A/N: This chapter was one I wanted to do for quite some time, especially since the absence of Syaoran and Sakura has thus far kept Kurogane from entering "Kuro-daddy mode." I didn't feel able to insert SyaoSaku into this story... namely because I am horrible at translating such a pure hearted romance because everything I touch turns angsty and sexual. But luckily I realized I had a perfect candidate for "the kid" role already introduced in the story so we could get a chance to see Kurogane's legendary parental role (he's also getting a bit more domestic- I keep forcing him to cook dinner for Fai!). If you couldn't tell already, I have so much fun writing Kuro-pon!

Also, since I haven't clarified this yet, Ashura the elder's companion is Taishakuten, a character who should be familiar to RG Veda readers. In his native series, he's Shashi's second husband and a jerkass overlord, but essentially becomes this way because he is in love with Ashura and will do anything for him to prevent a dark event in the future from happening. In this story, he doesn't hook up with Shashi since he has no real reason to, and is still very much in love with Ashura. Yasha from RG Veda and Tsubasa also makes an appearance in this chapter, but you guys should be a little bit more familiar with him thanks to KuroFai's visit to Yama.

Thanks for your views and comments, and hearing what you guys think always puts a smile on my face. I hope you all continue to enjoy!

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Thirteen: The Kid

The sun was going down, and it was once again time to call it a day. Kurogane pulled off his sun hat, stretched out his limbs, and released a long and tired sigh as the rest of the farmers finished up their work and began to head home. At thirty, his physical abilities were still as strong as ever, but he had lost the feeling of being able to take on a handful of additional strenuous tasks after he made it home. He was grateful for the fact that he didn't have brats waiting for him like most the others did, and that he could simply spend his evenings with Fai as he pleased, though often Fai himself could be exhausting as a demanding child in his way.

When he stepped into their house, the familiar smells of dinner cooking over the fire and enthusiastic "Welcome home!" from Fai were not there to greet him. Fai was asleep in one of the chairs, a new bolt of silk resting in his hands, half stitched into a sleeve on one side and undone on the other. Though he usually slept with a relatively innocent expression on his face, his lips slightly parted and his hair obscuring his closed eyes, that particular evening his forehead was knit together, tense as if he was having a nightmare or was in pain.

Kurogane approached him quietly. It was summer, so there was no need to throw a blanket over him, but he wished he could do something to ease the restlessness of his slumber. It had been so long since either of them had endured a nightmare that Kurogane extended a hand to test the temperature of skin to assure he wasn't unwell, but other than a slight film of sweat that had built up in the heat, he felt perfectly fine.

Kurogane was just about to withdraw his hand when Fai's arms snaked around his waist and pulled him closer. "Welcome back, Kuro-pon," he said, resting his cheek against Kurogane's stomach.

"You were awake?"

"Only for a minute. I had a headache and was napping, but I feel better now." He lifted his head. "So do you want dinner? Or me?"

Kurogane stared down at Fai. In their younger days, the second option had been his favorite pick, especially since Fai was an expert at timing their interludes so dinner would still be hot when they finished. But there was clearly not even the beginnings of a meal tonight, and since Fai had apparently slept through delivering Kurogane his lunch, he couldn't think past the needs of his stomach. Indulging in his other feast would have to wait, if only for a little.

"Dinner," he said, mussing Fai's hair. "You later."

"Too bad for Kurorin. I didn't make dinner. Guess you'll have to take me instead."

With the unexpected strength Fai only displayed at times like these, he used his grip around Kurogane's stomach to upset his balance and push him to the ground. Fai slipped from his chair and straddled Kurogane's waist, looking surprisingly energetic for someone who had just woken up from a long nap.

"Oi," Kurogane said, lifting himself back up a little. "If you didn't make it, I will. Do you want to do this with my stomach rumbling?"

"Hmm," Fai murmured, making a show of considering his options. "Yes. You're not the only one who needs to recharge."

Kurogane was about to protest again, but the moment Fai undid his robes and exposed the skin of his chest, all other thoughts flew out of his mind. His hand instinctively reached to touch the plane of Fai's stomach, which even in the heat felt comfortably warm. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to recharge this way first, after all.

