A/N: Hey there, people. Long A/N at the bottom, but just a heads-up that I've changed some things from the previous chapters to portray Nazaiya's character better. You can read from the start again if you want, but the storyline has not changed (at least, I don't think so,) so you don't have to worry! You might be surprised of character developments, though. Happy reading!

Chapter 18.

Nazaiya felt heavy – her body was carried by soft waves of liquid, her whole body soaked in the depths of water and her thoughts were wavering here and there. She felt her body heavy, but her mind and heart were completely light and empty. Her eyes were shut tight, as she felt herself drowning and drowning, deeper towards the endless pit of darkness of the ocean. She couldn't breathe, but she had no strength to struggle and break-free.

A moment later, flashes of smiles and memories of kindness began to paint the corners of her mind. Her limp body that was drowning just a moment ago, began to move on its own. Her fingers twitched, trying to reach out for something. There were smiles of people she knows – the people she's traveling with. And then it crossed her mind; a smile from him. That blond wizard with blue eyes. The charming smile he wears and his carefree nature, alongside his kindness. It made her feel light, and a smile formed on her lips. Before she knew it, her body was carried forward, towards the surface of the ocean. She felt free and happy. It was as if, a pair of gentle, warm hands were reaching out for her, pulling her out of the cold ocean, towards the open air of the sky.

And Nazaiya's eyes fluttered open. She breathed in and out of the air that occupied her lungs, calming her senses. So it was a dream, after all. The one who reached out for her in that dream… was Fai.

Then her body jolted, fully awake and sitting up. She looked around the unfamiliar surrounding, trying to figure out where, when or how she got here. Her head pounded for a second as a rush of memories flashed before her eyes, and she blinked a few times before coming back into reality. As she noticed it, she was on a bed, and her outfit has changed from the previous world's.

"Is this another world? If yes, then that means–"

Without delay, Nazaiya pushed her blanket away and jumped out of the bed, almost stumbling in the process. She knew she was hasty, but she needs to find him. Was he alright? Is he even alive? God, please, she wants to see him one more time.

After regaining her balance, she went out of the room and looked left and right, when she heard voices coming from somewhere. She followed the voices through the living room, and her breath hitched when she saw him. There he was, standing tall and lean, talking to Syaoran with a smile on his face. That smile. She thought she'll never see it ever again. A relieved smile etched upon her lips, she felt like she could cry.

The man looked up at her upon realization and waved, seeming happy that she was awake. Syaoran looked at her as well, but was surprised with her next set of actions. With wobbly feet, she stepped forward and made her way to the man, before wrapping her arms around him and burying his face to his clothed chest. It was very bold of her, and it made Syaoran blush at the sight in front of him.

Fai was more surprised than anyone in the room as his eyes widened in shock, but he smiled anyways right after, gently patting the girl on the head. His other hand wrapped around the girl's shoulders, welcoming her embrace. He then winked at Syaoran for a bit, and the boy took the sign and nodded, a slight pink still staining his cheeks. The younger boy then turned around and made his way to the door, stepping outside to give the two some space.

"What happened, Nazaiya-chan? Did you have a nightmare?" his worried voice resounded through the living room, soothing her in many ways possible. She missed that voice, so much that she could cry for real this time. It felt like she has been sleeping for so long.

Nazaiya slowly let go of his warmth and held both of his wrists with her shaky fingers, and stared up at the blond. He was taken aback, as he saw the beginnings of tears in her eyes. What could possibly be the problem, he wondered. He frowned a bit, and slowly released his right hand from her grip to caress her cheek.

"What's wrong? Tell me," he spoke, "Nazaiya-chan."

She gulped, before casting her eyes down and started speaking in a low voice.

"Fai-san... you're alive." her voice came out a little louder than a whisper.
"Hm? Of course I am."
"But t-that Seishirou guy…" she trailed off.
"Ah, that person." he smiled, tilting her face gently upwards with his thumb and forefinger. "He's long gone. And we're in another country. You've been asleep for a while now, Nazaiya-chan. About two dimensions past, but I'm glad you're awake now."

His gentle smile warms her heart, and she let out another smile in reply to his. Then, a sudden thought came to her. It was of what Seishirou had said the other day. As his eyes bore into hers, she felt the need to ask him the question.

"Fai-san," she spoke, "can I ask you to tell me everything about… me? I heard that my life will shorten, the more I use my powers. Is that true?"

A wave of shock flashed through Fai's expression, but he went to his usual self right after.

"Who told you that, Nazaiya-chan?" he asked.

Outside, Syaoran has been standing in idle for a while, when he saw Sakura, Kurogane and Mokona arrived. They're finally home at last. As everyone was approaching the door, they heard the commotion that came from the inside.

