[A/N] Maddie Hat: I've got to say I'm pretty damn well pleased by be back in business. Or back in action or whatever. I'm also pretty damn well pleased that we wrote so much. Rika, we are a pair of damn fine authors. In any case, we're very sorry for all these delays and waiting. To make it up to you we spent about three solid days slaving on this. It took some work, and quite a bit to get the three days to do this on, and then go and . .. .well . . . .do it. But we did! And it's quite wonderful, too! So, yes, we're back! **cheers** Whoot!

RaddxRika: You be a damn fine author. I'm just damn fine. ANYways, KuroFai. Meh. Fai is no longer a mopey emo kid. But we have a had a hell of a time deciding- go sexy or fluffy? SO! Our deciosion is, let the fangirls decide. This is fluffy. Note that this will not be all love and joy either, but…. The sexy one could get quite dark. Fangirls…. Tell us. What do we do? Write just this one? Or both? Hmm. Without futher ado, Kurofai.

[Fai] Energy sapped, I sat down hard; shaking with the effort it took to breathe. I slumped against the bed, unable to support my body as I tried to fill my lungs with shuddering breaths.

Finally able to breathe, I ground a fist into my eyes, wiping away the tears that lingered there. My eyes were swollen and I had to force my jaw to stop trembling. I hated being this way. Weak. Pathetic. I took a deep breath, stopping the tiny tremors in my fingers, then used the chair to pull myself up to my feet. My whole body was stiff and my legs cramped. They would have given out and dropped me on the floor if I hadn't braced my arms on the chair and used them to support all my weight. I grimaced, waiting for the painful spasming to stop, then finally stood on my own.

I took another deep breath, checked the hallway- empty- and headed for the kids' room. It was easy to slip in and pick up the sleeping Mokona from where he lie, sleeping in the middle of the floor and rolling about in typical Mokona style. Then Syaoran-kun shifted, muttering as if he was awake and I froze. There wasn't a way to explain this, and after earlier, I simply wouldn't be forgiven. He stilled and I hurried out of the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the princess, curled tightly into herself and looking painfully forlorn even in sleep. My fault.

Back in the room I set Mokona down and whistled the notes to command his magic on dry lips that didn't want to obey. The faint outline of the circle appeared, white and flickering. It crackled for a moment, then cleared to show a sakura in full bloom. Then it tilted wildly, bringing the witch into view.

She blinked and paused a moment.

"So you called back" She drawled, setting down a sake cup. She was perched sideways on something so she was looking at me sidelong, her bangs falling across her face while the rest of her hair was piled up in a sloppy knotted bun which seemed to be fastened by a long lacquered rod.

"Ah! Yuuko-san- hey isn't-" Shouted a boy a little behind her, flailing so it looked like he had more joints that any human had a right to, even as she interrupted him.

"Wata~nuki~kun! Bring me sa~ke!" She sang lightly, not turning even a hair in his direction, though she shot him a lopsided grin- she put on smiles better than I did.

"B-b-but!" He sputtered ,shooting me a look, then stumbling and flailing his arms (and his whole body at that) wildly as he came to a stop right behind her. "Yuuko-san" He whined, glancing again at me. I stared blankly ahead, a smile plastered on although I knew I looked awful. Crying always made me ugly, and I could see that he knew in his face. I smiled. He shouted at Yuuko, clearly infuriated."It's back at the shop! Why didn't you tell me before we left, dammit! And, besides-"

"Shut up" Someone said bluntly, their low voice toneless and bored. It was another boy, perched on a boulder a little ways farther back with a sake cup in his hand to match Yuuko's. He had dark hair; dark eyes and a very cool unflappable look about him. He had some kind of power, I could see, as did the other boy, just by looking at them. None too pleased, the first boy, Watanuki, gaped for a second then began to shout at him, waving his fists angrily. The boy plugged his ears, looking a bit irritated if resigned to the fact that this was expected, but didn't otherwise react. Obviously, the two were close and this was a common occurrence. Among the shouts I could hear Watanuki's indignant "Are you even listening?". They were. . . . .strange. I decided. Strange.

"Go on then," Yuuko told him, flapping her hands dismissively at him with a self-satisfied grin.

"B-but . . ."He glanced from me to Yuuko again worry on his face, and I made sure not to pay attention to him or meet those kind blue eyes. I was sure it would be bad. Yuuko turned around to face him, her posture and movements lazy though I could feel the steely intent about her.

"Kimihiro" She told him coolly, "Bring me. The sake." She said quietly, her voice toneless. The boy blinked, stumbled a few awkward steps backwards, turned in a tangle of limbs and half-fell, half-sprinted at a clumsy run down a paved path in the background.

