Seeing Double
Intro: Whoo-Hoo! So I finally got everything I needed to do done! (cheers) I went to Dare2Share in Phoenix the other day and had a blast! Just a really unexpected thing I wanted to share because I think it comes with this message: 'Joy is everywhere!' Have a freaking WONDERFUL St. Patrick's Day everyone!
Last bit of rambling: Sorry to all the people who marked me as a fave author and now have their e-mail adresses all spammed out because I deleted and uploaded chapters. I'm still getting everything in order. (sighs) On the other hand, I corrected the small spelling and grammar errors (mostly) and I'll go back and explain my 13th yam.
Thank you to: Mizu-Tenshi, Toshi.is.dead., Touketsu Iji, kaze Ookami, Azalee, Hinaningyo, Yurikitsune, Attiqah Gensui, ElianaRei, ZRedPoppy, Ratt-San, LoversPastForgotten, wolfram.ex, flying metal child, Anonymous (Toshiisdead) who reviewed (even though Toshi is listed twice 'cause she's anon). I'm going to have to start living up to expectations! Oh no! (cries) I feel under pressure now.
A/N: I've wanted to do this for a while so please ignore the clichéd-ness. Oh yeah, this fic has absolutely nothing to do with St. Patty's so tough shamrock. (laughs hysterically – I made a joke!) (ahem) Please hold your head while reading this. I'm not liable if you get nosebleeds or headaches.
They arrived in a new world yet again. Something was different about this reality. It was familiar in all building and dress aspects. What was strange were their customs.
Sakura and Syaoran stayed behind at the inn. As the princess was used as a means of funds via gambling, the wizard, ninja, and manjuu set out to find housing. Fai and Kurogane found a nearby lodging very quickly to their dismay. However, it was uncomfortable answering the bizarre questions given to the two.
Strolling up to the counter, Fai merrily chatted away with the receptionist. Kurogane sighed, swatting away at the white thing above his head. The blonde, short-haired woman examined the two. A tall blonde and an even taller brunette so different from one another just appeared stunning together. She smiled. "Of course I can find you two lodging! Answer a few questions beforehand, please."
The auburn man began fidgeting, not liking the questions asked. Questions like, 'have you two been sexually active together?' and 'Are you two bound together in holy matrimony?' popped up at random. What was even more unnerving was, 'What is your sexual preference?' Even worse, Fai answered back: 'Kuro-Poo-Sexual!' and then began tugging at his arm.
The young woman clasped her hands together with delight. "My! What a cute couple! The honeymoon suite would be just perfect! Your two companions are a small girl, a boy, and that charming animal, yes? I'll put them in a nearby suite as well."
She giggled, blushing as she handed the two their keys. Kurogane stared strangely at the mage who was laughing continuously. What was so funny? What the Hell was a 'suite?'
Grabbing the black-clad man, Fai ran out of the lobby, still laughing. Upon reaching the designated numbered room, he banged the doorknob. After shoving the strange metal utensil in, the threshold clicked open. Fai examined the room. It was a very sleek, sharp fashioned room – just as the dress was. The blonde was very much content with the style.
Turning to the white thing Fai scratched his head. "Mokona, do you sense a feather?"
"Mokona does, but it's far away!" the white bun cheered, propping its ears up.
kurogane snorted. "This world already seems like a pain-in-the-butt."
Fai, who had averting his gaze from the ninja, finally took a small glimpse at the brunette. Kurogane glanced back, realizing he was being stared at. Fai faltered, beginning to commence laughing again.
-O-
"You can't be serious!" Kurogane bellowed, almost creaming.
"I don't think it's that bad Kuro-Tan," Fai sighed, "I get to spend more time with you!"
"We have no choice," Syaoran replied, calming the two down. Kneeling down, he overlooked his princess with soft eyes. "This world has something against females."
Fai scratched his head, leaning on one of the cream room walls. They were of a plastered material, so it attracted static electricity, making his hair attach onto the foundation. "I don't think it's so much that," he confessed, "rather, they have something against female-male relationships."
Skimming over the ninja's body quickly he laughed. "The receptionist seemed pretty independent and happy, but I believe she assumed that Kuro-Min and I were together like that. When I brought up Sakura-Chan, she didn't even bother thinking anything of it. Instead she just ignored it and continued with the whole conversation's past."
