Her presence, her warmth. They were the things that made him hesitate, linger on the threshold longer than he should have. For so long, he had lived a life of 'what if'. What if he had stayed sleeping, as he so desired? What if he had been born her brother? What if he had just been born human, if the purebloods never existed? He wondered about those possibilities every waking moment since he learned he was different, since he learned of the curse that brought them to the point in time. If only he could stay with her...

He felt her move, her touch against his skin. He longed to stay there, to find his reason with her. In the end, it could not be. He had laid out this path of destruction for that one moment and he could not turn back. Still, Kaname did not move, did not pull away. There was still time to be with her, to spend the moments there with her at his side until the inevitable moment came.

His eyes did not open, but his arm circled her and he shifted, letting himself feel her nearby. He wouldn't hesitate because of this moment. This moment was why he lived, what would be his reason for the end. This moment he wanted to drag out, as much as possible, just to leave his mark upon her soul, one good thing he could leave her after all that he had done.

"Yuuki," a soft murmur, fingers moving up, burying themselves in the hair he loved so much. "You should go back to sleep."