Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did I wouldn't share and Kurogane would have kissed Fai by now. ;-)
Kurogane's POV
It had been a long day, terribly long in so many ways. They'd been searching for the princesses' feather in this wretched town for over two months now without much luck one way or another. The manju sensed something but like usual there was some problem with it's reception and he couldn't tell where or if it was a feather at all.
The streets were dark and scum filtered in and out of every unruly establishment. Did I mention that they're all unruly here? Bars, crack houses, pimp houses, all that joyful stuff. Even the nicer neighborhoods weren't suitable for the kids to go outside. He wasn't even sure if he liked the idea of Fai going out there but you know that damned mage. The idiot does whatever he wants now, or rather whatever he thinks will remind me that he's miserable to be alive and that I shouldn't have saved him. Meh.
He was out there right now, walking in the rain. They'd gotten into another big argument and this time the kids had been there to see it, even the part where he broke and shouted back at me for once. When Fai realized this it probably just reminded him once more of how far he's fallen since the days of that fake smile or how things used to be, either way he ran out of the room slamming the door behind him mumbling "Need some time alone. Be back in a bit."
A bit had been two hours ago.
Kurogane growled at the idea of having to go drag the fool back here but some small, very small, part of him wanted him to go find the mage. It was amazingly easy how one such as he could find his way into trouble even in a nice world let alone a place like this. Hence why he was currently walking the scum filled streets where children ran drug errands for their parents and random mob like fights were common place. Even he didn't like being out here. These people weren't worth fighting, all weak and drugged out or hyped up on some thing or another. There was no honor here. They were nothing more than rabid dogs amid the street trash and that was a pretty low opinion even from him who preferred a harder, tougher way of life.
He passed by a bakery he'd seen Fai stop at on more than one occasion, half expecting to see the fool standing there, dripping with rain his face pressed against the glass. No, he hadn't been following the mage those times. He'd just been walking behind him at a really slow pace in the same general direction and trying not to be seen.
That last bit aside, he'd seen him come here a little more than twice a week. He never went in, just stared at the pastries and such in the windows like a street urchin without money. He'd stay for less than five minutes and then be on his way again. Kurogane wondered if the blonde actually missed those nasty sweets, missed making them for the children, or maybe just missed his mask. All of it perhaps.
The mage wasn't there. He sighed feeling his hopes falling in an odd sort of way and continued on.
AN: This won't be longer than five chapters. It's just a small thing for me to work on between stuff. Never fear to those reading 'A Touch of Ice'. I should have another chapter up maybe by the end of tomorrow. Peace all.
PS This really does have some small plot to it. Kind of. ;-)