Syaoran nodded. "You may be onto something, Fai-San! When in the bar, they threw both the princess and I out when I protected her from a drinker's bottle. All I did was almost hug her, practically!"
"After you protected her, though, yes?" Fai commented, now leaning out of the room's window. This world was beautiful. He wondered how they could think of such dreary things such as death, violence, or sexuality when in such a place. "Maybe they assumed the wrong thing."
Kurogane glared at the boy who was now cradling the princess in his arms. The girl had fallen asleep long ago but Syaoran was just as intent – if not more – on protecting her still. "So what are we going to do about the missy?"
Syaoran clenched the girl's limp body even tighter as those words left the ninja's mouth.
"We're going to leave Sakura-Chan here then?" Fai sighed, "Sakura-Chan is your world, after all. We never know when you'll snap. If something were to happen out there…"
Syaoran glowered into the red wall, eyes ablaze. "I won't leave Sakura-Hime alone!" the boy confidently assured, gripping a hand into a fist. Punching his hand into the bed, he scowled at Fai. "I won't ever allow anything to harm her again!"
Fai nodded in understanding. "Right then, I suppose one of us should stay with Sakura-Chan as the other two take Mokona to find the feather."
"I'll go," Syaoran retorted, fire in his eyes.
"I'll go as well," Kurogane smirked, "if there's going to be any violence."
"Right then, I'll stay behind," Fai chuckled, "Just remember, you two… this world assumes man-man relationships. You might be confronted with situations that require you to act in a romantic relationship."
Syaoran flinched while Kurogane gulped. It almost seemed as if the puppy pair was sick. The smaller doggy bit his tongue on accident. The big puppy… he was choking, on his own spit, of course.
The two stared in awe of one another. Demeaning, malicious, wrong, absolutely derogatory ideas entered their membranes against will. The brunette starting shaking his head to attempt ridding himself of the evil thoughts. Syaoran was on the merge of having a meltdown, though.
"HELL NO!" Kurogane yelled, causing the walls to vibrate.
Syaoran started trembling in fear. "Uh… Um…"
Fai giggled. "Bring me back something good to eat, okay?"
The smallest boy glanced at the blonde. "Fai-San! You should go with Kurogane-San!" he stuttered, flipping his hands up and down.
Fai hindered all emotion as he poked an eyebrow up. "Me?"
"…Yeah," the young hero trailed off, "the other day… you know."
The flaxen man blushed ferociously – a first time seeing him so for anyone. He started whispering, tucking a golden lock behind his ear, "That was a mistake."
The ninja excused himself from the room, signaling he was going for a walk.
The mage's hair bounced in shame as he recalled that precious memory…
-O-
It was dark, scary, lonely… the perfect definition of a dark night.
"Just one?" Fai repeated, almost stupidly.
"…Yeah, and… not that long either, okay?" the taller replied, blushing furiously.
The mage didn't wait for any more restrictions, only letting his body do the talking. Kurogane eventually returned the kiss, not even allowing Fai to break off when he wanted.
Then, it happened. For a split second he wondered at the two consenting adults. With wide eyes he stood there, speechless.
The dark was expelled by the bright light that gleamed from the doorway. They couldn't hide – couldn't run away. Kurogane broke the kiss to begin yelling obscenities at the blonde.
Fai's eyes welled up as pin lips trembled. "It's not…"
-O-
"I won't leave Sakura-Hime alone and I will not go with Kurogane-San if others will assume that of me and him. I can't believe they could expect us to do such things…" Syaoran growled, unyielding. He cradled the past out princess in his arms even more gently. "You go with him. That would be the best."
'Damn. Not even a contraction for that… and stressed out syllables! How… absolutely shameful,' Fai thought with closed – almost painful – eyes. White clothes ruffled as the blonde sat on the freshly made bed, wondering what to do.
"…Fai-San," Syaoran started as he locked eyes with the mage, "did you force him to do that?"
Giggling was the response to the question. The wizard's eyes faltered as he attached another fake smile. "…Not really."
-O-
The mage stood on the bed, looming up at the window. For some strange reason, it was high suspended above the beds. It was a small window so the small light shone onto the blonde's face. It was the only source of light in the room.
Fai seemed rather… beautiful. The warrior couldn't take his eyes off of him.
A flaxen face didn't drift, only formed into a smile. "Do you want to kiss me, Kuro-Chin?"
His face finally impended over the ninja – giving a meek, charming smile.
