Disclaimer: I own very little.
A/N: This is a response to the LiveJournal-based 7lies challenge community with the theme "I Love You" and the 5sense challenge community with the theme "Memory".
Relative Truth
'Mr. Black,' Fay called him, and Kurogane decided he would never, ever learn to like this annoying blonde guy. If he couldn't do something as simple as call him by his real name, he definitely wasn't worth liking.
"I want somebody to take me somewhere far away," Fay said, and Kurogane could hear the genuine longing in his voice. Still, it was cowardice, he decided. If he wanted to be somewhere else, he could just leave, not whine about it. What was the difference if somebody else took you there?
"I'm sorry, Kuro-pon," Fay said after getting the children drunk on purpose once again, and Kurogane knew he lied. He didn't say anything about it, however. It wasn't like any amount of yelling would make the mage actually feel sorry for what, in the idiot's opinion, was merely some innocent entertainment.
Some incomprehensible gibberish was all the mage could utter upon their arrival to the new world, Mokona being quite obviously absent, but Kurogane suspected whatever he said had nothing to do with truth. Not with the expression the idiot was wearing.
"Don't worry about me," muttered the wounded Fay with his semi-comprehensible Japanese. Kurogane yelled at him, making full use of his own native grasp of the language, since they both knew that he was damn well going to worry even if he would never admit it. Being stranded alone in a strange world wasn't something he particularly wanted to experience. It was bad enough with the idiot for company.
"I'm glad we found the children again," said Fay, and Kurogane assumed this was more or less his true feelings. Still, he had a suspicion the blonde would indeed miss the opportunity to crawl into his bed in the middle of night without having to worry about being discovered the next morning by an overly curious meat bun.
"I think we could use some adult time now, Kuro-tan," Fay said, winking at him. Kurogane snorted, wondering whether this was the only occasion when the blonde would tell the truth – when he wanted sex.
"The one I'm running from will come after me," Fay said, something akin to fear evident in his voice for the briefest of moments. Kurogane silently vowed to keep him safe, and knew that Fay knew he had done so. They never spoke of it, since truth sometimes made everything more difficult. Especially truth of this kind.
"I love you, Kuro-sama," whispered Fay in Kurogane's arms, pressing himself closer to the other man's chest. Tightening his hold, Kurogane was glad that, for once, he could find no trace of dishonesty in the mage.
"I'm not hiding anything from you, Kuro-rin," the mage reassured him. Kurogane didn't bother to answer; the lie was so obvious he didn't consider it necessary to point it out.
"Good morning, Kurogane," said Fay, the coldest smile Kurogane had ever seen on his face. Looking at him, the ninja couldn't help but wonder whether it had all been a lie after all.