Title: Sweet Offerings
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kurogane has to get a gift.
Note: Written by me and zelinxia. Takes place after From the Beginning.
It was a wonder Kurogane was able to leave the palace that warm summer morning earlier than he had expected to head to the main city of Suwa Province. Even if he said that he was strictly running errands and not going shopping, his lord-consort (and ever good friend) would resort to all methods of begging and blackmailing to let him come along with the young lord. But a "no" meant "no" and fortunately he was able to convince Fai that he strictly needed to venture out with their son just for today. That, and he made sure to ask his mother the previous evening to keep Fai in good company as to distract him any means, and Lady Suwa understood in complete sympathy. Toshihiko, who was now five years old, had never grown tired of going out and exploring the city with his family, and today was no exception.
"Chechu, are we going to get sweets today?" he asked, since it was typical that when he went out he came back home with at least some candy.
"Not unless we're getting Otou-san some," Kurogane said. He knew Toshihiko was not going to like that answer and sure enough he felt his son kicking his legs over his collarbones. "Oi, if you don't stop doing that, then no more rides on my shoulders," the father warned.
"Okay…" Toshihiko mumbled, pouting as he looked over the crowds and the people that greeted them. If they weren't getting candy, he wasn't sure why they were in the city.
"Otou-san's birthday is coming up so I am looking for something," Kurogane explained to his son who managed to calm down. That was precisely why he went to great pains to make sure Fai would not tag along this morning. Birthdays come and go and just because they had been married for nearly three years it didn't mean that Kurogane had to find something even more extraordinary. If anything, he grew up learning and believing that it's the thought that counts, but still, this whole finding-a-present was something that had been freaking him out to say the least.
"How about this? If you help me find a gift for your father's birthday, then maybe we'll get some treats for you."
"Otou-san likes sweet stuff too!" he offered, knowing Fai was always the one who shared candy with him. "He likes pretty things and blue stuff." Toshihiko spent most of his time with the blond after all, as his father and grandfather were usually busy elsewhere and his grandmother was always carrying out her duties.
"You could always give Otou-san some of your sweets," Kurogane suggested as he looked up to see his son's face.
"He eats them anyways," Toshihiko countered as they walked into the market district.
"Yes, but I don't intend to give him sweets. However, if you want to do that then that's fine, too." Right now Kurogane was walking along various vendors, wondering how on earth he, let alone even his son, could select something worthy enough for Fai.
"I got Otou-san a gift already." He smiled as he swung his legs happily. "Since he was talking 'bout it before."
Learning that his son had already had a present ready didn't make him feel any better about this entire situation. It was a wonder that as the heir to the lordship and being a strong fighter that Kurogane could easily get so stumped by a task such as this. Then again, he was given a lot of crap in his younger days for having difficulties in even attempting to court potential suitors. "Since when did you find time to find a gift?" he asked Toshihiko
"Me and Obaa-san went out to the woods and I got a bunch of flowers for Otou-san," he explained with a bright smile that Kurogane couldn't see.
The young lord could imagine the look on Fai's face when the time came for Toshihiko to present him with the flowers he gathered in the woods. It was those little things that Fai truly enjoyed. The blond would surely squeeze their boy in a tight hug and thus causing Toshihiko to protest vehemently. But brushing that aside, Kurogane did his best to casually scan the vendors from his peripheral vision.
"You're not gonna kiss Otou-san, are you?" Toshihiko asked as he was beginning to think it was embarrassing when his parents did that.
Only in private, of course. "No," he reassured his boy.
The boy was skeptical, but he didn't put much more thought on it. They were nearly in the center of the market now and the noises grew louder, but at the very least Toshihiko could look over everyone's heads in the crowd instead of having to be submerged in the throngs of people.
A light summer breeze picked up, causing the signs and other assortments that were being hung fluttering. Long strands of something caught Kurogane's eyes and so he proceeded to walk over to that particular stand. It turned out to be long ribbons of all colors and beautiful patterns. Fai still wore his hair in a light ponytail, so perhaps he ought to search for one he thought would look decent against the blonde silk. Toshihiko looked around as his father wandered over to the stall, examining each ribbon.
The woman working there smiled politely. "If my young lord wishes for any help, just ask."
