Written for a prompt at the Livejournal community comment_fic. Prompt was: Fatal Frame II, Itsuki/Yae, don't cry.

'I thought you might be here.'

Itsuki turns to see Yae standing at the entrance to the Old Tree. She is holding a taper and an armful of candles, which he suspects are her excuse for coming, but not her reason.

'It's quiet,' he says. 'I wanted to get away from everyone – not you.'

She comes in all the way, and stands next to him. Dozens of Jizo are arranged on the stepped earth, each with a red bib and two candles, but some of the candles have gone out and the rest have burned down to stubs. Yae sets about replacing them. When she has finished, she offers Itsuki the taper.

'I shouldn't,' he says. 'My ritual failed. I don't know if I'm even allowed to be in here now.'

She shakes her head. 'Nobody will know except me and Jizo-san,' she says, 'and neither of us mind.'

So Itsuki starts to light the candles, one by one. When they're all burning with steady yellow flames, he bows his head to pray, and sees Yae put her hands together as well. He doesn't know whether this will make a difference to Mutsuki, wherever he is, but he hopes so.

'Does it help?' she says afterwards.

'No. Yes. A little.'

They sit side by side with the altar behind them, looking at the motionless pinwheels and the serene faces of the Jizo. They are both thinking about the locked passage at their backs, but they don't talk about that yet. Instead, Yae reaches over to touch his white hair. He winces as if she's touched a bruise, but she doesn't stop. She traces a line down his temple and his cheek, ending at his mouth. She leaves her fingers there a moment, and when she tries to pull away, he takes her hand in both of his and kisses it.

'I'm so sorry,' she whispers.

He holds her hand to his lips for a while so he won't have to speak. When he trusts his voice again, he says, 'They didn't lock me up. That means they're not worried about me causing trouble any more. I'm sure they'll want me out of the way if Ryozo comes, but by then it won't matter.'

'I know where they keep the spare storehouse key,' says Yae. 'If I steal it before the next festival, when everyone's busy, I don't think anyone will notice.'

'Good,' he says. 'That makes things easier.'

They sit close together. He can feel her warmth spreading to him, and though it doesn't touch the cold knot inside him, it helps, like the candles, a little.

'I'm so sorry,' she bursts out again. 'Why couldn't there be someone to save you? I wish you hadn't had to do it – and Mutsuki hadn't – '

For a moment Itsuki is there again in the cavern, tasting blood from his bitten lip, his hands and arms aching, trembling, and the Mourners are taking Mutsuki from him and... throwing him...

Yae has her arms around him and he's glad to hide his face in her shoulder. 'Don't cry,' he says, and she says it almost at the same moment: 'Don't cry.' They both laugh a little, though it sounds more like sobbing. Then she kisses his face, and his wet eyelashes.

'I promise,' he says, 'you and Sae won't have to go through this. The two of you will have the life you were supposed to.'

'And you,' she says stubbornly, despite her trembling lips. 'All three of us.'

'All three of us,' he agrees, and tries to smile, but the cold in his heart burrows a little deeper.

A cool draught blows from behind them, briefly dimming the candles, bringing the smell of damp stone, damp earth, stale, expectant air. The passage that leads from the village is behind them, waiting, and in front, memorial statues to the Remaining, who could not escape.

There's a lot to come, a lot of people left to betray. But Yae's hand through his is warm, and no matter what, he won't fail her.