Summary: Yogi and Nai take a bath together, and Gareki walks in on them. Pure, innocent fluff, I promise.

Rating: G

Words: 979

Writer's Note: My first Karneval fic!

The last time Yogi had merely suggested they take a bath, Nai had collapsed and they had to call in old Gramps. So rather than say the word 'bath,' Yogi decided to make a game out of it.

"Let's play hide and seek, just the two of us, Little Nai!" Yogi grinned as he squeezed Nai's shoulder. "I'll make it easy for you to find me. Just listen for the sound of running water, okay?"

The white-haired boy smiled and nodded his agreement. He flopped on the bed and buried his face in the pillow, then started to count.

"One, two, three…" I'm so glad Tsukumo taught me to count, Nai thought.

Yogi tiptoed into the bathroom and turned the tap on full blast, adjusting the water temperature to 'just right.'

"Four, five, six…" Nai kicked his legs against the mattress, so excited was he to jump up and start searching for his new friend.

Yogi poured in some bubble bath, and agitated the water to make lots and lots of bubbly goodness.

"Seven, eight, nine…" I can hear the water running…this will be easy.

Back in the bathroom, the blond stripped off his clothes and tossed them into the laundry chute.

"Ten! Ready or not here I come!" Nai jumped off the bed and headed for the sound of water running, while Yogi quickly climbed into the tub and sunk into the bath water.

"Ah! That's sooo nice…." Yogi leaned back and slunk down as far as he could.

The door creaked and Nai poked his head in the door.

"Found you!" he said, pointing at the mop of tousled blond hair sticking up over the edge of the tub.

"That was quick…" said Yogi, grinning and sitting up. "Join me? The water's warm."

Nai looked at the bubbles with interest.

"Is that snow?" he asked, slowly tugging off his suspenders.

"No, it's bubbles. They're made from soap." Yogi looked at the boy with curiosity, but wasn't really all that surprised at his question. Nai was always saying naïve things like that.

Since the water level was half way up the tub now, Yogi turned off the tap.

Nai took off the rest of his clothes and stepped into the water, then sat down on the opposite end from the blond. His eyes grew wide and shimmered.

"So soft!" he said, scooping up a handful of bubbles and holding them up close to his eyes. "And they sparkle, too!"

"Bubble baths make me happy…" Yogi grinned. "And being with you makes me happy, too."

"The water's so warm…" Nai leaned back and stretched his legs a bit, then felt his foot touch Yogi's leg. "You're warm."

"Do you want me to wash your back, Little Nai?"

"Okay." Nai looked up with anticipation.

"Turn around then."

Nai curled up, turned around and exposed his back, then felt the soft suds against his skin. Yogi caressed each spot with a fuzzy scrubber, wondering what it would be like if Nai had niji fur on his body instead of skin.

The door creaked again. The two looked up and saw Gareki standing at the door, his eyes widened for a brief second.

"Oh…sorry." Gareki fled the doorway, and rushed over to the window. His face flushed, he stared out at the sky and bit into his knuckle. What were they doing together?

He heard Yogi's voice calling his name and ignored it.

"Come back, Gareki! Take a bath with us?" The voice was louder now. Right there in the room. Gareki spun around and saw Yogi standing there, dripping wet, with a towel wrapped around him, his face so open and radiant it made Gareki feel even more uncomfortable. "The water's warm!" Yogi announced. "And there's bubbles! But…" he looked suddenly a bit sad. "If you want to only be with Nai, that's okay. I can just sit out for now."

Gareki tried to think of a suitable reply, but no words could convey the muddled feelings in his heart. Then he heard Nai's voice.

"Gareki…"

The black-haired youth turned toward the sound of the voice.

"That's right…go take a bath with Nai…" Yogi encouraged, drying behind his ears.

Gareki wandered into the bathroom and looked at Nai's big eyes and smile. Suddenly his eyes played tricks on him – in front of him was a little niji with perky ears.

"I-I think I'll sit this one out," Gareki stammered.

Nai looked confused for a moment, then recovered, thinking of Tsukitachi's words.

"Whatever Gareki desires!" the white-haired boy said, grinning.

He has a weird way of putting things, Gareki thought to himself. What do I 'desire'? What does that even mean?

Yogi was in the other room changing into pajamas. Part of him sensed that Gareki wanted some space, but he just couldn't hold back his enthusiasm.

"Gareki!" Yogi exclaimed, tugging his shirt over his head as he stepped back into the bathroom. "Is the water still warm, or do you need me to -" He stopped short when he noticed Gareki just standing there. "You poor thing! You're so overwhelmed by the sight of the bubbles, you can't even move! Here let me help you get your shirt off…"

"No!" Gareki shouted, tossing Yogi's arm off.

Yogi frowned.

"Well, you could just hop in the water with your clothes on…if shyness is stopping you…" the blond man suggested.

"Yes!" said Nai, pulling on Gareki's arm. "Come in with your clothes on!"

Gareki tried to resist, but lost his footing on the slippery floor, and a moment later found himself in the tub, fully clothed, his head and shoulders against Nai's chest. The boy put his arms around him and held him close.

"Doesn't that feel nice?" Nai said, smiling warmly.

"It does," Gareki murmured, allowing himself to relax into Nai's arms while the warm water soaked into his clothes. It does.

END