A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about that unsatisfactory last chapter, maybe this will help ease the disappointment a little. This story seems a little different from what I usually do, somehow… Maybe I'm just imagining it. Either way, I hope you all like it! Oh, one quick thing before I start: the Japanese word for shiny/sparkly is "pika pika" (Yes, like Pikachu. "Chu" is the noise a mouse makes in Japanese, so its name means something like "sparkle squeak". Anyway, that's not important now). Given Kurogane's species in this chapter, I think that "Kuropiko" is the most fitting of Fai's nicknames for him so that's the one I'll be using the most. Just in case you're wondering why I suddenly seem to favor that one, now you know. Enjoy!
Universal
When Fai saw the moving van pull in to the house next door, he bounded over to the window and leaned eagerly against the glass. He was so excited that he couldn't even sit still as he waited for the passengers to disembark. Ever since Chitose Hibiya, his mother's friend who lived across the street from them, who also happened to be his family's landlady, as well as the landlady for his new neighbors, had told him about them, the little blond had been dying to meet them.
The parents were both starmakers, and very highly acclaimed ones at that. It was said that the stars that they produced as a team had caused more people to fall in love than those of any other starmaker. And their wishing stars were second-rate only to the great Yuuko's, whose wishing stars were the best in the whole universe. Hibiya had also said that they had a son, and if the landlady's word was anything to go on, the boy was absolutely…
The door of the moving van flew open forcefully all of a sudden, and a young boy jumped out. When Fai saw his face, he actually let out a little squeal of delight. Adorable!! The blond fell back on the couch and squirmed like an overturned turtle for a moment in his glee before hopping back up to peer out the window again. His new neighbor boy was every bit as captivating as Hibiya had said; tall, with tan skin, spiky black hair, and gorgeous ruby-colored eyes. But those weren't the things that stood out most about him. It wasn't as easy to see in the broad daylight, but the boy's whole body was glowing. Even though Hibiya had told him that the youngest member of the neighbor's family was actually a star, Fai hadn't actually grasped that fully until he'd seen with his own eyes.
Fai watched as the boy's father stepped out of the van also and stood beside his son, surveying their new house. The boy seemed to be struggling to conceal his astonishment at the sheer size of his new home. His father laughed when he glanced over at his son's face and saw the conflict taking place there and flicked the boy's ear playfully. The son whipped around to face his father, his face blazing with an anger disproportionate to the crime and shouted something at him as he clapped a hand over his stinging ear.
Whatever he said just made the father laugh again. Then the mother, who had exited the van from the other side, appeared, joining her two boys. She was tall and slender, with extremely long dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Fai watched as she snuggled up to her husband affectionately. The two of them exchanged words that Fai couldn't hear before sharing a kiss. Their son rolled his eyes and turned his back on them impatiently.
Fai had had enough of just watching them; he was ready to meet them for himself. He dashed into the kitchen to retrieve the plate of chocolate cupcakes he had made the previous night. The blond figured that the first step to making a positive impression on them was to bring them a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift. He hoped the boy would like them; he sure was cute. Heart fluttering anxiously, Fai skipped outside with his peace offering.
"Hello!" he called, hurrying up to them.
They looked momentarily surprised to see him there, greeting them only five minutes after their arrival, but then they smiled politely (or at least the parents did. Their son just continued to stare openly).
"Oh, hello," the mother said kindly. "Are you our new neighbor?"
"Yes, ma'am," Fai said, smiling brightly and giving a slight bow. "My name is Fai D. Flourite. You can just call me Fai, though."
"It's nice to meet you, Fai kun," the father replied, returning the smile. "We're the Youous, and this is our son, Kurogane."
"Kurogane, huh?" Fai repeated with a grin. "That's kind of long, I don't know if I can remember that… How about if I call you Kuropiko instead?"
The light that Kurogane was giving off turned slightly pink in his embarrassment and indignity at being given such a cutesy name. "That's just as long as 'Kurogane', idiot!"
"Now, now, Kurogane," his mother scolded with a slight frown. "Be polite! He's just trying to have a little fun with you!"
"What's fun about giving someone a stupid girly name like that?!" Kurogane demanded.
Fai laughed, making the protostar blush more deeply. "You're so funny, Kuropin! Do you always get so worked up when people tease you?"
"Shut up!" Kurogane snapped. "Anyway, I bet I'm older than you! If you don't quit ticking me off, I'll beat you up!"
"Kurogane!" his mother gasped, appalled at her son's manners.
"How old are you, Kuropiko?" Fai asked, his grin never wavering.
"990,000," Kurogane answered smugly.
The blond's grin brightened. "I'm 2,000,000."
Kurogane gaped at him, looking shocked and disbelieving. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Fai returned his attention to the two starmakers.
"I made you some cupcakes to welcome you to the neighborhood," he chirped. "Here you go."
Fai handed the plate of cupcakes to Mrs. Youou, but not before removing one. She looked at him questioningly as she accepted the remaining desserts from him.
