A/N: Written for the 2016 CLAMP Secret Santa on Tumblr for faikitty.
Worked from the prompt "Kurogane and Fai being happy and gay."
Normally, the group never ended up in a world bombarded in blustery blizzard winds. Mokona's ability to maneuver into a peaceful place to land had merit and could be useful. Times when they were all separated happened, absolutely. Kurogane couldn't help but grit teeth at the bleak landscape regardless.
Snow flurries swirled and fell from the clouds in a near suffocating amount. A snow-capped mountain rose in the distance. Trees that resembled skeleton with protruding dead branches stood in neat rows; gigantic rocks were hidden underneath pure white.
Sitting in a cramped snowdrift, Kurogane hugged himself to cover the burn of the cold assaulting his upper arms, thoroughly embarrassed on all counts. It did nothing to help the stiffness in his limbs and his growing frostbite. "This looks promising." Sarcasm in this situation at least made him feel semi better, and he smirked to efface any whatever self-doubt.
Fai hummed thoughtfully. He stood above the snow on another snowdrift off to Kurogane's left, primly brushing the snow off his long cloak. He shivered; he was practically pure white head to toe, blond hair dotted in white. Even five minutes in this place was too much to handle. "Wherever we are, I see Mokona is nearby. We understand each other!"
Kurogane supposed that was minimal comfort. Still, it did not account for Syaoran and Sakura's whereabouts. On the bright side, Syaoran was likely to find Sakura and keep her safe before them.
Kurogane shrugged. Disgruntled, he pushed himself to a stand and wobbled. He grumbled and glanced over the snow bank. The cold burned his palms. The thickness seemed to hold him captive.
Fai reached out for him. He smiled knowingly, eyes half-lidded, amused but not forcing anything. "You'll end up like a snowman if you keep struggling."
As if offended, Kurogane shook the flurries out of his black hair like a wet dog. Moodily, he scoffed at the pleasantry, but he didn't reject his help. That alone would show what he thought of falling prey to such a fate. He clasped Fai's hand and let him tug him up.
He fell into Fai's chest. Fai laughed and threw his arms around him, burying his face into his neck. Kurogane's face flushed a brilliant crimson and it most certainly was because of the cold! Even in this situation, the magician wanted to play around!?
Fai laughed again and dodged when Kurogane swiped at him for real; the movement was stiff and lopsided but no less staved from his usual anger. Fai glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Kurogane scowled at the sheer smugness in that look, blood boiling from his annoyance. On closer inspection, he briefly wondered if Fai's abrupt flirtatiousness was on purpose for that end, but he didn't dwell on it.
After all, the snow was swallowing his feet, and he could have done it himself… eventually. But most of all, Fai's hand was too nice and warm to be true.
Was Fai sure he wasn't using magic, honestly?
With one last heave, Kurogane joined Fai in an awkward stand while patting down his hand in the mushy snow. Fai still held onto his hand. He wanted to pull it away. He wondered if he would sink back into the snow. Kurogane didn't chance the outcome. "Let's go find a village or something first."
Finding a village through this wintery wonderland would take a while. The sky was relatively calm, but Kurogane wouldn't trust weather to cooperate.
Progress was slow. Their walk was hindered in the near zero temperature. Fai trudged less huffily about their journey than Kurogane, but Kurogane couldn't have curbed his thoughts from earlier anyway.
The wind numbed Kurogane's fingers. He opened and closed them, but it only worked for seconds.
Shortly after, Fai paused and pointed to the left.
"A cave." He wrapped himself in a hug and shivered. The dark opening of a cave was only a pinprick, but Kurogane spotted it easily enough and continued to walk as briskly as possible. This would have to do.
About another ten minutes earned them the respite they sought. Fai and Kurogane peeked inside the cave and examined it for anything—animals, traps, anything else lurking—and finally deemed it safe.
Then, a rumbling sound like thunder boomed above them. Kurogane for a fact knew that a thunderstorm was out of the question in a climate like this, but he swung into position. Only looking up made Kurogane realize the true culprit; his chest seized at the sight of impending rush. A flood of snow weaved in a snake-like movement on the hill above them. He only had five seconds to leap at Fai and push them both inside of the cave before the snow tumbled on them.
