Disclaimer; I am C.L.A.M.P- Crazy Loud Annoying Moronic Person. I don't own Tsubasa.
Red Roses
"Kurogane?"
The ninja blinked, vision clearing enough to reveal a small, black haired boy with red eyes.
"Seth?" he muttered, sitting up. "What the hell happened?"
Seth smiled up at him.
"You're okay!" he said, relief evident in his voice. Oh good, Mommy said we were gonna have to take you to the hospital if you didn't wake up soon. Mr. Syaoran and Mokona are here, too, they got here a few minutes ago with Auntie Kaylee."
The ninja let out a dry laugh.
"Interesting," he muttered. "But what happened?"
Seth's smile faded.
"Mommy said you ripped some of your stitches when you stood up," he explained quietly. "And there was a lot of blood… and then she stitched you back up!"
His smile returned as Makayla and Mokona came in.
"Hiya, Mommy!" he greeted cheerfully. "Kurogane's awake!"
The writer grinned at him.
"Good job, Seth," she praised. Mokona jumped from the author's shoulder to the ninja's shoulder.
"Kuro-puu, we found out where Evron is!" he said ecstatically. "And we can go as soon as we're done with our big important top secret meeting!"
Kurogane felt the insane urge to throw him across the room.
"Well, where is he?" the ninja snapped, glaring at the manjuu.
"Well…" Kaylee started, glancing at Syaoran.
"We'll tell you later," Makayla said, smiling and tossing a small jar at him. "First put that on the wound in your stomach, I got it from Yuuko. It should seal the wound long enough for you to get to Fai and fight whoever you have to with out opening your wounds."
The swordsman looked it over suspiciously.
"What'd it cost?" he asked, glancing at the author, who smiled.
"Nothing much," she replied easily. "But there's enough there to last you a few weeks, so I expect you not to let my sacrifice go to waste. Use it. Now."
The ninja looked it over one more time before opening it and scooping out a small amount, using a pair of scissors nearby to remove his bandages before slathering it over his wounds.
He hissed slightly as the ointment soaked through his stitches, but to his amazement he could feel new skin growing over the injury. He glanced at the author, surprised.
"What did it cost?" he repeated more forcefully. Makayla shifted feet nervously.
"Nothing much," she repeated. "Just a few videos…"
"Of what?" the ninja snapped. The twenty-one year old grinned at him.
"Of you," she replied. "Well, of my dad you, and Dad and me and Aya. Nothing big."
The swordsman narrowed his eyes. Liar. Shit, they must be worth something if she traded them for this.
"Come on, Kurogane-sama, chop-chop," the writer said jokingly. "Seth, help me get his back so we can talk, okay?"
"'Kay!" the four year old agreed energetically, snatching the ointment from the ninja and helping his mom remove the bandages on his back.
"Well, Kurogane-sama, I can promise this," the twenty-one year old yawned, sitting down on the couch when the bandages had been successfully cut to pieces. "When this is all over I'll be getting a few weeks of sleep."
"Good," he snapped as Seth finished with the wound on his back and hurried off to get a shirt for him. "Because as soon as this is all over we're getting the hell outta here."
"Agreed," the writer yawned again. "Mokona, has Evron moved?"
The manjuu's ear's perked up for a moment before he shook his head.
"No," he said cheerfully. "Still in the same place!"
"Good," she yawned a third time. "Syaoran, go help Seth, please."
The archeologist nodded once before vanishing into the hallway after the four year old. Makayla closed her eyes.
"Mokona, is Fai okay?" Kaylee asked from the doorway to what the ninja assumed was the kitchen. The manjuu nodded.
"Yep yep! He's a little hurt, but nothing serious enough to threaten his life!" the creature replied, a little too quickly for Kurogane's comfort. He narrowed his eyes as Seth and Syaoran returned with a clean, dark red shirt and handed it to him. The swordsman growled at it.
"Why red?" he complained, pulling it on. Makayla's eyes popped open, and she grinned at him.
"Because, silly Kurogane-sama," she teased, leaping to her feet and poking his side, "it matches your eyes!"
Oh dear god she's a respectful Fai!
"Does your stomach hurt?" Syaoran asked quietly. The ninja turned toward him.
"No," he answered, stretching. "It doesn't. Let's hope it stays that way until we find that damn mage."
Syaoran nodded. The ninja glared at Mokona, who was bouncing happily on Makayla's head again.
"Sorry," he growled quickly, stalking after them. The ninja could feel Syaoran staring at him.
"Kurogane-sama!" The swordsman growled at Makayla as he approached the table. She glanced uneasily at Kaylee.
"How's the ointment doing for you?" she asked cheerfully. The swordsman's eyes narrowed as he glanced between the two of them.
