Ask Kurogane & Fai

Syaoran smiled at the two of them, watching as Fai tried to pull at Kurogane’s crossed arms to get him to show some affection while Kurogane stubbornly stood as still as a rock. He was rather used to their antics by now and knew that, despite Mokona’s teasing, Fai was right: Kurogane loved Fai more than anything else in the world.

He just wasn’t very good at showing it, especially when they were out in public.

“Well… I was thinking I'd ask around a bit," Syaoran said as he began to step away. "So you guys have fun on your own—whatever you decide to do."

“Hey, kid—”

Syaoran turned and rushed into the crowd that swallowed him out of sight before Kurogane could stop him. “Off he goes,” Fai said with a breezy laugh.

“The hell was that all about?” Kurogane asked him. 

“Hmm, maybe Syaoran-kun wants mommy and daddy to get married too?” Fai smiled up at him, still clinging to his arm. “Mokona-chan is right, it must be so difficult for a son to go through life with his parents never being married—”

“Shut up,” Kurogane snapped dryly as he pulled out of Fai’s hold. “Between the two of you idiots, I’m gonna need a drink.”

As he moved to venture deeper into the festival, however, Fai stood still behind him. He heard the mage quietly ask, “Would it really be that bad?”

Kurogane stopped and turned to look at him. Fai was watching the many couples that passed them by, some young, some old, all giddy with excitement and overflowing with so much love that it even made the air feel sickly sweet. As his eyes scanned the crowds, they eventually met Kurogane’s and widened slightly like he’d just been caught doing something he shouldn’t.

“What d’you mean?” Kurogane asked. “Like… getting married here?”

Fai put on a bright smile—a little too forced and a lot too reminiscent of his old habits for Kurogane's liking—and laughed like it had all been a joke. “I was just thinking out loud! I got all caught up in the romance—should we find a drink?”

Fai skipped ahead to take Kurogane’s arm again and led him into the crowd. Kurogane followed obediently, confused and unsettled by Fai’s sudden attitude shift.

To be fair, they’d never discussed actually getting married before. Weren’t they practically married already? What could be a stronger vow than exchanging blood, sacrificing limbs, or pouring magic into one another? They were more connected than any of the overly affectionate couples that surrounded them, it wasn’t like they needed some official title or a set of rings to prove it.

That didn’t mean he never thought about it, though. Being practically married and being actually married were two different things and even for someone as opposed to public displays of affection as he was, Kurogane still liked the idea of being able to add husband to the list of things he called Fai. He always figured they'd just get married when they settled in Nihon and he thought that Fai knew that too, but...

“Besides, Kuro-daddy isn’t really into these kinds of things.”

Kurogane frowned. Fai knew him better than anyone else; he knew that Kurogane didn’t like being touchy in public, he knew that if he clung to him or kissed his cheek then Kurogane would blush and complain and try to pull away. But he also knew that when they were alone, he’d get smothered with all the love Kurogane held in around other people. 

But did he really think Kurogane wouldn’t want to marry him? Kurogane cut an arm off for him; in comparison, a wedding was nothing. Kurogane would marry him now or later or whenever Fai wanted.

Unfortunately, Kurogane assumed that Fai just had the same mentality that he did and he never thought to ask. He could really be an idiot with these sorts of things.

“Oh!”

Fai let go of Kurogane to venture towards one of the vendor booths. He was looking over some shiny trinkets, things like mirrors and combs and other miscellaneous things that people were buying as gifts to give to their partners as they made their way towards the shrine.

Kurogane wandered off as Fai perused, eventually ending up at a booth selling an assortment of jewelry. The biggest display they had was dedicated entirely to wedding bands, though most were already sold to the couples that came early. The ones left over all looked the same, just boring silver bands with nothing unique about them. Not that Kurogane thought something like a ring was necessary, but if it was going to be used, shouldn’t it at least be special?

As he thought that, a shimmer of blue caught his eye. He bent down to eye the ring a bit closer; the silver band was engraved with swirling designs that reminded Kurogane of the sigils Fai used to cast spells that gathered around a sparkling sapphire. Beside it, there was another ring made of dark metal with sharp, crossing marks carved into it and a small, crimson ruby in its center.

