DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN~! I've FINALLY been able to write more of this story and as a result, the first chapter of the third installment of my 'Red Light District' series is now up!
I really can't take credit for all of this though. I've made a lot of friends here on and just talking to them is enough to try and get my creative juices flowing! Whether its talking about the random things in life, what stories we have in progress, or just fangasming over each others works. Talking to them has really helped fight the dreaded writer's block, so Thank You! TT^TT And you who I'm talking to over PM, you know who you are ;)
Alright! About this story. A lot of people have suggested that I take all these separate stories (this one and Return to the Red Light District) and just add them as extra chapters to the original Red Light District...which I might end up doing.
I guess for some reason I tried avoiding creating stories that were a bajillion chapters long because I didn't think anyone would read them ^^' Well a lot of people are telling me otherwise, so I think that once I finish this story fully, I'll combine this and my previous one with the first story!
Disclaimer: All rights reserved for CLAMP. I own nothing but the plot.
Kurogane stormed his way down the hall, not even bothering to conceal the sound of his footsteps. His lips were thin and his eyes focused. The servants leapt out of his way as he passed them, knowing he would not stop to apologize if he happened to ram into one. Somehow he seemed more threatening than usual. His furrowed eyebrows and tight jaw were only minor indicators of how serious he was.
It had been 3 days since he returned from the Red Light District. Internal conflicts and uncharacteristic thoughts plagued him ever since his last visit. In the heat of the moment, he boldly proclaimed to Soma that someone was going to be living in the castle soon.
That hadn't changed. He still resolved to rescue Fai from the brothel and put him up in Shirasaki Castle somehow. He'd of course have to contribute to the work force of the palace in some way, perhaps as a servant or cook…
Kurogane shook his head. Perhaps he'd just have Fai as his ward, someone he could protect and guard. The ninja's footsteps began to slow and pound the floor with less intensity. He sighed.
This was the reason for all these internal conflicts. It wasn't the act of rescuing Fai he'd had all these migraines over. It was WHY he had the need to rescue Fai. He thought he knew three days ago. Fai was different. Yes. He knew that he saw him far differently from anyone else; from Soma, from Amaterasu…even from Tomoyo.
He felt his allegiances mixed. He was still loyal to Tomoyo. He would do absolutely anything she asked, even if he argued some things, he would always comply with her in the end. She was his master after all.
But Fai…he was no one of real status or importance. He didn't save him from himself when his parents died, he didn't give him a place to stay, he didn't offer a helping hand during those difficult and confusing times in his youth, Tomoyo had been the one to do all that.
And yet…
He somehow felt his bond with Fai was more precious than his bond with Tomoyo. What would happen when Fai came to live in the castle? Would his feelings grow or diminish? Is what he feels now going to last? After all he had only met with Fai twice, but Kurogane wasn't the kind of person to have strong feeling for anyone but the princess, especially if he had only met them twice.
Thoughts of the blonde plagued him relentlessly the past 2 nights, just as they had those 2 weeks after he first met the blonde. Kurogane's brow furrowed even further.
And then there was Seishiro. His resolve to kill the bastard hadn't lessened either. He was sure to cause the man some sort of pain for what he had been doing to Fai. Kurogane could tell that he was just a dishonorable person by nature. He deserved what was coming, Kurogane was sure…
But again…Fai. Fai was the main reason why Kurogane despised this man. Fai was the reason for murdering him in cold blood. He wouldn't have paid that smirky bastard any mind had he merely passed him on the street, but things were different. That man's existence was a threat to Fai…and he was determined to eliminate it.
He picked up his speed again as he walked. He was still confused as to what these feelings for Fai really meant but over thinking it would do him no good. First he'll get Fai into the castle and then he'll think about what comes after. Right now his goal was to rescue Fai and the first step of that…
Asking Amaterasu-sama permission.
Kurogane stopped in front of the large sliding door that led to Amaterasu-sama's chambers. Normally he would go to Tomoyo and just tell her that he was bringing Fai to the castle and leave her to deal with Amaterasu but he knew enough about Amaterasu to trust that even Tomoyo's word may not be enough to grant Fai asylum.
Amaterasu, while smart and powerful, was very strict. She was prepared to kill him the first time they met had Tomoyo not asked for the chance to tame Kurogane's wild rage back then. There was a high chance that if he brought Fai here, not even his stubbornness could prevent them both from being expelled from the castle.
