mindlessadri | Entries tagged with rating: pg-13

Title of Chapter: Melting Against the Darkness
Rating: PG-13; really it's only for excessive language. If cussing doesn't bother you then consider it PG Word Count: ~4,850
Summary: Kurogane and Mokona go to work. Fuck up and get saved by a questionable, ~~attractive~~ annoying blond
Notes: Human Mokona was largely based off Anna from K Project initially. In my mind she's altered quite a bit from that. Mokona isn't nearly as inexpressive and silent as Anna or short. Mokona here, despite being 12, is approx. 5ft 4in. Average height of a 12 year old female is about 5ft - 5ft 3in. Her body is also tone and probably almost rid of baby fat because of her altered DNA and lifestyle. Also I love writing sibling relationships. It's probably one of the only things I feel exceptionally good at while writing.

World War III - WWIII began in the summer of 2049 A.D. The war only lasted one year but managed to reduce the population to roughly 2.5 billion people including residual deaths from nuclear contamination and famine. Many countries, cultures, plants, and animals are now extinct due to this. All remaining countries/forms of government banned nuclear weapondry as a result of the war in 2049 A.D. or 0 P.W..

High Chancellor - a position created following the Scrib Massacre of 217 P.W. by the newly elected Fei Wang Reed. Previously, the government of Pâro had tried to implement the previous government of the United States (which fell in 2049 A.D. or 0 P.W.). The High Chancellor is the head of all of the five Administrations of Pâro. He is essentially a masked Dictator.

Date: September 17th 237 P.W. 16:17 EST

Any second now. Any second.

Kurogane was nothing if not punctual Mokona thought as she blew her translucent like white bangs out of her face, she would have to remember to ask somebody to trim them for her because they were getting too long. 'The History of Scribs' was her least favorite lesson of the year if only because she had to sit in a stuffy makeshift classroom with thirty other kids her age and pretend to listen to the only mandatory lesson of each class. The room they occupied was on the third level down from the surface as were all the other classrooms. The classrooms themselves had at one point been conference or demonstration rooms and so they were rather large and open; all the children sat crowded around a long oval table as the teacher paced around them like a hawk. In the center of the table was a small bulb that projected a rotating screen upwards; images of the riots rotated so everybody could see them in all their high definition glory. You could see the sweat on the first generation Scribs as they stormed the streets dragging what had been their masters behind them; some looked like they had been burned others looked like they had been trampled.

The pictures continued to rotate and the one in front of Mokona flipped as the teacher transitioned from the riots to the massacre. The picture she was looking at now was a close up of a girl's face as chaos continued behind her. Her head lay against the pavement, a single trail of blood trailed downwards from her mouth to join the blood that pooled around her head staining her blond hair, and her eyes stared blankly at the camera. The girl in the picture couldn't have been any older than Mokona herself and she was fairly young, only twelve, even more disturbing the girl had eyes nearly as red as Mokona's. The girl's eyes were a bit more pink but it didn't matter because it made no difference how much she assured herself that the girl in the picture was not her all she saw was herself.

The door to the room burst open with a loud swoosh and all thirty students turned to look at the imposing figure in the doorway. The figure was dressed in all black including a beanie that some exceptionally unruly pieces of hair were poking out from and he had a long black canvas bag slung over his shoulder. They all knew the length and bulk of the bag and quickly identified it's contents: Sniper Rifle. “I'm here to pick up Mokona,” came Kurogane's thundering voice.

Mokona was already packing up her stuff as she looked to the teacher for permission to leave. The teacher nodded and she half heartedly pushed her chair in as she all but sprinted out of the classroom, her long white hair swishing as she left.

“You're late,” Mokona said conversationally as she paced ahead of Kurogane.

Kurogane rolled his eyes, she might have sounded impassive but he'd known this girl since she was knee high to a grasshopper and he knew she only had three moods: happy and overexcited, sad and depressed, and pissed and brooding. He thought that maybe hungry counted as a mood but decided it better suited her as a personality trait. “I know I said I'd be there on time but something came up.”

“More like you we're flirting with the artillery keeper,” she sulked.

He blushed and was thankful she wasn't looking at him as he did so. “I was not flirting with Doumeki. I-”

“-what a dumb name.”

“It's not dumb it's cultured,” Kurogane growled. Mokona didn't answer him. He quickened his pace and caught up with her. “Look I'm sorry you had to see the picture this year. How about I make it up to you.”

A white eyebrow shot up and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as her lips pursed to one side cutely. “We'll be out kind of late tonight so how about we go get food at that place you like -”

“You mean Extraordinaire?” she questioned turning suddenly and clapping her hands together, a big smile was plastered on her face.

“Yeah. Sure. If that's what it's called.”

“Can we get the Chili Fries, Dude appetizer?” She questioned suddenly in full gear.

“Sure.” She was talking fast, it was giving him a migraine.

“And can I get a Dollhouse Burger and the Drug Rug Chicken Sandwich, too?”

“Yes.” This is why he usually didn't take her out, it usually cost him an arm and a leg.

“And – and when we're done with the food can I have a Munchies Shake?” She was practically bouncing off the wall as they neared the center of the floor, all the floors were circular in fashion with a singular pillar that housed the elevators in the center.

“You can have whatever the hell you want if you just shut up!” Kurogane growled.

Mokona smiled smartly at him, “Got you.”

Kurogane frowned knowing exactly what she meant. Ever since he was little he’d had a temper and when she was about eight he had gotten particularly upset with her for knocking boiling water off the stove in his kitchen. She hadn't been injured – thank god – he had turned just in time to grab her by her waist and haul her up to his hip. He had sat her on the couch and yelled at her, at fifteen he hadn't known what else to do with the anger he felt for himself other than to release it onto somebody else. Big heavy tears started to stream down her porcelain face and he had stopped like he had been punched in the stomach. He had tried to console her and she just cried harder whispering into his shoulder that he was scary and that he should be happy she was okay not upset that she had almost gotten hurt. From that day forward they played a game: whenever Kurogane got needlessly mad or irritated she would say, “Got you,” in a tiny scared voice and he would stop and collect himself. Since then she had grown and turned it into a different game in which she would purposely try to irk him for her own entertainment. But, in the end, her smile was worth his irritation.

“I'm beginning to think you're trying to piss me off Girlie,” Kurogane huffed.

Makona beamed at him, “Whatever would give you that idea?”

He looked over her – she was wearing all black like him though it did little to help her blend in since it just made her pale skin glow and reaffirm how white her hair was. She carried a small backpack with her that Kurogane had helped her spray paint black two summers ago when she had first started accompanying him. Inside he knew she was carrying the rest of her outfit: black gloves and a cowl so that when the time did come for them to slip into the shadows she didn't glow in the darkness. “You got your drops in there in case we get separated?”

She looked at him with irritation, “Yes. I'm not a baby anymore. I can remember to pack the things I need in my bag.”

“Do you have water?” She rolled her eyes telling him that 'yes' she did have water. “Hmm, what about snacks?”

The young girl stopped short, “Damn.”

“Hey don't say that! You're still just a kid,” Kurogane said with a stern sideways glance as they boarded one of the elevators and began their ascent to the first floor.

Mokona threw her arms away from herself, “I just told you I'm not a kid! For your information I have boobs now!”

Kurogane pinched the bridge of his nose, “That was information I did not need.”

“And I'm probably going to start my -”

That was where he drew the line, “Shut your mouth! I cannot talk about this with you!”

Her shoulders slumped and Kurogane realized the weight of what he said and mentally kicked himself. “Who else am I supposed to talk about it with?” He knew her situation; they were really all each other had in this world.

