Inaugurate
Intro: -MUSIC: Kieth Urban, 'Days Go By'- Whoo-Hoo! I'm almost done with this strand! I only need to write the last two fics! (prideful smile) Thank you to all who have reviewed that strand and this one! I've been finding more and more people reviewing me! (glomps everyone)
A/N: Set in the Hanshin Republic. It's the first time Fai and Kurogane share a bed. I'm not even sure if they did share a bed in the Hanshin Republic… (sweat drop)
"Black-San!" the blonde cheered, bursting into the room full of energy. The ninja couldn't even remember his name. It was a whirl of events, these last few hours. Kurogane was sent away from his world and forced to give Ginryu up to return home. On top of that, he had to travel from one world to another to get that wish granted alongside a hormone-crazy boy, his princess, a white manjuu bun, and one energetic psychotic blonde.
They all had their different reasons, but their wishes were tied together. There was a sense of understanding between the humans, a sense of understanding only between the manjuu and the blonde guy…
"You left dinner really early! Wasn't it good? I can cook better, though! Maybe I can cook in the morning for you? Would you like that, Black-San? Oh! Maybe Mokona can help me! Better yet, you can help me!" the man squealed quickly. The words didn't even register until five minutes later. As soon as the ninja knew what was happening, the man started up again, "ah! Black-San! You haven't washed up yet! Are you going to do that now?"
The annoying manjuu wasn't around, which confused the black-clad man. The manjuu had a habit of hanging around Fai. The white thing must still have been eating dinner. He ignored that thought to focus on the current issue. Washing sounded okay about now and if he did that, he could get away from this crazy freak. "Yeah. I'll do that."
"Black-San…" The blonde started grabbing the man by his right arm. "You're going to wash, then? Well… then I'll help you! I'm sure you can't reach your back! You're too big! You're like a big puppy!"
Kurogane stopped right in his tracks. Right eye twitching spontaneously, the ninja quickly ran away from the blonde to the wash room.
"Bathroom.Wash.Now," the man mumbled under his breath.
The wash room was only down the hall to the left – a quick run. Opening the door and locking it behind him, Kurogane sighed. There was a scent of accomplishment in the air. He had finally gotten rid of the psycho. What was up with all of those…suggestive comments? That damn blonde had better stop. Someone might begin to think that he was twisted in certain ways.
He turned around, taking his shirt off as he did so. In response, his eyes met a sparkling blue set.
"Wh-What the-?"
"Is something strange, Black-San?" the blonde asked, glancing about the room. "Are wash rooms different in your world?"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?" the tanner man roared.
"Me?" the other inquired, slightly dumbfounded, "you never said I couldn't scrub your back. Besides, a big puppy like you would need help scrubbing certain… spots?"
"And those comments! What are you – some kind of fruit?" the ninja demanded.
The blonde shrugged, turning on the water and filling in the bath. He giggled slightly, taking his clothes off in a corner afterwards. By which point, the water was completely filled. Immediately the blonde jumped in, relaxing himself. He damped a washcloth, placing it on his forehead.
Kurogane hadn't moved since then. Dunking a hand into the water sent chills up his spine. The liquid was completely cold. "This… this water is freezing!"
Fai quirked up a lazy grin. "Really, Black-San?"
"Stop calling me that! My name is Kurogane! Remember it," he demanded, taking his remaining clothes off. Slipping into the water, he growled. Never once in his life had he taken a bath with another man – not even his very own father. In Nihon, he was prideful enough to wash by himself. Those who washed with others were shameless and undignified.
Kurogane turned the hot water on.
Fai sighed after a minute or two, "Kuro-Chan! The water's too hot! Can you turn it down? Please, Kuro-Chii?"
Kurogane's right eye began to twitch again. "What the…? WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH YOU?"
"Absolutely nothing," the man stated, turning the water off. The water's temperature was no more than a chilly warm yet the blonde turned it off anyways. "Oh, and by the way, my name is Fai. Call me that, please, Kuro-Rin?"
"You're impossible," the ninja grunted. Fai shrugged it off again silently. There they were – two grown men sitting in the same tub in a cramped wash room. It was far too shameless.
Fai sighed again, dropping his arms outside the tub. Kurogane's attention piqued, he decided to examine this mysterious person who he would now travel with from now on. Luscious, golden locks were absent on his forehead where the washcloth was still located. His skin was pale – paler than most. His eyes were currently close but they were the color of a bright blue. His look gave the essence of a northern maiden. A maiden… Yeah, this, 'Fai,' did kinda look feminine…
Fai opened an eyelid half-way. "It's rude to stare, Kuro-Run."
Kurogane blushed. When he noticed he was blushing, it only led to more blushing.
"I gotta get out. Now."
