A/N: What can I say about this…? I wanted to do something more lighthearted after the previous chapter so I tried to do humor for this but I seem to be having very little success in that genre recently, so… While it's definitely got a lighter tone than the last chapter, I'm afraid it's really not all that funny. Sorry! I tried really hard!
But enough excuses… For those not familiar with the word "ensconce", allow me to define it for you as it is given in the Oxford Pocket American Dictionary of Current English. Ensconce /enskons, in-/ v.tr. (usu. refl. or in passive) establish or settle comfortably, safely, or secretly.
For a long time, I thought about switching Kurogane and Fai's roles in this story but I figured that they were better suited for these parts that they ended up in. Enjoy! (I hope!)
Ensconce
Lame. That's what his life was. Pure, uninterrupted, inexcusable lame. Kurogane lie sprawled out on the floor in the middle of his enormous toy room, staring up at the elaborately decorated ceiling, half wishing that the majestic red dragon painted there would come to life and swallow him up. And of course, he would have no choice then but to bravely slay it, thereby saving himself, everyone in the castle, and the entire kingdom. Not that the idea of being covered in the bodily fluids of some giant creature or being fawned over any more than he already was especially appealed to him but it had to be more interesting than what he was doing now, right?
Kurogane heaved a sigh, picking half-heartedly at one of the jewels that was sewn onto the sleeve of his robes. When he had gone to bother his mother for some entertainment, she had given him what was quite possibly the least helpful advice he had ever received: "Why don't you try reading a book, Kurogane, dear?" Kurogane snorted as he remembered those words. Why don't I try reading a book? I don't know… maybe for the same reason you don't try sticking needles in your eyes.
Really, he supposed he ought to have known better than to ask her for entertainment; she gave him the same response for basically every problem he brought to her. Why should today have been any different? But he had been so bored that he had tricked himself into thinking that today she might say something else. Not that he hadn't tried reading before; he had plenty of volumes full of the adventures of brave knights and noble princes and the lovely princesses that they rescued. It always just ended up frustrating him, though, when he heard about all the exciting things that other princes were getting to do and all he had to occupy himself with were stupid books and toys and servants. Talk about unfair!
Kurogane turned his head lazily, to stare at the mountain of playthings on his right, arranged carefully into a pyramid shape. He supposed he could try pulling out one of the things in the middle of it and watching it tumble to the ground again. But he had already done that four times today, and although it gave him a small bit of pleasure to watch everything come crashing down and then see one of the servants rush in to find their carefully arranged tower of toys in shambles once again he really didn't feel like doing it now. Even that kind of thing lost its allure after so many times.
Eventually, Prince Kurogane settled on going out to the courtyard to practice his swordsmanship. Again. He wasn't really sure why he kept practicing so hard with his sword, aside from the fact that there was nothing else to do. It wasn't like he would ever need that skill, not with their kingdom at peace like it was.
He knew it was wrong to wish for war to come to his country but he couldn't help himself; he was just so damn bored. Plus, they had the royal guard to do stuff like that for them so he would likely never see battle anyway. Maybe someday, he thought, I'll run away from this godforsaken place. Then I'll be on my own, with none of these damn servants making a big deal over me all the time. Even though he knew the day when he could actually hope to pull off something like that was pretty far away, it lightened his spirits a little as he drove his sword deep into one of the wooden practice posts.
Sooooo hungry… He moaned as he crouched down and clutched his empty stomach, as if that would somehow help ease the pain. His stomach, however, as if in defiance to his hopefulness, just growled loudly. The dirty little blond boy squeezed his hand tighter around a few silver coins that he had just succeeded in stealing by slicing a small hole in a woman's purse while she was busy talking with a friend. Fai clenched his teeth as his tummy rumbled again, his mind torn. He knew that he needed to save these coins but he was afraid that if he didn't get some real food soon, he might collapse. To spend or not to spend…?
