Disclaimers: Not mine, they belong to Faust-sama. ;_; If you don't like shoujo-ai, don't read this. You really won't hurt my feelings. :]

Author's Note: I might try to write a longer story about them at some point, but this is what I have written for now.

***

Damnit!

Panther really hated that it was this hard to try to compose a poem for Faust. She glared at the pile of crumpled sheets growing into a tiny mountain on the couch. She sighed and hit the table in front of her with her fist. It was always like this when she tried to do something to express any of her feelings to Faust. If the poem were for or about anyone else, it would have been a thousand times easier.

And what was the point anyway? The man obviously didn't care. He had Tiger. Well, that was fine, just fine. But what did that leave Panther and Luchs with?

She scowled.

Look on the bright side, Panther, at least you have a pile of paper.

She growled and threw her latest mutilated attempt at the couch.

"Now Panther, you can't just leave all this here."

She looked up and sighed. Part of her was glad Luchs had shown up before she broke the table or something. Another part of her rather wished she hadn't. Luchs wasn't going to be very understanding when Panther tried to drink all the sake within reach.

"I'll clean it up."

"When?"

"When I get to it. The hell's it matter anyway?"

"I was just asking," the blue-haired marionette said with a small smile.

Panther sighed again and wondered how Luchs managed to see anything at all with all those bangs obscuring her vision.

"What are you all stressed out about anyway?"

Luchs sat down brushing the crumpled papers to one side and thankfully, not reading a single one of them. The last thing Panther needed was to be laughed at.

"Poetry."

"You sound so gloomy."

"Because I suck at it."

Panther began to pout. Maybe she should just give up on the poetry and go get some sake.

"I'm sure that's not true."

"Nah." Panther had made it a personal goal of her's not to let Tiger or Luchs see her poetry. Or anyone else for that matter.

"Well, let me see one of them."

Panther shook her head.

"Mou, Panther...why not?"

Now Luchs was pouting too. Panther wondered just how Luchs always managed to make her pouting look so sexy.  She was fairly positive that her own pouting made her look like an idiot.

"Fine."

There were billions of reasons not to, but....who else was she going to ever show them to? She shrugged off the pout and feigned indiffrence as she handed over her poems. Luchs beamed, eyes glinting as she tried to take the journal from Panther's hands.

There was a pause.

"You have to let go of it so I can read it, silly."

"Oh," Panther flushed and let go of the book rather hesitantly. "Sorry."

 Remember to breathe, Panther...remember to breathe...

Luchs read the poems, her mouth frowning thoughtfully. Her eyes were once again covered by her hair. Panther sighed and collapsed onto the floor.

Oh look, ceiling tiles. I can count them while I wait....

"There are really good."

Huh? Panther blinked and opened her eyes.

"Y-you think they're good?"

Luchs chuckled. "You could have asked to use the couch, Panther."

"Wasn't sleeping..."

"If you say so."

Panther sighed and got up. She brushed the papers off the couch and sat down next to Luchs.

"You really liked them?"

"Yes. Some of these are really amazing."

"You don't sound very surprised."

"And why should I be?" Luchs said smiling in her direction. "Occassionaly, you have a wonderful way with words."

Luchs emphasized "you" by touching Panther's nose. Panther blushed.

"Wow...thanks."

Luchs chuckled and pulled the blonde marionette into a hug. "No thank you."

Panther reluctantly returning the hug. She couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged her. It must have been either Luchs or Tiger. Faust being such a dick most of the time...and he never had been that touchy feely to begin with. She grinned trying to imagine an overly sensitive Faust. She felt rather bereft when Luchs finally ended the hug. They remained close in proximity however.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"For sharing them."

Panther shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal."

"I had to pry your fingers off of the book to even get to take a peek at them."

"That's your interpretation of what happened."

Luchs chuckled affectionately before looking serious again.

"Ne, Panther?"

"What?"

"How come you don't write poems about Faust?"

Panther frowned. "I don't really know....I guess...Well, what is there to say really?"

Luchs nodded sadly. Panther knew this wasn't just about poetry. What was there to say about Faust really for either one of them? Sure, they loved him, but....did that mean they could never enjoy anything else? That couldn't be the case.

Panther loved Tiger and Luchs equally if not more than Faust. How could she not? The two of them were her only family. Faust was just the missing piece of that family. She would give up her life readily for any of them. And in the end, Panther wanted to be happy, moreover, she wanted to love someone who would be able to love her.

 "You haven't written any about Tiger either."

Panther nodded.

"Or me."

Panther smirked.

Luchs' eyes glinted again. "Oh ho! You have written one about me."

"I might have written several for all you know."

"Oh, how sweet. You're in love with me," Luchs said batting her eyes.

"O-oi!"

"Well, that's what you're implying, ne?"

"I didn't imply, deny, or confirm that I harbored any feelings for you," Panther said crossing her arms and fixing Luchs with a irritated glare.

"How poetic...and romantic."

"Hello, Luchs!.....Are you listening to me? I said that--"

She was cut off by Luchs' lips.

Well, if she was going to be kissed and was enjoying it, she imagined returning the favor wouldn't be the worst course of action to take.

Luchs smiled and pulled back. "You're the poet, Panther. Surely you know that what we don't say as just as important as what we reveal."

"Heh." Panther pulled Luchs closer to her and reached up to smooth out her bangs. Ah, much better. Now she could actually see Luchs' face.

"So...how much do you plan on revealing?"

It was Luchs turn to look embarrassed. "Pervert."

Panther couldn't help grinning even more. "You know you love it."

"I never said I wrote poetry about you."

"You didn't need to."

Luchs pouted, caught in the tangles of her own words. She smiled realized that wasn't all she was caught in. Not that she objected to being trapped in Panther's arms.  "You really are evil, aren't you?"

Panther answered her with another kiss.

***