I am actually really proud with this one-shot. I hope it was sad enough or something. Inspired by Long Live, written by My Hopeless Romantic and the song that inspired that story, Long Live by Taylor Swift.

"Time and tide wait for no man." - Geoffrey Chaucer

It was not my first time pretending to be a human, and I doubt it would be my last.

Three months.

For the last three months, I have been paying visits to the hospital everyday, clad in a casual hoodie and jeans—because she never let me wear my yukata in the city—hands always full with a bundle of sunflowers because she loved them best.

I was greeted by the many nurses I had walked past; they already recognized me. I walked down the usual long hallway; ceiling, wall, floors all painted in pure white. So many were walking around, some wearing casual clothes just like I was, others wearing the standard patient uniform.

I could hear soft cries somewhere behind me, the cries of another person that lost a person they cared so much for. For the last three months, I hear something like that every time I come to the hospital: cries of anguish, loss, sorrow.

I wonder if I'm next?

Turning the corner at the end of the hallway, I stopped at my right, staring at the familiar number of her room that I see everyday: 412.

Taking a deep breath, running a hand through my silver hair, I opened the door to her room slowly and quietly, just in case she was asleep.

"Tomoe." It was a weak call, something I was not yet used to. It seemed only yesterday she was still so bright and happy, jumping around and screaming like she always does.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked softly, as I made my way to her bedside, unwrapping the newspapers around the bundle of flowers, and replaced the old, wilting flowers I had brought the day before with the new ones.

"Yeah." She answered, and we both knew it was a lie. She was sitting up, but not up straight, and her face was pale: sickly pale. She was so skinny; so, so skinny it broke my heart just staring at her.

"Have you been eating properly?" I asked as I took my seat next to her, staring at the bedsheets instead of her face.

"I don't have much appetite." She murmured, and I shot her a glare.

"You must eat." I said fiercely. "Your body needs nutrition in order to get better."

"I'm not going to get better, Tomoe." She said softly, eyes looking down at her hands that lay limply on her lap.

There was silence.

There was nothing I could say, I could not find my voice. I pursed my dry lips together in a thin line as the truth hung in the air heavily, like an annoying parasite that refused to leave.

"You will get better." I insisted, standing up and walking towards the door. "I'll go get you something to eat." I did not wait for an answer before I left, shutting the door gently behind me, and I knew she wasn't going to answer me anyways.

Riding home with my foxfire quickly, I found Mizuki in the kitchen, staring at the wall with his yukata sleeve rolled up. On the kitchen counter lay a small bento, wrapped with a light purple cloth, and I knew he had finally obeyed my orders without complaint.

"Snake, what are you doing standing there?" I called as I picked up the bento, tucking it safely into my jacket. He jumped slightly at my voice, turning around sharply to look at me.

"I-I wasn't doing anything." He answered, his usual smile gone. "How was Nanami-chan?" I focused my gaze at the floor and shook my head slightly. Mizuki, understanding, followed my gaze as we dared not look at each other, afraid to betray our feelings.

"Time's really running out this time, eh?" He said.

Nanami eyed the sasamochi wearily when I presented it to her.

"I really don't feel like eating, Tomoe."

"Just eat a little." She sighed as she stared at me with the corner of her eyes before reluctantly lifting the sasamochi to her mouth and started nibbling on it. It was not much, but it satisfied me; even if it was just a nibble, at least she was eating something.

We sat there for a moment like that: her, eating the sasamochi; me, watching her. Finally, she set down the half-eaten sasamochi back into the bento, and stared at the wall, her long, chocolate hair framing her face delicately.

"Tomoe, time's running out." She whispered into the silent room, stinging me.

"What are you talking about, Nanami?" I asked humorously, allowing a laugh to bubble from my mouth.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Nanami lifted a bony hand to tuck a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "I'm dying, Tomoe."

"No you're not." I continued smiling at her, denying the truth. I did not want to hear this, I do not want to believe it.

"Tomoe." She called, her voice fiercer, her voice hoarse. "There's no point in lying to yourself like that."

I shook my head at her furiously. Each syllable coming from her mouth seemed to stab me right in the heart; it was painful.

"No," I croaked, holding her small hand in mine and felt exactly how cold her skin was. "You're not going to die on me."

"It was bound to happen." She whispered with a gentle smile, squeezing my hand gently. "A yokai and a human. It was bound to happen."

"But you're still young." I choked. "You should live a long, long life, Nanami. You shouldn't die like this."

