A/N: So, taking a little break from the miniseries to indulge in a little plot bunny (Sorry! Please don't hurt me!). I'm going through KuroFai withdrawal again, and I'm afraid that shines through rather obviously with the amount of gratuitous snuggling and kissing that goes on in this installment. But seriously, I feel like the KuroFai fandom has been dying a slow and painful death. I know this wimpy, lame-o fanfic isn't going to stop that, but I decided to make an effort anyway. Especially since I think Clamp's been shortchanging our favorite couple in these recent chapters. They have deaths to avenge with FWR, too. Why the hell are they just floating around in some stupid bubble while Syaoran does all the ass-kicking? If anything, I would say he's got the least reason of any of them to get to take on FWR. But whatever. Clamp are the masterminds here; all I can do is pout as they send my favorite series of all time to hell. Enjoy my plot bunny. It takes place post series, maybe along the same timeline as "Lone", "Silky", and "Bloom", so there are some spoilers! (Ahh… Why do I feel the need to apologize for this…?)
Quirks
Fai was really an oddball. Kurogane figured that out early in their journey, so it wasn't like he had no idea what he was getting himself into when he proposed that Fai stay with him in Nihon once their quest was over. But it wasn't until they were living together as lovers that Kurogane really noticed the extent of Fai's natural curiosities. It seemed that every day, he discovered another one of Fai's strange little habits. While each of them was endearing, the ninja couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't noticed them all sooner.
Perhaps it was better this way. Uncovering Fai's personal oddities now that they were together made them seem more special, almost like they were an extra, unexpected reward for all the hard work Kurogane had put into getting to this point with the blond. Kurogane was only a little embarrassed to admit to himself that he really treasured these seemingly unimportant parts of Fai, almost as much as he treasured the more significant parts. By the end of their fifth month of living together in Nihon, Kurogane had not only learned what most of Fai's quirks were, but also when he could expect them to appear.
Sleeping
Kurogane loved to watch Fai sleep. He was just so beautiful and peaceful-looking, his eyes closed lightly, lips parted slightly, golden hair framing lightly flushed cheeks. There was no teasing, and no meaningless chatter; just quiet, serene perfection. Fai always slept on his stomach, his hands resting on either side of his head on his pillow. He didn't tend to move around a lot in his sleep, except on the rare occasion that the magician was having a nightmare (Kurogane was proud to note that Fai's nightmares, which had been so frequent in the past, had lessened significantly since their arrival in Nihon).
Kurogane found that by running his fingers lightly across Fai's warm, velvet cheek, he could draw a quiet purr of pleasure from the other man. When he heard that soft, contented noise, Kurogane had no choice but to kiss Fai's silken lips. Fai would sigh happily, returning the kiss gently in his sleep and shift closer to the reassuring warmth of his lover's strong, solid body. Kurogane was glad to hold him close and lightly stroke Fai's golden hair until he fell asleep with the blond snuggled up in his arms.
Awakening
When Fai woke up in the morning, he always followed the same steps. First, his gorgeous, jewel-bright eyes would flutter open and he would blink slowly, exactly three times before sitting up. Once in the upright position, Fai would rub the sleep from his eyes and stretch his arms above his head in a leisurely fashion. Upon noticing Kurogane watching his wake-up ritual, Fai would treat him to one of his gentle, heartbreakingly beautiful smiles. God, Kurogane loved his smile, especially now that he knew it was for real.
"Good morning, Kurochan," Fai said cheerfully. He always brushed his bangs back from his face with one hand as he gave Kurogane his morning greeting, and today was no exception.
"Hmph," Kurogane grunted. It wasn't an irritated or exasperated "hmph", it was an amused "hmph", tinged with Kurogane's signature brand of adoration, one that anyone but Fai would have found barely perceptible.
The ninja bridged the distance between him and his beloved in two strides and scooped Fai easily into his arms. Fai giggled as Kurogane lifted him off their futon on the floor and cuddled him against his chest. Kurogane lifted Fai's chin, cupping his cheek in one large, tan hand so that he could kiss his lips. Fai, thinking that the kiss was simply a morning greeting (not noticing that it doubled as a response to his adorable set of wake-up quirks), accepted it happily and without question.