Kurogane thanked the woman for her offer and proceeded to look over the stacks of ribbons that were carefully laid out. He tried to remember what Fai had in his ribbon collections as the young priest had acquired many over the years. Of course blue was already out of the question as that was Fai's signature color. After mulling over a few more minutes, the young lord settled on a muted gray blue colored ribbon, for it reminded him of Suwa's guardian dragon as well as the movement of the wind – if the wind had a color – that personified Fai's blitheness.
"I'll take this one," he said, pointing to it.
Toshihiko looked down at his father's choice. "Otou-san likes lots of blue and red and green," he added, thinking of all the clothes his father had received.
"That he does," his father agreed as he paid for the ribbon and tucked it carefully in his pouch. But now that he thought about it, he wondered if this ribbon would be enough for his beloved's birthday present.
"So now that we got something, can we get sweets now?" Toshihiko was so excited at the prospect that he was even playing with Kurogane's hair, to which the man automatically shoved the boy's hands away.
"Hmm…not quite yet," he said.
"Why?" He whined and huffed, thinking Kurogane was just being stubborn now.
The last thing he wanted to do was admit to the boy that he felt that the ribbon was inadequate. "Because I just remembered I needed to get something for your grandmother," he said, making the excuse on the fly.
"Oh." Toshihiko perked up a little when he saw that Kurogane wasn't just avoiding buying him candy. "Hurry, Chichiue!"
"Brat," Kurogane huffed. "That's what I am trying to do." He then wondered where he should go to next as the ribbon was not enough in his opinion. Asking his son would be pointless since the boy would just go with sweets and besides, Toshihiko didn't need to know that he was not finished fulfilling this quota he had set on his own for Fai's birthday present.
There were plenty of shops and stands open selling trinkets, but Fai had enough of those thanks to their son and his parents. He also had enough clothes to wear and use for several lifetimes, so that was out of the question as well.
Now that Kurogane was married and well content, he could completely understand those times when he went to the city with his father as a boy and observed just how he would be nervous trying to find something special for his mother. But no matter what the lord would select for his beloved wife, she would love it and treasure it forever. That shawl Kurogane fetched from the tree for her a long time ago was one of them.
So really, even if Fai might tease or pretend to be disappointed, the young priest would appreciate whatever Kurogane ended up choosing. But as anyone who really knew him knew, the young lord was a person who had to be absolutely certain about something before going with it. Realizing that he loved his childhood friend all that time was one of them.
"Chechu…" Toshihiko pouted as he slumped atop his father's head. It was boring just wandering around clothes shops. "We go now?"
"Your grandmother would be highly disappointed if I do not obtain that item she wants me to," Kurogane told his son matter-of-factly. "And it just so happens to be a hard item to find among the vendors, so it may take some time."
"But she didn't get Ojii-san to get it," he argued as he looked around, spotting people trying to sell their goods to the crowds.
"It's because she knew that I was heading to town to get a present that she asked me. It's convenient that way." Hah, Fai would be impressed of him for being a smooth liar – but it wasn't a lie to stray from a terrible truth.
"What did she want?" Toshihiko asked as he tried to look down at his father's face.
"It is a very, very complicated subject matter, boy." If he could just keep going on like this until he settled on another item to select for Fai, everything should be fine. "In fact, she is letting me finalize on the object for her."
The boy was confused, and he frowned much like his father would and had Fai been there he would have commented on the similarities.
When Fai was not busy with his priest duties and tending to other needs as a family member of the palace, he would enjoy talking to anybody who was free and had all ears open. The lord-consort would also take many walks along the gardens when the weather was good, followed with a relaxing sit-down on an open veranda and drinking tea. Sometimes it wouldn't be tea and it would be a good bottle of drink which he would naturally share with Kurogane. Pondering on these things, the young lord wondered if he should turn to drinks instead.
"My, my, if it isn't two generations of Suwa's lords," a familiar voice was heard through the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Toshihiko perked up and turned to face the voice's owner.
Kurogane froze in his tracks. It had been quite a few years since he had met Yuuko, Suwa's famed matchmaker, but he could still recognize her sultry voice instantly. He was not one to warm to her immediately, but as the young lord he couldn't ignore her. Plus, he's married so he shouldn't have to worry about conversing about matchmaking affairs. "Hello, Yuuko-san."
