A/N I know these short chapters suck. ANYWAY this had OFFICIALLY become a death fic.

Just kidding. My friend Anna would kill me.

On another note I am officially 17 as of 11 minutes ago and this is my birthday present to you.


Kurogane looked around frantically for his son who had disappeared in the large crowd at the farmers market. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and Yuuko deciding she wasn't content with staying home had woken them all up to go prance around in the temporary isles of fruit, vegetables, and hand made crafts. All had been going well before Yuuko caught sight of a herbal medicine stand and ran off, without a care in the word, leaving Kurogane with both children. Currently Kina was in a baby bjourn strapped to the front of Kurogane's chest sleeping soundly unaware that her father was in the middle of finding her lost brother.

Finally, after what would seem like an eternity to any parent, Kurogane spotted Mori at a crafts stand intently looking at a small hand sewn doll. He watched as Mori pulled the dollar his mother had given him out of his pocket and give it to the old woman running the stand. Mori turned and looked slightly panicked for a moment before spotting his father, who's stare was unrelenting, and running over.

"Dad!," Mori said running up and slamming into his father's legs. "Look I got this for Kina-chan! Her name is Moro-chan!" Mori held the doll up to his father reaching around Kina's form to do so. "The lady said that there was a twin but she sold it."

Kurogane took the doll in his hand and smiled at the child's simple yet heartfelt gesture. "I'm sure she will really appreciate it," Kurogane said slightly relieved that Mori hadn't bought the doll for himself.

"Kurogane-sama," said man turned to see both Sakura and Syaoran making their way through the crowd to the small party of three. "Kurogane-sama," Sakura repeated upon reaching the others. "I've never seen you here before. Not that I come every week, but, um, I just don't usually see you outside work lately, and um, how's Yuuko-san?" Sakura spoke very fast, constantly being nervous around her boss since he had snapped at her nearly eight months ago.

Kurogane sighed as Sakura blushed and turned to Syaoran who gave her an encouraging smile, Kurogane really would never live down that moment in her eyes. "Yuuko is fine she's around here somewhere." It was then that he heard a small whimper from his daughter who began to wake up. Kurogane began to bounce slightly to soothe her.

Sakura's mouth went agape and she pressed the palms of her hands to her cheeks, "Oh! Kina-chan is just so cute! Look ay her little matching dress and headband. Yuuko-san must really like to dress her up."

Kurogane coughed in attempt to hide the blush on his cheeks. Of course Sakura would think Yuuko had dressed Kina, it wasn't like he had spent twenty minutes coordinating an outfit that was both functional and adorable. "Yeah I guess," he replied scratching his head. At his flank he could feel Mori becoming restless.

"I'm going to go look for mom," Mori declared immediately bouncing off and disappearing into the thick the crowd, yet again. Kurogane tried to call after him only to find that it was pointless.

"D-don't worry Kurogane-sama! I'll follow him," Sakura said chasing after the young boy leaving Syaoran and Kurogane alone to talk.

They were both quite a moment as they watched Sakura chase after Mori before completely disappearing. The relationship between the two had changed since Kurogane became aware that Syaoran knew about him and Fai. They were no longer master and apprentice but something more like equals. It was Syaoran who spoke first, "I saw Fai yesterday."

It may have been just four words but they cut Kurogane like a knife. Deeply penetrating the iron that protected his emotions. Kurogane continued to bounce Kina as he said while trying to remain emotionless, "What the fuck are you telling me for?"

Syaoran looked to him trying to make eye contact only to fail, "I saw him leaving the apartment complex on Gull Landing Way. I think he's seeing somebody."

Kurogane looked to the ground, dammit he would not get emotional over this! He looked even further away from the shorter teen, "Good, the idiot was supposed to move on," he said quietly, so much in fact it could have been mistaken as a mutter.

There was a brief but heavy pause in the conversation, "He didn't look well, Kurogane-san"

The two began to walk silently as Kina stared at the world around her. "What do you mean by that, " Kurogane asked hoping to hide any concern in his voice.