Eating
Fai's eating quirk was so subtle that it even took sharp-eyed and attentive Kurogane a while to notice it. When he first started his meal, there was nothing really strange about the way Fai ate (aside from the fact that he was still trying to get used to chopsticks). He consumed his meal at an even pace, starting with the foods that he simply tolerated and saving the ones he liked best for last. Although it took a decent amount of time and determination on Fai's part, he was starting to get used to Japanese cuisine and had even managed to find a few dishes that he really liked.
It was at the end of his meal that his curious little habit surfaced. Fai always saved his miso soup for last because it was his favorite common Japanese food. When he lifted the final spoonful to his lips, he always flipped the spoon upside-down inside his mouth before pulling it out again. He only did this when he was taking his final bite. For some inexplicable reason, Kurogane found that this simple action caused his chest to be flooded with affection for the slender blond wizard.
"Hmph," Kurogane snorted amusedly to himself upon seeing Fai perform this action that morning at the breakfast table. Fai took a sip of his tea, not noticing the effect his curious eating habit had had upon Kurogane.
"Hey," the swordsman said.
The sound of his voice attracted Fai's attention, prompting him to look in Kurogane's direction. Kurogane cupped Fai's cheek lovingly and kissed his tea-flavored lips. When they broke apart, Fai flashed him a slightly puzzled smile, wondering why Kurogane had chosen to kiss him at such a random moment. He didn't ask about it, though; he didn't want his lover to think that he was complaining. After all, Kurogane's kisses were always welcome.
Studying
Although Fai had given up the magic in his right eye to Yuuko in order to pay for Kurogane's prosthetic arm, he still had magic in his left eye which he had retrieved from Syaoran's clone. Therefore, it wasn't all that unusual for Kurogane to find Fai curled up in the chair in their room, reading a book on magic from Princess Tomoyo's collection. Kurogane noted that before Fai began studying, he always paused to tuck his hair behind his left ear (though he never did the same to his right ear, which Kurogane thought was strange since Fai was right handed). As soon as Fai had turned to the page he wanted, his delicate pink tongue would flick out to moisten his lips before he began reading.
The most adorable part, in Kurogane's opinion, occurred when Fai was deeply immersed in his studies. He could tell that Fai was really concentrating when he saw the mage's lips pucker, as though he was preparing to blow out a candle. If he wasn't fairly sure that Fai didn't even notice that he was doing this, Kurogane would have wondered if Fai wasn't doing it just to entice him. Intentional or not, Kurogane was enticed.
"Hmph," he said in mild amusement as he got up from polishing his sword to join Fai at the table. Wordlessly, he tilted Fai's chin up and kissed his puckered lips. The blond tilted his head quizzically after Kurogane pulled away, trying to silently ask the ninja what had prompted that. Kurogane opted not to answer and simply returned to his sword-polishing.
Snuggle time
When Kurogane and Fai had first gotten together, Fai used to have to ask when he wanted some snuggle time. Of course, Kurogane was perceptive enough to notice when Fai was upset and needed some snuggle time without being told. But if Fai wanted to snuggle just for the sake of snuggling, Kurogane needed to be asked and (at the very beginning of their relationship) begged.
Now, however, Kurogane had learned to recognize the signs that Fai desired a cuddle without the magician having to utter a word. It often came just after Fai had finished studying. Kurogane heard Fai close his book and glanced up covertly to watch for the telltale signs. Fai sighed and rubbed his eyes; that was the first sign, though it didn't always a completely accurate indicator. Then he sort of hugged himself, rubbing his forearms almost as if he was trying to generate warmth. That was the sign Kurogane had been waiting for.
"Hmph," the ninja huffed amusedly, a small smirk gracing his lips as he got to his feet and stepped forward to provide the gentle, loving touch that Fai desired.
