Disclaimer: Hana Yori Dango belongs to Yoko Kamio and other associated parties.

Author's Notes: Fourth and last chapter. Done, wrapped and tied with a pretty ribbon. All yours to read and enjoy!

:: When The Last Leaf Falls ::

: Chapter Four :

The Last Leaf

There it was. The tree. And a leaf dangling precariously. The last leaf.

Makino Tsukushi gave a cry of dismay. Doumyouji Tsukasa looked all the more determined. He let go of Makino's hand, leaving her standing there. And ran toward the tree. And began climbing.

When Makino realised what Doumyouji was doing, she almost screamed. He could kill himself!

"Doumyouji! You'll fall!" Her voice was so full of fear. So child-like. So innocent. Doumyouji paused in his uphill task, and looked at her.

"Trust me." She did. Willing him not to fall. To do whatever he had to do. But come down safely.

Doumyouji gritted his teeth. It was harder than he had thought. But he made it. One stretch. And his fingers touched the leaf. The last leaf on the tree. One slight tug. And the leaf was in his hands.

When she next looked up, Makino almost cried. The last leaf had fallen. And she knew what that meant.

"Doumyouji…" Her voice was a whisper in the autumn wind. The wind that was chilly like that of winter's breath.

"Doumyouji…" She had to say goodbye.

Doumyouji Tsukasa was smiling a little triumphantly as he strode confidently toward her. Makino stared at him.

"What are you crying for?" His voice was a little harsh. Makino's heart nearly shattered. He held out his hand. In it, lay a brown leaf. Dried. Torn. Brown. The last leaf. Makino's tears continued flowing.

"Fool." His tone was patronising. Makino would have reached up to slap him any other time. But she didn't. It was enough that one of them spoil her last memories of their time together. She would not do anything she would regret.

"Fool." He said it again. She looked up at his face. As one of his hands lifted her chin. "The last leaf did not fall."

And then, it came to her. What he had done. And why. And she brightened visibly. And embraced him fiercely. Him. The boy she had started off hating. And ended up loving. The boy whom she had doubted possessed the ability to love someone. The boy who had exceeded her every hope and dream.

"Enough tears already." His voice was gentle again. As his fingers brushed the teardrops from her stained cheeks.

"Doumyouji…I…" He let her say no more.

~owari

End Notes:
The last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed your journey on this fic, and I promise there'll be more. When inspiration next hits, probably in mid-September after first round of papers are over!

Okay, you've now seen evidence of my warped sense of humour. Did the leaf "fall"? No, it didn't! Kaede left a loophole - how generous of her! ^__^

Replies:

simin: and Doumyouji does that... hope you liked the story!
ida: My imagination likes to work overtime. My body doesn't, though! Sorry for the delay!
DiaBLo: There, Doumyouji does something - and doesn't mess things up! ^__^
demon-heiress: Thanks! ^__^ Glad you enjoyed reading!
Drina: I think my sentences are getting way too short - they're getting compared to poetry! Wow, I never knew I could write poems! *grin*
raijin: Okay, it's the end. No cliffhanger. No sleepless nights. (I hope)
fujifunmum: Now it's one less fic! *grin* Doumyouji's smart, but sometimes, he's too out of touch with the real world. Everything can be solved with money? Not so!
demetedchris: hope you liked this one!
Cherryz Angel: I guess that was another short chapter. Typical of me, as you would have found out! LOL! I'll keep you posted on my progress in writing!
Spatula Gurl: No roll of masking tape this time. Doumyouji gets up and does it his own way. ^__^ Thanks for reading!

See you in the next fic! Thanks a bunch for reading and reviewing!

~rurouni