He was about to open the door when he remembered traditional formalities. He was able to disregard these with Tomoyo, but with Amaterasu…she'd have him punished for sure. He sighed harshly.
Kneeling down he announced himself.
"It's Kurogane. Excuse me." he said through gritted teeth.
"You may enter." a smooth, deep voice sounded from inside. Kurogane slid the door to the side. Amaterasu was dressed in her usual garb, thick layers of Kimono's and hair adornments. She seemed to be in the middle of re-stringing the harp she played in her spare time, when she had time. She cast an imperious glance in Kurogane's direction.
"What have you come to me for warrior?" she asked. Kurogane hesitated.
"There is someone that I wish to live in the castle." he said formally.
"Is this person of noble blood?" she inquired.
"No." Kurogane responded. Amaterasu remained silent. She observed him, searching for any sign that might clue her in to his sudden request.
"Why have you come to me? Wouldn't you normally ask Tsukuyomi for this kind of favor?" she asked. Kurogane remained still, gathering his patience.
"Because you're the one most likely to throw us both out if I didn't come to you first." he replied with some bite. Amaterasu snapped a harsh glare at him.
"That tone doesn't strengthen your argument." she scolded. Kurogane held back a retort.
"Sorry." he said. The Empress contemplated his request for a moment.
"Who is this person that you plan to bring?" she asked.
"A commoner named Fai. I won't say anymore about him." he replied.
"Do you know him well?" she questioned. Kurogane paused.
"Fairly." he said. Amaterasu looked at him.
"Why are you making such a bold request for the sake of an acquaintance?" she asked.
"Because I am!" Kurogane nearly shouted, losing his patience. Silence befell them. Amaterasu wasn't pleased with Kurogane's harsh answer or demanding voice.
"I'm sorry, I cannot grant your request…"
"Please!" Kurogane shouted. Amaterasu turned to him suddenly. Even Kurogane was surprised by his outburst. He swallowed his pride and bowed low to the floor, his forehead nearly in contact with the mat.
"Please." he said more humbly. Amaterasu stared at him, eyes partially widened. If she knew Kurogane, she knew he would never resort to begging for anything. Covering her mouth with her sleeve she let out a rare chuckle.
"You feel so strongly that you would put yourself through such humility?" she teased. Kurogane gritted his teeth. She and Tomoyo really were related.
"Don't think I'll make a habit of this." he mumbled. Amaterasu smiled.
"I suppose not." she replied. She remained quiet again, forcing Kurogane to kneel for several minutes. He was getting irritated with this. He was tempted to just jump up and do whatever he wished, without Amaterasu's approval.
"Your request is granted." she finally said. Kurogane's eyes widened. His muscles relaxed as he lifted his torso up on his knees again. He tried not to let his delight show.
"Thank you." he said as he bowed to her and backed away to the entrance. He was about to close the door when Amaterasu stopped him.
"However," she started, her tone disapproving, "this newcomer will have your share of meals for one day. Consider it punishment for your improper tone earlier." she said. Kurogane scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Two days." she added.
"What!?"
"Three days."
"Alright fine!" Kurogane shouted, slamming the door before he ran down the hall, hoping not to hear an additional "Four days" come from inside.
Once his footsteps faded away, Amaterasu smiled to herself. She pulled her hand gently across the strings of her harp, allowing the silky sound to resonate in her ears.
"It is just as your dreams foretold Tsukuyomi. Let us just hope that this will lead him to a path of positive change." she said to herself.
"I'm taking the night off."
Tomoyo blinked her eyes. Soma, who stood a short ways behind her would have snorted at the idea had Kurogane not been completely serious. The other ninja in the squadron along with Soma turned to each other confused. Kurogane narrowed his eyes at them before connecting his gaze back with Tomoyo's.
"Is that a problem?" he challenged, not feeling as threatening as he sounded. Tomoyo smiled. She could sense the slight nervous tension and embarrassment for asking something of her that seemed so out of character.
"I see no problem." she smiled, "You may have the night off Kurogane." she said. Kurogane nodded to her curtly as he strode off and away from the castle. Tomoyo smiled and waved to him.
"Come home safely Kurogane!" she shouted. Kurogane cringed. He could hear a few lower level ninja chuckling. He cast a hard glare at them smirking when he saw their shoulders stiffen. Not wanting to hear anymore ridiculous calls from Tomoyo, he leapt up onto a few tree branches and disappeared into the forest, on his way to the town.
