A//N: Well. Here's the last chapter in the main part of the story, and it's shorter than the last one! I suppose that's really because it's just a nice little ending to the story...
The next and last two chapters should be fairly long...at least 3000 words each I'm hoping. Like I said, those two chapters will be chapters based on the scenes in the future mirrors. They won't be based exactly on the scenes themselves, but more on the world that they are in. You know, who they are in the world, what they do, how they live...
At any rate, read, review, and enjoy!
Fai stood in complete shock. Had he really just heard those words? Yes, yes he had. Why had he heard those words? After all it couldn't be real. A dream. Yes, that was it. He was still in Syaoran's room fast asleep and this was all a dream. A wonderful and highly realistic dream, but still a dream.
Fai was brought out of these thoughts as Kurogane's hand moved off his arm and went to his the back of Fai's head, pulling him ever so slightly forward so that their lips actually touched.
The blond's heart rate went through the roof when that happened. He could really feel Kurogane kissing him...not like the man had kissed him in Infinity either...he could feel the warmth. It was so real...it wasn't a dream.
Once he realized that it really was real another emotion rose up in Fai's chest. That emotion completely took over Fai's body and caused him to pull back from Kurogane even if his heart told him to stay there and kiss back. The emotion that took over Fai was fear.
Kurogane frowned at the blond. "What's wrong?" He studied Fai's face for a moment and it seemed like he understood almost at once. He frowned even deeper and reached out for Fai even though he was just out of the ninja's grasp. "Idiot mage...Have I not proven more than anyone else that I will not leave you alone? I'll make you happy." He paused. "I'll make us happy."
For a moment Fai continued to be still before a slightly shaky hand reached out and gripped to Kurogane's hand. He was right. Kurogane had proven more than anyone else in his life that he would not leave him alone. In fact he had proven that even if Fai wanted to be alone that Kurogane would be there.
Kurogane pulled him forward again, this time pulling him so far forward that Fai was forced into a kneeling position on the edge of the bed. "And I'm not lying." Kurogane added with a very serious look. "I do love you."
"I love you too." Fai whispered in a barely audible tone before he leaned forward and kissed Kurogane very gently on the lips. He could feel his own smile widen involuntarily when the ninja kissed back. For a long minute they stayed like that before Kurogane pulled back, his arm wrapping around Fai's waist to pull him as close as he could. Fai rested his head on Kurogane's shoulder and just stayed there, his eye closing and his face contented.
There was silence in the room as they sat there. With the emotion of fear gone, Fai would have been willing to stay like that until he died, but at long last Kurogane broke the silence. "We should sleep."
"Hmmm..." Fai turned his head so that he could see Kurogane's face. "Why? Truthfully we both woke up not too long ago."
"You and I both know that this peace won't last long. We should be rested and ready for when it breaks."
Fai frowned into the ninja's neck. He disliked the idea, but he knew that Kurogane was right. Peace wouldn't last and soon danger would come. "You're right..." Fai pulled away from the embrace. "I'll see you in the morning."
Kurogane reached out as Fai went to stand up, holding onto a single piece of his yellow hair. "Sleep with me?" He tugged on the piece of hair gently as if to show Fai how much he wanted Fai to stay.
"Can't you do anything by yourself?" Fai teased with a small smile. "I swear, you need to me to follow you everywhere."
Kurogane smirked. "The same can be said about you. Besides, it just shows how much I care." Fai sat back down on the bed and the ninja let go of his hair.
Fai watched as Kurogane lay down. It took a moment longer than it probably would have if he had both arms, but it seemed okay. Fai's gentle smile returned to his face as he lay down as well. "Good night Kuro-sama."
"Good night Fai."
When Fai opened his eyes he noticed that he was in bed alone. This did not bother him at all until he remembered that he had not fallen asleep alone. Where was Kurogane? The blond sat straight up in bed looking around the room until his eyes landed on the ninja standing silently in the corner. "Something wrong?"
Fai shook his head slightly, placing his hand at his forehead from feeling the effects of sitting up too fast. "No, I just...didn't know where you were..." The blond stood to his feet coming over to where Kurogane stood. "You should still be resting. You're not quite completely healed..."
Kurogane held out his wrist to Fai. "You should be drinking, you're far to thin to be at full strength."
Fai laughed slightly. "I've always been thin."
"You're more thin than usual. It doesn't have to much Fai, but drink. You need it to survive...we don't know how long you can last without drinking and I'm not going to let it go on long enough to find out."
Fai stared at the wrist and his hunger panged within him as he was reminded of the scent that was potent to him even through skin. "Neither of us have a blade..."
"So?"
"So I'll have to use my fangs..."
"Better than starving to death."
