こんにちわ、みんなさん。。。 おひしぶりですね。。。 テヘ。 Hello everyone... long time no see... tehe. :3 I finally got the next chapter up! YAY! Whew... It has been a long last few months, believe me... I am super sorry for the delay, especially to those of you who were so kind to wait for it, through story alert or constant looking. I want to give another BIG thank you to those who reviewed and/or favorited! I LOVE YOU! You guys are the ones who encourage me to keep going. Also all of you that added me on Author Alert just make me all tickly inside :) I replied with big thanks to all of you that I could. Anyway, here you are... FINALLY! I hope you enjoy it!
A few Japanese words (which I probably already explained, but just in case)
Ah- (ああ) affirmative phrase, but a slightly rude and casual one, akin to "yeah"
Oi- (おい) Rude and pushy way to say "hey"
Ja- (じゃ) "Then" or "well then" very casual
Ojamashimasu- (おじゃまします) Phrase used when you enter someones house, literally means "I will intrude" or "let me intrude"
Arigatou- (ありがとう) "Thank you", casual, -gozaimasu is added to end to make it more polite, if you add 'domo' to the beginning, even more so.
Gomen ne- (ごめんね) "Sorry", also relatively casual (as a side note, Fai uses "Ne" a lot, in the manga and anime as well, I'm not making it up lol, and it is a rather feminine phrase. how's that for proof? :P)
Short culture note:
Hanami (はなみ) or (花見) in kanji, literally means flower viewing. Hanami is the name for the season when the sakura (cherry blossom) trees are blooming, from the beginning-ish of April to the middle. The season can last anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks, depending on the weather. During this time, it is very common for people to go on picnics and have bentos (Japanese lunch boxes), with much singing, gathering, merry-making, and very often, drinking... haha. There are both pink and white sakura trees, but mostly pink. Often, white sakura trees and peach blossoms (which bloom at a different time) are mixed up.
Remember! Feel free to ask me anything!
Anime/Manga: Tsubasa reservoir chronicles, based on CLAMP's omake: Horitsuba
Couples: KURO-FAI, hints of Syao-Saku and Dou-Wata ^3^
Rating: T (mostly for later chapters)
Warnings: YAOI! (boy on boy love) no like, turn back now! you have been warned. Swearing, and violence in later chapters
Disclaimer: I love CLAMP, but i do not channel their genius, all characters belong to CLAMP. Story is for fan-purposes only.
Chapter 7- April: Blossom
Kurogane trundled through his house, wandering through the halls lit by the early morning dawn. He slid open the door to the kitchen, and made his way over to the coffee maker. He flipped it on, adding the water and crushed beans. As it heated the water, Kurogane leaned against the counter.
"I wonder what that guy's doing right now." He sighed to himself. Exactly one week and one day had passed since the ill-fated "date" with Fai, and the past week of school had been pure torture for Kurogane. When he and Fai had ran into each other the following Monday, they both stopped abruptly in the hallway, standing about a meter away from each other. For a moment, they merely looked at each other. Kurogane opened his mouth to say something, but Fai closed his eyes, smiled brightly, and interrupted with,
"Ohayo, Kuro-sensei." Then quickly walked past Kurogane, not looking at him. Kurogane reached out his hand after Fai, stopped, balled it into a fist, and shoved his hand into his pocket, walking the other direction. The rest of the week was filled with encounters like this. There were no sneak attacks, no pranks, no teasing or haggling from Fai. At first, Kurogane had dismissed it with,
"Tch, if thats how he wants to be, fine. Less trouble for me." But as the week wore on, Kurogane began to be more and more irritated by Fai's aloof manner, and the short exchanges of "Hello, Kuro-sensei" that Fai instigated with an ever so bright smile, never quite meeting Kurogane's eyes. Fai's joyful facade was more irritating and hurtful to Kurogane than if the blond had yelled at him. Instead, Kurogane was left without the constant company of the blond, to ponder the "date". The coffee maker beeped, bringing Kurogane back to reality. He growled as he poured the coffee into his mug.