"He's going to hurt himself like that," The boy commented, his low voice dull in the background. His eyes were level, staring directly after Watanuki, then shifting to pin Yuuko. He glanced at me for a split second, his eyes blank- or perhaps, far too knowing- and then went back to staring into the space behind Watanuki. He never moved, keeping his hands clasped loosely behind his knees the whole time. It was almost resignation, as before, but without the sense of defeat that resignment brought. Clearly, he was used to this sort of thing, and the other boys antics in general. I couldn't help feeling a little bad for him- Watanuki seemed to be a bit wild- if not much- Watanuki was too kind for me to really feel bad for him. Yuuko sighed.

"Why don't you follow him Doumeki-kun? Make sure he doesn't hurt himself," Yuuko suggested, her eyes blank, expression dryly amused.

"Yeah" He replied in that one, low and toneless gravelly syllable. Then he rose, following the still-flailing figure away from Yuuko. The Witch turned to me, dropping all pretense. "You decided?"

"I'll do it. I'll pay whatever, I don't even care. Just…" I thought of Kurogane, pale and already gaunt. "Just help him."

Yuuko nodded, understanding. "I have a bandage. Wind it around his wound and it will draw the poison. Don't take it off until the wound heals completely, or else it won't work again, and he'll have to fight the poison himself."

I nodded, noting the instructions carefully. I would relay them to Sakura and Syaoran later. "The price?"

"I'll send you a crystal with the bandages. Hold it against your forehead until it grows warm; then send it back. The price will be paid in full."

I nodded. I didn't care what was being taken. Magic, time, sight. I'd pay. And I'd know what I paid later. She sent the bandages and a small, cerulean jewel through Mokona to my side, and I did as told. The crystal felt cool in my palm. I stared down into its swirled blue depths- what would it take from me?

I was beginning to realize that it no longer mattered- I just wanted Kuro to be healthy again. Healthy enough to complain about me, or threaten me, or grumble at Syaoran because he couldn't manage to really be mean to him, or even mutter gruffly at Sakura. Just healthy. Then the rest could be worried about. Things like feathers, and the next world, and the people following us and all those worries that seemed to move far, far away when the sword hit him. We could worry about it later. We would have to, eventually. I took the bandage, gathered some resolve, and I decided to set to work- the sooner the better. Because soon couldn't be soon enough.

-DRAMATIC PAUSE-

[Intermission]

It is now intermission, Maddie Hat, speaking. We'd like to bring you a message from our sponsors; who don't exist. They're the voices in my head. They say that they're proud of us, and proud to bring you this latest installment. They are amazed by our fans and would like to say that every review counts. Sadly, they don't exist. Even inside my head. So you'll just have to do a good job of pretending. Now, please return to your seats and other spots of comfort and pleased-ness. The show will resume shortly. Thank you, and enjoy the show. Maddie Hat, signing out.

-DRAMATIC RETURN-

[Still Fai] I pressed the stone to my head quickly and gracelessly. I held my breath, squeezing my eyes closed. It didn't take long for the crystal to become warm, and I pulled it away from my forehead fast, like it had burned me. In one motion, I opened Mokona's mouth and popped the stone in. Yuuko held it up, showing it to me from her side. "I have it," She said. Then, she smiled softly. "Go." The command was a kind one, and I bowed to her and rushed out the door, just catching a glimpse of the circle blinking out as she cut the connection.

I swallowed, shoving away idle thoughts that wondered what it was I had paid- later. Worry about it later. I shifted in my seat, and drew back all of the blankets, leaving them on the foot of the bed. He looked strange without them; just laying there. I didn't dwell, but set to work getting him out of the old shirt he was still wearing. His shirt was out of the way in a flash, and completely off a second later. I could have left it on, but it was already done and I didn't dwell on in it. My fingers fumbled with the edge of the bandage already binding his wound, and this I didn't rush- I could hurt him if I moved too fast. I slowly pulled it off, one small bit at a time, letting my fingers brush his skin again and again. I was very smooth… careful.

I leaned closer, poring over my fingers as I slowly peeled back the bandage, watching as more and more of his dark skin was revealed- don't hurt him, never hurt him. It was my mantra, always, when tending the wound. Now, it seemed louder, cleared, more insistent. The bandages, as painstakingly as I peeled them back, gentle, nimble fingers carefully drawing them from skin, seemed to fly from his body, disappearing faster than made sense. My hands were on him; and I was suddenly and acutely aware of it, gooseflesh rising across my shoulders and neck, spreading down my arms and tingling my hands where they rested on him. I should have been unwinding, fingers occupied with separating cloth from skin. There was no reason for my hands to stay on him like that. My hands didn't seem to care as I forced myself back to unwinding, unsettled by their unwillingness to obey, and they continued to stay closer, to brush his skin more than any reasoning could justify. In my gut, in the pit of my stomach, it gave me an uneasy feeling. I ignored it in favor of pulling away the unwound bandage.

