Part Fifty-Five:

"You know, if we would have pulled something like that in front of Captain Demetri, we'd be shoveling reindeer muffins for months," Boris said, nailing a board in place.

Fai clutch nails in one hand and a hammer in the other. "Oh, I hated mucking after reindeer so much! How such a beautiful animal produce something so loathsome is beyond me. And the worst part was how the captain wouldn't allow magic to be used! It was all by hand."

Boris gave a dry chuckle. "I despised it, too, but it was very effective in correcting my bad behavior." He finished nailing the board and turned to Fai. "You know I plan on leaving Yuui when this is all done, so you don't need to be such a jerk."

"Hun...? But I thought you liked Yuui."

Boris noticed a redheaded man storming across the courtyard, but the man caught sight of the back of Fai's head and froze. The man's eyes narrowed as he fixated on Fai, who was oblivious to the attention.

"Who's your admirer?" Boris asked.

Fai looked over his shoulder and said, low, "Oh... him. Never mind Kuro-kir's trouble-making, cranky, cousin Ran. He has a nasty temper and hates my guts for no reason other than I'm a foreign mage. Well, that, and beating the snot out of him twice." Fai then flashed a bright smile at Boris. "Oh, that means he'll hate your guts, too, since you're also a dreaded, foreign mage."

"He can get bent." Boris shrugged in apathy. "Come on. We're finished, and I want to check on Yuui."

They ignored Ran's hot, hostile stare and put away the tools used to fix the gate, then they went into the main house after scooping up their fur coats, winter layers, and staves.

"This place is too hot. Not even Valeria gets this warm during summer," Boris said.

"You get used to it."

They ran into Lord Suwa in the hallway. "Hyuu, hyuu, Lord Suwa! Where's my brother and my father?"

"You fixed my gate?" Lord Suwa asked with a suspicious gaze.

"Yes, sir," Fai said, enthusiastically.

"When he wasn't sneaking off for tea breaks," Boris complained. "We would have been done in half the time, if it wasn't for him."

"Anyway, where are Yuui and Ashura?" Fai asked.

"In the prayer room, along with Kurogane," Lord Suwa said.

"By the way, all my clothing is in Celes. We'll have to borrow some," Fai said.

"I'm sure you'll find some woman's closet to raid," Lord Suwa said with a wicked smirk.

It caused Boris' eyebrows to raise and then he snickered. "What's this about women's clothing?" Boris asked.

Lord Suwa said, "He's wears Nihongo women's clothes if you don't watch after him. My son has to dress him like a five-year-old just to make sure the correct gender is represented."

"Aww... but I look so good in a furisode," Fai said, ignoring Boris, and not rising to Lord Suwa's bait. "And I've finally worn your son down. He lets me wear pretty much what I want."

"I'll have some clothing brought to Kurogane's room and you can show the reanimator of Celes how to wear them," Lord Suwa said.

"Come on, Princess Fai, I want to see your brother," Boris teased.

"Kindly keep your mouth closed, Majesty of Mold."

"No fighting or it's to the river with the both of you!" Lord Suwa snapped.

"Come on," Fai pouted, leading Boris to Kurogane's room, first, to dump off their Celian clothing and staves. Then he led Boris to the prayer room.


Lady Suwa was in the room praying over the king, kneeling by his head. Ashura was laying on a futon, wearing a black and gray striped jinbei for comfort and coolness. Fai figured Kurogane or Kentaro must have changed his clothing. Ashura's Celian clothing was now in the corner, along with Yuui's. Ashura was still in a deep sleep. He would be that way for years, unless Fai dictated otherwise.

Fai looked over to a corner where Yuui stood with his arms stretched over head while Kurogane stood in front of him tying a charcoal colored obi around a black yukata. Kurogane finished helping Yuui dress, tucked the healer's hand in the crook of his arm, and the ninja turned to the two standing in the doorway.

Yuui, to Fai's consternation, actually looked very fetching in black. Somehow, the dark fabric suited Yuui. Fai's personality was too audacious to carry off dark clothing; he preferred loud, bold colors. But Fai was bothered by something; black clothing was what they wore to funerals in Nihongo.

"So why are you dressing Yuui in black, Kuro-tan?"

"So people will know not to bug him. They'll assume he's mourning over something and give him space."

Fai smiled and nodded in approval. "Good thinking, Kuro-gi."

"Settle your differences, yet?" Kurogane asked. Yuui's tawny eyes were unfocused, but he seemed very aware of of the hostilely between Boris and Fai. His head was cocked, and Fai could tell that look on Yuui's face meant he was focusing on his empathy.