"I'm worrying about it again... pathetic." He contemplated quietly over his coffee for a moment, before a sound floated into the kitchen.
'Chink chink' Kurogane twitched at the noise. He listened carefully for a moment, hearing no other sound.
"Must be my imagination." He grunted.
'Chink chink' It came again, this time followed by the sound of scraping. Kurogane raised one eyebrow. It was silent again for a short moment, then the sound came again. Kurogane poked his head out of his kitchen. When the sound came again, he tried to figure out where it was coming from.
"Outside?" He padded quietly down the hall, senses alert. The scraping sound returned, and this time Kurogane could hear small grunts and shuffling. Kurogane stopped, leaning against the wall, and peered out the side window. He saw nothing, and then there was a flash of golden yellow.
"Ah..." Kurogane sighed, bringing his hand up to rub his temples.
"I'm not ready to deal with this right now... I'll have to be careful... I guess." He mumbled. He took a deep breath and then stomped down the rest of the hall. He threw the door open, sliding it to the left with a bang.
"Oi! What the hell are you doing?" He snapped. Fai looked up from his place on the ground. He was wearing torn, old blue jeans and a white T-shirt. There was dirt all over his clothes and a smear on his cheek. He smiled widely.
"Well, the rose you gave me finally started to die, so I'm planting it! That way it will grow into a rosebush!"
"So?"
"So what, Kuro-pi?"
"So why are you planting it on my property?" Kurogane snarled. Fai laughed airily. He picked up a small shovel, and flicked it, causing a chunk of dirt to fly at Kurogane. Kurogane dodged it.
"Well, for a couple reasons, Kuro-chi, since you gave me the rose, it only seemed appropriate, also it would be a nice addition to your little garden, and it wouldn't survive well on my property, you can understand that right?" Fai said the last statement with a touch of disdain, and stabbed at the ground with his shovel, still smiling brightly. Kurogane tensed at the gently over-laced poison in Fai's voice. His eyes narrowed, and he chose to say nothing. Fai turned back to the ground and kept digging. He looked cheerful enough, but he was hacking viciously at the soil, causing Kurogane to twitch slightly each time the shovel struck the ground. Kurogane sighed.
"You know..." He paused, and when Fai did not look up, he growled softly. Fai continued to tear at the ground. The sound of metal on the breaking soil continued, slashing through the otherwise dense silence. Kurogane growled again in his throat.
"Oi." He said sharply.
"Hmmm?" Fai replied lightly, still not turning around.
"I'm not going to apologize, if that's what you are looking for." Kurogane stated shortly.
"Well you should." Fai sang, taking another stab at the torn apart ground.
"Why should I?"
"Because..." Fai finally stopped hacking at the dismembered soil, and clenched the small garden shovel tightly. "Because it was none of your business, Kuro-puu." Fai finished. Kurogane's eyes narrowed scrutinizing Fai.
"I don't understand your motives or logic, and I suppose I never will," Kurogane said in a low voice, "but you could open up a little and let me in." Fai turned a little bit, keeping his back towards Kurogane, and pawed at the ground with his hand, evening out the hole in the dirt.
"Oh I don't think I could do that, Kuro-mi." Fai said slowly. Heat rose in Kurogane's chest. He clenched his fists and resisted the urge to grab Fai by his collar and shake him violently. That damn glass wall was up again. Kurogane was dying to shatter it, and expose Fai's true emotions. But at the moment, Kurogane was lost, lost in Fai's House of Mirrors. What looked like a path, suddenly became a reflected wall. Fai's appearance would flash in front of Kurogane, only to disappear when Kurogane got close. Fake. It was all fake. All of the paths, all of the images, all of the walls. Kurogane watched Fai in silence, scowling at the hunched form of the blond, still digging in the dirt. Fai leaned over to pick something up. It was the rose. It certainly had started to die. The once full and beautiful silver-white petals had withered to a dull gray, and the stem and leaved were shriveled and brittle. The flower drooped, like a child hanging its head in shame. Kurogane was impressed that the rose had lasted this long. Once the rose was taken from its roots and clipped from the soil, two weeks was much to ask for. Yet this rose had lasted over a month. All because of Fai's care.