Since his parents had died, Fai figured that he had become the country's finest human connoisseur of grass. The stuff was generally pretty gross but beggars couldn't be choosers. And to the grass's credit, it had gotten him by a lot of nights when he hadn't been able to find any actual food. What wouldn't he give for some roast beef, or even just a piece of bread? Fai clenched his eyes shut, trying to stem the flow of delicious images that was invading his starved mind. Even if he would, by some amazing stroke of fortune, come into ownership of such delicacies, how could he possibly bring himself to enjoy it when that person was surely doing just as bad, if not worse than Fai was? Then again, how could Fai ever hope to collect enough coins if he starved to death?
His mind made up, Fai staggered toward the bakery across the street. He would simply have to work harder on his stealing to make up for it. The thought made him groan inwardly; he always felt so guilty whenever he stole money from someone. Fai entered the bakery, his legs feeling even weaker with hunger as the smells of breads and desserts washed over him.
A tall blond man with glasses and gentle brown eyes was ordering something at the moment so Fai got in line behind him, shuffling his bare, dirty feet impatiently on the wooden floor. When the man pulled his hand out of his pocket to pay for his order, a bill poked its head out from inside, catching Fai's eye immediately. It was just hanging there, half-way out of the guy's pocket, fluttering tauntingly in the wind. If Fai didn't take it, he was sure the man would just lose it on his way home anyway. The town was practically crawling with pickpockets and thieves who would happily snatch it and probably threaten the man until he gave them more. Fai would be doing him a service by taking it. With trembling fingers, Fai reached for the bill.
"Can I help you, young lady?" the man asked him, turning around quite suddenly and seeing Fai's outstretched hand. Fai started and looked up at him fearfully.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" the man said quickly, looking genuinely apologetic. "You have such long hair, I thought you were a girl! Is there something you wanted, young man?"
Fai hitched a weak, trembling smile onto his lips.
"Sir, there's a bill hanging out of your pocket! If you're not careful, you'll surely attract the attention of thieves like that one there!" the bakery worker exclaimed, pointing at Fai accusingly. "You're lucky you caught him in time!"
The man looked from the bakery worker to the blond little urchin in surprise as though the thought hadn't even occurred to him. Fai was trembling from head to toe, awaiting some kind of punishment. The man knelt down before him so that he could meet Fai's blue eyes and brushed a strand of hair out of the boy's face. Fai stared back at him uncertainly. He had just tried to steal from him so why was this guy looking at him with such a kind smile?
"Poor boy," he said softly, his eyes filled with pity. "You look like you're starving. Here."
He reached into the paper sack containing his bakery goods and pulled out a large chocolate chip muffin. Fai swallowed thickly as he eyed the treat; he wanted that muffin very, very badly. The man handed it to him. Fai looked from the food to his savior in hopeful disbelief before accepting it and quickly taking a chomp out of it. He smiled brightly in gratitude as the sweetness of the chocolate and bread spread throughout his mouth. The man watched him devour the muffin, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Do you have a home, son?" he asked.
Fai shook his head but was too busy enjoying his food to feel sorry for himself.
"Hmm…" the man said slowly. "Why don't you come home with me, then? We'll get you some new clothes, give you a haircut, a bath and a proper meal. Would you like that?"
Fai peered curiously up at the man from beneath his long, dirty blond tresses. He couldn't fathom why this guy would possibly treat him so nicely after he had just caught Fai trying to steal from him, but all the things he had just mentioned sounded extremely appealing so he figured that it was best not to question his motives. Plus, the guy had muffins; what more could he ask for?
Fai flashed him another bright smile. "Yes, very much!"
The man seemed pleased as he reached down and look Fai's little hand, leading him out of the bakery and down the dusty road.
"My name is Fujitaka Kinomoto," the man said warmly. "And who might you be?"
"…Fai," he replied hesitantly. "My name is Fai."
Fai's eyes grew large and round when Fujitaka led him straight to the palace. He suddenly felt very nervous, though he had to admit that he could hardly ask for better lodgings, the location being just an added bonus. It was comforting to know that he was closer to that person now. But it all seemed much too good to be true. Perhaps Fujitaka planned on turning him over to the guards after all?