Kurogane still didn't think rings were necessary to prove devotion to someone, but despite that, he couldn't help but think that it would be kind of... nice for the two of them to wear something that reminded them of the other. And the longer he looked, the more compelled he felt to buy them, especially when he pictured how happy Fai would be to receive his.

“Are you interested in anything?” The vendor asked when he noticed Kurogane’s staring.

Kurogane nodded and pointed at the two rings. “Yeah. These two.”

“Oh, if you’re interested in a set, I have others that—”

Kurogane shook his head. “These are good.”

The rings, with their opposite colors and designs, were obviously not meant to be worn together. And yet, Kurogane thought that they made the perfect match.

Kurogane found Fai a bit later in the midst of the crowd, his bright hair and tall frame sticking out in the sea of people. He pushed against the tide until he reached the mage, who was standing in line for some kind of drink being sold. Fai beamed when Kurogane filled the space beside him.

“There you are! Where did you wander off to?”

“Just looking around.” Kurogane eyed the new accessory in Fai’s hair; dark metal was twisted intricately to mimic a flower, its petals made up of sparkling rubies similar to the one set in the ring that he had hidden in his pocket.

Fai touched the clip delicately. “What do you think? It's nice, isn't it?”

Kurogane nodded. “It suits you.”

Fai grinned happily and hooked his arms around Kurogane’s, leaning heavily into his side. Kurogane averted his eyes awkwardly, his cheeks warming. The small pouch in his pocket that held the two rings felt heavy and he wondered how he could present them to Fai without feeling like an idiot.

Fai took initiative to order their drinks when they reached the front of the line and they were handed two mugs of steaming cider. It was a bit sweet for Kurogane’s taste, but the alcohol cut through and settled warmly in his gut. Fai practically moaned beside him when he tasted it.

“Will you two lovebirds be joining the celebrations?” The woman behind the booth asked. “You should get to the shrine before the lines get too long!”

Fai laughed and shook his head. “No, we’re just here for the drinks!”

She shrugged, looking mildly disappointed, and moved on to attend to the next customer. Kurogane shoved one hand into his pocket and shifted the rings between his fingers. Maybe now would be a good time to—

“Should we find some food?” Fai asked. 

Kurogane released the rings and nodded. “Sure.”

They finished their drinks and squeezed through the people crowding the booth. Fai led the way down the street, each step taking them closer to the shrine that towered over the other buildings and glowed from the paper lanterns hanging all around it. 

“It looks nice,” Fai said as he looked towards it as well. “I bet Syaoran-kun is down there taking all sorts of notes, don't you think?”

“Should we take a look?” Kurogane asked suddenly.

Fai glanced up at him and lifted a brow in question. “We were going to get food.”

“We can come back,” Kurogane told him. “It might get too crowded later if we wait.”

Fai looked at Kurogane inquisitively but nodded along. “Okay, sure.”

Kurogane grabbed Fai’s wrist to lead him towards the shrine, which earned him a surprised exclamation from the blond. As they walked, he loosened his grip and slid his hand down until it was holding Fai’s; he laced their fingers together. When he glanced back at Fai, he saw that Fai was staring down at their interlocked hands with a deepening blush reddening his cheeks.

Up close, the shrine was a beautiful piece of architecture. It wasn’t exactly the same as what Kurogane was used to in Nihon, but there were some similar elements in the shape of the roof and some of the intricate designs painted on its ceilings. There was a long line leading into its doors, all couples waiting eagerly for their turn to be wed.

“It reminds me a bit of Nihon,” Fai pondered as he looked up at the tall building. Something in Kurogane’s chest warmed from knowing that Fai was also thinking about Nihon.

Kurogane swallowed. They were near the end of the line. It would be easy to step right into it and let themselves be ushered through the wedding hall. 

“Do you…?” Was all Kurogane managed to say before his throat closed up awkwardly. He felt betrayed by his own nerves.

