Title: Cold Steel
Rating: PG
Warnings: Kurogane/Fai.
Summary: Kurogane tries to teach Fai swordfighting. It doesn't go well.
Author's Notes: Set during the Yama period.

The sword clattered to the ground again, and Fai folded his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes defiantly at his would-be teacher. "No," he said firmly.

Kurogane ground his teeth, and reached down to pick up the weapon. They'd been in Yama for over a month already, and so far the only word of Nihongo that Fai had seemed to really learn was that one. And he seemed to use it more regularly than anything to piss Kurogane off. "And I'm telling you, yes," he growled, stalking towards Fai. Fai backed away before him, blue eyes narrow and defiant. "Look, we're going to be a part of Yasha's army whether we like it or not. That means that you have to at least make a token effort to act like a real warrior!"

Fai shook his head stubbornly, and Kurogane snarled under his breath. Without Mokona to translate for them, Kurogane was left to guess what the hell was going on in that fuzzy head.

He knew that Fai had the skills of a warrior -- the way he moved, the ease with which he defended himself in combat clearly displayed that. Still, he'd gotten the idea from the previous worlds that Fai didn't like to use violence -- not even in self-defense, stupid as that was. It wasn't something a man like Kurogane could understand, but it was a consistent pattern to the mage's behavior. Fai didn't like to fight, and he refused to carry a weapon.

Which was too damn bad, because they were newcomers in a strange territory, and walking a very fine line for that not to become hostile territory. They were too vulnerable here, without knowing the language or the culture and without any way to get themselves out if things went into the midden in a hurry. If they were going to survive and find the kids and get out of here, they had to join Yasha's army and gain his protection, and if that was going to happen, then Fai was going to have to learn to use the damn sword.

But to start with, he would have to get Fai to take the sword, and so far he'd refused to even touch it.

For the thousandth time he wished they hadn't become separated from the others -- and not just because Mokona's absence made this whole layover a logistical nightmare. He missed the kids. He'd never planned to become a teacher in the first place, but if he had to teach the sword, at least Syaoran was genuinely motivated to learn and showed some innate spark of talent. Hell, even if he hadn't, he'd be a hundred times a better student than Fai just because he respected the sword. And, for that matter, respected Kurogane, which Fai obviously didn't.

"Take the sword," he growled, holding the sword out towards Fai, hilt-first.

Fai put his hands behind his back like a little kid and stepped back, then smiled at Kurogane, grinned like this was all some giant joke that Kurogane was putting on for his amusement. "No," he said again, sounding even more like a stubborn two-year-old. "No sword."

"Damn it!" Patience exhausted, Kurogane lunged forward and took the mage by the shoulders. When the startled man put out his arms in involuntary defense, Kurogane grabbed Fai's right wrist, pressed the hilt of the sword into his hand, and wrapped his own hand firmly around Fai's to hold it there. "Just take the goddamn sword!"

Fai gasped and his arm twitched when Kurogane's hand covered his, and then they both froze in place. Fai's head was slightly lowered, hair hiding his eyes, and he was close enough to Kurogane's chest that his breath misted softly on Kurogane's collarbone. After a moment, Fai's rigid shoulders relaxed, and he muttered something under his breath in his own language.

Kurogane had no idea what he'd said, so he ignored it. "Now," he said, his own voice soft in the sudden stillness between them, "you do it like this."

Carefully he pulled Fai towards him, moving around to stand directly behind the other man, Fai fitting neatly into the curve of his arms. He reached down and took Fai's wrist hand in his left hand, and Fai willingly moved with him as he pulled him into the proper stance.

"Like this," he whispered into Fai's ear, and moved them both through the kata.

Fai's body was... amazing, Kurogane decided, was the only word for it. He'd observed the catlike grace of Fai's movements, the speed and dexterity with which he moved on foot and in the air, but he'd never had an opportunity to come this close before. His movements were smooth as an oiled machine, and his limbs were light against Kurogane's; he followed along with every subtle movement and cue as Kurogane guided them through the movements like a silent dance. Kurogane's steady, even breathing stirred the light stands of Fai's hair, and he could smell the scent of his body, this close.

He didn't care what Fai's reasons were. He wanted Fai to fight by his side, he wanted to see that deadly speed and precision applied to his own art; he wanted this, the balance and grace of the two of them moving in tandem. And if he had to hold his hand over Fai's every step of the way to accomplish that, he wouldn't regret it at all.

They both stood motionless for a long moment after the completion of the move, and then Kurogane felt Fai's hand slip from his as the hilt of the sword was pushed into his hand. The smaller man took a step away and then turned, face to face, and met his eyes. Fai's breathing was heavy and irregular, and Kurogane wondered if the wizard had been as affected by their closeness as he was.

Fai was still very close, almost within Kurogane's arms, and it would have been very easy to just lean down and kiss the hell out of him. Before he could, though, Fai slowly raised his right hand to chest level between them, palm up.

Kurogane glanced down, and then recoiled. Fai's hand was covered heel to fingertips in an angry red burn. Kurogane swore and grabbed his hand, shifting his grip to Fai's wrist when he hissed in pain. "Shit! What the hell happened to your hand?"

Fai couldn't answer, of course, but the unsteady pattern of his breathing quickened as Kurogane inspected the burn. The worst of it was across the palm, with angry red bars laying across the inside of his fingers, flecks of bright blood oozing out of the cracked skin. The pattern looked familiar, and Kurogane shot a horrified look down at the sword he was holding. The size and shape of the burn exactly matched the shape of the hilt.

It took Kurogane a moment to make the connection, but he wasn't stupid. The sword was steel -- iron -- and Fai was a mage. Even if he refused to ever use his magic, it was still part of him, an intrinsic part of his flesh.

He looked back into Fai's face; a habitual half-smile quirked his lips, but his eyes were solemn. "No sword, Kuro-sama," he said with a quiet finality, then wriggled his fingers and pulled his hand free of Kurogane's.

Kurogane stood staring at his back as he walked away. At last, he sheathed the sword and turned away. He'd have to come up with some other way to keep the mage alive.

~end.

Author's notes: This was just an idea I had about Fai and iron -- not to imply that he's a faerie or anything, simply that magic and cold iron react badly on contact, sort of like putting a spoon in the microwave. After the idea occurred to me, I tried to recall if there's any place in the series where we see Fai deliberately handle iron or steel. The only one I can think of offhand was the lamp-post that Kurogane broke in the Kiishim's room in Koryou, and we have no idea what kind of metal that was made of.