The ground shook like an earthquake as snow filled up the entrance and blocked their escape route.
Darkness swallowed Kurogane's vision. A pain throbbed at the back of his head, and he winced, slapping away a sharp rock away from his head. He touched the spot. Thankfully, no signs of blood seemed to meet his skin. It still throbbed.
Something heavy rested on top of him. At first he thought it was the snow, but when he realized it was warm and definitely not cold he groaned.
Fai leisurely stretched out above him.
"You're always so grumpy, but you're a really soft landing!" Fai reassured. His arms clamped around Kurogane's torso. "And chivalrous for saving me~"
Once again, Kurogane swatted at him and tried to roll away, but Fai hung onto him and refused to let go. When he was done good-naturedly laughing at Kurogane's expense, he pushed himself to his feet.
"What did we do? Did we hit an alert?" Kurogane asked, puzzled. Snow didn't fall like that without a plausible reason. Well, they might as well get down to the barebones facts before figuring that out. He hauled himself to a sitting position on his elbows.
Kurogane didn't need the light to envision Fai shrugging and lifting an eyebrow. He was almost mystified at the whole situation himself, and Kurogane internally cursed at that prospect.
"I didn't feel anything trigger," Fai replied, reworking the basic facts himself. "It could have been cloaked magic, though. It wouldn't be unordinary to keep an intruder on their toes if there's something valuable in this cave to steal." A noise came like Fai scratching his cheek thoughtfully. "Oh my, are we thieves?"
Well… perhaps that was good enough reason. Obviously, they weren't really hurt, and they could probably explain their intentions later in need be. It was better than a hostile trap that wanted to keep people from one of Sakura's feathers. Kurogane only needed to know the essentials, and what had been done was just an obstacle to overcome.
Fai turned towards the pathway.
"Since you saved me," Kurogane could just hear the tickle of happiness in Fai's voice, "I'll go scout out the cave for a little bit. I'll be safe, don't worry~"
Kurogane grunted in reply and settled down to wait. Honestly, he was more worried for whatever unsuspecting sap might come across his traveling companion over Fai being in any real danger.
Kurogane heard the feather-soft step of Fai's feet as he wandered towards the back of the cave. He knocked on the wall, his footsteps heading far down. At one point he heard no sound at all but the ragged, accelerated patter of his own breathing. Here, in any case, it wasn't as cold as the outside wind shield. Kurogane meanwhile examined the entrance; nothing budged and he didn't expect it to. Where were the kids and the manjuu at, anyway?
Footfalls returned more hurried than before, and Kurogane's found some relief to his heart rate.
At any rate, he felt that shred of relief until he heard what Fai was telling him next. But he couldn't even take that totally seriously with Fai's enthusiasm.
"Kuro-pi, we really are thieves!" Fai yelled in triumph.
Kurogane's stiffened. He grit his teeth. Of course, that had to mean that something bad was happening.
"What do you mean? We didn't—" Kurogane's retort was snapped up in interest as he caught sight of it.
Fai's face was illuminated in a gentle green light. He blinked a few times to adjust to the new lighting.
"What is that?" Kurogane asked, honestly baffled but intrigued. Assuming it was safe, he reached out and placed his hand on top of the gem. Though the surface was rough and jagged, the light emitted a faint heat.
"It's a gemstone. There's tons of them in a treasure chest further back, all glowing like this one." Fai finally sounded nervous at this. He didn't want to be branded a thief, but he had brought it back for observational methods. "Haha, I shouldn't open my mouth about these kinds of things, should I?"
Kurogane could see where that conversation would go from a mile away. Blaming himself over a minor prediction was pointless. "How's the tunnel back there? Can we go through it and find an exit?"
"No back exit further into the cave. It keeps going and gets a bit narrow," Fai reported. "We shouldn't try if we can't see anything, or have a plan first."
Already the great news was rolling in for Kurogane. But something going in their favor would go against the grain. Kurogane looked around for clues to bring them out of this mess but no other flashy lever or lights on the ceilings stood out in the darkness.
"Perfect," Kurogane murmured, preparing himself to work. Because he wouldn't' have another choice now. "Digging ourselves out will take forever."
