Nihon: The Coming Storm
Title: The Coming Storm
Characters/Pairings: KuroFai, mentions of other characters
Rating: K+ ?
Summary: It’s hot, and Fai has vanished somewhere in Shirasagi. Kurogane is none-too-happy at having to look for him.
A/N: The first part of my post-series TRC Nihon oneshot series following Kurogane and Fai - but by no means the first chronologically in said series. (What, you really think I’ve the patience/organisation to write all my ideas in order?) This is set during the summer of the second year of Fai and Kurogane’s return to that world. This one’s quite mild. >>
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The castle Shirasagi was an incredibly vexing place to lose someone in, especially when said someone was a certain elusive blond with too much practice in both sneaking up on and away from his self-assigned keeper and protector. (Although, of course, Fai wasn’t really the sort who allowed himself to be kept (however much he fluttered his eyelashes and declared otherwise), and the mage could actually protect himself remarkably well too - but said protector usually conveniently ignored that, as Fai usually much preferred to get everyone (or just Kurogane) to do his work for him.)
The air was thick and sultry, the back of Kurogane’s kimono damp with sweat and clinging to the hakama around his waist as he stomped through the palace. Even though it was night the day’s heat stubbornly refused to fade, heavy warmth draped over the atmosphere lending a muggy stupor to the residents of Nihon. The summer insofar had been an unbearably hot one, the ladies of court with their fans constantly out and flapping, men and women alike stripping down to minimal layers of clothing irrespective of rank.
Kurogane couldn’t find Fai anywhere. The blond had disappeared at some point that afternoon after Kendappa-ou had finished detailing the latest developments with the neighbouring country of Chugoku, the empress having dragged Kurogane and Fai into the meeting despite the temperature. It had been a heavy, dull conference: - Kendappa-ou had informed them the Chugokians were sending some of their ambassadors the following month to discuss a ‘treaty of friendship’ between the nations; Tomoyo-hime had inquired whether they should have any special arrangements made during that time; Souma had asked to increase the castle defences for the visit; Fai had looked slightly ill, flushed from the heat, and Kurogane had kept one eye on him, the other on his empress and princess, and silently made a mental note to be extra vigilant during the visit of the snakes. Fai had slipped out silently afterwards, whilst Souma had cornered Kurogane about the training of some of the newer soldiers of the castle, and Kurogane hadn’t been able to find him since.
He’d tried Tomoyo-hime first, the young woman usually Fai’s first port of call when the blond wasn’t badgering Kurogane. The princess-miko, however, had claimed not to have seen the mage all day, but Souma, watchful at her side, had idly mentioned having glimpsed Fai in the training yard. Kurogane had tried the training yard, scrutinising the scattered collection of weary warriors practicing there, but had failed to catch a sight of familiar blond. After that had come the kitchens - the cooks hadn’t seen Fai -, the music room - the servants there hadn’t seen Fai either -, the roof - no Fai - and Kurogane’s chambers - no Fai, no Fai, no Fai. The idiot was nowhere to be found.
Eventually, worn out, Kurogane decided to try Fai’s own chambers, at a loss for where else the mage could be. Fai rarely used the rooms assigned to him - he slept in Kurogane’s bed, most nights, keeping the main of his everyday outfits in the ninja’s drawers as well. His room was largely impersonalised; there were a few ribbons on the table that he used to tie his hair back when it was longer; a sash or two hanging over the back of a chair when he was feeling untidy; a vase filled with seasonal flowers, the occasional book or scroll. The rest of his mess cluttered up Kurogane’s quarters - the ninja knew that best of all, he’d tripped over Fai’s acquisitions there often enough.
Just to spite Kurogane (the universe hated the ninja), Fai actually was in his rooms for a change, leaning back against the frame of the open sliding door leading to his balcony, head tilted back as he enjoyed what little breeze there was coming down from the mountains. His throat and collar bone were bare, his yukata belted only very loosely around his waist so that his long legs stretched out mostly uncovered, free from sweat-damp cloth.
“Hey,” Kurogane stomped into the room, riled up by the picture of coolness the other was presenting in the oppressive heat.
“Kuro-chan…” Fai’s head lolled to the side as he spoke, recognising the gruff tones, a lazy tilt of a smile and posture. His mismatched eyes, fluttering open, were unnaturally bright, a slightly unsettling half-lidded glow. “How kind of you to visit.”
