Title: Letting You In
Pairing: Kurogane/Fai
Rating: G to PG-13
Word count: 100 for each drabble, excluding titles and strategy descriptions.
Disclaimer: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle belongs to CLAMP.
Spoilers: Contain spoilers from Ch125 (acid-Tokyo arc) onwards.
Notes:
Drabbles are in chronological order except for Bath Time Fun, which is probably between Important To Me and Thank You.
Inspired by the talk between Fai and Mokona in Cat's Eye (page 66), Tsubasa Character Guide #1. Fai gave Mokona five strategies to bring out Mokona's sincerity to be Kurogane's friend.
And I thought these strategies are more romantic than platonic in nature...
"If you show your sincerity, I think, Kuro-rin's heart will open too." – Fai D. Flourite
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Food With Love
Strategy 1: Include heart-shape drawings in his lunch bento box.
"Itadakimasu."
The ninja continued to glare at his bento box, almost expecting some sort of response. The black dog on the cover however showed no reaction, behaving perfectly like the inanimate object. No, the mage would not use his magic like that; the design itself was enough to drive the ninja insane.
"Kurogane-san, are you alright?"
The ninja grunted and removed the offending cover, only to find himself staring at the box content.
He was careful to hold his box away from the boy's sight; before using the chopsticks to stab at the rice, which was shaped like a heart.
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Important To Me
Strategy 2: Whisper sweet nothings to a sleeping Kuro-rin at night.
Eat, fight, sleep; and the cycle continued.
Everything here worked like the mechanism of a clock. Each step was so ingrained that there was no need to think, to feel but to execute each step with precision.
The only time the mage allowed himself to feel, was when he retired to their tent each night. Only then, he would remove his introvert facade, another of his mask, and whispered gibberish sentences beside the sleeping ninja.
The ninja was in fact, awake. But he could never understand the mage's foreign tongue.
"You are someone who is very important to me, Kuro-rin."
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Thank You
Strategy 3: Knit a scarf for him.
"Merry Christmas."
The mage's cool fingers knotted a scarf around the ninja's neck.
"I'm not cold."
"Oh. Let me undo it then."
"What's that?"
The ninja grabbed the mage's hands. Instead of the usual pale flawless skin, the mage's fingers were covered with tiny red pricks.
"It's nothing, Kurogane."
Upon hearing his full name, the ninja released the mage's hands. However, the ninja tightened the scarf.
Looking at it, the ninja reflected that the red and black stripes would complement his original outfit.
Knitting the scarf was Fai's way to thank Kurogane; wearing it was Kurogane's way to thank Fai.
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Protector
Strategy 4: Help him wash his back during a bath.
"What are you doing in here?"
"Let me help you."
The mage removed the wet towel from the ninja's hand and knelt beside the bathtub. The cut looked worse on the ninja's naked back, a long gash running across his shoulder blades. The mage began to wipe the dried blood away.
The smell was almost inviting but the mage determinedly ignored his body's instinct.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"If I…"
"I said before, I won't let you die. I can't."
The mage was silent as he continued to clean the ninja's back.
"Why do you always save me?"
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A Sincere Smile, A Heartfelt Kiss
Strategy 5: Wake him up with a morning kiss.
The mage was lying in bed, watching the ninja beside him. The ninja's eyes were closed and his breathing smooth. It was difficult to tell whether the ninja was asleep or awake.
The mage did not know what made him do it, except to follow his heart. He leaned towards the ninja.
The ninja's lips tasted as sweet as his blood and felt soft like his heart.
The ninja opened his eyes and looked at him.
"Good morning, Kuro-sama." And the mage smiled his first real smile in years.
The ninja wrapped his arms around the mage and kissed him.
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Bath Time Fun (Bonus – an alternative to strategy 4)
Strategy 4: Help him wash his back during a bath.
The ninja knew he was trapped; his towel was out of his reach. It was fortunate enough that the soapy water hid his naked body from the idiotic mage.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm washing your back, of course."
"Get away from me!"
"Kuro-tan is blushing, whee!"
The white manjuu who had appeared out of no where, slid down the ninja's back and landed with a splash.
That was the last straw for the ninja. Clothed or not, he scrambled out of the bathtub, grabbed his towel, and ran out of the bathroom.
"Hyuu! Kuro-pii sure has a sexy ass."
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Notes:
The copy of my Character Guide is in Chinese, therefore Fai's quote (in the beginning) and the strategy descriptions may not be the same as Del Rey's version.
I reorganized/reordered the original strategies so that the drabbles are in chronological order, except for Bath Time Fun, which is probably between Important To Me and Thank You.
I edited Strategy 1 and 4 to suit the story. The original Strategy 1 was "include heart-shape drawings on his lunch bento box". The original Strategy 4 was "help him wash his back while taking a bath together".
If you enjoyed reading the drabbles, do leave me a review, thanks!