He sighed his resignation. “You don't have boobs,” Kurogane grumbled as he looked anywhere other than her face.

She scowled at him indignantly, “I do too!”

The elevator dinged and let them out on the first floor. The entrance to the research facility had been caved in and leveled to build apartments on top of so the closest you could get to the surface using the elevator was the first floor. The floor wasn't used for anything and looked to have been a large lobby area. The edges were littered by debris that had fallen when they destroyed the exit to the surface. At the far end though there was a tunnel that led to the sewers of the city and from there they carefully picked their way through the maze of tunnels until they reached a secluded manhole in the middle of the Oriental District. Before they climbed the ladder up to the surface Kurogane took out his bottle of eye drops and handed Mokona his flash light. He put the solution in each eye and blinked a few times and leaned down towards his partner who was pointing the light at him, “Well?”

“They changed,” Mokona handed the flashlight back to him and leaned her head back as he put some in her own eyes. “Well?”

“Your eyes are blue. Alright let’s get this over with.” Kurogane pushed the manhole up and pushed himself to the surface before turning to help Mokona through.

The city towered above them in numerous high rise buildings that ended in spires. All around there was lights and sound and movement. In the slums, where they had made their way after emerging, small shops were packed tightly together advertising food, clothes, and pleasure of various sorts.

Still, large banners hung over the street and large light boards advertised the reelection of Fei Wong Reed for High Chancellor. He’d run unopposed for nearly fifteen years. In those fifteen years the rich had gotten richer while the middle class slowly dwindled to only consist of politicians or people who worked in the underground sex, gun, or drug trafficking. The slums became populated by those who could barely afford to eat and those who couldn’t eat at all. But Reed /had/ promised to eliminate the Scrib threat. It was the fear he instilled in people that allowed him to keep office.

Propaganda constantly lined the streets reading “Is your neighbor a Scrib?” with a picture of a man; one eye brown the other bright yellow. As if the gene was contagious.

Reed’s voice boomed over the speakers in the streets, “This is your High Chancellor Fei Wong Reed. The man who has protected you and your family from the volatile abomination that is the alien Scrib race. My opponent Clow Reed plans to eliminate all protective measures against Scribs and reinstate the program. A vote for me is a vote for your continued freedom and safety”

Mokona scoffed at the announcement and rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe people believe that bologna.”

Beside him one of the scanner bots turned their head to look in their direction and he shoved Mokona’s head down so the bot couldn’t read her face.

“OW! Kurogane you’re hurting me!” Once he knew they were clear he released her head. “What was that for!”

“It was for being annoying.”

“You’re a jerk - you know that?”

Kurogane smirked down at the pale child, “That’s what you keep telling me.”

Mokona pouted at the ground. “Are we still getting food?” She mumbled.

“Is that all you fucking think about?” The older asked rolling his eyes. Of course they were getting food; he had promised.

Runner - Street title for the illegal profession of delivering any form of communication either orally, written, or otherwise undocumented and beyond the reach of the Administration of Communication and Assimilation.

Date: September 17th 237 P.W. 20:57 EST

The building they had holed up in for the rest of their evening was a three story factory – abandoned for the evening by it's workers. They were on the second level looking down at a similar factory where one Paul Rein was to rear his ugly head. Kurogane wasn't sure if the head was ugly – metaphorically speaking of course – so long as he got paid at the end of the night.

Rein was a corrupt politician getting ready to take some low level governmental office that, really, he didn't give two shits about. What he knew of Rein's career though was that whoever was funding him under the table liked to meet in this district and in the next twenty or so minutes his target would be arriving.

He and Mokona had set up shop nearly an hour ago. He had punched a hole roughly the size of a serving platter into the wall near the base of the wall where it met the concrete floor and set up his sniper rifle so it pointed at the door Rein was to be arriving at according to Mokona.

Mokona had dragged over a wooden crate and sat on it eating the snacks she had insisted she needed. She licked the residue of various chips and sweets off her fingers and would occasionally look off into the darkness with no particular target. A moment later she would blink back to where she was physically and shake her head. “Fifteen minutes-,” she said without missing a beat as she went back to inhaling a rather large bag of cheese puffs.

Kurogane was laying flat on his stomach the butt of the rifle pushed into his left shoulder as he stared intently down his sight at the door. To be honest, he hadn’t been fully paying attention to her at that moment. He had been aware that she had ‘zoned out’, as she called it, but his mind had been elsewhere. Nineteen years old and /still/ a virgin? He didn’t actually believe there was anything wrong per se with being a virgin. But he was tired of waiting for Mokona to go to bed so he could masturbate - alone. He was tired of being alone and Doumeki was available; and into guys, which was a plus.

“Kurogane are you even listening to me?” Mokona’s irritated voice finally resonated in his mind.

“No.” He replied curtly. She scowled and threw a puff at him which he managed to catch in his mouth. “Nice try. You said fifteen minutes right, pork bun?”

Mokona let her head drop back with a thud against the wall, “I'm not a pork bun -”

“Tell that to your baby picture pork bun.”

She scowled at him and he glanced at her with amusement playing in his red eyes. “I said fifteen to twenty minutes if we stayed here.”

“Good I’m getting tired of being here,” he said adjusting his position so he was more comfortable.

The only noise around them was the waves lapping at the wharf, if you listened closely enough, and Mokona crunching on chips. “Do we have any assignments after this?”

Kurogane thought back to earlier today when he had last seen Yuuko. “No. The witch didn’t mention she had anything for us to do after this.”

Mokona nodded in recognition and went uncharacteristically quiet as she glanced around the room. “Something wrong?” Kurogane sighed.

“Birthday’s coming up,” she mumbled.

Now he got it. No work no money. No money no gifts. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

“But-”

“Mokona. We are fine. You let me worry about money and shit, okay?” They weren’t poor. Far from it but the less Mokona knew the better. She was still young and while Kurogane trusted her with his life he didn’t want to give her the responsibility of keeping their future a secret. If he kept saving at the rate he was they should be able to leave sometime next year. Finally be free of this city where every day they were in danger of being caught and executed on sight.

Mokona kicked at the floor dejectedly. He knew she just wanted to be more involved in their day to day lives beyond what Kurogane titled her responsibilities: school, homework, cleaning up after herself, and enjoying what little childhood he could afford her living in a secret underground facility. His resolve to be a tough older makeshift brother was crumbling. “Listen pork bun,” he relented. “You don’t have to worry about money. Your mom trusted me to take care of you and that’s what I’m going to do. /Kids/ don’t need to worry about money.”

She pursed her lips together in annoyance. “Your only nineteen. All you do is worry about adult things. If I wasn’t around you could just take care of yourself.”

“Mokona.”

“You should just let me live in the community cubes,” she whined.

“Mokona! I’m not going to send you to the home. You are not a burden to me so shut your mouth.” Kurogane rubbed his eyes in irritation. “We are a family. Only kids without families get sent to the home.”

She seemed to accept this. Still she knitted her eyebrows together, “You should be a kid too. Get a boyfriend or something.”

Kurogane turned back to his scope and scowled. “I’m working on it. Besides, one of us has to be an adult.”

“Work harder. I’m tired of listening to you talk about Doumeki.” She replied as she returned to stuffing her face.

The older blushed, “I don’t talk about him that much!”

Mokona dropped her snacks to the floor and clasped her hands together comically. “Oh Doumeki!” She mocked. “I see you all the time and it’s obvious I like you but I won’t ask you out on a date!”

“Shut your face Girlie, before I do it for you.”

She eyed him trying to calculate how serious he actually was. A smile crept across her face, “And you have such a nice ass Doumeki!”

“That’s it!” Kurogane shouted as he sprung from the floor. “I’m going to eviscerate you pork bun!”