"I made this one especially for Kuropiko," he explained.
Kurogane's light turned pink again as he blushed and folded his arms stubbornly. "I don't like sweets."
"But I added lots of hydrogen!" Fai said, trying to tempt him. "Stars need that stuff, right?"
"Well, even if it has hydrogen in it, I'm still not eating it if it's swe—mmph!!"
Kurogane's refusal was cut off as Fai tore a piece from the cupcake and stuffed it into the protostar's mouth. He choked on it slightly in his surprise, but managed to swallow it without too much difficulty.
"Yummy?" Fai asked sweetly.
"WHAT THE HECK IS YOUR PROBLEM, MORON?! IF I SAY I DON'T LIKE SWEET CRAP, DON'T JUST FEED IT TO ME ANY—hmmph!"
Fai giggled as he silenced the raging protostar by stuffing the rest of the cupcake into his mouth. While Kurogane was still trying to choke down the cupcake that had been shoved into his mouth, the blond looked up at Mr. and Mrs. Youou again.
"By the way, is it true that you're the famous starmaking Youou konbi?" Fai asked politely, as if he didn't know the answer already.
"YOU WANT ME TO KILL YOU, YOU JERK?!" Kurogane shouted, his hands curling into fists. "YOU NEARLY FREAKING CHOKED ME!!"
"Yep, that's us!" Mr. Youou confirmed proudly, ignoring his irate son. "You've heard of us, have you?"
"HEY!! DON'T IGNORE ME!!" Kurogane demanded.
"Of course! Your stars are legendary!" Fai gushed. "They say no other maker has ever created stars that were so successful at making people fall in love, and that you're one of the best wishing star makers the universe has ever seen! You two are my heroes!"
"Well, we try our best," Kurogane's mother replied, her cheeks pink from the flattery.
"Are you interested in starmaking, Fai kun?" Mr. Youou asked.
"A little," Fai admitted. "My parents are stellar landscapers, so they work with starmakers and they've told me a little bit about the kind of work you guys do."
"Stellar landscapers, huh? Well, Fai kun, if it's starmaking your interested in, why don't you come over some time and watch us work?" Kurogane's father suggested. "You might be able to learn a thing or two."
"Are you serious?!" Kurogane groused. "You're gonna invite him over after he just about killed me with that sweet crap?!"
"What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," Mr. Youou pointed out with a smirk. "Isn't that what you're always telling me?"
"That's different!" the protostar snapped. "Choking down a stupid cake isn't gonna make anyone stronger!"
"Anyway, Fai kun is a lot more pleasant than you, Kurogane," he father laughed. "Maybe if we have him over enough, he can teach you some manners!"
"I'd be glad to give Kurochuu some pointers!" Fai agreed brightly.
"You're the last person I want any 'pointers' from, idiot!" Kurogane growled, his light turning a little pink again. "And why the heck do you have to keep calling me weirder and weirder names?!"
"Cute names for a cute star," the blond sang, fluttering his eyelashes flirtatiously.
Kurogane's light reddened even more as his embarrassment increased.
The protostar's mother looked between the two of them and smiled secretively.
"Anyway, we've got a lot of unpacking to do, but you're welcome to stick around and play with Kurogane if you like," Mr. Youou offered with a grin. "I'm sure our grumpy little protostar would be more useful to you playing than to us unpacking."
"DON'T VOLUNTEER ME WITHOUT EVEN ASKING ME IF THAT'S WHAT I WANT!!" Kurogane raged, his light redder than ever. His father just laughed at him as he turned away to help the movers start unloading the truck. Kurogane gritted his teeth and swallowed hard as he turned back around to face Fai.
"Well, you're turning pretty red," Fai said sweetly, reaching out to softly touch Kurogane's blushing cheek. "Could this be love at first sight, I wonder?"
"D-don't be an idiot!" Kurogane snapped. "We're both boys!"
The blond flashed him a stunning smile. "That doesn't bother me."
"Well, it bothers me! Now go away before I kick you in the shin!" the protostar warned.
Fai's smile didn't fade as he watched the other boy stomp away, red as a cherry. He was definitely adorable, not only his looks, but his temperament, too. "I wonder…" Fai muttered thoughtfully to himself.
-50,000 years later-
"Twinkle, twinkle, Kuro-star! No one's as cute as you are!"
"Shut up! I'm not cute!"
"Granting wishes in the sky! Kuropiko is my type of guy!"
"Shut up, I said!!"
"Twinkle, twinkle, Kuro-star! No one's as cute as you are!"
Kurogane glared at him. "Are you finished yet?!"
"Yep!" Fai chirped, stretching his arms luxuriously above his head. "Did you like my song, Kuropiko?"
"No! Don't you have anything better to do than bother me all the time?!" Kurogane growled.
"Hmm? But you're the one who knocked on my door and asked me to play," Fai reminded him, smiling brightly.
