DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the beautiful characters of X/1999.

A/N: Thank you all for the new comments and follows. I really appreciate them. I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter.

Sakurazuka

He breathed into the cold mist, entranced by the visage of his own breath intertwining with the icy air in a short-lived dance. He had never expected to be enjoying in such simple pleasures. In fact it surprised him. Having lived for many centuries now, wouldn't someone like himself take such things for granted? Wouldn't he be spending more time missing out on all that was deemed small and insignificant? But no. On the contrary, he's finding himself being taken in more and more by that which are simple. Like the flow of blood, which is the very color of life. And life is simple.

Or is it? he wondered as he strutted along the streets, watching the people huddle by. Each and every one of them trapped in a world of self-indulgence. None of them taking the time to realize how precious this thing called life was and how short it was. It's so short it's pathetic. It's pathetic because they're unable to see. So blinded by what's on the outside which is an ever-changing world that would only lead to further destruction and nobody stops to realize it. Because they're pathetic and blind and have such short lives.

He chuckled to himself, amused by his own inner ramblings which he's been doing a lot lately. He swiped a cigarette out from the thick folds of his black coat and lighted it up. He inhaled deeply with his eyes closed, feeling the tobacco sooth his lungs.

Ah, the simplest thing in life lies right between my fingers.

He continued among the faceless crowd. He was alone and he liked it. Besides the company of his master, he sought for no other. Just that lately, Fuuma has been acting rather out of place. He has been going out alone for long periods of time and whenever he returned to their apartment, he would coop himself up in his room for hours. Seishirou would enter his room just to check up on him and he would see eyes burning crimson red, reflecting a world of inner turmoil and Seishirou understood, having seen that look before. The look of one being slowly consumed by one's darker self and there's nothing he can do about it. It's Fuuma's fight alone.

All in the grand name of love, Seishirou thought darkly.

Love.

He shuddered at the thought of it.

I'm a cold-blooded murderer. What would I know about love?

And yet, in the cold-blooded memory of his, he remembered how love had looked him in the eye.

"Seishirou…"

"Setsuka!"

"I'm sorry Seishirou. I'm sorry but I cannot carry on the search with you anymore... I want you to kill me and taste my blood… Remember it and remember me…"

He did kill her. Had torn through her heart with a swift forward strike of his hand, felt her blood spill over his fingers as her heartbeat ebbed away. His sadness and pain only lasted a few moments as he completed his vow by bringing his crimson-stained hand up to his waiting lips and he licked. He had liked it. He had enjoyed killing. And he had truly enjoyed the sensation of a human heart beating its last in the palm of his hand.

Oh, Setsuka you're a devil aren't you? You knew I was heading down towards that road and you were just quietly banking on it. You knew I was going to be the one to take over your role as the Sakurazukamori. All those visits to the cherry trees had not been for naught and it wasn't until you made me kill you underneath that one cherry tree... the one that you had called 'your special one', that I realized I had been initiated. And once that's done, there's no turning back. And you knew I was eventually going to find immortality. Oh, Setsuka. You truly are the mother of all evils.

Mother... what had you done to become the Sakurazukamori? I guess I'll never find out...

And as he killed her, she had looked back at him with such love and kindness it would have been hard to imagine that she was as much of a cold-blooded killer as he. Her last look haunted him and had been the main driving force for all his subsequent kills. He did not understand why but they had not brought him the same satisfaction he had with Setsuka. Still his bloodlust grew and pushed him to kill again and again, driving his hands through his victims' chests. He had tasted their blood but they didn't taste as sweet as Setsuka's and so he had stopped doing that. The killing was good enough. And with every kill he would always gaze into their faces, his eyes searching for something and he would always smile in anticipation for that something to happen. But it never did. The only thing he got from them was fear.

Amidst the passing of centuries, he had gotten so caught up with all the killings and gotten so good at it that people started paying him to do it. Important people who wanted other important people dead but didn't have the balls to do it themselves. Nothing wrong with that. Why get your hands dirty and risk everything when there was already someone who could do it without leaving a single trace? It was the perfect deal, for them and also for him. For him because, well, he didn't have to worry about earning his keep. Especially at a time like this when everything was being monopolized by the Big Boys, making it harder and harder for Nanno Nanigashi to find his place and get a decent wage to sustain his pathetically short life. As far as he's concerned, he would never have to worry about running out of work. As long as people never stop wanting each other dead, he mused. Such people came and went and the money kept pouring in and before he knew it, he had forgotten the real reason for his murderous obsession.