"Do you live here, Kinomoto sama?" Fai asked, giving the man a smile even though he was on the verge of wetting himself.
"Yes, I'm one of the king's advisors," Fujitaka explained, returning his smile. "But you can call me Fujitaka. And you don't need to use 'sama', alright, Fai kun?"
"Ok, Fujitaka san," the boy said, his heart-rate slowing just a little. Fujitaka wouldn't let Fai call him by his first name if he planned on handing him over to the authorities, right?
Fai followed in silence, unsure of what else he could say to this stranger who was inviting him into his home. He might have been more wary about accepting Fujitaka's offer, but he had such a friendly smile and a gentle, serene air about him that the blond couldn't help but trust him (and those muffins he was carrying didn't hurt either). He just wished he could say the same about the rest of the people he had seen so far in the castle. As Fujitaka led him down the long, impressive hallway, everyone they met either gasped or made noises of distaste when they saw the dirty little urchin that the king's advisor had brought home with him. Fai hid behind his curtain of grimy blond hair so that he wouldn't have to look them in the eyes.
Eventually, Fujitaka stopped at the last of the glossy red doors in their current hallway and fished a key out of his pocket. He unlocked the door, ushered Fai inside, then followed, closing the door behind them. Fai couldn't help being impressed when he saw Fujitaka's living quarters. There was a large canopy bed with red and gold sheets, a glossy oak desk with an ornate lamp sitting on it, a matching oak shelf full of books, and lush red carpet, all bathed in the warm glow of a crystal chandelier that hung in the center of the room.
To his right, Fai could see a spacious bathroom made of white marble. After having lived on the streets for so long, Fai could hardly believe that he was going to be allowed to stay in such a place. He wondered if maybe he should turn the offer down, feeling that his mere presence might somehow defile the place beyond repair.
"I'm sure you're still hungry," Fujitaka said, smiling at Fai's reaction to his new home. "I'll give you this roll for now and you can take a bath while I get one of the servants to bring you some real food."
Fujitaka reached into his bakery bag once more and pulled out a roll which he handed to Fai. Fai began to reach for it but stopped, looking questioningly up at him.
"Are you sure this is ok, Fujitaka san?" he asked uncertainly.
"Of course, Fai kun," Fujitaka said kindly.
Fai searched his face for some indication that he was lying as previous experience told him he must be, but when he found none his smile slowly returned. "…Thank you."
"You're very welcome," Fujitaka replied, patting Fai affectionately on the head.
Kurogane dragged his feet as he wandered aimlessly through the castle hallways. As much as other people annoyed him, he couldn't help but wish he had a playmate, someone his own age and who didn't treat him like he was extremely fragile or as though he was likely to explode at any moment. He knew that these criteria were basically impossible, considering who he was, but he couldn't help but wish.
He had just reached the end of the hallway he was roaming through when he heard someone singing faintly from inside one of the rooms. Kurogane paused and listened carefully, trying to figure out where the song was coming from. It didn't take him long at all to trace it to the nearby living quarters of one of his father's advisors. But the voice didn't sound like a man at all; it was high and soft and sweet. He guessed it belonged to a girl or perhaps a young boy. After casting a careful glance in both directions to make sure no one was coming, Kurogane slipped silently into the room to investigate the singer more closely.
The singing was drifting from the bathroom, along with occasional splashing noises. It sounded like whoever it was was in the bath. Kurogane knew it was wrong to peek on people in the bath, especially if the person might be a girl, but he was just so curious that he couldn't restrain himself. He prided himself on knowing everyone in the palace and most of their goings-on, telling himself that this kind of research was necessary if he ever wanted to be a good warrior or even a good prince, but this voice didn't sound the least bit familiar to him. Slowly, carefully, the prince eased the door open a crack and peeked inside.
