Well… here's the next chapter. Did I make the monthly deadline? I have no idea. I probably won't because I'm so swamped and stuck with my other fics, and I started a couple more in honor of Christmas (A Zima/Dita from Chobits and a Dark/Krad Daisuke/Satoshi one from DNAngel) Check them out if you want to when I actually post them… which will be before Christmas. Sooooo….

Anyway, I did update, and here it is. Short, but that keeps me able to update more frequently. . Should make all the other chapters in my other fics shorter, and maybe then I could keep up with my deadlines…

Disclaimer for the past three chapters and this one: I don't own X's plotline or characters, I'm only borrowing them to make them hit rock bottom and pair them up. It's a sadistic fangirl's greatest pastime.

Hope you enjoy it, and excuse any OOCness, though I try to keep them in character.

THANKS FOR ALL MY REVIEWERS SUPPORT!


Falling


Smoke curled up daintily with the innocence of snow, contrasting its poisonous danger, from a burning cigar, ember glowing eerily. A breath was exhaled, and more puffs of smoke floated up, gravity defying.

A tall, dark, mysterious man sat alone on the top of an earthquake-ruined office building, watching the broken district from behind oval-shaped sunglasses. There was a murdering, sinister feeling drifting around him to the rhythm of a sakura petal.

His mind could not detach itself from the single image of Subaru, and his twisted eyes became possessive, his Subaru, with the leader of the Seals, the first Kamui, in a loving embrace.

Jealousy was present in the assassin's almost nonexistent heart, but much as he refuted it, denied it, ignored it... or simply didn't realize was there, jealousy had a deep hold over the ironically naïve Sakurazukamori. He convinced himself that it was Subaru who had obsessed over him, chasing him throughout all these years for revenge, and Seishirou had done nothing more than watch, and play along amusedly. But he was kidding himself, though he had failed to comprehend it yet— he was just as obsessed and controlled by Subaru as the youth was for him.

Anger. He had not thought himself capable of an emotion like that anymore. But then again, jealousy was flirting inside him unknowingly. He stared out, his whirlwind of thoughts for the pale, moonlight-faced Sumeragi invisible on the surface of his long stoic face.

But then a hand snaked around the large man's neck, and he started, face swiveling around at a speed only a trained fighter possessed, hands already holding the inverted pentagram tarot cards.

"Don't be so hasty. You wouldn't want to hurt me, would you?" a sly, young voice, deep with maturity and darkness laughed good-humoredly. A voice that had once been the epitome of calm kindness and concern.

"Of course not," Sakurazuka chuckled, surprise pushed aside roughly.

"...Hm..." the tall teenager stared at him, searching him with the skill and accuracy of a psychic, or dreamseer. Ironic, considering he was almost twenty years younger and more inexperienced in identifying human emotions. But somehow, Fuuma, Kamui, was able to rid himself of all emotions, no matter what he displayed on the surface. Seishirou sometimes wondered if that was possible, to loose all emotions.

"You've seen him lately. The one your wish pertains to," the leader of the Dragons of Earth smiled knowingly, danger lurking behind his expression and gestures, as he leaned forward to Seishirou, his large hands tracing the tree servant's jaw line with that manipulative seduction so famous of the other Kamui. So unlike his Subaru, who lacked the art of seduction like a jack-in-the-box lacked subtlety, a fact Seishirou had used to his advantage, "Be careful. Don't get into trouble. He will be the death of you..."

"I'll make sure he isn't," the Sakurazukamori responded with a fake grin. Because if he let Subaru kill him, that was as good as admitting that he loved Subaru. That was what his mother had shown him… that the greatest joy in life was dying by the hands of the one you loved. He didn't want to admit his feelings for the omnyoji to even himself, much less to Fuuma, "Is there something else you wish to tell me?" he said, lowering his voice to a husky drawl as he stroked the back of Fuuma's head. The twin Kamui's liquid amber eyes narrowed.

"What will you do, if he chooses my twin star over you?"

The words cut cleanly into Seishirou as he finally understood the situation. If his Suabru was no longer his…

What will I do if it's vice versa- the thought leaked from the younger Harbinger's mind into Seishirou's, and for the first time, the demonic cherry tree slave saw a flicker of emotion in the other's eyes. Shock registered on the teenager's face at his slip, as well as a rainbow of instantaneous emotions- fear, love, betrayal, surprise, revenge, jealousy, inflections of each and every one of his thoughts.

The Sakurazukamori withdrew rapidly, still shocked at the insight that he'd caught from the formerly impassive Fuuma. And then a slow smirk passed over his face, almost reaching up to his white, blind eye.