Fai looked at him curiously and tilted his head. “Hm? What was that, Kuro-sama?”

Kurogane cleared his throat and nodded towards the line. “Do you want to?”

Fai blinked at him, eyes the same color as the sapphire on the ring big and shining under the warm lanterns. “...Huh?”

Kurogane’s heart was pounding and his face was getting warm and he could feel people looking at them—it probably wasn’t typical for couples to come all the way to the shrine without already making the decision to get married. The proposal happening right in front of its doors was abnormal enough to draw attention to the two of them.

“You said we should give it a try,” Kurogane said stiffly.

Fai’s brows furrowed and he frowned, confused and looking a little hurt by Kurogane's apparently sudden shift. “I—I was just joking and besides—you said it was tacky.”

“I think all weddings are at least a little tacky,” Kurogane clarified. He took a step closer to Fai and lowered his voice so no one else could overhear him. “But getting married to you isn’t.”

Fai’s eyes opened wide with wonder as a pink blush spread across his nose and even to the tips of his ears. He gulped and ducked his head, glancing shyly at the many people around them; he didn't usually have any qualms about public displays of affection if he was the one doing it, but if Kurogane was the one being affectionate, well that was something entirely different. That was something that was usually private and hidden behind locked doors for only him to know.

“Y-You can’t just… say things like that…” he murmured while shaking his head. “You never said that you—we don’t even have any rings or—”

Kurogane dug into his pocket and pulled the little pouch out. He tipped it into his palm, revealing the pair, and Fai’s jaw fell in shock. He lifted his gaze to Kurogane’s.

“Are you… really asking me to marry you right now?”

Kurogane shrugged. “Technically you asked first. I was just an idiot and didn't give the right answer.”

Fai hesitantly reached out to the rings in Kurogane’s palm. He went to take the silver one, but Kurogane shook his head and gave him the darker one instead. Fai turned it to examine it at different angles, watching the way the ruby reflected the light, before he slipped it onto his ring finger; it was a perfect fit.

He returned his gaze to Kurogane and shook his head in quiet awe. “I don’t understand… I thought—”

“I know.” Kurogane nodded. “You thought I didn't wanna get married at all. But I always thought we’d get married, idiot. Just figured we’d wait ‘til we were in Nihon, not some random world. But I guess I should’ve told you that.”

Fai huffed out an exasperated laugh and nodded. “Yeah, you probably should have.” He looked down at the ring on his finger. “But… maybe I should have asked, too.”

“We don’t have to wait,” Kurogane continued. “We can get married right now if you want to.”

“You’d give up getting married in your home?”

Kurogane thought it over for a moment and a sudden epiphany popped into his head. “I mean… there’s no rule saying we can’t get married here and in Nihon.”

Fai blinked. “Oh… yes, I suppose you’re right…” And then his entire face brightened with a smile, beaming with love and excitement. “We could get married in every world if we wanted to.”

Kurogane’s face softened into a smile undetectable to nearly everyone except for Fai, who could read him like a book. “Sure, if you want.”

Fai looked about ready to burst. He took Kurogane’s hand and yanked him towards the end of the line. 

“Then, let’s start the count!”

—

When they met Syaoran later that night as they were leaving the festival, he noticed the rings but didn’t comment on them. Mokona, however, began teasing the two of them by singing a song about wedding bells and walking down the aisle, bouncing around the three of them now that they were away from the crowds and she didn't need to hide. Kurogane squished her in his palm to get her to stop.

“We’re sorry you weren’t there,” Fai told Syaoran as Mokona squeaked for mercy. 

The boy shook his head; he didn’t look very offended at having not been involved in his surrogate parents’ wedding. If anything, he looked oddly satisfied.

“I’m just happy it finally happened,” he said as he looked between the two of them.

Kurogane glanced at Fai; maybe he was right and it really did make Syaoran feel better for them to be—

“I won the bet I made with Touya. He thought it would take you guys way longer.”

Fai and Kurogane’s jaws dropped at Syaoran’s confession. The kid just smiled innocently at the two of them.