And I realized- a very strange, surreal realization- that Kurogane was bare-chested before me. I looked at the wound, jagged and ugly and I felt sick, the very thought of poison, of the damage to his body making me want to upend my stomach unendingly to get rid of the nauseating feel of it. Even so. . . .and I didn't know where thought led, but I knew that my eyes were following the sleek, angled line made by his side. Tracing the lines of muscles, even more clearly visible under dark skin for all the weight he had lost- shouldn't have lost. And this thought snapped me back to myself. I swallowed the rise of confused fear in my throat, shoving it back and reached for the bandage from Yuuko, the search forcing me to pull my eyes away. I shouldn't be watching him like that. I didn't know why I was. I also didn't know why I couldn't seem to stop. I stared blindly through the bandage in my hand. I felt strange, so strange. What did Yuuko take?

The answer was there, nagging at me, but out of reach. With an almost angry sigh of frustration, I pushed aside these thoughts too and took up the bandages again, determined to be less distracted in this task; perhaps the most important task of all. I wound it around him carefully, knowing I'd only do it once. I made sure the thin cloth laid blat against his body, and got into the rhythm of the motion- pull the bandage flat against his skin, slightly overlapping the edges of the last bit of binding. The task was over before I knew it, and my hands tucked the edge of the bandage away, pulling it so it wouldn't come loose. Once I was finished, I let my hand rest on his tanned skin. So smooth. Frustrated with myself, I yanked my hand back, intending to brush my long bangs out of my eyes. Instead, I took his limp hand, which had been dangling off the edge of the bed, in both of mine. I stared, confused. Why am I-?

Then, all of a sudden, I knew what she had taken. Staring at the hand I couldn't help but hold, I knew Yuuko's price was inhibitions. Mine, to be precise.

Now, I always knew Kurogane was special to me. A great friend. But here I was, holding his hand like a character in bad shojo manga- or even worse, a fanfiction- and thinking. Slowly, though, my sleepless nights caught up to me. I sat on the floor next to Kurogne's bed, and vaguely felt my cheek touch his dark hand and my own pale ones.

[Kurogane] I woke up slowly. I felt the wound in my side, detached, like it didn't belong to me. My senses were dull, my body heavy and my head foggy- a feeling that only comes with drugs, poison or pnuemonia. It was poison- the knives the men in this world carried were built perfectly for it.

One of my hands and not the other was warm, a nice feeling. And then I realized I was touching something. I dragged my eyes over- too damned sluggish; too damned slow if I needed to react- and then had to force my neck to turn, another difficulty in order to see that far. The Mage was sleeping on my hand, fingers curled around it under his cheek- he looked like a little kid, silver hair, golden eyelashes, round cheeks that would be rounder when he smiled the childish smile that went with it- the irritating one. The one that lied. The one I knew I didn't actually dislike the look of- how could I not like that feeling in the bottom of my stomach?- and the irritation set it. The goddamned mage. Fuck him, the senseless bastard- was he that blind? Blind enough to really not see it? But then, he was. And god damn him for it. Just god damn it flat out. I sighed, or tried to. I tried to make the word pass my lips but they wouldn't move- fuck. Stupid idiot. Stupid. I considered jerking my hand back, but… I liked it too much. I was tired, or I would have forced myself to anyway. He was sleeping anyway, damn moron. He'd probably been depriving himself of sleep as if it helped anyone any. As if it did anything but make matters worse. I could only imagine what the kid and the brat thought. Not that it made any difference- I'd see he got some proper sleep soon enough. It didn't take much to threaten a silly mage, even stuck in the bed as I hated to admit I temporarily was. I sighed, smiling wryly, and watched him doze.

Such a damned idiot . . . I thought fondly. My eyes were heavy, not used to staying open. I let them close.

I could feel his breathing on my skin- steady puffs of air ghosting across my knuckles. I almost chuckled and my sarcastic smile turned into a grimace- that little movement was enough to pull my wounds. Just a smirk. I forced myself to take a deep breath, and see what kind of shape I was in.

Everything was leaden, leaving that heaviness in my muscles and an ache in my bones. My head felt thick, stuffed with cotton lining, which meant I was still drugged and not making enough blood or fast enough. Breathing wasn't impossible, but I wanted it to be easier. My heart rate was steady, almost completely. So I would scrape by. I forced myself to breathe deeply, filling up my lungs and pushing all the air back out of them at which both they and my chest protested. I pushed the pain away- almost nothing.