"Not really," Kurogane said, averting his gaze.
It was quick – a blink of an eye – and already Fai was inches away from the brunette's face. "So a part of you does… You can kiss me right now if you lie."
A blush crept onto Kurogane's face. He shivered upon the blonde's touch. Fai only kept getting closer… closer… closer…
"Just one," the dark figured stated.
-O-
There was a lingering silence until Kurogane busted in.
Fai smile tittered, throwing his hands up in glee. "How was Kuro-Fan's stroll?"
"Terrible," the raven-haired man contorted with a disturbed and distressed stare.
The two left behind poked their eyebrow up. "Why's that?" they inquired in sync. Fai's face was particularly interested, most likely so he could tease the other soon after.
"None of your business," the man grimaced.
Fai's face faded slightly. Upon seeing the mage, the other man felt the least guilty.
"Well…" the ninja started, scratching his back, "there was this pretty girl. Not any just any pretty, she was beautiful, GORGEOUS!"
Fai flinched at that statement.
Kurogane continued, "So she came up to talk to me out of nowhere! She asks if I'm single and I say, 'yeah,' so then she asks if she could kiss me right then and there!"
The blonde nodded. "What did you say?" he asked, his voice vacillate, his stare sharp.
"I said 'Hell no.' When she asked me, I looked at her bust and she didn't have one! So she goes God-knows-where and six other 'shims' come running after me! It was freaking scary! So I came back," Kurogane explained.
Fai's face only tottered longer. Finally he was able to stabilize his smile. "Yay! Kuro-Woo didn't cheat on me!"
"SHUT UP, YOU!" the ninja growled.
'Seriously, he needs to stop. The kid is going to get ideas between this and that…' he thought. Fai hadn't stopped making a joke out of it since that night. Kurogane was not anyone's lover – much less a man – and it would stay that way until he had served completely loyal to Tomoyo-Hime and she therefore dismissed him. 'Afterwards I could marry, though. I could probably convince Fai to stay with me… Not sure if everyone else would be okay with that, though… OH MY FUCKING GOD! NO!'
As Kurogane started banging his head against the wall, Fai seized the clothes the two adults would have to wear in this new world. "Rightie-O! Kuro-Wan-Wan and I will be on our way!"
After grabbing Mokona the blonde happily locked the door behind the three. "Where to first, Mokona?"
The white manjuu smiled. "Mokona senses the feather over there!"
-O-
"I don't think we're ever going to find this damned feather," Kurogane sighed, slumping over the table with his cheek on the top. The brunette glanced up at the mage. Fai… was not acting like Fais do.
This side of Fai was aggressive. The blonde glared at every single person who came near Kurogane and would tug at his sleeve with a pouting glare when the ninja spoke to anyone. It was almost like he was… jealous.
Jealousy… that wasn't it… It couldn't be… could it?
Sure, it was true that every person down the street had tried flirting shamelessly with Kurogane, but still… Even so, he should be grateful to the mage. If not for him, he'd be running on the streets away from the mobs.
Fai flinched, holding his stomach suddenly.
"Are you..?" Kurogane started, eyeing flaxen skin strangely.
"Bathroom. Be right back. DON'T talk to anyone!" the mage snapped, leaving the table suddenly.
The brunette growled. He had no idea what to do or where to start. Not only could they not find the feather, Fai was acting strangely and that worried Kurogane. That name… Ashura… it hadn't even been spoken. He was sure. He would remember that name. Once he met the guy he was going to kill the bastard, after all.
He sighed.
"Kurogane doesn't need to worry!" the manjuu cheered, allowing its red earring to bounce.
The ninja eyed the white thing. "What do you mean?"
"Making people fall in love is one of Mokona's one-hundred-and-eight super secret special abilities!" it giggled in good spirits.
Kurogane would have strangled the bun there and then but Fai pulled his seat out and smiled quietly. It was… so weird.
"…That was quick," the ninja stated with caution.
The blonde smiled, placing his elbows on the table with his hands tucked under his chin. He started eyeing the other man lazily, batting his eyes every now and then. "Was I? I didn't mean to take soooooo long!"
Kurogane twitched. "Are you… feeling alright?"
"Of course, Kuro-Gyn!" blue eyes chortled. "Do I seem weird to you?"
"Uh…" the warrior slurred.
"Because," the pale man started, cupping Kurogane's face in his hand, "I'll change it for you. I'd do anything for you. I'd die for you. Only you, though."