Kurogane hated himself for having to stoop to this method with his sword, but he didn't have another option. He got to his feet, unsheathed his sword, and he slashed at the ice. Light flashed directly in his eyes and he winced. A sound like metal on metal screeched in his ears. The breath was knocked out of him as he flew back against the wall, gasping.
Fai whistled at the sheer brusque nature of the ice. He reached and grasped onto Kurogane's hand. Kurogane wearily glanced at his hand, but he relented and let Fai haul him to his feet. It was just so warm again and he didn't want to argue that Fai shouldn't touch him. It was a weird sensation.
"So it's a force field? Perhaps the snow is interlaced with magic against thieves like we guessed," Fai suggested. He shifted the gemstone in his hands, tossing it lightly from hand to hand, careful not to drop it. "Imagine it, a dark mystery world filled with treasures! The local government likes to trap the greediest men and take to prison. How corrupt! Magic so potent it is even in the snow and works to their advantage, which wouldn't be strange for worlds covered in snowfall or rain. Handy."
Fai said that all so cheerfully. As if he knew that Kurogane would protect him from having to go to some jail cell, and damn right he would. But he wouldn't admit that again. He did almost feel like reaching out to touch Fai's hand for the third time, but Kurogane's lips were instantly sealed there.
Mokona would probably slip through the jail bars. Kurogane choked back a snort at the thought.
All things considered, he had a point. But that did nothing to curb Kurogane's patience wearing thin.
"For our sakes, I hope you have a wild imagination. You seriously can't dig us out with your magic?" Kurogane asked, the frustration building in his tone. Obviously, the answer would not indulge him, but he had to point out the quickest fix possibility.
"You know I can't do that, Kuro-pan," Fai replied. "I guess we're trapped here until we're found."
No. No, and double negative no. Besides, they really didn't know about the kids, but Fai didn't seem particularly worried. He must have had faith they were fine if he wasn't in mother hen mode.
Kurogane sagged back against the ice. The sharp icicles cut into the back of his shoulder blades.
"What do you propose we do, then?" Kurogane asked. Being cornered like this had his blood in a tizzy, and his smacked on it with his fist.
"We spend quality time together!" Fai's face brightened like the nonexistent sunshine. It looked especially eerie under the gemstone's light.
Incredulously, Kurogane glowered at him.
Fai positively smiled like a white-winged angel.
Face souring, Kurogane's sword smashed into the mound of snow. Again and again. This time, he was far more desperate. The avalanche might be the death of them if they relied on luck to pull through. Powdery snowflakes chipped off the edge of the pile this time and scattered across the floor in his frenzy.
Not even his power broke that accursed ice.
What an improper use of Ginryuu…
Hand pressing against the hard sheet of ice, Kurogane panted heavily, exhausted.
"You know that won't work," Fai clicked his tongue. He dropped down on the ground. "We're stuck together for a while. I'll keep you entertained!"
Kurogane had no idea what that meant, but he just knew he didn't want to give into anything.
Not warmth. Yes, goosebumps had risen on his bare arms. How would have known before coming that he would land in a blizzard world after a tropical jungle? His muscles tensed, strained and tingly. He didn't want to give into that little nagging instinct.
He definitely had to get out of here. Pronto.
But if there was anyone he was stuck in here with, he guessed he was in good hands. Even though, of course, Kurogane would never admit that out loud.
Since the gemstone was mainly useable for light, Fai placed it in front of them on the ground. Having a source to see was more of a relief than anything else Kurogane could have hoped for, honestly.
Everything was cold. The icy ground, the frostbitten air, and the cracked stone beneath his fingers all resembled a country perpetually frozen over.
At least oxygen still circulated. Kurogane would have been on edge about dying like that. Or sharing the breathing room with Fai would have been another huge tally against his sanity, because he knew how steamy that could get without a heartbeat. But with Fai's discovery that the cave lead far back, he didn't have to worry so intensely about dying.
Admittedly, Fai had tried. He had chattered some small talk, keeping a face up despite how long they were there. He had left Kurogane alone seeing him curl in on himself without admitting his weakness.
Sullen, Kurogane sat away from Fai. No, he scolded himself for the umpteenth time, he had to remain strong and not give himself away. He wished at times like this he wished he could shatter the ice and show some brawn. In spite of him, however, the ice refused to listen to logic and remained a cage.
