Disclaimer: I do not own Kurogane, Fai, or the malevolent cloud of angst that seems to have taken a liking to them lately.

Notes: Why is it that I always try and justify my stories by saying "I wrote it late at night when I couldn't sleep"…? Gah, it was in my head, so I wrote it out. It's kind of verbose. (…) Why can't they all just hug and be happy? This drabble is maybe just wishful thinking on my part…Does it make any sense at all::dies of OOCness:: Next time I'm writing something nice. Critique, please?

Fai let out an awful, fake laugh. "Oh Kuro-miin, you're so silly!"

The ninja growled. "This isn't funny."

"Of course it is," the Celesian replied almost flippantly, raising his eyebrows with the insufferable air of an adult pointing out something painfully obvious to an ignorant child.

"You're not slithering out of this, mage," Kurogane spat. Fai made the mistake of letting the ninja catch his gaze, and the laughter died on his lips. Big Puppy wasn't always terribly eloquent with his words, but those eyes…

Fai struggled to maintain his mask, but the redredred eyes wrenched at it mercilessly. It slipped.
"I don't expect you to understand," he said, voice as sharp as the ice in his eyes. "I don't expect you to understand what I've—"

"You shut the hell up!" Kurogane cut him off. "I told you, I don't give a shit about your past, but I'll be damned if I'm just gonna sit an watch you do this! If you're gonna die, then die, but if you're not, then quit screwing around! It worries the kids and pisses me off."

The mage fought to drop the ninja's gaze, but Kurogane held it fast for a few eternally long moments. When Fai finally managed to jerk his eyes away, he was dangerously close to dropping the mask entirely. He had to get away. Bowing his head, he tried to get a better grip on his façade, salvage something before it all slipped away and he was utterly exposed. He needed to escape. Distance. He desperately needed to restore the distance between himself and the man in front of him. Kurogane knew too much. He disarmed him too easily. He saw the mask and could take it off. This was dangerous. Fai trembled.

An awkward silence descended. Fai shook miserably as Kurogane looked on, the anger slowly leaving his eyes, though the intensity remained. He reached out and brushed the other's shoulder, causing Fai to cringe.

"None of us can force you to live," Kurogane said, filling the awkward silence with awkward words. "We can only make sure you don't have to live alone." His gaze wasn't hurtful anymore. He knew what it was like to be utterly alone.

Silence unfurled once again, allowing the mage finally got a firm hold on his mask and hoist it back up to his face. "I think I hate you, Kuro-pii," he said softly, giving up just a little bit of ground and leaning against Kurogane's shoulder. The ninja didn't reply, and they stood together as the dusk began to gather around them.