That's when Kurogane reached the conclusion that one: Fai was either drunk, two: or seriously disturbed – hang on, he was already seriously disturbed – or three: fell on the toilet and had his memory erased and some crazy psychotic vision of life was pounded into his mind. Really, he was leaning on the third option.
Turning his head away and laughing hysterically, Fai's glance fell upon the manjuu. "Why's Mokona here?"
-O-
"Damn you, Kuro-Yin! I told you not to move! Did you give out table to some cute guy who walked up to you and started flirting or what?" Fai yelled – clearly mad. He imagined both Mokona and the other guy had him figured out so it was okay to be mad.
Kurogane glanced up from the table. "Uh… sorry? I thought you were getting a table but didn't see you so I just grabbed another one. I bought you a drink… you didn't seem like yourself and right now… it looks like you need to talk."
Fai glared at the table. "Where's Mokona?"
"Eh? We left it," Kurogane reminded the mage.
"I don't remember that…" Fai started.
"Just forget about it," the raven-haired man said, seating the blonde in his lap. "You're gorgeous."
"K-Kuro-Nin..?" Fai quivered wide-eyed. Too late to say anything else – his mouth and the other's were locked together in passion. This wasn't Kurogane… not his Kurogane, at least.
-O-
The brunette gave up on explaining. The blonde agreed that they left the hotel – with the boy and girl behind – but couldn't agree that they had brought Mokona along. Throwing his hands up in frustration, he groaned. "Fine, whatever. Just shut up."
Fai's face wobbled. In fact, it almost looked like he was going to cry. "Who… the Hell are you?"
"I could as you the same thing," the ninja retorted.
"I-I-I'm Fai. Your Fai," blue eyes cooed as they welled even bigger.
"C-Come on! Don't cry!" the hard-headed man started fretting. Even if it wasn't Fai, it sure as Hell looked like Fai.
He caressed the blonde into his arms. The hair swayed away as the man stole a quick kiss. Fai's mouth curled into a smile. "You fell for it again, Kuro-Yam! I love you! You're-such-a-baby!"
'Oh he did not… just… call… me… a baby!'
-O-
Fai broke the kiss off. "What in Hell's name are you? You're not my Kuro-Tin. He doesn't… do things… like that."
The brunette stared at the blonde with a quizzical expression. Finally, he started laughing. "That's great, Fai! I love you so much! You're so much, I don't think I can handle you!"
The blonde growled, slapping the man across the face.
Mokona's eyes opened up.
-O-
"Ohh-! Someone over there got slapped!" the blonde said, glancing over his shoulder.
"Huh?" Kurogane asked. The blonde didn't even acknowledge him. "HEY! Listen to me!"
"Let's go see who proposed to who!" the flaxen man cheered, grabbing the other's hand.
-O-
A big lump fell onto the floor. Crimson eyes gleamed up with zeal. "My God, Fai! Yes! YES! YES! YES!"
The tall man grabbed the blonde into a dip and locked him into another kiss – just as romantic. "Although I was planning to propose, I will most definitely marry you!"
Fai stared into those familiar eyes with a crooked smile. "Excuse me?"
"…What the-?" Kurogane stated blankly. Staring at the two figures – one that looked like himself and the other like Fai – who was standing besides him…
Which meant…
"Why do you look like me?" the even more psychotic Fai asked the real Fai.
The other Kurogane grabbed the Fai nearby him. "Who the Hell are you?"
Kurogane grabbed his head. This was over his capacity. "That's what I want to know!"
The strange black-clad man grabbed the blonde nearest him into an embrace. He grabbed a feather out of his pocket. Slipping the feather into the blonde locks of his lover, he smiled most delicately. "I promise to love you forever until I die."
The Fai besides the world-traversing Kurogane pouted. "I think you're my Kuro-Poo! It's not fair! I've wanted to get married to you since kindergarten!"
Fai blinked at his clone. "Yeah… you have the wrong guy. I don't want to marry you. I actually have a couple of people I'm personally interested in."
The confused man stared at the two. Scratching his head, he inspected the other Fai. In the meantime, Fai was able to inspect the feather tangled in his hair – perfect, light, and complete with the strange markings.
"You're my Fai," the clone murmured. "You're the one I want to marry."
"Really, Kuro-Chan? I'm so happy!" the blonde squealed through tears and excitement.
