing?" Tsuki asked later, watching as Kuroo unearthed a futon from the closet.

"Oh, just getting my bed for the night," Kuroo told him as he laid it out alongside the bed. "Someone, who shall remain nameless, isn't going to share the bed."

"I wasn't being serious. We can just put a blanket down the middle or something."

"Tsuki, the bed isn't that big."

"I know, but, the floor..."

"Change of heart?"

"I guess not," Tsuki muttered, looking more irritated than anything. "If you're absolutely determined to sleep on the cold, hard floor, then I'm not going to stop you." He hmphed and scooted down the bed, burrowing under the covers and turning his back to Kuroo. "Good night, Kuroo."

"Yeah. Good night."

A few hours later, Kuroo woke up hot. When he went to move to a cooler spot on the futon, he realized the heat wasn't all his own. If he didn't miss his guess, Tsuki was currently snuggled up against his back. On top of the covers. Smiling, he tried to turn around to face him, but was stopped again. This time by a hand gripping the back of his shirt.

"Tsuki?"

"You were cold," Tsuki replied tiredly.

"Not that much." He was pretty sure he was just the opposite. They'd left the fireplace running, and under the blanket he was using, he was burning up.

"You were cold," Tsuki insisted. "The blanket wasn't enough, so I decided to share."

"Shouldn't we share body heat, so I don't come down with hypothermia?"

"You're not that cold."

"Tsuki..." this time, he turned so that he could face Tsuki. "Why are you down here with me?"

"You were..."

Kuroo stopped him with a finger over his lips. "Why?"

"I didn't mean for you to take me seriously about sleeping on the floor. I'm sorry," he said after taking his hand and removing his finger.

"So you decided to join me?"

"Only fair."

"I guess. But you're on top of the blanket. Aren't you cold?"

"Not really." But the little shiver that shook him proved him a liar.

That's when Kuroo realized they were still holding hands. Sort of. If one considered Tsuki had his fingers still in his hand. Slowly, he turned his hand and then tightened his hold gently. It was something they'd never done before. Well, honestly, everything about today was something they'd never done before. It felt good. It felt right. He really didn't want to let go of Tsuki's hand again.

They laid like that, talking softly about everything and nothing, until Tsuki's eyelids began to droop. He looked entirely too adorable trying to stay awake, but Kuroo knew he needed to sleep. They both did. So, he gently maneuvered a sleepy Tsuki until he was under the covers. He even bundled him up so that any protests about being too close could be avoided. After all that, after he settled back down under a thinner blanket, Kuroo reached for Tsuki's hand again. When Tsuki tightened his grip, just a little, Kuroo's heart fluttered.

Maybe, just maybe, he had a chance after all.

~*~

They made their way downstairs for breakfast a bit later than they intended, after falling asleep again around 6am. A particularly loud clap of thunder had startled them both awake, and Kuroo was forced to admit that he didn't do well during thunderstorms. How uncool. How embarrassing. But, Tsuki just smiled sweetly, handed over his phone, and they played a few games to take his mind off the storm. Once it passed enough to not be so loud, they settled back down to sleep and Tsuki put on his calming music playlist. Kuroo was asleep in minutes, and Tsuki not too long after. Once again holding hands.

"My battery's about dead," he said after the cherub proprietor served up their slices of strawberry pie and whipped cream. "Actually, I think it is dead," he grumbled as he put it on the table. "I was going to check my messages."

"What kind of charger do you need?" the old man asked jovially. "I can see if we have one."

Tsuki told him. "And I think Kuroo needs one, too."

"I'll go look," the little man said. "Is there anything else you want for breakfast?"

Tsuki shook his head and looked at Kuroo, who was looking at his plate, his expression was... not happy.

"Can you bring the chargers up to our room?" he asked suddenly, and gained Kuroo's immediate attention. "Come on," he said, not waiting for the answer, grabbing his phone and Kuroo's hand. "We need to talk."

