He had to smile.
The warrior always frowned at him when he smiled, always saw through him, to the point where it almost made Fai want to stop smiling. But he couldn't.
It was all he had left.
All Ashura had left him.
Even thinking the name made Fai want to cringe, want to run away from this group of strangers that was unwittingly turning into a family he didn't want. But he already was running away, already was using these people-these kind, kind people-as a ends to his selfish means. Still, he turned away from the children so they wouldn't see the brief flash of panic cross his face, and turned back to them a moment later with his glass smile as obnoxiously set as ever. He knew the ninja had sensed it, for his crimson eyes were piercing holes into his side, but Fai ignored him.
He had to smile.
Ashura had told him once, that when he smiled, it worked as well as any healing magic ever could. And though he knew it wasn't true, knew even at the time it was just a falsity said for the sake of comforting him, he had clung to it. He had wanted to believe it. He had wanted to believe that he existed for more than to just cause destruction and death and sorrow and-
And bad luck. Of course. Of course.
The belief had proved false, anyways, the day that Ashura had told him with that soft voice of his what he must do.
He had smiled, tentatively, hoping, wishing, praying-
Ashura's order didn't change, and the curse-his curse-struck again.
And now, it would strike these people, too.
"Hey, mage, get your mind out of the past. It doesn't matter anymore."
Kurogane had told him this once, when he was thinking of just the aforementioned thing. It was always Kurogane, wasn't it? Sakura had looked at him concernedly, and even Syaoran seemed to be off-put by the whole thing.
He had smiled, and waved them off with a hand, telling "Kuro-pyuu" that he shouldn't be so nosy. The man had only growled, while "his" princess and the kid had been more than happy to let it go.
He had to smile.
He had to smile, because it was the only thing keeping him from going insane.
He had to smile, because it was the only thing keeping these people from getting too close to him-from getting hurt by him.
He had to smile, because he had told him his smile was beautiful.
He had to smile.
Yuui had to smile, for all the times "Fai" would not be able to.