#fai just lets tomoyo have the hubby on the days they visit her world

[kumeko]

Prompt: Tsubasa, bamboo : loyalty, strength, steadfastness

A/N: I had written this for a CCS/Tsubasa zine that sadly got cancelled. ☹ I’ve always loved Tomoyo’s/Kurogane’s relationship, the utter steadfastness of Kurogane’s loyalty and her confidence in him.

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Sake cup in hand, Tomoyo stepped out onto her bamboo-lined balcony and took a deep breath of the cool, sweet air. It was a pleasant night for a moon-viewing and she leaned against her balcony rail to watch the party below. Bright, colourful lanterns shone in defiance to the night’s gloom, lighting up the palace’s courtyard. Below, she could make out a drunk Syaoran energetically fighting the ancient sakura tree while Fai and Mokona cheered him on.

It was cute. They’d no doubt forgotten just what they were here for. Her attendants and sister were seated a short distance away, their half of the party a more dignified one. The only ones missing were Sakura and Kurogane: a princess who could no longer afford the cost of travel and the latter which was standing behind her right now.

“I thought you would prefer drinking with them,” she said, glancing over her shoulder.

Dressed in a black and red kimono, Kurogane regaled her with surprise, his eyes widening slightly before he shook his head. “I thought you didn’t have the sight anymore,” he asked as he stepped out of the shadows.

“I do not need that or even your senses to know where you are.” Tomoyo smirked, moving slightly so he could stand next to her. A bamboo leaf brushed her shoulder. “You are very predictable.”

“Am I?” he questioned, taking a sip from his own cup. There was nothing graceful about the way he drank and even in this he couldn’t hide his brash nature.

“Very much so.” Tomoyo chuckled, cupping her cheek with hand. “You’re like a little puppy.”

“Puppy?” he repeated, aghast.

“A cute, little puppy,” she confirmed, mischievously. She glanced at Fai and Syaoran once more. Classical music drifted through the air. “And with that group, it is very helpful, I imagine.”

“It’s very annoying,” he grumbled, giving Fai and Mokona a flat glare. Despite his words, there was no bite in his tone, and she wondered if he could see how much he had softened over the years. Even his profile wasn’t as hard as it used to be, his sternness of a gentler type now.

“Your inflexibility can be,” she agreed innocently, ignoring how his glare now swung to her. “You could just enjoy the party with them, you know.”

“I did.” Kurogane smiled faintly, the limit of his honesty. “And now I’m here. To renew my vow.”

Tomoyo regarded him for a moment. “We do not have to do this every time, you know.”

 “We do,” he disagreed, finishing the last of his sake before resting the cup on the railing. “Until my mission is over, until I can stay here, I want to.”

“What is the point if you aren’t here?” Tomoyo winced. That sounded harsher than she intended. Rephrasing, she added, “It is not that I doubt your loyalty. I can see it in the lengths you go to find that other Sakura and Syaoran.”

He didn’t say anything, just regarded her with dark eyes as he waited for her to finish. And that much hadn’t changed over the years either, how he knew when she had more to say.

Tomoyo glanced up at the moon, so much brighter than the light reflected in her sake. After taking another sip, she quietly set aside her own cup. “This vow is not meant to chain you, not if you no longer need it. You may return here as much as you like, but…”

When I sent you away, I understood that you might never return.

Tomoyo couldn’t voice those last words. Cowardly, she looked away. The tall stalks of bamboo on her right glowed faintly in the moonlight and she took solace in their rigidity. There was a price to pay for every wish, and hers was his company.

It was an insignificant thing in comparison to his life.

“I remember your laughter when this started,” Kurogane said. She glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore. Instead, his gaze was locked on his companions.

“Your expression was funny,” she murmured.

He didn’t frown or even growl at that; he’d grown up in ways she hadn’t expected. “Yours will be funnier when I finally return home.”

Home? She stared at him, surprised.

“Yeah, just like that.” He grinned, all teeth, as he kneeled before her. “Like I said, I want to do this. After I find those two, I’m done with travelling.”

“What if that day never comes?” she asked, trying not to hope.

“It will come.” There was no doubt in his voice. Then again, he’d never been a dreamer, had he? Kurogane always took action with the uttermost confidence.

Tomoyo studied him for a moment. She couldn’t see the future anymore, couldn’t know if he was right, if it would take decades before he was right, but it was hard not to believe him. He’d stopped the universe from unravelling, travelled through time, and fought fate itself, after all. What was finding two people compared to that?

Giving in, she raised her hand. “Very well then, Yoo.”

Only the cold moon and steadfast bamboo witnessed her blessing.

