A/N: Nnngh… no like.


Leery

"Kurosama!" The elf suddenly launched himself at his caretaker, wrapping his arms around him in a hug and burying his face in the crook of his neck. "Kurosama… I…I've missed you so much!"

Kurogane was frozen stiff with shock as his patient nuzzled him almost desperately. What did the elf think he was doing?! Surely they hadn't met before or Kurogane would remember. But if they hadn't met before, the how could the elf have known his name? Judging by the way the elf was hugging him, he had no such uncertainties about whether they had met before. Slender, bandaged fingers slid into his hair and gently touched his ears. Suddenly the elf paused and pulled away a little, a slight frown of puzzlement on his beautiful face. Wordlessly, he began to trace the outside shells of Kurogane's ears with a sort of slow deliberateness. When he reached the rounded tops, Kurogane heard him gasp ever so slightly. The blond touched them again, as if checking to make sure his first assessment had been correct.

Apparently, his examination was finished because he slowly let his hands fall to his sides. Even though Kurogane was a bit disturbed and thoroughly confused by what had just taken place, he couldn't help feeling just a little bit sorry for the guy; after all, the look on his face suggested that his whole world had just been crushed. The elf removed himself from Kurogane's lap and retreated to his futon again.

"What the hell just happened?" Kurogane demanded, folding his arms.

The elf started as if only just remembering that the Kurogane he had just thrown himself on was capable of speech as well. For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other in silence, Kurogane waiting for an answer to his question and the elf trying to figure out what his response should be. Then the blond hurriedly arranged his face into an apologetic smile.

"Ah ha ha…Welcome home," he grinned.

Kurogane stared at him in disbelief, waiting for more of an explanation but nothing further was offered. "Are you freaking kidding me? 'Welcome home'? If you think that bullshit response is enough to cover for all that, you've got another thing coming."

"But I was lonely in here all by myself," the blond explained. "I'm just happy to see you, that's all! And I never expected my rescuer to be so handsome… I guess I got a little carried away."

"Like hell," Kurogane growled, though he couldn't help blushing just a little at being called handsome by the exceedingly gorgeous elf. "That still doesn't explain why you molested my ears. Try again, dumb ass, and make it the truth this time."

"But it is the truth!" his patient insisted, still smiling that infuriating smile that Kurogane was already starting to hate. "And I touched your ears because they looked so cute and soft!"

"So how did you know my name, then?" Kurogane asked dangerously, not buying the elf's explanation so far for a minute.

"Oh, right!" the elf said, snapping his fingers. "My name; I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Fai. Fai D. Flourite. You can just call me Fai, though. And I'll call you Kuropin. Or Kurotan. Or Kurorin… Or—"

"Number one," the dark-haired man interrupted angrily, "you're not gonna call me any of those stupid names or I'll kick your ass. And number two, quit trying to change the subject! If you think a weak diversion like that is going to distract me, you must be even dumber than you look! Enough screwing around, answer the damn question!"

Fai didn't seem at all phased by Kurogane's temper. He simply smiled and gave his calm reply. "That boy with the perfectly adorable voice told me!"

Kurogane stared blankly. "What boy?"

"The one waiting outside your door right now," the blond said easily. "He called you 'Kurogane san'. It only made sense that he called you that because it was your name. Am I wrong?"

"…Wait, you heard that?" the farmer asked, terror suddenly flooding his stomach. If Fai could hear what was going on outside from in here, then what if his two employees were listening to every word being exchanged between him and the elf right now? That wasn't an option; the fact that Kurogane was harboring an elf had to be kept absolutely secret at any cost. If word got out about it, then… Well, Kurogane wasn't exactly sure what would happen, but he knew it wouldn't be good.

"Hmm? Something wrong, Kurorinta?" Fai asked.

"Sh!" Kurogane hissed. "And enough with the damn nicknames!"

"If you're worried about those boys outside your door hearing us, it's alright, Kuropipi," the elf assured him with a smile. "Elves have much sharper hearing than humans; that's the only reason I could hear what was going on outside. I can also hear your heart going thumpity-thump like a frightened little bunny rabbit's, if I listen closely."

Kurogane snarled and gritted his teeth in embarrassment and irritation. "Anyway, just keep quiet whenever anyone's out there. Anyone finds out I'm keeping an elf and…"

"How mean, Daddy!" Fai pouted. "You make me sound like I'm your pet or something!"

"This isn't a joke!" the dark-haired man snarled. "Most people hate elves. The only reason you're still alive is because I know the difference between light and dark elves. I'm willing to bet most people don't know or care that one kind is evil and the other isn't."

"But you cared," Fai said with a soft smile.

Kurogane gaped at him for a moment, caught off guard, painfully aware of the way the heat was rising slightly in his cheeks. Then he realized how stupid he must look because Fai's smile was becoming increasingly sweet and gentle so he snorted and gritted his teeth in defiance.

"Don't be so damn arrogant," Kurogane sneered. "You're only here so I can get some information about those dark elf bastards out of you."

Fai was briefly silent, the smile on his lips losing its soft, sweet quality and becoming just a little bitter. "…I see."