"I see..." and now it was his turn to reach up to touch the younger man's light-eyed gaze, "You... accuse me of still thinking of the Seal- while you're the one who harbors feelings for the enemy's Kamui... you've made us al think it was an act…how interesting."

Anger flashed clearly in Fuuma's face at the older man's intrusion on his thoughts and sentiments. But then he stood up abruptly, his face dispassionate once again, all signs of his slip gone, "Think about my question."

And with a parting, lingering kiss, that Seishirou despised as much as it made him burn with pleasure and feel something of what he'd lost after Subaru's departure, Fuuma walked out on him, leaving him back to sink into his thoughts and ponder with a dull heartache what would he do if his Subaru was lost to the first Kamui...

Seishirou Sakurazukamori took in another short drag of his cigar.

OoO

Subaru drew in a long drag of the shifting, almost solid white smoke from his cigarette. One slender porcelain-white hand lowered the poisonous stick from his mouth, the other hand firmly enfolding a smaller hand.

The room was dark; the way Subaru liked it best. He smiled lightly, for some reason remembering better times. When he'd liked the sun better than the moon, day over night. Tough times, but better nonetheless. When the Bet was being played out, those had been his most wonderful times. That single year, the one that had changed his life.

He would tell Kamui about Hokuto sometime soon, the emerald-eyed Sumeragi decided. Moreover…maybe sometime he'd tell Kamui about the Bet, and about Seishirou-san.

Just the thought of Seishirou brought about a rainbow of emotions. Betrayal. Love. Hate. Oceans of pain. Lost dreams, and found goals. False goals.

He shook his head, preferring to focus his gaze on the younger boy's sleeping face. Beautiful face, more so than even Subaru's. Closed eyes immersed in fitful sleep. Subaru had the feeling that something was slightly off. At the park, when the taller man had returned with the ice-cream, Kamui had been looking… how to put it? Out of sorts, to use Sora's words. He'd ask about it when the Seal woke up, but for now, Subaru took another drag from his cigarette and stood up, disentwining his hand from Kamui's small one, kissing it lightly before laying it back on the bed.

But then there was a small whimper and theviolet eyes of the second-youngest Dragon of Heaven opened.

"Are you… leaving?"

Subaru blinked, surprised, then his face softened, "No," he said, sitting his slim frame next to Kamui once more and taking his hand again.

"You're amazing, Subaru-kun…" Kamui murmured. The spiritualist glanced up, confused.

"Why?"

"Lots of things… you always make me feel better, whenever I'm around you I feel safe…"

That's how I felt with Seishirou, safe, and look how that turned out… he thought bitterly, but nonetheless, Subaru's gaze softened. This was what he'd been searching for during his work. To make people safe, to help them.

"And you saved yourself from your soul and went back to reality by yourself. You had to help me. Which I have to thank you for as well…"

Subaru remembered that instance well, "You're too kind, Kamui," he said, brushing his lips over Kamui's forehead as the smaller young man blushed.

"Huh?"

"When I told you that Fuuma might remember killing Kotori if you brought him back, you responded by saying that that would tear him in two. But you're the one who's being torn in two…"

"So are you…" the soft words were true, and Subaru could not deny them.

"Shh… we'll talk about it another time. Go back to sleep…"

Kamui obeyed without protest, leaving the omnyoji to ponder over his words as he stroked the Seal's hand.

There was an almost inaudible knock at the door, and Subaru said calmly, "Come in."

With a slow creak, the large doors of the CLAMP school's house opened and a timid Yuzuriha stepped in.

"Back from school?" the taller man greeted. The short-haired girl nodded.

"How's Kamui?"

"…As well as can be expected, I suppose," the other Seal answered truthfully. She nodded.

"That's good. Well, the teacher told me to give him his work, but…" she broke off, unsure of how to go on. It seemed almost superficial to be thinking of something as trivial as schoolwork when there were lives and fates at chance. But she'd been told to give him the message, and so she was.

"Leave it there, I'll work with him on it," Subaru said, trying for her sake to put warmth in his voice. It was almost impossible, as the thread of despair and sorrow had been imprinted too heavily on him, but she seemed to take comfort it in nonetheless, flashing him a smile that somehow brought cheer into that dark room before depositing the papers and pulling the door closed behind her softly.

"A very sweet girl," he murmured to himself, shaking his head at the tragedy.

"And if we all die… could she be spared still?" Smiles like that were worth the world, and he only wished that Kamui and Yuzuriha would live to smile like that. Even Sorata and Arashi, who were only that much older that the other two, and Subaru was senior to them by a number of years, though it was hardly apparent. All four of them still had their whole lives to find happiness and smile. Subaru knew his hopes were over. He'd never smile again, that was a given. He only wished… to die… by Seishirou's hands.

