Disclaimer; Still don't own it.

The Ninja's Gift

Seth squirmed as Kurogane tried to finish getting him dressed. He had no clue how he'd gotten stuck with taking care of the kid in the first place. Everything for the past two weeks was a huge blur to him. All the ninja could really remember agreeing to was that they'd all stay until after Makayla and Tomoyo's funerals, and that he'd wait until his injuries were completely healed before leaving his room again.

So finally his and Fai's wounds ere deemed healed, and the funerals were planned out, and somewhere in the chaos he'd started taking care of the four year old - starting with a course on the right age in which to use cuss words - and now he was helping him dress for Tomoyo's funeral, which started in about thirty minutes, according to the clock on the wall.

"Alright squirt, did Evron tell you how this works?" he asked, fixing his own suit. The boy nodded, his usual grin gone.

"Yep," he replied. "I'm supposed to take one of the flowers and put it on each casket while the priest dude reads his speech thing."

"Good," the swordsman growled. "One less thing for me to ask about. Do you have to use the bathroom? Need anything to eat? Drink?"

"Aw, Kuro-sama's a real daddy now!"

The ninja growled as he reached over and adjusted Seth's jacket.

"Are you planning on helping me or not?" he snapped, looking the child over one last time before turning to his boyfriend. His breath caught in his throat.

The magician was wearing a dark blue suit with golden-rod cuffs and collar. The suit had a V-neck, the shirt underneath being light blue. It looked… beautiful.

"I take it you approve?" Fai broke through his thoughts. The swordsman flushed slightly, turning back to the four year old.

"Right, then," he muttered, crouching down and fixing his shirt again. "Your uncle says we'll be getting something to eat after Makayla's… but that won't be for a while, so be sure to eat something now, and be back here in twenty minutes. Got it?"

Seth nodded.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Eat something, get back in twenty minutes for Miss Tomoyo's funeral. I got it."

The ninja swallowed slightly and resisted the urge to shout at the boy to stop acting like he was the one who'd died instead of his mother.

"Right. See you in a few minutes."

The four year old didn't look at them as he turned to leave, staring at the floor. Kurogane sighed.

"Don't worry, Kuro-love," Fai consoled, jumping on his back. "With a daddy like you, he'll be feeling better in no time."

"I'm not his father," the swordsman snapped, shaking the magician off of his shoulders. "And how the hell would you know, anyway? I could be a terrible role model."

The mage flashed the dark haired man one of those rare smiles, latching onto his arm.

"Makayla turned out okay," he replied. "And she grew up with you for a daddy."

The ninja raised an eyebrow.

"Makayla turned out like you," he responded, stifling a yawn as a wave of drowsiness washed over him. "A great actress but unable to fool those closest to her."

The wizard chuckled.

"I think she was most like you, actually," he returned. "Proud and caring."

Kurogane scowled at him.

"How the hell am I 'caring'?" he snapped. The magician pecked his cheek.

"Whatever you say, Kuro-rin," he teased. The swordsman growled.

"How the hell can you be so cheerful?" he wondered aloud, staring at the smaller man. "You do know what's happening today, right?"

The magus shivered slightly.

"Of course I do," he answered. "I'm cheerful because I'm trying to cheer you up!"

Kurogane sighed.

"Don't pretend, then," he suggested. "That just irritates me."

The wizard pouted.

"Meanie!"

"Actor!"

"Bully!"

"Idiot!"

"I hate you!"

The swordsman stopped. Is that how he wants to play?

Fai paled slightly, clapping his hands over his mouth as he realized what he'd said.

"Oh god Kuro-sama I swear I didn't mean it I'm so sorry!" he cried, horror filling his eyes. The ninja nodded once, turning and heading for the door before deciding against it and whirling around to glare at the magician, who paled slightly and hung his head. Good god he's adorable.

"Moron," he snapped. The mage didn't look up. Sighing, the swordsman walked back toward him and gently taking hold of the wizard's chin, tilting it until they were looking each other in the eye. Fai glanced down at the floor again.

"Sorry," he muttered again. The swordsman sighed again.

"Think next time, dumbass," he scolded. "Or else I really will leave you here alone."

The magician still didn't look him in the eye.

"Sorry," he said a third time.

Annoyed, the swordsman leaned down and kissed him lightly.

"There," he muttered, flushing. "You're forgiven."

Fai looked at him again, smiling softly.

"Thank you," he whispered. Kurogane released his boyfriend's chin, turning and glancing out the door Seth had left through.

"We should finish getting ready," the mage suggested suddenly, reaching over and adjusting the swordsman's jacket. "Kuro-handsome looks wonderful, of course, but he should really wash his face so no one suspects he's been training in secret ever since Tomoyo and Makayla's passing because he can't manage to sleep."

The ninja flushed again.

"I've been sleeping fine, dammit!" he snapped. "And I haven't left that damn room in two weeks!"

Fai grinned.

"Of course not, Kuro-sweet," he teased. "But you should at least wipe that spot off your cheek before you tell the others that."

The swordsman's hand flew up instinctively, rubbing his right cheek roughly. The wizard chuckled.

"Hold on, I'll get it," he offered, licking his thumb and rubbing it against the ninja's left cheek, below his eyes. "See? Now, what'd you do without me?"

"Not be in the hospital for three fucking months," the dark haired man replied instantly. "First that stupid suicide attempt, then stressing the stitches in your lung, getting the shit beat outta you by a seventeen year old boy, getting kidnapped and injured even more by said boy, and then there were the injuries sustained fighting the same seventeen year old. Shit, it's as if all I've done since we arrived was sit in a hospital room all day."

The magician's face fell.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. Kurogane kicked himself mentally.

"Idiot," he growled. "I didn't mean it."