"Anyway, I don't have time to hang around and play games with morons like you," the farmer sighed as he got to his feet. "I just came in here to get food. You'll eat peaches again, right?"

"Ooh, yes!" Fai replied eagerly, his mood changing again rather suddenly. "I love peaches! I could eat them for almost every meal!"

"Dunno how you can stand this sweet crap," Kurogane grumbled as he rounded up three peaches from his slowly shrinking collection. He crossed the room to Fai's bed and was about to drop them carelessly on the blond's stomach when he saw the elf open his mouth expectantly. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Eh? You mean you're not going to feed me and give me kisses anymore?" Fai pouted.

"H-hell no!" Kurogane sputtered, his face reddening impressively. "I only did that because you were unconscious and would die if you didn't get food somehow! And wasn't kissing you! Anyway, you were supposed to be asleep during all that!"

"Ah, so that was you!" Fai giggled shyly. "I wasn't sure since I'd been asleep the whole time, but I'm so glad it turned out not to be a dream!"

The dark-haired man just stared, horrified that he had just foolishly admitted to the charges of which Fai had accused him.

"I had a feeling you weren't as cold and callous as you're pretending to be," the blond sighed happily. "Who would have thought that the big, tough, scary Kuropuu could give such soft, sweet kisses?"

Kurogane stood there, trembling with rage, his face blazing, trying to come up with a smart, snappy comeback. It seemed that his anger was impairing his ability to think straight. Unable to redeem himself in this argument and not really trusting himself not to let other idiotic details of his misadventures while caring for the blond come tumbling out of his mouth, Kurogane turned on his heal and headed for the door. He had had enough of this weirdo elf teasing and making a fool out of him; he was going to take his food outside and eat with Syaoran and Watanuki.

"Are you leaving me again, Kuropun?" Fai asked.

"Some people have jobs," Kurogane grunted. "Not everyone can afford to lie around and sleep for eleven days straight."

"I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble, Kurosama," the elf said with an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, well, if that's how you feel, then don't get hurt next time," he said sternly.

"Ah, but…" Fai began, but he stopped himself, still smiling, yet looking slightly conflicted.

"What?" Kurogane asked.

"I was just wondering… I don't suppose there's anyone who might be able to stay with me while you're at work, is there?" he requested.

The dark-haired man frowned. "What for?"

Fai shrugged as he picked up one of his peaches and examined it with more interest than it merited. "I just don't want to get lonely again while you're away."

"Hah?" Kurogane said incredulously. "You trying to tell me you can't stand to be by yourself for a couple freaking hours?"

The blond just smiled apologetically. Kurogane heaved a sigh and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as he thought. "There's Inuki, I guess."

"Inuki, huh?" Fai repeated. "Is that Kurowanwan's puppy dog?"

"Yeah," the other man answered. "You want him or not?"

"Mm, I suppose Inuki would be alright, then," Fai agreed slowly.

Kurogane opened the front door, being careful to block the opening with his body so that Syaoran and Watanuki couldn't see inside, and whistled for his dog. "Oi, Inuki! Come here!"

The dog came bounding over, wagging his tail excitedly as if he had been waiting his whole life for his master to invite him into the house. Kurogane stepped aside to let Inuki in and turned to leave, but the elf stopped him again. "Will you be back late?"

"Who do you think you are, my mother?" Kurogane growled after chancing a glance at his two farmhands to make sure they weren't listening.

Fai laughed. "I only wondered when I would get to see my handsome rescuer again."

"Tch," the ruby-eyed man scoffed, flushing slightly. "I ought to be back a few hours after sunset. And don't let that dog piss on the floor. He's an outdoor animal so he's not housetrained."

"Yes, sir!" Fai giggled as Inuki sniffed eagerly at the elf's pointed ears and licked his face.

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted as he closed the door behind him.

Once his caretaker was gone, Fai turned his attention to Inuki, patting the dog's head and trying to ward off his warm, wet tongue. Eventually, he was able to persuade Inuki to stop licking him and lie calmly at his side so that he could eat his peaches. Fai closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly and shakily.

"I knew he wasn't my Kurosama," he mumbled to himself as he picked up one of the peaches that Kurogane had given him and turned it absentmindedly in his fingers. "My Kurosama is gone… But they really are alike, aren't they? They've got the same voice, the same face, the same way of talking… It was almost like having my Kuropipi back again."

A few teardrops slipped from the blond's royal blue eyes and landed on the peach's soft flesh. He sniffled and quickly dried his tears.

"Ah… this is no good," Fai whispered to Inuki with a small, sad smile. "What would Kurowanta say if he saw me carrying on like this?"

The dog gave a little whimper and laid his head in Fai's lap as if trying to offer him comfort in the only way he knew how. Fai heaved another sigh and stroked Inuki's ears appreciatively, trying to calm himself as he took a bite of his peach.


When Kurogane got home, his senses were assaulted by the scent of fresh bread and some other food that he couldn't identify. Still, he had to admit that it smelled pretty good. A fire had been lit in the grate and there were plenty of candles burning, bathing the small house's interior in a warm, cozy light. Fai was stirring a pot of something on the stove, singing quietly to himself as he worked. It was a melodic, honey-sweet sound that sent shivers through Kurogane's body. Suddenly, Fai turned to face him and smiled.

