A/N: Hello guys, this is one of the various once shots I'm planing centering around Kurogane and Fai. So please enjoy!~


.:Comfort:.

So here he was, stuck with the intolerable fool of a mage alone.

The kid had decided to take a walk and the princess had decided to join him. It's not like the boy was bothered by having the princess tag along, he actually seemed quite happy so he obliged.

The white manjuu was sound asleep in the princess's room. The fur ball wouldn't be waking up till the morning anyway.

So it was just him and the mage really.

Kurogane was sitting on a stool with a cup of sake in hand after all he did need a drink especially after having to save that idiot from oni's.

The mere action of remembering what happened earlier today boiled Kurogane's blood.

That idiot didn't care if he died, how could someone just throw away their life, resign themselves to defeat without even trying?

"Damn Coward." Kurogane thought to himself as he gulped down the rest of his sake.

" Why the hell do I care if he wants to throw away his life anyway...After all my only goal is to go home. He doesn't have anything to do with me."

"But then why the hell am I even bothering to convince him otherwise or risking my well being for him." Kurogane continued to ponder to himself as he gazed at the empty glass he held.

Kurogane's eyes narrowed. "He's a liar, I know he knows more than he lets on and that the bumbling persona of a carefree person isn't really him. I've seen his mask fall even if it was for just a second."

'Hmph, thinking about it where the hell is that idiot?" Kurogane asked himself aloud as he stood from his seat and walked towards the back door the led to the small backyard behind the cafe.

Kurogane stopped in his tracks once he reached the back door which was wide open.

There stood the blond magician, to a normal persons eye it would seem as if he was just staring at the sky without any hint of of there being something wrong.

But Kurogane had a keen eye for things and he noticed how the mage's usual shinning pool blue eyes were masked over with a dull grey blue shade. His usual wide smile was replaced with a expression that had pain written all over it,and his shoulders were slightly slumped.

Nothing like the person the kids and he himself were used to seeing.

Little did Kurogane know that Fai was in deep thought as he was earlier himself.

"I'm getting to close...I need...I need to keep myself focused on my task. But...I find myself feeling slightly happy with the kids and Kurogane around me. It feels nice having people around me for once, people who don't judge me or cower me."

"Is this what it feels not to be...lonely?" Fai said aloud to no one in particular but sky.

" But they just might leave me if they knew...if they knew everything...No they'd definitely hate me, be disgusted with me and leave me." Fai thought to himself as he lowered his head.

His bangs now covered his face and his shoulders trembled slightly.

"Oi, whats wrong with that idiot?"

"I...I don't....want to be alone anymore." Fai spoke in an almost inaudible whisper.

"It hurts...even though I should be used to it by now."

"I envy the children and Kurogane, they have somewhere to go, people who care for them, people to be strong for, people to support them. While I...." Fai trailed off as he knelled down slightly gasping at the pain in his ankle yet continued his ascend down and pulled his legs up to his chest with his head continuing to bow down.

And that's when Kurogane saw it, a silent tear roll down those flawless pale cheeks and what he thought was a silent choked sob.

He felt his own heart clench, and before he knew it he was swiftly right before the mage.

Even though he didn't understand how and why he flt himself kneel down to the level the blond was and said.

"Oi what the hell are you doing out here."

Even though he already knew what he was doing out here alone.

He could see Fai tense up and slowly raise his head up to meet those blazing red eyes that had the ability to pierce his soul to the core.

"Kuro...Kuro-puppy."

Kurogane narrowed his eyes yet spoke with unusual calmness. "Don't call me that, I'm not a damn dog."

"Ehehhe. Did Kuro-puppy come to find me so I could take him out for a walk?" He said with the regain of his usual composure.

"Don't lie to me. I saw and heard it all."

Fai's eyes widened with shock and a hint of fear.

"I don't give a damn about your past, so get rid of those damn insecurities of yours. I'm sure the brats and white manjuu would agree as well." Kurogane said as he turned his face away from Fai's.

"You told me...you were running away from someone before..., I'm not sure it's them who made or are making you this way. But..." Kurogane said as he faced the man in front of him again.

"....I'll protect you from them."

"Don't make promises you can keep." Fai said absolute seriousness and sadness in his voice.

Kurogane reached for Fai's collar and pulled his up to meet him eye to eye.

"I don't lie." Kurogane said with a hint of anger in his voice but still spoke with slight calmness.

Something Fai was not used to seeing.

It was then that Fai realized that the grumpy ninja was right, he never did lie, after all what he hated most in the world were people who lied. People....like him.

Kurogane must have sensed that he understood because he let go of Fai's collar and stood to walk away, but Kurogane didn't get the chance to.

Because he was stopped by a trembling hand smaller than his own grab a hold of his sleeve.

"Oi, what are you-"

"I...I don't want to be left alone..." Fai said with a tone of voice foreign to what he was used to hearing from the magician.

"Tch. So damn troublesome." He spoke as he grabbed Fai's hand and pulled the blond to his chest and gave him a hug, a very awkward hug but a hug nonetheless.

The smaller man tensed but relaxed a few moments later to grasp the material of the ninja's clothing on his chest and buried his face there to cherish the comfort he was being given by the gruff ninja.

"Th..thank...you." Fai said with with a slight smile which went unseen by the ninja considering his face was not visible.

"Yeah. Whatever." Kurogane said as a small blush crept onto his face.

"If you ever tell the brats and the white manjuu I swear I'll-"

"I won't. This...this is strictly between us."

"Better damn be." Kurogane mumbled.

" Now I know why I bother with him, even if I hate to admit it. I've come to care for this idiot and I don't want to see him sad.I'm not going to lose anyone precious...not anymore. I'll protect him and the kids as long as I'm breathing."

That was the first time in Fai's life that anyone other than his king had brought him some comfort.

Fai and Kurogane shared a moment that they'd never forget, and would cherish it for the rest of their life's because this would only be the beginning.

.:Fate has some cruel ways of playing it's hand in your life.:.


I know I should be continuing my other story, but I have so many ideas for one shots and I couldn't let them go to waste. lolPlease review, reviews feed my drive to post up the next chapter. And if you have a theme you want me to write about please do share, I can't promise I'll write about it but I'll totally consider it!~