Fai ignored all of the commotion. "Kuro-Um, I got the feather. We can go," Fai cheered, grasping a hold of his Kurogane who was passed out on the floor.
"HANG ON!" Kurogane's duplicate bellowed. "Give that back!"
Fai glanced over his shoulder. "Eh? Can't I keep this? I kind of need it…"
"Don't you know anything? After slapping one in the face," the cloned Fai started, "the other accepts by tying the feather into the other's hair! Those are the agreements of proposal!"
Fai blinked, "Um… Well, you see," Fai commenced, smiling brightly and hugging his partner's arm as he pointed to the cloned Kurogane, "I was proposed to by that guy! But now I'm sad because he says he doesn't want to marry me! So I need this feather because-"
The couple stared at the rambling man – probably thinking he was a psycho or something.
Kurogane brushed himself up from the floor. "Damn mage…"
Fai smiled, pointing to the feather. Kurogane nodded in understanding. "We need this. It has special markings on it, you see?"
"That's why I got it," the angry brunette growled tugging on his lover. "Because it was special! So I could give it to him!"
Kurogane slapped Fai who in turn quickly carried out his role. "There now, are you happy?" the ninja sneered.
"How long have you two…" Fai's duplicate started, staring at the two harshly, "loved each other?"
Kurogane gulped. Fai opened his mouth to speak but the brunette closed it. "I've loved him since I first set eyes on him a few years ago. Ever since that day, he has absolutely drove me insane! I can't think straight or even eat right! Every night he shares a bed with me and I can't stand not being able to abuse him in ways you only see in the movies!"
The blonde blushed in reply, squealing at the sound of a hyper-active bunny-rabbit. "That was amazing! Yeah! You two go get married right now!"
His lover didn't seem too thrilled about that idea, however. The shorter man quickly hushed him up by tapping his cheek and reasoning, 'Now! Now! That's romantic! A WONDERFUL first confession! We've dated each other for how long? It's just a feather anyways!'
-O-
"…it was good Mokona showed up afterwards and escorted us out, huh, Kuro-Tsuhi?" Fai sternly stated, turning around to confront the ninja.
The muscular man caressed Fai by his head, running his hand through the golden locks. "So what's really on your mind?"
"It hurt," the other man said, looking down in shame, "I thought my heart would burst out of joy… but then it broke."
The man didn't move, only continued running his hand through.
"When you said I drove you insane… and that you were amazed when you first set eyes on me… It was a beautiful speech… but it's all wrong." Pale limbs started trembling under Kurogane's touch. "We haven't known each other for a couple of years and you don't love me and you don't wish you could abuse me in bed. Do I really mean so little that you rather help Syaoran than break me? Am I so… disgusting to you?"
"What would you have done?" the opposing figure roared.
"Our clones were in love with each other," Fai stated blandly. "Didn't you notice?"
"That wasn't what I asked," the auburn brunette snarled.
"I…" a fragile voice trembled, "wouldn't have had to lie if I said I loved you…"
Cerulean eyes glazed over, glistering in the moonlight.
Fa laughed, turning around and skipping ahead. "Ha! That was a really retarded way to profess my love! Especially to someone like you, huh? Just forget it. Forget it all."
"My time," Kurogane grunted as he briskly walked ahead the pale man.
Fai's eyes widened. "What..?"
"It's been a few years my time," the ninja growled, pausing to scratch his head, "And for your F-Y-I, you do drive me insane, I was amazed when I first set eyes on you – although I thought you were a woman – and I do have the most erotic urges to abuse you in bed."
Fai stood silent – at a loss of words.
"And another thing-" Kurogane continued, "Your profession of love wasn't… as retarded as mine."
Fai smile, hugging the big figure. Kurogane hugged the other back, glad the mage wasn't looking at the crazy blush on his face.
"Well then," Fai giggled, grasping a hold of the auburn man's hand, "Let's enjoy this world until it pushes us away, yes?"
Afterthoughts: When I wrote Moko-Chan fan I thought of this: "Ritchan-San can fan his ban-ban for the fan!" Mind boggler for the perverted Furuba Rit-Chan fans out there. I know I'm one. (laughs) What I would love to do to that HAWT son-of-a-MOVING ON! Otay, otay, otay. Sorryness for the random chat. This is my second largest one-shot. (smiles) Now review! (e-vile cackle)