Chapter Text
"We'll see how much you like it."
There was a flash of light, and the smell of something burning, and then the woman who had spoken to them initially was just... gone. Poof.
Fai folded his arms behind his head. "Uh oh. I think I may have made her mad. She seemed to be looking at me when she said that."
Kurogane stared after the woman. "... That was weird."
"Definitely," Syaoran agreed.
"Did that woman know you, Fai-san?" Sakura asked, looking up at Fai.
He shook his head. "Nope! I've never been here before, and I don't know an alternate version of her. Maybe she knows an alternate version of me?"
Kurogane huffed. "What's alternate you doing to make that woman so mad at you?"
Fai held out his hands. "Dunno~"
"What was she doing anyway?"
"Dunno."
"What was that flash of light?"
"I dunno, Kuro-puu~ I thought we were going to eat, I'm starving~" Fai slung his arm over Kurogane's shoulders and thus began the bickering anew.
"Mmphhm."
"Tired or something?"
Fai lifted his face from the pillow, turning his head so he could speak. "Well, I dunno about that, but it's good to finally have a proper bed again." He wrapped his arm around the pillow and pulled it closer. "I mean, I don't mind, but this is nice. After the sauna and all."
"Your hair's still wet," Kurogane pointed out.
Fai shrugged. "Are the kids already asleep?"
"Yeah."
Fai yawned and rolled over. "Come to bed~"
"Yeah yeah yeah."
"So slow!"
"So impatient."
Fai smiled as Kurogane crawled into bed and he wasted no time in curling up next to him, yawning into his chest.
"Liar."
"Hm~?"
"You are tired."
Fai smiled against his skin. "Maybe a little."
"Sleep, then."
"'kay, Daddy~"
"Not a Daddy!"
Fai chuckled and pressed himself closer into Kurogane's warmth; the man was like a personal space heater and while Fai wasn't accustomed to being cold in any case, he loved sleeping with him when he was so warm. Which was always.
"... why're you so warm?" Kurogane muttered. He pressed his hand against Fai's cheek, and then his forehead. "You sick?"
"Huh?" Fai pried his eyes open. No, he'd been thinking Kurogane was warm, not the other way around. "I'm not sick. I feel fine."
Kurogane frowned. "You're warmer than usual."
Fai shrugged. "Probably just from cuddling with you."
"I've barely been in bed. Two minutes." Kurogane's hand traced along Fai's shoulder, for a fraction too long to be idle concern, but actual, serious worry.
"Such a Daddy," Fai whispered.
Kurogane promptly forgot about how warm Fai apparently was, grumbling about the comment. Afterwards, he didn't say anything else about it, presumably so Fai could sleep instead.
Kurogane was already gone by the time that Fai woke up, probably up being his usual Daddy-ish self by taking care of the rest of the family. Fai yawned and rolled over, and out of bed, grabbing for his clothes to get dressed and go in search of breakfast and the feather, assuming one was here.
Or rather, he would have been content in going about that, if-
"Kuro-sama."
Kurogane glanced up from his manga and his breakfast, bored curiosity in his eyes. "Hm?"
Fai smiled thinly. "Can I talk to you?"
Kurogane's eyebrows drew together. "Why are you asking me for? You never ask."
Honestly, how much pushing did Kurogane need. "Alone," Fai said, purposefully sweeping his gaze to the children and Mokona nearby. "Privately."
Now the ninja looked even more confused. And worried, although he was probably trying to hide that. "What?" he asked, getting to his feet. "What's wrong?"
"I'm... fine," Fai said. Technically, sure. He was. He wasn't hurt. He wasn't dying, or anything. So far as he could tell. He grabbed Kurogane's wrist to pull him away. "I'm not hurt or anything."
"You wouldn't be acting like this if you were fine."
"I said I'm fine, not that nothing's wrong." He closed the door to their room, spinning around. "So, I think I figured out what that was yesterday!"
Kurogane looked at him intently.
"I think it was a spell," Fai continued. "I thought I felt magic at the time, but it was a different display than what I'm used to, so I didn't even think about it."
Kurogane was still staring at him, although definitely less calmly. "What are you saying?"
"Well..." Fai grinned, running his fingers through his hair. "I think I was cursed."
"You think?"
"I know~"
There was a mixture of murder and worry in the ninja's eyes. It was an odd combination. Not entirely unfamiliar on Kurogane's face, though. "What did she do to you?" he growled.
"It's not life-threatening, Kuro-pon," Fai interrupted, brushing his knuckles against his cheek. "Promise."
Kurogane blew out a breath, reaching up to tangle his fingers with Fai's. "Okay. Then tell me what she did."
"It's just life-altering~"
"What does that mean?" Kurogane demanded.
"I think she... well, nope, I definitely know." Fai held out his hands. "She turned me into a woman~"