OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Inhaled.

Exhaled.

He pulled his best friend closer, desperately trying to relax his tensed body. It's not good for his health to be too stressed out, but considering the occasion, he could forgive himself for feeling stressed.

He didn't know what time it was but it felt like forever. The sight of agonizing pain on his beloved's face kept on replaying within his mind on repeat.

It was torture.

He remembered how useless he was, just sitting there calling for help with his weak voice. Mitsu was out to buy grocery. No one was home except for the two of them. It was just by pure luck that Osato came to visit them to see how Sei was doing. If it wasn't for that --

A shiver ran through his body and the beginning of a coughing fit began to surface.

Meow.

Inhaled.

Exhaled.

He forcefully relaxed his lungs and body, trying to lessen the fit as much as he possibly could. It wasn't easy, but the presence of his little friend made it easier for him to do so.

Meow.

Souji snapped his head towards the door, eyes wide as he felt another familiar presence approaching the door.

He had this ridiculous hope that it would be Sei, but that was stupid. After all she was in --

"Souji-san," That was Osato's voice. She didn't sound distress, so that means nothing bad happened, right? "Both are safe. Congratulations, it's a baby girl." She said through the door, even without seeing her face, Souji could hear the happiness within her tone.

Souji was struck by speechlessness at the news. He wasn't able to talk, he couldn't even tell if he was breathing. His body was so tensed that he didn't even realize that he was hugging his little friend a little too hard to not had hurt it.

A second passed by and suddenly -- as though he was being controlled by a puppeteer -- his strings were cut and his body fell onto his futon like a broken doll.

Meow!

Akachi yelped in suprise as it was thrown off his friend. Its body rolled off of Souji's chest and it stopped beside his face. It stood on it's paw and stared at Souji's fallen form curiously.

"How is she?" Souji's voice was weak, but at least he managed to carry it all the way to the other side of the door.

"She's fine. She just needs some rest." Came the reply.

Souji released a shuddering breath at the good news. He turned to his right side and brought Akachi closer to his chest.

"Thank you, Osato-san..."

There was silence before he heard the sound of feet moving away from his door. "You're welcome, Okita-san."

The room was silent after Osato left. There was no sound except for Souji's laboured breathing. Once he got his raising heart under control, he finally released his willing captive.

Akachi licked his cheeks in comfort. He smiled at his little friend's attempt to reassure him. For something that possesed such a small body, it sure has a big heart.

"Thank you, Akachi..." Souji turned to lay on his back, exhaustion began to creep it's way into his consciousness. "It seems like I might need your company more then ever now... Sei needs to care for the little one..."

Meow.

Souji smiled sadly. "I'm a father..." He turned to stare at his friend, eyes filled with untold regret. "But I'll never get to touch her..."

Meow...

After making that statement, familiar darkness greets him like an old friend.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Meow!

Souji swiftly turned towards the cat and made some hushing sounds. "Not so loud Akachi!" He whispered urgently.

The cat rolled it's eyes and it trailed the young man's steps. It was a slow walk, but he was moving. Which he wasn't supposed to do with his conditions, especially in the middle of the night.

But he is a man on a mission. There's nothing keeping him -- not his poor health or his protective cat friend -- from reaching Sei's room.

Sure it was a slow process, but at least he was making progress. Unlike the waiting he had to suffer through for the whole three days without seeing Sei at all.

His eye twitched when he felt his throat beginning to irritate him. He used his immense will power to supress the cough that was itching to emerge. He leaned against the wall to rest his body and calm his lungs.

He turned around to find that he had crossed over two rooms, that just leave another two room to go. He raised his hand into the air in a form of self encouragement.

Akachi just stared at the ceiling in a manner that speaks of patience.

Souji continued his journey towards Sei's room after he had enough rest.

Meoow.

"I know... Hah... This is dangerous," Souji pursed his lips and turned towards the cat with a determined look. "But I need to do this... Sometimes it's more reassuring to see her with my own two eyes."

Akachi shook his head but didn't utter a sound after that. It diligently followed the human like a personal guardian.

They finally stopped at their destination. Souji's previous exhausted face immediately brighten as he smiled widely at his accomplishment. He turned to his little friend and placed a finger on his lips.

Akachi gave the young man a deadpan look, as it swept it's tail from side to side.

Souji silently chuckled at his friend's reaction. He turned back towards the door of Sei's room, and silently peered it open. He didn't open it fully -- afraid of waking her up -- but he did made the crack big enough for him to be able to see the whole room.

His eyes immediately locked on the sleeping figure. She looked like she was in peace and that made the twist in his stomach untied itself. He scanned her body and was relieved to find that she was perfectly healthy. Well, not that he could see much from the blanket covering her body. But the peaceful expression on her face told him that at least she wasn't in pain.

His gaze then immediately locked onto the tiny bundle of life beside her. He silently gasped in wonder when he realized that, that tiny figure was their child. Their baby girl.

He itched to move closer to see her face (to hold her) but stopped himself from doing so. No matter how much his heart ached to be near his family, that was just not possible.

He stared at them longingly, imagining himself sleeping beside Sei without a care in the world. Awoken by the child's cry as he soothes Sei back to sleep and proceed to rocking the child back to the realm of sleep.

An impossible dream. Not with this illness devouring his body like his personal shinigami.

With a sigh, he closed the door and made his way back towards his room. He was satisfied to see both his beloved and child well, but as he had already thought, it was never enough.

He paused in his track and turned to look at the moon. "I really wanted to touch her... our child," He said to no one in particular, but his feline friend was there to listen. "But that's not possible, it would only endanger her if I were to get too close... Babies are so fragile..."

He looked down and smiled sadly at his silent companion. Crouched to the floor, he picked his friend up and pulled it closer towards his chest. The warmth it emits chased the cold away, giving his body the much needed reprieve.

"This will be my third time losing a family..." His light laugh following after the statement, was both empty and sad. It was so heart-wrenching that Akachi unconsciously brought out its' claws to grip at the young man. "I thought it would hurt less..."

It was such a heartbreaking statement. But those words lit a fire within someone and a vow.

I will definitely give you a family that won't leave you, Souji.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

TL: Thank you all for leaving a follow, favorite and review.

I am very happy to find that my story caught someone's attention. I know it's a weird combination. But I'm proud that it's not a story someone has written before.

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