"Keep your back straight, make sure your breathing is even or you're going to wear yourself out too soon kid!" The directions Kurogane gave him would have been a lot easier for Syaoran if he wasn't wearing, what he now realized, was a much too tight binder. Not to mention he had underestimated just how long Kurogane had planned to keep him outside training in the hot sun. But Syaoran reassured himself once again that it would be worth it. He would be stronger because of this. He would-oh gods he could hardly breathe.

Syaoran doubled over, clutching one arm around his chest as pain shot through his ribs. This was too tight, he'd had it on for way too long. Mistakes and bad decisions had been made on this day.

Shocked that Syaoran would collapse mid training, Kurogane ran to his side as he tried to make sense of it. Syaoran was normally a pretty steady kid, it took a lot to knock him down. "Yo, kid, what happened?" Kurogane received only short breaths as Syaoran's voice caught in his throat. Tentatively, he placed a large hand on the teenager's shoulder. Under the thin cloth of the shirt Syaoran was wearing, Kurogane could feel taut, constricting material. "What are you wearing kid, are you trying to kill yourself?"

The boy flinched at the question and harsh words. In between the wheezing and short breaths, Syaoran managed to groan out, "Bin…der… tight…."

Kurogane's eyes widened at the strained answer as he took a moment to process it. The kid wore a binder? Why would he be wearing a binder, unless…

"Well, alright kid, go take a moment to get that thing off you. Then I think we need to have a chat about your decisions…" The dark man helped Syaoran stand up as he dismissed him.

Syaoran hunched over, not knowing what to make of his older companion's words as he slunk off somewhere secluded to free himself of the contraption. His decisions, what did Kurogane mean?

…..

Now finally able to catch his breath, Syaoran slipped his shirt back over his head, wrapping himself in his cloak so that it was impossible to see anything… sticking out now that he had taken his binder off. Peeking out from behind a tree in the clearing that Kurogane had taken him to train, Syaoran saw him waiting in the grass, turned away and tapping his foot impatiently. His body language was the picture of disappointment and Syaoran's blood ran cold.

Gathering whatever courage Syaoran had in his gut mixed with the pool of dread that coated his stomach, he walked out to meet Kurogane, anticipating the talk he'd received from others before. Especially older men that had joined him on some of the dig sites he'd worked on. Bracing himself, Syaoran stood before the ninja, unable to meet his gaze as Kurogane opened his mouth.

"Don't you know how dangerous it is to keep those things on for so long?" That was not how these discussions usually started. They usually started with 'you know that just because you want to be a boy it doesn't make you one' or 'you're just confused', or Syaoran's least favorite 'what would your father think if he was still with us?' But this, this is definitely not something the boy had heard before. "You could end up breaking one of your ribs doing what your dumbass did today, kid." Kurogane scolded.

Unsure how to respond, Syaoran looked up at Kurogane with wide and confused eyes and uttered under his breath, "Sorry… I didn't think…"

"Yeah kid, you weren't thinking!" Kurogane rapped his knuckles against Syaoran's forehead in a mock smack. "You tend to forget to do that a lot, don't you." With a heavy sigh of exasperation, Kurogane sat himself down in the grass, crossing his legs and motioning for Syaoran to take a seat across from him. "Listen kid, I get that you wanna train. That's great, but training is pointless if you only end up hurting yourself, especially by doing something as reckless as the stunt you pulled today."

The genuine concern was raw in Kurogane's voice as he rambled on about the damage Syaoran could have needlessly inflicted upon himself if he had kept wearing the binder while he trained. "Didn't anyone ever teach you about this stuff when you started binding? How long you're supposed to keep 'em on before you gotta give yourself a rest? Please tell me you're at least not using tape or bandages?"

Guilt wracked Syaoran's face as he shook his head. "N-no… I used to when I was younger, but my Dad caught me and he got me a binder… I uh…I picked this one up a couple of worlds back. My old one was pretty ratty and loose, I guess I'm just not used to this new one being so tight." He admitted.

"Well… Just remember, eight hours at the most kid. Only five if we're training! Otherwise you're gonna do some serious damage." Kurogane's tone was reminiscent of his father's, before he had passed. Though he didn't necessarily enjoy being lectured, something about this felt painfully comforting and familiar. "Why are you smiling, I'm being serious." Kurogane barked, narrowing his eyes further at Syaoran, who found himself jolting at the sudden statement. Had he been smiling, he hadn't noticed he had been.

"No I just…" Syaoran began, his face beet red with embarrassment as his smile faltered and disappeared. "Sorry, I just… had a little bit of Déjà vu was all… I really am sorry Kurogane-san."

Kurogane's expression softened and he moved to sit beside the boy, placing a hand on top of his hair to ruffle it in his own form of affection.

The silence between them was comfortable, the aura of complete and utter relief hanging around Syaoran as he shuffled where he sat. "Um…" He began, feeling the creeping sensation of curiosity invade his mind. "Kurogane-san, it's none of my business but… How did you learn so much about binders, and binding?" He asked. Syaoran hadn't taken Kurogane for someone who would be as knowledgeable about something like this as he clearly was.

Kurogane gave Syaoran a crooked grin as he said with confidence in his voice, "Let's just say that I know what you're going through on a personal level kid." Bracing his hands on his legs, Kurogane grunted as he stood himself up, dusting the stray blades of grass off himself as he did so. "Come on kid, both of us need to eat, and the Mage and the Princess probably have something ready."

Syaoran stared, starry eyed, at his mentor as the realization washed over him. He wasn't alone in this, and Kurogane had been the last person he'd expected to truly understand him in the way that he clearly did.

"Well come on kid." Kurogane barked, prompting Syaoran to shoot up from his seat as he rushed over to join his mentor as they walked back to where they had set up camp, feeling a little bit more secure with someone like the burly man at his side.