"I care because I love you!!"

Touya was silenced.

Yue looked down, shocked by his own confession. "You always knew To-ya…you always did…I just always…I could not…" He couldn't go on.

Silence prevailed again.

 "I'm still so happy though" Touya whispered after a while, the tension before had taken all he had out of him "I'm so glad you told me before I…" He paused, not wishing to rub salt into the wound "I knew Yuki loved me, I was sure of that much, but I could never quite tell with you, I always assumed it's your sense of duty that made you care…"

Yue looked intently into Touya's eyes. Despite the deterioration of his body, his eyes still had so much strength, so much life. Though no one could ever associate the 1.9m tall soccer team captain with the weak and almost "broken" figure in his arms, the eyes were still the same. The same honor, the same intensity and the same passion that had made him fall hopelessly in love with him.

Touya closed his eyes again, working hard to keep his breathing regular. Yue held him close, as if holding him could somehow let him absorb the moon guardian's energy. He so wanted to kiss him to comfort him, but knew that Touya had so little energy left a mere kiss could end it all for him. He replayed in his mind the numerous times he or Yuki and Touya had shared the most intimate moments, and how sweet they had been.

And then the realization dawned that it could never be again. Touya would never regain strength. Yue would never be able to touch his lips with his own.

Gazing at the boy in his arms, the realization sent a wave of despair across his chest, so intense it physically hurt. At any moment the irregular breathing could stop, the weak pulse could give in. It could be as soon as that very moment. Touya may just sleep on and never wake up.

Fear and hopelessness took over, and for perhaps the first time in his life he felt his eyes water, and his vision blurred into a misty haze. Before he realized what was happening two streams of tears were running down his cheeks.

His tears fell onto Touya's face, and he awoke with a start at the contact of the icy cold drop on his own cheek. He looked up in alarm.

"Yue!" He exclaimed "Are you crying? Are you crying for me?!"

"No" Yue bit his lip "I don't know what I am doing, I don't know what these emotions are! I don't know how to deal with them! I wish I didn't know them!" Angrily he wiped his cheek, but it was in vain as the tears just couldn't stop flowing. "I'm crying for Sakura, for Yuki, for myself…why are you leaving me? How could you desert me like this?! Why can't you TRY to hold on To-ya? Why?! Why must you leave me? Why can't you keep holding on?! You would try if really cared enough…you would!…" he broke off and gave in to the anguished crying that had he had held back for so long, his eyes closed in pain.

Touya was heartbroken, he couldn't believe how much Yue was hurting. Of course he knew he'd be hurt, but somehow he believed, that after all these months, Yue's pain would have subsided, if only a little, as he starts to accept the truth.

But not only was that not happening, the pain is intensifying.

Touya tried to lift his arm to touch Yue's face, but failed, he was just too weak now.

"How am I going to tell Sakura? Tell me To-ya!" He demanded "How am I going to break it to her that she's never going to see her Onii-chan again? That he'll never be there to drive her to school, to tease her when she's late for classes, to call her "kaijuu" at every given opportunity? That he'll never be there to protect her, to love her or give her advice…EVER AGAIN??"

Touya started to speak, but was cut off.

"And your father, how am I going to tell him? I've taken the life of his only son…don't protest To-ya! No matter how you see it it's still the truth, I was the one who took your life! How will I ever face Kinomoto Fujitaka again?! He's half my former master…how can I stand to make him so miserable!"

"Yue…"Touya tried again.

"And Yuki…What's going to happen to him?" Yue questioned, his eyes ablaze "You're his reason for living, his only true memory, and I've even taken that from him! Who's going to break the news to him? Sakura? How could she cope?" He rushed on " I would have to do it! How is he going to take it…" He laughed bitterly "He'll hurt of course, and he's part of me…do you think I'm hurting now? Just wait until it doubles…then I'll really know pain" He shook his head "All those years of wasted feelings, and now feeling them twice fold…I guess it all evens out in the end"

 Touya closed his eyes, images of Sakura and Yukito appeared in his mind. Oh how he missed them! How he longed to see them again, just one last time! Would Sakura have changed since his departure? It's been almost six month since then and at her age change comes overnight.

His mind then shifted towards all the things he'll miss in her life, all the important moments. The night before he left he had made her the promise to be back to attend her wedding. Her wedding! In his mind he formed a picture of his baby sister in a flowing white gown. It wasn't too hard, since Tomoyo had dressed Sakura up in many a similar outfit in all those years she played fashion designer. Hard to believe the little kaijuu would one day become someone's wife and mother.

But he'd never live to see it.

