Katayoku no Tori
By SMYGO4EVA
The forests of Nihon were warm and full of life, perhaps the most comforting place for someone harboring a lot of inner pain and torment, and the sight of cherry blossoms was absolutely beautiful at this time of year. One can sit under a cherry blossom tree and be alone without feeling alone, the blossoms were that beautiful to look upon.
That was why Fai sat under perhaps one of the oldest cherry blossom trees in the kingdom, to admire its beauty and feel the tranquil solitude that he was hoping to gain in his travels, even with his loneliness vanquished by the travelers beside him. He was alone without actually feeling alone. It was a nice feeling.
He was grateful for the others – Syaoran, Mokona, Sakura, and Kurogane – and their undying support for him. At times it felt as if he invited trouble wherever he went, whether it was with a hex gone awry or an eye being gouged out; he didn't want to burden anyone with his troubles, which is probably why he had kept the lot at an arm's distance in the beginning of their journey. Too much had happened to them for that to continue any longer. He had, inevitably, fallen for them. He had fallen for them; their wishes, hopes, dreams, aspirations, hardships…everything that they housed inside of their hearts.
"Hey, wizard."
Fai was snapped out of his inner thinking when he heard an all-too familiar voice, and he looked to see that the warrior Kurogane standing over him, with crossed arms and with the usual scowl on his face.
"If you could quit daydreaming for a minute, the furball says that we're just about to head to another world, so what d ya say?" He uncrossed his arms so he would hold his hand out to the magician.
"Are you coming?"
Fai stared at the hand held out for him. At the moment, that was all he could do – just stare at Kurogane's hand. This was the first time that he could recall Kurogane holding out his hand for him. Why…did it feel so unfamiliar…and yet so safe?
It was then that a thought struck him – a thought that had long been buried, but bubbling at the surface all this time.
It felt so safe just because it was safe.
Instead of putting on his usual façade of a smile on his face, he looked up so that his icy blue eyes met Kurogane's sometimes brown and sometimes burgundy ones, and put his hand in Kurogane's.
Their hands fit so well.
"Yeah – I'm coming."
Kurogane helped Fai pull himself up, just as in life, and they went on their way towards the others. Fai had never felt so content, and yet so uneasy at the same time. He was beginning to connect once again, so he wouldn't feel alone and become a one winged bird.
…Maybe Kurogane could be that other wing?
Only time would tell.
(A'N: This is another sweet story for the holiday of love ~ Happy Valentine's Day!)