His entire body ached, muscles sore and worn out, along with the various cuts on his body. All Kurogane wanted to do was get back to the castle, get a bath, and get in bed. Tomoyo had sent him out on a mission to the far border, along with a handful of other men, to check out rumors of a new type of oni, and he had gone out with minimal complaining. It should have been quick, an easy mission, but he had been wrong.

Six months... They were gone for six months with very little contact back at the castle. He's only sent a handful of letters to the princess during his time away, mostly to give a status report on who was still alive, and none at all to Fai. Surely the Tomoyo would have passed on that he was okay. He didn't like the thought of him worrying needlessly.

Kurogane let out a breath as the outer walls of the castle came into view. Finally home... His horse seemed to share the sentiment as it let out a whinny and a flick of the head. He petted its strong neck as a stable hand came out to retrieve the horse.

A quick word from the young boy let him know that the princess was in one of the ballrooms, having a get together with some of the neighboring aristocrats. Knowing her meant that Fai was also at the party, and he also knew he probably wasn't enjoying himself all that much. The aristocrats were never fun to deal with, the princess didn't like having them around, but to keep the peace she was required to. It makes sense that she wouldn't want to do it alone.

As much as he wanted a bath, wanted to sink into the hot water and ease the ache in his body, Kurogane figured he could at least go save one person from the boredom they were sure to be feeling. Sure enough when Fai spotted him in the doorway, a smile formed on his face and his eyes lit up. He only made it one step towards him before he noticed Tomoyo standing next to the blond, a hand on his arm preventing him from walking away.

Of course she wouldn't want to suffer through this alone. Fai may be stuck, for now at least, but Kurogane still had a chance to get away. He shot the mage an apologetic look before quickly walking from the room. He'd go get cleaned up, give time for the party to start to die out, before going to fetch Fai again.

The hot water from the bath felt good on his aching muscles and Kurogane let out a deep sigh. He would be giving his report to the princess in the morning, so he was in no rush to get clean. He'd also be given a few days to rest and recuperate after the long mission, and while he normally wouldn't indulge in such a thing, having Fai around made him want to take a few days just for the two of them.

It would be nice to spend at least a day, just the two of them, reacquainting themselves with every part of each other. His eyes slid shut as he thought of just what he wanted to do to the man and before he knew it, he'd been in the bath for over an hour. He cursed as he got out, quickly drying off and heading to his room to get dressed.

Once dressed he made his way back to the party, where he could hear the sounds of music and laughter still just as strong as when he had first approached. Fai was leaving with him this time, whether Tomoyo agreed to it or not. Luckily he didn't have to fight her on this, one look at her had her nodding her head and Fai was making his way towards him, relief clear on his face.

Kurogane's arms itched to wrap around the small frame of his boyfriend, to hold him close after such a long separation, but he'd prefer to be alone for what he had in mind. Fai seemed to be thinking the same thing because he just flashed a beautiful smile before they started back towards their room.

"Hyuu~ Kuro-sama saved me like my own knight in shining armor~" Fai hummed cheerfully, giving him a teasing smile. Now that he wasn't in the party, he felt it appropriate to start taking all the various decorative pins and ribbons from his hair, letting the blonde strands fall from the elaborate hairstyle Tomoyo had put it in to.

Kurogane paid him no mind, eyes on the long strands of hair that fell down around Fai's waist, wondering just when it had grown so long. Before he had left, there had been talk of cutting it, and he found he was pleased that it hadn't happened. While he didn't mind Fai with his hair short, he'd love him regardless of the length of it, there was just something about being able to run his fingers through the longer strands while they're relaxing, or while they were laying down to sleep and tangling his fingers in the softness.

"Kuro-sama?"

Fai's voice cut through his musings and he blinked, not aware that he had even zoned out like that. There was a worried furrow between his brows and Kurogane didn't like that he put it there. He gave a little shake of his head, nudging the other to step into their room.

"I'm okay. Just tired I guess. Glad to be home."

The smile he received was breathtaking, and well worth coming home to. He had the urge to kiss the mage, and since they were alone, he didn't stop himself from wrapping an arm around the slim waist and pulling him close for a kiss.

One kiss turned into two, which turned into three before he forced himself to pull back and step away from the temptation to keep it going. There would be time for that later. Fai was pleasantly flushed when he stepped over to the clothes chest to get his sleep wear and a satisfied smirk formed on Kurogane's face as he tracked the other's movements.

It wasn't long before Fai was taking a seat in front of the mirror, humming softly to himself as he put all the pins and ribbons back in the correct slots in the small table. He took but a moment to examine his reflection before picking up the brush, only running it through the length of his hair once before Kurogane was stepping closer, a hand reaching out to grab his wrist before he could register the movement.

"Let me." Kurogane had the urge to touch the hair, wanting to know if it was still as soft as he remembered. He knew Fai had to be tired as well, from all the various lessons he went through daily with the princess, so this was just a little thing he could do for him that would benefit them both.

He was rewarded with a gentle smile and he leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his temple before carefully running the brush through the long hair. He carefully worked out all the knots and tangles in the strands before setting the brush aside to run his fingers through uninterrupted. It was as soft as he remembered, and he took his time letting the strands run and twist around his fingers. He let his fingers scratch along his head on occasion, a small, pleased noise escaping each time. He missed these little, peaceful moments between them.

Fai was humming softly, eyes shut in contentment, head tilting at each little prompt from Kurogane's hands. He let out a little giggle when his head was pulled back and he opened his eyes, meeting the red of the other. "Is Kuro-sama feeling a little frisky?" he asked, his voice playful. A low growl was his answer and he grinned, turning completely before throwing his arms around the other's shoulders, pushing him backwards as he pressed a kiss to his lips, so, so happy he was home.