Kurogane turned around, trying to hide his embarrassment, but his shining aura turned bright red, giving him away horribly. "Only because my mom made me."
Fai giggled. "Your light is turning red, Kuropyon!"
"Shut up!" the protostar roared. "You're imagining stuff again!"
"If you say so, Kuropiko," Fai smirked. "You sure are defensive, aren't you?"
"Hmph," Kurogane puffed, folding his arms. "So what are we gonna do now?"
"You mean now that I beat you at three games of tag?" the smaller boy said with a grin.
"Tch. You only won because I let you," the protostar grumbled.
"Oh, Kuropiko's just being the gentleman again today, hmm?" Fai giggled.
"Only because I know you'd whine if you lost all the time!" he retorted.
Fai laughed. "You know me so well, Kurotan!"
"Course I do," Kurogane huffed. "We've been neighbors for 50,000 years. Plus you come over and bother me pretty much every day."
"Hey, lots of times Kuropin is the one that comes over to my house," the blond pouted.
"I told you, only because my mom makes me!" Kurogane reminded him sharply. His light started to redden again.
"But I can't believe it's been 50,000 years already," Fai sighed, ignoring him.
"I can," the protostar grumbled.
"And I can't believe how much Kuropiko has grown since he moved in next door to me!" he marveled. "You were 990,000 when you moved in and you were only this tall!"
"Yeah, well… I've been taking my vitamins, so of course I've grown," Kurogane said. "But you haven't grown at all. You're like twice my age and you're still a shrimp. How old are you again?"
"Well, I'm 2,050,000 now. But we grow slower and live longer than stars," Fai reminded him.
Kurogane didn't know what to say to that statement, so he said nothing.
"Hmm… How about if we go pick plasma berries?" Fai suggested. "I'll use them to make some of that bread you like so much."
"Fine," Kurogane agreed.
Fai took his neighbor's hand as they headed toward the plasma berry bushes that were buried in the woods behind their houses. The protostar's light, which was reddening again at the contact between them, became more noticeable as they left the daylight behind and ventured into the shade of the forest.
"Are your mom and dad working today?" the blond asked.
"Tch. They're pretty much always working," Kurogane groused. "Seems like they've always got a bunch of orders to get done."
"I guess they would be busy, huh?" Fai agreed. "They are the most famous starmakers in the universe, after all. Aside from Yuuko san, anyway. It makes sense that everyone would want their stars... I like the one I've got."
He squeezed Kurogane's hand affectionately, making the protostar's glow redden further.
"Don't be a moron! I don't belong to you!" he spat, though he didn't pull his hand away. "I don't belong to anyone!"
"Hmm? You mean you weren't a commission?" Fai asked, looking mildly surprised.
"No!" Kurogane snapped, as if being asked that was highly insulting. Fai supposed it might have been, just a little.
"Sorry, Kurosama," he said lightly. "I didn't mean anything by it."
"Hmph," Kurogane puffed.
Fai stopped, letting go of the other boy's hand and crouching down to examine something on the ground. "Ah, I think I found the plasma berries."
Kurogane crouched down next to him as Fai plucked one of the marble-sized purple fruits. "Open up, Kuropiko!"
Kurogane tried to control the color of his shining aura as he opened his mouth and let Fai pop the berry inside. He did a fair job until he noticed the way Fai's fingers lingered hopefully at his lips. The young protostar burned red again.
"How do you feel, Kuropipi?" Fai asked, grinning at the response his teasing, flirtatious touches had drawn.
Kurogane frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean? I feel fine."
"That's good," Fai grinned. "I wasn't quite sure if they were plasma berries, so I figured I should have you taste it first. I'm glad they didn't turn out to be poisonous!"
"WHAT THE HELL?! YOU ASSHOLE!! YOU COULD'VE KILLED ME!!" Kurogane yelled. He tackled Fai, knocking him onto his back. The blond smiled mischievously up at him and reached up to fiddle with the collar of the protostar's shirt.
"Oh, no! The puppy is angry!" he breathed. "I hope he doesn't bite me!"
Kurogane's glow went scarlet as Fai ran his hands lightly up the legs that straddled him and kept him pinned to the ground. Desperate not to let Fai beat him like that, he flicked him between the eyes.
"Ouchy!" Fai whined, clapping a hand to his forehead. "That was mean, Kurowanwan!"
"Oh, shut up," the protostar grumbled, hurriedly rolling off of him before Fai could mess with him any more. "I hardly touched you. And you deserved it for the berry thing."
"I was just kidding about that," Fai said lightly. "Of course I knew that they were plasma berries! I would never try to hurt Kuropiko like that!"
There was a brief silence between them before the smaller boy spoke again, though he did so quietly, half-hoping that maybe Kurogane wouldn't hear him. "Especially not since I'm hoping you might grant my wish some day."
"Huh?" the protostar said.
Fai smiled. "Nothing, Kuroron."