"Well, they were right about us serial killers on one thing," he said to Fuuma. Fumma turned and gave him a cold stare that said 'don't put us on the same line' before Seishirou continued. "We're always searching for that one perfect kill and you know what we never stop to realize?"

"What?" Fumma asked.

"We've already achieved that one perfect kill. It's our very first kill and it was... perfect." A strain of sadness trickled through the corners of his lips as he smiled. "That perfection became embedded in our memory like a parasite feeding on our brain, growing bigger and meaner. And our desire to relive that memory is so strong, we can't stop killing."

He looked back at Fuuma. His smile was one of resignation. "But I've forgotten how perfection felt like."

"Then why do you still kill?" Fuuma asked.

Seishirou shrugged, "I was searching for something and I've forgotten what it was. My answer seems to lie in my past and my past is already long gone. Now I kill to forget."

How many lives had he taken already? He had lost count. He sighed as he began to light a second cigarette. He faced a window display, his back against the oncoming wind as he flicked the fire alive. He sucked in the air as he stared through the glass panel where a black suit was being displayed. His eyes trailed along its fine material, admiring its workmanship. It's been a while since he last saw such detail in the makings of a suit. And the best part of it was that it was pure black with no extra ornaments adorning it. And he liked it that way. He could really appreciate something new to wear over his shoulders. And since he's heading towards there, it won't be nice to appear in a coat that carried the scent of his kills which has been getting rather overwhelming as of late. It's just not his style and no matter how cold-blooded he gets, the respect he had towards those of his kind ran deeper than the legacy of his family name. He stepped into the department store and headed inside where more of that black suit laid waiting for that compelling touch. He fed his tactile senses as he lightly traced his fingers along the body of the suit, like a sensuous lover withholding his full touch. Next to the sensation of a beating human heart fading in his hands, nothing else could make him feel this good and alive. He'd like to get one for Fuuma too. Because through some unspoken arrangment, he's taken upon himself the task as the devil's dresser. Most of Fuuma's clothes had been carefully selected by him, worn without objecting to his sense of style. The devil surely has his moments of submission and he took some delight in that.

Fuuma, his mind wandered to his master. You've been holding on to that name and that form for too long now. All because of a lame promise you made to that little bitch.

He didn't mean to call her a little bitch in a degrading way. Just that all women are bitches to him who could nowhere meet the same respect he had towards Setsuka. He just didn't get women. Granted he had his fun with them. Fucked them a little here and there and all. But he had grown so bored with them and the sex that the only way that he could appease his sexual appetite is to torture them while he fucked them and then kill them. But that too died off within half a century and now he's back to just killing. Once in a very blue moon would he hire some nice high-end escort girl and have his way with her just to remind himself that he's still very well fit as a man.

A man needs a real fuck once in a while. Especially when he's not some goddamn priest.

But how long more before the world ran out of high-end escorts especially when women these days are getting more and more loathsome to look at? He really can't say. The world's getting much too complicated for him. Women are becoming more masculine and men are getting more feminine. This whole universal law of yin and yang that have governed his entire life is turning topsy turvy, making him begin questioning his own sexuality ever since he caught himself taking a double take at other men. Beautiful men. And the most beautiful had been that one he had met in that club. And that night at that club had been a test he had set upon himself. The result had been rather, how should he put it, enlightening.

So, back to that little bitch, he thought, remembering everything about her. Probably because his master remembered everything about her and since he's bonded to him through his non-existing soul, he too can't shake his memory off her. He hated that but he's learned to live with what he hates. And it's not going to get any worse now since his master has a new obsession.

Finally, a different kind of meat for the dark lord, he thought. Enjoy him while you can Fuuma, because time is running out. And you know how it'll all turn out. It won't be any different for him. He's just gonna end up like her, like all of them. Honestly, Fuuma... I don't know why I call you by that name when I know you're not him. You can never be him. The real Fuuma's dead a long time ago and no matter how long you keep up with that image because of some promise you made, you can never be him. And be careful because of the danger of becoming too attached to him and actually start believing you're him. Or at least, that's what you told me. Isn't that why you need me in the first place? To remind you? But it seems like you're already starting to ignore my warnings.

