40Sakura placed her hands on her hips and smiled in triumph. She looked over the just folded laundry to watch Kurogane and Syaoran dueling each other a ways off. She smiled brightly when Kurogane offered the teen a hand after he fell over. She was so caught up in her viewing that she jumped slightly as a hand was placed upon her shoulder.
"Sakura-chan, are you finished with the laundry?" Fay asked, having just come out of the borrowed house of that world. The girl sighed in relief as she saw it was only him and picked up the basket.
"Why yes, Fay-san, I'm done." She said airily, turning to him. Over his shoulder she could see Mokona bound out of the house toward the two men in the field, yelling happily about something unrelated. She looked back to the taller.
"I suppose you're back from shopping?" She asked. Fay smiled back, only seeming a bit strained.
"Yes, only something didn't go according to plan..." He said, itching his nose while laughing nervously. Sakura tilted her head to the side and was about to ask what it was when she saw a little boy of about 5 years old walk out of the door timidly. Her green eyes widened when she noticed that this boy was a younger version of someone present. There stood a boy, disheveled from playing in a yard or the mud, with a messy head of pure black and spiky hair. His shifty red eyes darted about the playing family with hesitant caution. The only difference between the one fighting in the yard with the boy was that this child's bangs hung so loosely he could barely see passed them. He instantly walked to Fay, and would've fooled anyone that he didn't give a damn about the rest of them if he had not hid his face in the mage's pants. The blond gave a small and apologetic smile to Sakura before looking down at the boy and placing a hand on the young one's head.
"...He... he needs some place to stay..." The wizard said solemnly, looking back to the teenager with a frown.
"... But he won't tell me why..." Sakura blinked and looked at the younger version, who was still trying to burrow into Fay's knee. Meanwhile in the field, Kurogane stood up straight and wiped his brow. He sheathed his sword and looked over to Sakura and Fay, blinking.
"Hey... who's that kid, manjuu?" He asked curtly, nodding toward the tuft of hair that was barely visible. Syaoran also looked at the boy while Mokona jumped about happily.
"It's you! It's you! It's a mini-you!" She sang as she bounced off of the teenager's shoulder. Syaoran and Kurogane exchanged a curious look before starting off toward Fay. Said man bent over while placing a hand on the boy's back.
"Hey... hey... stop rubbing at it, it'll get infected..." He cooed, touching the pale arm. The hand stopped rubbing a cut on his other forearm and ruby eyes looked up to blue.
"B...But.. it.. hurts..." He said with a pout, and Fay couldn't help but smile. He danced his nimble fingers against the cut.
"I know it must hurt, but you have to let us fix it up before you can do anything to it..." He was about to continue explaining the healing process when he saw Kurogane's boots come into view. He froze and looked up slowly with a small smile, seeing the other two men giving him a stunned look. Syaoran's was of delighted surprise, whilst Kurogane's was just pure shock. Fay stood up straight and the little one took refuge behind his leg once more. Fay began to explain.
"I found him on my way home, he was just sitting in an alley and... Kuro-san, he's just a boy!" The desperateness in his voice only served to rub Kurogane the wrong way, and the child's mimicked surprise just made him angrier. He grabbed the front of Fay's shirt and was about to start yelling when the boy let out a heart wrenching sob.
"No daddy! No! Don't hurt mommy!" Fay and Kurogane were shocked into stilled silence. They both looked down to the boy, who was now crying. Syaoran and Sakura exchanged glances as well. The boy grabbed Kurogane's pant leg.
"D-don't h-hurt m-m..mommy..."
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"And off it goes!" Fay said as he pulled the boy's shirt off over his head. He smiled as the child just seemed to laugh. The red eyes looked back up at him.
"...Mommy..." He began. Fay felt something twitch in his body that made him feel very uncomfortable, but he hid it with a smile.
"Yes, dear one?"
"...You never say my name anymore..." He said with a frown, busying his fingers by holding onto a hem of the shirt. Fay bit his lip as he paused getting a wash rag.
"...Why do you think that is?" He said with nervousness, wetting the towel. The boy pouted angrily.
"Because you forgot." When he said this, Fay looked over to the boy. He smiled.
"Why would I forget something so important to me?" He said as he got on his knees in front of the boy, who was sitting on the toilet seat. The boy's pout turned from angry to extremely sad.
"...You never said I was important before..." He whimpered before more tears fell. Fay's expression fell. He simply wrapped his arms around the tiny one, cooing softly to him.
"Your name, little one... is a name I'd never forget..." He closed his eyes, knowing the other owner of this name was standing right outside the door, pretending not to care enough to do what he was actually doing.
"Your name, my dear one, is that of a fighter, of a strong will and strong heart... It's a name I could only forget in another dream where I have never met you..." He pulled away with a smile, wiping the boy's eyes gently. The child hiccuped and looked at Fay.
"T...Then what is it?" He asked softly. Fay only smiled wider.
"Kurogane."
The man outside the door flinched when he heard his name said fully by the mage for the first time since the blond and him met. He tilted his head slightly to gaze inside the room. The boy only cried more.
"M...Mommy! Mommy!" He sobbed out of relief. Fay smiled wider and pulled the little one in his arms. When the child was still burying himself into Fay's shirt, the blue eyes darted to the door where Kurogane stood. The ninja frowned when eye contact was made, telling the wizard they needed to talk. Fay smiled sadly as his gaze fell to the floor.
"Dear one..." He said softly. The little Kurogane looked up as he wiped his nose on the back side of his hand.
"Can I trust you to finish undressing and to get in the tub by yourself?" Fay asked slowly. The boy saluted the mother figure.
"Yes ma'am!" He said roughly. Fay turned away and pretended to busy himself with cleaning up. He didn't watch as the child struggled out of his clothing and only turned to look when he heard the boy submerge in the water. Fay blinked and when the child didn't come back up, he rushed to the side of the tub.
"Kurogane?!" He asked hurriedly and was about to reach in when the boy came up and squirted water from his mouth into the blonde's face. Fay gasped and turned away as the boy laughed. The blond joined in his laughter whilst wondering why this Kurogane was so playful compared to the other. Said other blushed slightly when he peered in the room, seeing the child so happy with Fay. Said wizard felt hairs on the back of his neck rise, knowing that the warrior was still paying attention to them.
"Did I ever tell you how much I cared about you?" The blond asked with a smile. The boy shook his head, water flinging about slightly. Fay giggled a little and stroked the wet hair; he didn't want to lie to the boy and say he had always felt this way, but if this was truly another version of Kurogane... would it then be lying?
"I care so much it hurts my heart... so much I worry when you're gone and never want you to leave when you're here..." Fay kissed the pale forehead and closed his eyes as he rested his lips softly against it.
"I care so much I think I could never not care." The boy felt more tears threaten to fall, but he didn't let them. Instead he took hold of Fay's hand with both of his.
"Mommy! You said you'd never leave me! But you left me!" He began, the vain attempt at trying not to cry failing miserably. Fay looked to the boy with a small frown.
"Leave you? But I'm right here."
"No! Before! Daddy.. he said you left... he said you weren't ever coming back! I was scared! I didn't want you to leave!" The boy wiped his nose again and looked to Fay.
"I never w-wanted daddy to h-hurt you... but.. h-he did... he always blamed you for being mad... he n-never hit me... he never w-wanted to hit me OR you... but.. h-he did anyway... he was... s-so s-s-sad... when you left... h-he said he'd c-cut off his own arm if it w-would stop the p-pain..." Fay looked at the child in surprise and then over to the door to where Kurogane stood.
"D-daddy... said you w...went away... you went... an...and he was going... t-to go get you..." The boy looked up, new tears springing from his eyes.
"D-daddy! Daddy!" He started to scream, eyes squinting shut as the tears fell out freely. Fay began to panic. He looked over to the door and before he could say his name Kurogane was in the room as well. The boy looked over to the tallest man and reached out his arms. The ninja's eye twitched, but he sighed and knelt down next to Fay, having the child encircle his arms around the tan neck.
"Daddy! Daddy!" He whimpered softer into the black shirt. Kurogane shot an awkward glance over to Fay, who merely shrugged with a smile. The boy slipped off the man's shoulders until he was just resting his forehead against Kurogane's chest.
"D...daddy... why... why didn't you come back?" The black haired man flinched once more before looking over at Fay. The magician leaned against the wall as he stared back at the two, his smile slipping off.
"...I..." Kurogane began, feeling incredibly awkward. "...I'm back now... aren't I?" He said slowly, making the boy's hands tighten in the shirt. Fay leaned forward again and placed a hand on the child's back.