'How ironic' Thought Kurogane with a snort. This rose had wilted, and so had their ambiguous relationship. Perhaps it was never meant to last. Fake smiles and carefully crafted conversations were no substitute. Artificial ingredients could only sustain them for so long. Fai stood up and brushed off his pants.
"Well that should do it Kuro-sama." He said. Kurogane glanced at the ground. The rose was gone, and there was a small mound of soil.
"Huh? Where's the rose?" He asked gruffly.
"Don't you know, Kuro-chi? You don't plant a wilted rose upright, you bury the sprig completely in the ground, and it will grow again as a rosebush." Kurogane's eyes widened slightly as he stared at the patch of soil.
"Flowers can do that?"
"Well, not all flowers, most roses reproduce that way, however."
"Hm..." Kurogane stared contemplatively at the place where the rosebush would supposedly start to grow. Fai smiled softly at where he had planted the rose, glanced at Kurogane, and swiftly turned away.
"Well, that should be it, Kuro-sama, the rose should bloom somewhere around July, as long as it doesn't get flooded or gets too dry." He said brightly. Kurogane looked up quickly.
"A-ah..."
"Goodbye Kuro-sama." Fai said, beginning to walk away.
"Wait." Kurogane suddenly said. He looked over at Fai, who had stopped walking. Kurogane clenched his fists.
"What is it, Kuro-muu? Going to apologize?" Fai asked sardonically.
"No I'm not."
"Then what?"
"I..." Kurogane stopped , clenching his fists ever tighter. He glared at Fai's back. Something had to be done. He couldn't just let Fai leave like this.
"Lets... go somewhere." Kurogane finally grunted. His back turned from Kurogane, a crack in Fai's expression appeared. His eyes widened and his bright smile faded.
"Huh?" Fai asked, taking care not to let the emotion he was feeling seep into his voice. Kurogane snarled, attempting to hide his embarrassment.
"You don't have to leave like that, it's Sunday, anyway, lets go... somewhere... together." He finally grunted out. Fai did not dare turn around. He did not want to see Kurogane's face. He did not want Kurogane to see his face. He forced out a laugh.
"What's this, Kuro-chan? Are you asking me on a date?" Kurogane opened his mouth to retort, but shut it quickly.
"Sure... call it that if you want." Kurogane snorted. Fai's breath caught in his throat. His eyes closed and he bit his lip. When he didn't say anything, Kurogane stepped closer.
"Oi." He said quietly. Fai took a long, deep breath, and finally turned around smiling.
"It's okay, Kuro-chi, you don't have to do that... besides, I can't go anywhere looking like this." Fai gestured towards his dirt covered and torn clothes. Kurogane glared at Fai.
"Why do you keep running from me?"
"I'm not running, Kuro-puu."
"Then what is with all the excuses?"
"I'm not really making any excuses Kuro-pi. Its a fact. You can't take me anywhere like this."
"I said it before, didn't I? I'll take you however the hell you are. But, since you don't want to go in those clothes, and I don't exactly want to look like I'm dragging around a grungy blond rat, you can borrow some clothes I have, then we don't have to go to your apartment either." Kurogane turned around and faced his house, leaving a wide-eyed Fai in the background.
"Is... Is it okay?" Fai said slowly.
"Of course it's okay, idiot. Now come on." Kurogane grunted, walking towards the front door. Fai closed his eyes and bit his lip again, hesitating.
"Hurry up." Kurogane barked from the door. Fai held his breath for a long moment, took one step forward, and walked up to the door, putting on the best smile he could manage.
"Ja, Ojamashimasu." He said, stepping lightly inside.
"Ah." Kurogane replied. Fai took his shoes off and stepped into the hall as Kurogane shut the door. Fai watched Kurogane with a constant smile, which Kurogane returned with a skeptical look.
"Come on." Kurogane said calmly, walking in front of Fai. Fai followed him down the hall quietly.
"You can take a quick shower if you want, to wash the dirt off." Kurogane said, glancing back at Fai.
"Sure Kuro-chi, sounds good." Fai replied happily. Kurogane narrowed his eyes slightly. Then he turned around quickly.
