Chapter 10 is up!

Disclaimer: … Tsubaaaaasa!

"… What's this?"

"Rotten shark carcass! It's a dish from Iceland! Since there were sharks sold in the market today, I thought it would be fun if I made this dish today, especially since Kuro-puppy has to eat it!"

"I'M NOT A PUPPY, DAMN IT!"

As days went by, Fai's condition was getting better and better. His wounds were slowly healing, and though it still hurt and slowed him down, he was able to cook for them and felt very much awake compared to the past few days when they arrived.

That is why they decided to let him make dinner tonight, which was obviously a very, very big mistake.

Kurogane picked up part of the 'thing' that was supposed to be dinner with his fork. After examining it for a moment, he dropped the utensil and crossed his arms. "I'm not eating this."

"But Kuro-riiiiiiin!" Fai whined. "You knew I took 3 hours just to make this specially for the both of you!"

"I told you! I'm not eating and that's final!" He lifted his face to see Fai staring at him with big, teary eyes. "And no! That puppy face of yours isn't going to work this time!" Kurogane almost yelled before sulking like a petulant child.

Fai pouted and turned to Subaru. The man was poking the food with his fork, doubtful. "Erm… Fai? You're not trying to kill us, are you?"

"Of course not! Please Subaru-san! Taste it and prove to Kuro-pipi that it's edible!"

Filled with anxiety and doubt, Subaru picked up a piece of the food and slowly stuffed it in his mouth. Kurogane could see that although the man was trying to hide it as best as he could, he could see his eyes growing wide and that Subaru was trying very, very hard just to chew it, his face scrunched up in concealed pain. After a long moment, the man finally swallowed it before glancing at a hopeful Fai and an anxious Kurogane.

"It's… nice?" offered Subaru, not wanting to upset the blonde. He knew Fai had been busy for the whole afternoon by just preparing this special dish and he didn't want the effort to be in vain. The blonde beamed at the answer. "See, Kuro-puu?" He turned his head towards the gym teacher. "Subaru-san said it's nice, so you better eat up!"

"I told you: I. Am. Not. Eating. This. Piece. Of. Junk, and that's final," he said, leaning back on the chair. It looks disgusting and he was definitely not going to eat it.

Fai frowned, wishing there was some way to force the Japanese man to take a bite. Suddenly, an idea sparked inside his mind and a dark, mischievous grin slowly formed on his face. Kurogane sense a chill running down his spine. With that sinister smile plastered on his face, it could only mean one thing: the end of the world.

Before that thought could even process in his brain, the shorter of the two lunged at his taller companion, pushing him as the both of them hit the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU-"

Something disgusting was shoved into his mouth.

A soft "Oh!" filled the silence that was soon accompanied by giggles.

After a long minute of chewing and swallowing and choking, Kurogane finally regained his breath in precisely 5 minutes. He shoved the blonde out of his way and glared at him as he turned and walked away, slamming the door shut behind him.

Fai stared at where Kurogane was a few minutes ago, a hurtful expression on his face. He lowered his head, blonde bangs obscuring his blue eyes from view. The blonde stood up and left the room as well, guilt and despair welling up in his heart.

Subaru just stared with a sad expression on his face.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Fai grabbed his coat and twisted the door knob, opening the door. It was already dark and the blonde knew it was dangerous to be out at such a time, but he didn't care. He just needed time to be alone: to wallow in his grief and memories, just for the moment. The first thing that greeted him was the chilly wind, and the man shivered, pulling his coat tighter around him as he strolled down the street.

Everything was a mess. Who was he to force Kurogane to eat if he didn't want to? He had just ruined his once in a lifetime chance searching for the one for him, his angel. Now that Kurogane was mad, who would bother to help him let go of his past?

Who would release him from his past? Who would take this ruined man to somewhere new, to somewhere safe?

Who would guide him home?

Fai.

Ashura.

Subaru.

Kamui.

Kurogane.

Tears streamed the blonde his face as he drowned within his past, his present and the thought that he might never find the way home in his cold, lonely world.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Kurogane huffed, trying to distract himself from what had happened earlier. Maybe he had been too hard on Fai; after all, he was just trying to play with him…

No, he thought. Even if he wanted to joke around, it's not right to force someone to do what he never wanted to in the first place. What Fai did was wrong.

… But come to think of it, that was what he did to Fai a long time ago.

He turned his attention back to a medical book he was currently trying to pay attention to. What were these books doing here anyway? He was sure that someone life Fai would never have the patience to read and memorize facts like that at all, and almost all the books here are about medicine, perhaps it belonged to Kamui…

Kurogane sighed and lifted his head. What was Fai doing now? He was still mad at the blonde, but he still worried over him. He wouldn't do something as stupid as suicide… right? Kurogane cursed him for worrying so much. He shouldn't, should he? It was Fai's fault, and he must have understood that.

… Since when did he care so much? He never cared about anyone so dearly after losing his sister, Tomoyo. Come to think of it, it's been so long since then. After her death, Kurogane lost the ability to love and care and protect anybody, since the one whom he cared so much died despite all of his efforts.

He stared out of the window into the night sky, decorated with tiny, white stars.

Kurogane couldn't help but wonder if one of them was Tomoyo.

The gym teacher was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice desperate footsteps approaching his room. Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing a pale Kamui that looked on the verge of crying.

"Fai's gone."

Kurogane's eyes widened.

Damnit.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Fai didn't know how long he walked. Shivering, the man continued his journey until reaching the Piazza di Spagna. This was the only place Ashura had brought him to. He remembered marveling the beauty of the Spanish Steps and the Piazza. This was the place. This was the place he needed to be in now. He needed to think, needed to clear his thoughts, especially thoughts of the black haired man he was now slowly falling in love with.

