Title: A Dream That I've Chased
Sub-Title: Of the Endless Longing in an Endless Night
Genre: Romance
Rating Fiction Rated: K+
Summary: While Wolfram in 'Of Thousands Year Old Memories and Despair' is seen alive, this is reversed in 'Of the Endless Longing in an Endless Night' where Yuuri awaits the return of his loved one from the harsh battle ensued. A moment of two souls separated by the laws of life and death, and by a thin window. Loosely based on Gackt Camui's latest single, 'Returner Yami no Shuuen '. Songs that inspired, 'Antoinette Blue' by Nana Kitade, 'Returner Yami no Shuuen ' by Gackt Camui and 'Pessimist/neo Pessimist' by Moi dix Mois.

A Dream That I've Chased
- Of the Endless Longing in an Endless Night -

'My hand stretches to reach for yours, the smile that I see is pained. Only our fingertips touched before we disappear...'

If you close your eyes and listen, you could hear the many sounds a night has to offer. The sound of the gentle breeze picking up slightly before dying down, the sound of leaves ruffling in that gentle wind as they sway or the soft whispers of sweet-nothings couples usually murmur. I was different.

I hear none of the sorts. What the night offers me will never be sweet, gentle or arresting. To me, it offers something different. If I close my eyes, all I hear is the sound of my heart beating with apprehension as I spent long hours of waiting. The stillness of the silence is overwhelming as I stand alone in this room of ours and watch the endless darkness in an endless night.

If I close my eyes, a whole different world opens up to me. You appear before me, silhouetted by the bright white light. A gentle smile graces upon those tender lips of yours as you stood there. I could see your eyes staring without blinking, and slowly, your hand stretches to me. My hand copies the movement of yours and…

…I woke up.

To the darkness of our room, and only to myself.

The soft sounds of the battle filtered in without any warning as his eyes blinked into focus. He had been fallen asleep. With his head tilted upon the cool texture of the window glass, his glassy eyes found themselves glancing outside. A frown marred his forehead as his eyes closed. 'How could I have fallen asleep? Not when there is a-,' his thoughts trailed off as he pushed himself away from the window, 'I promised him-'

A cry of pain resonated in, its loudness overwhelming. HIs hands clenched tight at his sides as his eyes shut close with fervour. His body trembled as the cries continued, growing louder in the still silence of his room.

"It is not him. It is not him. It cannot be him, he promised," his soft whispers turned into chants as he lowered himself to the ground and his hands went up to his ears to shut the sound out. "It's not him. It's not him. He's stronger than this. He promised. He promised me. He promised me he will stay alive."

"I want to help!" his eyes burned with fury as he slammed a hand down upon the sturdy surface of the table. The others stared at him, startled. Only one remained calm as another sighed with resignation.

"But Your Highness-"

"Did you not listen? You cannot help us. You are not a soldier." HIs brilliant green eyes darkened as he stared grimly back. His own dark gaze narrowed as he glared.

"Conrad has been giving me a few lessons in sword-fighting, so I am sure I am -"

"'A few' does not constitute to the many years of a professional soldier had in training." His glare deepened once more, his eyes narrowed even further as the green gaze slid away from his in silent dismissal.

"Wait just a min-"

"Now that that is cleared, preparations have to be vitally ready." With a nod and a round of murmurs, it was over. With him still standing, eyes widened with bewilderment. He followed the movement of the people walking out before he trained them onto only one. His eyes narrowed as he made his move.

"What is your problem?! I was only trying to help out in this war!" He stomped towards the frozen body with its back still towards him. "Why did you have to be a -" His words faltered as he stopped short, just a couple of steps away. Eyes of green glistened with unshed tears as that glorious golden head hung low, desperately trying to shield away the embarrassing display. His hand instinctively shot up, cradling that gently pointed chin. The movement stopped as he brought the other's face back towards him. His own eyes darkened upon the glistened dark green eyes fleetingly looked away.

The other pulled away with such gentleness, it actually had his heart clenching painfully at the loss of the touch. In muted silence he could do nothing but watch. Watched the other hastily wiped away the unshed tears.

"Sorry," the other muttered as he rushed past him. In the same silence, he continued watching until the door closed softly with a gentle thud. His eyes grew determined in matter of seconds, the surprise disappearing as he strived towards the door and nearly flung it open. His stride was as determined as his face. Nearer he was towards his golden-haired companion, until he twirled the other around with a hand clamped tight upon that lean wrist. A gasp became muffled against his shoulder as he pulled the other closer to him. His hands were around that lithe body, grasping tighter and without letting go.

It could be a signal or permission, but whatever it was, he could feel another pair of hands clutching his back. The muffled sound of soft sniffles, he found, was endearing. A solace to his trembling heart, that matched perfectly to the trembling body he held. His hand moved, his right one that had been comforting in gentle ministrations, to gently press the golden head closer to him. He knew how much the other detested being seen with tears, being seen as weak. Hair that shone like spun gold felt like silk to his touch, marvelling him to no end. It mattered not to him that his shirt was getting wetter by the minute, he didn't mind, not at all. If given, he would gladly hold him for as long as it took, all for comforting. But it was only minutes later that the head he held gently leaned away in his loose grip.

