Summary: Fay hasn't come down for breakfast yet. Syaoran, Sakura and Mokona are worried. Kurogane doesn't give a damn. But at their pleading the Nihon ninja goes to check on the happy-go-lucky mage... Inspired when I felt like I was gonna vomit earlier yesterday.

Rating: K+ for some mild language on Kuro-tan's part. Oh, and merely Fay-Kurogane friendship. ((smiles)) Oh, and there will be some OOCness on the ninja's part. My bad peeps!! XD ((laughs again)) Anyway, I hope you enjoy!!

In Sickness and in Health

Fay hadn't come down for breakfast, which was highly unusual considering he was usually the first up so that he could cook the rest of the group a delicious breakfast.

Syaoran, Sakura, Kurogane, Fay and Mokona had landed in the city of Outo about three or four days ago, and they were still getting kind of used to their new jobs: Fay, Sakura, and Mokona running the cafe' Cat's Eye, and Kurogane and Syaoran as oni hunters.

They had hunted last night and gotten quite a bounty, and Syaoran had been looking forward to a hot meal. Kurogane - although unbeknownst to anyone - liked Fay's meals and was secretly wishing for something good. But when he got up from his bed and got out of his room (he actually had a room to himself for once), and headed downstairs, he saw that Fay D. Flourite was nowhere to be found.

"Where's the idiot mage?" He asked the kids.

"I don't know; he hasn't come down yet from his room . . . do you think he's all right?" Sakura asked, her green eyes shimmering in fear for her comrade.

"He's probably awake and just teasing us." Kurogane grumbled under his breath.

"Kuro-chii! Kuro-chii! Go find Fay and make sure he's OK! Kuro-daddy has to make sure Fay-mommy is well!" the white manjuu bun exclaimed.

Kurogane's face burst in rage as he made a grab for the manjuu, only to have it perch on Syaoran's shoulder, hopping from foot to foot in glee, chattering out names for Kurogane.

"Can you check on Fay-san, please, Kurogane-san?" Sakura pleaded, folding her hands in front of her, and widening her emerald eyes to a size that made Kurogane wonder if they would pop out of her head.

"What?! Why do I have to check up on that idiot mage?! He'll come down when he wants to come down!"

"Please, Kurogane-san?" She pleaded again.

Kurogane heaved a sigh of ultimate suffering and trudged up the stairs, grumbling under his breath the entire way. He stopped outside the mage's door and pressed his ear against it to see if he could hear the sound of the mage breathing. Not that would be able too . . . he slept with his damn head in the damn pillows all the damn time! He was about to pull away and open the door when he heard a rattling sound. Kind of like trying to breathe but not being able to, but forcing yourself.

"The hell. . . .?" the Nihon ninja asked quietly, turning the knob and opening the door.

The mage was lying on his bed, spread-eagled, his mouth slightly open and sweat on his face. His cheeks were mottled with color and his chest rose and fell rather quickly.

"No way. . . . No way in hell. Oi, mage. Get up," He stalked over to the lithe male and put his hand on Fay's forehead. The mage shuddered and moaned gently, turning his face away from the ninja. He took a hold of the mage's shoulder and shook him. "Mage, get the hell up!"

Said mage groaned again and opened slightly glazed pale-blue eyes. "Ne . . . Kuro-tan? Is it time for breakfast?"

"Way past time for that, idiot mage," the ninja grumbled, folding his arms over his chest, glad that he had managed to wake the other up. "You're burning up with a fever. When did this happen?!"

"If I'm burning up, Kuro-pyon, then you shouldn't you have just let me sleep?" Fay tried to summon his signature mask-smile, but he failed miserably, and it wasn't helped with the fact that Kurogane sighed loudly.

"For the love of God, mage, stop with those phony smiles; it's so easy to see through them. Well . . . the brat and the princess and manjuu bun can't, but I sure can,"

Fay didn't correct Kurogane. In fact, Mokona did realize that Fay's smiles were fake. He just chose not to speak. Kurogane rubbed the back of his head and left the room. Fay felt his eyes drift shut as he let the mask fall completely. He didn't like feeling this vulnerable; it made him feel incredibly weak. Like a newborn babe. He tried to sit, but his shaky arms wouldn't support him and he fell back, the little exertion taking its toll as he panted. He was about to drift back off into the darkness when he felt a cool cloth go over his brow and his eyes opened yet again.

"Kuro-. . .puu?" he questioned, not used to the ninja acting like this.

"Yea, yea, shut up, mage. You're the only good cook here and besides, Sakura needs someone here to protect her when the kid and I leave for hunting."

Fay smiled and Kurogane thought he detected a slightly real smile. "Aww, Kuro-chii was worried about me!"

The ninja scoffed. "Just shut up and get better; I won't repeat why we need you. Well, why they need you. I honestly don't care; you're just a coward who runs away from his own problems."

Fay sighed in a dejected way.