Mokona was already running to the opposite side of the room laughing maniacally as she went. The worst part of having so much muscle mass was that it slowed a person’s stopping significantly and Mokona knew this. She was always able to escape Kurogane by waiting until the last possible second to change direction which in turn caused him to create gigantic-human sized craters in the walls.

“Get your ass back here you fucking powdered doughnut!” Kurogane growled shaking plaster from his beanie. He sprinted after her and finally realized she was running herself into a corner.

She turned to face him a huge smile on her face, “No. No. No. Kurogane please, no! I’m sorry,” she apologized while laughing as the situation grew more dire.

Kurogane approached slowly before snatching her up by her middle. Mokona squirmed managing to turn herself in Kurogane’s grip. She kicked outwardly as Kurogane began to tickle her. Her laughter was piercing, always was and her voice similarly so as she begged him to stop.

Something in her voice changed from playful to suddenly shrill, “Stop! Stop!” and Kurogane released her immediately. The sudden worry that he hadn’t been careful enough with the tiny girl dawning on him. Her eyes lost focus for a moment before she snapped back.

“Something changed! He’s going to be arriving now,” Mokona rushed out of her mouth.

“Shit,” Kurogane rushed back to his rifle and got into position as fast as physically possible. He lined the door up in his sights. “When, Girlie?” He never fired without her say so. The future had a tendency to be more unsettled when large events were about to take place. More factors mattered in the moments leading up to an assassination.

Mokona zoned out and back in at rapid speed. “Now!” Kurogane pulled the trigger, the silencer muting the noise. “Wait!”

Kurogane froze. Mokona had never gone back on what she said because she never gave the cue before she was sure. She stared at him blankly. “Something changed,” she said meekly.

“What changed? What /changed/ Mokona?” He hissed as he heard voices building outside. He’d missed the target.

She looked stunned, “I-I don’t know!”

Kurogane began hurriedly putting the rifle away and flung it on his back, “How much time do we have?”

Mokona zoned out again, “I don’t know. Everything is changing too rapidly. But they are coming. We need to leave.”

His mind was racing a million miles a minute. They couldn’t rely on their previous escape route now that people were aware of their presence. Now that it counted the building plans weren’t coming to his mind; he had no direction.

Mokona’s eyes had changed back to red and were the only part of her visible now that she had dressed her face. She was scared and uncertain. The noise outside was growing louder and more frantic. He heard it then, the steps on the stairs and he turned pulling the gun at his hip out and training it on the blonde standing at the tops of the stairs. “How long you been there?”

The man looked unphased by the weapon focused on his face. “Long enough to know you’re willing to kill me if you think I pose a threat.”

Kurogane cocked the gun, he didn’t have time for this bullshit or witnesses. “I can get you out of here,” the blond said quickly. “You and her.”

Kurogane looked over to Mokona, “What do you think?”

Her eyes went blank, “I-I don’t see anything bad happening.”

The blond beamed like a clown. “This way then. And you can put that gun away Mr. Assassin.”

Kurogane growled but if he had learned anything in his years as an assassin it was that sometimes you have to do things that are counter intuitive. Besides Mokona had said it would be okay. “Keep up,” the new person called as he took off in the opposite direction of the downward stairs.

“Why the fuck are we going up?” Kurogane bit out when the man took them to the emergency stairs. Mokona was so fucking small and falling behind. Now was not the time to be shy about his strenght. Damn what conclusions the blond would draw. He hoisted Mokona up and situated her on his back on top of the rifle bag as they ran. Her legs and arms locked tight around him and he knew she was ready to endure whatever he would have to do. He picked up his pace so he was right on the blond’s heels.

“Do you want to get out of here alive or not Mammoth?”

Kurogane knitted his eyebrows together - he wasn’t that big. He decided this guy was an asshole.

They sprinted up seven flights of stairs before bursting out onto the roof. The man looked around observing his surroundings. His eyes settled on the north end of the building and he ran full speed towards the edge. There seemed to be no hesitation in movement or break in stride as his right foot left the edge of the building and he jumped cleanly to the next building. The blond looked back at Kurogane to see if he would follow.

Kurogane reared back; he could do it. He might of been significantly heavier than the other guy and carrying a girl on his back but he was an Alpha. If he couldn’t even do this little bit this gene wasn’t even useful “You let go I’ll fucking kill you, brat.”

“Might not have to if I’m already dead,” she replied doubtfully. Ten stories /was/ an awfully long way to fall.

Kurogane ran full force to the edge of the building and jumped to the opposite with no trouble. Something playful flashed in the blond’s eye. “Try to keep up. I can’t keep waiting for you.”

The man took off, Kurogane keeping pace as the other led them from rooftop to rooftop by various means: planks, scaffolding, jumping. By the time they finally slowed down Kurogane was close to breaking a sweat. They were on the top of a three story building. The blond worked at the door for a minute before it popped open. “There might be a silent alarm so we should hurry.”

“You just open a door without knowing if there’s an alarm?”

The other looked at him, “Well I wasn’t exactly planning on running around the wharf district either. Think of it as an emergency situation Gigantour.”

He pushed the door open, the man’s slighter frame disappearing inside. “He called you ‘Gigantour’,” Mokona giggled.

“Shut your mouth Snowball.” He followed the other inside and down the stairs until they were on the first floor.

“This way” the blond prompted as he took them to the main entrance and immediately smashed the glass door to the street using a nearby pot. This guy was either brave as shit or a complete moron.

Standing in the brisk air Kurogane let Mokona down in the street the glass crunching beneath her boots. “Now what you fucking idiot? Were standing on the outskirts of the Wharf District and what’s that I hear? Police sirens.”

The blond blew his bangs out of his face and went to the middle of the street. “You complain a lot don’t you. Like a grumpy giant.” He bent at his knees and lifted the cover to the manhole with a strained ‘oopf’. He turned back to Kurogane, “Fee fi fo fum I’m grumpy and I’m dumb!”

Kurogane scowled, “There’s a second part to that, idiot.”

The man began to descend the ladder paying no mind to the displaced cover. “Not idiot! Fai. My name is Fai.”

Mokona went next down the ladder into the darkness of the sewers. “Mine’s Mokona!” The girl chirped.

“Is that so?” Fai chimed back. “And who is the giant?”

Above them Kurogane growled as he closed the manhole and started his descent, “That’s Kurogane. You’re really pissing him off.”

“Is that so?” Something in the man’s voice set Kurogane on edge. Like at any moment he was going to have a splitting headache.

“Pork bun,” Kurogane warned through gritted teeth.

Mokona paid him no mind. “He /hates/ to be reminded about how big he is. Something about being /too/ big.”

“Shut your trap Marshmallow!” Kurogane roared as embarrassment tinted his cheeks. He had one insecurity. Just one. “And why would you tell this idiot our names?”

“Not ‘idiot’. Fai,” Mokona chided as Kurogane touched ground in the sewer. “And because I’m /trying/ to be nice.”

Kurogane’s lip twitched up in a snarl.

Fai walked over and clapped him on the back. “Don’t be such a sour puss Kuro-muscular. Now,” The blond announced stepping away from the two of them. “Let’s get going.”

Fai skipped ahead of him like he could see in the dark but not so far ahead that Kurogane couldn’t see him and Mokona. Now that things had begun to calm down Kurogane began to note just how physically tone the blond was. His calf muscles worked effortlessly when he jumped and he seemed just as physically fit as Kurogane. He was obviously some sort of athlete. He also seemed to work in the underbelly - that’s the only way Kurogane could explain the blond’s comfort and ability to maneuver so effortlessly in the tunnels. Not to mention he was clad in all black indicating that, just like them, he hadn’t been in the wharf district to socialize. His pants were obviously meant for freedom of movement and flexibility while his shirt clung tight to his body and it’s sleeves ended at his elbows. His skin and hair is what gave him away in the darkness. Though with the grace he walked Kurogane was convinced this guy could disappear in any setting.