As soon as Fai reached down to relieve Kurogane of his shirt, they heard a noise coming from outside. "Ojisan?" someone was calling out in a breathless voice. "Ojisan? Which one is it?"

"Doesn't that sound kind of familiar?" Fai murmured, biting his lip.

Before he could figure out the answer to his own question, the source of the voice burst into the house and stood in the doorway staring at them. The figure was an exquisitely beautiful one, with long black hair, wide golden eyes, and a body as narrow and lanky as Fai's own. "Ojisan, I-" the intruder started to say, until realizing exactly what Kurogane and Fai were in the middle of doing and turning a vivid shade of bright red. "Ah! I'm so sorry! I... I'll come back another time!"

"Ashura-chan, is that you?" Fai asked, returning his robes to his shoulders and rising to his feet. "Nevermind that. I was being bad for delaying Kuro-pon's dinner in the first place. Come inside. I'm not going to make you walk all the way back in the dark."

Ashura stepped tentatively inside, eyes lowered and blushing furiously as Fai sorted through their shelves to arrange some food to begin cooking. It had been over a year since they'd seen each other, but Ashura seemed to have grown even more since then, in both loveliness and maturity. Kurogane calculated in head, deciding it had been about sixteen years since the birth that had broken Shashi's spirit, and the child she had rejected with fear and disgust as a monster was now more beautiful and captivating than anyone else Kurogane had ever seen, excepting only Fai himself.

"I'm sorry for giving no warning that I was coming," Ashura said quietly. "It was... unplanned."

"In other words, Ashura-oniisan doesn't know you're here?" Fai asked, lifting an eyebrow. "You didn't run away, did you?"

"Otousan... otousan has fallen ill."

"Is it serious? Do you need us to return with you to look after him?"

"No. Tai-san is taking care of him right now." Ashura's hands began to tremble. "He's been delirious, though. And... he's been talking to Tai-san about my mother."

"Ah." Fai set aside the ingredients he had been gathering and crossed the room to sit beside Ashura. "Kuro-sama, would you mind putting together our meal?"

Kurogane got to his feet. Whatever Ashura had to say about Shashi needed to be discussed with Fai, without Kurogane sticking his nose in it. He had been there when the whole sorry scene had unveiled, but it was only for a few brief moments of his life; Fai and Yui were the ones who had lived it, who had spent their days in the house where Shashi had unraveled and brought them into her internal tempest.

"What did Ashura-oniisan say?" Fai asked, his voice soft and gentle. He placed his hand on top of his cousin's, soothing away its trembling.

"I always knew they didn't have a good relationship," Ashura whispered. "It was an arranged marriage, and Tai-san has told me before that he loved otousan long before my mother came along. But otousan doesn't like to talk about her. Before, he'd only told me that she'd died along with Yui-ojisan in the flood, only a few weeks after I was born. I never knew... I never knew that she hated me because I was like this!"

A few tears were slipping from Ashura's eyes, which Fai brushed away with his sleeve. "Shashi-oneesan was broken as a person," he said, releasing a tired sigh. "It happens sometimes, when you don't have the strength or desire to confront the world that's hurting you. I've been there before, so I know what it's like when you reach that place. It's terrifying most of all because you're alone, and there's nothing you can do but watch the source of your pain taunting you over and over again in front of your eyes. That's where I'd still be today, if Kuro-sama hadn't set me free." He wrapped his arms around Ashura's shoulders. "Since your mother was in that place, all she could see about you was that you weren't a son. She couldn't see your beauty or the fact that you were the precious child that had been given to her. And because Ashura-oniisan didn't love her, he didn't know how to save her. I didn't either. Even Yui couldn't figure out how, even though he tried harder than everyone else. It doesn't justify what she did, but it also doesn't justify you learning to hate yourself because of it. You aren't a broken person, Ashura-chan. You are young and beloved and a human being who deserves dignity. No one will hate you for living your life without shame."

And if you understand how long it took for him to have the courage to say those words, you'll listen, Kurogane thought to himself. That wisdom came at a price for him, far beyond what you know.