"He was pale and much thinner than normal," Syaoran replied timidly hoping not to set the larger man off. "But I only saw him from a distance and by coincidence."

The red-eyed man snorted, "Coincidence? More like you're living with Sakura." Syaoran blushed a deep pink color as Kurogane was about to continue teasing him as a form of payback for bringing up the blonde but then Kurogane spotted Mori. Everything stopped and Kurogane could feel his heart beat. He suddenly became all to aware of his daughters chubby and small form as his blood red eyes lock with startling cobalt. The world melted away leaving Mori grasping Fai's hand and smiling as he talked, along with Kurogane, Fai, and Kina. He watched Fai's gaze fall to his chest and swore he saw tears threaten the brims of his eye. It suddenly felt harder to breathe. It was then that a fifth figure entered the frame, draping a possessive arm over the thin shoulder. A man with long dark hair leaned in and whispered something to the blonde causing him to stiffen. Kurogane resisted the urge to destroy the man making Fai uncomfortable. Kurogane's eyes drifted momentarily to his son who was looking curiously at Fai's skin before he looking up asking a question to the blonde.

The world went back to normal speed and Fai pulled his hand away from Mori holding it defensively, before offering a small smile, addressing the small boy, and turning away leaving with the other man who pulled Fai closer tossing a cocky smile over his shoulder.

There was no doubt that what Syaoran had been saying was true, Fai was thin and pale, almost sickly but what really got him was how the man had treated him and how Fai had obeyed. Kurogane hugged Kina closer breathing warmly on her almost to reassure her that he loved her. Mori looked over, a bit of shock written on his face before retreating to his father, Sakura trailing behind him. Kurogane had to maintain his composure despite how exposed he felt.

~o~

The sun was setting behind Kurogane and Mori as they walked back, hand-in-hand, from the park to the comfort of the warm house where Kina and Yuuko most likely slept unaware the two had even left. Mori was looking at the ground, kicking pebbles in his way sadly into the gutter. Ever since they had returned from the market that morning Mori seemed out of character to both his parents.

Yuuko had asked him what was bothering him only to hear that all was well, Kurogane took the defensive route waiting for Mori to come to him. "Dad," Mori began, "Fai-san is hurt."

Kurogane side glanced his son, "What do you mean he's 'hurt', kid?"

"I think he falls down a lot," Mori explained.

Kurogane was became worried, as sudden images of the boardwalk and Fai's confession came back to him, though he wasn't exactly sure why. He stopped and bent his knees so he was at his son's level. "Mori, this is very important, what did you see," he asked a little to sharply giving his son a light shake.

Tears started to come to Mori's bloody eyes glossing them over with salty tears, "He had lotsa' scrapes and bruises." Mori whipped his eyes. "On his arms," he added running his finger nail over his forearm. It was difficult to tell whether he was crying because of his father, his confusion, or for Fai.

Kurogane pulled his son into a hug and stood with Mori in his arms, "Sorry, kid." Kurogane carried Mori the rest of the way home.

The only thing he could think at this point after what Mori had told him and what he had seen this morning was, "What the fuck is that idiot doing?"

~o~

Kurogane approached the main entrance of the Suwa Academy having seen something taped to the front window. He grabbed the letter addressed to him and pulled out thick card stock. It was that time of year again, the fall Main Street business dinner. He hated the stupid dinner, which was two weeks from then. Every year the Business Association of Main Street would get together to discuss the upcoming years events. Mostly it was a free for all drinking and dinner party to celebrate another year of surviving. Nonetheless, he would go with Yuuko, perhaps asking Syaoran and Sakura to babysit for him and Yuuko.

The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly and soon enough the sun was setting and the doors of the academy were being locked. Syaoran came around the hall corner greedily inhaling his water bottle before pulling off his sweat rag and wiping his forehead. Kurogane pushed the last of the dummies against the wall before turning to the sandy-brown haired young man, "Hey, do you think you could watch Mori and Kina the night of the Main Street thing?"

