A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaack! Sorry for the long absence; I'm working on like a million projects right now so fanfictions kind of took a backseat.
This was a really stressful week at school… as you guys all know, there's only one way to make up for that: a bit of shameless KuroxFai sap! And it is indeed sappy. I hope it doesn't make you puke. I set it in Outo again… even though I was more than ready for them to finish with that country by the time they switched worlds, it just has so many possibilities… So yah. Prepare to get sticky.
Fai sat at the counter, a steaming cup of tea in front of him, his chin resting on his hand. It was Sunday, their day off from work at the café, and the wizard was reading the newspaper with only mild interest for a lack of anything better to do. Sakura and Syaoran had taken Mokona and gone out to explore the city and enjoy their free day. At first, Fai had relished the peacefulness of the empty shop and the prospect of a day with no responsibilities but it didn't take long for him to become bored with the absence of someone to keep him company.
A slight puzzled frown crossed his fair features as he glanced up at the clock behind the counter; it was almost noon and as far as he knew, Kurogane still wasn't up yet. Fai had never known the ninja to sleep in late; usually he was up and nearly ready for a day of fighting demons with Syaoran even before Fai awoke at 6:30.
The blond wouldn't put it past Kurogane to try and sneak out without his noticing but he didn't see how the ninja could possibly have managed to do so when he had been sitting right here the whole time. Besides, even if Kurogane somehow managed to creep through the dining room without Fai catching him, it would've been nearly impossible for him to get through the door without disturbing the several shiny silver bells that Fai had hung above it to alert him and Sakura that a customer had entered their shop.
Fai finished off the last of his tea and folded up the newspaper. At least with Kurogane missing, the mage could busy himself with trying to find him rather than just hanging around and doing nothing. He slid off the barstool, folding his arms as he tried to figure out where to start looking. The most obvious place, the blond decided, would be the ninja's bedroom. Though Fai really didn't expect to find him there, he headed up the stairs in that direction anyway; after all, he didn't have a solid reason to rule it out as a possibility. He tapped lightly on the door.
"Kuropii—are you in there?"
Fai pressed his ear to the door, listening for a reply, but the only response was silence. Curiously, he tried the handle only to find it locked. How strange… he must be in there, then… Fai thought in mild surprise.
The mage carefully removed one of the pins that held his bowtie in place and used it to pick the lock with practiced ease. Quietly, he turned the handle and pushed the door open…
"Kurotan?"
Fai poked his head in and scanned the room. A slight stirring from under the sheets startled him a bit, making him jump. He watched the movement in silence before pushing open the door a little more so that he could come inside. Fai saw, as he drew closer, a little bit of Kurogane's spiky black hair sticking out from under the blanket and he blinked in surprise. The warrior really was sleeping in after all.
The wizard threw all caution to the wind and sprinted the rest of the way, dropping himself heavily on the edge of the bed so that it bounced as he sat down. A wide grin on his face, Fai attempted to wake his companion.
"Well, look who decided to sleep in this morning!" he giggled, bouncing the bed even more just to be irritating. "Wake up, sleepy head—"
Fai prodded Kurogane's shoulder playfully. The raven-haired swordsman attempted to brush Fai off but the wizard wouldn't be deterred so easily.
"C'mon Kurochaaaaan! Time to get uuuuuup! It's almost nooooooooon!" Fai sang.
"Go away, dammit," Kurogane croaked. "Leave me the hell alone…"
The tone of the ninja's voice was what alerted him that something wasn't quite right and the blond finally stopped bouncing around and poking his miserable-sounding prey.
"Kuromyu? Are you alright?" Fai asked seriously. "You don't sound so good."
He rested a hand on the warrior's shoulder and realized that he was trembling.
"Didn't you hear me?" Kurogane growled as best he could with his sore throat as he pulled the covers higher over his head. "I said 'leave me the hell alone'."
"Ah! You're not sick, are you, Kurowanko!" the wizard demanded incredulously.
Kurogane was about to reply angrily but, as if in answer to Fai's question, was interrupted by a sneeze. Fai bounded over to the other side of the bed to face Kurogane, feeling very worried about the ninja now. One glance at Kurogane's face erased all doubts from Fai's mind; his normally tan skin looked unusually pale, aside from his cheeks which burned with a dull red flush. He had dark shadows under his slightly puffy eyes and his nose seemed to be running a little bit. Fai sat down on the edge of the bed once more, a little more carefully this time, and placed a hand on the ninja's forehead.
"Poor Kurochi has a high fever!" Fai breathed. "What will we do!"
Kurogane's flush deepened a little. "You're blowing this way out of proportion. It's probably just a cold... no big deal…"
"You would say that, wouldn't you, Kuronyan?" Fai said, a slight smile returning to his face. "But it is a big deal! I can't stand to see daddy suffer!"
Kurogane glared at him but Fai just flashed his 10,000-watt smile in return, unperturbed as usual.
"Besides, Sakura chan, Syaoran kun and Mokona all left so I've go no one to play with but you, Kuropun," Fai added.
