A/N: Okay, so it's like this. For some reason (I don't know WHY, it just is) Fai has this (spell? Curse? Ability?)... thing where when he's kissed on the lips by a guy he turns into a cat (Fruits Basket, anyone? 8D), and then he turns into a cat person, and then he turns back to normal. Yeah, I must've been on crack or something when I came up with that...
Love is a Three-Letter Word
Kurogane could feel his eyebrow twitch with irritation as he aimed his murderous glare at—well, who else? Fai. The blonde yawned and curled up in his bed, regarding the taller man lazily.
"What's the matter, Kuro-zura?"
Two years.
Two whole freaking years, and Fai was still annoying and as oblivious as ever. His childishness wasn't lost over time. It actually seemed like it was growing with each passing day, much to Kurogane's disappointment.
Kurogane—that was another thing.
As far as he was concerned, he was now emotionally disconnected from his roommate. The kiss he had taken (for it had been taken, not received, or returned) from Fai was forgotten—but not completely. He denied it had ever happened and took care not to breach what appeared to be an invisible barrier separating him from the blonde. The subject was never spoken of; thus, it became a sort of taboo in the dormitories.
Fai was the same dumb idiot with his multiple-personalities syndrome and no solid brain whatsoever.
But, lately, he had been leaving early in the morning and coming back to the dorm when it was growing dark outside. He stayed up past midnight then, making up lost time by studying for his classes with a single-minded determination. Kurogane had fallen into a habit of waiting for Fai to return from wherever he went; silently letting him borrow his notes, watching him copy them down in his usual flowing script—often hurried, but neat nonetheless—and keeping his distance.
Fai insisted on murdering Kurogane's name whenever addressing said person. Even when he was clearly exhausted, he'd still come up with some crazy version of 'Kurogane' and use it to personally wreak havoc.
Sometimes Kurogane would be provoked into chasing Fai down the hall; other times proved more difficult.
Like now.
Kurogane ignored the nickname and scowled down at the blonde.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"What do you mean, Kuro-kun?" Fai inquired, rubbing the fatigue away from his eyes. He had failed to accomplish this on his mouth, however, and a trace of tiredness could be detected in the slight curve of his lips. "Talk to me later. I want to go to bed."
"You're not sleeping until you tell me where you've been going these past few weeks."
"Why should I?"
Kurogane glared. "Because I'm sick of watching you kill yourself every night trying to cram for tests. You need to focus on school right now, and it's not happening with you running off to God knows where. Look at you. You're falling apart. So tell me—where have you been?" He told himself he did not sound like a parent and set up a convincing argument in his head that his concern for the blonde was merely the kind of worry held for the welfare of any other civilized human being.
Except that Fai wasn't civilized.
And as for being human…
Well.
You get the idea.
Fai glanced at him, bemused, a funny little smile quirking up the corner of his mouth. "Are you actually thinking of me, Kuro-love?"
Kurogane took a deep breath.
It was a game, he thought firmly. A game that the blonde played with everyone, regardless of their gender or race. He was a big flirt. He had no thought to personal boundaries, simply draping over people with his lanky limbs and tossing sly winks that made one's pulse skyrocket. He was playfully intimate, smiling all the time but dancing away when others tried to get close. That's when they lost.
Kurogane wouldn't lose the game. He had escaped it a long time ago.
He wasn't in love.
And he definitely wasn't in love with that—that—blonde.
"Just answer the question," he rumbled.
Fai batted his lashes at him. "Well, if you must know… I have a job."
"Don't lie!" Kurogane raised his eyebrow incredulously. "Who in their right mind would hire you?"
Fai pouted. "Kuro-meanie!"
Kurogane pulled up a chair and sat in it backwards, hiding his interest and relief. He had expected worse.
Far worse, actually. His thoughts had initially leaned towards Fai and the possibility of prostitution. Which of course, he realized was silly—Fai would never sell his body to strangers. He had to admit, the blonde had his morals. He could be considered uncaring, but in reality, he was really quite kind and compassionate and sensitive and—
Okay, enough.
Kurogane massaged his temples wearily. "So what's your job?"
"I'm a model."
Kurogane stiffened visibly, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "…What?"
"A model."
"Explain, please."
"Um, well…" Fai scrunched up his face. "I met this guy off campus. He gave me his card and told me to call him later if I was interested in modeling clothes. He's the associate of a fashion designer who he thought would like to meet me. I was curious… and so we had lunch together a few days after. I went to some photo shoots, he said I was a natural, and everyone invited me back. That's where I've been going for the past week." He stretched, then relaxed limply in his bed. "Can I sleep now?"
Kurogane grunted, and observed with hard eyes as the blonde snuggled closer into his pillow. Fai always slept on his stomach. Maybe it was a sign that showed he was submissive. Or trying to hide. Either way, Kurogane noticed that his sleeping position usually never changed.
…Not that he watched Fai sleep. That would just be creepy.
Kurogane sighed and went to bed.
A/N: I jammed my ring finger today at basketball practice. It was not pretty. Do you know how hard it is to type with a jammed finger? Ouch. It's a pain in the ass.