"Welcome home, Kuromu," he said with a slight bow. "I've got dinner almost ready for us. I hope you like cheese soup."

"What do you think you're doing? You're not well enough to be up and moving around like this, idiot," Kurogane grumbled, though he was secretly rather pleased. It had been a long, tiring day and he didn't have the energy to make anything for supper. Not only that, but it had been so long since the last time he had come home to a hot meal and an inviting house. Normally, it was dark and empty when he got there after work.

"But it's so boring just lying around and doing nothing all by myself," Fai explained. "Besides, I thought it would be a good way to show how grateful I am for you saving me."

"Hmph," Kurogane huffed as he sat down. Inuki bounded over to him, whining in protest. What were those things in his fur? Kurogane frowned as he bent down to examine the damage that had been done to his dog. Upon closer examination, they turned out to be makeshift ribbons. Someone had made little ponytails all over Inuki's head, tying his thick white fur back with bows made of strips of tattered cloth. Not only that, but the dog's nails had been painted. Kurogane let out a low snarl.

"What the hell did you do to my dog?" he demanded.

Fai giggled like a naughty child who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Well, you were gone for so long; I had to keep myself busy somehow!"

"So you thought you'd emasculate my dog while you were waiting?!" he snapped.

"Don't be such a drama queen, Kuropun," the blond said. "I just thought Inuki deserved a chance to be beautiful."

"Look at this!" Kurogane spat as he hurriedly removed the ribbons. "He looks like some deranged drag queen! Disgusting!"

"Shall I make you pretty next, Kuropiko?" Fai asked, grinning.

"If you so much as come near me with any of this girly shit, I swear I'll chop your head off and remove your sorry excuse for a brain with a spoon," the scarlet-eyed man promised dangerously.

"Then go wash up for supper and hand me your bowl, Kuropon," the elf instructed cheerfully.

Kurogane, still bristling at the thought of Fai messing with his hair, opened the door to let Inuki out, rinsed his hands and returned to the table to give his guest his bowl.

"I hope it tastes alright," he said as he filled it with soup and passed it back. "I've never cooked for so few people."

"Hn," the dark-haired man grunted, accepting the soup. Fai watched him anxiously as Kurogane tasted it.

"…Not bad," he admitted. That was Kurogane-speak for "pretty damn good". Fai seemed to sense this because he grinned brightly as he served himself.

"So, you're a farmer, Kuromin?" the blond asked, blowing on his soup to cool it down.

"Yeah," he answered distractedly.

"That's great!" Fai chirped. "What kinds of things to you have on your farm?"

"Nothing special," Kurogane shrugged. "Couple cows, chickens, horses, pigs, sheep… and some fruit trees. Usually there're vegetables, too, but they've been harvested already."

"Pigs, huh? I'd like to see Kurowanta taking care of the piggies," the elf giggled.

"Shut up, you," Kurogane snarled, knowing that he was being made fun of again.

"I'd like to help, too, of course," Fai continued happily. "I love animals. Light elves are the guardians of nature, you know, so I'm pretty good with them."

"Yeah, about that elf thing," Kurogane said, pointing at him accusingly with his spoon. "Aren't humans who do something for elves supposed to get a pot of gold or something?"

Fai looked momentarily puzzled, then laughed. "I'm afraid it's leprechauns that do the pot of gold thing. We elves usually prefer to hand out good luck to those who help us."

"Good luck, huh?" Kurogane echoed. "So when does that kick in? 'Cause I sure as hell didn't have good luck today."

"Oh?" Fai asked pleasantly. "Did Kurochii have a rough day at work?"

"Like hell I'm gonna tell you about it," Kurogane grumbled, thinking of the cow that had peed on him as he'd tried to lead it to the slaughter. A few of the chickens had scratched him pretty good, too, and one of the sheep had bitten him. "You'll just laugh. Anyway, you gonna give me some luck or what?"

Fai smiled mysteriously. "Maybe, if you're nice to me."

"What the hell?!" the dark-haired man snapped. "I saved your freaking life! What could be nicer than that?!"

The elf giggled. "How about a kiss?"

"DON'T BE STUPID!!" Kurogane roared, his cheeks reddening. "I CAME CLOSE ENOUGH WITH THAT FEEDING BULLSHIT!! NO WAY AM I GONNA PUT MYSELF THROUGH THAT AGAIN!!"

"Goodness, it was only a joke, Kuropii," Fai chuckled. "No need to get so hostile!"

"Hmph!" Kurogane snorted, focusing on his soup again in hopes that Fai wouldn't see him still blushing. "Ungrateful bastard!"

"And those two boys from earlier today… they help you on the farm?" Fai asked.

"Yeah."

"Are they your slaves?"

Kurogane looked up from his supper in mild surprise at the tone of the elf's voice as he asked that question. It hadn't been harsh, per se, but it had certainly been darker than the usual light and carefree tone that Fai usually employed.

"No," he replied with a curious frown. "They're paid."

At this response, the elf's mood seemed to lighten again considerably and he let the subject drop.

"Do you think you could take me out to see the animals?" the blond requested.

