Fic: Name-calling (and) Pointless
Title: Name-calling (and) Pointless
Author: alliterationhor
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Spoilers: not a one.
Rating: PG.
Author’s note: more random bits of the Wish-verse. these two are short so I stuck 'em together.
Comments/concrit appreciated.
Name-calling
Fai was sprawled across the bed they had to share in this world, which meant Kurogane was nowhere near the bed.
Kurogane was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. Fai’s head was upside-down over the edge of the bed, eyes closed, sunlight on his face from the open window. Kurogane was silently betting on how long it would take for the stupid wizard’s head to explode.
Fai was too quiet.
Kurogane was annoyed that he thought that, since usually the mage was too loud and too obnoxious and too everything. Kurogane knew he should appreciate the silence while it lasted and do everything he could to preserve it.
He found himself asking, “Why do you call me all those stupid names?”
“Why do you never call anyone by their name?” Fai countered easily, as if he had been waiting for the question.
“What?”
“The brat. The princess. The manjuu. The stupid mage.” Fai said, voice light and conversational. “We have names, you know.”
“I know that.” Kurogane grumbled.
“Yet you never say them.”
Fai waited. Kurogane stayed silent.
Fai opened his eyes, sunlight shining in the blue. “You want to know what I think?”
“No.” Kurogane answered immediately, “I really don’t.”
Fai rolled and landed on the floor with a thump, crouching and facing Kurogane. “Denial.”
“Denial?” Kurogane repeated, frowning. “What the hell does that mean?”
“You don’t want to admit that you’re really here. That you’re on this journey with us. That you’re helping Syaoran-kun find Sakura-chan’s feathers not because you have to, to get home. But because you care about Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan. Not using their names is your way of keeping them at a distance, because you don’t want to admit you care.”
There was a smile on the magician’s face, but Fai was serious.
Kurogane glared. “You’re full of it.”
“Am I wrong?” Fai questioned, smiling placidly.
“Using your logic, that would mean I care about you too.”
“Oh, well. I must be wrong then.”
“And what about you?” Kurogane asked pointedly, determined not to be distracted from his original question.
“What about me?”
“You call ...” He struggled for a moment, but habit won. “... the kid and the princess by their names. But you call me stupid nick-names. Is that your way of keeping me at a distance?”
“Maybe.” Fai still smiled, not giving anything away. “Maybe it’s a bit of revenge, for you never using my name. Maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s something else entirely.”
Kurogane huffed a disgusted breath. Attempting to have an intelligent conversation with the stupid mage only left him with more questions, not answers. The next time, he would definitely just appreciate the silence.
Fai crawled over to Kurogane across the floor on all fours, and grinned, their faces close.
“When you figure it out, let me know.”
Pointless
Kurogane stepped up beside Fai silently, just a little behind the magician.
Fai was staring across the marketplace at a young woman. There was a painful, longing expression on his face.
“Who is she?” Kurogane asked, even though he thought he already knew.
Kurogane watched; the expression disappeared from the magician’s face as perfectly if it had never been there.
Fai tensed ever so slightly, but his voice was light as always, “What?”
“You know her. Who is she?”
Fai watched as a man came up to the woman and kissed her on her cheek. They were both smiling, both happy. Something flickered deep in the blue of the mage’s eyes, something painful and private, something Kurogane would not have caught if he had not been watching so intently.
“I don’t know.” Fai answered blithely, and walked away.
Kurogane followed. “Liar.”
Fai laughed. “I don’t know them, Kuro-ron.”
“Yes you do.” Kurogane said, two steps behind.
“No.”
“Stop running!” Kurogane growled, and yanked Fai into an alleyway.
Fai kept walking down the alley. Kurogane grabbed him again and pushed him against the wall roughly, trapping him there.
“That was your mother, wasn’t it? And your father.” His voice dropped softer, “He looks like you.”
“Stop it.” Fai whispered, voice barely audible. “Please.”
Kurogane’s voice was a low, soft rumble, “You know you can’t lie to me. So why don’t you just be honest with me?”
Fai took a breath, “I can’t.”
And Fai shoved Kurogane back with more force than the ninja expected.
Kurogane stared at the mage for a moment. Fai stood, his body straight and his eyes hard, his hands curled into fists at his side. Fai was angry. But he was still in control.
And Kurogane knew he would not be given any answers.