Fai sighed, that was true. Of course for Fai the only problem with using his fangs was that the effect of it made him want to drink Kurogane dry... "All right, but pull away if you think I'm taking too much." With a slight nod from Kurogane Fai took the wrist tenderly in his hand and brought it to his lips. He was not so gentle when he bit in. He knew that if he was not quick it would hurt. The last thing Fai wanted to do was to hurt Kurogane.
The mage resisted sound when he tasted the liquid in his mouth and drank deeply, for only a mere moment forgetting that he was drinking blood and not something like wine. Once he remembered this he slowed down, gradually stopping all his drinking before he forced himself to pull away his eye meeting Kurogane's eyes when he did. "I doubt that did anything for my condition of being 'too thin.'"
"Probably not." Kurogane agreed. "We should go and eat 'real food.' Come on now Mage." The ninja took Fai's wrist with his hand and walked forward pulling the blond along with him as he swiftly left the room.
"I'm not eating that...not if I have a choice!" As Kurogane and Fai walked they seemed to be aruging over Fai's consumption of a small object. It seemed to be something raw, which was probably why Fai objected to it so vehemently. After all Fai disliked things like sushi.
"You need to eat more."
"I'll eat grass before I eat that..."
"Oni-san!" Fai turned to see the children from before run up to him with their big shining eyes and huge grins. The conversation about Fai's eating habits immediately left his mind and a calm, kind smile came to his face.
"Oni-san?" Kurogane repeated the name with what seemed to be a laugh behind his voice.
At Kurogane's chuckling tone Fai elbowed the man in the ribs. The nudge wasn't hard enough to hurt, but enough to get the meaning across. "Yes children?"
"Are you okay? We didn't see you for over a day! Oni like you are usually really easy to spot!"
Fai chuckled kneeling down to their height and running his fingers through one's hair. "Don't worry. I was fine. See this man here?" The children nodded as Fai pointed back to Kurogane. "I had to go adventuring with him yesterday. We're partners you see. In exchange for him not killing me on the spot I go around with him and help him to identify oni that are a threat to this fine country."
"Really?"
Fai brought his hand down on Kurogane's foot to once again keep the man from speaking. "Of course. I think we're getting close. Soon you'll be safe for a very long time."
"You really are a kind-hearted oni, Oni-san."
"His name's Fai."
The children looked at Kurogane. "Fai?"
"Yes Fai. Call him by his name."
"Fai-san?"
"Yes."
Fai sighed at Kurogane's attitude, but Kurogane was particular about names. Fai supposed that was his own fault. "Yes. My name is Fai...but if you want I give you all permission to keep calling me Oni-san."
"That's okay. Fai-san is good! So, are you okay Fai-san? Fai-san's friend-san?"
"I'm Kurogane..."
"Kurogane-san?" To this the ninja just smiled.
"We're both fine for now." Fai said with his own smile. "But we both really need to get going so we can prepare for the next trip. This next one will be very important, so we want to want to make sure that we don't mess up." He poked a child's nose before he stood to his full height.
"Okay Fai-san! Kurogane-san! Good luck!" Fai waved the children off as they turned to leave once again and the two men began to walk onward.
"You'd make a good mother."
"What was that?" Fai gritted his teeth slightly in annoyance. Sure he'd called himself Mommy...or rather Mokona had, but that was a joke, and Kurogane sounded strangely serious.
"You'd make a good mother."
"I'm not a woman Kuro-sama."
Fai could just feel the smirk on Kurogane's face burn into the side of his head. "I know, but it's true. I'm not trying to insult you, but you are very motherly. Lying, yet not lying to those children...comforting them and giving them gentle, but loving touches even though you hardly knew them. I'm surprised they could call you an oni...They have been brought up to know that no oni is good."
Fai sighed slightly. "If I'd make a good mother in return you'd make a good father...not from how you've treated those children, but from Sakura and Syaoran...you protect them...you protect your family, just like a father would...or what I think a father would..."
As if Kurogane felt the pain that Fai was going to feel he placed his hand on Fai's shoulder and squeezed it. "If your father had lived, I have no doubt he would have never allowed that to happen to you and your brother Yuui." Fai's body tensed upon hearing his true name, but Kurogane continued anyway. "I think your parents loved you very much Yuui. I believe that if they had been alive that you would have been happy."
"What do you mean would have been?" Fai chuckled softly, deep in his throat. "I am happy...I'm wanted. I'm not the person I thought I was...I'm loved." Fai turned around and pulled the man into a deep kiss. "You love me."
"Yes I do. Now, I have a question for you Yuui."
"Yes?"
"Can you play the game?"
Fai bit back a smile as he buried his head into Kurogane's shoulder. His mind went to the arm that would soon be coming for his light. He thought of the futures he could have if he fought for them. He thought of all the ways he was going to fight for them. He nodded. "Yes. I can play the game."