"Hey... there's no need to cry now, little one... we're both here..." He looked to Kurogane. "We'll always be here..." He said absentmindedly, making Kurogane glare at him. Fay blinked and bit his lip. He knew he shouldn't make such promises, but now it was too late. The boy looked up to Fay blankly, before smiling a smile that mimicked Fay's true smile. It almost made Kurogane double take. He looked to Fay with a serious look, saying they NEEDED to talk. Fay nodded. The little Kurogane allowed the warrior to sit up again on the side of the tub next to the blond. The child exchanged a look between his 'parents', before slapping his hands together.
"What are you waiting for?" He asked impatiently. Fay and Kurogane blinked, looking at each other and then the boy. "Wh...what.. do you mean, Kurogane?" Fay asked awkwardly, only saying his name as little as possible. He didn't like the sound of Kurogane's name when it fully rolled off his own tongue. the boy puckered out his lips.
"You give each other cooties!" He said in a matter-of-fact tone. Kurogane's face went scarlet whilst Fay laughed nervously. The blond looked slowly at his companion, blushing pink.
"...W...why would we...?" He began, but the pout on the boy's face told him not to question it. Maybe this world Fay and Kurogane always made up with a kiss, and that's why... He saw Kurogane'sexpression change from embarrassment to aggravation, meaning he must've thought the same. Fay smiled sheepishly and leaned forward.
"...O..of course..." He said softly, slightly wishing that if this meant anything to Kurogane that it would've happened somewhere else at a different time. This setting wasn't exactly the most romantic. Oh well, Fay thought, at least he got to fill SOME part of his own fantasies.
Kurogane clenched his teeth when he saw the mage move closer to him. He'd rather not have kissed the blond in front of a squirt, but... wait... he WANTED to kiss the blond? He looked to Fay fully, seeing the blush there. Now that he thought about it... he wasn't sure he wasn't too unwilling to fulfill the boy's request. He also leaned forward, though he knew it would surely be a target of the mage's teasings later. Unfortunately, he hadn't had much practice with kissing, you know, being a ninja and all, so he had to make sure he was kissing the right place. In order to do that, he placed a hand on Fay's cheek and matched their lips perfectly. The kisses lasted only a short moment, but both Fay and Kurogane felt butterflies tearing it up in their stomachs. The boy had long since lost interest in his 'parents' and moved his attention to the floating boat in the water. The adults parted, briefly looking at each other. Fay's eyes seemed to be glossed over in an unfamiliar haze, whilst Kurogane's mimicked it. They both blinked, blushed deeper, and separated quickly, looking in opposite directions. Fay was thankful that the boy hadn't been looking for that part.
"Ah! D-do you like that toy?" He asked hurriedly, getting down on his knees beside the tub and laying over the edge with his stomach so he could be on eye level with the 5-year-old. The little Kurogane smiled widely. "Yeah! Boats are neat!" He said, giving the toy to Fay. The mage smiled and looked over to where Kurogane was sitting, but blinked when he found no one. He looked about the bathroom, and realized the swordsman was gone.
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"All tucked in?" Fay asked, having the boy sleep in his bed. They had only rented a house with three rooms and a guest room, one of them taking the guest room, which was Fay, and now the boy was snuggled up tightly into the oversized bed.
"Yeah... Hey... mommy... why are you guys in a different home?" He began, looking up to Fay. The blonde smiled.
"Our friends wanted your daddy to stay here... they found me in a not very nice condition and helped me out..."He smiled and leaned over the boy to rub his nose with the tiny one.
"We were coming back, but you found me." The child blinked.
"OHHH! If that's why, why didn't you guys tell me so? I think I left before the baby sitter came, but if you were just leaving..." He yawned just then, showing Fay he was only keeping the boy up. The magician smiled softly and leaned down to plant a kiss on the little Kurogane's forehead.
"Sleep tight, my little one, you can meet our friends at breakfast tomorrow." He whispered. The dark haired child nodded and yawned again, closing his eyes. Fay smiled and ruffled the spiky hair, which was now much more tame since it had been washed and now the back was hanging down in whisps. He sighed, noticing more and more how much the child looked like him as well as he did Kurogane. He stood then, and turned. The blond started somewhat when he saw Kurgoane leaning against the door frame.
Kurogane looked at the child slowly before his vision fell on Fay. He flicked his head to the side in a gesture for the lithe man to follow before exiting.
The blond closed the door and folded his arms. Before he could say anything, Kurogane stepped closer.
"Whatever he says... whatever he does, keep in mind; that kid is not mine!" He hissed vehemently. Fay felt his heart skip a beat and he frowned, looking down.
"I know, but... we should just play along! He's only a boy, and he doesn't know any better!" He whispered back, making Kurogane growl.
"His real parents are out there and they're probably looking for him! We shouldn't keep him for very long in case you get attached!" He explained quickly, making Fay frown deeper. He fell into a moment of silence before looking up to the warrior once again.
"Shouldn't we talk with the children as well?" He began, but Kurogane shook his head.
"No, not now. They don't need to know." He said in a hushed tone, the two adults now being the only ones awake.
"I would think so... but... why don't we tell them he just-" Kurogane placed a hand over Fay's mouth, his eyes darting to the door behind the blond. He mouthed that the kid was still awake. It was then Fay heard muffled footsteps slowly making their way to the door he leaned against. Fay looked in a panic up to Kurogane. He was more startled than before when the ninja pulled him swiftly away from the door by wrapping his arms around the smaller waist. Unable to just stand and keep his balance Fay had to wrap his arms around Kurogane's neck. The door handle was wiggling by then. Kurogane knew that something like their conversation just doesn't cut off for no damn good reason and he could tell Fay knew it too. By the time the door started to slowly creak open, Kurogane shoved his lips against Fay's, making the magician whimper slightly. Blue eyes fluttered closed just when little Kurogane peered out. He made a noise of disgust and quickly closed the door.
"Can't parents NOT show love like that?" Their heard through the door. Fay giggled slightly and pulled away from Kurogane, having something to say to that.
"Hey, it's how you got here, so stop complaining!" He said in a singsong voice, his arms subconsciously tightening around Kurogane's neck. He blushed when he realized just WHOM he was talking about and looked back at the taller man. He gaped like a fish when trying to come up with words, but unable to find any, he simply stared. He blinked when he realized Kurogane hadn't let go. He looked down briefly to see the tan arms still encircling his body, looked up to see his sleeved arms still wrapped around the tan neck, and looked higher to see Kurogane giving him a look between seriousness and embarrassment.
"...Mage..." He said deeply, and Fay realized he could feel the ninja's heartbeat against his chest. He was shock that it was beating faster than usual, almost matching his own heartbeat.
"...K..Kuro-chu..." He said softly, his eyes slowly drooping closed as their lips once again met.
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"Mommy, why's daddy sleeping on the couch? Did you two get into another fight?" Fay stirred awake, his arms shifting under the pillow so he could sit up slightly to see who was poking his cheek. His eyes focused on the little boy. Having a brief moment of hazy memory, he didn't know what the hell the kid was talking about. Once it all clicked back into place, he sat up quickly and threw the blankets off.
"A-AH! D-Daddy, yes!" He began blabbering, standing. The boy suddenly reached his arms up. Fay paused in his stance of going to his own room to get clothing, noticing the arms were directed to him. He shifted about, not knowing what the child wanted. It then jogged his memory that some children like to be picked up by their parents until a certain age. He smiled and swooped down. He lifted the boy up, the child's bottom resting against his arm and the thin arms wrapping around his neck for balance.
"Shall we go say good morning?" He said with a smile.
Syaoran dried his hands on the towel. He looked over to Sakura, who was now frying some of this world's food.
"What do you make of that child?" He asked her quietly, leaning over the pot of steaming soup. The girl blinked and frowned.
"I don't know, maybe he's this world's version of Kurogane-san..." She said lightly, looking over to Syaoran. He shook his head.
"His hair and skin is slightly different..." He looked to the sky.
"More importantly, he seems to think Kurogane-san and Fay-san are his parents..." Sakura nodded and looked over to Kurogane, who was still sleeping on the couch in the other room.
"I wonder what happened last night between them... Kurogane-sanseems a little worn..." It was just then they saw the small boy in a hugeshirt come trotting in, the large blanket he slept with dragging behind. He knelt in front of Kurogane and watched him a little. It didn't take long for the elder to stir.
"...Wh...What do you want?" He asked, though it wasn't gruffly. The boy smiled slightly.
"Daddy... Why aren't you sleeping with mommy?" He asked. There was a pause before Kurogane's hand was visible, rubbing the spikes of his own hair out of awkwardness.
