Title: Overprotection and Arguments
Fandom: Magic Knight Rayearth
Rating: G
Length: 360 words
Content notes: None
Author notes: This is isn’t as finished as I would like, but it works as a complete piece, so I’m going to post it now.
Summary: Lantis has been being overprotective. Hikaru isn’t happy about that.

When Lantis returned to the castle after a week spent on a highly successful monster hunt, he wasn’t sure why people kept giving him looks that were sympathetic, sorrowful, or both, and he didn’t want to ask someone he didn’t know well. His confusion didn’t get cleared up until he encountered Umi near the residential area containing the rooms he shared with Hikaru and Eagle.

“It was nice knowing you,” Umi said, the look on her face almost amused.

“What are you talking about?” Umi, at least, he was comfortable asking.

“You really don’t know?”

“No. Does it have anything to do with the reason people have been giving me sympathetic or sorrowful looks since I returned?”

“It has everything to do with that.”

“Then what’s the reason?”

Umi smirked at him. “Do you honestly not remember what you and Hikaru were…discussing…before you left on the monster hunt?”

Oh. Shit. Lantis felt the blood drain from his face. He and Hikaru had been arguing over letting her come with him on the monster hunt. He hadn’t wanted to, since she was ten weeks pregnant—eleven weeks, now—but she had been most insistent that she was still capable of coming along. Finally, he had just arranged for the expedition to leave an hour or two before dawn in order to leave her behind.

“So…” he said, “…I’m guessing she wasn’t happy about being left behind…?”

“Bingo!” Umi said, pointing her forefingers at him. “You got it! She’s been pissed for the past week. The rest of us have simply been trying to stay out of her way. Including Eagle.”

Knowing Hikaru’s temper—it was truly appropriate to a fire mage—Lantis was very concerned to hear that even Eagle had been trying to stay out of her way. “Is there any chance that I’ll still be in one piece once she’s through with me?”

“Do you mean literally or figuratively?” Umi asked.

“Both.”

“Literally, yes. Figuratively, it’s highly unlikely.”

“Thanks,” Lantis said. “For the warning.” Then he resumed his progress towards their rooms, his pace now a slow trudge. So much for the happy reunion he had been hoping for.