"What, tonight?" Kurogane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! It'll be fun!"

Kurogane snorted doubtfully. "Forget it. It's a long walk to the stables and I've been out there all day already."

"A long walk?" Fai repeated. "Is your farm really that big, Kuropyon?"

"Yeah, it's big, but it hasn't been doing as well since I started running it by myself," he said.

"Did someone else used to help you?" Fai asked.

"My parents," Kurogane mumbled. "But they're not around anymore."

"Oh…I'm sorry," Fai whispered.

"Yeah, well, no point in looking backward," the dark-haired man said roughly, taking another bite of his soup. "You can't make any progress if you only think about the bad stuff in your past. You've gotta just keep looking forward."

Fai smiled sadly. That was exactly the kind of thing that his Kurogane would have said. "But if you don't take time to remember the past, then you might forget all the ones you love who are gone now."

"I didn't say you had to forget about it," Kurogane growled. "Do what you have to to come to terms with it and move on with your life. Otherwise you'll just end up wasting the time you've got left."

Fai didn't know how to reply to that, so he bowed his head and busied himself with his food as he considered what Kurogane had just said. This Kurogane was so much like the one he had known and fallen in love with that it hurt just to look at him. He thought he might have been able to cope with it better if this Kurogane didn't insist on not only looking exactly like the one he had known but acting and speaking like him, too. The only noticeable difference was the fact that the Kurogane he had known had had pointed ears kind of like Fai's.

Still, Fai recognized the wisdom in his words. His Kurogane would have been disgusted if Fai let himself waste away as he brooded about what happened to him. Perhaps meeting this Kurogane was his chance to move on. What if he could start over in more favorable conditions than what he had had the first time around? But the worst things that had happened to him had been so recent. Could he really put all that behind him and move on so quickly? It seemed disrespectful somehow. Then again, if he didn't get himself under control and quit letting himself lapse into these little pity parties, he might ruin his chances with this Kurogane.

"Thanks for the food," Kurogane said, standing up and carrying his dishes to the sink. "You about done? You need to put this stuff on your wounds before you go to bed."

He glanced in disgust at the sissy pink medication bottle he was holding up for Fai to see.

"Ok," Fai replied, putting on a smile for his host. "But I might need some help reaching the ones on my back."

"Hn," the ruby-eyed man acquiesced somewhat reluctantly. "You still wanna go see the animals?"

"Maybe tomorrow," Fai said. "I'm… feeling a little light-headed all of a sudden."

"Tch. I knew it was too soon for you to be up and moving around like this," Kurogane sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. "Just put on the lotion stuff and go to bed. I'll take care of the cleanup."

"Thank you, Kuronro," the elf said gratefully.


"Kurochan, I'm ready for you to help me put some on my back," Fai called.

Kurogane joined the blond near his futon, picked up the bottle of medication and shook some out into his hand.

"Mm, your hands are nice and warm," Fai breathed. "They're a little rough, though."

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you do hard manual labor all day," Kurogane grunted disinterestedly, though he eased up a little, trying to be more gentle.

A surprisingly comfortable silence descended over them as Kurogane massaged the medicated lotion into Fai's healing skin.

"Ah!" The elf gasped when Kurogane's calloused fingers suddenly hit a raw spot. "Careful with that spot, please, Kurochuu… it still hurts pretty bad."

A closer examination of the area in question revealed that one of the welts had somehow been ripped open again, a fine line of fresh blood making its appearance on Fai's pale skin. "What did you do to deserve this?" Kurogane asked.

Fai said nothing for a moment, making Kurogane wonder if he was being ignored. Then he spoke finally. "Hmm… well, let's just say I was a bad boy and I got punished for it."

"You're not gonna tell me, are you?"

Fai smiled sadly. "It's nothing personal, Kuronpyu… It's just such a long story and… I'm starting to get a little sleepy."

Kurogane studied him thoughtfully. He could usually tell when someone was lying to him and that was one of the weakest ones that Fai had told so far. For some reason, Fai didn't want to tell him what had happened. Really, Kurogane had no right to that information if the elf didn't want to give it to him. He decided to let the matter drop, but he still couldn't help feeling just a little disgruntled.


It was perhaps one in the morning when Kurogane was awoken by a small commotion. Actually, it was only a bit of rustling, the light pitter-patter of bare feet on wood, a creak as the door was opened and a gentle snap as it was quietly closed again, but Kurogane was an especially light sleeper so it seemed like a commotion to him. The dark-haired man rubbed his eyes and glanced in the direction of Fai's futon only to find it empty. What could that elf be up to at this hour? Surely he wasn't trying to make a run for it.

With a groan, he hauled himself out of bed and went to the window to see if he could see what that idiot blond was up to. Kurogane scanned the yard with his sharp garnet eyes. There was a full moon, casting a convenient silvery glow over everything. Then Kurogane saw something moving out on the lawn; a person with a thin, willowy form seemed to be gingerly stretching his limbs in the moonlight. It was Fai, flexing his still-injured arms and legs carefully as though preparing himself for some sort of acrobatic feat. The farmer watched curiously.