Kurogane bent down to gather Fai into his arms, but paused for a moment, cupping Fai's cheek and kissing his perfect lips. "Hmm?" Fai chirped curiously as Kurogane lifted him, clearly wondering why Kurogane kept smirking and kissing him at the most random times that day. "Nothing," Kurogane mumbled, declining to comment on his reasoning. Fai pouted cutely at him, drawing another smirk from the swordsman as he sat down.
The blond gave it up, however, once he was seated in Kurogane's lap, his lover's muscular arms curling affectionately around his slim frame. He purred quietly as he looped his own arms around Kurogane's broad shoulders, and nuzzled his face into the crook of Kurogane's neck so that he could leave a trail of kisses there. Kurogane tangled his fingers into Fai's golden hair and tilted his head back a bit so that their mouths could meet passionately.
"You're amazing, Kurochuu," Fai breathed, his mismatched eyes glittering enchantingly in the fading sunlight that filtered through the round window in their room. "I never even have to tell you when I want to cuddle anymore; Kurotan always just knows."
Kurogane's brain processed that statement. Basically what it meant was that Fai was oblivious that he sent out clear visual signals when he was wishing that Kurogane would snuggle with him. Somehow, that only made his little idiosyncrasy even more adorable to Kurogane. He allowed himself another grin as he treated Fai to a third fiery kiss.
Bath time
That evening found Kurogane rereading the Maganyan magazines he had accumulated over the course of their journey as he waited for Fai to finish his bath before bed. It had been twenty minutes since Fai had gotten into the bath, and Kurogane knew that the blond liked to soak and take his time. He expected that it would be another five minutes before Fai finished. Still, Kurogane kept glancing at the bathroom door in anticipation of his emergence, when Fai's final odd (but endearing) habit would make its appearance.
Five minutes later, exactly as he had predicted, Kurogane heard splashing from beyond the bathroom door, announcing that Fai was getting out of the bath. When Fai opened the door, he would stop in the doorway as his warm body was assaulted by the comparatively cold air beyond the steamy bathroom. The change in temperature would cause Fai to sneeze twice, pause for almost exactly two seconds then sneeze one more time. Then he would sniffle slightly and rub his nose and say "Goodness, excuse me" in a tone of mild surprise, as if he didn't do the exact same thing every single night.
There was a slight rattle and gentle grinding sound as Fai slid the bathroom door open. Kurogane peered over the top of his magazine, watching the steam roll out dramatically behind Fai as he paused in the doorway, a fluffy towel hanging from his shoulders. "…Choo! Ha-choo! ….Ha-choo!" Fai's sneezes were quiet and delicate, almost like a girl's. Kurogane was still amazed that a full-grown man could make such a prissy sound, but then again, this was Fai he was talking about. Prissy or not, Kurogane couldn't help thinking that they were strangely adorable.
"Goodness," Fai said in his customary tone of mild surprise as he sniffled and rubbed his nose. "Excuse me!"
As much as Kurogane relished in the excitement that the unknown presented, there were some things that were comforting in their sheer predictability. He almost felt like he could set his watch to the appearance of Fai's curious little personal habits (well, he could if he wore a watch).
"Hmph," Kurogane smirked amusedly, getting up from his chair and joining Fai in front of the bathroom door. He cupped Fai's warmth-flushed cheek and kissed his soft, moist lips.
As soon as they broke apart, Fai turned gold and sapphire eyes on him questioningly, a curious smile playing across his mouth. "What's going on, Kurochii? You keep kissing me at the strangest times today. This morning at breakfast, while I was studying, right before our cuddle time, and then just now…"
Kurogane's garnet eyes widened a bit in disbelief. "Are you serious? You really don't know?"
Fai cocked his head to the side and poised a slender finger on his bottom lip the way he always did when he was thinking. "Hmm… nothing comes to mind," he said after a moment of contemplation.
So Fai was completely unaware of all his cute little tendencies. For some unfathomable reason, Kurogane found that Fai's cluelessness in regards to this matter made the ninja even more enamored with him. Kurogane flashed Fai his customary half-smirk before granting him two more gentle kisses.
