Title: Gratitude
Series: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
Rating:T / R
Genre: Shounen Ai / Yaoi
Pairings: Fai / Kurogane
Note: This was mostly just an excuse to write Fai/Kuro ... O.O
DISCLAIMER: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles is not from my imagination, unfortunately. The following is a work of fandom.
The heat rose in waves off the charred hills making it hard to see more than a few yards in any direction. Black smoke billowed above the distortion into the burnt umber sky, making it impossible to see anything more of the sun than a flat, bright disk in the sky over their heads. Everywhere they turned, the sounds of battle rose in deafening crescendo.
Kurogane had dressed himself in the armor the smith had crafted for him in Donan, and he looked rather frightening striding across the burnt ground, his cloak billowing in the heat and his sword across his shoulder. Fai followed him, dressed all in light leather bound with metal pieces in intricate designs, a long staff with a metal tip on his shoulder and, at his waist, a long chain ending in double scythe blades. Where Kurogane was massive and dark, Fai was light and flexible, his light colored armor fading into the heat and smoke like mist.
"We're almost to the army commander," Kurogane stated, pausing on a rise that would have looked down over the battle valley had the visibility been better.
"Ahh, Kuro-wan," Fai murmured. "I can feel magic nearby … did the commander mention having any mages on our side?"
The ninja looked uncomfortable for a moment, then shrugged, "I can find my way in the dark as well as this muck. We're close to the encampment. If the enemy is also there, all the better."
"If you say so," Fai nodded, "Hopefully, Sakura-hime has found her feather already, otherwise we will not have an easy time of it."
Somewhere overhead, something airborne let loose a screech and the two men began moving once more. The noise of battle grew louder. Fai loosed his chains and scythes.
"Remember, Kuro-pipi," he said, as the mist became thicker and the scent of sulfur grew overpowering. "You have yet to go home."
Kurogane's voice echoed back at him, "Idiot. If you fall here, I'll never have a chance to see this great enemy of yours take you apart."
- -
The pale disk of the sun was on the horizon when Fai finally fell to his knees in exhaustion. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear Kurogane slicing his way through soldiers like wheat, that endless sword arm cutting great swathes through mage and soldier, monster and demon, as though Kurogane were the god of war himself. Fai pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling a sting, and came away with a blood covered palm.
"I don't remember that happening. Someone must have got lucky … "
"Idiot!" Kurogane's voice boomed out of the murk. "What are you doing? Get up before the dragon lands!"
"Dragon?" Fai looked up with an expectant expression. "I haven't seen a dragon in a long time … Oooph!"
Somehow Kurogane had waded through the murk and mud to grapple the mage up and over his shoulder and race with him across the field. Fai scrambled for a hold and clung to the straps of the new armor, now scraped and stained with battle. Things that he hadn't noticed hurting before suddenly screamed with pain and the world tilted dangerously. "Kuro-wan … "
"Do not pass out on me." The ninja ordered curtly, his hands tightening around the mage's waist and legs.
"I'm not sure that's entirely reasonable, Kuro … pi… Whooo! My head feels like a balloon … or a Mokona!" The mage babbled, his eyes widening as he heard the thunderous sound of beating wings. "Umm … Kuro-wan …?"
"What is it, Idiot?"
"I think your dragon is here."
Kurogane swore colorfully and Fai giggled dizzily – the world was spinning like a kaleidoscope with all the running, dodging and pain, "Kuro-chan …!" he babbled. Kuro only growled and threw them both into the shelter of a grouping of rocks and burnt out trees. The dragon screamed, thundering overhead, and fire scoured the ground in huge drafts and blasts. They huddled among the rocks - actually the large, tumbled remnants of a stone house - and tried to remain unnoticed.
"Ow!" Fai yelped suddenly, as a large hand engulfed the back of his head, fingers probing the bump there. "Kuro-nii! That hurts!"
"Shut up," Kurogane's eyes were slitted, and he tugged Fai down with him behind the fallen stone. Fai landed inelegantly in his lap with a small cry and Kurogane glared, but his hand stopped attacking the sore spot and reached into a belt pouch to pull out a flask of water and a roll of bandages. He wet the bandages with swift, efficient movements and his hand returned to the back of Fai's head, pressing the make-shift compress to the lump.
Fai sighed, leaning back against Kurogane's chest, which wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world when they were both wearing armor and carrying weaponry, but it was better than nothing. "Am I still bleeding?" He asked.
"A little," the ninja answered. "You'll be fine. But if you pass out, I'm leaving you here. You're heavy."
"Am not."
Kuro's expression was poisonous, making Fai grin. He felt woozy, but it wasn't as bad as it might have been, and Kurogane's lap was warm, even with the armor.
"Kuro-chi is taking care of me," he smiled, making his would be nurse growl. "I'm grateful to him," he added a moment later, lifting dazed cerulean eyes to peer up at the ninja glaring down at him. "How should I thank Kuro-wan?"
"Talk to me when we get back," Kuro answered, looking away from Fai. "I think it's time we left."
- -
The castle was practically empty when they stumbled back through the gate. The king and his men had left at dawn to face a growing disturbance in the west, and Sakura and Syaoran had yet to arrive back from seeking the feather. Kurogane frowned and groused about it, but he was still careful as he half carried, half dragged Fai to one of the beds in their room.
