After watching the OVA Tokyo Revelations I just had to write something. About Kurogane. Because he was being the most mature and calm, but I wondered what was going on inside his head, how when Fay was no longer in danger of dying he would start to really think 'bout the screwed up situation, since Fay knows everything and he knew nothing, yet Kurogane was the one doing everything he could after the situation. I guess this isn't really a fanfiction since it's based on an original scene and its just my own interpretation so I can't really say it's my first Tsubasa fanfic, but tell me if you want to read more. Possible KuroFai but nothing explicit by Kurogane until maybe the next chapter. Maybe. It's still early. Spoilers from the OVA, or that part of the manga. If you haven't read to the events in Acid Tokyo you might not want to read this. Just telling in case there's anyone who just got into the fandom like me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tsubasa, nor do I own this canon scene.

"Sakura is my most precious person. I will never let Sakura die!"

Drenched in the rain, the kid he had come to know had exclaimed, set determination in his eyes. He had known the price, and even back then when he had just met the kid for the first time, he'd- approved of him. Approved his strong will and resolution to protect the one he loved.

Just like how his own father had told him; to use his strength to protect the ones he loved.

It was something he had forgotten, lost sight of, and he'd never wanted to go on this stupid journey in the first place, he'd just wanted to get back to his homeland, back to Nihon and Princess Tomoyo (what the hell had she been thinking- sending her best ninja off; did she want to get assassinated? He was damn sure there were so many other people after her just because of her status, besides the ones he had killed-weak, they were all weak, but they were weak to him, everyone was weak to him, like Tomoyo's other ninjas), be back at her side and protect her, like how she had protected him from himself when he had gone insane with rage- he was supposed to be at her side damn it, not on some stupid journey with people he didn't even know and a talking manjuu bun!

Tomoyo had sent him off to learn the meaning of true strength, and he would admit- maybe this was…not inevitable, no, he refused to believe that damn witch, but maybe, it had been a right decision on her part. As strange as it was, he'd found himself wanting to protect these people he met. A princess missing her memories, a boy doing anything to get them back, an idiotic smiling mage who refused to use his magic, a talking manjuu. Really, what would they do without him? They needed him to protect them. The kid was mature for his age, but he was still inexperienced in many ways, and he couldn't be a quick learner if there was no one to teach him. The princess needed to be protected always, but she could be as stubborn as the boy she had forgotten and put herself in danger for him. And though the magician clearly had the magical capacity (his mother had been a miko, he could sense the substantial magic from that liar), he refused to use his magic- how would he protect the princess that way? And the manjuu couldn't fight. Had he not been roped into this crazy journey, they would have had a harder time.

Well that was what that idiot had said, but he had broken his own vow and used his magic for the children. Of course the idiot had denied it and he'd had to press him until he gave in. And just when he thought they would finally be able to have a serious conversation, he'd given that fake smile again, and it was clear that as he turned away, he was turning away from their conversation. And it'd pissed him off. Why did he even care? Hell he didn't know. But he cared and it pissed him off that the stupid mage was being stubborn till the end.

Yeah, the end. Literally. Because that idiot mage had broken his vow a second time and used his magic for the kid, and had gotten his eye fucking eaten because of it.

And now he was dying.

"I won't let him die. He can't die. Fuck, why the hell is he already thinking of dying?!"

Before he even knew what he was doing he'd slammed his fist into the wall and stomped over to the dying idiot who was stubborn until the end, grabbed him and been ready to punch his fucking lights out, a whirlwind of conflicting emotions in his mind-

"Why the hell…are you already thinking of dying?!"

And then the idiot just looked at him with the one blue eye he had left, smiled weakly and murmured softly.

"I'm sorry."

And he'd watched, holding the mage's broken gaze before his body gave out and his eye closed, his head flopping to the side, his face as pale as if he was already dead.

But he wasn't. He wasn't dead. He was dying, but not dead. He wasn't dead.

Yet.

He knew he was alone in this. Alone. He could feel the sympathetic gazes on him, the kid, the people they had just met, even the witch, the manjuu. All along on this journey, he'd had people, no matter how much he hadn't wanted them at first. He'd had the princess who was too kind for her own good, the determined kid and the mage who smiled all his fake smiles but was always by his side. But now the princess was broken and crying in her sleep, the kid was gone, the new kid was as lost as him, the mage was dying.

There was only him left.

It was fucked up, so fucked up. Him, the one who'd never wanted to go on this journey in the first place ending up with this burden on his shoulders. Because he had come to care for every single one of them, care like he never knew he could care. And through all the convoluting emotions, he clung with his bloody hands, hands that had caused countless deaths, to the one thing he was sure of.

He didn't want the mage to die. He didn't care if the mage would hate him for saving his life when he didn't want to be saved.

"Fuck. I don't care about anything else! He won't like it but I don't give a damn whether he likes living or not. I will never let him die. I'm not losing him, not now. I won't let him leave."