Current Mood: restless
Current Music: Lana del Ray - American

Rating: PG-13 ish for some brief questionable kissing
Warnings: adolescent stupidity and the struggle of trying to understand sexuality
AN: Kurogane and Fai are both in their first year of high school. While childhood friends a numerous amount of things are pulling them apart. Is this the last straw? An adolescent party, a laundry room, and a moonlit bench?

“Did you say tongue?” Kurogane knit his eyebrows together in disgust as his sister just stared forward, driving.

Yuuko bit back her laughter and shook her head 'yes'.

“That is so gross. Why would anybody want a tongue in their mouth?”

Yuuko shrugged, “That's just how you do it. You lean in, smoosh your mouths together, and jam your tongue in the other person's mouth before they know what hit them!”

Kurogane scowled, and Yuuko couldn't help but cackle. “Don't worry about it. You don't have the balls to kiss somebody at this party anyway."

“Hey I have plenty of,” Goddammit! Just cuss already will you?! You're fourteen in high school and on the JV Swim Team! But Kurogane couldn't cuss because the thought of disappointment on his mother's face was enough to stop him. She was tired and sick enough as it was and he didn't feel the desire to add to the stress. “Just shut up. If I wanted to kiss somebody I would,” he mumbled. Kurogane hardly ever mumbled but his sister had that effect on him.

Yuuko chuckled and the car was silent for a moment save for the radio. “You could be a little nicer to me you know,” she pouted with no real intent at making Kurogane guilty and he had spent enough time with his sister to recognize she was just being dramatic and talking to talk. On the other hand she would say she was talking to discover.

“And why would I do that, Witch,” Kurogane added the 'insult' as more of an afterthought.

His sister slowed for a stop sign and sighed as she thought the sign was completely useless out her the in back woods, “Well I did have to use gas to drive you to this party.”

At this Kurogane frowned. “You're doing it as a favor for mom. You don't really care.”

“Are you upset her and dad aren't taking you?”

He didn't respond.

“Because it would be okay.”

“I'm not upset!” He fixed his stare out the window. “They should have taken me with them.”

Yuuko reached over and ruffled her brother's hair to which he swatted her hand away in annoyance. “Brat, you've been so good these past couple of months and mom and dad see that. You help by cleaning, and taking care of the chores while dad is at work and mom really appreciates you taking up her knitting for the season.” Kurogane stared pointedly at her, “Which I will never mention to anybody especially, and I quote 'the Idiot'. But my point is they also see what you're giving up. How many swimming practices have you missed? When's the last time you and Fai did stuff together? Hell when is the last time you even talked to him?”

It was silent again and the trees of the landscape swished past as Yuuko headed over the familiar road into the town where the party was. “I haven't missed that many practices,” was all Kurogane could mumble.

“And what about Fai?”

Kurogane could feel his ears warm but either Yuuko had missed it or was uncharacteristically ignoring it. “Things are awkward.”

Yuuko rolled her eyes. “How so? What could be so awkward that you would stop talking to your best friend.”

Kurogane was slowly becoming more irritated, “Okay. One: I didn't stop talking to him we just grew up, we have different friends now. I go to practice -”

“You stay home.”

He scowled but his sister hardly seemed to notice. “I go to practice and he has I guess stage practice? I don't know what they call it.”

“Rehearsal.”

“Yeah that! Anyway we still eat lunch together and we're lab partners and we have PE together, again.”

Yuuko made some sort of affirmative noise. “But that doesn't tell me why it 'awkward'”

Kurogane fixed his gaze out the window again. “He started growing his hair out. He looks like girl.” It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact Kurogane thought Fai was even more attractive with long hair. And Fai wasn't even attractive! Lean, tall, pale, gorgeous! Not his type. And then Kurogane's thoughts caught up with him and he groaned.

“That's dumb and you know it. Anyway, my point is that mom and dad don't want you to grow up too fast. They want you to go out with your friends, kiss people, get in trouble and all that jazz. In fact if there is alcohol at this party and you got drunk I wouldn't even tell them you got wasted!”

“I'm not drinking at the party Yuuko. Besides we're just freshmen.”

“Huh. I forget because you're so freakishly tall.”

The rest of the ride was a borderline friendly and hostile, typical for any pair of siblings. And when they pulled up to the house and Kurogane went to unbuckle his seat belt Yuuko put a hand on his shoulder. “Have fun tonight, Brat.”

He knew what she was trying to say: don't worry.

Regardless he scowled, “Whatever.”

With that Yuuko smiled and called out after him, “Call me when you're ready for me to pick you up!”

The party was being held at a girls house for her fifteenth birthday, at least that's what his invitation had said. Personally he didn't know the girl but everybody on the swim team had been invited so at least he knew people. He had every intention of standing awkwardly with his teammates as they discussed which girls were developing faster and which ones they would bang but Fai caught his eye.

He was standing with another theatre student he’d seen him around with by the punch talking and sipping juice. He made his way over there and planted himself squarely in front of Fai. “Hey.” It was as good a line as any, right?

“Hey!” Fai lit up. “I didn't know you were coming. I thought you said something like 'I'm a big Kuro-grump and I don't like to socialize with anybody,'” he ended his impersonation with a growl.

“Tch. I don't sound like that you Idiot.”

“Sure you do Kuro-bear. Anyway, I really didn't think you were coming.”

“I didn't think I was either. I was going to go into the city with my parents overnight but then my mom found the invitation in my jeans and....” He stopped to observe that Fai was shifting his eyes to the left and that's when he remembered there was another person there.

The girl laughed a little uncertainly. Fai smiled sweetly and put his arm around her in such a natural motion Kurogane was sure it was practiced, “Sakura. Why don't you go find Syaoran.”

The girl nodded politely and excused herself.

“Okay you were saying.”

Kurogane snapped back to the present. He had been momentarily lost in his thoughts of not-jealousy. “Oh, right. Anyway, my mom found the invitation in my pocket while doing laundry which I told her I could do myself but she doesn't listen to me. She's so hard-headed sometimes!”

“Hmm, reminds me of somebody else I know.”

Kurogane's face went sour, “I'm not 'hard-headed.”

A smile spread across Fai's face and that, along with the way Fai's hair framed his face, was enough to make Kurogane scowl harder. “Remember when we got lost in the woods when we were nine? And I said, 'Oh! Kuro-pon,'” Fai flung himself against Kurogane with thespian vigor, “'I believe we're lost! We should stay put like they say to do in school!' But what did you say? Oh yes I believe it was something like , 'No! I'm Kuro-warrior! I've lived in these woods my whole life I know where we are!' And then it got dark and we reached the river which is in the complete opposite direction of both our houses... by seven miles!”

“That's completely different from my mother!”

“Kuro-wrong they had to take out the quads and the search dogs to find us!”

Now Kurogane was frowning because he was sulking but regardless he wasn't finished with his story. “Whatever. Let me finish. She found the invitation and then she asked my dad about it and he didn't know anything because I didn't plan on coming because they were going to the city. They couldn't let it go though and we had a discussion about it in which my mom cried because she somehow got it in her head that she's letting me grow up too fast and take on too much responsibility. So of course I had to go because..... because I couldn't just let my mom cry over something so stupid.”

Fai took a moment to mull this over and finished off his glass. “Are you mad?”

“No. I just wish I could be there in case they need me.”

