Trickling Away, a tsubasa chronicle fanfic

Authors note: 1) I don't own Kurogane or Fai. They are CLAMPs.

2) The lyrics are the respected property of Fort Minor's, the song being Red to Black (The Rising Tied)

And yes! I was feeling particularly emo-ish. I wanted to try this style. I don't know why...

Blood. Red. Thick. Blood. It was all you saw. Everywhere. It covered the jeans the boy crouching on the worn floor was wearing. It covered his tanned arms. It collected around him in a gory puddle, forever staining the wood. The boy idly looked around at you, once again pressing the thin blade to his arm. You scream, running forward to knock it out of his blemished hands. He moves, too quickly for you in your state. He grabs your arm, slipping from the warm liquid, and flings you too easily onto your back. He stands, swinging his teenage body out of the window of the nice house he resides in, leaving red marks on the window sill. You don't move, lying on your back in a pool of your best friend's blood.

Why?

"Kurogane?"

You wake from your daze, the name familiar to you. The tall young man sitting across the room rolls his head lazily to his teacher, standing at his desk.

"What happened to your arms?" she gestures to the neat, even bandages covering them." Did you hurt them at work?"

You cringe, knowing the truth. You know what everyone else will think. It was common knowledge Kurogane worked at the Street Racing Garage, often coming in sporting bruises or cuts from various fights. He glanced at his bandages for a second, grabbing the loose end and unravelling them. He outstretched the muscular arm, grinning slightly as his teacher jumped back in horror.

"Cut myself."

His arm, from wrist to elbow, was covered in thin lines, marring the otherwise perfect skin.

"Oh! D-did you hold something particularly spiky? B-barbed wire perhaps..."

He shakes his head, still grinning. He stretches his arms above his head, the thin cuts twisting above the muscular form below. They split, crimson liquor flowing down his arms instantly. He jerks and you feel like crying. He brings them down, examining the red on his shoulders from the fast flow. It scares you, how he can sit there so quietly while his life, his beautiful life, pours away, to be washed away.

You're teacher yells, running around to help him while girls scream and boys roar. Kurogane stands, glancing uncaringly in your direction. It looks unreal, this tall handsome apparition in a simple school uniform with red splattering onto the floor. And you scream at him again, everything you've felt while he shakes, not letting anyone help him.

You rush forward, tearing at his arms cause you know he wants it to end, wants to die and leave you here. He falls, now surrounded by other teachers while you sob into his strong chest, the heartbeat racing to provide needed oxygen to his body.

But it only ironically helps to tear his life away. The blood spreads far, the teachers yours managed to summon from her piercing screams lifting him and trying to stem the flood. It's too late. It's always too late.

Too late to say 'I love you' too late to say 'I'm sorry'. He's so pale, the normally bronzed skin a milky tea. You barely notice the students on desks, teachers and adults shoes sending up little splashes of Kurogane's life. You wish he could have it back. You hold his cold hand, and mouth the word you've wanted to say at last.

"I love you."

A small squeeze.

A final breath.

A single tear.

"...And, sadly, the body of a young man, recently confirmed as Fai Flowright, was found In his house this morning. It's been established that he committed suicide, as a note was left beside him, seemingly containing lyrics..."

I had a friend named Victor
The two of us used to hang every single day
And it seemed like overnight
That his whole life just changed
I know when his mom and dad broke up
It didn't make sense
But I know that his dad was a drunk
And he gambled away the rent

Pretty soon Vic was seeing red

Pissed off and instead
He'd drink every night until he passed out
And then he'd do it all again
The whole time smiling on the outside
To cover the pain
But on the inside
All he was trying to do was get away

Dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks

Funny how things change colour
Than fade to another shade
When you had it made it was all good
But now look just another day
It was so fresh
It was so clean
Never saw it gone
One, two, three
Lights out, which way to turn
Can't get a grip
All alone in a big white house
Every day gets worse
And you just curse until your head bursts
And it hurts so bad she left
Now you suffer
Should've thought of that one first
No family no kids

Can't accept what you did
Now you wanna run away
But you can't
Cause the past comes back again

Slippin through the cracks
Sip a little jack
Go to bed half dead
What about rent
Why does every cent gotta be a bet
Whens it gonna end?
Oh my God we don't got a penny left
my moms gotta find a way
to get a job, out of debt, out of dodge
Out of breath, out of this big problem

My pops wanna get away
from the pain and a better place in his brain
But the medication he takes
Makes him wasted
So sick he was gonna think
The Good Lord would come take him
I'm shaking him
Wake up you son of a bitch!

He's dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks
Hiding himself away
Watching all the memories fade away
From red to black

Slipping through the cracks
Slipping through the cracks
Slipping through the cracks