Introduction

Welcome to the realm of heartbreak, angst and fluff! This is my collection of drabbles, oneshots and ficlets about Kurogane, Fai and the pairing KuroFai! This is my ultimate favourite shonen-ai/yaoi pair ever, so I just had to write a tribute to them!

Let the angsty love begin!

Chocolate Cake

Kurogane didn't like sweet things. He'd barely been able to stomach the breakfast Fai had made for him in Outo, and since then he'd steered well clear of anything that even hinted at sugar. It had caused the blonde wizard much amusement, but at the moment Kurogane didn't particularly care. All it meant was that he got some extra sword practice in between battles.

So when they arrived in the next world and went in search of something to eat, Kurogane was less than happy to discover that the locals here only ate sweet food. And he was even less pleased when he sat down in the café only to be served a particularly sugary looking chocolate cake. After poking it around on his plate for a while, he finally gave up and shoved it down the manjuu bun's throat. He spent the rest of the meal sulking silently with his arms crossed, sending the other patrons the darkest glares he could muster and trying to pretend that her wasn't hungry.

A week later, and Kurogane was eyeing his reflection in the mirror with grim distaste. Since they had first arrived in this world he hadn't eaten a damn thing, unable to force himself to choke down the sickeningly sweet rubbish that he'd been served everyday. The kid and his girlfriend were growing worried about his health, and had tried to find food that wasn't too sweet for the stoic ninja's tastes…unfortunately though, such a thing didn't seem to exist in this world.

It was one such day, when the two teenagers and Mokona had left on another search for Sakura's feather/edible food for Kurogane, that Fai made his move. The door had barely closed before Kurogane got that tingling feeling that he had always associated with assassins, or monsters, or…the feeling spread, shooting up his spine and making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end…or Fai.

Whirling round with his sword drawn and his most threatening scowl on his face, Kurogane came face to face with a grinning Fai…complete with pink frilly apron and a tray bearing six covered plates.

"Wha…what the hell are you wearing! Have you no pride?" He spluttered, crimson eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. Fai seemed to think about the question, tilting his head to the side and humming contemplatively before straightening up and beaming brightly at the convulsing ninja.

"Nope."

Kurogane's hand twitched, and he barely restrained himself from throwing away his sword and throttling some sense into the carefree blonde.

"Well why don't you go somewhere else and find some?" He growled through gritted teeth. Fai pouted, holding up his tray for Kurogane to see.

"But then Kuro-wan won't get to taste my delicious cooking!" He protested, placing the tray on the table and whipping off the lids to reveal a range of mouthwatering desserts.

"I spent the whole morning slaving away in the kitchen just so that Kuro-chin could eat!" Fai chirped, smiling proudly. "I only used as much sugar as was necessary, so they shouldn't be too sweet!"

For a moment, Kurogane was struck dumb by the sheer kindness of Fai's simple gesture and the worry shining from those crystal blue eyes. Now that he thought about it, the wizard actually had spent a lot of time in the small kitchen area that day…he'd been down at the crack of dawn clattering those pots and tins around. And now Kurogane knew what Fai had actually been doing. He stared thoughtfully at the offered desserts, but quickly caught himself and turned to scowl suspiciously at Fai.

"You think I'm going to eat that crap just because you say there's less sugar in it? Go find someone else to be your guinea pig." He growled, waving a hand somewhere in the direction of the door.

"But Kuro-tan…I made it just for you. I wasn't just practising my baking…" Fai tried again.

"Big deal. I'm not eating that sugary rubbish even if you say its less sweet, or because you made it just for me. And that's another thing – why the hell would you do something like that for me?" Kurogane said harshly, turning away from the blonde and beginning to make his way back to his room and the blissful silence of privacy.

"I…Because I…"

"After all, it's not like I've ever done anything nice for you. What, you want to have me in your debt so that you can make me do stupid things? No thanks."

"But…I don't want you…"

"So why don't you just give up on your latest plan to make me look like an idiot and…"

"I'm not doing it because I want to have you in my debt! I'm doing it because I don't want you to disappear!" Fai cried loudly, cutting off Kurogane's rant and running to wrap long arms around the shocked ninja's waist.

"I just want Kuro-rin to be strong again…I don't want to watch you getting weaker and weaker each day. So you wouldn't be in my debt because…because that would enough payment for me." Fai murmured softly, pressing his face against Kurogane's back.

