Disclaimer: Kurogane and Fay both belong to CLAMP.

A/N: Wordcount exactly 500 because I'm obsessive.

This is one of my responses to 15-flames, the prompt for this one being #6: Stuck with you. As some of the other responses will be pictures, to see them all, look for draconn-malfoy at LiveJournal.

Wizard Hunt

Stupid mage. Stupid, stupid mage. As if he hadn't caused them enough trouble already. First he refused to use magic when it was needed, and then he got caught using it in a world where it meant a death sentence. Kurogane just knew it had been on purpose, too.

Of course, the wizard would never admit it – for the sake of the kids, no doubt – but it was quite obvious. Not only did he not try to deny anything, but he also did nothing to escape as he was dragged away to carry out the sentence.

Just what kind of a sadistic mind would think of burning somebody at a stake?

The people around him got even more excited than before. Glancing down the road he saw the reason: a group of city guards walked closer, bringing Fay with them. The mage kept his gaze downcast, making no attempt to escape even though it would have been easy for him.

Kurogane glanced around. Mokona and the kids were nowhere to be seen. Damn, damn, damn. He'd have to wait – when he made to save the mage, he had to have a quick escape route ready.

Fay had now made his way to the pile of wood. He still didn't try to escape, calmly letting his hands be tied to the stake. A frantic gaze around let Kurogane know that the other three still weren't there. Well, he could not wait anymore. They were already lighting the fire under the unresisting mage's feet. Damn that stubborn idiot.

Kurogane leapt forward out of the crowd. The guards made to stop him but he knocked them down, careful not to kill any of them. The mage looked shocked – had he perhaps expected to be left to die? Well, that was definitely not the case.

Rushing past the guards, Kurogane drew Souhi. He ignored the flames that enveloped him as soon as he stepped onto the pyre, using his sword to cut Fay's binds, careful not to hurt the mage.

"You idiot," he growled, uncaring about the painful burns as he ran away with the mage's thin frame thrown over his shoulder, the guards at his heels. "Did you truly expect to get rid of me so easily?"

Fay shook his head. "No," he said quietly, "I suppose I didn't."

"And yet you try," Kurogane commented, jumping on top of a guard's head and bouncing off again. It wasn't the time to fight, now. He had to get the mage away. "Can't you just accept the fact that you're stuck with me for now?"

A smile touched Fay's lips, an almost genuine one for once. "I guess there are worse people to be stuck with," he commented lightly. "Though none are as observant as Kurogane."

"No other person would stand you this long," Kurogane growled.

Fay traced a light finger around a burn on his arm. "So like Kurogane," he said softly. "Never letting me do as I want."

"Damn right."

"...That's my Kuro-pon."