Title: Feeding Time

Author: WingedPanther73

Pairing(s)/Characters: Fai x Kurogane

Rating: Teen

Summary: Sybil and I gave each other a challenge: write a "shmexy" scene right after Fai became a vampire. This is my response to the challenge

Warnings: Yaoi

Disclaimer: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, its names and characters belong to the Clamp Group

Beta Reader: Sybil Rowan

Fai was looking poorly. It wasn't just that he had his new-found vampiric paleness. He was paler than usual. He had only "eaten" once since turning, and it had been with great distaste. Kurogane was getting irritated.

"You have to eat."

"I don't want to."

"You wanted to die. Now you're going to starve yourself to death? Don't be stupid."

Fai glared at him with clear resentment in his eye. "You're the one that made a pact to save my life. I didn't want you to save me, and certainly not like this. Leave me alone."

Fai's paleness was even more glaring on this brilliantly lit world. There was a beautiful blue ocean and lots of sun every day. It wasn't clear where the feather might be, but the white-meat-bun insisted it was present, despite the lack of any people being around.

The kids were off searching, but Fai didn't have the stamina to hunt for it very much, and kept squinting against the bright light. Kurogane was baby-sitting.

"How about you just fess up to why you want to die so badly, and you can get it out of your system."

"My life just sucks, now more than ever." There was a hint of a smile at his own witticism.

"You're lying." He was tired of Fai's bullshit. He'd known every lie Fai had told since the day they'd met in the witch's front yard. He was smooth, but Kurogane had to pay attention to those small tells to win battles.

"What makes you say that, Kuro-pu?"

"And you're deflecting." It was too important to rise to the bait, this time. The mage scowled at him.

"Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it."

Kurogane grabbed the foppish vampire and pulled him close. "Too bad. You've been hiding things from us from day one. Some of those things could have gotten us killed, like the fact that we weren't with the real Syaoran."

"You wouldn't have understood if I'd told you."

"You didn't give us a chance!" Kurogane slammed the half-witted mage against a tree trunk with all his force, rattling the idiot blond and forcing him to rely on his new-found vampiric resilience to avoid being in pain. "You just set yourself up as the judge of everything we might need to know, and doled it out as you saw fit, leaving the rest of us in the dark."

The bloodshot eye narrowed a bit, any traces of the mask falling away. "So what if I did? I know a lot of things you aren't aware of, Kurogane." The use of his full name hit him like a ton of bricks, but he didn't flinch. "Some of them are simply not your problem. Others you can't do a damned thing about. I am telling you that I'm better off dead. Now let me starve to death in peace like a good boy without tossing me about any further."

The condescending attitude irritated Kurogane, as did the self-pity underneath it. "So your life sucks so bad you'd be better off dead, and you're just trying to spare my delicate feelings, is that it?" He pressed the half-wit firmly against the tree.

"Knowing you and the kids has been fun. That's why I'm better off dead." There was a hint of danger and bitterness in the mage's voice that made Kurogane loosen his grip.

"Why? What's the real problem?"

The mage shook his head and sat down on the ground, removing himself from the ninja's grasp. "That's something I won't be sharing with you.

Kurogane scowled, then bashed Fai on the forehead, knocking him out.

He splashed water on the mage, and was satisfied to observe his confusion. Fai was now tightly bound with ropes. Kurogane plopped down on Fai's stomach and pulled out a knife.

"Time for us to play a little game. It's called, 'Convince me.' All you have to do is convince me to let you starve to death, and I will. If you fail, you get a force feeding."

"You're going to force me to drink your blood?"

"That's the plan, unless you can give me a good reason not to."

Fai laughed bitterly. "Go ahead and try, Kurgs. I'm not drinking, and I'm not talking."

Kurogane drew the knife across his wrist, lightly, creating just the slightest amount of blood on the surface. He wafted his wrist under the vampire's nose, letting him smell the only food that could sustain him.

The temptation that it aroused was clearly visible, but Fai's determination was greater. He pressed his lips firmly shut, having nothing to do with the teasing before him.

Kurogane deepened the cut, letting a few drops land on Fai's lips. "It would be a shame to let that go to waste, when all you have to do is open your mouth and lick your lips. You know how nasty it tastes when it dries out."

Fai squirmed a bit, but his arms were tightly bound. He couldn't wipe the blood away, and now he couldn't risk talking back. Kurogane smirked at the scowl the vampire was throwing at him.

Kurogane proceeded to dribble more on the vampire's pale lips. Then he reached down and pulled the lips apart, letting droplets pass to the stubborn mage's teeth. Fai finally licked his lips, eagerly, but then spit the blood into Kurogane's face.

"I'm not hungry."

"Aww, you've got some fight in you, I see. I suppose I didn't really expect that to work."

Kurogane smiled as he raised his wrist to his mouth and sucked on it. The taste of blood filled his mouth, and he held it there. Then he grabbed the back of Fai's head and pressed his lips firmly against the stubborn mage's, and used his tongue to part his lips. Lips locked against lips, tongue forcing Fai's lips open, Kurogane pushed the blood into Fai's mouth and held it there.

When the mage still refused to swallow, Kurogane used his free hand to stroke the mage's throat, forcing him to swallow.

Their lips parted. With that distance, it was clear that Fai looked a bit dazed.

"Shall I give you some more that way, or will you drink on your own?"

Fai got a mischievous grin. "I think you'll have to give me more that way. It's the first time you've kissed me, after all."

Kurogane glared at him. It was a clear ploy to throw him off. He took another mouthful of blood and pressed his lips against Fai's. As he forced the blood into the mage's mouth, the realized this was exactly like a forceful kiss. It was much like taking a courtesan: forceful, more about power than romance.

This time, he didn't have to force the mage to swallow.

For the third mouthful, Kurogane was fully aware he was about to kiss Fai. He did so, with the feeding almost more of an afterthought. Fai accepted the kiss, and its cargo, eagerly.

There was a fourth kiss, after Fai had suckled eagerly at Kurogane's wrist, and then been released from the bonds. This one was a passion that had nothing to do with feeding, or blood, but with the closeness that had been forged over their many travels, despite the conflicts they'd experienced.

That night, they shared a sleeping bag a distance from the children.