Point of Presence
Chapter 21: Something Lasting

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Memory was all that existed of me right then, that and the remnants of a personality. Wherever I was, I wasn't quite sure how I'd gotten there. There was something darker existing beside me. Not moving, not necessarily living. Just existing.

"Why are you here?" it asked, and some distant part of my remaining person recognized the presence as Clow. Could spirits shrug? "Your lover is waiting for you, angel. Gather yourself."

"To-ya..." I whispered. "Am I dead?" I asked softly, not really expecting an answer.

"No, angel. You aren't dead. Very close to it, but you're not gone yet. Gather yourself, and go to the one you're bound to, or he will die with you."

"I did it?" Clow's presence nodded. "We've been bound?" It nodded again. Clow had given me the boost that I needed to bind us both and live. I enveloped him in myself, thanking him with everything I had. He merely chuckled.

"Go now, angel. Be happy with your life. With your companion. Love him as he loves you."

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"Yuki! Yuki, oh, god..." Was... I was back... I felt like my chest was about to split open. Air... I wasn't breathing. I forced my chest to unlock, and inhaled a huge breath of air. I felt like I was drowning, then the rush of air hit my head, and I became dizzy. "Yuki!"

I was crushed as Touya held me tight to him. "Air!" I gasped as I couldn't breathe again. The grip around my chest lessened, and I found myself, still gasping, staring up into the most beautiful blue eyes I'd ever seen.

"Yuki! My Yuki!" His face was streaked with tears, and the look on his face was indescribable. The lines of his beautiful face were curved with relief where moments ago, they'd been twisted with agony. "I thought... I thought..." His voice broke off in sobs again, and he gave up trying to speak, and just held me to his shaking body.

"I love you, To-ya," I said quietly, into his shoulder, still too weak to move. I felt power slowly draining back into me. Gods, we really were bonded together. I'd done it. I put my arms around his shoulders, resting them on his wings. The tears rolling down his face dropped down onto my own cheeks, and traced themselves onto my lips. What should've been salty was sweeter than honey. The taste on my tongue was not just his tears, but our intermixed blood as well. "We did it, koi. We did it." Exhaustion was getting the better of the both of us. The link that rested between us communicated that very clearly. I had the feeling that we'd know how the other felt from now on. And somehow that didn't bother me. Touya's sobs calmed slowly as he held me.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," he begged, cradling me safely in my his arms. I nodded, the combined rhythm of our heartbeats serving to put me to sleep. The same thing was happening to him. I felt it. It was an odd sensation, really. One that I'd have to explore to the fullest when we were back to full strength. I fell asleep to the sound of Touya's whispers in my ear, and the feel of feathers around me. But I'd be content with this arrangement forever. From the new feelings flooding through me, the ones that weren't mine, I could tell that he was in the same state of mind that I was. Neither of us wanted to be alone again. Neither of us would be alone again.

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