"...N... go ask 'im yourself..." He said groggily, the hand dropping down with a soft pat to the kid's head. The boy smiled and walked out of the room, not once taking notice to the teenagers in the other room. It wasn't until the child was out of sight did Kurogane sit up, seeming fully awake by then. He looked over to the children who were standing in the kitchen and frowned.
He stood and went into the kitchen coming rather close to them.
"Listen, the mage told the child we're just visiting you guys." He said quickly, folding his arms. Syaoran nodded.
"We've never seen him before?" He inquired.
"Never." Kurogane clarified. He looked at Sakura to make sure she got the picture as well, and she nodded too. Kurogane turned just then, having cleared it up with the teenagers, only to be startled into silence when he saw Fay, with the boy on his hip, coming down the stairs. Fay had bedhead. And was in his underwear. In his rather tight underwear. He blinked rapidly before pacing off into the living room. Fay didn't seem to notice him going, for he went directly into the kitchen. He smiled brightly to the two children.
"Good morning." He said in greeting, and they both smiled back. The boy hid his face into the bend in Fay's neck. He giggled slightly.
"I guess he wants to say hello later." He said apologetically, making Sakura and Syaoran smile. Fay turned into the living room and noticed Kurogane was already awake. With his shirt off. And laying there so welcomingly. Fay was shaken out of his...noticing... when the little Kurogane jumped from his arms to climb onto bigger Kurogane. The ninja seemed a little ticked by this, but he sighed and sat up, pulling the boy to sit in his lap. Fay slinked over and joined Kurogane on the couch, a smile ever present.
"What is wrong with you, you monkey?" He said in annoyance, making the child pout.
"Monkey?! I'm no monkey!" He whined, making Kurogane smirk slightly.
"And just what makes you different from one?" He teased, making Fay smile slightly. He hadn't imagined something like this if he and Kurogane were to have a child... as a matter of fact... He looked down, slightly disgusted with himself; he had sort of imagined it to go awry, and turn out something like what the boy had described. After all, he DID bring misfortune. He didn't know if he could take that out on Kurogane.
"...y? Mommy~!" Fay was out of his daydreaming in a second, noticing the boy was trying to get his attention. Fay smiled brightly once more.
"Yes, little one?" He asked sheepishly, petting the longer black hair.
"Daddy says I'm a monkey!" He told, making Kurogane frown.
"He's a little snitch, isn't he?" He growled in annoyance, making Fay laugh lightly. It didn't take long for Fay to notice that Kurogane had moved his hand to rest against the couch behind the blond. He blushed and looked down, wondering if he had done it out of instinct, out of the will to humor the boy with the fact that they were 'in love', or simply because of something else.
"AHH! Daddy! What's that!" He heard the child cry, and for some reason he was alert now more than ever. He looked to where the child was pointing and was ungodly thankful that the creature was only Mokona, bounding into the room. She sat on Kurogane's arm and made the boy scream. Kurogane looked with a raised eyebrow to the child.
"What? You're afraid of a meat bun?" He asked skeptically. The boy blinked.
"B-but it's a meat bun that c-can talk!"
"Mokona is not a meat bun! Mokona is Mokona!"
"AHHHH! It did it again!" Fay giggled more as the boy clinged to the father figure of the group. He looked to Kurogane with a smile, sort of liking the fatherly way he treated the child. He then stood, making said child look at him.
"Mommy?" Kurogane looked up as well, noticing Fay was walking toward the children in the other room. He turned and smiled.
"Would you like to meet daddy's friends?" He asked, smile never faltering. The boy hesitated before answering, looking at his 'father'. Kurogane sighed and stood, holding onto the kid with one arm.
"Come on, stop being a girl."
"I'm not a girl!" The boy argued with a pout, holding onto the taller man anyway. Fay smiled wider and led the way into the kitchen. Syaoran was getting plates out of the cabinet and Sakura was placing silverware onto the table. Fay stood in front of the ninja to stroke the soft hair.
"So, are you ready to meet them, now, Kurogane?" Fay cooed to the child, once again making the older twitch. He simply gritted his teeth tightly, knowing he wasn't directly being talked to. Mokona bounded over to sit on the table, dancing happily there. Syaoran and Sakura stopped what they were doing and went over to the child in Kurogane's arms, each smiling brightly.
"Hello there." Syaoran said with a smile. "What's your name?" The boy noticed he was being directly asked and blushed slightly, hiding his face into Kurogane's bare chest. The action sort of made Kurogane annoyed, so he sighed.
"Oi, come on now, stop being a chicken."
"Ah! I'm not a chicken!" The boy retorted, looking at Kurogane with a pout. Kurogane tilted his head to Syaoran.
"Then prove it." He said curtly, looking at the teenager. Little Kurogane flinched, realizing he had been tricked, but he slowly looked to the teenager. Syaoran simply stayed quiet, having a question unanswered. The boy took a deep breath.
"My name is Kurogane D. Suwa! I'm currently this old" he held up his hand "and I live with mommy and daddy on Kotsuro Street!" He blabbered, his courage deflating with each word. Syaoran smiled wider to make sure the boy knew he wasn't going to talk down to him.
"Hello Kurogane-kun! I'm Syaoran, and this is Sakura-hime." He introduced, waving to Sakura. The girl smiled in reply.
"Where on Kotsuro Street do you live, Kurogane-kun?" She asked, looking up to see him eye to eye. The boy looked at her and blushed. He looked over to his 'father' and whispered something in his ear. The older Kurogane blushed slightly and frowned.
"Oi, oi! Stop that! If you're going to complement someone, do it to THEM; not ME!" Kurogane scolded, making the child pout. He turned toward Sakura but didn't look at her.
"...You're very pretty..." he said, his face going scarlet before it once again was turned to go at least an inch into Kurogane's skin. Sakura blinked before she smiled wider.
"Thank you. I'm happy you think so." She said to the child, who looked back to her slowly, his embarrassment present on his face.
"...Y-you wanted to know where I lived... I... I live in a big house. It's brown. It has... shiny numbers on the door." He looked to Kurogane.
"Daddy says he put them up there so I'd always know why our house was different if something bad happened or if I got lost." Fay looked to Kurogane and couldn't help but smile, knowing if he were in that position he would surely do something like that. Syaoran nodded.
"That's very smart of your father." He said before looking to Sakura.
"... I guess it's time to eat?" He asked her, and she nodded in a reply. Fay took the boy from Kurogane's arms.
"Let's get cleaned up then, ok?" He said happily, walking to the door. Kurogane followed, it being blatantly obvious he wasn't fully dressed for the day.
"Mommy!" The boy called from the other side of the door. He patted his hand against the door to get the mage's attention, but it was to no avail.
"Oi!" He heard from down the hall. The little Kurogane saw his 'father' coming toward him.
"Let him get dressed, twerp." He said, picking up the boy with one arm. It had been a week since the boy had come to the household. The adults played the part of the parents, the teenagers played the part of friends, and Mokona played the part of talking meat bun. They had made sure not to let Kuro-chan, what they all called the boy (except for Kurogane, he just called himoi or boy), hear anything about feathers or the fact that they didn't plan to stay. The only problem was; they had no idea where or who the actual parents were or when they'd come searching, if at all, for Kuro-chan. They didn't know anyone who recognized them or the child, and they had no leads to where the true parents had gone. They had tried to visit the home, but something always prevented them. It was as if some unknown force wasn't allowing them to take Kuro-chan home. On top of that, Kurogane and Fay's feelings weren't being the easiest on them either. Having to play the role of parents to one child they shared didn't allow a moment of peace for the turmoil. They had now kissed 14 times, Kurogane made sure to keep track, only so he could kick the mage's ass that many times for it afterwards... although... 9 of those times were his fault... and... 6 was done for no reason...
Kurogane sighed, taking the child to the living room. He had long since moved from the living room couch back to his room. Fay had taken upon himself to let the child share a bed with him. Kurogane thanked the gods that he'd rather share the bed with the kid than to ask him to. It was that day that Fay and Sakura wanted to go out to town with Kuro-chan and let the boys practice their sword fighting. They had all agreed not to around Kuro-chan, in order to separate this world as much as they could from others. As of this moment, Fay was still getting dressed. Kurogane sat down on the couch with Kuro-chan, who was playing with a toy car.
"Your mother will be down in a minute." They heard from the stairs. Kuro-chan looked up to see it was Sakura talking. He smiled.
"Thank you Sakura-san..." He said with a grin. Kurogane rubbed his forehead, almost tired of playing the 'father' role. Almost. Sakura noticed this, and was glad to be of some assistance in this field.
