A/N: Unnnnnnngh… After fighting this story every step of the way, I'm pretty sure it doesn't want to be written. Usually once I figure out where the plot is going, I can write without a horrible amount of difficulty but I know what I'm doing with this story and it still feels like each word has to be beaten out of my brain with a metal bat. Why is it being sooo difficult? :(
Oblivious
Dark elf! Fai was a dark elf! He had to be; a light elf wouldn't burn so easily or mysteriously become so stiff when exposed to sunlight. Kurogane could feel a blinding rage boiling up inside of him. He launched himself at the blond, tearing him away from the cow he was petting, and slamming his back against the wall of the barn. Fai hissed in pain and choked when Kurogane grabbed him by the throat.
"You piece of shit!" Kurogane snarled.
"K-Kuro…s-sama…" Fai gasped, struggling in his grip. "Wh-what…?"
"You're a dark elf!! You were about to turn to stone out there!!" he roared. "Admit it or I'll tear your throat out with my bare hands!!"
Upon hearing the accusation, Fai gave him such a look of terror and heartbreak that Kurogane might have loosened his grip if he hadn't been so overcome by the ceaseless flood of painful memories. His mother and father… and that creature, that dark elf grinning up at him from his mother's lifeless arms… The farmer's crimson eyes gleamed savagely as they bored into Fai's royal blue ones. "Admit it!!"
"I… Ku-Kurotan…N-no…"
Further provoked by Fai's response, Kurogane slammed him against the wall again, drawing a small cry from him this time. Ginryuu reared back and whinnied loudly in protest, inciting the other animals to join in uneasily.
"Shut the hell up, all of you!!" Kurogane shouted furiously. "I'll finish this bastard off for good this time!!"
He increased the pressure on Fai's throat, intending to strangle him. Fai made an odd joking sound as he tried in vain to pry Kurogane's hands away from his windpipe.
"Kurogane, don't!" a voice commanded sharply from behind him.
The dark-haired man whirled around to see who had the nerve to interrupt him when he was about to have his sweet vengeance. The woman standing there was quite possibly the last person he wanted to see right then; Yuuko.
"Stay out of this, bitch!!" Kurogane snapped. "It's got nothing to do with you!!"
"He's not a dark elf," she said calmly. "Let go of him."
"Liar!!" he raged.
"You knew of his connection with the dark elves long before this child even regained consciousness," Yuuko reminded him. "You chose to care for him anyway. Besides, there is no reason for me to lie to you about this. Release him before you kill him."
Kurogane turned his gaze back to Fai, whose throat he was still squeezing mercilessly. The elf had gone limp from lack of oxygen. Kurogane slowly released him and let the unconscious blond slide to the floor. He heard Fai give a little gasp as the pressure was released from around his neck, restoring his ability to breathe but he didn't open his eyes.
"I saw him start to turn to stone in the sunlight!" Kurogane insisted. "You still expect me to believe he's not a dark elf?!"
"He's not," she repeated. "He was claimed by them as their property and obviously spent time among them, but he is not one of them."
"But why would a light elf—"
"He's not a light elf, either," the witch cut in.
Kurogane stared at her blankly. "What the hell does that mean? He's got to be one or the other. They're the only types of elves there are."
"Unfortunately, I do not have the answer to that question," Yuuko said firmly. "That is something you will have to ask him for yourself."
"Tch. Like that's even an option," Kurogane sneered. "The guy won't tell me jack shit. Everything's a secret with him."
"Perhaps that's just because you've only just met him," Yuuko suggested. "You can hardly ask him to simply spill the details of his whole history to someone who is more or less a stranger to him."
The scarlet-eyed man gritted his teeth in a frustrated silence, realizing that she was right. Fai had obviously been through some terrible ordeal so it was only natural that he wouldn't want to talk about it. It would be one thing if the two of them were best friends, but the two of them hardly knew each other; Kurogane had no right to demand any information from him about his past or background. Yuuko crouched down beside Fai and ran her fingers lightly through his golden hair.
"You've hurt him pretty badly emotionally," she told him sternly. "And there's some physical damage, too, of course. You're lucky this child has such a kind heart; he could have killed you rather easily. Elves are quite a bit stronger than humans, even if they don't look it."
The dark-haired man made a little noise of disbelief. Yuuko looked up to meet Kurogane's gaze. "Falsely accusing someone of being a dark elf is a pretty grave insult. I only hope he is able to forgive you."
"Hmph," Kurogane grunted sullenly. "What the hell was I supposed to think after that sunburn crap? He's got dark eyes, too; another mark of a dark elf."
Yuuko shrugged. "Either way, it looks like you might have some work ahead of you as you find some way to make it up to him. Speaking of compensation, I'll take mine now, too, if you don't mind."
"Hah?!" Kurogane squawked indignantly. "What the hell do you mean by that?!"
"Well, I did make the trip all the way out here and settle your dispute just now," Yuuko reminded him, suddenly looking quite a bit more cheerful. "Let's see. I'll take…smoked pork."
"Forget it. No one asked you to come out here," Kurogane growled. "That was your own choice."
Yuuko's eyes glinted dangerously in the gloom of the barn and a mysterious wind began to blow, causing her long, dark hair to flutter ominously. "Refusing to pay a witch for her services… I would say that's both extremely brave and extremely foolish."
The animals stirred again fretfully, the strong magical aura around the witch making them nervous. When Kurogane noticed how dark it was suddenly becoming outside the windows, he relented.
"Jeez! Fine!" he snapped. "You can have your damn pork! You don't have to call in the freaking apocalypse!"
At his acquiescence, the darkness outside the barn windows vanished and the mysterious wind died down, leaving Yuuko looking rather pleased with herself. "A wise decision," she said smugly.
Still grumbling to himself, Kurogane stomped past her out of the barn and led her towards the shed where he cured and smoked the meat he had gathered during blood month.
Once the witch had been paid, Kurogane returned to the barn to fetch the elf. Fai was still unconscious. The animals were clustered around him, bending over him as if they were concerned about the blond. Kurogane shooed them away so that he could scoop Fai into his arms, holding his graceful, willowy body carefully and allowing Fai to hide his face in the crook of his neck. The dark-haired man hung his head over him and shielded him with his strong arms so that Fai's skin wouldn't be exposed to the sunlight again as he carried him back to the house.
