Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Standalone

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Branch

A handful of stories for Kurogane and Fai, especially about Fai's fangs and how to deal with them.

Ink Burns

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

This is a work of fanfiction, produced according to the principles of transformative fair use as put forward in US copyright law, and abiding by the custom and practice of fan-produced work in Japan, where the source texts were created. No author is in any way affiliated with any of the creators of the source texts, nor with the companies who distribute their products, nor any other rights holder, and these stories were not authorized by either the creators or the producers. Ink Burns is a fan site and the material here is freely provided for the enjoyment of fellow fan-community members; there is no commercial infringement.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 US license at the Ink Burns fanfiction archive (http://www.branchandroot.net/archive/).

"Sky in Shade" published on 2008-02-12 16:36:01.

"As Red as Any Blood" published on 2008-10-05 22:15:03.

"Wind is on the Face of the Water" published on 2008-10-30 14:36:41.

"Choice and Necessity" published on 2009-01-05 14:39:39.

Attributions can be made by author's name and a link to the archive.

This ebook edition was published on September 6, 2019 by the Ink Burns fanfiction archive.

Cover illustration is Untitled ink painting by an unknown artist from Shanghai circa 1860, public domain (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chinese_-_Landscape_-_Walters_35101K.jpg).

Cover design by Branch.

Sky in Shade

Before they face the last battle, Kurogane wants to settle a few things. (Since CLAMP have slacked off showing us the good stuff.) Porn with Romance, I-3, spoilers through iss. 182

"What will you do after this?"

Kurogane glanced over as Fai settled on the balcony beside him, pale in the settling night. "I'll return to my duties here, of course."

"Of course." Fai's mouth curled but there was something darker at the back of his eyes.

Kurogane was silent for a long moment before finally sighing. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the door post, looking up at the dark sky. "If we can't recover your magic, then I'll still be your prey. Will you mind living here?" Given that Celes didn't exist any more.

It looked like Fai was thinking the same thing.

"I suppose not. It will have to be somewhere." Fai looked around at the screened walls and swooping roofs as if seeing them for the first time. "It's a lovely world," he said, quietly. Regathering himself he added, briskly, "Still, I expect not to trouble you with that."

Kurogane couldn't help rolling his eyes. "What trouble?" he growled. "It was my own decision and it wasn't like you asked for it." He looked aside for a moment. "It isn't any kind of problem."

Fai eyed him with rare exasperation. "Kurogane, I'm drinking your blood."

"I noticed." Kurogane looked at Fai levelly. "And?"

Fai opened his mouth and closed it again with a sigh. "All right. Fine. I know I can't out-stubborn you, by now."

Annoyed, Kurogane snorted. "The only time you haven't, that I've noticed, you were dying. And I said it isn't any kind of problem."

Fai's mouth tightened. "I don't like injuring you."

"It's practically a scratch, it heals right away, it barely even hurts," Kurogane said flatly.

Fai blinked. "It... doesn't?" His shoulders relaxed a shade.

"No, it doesn't." Kurogane looked at Fai for a long, thoughtful moment before holding out his hand. "Come here. I'll show you."

After a moment's hesitation, Fai slid closer and wrapped his fingers gently around Kurogane's wrist. Kurogane's mouth twitched and he curved a hand around Fai's waist, pulling him closer. "More than that, tonight. It's about time you stopped worrying about doing this." He drew Fai against his shoulder and tipped his head back, watching Fai through his lashes.

He wasn't surprised at all when Fai stiffened.

"Kurogane..." Fai's hand braced against his chest, but Fai didn't quite pull away and Kurogane snorted to himself. He'd figured Fai would be hungry by now.

"It doesn't," he said distinctly, "hurt."

"But..." Fai's breath was brushing his throat now, as he leaned in. "Are... are you sure about this?"

A chuckle rolled through Kurogane's chest. "Yes, I'm sure." He lifted a hand, threading his fingers through the fineness of Fai's hair, urging him closer.

Softly, hesitantly, Fai's lips brushed his throat and parted. Fai's tongue stroked his skin and Kurogane took a slow breath, waiting for what was next.

