"Kageyamaaa! I sprained my ankle!" Hosho Reiko, full-time professional detective and the most prominent and wealthy heiress in Japan, pouted, wincing and rubbing her foot. "...mou..."

At that moment, her useless butler, Kageyama, was walking (note: not rushing to her side!) back to where she was sitting in the sand trying to regain a sense of grace whilst wearing only one shoe.

"Kageyama!" She called again, although he was already kneeling down to inspect her foot. It was obviously beginning to swell, and she knew it was at least mildly serious when he didn't immediately chide her and set her on her feet. But how would they get back to the hotel? She put a finger to her chin in thought. She eyed her butler. He was just placing her foot carefully back on the sand.

"Kageyama… carry me."

His eyes widened behind his glasses for a moment, but he didn't jostle her at all and immediately faced her with a wearied expression.

"Ojou-sama…"

What? He thought he could get off easy just because he'd helped her solve a case? Not after vacationing on the company dime all last week!

She is acting all insistent. He sighed, straightened his coat with exaggerated dignity, and crouched down with his hands behind him for her to climb on.

Reiko paused. This is not what she had been envisioning. Piggy-back? Surely there was a better way! She was wearing a dress! Just…

"Ojou-sama, is there something wrong?" Kageyama was beginning to stand back up.

Oh, fine.

"Of course not. We've done good work today." She retorted. Yes. The case was solved. That was something satisfying to distract her from this indignity. There was no way she was going to say out loud that she would have preferred to be carried like a princess.

About ten minutes back down the beach Kageyama pointed out that wearing heels on the beach was an unwise decision.

"Milady, perhaps attempting to walk so far in high-heels in dry sand was an unwise decision."

Reiko wrinkled her nose in annoyance and tried to huff at him, but found it difficult when facing the back of his head.

"Mou! If you hadn't suggested we 'release our souls' and allowed your lady to walk until sundown it wouldn't be a problem!" Hmph. Hair got in her face and she couldn't get it out
without letting go of Kageyama's shoulders.

She tries to blow her bangs out of her eyes. This is not what she had in mind when she "sprained" her ankle earlier. Useless butler.

They headed up toward the road. Her head narrowly missed a low palm frond and she wondered how well her butler was paying attention. She already was feeling the beginnings of a headache from the long day. No need to get whacked in the head on top of it...

It was getting dark out.

"Ne, Kageyama, I'm tired."

Kageyama's voice betrayed a slightly put-upon attitude as he answered.

"We'll have reached the road soon, Ojou-sama. I've already called a cab to meet us and take us back to the hotel."

Reiko yawned, shifting to put her arms all the way around his neck. For comfort, of course.
"Good."

Kageyama stumbled a little on the incline up to the paved road and she made a small sound of protest, but her position remained secure. In fact, she was feeling kind of sleepy. And she couldn't see a cab anywhere as the road came into sight. He'd better not think of setting her down on that pavement. Her eyes narrowed at the thought.

"We've arrived, Ojou-sama." His weight shifted like he was going to set her down.

Oh no he's not!

"Keep walking until the car arrives, Kageyama."

He stopped abruptly and his head turned like he was trying to look at her. Certainly giving her one of those entirely-too-condescending expressions. For a second she even thought he might drop her. But then, with a sigh she could feel through his back, he clicked his tongue slightly and headed down the road in the direction of the hotel.

The sleepiness was setting in and she propped her head on top of his, closing her eyes and hoping the cabbie wouldn't miss them on the side of the road as it grew dark.

"Ojou-sama."

Reiko's eyes fluttered open and she found herself curled against the driver's side door of a cab. Kageyama was looking at her but seemed to be trusting in his status as verbal human alarm clock to wake her.

"Mne?" She garbled.

"We've reached the hotel. Do you think you can stand well enough to exit the cab?"

The fuzziness left Reiko's head immediately. Can't exit a taxi cab? What was she, an invalid?

"Of course I can!" She sniffed, and scooted across the seat to exit after him as he stood. His mouth dropped like he was about to say something and then thought better of it. Which happened quite a lot so she didn't give it any thought.

Kageyama bid the cabbie (who was taking in entirely too much a view of Milady's backside) a good night, and they headed for the lobby.

"I am relieved to see that Milady's ankle has recovered with a brief rest."

Reiko's eyes momentarily widened. Oh! Her ankle! ...well…

"They train official police detectives to handle some pain with the job, of course." There. Perfect. Confidence restored.

"Of course."

Kageyama was smirking. She didn't like it. He held the door for her as they walked into the hotel. A man in the hotel's uniform rushed to meet them.

"We're terribly sorry, please forgive us, but the elevators are not working. Here is a ticket for a complimentary drink at the bar if you would like to wait for the repairman - he says it won't take long."

Kageyama took the ticket and thanked him, turning to face her with a questioning expression. Reiko straightened, lifted her chin, and said.

"I've had enough to drink lately, don't you think, Kageyama?"

"Ojou-sama?" He raised his eyebrows.

"In fact, I am feeling quite sleepy again. Yes, just as I thought, your lady must go directly to bed. Kageyama… carry me up the stairs."

Okay. So she wasn't imagining the click of annoyance earlier. His eyes narrowed and she was thinking that were he a stranger she might have suspected murderous intent. She felt a flicker of hesitation.

...and then it vanished.

No. She was Hosho Reiko and she gets what she wants. So there!

The hotel employee was coming back.

"Is everything alright?"

Abruptly, Kageyama's unblinking glare transformed into a smirk of mischief. Uh-oh.

"Certainly. But it seems the lady is tired. So…" In two steps he closed the distance to Reiko and scooped her up in a princess hold. "...I'll be taking my fiancée to her room. Good evening."

"Oy!" She yelped in sudden outrage.

WHY couldn't he do things the way he was supposed to?

They were halfway up the main staircase before she realized that she hadn't actually said a single word of protest yet and…

Hmmm. This was much more comfortable than riding piggy-back. And she was truly tired…

Scolding Kageyama could wait. She snuggled in and hoped he didn't drop her on the way up to the 3rd floor.

THE END.

CHECK CHECK.
BLING BLING.
DananaNAnanana DananaNAnanana
Oh! gimme gimme gimme
Hottie Sho tonight… *cue sirens*

...and for all of you who were feeling scandalized, I'm sure he just took her and dropped her off at her own room before retiring to his own quarters for the night. :)

And for those who wish to think otherwise... draw your own conclusions. ;)