Chapter Two: Cultural Differences

Dinner was a long affair. Kurogane was totally silent, picking at his food and ignoring everybody. Fai ate quietly as well. He kept throwing glances at Kurogane out of the side of his eyes and opening his mouth to say something, then changing his mind and shutting it again.

Fai finished eating quickly and excused himself, going upstairs to the bedrooms. Kurogane continued to pick at his food for a while longer before excusing himself as well.

Sakura watched him get up from the table and then hurried up herself. She through her arms around Kurogane in a big bear hug, and looked up at him with a warm smile. "Don't be sad, Kurogane-san. I'm sure you and Fai-san will be alright."

Kurogane looked shocked for a moment and then smiled wanly back. "Thanks" he said simply before turning away. Yes, we will be alright he thought as he climbed up the stairs to his room. It's the fact that we won't be alright together that bothers me.

Kurogane stepped into his room and closed the door behind him. He turned to face the bed and paled, his thoughts screeching to a freezing halt. Fai sat on the bed immersed on one of Kurogane's magazines. Kurogane turned silently around to leave. The door was locked.

"Kuro-chuu."

Kurogane didn't turn around. His hand on the door handle was going white from gripping it so hard. Kurogane started to talk, stopped, swallowed and tried again.

"What?" Kurogane had tried to make it sound annoyed, like the Mage was being his usual bothersome self, but it came out squeaky and scarred sounding.

"Oh, Kuro-ron. . ." Fai said sadly and came up behind Kurogane, forcefully turning the bigger man around to face into the room.

Kurogane remained silent, looking at the floor somewhere to Fai's left.

Fai looked up at Kurogane searchingly. "Kuro-pyu . . . I'm sorry. You obviously did something really important, and I didn't react how I should of. I just don't understand." Fai shook his head in exaggerated sadness.

Kurogane starred at Fai in pure shock, all awkwardness and fear momentarily forgotten. "Wha--" he started, "How much more obvious do I have to get?"

Fai shook his head. "We come from different worlds, Kuro-rin. Different cultures. What's obvious to you isn't necessarily obvious to me."

Kurogane stared for a moment, wondering what to say, blushing madly, and still being a complete idiot. Finally, he stammered " I- I l-love you."

Fai looked at him curiously. "You mean I'm like a brother to you?"

Kurogane blushed even harder. "N-no. More like a . . ." Kurogane searched for the right words.

"An Uncle?" supplied Fai "A son? A King? A friend?"

Kurogane shook his head, wondering how hot his face could get before it melted. He tried again. "Like a . . . a boyfriend."

Fai fell silent.

"Kuro-myu, that doesn't work." Fai didn't look embarrassed, or upset. Just confused.

"Why not?!" demanded Kurogane fiercely. He had started this, he had confessed his feelings after so long of trying to let them go, and there was no way now that he was going to back down (even if he was an idiot for doing it).

"Well . . . .because you're a guy."

"So?"

Fai looked shocked. that was not the response he'd been expecting. For a long moment (very very very long) he didn't say anything, and then burst out in a rush of words; "But . . . but I'm a guy too, and . . . . . . ah . . .and . . ." Fai finally stepped back and sagged onto the edge of the bed, looking up wonderingly at Kurogane. "Wow. I never thought . . ."

Kurogane walked over silently and sat next to Fai. "You don't have same-sex pairings in your country?"

Fai shook his head. "It's . . . I never thought . . . it never occurred to me that we could . . ." the mage had always talked easily; it was strange now to be at such a loss for words. "I . . .I suppose you'll want an answer?"

Kurogane didn't say anything, but Fai interpreted his silence for the hesitant affirmative it was. The smaller man stood up and walked a little ways away, seeming to search for his answer outside the bedroom window.

"I . . . I'm not sure, Kurorin. I feel . . . different with you then when I'm with anybody else. Safer and . . . and happier. And when I'm not with you I'm thinking about you. And when I think that one day we're going to come to your Nihon and you're going to stay there while I move on . . . I –I want so much for that day to never come. But I never thought that it could be love!