Fai trembled in his embrace, though whether his tremors were a product of fear or emotional torment Kurogane didn't know. Now that his anger over the whole situation had faded, Kurogane began to feel guilty for what he had done to the elf. The injuries that had covered Fai's body when Kurogane had found him were just beginning to fade and he had gone and ruined it by putting those big ugly purple handprints around Fai's slender neck. The elf had obviously already had to suffer through a long history of harsh physical abuse and he didn't need his supposed caretaker adding to it.
Then there was the matter of the emotional damage that Kurogane had caused by accusing him of being a dark elf. Dark elves were truly the most disgusting beings in existence. They kidnapped babies and left their own hideous, murderous offspring with the unsuspecting human parents, they caused illness and death among innocent people and livestock, they stole and raped and lied and destroyed property… Dark elves were creatures who could not only never be loved but were also hated with such passion by every single race on earth that their extinction would be rejoiced.
And Kurogane had accused Fai of being one, even after the elf had never been anything but kind and helpful whenever possible. The farmer wasn't sure exactly what Fai's connection to the dark elves was, but he could tell it had been a very painful and unpleasant one. No doubt the accusation, more than the bruises, had the cruelest thing of all. Kurogane laid the elf down on his futon and rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to decide on the best course of action. In spite of his frequent irritation at Fai's antics, he still felt the need to make things right between them again.
The most obvious thing to do would be to go get some calendula cream from the apothecary to help with the bruising on his neck (1). Kurogane had been meaning to get some anyway since it also helped with cuts and rashes, things that were common in his line of work. He could figure something else out later, for now he would just focus on healing the bruises. After covering Fai up to protect him from the late-November chill that was creeping under the door, Kurogane gathered the few coins he had in his possession and started off toward the in-town marketplace.
It was about two hours later when Fai finally opened his eyes. He was back in his futon on the wooden floor of Kurogane's house. The elf's eyes drifted closed again as he tried to remember what had happened. Hadn't he gone with Kurogane to see the animals? And yet he had no memory of coming back… had all that been a dream? But if he had just been sleeping here the whole time, why did his neck hurt so badly? Fai gasped and sat bolt upright as remembrance flooded back to him. Kurogane had accused him of being a dark elf and had tried to strangle him! Fai couldn't recall how that situation had turned out but he couldn't imagine why he would be back here in the house cuddled up in his futon after something like that…
"Hmph, it's about time you opened your eyes," a deep voice grumbled.
"Kurosama…" Fai said softly. His slender fingers drifted absentmindedly toward his bruised neck where Kurogane had grabbed him earlier. The two of them stared at each other, an uneasy silence hanging over their heads. That was when Fai noticed a light, sweet scent in the air.
"That smell…" he began hesitantly as he got to his feet. "Is that… peaches?"
Kurogane cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. Fai followed his gaze to the old wooden table. Something was sitting on its surface. The elf got out of bed and approached curiously, his eyes widening when he realized that the source of the smell was the fresh peach cobbler that was waiting on the table. He turned his royal blue eyes to the farmer who was blushing and avoiding his gaze.
"What's this, Kurotan?" Fai asked, tilting his head cutely.
Kurogane cleared his throat again nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.
"What's it look like, idiot?" he huffed stubbornly. "Peach cobbler."
"But I thought you said you didn't like sweet things, Kurorin," Fai pointed out.
"I don't," Kurogane growled. "But you like peaches and most elves like butter (2), right? You can eat it. Besides, this girl in the market place wouldn't leave me alone until I bought something from her."
Fai looked between Kurogane and the dessert and a slow smile of understanding spread across his lips. This was a peace offering; it was Kurogane's gruff way of apologizing for what he had done to him in the barn. The dark-haired man's cheeks burned a bit brighter when he saw the sweet smile the elf was directing at him.
"Thank you," Fai said.
He sat down at the table and dug into the cobbler happily. Kurogane watched him out of the corner of his eye as the blond ate. It was a couple minutes before he spoke again.
"…Does it hurt?" he asked in a mumble, referring to the marks he had left on Fai's neck.
Fai swallowed his mouthful of peach cobbler. "…Hmm, a little, but it's not too bad."
"You want something for it?" Kurogane continued.
Fai considered him for a moment, amusement dancing in his eyes. "A kiss," he replied with a grin.
"Tch!" Kurogane blushed and turned his back on the elf as he dug out the calendula cream. "Idiot! I meant something like this!"
He tossed it at the elf who caught it deftly between his nimble fingers and examined the label curiously. "Cal-en-doo-lah…" he read. "What is it?"
"It'll help the bruises and sunburn," Kurogane explained, shifting his feet slightly in his guilt.
Fai licked his spoon clean thoughtfully, then gave Kurogane a soft smile. "Put it on for me?"
Kurogane snorted derisively and was about to tell the blond to take a hike… but then he remembered that it was his fault that Fai had those bruises in the first place. It was the least he could do, really. Kurogane sighed reluctantly and ran a hand backwards through his hair.
"Fine," he grumbled. "Take off your shirt, then."
Fai set down his spoon so that he could remove his shirt and allow Kurogane access to his rosy pink shoulders and injured neck. The farmer's warm, calloused fingers worked carefully, dabbing the cream lightly on the damaged areas of the elf's skin and massaging it into his cheeks and the tip of his nose which were red with sunburn. Fai closed his eyes, shivers running through his body in response to the pleasant, gentle touch.
Kurogane was about to put the cork back in the bottle, having finished applying the medicine to all the affected areas he could see, when he noticed that Fai's pointed ears had been burned as well. He shook a little more cream into his hand and began to dab it on the red patches when his fingers accidentally grazed Fai's golden earring. The elf gasped and pulled away slightly in pain.
"What," Kurogane said with a frown. "That thing hurt?"
Fai looked down at his knees and said nothing. The farmer brushed his golden hair aside to have a proper look at the area. Even though he had noticed the earring when he had brought Fai in that first night, he had always been more preoccupied with the piece of jewelry itself rather than the skin around it. Now that he examined it more closely, he realized that the skin around it looked red and inflamed.
"Looks like it might be infected," Kurogane observed. "The infection might spread if you don't remove that thing and put something on that ear."
Kurogane reached for the backing that held the earring in place with the intention of taking it off. To his surprise, Fai stood up rather abruptly, knocking his hands away.
"No!" the elf said sharply.