Tomoyo lowered her hand and smiled softly.
"Good Luck…to both of you." she whispered.
Kurogane groaned in annoyance as he bounded his way towards the city. Just because he asked for a night off she shouldn't be feeling so high and mighty! She really did piss him off most of the time…not as much as Amaterasu though. Kurogane flushed at how pathetic he must have sounded asking Amaterasu permission. What the hell could be worth so much humility!
He leapt from a tree branch, to the tile roof of a building. He was in the general marketplace now. A little further along and to the right he saw the dim red glow of the Red Light District. He frowned. What could be worth so much humility?
Who else but Fai?
With a new sense of determination, he ran across the rooftops, blending into the black night sky. Stealthily, he made his way to the brothel where he knew Fai was. The streets were oddly bare at this hour. He leapt down from the roof and faced the entrance of the establishment…this was the last time he anticipated being here. This was the last time he anticipated Fai being here.
He strode forward and entered. The proprietress was seated, as usual, before the door, a new kimono adorning her voluptuous figure. She smiled when she saw Kurogane.
"Back so soon?" she teased. Kurogane glared at her.
"Unless you ever attack the castle, consider this the last time you see me." he said. Before she could even say a word in response, Kurogane made his way through the curtain and down the hallway.
He nearly collided with the young brown haired boy whom he had seen working there previously. For some reason his name escaped him.
"I'm sorry sir!" he apologized, carrying a large pile of garments in his thin arms.
"No problem." Kurogane said, passing by him. For a moment, he thought he caught a glimpse of a purple bruise on the kid's face. He narrowed his eyes at his back for a moment.
Turning back to the task at hand, he continued on until he reached the sliding paper door. Without bothering to prepare himself for the strong incense, he threw open the door, startling a few of the men.
"Ah! He's back!"
"And so soon too."
"Do you think he'll pick someone else this time?" several males whispered. Kurogane cast a glance around the room. He couldn't spot a single head of blonde hair.
"Oi." he said aloud. All the men turned to him, some hopeful, some curious. Most were expectant of what he was about to say.
"Where's the blonde?" he asked. The whole room seemed to sigh in disappointment. One of the men pointed a finger down the hallway of bedrooms.
"He's with a customer." he said. Kurogane bristled. Was it Seishiro? Was it someone worse? The warrior gritted his teeth, his hand gravitating towards his blade. He resisted the urge to charge down the hallway and stealing Fai away now.
"How long have they been in there?" he decided to ask instead.
"For a while. They're most likely finishing up by now." another man said.
"In the meantime, won't you consider one of us warrior?"
"We can show you a better time than that ragged, blonde toy could ever…"
Kurogane's hand flew to the hilt of his sword. He gripped the scabbard with his other hand, ready to draw it. He smirked as the room fell completely silent.
"I don't need anything from any of you, you who downgrade others to make yourselves feel superior. Why don't you shut your mouths for a change? I'm sick of hearing your pathetic insults." he scolded. Silence.
He released his grip on his sword and leaned himself up against the wall…waiting.
"Well, that was a bit insensitive, don't you think?"
Kurogane's eyes snapped open. He jumped away from the voice and hovered his hand over the hilt of his katana. Seishiro stood before him…that same amiable smile painted on his lips. He raised his hands in defeat.
"Clam yourself young warrior. I was only teasing." he said. Kurogane said nothing, only glared at the man. Seishiro chuckled.
"Well I suppose half-teasing. These men are only trying to make a living you know." he defended. Kurogane straightened his back and lowered his hand, though he never lowered his guard.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded. Seishiro chuckled.
"Why the same as you…I'm here to see someone very important to me." he smiled. Kurogane's eyes narrowed.
"Kuro-sama!"
Kurogane turned towards the source of the exclamation. Fai stood before the bedroom door staring at Kurogane. The man behind him, who seemed far too old to be asking the service of someone as young as Fai, stepped to the side and nodded to him before he left. Kurogane glared at the man as he left. Seishiro cleared his throat before motioning toward Kurogane.
"Well young warrior. It seems you were here first. Please go ahead but don't take too long now," he cast a glance at Fai. Fai shuddered with fear, "I have something special planned for Fai and I." he sneered. Kurogane gritted his teeth.