A tear ran slowly down his face. The first in a long time, he had been too worn out by the physical spasm to ever feel so emotionally charged, never enough to summon up tears and cry. But Yue's words and the memory of his sister brought them on again, and he found himself silently weeping.

His tears almost seemed to shake Yue out of his "self-pity" mode. Gently he brushed the tears off Touya's face.

"I'll cope somehow" He reassured "It was a weak moment…I promise it won't happen again…" He closed his eyes and again cursed himself, how could he hurt Touya like that? After all that's happened, he should've known better!

He smiled sadly "I'll take care of her, and Li will too. And Yuki will be fine, I'll take care of him as well…I'll cope somehow" He repeated "I promise"

Touya's eyes opened, surprised yet reassured by Yue's sudden change. "Thank you"

He was grateful Yue had begun to accept what was happening.

Because he knew it would end soon.

*                            *                                  *

 In the Kinomoto household, Sakura was sitting at her bedroom window, gazing out at the moon with Syaoran next to her, one arm around her shoulder. Behind them, Tomoyo and Meiling sat leaning against the bed, Tomoyo showing Meiling and Kero some of her latest costume designs. It was a most peaceful moment.

Suddenly, Sakura jerked upright, and shook herself free of Syaoran's embrace. Her eyes opened wide with a look of shock and alarm and she started to tremble all over.

Tomoyo, Meiling and Kero all jumped up in surprise. Syaoran grabbed her hand and asked "What is it Sakura?!"

"I…I…" Sakura looked around at the people in her room, she could not describe it, but she felt something was terribly wrong. There was a strange sensation in her chest and she felt like a part of her was getting pulled away. A sense of panic took over and she shook Syaoran desperately "Can't you sense it?? Can't you feel it? Can't anyone?!"

The others stared at her in alarm, Meiling and Tomoyo didn't know what Sakura was blabbering on about, not even Kero could make out any strange senses. "Sakura what is this? Is it familiar somehow?" Kero tried asking.

But Sakura did not respond, the panic had taken over her. Her frustration at the other's inability to feel what she did grew exponentially and, pushing away Syaoran, she collapsed on to the ground in a nervous fit.

Syaoran rushed to her side and tried to hold her still, repeating his question over and over "What is it Sakura? What's wrong? What do you feel? Tell me!"

She was starting to black out, Syaoran could tell from the way her eyes wandered aimlessly around the room. Tomoyo knelt at her side and looked over her with worry and fright in her eyes, feeling helpless, she could yell "Sakura! Concentrate Sakura and answer us!"

Sakura felt as if she was swimming through muddy water, she could hear everyone, but it sounded as if they were far away, and she couldn't see anything, just swirls of colors in front of her eyes. But all of a sudden, her senses became clearer and she tried in vain to put what she felt into words, yet she had no idea what it was she was screaming out.

Syaoran, Meiling, Tomoyo and Kero, however, all heard clear as a bell. But no one except Syaoran picked up the relevance of it all.

"Onii-chan!! Onii-chan!! Onii-chan!! Onii-chan!! Onii-chan!!"

*                *                      *

"Kiss me Yue"

Darkness had long since fallen, and the room was lit by the dim light of a single red candle. The moon guardian was starting to feel the effects of fatigue. That was another downturn in the semi-merge with Yukito, he never felt tired before, but now he was actually getting sleepy.

But Touya's softly uttered words broke that tired spell, and he looked down at the boy, distressed, Unable to reply to the request.

"Please Yue…"Touya continued "It won't make a difference now anyhow…"

Yue closed his eyes. He knew the end was coming. Strange, he no longer felt panicked or scared, no longer wishing to throw a tantrum beseeching Touya to stay. He only felt his heart ache as if it were to shatter.

"Yue…" Touya whispered again.

"Do you really want me to To-ya?" Yue asked.

"I couldn't ask anything more" Touya's reply came so soft it was nearly unheard. Then he closed his eyes and smiled weakly…waiting…

"To-ya…"Yue felt the tears start again, only this time they weren't of anguish or frustration. This time they held the genuine pain of farewell. The realization of the inevitable.

"To-ya…you know I'll always love you"

Closing his eyes, he bent down slowly and closed his lips over Touya's waiting ones.

Finally, he once again tasted the sweetness of the familiar kiss, the warmth and the passion it still held. He wanted so badly to savor it. He gave himself completely into the kiss, feeling almost as if he had left his body and would float away, his wings formed a circle around the bed, and held up Touya gently.

It's been so long since Touya had felt so relaxed and calm in his waking moments. So blissful, so full of joy. He gave one last sigh. Then slowly, painlessly, finally…he fell away.