Kurogane stared at him in puzzlement but the elf wouldn't even glance at him. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the wooden floor.
"I've had that earring for quite a while now and my ear has been like that since the day I got it," Fai mumbled. "The infection won't spread… I don't mean to be rude, Kurosama, but please don't touch it again, ok?"
Kurogane folded his arms stubbornly. Now that they were on the subject, he didn't intend to let it drop without making an effort to get some information about it. "What's it for?"
"…What?" Fai asked, the tone of his voice suggesting that he was shocked that Kurogane was pursuing the matter.
"If you're so determined to protect it, it must have some purpose," Kurogane reasoned. "What's it for?"
Fai was silent for quite a while and the dark-haired man thought he wasn't going to answer. Eventually, however, Fai spoke again.
"…Control…" he muttered.
"Control? Of what?" Kurogane pressed.
Fai turned his back on him. "Sorry Kurorin, but… I'd rather not talk about this anymore."
Fai made dinner for them again that night: rye bread and this strange dish that Kurogane had never heard of called tomato risotto which was simmered tomatoes stuffed with rice and grilled onion and seasoned with herbs. Apparently it was a favorite of the citizens of Alfheim. Fai seemed to have put the awkwardness of the attempted strangling and earring incidents behind him because he was chattering away and eating normally. Kurogane was somewhat relieved for the lack of hostile silence between them but Fai's loquaciousness was starting to get on his nerves a bit.
"So Kuropon has to go back to work tomorrow, hmm? What kind of things are on the agenda?"
Kurogane sighed, reluctantly compiling the list of tomorrow's tasks in his head. "I've got a few things to finish up here, then I have to take everything we harvested to the marketplace to sell. Probably be stuck there for at least a week."
The things he had to finish up were the remaining animals in the barn (aside from the horses), but since Fai was an animal lover Kurogane figured it was best not to mention that to him.
"Ooh, the marketplace!" Fai chirped excitedly. "I'll bet that's a fun place. I've never seen a human marketplace before…"
"Forget it," Kurogane said flatly, immediately picking up on the hint Fai had so subtly dropped. "You're not coming."
"Why not, Kuropiko?" Fai pouted. "I can help you sell your products! I'm sure a lot more people will come buy things from you if the person working your stand has a friendly smile instead of a grumpy doggy face!"
"Look, I'm gonna tell you this one more time before I kick your ass," Kurogane growled. "People around here don't like elves. If I bring you out to the marketplace, the busiest place in the whole freaking town, and someone finds out you're an elf, we're both screwed. So no matter how much you beg, no matter how good your reasoning is, you're not leaving this property as long as you're staying with me. It's too dangerous."
Fai pushed the remaining food on his plate around with his fork absentmindedly and sighed. "Mm… Well, can't blame a guy for trying, right?" he said with a regretful smile. "Oh, but that means Daddy will be gone all day, doesn't it? I won't even get to see you at lunchtime."
"I still don't see why it bothers you so much to spend a couple hours by yourself," Kurogane huffed.
"But I have to stay inside so no one sees me, right?" Fai reminded him. "It's so boring and lonely being in here all by myself with nothing to do."
"I'll let Inuki stay with you again," Kurogane said. "Anyway, I'm sure you can think of something to keep yourself busy. Don't you have any hobbies?"
Fai looked puzzled. "Hobbies?"
"You know, stuff you like doing?" the dark-haired man explained impatiently.
The elf poised a slender finger on his perfect lower lip as he considered this. Then he gave Kurogane a warm smile. "Spending time with Kurowanko!"
Kurogane rolled his eyes, but couldn't help blushing at the sight of that smile on Fai's face. "Besides that?"
Fai pondered the question again. "I don't know… I guess I've never really thought about it before."
"Don't be stupid," the farmer scoffed. "What do you mean you've never thought about it? How can you not even know what you like to do?"
Fai gave him an apologetic smile, and Kurogane could sense a strong undercurrent of sorrow from the elf. He got the feeling that this was another one of those topics that Fai didn't really want to talk about and decided that it wasn't worth pursuing so he let it go.
"You'll have plenty of time to figure it out while I'm gone, then," Kurogane said.
"I guess so, huh?" Fai agreed sadly.
An odd silence settled between them. Kurogane studied the elf thoughtfully. It seemed like Fai was really dreading spending time alone tomorrow.
"My stuff usually sells pretty well," he muttered, mostly to himself. "I'll have money left over…"
Fai tilted his head quizzically. "Money left over? For what?"
Kurogane was silent for a moment, then he realized what kind of reaction such an offer would probably draw from the blond and he flushed and shook his head. "Forget it."
"Hmm?" Fai grinned, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table and prop his chin up on his hands. "I wonder… money left over to bring me back a souvenir, perhaps?"
"D-don't be stupid!" Kurogane stammered. "Why would I waste money on something so pointless?!"
"Maybe Kuropuu was trying to cheer me up?" the elf suggested, reaching out to poke Kurogane's blushing cheek playfully.
"Quit being so damn arrogant!" the dark-haired man snapped, swatting his hands away. "Why would I want to buy an annoying bastard like you something anyway?!"
"Bring me back a fun human toy, ok?" Fai requested. "That way I'll have something to play with whenever Kuropin has to leave me to go to work."
"Idiot! I'm not getting you anything!" Even as Kurogane said this, he made a mental note to look for an inexpensive toy that Fai might like. Of course, he wasn't doing this because he wanted to see the look of joy on the elf's face when he gave him a present; this was only so that Fai would quit whining whenever Kurogane had to leave him by himself.
Fai winced as he gingerly removed his shirt so that he could put on a nightshirt, the fabric brushing against his sunburned skin creating a painful stinging sensation.
"Ouchy… I don't think I like sunburn very much," he said, touching his reddened shoulders lightly.
"Well, it takes a day or two for the calendula to work," Kurogane told him as he slid a few more logs into the fire that was blazing in his grate.
"Don't you ever get sunburn, Kuropii?" the elf asked.
"Not since I was a kid," Kurogane replied. "I'm used to working long hours in the sun by now."
"I wish there was something else I could do to help it feel better…" he sighed. "It's gonna be tough to sleep tonight if it hurts this bad when anything touches it."
Kurogane was silent as he probed the memories of his childhood, trying to remember what his mother had done for him whenever he had gotten sunburn as a kid.
