FULL MOON wo Sagashite

Moonlit Tears

This is a fan fiction story for the anime/manga Full Moon Wo Sagashite. I do not, in any way, shape, or form make any claim to the characters or original story lines. Thank you, and enjoy the one-shot J!

He stood in the far back of the stadium, watching the blonde haired beauty on stage belting out a ballad for a roaring audience. Every move she made, every smile that painted itself across her perfect pink lips, every note that rang from her very soul touched him deeply.

This was her dream; this was what Mitsuki had always wanted and he couldn't contain the burning pride and joy that she'd finally achieved the success she so richly deserved. He'd watched her now for nearly a year, never quite able to alert her to his presence. Time, however, was running short, and he knew this would probably be his last chance to see her, his last chance for a proper goodbye. With the conclusion of the song the stadium erupted in applauds and cheers and the singer smiled warmly and waved to her family, friends, and fans. Pure happiness danced across her face and would have been enough to make his heart stop in awe if that were even possible.

A tingling sensation began to sweep through his body, and he was now certain his fears were well founded. This was undoubtedly it; it was time to say goodbye.

Mitsuki stood, center stage, waving to the crowd cheering for her. It had been nearly two years since she'd met the Shinigami that had forever changed her life; a year since she'd survived surgery with her voice intact to pursue her dreams and goals. In the back, she knew Takuto would be waiting for her as he always was, ready to gather her tightly into his arms and congratulate her on another show well done. Her smile widened but began to weaken slightly as something in the far back shimmered, catching her eye.

In the shadows, illuminated by the moonlight, was an all to familiar figure; she strained a moment to see, certain she's made a mistake. Slowly, her brain connected to her mouth:

"Eichi-kun…"

He smiled in that still familiar way, his face bright and cheerful and not having aged a day since they'd last met. Her hands were shaking as she saw him applauding; all the other noise drowned to nothing, time stilled and all she could see and hear was her Eichi-kun. She could see so plainly on his face everything he wanted to say to her; every word that was impossible for them to now say to one another. His look resonated love, pride, and delight and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. He tilted his head slightly and smiled warmly, eyes shut with the hint of a tear sliding down one cheek; just as quickly as he'd appeared, Eichi was gone and the roar of the crowd returned to her ears.

Mitsuki's heart was racing, but she quickly composed herself not wanting to break down in front of her fans. With one final bow and wave, she retreated to the back of the stage.

"Mitsuki, are you alright? You seem a little faint." Takuto ruffled her hair and gently caressed her cheek. His normal post-show teasing was set aside, and she knew then that she had not disguised the moment on stage as well as she'd hoped.

"It was Eichi-kun, Takuto. He was here, in the back… He was watching me, applauding me, smiling at me… and then, he was gone."

The tears were welling up again, and his thumbs gently pushed the falling tears away; Takuto leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

"Can't say I'm surprised… I'm sure he wanted to make sure you were okay before he passed on. After all this time, I bet he reached his limit and wanted to say goodbye while he still could."

Anyone else would have considered those words harsh and unsympathetic, but Mitsuki knew better: it wasn't that her boyfriend was being cruel, he just didn't know how to express those thoughts in a more soothing way. From day one when he and Meroko had first arrived as the Shinigami to help her find the afterlife, she'd been comfortable with his ways. She'd never understood it, just knew how to read him and understood the former Shinigami on a deeper level.

Mitsuki sighed as she was pulled into a soothing embrace, those warm hands rubbing her back as though he were cradling a small child. Fingers traced through her long hair and she shivered at the touch.

He'd come to say goodbye. She smiled, tears still streaming down her face and she began to sob in earnest. Takuto pulled her closer and she nuzzled deeper against his chest, gripping his jacket tightly.

"He spent all this time watching you, you know? I doubt he'd want you crying right now. You don't look all that pretty with red, blotchy eyes."

She stepped back slightly and pushed him, wearing a fake scowl to combat his playful smirk.

"Well, you don't," he muttered.

He was right; Eichi-kun wanted her to be happy, had been watching over her all this time to be sure she would be. She rubbed the rest of the tears from her eyes and stood up a little taller.

"That's my girl," Takuto murmured before leaning in to place a kiss on her lips.

The linger effects of his time as a Shinigami had made him acutely aware of Eichi's presence, but he refused to call attention to it. If the boy's spirit had wanted to make direct contact, he could have at anytime. The fact that he hadn't indicated to Takuto that Eichi was content with what he'd been observing. Sooner or later, he was certain Mitsuki would become aware he was there; sooner or later, Eichi's time would be up and he'd be forced to say goodbye for good and join Death herself in the afterlife. He was not at all surprised the boy had come to see Mitsuki one more time. She was the most amazing person in existence; he'd known it since they'd met and was more and more convinced of it everyday. He simply could not blame Eichi for loving her as much as he did:

"Don't worry," he whispered silently. "I'm going to take care of her…"

A soft gust of wind moved through the room and the air again stilled. Takuto smiled, softly, knowing the message had been received.