"Where's Fai?" he snapped, leaning on the table to see what they were staring at. The psychiatrist hurriedly moved the documents from the wooden surface.
"He's… well…" the two exchanged another uneasy glance.
"Where is he?!" the swordsman repeated. Makayla smiled brightly.
"If we tell you you'll leave without Syaoran," she pointed out. The ninja growled.
"If you don't we risk that asshole hurting him even more than he already has!" the dark haired man snarled at them. "Now where the fuck is he?!"
Makayla's smile never wavered.
"They're on Gaudium(1) Avenue," she replied. "6293, right hand side."
The swordsman glanced at her sharply before grabbing Sohi and bolting out of the room.
He knew where Gaudium was. It was the one street in Raisu he'd specifically ordered the kids not to go to, because he'd seen the state of its residents. They were… Desperate, he decided after a moment .Desperate for a chance they didn't seek for themselves, but waited until someone brought it to them. Thieves… I remember how Fai laughed at me when we passed by the place. Said I was overreacting.
Fai…The ninja sprinted down the steps and out the front door, directing his footsteps toward his destination. Fai, please…
Please be alright…
--
Evron winced inwardly as he dug the broken blade of his knife into the magician's leg. He hated the sight of blood, thee taste of it, the smell of it. It reminded him of the red rose, Aya's favorite flower. He hated everything that reminded him of his sister.
But he hated that ass even more, for failing to save her.
For refusing to save her.
The teen smiled coldly at Fai. After twenty-four hours, this game was getting old. He wanted to finish this dumbass now and get out of this godforsaken neighborhood. Gaudium… ironic, seeing as everyone here's miserable. This place is hell… but that ass will be going through so much more hell when he arrives.
As if on cue he heard the door upstairs slam against the all as someone rushed into the house. He could tell without seeing him that Kurogane had arrived.
The blonde smirked at Fai.
"Looks to me," he said softly, tracing the mage's chest with his knife, "that you've become of no use to me."
The wizard smiled at him, an infuriatingly confident smile. Growling, the teenager opened his knife. Finally, I can get this over with.
The magician stared at the ragged blade and smiled.
--
"Fai!" Kurogane hollered, sprinting through the derelict old building. "Fai, where are you?!"
There was a soft chuckle from below him, and the ninja whirled around, hand resting on Sohi. Evron stood on the landing below, smirking at him.
"You're late, Kuro-bozu," he taunted. "Were you stuck in bed because of your booboos? Poor baby."
The swordsman growled.
"Bastard," he spat at him. "Where the hell's Fai?!"
The teen cocked his head to the side, still smiling.
"Fai?" he repeated tauntingly. "Oh, Fai! We were making red roses when you burst in so rudely. We were almost finished, too. I suppose we'll have to leave him alone while we play, hmmm?"
The ninja stared at the boy in horror.
"Where is he?!" he hissed. Evron chuckled again and strolled casually toward the wall, kicking up a trapdoor and vanishing below. Growling loudly, the ninja drew Sohi and followed him.
The only light in the cellar came from a small computer on the other side of the room. Not waiting for his eyes to adjust to the rapid decrease in light, he strained all of his other senses. Almost immediately he picked up the scent of blood, and he followed it, prying it didn't lead where he thought it lead.
He heard a soft moaning in front of him and, holding Sohi ready, he reached down to see whoever it was that lay there. His hand hit a mop of hair, soft, yet matted slightly in places. It smelled like…
"Fai."
"K-Kuro…rin?"
The lights flared to life, revealing, Fai lying on his back in a puddle of blood. His blood. And on the floor nearby lay Evron's knife.
The ninja couldn't breathe as he moved closer to his boyfriend, searching desperately through his pockets for the ointment Makayla had given him. He found it under his fingers and yanked it out of his jeans, unscrewing the top as he ripped the mage's shirt off of him to reveal a large gash. Shaking uncontrollably, the swordsman scooped some of the thick paste onto his fingers and spreading it over the wound. If there's a God out there, please don't let him die.
"Look at you, Kuro-chan," Fai muttered weakly, looking up at the dark haired man. "You're all worried. But… I'm-"
He stopped as a hoarse cough interrupted him, spraying Kurogane with blood.
"I'm alive," he finished, even more weakly than before. "I kept my promise this time…" The swordsman pulled the magician closer and kissed him roughly.
"Stay with me, okay?" he muttered, panicked. "I'll get you out of here."
Fai nodded.
"I know."
Behind them, Evron snuck out of the cellar, leaving behind him trail of red roses.
A/N; … I'm mean. And FYI, the movie Seth was talking about last chapter was Star Wars; Revenge of the Sith. For those of you who care.
(1) gaudium - Latin for joy, according to freedict. com.
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