He'd never known how important the mage who called himself Fay- (but he never called him that 'cause the mage never called him by his own name anyway, he was just the smiling idiot mage) was to him until he was holding him, the balls of cotton wool stained with blood near them, blood from his gouged out eye, as he took what could be his last, final breaths, right in front of his eyes.

Kurogane clenched his teeth, his heart heavy in his chest. What was this, karma? He had caused the deaths of so many others so right now he had to watch someone important to him dying?

Again?

No. He was dying, but not dead. Not dead yet. He wouldn't let him die.

Never.

This was one death he didn't want to see.

Kurogane closed his eyes and made a deal with the witch he had never trusted, the person whom had taken away his most precious thing from him.

"Witch, is there a way to stop him from dying?"

And he wasn't looking at the witch but at the dying mage, but when she finally spoke as his heart pounded in his chest, it was as if she knew that from the very beginning since they had first met, he would one day come to make this deal with her.

And since she was the space time bitch, she probably did.

"There is."

And even that didn't take the surprise or relief away.

For that was all he needed to know at the moment.

He just needed to know the mage would live.

The price didn't matter. He would pay it no matter what.

The witch had already taken away what was most important to him.

There was no way in hell he was about to lose another.

What had he done?

He had saved the mage.

…He had saved the mage.

He had offered up his own blood and freedom for the mage's life.

And he found himself unable to leave the mage's side, unable to leave him, even if he had to carry him everywhere they had to go for the deal for the water.

Who knew what would he do if he woke alone?

He had brought him away from the edge of death where he was almost ready to throw himself over the edge and give the new kid, the heartbroken princess, the manjuu, a new devastating loss.

Wasn't the kid- the kid that even he had grown to respect- wasn't him leaving them and betraying them – (using his own sword skills which he had taught to him on them) enough of a blow? How could the mage even think of willingly ending his life? Ending his presence in their lives?

Yeah, it was a betrayal. And it was the first betrayal he had experienced. He had grown fond of the kid. Just as his own father had taught him the sword, he'd taught the kid how to wield a sword for the sake of protecting his most important person. He'd been his mentor, almost like his father damn it (and this did not have any relation to that damned joke of him being the daddy the mage and manjuu refused to drop). He'd known something was up with him, but he didn't think- that he didn't originally have a heart. Didn't he say the princess was his most precious person? What the hell had happened to that?

For once, he hadn't had his sword. His senses had been tingling with danger, and he'd been so panicked, feeling that something bad was happening and he had to get in there no matter what that having his sword was not his priority. He should be fucking ashamed of himself, as a ninja, for he had held onto his sword and his ways all his life and he had just abandoned it in a moment of panic, something he had laughed at his opponents for doing. But he knew the mage had done something without his knowledge, something dangerous and irreversible, something involving the kid because god damn it, why hadn't they come back after so long-what the hell was this dreamseer prattling on about the princess's soul being someplace else- he couldn't wait any longer, he was the warrior, he had to be there no matter what.

He had been furious, but because he didn't have his weapon he couldn't fight- couldn't fight as he had trained to do all his fucking life, as he had done in all the worlds they had been in. He could only stay there and hold the dying mage and protect his broken body from his magic the kid who had lost his heart was using. His back still hurt and he knew there was blood all over his shirt, but it was nothing compared to what that stupid, idiotically selfless mage had gone through for the sake of attempting to return the kid's lost heart.

And he'd been furious too, not only at the kid and the mage but at himself. All along, he had protected the group, their fucking little family they had come to be, as much as he hated to admit it, protected the manjuu and the princess and the mage who didn't want to use his magic and instead looked out for the princess- but at the one time they really needed his strength, he hadn't been there. He knew that despite his smiles and laid back nature, the mage was a combat veteran, he'd shown that in Yama, he'd earned the position of Yasha's top fighter (along with him) himself. But the one time he'd been helpless (and not just pretending so his opponent would underestimate him), he had no one to save him.

Tch. Damn idiot probably had wanted it that way, had expected it would turn out that way. That was why he had left him with the princess.

...Fuck, it all made sense now. Why the hell hadn't he seen it?! He'd thought the idiot was just trying to piss him off. The mage was usually the one by the princess's side- and he the one in battle, if they'd switched and the mage was with the kid after their little talk- god damn it!

Shit, the one time his strength was really needed- he couldn't use it. Why? Why the hell had it turned out like that? Wasn't he supposed to use his strength to protect those important to him? He hadn't- hadn't been able to protect the kid from himself, the princess from heartbreak, and the mage who was looking so damn weak and pale, eyes closed, hair rumpled, and so-fucking fragile.

Kurogane frowned. Was this what the mage had been trying to hide from him? Was this what was under that mask of smiles?

Why had he saved him when he didn't want to be saved?