"Are you going to tell me, Kurosama, or just leave me in suspense?" Fai grinned, fiddling playfully with the neckline of Kurogane's yukata.
"No way," Kurogane replied stubbornly. "If I tell you, you'll stop doing 'em."
Fai giggled. "Silly Kuromyuu. If it earns me a kiss from Kurokuro, I'd do them all a thousand times."
Kurogane mulled this over for a moment. "Fine," he relented finally. "But if you stop doing 'em, I'll kick your ass."
"Fair enough," Fai purred.
Kurogane proceeded to reveal all of the idiosyncrasies that had earned Fai his kisses throughout the day. Fai seemed genuinely surprised to hear about them.
"Wow," Fai grinned sheepishly, a delicate blush blossoming on his fair cheeks as Kurogane finished. "I had no idea I was even doing those things! And I'm surprised Kuropiko noticed them all! Some of those are pretty subtle. You must've been watching really close, huh?"
"Yeah, well… I didn't become the top ninja in Nihon by walking around with my eyes shut," Kurogane pointed out.
"Oh, so it was just Kurowanko's super tricky ninja skills that made him notice, hmm?" Fai commented slyly. "Are you sure there aren't any other reasons?"
Kurogane knew exactly what Fai was fishing for and he felt himself reddening slightly. As much as it galled him to admit it, traveling with Fai and the kids even that stupid white manjuu had really softened him a lot. Things that would have mortified and disgusted him in the past, like kissing and cuddling a lover, now came to him almost as easily as breathing. But there was one part of being in love that he was still getting used to, and that was what Fai always seemed to crave the most from him.
"Jeez," Kurogane mumbled, sweeping Fai into his arms and holding him tight so that the blond wouldn't see him blushing. "Obviously, it's because I love you, idiot."
Fai laughed quietly and kissed the swordsman's neck. "You know, I'm not the only one who has strange little habits. Kurowanwan is full of them, too."
"Hah?" Kurogane said doubtfully. "Like what?"
"You want me to list them?" Fai chirped, grinning. He began to tick them off on his fingers. "When Kuropipi wakes up in the morning, he always sits up right away and yawns as he runs his fingers back and forth three times through his hair. When he's eating, he always starts out by taking a big drink of tea and then he puts it down and forgets about it until he's finished everything else on his plate. When he finishes his special 'hammo real jeans' move in sword practice," Kurogane snorted at Fai's mispronunciation of "hama ryuuoujin", "he gives this really sexy 'bad doggy' smile. If Kuronta wakes up in the middle of the night, kissing me, tickling my cheek and stroking my hair helps him fall asleep again. When I do something that Kuropyon thinks is cute he always makes his little 'hmph' noise, comes over, puts his hand on my cheek and gives me a nice, sweet kiss. And finally, Kuropii still can't tell me he loves me without blushing so he always hugs me when he says it so that I won't see how red his cheeks are."
Kurogane gaped at him, his face still red. Did he really do all those things? Some of those were bound to be made up. Especially that one about when he woke up in the middle of the night. That one, if nothing else, had to be fake.
"Whatever," Kurogane grunted. "You're making some of those up."
"Don't be silly, Kurochin," Fai grinned. "I watch you just as closely as you watch me, because I love you, too."
Kurogane stared at him, his eyes still narrowed in slight disbelief over the quirks Fai had listed. Then Fai's words sunk in and his ruby eyes softened.
"Hmph," he snorted amusedly as he cupped Fai's cheek and kissed his smiling lips.
A/N: Hmm, how was that? I think it was alright for a PWP piece. I wrote this because I think that Kurogane would be a surprisingly sweet and playful lover to Fai once he was used to the idea of them being together and as long as he didn't have to worry about other people watching their interactions. This was my way of exploring that often untapped side of his character. Besides that, I think the idea of them noticing each other's subtle quirks is adorable. I hope you enjoyed this piece. I promise I'll start writing the next chapter of the miniseries next.
