Author's Note: Okay, here's another KuroFai one-shot... This time, it's entirely Kurogane's point of view.

Enjoy!

(I know, I know! I should be posting up more chapters of my Kodocha stories! I'm trying! I haven't completely forgotten about them!)

--

I swear, he does these idiotic things on purpose (well, I guess that's extremely obvious right now... The blade couldn't just slip like that...). If not for the chance to actually die, then just to annoy the hell out of me... Or maybe he's just trying to make me afraid for the first time since my parents died.

I shouldn't be thinking about these things now. I should be running. I should be saving him. But my feet must be glued to the floor or something, because I'm still just standing here. So while I'm stuck here, I might as well think about all those things.

No.

Move.

Finally, I feel one foot move, then the other. I'm running now, but everything's in slow motion. I'm not going fast enough, I won't make it in time.

I made it over to that idiot mage, but I was only fast enough to catch him as he passed out. All I could do was watch the blood drip from his wrists to the tile and scream for help. I barely even noticed that I was screaming in the first place.

Did he mean for me to see it? I don't think he did this time. He didn't know I could see him from where I was walking in the hall.

I barely register the kid's gasp behind me and running steps as I hold the mage's body tighter. It's a bit late, but I remember something and ripped off my sleeves, wrapping them around his wrists.

Next thing I know, someone's trying to take him from me. After plenty of glaring, cursing, and wasted time, they let me stay with him in that thing I vaguely remembered someone explaining was an ambulance.

--

He's safe. He's still unconscious, but he's safe.

They have him hooked up to something... I don't know what it is, but I guess it's helping him, so I didn't say anything about it.

They brought me a chair a while ago, so I'm sitting right next to his bed. I glance at him for the first time after an hour or two of staring at the wall, the floor, the ceiling, and out the window. Somehow, he's even more pale than usual.

Not quite realizing what I was doing, I moved my own hand a few inches and grabbed his.

Damn it, Fai...

Move... Talk... Give me one of those fake smiles and tell me that it's okay... Do something.

Nothing. I can't really say I expected anything to happen, but still...

A tiny stir. I almost jumped, turning to look at the blonde. He opened his eyes the smallest bit, but it was still something.

For once, he wasn't wearing a fake smile. He was too tired for that. Instead, he just let himself get used to the lighting and then looked, confused, at our hands. I started to pull mine away, but was surprised to notice that he had suddenly gripped it, stopping me from letting go.

"Why do you care, Kurogane?"

I think I felt my world shatter at that one simple question. I wasn't about to show it, though.

"Damn it, mage, do you think I know?"

His only reply was a small nod. He never really was one to dance around subjects... Unless they had to do with himself, anyways...

"If you died, the princess would be depressed and we couldn't move on with this stupid journey. And if we couldn't move on, then I couldn't get back to Nihon." Yeah, even I know it's just an excuse by now. I run away just as much as he does, though... I'm just as much of a coward.

That damn smile's back now. It's smaller this time though, but more knowing. Like he can see through my lie. All he does is nod again, though.

"Stop that!" I didn't even realize I'd said anything until the words were out of my mouth.

"Stop what, Kuro-sama?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. Well, I guess he's back to his old self now.

"That smile! I know it's not real! You just tried to kill yourself, for God's sake!" I yelled, finally mentioning the subject that had been carefully avoided in the few minutes since he woke up.

It worked. His grin faded, to be replaced with an equally annoying, icy expression. "You're such a hypocrite."

"What are you talking about? I'm not even smiling!"

"No, but you are fake. Why don't you answer my question truthfully this time?" he asked, allowing a bit of pain to cross his features for a moment. He wanted to be comforted, but he wouldn't let himself... All this time, he had been silently screaming for help... Had I ever even noticed it before? It didn't matter now... He already knew what my answer was going to be... At least, he thought he did.

I cursed, and then, before I knew what I was doing, I had turned and pulled him towards me.

And then I was kissing him. To my surprise, he kissed me back, the ice melting away as he clung in desperation.

"Because I love you, you idiot... Fai," I said after we pulled away.

I thought of many scenarios that could have happened, but this was definitely not one of them. He was crying!

"No... You can't... I bring misfortune wherever I go... You'll only get hurt..."

I pulled him towards me again, and I felt the tears start to soak through my shirt as he buried his head in my chest. "No, I won't... And I promise I won't let you keep hurting yourself, either."

We stayed like that for a while in silence, but I knew that I had gotten through to him. Even if he went against it, I swore to myself to keep that promise no matter how hard it got.

--

Author's Note: Okay, is it just me, or was that a really awkward attempt at writing from Kuro-tan's POV? Then again, it's also past midnight and I've been suffering from lack of sleep all week, but oh well...

Ooh, yay! That just sunk in... If it's past midnight, that mean's it's officially my birthday!

Maybe leave me a little review as a present? It would make me super-duper-happy! Pretty please?