His thoughts seemed to unravel as he lay there, watching the numb sunlight seep slowly over his skin each morning and feeling the fire thaw the bitter chill from his bones each night. Ever so slowly his perception began to sharpen once more, a thick and heavy haze lifting from his senses, and his strength began to pick up again. It washed through him bit by bit, tweaking at his muscles until he could move about a little without great discomfort. His fever soon began to abate, simmering to a faint throb, and the sweat no longer dripped along his skin. Still, he was far too weak to stand.

Most of the time he was left alone with his thoughts seeping from a thick fever-induced swamp, lying on his futon and gradually feeling himself grow stronger with a silent sense of deep relief. He supposed that he was staying within Fye's home. He also supposed that Fye lived alone and that his house must be fairly close to where he had collapsed, though even allowing this didn't quite explain how a figure as lithe as Fye could have carried his cumbersome frame off the slopes.

Fye smiled at the question, picking up another bowl of that vile soup of his. "The villagers nearby found you and carried you here. I volunteered to take you in. It was probably for the best."

"What do you mean?" Kurogane gruffly asked.

Again Fye smiled, pausing to look towards him. "I have far more time and space at home than they do and I know a little about medicine."

"And by medicine do you mean this soup?" Kurogane groaned in distaste, his nose wrinkling at the stewing liquid as Fye lifted it from the tray.

"Ah! I see someone is regaining his strength!" Fye laughed, poking the large brute in the arm and watching gleefully as he writhed at the touch. "That means it's working, Kuro-chan! You should eat up!"

"What gives you the right to call me that?" the samurai promptly snapped, wrenching the spoon and bowl from his hands and reluctantly slurping it down.

The taste never improved.

***

Fye visited his bedside several times a day, punctually and dutifully, bringing food and water each time and providing fresh robes, lighting and stoking the fire at night. To begin with he was almost silent, drifting wordlessly from task to task, and stayed for very little time at all, always passing a quick exchange with Kurogane before he retreated, carrying the empty dishes with him. However as time passed and Kurogane's skin regained its colour and his strength began to build once more, Fye's tongue seemed to unravel. He became more inquisitive about his lodger, and more open to revealing himself. He would ask harmless questions, enquiring his name and his home province, his lord and his duties, and with each answer he would nod his head briefly in acknowledgement and smile as though thankful for this small and basic information.

Kurogane was born in the Suwa province in Japan, raised a proud nobleman and warrior serving under the Lord of the region, though after several outbursts of violence, destroying several of the towns and villages nearby, pillaging them and burning them to the ground, his parents fled with him to the capital. It was there he began his training as a warrior - an art not just of war but of loyalty and honour. The way he spoke of his profession was steeped in pride and enthusiasm. After becoming the strongest warrior within his ranks and fighting valiantly in many battles, he began to serve under the members of the Imperial Palace. Soon he was under oath to swear allegiance only to the young princess of the family, Tsukuyomi.

"The trouble only started when one of her advisors started speaking recklessly and got himself killed," he explained to Fye, slurping on his tea, alas also steeped in herbs.

"Did they catch who did it?" Fye asked, curiously tilting his head.

"Tch, they knew from the start," Kurogane grumbled bitterly, frowning into his cup. "Fei Wang. He has a high seat in power in one of the nearby provinces. They say he's got such a stronghold on the place he practically owns it. But I guess that isn't good enough for him."

"So why didn't they do anything about it then?" the scholar asked, folding his legs underneath him so that he was sitting more comfortably beside Kurogane.

"Don't ask me," he spat to no one in particular, "a lack of guts probably but that's beside the point. It all happened while I was away on a mission. I told them to take the son of a bitch down and found out they'd taken no action whatsoever. When I got that fever, I was travelling back to sort that mess out." At that he stopped talking, bringing the cup to his lips again and taking large, ungraceful gulps.

"All alone? In this region?" Fye perked, his eyebrows neatly furrowed.

"Why? What's wrong with that?" Kurogane muttered defensively.

Fye shook his head. "Nothing I suppose, just it's a difficult pass to traverse when you're unfamiliar with the region and at this time of year the snow storms can rage on for days." Indeed, just outside the heavy hiss and whirl of the winter wind echoed and a fierce white glare passed through the panels into the lit room, faint shadows and spatters of snow dappling the panels.

Fye clapped his hands together, lightly and decisively, a faint curl of a smile on his lips. "Either way, it'd be best for you to rest as much as possible and return to your princess, ne?" He gave a teasing smirk and stood, replacing his own cup on to the wooden tray.

"You seem surprisingly calm to be talking to someone under the command of royalty," Kurogane asked him curiously, an eyebrow raised.

Giving a light chuckle, Fye responded, "This samurai, that samurai, this lord, that lord… all that matters to me is that you need nursed back to health."

Kurogane stiffly swallowed his tea, finding the idea of this man being his nurse as far less than pleasant. "So what about you?"

"Hhhmmm?" Fye mumbled, gazing down on him with wide, surprised eyes.

"I've told you all about me. It's only fair you tell me all about you," the samurai argued, narrowing his eyes pointedly towards him.

Though Fye only smiled faintly and gently. "In time, Kuro-chan, in time…" he muttered, reaching down and picking the cup from Kurogane's grasp, a long, thick strand of golden locks slipping over his shoulder as he did so.

"How about now?" Kurogane snapped at him. "And I told you to quit calling me funny names!" The fairly amused smile Fye sent him at this boiled his blood. He grit his teeth down and bit back a retort.

"Kuro-chan just has to learn to be more patient, ne?" Fye breathed gently and softly, reaching down to clasp a hand to Kurogane's cheek. "And then he can save his princess."

"Tch," Kurogane spat, snatching his hand and throwing it off him, feeling his blood begin to simmer, his face begin to heat.

Smiling softly, Fye rose to stand, completely unaffected by the man's rather blunt and brutal actions, he picked the tray from the floor and shuffled out of the room. "Rest," he said firmly as he opened the sliding door, passing one last sharp look on to the man in bed on the floor before he left the room.

a/n: If I ever told you that I'd be updating this soon then I sincerely apologise because I bet that was months ago x.x The only reason I haven't been updating is because I've not got much of the rest of it written and this fic hasn't taken priority at any point. I'm sure that I'll finish it or at least try because I have a more romantic scene set out and I'd like to post it :) I have the ending too. So please don't hold your hopes up and just bear with me! The last thing I want to do is leave this unfinished!