"So polite too!" She clapped her hands cheerfully. "It must be my lucky day, but I must say it is strange to see you out running errands. Usually you have a servant to do that." The woman smiled mischievously as she walked forward. Toshihiko stared at her, thinking that she was pretty and blushed when her red eyes stared up at him.
"It's for personal errands," Kurogane informed her. He could not believe that just as he was thinking about getting a nice drink for Fai this woman showed up. Yuuko was not only a venerable matchmaker, but she was also an alcohol connoisseur.
"Personal? Well, seeing that the young lord is here, it can't be for himself…so it must be for Fai-san." She grinned.
"It is! Otou-san's birthday is today!" Toshihiko blurted out as he smiled broadly. Typical kid. Of course Toshihiko had to blurt it out for Kurogane, but there wasn't much he could do about it now.
Yuuko's eyes narrowed deviously. "So, looking for a gift? Clothes are always a fine choice and jewelry, but as lord-consort he would have enough of those… Food or drink perhaps? Maybe something for private use?"
"It's none of your business," he said, hoping she would get the message.
"So is that a 'I have no idea what to get and I would like the great Yuuko-san's wisdom in this endeavor'?" She smirked and Toshihiko smiled, for he was reminded of Fai. "A nice premium bottle of sake would be nice. If I last recall, Fai-san did like a good drink."
"I knew he was drinking with you far too often," Kurogane said, still thoroughly disapproving of his husband's drinking sessions with the matchmaker. Still, he privately took her self-proclaimed wisdom for reference just in case. "It's getting late so we need to get going."
"Then don't let me keep you two, especially not on such a special day." She smiled knowingly as Kurogane left her behind. Toshihiko took one last look at her before turning back to ask his father about her.
"She's a matchmaker – someone who helps customers find a good husband or wife," he explained. Grumbling about their encounter, Kurogane set off to a shop that sold drinks. In truth, he could arrange a servant at the palace to acquire a good bottle of sake from their supply, but he would get it himself.
"But you said you and Otou-san grew up together!" Toshihiko remarked, thinking his parents had lied to him all this time as Kurogane entered the store.
"We did," he reassured the boy.
The owner turned and smiled pleasantly before he bowed. Large barrels lined one end of the shop while glass and clay bottles of various colors and sizes lined another wall. "Can I help you?"
"I am looking for sake that's appropriate for a special occasion," he told him.
"We have several kinds in stock." The owner turned and brought a few bottles down from a high shelf and set them before Kurogane. "Though in this weather, I would recommend either of these two for they are very nice chilled," he presented as he gestured towards the two rather expensive looking bottles.
Before he could scrutinize both bottles, Kurogane set down his son and told him to stay at his side and not roam around the shop. As Toshihiko stood by his father's side, sucking on his thumb, the young lord went back to the counter and picked up the bottle to his left first. He checked the label that indicated its level of taste, which it stated that this bottle's content would be sweet.
He then did the same for the bottle on the right, but the label stated that its content would be dry. Seeing that they rarely drank 'sweet' sake and that perhaps Fai would actually enjoy the sensation, Kurogane told the shop owner that he would take that one.
As Kurogane's purchase was being wrapped up, Toshihiko looked around. He knew better than to start playing with glass bottles as he had gotten in trouble for that once before, but he was terribly bored and wanted to go.
"Come on, kid, let's go get some treats," the father said after paying and thanking the owner.
"Really?" Toshihiko asked his father skeptically.
"Yes, boy, I'm finished. We need to head back home so let's go."
He lit up then and grabbed Kurogane's hand before dragging him out of the store.
"Hey now," he warned Toshihiko. "Not too fast. I'm carrying an expensive glass bottle." They actually did have to head back to the palace soon, so the sooner he got treats for the boy for being so patient, the better. Yet a five year old could not walk as fast, so there was only one way it would all work out without Kurogane ending in dropping the bottle. He bent on the ground outside of the shop. "Just climb on my back again."
Toshihiko didn't need to be told twice and scrambled up onto his father once more. "Hurry Chechu!"
"I already said that, brat," he chastised. It was a miracle that over the years Kurogane had become more patient in general. But still, he was starting to feel a headache coming, and gods knew this alcohol might actually prove to be a godsend.