"Idiot." He murmured.
"Hmm?"
"Nothing." They drew to the end of the hall, towards a door, which Kurogane opened, holding it open for Fai, who stepped in.
"Wah, is this your bedroom?" Fai asked. It was a fairly large room, with a single window opposite them, and a large dresser in the same corner. To their left there was a king-size bed, neatly made with a bold red comforter and black pillows. Beside it was a small nightstand with a lamp and a simple alarm clock.
"Yeah. Wait a sec while I get you some clothes." Kurogane grunted. Fai looked curiously around the room as Kurogane padded over to his dresser.
"Heh... it's kind of... empty." Fai said with a laugh.
"Tch. Shut up." Kurogane growled throwing open a drawer. He fished through it for a moment.
"Here." Kurogane grunted, tossing a bundle of clothes towards Fai. Fai caught them gently. He unfolded the bundle and found a small pair of brand-new blue jeans, a light blue, airy scarf, and a soft, short sleeve, white v-neck shirt.
"These..." Fai said slowly.
"That Witch gave them to me awhile back, figures she'd give me clothes that didn't fit, not to mention they aren't my style. But I kept them anyway, so you can have them." Kurogane shrugged.
"A- Arigatou, Kuro-sama." Fai finally said with a smile. Kurogane merely grunted in reply. He straightened up.
"Come on, the shower is this way." He jerked his head to the door and started walking. Fai followed, holding the new clothes carefully. The bathroom was just to the left of Kurogane's bedroom. Kurogane got into a side closet and tossed a towel at Fai. Fai caught it. It was white and very soft.
"Well, go ahead." Kurogane grunted, "I'll wait, but not for long, so make it quick." He turned around and walked out.
"Hai!" Fai said with a small wave. He shut the bathroom door and locked it. He turned to the mirror above the counter, and stared quietly at his reflection for a long while, contemplating. Finally, he gave a soft smile, and laid his new clothes and towel gently on the counter. He stripped off his dirt covered clothes and stepped into the shower box. He looked around for the soap, and found a single bottle of 3-in-1 gel, and a razor. Fai laughed softly.
"So like Kuro-sama, what a manly bathroom." He said to himself. He twisted the handle and warm water poured out of the shower. He sighed as the soothing hot water cascaded down his body and the steam rose in billows.
"Ahh... It's been such a long time..." He stood there for awhile, letting his body warm up, and then he picked up the bottle of shower gel and flipped open the lid. A spicy, musky amber fragrance wafted into the steamy air. Fai smiled.
"Yup, smells like Kuro-sama." Then he eyed the bottle warily. "But really...Shampoo, conditioner and body wash all in one bottle? Geez, Kuro-pi... I guess this time I'll have to deal with it." He lathered his entire body and his hair, rinsing it off while reveling in the warmth of the water. He enjoyed it for as long as he dared, before reluctantly turning the water off. Fai stepped out of the shower, and grabbed the towel, beginning to dry himself off. He pressed the towel to his face and inhaled. It smelled clean, and fresh, once again reminding him of Kurogane. He exhaled back into the towel, suddenly overcome by a strange feeling that slipped past his barrier, unchecked. A feeling that could only be described as bittersweet. Kurogane's kindness was surprising, in a way, and had caught Fai completely off guard. But it was something Fai, could not, would not accept.
"I already decided that I wouldn't..." Fai spoke weakly, his voice muffled by the soft cotton of the towel. Over the long days that had passed since their "outing" Fai had realized how close he was to stepping over the line he had made himself.
'I don't understand your motives or logic, and I suppose I never will' Kurogane's voice rang in Fai's head. 'but you could open up a little and let me in'
"Gomen ne, Kuro-sama... but I really can't." He lifted his head up from the towel and looked into the fogged up mirror. There was another face in the mirror. Fai's heart stopped. Another face, identical to his own, was behind him. Fai cried out and flipped around, looking behind him frantically. He scanned the room with his eyes and released the breath he had been holding in his throat. There was another mirror on the door of the shower, one that Kurogane probably used when he shaved. The two mirrors had reflected on each other, creating a double illusion. Fai wrapped the towel around his waist and collapsed against the counter, his hand on his face.
