That Which Possesses You: That Which Returns

Notes: Lotsa time skippy bullshit will ensue, beginning here and continuing the next few installments. Probably update in five days or so. Also I edited this last night after a very eventful day and I was extremely tired so if there are things I over looked sorry.

~o~

Sleep had been hard to come by the past evening and Fai awoke from his fitful rest just before daybreak. It was now time for him to return to the House of Soul to report to Ashura and probably be handed another assignment. As much as he hated traveling from country to country tracking rogue Essence Snatchers turned Soul Prowlers doing so at least kept him out of the Demon Realm.

The Houses of the Demon Realm were each run by a Demon Keeper. Demon Keepers were, at one point, humans with incredible magical abilities. However in having these abilities they were watched intensely by the Reaper until they demonstrated the one ability that would seal their fate as a Demon Keeper: the ability to create wards. The ability to create and maintain wards allowed for the Keeper to contain large quantities of Demon Souls. Once hand picked by the presiding Reaper he or she extended their youth and longevity seeing as the ability to create wards was extremely rare in a world where magic was already scarce.

Fai threw his legs over the side of the cot and rubbed his head willing away the fogginess of sleep before standing. He had told Tsumebe he would take his leave first thing in the morning and he had no intention of lying to her. He threw his cloak on and upturned the hood as he made his decent down the stairs. He looked towards the curtained doorway and wondered briefly of he should bid farewell to the hunter and his mother, he decided to let them sleep. He pushed the door open the bell overhead quietly acknowledging his leave.

“So you're just going to leave then, huh, idiot?” Kurogane yawned from behind him.

Fai turned to face the other, “I didn't want to disturb the people who treated me so kindly. Besides I told your mother I'd be gone by morning.”

The other nodded in some sort of uninterested recognition and tossed the bread roll he had in his hand ever so slightly. “Which way are you heading?” He stuck the roll in his mouth to allow his hands freedom to adjust the strap of the bag that lay across his jacketed chest.

“Just northeast of here. I left my horse at the stables on that side for the evening.”

Kurogane knelled on one knee and tightened the straps of his brown leather boots. He wore loose fitting green pants that were tucked into his boots and a tan jacket. “I'm heading that way too. Might as well go together. Where are you heading to next?”

Well this was inconvenient Fai thought but he smiled politely anyway. “Oh, you know. Wherever the wind takes me, Kuro-chu,” he said with a flippant wave of his hand.

“Sounds frivolous,” he responded standing. “Well let's get going.”

“Oh, Kuro-pon, you don't have to babysit me. I'm perfectly capable of walking across the town by myself. Regardless I hate to think you're missing out on sleep for my sake.” Fai batted his eyelashes, hoping to get the man to consent to leaving him be.

Kurogane smirked, “Your sake? Did it ever occur to you that I hunt game to make a living? And this might so happen to be one of the three days a week I stay in the woods? And perhaps once I'm done I'll bring my game back and sell it to the butcher who will clean it and cut it and all that great stuff? And then with my money I'll pay taxes and buy everything else we need to live?”

Outside the air was chill in the dawn. The wind had settled and the air smelled distinctly of fog. “Well Kuro-grump didn't have to be so brash. You could have just told me you were heading to the woods to hunt. But you still don't have to come to the stables with me.”

The other rolled his eyes, “I can't consistently hunt in the same area, the herds move as the weather changes. My hunting area is a days journey away. I'll get there later this evening, hunt the next day, and leave the following morning. In other words, I'm going there to get my horse.”

Leaving Kurogane was becoming increasingly difficult. He could always leave his horse but that wouldn't do. “What do you hunt?”

“Mostly stuff that isn't being bred. Venice, duck, turkey, the occasional predator.” Kurogane side glanced Fai. “The occasional demon.”

Fai's blood ran cold and it must have showed because Kurogane stopped smiling and frowned. “I'm just kidding. It's not like demons are real. Even if my mother thinks they are.” He coughed to clear his throat.

“But what if they were? What if somebody became a Demon to save a person they love?” Fai questioned quietly.

“It wouldn't matter. If the legends are true, anything that needs to feed off a persons soul deserves nothing but death.”