Kurogane groaned and closed his eyes as if cursing his rotten luck. "Damn brats… why do they always leave me alone with you!"
Fai giggled. "Because they understand that Mommy and Daddy need some time together… alone."
The ninja's face burned brightly again as he avoided making eye contact with the grinning wizard and instead glared at the ceiling. Actually, to tell the truth, he wasn't nearly as annoyed with this setup as he was acting though he hoped to god that Fai didn't pick up on that. After a moment, Kurogane chanced a glace at him out of the corner of his eye, saw that Fai was watching him closely, and quickly looked away again, blushing even more furiously. He knew his thoughts must be written all over his face and was mentally punching himself for it.
The blond slid off the bed, choosing to kneel on the floor, and stroked his companion's hair softly. "I know! I'll bring you some tea and a little medicine! That always helps me feel better. How does that sound, Kuromin?"
"…Whatever…" Kurogane mumbled, still not looking at him.
"Goody! I'll be back in a few minutes then; Sakura chan, Syaoran kun and I used all the hot water so I'll have to boil some more. Now be a good puppy and wait patiently, ok?" Fai sang, jumping to his feet. He leaned forward, kissed Kurogane on the tip of his nose and ran away, giggling madly and flapping his arms as if he were trying to take off.
"YOU BASTARD! I'M NOT YOUR GODDAMN DOG!" Kurogane tried to shout but he was only able to get the first bit out before he was overcome by a coughing fit.
He sighed heavily and leaned back on his pillows, putting a hand to his burning forehead. Just sitting up had made his head spin terribly. He was stuck this time; no matter how much he hated to admit it, even to himself, he really was relying on Fai now.
Fai returned to the ninja's room about twenty minutes later, a saucer and teacup in his hands as well as a small bottle of pills. He pushed the door open with his hip and tiptoed across the room to stand at Kurogane's bedside.
The ninja had gotten tired of waiting for Fai to return and had fallen asleep. Fai smiled to himself as he set the three items he had brought on the bedside table and took a seat on the edge of Kurogane's bed once more. He took a moment to watch Kurogane as he slept, his chest rising and falling gently, a rarely-seen peaceful expression on his face before waking him to announce that his tea was ready.
"Kurowanwan," Fai whispered, reaching out and stroking the ninja's feverish cheek. "I brought your tea."
For a few seconds there was no response but then Kurogane's eyes shot open and he grabbed Fai's hand and twisted his arm behind his head, holding him down so that he couldn't move.
"Ouchyyyyy," the blond whined. "That hurts, Kurotan!"
Kurogane blinked as he realized who he had attacked and slowly released his grip.
"Oh, it's you…" he mumbled, blushing as he lay back down. "…Old habits die hard… That was a reflex just now…"
"Now I see how you got your reputation," Fai said with a pained grin, rubbing his wrist where the ninja had grabbed him.
"What's the matter?" he asked as Kurogane put his face in his hands.
"Nothing…" he said defiantly.
"Did that make you dizzy?" the blond asked. "You should try not to move so much; it'll only get worse."
Fai picked up the bottle of pills and read the label on the back. "Hmm… it says big puppies should take two," he grinned, shaking two pills into his hand and setting them on the saucer.
"Bastard," Kurogane snarled. "How many times do I have to tell you; I'm not a puppy!"
"Sit up, Kurowanko, so you can drink your tea," Fai instructed in a maternal tone. "Do you want me to help you?
The mage began to reach out so that he could help Kurogane into a sitting position but the ninja's pride had taken a severe enough battering for one day and his determination not to let his last bit be tossed carelessly out the window made him lash out.
"Don't touch me!" he snapped. "I can do it just fine without you! Quit trying to do everything for me, dammit!"
Fai stared at Kurogane, looking slightly hurt, surprised by the warrior's outburst. After a moment, Fai lowered his hands and bowed his head, his lengthy blond bangs obscuring his crystal blue eyes from view.
"I'm sorry, Kurochan…. I won't do it again."
As soon as he witnessed Fai's reaction, Kurogane's stomach began to churn with guilt. After all, the wizard was only trying to help and he had yelled at him.
Trying to cover up the awkward moment, the ninja popped the pills into his mouth and took a drink of tea.
"How do you like the tea, Kurosama?" Fai asked quietly, still not lifting his gaze to meet his companion's.
"Hmph," Kurogane grunted noncommittally. It was the nicest thing his pride would allow him to say.
After taking another drink, the warrior set his cup down. "Why… are you doing this for me?" he demanded.
"Hmm?" Fai said, lifting his head at last, though he was still avoiding Kurogane's eyes, instead staring at the wall over his shoulder.
"Why do you want to help me so badly?" Kurogane repeated. "I mean… no one else's ever done something like this for me before…"
"No one?" Fai echoed disbelievingly. "Really?"
"Well… Mother used to," the ninja muttered, staring determinedly at the ground, his face burning. "But other than that… no one."
"You want to know why?" The wizard met Kurogane's eyes at last, a slight smile on his face, "... It's because I care about you, Kuromyu."