"Maybe," she leaned back onto the pillows and closed her eyes. "I wish I had a longer life, Tomoe. I really do." She looked at me again with the corner of her eyes and gave me a smile.

"It's been a good run, Tomoe. I've lived for 32 years, we've been together for 15 years. That's a pretty long time—for a human, that is." She chuckled a little to herself, but started coughing, alerting me.

"This is my fate," Nanami said as she stared at her hands. "Mom always said that our family line were always girls; always one, healthy baby girl. Somehow, the mother would always fall ill shortly after the baby's birth." She laughed. "It must have been because of the Dragon King's eye. Now that it's taken out of my body, I am no longer protected from illness." My mouth went dry.

"I will find you another medicine. Something better than the dragon king's eye. Something that will heal you instantly—" She shook her head slowly at me, and I was cut short.

"There's no need, Tomoe. I will die before you anyways. No matter how many times you feed me medicine, I will eventually die. This is how it is for a human." She stared at me. "We have already accepted that fact, a long, long time ago. This is my fate."

"I don't accept it," I tightened my hold on her hand, tracing the back of her hand. "I don't want you to die."

"If I could choose," she lifted our linked hands to her lips and kissed the back of my hand softly. "I would want to live longer too...with you." My eyes stung as I watched her take a shaky breath. I could feel a cry clawing up my throat, but I fought my hardest to keep it down.

"Can you promise me something, Tomoe?" She asked softly. "Can you promise me that you won't do anything stupid, like trying to be human or bring me back to life or something?" Her hand brushed against my cheek lovingly. "Promise me you'll live for centuries more, happily."

"I can't promise you that." My voice started wavering. "I can't live without you."

"That's not true." She shook her head at me and pulled me towards her until our foreheads were touching. "You can and you will live without me. Love is not poison, Tomoe. Love is something wonderful, and we had that. I want you to live knowing you had that."

"There's no love without you," I growled. "Love can only happen if there are two people."

"But I lived," Nanami gave me a weak glare. "I lived, Tomoe. At one point, I lived; I loved you, and you loved me. You'll tell them, won't you?"

"Who?" I choked, my eyes hot. "What should I tell them?"

"Tell everyone you will meet in the future. Friends, acquaintances, people you might not ever meet again. Tell them my name, tell them I lived, tell them I loved you." Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes, and I could not bear to look at her anymore. I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath, trying to calm my raging heart.

"Can you promise me that?" She whispered, brushing her lips across my forehead.

"I-" I hesitated. "I promise."

"One more thing," her grip tightened around my hand, almost desperately. "Promise me one more thing."

"What is it?" I whispered, leaning my forehead against our hands, feeling a little contented from the feeling of her smooth hand against my forehead.

"I want you to watch me die." My head snapped up instantly as I narrowed my eyes on her.

"What?" I asked incredulously, not understanding what was going on in her head at all. Even when she was so, so weak, she was still asking nonsense.

"I'm not a sadist or anything, I swear." She cracked a toothy grin, her lips turning white. "It might be a little selfish, but I want to die knowing I was with you, I want to see your beautiful eyes for as long as I can."

Her voice softened until I could barely hear it.

"Please?"

"...Okay." I breathed, the heat stinging my eyes growing worse. "I'll—I'll try." She gave me a satisfied smile, and I couldn't help but lean in and brush my lips gently against hers.

"I love you." She whispered into my ear, holding me close, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I—" My voice shook as a sob fought out, but I did not want to cry in front of her. She was brave—humans were brave—braver than I thought was possible. "I love you too. So, so much, Nanami." She leaned back against her bed again, letting go of my neck—but not my hand, and brushed her nose lovingly against mine.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She fished around in the little box she took with her to the hospital, lying next to her hospital bed, and took out the hairpin I gave her so many years before.

My throat contracted painfully at the sight.

"I'm giving this back to you." She said, handing me the small ornament. I stared at the hairpin she put in my hand with confusion.

"Why?" She shook her head unbelievably at me, her hair falling over her face in a way that made my heart pound.

"I won't have any use for it when I'm dead. If you bury it along with me, it'll be too much of a waste." She shrugged. "Maybe you can give it to the next girl." I hissed at her; how dare she say something like that?

"There will be no 'next girl,'" I announced angrily. "Only you."

"That's what worries me." Nanami sighed. "When I die, I'll just be gone; in heaven or something. But you—you'll be all alone here. I'm so glad Mikage-san, Mizuki, Onikiri and Kotetsu are here for you. You have a long, long life, Tomoe. I don't want you to spend it just like this, you understand?" I shook my head desperately at her, burying my head in her lap.

