Tsubasa Chronicle Fan Fiction ❯ Reciprocity, Part II ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

*** Sorry! It has been way too long for this chapter! (school and all, ya know?) But there is some GOOD NEWS! Everyone tired of waiting can get on my mailing list and receive the newest chapters 1-2 days earlier! Just drop a line to: mizu@goddessmail.com

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Disclaimer: I don't own Tsubasa!

 

Kuro let Fai leave, but the samurai was not content to leave matters where they stood, so after a few hours he went looking for the blonde, only to find that he was not in his rooms. Shortly afterwards Queen Tomoyo requested his council in some affair involving a small breakout of rebels on the borders of the country and Kurogane was forced to let the matter be, but it rankled him. He couldn't turn his back on his duties, though, and he was obliged to handle the small upraising himself.

 

It was the first time he could ever remember when he accepted his warrior duties only begrudgingly. Clearly the willow-thin blonde was having far too strong an impact on him. Nevertheless, when Kurogane returned several days later, the first thing he did was seek the man out. It was late, the moon already westerning, so he assumed the Fai would be in his chambers. No such luck.

 

The samurai cursed and made a brief round of the gardens just in case Fai had taken to touring them at these odd hours. In reality, Kuro had no idea where the blonde might have wandered off to and he didn't have the luxury of asking anyone at this time of night. Reluctantly, the raven-haired man gave up his search and returned to his own rooms to shake off his dusty, sweaty gear and throw on a light kimono to head to the outdoor baths. Although he'd never admit it, the seasoned fighter enjoyed the indulgence of stepping into one of the steaming hot springs, especially after several days of battle. Of course, this last disturbance hadn't involved much actual fighting, rather intimidation to get the rebels in line, but it didn't matter to Kuro, the cleansing water would feel just as rejuvenating. The only thing that nagged at him was the whereabouts of his missing servant.

 

Kurogane stepped across the smooth rock path down to the pools and saw the moon's last rays skidding off the rippling surface of the waters. It was quite peaceful at the moment, with the royal household asleep and even the night creatures nestling back in before the coming dawn; all was quiet. The samurai let his robes fall from his shoulders and he stood naked, soaking in the cool twilight air and letting the chill dew briefly settle over his bare skin.

 

But just before he slipped his foot into the comforting spring, a movement caught his eye. At the far end of the pool something sleek rose gracefully form the water. For a second Kuro thought he was seeing a vision- some water spirit playing in the shallows before the sunrise, but soon he realized it was none other than his lost Fai. He opened his mouth to greet him and voice his surprise, but a sudden breeze stirred the branches of a nearby tree, allowing the moonlight to fall upon the other man's glistening back and Kuro sucked in his breath. Even in the dim light and from a distance there was no mistake: etched in a sickening mosaic were countless long, thin scars marring the otherwise pristine white flesh of Fai's back and shoulders.

 

Kurogane had seen the results of numerous battle wounds, but these scars made him pale. It was evident that they had been inflicted on many occasions over a long period of time and that many had not been allowed to heal before they were ripped open once again. The warrior's anger rose and fought between a burning hatred of Ashura, who he was sure was responsible for this disturbing display, and a bitter anger towards Fai, for hiding such a thing from him.

 

Before he knew it, Kuro was striding purposefully through the waters, disrupting their tranquility and startling Fai nearly out of his skin.

 

“K-kurogane!” he sputtered. “What are you doing here?” The blonde tried to back away from the imposing figure until his back pressed against the hard, slick rock at the edge of the pool. Kurogane watched the fear flitter across the man's face, his eyes searching for escape like a cornered rabbit.

 

“Turn around,” Kuro commanded.

 

“Why?” came Fai's barely audible reply. “Please Kurogane…”

 

“I said turn around.” His voice was as firm as steel and, too impatient to wait for the other man's compliance, he grabbed one slender wrist and pivoted the blonde with one swift movement, pinning his forearms to the rock in front of him to still his struggles as he made a closer inspection of the old wounds.