"Hmph," Kurogane grunted again sourly as he began to pluck berries alongside his neighbor boy. "Anyway…what about your parents? I hardly ever see them. They must be pretty busy, too."
"Well, it's not so much that they have a lot of work, it just takes a lot of time and planning," Fai replied.
"What do they do again?" Kurogane asked.
"They're stellar landscapers," the blond said.
"You mean they're the guys who make constellations and stuff?"
"Yeah… I guess they've made a lot of the major ones," Fai recalled. "The big dipper, the little dipper, Scorpio, Taurus, Orion, Signet…"
"So they're pretty famous, too, then, right?" the protostar pointed out.
"Hmm, I guess they are, aren't they?" Fai agreed. "I don't know if they're as famous as your parents, though. After all, it's the stars themselves that grant wishes and make people fall in love; not the constellations… I wonder if your parents ever work with mine. Have they ever mentioned it?"
"How should I know? They don't really talk to me about their jobs," Kurogane said. "And why are you always asking me questions about my parents?"
Fai blinked at him with round blue eyes that sparkled enchantingly in the dim forest light and the glow given off by the young protostar and Kurogane felt his breath catching slightly in his chest in spite of himself. "Eh? You mean I've never told you?"
"Told me what?" Kurogane asked, looking carefully at the ground, hoping that his heart wouldn't pound so loudly if he didn't look at Fai.
"I want to become a starmaker when I grow up!" the blond chirped.
Kurogane stopped picking berries and stared at him. "For real?" he asked.
"Yep! …Hmm?" Fai leaned closer to him, studying the protostar's face, grinning. "Why does that make you blush, Kuropiko?"
"I'M NOT BLUSHING!!" Kurogane snapped, his blush deepening. "IT'S THE ELEMENTS IN THIS DAMN FOREST!! THEY DO WEIRD CRAP TO MY LIGHT!!"
"Oh, I get it!" Fai sang, waving aside Kurogane's bogus explanation. "You're happy, because if I become a starmaker I'll still get to see you any time I want, even after you've joined the other stars in the night sky!"
"Like hell I am!" the protostar scoffed. "I'm pissed off, that's what I am! Here I was thinking I'd be rid of you in just 40,000 more years and now you're telling me I'll still have to see you all the time!"
"Ah, so you're just angry again, huh?" the blond asked with a knowing smile. "That's why you got all red?"
"And anyway, I bet you don't even know the first thing about starmaking!" Kurogane continued haughtily. "Now if you talked to my parents and watched them work a couple times, then maybe you might have a chance."
Fai blinked at him again, briefly stunned, before his smile reappeared wider than ever. "Are you offering to ask your parents if I could job shadow them so I can become a starmaker?!" he asked excitedly.
"I... H-hold on! I never said that!" Kurogane sputtered, his light a stunning shade of crimson now. "Th-that's not what I meant!"
Actually that was exactly what he meant, and they both knew it. Fai giggled and threw his arms around the flushed protostar and nuzzled his cheek against his glowing chest.
"Thank you, Kuropiko," Fai whispered. "You're sweet."
Fai took a deep breath to compose himself as he stood on Kurogane's doorstep. The protostar had been able to talk to his parents and set up a time for Fai to come in and watch them make some stars. Since they began their work fairly early in the morning, they had requested that Fai come over at five AM. The blond knew that Kurogane's parents were very nice people, but it didn't stop him from being just a little nervous. But if he didn't knock now, he'd be late for their appointment. Fai took another deep breath and tapped lightly on the door. It was Kurogane's mother who answered it. She greeted him with a brilliantly warm smile.
"Good morning, Fai kun!" she said kindly. "Come on in; we're just about ready to get started."
"Good morning, Youou san," Fai replied, removing his shoes at the door. "Thank you so much for agreeing to let me shadow you! I really appreciate it!"
"It's my pleasure, especially since you're such a good friend to Kurogane," she assured him. "I can't imagine how much harder our jobs would be if it wasn't for you!"
Fai was puzzled. "Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Well, Kurogane tends to get quite restless when he's bored," the starmaker explained. "I'm afraid he'd be bothering us for things to do all day if he didn't have you to play with!"
"Yes, that sounds like Kuropiko, alright," Fai agreed, grinning at the thought.
"I'll show you our workshop," she offered. "Kurogane's father had to go out and get some more supplies before we can get started, but I made some fresh hydrogen muffins. We can have those while we're waiting for him, if you'd like."
"That sounds great!" the blond said.
"Good! Well, this is where we make the stars," she said as she led him into a spacious room filled with odd-looking tools. "You can have a look around while I go get the muffins out of the oven."
"Ok."
Kurogane's mother vanished into the hallway, leaving Fai to explore. The first thing that caught his eye was the three tall silver barrels that sat in the corner. He wandered over to them and peered inside curiously. They were full of a glittering, luminous powder so fine that it seemed to be on the verge of being a liquid. This must be the stardust, he thought. He really wanted to stick his hand in it and see what it felt like, but wasn't sure if that would taint it somehow so he decided against it.