"If there isn't going to be another girl you'll give this pin to," she caressed my hair gently. "Then I hope you'll think of me every time you see the hairpin, and I want you to know that I will always, always be with you, you hear?" I nodded shakily as she continued petting my head.

"I'm ready to die, Tomoe." She said, her voice soft, but it rung out like bells and it never wavered. "Are you ready?"

It turns out, I was not ready. Not one little bit.

Two days later, Nanami was sent to the emergency room, her health becoming even worse. Everyone—Mikage, Himemiko, the Dragon King, the snake, and a few more—gathered at the hospital, worried, tense, and scared.

There was nothing we could do, even when we lived for centuries and centuries, watching person after person die—even killing a few of them, there was nothing we could do now. I felt useless, I could not protect her. I could not save her. I could only wait in the cold hallways.

It seemed like years—and a few years never felt that long to me ever—before she came out the room, being wheeled into her hospital room on a gurney. The doctor was the last to come out, looking solemn and grim.

"You are all her friends and families?" He asked, staring at our group. We nodded and he nodded back at us before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I give my deepest apologies," he bowed at us deeply, formally. "There—There is nothing more we can do. I'm sorry."

Those words tore me apart.

I could hear the others sobbing loudly, but I did not feel like crying. I did not understand what the human just said.

"Tomoe-kun." Mizuki grabbed my arm, tears staining his pale face, but I did not even acknowledge him. "Don't—Don't feel too bad." He whispered. "It was bound to happen anyways."

It was bound to happen.

My jaw tightened as we made our way to her hospital room. We still had time. Just a little bit more.

Her room was dead silent when we walked in. Nanami was lying on the bed, her eyes still wide as she tried to fight through her last moments.

"Nanami." I called, and she looked at me, but did not make a sound, her eyes glittered slightly at the sight of everyone gathered.

"I want you to watch me die."

I watched her fade away right before my eyes. I was gripping her hand tightly, wishing her soul would stay inside her body if I just held her hard enough. I watched her take her last breath, breathing out my name. I watched her chocolate brown eyes slide closed, never to be opened again.

I watched her die, and I could do nothing about it.

She was no more than an empty shell now. Humans are such fragile beings. I grit my teeth in anguish as the others wailed loudly at the loss.

What now?

Where will I go now? What will I do now?

How am I supposed to live now?

Her funeral was almost a week and a half later. I felt empty inside as I watched the guests pour into the cemetery, all clad in black in respect for the dead.

"I'm sorry for your loss." One whispered to me, and out of pure instinct, I bowed towards her before she disappeared behind the crowd of people.

Her coffin was open for others to see before the burial. One by one the guests lined up, to give their prayers and good wishes to Nanami—after all, she was still the land god. Then, as time passed, one by one they left, and it was only me, Mizuki, and Mikage left.

"Don't stay here too long." Mikage told me before he, as well as Mizuki, left me alone here with Nanami.

Walking up to her coffin, still open, I kneeled in front of her, staring at her face. She was beautiful, she was flawless. She seemed peaceful.

"Ne, Nanami," I whispered, lifting my head up to the blue sky that she loved so much. "I love you. Even when you're gone. I love you so, so much. You know that, right?" A breeze blew through and I waited, ears alert, as I tried to catch a glimpse of her existence.

For a while, for a very long while, I heard nothing. But then another gently breeze blew through the cemetery and I heard a whisper in my ear that was unmistakably her voice.

"Of course I know." It whispered and I felt heat in the back of my eyes, tears threatening to fall.

"Nanami," I called again, voice shaking madly. "The road that is left for me is so, so long, I can't even see the destination clearly. I don't know how to go on, but you'll be here with me, right?" I searched wildly in my yukata sleeve for the golden hairpin she gave me.

"As long as I have this, you'll always be with me, right? You'll be with me forever, right?" I could not hold it in. I kneeled on the cold ground in front of her coffin and started sobbing, the void in my heart never once fading.

Another breeze blew, and it almost felt as if she was caressing my head.

"I'll always be with you, Tomoe."

Nanami lives within me, and I will use the rest of my time to continue loving her, even when she is no longer here. Her time has run out, but my time has not.

So how was it? Did you cry? I certainly felt really sad when I wrote this. I hope the ending was alright, I couldn't really think of a deep sentence to end it with...

R&R Please!