Why is he here?

That four worded sentence repeatedly flowed through my mind until I snapped back to reality upon the hand that slipped behind my head. With a push, I was pulled further against Nobuyuki. Our cheeks brushed against each other, his breath crawling against my earlobe.

"You've changed." Nobuyuki's voice whispered gently into my ear.

He then pulled himself away from me and straightened himself. I stared at Rikuo, then finally up to Nobuyuki. "You called him." I stated softly, already had the situation figured out. After all, why else would the Supreme Commander of the Nura clan coincidently be in Kiyohime's castle?

However, my words were completely ignored by my fellow Doji. Silently, Nobuyuki turned and began walking towards Rikuo. I sat, not trusting the left over strength in my knees as I eyed Nobuyuki, unable to figure out what exactly was he planning.

Rikuo stood by the doorway; his crimson eyes locked against Nobuyuki.

Just as Nobuyuki walked around Rikuo to exit the room, their shoulders roughly collided. In that split moment, I caught Nobuyuki slightly turning his head, only a third of his face was revealed to me.

"What would you do if I hadn't stop?" Those words flowed through his lips.

If I didn't know how to lip read, I wouldn't be able to catch anything he said – which was most likely his intention. For the first time, Rikuo's gaze shifted and stared at Nobuyuki through the corner of his eyes.

Rikuo kept his lips sealed, having nothing to say as he slowly sheath his half drawn sword.

At that, Nobuyuki suddenly snorted out a laugh with a smile making its way up his lips. But he wasn't smiling out of happiness…or sadness for that matter.

He was smiling a hollowed smile.

A smile that I was an expert at until I suddenly forgotten how to do it 8 years ago.

"I see…" Nobuyuki then said as he grabbed Tama, still unconscious, by the stretchable flesh at his neck and pulled him out of Rikuo's arms. The minute Nobuyuki stepped out of the room, the wings that sprouted from his scapula stretched apart.

"Nobuyuki!" I called, quickly leaping onto my feet as Nobuyuki flapped his wings. "I'll return the kitty to you later, Miu-sama" Nobuyuki said and with another flap, he gracefully took off into the sea of clouds.

And…we were left alone.

Rikuo and I; alone within this room – within this area where I could sense no other presence of youkai or ayakashi. And with Rikuo blocking the only exit, I can't run away.

"It's been a while." Rikuo said, first to break the silence.

I stared into his crimson eyes before slowly taking my seat back by the table. I was too tired. Even standing was hard for me, but I didn't want to show this weak side of mine to him.

"Two years I believe." I said, going along with his topic since I couldn't find myself to think of anything else.

As another pause of silence dragged, Rikuo began to move. He slowly walked across the room, towards me. At first, I thought he was going to settle himself on the opposite of the table, but he didn't.

He walked around the table and took a seat right beside me. The gap between us was so thin that I could feel our shoulders lightly brushing against each other.

Neither of us spoke.

I stared at the puddle of tea over the table. Within it was the reflection of the lone sakura tree within the garden just beyond the doorway of this room.

"You've broke our promise." Rikuo suddenly spoke as a gentle breeze entered the room. At the touch of the wind, ripples slid across the surface of the puddle of tea and destroyed the scenery I was indirectly viewing. It was short sentence. Yet it amazingly got the message across. He didn't need anymore words than that to express how displeased he was.

A short, simple sentence…yet inexplicably heavy.

"You're angry?" I asked. It was a rhetorical question.

"If you get worked up over such little thing then your life must be filled with disappointment." "You're being stubborn." Rikuo said with a calm tone; a pretty good comeback.

"And who's been bothering this stubborn youkai for 9 years?" I replied. At that, I noticed Rikuo smiling faintly from the corner of my eye. I then suddenly found a pair of arms, slipping their way around me. And with a pull, I was lifted up into Rikuo's arms.

"What are you do– Put me down." I demanded; though never bothered with struggling since I knew it'd be futile. In my current state, I couldn't even fight off Nobuyuki let alone him.

"You can't walk so just bear with it." He said and began walking across the tatami*.

I wasn't surprised by his words.

After everything that I've experienced, I couldn't be surprise even if I wanted to. It was still the same. This man…he could always read the weakness I've tried to keep solely to myself.

