Author's Notes: This is the second installment. Thank you to my first reviewer.

Disclaimers: Still belongs to CLAMP…

Until When

Chapter Two

// "Nokoru… please don't cry…"

He tried to wipe his tears away. "Don't leave me, 'neechan. Onegai…"

She smiled. "Smile for me. That's my last request…"

Tears flowed even more as he clasped her hand. "NO! Don't say that! You will still live… 'Neechan…"

She squeezed his hand as tightly as she could. "Please, Nokoru. Let me go. I know I'm already going and I already accept it. So please… smile."

Summoning up the courage he had, he showed her one last smile. Seeing that, she smiled too.

"Arigato… Nokoru." //

Nokoru looked up at the dark sky above him and let the rain on his pale cheeks. It was unusual to have rain in the middle of the summer season but for now, the youngest Imonoyama didn't mind if the weather control system was malfunctioning. He was actually grateful for it.

For while the rain fell, he could cry and let his emotions show. The rain would mask the tears from the public's eye. Because the rain would wash them away just as fast they would come.

Rain…

The heavens seemed to be feeling his sadness as well. Under normal circumstances, Nokoru would've let the sky do the crying for him, but the circumstances that took place weren't normal. His sadness was just too overwhelming to keep it locked inside.

The blonde president hugged his knees closer. For now, he needed the comfort of knowing that the heavens knew his pain.

--*--**--*--

It was a gloomy morning, the heavy downpour contributing a lot to its gloominess. But strangely enough, Suoh wasn't affected by it.

The usually straight-faced ninja now had a small smile on his face as he strutted to the Council office. Just the memory of yesterday's very successful date with his girlfriend, Azuya Nagisa, was enough to make him smile.

But something had been bothering him since yesterday.

He was sure that he saw deep sadness in Nokoru's eyes when he told the president that he would accompany Nagisa to a concert and have dinner with her afterwards. It had been brief and yet he was sure that it was there. It made him feel a bit guilty because he knew that the moment he left, Nokoru would be alone in the big Council office. But before he could change his mind, Nokoru smiled and told him that it was good to take a break once in a while. The president had practically pushed him out of the room.

And yet, Suoh felt guilty.

The ninja shook his head. If the president said he'd be fine, then he would just have to trust him. Right now, he needed to stay happy and think about last night's date. Besides, there was something important that he needed to tell Nokoru and Akira.

"Ohayou!" he greeted happily as he marched into the office.

He was expecting a happy greeting that matched his own, but he did not get one he glanced at the president's table and found no sign of Nokoru. That was strange, he thought. The blonde had always been the early bird.

"Ijyuin?" he called out as he walked towards their desks.

There he saw the ever-genki treasurer, hands on his face, crying. Sensing Suoh's presence, Akira lifted his puffy eyes to meet the ninja's concerned ones.

"What's the matter, Ijyuin? Why are you crying? And where's Kaichou?"

His voice was hoarse from crying. "Rijchou just called a few minutes ago. She was looking for Kaichou. I told her that I had just stepped in and that Kaichou wasn't in yet. I asked why.  She was worried because Kaichou wasn't home either. The maid said that he had been out since before dawn and hasn't been in since. He didn't even tell anyone where he was headed."

Again, Suoh found that strange. Why would Nokoru disappear all of a sudden and not tell anyone where he has gone?

Unless… Masaka!

Seeing the look of alert in Suoh's eyes, Akira said, "He wasn't kidnapped, if that's what you're thinking. Or at least we know."

"Then why would he disappear just like that?!" Suoh asked angrily.

He was mad at himself. He had been too lax. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to his ONE, he thought.

"Kaichou's sister died."

Suoh's eyes widened, anger suddenly replaced by curiosity.

"Sister?"

Akira nodded.

"Please don't tell me that it's Harume-san…"

The treasurer lowered his head, hooding his eyes. "I'm afraid, it is Harume-san."

Tears almost fell from Suoh's eyes Imonoyama Harume was Nokoru's eldest sister and the only sister close to him and the rest of the Tanteidan. Harume had breast cancer and was in the most serious state. Nokoru had hired all the best doctors from around the world but now it was all useless. Harume was dead.

Suoh understood how Akira felt and knew that Nokoru felt double.

He quickly turned around and grabbed his coat and Kaichou's. He had to find him before anything worse happens. He knew that Nokoru needed him now.

"Where are you going, sempai?"

