I wanted to get this over with...
Chapter 9 - Zetsubou Billy
Rating - T
Words - 2046
Characters/Pairings - KuroFai, Fay, Kurogane, Chii, Mokona, Syaoran, Sakura
Stolen
Chapter Nine - Zetsubou Billy
…Ai chie kurabe kinpaku
Ego no kussetsu sadist
Danpen janen no tettsui
Ubareuku seimei …
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One Fai would not be making it out of Celes alive.
-----
Fai ran as fast as his tired, unused legs would carry him, clutching his bleeding shoulder as he scrambled desperately up a snow drift. Chii said that the mountains were the only shelter from the blizzards that continuously raged across Celes.
He was tiring quickly, and wasn’t sure he could continue much further. The sudden strain on his malnourished body was too much, and he felt like he was either going to throw up or just collapse. He shivered and longed to sleep, but knew that if he stopped for even a second then he might not gather the strength to continue.
He was vaguely aware of Chii beside him, never tiring, practically gliding across the barren landscape, and he knew that without her, he would probably be dead by now.
He staggered suddenly and his knees buckled beneath him, sending him sprawling into the deep snow. Chii pulled urgently at his good arm and was saying something, but he couldn’t make any sense of the words as the biting wind muted any human sound. Fai managed to lift his head enough to cough out the snow he had nearly swallowed, but it felt as if that very snow took what precious energy he had left.
Another sharp tug from Chii reminded him that he wasn’t the only life at stake if Ashura changed his mind and he struggled back to his feet, leaning heavily on the small girl beside him, relying completely on her sense of direction and warmth to keep him moving, the blood loss and hunger making his vision swim.
Over it all, he thought he could hear voices shouting to him over the hazardous winds…
X o X o X
As soon as they touched down in Celes, a white-hot shock jolted up Kurogane’s spine, and he was finally certain.
Fai was here.
The question was: where?
He looked over to Fay to ask him, but the look on the blonde’s face made him stop. He clearly didn’t want to be here. Kurogane would at least behave gratefully.
Suddenly, Fay’s face brightened and he turned to the kids.
“Syaoran-kun! You, Moko-chan and Sakura-chan go find somewhere to shelter, the big puppies and I will search for the feather!” he reeled off quickly.
Both Kuroganes shared a look. He was hiding something.
Syaoran looked to his mentor, only leaving with the princess and rabbit when he was given a nod of approval.
Fay turned to face the slopes, the winds whipping his hair around his face. Kurogane shivered suddenly and pulled his thick coat tighter around him; it was a LOT colder than he was used to, but Fay looked as if the blizzard and thick snow drifts weren’t even there.
He wondered briefly if his Fai’s home was like this, but then hurried after the other two up the slope.
“Try and keep low,” he heard Fay ahead of him, shouting to be heard above the winds, “We’re not far from Ruval Palace, but its mostly uphill, it’ll take a while.”
He crouched lower and pulled his coat even tighter around himself, the feeling in his nose and ears completely gone.
They walked for what seemed like hours before Fay let them rest a little, but they soon resumed their trek. He knew it was better that way, but it was taking a tremendous amount of stamina for him to keep up, and he found himself admiring the other two even more.
“Fay!”
They all looked up simultaneously at the sound of the high-pitched voice. Fay laughed and ran forward to catch the girl who had flown towards them. Kurogane tried not to stare at her; she had cat-like ears and was wearing nothing but a small dress and he doubted her long, platinum blonde hair did anything for the cold.
He couldn’t keep studying the girl for much longer. For some reason, he felt the desperate need in the back of his mind that he needed to reach the top of the slope they were on. He pushed on, stumbling in places from fatigue, determined to reach the top and satisfy what must be curiosity. The icy gales bit at his face and he tried not to lick his lips too much. He slid down where the snow underfoot was not powdery and soft but hard and slippery and had to push himself harder to reach his goal.
When the ground finally levelled out, he saw that it dipped again on the other side, and far off in the distance was an icy palace suspended in the sky; no doubt “Ruval”.
If he had carried on at that point, he wouldn’t have noticed the small, hunched over figure in the snow and the drips of deep crimson and dirt that stained his clothes. I say ‘if’, because Kurogane did look. And Kurogane knew.
Kurogane yelled for him and set off faster down the slope, not even hearing the concerned yelps of those behind him who could not see what he could, and he ran as if all of his energy in that single moment had replenished itself with renewed determination and passion.
X o X o X
Fai whimpered as his knees buckled again and he found himself thigh-deep in the snow, suddenly without Chii there to support him. He could have sworn he heard Kurogane’s voice calling to him, but he could no longer muster the strength to look up. He shivered and a single sob jarred through his body.
He was beaten, bruised and broken, a mere shell of a once smart, happy, brilliant man. His shoulder ached and stung painfully and his bones and muscles refused to register him any more.
He had heard once, that before you freeze to death, wonderful warmth blossoms throughout your iced body. He shuddered and hunched lower and smiled wryly, deciding that enduring the cold for that long would be worth it for that final feeling of home, maybe of love if he was lucky enough.
Kurogane’s voice, now closer, didn’t even process in his mind as he slumped into the strong, warm arms of his lover and he moved closer to the heat instinctively, glad that the end was seemingly so near.
Kurogane wouldn’t give up as he did though. Mindful of the injured shoulder, he clutched Fai to him as if the man would disappear again if he let go. Before he could get them back up the slope, the other Fay was with them and wrapping his overcoat around the shivering, starved blonde, saying that he was more used to the cold and could do fine without the extra layer.