Once he was finished stretching, Fai began to dance. He started out with one hand in the air, prancing lightly on his toes backward and forward, lifting one knee high every other step. Then he began to move in a circle, both hands up on either side of his head, alternately using his left and right leg as his dominant one. Kurogane was enthralled. Every movement was so polished and graceful. Though Kurogane got the feeling that the dance was intended to be performed by a group, he still couldn't help staring as if bewitched. It was strange; Kurogane usually found dancing to be pretty dull to watch, but something about Fai's flawless rhythm and coordination had him spellbound. He couldn't even blink. And his heart… surely it was only pounding like that because of his shock at finding himself so completely incapable of movement, right? His breath was only short because…

Before Kurogane's numb brain had a chance to formulate an excuse for the way his body was acting, Fai wavered and suddenly collapsed. The dark-haired man shook his head and clamped his eyes shut, able to move again now that Fai had stopped dancing. When he opened them again, he saw that the sun was up. What the hell was going on here? How had morning managed to creep up on him so quickly (1)? But now was no time to be brooding on that; Fai had collapsed.

"Damn, idiot elf!" Kurogane snarled, racing outside and crouching next to the blond's still body. He carefully turned Fai over on his back, supporting his head on his arm. "Hey! What was that about?!"

"Sorry, Kurokuro…" Fai panted. "I… I guess I just exceeded my limit…"

"You moron!" he growled, carefully gathering his patient into his arms. "Even after doing something as easy as making dinner made you all light-headed, you thought it'd be a good idea to come outside in the middle of the night and do your stupid fairy prance in the yard until morning?!"

A tired smile spread across Fai's lips. "Were you watching me dance, Kurowanko?"

"I…!" Kurogane clenched his teeth, blushing as he realized that he had been caught red-handed. "O-obviously if I hear noise in the middle of the night I'm gonna wonder what's going on! Anyone would have woken up with the amount of noise you made as you were leaving!"

"Hmm? Was I really that loud?" Fai asked, looking a bit sheepish.

"Damn right you were!" the red-eyed man snarled, cradling the elf in his strong arms as he carried him back towards the house. "Could've woken the dead with all the noise you were making!"

"I'm sorry, Kuromii," Fai sighed, closing his royal-blue eyes. "I tried to be as quiet as possible."

Kurogane snorted in disbelief. "Whatever," he muttered, opening the door to let them in. "But you're staying in bed today and if you try to get up and do anything, I'll kick your ass."

"Listen to Daddy, taking such good care of me," the blond grinned.

"Who's a daddy?" Kurogane groused. "Besides, what did I say about calling me those stupid names?"

"Oh, but I thought you were going to take me to see the animals today, Kuronro," Fai reminded him.

"I can't really take you like this, can I?" Kurogane pointed out sternly. "I already told you, it was a long walk to the stables and I'm not gonna have you collapse on me again. I have to work today anyway. I'll take you on my day off. Now shut up and go to sleep."

Fai sighed as his caretaker pulled the covers up to his shoulders. He wished that Kurogane would stay with him and hold his hand as he slept, but he realized that the other man had work to do and couldn't afford to sit around at home with an injured elf all day. The blond closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep once more. Kurogane rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation as he headed outside to wait for his two farmhands to arrive.

Syaoran and Watanuki showed up together about five minutes later. Their expressions revealed that they were not looking forward to continuing with the blood month proceedings but were doing their best to be cheerful. The boys greeted their boss and the three of them began to walk to the stables together.

"Kurogane san… Are you alright?" Syaoran asked, looking into the older man's crimson eyes concernedly. "You look really tired. Are you sick?"

"Huh?" Kurogane said intelligently, jerking himself from his lethargic daze.

"Syaoran kun is right, Kurogane san," Watanuki agreed. "You've got shadows under your eyes. Did something happen last night? Maybe you should stay home and rest today."

"I feel fine," Kurogane grumbled. "I'm not gonna skip work over something stupid like that."

The two boys continued to look worried about their boss.

"Are you sure, Kurogane san?" Syaoran pressed.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard," Watanuki warned concernedly. "You'll end up making yourself sick if you aren't already."

Kurogane sighed in annoyance. Stupid Fai and his stupid girly dance, keeping him up all night. The worst part of it was that he really was tired and did kind of wish he could take the day off to get caught up on his sleep.

"Forget it," he mumbled. "I'm not gonna quit now; not when we're so close to being done with all this blood month bullshit."

"Yeah, only a few more animals to go…" Syaoran agreed glumly.

"We'll leave one of each animal for now," Kurogane instructed.

"Eh? How come?" Watanuki asked. "Are you going to try and keep them through the winter?"

"No, but… there's this moron who keeps wanting to come and see my animals," the dark-haired man mumbled. "He'd probably throw a huge fit if he came and there weren't any left."

"I guess that would be pretty disappointing," Syaoran nodded. "But who is it? Anyone we know?"

"Nah, just some wandering idiot," Kurogane replied absently.

Syaoran and Watanuki looked at each other in surprise, both clearly thinking the same thing. There was no way the person who wanted to see their boss's animals was just some random wandering idiot or else Kurogane wouldn't allow such a delay in their progress. Whoever this mystery guest was must mean at least something to the dark-haired man. Kurogane stopped walking when he noticed belatedly that his two employees were no longer with him. He turned around to see where they had gone. The boys were frozen in place, staring in shock at something in the grass.