"To Kaichou. I think I know where he is."

--*--**--*--

After running in the rain for an hour, Suoh found a soaked Nokoru sitting o the edge of the cliff near the end of CLAMP Gakuen's territory. The ninja almost smiled when he saw the president there. He thanked the gods that he was right.

"Kaichou," Suoh said as he approached the blonde, putting a coat on him in the process. "You shouldn't be out in this rain."

Nokoru glanced up at him, eyes puffy and red from crying.

"You shouldn't be out in this rain too, Suoh."

The ninja's heart skipped a beat at the look the blonde was giving him. Nokoru's eyes weren't only red and puffy; they were blank and devoid of all emotion. Hs always shining blue eyes had now lost its usual sparkle. The president looked pale – as if the glow that always emanated from him was gone… completely gone.

Nokoru turned his eyes back to the open field in front of him, not waiting for an answer, fully knowing that Suoh's body could withstand the rain. The blonde knew better than to say that but he couldn't come up with anything better to say. Nokoru was worried, yes, but knew that his ninja was not an ordinary boy.

Suoh was sensing something really unusual about his president. Nokoru was silent and was not pushing him to answer. The normal Nokoru would stand and smile at him then ask him the question again. But the blonde in front of him did neither.

He was worried. He was worried not only as his secretary, but also as his protector and best friend. He wanted to voice out his worries but it wasn't his nature to do so. And yet, Suoh felt that he needed to let Nokoru know that he cared.

"Kaichou, we need to go back to the office and dry you up," the blue-haired boy said, worry lacing his voice.

Nokoru made no move to stand and comply nor did he make any movement to indicate that he had heard the ninja. Deciding that Kaichou might want to spend more time alone, he decided to excuse himself.

"I'll be waiting beneath one of the trees behind you. Just call if you need something, ne?"

Still receiving no response and taking his companion's silence as a yes, Suoh turned to leave. He was just about to take the first step forward when he was prevented from doing so. Nokoru had gripped the edge of his coat.

"Kaichou…"

"Ikanaide, Suoh. Onegai," Nokoru whispered softly. So softly that Suoh didn't quite catch it.

"What did you say, Kaichou?"

Nokoru turned his gaze once again to Suoh's direction, his eyes now full of sadness. Tears continued to fall from his cheeks, the rain mixing with it.

"Hold me, will you, Suoh?"

Upon hearing those words, Suoh's softened as he held him in his arms. Normally, he would not allow such demonstrative act of concern, but today, he could make an exemption.

As his arms enveloped the blonde, Nokoru seemed to be just a regular eighteen year old boy who lost a dear sister, the only family member who treated him like family. He looked so helpless, not like the usual confident president. His face was full of grief, losing the smile we always wore. And Suoh sore he would protect this man with his life. He would protect him from everything. He would do anything --- everything just so he would never see Nokoru like this again. He would protect that smile, those sparkling eyes and that light that always radiated from him.

Yakusoku, Kaichou. Yakusoku.

--*--**--*--

Nokoru wanted to thank the gods above him for Suoh's knack for knowing where he was. He desperately needed someone but he just couldn't voice it out. His grief was just too much that it seemed that he had lost his voice.

He wanted to tell the ninja to stay and not leave him alone. Not now that he felt so down and useless.

But Suoh was about to leave.

Nokoru reached to his side and grabbed the end of his secretary's coat. He felt those golden eyes look at him in confusion.

"Ikanaide, Suoh. Onegai."

His voice was hoarse and faint. Even if Suoh's ears were trained to catch even the faintest sounds, he couldn't catch what Nokoru had just said.

The blonde looked up at his protector, blue eyes revealing what his voice could not.

"Hold me, will you, Suoh?" he asked. He was pleading. He never pleaded. An Imonoyama never pleads but right now, he just didn't care.

He felt so secure in the ninja's arms. It was as if he could never be hurt by anything as long as Suoh was holding him close. But he knew that the feeling would not last long. Those arms belonged to someone Suoh loved, not someone the ninja protected.

Despite being enveloped by the warmth of Suoh's embrace, Nokoru felt so alone. Why?  Because he knew that no technology would ever bring Harume back. Because he also knew that there was only the slimmest of chances that the one he loved would love him back. Because he knew he was destined to live alone for he did not want anyone hurt. And he will be alone till the day he dies.

That is the fate of being an Imonoyama.

Tsuzuku…

--*--**--*--