Fai rested his hand on Kurogane's shoulder and Kurogane tried to deny the incessant fluttering in his stomach by grabbing something to eat off the table with the punch bowl. “She's going to do fine without you there. Your dad's with her, right?”

The words weren't necessarily eloquent but they did comfort him and he nodded in the affirmative. There was a short lull in conversation, “How is she anyway?”

“The doctors still don't know what's wrong according to her. But I think she knows more than she's letting on. She's going to the city for some tests I guess.”

Fai came closer and wrapped Kurogane in a hug that made him want to melt. It was comforting and familiar and long. Too long. Fai lingered more than Kurogane had learned was actually appropriate for a male relationship and his mind went flying. Then Fai did let go and he was left no longer thinking about his familial situation but about how soft Fai's hair was against his cheek.

So maybe he had known for a long time. That didn't mean he had to admit it. Maybe he had known he couldn't just see Fai as a friend for a while. Maybe he had realized he didn't like girls a year or so ago. But perhaps he had also realized he couldn't tell Fai that without ruining their friendship. And his friendship was much more valuable.

Then again Fai did look really good tonight.

It was time for a subject change, “Your hair is getting long.”

“I know.”

Kurogane folded his arms over his chest. “Are you going to cut it?”

“I don't know.”

“Makes you look like a girl.”

Fai smirked smartly at him, “Maybe some girls are into that.”

“Tch. No girls are-” Kurogane stopped himself and analyzed Fai. “What do you mean by that?”

The other tucked some hair behind his ear, “I'm just saying maybe there is a girl who likes my hair.”

Kurogane frowned. He did not like this conversation anymore than the last. In fact he knew for a fact he liked it less. “Which girl?”

“Just some girl in my theatre class. You wouldn’t know her.” Fai got a wicked gleam in his eye and put a finger to his mouth in thought. “On the other hand, perhaps I should cut it just so I don’t get mistaken for a girl, thrown to the ground, and kissed.” Fai hummed his contemplation, “Thoughts, Kuro-hiney?”

Kurogane felt his face heat up in embarrassment. Fai didn’t often bring up the incident from when they were children and as far as he knew they were the only two privy to the fact it had even occurred. “How many times do I have to tell you I thought you were a girl?” Kurogane ground the words out under his breath.

Fai laughed openly at Kurogane’s embarrassment and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “I’m going to go find Sakura. Want to come?”

Yes he wanted to go with Fai but being around his friend was becoming emotionally unbearable. As if the universe was trying to help him for once Kurogane heard his name called from behind him and one of his teammates appeared sporting a large grin and a muddy face. “Kurogane you gotta’ come watch this. Carter is going to try and jump this huge mud puddle outside.”

He turned back to Fai who was looking at his with patience. “I’m going to, um-”

“Yeah. No problem. I’ll see you later right?”

“Yeah,” Kurogane replied stupidly as his teammate pulled him towards the deck outside.

Outside most of the swim team had gathered to watch the spectacle. It wasn’t that Kurogane was particularly interested in watching guys jump mud puddles it was that he needed room to breathe. Fai’s presence was stifling, made him want to crawl out of his skin and hide in his bed with a box of tissues for both the overwhelming emotion and the, well, “overwhelming emotion”.

His internal dialogue when he was around Fai often went, “I’m not gay. You are so gay. No I’m not. You know you are. Why can’t you just say it? Because, I don’t want to yet. So when? I-I don’t know! Maybe I just haven’t found the right girl yet. I mean I could still like girls. This hurts. I just want to - Want to what? Kiss him? I just want -” And that was mostly why being around Fai was irritating, uncomfortable, fulfilling, and difficult.

Thinking back to the conversation he’d had with his sister in the car maybe it was his fault

that him and Fai weren’t hanging out as much despite his mother’s illness. They were drifting apart; he knew it and it hurt.

The sun was beginning to make it’s final descent in the sky as it fell behind the trees of the surrounding forrest and the air was rapidly beginning to chill as the breeze carried the ocean’s coolness inwards. He’d been lazily wearing his jacket around his hips and he moved to put it on when he saw Fai come out the side of the house and slowly pick his way to the edge of the woods.

He went to move after Fai when a girl emerged from the back door calling the few people who had wandered outside back in. He would have gone after Fai if the swim team hadn’t been so adamant about going inside. It seemed that the twenty or so kids that were there had packed themselves into the livingroom and part of the dining room. Some of them looked around nervously like they weren’t sure what was going on or thought they were about to be inducted into a cult. Kurogane felt like the first and probably looked like the later. Yet, there were other people who smiled secretly and to be honest it creeped Kurogane the fuck out.

Another girl he didn’t recognize sprang forward with a small notepad and pen in hand. “What’s your name?” She began asking the people who had come in from outside and writing down their response. “Okay you’re the last one,” she said when she stepped in front of Kurogane. He stared at her dumbly causing him to look away from her pad and over her no-rim glasses to him, “Name?”

“Kurogane,” he stated with an upward inflection of reserve.

She scribbled quickly on her pad, “Hope I spelled that right.” She retreated back towards a group around the coffee table they began dividing the papers into two hats. The air grew thick with anticipation and around him his teammates were grinning and punching each other in the shoulder for encouragement.

The party’s host stood up in the coffee table her light blue dress swishing about her knees. “Alright! Since this is my party I’m going to draw two names first and after that we’ll have the couple from the previous round draw.” She bent and picked up the first hat and sifted through it’s contents before drawing. “Claret.”

A rather well endowed girl came forward a warm, an inviting and eager smile on her face. She was pudgy but even Kurogane could see that she was still rather cute with her wide hips, ample cleavage, and pretty face. She grabbed her wrist behind her back and rocked back and forth on her feet as she waited.

The host was handed another hat and she repeated the process. Kurogane felt oddly nervous as she unfolded the paper and stared quizzically at it. Her mouth looked like it was about say something a few times before stopping. “I’m sorry,” she finally spoke, “Kuro-something? I can’t make out the rest.”

Suddenly his teammates were pushing him forward to the center of the living room cheering like a bunch of idiots. Kurogane tried to scowl at them but he found himself face to face (more like her face to his chest) with Claret who quickly disarmed him with a smile. People giggled around them and the host, whose name he still didn’t know, smiled toothily. “Well go on now,” she said motioning to the door behind her.

Claret took him by the hand and determinedly pulled him behind her into the laundry room. The door clicked shut behind them and Kurogane heard someone shout, “The next drawing will be in seven minutes!”

Out of nowhere Claret sprang herself forward backing Kurogane into the second door at the opposite end of the small, narrow room. She pulled at his shirt as she pressed herself against him. Kurogane had no idea what to do with his hands so he pressed them flat against the door behind him and resisted picking at the peeling paint. “Don’t be nervous,” she said inching closer to his face. He felt her hand find his and draw it to her hip. Her perfectly glossed lips gleamed in the moonlight coming in through the door’s window and then her lips were on his pressing hard as if trying to encourage him. Kurogane’s mind was racing a million miles a minute. He wasn’t sure how he had gotten himself in this situation and he truly wondered if he could have stopped it. Then he thought that this might be his chance to prove himself wrong. He closed his eyes, pushed his lips experimentally against hers, and willingly brought his other hand to the small of her back to draw her closer.

She was small and soft against him; her breasts pressed against his chest and it felt wrong. All of it - all of felt wrong. Kurogane wrenched away from her causing her to stumble back. Kurogane’s hand went to his mouth as he tried to wipe the sticky gloss from his lips.

It suddenly occurred to him that Claret was still in the room. Whatever confusion he felt must have been evident on his face because he didn’t see disappointment or rejection on her’s but pity and concern. “What’s wrong?” She ventured taking a tentative step towards him. “Don’t like me?”

