A/N: Written as a Fandom Gift Box 2016 gift for JordannaMorgan.
Frowning, face equally as blank and devoid of emotion, Fai stared off into the sunset. The field around him seemed vast and wondrous in the dim light. His hands gripped the grass below him. After a long day, his limbs hurt, his eyes burned. Sunlight was supposed to melt vampires, was it not? But the bright red shading the horizon, the ethereal glow of corruption worlds away, still did not embrace him and take advantage of his life.
Fai closed his eyes. Dropping back into reality, he blinked once. Twice.
A silky cloth (based on the overall weight of the item) was slowly being wound around his neck. No malice occupied the touch—completely unlike his own self-loathing thoughts. He had heard footsteps, and perhaps even a warning, but he had not paid attention. He still did not react until she was finished. With careful precision, the piece of cloth was wrapped around his neck three times. Like a wave, it fell down his front over his stomach.
"What's..." Throat parched, Fai croaked the lone word. His interest drew to an abrupt halt when he peered down to see a well knitted scarf attached there, the delicate ends tickling his arm. Immediately, he knew who was, but he did not turn around to see her sitting behind him.
"Tomoyo-chan showed me how to make this back in Piffle," Sakura explained cheerfully, full of accomplishment. "She showed me her special sewing techniques. Moko-chan helped me finish it, too!"
Fai's stomach did a gruesome flip-flop. All he knew was fear. He saw stars. His face froze. He eyed the extravagant scarlet color below him, sickness welling up inside him. No. Not this. Red. Deep. Such deep red.
"That's beautiful, Sakura-chan," Fai managed to choke out past his uncooperative throat in a half decent, half impassive tone. He could never revoke the sincere praise he always gave her, though; anything Sakura did was lovely. A realization then sailed through his mind, sharp and white hot when the approach of confusion subsided. "You made this for me?"
Sakura smiled with a tinge of worry but no less confidence. She lightly placed petite hands on his shoulders. So small even on thin shoulder blades. Once the tension in his shoulders was evident, however, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a hug.
"I'm sorry, I'm being too forward. I can see based on your reaction. It's too soon after Tokyo. This must be a shock. To see this color so suddenly." Sheepish, she blushed and her grip went slack for a moment. "But... I thought it would be better to show you head on. I wanted to tell you what I thought. I didn't want to hide it, or be ashamed of where you are now."
Fai's chin lowered a bit to his chest. Eyes narrowed, he inhaled and exhaled as steadily as he could manage it. Blood. So much blood. In his hair, eyes, making him gurgle in his mouth, everywhere because of—
"In some countries," Sakura continued gently, "red means good luck. It means that you'll live your life in prosperity and you'll never be sad. Dressing in red will bless your future self."
Where was this line of conversation going? A cat-like smile of amusement crossed his lips nonetheless. Him, a vampire, would receive fortune? Someone so bathed in blood as it entered his veins each and every day indulged in sin. "Isn't the red you mean predominantly for traditional clothing used during wedding ceremonies?"
Cheeks painted pink, Sakura blushed furiously. She shook her head to relieve her anxiety, short crop of hair flying. "U—Usually! But not always. Some lands we've been to, I've noticed that people wear red for fortune during rituals. Sometimes the most powerful leaders wear it."
When Fai did not respond, Sakura hummed.
"Red is... that is, red is…" Her eyebrows scrunched as she tried to piece her resolve and feelings. "A zest for life and love. For courage and strength. And I believe that's you in your heart. It's beautiful, and if you can't see how beautiful and kind that still makes you, I'll see it for you and keep telling you. Without Fai always being so spontaneous, I don't think Fai can be Fai."
A tentative, fragile moment overcame Fai. He felt as though he precariously balance on the edge of a cliff, back facing the void of the unknown. Gravity did not cause him to plummet, but waited patiently. It just waited tenderly, inviting. He was on the precipice of yelling about how wrong she was. How he could barely control himself. Vampire instincts were no joking matter.
But the way Sakura was saying it clearly expressed that she was telling Fai not to feel ashamed.
As terrible as bloodshed was, always bringing upon war and death, if Sakura said it recreating his vision of himself may be one baby step. After all, Kurogane had made positive of their "bond" for blood. Regrettably, those red eyes conveyed that his decision had never been impulse.
But somewhere, somehow, she jarred something in his chest, stirred and clenched it in a way he had forgotten he could feel in his current state.
Fai leaned back into her embrace. The softness and poofiness of the dress she wore in this world helped him believe and dream. Like this, he was on massive cloud looking down. "Thank you for your gift, Sakura-chan. You may have given me the best blessing I could have asked for."
And the sunset, streaked with energy and refracting light as it descended into the blue of darkness, was not soaked in splatters of grey agony from years lost. The red sunlight was determination and passion wrapped into one blinding wink of fortune. It foreshadowed a happier tomorrow.