The weather was fair out, the sky overcast with pale gray clouds. They'd darken up later that afternoon and possibly bring forth some rain but for now the ground was dry and full of shady patches.

Kurogane stopped at a garden he occasionally picked a flower or two from on his way to visit his mother. The small gate had a simple latch and swung freely open as he stepped inside, briefly glancing at the different flowers, before finding one that was still full of life, and clipping it with a pair of thread cutting scissors. He had done it six times before, without anyone stopping him but on the seventh time he'd do it, the owner of the garden caught him in the act and came over to see him.

"She must be really pretty if you're resorting to flower theft," Fai chirped out as he leaned on the fence the other man had used to get in. Kurogane looked up from the flowers to face the owner, a bit surprised the man didn't sound upset that he'd cut one of his daylilies. Since Fai spoke in English, Kurogane mentally recited the format for English sentences in his head, before speaking, "You… unsurprised see me."

Ah, a foreigner, Fai assumed, seeing the mongoloid face and hearing the imperfect English. "I'm not. I noticed someone else had been shearing some of my flowers."

"Are you not upset?" Kurogane asked.

"I'm not upset, but now that I've seen you, I need to see her and make sure she is pretty enough for flower theft."

"Ah?" Kurogane looked at him confused.

Simple sentences, you dummy, Fai scolded himself, "I'm going with you, to see who you cut the flowers for." If you don't understand that, I'm not sure how much simpler I can make it so you understand.

Kurogane stood from where he kneeled down to cut the flower, pocketing his scissors, as he gently kept hold of the daylily, and walked over to Fai and the gate. "I uncertain you want to go with I."

Fai silently wondered how long the other had been studying English, since it was understandable what he meant to say, that he could overlook minor structural errors since even fluent speakers sometimes were harder to understand, as he opened the gate for Kurogane, who stepped out onto the sidewalk, that led straight to the garden. Kurogane shut the garden gate, securing the latch as he cradled the flower head with his arm.

Kurogane made no effort to run from Fai as he began to walk on the sidewalk and Fai followed at his side.

"So, what's her name?" he asked, glancing over at Kurogane.

"Her name… Tsubame."

"That's a lovely name," Fai commented.

"Yes, very lovely."

Most people say thank you, but that's okay, Fai mentally commented. "How long have you known her?"

"I known her… all years of my life," Kurogane answered, wondering how to tell the gardener, that he wasn't going on a date or something cute like that. But most people didn't like to be told things bluntly

"Hwoo… color me impressed," Fai fake whistled.

Kurogane blinked, and looked at him confused, "Impressed is not a color?"

Fai laughed a bit before patting Kurogane on the shoulder, "It's a figure of speech. I didn't mean it literally."

Kurogane made a small tch, before it grew quiet again as he followed the familiar path, stones paved decades before he was even born, cracks from the wear and tear of life, of pedestrians, bikes, skateboards, even mopeds and the occasional car running over it with their own life, with little consideration for the path beneath their feet. The road between was barely more than gravel and dirt in places between residential streets, less than half of the sidewalks having used a newer cement foundation. There was a park a few blocks away, not far from a building that helped homeless and disabled individuals look for a lasting job.

Past the park was a set of train tracks before an empty lot and a few streets that winded about. The trains weren't frequent during rush hours, more coming in the early afternoon and late at night than any other time. Still, Kurogane looked both ways, for any sight or sound of an oncoming train, and when there was none, he crossed the tracks, Fai right behind him. Kurogane headed down one of the twisting streets that led to a cemetery on one side and the back of homes on the other. In the distance, tops of apartments, business buildings and even a hospital were visible.

"I'm going to guess you don't have a vehicle, since we're walking there," Fai brought up to bring a little conversation between them.

"I have vehicle, but I not drive it often. It nice to environment to walk places and good for individual health."

"Ah, I see," Fai commented.

Pointing towards the cemetery, Kurogane spoke up. "I going there."

"To the hospital or the ..?" Fai began to ask, since it looked like it could have been either, but either one was a bit sad.

"Tsubame's body was cremated. She and her baby have gravemarkers here."

Fai was quiet once more as Kurogane silently continued to lead the way until they stepped among the grass, standing before two grave markers with writing in both English and Japanese. The second date on the headstones was the same, nine months ago. Kurogane set the flower between the two of them, before he pulled out his wallet where he had a photo inside, and showed it to Fai. In the picture there were two males that had striking similarities and a woman that appeared pregnant, and Fai guessed they were father and son. "She is Tsubame."

"Was she your wife?" Fai asked.

"No. Not I wife. Tsubame is I mother. This only photo we have of the four of us."

Fai hesitantly asked, "What happened?"

"She expecting to deliver that day. We going to hospital when we got hit by drunk's car. Doctors not capable to save them."

"I'm so sorry," Fai said sympathetically.

"It not your fault; there's nothing for you to be sorry for."

"Still, losing your mother is never easy…"

"You lose your mother too?" Kurogane asked.

Fai smiled but there was no mirth to it, "Brother and I never really had one. She abandoned us to an orphanage because she couldn't, or wouldn't, raise twins on her own."

Kurogane studied Fai for a bit, before he kneeled down in the grass in front of the two markers, speaking a prayer in his native tongue. Fai stood at his side before squatting down, like a monkey, and offering up prayers of his own to the two. Kurogane could only pick out pieces here and there of what Fai said, but the gesture was warmly appreciated.

They spent several minutes there, in front of the graves, offering prayers and small stories, before Kurogane stood back up.

"Ah .. will you let me buy you lunch? There's Taco Bell or there's McDonald's nearby."

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

"No, there's no plums around," Kurogane said, and for a moment, Fai wasn't sure if he was being serious and mistook date the activity for date the fruit, or if that was supposed to be a joke, before he chuckled, "That depends. Will you buy me a dessert with lunch too?"

"If you want."

"Then yes," Fai said with a smile before he wrapped his arm around one of Kurogane's. "Besides," Fai said looking over his shoulder at the two grave markers, "I'm sure she was the kind of mother that wants to watch over her family and see her boy grow up to be happy."

Kurogane was surprised at those words, before looking off to the side. Fai looked back at Kurogane and caught just a faint color to his cheeks, and lightly poked him there. "How cute."

Kurogane lightly swatted the finger, "I not cute."

"We'll just have to agree to disagree about that one," Fai spoke charmingly, before he lightly tugged on the arm, "now let's go get lunch."

"Ah," Kurogane grunted. That they could agree on.