The proprietor said nothing, but grinned up after them as they disappeared up the stairs.

~*~

"What's wrong?" Tsuki practically demanded the second the door was shut behind them. "You're not acting like you normally do in the morning."

"I'm just tired, is all," Kuroo answered with a shrug. And then he narrowed his eyes at Tsuki. "How do you know how I act in the morning?"

"Nevermind that," Tsuki waved aside the question. "What's wrong? And don't give me the 'just tired,' excuse. It's more than that, and we both know it."

Kuroo glared at him, not willing to reveal his real reason for his mood. He wasn't angry, and looking at Tsuki, he knew it was more concern laced with irritation that had set him off.

"Has your friend texted you back yet?" he asked. Maybe he was being petty, and definitely stalling, but he wasn't ready to confess. Not yet.

"Yamaguchi? No, not since I checked yesterday. Why?"

"I just thought he'd be blowing your phone up worrying about you," he put his hand on his neck and looked away, muttering, "I know I would."

That made him sound jealous, didn't it? Well, maybe he was jealous. In addition to being petty and stalling.

"Why are you asking me about my *best friend*?" he asked Kuroo, trying to draw him out a bit more.

"You're always talking about him, so I thought I'd ask," Kuroo replied.

"Fair. He's my *best friend*. Why wouldn't I talk about him?"

The way Tsuki kept stressing *best friend* should have been a clue for Kuroo, but it wasn't. He was too far into his thoughts, trying to think of a way to confess his feelings, and yet still a little afraid to do it. What if it went wrong? What if all his efforts (admittedly not that much, but surely he'd get credit for something) turned out to be a huge waste of time? What if...?

Kuroo started pacing. Tsuki moved back a little to give him room, but silently watched him circuit their room. He was clearly thinking hard about something, but unable to put it into words. Or, maybe trying to think of the right words to get himself started. Whichever it was, Tsuki patiently waited for him. He didn't expect to hear the soft words Kuroo started saying next.

"I thought that if we spent some time alone, I could convince you that I love you. Since last year, even. But, everytime I thought I found a way into your heart, I was faced with Yamaguchi. He is always with you, even here, and... and I don't know how to ..."

Kuroo immediately stopped, realizing what he'd just said out loud. His face turned red, and he covered his mouth as he turned to look at Tsuki.

"I need to take a walk," he said suddenly, opening the door and practically racing down the stairs before Tsuki could even respond.

Tsuki blinked a few times, and once it all clicked in his head, he raced after Kuroo. "He better not have gone outside," he muttered to himself as his feet barely hit the stairs. Once he hit ground level, he frantically searched the dining room, the parts of the foyer he could see. Eventually his eyes landed on the bemused cherub of a proprietor at his desk, who merely pointed in the direction of the door.

"Kuroo, you dumbass, you'll make yourself sick." But of course, Tsuki wasn't exactly thinking smart right now either, and he dashed out of the tiny onsen and into the rain. Thankfully, it was just a light rain, but still... rain.

It didn't take too long to find him, going uphill instead of down. Figures. Their friends were all at the onsen hotel they'd all started at before the heavy rain hit yesterday. Well, he really had no choice but to follow, uphill be damned. Good thing it wasn't terribly steep. After a few paces, Tsuki called out his name, hoping he'd stop.

~*~

"Kuroo!"

Couldn't he just walk off his embarrassment in peace?

"Kuroo, wait!"

He debated running, but he had a feeling Tsuki would just follow him until they both died. Or got lost. At this point, both were equally bad.

"Kuroo, please!"

It was the 'please' that finally stopped him. He slowly turned around and waited for Tsuki to catch up to him. Once Tsuki did, he had to catch him before he fell over, panting hard with the climb. It wasn't that steep, but obviously it was if one ran up. Which Tsuki had done.

"Whoa! I got ya," he said, holding Tsuki as he fought to regain his breath, and get his feet under him. Kuroo was trying not to fly off into the clouds, being this close to Tsuki. "You okay?"