He had just picked up a heavy iron mold that was used for shaping the star cores when a quiet rustling sound caught his attention. Fai looked around. It seemed to be coming from a room on his right, whose door was just slightly ajar. He could see into the room enough to know that it was dark inside, but there was a gentle glow emanating from within. The blond felt drawn to it somehow. Without even pausing to think that it was rude to wander around in someone else's house, Fai tiptoed closer and peeked in.
It was a bedroom, and whoever it belonged to was still under the covers. With the glow that person was giving off, Fai knew instantly who it was. He approached the bed silently, his heart pounding not-so-silently, as Kurogane stirred again slightly. The protostar's glow was dimmed in sleep, but he was still absolutely stunning, especially in the partial darkness. Fai was frozen at his bedside. The protostar was breathtakingly handsome, his face smooth and peaceful without his characteristic scowl. Fai wanted to reach out and touch his cheek, or run his fingers through his spiky black hair, or… The blond boy felt his face flushing just a little at the thought of kissing his lips.
"Isn't he precious when he's asleep?" a female voice whispered from behind him.
Fai started violently at the unexpected visitor's interruption and whirled around. There was Kurogane's mother behind him, smiling softly and, thankfully, not looking the least bit angry that Fai had wandered into her son's room. Still, he felt a little guilty at being caught there.
"I'm sorry," he whispered back, flashing her an apologetic smile. "The door was open and I could see his glow coming from inside, so I just kind of…"
She ushered him back out into the workshop and closed her son's door quietly so that they wouldn't wake him.
"It's ok, Fai kun," Kurogane's mother reassured him with a smile. "No harm done. Besides, even though it may not seem like it, Kurogane really likes you a lot."
"I'm glad," the blond grinned. "It's hard to tell since he's so grumpy all the time."
Kurogane's mother picked up the plate of muffins from the counter behind her and offered the boy one. He accepted it gratefully.
"…Can I ask you a question, Youou san?" Fai asked eventually.
"Of course," she said.
"How did you come to have a star for a son?"
"Ah," Kurogane's mother said with a smile. "That is a good question. Well, when Kurogane's father and I got married, we wanted a child very badly. But when we went to the doctor, he said that my body was too weak to handle childbirth and that we should just try to adopt instead. But then my husband came up with a brilliant idea; since we're starmakers, why don't we create a star and raise him like a regular child? That way, he'll still be a product of our love, and working on him would bring us closer together, the way having a child the natural way would have. It took much longer and was a lot more work, but after many, many years we were finally able to finish our beloved son."
"Wow, that must've been pretty tough, huh?" Fai sighed. "I mean, he must have taken much longer to make than even a regular star, right?"
"Oh yes," Mrs. Youou agreed. "Most stars aren't advanced enough to function like normal people. I mean, the well-made ones do have hints of personality and are capable of basic speech but basically, they're nothing in comparison to a normal child. Since we wanted Kurogane to be much more advanced than the average star, we had to put much more effort into making him."
Fai amused himself for a moment, imagining Mrs. Youou pressing a Kurogane-shaped cookie cutter into some rolled-out dough, as if he were a sugar cookie or something.
"Did you have to use different ingredients for Kuropiko than you do for your other stars?"
"A few," Kurogane's mother admitted. "The main difference was the amount of love. We made our Kurogane with all the love in our hearts."
Fai fought the urge to giggle. Aw, Kurochan was made with extra love! I'll have to tease him about that later!
"Considering all the love we put into him, I can't imagine why he turned out to be such a sour child," she sighed.
The blond didn't bother restraining his laughter at that comment. "I think that's part of Kurosama's charm!" he said. "It's cute when he uses grumpiness to hide how shy and sweet he is!"
"I'm glad someone besides us feels that way," she sighed. "Most people are a little intimidated by him. But his father and I think he was well worth the time and effort we put into him."
"Me too," Fai said softly.
Kurogane's mother smiled warmly at him. "You have a wish that you need granted, don't you Fai kun?"
"Yes," the boy admitted.
"Is it one that Kurogane can grant?"
"Hmm… I have a feeling… Kuropiko might be the only one who can."
She ruffled his hair affectionately. "I'm sure he'll do everything in his power to see that it comes true, then."
Fai smiled wistfully up at her. "I hope you're right."
-39,999 years later-
He couldn't breathe. He was sore and tired and hungry and afraid to move. Someone was in his house, and he didn't recognize their voices. The boy pushed his discomfort aside and tried to curl up even tighter, willing himself to become invisible, though he couldn't control his shaking. He hugged himself; if he didn't stop shaking, they would surely find him. The boy wasn't sure who "they" were, but they were strangers and they were wandering through his house, calling his name and the name of his twin.
