Uh well…enjoy this…this is for the people who reviewed my last story.

It had been much easier to communicate when they hadn't had Mokona to translate. There had been no barriers made of words, no lies. Everything had been clearly understood.

Kurogane watched Fay sleeping, wondering what he was dreaming about this time. This was a game he often played when he couldn't sleep, although he never really seemed to win. Most of what he really knew about Fay, he had learned while the lithe magician slept beside him, his face buried in a pillow, with a delicate hand curled neatly near his ear. A few slender fingers wound in that unruly blonde hair that Kurogane found so peculiar. They had been through countless worlds now, but still he had not seen another person like Fay, with his pale hair and pale eyes. Kurogane wondered if everyone in Fay's world carried those characteristics, as everyone in Kurogane's had (more or less).

Sometimes Fay would talk in his sleep.

If Kurogane listened, Fay was a wealth of knowledge about a country he longed never to return too. Mostly it seemed to be nightmares that he had. Sometimes his dreams seemed so filled with despair that Fay merely cried softly into the pillow, unaware (annoyingly so, in Kurogane's opinion), that whatever he was experiencing was just a dream. Didn't he realize that Kurogane could protect them all if they were together, like they were now? There was no reason for Fay to sleep so restlessly when Sakura and Syaoran slept so peacefully.

Sometimes Fay's nightmares seemed terrifying, and the magician would do more than cry. He would scream. At these times, Kurogane would (not so gently) yank a few strands of Fay's hair from his scalp. This would usually wake him up, and Kurogane would use his superior ninja skills to pretend he was asleep as Fay slowly gathered his bearings, then rolled back over onto his chest and fell back to sleep.

Sometimes it wasn't nightmares or woebegone dreams that Fay had. Sometimes he had…other kinds of dreams.

The first time this had happened, Kurogane had been intrigued. It had been days before he could look at Fay's face (or any part of Fay, really) without remembering. When he remembered, he'd have to look away to keep from blushing. Despite that, after hearing it, he couldn't stop looking, so the bigger challenge was keeping Fay from noticing that he was looking. As a man, Kurogane knew that it was normal, but still…thinking about it gave him the strangest feeling, which seemed to start somewhere in the general breadth of his stomach, but moved up into his lungs and even seemed to redirect the flow of his blood. That couldn't be good for his chi. Even so, he still remembered (sometimes) the night he had lain next to Fay in some random world, and heard Fay moan quietly into his pillow before muttering one discernible word.

"Harder…"

The second time it had happened, Kurogane had not been intrigued. He found it harder to push from his mind, and knew that this would definitely fuck with his chi. He didn't like remembering it, and for some reason that the ninja couldn't figure out, it had left a bad taste in his mouth. This incident had also had some effect on other parts of his body, but not at all in a pleasant way. Even if Fay had been having a pleasant dream, Kurogane had woken him up. He knew it was childish, but to hear him say it had made Kurogane seven types of pissed for reasons he didn't even know why. He almost felt like someone had taken something away from him, or maybe they were keeping it from him. He didn't want to think about it, but it kept popping into his mind at all kinds of inconvenient times (like now, as Fay pulled his shirt off and changed into his pajamas, and Kurogane could see his shoulder blades, the curve of his spine, his hips…this was not a good time to remember something so unpleasant). Another distinct word; softly reverberated lustfully in Fay's gentle voice. Kurogane didn't need Mokona to know what this one meant.

"Ashura…"

Kurogane had liked the first incident a lot more than the second.

Fay thought that he and Kurogane had communicated a lot better in Yama, without Mokona to translate.

Kurogane had a lot of looks. Although he didn't understand Kurogane's language, Fay definitely understood when Kurogane gave him the look that said, " Shut up you stupid fool." That look meant that Fay should put more effort into whatever he was doing to Kurogane at the time. Fay had looks too. Most of the time his face just said, " I'm a fool." Kurogane knew that was just a mask. In battle, he had a look that was almost weary.

In Yama, they had had unspoken agreements and understandings. There were no awkward silences, and neither of them ever had to know what the right thing to say was (although Fay knew Kurogane didn't really care either way). Sometimes Fay had talked anyway. Kurogane hadn't understood and pretended not to care (and maybe Fay was convinced), as Fay rambled in that uneven, incoherent language of his about god knew what. Fay even talked about Ashura. That was the only word that Kurogane understood, and every now and then as Fay babbled, he would catch it. One night as they prepared to sleep, Kurogane had caught it. His eyes had been closed and he had been lying on his side, barely listening to the words and just hearing the sound. Fay had been sitting next to him, his legs stretched out in front of him. As he caught it, he had grabbed Fay's wrist and pulled him down, forcing the mage to lie down beside him. Fay had looked surprised. Then he had smiled, said something else, and rolled over onto his stomach to sleep. Kurogane thought he heard a giggle, but dismissed it.