"What is it?" he asked.

"…There's a ring of mushrooms," Watanuki said in a hushed voice.

At first the statement didn't register in Kurogane's still-groggy mind. Then it hit him. "You mean a…"

"Yeah, it… it looks like an älvringar (2)…" Syaoran said nervously.

The dark-haired man came over to have a closer look. It was in the exact spot where Fai had spent the night dancing. He had been so preoccupied with getting the blond back to the house when he had collapsed that he hadn't even noticed it before. How could he have been so careless? Well, he sure as heck wasn't going to leave it there so that other people could stumble across it. Kurogane crushed the colorful mushrooms beneath his foot.

"K-Kurogane san!" the boys gasped, looking horrified.

"What?" Kurogane said, looking thoroughly unconcerned.

"Don't you know what happens to people who step into an älvringar?!" Watanuki panicked.

"I don't care," Kurogane yawned. "I'm not afraid of that crap."

"But you'll lose your eye!" Syaoran squeaked.

"Yeah!" Watanuki confirmed. "Or you'll die young!"

"I said I'm not afraid of those damn superstitions!" the dark-haired man snapped. "Besides, the last thing I need is for Inuki to piss in that freaking circle and get AIDS or something (3)."

The two boys looked at each other worriedly. Syaoran removed his belt and held the buckle out to Kurogane. "At least touch my iron belt buckle (4)," he requested. "Please, Kurogane san?"

Kurogane sighed and rolled his eyes as he reached out and ran his fingers over the smooth metal.

"My neighbor said that a few of her cows suddenly got some kind of strange sickness and when she called the vet to look at them, he found some elf-shot (5) in them," Syaoran mumbled.

"There must be some elves in the area," the bespectacled boy said. Kurogane froze guiltily. "I hope your animals are alright, Kurogane san."

"Maybe you should think about putting up some pentagrams (6), just to be safe," Syaoran suggested.

"Hmph," Kurogane huffed elusively.

He was going to have to make sure he kept close tabs on Fai if other people in the area were finding their animals inflicted with elf-shot. Even if it weren't for the elf-shot thing, he was still going to have to keep closer tabs on him or else his farmhands were going to find out that Fai was staying with him and that was simply not an option. Then again, there was no proof that Fai was the one behind the elf-shot incident. Perhaps there were other elves in the area. He would simply have to ask the blond about it when he got home.


The house was dark and silent when he got home that night after work, but Kurogane could smell food. Frowning curiously, Kurogane lit a few candles. Fai was still in bed and gave every appearance of being asleep, Inuki curled up happily beside him (mercifully ponytail-free this time). When the dark-haired man approached his futon, the elf sat up and stretched.

"Oh, Kurosama's home," Fai yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Welcome home, Kuronpyu. Hmm? What's that smell?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Kurogane growled accusingly. "You better not have gotten up and made supper again."

"Of course not, Kurokuro!" Fai said, looking surprised by the very suggestion. "You saw, I was sleeping until you came in! It sure does smell nice, though, doesn't it?"

He got up and skipped over to the table.

"Ooh, mincemeat pie (7)! Where did this come from, I wonder?" the elf chirped. "Well, no point in letting it go to waste, right? Sit down and have some, Kuropipi!"

"Stupid bastard," Kurogane grumbled as he sat down at the table. "I told you not to do anything today."

"It wasn't me, Kuropiko," Fai insisted, grinning. "It just magically appeared on the table while I was sleeping!"

"Speaking of things that just magically appear," the farmer began sharply as he dug into his mincemeat pie, "there was a freaking älvringar in my yard this morning."

Fai laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah ha ha… Oops."

"You trying to get us caught?!" he hissed.

"No, not at all!" the elf insisted. "But dancing at night is an instinct. It runs in our blood, Kuromyuu. Telling an elf not to dance at night is like telling a human not to work hard in order to earn money."

"You don't seem to get it! If we're caught, we might be killed! You definitely will be, and I probably will be! This is serious, so quit screwing around! If you have to do the dancing thing, then fine! But at least do it somewhere where no one will see and destroy the damn älvringar when you're done!"

Fai lapsed into a guilty silence and picked at his food.

"And someone in town had their animals attacked by elf-shot," Kurogane continued. "That wasn't you, too, was it?"

"…Don't be silly, Kuromun," Fai said, waving the question aside. "Light elves don't attack animals."

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted, starting on his pie. His brow furrowed as he took a bite, and then another. "There's no meat in this."

Fai shrugged. "I don't really care for meat so I didn't add any."

The two of them lapsed into silence as they ate, though it only partially awkward. Inuki was still lying on Fai's futon. He knew better than to beg at the table but Kurogane could see the dog's nose twitching covetously at the rich aroma of the mincemeat pie. Fai apparently noticed too because at that moment, he "accidentally" dropped a large forkful of his pie on the floor. Inuki slunk over and snapped it up happily. Kurogane didn't really have the energy to scold the elf so he just pretended he hadn't noticed.