"A cold bath might help," Kurogane suggested.
"A cold bath, huh?" Fai repeated thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound like very much fun."
"Well, it's either that or just deal with the pain," the farmer said a bit peevishly. "Besides, the water doesn't have to be icy or anything. It just has to be cool."
"And this is what Kurochuu's mother used to have him do when he had sunburn as a child?" he asked curiously.
"Yeah," Kurogane grunted. "You gonna do it or what?"
"Hmm, well, I've never taken a bath on my own the human way before," Fai said with an apologetic grin. "I might need a little help."
Kurogane stared at him, his cheeks flushing at the thought. "Are you freaking serious? How do elves take baths, then?!"
"Well, elves can control the weather back in Alfheim, so a lot of elves just create their own personal rainstorm," the blond explained. "Some use other magical methods. A lot of elf women like to bathe in the rivers, but the men don't usually do that."
"Well, it's not hard!" Kurogane insisted. "I'm sure you can figure it out on your own! Like hell I'm giving you a bath! You're not a little kid!"
Fai laughed. "Goodness, Kuropun sure is getting worked up over this, isn't he?"
"Damn right, I am!" the dark-haired man snapped, his face getting redder and redder as he tried to force himself not to think of Fai's beautiful, perfect body naked. "A guy giving a bath to another guy is just creepy!"
"It'll be fun!" Fai grinned. "We can even take it together!"
"DON'T BE A DUMBASS!!" Kurogane roared, his face blazing. "I'M NOT TAKING A FREAKING BATH WITH YOU!!"
"Would you mind getting me some water, Kurokuro?" Fai requested cheerfully, ignoring the embarrassed farmer's outburst. "We can't have a bath without that, right?"
"You're the only one taking a bath here, moron! Get your own damn water!" Kurogane said stubbornly.
"But I'm not strong enough to carry a pot of water that big," the elf pointed out, indicating the huge black pot that was sitting near the hearth.
Kurogane realized that Fai had a point, even if he didn't like it. Reluctantly, he retrieved the pot and carried it over to the door. "This doesn't mean I'm helping you take your bath, though," he informed Fai resolutely. "And I sure as hell won't take it with you."
Fai grinned disarmingly. "Of course not, Kuromyuu."
Kurogane surveyed him suspiciously through narrowed eyes, getting the distinct uneasy feeling that Fai was plotting something evil. The blond's all-too-innocent smile gave nothing away, however, so Kurogane just snorted and carried the pot out to the well where he began to fill it with water, one bucketful at a time. Inuki, who had been wandering around nearby, sniffing at various things of interest, noticed his master at the well and trotted over, his tail wagging. The dog plunked himself down so that he could watch Kurogane work, following the bucket with his eyes each time Kurogane pulled it up to dump the water into the pot. When the farmer turned his scarlet eyes on him, Inuki gave him a friendly little yip and wagged his tail again.
"What?" Kurogane grumbled. "Don't tell me you want a bath, too."
Inuki barked happily as if answering his question affirmatively.
Kurogane snorted and rolled his eyes. "Well, too bad."
Inuki tilted his head curiously, continuing to wag his tail. He followed Kurogane as he dragged the now-full pot back to the house and waited eagerly for his master to open the door.
"What do you think you're doing?" the dark-haired man growled as he jiggled the door open with his shoulder, his hands full with the heavy pot.
Unfortunately, before he could shoo the dog away, Fai caught sight of him.
"Inuki!" he cheered.
Inuki barked and was about dart inside when Kurogane stopped him.
"Stay!" the farmer said in his most commanding voice. Inuki paused and looked up into his master's face, silently imploring him to reconsider. Kurogane's expression was firm and unyielding, and even the dog knew better than to disobey when his master was making a face like that. He gave a little whine and lied down outside the door with his head on his paws.
"Wait, Kurowanwan!" he cried. "Don't send Inuki away! He can take a bath with us!"
"I already told you, idiot; I'm not taking a bath with you," the farmer insisted. "Anyway, dogs reek when they're wet. I'm not gonna let both of us get sick because of something stupid like that (3)."
Fai pouted as Kurogane ushered the dog outside and elbowed the door shut, not noticing that he hadn't quite gotten it shut all the way.
"Hauu… It's still cold, even though we warmed it up a little," Fai complained, shivering as he lowered himself into the wooden washtub which was filled with cool water and bubbles.
"That's the point, moron," Kurogane snipped back, blushing as he stared determinedly at the wall so that he wouldn't see anything as Fai got into the bath. "If the water's warm, it'll only make your sunburn hurt worse."
Fai picked up the wooden cup Kurogane had given him, filled it with water and splashed it on his stinging shoulder. "Ooh, that does feel nice," he admitted, filling his cup again and splashing some on his other shoulder.
Kurogane chanced a glance at the blond. His face was tilted back as he poured some water over his burned nose and cheeks. The water slid down his hair and dribbled on the floor.
"Watch it, you're getting water everywhere!" Kurogane snapped.
"Hmm?" Fai said, peering over his shoulder to observe the puddle he was leaving on the floor behind him. "Oops… I told you I needed help, Kurorinta!"
Kurogane sighed, considering his options. Either he could sit here and stare at the wall and not allow his gaze to focus on the beautiful elf while Fai got water all over his floor which would have to be mopped up later, or he could go over there and help him and risk seeing something he didn't want to see but avert the mopping. With a snarl, the dark-haired man stomped over to the elf and snatched the cup from him. Fai smiled to himself as Kurogane dipped the cup into the water and poured it over his burns.
"Kuropin's so good to me," the blond sighed, resting his chin on top of his knees which were pulled up to his chest and scooping up a handful of bubbles. "Even though he grumbles a lot, he's still a sweetie pie underneath it all."
"Shut up," Kurogane muttered, blushing. "I am not. I'm only doing this because I don't want you getting water all over my floor."
"But you brought me in when I was hurt and took care of me so sweetly, and when I woke up, you gave me my favorite food, helped me with my medicine and bandages, let Inuki come stay with me when I didn't want to be alone and came to rescue me again when I collapsed after dancing last night," Fai recalled, ticking off the nice things that Kurogane had done for him on his fingers. "And today, you let me go see your animals, carried me out of the sun when it started to burn me, brought me more medicine and a special treat to help me feel better, offered to buy me a fun toy at the marketplace so that I wouldn't be so lonely and bored while you're gone, and now you're helping me with my bath."
