Nicknames and Card Games

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Another older one (and by old I mean like, not even a month). Written for my friend Jchan in answer to her LJ drabble challenge request, and also kind of a joint birthday present. Fye and Kurogane interaction was what she asked for and she got, uh, this.

Set in a random time on some random world, no spoilers and no ties to any established plot-lines or worlds. Oh, except for the Big Puppy thing, but that's kinda it. Heh. That's from Book 5, which hasn't happened in the anime yet.

Note: Fye's 'are are' is Japanese, kinda as though he was 'hmm'ing to him. Or saying "My my..." Why'd I write it that way? Because I wanted to. :wink:

As always, comments and criticisms are appreciated.

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"Let's play a game!"

"Let's not."

His companion pouted in that way he always did when he thought he was being cute. Which meant that there would be trouble. Definitely trouble.

"Pleeeease, Kurotan?"

Kurogane's eye twitched. "Don't. Call me. That."

Fye's smile was just a little bit evil. "Whyever not, Kuropin?"

"Stop it with the stupid names!"

"Kuropin, Kuropin!" Mokona started singing, appearing from behind Fye and jumping onto the blond magician's head and dancing. "Kuropiin!"

Kurogane, as always, snapped, and it was all Fye could do not to laugh as the black-clad swordsman chased the white ball of fluff around the room, death threats flying.

-o-

"Nooow," Fye said nicely, ten minutes later, as Kurogane sat on the floor before his chair, arms crossed over his chest and eyes murderous, Mokona bouncing around on top of his head and singing praise to Kurotan, Kuropin, and Kurochan at the top of his lungs. "Shall we play a game?"

Kurogane muttered something that Fye chose to take as a yes.

So, sitting down before his taller companion, smile splitting his face, Fye held out his hands to the side and tilted his head. "So what shall we play?"

"You didn't already have an idea!"

"Well of course not," Fye replied amiably, smile still plastered across his face. "What if Big Puppy didn't like the game I chose?"

"…I am going to kill you one day."

Fye laughed. "That's not a very fun game, Big Puppy."

"Big Puppy, Big Puppy!"

Kurogane's sigh was one of long-suffering.

"Ok now," Fye said a few minutes later, sitting down with a deck of cards, a bag of marbles, and some dice. "Let's choose a game!"

"This is so stupid."

"How about," Fye started, ignoring Kurogane's mumblings, "marbles! That's always looked fun."

"'Looked' fun? You mean you've never played before?" Kurogane, to his surprise, was more interested than he wanted to be.

"Well, I've seen people play--"

"Mokona has never heard of marbles!"

"--But I've never played it myself."

Kurogane's eye twitched. "How about a game you know how to play?"

"Wheet-whoo…" Fye 'whistled,' which just sent Kurogane into more spasms. "How about… Oh, I know! The perfect game for Kurochan!"

"It's Kurogane!"

-o-

"Do you have any…" Fye peeked over the tops of his cards, held covetously before his face, "…twos?"

With a quick sweep of his own cards, Kurogane let out an evil snicker, glaring over the tops of his own cards.

"Go Fish!"

"Are are…" the overly-calm magician sighed, folding his cards in his lap before reaching down and grabbing a card from the center heap. With an expert touch, he flipped the card and picked up his own without allowing Kurogane to see a thing, and the placement of his cards over his mouth gave away any look he may have given, despite the swordsman's attempts to cheat.

Smiling broadly as he lowered his cards to his lap, Fye grabbed two cards off the end, much to Kurogane's chagrin. And he set them down, face up. Along with his other seven pairs.

"Thank you for your help, Kurotan."

Kurogane nearly smashed his cards in his hands.

"Your turn, Big Puppy!"

"Big Puppy, Big Puppy!" Mokona sang from his place on Kurogane's head, still dancing happily.

Grumbling to himself, Kurogane rearranged his cards and then shot a glare at Fye, hand darting out to point right in the other man's face.

"Have any fours?"

Fye's smile made him want to smack things. Namely the magician.

"Go. Fish."

Lacking Fye's drama and finesse, Kurogane barely managed to pick up his card without showing it to the world. Laughing triumphantly, he matched the six with another of his, and slapped it down face up on the table, beside his other two pairs.

"Hah!"

"My my, Kurochan. You're going to beat me if you keep up like that."

Kurogane raised an eyebrow. "Are you mocking me?"

Fye just smiled.

Ten minutes later, after Fye put down his last pair and Kurogane still only had three, the swordsman threw his cards down in a fit, jumped to his feet, and smashed the evil things into the floor beneath his heel, Mokona still dancing on his head, Fye just grinning from his place on the floor.

"I hate this game! I hate games!" Kurogane paused long enough to grab Mokona off his head and hold the fluffball by the ears before his face. "I hate you! Stop singing!"

Mokona spun side to side, smile still plastered across his face enough to make Fye jealous. "Mokona is spiiiinning, watch Mokona spin like a balloooon!"

Fye clapped. "What a lovely song. Really Big Puppy, you two work so well together."

"Stop it with the nicknames!"

Mokona went flying into Fye's arms, the magician blinking in surprise as Kurogane turned and stormed off, slamming the door behind him. A few seconds later the same door opened, a confused Syaoran entering, a bag of groceries held in his hand.

"Ah, Fye-san. Is something wrong with Kurogane-san?"

Fye just smiled and stood, leaning down to pick up the cards as Mokona bounced off to land in Syaoran's arms.

"Kuropin is fine. I think he just needs a nap."

"Mokona spins like a balloon! Big Puppy spun Mokona like a balloon!" The hyper creature danced in Syaoran's arms, not really caring as he crunched the bag beneath his feet.

Syaoran, for his part, just raised an eyebrow at the two, then sighed and smiled.

"I don't think I want to know."

Fye grinned before setting the cards on the table in a neat pile and passing Syaoran. "That's ok, Syaoran-kun. I'll go bring him back."

The boy nodded. "Thank you, Fye-san."

Once outside, Fye looked up, instinctively knowing where the irate swordsman would have gone off to.

"Oi, Kurotan!" He called up to the roof, happy when he heard a reply of "Don't call me that!" Checking the wall for handholds, he hurried his way to the roof, perching on the edge as he found Kurogane, the swordsman sitting with his back to the magician.

"What do you want?"

"I came to get you for dinner. Syaoran-kun is back from shopping."

"Keh."

Fye smiled and sat down, mimicking Kurogane's pose. When he said nothing else, Kurogane's curiosity got the better of him and he turned his head, one eyebrow shooting into the sky when he noticed how the other man was sitting.

"…Are you mocking me?"

"Noooo. I'm playing a game!"

Twitch. Smile. Glare. Grin.

"…Fine. I'm going in."

And with that, Kurogane stood and made his way to the edge of the building, jumping off and going back inside. Fye could just make out "What're we eating?" and "Hello, Kurogane-san," and "Spin Mokona again, Kurochin!"

Smiling himself as the sounds of something small and white being flung across the room met his ears, Fye stood and jumped off the roof as well, opening the door.

The night hadn't been very boring at all.

His job here was done.