Kurogane blinked. That was not the answer he had been expecting. He wasn't even entirely sure if the mage had actually said it or if it was just his feverish mind playing a trick on him.
"Besides, you'd do the same for me, ne Kurorin?" Fai said, grinning.
The ninja said nothing, his frown deepening as he stared straight ahead. The wizard's smile faded slowly and his gaze moved to the gray sky beyond the window.
"No one has ever done this for me before, either," he whispered.
"Huh?"
"Mm? Oh, it's nothing, Kurotan," he said quickly, another smile spreading across his face. Kurogane watched him carefully; though the blond had tried to hide his pain behind a mask of fake happiness, Kurogane had no trouble seeing right through it. "Are you finished with your tea?"
Fai took the cup from the warrior and got to his feet to leave. "I'll let you rest now, ok Kuropii?"
He paused uncertainly for a moment before quickly bending down and giving Kurogane a peck on the forehead.
"Idiot," the ninja muttered, trying to rid himself of the awkwardness he was feeling. "If you're not careful, you'll get sick too."
Fai flashed him another pain-concealing smile. "I think I'll take my chances."
Without another word, Fai left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
Kurogane watched him go thoughtfully, wondering what Fai had thought of that had brought him so much pain.
The wizard heaved a sigh as he slid the dishes into the steaming hot bubbly water. He had been putting off this particular chore, seeing as how it was his least favorite, but he had pretty much finished up all the other tasks around the shop (including the silly tedious ones that didn't really need to be done like alphabetizing the spice rack) and the dishes were the only thing left. Sitting still and letting his mind simply wander was not an option as it allowed room for unwanted memories to resurface.
Fai scrubbed a plate half-heartedly with a dishrag; if only Kurogane wasn't sick he would have someone to talk to. He glanced up at the clock… the ninja had been asleep for hours… Were it not for the silence, Fai wouldn't have been so miserable. He so hated silence. In a feeble attempt to cover the unbearable quietness, the blond hummed softly to himself as he wiped off and set aside the first plate. The humming wasn't working very well; he realized he had chosen the melody of an old Celes lullaby. It was one that he had sung so many times for… Fai shook his head, trying to clear it of thoughts about the king he had left behind in a tomb of ice. Anyway, the humming was making his throat hurt… and shaking his head had made that hurt too.
Fai continued to wash the dishes, doing his best to force his thoughts away from his home world as he did so. But it was hard… especially since he was feeling so dizzy. Before that thought even had time to fully register in his brain, the mage felt his legs crumbling beneath him… Was he falling? Fai wasn't sure. Everything was fuzzy for a moment before coming slowly back into focus and he found himself suddenly supported by strong tan arms and looking up at the face of Kurogane. Fai blinked, trying to understand what had just happened, but it was as though his thoughts were swimming through molasses.
"Kuro…chan?" he said uncertainly. "What…what happened?"
"You just suddenly blacked out," the ninja explained. "You're lucky I was here to catch you."
"Oh… it must've been the steam from the hot water I was washing the dishes with…" the wizard said slowly.
Kurogane shifted Fai in his arms so that he could touch the blond's forehead.
"You're burning up. I told you you'd get sick if you weren't careful."
"I'm sorry Kuropan…"
"Jeez… what a pain," the ninja sighed. Without another word, he scooped Fai up, cradling him in his arms, and began carrying him up the stairs to the wizard's bedroom.
Fai closed his eyes, allowing himself to relish the warmth of the ninja's closeness.
Kurogane laid his companion down on the bed with surprising care. Then he blinked as though suddenly realizing what he was doing and roughly tossed the blankets at Fai.
"Wait… but I thought you were sick, Kuronyan," the blond said.
"Nah, I feel fine now," Kurogane shrugged. Then his scowl deepened. "I guess you'll be wanting me to bring you some tea then, huh?"
Fai smiled weakly. "I've had some already… but you know what I would like…"
The warrior groaned, putting his hand to his forehead as he braced himself for the mage's request.
"Sakura chan told me that in her world, they say that if someone holds your hand as you sleep, you'll get better faster." Fai extended his hand imploringly, his smile widening. "How 'bout it Kurotan?"
The ninja stared. "Are you freaking serious?" he spat.
Fai continued to grin at him, reaching out a little farther, willing the raven-haired warrior to take his hand.
Kurogane let out a frustrated growl, a vein throbbing angrily on his forehead as he snatched a chair from behind him and slammed it down next to the bed. He dropped heavily into it and sighing grudgingly, hesitantly took Fai's hand.
"Hee hee," the blond giggled somewhat dazedly. "Look at big puppy holding my hand."
Kurogane glared at him but Fai seemed not to notice; he simply closed his eyes and brought their joined hands to his feverish cheek.
"I'm feeling better already," he said sleepily. "Thank you… big puppy."
"Shut up," Kurogane snarled.
Fai smiled; despite the warrior's harsh reply he noticed that he had tightened his grip… just a little.
A/N: Ummmm…. Really not sure about how this turned out… Heh… so if you hated it, review me and tell me how I can improve. And if you liked it, review me anyway; I do so love getting reviews Later!