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burningdarkfireTitle: Falling For You - Hope
Series: TRC
Pairing: KuroFai
Rating: PG
Length: about 1500 words, chapter 22 (22/26)
"What is it?" Kurogane demanded, shaking Fai. "What's wrong, damnit!"
Fai smiled blandly up at him. "It's nothing, Kuro-mi. Don't worry about it."
"Tch," Kurogane scoffed. He swung his fist back and punched the wall behind Fai. Fai flinched and Kurogane glared at him. "I can see it in your eyes, Fai; don't try to hide it from me! What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Fai said softly, eyes downcast. He hugged himself and hunched up his shoulders, looking like he wanted to disappear. "It's nothing."
Kurogane gripped Fai's shoulder with one hand and forced his chin up with the other. Fai met his eyes reluctantly, a smile glued onto his face. "Why are you still smiling?" Kurogane demanded. "How can you look at me with eyes like that and still smile?"
"I don't want you to be sad, Kuro-mi," Fai whispered, unable to break free. "I don't want anybody to be sad because of me."
"Do I look happy right now?" Kurogane yelled. "Why can't you see? Why can't you understand? People care about you! What would Tomoyo say if she saw you like this? She loves you!"
Kurogane's cell phone rang. Growling in frustration, he flipped open his phone. "What?"
"K-Kurogan-ne …" Kendappa's voice drifted over the phone. She seemed to be crying.
"Kendappa-san?" Kurogane frowned. "What's wrong?"
"K-Kurogane … your f-father … there was a-an accident …" Kurogane's eyes widened in horror. He fumbled in his pocket for keys.
"What hospital is he in?" He shouted into the phone as he ran for his car.
"The h-hospital closest to the studio …" Kendappa let out another quiet sob.
"I'll be right there," he promised.
"I-I need to c-call Tomoyo-chan," his step-mother mumbled.
"I'll get her," Kurogane said quickly. "Don't worry about it." He flipped his phone shut and flung open his car door. He struggled to start the car; his hands were shaking badly.
"Kurogane," he heard a voice say and turned to stare blankly at Fai, who had evidently followed him. "You're in no condition to drive."
"I have to get Tomoyo!" He insisted. "My dad … he's at the hospital."
"I'll drive." Fai looked at him steadily. "I'll get you there."
Numbly, Kurogane nodded. He staggered out of the driver's seat and around to the other side and Fai drove off. They sped along the roads until they screeched to a halt in front of Kurogane's house.
"I'll get her," Fai said firmly. "You'll only scare her with the condition you're in."
Kurogane let out a faint sound of agreement. Everything was happening so quickly; he found it hard to concentrate, hard to believe that his father lay in a hospital somewhere. Before Fai got out of the car, Kurogane grabbed his arm. Fai looked at him expectantly.
"I trust you," Kurogane said, not sure why it seemed important.
Fai glanced at him oddly … guiltily, almost. "I know." He slid out.
Kurogane waited in the car, drumming his fingers on the dashboard with nerves. Surely it wasn't a deadly accident? But then, he didn't think he had ever heard Kendappa sobbing before. It must have been bad, if her reaction was that strong.
Fai soon re-emerged with Tomoyo, whose eyes were glittering with distress.
"What happened?" She asked as soon as she was in the car.
"I don't know the details," Kurogane answered as calmly as he could. "Just that there was some sort of accident."
The rest of the ride passed in silence.
-
"How is he?" Kurogane demanded as soon as he spotted Kendappa hovering in the waiting room.
Kendappa just shook her head. She was no longer crying and seemed to be slightly more in control of herself. "He's still in the emergency room. There was some sort of accident at the studio while I went out for a coffee."
"It's not bad though, is it?" Tomoyo asked anxiously. "He'll live?"
"If it was that bad, I'm sure we would have heard something by now," Kendappa reassured her, although she sounded like she didn't believe it herself. She bent down to look at Tomoyo, who was relatively short for a 15 year old. "Whatever happens, we'll get through it together."
At that moment, a doctor came around the corner and scanned the room before approaching them. "Excuse me; are you the family of Suwa-san?"
"Yes, that's us." Kendappa tried to put on a brave smile and failed miserably. "How is he?"
The doctor looked at them sadly. "I'm sorry … we did all we could but … we couldn't save him."
"No." Kurogane heard himself say suddenly. "NO! THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE!"
"I'm sorry," the doctor said again. "It was too late, we-"
"NO!" Kurogane screamed, punching a wall for the second time that day. He stared back defiantly at everyone around him then stormed out of the hospital.
