Soooooooo Laaaaaaaate! *Sigh* But better late than never right XD I'm glad that I FINALLY got this finished! I'd also like to do a little shout out to my friend Nessie-san! In my more recent fics I started worrying about length and wordiness, but in the ones where I've held back on statements...I'm not entirely proud of them -_- So, I've thought about your advice that you gave me a LOOONG time ago Nessie-san and I'm taking it ^^ I won't worry about lengthiness anymore and just write what comes natually to me!

Of course, to anyone, if it ever gets RIDICULOUSLY unnecessary then just let me know. ^^ Constructive criticism is what makes me a better writer!

Anyway, for those of you who were waiting for this fic...Thank you for waiting patiently! I hope I don't disappoint ^^

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing but the Plot ^^ All characters belong to CLAMP

The castle was restless. Everywhere he went he could hear the whispers, the mumbles, the rumors. He was a ninja damn it! Of course he can hear every damn word the servants of Shirasaki castle uttered about him. And they knew that he knew, for whenever he passed them they quickly ceased speaking became suddenly wary of the harsh glare they'd receive.

Damn Soma.

This was all her fault.

Soma, in her drunken state, was the one who blabbed to the entire castle, including Tomoyo-hime, what had happened that night that Tomoyo sent Kurogane out for drinks with Soma and the other ninjas.

He didn't even want to go! Of course if it was an order from the princess he could do nothing but oblige. That didn't stop him from holding this resentment against Soma. After all it was because of her that he ended up doing something worthy of the servant's gossip.

Of all places, she took him to a brothel. A BROTHEL! Even worse, she just abandoned him at the front door to deal with the proprietress alone. Not much even happened once he arrived there anyway. The fact that Soma was acting like there had, irked him more than the teasing Tomoyo had gave him.

To be honest, as much as he complained about being dragged unknowingly to the Red Light District and deceived into picking a prostitute, a male one at that…he had to admit that being there wasn't completely unpleasant. What was that guy's name again?

Fai.

A foreign name. It suited his foreign looks. Wispy blonde hair, striking blue eyes, soft pale flesh… for a man only one year older than him, he was surprisingly feminine looking. If his hair was just a bit longer…

Kurogane shook his head.

It had already been 2 weeks since he'd been to the brothel and he couldn't get that stupid blonde idiot out of his head! He would always pass it off as just some earthly desire to finish what he and Fai started 2 weeks earlier. Lately though, he found himself thinking not of the physical part of their activities…but the conversation before.

Kurogane was patrolling the castle for any assassins or enemy warriors. As he jumped from roof to roof he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw a lengthy stretch of road…decorated vividly with bright red lights and lanterns. He never noticed before just how close the Red Light District really was to the palace.

He narrowed his eyes. He could see some of the open windows and shapeless figures moving inside them. He looked away with disinterest. He was about to continue his patrol when his eyes flashed across a certain window. He looked back to see what seemed to be a round yellow head resting on a windowsill. That hair…was blonde. There was no way he could make out the person to whom the golden locks was attached to, but he was fairly certain he was locking eyes with Fai.

He turned around to continue his patrol. He cursed himself for getting distracted. He was a ninja of Shirasaki castle damn it! He shouldn't be off daydreaming and looking through windows of whorehouses while on duty. Yet for some reason he couldn't manage to tame the slight blush on his cheeks.

In all honesty, he wanted to go back.

He told Fai that he would be back. Whether he would follow through with that commitment he wasn't quite sure. He was never one to go back on his promises but really…what merit does a promise to a prostitute really have?

He shook his head again.

For some reason it felt wrong for him to think that. He scoffed at himself. It wasn't often that he thought too deeply about things. Actually to be more accurate he'd never confused himself like this before. It annoyed him. Anything that had to do with mental effort or understanding he deemed useless. He paused on the top of Tomoyo's shrine.

She had joked with him and told him that since he had such a good time on his last vacation day, that he could have another anytime he asked. He narrowed his eyes.

He wanted to go back. Sure he was interested in the sex, he was still a virgin after all. He was at least that much in tune to his natural desire to understand what he wanted physically.

But to have internal conflicts like this, and not about the physical aspect of going back, was just out of character for him. It pissed him off to find himself thinking like this. He heard a rattle from atop one of the nearby roofs. Their presence didn't feel like any of his allies. He grinned.

This he understood.

It was in almost no time at all that he had lunged for the next roof over and struck down his enemy with his sword. The blood that splattered the tiles gave him great satisfaction. There was no complexity in death. You either kill, or be killed. That's that. complications. Simple. He grinned as he sensed a group of others behind him.

Tomoyo sighed. She didn't have to be a dream seer to know that the grunts and cackles and thuds she heard from above her shrine were from Kurogane defeating his enemies. She sat at the altar, praying that the assassins will retreat to fight another day. If not, then Kurogane would surely kill them all.