He smiled at the scarlet-faced farmer over his shoulder and giggled when he saw how deeply he was blushing.
"Sweet, grumpy and shy!" Fai sang joyfully, scooping up a few of the bubbles onto his finger and planting them on Kurogane's nose. "What an adorable combination!"
"Who's shy?!" Kurogane retaliated, dumping some water on Fai's head in punishment as he wiped away the bubbles. "You're just a dumb ass who makes up stupid crap to piss other people off!"
"Kurowanta is tsundere (4)!" Fai declared triumphantly as he wiped water out of his eyes. He laughed and clapped his hands. "Tsundere Kurochan! Tsundere!"
"Dammit! Screw this!" the farmer groused, throwing the wooden cup at the blond and turning away so that the elf wouldn't see how badly he was blushing.
Inuki, who had been biding his time just outside the door and waiting for the right time to make his entrance, bounded in, drawn by the sound of Fai's laughter, and joined with some happy barking.
"How the hell did you get in here?!" Kurogane squawked.
"Hyuu hyuu! Inuki!" Fai cheered. "Come here, boy!"
The dog scampered to the elf's side, crouched down and leapt into the tub with him, sloshing water and bubbles all over the place.
"Dammit, Inuki!" Kurogane snarled, but his pet was having too much fun licking Fai's face to hear him. The elf scooped up another handful of bubbles and arranged them into a hat on Inuki's head. Inuki gave a short, joyful bark as if he was honored that Fai had bestowed the bubble hat upon him. Fai giggled and scratched the dog's ears, prompting Inuki to give him more kisses. As Inuki was licking with such enthusiasm, his tongue slipped and happened to swipe across Fai's earring. Fai gave a little yelp of pain. Kurogane was at his side faster than a bolt of lightning. He slipped his arm around Fai's chest and heaved him out of the tub, wrapping him quickly in a towel, and cradled him protectively in his arms like a child.
"Inuki!" he said sharply, glaring at the dog. Inuki's ears drooped, causing his bubble hat to sag pathetically, and his sopping tail stopped wagging. Kurogane stomped over to the door, which was still hanging open from when Inuki had burst in and pointed outside forcefully.
Fai shivered at the exposure to the chilly night air and snuggled closer to Kurogane's warm body until the farmer had shut the door again once Inuki had gone.
The elf smiled sweetly up at him again. "Looks like you saved me again, Kuronpyu."
Kurogane blushed as his brain now had time to process the fact that he was hugging Fai, who was wearing nothing but a towel. "Tch!" he spat, hurriedly setting the elf down on the floor and folding his arms. "Don't blow things out of proportion, dumb ass."
Fai grinned as he watched the farmer's flushed face in silence for a moment. "Cuddle me in bed tonight?"
"No," Kurogane said flatly.
"Poo," the elf pouted.
Kurogane let out a little snarl of irritation when he heard Fai get up in the middle of the night and creep over to the door, no doubt intending to go out for his nightly dance in the yard. Fai paused, wondering if he should apologize for waking his host but decided that that would probably just annoy him more. Making as little noise as possible, he slipped out through the door. Kurogane rolled over and pulled the blankets up over his head, this time opting not to go to the window and spend the entire night watching Fai dance. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep again, Yuuko's words from earlier in the day randomly floated into his head: "Elves are quite a bit stronger than humans, even if they don't look it." This was followed by a memory of a claim made by Fai that evening: "But I'm not strong enough to carry a pot of water that big."
Kurogane groaned and buried his face in his pillow. That stupid bastard had tricked him into carrying his bath water. The farmer's mind bristled indignantly as he fell asleep once more.
The market place was bustling with activity by the time Kurogane, Syaoran and Watanuki arrived the next morning. Farmers sold their produce, fishermen sold that morning's catch, small-time glass blowers, metal smiths, tailors, carpenters and toy makers sold the products they had made and up-and-coming artists sold their paintings. It was a lively, colorful affair that sprawled over a good mile of the town where one could buy basically anything they wanted. As such, it drew a huge crowd almost every day of the week.
Kurogane and his two younger workers began to set up their stall. A small group of women flocked over even before they had finished laying out their wares. A few of the women fluttered their eyelashes and smiled seductively at him, then blushed and giggled to each other when he made eye contact. Kurogane clicked his tongue in annoyance and folded his arms, trying to relay the message that he wasn't interested.
This kind of thing was what he didn't like about being at the marketplace. For some reason, his stand seemed to be a draw for all sorts of strange women. Even his two young employees were not immune to their playful harassment. Syaoran flushed and hurriedly looked away when one girl leaned forward to take a peach from his side of the table, deliberately giving him a good view of her cleavage as she did so. Kurogane simply watched disinterestedly over his customers as they made their purchases until the voices of two ladies working a jewelry stand next door caught his ear.
"Did Toshihiko kun have a nice birthday?"
"I think so; he seemed happy."
"What did you give him this year?"
"I gave him a ball, but with the stuff that's been happening these past two weeks, I'm kind of afraid to even let him play with it in the yard…"
"Oh, you mean with the elf sightings and all that?"
When Kurogane heard those words, he could have sworn his heart stopped. Surely they couldn't be talking about Fai?!
"It's not just sightings, though. People's animals are being attacked and one family who lived up the road from us was killed when the elves set their house on fire!"
"I hadn't heard about that! That's terrible!"
"It's weird, though… Everyone who's seen them says there're only two. Don't elves usually attack in groups?"
Kurogane breathed a tiny sigh of relief. They couldn't be talking about Fai, then.
"I have it on good authority that there's actually only one elf and the other is a bewitched human. Probably some poor soul they kidnapped as a child and brainwashed."
"You mean like a changeling?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, I guess I'll have my husband put some pentagrams around our property. I don't want any elves coming near my family!"
"That's a good idea; I'll have my husband make some, too. I don't think I could bear it if they replaced Toshihiko with a changeling."
The women lapsed into silence for a moment, then said their goodbyes and parted ways, leaving Kurogane with quite a lot to think about. What would a single elf and a bewitched human be doing wandering around together in the human world? That woman had been correct when she had mentioned that elves usually traveled in groups. Kurogane had heard of dark elves making the human children they kidnapped into slaves or evil sorcerers but he had never heard of an elf taking the human out alone to the human world to make trouble for an extended period of time like this.