…Because he didn't want him to die. No matter what he thought of himself. Not only because the princess would be devastated and the new kid would feel sad, and the manjuu would cry. But also because he, however absurdly, had grown to care for him. If it had been anyone else asking him to let him die, he probably would have killed them and granted their wish himself. Well anyone other than the kid and the princess- they wouldn't ever wish for such a thing. Only the self deprecating, but stupidly selfless mage who always smiled to hide his pain would.

Kurogane knew he wasn't some matyr. Hell, he'd killed too many people to count, and enjoyed every single second of it. He hadn't thought he'd ever come to care for people other than Tomoyo and her family. But he had, and he knew, if he could help it, he would never let any one of them die. Not even the mage who saw no worth in his own life.

He couldn't let the mage die. He didn't care what he had to give up, the thought of him dying sent a chill through his bones. Fuck no, he couldn't die, not after he had done so much for the children, not when they had gotten this far, he refused to let him leave like a fucking coward even if he was a fucking coward.

Blood. Blood was easy to give. He had shed so much blood, he supposed it was only fair he gave his own. What wasn't easy to give was his freedom. He had always been free, not bound to anyone. He served under his Princess Tomoyo with responsibility as her ninja, but as his own being, he had been free.

But now he wasn't. Because he wanted to save the mage. He had given up his freedom for his life. He had made a deal with that witch he didn't trust, just to save the mage's life. With this, the mage couldn't run from him anymore if he wanted to live. And he knew he would live, if only for the sake of the broken princess.

His freedom…was a small price to pay for the life of someone who had grown to be important to him.

For he couldn't deny it. The mage was important. Important to the princess and the kid (somewhere in his lost heart) and this kid and to him. Whether he liked it or not.

Why was he important- he didn't care. He just was and it was a fact he had accepted, while the mage was still, as still as if he was dead.

Kurogane's heart clenched as he waited, staring out into the pouring rain. He'd never been good at waiting. But now he had to wait. Because he had told the princess he would wait for her to come back. Even if waiting was more painful than going with her. Was this what the princess felt every time they left for battle? But she had believed in them, and it was their turn to believe in her. He had told her he would wait, and he was a man who never went back on his words. So he would wait for her to come back.

And he was also waiting for the mage to wake up. Because he couldn't stand to see those blue eyes- eye closed, that face as pale as death. As if he hadn't just sacrificed his own freedom for the sake of his life.

But at the same time, he wanted him to rest. His body needed it, even if he would protest. But he was unconscious and he couldn't protest and push himself beyond his limit like the selfless idiot he was and that suited fine for him.

And his heart needed it too, needed the rest to be prepared to hear the news that the princess had gone into danger all on her own, for the first time, in one of the more dangerous worlds. The mage cared for her so much, he wouldn't be surprised if he punched him for that.

So maybe it was a good thing he was still asleep after all. Still resting and truly oblivious for once.

But when the blond didn't wake after some silent time, Kurogane felt himself begin to get worried.

And it was illogical, but what if the vampire blood disagreed with his body? With his magic? He still had half of his magic left, right? What if vampire powers and magic didn't mix? He'd never heard of a vampire with magic before. A magical vampire. But then again, he hadn't even known vampires actually existed so who was he to talk?

He almost reached out to the mage, to check if his heart was still beating, but then reminded himself of course it was for wasn't he still breathing, softly but he was breathing so he was definitely alive. He was just resting, it didn't matter if he wasn't waking up after so long, the transformation had been painful if even he showed his pain so explicitly, he needed to rest just like that vampire had said. So why the hell was he getting so worried and wishing he would wake up?

And besides, he had made the deal with the witch. And even though the space time bitch asked for high prices, he could at least trust, not just the manjuu but also the fact that she did grant wishes as long as one could pay the price. Which he did.

Because if she didn't he would grab the manjuu and demand to be teleported to wherever the hell the space time bitch was and strangle her with his bare hands, he didn't give a damn whether killing her would disrupt the space-time continuum or not, things were already fucked up as they were anyway. And while he was at it, he would take back Ginryuu, his most precious thing. He had to take his anger out on somebody, didn't he? He couldn't on the new kid or the mage or the princess or even the manjuu. What better target for his anger than the one who knew everything but told nothing? The dimensional bitch better have a damn good reason for not saying anything.

But luckily for her she did grant wishes for that was her job. So the mage was definitely alive. And that was enough for him. He was alive, that was all that mattered for now.

Kurogane inhaled.

Wasn't it?

A soft sound snapped Kurogane out of his thoughts and he turned, to see the mage's pale hand reaching out to him as he lifted his thin frame. He stared, heart beating faster than normal, as the mage's hand dropped and he lowered his head.

He was awake. And he had reached out to him, even if it was done unconsciously.

There was…hope.

And as he thought that, the blond's blue eye opened and he straightened with a plastic smile, and said the words that would haunt him for the days to come.

"Good morning, Kurogane."