They stood like that for a moment, neither making any move to break away from the awkward embrace, both unsure of what to do as they crossed the line into this new, strange territory. Fai's arms gripped a little tighter, and Kurogane found himself strangely breathless under the other man's touch, his heart seemingly trying to hammer its way out of his chest.

A loud noise from somewhere outside startled them out of their reverie, and the two sprung apart as if burned. Pasting a scowl across his annoyingly red face, Kurogane turned to face Fai again, watching as the blonde calmly pulled his mask of smiles firmly back into place as if in slow motion, every trace of the distraught, panicked expression fading away as quickly as it had come.

"It doesn't matter what you say. I'm still not going to eat it." Kurogane repeated, although his voice was a lot softer now than it had been a few minutes again. Fai shrugged, his smile widening even though his eyes remained dark and disappointed, his concern almost palpable.

"And it doesn't matter what you say, Kuro-wan. Because I'm going to keep trying until you eat something."

Kurogane stared at him for a moment, before simply grunting and leaving the room.

From then on, Kurogane couldn't get a moment's rest before Fai was there again, waving newly baked treats under his nose, and pleading for him to try some. One night he'd even woken up to find Fai straddling him and poking a forkful of pudding at his slack lips in a vain attempt to get some the food down his throat. Needless to say, Fai had quickly learnt never to try that particular stunt again unless he wanted to spend every night tied to a lamppost outside. Although the view of the moon really had been quite splendid.

Meanwhile, Kurogane was starting to find it hard to pretend that he wasn't affected by the lack of food now. Although he could force himself to stay upright with the determined will of a ninja, he could do nothing about the miserable sounds his stomach was frequently giving, or the way his ribs were beginning to poke out. Nor could he ignore the signs that he was getting dangerously close to the point of collapse when he began to find the room frequently spinning every time he got up or moved too fast.

The kids were doing everything they could to find the feather and get out of this world as fast as possible, but so far their searches had proved futile. And while they were out every day with the manjuu bun, Fai seemed to have appointed himself his carer and chef, bustling around Kurogane like the overly busy nurses he'd seen in the hospital of another world.

"Please, Kuro-tako…just a bite…just a nibble…" Fai pleaded, waving the spoon and its contents around in front of Kurogane's face coaxingly.

"No, damnit!" Kurogane growled, swatting the pale hand away grumpily.

"But it really is very good…you'd like it…"

"No! Why the hell do you keep try…" Kurogane broke off before he could finish the question, remembering Fai's response last time he had asked. Glancing up at the shadowed look on Fai's face, he guessed that the blonde was too.

"I already told you, Kuro-chan…because I don't want you to fade away and disappear. I don't want you to leave me alone here."

"Alone? What about the kids and the manjuu bun?" Kurogane snorted.

"Not alone out there…alone in here." Fai whispered, taking Kurogane's large tanned hands with his own pale ones and placing one over his heart and the other on the side of his head.

"You stop the ache in my chest from hurting as much. You make the voices go away." Fai said quietly, eyes flickering closed in bliss as Kurogane's hand moved to cup his cheek, a calloused thumb gently caressing the soft skin there before sliding to press against his lips, mapping the smooth contours of this newly conquered territory.

Kurogane didn't know why he was touching Fai this way, so gently, so tenderly. It was like his hand was moving by itself, and he was powerless to stop it. But as he watched Fai's eyes drift closed in happiness, he realised suddenly that he didn't mind this, didn't mind the way Fai felt under his touch. His breath caught as Fai's tongue flicked out to lap at his lips' conqueror, and he shifted in his seat slightly, squirming as this new game began to reach dangerous levels.

Somehow, it seemed right just then to slip the hand previously pressed against Fai's chest round the blonde's waist, and to pull him down into his lap. And when his brain, foggy with something he couldn't quite describe, finally registered exactly how close Fai's lips were to his, it seemed right to stop the caress and lean forward, the blonde doing the same.

For a moment, lips barely touched and their breath mingled. Then the door to the house slammed open and the pair froze, eyes widening as they realised what had almost happen.

By the time the kids came into the living room, Fai was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room, and Kurogane was rereading the magazine he'd bought in the Hanshin Republic.

Days passed by in a blur after that, a confusing mesh of homemade food and intimate moments, neither sure exactly where they were going, or why they felt pulled in that direction. Kurogane might have thought himself alone in that sentiment, except for the mingled need and fear he always saw in Fai's eyes, almost tasting the sheer terror that the mage felt as all lines were crossed, as they entered territory that neither had ever seen before, let alone walked.

