13Disclaimer: I don't own Tsubasa. Otherwise it wouldn't be Japanese.
Summary: Inside was much too cold for his liking. Outside was much too hot. He didn't know whether to suffocate it the unbearable heat or freeze slowly wrapped in twenty blankets.
Pairing: Fai and Kurogane
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The feather was already acquired. The battles were already won. The working was yet to be finished in the field. The gang had yet to recuperate.
Freezing. Much like his home planet without the ice or snow. Just cold. The AC was up to its maximum to keep everyone else cool, but he couldn't stand it. He could never stand it. And since the witch had his fuzzy, thick coats, he couldn't keep the chill out. Hearing a grunt, he turned to see a sweaty man enter the room.
"Kuro-potpie! I can't f-feel my toes!" the shivering man said, recoiling under the third blanket of his bed and cursing himself lightly for letting his teeth chatter. Kurogane removed his sweat soaked muscle shirt and tossed it haphazardly to the side of the room. Fai shuddered, thinking it impossible for Kuro-foe to be hot in this house.
"Put your shoes on." He said nonchalantly, making Fai scowl.
"They are on! How can you stand to be in here without a shirt on?" Fai questioned, blushing slightly when the information sunk in his half frozen brain. Kuro-chi without a shirt on sitting willingly in front of me? And I can't do anything to provoke him?! Fai almost cried out in frustration with himself. He was too cold to do anything but complain and whine. The blonde watched as Kurogane laid down on his bed, his legs off to the side and his hands behind his head. As Kurogane dried slowly, Fai began to think a little clearer.
"Why are you all sweaty?" He asked, scrunching his nose up. Kurogane cast a sidelong glance at him.
"I was working in the field again today. The kid is suffering from a heatstroke so I had to take both our shifts. The princess is also running a fever. God, can't anyone do anything in this place?" Kurogane grumbled the last part to himself, but loud enough for the mage to hear.
"I'm sorry, Kuro-quack, but I don't want to leave the warm of my…ah…ah...ACHOO!" Kurogane sighed and sat up, narrowing his eyes and thinning his lips at the sight of Fai rubbing his nose with his index finger.
"You. Catching a cold?" He said, the last part more of a disbelieving comment than a question. Fai shrugged and smiled, only to shiver violently. Kurogane rubbed his temple lightly with his index finger and thumb.
"What am I going to do with you?" Fai heard him murmur. Fai chuckled quietly at this. He was about to reply when Kurogane stood and started walking towards the door. Fai made a noise of confusion when he saw his back vanish behind the doorframe. When Kurogane didn't look/come back, Fai sighed and looked out the window. The sun was setting, meaning the cold would increase. Fai, again, wanted to sob in spite of himself, feeling hopeless and irritable at the fact he was still cold. As nighttime became abundant, Fai counted the stars starting to appear. He loved how they seemed to dance against the hot waves beating against his window. Smothering heat waves. Fai imagined Syaoran and Kurogane working machinery and plowing tools in a long, wide field all morning up until dinner. He grimaced when he realized that they were the ones who had it rough instead of himself. He felt really selfish. Fai absentmindedly got up from his bed, carrying the now 4 blankets with him. He heard the shower going, so he headed in that direction. He didn't even think to knock.
"Kuro-ham?" He said quietly, looking at the shower water run into a concealed area.
"Come any closer and your liver will never work for you again." He heard the gruff, but tired voice behind the curtain say. Fai sat down on the toilet lid, listening to the water. He noticed there was no steam.
"How…how cold is that water, Kuro-fart?" Fai said meagerly, trying not to imagine chilling ice water on his own back. Kurogane just grunted.
"How are you not cold? It's freezing in here!" Fai said, looking for something else to wrap around himself. He heard the water stop and immediately he stiffened and turned to look at the soaking wet man. Man that's a short towel. Fai thought before mentally slapping himself for thinking such inappropriate but oddly satisfying remarks. He psychologically slapped himself again for saying satisfying.
Kurogane gave him a 'what are you looking at, idiot?' look that made Fai stand/avert his gaze. Kurogane grumbled something about 'dumb mage' and twisted Fai around with his hands on his shoulders. Fai blinked, facing the door.
"Kuro-?"
"Go back to the bedroom. I'll be in shortly." He heard Kurogane's voice rumble behind him, his hands letting go of the firm grip on his shoulders. Fai smiled back at the mostly naked man and wobbled back into the room the two males shared and searched for another topping to his blanket cake. When Kurogane came back in less then fully dressed, Fai had stolen his three blankets and a pillow. Kurogane gave him the 'dad' look, folding his arms and leaning against the doorframe. Fai smiled sheepishly, not moving. Kurogane walked over to Fai's bed, yanking the top two layers off of the blonde. This in turn made the mage mewl annoyed, but the tanned man did nothing to recognize it. He flopped on his own bed, spreading the blankets enough to cover half his body. Fai began to sob dramatically about how 'daddy was mean' and 'that he didn't love mommy' and 'he could care less if mommy froze to death' and other things Kurogane didn't bother to listen to. But, after what felt like eternity of this, Kurogane jolted up into a sitting position, the throbbing vein in his forehead very visible.
"SHUT UP! Get over here! NOW!" He yelled, not caring that Fai was giving his a scared look or that he might wake the children. Slowly, Fai got up and walked over to him, sitting next to him on the bed.
"Um, what do you want me to do, Kuro-yams?" the blonde said, staring confusedly at the taller man.
"Enough of the ridiculous names, mage." Kurogane reprimanded coldly, grabbing Fai by the shoulders. Fai flinched, not expecting warm hands on his ice-like shoulders. What stunned him even more was that the man in front of him pulled him down to lay next to him under all the blankets.
"Kuro…Kuro-tan?" Fai whispered, afraid that too much noise would break the raven haired man.
"Be quiet and get some sleep. It's starting to get a little cold in here and I could use extra heat. And so could you, ice cube. Don't say anything or do anything. If you even think of mentioning this to anyone else, so Kami help me now-"
"Ok, ok, Kuro-fickle, I get it. I'll keep this our little secret." Fai said, smiling as Kurogane blushed lightly. He grunted, placing a hand on the blonde mop of hair and leaving it there. The mage lowered his head to the stronger man's chest. Fai counted Kurogane's heartbeats as they slowed when he sank into slumber. He smiled to himself, letting his own eyes close. Not too cold, not too hot. Warm. Just right.
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Erm, I based this off of actual events. Fai is in my situation now. Its so freaking cold in my house, I'm the only one annoyed by it, and its too muggy and hot outside to even attempt going out the door. So yeah.
Mirika-puppy-san