"No," they both said in tandem and then glared at each other. It only caused Yuui to flinch and move closer to Kurogane's arm.

"Figures! If you two keep it up, I'll sic my father on you again. Why don't you two get clean? You look, and smell, like filthy, sweaty barbarians," Kurogane said, waving a hand at them.

"But I came to see Yuui," Fai whined.

"I did too," Boris insisted.

"Why don't you two idiotic, tom cats clean your stench off while I take Yuui for a walk. He needs some fresh air. I hope he walks in geta better than you do, Fai."

Yuui gave a shy smile towards Fai and Boris and said, "I'll be okay. I'll talk with you both soon." His nose crinkled. "You both do smell very... not pleasant."

"Very much so, much like barbarians that don't bathe," Lady Suwa contributed, interrupting the middle of her prayers, but then continuing again. Fai glared at Boris. This was his fault, he should have just kept his hands off Yuui. He jerked Boris out of the prayer room by the elbow.

"Here, hamam is different, so I guess I'll show you," Fai groused.

They ended up in the large bathhouse. Fai stripped down to his under clothes, as did Boris. They both slipped into the warm water and sat scowling at each other in the dim light. After a while, Fai handed over the bar of soap and Boris just stared at it.

"They harden their soap here." Fai said. Boris shrugged and soaped up a washcloth.

They both started out of their frostiness and soaping when Ran joined them. Fai's temper hit full tilt, he was trapped between those he despised. Fai quickly ducked under the water to his neck and turned to the door.

"You're using the bath... mage?" Ran asked, with a sharp glare.

"Yes, so wait, if you will," Fai insisted, "Since my tattoo offends you so. I'd hate for you to lay eyes on it again. Then again, if you want round two...?"

"Why would you not let someone share hamam, Mistress Fai? I know the weather isn't as harsh, so it isn't as vital, but it doesn't seem social," Boris asked, baffled.

Fai gave Boris the briefest of glare over the address, but then explained, "Hamam here are different. Strangers aren't welcome in Nihongo hamam," Fai insisted more to Ran than to Boris. "Only family or close friends can bath together in Nihongo. Isn't that the rule, cousin Ran? And trust me, you are neither to me."

"I already fought you over the tattoo. I'd lose face if I tried again. Just so you'll know, I respect Lord and Lady Suwa, along with my cousin, but you are beneath my contempt." Ran then nodded towards Boris. "Another foreign mage."

"Oh this one isn't just a garden variety mage," Fai said in a sultry tone, "He's the crown prince of blight, Boris the First. He has a nasty habit of playing with dead things. Also, you see, he's just surpassed you as holding the title of biggest, most ill-tempered goon I've ever met in my life. I bet you're just oozing jealousy."

"I heard you had another mage with you. Where is he?" Ran asked. Fai was close to launching himself at Ran and beating him to a pulp, as a warning to stay away from Yuui.

"Two more as a matter of fact. One of which is my father, who's notoriously overprotective and has been known to have people horsewhipped on a whim." Okay, Fai exaggerated, Ashura always found a compelling reason to have people punished, at least when he was sane. "And the other one, you best not worry about."

"Rumor has it he wears your face."

"Oh no, by far he's the handsome one," Fai said brightly, teasing.

"The filthy lot of you mages should have stayed on that ice ball," Ran hissed.

Fai flashed him a really coy, faux smile. "And yet I'm here in spite of your best efforts. It must eat at you horribly. So close to doing me in, but I'm still here, able to trouble you. Maybe goad you into yet another fight you'll lose?" Then Fai teased, "Maybe you'll get the best of me. I doubt it though. You're nothing more to me than someone who swings a piece steel. Now Kurogane, is actually a skilled swordsman. You're just an amateur compared to him."

Fai didn't need Yuui's empathy to tell he had sent the man into a rage. The redhead gripped the hilt of his sword as Fai pulled himself up on the edge of the tub. Fai deliberately showed off his tattoo by turning his back on the man. He admitted he was a little nervous, but he was ready to attack if Ran so much as twitched.

Fai said in a false wanton air, "Come on, cousin Ran. Bring it. I'll be more than happy to show you appreciation for that last love tap to my head." Fai wanted to fight the redhead, viciously, because he hadn't gotten a satisfying outcome from when he mixed it up with Boris. The utter hatred between the two was so bad it was tangible.

"Screw you, vixen! Watch yourself."