"That's a total of 35,500 yen sir," said the lady at the cashier.

"Thank you, miss!" beamed Seishirou, cheerfully receiving the package of the newly bought black suit over the counter and started to leave. Hmm, on second thought. "I think I'll wear it right now," he told the lady as he shrugged off his older coat.

"Would you like me to wrap this up for you sir?"

Seishirou shook his head while he looked into the mirror, admiring his new snug look. It fitted just right, his long torso accentuated by its smoothness. Worth every damn drop of blood, he thought with a pleased look. "Please," he said turning back towards the lady, "if you would be so kind as to get rid of it for me."

He wasn't sure if it was the tone of voice he used, or the way he smiled as he said those words. But he could sense a strong discomfort coming from the lady as she held onto his unwanted coat, her nostrils crinkling slightly as if detecting a certain scent. And as she told him that yes, she can do that for him, he saw that familiar fear hidden behind her smile. He walked away before his predatory instincts kick in. She really wasn't worth his trouble.

Seishirou stepped back out into the cold and felt for his pocket.

Damn, he thought. But he didn't want to go back into the store so he began to look for a cigarette machine. A good thing he remembered his wallet where he kept his taspo card. He saw a machine ahead and he felt a heightened sense of relief as he headed towards it and there it was: A nice pack of Mevius gleaming back at him and he grinned.

So, this is it, he thought upon reaching his destination, breathing in the distinct scent of what he imagined were remnants of a long lost time. Bells chimed as if announcing his presence. Go away, they seemed to say or was it only his own imagination? For after all, he was standing on grounds that he would never dream of being welcomed on.

He was like a piece of darkness chancing upon the light. Should he step in and allow the light to swallow him whole? Like that's gonna happen, he chuckled to himself. The devil's got my back. Plus I'm really curious about the little family that lives here. A long generation of strong-spirited onmyoujis only to come to an end at a time like this, when we need them all the more. Just because of this little thing called greed.

He finally stepped through the gates and into the very land of the Sumeragi household. A huge pond, still and silent like a huge mirror laid flat on the ground, reflected the grey wintry sky. A torii gate towered before him and he went under it with his head bowed. As he approached the household's main building, his eyes caught the figure of a woman wrapped in a black kimono. Her back was on to him, slightly bent over as she watered the plants that made up into what looked like a little garden. He stood and watched, his eyes never leaving the short midnight hair that fluttered softly in the cold breeze. He felt something tugging at his chest as he continued watching the woman. As if sensing she was being watched, the woman turned drastically and he could not hide his surprise when he finally saw her face for the first time. It can't be, he thought, instantly remembering those eyes to be as bright as emeralds.

"Hi!" the woman called from her garden. "Can I help you?"

Seishirou gathered himself again and gave a gentle smile. "I'm here to pay my respects to the late Lady Sumeragi."

"Oh! I'll be right over, just hold on a sec!" she called once again as she hopped away from her chores. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting more visitors. I'm Hokuto Sumeragi, the late Lady Sumeragi's granddaughter."

"Ah! So you're her successor," Seishirou said, taking her hand.

"Oh, no that's not decided yet." chirped the younger woman. Seishirou noticed that her eyes were a shade closer to jade and did not embody the same kind melancholic grace that he had seen in the one he was reminded of.

"Oh?"

Hokuto smiled proudly. "I have a younger twin brother!"

Did his heart just fluttered? Such a sensation was making him edgy and he stuffed his hand in the pocket of his new suit, feeling for his cigarette pack. What he really needed right now is a smoke to calm him down. Instead he asked, "Is he around?"

"Nope, he's actually out running errands—oh my! How rude of me! You know I'm so used to the weather out here that I forget how cold it can get sometimes. Please come inside and warm up. Say, what did you say your name was?"

"I haven't. It's Seishirou," he replied. "By the way, does your twin brother go by the name of Subaru by any chance?" He had never asked for the other's last name which was unlike him now that he thought about it. But then again, he hadn't intended to meet him again. How the world tend to unfold in the strangest of ways when you're not looking, he thought.

"You know Subaru?" A mix of delight and surprise filled her eyes.