He was shocked and even a little bit hopeful to find that the newcomer seemed to be around his own age, if height was anything to go on. He couldn't tell much else about them because he could only see the person from behind. Then he noticed that the person had their extremely long hair draped over the front of one shoulder as they washed it carefully. Probably a girl, then. It had to be, with that long hair, unnaturally slight build and delicate, fair skin. Kurogane wished he could get a look at her face (he certainly wasn't interested in any other part of her that he might glimpse in the process). If the portion of her that he could see was anything to go on, he was willing to bet that she wasn't completely hideous. A small blush crept up into his cheeks as he watched her graceful movements and listened to the melodic sound of her voice. He was hopeful when she stood up and headed over to the bathtub but she kept her back to him the whole time. Dammit! Just let me see your face, stupid girl!
At that moment, Kurogane's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. He shut the bathroom door as quickly and quietly as he could, then dove for cover under the canopy bed. His father's advisor, the owner of these living quarters, Fujitaka Kinomoto, entered carrying a plate of food with a cover over it to keep it warm. He paused at the bathroom door and knocked.
"I've got your food, Fai kun," he called. "Are you almost done?"
"Just about," the visitor replied cheerfully. "Oh, Fujitaka san, is it ok if I play with your rubber duck?"
Fujitaka seemed stunned for a moment, then looked slightly sheepish. "Oh dear, so you found that, did you? Yes, go ahead, then."
"Yay! Thank you!"
Kurogane was kind of glad that he had stayed in here rather than trying to make a run for it; at least now he knew the newcomer's name. But he was slightly confused by the fact that Fujitaka had addressed his guest with the suffix "kun". Although some people used it on girls that they had a close yet casual relationship with, Fujitaka didn't strike Kurogane as the type to do that. Plus the speaking voice didn't sound quite as girly as the singing one. Did that mean that this Fai was a boy after all?
Oh man… that meant he had been blushing over the naked form of a boy! Kurogane rolled over on his back under the bed, just barely managing to stifle a groan of disgust, and clutched his stomach, feeling slightly ill. He tried to convince himself that he couldn't be blamed, that the naked body of anyone would embarrass him, and that it was Fai's fault for looking so damn girly in the first place. But why then, even after finding out that Fai was a boy, did his heart start pounding when he thought about getting a glimpse of his face? This was so wrong…
Trying to push these thoughts from his mind, Prince Kurogane began to devote his attention to looking for a chance to escape. Fujitaka didn't look like he was planning to leave anytime soon; instead he busied himself with searching through his wardrobe for something. To Kurogane's chagrin, the wardrobe was positioned between his current hiding spot and the door so there was no hope of him escaping while Fujitaka was immersed in his search. The advisor dug out some folded-up clothing and shook them out, holding them up so that he could look at them. They were much too small for Fujitaka himself so Kurogane figured that they probably had belonged to his son who was now grown and worked in the kitchens.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Fujitaka called. "Ah, Yukito san, there you are. Fai kun is almost finished with his bath so he ought to be out soon. And Touya! I didn't expect you to come along."
Touya, Fujitaka's son who worked in the kitchens, shrugged. "I'm just here with him," he said, nodding in Yukito's direction. That made sense to Kurogane; he knew that those two were, ah… "special friends". Touya was rarely seen without the company of Yukito the royal barber when he wasn't busy working.
"I'm here too, Fujitaka san!" a young female voice said from the vicinity of the doorway. In bounced Tomoyo, the royal tailor, the only person in the castle whose company Kurogane sometimes enjoyed. Despite her lofty position, she was a few years younger than him even, only nine years old. But the king had recognized her outstanding talents the moment he had seen them and hired her on the spot.
"Good evening, Tomoyo chan," Fujitaka and Yukito said, almost in unison.
"Hi," Touya said, sounding more or less indifferent.
"Hello, everyone!" Tomoyo chirped. "Where is Fai kun? I can't wait to meet him!"
"I knew you'd be excited about him, Tomoyo chan," Fujitaka said, smiling warmly. "I think he'll be a perfect model for your designs. He's still in the bath, but he said he'd be out soon."