“Don’t give me that.” Kurogane felt horribly overheated, stalking towards his lover and glowering down at him. “Where have you been all day?”
“I was with Kuro-tan, right up until the meeting with Kendappa-ou and Tomoyo-hime this afternoon.” Fai’s gaze seemed mildly aggrieved at the implied scolding - though it was a weary expression, worn out by the weather. “I came here afterwards.”
Kurogane frowned at that, kneeling down beside the blond. “…Souma said she saw you at the training grounds.”
“I went to tell Umi-chan our lesson today was cancelled.”
“And you’ve been here the rest of the time?” A slight nod. “What did you do about food?” Fai hadn’t been at dinner.
“It was too hot to eat -” the mage’s eyes widened a little when Kurogane raised his real hand to touch the slighter man’s forehead, “Kuro-chii?”
Fai’s skin felt clammy to the touch. Kurogane frowned at him again. “Don’t skip meals.”
“But Kuro-chan -”
“Call a servant to bring you something if you’re too hot to leave your rooms. Ask for some fruit if a regular meal is too much but,” Kurogane said very firmly, dropping his hand to cup Fai’s cheek, forcing blue and gold irises to meet his own burning red, “don’t skip meals.” The idiot’s body would need all the moisture it could get.
“…Alright.” Fai covered the ninja’s tan palm with his own fingers, smiling and letting his eyes slip closed again as the other cradled his head. “Since Kuro-sama is so very worried about me.”
“Tch, I wasn’t worried -”
“And yet Kuro-sama went looking everywhere for me,” Fai drawled out the words, his expression becoming just a little more smug.
“Only because you have a habit of creating mayhem when left on your own for too long.” The mage had memorably managed to explode one of the palace kitchens once.
Fai pouted. “Kuro-pipi just doesn’t want to be left out of the fun, does he?”
Kurogane dropped his hand from the other’s face. “Cleaning up one of your messes isn’t ‘fun’, idiot.”
Fai followed the limb across, sprawling himself in his lover’s lap with his head on the ninja’s shoulder, warm breath against Kurogane’s neck. “Kuro-sama likes making those messes with me though, hm?”
Kurogane glanced down at him, seeing the devil’s smile looking back at him. “…You’re surprisingly active for someone who found it too hot to eat.” Fai’s body was worryingly chilled in his lap; the mage should’ve been sweating more. It would be just like the idiot to catch a summer cold -
“Kuro-chan…” Fai paused to draw a deep breath when a sudden gust of wind came in over the balcony, the breeze stirring up the strands of his loose hair, tickling Kurogane’s throat. The mage sat up a little straighter in his companion’s hold, looking out over the mountains, into the night. “…There’s a storm coming.”
Kurogane didn’t question him. “It’s hot enough.”
Fai turned to look at him again, and again his eyes were fever-bright, brilliant gold and blue. Kurogane’s hair rose on the back of his neck, that prickling sensation he got around his lover whenever Fai did anything remotely magical.
“…When?” He asked, transfixed by the glowing figure on his lap.
“…Soon.” Gradually, Kurogane’s edginess abated, Fai losing his rigidity, slipping bonelessly against the ninja’s chest once more and letting out a soft sigh. “Too soon. Kuro-pon, sleep here with me tonight?” He couldn’t be bothered to make the trek over to Kurogane’s chambers, even if they were just a little way along the hall.
They slept in Fai’s rooms that night, loosely entwined on the blond’s futon. The storm came, as predicted, rattling the doors and spitting rain down angrily against the palace’s walls. Sheet-lightning swept in as the thunder rumbled, the heat boiling and bubbling in the sky overhead.
After it left, the air finally felt cooler. It was easier to breathe - and yet Kurogane woke then, staring at the ceiling above him, the gentle drift of the sheer drapes above the bed in the air currents in the room. Fai slept on; breathing soft and even, body wedged firmly against Kurogane’s, face-down on the ninja’s chest. (How he didn’t suffocate himself like that Kurogane had yet to work out.) Slowly, the ninja let his fingers trail through strands of gold, petting absently.
The night trailed on quietly, pensively. That storm had moved on.