Fai watched him intently in the dark. Kurogane noticed the little movements until he was bumping Kurogane's side. He waited for it to happen.
Like clockwork, Fai threw his arms snugly around Kurogane's neck and squeezed him in a hug.
"Hug me," Fai whined, snuggling his face into the crook of Kurogane's chest shamelessly.
Kurogane bristled, but he didn't pull away.
What the hell. He was still completely carefree.
"Get off." Kurogane shrugged, but he didn't pry Fai off. He quite frankly had an inkling he didn't want to at this point. "Don't you get that I'm cold enough?"
There. He had said it, and he particularly felt annoyed that the snow had melted a bit into the fabric of his clothes and dampened them.
"But that's what's so brilliant about this plan! We're going to share body heat," Fai said matter-of-factly.
An eyebrow furrowed at this, mildly surprised. Kurogane had not expected this response. Put into that in perspective he… just… The way Fai looked at him with knowing bright blue eyes and a quirked mouth infuriated him in a really, really good way.
"I'd rather freeze to death." Kurogane shoved weakly at him, and the motion was all but ineffective.
Fai pouted. "Don't say that. Your clothes are cold. Mine are too. You know what Sakura-chan always scolds us about—we'll catch colds like this."
As if on cue, Kurogane sneezed. He growled.
Fai was guilt-tripping him. Fine, he was persuasive. He knew he would win the argument. Technically, Fai was right about that, and it might be unavoidable if both of them were stuck in this cave overnight. He had to come up with some strategy, a plan…
Fai's hand slid under his shirt, and he traced a circle on the hard, hearty muscle of his abdomen there.
Fai knew he had hammered down the truth. The mischievousness in his tone rose up about one hundred degrees at his suggestion. "So let me take over and help you out of these clothes~"
Kurogane couldn't even find the strength to fight Fai back. He was mesmerized in the contrast of chill and warmth. He could barely believe how lightheaded it made him feel. It was like letting loose after a hard day's work and coming home to a warm fire.
The shirt was flung off somewhere out of immediate view and forgotten. Beads of water dripped down Kurogane's torso, but Fai's hand scattered and flattened them under his searching palm, and the skin became drier instantly. The fingers danced and massaged Kurogane's tense and sore muscles while absorbing, and reciprocating, the friction of heat.
Admittedly, Kurogane did feel a little less bogged down from the moisture in his clothing. He had not even really considered it until feeling Fai's hands.
Why was Fai a master at distracting him?
"We should do something more physical, don't you think?" Fai asked, blue eyes gleaming under the green light washing over them from the gem.
Kurogane scoffed. He was so transparent and opportunistic at times like this. "Is that all you ever think about?" He should have expected that.
But Kurogane still gave into the temptation of it. The thin, damp shirt was drawn over his head and joined his wherever it had gone; he detected the faint outline of curved shoulders and a slim build. His hand landed on Fai's lean stomach out of reflex.
"Of course not," Fai replied. He didn't really look innocent at all, though, and a trademark devilish-but-meaning smile quirked his lips. "I think about the roughness of your lips, because they're much gentler than you always hollering and screaming~"
That idiot—he wasn't supposed to say that out loud.
Kurogane couldn't think of a coherent response to that—did he just say he screamed for no reason?—before Fai's lips slotted against his own. Those lips were passionate and not intrusive, considerate even. Fai's tongue still swiped the bottom of his lip.
Fai's arms snatched him in with a vice grip around the waist. Kurogane couldn't even say when every article of clothing was discarded. His hip bumped against Fai's the smooth skin of Fai's, and he only found this to be his first recollection of when. He just knew it felt a lot better. The ground was still a little soggy, but their little space of the cavern was not quite as lacking in comfort or as cold as before.
Fai's head rested on the crook of his shoulder and collarbone. He breathed in slowly and then out, seeming like he was on the precipice of doing something else but not being quite sure what.
Kurogane hesitated. Fai didn't even say anything. Through some oddity, he could feel it in the sheer intensity of Fai's need to be close, flush against each other even if it wouldn't lead to anything especially risqué. This wasn't the first time, and neither would it be the last, but sometimes Fai would just… stop and need assurance. He stared down at the mop of ticklish, wavy blond hair under his chin.