Kurogane sighed and rested his head on his arms as Fujitaka, Tomoyo and Yukito launched into eager conversation about Fai and Touya just stood there listening. Kurogane had wanted the room to clear out, not fill up! Why was everyone and there grandma here all of a sudden? It looked like it might be a while before he managed to get out.
Finally, the bathroom door opened and Fai, along with a cloud of steam from the hot bathwater, stepped out. Kurogane still couldn't see Fai's face from where he was currently, not unless he had poked his head out from under the bed, which obviously wasn't an option. But he could see that Fai was dressed in some of Touya's old clothes, a pair of black pants and a simple navy blue shirt with a hakama-style collar that was secured by ties at his side. Tomoyo let out an excited squeal and hurried over to him.
"I'm Tomoyo, the royal tailor! It's very nice to meet you, Fai san!" she trilled, bowing politely, and then beginning to circle him, examining the boy from all angles.
"Erm…It's very nice to meet you, too, Tomoyo chan," Fai said, and Kurogane could tell that he was smiling even though there was a hint of discomfort in his voice from being under such scrutiny.
"You were right, Fujitaka san!" Tomoyo continued. "He's perfect! Absolutely gorgeous!"
"Oh…Thank you," Fai replied, now sounding slightly embarrassed.
The way Tomoyo carried on about him only made Kurogane more curious to know what he looked like. He was going to be pissed if this guy turned out to not be radiating sunlight and shitting daisies; Tomoyo never made such a fuss over him (not that he really cared, but she had never said a word about his appearance and he thought of himself as decent-looking, at least).
"Why don't we let Fai kun eat before you start cutting his hair, Yukito san," Fujitaka suggested, interrupting Tomoyo's joyous remarks about Fai's build. "He looked quite hungry when I found him and all he's had so far was a muffin and a roll."
"Oh, of course," Tomoyo sighed blissfully, stepping back to allow Fai to sit down at the desk where his dinner was waiting. "I can hardly wait to get started! I have so many ideas!"
Kurogane suppressed a yawn and rubbed his eyes tiredly. It had to be almost eleven o'clock by now and he was still in Fujitaka's room, hiding under the bed. He had no means of telling time from where he was but he guessed that he had been there for a good three or four hours now. Even though his mother knew about his habit of slipping off to wander the halls and courtyards, she was probably going to be angry with him when he got back for being out so late. The thought filled him with dread; even though his mother was always smiling, he was still afraid of making her mad. But in his defense, there was really no way for him to get out without being seen and he certainly didn't want that.
How much more could they possibly do to Fai in this one night? Kurogane had already watched a good three feet of Fai's long golden hair fall to the ground as Yukito cut it and listened to way too much of Tomoyo's excited chatter as she took his measurements for his new clothing. Tomoyo was now in the process of sewing the outfit that she and Fai had selected from an array of designs she had drawn up on the spot. Kurogane couldn't see what kind of progress she was making on this venture of hers but when Touya asked impatiently whether she was done yet, she had consoled him by saying "almost!". The young prince had begun falling asleep when Tomoyo finally announced that she was finished.
"Wow… It looks great!" Fai marveled, sounding genuinely impressed. "You're amazing, Tomoyo chan!"
"Why, thank you, Fai san," Tomoyo giggled. "I can't wait to see how it looks on you! Would you mind changing into it so I can see if anything needs to be fixed?"
Kurogane shook his head to help wake himself up as Fai disappeared briefly into the bathroom to change. When he emerged again, Tomoyo let out a fresh squeal of delight.
"Oh, Fai san!" she gasped. "It suits you perfectly! You're so adorable, I can hardly breathe! What do all of you think? Do you like it?"
The others expressed their agreement, even Touya, who had shown very little interest in the whole process.
"Hmm…" Fai said slowly, presumably looking over his new clothes. "Why don't we ask that boy who has been waiting so patiently under the bed what he thinks of it?"
Kurogane started so violently at this proposal that he smacked his head on the underside of the bed, but was so busy wondering if his heart had stopped beating to really even notice the pain.
