A take on Yuzuru Otonashi (Angel beats)

"So what d'you thinks, Kanade? Wanna stay here with me?"

She stays silent, and buries her face deeper into my chest. "Kanade, say something!"

She sniffs. "I don't want to" she says in her soft, quiet, angelic voice. What she says hurts me. But I don't want her to see. "Why not?" I ask, trying to hide the hurt.

She looks up at me. Her face is red, eyes puffed. Her eyes are brimmed with tears. "I'm afraid I'll disappear".

I freeze. For a moment, I forget how to breathe. "No, Kanade . . ."

I hug her tight, pledging that I'll never let her go. Even if it feels like I'm crushing her small fragile body in my arms, I will not let go. Ever.

"All I ever wanted was for someone to love me. And I think . . . I think now I'm ready to go. Can you say it again?" Kanade says, barely whispering. Her voice is shaky, uncertain.

I squeeze my eyes shut and bury my head in her hair. "No, I can't, I can't". My own voice is wobbling as I feel tears slip down my cheeks and wet Kanade's hair.

"Please" she squeaks. Kanade is clearly sobbing now. Her body convulses with gasps of air, and I don't care about anything else but her. Right here in my arms - nothing else matters.

"Kanade", I sigh finding it hard to speak while so upset. "You are everything to me. You are my angel. I want to be with you forever and ever. So please, stay here with me"

She shudders in my tight grip. "Yes", she whispers, a single tear abseiling down her cheek, "thank you".

We stand for a few moments, still sobbing slightly, tangled tight in each other's embrace. I move my head down to her ear, my eyes closed. I take a deep breath.

"Kanade", I whisper, "I love you so much".

And then she's gone.

I stagger forward, eyes shooting open. "NO, NO!" I scream in defiance. I grab frantically at the air, desperate for the girl who I live for. Nothing but emptiness.

My heart shatters to a thousand pieces.

"KANADE!" I yell, crying now. Big fat salty tears go streaming down my face. I sound like I'm having a fit, gasping and mumbling her name.

I've fallen apart.

This is the end.