It wasn't until then that Kurogane realized Fai was probably not quite as jovial about the situation as he appeared to be. He was clingy all the time. But he usually persisted with it not only to make him angry but to distract himself. He could live with that at least, even if it wasn't explicitly expressed. He probably really wanted a random hug for some reason.
Kurogane obliged. He wasn't so reserved about wrapping his arms around Fai and drawing him closer, and Fai sighed happily, fully placated.
Why was he so simple to please? And why didn't Kurogane care if he could really understand it? At least, not right then. But one day, he would.
"You never make anything easy." Kurogane kept the brunt of a fluster from his voice, but he didn't really know how to push him off, nor had any will to.
"Don't I? I think this is as peaceful as it gets," Fai said. A scent of wistfulness graced this statement. He held onto Kurogane's arm and seemed thoughtful.
Kurogane shrugged. "We're trapped." Maybe going further back would have been a good idea, but any other traps would have been a serious hazard without a plan in motion before such obstacles.
"Doesn't matter. We'll figure a way out of here later," Fai mumbled, tone low but sincere. His hands again traced the contours of his upper arms without any real direction except feeling Kurogane's skin. Kurogane noted he could have gone lower, but he didn't really take advantage of that; he just remained tightly entwined with Kurogane's limbs.
Time elapsed. Kurogane didn't know how long, but he knew he heard the swift drum of Fai's heartbeat several hundred times. Even at a close proximity, it was a sound that couldn't be heard with clothes on; he had heard it before but not quite like this.
Basking in that was the fondness of peace and the heat wave of togetherness that just was existence.
So, when Fai shifted, Kurogane's eyes sleepily slipped back open. He had lost track of time.
Fai stretched and fumbled in the discarded pile of clothes; he pulled his cloak out, the fanned out sleeves swiping Kurogane in the leg as he drew it around his shoulder, then leaned over and draped it over Kurogane's. "It's getting colder in here now, so I think we should do this. Let's share my cloak~"
As the long thing that took the most batter and damage during their travels, Fai's cloak was always pristine white. And, remarkably, it really didn't look as soaked as the rest of their clothes had been.
Kurogane squared his shoulders, but Fai was surprisingly more agile, and they both found themselves surrounded in the white cloak.
"I don't want to share," Kurogane said. Everything about his tone was half-hearted at this point, but he had standards he had to show at some level. He tried to sound nonchalant and brave, looking away. Like hell would he draw attention to that fact.
As if reading him anyway, something soft was wrapped around his shoulders. Kurogane instinctively pushed back, but Fai just wrapped it around them both closer, and he found himself sandwiched between Fai's side and Fai's lingering body heat inside the cloak's right velvety pocket.
"You can't keep denying the truth, you know!" Fai made himself completely at home and snuggled up against Kurogane once more. He yawned and his voice trailed off. "Now, we probably should get rest before we figure out what we should do from here…"
It grew quiet. And Kurogane, to his actual disbelief, heard Fai's labored breaths through his nose. He had fallen asleep without any prompting.
Kurogane seized onto the cloak. Despite that the material had worn down with time and usage, the thickness and fluffiness of the cloak outweighed the rest. To Kurogane, he swore he felt something stir within the fabric, and he glanced over to the side.
Fai's head lolled on his shoulder. Blue eyes were shut, face devoid of habitual stress lines. Kurogane couldn't help but marvel at such plain slate; it was another scarce moment Fai showed nothing that alluded to distress or concern on a daily basis.
His mouth worked but he didn't have words to add. He should complain about something just to put up a front… or resist for the sake of it. Kurogane knew he should do that logically, but gazing at Fai's tranquil face lessened Kurogane's willpower to do so.
Damnit… how did that magician assuage a situation even when he was fast asleep and unaware of him? At least wasn't worrying Syaoran were Sakura digging out of snow drifts. The manjuu was fine —Fai's incessant chatter had made it apparent they were nearby and safe (and hopefully not trapped).
Huffing at the display, Kurogane let the thought sink in, allowing slumber to overtake his doubts.
