//------------------------------//
// Chapter the Second 
// Story: Dazzled Brushes 
// by lilflamewars 
//------------------------------//

It's been three days since Aria feel asleep on you.
Three whole days and no one has mentioned it. Not even for some good natured ribbing. Which is really strange in this household. When the girls first invaded your home, you noticed that they tended to trade insults and jibes freely amongst each other. But they always watched their words around you, or even when they thought you might hear. Always trying to stay polite, like the slightest misstep would have dire consequences. You originally thought they might actually be that callous and dismissive, while not wanting to risk being kicked out. But watching them it quickly became apparent that it wasn't genuine malice, but rather the total ease of a long, stable relationship. You've never been able to figure out just how old they are, but you get the feeling these girls have been together for a looooong time. Realising that them being uncertain about where you stood with them was the root of the issue, you had made a bigger effort to integrate with the girls. Once you started joining in the the verbal sparring things relaxed a whole lot. And none of the girls has even tried to take a dig over the living pillow incident.
Which makes no sense! In the world of verbal jousting, new material must be constantly supplied to support the classic fallbacks. WHY has such a prime incident been left untouched? It's unsettlingly out of character and disappointing too. How are you supposed to use all these great comebacks if they don't bring it up? You'll just have to hope you remember them. You put a lot (very little) of effort into these burns, it'd be a shame for them to go unused. Still there's nothing you can do about it.
Might as well get on with the very important business of bumming around the house. Being that Aria is the only one with a full time position the rest of you have been varying degrees of unproductive today. Adagio has been doing something on the back porch. Judging by the hardware she brought home yesterday, you figure she's been hanging up that hammock she's had lying around for ages. Ye gods you hope those noises have been from hanging a hammock up. You're slightly afraid of getting confirmation either way. You don't know where Sonata has been. Scratch that, apart from a note saying she'd be back late you have no idea where she is now. She does this sometimes. Leaves a note and disappear for most of a day, only to appear dishevelled and tired around dinner time. Actually scratch the scratching, here she is now. There are twigs in her hair. You're not going to ask.
You are. Not. Going. To. ASK.
In this household we do not ask Sonata where she has been and what she did. That way madness lies. She walks past with a wave that you return with a smile. There is a whole, thick branch in her ponytail. It looks for all the world like a freeze frame of a giant blue squid battling a drab brown whale. You open your mouth...
NO ANON! DON'T DO IT! IT'S NOT WORTH IT!
Your mouth shuts with a click. That was too close. The front door is opened again. Leaning over the edge of the couch, (because who stands up? Certainly not you.) you catch a glimpse of purple hair in the hallways. Aria's gotten home early.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"How was work?"
"Slow day. Boss let me off early. Said it was thanks for busting my ass last week."
Ah, that's good. You were worried there for a moment. With a shrug Aria heads off to claim the shower. Normally you'd have something prepared but with Aria home so early you haven't even started. Luckily dinner tonight is just leftovers from yesterday. Settling back down with your book you end up so engrossed that you miss the end of Aria's shower and her subsequent exploration of the refrigerator. What you don't manage miss is her sitting down next to you as she puts a gently steaming plate on the coffee table. She then proffers you her hairbrush. You stare dumbly at the tool for a short eternity, then glance up at her face. When you meet her gaze you /think/ she flushes a little before looking away.
"Just tell me if you don't want to."
Oh, right. You're kind of an idiot sometimes.
"Right, right, sorry."
You take the brush and get to work. It's pretty gratifying that she wants you to do it again and you can help but smile as you gently brush. Just like last time Aria has finished eating before you're done with her hair.
"All done."
She gently shifts her hair over her right shoulder before sitting back against the couch and leans left till her shoulder if resting on yours.
"Thanks. Anything interesting happened?"
"Dagi has, I think, hope, hung up that hammock of hers and Sonata did her disappearing thing. Came home just before you with a branch in her hair. Like an actual branch, thick as her arm, just jammed through her ponytail like it's supposed to be there."
You can feel Aria giggling silently next to you. After the giggles have stopped she wiggles on the couch for a moment. Then shifts herself so that her legs are resting against yours as well as the shoulder contact. You can feel her warmth through her, YOUR, bathrobe. It's nice, comfortable. Warm. You figure you'll stay that way for a while. But then you hear the shower stop, followed by the fan. A minute later Sonata appears in her pajamas, hair wood free but messy. Looking oddly apprehensive, she holds out a hairbrush.
"Anon, would you brush my hair too?"