When the Snow Falls…

Prologue

Silent Snowfall

"Something wrong?" Kurogane asked as he bit Fai's neck playfully.

"No… it's just…" Fai whispered softly in response, staring blankly out the window by the bedside.

"Just what?" Kurogane backed off a bit and looked at Fai.

"I just noticed it's snowing," Fai smiled sadly.

"That's all?" Kurogane glared.

"Mm-hm," Fai nodded.

"No it isn't, you liar. If you think you can get away with lying like that, you're sadly mistaken," Kurogane insisted as he started in on Fai's neck again. "So, you gonna tell me what it is?"

"When the snow falls… I can't help it… When the snow falls… I always think of him…" Fai thought to himself, not daring to voice the words. Kurogane would probably be understanding of him if he told him, though perhaps a bit annoyed or angry at the same time, but Fai didn't want to mention it at all. If he couldn't forget, he wanted to at least keep Kurogane from remembering.

"Why won't you tell me what's going on in that head of yours, mage? Are you afraid to tell me?" Kurogane questioned, giving Fai some space again. With Fai in this state, he decided he'd rather not continue any further.

"It's nothing," Fai smiled.

"Like I'd ever believe that," Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"Some things are best left forgotten, Kuro-sama," Fai argued as he leaned forward against Kurogane's chest. "So… help me forget… please… Kuro-tan?"

"Sex isn't going to help you forget anything," Kurogane glared. "And you obviously can't forget whatever it is that you're thinking about so the only way you can deal with it is talking, not shoving it under the mattress and pretending it isn't there."

"Let me just pretend, then," Fai insisted. "It's the only thing I know."

"I won't let you do that to yourself. You know bottling up all this garbage in your mind is just going to kill you on the inside," Kurogane stated bluntly.

"Suicide of the spirit then, hm? Certainly sounds like something I'd do," Fai said with a musing smile.

"Talk to me," Kurogane insisted, obviously having no patience for this at the current moment.

"When the snow falls… I can't help it… When the snow falls… I think of him…" Fai whispered.

"I can see why you didn't want to talk to me about it," Kurogane admitted. "But that's still no excuse. So, start talking."

"It was snowing like this…"