Disclaimer: No matter how many weeks pass, Tsubasa is still CLAMP's.

Before you start! I've recently experimented with that option stuff you have right above the selection of chapters, and I think this story looks somewhat better when you click "1/2" instead of "full". Now enjoy.


And though You're invisible

I'll trust the unseen

I cried out with no reply

And I can't feel You by my side

So I'll hold tight to what I know

You're here and I'm never alone

Barlowgirl "Never Alone"

3. my wish is to save a chance

When Sakura woke up, the world was grey.

She was half-lying on an armchair, leaning against Fai.

At the remembrance of the previous days' events she felt faint heat creeping onto her cheeks.

Her head rested on his chest, one of her hands had slipped to his shoulder.

She'd been weeping, bursting into sobs again and again each time she'd calmed down a little bit.

Around her waist there were his hands.

For herself as well as for him, since he hadn't cried with her. He was incapable of crying.

Snuggled up to him, she was under a delusion of safety and protection.

She'd slid from her chair right into his arms, and he'd held her and stroked her, kneeling on the floor and whispering words that had borne hardly any meaning.

It seemed paradoxical, as it was he who needed to be saved by her.

After some time he'd attempted to pick her up and lay her to sleep, but she'd refused to let go of him.

Yet despite that, she feared abandoning the fake reassurance of his.

Eventually he'd placed her beside himself on the armchair, kissed both her wet eyes and gathered her, half conscious, in an embrace.

The loneliness of dreams without awakening appeared so very dreadful.

And so she'd fallen asleep with him by her side, exhausted by anguished laments.

He was sitting absolutely motionless, even too motionless for her to believe he was dozing.

But before everything else, and above everything else, they'd shared a mesmeric kiss the memory of which evoked a surge of alluring puzzlement in Sakura.

She adjusted her position slightly to relieve the somewhat numb limbs.

Their first kiss.

"Are you awake?" Fai asked quietly.

However, she still felt vaguely cold.

Merely the thought of such an occurrence was wonderful.

"Mhm," she mumbled. "I suppose so."

They were both incessantly cold, even when they were so close together.

He'd managed to alleviate the fretful ache of her heart at the thought of being artificial.

"Feeling any better now?"

She pondered how much of what bonded them was that mutual cool weakness.

If only she could take it for granted that it'd truly denoted what she was hopeful for.

"Y-yes, thank you. T-thank you… for not lying to me."

His fingers combed her messed hair away from her face.

She wanted to articulate that if the only reason why he'd kissed her had been to console her, he needn't have done it.

"Sakura-chan… I never intended to make you cry."

To her distaste, the sentence wouldn't pass through her throat.

Couldn't he recognise what release flew from crying?

"I know. It wasn't your fault. But… I can't stop wondering… what that meant…"

Her voice faded as she huddled in futile search for warmth.

She trusted he wouldn't require clarifications as for what she understood by that.

"Can't you guess?"

The whisper caressed her ear despite the tense in its tone.

A muffled chuckle escaped her mouth.

"I'd rather not."

Her fake heart was pounding as one with his broken heart.

By that time they were irrevocably tied together.

"That meant… Sakura-chan, that I'm in love with you… I love you."

Swept by a wave of bittersweet affection, she waited until the world finished spinning around.

And the deeper the attachment they felt to each other grew, the more painful the upcoming events were bound to be.

She moved to see his face, but his eye was closed again.

"Why won't you look at me?!"

Fai blinked and looked at her, astounded by the unexpectedly frantic note in her voice.

She withdrew a hand and brushed her fingertips against his chin, his cheek, his temple.

"I-I love you too. Fai-san…"

The view of his forget-me-not-blue iris had always had that hypnotic influence on her.

Although she wasn't certain how it'd happened or who'd started it, in a moment the only thing she was aware of was the tender softness of his lips on her own.

Selfishly, she was tightening the bonds between them.

"I wish I could stay with you," she blurted breathlessly.

He'd already experienced how it was to watch a dear person die and believe it'd been his fault.

Choosing not to comment, he immersed her once more in a loving kiss.

She knew all too well she'd miss him desperately.

"My beloved princess, I'll do any…"

In a way, she'd remain with him. Her body would help him remember.

But those chains she couldn't allow him to put on himself.

"No!" Sakura cut him off.

After all, I will do anything is a vow which ought to be made only once.

If it were possible, she longed to ease his suffering.

Otherwise, it becomes a lie when one needs to choose whom to remain faithful to.

"Please don't say that. It's not a promise I can accept."

She thought she'd like to be able to grant him happiness. Actually, she'd like to grant everyone their own happiness, herself included.

It hurt to observe how a memory that should be precious and full of gratitude was sore and guilt-tainted instead.

"Except for a promise, I have nothing left to offer you."

Yet it wasn't in her might.

Hugging him tightly, she left a kiss in the corner of his mouth.

"It's not true. That you're here with me… it means everything to me."

What was is her might, though, was to make sure they didn't lose the thing which was vital for happiness; the one thing which rarely provided happiness in itself, but without which no efforts were sufficient.

"But if you want, promise me something else."

Feeling utterly selfish, she neared her lips to his ear to express her request.

She could make sure they stayed alive.

"Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll always remember me. And that, no matter what happens, your memory of me will be a happy memory."

Fai's hand was in her hair, stroking her fondly.

She could also attempt to save him from his darkness.

"Sakura-chan…"

Her mouth delicately rubbed his skin.

After that, maybe they could meet again.

"Please."

He didn't ask her questions, for he was still afraid of questions she might ask him.

As long as they were there, both Sakura and Fai could only hold on and wish for a chance to change the future.

"I promise."

Her last thought before he gave her a kiss that erased any other was that then maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't be cold anymore.


Author's Note: What else could there be? This is the end.

Or almost the end. A songfic is due to happen in the future, to finish that off.

You know, there's a very nice thing about a multi-chaptered story, and that is the story alerts. Even if I don't get a review, I get an alert, and so I know you're there. It's even nicer when I find myself with alerts for two different stories from the same person. (Yes, my memory is sufficient to identify that it's you again ^-^)

Naturally, my thanks go mainly to miss onlyemmet who-reviewed. Ślicznie dziękuję :)

Yay, and there appeared a Philosophical Effusion XD My debut story was with one… And of course the-motif-I-cannot-write-for-Tsubasa-without.

That stupid paperclip that thinks it knows better what I want to write!

Wait, what was I… aha. I hope the entire story and that last chapter provided you with entertainment, and I'm looking forward to learning what you think.

Cheers.