A/N: A little thing for my crossover OTP. I've been shipping these two for ten years and don't see myself stopping anytime soon. :P

Thread

Pain. That's all he can register as he's thrown halfway across the battlefield and his back slams against a rock formation. Saliva spits out of his mouth as he slumps forward, teeth grit together as he tries to stand. It's no use; his body has been rendered a sitting duck as he falls on his rear, and all he can do is watch helplessly as his comrades fight against one of their most powerful foes yet.

Sagi watches as Yuri tears into Astaroth, fused with one of his own gods, Amon. A roar escapes from between pointed teeth as his claws sink in Astaroth's flesh, tearing out a considerable amount. That looks painful, Sagi thinks, grunting in pain. He grips his shirt, feeling his fingers come back slick. Oh. That explains why his abdomen is flaring. The youth looks at his shoulder, eyes widening when he notices a piece of Astaroth's claw sticking out.

One scratch and that's it.

He didn't expect to die this way. Sagi wanted to stay by Yuri's side forever, even though he knew it was a childish notion to think it. Yuri was living on borrowed time, after all. None of them knew how long it would take for the mistletoe curse to take full affect, killing his soul, but Sagi had a feeling Yuri wouldn't allow for his memories and soul to be tampered with.

It was a painful thought, thinking of a world where the harmonixer wasn't a part of it, but now... now he didn't have to think such a thing. He was going to die. Sagi didn't want to leave Yuri alone - again - but he shakes the thought away. The brunet has comrades, friends. Sagi wasn't delusional enough to think he was the most important person in Yuri's life. No, he knows the one Yuri treasured the most was gone, killed by the four masks curse to save him.

His vision becomes spotty and it feels like he's inhaling lead. His lungs ache with the need to have oxygen, but all they get is the short, raspy breaths. "Pathetic," Sagi murmurs to himself, his stomach clenching. He barely manages to turn before vomit spills from between his lips and dribbles down them. Pathetic, Sagi thinks again. He must make such a sad, pathetic sight.

"Sagi!" a voice calls, and the boy squints, trying to see who approached him. All he can see is splotches of black. "Damn it! Someone, anyone, please!"

So... so familiar... Sagi reaches forward, hand trembling, and another grips his so strong he's afraid it might shatter the bones. He can't even move or make a sound as someone pulls out Astaroth's claw; it feels like he's floating. Dimly, he thinks he sees a thread of some kind wrapped around his finger, but he's too far gone to tell. Maybe I'm hallucinating.

He's pulled against a strong body, and equally strong arms wrap around him, grasping him tightly. Wetness caresses his cheeks and Sagi wants to say something, to reassure whoever this person is that he'll be okay, but his throat closes, and he can't form words. And as much as he wants to touch them, to try and offer reassure that way, his body feels as if it's weighed down by gravity.

Sagi closes his eyes, seeing white before his eyes. It clears to reveal a woman, who looks like an angel, and she reaches a hand towards him, pulling his soul away from his beaten, battered body.

"You're safe with me," she says, and Sagi nods, following her to a train of sorts. She looks at him, eyes kind, and gives him a smile. "Welcome, Sagi."

"Where... where am I?" he queries, looking around. He doesn't recognize this place at all. "And who are you?"

"I'm Alice," Alice introduces herself. "And you're in the graveyard of Yuri's soul."

Sagi blinks a few times. "Does that mean...?"

"Yes. Astaroth killed you. I'm sorry," Alice murmurs sympathetically, reaching a hand forward to gently clasp at Sagi's hand. "But he'll be with us soon."

"You mean he's going to come here? Or... die?"

"Both," Alice replies. "Once he knows you're here, he'll come running. I know it."

Sagi looks at her quizzically. "Me? But you're the one he loves. Why wouldn't he come running for you?"

Alice giggles softly. "He loved me, once. But since he met you, someone who can share the pain of fusion with, he fell for you. He was just afraid to say anything, with your age difference and all." She shakes her head. "Now he feels he should have at least told you before this happened."

"I... I don't know what to say," Sagi mumbles. Alice gives his hand a little squeeze of sympathy. "Ever since I met him, I wasn't afraid of who I was, what I could do. He taught me more than I could ever dream of... and deep down, I realized I fell for him too. But he had you..."

"Boys," Alice says with a soft sigh. "Another reason he didn't want to say anything regarding his feelings for you was because of me. He felt it was a betrayal. When he gets here, I'm going to tell him it's okay to love someone besides me."

"...Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. You two are bound together."

"Wha?"

"You saw it, didn't you?" Alice lifts one of Sagi's fingers, and a thread appears, tied around it. "This is the Crimson Thread. It's a sign you're meant for him, and he's meant for you. I just wish it was visible before, not as you lay dying."

"I... wasn't hallucinating?" Sagi looks at the thread; it's so pretty.

"No, my dear, you weren't." There's a sound near the entrance, and Alice smiles gently. "He came for you sooner than I thought."

"What...?"

Sagi looks over, and sees Yuri standing there, looking frazzled, but still as handsome as he remembers. He doesn't even have time to speak before the harmonixer closes the distance between them, engulfing the smaller boy within his arms and holding onto him for dear life. "I'm so sorry," Yuri whispers in his hair, clutching him tighter. "I should have protected you."

Sagi feels his cheeks flush as he hesitantly wraps his arms around Yuri's middle, simply holding on. "It wasn't your fault."

"How can you say that?"

The youth looks up into Yuri's ruby eyes. "It's not your job to protect me. I should have protected myself."

"But-"

"He's right, Yuri," Alice cuts in, and Yuri looks at her in alarm. "You always think you have to protect people, but you don't. When someone dies, it's not your fault because you couldn't protect them."

"...I guess," Yuri replies, pulling away from Sagi momentarily. Sagi inclines his head to look at the other; he was always so tall, a pillar of strength - he wishes Yuri could see that. "Still, I wish I could have done something. It hurt... it hurt so damn much when you slipped away," he whispers, cupping Sagi's face in his gloved hands. "And I thought I lost the chance to tell you how much you meant to me."

Sagi stumbles over his words, trying to find something to say, but they all die on his tongue. "I'm sorry," he eventually murmurs, nuzzling his cheek against Yuri's chest. "I wish I could have told you the same before all this happened."

Alice watches them with a fond expression before speaking. "It's okay to love him."

Yuri looks at her, eyes widened slightly. "After all you've done for me... I feel like I'm betraying you. But I can't stop what I'm feeling for him. I just can't." The harmonixer tightens his hold on Sagi. "I hope you can forgive me."

"I forgave you the moment you met him and I felt the strength of your love for him," Alice reassures, smiling softly. "One day, you'll both be together again."

"Yeah," Yuri murmurs, pulling back from Sagi to lift his chin with his fingers. "I wish I could have done this when you were alive."

"Wha-"

Those are the only words he manages to utter before Yuri's lips press against his. They're so soft. Sagi's eyes widen a little before closing, his hands gripping on the back of Yuri's shirt, while Yuri's own cling to him like a lifeline. The kiss lasts mere seconds, but when Yuri pulls away, their cheeks are dusted pink, and the older man gives Sagi a smirk. "Not bad, huh?"

"N-Not bad at all," Sagi utters, hiding his face within Yuri's chest. In reply, Yuri chuckles and presses a kiss into his hair.

Fin.