When Fai bit down it was too sharp to be pain, too hot to be pleasure, and a raw sound caught in Kurogane's throat. Fai stilled against him and he whispered, "Don't stop." Slowly Fai's hands slipped over his shoulders and Fai sucked gently.

The slow movement of Fai's mouth on his throat made him shudder and Kurogane gradually slid down until he was spread out on the floor, Fai stretched over him. He'd thought this offer would prove to Fai that it was all right, and maybe it had; Fai wasn't pulling away. And right now neither could Kurogane.

He hadn't expected it to be so intense. Hadn't expected that baring his throat for Fai would fold him in the same ringing rightness he'd felt renewing his oath to Tomoyo. A corner of his mind wondered if that was wrong. He pledged everything he was to his master; a person couldn't do that twice, could they? But Fai... Fai's life depended on him even more surely than Tomoyo's. He'd taken that on willingly.

Fai's teeth grazed his throat again and the thoughts spun away. Kurogane's body pulled taut, hands tightening on Fai's back. "Nnn. Fai..."

Fai made an inquiring sound, distracted and lazy, and it came to Kurogane that Fai was taking longer to feed than he usually did. And that Fai was definitely more at ease than he had been, lying warm and relaxed over Kurogane's chest.

He remembered the brief word Subaru had made time to have with him, in Tokyo.

"It depends on how much of our instinct he has when he recovers, but since you're his only prey he may become..." Subaru's mouth tilted wryly, "territorial. It, ah, affects some people. "

Kamui, had taken a moment from guarding Subaru's back to glance at Kurogane and his nostrils had flared as if testing a scent. "I wouldn't worry about it, if I was you," he'd stated.

Kurogane hadn't pressed for more detail, but maybe he should have.

Or maybe he didn't honestly need to.

He slid his hands down Fai's back and Fai nearly purred. The sound went straight to Kurogane's groin. "Fai..." he groaned softly.

Fai stretched out over him, tongue sliding against his neck, coaxing. Fai's teeth closed again, delicately, not breaking skin this time but holding his throat firmly and Kurogane moaned, sliding a hand down his own body. He started when Fai's fingers closed on his wrist in a steely grip. "Fai?"

Fai made another pleased sound and slid his own hand under Kurogane's kimono and between his legs. Kurogane gasped as long fingers closed on his cock, stroking him slowly. Those twins had an interesting definition of "territorial", he thought distantly.

He couldn't deny responding to it, though, and he spread his legs apart, hips rocking up into Fai's hand, and stroked the slim, hard lines of Fai's body. The confusion of sensations, the pleasure of Fai's hand between his legs, the heat of Fai's mouth on his throat, made him light-headed, but he certainly didn't want it to stop.

Fai's fingers tightened on his cock and the sound Fai made now was lower, husky. His mouth turned hard and demanding on Kurogane's throat, and the pure shock of that made Kurogane cry out. Heat struck down his spine like lightning and he moaned as it spun out into slow washes of pleasure that wrung him out over and over. It took a long time for that heat to release him, under Fai's hands and teeth.

He lay quietly as Fai lapped at his neck, running his hands slowly up and down Fai's back until Fai stilled too. Finally he chuckled. "Told you it was all right, didn't I?"

Fai stirred and murmured, "You did." He didn't look up from where he lay against Kurogane's shoulder and Kurogane lifted a brow.

"So?" He ran his fingers through Fai's hair, gently.

"I... think I would like living here," Fai said, very softly. His hand stole up, fingers brushing lightly over the bite mark on Kurogane's throat.

Kurogane's breath shortened a little at the gesture and he smiled. "Good."

They lay together on the balcony, silent, watching the moon rise.

End

As Red as Any Blood

Fai snaps a bit and forgets to be diffident. Kurogane approves of this. Written for the Porn Battle prompt: Fai/Kurogane, territory. Fang-Porn with Characterization, I-3, slight spoilers Nihon arc

Fai stalked through his set of rooms to Kurogane's, growling under his breath. He tried not to do that but he couldn't actually help it right this moment.

He knew that Kurogane had oaths he needed to keep, that Tomoyo-hime was his liege and would be until one of them died; they'd talked about that before agreeing to settle in Nihon. Most of the time Fai didn't mind at all. Tomoyo was a charming woman with a delightful sense of humor and he had her to thank for significant parts of his sanity. They had wonderful chats about their favorite grumpy ninja.