“That…” Kurogane began.

“...bastard!” Fai finished as he rushed towards Syaoran. “Why did he think it would take us so long?! Let’s call Sakura-chan, I want to ask him what he meant by that right now!”

Syaoran just laughed as Fai shook him by his shoulders. Kurogane walked over to them and put a hand on Fai’s shoulder to calm him down. Fai pouted at him and Kurogane shrugged.

“Let’s just try to go to Clow. We can get married there and prove him wrong ourselves.”

Fai’s eyes lit up with mischievous glee. “Oh, I like that idea.”

“Um, getting married isn’t a competition, you know,” Syaoran chimed in.

“It became one the second you made that bet!” Fai cried, returning his attention back to Syaoran. “Syaoran-kun, how could you?!”

Syaoran held his hands up in surrender. “I just knew he was wrong,” he told them. “I knew you guys wouldn’t be able to wait much longer. But now the next time we visit, he has to be nice to me the whole time.”

“Seems like a pretty good trade,” Kurogane mumbled.

Fai sighed, resigned, and wrapped one arm around Syaoran’s shoulders and hooked the other through Kurogane’s elbow to lead them towards their rented home. “Fine, fine. But we’re going to get married in every single world we land in until we get to Clow so we can prove him extra, extra wrong!”

“Mokona wants to be the Flower-Mokona!”

“All you’ll be is the food at the reception.”

“Wah! Kuro-daddy is so violent! Fai-mommy should get a divorce!”

Fai laughed along with Mokona and Kurogane’s banter and leaned slightly into Kurogane’s side.

The child crawls, hesitant at first, but then speeding off with a squeaky giggle towards his father. Syaoran smiles and it's probably the most at peace Fai has ever seen the boy (not a boy anymore, he reminds himself, he's a grown man now, with a family of his own). "I'll never get tired of the way he squeaks like that, like he's delighted about what he's doing," Syaoran says, just as the boy reaches him. He picks him up, brings him close and presses a soft kiss to his sand-coloured hair.

Fai nods. "I think every new parent has that, that wonder, when it comes to things, especially adorable things, that their children do." He huffs, amused and fond, and shakes his head. "Hell, it's not even just the new parents." When Syaoran looks at him with a questioning glance, Fai shrugs. "You and Sakura-chan both, you're adults now. And yet, I still find most everything you do endearing and wondrous."

Syaoran's eyes widen just a smidge, before he ducks his head to hide his reddening face. (It's adorable, and proves Fai's point perfectly.) "Fai-san…"

Fai shrugs again, before reaching over, patting Syaoran's head gently, and then picking the now squirming child out of his arms. The boy instantly settles, big, green eyes blinking up at Fai, before crossing adorably when Fai lightly boops his nose with the tip of his finger. The squeaky giggle that follows is as heartwarming as it was earlier.

"Will you and Kurogane-san have one, do you think?" Syaoran asks after a mostly silent minute, voice soft, eyes on his son when Fai looks up at him. 

Fai hums, half in thought, half for his grandson. "Maybe. It's never really come up, honestly, not even when we got the news of Sakura-chan's pregnancy." Fai has thought about it, though, once or twice. It doesn't sound like a bad idea. "Don't worry, though," he teases with a scrunch of his nose. "You guys are still going to be our first children. That won't change, even if we do decide to have another."

And Syaoran nods, face still pink (Fai wants to poke his cheek, see if it's as warm as it looks). "Then I'll be looking forward to having a little brother or sister."

~

("Kuropon, what do you think about having children?"

"It's tiring and bad for the heart."

"I mean, yes. But."

"But what? Spit it out, mage."

"I was thinking of maybe having one?"

"We already have one, idiot. More than, actually."

"Kuro-sama, you're being obtuse. I mean, let's have another. A baby. Maybe two."

"...Did the brat's kid send you into a baby fever or something?"

"No. No. Ah, nevermind. It was just a silly idea."

"...okay. If that's what you want. Sure."

"...really?"

"Yes, really."