"Eh? You see someone under the bed, Fai san?" Tomoyo asked, sounding astonished.
"No…rather, I can sense him there," Fai explained, approaching Kurogane's hiding spot.
Kurogane, in a wild panic, scrambled against the far wall, throwing his back against it in a vain hope that some trapdoor would miraculously open up there and whisk him away from the impending mortification that would surely befall him. Of course, he didn't have that kind of luck, so he only ended up looking even more foolish when Fai got down on his stomach to find him.
"Oh dear, I'm afraid I might have frightened him by letting you all know where he is," Fai said with an apologetic grin.
Kurogane stopped scratching furiously at the back wall like a trapped rat when he saw Fai's face. It was just as beautiful as he had imagined; fair, perfect skin, lively blue, heavy-lidded eyes, a gentle smile, and recently cropped blond hair that fell gracefully around his face and across his forehead. Kurogane could feel himself blushing again uncontrollably. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he getting all worked up over some stupid, scrawny peasant boy? He was the crown prince, dammit! He shouldn't be cowering under here like some kind of scared rodent!
"Why don't you come on out of there, hmm?" Fai offered in a soothing voice, extending a hand to help him. "It can't be very comfortable under there and you've been hiding there for such a long time. It's alright, don't be shy."
Kurogane glared at him and immerged from under the bed, pointedly ignoring Fai's outstretched hand. He stood up and brushed the wrinkles out of his clothes with as much dignity as he could muster in his situation, and continued to scowl as he folded his arms defiantly and tried to keep the color out of his cheeks. Everyone but Fai looked stunned to see him.
"Hmph! I'm not shy, idiot, and I sure as hell don't need help from a useless peasant like you!" he shot acidly at Fai.
"Y-your majesty…!" Fujitaka stammered, finally finding his voice. "What are you doing here?!"
"It's my palace," Kurogane fumed, though he could feel the heat in his face rising in spite of his efforts to control it. "I can be in here if I want."
"Well, since it seems that I'm the only one here who hasn't had the pleasure of meeting you yet, allow me to introduce myself," Fai said politely, breaking the awkward silence in the room. "My name is Fai."
He extended his hand again to shake Kurogane's but the prince just stared blankly at it. When Kurogane didn't give any indication that he was going to respond, Fai took one of his hands and shook it.
"And who might you be?" he prompted amiably.
"I-it's Kurogane," he replied, wondering why the hell his heart had started pounding like that when Fai had touched him. Then he shook his head, remembering who he was. "But that's Kurogane sama, to you! You've got a lot of nerve, touching me like that!"
"Where I'm from, it's how we say hello," Fai explained with a smile.
"Yeah, well…dogs sniff each other's butts to say hello but that doesn't mean you should try that!" Kurogane snapped. "Besides, I'm the prince!"
"Oh, really?" Fai asked, looking only mildly surprised. "How nice."
"You cocky jerk! I could have you arrested for this, you know!" Kurogane snarled indignantly, annoyed that Fai hadn't thrown himself at his royal feet and groveled. Yet some small part of him recognized that as being just a little bit sexy.
"Arrest me for saying hello?" Fai puzzled. Then he laughed, making Kurogane blush all over again. "I've never heard of anyone doing that before, but… you sure are cute when you're angry, Kurotan!"
Kurogane was shocked by the informality of the way Fai addressed him, but when he recovered, he gritted his teeth. "It's Kurogane sama, dumb ass! And I'm not cute! You're lucky I don't punch you!"
That was when Tomoyo decided to step in, putting her hands soothingly on Kurogane's shoulders. "Calm down, Prince Kurogane," she cooed. "Fai san is just trying to be friendly. Besides, isn't it way past your bedtime?"
Kurogane's blush returned in full force. "N-no! I'm the prince! I don't have a bedtime!"
"Hmm, that's funny…" Tomoyo said slowly, a smile spreading across her lips. "I seem to remember the queen giving me permission to send you to bed if I find you wandering the halls late at night."
