Chapter 1: A is for Apples
(by Jenx, added on 2006-03-22 13:58:48 AEST) [Discussion Topic]
It wasn’t one of those sissy baskets of apples. This was a monster of a barrel, almost larger than Syaoran, full of apples so shiny you could see your reflection in them. Fai sprawled out on top of the barrel, rolling it back and forth.
“Mmm, isn’t it great?” he mused. “This could last us a whole month.”
“I am not eating apples for a month straight,” Kurogane said. He took another bite out of his apple, enjoying the crisp sweetness of fresh fruit. “Too sugary. Did you steal these?”
Fai stopped rolling and perched on top of the barrel, pouting.
“Of course not, Kuro-wanko. I won them at the fair.” He slid off the barrel and snatched Kurogane’s apple. Kurogane grabbed at it, but Fai just giggle and held it out of arm’s reach. “I won the strong man contest!” Fai proclaimed, taking a large bite out of the apple. He crunched on it with a loud “Mmmmmm!” of satisfaction, then handed it back to him. “Thanks for sharing, Kuro-ruu.”
“I don’t want it back,” Kurogane growled.
“Awwww, why?” Fai whined. “I’m not sick.”
Because that’s weird? Because he didn’t want to swap spit with the wizard?
“Because your stupidity might be contagious,” Kurogane said, crossing his arms. Fai giggled.
“You’re already caught that,” he chirped, tapping Kurogane on the nose. “Silly Kuro-wan.”
Oooh, check it out! I can do COLOR font for author's notes up here! This is so cool!
Anyways, there was going to be one of thse every day for most of March, but I sort of failed so... have a chunk and then take them as they come.
Chapter 2: B is for Barter
(by Jenx, added on 2006-03-22 14:02:26 AEST) [Discussion Topic]
It was either amusing or pathetic, and Fai wasn’t sure which. There was no way around it. Kuro-puu had no social skills. So watching him barter for supplies was a little like watching an elephant don a tutu and attempt ballet. It was a disaster in slow motion, but Fai couldn’t bring himself to interfere.
“Godammit, that’s plenty to trade for a blanket!” Kurogane raged, pounding hid fist on the wagon’s wood frame. The tinker shrugged.
“Not with these clothes it ain’t. Nobody’d buy anything this weird.” He tugged at the slick fabric of their last world’s clothes. “Where’d you get these anyhow?”
“That’s not important!” Kurogane reached for the blanket. “It’s payment, so I want-”
“I said no,” the tinker interrupted. “But if you’ve got a few gold pieces to add, I’ll take it.”
Kurogane turned to Fai with such a frustrated and desperate look that it was all Fai could do not to reply without laughing.
“I don’t have any money.”
Kurogane shot a dirty look at Fai then drew his sword, pointing it at the tinker’s throat.
“We don’t have gold. We have clothes. You have a blanket. Let’s trade.”
Fai chuckled at the sheer terror on the tinker’s face. It shouldn’t be funny, but since Fai knew that Kuro-wanko was too nice to really hurt him, and the tinker didn’t know… well, that amused him.
“O-okay!” the tinker stuttered, holding out the blanket. “A good trade.”
Kurogane took it and shoved the clothes at him, but he shook his head. “No no, just take it and leave me alone!”
Kurogane raised his eyebrows.
“…You sure?”
The tinker nodded furiously, so Kurogane took the blanket and left.
“That was weird,” he muttered, handing the clothes to Fai. “First he’s asking too much and then he just gives it to us.”
“You did threaten to kill him,” Fai pointed out.
“Well, I mean- it’s not my fault he’s gullible.”
“Of course,” Fai agreed, smiling. “Not your fault.”
Chapter 3: C is for Cold
(by Jenx, added on 2006-03-23 15:29:01 AEST) [Discussion Topic]
Snow was fine. Ice was fine. But when the snow got above Kurogane’s knees, there was a problem. What was worse was that Fai could walk on that thin layer of ice where the top bit of snow had re-frozen. The kids, he could understand, but no full-grown man should be that freakishly light.
By the time they found the cave, Kurogane had a good centimeter of ice frozen to his pants. Syaoran was trying to build a fire to warm him up, but it was a pathetic failure with all the melting snow around. So the kids got the blanket and the mage had all his heavy coats, which left Kurogane alone with his hypothermia.