Well that was one way to make him feel like an asshole. “No! I mean no, I hardly know you. How am I supposed to know if I like you?” Kurogane looked at his mud splattered shoes.

Claret crept closer and peered up at his downturned face with her wrist clasped behind her back. “Like someone else?”

“No!” Kurogane said quickly, too quickly and a blush appeared across his cheeks.

Claret laughed lightly, ‘What? Like boys?”

If speaking too quickly last time had been a mistake not saying anything this time was an even bigger one. Claret’s eyes widened and her lips made a perfect circle, “Oh.” The air between the grew thick as she contemplated.

Kurogane berated himself for not denying it. For not saying anything and letting the tension grow. “That was my first time. Sorry.”

“Your first time with a lot of things should be with someone special sorry I took that away from you.” She wiped her lips and suddenly tapped his. “There. I give it back. Your first kiss.”

He looked up quickly and touched his lips. “I-I like girls.”

Claret sighed slowly. “So do I.”

“Wait what?”

“Most of the time I do. I guess the best way to put it would be that I like people but I have more appreciation for a woman.” She smiled reassuringly at him. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell. I’m leaving in a few days anyway.”

“You’re not a student at the high school?” Kurogane said with a relieved sigh.

She shook her head. “No. Just visiting family. It’s my cousins birthday.” The room fell silent after that. “So what should we do?”

“What do you mean?”

Claret sat against the washer and pulled her knees in. “I mean that the guys are going to be expecting you to come back with messed up hair and a stupid grin. I could help you mess up your hair.” Kurogane just stared at her. “Or we could go out the back and go back separately. Say we were too embarrassed to come back together.”

“I like that idea better.” Quietly the two of them went out the side door. They walked around the perimeter of the house towards the front steps. Kurogane looked off towards the woods where Fai had gone. The temperature had dropped pretty significantly and that idiot probably hadn’t taken a jacket. “Hey do you mind if I-” he trailed off looking towards the woods.

“Like nature that much?”

“No. Just need to walk for a bit.”

A small smile played on Claret’s full lips, “I’ll cover for you.”

Kurogane walked off to the part of the woods Fai had went towards earlier. There was a small beaten path lined with head sized rocks where Fai had gone and about ten feet into the woods a small rock-lined circle big enough to fit a stone bench big enough for three yet comfortable enough for only two. Fai was laying across the bench looking up towards the canopy with his arms inside his shirt.

“You could have warned me you idiot,” Kurogane said approaching.

Fai jumped a little and sat up to acknowledge Kurogane which wasn’t easy considering he had no arms. “Might have gotten caught had I gone back for you. Besides looks like you escaped.”

Kurogane scowled and plopped down at the far end of the bench. He looked at Fai out of the corner of his eye. The blond was as skinny as ever but he was solid, Kurogane knew from the many stolen glances in the locker room, and the simple white v-neck shirt Fai was wearing exposed just enough of Fai’s chest to assure Kurogane there would be nothing soft about it.

It was awkward definitely awkward when he sat next to Fai; though maybe it was only awkward for him because Fai seemed to be totally at ease. The blond broke the silence, “So did you go in the closet?” Kurogane could hear Fai’s teeth chatter as he spoke.

“Wasn’t a closet,” Kurogane mumbled in response. Fai raised an eyebrow, “It was the laundry room.”

“Oh.” Fai wrapped his arms tighter around himself. “Don’t you think you’re a little dense for not figuring it out?”

“I was the first person I didn’t have time to figure it out.”

It was silent between them again as Fai dug his shoe into the soft, damp dirt. “How was it?”

Kurogane stuttered over his words, “It wasn’t anything special.”

“So you’ve done it before?” Maybe Kurogane had sounded more nonchalant than he thought.

“N-no! Of course not!” Kurogane defended himself. He could feel Fai smiling at him the way he did when he found Kurogane amusing. “Not before tonight anyway,” he mumbled and Fai’s smile dropped.

Fai stopped digging the in the dirt to plant his feet firmly on the ground and pulled his arms out of his shirt. He seemed to contemplate what Kurogane had said for a moment before asking, “Are you okay with it?”

“She gave it back to me,” Kurogane said without really thinking about what Fai had asked.

“She gave it back?”

Kurogane rubbed his neck, “Well, yeah. She kind of wiped her lips and then tapped mine.”

Fai blinked at him, something like relief flashing it his eyes. “That is the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard of.”

“Well it’s true!” He grunted under his breath, “She said I should have my real first time with somebody special.”

“Somebody special?” Fai repeated slowly.

Kurogane snapped his head to Fai to properly look at the other boy. He gulped and suddenly felt hot. “Yeah somebody special.” Kurogane inched closer to Fai, his muscles seeming to react on instinct rather than conscious command.

Fai froze suddenly aware of the closing space between them. His hands tightened on the edge of the bench as Kurogane leaned in puckered lips meeting his.

His heart was thumping in his chest as Kurogane realized too late that he had no idea what he was doing. He noticed Fai’s lips were soft against his chapped ones as he raised his hand to gently touch Fai’s jawline. Fai’s lips pressed back tightly against his own and Yuuko’s words flashed in his mind. His hand went to Fai’s hair and he licked Fai’s lips before pushing his tongue into the blond’s mouth. Fai’s gasp filled Kurogane’s mouth as he pressed forth.

Reality came at him suddenly when Fai beat his fist against Kurogane’s chest hard enough to get him to stop. Fai stared at him wide eyed for a second before turning away and clapping a hand over his mouth.

“Why did you do that?” Fai demanded as an edge crept into his voice.

Kurogane’s blood went cold in his veins as he begged the universe to obliterate him. “I thought you wanted me to-” he mumbled unintelligently.

Fai gawked at him and he stood up thoroughly offended. “What made you think that?!”

“You-you looked happy that she gave it back and you weren’t happy that I got kissed!”

“Of course I would be because you’re my friend and something had happened to you that you didn’t want!” Fai was shaking with anger. “Are-are you gay?”

“I - I don’t - I don’t -” Kurogane swallowed the lump in his throat. Why was saying it so hard? “No. No, I’m not.”

Fai pulled at his hair, “I don’t look like a girl anymore, Kurogane.”

“I know.”

Fai rubbed his eyes and sniffled as he tried to repress whatever emotion was creeping up on him. “That was my first time, too.” Fai mumbled, his voice suddenly numb.

Fai disappeared in the darkness as he went back towards the house. Kurogane was left sitting on the bench as he mumbled how sorry he actually was.

Part I
Interlude I
Part II
Interlude II
Part III
Interlude III
Conclusion

Current Mood: cold
Current Music: Lorde

Title: That Which Possesses You (Harlequin prompt 'Darkest Seduction')
Warnings: Angsy Fai? That counts, right?
Rating: pg-13
Notes: Guess who got a job, and is trying to write college essays, and maintain her grades? This girl. I'm terribly sorry I haven't been updating but I do have what I consider legit excuses. However, things are finally going to get better

~o~

Kurogane found himself in the port city not far from where Suwa use to be. It was always harder to be in the areas surrounding his homeland because unlike other Demons he hadn't been around long enough to forget his pain. After a while it seemed that most Demons forgot the very reason they had sacrificed their humanity. For him it had been hardly more than six months since his mother's death and almost a year since he had seen Fai. Not that he was keeping track. No he wasn't. He had more important things to worry about being a Demon now. Like stopping rogue Wrath Demons. He simply didn't have time to look for Fai. Which he had done but would never admit to doing.

