A/N: This story was inspired by the song "How to Save a Life" by The Fray. It really has nothing to do with the story, but the feelings are the same. Hopelessness, sadness, the need and want to help, the desire to save the life that is most precious to you...songs influence my writings a lot; this is where I pull my muse. There is some out of character-ness, sorry for that. This was written on a whim.

Spiritual Sacrifice:

Death in Choice (I Choose to Die, You Choose Not to Cry)

"What do I need to pay?" Doumeki demanded in hushed tones as Yuuko walked out of Watanuki's room.

Yuuko shook her head. For once the witch looked sad and disheveled in a way one could not think possible.

"What do I need to pay!?"

"I can no longer help," Yuuko said softly. "There is no price you can pay no. He will be dead by sunrise. I… truly am sorry."

Doumeki stood, shocked. "No…. You've saved him before, when he fell!"

Yuuko shook her head. "Those were human wounds… These… these wounds are cursed, Doumeki." Yuuko looked back at the door to Watanuki's room, shaking her head. "You should go to him," she advised, walking off.

Doumeki reached forward with a shaking hand. Watanuki, dead? Because he… he couldn't… it was his fault…

He could see the demon out of the eye he shared with Watanuki, and he couldn't move. This thing's spiritual aura crushed him. He couldn't move his arm to shoot his bow. How on earth could Watanuki move so fast?!

The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, and Watanuki was bleeding all over the playground grass. He scrambled forward, checking Watanuki's pale wrist for a pulse. It was barely there. "Watanuki! Watanuki!" Doumeki looked at the boy, who was battered, and had gashes all over his body. It was far worse than when he fell from the second story window, because these wounds faintly smelled of decay and gunpowder.

"Kimihiro!" Doumeki called in desperation. Watanuki finally opened his eyes. "Who gave you permission to use my name?" he asked, coughing up blood as he spoke. A slight blush betrayed his irritation. Doumeki could see himself, bruised, dirty, and covered in Watanuki's blood. He closed his right eye, wishing not to see himself so frantic. "We have to get you to Yuuko's… she'll help you…"

Doumeki carefully pulled Watanuki up into his arms, and ran.

Doumeki pushed the door back. Watanuki was sitting up in the bed, coughing heavily.

Moro and Maru were trying to clean the blood off of his frame, fretting heavily over him. Mokona even held a rag itself.

Doumeki walked forward and gently took the rags from the soulless girls, taking the job silently. "What did Mistress say?" they asked softly. Even Watanuki looked at him.

"She…says that…no wish… will fix this… That the wounds are cursed, and… that… Watanuki will not live…" Doumeki choked out, feeling his throat tighten and his eyes burn.

Moro and Maru burst into tears. Watanuki was unreadable for the longest time. Instead of expressing whatever he felt, he gently pulled the two girls into a hug. He too, had grown attached to them.

Mokona frowned, the expression looking very odd on the creature. "You will be missed, Watanuki."

Watanuki looked sadly at the manju-bun like creature.

Eventually, Maru and Moro fell asleep, and Watanuki arranged himself to look at Doumeki, who had been bandaging his gashes, silent the entire time.

Watanuki reached out and took the rags and bandages from Doumeki, his thin fingers brushing against Doumeki's face. "There's no need. They've stopped bleeding."

"I want to."

"Doumeki… I'm sorry."

"You should be!" Doumeki exclaimed, clenching his fists. He refused to look at Watanuki. He knew the boy would be wearing that sad, fragile expression he wore so often. He didn't want it directed at him. No… it made his heart hurt in ways that shouldn't be. "It's your fault… I could have defeated that thing."

"You couldn't have… It's okay, Doumeki." Watanuki reached out and gently pressed his slim hand to the other boy's cheek.

"No it's not. You're going to die. It's not okay!"

"I made a choice, Doumeki," the injured boy said wearily. "I was not surprised. I've kind of always wondered if it would be a demon who killed me, that or sheer exhaustion of working for Yuuko-san!" he joked.

"It's not something to laugh about."

"Callous as usual? The great Watanuki-sama is opening up to you, Doumeki. You should take advantage of it. It's never going to happen again." As the words left Watanuki's lips, it suddenly hit the boy that he was really dying… he would never see anyone again. He began to cry. He collapsed against the strong frame of his begrudgingly earned friend, sobbing.

Doumeki wrapped his arms around Watanuki's thin frame, willing himself not to cry. He would only cry after his friend was dead.

Doumeki stole a glance at the clock on the wall. One in the morning… Gently, he gave into his emotions and held the slighter boy close. Watanuki dug his fingers into Doumeki's shirt, hiccupping.

When Watanuki finally calmed, he seemed at peace. He ran a hand through his hair, sadly looking at Doumeki. "As much as I hate to say it… I'm going to miss you…"

Doumeki nodded. "Yeah…"

Watanuki looked at the clock. It was two in the morning. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to the other boy's, kissing him feverishly. Doumeki blinked in surprise, but found himself easily kissing back, his arms falling around Watanuki's waist. Watanuki twisted his fingers into Doumeki's short hair, briefly kissing him harder, then pulled back, leaving only millimeters between them.

Watanuki smiled, blushing as he laid his forehead against Doumeki's. "See, I wanted to do that before I died."

"I'm glad you did, Watanuki."

"Kimihiro," the boy instructed. "May I call you Shizuka?"

Doumeki gave a nod. "Yeah…"

The short hours until sunrise were spent talking and kissing. Slowly, Watanuki became less and less well.

It was five-forty-five in the morning, and Watanuki was finding it hard to breathe.

Doumeki slowly pressed a rag to the boy's sweating forehead, finding himself watched by Yuuko and the soulless girls. His hands were trembling again.

Yuuko stepped forward, a small glass in her hand. It was whisky of some sort. "Watanuki, drink this… it will dull your senses."

Watanuki reached a hand out. It was trembling horrendously. He dropped it, not having the strength to keep the motion up.

Doumeki took the cup and put it to Watanuki's lips, which were turning blue.

The boy drank. "Thank you, Yuuko-san," he rasped.

Yuuko smiled kindly. "I am sorry, Watanuki-kun. I should not have sent you on that mission… I only wish I could grant Doumeki's wish."

Watanuki shook his head. "It's fine," he mumbled before breaking into a fit of heavy coughing.

A few rays of sunlight fell into the room, and Watanuki coughed harder, blood spraying across his hands and onto the sheets.

He collapsed backwards, his breath failing. "I will haunt you Shizuka," he mumbled, feeling himself fade into blackness as the sun rose completely over the horizon.

A/N: If you all are good, I have an alternate ending, an epilogue, written. :waves around a disk: Soooooooo... :smirks evily: You just have to pay the price... REVIEW!