When she heard that Kurogane and Soma had ventured to the Red Light District, she was definitely surprised. She was even a little annoyed that some strange man was touching her precious Kurogane. The boy was like an older brother to her and she a sister to him.

What she didn't expect was for Kurogane to actually show less mercilessness than usual. If enemies retreated he would let them. He wouldn't chase after the petty criminals that made their way a little too close to the castle. At first she was happy, but the longer he was away from the city, the more ruthless he became. The more he was reverting back to his former image as bloodthirsty killer.

Slowly, she stood up

She heard the thud of a falling body directly over her shrine. A moment of silence passed and she heard the sound of metal scraping against a scabbard as Kurogane sheathed his sword…for the moment. She sighed.

He had killed them all.

She sat down again and closed her eyes. She searched for Kurogane's mind as she briefly traveled through dreams. It wasn't hard to find. His mind was dark and menacing. His adrenaline was still pumping from the brief battle. She found him almost instantly, though to her surprise she sensed another part of his mind that he kept hidden further back. She sensed a bit of confusion…and desire.

She smiled slightly.

She was going to contact him to scold him again, but with this newfound discovery…if she could give him an excuse to go back into the city, it seemed like he would go back to that brothel. Perhaps whoever he met there the last time would be the one to put a stop to Kurogane's violent sprees.

'Kurogane' she spoke, contacting him mentally. She felt his mood dampen.

'What do you want?' he replied bitterly.

'You've killed too many again.' she said. His aura suddenly became angry.

'You CAN'T be serious! They were here to kill you! I stopped all of them! How can you complain about that!' he mentally shouted.

'Yes you put a stop to all of them…including the ones who tried to retreat.' she said.

'Hey, anyone who holds a weapon should be prepared to die by one. It's their own damn fault.' he replied irritated. Tomoyo sighed. It wasn't really the deaths of the enemies that bothered her. That's just how Kurogane interpreted it. It was the fact that he was losing sight of the reason why he fought, why he wanted strength. He was beginning to enjoy killing for the sake of killing. At this point it was all circumstantial murder.

An idea occurred to her as she still sensed the conflict inside him.

'Kurogane, I thank you for your hard work tonight. I implore you take the rest of the night off to enjoy yourself.' she said. Kurogane's jaw dropped, appalled. He ran to the edge of the roof and jumped a few stories down before he landed before the sliding paper door. He threw it open, nearly splintering the wood and ripping the paper.

"Are you kidding me! I just saved you from an assassination attack! There'll be more coming!" he shouted.

"I'll send for Soma's squadron to take your place." she said, voice unwavering.

"Those idiots can't handle my position! Princess let me-!"

"Kurogane." Tomoyo said firmly "This is an order, not a suggestion." she said.

Kurogane glared but remained silent.

"Go to my sister's page. He will give you your pay. Use it for food, drinks or other things," she then smiled at him, pleadingly "Just go out tonight and not think about anything else." she said.

Kurogane frowned. Whenever she looked at him like that it really made him feel like he let her down. He still didn't understand her reasoning, but…he made a disgruntled noise and reluctantly left the shrine, making sure to slam the door rather harshly. Tomoyo smiled softly.

She returned to the altar to pray that Kurogane will soon remember his true purpose in his quest for strength. She called for Soma and a select group of ninjas to take Kurogane's position and keep guard for the night.

The few number of townspeople that were up and about so late at night, walked down the road…wary. With Kurogane, Tomoyo-hime's famed merciless ninja walking about, no one dared approach him and get on his bad side. He seemed to be in a bad mood anyway.

Kurogane cursed himself for giving in so easily. Tomoyo really knew how to pull his strings…and it annoyed him. He just couldn't understand what she wanted from him. It was all so stupid to Kurogane. Why would someone not want their assassins to be disposed of! Was she really that much of an idiot!

Alcohol.

He needed alcohol. Just thinking about Tomoyo right now was giving him a headache. He was about to walk in the next bar that appeared on the street when he stopped. He recognized the place. This was the same bar that he had went with Soma and the other ninjas. He may have been slightly intoxicated at the time, but he was sure he could remember the way to the…

He shook his head. His cheeks suddenly felt warmer than they did before. Why was he thinking of going back there again? Sure he had wanted to but…would he?

No one was there. Not Tomoyo. Not Soma. Not anyone he knew or cared about. Just him. He could go and no one would ever know. It's not like he cared what anyone thought of him. He was just sick of listening to all the damn whispers in the castle. In any case, maybe this time if he and Fai actually…

He grunted. Walking away from the bar, he followed the road that he remembered led to the Red Light District. If he and Fai were to actually do it this time, then maybe he could relieve some of this stress Tomoyo was causing for him. That's all it was. Stress relief. He wasn't about to admit that he actually wanted to see the blonde. Those kinds of thoughts weren't something that a trained warrior should have.