"Believe me, this won't take long but I'd make different plans if I were you." he bit. Seishiro frowned. Fai glanced at both of them not understanding.
"Kuro-sama?" he asked. Kurogane said nothing. He took Fai by the hand and led him into an empty bedroom. He closed the door shut behind him. Fai turned his gaze downward, smiling painfully.
"I didn't expect you back so soon Kuro-sama. Actually I was sure I'd never see you again after what you said last time." he said. Kurogane quirked his eyebrow. What had he said? He was about to ask when he remembered.
Seishiro had been waiting for Fai while he and the blonde were together. Kyle, the financial manager was banging on the door, screaming at Fai to hurry up. At that moment, in his stupid attempt to hide his feelings, Kurogane said "You better go." Those words must have caused so much pain for Fai. It was as if he was casting the blonde aside…just as he had been day after day, night after night, for all his 5 years of service here.
"Fai…" Kurogane started. Fai shook his head.
"It's alright Kurogane. I said it last time. You do your job…why shouldn't I do mine?" he said. Kurogane froze. His eyes widened and his blood seemed to run cold. Fai had addressed him by his full name. Kurogane closed his eyes, angry at himself for being so stupid.
"Idiot. I hate your job and so do you. That's reason enough not to do it, and also…" Kurogane took a deep breath.
"It's not like I ALWAYS do my job either." he said, a bit of a blush covering his face. Fai furrowed his eyebrows. He looked up to Kurogane, confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Kurogane's cheeks tinted darker as he considered his next words.
"Tomoyo-hime didn't kick me out of the palace this time. I took the night off of my own free will." he said. Fai's eyes widened.
"I took the night off for the sole purpose of coming here…to…" Kurogane looked Fai directly in the eye.
"To see you…" he admitted embarrassedly. Fai stared at him, in shock. For three days, he was sure that these feelings for Kurogane were merely one sided. For three days he had demolished the idea of Kurogane ever coming back. For three days…for three days…
He had resigned himself to be stuck here forever. Fai's eyes began to water. He smiled, shaking his eyes dry.
"I'm sorry Kuro-run. I've just never had someone say such nice things to me." he said. Kurogane frowned. He walked forward and held Fai's face in his hands. He tilted his chin upwards. With his thumb he wiped away a few stray tears. Under normal circumstances, Kurogane would have been disgusted with himself for being so gentle.
With Fai…
These actions seemed so natural.
He leaned his face down to capture Fai's lips in a kiss. Fai pressed upwards, kneading at Kurogane's lips longingly. Kurogane wrapped his arms around Fai's waist to bring him closer. Fai brought his arms up to stroke the side of Kurogane's face and then to tangle in his black locks. They kissed, passionately and lovingly. There was no lust, desire, only purity.
Kurogane was now sure that he didn't care what happened once Fai was in the castle. He didn't care about defining this feeling he had for Fai. He didn't care about any of that. Fai was coming to live in the castle and that was that.
When they separated, Fai smiled. He stroked the side of Kurogane's face as he drew away. His hands went to untie the poorly knotted obi that held his kimono together. Kurogane placed his hands on Fai's.
"Let me do that." he said. Fai smiled and nodded. He let Kurogane untie the obi and let the kimono fall loose. What he hadn't expected was for Kurogane to adjust the kimono properly so it actually covered the blonde's shoulders and pull the fabric tight. Fai looked at him oddly.
"Kuro-sama…what are you doing?" he said. Kurogane didn't respond. He simply fixated his attention on that damn obi. With a little struggle, he was able to remember the more formal way to tie an obi. He never had to use the formal style and whenever he helped Tomoyo-hime with her obi, he was tying it in the casual style so she can blend in with the commoners as he accompanied her into town.
"Kuro-sama?" Fai asked again.
"Tomoyo can overlook things like dress code…but if you're going to meet Amaterasu-sama then you need to look at least somewhat decent."
Phew' May not seem like much now, but chapter 2 is in progress. And yes I can actually GUARANTEE that you won't be waiting 6 more months for an update ^^' Try checking back in a day or two.
I forgot to say this in the top AN but thank you all my lovely (or handsome, whichever floats your tea leaf) viewers for following with this story up untill now! Your reviews give me life and I live to write!
So, in conclusion, no reviews means no life, no life...no writing ;D So review!