Kurogane muttered, “Pointless.” and walked away.
Author: alliterationhor
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Spoilers: not a one.
Rating: PG.
Author’s note: more random bits of the Wish-verse. these two are short so I stuck 'em together.
Comments/concrit appreciated.
Name-calling
Fai was sprawled across the bed they had to share in this world, which meant Kurogane was nowhere near the bed.
Kurogane was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. Fai’s head was upside-down over the edge of the bed, eyes closed, sunlight on his face from the open window. Kurogane was silently betting on how long it would take for the stupid wizard’s head to explode.
Fai was too quiet.
Kurogane was annoyed that he thought that, since usually the mage was too loud and too obnoxious and too everything. Kurogane knew he should appreciate the silence while it lasted and do everything he could to preserve it.
He found himself asking, “Why do you call me all those stupid names?”
“Why do you never call anyone by their name?” Fai countered easily, as if he had been waiting for the question.
“What?”
“The brat. The princess. The manjuu. The stupid mage.” Fai said, voice light and conversational. “We have names, you know.”
“I know that.” Kurogane grumbled.
“Yet you never say them.”
Fai waited. Kurogane stayed silent.
Fai opened his eyes, sunlight shining in the blue. “You want to know what I think?”
“No.” Kurogane answered immediately, “I really don’t.”
Fai rolled and landed on the floor with a thump, crouching and facing Kurogane. “Denial.”
“Denial?” Kurogane repeated, frowning. “What the hell does that mean?”
“You don’t want to admit that you’re really here. That you’re on this journey with us. That you’re helping Syaoran-kun find Sakura-chan’s feathers not because you have to, to get home. But because you care about Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan. Not using their names is your way of keeping them at a distance, because you don’t want to admit you care.”
There was a smile on the magician’s face, but Fai was serious.
Kurogane glared. “You’re full of it.”
“Am I wrong?” Fai questioned, smiling placidly.
“Using your logic, that would mean I care about you too.”
“Oh, well. I must be wrong then.”
“And what about you?” Kurogane asked pointedly, determined not to be distracted from his original question.
“What about me?”
“You call ...” He struggled for a moment, but habit won. “... the kid and the princess by their names. But you call me stupid nick-names. Is that your way of keeping me at a distance?”
“Maybe.” Fai still smiled, not giving anything away. “Maybe it’s a bit of revenge, for you never using my name. Maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s something else entirely.”
Kurogane huffed a disgusted breath. Attempting to have an intelligent conversation with the stupid mage only left him with more questions, not answers. The next time, he would definitely just appreciate the silence.
Fai crawled over to Kurogane across the floor on all fours, and grinned, their faces close.
“When you figure it out, let me know.”
Pointless
Kurogane stepped up beside Fai silently, just a little behind the magician.
Fai was staring across the marketplace at a young woman. There was a painful, longing expression on his face.
“Who is she?” Kurogane asked, even though he thought he already knew.
Kurogane watched; the expression disappeared from the magician’s face as perfectly if it had never been there.
Fai tensed ever so slightly, but his voice was light as always, “What?”
“You know her. Who is she?”
Fai watched as a man came up to the woman and kissed her on her cheek. They were both smiling, both happy. Something flickered deep in the blue of the mage’s eyes, something painful and private, something Kurogane would not have caught if he had not been watching so intently.
“I don’t know.” Fai answered blithely, and walked away.
Kurogane followed. “Liar.”
Fai laughed. “I don’t know them, Kuro-ron.”
“Yes you do.” Kurogane said, two steps behind.
“No.”
“Stop running!” Kurogane growled, and yanked Fai into an alleyway.
Fai kept walking down the alley. Kurogane grabbed him again and pushed him against the wall roughly, trapping him there.
“That was your mother, wasn’t it? And your father.” His voice dropped softer, “He looks like you.”
“Stop it.” Fai whispered, voice barely audible. “Please.”
Kurogane’s voice was a low, soft rumble, “You know you can’t lie to me. So why don’t you just be honest with me?”
Fai took a breath, “I can’t.”
And Fai shoved Kurogane back with more force than the ninja expected.
Kurogane stared at the mage for a moment. Fai stood, his body straight and his eyes hard, his hands curled into fists at his side. Fai was angry. But he was still in control.
And Kurogane knew he would not be given any answers.
Kurogane muttered, “Pointless.” and walked away.