"Tomorrow's my day off," Kurogane mumbled looking at his plate as if he had been talking to his food rather than to Fai.

Fai's head perked up instantly. "So you'll take me to see the animals tomorrow?"

"If it'll keep you quiet," he grumbled.

"Hyuu! I get to go see Big Doggy's animals! I'm so happy!" Fai cheered. Without warning, he leaned across the table and snatched Kurogane's hands, holding them between both of his. "Thank you so much, Kuromyuu!"

Kurogane blushed slightly at the show of genuine joy and gratitude and the pleasant warmth and softness of the elf's hands on his.

"What did I say about those stupid nicknames?" he groused half-heartedly. Fai just smiled sweetly and gave his hands one last gentle squeeze before letting them go. The two of them finished their meal in companionable silence. Kurogane yawned as he gathered up his dishes and brought them to the wash basin.

"Hmm? Are you sleepy, Kurochan?" Fai asked concernedly.

"Hmph. And who's fault do you think that is, dumb ass?" the dark-haired farmer asked accusingly, his cheeks going a bit pink. "If someone hadn't made me watch their stupid girly dance all freaking night last night, I'd be fine."

Fai smiled again. "Maybe I just don't have things straight in my head, but I don't recall making you do anything, Kurowanko."

Kurogane tried to glare at him, but the effect was ruined by him rubbing his eyes tiredly. The elf took his arm and led him over to his futon.

"I washed our bedding today so all your blankets are nice and clean now," he told his host cheerfully.

"Hn," Kurogane replied, unwilling to grant him an actual "thank you".

Fai seemed to understand because he giggled to himself. "You worked hard today, Kuropiko. Why don't you just go to bed a little early tonight and I'll take care of the dishes and everything?"

Kurogane considered the offer. His pride told him to refuse flat-out, but being so close to his nice warm bed seemed to sap him of his ability to say no. After all, he had done a full day of work, from sunset to sundown after only three hours of sleep. Grudgingly, he buried himself under his covers.

"You try anything weird and I swear I'll kick your ass all the way back to Alfheim (8)," Kurogane warned, trying his best to sound menacing but it just came out sounding groggy and sleepy.

Fai smiled sadly, feeling his heart warm considerably at seeing Kurogane like this. It reminded him of the Kurogane he had known. His Kurogane had always become more affectionate when he was tired and allowed Fai to hold his hand as the two of them fell asleep. He could almost feel his lover's warm lips pressed against his knuckles. How Fai wished he could recapture that moment… He could feel his whole body aching suddenly for his Kurogane's touch, his heart most of all. If he could even cuddle up next to this Kurogane, he was sure he would feel at least a little bit better. But there was no way the farmer would allow that when Fai was like a stranger to him.

The elf turned his back on his sleeping host as he felt tears coming to his royal blue eyes again. Wishing was not going to bring his Kurogane back; he knew that. And as much as he wanted to start anew with this Kurogane, he knew that trying to rush things between them would not help their potential relationship. He needed to take things slow and make progress one step at a time. Reluctantly, Fai dragged himself back to the kitchen area and began to clear the table.


Fai skipped and clapped his hands joyfully as Kurogane led him through the sprawling yard to the barn. "Hyuu hyuu! Going to see Kurotan's animals! Finally!"

"Dunno what you're so excited about," Kurogane grumbled. "You're a guardian of nature, right? You get to see animals all the time."

"Yes, but I love them!" Fai chirped, flashing Kurogane a sunny smile. "And these ones are extra special because they're Kurosama's!"

Kurogane snorted. "Don't be stupid. My animals don't look any different from anyone else's."

"Let's see the piggies first," the elf sang. "Or maybe the horsies! Oh, but Moo-moo sans are cute, too! And so are the fluffy little sheep! Ah, I'm so excited I don't know which one I want to see first!"

The farmer rolled his eyes at Fai's childish display but at the same time couldn't help but find it just the tiniest bit endearing. It had been so long since he had last spent time with someone who had this kind of energy. To tell the truth, it was kind of refreshing. Not that Kurogane would ever admit this, of course; he gave every appearance of being highly annoyed by Fai's behavior. He fixed his face into a scowl as he trudged across the lawn, just to make sure that Fai knew he was not pleased about having to make this little fieldtrip.

"Maybe Kuropyun will show me how to ride a horse," he gushed excitedly.

"Are you serious?" Kurogane asked incredulously. "You've never ridden a horse?"

"We really don't have many horses in Alfheim," Fai explained. "And besides that, we elves generally prefer to travel on foot."

Kurogane let his eyes rove absentmindedly over Fai's face, and he noticed something that caught his attention.

"Hey…" he said slowly. "What's wrong with your face?"

Fai stuck out his lower lip in a pout. "How mean, Kuromu! What did I do to deserve that?"

"I'm serious," Kurogane growled. "Your cheeks and nose… They're all red."

The blond looked puzzled and mildly surprised. "Really?"

"The tips of your ears, too," he continued. "It almost looks like sunburn."

"Sunburn, Kurokuro?" Fai asked. "But I haven't been outside during the day for about two weeks now."

"Let me see your shoulder," he demanded.