It was Fai's turn to smirk. Death wasn't easy to come by as a Demon. They could only be killed by another Demon's hand and even then they were only killed if they began hunting Souls. In those cases though the Soul didn't pass on seeing as it was consumed. When he had first become possessed he had thought he would end his life when his brother died only to find that he either continue to live or have his Soul obliterated while knowing he was unleashing a Soul Prowler into the world. Live guilty or die guiltier. “There are worse punishments than death Kuro-pon.”

“But it's the only permanent one.” They were approaching the square from the previous night. Just beyond it they would find the stables, while the town was rural and small it was compact enough that those that lived within it weren't exactly land holders.

Fai smiled solemnly. “One would think, wouldn't they?”

“Um, yeah.” Kurogane scratched the back of his head. Leave it to him to bring up death as a topic of conversation first thing in the morning. “So, uh, your wrist,” he stated glancing at the bit of white bandage that peeked through the cuff of Fai's white shirt, “does it feel better?”

Instinctively, Fai tugged the cuff of his shirt down around the bandage. He hadn't bothered to check but there had been no throbbing that morning and it hadn't given him a problem as of yet so he was sure it had healed. They were approaching the stables now, upon seeing them the hands already working retreated to where the horses were kept to saddle them for their owners. “I'm sure I'll be fine! It doesn't even hurt! Kuro-nurse did such a wonderful job bandaging it.”

“I should have asked my mom to look at it this morning. She would no more about it than I would. Or at least she would have been able to give you something in case it did hurt.” He felt a blush, however small, coming on and tried to repress it. Why did he care so much?

“Oh Kuro-kun doesn't have to worry about me! I've been taking care of myself for a long time,” Fai assured him by lightly patting his shoulder just as one of the stable boys brought his horse out by it's bridle. The horse snorted in recognition and the blond pet his snout. He put one foot in a stirrup and hoisted himself into the saddle.

Kurogane's horse followed soon after and the pair didn't bother with any greeting, the horse probably to disciplined to ask for affection. “Just because you've been taking care of yourself for a long time does not mean you're any good at it.”

“Aw, Kuro-myu has no faith in me. How disheartening,” the blond replied as the other situated himself in his own saddle.

Kurogane scowled, “Whatever. Just be careful you idiot.”

“Will do Kuro-pu. I guess this is goodbye for now then,” Fai said gently nudging the horses side.

Kurogane's hand reached out and caught the blond's arm before he could stop it. His face was set in a deep scowl when Fai looked at him but there was something genuinely soft about it, nearly child-like. “When exactly do you plan on returning. Not that it matters but I usually only stay in town two or three nights before heading back out to hunt.”

Fai knew what Kurogane was trying to say: that should he return to come on a night when he wasn't off hunting in the woods. “I'm not sure. But you'll know when I do. I'm sure of it.” Fai gave the other a small reserved smile before clucking his tongue to urge the horse into a canter towards the woods.

He kept the canter up until he and his horse had made it far enough into the woods that they would be blanketed by the trees. He glanced around himself cautiously to make sure the hunter hadn't followed them. Fai clicked his tongue twice and tightened his grip on the reigns as the horse began to steadily gather speed. The trees began to blur past and he knew they were going fast enough that he could open the portal to the Demon Realm when they began to pass through the trees. He fingered the edge of his boot and pulled forth a small dagger and gripped the bladed end in his fist. Fai straightened himself against the onslaught of wind, incredibly grateful horses from the Demon Realm had the ability to pass themselves and their rider through solid objects. His hair wiped in his face as he used the other hand to quickly pull the dagger from his other, tightly clenched hand. He felt blood pool in his fist and when enough had gathered he threw if forward in front of the running beast with such force that it landed one-hundred meters in front of them. The blood stopped midair and rapidly it expanded to reveal a portal. The horse charged through and behind it, the momentary blood portal collapsed.

~o~

It had been three months since he had see Fai. Not that Kurogane cared. In the beginning, when they had first met a little more than a year ago, he had looked so forward to the blond returning that he began staying in town four nights before going out again. Fai had said he would know when he returned, but what the hell did that mean? At the time he hadn't known what it meant, at least.

Kurogane sat at the bar of the local tavern all day he had felt anxious, like at any moment something would happen: good or bad. He took his second shot of whiskey for the evening, three was his limit and then he had to switch to beer, something he began once he learned Fai could drink him under the table.

Goddammit, he slammed the shot glass on the bar and grunted against the warm sting traveling along his throat. Why did he even care so much? It wasn't as if he and the idiot had shared any particularly spectacular moments. That was a blatant lie, and Kurogane knew it the moment he thought it because the sensation of Fai's lips on his and the memory of his arms wrapped around a slim waist rushed back to him with a vengeance.