The place was completely empty and Fai could hear nothing. He walked towards the fountain at the foot of the Spanish Steps: Fontana della Barcaccia, it was called.

"Well?" asked Ashura as he looked at the tiny blonde beside him, his blue eyes big and wide as he took in the view. "Do you like it?"

Fai breathed in and nodded vigorously as he continued staring at the Piazza with big, wide eyes. It's so huge, he thought. It was so beautiful and huge and so, so peaceful. It must look even prettier during the day, since they came here at night and much of its beauty was covered in darkness. The fountain in the middle of the Piazza caught his eye. The little boy tugged at Ashura's sleeve.

"Yes?"

"What's this, Ashura-san?" he asked, pointing at the fountain.

"It's called the Fontana della Barcaccia, that means 'The Fountain of the Old Boat'," interjected Kamui, totally uninterested. Subaru nudged him softly for being rude, smiling sheepishly as Kamui glared at his brother. Fai didn't notice and continued staring at the fountain.

"Why does it have a half-sunken ship in the middle of it?" he asked, looking up at Ashura. He smiled, marveling the boy's curiosity.

"The shape was chosen because, prior to the river walls being built, the Tiber often flooded and in 1598, there was one particularly bad flooding and the Piazza di Spagna was flooded up to a meter. Once the water withdrew, a boat was left behind in the square," he said, ruffling the boy's hair. "This fountain was built from that memory."

"Ashura?"

"Yes, Subaru?"

"It's almost time. I think we should head back before they realize that we're gone. They might hurt Fai if they find out that we left without permission."

"But- but-" Fai looked desperate." I want to see the Piazza, Ashura-san! Please! I just want to see the Piazza a little longer!" Fai exclaimed, teary eyes meeting Ashura's own. All 3 of them looked at the boy with sad expressions on their faces.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we have to return. You don't want you get hurt more than you already are by now," he replied. "You don't want us to get hurt too, do you?" The boy shook his head. "Then it's best that we return. I'll bring you here again when we have time, okay?"

In the end they never returned. Kamui brought him here once to fulfill Ashura's wish, but it was different without him or Subaru. It's been so long since then. How many years have passed since he last saw him? He wondered if Ashura had changed since then.

He really, really missed him.

He stared up into the sky as he stared at the stars. It looked so beautiful, and he wondered if Ashura was staring at the stars at well.

Alone.

He was all alone in his life. There was mother and Fai in the beginning, but they have moved on. Then there was Ashura, Kamui, Subaru and him: a one big family, but things changed, and pushed by circumstances, they were forced to separate, and Fai felt lonely once again.

Until Kurogane came. But now it seemed that the man didn't want to have anything to do with him.

Is there really no one for him in the world? Is there really no place in the world where he can call home?

… Are there really no angels in the world who would take his hand and guide him home?

"FAI!"

The blonde broke from his thoughts and spun around. An exhausted Kurogane ran towards him, and my, he looked furious. He waited for the gym teacher to reach him.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly. Kurogane flinched at the voice.

"What were you thinking going out in the middle of the night just like that? There could be people tailing you, or even trying to kidnap you! What? You thought you could actually dodge-" Kurogane stopped his shouting when he noticed something amiss.

"Hey, have you been crying?" Fai looked up at the other, surprised. Kurogane ran his thumb below his sapphire eyes. "You're eyes are red."

The blonde bowed his head, not wanting to look at the tall man in front of him. He didn't want Kurogane to think that he was a sissy, or someone who would cry over something as stupid as food. He was surprised yet again when he felt arms circling around him, pulling him into what he could only describe as warmth.

"I'm sorry, 'kay? I shouldn't have treated you that way, so don't cry," Kurogane whispered into his ear, a tingle of annoyance accompanying the soft growl. The arms around Fai wrapped him tightly in the embrace.

Fai felt tears tingling at the corner of his eyes. The lithe man wrapped his arms softly around Kurogane's neck, squeezing it tighter as waves of emotions hidden so long suddenly rushed into his heart. "Don't leave me alone…" he whispered, squeezing harder, a few drop of tears squeezed themselves out of his eyes. "Please don't leave me… I don't want to be lonely again…"

Kurogane felt his heart break at the words that were whispered so softly and desperately. He stroked the blonde's hair reassuringly. "I won't," he promised. "I won't."

They stayed like that for a long moment, a comfortable and reassuring silence between them. It wasn't until a soft huffing drew their attention back to reality. Subaru was leaning against a pillar, gasping for air.

"You… should have… told me… where you were… going…" He managed between gasps of breath. I had to… search for the… both of you all over… the place…" Subaru leaned heavily against the pillar. Fai smiled sheepishly and hurried over to his guardian.

"Sorry for making to worry, Subaru-san. I should have told you where I was going," he said, letting Subaru lean on him for the moment.

"It's late. Maybe we should head back." Kurogane pointed out. Subaru closed his eyes and nodded, and the three of them head back to the house they were staying at. Fai was smiling softly, Kurogane's warm hand holding hism squeezing it lightly. The blonde squeezed back.

Fai had found his angel.

… The stars must be watching them from the dark night sky.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A dark figure took out his walkie-talkie.

"Boss?"

"Yeah?"

"They're in Rome."

Whew! Finally done! Now, on with the rambling! Since I wasn't able to update last week, I'll try updating again next week, but it'll be really hard, so don't be surprise if I didn't. Unfortunately, no more updates until around the 23rd of October. Stupid exams.

Reviews? It does work, you know. I woke up at 6am just to finish this chapter.