He shed his armor as quickly as he was able, leaving him in trousers and a long tunic, before he turned to Fai. The wizard was no help at all as Kurogane dragged off the leather armor and boots, leaving Fai in his soft leather jerkin and linen shirt and leggings. By the time he was done, Fai was making sleepy noises and Kurogane's eyebrow was twitching madly. He sat down on the side of bed, thinking of all the irritable comments he could possibly say, but, glancing at Fai, he caught an expression of pain on the other's face and bit the irritation off at the source.
"Sleep now. I'll keep watch … hey! … "
Long, slim fingers, pale against the dark tanned skin, twined with his, and Fai fell asleep with a smile on his lips. Kurogane rolled his eyes and leaned back against the headboard, resigned to his fate, at least for the night.
- -
He watched the wizard sleep with an unsettled feeling in his stomach. He wasn't accustomed to caring whether the idiot was well or not, unless it impacted their group in some way … but seeing Fai's face pale on the battle field, the blood on that bright hair … that had made something in the center of him tighten painfully.
He'd had a moment of incoherent visions where the travels had continued without the idiot, without the pet names, without the constant touching, or "whoo'ing" … without those blue eyes gazing at him with laughing secrets hidden in their depths or the occasional teasing whisper against the shell of his ear. He wasn't an idiot like Fai, he didn't give his heart to just anyone or respond to teasing as though it were an invitation for further intimacies, but as he watched Fai stagger, dazed, with blood on his hand and a dragon wheeling overhead, he'd realized that he had somehow made up his mind.
"Idiot," he murmured, his hand drifting over the smooth plane of a high cheekbone to end tangled in blond locks of hair.
He sat that way through the night, his sword propped beside him, and didn't mind as much as he probably should have.
- -
"Kuro …?" Fai smiled, looking ridiculously pleased and nuzzled into his pillow like a cat.
"Does your head still hurt, Idiot?"
Fai made a face, "A little. The world has stopped spinning."
"Good."
"You stayed all night … ?"
Kurogane looked away and frowned, his hand was still firmly tangled with Fai's.
"Thank you."
"What happened to all the nicknames?"
Fai laughed softly, "Sometimes they're inappropriate, ne?"
Turning back and giving the wizard a long, considering stare, Kurogane snorted, his lips curving faintly. "Idiot. Why is this not an appropriate time, then?"
"I promised to thank you when we got back, so I thought I would not call you any pet names for a while."
Scarlet eyes shifted and the ninja tugged his hand away, setting it down on the bed, firmly, "That's not what I want from you."
"Eh?" Fai's voice was incredulous, but his gaze had sharpened, his fingers flexing.
The half smile became a full fledged grin and Kurogane bent down, placing his other hand on the other side of Fai, nose to nose with him. "No, it's not … though I do like seeing Fai-san at a loss."
Fai's tongue darting out to lick his lips, "Kuro … ? You want to see me at a loss?" the wizard exhaled, his hand tangling in the blankets beneath him while the other pressed against Kurogane's chest, fingers curling into the ninja's shirt. This was new, this was unexpected … the mage's eyes were gleaming with anticipation.
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Idiot," the ninja grinned, leaning down until his lips were even with Fai's ear. "So perhaps I'll teach you," he whispered, his hand carefully turning the wizard's head so that their lips almost touched.
"Please …," the wizard exhaled, eyes darkening. "Kuro-chu,"
"Idiot," Kurogane laughed, his breath sliding over Fai's lips. The wizard made a sound in his throat, a sigh or a moan, and the swordsman stilled, a shudder running through his body, and then he was pulling Fai up to meet his mouth, his lips capturing the wizard's and his tongue darting into his mouth, sliding and tasting with abandon. A whimper and Fai was wrapped around him like a limpet, his arms sliding around Kurogane's neck and his fingers tangling in the inky hair.
He thought that it would have been hard to slide a blade between them at this point and smiled as he kissed and bit down on the tender lip beneath his teeth, enjoying the sounds and gasps that this elicited from the paler man. Slim fingers slid through his hair, and he reciprocated by sliding his hands up Fai's sides, beneath linen and loosened leather ties till he encountered soft skin and sinewy, lean muscle. The mage made an inelegant 'meep!' into Kurogane's mouth and he laughed, deeply, breaking the kiss to look down at the disheveled blonde.
"Any further, and I won't go back," he warned, his eyes devouring picture Fai presented, all swollen lips and tangled hair, his jerkin undone to the waist and tangled with his shirt. "You look completely undone." He murmured, lips curving into a smirk.
Fai answered by tugging at Kurogane's shirt and complaining languidly, "You've not undone me enough, Kuro-puu!" His eyes were dancing with devils as he slid his fingers into the waist of the ninja's pants. Looking up from beneath his lashes, he found Kurogane's eyes on him, an expression in them that made him loose the ability to breath or even think, even as his lips were crushed in a violent kiss and the night bled away into sensation.
- -
He woke to the sound of a whisper and the feeling of warm breath against his ear.
"Bastard," a sweet voice was saying. "I won't be able to walk for a century, you know. And what will the Syaoran and Hime-chan say when I go limping everywhere, my hand on my rump like an old lady? Hmm? Kuro-chan is a mean, mean man. Mmmm … bastard Kuro-pi."
It was not for lack of effort, but he lost the battle with his lips, and they began to curve even as the voice continued to complain. He could feel the long body next to his, the soft hair brushing his chin, and slim hands sliding over his chest. Carefully, he rolled, gathering the warm body against his own and burrowing his face into Fai's neck, licking and kissing until the voice changed from soft complaints to little sighs and broken moans.
"B-bastard," the mage gasped.
"Get used to it," Kurogane answered. He wasn't letting go anytime soon.