He would come to town and the first thing Fai would do was go to bed with somebody. Kurogane wasn't sure if all the women in town were especially loose or if Fai just had a way, and he didn't want to know. The two of them would drink, and the next morning he would watch silently as Fai retreated into the woods. Every time the other man left it was jarring, and he suddenly felt empty. However, the particular night replaying in Kurogane's mind had been different. Fai had shown up later than usual the previous night and had, for the first time decided to stay for the entire next day. By that time he had accepted that he was strongly attracted to Fai but attraction and emotional attachment were two separate beasts and he was much less willing to accept and tame the second. That late spring evening though he had acted, be it the alcohol or the summer heat that influenced him as they left the bar the next night Kurogane had pushed Fai into an ally pinning him against a wall. He wouldn't force the blond to do anything, he knew better than most the idiot could hold his own due to some surprisingly well matched arm wrestling events.

He had looked into Fai's frighteningly blue eyes as he ran one hand up the side of Fai's cheek to brush stray hair out of the blond's face as he felt Fai's long fingers run up the front of his shirt over his pectorals. Of all the times to be silent the moron had chosen that moment, all Kurogane had to go off of was body language. Fai didn't seem disgusted or scared just nervous (made evident by his visible gulp and aversion of his eyes after a moment), which the man standing over him would never admit to have also been at that moment.

Kurogane tilted Fai's chin up and couldn't help that his heartbeat quickened as the other's cheeks dusted pink and his lips went slightly slack causing his bottom lip to slightly protrude. He had watched Fai go after and catch enough partners that he knew the blond didn't blush when it came to moments like these. He was always so sure of himself. Just then he felt Fai's hand on his neck and he took it as a sign to continue. Slowly they broke eye contact as their eye lids slid closed and the distance between their lips lessened.

Kurogane had quite literally dreamed about kissing Fai before, and in those dreams everything progressed so slowly that he was plagued to wake up before they progressed any further. If this was a dream though he wasn't about to sit idly by while he felt he had some control over the situation. He aggressively pushed his way past Fai's lips, not that the blond wasn't entirely compliant. Fai had tasted of that sweet cherry flavored alcohol he had ordered and though he generally avoided anything overly sweet he gladly welcomed the taste. They had been kissing for milliseconds it seemed, not long enough, when Fai's once relaxed body that he was holding became tense and he was forcefully pushed away. Kurogane had been so caught off guard that he tripped over his own feet and landed on the opposite side of the thin alley.

“Sorry, Kuro-sama. But I don't think that's a good idea,” Fai said through a gross, fake smile that made his skin crawl. To shocked and utterly embarrassed to speak he had been powerless to stop Fai when he quickly added, “I should be leaving tonight instead of in the morning as usual I've aready stayed to long as it is. I'll see you next time.” Fai walked away quickly, as if he didn't want to give Kurogane a chance to talk, but the taller would be dammed if that was about to happened. It had taken him a moment but he was on his feet calling after what had almost been his blond but when he reached the main street Fai had turned onto he found no one. Dammed he was.

Thinking about this was pissing him off. That was it! If Fai didn't walk through that door in the next ten seconds Kurogane decided to give up on ever seeing him again, that bastard couldn't just leave for three months and expect Kurogane to wait like some house wife. Ten. Nine. Seriously the idiot was consuming his thoughts and he hadn't even seen him in roughly ninety day, he should be preoccupied with chasing skirts for Christ sake, just like him! Eight. He was a fit formidable young man, any woman would be lucky to have him! Seven. Six. Who was he kidding even if Fai didn't walk through the door he would still think about him. Five. Four. Three. No he wouldn't because he was a man and not some stupid school girl with a crush. Two. He was nearly liberated, this felt right. One. But those soft lips on his... Zero.

The bell rang as the door to the tavern opened and the blond came waltzing back into his life. His cheeks were pink from the cold and his skin seemed even paler than Kurogane remembered. He had been so close too, but now he was instantly sucked back up in Fai.

“Kuro-pu!” Fai shouted across the bar once he spotted the taller.

Kurogane reddened, why had he missed the idiot again? “Shut up! I'm a man not a dog!” He shouted back automatically. There were scattered snickers around him which he silenced with hardened glances.