He slowed his pace when he started seeing beautiful women roaming the streets with men they would only be associated with through payment. The yellow glow from storefront lights began to fade as red lanterns came into view among many different buildings. He was there.

He had returned to the Red Light District.

He spotted the brothel that Soma had taken him to and swallowed. He found it irritating that his heartbeat was suddenly picking up speed as he approached the place. He was about to open the door when he saw a distant light from his right side. He looked up and saw the moon shining brightly through a gap in the trees. Through the gap he could also make out the rooftop of Shirasaki castle.

He blushed suddenly as he thought of the idea that as he was looking down at the town from the rooftop, Fai was watching him too. He hadn't considered that as he was looking down at Fai, knowing it was Fai…and the blonde was staring at him similarly. He shook his head and entered. The headmistress of the establishment sat in her usual position before the door. She perked her head up and smiled at him.

"Well if it isn't the Princess's Warrior. Come back I see." she smirked. Kurogane's glare wasn't as fierce with the tint in his cheeks. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. He smiled inwardly when he saw her face contort into slight concern.

"Tell no one about this." he warned. She faked a shaky smile before covering her face with her fan.

"Of course not." she said. Kurogane nodded curtly as he removed his hand from his sword. He looked around the room and flushed awkwardly. The last time he was there he had been a bit drunk. He didn't remember which way it was to the room where Fai was. The proprietress seemed to notice this and smiled as she lowered her fan.

"Would you like an escort young warrior?" she said, voice low and smooth. Kurogane turned to her.

"Don't patronize me woman. I just don't remember the way." he snapped. The woman merely nodded. She turned her head down a hallway and called the same name as last time.

"Syaoran!" she shouted. After a moment, the young brunette boy stumbled through the door, erecting his back in the presence of his employer.

"Yes Mistress." he said. She glanced at Kurogane.

"Our young knight would like to be led to the "Men's Services" rooms." she said. Syaoran nodded.

"Yes Mistress." he said. He eyed Kurogane and awkwardly bowed to him. Kurogane followed the kid down the hallway like last time. Now that he was sober he was able to actually take in his surroundings. There were many doors that they passed, most likely bedrooms for the prostitutes and their customers. He even passed another hallway labeled "General Services". Must have been for the heterosexual customers. Kurogane shook his head. He wasn't about to go into any of the reasons why he might like a man's touch more than a woman's.

"Here it is." Syaoran said, standing in front of the paper door. He nodded to Kurogane.

"P-Please enjoy your evening sir!" he said. Kurogane nodded back. As the kid walked away he vaguely wondered how such a young brat got a job here of all places. He stopped when he remembered that Fai had said something about being abducted and working here since he was 14...even younger than that kid appeared to be. He sighed, seriously getting irritated with all these depressing thoughts.
He reached a hand out and touched the wood of the paper door. He hesitated a moment before he opened it, bracing himself for the smoky incense.

The smell hadn't lessened in all the time he was absent. It was still just as strong and overpowering as it was during his previous visit. It was so strong his eyes nearly watered. He stepped into the room, immediately looking for a head of blonde hair.

"Ah! It's Tomoyo-hime's ninja!" one of the men gasped.

"Just as handsome as always I see." another said.

Kurogane gritted his teeth. That's all he ever heard about when he went into town. Tomoyo-hime's this, Tomoyo-hime's that. His name was Kurogane and he wasn't anyone's property! It was almost just as bad as hearing the hushed rumors at the castle. He was about to tell himself this was a mistake when he heard an all to familiar voice.

"Kuro-sama?"

Kurogane followed the voice to the blonde haired boy in the back. His blue eyes were wide as he gazed at Kurogane. The light blue kimono was draped provocatively around his shoulders. The navy blue obi tied even worse than it was the first time. He couldn't even tell if he tried to tie it at all. A few men surrounding him sent him jealous glares and scolded him for addressing a customer in such a way.

"Just because you slept with him once, don't let it get to your head!" one hissed below his breath. Kurogane turned and strode towards Fai. The other man kept quiet and looked away. Kurogane stopped before both of them. Holding his hand out to Fai he scoffed.

"My name is Kurogane." he said, a light blush dusting his cheeks. Fai smiled and grabbed his hand.

"Of course." he said, pulling himself up. "Right this way, Kuro-run." he whispered

"Every time! All the customers chose him."

"How the hell are we supposed to make money here when he gets all the business!"

"He always get's the best too."

"At least he also get's the worst."

Kurogane looked at the room of men. They had spoken poorly of Fai the last time he was there too. He noticed many of them glowering dangerously at the blonde. He returned the gesture by sending them a scowl of his own. He smirked to himself when their hard faces turned pale.