Not that he minded. His teeth weren’t chattering. His hands weren’t turning blue. He was man enough to handle the cold. So when Fai scooted over and tried to share his coat, the natural reaction was to move a good ten paces away. This pattern continued for nearly an hour until Fai sprung over the sleeping kids and tackled Kurogane to the ground. By the time they had untangled themselves, Fai was draped over Kurogane, entirely too happy.
“Kuro-tan will freeze,” he said, nuzzling Kurogane’s chest.
“No I won’t!” Kurogane argued, wrestling him off. Fai nodded at the mouth of the cave.
“The sun just set. It’s going to get much colder soon.” Fai turned back to Kurogane and let feather-light fingers brush the ninja’s bare arms. “You’re already freezing. Please?”
“….Mmm.” Kurogane pulled Fai closer to him and let him share his beast of a coat. “Just till morning.”
Chapter 4: D is for Dance
(by Jenx, added on 2006-03-23 15:30:58 AEST) [Discussion Topic]
It wasn’t a dance. That would imply enjoyment, and Fai was fairly sure neither of them was enjoying this. It was, perhaps, one of those dances they make you go through in middle school, where you’re still young and awkward and don’t really want anything to do with the person you’re supposed to waltz with, but the teachers are watching you with looks that could kill. The only difference was that the evil eyes weren’t compelling you to dance. You weren’t entirely sure what was compelling you, with such space between you.
Kurogane always had his princess. She wasn’t there, but it was an unspoken understanding that when he reached home, he would stay, and they would not.
A crack.
Ashura was in ice. He would wake up. He would kill. Fai would still love him. Kurogane knew too, because sometimes what you said was meaningless next to what you didn’t say.
A crevice.
Kurogane didn’t feel. It didn’t strike him as practical, especially in such dangerous times. He acted perhaps, but angry is a narrow repertoire, and it was all hollow.
A rift.
Fai didn’t act. He was too frozen to. Ceres is a cold world, after all. It takes time to thaw. He could only wait, feel, and think. Too much time to think.
A chasm.
Trust. Desired by every man, given by precious few. Elusive.
A gaping abyss.
They danced on the rim, closer to the edge here, further away here, sidestep regret, trip on sentiment. Occasionally, one would slip. They would cling to the edge until their knuckles were white. They would fight their way back to safe ground and turn their backs on each other for a time. One two, one two, in time to the music now, one two, tease chase, one two, question silence, one two, anger fear.
It couldn’t be called familiarity, because that was farthest from the truth. There were more secrets now than there were before, probably. It wasn’t knowing. Simply understanding.
A bridge.
This was actually written about a month ago, but I hadn't posted it anywhere and I like it. So there.
Chapter 5: E is for Ending
(by Jenx, added on 2006-03-25 16:56:54 AEST) [Discussion Topic]
Kuro hadn’t expected happily ever after, but he had expected more than this. Livestock died by execution; he was a fighter. There was no dignity in the white room, the spotless walls, the complete serenity of a bright Saturday morning.
“It’s almost noon,” Fai said, staring past Kurogane’s head at the tiny barred window.
“Mmm. That’s when they kill us?”
“Yeah.” Fai smiled again, an ironically genuine smile. “I guess it beats just waiting.”
“No last word?” Kurogane asked. “Dying confessions of your dark past?”
“Only if I get a dying confession of love,” Fai replied. He sat back against the wall and let the smile fade. “…No. We’ve always kept secrets. There’s no reason to change now.”
Silence settled over them. It was a sharp contrast to the usual chatter, but not entirely unpleasant. There was nothing to say. Nothing would change at this point.
Kurogane woke up to a soft hiss, which was disturbing because he didn’t remember going to sleep. His eyes were assaulted by the fluorescent lights, then adjusted. He frowned, eyes darting from side to side in search of the noise. Fai just smiled. It was an eerie smile, a tweak of the lips that meant nothing. He pointed up.
Kurogane followed his finger to the air duct in the ceiling, which was spewing a misty gas. Hmm. He watched it float downwards, half-obscuring Fai in a milky fog. He opened his mouth- this was it. Last words were now.
But they weren’t. Words had their time. Death had its. The serpent hiss filled the silence. A clammy hand attached itself to Kurogane’s wrist, then groped its way down, intertwining its freezing fingers with his own. Kurogane squeezed the hand once, and Fai squeezed back. The hiss was fading, along with the fluorescent lights, and all that was left was the white and the hand. The grip was tighter now, clenched against the heavy drowsiness of poison. Then it stopped. The hand, slick with sweat, slipped away. Kurogane closed his eyes and shut out the white.
The dark was warmer anyways.
Dude, where did THAT come from? Huh.
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