"I still don't understand why you're doing this for me, you damn rat…" The voice spat as crimson eyes burned with a mixture of confused rage...and this was why he hadn't wanted to tell him in the first place...

"I told you before…" The response came calm and even, with only the mildest hint of frustration. "…I'm not doing this for you, you stupid cat." The voice dropped off as the violet gaze drifted to the wood floor where they were standing. "…I'm doing it for her…" And both pairs of eyes drifted towards the young girl standing in the other room…a beautifully ignorant smile flashing across her face as she found them both staring at her.

"So…are you going to tell her?" The voice came gruff, and violet eyes fell to the floor again as a pained expression crossed Yuki's face.

"No…" He whispered. "It's better if she doesn't know. She would only worry." He paused, thinking to himself that, worse yet, she may actually try to stop him.

This is what I brought you this you can keep,
This is what I brought you may forget me.
I promise to depart just promise one thing,
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep.

The day Tohru had confided in him that she had grown very close to his cousin, Kyo, Yuki felt as if his whole entire world had been turned on its head. All of this time… All the moments he held so close to him. All of these moments that made his life worth living. And he wasn't the one she wanted. What made things even worse was the fact that…he still loved her…even as she loved someone else.

This is what I brought you this you can keep,
This is what I brought you may forget me.
I promise you my heart just promise to sing,
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep.

"So you're going to leave without telling her anything?" Kyo hissed, his tone laced with disgust as he glared at his cousin.

"No…I already left a note for her in her room…" Yuki responded.

"Oh…that's just great!" Kyo growled. "She deserves a hell of a lot more than that, don't you think?" And Yuki's expression fell into a scowl.

"You have no idea what I am doing for her, you stupid cat…" Wasn't it enough that he was stepping to the side so she could be happy...with him?

"You've always been Akito's favorite. He's probably not even going to really put you in that damn cage." Kyo muttered, finding himself wishing he didn't feel so guilty about the decision Yuki had made.

"You're probably right…" Yuki's tone came low and ominous as he conceded to his cousin's statement…knowing Akito, it would most likely turn out much worse for him.

Somehow Yuki found himself taking an amount of solace in this fact. In taking Kyo's place to be locked up as punishment for the Cat's curse, and being back in the main house with Akito…at least Yuki would no longer be a ghost. Yuki found that, to suffer Akito's abuse would be much more palatable than to stay another moment in a place where he wasn't wanted. He wasn't at all surprised that Akito had been so willing to agree to Yuki's offer when he came to him of his own choosing. Yuki knew that they had unfinished business, and that Akito would have immediately accepted the offer for him to return to his side.

"Just don't expect me to come visit you…" Kyo spat, shifting his confused gaze to the ground, and a hollow smile began to spread across Yuki's lips.

"Don't worry. I would never expect that from you…" He stated. "…besides…" His voice trailed off into a low whisper as he continued, musing to himself. "…I don't really think I'll be there for very long…" And before Kyo could respond to these cryptic words Yuki was out the door without another word.

Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep.

Walking down the halls of the main estate, Yuki was unsettled with how at home he truly felt within these walls. His perpetual prison…even when he was away. He…was finally home. As he guided himself confidently through the corridors, he knew exactly where he was going. Another faded smile crossed his lips as he accepted the truth. He was hell-bound. As he continued towards his destination, he kept repeating words of comfort in his mind. She was happy. He knew it. He felt it. With every fiber of his broken soul he had felt it. That…was the problem. And this had been the only real solution, even if it might hurt her at first. That pain would fade…and Kyo would be there to comfort her. She was happy.

This is what I thought,
I thought you'd need me,
This is what I thought so think me naïve,
I promise you a heart you'd promise to keep,
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep.

Pausing outside of the open room for the briefest moment, Yuki held his breath as he crossed the threshold, plunging himself into eternal darkness. As his vision adjusted to the lack of light, Yuki found the figure reclining on the window sill as they stared out into the dark of the evening. Without waiting Yuki gracefully went to his knees in submission, his forehead making contact with the cold floor as he forced his breathing to even out. He didn't have to look up to know that the figure had moved from the window and was now standing before him.

"Yuki…" The voice came deceptively kind. "I'm so very happy that you have decided to come back to me…" And Yuki parted his lips to finally speak after being addressed.

"Your happiness is the only thing that matters to me…" His voice came just above a whisper in the darkness as a smile graced his lips…at least he had had the courage to tell her that much in the letter he had left for her.

"…is…that so…" The voice mused, and Yuki felt himself tighten in response to the chilling tone in Akito's voice.

"…yes…" The response came in a breathless hush as Yuki slowly sat up on his knees to take in the man standing before him.

Kiss my eyes and lay me to…

Yuki could tell that Akito was not well. And…he had probably been very sick for a prolonged period of time recently. The two had always shared a close, though by no means warm, bond…and Yuki could tell. Akito was close to dying. It wouldn't be long now. Most likely why he had been so eager to accept Yuki back…among other reasons. As Yuki gazed up into the cold, lifeless eyes, he was reminded of all of the times Akito had assured him that they would be together forever. Yuki was his, and his alone. Letting out a sigh, Yuki found peace in the fact that he was no longer a ghost. And as cold fingers brushed along his face to coax it up even further, Yuki's only wish now was that their mutual destruction would come swiftly.

Sleep.

The End.

A/N: Featured lyrics in this story are from the song "Prelude 12/21" by AFI.