"Kurogane." Fai says. Kurogane looks up from his book. He waits, but Fai isn't saying any more.

"What?" He spits out.

"You said once that having more than one promise is ok, ne?" Fai asks.

"What of it?" snaps Kurogane, "I've got plenty."

"That you do…" Fai says musingly. Really, he is only thinking of one in specific.

'If you want to die so badly, I'll kill you myself. Until then, live.'

The words still echo at him from worlds ago, weeks ago. Nothing had happened yet. The waiting alone would kill him. Fai twists a grin in grim appreciation of his silent pun.

"And if I said that I thought you weren't keeping one…?" Fai asks in a hushed tone, averting his eye.

"Then I'd say you were wrong." Kurogane growls. He has a feeling that he knows where this is going, and does not like it. He had thought, or pretended rather, that such things were in the past.

"Then why…?" Fai leaves the open question to hang on the air.

"Because you're here asking me why, not asking me to… You've not wanted anything, really wanted something since I've met you. You don't quite really want to live, but you don't quite really want to die either, just going on in whatever's convenient." Kurogane replies. Fai shifts a bit, trying to see if the words ring true.

"Cheater." Fai accuses bitterly. Kurogane reaches over and forces Fai's chin up so that Fai is looking straight into his eyes.

"This is your choice. No one is going to make it but you. Come back when you've decided to live or to die." Kurogane speaks deeply, with slight hostility. Fai pulls himself out of Kurogane's grip without breaking eye contact. He only speaks when he is sure he can put the proper drop of distaste in his tone.

"This doesn't mean I've forgi-" Fai starts.

"I don't care. I'll be waiting when you've made your decision." Kurogane interrupts.

This could be a long wait.

Fai still doesn't break eye contact, but simply slips into a fool's smile, and is as gone as if he had gotten up and walked away.

This would be a long wait.

Fai falls into some inane chatter as he swipes Kurogane's book, right out from under his ninja nose. Kurogane gets mad, Fai runs, he chases. They are a perfect model of before. But that's all it is right now, a model.

It would definitely be worth the wait, Kurogane decides.