"If you insist, I'll accommodate you any time," Fai said in a cheery tone.

"Keep in mind, I'm the one who almost brought you to death," Ran sneered and stormed out of the bathhouse.

"And I thought I was the only one that found you charming. What's the story?" Boris asked.

"It's a long one." Then Fai had a gleam to his eyes as he settled back into the bathtub. "While camping out, Kuro-frisky and I were having a pleasant time when his cousin rode up on a horse and disturbed our morning cuddle with his nasty attitude. Therefore, I treated him to Celes hospitality with a well placed hex to his nose. We've despised each other ever since." Fai's countenance then grew dark. "Ran almost killed me at one point. His family was killed by a pack of maniac espers with an even worse attitude than him. I sent them back to their realm and denied Ran his revenge. He tried to kill me for it and almost succeeded, but I pulled through. It galled him."

Boris took a deep breath. "Thank goddess you didn't die. Yuui would have followed you."

"I know," Fai said darkly. "I stay alive for him." Fai gave a soft smile and said, "And now I stay alive for Kurogane, too. You see, if you dare love another man here, you're considered nothing more than dirt by most people. I don't want you to show affection for Yuui while you're here. It could put him in a bad position he wouldn't be prepared for."

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Boris inquired, pulling himself out of the tub. "You only have yourself to blame, Illustrious One," Boris sneered. "And I'll treat your brother how I want to treat him. You have no say in that; it's between Yuui and me. I don't give a jolly damn what these people think about what I feel and do with Yuui. And to tell the truth, I really could care less what you think about it, either. I'm only focused on Yuui and pleasing him. If that pisses you off, tough cheese. Deal with it."

"How dare you come between me and Yuui?" Fai sniped, as the man draped a robe around himself.

"And you're being as narrow minded as the people of Nihongo you're warning me about it," Boris said.

Fai pulled himself out of the tub and didn't say anything. He led Boris to Kurogane's room and he explained how to wear the kidney-colored hakama and haori with navy undergarments. Boris took to it and got dressed.

Fai saw that Lord Suwa had left him a light pink yakata with a dark gray obi. He smirked as he quickly got dressed, he knew this was a sign Lord Suwa was getting more used to the idea of him as Kurogane's lover.

"Well, let's go get lunch and Kurogane will, hopefully, be back with Yuui. And I'm certainly not just cooking for the Lord of Fly Larva."

"I wouldn't expect such a little pussy cat to work his delicate paws to the bone. He might lose that nice fluff."

"You're a hateful son-of-a..."

"I'm fair game, but my parents aren't. Don't say a word about them or you won't like what I do," Boris warned with a threat that chilled Fai. Boris left Kurogane's room, and the insult died on Fai's tongue. Fai would be so offended if someone insulted King Ashura, therefore, he wouldn't do that to Boris.

They had a quiet lunch that Fai prepared. Lord and Lady Suwa joined them. Kurogane and Yuui were nowhere to be seen.


Kurogane led Yuui into the cherry tree orchard. He wanted to sit and talk, but the first bench they passed was the one where he was caught almost fondling Fai. No way he'd sit on that bench. Especially, with Yuui, Fai's physical duplicate, of all people. It'd just seem improper.

"That smell is so heavenly. What is it?" Yuui asked.

"Cherry trees. Fai says you don't have cherries in your realm. It's a shame."

"What are cherries?"

"A fruit. Your brother thinks they're too tart and doesn't care for them too much. But I will say he makes wonderful desserts from them." Kurogane picked a small cluster off a branch and picked one ripe, juicy cherry. He put it in Yuui's hands. "Here. Taste it, but be careful of the hard seed inside."

Yuui tasted carefully and looked as if he were in ecstasy. He bashfully took the seed from his mouth and said, "This is the most excellent thing I've ever tasted. It's so dark, sour, and gently sweet all at the same time. I could crave these. I love the taste. Please, may I have more?"

"Of course," Kurogane said, placing the rest of the cherry bunch in Yuui's hands. Kurogane led Yuui to another bench, rather than the memorable one, so they could be comfortable. "I wanted to talk to you about my relationship with Fai."

"I figured," Yuui said and then took another cherry into his mouth, rolling it around and moaning. Kurogane, though, was really struck how different Fai was from his twin. Yuui discreetly took the seed from his mouth and and said, "I knew he liked you before he left, but it grew?"