"Why won't you tell me anything?! This is my life we're talking about!" Nazaiya's voice rang through the living room.
"But Nazaiya-chan…" Fai tried to reason with her.
"No! I want to know. I need to know," her voice was shaking, "Please. If you don't, I might overuse my powers and I'll-"
"So be it, Nazaiya-chan."

Fai's curt, cold voice snapped her into silence, and she looked up at the blond, her eyes widened with shock, her mouth agape with nothing to say.

"We are strangers to begin with," he continued, "so whatever happens to you... It doesn't concern me."

His lips were set in a thin line, his eyes looking down at her as if she was a speck of dust that make its way into his life; uninvited and lost. And with that look in his eyes, Nazaiya felt her heart was being tore into pieces. She was just beginning to trust him, just beginning to make friends with him so that they could help each other in the future, just beginning to think of him as something more. She was sure her dream just now had meant something, but everything was torn up now. In the end, did she meant nothing to him, after all?

"Do you really think... that I should just die?" her strained voice filled the silence between them, a single tear made its way on her cheek.

From the outside, hearing no response, they all knew that Fai was not going to answer her. The front door then burst open, and Nazaiya came out with a pained expression plastered on her face. Tears were finally wetting down her cheeks, signifying the ache of her heart. She stomped out of the house and didn't even glance at the others, as Fai made no move to chase after her.

The kids weren't sure what to make of the situation, and they were worried where Nazaiya would go. After seeing from afar that Nazaiya was just outside, sitting by a bench and looking out at the sky, they decided to step in. Fai who was sitting on the couch, tried his hardest to smile at them when they arrived at the living room. When his eyes met Kurogane's, though, his felt shiver down his spine when he was sent a very cold glare, as if he just did a huge sin that would affect the rest of the team.

The gentle, cold breeze that waved through her hair made her shiver that evening, but Nazaiya still didn't budge from the bench she was sitting from since earlier. She hugged her knees close, as if cradling herself in an attempt to cheer herself up. She didn't want to go in to where the blond was, which is in the house, but she also didn't want to stay out for too long for fear of the cold.

An exhausted sigh escaped her lips for the umpteenth time as she sat straight up and stretched a bit. Her tears had dried up, and the fatigue of thinking too much has began to take a toll on her. She thought about a lot of things for the whole day. About herself, about the people she's involved in, about what she's really searching for, and she also started reminiscing of the past.

She couldn't remember everything as her memories were a bit hazy, and sometimes she caught herself thinking of the dark, negative feelings of wanting to just... Kill. She knew something was off - and perhaps, maybe, she might even just lose control. But no - she wanted to hold on. She needed to hold on, because Ryuu must be found. And she clenched her fists tightly with the new resolution. Somehow, she thought that she almost forgot why she's finding him to begin with.

At first, Nazaiya has thought that she needed Ryuu's warmth. That was why she needed him. She wanted to feel needed, and needed to feel wanted. But this time, it was as if she was chasing a dim light at the end of a dark, hollow pathway. And the warmth and light she needed now... Was on someone else. On some blond guy that has a charming smile and a lovable personality. And she eagerly, eagerly wanted to do something in return. She wanted him to smile at her, and her only. She wanted him to be happy, genuinely happy, without those sorrow behind his deep, pretty blue eyes. But in the end... She wasn't needed by any of them. She wasn't needed by anyone.

She let out a faint, pathetic laugh at herself. As she looked down, and as the silent night creeped up upon her thoughts, another tear made its way on her cheek. "I'm... alone." Nazaiya whispered under her breath, gulping down her sorrow.

Inside, standing by a window and looking out at her with a worried expression, was the blond that she thought had hated her.

The kids were fast asleep, and Fai was leaning against the wall as he looked through the window, devastation etched on his face. It was uncharacteristic of him. Usually he was so in control of both his emotions and actions, but this time, it has all gone haywire. And as much as he wanted to change it, he thought of himself as a coward. A pathetic coward, that does not deserve to love and be loved.

His thoughts went back to the events that had happened earlier that day. Fai gulped the lump in his throat, feeling like he had lost a few beats of his own heart. He felt like his heart was being prickled by thorns, hearing her voice shaking with fear and her eyes brimming with tears. Even his mind was not in the right state. All he wanted was to go to her, tell her that everything is fine, but he couldn't; their fate could not be intertwined. That was what he was told before. But still...

"The only way to show you actually care is to be there for the person, not pushing the person away when she needs you the most."

A rough voice broke through Fai's train of thoughts, and he turned away to greet the ninja with a happy smile. With a huff, Kurogane sat down on the couch with a beer on one of his hands, and a scarf in the other. He threw the scarf to the blond, and Fai caught it skillfully in his hands. He sent the other guy a puzzled look, tilting his head in confusion.