Or at least that's what he'd convinced himself. Made himself tougher, and stronger in an attempt to be able to even vex the Harbinger that lay so close to his shattered heart, to merit death at his hands, and then his life would have been complete, done and over, so that the last thing his waning eyes would see would be the face of the one who held his scorned love. That was his wish… wasn't it?

He was beginning to have doubts. For the first time, he felt like maybe… there was something to live for, and the wish to die wasn't as strong as it once had been. His pale fingers stroked Kamui's hands with increased fervor as his lips reached down to brush the warm forehead, seeking comfort in desperation, needy, almost greedy. He reached now to take Kamui's lips in his own, but Subaru had never been an abusive or forceful lover, and even in the midst of his desperation and whirling thoughts and need of distraction, and something to cling to, he was not abusive or abrasive, and took the gentlest care in tasting the innocence and pain that was almost an integrated part of Kamui's soul.

"Smile for me… always smile…" he wanted to regain in Kamui what he had lost as a child thanks to Seishirou. Suddenly, his wish seemed foolish, to want to die. Granted, he still wished that when he died it was by Seishirou's own hands that he did, but the wish to actually die was waning, fading into another one—to live by Kamui's side, to be with Kamui, to love Kamui, to find himself in Kamui…

Without either realizing it, Kamui was changing Subaru, dispelling the darkness of his soul. It would always remain to a certain extent, even a mind as powerful and strong as the head of the Sumeragi family turned fragile with the weight and torture of living years under the torment of unrequited love and grievance over his sister's death. But the dullness in his eyes was being polished into a new luster, and the ice in his soul was thawing ever so slowly.

His hands ceased searching, and his lips stilled as his body slowed into a content lethargy, and he eased his body next to Kamui's on the bed, letting tears of confusion, sorrow and happiness slip to dampen the covers.

OoO

Kamui dreamt peacefully for a while, but just as he was beginning to reach a state of tranquility that made sleep the blessing it was without nightmares, a shade of darkness overcame his dream, and the dark-haired boy whirled around, searching for a source to this unnatural interruption of his dream..

He recognized who it was immediately, his heart contracting painfully in his ethereal dream form, even as he continued to search for the figure he knew would appear.

"I trust you got my message…"

Kamui tensed as the smooth, husky voice whispered in his ear, large arms snaking around his torso to hold it gently. In the distance, the blonde dreamseer of the Harbingers watched with pain and compassion in his eyes as the two warring figures were pulled together.

"Fuuma!" the soft breath was barely out of his throat before Fuuma's forehead furrowed behind the Seal's head, and he bit the younger boy's neck sharply, his arms squeezing Kamui's injured chest only a little, but enough to send a pained gasp from Kamui's lips and his breathing to quicken.

"Not Fuuma… don't you learn? I am the other Kamui…"

"No! You're not… Fuuma's in there, somewhere!" the pained protest was futile, but Kamui would remain strong to his wish and he would fight to get Fuuma back, his Fuuma. He couldn't love the man that held him now, because it was like loving a stranger. He could love the body, because it was Fuuma's, he could gaze into the eyes and face of his former friend and feel his heart tear slowly, but as soon as he saw who it really was behind those amber eyes, it would be in vain. It wasn't really Fuuma, much as he looked at him. Kamui only loved the memory and body of his Fuuma, because the person that his friend had once been was now a stranger. It was painful and tormenting to look at someone you loved, knowing that no matter how much they looked like the one you loved, it was someone different on the inside.

"Keep trying… but you will die at my hands…even if your wish is completed…" the low, sadistically loving voice cooed in his ear, pulling Kamui just that much closer to his body, but releasing the pressure on his chest.

"I'll give you one month… then, meet me at Nakashogo, with that other little Seal of yours, the Sumeragi. Just the two of you, none of the other Dragons of Heaven. The Sakurazukamori will come as well…" he continued.

"A reunion," Kamui's eyes widened.

"Exactly, my little Kamui, just the four of us…"

There was a flutter of the wind and the gentle, sinister caress of the twin Kamui's hands on the younger boy's face faded away along with the figures of the dreamseer and leader of the Dragons of Earth.

The Dragon of Heaven's small-framed body fell to its knees, his head burrowing in his hands, the perfect semblance of despairing hope. What an oxymoron, to have despairing hope….

He'd have to tell Subaru now… there was no avoiding or postponing it…

Hm, did you like? It was odd, but I thought it was actually an okay chapter. So yes, there is Fuuma/Seishirou, but it's very odd, since they're both pretty much heads-over-heels in love with Suby and Kamui-kun, but hey, they're the next best thing to each other. Oh, I'm having a vote/survey on the pairings, so look at the bottom of the page for info.


