Fandom: Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE

Pairing: KuroFai

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Rating: T [For Mild Shounen-Ai and Language

Title: Mirror Image

Summary: That Kurogane was like him, no, not one bit. Because he’d never look at Fai like that, honest.

Disclaimer: If I owned Tsubasa, there would be a lot more focus on Kurogane and Fai. But unfortunately, I don’t. Meh.

---

His blonde hair, those sapphire eyes, that slight frame, a God-honest smile--if it were not for the latter, the man could have been a mirror image of the magician. Perhaps, even his twin. Kurogane had only seen this clone of sorts for a brief moment, laughing and smiling and--while he really did shudder at the very thought of it--flirting with his own duplicate. And no, he hadn’t noticed the other Fai first, because he had no reason to look at that blonde idiot when he didn’t have to, much less at an exact copy of that idiot. He had first noticed the man who looked like himself, of course, because how often is it that you see someone who looks exactly like you? In doing so, he had merely come to the conclusion that, if it was himself sitting at that table with that blonde man, then it was probably Fai. As he watched them just for that brief moment, he had quickly become confused. Because, while the burly, dark haired man looked exactly like him, his attitude--his very motions--couldn’t have been more mismatched with his own. He was smiling, for one, which was something he did rarely and he looked absolutely relaxed as he drank tea and spoke freely to the magician’s clone. Then there was something strange in the manner in which he looked at the man across from him… it was as if he was the most valuable thing in his world.

It was true that the magician was important to Kurogane--he felt no need to deny something as simple as that. But Kurogane had never shown his importance in such a… blatant… manner. Fai was a comrade and, despite his annoying mannerisms, he respected him. But this, however--judging solely by that one, innocent look--seemed to extend far beyond simple friendship and he didn’t like that one bit.
Because he would never let himself have such feelings for that blonde idiot, honest.

It was the rain that had kept Kurogane from watching further. It began pouring again (this world had been the rainiest yet) and Fai had taken him by the elbow and pulled him into the nearest shop, insisting that they wait out the worst of it there. And while the rain really wasn’t all that threatening and he could have just run back to where they were staying without really even getting soaked, he waited there just because there was a chance it could get worse at any moment. Spending more time with the magician--alone by mere coincidence--had nothing to do with it.

It took a moment of staring out into the rain--which wouldn’t let up for a bit--Kurogane realized just how unnaturally quiet his companion was. That wasn’t right--not at all. He looked to the lanky man who had slumped down against the wall, head buried in his hands.

“Hey,” he said softly, kneeling down in front of the magician. He didn’t care what was wrong, really he didn’t, but if he was going to be stuck in this damned place with Fai, then he wasn’t about to spend that time with him in all his pathetic glory.

And maybe a very small, insignificant part of him cared.

The smaller man was silent for a moment, shaking his head. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, almost weak, “You saw them, didn’t you, Kuro-pii?”

“Nn,” he grunted in agreement, nodding his head once.

“He looked so much like me. Exactly like me, really, but. . .” his voice trailed off and he shook his head, laughing lightly. Fai looked up at him, smiling only slightly, “But that doesn’t matter, now does it?”

Kurogane grunted and, as the magician began to stand, placed a hand carefully on his shoulder and pushed Fai back down to the floor. He was sick of it--the man was a master at concealing his emotions, but never when it concerned him, because when it did, he failed miserably. Something was ebbing at Fai--something about the clone, perhaps. He’d find out what it was, because really, what more did he have to do?

“The witch said that we may one day run into ourselves,” he reminded Fai, “You remember that, don’t you? What is that’s gotten to you, then?”

“Ah, Kuro-pon has such a great memory. And he’s so caring!” the lanky man clapped his hands together, smiling brightly and avoiding the subject altogether.

“Damn mage, I asked you a question!” Kurogane growled.

“Now, now,” he waved a hand dismissively, “no need to get angry Kuro-chii--”

“I’m going to stay angry until I get an answer!” He really didn’t know why he was so mad. Perhaps it had finally caught up with him--all those false smiles, his forever flippant attitude… Every last instance had gotten to him in a way that he never did understand. It ebbed at his anger to a terrible degree--the damned magician had finally just broken through his non-caring attitude.

Because all he wanted was to see his real smile--just once.

The sudden realization that hit him nearly knocked him back onto his ass. But no, he couldn’t fall back because Fai would just turn this on him and that was just no good. Determination suddenly overtook him and he decided that today he was going to break through that damned mask and see a bit of the real Fai--perhaps even the kind of Fai he’d seen on the street not-so-long ago.

“If you would look, Kuro-chan,” the magician began quietly, sapphire orb not daring to meet crimson, “If you would really take a good look at me and then a good look at him, you would easily see it.”

Kurogane had to take a moment to consider--to make certain that he was saying the right thing at that he wasn’t going to hurt the magician. At that, he sighed inwardly. It wasn’t like it made a difference anyways--the magician would brush off whatever he said, really, and it really didn’t matter because he didn’t care about Fai in such a manner that it would. And even if he did hurt Fai with his words, it would only be a matter of hours before the lanky man forgave him an all would be fine again.

So, he spoke, “It bothers you that he’s the real thing, doesn't it? That when he smiles, it’s real--it's not one of those god damned forced ones you slap on for our benefit. He looks happy - nothing like you.”

Fai sighed, laughing lightly. “It’s the source of that happiness, Kuropyon… I’ll never have it.”

“Who says?” Kurogane’s face gained more color as he spoke and he diverted his attention to the floor.

It was a moment of odd realization.

The source of that man’s happiness had been Kurogane’s duplicate and he was willing to bet that it was vice versa. Perhaps Fai longed for that kind of relationship--the kind he had seen in his clone’s eyes when he’d given the magician’s duplicate that look. That kind of closeness was something he feared above all else because he didn’t care about the magician like that. He couldn’t--it was just… wrong.

He feared becoming the Kurogane he’d seen moments ago--the smiling and shameless man who was clearly falling in love with the magician.

He couldn’t let that happen.

But as he stood--and the magician stood--they exchanged a look filled with meaning. Kurogane wasn’t at all certain what he was doing anymore. Fai’s eyes were dancing with amusement as he poked Fai square in the forehead, smiling a lopsided smile.

“Don’t be so quick to doubt things.”

He’d expected a lot of things to happen after that, but none of them did. Instead the magician took a step closer to him and, at first, Kurogane was startled. He hadn’t expected the magician to wrap his thin arms around his broad shoulders in an embrace, and he definitely hadn’t expected a pair of warm, unnaturally soft lips to brush across his cheek to meet his own. He hadn’t expected the way they lingered there to feel so damn good and he hadn’t expected it to be such a task to pull away. But when he did pull his lips from the magician’s and his crimson eyes bored into Fai’s sapphire one, he could see how much the man needed this. It wasn’t right, no, not at all, and he’d regret it all in the morning, he knew he would, but that sapphire eye soon closed and those lips were on his own again with a newfound confidence and Fai’s mouth was warm and inviting and it was a difficulty simply to think straight--pulling away again had been marked immediately as an impossibility. So he allowed himself to fall into the moment--he’d allowed his lips to part and his tongue to explore and feelings he didn’t like one bit to run rampant.

Perhaps he wasn’t quite as far from his counterpart as he’d imagined.

---

A/N: This is what was my longest Tsubasa one-shot ever, now edited for your enjoyment. Let me know if my characterization was off. That's what I always worry about most.