"Of course, I'm not, you dolt! I had to run after you! In the rain!" he panted between words.

"You forgot 'uphill,' and 'both ways,'" Kuroo quipped as Tsuki straightened up and glared at him. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Why did you..."

"I love you, too," Tsuki blurted. "Since summer camp last year."

Brain.exe stopped working. Network Error. Reboot suggested.

"Say something, Kuroo. I just confessed, and you're bluescreening."

Blinking rapidly, he shook himself out of his shock. "But... Yamaguchi..."

"He's my best friend. Has been since grade school."

"And you have a crush on him!" He didn't mean to shout it, but there it was.

"No, I don't!" Tsuki yelled back. But then, he took a deep breath and said more calmly, "whatever gave you that idea?"

"He's always with you, and when he's not, you're always talking about him."

"A familiar face among a crowd of new faces, of course we're going to stick together like velcro. He's been my closest, and only, friend for years, so of course most of what I say will involve him, too."

"So, why did it seem like you..."

"It was a defense mechanism. We came up with it years ago, and I guess we just fell back on it when I needed to." At Kuroo's confused expression he explained further. "Not everyone knows my... preferences... only those I care about, so we made it look like I had the biggest crush on him to deflect others away."

"But... at summer camp..."

"I guess maybe it was a combination of both, even if we didn't realize what we were doing. It was Kenma who figured out my feelings for you, and he's the one that suggested we keep up the act."

"And Yamaguchi came to me telling me about your crush, and how he didn't feel the same way..."

"Kenma's suggestion."

"I showed him the website for the tiny onsen, and he... so this was all his idea?"

"Looks like it."

"That little... I'm gonna..."

Tsuki laughed, and Kuroo scowled at him. "Stop laughing."

"No. It's too funny."

The more Tsuki laughed, the less Kuroo scowled, until he was smiling fondly at the blonde. His blonde, if he dared enough to hope.

"You love me?" he finally asked, watching Tsuki's face as it faded from laughter to something gentle.

"Yeah. I love you." Then he took a step closer. And then another, and another until they were mere inches apart. "You love me?"

Kuroo nodded. "Yeah. Longer than you, apparently."

"Really? Since when?"

"That day when our two teams met for the first time."

"A million moons ago."

"Smartass."

"Have you met me?"

"Not at all."

Tsuki grinned, and bit his lip. Kuroo's eyes followed the movement, and he must've had a hungry look in his eyes, because Tsuki giggled. Actually giggled.

"Kiss me, Kuroo," he demanded in a whisper.

"You first."

"What? I confessed first. You should kiss me."

"You? I confessed first. Pucker up, sweetie."

They both giggled a little, and Kuroo wrapped his arms around Tsuki's waist., pulling him against his body. Tsuki's hands hesitantly touched the skin at Kuroo's neck, and both hissed at the contact. Still, Tsuki's fingers were like magic, carefully caressing the nape of his neck, and sifting up through the hair at the back of his head.

Slowly, almost reverently, they came together, starting with a chaste kiss, gentle and cautious. It took a few moments to get used to the feel of being this close, but eventually, the kiss grew with intensity. Mouths opened, tongues tangled and explored. Little moans came from both of them. And somehow, they managed to keep their wits about them and not start ripping clothes off right there... in the middle of, well, wherever they were.

It was only the steady increase of falling sky water that broke them out of their kissing haze. They rested their foreheads together, struggling to catch their breath, and somehow managing a smile.

"Come on. Let's get back before this gets worse," Kuroo suggested.

"And get warmed up so we don't catch colds."

"Brilliant idea. Let's do that."

"You're incorrigible."

"Only with you."

"Just my luck."

"Just our luck."

"If you say so."

They bantered back and forth the whole way back to their little tiny onsen, and were welcomed back by the proprietor, who was grinning like the happiest little buddha ever seen.

//end