Syaoran snapped out of whatever daze he had been in when Kurogane spoke to him, "Wha-, oh, yeah, um, sure. We could do that though I don't know who's house we would do it at." The boy was still trying to keep it under wraps that they were living together in fear of her brother's reaction.

"Tch. Whatever. You know your a man, right? You shouldn't live in fear of her brother, he's not the one she's with," Kurogane said crossing his arms and staring down at the teen.

Syaoran looked off into the distance, silently contemplating what Kurogane had said, "I don't know what your talking about."

It was then that Sakura came in from the alley, just having finished locking up the storage shed. She quickly grabbed her bags and looked pointedly to the two men, "I'm leaving now, I'll see you both tomorrow." She looked between both of them lingering on the smaller before nodding and leaving out the side entrance.

It was the same scene that had been playing every night for the last two months and it irritated Kurogane to no end. Approximately five minutes from then Syaoran announced his leaving and walked off in the opposite direction of Sakura undoubtedly taking a different alley to meet up with her. He suddenly had the feeling that he would see those two later, not just at work but later in general, as the words he had said earlier rang in his ears. It was like a jinx.

~o~

Kurogane had been home for roughly twenty minutes before there was a knock on the door. The knock in question was almost frantic prompting Kurogane to abandon changing the batteries in Mori's toy robot. Kurogane opened the door to revel a rather raggedly breathing Syaoran.

"Kurogane-san... Touya... at the house... my clothes...virgin...theif," the teen breathed out hastily, Kurogane momentarily wondered why he was so out of breath before he realized the kid had ran all the to the house.

Kurogane's face twisted into blatant confusion, "What?"

Yuuko at some point had come up behind her husband and caught what Syaoran had said, "Isn't it obvious? Touya was there when they got home and found Syaoran's clothes and he chased the virginity robber off." Yuuko tossed her hair to her other shoulder, before walking off like she had never been there.

Kurogane looked to his apprentice desperately trying to avoid the mental image the phrase 'virginity robber' was trying to push into his mind. "Is that true?" Syaoran nodded his head and Kurogane ran his head through his hair before fishing into his pockets pulling out his car keys, "Go get in the car I'll be out in ten minutes."

A half hour later the two men were walking into some local club that neither man would go to under any circumstances, but if Kurogane had learned one thing in his many years of drinking: when planning to get plastered do it at a place where you don't go often to avoid more embarrassment. The teenie bopper techno music was bumping around them even though the club was still relatively slow. Both desperately in need of drinks for different reasons. Fai was all Kurogane could think about lately, even here where the music made his head cloudy, in fact it was borderline pathetic. The protector in him had failed, he couldn't even protect the man he loved, in that case what kind of man was he? He found himself having no drive to do anything and life was lackluster with out the blonde. He knew it would hurt but it had been so long, how could somebody who's presence was so brief in your life become a wanted tumor in your heart?

Both of the men sat at the bar contemplating life and it's mysteries and almost as if god himself was answering Kurogane a high pitched shriek rang through the air. At the other end of the bar Kurogane watched Fai emerge from a small group of men and women, seemingly out of this air, before climbing onto the bar's counter top. The blonde began turning his hips and raised his hands above his head exposing his once creamy midriff, that Kurogane remembered planting small, delicate, yet sloppy and passion filled kisses on, the blondes stomach was now bruised in the area the kidney would be. Having been in many fights in his youth as well as competitions Kurogane immediately recognized the shape of the bruise as a fist. Fai began to slowly turn in a circle on top of the bar eyes never leaving the man leaning triumphantly against the bar looking up at him a confusing mix of disgust and lust mixed on his face. Kurogane gripped his beer tightly, so much so the the bottle shattered this though did not prevent him from continuing to tighten his grip around the shards of glass in his hand until he bled.

Syaoran tore himself away from the train wreck that was Fai not knowing what to say to calm the man who's hand was dripping blood and probably need stitches. "K-kurogane-san d-don't do anything rash, you broke up with him." It didn't matter in the least to the man he was addressing who was now consumed with blind fury and rage.