Maybe it had just been because he couldn't understand what Kurogane was saying when he yelled at him in Yama, but Kurogane had seemed almost gentle to Fay at times.

One night after a day of battling the Ashura clan, Fay's shoulder had throbbed painfully from the archery. He hadn't realized that it showed on his face (or that Kurogane had been watching), so he was surprised when the ninja's hands descended on his shoulders, gently massaging them. Fay wondered if this was part of Kurogane's ninja training, and couldn't help but sigh as those fingers grazed his bare skin. Kurogane thought he heard Fay make a noise that sounded suspiciously like a purr.

After that, Fay had noticed Kurogane looking more. If they had spoken the same language, he might have never noticed the subtle way he stared, or the different meanings conveyed in those stares.

One night Fay had been lying down as Kurogane polished Soehi next to him. For something or other, Kurogane had reached over Fay and his hand had brushed the magicians side. Fay had gasped. Curious, Kurogane wondered if Fay's side had been wounded that day. He touched it again. Kurogane let out a shrill exclamation and…giggled. Then Kurogane had understood. Amused, he had let his hands roam free of Fay's sides, as the magician shrieked between fits of laughter, his fists clutching kurogane's shirt as he tried to push him away. His back arched, pushing him against Kurogane's chest, and suddenly Kurogane had stopped, letting his hands rest holding Fay by his waist. Their eyes had met. Neither had looked away. That was the first time that Kurogane had really looked into Fay's eyes. In his way, he was seeing Fay, as an adult with needs…the need for human contact…the need to be understood. Kurogane had almost let himself be led astray from his mission (to return to Nihon) as he looked into those eyes. Slowly, his hands had moved from Fay's body and Fay had let go of Kurogane as well.

Fay wasn't unaware though, of Kurogane's stares. Sometimes those stares were inquisitive, but sometimes they weren't. Sometimes, after an especially bloody day of battle, those looks were different. There was nothing inquisitive about them at these times. They were concupiscent, suggestive and hot. At these times, Fay felt that at any moment Kurogane might devour him.

Not that he minded.

Now, in this random world, Fay wasn't unaware that Kurogane was awake beside him, waiting for him to fall asleep. He wasn't sure why, but he suspected it had something to do with why he sometimes woke up with his scalp a little sore. He rolled over onto his side, and faced Kurogane. Kurogane was still pretending to sleep. Fay assiduously reached his hand out toward Kurogane, letting his fingers wind themselves in Kurogane's hair as he pushed himself closer to the ninja. Gently, Fay kissed Kurogane's lips and wondered if his eyes would still be closed when Fay pulled away. Fay pulled away. A hand wrapped around his wrist, and Fay's eyes met Kurogane's. It was dark, but Kurogane could see Fay, staring into his eyes with a mix of allure and suspense. He almost said no. He almost pulled away. Almost.

Kurogane was tempestuous in everything he did. What he was about to do was no exception. Fay was pulled back up to Kurogane and before a word could be spoken, their lips met again. Slowly at first, but Kurogane (as impatient as ever), quickly pushed Fay's mouth open with his own, letting his tongue deftly explore the magician's mouth. He probed a bit further, which elicited a muffled gasp from Fay. Fay leaned over Kurogane, propped up on his elbows, and Kurogane let his hands wander freely from Fay's shoulders, down his spine, down to his waist…Fay gasped again. Kurogane grinned, gliding his thumbs over Fay's hips and brushing his stomach. He slid his fingers just below the waistband of Fay's pajamas. Fay broke the kiss, pulling back and looking down at Kurogane. Kurogane moved his lips down to Fay's collarbone. Fay tilted his head to allow him easier access and closed his eyes.

Kurogane had decided weeks ago that when he returned to Nihon, he would just take Fay with him.

Fay had decided months ago that Kurogane's best look was the one he had when he was watching Fay.

Kurogane sat up, pushing Fay into his lap as he pulled his shirt off. Leaning down and gripping the cloth with his teeth, Kurogane had pulled off Fay's as well. Feeling Kurogane's face graze his body as it was removed was intoxicating. Kurogane's hands gripped his waist and let his mouth wander over Fay's pale, slender chest. Fay moaned as Kurogane pressed him down against his lap, grinding into him, and felt Kurogane grin against his skin. He wanted to make Fay scream, but knew that if he woke up Sakura and Syaoran it might cause problems later. Fay was breathing hotly into Kurogane's ear when Kurogane grasped a handful of his hair, pulling his head back, exposing his neck and forcing the magician to arch into the ninja. He bit playfully around Fay's throat. Fay bit his lip, trying to keep quiet. This apparently was not the response Kurogane was looking for however, and a hand slid under Fay's waistband.

Now Kurogane had new things to think about when he looked at Fay.