The older man nodded. For some reason, he was starting to like the woman standing before him. "I believe I do. But we've only met once some time back and it was very, very dark." He brought a finger to his eye and wiped a non-existent tear and choked back a sob that wasn't real. "I doubt he remembers me."

A loud laugh erupted from Hokuto, "You're a funny man! And you're so good looking I'm sure Subaru remembers! In fact I've asked if he's met anyone special and he blushed! He never blushes! Say, would you by any chance be my brother's special person?"

"That would be a secret!"

Hokuto was about to make another loud comment when a third person appeared. "Hokuto? I could hear you from—" a man with pale amber hair, its ends disheveled at his shoulders stopped at the doorway that led to the main hall as Hokuto walked in. A man in a black suit followed behind her like a dark shadow and he froze.

"Anata!" Hokuto called excitedly. "Meet Seishirou… I didn't get your last name," she asked.

"It's Sakurazuka," he replied with a bow and as his head was down, his eyes darted towards the other man who was having a hard time hiding the shocked look on his face. His hands were trembling beside the folds of his black kimono as he stared at the visitor. How dare he! screamed his eyes.

"This is my husband, Kakyou Kuzuki," Hokuto said as she grabbed her husband and pulled with a hook of her arm, oblivious to the tension arising from him. "Anata, why don't you show Sei-chan to the ceremonial room while I go prepare the tea," she said and ambled away before he could say anything.

"Sei-chan?" Seishirou coughed back his surprise. Never before did anyone have the audacity to address him with such endearment. This was the first in history and it brought a strange sense of comfort to him. Things were finally getting more interesting for him and he can't wait to see the look on Subaru's face when he returns. But first things first, he had to deal with the look he was getting from his male host.

"You have a very interesting wife!" he said and tried to laugh off the tension.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kakyou hissed, glaring at Seishirou. His knuckles trembled harder and were almost turning white from his tightly balled fist as if doing so would harness all the strength he needed to beat up the other. But he remained where he was, for he knew who, or rather what he was truly up against.

"Now, now is that the way to treat your guest?" Seishirou waved a finger at him.

"Don't play games with me, Sakurazuka."

"Don't be cocky," his smile never leaving his face. "I'm not here for you. I'm here to pay my respects to Japan's greatest onmyouji before they cast her ashes back into the sea. Really, Kakyou-san, you're not that important. I did what you asked for and you've made your payment. The contract's done and I can do whatever I may well please. If you didn't want me here you should have said so in your contract."

They've reached the end of the corridor where the ceremonial room was and Seishirou walked towards the coffin where the late onmyouji laid. He bowed before it and mumbled a few prayers, words of an ancient tongue that only he and his kind would know. And there aren't many of us left now that one has gone, he thought and at the same time wondered how deeply involved the Sumeragi twins were in the occult. He smiled while still gazing at the portrait of the late Lady Sumeragi as he thought how fun it'll be to watch Subaru at one of his rites.

He must look really adorable in ceremonial robes.

"So," he turned and once more faced the other. "I'm curious, why did you wish for her death?"

Kakyou only stared back, his eyes reflecting a time not too long ago when he was sitting face to face with the dark onmyouji. He had delved in a little magic himself and at that time he thought he was in absolute luck when he finally got hold of the Sakurazukamori through his dreams. The Sakurazukamori was a family sect with many deep dark secrets that were once believed to be lost forever, buried under the weight of their own sins and darkness. Yet he had managed to uncover them and he still could not believe the sect still existed, even as he looked at the surviving member under the dim light. The other had looked extremely normal, with dark hair falling over the rim of his glasses. The only thing that put him off was the way his black coat wrapped around him like the midnight sky and that smile that never left his face. Kakyou had shown him a picture of his target and noticed a glint of surprise in the other's eyes as his eyebrows raised.

"Kaguya Sumeragi? You want me to kill the head of the Sumeragi clan?" He voiced his surprise, staring at the small portrait of the Lady Sumeragi that was thrown in front of him. He normally doesn't ask questions but this was an onmyouji he's talking about. A real onmyoudou practitioner just like himself. Sounds like a real shame.