"Although it's a bit early…" Rikuo began as he came out to the garden and carefully set me down beneath the sakura tree, "shall we drink?" I stared at him, then to the bottle of sake he held in is hand.

I snorted out a soft smile.

"…You're really persistent." I mumbled, taking the little cup of sake he handed me.

"Would I be able to meet you again if I'm not?" Rikuo replied as I stared into my own reflection within the sake.

"…Guess not." I muttered and glanced up at the moonless night. That moment, I discovered something unusual. On this particular sakura branch, I saw a single sakura blossoming, aloof from its other siblings.

Blossom…? At this time? I thought in surprise. Upon the sight, I couldn't help but break out into a soft laugh. I didn't even know why I was laughing, but I just felt like it. Everything felt so ironic. The more I tried to run away from what I wanted the most, I ended up being drawn closer to it.

It was so strange…so strange that I couldn't do anything but stupidly laugh. The entire time Rikuo did nothing but stared at me with a tender expression. He didn't seem creep out or bother asking me what was wrong. Instead, he smiled with my laughter.

"I'm really…stupid, aren't I?" I chuckled, looking down at the reflection within the sake. "No." Rikuo replied as I smiled and held my cup of sake to Rikuo.

"I won't drink this." I told him, waving the cup between my fingers, careful not to spill a drop.

"The sakura's not fully bloomed and there's no moon. It kills the mood." I added as Rikuo gave me a good long stare before I heard a sigh escaped his lips. He gently took the cup of sake and with a flick of his wrist, he let the sake splatter onto the ground.

"I know a place with a beautiful moonlit night and a beautiful sakura tree. Though it might be a bit rowdy." Rikuo said as both our smiles widened.

"That sounds…wonderful, but I'll have to delay your offer." I mumbled my body slowly falling limp. Quickly taking notice of my behavior, Rikuo wrapped an arm around my waist and allowed me to fall against him.

Finally, the last bit of strength I've been using to hold myself is no more.

"How annoying…it's almost becoming a pattern…this way of parting." I whispered softly, unable to remember a single time where I part with him without being in this crumbled state.

"I quite like it." Rikuo chuckled as I felt his head gently leaning down against mine. "This is the only time where you'd show your real self to me." At his words, I couldn't help but snort out a laugh.

"Real self…" I mumbled softly to myself. I would like to know too…exactly what my real self is.

"Tama…that Nekotama. Take him in…would you? He's a loud mouth…but he can do basic chores." I mumbled before breaking into a couple of soft coughs. It's almost over…I can feel my own blood rushing rapidly through my veins.

Through the cold surface of my hard cheek, I felt a gentle warmth stroking me…the warmth from Rikuo's large hand.

"Don't speak. Save your energy." He whispered soothingly, as though talking to a new born. As much as I detest being treated as a child, I didn't hate it.

In fact, I liked it; the feel of his touches, the warmth of his body.

It was something that Nobuyuki or even Tama for that matter, can never provide me with.

We remained like that, the two of us, sitting together silently in the night.

Neither of us spoke again. It wasn't because we couldn't think of anything to say, but there just wasn't any need to.

Rikuo stayed with me, never letting me go even as my body slowly crumbled before him. For the first in a long time, I felt whole again…because I finally understood.

The emotions...the secret meanings hiddened within this silence.

Rikuo's feeling…and my own.

Those frustrating feelings that have been haunting me for 7 years, I finally understood now.

Next year…I will definitely fulfill my part of the bargain…

"Ugah!"

At least, that was what I thought…

I screamed as I listened to the crackling sound emitting from my back.

The interval between each of my breaths shortened. I was able to feel my own heartbeat pounding within my veins.

The cracking sound grew louder and louder as I felt those warm liquid sliding down my body, dying my lavender dress into crimson.

"A-Ah…!" I gasped, my eyes never leaving the sakura trees before me. The fully bloomed sakura tree…and that beautiful crescent moon. My iris began to shrink, my vision blurred as the pain increased.

I was so close…so close…

"…R-...Riku-!" I whispered that name out before the sound of bone finally snapped. My eyes widened as I felt a force viciously tore my right wing out of my back.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

He found me

Tatami - traditional type of Japanese flooring made of rice straw