It was just that he'd already been hungry, today, and one of the courtiers had made a remark about there being nothing Kurogane wouldn't do or give his master, and it had grated on Fai's soul.

Kurogane was his.

Kurogane was also leaning against the wall beside his open balcony screen, a simple robe tied loosely about him, reading quietly. He looked up when Fai more or less slammed the hall screen closed behind him and demanded, a bit irately, "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm hungry." That was the least of it, but it was somewhere to start, and something they both understood by now.

Kurogane snorted and laid his book aside. "Eat, then, before you start throwing tantrums." He held out a hand, only to blink as Fai stalked across the room and slid down to straddle his lap, winding his arms around Kurogane's shoulders and nuzzling his throat. "Fai?" His hands settled slowly on Fai's back.

"Really hungry." He licked slowly up the line of Kurogane's neck, distracted and husky with the scent of his prey. "Mmm." His arms tightened around Kurogane and he pressed closer.

Kurogane was breathing quickly and Fai could feel his pulse against his lips. "Go ahead." He tipped his head back.

Fai purred with pleasure and bit down, twining tight around Kurogane. Richness filled his mouth, warm and satisfying, and he let his hands wander over Kurogane's shoulders, down his chest, stroking under the robe, and back up to comb through his hair. "Mine," he murmured indistinctly against his prey's throat and sucked firmly.

The way Kurogane shuddered under him, the sounds he made as his hands kneaded slowly against Fai's back, were as satisfying as his taste.

Gradually the heat of shared life smoothed away the corners of Fai's temper and he settled comfortably against Kurogane, nuzzling his throat and lapping softly until the blood stopped. He felt calm and content, and a tiny corner of his mind thought that was strange. Most of him, though, was just pleased to lie against Kurogane's chest and feel large hands stroking up and down his back.

"Better?" Kurogane asked, quietly.

Fai smiled. "Much." He felt Kurogane's lips curve, in turn, against his temple.

He drifted off like that, warm and happy, and when he woke up the next morning and tried to be apologetic Kurogane just snorted at him and pulled him close, one hand cupping the back of Fai's head, to murmur one word in his ear.

"Yours."

End

Wind is on the Face of the Water

Just after their arrival in Nihon, Tomoyo-hime prompts Fai to get his head sorted out about Kurogane. Drama with Ambush Romance, I-3, some spoilers

Fai sat quietly by Kurogane and watched the faint glow of Tomoyo-hime's hands on Kurogane's mangled shoulder with blank eyes. Now and then he touched the hand locked around his arm. Even barely conscious, Kurogane had grabbed hold again as soon as they were settled in the palanquin. The confusion of those last moments in Celes spun through his mind's eye over and over.

"Since when..." he whispered, not expecting an answer even if Kurogane had been awake.

And so he started when Tomoyo-hime murmured, "Probably since the very beginning."

The beginning? Fai shook his head. "But..."

Tomoyo-hime looked up, hands still busy casting healing, and smiled at him, sweet and kind and merciless. "Well, what did you think, the first time you saw him?"

It was a little hard to remember that now, after all the worlds, all the events, all the words. Her smile reminded him, though, and he answered slowly. "He was so stern and determined." As memory sped up so did his words. "So urgent, but only looking at one single goal. I wanted to—" he broke off sharply.

"To make him look at you?" Her eyes twinkled before she looked down at Kurogane again. "Do you think," she added, softly, "he saw you any less clearly?"

Fai chewed on his lip. He'd been surprised, more than once, by Kurogane's perception, and he had to admit Kurogane didn't say what he saw very often. "I... suppose not."

"He is a very kind man."

Fai bent his head. "I know."

"You've helped him." One small hand reached out and touched his cheek, asking him to look up. Tomoyo was smiling again. "Thank you."

For once glib words completely deserted him and Fai shook his head helplessly. Tomoyo-hime patted his cheek, serene and unyielding.

"Come along. As soon as this is bandaged it's your turn."

Fai was rather afraid of that.

Fai washed slowly, being careful not to get his dressings wet. He didn't want to give Tomoyo-hime another chance to tell him alarming things.