She looked up the stairs and gasped slightly. Kurogane turned in his seat as Kuro-chan jumped up from his place and ran to the stairs. He gaped slightly.
"Mommy! You're so pretty!" Kurogane felt a bit annoyed by this and stood. He wish he hadn't, for doing so allowed him to see Fay. The magician smiled. He was currently wearing loose jeans that casually hugged his hips and normal tennis shoes. What the eye catcher was was his shirt. It was a blue long sleeved shirt that hugged every curve, showing a sliver of pale skin around his waist and his shoulders were revealed openly. His hair was clipped to the side with a couple of Sakura's clips (she had let him borrow them) so the blond locks were out of his eyes. He smiled to his supposed child, and picked him up.
"Shall we get going?" He asked the boy with enthusiasm, and the boy smiled back with determination.
"Yeah! Let's get going!" He said joyfully, throwing his hands about in the air. Sakura smiled before leaving the room, going to grab her light jacket. What caught Fay offguard was Kuro-chan now staring intently at Kurogane, who was still in front of the couch. The taller man blinked and his scowl returned.
"What?"
"...Well?" The boy asked expectantly.
"Mommy's about to go out all alone with no daddy for protection?" He looked at Fay.
"That's what you always said to make daddy give you cooties before you left." Fay blinked and laughed nervously. This was the second time they had done this.
"...O-of course..." He looked to Kurogane and smiled. Kurogane twitched, knowing that was the 'I'm just being a good parent here so play along' smile.
"...'M...Mommy's about to go out all alone with no daddy for protection'..." He said briskly, making Kuro-chan smile. Kurogane didn't move for a moment, before walking over. He wrapped one arm around the blond, kissing him curtly. Kuro-chan gave Kurogane a brief hug, seeing as he was about to pull away soon.
"...'Be careful'..." Kurogane quoted, looking the blond in the eye. Fay smiled, though he knew the line was only a line, and that Kurogane didn't really care if he was or not. Kuro-chan let go of his father figure and allowed Fay to carry him to the other room. He didn't notice that Fay's smile had faltered. Sakura was about to greet the two cheerfully, but when she saw Fay's expression so strained, she couldn't help but frown.
Sakura grinned widely as Kuro-chan stared at the fish swimming about it the tank. Fay was standing next to her, admiring the boy's curiosity.
"Is there something wrong, Fay-san?" Sakura asked quietly, looking at the taller man. Fay frowned, looking down.
"No... Nothing's wrong..." He said as the smile forced itself back on his face. Sakura frowned deeper.
"Fay-san... if something's wrong, I'm sure I could help..." He looked at her hesitantly, before sighing. The magician ran a hand through his messy hair and looked at Kuro-chan.
"...This... child... I know he's not mine... I know he's not Kuro-bi's... but..." He looked down.
"I don't think I've ever wanted a game like this to be reality... and oh how I do want it..." He looked back to where Kuro-chan stood, his hands up against the glass.
"I've always known it to not be possible to have a child when the one you love is the same gender as you... not even with my magic..." He whispered. Sakura's eyes widened.
"...So... it's true..." She asked him breathlessly. Fay smiled bitterly, and nodded.
"Yes... I... I have feelings for Kuro-ram..." He said, hardly audible. Sakura turned her body to him.
"Fay-san... why are you afraid of telling him?" She inquired softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to her, a look of skeptical surprise hidden behind a kind smile.
"Sakura-chan, I don't think he'd return my feelings in the slightest."
"How do you know?" Sakura asked with a gentle smile. She knew the truth. She knew Fay started feeling this way about Kurogane about six worlds ago, and Kurogane's feelings were blossoming all the same. She knew, because she had had some expertise in this field.
"Just let him know... that you don't want to pretend anymore..." She said slowly, making Fay blush. The blond looked down, his hands tangling themselves with each other.
"He's given you looks before, Fay-san, that I've never expected to see from him..."She added for good favor. Blue eyes looked at her, the smile faltering slightly.
"...What... looks?" The girl smiled.
"Looks of interest. Like today... you really surprised him when you came down the stairs..." Sakura blinked when she realized something about what she said wasn't exactly good. Fay's smile gained a bitter tone once again and he scoffed.
"So he wants my body..." He concluded sharply, not meaning to hurt the teenager with his tone though. Sakura started slightly.
"...Fay-san... You know Kurogane-san better than anyone does, I'm sure. I've not had memories for very long, but I'm sure that Kurogane-san is not a person in on something for material gain." She said curtly, for the first time to Fay she was being blunt and stern about it too. Fay gave her a shocked look.
"..." It was then Kuro-chan came over, holding up a fish cavern he had gotten off the shelf.
"Mommy, I want this." He said happily. Fay looked down and smiled.
"Why would you want this? We don't have any fish." He said, picking up the boy. He looked to Sakura, his expression becoming that of seriousness.
"Fine...I'll... I'll talk to him about it... but I won't tell him how I truly feel until I'm sure he won't kill me for it." Sakura giggled, making Fay smile.
"Something tells me you won't have to worry about that..."
Kuro-chan ran up to Kurogane, who was just now coming back in from sword fighting. Kurogane wiped the sweat off his neck with a towel and picked the boy up.
"Oi oi! Careful, boy." He said in annoyance. Said boy smiled sheepishly before showing Kurogane a toy.
"Look what mommy bought me!" Kurogane raise an eyebrow.
"...ok?"
"Mommy said you'd like it too." Kuro-chan said, his red eyes looking over the toy. It was a small action figure, a guy wearing all black and two swords made of plastic sticking out of a holster in the back.
"...What is it supposed to be?" Kurogane asked, making the boy pout.
"It's a ninja! Daddy always said they're the coolest things!" Kuro-chan whined, making the doll attack Kurogane's shoulder. The taller man sighed and carried the boy to the kitchen where Fay and Sakura were.
"You bought him this?" He asked Fay gruffly, pointing to the ninja now stabbing his chest. Fay smiled sheepishly.
"He said he really, REALLY wanted it, and you know I give into that." He explained weakly. Sakura gave him a look that told him to go on, but Fay only shook his head in a worried way. Kurogane raised an eyebrow at this and set the boy down.
"Go play with the princess, we need to talk." He said curtly. The boy nodded and reached a hand out for Sakura to take. She obliged whole-heartedly and led the way out of the kitchen and into the living room. She closed the door and they both could hear the TV turn on, letting Kurogane know it was ok to uphold a conversation.
"What is up with you?" Kurogane asked while folding his arms. Fay smiled apologetically.
"N-nothing... just... Kuro-chan seems so happy with us..." He trailed off. The taller man sighed though, knowing what was bothering the blond.
"You know he's not our kid, why get attached?"
"Because he's just a boy! And he doesn't know!" Fay replied sharply, a look of pain about his face.
"Because his real parents were good-for-nothings and they didn't want him! He was left all alone!" Fay pleaded, his heart twisting in a familiar way. Kurogane frowned. He knew why Fay felt like this; something extremely similar must have happened to the blond. He continued to look sternly at the mage.
"He's got a real family though. We have to find it-"
"We never will." Fay said bitterly. His frown was as plain as day.
"And you know it... there's something about Kuro-chan that you don't like and you think you've hidden it well..." The pale one's words struck Kurogane in the wrong was and he growled.
"You think you know everything now?" He snapped back. Fay's fists clenched.
"That child is mine and yours! I don't care what you think; I'm calling him my own!"
"You know we can't keep him and let him travel with us! And if we DO find his parents, what will you do? Will you keep him from the parents? Will you let them know that you've forcefully adopted him?" Kurogane barked, making the blond somewhat shrivel under his tone.
"Will you let him know your love was a lie?" Fay felt a part of himself break when he heard that and he sank to his knees. Kurogane blinked, not knowing just how much Fay didn't need to hear those words. He took a step back and unfolded his arms. Fay simply stared at the floor, tears starting to well up.
"...I just... didn't want him to be alone..." He smiled bitterly, though a tear escaped and ran down his face.
"I just wanted to know someone cared..." He whispered. Kurogane clenched his fists and sighed, walking over to Fay. The blond saw Kurogane kneel in front of him and jumped slightly when he felt the tan finger lift his chin so they could see eye to eye.
"You're a moron if you really think you were the only one who wanted this to be real." He said lowly, a faint blush on his cheeks. Fay's eyes opened widely when he realized what Kurogane meant. Though he couldn't help but allow more tears to fall, Fay smiled in relief. He leaned his head against Kurogane's chest and tightened his fists up in his shirt.
"Kuro-min..." He whispered lightly. Kurogane looked to the mop of hair.
"Hn?"