Kurogane took a sip of his beer, before looking into the distance. "If you don't act now, you'll never have the chance to. You'll never know what would happen, and when you would suddenly be sent to another dimension, away from those you wanted to be close with..."

His voice trailed off, but Fai had a hint of what he was talking about. Of course, Kurogane meeting Tomoyo here was a surprise, but to had such an effect on him, well, even Fai could be very surprised.

"Kuro-puu... I don't even know what I'm doing anymore," he laughed, but his soul wasn't in it. "I knew that she was getting too involved with me, too deep into this kind of relationship we have. It's not like we're dating or anything, too. I just want to stop that before she gets in any danger. This is all for the sake of-"

"Excuses." Kurogane cut in, his brows furrowed with annoyance. "You don't care if you die, but you do care if something were to happen to her. Does telling her to die today wasn't enough of a trigger for her? She could be throwing her life away any second now, for all you know."

Fai felt a pang in his chest. His eyes widened with realization. What was he doing? He knew that his words earlier were harsh and cold, but he wanted her to at least hate him, and stay away from him. But her to actually die? No, that was far from what he wanted. If anything, he wanted her to be safe. He wanted to always talk with her. He wanted to see her right in front of his eyes. He wanted to see her smile. And there weren't even many chances for him to talk to her and joke with her. But the thought of not having her around... made his chest hurt.

Fai clenched the scarf in his hands and let out a smile at Kurogane. "Thank you, Kuro-rin!" he exclaimed, before rushing his steps and stepped out of the house, eager to go and talk to her. He knew it - he was in too deep in this before he knew it. But she doesn't have to know that. He just wants to see her smile, and that's all that matters to him.

Hearing the footsteps approaching her, Nazaiya slowly wiped away all her tears and calmed herself down. She needed the time alone, but having a company at this time might be nice too. Maybe Sakura came here to cheer her up with her adorable way of cheering Syaoran up? Or maybe it's Kurogane who, as gruff as he is, might want to start caring for a companion like her?

As she looked up towards the person who came up to her, her eyes widened in surprise. It was the last person she wanted to see at that time - and yet, she felt a tinge of happiness pull upon the strings of her heart.

"There you are..." Fai breathed out, as if he was really relieved. Without being invited, he took his seat on the bench next to her, keeping quite a distance as she moved a bit. She couldn't bring herself to look at him for the sadness, anger and disappointment she felt hasn't subsided completely yet. She would never knew when it will totally subside, actually. But hearing Fai calling out her name, she slowly looked up and faced him, the moonlight shining upon her face.

Upon seeing her face clearly, Fai felt another pang through his chest. Her eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks puffy with all the dried up tears, and her lower lip was chapped - she must have been so frustrated and has accidentally bit it too hard. It aches his heart to think that he was the reason for all of this. All he wanted was to reach out to her, but he couldn't. He was still a pathetic coward, he thought, but he pushed away those thoughts before inching closer and closer to her. She looked scared but wasn't completely rejecting him, so he brought the scarf around her shoulders, resting them softly against her.

Nazaiya flinched at the contact, but she didn't make a move to distance herself away. She wanted him to say something, something, so that she won't feel so confused and frustrated and sad and -

"I'm sorry."

The moment she heard those words came out of his mouth, she felt herself being wrapped firmly in his embrace, and she couldn't breathe. The once cold hands that she held has now turned warm - warmer than any other warmth she has experienced. She could feel his clothed body against hers, his arms caging her with a gentle force, and his breath tickling her neck as he slowly rested his chin on her shoulder. She felt like her mind has stopped processing and she couldn't even respond to what was happening.

"I'm sorry for saying all of that. I'm so sorry, Nazaiya-chan."

The way his voice shook with fear sent a tingling sensation to her heart, as if she was fragile and he didn't want to break her, and he meant every word.

"I just wanted you to stay away from me..." he whispered, "but my words were harsher than I thought. I wouldn't want you to die. We want you to stay... I want you to stay."

He held her tighter, and she couldn't help but smell his warm, comforting scent. His words and his voice were soothing, and she felt like she was being cradled in his strong arms.

"I'm pathetic, Nazaiya-chan. I didn't want you to get involved with someone like me. And yet I..."
"I'm pathetic too, Fai. Pathetic, and alone."

Hearing her words, Fai slowly pulled away, and she felt like she finally could breathe. One of his hands went to take her hand in his, and the other went to cradle her cheek, his eyes looking deep into hers.