At least he knew where to purchase sweets so the young lord made his way over there with Toshihiko over his shoulders, the bottle in one hand, and the ribbon carefully tucked away in his pouch. Once they got there, he asked Toshihiko to point out several treats he would want, but he also made sure to let him know that he didn't have a lot of coins with him on the ready. They eventually left with a decent sized bag of candy for the boy, who had promised to share and to not eat it all in one sitting either once they got back to the palace. With a worn sigh, Kurogane and Toshihiko began their way back home to where Fai would be happily waiting for their return.
xXx
Even after spending most of his life here it was still surprising to get gifts for his birthday. While he wasn't for sure when his actual birthday was, he had come up with one instead and it had become special to him as he now had a family to make it worth celebrating. He was currently sitting in one of the palace's many rooms with everyone he cared for. They had finished supper already and Toshihiko was sitting on his lap, offering his candy.
"For you, Otou," the boy proudly announced to his father.
Fai smiled as he hugged his son close. "Thank you, but I don't think I could eat anymore now. Maybe later?"
Toshihiko was admittedly crushed. "Promise?" he asked.
"I promise." Fai held his pinky finger up for his son, who hooked his with his own excitedly.
"Now for gifts," Toriho interrupted. He handed Fai a package as the blond thanked him and his wife.
Fai unwrapped the gift while struggling to keep Toshihiko still. Inside the simple paper was a book along with a pouch containing an ink bottle and pens. He was always fond of writing, having it stemmed from writing letters to Kurogane over the years.
"We noticed that sometimes you lose track of papers around the palace, so now you can have it all in one place," Tsumebe said.
"Thank you. This will be very useful." Fai said with a smile before Toshihiko scrambled out of his lap, surprising everyone as he darted out of the room and came back moments later.
"I almost forgot Otou-san's gift," he fretted.
The boy then came back with the flowers he had picked out earlier with Lady Suwa. Some of the petals were already falling off and they landed on the floor as he made his way to where Fai was still sitting. His face was positively beaming when he presented his own present to his father.
Fai cooed and gathered is son into his arms to cuddle him. "Toshi is the sweetest boy ever." Smiling brightly, Fai took his gift, careful to set them aside so he could put them in a vase later. "Much sweeter than Kuro-papa when he was younger."
"Oi!" Kurogane reacted, coloring madly at being picked on again. The lord and lady, ever so used to their sons bantering, just sat there with wry smiles. Toshihiko, who was always shocked to hear how awful his proud father could be, looked at Fai with wide eyes. "What did Chechu give you back then?" he asked.
"He usually took me out to the lake to play," he recalled with a shrug. He thought Kurogane had never been good with material gifts to begin with. "It was fun though."
"Ohhh…" It comforted the boy that at least his father still thought of something good where Fai could have a pleasant birthday.
"But I think Toshi beats him with gifts like this." Fai smiled as he held the boy close.
"It's getting late. Time to go to bed, boy," Kurogane informed. True, it was evening now as they were finishing up celebrating Fai's birthday. Besides, he specifically wanted to bestow his material presents alone in the privacy of his room.
"But it's still Otou-san's birthday!" Toshihiko pouted and looked up to his other father for leniency in the matter.
"I'm afraid he's right, but I'll make it up to you tomorrow," Fai promised.
"Okay," he said in small defeat.
"Be good." Fai kissed his forehead before sitting him up. "Don't forget to clean your teeth and no more candy until tomorrow.
"I know, I know," he grumbled. Toshihiko went up to the other three adults to bid a good night before an attending servant quietly escorted him off to bed.
"I think it's time we retire as well." Kurogane's father stood then and helped his wife up as well. "Happy Birthday, Fai."
Fai smiled, thanking them again as they made their way to their room.
At last, they were alone. "I left your gift in our room," Kurogane finally informed Fai.
Fai stared at him for a moment before he got up. "Kuro-rin got me a gift and it's not a surprise trip?" he teased, thinking it was time they went to their own room as well.
"Yes-I-finally-did-alright?" he said through gritted teeth. Kurogane simply went over and grabbed one of Fai's arms to start dragging him.
"I was joking. You've gotten me gifts before." Fai chuckled as he was all but carried into their room. "Kuro-sama's very sweet."
Grumbling, Kurogane half-practically, half-playfully shoved Fai into their room before stepping in as well and sliding the door shut. "Now go sit down while I'll get it," he said.
"I wonder what it is if Kuro-tan didn't want to show it in front of anyone…" Fai could think of several things, but he couldn't see Kurogane buying anything that would need hiding.