"...Is it... ok... to tell you I like you?" He heard Fay say hesitantly, and if he had cared enough to see the blonde's expression he'd have noticed the dark blush etched across pale cheeks. Only, he was only wrapped up in his own emotions.
"...Y...You like me...?" Kurogane asked, though it was more of a statement. Fay nodded against his chest and kept his eyes squeezed closed. He didn't feel Kurogane move for a moment, before tan arms wrapped cautiously around him. Fay's eyes opened wide before he looked up to Kurogane. The ninja was blushing equally dark and looking away.
"I guess... it'd be lying if I told you I didn't feel the same..." He said awkwardly, making Fay's eyes open even wider. The relief once again poured down the blonde's face and he leaned forward, kissing the warrior softly. Kurogane stared at the closed eyelids, though not in surprise. He just simply stared. Fay pulled away and looked down.
"...I... I'm sorry..." He said with a slight smile. Kurogane scoffed.
"You sure look sorry." He retorted, making Fay smiled wider. The ninja surveyed the 'mother's' face before wiping his eyes.
"Well, we know who he gets his crying from." He chided lightly, making Fay laugh. The two men stood and Kurogane leaned against the counter. Fay leaned against him, his hands pressed lightly into the other's chest.
"...If... and when we do find them..." Fay began slowly. Kurogane sighed and once again wrapped his arms around the smaller.
"We'll deal."
"And if they don't want him back?"
"We'll find a solution."
"Your answers are so vague, Kuro-pii."
"So's the path in front of us." Fay was about to comment on this when Kuro-chan opened the door, going to yank on Fay's shirt about something on the TV that he wanted.
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Kurogane closed his door with a sigh, having put the child to sleep. He and Fay had traded this job for about four days. Now Fay slept in the same room with Kurogane, but the blond had dared not asked it of his love interest to share the bed. The ninja decided it alright to do so. Fay was laying haphazardly on the ground, his pillows and blankets sprawled on the floor. The blond looked sleepily up to Kurogane and smiled, stretching his arms out.
"I wanna nudder kiss..." He slurred stupidly in his state of exhaustion. The ninja sighed and bent down.
"What is with you and not getting enough sleep?" The other asked in annoyance. Fay simply smiled. Kurogane smirked.
"It's sleeping on the floor, isn't it?" He commented. Fay didn't hesitate to nod melodramatically. The taller didn't wait a moment before tossing Fay onto the bed. The mage yelped when he landed, but turned to liquid when he felt the sheets. Kurogane could've sworn her heard the other purring. It didn't take long for Fay to realize he was taking Kurogane's place.
"B...But where will you sleep?" He asked groggily. Kurogane pointed to the place next to Fay. It didn't register right of the bat, but Fay sat up straight in no time with his eyes wide.
"W-What?!"
"What do you think, idiot? We're sharing the bed."
"B-But!" "Look." Kurogane began, sitting in the side.
"What happens if that kid comes in here and finds one of us on the floor? We can't tell him twice that we just fell off the bed. Sleeping on the couch proved itself flaw-filled, and any other story has its own mistake. We're supposed to be the kid's 'parents', and he expects us to share a bed. Now move over before I pin you to the wall with my sword." Kurogane threatened. Fay hesitated for a moment before sighing. He knew the taller man was right, but.
"Kuro-chi... I'm not wearing any pants." He brought up, making the other flush scarlet.
"W-what?! why the hell not!?"
"..." He smiled. "In case you wanted to pin me to the wall with your sword."
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Kurogane felt a hand on his chest when he awoke. He looked to the ceiling, realizing it was still night, then to the weight on his bicep. He blinked, seeing it was Fay. Asleep. He sighed in relief when he noticed they were both wearing the clothes they had worn to bed. Which wasn't much. Which wasn't much keeping their bodies separate. The one awake pulled himself away from the sleeping figure and sat up. He ruffled his hair and was about to get out of bed when he felt Fay's hand slip down the ninja's chest and onto his forearm. It clinched the muscle there.
"Kuro-rin..." He heard the sleepy one say. Kurogane looked over his shoulder to see Fay's blue eyes staring at him.
"...hnn?" Kurogane grunted, looking back to the door. He didn't move away though. The hand tightened its grip slightly.
"Stay." He heard the soft voice ask. The ninja once again looked over his shoulder. The mage smiled sleepily before turning to lay on his back. Kurogane felt his cheeks heat up when he saw how open the mage seemed to be. He growled and turned on the bed, crawling over the blond.
"You shouldn't give yourself up like that." He murmured against Fay's lips before kissing them. The pale arms wrapped around Kurogane's neck.
"Would you rather be the one I'm giving myself up to instead of someone else?" Fay muttered back, a playful smile on his lips. Kurogane paused, before planting another kiss.
"...hn..." "Good." Fay whispered, kissing Kurogane again. Kurogane had just slinked his hand down Fay's side when the door creaked open. They both looked in annoyance to each other before breaking the kiss and looking over to the child that was now standing in the room. Kuro-chan tried to climb into the bed.
"M...Mommy... daddy..." He whimpered. Kurogane pulled himself off of Fay and helped the child up to sit on the bed with them.
"What's up, squirt?" Kurogane inquired. Fay frowned.
"Honey? Why are you crying?" The blond cooed to the boy who was now crawling to sit in his lap.
"I... I hurt mommy..." He whined. Fay looked at Kurogane in a panic before looking to the child again.
"Where, little one? Maybe mommy and daddy can help." He said with a faint smile. Kuro-chan pouted his lip out and wasted no minute to start hiking his shirt up off his stomach.
"My...m-my tummy hurts..." He whined again. Fay gasped once the boy's stomach was revealed. He was so shock his eyes started to water. Kurogane's gaze landed on what Fay was staring at and he felt his heart sink into his gut.
It was the mark of Sakura's feather.
Kurogane leaned forward and allowed the child to remain sitting in Fay's lap, only the upper half of him leaned against Kurogane's naked abdomen.
"D-Daddy..." He whimpered. The dark haired man stared down at the boy for a moment before placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. He then looked to Fay, who had let the tears fall once more, though he seemed to not notice them. The only one in the room not sobbing sighed again. He pulled Kuro-chan into his lap and held him closely for a moment, before moving a hand to wipe one of Fay's tears off his face.
"...Stop that..." He said to both of them. The boy's bottom lip quivered.
"You know pain can only last so long." Kurogane said lowly, picking up the boy so he was standing on the bed. It didn't make much difference, though, for Kurogane's eyes came to the child's collar bone. Fay looked at Kurogane.
"B-But..." He whispered.
"That marking..." Kurogane shot him a look, though he knew the boy didn't hear what the blond had said. Fay kept his mouth shut, wiping his own face as he tried to regain his composure.
"K...Kuro-chan, darling... stop crying for mommy..." He muttered, sitting up on his knees. He placed his hands on either side of Kuro-chan's sides, making the boy face him.
"Please stop crying for me..." He said weakly.
"It makes me sad to see you cry..." The boy whimpered some more, but he slowly stopped crying. Once he did, the dark scar of the heart upon his stomach started to glow pink, and just as briefly as it had started glowing, it stopped, showing no trace of where it used to be.
090909090909090909090
The boy nuzzled Kurogane's chin subconsciously as he dreamt. He was laying in between the two adults, slumbering like the event beforehand had never happened. The taller version of the boy looked over to Fay, who was slowly stroking the child's face. The blond looked back.
"You... You knew it to be true..." He looked back down the the child.
"You knew it could never last..." It had long been since Kuro-chan had fallen asleep, and it was still nighttime. Kurogane knew it was close to day though; he could hear the birds chirping. "Yeah... I knew..." He placed his hand on Fay's.
"But you did too..." This action made Fay once again look back at his love interest, a frown, for once, scratched across his face. He closed his eyes and sighed, knowing what Kurogane said was true.
"...I never thought we'd lose him because of this..." He said, regarding the child's stomach where the feather's mark used to be.
"We never expect things to happen in the ways they do..." Kurogane explained, closing his eyes as well.
"They just happen." He could feel Fay's eyes on him, so he looked back. The mage was frowning deeply, and it looked like he was about to cry again, but instead, a broken smile spread across his lips.
"Well... at least we got to spend a couple weeks with him..." He whispered, tousling the dark hair again.
"Makes me wonder what it would be like being his actual mother... why would I run away from someone as sweet as this..." He then looked up to Kurogane with a faint blush.
"...And someone as loyal as this..." He moved his hand from the child's head to Kurogane's cheek, gently stroking it.