The blonde made his way over, his navy blue cloak swinging with his steps and showing of embroidered gold designs. Now that the weather was colder his clothes had adjusted accordingly. He had replaced the billowing fabric of his pants from their first meeting with skin tight black leather that still ran into equally black boots. His loose white shirt traded for a warm looking navy jacket that strapped across the front, probably entirely to difficult to remove.

“But Kuro-puppy would make such a good pet,” Fai mused sitting alongside him at the bar.

Fai smiled happily at him as he scowled back. “I thought you said you'd be back soon.”

“I know I did,” he huffed, “but work got so hectic that I couldn't sneak away to see Kuro-needy and Kuro-mama.”

“I thought there would be a letter or even a fucking carrier pigeon. This entire day all I felt was anxious and annoyed but then here you come walking through the door as if you never left.” Kurogane held his shot glass up in irritation to alert the bartender he needed another.

Fai's smiled dimmed, “So you knew I was coming. How cute.”

It was true, Kurogane had know Fai would be arriving today just like he always had since the blond had first left. The entire day he would be on edge, but he would never admit that he 'knew' because that would just make him insane. “Cute? I'm not cute. I'm manly or even handsome would be better than 'cute'. Cute is what you call a child.” The barkeep poured Kurogane another whiskey.

“You are but a child by comparison. I'll have a bottle of raspberry vodka please,” the blond alerted the bartender casually. “Now why is Kuro-cute so grumpy? I came back didn't I?”

“Tch. You're only twenty-two..” Kurogane mumbled. “That hardly matters now thatyou came back. Now the problem is that you are so unwaveringly annoying.”

Fai batted his eyelashes, “Now there HAS to be a way I can make it up to you Kuro-tan.”

Kurogane chocked on his whiskey. Fai couldn't possibly be suggesting anything like that could he? He hated their relationship. Kurogane hated how Fai could so easily flirt with him especially after what had happened. “Um, well, I don't know.” Jesus he sounded like a teenager going through puberty and he felt similarly awkward at the obvious innuendo.

Fai began to look around the bar, it wasn't like Kurogane was going to feed him so he might as well find both of them some reasonable prospects. Nowadays he at least tried to replenish his Essence before seeing Kurogane but today's schedule hadn't allowed for it. “Kuro-pon, look behind me. Do you see those lovely ladies sitting at the corner table?”

“Yeah what about them?” Fai watched irritation flash in the other's eyes complimented by betrayal.

Fai glanced behind himself again, they were both equally attractive but he was more interested in their escort and tall brunette man who radiated Lust. “Which one do you find more attractive. The busty blond or the busty brunette?”

Kurogane snarled, “Does it even matter? I mean they're both obviously prostitutes hired by that man.”

Fai smiled back at him, “Soon enough he won't need them.” He stood and to his surprise Kurogane put up little fight in following him after downing the shot the bartender had poured him. “I need you to help me, Kuro-handsome,” he lied. He could do what he needed to regardless but he felt guilty leaving Kurogane when he understood that watching him do this only hurt the other. “I'm going to chat up the brunette while you talk to the other two.” He figured he at least owed him an opportunity for sexual relief if he was going to be forced to watch him seduce another, and another man at that. He could almost hear Kurogane's questions upon his return later.

“Wait so you're having me distract the man and the blond so you can get with the brunette?” It irked Kurogane that this situation didn't bother him more. Well, that was partially inaccurate. He was bothered that Fai had the intention of having sex with a random stranger but some unexplainable part of him understood that the blond needed to do this, even though he wondered why he couldn't chose him. At least once. The thought that Fai was refusing him in order to preserve their friendship was believable but pissed Kurogane off all the same. He wouldn't let himself be just another conquest so he had no fear of being tossed aside after sex or allow for their relationship to stay as is in that case.

Fai froze momentarily before continuing to the other side of the bar where the three others were located, “No. I should have been more clear. You talk to the ladies and I'll talk to their escort. If you want I can make sure both go home with you.”

Kurogane's eyes narrowed, Fai's voice had sounded downtrodden as he spoke but he couldn't bring that up now, not as Fai plastered a brilliantly dazzling smile and casually placed his hand on the man's shoulder. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as fury built inside of him. He hated that Fai was touching this scum, that he was laughing so easily, that the man laughed with him, how Fai looked pained and guilty. But he couldn't stop it, the gut feeling that told him Fai needed this wouldn't let him. And what would he do anyway? Pull Fai away, snarl at the guy for his obvious attraction to the blond, beat him for his equally obvious intentions? Both of their smiles disgusted him, the man's lustful and lecherous, Fai's a mix of all the emotions generated by shame.

