Mean and Meaner-er

"Alright, Fai-kun, this is how you do it."

Fai and Kurogane were both standing in the shallow stream in the gleaming summer sun with their legs wedged in the cool water and their jinbei sleeves rolled up even further up their arms. Today was the day Kurogane was attempting to teach Fai how to properly catch fish. There had been several attempts but there were always reasons for postponement. But now nothing could get in the way, and the young lord was eager to show how he was the best fish catcher for the palace's cooks.

"Well get to it, Kuro-showoff!" Fai mock huffed, grinning. "We don't have all day."

"I'm getting there!" the other boy legitimately huffed.

"So anyways," he resumed, "just keep a good lookout at how they swim."

Fai glanced at the clear stream as his friend stated. The silver fish were swimming lazily around their feet. The smarter ones were darting away from them. "They are afraid of us!" he wittingly point out.

Kurogane sighed. "Yes, but there are those around us still. Look." A pair of crimson eyes sharply looked at the fish swimming about his tan ankles. He was waiting for the right moment when one would be caught off guard. "It's all about timing," he stated matter-of-factly.

The pair of cerulean eyes was doing the same. "Uh huh," Fai said, actually taking this whole fishing trip seriously (for once, Kurogane harrumphed.)

"And then…" A few seconds later, Kurogane seized his eyes upon one foolish fish swimming in a very easy timed pattern. "You grab!"

The young lord plunged his hands into the stream and wrestled them over that fish and lifted it out of the water. It squirmed in his hands. "Quick, the pail!" he barked at Fai.

But before the blonde could even fetch the bucket filled with water for catch, the fish proved to be an actually smart contender. It flip flop madly in Kurogane's hands and before he even knew it the sneaky fish literally darted out of his hands and even smacked him on the chest. Not that it would be powerful enough to knock the boy over but it did surprised him that he gasped and lost his footing.

And so Kurogane slipped and fell into the stream unceremoniously as the fish leapt back into the water.

He propped himself so he was sitting on the stream, flabbergasted that a fish had just outsmarted him of all things. Even so, he flushed more when Fai stood there laughing at him.

"So much for the greatest catcher," Fai said, clasping his ribs in pain from laughing so hard.

"I'll get you," Kurogane growled, kicking at Fai's ankle and tripping his friend into the stream as well.

Fai was now hoisting himself on the stream as well with his mouth wide open in shock. Then it formed into a pout. "Mean!" he said, reaching over to lightly bonk Kurogane on the head.

"Meaner!" the other retorted with a smirk.

Fai just laughed again. "Kuro-pon so silly!" he hooted.

Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Great, so we're still on zero. Zero. Let's keep trying."

And with that, the two boys stood up and resumed catching fish for the palace cooks. What seemed like an hour or two quickly went by as the day got later. In the end, it was Kurogane who caught most of the fish – one of them accidentally flopped from Kurogane's hands into Fai's so the blond claimed he caught it. Now there were four of them swimming about in the chilled pail. The boys waded out of the stream, their clothing still wet.

"I got this, Kuro-tan," Fai assured with a sly grin. He whipped a quick windy spell from his fingers and targeted it at Kurogane. The young lord was once again unprepared and the windy spell knocked him off his guard. Fai laughed once more and set the spell on him to dry himself as well.

"Mean!" Kurogane yelled, tackling Fai to the dry ground.

Fai grunted and stared at his friend. "Meaner!"