"Mou... Don't scare me like that." Fai groaned, his heart rate slowly returning to normal. He sighed, still leaning wearily against the counter. Suddenly there was a crash and a bang, and Kurogane came bursting through the bathroom door.
"Oi, what happened?" He yelled. Fai jumped up frenziedly and grabbed his towel, which was slipping off, gaping at Kurogane.
"Ano... Kuro-sama?" Fai said uncertainly. Kurogane froze, as the particulars of the present situation registered in his brain. He had just burst in on a half-naked Fai, just out of the shower, who was apparently just fine.
"Uh...ah..." Kurogane stuttered. His eyes traveled automatically over Fai's figure. His body was mostly dry, but his hair was still wet, and small drops of water were sliding down his pale neck. Fai's slender upper body was glistening slightly with the moisture from the shower, and the towel, which Fai was grasping desperately, was hanging dangerously low on his hips. Heat rushed all throughout Kurogane's body, and he tried to regain control of his brain.
"Uh..I...Uh... MY BAD!" Kurogane finally shouted, slamming the door shut and stomping down the hall. Fai stood in the bathroom, his heart again pounding wildly in his throat. As his heart rate once again slowed, Fai sighed, closed his eyes and gave another soft, sad, smile.
"Wah... Kuro-tan is a pervert!" Fai sang, skipping behind Kurogane, now dressed in the clothes Kurogane had given him.
"Am not!" Kurogane retorted loudly, his face burning.
"You even broke the lock on the door! Pervert!"
"Oh shut up! I came in there 'cause I heard you yell, not 'cause I wanted to see you naked... Idiot!" Kurogane thumped down the hall, facing away from Fai. Fai's eyes widened.
"Kuro-sama..." He whispered, surprised. Kurogane stopped walking, sighed, and turned around.
"Anyway... I heard something else... you said, 'it's been such a long time' such a long time since what?" He asked shortly. Fai blinked, silent for a moment, before flashing a teasing smile.
"Eavesdropping, Kuro-chi? You really are a pervert."
"Wha-" Kurogane stuttered, "Don't avoid the question! I just happened to hear it as I was walking by, okay?" He stated hotly. Fai laughed softly and walked past Kurogane.
"Its not that big of a deal, Kuro-sama, it had just been awhile since I've had a hot shower. My apartment doesn't have a shower, so I have to use a nearby public one, and it only has cold water. That's all." He turned his head to face Kurogane, smiling. Kurogane remained silent for a moment.
"Oi..." He started, "About your apartment..." He trailed off and Fai turned away.
"Hmmm?" Fai mused quietly. Kurogane closed his eyes and sighed roughly.
"First of all... I'm not going to apologize. The reason being, that it is, in fact, my business where you live. You are the one that got me involved by your constant ferreting, not to mention the fact that you know where I live. And after all this time together, how could you possibly think that where and how you lived didn't matter to me?" He barked out this last statement, staring intently at Fai, who did not turn around.
"That said..." Kurogane continued, "I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did, and the results were kind of my fault... But! Most of the fault is yours!" He finished loudly. Fai was quiet, then his frame started shaking, before laughter rang through the hallway.
"What a horrible apology, Kuro-sama!" Fai giggled.
"I said it wasn't an apology!" Kurogane burst out, his face heating up. He stomped past Fai, heading for the front door.
"Come on, let's go!" He snapped, his footsteps shaking the walls. Fai watched him go, still laughing, his eyes off to the side. He looked up at Kurogane's back, staring with a wistful smile.
"Just today... Just one more day with him... Then I'll stop." Fai pleaded with himself. Kurogane turned around sharply.
"Did you say something?" He barked. Fai shook his head.
"Nope, nothing, Kuro-pi..." He smiled, starting down the hall.
"Hmph. Then let's get out of here." Kurogane opened the front door, sliding it aside, and once again waiting for Fai. Fai stepped through the door, looking past Kurogane.