He was vaguely aware of Fai following him and waited for the blond to get in the passenger side before tearing out of the parking lot. He careened wildly through the streets, no longer caring where he went, as long as he left the hospital behind.
They ended up at the park where they had spent so much of their childhood playing together. Kurogane angrily got out and stormed over to a tree on the edge of the forest, far away enough from the scattering of children around the park. He punched the tree over and over again, barely aware of the blood that started flowing down his hands.
He felt a gently pressure on his arm and looked to see Fai beside him.
The sight of Fai, who had already lost both of his parents, tore Kurogane up even more. He punched the tree a last time then flopped onto the ground, resting his back against the trunk.
He stared up at the sky. "Why did he have to leave?" He asked, well aware that it was the question of a child.
"Everyone leaves," Fai replied softly.
"Why did he have to leave now?"
"Would it have hurt less any other time?"
Kurogane shot Fai a sharp glance. The other teenager met his gaze.
"I'll become stronger," Kurogane said, vaguely remembering a conversation he had had a long time ago. "I'll become stronger so that I can protect everyone I love."
Fai edged forward hesitantly and crawled into Kurogane's lap, pressing the older boy to him.
"I'll become stronger," Kurogane repeated, one hand resting on Fai's back, the other absentmindedly stroking Fai's hair. "I'll fight for everyone I love."
"I know," Fai murmured. "I know you will."
They held onto each other long after the sun had set.
-
Now (21 years and 5 months)
Looking back, Kurogane thinks that it was a somewhat odd answer, although at the time he hadn't questioned it. He still remembers how warm Fai was in his arms, how they had fallen asleep, slumped against that tree.
Kurogane knows that if he could fight for Fai right now, he could win.
But it's not up to him.
-
A/N - I'm kind of surprised I kept Kuro-daddy around for this long ... but the time was never right before. This was hitsuzen. (or something XD)
There's an adorable image of Kuro and Fai as fairly young kids, with Kuro slumped against a tree and Fai sort of peering at him curiously (I can't find it again, grr), which was an inspiration for this fic and this chapter.
The storyline at 21 years old sort of starts doing something next chapter, so stay tuned! =D Thank for reading =)
Series: TRC
Pairing: KuroFai
Rating: PG
Length: about 1500 words, chapter 22 (22/26)
Hope (17 Years and 2 Months Old)
September 17, 17: 16 Years and 9 Months Old
September 17, 17: 16 Years and 9 Months Old
"What is it?" Kurogane demanded, shaking Fai. "What's wrong, damnit!"
Fai smiled blandly up at him. "It's nothing, Kuro-mi. Don't worry about it."
"Tch," Kurogane scoffed. He swung his fist back and punched the wall behind Fai. Fai flinched and Kurogane glared at him. "I can see it in your eyes, Fai; don't try to hide it from me! What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Fai said softly, eyes downcast. He hugged himself and hunched up his shoulders, looking like he wanted to disappear. "It's nothing."
Kurogane gripped Fai's shoulder with one hand and forced his chin up with the other. Fai met his eyes reluctantly, a smile glued onto his face. "Why are you still smiling?" Kurogane demanded. "How can you look at me with eyes like that and still smile?"
"I don't want you to be sad, Kuro-mi," Fai whispered, unable to break free. "I don't want anybody to be sad because of me."
"Do I look happy right now?" Kurogane yelled. "Why can't you see? Why can't you understand? People care about you! What would Tomoyo say if she saw you like this? She loves you!"
Kurogane's cell phone rang. Growling in frustration, he flipped open his phone. "What?"
"K-Kurogan-ne …" Kendappa's voice drifted over the phone. She seemed to be crying.
"Kendappa-san?" Kurogane frowned. "What's wrong?"
"K-Kurogane … your f-father … there was a-an accident …" Kurogane's eyes widened in horror. He fumbled in his pocket for keys.
"What hospital is he in?" He shouted into the phone as he ran for his car.
"The h-hospital closest to the studio …" Kendappa let out another quiet sob.
"I'll be right there," he promised.
"I-I need to c-call Tomoyo-chan," his step-mother mumbled.
"I'll get her," Kurogane said quickly. "Don't worry about it." He flipped his phone shut and flung open his car door. He struggled to start the car; his hands were shaking badly.
"Kurogane," he heard a voice say and turned to stare blankly at Fai, who had evidently followed him. "You're in no condition to drive."
"I have to get Tomoyo!" He insisted. "My dad … he's at the hospital."