"What are you saying...?" he breathed out.
She let out a smile. "I'm pathetic for not knowing anything about myself, wanting to search for people who doesn't need me, and being in the way for nice people like you. I don't deserve all of this kindness you're giving me."
"No, Nazaiya-chan. That's not true." The end of his lips stretched a bit, and his smile was back. "Your efforts at protecting the kids, for wanting to fight alongside us and to find the feather... You deserve all the good things. You're not alone, surely you're not."

Seeing that smile, that charming smile, made her heart skip a beat. And she couldn't possibly win this time. Not in this exchange of conversation, surely.

"I guess..." she tried to smile back, "If I'm not alone, that means you are not, too, Fai. You also deserve the good things and love you gave out to people. If whenever you feel lonely..."

When Nazaiya began to trail off and looked down, Fai gently lifted her face up with the pad of his thumb. He felt the need to know the rest of her words, and he looked into her eyes again with a meaningful gaze.

"Yes...?" he urged.

A blush crept upon her face as she breathed it out, "If whenever you feel lonely, I want you to know that I'll be here for you, to listen to whatever sadness you've kept inside. And all through this journey, I had always wanted to hear you out. I wanted to be there for you, who had always be there for everyone. Even now, all I wanted was to see your smile. I... don't want you to give up on living."

And without shifting her gaze away, she continued. "Fai, I want to be by your side."

Just as the words were out of her mouth, she felt like she was being pulled closer to him again. She didn't know what was happening so she shut her eyes tight in fear of what's coming, but instead, she felt the soft press of lips on her forehead for a few moments, before it was being pulled away. She felt a bit loss because it was too quick of a forehead kiss, but then regained her composure to look up at him again.

"Be careful of what you're saying, Nazaiya-chan." He let out a soft chuckle. "One of these days, I might really fall hard for you."

She felt her face heat up at his blunt statement, before she inched away a bit and shifted her gaze away from his. She didn't miss the twinkle of tease in his eyes. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest. He was making her very confused. Did she say the wrong thing? Did she say the right thing? What was he saying? What did she actually say earlier that made him react like that?

Nazaiya then felt her hand was suddenly held tightly by him, and she looked up with a smile, matching his charming one. The two of them then began to stand up and slowly made their way inside, hand in hand.

"Well then, Nazaiya-chan. From now on, we should start getting to know each other, right?" he asked, a playful smile on his lips. He couldn't describe it - the happy feeling inside of him was overflowing, he felt like he could die happy. He knew that she couldn't possibly understand what was happening right now, but her enthusiastic nod was enough to make him feel secure. At least, he knows that he has a chance to both make her fall in love with him, and for him to fall in love deeply with her.

Nazaiya gripped Fai's hand tightly, happy with how things worked out for now. She didn't know her true feelings, even at this point, she knew that everything was still too fast for her. Having the time to get to know him more would surely open up her heart towards him even more. At least, she knew that he treasured her greatly and he wanted her to stay. He needed her, perhaps, and she knew that much. The scarf wrapped around her couldn't compare to how warm he was to her at that time.

He was harsh and cold sometimes, he was all fluffy and smiley most of the time, but in all of that side of him, she couldn't exactly find it in her to hate him. And she knew she was falling for him, but then again, everything was escalating fairly quickly right in front of her eyes. Things are happening, but her mind was hazy with everything that had happened today. And apparently, somehow, she had put the thought of her running out of time to live at the back of her mind. Little did she know, that it was the biggest mistake the both have made.

To be continued...

A/N: Hi again, everyone! Long time no see, hehe. I've been feeling hella guilty for not updating this, and those guilt went on for a year and more. I still got notifications of people favouriting/following this story until now and wow, that made me want to really update this by tonight. And, here you go!

I know this whole chapter kinda escalated quickly, but trust me, between making it angstier or fluffier, you would want me to choose the latter. Because if I make it angsty... haha. This was supposed to be even fluffier, but I stopped myself. Had to save the fun for later, aye? ;) But I've drafted out this whole fanfic on to paper before, and trust me, I will finish this. So please bear with me! ;;;;

Also, please keep in mind that I will start arching off this whole fanfic into my own storyline from now on, as to not follow the original storyline so much (because I don't want to appear like I'm so lost in adventure, I forgot the romance. That's what happened in the previous chapters, and that's where I think I went hella wrong) and I think I was immature in my writing back then. Hopefully this chapter makes up for all the time lost! (No kidding, it's 4k+ words omg.)

Ahh I still haven't read Tsubasa World Chronicles until the end, but I told myself to only read it once I finish a lot of chapters ;;; The new art style is a bit different and I feel a bit odd, but I guess it's good all the same? Hehe.

Whoops. This was hella long. Please know that I'll still update this even if it's late, and I miss yall haha. Thank you so much, new and old readers, you guys are the best! Please stay tuned for the next chapter, and have a nice day~ Byeom. :D