Surprisingly Demons from different houses scarcely interacted and it was near impossible to get information about active Demons from other houses, once again, not that he had tried. Waking up in some of the deepest chambers in the House of Body he had realized why Fai had been so cautious in their relationship and he could hardly blame him for how he had acted though thinking of what had been said still hurt. He missed him.

As of now he was hunting a Demon and he was running low on Essence. He would finish this poor Soul Prowler off and then hit the streets to deliver some well deserved justice. Kurogane had a rule when he killed: if he had to kill to live he should kill those deserving of death. Rapists and murders were his usual targets. Not to mention they carried with them the most Wrath. Most of the Demons possessed by Wrath were hardly inclined to search for those deserving of Death. Wrath was a force derived from dark, evil passions that took root in a person and those with that particular Demon generally took on this 'evil passion' mask. They enjoyed the kill, the blood, the pure satisfaction of slaughtering and so under normal circumstances they didn't think about their victim just zeroed in on the amount of sin that person possessed. However Kurogane was not a normal circumstance as Tomoyo, the training Demon Keeper at the House of Body. He was more than a human and a Demon. He was part Angel because he was a Demon link.

Tomoyo had explained to him that it was a miracle the part of his Soul that made him a Demon Link hadn't been obliterated when Wrath possessed him. Instead his Soul had made a barrier of sorts in his Essence. Part of his Essence remained inactive meaning it didn't affect his Soul and it's only purpose anymore, as far as he knew, was to protect the small bit on Angel in him from the Demon occupying his body. The other part of his Essence was used to feed the Demon, and it was this part he had to replenish or he would die.

This was another reason why Kurogane was selective in his kill. The more powerful Wrath was in a person the less he had to kill. Unlike other sins, Wrath was one that took root in a person and permanently tainted their Essence so once consumed it lasted longer than say other sins like Lust which were generally passing sins and so they were consumed more quickly.

His plan at this point was to finish off this Demon and find a target to consume. It took a few hours to locate the Demon and it was already late afternoon by the time he did. And an hour later, after a battle on a fishing boat, the sun had set and the Demon was dead. Now he need only do one thing: find a suitable victim.

He found them all to soon. When hunting it seemed that people full of Wrath emanated a scent so vile and disgusting that he would go insane had he not destroyed it. Kurogane followed the most pungent of the scents in the air to find a child murderer in the middle of further defiling the dead corpse of a young girl. The man was dead before he spoke.

Kurogane, in need of a drink after what he had just witnessed, went to a bar towards the outskirts of the city. He had every intention of returning to the Demon Realm that evening and would need the cover of the forest to create his blood portal home. He walked in and took a seat at the crowded bar and ordered a shot of their strongest. He winced as it burned down his throat and he brought the shot glass down onto the counter pointing at it for another.

Once he had taken his second shot and shook off the burn he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. It was a familiar tugging in his chest that had only ever been proceeded by, well, him. Why was his body doing this to him, Fai was not coming back. He had stated so clearly but the anxious, on-edge feeling that he usually got when Fai was coming had onset so suddenly that it had surprised him. He was not going to stick around for this bullshit, he could go home and fantasize about old ghosts rather than panic about them in public. Kurogane threw his cloak over his shoulder because he couldn't find the time to put it on; the crowd was getting to him and making him hot anyway.

He pushed the door open and made an abrupt left successfully knocking over whoever he had just run into. The tension he had felt in the bar ebbed away just like it always had when he had finally seen Fai after a day of that anxious feeling. His eyes widened and he could feel his heartbeat quicken. Two things were going through his mind: one; he was either about to see Fai again and he would not under any circumstances let the idiot get away from him, two; the person he had just run was probably not Fai and he was most likely never going to see the blond again. He didn't want to look up because he didn't want to know but he did anyway.

Blue eyes peered back into his own, wide and surprised. “Kurogane. What are you doing here?” Fai got himself to his feet and stared at the man something was different. The man felt different in presence; had he felt Kurogane he never would have come this way. It clicked with him when he met Kurogane's eyes. They were red as blood, fire, fury, wrath. Fai, unable to stop himself, rushed forward and took Kurogane's face between his hands and brought his face level with his, “What did you do!” He demanded angrily.

Kurogane reached up and peeled Fai's hands away from his face angrily. “I did what I had to do. Nobody does this if it's not what they have to do.” What right did the blond have to demand answers from him?

“D-do you even understand what you are now!” Fai looked horrified as he again reached for Kurogane's face, this time specifically for his eye, this time much less urgently. He set his hand on Kurogane's face gingerly, as if afraid to confirm what he knew.

The taller closed his eyes and sighed. “Yes I do,” he replied and Fai ran his thumb over Kurogane's eyelid.

“Why did you do it? I left so that you could lead a normal human life and you repay me by doing this? This is the exact opposite of what I wanted for you!” Fai took his hand away abruptly and Kurogane opened his eyes. They were beginning to draw attention from the various people filtering in and out of the bar and walking along the streets. “What could have possibly driven you to this?”

The way Fai gestured at him as he said this brought only irritation. He wasn't a child and was more than capable to accept what he had resigned himself to and what had brought him to the decision he had made. “She died. They killed her you bastard! Don't stand there and imply that her life, my mother's life, was not worth the price I payed to avenge her.”

Fai shrunk back, his once anger filled resolve dissipated. “Kuro-s-, excuse me, Kurogane, I-I didn't know.” He really didn't. It's not as if he understood in that one sentence what had happened but he didn't want to risk pressing the issue.

“That's right you didn't know. You left.” It felt good to be angry and release his frustration of nearly the last year on to it's source. But he had nothing left to say, pointing out the obvious had satisfied him.

Fai slumped against the wall of the pub they were outside of and licked his lips, his mouth was suddenly dry. “D-do you want to talk? Not here I mean.”

Kurogane relaxed his shoulders and, as a result, he became less intimidating. Common sense told him that going with Fai wasn't he best idea. All the months he had spent forgetting the idiot would be a waste – more like they were already a waste. He looked back to Fai who peered at him timidly, as if he was having the exact same thought. “Yeah. Let's go inside.”

An hour later Fai was nursing his sweet alcohol and Kurogane was on his fifth shot. Up until this point they had been making idle small talk at a table in the crowded bar. It wasn't uncomfortable just tense. Fai could have sat there forever pretending that things weren't different from before and in just a few hours they would return to Kurogane's house and spend an hour trying to say good night to each other by the stairs. But that wouldn't happen, he still had to feed and there was no house to return to.

Kurogane was smirking at something he had just said when he broke the news. “Kurogane, I have to feed still. It'll only take a little while if you want to wait for me.”

“No. I'm not going to wait for you while you have sex with somebody else.”

Fai frowned even though he hadn't been expecting much else. That, however, didn't stop the sting. “How would it be any different than me waiting for you to murder somebody?”

Kurogane didn't have an answer for that. He supposed it wasn't much different, the only difference being that thinking about Fai being touched by another person made his skin crawl with jealousy and want and he had no idea what Fai felt thinking about him killing a human. He decided to steer the conversation a slightly different direction, “Why did you push me away when we kissed?”

“You mean when you kissed me.”

He scowled, “Bullshit, when we kissed. Don't try to deny that you returned it.”

Fai sat back in his chair and swirled the bottle by it's neck. “Because – because when we kissed I began to drain you. And that was just kissing. I shouldn't have been able to extract Essence from you by those means! I panicked. What if I hadn't been able to stop?”

It all made sense when explained like that, why the idiot had run from him and why he had insisted on pushing Kurogane away. However, things were different now. “That won't happen anymore.”

“How do you know?” Fai questioned bitterly.

He didn't know and he had nothing to base his notion on. “I don't know. But we can try, right?”