"Let's just say I thought it was better for only us to share," Kurogane said slyly, smirking in jest.
That piqued his interest as he moved to sit on the edge of their bed; waiting like their son did at the prospect of getting candy or training with his father. "Kuro-chan must have gotten something very special then."
"You could say that." He went to the spot where he carefully hid the bottle. Grabbing it along with two spare cups he stashed from the kitchen, Kurogane went over to where Fai was sitting. He wasn't much for keeping the suspense going as he openly laid down the bottle and the cups.
Fai's smile wavered when he saw what Kurogane had brought and when he set the bottle down he took it to examine it. "Kuro-rin…I would have been happy with something cheaper, you know," he chided half-heartedly, not liking it when Kurogane or anyone spent a lot of money on him.
"Don't," Kurogane said. "I wanted to." He wondered if Fai would notice something else unusual about the bottle.
"Then we should have a drink since you went to so much trouble." Fai leaned forward and kissed Kurogane in thanks. "You even put a ribbon on it." He laughed, thinking it was cute.
Kurogane unraveled the blue gray ribbon he tried very hard to tie neatly on the rim of the bottle. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. "Take off your other ribbon."
Fai gave him a curious look as he reached behind his head to pull loose the usual plain ribbon he wore. "Kuro-tan's being very strange this evening."
The young lord snorted, but despite that he went over to sit behind Fai. He didn't hesitate at all to comb his fingers playfully through his beloved's hair, never wasting any opportunity in their private moments to do so.
Immediately, Fai smiled and closed his eyes. "Feels good, Kuro-rin~" he cooed and tried not to laugh. Kurogane was being far too sweet.
He wondered if he should even bother tying the ribbon up since he much preferred Fai with his long hair down. It was more than the fact that he always found it soothing and alluring to see and play with it undone.
As the future Priest of Suwa, Fai kept his hair tied in public as well as in the halls of the palace. Only when he was in their room did he let it down, which of course meant only Kurogane (or their son if he came in the morning) got to see Fai's hair like that, so of course it was a lover's privilege. But not wanting to put the ribbon to waste for the evening, the young lord reluctantly gathered Fai's hair at the nape of the neck and wrapped the beautiful ribbon around it.
"Ah, I see Kuro-pon got me another gift too," Fai realized. When the young lord had finished he turned part way around and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "You're being far too sweet even for my birthday."
"Just shut up," Kurogane immediately said, flushing. Though nonetheless he was fine and happy with all he was doing for Fai's birthday. "Let's drink this now."
"Aww…I made Kuro-chan blush." Fai would have tackled the man to their bed were it not for the bottle and glasses sitting beside them.
"Yeah yeah…" He tended to the bottle with an opener. After uncorking the fine bottle and pouring the rich and sweet sake into the two cups he handed one of them over to Fai, who happily accepted it. Kurogane then repositioned himself so that they were simply side by side. He eyed his cup for a bit then quietly said, "Happy Birthday, Fai."
With his hand that held his cup he wrapped it around Kurogane so he could kiss him again. "Kuro-husband is really buttering me up today." He smiled brightly before he pulled away to take a drink.
"Well?" Kurogane asked, hoping that Fai would like the drink he purchased earlier that day.
"You have good tastes." He grinned, savoring the taste on his lips.
Smiling in relief, Kurogane slowly drank his own share of the liquor. However, the label was true to its word and even the sweetness of the drink was too much for him. Overwhelmed, he swallowed it too fast since it was his body's instinct when dealing with something sweet, causing him to cough vehemently.
Fai patted his back and tried not to laugh. "Don't like it? It wasn't that sweet."
After managing to catch his breath, Kurogane just stared at Fai in surprise. "How you can handle so much sugar will always be a complete mystery to me," he said.
"You can still taste the alcohol in it," he countered. While it was sweet, it wasn't, say, on the same level of cake or something. "Kuro-tan just doesn't have the same tolerance as he did when we were younger." He frowned mockingly and looked like he was in despair at the mere thought.
"And you still can't handle raw fish at all," Kurogane jested in return, crossing his arms but smirking nevertheless.
"That's different. That's raw food," he argued and held up a hand as if the idea of sushi and the like were offensive. "You would think Toshi wouldn't like it as much as he does. I blame you for that," he teased.