Even when Kurogane woke up the faint gemstone light was a blurry mirage he couldn't navigate until his head stopped pounding. Kurogane's shadow bobbed on the wall across from him. It sunk in nothing had changed overnight—if the night time had passed at this point. He sighed. Everything was still bitterly cold, of course, but he felt significantly more comfortable and warm snuggled up under Fai's coat. It just was right. For the second time he pondered if Fai was using some kind of magic he couldn't detect. But it didn't matter. The cave was engulfed in darkness and hadn't changed at all.
Kurogane shifted. He wanted to thwack the ice for simply disappointing him, but he was stopped before he could reach for his sword's hilt. Fai proved to be awake and his arms wrapped around him tighter.
"What time is it?" Fai asked. His voice was thick from murky sleep. He tiredly snuggled against Kurogane's side and buried his head in the crook of his neck.
"How should I know?" Usually, he would answer this question automatically if there was actually a way to see the sunrise, but Kurogane had only minimal ideas in the cave. "It might be the morning for all I know. We should come up with a plan now that you've sidetracked us for how many hours."
Yes, this was Fai's fault. Fai accepted with a smile.
Well, he couldn't exactly say he was completely opposed to their current predicament, but he was still agitated about the kids' whereabouts. Fai could have been wrong and the meat bun could have landed them in a spot that trapped them, too. He instantly felt guilty about not being the responsible one here, but he really had tried to break through and the back of the cave was a gamble in itself.
Crunch, crunch. Scraping noises. Inside the cave the footsteps were barely audible, but he heard it.
"Are we at the right spot?" Syaoran's voice, though muffled, slipped through the barrier between them.
"I hope they're okay," Sakura said nervously.
"They're here. Mokona knows," Mokona said.
Jolting awake at the prospect of freedom, Fai paused. He glanced towards the cave's mouth as if he knew exactly where they were standing.
"Ohhh~ Looks like they found us," Fai observed, proud. "We're in here, and I protected Kuro-fuu!"
Kurogane snorted. He had only "protected" him with his warmth and he didn't want that communicated.
The footsteps halted on the thick snow.
"We have special tools!" Syaoran called. His voice shook slightly. The chatter of his teeth resonated.
"We got it from the nearby village," Sakura supplied.
"Mokona will dig, too!" Mokona cried courageously.
Pushing himself to his feet, Fai stretched like a lithe cat with arms above his head. He yawned sleepily but satisfied and rubbed both blue eyes awake.
Yet again, Fai didn't seem to have any reservations about having to restfully wait for them to dig, either. Thin muscles tensed as shirt sleeves rolled over them; he shook his head, blonde hair flying, as the shirt fell over the plane of his chest and stomach. It didn't take him too long to finish getting dressed.
Kurogane stared, unamused. Even now, he couldn't help but gloat and act like he hadn't been upset—he had been enjoying himself too much. Fai could have known something this entire time, but he doubted it. Just decoding that message was kind of impossible.
Kurogane sighed and reached for his own shirt. The fabric was still moist and cold and it made him want continue basking in the warmth here, but he found it comforting with immediately on the other side.
Snapping and hissing came from the other side of the ice shield. Sunlight slowly filtered through the cracks as snow was chipped away a little by little.
Kurogane's finished with his clothes. He reluctantly pushed Fai's coat away. Even so, he had known that if they were both useless, the kids wouldn't be.
"Mokona is a Kurogane detector!" Mokona told them all proudly. She probably had her chest puffed out.
Kurogane's ears pricked up, nostrils flaring. "You're a what!?" he roared. Fully dressed and spirits lifted, he jumped to his feet and yanked out his sword.
By then, not much ice remained. He slashed at the last bit of ice in front of him. In a wave of fragmented shards that reflected like rainbows in the morning sun, Kurogane's red eyes flashed in victory.
Fai laughed merrily. He snuck up behind Kurogane and shoved him. Kurogane lost his balance, arms raised and legs poised forward. He crashed into the snow face first and angrily thrashed around.
"Oh, look, we're finally free from death! You really did save me from dying back there," Fai praised, casually leaning against the snow drift and winking cheekily down at him. "Always so, so strong."
"So strong, so strong!" Mokona sang, bouncing into direct view in a little blue coat with ear mufflers. She landed on a patch of snow in front of Kurogane.
Lips curled into a snarl, Kurogane crossly side-eyed them. He hoped he looked as fearsome with snow stuck to his eyebrows and eyebrows as he felt.