We had a few days before it was our time to leave, but everyone was clearly on edge. Memories of Sakura kept popping into my head. From baking together in Outo to her strength and part in saving Fai in Tokyo, it was like a highlights reel that I had no control over starting.

I used my magic to help heal my friends' wounds after we finished speaking with Yuuko and wanted nothing more than for all of us to be together. But, in their typical fashion, each man needed time to themself to process what had happened. I did my best to give them all their space, but my grief was becoming overwhelming.

I curled up on the futon in my room and tried to suppress the helpless feeling I had. I replayed every moment of losing Sakura. What good is magic if I can't protect the people I care about?

I rolled onto my back and held my hands above my head, looking at the burn marks that I hadn't healed yet. It was a reminder of how I had failed Sakura. I had tried to fight my way out of that stuff, to burn it away from my skin, but just ended up charing myself.

"Mai?" I hadn't realized Fai had returned until I heard his voice. I immediately dropped my arms, trying to hide my burns.

"Hi." I said nonchalantly, sitting up with my hands behind my back. He kneeled in front of me, gently pulling my arms toward him, and inspected my hands. He looked up at me, his face showing his concern without him having to say a word. I dropped my eyes, unable to maintain eye contact.

"I can't fix this for you." He said simply, placing gentle kisses on my burnt hands. "I can't fix how you're feeling because I know I feel the same way. But we all did the best we could and we're going to keep fighting. Dwelling on what went wrong won't help us do what's right."

He moved one hand to my cheek to wipe away a tear. I pressed my face into his warm skin. Just his touch was enough to stall the mental spinout I'd been on all evening.

"I know you're right." I told him. "But I'm just so mad at myself. I can't stop thinking about what I could have done differently."

"There's nothing we can do differently now. I think we've all learned that." He tilted my head up to where I was forced to meet his gaze. "I have faith in all of us. As long as we're together, we're going to be alright." I smiled down at him and gently moved forward to press my lips to his.

I pulled away and slowly removed my hands from his so I could use my magic to heal my wounds.

"There you go." He smiled, placing soft kisses on both of my palms. He kissed my wrists before slowly kissing his way up my right arm. He moved to sit next to me, wrapping an arm around me and pressing his soft lips against my neck. I leaned into him and allowed one hand to get lost in his long hair while the other slid inside his kimono.

"Thank you, Fai. I don't know if I could even imagine my life without you." I sighed before moving to press my lips to his. I felt so grateful to have him here. I slowly moved to straddle his lap keeping our lips connected. He held me tight, parting his lips and deepening our kiss. I moaned as one of his hands moved up to the back of my neck to pull me closer to him.

I felt more desperate now to feel every inch of his skin on mine. Instead of tapping into my magic, I took my time and slowly untied the belt of my own kimono before untying Fai's as well.

I broke our kiss, pushing the soft fabric off of Fai's shoulders and staring deeply into his now golden eye.

"I love you so much." I said, holding his face between my hands.

"I love you, too." He smiled softly as he moved his hands inside my open kimono to touch my bare skin. I melted into him and kissed him once more. I shrugged off the light fabric hanging off my shoulders to give him more access to my naked body. He kept one arm around my lower back, his hand resting on my hip, while his other hand massaged my breast. It felt so good to be in his arms. I moved my hips slowly, grinding against him and feeling him harden beneath me.

He lifted me into the air, keeping our lips connected while taking off his own clothing. His kimono dropped to the ground as he lowered me to the warm futon. A moan escaped my lips as he kissed my chest, biting gently at my nipple.

I tangled my hands in his soft hair, relishing this feeling of him on me, and pulled his lips back to mine. I not only wanted him inside of me, I needed him so much that I felt like I would come apart otherwise.

"Fai…" I sighed, wrapping my legs around his waist and pulling him close.

"My sweet Mai." He whispered, kissing me gently and pressing into me. I moaned, feeling complete with him inside of me. He slowly moved in and out so I could feel every inch of him. I kissed him deeply, never wanting this moment or this feeling to end. We were together and, right now, that was all that mattered.

I pressed on his shoulders and flipped us over so that I was on top of him.

"Mai." He grunted, rubbing his hands on my thighs. I kissed him more desperately now, moving my hips up and down his hard member. I couldn't help but gasp against his lips as he filled me up. He grabbed my ass and helped me ride him harder. I bit his neck to muffle a scream as I felt an orgasm begin to build.

"Oh, God. Fai! You feel so good." I moaned into his skin. "R–Right there. Oh, my God yes." I felt his nails dig into my skin as I gasped for breath. He hit one spot inside of me that drove me right over the edge. I screamed out as I came over him. He held me tight, continuing to thrust into me until he reached his own release.

I collapsed on top of him and soaked in the feeling of his skin on mine. He held me close and ran his hand up and down my back. I knew that, for better or worse, the end of our journey was nearing.

I held Fai tightly. I was determined to ensure that things ended for the better.