"So, it's good for him," Kurogane retorted, pouring more of the sake into Fai's cup and, begrudgingly, his. "He must wonder why each of us can't stand one or the other."
"I would think that's the least of his worries," Fai said as he watched the sake fill his cup once more. "He's much more concerned about not letting us be too close around him. He's like you in a way, though you never thought your parents were embarrassing." Chuckling, Fai sipped at his drink.
"When you were here, I was distracted from my parents," Kurogane explained. "But before, I was. Gods know how many times I yelled at them in sheer mortification."
"I never would have thought of that." He knew Kurogane loved his parents and he couldn't see him as a boy acting quite the same as their boy did. "He'll grow out of it though." Fai smiled as always when he thought about their son. He finished off his glass with a few quick drinks, feeling it burn slightly on the way down. "Kuro-san, I've been wondering if maybe we should try to have another baby. I don't want Toshi growing up alone." While their son played with children in the city occasionally, he spent most of his time with adults and Fai knew how life was growing up like that.
Kurogane was silent and contemplative for a bit. "I had been…thinking of the same thing," he admitted calmly. "I think Hahaue must have told you this, but my parents were never able to have another child. So I was an only child of this palace for a long time."
It was interesting how they had reached that topic. For eleven years, Kurogane grew up by himself, watching and admiring his parents tending to their duties and feeling the desire to uphold the honor as the heir (and still the heir) of the provincial lordship. He did play with other children when he was free, but he was still lonely. So of course when his father received that letter from the Amaterasu calling for him to go to Shirasagi as well and when he found out just exactly why he was sent there, he was happy. "I always thought I would grow up alone."
"We can contact the shopkeeper in the next few days. Right now, I want to celebrate." He smiled while he leaned against his lover. It would be exciting to tell their son the news when everything was finalized. Right now however, it was still his birthday and he wanted to put it behind him for now.
"Tch, what else?" Of course Kurogane only intended to make Fai's designated birthday special and not jump into the matter of having another child.
"I'm glad Kuro-rinta isn't lonely anymore," he remarked before setting his glass on the table beside their bed. "We have each other and Toshi now and maybe even another baby soon."
"Yeah." Kurogane had abandoned drinking a while back, so now that Fai was content he cupped a hand behind around Fai's face. His fingers itched to undo the ribbon he had tenderly arranged on Fai's hair, but he paused for a bit, suddenly realizing something.
"Funny how you chose your birthday the same day you came back home to Suwa nineteen years ago."
"I didn't even think about it. It was just the first date that came to mind. Fai smiled as he leaned into the touch. "Kuro-wan is such a romantic."
"I-idiot, there's more to romance in that date!" Kurogane spluttered. Their friendship, too, of course, was spelled in Fai's chosen birthday.
He laughed then. "I wasn't referring to the date, I meant you right now."
This of course enabled Kurogane to color even more: one for not realizing what Fai had meant and two for getting called out for being such a romantic, again. His husband would never get tired of his propensity to blush like no one else's business. Fingers spoke for him as they finally gripped the ribbon around silky hair and unraveled it. For the second time that night, Fai's long hair was for him to see, and only him.
"I think I'm done drinking for tonight. After all, it should be savored instead of being drunk completely in one night," Fai said as he smiled softly at Kurogane, his eyes hooded.
His husband didn't say anything in return as he leaned his head until their foreheads touched while his fingers were still playing with the fair hair. There was a brief lapse of minute distance before he fully bridged it with a soft but insistent kiss.
Fai nearly laughed but it was swallowed in the kiss. Closing his eyes he leaned into Kurogane, wanting to show just how much he appreciated all the effort the man had put into his birthday. He was happy that neither he nor Kurogane had too much to drink for he knew both wanted to fully savor this night without the sullied effects of alcohol tainting their minds and memories.
With no objections whatsoever, Kurogane grasped an arm around Fai's back and edged the blond closer so their chests could be pressing against each other. He heard a hum of content from Fai's throat and he perfectly was fine with and very much wanted to indulge his lover. Fai's hands rested against Kurogane's broad chest for a moment before they slid up and over his shoulders to hold him. Fai sighed in contentment as he rested in the other's arms, thinking about just how much he liked the way Kurogane felt around him.
"Happy Birthday, Fai," Kurogane murmured incessantly between kisses, and those were the last coherent words exchanged between them for the rest of the night.