The wizard smiled up at him, but he was cut off by Seth's soft voice before he could say anything.

"Uncle Evron wants me to tell you both to stop making out and finish getting ready for Miss Tomoyo's funeral," he informed them. "It's in three minutes."

The swordsman growled, turning toward the four year old, who gazed up at him, a curious look on his face.

"What's 'making out' mean?" he asked inevitably. The ninja tensed slightly.

"It's something Mommies and Daddies do," Fai explained quickly, a mischievous gleam entering his eyes. "Perhaps Kuro-daddy would like to demonstrate?"

"Hell no," the swordsman snapped. "I'd like to get this whole funeral buisness over with."

Seth tugged on his pant leg.

"What?!" he growled. The four year old managed a small smile.

"You guys look cool," he complimented. The ninja scowled.

"Us guys look like morons about to attend a funeral," he replied, crouching down and fixing the child's shirt again. "Do you have to use the bathroom?"

The child shook his had, uncharacteristically gloomy attitude returning.

"No," he muttered. "But my mommy… is she really being buried?"

The ninja's nodded once, brushing the boy's hair out of his eyes with one hand.

"And I'll never see her again?"

"Pretty much."

"So what'll I do now?"

The ninja narrowed his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped. The child looked down at the floor.

"Well you don't want me," he muttered. "And I'm not allowed to stay with Uncle Evron or Grandpa or Aunt Kaylee."

"What makes you think we wouldn't want you?" Fai asked softly, crouching down beside the ninja. "Your our friend! If you need some place to go you can come with us!"

The four year old glanced at him hopefully.

"Really?" he questioned suspiciously. The magician grinned.

"Of course! Can't he come with us, Kuro-rin?"

The swordsman sighed in annoyance.

"Whatever," he muttered. "But you'll have to learn how to fight."

"I can do that!" the four year old assured him. Fai smiled again.

"Seth, why don't you go find Evron?" he suggested. "The funeral's starting."

The four year old's eyes widened as he nodded and dashed out of the room. Kurogane glanced up at his boyfriend before standing and stretching.

"Kuro-min," the mage complained, draping himself over the ninja's shoulders, " we're gonna be late!"

The swordsman nodded.

"Go without me, then," he snapped.

The mage glanced at him, surprise registering on his features

"Aren't you coming?" he asked, suspicion evident in his voice. The ninja growled softly.

"Of course I am," he replied sharply. "Why the hell wouldn't I?"

The magician stared at him for a moment before smiling brightly and walking toward the door, casting a glance back at the ninja, who stayed where he was. Kurogane waved sarcastically as the wizard started to walk back toward him.

"I'll be there in a minute," he promised, shoving his hands into the pockets of the suit he was wearing. The mage glanced at him again as he turned around and began walking back. The second he was gone the ninja turned and snuck out the other door, heading back toward their apartment, which was, coincidentally, only a block away from the cemetery. He quickly reached the building and slipped into the apartment, scanning the

first room for anything that seemed out of place. Everything seemed to be in place.

Sighing with relief, the dark haired man quickly moved into his room, ducking beneath his bed and grabbing a small cloth parcel underneath and shoving it into his pocket. Evron had told him that in this country they placed gifts on the coffins of the deceased, to be buried with them. He glanced around again as he grabbed Sohi and strapped it to his waist.

Slipping back out of the apartment, the ninja headed back to the cemetery, being careful to avoid anyone from the hospital, all of which would recognize him instantly. It took every ounce of self restraint for him to avoid removing his jacket in the oppressive heat that had settled in the noon sun.

By the time he'd reached the funeral service, Seth was sobbing and burying his head in Sakura's side. The swordsman pointedly ignored Fai's glare as he stood a short distance away, staring unseeingly at the coffin containing Tomoyo's body.

That's… my fault.

"Hard to believe, isn't it, Kuro-bozu?"

The ninja narrowed his eyes, not bothering to turn toward Evron.

"What?" he snapped. The blonde chuckled.

"That you're late for your own daughter's funeral," he replied. "Not to mention my mother's. Rude much?"

The swordsman didn't reply, moving forward to stand in between Seth and Fai.

"You're late," the wizard commented quietly, smiling. "What were you doing?"

The ninja stared at the two coffins in front of them.

"I had to get something," he muttered, pulling the parcel he'd gotten from the apartment and unwrapping it. "Evron was saying something about putting shit in graves for dead people yesterday, so…"

The wizard chuckled softly as he took the cloth from him, eyes widening in surprise.

"Kuro-rin, did you carve these yourself?" he asked in disbelief. "It must have taken weeks!"

Kurogane shrugged, taking the fabric and it's prizes from him.

"It wasn't that hard," he replied softly, moving forward as the service ended and the attendees began to leave. Fai moved forward with him, watching him closely as he placed two artifacts on each coffin before moving away, observing his handiwork. They were wooden miniatures of the sakura trees he'd known in Japan, carefully carved so they resembled the originals as closely as possible.

"They're beautiful," he whispered softly. The ninja flushed.

"Thanks," he whispered back.

"Fai-san! Kurogane-san!" Syaoran called to them from a few yards away. "We're going to get something to eat!"

The swordsman waved toward them abs mindedly, turning his gaze from the caskets to the mage, who smiled and took his hand.

"Let's go, Kuro-love," the magician suggested. Kurogane nodded, following after him as they walked after the others.

Behind them, the statues glowed cheerfully.

A/N; This chapter was a pain to write. It took me a while because I'd write it, read it through. Decide it wasn't good enough, and then rewrite the whole thing. But I'm highly satisfied with it now, so I have uploaded it. I hope you enjoyed it despite the usual OOCness and sap.

Reviews make me smile and encourage speedy updates.