"I just don't understand..." Fay tried to pull away, but Kurogane caught the pale hand on his cheek. Fay looked at him questioningly, but the taller man just stared back. The blond grimaced slightly, but kept his hand on the tan cheek for a moment longer. It was then Kurogane planted a kiss against the smaller palm. Fay blushed instantly.
"...I don't understand it either..." He heard the rumble of a voice say. Blue eyes looked up to see ruby.
"I wouldn't have left him here... But I don't understand... How I couldn't go after you..."
090909090909090909090
Fay awoke once more to the absence of Kurogane AND Kuro-chan. He sat up like lightning, scanning the room for the two. When no tufts of black hair or tan strips of skin were seen, the mage threw off the covers and ran out of his room. He panicked, because Kuro-chan's glowing mark had become more frequent over the course of a week and equally more painful for the child. Kurogane and Fay had mutually decided to keep Kuro-chan with them at night, simply because the feather wouldn't allow Kuro-chan to sleep peacefully otherwise.
The wizard almost tripped twice going down the stairs, his feet not moving fast enough, but he managed to get in the living room. He looked around again, seeing neither supposed husband nor supposed son. His heart raced even faster. Where were they!? Again, he was on the move. Not in the kitchen, not in the bathroom, not in the teenagers' rooms... he stopped dead when he finally found them in the laundry room. Fay was surprised he didn't even notice the removal of their own bedsheets.
Kurogane had just finished packing the bedsheets into the washing machine. They were all stained with traces of blood. Kuro-chan stood next to him, looking like he had just finished sobbing. His stomach was wrapped tightly in bandages. Blood was seeping through in a fat imprint of the feather's mark. Fay almost lost his balance just standing there looking. Kuro-chan spotted him in a quick moment.
"M-mommy!" He choked out, making Kurogane turn. He too was covered in blood. He grimaced when he saw his partner, but he only picked up Kuro-chan and walked over. "It's getting much worse." Kurogane announced. Fay felt his heart drop to his left heel. He exchanged the boy with Kurogane and held the child tightly. Kurogane stood next to them, staring at the boy. Fay looked up to him.
"Is there nothing we can do?" He asked desperately, eyes starting to bubble with tears. Kurogane leaned down and pressed his forehead against the blond locks. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, telling the other that there was not. Fay let out a choked sob and his grip on the boy tightened. If this wasn't his child, why did it hurt so much? If this wasn't his child, why did he even give a damn? If this was his child...
If this was his child, he wouldn't have let this happen. Fay looked at Kurogane. The ninja blinked, obviously confused at why the mage was looking at him like that. The wizard pulled away from Kurogane and started walking quickly to the living room. Kurogane followed.
"What are you doing?" He asked briskly, noticing Fay didn't stop once he was in the room.
"I'm going out and I'm taking him with me." The blond said sharply, going up the stairs. Kurogane paused at the bottom of them.
"What the hell!? Why?!" He snapped in confusion. Kuro-chan looked at Kurogane over Fay's shoulder, whimpering in the most pitiful way. It almost made the ninja take the boy from his companion. Fay opened up their bedroom door.
"I have to find them." He was stopped by Kurogane's arm blocking the doorway. Fay's blue eyes squinted and he looked up sadly.
"Kuro-rin... Kuro-chan needs help... they're the only ones who can help-"
"And what if we don't find them?! There isn't much that can be done here!"
"I know!" Fay shouted, closing his eyes. The sharpness of his voice made the taller man close his mouth. The wizard wiped his eyes with his free hand and looked back to Kurogane in determination.
"I know there is most likely nothing we can do... but I have to try..." He said, his voice cracking slightly. Kurogane's jaw clenched once more, being stared down. He sighed finally, nodding.
"Let's go..." He said, rivaling Fay's tone. The mage gave him a thankful look before entering the bedroom. He sat Kuro-chan on the bed, stroking his cheek once before going over to his discarded pants.
"How long do you think we'll have?" Kurogane asked him, going over to his closet to get a shirt. Fay slipped on his pants and started buckling them.
"Judging by the way it's been progressing..." He began, looking over to their adopted son. The boy looked back, his whimpering no longer audible.
"...We have about only 8 hours..."
"Where are you guys going?" Mokona cried from Syaoran's shoulder as the two adults passed them at the door. Sakura blinked, having just exited a taxi, when Fay called it down once again. Kurogane stopped in the doorway with Kuro-chan in his arms and looked at Syaoran.
"We'll be back, manjuu. Kid, watch the house." He turned then and followed Fay. Mokona whined.
"But what about Kuro-chan!?" She cried, but no response came. Fay and Kurogane had entered the car and were now on their way to town.
Fay looked out the window and sighed. Kuro-chan was now sleeping in his lap, his head on the wizard's thigh. It had been almost 5 hours, and there had been no luck on finding any trace. The blond looked over to Kurogane, who was running his hand through his hair.
"Should we try Kotsuro Street?" He brought up. Kurogane looked over to him.
"How would we get there?" He asked in annoyance. They had tried and to no avail to ge to that street. Detours, hit pedestrians, road closings, newly made sidewalks and roads, anything and everything was keeping them from that street.
"...I don't know..." Fay said slowly. "Hey, lady, how do you plan to pay for this?" Asked the cab driver. Fay looked up, angered at being called a woman, but exhaustion from running about everywhere made him just sigh in response. It was then he heard a click. Fay looked over and gasped. Kurogane was holding a gun to the cab driver's side.
"Just drive, and don't make me give you a present you don't want." Kurogane warned. The cab driver stiffened but nodded, seeming to go a little faster than what he used to. Kurogane leaned back in his seat, placing the gun back in it's hiding spot. Fay looked at him, wide eyed and appalled.
"Where the hell did you get that?!" He hissed lowly, and in very out of character tone. Kurogane looked at him.
"The world before the last one. It was the same time setting." He grinned and looked at the cab driver.
"Apparently threatening in both worlds." He said mockingly. Fay stared at Kurogane, unable to comprehend how or why he had it, let alone how he had hid it for so long. The blond relaxed slightly, glad that Kuro-chan wasn't awake to see any of it.
"Drive us as close as you can to Kotsuro Street." He said suddenly. Kurogane looked at him.
"And how do you plan to get there?" He asked. The wizard bit his lip, but kept silent. He obviously didn't know how. If there was work being done on the roads, then walking through was surely as flawed as driving through. He then felt Kuro-chan move in his lap.
"I... know... a way..." He muttered, sitting up. His little face was scrunched up, obviously still in pain.
"Mommy and daddy... wouldn't be happy if they knew... but I know a way to get in..." He pouted in apology to his mock parents, but Fay simply smiled.
"It's alright, we're not mad at you... just tell us how to get there..."
Kurogane slammed the cab door and almost instantly he drove off. Fay glared at his partner.
"We could've done fine without the gun incident!" He snapped curtly, holding onto Kuro-chan's hand. Kurogane shoved his hands into his pockets, frowning.
"And I suppose you could've dealt with being called a woman for the other two hours we were on the road? Plus we didn't have any way of paying!" He retorted, making Fay sigh. The wizard closed his eyes and rubbed them with one hand, aggravated. He felt the boy tug on his hand.
"Mommy, come on... let's go." He said softly. Fay frowned when he heard how weak the boy's voice was, but smiled quickly to make sure the boy didn't know he was upset. The child led them to a field full of trash, a small path made out of broken and rotted wood parted it. Kurogane and Fay looked about cautiously, unable to understand how the child had found such a pathway. Kuro-chan smiled.
"It's just a few ways up this way..." He said happily, though he looked tired. Fay wanted to pick him up again and hold him, but he knew that the child would only want to be put down so he could lead the way. Kurogane growled slightly, his hair sticking up on end.
"This place is filled with things that aren't wanted..." He said lowly, so only Fay could hear him. Fay nodded, knowing what he meant. The yard was full of ghosts, all unwelcoming ghosts. This place was dead. It even reeked of disease and rot of human flesh. Fay could even bet that if Sakurawas here she'd be able to talk to some of them. It was the complete opposite of the other side of the large city where they had stayed for over a month. Kuro-chan led them to the other side of the field where a fence was.
"Here we are!" He said, smiling brightly. Fay gasped when the boy fell to his knees.
"Kuro-chan!" He cried, gathering the boy in his arms. The young child pointed to a lopsided piece of fence on the wall.
