Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle (Fay/Kurogane)

[nekokoban]

Title: That Little Warmth
Author/Artist: nekokoban
Rating: TOTALLY WORKSAFE. Yeah, there's all the angst and tragedy going on, but really, I love this pairing because they're also total morons.
Word count: 322
Summary: Fay knows anger as something cold; Kurogane is anything but.
Prompt: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, Kurogane/Fai: Nicknames - 'because angry is a good look for you'

+++++

"Kuro-pippi~"

To Fay, irritation is a novel feeling: it's all about the moment and reaction, all heat and immediate driving purpose.

He knows rage as a cold hard certainty in his gut, and he knows anger as a tense pulsing headache that gathers in his temples, and both of these he as things he must control at all costs. Fury he's also well-acquainted with as the ice in the king's eyes when news of the crown prince's death reached the castle, and as the stomach-churning prickle of ice down his spine when faced with the murderers.

Anger and he are polite acquaintences at the least, all in degrees of descending cold.

"Kuro-puu~"

Irritation, though, redfaced and bellowing and waving a sword, is delightfully new. Even the breeze of the blade's edge right past his cheek is warmer than most anything he can remember from Celes, and the novelty is enough to make him forget the danger. It feels good, and he's pretty sure he could get himself addicted fast.

But any one stimulus, used for too long, begins to lose its effectiveness -- this he also knows, though how and why, he'd rather not say -- which means he has to be creative. The passion behind that irritation draws him again and again, and at the very least, he can be grateful that they're not *really* fire and ice: that'd be terribly cliche, and he's not really interested in melting away, just ... warming himself a little. That's all.

He can stop at any time, he tells himself, but while he has this, there's nothing wrong in enjoying himself.

"Kuro-ko~? Heyyy, Kuro-daddy, shouldn't you listen when Mommy calls you? Ahh, what sort of example do you think you're setting for the children, ignoring Mommy like this?"

And finally the thread of Kurogane's temper snaps: he draws Souhi in a whistling rush, and Fay takes off, laughing the whole time.

Comments

[gnine.livejournal.com]

Hee, soo cute! I do so love this pair!

[nekokoban]

♥ I do too, I gotta admit -- their pairing dynamic is one I keep falling for, time and again. :D

P.S. I made my friends rewatch the scene in your icon just for how sheerly HAPPY he is with that line. It's so cute♥

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

Yes,yes. *nods head and agrees* -this is who they are. ^__~

Exactly.

Lovely little short.

[nekokoban]

Thank you! :D I really love their serious-but-not dynamic, and I'm glad it worked out here♥

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

*grin* Oh so cute and a really neat look into the less flippant side of Fay that motivates his behaviour. Kurogane is also very well characterized in absentia by the way Fay describes him.

And I love this line: he's not really interested in melting away, just ... warming himself a little. That's all.

So very Fay and the self denial is nicely handled.

[nekokoban]

Fay's self-denial (and Kurogane's constant calling him on it) is one of the more serious aspects of this pairing I really like -- I had fun with the chance to muck with it♥

Thank you for reading! I'm glad you liked it. :D

[lcmilkovich.livejournal.com]

So very cute. I'm going to go flail in the cuteness now. . .

[nekokoban]

Thank you! :D I'm glad it was enjoyable♥

[fengtianshi.livejournal.com]

Awwww so lovely and angst-free! I so needed something like that right now, thank you so much for you adorable fic! <3

[nekokoban]

Eheh, I'm glad you liked it! :D The fandom has taken such a dark turn recently, I thought I'd revisit the lighthearted part that made me like them in the first place. :3

[shadow-piper.livejournal.com]

lol. XD Yay! I non-angsty fic :D iono. It was very...in character for me. Very good.

[nekokoban]

Angst is okay in doses, but I loved this pairing first because they were funny. :D

I'm glad you liked this! ♥

[ontogenesis.livejournal.com]

Wow, as usual you've got an excellent grasp on the characters. I imagine a lot of Fai's interactions with Kurogane and the family are "new" for him, considering how limited his human contact was.

*bribes you to write more KuroxFai*

[nekokoban]

In the light of recent canon, I think a lot of Fay's attitude and childishness comes from the fact that he's never been ABLE to, before, in a "safe" enviroment -- I don't buy that Ashura was a horrible person, but he seems to be very stern in his kindness, and knowing Fay, he probably tried very hard to appear adult/competent to show his gratitude to his king. But with Kuro-rin and the kids, they don't have expectations of him, and he can totally cut loose. :D

I do want to write more KuroFay! I just, uh, need to figure out what. And also, I am very easily bribed. :3

[ibbsc.livejournal.com]

hehe adorable X3

[nekokoban]

Thank you! ♥

[ravenbell.livejournal.com]

I don't know this fandom, but this is hysterical. :)

[nekokoban]

Awww, thank you! :D The characters are currently going through really rough spots in canon, but I still fondly remember the days of "Kurogane-daddy" and "Fay-mommy." ♥

[ck-monogatari.livejournal.com]

Damn that was cute lol XDDD I love the association of varoius feelings with temperature, and especially this line:

the breeze of the blade's edge right past his cheek is warmer than most anything he can remember from Celes, and the novelty is enough to make him forget the danger.

Captures Fay's acknowledgement of the danger Kurogane poses to him (or so he supposes), but Fay's atraction to Kurogane anyway =DDD me loves XDDD

[nekokoban]

♥ I've always vaguely wondered why Fay's not got more of a problem with hot places when they go -- skinny as he is, he's grown up in a world of ice, and that's what he's used to!

I'm glad this was cute♥ I do like them a lot when they're being dumb together. :D

[alaceron.livejournal.com]

Hee, I love the way you write these two.
Retardedlove FTW!