And then there was the matter of changelings… Kurogane didn't know this Toshihiko kid that they had been talking about, but even he couldn't help hoping that lady was able to protect her son. He had seen at least one family torn apart, both literally and figuratively, by a changeling. Even though he often acted cold and indifferent, that was one experience he could never wish on another person.
Fai quickly realized that if he was going to survive this day all cooped up in the house with no one but Inuki to keep him company, he was going to have to keep himself busy. He looked around for something to inspire him. That was when he noticed one of Kurogane's socks lying on the floor. He picked it up to find that there were small holes worn in the toes and heels. The elf amused himself for a while by mending Kurogane's socks.
To his disappointment, the only color of thread Kurogane had in his possession was black. Fai had rather been hoping for some hot pink so that he could stitch little hearts on them which would no doubt throw the farmer into a fit of adorable rage. The lack of pink thread didn't keep him from stitching the hearts into his socks, but since Kurogane's socks were also black, the elf doubted he would even notice them.
Eventually, however, Fai ran out of socks and grew restless again. He wanted to go outside and see the horses but didn't want to endanger himself or Kurogane by risking someone spotting him as he made his way to the barn. In his desperation for something to do, he even tried to tempt Inuki into chewing up one of Kurogane's newly mended socks so that he could fix it again, but it seemed that Inuki knew better than to do something like that.
He could feel himself starting to panic; Fai couldn't stand being basically alone in a dim enclosed space like this. The blond hurried to the door and opened it, letting the chilly November air inside. He felt a little better having the door open like this but knew he couldn't leave it open. Someone might just happen to pass by and notice and decide to come closer to investigate. He allowed himself to bask in the fresh air for a few moments, then started to close it again. Fai stopped, however, when a tree just a few feet from the house attracted his attention with its branches waving in the wind. The elf wondered if he could snap off one of the smaller branches and carve it into a flute (5). That would distract him for a while.
Fai poked his head outside cautiously and looked around to make sure there was no one in sight who might see him before dashing over to the tree. Quickly, he selected a branch about as wide as two of his fingers and jumped to grab hold of it. The dry wood snapped off easily under his weight. Fai brushed himself off and hurried back to the house. He spent a good twenty minutes searching for a knife that would be suitable for whittling and finally found one in a small chest in the closet. The blond sat down at the kitchen table and began to carve his flute. Inuki watched him work curiously for a while, but eventually got bored, yawned, and curled up for a nap instead.
As he shaped the instrument, Fai imagined sitting down next to Kurogane that evening and teaching him how to play it. It seemed a little bit funny to him, the idea of Kurogane having to be taught to do something when he seemed so knowledgeable and sure of himself all the time. Even though he knew there was no skill required to be able to get a sound out of this style of flute, he amused himself with fantasies of showing Kurogane how to position his lips on the instrument. The conversation in his head went something like this:
"No, no, Kuropun; you have to kind of pucker your lips a little bit. Imagine you're about to give someone a kiss."
Kurogane would redden slightly at the analogy and try again. Fai would giggle at his unsuccessful attempt.
"You've never kissed anyone before, have you, Kuropiko?"
"Th-that's none of your damn business! Anyway, who cares about something stupid like that?!"
"It's ok, Kurochan, no need to be so embarrassed. Here, I'll show you."
"H-hold on! What the hell do you think you're…!"
Kurogane would be silenced as Fai touched their lips together, lightly and chastely at first, pulling away slightly and letting them meet again, more passionately this time. Kurogane would drop the flute, push Fai down on the floor and kiss him fiercely, hungrily, suddenly understanding why people made such a big deal about their first kiss…
Fai smiled to himself, a small, sad smile. As much as he wished something like that would happen, he knew the chances were slim. They simply didn't know each other well enough and Kurogane wasn't the type to enter into that kind of relationship lightly. Fai's heart ached as he remembered his Kurogane and how long it had taken to persuade him to allow that first kiss between them. It wouldn't feel right to engage in something like that with this Kurogane so soon after losing the one he had first loved.
Fai set aside his finished flute, the desire to try it out vanishing suddenly. It took all his effort to keep the tears that were welling up in his royal blue eyes from spilling over. What would Kurogane say if he came home to find the elf's eyes red from crying? He needed something else to distract himself.
The calendula cream that Kurogane had brought him for his sunburns and bruises sitting on the table before him caught his eye. He could occupy himself for a few minutes applying it if he went really slowly. Fai picked up the bottle, uncorking it and shaking a bit of the cream into his hand. As he dabbed it on the bruise around his neck, his thoughts turned to the incident in the barn where Kurogane had accused him of being a dark elf. Fai's heart ached at the memory of the betrayal and fury in Kurogane's eyes. He must have had some bad experience with dark elves; Fai could think of no other reason for him to have reacted so violently.
Obviously something had happened soon after to convince Kurogane that he had been mistaken, but Fai couldn't help feeling like he was deceiving his host. To say that he wasn't a dark elf wouldn't be entirely truthful, after all. Before he could do anything to stop it, memories of the conversation he had had with his mother all those years ago began to flood his mind.
"Fai, sweetie… Come here, there's something important I need to talk to you about," Freya said.
Fai allowed his mother to scoop him into her arms, studying her face curiously. She looked sad and worried and tired. This wasn't a terribly uncommon thing for her, but he still felt apprehensive when he saw her this way. He hoped he wasn't the cause of her distress.
"What's wrong, mommy?" he asked nervously. "You look sad."
She was silent for a moment as she hugged and rocked him. "Fai, you know I love you very much…"
"I love you, too," he chirped, smiling at her in the way he knew always cheered her up. This time, however, his smile seemed to pain her even more. He could see tears gathering in her eyes. Fai quickly stopped smiling.
"I think it's time I told you about your daddy," she breathed, kissing the top of his head softly as she continued to rock him.
Fai's eyes widened in surprise. "But I thought you said you would tell me when I turn into a grown up."
"I know, but… Someone else found out about mommy's secret and if I don't do something now, I'm afraid something bad might happen…" Freya trailed off, hugging him even tighter.
"Mommy, I can't breathe!" Fai choked.
She hurriedly loosened her grip. "I'm sorry."
Fai looked up at her again worriedly. He had seen his mother in distress before, but never this bad.
"Fai, your daddy…" she paused, drawing a deep shuddering breath. "Your daddy is a dark elf."