Had Kurogane really... cared about him... from the very start? Fai had thought that, kind as he was, Kurogane was still wrapped up in his own determination, his insistence on returning to his home. He'd taken "it doesn't concern me" at face value, thought it was safe, right up until Tokyo.

In retrospect, that had obviously been foolish of him.

Even after, when Fai tried to make it safe again, to draw back—as well as possible while drinking Kurogane's blood which, admittedly, wasn't very—the stubborn man had refused to go.

Refused to let Fai go.

Looking back, Fai couldn't lay his finger on any single moment, or even progression of moments, that might have told him Kurogane would do such a thing, make such sacrifices to save him. And that... that probably told him something in itself.

He stared down into the steaming water, wondering what he was supposed to do now.

"No, like this. Over that finger, and brace the inner with your thumb. Don't hold them too hard or..."

The clump of rice Fai was trying to eat disintegrated and he sighed while Tomoyo-hime kindly didn't laugh at him—at least not out loud. Perhaps it was just as well Shaoran and Mokona had fallen asleep before dinner and weren't here to watch this. One more try. Ah, that was better.

"He's very much like Sakura-chan."

Fai paused with his chopsticks in his mouth and raised his brows, trying to wordlessly convey the comparison between a small, laughing, bright-eyed princess and a large, growling, glaring ninja. Tomoyo-hime just smiled and sipped from her cup.

"They love the same way."

Fai swallowed and concentrated on capturing another of his unidentifiable vegetables and tried to keep breathing. The princess' open-hearted love had been a benediction, making no demands of him, so freely poured out he could only do his best to aid her wish in return. To compare that to the quiet waiting that hid behind Kurogane's growling and snapping made his heart skip in something like panic.

Tomoyo-hime gave him a long look and made a little hm sound. "Well." She smiled brightly, in a way that made Fai instantly wary, and picked up a carafe. "Shall we drink, then?"

"Ah. I wondered if you would be here." Tomoyo-hime stepped softly into the room and slid the door shut behind her.

Fai stirred in the dimness, where he sat watching Kurogane sleep. "I didn't want to bring my misfortune on him, as well, you know" he said softly.

Tomoyo-hime stood for a long breath, looking at him steadily before she finally crossed the room with delicate steps and rapped him briskly over the head, making Fai start and duck.

Maybe it was some kind of national habit.

"Don't be foolish," she directed. "Have you forgotten that I am a miko? I would know if you truly brought misfortune, and I say that you do not."

"But..."

Tomoyo-hime shook her head, ornaments chiming. "You do not." Her firm tone brooked no hint of doubt and Fai subsided, flustered. He had never questioned that one thing; no one he really knew had. "Didn't Yuuko-san tell you?" Tomoyo-hime asked, settling down beside him and smoothing the covers over Kurogane's chest. "Everyone makes their own choices. It's from those choices that inevitability flows, not the other way around."

Fai felt as though those small hands were turning his world end for end, and shook his head mutely. Tomoyo-hime sighed and reached up to lay her hand gently on his head.

"Yuui, royal prince," she said soft and clear, "Fai D Fluorite, Mage of Celes, it was not your fault."

The words rang through him like a bell and he lifted a hand, wanting to catch and hold them. She took his hand in both her own.

"Kurogane does not believe it was your fault either. You trust his eyes, don't you?"

"Yes," Fai whispered. She had an answer for every fear, fit each one together as neatly as someone piecing back together a broken mirror, and the reflection she showed him was ragged but clear.

"You should sleep a little," she told him. "I'll call you when he wakes." Her smile turned mischievous. "If you don't know on your own, that is."

Fai's mouth quirked wryly. Clearly he wasn't going to win any argument with her tonight. "Thank you." Besides, he did want to speak with Yuuko; if Kurogane was this determined to protect Fai he couldn't complain about Fai doing the same in return. He touched Kurogane's chest one last time, feeling his heartbeat, and took that reassurance with him when he stood.

"Fai?"

He paused at the door. "Yes?"

"Remember this. This time I will say 'Welcome'. Next time, it will be 'Welcome home'."

It took him a moment to clear his throat enough to speak. "Next time, then," he said, husky, "I'll say 'I'm back'."