Kurogane's face blazed with embarrassment and he glanced over at Fai to see what his reaction to all this was. The blond was just standing there, grinning like the moron he was.
"Say night-night to your new friend, Prince Kurogane," Tomoyo said sweetly, taking the seething prince by the hand. "You can play with him tomorrow."
Kurogane was still sputtering angrily as she led him calmly from the room.
"Goodnight, Kuromin!" Fai called after him. "Let's play again tomorrow, ok?!"
"Fai kun…" Yukito said, looking a little nervous, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to tease the prince like that…"
"I was just having a little fun with him," Fai said. "I didn't mean any harm."
"I know but… I think you really embarrassed him," Yukito pointed out.
"Don't worry, Yukito san," Fujitaka interrupted. "Even though he did a pretty good job of hiding it, I think Prince Kurogane was rather taken with Fai kun. He's just not used to people treating him so casually so he didn't know how to react."
Fai looked up at Fujitaka, slightly surprised by this suggestion.
"But Fai kun…" Fujitaka turned to the little blond boy with a smile, "please try not to tease him too much. I know it might be hard to tell because he likes to act tough, but the prince is actually pretty shy and can be really sweet when he thinks no one is paying attention. So be careful with him, ok?"
Fai took a moment to process what Fujitaka had told him before a grin spread across his face. "Right!"
Kurogane dropped into bed, feeling really stupid and yet too tired to worry about it too much right now. His mother had only scolded him a little for being gone so long and he had hardly even listened to what she had said to him. But the thing that occupied most of his mind was Fai. Something about him struck him as odd; Kurogane had managed to gather from the conversations he'd heard in Fujitaka's room that Fai had been found wandering the streets, destitute and orphaned. Yet Fai seemed too graceful, too well-bred, too educated and too damn good-looking (not that Kurogane himself thought this of course, but he supposed that other people might think of Fai as being pretty) to have been born a pauper.
As he drifted off to sleep, Kurogane couldn't help wondering when he might see the blond next. Obviously he hadn't even briefly entertained the idea that Fai might be fun to play with but the boy had caused him such humiliation tonight that Kurogane decided he now had a score that needed to be settled. That was the only reason he would ever want to see him again, honest. And his heart was only pounding as he remembered Fai's serene smile because he was looking forward to being the one who wiped it off his face when he got his revenge. And the hand that Fai had shaken was just feeling warm and tingly because, well… Kurogane wasn't exactly sure but he was highly suspicious that it was because Fai had cooties.
"Fai kun, your bed is ready," Fujitaka said softly. Fai, who had been falling asleep in the chair with his knees pulled up to his chest, forced himself to get up and wander over to the bed that had been brought in and prepared for him.
"Thank you, Fujitaka san," Fai mumbled sleepily, crawling under the covers.
"I know you're tired, Fai kun," Fujitaka said apologetically, "but there's one question I want to ask you before you go to sleep. You don't have to give me an answer right now but you should probably give a little thought to it."
"Hmm?" the boy asked.
"What would you think about getting a job here in the palace as an entertainer? The king has been wanting to hire some people for a while now and it seems like the kind of job you'd be well-suited for. You'd be dancing mostly, but it would help if you knew how to sing or play an instrument as well."
"Mm-kay," Fai agreed lethargically. "That sounds like fun."
"Good, we'll get it settled in the morning then," Fujitaka said, sounding pleased with Fai's decision. "Good night, Fai kun."
"G'night…"
A/N: …I'm sure by now, everyone is tired of hearing me say what I think of my work so I'll just keep my mouth shut on that subject.
If you found that ending to be unsatisfying, don't worry; there shall be more. This is my new mini-series endeavor. I don't know what's going on with me; before I used to avoid AU stories like the plague, refusing to read, let alone write, them. Recently, however, I seem unable to turn out anything else. I'm not sure what to think about that. Anyway, I really love your reviews, especially when they contain critiques! So review away! …Please?