Hopefully, the next time they did this would also be the last.

[kumeko]

Prompt: Tsubasa, bamboo : loyalty, strength, steadfastness

A/N: I had written this for a CCS/Tsubasa zine that sadly got cancelled. ☹ I’ve always loved Tomoyo’s/Kurogane’s relationship, the utter steadfastness of Kurogane’s loyalty and her confidence in him.

…

…

…

…

Sake cup in hand, Tomoyo stepped out onto her bamboo-lined balcony and took a deep breath of the cool, sweet air. It was a pleasant night for a moon-viewing and she leaned against her balcony rail to watch the party below. Bright, colourful lanterns shone in defiance to the night’s gloom, lighting up the palace’s courtyard. Below, she could make out a drunk Syaoran energetically fighting the ancient sakura tree while Fai and Mokona cheered him on.

It was cute. They’d no doubt forgotten just what they were here for. Her attendants and sister were seated a short distance away, their half of the party a more dignified one. The only ones missing were Sakura and Kurogane: a princess who could no longer afford the cost of travel and the latter which was standing behind her right now.

“I thought you would prefer drinking with them,” she said, glancing over her shoulder.

Dressed in a black and red kimono, Kurogane regaled her with surprise, his eyes widening slightly before he shook his head. “I thought you didn’t have the sight anymore,” he asked as he stepped out of the shadows.

“I do not need that or even your senses to know where you are.” Tomoyo smirked, moving slightly so he could stand next to her. A bamboo leaf brushed her shoulder. “You are very predictable.”

“Am I?” he questioned, taking a sip from his own cup. There was nothing graceful about the way he drank and even in this he couldn’t hide his brash nature.

“Very much so.” Tomoyo chuckled, cupping her cheek with hand. “You’re like a little puppy.”

“Puppy?” he repeated, aghast.

“A cute, little puppy,” she confirmed, mischievously. She glanced at Fai and Syaoran once more. Classical music drifted through the air. “And with that group, it is very helpful, I imagine.”

“It’s very annoying,” he grumbled, giving Fai and Mokona a flat glare. Despite his words, there was no bite in his tone, and she wondered if he could see how much he had softened over the years. Even his profile wasn’t as hard as it used to be, his sternness of a gentler type now.

“Your inflexibility can be,” she agreed innocently, ignoring how his glare now swung to her. “You could just enjoy the party with them, you know.”

“I did.” Kurogane smiled faintly, the limit of his honesty. “And now I’m here. To renew my vow.”

Tomoyo regarded him for a moment. “We do not have to do this every time, you know.”

 “We do,” he disagreed, finishing the last of his sake before resting the cup on the railing. “Until my mission is over, until I can stay here, I want to.”

“What is the point if you aren’t here?” Tomoyo winced. That sounded harsher than she intended. Rephrasing, she added, “It is not that I doubt your loyalty. I can see it in the lengths you go to find that other Sakura and Syaoran.”

He didn’t say anything, just regarded her with dark eyes as he waited for her to finish. And that much hadn’t changed over the years either, how he knew when she had more to say.

Tomoyo glanced up at the moon, so much brighter than the light reflected in her sake. After taking another sip, she quietly set aside her own cup. “This vow is not meant to chain you, not if you no longer need it. You may return here as much as you like, but…”

When I sent you away, I understood that you might never return.

Tomoyo couldn’t voice those last words. Cowardly, she looked away. The tall stalks of bamboo on her right glowed faintly in the moonlight and she took solace in their rigidity. There was a price to pay for every wish, and hers was his company.

It was an insignificant thing in comparison to his life.

“I remember your laughter when this started,” Kurogane said. She glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore. Instead, his gaze was locked on his companions.

“Your expression was funny,” she murmured.

He didn’t frown or even growl at that; he’d grown up in ways she hadn’t expected. “Yours will be funnier when I finally return home.”

Home? She stared at him, surprised.

“Yeah, just like that.” He grinned, all teeth, as he kneeled before her. “Like I said, I want to do this. After I find those two, I’m done with travelling.”

“What if that day never comes?” she asked, trying not to hope.

“It will come.” There was no doubt in his voice. Then again, he’d never been a dreamer, had he? Kurogane always took action with the uttermost confidence.

Tomoyo studied him for a moment. She couldn’t see the future anymore, couldn’t know if he was right, if it would take decades before he was right, but it was hard not to believe him. He’d stopped the universe from unravelling, travelled through time, and fought fate itself, after all. What was finding two people compared to that?

Giving in, she raised her hand. “Very well then, Yoo.”

Only the cold moon and steadfast bamboo witnessed her blessing.

Hopefully, the next time they did this would also be the last.