"Aww . . . Kuro-pii doesn't love me!" Fay cried. Kurogane made a fist and looked like he was about to pop the magician one, but he refrained from doing so and moved back downstairs, leaving the mage to lay there with the cloth on his head as he drifted off into a less-than pleasant slumber.

Later that night, after the kids had gone to bed along with the manjuu bun, Kurogane finally went upstairs to his own room which was right across from the magician's. He stopped outside Fay's door and listened. His red eyes narrowed slightly as he heard rustling. Was the mage up and about already? No . . . that fever had been pretty high. High enough at any rate that Fay wouldn't be able to get up and move for awhile. Heaving a sigh, Kurogane pushed the door open to reveal Fay D. Flourite thrashing around on his bed, the cloth all but on the floor as his arms flailed around.

"Whoa there!" Kurogane exclaimed, rushing in and pinning the mage's arms down to his sides. Fay still didn't wake from the contact, merely shuddered. His lips formed words and Kurogane leaned in to see if he could make them out.

"A-Ashura-ou . . . Fay. . . ."

OK . . . now that was just weird. Why was the mage uttering his own name in his sleep? Shaking his head and dismissing the thought, shaking the mage. "Wake up, mage! Wake up! I won't be able to get any sleep if you're thrashing around like this constantly! Wake up!" Fay's sky-blue eyes shot open in a panic and he sat up quickly, his chest heaving.

"Ashura-. . .ou," he muttered in a frightened voice, his gaze darting around.

Whoever this Ashura person is, he must be pretty damn bad for causing this much fear in the mage . . . Said mage flopped back down on the bed as he looked up blearily into the intense red gaze of the Nihon ninja, not bothering to put his mask up.

"Kuro-. . .puppy. What . . . happened? Why are you . . . here?" he asked in a breathless voice, ignoring the eyebrow that twitched when he called Kurogane 'Kuro-puppy'

"You," Kurogane snapped, stressing the word, "Had a nightmare. Something about this Ashura person." Fay looked away, knowing his fake smile would do him no good here. "And something about a person named 'Fay'." At this, the magician tensed and Kurogane sensed he had struck a nerve. "Who is he? This other 'Fay'?"

"No one of your concern, Big-dog," Fay said in a chipper tone of voice that he wasn't feeling. He tried to sit, only to have his eyes widen as he leaned over the side of the bed. Kurogane realized too late what was about to happen and he barely got out of the way before Fay's entire body heaved as he vomited.

"Hey!"

Fay didn't seem to hear him as his body convulsed. In between the gagging, he managed ragged breaths. His cerulean eyes were closed as he breathed heavily, a small whimper leaving his lips and an almost inaudible 'not again' left him before he threw up again. Since he had not eaten the entire day (besides the water that Sakura managed to get into him), he went into the dry heaves, his back tensing up in pain. Kurogane awkwardly sat next to Fay and rubbed his back, having seen his father in the past do this to calm his mother whenever she was sick. He didn't know if it had ever worked; his parents had long been gone by the time he had first thrown up. The spasm ceased after a few more moments and Fay collapsed where he was, his blonde head hanging over the edge of the bed, his back heaving as he gasped in air.

Kurogane looked at the mess on the ground and then carefully shifted the sick magician so he was laying straight back on the bed.

Fay looked at him and seemed to inhale his pride. "Water please . . . Big-dog." he said, seeming to use that more often now.

Kurogane 'tched' and stood, going into the adjacent bathroom and getting a small plastic Dixie cup, filling it almost to the brim and bringing it out. He saw the mage struggle to sit, and he saw the toll it took on the thin body. Kurogane felt very awkward, so all he did was just watch the mage's slow progress. He handed the cup to the magician and watched as Fay drank slowly, seeming to relish the coolness of the water. Like it purified him. And he supposed it must have. The vomit smelled utterly disgusting. Kurogane could hardly believe that the mage was letting his defenses down for him. Why did he have to have those defenses up all the damn time? What would be so impor--

Clunk!

The sound of the plastic hitting the wooden floor brought the ninja out of his reverie as he looked at the now sleeping mage. He got another cloth and wrung it out, placing it over the mage's head again, noting that the exertion had (if it was possible) worsened his fever.

Kurogane sighed and set about to cleaning up the mess that Fay had made, his nose wrinkled the entire time. When he had finished, he decided to stay in the mage's room until morning, just to make sure the other would be fine. No he was not worried about the mage, damn it! He just didn't want to lose anymore beauty sleep. . . . That's all.

And though he tried to deny it, he and Fay were comrades in sickness and in health.

Scooter: There you have it! I started it last night, and finished it this morning while listening to 'Chain Ring' by MUCC Fuzz. Also known as the ending to Zombie Loan. Anyway, it was actually my first attempt at a fullbown angst/hurt/comfort (pick one of the three XD) fanfic. So please let me know how I did! Review! You're also welcome to flame because flames will be used to roast Boyd's undergarments and I will then commence merciless laughter at him. Anyway, this isn't the MAIN Tsubasa Chronicle story I wanted to upload. But I think this will do. Anyway, seeya next time! And MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

~~Scooter~