(From the last chapter…)

"I always knew I won't live for too long." Kagura sighed as her tears escaped, "I wish I can stay a little longer… But Kami-sama would never permit it. He wants to take back my life… I know it's meaningless… I live a life, loving Kyo… He was forced to marry me and he hated me all the more…"

Then, she heard the door open. As she looked on her left, she saw Kyo, in his work attire with his attaché case on his right hand, the other hand closing the door.

"Kyo-kun…?" Kagura called with a slight wonder and disbelief.

(Chapter 9 – Revelations)

She had remembered everything, everything that they talked about before she passed out… With this, more tears escaped her eyes, she looked away, for whenever she looks at him; she feels more pain.

Yes, it was painful to see her husband. She loved him but he had never returned her love, he maltreated her, never treated her as his wife, still, he says she is his.

… Love hurts.

Kyo silently sat down beside Kagura. She turned to her right side, her back facing Kyo, not wanting him to see her tears. She cried silently as she used her right hand to wipe away the tears.

It was more painful when he is beside her. She can feel him breathing, she can feel his glare on her back… Knowing these, it was more painful.

"Kagura, do you know what had happened to you a while ago?" Kyo started to speak. He was trying his best to be gentle, not wanting to lose his composure.

Hearing his voice made her brain think blank. Hearing him, seeing him, feeling him, it was all too painful for her. She just cried more tears. No matter how much she wiped them away, the more came out.

Kyo knew she was crying. He stood up and walked to the right side of the bed. She, trying to evade him, turned to her left and cried more.

She let out a sob in her oxygen mask. How she wanted to place her hands on her mouth, to let not another one come out. However, the oxygen mask was a great hindrance. She can never remove it, for her life depends on it.

Kyo hear that sob from her oxygen mask. He felt more and more guilty; he looked away, not wanting to see his suffering wife. He had done nothing but be a burden to her. Looking at her was painful, he saw her suffer, cry, smile, giggle, laugh, sob, angered, desperate, sorry, guilty, vulnerable… All these were too painful for him as well.

Kagura just bit her lips and hugged herself, as she just allowed her tears to flow.

"You were dead a while ago." Kyo broke the silence, "I thought you were gone."

"It would have been better if I was dead." Kagura said, "I… I had enough of this! I'm just suffering more and more… I don't want it anymore… I gave out something an equivalent of my life but it never came back to me…"

Hearing those just made him want to break down and cry. He held back his tears and continued, "Hatori said you were dead. I also believed you were dead… But… I'm thankful you're not."

"Stop pretending, Kyo." She laughed falsely, "I'm sure you wished I was dead. I wished the same thing… But something still tells me I want to live… There are no more reasons for me to live, but something still holds me back… Something wants me to live."

"The clan wants you to live, Kagura."

"No, it would have been better if I died." She insisted, "Living is too painful. Loving you was too much… I shouldn't have expected that you would love me back… I shouldn't have met you…"

"If you died right now… What would your soul do to not make me suffer?" Kyo countered, trying not to temper Kagura, for she might be in danger again.

Kagura's eyes widened, she didn't know he would say such.

"Would you leave me crying like a woman? Leave me without any direction in life? Leave me, condemned in my own guilt?" Kyo clenched his fists, "Damn it, Kagura, I love you, don't you understand that!"

Kagura's tears just flowed all the more when he said that.

She smiled and let out a hurt giggle, "Okay, stop kidding now, I'm laughing."

"You don't know how painful it is for me to see you suffering like that." Kyo felt her rejection, but kept his cool, running a hand through his hair, "When the news reached me that you were ill, I was grief-stricken, I couldn't think. When I saw the evidences that you were dead a while ago, guilt rushed all over me. I just wished I could have done you good, but I know my ego is teeming with pride…"

"It's much more painful for me to recognize your presence, Kyo." Kagura replied, "Let's divorce. I'm not a good wife-"

"You were a good wife but I'm not a good husband! It's not your fault. I know you loved me, but I just ignored it, feeling that Akito's will of getting us married was stupid. I just knew recently that I really loved you."

"Stop kidding around, Kyo." Kagura laughed, "You? Love? Since when have you learned that?"

"Since eternity bound us together." Kyo answered, "I'm not going to agree to divorce you."

With that, he grabbed his attaché case and got out of the room, slamming the door behind.

Kagura sobbed louder and louder, crying, not believing what words came out from her mouth.

That night…

Kagura was asleep and Hatori came into her room for a checkup. He recorded his observations on his clipboard as he looked at the vital signs monitor. He looked at her and noticed tears.

Hatori took out his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away her tears. Once he was done, he returned it into his pocket and once again looked at the vital signs monitor.

Knowing that she was okay to breathe without the help of the oxygen mask, he did the measures to remove the mask. Once removed, he closed the pressure release of the oxygen tank and got out of the room.

Then, after a while, Kyo came into Kagura's room. He was wearing black slacks, white rubber shoes, a dark blue shirt and a gray jacket zipped to his collarbone and the hood over his head. He also had his hands in his pockets as he sat down, beside his sleeping wife.

The room was already dark, but the light of the full moon illuminated Kagura's beautiful features. Kyo looked at her serene face; she looks very well at peace. He reached his hand and gently stroked her pale cheeks.

"I wish you were awake." Kyo whispered, "I'm here to say sorry for my rudeness a while ago. I was also supposed to apologize for my wrongdoings, but I guess I went a little too overboard. Love sure does hurt, huh?"

He smiled as he looked at how beautiful his wife is, "Kagura, I really love you. But I guess I should have not abused your kindness… If only I had been kind to you as you are to me, you wouldn't have rejected me. I guess my ego pushed you to the limits and realized that you have had enough of my arrogance… I'm just afraid to show that I love you, even if I know that if I had shown it, you wouldn't reject me because you love me."

He withdrew his hand and opened the bedside drawer and found a paper pad and a pen. Trying to amuse himself with enough sense, he took this and started doing scribbles.

The next day…

Kyo woke up and looked up at the wall clock – 6:18 A.M.

He had to go home quickly, or he'll be late for work. He noticed that he was still holding the pen and placed it down on the bedside table and tried to find the pad paper, afraid that Kagura might see it.

He dropped down on the floor, in hopes of finding that stupid pad, hoping that it might have just fallen on the floor. He crawled under the bed but saw no signs of the pad paper. Panicking, he crawled all over the room, trying to find that pad.

"Dang! What took over me at that time to write such things? If Kagura sees that… Damn it, I have to find it!" Kyo thought as he looked at every drawer in the room noiselessly.

"Ack, I have to get dressed up! I'm gonna be late for work!" Kyo thought, failing his search for that pad, giving up all hopes of finding it.

"I'm sorry; I have to go now, Kagura." He whispered to his sleeping wife.

Then, he bent down and gave her a kiss on her lips.

Satisfied, he smiled and quickly got out of the room.

Kagura sat up blushing, placing her hands over her lips and her eyes widened…

"I can't believe it!" Kagura thought, "Did Kyo-kun just kiss me?"

TBC…