Feeling triumphant, Kurogane looked away from them, disinterested. He turned his eyes on Fai's back. His gaze found its way to the boy's neck…which was powered pretty thickly with some sort of cosmetic. Through the powder he could see dark marks on his neck and shoulders. He might have been drunk the last time he visited but he didn't remember seeing nearly that many dark marks on his pale skin.

Fai opened the door to his own room and led the warrior inside. He smiled weakly.

"You've returned Kuro-sama." the blonde stated. Kurogane frowned, seeing his face in this light the moron obviously hadn't been getting much sleep. Dark circles hung below his eyes

"It's Kurogane." he retorted. Fai chuckled.

"You haven't changed." he grinned.

"It's only been two weeks moron. Of course I'm still the same." he replied. Fai smiled. His knees seemed to waver a bit so he supported himself on the bed without Kurogane noticing. It was after all, this moment that he was waiting two weeks for. To be able to be with Kurogane again. He had never enjoyed being with a customer as much as he enjoyed being around Kurogane.

"So, has Tomoyo-hime forced another vacation on you or is this of your own free will?" the blonde teased. Kurogane scoffed.

"I make my own choices…but she did throw me out of the castle again." he mumbled the last part. Fai chuckled.

"What did you do this time Kuro-run?" he smiled, shifting to sit on the bed. Kurogane looked out the window and glared. He could see the roofs of Shirasaki castle in the light of the moon.

"My job." he said. Fai titled his head in confusion.

"Then why did she send you away?" he asked. Kurogane tensed.

"Who knows?" he replied bitterly. "To piss me off maybe" he spat. Fai smiled. Stepping off the bed, he walked up to Kurogane. He trailed his hands up the taller boy's arms, gently laying them on either side of his face and bringing his gaze toward his.

"Then let's forget her Kuro-tan. You came here to relieve some stress right?" He said, his voice low but slurry from lack of sleep.

"I can do that. I'd be happy to do that." he said, sliding his fingers along Kurogane's face to tangle in the thick black hair. He brought his lips close to Kurogane's, breathing lightly. Kurogane blushed, the heat from Fai's breath ghosting over his face and making his cheeks feel even hotter. As much as he didn't want to, he quickly pulled away. Fai cast him a confused glance, almost hurt. His arms hung in mid air where Kurogane stood only a moment ago.

"Kuro-"

"There's something I want to know first." he said. Fai dropped his arms to the sides, still confused. Kurogane looked at him seriously.

"Are you tired?" he asked. Fai's eyes widened. He smiled, chuckling a bit at the ridiculousness of the question.

"No." he replied. Kurogane narrowed his eyes.

"You have bags under your eyes, you're legs are shaking and your not speaking right." he said simply. He smirked.

"You can't fool a ninja." he said. Fai didn't know how to respond. He stood there in shock at the other boy. He looked at the ground, smiling sullenly. He was so sure he had made it to the bed before Kurogane noticed his shaking legs.

"I guess not." he smiled. Kurogane sighed.

"Then I should probably go." he said. He felt a twinge of disappointment, but he knew it would be useless if the blonde fell asleep in the middle of everything. Hell, things would be worse! He turned to leave when a voice from behind the door startled him.

"Blondie! Hurry it up! Your regular is here!" Fai paled. It was the financial manager of the establishment, Kyle. Kurogane saw the look of horror on his face at the mention of his "regular". He grunted. Tonight will only be a bit different from last time. Nothing will happen.

"I'll leave." Kurogane said, not trying to show his disappointment. He was about to head toward the door when he felt a hand grasp the sleeve of his shirt. He looked over to Fai.

"I'm with a customer now!" Fai shouted to the men outside. Kurogane's eyes widened.

"That's why I said to hurry it up! We can't afford to lose customers!" Kyle snapped back through the door. There was a slight shuffle, then the sound of footsteps echoing away down the hallway and away from the room. Kurogane turned to Fai in confusion. He hesitated to see Fai performing sexual favors while he was so exhausted.

"I'm fine, really." Fai said, he looked Kurogane in the eyes and smiled "My regular…he can wait." he said. The look in Fai's eyes proved to the warrior that he wasn't doing this for the money or out of civil duty or some sort of work ethic…he wanted Kurogane to be here. That idea stirred something in Kurogane. His cheeks began to feel hot all over again. He looked away.

"Idiot…fine...just don't push yourself." he admonished. Fai's pleading expression softened into that of relief. He nodded in understanding as he slowly placed his hands on the side of the warrior's arms. Any anxiety over his regular customer had disappeared. He finally had Kurogane to himself, for this one night at least.

This is the part that took me the longest to finish. I really wanted Kurogane and Fai to actually TALK for a while before they have sex. Just something that'll bring them closer together ^^ Anyway! Chapter 2 next!