"No questions asked, just get it done and I promise you a handsome reward," said Kakyou. His shoulder-length pale hair that framed his pale face made him look ghostly under the dim light. His eyes never left Seishirou's as he laid his demands on the table. "It has to be silent and clean. It must look like she died of a natural death so no puncturing a hole through her heart which I know is your kind of thing but I'm sorry I don't want news of a murdered onmyouji to spread to the rest of the world."

A pause set itself between client and contractor. "Can you do it, Sakurazuka?"

The Sakurazukamori's gaze lingered on the Sumeragi clan head's picture for a while longer. Her hair was white and had been flowing in the wind when the image was captured, freezing that moment for eternity's keep. Her smile was small and knowing and her eyes were the color of winter skies. Right next to her had been another figure with hair that fluttered like the wings of a raven but that was all the dark onmyouji could make out as the rest of it was cut off by the edge of the photo. Who wears a red jacket this days? were his last thoughts before he breathed deeply, mastering his deep sense of contemplation between his decisions. He's never taken the life of another onmyouji. Maybe this will be the time to test his skills in magical warfare. He finally took the portrait, held it between his fingers before slipping it into his coat pocket. He smiled at his client and nodded, a sign that he's accepted the contract.

The deed had been relatively easy. The lady onmyouji was strong but still not as strong as him. After all, he had centuries of a headstart that allowed him a fair amount of time to perfect his skills in the arts of the onmyoudou. So, the deed had been silent and clean and hadn't taken long. And it had taken place right after the night you and I met Subaru-kun, he thought, the voice in his head sounding almost sadly.

He waited for Kakyou's answer though truthfully, he already suspected what it was but he just enjoyed watching the look on the faces of the guilty. He has lived long enough to understand the human condition, to know their motives and the reasons behind the choices they make. Kakyou Kuzuki is pretty much textbook in his opinion.

"Was it perhaps to claim the clan's inheritance? Is that why you married the granddaughter?"

Kakyou's jaw clenched and the rest of his color drained from his face.

Bingo! Seishirou thought. But marrying her would have been enough. Not unless…

"Was she not—" he started again but was stopped by the approaching sound of voices.

"I'm back!" declared Hokuto with a tray and on it was a tea set. Accompanying her was a younger woman who could not stop fidgeting ever since she set eyes on Seishirou. "This is Yuzuriha. Obaa-chan took her in when she was very young so she's practically family, ne Yuzu-chan?"

Yuzuriha looked down and bowed without saying a word. For some reason she was shivering with a fear she could not understand. All she knew was that she wanted to get away from the strange man in the black suit. All she wants is her Inuki.

"She's shy," Hokuto said after finally letting Yuzuriha leave. "Ever since my Obaa-chan died, she's been keeping all to herself. I'm not sure what to do with her. The only reason why she's here is because of Obaa-chan but now that she's gone, there's no reason for her to stay, although she can continue staying with us if she wants to. But it's up to her. I believe in freedom of choice."

"So do I!" Seishirou declared. He looked around the room. "Where's everyone else?" Or what he really meant was 'where's Subaru?'

"Most of the visitors have left. Those who are still around are distant family members and they're with my Ōoji-san."

"Oh? I didn't know that Lady Sumeragi had a brother," Seishirou said with his eyebrows arched. Maybe he should do a little bit of digging. That would entice him to enjoy a little bit more of his long life.

"It's her half-brother. You seemed to know a lot about us. Are you an onmyouji too? The name Sakurazuka does sound kind of familiar," Hokuto said as she scratched her chin. "And has a magical element to it too."

"Oh, not at all! I can't do magic to save my life, unfortunately!" Seishirou exclaimed. "Although it is true that the name Sakurazuka can be traced back to a cult that dabbled in dark onmyoudou. But it's such a long time that they might as well be a myth!"

Hokuto laughed and slapped Seishirou on his back, "you're indeed a funny man!"

"If you keep saying that I might as well do stand-ups!"

"I'll be your number one fan!"

"Hokuto…" she stopped and turned to face her husband, as if noticing him for the first time.

"What's wrong Kakyou? You've been acting all weird since Sei-chan's arrived."

Seishirou sniggered, "did you know that your husband loves you so much, he would do anything for you?"

Kakyou shot daggers at him, his pale lips pursed in an angry silence. Fucking bastard!

Hokuto beamed, "of course! I'm his wife!"