"Just today..." He whispered. Kurogane watched Fai carefully. He caught the whisper as Fai slid past him, and narrowed his eyes, suspicious. He closed the door and locked it, before turning to Fai.
"I thought we'd go for a walk, that good with you?" He asked casually. Fai nodded.
"Ja, lets go to the park and see the sakura blossoms, it's hanami season after all."
"Sounds good, the park is really close if we cut through the neighborhood." Kurogane walked through the gate and Fai followed. The sun had risen, and was shining gently down onto the ground. The sky was bright blue, dotted with a few puffs of small, fluffy clouds. It was cool, but not overly so, and a slight breeze drifted through the air. Fai closed his eyes.
"Wah, nice weather." He sighed.
"Ah."
"It's hard to believe it's already April."
"Ah."
"Sakura-chan and the others are second years now."
"Ah."
"You need to add some new words to your vocabulary."
"Ah- wha- shut up, idiot!"
"Oh, so you were kind of listening!" Fai laughed as Kurogane snarled, embarrassed.
"Tch. Of course I was listening."
"Speaking of which, you are still training Syaoran in Kendo, right? How is that going?"
"Yeah. Well, it's coming, He has good speed and pretty good focus, but he has some vision issues, and still has a long way to go."
"So in other words, he's doing really well."
"Tch."
"He also joined the soccer team, didn't he? I've seen him practice, and he's really good."
"Yeah. He's got a a lot of strength in his legs, and he's a natural kicker."
"Hmm..." The conversation dwindled into silence as they walked along the rows of houses. The neighborhood faded away, and turned into the entrance of the park.
"Wah, how pretty!" Fai exclaimed. The park was wide and open, dotted with scores of sakura trees, all in full bloom. The grass was green and lush, and a small river ran through the center of the park, bubbling happily. Pink and white sakura petals were drifting through the air, and there were groups of people on blankets sitting under the trees.
"Geez there are a lot of people here today." Kurogane observed sullenly.
"Of course there are, Kuro-chan, it's hanami! And this is such a gorgeous park, too."
"Have you never been here before?" Kurogane asked, eyebrow raised.
"Nope. As you can probably tell, there are a lot of places in this city I haven't been." They walked past the first few groups of people who were sitting under the trees, eating out of large bento boxes.
"Is there a reason for that?" Kurogane asked, his voice low.
"Well, I guess you could say there's a reason." Fai lilted. "Ah, look, It's Sakura-chan and the others!" He pointed. Kurogane sighed irritably.
"Again..." He followed Fai's finger, and saw a large group underneath a tree. Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Himawari, Watanuki, and Doumeki, were all sitting on a massive blanket, and Tomoyo was holding a device with a microphone attached. She handed it to Sakura, who blushed and clenched her fists in her lap. Himawari and Tomoyo smiled and motioned for her to stand up. She did so, blushing and fidgeting shyly. Syaoran nodded at her, and Watanuki clapped, taking a side glare at Doumeki, who was chewing something. Sakura pushed a few buttons on the device, and music floated into the air.
"I see, it's a karaoke machine!" Fai said. He and Kurogane stopped walking, so they could listen. The song intro faded out, and Sakura began singing.
I'm a dreamer, a hidden power
My world
Is built with dreams, love, and anxiety
But things that I can't even imagine must be hiding there
Like trees that face the sky
I'm looking straight at you
"Wah, how sweet." Fai sighed gently. "She really is so cute." Kurogane gave a small, affirmative grunt in reply. They watched the group under the tree as Sakura continued to sing. Syaoran leaned back on the tree, and watched Sakura with a soft smile.
I want to find it, I want to fulfill it
I believe, and just by that
There's nothing that I can't overcome
As if singing, like a miracle
My thoughts are changing everything
Surely, surely, enough so to surprise you
The song ended, and Sakura smiled bashfully as everyone clapped. All of the sudden, Doumeki leaned towards Watanuki, and plopped his head on Watanuki's lap, laying comfortably on the blanket. Watanuki immediately proceeded to wave his arms wildly, his face glowing a bright red.
