Perceptive

Fai is done for. He has no clue what to do. He's weighing his options, and as of present, he's trying to decide between jumping off that nice skyscraper across from the apartment they're currently lodged in, or "accidentally" walking straight into traffic during rush hour.

He's leaning more toward the traffic—after all, accidents are a daily part of life, and everyone must learn to accept it. Even Kurogane.

Besides, it isn't as though he's never been suicidal before. Now, he simply has more of a reason: He thinks he likes Kurogane.

A lot.

Too much.

He doesn't know what to do, how to confront him, or how to just keep it locked away, sealed shut, and silent inside. It'll eventually leak out anyway—Kurogane will pry it out of him with bare hands.

Obviously, he can't tell the ninja. And he can't ask anyone for advice. The only people he has to turn to are Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona—who isn't really a person anyway.

Syaoran didn't speak to either man after he caught Kurogane and Fai in that explicit situation. Mokona will spell disaster for the entire lot. Sakura….

That actually…no—Sakura most likely doesn't even know that two men can be together.

Fai flops down on the bed, staring at the ceiling listlessly. Rush hour was in about forty-five minutes. He should just up and get it over with. The taxi drivers are chaotic enough—it can't hurt that much.

"Fai?" The sweet, lilting voice drifted from his doorway.

He sat up immediately, smile painted on his face. "Yes, Sakura?"

"Why have you been avoiding us?" She took a seat beside him on the bed, her wide green eyes imploring innocently.

"I haven't been avoiding anyone," he shrugs nonchalantly, placing an airy hand atop her fine, pale hair.

"Yes, you have. You've been looking at Kurogane funny, too—but only when he's not looking." Sakura adds the last part in a slightly hushed tone. Fai smiles wryly in his mind. She sounds like a schoolgirl relaying a crush to her best friend, he thinks, very much aware of the irony.

"Kuro-puu is a funny person." Fai grins.

"Do you think Kurogane is a funny person?" For some reason, the princess is suddenly solemn.

"Why, of course I do."

"So…you just think he's funny? That's all he's good for?" Sakura seems sad now. As though she's disappointed with him.

He doesn't want to make such pure eyes cry, so he hastily list other things that he loves about the ninja—not a hard task, and for once, it's the truth. "No. Kuro-tan is very strong, too. And even though he gets mad, he is rather fatherly. Don't you think he's protective? I think he cares about things he says he doesn't. Like Syaoran, and Mokona, hm?"

"And Fai," Sakura reminds him with a large smile.

He freezes for a moment, and then, "Of course."

She beamed at him, before thinking for a minute. "Fai?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Kurogane is ugly?"

"Where did you get that idea?" Fai's curious now.

"Do you think he's plain, then?" Sakura's tone is getting more excited.

Fai blinks. "Kuro-rinta is very handsome. Tall and dark. All of the people I'm traveling with are very good-looking people. Sakura is pretty as well, and Syaoran is also turning into a handsome young man. And Mokona is plump and cute."

"But Fai doesn't want to kiss me, right?"

Fai's mouth falls open. Falls open. As in, a huge gaping space for everyone to peer through and see his tongue. "I…that's…"

"And Fai doesn't want to hug Syaoran or be with him forever, right?"

He still can't say anything.

"And I know that Fai doesn't love Mokona in that way." She smiles brightly. "So Fai thinks Kurogane is protective, and caring, and handsome. Kurogane probably feels the same way." And with that said, the princess bounces from the bed, claps her hands together and dances off saying, "See? Now you two can be together forever!"

All Fai can do is stare. And stare. And stare.

He quickly pulls his mask back together and gathers his thoughts.

He's going to have to be a lot more careful around this girl.

She's more perceptive than she looks.