Fai gasped, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. "A dark elf… But they're bad!"
"I-I know," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Fai lowered his eyes as his mind raced. Then he looked up at his mother again with fear in his gaze. "Does that mean I'll be bad, too, when I grow up?"
"Oh, of course not, sweetie," Freya breathed, kissing him. To be completely honest, though, she wasn't sure. She had never known anyone of mixed light-dark parentage, so she didn't know how these types of children generally turned out. "If you want to be good, that's your choice."
Fai breathed a little sigh of relief, but then looked confused again. "But everyone knows that dark elfs are bad. Why did you pick one to be my daddy?"
More tears coursed down Freya's face. "…Mommy made a t-terrible mistake…"
The tiny golden-haired elf was quiet as he tried to wrap his young mind around this shocking piece of information. "People have babies together when they're in love, right?"
"Yes…" she replied distantly.
"Did you love him, mommy?" Fai asked.
"...Yes," she answered.
Fai took her hand between both of his, kissed her cheek and smiled at her consolingly. "Then it's ok, right? You didn't do anything wrong, so you don't have to cry, ok?"
His mother clamped her eyes shut, more tears spilling down her cheeks even as Fai tried to wipe them away. She took his tiny hands, stopping them from trying to dry her tears, and kissed them. "I'm af-fraid things aren't that easy… in the grown up world."
"What do you mean?" Fai asked, puzzled.
"Well… dark elves can't…" She paused, trying to force down the lump in her throat so that she could speak intelligibly. "Dark elves c-can't be in love…"
Fai's brow furrowed as he attempted to understand this. "Then… then daddy didn't love you?"
She shook her head.
"But how can you make a baby if you aren't in love?" he asked, thoroughly bewildered.
If Freya hadn't been so brokenhearted, she might have smiled at her son's innocence. "That's something you'll f-find out when you're older… But… someone saw me and daddy together and they… they got suspicious… It's against the law… for a light elf to h-have a baby with a dark elf…"
Fai gasped, looking horrified. "Are you going to jail, mommy?!"
"T-tomorrow… Some doctors are going to come and do a test on you, and… and if they f-find out that your daddy was a dark elf, then…" She trailed off again, opting not to tell her son that the punishment for having a child with a dark elf was something far, far worse than imprisonment, and that he would be punished as well.
"What are we going to do?!" Fai cried, his eyes starting to fill with tears now, too. "I don't want you to go to jail!"
"That's why…" She drew another deep, shuddering breath, bracing herself. "Th-that's why… I have to take you t-to the h-human world… I… I can't b-be your mommy anymore…You're g-going to have a human mommy…"
"No!" Fai shouted, hugging her tightly as he began to sob. "I don't want another mommy! I want you!"
His mother's forced calm shattered at her son's reaction, and she began to cry uncontrollably right along with him. "I'm s-so, so sorry F-Fai! I…I don't want you to go either, but... If you s-stay, something terrible will happen! I c-can't… I can't let it! This is th-the only way I can protect you!"
Fai wailed loudly into her chest, clutching onto her as hard as he could. The two of them were so seized with grief that all they could do for a long time was cry in each other's arms. Or at least that's what they would have done if they hadn't been interrupted by that knock at the door.
"Blast," Kyle grumbled, kicking at the ashes of what had been, until fairly recently, a house belonging to a family of five. "He wasn't in this one either."
"Are you sure this was the town you left him in, Master?" the girl in the long, crimson, cloaked hood asked, prodding the smoldering ruins with her staff.
"Yes, I'm certain of it," he replied firmly. He pushed a strand of his dark hair behind his pointed ear. "It seems I overestimated the power of my uncle's spell… I simply assumed it would work in the human world just as well as it did in Svartalfheim (6), but…"
The dark elf trailed off with a sigh. "Chisei, are you sure you haven't seen anything in your dreams lately that might help us track him down?"
Chisei shook her head. "I'm sorry, Master; nothing."
Kyle's eyes narrowed. "I wonder if he made a run for it. It wouldn't be the first time."
"Perhaps I should go to a tavern and see what I can find out from the townspeople," Chisei suggested. "Someone might have seen him and I'm human so I'll blend right in without being suspicious."
Kyle nodded slowly. "Yes, that may be the best way."
Chisei put a hand on her master's shoulder. "Don't worry, Master; we'll find him."
The dark elf grinned evilly. "Naturally. And when we do, I'll teach him the true meaning of suffering."
Kurogane made his way home on Ginryuu that evening, the souvenir he had promised Fai tucked safely in the pocket of his cloak. It was a doll, a black dog filled with sawdust, a little black button for a nose and red half buttons for his grumpy-looking eyes. Fai had better like it; it had cost him more than he had been intending to spend.
The farmer put Ginryuu away in the barn and trudged back to the house. He hoped Fai would have dinner ready again; spending all day selling food had made him hungry. Kurogane opened his front door and was nearly knocked off his feet when someone darted out of his house and tackled him. His alarm gave way to puzzlement when he realized that the attacker was only Fai and puzzlement gave way to concern when he noticed how the elf was shaking.
"Hey, what's up?" he asked in a soft growl, trying to pry Fai off of him so he could get a proper look at him. The elf wasn't crying, but he looked like he might. His face was ghastly pale.
"K-Kurosama, please… please don't leave me alone in there again," he gasped.
Kurogane frowned as he hesitantly put his hands on Fai's shoulders. "Why? Did something happen?"
"…Please… I can't… It-it's too much like… please…"
Realizing it might be a while before he was able to get anything sensible out of the blond, Kurogane scooped him up and carried him inside. Fai wrapped his arms around Kurogane's neck, hugging him tightly as the farmer sat down with him. The dark-haired man was at a loss for what to do. Clearly something had happened to put Fai in such a state of distress and he needed to be comforted.
But Kurogane had never really needed to comfort anyone before; what should he do? Perhaps he should start by hugging him back. The farmer wrapped his arms around Fai's trembling frame uncertainly, holding him gently as if afraid he might shatter. Right, hugs, check. Now what? His hand drifted up to settle on Fai's hair and began stroking it softly without his brain's permission.