“Kurogane,” the name sounded so wrong floating on Fai's light and airy laugh but it successfully snapped the larger out of his lull. The blond's smile fell only a fraction of a centimeter when Kurogane returned his gaze with a cold a hardened one. “These lovely ladies here,” he motioned to them with a wave of his hand, “were just commenting on how quite and handsome a guy like you is.”

He cleared his throat, “Why should I talk when I have nothing to say?” Kurogane took this opportunity to realize he was the only one standing. Fai was mindlessly rubbing circles across the man's hand beneath the table.

“Well, Kurogane, it's only proper to compliment such beautiful ladies after they have complimented you. Or at the very least ask their names.”

Kurogane felt childish, like he was being led around by the hand. He was a man goddammit and was very well aware as to how to interact with women if he chose to do so. However currently he was more concerned with Fai's confusing decent into this. Awkwardly, he pulled a chair out for himself and sat down while mumbling a half ass compliment of, “You both look very lovely this evening.” He wasn't lying, both women were pretty and had their youth and when they smiled warmly at him, probably for his attempt at flattery, he almost forgot they were prostitutes. “What are your names?” He asked feigning ignorance as Fai began running his fingers through the man's hair. He resisted the urge to break something and pushed the thought that Fai should be running his fingers through his hair out of his mind.

“I'm Summer and this is Susan,” answered the blond female and both of them batted their eyelashes.

Quite honestly, he had no idea how to reply to this or what to say next so part of him was relieved when he felt Fai's hand on his shoulder. Fai leaned down so his mouth was right next to Kurogane's ear, “Kuro-pon,” he whispered his hot breath sending shivers down Kurogane's spine. “Me and Jeremy are going to get out of here for a little while. I'll meet you back here in an hour.” There was a brief pause, beside him he heard Fai lick his lips, “I'm sorry.”

Kurogane's mouth went dry taking away his ability to speak. To protest. Fai wasn't smiling when he turned his head, their noses almost touching, instead he looked like a man who was about to take part in a business deal, calculating. Do something, don't let the idiot leave!

Fai looked pointedly at Summer and Susan who were busy listening to Jeremy make his own excuses to leave. “Take the next hour and enjoy yourself.” He smiled and Kurogane loathed it.

He watched in silence as Fai left the bar. He had no right to be angry, he had no claim to the idiot, as the blonde had made clear previously, but a large part of him wanted to envelop the blond in his arms, hold him close, and protect him from the world and whatever made him smile so unemotionally. One hour the blond had said and it was already feeling like an eternity.

From across the table Kurogane heard a snort. “Jeez I can't believe you let him leave with Jeremy.”

“I couldn't believe it either!” Susan replied. “I thought you were going to sweep him into your arms and carry him away like in one of those romance novels!”

“Oh shut it Susan. You imagine everything as a romance novel,” Summer laughed and looked at Kurogane.

“I have no idea what you two are talking about,” Kurogane defended through clenched teeth though his red ears gave him away.

The two women looked at each other and cackled. “Of course you don't. Just like you don't want to rip Jeremy's throat out for all the indecent things he's about to do to your blond. I'm sorry the blond.”

“This doesn't concern you,” he stuttered in embarrassment. Was he really that obvious?

Summer waved a hand dismissively and sat back in her chair, “Regardless, both of us have already been paid for the evening. Courtesy of your friend. Why don't you use us to take your mind off him? We'll even let you do it from behind if it helps.”

“Yeah, a big strong man like you should have no trouble pleasing the two of us and we certainly won't have any trouble pleasing you as much as you want for the next hour,” Susan added raising her eyebrows.

Kurogane creased his forehead in irritation. Of course Fai would do something like this. But, how long had it been since he had felt the warmth of another, man or woman, in his bed after the most precious embrace? He had stopped pursuing anybody after he had first met Fai, the decision hadn't been a conscious one. Honestly, he was tired of shower fantasies and late night messes. Despite what part of him craved to do he couldn't feasibly wait around for Fai forever.

He cleared his throat and coughed into a closed fist, “Did he pay for a room too?”