"Besides," Fai said with a smile. "You've grown well up to this point without Shashi's opinion making any difference. Your father loves you for who you are, as do I, as do Tai-san and Kuro-sama, I'm sure. You're our very important family, and we've lost enough of that to know how to value what we have."

Ashura sniffled into Fai's sleeve. "But I... I've thought this for awhile now, but the way my body is... there's really no way another person could love me romantically if they knew. I have nothing to offer compared to other people."

Fai got angry so rarely that Kurogane noticed the abrupt shift in his temperament as soon as it happened. The air around him seemed to grow tense, and any lightness slipped from his eyes, leaving them cold and narrowed. "Why would you say that?" he asked, his voice terse. "What about your body makes it unable to be valued by someone else? Is it the fact that you can't bring a child into the world? I can't do that either, you know. Not with the person I love. What does it matter if I can't if it's not something I need to be happy? If someone won't love you because you something you can't do, what is the purpose of being with that person?" He took a deep breath. "You would never give something you hate to person you love, Ashura-chan, so don't even think about hating yourself. Not for this. Not for something that makes you who you are."

Ashura was silent for a long time. Kurogane went on preparing their soup, staying out of their affairs for the time being even though he had devoted himself to lecturing Fai on the same issues in the past. He had known that he had to be the one to teach Fai, and moreover, he had chosen to do it with all his heart. But surely there was someone else Ashura needed to hear these words from. Surely there was some reason greater than Shashi's lack of love that had driven him to bring the subject up at that moment.

When the soup was finished, Kurogane brought it to the table for Fai and Ashura. As always, it didn't taste very good, at least not compared to what Fai made. But no one complained, and the three of them ate together in silence until Ashura at last spoke up again.

"Fai-ojisan... how did you know that Kurogane-ojisan loved you?"

"How did I-" Fai turned to Kurogane with amused eyes. "The part where he pushed me against a wall and said 'I want you' may have had something to do with it."

"Oi-"

"But before that, it was hard to ignore how much he was doing for me, things only he would do. And since Kuro-tan never does anything he doesn't want to do, I couldn't help but hope to think that was the reason why." He tilted his head. "Do you have someone you like, Ashura-chan?"

Ashura flushed, but nodded.

"And you think that person won't love you?"

"It's not that... it's because I'm terrified. He's not that kind of person, but all I can think of is him finding out about the way I am and hating me for it."

"If you know he's not that kind of person, then believe in him," Fai said simply. "And believe in yourself enough where you won't be able to doubt that you're capable of making someone very happy."

"Now doesn't that sound familiar," Kurogane muttered.

"I can't help it, Kuro-tan-sensei. You taught me everything I know!" Fai laughed. "But truly, Ashura-chan. You are a beautiful person. Not just with how you look, but with who you are. If a person can't love you, there's little hope for everyone else. Never let anything Shashi felt about you in the past change your mind about that."

"Thank you, ojisan." Ashura finished off the last of the soup. "Can I go outside for awhile? I need to think."

"Take all the time you need. We'll set up a mattress for you so you can rest when you're ready."

Kurogane watched as Ashura's retreating back, then turned to Fai with a disdainful snort. "That kid's a chip off the old block. And I thought the older one was gloomy."

"Thinking too much runs in the family, just like being straightforward runs in yours. If we had children, I'm sure they'd be straightforwardly moody."

"It's amazing how much the kid's like how you used to be."

"I really was like that, huh?" Fai wrapped his arms around Kurogane. "Well, I hope this person Ashura-chan's in love with is as good as you. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Hey," Kurogane said. "Enough talking about that. You're still not feeling well."

"Yeah, the headache came back. How did you know?"

"Your face is so relaxed all the time that it's hard not to notice when you're in pain. Do you need to rest some more?"

"I guess that might be a good idea." Fai massaged his forehead. "Maybe I should stop sewing so much in bad lighting, nee? My vision is getting blurry, and I can't even see Kuro-sama as well as I used to. If I keep it up, I might need spectacles like Watanuki-kun."

"That's better than you suffering through it." Kurogane bent down and kissed Fai's forehead. "Go to bed. I'll look after the kid."

"You're so sweet, Kuro-daddy. I'll make sure I feel better in the morning so I can be a good mommy, too!"