"But Kuro-Chu! You haven't scrubbed yet! I'll do it for you!" Fai squealed. The blonde quickly took advantage to do so. Eagerly, Fai swiped two towels and began to rub soap over the ninja's back.
For some disturbing reason or another, Kurogane slinked down into tub again. It was calming, feeling someone else scrub him once for a change. Only when he was little – four, at most – did his mother scrub his back. His mother… Fai started humming, working down. Kurogane grunted as Fai reached the end of his back. The blonde didn't stop, though. Instead, he slipped his hands to the other end, working down Kurogane's chest in a similar pace.
Down… down… down…
"Okay! You gotta stop there! Are you out of your mind? You said the back! The back!" the ninja growled.
Fai snickered innocently, pressing his cheek against the other's back. "Is it so wrong? You're one piece of work, you know. Hey, do I turn you on? You're kind of red, you know."
Kurogane blushed, rushing out of the tub. He grabbed a towel to head for the door. Fai sighed. He'd come around sooner or later… Later, most likely.
-O-
Silence lingered. This, 'Fai,' had the bizarre need to air-dry in the nude. It lasted for about ten minutes. By that time, Kurogane could give a detailed description of the wall and its every crack. Finally, the big puppy could not take any more staring at the wall. It was too unnerving. Every now and then the other would sigh airily saying, 'Ah! That's soooooo good!'
Kurogane growled, shoving a pair of clothes Soarata had given him earlier in the blonde's lap. "Get dressed. Go to bed. Now."
"Or what? Is Kuro-Fan going to punish me?" Fai taunted. "I'm not done. Air drying has a certain art to it that had to be executed perfectly, you know."
"I don't care!" Kurogane yelled. Fai was driving him insane and he had only met the man nine hours ago. There was a feeling of familiarity between the two. It was similar to that of an old couple who had been married for years. Kurogane shook his head. That was a lecherous, down-right disturbing thought.
The ninja's loving thoughts of death and murder revolving around the blonde were abruptly interrupted when Fai shoved his mat next to Kurogane's. He stared at the blonde a moment or two. Fai smiled, gleaming up at killer crimson eyes.
"You are a fruit!" the ninja finally roared.
Fai laughed as he had been the whole night, "that's not nice, Kuro-Nan. You shouldn't judge people before you really get to know them."
"Oh yeah?" Kurogane sneered, "What are you planning?"
"Honestly, I'm not really sure," Fai drifted, blushing. He scratched his head for a moment. Something seemed to have clicked because Fai's smile broadened. "As far as tonight goes, though, I just want to cuddle with someone."
Kuorgane twitched. Cuddling was not his style. "And then what? Are you going to lead me on like you did earlier?"
"That's your own fault for leaving yourself open!" Fai cheered.
Kurogane grunted. Lying down on his mat, he quickly drifted to sleep. He heard a high-pitched grunt and then some shuffling around. Fai was – or was pretending to be – asleep. A few moments later, he felt something cold snake around his waist.
Kurogane shivered. He froze in fear, unable to shove the stranger away. His eyes were peeled open, unyielding to close. His heart was racing and the nerve on his forehead was almost at maxim capacity. Still, it was slightly comforting feeling another body in bed since so long. Adding everything up…it made sense:
He was scared. For the first time in quite a while, he was truly scared. 'Scared,' can be defined in many ways, though. There is the type of fear where you scream like a little girl, the type of fear that makes you anxious, the type of fear that unsettles your stomach, and the type of fear that makes your heart race when someone brushed their skin against your own. In Kurogane's case, this was the later.
-O-
He awoke early that morning. Bright light shone atop the black covers and white pillowcases. A splitting headache ran through Kurogane's membrane. It was worse than a hangover… and he hadn't even drunk last night! Recalling last night's circumstances in, he snuggled into place. For having a terrible headache, he was quiet relaxed.
His eyes jolted open after finding himself in the same position as last night except facing the blonde. Slipping out, he threw the covers up and checked his pants. They were still on.
Looking down at the man, he examined him again: innocent and beautiful, silently snoozing on Kurogane's mat. His expression seemed a bit disturbed by his teddy bear's disappearance. His expression, though… as innocent as it was, it was apparent that the man had a dark, heavy past. Kurogane sighed. He didn't even know who this guy was, but it felt like he could already see through the man's façade.
Kurogane grabbed the man, pushing him onto the edge of the blonde's mat. Fai was on his own mat now. No one could say that they were sleeping together. He snaked his arms around the blonde and placed the other's head in his own neck's crook. He was on his own mat, Fai on his. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the situation.
Afterthoughts: Please review! My bi-Polar-ness has finally ridden itself of the depressed stage! I'm now SUPER, SUPER, SUPER hyper! (trips on rock and falls over) Reviews of all kind welcome!