"Th-through... there..." He said quietly. Kurogane walked passed Fay and Kuro-chan and broke the piece of wood out. He tossed it aside and crouched through, leading Fay into the other side. Kurogane stared at what was in front of him. Fay moved his hand to cover his mouth. Kuro-chan smiled and jumped down from Fay's arms and began to run through the yard. There was a child's playground in the back, worn, dirty, and grafitti written all over the side. The grass had grown thick and tall, almost hiding the small child. There were scattered play toys and other objects amongst the grass as well. There was no house. Fay and Kurogane walked slowly though the grass, looking at what was once the building. Instead of a tall mansion like what surrounded the area, it was a pile of rubbage. Burnt, broken, demolished. Kuro-chan was already halfway though it. Fay chased after him, seeing as the boy was trying to uncover a piece of what was a supposed bed. The child sat on it and would've collapsed to the side had it not been for Fay catching him.
"M...Mo...mm..."
"Hush now, little one, you're so weak..." He said, trying to smile to comfort the small Kurogane. The boy's shirt was now beginning to show blood. Fay felt his eyes start to brim with tears. The boy smiled and turned his head, reaching for something about the rubble. Kurogane walked through and saw the boy stretching for an object, so he plucked it out of an old and rotting cupboard. It was a photograph.
"...Oi, mage... look at this..." He said unhappily, showing the photograph to Fay. The wizard blinked.
"It's... us..." He said slowly, taking the picture. He and Kurogane were standing together, Kurogane's arms were wrapped around Fay from behind. Fay was smiling brightly and Kurogane was gently smirking. The only thing different about these two was that Fay's hair went down to his waist and Kurogane had a tattoo of something in this world's writing on his shoulder. Fay looked at Kurogane with a frown; there was no Kuro-chan.
"That... that's mommy an... daddy... an.. me..." The child poked the picture where Fay was. He had his hands on his stomach. Fay felt a tear slip down his cheek.
"You al...always said I... was with you..." He heard the boy say. Fay could feel blood starting to stain his pants.
"I... was in... your tummy... now..." He looked up to his supposed mother. Fay smiled down, tears now claiming his cheeks.
"Now you're here." He said, taking the child's hand and pressing against his left breast. Kurogane's jaw clenched and he sat on the ground in front of the other two. He looked at the child, who in turn looked back.
"And... daddy too?" Kuro-chan asked. The dark haired man nodded. The boy giggled and looked at Fay again.
"Then... we all love... each other... and... we... are... always... a.. family..." He said slowly, his eyes starting to close. Kurogane leaned forward and placed his hand on the child's head.
"It's ok..."The warrior began, his voice threatening to show his true emotions.
"...You can sleep now... Kurogane... m...my son..." He said weakly, making Fay look at him. The boy hiccuped and looked at his supposed father, tears slipping down his pale cheeks.
"You..." He began, but Kurogane only gave a smirk. Fay leaned down and kissed the boy on the forehead.
"M..mommy..." He heard the child begin.
"C...Can.. you sing... m...my s...song...?" Fay looked over to Kurogane, who looked back and then to the child. Fay searched his thoughts for a childhood song, and finding only one, he began.
"Baby mine... don't you cry..." He felt himself start to shake with each breath.
"Baby mine... dry your eyes..." He saw Kurogane take hold of the child's hand.
"Rest your head, close to my heart..." He let out a sob, seeing Kuro-chan's head lean to one side.
"Never to part..." The child exhaled.
"baby of mine..." Fay stopped singing that instant, his tears not ceasing once. They littered the boy's unmoving face, falling down to mingle with the child's own tears. Fay once again leaned down, kissing the boy long on the forehead. He held Kuro-chan's head and shoulders close to his chest, weeping silently. Kurogane looked to the ground, unable to mirror his partner's actions. He merely stayed in silence, unshed tears being held back by a breaking pride. Fay found himself unable to let go of Kuro-chan. The boy's body stopped seeping blood from the wound, but that didn't stop it from becoming stained. Kurogane finally looked up, his eyes red from forcing himself not to follow Fay's demonstration.
"M...Mage... let go of the boy..." He said slowly. Fay looked up, then to the child in his arms. He nodded, lifting Kuro-chan's head from his lap so he could stand. He laid the child's head on the bed as gently as he could, before collapsing in front of Kurogane. He wrapped his arms around the tan neck and wept, not knowing exactly why he felt like it was his own son. He saw the picture of the real parents, so why was he so hurt? Kurogane held himtightly, burying his face into the crook of Fay's neck. He took deep breaths in order to stay calm. He wished so much that the child had lived. He didn't even give a damn if the child found his real parents or if they had to take him with the group to different worlds, just not to fucking die...
He looked up slowly to the body, feeling the urge to see it growing deep in his stomach. He flinched slightly when he saw the body was glowing.
"O-oi mage... look..." The dark haired man said, pulling Fay off of him so he could see as well. Fay rubbed his eyes and looked, his mouth falling slightly open. The boy's body was glowing a bright yellow. He then began to glow so bright that his body was no longer visible. Instead it was just a ball of light. Fay turned to the glowing orb and slowly reached out to it. Before he could lay a finger on it, it began to morph into something else. Kurogane pulled the wizard back, weary of just what this thing was. Their eyes both widened when it was done.
There sat a transparent Kuro-chan, glowing a bright yellow. He was smiling, though he was no longer living. In his hands was the orb of the feather, held loosely in little fingers. He stood then, getting off the bed slowly. He walked over to Kurogane and Fay and held out the feather for Fay. The magician, unable to comprehend that well, accepted it slowly. The boy smiled wider before giggling and tilting his head to the side. Kurogane stared at the boy a little more, wondering why he was still there. Kuro-chan stared back, before turning his head to the broken part of the fence. Kurogane choked on his own breath.
There stood glowing images of that world's Kurogane and Fay. Fay smiled widely and looked up to that Kurogane. He nodded and allowed Fay to bend down on his knees. Kuro-chan let out a small laugh before running through the rubble over to them. Once again, Fay reached out his hand, but Kurogane stopped him. The two still alive exchanged glances before looking over to Kuro-chan, who ran into the transparent Fay's embrace. They hugged for a moment before Fay stood and took Kuro-chan's hand. That Kurogane ruffled the boy's spiky hair and Kuro-chan laughed. They all turned then, the glowing Kurogane leading the way though the broken fence. Fay scrambled to his feet.
"W-Wait!" He cried, taking off before Kurogane could stop him. With a sigh of frustration, the dark haired man followed. Fay almost tripped when trying to get through, but he managed to make it to the broken fence. He peered out and blinked, feeling a tear once again fall. Kurogane looked as well, his mouth becoming slightly agape.
The field was aglow full of spirits. All but the small family were blue. That Kurogane and Fay took Kuro-chan to the middle of the field and Fay picked him up and smiled. The transparent Kurogane placed a hand on Fay's shoulder and gave a small smirk, before all three looked over to the other Kurogane and Fay. Kuro-chan gave a small giggle before he waved.
~Goodbye, other mommy and daddy!~ Fay felt his heart skip a beat, but he couldn't help but smile and wave back.
"G...Goodbye, little Kuro-chan..." He whimpered, having to lean against Kurogane's chest to keep himself standing. The other Fay smiled wider and nodded.
~Thank you for taking care of him... we were so lost without him...~ The living Kurogane clenched his teeth, but nodded. The blue spirits all raised their heads and one by one they began to vanish slowly. The ghost Fay looked up to his lover and offered him a smile.
~We were wrong to fight... but we're one family once more...~ He looked back to the other two standing in the field.
~Please, whatever you do... don't let quarreling break up whatever it is you have... it may be the only thing you have left...~ He gave the other Fay a serious look.
~And whatever you do... don't run away from him...~ The other Fay blinked and looked to his Kurogane, who looked back with a serious expression. Fay nodded slowly and glanced over to the other two. The transparent Fay smiled again looking relieved. Their feet and legs both started to disappear.
~Thank you...~ Fay said again before the wisps of yellow light followed the blue ones up into nothingness. The two adults watched as the hollow lights slowly but surely vanished, leaving the trash heap in the field lonelier than when they had first come. Fay let his vision fall back to the ground, his hands cupping around the feather as he brought it to his chest. He was silent for a moment, and Kurogane could've sworn he stopped breathing. Finally a sob racked the stale air and Fay's body shook. The blond turned slightly and buried his face in the broad chest that was open behind him. The tanner man felt his cheeks heat up slightly at the contact, but he slowly wrapped an arm around the magician. Red eyes scanned the field again slowly as Fay's sobs quieted into mere gasps and sniffs. Kurogane looked down when the other man's shoulders stopped shaking.
"...Nn... We... should probably look through the house rubble... to see how this came about..." He offered, subconsciously rubbing circles into Fay's shoulder blades. The other relaxed into the movements and he nodded, knowing it would be best to. They both went back though the broken fence calmly and silently and began to look over the crumbled house. Kurogane upturned several large pieces of walls and ceiling, looking for any clues. He looked up when he heard Fay gasp.
