A/N: Not the update you were expecting? I know, I need to work on The Wings but, like, this game completely derailed other fandom-ness and I had an itch to write something for it.

DISCLAIMER: Lost in Harmony and all associated characters belong to Digixart. I own nothing.

Kiss Me, Birdie

The tears burning behind her eyes belonged to Kaito. She was standing there, the toes of her sunshine colored shoes pointed in as she hugged herself tightly. The word 'PAUSE' was blinking in white letters on the TV screen, both of their controllers sat forgotten on the floor. Kaito hadn't meant for it to be this way, it just sort of happened. Then, like lock and key, their insecurities fit together so perfectly that she was on the verge of tears and he felt like his heart was bleeding all over the floor.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. The words felt heavy and incorrect but he couldn't think of anything better to say.

"It's okay." she whispered, still refusing to look at him. "I just thought... that we could... that it might be my only chance." With one hand she reached up and adjusted the scarf wrapped around her head so that her ears were tucked inside.

Kaito closed his eyes, suddenly feeling his blood turn to ice as his hand form a fist. It probably would have hurt less if she had just told him to walk out the door and never come back. Her only chance? Her only chance? Aya hadn't even considered him when she spoke. Kaito would have been as good as Daniel; as good as anyone. She just wanted someone to kiss and was too embarrassed to ask anyone else.

When he opened his eyes Aya was finally looking at him, her cheeks as pink as her thin lips. Her eyes held his and Kaito remembered before she began wearing scarves how he would push the pieces of her lovely hair from her eyes so she could see him clearly. His anger was gone like a wisp.

Stepping forward, he touched the familiar place above her brow with two fingers. She shivered but tilted her head to his touch. Kaito traced his fingers across her brow line and down to her ear where he pressed his warm palm to her cheek. Standing close enough to feel Aya's breath on his skin made it difficult to hold his rejection of her.

"Your first kiss should be from desire, not consolation." He said. She looked down and placed her hand over his. "I want you to kiss someone because you feel like you can't breathe any other way. Don't kiss me just because you think I'm your only option."

Aya said nothing, only stared at the skateboard base he had leaning against his dresser. With every second that passed he felt as though he had less and less air. Saying no to her was difficult, but he didn't want her to kiss him just because she was afraid to die. There were so many petty things a girl could give and this shouldn't be one of them. Kaito knew he had to protect her even if she wouldn't protect herself.

"Aya, look at me."

Slowly, she moved her eyes back to his. With Aya's chin tilted down and her big eyes peering up at him she reminded Kaito of a song bird. His hand was still holding her delicate face.

"This won't be your only chance." But Kaito wondered if it would be his. "You're going to grow incredibly old, have a ton of kids, and you know what? It will be with someone who kisses you so hard you see stars and he's going to kiss you like that every single day because he needs you as much as you need him."

Kaito's eyes were darting back and fourth as he searched hers, looking for acknowledgement of some kind that she could hear the deeper meaning of his words. Her smile was patient and slow, leaving Kaito to stand on the edge of his anticipation for what she said next.

"You seem to know a lot about kissing." She said matter-of-factly.

Kaito felt fire licks his cheeks and he looked away to hide his shame. How could he tell her? How could he tell her that the reason he could say these things was because he had tasted her lips so vividly behind his eyes?

So many nights he existed in chaos, flying through a fantasy with her on his back as they escaped the pain and reality of her disease. Sorted between these were his cerebral hopes for her future; a future he had a hand in building. There, he didn't have to question her motives for a kiss because she was as hungry for him as he was for her. There, he lay claim to her smiles, not her tears. There, he didn't have to leave her hospital room when she was vomiting blood.

Kaito shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. I just think it's something special."

She placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah, I guess."

"...You guess?"

"Yeah, I said I guess. But hey, you really think that will happen? I mean, what you said?"

His fingers caught her petite wrist. A yip escaped her lips just before Kaito pulled her against his chest. Her heart was beating just as quickly as his and as Kaito wrapped her completely in his arms he thought that she was smaller than she ever had been before. The pieces of Aya's body he once knew to be soft and round were now knobby and sharp and it made Kaito want to weep. He buried his face into her headscarf and inhaled the scent of ammonia and chemicals, remembering when she smelled of jasmine and sunshine.

"Absolutely." He whispered. Aya's hands crept up his back, her fingers gripping Kaito's hoodie so hard that he winced when her nails pinched his skin underneath. She didn't know how to thank him for the hope she knew was false, but in his warm arms with her heart hammering against his it was easy to dream.

As for Kaito, he couldn't fathom the depth of regret he would feel for never knowing what it was to kiss Aya.

A/N: Short and sweet but I have some other LiH pieces I've been working on because seriously this game is just that addicting and beautiful. Thank you, Andy, for your undying (and spazzy) support. :D