The truth was, it scared him too.

Another thing that scared him was the way his body was starting to betray him, how easily he grew tired now and the way he was confined to his bed now. His strong ninja could only bring him so far without food, and now he was helpless against the flood of hunger he felt constantly, forever gnawing at him.

Fai started staying away not long after, seeming to spend more time shut away in his own room than with Kurogane. Sakura said something about being unable to watch something so painful happen to the one he cared so much more. Kurogane didn't understand until he heard the muffled sobs through the wall one night.

Eventually, after what had seemed like forever to Kurogane, the blonde came to him again, his smile a faded imitation of what it had once been, his blonde hair hanging in disarray around a tired face. And Kurogane suddenly realised the dreadful truth of the matter; as he himself wasted away, Fai was slowly dying as well.

They passed that day in silence, neither sure what to say to the other, or how to stop the hurt they both felt. It wasn't until that evening that Fai brought a tray up to the room, and even then he only gave Kurogane a weary glance before slowly beginning to eat himself, his hope of saving the other man apparently dead and cold.

Watching as Fai managed to somehow get more chocolate around his mouth than in it, Kurogane wondered suddenly what it would be like to die without kissing those pale pink lips, and whether he'd spend the rest of eternity as a ghost, regretting his foolish choice to stay inside the box they'd drawn for each other.

Before he knew it, he was reaching to place a hand behind Fai's neck, slowly pulling his companion down to lie on top of him. Fai stared at him silently for a moment before grinning softly, a pale hand lifting to caress Kurogane cheek in the same way a tanned hand had once touched his own, memorising the surprisingly soft skin he found there before leaning forward to meet Kurogane's lips with his own.

The tender bittersweetness of the kiss soon gave way to the passion, and Kurogane found himself tasting something that swept him away, pulling him in until he craved more. It was a moment before he realised that the taste was Fai, laced with something else, something familiar in its sugary sweetness and strange rich taste.

Panting they pulled apart, and Fai stared at him in wonder before leaning to the side and dipping a finger in the chocolate pudding he'd brought up, smearing it around his lips once again. At Kurogane's confused expression, he chuckled weakly, smoothing back the dark hair from his lover's face.

"I've finally figured out a way to get you to eat, Kuro-tan." He whispered, a single tear escaping his eyes and running its course down his cheek. Smiling, Kurogane reached up to wipe it away.

"I guess I don't mind it when it's on you."

Author's Note

Yay! I finally wrote it! I've always wanted to write a fic where their relationship actually develops instead of just bam! happening, so there you have it. It turned out rather more angsty than I originally planned though. But then again, so do most of my stories...read and review please!

Meowzy-chan - Thanks! And yup, after reading Pikari's translations of those chapters, I just had to incorporate some good old Kuro angst into a fic somewhere...hmm...the plot bunny just visited again...

hentai-monkey - Wow! Thanks so much for that lovely review! It's people like you who keep me writing! I'm really gald that you enjoyed it so much, and I hope you liked this one too!

Touketsu Iji - Did I get your name right? I couldn't tell with the underline on the hyperlink...hope your sore throat is better now! And thanks for your comments!

Luinramwen - Hmm...I was a bad girl and ended up reading Pikari's chapter translations and downloading the chapters as soon as they came out...so much for waiting until they were brought out over here...but I just couldn't wait!

Hikari Kaitou - Yeah, Fai can be strong sometimes, ne? I'm sure he's keeling over by now with the weight of us authors' angst on his shoulders, poor thing!

Toshi.is.dead - You're right - poor Kuro! I have a small confession to make...ever notice how most of my KuroFai fics are in Kurogan'es POV? I've kinda grown to like him even more than Fai (gasp!) so he ends up being my main character. But I still love Fai to bits!

Peacenikky - Thanks! And I hope I can keep it up!

Double - Thankyou! If you liked the first, there'll be a proper fic coming out about that story soon!

Ueste - Haha! I fooled you! I hoped that was what people would think...I'm so happy it went over alright!

Yurikitsune - What a fantastic review! Thankyou so, so, so, so much!...I have no idea how to reply to the rest of your review, because I'm so gobsmacked by it...thanks! Oh, and For Love Of A Feather should be uploaded soon...I just want to go back and tweak my prologue a bit...