Oh no, yet another collection of KuroFai drabbles. You have been warned! Made a few corrections. Thanks to Ueste for pointing them out.
Occupation one: Barber
Fai was sweeping strands of hair from the tiled floor when Kurogane entered. Brushing his hands down on his apron, he raised his head and smiled as if he had been expecting the taller man for a while.
"Kuro-gon, welcome! We're closed right now but welcome anyway," he grinned, leaning onto his broom.
Kurogane muttered something under his breath, sweeping his gaze over the small shop - the waiting tables and racks full of magazines, the mirrors and spinning chairs, the shelves full of bottles and baskets full of brushes. In a quiet corner of the barbershop, Sakura was sweeping all sorts of hair into a pile, the gentle swish, swish of her broom whispering over the floor.
"How's business been going?" Kurogane asked, casually propping himself against the wall.
"Pretty good, especially with a cute helper like Sakura-chan," Fai gestured towards Sakura who, noticing Kurogane for the first time, straightened and bowed in acknowledgement.
"I'm surprised that you haven't shaved someone bald yet," the ninja muttered.
"Only when they ask." Fai 's eyes flickered to the darkening sky.
Evening was swooping in and the streetlights outside were just beginning to flicker on one by one. The lights inside the barbershop were dim, signifying the end of the working day and the closure of the business until the next morning.
"Ah, Sakura-chan, that last customer left his coat behind. Would you run after him?" Fai suddenly announced as his gaze crossed over a lonely black raincoat hanging by the door.
Sakura propped her broom against the wall and left the pile of hair by the bin. She nodded and eagerly dashed out of the door.
A second later, the door opened again and a hand snagged the coat off of its peg before closing the door again.
"Eager, isn't she?" Kurogane commented dryly.
"Sakura-chan is always a hard worker," Fai stowed the brooms away.
The wizard's hair had gotten longer over the past few months. Kurogane had not noticed just how long it had become until Fai's blond locks were in danger of touching his shoulders.
He had never asked just why the wizard had chosen his current occupation as a barber; all Fai had said was that it was a job that would provide them with a steady stream of information. You would be surprised how much a person could talk whilst someone else held a razor to their face.
The ninja sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His own hair had grown too, and to a useless length whereupon the front was too short to be tied into a tail but long enough to dangle in front of his eyes and generally get in the way. It needed a cut. As a warrior, he could not allow his fighting to be affected by troublesome hair, and though Kurogane found all barbers to be of a particularly evil breed, as the saying went, better the devil you know.
However, there was nothing worse than having to ask that wizard for a favour. In fact, he loathed asking the wizard for anything. Fai had not moved but was smiling inanely, though he knew well what Kurogane wanted. The ninja would not put it past Fai to take every opportunity to tease him.
They stared at each other whilst the hands of the clock moved inch by inch, Kurogane scowling, Fai smiling.
"Just trim it," he finally gave in, sighing with exasperation as he made his way over to the chair.
"Wai! Kuro-chi's letting me cut his hair!" Fai burst from his motionless posture into a flurry of excitement and Kurogane could only roll his eyes and wonder what kind of catastrophe would occur.
"If you mess it up, I'll skewer you!" he warned as Fai spread a towel over his shoulders, humming happily as he worked.
Fai nodded happily under the ninja's careful surveillance. Kurogane warily watched Fai's reflection in the mirror as the wizard ran a brush through his black hair.
"Oh!"
"What?" Kurogane jerked away from the scissors in Fai's hands.
"Just kidding!" Fai twirled the scissors in a manner that would have made any health and safety inspector gawk.
Feeling veins throbbing on his temples, the ninja shook a threatening fist at the grinning wizard. "Honestly, I swear, I'll - "
"Sit down, Kuro-pun, I'm not done yet," Fai gently pressed Kurogane's shoulders down until the disgruntle ninja returned to his seat.
Normally, Kurogane would not have let Fai so close while he held a sharp object in his hands, that was much like allowing a homicidal lunatic to wield a chainsaw. Yet he had to admit that Fai's fingers through his hair and the gentle snip, snip of hair falling felt quite relaxing.
"Y'know, there's something symbolic about getting your hair cut. Like shedding away the old you and becoming someone new," Fai murmured. He combed out the hair and measured it with his fingers before deciding whether it was chop-worthy or not.
Strands of black fell past Kurogane's face. Fai's fingers moved slowly, running through his hair almost teasingly. Each time he brushed out his hair with gentle tenderness. Snip.
Fai's focused expression in the mirror, was a rewarding sight from the usual plastic smiles and fake laughter; Fai's eyelids fluttered half-closed in a gentle, absorbed expression. Kurogane found himself so lost in it that he hardly noticed the ceasing of the scissors or Fai placing the brush on the table until the towel around his shoulders was removed.
"It's done," Fai announced; softly shaking out the towel.
The ninja ran his hand through his much shorter hair. It appeared to be back to how it had been when he had first began his journey with the crackpot wizard, the two children and the stuffed pork bun. Most importantly of all, there were no bald spots that he could see.
Mumbling his thanks, he brushed himself down and made for the door but Fai caught his hand.
"Wait. My payment."
"You're charging me?" Kurogane stared at the wizard incredulously.
"Of course, Kuro-chi!" Fai giggled.
"Lousy cheapskate!"
Fai's expression softened. He gently rapped his knuckles against the ninja's forehead; though he had to reach up to do so. "Don't look so sour," he smiled slyly, "you'll have to pay me one way or another, whether in money form or…"
Before Kurogane could react, Fai reached up and wrapped his arms around him, planting a light kiss on his lips. Kurogane thought that he felt shock running through him but he had no time to confirm this emotion before Fai's lips were pressed harder against his own. Whatever emotion had passed through him, died within an instant and he responded just as fervently.
Fai's hands travelled down Kurogane's back, to his hips, and he eased out the wallet from the ninja's back pocket.
That's the end of drabble number one. Any suggestions for jobs are welcome. So far, I only have busker and teacher planned.