"Yes. I love him, and that's something people in Nihongo don't say easily. A few weeks ago I asked him to stay here with me, for the rest of his life. Here, relationships between men are looked down on. I ask him to live a hard life with me, but I'll treat him like he deserves. Captain Demetri said of your brother that he was 'a valuable jewel that needs careful shaping.' He told me that Fai can be a strong fighter, but his soft heart needs protecting while he fights for what's worthwhile. I've given him that protection and I will continue to do so."

Yuui frowned slightly. "I want him to be happy, and I do know he had to find someone sooner or later. I was just hoping it would be a little later, because I wanted him to myself a little longer. He's watched after me since I can remember."

"You're old enough to be able to do that on your own. Hasn't this last year taught you anything?"

"Well, I've stood up for myself more than I ever have. And I've face a big fear, traveling to Valeria."

"You've probably changed just as much as Fai. He's a different person now. He wants to stay with me, but he doesn't want to lose you. I offered to let him bring you here for a while, until he gets settled in, and you felt like you wanted to return to Celes. Would it be something you'd consider?"

"Celes is the only home I've ever known. I don't know that I could leave my father or Fai. I've been without Fai for so long, it seems unfair that you're taking him away from me."

"I know. That's why I'd like it if you would stay for a while. I would want the transition to be as easy on Fai as possible, and you, too." Kurogane didn't like the sour expression on Yuui's face. He'd never see something like this on Fai's countenance, an expression so serious and old. Kurogane then ventured, "You know you could find someone else besides Fai to protect you. Like the reanimator of Celes, he treasures you a great deal."

"Boris pushes me away," Yuui said bitterly. "But there are a few times he lets me close to him."

"You push him away, too, in your own ways. You beg him to stay, but then you want to treat him as a retainer, not a friend. It's not your fault, though, you don't know how to properly ask him to stay with you and treat him as your friend. You don't relate to people on that level, because you haven't been allowed to socialize. Fai, as much as I love him, I could choke the snot out of him for what he's done to you."

Yuui started shaking as his face drifted downward, away from Kurogane. "I don't know how to ask Boris to be with me properly. I want him so much. I know he worries about his impending insanity. I worry about it, too. But I just know if he opened up to me, I could find same way to heal him. For some reason he won't let me."

Kurogane took a deep breath and said, "That guy doesn't want to be healed. He wants to taste the punishments of his sins, because he has an overwhelming since of justice. He feels like he escaped his just desserts for long enough."

"How can I convince him to forgive himself?" Yuui took in another cherry and groaned in delight with hooded eyes. "Oh... these are so... ummm... good. How is it that Fai cooks so well, but has no taste?"

"You can't convince the reanimator to renounce his sins. He's got to come to the revelation himself. It helps if you're beside him, and he can get some inspiration from you. In his case, though, I think he'll forgive himself because he's willing to be a tool to protect you. Work on changing his mind, by making yourself more vulnerable to him."

A soft smile came to Yuui's lips. "Thanks, Kurogane. I really appreciate it. And... I am happy that Fai found someone like you. Not a lot of people can relate to him on that kind of level. He's very popular, and many people love having him around, but to to love him can be very difficult sometimes."

"Thank you for your approval. That means a lot to me."

Kurogane heard Yuui's stomach rumble and he felt hungry himself. "Let's go make your brother cook for us."

"It's been so long since I've had his cooking. I'm looking forward to it."

As they left through the gates of the cherry orchard, Yuui froze and gripped Kurogane's bicep firmly. "What is it, twin of my mage?"

"Someone has a lot of ill-will. So much bitterness, animosity, and hatred. There is some rage, but also..." Yuui then looked down with a blush coming to his cheeks. "Is someone around here?"

Kurogane looked up to see his cousin was at the stable with a saddle. His amethysts eyes were stuck on Yuui. When Ran noticed Kurogane glaring at him, he marched into the stables, and then rode off on a horse minutes later.

"The person is leaving? Was that a horse?" Yuui asked.

"Yes. It was my cousin Ran. He and Fai despise each other. He probably thought you were Fai."

"He has some very intense feelings towards Fai, then. I worry about that. It was..." Yuui then shook his head and closed his mouth.

"What was it that bothers you so?" Kurogane asked.

He turned his face towards Kurogane. "I'm sure I was mistaken. Sometimes hate can feel like other passionate emotions." Yuui gave him a gentle smile and said, "It's been a very long day for me, and I'm pretty tired. I'm also worried about my father. When I have some rest, I'll be fine."

"I wonder what Ran is doing here, anyway. I'll ask my father over lunch."

To be continued.