Without thinking, he glanced in the direction of his twin brother who was hiding under the bed beside him but he quickly forced himself to look away. The body was starting to smell. What if the strangers smelled it and found where he was hiding? What would they do to him? Would they kill him? Would they put him in an orphanage? He had heard something from some kids at school about the people who came looking for children with no parents and the terrible things that happened to those children. That was why, two days after he and his brother had been abandoned, the two of them had gone into around-the-clock hiding.
He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out the darkness and the sight of his brother on the floor next to him, tears slipping silently from beneath his closed eyelids. He wished his parents were here; they would know what to do. But the boy had the overpowering feeling that he wouldn't be seeing them again. After all, it had been three weeks since the two of them had gone off to work and not come home.
The strangers were getting closer to his hiding spot. He felt sick with terror and despair. He was tired of this feeling, of being hungry, of the darkness. Perhaps whatever plans these strangers had for him weren't as agonizing as what he was enduring now. Perhaps what he had heard at school was wrong and if he went with them, things might get better. Maybe they would help him.
Before he could make up his mind about whether to let them find him or not, the door to his bedroom burst open and the strangers flooded in, still calling his name as they searched for him and his brother. They smelled the body; he could tell because he could hear them choking and reeling back in shock and disgust. Someone lifted the blinds and opened the window, allowing a brilliant light to fill the room. The sudden burst of light burned the boy's eyes and caused him to make a small cry of pain.
They must have heard him because seconds later someone was on their hands and knees, looking under the bed. It was a young woman with extremely long blond hair and innocent amber eyes. When she saw the body, she whimpered and backed away. The boy felt his chest being filled with hope. That woman who had just looked under the bed at him didn't look evil; frankly, she had looked downright harmless. Maybe they really did just want to help him.
Another person looked under the bed, covering his mouth and nose to shield them from the stink of the decaying body. This person was a young man with short black hair and kind brown eyes, though they were currently narrowed in distaste at his find. The man jumped when he noticed the boy looking fearfully at him.
"I found him!" he called to the others. His companions sounded pleased and relieved to hear this. The man reached out to him.
"It's alright, I won't hurt you," he said gently. "Come on out."
The boy hesitantly accepted his hand and allowed himself to be pulled out from under the bed. His rescuer transferred him to the arms of the young blond woman who hugged him comfortingly.
"Which one are you?" the man asked.
"F-Fai," the boy whimpered.
"What happened to Yuui kun?"
Fai looked down at the ground sadly, his eyes filling with tears again. "…H-he didn't wake up…"
The man looked as though he understood how Fai felt. Then he smiled slightly. "Well, my name is Hideki, and this is my wife, Elda. How would you like to come and stay with us for a little while?"
Fai was silent for a moment as he contemplated this. "Ok," he answered finally.
Fai opened his eyes when he felt someone shaking him slightly.
"Wake up!" Kurogane whispered. The blond blinked at him, still a bit disoriented and shaken up by his dream, the unpleasant reminder of his past. Kurogane, who was staying the night at his house that evening, helped him sit up, and Fai could see from the gentle glow of his body a slightly concerned expression on his face.
"What's the matter, Kuropiko?" he asked.
"Looked like you were having a bad dream or something," Kurogane said, now looking a bit uncomfortable. "You were rolling all over the place and shaking real bad."
"Sorry," Fai said with an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"Nah, I couldn't sleep anyway," he mumbled, looking down at the ground.
The blond rubbed his eyes and hugged himself, still trembling just a little.
"You wanna go out to the tree house?" he asked.
"…Ok," Kurogane agreed.
Fai grabbed one of his blankets and took the protostar's luminous hand. Kurogane scratched the back of his head nervously and led them out to the tree house in Fai's backyard. The two of them climbed up the ladder and hoisted themselves up into the enclosure in the branches. Fai wanted desperately to climb into Kurogane's lap and wrap the blanket around both of them, but something held him back. He sighed and pulled the blanket around his own shoulders. Kurogane sat down next to him, but not too close. When Fai's adoptive father had built this tree house, he had installed a skylight so that the artistry of the night sky could still be appreciated from inside.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" Fai sighed, snuggling up to the protostar beside him.
"Hn," Kurogane grunted.
"And one of those is mine," the smaller boy said proudly. "I finally got enough experience watching Kurotan's mother and father work that they let me make one on my own."
"What are you talking about?" Kurogane snorted. "You guys had to throw that one you made away because it crumbled as soon as it came out of the kiln."
"How mean, Kuropiko! I worked really hard on that star!" Fai pouted. "Besides it was my first try."
Kurogane rolled his eyes.
"But Kuromyuu will be up there next year," the blond breathed, laying his head on the other boy's shoulder. "And I still have a long time before I can become a real starmaker…"
"20,000 years isn't that long," Kurogane said.
"I know, but… I won't get to see Kuropiko as often as I do now," Fai pointed out. "Without you, I'll be really lonely… again."
The protostar frowned at him questioningly, but Fai didn't offer any more information.