It was then that Fai got off the bar and excused himself from the group, this not having escaped Kurogane, propelled the man off of his seat. Mere seconds later Kurogane was in the bathroom and the scene before him was the last thing he expected Fai was retching into the sink. It looked like in the moments it took for Kurogane to chase him the blonde had worked himself into such a frenzy that he had become sick. In the light Kurogane could see the once soft beautiful blonde hair was now limp and lifeless the only shine left in it was that of sweat, he was bone this making his face look almost hollow or corpse like, the delicate alabaster skin was dotted in bruises, and most frightening of all the low ridding jeans Fai wore gave Kurogane the most horrific view of the parallel cuts on Fai's bone like hips.

Fai looked up from the sink and saw that he was no longer alone and Kurogane was standing in the closed and now locked doorway, absolute shock written on his face. It occurred to Fai that this was the first time he had seen the man lose composure in this way before complete panic over took him and he threw up again fresh tears running down his already stained face.

"Fai, what the fuck are you doing," Kurogane chocked out. For the first time in years he felt his eyes sting.

Fai wrapped his arms around himself and stared at the suddenly weak man in front of him. He began to silently cry ghost like sobs wrecking his senses.

Kurogane advanced on the blonde causing Fai to back himself into a wall. The taller took the sickly pale face of the other in both hands spreading blood on Fai's cheek, "Why? Why are you doing this," He demanded before moving his to grab Fai's shoulders in order to shake the dazed man, "What are you doing to yourself! What is the mother fucker doing to you!"

Fai made a move to push Kurogane away only to have his wrist caught and suddenly he was angry. What right did Kurogane have to come swoop in eight months later and demand explanation but he couldn't communicate this. He began to pitifully beat Kurogane's hard chest. The man in question did nothing to stop the blonde as he only gripped the smaller man tighter, holding on for dear life.

Suddenly Fai realized he was talking, more like screaming in a shrill voice while beating his ex-lover pitifully, "I hate you! I hate you! You fucking left me! You fucking bastard! You were supposed to be there! You made me like this! Look what he's doing to me! I hate you!" Fai collapsed to the ground muttering his montage of 'I hate you' as he cried.

Kurogane was powerless to do anything but let silent self-hatred drip down his face onto the blonde's form. It seemed like forever they sat there, but it was Fai who first moved plastering himself against his wall using the last of his suddenly drained strength to slide himself up the wall. "Let me go," Fai demanded shakily of Kurogane who was blocking his path.

"Fai... don't go back to him," Kurogane begged for the first time in his life. "Hate me, kill me, hit me, just don't go back to him."

Suddenly the anger found it's venom, Fai chuckled darkly, "What do you want me to do? Be with you? I'd chose him over you any day. He may beat me, use me, but Ashura would never leave me."

Kurogane stood straight and looked at the blonde who used the opportunity to push past the larger man. Fai paused at the locked door, throwing over his shoulder, "You're a fucking idiot Kurogane, more than that you're a coward," there was a pause, "Give my best to your daughter."

And then he was gone. And Kurogane was broken.


Alright guys, I thought the angst was coming to an end to and then this was born. O.o

Anyway, since it will be ending soon I wanted to ask the loyal followers of this story for two things reviews that include PREDICTIONS mostly because I know where I'm going I just need some help. If your review helps me I will give you special credit. :)

Also, I would really love one of you awesome aritst out there to draw something, ANYTHING for this story. It could be based off a certain chapter or include the story as a whole. Whatever inspires you. If you do you will be featured in ANY CHAPTER you want. Meaning if you were inspired by chapter eight I'll put the 'link' to you art in the chapter. I will also keep the link on my Author Bio page for all eternity. I personally have no art skill. TT_TT

On a different note, some of you follow me as an author so if you began reading Your Life and Mine for Soul eater I will NOT be updating until Hidden Boys is finished. I CANNOT multitask.

Let's see... anything else?

I love you all, thanks for sticking with this story. I'm trying so hard for you guys!