Glistening green stared at him, but there was no sign of the desolate look he had previously seen. The sadness was still there but gratitude was in place of the despair. "I…I can't…I can't lose you," the whisper came, "that is why."

"That's why you turned down my help." The sadness grew and those green eyes would have looked away, if not for his hand stopping the movement again. "I understand it now, I really do."

"I cannot lose you, not when we have just discovered each other. Please, promise me that you will stay in the castle where it is safe."

"Wolfram…"

"Promise me."

"I…," his eyes were bewitching, there was nothing he could do but, "I will not leave this castle, where I will be safe from harm's way. That is my promise to you." A relieved smile he saw and his hands tightened their grip around the lean body. "Now you will promise me that you'll stay close to your troop and never let anyone hurt you."

Green eyes softened before, now narrowed with outrage. "Are you saying I am weak? Yuuri, I'll have you know I am most adept in battle."

He smirked at the incensed voice but sobered instantly. "I gave you my word that I'm staying behind when I should be out there," his eyes glanced out of a window before returning their gaze back, "now you have to do the same."

His fiancé pouted. "To you I gave you my promise. Satisfied?"

He smiled and nodded, his arms tightening in response. "Very."

"I will come back to you," he heard a whisper as the golden head lowered to rest upon his chest, "I promise."

To remember what was dear to him was something he did countless times, especially of that moment. With that last promise of staying alive whispered, he had arms around his neck pulling him closer. He watched that brilliant green dimmed as his own eyes closed. Lips so tender grazed his, that wonderful mouth opened with no warning and his tongue followed in. And passion flared from there on. They stumbled, without breaking, back to their room and the door shut with a loud slam.

His cheeks were burning as he remembered, but a sound from the outside had him reeling back. His eyes gazed out, searching the dark sky. He hadn't a clue of what he was searching for, actually. A clue, a sign maybe.

"Please come back to me."

As the moon was being closely held by the sky,
I became frightened by loneliness
So I called out, searching for you,
But I couldn't see through my tears

His eyes shut with resignation, his shoulders slumped with defeat. His head lowered, his locks falling. Soon his shoulders trembled as his hands clenched into fists. Under the cold pale moonlight, his cheeks glistened. His eyes opened almost suddenly, hooded, and watching the figure.

"Please come back to me."

The whisper was carried gently towards him by the wind, and in that instant, he broke down. His knees wobbled and he found himself unable to stand any longer. Harsh sound of cries could only be heard by him.

If I stretch out my hand, the smile I reach is pained
If I close my eyes, I want to hold
Your vanishing body once more in my arms
Because I can't forget that time, that place where we met...

His breathing was harsh and it was utterly painful for him to breathe even. A hand held his other arm in place as he struggled to stand. He was tired, hungry and cold. His heart was aching, needing for him to return to Yuuri's side once again. His head lifted with that thought in mind.

"Yuuri," he whispered as his hand clutched in unconscious reflex. With fierce determination etched in his tired visage, he trudged slowly. His booted feet struggled to plant themselves on the ground, his body stiffly moving. As he walked, a large trail of blood followed but he could do nothing about it. Onward he trudged on, body after body he walked past.

His eyes observed the body lying cold and still. Golden tresses innocently laid upon the cold ground, dyed nearly pink by the blood. A hand was stretched out above the golden head as though reaching out for something. If he were to move in front, he would see the dull blank look the eyes would hold, the once brilliant green dimmed and lifeless.

He stood before the castle, his hand still cradling his other arm, as he watched with painful breaths of air. A red haze fogged his vision, with him realizing it was his blood that had slithered down. His body was exhausted with the effort of standing but he had to move on. Just a little further, he had thought, as he slowly tried to move. His energy escaped him, his breathing slowing down as he fell. No one was around, for everyone had been pre-occupied by the battle. His head lifted slightly, his chin resting upon the harsh ground. His eyes surveyed until he found that thin glass window he had been looking for. His hand, trembling with the effort, lifted and stretched. He tried to reach out, tried to call out perhaps. But no sound came as his eyes glazed over, dulled with death.

He looked away. From the dull eyes, from the still cold body, and from the lifeless him. It was only a few hours since he knew he was already dead. His eyes searched out what he had been looking at while hovering on the brink of death. A figure now stood before the thin window, looking down. He wondered if those dark eyes had finally realized who he was gazing down. His eyes glistened again, this time his tears flowed freely.

"Forgive me, Yuuri. I didn't keep the promise I've made to you." With that final last whisper, he faded as his eyes closed for the final time.

The dream, from which I've been waking up, is vanishing
Your arms and beloved voice is slipping away
We'll meet once more, because we've promised to
We're gently encased by all the real overflowing love