"Who's a daddy?" Kurogane snapped, but Fai simply winked at him and made his way to bed.

After Fai turned in, Kurogane pulled out their extra blankets and straw mattress to form a small bed for Ashura on the floor. When he peered out the window, he saw that the kid was back in front of the house, staring up at the full moon risen high over the village.

"Hey," he said, poking his head out the door. "You ready to come in? The bed's ready."

"Kurogane-ojisan..." Ashura turned to face him, exposing golden eyes that seemed to shine through the dark. "You were close to Yui-ojisan, weren't you? You must remember him well."

"Yeah, the three of us were kids together." He stepped the rest of the way outside. "Don't tell me you're going to be the next person who tries to take the blame for what that guy did. I've had enough of that."

"No. I've heard stories about Yui-ojisan ever since I was little. I know otousan and Fai-ojisan have already tried to take on the burden of guilt, even though that's the last thing he would have wanted. But it's true that Yui-ojisan was the one who named me, right? After my father?"

"Yeah. He didn't have the chance to know you for long, but more than anyone, he wanted you to be able to be happy in that family."

"I'm happy, for the most part," Ashura said. "Whenever I feel sad, all I need is to think of Yui-ojisan and how I should treasure the life he wanted me to have. But when it comes to love... I just can't be as confident."

"You're not alone in that, kid. It's too important for you to go into it lightly. But if you give up before you even start, you're the one who's going to be hurt." He sighed. "Go to bed. You can stay with us until you're ready to go back."

"I can?" Ashura's eyes began to water, and before Kurogane knew it, a pair of slender arms were wrapped around his waist. "Thank you for being so kind to me, Kurogane-ojisan!"

He wasn't sure what to do for a moment. He could only ever remember being embraced by his parents and Fai, and no one else. He'd never gotten close enough to letting his guard down around anyone else, to the point where even Yui had been nervous of crossing that line. But something about Ashura's simple transition to the gesture didn't trouble him. This person, too, was family, someone who had become a part of his life thanks to Fai. Even though they looked nothing like each other, there was a fragility to them that was achingly similar.

Kurogane sighed and ruffled Ashura's long hair between his fingers before turning back to the house and joining Fai in their bed. Fai sleepily cracked open an eye when Kurogane slid in beside him, and moved in closer to settle into his arms.

"Oi," Kurogane whispered, giving Fai another kiss on his forehead. "Thanks."

"Mmm. Why are you saying that now, Kuro-chi?"

"No reason," he murmured back as they drifted off together. "Just because."

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When he woke up the next morning, both Fai and Ashura were still deeply asleep. Fai's forehead had smoothed out, and corners of his lips were turned upwards. Whatever pain he had dealt with the day before had likely vanished, replaced by sweet dreams.

Kurogane pulled himself out of bed and began to build a small fire to boil some tea. Fai, like Yuuko, was more fond of starting the day off with alcohol or the coffee beans they sometimes sold in the markets, but Kurogane had lectured him enough on the superiority and healthiness of tea that he was willing to relent, claiming that he thought it was cute that Kurogane cared so much for his well-being.

Just when the kettle began to whistle and Kurogane removed it from the fire, someone rapped their their knuckles against the side of the house and murmured, "I'm sorry to intrude," just loud enough for Kurogane to hear. He sighed. It was probably Ashura's lover coming to to take the younger one back. Couldn't they just allow the kid to stick around for a few days? Ashura clearly had issues reigning in sixteen year-olds; both Fai and the younger Ashura were a testament to that.

Kurogane stepped outside. A tall, muscular man with long black hair that fell past his waist was standing outside the house, his dark eyes surveying his surroundings with careful interest. When they fell on Kurogane, the man bowed his head slightly, and in a soft yet oddly commanding voice said, "I apologize for taking up your time. I have come to return Ashura to Ashura-san."

"Am I supposed to know who you are?" Kurogane asked, folding his arms across his chest. Inwardly, he was somewhat annoyed with the number of attractive people involved with Fai's family. If they kept on popping up in the village like this, they were going to draw a whole lot of unwanted attention to their doorstep.

"I am Yasha, a guard who serves the village south of here. Taishakuten-san has asked me to return Ashura-san's child to his home, and apologize to yourself and Fai-san for the inconvenience brought to you."

