I'm sorry for the delay! x-x Had to figure outt a way to get the fic onto the Document Manager since I couldn't upload it directly from the comp. (-stabs FFN-)
This particular piece was actually inspired by a manga scan, the one with Kazuki and Juubei in yukatas, and Kazuki's leaning against Juubei. ;D I'm sure you remember that, right? If you can't, or have no idea what I'm talking about, just Google it. (Or you can look it up on the KazukiJuubei fanlisting, 'cept it's down for some maintenance.)
Getbackers does not belong to me; we all know that.

Kurai Yoru
By Aquarius Galuxy

"What are you saying, Juubei? You know how I'd feel if my best friend's eyes became like that."

"Like I said, Kazuki, this is a punishment from above. I was born to protect you."

-O-

It was dark. Without a fleck of brightness, even.

Kazuki was reminded of the period they'd spent in Infinite Castle, of the time they escaped from where they once called home. He knew it wasn't here to stay, but...

Whatever it was, he didn't like this darkness that shrouded the interior of the Japanese-styled building they'd just entered. Perhaps it would have been better if the moon hadn't disappeared behind thick clouds at the last moment; all he could gather now were sounds.

Was this what Juubei experienced? To have no more colour in his life?

That thought alone gave him greater resolve to help his closest friend, to make the most of the time they had together in this rented house away from Shinjuku. After all, Juubei played an important role in his life that none other could satisfy.

Light slowly illuminated the thin paper film on the shoji, accentuating the narrow wooden frames of the partitions. The room turned slightly brighter, just so vague outlines could be seen. An owl hooted in the woods. If he'd bothered listening closely, the splashes of hot water could be barely heard. Those sounds hailed from where they'd just visited – an onsen that was documented in the Fuuchouin manuals, which had the power to restore optical nerves.

Kazuki turned towards the needle-wielder as they stepped onto the tatami flooring, barefooted. His friend paid no mind to the lack of light, but he did. All he could see of Juubei was a vague shadow.

He went ahead first, towards a dark rectangular shape on the floor. It was a kerosene lamp he'd spotted earlier that afternoon, when they'd first arrived. Once he lit the wick, there would be light. And perhaps all he wanted from the light was to see Juubei again. His heart beat a little faster.

With a rustle of soft yukata robes, Kazuki knelt before the lamp, his fingers sweeping over the tatami mat, before finding the matchbox and curling around it. Measured footsteps told him that the Kakei had moved closer. He struck a match.

The darkness was broken after a sharp crack and a burnt scent – he lit the lamp. Thin paper was illuminated around the lighted wick, held in place by polished wooden sticks. Shadows had sprung up everywhere, but more importantly, the flame had cast a golden glow around the room. He could see now.

Setting both box and charred matchstick aside, Kazuki sat back, a little distance away from the kerosene lamp. It wasn't so much of its heat he needed, than the light it gave out. Even less so for Juubei. Turning, the man found his protector, his gaze clinging to the shut eyes and firmly-set jaw. His deep blue yukata fell from his broad shoulders to his ankles, but that did not make him seem the least bit imposing.

To have the needle-wielder with him right here, right now, gave this a certain significance that he couldn't quite miss. It filled the emptiness in him, which had been present since he left Infinite Castle... since the time he left Juubei. He turned back to the lamp.

Growing heat radiated from behind him, followed by a heavy warmth on his shoulder, where his protector had placed his hand. There seemed no need for words, but he wanted the Kakei to know what nagged at his mind.

"Juubei-" Cloth rustled against his back as the man knelt behind him, placing his legs on either side of the Thread Master. He couldn't help but shiver; Juubei's warmth was enveloping him... Taking a deep breath, Kazuki relaxed, resting his weight on the Kakei's chest. "When I left Infinite Castle, I did miss you."

It didn't matter that Juubei could not see the expression on his face, nor his downcast eyes. All he desired was for them to find peace with each other, to treasure this closeness that was beyond friendship. Nestling further against the damp opening in his protector's yukata, Kazuki rested his left hand on Juubei's thigh, where one side of the split in the navy cloth had crept upwards. Beneath the cloth was solid warmth... He traced the edge of the fabric with his gaze.

"I thought of you at times, Kazuki," Juubei admitted. Now was not the time for grudges, and both of them knew it. The Kakei placed his hand over the slender one on his thigh, easing his friend's fingers inwards with his own, so that their hands were firmly interlocked. Kazuki found his attention being drawn towards that gesture.

The needle-wielder's presence made him think that he might have sunken into a pool of pure, comforting warmth, as though he truly belonged in someone's heart. Maybe he didn't have to wonder about that being part of his imagination. Maybe Juubei really did love him.

Somewhere in between, the loose knot he'd twisted his tresses into had fallen apart, leaving only two locks by his cheeks bound in white cotton. He felt Juubei press his nose to the top of his head; warm breath rushed through his hair.

"Do you love me, Juubei?" Kazuki murmured, lifting his other hand to the man's thigh, then trailing it across the creased edge of his yukata. Warmth seeped into his fingertips.

A slight breeze crept in through a crack in the shoji, toying with the lighted wick. Shadows danced around them. Quick movement, in contrast with the silence that followed, made it seem as if time had slowed.

The pressure on his shoulder tightened by a fraction. "You don't have to ask, Kazuki."

At his reply, a faint smile tugged at the Thread Master's lips. This was a relationship predestined by the gods above, that neither of them could escape from. Not that he'd ever want to. Kazuki's fingers slid off Juubei's yukata and onto his thigh; he reveled in the change of texture, from mildly coarse cloth to smooth skin. Above him, the needle-wielder drew an audible breath. His heart tripped for a moment.

The stray wisp of wind picked up again, stronger this time. It coiled around the border of the room, before swirling inwards, brushing at their snug forms. Then it curved further towards the centre, where the kerosene lamp was. A battle between wind and flame ensued; light flickered violently within the four paper walls.

Within a moment, they were thrust noiselessly back into the darkness, where moonlight cast a silvery glow on the thin paper of the shoji. Kazuki blinked, and blinked again. His eyes took a while to adjust to the dark once more, though in that time, he remembered one thing.

The darkness bore few good memories, but when Juubei held him this close, it seemed as though they would be safe with just each other for a long time yet.

-X-

Alright, time for the explanations. ;D

shoji would be the wood-and-paper partitions that are built around Japanese houses as walls. yukata is a light cotton robe, worn mostly in the summer, I think. tatami refers to the straw mats you'll see in Japanese houses, and onsen means 'hot spring'. kurai yoru means 'dark night'.

That should be about all for the translations – what did you think of this fic? Tell me! ;D