Fay said they should go back to the village immediately and they agreed, neither saying anything about the castle, which seemed to be closer to them than the village was. The trek back was a blurred mixture of happiness and fear for Kurogane, who kept checking Fai’s features for any change. Unbeknownst to him, the other Fay was doing the same, but without the fear and apprehension, but with pity. Fay suddenly reached for his Kurogane; who said nothing but held the blonde’s hand tightly in his.
They both knew what was most likely to happen to the person that Kurogane-sensei had battled desperately to save, but neither wanted to be the one to tell him, choosing instead to seek silent comfort from the other.
“K-kuro...-chan…” Fai murmured; his voice a whisper against the winds.
“Yeah?”
“You remember… that thing you asked me? On the train.”
Kurogane felt his face heat up and his heartbeat quicken. He swallowed before making a noise in affirmative.
Fai smiled weakly, his eyes open a sliver. Kurogane saw how dark and empty they looked.
How ruined Fai was.
“Ask me again soon, okay?” his voice was so quiet, so weak. Kurogane smiled painfully and nodded before pressing a small kiss to the pale chapped lips of his lover.
The next thing Fai remembered was incoherent conversation floating around him, and something stinging in his injured shoulder. He tried to shy away from whatever it was, but either his body wasn’t listening to him or he was wrapped tightly in something. The idea of this after the past few months in a cell made him struggle and writhe hysterically, desperately. He had just gotten his freedom; he didn’t want to be trapped again!
He only calmed down when the stinging went away and the constricting forces against him were lessened, and after that he slipped back into the blackness.
When he came back around, he was surrounded by comforting warmth and the soft tinkering of water, with large strong hands massaging is scalp and playing with his hair. He hummed wearily and forced his eyelids apart. The familiar figure of Kurogane came into focus and his heart leapt- it wasn’t a dream after all! He would have laughed, but his throat felt too dry to produce much of a sound. Kurogane’s sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the top few buttons of the once white shirt were undone, and he was rubbing what Fai guessed was shampoo through his messy blonde hair.
“Kuro-sensei takes such good care of me.” Fai murmured, his voice cracking slightly. Kurogane forced his elated grin down and reached for the glass of water that he had brought in with him to pass to his lover, who accepted it gratefully.
“How are you feeling?” Kurogane asked quietly, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquillity of the moment.
“My shoulder aches a bit,” Fai replied softly, “but I guess you can tell that,” he said, tittering, glancing over his bandaged shoulder.
“I thought you’d like the bath,” Kurogane explained, placing the empty glass back on the floor, “is there anything you want me to get for you?”
Fai laughed a sound still so melodious even after the time had passed, “If only Kuro-chan would behave like this at home!”
Kurogane grumbled to himself.
“There is one thing I want, though.” Fai finally answered; a twinkle in his eye.
Kurogane raised an eyebrow in questioning, using the glass to wash the suds from Fai’s hair.
“Kiss me, Kuro-pon. I want you to kiss me.” Fai commanded, and Kurogane happily obliged, bringing his lips down upon Fai’s.
Fai instantly sighed into the kiss and wrapped his good arm around Kurogane’s shoulders, his eyes slipping shut and his mouth nudging eagerly against Kurogane’s. The larger man eased their lips apart and dipped his tongue into the hot crevice of Fai’s mouth, growling possessively and excitedly, massaging the back of the blonde’s neck as emotion exploded within him.
“I missed you.” Fai moaned blissfully when they parted, their foreheads still pressed together, breathing labouredly. He suddenly grinned.
“I’m starting to prune, Kuro-pii.”
Kurogane rolled his red eyes and lifted Fai from the hot water, ignoring the blonde’s protests of “I’ll get you wet, Kuro-silly!” and threw a towel over him.
Fai smiled and rested his head on Kurogane’s shoulder. Maybe if he waited long enough, Kurogane would …. Dry him… too…
His eyes slid back and he slipped away from consciousness.
-
Fay looked over at the pair solemnly as Kurogane gently lowered his blonde onto the bed. Fay stepped inside and cleared his throat to gain the teacher’s attention.
“He woke up a little earlier, but just passed out again.”
Fay nodded, “Considering the spell Ashura-ou used, it doesn’t surprise me.”
Kurogane looked up.
“Spell?”
“I won’t lie to you,” Fay sighed, “Ashura-ou didn’t use an ordinary attack spell to injure his shoulder. If he was attacking to kill, Fai-san would be dead,” Fay moved to the bead opposite and sat down wearily, pausing to gather his words. “Seeing as Fai-san is here right now… I’m certain there was probably something else in it too, like a slow-working…” Fay trailed off unsurely.
“A slow working what?” Kurogane asked impatiently, angry that they weren’t out of the woods yet.
Fay looked up, his eyes serious and clear, to mutter the one word that would shatter Kurogane’s heart yet again.
“Poison.”
DONT HATE ME,KAY?
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You can have a preview for the next chapter too, seeing as I probably won't ever finish it soon.
“You wish to know if such an antidote exists.” Yuuko cut him off, before taking a long drag of her cigarette, “But you know that information requires a price. That vase.” she instructed, pointing at something over Fay’s shoulder.
“That seems awfully cheap.” Fay commented, passing the vase along without hesitation. If the people living here hadn’t even packed up before leaving, they obviously had no need for a vase of enchanted ice. Especially seeing as they were so common.
“Of course. I said that there would be a price for the information, not for the actual antidote.”
“So there is one?”
Yuuko paused, running her delicate fingers along the curve of the green ice as she chose her words carefully. She was already treading the line of interference.