"Why didn't he come himself?"

"Ashura-san is still unwell. It would be unwise to leave him alone, even for something such as this." The man named Yasha paused, his dark eyes seeming to gaze at Kurogane coldly for a moment. "Protecting the child Ashura is my honor. I would not have you troubled further."

"We're the kid's family," Kurogane reminded him, lifting an eyebrow. "If the older one's still sick, it's better for us to do what he can't. Why should we have to foist the kid off on someone uninvolved?"

"I'm not uninvolved," Yasha said. Kurogane was almost impressed by how cold the guy could make his voice sound while still remaining so quiet. "I was there when those two came to our village before yours flooded. I may have been only a child, but I remember it well, even the short amount of time Fai-san spent there before finding you. I have been a part of that child's life from almost the very beginning, and I should not be dismissed simply because I am not family."

Ah, Kurogane mused. So this is the guy the kid was talking about. He glanced back into the house. Ashura was just beginning to stir from the bed on the floor, golden eyes blinking in the bright light of the morning sun.

Kurogane raised his voice for Ashura's benefit. "Hmph. Don't talk to me like a brat who thinks too much of himself. If you're so important, why did the kid come here instead of to you? Why weren't you the guy to hear the things troubling that person's heart?"

Yasha clenched his teeth, indicating to Kurogane that he'd hit the right spot. When he glanced from the corner of his eye, he could see the Ashura had crept closer, watching with a conflicted expression.

"You want to be the person precious to that kid?" Kurogane continued. "Become stronger. Strong enough to understand the pain that heart won't express to you in words, and stronger still. You'll only ever be doubted if you leave room for a single speck of doubt. When that kid can no longer run away from you, then you can speak to me with that certainty of yours."

Yasha was quiet for a moment, staring Kurogane squarely in the eye. "I can do that," he said finally. "To make that person happy, I can do anything."

Kurogane grinned. He liked Yasha's firm tone and the simplicity of his declaration. There was no need to dress something like this in pretty words. Surely Ashura could understand, and would one day trust the truth to the love of this person.

He turned back to the house. "Hey, kid!" He called. "Some guy's here for you. If you want to talk to him, better do it now before he goes back to where he came from."

Without another word, he went back inside to let the children deal with their own problems. Fai was waiting for him, awake and propped up in bed, and what mattered to Kurogane was that he was smiling and looking so much better than he had the day before.

"Feeling all right?" he asked just to be sure, handing Fai the tea he had prepared earlier. Fai wrinkled his nose for the first sip, but gulped it down nonetheless.

"I'm fantastic," Fai said once he had finished. "Especially since Kuro-sama is so sweet to my family. I've never been so touched."

"What part of that was 'sweet'?"

"You may be able to fool Ashura-chan, but I know Kuro-daddy well enough to tell that he was trying to do them a favor with everything he said. Even though the two of us are happy now, you don't want them to suffer the same mistakes we did." With a laugh, he grabbed Kurogane's arms and yanked him into bed. "You know, as glad I was to see Ashura-chan, I didn't at all like being interrupted yesterday."

"Weren't you the one who ended up getting sick?"

"You would have made me feel better." Fai pulled Kurogane down for a long kiss, wrapping his arms around his back. "I'm expecting you to make up for it now."

"But the kid-"

Fai interrupted him with another kiss, and this time his hands slipped underneath his shirt, skimming against his skin and once again halting his train of thought.

"Kurogane-ojisan, I'm going to be going back with Yasha-sa-"

This time when they pulled apart to meet Ashura's gaze, the eyes staring back at them were more angry than flustered. "Fai-ojisan," Ashura said with a voice mimicking the quiet coolness of Yasha's. "If you keep on doing that to Kurogane-ojisan, he's going to think you're only interested in one thing."

Fai simply chuckled and waved his hand to shoo Ashura. "It's adult time, Ashura-chan, and Kuro-ojisan knows this is just one of a thousand things I'm interested in. You have a good time with that friend of yours!"

Without even waiting for Ashura to leave the room, Fai turned back to Kurogane with a contented smile, burrowing further and further into his waiting arms.

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