Disclaimer: All characters etc. are property of Clamp, not me. I just abuse them for my own amusement.
Don't Forget the Fabric Softener
Thud… thud… a
muffled squeak… thud… thud… squeak…
"Kuro-puu!" The blond mage bounded energetically into the room. Like Kurogane he was dressed, or undressed, in a simple white cotton yukata.
Kurogane opened one eye to glance in Fai's direction but didn't move from where he was seated on the floor near the washer and dryer. Landing in this world, a place full of technology that the swordsman had never seen before, they had had the misfortune of landing right in the middle of a lake.
Thankfully, they were taken in by a kind family who had offered to wash and dry all of their clothes before they continued searching for Sakura's feathers.
Sakura and Syaoran were at the moment engaged in conversation with their hosts, while Kurogane sat keeping an eye on the strange contraption that held his clothing.
"It's Ku-ro-ga-ne." He said, but with very little force. After all, the irrepressible blond hadn't listened to him the first million times he had said it, why would he start now.
Not fazed in the slightest by the glare on Kurogane's face, Fai sat himself down next to the dark-haired man. After a moment of just thud… thud… squeak…he finally spoke again.
"What is that noise?"
Kurogane sighed and opened both eyes, his nap – not that he'd admit to anyone that he had been sleeping – interrupted. "The clothes."
"Do clothes generally thud and squeak?" The mage got to his feet and made his way over to the sleek white machine. Pressing his ear against the door he frowned.
"Are you sure you didn't put anything other than the clothes in there?" He pulled the door open, watching as the inner drum slowly stopped spinning. Tugging out their clothes, still slightly damp, a small white object tumbled out as well, rolling across the floor to stop at Kurogane's crossed legs.
The brunet picked it up with one hand and watched as long ears straightened, revealing dazed eyes.
"Mokona!" Fai exclaimed, "He must have gotten caught up in the laundry!"
Kurogane couldn't help it; he threw his head back and started to laugh uproariously, still holding the disoriented Mokona in his hand.
Fai returned the clothes to the dryer, and after much humming and hawing, managed to get the machine working again.
By this time, Kurogane had stopped laughing and was just staring intently at the strange creature in his hand.
"Hey… does he look smaller to you?" He asked Fai without looking up.
Fai crouched down in front of the pair, inspecting Mokona carefully.
"I think he does…"
Both men exchanged a look over the now sleeping creature.
"I won't tell her if you don't." Kurogane said, face straight.
The blond mage knew he meant Yuuko-san.
"It's a deal."
They both shared a grin, camaraderie over secrets.