"But once I'm up there, I can grant that wish, right?" Kurogane said in an off-hand sort of way.
The blond looked up at him in mild surprise.
"What's that stupid look for?" Kurogane grumbled. "You're always saying it, right? You've got some wish that you want me to grant, but you won't tell me what it is until I'm up there."
"Actually, I was surprised that you were trying to cheer me up like that," Fai told him with a small smile. "It's cute."
Kurogane's shining aura flushed. "Personally, I think this whole 'wishing on a star' business is pretty stupid. If you want something, you should work for it and grant your own wish. It's not rewarding if everything you want is just handed to you on a freaking silver platter."
Fai laughed softly. "That's pretty funny, coming from a wishing star."
"Yeah, well… it's true," Kurogane insisted.
"But my wish is different," the blond assured him.
"Oh yeah?" Kurogane asked. "How?"
Fai smiled secretively at him. "You'll just have to wait, Kuropiko. It's no good revealing my wish too soon."
"Hmph!" Kurogane grunted irritably. "Fine! See if I care!"
"You're mad!" Fai laughed. "You're mad that I won't tell you my wish right now!"
"I'm not mad! I just said I didn't care, didn't I?!" Kurogane retaliated. "And why the hell do you keep on scooting closer to me?!"
Fai's smile faded to something small and sad. "Well, actually… hmm, I guess I'm a little scared of the dark. But Kuropiko shines nice and bright so I'm not so afraid when I'm with you… I'll stop, though, if you don't like it."
Kurogane's glow turned bright red, but he didn't press the matter. In spite of whatever he said to Fai normally, he didn't want to deter him. Fai smiled and snuggled his cheek against the protostar's luminescent arm.
"I'm going to miss you so much when you're gone, Kuropipi," he sighed, closing his eyes.
"You can still visit me when my parents do until you become a real starmaker," Kurogane mumbled.
"Yes, but… I'll miss this, too," Fai said. "Doing this kind of thing with you all the time."
Kurogane was silent until Fai looked up at him with sad, glimmering eyes. "But no matter how much I say that, it won't help, right? I can't keep Kurochan from going into the night sky with all the other stars. It's where you belong."
Kurogane's eyebrows knitted together in a frown. Even if it's where I belong, it's not where I want to be.
-15,001 years later-
"Kuropiko!" Fai cheered, pouncing on the now fully-fledged wishing star.
"Ouch! Get off!" Kurogane growled.
"Sorry, did I hurt you?" Fai panted as he sat up, though his smile was still bright enough to rival even Kurogane's glow. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"
"It's only been 100 years," Kurogane mumbled, his light gaining a tinge of pink.
"I know, but it seems like so much longer…" Fai sighed. "I've been super busy lately."
"Are my parents here?" Kurogane asked, looking around for them. "I don't see them anywhere…"
"That's why I've been so busy, Kurochii!" the blond chirped excitedly. "I'm a real starmaker now! I don't have to wait until your mother and father have time before I can visit you anymore! Isn't that great?!"
Kurogane narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "So it was you, then?"
"Hmm?" Fai said. "What do you mean?"
"Are you the one who made that damn white dwarf and sent it up here by me?!" he demanded.
"Oh, you mean Mokona?" Fai giggled. "Yes, that was me. Isn't she cute?"
"Like hell she is!" Kurogane snapped. "That damn manjuu star won't leave me alone; always jumping around like she thinks she's a freaking shooting star and yapping mindlessly like some screwed up dog!"
"Has she learned any new words?" Fai asked with a smile. "When I sent her off, all she could say was 'puu'."
"No, that's still all she says," the wishing star snarled. "I want to kick her, but I'm afraid she'll collapse and turn into a freaking black hole!"
Fai laughed again, sending goosebumps down Kurogane's spine. 100 years may not have been that long of a time for them not to see each other, but hearing Fai's laughter still had this effect on him. "Oh, come on now, Kuropiko; I wouldn't make my first star so flimsy as to collapse after a few kicks!"
"How about a million?" Kurogane grumbled. Fai laughed again.
"Besides, I thought you might appreciate me sending her to you," he said with a soft smile. "That way, she could be here with you, even when I couldn't."
Kurogane's glow reddened a little, but he didn't say anything. The two sat in silence for a moment before Fai spoke again.
"So how is star life treating you?" he asked. "Any better than last time I was here?"
"Tch! No! I have to hear the same stupid wishes over and over again!" Kurogane spat. "Crap like 'please let him fall in love with me' or 'please let me win the lottery' or 'please let me get this promotion at work'. I'm sick of it; everyone wants the same damn things and they're all too lazy to work for them!"
"But you do grant their wishes, don't you, Kurowanta?" Fai asked.
"I don't have a choice; it's my damn job," he replied bitterly. "And the conversation up here sucks, too. All the other stars are idiots. This is the first relatively intelligent conversation I've had since the last time you came to visit."