"What is it?" The ninja asked, dusting his hands free of debris. Fay frowned and showed Kurogane a half burnt newspaper article. The swordsman looked at it quizzically.
"...I can't read it..." He said dully, making Fay sigh. He pointed to a gray picture above an article. It was the same picture Kurogane was still holding onto.
"It says here, 'family burned alive in home'..." He had to take another breath before continuing.
"...'father, Youou Suwa, 27, had tried to pull wife, Yuui Flowright (legally changed name to Fay Flowright at age 15 and Fay Suwa at age 20), 25, out of window. Smoke inhalation killed Mrs. Suwa while the burns killed Mr. Suwa. Their son, Kurogane Suwa, 5, was already outside. When not seeing either of his parents, Kurogane was seen running back in. A firefighter reported later that little Kurogane had been impaled though the chest by falling rubble'. Their bodies were survived by firefighter captain Kusanagi..."
Fay lowered his hand, frowning deeply as he couldn't read any more from the burns. He looked to the dark haired man and sighed.
"...It seems K...Kuro-chan was already..." He said weakly, trailing off. Kurogane nodded before looking over to the bed where they had last seen Kuro-chan's body. He walked slowly to it and looked it over.
"If he was already dead..." He began. "The feather must've worked like it did on that guy." Fay turned his vision toward the other man.
"You're talking about Yasha-ou..." The blond looked down to the feather he was holding. Clasping it tightly to his chest, he closed his eyes. His heart ached, but at the same time he was glad that Kuro-chan had found his real parents. Kurogane walked back over to the lithe man and placed his hands in his pockets.
"We're not needed here anymore, mage... let's go..." He said lowly, for once trying to be gentle for the other's feelings. Fay nodded and began to walk out the way they had come. It didn't take them long to walk to an accessible road to catch a cab. It was dark now, and it smelled of a great thunderstorm. Fay closed the door right when a shock of lightning shot out overhead. Kurogane watched as the blond slowly moved to lean against him, blue eyes holding back more unnecessary tears. The taxi driver didn't once look back to the men, seeming preoccupied by his phone. It made Kurogane wonder if he would even ask for money after the ride.
Fay sighed and closed his eyes. His body shook as a muffled sob escaped, and Kurogane frowned.
"You shouldn't be crying, mage." He said gently, making Fay look up to the tan man. Kurogane saw an escaped tear trail down the pale cheek, so he lifted a hand and brushed it away.
"He's with his real parents. We had nothing to do with him." The wizard frowned deeper but nodded, looking down.
"...I... I can't help... but envy his true parents..." he sniffed, making the warrior cock an eyebrow in curiosity. Fay gave a weak smile.
"They had him... and... with him... they realized not to fight anymore..." Fay wiped his eyes and wrapped his arms loosely around himself.
"I... I want something to make us stop fighting too... but something tells me... that we never will..." Kurogane grimaced, watching as the mage sat forward to pay the cab driver what little money they had on them. Fay got out quickly as to not be stopped by Kurogane, though the ninja didn't seem to want to try.
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"I'm glad he's still happy..." Sakura said solemnly, a small smile on her façade as Fay finished telling them about what happened to Kuro-chan. The mage mimicked her grin weakly before it fell again. Syaoran kept Mokona in his hands, her silently letting small tears roll down her round body. Fay held up the feather.
"You... most likely don't want it... but... here, Sakura-chan, Syaoran-kun, this is the feather that kept him alive for us..." The boy nodded and took the feather. Mokona sniffed and jumped from the brown haired teenager to Fay's shoulder.
"If he was kept alive by the feather, why didn't Mokona go 'mekkyo'?" She asked quietly. Fay shook his head, not wanting to give it any more thought than he had to. Syaoran walked over to Sakura, but didn't give her body the memory.
"Perhaps there was something that needed to be done before the feather allowed itself to be seen or felt..." He offered. Sakura smiled and nodded, accepting the feather Syaoran then placed in front of her. It dissolved into her body, and the boy caught her easily as she fell unconscious. Fay sighed and stood, removing Mokona from his shoulder.
"I need rest..." He said with a soft smile to the creature. She gave him a worried look before he left the presence of the three.
Kurogane was sitting on his bed in his room, back against the wall as his mind replayed every memory of the little boy. He sighed when knowledge of him not being his son flooded through his mind. He also wondered vaguely if Fay's confession was real or if it was just his emotions from the boy playing tricks on his mind. He wondered briefly why he was so upset over the thought of the blond wasn't his partner. After all, wasn't he supposed to not like anyone in the group? And wasn't he always annoyed by the wizard? Didn't he want to go home alone? For a second more, he contemplated not liking Fay, but only frowned when he heard his conscience laughing at him.
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The blond sat up in bed, mumbling quietly as he was suddenly awoken. He looked up to the intruder and smiled.
"Sakura-chan... what is it?" He asked quietly. The girl smiled and sat on the bed next to him. "It's been two days now, how are you feeling?" She questioned, making Fay's smile fall a little.
"It still hurts a little to think about him, but I know now Kuro-chan is happy where he is..." Sakura's smile widened a little, but she gave him a curious look when the blond looked away.
"Sakura-chan... I'm getting over the fact he wasn't my child... after all, I'm a man, I can't have kids, not even with my magic." He sat up more, blushing lightly in the dark room. "But... I can't help but be jealous... of his parents..." He trailed off silently, making Sakura blink. She smiled brightly, placing a hand on Fay's.
"Fay-san... don't be envious of them..." She cooed, making the blond blink.
"They're going to be a family wherever they are..." She said knowingly. Fay's eyes widened as he understood what she meant. Blushing more, he looked away.
"I-I can't possibly ask that of Kuro-san..."
"You don't need to ask him, Fay-san..." Sakura said gently. The wizard looked at the brunette who only smiled more.
"I think he already knows..." She finished, allowing Fay to only look at her. He felt his heart skip a beat before a smile broke out on his face. He nodded and gripped the girl's hand tightly.
"I'll go to him then, tomorrow..."
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Kurogane had just buttoned his pants when he heard a knock come to his door. The smoothness of it made him assume it was the blond.
"Come in..." He said briefly, moving away from the closet to sit on the bed. Fay entered, blushing lightly. Kurogane raised an eyebrow as the magician moved into the room and closed the door, staring at the floor.
"...What is it?" Kurogane asked, wondering what the lithe man was contemplating. Fay only blushed more before walking over slowly to stand in front of Kurogane on the bed.
"I... I would like to talk..." He began. The ninja nodded and allowed the blond to sit next to him on the bed. Fay stared at the ground as he felt red eyes upon him.
"Kuro-chu... I..." He began, but he couldn't find words to help explain. His face burned brighter as he felt more and more that this was a bad idea. Kurogane waited for a continuation, but when he received none, he only sighed and looked away. Fay closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Kuro-chu, Ireallylikeyouandwaswonderingifwecouldyouknowstaytogetherand-"
"Slow it down, mage. I can hardly understand you." Kuroganesaid lamely, frowning. He had indeed caught what the blond was trying to say, he just wanted Fay to chill a little more. He didn't understand why the magician was so worked up over this; hadn't they displayed previous amounts of suggestive affection? And didn't they already tell each other their feelings? Fay shook his head and stood.
"N-nevermind, I'm stupid, I'll just go..." He said as he quickly walked to the door. Kurogane was on him in a flash and pushed the door shut as soon as Fay had opened it. The pale man bit his lip and turned to Kurogane slowly. Red eyes met blue as they looked at each other in silence. Fay's eyes widened as Kurogane brought their faces closer together.
"You're right... you are stupid..." He mumbled, touching his lips to Fay's. The other man made a sharp noise of surprise, but his eyes fluttered closed as he melted into Kurogane. The pale arms slinked around Kurogane's neck as their kiss became deeper. Kurogane pulled the blond away from the door as he wrapped his arms around Fay's back, holding him against his body. The kiss didn't stop until Fay pulled away to breathe again. He looked with lazy eyelids to the ninja.
"K...Kuro-min..." He said quietly, making Kurogane blush a little. He gave a small smirk and allowed Fay to rub his nose against his own.
"Who said we needed someone else to keep us from fighting?" He grunted as Fay laid his mop of hair against the dark chest.
"Well... wherever he is... I'm sure he's happy that mommy and daddy aren't fighting anymore..."
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Dl what a lame ending. I'm sorry it seemed rushed ._. I was trying to finish it, but I couldn't think of a good way to... -shotDED-
This was supposed to be a Mother daughter talk chapter, and I tried really hard to incorporate that in here, but... Idk if it worked DX