:::::: One More Hour Afraid to Die Alone

Notes: Okay. I wrote this one heck of a long time ago as a project a friend of mine started, called One More Hour. It seems to have died... I might resurrect it on yuugao.com ^.^ This is the setting... feel free to take off and run with it, if you like. ^.^ There is no limit on how long the story can be, or what characters you can use. ^.^

I sit alone in the darkness of my room, staring out the window.

Utterly and totally alone. One hour... that's all. One hour, and everything will end. I feel so numb inside... it's like everything that we've done, everything we've strived for, is for nothing now.

Weiß. Omi, Youji, Aya. Ran. Omi is at the graveyard, visiting his sister's grave one last time. Youji is God knows where... probably with Schuldich. Ran is at the hospital with Aya.

Why don't I find someone to visit? One more hour, and it's over.

I get up and start pacing the room. I don't understand. Why must

everything come to an end so quickly? There's so much I wanted to do! So much we all wanted to do... so much...

I want to see Ran. But I feel like if I go to him, I'll intrude on him. He is with his sister, and he will most likely stay there until the bitter end. After all, she's all he has. Or so he thinks. He doesn't see how much we care for him. Omi, Youji... they consider him a brother. And I... I consider him much more than that.

Fourty five minutes left. The tears just won't stop. It's almost

over. I'm scared. I don't want to die alone. Please, God, don't let me die alone...

I drop to my knees in a single shining spot of moonlight, letting my tears flow freely. I can't imagine it, can't grasp it. Can't get past the thought of death. What happens afterwards? Do we go on to a great reward, or do we just... disappear? The tears keep coming, and I tremble. Thirty minutes left. Dear god. It's almost over. Everything will be over in just thirty minutes. Nineteen years of life, dashed away in so little time.

The door to my room opens and closes, and someone is beside me, kneeling next to me in the moonlight. Holding me tightly.

I choke back a sob and lean into the person's arms. "Ran...?" I whisper, my voice breaking. "Ran?"

He hugs me tighter. "Yes." he murmurs into my ear. "Yes... it's me... I'm sorry, Ken... I didn't realize you were..."

Ran smiles, but it's without humour. He gently tips my chin up so I'm looking into his eyes. Endless pools of violet... I feel like I'm drowning. "Aya isn't going to wake up," he says softly. "I'm not going to torture myself, begging for just one more minute in my mind, to see her..."

He smiles again, and warmth creeps into it. His eyes shine softly. "I wanted to be with you, Ken."

I feel my trembles slowly cease and relax into his embrace, putting my arms around his waist. "Ran," I say. "I... I love you."

"I love you too, Ken," he replies, stroking my hair. "I was blind and stupid. I should have told you sooner... then we wouldn't suffer this way..."

I smile up at him, my tears gone. "Don't you see?" I say softly. "We won't suffer now. We have each other..."

He blinks, then smiles and nods. "Hai," he whispers. "We have each other. We will always have each other."

Glancing at the clock, I involuntarily tighten my grip on him. "Ten minutes," I whisper.

"Don't think about that," he says quietly. "Just relax... I'm with you. You won't die alone, I swear it..."

"As long as you're with me," I say, my voice shaking a little. "I won't be scared, as long as you're with me."

I look into his eyes, he looks into mine. Time seems to stop for a split second, then we kiss. Our first, and our last. We hold each other close.