"Hyuu, that must be pretty tough for Kurorinta," the blond marveled jokingly. "If your most intelligent conversations are with me, you must be in bad shape."
"Shut up," Kurogane huffed.
"I had a thought while I was working on one of my stars a while back and I've been meaning to ask you about it," Fai remembered suddenly.
"Yeah? What's that?" Kurogane asked.
"Do stars have wishes?"
Kurogane snorted. "I doubt if any of these guys have enough brainpower to generate a wish of their own," he sneered, gesturing at the other stars that hung around him whose eyes were vacant and smiles were placid.
"Do you have wishes?" Fai asked.
Kurogane's brows knitted together in a frown and he looked down at his feet. The blond smiled and put a hand comfortingly on his shoulder.
"It's alright," he cooed. "You can tell me; I won't laugh."
"What's yours?" the wishing star countered.
"I asked you first," Fai grinned.
"No, I'm pretty sure I asked you what yours was 15,000 years ago and you wouldn't tell me," Kurogane said stubbornly.
Fai's smile faded significantly, becoming apologetic. "I'm sorry, Kuropin; I can't tell you yet."
"What the hell?! I'm a wishing star now and you're a starmaker!" Kurogane snapped. "You said you'd tell me what your damn wish was when those two things came true!"
"I know, I'm sorry," he repeated. "The timing isn't right yet."
"Well, I'm not telling you mine until you tell me yours," Kurogane said resolutely.
Fai looked a little disappointed, but he completely understood where his friend was coming from. How could he expect Kurogane to bare his soul if he wouldn't do the same for him?
"You know the thing that really sucks about being a star?" Kurogane growled, his voice hard and bitter. "Not only can you not have someone else grant your wishes for you, but you're stuck in this fucking hellhole of a sky so that you can't grant your own, either."
-5,000 years later-
After the day when Kurogane had told him all the things he hated about being a star, Fai tried to visit him almost every day. It was tough; being a starmaker was time-consuming work, and with his stars becoming more and more popular, he had less time than ever. But Fai was usually able to make an hour or two here and there to come up to the night sky and visit his best friend. Thankfully, Kurogane hadn't asked him about his wish again since that day 5,000 years ago, but Fai could tell it still weighed on the wishing star's mind. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Kurogane what his wish was, he just couldn't find the words to express what it was that he wanted.
However, one day, after struggling with it for so long, Fai finally figured out what he wanted to say. When the words finally came together in his head, he felt great joy, as if a heavy burden had been partially lifted from his shoulders. It wasn't lifted all the way, though. There was still the matter of telling Kurogane and waiting to see whether the star would accept his wish. It took a lot of courage, but Fai was eventually able to work up the nerve to see him about it.
"What's up? You look nervous," Kurogane said, and Fai could see the concern in his ruby eyes.
The blond took a deep breath, stealing himself for what he was about to say. "You… you remember how I couldn't tell you my wish earlier because the timing wasn't right? Well, I… I think I'm ready now."
Kurogane's eyes widened. To tell the truth, Fai had been holding this wish thing over his head for so long he had begun to wonder if there even was an actual wish or if Fai was just messing with him. He could hardly believe his ears now that Fai was saying he was going to tell him what it was.
"Yeah? And?" Kurogane prompted, trying not to let on how eager he was.
Fai stared at the ground, his blond bangs hiding his eyes from view as he clutched Kurogane's shirt in his trembling slender fingers. "I… I don't want to be in the dark anymore!"
When Kurogane didn't answer, Fai lifted his gaze to look at him, his pleading eyes shining with desperation. The wishing star's first impulse was to ask him what the hell he meant by that, but his body began to react without giving his brain time to catch up. Kurogane swept Fai into his glowing arms and kissed his lips passionately. When their mouths met, Kurogane's shining aura ignited, blazing far brighter than it ever had before, engulfing them both in a blinding light that they hardly noticed in the heat of that moment they had both been dreaming of for so long. When they finally parted, Fai laid his head happily against the wishing star's chest, simply letting Kurogane hold him.
"I've wanted this since the day we met," the blond sighed.
"Yeah, me too," Kurogane admitted, blushing.
"You'll come back down out of the sky with me, won't you?" Fai asked hopefully.
Kurogane couldn't help grinning. "You know a wishing star can't reject a wish," he replied. He lifted Fai's chin so he could kiss him again. "Especially not when it's my wish, too."
A/N: So? So? Did I done good? I wasn't sure about adding Fai's back story in this chapter, but I felt it was necessary to show why he was afraid of the dark, and it gave a little depth to his wish of not wanting to be in the dark anymore. Still, I'm a little worried that it was out of place…
Just a few closing notes on this chapter for those who aren't familiar with some of the astronomy terms I used. A protostar is a young star in its early stages of formation. A white dwarf is a star that is characterized by its diminutive size, its extreme density and the fact that it is relatively dull compared to other stars. I hope that clears up any confusion about those things, and I hope you all liked the chapter enough to leave a review for an eager author.