There was a change in the Mage's breathing, and I opened my eyes in time to look right into his- blue like the sky, blue like ice, blue like the expensive stones that Souma always wore. I missed that. And I pushed that away too, automatically forcing my body to continue the painful, but correct breathing pattern. And his eyes widened as he lifted his face from my hand. And widened and widened. My lips twitched up in the corner. Baka.

He sat up, pulling his hands away. "You're up?" There was a hitch in his voice, a tiny strain. He probably didn't realize. I felt a deep satisfaction at that, but ignored it in favor of blinking lazily at him.

"Yeah." My voice was like gravel, low and grating in my throat. I shifted the tiny bit I was able, ignoring my muscles' complaints as I grimaced slightly, displeased with the lack of progress. "What does it look like?" I asked, scowling slightly as my voice cracked and dropped before coming back.

It was worth the relief in those no-cloud-sky eyes to just sigh irritably and not say anything. "How long?"

Fai blinked, the question registering in his eyes as he got himself back together. He fidgeted and glanced at a corner I knew was empty. I sighed, irritable.

"How long?" I growled, my voice lower and not painful with the force I was exerting on it. I glared into where the mage's eyes would be if he was looking at me, eyes burning. I had to turn my head to do it, and I shifted, pieces of hair falling across my eyes. Someone had had the poor sense to take off my forehead protector. What if I needed it?

Fai fidgeted, not answering.

I sighed again, the irritation growing as it rose up in me. The controlled breathing was good for me anyway.

"How long have you been sitting here?" I demanded.

He froze. He turned, and he gave me such a look. Eyes like snow, eyes like . . . something. Who knew what? My heart twitched. I ignored that too in favor or boring into his eyes- my gaze was usually enough to bear down on a person. He would answer.

He swallowed hard and I saw his adam's apple bob though I didn't let my eyes leave his, or even waver.

"Almost four days," He whispered, his voice barely audible as he stared.

"You haven't been eating." I informed him, glaring. Baka. Baka, baka, baka, baka. It played over and over again in my head- stupid. And what would happen if he too fell ill? The kid and the brat would have to fend for themselves. They couldn't have watched me, taken care of him, gotten enough food for us, and still searched for the feather. They would probably get ambushed. They would take him. It sent a chill down my spine. Of course, they would take me too. That didn't worry me. What they would do to him. . . . . I stopped my thoughts. They were pointless. I stared at him, waiting for some sort of explanation.

The mage looked a tad ashamed. Good. "I wasn't hungry." I knew I was scowling, and felt it deepen. Wasn't hungry? Like hell. No one loses that much weight because they aren't hungry. Most people wouldn't notice, because he was so skinny, but he'd lost weight. Maybe two inches of him in sheer width that he couldn't afford to lose. At least one inch. I scowled harder.

He gulped and looked down like a little kid being scolded. "Go get some food. I'm hungry." It was a lie. The idea of food was entirely unappetizing, uniteresting and highly unpleasant. But if I ate, he would too. I was used to eating when I wasn't hungry- if you didn't know when the next meal was coming, you just ate when you could because you needed to strength. Who knew when we would need the strength? I would be in bed another three days, maybe another half. It would be almost exactly a week before I could get back to moving around and fighting, eleven days to be back at full strength. Even then, I would be slightly weaker. I'd train hard to make up for it. I would badger the mage to eat- if I refused to, he probably would.

The idiot walked out of the room, returning quickly with a bowl of soup on a tray. "Sakura made this yesterday and put it aside for today. It's miso. Want some?" I didn't, but I nodded anyway. "Where's yours?" I asked.

He blinked- this hadn't occurred to him. I stared expectantly. He swallowed- again- and looked away. I sighed, eyes closing as I scowled and controlled my temper. Idiot. Baka. Damned stupid, careless mage. I wanted to shout at him, roar. I wasn't strong enough for that, even if it was a good idea.

"You have to eat. Go."

He averted his eyes "There isn't anymore."

"We'll share. I can't eat much or I'll throw up" I told him levelly, keeping my anger back. He stared at me, then nodded dumbly and sat beside me, settling the bowl. I tried to lift my hand and take the spoon, and it aggravated me how slow it was, and the hair swinging into my eyes didn't help. I picked up the spoon carefully, my hand shaking. Damn.

