Disclaimer: If I owned Tsubasa, there would be a lot more KuroFai and a ton more fluff. But sadly, I don't.

A/N: Ten assorted drabbles for your enjoyment. There are spoilers for the recent chapters and at times are a little AU. Written with the goal of eventually reaching one hundred in mind.

“Kuro-kun, I’m scared.”

The first time the magician had uttered those words, Kurogane had rolled his eyes and told him to toughen up already. What the hell did the idiot expect him to do about it?

“Kuro-rin, I’m scared.”

The second time he’d said them, Kurogane had no idea what the magician was saying. They were in Yamano at the time so the stupid blonde should’ve known communication was an impossibility. None-the-less, when they reached Piffle world, Fai folded his arms and pouted and asked him why he didn’t do anything and the ninja could only grunt in response.

“Kuro-sama, I’m scared.”

Third time’s the charm. Fai spoke those words again, this time desperately, crimson blood caked on his hands and coat as they fled the country of Celes. Kurogane was still awake upon reaching the next world and he allowed Fai to hold his hand and whisper sweet promises of life in his ears until all traces of consciousness slipped away.

# 2. Lost

“It’s not your fault.”

By the time Sakura spoke those words to “Syaoran”, her innocence was nothing more than a vague remembrance of the past. And as he stared up at her with those painfully reminiscent eyes, pleading her to stay, it was hard to imagine innocence ever being a part of her at all.

# 3. Secret

“Now then, you’re not going to run off telling Kuro-chan, are you?” Fai’s lips curved up in a delicate smile as he watched Sakura giggle madly, thoroughly pleased that he would confide in her.

“Oh, no!” Sakura said with a wide grin, “I would never do that to Fai-san!”

“Glad to hear it.”

“But when will you tell Kurogane-san?” Sakura cocked her head to one side, her curiosity getting the better of them both.

“Someday,” he said with a grin, pressing a finger to his lips and winking playfully, “But for now, let’s just keep it our little secret.”

#4. I Protect What Is Mine

Kurogane wasn’t absolutely certain when the switch occurred. He couldn’t say exactly when Fai had gone from just another infuriating idiot to someone he’d come to care for like he did now. Nor could he say when he’d become something worth protecting with his life.

It was true that he had always felt the need to protect something. Be it his mother when he was young or Princess Tomoyo once the latter had passed. He was driven to protect those people with his life as they were important to him. They were his. His mother, his Princess and, most importantly, his Fai.

#5. Undone

Kurogane was almost afraid to touch the delicate skin resting beneath that stretch of black canvas. It was smooth and seemed almost fragile in a way, as if running his fingers across it in even the gentlest manner would cause Fai to start bleeding. It was foreign to see the magician without his eye patch - he’d grown so accustomed to it’s presence - but now the tie was undone and the patch was on the floor and Kurogane couldn’t help but think of how radiant Fai looked with both eyes, mismatched as they were. Yes, the price paid was definitely worth it, he couldn’t help thinking and flushed bright red when slender arms came around his shoulders.

“Thank you, Kuro-sama.”

#6. Drowning Your Sorrows

Sakura had only ever been drunk once before - it felt like centuries ago. She remembered how absolutely amazing she had felt, meowing and stalking about playfully with Fai and Mokona. A fiery longing burned in her heart as those times flooded back to her, making her want nothing more than to feel those feelings again - to forget and go back to that time. And so, she drank sake.

But now that she was drunk, the feelings she wished so desperately to escape only increased ten-fold. Memories of Syaoran - her Syaoran - came back at full force, breaking her heart even further. Syaoran smiling. Syaoran fighting. Syaoran training with Kurogane. Syaoran’s icy gaze as he left her.

They ate at her until she couldn’t hold a glass steady any longer, and for the first time since Tokyo, tears fell.

#7. Show Me

“So this is Kuro-sama’s home world, eh?” Fai grinned from ear to ear as he peered up at the beautiful cherry blossom trees lining the palace walls. Kurogane rolled his eyes at his next question, “What’s beyond the gates?”

“The villages, what the hell do you think?” he answered loudly.

Fai giggled lightly. To anyone else, the ninja would probably look annoyed and on the verge of wringing his skinny little neck. The blonde, however, could see past that façade and how genuinely pleased Kurogane was to finally be home. A comfortable silence ensued and Fai raised his hand into the air, capturing a few soft, pink petals betwixt pale fingers. For a moment, he admired them thoughtfully and then let them flutter away in the breeze.

“Your homeland’s pretty, Kuro-tan,” Fai finally said, looking up at his taller companion, “I want to see it all, eventually.”

The hidden light in the ninja’s eyes at that moment would’ve put the sun to shame. The faintest hint of a smile crept onto his lips as he asked, “You mean you’re staying?”

“Yes,” the smaller man nodded, golden locks bouncing around his face, “I am.”

Kurogane shyly slipped his fingers around Fai’s hand and began leading him toward the gates, “Well, if you insist on seeing all of it then we’d better start now, huh?”

#8. Complicated

When the time came, she found that it was easy to tell “Syaoran”. It was easy to let him know that there was another Sakura waiting for him. One who’s heart could belong to him. Her only regret was that she never got to see his face - his reaction - before she collapsed in the arms of her Syaoran and slipped away.

Somehow she always imagined it would be a little more complicated than that.

#9. Roses

“I like these the best,” Fai declared one sunny day as he knelt down beside a flower bush.

Kurogane didn’t like this world at all. It was one huge garden, blooms of every kind flourishing everywhere and the magician seemed determined to see every single one. He’d stopped multiple times to pick a flower or two, most of them ending up in tow of the ninja - he had the beginnings of a fucking bouquet in his hand - but he noticed that this was, indeed, the second time Fai had looked at these particular flowers, with their wide petals and sweet scent.

“What’s so special about ‘em?” Kurogane asked, only half interested.

“They’re pretty, but they’re kind of dangerous because of the thorns,” the blonde said with a small smile, carefully plucking one, “I don’t know why, really, I just like them.”

Pretty, but dangerous. Kurogane shook his head and couldn’t help but think that the roses sounded a lot like the magician.

#10. Ice

It was obvious that Fai didn’t like this world. There was snow on the ground and it was cold as hell and even though Kurogane had never seen it, he could tell that it was reminiscent of the magician’s home world just by the nostalgia lingering in those icy blue orbs.

Fai looked scared.

Maybe those memories that seemed to torment him - or whatever the hell it was that powered those damned fake smiles - had finally caught up with him. Maybe the nostalgia was having worse effects than he could imagine. It didn’t really matter as Kurogane found no room to complain when the magician was suddenly standing very close.

Because at least he felt safe there.