Fai's head snapped up, his face was set in a deep scowl. “No we can't!”

Regardless of his refusal Kurogane grabbed his face from across the table in both his hands, smooshing Fai's face in a way that would be comical in any other situation, and yanked him rather brutishly across the table so their faces met halfway. Their breath mingled momentarily before Kurogane crashed his lips into Fai's closed and unresponsive ones. Though it occurred to him to stop just in case Fai did drain he couldn't and wouldn't because at that moment he could think of no better waste of Essence than this. Slowly he felt Fai relax and taking it as a good sign he allowed himself to ghost his tongue over Fai's lips to prompt a reaction.

It wasn't happening. Kurogane's Essence wasn't flowing into him! With the realization months and months of sexual and emotional frustration were released and as Kurogane's tongue retreated from his lips he lost what little control and restraint he had around Kurogane. Fai lips pressed back feverishly and the intense urge to touch Kurogane reigned supreme. He launched himself towards the other in a blind urge, unfortunately there was still the matter of the table between them which he disregarded by crawling across the table top and pushing shot glasses out of his way as he made his way to his destination: Kurogane's lap. He hadn't known what prompted his sudden outburst be it love or lust nor did he care at that moment.

Kurogane landed with a soft thud against the back of his chair and released a small 'oompf' as Fai's weight settled on him. Fai's hands were on his face keeping their mouths locked together and seeing no alternative he placed his hands on Fai's waist so the idiot wouldn't fall.

This wasn't right. Fai pushed his tongue into Kurogane's compliant mouth. He still had to feed. Kurogane tasted horrible thanks to that gross scotch, but he could hardly bring himself to care. They were still in a bar. Kurogane pulled back slightly and bit Fai's lip causing Fai to mewl excitedly against Kurogane's upper lip. Wait, they were still in a bar.

Fai pushed Kurogane back against his chair and scrambled off of him only to meet the eyes of the crowd looking at them with varied interest, which waned as Kurogane scowled at the crowd, regardless Fai couldn't stop the blush that crept to the top of his ears. His breathing regulated as Kurogane mumbled incohesively yet irritatedly all the same. What had he just done? They couldn't do this! Since when was there a this? Fai wrapped his head around the situation for what it was. He had just kissed a man who had actual, genuine feelings for him. He had made it obvious that he returned those feelings if the very public display they hadn't put on right now hadn't been any indication. But he was still him; a Lust Demon. He had to feed and feeding meant sex for him. What kind of normal relationship could be built if one partner had to commit an infidelity daily in order to survive? Was this even progressing to a relationship? They might have been nearly immortal but forever was a long time. It was time to discover people's faults and grow tired of them and what would Kurogane do when that happened? Fai had already lost the one he cared for once but that was to death and old age but to do it a second time? Even he could see the idiocy. These were all very sobering thoughts. “Shit,” Fai let the word slip out with an upset, angry tone.

Kurogane must not have caught on. “Yeah, shit,” he laughed breathlessly, like he could hardly believe what had just happened and the happiness it brought him.

Fai scowled. “No not 'shit',” he said the word the best he could mimic Kurogane. “Shit,” he corrected by saying it darkly. “I shouldn't have done that. I-I have to go.”

“'Go' - your bed or mine?” Kurogane teased with a satisfied smirk on his face which immediately fell when Fai brushed past him while adjusting his triangular hat. “What the fuck!” Kurogane quickly gather his things and slapped some bills on the table to chase after the idiot. He emerged outside to bar to find nothing, but he could still feel Fai around. He took to the roofs to follow the quickly fading trail, “Idiot you can't run from me now!” He called out into the night as his feet silently padded over thatched roofs. He saw Fai in the distance leaping and tumbling from roof to roof, like a graceful dancer, and he broke into a run. Fai must not have considered Kurogane's speed as a Demon considering the last time he saw him he was human and less physically adept, because he looked seriously shocked when Kurogane jumped off the very edge of a building and came down landing on top of him. They skidded across the roof a few feet from sheer impact and, before the dust even had time to settle, Fai brought his leg back and pushed it into Kurogane's abdomen thereby successfully sending Kurogane flying to the other side of the roof.

Fai adjusted his body and launched himself to his feet by arching his back and pushing off with his hands. Kurogane was collecting himself on the opposite side and Fai flicked his wrist to summon his claws before taking a defensive position.

Kurogane looked at Fai, he didn't want to fight the other but at this point it seemed like the only way to communicate with him. He scowled and clapped his hands together to summon Ginryuu. He gripped the hilt and he too took a defensive position. “I don't want to fight you, idiot.”

“Are you going to keep following me?” Fai asked conversationally.

Kurogane thought a moment, “Yes.”

The blond narrowed his eyes, “Well, then this is the only way I'm going to get you to stop then, isn't it!” Fai rushed forward and raised his left hand to strike. Kurogane, however sidestepped his attack. From behind he could sense Kurogane's sward cutting through the air. He ducked and supported his upper body so it was parallel with the roof and swept a leg out behind him in hopes of tripping Kurogane.

“What's your excuse now, Fai? You aren't sucking me dry now,” Kurogane yelled angrily as he sprinted towards Fai, blunt side of his sward ready to strike.

Fai calculated Kurogane's offense and dropped to his hands using his upper body strength to spring into the air, as he approached the pinnacle of his jump he fixed his body into a ball and using his forward momentum spun over the approaching sward. He landed on his hand and feet in a crouched position.

This was getting nowhere fast. Kurogane stuck Ginryuu into the roof and drew his faithful throwing daggers from his sides. He threw them both with equal force and precision at the other and watched as they landed in Fai's cloak pinning him to the roof. Kurogane knelled in front of Fai who refused to meet his gaze momentarily and when he did he did so while also putting his claw to Kurogane's throat. Kurogane met his movement and drew another dagger and placed it against Fai's neck. “Why are you running away from me now?”

“I don't know what you want from me, Kurogane. But in case you forgot I have to feed every night. How do expect to have any kind of relationship where I have to sleep with a new person each night?”

“I can feed you,” Kurogane returned. Actually, he wasn't sure he could but he could at least try.

Fai looked at him like he was dumb. “What even makes you think I'll allow myself to have sex with you? I'll just drain you or have you already forgotten-”

“Just shut up! I can feed you the way Links feed Demons. I'm still part Link, even now.”

Fai stared at him with hardened eyes and challenged Kurogane, “Then do it already.”

Kurogane swallowed. He hadn't purposely feed anybody since he was a child and even then it would take him a while. At best, he was inexperienced. At worst, he was incapable. His mother's teachings came back to him slowly. He tilted Fai's face so their eyes met and cleared his mind. He focused solely on how energy was flowing through his body. There were two circles instead of the one that he had expected. It must have been the two hemispheres of Essence and Soul with in him operating independently of each other. Since it was the presence of a small amount of Angel Soul that gave a Demon Link their ability he went off a limb and tapped into the Essence surrounding this portion of himself. There was a push and pull of energy within him and as pressure built behind this push and pull Kurogane narrowed his eyes and the energy came out of him blinding him as it passed through his line of sight to his target. The Angel Soul within him beat rapidly and replenished what had been lost until Kurogane stopped giving. He blinked a few times and his vision came back. He stared dumbly at Fai who stared blindly back at him for a moment. “Holy shit. I did it,” he said breathing heavily and running his hand through his hair in disbelief.

A predatory smile crept across Fai's face as his own vision came back, “Yeah you did.” Once again he was unaware of what he was doing but the realization that he could be with somebody who he cared for in the most intimate way overtook him. He was consumed by lust for Kurogane, consequences be damned and forgotten.

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