Kurogane could feel his face going red and waited for Fai to tease him for being cute or something stupid like that but no teasing came. Fai just hugged him and shook silently in his arms, his hands fisted in Kurogane's cloak as if his host was the only thing keeping him from vanishing into the night. The two of them sat this way for a long time, holding each other in silence. Finally, Fai took a deep shuddering breath and pulled away from Kurogane, a shaky smile on his pale face.
"Sorry, Kurorun. That was probably pretty awkward for you, huh?" he said, trying to inject some cheerfulness into his wavering voice. "I'm alright now. Thank you."
Kurogane let go of him, blushing as he pushed the elf off his lap. "You gonna tell me what that was all about now?"
Fai shrugged and smiled. "I got lonely."
Kurogane stared at him in disbelief. "You don't seriously expect me to buy that bullshit excuse, do you?"
"But it's true," Fai pouted. "I told you I don't like being alone."
"That was not loneliness just now!" Kurogane snapped. "You were so scared you nearly pissed yourself!"
"Aww, Daddy's really worried about me!" Fai chirped. "How adorable! I love it when he shows his sweet, protective side!"
Kurogane gritted his teeth, trying to control the color in his face. "Dammit! Just forget I said anything!"
"Did you bring me a present?" the elf asked, beginning to search Kurogane's cloak pockets without waiting for his answer.
"Don't just search my pockets without asking, dumb ass!" the farmer growled.
"But I did ask!" Fai reminded him. "Ooh!"
He pulled out the stuffed dog.
"It's not that great," Kurogane mumbled, looking at the ground. "But it was the only thing I didn't feel like a total moron buying. The lady who sold it to me said she hoped my daughter would like it. Tch!"
Fai looked between the toy and the farmer, a grin spreading slowly across his face. "It looks just like you, Kurowanko!"
"Hah?!" Kurogane squawked. "That thing looks nothing like me!"
"It does! Look, he's got black hair and red eyes and a grumpy-looking face just like Kurowanta!" the blond sang.
"I'M NOT A DOG!!" Kurogane roared.
Fai smiled and leaned against him, pressing his lips gently to the dark-haired man's cheek.
"Thank you, Kurowanwan. I love it."
Kurogane's face turned almost as red as his eyes. "S-STUPID BASTARD!! DON'T JUST KISS ME WITHOUT ANY WARNING!!"
The elf giggled. "Would you have let me kiss you if I'd warned you?"
"Hell no!" Kurogane snapped.
"Then it's a good thing I didn't, right?" Fai grinned.
Kurogane was still seething as Fai pranced over to the table to retrieve the flute he had carved earlier in the day.
"Look what I made today while you were at work, Kuropyun!" he trilled, sounding for all the world like a five-year-old back from his first day at preschool. The blond presented the flute and hopped eagerly from one foot to the other as he waited for Kurogane's appraisal. Kurogane examined it.
"Hmph," he said finally.
Fai looked crestfallen. "What, that's all you have to say?"
"What did you want me to say?" Kurogane asked disinterestedly.
"I wanted you to pet me and tell me I'd done a good job," Fai pouted. "And then ask me to play you a song."
"You've gotta be kidding," Kurogane sneered. "You're not a little kid."
Fai stuck out his curled bottom lip, his eyes filling with crocodile tears.
"DON'T YOU DARE FAKE CRY!!" Kurogane roared.
"Ask me to play you a song," Fai whimpered.
Kurogane ground his teeth as he tried to keep himself from punching the blond in the face. It was really, really difficult. Finally, the farmer took a deep breath and reigned in his temper.
"Fine. Play something, then."
"Hyuu, hyuu! Kurokuro asked me to play him a song!" Fai cheered.
"Just do it before I change my mind," Kurogane grunted impatiently.
Fai put the flute to his lips and began to play.
Five-year-old Hatoko Kobayashi sat up in bed when the first notes of that haunting melody reached her ears, distant yet exceedingly clear. Where was it coming from? Hatoko closed her eyes and listened for a moment. It was such a beautiful song… She had to find out who was making that music. Dazedly she crawled out of bed, padded across the room to the door of her family's modest one-roomed house and opened it quietly. Had she been fully conscious, the cruel November wind might have burned her exposed legs, but the music… She had to get closer to it.
Her light footsteps on the dry grass made a slight crunching sound as she walked. Hatoko was so focused on the melody that she didn't even notice the other neighbor children being drawn out of their houses and joining her on her trek. All of them had the same thought in their hazy minds: they had to know who was playing that song.
Suddenly the song stopped, it's beautiful and mysterious notes vanishing as though they had been blown away by the night wind. As soon as the music stopped, the children awoke from their stupor as if they had received an electric shock. Hatoko looked around her, eyes wide with fear and glistening with tears. It was dark and cold and she had no idea how she had gotten there. Where was she? A few of the children started to cry. Some of the more level-headed ones swallowed their tears and began to look around for some landmark they recognized so that they could find their way home. And the men in the house across town, the two responsible for the whole thing, had no idea that anything had even happened.
A/N: I'm hoping to be able to wrap this up in three more chapters, believe it or not. Let's see if I can pull it off.
1) Calendula- Another name for a specific type of marigold. The flowers can be made into a cream and in the medieval times were a popular cure for minor external injuries such as bruises, sunburn, rashes, cuts and bee stings. It could also be ingested and used to help with ulcers and other internal ailments. It is still used today, but probably not as widely as it once was.
2) Back in the day when elves were still widely believed in, people used to make offerings to them because they were often considered to be on a similar level to gods. Also, it was kind of like a bribery; they hoped that if they made offerings to the elves, the elves would bless them and not bring them misfortune. Butter was a common offering.
3) In medieval times, people believed that bad smells caused sickness. Those who could afford it often carried bouquets around with them wherever they went so that they would have something nice to sniff if they came across something putrid and could thereby avoid illness. Silly medieval types.
4) The English language doesn't have a good equivalent for this term but it's such a great word. It's a shortened combination of two Japanese terms "tsuntsun" which means to be sharp and sarcastic and "deredere" which means to be love-struck. So basically, it's a person who acts mean and cold but is secretly in love. I think that fits Kurogane to a T, don't you?
5) Elves are said to be especially artistic, especially when it comes to music. Their talents also include drawing, sculpting, carving, etc.
6) Svartalfheim is the underground realm of the dark elves in Nordic mythology. Because they live underground and are said to be skilled miners and metal smiths, it is unclear whether dark elves are meant to be different than dwarves. They're different in this story, in case you're wondering.
