Disclaimer: I don't own Tsubasa.
KuroFai.
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Kurogane wandered out into the largish garden of the house Fai had rented for them to stay in during the winter, a thick scarf his only concession to the freezing cold. He saw Mokona and Sakura first, staring at a whirling lump of snow that he realised was Fai writhing around on the ground, limbs flailing. He was mildly alarmed at this, but after a couple of seconds the mage sprang to his feet, grinning. He looked like a man having a seizure in reverse.
'Kuro-pon!' Fai yelled in delight, and ran towards him. For about three steps. He tripped on some object hidden by a drift and pitched face-forward into the snow.
Kurogane walked slowly over to him, careful to avoid any potential hazards and suffer the same undignified fate as Fai, and lifted Fai up by the collar.
'What the hell were you doing?' he growled.
Fai could have supplied a medium-sized city with power for a week with his megawatt smile.
'We were making snow angels, Kuro-chii,'
'Snow-' Kurogane resisted the urge to just drop Fai back into the freezing whiteness. It was no less than the mage deserved. He sniffed suspiciously.
'You've been drinking again,' he said, scowling. Great. A drunken Fai was no less easier to deal with than a sober one.
'Only one glass!' Fai replied imploringly.
'It was a large glass,' Sakura whispered, her face beet red. She covered her mouth, as if the betrayal was too much for her.
Kurogane sighed, and finally succumbed to temptation by loosening his hold on Fai's collar. Fai, to his surprise, didn't fall; instead the mage wobbled slightly before taking a careful step back towards Sakura.
'And that's how you do it, Sakura-chan! Only I don't think Kuro-tan will pick you up after…'
Sakura giggled and delicately lowered herself onto the snow, spreading her arms and legs out the way Fai had done. It was precise and pretty, a small impression in the crisp snow next to Fai's enthusiastic offering.
'Sakura-hime!'
Kurogane turned towards the door. Syaoran was leaning out, a worried look on his face.
'You're all wet! What's going on?' Syaoran asked, following the trail of footprints to where they all stood. He stared at the impressions in puzzlement.
'What are they?'
'Haven't you ever made snow angels before, Syaoran-kun?' Fai exclaimed in mock astonishment. 'I'm sure Sakura-chan and Mokona will show you how,'
'Not you?' Kurogane asked idly. He had no desire to hang around watching any more, he was getting cold.
'No, I think I might go inside now…' Fai said slowly, shaking his legs as if to check if they still worked.
'Before you fall down, you mean,' he supplied. Fai grinned at him.
'Exactly, Kuro-puu!'
Sakura was laying back down in the snow, with Mokona shouting encouragement. Syaoran watched curiously. Kurogane snorted, but quietly enough so they didn't hear him. He didn't want to spoil their fun, foolish though it was. He'd seen people make them back home, of course, and he vaguely remembered one cold winter when he'd been rolling around in the snow himself. It had been very, very cold.
Fai was about level with him as they wandered back to the door when he stumbled, and Kurogane reached out instinctively to grab him by the arm. Fai leaned against his shoulder, the effort of balancing on two legs evidently too difficult.
'Kuro-rin's saved me again,' he mumbled, the words barely coherent.
Kurogane noticed the mage's lips had a bluish tinge. He wondered how long Fai had been out in the cold. Threading one arm under Fai's legs, he lifted them off the ground and carried Fai the last few steps to the door. Fai mumbled something intelligible. His hair tickled Kurogane's chin.
He glanced out of the open doorway to check Syaoran, Sakura and Mokona were suitably engrossed in their activity before furtively pressing a kiss onto Fai's head. Fai didn't seem to notice, and he felt a rush of relief.
The kids could keep their snow angels. Kurogane had his own.