"Oh my." Fai laughed. Tomoyo took the karaoke machine and stood up. Music came out again and Tomoyo began to sing. Her voice flowed out like water, ringing in a sweet tone.
Sunshine dances between the clouds and pours into the plains
The season has just begun
I run up to the voice of my friend
And there, as I turn to her, is always her smiling face
Where the brightest sun always shines
As I walk in the street in the freezing winter
You encourage me naturally
And helped me so many times
Like you, just like you, I want to be someone who can give courage to others
"How beautiful, as expected of the choir's pride and joy." Fai smiled. Kurogane nodded. As Tomoyo continued to sing, Watanuki stopped his flailing and relaxed slightly, as his arms lowered slowly, before he placed one hand on the ground, and the other on the top of Doumeki's head. Doumeki smirked, and Watanuki glared at him irritably, his cheeks still dusted red. Fai chuckled lightly at the spectacle.
"Let's go, Kuro-sama, it would probably be best not to bother them right now, ne?"
"Ah." Kurogane nodded. "Just a little further ahead is a hill that is sort of hidden, so there shouldn't be people there."
"Heh..." They wandered through the park, Fai following as Kurogane led him between two trees to the right, and Fai saw an overgrown path, leading up a hill.
"Wah, you're right, it's a hidden path! You can't see it at all from the main path."
"Ah. I found it when I was a kid, after my parents dies, and I don't know anybody else who knows about it." They walked up it, Fai directly behind Kurogane. The path opened up, and a huge, gorgeous sakura tree loomed up in front of them. There were hundreds of blossoms on the massive tree, and the breeze blew a rainfall of blush-colored petals on to the ground. Fai's eyes opened wide at the spectacular scenery. He was at a loss for words, gaping at the grand tree and the soft pink petals floating through the air. Kurogane watched Fai as he wandered up to the tree, innocent wonder spread out on his face. Fai walked up to the foot of the tree, his back toward Kurogane as he gazed up at the vast branches dotted with blossoms. For a moment, only the soft sound of the breeze rustling the flowers could be heard. The voices of the other groups had faded away, leaving the two of them completely secluded.
"Kuro-sama..." Fai whispered.
"Hm?" He responded. Fai turned around, and Kurogane's heart skipped a beat. On Fai's face was the softest, most angelic smile Kurogane had ever seen.
"Thank you, for sharing this place with me." Fai said quietly. For a moment, Kurogane saw a lightness in Fai's eyes that finally matched the sky. Something rose up within Kurogane. He walked towards Fai, propelled forward by emotion. Something burned within the depths of his heart. A nameless desire. The sakura petals floated gently in the air, as Fai returned his gaze to the tree. A stray petal drifted down, and caught in Fai's hair. Kurogane lifted his hand and gently removed the petal from the golden locks. Blue eyes slid to look at Kurogane, a soft look of surprise in them. Kurogane then reached up and cupped Fai's face. Fai's eyes widened, and a blush, matching the the color of the petals, bloomed on his cheeks. Kurogane moved closer, and Fai's heartbeat increased, pounding loudly in his chest. Fai could feel Kurogane's warm breath on his mouth as they inched closer. Then their lips touched, and Fai's eyes slid shut. Fai breathed deep, sighing into the kiss. His mind began to drift off, slipping into ecstasy. Suddenly, a force hit Fai's chest, and he stumbled, as he was pushed back. He staggered backward, until he collided with the tree. Fai looked up and saw Kurogane standing there, a look of horror and confusion on his face. He was staring at his hands, before looking up at Fai. For awhile, they simply stared at each other, then Kurogane turned and swiftly walked away, leaving Fai under the sakura tree. Fai reached out weakly with one hand at Kurogane's retreating form. His arm fell to his side, and then his whole body slid down, collapsing at the foot of tree.
~END~
Woohoo! I hope you LOVED IT! Despite the ending that will inevitably give me some interesting reviews... Hehe. However you felt, tell me in a review! PLEASE! Thank you. :3 I have another Omake in the works, along with the next chapter! Thank you and goodnight! (by the way, I hate how FF dot net doc deletes my indents... it is not proper format! rawr! but I can't do anything about it... orz)