The moonlight lit up her smile.

End

A/N: Personally, I felt that the transition from absolute despair in Celes to everything being hunky dory in Nihon was way too abrupt. This is one attempt to explain how Fai could have gotten from the former to the latter.

Choice and Necessity

Fai and Kurogane get to have their cake fangs and eat with them too. Written for the promt: Kurogane/Fai, an ideal ending. Romance with Light Fang-porn, I-3

Kurogane frowned. "I thought that was supposed to go away when you got your magic back."

Fai prodded a still-sharp tooth with his tongue. "It doesn't seem to have." Kurogane's frown turned into a glower, but Fai just crossed his arms and looked thoughtful. "The odd thing is, I'm not... well..." He cleared his throat and looked sidelong at Kurogane.

"Not what?"

There was a bit of color on Fai's cheeks. "Not, um. Hungry. That way." He tipped his head, looking contemplative. "I could definitely do with some nice pastries, though."

Kurogane opened his mouth, disgruntled at the very memory of that whole cafe fiasco, and then closed it again as the actual meaning got through. "So... what? They're just for show or something?"

Fai looked even more thoughtful. "Hm. Well, now, I'm not sure about that." He slanted a look at Kurogane and the corners of his mouth turned up in a downright wicked smile. "Why don't we test it and see?"

It was Kurogane's turn to clear his throat, and also take a quick look to make sure the door was firmly latched as Fai prowled closer, a laugh in his blue-again eyes. "I suppose that might be... wise," he agreed, hands settling against Fai's back to hold him close and steady as Fai twined his arms around Kurogane's shoulders.

Actually, 'wise' probably wasn't the right word at all, but he couldn't think of another as Fai nibbled delicately on his neck and the sharpness of fangs made him shiver.

"Mmm, let's see," Fai purred. "Still feels right." He dragged a slow tongue over the skin he'd been biting. "Still tastes right."

"Fai," Kurogane growled, though it was a sort of relief to find the idiot mage willing to tease him about this.

Fai hesitated a moment, glancing up at him, and Kurogane's mouth quirked. "So what are you waiting for?" he murmured, combing his fingers through the softness of Fai's fair hair. "Go ahead."

Fai leaned into him, lashes lowering, and bit down.

The intensity of it made Kurogane shudder, but this time he hung on to his brain, panting, arms tight around Fai, waiting to see.

When Fai softened against his chest, draped bonelessly against him, and soft lips stroked over his throat lingeringly, he let himself moan. Fai's tongue moved over his throat, hot and slow, and Kurogane tipped his head back, breath coming short.

"Still tastes good," Fai murmured, lips brushing over his skin. Kurogane felt them curve and then Fai's hand slipped inside his kimono and long, warm fingers closed around him. "Still feels good, too."

"Fai!"

Fai stroked him slow and firm, kissing his throat open mouthed. "Yes?" There was a teasing lilt in his voice and he closed his teeth again, delicate, just letting Kurogane feel them.

He groaned, pressing Fai closer, hips rocking into Fai's hand, very glad of the wall behind his shoulders.

Fai cuddled into him, fingers still stroking firmly, and whispered against Kurogane's neck, "We can have everything. And now it's just because we want it."

The heat and relief of that understanding poured through Kurogane and drew pleasure along with it and he gasped, body arching taut. Fai made a soft, pleased sound as Kurogane's arms closed around him tighter, stroking him slowly, lapping at his throat.

Kurogane leaned back against the wall, panting, and finally gathered his thoughts enough to conclude, "So you still can you just don't have to."

Fai nodded, resting his head on Kurogane's shoulder. "It seems that way."

Kurogane bent his head and pressed his lips against Fai's hair. "All right. I don't have to hunt anyone down and kill them until they tell me how to change it back, then."

Fai laughed, bright and open. "I love you too, Kuro-chama."

Kurogane grumped a bit under his breath at the wretched nicknames but didn't let Fai go.

"Now," Fai added brightly, "about those pastries. And I want some tea, too, you make the best tea. And maybe some noodles and—"

Kurogane kissed him in the faint hope that it would shut him up. At least that was what he told himself as his arms tightened, holding his idiot mage close.

End