Anyway, next chapter… delve a little into Subaru's past from Kamui's POV (or that may be the chapter after next), they all go to school… em, thanks to Arrhythmic Song's review I'm going to add a little Hokuto look-alike, like I did with Kotori and Kamui… well, I'll see. I really have nothing planned for this fic after the next chapter.

Reviewer Responses:

Sadaku Sumeragi: I'm glad I updated too. Usually it takes me forever, so yeah. How sad, there should always be a steady amount of Subaru/Kamui –pout- It makes me sad too. I hope Subaru and Kamui were cute in this chapter too, even though they only had a short bit… Thanks for your support!

Arrhythmic Song: That is the coolest name… Of course you were mentioned, your gave a great review. Thanks for your ideas, they're great! I am so going to use the Hokuto thing, as mentioned above, and the Suby reminiscing about Sei-chan I will too, but not all that much, since I feel he does that often enough. The omnyojitsu/Sei part I think I'll mention too, but I'm not too sure on how to work with that. But I will have some of it. Those were great, and I'm glad that you responded to my plea, since usually ppl don't cause well, it's someone else's story, so it's hard to come up with ideas, and that type of thing, but your were really helpful. Thanks for everything! Hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Next one will be cute –grin-

Angel-Kamui: Of course I complemented, it's the cutest name, and it does fit Kamui so well! He's adorable… -drool fills up huge glass- Wow, thanks, I'm so glad you like my fic so much! Yeah, it'd drive me crazy not to finish a fic cause it'd make me feel horrible, and because it's really a pity…

Ginger Ninja: yeah, adding Fuuma in there was a last minute thing, but it fit nicely and I thought it was appropriate. I'm glad you like the little girl part, cause I was wondering what people thought of it… Hope you liked this chapter!

Subaru's voice: Yes, eventually there will be some Subaru/Seishirou, as in physical instead of just thoughts. I haven't gotten to it, but it will be there. Thanks a lot for liking it!

Chibis Unleashed: My friend commented on how cool your name is! There's a lot of creative names out there… Anyway, aren't they the cutest. Just nod… or drool and nod, or squeal drool and nod! Heehee. I love Oreos! –was munching on some earlier- but I hate milk… I like my Oreos in coke! Yes, I know it's weird, but you have to try it… it's like fizzy soft oreos! Yeah, I still have to actually come up with how and what exactly will happen when Sei and Fuuma interfere, but I have some (in other words, a vague idea) ideas of how to do that… definitely will be emotional, fluffy, angsty, and have PLENTY of all four of our bishies in it. Thank for everything. Did you enjoy the chapter?

Faded Justice: Well, I'm really glad you read the first chapter and loved it, hope it means you kept on reading. Well, if you read this then I guess you did, but drop a review and tell me what you thought of the rest of the fic!

Chris Pwure: Not cute normally? No! –aghast- thank goodness I snapped you out of that –laughs- Did you keep finding them satisfactorily cute in this chapter too? I always go AW when I read anything with them… I swear, I was reading some other CLAMP fic, and they Mentioned their names, separately, ONCE, and I immediately squealed like crazy and thought of them together, even though they weren't in the fic, they'd just been mentioned here and there. My friend laughed sooo hard at me… so I'm flattered that this fic made you find them cute! And yeah, I was going for that peaceful break between the storm type mood in the last chapter, so I'm glad you noticed it and commented on it. Thanks for your review, and I hope you keep on reading!

Shuichi S: Thanks, glad you liked it! I actually don't get it, ppl keep saying I made them a cute couple, but I've read some S/K fics, and they're cute too, maybe not as fluffy and more angsty, but really good too, so I don't understand what makes mine any cuter than those. Maybe I'm just reading the good ones and haven't read the ones that don't make them look good… yes, it is a miracle when he smiles… just like it's a miracle for me to update in time, or for another Dita/Zima fic to come up other than mine… sry, bitter abou that –nervous laugh- And yeah, glad yo commented on the detailing, I work hard at it… Hope you keep on reading!

VOTE! What do you want the ending pairings for the END (hence the 'ending' pairings) of the fic to be? Either Kamui/Subaru, Seishirou/Fuuma, with them pining for the other still, OR Kamui/Fuuma, Seishirou/Subaru with a bittersweet parting type thing.

Now, this doesn't mean that I will actually do the pairing that wins. It depends on whether I find a good plot, and the pairings that come off of it will be it then. But I'll have ALL of those pairings at some point in the story, so even if it doesn't END with the one you want, there will be a good bit of each. So I guess this is more of a survey than a vote, but it would be helpful, along with any ideas or scenes you think you might like. Remember, I have no real plot outlined for this, so anything is welcomed.

Tata, come back when I update!