My fingers twitched and the spoon fell. I mutter a half-intelligible curse without stopping to think what it was. I scowled and let my hand stay where it lie on the bed. My hair was pissing me off. I swiped at it, and my hand shook too badly, making all the strands fall back across my face. I growled.

The mage reached out and nimble, cool fingers danced on my forehead, pushing all the hair back so it somehow stayed there. He did it thoughtlessly if it was the most natural sensible thing in the world. I just looked at him, a little bit harder, wondering if it was even conscious. He looked at me, almost questioning, innocent- not conscious. I decided instantly, not a doubt in my mind. Then he picked up the spoon and in the shadow of his hair, he was faintly pink, his features twisted slightly. Confused. It was strange of him, being so . . . . .Something. I couldn't name what was wrong, couldn't pin it. Just something. I scrutinized him as he wiped of the spoon with a cloth painstakingly and stirred the soup.

[Non-PV] Fai watched Kurogane. The pallor was gone from the man's dark skin, but he was so weak. It was horrible to watch him so helpless. The mage reached out and smoothed the darker man's hair back again, his hand lingering for a fraction of a second too long.

Kurogane didn't miss the man's hesitation, or his nervous looks. He wanted to make the man eat. Now, not later. And there was only one way he knew to get the idiot to eat. A way he'd enjoy far too much. But then, he doubted the mage would be less enthused. He just had to come around to the idea. Kuro's lips curled. He hated to admit he was weak, especially to this man. "I can't."

The mage looked at the spoon, clean and sitting on the tray. He picked it up nervously, and spooned up some of the broth. Nervously, he reached out with the spoon, letting it hover next Kurogane's mouth, slowly, the dark man opened his mouth, letting the mage pour the broth into his mouth.

[Fai] As I slowly spooned the soup into Kurogane's mouth, I got more and more nervous. I was watching his lips move; I was watching him. Not just watching; observing in the normal way, but watching closely even the smallest movement. Absorbed, completely, and unable completely to look away. I just wanted to look, and not stop; to devour him with my eyes. It was so reassuring; seeing him awake, right, that I couldn't believe how bad it had felt, how sick it had made me to watch him that way. It was reassuring, seeing him awake. Getting better. He would be better. I focused on that instead. One hand reached down, grabbing Kuro's hand, almost not noticing I was doing it. Once it had been done, I wished desperately to take it back, but snatching my hand back would call attention to it. I let it happen, still giving Kuro broth with my other hand. I gave him the spoonful, watching his lips.

My hand jerked forward. Kuro pulled my hand to him, and I fell onto him, stubling from the chair to sprawl half way across both him and the bed. His other hand moved swiftly, cupping the back of my neck and closing the last few inches between us. The kiss was gentle, and I fell into it, unable to stop myself. My lips parted, and he reacted, pushing a small amount of soup into my mouth. I swallowed automatically, and for once, I was hungry. This kiss continued, only stopping when my stomach growled.

Kuro's eyes were steady-what the . . .? I couldn't think. But the soup tasted good. So did Kurogane. And then I realized what I was thinking. What I had done. What he had done. I tried to move back, but even so weak, his hand on my head held me. My mouth moved through a flurry of sentence-starts I didn't follow through with. Kurogane smirked. I gaped, feeling the heat- and the color- flooding my face. His smirk didn't waver.

"Eat it," He commanded me, hand still on the back of the head. I stared. "Now." The orders were soft, kind. Kurogane released me, letting me sit back. I picked up the bowl, tipping all of the miso soup into my mouth. I swallowed it all, as fast as I could. "There. All gone."

Kurogane rolled his eyes. He smirked. Something at the bottom of my spine was sending tingles up to my neck, where they lingered in the base of my skull. I stared at his face, unable to look away.

"Good." His fingers, laced in-between mine somehow, tightened a moment before going lax again, though they stayed entangled. Then he closed his eyes. When his fingers loosened on mine and I realized I'd been holding my breath, I knew he was asleep. I breathed. Just barely.

[A/N]Maddie Hat: . . . .screw this. Rika, you can start.

RxR: Yay Fai is no longer a mopey emo kid! Yay limes! Yay fluff! Don't get too comfortable, now, though. It will not all be fluff from here on out. It will be fluff and lemon and… ;) Sorry it took so long get this up, but it's long and that should make up for it a little. Forgive us? In my defense though, a lot has happened, including, but not limited to; being grounded, school summer homework, school starting, and hospitalization of a family member (who is all better now).

Maddie Hat: I vouch for this. I also had all the school nonsense, plus family ridiculity. Nothing serious. Just troublesome. So, we've been jumped by real life and Kurofai got short-changed. But we got the damn thief back, and took our things from it too. So all's well that ends well, right?