 

Fai trembled under his grip, feeling horribly exposed. He'd known he couldn't hide the marks forever, but he had hoped to put it off longer than this. In any case he had hoped Kurogane would have discovered them at a more opportune time. Now he was wet and naked and shivering in the cool night air and under his master's even colder gaze.

 

“Did he do this do you?”

 

Fai didn't have to ask who he meant and he couldn't well deny it. He nodded.

 

“Why didn't you tell me?”

 

Holding back an urge to scream that it wasn't any of Kuro's damn business, Fai struggled to form an answer. It would have been easier to have told him from the beginning, instead of waiting for this discovery, yet Fai hadn't wanted to deal with his past, with the mixed emotions surrounding Ashura, with any of it. But there was no simple way to explain all this- not now, not caught off guard as he was, naked and vulnerable.

 

“I don't know,” Fai replied miserably. He felt Kuro's fingers tighten and then suddenly slip down his arms, resting on his shoulders as the warrior's forehead came to lean lightly against his upper back.

 

“Why?”

 

“I don't you! I- I don't know!” Fai cried, unable to collect himself.

 

“No, why did he do it?” the samurai clarified.

 

Fai pressed his eyes shut, stemming the tide of his tears. No, he thought, don't make me remember! In vain he attempted to escape, but this only caused Kuro to press his much larger frame up against the lithe man, capturing him between his body and the rocks.

 

It wasn't comfortable- for either of them. The samurai was now positioned behind Fai at just the right angle to take him, if he had wished to. He forced down his desire, but it was a difficult thing to do with their bare, wet skins sliding enticingly against one another.

 

The stirring in Fai's loins was enough of a distraction to bring him back to the present and distance himself from his fears of the past. And, strangely enough, he felt a sense of safety with the samurai's strong body pressed into his own. In a shaky voice, he finally confessed, “When Ashura first took me in, I thought it was because he respected my abilities and would support me so I could learn more spells to heal and to instill peace. By the time I knew this to not his intention, I was convinced that he loved me; by the time I realized I was being used, it was too late… he wanted me to be his weapon against his enemies, he thought my love for him would blind me into following his wishes. When I refused, he tried other… /methods/ in order to persuade me.”

 

Kurogane's mind reeled in wrath at such cruelty. So that was the truth of it, Fai held the ultimate power but refused to use it for Ashura's own agenda.

 

“But why didn't you fight back?” Kuro's words were clipped. It was the last piece of the puzzle that he didn't understand.

 

Fai's slender body seemed to go limp at these words. “And what would have happened then? What kind of state would my country have been in with the sudden death of its King? And would it have stopped someone else from taking his place? No, it was better to let Ashura be; without me as his weapon he couldn't attack larger countries like Japan and he would have to settle for a treaty. It was the only way to ensure peace…”

 

So Fai had endured everything for the greater good, and as a reward, when everything was settled and he was no longer useful, Ashura had shipped him off to be rid of him for good.

 

And what had Kuro done? How had he received him?

 

/'He allows that miserable bastard Ashura to treated like him some pawn! Let's himself just be USED instead of living his life! What kind of coward allows that to happen?'/

 

The warrior flinched as he recalled his words. How wrong he had been.

 

“I'm sorry,” he whispered, moving away from the man's body so he was no longer trapped.

 

“What?” Fai asked, his voice incredulous as he turned around to look up at the dark-haired man.

 

“I'm sorry… I didn't realize, and I judged you prematurely.”

 

The blonde found himself smiling, he hadn't expected the tough samurai to apologize.

 

“Thank you.”

 

A desperate ache, tender and new, reached inside and squeezed at Kurogane's heart as he saw the forgiveness in those ice-blue eyes. Without a word, he leaned down and captured those smiling lips.

 

“Let me make it up to you,” he offered, his voice a husky whisper.

 

“Kuro-chan…”

 

 

***

I know! I'm mean stopping there! But I want to take my time with the lemon and figured I'd let you at least have something new for the time being!

 

And if you'd like advanced chapters, e-mail me: mizu@goddessmail.com