"I'm so envious! I wish there was someone who would do anything for me," Seishirou moaned.

Hokuto suddenly shot up from her seat, her eyes wide and bursting with stars making her look almost maniacal. "That's it! I'm gonna hook you up with my brother!" she declared and the walls vibrated with her victorious laughter.

"Oh, thank you nee-san!" Seishirou brought his hands up and bowed. I'm really enjoying this.

It's been more than two weeks. He wondered when the decision to appoint the next clan leader would be made. It's just Hokuto-chan and me, what's so difficult? he wondered as he thought about the last time he spoke to Kamui. Sorry Kamui…

There's no internet access in his home in Kyoto. Internet cafes? There're all located in Kyoto station and he can't possibly go all the way there and spend hours on a computer like a teenager without a care in the world. He had called Kamui on some occasions but it just didn't feel good enough.

He kicked a pebble in his way, a vain attempt to vent his frustration. He passed the green field. Almost home, he thought.

Hokuto had sent him off to do some errands. 'I'm going to make strawberry cake for dessert!' she had said. But deep down, he knew that she was just trying to get him off his ass. He knew that she hates seeing him in one of his depressive moods and he appreciated her efforts to cheer him up. He's always loved strawberry cakes.

And yet…

Subaru walked into the courtyard, the white gravel spread out across the Sumeragi household garden in a blinding vastness. It crunched beneath his boots as he walked towards the main entrance, feeling his skin tingle as he passed under the torii gate. There were traces of magical energy surrounding it and he wondered if he had been the cause of it. He admitted that he had not done the necessary actions to keep himself grounded and he could already hear his grandmother's chiding voice, 'have you been fasting and meditating? When was the last time you performed a misogi? Mo... Subaru-san, be more diligent. I won't always be around to remind you...' Subaru sighed. She had always been the one pushing him. But now?

Normally he would head straight for his room, or go look for Hokuto who's usually in the kitchen or the garden. But today he was unusually drawn towards the ceremonial room. He passed the empty garden and noticed a bucket of water that looked like it had been left without a care. He paused at the main door, his green irsis roamed around the curves of a pair of black leather shoes that had been place neatly on the genkan.

Is there a visitor? he thought, frowning. No one in his family wore black leather shoes like those and they stood out in the white gravel like black jewels. What am I nervous about? They're only shoes. And yet, he knew that it wasn't the shoes that he's worried about but rather the one whose feet walked in them. He could almost envision him tall, his broad shoulders hanging a long black coat that flap in the wind. As he imagined himself gazing up, he could see dark hair that's styled without much care, ruffling just above the rim of a pair of glasses and gazing back at him behind those glasses were a pair of soft brown eyes, the corners crinkling slightly at the touch of a smile.

Wait! Subaru snapped out of his imagination. Get a grip Subaru!

He finally broke his sight from the black leather shoes and moved into the house and headed towards the ceremonial room, pulled by the comforting scent of burning incense. Once there, he placed his hand on the edge of the sliding door and slid it open.

He turned his head at the sound of the sliding door, revealing a tall lean young looking man as it slid open. He fixed his eyes on the other, secretly taking delight in the other's wide surprise as a spark of recognition ignited in those green eyes. His hair had grown slightly longer since he last saw him and they shone with the elegance of a black swan. A bag dropped at his feet with a loud thud, the same hand that held it went up his chest, as if fearing his pounding heart might just burst through. Seishirou could almost hear it himself, or was it his own heart that he's listening to? He's not sure anymore.

"Hello, Subaru-kun!" he said cheerily, taking his glasses off as if they were in the way of his sight. "Long time no see!" In the light, Subaru looked more beautiful than he remembered. For some strange reason, he was fighting against an urge to race over and grab the other by the neck. Not to kill, nothing like that, but to caress and mark it with his lips. He stood and waited for the other's response.

"Subaru!"

Hokuto hooked an arm around her twin's and pulled him towards Seishirou. "Don't just stand there!" she remarked. "Tell me! Was this the special person you met?"

Redness immediately colored his cheeks and another laugh erupted from Hokuto as she slapped Seishirou on his back, "see! I told you he remembers you!"

Seishirou beamed, "I'm glad, Subaru-kun. Does that mean I can take you out on a date?"

Subaru tried to hide his flushing cheeks by looking down. "Please don't joke about such things," he said.