"I'll drive." Fai looked at him steadily. "I'll get you there."
Numbly, Kurogane nodded. He staggered out of the driver's seat and around to the other side and Fai drove off. They sped along the roads until they screeched to a halt in front of Kurogane's house.
"I'll get her," Fai said firmly. "You'll only scare her with the condition you're in."
Kurogane let out a faint sound of agreement. Everything was happening so quickly; he found it hard to concentrate, hard to believe that his father lay in a hospital somewhere. Before Fai got out of the car, Kurogane grabbed his arm. Fai looked at him expectantly.
"I trust you," Kurogane said, not sure why it seemed important.
Fai glanced at him oddly … guiltily, almost. "I know." He slid out.
Kurogane waited in the car, drumming his fingers on the dashboard with nerves. Surely it wasn't a deadly accident? But then, he didn't think he had ever heard Kendappa sobbing before. It must have been bad, if her reaction was that strong.
Fai soon re-emerged with Tomoyo, whose eyes were glittering with distress.
"What happened?" She asked as soon as she was in the car.
"I don't know the details," Kurogane answered as calmly as he could. "Just that there was some sort of accident."
The rest of the ride passed in silence.
-
"How is he?" Kurogane demanded as soon as he spotted Kendappa hovering in the waiting room.
Kendappa just shook her head. She was no longer crying and seemed to be slightly more in control of herself. "He's still in the emergency room. There was some sort of accident at the studio while I went out for a coffee."
"It's not bad though, is it?" Tomoyo asked anxiously. "He'll live?"
"If it was that bad, I'm sure we would have heard something by now," Kendappa reassured her, although she sounded like she didn't believe it herself. She bent down to look at Tomoyo, who was relatively short for a 15 year old. "Whatever happens, we'll get through it together."
At that moment, a doctor came around the corner and scanned the room before approaching them. "Excuse me; are you the family of Suwa-san?"
"Yes, that's us." Kendappa tried to put on a brave smile and failed miserably. "How is he?"
The doctor looked at them sadly. "I'm sorry … we did all we could but … we couldn't save him."
"No." Kurogane heard himself say suddenly. "NO! THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE!"
"I'm sorry," the doctor said again. "It was too late, we-"
"NO!" Kurogane screamed, punching a wall for the second time that day. He stared back defiantly at everyone around him then stormed out of the hospital.
He was vaguely aware of Fai following him and waited for the blond to get in the passenger side before tearing out of the parking lot. He careened wildly through the streets, no longer caring where he went, as long as he left the hospital behind.
They ended up at the park where they had spent so much of their childhood playing together. Kurogane angrily got out and stormed over to a tree on the edge of the forest, far away enough from the scattering of children around the park. He punched the tree over and over again, barely aware of the blood that started flowing down his hands.
He felt a gently pressure on his arm and looked to see Fai beside him.
The sight of Fai, who had already lost both of his parents, tore Kurogane up even more. He punched the tree a last time then flopped onto the ground, resting his back against the trunk.
He stared up at the sky. "Why did he have to leave?" He asked, well aware that it was the question of a child.
"Everyone leaves," Fai replied softly.
"Why did he have to leave now?"
"Would it have hurt less any other time?"
Kurogane shot Fai a sharp glance. The other teenager met his gaze.
"I'll become stronger," Kurogane said, vaguely remembering a conversation he had had a long time ago. "I'll become stronger so that I can protect everyone I love."
Fai edged forward hesitantly and crawled into Kurogane's lap, pressing the older boy to him.
"I'll become stronger," Kurogane repeated, one hand resting on Fai's back, the other absentmindedly stroking Fai's hair. "I'll fight for everyone I love."
"I know," Fai murmured. "I know you will."
They held onto each other long after the sun had set.
-
Now (21 years and 5 months)
Looking back, Kurogane thinks that it was a somewhat odd answer, although at the time he hadn't questioned it. He still remembers how warm Fai was in his arms, how they had fallen asleep, slumped against that tree.
Kurogane knows that if he could fight for Fai right now, he could win.
But it's not up to him.
-
A/N - I'm kind of surprised I kept Kuro-daddy around for this long ... but the time was never right before. This was hitsuzen. (or something XD)
There's an adorable image of Kuro and Fai as fairly young kids, with Kuro slumped against a tree and Fai sort of peering at him curiously (I can't find it again, grr), which was an inspiration for this fic and this chapter.
The storyline at 21 years old sort of starts doing something next chapter, so stay tuned! =D Thank for reading =)
