Kurogane looked to the side, from where he'd been reading one of his manga in front of the crackling fire, hearing the soft patter of footsteps approaching him. He knew who it was, by the familiar aura that accompanied the steps.

"Hey, Kuro-sama," Fai spoke softly, walking by and letting a hand brush through his husband's hair, once ebony black but now almost entirely grey. Kurogane shifted a wrinkled hand and rested it over Fai's, a low grunt in response.

"How are you feeling?" Fai asked, kneeling down in front of Kurogane, wearing a fuurisode woven by his late master (Kurogane never thought he'd outlive his Tomoyo) with a bamboo theme this time, having never been shy in announcing to the whole court who he bedded with (once he found out just what the fuurisode meant, Tomoyo having initially left that detail out the first time she dressed him in one).

"Fine," Kurogane said dismissively.

"Kuro…" Fai said knowing better than to just take a dismissive fine.

"Well, about as fine as I usually am," he amended, closing his manga.

"Is your shoulder bothering you?"

"Not really; was earlier after I took a training blade to it," Kurogane said a little more honestly.

Fai leaned in closer, smelling him, noting the scent of liquor clung to his clothes and breath today, "… you've been drinking again, haven't you?" Fai chided.

"It was the recruits idea, to thank their teachers while you were talking politics with her Royal pain in the ass, so they took me drinking earlier; has nothing to do with trying to drink pain away," Kurogane said to assuage those concerns that that was his primary purpose of having had strong alcohol that day. Because he had done that - a lot - in the past and was doing his best not to get into that habit again. "Stopped after two bottles."

"Really?" Fai asked.

"Yeah," Kurogane nodded before letting his hand fall as he moved to stand up, a task that was getting harder with every passing month, as metal and bones creaked in the room - the dull all over ache that never faded entirely, old wounds acting up where nerves were still not severed or destroyed. Fai wrapped an arm around his back and helped support Kurogane onto his feet.

"There we go," chirped Fai as he kept that support on Kurogane. "Let's get you to bed. It's been a long day, hasn't it?"

"I'm old not invalid, you useless magician," Kurogane complained at the treatment, and Fai just smiled, "You're not acting very ninja-like, Kuro-sama."

"Feh," Kurogane brushed the comment to the side as he began walking around the castle, doing his own patrol and Fai accompanying him until he was satisfied, taking a moment afterwards to wash their faces before heading to their bedroom. The one he and Fai shared many nights during their time at the castle.

Fai only left Kurogane's immediate side to adjust the sheets, as Kurogane changed out of his day clothes before going down to the futon's level, and climbing under the covers, before looking at Fai expectantly, waiting for him to join him. Fai slowly undressed, mostly just to tease the ninja, before climbing under and worming his way onto Kurogane, to take advantage of his warm embrace. He didn't even need a heat charm to keep warm.

Kurogane wrapped an arm around Fai's torso as he closed his eyes, letting his breathing relax.

"Kuro?" Fai asked.

"I'm trying to sleep, mage," Kurogane sighed.

He felt the relieved sigh escape, and looked down to where fair hair covered Fai's face from him, and he moved a hand to embrace the side of Fai's face.

"I ain't dead yet," he said, his thumb caressing Fai's cheek.

Fai smiled a bit sadly at that, as he tried keeping any tears at bay, "Even so, I'm still afraid for the day you close your eyes and you don't wake up again, Kuro-puu."

Kurogane's expression softened, even as he spoke seriously, "I know. I'll die eventually, but I ain't going down without a fight."

Fai chuckled half heartedly at that, "my, Kuro-sama…you'd challenge even Death itself to a fight…"

"Of course .. I won't have any regrets … well, maybe one…"

"Only one? Impressive," Fai fake whistled.

"Yeah. When I'm dead, I won't be around to kick your ass when you do something stupid." Kurogane said in slight jest while also somewhat serious. He didn't like the idea of leaving Fai alone.

Technically he could always go visit the clone's kids and great grandkids of the clones, but just about everyone he really knew wouldn't be around anymore and the people that cared most about him, there was no guarantee if he traveled worlds to go visit them once again, because of the time differences, the clone's kids might not even be around anymore. Which would mean, of the people left, that there would be the people he was vaguely acquainted with and then people like Watanuki, who still watched over the Witch's Shop. And the white and black Mokonas. He couldn't think of anyone else.

Fai was caught a little off-guard by Kurogane's comment and his chest heaved with silent laughter, "What are you gonna do? Haunt me from beyond the grave?"

"I'm stubborn enough to - kinda like that princess from the castle town, hanging around to watch over the children," Kurogane stated. "Either that, or I'll just have to try and be reborn in time to find you again in your lifetime."

Fai rubbed his face into Kurogane's hand, brushing away the forming tears in his one eye. "If you're watching from the grave, I'll have to bug you, yknow."

"Yeah; I know," Kurogane said, leaning his forehead against Fai's. "Even if you can't see me, you'd still have to tease me for the fun of it."

"I would," Fai confirmed. He'd do more than that, but teasing Kurogane was something that never grew old.

It was relatively quiet in the room, as neither spoke for several minutes. And if it weren't for the steady beat of Kurogane's heart, beating at its usual awake and relaxed pace, Fai might have thought Kurogane had succeeded in falling asleep. "hey," Kurogane said after a long while.

"Mm?" Fai implored, half asleep.

"When I die, keep Ginryuu."

Authour's notes: After reading this, I will definitely recommend this as a follow up story: Old Skin by rid1a from Tumblr, specifically /post/75018474272/title-old-skin-fandom-tsubasa-reservoir (FF won't let me do a proper hyperlink apparently so this is the best I can do)

It's obviously someone else's work and no I didn't initially write this as some sort of prequel to their story, but they sorta can go together.