Seishirou's smile froze. Indeed, I've taken the joke too far. What was I thinking?

"See, Hokuto-chan! Subaru-kun hates me!"

That's not true! Subaru wanted to shout.

"I should make a move," Seishirou said as he prepared to leave.

"What?" Hokuto exclaimed. "But you must stay for dinner! And I'm making strawberry cake. See?" she picked up the bag of ingredients that were dropped at the door. "Subaru bought these, ne Subaru?"

Seishirou was halfway through leaving the ceremonial room, "as much as I'd love to stay for your strawberry cake, Hokuto-chan, if my presence is not welcome I don't see why—"

Something caught his sleeve, making him unable to take another step. He looked back down and surprise filled his eyes at the sight before him. It seemed that Subaru had rushed after him and was now tugging on his sleeve. His cheeks were still flushed but he refused to let go.

"Subaru-kun?"

It had been soft and he almost had to strain his ears to listen because the younger one's face was down as he uttered those words that made him suddenly feel like he's grown a pair of wings and was now floating in the air. But he knew what he heard and the small voice rang in his head like the tinkling of clear crystal glass.

Please stay...

The dark onmyouji's world came to a standstill, his own heartbeat and breath felt strange and alien to him. He stood in the centre of his own universe where cherry trees blossomed and in his mind's eye he saw Setsuka standing beneath one, the one that she had called special, with the wind pulling her dark hair sideways. Her pure white kimono was crimson stained where her heart had been and her smile was gentle and kind as she looked back at him.

"You will know…" he could hear her whispering voice, carried by the wind towards him and the vision before him blurred and changed. He was kneeling beside a dying Setsuka, her blood dribbling through his fingers that were prodding gently at her heart.

"What will I know?" he asked, as his hand clasped around her heart. He wanted to feel it beat its last.

"You will know…" he watched a trail of red sweetness trickle down the corner of her lips and fought the urge to kiss it away as he waited for her to finish. "…when you meet the one you love…"

His eyebrows tugged upwards with his mild surprise. "The one I love? But it is you that I love, Setsuka." It was true that he loved her but he had a feeling that she was talking about an entirely different thing which he did not understand.

Setsuka smiled, her eyes were glazing and they both knew that her time was almost up. Realizing this, she fought with the last of her mortal strength to say her last, as if not doing so would mean bringing great injustice towards Seishirou and herself.

"Tell me this, would you die for me?"

Silence loomed between them as the cherry petals fell like snowflakes. Seishirou's lips were parted slightly as if an answer might escape. But he could offer no answer and Setsuka had a look that said she knew why.

"Then, I am not the one you love," she told him and there was pain in her voice.

"But I can never love another more than you," Seishirou said, believing every word.

"Not yet," Setsuka said in a whisper. Her skin was paling to an almost white and her body shivered from the cold that came from her insides. "But you will… and you will know…"

Seishirou found it hard to believe. Him? Love another? Impossible. And yet, he wanted to know.

"How?" he asked and at the same time brought his face closer to her lips for fear that her final words might get lost in the wind before they could reach his ears. Her lips trembled as she told him.

Subaru finally looked up and his emerald eyes reverberated with a desire that only the other could fill. Seishirou saw that he wasn't looking at the same bashful young man he was teasing earlier. That intense look, fed with the ferocity of a raging fire could only mean one thing: I'm waiting.

Will he stay?

As that question nagged at the back of his mind, he caught his own reflection in the deep green pools of the other and he almost gasped.

"You will know…" Setsuka said as the last of her breath left her. "…through her eyes…"

Is this what you speak of, Setsuka? he wondered as the emerald pools drowned him further. He finally understood what she had meant.

Well, you're wrong about one thing though, his inner voice said.

"What is it, Seishirou my love?"

He can't help but smile. Long after her death, he's still having conversations with her.

"It's a 'him'."

A soft girlish giggle jingled in the air like a fairy's bell before fading away. "Does it really matter?"

"I guess not," he said before realizing he had done so out loud.

"I'm sorry?" Subaru asked. His eyes have softened and they were back to swimming in their melancholic grace which was what attracted him in the first place.

He smiled down at the younger emerald-eyed beauty and said as he turned fully around, "I'll stay."

A/N: Please review!