"Goodness, Kuropipi… I don't know if I'm ready for this kind of relationship!" Fai giggled.

"Shut up and let me see!" Kurogane snapped. He took the elf's arm and forced his sleeve up over his shoulder, causing the other man to wince slightly. "Hmm… It's not as red as your face but it's getting there."

"I guess I should probably get out of the sun, then, hmm?" Fai suggested.

"I guess. Your face is getting worse," the farmer noted, bewildered as the fair elf began to burn before his very eyes.

"Let's run!" Fai tried to make a dash for the barn, which was still a good forty yards away, but his movements were curiously stiff and jerky.

Kurogane let out a little snarl and ran after him, catching up easily and scooping the blond into his arms so that he could get them into the barn more quickly. Fai curled up against his strong body, nuzzled his head under the farmer's chin and buried his face in the crook of his neck, trying to shield himself from the sun as much as possible. His soft lips brushed Kurogane's neck accidentally. The farmer blushed and cleared his throat but said nothing until they were safely in the barn.

"Jeez, what a hassle," he huffed. "How can one person be so much work? And how the hell can a light elf get sunburn anyway?"

"Ouchy! Sunburn is painful!" Fai complained.

"Let me see," Kurogane commanded. He cupped Fai's cheek in his hand and lifted his chin so he could have a look. The farmer ran his thumb lightly over Fai's delicate skin. "Does this always happen when you're in the sun for such a short amount of time?"

Fai thought about this for a moment. "Well, hmm…" he said elusively with a grin.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" the dark-haired man growled.

"It means that we're here at the barn and it's time to see the animals!" Fai cheered. "Hyuu! Look at the horsies!"

Kurogane watched the elf in disbelief as he bounded over to the gray and black horses. Fai took the muzzle of the black horse in one hand and stroked its nose gently as he whispered to it.

"What're their names, Kuromin?" he asked brightly.

"The black one is Souhi and the gray one is Ginryuu," Kurogane answered impatiently, irritated with the way everything had to be a secret with Fai. Why did he have to keep even something as insignificant as his sunburn history from him?

"Ginryuu and Souhi, hmm?" Fai repeated. "Ginryuu looks like an older horse… have you had him long?"

"He was my father's," Kurogane replied distantly. "We raised him together."

Something was going on here… Not only had Fai burned in a ridiculously short amount of time, but being exposed to the sun seemed to have made him stiff as well…

"Hurray! Sheep!" Fai skipped over to the sheep nuzzled his face into the warm white fleece.

It didn't make sense for a light elf to burn so easily. But what had he heard in school about the effect of sun on dark elves?

"Moo-moo san! Good morning!" the blond trilled happily to the cow. The cow mooed back at him as if returning the greeting.

Dark elves… Ah, what was it? Kurogane ground his heel into the dirt floor in frustration as he tried to recall what he had learned all those years ago. The answer was lingering just out of reach; he could feel it. Then it hit him; dark elves turned to stone in sunlight! So the reason that the sunlight had made Fai all stiff when he had tried to run for cover was…! Kurogane looked up at the blond in horror and disgust.

That bastard! He's… He's a dark elf!


A/N: So as for the story ahead… there's a rather major bad-guy part that I need to fill and I don't know who to give it to. There really aren't that many evil Clamp characters. My first impulse was to give it to Ashura, but he turned out not to be as evil as I had imagined. Fei Wang is in a different role in this story so it can't be him… That leaves Kyle, I think. Either that or an OC (which I generally hate in fanfics). What do you guys think? Kyle, OC, or some other Clamp character (you'd have to suggest someone because I really can't think of anyone evil enough)?


1) According to folklore, a human who watches an elf dance will be held spellbound the whole time the dance is going on. To the human, it will seem like only a short time has passed, when in reality, they may remain captivated by the dance for years. I watered this down, though, for obvious reasons. If you want to see the dance I was trying to describe Fai doing in this scene, go to youtube and search "fairy dance- gan ainm Irish dancers". It looks pretty cool.

2) Älvringar- "Elf circle"; either a circle of mushrooms or a spot where the grass has been flattened, marking the spot of an elf or fairy dance. Any human who entered one would face harsh consequences, though what exactly these consequences were seemed to be debatable. Some European folklore claimed that the person would lose their eye somehow, die before their time, fall ill or some other undesirable thing.

3) Apparently, peeing in an älvringar was said to cause venereal disease. Why anyone would be compelled to try this is beyond me.

4) A person who had entered an älvringar could be spared the unsavory consequences by touching iron. Supposedly, elves were afraid of iron and could not touch it/were repelled by it.

5) Elf-shot- in early texts, it was said to simply be a sharp pain that was somehow caused by elves. Later on, it was changed to suggest actual, tangible flint arrowheads fired by elves at humans or livestock to cause pain and illness.

6) Pentagram- a five-pointed star-shaped charm said to ward off evil elves.

7) Mincemeat pie- kind of like potpie only they contained a mixture of alcohol, spices and diced dried fruit. In the early days, it also always contained meat but some modern recipes do without it.

8) Alfheim- the realm of the light elves, ruled by the Norse god Freyr, god of fertility, weather and agriculture and king of the light elves.